I Think We Can Handle The Truth

I went to see "The Big Miracle" a couple of weeks ago with my two boys. The movie is based on a true story surrounding a collaborated rescue effort to save three grey whales that were trapped in the frozen waters of northern Alaska. My boys seemed to enjoy the movie, but I didn't think it was all that great, personally. As I often do when I watch a movie based on true events, when I got home I immediately began doing some research to find out how accurate the movie was. While I expected to find some variations from the actual event what I didn't expect to find was that the "happy ending" may very well have been a complete fabrication.

For those who have not seen the movie, I don't think I'll ruin it for you if I tell you the movie ends with the whales making it to open waters. After all, I don't think there would be much of a reason to make the movie if all the whales die. We all love happy endings and as you sit there watching this movie, you just know things are going to work out in the end. However, what if they didn't really make it to open waters? What if they spent all that money and manpower trying to free these three whales and their attempts completely failed? Could we handle that truth, or would we rather re-write the ending to make it happy?

As I read several articles about this actual event, the truth seems to be that nobody really knows if the whales made it or not. While many believe they did, nobody actually knows for sure. It is possible that the whales made it out to sea, but it is equally possible that they never made it and the effort was a failure. Naturally, the whales surviving makes for a much better ending, but when I see a movie based on a true story, I prefer the facts to be accurate for the most part. I guess what I'm saying is I like for true stories to be true. What would be so bad about the ending of this whale movie being accurate? Instead of manipulating the ending to go along with what most people hope for concerning the fate of the whales, what if the movie played out like the real life event? Couldn't we all handle an ending of uncertainty? I really think we can handle the truth.

We live in a world where truth is often hard to find. We have political leaders who hide the truth in order to maintain power, push their agendas, and "protect us" because they think we can't handle it. The news media does the same thing. Abortionists use the word "fetus" to convince themselves and the masses that they are removing tissue rather than exterminating a life. God forbid we speak of a literal hell because in the end we like to think that along with dogs, we all go to heaven. In an effort to be "politically correct," we shy away from speaking the truth for fear of offending someone. In relationships, we often steer around the truth because we fear the difficult conversations that often accompany speaking the truth. When we meet people we often put on masks and pretend to be something we're not because we figure if they know the truth about us, they'll reject us. We get a lump or a pain somewhere and we hesitate to go to the doctor because we don't want to know if its something bad. Somehow we figure if we just don't know, we will be better off. We would rather not know the truth if it is bad news. In a court room we take an oath to tell the whole truth, yet neither side really wants the whole truth, just the portion of the truth that benefits them.

I don't know about you, but I want the truth. I think I can handle the truth. I don't ever want to be like those young people on American Idol who have been told all their lives they can sing when they really can't carry a tune in a bucket. I think we should always be supportive of our children, but part of being a parent is having those difficult conversations with our children when we have to speak the truth. It is always a huge mistake, whether we are protecting others or ourselves by running from the truth.

Have you ever seen someone walking around with their fly down and chose not to tell them? Have you ever seen someone with food in their teeth and chose not to say a word? If you were that person wouldn't you rather someone politely tell you the truth rather than say nothing? Several years ago I got home from church to notice that when I took off my pants that the entire seat of my pants had come unstitched. I'm not talking a little hole, I talking a 6-8 inch gaping hole. Now, I hope nobody saw my tighty-whities, but its hard for me to imagine that nobody saw my bright white Fruit-of-the-Looms through the hole in my navy pants. Trust me, in an instance like that I WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH!

Sometimes speaking the truth is difficult. Sometimes it is extremely uncomfortable for both the one speaking the truth and the one hearing it. Sure, the truth may produce anger, tears, and many other emotions initially, but in the end, it produces freedom. Trying to protect someone by shielding them from the truth, often does more damage than just speaking the truth.

Concerning the whales in "The Big Miracle," sure I would much rather the story end with the whales making it to safety. I don't think anyone wants them to die. But, I can handle it if they did. I'm pretty sure my two young boys could handle it too. Perhaps, I would have to do a little explaining to them, but in the end I would rather them know the truth. Actually they do know the truth because I told them. I told them that in real life nobody really knows if the whales lived or died. Their response? "I hope they made it because it would be sad if they died." Amazing, it seems like they can handle the truth.

Basketball, T-ball, And An Important Life Lesson

I have two young boys. My oldest loves to play basketball and my youngest is just about to play his first year of T-ball. I got a bit tickled when I took my youngest to sign up for T-ball and his T-ball tryout resembled a local little league version of the NFL combine. Like any dad, I would like to see them do good in whatever they do. That being said, I could really careless if they prove to be great athletes. If they listen to the coaches, respect others, and give a hundred percent on the field that's really all that matters to me. I never want either of my children to equate success in sports or any other field for that matter, as the standard that wins their dad's approval or acceptance.

I remember when both of my boys were born. They needed to do nothing to capture my heart. When my wife was pregnant with our first child, she asked me if I thought when he was born if we would just sit around and stare at him all the time. After he was born I caught myself repeatedly standing by the crib and just staring at him while he slept. I did the same with our second boy. Naturally, as they have grown, there are certain expectations and responsibilities that have come with age. However, they still need to do nothing to capture my heart. If my boys grow up and play in the NBA or Major League Baseball that would be great. Yet, while the world would see them as pro-athletes, I would still see them as sons who need to do nothing to capture my heart. I would hope they would grow to understand that their identity was not tied to their skills, gifts, or abilities. I would hope that they would grow up to understand that what they do is always secondary to who they are.

God is our Heavenly Father. Our acceptance into His family is not based on merit, ability, gifts, or works. We are sons and daughters of the Creator of the Universe. Our identity should not be found in anything but that truth. We need not do anything to capture His heart. The grace of God is not perverted or tainted with this world's form of performance acceptance. Like a loving father, He loves us at our worst and loves us at our best. He's not embarrassed by our performance nor is He impressed by it. He longs for us to rest in the truth that we are His sons and daughters. When we find our identity in our gifts, abilities, or performance then we have really made an idol out of those things. I pastor a church, but that's not who I am. I am a son of God and what I do is secondary to that truth. If I were to stop pastoring, my position of son remains unchanged. If I were a professional athlete, though my bank account may enjoy a nice increase, who I am would remain unchanged.

Knowing who we are results in true freedom. When I understand who I am, it then becomes unnecessary to prove anything to anyone, including myself. However, if I struggle to understand who I truly am, my life will be consumed with a need to perform in an effort to prove to everyone who I am, especially myself. I can not be truly free until I understand who I truly am.

If my sons miss every shot they take or miss every time they swing the bat, I'm as good with that as I would be if they make every shot they take and knock it over the fence every time they swing the bat. As long as they grow up to understand that their performance has no bearing on their positions as my sons and my acceptance and approval of them. If they'll understand that, then they'll be free to shoot and swing for the fences. And in that freedom, I think they'll get to experience what should be the number one rule in sports and in life....enjoy the journey and have a blast!

All You Need Is Faith In God!

Years ago when I was growing up I remember this yelling preacher on the radio. Each morning as my mom would drive us to school she would have the radio tuned into to a local christian station. This was a station that had more preaching on it than music. Since that trip to school was typically the same 10-15 minute window every morning, I got real familiar with this one preacher. There was never a day when he didn't get cranked up. At some point during those 10 to 15 minutes he would let loose. To this day I still remember how he ended every program. "You don't have any trouble, all you need is faith in God!"

This screaming preacher was R.W. Schambach. Its really interesting that years later I would find myself working at that very radio station that I once listened to when I was a child. One of the programs that I often played during my shift was "The Voice of Power," with R.W. Schambach. He never changed his style of delivery. He seemed to embody the idea that it was like fire shut-up in his bones.

I learned this week that heaven welcomed him home. My first thought was one of great sorrow. Not for him, but for us. As for him, I can picture him today shouting, dancing, singing, and having a blast. But, for us, we just lost a powerful man of God. I met a lot of ministers while working at that radio station, but unfortunately I never had the opportunity to meet R.W. Schambach face to face. I heard stories though of those who had met him. All of the stories were consistent. He was an intimidating figure. Not in a bad way, but in the sense that he carried with him an anointing that often made you feel as Isaiah did when he was in the presence of the Lord and fell face down on the floor. I heard it said of his eyes that they seemed to pierce right through you. I heard from men who knew him that what you saw on the platform wasn't simply a charismatic preacher but was the result of a man who had been with Jesus and was consistently found in prayer.

While I'm sure there are those who couldn't handle the preaching style of Rev. Schambach, its hard to ignore the fact that because of his faithfulness to God's call on his life that millions of lives were affected. Heaven is and will continue to be populated by those who were touched by this man's ministry. There are those who are saved, healed, and delivered today because this preacher shouted the life changing message of Jesus wherever he went. I heard him say once that "it seems like God has sent me to the poor, the hurting, and the outcast." It was a calling he seemed to truly embrace. He didn't set up camp and go after the rich in order to fill his pocketbook and to provide him with a lavish lifestyle. He went after those to whom he was called in order to set the captives free and fill up heaven. While some would call him "old-school," I think ministers today could learn a great deal from this man.

As time ticks away, our generation is quickly losing great men of God like R.W. Schambach. What's sad is many young men and women today fail to see the value in men like him. Ministers go to school, learn preaching techniques, how to read Greek and Hebrew, and how to gather a crowd. They think they've arrived when they have a group of people who will sit and listen to them as they show off all their knowledge of Scripture with a polished delivery style. And they are extremely successful if they can gather more than the guy down the street. Somehow, I think R.W. Schambach wasn't near as focused on the number that showed up as he was in the number of people whose lives were transformed by the power of God. Schambach was a pillar in the body of Christ. I'm just wondering who in our generation picks up his mantle?

Schambach is one of those men who left this earth better off than it was when he got here. He impacted the world by simply allowing God to work through him. I was one of those impacted by his ministry and I will be forever grateful for his faithfulness to the call of God. I will never forget and we all would do good to never forget that "we don't have any trouble, all we need is faith in God!"

Tebow Madness

Everywhere you turn there's talk about Tim Tebow. Even those who don't particularly like football are joining in on the conversation. There are those who love him and there are those who despise him. There are those who love all the attention he's getting and there are those who wish everyone would just stop with all the chatter.

I must admit, the Tebow madness is a bit peculiar. Afterall, there have always been those players who take a knee after scoring a touchdown, or point to the heavens. There have always been those who thank God for their success, but for some reason there's much more hoopla about this kid. For some reason there is a spotlight on him that is unlike anything I've ever seen.

Perhaps its his story. Afterall, had his mom taken the advice of her doctors she would have aborted him after experiencing complications during her pregnancy. So, from the beginning he seems to be one who beats the odds. Throughout his life he's been told by "experts" he doesn't have to tools to play quarterback, yet he just steps on the field and plays quarterback. Not only does he play quarterback, but somehow and someway more times than not, he seems to find a way to win. To make the story more interesting he does so without fitting into some pre-established quarterback mold and leaves all the experts scratching their heads. Perhaps the fascination with Tebow is just the fact that he stands toe to toe with all the naysayers and proves them wrong. Maybe the fascination with this kid is just the way he seems to be so secure in who he is that "proving" those opposing voices wrong is really more a result of just being who he is and less about proving anything to anyone.

There are those that would love for him to tone down the Jesus rhetoric. Afterall, does God really help him throw touchdown passes and win football games? Well, if we buy into what the "experts" say, there's no way he could do it with his skill set. Some say he's just got a lot of heart and never gives up. Yet, I've seen a lot of athletes with a lot of heart and who never give up that don't have the kind of success that Tebow has. So, how do you explain this phenomenon? Does God really empower this young man while he's on the football field?

I'm not sure how important football is to God, but I do know that God can breath on human flesh and it make it perform beyond it's own ability. Take David in the Bible for instance. Was he really such a sharp shooter with his little sling that he managed on one shot to nail the giant in one of the only exposed places on his body that would bring him tumbling to the ground? I have to believe this unproven warrior brought down the giant with a little help from above. Gideon, Moses, Sarah, Abraham, Mary, Peter, Paul, and on and on the list goes of men and women whose flesh needed the blessing of God to do some of the things they did. Those who don't believe those stories could never fathom Tebow experiencing God's favor in his life. On the other hand those who do believe those stories should not struggle with the possibility that God's favor is all over this young man.

As I've watched all of this play out over the last several months, one thing that really stands out to me is that its not really about football. Sure, he plays football, but the sport doesn't define him. Whether he wins or loses he just never seems to get too up or down. When he's praised he is quick to divert it and when he's criticized he doesn't let it rattle him. At the end of the day, he understands that succeeding at football pales in comparison to a cross and an empty tomb.

I like Tim Tebow. Not because he plays football, but because I see in him something I wish I would have had at his age. What am I saying? I see something in him I wish I had at my age today. He's a man of conviction and carries a strength that very few have. When I look at him I just see a person who serves as a model of how a believer should approach life. No, he's not perfect and he's not superman. He's a man on a journey just like the rest of us that Scripture calls "living epistles read of all men." He seems to live his life with the Scripture constantly in mind.

While I would love to see him continue on and win the Super Bowl, only God knows how the script will play out. If he loses the experts will be quick to say "I told you so." If he wins Hollywood will be lining up to make make the movie. Regardless of what happens on the football field somehow I believe it will do little to change this young quarterback. Afterall, he understands that his position on a football field is secondary to his position as a child of God.

An Inadequate, Inept, Incapable Loser

An inadequate, inept, incapable loser! That was me. I know, I know, there are those who might read that and think to themselves that using a present tense verb would be just as accurate of a statement. However, that is an incorrect assessment of who I am today. The person I used to be is no longer the person I am. I actually don't even resemble that loser anymore. Some who knew me then and know me today, might struggle with that last statement, but it is the absolute truth.

Many years ago, I died. No really, I died. The person I was had a real encounter with death. Yet, here I am alive today. However, the life I live today is not me anymore. What??? I must admit it can seem a bit confusing. Paul said it like this in Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

The cross of Jesus is a powerful thing. While dealing with my sin was an important thing, His crucifixion and the blood He shed did more than erase my sin. It erased me. That cross dealt with me, the sinner. Yes, my sin was nailed to that cross, but so was I. As a believer, many times we understand the concept that our sin was washed away by His shed blood but we fail to wrap our brain around the truth that the sin manufacturing plant that we were was crucified with Christ. When Jesus cried out "It is finished," He meant it. His death has once and for all dealt with our sin and us as sinners. He dealt with what we've done and who we are. Our identity was changed on that cross.

We often make statements like, "I'm just a sinner, saved by grace." While it sounds humble, that statement is not consistent with the new birth experience. If we were crucified with Christ, and according to Scripture we were, then the sinner we used to be is dead. We are new creatures according to II Corinthians 5:17. The new man we are is completely different than the old man we were. It is true that we still sin, but what we do does not define who we are. What God says about us is what determines our identity. Our Christian life is more about trusting what God says about us rather than striving to be something He already declares we are. We need to learn to trust God when He says the sinner we used to be no longer exists and the new person we now are is a son/daughter and a saint. It is not prideful or arrogant to declare what God says about us, but it is actually humility when we understand that who we are is completely the result of what He has done and has absolutely nothing to do with what we have done. When we insist on holding on to our old identity it is not an act of humility but it actually belittles the sacrifice He made for us.

When we look in the mirror it may be difficult to recognize the person that God declares we are. Our perception however doesn't change the truth. We may see an inadequate, inept, incapable loser. We may see a person bound by habits or sin they can't get victory over. We may see someone who is defeated and depressed. It's in those moments when we must determine to trust what God says about us. Striving to prove to ourselves or to others that what He says about us is true, is actually the result of not believing what He declares about us. When you know who you are, it is not necessary to prove anything to anyone. We see a great example of that truth in the life of Jesus. At His baptism, speaking of Jesus, God declares "You are my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased" (Luke 3:22). I find it interesting that when Jesus is in the wilderness and is tempted by satan, the very first thing satan tempts Him with is to doubt what God had said about Him. "If you are the Son of God, then turn this stone into bread" (Luke 4:3). If Jesus struggled to believe what God says about Him then He would have been tempted to prove who He was. Notice how Jesus, who is confident that what God says about Him is true, responds. "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word of God'" (Luke 4:4). It is abundantly clear that Jesus finds God's declaration at His baptism the only necessary proof the He is indeed the Son of God. It is therefore unnecessary to perform any miracle to prove to Himself, satan, or anyone else who He is. He is the Son of God because God declares it, and no other proof is needed to establish that truth.

In the same way, we too should learn to trust God's Word concerning us above all else. Above the opinions of others, above our own self-assessment, and above every other voice out there. As a believer, our identity is not rooted in what we do, or in what we or anyone else thinks about us, but in what God says about us. While the cross serves as a reminder of Christ's sacrificial death for us, we desperately need to understand that it also serves as a reminder of our death. It is only then that we can view the resurrection as a new birth and the creation of a new man/woman. Only when we understand that there was a death, can we comprehend that what now exists is someone entirely different.

Like Paul, I've come to the realization that I have indeed been crucified with Christ and that the life I now live is no longer I but Christ in me. So, if you happen to see someone that looks like me that appears to be an inadequate, inept, incapable loser, just know that he is nothing but an impostor. For that man died many years ago and the man I now am is no longer even related to that loser.

Apart From Him We Can Do NOTHING!

We all have natural abilities. While we may not be able to play like Michael Jordan on the basketball court, there are certain natural skills that we all possess. Some may be good with numbers, while others may be great at fixing things with their hands. Some may have excellent problem solving skills, while others have a 4 octave vocal range. Some may be great speakers, while others can throw a football 60+ yards. While I would love to throw a football 60 yards, or glide through the air like Jordan, I was not endowed with the ability to do either. Regardless of how hard I tried or practiced, I would never be able to measure up to Jordan or even a bench warmer on the worst team in the NBA.

I'm a musician. While there may be some who would debate that statement having heard my skills, I do play guitar a little. I'm not sure how much "natural" ability I have when it comes to playing guitar, but I have to think there is at least a little bit. Afterall, I have tried to teach some people to play that after a few lessons I'm convinced can never be taught to play. So, my theory is that if you can even play a little bit, there has to be just a hint of natural talent at the least. Perhaps I could become a better player if I practiced more, but the truth is if I haven't reached my peak, I'm pretty close. Over the years I have logged in many, many practice hours on the guitar and although I seemed to improve in the early days, that improvement has either stopped or become little more than stagnant. Kind of like my basketball skills. When I was young, I played and played and played and played and at some point hit my peak. I came to the end of my ability to improve.

I know there is always room for improvement, but let's face it sometimes we just have to come to terms with the fact that there is a pinnacle and once that is reached, all that we do from then on is an effort to stay at that level. So, it could just very well be that as far as my guitar playing goes, everything I'm doing now is simply an effort to maintain rather than increase my skill level. What I need now is for God to breath on it. Actually, from day one, that's what we all need.

We are very good at doing life apart from God. While that is certainly true about unbelivers the tragedy is that it is often equally true about believers. We have these natural skills and abilities and navigating through life without God is not all that difficult. Sure, we claim to know God, but we invite Him in only when we truly need Him. Only when we come to the end of our ability. We walk through life leaning on our own abilities and often trust ourselves more so than we trust God. Ouch! Some would argue that it was God who gave us our gifts and abilities so are we really doing life apart from God? Picture Adam and Eve in the garden. Was is not God who breathed life into them? Was it not God who gave them a free will? And what did they do with it? They chose to do life apart from God with the very breath He gave them and the ability to choose granted to them by their Creator.

We do the very same thing as the two of them. We take our natural abilities and we choose to do life apart from God. If and when we come to the end of our ability then we ask God to get involved. Somehow, I think we are missing the point of how we are to do life.

Picture if you will a famous rock star. Maybe a great guitarist. While it might be true that he has a great deal of natural talent, apart from God, it is nothing but the flesh. He may receive the glory and praise of thousands of followers, but in the end his natural ability, that is void of the life of God, does little more than entertain.

In Scripture we are told of David who was a musician. Now, you can't find any of his concerts on youtube, so we aren't sure how great he was at playing his instrument, but the Bible does tell us that he was a skilled musician. We are told that when he played before Saul, the atmosphere in the room shifted and the tormenting spirits that plagued Saul left. If we aren't careful, we'll make the mistake of thinking that David must have been some awesome musician. The fact is that the atmospheric shift in the room was less about David's skill and more about God's presence in the room. Apart from God's breath on His playing, David would have been unable to do little more than entertain Saul.

Leaning on our natural abilities will always leave us inept at living the kind of life God designed us to live. Scripture tells us that apart from Him we can do nothing. Jesus speaking of Himself makes this statement, "The Son can do nothing on His own." Perhaps one day we'll discover that what is true about Jesus is true about all of us. Whenever we lean on our own abilities and try to attempt life apart from God, then all that we do amounts to zero, nada, zip, the big goose egg, NOTHING! Flesh is flesh. Whether its extremely talented flesh or mildly talented flesh, the result is always the same. On the other hand whenever we determine to do life in such a way that we lean on God and trust in His ability more so than ours, we'll tap into the kind of life He designed us to live.

The Lord never intended for us to simply connect with Him when we have reached the end of our ability. He wants to be a part of the ride from the beginning. He longs for us to understand that He is the vine and we are the branches and only when we are connected to Him can we experience true life. Doing life apart from Him is pretty much the equivalence of a branch disconnected from a tree trying to attach itself to something other than the trunk in order to find life. All I know is that all the branches in my back yard disconnected from the trunk are dying or are already dead. So it is with everything we attempt apart from our Creator. It all ends up to be death in the end.

While I could spend endless hours trying to get my fingers to play Bbmaj9, I'm thinking it would be more advantageous for me to figure out how to get God to breath on my playing. Afterall, the former would do nothing but stroke my ego a bit, while the latter just might bring glory to God.

Huh?

"For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do." Huh? If you're like me, as you read this verse in Romans 7 that was penned by the apostle Paul, you're left scratching your head. Its one of those that you have to read a couple times in order to take it all in. As you do, you kind of get the idea that it is much like a mirror of our lives today as Believers. Here is Paul, sharing his frustration of trying to live life the way its suppose to be lived and always coming up short. To be honest it kind of sounds like a biography of my life.

If we aren't careful, as we read this struggle that Paul describes, we'll adopt this as the normal life that we are going to live as believers. After all, we figure that if the apostle Paul faced this, who are we to think that we are immune to this kind of lifestyle. The problem with that line of thinking is that it assumes that Paul's description in Chapter 7 is a description of something he struggled with for the entirety of his new life in Christ. That is a monumental mistake. For as Paul continues to write in Chapter 8, we find that Paul discovered the way to live a victorious life and to once and for all put this struggle to rest.

This struggle he describes is the result of attempting to live life in the "flesh." It comes about only when we determine to do life on our own apart from God. Yes, even as believers we fall into that trap. This fleshly living, or "carnal" life, is no different than that moment in the beginning when Adam and Eve chose to act independent of God and eat the fruit that was forbidden. It's no different than when Abraham chose to act on his own to produce the son that God had promised to him. Acting independent of God and choosing to rely on our ability and our strength, has always and will always produce death. Scripture tells us that God has condemned sin in the flesh. While there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ and choose to live life in the Spirit, condemnation is always present for those who choose to live life in the flesh.

Paul's struggle, mentioned in chapter 7 of Romans, is the struggle he and all of us have when we choose to continue living life in a way where we trust in our own ability and our own strength. However, when we choose to trust in God and lean on Him, then that struggle is over. When we quit attempting to be good and seeking to please God in our own strength, then we are tapping into the kind of life that God designed us to live. In the same way that we trust God for our salvation, it is equally as important for us to trust Him to live our new life. While asking "what would Jesus do," may sound good, the Christian life is so much more than attempting to become like Jesus. The kind of life God has designed for us to live is more about understanding the fact that the Spirit of Christ is in us and that we are already like Him. It's about understanding that we are like Him, not because of anything we've done, but because He, Himself has chosen to fix what's wrong with us. The Christian life then becomes more about simply allowing Christ to live His life through us rather than trying so hard to get my flesh to become perfect.

Our flesh has appetites that oppose God and allowing those appetites to drive our life will only lead us to death and destruction. Living in the Spirit is allowing the appetites or desires of the Spirit of God to drive our life. Only when we learn to lean on Him to live His life through us, can we truly tap into the victorious life that God longs for us to live. And, only then can we truly lay aside the struggle of wanting to do good, but not doing it and not wanting to do evil, but doing it.