Excuse me, Mr. West: An open letter to Kanye

Dear Mr. West,

I simply wanted to write a quick letter to you concerning your outburst last night during the Video Music Awards on MTV. While I did not watch a single minute of the entire show, I couldn’t help but notice how your behavior dominated the “headlines” and statuses on facebook/myspace and has been the hot topic of discussion all day. I must admit, I went to YouTube and witnessed your interruption of Taylor Swift as you interjected your disapproval of the winner of that specific award.

However, unlike everyone else in the media and the blogosphere, I have a few encouraging words that I would like to offer to you.

First of all, I understand you.

I realize that it is impossible for you to go two weeks without causing some type of controversy.  I completely understand that as an only child you are so use to the attention that it is unfair for us to not drop everything that we are doing and focus on you. I am sure you did not mean to belittle Taylor Swift nor were you interested in giving Beyonce a shout out. You simply were acting on your natural only child syndrome impulse. I do not know why the world cannot simply accept that you deserve to be the center of attention because YOU ARE KANYE WEST.

Secondly, it’s not your fault.

Society has failed you. The world really is against you. They do not understand the radical struggle you had growing up as the son of a college professor in a middle-income household in suburban Chicago. I know eating three meals a day, going to a quality public high school and even attending an arts college and a university for a semester must have scarred you. We should have done a better job as a society preparing you mentally and emotionally to walk through these traumatic times of your life.

Thirdly, you really are the only musical opinion that matters.

Apparently no one remembers how you have overcome a near-death accident that wasn’t your fault at all to make incredibly “original” hit records. The people just don’t appreciate how difficult it is to “borrow” (sample) other people’s words, lines, beats and mix a creative line of your own to make “your” music.  As a result of this wide-array of musical influences (read:stealing) you are in the position to make a final judgment on all things music. The fans do not know what they are doing. They are not allowed to actually have an opinion, because they are ill-informed. You are the only one who makes quality music, and as a result, you have the final say.

Finally, you aren’t winning awards because “the man” is holding you down.

While I am still unsure of who this “man” actually is, because you are Kanye West you DESERVE to have everything. I know that some people will scream, “You are not entitled to anything”, to which I would say “hogwash”. You are Kanye West. Because of your difficult childhood and the constant oppression that you face, we should all buy all of your albums and declare you the winner of EVERY award. You deserve it. You are entitled to it. Don’t let them tell you otherwise.

Even though I don’t know who “the Man” is, I am confident I know his son. He’s the middle-income, middle school student that I teach who keeps buying your albums. So maybe you are right after all. “The Man” really is holding you down. But thank goodness that his kids keep paying for your extravagant lifestyle, cars, houses, and 80′s retro clothing.

So enjoy the fruits of your labor, Mr. West. Continue to take attention from others (it should be on you anyway). Blame other people (it’s never your fault, you’re Kanye!). Don’t worry about what you say (your opinion is the only one that matters, everyone else is just jealous). Keep complaining about not winning awards (you deserve them all).

Seriously, where would we be without you Mr. West? I hope to hear from you soon. But if not, I will look forward to seeing you give me another reason to blog in about two weeks. Thanks for all you do (?)

Sincerely,

A Concerned (former) Fan.

World Changers Roanoke, VA: Day 4-5

uesday is one of my favorite days at World Changers because the participants are excited about their second day of work and evening worship is normally a concert of prayer.

A student puts down shingles on a worksite at World Changers Roanoke, VA.

Here are some highlights from these two days:

Highlights from Tuesday:

1.) Concert of Prayer: The students were brought into the dimly lit auditorium blindfolded by one of their adult leaders. Whoever escorted them to their seats prayed over them. This alone was a beautiful sight. Yet, what happened next I will not soon forget. As we played “Amazing Grace-My Chains are Gone” softly over the sound system as more people came in, students and adults began to stand and sing, blindfolded and all, and the presence of God fell in the room. It was a humbling moment.

2.) Visiting crews: I love watching the students at each worksite. Some crews work harder than others. Some play harder than others. Some are more excited, while others are more entertaining. You never know what to expect when you drive up… except that the students are pumped to be “on camera”.

3.) Dart Game: A ridiculous game where you call someone’s name and when they look at you… you shoot a “blow dart” at them. They have to fall to the ground until someone removes the “dart” out of their neck. This was started by a group at my project last year, but I never played. This year I decided to introduce the game. The kids picked it up quick (of course) and it was hilarious to watch people laid out during dinner time.

Highlights from Wednesday:

1.) Off Night: Regardless of what anyone says, the off night is a welcomed thing on a World Changers project. Crews work til lunch time and then head back to the lodging facility and have the whole night off as a youth group to do whatever they want. Some groups went to the “natural bridge” site, while another went to the local minor league baseball team’s game. One group rented out a swimming pool and others went to dinner and a movie. As a staff, we went out to eat at Olive Garden and really just hung out together.

2.) Injuries/Sicknesses: I’m not sure if this is a highlight, but I have never been a part of a project with so many injuries and people getting sick at one time. Granted, we had 337 people… so things happen. But it seemed like it never stopped. We had one kid fall off the bleachers in the gym (broken arm), one volunteer  with really bad “allergies” (pink eye), one girl who slipped after a horrible rain storm (bruised hip-she went home) and several others who either had scrapes, scratches, bruises, cuts, stomach bug (both kinds)… etc. Our poor nurse and first aid guy stayed busy… constantly.

A student puts the final touches on the frame for a back porch.

World Changers Roanoke, VA- Day 2-3

Just a snapshot of the week of World Changers Roanoke, VA. Over the next few days I will do reflect back on the week and offer some highlights and some stories. Stay tuned.

Highlights from Sunday:

1.) Two young people came to faith in Christ… woo hoo! Just to listen to their youth pastor speak about it and see the joy on the faces of these students. Worth it. The travel, the sleepless nights, sermon prep… all of it. Worth it.

2.) Worshiping  at a local church that featured a YouTube slideshow of the song “God of this City” with random pictures including a kid on a beach,  an Olan Mills portrait of a mom and son, a baby’s foot in a mom’s hand… etc. The word “cornucopia” came to mind while I watched it. Not bad at all… just random.

3.)  Evangelism training where I showed an incredibly funny clip of the “evangelism linebacker”. Look it up. It’s good.

Highlights from Monday:

1.) Yelling at the inaccurate GPS as I rode with Brad and Jacob to worksites.

2.) Telling a way too personal story of my reaction to being close to Brian McKnight at his concert. Two words: Spirit fingers… The kids wouldn’t let me live it down all week!

3.) Watching students worship with unhindered passion… amazing sound of 300+ people. Each night was better and better. The Spirit was not only present but active in our worship services. Just amazing.

Alcohol and the believer: Abstinence or Moderation?

I get this question all the time: Is it okay for me to drink alcohol if I’m a Christian?

I hate this question for several reasons.

First of all, the question is normally asked in a self-centered plea for permission than a genuine desire to know what pleases God. In many cases the person is looking for justification of a specific action rather than sanctification (or growing in holiness).

I believe the question followers of Christ need to ask in ALL things should be far less self-centered and more Christ-focused. The question should be less about is this action RIGHT or WRONG and more about “Does this glorify God?”

I just had this conversation with some of the summer staffers this week as is what seems to be a typical conversation for college students following Christ. I remember  many times at my Baptist college having these discussions late into the night and listening to the emotional and sometimes abrasive responses. I am disappointed when I think back to my reactions to these discussion as a pompous know-it-all. My speech reeked with legalism and very rarely (if ever) compassion.

Can we not have a balanced perspective? Can we not learn to be sensitive to the Spirit’s conviction in our own lives on these issues while listening with grace to those who have a different, yet firm conviction, when neither conviction contradicts Scripture?

One of my greatest pet peeves at this point in my walk with Christ is that too many Christians (myself included)  are not willing to engage in theological and practical discussions on these issues. Even more, most believers are unable to even  have intelligent, wholistic reasoning behind their beliefs. We rip one Scripture out of context to apply to something totally unrelated and then celebrated that we “showed those people something”.

I was looking for a few different people’s opinion on the issue that I highly respect:

I found an article by John Piper in which he is dealing with a proposed change in the church’s constitution on the topic of alcohol and his Biblical reasons behind abstaining from alcohol. The change in the constitution was to replace the requirement of church membership as someone who will “abstain from the sale and use of intoxicating liquors as a beverage” to instead read  “We engage…. to seek God’s help in abstaining from all drugs, food, drink, and practices which harm the body or jeopardize our own or another’s  faith.”

I ask you to take a few minutes and read the WHOLE article here.

But for those of you who want a quick summary here are his four major reasons for totally abstaining from the use of alcohol they are:

1) First, I choose not to drink because of my conscience. I would feel uneasy and somewhat guilty if I were to purchase and use alcoholic beverages. The Biblical principle here is that we should not act against our conscience even if our conscience condemns us for actions that are morally neutral in themselves. Paul said in Romans 14:14, “I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean.” Then in verses 22, 23 he says, “Happy is he who has no reason to judge himself for what he approves. But he who has doubts is condemned, if he eats, for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin (cf. also 1 Cor. 8:7,12). The main point of Romans 14 and 1 Cor. 8 and 10:23ff. is that we should not tempt others to do what they feel qualms about doing; but that also means that we who have qualms about a thing should avoid it.

2) The second reason is that alcohol is a mind-altering drug.

In its effect upon the mind alcohol works most quickly as a depressant to eliminate restraints. The fine shades of moral restraint are among the first to become blurred. Further, split-second decisions and the quick neural reflexes leading to physical action become sluggish — as well as our judgment as to whether or not our critical faculties have been at all affected by our drinking” (Christianity Today, Sept. 18, 1981, p.13).

This inclines me toward total abstinence, first in relation to myself and then in relation to others. In relation to myself, what this says to me is that alcohol could hinder me in what I want most, namely to recognize and to do the will of God. The Bible says, “Be renewed in the spirit of your mind that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect”(Rom. 12:2). And in another place, “Do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Eph. 5:17). The mature believer does not ask: How many enjoyable things can I do and still not transgress God’s will?” But rather: Is there anything at all that I can do or stop doing which will refine my ability to recognize and do the will of God. In general, drinking alcoholic beverages does not increase one’s sensitivity to the will of God.3) The third reason why I choose total abstinence is that alcohol is addictive. I simply cannot see any reason why I should incorporate into my way of life a beverage which not only blurs the fine shades of moral restraints, but also could easily become habit- forming. I say with Paul, “All things are lawful for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything (1 Cor. 6:12). If someone laughs and says, “Why not prove you can hold your liquor. Why rule it out on the basis of a possible weakness?” my response is, “I’ve got nothing to prove. God forbid that I should boast in anything except the cross of Christ by which the world is crucified to me and I to the world (Gal. 6:14). I don’t have any inclination to prove to anybody that I’m not weak. I have values in my life that are infinitely more important than proving to myself or to someone else that I can drink and not be addicted.”

4) The fourth reason I choose total abstinence is to make a social statement. Some people rank alcoholism as our second greatest health problem in America (others say 3^rd or 4^th). There are about 10 million alcoholics and 20 million persons who consume an immoderate amount of alcohol. About 70% use alcohol as a beverage. As a result, alcohol contributes to 205,000 deaths each year. Life expectancy of the alcoholic is reduced by at least a decade. One-half of all traffic fatalities are the direct result of the abuse of alcohol. It is directly connected to one-half the homicides and one-third of the suicides. It costs business alone 19 billion dollars a year. And now one out of every twelve marriages comes apart over drinking.

For these four reasons, then, I am a very happy teetotaler and I think you should be too. But that brings us to our second question: Should total abstinence be a requirement for church membership? My answer is, No. The reason is this: the New Testament allows for a difference of conviction and practice on this issue in the church and therefore it is wrong not to allow for that same difference in the church today. Romans 14:20,21 puts wine-drinking in the category of eating meat and leaves the ethical judgment with the believer to grapple with whether his behavior will make the brother stumble.

So I want your opinion. Not because I think anyone can necessarily “settle” this debate once and for all, but because I value intelligent conversation from those who desire to please God with their lives.

No matter your position, what’s your reaction to Piper’s view?

Joining you on the pursuit of holiness…

Pursuing Holiness: What’s my focus?

“The holiest Christians are not those most concerned about holiness as such, but whose minds and hearts and goals and purposes and love and hope are most fully focused on our Lord Jesus Christ.”

- J.I. Packer, Keep in Step with the Spirit (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2005), 134.

World Changers Roanoke, VA- Day 1 “Who let the Divas out?”

After a delayed flight yesterday… missing my connection and having to spend the night in Detroit… I’m sure glad to finally be in Roanoke, VA. The temperature is crazy nice too. I just walked outside a few minutes ago and was seriously cold. Sure beats 100 plus temperatures from Ruston last week.

A student squishes his face against the glass as his church arrived at World Changers Roanoke, VA

My flight landed around noon and Josh Jack Carl (NAMB AV guru) and Rebekah (Team Leader) picked me up. We grabbed lunch to go and headed back to the school to get ready for registration at 2.

There are 21 churches and over 310 participants for this project. This is one of the largest projects I’ve worked with in the past two years. The majority of the churches have come from North Carolina. We have other churches from Delaware, Missouri (2), Maryland, Mississippi, and Virgina (obviously).

The Summer Staff team seems cool and on top of things. Rebekah (team leader/mcs) and Meredith (Office manager) are outgoing and seem to have a great team chemistry with the guys. I was very impressed with Jacob (AV) and Brad (music guy) as they interacted with the churches upon arrival. They were sincere and prayed with each group. Love that. Even though this is their last week as a staff, they truly are making  it seem like the first one. This is what summer staff is all about.  I appreciate that and I know it will have a great impact on the students.

So… big shout out to the VA team… great day 1.

On the flip side, a project this size will always have its issues. You can expect it.

What I didn’t expect was some of the DIVA attitudes a few of the group leaders have had. I find it amazing that some people come to a missions project (World Changers of all places) and ask, “Why don’t I have my own room?”. Ummm… well, because you are sharing a school with 300 other people and we can’t ALL have our own room.

What about a little sacrifice? Did they really expect a hotel? I mean, I know some World Changers projects get to stay at college campuses in dorm rooms, etc… but seriously? No divas allowed. That’s my new motto.

Amazing.

I also noticed how some of the adult men “needed” to know what crew they are going to be working with all week. I understand this is important, but for crying out loud, be surprised. Enjoy waking up Sunday morning and finding out what crew you are on. No problems with teenagers… just adults (*sigh*).

Apparently I need to also add this motto: No DIVOS allowed too.

Amazing, again.

Worship service was interesting, but also very uplifting. Brad (music guy) broke a string during the second song and had no replacement. He’s good and reminds me of my worship leader from last year Marc Boucher. It’s funny because they both are in Liberty University’s worship leadership program. After we finished singing acapella (great cover by Brad), we had our “Missions Moment” and then I preached.

Saturday night is tough because there is a combination of excitement and exhaustion. It doesn’t help that the auditorium of the junior high school where we are staying has lighting issues. The whole set of house lights is extremely dim plus the middle section is simply not operational.

The sermon was entitled: “What does it mean to be holy?” from 1 Peter chapter 2. Tonight was primarily the same message I spoke in Biloxi, with a few changes. If you want to hear that message from Biloxi, MS you can listen to it right here.

Highlight #1 of the night:

The sign on the "Man Cave" door

Building a cardboard box fort with Josh Jack. I didn’t realize that the guys had claimed their room last week as the “man cave”, but that’s what I wanted to build. They were all up for it. Unfortunately, the PVC pipe with a curtain on it that we were using as our entrance just came crashing down… The fort still stands (of course, it’s a fort) but the entrance way must be repaired.

The fort at the entrance of the "Man Cave" minus the black curtain which is laying on the floor.

Highlight #2 of the day:

I had a girl tell me she was a black belt. I asked her in what. She didn’t answer, so I suggested “Who flung poo”… she didn’t think it was funny and told me, “I’ll jack your mess up!”. Apparently that’s code for “I’m so glad to be at World Changers”. She’s a black belt in Tae Kwon Do… should I even be worried? Please. Funny, nonetheless.

I’m looking forward to the week…. just battling a weak voice. Please keep me in your prayers because I still have a 3 day camp next week, Nicaragua trip, and then school starts and Challenge Week at my home church Brookwood second week of August.

God is already opening up opportunities for the fall and spring. I have two children’s Retreats for the fall already booked and two youth retreats in the works. I’m hoping to be able to do a college retreat in December at Gulf Shores United Methodist Church as well. If all of these come together then that would be a blessed Fall.

2010 has 3 bookings already. I will be at CrossRoads Church in the Woodlands, TX for D-Now over MLK weekend in January and then at Little Pass Baptist in south Louisiana in April. I have been booked to be the PC and evangelism speaker at PowerPlant 2010 in Chicago during July 10-16!! Looking forward to these events, plus the school year and other opportunities God allows me to have! Thank you for your prayers! Please remember to pray for Tamara as well!

Until tomorrow… time for bed.

Hope to have a NON-DIVA DAY tomorrow… one can only hope!

Locked out… What a great date night!

So Tamara and I had a wonderful date night planned for tonight before I leave for another week of world changers.

Dinner was great and so was dessert at one of Tamara’s favorites (dairy queen).

Unfortunately the weather started to get really nasty so we decided to hurry home only to find all the power out in our neighborhood.

Not a big deal unless your primary entrance into your home is the electric garage door. That’s no biggie either if you have keys to the front door.

Oops… Only Tamara has those and they are on the kitchen table.

So as a write this, my beautiful wife is laying back in the passenger side seat while I google every conceiveable way of breaking into my house.

The power company says they “have a team out there already” which is code for “sorry, you will just have to deal with it.” The estimated time of getting power back is 3 AM which again is code for “who knows? Maybe tomorrow some time.”

So the plan is to sit here in the car. Not the most ideal place to be on the last night we have together for the next 9 days! But isn’t this what makes marriage fun? Or life in general?

I mean I guess we can whine and complain- but no one in this car is listening…. The thunder is drowning it all out.

Under New Management?

I saw a sign today in front of a gas station here in Ruston that made me think.

You’ve seen these signs before: UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT

Whether it’s outside of a restaurant, gas station, fast food restaurant or some other service-oriented business… what does this sign really mean?

Every time I see these signs, I simply think… “Oh the last owners must have been horrible!”

Think about it. How could this NOT be what the “new management” is intending to say?

They want everyone who drives by their place of business to know that there’s something different to be experienced.  They want potential customers to know that whatever you thought of the business before…. things have changed!

Hopefully this new way in which the store is being operated causes people to take notice. Service is friendlier. Products are of higher quality. All of this takes place at first.  However, after a period of time, if there is no daily organizational and structural changes (employees, policies, etc) then the tendency is to return to the old routine or the “easier” way. The easier way is how the old management did it. The easier way is WHY there was a need for new management.

The reason this has struck me (maybe because I was simply over analyzing everything…) is because “under new management” is a spot-on description of the life of a believer.

When we come into a relationship with Christ we are surrendering our right to be the “boss”.

“Under New Management” is exactly what our lives should be screaming.

Unfortunately, for many long-time believers (myself included), we have a tendency to return to the policies of the previous management.  There are changes that are made at first because the “new boss” is watching or we  get excited about a few different approaches to the daily operations. Yet, if we do not allow God to make the daily STRUCTURAL changes (ie. spiritual disciplines) in our life then we will also struggle with the desire to fall back into the old way of life. This has nothing to do with a “To-Do” list or a “Don’t do list”. But this has everything to do with surrendering our will to the will of the Father. Even Christ experienced this struggle during the most stressful time of his earthly life.

Think about it. We see this in our everyday lives. Fast food restaurants have horrible service many times because it’s just easier to NOT care. It takes effort to be courteous, prompt or even act like you want to be at work. At least that’s the vibe that comes off and oftentimes the vibe we put off.

How often do our lives reflect this spiritually? We can’t seem to be able to make time with God. We are short-tempered to those we love the most. We criticize rather than be a part of the solution. We choose to wallow in self-pity rather than move on in the grace of God. We try to get by on our own effort rather than the strength that God provides.

If Christ has truly taken over management of our lives then there must be a difference. Daily operations cannot be the same as they were. Too many believers feel as though these changes just happen on their own. No business owner just sits back and just hopes that things change. Well, if they do they will soon be very disappointed. Specific, decisive actions must be taken to insure that an overall difference is made in the business. All the more for the believer.

This is not about us DOING something. Grace not works.  This is allowing God to have control and submitting to what HE DOES through the work of the Spirit in our lives.

It may not look like it everyday- but I want my life to reflect that I am under new management.

What about you?

Shoplifting at Wal-Mart?

Wish it wasn’t true… but I stole something today… well, sort-of.

I didn’t mean to. But I still did it.

Tamara and I had just gotten a new key cut for her apartment in Monroe so that I could come and go while she was at work. I didn’t want to lose the key by placing it in the shopping cart. I didn’t want to put it in her purse, well, quite frankly because I think small children could get lost in there. So I decided to put it in my pocket. Surely I wouldn’t forget it then… there’s no way I would just walk out with the key in my pocket and forget to pay…. whoops!

But, sure enough, as we were driving away, I realized I had the key in my pocket and hadn’t paid for it. I mean, it only cost $1.51, but I seriously had this lump in my throat.

I told Tamara that I should really go back and pay for it– to which, of course, she agreed. We went back to the apartment (since Tamara had to be at work shortly thereafter) and then I drove back to Wal-Mart about an hour later on my way back to Shreveport.

I went back to the automotive department, but the line was too long. I really didn’t know if I should say something, leave some money… confess my “crime” or what. But I wound up simply paying for the key in the electronics department, since every line was packed out and I was sort of in a hurry.

While I’m sure many of you have experienced something similar to this, I was really bothered by the whole event. I wasn’t mad because I walked out with a key without paying for it. I was more upset at the fact that I listened to the conviction of the Holy Spirit for this “sin”, but have NO problem drowning out his voice over more crippling sins in my life.

Something struck me while I was debating this little fiasco.

Would my desire to rid myself of habitual sins be greater if I knew I could get “caught” or exposed like shoplifting?

I think we rationalize too much. At least I do.

The truth is that my personal holiness and integrity does matter in the SMALL things. I will go as far as to say… that the SMALL things matter most. Most of us don’t struggle with what we consider “big” sins. It’s the pesky attitudes, the greed, the thoughts of jealousy that plague us. We all (especially me!) must stop categorizing the “size” of our sin and start being grieved over the fact that it is there! God has called us to holiness. Perfection we cannot achieve on this Earth, but we should still daily strive to be holy!

It may have been just a cheap little key, but it was still right for me to return and pay. I know I could have easily justified how “out of the way” it was for me to return to Wal-Mart, wait in line, over a dumb key. But something stirred inside of me.

I want that stirring more and more. I want to not only be convicted over sins that I may consider “little” in my life, but understand that I have to “put off” the old life and “put on” the new.

Studying and preaching on the topic of God’s holiness and my personal responsibility has only heightened my desire to listen to the Spirit. I pray the same for you. May we all be more sensitive to hear the voice of God calling us to holiness in ALL things, especially the small things.

I was reminded of a valuable lesson from a $1.51 apartment key.

World Changers Biloxi, MS: Day 5-7

Wow.. where did the week go?

A student works on a roof at World Changers Biloxi, MS

I keep thinking, didn’t I just blog the other day… but it’s been four days and I should catch everyone up on the end of our week in Biloxi.

Tuesday night was the concert of prayer (a dedicated time to focused prayer and reflection) and I am always amazed at how God works during these services when we simply stop and listen to Him. This night help set the stage for what I believe was some truly life-changing work that He did.

During the day time on Wednesday and on Friday I visited a few work sites. Out of the 16 sites or so I think I wasn’t able to make it to one of them. The work that these students and adults did was incredible. We had four crews re-roofing houses, all of which were completed by Friday. We had three crews remodeling a huge abandoned church compound that will be used to serve the local community as a counseling center and I believe a shelter. Other crews were painting interiors and exteriors of homes, and two crews were doing sheetrock (one church and one house).

The students get the night off on Wednesday and I hung out with the summer staff. We went to dinner and grabbed some ice cream, but  didn’t make it out to the mall or the beach where all of the youth groups were.

Thursday and Friday night of worship continued our theme of Holiness. I veered off the designed worship guide course for the messages because they were too limited.  The worship guide wanted me to spend two days on Isaiah 6:8-9 on the actual calling of Isaiah and his response to service.

However, I was convinced that the issue of personal holiness was a more needed topic to speak on. I expanded on the idea of our responsibility as believers in the process of holiness.  On Thursday I started to read the book that some of the summer staffers were reading called: The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges.  To say Bridges’ book was influential in my approach to the topic of holiness for the rest of the week is an understatement. The book was eye-opening to say the least and highly recommend it. I’m pretty sure I’ve flipped through it before, but I consume half the book in part of the afternoon.

Bridges pointed out three reasons why personal holiness is less evident in the lives of believers as it should be that I used as a launching pad for Thursday’s message. He said that we have a self-centered focus of our salvation, a misunderstanding of what it means to “live by faith” and also a lack of seriousness concerning some sins.

In my life I recognize that all three of these have been at work at some point. Using lame excuses to justify some “little” sin or just expecting God to “make me more holy” when I have a responsibility! How easy it is for us to get stuck in these ruts and then wonder how we ever go there in the first place.

Thursday night we focused on Colossians 3 and Romans 6 and how as Christians we are “dead to sin” and “alive to God through Christ”. We walked through how we have a personal responsibility to “put away” evil practices and to “put on” the characteristics of Christ. Yes, this is a work of the Spirit in our lives, but we still have a responsibility. We cannot expect God to DO this work if we are unwilling to be OBEDIENT to what He has already revealed to us. That’s the bottom line. Personal holiness is a work of the Spirit in our lives, but is accomplished through the everyday submission and obedience to the commands of Christ. We must “discipline ourselves for the purposes of godliness”. We have a role.

Too many Christians (myself included) blame God for not making us more like Christ overnight, when thought processes, habits, and the sinful self have to crucified on a daily basis.

There is no shortcut to godliness.

There has to be a balanced view. God’s work + My obedience/discipline = PERSONAL HOLINESS

On Friday, crews finished up on their worksites and our worship service was focused on the “What Now” factor as camp came to a close. I challenged the students to get past their “camp high” and understand the reality of going back home. Let’s be honest. Anyone who has ever gone to a “church camp” knows the let down of returning home. You meet knew people. You have a great week. You may experience God in a fresh way. All of those things seem so distant once the return to the real world sets in. My hope for the students is not just to continue some camp “high”… but to realize that God gets glory when we are faithful in the small mundane aspects of everyday life.

We looked at the call of Isaiah again in chapter 6. I’ve never really noticed before how much we stop at verse 8 when dealing with this text. Preachers and teachers always look at this with such hope of volunteerism. We say things like… “Look at Isaiah’s willingness to serve!” and we encourage our hearers to follow his example. While this is true, it’s only part of the story.

It wasn’t until studying for the Friday night message did I really dig into what God asked Isaiah to do. Go read what Isaiah signed up for and his response to God’s directions. God lets Isaiah know that his preaching is going to harden the hearts of His people even more. Isaiah stops for second and ask the obvious question, “For how long?”

I can imagine me having this conversation with God.

God: “Brian, I need you to preach to these people that their ears will be dull and they won’t turn back to me.”

Me: “Really? Come one God. Had I known this I wouldn’t have said, ‘Here am I, send me’. Don’t you realize that this is counterproductive? Why don’t I give them a happy message? They will like me and you more! That makes more sense!”

God: “Go… now… Trust me…

I’ve never really heard the end of this passage preached (that I can remember). God’s message for Isaiah was not the most refreshing one. Yes there was to be a remnant to remain. Yes, the “holy seed” would come out of this remnant. But overall, Isaiah was volunteering for an arduous task. When most of us would have walked away once we knew what God wanted us to do, I’m thankful Isaiah stayed the course.

This was my main thrust for the Friday night message. We should be less focused on the how’s and when’s and more focused on the WHO that is doing the sending. We walked through the Great Commission in Matthew 28 and I reminded the students that we have been sent with the authority of Jesus Christ (verse 18) which is often neglected in the preaching of this text. We cannot fully understand what it means to “make disciples as we go” if we don’t lay hold of the fact that Christ, who has ALL authority, is the one empowering and sending us.

There is no Plan B. We are it. I don’t know why God chose to do it this way, but He did.

His plan cannot fail, but we can miss the blessing of cooperating with Him.

I showed the video of Penn from the Penn and Teller show that I have already post on here. Man, what a concept. An atheist who believes in the urgency of the Christian message to be spread more than most believers. After watching, I was again reminded about how serious the command of Christ is to make disciples of all nations. We cannot wait. We cannot make excuses. We must be obedient.

May we be a people who live out our faith in practical ways as we guide people into a life-changing relationship with Christ! May they be drawn to the Christ they see in our lives. May we exude holiness in our personal walk each day so that the holiness of God is on full display. May we live as a “holy nation” and a “royal priesthood” or a “chosen generation” so that ALL may proclaim the EXCELLENCIES OF HIM WHO HAS CALLED US OUT OF DARKNESS AND INTO HIS MARVELOUS LIGHT!