Blog Archives - Journey Elgin

Blog: Thoughts on Thankfulness in Psalm 107-Part 1

Posted on Nov 8, 2019 in Blog |

Thanksgiving Thoughts

Psalm 107:1-3

Well, Fall certainly took the scenic view to arrive this year, but Fall has officially arrived. In early October, I was still watching football games on Friday night in what felt like a convection oven. The last few Friday nights I have tossed away all shame and huddled under a blanket and worn a hoodie. I love Fall. So many things begin to change. The landscape changes and the cool mornings and evenings are tremendously rejuvenating. In addition to the changing weather, I also love the fact Thanksgiving is right around the corner. I love Thanksgiving. I don’t particularly love turkey, but when eaten with family at Thanksgiving the turkey always tastes better.

I could easily get on my soap box and talk about how culturally we have skipped over Thanksgiving and gone straight for the consumeristic celebration of secularized Christmas. I could easily make the case that we should boycott all stores who put out Christmas stuff in October (of course we would not be able to go anywhere). I could easily bemoan the reality of hearing Christmas music in November, and I could whine about all of the Christmas movies already flooding Netflix and my DVR que at home. Thankfully, I will not bore you with my soap box; anyway, where was I?

Thanksgiving is awesome! We have so much to be thankful for and yet we have perfected the art of being ungrateful. This month let’s start a habit of being grateful that will permeate our lives from here on out. To help us in this process we are going to look at Psalm 107. Each week we will work through more of the Psalm.

Take a few moments and read Psalm 107:1-3.

Have you taken some time lately to reflect on the ways God is good? Have you become so consumed with the problems of the world and the false reality portrayed in social media you skip over the good surrounding us? I encourage you to start being thankful for the small things that may seem insignificant; ice cream, left over Halloween candy, a cool breeze, a warm ray of sunshine, the smile of a friend, hearing a good song at just the right time, etc.

After getting warmed up in being thankful, start to think more broadly across your life. How has God been good to you? How has His love endured throughout the ups and downs of your life? This can be painful, because we naturally remember the difficult times of life and we typically don’t want to relive the pain and suffering associated with those points in our life. Sometimes the most amazing examples of God’s goodness are found when we look back openly and honestly at the storms of our life.

Being thankful and looking for how God was good through the storms of our life is a helpful way to find healing from the results of the storm. I have tried to be very intentional about doing this when I think about the storms of my life. I find being thankful helps to push out the bitterness, anger and hurt the storms of life typically bring. Now, rather than negative feelings overwhelming me when I think about past struggles, I am able to rejoice in God’s presence through the storms.

Psalm 107 begins by encouraging the people of God to tell their story of redemption, hope, and victory. As we enter into this season of Thanksgiving let us all remember our stories of God’s goodness and love.

Nov '16

Blog: Political Pessimism

Posted on Nov 17, 2016 in Blog, General | Tags: church, faith, journey, journey elgin

Nov '16

I hesitate to write anything closely related to politics because typically I would rather people like me. I know that by writing anything remotely political there may be some who want to throw burning pitchforks at me; however, I feel compelled to write anyway. I want to clarify at the beginning of this that I am writing to Christians and not society as a whole. This article is for those of us who consider ourselves Christian and who desire to follow the example of Jesus and proclaim the message He called us to proclaim.

I am generally an optimistic person. This is a choice I try to make everyday even as pessimism presses in on all sides. I admit that I do get pessimistic from time to time, but I try my best to be positive. After all, I claim to believe in Jesus and His teachings, so I should probably do my best to experience the joy He promised us. Being optimistic allows me to experience more joy. I have chosen to extend my optimism into my view of politics. This is not easy to do and is becoming more and more difficult.

Eight years ago our country freely elected a president who held ideologies that ran contrary to many traditional Christians. I heard many pessimistic projections of what would happen to our country. People were in an uproar. To the point that many were making the case that our new President could be the antichrist. (He better get on that, he only has two months left……..oh wait maybe he is just using the presidency as a springboard to ascend to the throne of the relished position of antichrist) Obviously I am being sarcastic here but the vitriol against President Obama was very real by many Christians. I even heard things such as, “How could anyone be a Christian and vote for a Democrat.” To use the political jargon, right leaning Christians made moderate or left leaning Christians feel like due to their voting choice they were not adequate to be true followers of Christ. Eight years ago I chose to believe in the checks and balances of our great country and treat our leader with respect. Our country has withstood many challenges and I chose to believe we would continue to survive, if not thrive. Eight years later our country still exists and we are still a strong nation. Are there problems? Yes. Can we become better? Yes. But President Obama did not destroy our nation.

Fast forward to today. We have now freely elected a man who many find offensive and are terrified about where he will take our country. With the rise of social media since 2008, the cries of fear and frustration have been given a megaphone. Now Christians who are more left leaning or moderate are returning the favor given to them eight years ago. I have heard and seen statements such as, “Anyone who voted for Trump is a racist and a bigot, no true Christian could vote for such a man.” Christians who may have voted for Trump are being categorized as less than Christian just as Christians who voted for Obama were eight years ago.
I have chosen again to believe in the checks and balances of our great nation and treat our leader with respect even if he sometimes does not. I believe our nation will survive and possibly thrive. Unfortunately, my pessimism is becoming stronger not in regards to our nation, but in regards to our ability to effectively impact the Kingdom of God.

With the election of President Obama in ’08 and the election of President Elect Trump in ’16 the unhealthy obsession with politics among American Christians is obvious. We have become so engaged in our earthly political system we have neglected our role in the Kingdom of God. Jesus called the Church, which is all of us, to proclaim the Good News of God’s Kingdom. He did not call any country or political system. The excessive emphasis by us as Christians on our political system has begun to fracture our ability to make a positive impact in the Kingdom of God. We are divided as a country, but more concerning, is how divided we are as the Church. Christians on both sides of the political landscape are lobbing hate and fear like grenades and the Church is absorbing all the shrapnel. With every angry and accusatory tweet and Facebook post, the effectiveness of the American Church becomes less and less. As Christians, we should be ashamed that we have allowed a temporary political system, lead by a temporary leader, derail us from our God given mission of proclaiming the Kingdom of God is at hand. We are citizens of an unshakable Kingdom led by God Almighty and yet we tremble at the thought of a leader who will govern an earthly and temporary kingdom for at most eight years. I will admit that the way we have acted as Christians towards one another in these last two election seasons is embarrassing, and in my pessimism I wonder if we can recover our ability to make a positive impact for the Kingdom of God.

Thankfully, I believe we can; however, changes will need to be made. First, we must quit acting like one political party captures what it means to be a Christian. I am going to oversimplify this example to try and make a point. I know your minds will be spinning with arguments and qualifiers to what I am about to say, so I urge you to just consider the basic point. Republicans proudly support a pro-life and anti-abortion agenda. I can make a very strong case that this is a Godly and biblical principle. God values all life and He has “knit us in our Mother’s womb.” Does this mean all ‘good’ Christians must fall in line with this party? The Democratic Party holds strongly to a more welcoming and relaxed immigration system. I can make a very strong case that this is a Godly and biblical principle. God certainly desires for us to welcome the foreigner and remember, “what you have done to the least of these, you have done to me.” Does this mean that all ‘good’ Christians should fall in line with this party?

I know that all of you are doing the mental gymnastics necessary to justify and defend your political party and that is fine, but please stop long enough to consider the fact that maybe God didn’t appoint one of our political parties to be the ambassador of Christianity. How are we going to be able to show God’s love to the world around us when we allow political party lines to bring about such division and hate among those who claim to be Christians? If your party allegiance causes you to look down on those who politically disagree with you then your allegiance to your party is greater than your allegiance to God.

Please don’t take this as saying that we should not be involved in the political process. This is not the case at all. However, we should conduct ourselves within the process as Christians. Seek to understand one another, respect each other, and be willing to turn the other cheek when others disrespect you. Our political fervor should never lead us to treat others with hate and disrespect.

Secondly, we must decide whom we will serve. I know that when we as Americans think about our country there is a strong emotional reaction. Many of us have family and friends who have served this country through the military. They have sacrificed so much and deserve our respect and gratitude. Our country’s value on freedom has given us so many opportunities. When we feel that one political ideology is threatening that freedom we react passionately. Both sides of the political spectrum react out of this passion. I am so glad we live in a country worthy of passion, but as Christians we need to understand our country is still only an earthly kingdom. All earthly kingdoms will one day fade away. Earthly kingdoms have very different agendas and responsibilities than the Kingdom in which we live.

I believe the United States is a great country and will survive our political turmoil, but as strong as our country is it does not compare to the Kingdom of God.
Jesus came with a message proclaiming the Kingdom of God was at hand. This means there is hope for the hopeless, peace for those ravaged by war, and joy for those immersed in sadness. The Kingdom of God does not rely on an election in order to be great, the Kingdom is great because God is present and active among us. There is no threat to the Kingdom. Jesus has already secured victory. Our job is to proclaim that victory. No political system can ever offer what is found in God’s Kingdom. I am very proud to be an American citizen, but that will always be a secondary citizenship. First and foremost we are citizens of the Kingdom of God and we cannot allow the enemy to use our political passion to divide us.

I believe we can regain a positive voice as Christians here in America. Let us unite around our King and focus on proclaiming His message. Do not let political passion divide us, but rather let us be united by the passion Christ has shown us. We have a message that can change the world, why spend so much energy on a political system that cannot.

Sep '16

Blog: John 20:19-23: Be Confident in Christ

Posted on Sep 21, 2016 in Blog, General, Scripture | Tags: bible, church, faith, hope, Jesus, John, journey, journey elgin, Scripture

Sep '16

I believe one of the most common problems we have as humans is a lack of self-confidence. This is evidenced by the hundreds of self-help books and theories on ways to increase your self-esteem. Even those people who will tell you how confident they are, as demonstrated by many pro athletes, many times are just overcompensating for the reality that they too struggle with self-confidence. I understand why we struggle with this issue; life is difficult. Most of us have experienced failures in life and we realize that even doing our best sometimes does not equal success based on our society’s standards. In order to hold on to the slim amount of self-confidence we have, we tend to stick with doing what we are comfortable with and we avoid taking on challenges that may lead to failure which would remove the little bit of confidence we have left.

I found myself in this position during college. My dreams of playing college sports had died and I was simply going through the motions of normal college life. I did not know what I wanted to do with my life and my confidence was not high. Honestly, I just wanted someone to tell me what to do so I did not have to make a meaningful decision. Around this time in my life I received a phone call from a pastor named Shane Barnes, who was serving at my home church. He had come to our church after I graduated, but I had met him and knew a little about him. He asked me a question that would ultimately change the direction of my life: “Would you be our Youth Pastor for the summer?” I was completely unprepared for that question. I had never thought about being a minister in any sense. What really surprised me was the confidence Shane had in me. He told me that he saw something in me and that he knew I would do a good job with the youth. I will never forget the confidence Shane showed in me when I did not have confidence in myself. The support Shane gave me helped me to find God’s calling in my life and I have now been in ministry for around 16 years. All this began with someone showing confidence in me.

In John 20:19-23, we find the disciples experiencing the risen Christ for the first time. They had seen the empty tomb and heard the report from Mary, but they still were not certain of what was happening and they were scared. I have to think that none of the disciples were too confident about their future. They were so insecure about what was happening in their life that they were hiding behind locked doors as if those doors would protect them from the uncertainty surrounding them. At this trying moment in the disciples’ lives, Jesus appears unexpectedly before them and immediately offers them His peace. He knew their hearts were not at peace, in fact they were terrified, but Jesus gives them what they need; assurance of His presence.

Jesus then overcomes their doubts by showing them His hands and His side. As the disciples see the truth of the risen Christ they are overjoyed. Jesus now does something amazing, He calls the disciples to serve Him. These are the men who were just huddling together in fear and doubt and now Jesus is sending them just as God had sent Him into the world. The confidence Jesus showed in those disciples was incredible. They had all fled in fear when He was arrested and now Jesus was entrusting them with telling the world who He was and what He had done. The disciples must have been humbled and amazed at the confidence the Messiah was showing in them.

Jesus did not stop there, He continued by equipping the disciples with all they would need to fulfill His calling on their lives. He gives them the Holy Spirit which will lead and guide them as they go into the world. No longer will they need to huddle in fear because God is with them always. They never need to suffer from insecurity again because their strength can now come from the fact that Jesus has confidence in them. Jesus has given them everything they need to change the world for Christ.

I wonder how many of us live our lives behind locked doors, afraid to venture out into the unknown world. Maybe we need to open our eyes to the one who is standing right beside us giving us peace. Jesus wants you to experience peace in knowing that he loves you and is there with you. Jesus is also showing great confidence in you; He is calling you to serve Him. When I look in the mirror I do not know why He called me, but I am confident in His calling because He was confident enough in me to ask me to serve Him. Not only is Jesus confident in you, but He has also equipped you with everything you will need to continue to impact the Kingdom of God. His presence will guide you if you will allow Him.

This week, step out and live the calling Jesus has so confidently given you. Is there a friend you have been avoiding talking to about your relationship with Christ? Is there a family God has laid on your heart to minster to? Does your church need you to step up and serve? Are you being a minister in your workplace? Your home? Is there someone who needs to hear the confidence you have in them? Be confident, God is confident in you.

Aug '16

Blog: John 20:1-18: Running to Jesus

Posted on Aug 26, 2016 in Blog, General, Scripture | Tags: bible, church, Easter, faith, He is Alive, hope, Jesus, journey, journey elgin, Scripture

Aug '16

There is no way to describe the feeling I get when one of my girls surprises me by running toward me and giving me an unexpected hug. Of course, as they are getting older the feeling I get is sometimes fear of being knocked over, but my heart is always warmed when they show me this type of affection. I can remember many occasions when one of my little girls would run down the aisle toward me after worship service on Sundays. She would jump into my open arms or crash into my legs if I was not paying attention. Either way she just wanted to give me a hug. These hugs came as a result of her being excited and happy to see me, but they also happened on occasions when she was unsecure or fearful.

On one occasion after Sunday morning worship, a group of men and I were talking while my youngest daughter was playing a short distance away. For some reason she began to feel uneasy and wanted her dad. Without thinking, she turned and ran toward a pair of legs and grabbed hold as she has done so many times before to me; however, this time the legs were not mine. When she looked up and saw that she had the wrong dad, panic came across her face for a moment. She quickly backed off and began scanning the group of men until she came across the face in which she found her security. She then ran to me and I picked her up and she gave the biggest hug and smile possible.

In John 20:1-18, Mary Magdalene has gone to the tomb to pay her respects to Jesus. No doubt she is still distressed and grieving the events of the Friday before. What an emotional week for her and all the followers of Jesus. They had experienced the excitement and motivation of entering Jerusalem to the shouts of “Hosanna,” and now they were experiencing the lowest of lows. If ever Mary needed Jesus, this was the time; but He was dead. She had seen Him die with her own eyes, there was nothing that could be done now and everything she hoped for was buried in a tomb behind a boulder.

When she reached the tomb Mary saw that the stone has been rolled away and she immediately thinks that things have just become even worse; now even Jesus’ dead body has been stolen. Peter and another disciple ran to the tomb and simply confirm Mary’s fear that the body had been taken away. Even the sight of two angels does not ease Mary’s pain. In my mind I see her hunched over on her knees weeping, when she hears someone behind her and turns to see who could be standing there. Through her tears and distress she simply glances at the figure behind her and assumes the man to be the gardener; of course she would not expect to see Jesus, he is dead. She resumes her position of mourning at the feet of this gardener and pleads with him to help her make sense of this unthinkable situation. Then Jesus calls her name and Mary looks up from her weeping and through the tears she looks into the eyes of the last person she expected to see, but the person she needed to see the most.

As we read this story we have the advantage of knowing the whole story. What Mary did not know was that the victory had already been won before she even saw the empty tomb, but Mary needed to see Jesus to be assured of the victory. We really are not much different when we are going through the dark times of our lives. We tend to forget that God has already won the victory and that he will carry us through these difficult and burdensome times of life. Sometimes the darkness becomes so dark that we feel like Mary and just want to fall to the ground and weep. Only when we look up and fix our eyes on Jesus will the darkness surrounding our life begin to fade into the light of Jesus’ victory.

During the trying times of our life we need to act like my little girl and run to where our security and encouragement resides. We need to run to Jesus and allow Him to comfort us, cry with us, encourage us, and strengthen us. You may find yourself in a dark place right now and there seems to be no light anywhere. Remember that this darkness is only part of the story; the full story ends with an empty tomb and the light of Christ filling all the dark corners of our lives.
There will always be dark and difficult times until Christ comes again, but even in the midst of this darkness we know that the victory is already won. Jesus told Mary to go and announce His victory over death. In a world so consumed by death, violence, immorality, and hopelessness there needs to be a message of hope. Jesus is that message. We need to go and proclaim that darkness has not prevailed, that there is light to be found in the midst of the darkness, and that the light of Christ will extinguish all remnant of darkness. Let us live in the light and share the light with those who are still lost in darkness.

Aug '16

Blog: John 19: It Is Finished!

Posted on Aug 3, 2016 in Blog, General, Scripture | Tags: batman, bible, church, dark night, John, John 19, journey, journey elgin, Scripture

Aug '16

The movie scene is intense, and has the audience sitting on the edge of their seats in anticipation of what will transpire during the tension filled press conference. Harvey Dent, Gotham City’s District Attorney in the movie “The Dark Knight,” is addressing reporters and the city in a live interview in which everyone anticipates that the true identity of Batman will be revealed. The city has been gripped by fear due to the psychotic actions of the Joker. The Joker has terrorized the citizens of Gotham and now has assured the city that if Batman turns himself in he will stop his murderous ways. The city is paralyzed with fear and is willing to sacrifice someone who stands for justice in order to ease their apprehension.
Harvey Dent knows that giving in to the demands of evil, personified in the Joker, will only weaken the city and lead them down a path of uncertainty and chaos. Dent knows the difficulty of standing up for what is right. Criminals have already tried to take his life, but that has not stopped this intrepid District Attorney. Dent appeals to the city not to sacrifice Batman, but remain strong and determined as they endure the evil of the Joker together. As he nears the end of his plea, he makes this statement; “The night is darkest just before the dawn. And I promise you, the dawn is coming.”

I believe the crucifixion and death of Jesus is by far His darkest time on earth. Jesus has spent the last three years of His life impacting the lives of everyone He came in contact with. He transformed people’s lives by healing them of all sorts of diseases and physical limitations. Jesus offered people a new life through believing in Him. He brought hope to the hopeless and proclaimed freedom to the captives. Jesus gave all that He was and all that He had for the very people who now were crying out, “crucify Him, crucify Him.”

Evil has powerfully responded to Jesus’ message of hope and new life and now evil is celebrating as the loving and compassionate Christ is hanging on a cross. As Jesus hangs on this cross He is enduring more than He has ever experienced before. Jesus, the sinless Son of God, is taking upon Himself the sin of the world. Not only is He taking our sin, but also the punishment for our sin. Jesus feels the pain our sin inflicts on us and the world. He is now riddled with the guilt and shame that always accompany sin. The full fury of darkness has descended upon Jesus and He must endure all the pain and suffering the darkness brings. Finally, Jesus raises his voice one last time and speaks to the heart of the darkness saying, “It is finished.”

At these words evil must have rejoiced as never before. The darkness had succeeded in extinguishing the light of Christ in one twenty four hour period. While darkness and evil are ecstatic, the followers of Jesus are crushed when they hear His last words. Is it really finished? Were the last three years for nothing? At this point darkness seems to have won the victory, and even the reader of the Gospel must acknowledge defeat if she or he does not already know the ultimate ending. Truly the night must have seemed so dark and the dawn was nowhere in sight.

The darkness was unbelievably dark as Jesus was uttering His last words, but was there a ray of light shining on this day? John specifically mentions two unlikely individuals who are there for Jesus on His darkest day. Joseph of Arimathea is part of the religious structure that has sent Jesus to the cross. This whole ordeal must have been unbearable for Joseph. When he sees an opportunity to do something for Jesus, he offers to provide the burial site for our Lord, even though he would no longer be a secret follower of Jesus. Joseph was willing to stand up to the darkness even though I am sure he believed the ministry of Jesus was finished. He could no longer keep his love for Christ a secret and he shows us a tiny ray of light.

Joseph of Arimathea is helped by a very interesting and profound character in the Gospel of John. Nicodemus is the man who approached Jesus at night and asked how he could enter the Kingdom of God. Jesus responds by telling Nicodemus to be born again. As far as the reader is concerned, Nicodemus leaves Jesus just as confused and wrapped in darkness as when he first approached Jesus; however, clearly this was not the case. At some point, Nicodemus appears to have understood the message of Jesus because he is now stepping out of the darkness and serving Jesus when all others have abandoned Him.

As a reader of the Gospel of John, I must ask; if Jesus was able to overcome the darkness in Nicodemus’ life, could He overcome this darkness that has now consumed Him? The crucifixion and death of Jesus is undoubtedly a dark day, but this is not the last of Jesus. When Jesus said “it is finished,” he meant for sin, death, darkness and evil. Even in this dark hour, Jesus knew that the light was coming. No matter how dark our lives become, maybe we should remember that the night is darkest just before the dawn, and Jesus has promised the dawn is coming and the darkness will have no place to hide.

Jul '16

Blog: John 18-19: Allowing Darkness a Foothold

Posted on Jul 5, 2016 in Blog, General, Scripture | Tags: bible, church, John, John 18, John 19, journey, journey elgin, Scripture

Jul '16

Good versus evil and light versus darkness are themes we see throughout our daily lives. The struggle between good and evil pervades all aspects of society, sometimes we find ourselves in the midst of darkness and at other times the light disperses the darkness and brings hope and security. The entertainment industry has realized how effectively the struggle between good and evil draws an audience into the story. “The Lord of the Rings,” “Harry Potter,” and numerous other books and movies portray the conflict and tension brought about when good and evil collide. In my opinion, the one movie saga that captures the epic nature of the relationship of light and darkness or good and evil is “Star Wars.”

There may be some who are uncomfortable with “Star Wars” being the favorite movie of a pastor. I assure you I am not converting to the Jedi religion in any way; of course I have tried to summon the remote control to my hand only using my mind, but who hasn’t done that? “Star Wars” actually illustrates the battle between light and darkness very effectively. The original trilogy started out with the movie titled, “A New Hope.” The Galactic Empire, ruled by the Emperor and Darth Vader, rule the Galaxy with an iron fist and this empire symbolizes evil and darkness. The light is represented by the small but determined group called the Rebellion. By the end of the movie the Rebellion and the Empire have an epic battle and the Rebellion is able to destroy the Death Star and bring about a new hope to the galaxy; however, just like life, evil is still waiting around the corner. In the second movie, “The Empire Strikes Back,” the Empire is able to reorganize and force the Rebellion into hiding. Good and evil battle one another throughout the movie saga just as they do in life today. In the final movie, good overcomes evil, but not without difficulty and determination by the Rebellion.

In John 18 we begin to clearly see the power of evil as Jesus is arrested and then taken to trial. Over the past few chapters Jesus has been talking to the disciples about His goodness and how they have the opportunity to help spread His goodness throughout the world. Darkness will not quietly allow the light of Jesus to drown out the stronghold of evil in the world. The one person who is the epitome of goodness, love and light in a dark world is now going to be attacked full force and ultimately killed. This must have been an unimaginably difficult time for Jesus and he could have used all the support he could get. The support did not come and darkness descended on the earth as never before.

There are three different responses to Jesus in chapters 18 and 19 and each response allows evil to continue the work that had been started. The first response is that of Peter, a fierce and devoted follower of Jesus. In the heat of the moment during Jesus’ arrest, Peter impulsively cut off the ear of the High Priest’s servant. Now Peter finds himself with time to think and when the question is posed to him regarding his relationship with Jesus, Peter denies knowing Jesus on three separate occasions. Peter was so scared he would be put through the same thing Jesus was going through that he felt the need to deny and abandon Jesus when Jesus needed him most.

Pilate’s response to Jesus ultimately paved the way for Jesus to be crucified. Pilate acknowledges the fact that Jesus is innocent and even proclaims Jesus is king of the Jews, but in the end the pressure of the crowd and fear of what others would think prevented Pilate from doing what was right. The third response in these two chapters is seen in the religious leaders. These were God-fearing people who desired to follow God and were looking forward to the coming Messiah; however, they were entrenched in the man-made traditions of their religious façade. If God was not going to conform to their understanding and preconceived ideas then even God would be allowed to be nailed to a tree. Each of these responses allowed evil to gain a stronghold that would lead to the Messiah being crucified like a common criminal.

I wonder if sometimes our responses to Jesus allow darkness to gain a stronghold today. Jesus has called us to be light bearers in this world today which means we live our lives for Christ each and every day. Sometimes we may respond as Peter. For the most part we live for Christ and serve Him, but when following Jesus will cause personal difficulty, will we deny Jesus as Peter did? Are we still concerned more about our personal comfort and security than following Christ?

Maybe we respond as Pilate; we know the right thing to do, but we are afraid of what others might think. Does maintaining our social status keep us from ministering to all people no matter who they are? Do we put what others think about us above what God desires for us to do? Finally, I am afraid that at times we respond the way the religious leaders responded to Jesus. How often do we let tradition keep us from ministering in a new way? Do we only follow Jesus in the areas were we feel comfortable or are we willing to see Jesus from a different perspective? If we allow anything to keep us from serving Christ, we are allowing darkness to overcome the light.

When we are struggling to follow Christ, I hope we will remember that Jesus himself faced evil and overcame the darkness. At our weakest moments, when we are tempted to disregard God’s calling in our life we must remember to turn our focus on the one who has overcome the darkness. Jesus faced all that evil could throw at Him and He conquered death and darkness with life and light. I hope we will take part in pointing people away from the darkness and into the light that Jesus revealed when He overcame death and radiantly burst forth from the tomb.

May '16

Blog: John 15:1-17: Having Complete Joy

Posted on May 31, 2016 in Blog, General, Scripture | Tags: bible, church, encouragement, Jesus, John, John 15, journey, journey elgin, Scripture

May '16

Growing up and living in West Texas provides many interesting and unique opportunities. On any given weekend a person may be able to enjoy a rattlesnake roundup, ranch rodeo, demolition derby, or a random dust storm. The landscape provides an array of drought resistant vegetation which includes many shades of light green to brown grasses and our version of trees; the Cedar and the Mesquite. Many people have scoffed at the West Texas landscape; but then the sun begins to sink below the horizon. The once simple and somewhat desolate land is filled with beautiful shades of pink, orange, and purple. No artist can capture the majesty of the West Texas sunset, except the original artist who set the sun in motion.

Now, enough about the sentimental beauty of West Texas and on to what everyone knows is most important: Friday Night Football! Yes, High School Football could be classified as a religion here in West Texas, and I have to admit that I tithe regularly to the stadium box office and concession stand. I had the opportunity to be quarterback of Sterling City High School and I still love to cheer on the local team. I can remember those Friday nights and how nervous I would get before taking the field. My worst fear was that I may forget a play or which way to run. I am sure our coach understood our fears. Before the game we would always run through the most important plays of the week. This last minute time of preparation and my coaches encouraging words reinforced what was most important during the game and helped to calm my nerves. Once the game started, no matter how dire the situation became, I could rely on those last parting words and instructions from my coach.

In John 15, Jesus and the disciples have begun to travel to the garden where Jesus will be arrested. The words on that walk were Jesus’ final teachings to the disciples. I have to think that Jesus chose the words he wanted to speak very carefully because these would be the words the disciples would have to hold onto in the dark days to come.
Jesus uses the example of a vine, branches, and fruit. Simply stated this means that we must do everything we can to foster growth in our relationship with Christ so that we live our lives according to Christ’s example. Believing in Christ gives us salvation, but that is only the beginning of the relationship we have with Christ. From believing in Christ we should become followers of Christ which is what bearing fruit means. Why would these be the words Jesus chose to teach the disciples at this pivotal time?

Jesus understands that people are searching for hope, peace and meaning in their life. When he says, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete,” Jesus tells us how to live a fulfilled life. The joy Jesus speaks of is found only through him. His joy transcends happiness and is not based on human emotion. Jesus’ joy is found only when we remain in him and bear fruit. The joy Jesus gives brings hope to the hopeless, peace to the tormented, and purpose for those who are searching for meaning. Amazing! Some of Jesus’ last words before his death were given so that our joy would be complete.

Jesus has now told the disciples how to experience true joy; remain in him and bear fruit. The next thing Jesus says helps to clarify what bearing fruit really means. Verses 12 and 13 say, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” We will never find joy if we do not love other people. I believe Jesus experienced pure joy throughout his life because of his love for people. This joy was experienced even as Jesus gave up his life because he was giving his life out of love for you and me. The more we remain in him and grow closer to him the more we will be able to love others.

Ironically, the world tells us that in order to find joy we need to focus on our own needs, desires and dreams. Jesus tells us that when we love others as he has shown, our own joy will be complete. When I look around at all the heartbreak in the world the evidence is overwhelming that the world’s way of finding joy is a lie. We must grab hold of the truth and proclaim the truth to a world that desperately needs to find joy.

Through Christ we are able to love others as he does and live our lives so others will come to love him. I am so amazed that we have a God who desires for us to find true joy in this life. I hope you will live your life so that your joy may be complete. Do you feel that your joy is complete? Are you loving others the way Jesus loves us? Are you living your life so that others will see your love? How can you do a better job of remaining in Christ? How can you show your love for others?

May '16

Blog: John 14-15: Our Advocate

Posted on May 12, 2016 in Blog, General, Scripture | Tags: bible, church, encouragement, John, John 14, journey, journey elgin, Scripture

May '16

We have three daughters, which makes my house exciting and emotionally charged at all times. I remember when our youngest daughter entered into the dreaded time of life so affectionately called the terrible two’s. She started to become very independent and she knew what she wanted. The biggest problem was that, even after three children, I do not always understand random finger pointing and incoherent noises, which was her preferred method of communication. If this method failed she resorted to screaming and making noises that would make a wounded animal proud. We try to be good parents so we began disciplining our child so that at age sixteen our daughter does not throw herself onto the floor kicking a screaming when she does not get her way.

When we got to the point of correcting our youngest little angel/heathen, I found that our oldest child, who was eight at the time, would immediately come to the aid of the little angel. She reminded us that our little angel is very young and does not know any better. I must admit that she came up with some very clever excuses for our youngest daughter’s behavior. While her actions did not stop us from dealing with our youngest daughter’s misbehavior, the love she showed for her little sister was precious. She became her advocate. She spoke for her and stood up for her even in times of trouble.

The Encarta Dictionary defines advocate as, “somebody who acts or intercedes on behalf of another.” I think all of us have a desire for someone to be our advocate and I know that we all need an advocate. The problem is that in this world we seem to be so focused on ourselves that we seldom take the time to be an advocate for others. In these passages, Jesus is continuing to tell the disciples the hard truth of the future while at the same time giving them hope and encouragement. Jesus promises that the Father will give us an Advocate in this world. An Advocate who will help us, strengthen us, and speak the truth to us. An Advocate who will never leave us, no matter how difficult life may get. Jesus tells the disciples that life will not be easy for them and that they will come under attack, but the Advocate will never abandon them. I am comforted knowing God has sent us an Advocate who will never fail us because our Advocate is God himself through the Holy Spirit. Human advocates may fall short of our expectations or needs, but with God as our Advocate we will never lack for His support.

Not only does the Advocate sent by the Father intercede for us and support us, but also testifies about the one who overcame the darkness of sin and death, who is Jesus Christ. In John 15:27, Jesus tells the disciples that they must also testify just as the Advocate testifies about Jesus. I believe this applies to us as well. The Father does not send us an Advocate just for our own personal security, but also to help and encourage us to become advocates to this world.

Jesus says the Father will send us an Advocate so that we will not be as orphans, abandoned and alone. A man named James Lual Atak grew up in Southern Sudan and spent his childhood fighting for his life in ways that we cannot even imagine. Fighting for food was minor compared to avoiding capture, enslavement, and death at the hands of the Northern aggressors. When James was in his early teens he was forced to fight as a soldier for the Southern Sudanese government and became part of the group known as the “Lost Boys of Sudan.” Finally, James ended up in Kenya and was given the opportunity of a lifetime: a visa to come to the United States and start a new life. James had been waiting for that day, but when the day arrived something stirred inside of James that changed his life. Listening to the stirring within him from the Advocate, James turned down the new life in America and went back to his hometown in Sudan and started New Life Ministry. He now ministers to over five hundred orphans who have been ripped from their families because of the overwhelming violence all around them. James returned to the place that took everything from him. James is now giving back by being an advocate to those orphans. He is standing up for them when the world has turned its back on them. He gives these orphans a voice in the midst of the violence and evil. James is being an advocate because he has experienced and listened to the Advocate Jesus told us would be sent. The Advocate does not only comfort us and strengthen us in times of need, but empowers us to impact the world for Christ.

If you believe that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior you can be assured you have an Advocate. The Holy Spirit will be with you, even if sometimes you may not realize His presence. The question for us is not whether we have an Advocate, but are we being an advocate? Are we encouraging those who need to find courage? Are we being a voice of comfort and peace to those who are in the midst of the storms of life? Are we speaking for those who the world refuses to acknowledge? Are we helping those who so desperately need to see that there is someone who cares for them?
You can be an advocate in this world and make a difference. Open your eyes to those around you and be their advocate and share the light of Jesus that overcomes the darkness of this world.

Apr '16

Blog: John 13:31-14:4-Expectations and Jesus

Posted on Apr 26, 2016 in Blog, General, Scripture | Tags: bible, church, Jesus, John, John 13, journey, journey elgin, Scripture

Apr '16

I must confess that I am a Dallas Cowboys fan. Some of you may mock me, others pity me, but deep down many of you sympathize with me because you suffer from the same affliction. Being a fan of the Cowboys is like riding a never ending roller coaster. There are times of great joy and excitement followed by some slow mundane and even boring stretches of time. There are times of fear and eye covering moments as well as moments you just feel sick. If drama and continuous change is what you want, then this is the sports team for you. I do not know the reason, but I am a committed fan despite many who have given up and question my sanity.

As I look back at my relationship with the Cowboys I realize that the most frustrating times were when my expectations of the team did not match with reality. There have been times, such as this past year, that the Cowboys have performed well below what they were capable; however, many times they performed as they should have, but caused me frustration because my expectations were too high and unrealistic. I have learned that in order to continue being a Cowboy’s fan I must remove all expectations and just enjoy the roller coaster ride.

We tend to develop preconceived ideas regarding just about everything, including people, movies, politics, countries, religions, churches, denominations and the list continues on and on. Unfortunately, we are usually making these judgments on misunderstandings or our own biases. When we allow our expectations to guide the way we think and act we are no longer living in reality, but rather our own perceived reality created by our own limited expectations. When we live this way we are walking a tight rope and the wind is beginning to blow. As soon as reality does not match our own preconceived expectations, life may seem out of control.

This is the situation the Disciples find themselves in when Jesus begins to talk about his betrayal and death in John 13:31-14:14. Imagine how excited the Disciples must have been. They had been following Jesus for around three years and had come to the realization that this man was the Messiah. The march into Jerusalem earlier in the week must have reinforced the notion that now was the time. The Messiah was going to take his rightful place as king. As they gathered with Jesus, the Disciples were probably expecting Jesus to lay out his strategy for retaking the city from Roman control and then reclaiming the twelve tribes of Israel as his own. The nation would be strong again, united under God. These were expectations built on tradition and misunderstanding. Reality was going to be much different.

Instead of a master battle plan, Jesus begins talking about his own death and betrayal. There is no doubt the Disciples are confused and concerned. Had they given up three years of their life only to see the end marked with death? Jesus was falling short of their expectations and they were quickly trying to make sense of their unraveling hopes that had been based on Jesus being the Messiah.

Peter bravely states his undying loyalty to Jesus. Peter loved Jesus with passion, but Jesus knew that Peter’s expectations would be destroyed and even the brave and loyal Peter would deny Jesus. Peter was not ready for his Messiah to die and when faced with that reality Peter found his life spinning out of control and his natural thought was self preservation which led to denying the one he loved.

Thomas asks Jesus to clarify where he is going, because Thomas wants to go with him. Thomas is looking for the battle plan and desires to play his part. Jesus’ answer only brings more confusion because the preconceived expectations of the Disciples are being shattered. Thomas’ ideas about Jesus are going to be destroyed and he begins to doubt everything he had believed. Philip pleads with Jesus to offer them some hope and show them that he truly is from God. After all the signs Jesus had performed Philip needed another sign as soon as his expectations started to fade.

I can nearly hear the tone of Jesus’ voice and see his compassionate gaze as he senses the discomfort of the Disciples. Jesus knows the expectations of the Disciples are unraveling and he knows the words he speaks may not bring comfort or strength just yet; however, the words he gives are powerful and will replace the unrealistic expectations of the Disciples with truth that can never be shaken.

Jesus promises he has prepared a place for us. Our future is secure in him. Jesus states he is the way, the truth and the life. Through him we find the way to live our lives for God and enter into a relationship with our Heavenly Father. Jesus also reminds us that he is God and that through him we will be strengthened and enabled to live our lives for God. Jesus’ words replace the shaky ground of our own expectations and give us a firm foundation of truth.

We all need to be cautious of letting our expectations of God cloud our relationship with him. When we feel that God is not following our plan we need to go back to his words of truth. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me” (14:1). “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me” (14:3) “I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (14:6). These are words we can hold onto when our expectations of life are crashing around us.

When have your expectations of God been based on tradition or misunderstanding like the Disciples? Have unrealistic expectations of God hurt your relationship with him? In times of confusion and trouble do you turn to the truth God has given us or do you rely on your own understanding? Will you allow God to strip away your expectations and replace them with the truth of his love, hope, and strength?

Apr '16

Blog: John 13:1-17 Getting Your Hands Dirty

Posted on Apr 19, 2016 in Blog, General, Scripture | Tags: bible, church, Jesus, John, John 13, journey, Scripture

Apr '16

I usually do not spend much time thinking about feet, but when I do I must confess that the words “No Trespassing” come to mind. I am not sure when or how I developed such an aversion to having someone mess with my feet. During my childhood, my Dad would wrestle with my brother, two sisters, and myself. Perhaps holding us down and tickling our feet left a permanent mark deep within me. Or maybe I cannot shake the thought of the many times one of my three precious girls would come and tickle my feet while I was peacefully resting in the permanent indention of my recliner. The thought of their little eyes peering over the foot rest brings warmth to my heart and yet confirms the reality of how much I dislike people messing with my feet.

I have always assumed that because I do not want someone touching my feet all others felt the same way. I was mistaken. During each of my wife’s pregnancies, I was asked, begged, or coerced, depending on your perspective, into massaging her feet. I must admit this was not easy for me. I understand that she was uncomfortable and miserable, but can I just go get the stereotypical pickles and ice cream at 1 AM? After weighing my options, I decided that a few foot massages were probably deserved under the circumstances brought about by pregnancy. Ultimately, my love for my wife overcame my phobia of feet and made getting out of my comfort zone bearable and even rewarding. I knew that this simple act helped make the pregnancy more endurable for my wife. Even in this simple act of massaging my wife’s feet I realized that there was nothing I would not do for her because of the love I have for her and she has for me.

All of this talk about feet leads us into one of the most powerful acts Jesus performed, and there was not one miracle to be found. John 13:1-17 is the story of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. This is the first story written by John in the second major part of the Gospel. The first major section of the Gospel focused on the signs Jesus performed which showed that he is the light shining in the darkness. This second section begins to show how he is also the light who will overcome the darkness. Jesus is clearly focused on the cross and the rest of the Gospel of John builds to the culmination of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

These next few chapters of John’s Gospel are powerful and amazing, but the section begins with the simple yet profound act of washing feet. Imagine what the disciples must have been thinking when Jesus, the Messiah, takes off his outer clothes, wraps a towel around his waist and proceeds to reach for their rough, dirty and smelly feet. Feet stained with the dirt from the roads of Jerusalem Jesus and the disciples had recently walked as Jesus entered the city with cries of “Hosanna” and “Blessed is the king of Israel.” Now this king, this Messiah is bowing before them and washing their feet. As Jesus scrubs and cleans the disciples’ feet his hands are stained with the dirt and grime that have built up after the miles of walking. The “King of kings,” “Lord of lords,” humbling himself to take up the work of a common slave. The silence in the room must have been deafening, only broken by the splashing of water. Surely the disciples simply sat in awe of what they were experiencing and witnessing. Jesus, washing each of their feet, even the feet of the one who would commit the ultimate act of betrayal.

When Jesus finishes, he no doubt has the complete attention of the disciples, and he says, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (13:14-15). This last week of Jesus’ life was not just about defeating sin and death. Jesus is showing the disciples and us what living a life in Christ is all about. Jesus is demonstrating the true nature what following him is all about; serving. We are called to serve God which means we serve others. Jesus does not simply talk about serving or give some spiritual, mystical definition of what serving means. Jesus physically serves through the washing of feet and ultimately through giving his body to be crucified. If this is the example the Savior of the world gives to use, what does that mean for us?

As Christians we are called to serve as Jesus served. This means we get our hands dirty. Serving as Christ served will take us to places where we are out of our comfort zone. We should not settle for talking about serving or simply applauding when others serve, we need to grab a rag and start washing feet. This may mean going to people overlooked by society and offering them the love of Christ through serving them. One thing is clear, when we serve as Jesus served our hands will get dirty.

Our first thought may be that we can never serve as Christ, but when we open our hearts to the amazing love Christ has shown us through his mighty acts of service we find ourselves compelled to respond. God’s gracious love motivates and strengthens us to live the life of a servant. Are you getting your hands dirty for God?