Waves

So I just graduated from high school about 2 1/2 months ago.  I am in that weird gap between high school and college.  Its funny, when I wake up each morning it often feels like I am somehow missing a massive amount of frivolous worksheets to fill out.  Yet I can't say Im really complaining.  

One of the many benefits of this curricular gap is the amount of time that I have had to travel all around the country.  Nearly three weeks of traveling has led me from coast to coast, I have spent time in both the atlantic and the pacific ocean within the last month.  As a natural consequence I have spent plenty of time body surfing, or at least something that resembles body surfing.  Now if you have ever done it, you know what I am talking about when I speak of the power and the majesty of oceanic waves.  

One of the most interesting places to be on planet Earth is about fifty yards out from the sand on any given beach.  As I was floating around out there I was reminded of the oldest game of chicken ever played.  As I looked out into the horizon I could see the waves forming as "sets" in the distance.  It appears that the good ones come in sets of three.  As I watched the the waves come closer, gain speed, form, and eventually break right on top of me, I was reminded of something very serious that had been going on in my life at this point.  

Being in the ocean is much like being in a relationship with the Lord.  If your wondering how that is so, then lets take a look at it together.  

As I sat in the waves I realized that life with Jesus is advanced by the same process as body surfing.  Each of us was on the beach at one point.  All have at least played with the idea of getting in the water to experience the waves, yet only some actually get in. The same is true with Jesus.  Everyone has an opinion about what He is like, yet only a few actually know by experience.  

Yet for those that do get into the water,  a few things will become clear about the waves.  The first reality that is presented when in the water is the terror of the wave.  Although it starts small and inviting in the distance, with time and commitment the wave begins to reveal its true nature to those who dare to face it.  It is massive. It is powerful. It is entirely in control of the situation. It dictates the terms of the mans survival.  A man must be willing to live on the terms of the wave or the man will not live at all.  Jesus demands nothing less of those who would dare to meet and follow Him.  It is recorded in Matthew's account that Jesus said "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever would lose his life for my sake will find it."  

Christ is giving us the terms of our survival.  Either He is given full control, or we will clearly lose our lives.  The battle that had been tossing and turning within me was essentially one of control. Was I going to give my plans to the Lord knowing full well that He might dismiss them? Even my plans for ministry? It took an act of submission to His terms to release my plans into His control and authority.  Yet if I do not do that in every area, I am divinely guaranteed failure and ultimately death.  I will lose my soul if I do not submit it entirely.  There is a true cost to following Christ.  It means my money, it means my plans for my girlfriend or wife, it means my sins, it means my plans with and for my friends and loved ones, it means His agenda is now my only agenda.  It means His will is now my will.  There is a cost, and it is everything.  

The second similarity presented by the wave is its manifold, awe inspiring beauty.  As the wave gets closer to the man it begins to form take shape.  Its beauty is clearly displayed when it reaches its apex, which is usually right on top of the one who is in the water.  Having submitted to its power, the man is now free to enjoy its beauty as he rides it wherever it to take him.  

Jesus Christ is the same.  When given full reign, He will do amazing things in the world.  Lives will change. Restoration and healing are the products of His love.  Whole families will be rebuilt, and those without strength or wisdom will be given both in abundance.  For those that are lost and confused, His truth will guide them.  For those without the power to defeat their sins, Christ will supply all of the power needed from His very name.  

Yet for all of these glorious truths of His love, they will only be given to those willing to get up from the sand and into the sea.  

May we never again set foot on dry land.  

Verses

If there is one thing that is gross about being in public its the public restrooms.  Even my favorite stores tend to do a bad job at keeping them clean enough for the sanitary few who are forced to use them.  As unpleasant as a trip to the public restroom can be, I often look forward to the short experience.  This may seem strange, but I love finding surprises in the stalls.   Quickly, before your mind travels to disgusting images of what I might mean here, let me say that I do not mean gross surprises.  

What I look forward to is the ever increasing collection of phrases and advice that is scratched into or drawn on the walls of the stalls.  Recently, I was in a stall at my favorite bookstore when I read "grab life by the balls". I didn't totally get it,  in fact it sounded painful, but I had a feeling that whoever wrote it wasn't one for caution anyway.  Other bits of info on the walls included phone numbers for drugs or sex, and even a poem about how life was all about money and the ability to get enough of it.  

Throughout all my time spent in stalls, I have concluded that what is written within them is a fairly accurate representation of what mankind essentially believes to be true.  Whether the authors are calling for African aid or pushing hate and lustful passion, the dirty documents stand as reminders of what mankind has come to.  

Yet sometimes I see writing on the walls that is of an entirely different nature.  The small words and numbers  on the door often stand out to me due to their relatively unassuming size and look. In fact, these little bits of graffiti don't even say anything at first glance, they are merely citations. "psalm 27:14" one might say.  "proverbs 28:26" might be another.  To the average person these citations most likely mean next to nothing.  Yet to me, they are everything.  

Unlike the rest of the writing that people come up with, these citations on the wall are actually references to the Word of God.  The citations are from scripture.  Mankind loves to come up with advice about how to live life.  The evidence is on the walls of the stalls and in the brokenness of the culture.  Just as the verses say "whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered"(Proverbs 28:26.) 

These verses have proven themselves true in my life time and time again.  The world and its foolish thinking strives to produce advice for me to live by, yet the world's  advice is not based upon the truth of the Word of God.  Just as the mind was created by God it was also created for God.  G.K  Chesterton would say that to have an open mind is good, yet the purpose of an open mind is to shut it upon something solid.  The world does not base its thinking upon absolute truth and therefore advises strategies and tactics for living that run opposite the grain of the ultimate reality: God.  A strong understanding of theology is the key to wisdom on earth.  The only way to a strong theology is a strong understanding of the scriptures.

There in lies the great fork in the road.  Men must choose who will win the great battle of their mind: Scripture V.S  Advice.  The difference between the two is eternally significant.  Contrary to worldly understanding, scripture always tells us that we are helpless to fix our own lives! In fact it tells us to do the one thing we do not want to do: "Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!"(psalm 27:14.)  Yet it is so true! Whenever my life seems to be spiraling out of control or my tactics seem to be failing I am simply left with scripture, and the fact that I have been neglecting it.  

On the other hand, whenever I deliberately follow the truth of scripture the end is always ok! There are many days I wish that it were not so, there are many days that I wish that my plans and desires would simply fall into place.  There are times that I think my advice is just as good or even better than what the Bible may have to say, only to be reminded of proverbs 30:5-6: "Every Word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar." 

As we live our lives by either scripture or advice, we shall soon see the writing on the wall. 

Dish Washer

I came home from church one morning feeling absolutely wonderful. Spirit filled is really a better way to put it.  As I walked through the door, I could see my kitchen sink full to the brim with dishes and cups, pots and pans.  It felt like the Spirit jumped right out of me.  I couldn't help but ask the questions of  "Who did this? How did these get here?" and the like.  I sort of dropped my bible and pen on the table as I approached the mountain of crusted cheese and unidentifiable scum that had accumulated on the various dishes.  

I looked out the window as the sink filled with the warm soapy water I would need to accomplish the task before me.  Taking the first glass in hand I began to pick and scrub off the red substance that seemed to have bonded itself onto the cup eternally.  Slowly but surely the glass became clean.  As I held it up to the window, I could see the beautiful prisms of light shining through it in clarity and radiance.  

The pile of dishes shrank as I continued to wash.  Not too far into the process I could feel my self being filled with the Spirit again.  As I was washing,  I began to understand the beautiful symbolism of what was happening.  I began to imagine what it must feel like for God as He cleanses us from our sins, as dirty, as numerous and as stubborn as they are.  

Just as man designed and created the drinking glass, so God has designed and created us.  The Word says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.  As I was cleaning my dishes, I delighted in their beauty and design.  I was made glad by their being restored to their original and undefiled condition.  I took great joy in restoring them.  

God is the same.  He loves to restore us (His creation) to our original condition.  He loves to wash us with the blood of His son that we might be cleansed and renewed completely. He will not stand for anything to remain upon His creation that He has not placed there Himself. No blemish, no mark, no personal passion or vice.  He takes joy only in restoring us entirely.  God does not do halfway jobs.  We know this because He is both the Author and Finisher of our faith.  

As I kept washing I could not stop until the pile no longer existed.  I had to get the job done.  In the same way I know that God never begins a work only to leave it unfinished.  I find it very encouraging to know that God will never leave me halfway done.  I will never be left in a pile of divinely unfinished business.  Never left to rot in my imperfection and dirt.  

I can't clean myself, and so God takes great joy in cleaning me that His light and glory might shine forth when he holds me up to the sky.  

Stop Trippin, Start Walkin.

My friend and I were eating lunch together the other day at our school.  This is a guy who I have essentially grown up with. This is the same guy that I witnessed come to Christ just a few years ago.  We are pretty close friends.  Anyway, we were sitting outside under an awning because it was a really hot day. If you know me,  you know I dislike this part of the year because of that. The heat never seems to agree with my preference of clothing.  I am definitely not a fan of shorts.  So as we ate our food and discussed life in general, my friend said something that caught my ear.  Specifically, we had been discussing the Christian life as it relates on the ground level: the living of it.  

Sure, the whole thing seems wonderful and easy in your mind.  The trouble begins when the rubber is forced to meet the road.  Matt was talking about how so many people misunderstand the Christian life in its practical terms, which he pointed out is the source of their spiritual discomfort and inhibition.  

He looked at me and said "People need to stop trippin', and start walkin'." At first this made me laugh.  The use of such an urban metaphor seemed funny for such an important truth.  But the more I thought about his phrase, the more sense it made.  For those of you who don't know, Trippin'  has a new cultural meaning these days.  It means literally: to be freaking out, or to freak out.  To trip. 

At least thats one way to interpret it.  The other way that Christians seem to be trippin' these days is in the area of sin.  When I say trip' in this sense I am really saying fall. I often find myself in this stumbling position when I go to school.  It is very discouraging to be running as hard as you can toward the will of God only to trip upon some stumbling block in your path.  

Although we may trip(fall) in that way, we must not allow ourselves to trip out about it.  As Christians, we can't allow ourselves to become burdened with our failures and with our sinful nature.  

For instance, I personally struggle with lust on a daily basis. Being a young man in an American culture doesn't help much with my natural tendency stumble in this area.  Although this part of my life needs to be under the control of Jesus, I must never forget what the whole point of the Gospel is in the first place.  Christ came to free us from our burden and sin.  I do not need to trip about the fact that I will fall sometimes!  

In fact, the more I dwell upon my failure, the less biblical my attitude becomes.  The result is a Christian who is walking in defeat! WHAT? Doesn't that sound wrong to anyone? If it does, thats because it IS wrong!  Christ is our victory.  We no longer need to try to fulfill the law of God by our own merit and foolish attempts at righteousness. Christ is our righteousness and in Him we are saved from condemnation.  That is a VICTORY! 

The victory that we have over sin in Christ is what draws me to worship Him.  That leads into the second part of what Matt said that day.  Christians need to start walking. Once again, that may sound obvious to many of us. It did to me. But as I thought about walking in the faith, I realized that it is so much more than just going through the motions.  

To walk in the faith is to live a life of victory.  Not a victory that we have won, nor is it a victory that allows us to boast of our own ability or intelligence.  Christ alone has secured His kingdom in our lives.  We had no part in our salvation, nor will we have any part in the finished work of God.  He does not need us to build His kingdom.  Yet, the beautiful part is that He allows us to participate in the construction of it.  

For me it came down to this: Trippin is worrying about me.  When I am the focus things will never go right in the long run.  Matt was right when he said I needed to start Walking.  

As I walk in the faith I see that God picks up the slack in my steps, lengthens my stride, and most importantly of all, is always there to save me when I trip. 

 

In The End

As I was sitting in my english class yesterday, I couldn't help but ask myself why I was even in school. It was senior ditch day and there I was, one of 4 poor souls that for some reason or another couldn't muster the balls to ditch school.  Each and every class consisted of three or four kids that had no other options than school, and me. Yeah, the day sucked.  The only consolation that seemed to deaden the pain was the prospect of going shopping as soon as school was out.  And not just any shopping, shoe shopping. 

Shoe shopping is the best. Of all the articles of clothing that make up an outfit, the shoes make or break the man.  Kicks count.   My best friend picked me up as soon as the bell of freedom rang, and off we went.  My heart thumped as we arrived at the skate shop.  This place always had the best shoes.  In fact, I was so certain that they would have what I wanted that I brought 100 bucks in case I needed more than one pair. Sure enough, as I approached the towering display of sneakers my mouth began to water.  I could see at least five pairs that I would have no problem buying immediately.   

I started calling out sizes. Can I get these Adidas in a 10 1/2?  "No problem man!" The salesman guy could tell that we had come to drop some major cash.  "Agh dude.... don't have em... bummer bro." Big bummer indeed. No problem though, there were still four possibilities left.  I called each and every one of them out to him.  One by one, the guy kept coming back from storage with that same look of epic failure in his face.  This hot spot shoe store did not have a single pair that I wanted in my size. Major let down. I settled for my number six choice, they had them in a 10 1/2.  

After the day was over, I laid in my bed contemplating my job at a local fast food place.  The job was hard, my boss is mean, and the pay is nearly as low as it can go..legally. Just the other night one of my co workers broke the sink off of the wall.  I cant wait to see what my boss has to say to me, the manager of the shift. 

Then it hit me. Each of these intertwined bummers had a purpose.  

To finish the story, because I went to school yesterday I was able to have some one on one time with my struggling english teacher.  I learned that she is struggling in more ways than one. She was recently let go, and is moving to Norway to take care of her sick father.  My heart was broken by her story. I was able to invite her to come to my church so she can be strengthened and prayed for if she was willing.  The look on her face began as bewilderment but quickly changed to relief and hope as I explained to her what it was like in the living room at Metro.  She may soon come to see for herself. 

At the skate shop I was forced to buy shoes I didn't totally love in the beginning.  When I got home I threw them on the table as I grabbed something from the fridge.  My mom took a look at them and quickly complemented me on my ability to pick out the best ones that she had seen in a while. Cool. She liked them.  My brother walked in about 15 minutes later and stopped cold to point out how he thought my shoes were "sick" (awesome).  I took another good look at them and within minutes I was convinced that I had bought the best pair in the store. They were even better than the ones I had previously wanted.  

At work, I realized that I have a specific reason for being there that was not my own.  The people I work with are hurting. Each one of them have come to me for prayer or with questions about who Jesus really was and what He really said.  They trust me, and God has placed me there to teach them and to comfort them in their afflictions, as ugly and as painful as they may be.  

I believe that the disciples had this same feeling of let down followed by glorious revelation as I have had in my life.  They walked and talked with the most loving and mighty man in all of history for three years strait, only to watch Him be tortured and killed brutally before His kingdom could even be established. 

The disciples thought that life had let them down, that Jesus had let them down.  But on the third day He got up out of the grave to remind them once again of His, and their, true purpose.  

All things work together for the good of those who love Him.  

Maybe not in the beginning, but always in the end.  

He Got Up

For most of my life I have struggled with moderate to severe depressive episodes. They often come upon me directly after instances of personal failure or rejection. Yet the worst seemingly come out of nowhere.

The basic episodes that have to do with failure or rejection might seem obvious in their root cause. I have found it to be increasingly true that sin leads to death in and around my life. When I speak of failure, I mean a moral failure. Likewise, when I speak of rejection I mean a rejection from the Holy Spirit to fill me. Both are a direct result of sin within my life and activity. Both hurt deeply.

It is true that sin leads not only to physical death, but to spiritual death as well. And, what is sown in the soul shall be reaped in the body time and time again. The fact is that sin leads to death. There is no way around that fact.

Yet, sin is not what worries mankind. Death is what worries mankind. The reason is this: Man cannot conquer death. No matter what we accomplish during life, death is looming inevitably above our heads.

Why is death so horrifying? All of the good works that I can do, all of the people I can help, all of the love and beauty that is in the world, will mean nothing if death is the end. None of it will mean anything to anyone ultimately, if death continues on as the chief end of nature.

Since the beginning man has been defeated by death and its interminable chains. All of the beauty of the world and creation, held down by the weight of sin. No art could do more than capture the great tragedy. No writer could do any more than articulate the great despair of existence.

Nor can human will could push through the wall of inborn folly and evil.

Since the beginning man has laid on the ground, struck down and utterly beaten by sin, unable to move. This is what I mean when I say that I battle with depression. Many days have gone by where I am simply lost in this fog of terror and spiritual helplessness. Defeat is often the first place I am tempted to head. These are only the minor episodes.

Even still, the real pain has always been somewhere else within mankind. The real pain comes from the feeling that there was always something more they were designed for. Man has been forced to crawl as long as he can remember. Even as the memory of flight then turns to legend, and then from legend to myth, man cannot shake his desire for wings.

Such is the plight of man. Such is my pain.

The beauty is that my Father in heaven cared about that. He cared about it so much that He sent His own son to die instead of me, and to conquer death once and for all. Jesus Christ came to pay the penalty for all sin and to take the final fall. He went down to death itself and paid the ransom for the souls of the world, using Himself as the propitiation.

And once the price was fully paid, He arose from the blackness with the keys to Glory in His mighty hands. Because He did so, He promised life eternal to those who will trust Him.

Depression will come and go. But, the promise of eternal life from the lips of Jesus Christ Himself will never leave me.

How do I know?

When death hit Him, He Got Up.

The Living Room

I was at my church recently. In fact, I was at a Monday Night at Metro as they are known in my town.  One of the cool things about this place is the atmosphere of the services. The whole evening feels like a family gathering of some kind. We all sit around dinner tables and eat great food before Danny leads us in song.  Then after that we all settle in to hear what the Word has for us that week. It is an evening unlike anything one would expect from a traditional church.

And yet, the evening works wonderfully.  Anyway, back to my story.  Danny was finishing up the prayer before beginning to play, when he said something that fascinated me.  He said "Thank you Lord for providing for us this wonderful living room." 

That started me thinking. Why does this Monday Night feel so good? Why is it that this setting seems to be the perfect condition for God's work? 

Well, Danny was right. This place was like a living room.  We had food, comfort, socialization and, well, Life!  I started to think of my own living room and the experiences that I have had in it. Times of joy and peace amongst friends, bonding with relatives, and times of great learning from wise men.  

The three C's or the three components of a living room seem to be as follows: Community, Compassion, and Character. The living room is by nature a place of gathering.  It is often a place where food is enjoyed or where some basic attraction is featured yet not focused upon (i.e fire, music etc..) In this sense, the living room draws people together in a physical and emotional way.  People congregate and socialize in a face to face situation, which fosters real and genuine community.  

The second thing that a living room will foster and facilitate amongst people who have come together in genuine community, is a real sense of compassion between them.  People often call me to talk about their lives, and one of the main reasons that I insist we meet in person to talk is because of this truth.  People (including me) empathize better and are generally more compassionate with others when they meet them face to face.  Therefore compassion is fostered when community cultivated. The living room is the place where this critical phenomenon begins.  

Thirdly, once people are in a position of compassion toward their fellow man, another factor then comes into play: character. Men and women are forced to deal with the experience of genuine community and the compassion that follows.  We now realize that the people around us may need our help, what will we do? That is the question that is inevitable when dealing honestly with others.  They need my help, what can I do? What will I do? How we answer that question is what develops our character. 

There is a fourth component, and I have found it to be the most critical of all of them. In fact, without this fourth C none of the other three will work properly. The critical ingredient for a Living room is Christ. 

Without Christ, community is nothing but a gathering of lost and injured people coming together to share their pain and to enter into a state of collective denial about its existence.  

Without Christ, compassion is nothing but a reminder of how hopeless and painful life really is.

Without Christ, true character will not be developed because no man is righteous in his own power. Christ is the righteousness that man needs in order to become anything other than masked selfishness.  

Yet with Christ, Community is people coming together to share in the joy of a  life that has been saved and sanctified unto eternal glory and purpose.

With Christ, compassion is nothing less than a divine prompting to strengthen your fellow man with the promises of a mighty God, to cover him with the healing power of prayer, and to remind him of the blood of Jesus and the depth His Grace.

With Christ, true righteousness is developed due to the man's understanding that he does the right thing due to his acceptance from God, and not for acceptance from God.

Only with Christ do we have a truly Living room. 

All the other ones are just dead.

Mapquest

I was headed to downtown Sacramento for a show recently. If you know anything about me, you know that I am a Geotard. A Geotard is someone with little to no understanding of where places are, where things are, and often where they are. Thats me. So, when I heard that I was driving my friends and I into downtown Sac, you can imagine my sense of panic.

The only thing that saved me was Mapquest. Thats right, the most usefull tool on the internet. That one site has changed my life entirely. I can now arrive safely at nearly any destination in America with the ease of filling out an online form. Genius. Long story short, Mapquest got us to the show but it wasn't everthing we needed.

There was the question regarding which vehicle would get us there. My family cars are kinda lame and not exactly fun to ride in. There was also the question of fuel. Who had it and how were we going to pay for more of it if needed?

And finally there was the initial question of what our destination really should be in the first place.  A concert? A movie? Dinner? Both.....? 

Once we had all decided on the destination (concert) it was just a matter of thinking before we put together the other pieces of the puzzle.  Namely vehicle and fuel.  And hey, we had our Mapquest map. 

The funny thing about life in Christ is that it is nothing like this. Life in Christ is definitely not plug and chug.  I sure wish it was, that would make it a whole lot more natural to me.  I began to think of my understanding of God in those three terms: Vehicle, Fuel, and Destination.  

Vehicle, Fuel, Destination.  Although the analogy is not perfect, I was able to come to a basic conclusion about God and His relationship to me by relating Him to my road trips.

If our great goal, our Destination, is heaven, then what we are really saying is that God the Father is our goal.  He resides in heaven. If our goal is heaven it is only because we desire to spend eternity with our Father.  

If our Father is our Destination, then what is our vehicle? Well, Jesus Christ said "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."  That has always struck me as a rather narrow statement. Aren't there many ways to God? Not according to God.  And why would there be? If God is truly sovereign then why should He be anything less than blunt and strait forward about what it takes to have a relationship with Him? He is Holy Almighty God.  We must have a righteousness to match His own. Otherwise we could never even be in the same building, so to speak.

Christ gave us that righteousness that we needed by trading His righteousness for our lack thereof.  He was shamed with our shame that we might be glorified in His righteousness.  We had non of our own with which to stand before God, and so He gave us His. Jesus Christ took our sin and shame and paid our price in the fires of Hell.  And on the third day He rose again to usher us into the heaven He had paid so dearly to unlock.  

If the Father is our Destination then Jesus Christ is our one and only vehicle to get to Him.  

Finally, what will be our fuel for this journey from lifeless death to deathless life? The Holy Spirit is our Great Help.  Our Father granted His Son to save us, and He sends us the Holy Spirit to sustain us.  The Holy Spirit reminds us of the Way, the Truth, and the Life constantly that we might be strengthened by His power and freed by His grace on a daily basis.  

Christ is our great encouragement, The Spirit is our great encourager, and The Father is the author and lover of our soul, our Great Desire.  

Vehicle, Fuel, Destination. 

God, God, and God. 

ETA? 

"Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come." 

The Opportunity of a Lifetime

I had two tickets left.  Two tickets to the opportunity of a lifetime.  Coming to my very own town was none other than Colin Powell, Rudy Giuliani, Steve Forbes, and Michael Phelps.  They were coming to "Motivate America" on a national speaking tour.  

I convinced my parents to allow me to skip the entire tuesday of school in order to attend the seminar.  My four friends also persuaded their personal authorities to do the same.  We got to Arco arena just in time to get seats, or so we thought.  As my friends and I sat down in the perfectly positioned bleachers that were nearly 10th row center, we heard a voice.  "Hey kid! Lemme see your ticket!" Damn. Why does this happen? Why must I be hassled with every step I take, each and every day of my nearly adult life? No one knows. "What? Why?" "Just give it to me." I was sick of this. Was the world really so cruel? "Kid you and your friends gotta move." "Why? I thought this was general admission"..... "Nope....these tickets will get you to...eh....over there." The lady pointed to what appeared to be the armpit of the stadium. I looked at the unattractive woman in disgust.  "Fine!" 

As my friends and I climbed the mountain of seating that is Arco Arena, we saw fewer and fewer options.  Finally we settled into what seemed like some of the worst seats in the place. I was just happy to be situated and sitting down.  

As the show began to start I could tell that there was some level of Christian influence within the production. I wasn't sure how well that would play out with the particularly secular audience, but I was nonetheless encouraged already. The first speaker was non other than Colin Powell.  His speech was entertaining, but it lacked any real motivational content (at least for me.) 

Next up was Steve Forbes- relatively interesting, yet he also was just encouraging me to go do things I already knew I should do. His only help was "Try Harder!"  

Finally, Rudy Giuliani arrived on stage.  I was really excited for this one.  But guess what? Just more of the same, "Have a Plan! Try Harder! Get an Education!" I had heard it all before. I had been hearing it all my life. None of these successful men had any success in motivating me.

The last speaker arrived on the platform around 3 in the afternoon. I was tired, hungry, and mildly nauseous, but there she was. Tamara Low was her name and terrible speeches were her game.

My friends and I squirmed in our seats as she began the corniest speech any of us had ever heard.  From one liners that didn't work, to a rap that embarrassed the entire race of caucasian americans, this speech had it all.  It was only missing one thing, an insensitive religious reference.

And then it came.  The woman's incoherent rap began to steadily slow down and become more and more of a normal oration.  Then she began to drop the sacrificial metaphors, and before you knew it the arena was silent.  I was stunned. The woman's demeanor had changed from bubbly and shallow to deep and divine.  Something happened to Tamara as she began to preach the one true Gospel in all boldness and power.  Her words began to synchronize and her body stood erect.  The message that she was delivering was one that everyone really needed to understand, and she knew it.  

In front of 20,000 people Tamara Low delivered one of the most powerful presentations of the Gospel I had ever witnessed.  She spoke of Jesus and of sins forgiven, she spoke of His power over death and hell. She spoke of a God that loved those people in the bleachers. A God that gave His only Son for the chance to save them.  By the end of her speech the arena was silent. My stomach was turning and there were tears in my eyes.

As she began to walk off the stage the crowd seemed to gasp for air, and then it exploded into cheering that would have rivaled the return of Led Zeppelin. People stood and clapped, but I couldn't.  My body was trembling at what I had just witnessed; the greatest act of bravery for the sake of the Gospel that I had ever seen.  In a secular business conference of 20,000 men and women, the message of Jesus had been preached in boldness and in power. I was humbled by Tamara Low and her commitment for the cause of Christ.  

Tamara Low understood that these people were coming for the opportunity of a lifetime.  She was there to tell them that Jesus is the only one who could give them the opportunity of an eternity. 

Tamara Low did what none of the men before her could do; she inspired me.  I came to the conference expecting tips on how to die the slow and painless death we all hope for, but she gave me a lesson on how to live.  She taught me that my only valuable opportunity in life is to preach unto the salvation of lost men. She taught me that boldness is not suicide. 

 She taught me that the Truth still sells.  

Promises

Do you ever just look yourself in the face and ask "what am I doing?" That seems to be the situation more and more for me these days.  I have been sick once again this past week, but yesterday was wonderful because the flu symptoms seemed to let up for a few hours.  

If you know me, you know that I used what little strength I had to eat as much food as possible. So I got in my truck and I just drove. I didn't really know where I was going or what I planned on eating, but I knew that I had to start looking if I was ever going to find anything that would satisfy the beast within me.  I arrived at a place called Lenny's Sub Shop.  Now I work at a sandwich deli, so I know what Im doing when I order my food.  

As I took my sandwich back to my seat, I noticed that I was the only customer in the place.  It remained that way until I left.  As I sat in my truck out front of the deli, I began to ponder the fate of this delectable establishment (yes, it was good).  As I sat there I began to think of how risky it was to be an independent deli in this economy.  

It got me asking questions like "How does the owner of this place know that he will survive?" and "What does the future hold for this deli?" I sat there long enough to where I began to ask the questions of myself. "What does the end hold for me?" 

Sometimes life just moves too fast. I wish it would just slow down for minute so that I could take a harder look at what Im doing.  As a follower of Christ I have been promised that the end of it all is Glory.  Yet so often I feel as though everything amounts to nothing more than mediocrity.  

I believe that the end is Glory because all the evidence I can find supports a glorious purpose. Just as a duck is born away from water, yet it knows that water must exist so that it can fulfill its desire to swim, likewise I have a spirit that hungers and thirsts for Righteousness beyond any that could be attained by man.  I also have an insatiable desire for Justice beyond any level of human judicial power or ability. 

The structure of things, the evidence points to purpose and to Glory, yet the daily grind of experience often points to meaninglessness.

You see, the deli shop had all the reasons in the world to believe that it would be successful.  It was in a prime location, had a great product, and had friendly people.  Yet there it was, empty.  

Many times in my life I feel the same way about God and His promises.  Where is my relief God? Where is my easy life? Where is the Glory? 

The owner of Lenny's Sub Shop are most likely asking the same questions "Where are the customers?" Sometimes life just feels as though it is not working, as though God will not help. 

But we have made a major mistake in judgement.  Unlike Lenny, our hope lies in something infinitely greater than a human business plan.  In the Old Testament, a boy named David was promised the throne over Gods people, by God Himself.   But David did not reach the throne easily, far from it, he was hunted as a fugitive for the better half of his life before God's promise even began to take shape.  

Yet sure enough, there David sat, King of Israel.  30 years of trial and tribulation was what he had to endure before God placed him upon the seat that had been promised so long ago.  

And so we are reminded of the Divine Assurance that we have in the Lord.  Throughout all of his time in exile and tribulation, David never gave up his faith.  With each day that passed he pressed deeper into the promises of his Lord.  

Now when I look myself in the face and ask the question "what am I doing?" And when it feels as though nothing God has said is true, I remember David.  I remember that the one thing God wants from us is faith in His Promises. Faith in His Son.  

Faith in His coming Glory.

Next?

Anyone dislike school? I swear, I have been going to this government run nuthouse for as long as I can remember, yet I cant remember the last time I learned anything.  Sure, I go everyday and I do the work that those fools give me to do each night, yet the whole experience continues to be more and more draining as time goes on.  

Whether it is the english classes that miss the point, or the psychology classes that look in all the wrong places, the whole system is run by baffoons. 

For instance, I have this one teacher that is so lost that she simply forces students to talk about a book all period.  She does not provide a basic structure for the conversations, nor does she criticize or analyze any of the blatantly erroneous comments or questions that the students come up with. She does not teach, she acts as though there is no set reality to the plot of the stories we read.  It is just whatever we think.  

Second of all, I daily endure the rabbit hole to nowhere that is a modern psychology class.  From why we do what we do, to how and when, this field of study misses the big picture.  They refuse to accept anything as true, and in so doing create a system of thinking that is self defeating.  Psychology simply reminds us of our horrible meaninglessness and inability to act in a way that could be perceived as honorable.  When one constantly views the world through the eyes of finite human frailty, it does not take long to become hopelessly depressed.  Psychology offers no substantial answers.  It only raises frivolous questions of individual depravity and meaninglessness.  

I already knew that.  Next?

I recently spent some time on the campus of one of the finest universities in the world. Yet even there, I could smell the terrible stench of "knowledge" all around me.  

You see I believe that the more we learn the less we know.  All our lives we focus on gaining as much knowledge as possible. Facts and figures, theories and tests.  The result is that I go to school each day only to see hundreds of faces that have no level of understanding at all.

Knowledge, sure.  Grades, you bet. Potential, nothing but.  Yet, when I talk to these kids I can see that they have no bearing in life at all.  No concept of what they realistically should or should not do with their short little lives.  

The teachers are even worse.  They actually believe that all this stuff they know will one day translate to some kind of true value.  I find the whole delusion terribly sad.  

Now that we have identified the problem, lets take a look at the solution. Lets take a look at the goal.

The goal is a True Understanding of our world.  If we are going to achieve that, we must start with the basics. Wrong and right, up and down, left and right. The blatant laws of reality. The Absolute Truths. The amazing part? Its all intuitive!!! Its as simple as your gut feeling.   No degree needed.  

If this is our goal, then obviously we should pursue it in the same manner by which we initially reckon ourselves with reality.  Each of us knows what is wrong and what is right, justifications aside, everyone knows the rules of fair play.  

We know what we should  do, lets just do it.  Lets not say there is no such thing as absolute truth, simply to justify our own foolish and guilt ridden behavior.  No level of education or knowledge can solve that problem.  Only an understanding of the cross of Christ.  Only in Him is our foolishness paid for, our guilt wiped away.  

This has been a rant no doubt, yet the whole idea that "education" is paramount was getting to me.  Above all, let us have understanding.  Understanding that He is the answer that we have all been looking for.

Keep Swimming

I saw a great movie a little while back called The Guardian.  It starred Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher as rescue swimmers for the coast guard.  During one scene in the movie, Ashton Kutcher looks up at Kevin Costner as he is about to head out to save the crew of a sinking ship, he looks up and asks Kevin "What if I can't save them all? Who do I choose?"  

The older, wiser, more experienced rescue swimmer looks Ashton in the eyes and says "You don't. You keep swimming as hard as you can, for as long as you can, and you don't stop until its all over."

That really struck me.  Many times in my life I make decisions, whether conscious or not, to focus the Gospel on certain people. Sometimes I look at those around me with eyes that judge, and a heart that hardens toward those who seem less "likely" to receive the message.   

I know that I focus my teaching moments and my preaching moments on certain people.  Sometimes I focus on people who I believe might actually respond positively.  Thats the kind of ministry that you see yourself doing in your head.  I always picture myself presenting the message to these people only to see them awaken and respond to Christ immediately.  These are often the "good" people that I somehow think would just love Jesus if they could just meet Him.

For Ashton, these would be the easy ones to save.  These would be the guys who were just floating on their backs, calmly waiting for him to scoop them up out of the ocean.  

The harder ones to save are the guys trapped inside the sinking boat.  The people trapped deeply within the confines of wretched and blatant sin.  Those are the people I often shy away from when looking for Gospel candidates.  

It would seem logical.  Why waste time on people who most likely will not listen, people who will not make it? 

It may seem logical, but only so long as we forget that God is in control of the operation. Jesus told us in the great commission to "go therefore and make disciples of all nations."  When God is the one who saves and redeems, I do not need to worry about targeting His message.  

Nothing I can say will make it more or less attractive to any one person, so long as I tell it accurately. But I must keep telling it, no matter who is listening.  

This is why Costner replies to Ashton's question "What if I can't save them all? Who do I choose?" with "You don't".  

I don't choose who is saved and who is not.  God chooses that. My job is simply to keep swimming as hard as I can, for as long as I can, and not to stop until its all over.

Superman

I have been getting sick a lot lately.  I don't know if its the cold weather, or maybe it has something to do with the crap I consider food? I honestly can't say.  Anyway, I was getting a check up at the doctors office recently, and I was forced to sit in the kiddie section of the waiting room.  

As I was sitting amidst the screaming babies and sniffling toddlers, I could feel the eyes of the incoming parents as they stared at me and my seat. There were no other open chairs left for the people who were arriving with their children, and I was intruding upon what was rightfully theirs.  

I gave up. Within moments I arose and began to walk around the small, stuffy waiting room.  Pictures of puppies, cats, and other comforting animals were hung all around the place.  The room had been designed  to be as comforting to small children as it could possibly be.  I kept walking around to the other side of the room in order to inspect a rather colorful picture that had caught my attention.  

It was a poster of superheroes.  I automatically switched into boy mode and began listing each of them off in my head.  "Green lantern, X-man, Wonder woman, Hulk, Spiderman....." the list went on.  I continued to look until I found just the guy I was looking for, Superman.

See I have always liked Superman the best.  The other guys are great, but Superman has just got it goin on.  He may not have all the fancy and entertaining powers that the others have, but he has what the people need.  Super strength, super speed, and the good ol laser vision for when you just gotta melt somethin.  

As I was standing in that waiting room it occurred to me that those superheroes were on the wall for a reason.  People need someone to help them when they are scared. People need someone to get them out of bad situations and tight spots.

Little kids are a perfect example of this.  In a scary place such as a doctors office, these kids needed their heroes.  They needed Superman.  

You know the cool thing about Superman is that he wasn't the result of some freak accident, and he wasn't just another normal guy who got some powers.  He was from another planet. He was from another world.

The other thing about Superman is that he didn't let many people know about who he really was. Only his closest friends had any idea.  

Believe it or not, the reason Superman is so attractive to us is because we are all in desperate need of someone like him. Someone who can save us, and someone who is willing to. 

Superman is real. 

But he does not wear tights, He wore our sins.

"Trust Me"

Trust Me. I hear that phrase so often in todays culture.  In a world that is so uncertain and volatile, those simple words can be all we need to make it through the day.  Whether they be from our parents, our bosses, or even our best friends, these words lay the basis for much of what we do in life. 

I was watching the inauguration the other day and I began to get chills up my spine.  Now, I did not get the kind of chills you may have been expecting. While I acknowledge it, the historic value of the moment was not what caused these chills. I am a conservative, but that also had nothing to do with how I felt.  

As I watched the president become the most powerful man in the world, I came to a frightening realization:  The inauguration of a president is also a declaration of the most trusted man in the world.

This is true of all elections, but never before has the culture put more trust or confidence in one man in such a way as they have Barrack Obama.  While I am a conservative, I do want to make clear that this has nothing to do with politics.  This has to do with human nature.

Many would say that Obama is the fittest man for the job.  I am not commenting on his ability to lead this country.  I am commenting on our blindness in trusting in one man for the salvation of our society.

I will now make my point.  We as human beings need to trust someone or something.  The question has always been and will always be, who and what?    Now I would love to trust in a man like Barrack Obama or even John McCain, but I know that they will fail.  I would love to be able to trust my doctor or my lawyer, or even my best friend, but they are not perfect.  I know that they are simply men and they cannot do what they promise anymore than I can.

I would love to accept the phrase "trust me" and call it good, but in reality I can not.  At least not from humanity.  Humanity is too prone to failure to give them my undivided confidence.

I need something more. We all need something more to trust in.  

There has only ever been one man who kept all of his promises.  There has only ever been one man who told nothing but the truth, and they killed him before he reached his thirty third birthday.  There has only ever been one man who was able to persevere through adversity and temptation and trial, and never fall.

There have been many men who have set out to save the world.  But only one could. Only he did.  Only one man has come, seen, and conquered.  

Humans need to hear those words, "Trust Me", and only one man has come with the true credentials.  

So I do what I do best, I take Him at his Word.

Heart Problems

For about 2 years now I have been spending my precious weekends in a suit and tie, fighting for the last word or the most clever phrase.  I am on a speech and debate team.  

I have noticed a somewhat sickening trend throughout my time at the tournaments and in the practices.  Now I don't like to start these posts of in a negative direction, but I feel that my age group is in dire need of a clear diagnosis.  

We have all heard for many years about the dangers of heart problems.  Whether it is too much grease, not enough red wine, or a lack of exercise, everyone over the age of forty seems to be talking about it.  A lot of times these heart problems are not very visible in daily situations.  If we are going to work or driving our cars or sitting in our chars, all seems to be well.

The real evidence comes when we are removed from our daily routine and we are forced to exercise in order to make it up a hill or run a mile.  Its when the challenge comes that the true condition of our heart is tested and revealed.

Now believe it or not my main concern is not really our hearts in the medical sense of the word.  I am concerned about the other sense of the word.  That of the heart being an indicator of who we are inside.  

During a recent tournament my coach messed up and entered one of my good friends in an event that he was not prepared for. She told him to go to the round and improvise, and to do his best.  Gary went to the round and did just that.  There is a lot of pressure at these tournaments to have your speech memorized perfectly and to be able to present it just as perfectly.  Gary didn't have the luxury of preparation, and so he was only able to be as good as the the circumstances would allow.

At the end of his speech a certain competitor who was in the room felt the need to approach Gary and inform him of a few things. Namely that he was a "disgrace to pubic speaking and had wasted all of their time".  

I find instances like this one to be very telling of the heart problems in our society.  This kid was so unhealthy inside that he felt compelled to put someone else down for their honest effort.   

In the Word it says that out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.  This has proven itself true so many times in my life.  I have seen instances where people are truly good hearted people, and it shows primarily in their words.  Our words are often the first act of either love or condemnation towards those we meet.

And our words never fail to reveal the condition of our hearts.  

When the challenge came to the kid at the tournament and he was faced with either welcoming Gary with love, or condemning him through his own false pride, the kid chose the latter. Because his heart was sick and broken. It couldn't show mercy toward Gary because it had never received any of its own.

God tells us to love each other just as He has loved us.  Christ showed us mercy and love and forgiveness on that cross,  and he asks us to remember it so that we might treat others the way He would. 

With love and with mercy.  

As a country and as a species, we do have major heart problems.  The only cure is a daily practice of love and mercy.

 

 

The Need

Throughout my high school career I have always been involved with Mr. Stafford in one way or another.  Stafford is the guitar teacher at my school. His class is laid back and basic in nature, and kids both enjoy that and hate it at times.  

But Stafford doesn't bend or budge, he just keeps on truckin through like he always has. I admire that about him.

I  T.A for his class, which means that I help him teach and manage the kids.  I love the kids in the class.  They are so honest about life and about themselves.  So typically human.

Whether they are stoned or tired, hungry or lazy, these kids are typical freshmen.   They come to school each day with an attitude that some may mistake for crudeness or rudeness, yet if you were to honestly talk to one of them you would see what wonderful kids they are.

I spoke with one of them today about how 90% of life is just showing up.  It took him a second, but he understood what I meant.  His sad and tired face seemed to brighten as the words soaked into him.  

I believe that one of the chief human needs is encouragement.

Encouragement from the source that they believe is credible.  I know that Jesus came to be that source.  He came to fulfill that aspect of human need. 

The reason He was able to do so is because He is the manifestation of the Truth. When a man understands Jesus, he understands all things.  And he is encouraged unto all things, in Jesus Name.

The very name of Jesus is the key to salvation and blessing.  While worldly prosperity is often gained through sinful forces, true blessing can only be received from the Grace of God through Jesus Christ. 

Once again, the beauty of Jesus is that He is simple and He is central.  

He is as simple as the key and as central as one as well.  He is the one who opens the doors of the Scriptures and to the True Life that we are all searching for.  

He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  

Im gonna tell people about Him.  

If there is anything I will do, its that.  

Good Morning America

Good morning.  Or is it? If your anything like me it is rarely a true "good" morning. I have never really been much of a morning person. I find that it takes a thorough soaking in the shower before I can be declared legally sane each day.  

One of the main reasons that I dislike the morning is because my faith in the Lord seems to be at its weakest when the hours are early and my mind is vulnerable.  It is really in the shower that I am able to get my mind together and engage the Lord before the day begins.  As I sit in the steam and the heat I am able to come to terms with the reality that today is the Lords.  In doing so I am put at an immediate advantage against the perils and temptations of the day.  

I have learned that giving the day up to Almighty God to handle is extremely freeing.  The peace that comes with knowing that He is in control and that all works for the good of those who love Him is a peace that I don't want to try to live without. That is essentially what life is like when following Jesus.  

He is strength when you need Him. He is Love when it hurts. He is forgiveness when you just cant do it.  He is direction when your lost.  He is both the power and the purpose in all that is holy and clean.  And above all, He will carry you through. 

At the end of the day we were beaten, and so He came down here and won.  

It was finished. It is finished.

I don't walk out of the shower without remembering that.

God Isn't Done.

Thats a controversial title for the first entry of pretty much anything. It speaks of God(controversial enough) and His activity(even more so).  My name is Dan Walbert, and I will do both. So brace yourselves.  

I have some thoughts. Not many, but I got this one in particular.  I have this really strange feeling that God wants me to do some things.  Im gonna do them.  I would encourage all who can say the same to do the same. 

I have never really been a major fan of the Beetles. I know the music and I know the culture.  You could say Im a fan, but not a major one.  The one thing that always struck me about the whole beetles culture is this Love mantra.  "All we need is love..." and so on.  I have found  that many people agree with that famous line.  I find it funny that it took a man like Paul McCartney singing those profound words over the radio and into history for a generation to get the concept.  

Those words are true. All we need is love.  But love is not a renewable resource. Paul will die. So long as love is a lower case word, it will fail as well.  What is needed to sustain the verb is the proper noun.  To love, we must know Love.  Love is a person.  The verb is flowing out from the nature of the proper noun that is Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ is the manifestation of love.  He is literally where it begins and where it will end.  

When people understand that, all is well with their souls.  To know that is to be at peace.  Because Jesus tells us to come to Him and He will give us rest.  I like rest.  Cause Im tired.  

God isn't done. Jesus is not done.  There are still too many people that need rest. 

Thats my thought for now.