Have you ever stopped and thought about the tension between the promises of Jesus and the reality of our world? Jesus is the Savior of the world, the King of all Kings, and the very presence of God among creation and yet following his death and resurrection the world is still suffering. Many people ask me why.

If Jesus was really who he said he was then why are we still living in a world where the innocent hurt, the sick die, and the hungry go without food and shelter. I think this is a reasonable question. In the midst of such tension I live with a deep conviction that God is in the business of making all things right. God is committed to taking this broken, hurting, and confused world and bringing healing and restoration.

If you read through the New Testament you will find testimony after testimony of Jesus restoring the health of the sick, the sight of the blind, and the hope of the hopeless. Outside of Jesus’ great compassion and grace what else do these miracles teach us about Jesus and His mission?

“Pay close attention now: I’m creating new heavens and a new earth. All the earlier troubles, chaos, and pain are things of the past, to be forgotten. Look ahead with joy. Anticipate what I’m creating: I’ll create Jerusalem as sheer joy, create my people as pure delight. I’ll take joy in Jerusalem, take delight in my people: No more sounds of weeping in the city, no cries of anguish; No more babies dying in the cradle, or old people who don’t enjoy a full lifetime; One-hundredth birthdays will be considered normal—anything less will seem like a cheat.” [ISAIAH 65:17-20]

When Jesus touched the broken, fed the hungry, cured disease, and cast out demons he was bringing the new kingdom of God to earth. In all of the healing recorded in the New Testament we learn a little bit about what the earth will be like when Jesus makes all things right. When people were healed their frowns were transformed to smiles. When the deaf received the gift of healing they experienced the beauty of music, tones, voices, birds, invention, and life. I imagine as the man lowered into the presence of Jesus through a roof top gained the use of his legs he danced, ran, and jumped with a new spirit about life.

In the scriptures there is a common theme - the broken are restored. The coming of Jesus makes all things right. Jesus restores the world.

We live in a broken world today because of the presence of evil. Jesus introduced the Kingdom of God and restoration of all things and yet his work is not yet completed. We have been invited into the kingdom of God and experience many of the benefits today yet we still live in a world that is awaiting the final scene.

“The created world itself can hardly wait for what’s coming next. Everything in creation is being more or less held back. God reins it in until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead.” [ROMANS 8:19-20]

Our future is secure and guarantees a life free from the pain, dysfunction, and chaos of our current reality. Jesus’ life is proof to what is to come. Every miracle Jesus performed builds our confidence of a time when all things are made right and life as God intended is restored.

“My journey today will bring me closer to home; it may be just around the bend. All we long for, we shall have; all we long to be, we will be. All that has hurt us so deeply will be swept away.” [ELDREDGE]

I guess we have two choices as we live in this tension of the kingdom of God being here now and yet to come. One, we join Jesus in his kingdom work and life. Two, we focus our attention inward and utilize everything the world offers to ease the pain the tension creates.

I choose to join Jesus in bringing the reality of the kingdom of God to earth HERE AND NOW. The work is not yet finished and He has chosen you and I to be the hand and feet of God to the people of our world.

Join Him…

In Mark Batterson’s book Primal: A Quest For The Lost Soul of Christianity and his chapter about the mind of Christianity, he talks about visual perception. He spoke about a lecturer showing an audience various images and then asking them to identify what they saw in the sketches. One of the images was a stenciled drawing of a couple intimately embracing. The audience of adults easily recognized the image. I know boring, so just hold on. He then talked about showing this same image to a group of children. When the children saw the image they could not see the couple embracing. The majority of the children said that in the image of a couple intimately embracing they saw nine dolphins. The point is that the children were unable to visualize the couple intimately embracing because they had no previous experiences or memories associating to the  image. Mark Says, “you cannot see what you do not know.”

I think this is a very interesting thought as we look at God at our relationship with God.

Richard Restak says, “learn more, see more.” This is a very valid point. When you know more about nature you will see far more in nature. When you know more about football then you will see far more in a football game then someone without the knowledge. So here’s my point.

It is absolutely critical that we are learning the right things about God.

If you fill someone’s mind full of knowledge regarding God and it is not accurate then you create a false reality for that individual. They will orient their life around this reality and often times push or force on others. People are walking around all over the place with a misunderstanding about who God is and their life is consumed by guilt and shame. They see God as angry, judgmental, bitter, or as a hot-headed step dad. They then place this reality in a box and operate their whole life with this understanding. Maybe even more troubling is the tendency to force their religious demands and presuppositions on everyone else. This corrupt lifestyle creates divisions and quarreling in the church of Jesus.

I believe this is another reason why there is such a high standard for teachers. As you impart knowledge into the life of another person you play a part in creating that individuals worldview, convictions, and lifestyle.

When it comes to what you think you know about God: challenge your presuppositions, study God’s Bible, and seek out the advice and leadership of others in your life.

What if you go your whole life learning the wrong things about God?

I am reading John Eldredge book titled, Epic - The Story God is Telling, and I have been struck, knocked over, hosed, whatever you want to call it! John talks about how all the stories told in our world (movies, books, etc) borrow from the real story. When we are impacted by a story-brought to tears, laughter, passion, conviction, motivation- it is because the story taps into the larger story of God and his intent and desire for creation. Stories speak to our “hearts deepest desires” and leave us wanting more. We long for the completion of God’s story in our world that is far beyond what a person can dream up and create. To truly embrace the longings of our hearts you would have to go “deeper and higher than any of them alone.”

“Christianity claims to that for us.

Not the Christianity of proper church attendance and good manners. Not the Christianity of holier-than-thou self-righteousness and dogmatism. Not another religion, thank you.

That is not Christianity. Oh, I know it’s what most people, including the majority of Christians, think Christianity is all about. They are wrong. There is more. A lot more. And that more is what most os us have been longing for most of our lives.”

The story that truly touches and impacts our hearts is the story of God. The story is written for you and you are the main character in the eyes of God. It has little to do with the measurements and formulas we have created in the modern day church. The great story of God has everything to do with a love that unleashes a life worth living.

Do you ever ask yourself this question, “why do we do that?” I have been thinking a lot about my relationship with Jesus and asking myself why I do certain things, or more so, why do I feel like i need to do certain things in church. For example, why do I feel we need to offer classes at church to help people grow? Why do we expect all people to be in an organized small group related to the church? Why do we work so hard to provide things that most people do not want and will never participate in? Forget other people, why do I create things in and for the church that I myself have very little interest in utilizing? I guess what I am saying is it is time to rethink why we do what we do.

In some churches and in some people’s lives all of the above is really important for spiritual growth. In the larger spectrum of people there seems to be little interest in many of these activities. I know some of you are already explaining away my dilemma by super spiritualizing yourself and labeling yourself as more Godly or committed than others. I don’t believe that at all. Some times it is the people that participate in the most church programs that are the furthest from God.

How are we going to begin to be the church? Enough playing church by providing an abundance of activities at the church and time to start really looking at what truths and practices are catalysts for growth. If I fall in love with Jesus than what should I do next? Is the answer as simple as joining a sermon based curriculum small group and serving in kids church? I don’t think so…after all the life Jesus lived is much more free. In every place he visited His kingdom increased, impacted, and transformed people’s lives. One friend said to me this week that maybe it starts by waking up everyday and looking for 1 way to grow the kingdom of God. One person to show kindness, one person to pray for, one person to encourage, one person to feed, one person to recognize, one person to respect, one person to love.

More opportunities to hear God’s word than ever before in the history of the world and yet for the most part we remain unchanged. Time to question the norm and actively participate differently.

Since the giving of the Old Testament law, the observance of the Sabbath was strictly enforced. This was not a bad tradition or command. However, as time went on the practice of observing the Sabbath became more important than loving God and loving others (Deut 6/Lev 19). And then there was Jesus:

Mark 2:23-27, “One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, his disciples began breaking off heads of grain to eat. 24 But the Pharisees said to Jesus, “Look, why are they breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?” 25 Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you ever read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 26 He went into the house of God (during the days when Abiathar was high priest) and broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. He also gave some to his companions.” 27 Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”

Today, we must not become so locked into a form and method that we miss the main point. Our traditions must never trump our mission and purpose.

In my last post I talked about the need for revolutionaries in the church today with servant hearts and deep convictions. I came across this story of a man named Father Damien that paints the picture of a revolutionary leader beautifully. It’s worth the read.

If you haven’t heard of Father Damien before, I understand. He is a man I believe to be one of America’s best kept secrets. Born in Belgium, he yearned throughout his early life to be a missionary to a far-away country. In answer to this call, he became a priest in the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts in the late nineteenth century. After his brother Auguste became unable to make a missionary journey to Hawaii, Damien’s boyhood wish was fulfilled. He took Auguste’s place and became and was sent on a mission to Hawaii.

Damien arrived to the shores of Hawaii in 1864 only to discover that the islands were being plagued with leprosy. To make matters worse, shortly after Damien arrived a law was created that exiled all people suffering from leprosy—including children—to the island of Molokai. It was to this island that Damien believed God ultimately called him to.

For the rest of his life, Damien served the sufferers of leprosy with self-giving compassion. Like Mother Teresa did after him, he cared for the sick and dying, giving them dignity and peace as they passed into the next life. Many of his superiors and contemporaries chided him for his perceived stupidity; going into a leper colony was a perceived death sentence.

Despite the warnings and danger, Damien went. He labored for a handful of years, making a huge different in the lives of those in the colony. In a place where other priests were too afraid to go, Damien served boldly.

Eventually, and probably inevitably, Damien contracted leprosy himself. Rather than being distraught, however, realizing that he would die of the disease overjoyed him with feelings of solidarity. He finally shared the disease and suffering of all of the ones he served. He was finally “one of them”, and when he uttered the words ‘brother’ and ‘sister’ they were weighted by the shared experience of suffering.

By the time he died of the disease, Damien was an international phenomenon. People around the world—especially in his native Belgium—were deeply inspired by the life and mission of this bold priest. His life continues to inspire to this day, and devotion to this man’s sacrificial life is raging.

On October 11, 2009, he will officially be canonized by Pope Benedict XVI and will be forever known as St. Damien.

“Uncommon Kindness”, the hour-long, biographical account of his life, is narrated by Robin Williams—yes, that Robin Williams—and actually goes beyond Damien. The DVD enters into the lives of those who suffered with the terrible disease of leprosy. Some of the interviews are with sufferers of leprosy, many of whom still reside in the Hawaiian islands. From these people I became aware of the terrible designation of ‘leper’. The sufferers noted how deeply it hurt them to be known solely by their affliction. Society doesn’t refer to those with polio or a broken leg solely by their hardship, but the people of Molokai were identified only by their unfortunate disease.

This is a huge reason for Damien’s greatness as a human being. To him, the sufferers in Molokai were not lepers. They were human beings; human beings with dignity and worth.

In the midst of the hurt and marginalization, the hope and joy within these leprosy sufferers made my soul soar. Listening to them speak brought flesh to the beatitudes of Jesus. These people, meek and afflicted as they are, saw God. They inherited the Earth. And I must believe that their hope was birthed through Damien’s courage and love.

Lately, each time I face a fearful situation, I try and picture that haunting face of Damien from my journal—the one that was so given to others that it was almost melting off his bones. He gave his whole self—body, soul and life—in service of others. I can see no higher calling for the rest of us.

May this great man lead you to serve this world unto death.

“The world can boast of very few heroes who compare with Father Damien of Molokai.” – Gandhi

(http://www.thinveil.net/2009/09/uncommon-kindness-dvd-review.html)

A few months ago I was riding Xbike at the gym at 6am trying to find some deeper motivation to keep going. If you have ever done an Xbike class you may know what I am talking about. I had been committed to exercising 5 days a week for over 6 months and felt the need for a bigger goal. To keep this up for years to come I wanted to be motivated by something greater than myself and even my own health. At that point I decided to begin training for a half Ironman triathlon and attach the race to a great cause, www.xxxchurch.com. People are participating in these races for a wide variety of great causes and yet it seems no one is tackling the destructive nature of pornography in our society through endurance sports…until now.

We have formed a new arm of Fireproof Ministries named TeamXXXChurch. This title will cover a multitude of fundraising projects we do at Fireproof Ministries including our annual fundraiser bowlfest. It will also develop an entire arm focused on endurance sports. All over our country men and women are running, swimming, and riding in races for the challenge it presents. Many of these individuals and teams are looking for a cause to benefit from all their blood, sweat, and tears. TeamXXXChurch is now an avenue to add greater purpose to your endurance training.

Our official website will be launched in the month of June with more information and ways to get involved. We would love to have you join a team, create a team, or as an individual race for the cause. You can read more about what I am doing and the battle I am fighting on my fundraising page. Click on the link below and join me in the fight.

I was sitting at Starbucks this morning working when I was completely thrown off-course by an intriguing conversation next to me about Starbucks sleeves. A party of 6 seniors went on for 30 minutes about how starbucks sleeves need to be re-engineered because they slip down the cup. By the end of the conversation they had practically designed a new sleeve with a small adhesive square located strategically on two location within the sleeve. I mean brilliant stuff! I was so moved by the conversation that I think I will invent it. I guess the thing that stood out to me was these people were talking about something that had little to no impact in their lives and yet they were willing to completely re-examine the sleeve. I had just accepted the sleeve the way it was.

What might happen if followers of Jesus re-examined the way we do church? I mean this is something that matters and has a huge impact on our lives (unlike the sleeves). Recently I saw  video produced by North Point Media making fun of the way we do church today. It highlighted the trendy nature of many services and challenged the norm. I feel we need people to challenge the norm. I think we need some radical thinkers to look at what we do, how we do it, and why we do it and speak some truth into area’s of our churches that we have come to accept as “they way we do things.”

Jesus was radical in his approach to the church. He walked into the church temples and asked the questions about traditions and practices that no one was willing to discuss. In the process he made a lot of people mad and got himself killed but not before radically transforming what church could be in that day and the future. Maybe we need a revolutionary today in our churches. Not someone who will complain without a heart to assist in change and transformation — we need participating revolutionary leaders.

Revolutionary leaders are:

1. Characterized by serving - they do not ask you to do something they are not willing to do with you.
2. Ask the unpopular questions
3. Challenge the existing structures and forms
4. Organize a group of followers who are willing to walk the talk
5. Lead with conviction and passion
6. Pray, listen, and respond
7. Often times get killed in the battle

Anyone willing to charge the hill with me?

Sitting in a cafe having a conversation with one of my pastor friends I was interrupted mid-sentence by this woman. She didn’t ask us for money, advice, or to dance, instead she grunted loudly and without making eye contact said, “I can’t stand to listen to you guys anymore.” Excuse me? I didn’t know we were talking loud or that she was invited into the conversation. She went on. “I don’t think Jesus would be having the conversation you two men are having.” I looked at her and said, “oh, do you not like what we are talking about?” As the words came out of my mouth I noticed about 5 million 3×5 cards with bible verses and a thick bible in a very nice carrying pouch. It was then I realized what we were up against - a religious Christian.

Now before you get offended please understand this: I love Jesus. I live my life everyday trusting God to help me live for Him and for His kingdom above anything else. I am not perfect, I fall short, I sin (often), and yet I know that Jesus is deeply in love with me. He’s proved it. When I am in doubt I stop and remember the cross. Jesus died for me because he loves me. Jesus died for my ‘outspoken religious woman’ who was yelling at me because he loves her.

She finally walked away in disgust. My friend and I looked at each other and continued talking about changing the world with Jesus.

A couple things:

1. I was tempted to put on my better than you attitude

Here’s the deal. I don’t agree with this lady and I thought she was a bit crazy, but she is who she is. I find that Christians spend so much time thinking and arguing about why they are better than others. I have personally decided that this is a worthless pursuit. I am really working hard to have an attitude that unites instead of divides. She certainly wasn’t worried about uniting with us, however, her attitude does not serve as an excuse for me to divide against her. The way I see it, we disagree and she decided to verbalize her feelings. I am thankful she was speaking to me instead of someone who was seeking and unsure of Jesus.

2. We must relearn Jesus’ words concerning unity and love

Read this,

.John 13:34-35, “Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.”

I am serious about getting this into my head and heart. The movement of Christianity is to be stuffed full of love. In the book of John Jesus specifically talks about the relationship between Christians. If you say you love God then you should be united. You have the same Dad, the same mission, the same future — love each other. This does not mean that we avoid disagreements, but that we are able to see past the differences due to the glaring similarities (ie. we have the same Dad). When the world sees the way you love your own family they will see a clearer picture of your God.

I am motivated to show love in tangible ways to other members of Jesus’ family. I must put aside my silly issues and practice love. If you have an ‘outspoken religious woman’ in your life, pour out love on her. Love changes the heart.

So, ‘outspoken religious woman’, have some lunch with me…I’ll buy.

5 Characteristics to Leading Well:

1. Maintain a vibrant, personal relationship with God to the end

Invest time and energy into your relationship with Jesus. I am not talking about a Sunday morning relationship where you count on the Pastor to give you a shot of Jesus. If you were stranded on an island without a church or any other people how would you invest into your relationship with Jesus? I am a huge believer in community and the church as a body of believers, but some times I think we substitute the church and the family of God as God. The church is God’s people but is empty and meaningless without a vibrant personal relationship with Jesus.

2. Maintain a learning posture and learn from various sources

A disciple is a learner and the moment you believe you know it all you cease being a disciple. I don’t care if you are stuffed full of Christian knowledge to the point of genius — there’s more to learn. The young must learn from the more mature and the older must humble themselves and learn from the younger generation. There are things I can learn from my Dad that no one else can teach me and there are things my Dad can learn from me that will impact his life. A leader never stops learning.

3. Live by identifiable goals. Practice self-control in your mind, will, and emotions.

Do you have any clue where you are going? When asked what the 2 top projects you are currently working on in your job or in your life are, do you have an answer? I am not talking about a broad answer with layers of BS — I am talking about a strategic direction and focus. At any moment your boss must be able to ask you what those projects are, what progress you have made in the last day, and you must have an answer. Develop a strategy for prioritizing and meeting your goals. The absence of a plan is a pathway to failure.

4. Maintain supportive, meaningful relationships starting with marriage and family

Do you fly solo? Does anyone know you intimately and personally? We were created by God to depend on one another to accomplish life’s greatest goals. We were created by God to depend on one another for happiness and fulfillment. We are not individuals, we are community. Open up your life, share your feelings, goals, ambitions, dreams, and failures with others. Transparency with the right people will develop intimacy and fulfillment. A strong leader at the workplace proves his depth by his relationships outside the workplace. Want to know who your leader really is? Head over and have dinner with his family.

5. Develop clear vision, strong convictions, great perspective, and a strong commitment to honoring God through daily surrender.

Take time to evaluate your journey. What has God been teaching you along the way. Write out your convictions, values, and mission’s statement. What is the greater purpose in everything I do? When I understand my mission or purpose statement then I can choose wisely how to spend my time and who  to spent it with.

(Paul D. Stanley and J. Robert Clinton, Connecting: The Mentoring Relationships You Need to Succeed in Life)

I was at the AVN Porn show this year and saw Roxxy personally. I didn’t have any conversations with her or anything else, but was taken back by her “abilities.” This article highlights some of the dysfunction in our world that is largely connected to our lack of authentic relationship and communication. Thought it was interesting…

“If you haven’t heard of her yet, let me introduce you to Roxxxy, the world’s first robotic sex doll.

- And lastly, what does the porn industry’s recognition that sex is about something more than just an orgasm say about the way God designed the human soul?”

(http://www.qideas.org/blog/meet-roxxxy.aspx)