First a question: do you believe in spiritual warfare? Do you believe there is a constant battle going on that you cannot see between the forces of evil (Satan and his demons) versus the forces of good (angels)? What or how do you picture that battle going on? (Okay that is more than one question).
When I was in college I did a paper/study on Satanism & the occult. Truthfully, after that research I had had enough. C.S. Lewis once said there were two approaches to Satan a person could have: either an unhealthy interest in him or to deny that he exists. Both are dangerous. I could not agree more after that study. Hindsight gave me a chance to consider once whether someone (a girl in a former youth group) had ever “been cleansed” of her earlier B.C days’ involvement in the occult (D & D, tarot cards, palm reading) after seeing her battle seemingly constant oppression. I didn’t recognize it at the time. My first real strong exposure to spiritual warfare was Frank Peretti’s book, This Present Darkness, a book that highlighted the strength of prayer when fighting spiritual warfare. Even though it was a work of fiction (which some forgot), it opened my eyes to the need for a praying pastor and a praying church. (I have to admit the picture of little demons arriving on the shoulders of those who made their way into the church building held some fascination for me. I could picture certain people…never mind. )
Spiritual warfare is a very real thing. Paul talks about it in detail in Ephesians 6: 10-12 and then follows it up with the weapons of our warfare. Psalm 20: 7 says, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”In 2 Cor.10:4-5 Paul writes:“For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”
So…what are your thoughts on spiritual warfare? Is it real or do you sort of just let it go? Perhaps a better question might be “Are you winning the battle and the war?” I would like to hear your thoughts on this topic.
I have learned something ugly about myself recently. It is something I never wanted to be said about me nor did I ever want to think it of myself. You see, I have always seen myself as a fairly laid back sort of dude. I prefer to sit instead of stand. I enjoy my lunch hours-not because it is a chance to eat-but because it is a chance to ride my bike. I get up at 3:00 so I can take a little extra time during lunch to get in a ride that may last 1 1/2-2 hours. I like being home at night with Jo, even though we may be in separate rooms-me in my “mancave” and she on the computer playing games in the living room. (We have talked about a Wii to allay that scenario). I enjoy relaxing lunches, especially in the winter, when discussions can take place and there is no rush to hurry up and eat-’n-go. I enjoy taking jigsaw puzzles and working on them at my leisure.
But I learned something ugly about myself recently. I have a tendency to be driven. The past three weeks following neck surgery I was supposed to take it easy. No lifting of more than 10-15 pounds. Rest, relax and wear the collar while driving and just in case I fall asleep while reading. That latter reason falls in the area of “take it easy.” But I could not allow myself to rest. Why? Why could I not just take my foot off the gas pedal and coast? Even though I slept fitfully most of the three weeks-in my recliner and in the bed-I still got up at 3. Still went to the Y. Still went to the office. Still put in a full day’s work. Why? Only one reason: I am driven. There I have said it, something I never ever thought I would say or have said about me. “Hi. My name’s Bill and I am driven.” I am not ADD or ADHD or any other initialed diagnosis (except maybe CYCLST) but I simply could not slow my mind down and therefore, my body wouldn’t. I am not bragging about that. Trust me! My wife would sometimes say (when she wasn’t asking me if I am wearing the collar), “Don’t you think you should slow down and just take it easy?” “Why do you still have to get up so early?” And you know what is sad? I now see that pushing this way has been a way of life with me. Why? I’m not sure. Insecurity? (Who me?) Being seen as lazy? (Possibly). Work ethic? (As good an excuse as any). Trying to stay away from unemployment line? (Hopefully not). Because I am a Sanguine and ideas are always running through my head? (Nice try although it is true). Truth: I am driven and I don’t know exactly why.
What about you? Are you driven? Do you take time to slow down and put the mind to rest? What do you do make that happen? I would like to hear from you.
Update:I visited the surgeon yesterday and got the “all clear.” I can now ditch the collar and return to normal (whatever that is) living. I can even ride my bike. I just have to watch out for dogs.
Sunday night Jo and I went with the Jr/Sr High youth and their leaders to this church to attend eXchange and to hear Scot Longyear preach. Okay…so went for the music. (You said you wanted honesty Scot! ) Just kidding. Scot “threw down” an awesome message on Jesus’ letter to the church at Thyatira. He came across loud and clear, especially in the area of purity and leadership that men/young men/boys need to take. But to be totally honest I was arrested by a song. No, make that lyrics to a song. They hit me so hard that I wrote them down in my Moleskine for future reference. They were from a song that I had not heard before. Here they are:
O Christ, be the center of our lives,
Be the place we fix our eyes
Be the center of our lives.
I flashed to several verses of Scripture: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” [Heb. 12:1] “You are to love God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” [Mt. 22:37] “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.” [Mt.6:33] Like many others, I have allowed some things to creep into my life that have divided my loyalty-things that are not wrong by themselves-but that which has definitely taken me off center. Worshiping with that song Sunday night brought it home to me.
How about you? Have you found yourself off-center lately? Have you found your eyes fixed somewhere else? I hope this post will be just the “oomph” you need to get back where you belong. Please let me know if it has issued a challenge to you. I went hunting for the song with just the words “be the center” and found it so if you want to hear the song in its entirety you can listen here:
Do you remember that old childhood story of the “Little Engine That Could”? Relax…this is not a post about the dangers of positive thinking. But the mantra of the engine was “I think I can. I think I can.” And by cracky he thought himself right to the top of the hill. My mantra these past few Sundays has been “I think I’m learning. I think I’m learning.” Ever since coming to OVCF I have always showed up at 8:00 to help set up chairs and move stuff around. I have not begrudged that at all. Sure, it gets old after awhile, especially when the same ones come week after week to help. At the risk of naming names and leaving any out, we have had several make a commitment to help. Okay…the same ones week in and week out. One man comes and it is his personal commitment to set up the kid’s area. One couple comes and while he goes about getting the sound equipment hooked up (with our guitarist) his wife and sometimes the children help with bringing the chairs while I set them up. If they are not helping with the chairs the children are involved in set up elsewhere. My wife gets the tables ready for displays and then gets the computer/Power Point ready. I moved bleachers, put out attendance pads, carried tables and just did whatever needed to be done-as well as setting up chairs. That all changed three weeks ago when I had neck surgery and was told no lifting. I can slide chairs but everything else was off-limits (my wife keeps a pretty good eye out on me so I don’t “fudge” and do something I am not supposed to). Each week the helpers have gone up in numbers and the tear down has been phenomenal.
So…why do I say “I think I’m learning. I think I’m learning.” As a leader (and if you are one you know what I mean), it is sometimes hard to turn over the reins to someone else, to let someone take ownership of something and run with it. “After all,” we think, “No one can do it quite as efficient, as good, as perfect as I can.” To make matters worse we have trouble turning over the responsibilities to someone else because it may even look like we are slacking on our job. I am so bad that at times I go around and straighten and widen spaces between chairs because they aren’t where I think they should be. Sheeez! They tease me about it but you know they do have a point! I need to let it go!! Today I did…okay a little.
All skate question: do you have trouble letting things go? Do you feel like you have to have your hand in things to make sure they are done right? Word from the not-so-wise (but learning): “Let it go!” I think I’m learning… Any thoughts you may have? I would like to hear them.
How do you feel about the Bible? Do you see it as a crutch or foundation to your life? I reckon a lot of your answer is determined by your worldview. Consider this: In A.D. 300 the Roman emperor Diocletian ordered every Bible burned because he thought that by destroying the Scriptures he could destroy Christianity. The French philosopher, Voltaire, a skeptic who destroyed the faith of many people, boasted that within 100 years of his death, the Bible would disappear from the face of the earth. Voltaire died in 1728. Aaaahhhh I have news for him. Oh, the irony of that story is that 50 years after his death, the Geneva Bible Society moved into his former house and used his printing presses to print thousands of Bibles. Talk about irony!!
Tragically, we live in a culture that still debunks the Bible. It is boring and out-dated. It is nothing more than a crutch. Same old tired arguments that have been used for years. What is even more tragic though is that many churches “pride” themselves in not using the Bible. We have so many Biblically-illiterate people sitting in our pews/chair/auditoriums that they even have trouble finding Genesis 1. How sad that we have tickled the ears of people so much that they hardly even carry a Bible to the Sunday gathering any more.
I don’t know about you but that BOOK is my lifeblood! Debunk the Bible and you take away what truly matters to me because if it can be proven false, that doesn’t say much for what is in it. My message Sunday is on this subject. I would appreciate your prayers for me. Thanks to Dan Drewes for the banner.
I would be remiss if I did not ask you: what is he Bible to you?
No, I am not an alcoholic. No, I am not a smoker. No, I am not a gambler. No, I am not a wife-abuser. No, I am not a slacker. But every day I fight a battle. Sometimes I win and sometimes I lose. It is a battle of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. What I am is not always what I show. What I battle inside is not always seen on the outside. How I feel is often hidden. And sometimes it all just comes rushing out! For a change of pace today, listen to the song (lyrics below) and then tell me how you feel:
by Bob Hartman
Based on Rom. 7:15
I have a secret that I let nobody see
An evil shadow that’s been hanging over me
My alter ego that I try to hold at bay
But despite my good intentions he can always get away
He does the things that I don’t want to do
Sometimes I feel like Jekyll and Hyde
Two men are fighting a war inside
I have this secret that I let nobody see
It’s like a split personality
And the one I feed is the one who lives
The one I starve will be the one who gives
He won’t do things that I know I should do
Sometimes I feel like Jekyll and Hyde
Two men are fighting a war inside
One gives, one takes, I have to decide
Sometimes I feel like Jekyll and Hyde
I need somebody to rescue me
When personalities clash
I know which person I want to be
With no defiance
Just God-reliance
“I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” [Rom.7:15] It all appears hopeless but it isn’t! “Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” [Rom.7:24b-25]
I seriously doubt there is any question in our minds that the Bible speaks directly about idols. The people of Israel were strictly forbidden to have or worship the idols of the neighboring nations. Should they do so they would suffer great penalty. Whether we read about the golden calf or Molech or Baal or any of the other myriads of gods, a definite NO was stamped on it. Following the exile and their return to Jerusalem we never read again of their pursuing a false idol again. That, of course, does not mean they didn’t have idols of the heart. Ezekiel 14:3 says, “These men have set up their idols in their hearts.” God is speaking to the elders of Israel and probably like many of us might do, must have responded with “Idols? Who me?” It doesn’t take a physical idol in a physical place in our home or house of worship to be called an idol. Idols are set up in the heart by turning my affections towards anything that takes the place of God’s preeminence in my life. Money. Career. Family. Sports. Hobby. Even religious things like “going to church” or giving money or taking communion or being baptized or (dare I say it?) loving the music? Now, don’t get me wrong: none of those are wrong in and of themselves but they can become wrong when we give them a place of prominence they do not deserve.
In the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the story focused around the Ring fashioned by Lord Sauron and the power it yielded over the unwary one carrying it. Even someone as “innocent” as Frodo found himself taken captive by its power and at the end refused to throw the ring into the fire thus destroying it and its power. Only when Golem bites the finger off that holds the ring and eventually falls into the fire does it lose its hold on Frodo. The wearer of the ring became increasingly enslaved and addicted to it, for an idol is something we cannot live without. What makes it so hard is that idols of heart are tied to the Scripture that says, “Out of the heart are the issues of life.”
As a pastor I am certainly not exempt from this battle. Even as I write this (and probably the reason for it) I am battling some idols that I have set up. What about you? Do you have idols of the heart? What are you doing to overcome their pull? I would like to hear from you.
I am stoked! Several upcoming events have my name on them! No, I am not speaking or anything like that. I am making plans to attend two events in the coming months that have excitement and learning and leadership written all over them.
The first leadership learning opportunity coming up on March 25th is this one. Ryan (techgeek to my blogging friends) and I attended the one in Granger, IN last year and came away fired up. I can’t say enough about this guy being there and this guy is also going to be there. If you haven’t already registered you should. Seating is limited so you need to get on it!
The second leadership learning opportunity is April 29th and comes my way via this man and this offer. I am honored that I was chosen to attend because of Pete’s graciousness. It actually becomes a two-pronged event for me. I have a daughter who lives about 10-15 minutes away from Faith Promise Church so I will have a chance to visit with her and mooch for a day or two. Jo, my bride, is also coming with me but is spending the day with Tami. I was wondering though: I know my blog isn’t read by many…okay I am at the bottom of the bottom…but if you happen to be reading this and plan to attend the conference, I sure would like to get a chance to meet you! I think it would be cool to put a face to a name and you will see that I look a lot more handsome than Dan’s caricature depicts me-just because he is fairly accurate about the (lack of) hair and the nose-does not mean I am quite like that. I think it will be easier to find fellow bloggers at this conference than it will at CatalystOneDay. Anyone going?
Are you planning on being anywhere to sharpen your leadership skills?
Today (Sunday) I spoke about the Holy Spirit. One of the things I emphasized is that the Holy Spirit’s purpose is to never draw attention to Himself. It was always to draw attention to Jesus. I have been reading Pastor James MacDonald’s book When Life is Hard and Saturday night I read a somewhat funny but telling story. He tells about the time a lady came up to him after worship as he was greeting people and she spouted off about what one of his staff said to her. He didn’t believe her but did have a staff member to pray with her. Later that week, thinking the issue was over, he received a vicious letter from her that closed with her telling Pastor James “you are nothing but a donkey-a big donkey.” (Makes you wonder what she, in her holiness and righteousness, really wanted to call him). Pastor James said that it continued to bother him until he began to believe it. Later that week he had lunch with Erwin Lutzer, pastor of Moody church. Pastor Lutzer was a mentor to him and during the course of lunch James never said a word about “the donkey letter.” As they were leaving Pastor Lutzer said, “You know, James, God is really using your life.”“Thanks,” he said. Then Lutzer said, “So you need to stay humble.” But he wasn’t done yet. Lutzer went on to say, “Because you know what they say about the donkey, don’t you?”“Uh no. What do they say?” “Even the donkey knew that the palm branches and the blankets were for the Person on his back and not for him.” Pastor James went on to say how quickly he got out of there, shed some tears on the way home and said, “I am a donkey. It doesn’t matter about me. It doesn’t matter what people say. It doesn’t matter what people think about me. Because it’s not about me! It’s about You, Lord! Everything I do- it’s for You! Even a donkey knows that!”
I was struck by that story. The Holy Spirit’s purpose is to draw attention to Jesus. So is mine but….how am I doing? How are you doing? Any thoughts you would like to share? I would like to hear them.
Forgotten. That sounds so forlorn doesn’t it? It conjures up tales of mom and dad taking off and driving for miles only to realize that junior/juniorette is not in the car. So they turn around and make their way back to that Rest Stop. (And no it didn’t happen to me…I have heard of it happening. ) Or perhaps of someone going off to war or school and those back home “forget” to correspond. I’m going to honest. I have never attended any of my high school or college reunions. This year will be my 40th high school class reunion (I have now given my age away). I get occasional emails about different classmates off and on during the year and I know will get inundated with invitations to this reunion. Quite frankly, I can’t brag about my high school years and other than playing basketball (i.e. sitting the bench), having Jeff Goldblum as a classmate, living through the Woodstock years, and watching fights over black/white power, I can’t recall much. Because I had so little in common with them, I have forgotten most of my classmates.
Take a quick quiz: Ask yourself how much you know about the Holy Spirit. Who is He? What does He do? What is His purpose today? I think if you ask the “average everyday Christian” many of them will have no idea who the Holy Spirit is or His purpose. Francis Chan named his book well: Forgotten God. (I highly recommend it). The third member of the Godhead is often forgotten or misunderstood. As you can see by the banner I am continuing my series “Here I Stand” with a message on The Forgotten One. I would appreciate your prayers. Thanks.
BTW: What do you think of the Holy Spirit and who is He?
Thanks to Dan Drewes for the banner of Here I Stand and also for my blog banner. He’s the best!
