Archive for category: Devotional

Follow Me: FLIPPED, Upside-Down Living

Most of us get it backwards. We think the key to the life we’ve always wanted is to believe the right things and behave the right way. Just take a look at social media. Facebook Philosophers regularly post one-liners, pics and quotes intended to inspire, challenge, convict and guilt people into changing what they believe and how they behave. We see this in politics as well. We pass laws based on our beliefs designed to manage someone’s behavior with words on a page.

It makes sense that we would think the key to success in life is belief and behavior. They’re both measurable. One by what we say. The other by what we do. But when it comes to discovering and living spiritual truth there is a far more important practice than belief and behavior. It’s the way Jesus did it and it’s far less complicated than we want to make it.

Jesus says, “Follow me.”

When Jesus approached Peter, James and John, three fishermen on the shore of the sea of Galilee, he didn’t give them a list of qualifications. He never asked for their résumé. He simply said, “Follow me.” Later Jesus goes to Matthew. He’s working in the tax office. Jesus doesn’t look at Matthew and say, “Believe this, obey that.” Instead, he looks at Matthew and says, “Follow me.”

We see this pattern in the Old Testament too. God goes to Noah and later Abraham and essentially says, “Follow me.” And they do. Most people think of religion as a list of rules and regulations. When I say Old Testament I’m guessing one of the first things that comes to mind is the 10 Commandments. The 10 Commandments were first given to Moses. Moses lived about 600 years after Abraham. For 600 years there was no list, only one explicit request, “Follow me.”

When asked what made Jesus tick he responded simply, “I do the things I see my Father do. I say the things I hear my Father say.” In other words Jesus said, “I follow him.”

We get it backwards. We try to convince ourselves and everyone else that if we will believe the right things and behave the right way only then we can follow Jesus. But that’s not what Jesus said. He said, “Follow me.”

Follow him long enough and belief will come. We see that in the Disciples. Following leads to belief. Belief leads to changed behavior.

We understand this. We do it everyday on Facebook and Twitter. We click “like”. We press “follow”.  And suddenly we receive regular updates about the thoughts and actions of the people we find interesting. We may agree or disagree. But either way, the people we follow influence the thoughts we have.

I don’t know what you think about Jesus or Christianity. Maybe you don’t put a lot stock in anything spiritual or religion related. Maybe you grew up in church. Maybe you’ve been burned. Maybe you’re doing all the right things, all the right way. No matter where you are, you’re in a good place to start. My challenge for you today isn’t that you would change your beliefs or behavior, but that you would, for a season try one simple thing.

“Follow him.”

Let me be clear. I don’t mean follow his followers. I mean follow him. Go to Biblegateway.com or YouVersion.com. Search for the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke or John in the New Living Translation and start reading. Read a little every day. Let’s say, one chapter each day. It doesn’t matter if you believe it or not. I read things online or in the newspaper everyday I don’t believe. Just like checking Facebook or Twitter get in the habit of reading a chapter from the Bible each day. Follow him.

These thoughts inspired by Andy Stanley.

Teachers | The Secret Sauce

James 3

“Am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been, has, have, had, do, does, did, shall, will, should, would, may, might, must, can, could.”

Those are verbs of being. I learned the list in 5th grade from a teacher named Mrs. Hoggard. She was a teacher from the old school. I’ll confess. There are times I inflict the same grammatical punishment on my kids she inflicted on her students.

“Can I go to the bathroom?” They ask.

“I don’t know. Can you? I think you mean may I go to the bathroom. ‘Can’ is about ability. ‘May’ is about permission.”

Every time I hear that question I receive a double benefit. I get to torture my children with a lesson on proper grammar and remember a teacher who influenced me. Other teachers in my life have had a similar effect.

Mr. Arato was the teacher who led the Junior Police in my elementary school. There was a rumor he had an electric paddle to punish trouble makers. In 6th grade I was one of his Junior Police and in his home room. He was never as scary as the stories we told the younger kids. He was really a lot of fun and one of the student’s favorite teachers. I sat at my desk the last week of school. He snuck up behind me and poured a cup of cold water over my head. I was soaking wet. It was good-natured retaliation for a practical joke I and several of my friends had played on him earlier in the year. (He’s in the picture. Doesn’t he look kind of like the Family Guy?)

There was also Mrs. Tapscott. She was one of my teachers for two years because she moved from teaching one grade to another. One of her sons was an entrepreneur who owned a restaurant in town. Her other son was a member of the U.S. Secret Service. Before Mrs. Tapscott it never really crossed my mind that teachers have a life and family outside of school. I assumed they lived at the school somewhere inside that secret wonderland called ‘The Teacher’s Lounge’.

In High School there was Mr. Correll, my band director. He was one of the teachers that helped me become the musician I am today. Every time I play the piano I use the blues scale he taught me.

Mr. Peak and Mr. Fleming were the cool teachers. They played together in a rock band. Mr. Peak taught biology. Mr. Fleming, psychology. Mr. Fleming had long hair and owned a t-shirt print shop. He hired me to make t-shirts. For our semester final in Mr. Fleming’s psychology class we watched a movie, “The Lost Boys”. It’s a vampire movie. We had to write a one page summary on the psychological effects of fear on one of the characters.

Some jobs have the benefit of keeping the curtain closed until the product is ready. Apple has mastered this art. We’ll only hear rumors of the next iPhone until the day Apple decides to reveal the finished product. Another blockbuster movie is about to be released. After its success in theaters we might see a bloopers reel on DVD or YouTube. We might hear funny stories from the actors about crazy things that happened on set, but the public will only ever really know the finished product.

Teachers don’t have this luxury. Their work isn’t ever really a finished product. It’s a process under construction and that process is on open public display. We see the work they do. It makes us think we understand what it takes to be a good teacher. It gives people the false impression that they could do better. Because the process is public we feel the freedom to offer up our opinion of success or failure even before the process has reached its intended goal. Like walking in on a surgeon in the middle of open heart surgery we enter a classroom and shout, “Put that back in! That’s not where that goes!” It’s tempting to criticize the manufacturer before they get the battery in the phone.

James 3:1 says, “…let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.”

That verse tells me not everyone has what it takes to be a teacher. It also tells me that those who have become teachers deserve special respect. They rightfully receive a level of scrutiny most professions will never know. They are judged, not for their finished product, but for the work under construction.

That judgment comes in a variety of forms. It comes in the form of public criticism. Teachers should expect it. That criticism may be useful. It may not. It may be informed or ignorant. Whatever the case, it’s natural. As a teacher, find a way to leverage that public criticism to your advantage. You’re an educator. Use those teachable moments to train up parents, students and the public about where you are in the process, where you’re headed and how we should all measure success.

That judgment comes in another way. It comes in the future choices of the students you teach. You are not fully responsible for their actions, but you are an accomplice in the process.

I’m thankful for those who taught me. I hope today you will take time to reflect on those teachers who helped shape you into the person you are. I hope you’ll take time to say thanks to the people who taught you and that you’ll give extra honor to those who teach your children.

Teachers are the secret sauce. They are the difference between ignorant and informed, wise and foolish, skilled and unskilled. Their responsibility is great. The honor they deserve greater.

For those of you who want to become teachers, well done. Remember this. There is a difference between prominent and significant. My nose is prominent. My heart is significant. Everyone I meet will see my nose. It will be in every picture taken of me. I hope no one ever sees my heart, not even my doctor. I may be funny looking, but I can live without my nose. I can’t live without my heart. One is prominent. The other significant.

As a teacher, you may never be prominent. But be you can be confident of this. You are significant. You are in my heart.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for teachers. More specifically, thank you for the teachers who have shaped me. Thank you for the teachers I entrust with my children. I pray that you would bless them with wisdom and patience. Let them and their families know your favor and loving-kindness. Give them the courage and strength to receive the stricter judgment. We need more people with that kind of courage.

I love you, in Jesus name -
Chad

Passion Week: Celebrate the Cruelty

1 John 4

This week my church hosted an event called the Passion Week Experience. It’s a fresh look at an ancient practice. People experience eight stations of the cross and interact with the elements and events that led to Jesus’ crucifixion. The experience is deeply personal, emotional and meaningful.

As a Believer it’s a story with which I’m very familiar. But that’s not the case for everyone. Wednesday night we have a group of English Language Learners classes for people who want to learn to better speak, read and understand English. In the class are people of about 8 different nationalities. A few of them are Chinese. This past Wednesday night our ELL leaders took their students through the Passion Week Experience. Their reaction was interesting.

As they walked through each station they said, “I thought Easter was about the bunny. I thought it was a celebration of spring.” Our leaders were able to explain that Easter is a time when we remember the betrayal, torture, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. They were shocked. Their next question was significant.

“But why would you celebrate such cruelty?”

It does seem strange to honor instruments of torture, to reflect on the last meal of a man doomed to death, to approach with reverence and wonder the oils and spices used to embalm a decaying corpse. But it’s only strange if you consider one side of the story. It’s the rest of the Passion Week story that gives us cause to celebrate. These were the tools God used to provide for your salvation and mine. This was the method he chose to deliver you from your sin. This was the act that would allow someone else to receive in our place the punishment we deserved. That punishment was poured out on God’s son, Jesus.

And that’s where the Passion Story gets even better. Jesus died, but he rose again. He lives today and offers forgiveness to all who believe. He wants to forgive you. Will you receive it?

There’s another passion station. It’s a representation of the Holy of Holies with a replica of the Ark of the Covenant. I’m grateful for the artist who built this Ark. It’s so well done we told people we found it in a crate in a government warehouse somewhere in Nevada! (lame movie reference).

In the Old Testament the Ark of the Covenant was in the Temple and separated from the people. It sat in the Holy of Holies and represented the place that was filled with the holy presence of God. No on could enter but the High Priest and he could only enter once per year after making atonement for his sins so that he could make atonement for the sins of a nation. Because sin can’t live in the presence of the holiness of God there are stories in the Old Testament of people who died simply because they touched the Ark of the Covenant!

It’s led to lots of speculation about what might happen if someone touched our replica. But that answer is simple. Nothing. Not because it’s a replica, but because the veil is torn. Jesus paid the price for your sin and mine. On the day he died on the cross the veil that separated man from God was torn in half from top to bottom. God opened the Holy of Holies and said, “Come in, you’re welcome here because of Jesus work on the cross.” There’s even a verse that tells us, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter the Holy of Holies because of the blood of Jesus.” That’s the real meaning of Passion Week.

Passion Week is a celebration of cruelty. The worst form of capital punishment ever conceived was used on Jesus, the blameless son of God. He willingly received it and gave up his life so that we might be forgiven of our sin. Jesus proved his passion for us. Today, through Jesus, we can have peace with God and a deep and intimate relationship with him. We can boldly enter his presence and experience his grace, love, peace, kindness and favor.

How will you celebrate this Passion Week? Will you celebrate the cruelty? Will you reflect on the sacrifice? Will you remember the end of the story? Jesus is alive! He is risen! Will you place your faith in him and trust Jesus for the forgiveness of sin?

1 John 4:9-10 say, “God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.”

Celebrate the cruelty that brought grace. Experience his passion for you. Give your life to Jesus.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for going through the cruelty of the betrayal, torture and cross for me. Thank you that you loved me even before I loved you. Thank you for the life you have given me through your son, Jesus. Thank you that today I can boldly enter your presence, not because of my goodness, but because of your righteousness in me. I want to walk with you today. Don’t let me run ahead of your will or lag behind. But help me stay right with you where you are. Give me boldness and courage to share your story with others and allow me the privilege of seeing people come to faith in you. This Easter, let people remember, let them experience this story in a way that is deep, intimate, meaningful, personal and powerful. Thank you, Father.

I love you, in Jesus name -
Chad

The Lies We Tell Ourselves

1 John 2

I have a topic that’s heavy on my heart and related to 1 John 2, but I’m not ready to address it directly. It’s not enough to speak the truth. You should speak it well. The way you deliver the truth is as important as the truth being delivered. So here are a few related thoughts.

I don’t like to be told I’m wrong. I try hard to make good choices and do the right thing. There are times I stumble into sin. Other times I pursue sin with a passion. It’s comforting to know that either way I’m forgiven. And then I read 1 John 2:4-6, “If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.”

I think God just called me a liar.

Sometimes I sin out of ignorance, not because I’m stupid, but because sometimes I simply don’t know any better. Sometimes I sin because of hasty judgements and snap decisions. I wrongly react to the bad choices of others.

But let’s be honest.

Most of the time I sin because I like it. I do what I want to do and convince myself I did it because I had to. That’s where 1 John 2 comes into play. It’s a wake up call, really, to be honest with yourself. Stop trying to call your sin something other than what it is. You may want it with all your heart. You may believe it’s the best choice for you to make.  You may think that living this way defines you and that to live any other way would be a denial of who you are, your rights, your happiness and your joy. You may think people who tell you otherwise are mean, small-minded or crazy. You may believe the words of the Bible to be antiquated, irrelevant and insignificant. But no matter how many people you can find to agree with you if God says it’s sin, it’s sin. At least have the guts to admit that you’ve chosen something that displeases God, and you’re okay with that. Stop trying to put words in His mouth. Stop trying to make yourself feel better by claiming he’s okay with it.

Be honest.

Today, you have a choice to make. You can be honest, confess your sin and by his power become something more than you ever imagined. Or keep deceiving yourself.  You can call yourself a child of God and deliberately ignore the instructions of your Father. You can convince yourself you’re okay because so many people will stand with you. God gives you that choice. Choose one way and find life today and life everlasting. Choose another – God calls you a liar.

It’s not cruel. It’s accurate. It’s not about assigning blame or passing judgement. It’s about God trying to break through the greatest deception of all – the lies we tell ourselves.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for speaking the truth and for speaking it well. Convict me of the sin in my life. I want to make right choices. I want to live in a way that pleases you. Don’t let me deceive myself into believing my sin is okay. Instead, help me confess it. Give me the strength and courage to overcome it. Transform my appetite for sin into a hunger and thirst for righteousness. Help me communicate your truth to others in ways that are clear, creative, concise and compelling. Above all let me represent you well, honor you and love and serve others as I do.

I love you, in Jesus name -
Chad

It’s a Crying Shame

1 Peter 4

Shame doesn’t seem to have much influence these days. Reality TV, YouTube, even the nightly news prove that people are willing to do almost anything for 15 minutes of fame. In spite of this fact our culture still likes to use shame to try to motivate people to do things their way.

• “You smoke!? That’s a shame. You’re killing yourself and your children.”
• “You like 64 oz. soft drinks!? Unbelievable. You’re the cause of America’s obesity problem.”
• “You own and know how to responsibly discharge a firearm!? Shame on you. You are contributing to that culture of violence that’s killing our kids!”
• “You believe homosexuality has nothing to do with love and everything to do with sex AND you have the nerve to tell me it’s wrong!? Bigot. What you believe is shameful.”
• “You trust the authority of a hokey religion and an ancient book over your own ease, comfort and pleasure!? Ridiculous!”

You’ve seen it and experienced it. Shame is easy to identify. It often sounds like, “Let’s do it for the children.” I think it’s time we noticed. Our culture is trying to shame the faith right out of us.

One of the problems of American Christianity is that we’ve come to believe a lie. In the past American culture was saturated with the influence of Christianity. Being a Christian wasn’t simply a statement of faith. To a large degree it described the core values of who we are as a nation. Because of this American Christians have suffered very little, if any, persecution within our own country. American Christians often seem surprised, even indignant, when they are inconvenienced or have to suffer for their faith. That’s the lie. Because we have lived in a blessed and prosperous nation and because that nation, historically, was built on the principles of our faith we believe the lie of entitlement. We believe we are entitled to our faith. We believe we are entitled to the blessings of this nation. We believe we are entitled to live our faith without fear of persecution, shame or inconvenience. That’s the lie.

Today, the influence of Christianity is waning. We live in an increasingly post-Christian culture. I don’t really like the term, post-Christian. It implies that the people who stand opposed to Christianity somehow had it or understood it in the first place. They think they do, but they don’t. Instead, we see an increasing number of people who boldly stand against Christian values and principles. Shame is one of the tactics they use to get Christians to stay silent. People of faith are left with conflicted. What happened to the safety of my American culture and what have I done wrong to deserve such shame?

We see Peter’s encouragement. 1 Peter 4:12, “Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.” He follows up with, 1 Peter 4:14-16, “So be happy when you are insulted for being a Christian, for then the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs. But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name!”

Our current generation will use shame to silence Christians. Persecution is what comes next. Most American Christians have experienced very little of the former and none of the latter. But it’s coming. 1 Peter 4 warns us not to be surprised. Instead, be ready. Consider it an honor. It’s counter-intuitive, but receive the shame and praise God for the privilege of being called by his name!

The shame and persecution of Jesus led to our salvation. The shame and persecution of Stephen led to the conversion of Paul. The seeds of our faith were planted in soil rich with the blood of martyrs. The foundation of our nation is built on the remains of our honored dead, those willing to give their lives for what they believe.

What are the limits of your faith? Will you consider it a shame to be called a Christian or will you praise God for the privilege of being called by his name?

PRAYER

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for being willing to suffer the shame of persecution for me. Thank you for the valiant men and women who have given their lives for the message of the gospel. I pray for myself and my family. No one wants to suffer for their faith. I don’t want to experience persecution. Give me the wisdom and insight to see shame and persecution coming. When it comes I want to be ready to stand. Give me the strength and courage to speak wisely, act honorably and, if necessary, to give my livelihood, reputation – even my life – for the faith you’ve given me. Like I am blessed because of the faith of those who have been martyred for the gospel may future generations be blessed because of my faith whether I have to suffer the shame of persecution or not.

I love you, in Jesus name -
Chad