I Wish We Could Send All The Muslims Back Home

"I wish we could send all the Muslims back home."  I know that is a really bold statement but don't judge me, just yet.  Some of you are about to unfriend me, while others are about to befriend me.  So, regardless of where you stand on an issue like this, just don't be so quick to cast judgment.  I know you want to, but hear me out before you do. I was sitting in a room listening to a conversation between several individuals when I heard this statement blurted out.  That's correct, I didn't say it.  Those who know me well, know that I would never say something like that.  This statement came at the tail end of a conversation that I had been quietly listening to on the topic of our country and religion.  The gist of the conversation was about our country and how it had been founded on Christian tenets.  Then from out of nowhere came this statement from a lady well up in years. As she continued it was easy to see that her statement was the result of a heart that had been tainted by life's experiences.

I get it.  I really do.  I understand how someone can despise a person or people group.  No, I didn't say I agree with it, but I do understand.  There is a constant battle that each of us finds ourselves in. It's an ongoing challenge to love those we do not understand, those we disagree with, and those who oppose us.  None of us are immune to this ongoing challenge.  While our culture preaches a concept of tolerance, the reality is that most only tolerate those who tolerate them.  For instance, there a many who, like this lady in this conversation, have no tolerance when it comes to this very same people group.  On the other hand, there are those who do not tolerate this lady or those who think like her.  So, this politically correct idea of tolerance really just allows us to justify our prejudices while condemning others.  Besides, is tolerating someone truly loving them?  I don't think so.  For instance, I tolerate taxes but I sure don't love them.

The way I see it, there will probably be a few different responses to reading the title of this BLOG.  There will be those who read it and immediately cast judgment without bothering to dig a bit deeper to hear the real truth.  They'll move on assuming that one statement is enough with which to judge the entirety of my heart even though I never truly made that statement.  Then there will be those who will immediately judge me and will read on in order to find more fuel with which to condemn me. Still, others will read the title and be happy to think they've found someone with whom they can agree.  They'll read on convinced they've found justification for their disdain of a people group, since a "man of God," agrees with their position.  Then there will be those who really know me who know there has to be some type of twist because I would never hold that position.

Although we were all taught at a young age to not judge a book by its cover, our culture is one that does just that.  We are quick to pass judgment.  We hear a sound bite, read an opinionated editorial, or hear something through the "grapevine" and immediately we make up our mind regarding an individual.  We are quick to condemn without hearing the whole story.  We judge the book by the cover without taking the time to read through all the pages.

As I sat there listening to this conversation on this day, I said nothing.  I just listened.  As I listened I discovered some things I could have never discovered had I been quick to interject.  I discovered that the heart that was spewing this hatred was one that was wounded.  A heart that was full of fear.  The miles that this one had journeyed had bumps along the way that my journey did not. While I did not agree with what she said, I understood where she was coming from.  I understood where she was coming from because I cared enough to want to know where she was coming from.

I'm a much better talker than I am a listener.  Sometimes it is extremely hard for me to keep my mouth shut. My first impulse on this day was to say something.  To jump into preacher mode and put people in their place.  Condemning someone's behavior is so much easier than helping them find healing for their heart and that's why our default is to condemn.  Leading people toward freedom and healing requires so much more from us than preaching or standing on a soapbox.  In order to rescue us, our Heavenly Father didn't stand at arm's length from us and spew condemnation.  Scripture tells us that, "God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:17).  God sent His Son into our world for the purpose of rescuing us.  He cared enough to come into our world!  He cared enough to understand the depth of our brokenness and rather than condemn us, He reached out to rescue us.  He gave us the answer, not a lecture. Our salvation was not secured by someone telling us how messed up we were but by someone who dove into the middle of our mess determined to pull us out of it.

While I did not make the statement that this lady did, I can assure you that judgment and condemnation has proceeded from my mouth more times than I care to admit.  As a matter of fact, it took everything within me on that day to put a lid on condemning words that wanted to make their way across my lips.  I'm desperately trying to get this "loving my neighbor" thing down.  I'm trying to navigate through our culture determined to love those who are difficult for me to love.  Will you join me?  In the same way, that God sent His Son into the world, Jesus sent His followers into the world.  If Jesus wasn't sent into the world to condemn it, then I'm thinking neither were we.

For more on loving those you struggle to love, you can get a copy of my e-book: Yep, Even That One - a believer's guide to loving your neighbor.

We Need To Get Together

"We need to get together."  How many times have you said that to someone and you never seem to get together?  Perhaps your intentions truly are to get together but life is so busy it just never happens.  Then, you see them again a few weeks later and say the same thing but you know when you say it that chances are this time it will be no different.

I do this all the time.  It's not that I don't want to make it happen, it's just that there are so many things screaming for my attention and most of my time is spent responding to those screams.  Rarely do I have time to sit and do nothing.  My schedule is as full as a freeway in Houston during rush hour.  There is little time to fit something extra in.  As a result, if I don't make time for someone or something, it's not likely I'll be able to squeeze them in somewhere.  I rarely do life on the fly or take a spontaneous approach when it comes to my day to day living.  If I am going to do something specific, or get together with someone, I have to plan it.  I have to get out my calendar and pencil it in.  I've learned in life that just having the desire to do something, rarely ensures that it happens.  However, If I'll set a time and place for it, then it's more likely to happen.

Take me and my wife, Lori, for example.  I love spending time with her.  In fact, I love spending time with her more than anyone else.  Yet weeks can go by without us having a date if we aren't careful.  The person I love to spend time with more than anyone can actually become neglected if I am not intentional about spending time with her.  It doesn't just happen.  If we are going to have a date night, then we have to plan it.  We have to put it on the calendar and make it happen.  We have to set a time and a place.

I find this to be true regarding my time with the Lord.  It doesn't just happen.  I know what you're thinking, "You're a preacher!  That's your job, isn't it?" First of all let me say that if my relationship with Jesus ever digresses to a place where it becomes a job, I need to reevaluate what I'm doing and why I'm doing it.   While my job description does require me to prepare messages each week, if the totality of my interaction with the Lord is for the purpose of getting a message to preach then I've lost my way.  I have a personal relationship with Jesus.  I need to hear from Him for me.  I need alone time with Him.  We all need that.  But it doesn't just happen because we want it or need it.  It only happens when we are intentional about it.  It only happens when we plan it; when we put it on the calendar.  We need to set a time and a place.

We set appointments to get our hair done, to see a doctor, to make sales calls, etc.  Yet most of us approach our alone time with the Lord as something we'll try to fit in somewhere during the day or week.  As a result, we get our hair cut, we see our doctor, and we make that sale but at the end of the week, we are still trying to fit God in somewhere.  We were created in such a way as to "need" to connect with our Creator.  Not every now and then.  Not whenever we can fit Him in.  Our relationship with Him requires time with Him.

If you find yourself constantly trying to fit time with the Lord in somewhere, I want to challenge you to change your approach.  Stop trying to find time for Him and determine to make time for Him.  Get out your calendar and make an appointment.  Set it in stone and make it happen.  I don't know about you, but I make appointments for all the important things in my life.  Why would I not do the same when it comes to the most important thing in my life? Quit saying, "We need to get together," to Jesus and determine to get together with Him.


For more on setting time apart to hear God's voice, check out Wavelength - Part 3 below:

Be sure to join us live on Facebook each Sunday at 10:30am

If you live in or near Montgomery, TX, we would love to have you join us on Sunday mornings at 10:30.  Westlake Fellowship is located at 19786 Suite 120, Hwy 105 in Montgomery, TX.  (beside Magnolia Diner)

www.westlakefellowship.org

Then God Said ...

"Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light (Genesis 1:3 NKJV).  Have you ever thought about that event?  God spoke, something happened.  God declared a thing, and it was.  God didn't walk over to a light switch and turn it on, He spoke and light became.  Light went from a word that was spoken to something tangible; something real.  God spoke into the darkness and what was, changed into what was declared.  God spoke and the word that He spoke contained the power to become what He declared.

As you continue through the narrative of Genesis 1, God speaks time and time again and the results are always the same.  Whatever He declares becomes the very thing He declares.  The universe is the result of God speaking and those words becoming alive.  "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please" (Isaiah 55:11 NKJV).

When God speaks, things change, worlds are created, atmospheres are altered.  When God speaks, His word brings forth light in the middle of darkness, order in the middle of chaos, and peace in the middle of storms.  His word creates hope where there is hopelessness, healing where there is brokeness, and life where there is death.  He speaks and lives are restored, captives are set free, and broken hearts are put back together.  When He utters a word, He's not simply shootin' the breeze, He's altering the world in which we live.

There are a lot of other voices out there speaking.  Each one of them demanding our attention yet none of them capable of producing what is uttered from the lips of our Creator.  Tweeters are tweeting, writers are writing, speakers are speaking, broadcasters are broadcasting, and posters are posting.  Yet, none of this world's noise contains the life-giving, universe-creating power found only in the spoken word of God.

Is it just me or does it seem absolutely insane to walk through life with our ears tuned to the noise rather than the words that bring us life? God's longing to speak to you and His words contain just as much power today as they did on that day He said, "Let there be light."  He spoke and the universe came into existence. I'm just wondering how much your world would be affected by you taking the time to slow down and listen to His voice.

For more on hearing the voice of God, watch "Wavelength - Part Two" below:

You can also join us live on Facebook, this Sunday 5/7/2017 at 10:30am.

If you live in or near Montgomery, TX, we would love to have you join us on Sunday mornings at 10:30.  Westlake Fellowship is located at 19786 Suite 120, Hwy 105 in Montgomery.  (beside Magnolia Diner)

www.westlakefellowship.org

I'm Starving

"I'm starving!"  That's a statement I often hear from one of my boys.  No, they have never gone without food for days at a time.  This statement is usually made when they have not eaten within 30 minutes or so of their normal meal time.  If food doesn't arrive soon, that plea becomes a bit more dramatic and sounds like this, "I'm starving to death!" Fortunately, my kids have always received food in time and have escaped the horrible terror of death by starvation.

The truth is I was the same way when I was younger.  In fact, I'm sure there are times more recently when I've said the same thing.  Regardless of how long it has been since we've eaten, all of us need food.  We cannot live without it.  And while we will not die of starvation having missed one meal or two, if we go without food for a very long period of time, we will eventually starve to death.  We were created in such a way that our body needs food.  We need it regularly.  Our physical bodies are sustained by physical food. We cannot live without it.

In the same way, we were created to need another type of food ... spiritual food. Scripture tells us that "man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God" (Deut. 8:3, Luke 4:4).  Both times this statement is made in Scripture, it is speaking to our built-in need for  "ingesting" or "absorbing" the Word of God.  While physical food brings life to our physical body, the substance that brings life to our spirit is the Word of the Lord.  Jesus declared that the words that He speaks "are spirit and they are life" (John 6:63).  While we indeed need physical food to sustain us, we need this spiritual food as well.  Knowing this truth puts a whole new spin on the concept of a balanced diet.  A truly "balanced diet" must include spiritual nutrition.  We need to hear from God and not just every once and a while.  God created us to need a daily infusion of His Word.  Hearing His voice is not an option, it is a necessity.  We cannot truly live without hearing His voice.

Back to my boys for just a moment.  I can assure you that they have never truly been on the brink of starvation.  I am pretty confident that over the course of their lifetime, they have never missed a meal.  However, if for some reason their next meal is delayed a bit, I am confident I will hear those words ... "I'm starving."  Oh, how I long for the day when that is the case when it comes to me personally regarding spiritual meals.  In the same way, my boys crave their next meal, I long to crave the very thing I need ... a word from Him!

Unfortunately, I often find myself filling up on alternatives to the real meal.  Spiritual "GMO" foods if you will.  Or worse, I opt for what amounts to spiritual fast-food rather than a real piece of meat. A real meal takes a little bit of time.  It requires me to slow down ... no, wait a second, it requires me to stop.  It requires me to sit down at His table, not pull up at the drive through window.  God is not in the practice of serving up fast food and trying to convince us that it's healthy for us.  Perhaps you relate.  Perhaps you find yourself filling up on what amounts to junk food spiritually.  Maybe, you're craving everything but what you truly need.  Ask yourself, "When is the last time I've stopped and taken the time to hear His voice?  Am I starving?  Your Heavenly Father has an open-ended invitation for you.  "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me" (Revelation 3:20).

For more on hearing the voice of God, watch "Wavelength - Part One" below:
You can also join us live on Facebook, Sunday 4/30/2017 and Sunday 5/7/2017 at 10:30 AM

If you live in or near Montgomery, TX, we would love to have you join us on Sunday mornings at 10:30.  Westlake Fellowship is located at 19786 Suite 120, Hwy 105 in Montgomery. (beside Magnolia Diner)
www.westlakefellowship.org

It's An Abomination

It's an abomination!  There's no way around it.  Scripture is absolutely clear on this. Regardless of what you think or believe, the truth is the truth.  I'm not exactly sure just how bad an "abomination" is, but from what I read in Scripture it is a serious offense.  So, I think we have to talk about it.  We can't simply ignore it and expect it to go away.  I just read this verse in the Bible a few days ago and I've been thinking about it ever since.

"Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Though they join forces, none will go unpunished" (Proverbs 16:5 - NKJV).  There it is, I said it.  I'm glad I got that off my chest.  I know, I know, we don't go around quoting this one do we? But there it is in black and white.  Those who have pride in their heart are an abomination. I know, it's a tough pill to swallow but we sure don't have trouble force feeding this same pill to certain others who commit other "abominations." 

Pride is a tough one.  It often lies deep in our hearts unnoticed by those who carry it. Oh, but it is so blatantly obvious to all those around us.  It's like a tattoo painted on our forehead unseen by us but easily seen by everyone around us.  It's hard to address because a prideful person is rarely a teachable person.  They are convinced they've got it all together when in reality they are moments from it all falling apart.  Show me a prideful person who refuses counsel and I'll show you a person who is destined for destruction.  Afterall, God, the Creator of the Universe, Himself opposes them.  Now, I don't particularly like it when anyone opposes me, but I'm thinking if God opposes me that would be the worse case scenario ever!!!  That would be like rowing a boat upstream without a paddle, with a gaping hole in the bottom, in the middle of a hurricane, in water infested with crocodiles, snakes, piranhas, and a flesh eating virus. Oh, did I mention the 150 foot waterfall with jagged rocks and hungry bears waiting at the bottom?  

It is true that God loves us, but it is equally true that He opposes the proud.  "...“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (I Peter 5:5).  Pride has no place in the heart of a follower of Jesus.  No, I didn't say we would never have issues with it, but we should never allow it to take root in our hearts.  I am personally on the lookout for this sneaky, slimy, enemy constantly.  I don't ever want it to take up residence in my heart.  There was a time in my life when I was extremely prideful and arrogant.  To be honest when I look back at that person I once was, I can catch a glimpse of just what an "abomination" is.  If I was to encounter that guy today, I couldn't stand him. I would be completely repelled by him.  Thanks to the grace and mercy of God that guy is no longer around today.  

Still, there are moments when I struggle with this thing called pride because it is always standing at the door looking for a place to get its foot in.  Here's the key, I've learned to allow the Holy Spirit access to the corridors of my heart.  I'll ask Him questions like, "Do I have pride in that area?"  Was my motive in that matter a prideful one?  Do I have pride in my heart?  Trust me, He answers clearly!  He hates pride.  It's an abomination to Him.  If His child wants to get rid of that spiritual cancer, He is there to help eradicate it.  

One last thought...I have enough to worry about trying to keep from committing an abomination by getting into pride to concern myself with others who struggle with other abominations.  So, until I can get this 2x4 out of my eye, I'll leave others to deal with the speck in their eyes.  

God Rested and Was Refreshed

God rested and was refreshed? I read this the other day in Exodus 31 as it described how God created the world in 6 days and then on the 7th day rested and was refreshed.  I was taken back by the idea that God was refreshed.  This God that does not grow weary rested and was refreshed.  My first thought was doesn't the idea of being refreshed indicate one has become tired?  I mean, I can't begin to imagine how exhausting it would be to create the entire universe.  I get exhausted just trying to manage my little world.  God's never ending galactic frontier is anything but little and I cannot fathom the energy it took to bring it all into existence.  I know, He's God and there wasn't a need for the latest sports drink to replenish all the electrolytes He lost over the course of those 6 days, but hey this was still a huge undertaking.  "...for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed” (Exodus 31:17).

I know I'm going to date myself here, but when I think of the concept of being refreshed, images of the old Nestea commercials with the people doing the Nestea plunge race through my head. For those who have no clue what I'm talking about, those commercials showed people sweating from a hard days work drinking a glass of iced Nestea plunging backward into a swimming pool.  The idea was this glass of ice tea was a great refreshing break from hard work.  I love southern sweet iced tea as much as anybody, but somehow this idea of God being refreshed has got to be a bit more than taking a sip of instant ice tea.

At least that's what I thought.  But the word refreshed here means to breath.  To sit down, take a break, and just breath.  It paints a picture of one ceasing from work and taking a break so that they can be breathed on or into.  This reminds me of how God breathed into Adam the breath of life and He came alive.  Also, when Jesus breathed on the disciples giving them "new life."  In His resting on the 7th day, God shows us a key to living in which we circumvent exhaustion, burnout, and weariness. He shows us that the breath of life or refreshing comes from a place of rest.

God rested and the world He had created didn't come crashing to the ground.  Jupiter did not bump into Mars and this planet in which we live did not quit spinning.  The world managed to make it through His day of rest.  If you're like me, you struggle to take time to just rest.  Truly rest.  Sure, you may get a day off of work, but then there's all the work to do around the house.  Our to-do lists are way too long and they never get done.  There are tons of voices screaming for our attention and too often the urgent takes priority over the important and necessary.  In the middle of all those voices is one distinct voice and its pleading for us to sit down and breath.  To take a break from the madness and refresh.  This voice comes with a promise to bless both our rest and our work.  Yet, too often we neglect that voice and plow through until we are long past the point of needing to just be refreshed. I'm wondering how prideful and arrogant it is of us to see God's design for how to do life and refuse to do life that way?  It's as if we are saying to Him, "I know a better way."

God rested and was refreshed.  His refreshing comes no other way.  We have to simply come to the place where we trust that if we take our hands off of our world for a day, all will be ok.  It's learning to trust that God's got this and that His ways work better than our ways. Weariness comes from our refusal to submit to His way of doing life.  He's waiting for each of us to simply sit down at His feet so that He can breath life into us.  Want to be refreshed?  Trust me, Nestea is not the answer.  Not only does it not come with a swimming pool, take it from me a southern sweet tea connoisseur, instant tea tastes horrible.  But come taste and see that the Lord is good!!!       

Good Friday???

In a few weeks we'll celebrate Good Friday.  I know it seems a bit strange to label the day Jesus was brutally beaten and killed as "good." After all, it was a moment that Jesus asked the Father to spare Him from if it was at all possible. Of course, it was the only way to redeem lost man, so Jesus followed through with the plan. A plan that would require an innocent man to be arrested, mocked, ridiculed, beaten, abused, whipped, nailed to a cross, and ultimately killed. And we call that "good."

Good, because we know what it all meant. At least what it all meant for us. The "good" was what it meant for us. Redemption, restoration, salvation, and much more. It was a moment in time where the mercy, grace, and love of God met at the same point with the justice, and judgment of God. We being the recipients of His mercy, grace, and love and Jesus being the recipient of His justice, judgment, and wrath. Its the point where God poured out the punishment for sin and Jesus agreed to take that punishment for us.

Scripture tells us that He became our sin. Is it any wonder, God had to turn His back on Him? Jesus became the very thing God hated. Think about that for a minute. Jesus, who is God, became the very thing God hates. God, Himself, became something He hates in order to rescue what He loves. We've all seen Hollywood try to illustrate what happened that day, and I believe none of their attempts come close. Sure, Mel Gibson's, "Passion of the Christ," probably is the closest, but even with all its detail of the crucifixion, it still falls short. There is so much going on at this point in time besides a crucifixion. Our sin, all of it, was carried to that cross that day. From Hitler's inhumanity, to our little white lies. Every murderer, adulterer, pedophile, liar, thief, gossip, or drunk. Every abusive parent, rebellious child, or uncompassionate, unloving, selfish person. Jesus became that sin! Ponder that for a moment. Jesus became all of that sin. It brings a great deal more understanding as to why God the Father, couldn't stand to look at Him.

The wages of sin is death. The payment, punishment, and judgement of sin is death. All of us have sinned. Every single one of us fit into that category of deserving death. But God stepped in with His grace, mercy, and love. He came in the flesh and became sin so that He himself could take on our punishment of death. Isaiah tells us that, it pleased the Father to bruise Him. It pleased God for Jesus to be crucified. That's sounds a bit odd, without knowing the whole story, but when you know what all was going on that day, you understand very well why it pleased the Father. Redemption, restoration, and salvation was made available to us all that day, because of what Jesus did. Because, Jesus, who is God, submitted his eternal, immortal self to death as a man, mankind could once again have the eternal life he was designed to have.

I'm sure the disciples thought that crucifixion day was anything but "good." But on that resurrection day can you imagine what type of emotions stirred in them all? Every doubt, every question, every tear was gone in an instant as they realized it was all true. Everything He said he was and everything He said he would do, had to have come racing back to them as they stood at the door of that empty tomb. That sin he took on Himself, He shed, having never sinned himself, and in an instant God raised Him from the dead. For the disciples, all the pieces of the puzzle came together that day, as they knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the man they had dropped everything to follow, had dropped everything to save each one of them. He was indeed the Messiah the world had long awaited for and His salvation was available to all.

It was at that very moment, I think they all realized how "good" that crucifixion day really was. We have grown up celebrating this day as "Good Friday!" Many workers just see it as another day off, while many retailers see it as another day to make some money. For the believer though, who understands what happened on that day some 2000 years ago, he/she sees it for what it really is...."Good Friday!"