Grief is good if it leads to repentance

Sometimes what we need the most is what we want the least.


When we are in sin, we don't typically want someone to confront us. Why? We all know the answer to that - we don't like our flaws acknowledged by others. We want others to think highly of us, not that we fall so far short that others take note of our faults and feel the need to address the problem.


So, when we are confronted by sin, if we are not humble, we will go into self-protection mode. We'll get upset at the one who spoke to us. We'll get upset at what they said or how they said it. We'll justify our behavior. Etc., etc., etc.


But, if we realize that what has been alleged is true, eventually we will grieve. We will lament the fact that we ARE flawed - that we ARE a sinner and it is noticeable to others. 


That fact can hurt ... but it can produce something wonderful! Read on...


In my Bible reading this morning, the Apostle Paul referenced a "harsh letter" that he had previously sent to the Corinthian church. According to him, that letter addressed some serious sin problems in the church and it made them grieve. It got them upset. They wanted others to think that they had it all together but, instead, they were being corrected and it hurt them badly.


And the Apostle Paul wasn't indifferent to their response. His heart broke over the fact that his necessary words of correction had hurt them. He loved those people and he hated to see them hurt. But, he knew that they had some issues and if he didn't point them out, no one would. They wouldn't be free to experience God's best. So, he caused them to grieve ... but it produced repentance! They saw their sin for what it was and they turned their back on it, trusting in Jesus to cleanse them.


Grieving isn't necessarily a good thing. Repentance is ALWAYS a good thing! It breaks the chains of sin and frees us to experience God's best.


2 Corinthians 7:8-9 (NLT)

"I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while. Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way."


So, don't get upset when sin is pointed out in your life. It's human to respond that way but it is also counterproductive. Ask God to help you assess if there is sin in your life that you need to get rid of. Let the sadness of realizing you fall so far short of God's perfect standard move you to fall at the foot of the cross and receive Jesus' abundant forgiveness and cleansing and the ability to conquer that sin in your life.


And then thank Him for it.

Reflections on church conflict

If you have attended a church for any length of time, you have experienced church conflict. Unfortunately, in the place where we are to enjoy being a part of a family of friends who have Jesus in common, we often see conflict (and we may have participated in it).

On one hand, conflict is often unavoidable. Why? Because we are this side of Heaven. We still struggle with self-centered tendencies. We struggle with a desire to prove others wrong and an inability to admit we may have been wrong. Sinful pride and self-centeredness is often always present in obvious ways in church conflict. 

As with any good marriage, conflict is inevitable. But, if we are willing to humble ourselves, keep emotions at bay, and prayerfully work toward understanding and reconciliation, virtually any conceivable problem can be resolved.

Unfortunately, because of pride, conflict in marriages and churches often goes unresolved. Rather than work through the problem, marriages break up in divorce and church folks leave for other churches.

In my morning Bible reading, I came across a reason why church conflict can actually be beneficial. Yes, you heard me right. There is something good that can come out of church conflict. Do you know what it is? It's the ability to see who is saved and who isn't. Put simply, when people get into conflict, you can observe how they handle themselves in that conflict and whether or not they work toward reconciliation. How they behave often reveals whether they are someone who is a follower of Jesus or not, whether they are on their way to Heaven ... or Hell.

1 Corinthians 11:18-19 (NLT)

"First, I hear that there are divisions among you when you meet as a church, and to some extent I believe it. But, of course, there must be divisions among you so that you who have God’s approval will be recognized!"

Sermon (video): "Does Prayer Actually Work?" (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Many Christians do not pray because they do not really believe that prayer accomplishes anything. This sermon seeks to show from Scripture that prayer works and then shows that God can personally answer our prayers. It ends with a "homework assignment" intended to help make the most of one's prayer life.

Book Review: "The Race Before Us" by Bruce Matson

I recently downloaded the ChristianAudio app onto my smartphone and rediscovered some books I had purchased a few years ago. In the mix was a book that I had, for some unknown reason, never listened to. It was "The Race Before Us" by Bruce Matson.

I completed the book recently and thoroughly enjoyed it. Here's why...

It's about Christian apologetics.
Bruce Matson is a lawyer in Richmond, Virginia who simply went through the motions of religion. He attended church and tried to be a good person.

Yet, as he approached the age of 50, he was confronted with a problem. If he really believed what he was saying and hearing in church, then he needed to take it much more seriously. If he didn't believe it, then he should abandon it completely.

This book is about his intellectual journey as he began to discover if a belief in God was reasonable. Was God's existence something we should blindly believe or was there substantive evidence as Romans 1:19-20 tells us? And what about the Bible? How can we be sure that it is God's revealed Word to us? And what are the proofs of Jesus' literal existence and the resurrection from the dead? And why is faith needed if we can reasonably 'prove' so much that is part of the Christian faith?

Bruce Matson takes the reader on the journey with him as he methodically, like a lawyer, searched for what evidence there was for the major tenants of Christianity. For those who have studied in the area of Christian apologetics, the names of those who influenced Bruce on his journey will be quickly recognized: Ravi Zacharias, Tim Keller, Alistair Begg, R.C. Sproul, Chuck Colson, C.S. Lewis and others.

One of the final chapters includes his desire to see if atheists had sound arguments against Christianity in particular. What are their arguments and could he refute them? So, after reading the book he interacts with some of the arguments in "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins. As only a lawyer could do, he methodically picks apart some of the major components of the book and shows emphatically that the arguments made by Richard Dawkins would never hold up in court.

It's about running.
Bruce was approaching 50 when it hit him that he was horribly overweight (260 lbs) with some complicating medical issues. He realized that if he was to make the most of his 50s before old age began to really set in, he needed to get fit.

This book recounts (concurrently with his faith journey) his journey to physical fitness. He takes the reader on his first training runs with all of his frustrations and questions. As he progresses, he takes his readers on some races as he describes in great detail his experiences in the New York City Marathon and the Boston Marathon.

It appears that Bruce did not have a co-writer so I have to assume that he has an incredible way with words. As he described the sights and sounds of his first 12 mile run to work early one morning and then as he describes his experience of the Boston Marathon, you can't help but think that you are there, running right alongside him.

This book can also be used as a running primer because Bruce includes the lessons he learned about running as his experience progressed. By the time you finish the book, you feel like you have learned quite a bit about the sport. If you aren't a runner, you may find that by the time you finish this book you'll want to go looking for some running shoes.

It was well written.
Bruce is an attorney. Digging into the technicality of Christian apologetics would have given him ample opportunity to write in such a way that he would lose his readers in the details and jargon. Yet, while there are certainly some technical moments in this book, it has the feel of a journal. It comes across as the logical, heart-felt reflections of a man on a journey.

As I mentioned earlier, his writing style also is so enjoyable that you feel like you can 'see' and experience what he's describing. I would love to think that I will run in Boston one day and Bruce has given me a good idea of what the race feels and looks like. To some extent, I feel like I've already run it after reading the book.

It was well read.
I'm not an auditory learner. I'm a visual learner. Yet, the narrator for this particular book (Lloyd James) did a masterful job and made it easy for me to stay engaged. The quality of his voice, his inflections, and so much more made listening a pleasurable experience.

In fact, I usually find it difficult to listen to an audiobook while I'm running. With traffic to watch, potholes to avoid, heavy breathing and so much more, I often find that I can easily disengage from an audiobook. Yet, I went out for an 84 minute run last week and was able to enjoy listening to this book for the entirety of my run.

Conclusion
So, I would highly recommend this book, particularly to those who wonder if the Christian faith is reasonable. That is this book's strongest aspect. The chapters about running simply illustrate the points he makes about his search for truth.

Yet, for those who need to get physically fit or for those who are runners (or want to be), this will be an enjoyable journey.

What does a prayer journal look like?

Keeping a prayer journal is easy. There are plenty of software programs that you can use. Or, you can simply use a paper notebook. Here's how to do it...

 

• Write the specific request at the top of the page. Be so specific that if/when God answers your prayer, there is no question that He heard your specific request.
• Put the date and time by each entry. Oftentimes, you can go back over your prayer journey and realize from the vantage point of a future date that God was answering your prayer even before you realized it.
• Record your specific prayers, any relevant verses of Scripture and any hints that God is going to answer your request. While prayer principles are general, our prayer life with God is very personal. A prayer journal allows you to come to understand how you and God communicate.
• Highlight answers to prayer. When your faith begins to waver, all you will need to do is open your prayer journal and see all of the prayers that God has answered. You will find your prayer journal often provides an incredible boost to your ability to trust God for more/greater requests.

Here is what a prayer journal page could look like.

Memories of Zach's arrival - May 13, 1999

I suppose a parent never forgets the day and occasion of their first child's birth. I certainly haven't forgotten!

But, to understand the events of that Thursday morning on May 13, 1999, I need to go further back in time - about a year.

In the Spring of 1998, Kim's mom was diagnosed with cancer. This was after an extensive search for what her physical problem was. It began as a pain in her shoulder that the doctors thought was possibly arthritis. Then, after a couple more incorrect assessments, it was discovered that she had multiple myeloma - cancer. I remember sitting with Kim and her mom in the doctor's office when that diagnosis was given.

Initially, it was met with much tears and anxiety. But, Kim's mom was a fighter and insisted she was going to beat it. She came to stay with Kim and me in our apartment so that she could have someone who was able to watch and care for her. Unfortunately, her health deteriorated quickly. Soon, she was in the hospital ER with a shoulder and hip bone that had disintegrated. Those breaks were never able to be fixed as more problems developed.

About 3-4 months into her mom's illness, Kim came to realize that her mom may not survive it. She told me that she really wanted to have a child so that her mom could hold him or her before she walked through death's door. Shortly, Kim was pregnant.

As Zach grew in Kim's body, I watched her spend hours upon hours taking care of her mom. She had a full-time job at the Lexington/Fayette County Health Department. But, as soon as her workday was over, she would drive to Georgetown, Kentucky or to a nursing home in Lexington where her mom was being kept. She would typically spend the rest of the evening with her. She enjoyed talking to her mom, checking up on those who were providing her care, and serving her in any way that she could.

Then, came the day for Zach's first ultrasound. We discovered that we were going to have a son and we were so excited! Kim took the ultrasound picture to her mom to share the moment. However, at that time, her mom had not yet reconciled with the fact that she was ok with dying and she was momentarily experiencing anger and bitterness. If you knew Jo Ann, you would know that this was absolutely not her. She was always focusing on serving others. She would naturally put herself aside to make someone else feel valued. Fortunately, she soon came back around and found delight in looking at Zach's ultrasound and hearing of Kim's excitement at being a Mom.

But, it wasn't nearly as special as Kim's original desire - to have her Mom hold Zach in her arms before she passed away. Unfortunately, it never happened. When Kim was 5 months pregnant with Zach, we attended her mother's funeral.

While Kim experienced gut-wrenching grief at the passing of her Mom, she remained incredibly strong during those days and in the following months. She was so afraid that if she allowed herself to experience the full weight of grief over her Mom's death, it might harm Zach who was still inside of her. So, she kept her chin up and just kept going.

On the morning of Thursday, May 10, 1999 at around 2:30am, we were racing to Saint Joseph East Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. It was going to be Zach's birthday!

When we arrived, Kim was taken into a room in the labor wing of the hospital. She was hooked up to monitors as we waited for Zach to come.

But, we noticed that the fetal heart rate monitor kept going down into the 30-40 beats per minute range. That is dangerous! A baby's heart rate as it approaches birth is typically around 120 - 160 beats per minute.

Kim was moved around by the nurses. They tried laying her on her side ... and then the other side. One thing after the other was attempted and yet Zach's heart rate kept dipping down too low.

Then, things happened so quickly that it seemed like a blur. Zach's heart rate went down and stayed down. Nothing would bring it up!

The nurse ran out of the room and then ran back in. She sent our family out of the room and tossed some scrubs at me. She told me to get them on quickly and I complied.

In what seemed like only a few minutes, Kim was being quickly wheeled down the hospital hallway to surgery. She was crying and asking, "Is my baby ok?" No one answered because they didn't know. I knew that Kim had lost her mom only 4 months earlier and it was hitting her that she may experience another death soon. She was so afraid.

We entered the room where Kim's C-section would be performed. The doctor (Dr. Dalton) soon entered. His presence was an incredible source of comfort to Kim. Dr. Dalton was Kim's OBGYN and he had already delivered a few Thornberry (Kim's maiden name) children. He had also cared deeply for Kim and her family as they went through the loss of her Mom. There was a connection with him that made his presence in the room comforting.

After what seemed like only a few minutes, the procedure began. I sat helplessly near Kim's head as she lay on the table. When Zach was pulled out, his whole body was blue ... dark blue. I was terrified at the sight! Was he dead? If he was alive, what was wrong?

Kim and I had never heard a more beautiful sound than when he let out a big cry and kept it up. It might as well have been a heavenly choir singing! Kim had tears of joy coming from her eyes as she lay on the table as the doctor worked to put her back together.

We found out later what the problem had been. The umbilical cord was too short and was wrapped tightly around Zach's neck. Every time Kim would contract, it would strangle Zach.

Well, our first son was born ... but was he ok? Had the lack of oxygen done any damage. The doctor suspected that things were going to be ok but only time would tell.

Well, it didn't take us long to see that Zach was special. God gave him a big heart that loves to encourage others. He gave him a love for God that has evidenced itself in a lot of ways that have made his parents proud. Folks in Kentucky haven't seen it but he's also an incredible baseball player! (I loved watching my three sons play baseball when we lived in Brooksville, Florida.). As far as his intellect - well, he's currently got a 4.0 gpa as of the end of his sophomore year in high school, he's taking advanced classes and is on the academic team.

Kim and I are so honored to be Zach's parents! I believe that he's got a bright future ahead of him as he follows Jesus. I'm just glad that I get to play a small part in what God is doing and will do in him!

The journey of salvation: past, present and future

I read Romans 5 this morning and thought I would share a short theology lesson that a verse in that chapter brought to mind...

When a Christian says they are "saved," they are saying that they have been forgiven of their sin and saved from sin's penalty - God's wrath. The provision for this salvation was accomplished as Jesus died on the cross. It becomes the experience of the Christian at the moment they repent of their sin and trust in Jesus to save them.

But, there is another aspect to our salvation. Sure, we are saved from sin's penalty by Jesus' death but we are also being freed from sin's power by Jesus' life. When someone trusts in Jesus' work on the cross to forgive them and bring them into the family of God, the Holy Spirit of Jesus takes up residence within them. As Jesus resides within them, He is continually breaking sin's chains and enables the believer to become more like Him.

So, it's not just the death of Jesus that saves us. His life continues to save those who have trusted in Him.

Romans 5:10 (ESV)

"For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life."

So, we could say that there are three aspects to our salvation:

At the point of salvation - I am saved from sin's penalty.

The rest of my life - I am being saved from sin's power.

In Heaven - I will be saved from sin's presence.

Jesus has done much more than we realize to claim us for His Father and enable us to enjoy His presence for eternity. Allow that thought to move you to gratitude today. Allow it to cause you to take your walk with Him seriously today. Allow it to move you to share the Good News of the Gospel with someone today.

Habits of a Mom Who Finishes Well

This sermon uses the Old Testament mom, Rebekah, to illustrate a couple of habits that present day moms need so that they can be successful in raising children who will be adult Jesus-followers.

One note of correction: I wrongfully mentioned in this sermon that the Bible never records a prayer by Rebekah. A couple of folks caught my mistake and referenced Genesis 25:22. (I'm sure there were many others who also caught it but just didn't bring it to my attention.) It doesn't change the point I was making about prayer but I'm so proud to pastor a people who are engaged and know their Bibles!

"And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth." (Acts 17:11 - NLT)

To view the sermon on Youtube, click here.

Pics in Land Between The Lakes

I took the following pictures while hiking in Land Between the Lakes with my wife and three sons.

 

I took this picture on our last trip, too. Can't explain it ... just like it!

I love this part of the trail!

Our boys love hiking ... generally speaking. LOL

Yep. I took this one, too, on an earlier trip.

 

Kim and Matt's 18th Anniversary Video

Today, Kim and I have been married 18 years. Here is a video of some pictures of Kim and me as we grew up and then grew together. The song playing in the background is "I Will Be Here" by Steven Curtis Chapman. I sang that song to Kim at our wedding.

Salvation and Slavery

When we turn our back on sin and self-rule and turn to Jesus for forgiveness, there is a LOT that happens in that moment.

One of the biggies is this: The ownership of our life gets transferred. We don't belong to ourselves anymore. We belong to Jesus. In fact, the biblical terminology is that we become "slaves of Jesus." We were bought off the slave block of sin and purchased with the blood of Jesus as His own prized possession.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT)

"...You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body..."

In fact, about half of the New Testament letters begin with the author declaring his allegiance to his Master. Just one instance is in ...

Romans 1:1 (NLT)

"This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus..."

To be a slave of Jesus means that our life no longer belongs to us. Every waking moment must be spent thinking about what our Master desires of us. We need to live our life not for ourselves but for the benefit of our Master (Matthew 6:33).

It is this mindset that allows us to put our life into proper perspective. If we think that "salvation" is simply a ticket to Heaven that allows us to continue living for ourselves, we will spend the rest of our life focusing on us and not Jesus.

But, if we understand that being truly saved means that we become the prized possession of Jesus and that this life is a testing ground to show our Master that we can be trusted with greater possessions and responsibilities in our eternal home (Matthew 16:10-12), then we will live our life for Jesus. 

That sort of mindset is exactly why we see the Apostle Paul able to courageously live his life for Jesus regardless of the consequences - even if following Jesus meant death.

Acts 20:24 9 (NLT)

"But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God."

So, are you living for yourself or Jesus? If you claim to be a follower of Jesus and if you claim that you've been bought by Jesus ... then ask God to help you act like it today.

Also, notice that being about Jesus' business meant that Paul was going to "tell others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God." Look for an opportunity to tell someone about Jesus today. Tell them of how He died to pay their sin debt and how they can be brought into relationship with Almighty God.

You can be sure that if you do, God will be watching ... and smiling.

Why repentance is a good thing

The "offense" of the Gospel is that it strikes at the root of human pride. None of us like to be confronted with our failures and sins. Yet, the Gospel demands that we fall at the foot of the cross and ask for forgiveness because we feel the weight of our guilt in the sight of a holy God.

Repentance, while it goes against our very nature, is the only way to eternal life. It is the only way to avoid divine judgment.

Imagine climbing to the top of a mountain for your first time. Your partner is an expert climber who is assisting you on your trip. When you finally reach the top you stand tall, throw your arms up in the air and celebrate. Yet, to your shock, your friend yells, "To your knees! To your knees!" You comply but wonder why. He then tells you that the wind at the top of the mountain can be so strong that it can knock you off your feet and send you sliding down the mountain to your death. If you would seek your self-interest, you must drop to your knees.

That's what it takes to be saved from our sinfulness. One day, we will stand before Jesus and give an account of our life. The only way we will hear Him say, "Welcome to Heaven" is if we have sought our self-interest and dropped to our knees in repentance in this life. Have you done this? If not, why not do it today?

Acts 17:30-31 (NLT)

“God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.”

Hiking in Land Between the Lakes

I took my family on a 4 mile hike in LBL today. We really enjoyed some great conversation and I captured a few moments on camera.

This picture doesn't quite capture the beauty of the scene.

I liked the effect that the sun made behind this tree.

We loved walking about 4 miles among the tall pine trees.

There is always a light at the end of the tunnel
and my family is headed that way.

Kenlake State Resort Park

Here are some pictures I took while hanging out with my wife at Kenlake State Resort Park on May 1st. It is so refreshing to the spirit to just get quiet and enjoy God's creation.