Are you ready for 2012?  I sure am.  This year New Year’s Day actually falls on a Sunday and we will indeed be meeting at The Crossings.  The plan is to just have one service at 11:00.  The main text that we will be looking at is Psalm 90:12 where Moses prayed; “Teach us to number our days aright that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”  That is a challenging text in many ways.  When we take stock of our potential life span and realize we only have so many days allotted to us, we begin to rethink things more seriously. I suppose it’s kind of like when my kids were younger and a couple of older men told me to enjoy these years because they would be gone before I knew it.  I didn’t believe it then, but I can really relate to that now because my oldest will be graduating from High School in 2 and a half years.  Where did the time go?  In truth, all of us have a short amount of time on this earth.  The question is how are we going to spend that time.  To help us get further along with that road, I’ve listed three challenges below. What else would you add?

1. CLOSE 2011.  For some of us, 2011 was not our best year.  Maybe we made some big mistakes or even committed blatant sins against God and others.  Maybe we have experienced some huge heart aches.  But the thrilling thing of a new year is the promise a fresh start.  If that is your case, then a good idea may be to actually list the mistakes and pains on paper and then burn it after it’s been taken to God. Was there sin?  Then repent and ask for forgiveness. Pain?  Then give that to God, ask for healing, and then bury it and go forward.  For others, 2011 was a great year.  2011 may have been a huge blessing with many victories.  If that was your case, then celebrate them and give God the praise for it, but don’t stop there.  The condition of many folks and churches is that they are still living in the victories of yesterday while the world goes on without them.  We should celebrate our 2011 victories.  We should build on our 2011 victories.  But if we stay there and camp out on them, we will then become stagnant and cease to grow.  In short, the best way to begin 2012 is to finalize 2011.  In Philippians, Paul noted that he was “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is head, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for what God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”  In business, the books will soon be closed on 2011.  Let’s do the same in our lives.

2. GROW in 2012.  We understand this with young children.  We feed them, cloth them, educate them, and then expect that they will grow.  However, this principle of growth with our spirits and our minds somehow gets lost as we grow older.  The challenge here is to grow in such a way that when 2013 rolls around we can honestly say that we are different than what we were a year ago.  For growth in 2012, I would encourage everyone to read through the Bible this year.  There are many bible reading schedules you can choose from.  My favorite one is from Good News Publishers.  With this program, you read from the Old Testament in the morning and then the New Testament in the evening.  Now you might be tempted to say that you don’t have time to do this.  But when you think about it; we all have time to do what we really want to do.  Though we may have to give up some time in front of the TV or other activities, I can 100% guarantee you that reading through the Bible in 2012 will definitely change you.  In addition to the Bible, I want to challenge everyone to pick up a book or two written by someone who has gone ahead of you in the journey.  Two books I would recommend would be Radical by David Platt and Crazy Love by Francis Chan.  Are there other books you would recommend?  If we all planted a seed in the ground this year we would expect some kind of growth by next December.  In the same way, we can plant spiritually and likewise expect growth.

3.  SERVE in 2012.  In the West and particularly in America we live in very self-absorbed societies.  Living a life of service is actually somewhat countercultural, but the very kind of life Christ followers are called to live.  One of the great things about being a Kingdom citizen is that we are all part of the game.  God does not call any of us to be bench warmers.  We are all equal in the site of God, but have different gifts and abilities.  The challenge here is to serve those around you in whatever means are possible for you.  One of the mottos we will be picking up this year at the Crossings is: “Every Person to their Post.”  Sometimes in the West we expect the preachers, pastors, ministers, or other “Professional Clergy” to do all the ‘religious’ stuff.  But that concept is very foreign to Biblical teaching.  The Bible refers to all of us as a “Priesthood” of believers.  We are all called to engage the world around us with the love of Christ.  So let me encourage you to take a step of faith this year.  Let me encourage you to tell someone the true story of Christ.  Let me encourage everyone to look around and find some way to plug in to help others around them.  Jesus Christ himself said that he “did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.”

“Teach us to number our days aright!”  Wow, imagine for a moment that you only had this next year to live. How would you live differently?  Just imagine how life could be different for you, those around you, and for the world as a whole if we really lived with an eternal perspective.  Are you ready to step out in faith this year?  Are you ready for 2012?  I hope so because it’s here.  So let’s take 2012 by the horns and see what we and God will do with it.

Recently I spent some time with Malcolm X.  Well, not really because he’s dead.  But I did watch a movie about him which I found very interesting.  In fact, I believe there are some pointers that Christ followers can learn from his life experience.  Malcolm Little was an African American man who came to Islam while in prison from 1946 to 1952.  Once leaving prison, Malcolm eventually rose to become a national speaker for the Nation of Islam.  He eventually left that group in 1964 shortly before he was assassinated. 

Now don’t get me wrong.  Obviously I’m not supporting the Nation of Islam.  I am in no way agreeing with Islam in general.  Islam is a false religion and Mohamed was a false prophet. That statement does not mean that I hate Muslims, but is rather an assessment of the facts.  I am not endorsing the methodology Malcolm advocated through most of his public life.  But I am suggesting that we can learn a thing or two from the way the Nation of Islam influenced his life, and see an illustrative picture of how the true nature of the Kingdom of Heaven should be lived out today.  These are principles which many Christians in the West desperately need to eternalize today.  So I’ve listed five quick observations below to begin with.  Anything you would add?

1. Malcolm believed, truly believed and read the Koran as being the word of “Allah.” To him the Koran was not just an intellectual book to ponder, but rather the direct word that came from God and thus should be believed and practiced as such.  For Christians, we have hundreds of proofs for the authenticity of the Bible.  Our problem in the West is not evidence, but conviction.  When people criticize the Bible, it is not from having checked the evidence and found it wanting, but rather a fear of having to come under the authority of the Bible.  We can have certainty in the Bible, but often in West we take it for granted.  Today there are people in places like China who risk their very lives for a copy of the Bible or even a portion of it.  The Bible is real.  So the challenge for Kingdom Citizens today is what I’ve said in many sermons, “we must read and heed the word of God.”

2. Malcolm was lost and found his identity in the Nation of Islam.  The significance to the “X” following his name goes back to the fact that many slaves who were brought to America were forced to take on their masters’ last name.  Thus their true tribal last name and ultimately their identity were lost.  The connection with the X was simply that Malcolm was rejecting his American last name.  In the “X” he was creating a new identity.  For followers of Christ, we can remember that Jesus came that we might have “life to the fullest.”  One of the hopes of authentic Christianity is that our true identity is found in Christ which is greater than whatever name appears on our birth certificate.  We can have confidence in knowing that we are children of God.

3. The Nation of Islam brought Malcolm into a larger picture and brotherhood.  In Islam, Malcolm was no longer an island unto his own scratching for his own needs.  He was now part of something bigger.  For the Christ follower, we can know that we are indeed part of something greater than even what Malcolm could have ever imagined.  The Kingdom of God stretches across time from the resurrection of Christ to today.  The Kingdom of Heaven exists all across the globe defying national boundary lines.  That’s why I can travel anywhere on the face of the earth and be in unity with people of different races, cultures, and tongues.  While authentic Christians are lovers of all mankind, our true brotherhood is found in Christ first.  As an American citizen, I pay my taxes and obey the laws of the land, but my highest allegiance is to Christ and His eternal Kingdom.

4. As noted, it was in prison that Malcolm came to Islam.  The reason why he was sent up the river in the first place was due to his crime and loose living.  But when he witnessed the higher moral character of Muslims, something inside him was drawn to the power of order and discipline that he had been unable to secure in his former life.  The Bible tells us that we are to be “Holy, because He is Holy.”  The point there is not working for salvation.  The point is not another moral code.  Rather we are saved by God’s grace and we are free in Christ from the curse of the written law.  But in the Kingdom of God, we should be driven by the Law of Christ within our hearts.  When we truly love Christ, we live for Him.  It is so easy to be loose in America today.  The sad reality is that sometimes Christians live in such a way that society notices no difference between them and those who don’t know Jesus.  As Kingdom Citizens however, we are called to live a higher standard.

5. Malcolm lived his life with purpose.  Unlike some leaders in the Nation of Islam, Malcolm apparently didn’t make a ton of money off folks.  He was not driven by the buck, but by an inner purpose.  I thought this one was huge.  We were all created with and for a purpose.  It was not God’s desire that we merely exist, but live for a reason.  God created all of us for something greater than just passing our days for an elusive retirement.  There is reason and purpose for our being.  A new slogan that I’m developing states “Every Person to their Post.”  In other words, in Christ we all have a position in the Kingdom of Heaven to be worked out.  For that reason, we can no longer sit on the sidelines watching the experts “do church.” We all have a job and the Kingdom is waiting on us.

In conclusion, Malcolm Little was a lost young man in search of meaning.  At a point of desperation and openness, someone from the Nation of Islam picked him up and he found purpose in Allah and a new identity in Malcolm X.  Unfortunately this great man was led astray by a lie and his ultimate potential was never realized.  After I watched the film last week I wondered how things might have been different if a Christian man had reached out to Malcolm in his hour of need instead of a Muslim.  I wondered how America and the world might have been different if Malcolm X had experienced the true power of the Resurrected Jesus Christ.  How different things might have been.  But what about our future?  I wonder how life today and tomorrow might be different when true Christ followers live for Jesus and His Kingdom with the same devotion that Malcolm did for what he thought to be true.  I wonder how many other Malcolms are out there who might be transformed when we all reach out with the love of Christ as he called us to.

Honestly I was somewhat intrigued by all the publicity and emotion tied up with the death of Steve Jobs this past week.  I mean I know who the guy was and what he did; I just didn’t realize the size of his impact.  You’d think an American President had died or something.  But on the other hand, it appears that the long term influence of Jobs on the world through technological and cultural relevance may in fact carry more weight than any of our US Presidents in recent history.  I called one of my good friends back in Nor Cal this evening to get his skinny on the events as he works for Apple and he confirmed everything I’ve read in the Wall Street journal and other sources.  The atmosphere around where my friend works is apparently just as somber as any other Apple center or Apple store from San Francisco, to New York, to Tokyo.  Indeed, Steve Jobs was a visionary of mammoth proportions.  I like that kind of spirit. Vision is something America has been known for in the past and we certainly could use more of it now.  But there are some other things I believe we can pick up from the loss of this great technology and cultural patriarch.  I believe there are some quick lessons we can learn from Jobs for Kingdom and Church leaders today.  Here are 5 fast ones just off the top of my head.  What would you add?

1. Vision. 

The vision of Jobs has affected all of us.  He was not out just to make a buck, but to change the way life is done and he succeeded.  I can travel just about anywhere in the world today and connect with my wife and kids before bed time through tech and that’s because of the vision of Steve Jobs and guys like him.  Our God is a creative and visionary God.  The creation is testimony of God’s vision and we as His children are endowed with at least some of that entrepreneurial spirit.  Are there God given ideas pent up within you that have been forgotten or lay dormant?  Why not dig those dreams up and take another stab at them.  The book, Visioneering by Andy Stanly is a great resource on this.

2. Leadership. 

One thing that interested me about Jobs was not just his visionary creativity, but his ability to lead the corporate side of Apple as well.  Walter Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal noted that Jobs did “what a CEO should.  He hired and inspired great people; managed for the long term, not the quarter or short-term stock price; made big bets and took big risks . . .”  I would say that this is one thing that is sorely needed in many struggling churches today.  We need men and women who treat kingdom work like the eternal thing it is and not just another hobby to pass the time with on a weekends.  We need leaders who will lead.  This principle is not reserved for the Church, but for every aspect of life.  Do you see a need in your sphere of influence wherever that is?  Why not take a step out of the comfort zone today and take someone with you?

3. Focus.

Jobs noted in 2005 that “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”  This reminds me of the occasion in John 9 where Jesus taught that we must do the work God has given us while we have the time to do it.  What projects are you putting off for ‘another day’ which may or may not come?

4. Determination.

Jobs was actually pushed out of Apple in 1985.  However, 11 years later, Steve came back as Apple was crumbling and turned the company around to become the giant it is today producing some $65.2 billion annually.  Depending on how you count things, I’ve read that Lincoln experienced somewhere between 10 to 16 major upsets in his life before becoming president of the United States.  From Jobs, we can learn to fix our eyes on the finish line and never give up.  Is there a saddle you need to get back into and keep riding to the end? Note also Philippians 3:13-14

5. Mortality. 

Plain and simple; Steve Jobs just died.  Yes, this is similar to point three.  But the emphasis here is on the spiritual outcome or eternal fruit of a life.  I don’t know where Steve stood with God in his final moments on this earth, but it does raise the question of what we’re investing for.  I can’t imagine how much cash Steve died with, but none of that will do him any good in eternity.  Our mortality is a reminder to us that we must invest in the Kingdom of God now because things of this world will ultimately pass away. Now is the time; what are you investing in?

Have you seen the final installment of the Harry Potter movie empire yet?  I haven’t.  But with it bringing in some $168.6 million on opening weekend it sure is something to talk about.  I wasn’t thinking too much about it until I logged onto Face Book this morning and noticed an interesting post by one of my friends.  He jokingly wondered how many “Christians” who loudly protested the first movie a number of years ago were now in line buying tickets to see how the whole series finished up.  “God Hates Witches” they shouted back in the day.  I remember those days and thought I’d drop a few thoughts on how followers of Christ can better respond to such a phenomena.  Here are some things to start with. 

1. Is rudely protesting a movie really that smart?  I don’t see the first Christians doing that in Acts.  While Jesus told the woman caught in adultery to leave her life of sin, the only folks he whooped up on were the religious Pharisees. Maybe spreading the love of Christ and Kingdom of God would come a lot easier if we just lived the way Christ lived instead of trying to fight his battles for him.

2. On the God “Hates” issue though, we really do need to rethink this. So many times today people look at God as the big sugar daddy up in the sky that is available at our beckon call. But the reality is that God does indeed hate sin and his wrath is heavy on those who oppose and ignore him. Note Ps. 5:5 as a starting place on that one. But that is why God sent Christ. God is Holy; but He is also perfect in love. That was the point of Christ dying on the cross; he took the punishment that we all deserve.

3. So witchcraft is indeed sin. But so is gossip and gluttony which seem to be fine with many Christians.

4. There are real people who practice real witchcraft today. Debi and I have a friend back in Nor Cal who is a “practicing witch”.  We love her as a person and friend. But we don’t excuse the practice. The real deal is not a laughing matter.

5. With our girls who have watched some of the movies and read some of the books, we have explained to them that this is all pretend but that there are real people who are into magical spells. That’s a bad deal.  But we’ve also showed them that God is more powerful than witchcraft.

6. What about “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Chronicles of Narnia“?  The point being that if we make a blanket statement that you can’t read about or watch movies with witches; you have to throw those out as well. Yes, there is a difference between the Chronicles of Narnia and Potter. CS Lewis wrote clearly with Christian allegory in mind. Likewise, one can easily see the Christian influence in Tolkien. I think the reason why some folks get upset with Potter is that it is presented in such a way as to make magic something noble and fine in modern life where as the others are clearly fictional stories in the middle ages.  But we still need to watch those all or nothing statements.

7. So witchcraft is a big deal and the first Christians in Ephesus who came from demon worship treated it that way.  They actually burnt their scrolls which monetarily equaled up to many years of wages. Reff. Acts 19:18-19.  Again, the point being that as followers of Christ we should not personally engage in the practice or even get involved with such things as tarot cards or fortune telling.

8. Over all, it seems like the best option is for everyone to just keep their heads on. Witchcraft is a real deal which is condemned by God. But HP is just a book and adventure movie. I’ve seen a couple of the flicks with my kids. On one side; just some fun, no big deal. On the other hand, without proper education, the HP books can lead some astray. So balance seems to be a big word here. Intelligent conversations, not shouting matches.

What would you add?

I’m working on my sermon for Mother’s Day and stopped to think about the main ladies in my life.  It was one of my favorite preachers, Charles Spurgeon, who said “I cannot tell you how much I owe to the solemn word of my good mother.”  Likewise, I probably cannot recount all the good I’ve received from my own mother.  Thanks mum for constantly believing in me and God’s plan for my life. Thanks mum for all the hard lessons you taught me and thanks for all the sacrifices you made for me.  I would not be here today if it weren’t for you.  Thanks Mum.

The Debster! Summer 09 back in Nor Cal.

I also want to thank my wife for agreeing to marry me even though her folks probably had second thoughts.  Deb, you have blessed me in so many ways and encouraged me through some hard times in ministry.  I constantly stand in awe of your ability and wonder how on earth God graced me with you. You are a great mother to our kids and an AWESOME wife to me. Thanks babe!

The Hinton Girls a while back in good ol Nor Cal.

In addition to all that, I want to thank God for two young ladies who I know are going to be GREAT mothers someday.  I’m thankful for my two daughters, Esther and Abigail.  You girls rock!  I can already see how God is forming you into women of greatness and make no mistake about it young men; you have to get through me to get to them.  I love you girls.

What about you?  How are you going to thank the ladies in your life this Mother’s Day?

Alright, show of hands here.  How many of you actually enjoyed taking history classes in High School?  Yup, that’s probably about right.  History is not the most popular subject with a lot of folks and that’s ok.  On the other hand, I’m one of those wired guys who actually enjoyed the study.  Don’t know, but maybe it’s just because I liked blowing an hour going to the film room at Tascosa High to watch a WWII documentary instead of sitting through Geometry.  But history does have important lessons to teach us in creating a more successful future.  If we take time to examine the good and bad decisions and the lives of those who have gone before us, we can learn from their victories and mistakes.  So it is with the CHURCH.  The first followers of Christ were so much like Jesus that they were actually called “Christians” for the first time in Antioch (Acts 11:26).  But how can that kind of “church” be realized today?  By that I don’t mean the wearing of a term, but actually being and living in such a way that others will see the real Christ and His Kingdom in us.  One of the ways to realize this is to rediscover the ancient church before man made traditions set in.  With that in mind, we’re going to take a few months to periodically examine what the early church looked like from the book of Acts and extra biblical sources written prior to the second or third century.  This was a period prior to the institutionalization of the church.  Writing about this era, Eberhard Arnold remarks that “The original witness of the church must lead us all, though still in very different camps, into the unity and purity of the clear light.”  Yes I know that there are some folks who would chuck this pursuit as being just too impractical for the modern Western thinker.  But I tend to agree with Roland Allen who rightly summed up the issue well in stating that, “In no other work do we set the great masters wholly on one side, and teach the students of today that whatever they may copy, they may not copy them, because they lived in a different age under exceptional circumstances and were endowed with exceptional genius.”  In every other pursuit, we take into consideration what past and ancient leaders have exemplified, so it would stand to reason that we can do so in living out the Kingdom and Church life as well.  Let’s take some time to rethink CHURCH in light of the ancient order of things.  What about you, have there been examples in your Church experience that more resembled western American culture or some other custom above simple Christian spirituality?

I got a new book from a friend the other day to look over and I think it has some potential.  The Next Level takes an honest look at the struggles in our lives and points out that we have a choice to either see them as a prison or as a testing ground in which God can develop our character.  The author outlines his plan by examining the tests of 31 biblical characters and then brings some application to our lives.  It’s not a bad idea and fits nicely into a month long devotion plan.  But I was a bit disappointed early on when I saw what is so prevalent in countless spiritualized self-help books today.  In part of the introduction, one of the authors describes his church as a place where they want to help people be “better husbands and wives, better parents, better children, employees, friends and neighbors and ultimately, better people.’”  Better people?  I read that and thought: I don’t want to just be better.  I want to be different; radically different.  I want to have a change that is way above anything a simple 5 or 10 step plan can accomplish.  I want transformation.

We often get a bug to change and we dive into the latest improvement program whether that is for our brains or our brawn.  But when our “better” falls flat against God’s standard, we retreat into lives of “nobody’s perfect” and we have to be “realistic or practical.”  You know: get our feet in the real world.  So I wonder, isn’t there something more?

Though I’m sure that The Next Level is a good book and I’ll probably finish it, I don’t see it addressing the real issue of our lives.  Work harder or smarter or longer won’t get the prize we ultimately need.  We have to be changed from the inside out before anything of real and eternal value will come.  Even the most successful by worldly or religious standards still faces eternity with the burden of measuring up to the almighty.  So we need a change that can’t be muscled on our own.  I suppose that’s why Jesus said that no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again.  The original text can also be translated as “from above.”  In other words, it’s a divine thing.  Thst’s what’s missing in the world of self-improvement.  What is needed is inner change.  Yes, I’ll continue to read and probably learn something.  But let’s always make sure we’re not getting the cart before the horse.  New birth always precedes real change.

There’s been a lot of debate recently over the building of an Islamic Mosque and community center just two blocks away from ground Zero in New York.  The issue took on more steam this past weekend as President Obama endorsed the group’s constitutional right to construct the building.  But then on Saturday, the President was reported as saying that while he upholds that “Muslims have that right, that doesn’t mean he believes it is the right thing for them to do.”  There sure are a number of ways to look at this.  I understand and have felt the same knee jerk reaction of many who have pointed out that the men who flew those planes into the Twin Towers in New York were led by a strict inner interpretation of the Qur’an (Koran).  So the initial thought of a group of Muslims meeting yards away from where such a tragic event happened can cause one to wince.  But when the dust clears and the heart beat slows down, I believe the group in question ought to be allowed to carry on with their plans.  But my main reason for such a position may not be easy to see at first.  Here’s what I’m thinking.

1. The President has correctly stated that these people in NY have a Constitutional right to construct their center as long as they abide by the laws of the land.  This is the same right of any other American religious group.

2.  Not all Muslims in America have declared Jihad or live by the same interpretation of the Qur’an as the terrorist of 9/11 did.  Not all Muslims hate the West or America.  I don’t hate Muslims.

3. But the real reason is my faith in the power of the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ.  Paul stated that he was not, “ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes”.  In short, I am not threatened or fearful of Islam.  I have a friend from Iran who came from a Muslim faith.  I believe that when the simple elements of Christ are placed alongside the basic tenants of Islam on an equal playing field, Christ will win.  I say that not because Christ followers are better than Muslims.  Rather I say that because Jesus answered the inner cry of our hearts like no one else ever has- how can we have peace with God? Islam says keep the Five Pillars and maybe you’ll get in.  Judaism says keep the Torah and maybe you’ll get enough points.  But Christ came and said that in and of ourselves we are bankrupt, but that he loves us anyway.  We are unable to appease God, but Jesus came and took our brokenness and sin on the cross.  That is where true transformation comes from.  That’s love and power and true change.  That’s why I’m not too hot and bothered by a Mosque two blocks from ground zero.  I’m actually excited about more opportunities to share the love of Christ with those in New York and around the world who don’t know him.

The real answer for NY is not a court battle over property, but for someone to move there, share the love of Christ, and thus plant a living Christ centered community there.  Any takers?  I might be able to get you connected.

Ok Bonnie,
There’s a lot you have to say and I like your honesty and being upfront. No need to play games here. So with everything you wrote, (and didn’t write) we’ll just tackle one point at a time.

As I noted earlier, there exists a counterfeit church today which is quite foreign from the real deal. But there is always an element of the real CHURCH in the world no matter what kind of institution is being propagated. You can read more about the authentic church here in Kingdomology under the CHURCH page. But in short, the Church has nothing to do with buildings or institutions. The authentic Church is more about God’s people called to him. When it comes to people, yes, you are quite right, there are a lot of people who make great claims about being good “Christians” but don’t seem to be any different than the rest of the world other than just being a religious pain in the rear because of self-righteousness. I get that. But here are some other points to consider.

1. Possibly these folks are really not Christians. In other words I can say I’m a Muslim because I go to a mosque. But that doesn’t change who I am on the inside. An apple can say it’s an orange, but that doesn’t make one fruit the other. Pt? Judge a tree by its fruit and not by what it says.

2. Possibly these “Hypocrites” are followers of Christ, but have lost their way. In one sense, everyone is a hypocrite about something. A guy plays pro-ball, but blows it from time to time. Can he still say he’s a pro-ball player or is he a hypocrite?

3. Could be that they are just sadly misguided. They have not been properly taught about what it really means to follow Christ. They took the ‘fire insurance’ but didn’t connect the life change.

4. Just because there are hypocrites out there, that does not mean that God or the CHURCH in its purest sense is wrong. You’ve spoken of loving Texas. There are some real nut jobs from Texas. Does that mean that all Texans are weird?

5. In conclusion, I just want to throw out a challenge to everyone who hates the church. I understand you’ve been jaded and I want to apologize for that. I understand that you’ve been wronged and I’m sorry. I do love people who don’t like the Church and want to be friends with them. But real friendships are two way streets so I just want to ask that everyone consider at least two things to start with.

a. Look to the real church. Consider all the major institutions in the West which exist to help mankind that were actually started by the church and Christ followers long ago. The Red Cross, most hospitals, and the YMCA. Even Harvard was founded for the purpose of better educating itinerant preachers without resources. Do I say it, but the “SALVATION ARMY”? So don’t waste your time on the counterfeits, but look to the source. Look to Jesus alone.

b. Be honest. Critics of the Church have been honest with their gripes and I’m happy and open for that. But I also want to ask that they honestly examine their own hearts as well. In other words, are the arguments people bring up against God really that solid or just a mask for rebellion? I’ve had good friends in the past who have rejected Christ and the Church, but when it all came clean, it was just an issue of choosing to say no to God because they didn’t want to submit to a higher power. In short, they wanted to be Master of their own destiny and didn’t want anyone or any god telling them what to do.

Is there anything else you would add?

Does anyone remember the movie, 2010, The Year We Make Contact?  The original flick, 2001, came out the year before I was born but I remember seeing it when I was in kindergarten.  I think I was a freshman in High School when 2010 came out.  Well 2010 is just around the corner and we haven’t reached Jupiter yet or encountered any black Monoliths on the moon.  At least I don’t think NASA is holding out on us.  But we are indeed on the verge of a new year and I’m looking forward to what God has in store for us as the Kingdom of Heaven plays out in our lives.

In the past, I’ve taken some down time around late December or early January for reflection.  Usually this is a good time to review a spiritual journal from the past year, read through sections of the Bible, and just try to listen for God’s voice. When I’ve done this I’ve found it easier to organize and set out some goals for the upcoming 12 months. This past January I did some additional things which I plan to repeat again for 2010.  The first thing I’ll do is to ask four or five mentors what their advice would be for me in the next year. The second thing will be to work through an expanded list of questions that I got from guy named Bob Roberts who is a preacher, church planter and has been around the block a lot longer than I have. Finally, after a season of praying and reflecting, I’ll then take the major points from God’s Word, lessons learned over the past year, answers from the questions below, and council from trusted advisors to develop a plan to go forward. 

I don’t know about you, but I’ve found that my problem at times is not finding things to do, but being focused enough to really do the right things. We have plenty of business in our society, but not a whole lot of solid direction. So let me challenge you to take some serious down time somewhere over the next few days to be still. Be still before God and ask Him to teach you something from the past and rightly point you to the future. You won’t regret it.

1.  What has God called me to be / do?

2.  Do I know why I’m doing what I’m doing?

3.  What is it that I bring to the table?

4.  What are my greatest strengths?

5.  What are my greatest weaknesses?

6.  How am I organized?

7.  How is my team organized?

 8.  What are two or three things that I could do which would bring an increase this next year?

 9.  What are some of my biggest obstacles and how can they be turned into opportunities? 

 10.  What excites me most?

 11. Do my beliefs match my actions?

 12. What are two or three changes that I could make which would be most pleasing to God?

 Is there anything else you would add?