On the Mark

My Blog Has Moved!!!

2008-07-09T16:05:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone! My blog has moved to a different address on the world wide web.

To visit my blog (which contains all the previous posts plus some new ones), visit:

http://www.onthemarkblog.com All future posts will come from this location. Please change your settings, and resubscribe to the RSS feed if you would like, or just come visit the blog at its new location!

"Where are Your Men?"

2008-07-03T08:43:00.007-05:00

“Where are your men?” When I graduated from the University of Oklahoma back in 1996, my good friend Todd Stewman told me that later in life, when our paths would cross, he would want to know how I would answer that question. You see, for the previous four years I had been one of Todd's “men.” I had learned to study the Bible in his Bible Study. I had learned to lead my future wife by watching him interact with his wife through their engagement and early married years. I had gained a vision for God's work around the globe through his challenge to participate in summer mission trips. I learned the value of male friendship through interaction with the other men in his small group. For four years, God had used him in a significant way in my life, and Todd was trusting that the things he had entrusted to me would continue to flow through my life to others. In fact, as I was heading into ministry, Todd wanted to make sure that at every point in my life I would have some “men” I would be investing these same things in.

There were several of us who were in Todd's small group who also received the same challenge. Rob's “men” are tribal people for whom he is translating the Scriptures into their own language for the first time. Bob's “men” are his congregation at a church plant in the American heartland. My “men” are the people of Wildwood Community Church. And these are just some of the people from Todd's small group.

The reason we have all taken Todd's charge so seriously is not because we simply love him. We do love Todd, but this mission to share God's love with others goes way beyond any single person. In fact, it goes all the way to the top. Jesus Christ is on a mission in this world moving toward people. As Jesus is moving toward people, drawing them into a relationship with Himself, He is revealing truth about God to them and redeeming them from their sins. If any would believe in Him, they would experience the blessings of our Gracious God.

Jesus Christ's pursuit of humanity and His attempt to gather his “men” and “women” from all peoples is a mission that He has been on from the beginning of time. Jesus pursuit of humanity began when humanity left the Garden of Eden. He preserved humanity in the time of Noah. He began a strategy to bless the world through the descendants of Abraham. He continued His revelation through the nation of Israel. He became incarnate in Palestine and lived and died to redeem sinful humanity. He continues to pursue mankind through the work of His Church worldwide today. And, in the future, even in the time of judgment, He will continue to pursue mankind to the very end.

In Revelation 11, during a period of protracted judgment upon the earth during the end times, Jesus will send out two witnesses to share the truth about Christ with the world amidst this time of great distress. Jesus holiness demands that the world be judged, however His compassion is continuing His mission of revealing and redeeming right up to the very end. These two witnesses will spend three and a half years prophesying on the earth concerning the reality of our God. The presence of these men at the end of times is a reminder of the enduring mission of Christ in the world. His desire is not to obliterate people, but to save them, therefore He continues to have His followers invest in their “men” with a desire that people would believe in His name and be saved.

Jesus is never without testimony in this world. Jesus is never without compassion in this world. Never. Revelation 11 is a reminder of that. Of course, not everyone embraces the compassion Christ is willing to offer (as evidenced by the killing of the two witnesses in Revelation 11:7-10), but it is extremely significant to note that He is still offering it.

Do you want to be a part of what God is doing in this world? Do you want to have a life of eternal significance and see God use you to do amazing things? Then let me ask you a question . . . “Where are your men?” Who is it that you are sharing Christ's love with? Who is it that you are pointing toward the Savior? What Christians are you in community with that you are sharpening as “iron sharpens iron?” What non-Christians are you pursuing in an intentional way? That is the mission Christ is on in the world, and if we want to be with Him, we should join Him in this effort and allow Him to reach others through us. This does not have to be a vocational effort . . . there are “men” in every walk of life and in every neighborhood in the world. He is reaching out. Will we?

Sweet and Sour

2008-06-26T07:53:00.003-05:00

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” So wrote Christian missionary Jim Elliot in his journal in 1949. Back in the summer of 1950, Jim was on the campus of the University of Oklahoma as a part of Wycliffe Bible Translator’s Summer Institute of Linguistics. Later Jim Elliot, along with four other men, would make move with their families to Ecuador and begin attempts to make contact with the Auca Indians, a ruthless and violent tribe found deep within the jungle. While early contact with the tribe looked promising, ten Auca warriors attacked Elliot and his four friends on January 8, 1956 killing them all. On that day, Jim lived out the words he had written in his journal years earlier . . . he had given the life he could not keep and gained eternal reward he would never lose.

I was thinking of Jim Elliot today as I read Revelation 10:1-11. This bizarre section of Scripture reveals to us a mighty angel who stands on the shore of the sea holding a tiny scroll in his hand. The angel announces from this location that “There is no more delay! But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as He announced to his servants the prophets (10:6b-7).” I believe this “mystery of God” is not a secret event (it is an event that God had spoken of frequently with his prophets and recorded often in the Old Testament). I believe that this event is the coming return of the Messiah to the earth in triumph and in judgment of the earth. This event is no secret, but the mystery of this event has always been the time. In fact, Jesus would say later to His disciples that “no one knows the day or the hour” of His return. When the angel hits the earth and announces this event, He is saying that the mystery of the timing of Christ’s return is about over . . . Here He comes!

When Jesus comes back, He is going to right every wrong, judge the wicked, cast away Satan, reward His followers, and establish His Kingdom. What an awesome day that will be. But as the world is preparing for the alarm clock to finally sound marking the mystery time of Christ’s return, God has given His followers on this planet a job . . . to ingest God’s Word and to tell others about it, even if the consequences of doing so are difficult. We see this in the text when John is asked to eat the little scroll in 10:8-11 as it says, “So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, ‘Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’ I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. Then I was told, ‘You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.’”

I believe that the little scroll represents God’s Word and the double edged message that it contains. God’s Word is sweet to those who embrace it, offering grace and forgiveness to someone’s life. However, God’s Word is bitter to those who reject it, as it reminds them of judgment that will come upon those who do not follow Christ at His return. John’s experience eating the little scroll in a world with such mixed reactions to the Gospel would lead to him having the sweet experience of salvation, but the sour experience of being persecuted and imprisoned because of His faith in Christ.

John’s experience in eating the little scroll was the same as Jim Elliot’s centuries later. Jim tasted the sweet taste of Christ’s forgiveness and life, yet suffered the sour experience of dying on the end of a spear in the Ecuadorian jungle. How about you? Can you relate to either of these men? As you have ingested the Word of God has it been a sweet taste to you, only to bring persecution to your life as you shared this message with the “peoples, nations, and languages” around you?

I believe that many of you who are reading this right now either have experienced this or will experience it one day to one degree or another. Maybe not through physical persecution to the point of death, but through alienation with friends and family, loss of business, or something else. Since that is the case, I want to encourage you again with the words of another person who once roamed the ovals of the University of Oklahoma, Jim Elliot, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Our life on this earth is temporary, but eternity is not. Therefore, if we feast on the Word of God, it brings a sweet taste to all of us, and even if it causes temporary hardship, there is eternal reward.

By the way, when Jim got to heaven and looked around, he saw people from EVERY tribe, tongue, and language in heaven with him. In fact, Jim and his four friends got to be the welcoming committee in heaven for the Auca. A few years after their death and as a direct result of their testimony among them, many of the Auca tribe would come to faith in Jesus Christ. Jim Elliot, no fool indeed.

List of Blessings

2008-06-25T10:12:00.012-05:00

[NOTE: This post was written last weekend, but only posted to this blog site today, when I got back to civilization and internet access!]

As I write this post I am sitting in a log cabin on Wollaston Lake in far northern Saskatchewan with 13 friends preparing for a day of fishing. This trip includes many benefits:

Separation from reality…I get to be on vacation for five days with little responsibility.
Time with friends…Five days of stories, laughter and good times.
Protection…The camp staff protects us from bears, wolves and weather.
Provision…Three squares of fried fish and other food that tastes as good as it looks.
Leadership…A guide takes us to spots where fish love the taste of metal.
Comfort…The power of men together buoys all our spirits.

I get to participate in this trip for one reason: my friendship with a friend. He has invited me to participate in this trip and because I am with him, all these benefits also flow my way. It is a package deal and causes me to want to say thank you every five minutes.

As I read Revelation 7:14-17, I see a situation promised to all Christians which reminds me of my time in Saskatchewan: Blessings that include:

Separation from sin…Our “robes” are washed clean in the blood of the Lamb.
Time with the Savior…We one day will be before the throne of God day and night.
Protection…God spreads His tent of protection over us.
Provision…We will hunger and thirst no more.
Leadership…Jesus is our shepherd and He leads us to living water.
Comfort…God Himself will wipe away every tear from our eyes.

We get all these blessings for one reason…our association with a Friend of sinners, Jesus Christ. He has graciously invited us to a heavenly destination, and because we are with Him, all these blessings are a reality; and they are a reality far better than any fishing trip.

Though we have fish at Wollaston, by dinner time we will be hungry again. Though we have guides on the boats, we will leave them here when we return home. The blessings are temporary, but the spiritual blessings of Christ are eternal. As you think of these blessings packaged for us, take five minutes to praise our great and gracious God!

When God Pounds His Chest

2008-06-24T16:54:00.003-05:00

I love the zoo. I always have. What an amazing experience to be able to see animals from six continents in one city park. A zoo is one of the locations where the world shrinks for a moment allowing us to appreciate the diversity and creativity of our God. My wife, son, and I recently took advantage of a day off to head to the Oklahoma City Zoo for a day of admiring Yogi, Boo Boo, Simba, Pumba, and all their friends.

This was not our first trip to the Oklahoma City Zoo, therefore we did not have a long agenda of what we wanted to see. At the top of our list was a desire to see the Great EscAPE, the zoo’s large area devoted to primates. We spent a good deal of time at the gorilla exhibit. While we watched the big apes forage around for sweet potatoes and cabbage, I read a very interesting sign that talked about hostile encounters with gorillas in the wild.

While King Kong may be a ferocious aggressor, the poster I read spoke of much of the meaning behind an “attack” by a gorilla in the wild. It seems that if a gorilla feels threatened it will go through many theatrics to try to get your attention and convince you to head the other way. The gorilla’s impressive display begins with a bluff charge and continues with showing teeth, chest pounding, and loud noises. All these actions are designed to do one thing: convince you that you don’t want to tangle with this ape. In other words, the gorilla does not want to fight, so it will give you every chance to back down.

I thought of this example today as I pondered the graphic details of Revelation 6-9 and its description of God’s intense judgment of the earth in the end times. Chapter 6 shows God’s judgments unfolding as seven “seals” are opened expressing judgment and atrocities on the earth. Chapters 8-9 continue with seven “trumpets” full of judgment being unloaded on the earth. This impressive display begins with a charge into wars and continues with disease, earthquakes, darkness and worse. What is interesting to me, though, is to ponder the reason for judgment unfolding as slowly as it does. In other words, why does God judge the earth in so many different ways and taking as much time as He does? One possibility is that He wants to inflict the most punishment possible. However, I do not think that is the reason for the protracted period of judgment. I think God draws out judgment not to hurt but to provide one last chance to help. By giving humanity seven years of judgment God is showing His grace again by giving people one last chance to repent.

My view on this is supported by the one chapter nestled within this section that does not include any judgment . . . Revelation 7. This chapter begins with God pausing judgment by saying in 7:3, “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” The passage goes on to let us know that those who will be saved during this time of judgment will come from people from every tribe and nation on earth, including Israel . . . God’s original chosen people who once rejected Jesus Christ, but will come back to accept Him the last days.

The gorilla’s charge is designed not to dismember you but to turn you away. God’s progressive judgment of the earth is designed not merely to damn but to turn us back toward Him. God does not want to destroy mankind, so He will give us every chance to back down from our selfish ways and accept His amazing grace. Remember that the next time you read Revelation or the next time you wonder about the heart of God amidst passages of judgment. God is a holy God and must judge sin, but God is also a loving God and offers a way out for people. Praise Him.

Read Receipt

2008-06-14T22:06:00.004-05:00

Do you ever send an email and then wonder if the recipient ever read it? While you may wonder immediately if the letter has been opened, your curiosity truly kills the cat (or at least may make you want to kick it) when days and days go by and you still have no response from your friend. If this situation describes your email life, then Microsoft Outlook designed a cure for you.

I discovered Microsoft’s answer for our email enigma a few months ago. You see, I had a friend who would attach a “read receipt” onto their emails to me. This friend works in sales, and she got tired of always wondering if her clients were reading their emails so she started attaching read receipts to all of her emails just to be sure. When I get emails from her, Outlook lets me know that a confirmation has been sent informing the sender of my receipt of the message.

I was thinking about this technology as I was reading Revelation 5-8. Scattered throughout these four chapters is Jesus’ continued revelation of heaven to the apostle John. When Jesus gives John a tour of heaven, He points out to him on several occasions one of the items that has arrived in heaven. Listen to the words of Revelation 5:8 and 8:1-5: “And when He (Jesus) had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. . . When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.”

As you read those verses did you see the item I was referring to? In the dwelling place of God . . . before His very throne . . . is a beautiful bowl consisting of the prayers of the saints. (NOTE: Saint is a term that refers to anyone who is a Christian. This bowl contains not just John the Apostle’s prayers, but yours and mine as well!) These prayers, like fine incense, are a welcome aroma to Jesus Himself. Though many years had gone by and many prayers John had prayed, no doubt, had gone “unanswered” from his perspective, John was now granted the most impressive read receipt ever. Indeed the prayers John and others had prayed had gotten through, and Revelation chapter 8 tells us that at the right time, these prayers will be answered with awesome power . . .being returned to earth with an answer and ground shaking force.

This was probably never more pronounced than with John’s prayers for the return of Christ and justice to be brought to the earth. John had seen many of his friends die for their belief in Christ, and He was on the island of Patmos as a prisoner, when this revelation came. No doubt, John had prayed many prayers for Jesus to protect His friends, to bring justice on the earth, and to set things right. Yet all these prayers had gone unanswered. Over all this time, John’s curiosity had to be killing him. Were his prayers really getting through? Then in one sweet vision, Jesus removes all doubt. The Reader of our hearts had gotten every one . . . and He was getting ready to act.

The next time you pray and you wonder if God really got your message, read Revelation 5:8 and 8:1-5 and take heart. Your prayers are still there before the throne like sweet incense before the King. The Reader has Received Your message, and He will respond soon.

Seeing Him Face to Face

2008-06-13T10:26:00.004-05:00

Isn’t it amazing how we treat famous people in our country? Because someone is on television, in our newspapers, or talked about on our radios, we feel like we know him/her . . . and we feel like we can criticize. People who cannot decide what to have for dinner blast politicians for “flip flopping” their positions over a period of several years. People who played right field on their little league baseball teams yell obscenities at Ken Griffey Jr. for taking more than a week to move from 599 to 600 career home runs. People who only broke even on their charity bake sale want to give fiscal advice to the CEO of a major corporation. In a sense, I think the distance between “us” and “them” allows us to depersonalize the situation and shift our perspective on our “American Idols” so that our role shifts from playing the role of Paula to being Simon Cowell.

I have participated in this kind of action in my life as well. I have been a major OU Football fan for many years. As such, on many Monday mornings I have gathered with friends and shared my advice on what OU could have done better the previous weekend. Even though I have not played a competitive football game since 1989 and even though I have never coached anything in my life, somehow there are times I think I know better than Sooner Coach Bob Stoops. Of course this perspective is preposterous, but the distance that normally exists between me and Bob allows me to relate to him in this critical fashion.

However, that dynamic changed last fall when I was asked to present a devotional to the OU football team at a chapel service before one of their games. Most all of the team and their coaches would be there . . . including Coach Stoops. I arrived about 20 minutes early and was waiting in the conference room for the team to arrive when Coach Stoops came into the room. He looked just like I had seen on television, only more impressive. He graciously strode over and shook my hand, introducing himself to me. We had a moment of small talk before the chapel service began. All that day, I had the privilege of standing on the sidelines and hearing the coaching staff interact with their team. At the end of the day, the distance that had once existed between “me” and “them” was removed, and I no longer felt the desire to criticize . . . just to appreciate all they are.

I was thinking of this experience yesterday as I was reading Revelation 4. In this great chapter, the Apostle John is invited by Jesus to journey up to heaven with Him and record for us what he saw. John’s journey to heaven reveals a throne encircled by a rainbow, a sea of glass, 24 elders dressed in white laying their crowns at the feet of the King, and majestic angelic creatures shouting out in loud voices praise to their God. This vision of heaven was awe-inspiring to John and should be to us also as we read it today.

It is important to remember, however, that before John was invited to tour heaven, he was working in a hard prison camp on the island of Patmos. That island had to feel a great distance away from heaven for John. From that distant place, John might have been tempted to question God. He might have wondered why God had allowed Him to be placed in prison. He might have wondered why Jesus had waited so long to return. It is possible that his perspective on God had shifted from “the God of wonders” to “God: I wonder where He is at?”

In light of that, and in light of my experience with Coach Stoops, I wonder if part of the reason for Jesus inviting John into heaven and showing him the awesomeness of it all was to remind him (and us) of the greatness of our God and how He is worthy of our praise. At the end of this trip to heaven, the distance between “us” and “Him” is removed and we can just appreciate Him for who He really is.

Think about that this week before you go to worship on Sunday. Before you enter church to sing praise and worship to God, stop and read Revelation chapter 4. When you see this awesome scene unfold, be amazed . . . when we sing praise, we are singing it to Him . . . and angels in heaven are singing harmony with our tune.

How Does Jesus Sign His Letters?

2008-06-09T15:43:00.003-05:00

What does Jesus look like? If you are like me and you close your eyes and ponder for a moment, you will see the image attached to this post . . . a brown wavy haired, blue eyed gentle man who is peaceful and serene. This image of Christ is one that has been made popular in paintings that probably adorned the walls of your Sunday School classroom years ago. The Jesus in this painting is quiet and reflective. When I am quiet and reflective, this is the Jesus that I turn to . . . however, my life is often not quiet or reflective, so what do I do?

It is interesting to me that when Jesus writes letters to seven churches in Asia in Revelation 2-3, He does not simply sign His name “Jesus.” Instead, He adds a personal descriptor to His signature to remind all His followers who were living in a not so quiet or reflective world who He was and what He was about.

To the church in Ephesus who were maintaining all their religious activities, but had forgotten to maintain their love relationship with God, He reminded them that He was the one who “walks among the seven golden lampstands (Revelation 2:1).” The lampstands were symbols of the church, so Jesus was reminding them that He was with them and welcomed a renewal of a deep relationship.

To the persecuted church in Smyrna who were being beaten and killed for their faith in Christ, Jesus reminds them that He is “the First and the Last, who died and came to life again (Revelation 2:8).” What great comfort the people of Smyrna could gain by remembering that He who was also persecuted was raised in triumph!

To the truth challenged church in Pergamum who had grown lax in their defense of the Gospel truth, Jesus revealed Himself as the one who has “the sharp, double-edged sword” coming from His mouth (Revelation 2:12). Jesus spoke truth and He would judge on the basis of that, so the church in Pergamum would do well to study and apply the truth of Christ instead of the errors of their day.

To the mixed bag of believers in Thyatira, Jesus revealed Himself as the one who had “eyes like blazing fire (Revelation 2:18).” Thyatira was a church where some were believing and some were rebelling and Jesus wanted the faithful people there to take heart that Jesus had piercing vision who could decipher the wheat from the chaff.

To the hollow church in Sardis where they were keeping up appearances but practicing wickedness, Jesus revealed Himself as the One who “holds the seven Spirits of God (Revelation 3:1).” This claim that Jesus held the full Spirit of God was meant as a reminder that Jesus saw beyond the physical world of reputations to understand the unseen spiritual world and what was going on in their hearts.

To the small, poor, and seemingly insignificant church in Philadelphia, Jesus revealed Himself as the One who “holds the key of David (Revelation 3:7).” The One who holds the key to the kings treasury is the One who can give or withhold blessing. Jesus wanted the Philadelphians to know that though they were poor now, they would be rewarded later for their faithfulness.

To the lukewarm church in Laodicea, Jesus revealed Himself as the “Ruler of God’s Creation (Revelation 3:14).” Lest the Laodiceans begin to think that they were the rulers of their own universe, Jesus wanted them to bow to Him as their King and stop riding the fence.

As I read these descriptions, it is a reminder to me that when we come to Jesus, we need to remember who He is. While the quiet and reflective Jesus is comforting some times, other times I need to remember His closeness, or His victory over the grave, or His truthfulness, or His ability to see all, or His Spirit, or His ability to bless, or His role as King. Since people are different and circumstances are different from one person to the next and from one moment to the next, Jesus reveals Himself in all of His glory to us, so that as we approach Him, we know that He is there for all of our needs.

The next time your life is not quiet or reflective, close your eyes and think about Christ. Think not only of His appearance but of His signature. There is a signature feature of His character which is most appropriate for where you are. When we do we will find encouragement and challenge for every situation.

Practice Makes Permanent

2008-06-07T00:20:00.004-05:00

53-5. This was the won/loss record of the Bartlesville High School Bruins from 1990-1992 . . . a two year run which yielded two state titles for the boys in two shades of blue. I have often thanked my parents for having me at the right time. Bartlesville has only won three state titles in the history of Bartlesville High School. These three titles came my Freshman, Junior, and Senior Season. I would like to tell you that we won these titles because I averaged a triple double four straight seasons, but a bluff that big belongs only in a low stakes poker game. The reality is I was blessed to grow up among some of the best athletes in the state of Oklahoma for our age group. On top of that, we had a coach who taught us how to win. In fact, he expected that we would win. Eventually, we all did.

Winning, as it turns out, is not just something that we are born knowing how to do. Winning is a mindset developed over years of success. Our coach knew that, and so he designed every practice, every drill, every moment we were together as a team, to teach us how to win. In practice, we never just killed time. We never just did a drill for 15 minutes, then moved on to the next one. Every drill we did, we had a clear objective that we were trying to accomplish. The drill would be over, once we accomplished that objective. Instead of just shooting free throws for 10 minutes, we would shoot free throws until we made 20 in a row. We did not just scrimmage for one quarter, the first team started the scrimmage down 15 points with 8 minutes to go, and were expected to win the quarter . . . or we would play it over again. We did not just run “suicide sprints,” we had to run them in a certain time frame. Our coach did not just want us to practice taking a shot, he wanted us to practice making it.

In many ways, my high school coach knew the axiom my seminary professor Howard Hendricks once told me, “Practice does not make perfect. Practice makes permanent.” Rather than go through the motions and develop bad habits, our coach corrected us and made us do things right so we would be winners.

I thought of this truth the other day as I read Revelation 2-3. In these two chapters, Jesus records personal letters to 7 individual churches in 92 AD. These seven churches had been in existence for many years now. In fact, by the time the book of Revelation is written, some 60 years had passed since Jesus’ ascension into heaven. These 60 years were enough time for a second generation of Christians to be born and raised. In a sense, by the time the book of Revelation is written, there were actually people who were “raised in a Christian home” . . . the first set of people who could ever make that claim. To these churches, Jesus writes personal letters because over these 60 years of existence, the churches had experienced many things and no doubt were beginning to develop their own sets of patterns and habits. Some of the things these churches were doing were good. Other things they were doing were bad. Therefore, Jesus writes them letters to point these strengths and weaknesses out. He does this, I believe, because He does not just want the church to exist, He wants it to thrive! Jesus knew that practice makes permanent, so He wanted to make sure His churches were practicing the right things. Jesus is the Lord of the church, but in some ways, He is also the Coach of the church.

Stop for a moment and think about the implications of Revelation 2-3 and the letters that Jesus wrote to the churches. He writes these letters because He cares. He cares about how we live out our lives here and now. He wants us to live out the life He created us for, not just take up space and time on the planet. If you have time, read these two chapters some time this week. In the context of those letters, you will see who Jesus is, what He cares about, and be challenged to practice the right things in the Christian life. Winning in life seems far more complicated than winning a state title, however, isn’t it awesome that our Coach loves us enough to direct us towards the victorious life?

I'll Go Anywhere With Him

2008-06-02T09:45:00.011-05:00

Sitting before me was a single engine plane floating on the surface of the Pacific Ocean. My itinerary for the day involved me getting on that plane, and flying to a pair of remote lakes found in granite bowls deep in the middle of the Misty Fjords National Monument in Alaska’s Inside Passage for a day of fishing with four of my friends. I could not wait to get on that plane and see these pristine waters, however, excitement was not the only emotion I had as I awaited my turn to board the plane. In addition to happiness, fear also was bubbling to the surface of my psyche, but why?

Well, in order to explain the fear I was feeling, you need to understand something about me. I have spent the first 34 years of my life with this love/hate relationship with bears. I love to see them, I would hate to be eaten by one . . . and as I prepared to board the plane, this dichotomy was in full effect. You see, I had heard that Alaskan Grizzly Bears were almost always seen at one of the lakes we would be visiting, and we should “watch our backs.” In addition, I had spent my time at a layover in the Seattle airport reading a book entitled “Alaskan Bear Attacks.” With that in mind, let me amend my previous statement . . . my feelings about bears just moved from love/hate, to fear and paranoia.

Even with that in mind, however, there was little I could do. Regardless of my personal fears and insecurities, I would be boarding that plane headed to those lakes in just a few minutes. It was at this point that up walked our guide who would be leading our extravaganza. His name was Dan, but I prefer to call him “Big Dan.” Big Dan was a former police officer, former fire fighter, and I am pretty sure, a former WWE wrestler. Big Dan stood about 6’3” and tipped the scales at a cool 250 pounds. Big Dan had spent half his life fishing summers in Alaska, and had routinely taken groups just like ours up into the Fjords. Big Dan had the manliest gotee I have ever seen, as it raised off his face a good six inches, and was a salt and pepper mixture of brown and grey. To top off the image, Big Dan was carrying the largest rifle I have ever seen. The bullets he put into that gun felt like cannon balls, and Dan looked as though he knew how to use it. As I stood on that dock waiting to board that plane, my thought was simple, if Big Dan is going to the Fjords, I will gladly go with HIM! As a matter of fact, the thought I had was that I would go anywhere with HIM.

Though most of us will not have the opportunity to fish the Fjords in the next few months, and though there are few Grizzlies waiting to devour us on the streets of your hometown, I believe this story serves as a great picture of a deeper spiritual reality in our lives. Though we will not face any bears this fall, there are plenty of other things that we will face that we have a love/hate relationship with that are potentially devastating to our spiritual lives. As we enter this season of life, no doubt many of us at the core of our being are hoping to grow in our relationship with God. Like a beautiful mountain lake, we cannot wait to get there, but at the same time, we are fearful of what we know lies ahead of us. For some of you, you enter this season fearful of starting something new. You may be leaving the comforts of your friends and family and heading into the new frontier of a new job. You may be fearful that loneliness is waiting to devour you in this season. Others of you are entering this season desiring to grow in your relationship with God, but knowing that what awaits you is a high speed internet connection and a search engine that can lead you to disaster. You know that pornography can devour your thought life in this setting, and so you are fearful. Still others of you have some other issue that is looming large in your life as you look to this season, and you begin to wonder how you might overcome this fear.

To answer this question, we need to turn to God’s Word. On the pages of the book of Revelation, we see a contemporary portrait painted for us of Jesus Christ. To the beleaguered church of the first century, God wanted to remind them of who Jesus really was, and that He was still in charge. To a confused church in the 21^st century, we also can learn a lot by looking at the portrait painted of Christ in the first few verses of Revelation chapter one. You see, our most common image of Christ is either one of a baby (who we feel we need to protect), or a dying bloody body (who we want to pity.) Though these images were certainly a part of Christ’s life on earth, His current state is one which need not be protected or pitied. The picture painted for us of Christ in Revelation 1:12-18 is as follows:

“I (John) turned to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone ‘like a Son of Man,’ dressed in a robe reaching down to His feet and with a golden sash around His chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw Him I fell at His feet as though dead. Then He placed His right hand on me and said: ‘Do not be afraid, I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead and behold I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”

When you read that passage and see the description of Christ there, you see One who is clearly in authority and in charge. He carries a large sword, and His purity and power are evident in all that He is and does. Though He is awe-inspiring He tells us not to fear. When you have conquered death and evil, what is there to fear? When I see this image of Christ, I am reminded of one thought . . . I will go anywhere WITH HIM!

As you head into this season of life, and as you identity the areas of your life which are on the margins of fear and doubt, remember this contemporary picture of Christ. Take a good long look at the Savior and take courage. We do not enter into our lives on our own. He is with us (Revelation 1:20 tells us that the lampstands are symbols of the church, and Jesus is “among the lampstands), and this ought to encourage us to go anywhere with Him.

A More Recent Photograph

2008-05-31T16:38:00.002-05:00

Take a look at the picture attached to this post. That tan leisure suit wearing, sly smiling three year old is me. If you don’t fully recognize the resemblance, you are not alone. I have not looked like that for quite some time. I have not worn a suit like that for a very long time.

If you did not know me and all you had to find me was that little photograph, you may or may not be able to ever find me. Though I am still the same guy who was photographed in that suit long ago, a lot has happened in my life since then and a more recent photograph would surely be even more helpful in finding the current me.

I mention this today because right now I am studying the book of Revelation . . . the last book of the New Testament. Though the book of Revelation has been understood and misunderstood in many ways over the past 2,000 years, I believe the primary subject of the book of Revelation is revealed in the first few words of Revelation 1:1, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ . . .” Above all, the book of Revelation is the most recent photograph of the Savior that we have been given. The book describes Jesus current appearance, current location, and current and future work. By reading and studying this book, I am not trying to solve a puzzle or resolve some bizarre “Bible Code.” I am reading this book (I believe) as God intended us to read it . . . to expand our conception of Christ to include His most recent revelation.

The book of Revelation was written to a group of people who (if they were old and gray), last saw Christ when they were young and active. The book was written to a people who had hopes of a Kingdom, but had lived through a catastrophe . . . the sacking of Jerusalem at the hands of the Roman leader Titus in 70 AD. The book was written to a people who had hopes of the return of Christ but instead had seen the departure of all their apostles (except one) via persecution and martyrdom. The book was revealed to a man (John) who had hopes of freedom in Christ, but found Himself shackled on the island of Patmos, a prisoner of the state. Given these hard times, it is easy to imagine that John (the human author) might have been scared, discouraged, and downtrodden. Given these hard times, it is possible that John might have wondered where Christ was during these hard times.

In the midst of His struggle, God graciously gave John a revelation of Jesus Christ. While John slaved away on Patmos, Our Heavenly Father gave John a new photograph of the Savior to add to His scrapbook of understanding. The Savior God revealed to John was one of power and not passivity. Beginning in Revelation 1:12-16, Jesus is revealed in a different way than John might have remembered Him during His earthly ministry. While He was still the same Jesus, He was now robed in glorious power and awesome might. I believe this revelation was meant to encourage John in a profound way . . . Jesus was still in charge, and Jesus was still going to win.

I don’t know what you are going through in your life right now that might be discouraging to you in some way. I don’t know what lies ahead for you that makes you tremble or uneasy. Whatever it is, I believe we need to stop and read Revelation 1:1-20 and remember who our God really is. We need this latest revelation to update our photo album of the Savior and see Him for who He really is. When we do, it will encourage us so much to know that He is with us and He tells us what He told John in Revelation 1:17, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.”