They Just Keep Coming

My wife, LaWanda, and I are just wrapping up a two week trip to the Philippines where we conducted a Leadership Enrichment for the leadership team and superintendents of the Philippine General Conference of the Free Methodist Church. LaWanda also led a Women's Ministries International Convergence for several hundred women's leaders from all over the country. It's been a great few days to be back with so many of our wonderful friends in this strategic Asian nation.

This morning very early I was drinking coffee in the hotel lobby looking out at one of the busy Manila streets. The streets here are crowded with taxis, jeepneys, tricycles, motor bikes, buses, cars, but most of all, pedestrians.  I watched for over two hours as the mass of humanity just kept coming- surging forward. Never stopping, ever marching, they continued in the streets, on the sidewalks, anywhere they could find footing enough to stand. They darted in and out of jeepneys or tricycles, constantly moving forward. 

My mind was mesmerized by the expressions on their faces. Mostly young, but all Asian ethnicities.  Professionals and domestic workers alike. Some middle class and a few wealthy, but mostly a mass of poor human beings desperately trying to exist or seeking the next meal, or trying to climb the ladder to the next level by going to school or, in some instances, being trafficked by the worldwide net of human slave traders. 

And they just kept coming.  They never stopped. Later, we hailed a taxi and immediately swam right out in this sea of humanity with horns blaring, four lanes of traffic turned into eight and every passenger living dangerously close to the edge. It was then I remembered a conversation I had with a denominational superintendent who oversees Metro Manila. In a frustrated and deeply concerned tone, she said, "I'm still searching for the key to reach this city.  We desperately need more workers to do the job.  Sometimes I can't sleep at night thinking about this mass of humanity. 

Manila is a huge city of 18 million people. But it is only one of the  major cities of the world. As Jesus looked at cities and villages, He said, "Pray The Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers." Superintendent Pol Guazon and I prayed that laborers would be called into this vast urban landscape of helpless and hopeless humans. Jesus is 

still looking for laborers. Moments ago I checked down on the street again.  They're still coming. They just keep coming. 

If I Had My Life to Live Over Again

Years  ago I read the testimony of an anonymous friar in a Nebraska monastery. His words didn't make much impact on me then, but at this point in my life they make great sense and I'm trying to take them to heart. This is not what you would expect in a "religious testimony"... Maybe that's why I appreciate it so much. 

"If I had my life to live over again,

I'd try to make more mistakes next time.

I would relax, I would limber up, I would be sillier than I have been this trip.

I know of very few things I would take seriously. I would take more trips. I would be crazier. I would climb more mountains, swim more rivers, and watch more sunsets. 

I would do more walking and looking. 

I would eat more ice cream and less beans. 

I would have more actual troubles, and fewer imaginary ones. 

You see, I'm one of those people who lives sensibly hour after hour, day after day. Oh, I've had my moments, and if I had to do it over again I'd have more of them. In fact, I'd try to have nothing else, just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead each day. I've been one of those people who never go anywhere without a thermometer, a hot-water bottle, a gargle, a raincoat, aspirin, and a parachute. 

If I had it to do over again I would go places, do things and travel lighter than I have. 

If I had my life to live over I would start barefooted earlier in the Spring and stay that way later in the Fall .

I would play hookey more.

I wouldn't make such good grades, except by accident. 

I would ride more merry-go-rounds. I would pick more daisies."

It's fairly safe to say, this old gentleman had his fill of stress. He realized that to break its spell one has to break the mold of a rat-race life-style. May his tribe increase. 

While I Mused The Fire Burned-- "On Being Real"

Transparency is so important. Jesus wants us to be real.  How easy it is to fake Christianity...to polish a super-pious image that looks great, but is phony. Through the years I've met Christians who are breaking their necks to be Mother Teresa #2.  Or, if you please, Brother Teresa!  Or Saint Francis of Portland, or Seattle...or wherever. Some Christians are trying too hard.  

But genuine Christ-followers?

Broken and spilled-out Jesus lovers?

Ah, many are sincere. They have the bright, outward veneer of Christian intensity. Busy?  Yes, but sadly, far from being authentically spiritual. 

Several years ago I came across some simple, yet profound advice:  "Be who you is, because if you is who you ain't, then you ain't who you is."

Earthy, but wise words. Words easily forgotten in the squirrel case of religious hyperactivity. Why not do a spiritual self-check?  This is a busy time of year and in a short time the holidays will be here. The church activity calendar will go crazy.

Have you become so involved in working for Jesus that you've forgotten the Jesus of the Work?  Are you keeping yourself clear so that Jesus can shine through?

Why not take a breath and allow His Spirit to make you real.  Transparent with His Grace. 

While I Mused the Fire Burned- "Sacred Cows Make Good Hamburger" #2

     Recently I talked about a number of biblical values that the western Church has contextualized to the point of syncretism that has forced us further and further away from biblical patterns of behavior.  In the first blog I said that "we have sacrificed transformation for culturally-determined "sacred cow" practices. I gave three Sacred Cows which need to be turned into hamburger ( see "Sacred Cows Make Good Hamburger" #1).  Here are three more.

     4.  Proliferation of church property dedicated to no one but those already Christian. 

American evangelicals are preoccupied with church buildings and massive building projects. Most of our edifices serve only us while failing to focus on serving others, particularly the have nots of the world. What are we doing to serve the needs of the larger community, especially those who are hurting and in need?  The Christian habit is to build to meet Christian needs. Perhaps this is the most significant evidence of an earthly culture at work conforming the church to the world. In much of the unreached world, church buildings are neither possible or affordable and yet the church is growing at a rapid rate in such areas. Today's believers must conceive of a church system that exists and thrives in the absence of buildings. 

     5.  Education as sufficient preparation for ministry without character development and 

           competence in disciple-making. 

Medicine is one of the few professions where mentoring or discipleship is a common and indispensable practice. Following medical school, a doctor goes through an internship, residency and specialized training, so why is it normal and necessary to train and mentor doctors so meticulously yet something as important  as communicating the gospel is treated so cavalierly?  Seminary education is vital, but learning the art of disciple making and learning to live truth is supreme. We should demand that disciples make disciples as a part of their vocational preparation. We must expect that one who is ministering must live out truth through a holy lifestyle. 

     6.  Understanding the "gospel" as primarily an issue of salvation. 

In a recent book, Scot McKnight says, "evangelism today is obsessed with getting someone to make a decision; the apostles , however, were obsessed with making disciples. Evangelism that focuses on decisions short circuits the design of the gospel..."  When people become Jesus followers their entire lives change. In spiritual terms, they see Jesus and do what they have been meant to do before the foundations of time; they fall on their knees and confess, "My Lord and my God."  What happens next in their lives is discipleship. No one can call himself a follower of Jesus and not be changed into His likeness. Matthew 28 tells us to go and make disciples of all ethne, not disciples of a culturally conformed North American church. Far from simply making decisions we must fulfill God's eternal purpose by being a disciple and making disciples. 

     Sacred Cows make good hamburger. We will never be free from the problems that cultural Christianity breeds unless we deal with these problems at their root. In an alien culture such as post modern America, it is easy to be squeezed into the world's mold, but we must rather follow the admonition of the apostle as he urged, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." (Romans 12:2).

While I Mused The Fire Burned - "Sacred Cows Make Good Hamburger" #1

     Just today I was talking to the executive pastor of a large evangelical church which by all accounts has had unusual growth and success over the last few years.  They have a godly pastor and a great staff, but my friend told me that changes must come.  He said "we have all the whistles and bells," but our people are shallow and do not live what they profess on Sunday.  They have all the "right stuff" without getting the right results.  The "whistles and bells" don't seem to be creating godly disciples.

     Sadly, this story can be told across the broad spectrum of the Christian church.  The most significant problems for the Church originate in our becoming lost in earthly cultures.  The net effect is that we attribute our cultures' values and beliefs to God and, in essence, reinvent God in our own image.  We have sacrificed transformation for culturally-determined "sacred cow" practices. Let me give you several Sacred Cows which need to be ground into hamburger:

     1.  Worship services ad nauseum. Most of us have failed to understand "worship" as something we do to honor our relationship with God and that requires us to bring something to the presence of God as an act of worship.  Sadly, worship has become an event that is viewed as entertainment or an event from which we should get something.  God is secondary if He is a factor at all.

     2.  Preaching without teaching/training.  Our Sunday experience is a one-way communications process where the people who come are passive listeners.  If it is really teaching there must active participation from both sides.  In many, if not most churches, the message simply fades away at the close of the service seldom to be thought of again.  Where is the training that really affects change?  Start living on Monday what you sing about on Sunday!

     3.  Orthodoxy without orthopraxy.  Right thinking (orthodoxy) must always be paired with orthopraxy (right behavior).  When a person comes to Christ, his or her direction is changed, but following Jesus will also bring a change of lifestyle.  Right living is as important as right doctrine.

     In part 2 of this blog I will give 3 other "sacred cows" which need to be dealt with.  Grinding up these customs which have grown up in the church is no easy process, but we will never be free of the problems which cultural Christianity breeds unless we deal with them at the root.  My friend who talked to me about the plight of his church will only continue to have significant issues unless the people's understanding of the gospel can be significantly changed and consumer christianity can be eradicated.  Sacred Cows make good hamburger.  Start grinding!

While I Mused The Fire Burned- "The Presence, The Hallowing Presence"

"The place where you stand is holy." This is what God said to Moses at the burning bush, and to Joshua on the outskirts of Jericho.
What makes a place holy? Only one thing- the presence of the Holy One. His presence makes the Temple holy. His presence makes a life holy.
The place where God encounters us to change us and command our service is sacred. Not the sand, not the bush, not the fire, but God- present, speaking, acting- made that desert spot holy ground for Moses. It wasn't the river he had crossed or the city he would conquer, but it was God who made the place where Joshua stood holy ground.
Only the presence of God makes a building a temple or a congregation a church. Holiness is achieved only by the living God as He graciously draws near to redeem and enlist human life.
We can meet together, we can sing hymns, say prayers, read Scripture and even give money, but all of this is empty ritual in a mausoleum unless God is present to own and bless us. We can write bylaws and mission statements, chant slogans, battle social evils and run victory laps, but our reforms are cosmetic and fleeting unless God is present to energize and direct us. Where holiness is concerned everything depends on the Presence. God's presence cannot be manipulated or controlled by people, not even ordained people in clerical dress. God is not a genie who appears because we rub the lamp or tap a bell or blow a whistle. He is sovereign.
His presence is not capricious. He comes where two or three are gathered in His name. Obedience assures His presence, disobedience forfeits His presence. GOD IS THE HOLY ONE. Nothing is holy except by His presence. Nothing is holy in His absence.

While I Mused The Fire Burned "Beyond the Music"

Last evening America's beloved gospel singer, George Beverly Shea, joined the heavenly crusade choir at age 104. My whole life is filled with memories of this humble man whose music has been heard by millions all around the world. The last time I heard him in person, he was in his 90s and his voice was still strong and resonant. I was amazed at the control and his ability to communicate the message of the song, but as much as I loved that rich baritone voice, it was never about the voice or even the music.

Bev Shea gave us all a powerful lesson in telling the story of Jesus. Whether one likes his style or the genre of music, it is refreshing to see a man who in such a simple, forthright way went straight for the heart. When he sang "I'd Rather Have Jesus" (which he also wrote) you immediately knew how personal that story was and it sent arrows straight to the heart of the listener.

For many singers, the music becomes the message. Not for Bev Shea. The tune was only a vehicle to bring the love and comfort of Jesus to a parched and aching heart. Much of the time his accompaniment was only a piano or organ because he wanted to keep it as simple as possible. Billy Graham said he never wanted to preach unless Bev sang first because when the song was over the audience was ready for the sermon. It was a perfect combination; both used their gift to tell The Story. In an age when music can become a cacophony of noise, George Beverly Shea spoke to the heart and the message he shared brought Jesus close and very personal. It was beyond the music.

Rex Bullock: It Was Love

Rex Bullock: It Was Love: It Was Love I love Easter.  It is the greatest day on the Christian calendar.  In fact, for me, every year Holy Week becomes more meani...

It Was Love

It Was Love

I love Easter.  It is the greatest day on the Christian calendar.  In fact, for me, every year Holy Week becomes more meaningful and significant to me.  The chance to commemorate and celebrate all that Jesus did for me grows richer and deeper.

This Easter weekend is already proving to be like a drink of clear water on parched lips.  Last night, our very young and still forming church community (transFORM Communities) held a love feast, climaxed with worship and holy communion.  It seemed so reminiscent of what the Early Church must have done--eager believers sharing life together.  The reflection on Christ's sacrifice was deep and the cheers by beaming believers were throaty and love filled.  It was pure joy to be together.

Today (Saturday) was such a highlight for LaWanda and me.  We hosted all our family (3 kids, their spouses and all our grandkids) for Easter dinner, an Easter egg hunt and a rousing game of kickball for all of us.  What a blast!  And what love radiated all over the place as innocent children scampered through the house and all over the yard.  The food was great, but the love that we share for one another was the greatest, by far.  The hugs when we all parted were so warm and heartfelt.

And now, I'm left to reflect on it all.  There's only one thing that can make this happen.  Jesus Christ is the center of it all.  Once again, it washes over me.  It was love.  His love is the reason we can know the kind of human love that we have for one  another.  My heart almost burst with love just watching kids and grandkids today, but that can only happen because of Him.

"It was love that sent a Savior

To this world of sin and woe;

It was love that left heav'n's portals,

And came down to dwell below;

It was love that stilled the waters

On stormy Galilee;

It was love that paid sin's ransom,

One dark day on Calvary.

Refrain:

Love so divine,

Love so sublime,

Love that is deeper than any sea;

Love for us all, oh, how can it be!"

And I'm still trying to understand it all, but I'm learning more about it when I commemorate His death and tomorrow (Easter Sunday) we will celebrate His resurrection.  Hallelujah!

While I Mused The Fire Burned--"It's Still All About Jesus"

When we think of the "Bride of Christ," the Church, we still think of buildings and programs. Our consumer-driven society has deeply affected how the Body acts and how we perceive ourselves. In order to have an effective, successful "church," we think we have to have all the right "stuff." That means the building has to be customer-designed, with nice grounds, convenient parking and breathtaking bathrooms. Once we get to the building we have to have state-of-the-art programs which have been focus grouped and tweaked for just the right outcomes.

But is this really what God had in mind for His Church? Never once in the New Testament is the church described as a physical building. I've never read about one customized program in the New Testament. A large amount of what we do today is extrabiblical at best and unbiblical at worst.

When you read chapter after chapter of the New Testament there is the picture of a body made up of members. There's the picture of a family with brothers and sisters who have died to themselves and their selfish ways and who are living in Christ. In this picture of the church, people aren't just parking for an hour and participating in certain programs. Instead, Christ's Church is comprised of people who share the life of Jesus every day.

So how do people come to know Christ without all our paraphernalia? Well, Jesus said, "if I be lifted up, I will draw all men to me." Indeed, it's still ALL ABOUT JESUS.

"Down Into the Mess"

In my early morning fireside musings ("...while I was musing the fire burned," Psalm 39:3b) thoughts on personal leadership continue to emerge. In the arena of life, as a Christ follower, what is my responsibility to those who are broken and bleeding? After all, those people are all around me. What is my attitude? More important, what is my action?

As Jesus was teaching throughout the country, He would go into towns and villages and there he would see people who "were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." Matthew 9:36 says that He said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few."

The clear implication is that He was confronting broken and confused people who were crying for someone to help. Jesus looks around and pleads for helpers...workers who will pour in healing oil and bind up wounds.

The need for harvest hands has not lessened in our post modern world. Will I turn my back and fail to inhabit this space? In her book, "Concerning the Inner Life," Evelyn Underhill says, "(The saints) do not stand aside wrapped in delightful prayers and feeling pure and agreeable to God...They go right down into the mess; and there right down in the mess they are able to radiate God because they possess Him."

Today, go down into the mess and He'll go with you!

Rex Bullock: 2013! Can You Make the Trip? We made it. We just...

Rex Bullock: 2013!  Can You Make the Trip?
We made it.  We just...: 2013!  Can You Make the Trip? We made it.  We just crashed through the threshold of a brand new year.  Some partied hard with champaign...

When the Church Prays

When the Church Prays

2013!  Can You Make the Trip?

We made it.  We just crashed through the threshold of a brand new year.  Some partied hard with champaign and fireworks, and some "hung it up" and went to be early.  Some worried about going over the "fiscal cliff," while others didn't care, because to them Washington is always in a state of perceived crisis.  Whatever our state of mind, Happy New Year is now more than words on everyone's lips.  2013 is here.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring.  This new year is untried and untested.  Whether you're an optimist or pessimist, I am assured, based on God's Word, that He goes before us into the unknown future.  The Master of the wind and waves will give us all the grace and victory we need. 

It's our attitude that will make the difference in HOW we make it.  Recently, I read a poem which puts it into perspective.  Written by former University of Illinois football coach Ray Elliot, I think it is appropriate as we enter 2013.

The Proper State of Mind

If you think you're beaten, you are.

If you think you dare not, you don't.

If you'd like to win, but think you can't,

It's almost a cinch you won't.

For out in this world you'll find 

Success begins with a person's will.

It's all in a state of mind.

For many a race is lost

Before a step is run,

And many a coward fails

Before his work's begun.

Think big and your deeds will grow.

Think small, and you'll fall behind.

Think you can, and you will.

It's all in a state of mind.

If you think you're outclassed, you are.

You've got to be sure of yourself before you win the prize.

Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster man.

But sooner of later the person who wins

Is the person who thinks he can.

It's all in a state of mind.

By keeping our faith in God, in 2013 we WILL win, because He is going to give us a winning mind.  We're going to minister to more people than ever before.  We are going to see more people come to Christ than ever before.  We're going to see God's Kingdom around the world grow as never before.  It's in our minds, but more than that, it is in our hearts.  It's in God's heart to help us accomplish His purpose and His path.

I welcome 2013, though I have no idea what He has in mind for me.  It will be a significant year.  Make  it a Jesus filled year.  Can we make the trip?  YES, with His help we can.  And we will.  

2012 Christmas Letter

             

                                                                                                                        December 2012

Dear Family and Friends,  

Every year seems filled to the brim with activities, but 2012 has to set the record for us. What a year! 

After ten years in St. Petersburg, FL, at Cornerstone Church, LaWanda and I have transitioned back to the Portland/Vancouver area.

We arrived in August, put all our earthly treasures in two storage units and spent four wonderful months with our daughter Sherilyn, son-in-law Allan, Gordon (11) and Canon (10). They were all so gracious and generous; we had a great time. When we weren’t traveling and speaking, we used our extra time to get readjusted to the area and look for a house. Sherilyn and Allan remain very busy and successful in their careers.  The boys are growing so fast and doing great in school. One of the highlights of the year is that they both achieved Black Belt in Taekwondo.   

                                                                        

We also began a very rewarding project with our son Brittian and his wife Kristi. The four of us, along with a core of friends are raising up a new church community. TransFORM Communities is a unique group of believers seeking to encounter Jesus Christ in deep change and engage the world around us. It is so rewarding to work with Brittian and Kristi and we're already experiencing growth, but most of all, God's rich presence.  To be with Ransom (7 ½), Judah (6) and Maxine (18 months) is a grandparent's greatest thrill. 

All of our family is in the same area now. A few weeks before we moved, our older son, Jonathan, transferred here from Los Angeles, so it is wonderful to get to be with him on a regular basis. He lives just 10 minutes from Sherilyn and is spearheading an exciting new project for Kaiser Permanente.  You would know that we're very proud of him.

We’ve managed to keep up with individual ministries, including travel schedules.  I spent two weeks in Lagos, Nigeria, in July teaching leadership at West Africa Theological Seminary to some of Nigeria's most gifted leaders. It was truly a ministry highlight!

LaWanda continues her work as president of Women's Ministries International, leading the U.S. team plus traveling, speaking in women’s conferences in many countries and raising awareness and funds for women’s issues. She’s been to fifteen countries since 2007, the latest being to India in September, where she and the team spoke to hundreds of women in five conferences in four cities. What a privilege to bring hope, instruction and encouragement to these beautiful women.

We've moved and are now in our new (to us) home in Vancouver.  The yard and big trees are beautiful and we’re thrilled to be here. We would love to see you and have plenty of room, so please come visit.

The hymn writer said, “Pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel.” So, most of all, as we close 2012, we're glad for the privilege to know our great Emmanuel.  Truly, our “God is with us.”  We are thankful for that knowledge and know He will lead us whatever the New Year brings.  May you have a blessed and happy Christmas season and New Year.

With our love and prayers,
Rex and LaWanda

"IF IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR JESUS "

"If It Had Not Been For Jesus"

Thanksgiving 2014

          Recently, I have been thinking of various things for which I am thankful.  My life seems pretty routine, average and rather unspectacular.  I just haven't had any major, earth-shaking events happen in my life.  Seemingly, I was put in a good family with good parents.  God has provided for all my needs and many of my desires.  He gave me New Life when I was a teenager, so I don't have any unusual stories to tell about how I came to Christ.

          Over the years, as I have traveled in various parts of the world, I have come to appreciate more deeply those "ordinary" items on my Thanksgiving list.  After being in countries where people have to beg and scrape for what they need, I come home and thank God for my life and my family.  In fact, I've come to realize that if Christ does nothing more than redeem me, He's already done far more than I deserve.

          During this Thanksgiving season, however, I've added another category to my list of things for which I am grateful.  It's the category of being thankful to God for sparing me from what might have been.

          Someone has said that God stood as the sovereign sentinel at the gate of Job's life, letting in only what could be used for good, and that God also keeps many things out of my life every day.  Perhaps they are things that I don't see and may never know about.  When I lay my head on the pillow each night, I can thank God for keeping out those things that would destroy me.

          As this idea unfolded in my heart and mind, I thought about what my life might be like today if it weren't for the fact that Christ transformed me.  One songwriter said, "Where would I be if it had not been for Jesus?"

          I'm a rather compulsive, spontaneous person and I could easily be an addict, chained to drugs or alcohol or many other compulsions.  Perhaps my self-centeredness would have led me down the path of broken relationships and loss of fulfillment.  Where might I be had it not been for the Holy Spirit's control in my life?

          What about my marriage?  Would I still be in love with the beautiful woman I have shared the last 47 years with?  What might I have done to my children, had it not been for Jesus who is filling my life with His love, enabling me to love others, in some measure, the way that He has loved me?  My selfishness might have made me estranged from sweet and beautiful grandchildren.

          Where might my greed or lust have taken me?  Down what kind of dead-end streets, with shame and despair as the ultimate reward of trying to please base passions?

          This year at Thanksgiving my heart is gripped with a fresh sense of gratitude to God.  I want this special time of year to linger, because it has become so important to me.  I'm learning a new dimension to giving thanks in everything.  Thank you Lord for sparing me from what might have been.

          If it had not been for Jesus, there would be no story of Thanksgiving to tell.

Messing Up Church

I've always wanted to "do" church right- to make sure that all our forms and strategies were proper and relevant. My heart has been in the right place, to be sure, but I've consistently thought that if we could have all the right elements as a part of our worship, if we could "just do it right" like the latest book said or the seminar speaker told us, then we could achieve the proper results. Most of the time, if I failed to see results, I would just try harder, thinking that with more intensity and fervor I would be successful.

The problem is that the formula changes every other week. There are literally hundreds of voices in the contemporary church marketplace which are telling us the hottest, newest way to do it. We all move like a herd of cattle going for the next green spot of grass in the pasture or the next watering hole which will satisfy our need. Since we're never quite satisfied at home with what is happening we are ripe for the newest eight week "how to" series from the iconic megachurch pastor.

However, like I once heard, "Doing church differently is like rearranging chairs on the Titanic." Matt Smay says that slight tweaks, new music, creative lighting, wearing hula shirts, shorts, and flip-flops won't make doing church more attractive. Church must not be the goal of the gospel anymore. Church should not be the focus of our efforts or the banner we hold up to explain what we're about. Church should be what ends up happening as a natural response to people wanting to follow us, be with us, and be like us as we are following the way of Christ.

Change is brutal. No seminar or training will give us the answers and it's hard to plan for the future because the future is constantly changing. Perhaps our only solace is that everyone is feeling it.

I believe our only real hope is to bring the message of the transforming Christ into every situation. He brings new life into old forms. He is messing up church programs and traditions. He wants us to trim down our Christian experience to His essentials. What would He remove in your life? What would be stripped down? And what would be left?

Perhaps what you and I need to do is let Jesus knock us out of our comfortable pew to follow the mission of Jesus to transform our communities.

Can People Really Change?

     Modern psychology has given us "disorders."  Over the last one hundred years behavioral scientists have told us that all of society is sick, dysfunctional, and psychologically out of tune.  I don't doubt it.  The more I interact with humanity, I'm convinced that something is very wrong.

     Frankly, it's been going on for a long time.  Just read the popular literature of the past two centuries and you will see what I mean.  Robert Lewis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  It set off a firestorm of psychiatric debate.  Edgar Allen Poe wrote about personality disorders.  Hollywood has certainly presented us with a trail of movies which have delved into the dark, frightening world of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) and millions of people have been scared out of their wits just watching them.

     Really, I guess to be fair, this stuff goes back farther than modern history.  Just look at the stories in the Bible and you'll find instances of people who succumbed to personality disorders.  Our friend Samson, for example, was flipping the switch from one extreme to another, and in doing so, displayed shameful degrees of immorality.  But God never designed life to be that way.  Neither Jekyll or Samson's stories is how God planned it.  They went from good to bad.  God designed man to be regenerated, to go from bad to good.

     The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was meant to bring men and women from death to life, from darkness to His marvelous light.  Easter means "new life."  I've been asking in a rather old fashioned and simplistic way, can people really change?  With all our disorders and dysfunctionality, is regeneration possible?  I love the way Ron Walters puts it:

     *  Mary Magdalene was a pitiful, demon- possessed woman.  But once she met the Savior she was

         set free and transformed into a follower of Christ.

     *  Zacchaeus was a hated, money-grubbing robber.  But one dinner with the Truth transformed this 

         little man into a benevolent philanthropist.

     *  The sinful woman at the well had one quick conversation with Jesus and was transformed into a

         Samaritan evangelist.

     *  Saul of Tarsus made a career change on the road to Damascus; from a bounty hunter tracking

         down Christians, to the greatest missionary of the first century.

     *  Augustine was a rising star in a politically-corrupt world.  But politics couldn't rid his guilt and

         shame.  Only the Lord could set him free.  And He did.

     *  John Newton's miserable life included failed suicide attempts and slave trafficking on the high

         seas.  But once he discovered God's amazing grace, he set a new course to proclaim Christ and

         abolish slavery.

     *  C.S. Lewis was a confused, young atheist and "angry with God for not existing!"  But when he

         reluctantly surrendered to the Savior, he was Surprised by Joy.

     Do we have disorders?  You bet!  Big time.  We are steeped in human behavioral mess, but unlike any message the world has ever known, the message of Christ stands alone in its power to reverse the human curse and miraculously transform sinful creatures into the sons and daughters of the Most High God.

Down in the human heart crushed by the tempter

Feelings lie buried that Grace can restore.

Touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness

Chords that were broken will vibrate once more.

Fanny Crosby

     Can people really change?  Yeah!  They really can.

         

How's Your Life's Blog Coming?

     Whether you know it or not, you're blogging today.  You are writing your life's story.  Most of us don't think of it like that, but it's true.  Your blog will either be a positive or negative recounting of that story.  Think about it--the power of Story!  People are looking at you.  They see what you do, what you say and how you live your life.  We used to say, "Your life is an open book."  Perhaps now we would say, "Your blog is showing."

    I'm pretty convinced that in order to have a meaningful life there are some necessary ingredients.  As you look at those early Christians in the Book of Acts, their lives were powerful and purposeful.  The reason  for such positive meaning was the coming of the Holy Spirit into their lives on the Day of Pentecost (Acts, Chapter 2).  Far more than just a meaningful ingredient, the Holy Spirit was the all-consuming Dynamic.  He was the core of their lives and all that they did.

    They were writing their Story.  In our language today, they were blogging and it was a blog worth reading.  They were blitzing Jerusalem with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Everywhere they went they were turning things upside down.  Healings were taking place.  Compassionate outreach was happening as offerings were taken to help others.  They were constantly testifying to people everywhere about the power of this revolutionary Jesus whose death and resurrection had brought them from darkness to light.  As a result, scores of people were being added to the church, even though there was persecution.  The story they were writing was to impact human history for all time.  

    How's your life's blog coming?  What kind of a story are you writing?  Is it a story you want the rest of the world to read?  If you are filled with the Holy Spirit, your blog will make an impact on someone's life.  Your story will be a connection point to Jesus Christ.  It will be fresh, not phony.  It will resonate authenticity and goodness.  Others will be drawn to you and to Jesus because your life will be like a beautiful flower with a winsome fragrance.  

    I'm eager to read your life's blog.  And when I do, I know it will point me in the right direction.  Happy blogging!  In the power of the Spirit.  

Boyhood Heroes

and Lessons on Faithfulness

As a boy raised in a subculture of American Evangelicalism, I had my heroes.  In many ways, we were somewhat insulated from the world at large so most of our icons came from the preachers and singers who we heard in church or campmeetings and whose LP records we listened to.  Since I loved music, my ears were tuned to the different genres of Christian music and at the top of my list was a gospel music group called The Couriers.  My buddy Leo Knapp introduced me to them and I soon started buying every record I could find.  That was long before the days of cassettes and CDs, so I brought the big vinyl records.  The album covers showed a clean cut trio of guys who began as students at Central Bible College in Springfield, Missouri.  Following college they moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and sang gospel music in an area where it wasn't widely known, but they became household names in the Christian community.  Their sound was distinctive and pure.  My friends and I were hooked.

Leo and I formed a quartet with friends Clair Sams and Fred Simmons.  We would huddle in Leo's college dorm room and listen to Neil Enloe, Dave Kyllonen and Duane Nicholson.  Leo could sound just like Neil and Freddie played the piano like him also.  The songs we loved were the ones that Neil wrote so we were the "little Couriers."

After college, we each married and went our separate ways into ministry and business, but the Couriers kept on singing.  They have now been singing for 57 years all over the U.S., Canada and 60 other countries around the world.  They recorded dozens of albums.  They are now grandfathers and great grandfathers.  Now each one is in his mid 70s and THEY'RE STILL SINGING.

Today, I listened as these golden musical ambassadors brought an auditorium full of people to their feet.  It was magical for me to listen to my boyhood heroes 46 years after I first listened to that unique Courier sound.  I sat there and drank it in.  Yep, I could still hear detect those unmistakable tones.  Duane's tenor was still the same.  When they sang Neil's signature hit, "Statue of Liberty" which he wrote 36 years ago, it was as though I heard it for the first time.

Greater than the music and the sentimentalism which swept over me was the fact of faithfulness.  57 years is a long time to stay together singing every night and slogging all over the world.  They're still standing together on the stage, seemingly enjoying each other's company.  Each of them has been married to his wife for over 45 years and most of all, they are still in love with Jesus.  

I walked out of the concert hall with a new appreciation for the faithfulness of God.  I love the music and I enjoyed swapping old stories with the guys.  It was fun remembering the places where we had crossed paths, but to see men growing old together, loving each other, having fun singing their songs and loving God was HUGE.  

I still want to be like The Couriers when I grow up.