On The Holy Spirit and luxury cars

It’s the time of year when commercials seem specifically designed to make us believe we’re a bad husband, bad friend, bad parent, if we don’t get a tremendous gift for someone, right? I mean, maybe you spend weeks pouring over catalogs, surfing the web late at night, looking for just the right gift for that special someone, and finally you think you’ve got it. Then, the next night you turn on the TV. All you want to do is watch a little football, or maybe catch the end of Elf and there it is – you know the one. The commercial with soothing music and the garage door opens and in the bay is a shiny black Lexus with a red bow on top, and the cute, perky wife leans over and gives the man a deep, lasting hug. All of a sudden, you are the worst husband ever!

Now, I don’t know anyone who’s actually ever received a Lexus for Christmas, and I certainly don’t know anyone who’s given one. But imagine just for a minute, that you did. Imagine you saved up for years and years, and just once, for that special someone, you plunked down 50 large and brought home a Lexus LS and because you’re a good negotiator, you got the dealer to throw in, at no cost, one of those big red bows. And you drive it home, and park it in your neighbor’s garage until the big day, and on Christmas morning, that special someone wakes up and walks out into the driveway and sees it. And the reaction? Well, it’s a little subdued – not quite what you expected, but you know you did the right thing, so you wait. And days go by, but the Lexus never moves. And Winter goes and Spring comes, and you walk out into the garage and the red bow still sits on top and the odometer still reads 0. When you question your spouse as to why they are still driving the 8-year-old minivan, they just shrug. How do you feel? It was a perfect gift, you paid a high price for it, and it’s going unused.

Did you know God paid a price for you? Did you know He saved you not just so he could spend eternity with you, because he wants that – he’s crazy about you. But he also saved you so you could help advance His kingdom. I know this because if he just wanted you in heaven, he could have taken you away right then. Instead, he left you here and gave you, along with His very spirit, spiritual gifts you can use to help Him find others to spend eternity with. How are you doing with that? Are you giving everything you have to build His Kingdom here on earth? Is your heart broken for people who are far from God?

In his book, Forgotten God, Francis Chan writes that his youth pastor used to ask: “what would your church (and the worldwide church) look like if everyone was as committed as you are? If everyone gave and served and prayed exactly like you, would the church be healthy and empowered? Or would it be weak and listless?”

What would your church look like if everyone was as committed as you? Would there be a band on stage every week? Would it have enough people to teach kids on Sunday morning? What would small groups look like if everyone were as committed as you? What would neighborhood outreach look like? What would the weekly offering look like? What would your city look like?

On the other hand, what would your church look like if everyone were engaged in using their gifts to the extreme?

If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. –Romans 12:6-8

Don’t leave your spiritual gifts in your garage. It’s time to get out the key and fire those babies up!

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.