faithrunner

Atop Camelback Mtn. in Phoenix Realizing a goal involves moving from where you are to where you want to be or become. That's obvious but it's not easy. To say, "I want to climb that hill," and you have never walked to the end of your street means you have a lot of work to do before you make the top. Pick any one of your goals you have set for yourself or ministry this year and if you take any time for reflection or planning, you will see what is involved it getting from here to there.  Reaching a goal includes transitions; those bridges of actions that carry you from one point of reality to the next. The effectiveness of these crossings will determine your success toward reaching your goal. I offered the first 3 Rules of Transition I have learned by leading people from a favored status quo to a preferred future in my first post, 6 Rules of Transition, 1-3 . I want to offer you the next three in this post.   Transition involves as series of conflicts which ...

Kudos for The Bible television series ! The producer of the series, Mark Burnett and his wife, Roma Downey , have invested their time, talents and treasures to bring the story of God's redemptive love as told in The Bible to television . Their faithful presentation of the story has people watching, talking, AND reading the Bible.  Thank you, Mark and Roma, for your investment in a media that is accessible to millions and vividly more appealing than my sermons. I expect many of us who tell the story week after week will use clips from the series multiple times in the future. Jesus and His disciples, Episode 4 Almost 11 million people watched the third installment, beating the previously more popular shows on ABC and CBS . Don't tell me people are not interested in what the Bible has to say. They just don't come to church to hear it as much as before. It is also reported, Every Sunday during the series, the YouVersion Bible App has been in the top 25 out o...

Hunger and thirst are two natural desires that keep us alive. Both drive us to food and water that sustain us physically.  When Jesus looked across the crowd that had gathered to hear him introduce "the kingdom of God" that was near, he blessed those who hungered and thirsted for righteousness . ( Matthew 5:6 ) And, he promised those folks would be satisfied . In my analogy of spiritual growth in my book, A New Way of Living , this Beatitude is the summit of our spiritual climb to be like Jesus. Climbing the summit of God's mighty presence is a journey that begins by exposing our tremendous lack of personal resources. And like on a physical climb, when our resources run out, we begin to hunger and thirst. The difference is that in tackling a mountain of spiritual growth, what we hunger and thirst for is refreshment only God can give our craving souls. (130) Righteousness is a characteristic of God ( Psalm 48:10 ). It describes our standing before God in Christ J...

Meek? Definitely Cute! To be meek is not to be weak. When Jesus blessed--announced God's favor upon--those who had gathered that day to hear his inaugural address he pinpointed the meek ones. ( Matt. 5:5 ) He promised they would inherit the earth. Meek is not in the world's dictionary of what it takes to get things done; and, getting things done is the goal of life, right? I went into a friend's office one day several years ago and saw on his desk the sign: If the meek inherit the earth, what do we tigers get? I thought it funny at the time, but I later realized that my friend had completely misread Jesus' promise to those who followed him. What does meek mean? In my book, A New Way of Living: Practicing the Beatitudes everyday , I describe the biblical word to mean "power under control." (111) It is translated "gentle" in Jesus' famous self-description of himself. ( Matthew 11:29 ) Jesus, however, was anything but gentle as w...

When we read The Beatitudes , we are surprised at whom Jesus blessed and why. The second Beatitude may be one of those. Here's my paraphrase of it:   Happy are the unhappy because they will be comforted. ( Matthew 5:4 ) Not that we purposefully want to make ourselves unhappy or mournful so we can receive comfort, but the promise of Jesus is if we find ourselves in that condition, comfort from him is a promise. How does being unhappy (mournful) help in our spiritual growth? We try to avoid that condition, don't we? How could Jesus put value on us feeling this way? In my book, A New Way of Living , I point out that mourning is the next step in our path to spiritual wellness because it follows our awareness of our spiritual poverty . Jesus blessed those who were "poor in spirit" and promised them access to his kingdom. Mourning is evidence of our own confession of spiritual poverty . Take King David's mournful confession recorded in Psalms 51:3-5 after ...

This month I have been lifting weights with a couple of NFL Alumni . Well, mostly with one of them...a 6'5" 300-lb lineman. I look like his scrawny dad when we are walking around the gym from station to station. He has been kind enough to show me the ins and outs of his lifting regimen, which I have not done since High School football days. (I graduated in 1971.) I joined them at the start of this year because I need the extra strength for my one big goal of summitting Mt. Rainier in August.  I have learned you grow stronger through lifting by literally tearing the muscle as you lift . As the muscle heals over the next 24-48 hours, it becomes stronger. Learning not to tear the muscle too much while increasing the weight is part of the practice. You also become stronger by covering all the muscle groups with a variety of motions. Soreness is also part of the strengthening process. If you are not sore, you are not lifting enough to improve. (There's a spiritual p...

Reactions to Newtown Shootings I'm afraid lifelong, American Christians treat Christmas with at least two false assumptions : The first false assumption is that (maybe due to carols like Silent Night, O Little Town of Bethlehem, and Angels We Have Heard on High) we assume nothing bad was going on when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Somehow it must have been more tranquil and God chose that time in history because life was simpler and less violent. Nothing like what happened in Newtown was anything like reality to those who lived at the time of Jesus' birth. The second false assumption is that God worked differently then than now . We assume that when Jesus was born everything immediately changed, Jesus grew up blissfully, and the Kingdom of Heaven eventually came on earth until we are in Heaven. God protected the just and the ways of God became embedded in the hearts of humans forever more. These assumptions about the Christmas story are false , and they cause...

Legacy Church This Advent as Legacy Church , we want to help each other have "a counter-cultural Christmas."   We are challenging each other to win some key battles in our hearts so we can impact the lives of others this Advent season. To read more about Legacy's Advent Impact , you can go here . The first battle we spoke of Sunday was the battle of Mine vs. God's . We are hardwired from birth to have things our way and claim ownership of those things we think are ours.  But, the more mature we become and the more honest we are, we realize we don't own anything and we ultimately have no control over our lives . This reality should not breed cynicism but trust-- trust in God who owns all things. ( Ps. 24:1 )  Absolute ownership of things is a myth . Yes, under the laws of the land, we can claim ownership and defend what we hold title to, but although we "own" a house or car outright, for example, fire, crash, or storm can take them fr...

We have started our fall series as Legacy Church . We call it SENT . We are walking through the first twelve chapters of Acts as a reminder of how--like the first followers of Jesus--we are a sent people to tell His-story and demonstrate His life-changing power. Last Sunday I tackled the topic of the Holy Spirit and how important that Person of the Triune God is to the church, or, ekklesia .(You can hear the full message here .) I am convinced that no matter the programs , excellence factor, buildings, location, personalities, or marketing you have as part of your church, you will have little to no impact in touching or changing the hearts of those you seek to serve and reach without the Person of the Holy Spirit. You can gather a bunch of people to meet their felt needs and feed them good advice, but without the presence of the Holy Spirit you are only a helpful religious organization . I the Bible study guide of Acts I wrote for LifeBibleStudy , I said it this way:...

I have been on a study leave for the past two weeks, and I am happy to be back online and in community with the people who are Legacy Church and with you in the blogosphere. As I re-entered my routine, the media-hyped, social phenomenon of Chick-fil-a occurred . So much can be said about the misconceptions and perceptions of who said what and who did what, that my 400-word post won't cover it all. But, I do have one thing to say to my fellow Christians: You can't reduce your relationship with Christ to whether or not you eat at a particular fast-food restaurant on a certain day.  As I said, I'm fresh off a study leave in which I was immersed in Paul's Letter to the Galatians under the tutelage of Dr. JMG Barclay . The Apostle wrestled with a group of Christ-followers who insisted those who followed Jesus had to do certain public things to show you trusted Jesus. His conclusion?   For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value....

Mayan Calendars I have no scoop here. The buzz about the world ending on December 21, 2012 , has been around a while now. Movies , websites , and documentaries have all examined the Mayan 'Long Count' calendar that ends 12-21-12. Interpreted, it means, "The ancient, obscure calendar runs out, so time must run out." My question is, "So, why is the Mayan calendar the definitive dating of the end of things? " Many calendars have and do exist. For example, according to the Christian calendar it is AD 2012, or 2012 CE. That would also make it 1433 AH in the Islamic calendar and 5772 in the Jewish calendar . The Jewish New Year begins in September, and the Islamic New Year is in November. The Christian New Year is in January. Throw in the Chinese calendar, and it is 4710 , the year of the Dragon, and that new year will fall between late January to middle of February depending upon the lunar cycle. Before we get to my point, where did the three maj...

I am a follower of Jesus because his life matched his message . I have been impressed with charismatic leaders who can capture a crowd with speeches and promises only to find his life is nothing like his message. Jesus lived everything he taught...even his promise he came to "give up his life as a ransom for many." ( Mark 10:45 ) Jesus stepped out of obscurity into the messianic limelight and taught, " Blessed are the peacemakers , because they will be called the children of God." ( Matthew 5:9 ) What is it about being a peacemaker that gains someone such a title or reputation? Follow Jesus and find out. To gain the reputation as a child of God, you need to know these things about who Jesus blessed that day. Peace making is not the same as peace keeping . Jesus did not walk into hostile situations or broken relationships and ask, "Why can't we all just get along?" and broker so-called peace. Nor, did he avoid century-old prejudices by walking...

I have not seen nor plan to see an episode of ABC's new series, GCB . I do, however, have some comments about what the premise and promotional videos have to say to those of us who call ourselves Christian. If you have hung around this blog long, you know I am not an alarmist nor do I call individuals or groups out , but I need to do a little of both on this one. The fact that GCB can find a foothold in prime time television and the money to shoot, promote, and air an episode says much about the culture in which we now live. I must give the writers this much: Yes, Christians have provided those who want to caricature and/or criticize them plenty of ammunition. Yes, some Christians live hypocritical, religious lives. Pick a religion made up of humans and you will find a phony in the group. No exceptions. No argument here. Yes, in the South where Christianity has become part and parcel of our culture and less and less a movement of the Spirit, it is easier to...

I'm intrigued by the person of Samson in the Bible . ( Judges 13-16 )  Mainly because he had everything a man wants to be and have--including God's blessing--and he squandered it all for his own glory. With March Madness and the NFL Draft on the horizon, I wonder how many Samsons will be handed an opportunity of a lifetime and we watch them end up under a pile of rubble they pull down upon themselves like Samson . We are observing the prayer life of Jesus from the Gospel of Luke as Legacy Church these days, and my thoughts drew me back to the prayer life of Samson. How does a man chosen by God and who has it all pray? I observed in my book, An Angel in the Flame: a tale of two saviors ,  Our storyteller records only two prayers of Samson: the first after he killed the thousand Philistines with the jawbone, the second just before his death...in both cases, Samson asked God to serve him, rather than the other way around. (87) Samon's first prayer was fill...

Our reading for Ash Wednesday, February 22, is Luke 5:1-11 . Read the passage of Jesus' calling of the first disciples. Morning Meditation Jesus , a carpenter, told Simon Peter , a fisherman, where and how to fish! (v. 4) Peter's response was one of trust. (v. 5) What has Jesus asked you through his Word and/or Spirit that could make you answer, "I'm the expert here, how could what you tell me be true?" What has Jesus asked you to do that did not make sense to you, but like Peter you were willing to be obedient to what he called you to do?   Meditate on the events of the passage and fast completely or partially from your morning meal.   Noon Meditation The carpenter's advice to the seasoned fisherman worked! They amount of fish caught almost sank two boats. (v. 6-7) Peter confessed after the huge catch, “ Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man! ” (v. 8) He realized Jesus was more than a carpenter, more than a man he had met before and ...

Jesus modeled for us how to live an abundant life with God and others. Everything he did and said becomes a template for our lives if we desire to follow him. You and I can learn this abundant life even in short passages recorded in the Gospels. Luke , who tells us more about Jesus' prayer life than any other Gospel writer, noted that... ...Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. ( Luke 5:16 ; TNIV)  If Jesus withdrew from crowds and ministry regularly, surely there are advantages for us to follow his lead. Here are four reasons to withdraw in order to pray Solitude. The busyness and noise of our lives keep us from hearing the voice of God. God speaks to us every day, but we miss it because we fill our lives with busyness* and noise in an effort to fill the voids that only God can fill. Richard Foster's group, Renovare , reminds us, Solitude is " An open relational space for being found by God and freed from competing loyalties." When was th...

The Ox of Luke's Gospel As part of Legacy U at Legacy Church this month, I am teaching what we call " Luke's Look at Jesus ." (The other sessions are taught by members of our pastoral staff. Check them out, too.) Without going into a lot of detail, I have observed with others that Luke had a huge heart for those to whom society and the religious folk of Jesus' day gave little value and recorded more of Jesus' interaction with them than any of the other three evangelistic biographers of Jesus. Here are three groups that are the most obvious: Outcasts. Jesus intentionally went to the outcasts--those whom religious and clean people refused to touch. Jesus not only touched them, but healed them, giving them new status among those who thought they alone had God's favor. ( Luke 17:11-19 ) Women. Jesus not only taught women, he entered their homes, ( Luke 10:38-42 ) healed them, and was perfectly comfortable having them travel with him. ( Luke 8:1-...

Hanukkah Menorah Jesus was a Jew, and he most likely observed Hanukkah. Shocked? From what we know about Jesus' parents from the stories about his birth and infancy, they were pious, practicing members of Israel. And, as their earthly son, Jesus was raised a pious Son of Israel . Here are some examples. Eight days into his life his parents had him circumcised and named according to the Jewish Law. ( Luke 2:21 ; Leviticus 12:3 ) Forty days after his birth, his mother and Joseph traveled to Jerusalem to complete God's instructions for purification and presentation of a male son to God . ( Luke 2:22-24 ; Leviticus 12 ) Luke also tells us that the family made the annual trip to Jerusalem for the Festival of Passover . ( Luke 2:41 ; Exodus 12 ; which we know mostly by the Seder .) What was unique about Jesus' early life were the people's unsolicited confession as to who he was. (Read Luke 2:22-52 to read some of those.) In the middle of his parent's faithful...

RG III My wife and I are Baylor Bears . ('75) My youngest daughter, her husband, and my oldest daughter's husband are Bears. (My oldest daughter is an Aggie, of whom we are equally proud.) The buzz in Baylor world -- as you know unless you have been hiking in the Himalayas the last three months -- is that the Baylor quarterback, Robert Griffin III was chosen as the 77th Heisman Trophy winner . You can only imagine how excited we are as a family and alumni of BU. A small, private Baptist school in Central Texas usually lives under the shadow of schools like the University of Texas and seldom gets any national recognition. Waco is mostly known nationally for the Branch Davidian debacle , and most sports commentators can't pronounce the school's name like we do. Oh well, they are learning now. I am pleased RG III received the most votes for the coveted trophy , not because I want to be associated with it and him, but because he and his family clearly give God credi...

Advent is the season set apart to prepare our hearts for the coming of the Christ Child. We look back at his first coming ( Luke 2 ), and we look forward to his second coming . ( Revelation 19:11-18 ) It is to be a sacred season in which we daily spend time with the Spirit and Word and the community of faith to see the hand of God in history to bring about the birth of incarnate God and the return as the risen, triumphant King . But who has time for all that? Our culture has swallowed up the intent of this season and has seduced us to buy stuff and go into debt to give things people don't want to people we don't like--and those we do. And, we have gladly said yes to the "little g" god, consumerism. Check out my friend, Jim Denison's blog , " What did Jesus think of Black Friday ." The numbers and stories will stagger you. (You will want to subscribe to his daily email, too. It's good stuff.) He has pointed out the absurdity of our action...