Cherished and Appreciated?

September 29, 2009 — Leave a comment

September was our Missions Focus Month at church.  One of the highlights of my day last Sunday was the video we watched in Sunday School.

The video, titled “Return to Hauna”, was about Wycliffe Bible translator Marilyn Laszlo.  In the video, she shared about the process of learning and documenting the Sepic Iwam language of Papua New Guinea and the 23-year process of translating the New Testament their language.

I found the first portion of the 30-minute video on YouTube:

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There were many things in the video that were encouraging, challenging, and convicting.  But the one thing that struck me was how much the Sepik Iwam people cherished and appreciated their “talk” being carved (which they saw as only limited to the white man – giving him power) and, equally as profound, the fact that “God’s carvings” was given to them in their “talk”.

Two observations:

  • How often we take for granted our written language – whether we hold it in our hands or view it on a screen.
  • Even more, how often we fail to cherish the fact that we have “God’s Carvings” freely available in our own language.

May we follow the example of the Sepik Iwam people:

Cherish and Appreciate.

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BTW, I found a transcript of a speech Laszlo gave a Urbana 1981.  It gives a good snapshot of her work at Hauna.

I pray I would have a passion for people as Marilyn has…

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HWJD?

September 23, 2009 — Leave a comment

think3So I was a little frustrated at some stuff/people recently and got to thinking, How Would Jesus Deal?…or for the acronym-minded: HWJD?*

That’s when my head started hurting…

  • Jesus dealt with life, family, school, church, work, people situations, the “stuff” of life…just like me.
  • He ate, slept, cried, had conversation, traveled, lead people, relaxed, laughed, prayed, spent time alone and with people, faced adversity, had an adoptive father (Joseph),…just like me.  (FYI: my adoptive Father is God [Ephesians 1:4-6])
  • He had feelings: anger, happiness, sadness, concern,sympathy,…just like me.

BUT…

  • Unlike me…He was perfect.
  • Unlike me…He was sinless.
  • Unlike me…He was holy.

So, HWJD?

How Would Jesus Deal with being, as I put it above, “a little frustrated at some stuff/people”?

There are a TON of passages in the Bible that speak about this, but one immediately comes to mind.  It’s a passage that talks about an attitude that was evident in Jesus’ life and one that is really is the essence of “dealing”.  To the “expert in the law” who tested Him, Jesus offered this framework for living a life that worships God:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself.  There is no commandment greater than these.”

Mark 12:30-31

Jesus was the perfect example of living this passage.  In spite of all the similarities with me (you, us) listed above, it’s the differences that set Him apart.  He loved and obeyed His Father and unconditionally loved the people with whom He “dealt” – the ones He created.  We do well to stumble and mumble at doing those things…

Will trying to live Mark 12:30-31 out and follow Jesus’ example make things magically better?  I think we all know the answer: no.  But, living out this passage through the power of the Holy Spirit enables me (you, us) to dependently fulfill our purpose in life: bringing God glory through a life of worship (Colossians 1:16).

So, HWiD? (How Will i Deal?)

Well, Jesus set the watermark.  I know full well that I cannot get close to it.  But, that does not exempt me from striving to follow Jesus’ example (through the conviction (John 16:10) and enabling power (Philippians 4:13) of the Holy Spirit).

In fact, not striving for this watermark is…well, sin:

Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do [think Mark 12:30-31, at a minimum] and doesn’t do it, sins.

James 4:17

Thank God for His grace, mercy, and forgiveness:

God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:21

Maranatha!

So…  HWuD?

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*HWJD? OR How Would Jesus Deal? – not to be confused with HWJD (How Would Jesus Drive). In writing this post, I wanted to see other uses for “HWJD”…this site was at the top of the internet search.

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The Box

September 17, 2009 — 2 Comments

boxThe box has been sitting near our desk at home since May 31st.

Each time I saw it, I thought of the lives it represented.

Lives I was praying for…each time I saw the box.  Wondering what God was doing in each person’s life…praying that they were being refined by the Holy Spirit.

Now it’s empty…

You see, last Spring I taught through Francis Chan’s book – Crazy Love – during Sunday School.  At the end of class on the final Sunday, I passed out note cards and a sheet that listed the “Profiles of the Lukewarm” and the “Profiles of the Obsessed” we had read about in chapters four and eight.  I asked each person to write a note reminding themselves of one lukewarm and one obsessed area that they felt they needed to work on – areas in which they (by faith) wanted the Holy Spirit to refine them over the next three months.

We prayed, people wrote, the envelopes were collected, we prayed again, and I said that I would mail the envelope back to each person in September.  I went home and set the box near our desk.

The notes are in the mail.

I hope – I pray – that they serve as a reminder and encouragement to each recipient.  A reminder of the amazing, crazy, and undeserved (but graciously given) love that God has for us.  A reminder of our call, as Christ Followers, to reflect that insane love to the world, for the praise and glory of God.

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So why write this post?  You may be reading this and say, “So what, I wasn’t there.”  Two reasons:

  1. To encourage YOU, the reader. The Apostle Paul (and others) did this.  Paul often wrote to one group of people and reported about other people’s faith in order to encourage people (Romans 1:8 & 12).  He challenged Christ Followers to think of ways to encourage each other (Hebrews 10:24).  So: If you haven’t read Crazy Love, I highly encourage it.  It (and the biblical truth on which it is based) will refine you and make you a better worshiper of Jesus.  If you have read it, are you living in light of it?
  2. To challenge myself and those who lead and teach. We must always remember to encourage people to take the next step – to live the “topic” out…tangibly.  Simply teaching and not encouraging “practice” is, quite frankly, a waste of time and really doesn’t foster growth or further the Kingdom of God (Hebrews 10:24-25).  Recently, I heard Rick Warren say, “Jesus turned up the heat little by little to mature his disciples.”  Shouldn’t we, as teachers and with the love and care of Christ, do the same?  Have I mastered this?  No – thus the challenge to me as well.


Blessings & Maranatha!

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Attachment

September 16, 2009 — Leave a comment

hand holdKaren and I attended a great training session Tuesday night as we move on in our journey to becoming the forever family for two to three precious kids [in the lingo, that means adoptive parents.]  The topic was “Attachment Issues & Intervention Strategies.”  Wikipedia defines Attachment in Children as:

“A theory of attachment between children and their caregivers specifically addressing the behaviors and emotions that children direct toward familiar adults.”

The training dealt with how children attach to parents (biological and adoptive), hindrances to that attachment, and techniques to address the challenges.  It was really informative, especially as we prepare for the time when we have kids and seek to nurture and help them with the unique challenges they may face.  On the drive home, we talked about how any parent would benefit from this (and the other) training we’ve received.  We also talked about the rest of this post…

Here’s the thing.

As I sat in the classroom, absorbing the information and taking notes, my mind immediately began to see parallels to our relationship with God – our attachment to our Heavenly Father.  So much so that I, of course, wanted to post about it.  I share the things below as an encouragement and reminder for those who consider God as their Heavenly Father.

Before reading on, take a few minutes to read these passages:

Deuteronomy 31:8; Psalm 23; Psalm 61:2-4; Psalm 91:3-5; Psalm 139:1-16; Isaiah 49:15-16; Matthew 6:26

From the presentation:

Information about attachment theory in children:

  • “When I am close to my loved one I feel good, when I am far away I am anxious, sad, or lonely.”
  • Attachment is mediated by looking, hearing, and holding.
  • “When I am held, I feel warm, safe, and comforted.”
  • Results in a relaxed state so that one can, again, begin to explore.

Secure or good attachment is best assessed in times of stress and when one is upset.

Children need both a:

  • Secure Base: “Watch over me, Help me, enjoy life with me.”
  • Secure Haven: “Protect me, comfort me, delight in me, organize my feelings.”

Insecure or Anxious Attachment is manifested in:

  • Anxious about caregiver’s availability.
  • Afraid that caregiver will be unresponsive or ineffective in providing comfort.

Now, re-read the passages and know without a shadow of a doubt that they are true.  God, our Heavenly Father, is amazing, faithful, caring, loving, gracious, comforting, shepherding, powerful, and so much more than a mere list of adjectives on some irrelevant blog can describe.

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If you don’t consider God as your Heavenly Father, the truth is that He is real.  He created you and loves you in a profound way that isn’t really explainable in human terms or understanding.  He is the perfect father – incomparable to any earthly father (the best or the worst).  Know that God loves you and gave His Son (Jesus) to pay the price for our sin.  He desires our…your “attachment”.

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No Condemnation. [Kapow!]

September 10, 2009 — Leave a comment

serie_kapowI’ve read these verses from Romans chapter eight before:

1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

But today, they hit me in the gut.

As Karen and I wait for phone calls, emails, snail mail,…whatever about our adoption process, tons of thoughts run through our minds.  Last week we were talking and the subject of sin and punishment came up.  Is/was there something hindering God answering our prayer for kids?  We know there isn’t, we know and live 1 John 1:9-10.  It was “the accuser” accusing.  [OK, I’m not saying we don’t sin.  Speaking for myself, I identify with Paul’s self-evaluation in 1 Timothy 1:15 (“…of whom I am the worst.”)  Karen’s human, so she sins…  ]

In those “accuser” instances, my mind always goes back to this passage in Romans – I say in those instances, because Satan always tries to throw those (and other) thoughts at Christ Followers.  None of us is squeaky clean, and guilt can be stifling.

Anyway, today…  Me getting hit in the gut…

I’m reading a book titled, “Adopted for Life” by Dr. Russell Moore.  It’s about adoption in human terms and also in spiritual terms.  This book is for everyone, not just people adopting.  Powerful stuff!

In a passage talking about feeling like God’s punishing you, Moore writes:

“Remember, we can’t bypass Jesus…  He is the One who bore the curse on our behalf, every bit of it (Gal. 3:13).  If you’ve believed in Christ, you are blessed, not cursed, whatever your situation.

…God is not punishing you.  If you are in Christ, your punishment was adsorbed in the body of a crucified Jesus.  God may be disciplining you, shaping you, and he often uses suffering to do so, but He isn’t punishing you.  He views you within the body of Christ, and loves and delights in you.  Whatever is happening in your life, nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ (Rom. 8:31-39.)” [pg. 89-90]

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Pow. Thwack. Kapow.*

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Again, this is nothing new for me – I’ve heard and read this before.  …but I needed to hear it again.  I have to believe that I’m not the only one needing to hear this.

Thank you God! (take that satan!)

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*From the “you can find anything on the Internet”: I was trying to remember the punch sounds from Batman and stumbled on this site that cataloged all the sounds…by episode.  They are now offered by me for your future use and reference! [the fact that they are in Spanish shouldn’t make a difference!] 🙂

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The unCar Show

September 8, 2009 — Leave a comment

This morning I was reading Isaiah 26 and the second half of verse 8 jumped out at me:

Your name and renown [Lord] are the desire of our hearts. (NIV)

My Observation: It’s all about “heart”…without it appearance, words, & deeds are empty. I saw some HUGE hearts on Sunday. I was Blessed and I have to believe God smiled…

uncar2Sunday, our church held its 7th annual Car and Bike Show on our lawn. It’s come to be a great annual event that draws many from the community and offers a chance for car and bike (the motor and the pedal-types) enthusiasts to show off their toys and those who don’t have the toys to check them out, even drool (in a dignified way, of course).

The afternoon is always filled with cars & bikes, food, music, a dunk tank, a jump house, and tons of conversation. As in past years, we had a lot of people and the lawn was filled with cars.  People come and hang out for 10 minutes or for three hours…it’s all good!

If that were all it was about, we’d call it good and start planning next year…

But that is not what it was about. As Pastor John put it Sunday morning, “it’s about people.”

It was about people.

It was about community.

It was about getting out of the “cube” in the corner of the lot on 2827 Flint avenue we call “church” and being the tangible hands and feet of Jesus.

Being the true Jesus.

The one that cares unconditionally and that is approachable and interested in talking without any “hitch” or angle – just being a friend.

I saw that. I heard it. I saw people at worship.

For sure, God smiled.

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What I Did On My Summer “Vacation”

September 4, 2009 — 1 Comment

It’s a common question being asked by returning students right now – regardless of age or grade: “What did you do on your Summer vacation?”  It’s somewhat lost on us adults…we don’t generally get three months off from work (although we’d like it!)  OK, we do truncate the question and ask: “What did you do on your Summer vacation?”

Anyway, here we go:

<you>: Dennis!  How’s it going?  Love the blog, keep up the great work!
<me>: ‘sgoing pretty good.  How ’bout you?
<you>: Fantabulous!  Hey, What did you do on your Summer vacation?
<me>: I’m glad you asked…

The Deets:

bibleThis summer, our church went through a program called The Bible in 90 Days (aka BIND, aka B90X).  It’s not a hard program with hidden details – it’s reading the Bible in 90 days (OK, actually 88…there were two “grace” days built in).  We started on June 7th and from that day until September 3 (for me), we read about 12 pages each day – straight through…Genesis to Revelation.  Our adult Sunday School class and Sunday service sermons also followed the readings, highlighting various themes or characters from the previous weeks readings.

The Story:

True confessions here – I actually saw the official BIND Bible at our local Christian bookstore over a year ago. I bought it and thought I’d give it a go.  It didn’t go…  But, when we decided to go through the program at church, I decided I was going to do it!  GULP!

I read & study the Bible daily – but I don’t generally read 12 pages.  I’m also a slow reader (I’ll admit it!), so this was especially a challenge.  [FYI – my reading speed is really a product of wanting to fully understand and I just can’t get there by scanning…some can – I can’t.]

In addition, having just started this blog a few months before, I decided that I would write a post about each days reading.  Yes, EACH DAY (read: Leviticus).  My decision was based on two things:

  • If 2 Timothy 3:16-17 is true (and I believe it is), then I ought to be able to glean at least one nugget from each day’s reading.  Yes, even from Leviticus.
  • A comment I heard from a speaker a while back.  He said that he tried to find at least one thing in every sermon or talk he heard that was applicable or edifying.  This should be true of anything read in the bible.  [BTW, I hold to this truth in any meeting, seminar, conference, presentation.  It forces me to listen!]

So I started.  I read…and I blogged, and I read…and I blogged…  Eighty-eight days of reading, too many late nights trying to stay on track, and 67 blog posts (some were catch-up days) – all in all, an incredible journey.  I am glad I stuck it out.  It was great to read the whole Bible in a concentrated time frame.  It was amazing to see the thread of God’s redemptive love and care for man (me, you!) in this life-changing, life-giving book that has been lovingly preserved.

So, there’s no badge, t-shirt, or tattoo (?!) for completing the program.  But, there is the joy in knowing that I am a little bit more “equipped”  to be a better worshiper of my awesome and amazing God!

What’s Next?

For the Christ Follower, the Bible shouldn’t be a book that is read and then put on the shelf – saved for future reading if desired.  So, for that reason, I’ll never be “finished” reading the Bible…  I think I’ll even do BIND again next year.

I am starting two new books though:new_read

Both look to be GREAT reads…even blog subjects!

HEY, if you’d like to give BIND or B90X a try, here is a reading schedule that Elevation Church in North Carolina has posted.

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Revelation 18:1 – 22:21 (BIND – Day 88…FINAL DAY!)

September 3, 2009 — Leave a comment

bible

Bible In 90 Days – Day 88

So Day 88 is the virtual Day 90 of the Bible in 90 Days program…so, this is the final day of reading!

What an amazing 88-day journey!

Reading: Revelation 18:1 – 22:21

Take Away(s):

  • The one thing to know about the book of Revelation. So there are videos that go along with the readings and we have been using them in Sunday School each week.  I love the way the teacher summed up the book of Revelation last week: GOD WINS!
  • Three song summary Revelation 21-22

Soon [Ligertwood]

First and the Last [Houston / Morgan]

Revelation Song [Riddle]

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Revelations 1:1 – 17:18 (BIND – Day 87)

September 2, 2009 — Leave a comment

bible

Bible In 90 Days – Day 87

Reading: Revelation 1:1 – 17:18

Take Away(s):

Only one entry today…

  • Revelation 3:15-16. Christ Follower, go to crazylovebook.com, click “Videos”, then watch the Chapter 4 and 5 videos…and be challenged.  If you haven’t read Chan’s Crazy Love – DO!  Powerful and life-changing!

cl vids

If you’re not really sure what this all means, check this out:

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Hebrews – Jude (BIND – Days 85 and 86)

September 2, 2009 — Leave a comment

bible

ACK! Running behind on my posts in the Home Stretch!!!

Bible In 90 Days – Day 85

Reading: Hebrews 1:1 – James 3:12

Take Away(s):

  • What Does God Look Like. Hebrews 1:3-6. These verses tell us that Jesus is the exact representation of God.  So what does God look like?  We may not have a detailed physical description or picture; but we know from scripture what His true self looks like – based on Jesus: http://tinyurl.com/kqu8of
  • Under appreciated. Hebrews 4:12-13.  I fear many Christ Followers don’t grasp the power of the Bible – I know in my journey, I have neglected and under appreciated it.  The past 85 days have reaffirmed this verse – I don’t recall a single day when I didn’t glean something from my readings (even in Leviticus).
  • Identification* & Access. Hebrews 4:15-16.  In light of the means by which Jews “accessed” God before Christ came, I think we too often take for granted our unlimited access to the Father…and the means by which it was gained.  God, May I never forget that my immediate access to You was gained by Your willingness to sacrifice Your Son in my place.  The curtain was torn…PRAISE GOD! [*As this verse says, we can only partly identify…we’re all scummy sinners.  Christ was the only sinless human.]
  • Timely.  Sad, but timely. Hebrews 5:11-14.  A by-product of the second bullet above.  Very convicting…  God, I pray that my desire for knowing more about You would never wain.  I don’t want to be a career, elementary-school Follower!
  • Worship. Hebrews 10:24-25.  To me, this verse is key to our worship as Christ Followers.  I love the New Century Version translation of this verse: “Let us think about each other and help each other to show love and do good deeds.  …you should meet together and encourage each other.”
  • Our Perfecter. Hebrews 12:1-2. Perfect Assurance…From our Perfecter
  • The Hard Road. James 1:2-4. The road to maturity in Christ isn’t easy…if it were, we wouldn’t need God.
  • Get off your backside! James 1:22.  I think some would be content if a life surrendered to God involved simply reading the bible every once in a while, thinking good thoughts about our neighbors, and even helping someone in need occasionally.  We certainly read and hear about those things in church.  I think this verse makes it pretty clear: we need to quit fooling ourselves that reading and listening is all that is needed for the Believer, get off our butts, and and practice what we read and hear!
  • Backside, part deux. James 2:17. Listening and reading above…faith without action here.
  • Stricterer. James 3:1. As one who teaches at church from time to time (OK, I guess I kinda do on a weekly basis during portions of our Sunday service), this verse makes me nervous.

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Bible In 90 Days – Day 86

Reading: James 3:13 – Jude

Take Away(s):

  • Opposite. James 3:13.  Wisdom and understanding (and knowledge) often result in something other than humility.  Only by the Holy Spirit can we actually combine these – our natural reaction is pride.
  • Hybrids are not biblical. James 4:4. This verse smacks the face of an “if it doesn’t hurt anyone else, it OK” mentality that can plague us.  God is holy (set apart) and desires that we be holy also.  One or the other – not a hybrid.
  • God’s Will: submit to authorities. 1 Peter 2:13-17.  Another passage that imparts God’s will.  So many times, we ask ourselves what His will is…passages like this make it so easy.  [OK, easy to find…not easy to do!]
  • How to get your prayer ignored by God. 1 Peter 3:7. Husbands (Dennis) – if you want God to ignore your prayers, be inconsiderate and disrespectful to the fellow heir in Christ who wears that ring you gave…her…
  • Scary Verse. 1 Peter 3:15-16. I think this verse terrifies some…many Christ Followers.  They read it as “have complete and full knowledge of everything in the Bible and be able to answer any possible question that anyone could possibly ask you about God, Jesus, salvation, the Holy Spirit, Heaven, Hell, why bad things happen to good people, etc.” (whew!).  Think about it – it says to be able to give a reason…not fully supported theological explanation (although, as we mature in Christ, that should come.).  I take comfort in the fact that the blind man healed by Jesus, Peter & John, and Paul all basically told people in one way or another that they can’t fully explain their salvation – but Jesus changed them.
  • Foundational. 1 John 4:7-12. God loved…we must also.  Impartially, just as He does.
  • Saying it ain’t good enough! 1 John 5:2-3. Saying we love God without practicing it (through obeying Him) is contradictory.  This isn’t easy; but, as this passage says, His commands are not a burden…our pride makes them hard, not the command itself.
  • Cults and such. Jude 18-19.  The final phrase of verse 19 is the starting point for many cults and even wrong teachings or unbiblical “rules” in the church.  When we put our own spin on God’s word…things go bad.
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