GIVE the GIFT - Bring a Friend to CHRISTmas

There are certain defining moments in everyone's life.  I truly believe that this weekend could be a defining for our family on the Hill and for all who come to worship there.  Sunday morning our youth staff will be helping over 100 of our young people lead us in worship.  A special dramatic musical will share the incredible gift of God when He gave the world His presence in His Son.

Wouldn't it be awesome if every Christ believing church in the world was packed this weekend.  If you have a church that you call home please got there and worship this weekend.  If you don't have a church that you call home, this would be the perfect weekend to start looking for one.  If you live anywhere close to Shelbyville, Kentucky and don't have a church home I sincerely hope that you will join us at Shelby Christian Church.  Sunday morning we will worship at 9:30 and 11:00 with our young people leading us.

We will also have two opportunities to worship on Christmas Eve at 5:00 and 7:00.  We will have children's programming at the 5:00 service on Christmas Eve for children fifth grade and younger.

I hope to see you on the Hill.  Have a MERRY CHRISTMAS and Keep on Reaching!

TWO MORE DAYS

If the Mayans were right, which why would they be when all the other doomsday/end times estimates have been wrong, then we are less that two days from eternity!  I'm not sure exactly when it is supposed to happen on 12/21/12.  Maybe they predicted that too, and I just missed it.  It would seem appropriate that the end should occur around 12:21:12 on 12/21/12, but then I don't know if it is a.m. or p.m.   Oh the madness of the end!

But what if it really were the end.  What if you knew that you had 48 hours left to live on this planet before facing your eternity.  What would you do?  Some make a list and call it their bucket list, things to do before kicking the bucket.  Some would walk into that knowledge with fear and others would face it with excited anticipation.  What would you do?

I'm guessing I wouldn't be getting my stitches out, working on my Christmas eve message, typing a blog, having strategy meetings on future plans for church and private business ventures, or finishing Christmas shopping.  All of which I intend to do before the end of the day. So what would I be doing?

Would I be more motivated to talk to every person I see today about the incredible gift of grace and eternity that Christ died to offer us?  I'm sitting in a room full of people at a well known coffee cafe in between strategy meetings in Louisville.  I wonder how many of them even know Jesus.  The computer screen across the way has a power point presentation about an evangelism strategy, so I'm guessing he knows.  What about that mom and her little girl?  What about these two guys in the business suits?  There are at least a dozen college age young people, I know they are being challenged to not believe.  I keep raising my head to be ready to speak to people but when they get to me they lower their heads.  What's up with that?  Oh yea, it's what I do when I am too busy, or too uncomfortable to initiate a conversation.

Oh my, what about my family?  What am I doing?  Why would I be anywhere but with them if I only had 48 more hours to be with them in this world?  

The bottom line is we don't know when this wonderful life will end.  The reality is for some it will end ... today!  Before they would even have the opportunity to read these or any other words.  Before they have the opportunity for a chance encounter with a pastor or any other Christ follower in a coffee place.  Before they get to hug their kids or their parents. Before they could ... ?

Life is precious.  Time is short.  Live well.

What Could I Do If I Had No Debt ... I Mean None

As our nations economy spirals helplessly out of control and is teatering on the edge of that magical cliff, I am still convinced that we not only haven't figured out how to fix things, but we won't even admit how we got here.  Nobody in Washington seems to want to realize that is an individual had done what we have done as a country and simply printed more money any time we run out that there is a felony called counterfeiting and we would be found guilty! 

 

I am by no means the smartest man in the world but I am thankful for my parents and Mrs. Wilson would taught be basic math as a child.  From basic math I was able to transfer knowledge to finances and established early on that if the price of what I wanted was more than the amount of money I had, the I couldn't buy it.  It was amazing how that worked.  I was serious about it.  I even kept a list in my desk drawer in my room of the serial numbers on my dollar bills and marked them off the list if I spent them.  Obviously I didn't have many but when you have to draw a line through each one you spend it has an amazing way of making you hang on to them.

 

I wonder what would happen if our leaders in Washington had to do the ... oh nevermind.  Why dream of something that makes so much sense? 

 

Then came high school and a car and real paychecks instead of dollar bills and it was harder to keep track of my money, but still diligently reconciled my checkbook every month so I knew exactly how much money I had on any given day.  I was maturing and growing up and taking on responsibility and then I went to college.

 

Did you know that every company in the world will give a college student a credit card?  You did!  Oh no they got you too.  But why should a college student worry about running up a few hundred or a few thousand dollars in credit.  What's that compared to several trillion?  Our young people are really good learners, they watch their leaders and wonder why they can't do exactly what their leaders do.  They can. They have. They will therefore continue to dig a hole so deep that the sides will fall in on top of them.

 

But what could they do with no debt?  What could you do with no debt?  Look at your bills right now.  Which ones are current?  What do you owe that is accruing interest?  If you were able to make those bills including your mortgage go away would your life be simpler, better, less stressful?   What could you do with just that money?  Maybe make more money because you could collect interest instead of paying it.

 

What about the church you worship at?  They had to build a space for you to come and sit in on the weekend.  But that usually meant they had to go in debt.  What if that suddenly went away?  Can you imagine how many people could be helped with the annual interest paid on church mortgages?  If we got our own house in order, then we could get God's house in order. 

 

What about our country?  What if churches started taking care of people with the money they used to spend on debt service in a way that eliminated the need for government entitlements?  Who would you rather have take care of you anyway?  Money hungry bureaucrats trying to build a bigger government or people who have a personal relationship with the Great Physician, the owner of the cattle on a thousand hills and the one who created life and the ability to acquire wealth?  What if the country didn't have to pay for entitlements and people actually worked and earned their own money and had a sense of self-worth?

 

What could we do if ...

God Was Not Caught Off Guard

My day Friday was busy and hectic.  My morning started with a drive to Frankfort for breakfast at Cracker Barrel with my parents, my aunt and uncle, and my son.  When we returned to town traffic was all rerouted because a truck had careened into three parked cars.  Then as we prepared to head to Louisville to do some Christmas shopping I stopped for gas close to our church and watched in shock as a vehicle ran through the corner stop sign, across the major thoroughfare, through a yard and into the front of the house across the street.  I yelled for help and ran across the street to help the man and to make sure no one was in the house. It was a pretty bizarre morning for our little town, but I hadn't had a radio or television on since 7:30 in the morning. So I had no idea what was going on in a little town in Connecticut.  Suddenly my day seemed like a mundane fog. I wanted to find my grandchildren and hug them tight.  I want to find my daughter, and suggest a career change.  I thanked God for the unbelievable change in my son's life.  After all that we have been through, I still have them all.  I couldn't then and still can not imagine what the families in Sandy Hook were feeling.  

But it is not just Sandy Hook.  We can't lose sight of twenty two children slashed and stabbed in China on Friday as well.  We can't lost sight of families who lost family members who were innocently shopping in malls in Denver and Portland.  We can't lose sight of planes flying into buildings and our world being changed forever.  One of my first childhood memories was the unrest of my parents following the assassination of John F Kennedy.  Then five years later the assassinations of Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King.  I remember as a high school student trying to make sense of a preacher named Jim Jones and something unbelievable in Jamestown.   I still can't make any sense of what is being done to children in Kenya and Uganda that are being stolen and made slaves of blood diamond gangs. 

The insanity of our current world is nothing new.  It took no more than three chapters of scripture for insanity to enter the world in the form of a serpent who introduced sin into our world.   Evil was here and it will remain until Christ returns.  We live in a very broken world and when there is brokenness, things are shattered.  Lives have been shattered from sin since the garden of Eden and they are still shattered around the world today.  This season of the year reminds us of the only possible answer to the brokenness of our world.  Jesus came to be the only answer.  He is the only hope!  

Many are asking, so where was God on Friday? On June 25^th, 1962 we took prayer out of the public schools in America.  On June 17^th, 1963 we took the Bible out of schools in America.  Then on November 17^th, 1980 we were told to take the Ten Commandments off the wall because if the children read them they might follow them.  We live in a time when we have systematically legislated God out of our schools.  But when Columbine, Heath, or Sandy Hook happens people why He wasn't there.  What I wish people could see is that was neither surprised or caught off guard by any of these tragedies.  The nature of an omniscient God is that He is always aware of what we are going through.

That same God was not caught off guard when the doctor told you it was cancer.  He was not caught off guard when your spouse told you that there was someone else.  He was not caught off guard when the employer told you your services were no longer needed.  He was not caught off guard when your child went through a difficult period in their life that broke your heart.  He is omniscient, so He knows, but He is also omnipotent and so He has the power to see you through anything. But why doesn't He stop it?

We will never know what He has stopped.  I don't want to imagine what our world would be like it not for a loving God.  But we deal with the consequences of fallen, broken, shattered world!  Those poor innocent children were not being punished for the sins of the world and Pharisees like those from Westboro Baptist Church will pay a heavy price when they stand before a loving God for claiming that he was punishing these children for the sins of the world.

That is why Jesus came in the first place. But why do little children die?  Because of evil in this world.  Moses was the survivor of a violent mass murder of children to prohibit boys growing into men who could fight against an Egyptian army.  Jesus was the survivor of a evil violent mass murder plot by Herod to eliminate any child that might be the king who would rescue the Jews.  People have been killing innocent children since evil entered this world.  Before we cast all of our anger upon school shooters, gangs who kidnap children, and the Pharoah's and Herod's of history who have destroyed thousands of innocent lives, we must examine the blood on our own hands.  When Pilot could not presude the people not to kill Jesus he washed his hands to symbolically try to remove his guilt in his murder.  We need to realize as long as the elected officials allow the insane murder of innocent children while they are still in their mothers womb, their blood is just as much on our hands.

There is clamouring for gun control and many other laws to stop things like school shootings.  People talk of how desperately these shooters needed medication and psychologist.  Those things would most definitely have helped some, but what they all need is Jesus.  He is is the only hope that can ever heal a broken world.  In 2 Chronicles 7:14 we read telling words.  It is an IF - THEN scenario that can change our world.  God said, "IF my people will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, THEN (and only THEN) will I hear from heaven and heal their land."

THE Great I AM is a good shepherd that truly cares for His sheep.  God truly cares for you!  He always has, He always will!

I have also included links to blogs from two wonderful friends who have shared hope, much more eloquently than I could.  Ben Cacharias, is the pastor of Mountain Christian Church in Joppa, Maryland.  Here is his blog.  http://outofmymind.cc/    Bob Russell is the retired minister of the SOutheast Christian Church in Lousiville, Kentucky, please read his blog  http://www.bobrussell.org/2012/12/16/where-was-god-during-the-connecticut-massacre/

Great New Book - Get a Copy

I am proud of my friend Dean Burk for publishing this important book that details the eroding values of a society that has removed God from their decision making.  I have known Dean for many years before he and his family started worshiping on the Hill.  I have had the privilege of watching Dean grow and mature over the last few years and I am thrilled that he pressed forward with this book.  I read the manuscript a couple of years ago and was impressed with the clarity and the preciseness of the documentation that Dean shares. 

The beauty this book is that it is brief and to the point.  It can easily be read in an evening and then kept as reference or shared with a friend.  It is being distributed exclusively through Amazon and amazon.com .  When you log on www.amazon.com  search for Dean Burk and the book titled Removing God from the One Nation Under God.  The cost is only $5.99.  I know Dean's heart and his goal is not to profit from this book, but to share firm researched truth that might possibly change the heart and mind of readers to do what they can to help bring God back into the fabric of this great country where He has been removed and to keep Him as a part of where He has not been removed.

So What Are You Going to Do About It

The Community of Changed Lives that worship on the Hill have just completed an incredible journey through the ABC's of Financial Freedom. The question running through my mind today is "So What Are You Going to Do About It?".  Yesterday Barry gave us Seven Secrets to Financial Freedom.  Let's review what we learned. 1) Your understanding of where it all comes from will either keep it coming or cut it off. 2) What you pursue will determine what you possess. 3) What you spend will always be more important than what you earn. 4) Your obedience will determine your abundance. 5) The discipline of saving is more important than the amount you save. 6) God will grow whatever you sow. 7) Sustained generosity will be the guarantee for your sustained financial success.

I want to land right in the middle on principle number four because it is huge!  YOUR OBEDIENCE WILL DETERMINE YOUR ABUNDANCE. Here is the deal.  We can read the book, cheer for the concepts, raise our hands in worship, and even sign a commitment card.  But if we don't do anything about it, it will soon be over.  We have to make some changes!

There are a couple of things coming to the Hill that will help you make positive moves forward.  There is a really good six week series that goes along with the ABC's of Financial Freedom that you can be done in LIFE groups or in your own family.  If you are interested please contact me at dhamlin@shelbychristian.org 

Another great step on this journey would be to enroll in Financial Peace University.  We will begin our next semester on Wednesday night January 9 at 6:30.  There is a $100 cost involved in this class that could easily be the best investment you ever make in your future!  The fee gets you the complete kit of materials from Dave Ramsey and many other resources, plus it helps you have a huge buy in to sticking with the program.  The new FPU is a nine week course.  It will give you a couple months to get into this new lifestyle.  What would you life be like moving forward if you were debt free?

So what are you going to do about what you have learned?    It can be a life changing experience or it can be just another experience in life.  The difference will be based on what you make of it.  Let's go for it and just keep on reaching ... God has something huge out there for you and for our church and for the lives of people that we intersect with in life.  

So what are you going to do ...

As I get ready to head to bed on Thanksgiving Eve I spent some time reviewing my sermon for Sunday and my friend Barry's book The ABC's of Financial Freedom.  This week's chapter ends with some ideas from the G.O.O.D. file (Get Out Of Debt).  Appropriately it pertains perfectly for many that are already out at the stores for Black Friday and millions more that are leaving tomorrow.

1. Don't let shopping take priority over worship.  If we do, we will miss the whole point of Christmas.
2. Don't get caught up trying to outbuy or outdo anybody else when you do your Christmas shopping.
3. Don't charge the gifts you buy for others. Yes, yes probably won't buy as much, but you won't cry much either later on when the bills come due.
4. Give practical, usable gifts that will help meet needs instead of wasting money on frivolous gifts that will go back in the box, in the closet, the attic, or the next garage sale once the holidays are over.
5. Make sure the Lord is at the top of your Christmas list.  Giving at the Christmas Eve service for your church is an excellent way to teach your children and model for your family what Christmas is all about.
6. Do take time to bake Christmas cookies, go see Christmas lights, watch a Christmas video, or some other activity that will help draw your family closer together.
7. Stay on target with your goal to become debt free.  Don't allow your emotions to get caught up in the "spirit of giving" to cause you to get off track and deeper in debt.
8. Be sure to take time to thank God for all of your blessings over the year.
9. Remember the best gift you can give, especially to your family is YOU!

I'm not sure if you avoid the malls like crazy on Black Friday or if you already there.  Maybe your temptation is on Cyber Monday.  Or maybe you struggle every day.  These are nine great points from Barry Cameron that we should all memorize!

Election Eve Thoughts

Tomorrow is such an important day for our country!  The presidential election tops all ballots, but there are many other important races and issues that people will have the opportunity to vote on across the nation.  I pray that the Christian portion of the country votes based on a biblical worldview.  This is made somewhat difficult this year, because while one candidate claims to be a Christian be believes, supports, and forces some very non-biblical principles upon society.  Most notably the belief in the pro-choice agenda.  The other candidate is of the Mormon belief, but his actions are more biblically based.  Bob Russell has written a tremendous document concerning this on his blog at BobRussellMinistries.org or by going directly to http://www.bobrussell.org/2012/07/22/should-christians-vote-for-a-mormon-for-president/

Early this morning my wife and I were on a chilly pre-dawn walk and she reminded me of the story Jesus told of a man with two sons.  It is found in Matthew 21, ²⁸ “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ ²⁹ “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. ³⁰ “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.³¹ “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered.  

Actions do speak louder than words!  I remember my father telling me that it takes a lifetime to build a good reputation and a few bad decisions or even one fleeting moment to destroy it.  When I vote I never vote strictly on party lines.  It shouldn't be about the party.  Both parties are flawed because of the partisanship that they are tied to.  So the challenge in my mind is the question that many have been asking, "Are we any better off as a nation than we were four years ago?".  I can't find any logical way to answer yes to that question.

I googled the National Debt Clock today at http://www.usdebtclock.org 

The counter on that thing is spinning faster than my electric meter, and it is killing our country.  I am tired of hearing that it is someone's fault.  What is done in the past is in the past.  As long as we keep casting blame on previous administrations we will never get this fixed.  One candidate has built and led many corporations, the other one has never led a business of any kind.  His total leadership experience is in elected offices.  

The single issue of human life is something that I cannot ignore.  The greatest single privilege that we have as Americans is the privilege of life, which is slowly being stripped away.  It is being stripped away prior to birth and with the proposed health care reforms it will be stripped away in the decision of who is worthy of socialized health care because of their value to society.  

The next president of the United States will have the opportunity to appoint two Supreme Court Justices.  Those are lifetime appointments.  This election is HUGE.  Not just for the next four years.

As I wrote last week, I have many friends who will vote differently than I will tomorrow and as far as I am concerned I hope they still consider me a friend tomorrow night regardless of the outcome.  In my mind this election has nothing at all to do with race or party affiliation.  If people want to make it into those things that is their silly choice.  This is much bigger than those issues.  It is about this nation doing the right things, remaining one nation under one true God, indivisible with liberty and just for all.

Why Should I Vote?

There is so much talking going on about the election next week.  Those who know me can figure out where I stand on most issues.  I am strongly conservative in my political views and to those who believe that the church or a pastor shouldn't speak at all about politics I apologize but am extremely confused as to why you believe that.

 

If the Christians, churches and pastors don't speak up about issues that effect the moral foundation of our nation who will.  It is extremely puzzling to me why the Christian voice is always as the one the is "politically incorrect".  Even in the oft used excuse of separation of church and state, which by the way is a phrase never used in the Constitution, but most often quoted as such, the issue is forcing about forcing an entire nation to have the exact view.  While I might wish that were possible I would strongly oppose forcing my views that Jesus is the risen Son of God upon any one.  God has never forced himself on anyone, and neither did His Son.  If He had then there never would have been a cross.  God is a God of choices!  Yes you can choose to believe in Him or you can choose not to believe.  What you cannot choose is what parts of Him you want to believe and what parts you don't. He is an all or nothing God! 

 

Elections are the same.  We are blessed as American citizens to have the right to choose.  Men and women have died and continue to die to protect that freedom. 

 

My struggle is to understand how people who claim to be believers in God and followers of Christ can vote in ways that directly oppose the teaching of the inspired word of God.  I realize that not everyone believes that the Bible is the inspired word of God, but that takes me back to the fact that I don't believe we get to pick and choose what parts of God we want.  Having a biblical worldview means that we apply the Bible to all of the decisions we make in life, including who we vote for.

History very well records the downfall of nations who took there eyes off of God.  Read the book of Romans and then read history books that define the fall of the Roman Empire.  It is impossible to read and not feel you are reading in dejavu.  We are experiencing exactly what happen to that world empire.

 

The greatest human right that we have is the right to life.  We kill more babies daily in America than four planes killed on September 11.  Even if we were to agree to be pro-choice, shouldn't the choice belong to the one that is going to live or die.  Life is precious!  Conception is miraculous!  Safe sex is talked about all through scripture.  Once again it is your choice to believe or not believe the Bible.   How can intelligent logical politicians vote to allow a child to be aborted and charge the driver of a vehicle with double homicide in the tragedy of an expectant mother being killed on the highway?

 

All that is free is not always good.  The discussion of health care has been mind boggling to me.  Our health care system is out of control, but the thought that signing a piece of paper is going to guarantee free and "prompt" health care for everyone is ludicrous.  There are no more hospitals being built, no more doctors graduating medical school, but somehow people believe that they will suddenly have there medical concerns taken care of is sad.  People are no doubt going to vote away their soul for that promise only to find out that they will be put on a list and if they are over the age of 50 or deemed to be of no value to society they will be on the end of the list.  The health care might be free, but it might involve embalming fluid instead of chemotherapy.  Sick people need to be taken care of, but this is not the answer.

 

I hate war as much as anyone, but it is the ability to fight to defend your freedom that gives us the right to say publicly that we hate war.  Sometimes you have to be willing to fight for what is right.  How anyone can believe that Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden were just going to go away is once again mind boggling.  

 

My prayer is that if you are an American citizen you will exercise the right to vote and that if you are a follower of Christ that you will exercise your right to follow and support a biblical worldview.  You are free to choose to disagree and vote differently from me and if we were friends before we voted we will be friends after we vote as far as I am concerned.  Just please don't ask or require me not to share what I believe in.  I am such a sinner whose only chance of salvation is because of the amazing love of God and the willingness of Christ to die to pay my sin debt.  Because of that I cannot be silent!!

What is #cuonthehill

For those of you who may not know what a “hashtag” is, I want to take a moment to explain and set up an interesting connecting point for all of us on "the Hill". Here goes:

Twitter gives this definition: The # symbol, called a hashtag, is used to mark keywords or topics in a Tweet. It was created organically by Twitter users as a way to categorize messages.

The beauty of this little # is that it works on instagram as well. When you tweet or post your pic on instagram, if it has something to do with Shelby Christian, use this hashtag:

#cuonthehill

The fun starts when on Twitter or Instagram you search #cuonthehill. Now you can see what others are saying and posting about our church even if you don’t know them or follow them.

I stole this blog from my friend John.  You can check out what is happening at their awesome place at #communityhemet

Have fun and spread the love.

So Much More to Do

Many would think that with modern technology the whole world already knows about Jesus. Many have chosen to follow after him, some have not yet made that choice, but surely everyone knows about him. It is shocking to discover that so many still haven't even heard of the one who came to save them for eternity. Estimates range around two billion people that have not even heard the message of hope that Jesus brought to earth. Millions more have heard and chosen to ignore or simply not respond. If you have a heart for these people I encourage you to be on the hill this Sunday morning and to also check out www.u4theu.com website.

Changing Lives on the Hill

I get so excited about the change that I see in people's lives when they start to really get it about Jesus.  Early in His teaching He told his followers that they were to the light of the world and that a town built on a hill could not be hidden.   I love that our facilities are built on a hill on the east end of Shelbyville.  It is a reminder to me now every time I drive "up hill" to the building that we are here to make a difference and to be seen by men as a place where life change happens.   This new art work is just a reminder that we are all somewhere on the path to following Christ.  Some are just getting started and others have been running for a while, but we are all on a journey.  "The Hill" is just a stop on the journey, because our ultimate destination is heaven.

I also love hearing the stories of change that Jesus has made in people's lives.  I love it when part of the change happened on the hill.  I hope some of you will write about your change and add it to this blog.  I was introduced to a website last night by someone who is really growing in Christ on the hill.  He told me about www.iamsecond.com .  I really like the name, but I LOVE what is documented on the website.

Also if you have been touched by the ministry of Christ on the hill in east Shelbyville we have window stickers that you can put on your vehicle that might provide an open door to share about Jesus with someone.  We have them available at worship times, but if you have moved and want one let us know and we will send them to you.

So many lives have been changed, I can't wait to see what is around the corner.

Follow Me

What would our faith communities look like if those that claim to follow Christ really did?  What if believers in Christ, really found the heart of Christ and began to live like they say they believe?  I think people would follow!

While he was here on earth people were drawn to Jesus.  They were amazed by his miracles and teaching, but the show will only draw a crowd for awhile.  What kept the crowds coming was his love and compassion.  He had compassion on people and thought of them as sheep wandering aimlessly without a shepherd.

Wasn't it amazing to see Philip go find his friend Nathaniel and tell him to just come and see, check this guy out for yourself.  He was motivated out of love.  What about the woman at the well?  Jesus kind of busted her and her living arrangement.  Today he would have been labeled as intolerant or a hater, but she heard it different.  The Bible tells us she ran to the town and told everyone, you've got to come meet this guy.  He knows every thing about me and still genuinely cared.  The Bible says the town responded and was changed because of her testimony.  Matthew was a hated tax collector, but when Jesus accepted him and changed him the first thing he could think to do was throw a party for all his tax collector buddies so they could experience the love of Jesus.

It isn't that hard to see the difference that Jesus made in people's lives by sharing in their lives.  When he left to go back to the father and told his friends to "Go about their business and while they were doing it to MAKE DISCIPLES" it wasn't a stretch because that is exactly what he had been doing for three years.  Disciples are believers or members, by definition they are followers.  Not talking about what Jesus would do, but doing it.  They didn't have to be told to share their faith, they couldn't help but share their faith it just came busting out of them.  He was the original DISCIPLE maker!  He knew how to share in people's lives in such a way that they knew he really cared.

I love the model that Paul gives us in 1 Corinthians 11:1.  It is a simple challenge.  "Follow me (become a disciple) as I follow Christ (the original disciple maker)."  What if we all made that our motto, "Follow me, as I follow Christ."  It gives HIM all the glory as we follow HIM and share HIM  with others.

Tragedy Strikes Again

It was an almost perfect two and half weeks of vacation.  It was the last Friday, before returning to work and to the office on Monday.  It was a day of fishing on the lake with and good friend and then an evening of football with a bunch of young men that I have grown to love dearly.  We got up early at the lake and my friend ask if I had talked to my son in Colorado the night before.  I told him that we had texted each other Thursday night before bed, but that was all.  Then he showed me the news on the television from Aurora Colorado.  It is about a thirty minute drive from my son's place to Aurora, and I was fairly confident that he would not have been out at a Batman movie at midnight, but my heart skipped a beat.  It wasn't long until I was assured he wasn't in Aurora then night before, and then my mind sprang to the dozens of parents whose children were there.  While I slept soundly, their world forever changed.  Suddenly vacation time with family and friends was even more special.  A break, a time away to try and enjoy life!  It is really hard to do as a pastor who tries very hard to reassure people that God loves them and that grace is always available.  We spend so much time dealing with people's tragedies in life, bot to mention our own.  My fun time was almost over and this was not the way I wanted it to end.  I have several friends in the Denver area as well as my son, and thankfully I didn't personally know anyone so dramatically affected by this tragedy.  But I am a parent, and a grandparent, and an American, and a Christian and when a tragedy like this hits it affects us all.

This is not the first time that our world has been shattered by tragedy, nor will it be the last.  Our world has been full of tragedy from the time Satan masqueraded as a serpent in the garden of Eden.  The Bible tells us he is a "deceiver" wanting us to believe in a "truth" that isn't true and isn't full of hope.  I don't know why or how he deceives so many young people into believing that something so evil could bring anything good into their life.  I don't know why or how he deceives so many wonderful young men that strapping bombs to their bodies or cars or flying planes into buildings could in any way bring anything good to them.  I don't know why or how he deceives young men that gang life and living like a thug is going to get you ahead, or how he convinces young teenage girls that a baby will make their life complete.   All of these things are tragic marks of the world that we live in ... but just for a little while!   We won't be here long.  Seventy, eighty, ninety years at best.  For some unfortunately much shorter times.  For a few incredible earthly lives in the triple digits of years.  But it still isn't long. 

James, the half-brother of Jesus, told us in the fourth chapter of his letter, ¹³ Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” ¹⁴ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”   Life is just not that long.  I know that mine is well past the halfway mark.  I have experienced tragedy first hand and there are still more tragedies to come.  But I have had some really good times too.  I have also seen God work in the midst of tragedy.  Two of my dearest ministry friends have lost children as a result of traffic accidents and in those two cases, people came to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior because of how the families responded when faced with tragedy.

Life is short.  We have no promises or an easy life, just because we follow Christ.  Jesus told us that, God causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.    We have a period of time to decide how we want to respond to life's tragedies.   We do have hope in the midst of tragedy.  Jesus' best friend here on earth, John wrote, You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.  Maybe the apostle Paul put it best when he wrote in Romans 8, ³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The moments that lead to many tragedies bring out the worst in people the worst that Satan can must as he deceives once innocent hearts.  But I have seen first hand the moments IMMEDIATELY following tragedy bring out the best in people as the Spirit of a Living God rises up in the hearts of hurting people to come to the aid of those who are hurting even more!  It is amazing what joy can RISE up from tragedy.   Wait a minute!   Isn't that what happened in Jerusalem a couple thousand years ago.  There was a TRAGIC Friday and out of the tragedy of Friday, something, no SOMEONE ROSE up on Sunday to make it all good again. 

In the midst of tragedy God always RISES AGAIN!!!

DON'T BE DECEIVED

Our "Summer Breezes" series took us to the book of 2 John this week.  One of the major concerns of John for the church at Ephesus was that they were being deceived by false teachers.   In verse 11 John gives very strong warning to not show hospitality to those who teach in opposition to the teaching of Jesus and scripture.  Right after talking about the importance of love, John comes back to the truth of God and warns the people to be very careful.

Satan is a deceiver, and he will use people, sometimes without them even knowing it to deceive those that are trying to follow God.  Think about the things in your life that you have experienced that are decptive by design.  I love to fish and I have a whole box full of little plastic and rubber things that are supposed to look appealing to big ole fish.  But every one of them has at least one hook attached to it.  Some have as many as six.  They are called "lures", because they lure fish into a false sense of security and then I catch them.  Once upon a time I could hit a baseball pretty well and then the older I got the pitchers on the other team starting throwing these balls with a different spin on them and then they reacted to gravity and wind and just as a would swing they would ... "CURVE".  I was deceived to think it was a fast ball and then I would strike out and head back to the dug out.  Satan is the master of deception.

Many things that look good, are really harmful, that’s why it is called deceit

According to Peter Kendall in the Chicago Tribune, Ruben Brown, age sixty-one, was known on the south and west sides of Chicago, as the friendly neighborhood cockroach exterminator with "the Mississippi stuff." The Mississippi stuff was a pesticide Brown had bought hundreds of gallons of in the South, and it really did the trick on roaches. Brown went from door to door with his hand sprayer, and his business grew as satisfied customers recommended the remarkably effective exterminator to others.      

In the process, however, Brown is alleged to have single-handedly created an environmental catastrophe. The can-do pesticide-methyl parathion-is outlawed by the EPA for use in homes. Southern farmers use it on boll weevils in their cotton fields, and within days the pesticide chemically breaks down into harmless elements. Not so in the home. There the pesticide persists as a toxic chemical that can harm the human neurological system with effects similar to lead poisoning.        

The EPA was called into Chicago for the cleanup. Drywall, carpeting, and furniture sprayed with the pesticide had to be torn out and hauled to a hazardous -materials dump. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated that the total cost of the cleanup would be some $20 million, ranking this as one of the worst environmental nightmares in Illinois history.     
Brown was charged with two misdemeanors. He apparently didn’t know much about the pesticide he sprayed so liberally. Brown’s attorney said, "It’s a tragedy. It is one of those situations where he did a lot of harm, but his intention in no way matches the damage he has done. He is a family man and handled it with his own hands. Do you think he knew how toxic it was?"  

What you don’t know can hurt you. That is true both of pesticides and of false teaching.

That’s why the “study” part of our Spiritual DNA is so important. We need to know the truth because the truth can … set you free!

Loving People Is Hard Because It Hurts

I had a friend a few years ago who told me, "Anytime you want something for someone more than they want it for themselves, you are going to be the one that is hurt."  I didn't realize it at the time but it has proven to be one of the wisest things anyone has ever told me. I truly care about people though and I don't know how to separate myself enough to not be hurt when I see things that I truly believe will be harmful in the long run.

I have felt and continue to feel this for my children and my family. I have felt and continue to feel this for the people that God allows me to be a pastor to.  I have felt and continue to feel this for the people of the city that I have grown to love.  I have felt and continue to feel this for my country.

The struggle comes in not being apathetic and continuing to love, because it will bring the pain of caring!

Grace Demands Shared Forgiveness

Another great lesson that we learned from studying Paul's letter to Philemon, was about sharing forgiveness.  It was a lesson Jesus taught many times.  Most pointedly with the parable of the unmerciful servant.  Forgiveness is a wonderful thing when you are on the receiving end of things, giving well that is a different story.

The really clever thing that Paul did was send this little letter along with a bigger letter to the entire church and so it would have been read in front of the whole church.  That means everyone would have been watching to see how Philemon responded.  You’ll probably never be put on the spot in front of the whole church, but people are watching to see how you respond to the grace that was shown to you as a follower of Christ.

Francis Chan said, “Do you know that nothing you do in this life will ever matter, unless it is about loving God and loving the people he has made?” When you forgive someone, you bring healing to both you and them. When you hold a grudge, you bring harm only to yourself. Christianity is nothing if it doesn’t show itself in terms of relationships.  

Christianity is really just one beggar showing another beggar where to find bread.  The great news is we can be showing others the bread of life – Jesus!

GRACE DEMANDS A CHANGE OF HEART

We are doing this really cool sermon series this summer called "Summer Breezes".  We are looking at seven of the shortest books of the Bible.  They are ones that if we aren't careful we will "breeze" right over and miss some great teaching and some great truthes for our life.  This week we looked at the postcard of Philemon.  It was all about Grace and Forgiveness.  One of the lessons we pulled from the text was that "Grace Demands a Change of Heart".  Here is what we learned ...

1.     Paul’s heart was changed on the road to Damascus.

2.     Philemon’s heart was changed in a revival in Colossae.

3.     Onesimus’ heart was changed as he talked to Paul in Rome.

4.     One important question that we don’t know the answer to is, was Philemon’s heart changed toward Onesimus.

5.     The most important question today is one only you can answer, “When was your heart changed”?

6.     Once your heart is changed you can begin to really follow Christ.

Mistakes in Leadership = Learning

Have you ever been thrust into a leadership position that left you feeling in over your head.  Fear is a paralyzing thing for many people.  I am really not sure which is the greatest fear.  Many would say it is the fear of failure, but I often wonder if it is really the fear of success.  The thinking often comes into play when a leader, whether by title or just reality of life, knows that there is another step that needs to be taken but they also results that taking the step will change their life.  If they step out and fail, there is the embarrassment that comes with failure.  They may lose their job, their position, their family, their home, who knows what they might lose.  But on the other hand if they take the leap of faith and it works, people will expect that over and over again.   There might be a promotion, a new job, a new company, more pay, more incentives, more responsibility, more hours, more chances to fail the next time.  So many potentially great leaders, choose to do nothing!!!  What a mistake!!!   

Mistakes are inevitable if you are a leader!  However, the greatest mistake by far is to do nothing.  Yogi Berra didn't always make a lot of sense but he did know that when you come to the fork in the road you better take it!  You have to do something.

Great leaders learn from others mistakes. Awesome leaders learn from their own mistakes!    When we learn from others mistakes, that is called research.  When we learn from our own mistakes, that is a risk!  My suggestion is that brilliant leaders incorporate both into their plans. 

Taking the approach of the hunter who says, "Ready, aim, aim, aim, aim, aim ..." and never pulls the trigger never gets you a trophy on the wall.   Taking the approach of "Ready FIRE", may get you a hole in the wall.  Neither is the desired result.  Don't be afraid to fail and don't be afraid to succeed.  God says he will see you through both your failures and your successes.   God tells us in Jeremiah 29 ¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

A Great Lesson from Haggai

We are in this great series this summer called Summer Breezes where we are looking at seven of the most overlooked books of the Bible because of their length.  They are short books so if we aren't real careful we will just breeze right over them.  This week we looked at the book of Haggai.  It was written in 520 BC as God used Haggai to encourage the people rebuilding the temple that the Babylonians had destroyed in 586 BC.  The last visiosn of encouragement that Haggai received was to Zerubbabel.  He was the little known leader of the people doing the rebuilding.  Apparently he felt like many people feel today who find themselves called to lead.  He felt overwhelmed and God says, "Just serve me faithfully."
The warning to Zeb was, "Don’t feel useless or powerless, God is in control."   2:20-23 That is how Zerubbabel was feeling.  He had limited military might.  Only 42,000 had made the return voyage to Jerusalem.  He was feeling, “I can’t maintain this once we build it.”  God says, “You do what I have asked of you and I’ll take care of the rest.”
That is all any of us can do!  Take care of what we are asked to do and let God handle the rest.  You just serve Him faithfully. 
Several people talked to me after last week's message from Obadiah about forgiveness and holding a grudge.  You can only control you!  You can’t  make someone forgive you or accept your request for forgiveness.  You can only control you!  So you serve Him faithfully and let God take care of the rest!
God tells Zerubbabel that He will make him His signet ring.   That was huge because that was the symbol of being God’s Davidic ruler.  The king from the line of David.  When the people were following Him, God removed that blessing from Jehoiakim.  But the return of His blessing brought hope!
God may be calling you to lead in a very powerful way that everyone will notice, or he may be calling you to lead from behind where no one will notice but Him.  Whatever God is calling you to do, wherever He is calling you to lead ... SERVE HIM FAITHFULLY!