Monthly Archives: December 2014

A Tighter Hug and A Few More Words

24 Wednesday Dec 2014

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One of the movies that I can turn on and have playing in the background is Just Go with It with Adam Sandler and Jennifer Anniston. If you are familiar with the movie, you may remember the scene towards the end where they (Sandler and Anniston) are having dinner with another couple, when the guy has to take a phone call. As he gets up to move away from the table to take the call, he turns to his wife and they rub their noses together while sharing what they love most about the other. It is a pretty comical scene, one that obviously makes the characters played by Sandler and Anniston laugh. After leaving, the woman turns around and explains what just happened. She explains they made a commitment to always share what they love about the other every time they leave each other’s presence.

I am reminded of this scene this week given the passing of my grandfather. This past Sunday my mom had the whole family over her house for Christmas. We exchanged presents, took pictures, and ate a big meal. Before leaving, Joannie, the kids, and I went around telling everyone good-bye, giving them a hug, and telling them we loved them. My granddaddy was included in the rounds.

As I hugged my granddaddy, it never dawned on me that it would be the last hug I would give him as well as the last time I would tell him, “I love you.” Although he was 80, he seemed to be a very healthy 80; thus, I unconsciously thought I would just see him in a couple of months. But death has its way of sneaking up on us, and early Tuesday morning (December 23) my granddad fell asleep and went home to be with the Lord.

Once again I am reminded of the fragility of life. I am reminded that life is a vapor—here today, gone tomorrow. I am reminded that you can be celebrating Christmas one day with a person, and then a few days later be celebrating their life at their funeral. Given this, that odd amusing scene from Just Go with It, just might have some validity to it. I know, given that we all despise death and never want to experience it, our minds and hearts do not want to think that this could be the last time we would see those we love. However, reality is we all will taste the pain and grief of passing (at least until Jesus comes back) in this broken world.

Knowing what I know now, that good-bye and “I love you” on Sunday would have included a tighter hug along with a few more words. Those few more words would have been something like:

  • “Granddaddy, I thank God for you and your love for the Lord.” [His love for the Lord, His word, and His church truly was a contagion in our family. God used my granddaddy to bring me to where I am today. I firmly believe it was granddaddy’s investment into his kids (including my mom) that laid the foundation for my mom to be so committed to the Lord and church, which has greatly impacted my life. My granddad has played a huge role in where God has me today.]
  • “Granddaddy, I love spending time sitting in your presence.” [I think my granddad loved sitting in a recliner listening to either background music, glancing at the stock market numbers, or watching a good John Wayne film. But he really loved sitting there listening and observing his family; and truthfully, his family was more at ease knowing he was there and internally smiling in his heart as he watched the joy surrounding him.]
  • “Granddaddy, I really enjoy sparring with you over matters of theology and politics.” [My granddaddy knew the word (which is why he loved it so much), and probably over the course of 60+ years of being a believer had forgotten more than I have learned. However, I will miss sitting with him at the kitchen table talking about the word of God and how the church can be better positioned to reach people far from God.]
  • “Granddaddy, you model faithfulness in an excellent way.” [Simply put, my granddaddy was a faithful man. He was faithful to the Lord, faithful to his wife (57 years), faithful to his kids, faithful to his grandchildren, and faithful to his church. He epitomized faithfulness.]

As I sit in Starbucks typing this, I am fighting to hold back the tears. I loved my granddaddy, and will miss him immensely. However, in the midst of a great loss, I am reminded once again of the greatness of our God, King, and Savior. In Jesus, we have a hope that is unwavering and unending. And because of Jesus and the faith that my grandfather placed in him, to be absent in his body is to be present with the Lord. I know that because of Jesus I have the hope of being united with my grandfather one day and giving him that tighter hug and sharing those few extra words. In the meantime, I pray that I would be faithful like my grandfather, and learn to give the tighter hugs and share a few more words with those I love because it just might be my last opportunity. Let us all learn to give those tighter hugs and share those few extra words with those we love.

Securing Joy All Year Round

18 Thursday Dec 2014

Posted by in Christian Life, Gospel

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Although the Christmas season can trigger stressors in people’s lives, it still remains a time that brings many people joy. For children, it’s a joyous time because it marks the season where they impatiently wait to see what Santa and their parents will bring and buy them. For adults, the joyous feelings may be the result of a tumultuous year coming to a close and the anticipation of a better year to come; decorating the house or cooking a favorite dessert; watching “Christmas Vacation” and laughing at cousin Eddie; buying gifts for others; gathering together with family and friends and laughing at the tacky sweaters; or may be the result of singing Christmas carols for an entire month. For me, singing Christmas music, watching Christmas movies, spending time with family and friends, and giving presents to others brings joy to my life during this season. I do not know what brings you joy, but whatever it is we experience a time of joy throughout the Christmas season. But can this joy, this gladness, this deep-seeded happiness be sustained throughout the year?

All the things that I mentioned above that bring others and me joy during the holiday season are really temporary. In order to sustain our joy and gladness, we would have to find something else in January, February, March, etc. to replace what brought us joy in December. For many, that is exactly what they do. When the joys of the holidays have come and gone, they begin their search for that which brings joy. Many look for a deep happiness from work, recognition, a person, a hobby, an addiction, or friends and family. But, in the end, they simply fail to find something that brings them unlimited, unshakeable, undeniable, and unfailing joy.

Here’s the underlying principle for finding something that brings unlimited, unshakeable, undeniable, and unfailing joy: you have to find something that in and of itself is unlimited, unshakeable, undeniable, and unfailing. In other words, you have to find something that brings you joy that is permanent, secure, consistent, trustworthy, durable, unending, and never changing—something that is the same yesterday, today, and forever no matter what your environment, circumstances, or situations may be.

Now, where do you find something like that? You find it the same place the shepherds in Luke 2 found it. The angel in Luke 2 shows up to some poor, lowly shepherds while they are keeping an eye on their sheep and exclaims to them that, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Did you catch what it was that would bring great joy to the shepherds? It was the good news that a Savior, a King was born. This wasn’t just any Savior and King; this was God’s anointed Savior and King. In fact, this was God himself, the incarnate deity who is unmovable, unlimited, undeniable, unfailing, and unending.

The coming of Jesus, the incarnate deity, communicates three truths to us. First, it communicates the truth that humanity was and is so sinful, so broken, so jacked-up, so damaged, so distorted that we were and are hopeless without God. Second, it communicates the truth that God loved us so much that he was willing to come and rescue us. In his eyes, we were worth saving, worth rescuing. Third, it communicates the truth that God wants to actually live and dwell with us. In other words, he wants to have an ongoing relationship with us.

Think about how these three truths brought an unlimited, unshakeable, unmovable, undeniable, and unfailing joy in the lives of the shepherds. Truth is, the divine news didn’t change the way many viewed the shepherds or their occupation. This news didn’t win them popularity in their society. This news didn’t free them from Roman rule. This news didn’t change their socio-economic standing in the world. But what this news did for them was communicate the divine truth that although they were sinfully broken and lived in a sinfully broken world, they were objects of God’s love with whom the Sovereign, unlimited, unshakeable, unmovable, undeniable, and unfailing King of the universe came intentionally to rescue and know them.

Thus, Jesus—the ultimate purpose of the Christmas season—is that unlimited, unshakeable, undeniable, and unfailing something that one can embrace and know. And it is embracing and knowing Jesus that leads to securing joy all year round. It is Jesus that bring to one unspeakable, unprecedented, unrelenting, and unimaginable joy. The joy that Jesus brings is present no matter what your situation or circumstances are. The joy Jesus brings is present whether we are poor or rich; whether we go bankrupt or win the lottery (that’s if you play); whether we have experienced the birth of a child or the death of a loved one; whether we are despised or greatly appreciated; whether we are employed or unemployed; whether we are greatly loved or have been betrayed; whether we live in a prosperous nation or a struggling one; whether we live in a dream home or a shack; whether we have plenty or are in want; or whether we are close with our children or estranged. Embracing and knowing Jesus brings the unlimited, unshakeable, undeniable, and unfailing joy that we all desperately long for! This is why the angel said the good news of Jesus is news of “great joy.”

In closing, I pray you have enjoyed and will continue to enjoy the Christmas season. Have fun singing your favorite Christmas carols like, “O Holy Night,” watching your favorite Christmas movies like, “White Christmas,” eating your favorite Christmas snacks like, chocolate covered peanut butter balls, and spending time with your wonderfully annoying family. But remember, while all of these things are fun and bring temporary joy, only embracing and knowing the true reason for the season, Jesus Christ, is the key to unlocking, to securing joy all year round!

Principles Gleaned from “Dangerous Calling” by Paul Tripp

09 Tuesday Dec 2014

Posted by in Gospel, Ministry; Leadership;

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In light of the fall of man and the pursuit of God’s redemption through Jesus, John Piper expressed that “life is war.” Battles within this war occur every day. No believer gains immunity from this war, or the battles within. In fact, everyone finds his or herself on the front lines—including pastors. As a result, pastors must not forget that pastoral ministry is one of the many fields of battle that this war for the heart and allegiance to Christ is waged. And it is the battlefield of pastoral ministry that Paul Tripp candidly discusses in his work, Dangerous Calling. In bringing awareness to this battlefield, Tripp writes to confront a complacent, comfortable, mediocre, mechanical, and lethargic pastoral culture that seems to have forgotten to apply (to themselves) the same gospel they preach to others, and to call pastors to “humble self-reflection and change.”

Being in vocational ministry for over thirteen years, I found this book extremely beneficial, in that God used it to bring both conviction and encouragement in my life. The following are five principles that I gleaned from Tripp’s Dangerous Calling.

1) Pastors are not perfect, even if they think or the church thinks they should be

I understand the catch-22 pastors face in this area. On one hand, pastors intuitively know they are not perfect (or I hope they do). Theologically they know they are sinners by nature and are undergoing the same sanctification process as other believers. However, on the other hand, there are some church members that do not tolerate the imperfection of their pastors. It seems that some place the pastor—whether intentionally or unintentionally—on a pedestal to the point they think that spiritual maturity means refraining from public blemishes. As a result, practically speaking, they may try to cover up or hide as much of their blemishes and imperfections as they can. In a surgical way, Tripp isolates this tendency, exposes it, and encourages pastors to be real and authentic about who they really are—a sinner who is as much in need for (daily) grace as the people to whom they preach.

2) Pastors need pastoring

Given the fact that pastors find themselves on the journey of sanctification means that they need pastoring just as much as their congregants. While I have been taught the need for someone to pour into pastors, and while I have mentors in my life as well as someone who I would consider my pastor, I have not specifically thought of nor practiced the concept of having someone consistently pastor and shepherd me. Tripp addresses this concept and drives it home. Since the pastor has not arrived, he too is in need to be pastored just as much as those he oversees. In other words, as Tripp understands, spiritual maturity is not the abstention of being led, but the acceptance of it. But who plays this role in pastoring the pastor? According to Tripp, it can be a variety of people from a leadership body, another pastor, or a counselor. The important point is not who does it, but that it is done.

3) Pastors need to be aware of the bifurcation of their personal lives and their public ministry

Those in ministry have the tendency to view their personal lives as an isolated island, and their public ministry as the inland. In order to go to work, public ministry, they take a ferry leaving their private life behind. The separation of a pastor’s private life from their public life can easily happen because the personal lives of pastors are messy and broken. As a result they attempt to separate their personal lives from the realm of public ministry. However, as Tripp argues, regardless of how hard a pastor tries to keep their private life from invading their public ministry, it cannot be done. The two are inextricably linked. Therefore, the health of the pastor’s personal life will aid in a healthier public ministry, and vice versa, the unhealthiness of the pastor’s personal life will lead to an unhealthy public ministry (even though it may seem the public ministry is successful).

In order to prevent this separation, pastors need to embrace authenticity and humility. Authenticity is being who you are, which is the opposite of hypocrisy— masquerading around as someone you are not. Humility forms the base for pastors to be authentic and whole because they realize they, too, are still broken and in need of a daily dose of the gospel. As a result of embracing humility and authenticity, pastors do not have to be afraid (or at least shouldn’t have to be afraid) of being real and authentic—letting down their prideful guard—sharing their struggles and how they are daily dependent and desperate for the same gospel they declare to others.

4) Pastors need to minister from the gospel, not only for the gospel

Identity should come from the gospel, not from the ministry of the gospel. Although it is a slight word change, the meaning and understanding is vitally important. It is easy to get in the habit of viewing gospel ministry as being done for the gospel. [And to a certain degree gospel ministry is done for the advancement of the gospel.] However, gospel ministry should primarily be done from the gospel. In other words, the most effective gospel ministries will be enacted from a heart that has been and is constantly being shaped by the gospel. The proclivity, however, in gospel ministry is that although a heart has been once shaped by the gospel, because of the busyness of ministry and even [the busyness of] personal life, the pastor’s heart tends to minister for the gospel rather than from the gospel.

Given this tendency, Tripp attempts to paint the picture that a ministry that operates “for” the gospel eventually turns a passionate, zealous, and grateful ministry or minister into a dry, complacent, comfortable, callous, lethargic, and apathetic one. Therefore, pastors must discipline themselves to apply a daily dose of the gospel to their own lives. In living “from” the gospel, one’s passion, zeal, and gratefulness is stirred “for” the gospel. Just imagine what kind of gospel-centric culture would be created if pastor’s not only had an intellectual ascent to the gospel, but a personal, daily, experiential, passionate, intimate, and transformational engagement with the gospel—one that flowed from them into their ministry. Talk about churches becoming more vibrant, reproducing, grace-oriented, and gospel-centered.

5) Pastors are not just a vehicle of Christ’s amazing grace, but also a recipient

The previous point leads to this point. A pastor’s ministry is not solely a vehicle of Christ’s ministry and mission, but is also a recipient. If pastors come to view themselves as first a vehicle of Christ’s ministry rather than a recipient, it will lead to a “puffed up” pride. They will wear a Sadducee(an) chip on their shoulder, walk around with a Pharisaic religious and moral pride, and possess a sort of vicious Zealot(istic) aura that views themselves as head and shoulders above others. While it is certainly true that pastors (and the church as a whole) are vehicles of Christ’s amazing grace, it’s paramount they realize they first are recipients. Living from the reception of grace makes the vehicle more potent, impactful, and plausible.

The quintessential need for pastors to embrace and apply personally the same gospel they preach is the common theme throughout Dangerous Calling. Summarizing his book, Tripp writes that Dangerous Calling is “a detailed exposition of what happens in the life of a person in ministry when he forgets to preach to himself the same gospel he preaches to others” (224).

In closing, how can pastors call their fold to do something they themselves are not practicing? Truthfully, it would be, and is, extremely difficult. Maybe that is why many churches find themselves consisting of “knowledgeable” people who can verbalize the gospel, but have a difficult time practicing the personal, internal (inside the church), and external (outside the church) implications of the gospel. As Jarrod Wilson expresses in his book, Pastoral Justification, the judgment of God begins with the household of God, which begins with the leaders. Therefore, if we want churches full of people who not only “know” and can regurgitate gospel lingo, but full of people who passionately know, embrace, embody, enact, and apply the gospel in all areas of their lives, churches must be led by leaders who model this.

Messy Houses, Cleansing Savior

01 Monday Dec 2014

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Our house seems like it stays messy. Our three young children are partly, ok mostly, to blame for this (although, I have to confess that I have the tendency to put my clean clothes up once a week). Dirty clothes, toy cars, Legos, light sabers, movie boxes, Sippy cups, kid Tervis Tumblers, chip bags, craft clippings, ipods, blankets, etc., become stationary figures throughout the day. It really is unbelievable how a clean house can become untidy thirty minutes after the kids arrive home from school. When it comes to messes, you do not have to teach children how to make a mess. However, you do have to teach them how to clean one up. Messes naturally happen, but cleaning one up is a different story. I haven’t seen any child inherently want to cleanup their mess; they much rather leave it. Thus, cleaning doesn’t happen naturally. It takes understanding, intentionality and energy. And most of all cleaning up messes takes a willingness and obedience.

Household messes provide an example for the messes of our lives. Truthfully, our lives are messy because of sin and brokenness. By nature, we are sinners; therefore messes naturally occur. Our messes can be manifested in a variety of fashions—spiritually, emotionally, mentally, relationally, physically, martially, and vocationally. Just like toys, blankets, dishes, clothes, and dirt find themselves all over our house making it messy, so too does negative thoughts, dirty words, lust, anger, bitterness, pride, selfishness, greed, jealousy, etc. find their way into our lives making them messy.

Like I said, making messes are easy; cleaning them up is another story. I don’t know about you, but I have seen the cleanup efforts of our young children. They get an A—for A(ttempted) and borderline A(wful). Why that grade? Because, the blankets find themselves half-way in the hamper (not to mention having bent the hamper in the process), most of the Legos are placed back into the Lego bin while leaving fifteen smaller pieces all over the floor, dishes find their way [at least] to the sink, the couch is left crooked from where the older one dove for a self-directed pass as if he is Demaryius Thomas of the Denver Broncos, Cheetos crumbs are still on the floor, a stray sock is left under the couch, a couple of cars are left stranded on the floor, and our four remotes are in the four corners of the living room.

If we left our children to clean up their messes on their own, it would just be a matter of time before our house became completely and utterly chaotic and out-of-control. Given the fact that we (ok, Joannie) know(s) how we want the house to look and have prescribed where the things should go, we coach and help them cleanup their mess. As a result, the cleanup process requires most of all obedience from our children, which is accompanied with understanding, intentionality and energy.

When it comes to straightening and cleaning up the messes of our lives, it will require our obedience to the Lord as we surrender to him. Our obedience and surrender, through the Holy Spirit, will lead us to seek the Lord in understanding how he wants our lives to function and be ordered in every area. In addition, once we begin understanding how he wants us to live and order our lives, we must begin applying ourselves to his sanctification process with great intentionality and energy. In other words, allowing God to cleanup our lives requires great effort and discipline on our part—not to mention great humility. It’s important to keep in mind that the messes of our lives have been made by us, thus they will not be cleaned up in our own ingenuity or effort; but rather, the cleanup of our lives is led, monitored, and empowered by our loving Father, our gracious and great Savior and King, and his powerful Spirit.

Here are two questions to ponder when it comes to our messy houses (lives) and our cleansing Savior. First, will we recognize the mess or messes in our lives? Second, will we, under the Lordship of Jesus and the direction and empowerment of the Spirit allow him to cleanup our mess or messes? In the end, we must keep in mind, the bad news is that our houses (our lives) are messy, but the good news is that Jesus has come to cleanup our mess for his glory and our and others’ good!