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.

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?

Well, it’s been an exciting ride so far with the Christ Proposal.  Without a nationally recognized publisher or marketing agents, we’ve already been able to touch a lot lives and that’s worth cheering about.  One testimony we received was of a woman who purchased a book on opening night.  She read it in one sitting, cried, and then bought 20 more to give away to her friends.  Our original intent was not to write this project with a women’s audience in mind, but that’s kind of how it all evolved.  So the publisher, artist, and I have already had preliminary conversations about doing a similar work geared more toward men.  In addition to the various ministries and churches we’ve contacted, Barns & Noble has picked the book up for distribution.  But the most exciting thing is just imagining all the lives that can be brought to see the love of Christ through this project.  If you don’t have a copy yet, you can grab one through B&N or contact us for bulk orders and ministry projects.  If you need one free, shoot us an email and we’ll see what we can do.  Keep praying that God will use this project to open up hearts.

If I were to entitle this post anything else, I suppose it would be something like, “The Last Will and Testament of a Young Republican.”  That’s right; I was once a Young Republican a long time ago. But things are different now and it doesn’t have anything to do with age.  Now before my “Lefty” friends out there get all excited, you need to know that I’m not defecting to your political party either. Rather I’m pressing the cancel button on the whole system as far as my involvement goes.  While this doesn’t mean I’m never going to vote on issues I believe in, it does mean a drastic and purposeful decision to refrain from direct political involvement and commentary.  Even on my Face Book page I’ve listed the “Kingdom of Heaven” for my political views.  As followers of Christ we have to keep in mind that we’re part of His eternal Kingdom which supersedes the greatest Kingdoms of men.  But is this stand of total avoidance too radical?  After all, it would seem from the scripture that politics is a freedom issue.  We even noted in Part I. of this series that we can’t separate the sacred from the secular and this would apply to politics as well.  Yet considering the transitory nature of this realm, I do believe that this is an issue that Christians should seriously wrestle with.  As for me, I’ve drawn the line in the sand to abstain and here are at least four reasons why.

1. Political Parties are Incomplete.  While I tend to lean toward a more conservative Republican bent, the fact of the matter is that neither major political party has it all right.  They both have some huge things going for them, but neither one really possess a corner on the market of truth.  A big issue of me is the sanctity of life which sits well with the Republican stand in their anti-abortion platform.  But on the other end, the Democratic Party tends to defend the rights of the little guy and the poor which is something that the Bible also speaks about.  So to claim allegiance with just one party over another is to ignore issues that are Biblical and endorsed by the other side.

 2. Political Parties are Divisive.  This is an easy one to see from my perspective as I have friends on both sides of the political arena who claim allegiance first to Christ.  The problem is that we often get hot and bothered by particular legislations and build walls against each other that eventually turn into stone throwing.  I like what one guy said on FB a while back that most often Republicans paint all Democrats as being “morally corrupt and loose” while Democrats position all Republicans as being “ignorant fools with unprogressive thinking”.  As for me in my calling and position of proclaiming Christ and the Kingdom of God, I run the risk of alienating people who need the love of Christ over issues that are not eternal.  While I may believe that I am logically right on some of these political issues, they are minimal in light of lost souls and eternity.

 3. Politics are Inadequate.  I’ve noted this before, but the sad reality is that politics are not the real fix for society.  Yes, we need laws to avoid chaos and as illustrated in the second installment God even ordained government.  But the best set of rules and regulations in the world can never change a man’s heart.  I remember visiting with some missionary friends in Australia a number of years ago and the latest news that day was a guy who went on a rampage with a butcher knife.  Now here’s the significance.  Australians believe in huge gun control and you basically can’t get a fire arm there unless you own a mammoth sized ranch.  But yet if someone wants to kill another human being, they’re going to find a way to do it.  Their Anti-gun policy did nothing to deter a murderous heart.  Here we see why Jesus said virtually nothing about political philosophy or the Roman Government.  There were a lot of really bad things going on in his day, but Jesus came to change the heart and elevate it to the eternal Kingdom of Heaven.  When a heart is transformed it will naturally do what is good for its neighbor whether there is a law in place or not.

 4. Politics are too Tempting for Me.  A major reason for my decision to run away from political dialogue is simply that it’s too tempting for me.  I can easily get carried away and miss the big picture and point.  I can lose focus and miss or blow a chance to convey what is eternal and really important.  So I try to bite my tongue and refocus as much as I can in order to stay on track. I suppose it would be similar to a recovering alcoholic staying clear of a bar.  It’s just not worth it.

Well, that’s something to start with.  How do you intersect with this issue?

I was blessed to be part of the Crossings “Share Fair” 2010 event this past Saturday.  To me it was just another wonderful example of a local body of Christ putting their faith into practice by coming up with creative ways to serve their extended community.  The “Fair” was a great success this year as we gathered donations and gifts and networking with a local school, were able to get them into the lives of families in our area who are struggling.  A HUGE thanks goes out to Larry Foster who handled the goliath share of the details which made everything come together.  I also want say thanks to everyone who helped with the setup, teardown, and serving throughout the day.  In all, “Share Fair” was just another reason why you rock Cypress Crossings.  So keep up the good work and have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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.

Like a number of Christian ministers I know, it seems like a part of my spiritual mentorship actually comes from dead guys from the past. Yes I know; that sounds exciting doesn’t it? But by that I mean being able to glean from the writings of Christ followers in times gone by who really walked with God. Some of the men that I still read from and about are Spurgeon, Moody, Finney, Taylor, Muller and Bonhoeffer. There are other guys who I don’t read as much from, but still have a profound influence on my kingdom thinking. One of those guys is Oswald Chambers of whom I read this morning before really hitting the day. In a devotional book I got from a friend back in CA he gives a commentary over 1 Peter 2:21 which really applies to people who are engaged in serious ministry projects. The gist of the text deals with the issue of suffering for Christ, which is a reality in authentic Kingdom living. I’ve pasted the text and commentary below. I hope it’s helpful and challenging.

“To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his steps.” 1 Peter 2:21

Oswald Chambers

     “Do you suffer on account of somebody else or for somebody else? In your agonizing prayers before the Lord on behalf of what you consider a “distressing situation,” are you longing for release because the “distressing situation” hurts and discomforts you? If so, you are not having fellowship with His suffering. But if your soul, out of love, longs and bears in a voluntary and vicarious way for others, then you are having fellowship with Jesus in His sufferings.
     When your Christian work seemingly is in ruins and you wail before God, is it because the work of your hands is in ruins? Are you tempted to say, “I thought this was to be my life work; now it is broken and blighted and shattered”? If so, you do not know what fellowship with HIS sufferings means. But when you see people defiling the work of God, making HIS house of worship a place for worldly business for the engendering of false affections and pursuits (I would also add a crying out for those perishing without knowing the love of Christ) and you agonize before the Lord with tears, then you are learning to have fellowship with our Lord in HIS sufferings.”

Oswald Chambers
Author of
My Utmost for His Highest

I think Chambers was on to something there, as so many times our prayers of anguish have more to do with getting us out of our tense situations than for the good of others. Something to chew on.

I recently watched the second half of Return of the King with my kids and enjoyed every minute of it.  I love that movie and really anything from Tolkien and CS Lewis.  I’ll be honest; I can even be somewhat of a cry baby at times when it comes to this kind of genre.  Once I even held back the tears when I saw The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe in the theater back in Nor. Cal.  The whole imagery of Aslan representing Jesus and going to the Stone Table for Edmond just floored me because I knew the deeper meaning of what was going on.  So it is with the rest of Lewis’ writing and that of the Lord of the Rings.  Yes, it’s all fiction, but it conveys something deep, something that each of us secretly cries out for way down in the catacombs of our inmost being.  They’re the kind of stories that, as Rich Mullins used to sing, “make a man walk straight.”  Tolkien was neither the first nor the last to employ this kind of imagery.  The greatest user of the Kingdom metaphor was Jesus himself.  But Jesus was not writing for money or even to tell a great story, but to convey a very deep reality.  The thing about authentic Christian Spirituality is that it is so much more than escaping the penalty of our sin through the redeeming mission of Christ, but to enter into a newer and bigger reality.  Naysayers would say to guys like me, “come on Steve, and get your feet in the real world.”  But I would contend that if indeed the message of Christ is real, then we can’t get our feet into the Real World.  Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven as something that existed then and now and for all eternity.  He described something that’s greater than America, the UN, and the lines we draw on maps.  He described something that’s active in the hearts of all who would follow him and thrive throughout all eternity.  I think deep down all mankind is yearning for something like that.  Why else is NASA spending gazillions in trying to find life in outer space?  Why that kind of searching of the cosmos, and the soul?  I believe it’s because we long for something bigger than us.  So Jesus spoke about the Kingdom.  He spoke about the reality of “ragamuffin” women and men of faith following hard after him with his rule in their hearts.  That’s the Kingdom!  That’s what real Christianity is all about.  It’s not a bunch of proper rules to be kept, but a life of adventure to be lived.