The only appropriate response to prayer

I woke up early this morning to go to a prayer meeting.

As I was walking into the building, I found myself shaking. At first, I wondered if it was from the chill of the morning, but I soon realized I was nervous. Nervous? Why? I've been to hundreds of prayer meetings, and prayed in public a lot. No need to be nervous.

Then it hit me...it wasn't nerves, it was excitement. Clear as day, I heard my own voice in my head say, "I get to go before the throne today." Then it all made sense.

Daddy, I don't think you can!

I was sitting on the couch this evening, winding down from my day, and watching/listening to my girls do the same. One was finishing her bath, while the other was sitting in front of the computer, writing a note to her mom. From the office, I heard a loud noise that sounded like someone hitting a keyboard, then a loud, sustained cry. I got up and immediately rushed in to see what was the matter.

When I saw my 6-year-old standing in front of the screen, her face red and tear-streaked, her eyes puffy, the chair pushed back from the desk, I assumed she had fallen off her seat. So imagine my surprise, when I asked her what was wrong and she said, "the thing won't go back to the center of the page!"

"What do you mean?" I asked. Through deep sobs she replied, "The thing. The blinking thing. I push enter and it goes all the way over here (to the left side of the page). I want it in the middle."

I felt a sudden sense of relief. This was one I could finally handle! "Well, just calm down and listen, and I'll show you how to fix it," I told her.

That's when the bomb dropped. She grabbed the keyboard, clutched it tight and said, "Daddy, I don't think you can!" Well now, this was insulting. I thought I could do anything in my daughters eyes. She has a problem that's so simple, I've solved it hundreds of times. Why doesn't she just trust me to fix it?

And then it hit me. This must be exactly how God feels when I don't trust him with my problems. And that's exactly how I often act. I just want to grab my keyboard and go home.

"I can do it," I told her reassuringly. "I know how." And once she let go of the keyboard and let me take control, I showed her exactly how to fix her problem.

Cast your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall. -Psalm 55:10

Top ten benefits of turning 40.

I've been really down on turning 40 lately, but I thought to celebrate the milestone, I would look on the bright side. So, here are my Top Ten benefits of turning 40:

10. Not so offended when the young lady at the gas station calls me "sir."
9. Lower car insurance rates.
8. I don't feel self-conscious saying, "back in the day."
7. New (slower) qualifying standard for the Boston Marathon!
6. The clothes and hair I had in high school are now in style again.
5. With old(er) age comes great perspective - little things seem little.
4. When college students say, "wow, I didn't realize you were that old," now I just agree with them.
3. Built-in excuse for achy muscles.
2. Oh, now the gray hair makes sense!

and the number 1 benefit of turning 40:

1. Three words: New Age Group.

Why the 2010 Census matters to the Church

The Church and government don’t often mix well.

When Jesus was asked if we should pay taxes, he said, “Give to Caeser what is Caeser’s, and give to God what is God’s” (Matthew 22:21). Many Christians, and even church leaders, have taken Jesus’s statement as permission to completely disassociate the Church from any government initiative.

But, if we’re honest with ourselves, we will realize that some government programs can be useful tools to help with our great commandment to love others as we love ourselves. When God commands us to feed the poor, or to take care of orphans, there are obviously lots of things we can do personally to make that happen. But, there are also existing programs we can take advantage of, and many of those are funded by the federal government.

Censuses didn’t have a great reputation in biblical times. They were usually associated with collecting money. David angered the Lord when he decided to take a census of his men. And, of course, it was because of a census in Bethlehem that Jesus was born in a manger, instead of more comfortable digs.

The US Census to be held in 2010, however, is different from these. The census is a mechanism used to allocated billions of dollars in government funding for important community facilities like schools, roads, hospitals, child care centers, and more. Over $300 billion a year, to be more specific. How these dollars are allocated, in many cases, is dependent on how many people are counted in each area. That’s why it’s important for our communities for everyone to be counted.

Why should the Church care? Well, the very groups that God calls us to defend (the poor, the marginalized, the orphans and widows) are the groups that are the least likely to be counted. In 2010, America has a higher population of historically undercounted groups than ever. Many of these groups don’t trust the government to do what’s right, but they trust their local church. Therefore, the Church should step up and encourage all groups to be counted.

So, as a church leader, pastor, or not-for-profit director, what can you do?

1. Ensure your congregation or constituents that the census is simple and safe. The questionnaire is only a few questions, and every household’s personal information will be kept confidential for 72 years.

2. Offer to help those who don’t understand or read English If you have a cross-cultural ministry, this can be especially helpful.

3. Create a campaign. Hang signs or posters in your church or office. Make sure everyone’s aware that census questionnaires are coming in March, and that April 1 is census day.

Every person matters to Jesus, so they should matter to us. It’s in our hands. Let’s all do our part to make sure each and every person is counted.

Pumpkin Theology

Fall break has come and gone, which means Halloween is knocking at the proverbial door. This weekend, my family took the time to pick out and carve pumpkins. As we were cleaning out the gooey insides, my daughter Grace said, "Daddy, this is so gross." I immediately thought about God, and wondered if He says the same thing when He goes through the cleansing process with me? That got me to thinking deeper about our relationship with Him, and how closely a few minutes with this orange squash resembled our relationship with Christ.

So, we used the whole process as a teaching moment. I invite you to try it with your kids this week if you are pumpkin carvers...

We didn't choose God, he chose us. Just like the pumpkins didn't choose us. God told Jeremiah, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart...."

We scoop out the seeds and pulp. In the same way, once we decide to follow Jesus, he cleans out the nasty stuff from inside us. The Psalm says, "as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." Micah says God, "hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea." I just put the pulp on some newspaper, but still.

Then, we put the new face on the pumpkin. Just like we become new in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

Finally, we insert a candle and light it, so everyone can see our great new Jack O'lanterns. After all, we want everyone to see what's happened to them, right? In the same way, we are called to shine our light so people see the difference in our lives. "No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light." -Luke 8:16

So, we get quality time with the family, fall decorations, and a memorable bible lesson all for around $10. Pretty good investment, I'd say.

God in the whisper

If you're at all like me, (and for your sake, I hope you're not) you may doubt God from time to time. Maybe you're in a situation you don't like or don't understand, or maybe you're searching for direction in some part of your life, or maybe you just want to know if He's listening to your prayers. My tendency is often to pray for a sign. Lord, just show me who you are... show me that you are God.

But, as I read scripture, I really need to stop praying this. Have you done this lately? Look how God often proves Himself. It's almost always with death and destruction. There are very few fleece moments in the bible. It's more like this:

And they will know that I am the LORD, when their people lie slain among their idols around their altars...

You will fall by the sword, and I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

The inhabited towns will be laid waste and the land will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

If it's been awhile since you read the bible, think about it. Do you remember a passage that says, "I will deliver the job into your hands, then you will know that I am the LORD?" Or how about, "I will heal your ailing spouse/child/brother then you will know that I am the LORD?" Or even, "I will present to you the lottery numbers BEFORE they are drawn, then you will know that I am the LORD?" No. I mean there is the staff turning into a snake thing. And the time that Elijah called on God to set the altar ablaze. But generally, in scripture, the LORD makes Himself known in ways that we wouldn't really want to see Him. But, it also means that He has the power to make Himself known.

So, what does this mean for us? It means we need to have faith. Faith that His plan is better than ours. Faith that he's the same God He has been- yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Faith that He's still on His throne.

When nothing wheron to lean remains,
When strongholds crumble to dust;
When nothing is sure but that God still reigns,
That is just the time to trust.

'Tis better to walk by faith than sight,
In this path of yours and mine;
And the pitch-black night, when there's no outer light
Is the time for faith to shine. - Joseph Parker

God has told us who He is, and He's probably shown you in your life time and again. Maybe you can't hear him now because life SCREAMS at you. Your circumstances YELL at you to ignore that still small voice inside your head. But, scripture tells us that God is in the whisper. Be still and listen... and know that He is God.

Lord, make me more stubborn

"But it won't work that way with the family of Israel. They won't listen to you because they won't listen to me. They are, as I said, a hard case, hardened in their sin. But I'll make you as hard in your way as they are in theirs. I'll make your face as hard as rock, harder than granite. Don't let them intimidate you. Don't be afraid of them, even though they're a bunch of rebels." -Ezekiel 3:7-9 (The Message, emphasis added)

At first, this seems like a pretty strange passage to me. I mean, who wants their face to be as hard as a rock? C'mon God, make my abs as hard as a rock, maybe, but my face?

But, what a cool thing God did for Ezekiel. He was sending him to speak to the Israelites and warn them about their sin. But in His sovereignty, God knew they would be stubborn about it, so he promised to make Ezekiel more stubborn.

I have to tell you that so many times, when I find myself in a similar situation, I pray about the others. I pray for the ones I'm speaking to and say, "Lord, soften their hearts. Help them see it my way."

But, maybe God wants to teach me something sometimes by making people stubborn. Maybe people who don't just follow me blindly are meant to test my perserverance. Maybe I should pray for God to change me more than I pray for Him to change other people. Like Ezekiel, I need to ask him to make my face harder than granite. After all, as James wrote, "You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way." -James 1:2-3 (the Message)

I want to be mature and complete. I want not to be deficient in any way. So, Lord, make me more stubborn.

And, about those abs...