Humility

Humility--a little book by Andrew Murray affected my life in a big way. It wasn't until I completed it that I realized just how much.

Some very challenging thoughts (at least for me) from Murray:

*Humility, the place of entire dependence upon God, is from the very nature of things the first duty and highest virtue of His creatures. And so pride--is the root of every sin and evil.

*He (Jesus) never for a moment sought His own honor or asserted His power to vindicate Himself. His whole spirit was that of a life yielded to God.

*It is a solemn thought that our love for God is measured by our everyday relationships with others . . . It is easy to think that we humble ourselves before God, but our humility toward others is the only sufficient proof that our humility before God is real.

*A lesson of deepest importance is that the only humility that is really ours is not the kind we try to show before God in prayer, but the kind we carry with us, and carry out, in our ordinary conduct. The seemingly insignificant acts of daily life are the tests of eternity, because they prove what spirit posesses us. It is in our most unguarded moments that we truly show who we are.

*The chief mark of counterfiet holiness is its lack of humility.

*There are countless assemblies, societies, or committees, where the harmony has been disturbed and the work of God hindered because men who are counted saints are touchy and impatient, self-defensive and self-assertive to the point of sharp judgments and unkind words.

*Let us gladly accept whatever humbles us before God or men--this alone is the path to the glory of God.

*Look upon every person who tries or troubles you as a means of grace to humble you.

*Let us learn to ask whether we have learned to regard a reproof, just or unjust, a reproach from a friend or an enemy, an injury, or difficulty as an opportunity for proving that Jesus is all to us.

And if that's not enough . . . here are some words from others included in the book:

*The truth is this: Pride must die in you or nothing of heaven can live in you. (Taken from "The Spirit Of Prayer," Moreton, Canterbury.)

*I used to think that God's gifts were on shelves--one above another--and the taller we grow, the easier we can reach them. Now I find that God's gifts are on shelves--and the lower we stoop, the more we get. (F. B. Meyer.)

*Humility is the most difficult of all virtues to achieve; nothing dies harder than the desire to think well of oneself. (T. S. Eliot.)

*Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish yourself to be. (Thomas A Kempis.)

Okay, just reading this book was a humbling experience. I know that none of you need to read it, but it was good for me. :-)

Fiftier

Last night I had the unbelievable privilege of leading my parents in the reaffirmation of their wedding vows. As we stood before 150 family members and friends I thought about the uniqueness of what was taking place. The fact that their son is a Pastor AND that they had made it fifty years!

As they repeated the words, "Till death do us part," it was a meaningful and emotional moment.

I looked between them at my nine year old daughter seated in the front row. I couldn't help but think how glad I am that she was witnessing the commitment of marriage upheld and lived out by her grandparents. And then I thought, "I want to be a fiftier." And, God willing, I pray that Tabitha will be a fiftier as well.

In a culture where commitments are torn apart on a daily basis, let's all do our best to be fiftiers . . . in every area of life.

50th

Today is my parents' 50th wedding anniversary. 50 years is a long time . . .

An anniversary prayer:

Dear God,

Thank-you for mom and dad’s 50 years of marriage.
Thank-you for molding two lives into one—for the long haul.
Thank-you for two people who modeled love, forgiveness and commitment in a world that moves in the opposite direction.

Thank-you for the lessons they taught us . . .
That if you’re going to throw a dish, make sure it’s not an antique.
That all food is better with breading or gravy.
That together is better; whether it be square dancing or horse riding, card playing or fishing, pontoon boat rides or RVing.
That it’s okay to fight but imperative to make up.
That living within one’s means, frugality, may not be the American way, but it is the wise way.
That there’s bound to come some trouble, so hold on tight.

Thank-you for what they have taught us about raising a family . . .
That hard work never hurt anyone and benefits everyone.
To believe in your children even when others do not.
That love is expressed through serving.
That passing on a living faith in Jesus Christ is your most import inheritance.

Thank-you for a marriage of 50 years that set the example, brightened the journey, and honors the One that matters most.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

Your worst life now

Just a few days ago I was flying home from a conference in Dallas. The leadership team I was traveling with had a short layover in Denver. (Yes, Denver is further from Ohio than Dallas—the lowest fare is rarely the shortest route.)

I had just purchased a pricey decaf Americano from the airport Starbucks when I heard my name being paged over the intercom system. Now I, along with millions of other Americans, have read Joel Osteens mega-seller, Your Best Life Now. You might recall one story he recounts in it. Joel says that he, like me, was sitting in an airport when his name was paged. He began “believing” that God wanted to bless him. He went up to the ticket counter and was informed that due to lack of space on the flight he had been moved to first class. As I continued to listen to my own name being paged, I began to have visions of being moved to a more comfortable seat, all the cranberry juice and coffee I could drink being served in real china and no pretzel snack for me--something hot and delicious. I would enjoy flying home in first class . . . until I remembered that Frontier Airlines doesn’t have first class seating.

I strolled over to the ticket counter “believing” that nothing good could be waiting for me. The smiling attendant explained that a young family was traveling with an infant and would like to sit together. The only way he could make that happen was to move me from my aisle seat into a middle seat. Now, I fly quite a bit and one of my cardinal rules is to always sit in an aisle seat. So, the thought of a two and a half hour flight home cramped into a seat between two other travelers was not my “best life now.”

The attendant, still smiling gratuitously, further encouraged me by explaining that I would be able to sit next to one of the others traveling with me from our leadership team. I asked, “And how is that a benefit?” I had just spent the past seventy-two hours with these guys. All I wanted was a quiet, conversationless flight home. “Oh, and we’ll give you a free drink!” “Yipee-kay-yea.”

“Now, tell me again why I would want to move from the aisle seat that I chose to a cramped middle seat?” “So that this young family can sit together with their baby.” The young family was standing right beside me listening to this entire interaction. “No problem,” I said, I would be happy to change seats.” I smiled at the young family and returned to my leadership team.

One of the guys quickly asked, “So what was that all about.” “I was upgraded from an aisle seat to a middle seat.” We all started to laugh. “The really good news is that one of you had an empty seat next to you and now I’m in it.” They stopped laughing as they checked their tickets to see who was the lucky one.

I tell you this story because the Apostle Paul instructs us “to give thanks in every circumstance.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) And sometimes those circumstances may very well be in the midst of “your worst life now.”

My guess would be that this Thanksgiving holiday will find a few of us in very enjoyable, love-filled atmospheres. But I would also venture that many, many more people will find themselves in situations in which it is challenging to give thanks.

I want to encourage you, no matter your circumstances, to take a look at what good you can find around you . . . and give thanks.

By the way, I was able to trade that free drink for free satellite television. Far more importantly, a family was able to sit together. And for that I am thankful.

Contrarian's Guide To Knowing God

For the past 20 years I have ranked every book I've read from one to four stars. The Contrarian's Guide To Knowing God is definitely a four star book.

In his book, Larry Osborne writes, "Contrarian thinking at its best simply asks, Is this really true? It speaks up when the politically correct answer or conventional wisdom doesn't match reality--when things simply don't work the way everyone says they should."

With that introduction, Larry examines most aspects of what many of us have been taught about growing in our relationship with God. I found his insights both troubling and encouraging.

Here are some gems:

"The best way to produce the kind of spiritual growth you are looking for is to hang around those who are already experiencing it. It's a law of human nature. Over time, we start to think, act, and live like those we spend significant time with."

"I pray the Prayer of Permission. 'Lord, I know what you want me to do, but I don't want to do it. I'm giving you full permission to change the way I feel and think about it.'"

"At the church I lead, we make every effort to avoid presenting cultural values, traditions, and extra-biblical rules and regulations as if they're on par with Scripture."

"Another problem with the quest to use all our gifts and fulfill all our promise, no matter what, is that it sets us up for the heartache known as Destination Sickness. There's nothing worse than arriving where you wanted to go, only to realize you don't want to be there. We've all experienced it at some level--having left something good for what we thought was much better; only to find that the greener grass was painted concrete. But perhaps the saddest part of the journey to bogus greener grass is that it almost always leaves behind broken relationships. Co-workers, family members, friends, and those who depend on us are devastated to discover that our deepest loyalty is not to them, but to ourselves and our potential."

Pick this one up! It is well worth your time and energy.

The Browns fan

This afternoon I went to the calling hours for a friend of mine whose step-dad just passed away. As I walked through the funeral home I noticed several people speaking in sign language. Come to find out that my friend's step-dad and his mom are/were both deaf. (I don't believe that I had met either one of them before today.)

I walked to the front of the room and paid my respects at the open casket. My friend's step-dad was wearing his favorite Cleveland Brown's sweater. Now, I liked the guy!

Here was a man who had never heard the cheers of the crowd. Never experienced football via the radio. Never stood in awe of the deafening roar . . . But he was a fan. He loved the game.

The Bible promises that one day we will all receive new bodies. New ears. No plastic surgery required. My friend's step-dad will hear the crowd. Will hear a voice say, "Welcome home." Will hear the words "Well done my good and faithful servant."

I walked out of the funeral home and as I did I realized that about 50% of those in attendance were now signing to one another. I was the one who was missing the conversation. I was the one who didn't understand. I was the one who couldn't "hear" what they were saying.

I'm looking forward to the day when there will be no tears or death, sorrow or pain. I'm looking forward to the day when we will all understand one another without the confusion of multiple languages. I'm looking foward to the day when we will all be able to really "hear" one another.

Hopefully it won't take as long as it's taking the Browns to win the Superbowl.

If the church closed its doors?

A question I’ve been asking on a regular basis is, “If the church closed its doors tomorrow, would anyone in the community notice?” Or how about this one: “If the church closed its doors tomorrow, would anyone in the community care?”

As a leader of a local church this is a sobering question to ask. For RiverTree (of which I am a part of the leadership team), I believe there would be many people (who are also a part of RiverTree) who would be very distressed by the closing of our doors. But the question remains, “Would anyone in the community notice or care?”

Last year alone, the American church took in more than 95 billion dollars. What was that money used for? Did it really make any difference in the world? Are there fewer hungry people as a result? Are there fewer children finding themselves in foster care? Are there fewer homeless people walking the streets of our cities? I believe these are questions whose answers matter to Jesus.

The underlying question is, “Has the American church become irrelevant?” I hope not. But how do we know?

Incidentally, even though Christianity is rapidly declining in the United States, it is on the rise in other parts of the world. In fact, it is the fastest growing movement on the planet. In India, 40,000 people make the decision to become followers of Jesus in every twenty-four hour period. In China 10,000 people become Jesus-followers every day. South Korea has become the number one sender of Christian missionaries in the world. In 1900, Africa’s population was 9% Christian—today the percentage has risen to 43%. Once again, very sobering.

There are several issues I believe we need to address in the American church to return it to its once vibrant, life-bringing state. First, we must realize that the church was never meant to exist to serve itself. The church was meant to be a servant to the world in Jesus’ name. Second, people within the church are living lives that are virtually identical to those outside the church. For example, the divorce rate is 50% for both. If following Jesus really changes lives, then why aren’t lives being changed? And third, if the church is meant to be the hope of the world, then why isn’t it making much difference in the world?

These aren’t easy questions to ask and they’re even more challenging to answer. However, if many of us really do love Jesus and consequently love the church, then ask them we must. And if not . . . let’s just close our doors.

Snow Angels

Okay, I know it might be a bit early to listen to Christmas music, BUT, because we're planning our Christmas weekend gatherings at RiverTree, my wife and I are listening to anything new that has been released.

Sooo, I found myself listening to a new CD by Over The Rhine called Snow Angels.

If you like Christmas music that is not run of the mill, traditional fare, pick this one up! It's a jazz, blues, light rock compilation that refreshes some traditional carols as well as delivers some meaningful new tunes.

Rhines' rendition of Little Town is worth the price of the disc.