Time for a Workout

In strength training, athletes make use of machines and free weights. Machines offer guidance. The machine guides the athlete to ensure proper form. However, it is the lack of such guidance that makes free weights more effective. Without structure, the lifter’s movement may drift and other muscles have to compensate for balance. This builds more muscles and requires more exertion.

Spiritually speaking, we usually prefer the “machine” lifestyle. We know that there are certain challenges to experience in life. We just want the path and solutions to be clear-cut and easy to follow –like a machine.

And, for some reason, we tend to think God has forgotten us or allowed us to drift out of His control when life’s challenges can’t be handled in machine-like function.

But, could it be that God is completely in control –and that He is growing us through a “free weight” moment?

Romans 5:1-5 says, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Notice, this is written to believers -those “justified by faith.” But that doesn’t mean everything operates like a machine. Instead, this passage calls us to rejoice when we get a “free weight” spiritual workout, which produces “sufferings.”

Why would we rejoice in suffering? Because just like free weights produce muscle growth and stamina in physical training, suffering produces endurance and character in spiritual training. And all of that training is for a purpose –to “produce hope.”

In other words, it is through the sufferings of this life that God transforms us into people who are more like Christ. This, according to the verse, is an act of God’s love that “has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

In strength training terms, the Holy Spirit serves as our trainer –walking through the suffering with us, empowering us to endure and grow.

Maybe you have found yourself in the midst of a divine workout with “spiritual free weights.” Be encouraged –the Holy Spirit is with you, encouraging and strengthening you.

And don’t forget, the workout is temporary –but the results are eternal.

The “Perfect” Singles Ministry

“I don’t belong here.” That was the first thought that entered my mind when I walked into the room labeled, “singles.”

I had recently relocated and was interested in building relationships in my new church home. On that particular Sunday morning, I was greeted in the Church entrance and asked what kind of class I would like to attend. After a short discussion, the greeter led me to a small classroom upstairs.

To be honest, I felt like I had been dropped off in the “lost and found” box for Christians. Other than being single, “What else could I possibly have in common with these people?” I thought.

You see, the term, “single” has multiple meanings. It can refer to a 26-year old graduate student who has never been married, a 43-year old divorcee and mother of three, or a 74-year old widower, or a million different other combinations!

I sat down and waited for the lesson to begin. My mind was filled with curiosity as I scanned the room. “I wonder what his story is?” “What brought her to this class?”

The lesson was great. But what was even better was the discussion. It was during that time that I learned a valuable lesson: No matter how we all ended up single, we all had similar needs that only Christ can fulfill.

Over the course of several months, the unthinkable happened: I fell in love with my singles class! There is just something about sharing common struggles and needs that brings people together.

In the midst of that time, my perspective of what a singles ministry should look like has changed. It’s not about age categories and marital status classifications. It’s about a common need for grace –God’s grace.

Perhaps no other group of people in the church are as “in touch” with their need for Christ as singles. Why? Because God created marriage to teach us about Christ’s love for us (Ephesians 5:25). When someone is missing a marriage relationship, it touches a nerve that heightens the awareness of our need for Christ.

For that reason, if I were starting a singles ministry from scratch (or revising an existing one), I don’t think I would worry so much about making the meetings “cool” or “trendy.” It wouldn’t bother me if multiple age groups wanted to attend. And I wouldn’t cringe at the thought of mixing divorcee’s, widowers, and never-marrieds. Instead, I think I would focus on something more vital that every single person desires: an atmosphere of grace. That’s the kind of place where everyone belongs!

No More Cheap Dates

I started “real dating” in High School. By “real dating” I mean actually driving to the girl’s house, picking her up, paying for dinner and taking her home (usually by curfew). “Real dating” was far beyond the Jr. High “I’ll-meet-you-at-the-movie-with-all-our-friends-when-my-parents-drop-me-off” dating.

I remember my first “real date.” I don’t mind telling you that I had to beg the girl to go out with me. She was a wonderful, godly young lady from our church. (Incidentally, she is still a wonderful godly young lady –and she married a wonderful godly man).

A few days before the first date, my mom approached me with an envelope. She said it was for our date. I opened the envelope to find a $5 off coupon to a nice restaurant in town. This was a kind gesture on my mom’s part –but let’s be honest, there was no way I was going to use a coupon on a date!

Can you imagine the message that might have communicated to the girl?

“You’re not worth full price”

Yikes! Not quite the message I wanted to get across. Not to mention, I would be admitting to couponing –which, let’s be honest, does not get you “cool points” in High School.

Our relationship with Christ is much like a romantic relationship between a man and a woman. Scripture uses that imagery often (Isaiah 62:5, Ephesians 5:25). The idea is that Christ loves us with the passion of a groom for his bride. And the full extent of His love is seen in the way He serves us even unto death on a cross (Philippians 2:8). In other words, He paid the full price for our salvation –no coupons, no discounts, no price breaks. His work on the cross was completely paid in full by his blood.

Just as Christ has loved us completely, we are now called to love Him completely. (Deuteronomy 6:5, Matthew 22:37). The essence of our love for him is called “worship.” Worship is bowing down our heart to Christ in adoration and affection.

Romans 12:1 explains the idea: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

The verse begins with the phrase “by the mercies of God,” implying that our worship is a response to Christ’s great work on the cross. We love him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). Therefore, it stands to reason that if Christ loved us completely, we should worship Him whole-heartedly.

This idea of “whole-hearted” worship is found in the next phrase, “present your bodies as living sacrifices.”

Christ presented His body unto death in order for us to present ourselves for life through His resurrection power.

Although we are prone to speak of worship in terms of a one-hour time slot during the week in a church facility, worship is actually a lifestyle. It’s not just singing, it’s living.

Unfortunately many of us are not whole-hearted with our worship. Instead, we practice “cheap worship” and in so doing, communicate to Christ, “You’re not worth the full price.” Not only does this dishonor Christ, but it fails to accurately reflect his commitment to paying the full price for our salvation.

We use our “Cheap worship coupons” when we:

  •  Treat worship as an optional feature of Christian living (which it is not)
  •  Worship only with our lips and not with our lives (hypocrisy)
  • Act as though worship can be compartmentalized into events rather than a lifestyle
  • Only worship when we are “in the mood” rather than letting our worship change our mood
  • Focus on different styles of worship rather than the object of our worship (Christ)

King David understood. He declared, “I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing” (2 Samuel 24:24).

What about you? Are you going out on “cheap dates” with Christ? Put away the “worship coupons” and let your costly worship declare your whole-hearted affection!

Manna Manifesto

Imagine wandering the desert without any food. Now, imagine you share that plight with one or two million other people.

That was the situation the children of Israel found themselves in as they fled Egypt to pursue the Promised Land.

It wouldn’t take long for some mumbling to start, right? After crossing the Red Sea, it only took three days of hunger and thirst before the people verbalized their frustration (Exodus 15:24, 16:3).

Looking back on the situation, it is easy for us to criticize the Israelites for their complaining and lack of faith. After all, God had just shown His mighty power in parting the Red Sea. Surely He could handle refreshments.

As tempting as it is for us to point the finger at the Israelites, we must recognize that we are guilty as well. Thankfully, God does not allow our complaining to hinder His faithfulness.

In Exodus 16, God provides food for the Israelites in the form of manna. Manna was a flaky substance that fell on the ground every morning. Every evening, God provided quail for meat.

Here are a couple of interesting lessons we can learn from the provision of manna and quail:

1)   God’s provisions are often hidden. Most of us are not content with believing that God will provide. Instead, we want to know how, and when. Of course this is evidence of our control issues. The kicker is that while at the same time we are begging God for provision, we are fighting Him for control.

But God is sovereign –He never loses control and He certainly does not relinquish control to mortals. Instead, He faithfully provides for us –many times in ways that we never recognize.

Whether it is protecting us from an automobile accident by keeping us late in a meeting, or providing our light bill through an anonymous giver, God’s provision is constant. Even when the children of Israel received their manna, they didn’t recognize it. In fact, the word, “manna” actually means, “what is it?”

2)   God’s provisions often work within God’s conditions. We all know the rest of the story, right? God gave the children of Israel conditions surrounding the use of manna. For six days, the people were to pick up just enough for the day’s usage and on the sixth day, they were to gather enough for two days (Exodus 16:4-5). If the people tried to gather more than enough, the extra manna would spoil (Exodus 16:20). If they didn’t gather enough on the sixth day, there would not be provision on the seventh day (Exodus 16:27).

Not every provision of God is conditional (ie. the rain falls on the just and unjust –Matthew 5:45). The problem comes when we question God’s faithfulness –even though we are the ones neglecting His conditions! Just like the children of Israel may have complained when their manna spoiled, or they were unable to gather on the Sabbath, we often complain about our finances even though we have squandered away our funds or neglected to tithe. We may even vent relationship frustrations to God when we have dated people with sinful lifestyles or complain about overwhelming demands when we have been guilty of laziness.

Perhaps, its time for us to proclaim a manna manifesto. It might go something like this:

1)   I will trust God for provision, even when His timing is different from mine.

2)   I will be thankful for God’s provision, even when I do not recognize it.

3)   I will be responsible with God’s provisions according to His conditions.

4)   I will rejoice, even when God changes the way He provides for me.

What a Gift!

On his last birthday, my son Bryce received more than enough gifts. In fact, weeks after the fact, there are still a few of the toys that still haven’t been taken out of their packaging. Its not that Bryce doesn’t like them, its just that he hasn’t made his way through all of the other gifts yet.

As I reflected on this abundance of gifts, I started thinking about who all of the packages came from. Interestingly, many of them were from adults who don’t’ know Bryce very well. Their only relationship with Bryce is through their memories of his mom. In other words, Bryce’s relationship with his mom is the basis of many blessings he enjoys.

Isn’t that a reflection of Christ? Certainly, our own works do not merit God’s blessings. However, when we place faith in Christ, we receive God’s blessings of salvation because of Christ’s righteousness. In other words, our relationship with Christ is the basis of the blessings we enjoy. God is pleased with His righteousness that has been placed upon us!

And, just like Bryce’s gifts, the blessings of God are abundant and overflowing!

And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (I Cor. 1:30-31)

Road Trip: Puerto Rico

The only thing more beautiful than the landscape of Puerto Rico is the people of Puerto Rico. Their unique culture is a rich blend of native Indian, African, Spanish, and French influences. As a commonwealth of the United States, they are US citizens, and at the same time, they enjoy their own identity.

It was a joy to be able to visit many churches and missions on the island during my short trip.

Pastor Alfredo “Freddy” Didier was my gracious host for the weekend. Previously, he suffered a terrible accident in which he injured his left arm severely. He was in terrible pain all weekend. But pastor Freddy did not let the pain of his injury slow him down.

Freddy is a disciple-maker and a church planter. As soon as he picked me up from the airport, he introduced me to his friend Carlos. Pastor Freddy is discipling Carlos. They spend great amounts of time together –not just within the walls of the church, but in everyday life. That is what discipleship is all about!

On Friday night, Pastor Freddy, Carlos, and I drove to Guayama for an English-speaking worship service in their new mission on the South side of the island. The name of the mission is “Bountiful Blessings.” The experience there lived up to the name. Worshippers from several different nations gathered in a living room for the service. During the service, Pastor Freddy announced to the mission that he had found a larger meeting place for them to gather. The people were ecstatic!

Bountiful Blessings Mission has a wonderful opportunity to reach the English speaking population of Guayama. Please pray for their congregation as they continue to reach out to their community.

The next day, Pastor Freddy and I attended the annual meting of the Baptist Missionary Association of Puerto Rico. There, we met with pastors from Coamo, Cabo Rojo, Mayaguez, Salinas, and Cayey. It became obvious that these pastors are a tight-knit group who depend upon one another for support and encouragement. They love each other and take care of one another. In fact, the association voted to help Pastor Freddy with his medical expenses for his arm injury. That is what being a part of the BMA is all about –we are better together!

After the meeting, I traveled with Pastor Juan Rivera to the church in Salinas. We gathered in their facility that afternoon to watch the youth of the church practice a black light drama. They did a wonderful job. Seeing the youth spend a Saturday at church was a testimony to the impact Pastor Juan and his ministry team are making in Salinas.

One of the challenges the church in Salinas faces is their location. They are outgrowing their downtown rented space. Further, they are located in the middle of a busy street with sports bars all around. Parking is a struggle and security is a great concern. When the youth want to gather on Friday or Saturday evenings, they cannot meet at the church because the area becomes dangerous with drunken partygoers filling the street.

Please pray for Pastor Juan and the church in Salinas as they look for wisdom in relocating to a different area of the town.

On Sunday morning, I was blessed to worship with Pastor Freddy’s church in Cayey as they marked their ten-year anniversary. The congregation celebrated as they recounted the history of their church. Their music was amazing. I loved singing along with them in my broken Spanish (thankfully they had the words projected on a screen).

It was an honor to preach to the people in Cayey. They are very engaged in the word, which makes preaching a pleasure. What a testimony to Pastor Freddy’s faithful ministry which has developed their desire for hearing the Word proclaimed!

After the service, the church enjoyed a special fellowship meal together. I had a great time visiting with the people and hearing how the church has ministered to each of them.

One of the greatest takeaways from the weekend was the reminder that God uses faithful men to make a kingdom impact. Everywhere I visited the people asked about Pastor David Dickson. Pastor David was the first BMA missionary to Puerto Rico. His church planting work has now spread all over the island through the men whom he trained to be pastor. All of the people I visited with expressed their love for Pastor David and recounted his love for them.

May God continue to bless the work of the churches of Puerto Rico!

No Laughing Matter

My son is a well-behaved kid. Most of the time, if he needs correction, a short talk is all that is needed.

Recently, however, his behavior required something stronger. So, after a serious conversation, I spanked him.

As he looked up at me, I knew something was not quite right. He was holding back laughter. It occurred to me that the spanking didn’t hurt. I had held back a little too much.

As I realized what was going on, I had to hold back the laughter too.

There we were, sitting on the edge of his bed –both of us trying not to laugh, but for totally different reasons!

He was trying to be respectful while I was trying to remain in “discipline mode.”

What exactly do you say in that moment? I wasn’t exactly sure, but I gave it my best effort:

“Bryce, that didn’t hurt did it?”

“No sir.”
“That’s right. But if it happens again, it will hurt.”

“Yes sir.”

Wow! I felt like I had a pretty decent comeback in the face of nearly losing all “spanking credibility.” Whew… that was a close one!

While my attempts at discipline might not always be perfectly executed, God’s discipline is always perfect.

Proverbs 3:11-12 explains it this way:

“My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in” (NIV).

The writer of Hebrews quotes this Proverb adding, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11).

Every time I spank Bryce, I remind him that my discipline is out of love for him. Even though he might not understand it right now, I know that if I really want what is best for Bryce, I must discipline him!

In the same way, God disciplines His children out of love. Ultimately, it is for our good and for His glory.

Discipline is not the same as punishment. Jesus took the punishment for our sin on the cross. “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

Punishment is the agent of wrath. But discipline is the agent of grace, transforming us into the image of Christ. And that is no laughing matter!

The Moment I Wish Could Last Forever

If I could go back in time and make one moment last forever, it would be the evening of August 30, 1998. I was spending the weekend in Lufkin, Texas with two of my best friends, Keri and Brandon. They were helping me pursue the girl of my dreams –Jill Jarvis.

My friend Keri was from Lufkin. After eating at a local restaurant, we went to hang out at Keri’s mother’s house. As the four of us (Brandon, Keri, Jill, Me) were getting out of the car, something just blurted out of my mouth. “Jill, would you like to take a walk?”

Thankfully, she said “yes!”

At approximately 9pm that evening we began walking around a golf course near Keri’s house. For the next 7 hours –yes, 7 hours- we walked and talked until we finally sat down on a bench. We discussed our upbringing, what we believed, how God had worked in our lives, what our college experience had been like, what we believed about the mission of the church, who we knew in common, what we wanted to do in life, who our favorite musicians were, what we liked to do in our spare time… and about a million other things.

I listened to each word she said with every ounce of my energy. She was all I could focus on that evening. I couldn’t stop looking at her –she was beautiful. And she had a glow about her that was irresistible. I couldn’t get enough of her sweet, calming voice and her unique expressions. Our conversation was natural and unforced. Neither of us struggled to think of new things to talk about.

Looking back, we had the worst case of “puppy love” you could imagine. And yet, at the same time, we knew that it was much more.

Over and over we would look at our watches and say, “In ten minutes we need to head back.” However, we just couldn’t break away from that perfect moment.

It wasn’t until 4am that we finally made ourselves walk away.

It was the most innocent, beautiful, exciting, moment of my life. Neither of us wanted it to end. So, sixteen months later, we vowed ourselves to one another “till death do us part.”

After almost nine years of marriage, death parted us.

Oh, how I wish I could go back in time to see her again. I wish I could sit on that bench at the golf course with her again and never leave.

If I tried to measure the delight I find in that evening on the golf course, it would literally be off the charts. Yet, the most glorious thought is that my greatest experience on earth will pale in comparison to one second in the uninterrupted presence of God in Heaven.

Jill is already experiencing that glorious joy. And, unlike the golf course, Heaven does last forever.

Road Trip: Ballardsville, MS

I knew it was going to be a great visit as I drove through the beautiful landscape. I even slowed down a little to take it all in.

I smiled as I pulled into the parking lot of Ballardsville Baptist Church on Sunday morning. Next to my vehicle sat a new Ford truck with the windows rolled down and keys in the ignition. I knew these were my kind of people!

Walking into the building, I quickly realized that the people were as pleasant as the Mississippi scenery. They welcomed me with warm hospitality and invited me to take part in a Sunday School class.

The class was well-taught and full of lively discussion. It was obvious that this was more than a class –this was family.

The morning worship service carried the same spirit of harmony. Pastor Jimmy Daugherty led the service with noticeable enthusiasm.

Bro. Jimmy is a strong leader with a big heart. During the service, he gave an update on the renovation of a home for the family of Bro. Larry Smith, a pastor who recently passed away.

To learn more about how you can help the Smith family, take a look at Bro. Jimmy’s ministry page on Facebook: Lynco-Love Your Neighbor Community Outreach.

Why it’s Great to be a Child

Remember when you thought “growing up” was going to be the best thing ever? “Adulthood” represented not having to eat your vegetables, or go run errands with mom, or do your homework, or finish your chores. The dream was to grow up and become independent so you could sleep late, watch tv all day, eat pizza for every meal, and never clean your room. And there would be no need for a job –after all, those ATM’s hand out free money –right?

Of course, time changes your perspective. Maybe you’ve made a statement like ““I was so eager to grow up, and now I wish I could be a kid again” or “I didn’t know how good I had it all those years –oh to be under my parent’s care again.”

It turns out that with the achievement of adulthood comes bills, responsibilities, and pressures. Adulthood means you’ve suddenly become the center of your universe –and your universe has demands! Suddenly, childhood wasn’t so bad –in fact, it was great to just benefit from the fact that everything didn’t revolve around you.

In a larger picture, I think the church struggles with the same condition. Sometimes we get caught up in the “it’s going to be great one day when we can ______.” (you fill in the blank)

It’s tempting for churches to feel like they are always “one step away” from the “next big thing.” You know, the thing that’s going to “put them over the top” or be a “game changer.”

But what if, like reaching adulthood, a church reaches their goals only to find out they missed the mark. What if they realized “the next big thing” wasn’t all it was cracked up to be?” What if, like an adult, the suddenly realized that the church isn’t meant solely for their pleasure and that they are not the center of the universe?

In Ephesians 3:8-10, Paul says, “To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.”

Paul explains that God has given him grace to preach Christ to the world for a specific purpose: “so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.”

This is very interesting. Paul doesn’t say that he preaches the gospel so that the church can grow up and achieve its long-range planning goals. In fact, the ultimate goal for the church has nothing to do with the church! Paul explains that it is so that “the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known.”

The first and foremost purpose that God has set for his church is to glorify Him. He is the center of the universe –not us.

That’s even evident in the way that Paul finishes the sentence. We might be tempted to think Paul is about to say that the purpose is for the wisdom of God to be made known “to the world.” In our tiny minds this seems so big and ultimate the way that “adulthood” seems so grand to a child.

But, if the ultimate goal for the church were to spread God’s glory to our world, the goal would be far too small. If, like a child growing into adulthood, the church ever reached the goal of reaching the world (which is a good goal), the church would suddenly realize that the goal was not as grand as they thought. There is something bigger –something more universal.

So Paul finishes the sentence by revealing God’s intention for his glory to be made know “to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” Wow –now that is huge!

These “rulers and authorities” refer to the host of angels and other heavenly beings that we can only imagine. Remember, they long to look into the mystery of God’s grace to man through Christ (I Peter 1:12). Both the angels of heaven, and the fallen angels of darkness watch God’s interaction with humans with great intrigue. We are on God’s cosmic stage with a purpose to magnify his divine righteousness and justice. (Kind of makes our little ambitions seems like child’s-play)

The ultimate goal of the church is not just to reach our tiny little planet –but instead, it is to reflect the unfathomable glory of God to the universe!  That is something  that is not possible with man, but is completely possible with God.

If this strikes you as demeaning, consider this: a universal purpose is much more important than a mere global purpose. Perhaps the most difficult truth to swallow here, however, is not the scope of God’s glory, but instead the target. Man is not the center of God’s universe: God is.

But that’s actually a good thing. Because, I suspect, if we ever found ourselves at the center of the universe, we would discover (like an adult reflecting upon childhood) that it is actually more wonderful to be under someone else’s authority, receiving the blessings of their leadership without having to bear the difficult load of being in charge.

As children of God (a term the Bible use frequently to help us recall our dependence upon His authority), we enjoy “the unsearchable riches of Christ” which Paul mentions as the great mystery, which reveals God’s glory to the universe of heavenly beings. I don’t know about you, but I like being a child of God! I love the blessings of the “unsearchable riches of Christ.” And I’m so thankful that God is in charge of them –not me!