The Best News I’ve Heard…

… since I found out was going to be a dad for the third time.

Click here to see what it is.

Have a great weekend, people.

Crazy, Busy Week

No time to post much.  It’s been one of those your-schedule-is-set-but-nobody-cares type weeks where the day planner  gets blown to smithereens.  Will hopefully get a little time later on.  Until then, peace in the Middle East (yeah, right).

Honey or Vinegar?

Every Monday night, I hang out with a group of guys at a local pub to watch the Monday Night Football game.  It’s a great chance for friendships to strengthen, not to mention it’s pretty fun.  Last night (during the Ravens/Browns snooze fest), a street preacher walked into the bar and started condemning every person to hell for gathering in a drinking place.  He was promptly shouted down by the table closest to him and escorted out by the manager.

My guess is he went home feeling pretty good about himself.  After all, he was “persecuted.”

Yeah, right.  He was kicked out of a bar for being a jerk.  Unfortunately, this kind of stuff happens all over the country.

The only cool thing about this episode was it started a conversation between us guys.  We talked about the guy’s approach and why it angered each of us.  One guy asked me why it got under my skin.  Plain and simple, it was a misrepresentation of the true nature of the good news of Jesus.

Did Jesus preach against sin?  Yes.  But he did so in a way where those broken by sin still wanted to hang out with him.  We are called to do the same.

After all, as the old saying goes, you can attract more flies with honey than with vinegar.

Late Night Musings

It’s nearly midnight. We’re trying to get Layla to sleep. She’s chowin’ down, and we’re listening to “Baby Go Beatles”, which is a bunch of Beatles tunes… in lullaby form. Insanely cool. A little weird. Apparently, there’s a whole series of these CDs, including some of my favorites (Nirvana, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Smashing Pumpkins).

Anyway, my brain gets revved up at night. Here are some things I’ve wondered about recently…

• I don’t think a person can truly appreciate the incarnation of Jesus until they’re holding their infant child. That God would submit Himself to frail human flesh…
• Homemade peanut butter fudge milkshakes are da bomb.
• My wife is frickin’ amazing!
• Hospice is the ultimate career paradox: how can someone’s impending death be both so incredibly heartbreaking and rewarding–often at the same time?
• I heart Christmas. A lot. We’ve already watched Christmas Vacation several times. We’re finally breaking out the decorations tomorrow!
• Our new friends, the Browns, could be the coolest people this side of planet earth.
• My 7 year old is brilliant. My 3 year old is, too.
• My 2 week old is greedy (our Administrative Assisstant’s way of saying she eats a lot) and likes to party late at night. She’s also very gassy. Like father, like daughter.
• Raking pine needles will be reserved for hell’s most notorious residents.
• I miss MNF at O’Cool’s. I’m set to come off the DL on Monday.
• Speaking of football, the Cutler trade isn’t working out so well for my Bears. 13 of his league leading 17 INTs have come in three losses that should have been wins. Chicago should be 7-2. The reality: 4-5 with no confidence, a very suspect yet deteriorated by injuries defense, and a whiney QB who literally throws away games.
• Cultivating relationships takes time. It’s well worth the effort.
• Several years ago, I drove past an adult bookstore once a week on the way to a friend’s house. I started praying for the owner, employees, and customers, and that God would close its doors each time I drove past it. It only took a year of praying, and the place closed down. Now here in NC, I noticed one on my way to work. Time to start praying again–and I pass this one one the way to and from work, 5 days a week.
• A weekly event changes few lives. Close friendships lived out in real life under the influence of the Holy Spirit can change people, neighborhoods, and the world.

That’s enough for tonite. Layla’s almost asleep. Hope she’ll let us do the same!

24/7/365

Psalm 134

For years, especially since the rise of the “worship bands,” many Christians have confused music for worship.  The confusion is voiced by church staff everywhere, especially “worship ministers.”  Apparently, worship doesn’t begin until the band strikes the first chord.

Just a skimming of the Bible shows that worship isn’t regulated to the realm of music.  Worship of God takes place all the time through everything we do.  Is music included?  Sure.  But worship isn’t synonymous with music.

Psalm 134 shows this.  Look what it says:

Behold, bless the Lord, all the servants of the Lord.
Who serve by night in the house of the Lord.
Life up your hands to the sanctuary
And bless the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion,
He who made heaven and earth.

The writer of this psalm shows that worship in the ancient temple took place around the clock.  So it should be with those of us who follow Jesus.  Worship isn’t limited to an hour on Sunday.  It happens around the clock.  That should cause us to stop and think:

• Am I intentional about my life, since all of life is worship?
• What kinds of “bad” or “unacceptable” worship have I given to God?
• Have I been  deceived into thinking that worship only takes place “at church”?
• How can I change my mind and thus change my worship (that sounds like repentance)?

Late Night Party…

… with my new baby girl. Every night. For the first two weeks, we’d get to bed pretty late (2 AM) because Layla’s party time was around 11:00 – 2:00. But we’d get at least 4 uninterrupted hours of sleep. The last two nights, however, she’s been up every hour or so, wanting to “hit the sauce.”

Ah, the joys of the early stages of fatherhood. For the third time. For the first time in my thirties. How the crap did my grandfather do this–for the fifth time–when he was 50?

Oh well. We’ll get enough sleep when we’re dead.

Seed Time and Harvest

There’s a lot of time between those things…

Recently, Laura and I have felt somewhat frustrated (that might not even be the right word) about the progress of things here in G-Vegas.  I’ve never been a patient guy.  I’ve always wanted things to happen now.  More like yesterday.  I spent yesterday brewing in my own pity stew, praying off and on all day, asking God to start a disciple multiplying movement here in G-Vegas, and to let us play our part (and, by the way, show us what that part is).  I went to bed late last night a little worried.

And woke up completely at peace.

I have to always keep in mind the organic nature of the kingdom.  Seeds take time to plant, and harvest time is always the goal… but there’s usually a lot of time in between.  Often, it is weeks before you see the first seeds sprout, and even then it is a long time before harvest.  What we must do in between seed time and harvest is cultivate those seeds and sproutlings.

That thought hit me this morning.  And it’s completely comforting.  We’ve spent a lot of time planting seeds.  We’re developing some cool relationships with people who either don’t know Jesus or who want to talk about him.  Now we’re being intentional about cultivating them, knowing full well that God is the one who brings the spiritual harvest.

Patience isn’t easy for me, but God is developing it in me.  So don’t get so discouraged when something doesn’t produce immediately.  Instead, be intentional about cultivation.  After all, we’re not the One who brings about the harvest anyway.

Saw VI: Should Christians Watch This Stuff? (Part 4)

Should Christians watch movies like those in the Saw franchise?

So what is so redeeming about the Saw franchise?

First, but absolutely least, the series is pretty well thought out.  It actually has a point besides thrills and chills.  For those of you unfamiliar, the series follows John Kramer, a.k.a. “Jigsaw”, a notorious serial killer who really hasn’t killed anyone.  He places people in traps, which force them to face their sin and battle for their life.  If they succeed in escaping the trap, they should have a new appreciation for life and be rehabbed from their wrong doing.  They will, however, pay a heavy price… in blood.  The entire plot is much more complicated, but (if your conscience allows) can watch the series for yourself.

Here’s why I think the series has redeeming value:

1. The theme of redemption runs deep throughout the series. Jigsaw’s true motivation is for people to redeem their past and experience a rebirth–a rebirth through violence that forces the person to face their past.  This is the heart of the gospel–rebirth through violence that puts the past to death.  The main difference:  Jigsaw wants people to do so for themselves.  The gospel  shows that Jesus does so for us.
2. The series shows you cannot save yourself. Although Jigsaw’s methods are, well, pretty insane, he does want people to save themselves.  Yet, if you’ve watched the series, you know that no one ends up “saved.”  In the first movie, Cary Elwes’ character crawls off, having sawed off his foot.  We still don’t know his fate, but it can be assumed that he bled to death (it is, however, totally possible to bring him back into the series… I wouldn’t be surprised).  Jigsaw’s apprentice Amanda escaped her first trap, but she fails to save herself in her ultimate test in Saw III.  Almost everyone else (with a rare exception) fails to pass their test, and thus dies.  This is the essence of the gospel–we cannot save ourselves.  We cannot atone for our own sins.  We cannot pay for our past.  Only God through Jesus’ death and resurrection can do that.
3. Judgment is certain. You can be certain that if you live in Jigsaw’s general vicinity, he will find you and you will suffer judgment if he deems you worthy of judgment.  Thus it is with us and God.  Judgment is certain.  The Bible tells us that all people will have to “give an account” of their lives before God.  Make no mistake, judgment is certain.
4. Salvation requires blood. The Saw series certainly is bloody.  Those in Jigsaw’s traps must shed blood if they hope to find redemption.  But as we’ve seen, nothing we do ourselves can save us.  Jesus’ horrific, bloody death on the cross, however, has provided the means to save us.  In God’s economy, blood is required to forgive sin.  Jesus, the perfect God/man sacrifice, spilled his blood so that mankind could find forgiveness and redemption with God.

Are the parallels perfect?  Of course not.  But they do serve as conversation starters with those who do not know Jesus.  That’s another reason we need to be intentional about what we watch.  We must be discerning in what we watch (sorry guys, you can’t justify watching porn by saying, “It shows how sexuality has been degraded”), but we must also be intentional in that we’re looking for ways to speak the truth of the gospel in relevant ways to those who don’t know Jesus.

So for those of you who don’t feel you can watch this series, good for you.  Go pop some popcorn and watch the game.  For those of you who feel you can, be discerning and certain of your conscience, pop some popcorn and go “play a game.”

Happy Birthday, RLT!

This blog turns two years old today.  A lot has happened since I posted my first entry on Nov. 5, 2007.  We’ve moved, I’ve started a new career, I’ve written a book, and we’ve had our third daughter… and we feel like we’ve just begun to scratch the surface as to what God has in store for us.  So, to celebrate RTL’s second birthday, I’ve reposted the first post.  It is still as true today as it was two years ago.  Here it is…

My wife is an addict… to photography.  She loves it.  She’s passionate about it.  She has a favorite spot where she takes clients for sessions.  It’s this access road deep in the Blue Ridge mountains that slices through the George Washington National Forrest all the way up to Skyline Drive and the Appalachian Trail.  There’s a mountain stream that snakes its way down from the peaks to the valley.  There are several rock slides that just scream “Climb me!”  If you know where to look, there are trails up into the mountains.  We went there the other day to take some family pics.  Although the girls didn’t want to cooperate, it was cool.  Not too many people know about that road.  Many who do never venture there.  Like the Robert Frost poem says, it is a road less traveled by.  And choosing to travel it makes all the difference.

It got me thinking about the life that Jesus invites us to live.  He once talked about a road less traveled.  The Bible shows us in the midst of one of Jesus’ sermons that makes it abundantly clear that we’re broken, flawed, and messed up by sin, and that we have this desparate need for God, Jesus said these words:  “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it.  For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14).  The life Jesus invites us to live is the life less lived, the road less traveled.  It is not easy.  It is not comfortable.  Sometimes it will cause angst, doubt, pain, and suffering.  But if we want to really know and love God, it’s the road we must travel.  And it makes all the difference, between a mundane lather-rinse-repeat life and the life that God intended–a life of meaning, a life of purpose, and life that doesn’t end when this aging body wears out and dies.

That’s what this blog is about–a dude who, by the grace of God, is trying to hike that path.  And I suck at it.  I trip.  I stumble.  Sometimes I wander away from it.  And I’m more thankful each day for God’s grace through Jesus.

In this blog, I’ll reflect on what I’m reading in the Bible.  I’ll recommend some books to read on a lot of different subjects.  I’ll recommend some really good movies–some because of the spiritual undertones, some because they’re just plain fun to watch.  I may even muse about my vices… cigars and root beer.  Check out the links to some of my favorite sites (don’t worry–they’re not all “church” related).  Please leave a comment or two.  Interaction is always good!  Take what you want, leave the rest.  But leave with something…

Saw VI: Should Christians Watch This Stuff? (Part 3)

Should Christians watch movies like those in the Saw franchise?

Maybe…

This is an issue of freedom, much like Paul addressed in Romans 14.  In other words, a Christian may choose to not watch Saw VI while another can choose to watch Saw VI, and both are not guilty of sinning.  This isn’t an issue like drunkenness or adultery, which the Bible clearly states are sinful.  It comes down to faith and your conscience.  If your conscience would bug you by watching Saw VI, then you shouldn’t watch it.  If your conscience doesn’t bug you, then watch it.

But each type of person must be careful.

If you are someone who chooses not to watch a movie like Saw VI, here are some things to watch for:

1. Judging Christians who choose to watch. It’s easy to think you’re somehow more spiritual by avoiding such movies.
2. Becoming a moral cop. Pointing out those who choose to watch and giving every reason in the world why they shouldn’t watch is tempting, but it isn’t biblical (for real, go read Romans 14)

If you are someone who chooses to watch a movie like Saw VI, here are some things to watch for:

1. Looking down on Christians who choose not to watch. It’s easy to thing you’re somehow more spiritual by watching such movies.
2. Crossing the line. Those who chose not to watch such movies have one particular advantage–they will never be at risk for being exposed to something sinful to watch.
3. Not watching intentionally. It’s easy to slip into watching such a movie because it’s cool or because it’s an escape.  We need to watch such things intentionally.

Which is the crux of this series, and will be addressed in the last post on Friday.  Tomorrow, we party…