Beyond Sunday

The Everlasting Story

2011-07-14T20:52:19+00:00

The language of our heart is story. God created us with a desire to be captivated with story, and His story, from beginning to end, inspires us more than any other story. This is a major reason why biblical individuals retold God’s everlasting story over and over again. At Pentecost (Acts 2), Peter stood to his feet and addressed the crowd by retelling the story of Jesus; and on that day, three thousand were added to the church. In Acts 7, Stephen told God's story to the Sanhedrin, and though he was put to death, his retelling of the story has inspired so many over the years. When an Ethiopian questioned what Isaiah 53 meant, Philip explained the story of Jesus to him in Acts 8:35. Peter again passed on the story at Cornelius' house in Acts 10, and his whole household believed. Paul revealed the story at Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13), Athens (Acts 17), and Jerusalem (Acts 22), provoking both positive and negative emotions. God’s everlasting story captivates the heart. Thus, it never gets old!

I encourage you to never let the story become stale. God's story of glory is where we retain and cultivate a life of awe! If you have 12 minutes, listen to my rendition of God's story retold in a fresh way. I pray that it reminds you why you wake up each day. We live for this!

Click here to listen to God’s everlasting story of glory.

Be Ready

2011-05-24T14:49:04+00:00

It's hard to escape the news about Harold Camping's prediction that the world would end on May 21, 2011. Well, that day has come and gone and the world is still here. So, what are we to make of Harold Camping's prediction? Simply put, he's not listening to Jesus. Jesus said in Matthew 24:36, "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." By making this bold prediction in opposition to the teaching of Jesus, Camping is making Jesus out to be a liar or at least incompetent, because he's claiming he knows! That's an arrogance no sound student of God's Word would ever dare approach.

So, Harold Camping is wrong, but how did he react? In a statement he gave yesterday to the media at his Family Radio International headquarters in Oakland, CA, he said that he made a "mathematical error" missing the date by five months. Furthermore, he declared May 21, 2011 as a "spiritual Judgment Day" to awaken people's hearts, and now, October 21, 2011 is the real end of the world date. (Check out this article to get the full story.) Once again, he'll gain the attention of the media and his faithful followers as he attempts to play the role of God and drag Jesus' words through the mud.

Yet, in all his error, there is one thing we should take note of: Be ready! (Matthew 24:44) We don't know when Christ will return to take home His followers and judge the world, but we do know how to be ready. The work of God is this, to believe in the one he sent (John 6:29). There is NO room for error in this. If you fail to believe in Jesus before you die or He returns, you miss your opportunity (John 14:6). If you haven't made the decision to follow Jesus, it's not worth the risk to wait and see what will happen. Find a local Bible-believing church and discover what it means to have a relationship with Jesus. We don't know when he'll return, but we do know how to be ready.

Luke 12:38 - It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak.

Allergies and Guilt

2011-05-17T23:08:18+00:00

Living in Tucson, AZ comes with a long list of benefits. We have beautiful weather for most of the year, fantastic scenic views, great Mexican food, and so much more! I could go on and on. But for all the good there is in Tucson, there is something I could live without... Allergies! During the months of April, May and June, I can look like I've been in a boxing match with Rocky Balboa. My eyes are blood-shot and puffy, and I sneeze repeatedly like I'm one of the seven dwarfs. (I think you know which one I'm talking about.) The main contributor to my allergic reaction is a large mesquite tree hovering over my house. I’ve seriously considered removing it, but I’ve refrained because of the shade it provides during Tucson’s blistering hot summers. So, I put up with it for now, but there might come a day when I’m so frustrated with that tree that I cut it down and haul it out of my yard. But until that time, my allergies will continue to get the best of me every spring.

Allergies remind me of the devastating power of guilt when it’s left alone. Like allergies, guilt is irritating, annoying, and it’s a symptom of something unwanted in our lives. Guilt is a nasty consequence of unconfessed sin. And when ignored, it has the power to deeply influence our walk with God and all other relationships. Nobody likes it, but we often live with it. So, what do we do if we don’t want it?

Well, if you’re sick of guilt controlling your life, the only way to get rid of it is to remove the sin causing it. If I’m going to rid my allergies, I have to remove the tree causing the irritation. And if we’re going to remove our guilt, we must remove the sin causing it by handing it over to the One who can cast it as far as the east is from the west! (Ps. 103:12) Why allow guilt to control us if we have the means to get rid of it? If you’re tired of having guilt, determine the symptom (sin) and cut it out! (Or possibly, remove yourself from that environment!) You don’t have to live in guilt any longer. Remove it and replace it with the beautiful righteousness of God!

Hebrews 12:1– …let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.

The Day After

2011-04-25T20:12:35+00:00

The day after any spiritual success is the time when Satan often counter-attacks with great force. He doesn't want anyone gaining ground against his ways. The day after Elijah experienced great victory over the prophets of Baal, he was chased by Jezebel who sought to take his life (I Kings 18-19). The day after a blind man incredibly received sight, his identity and testimony was questioned, and he was insulted by religious leaders (John 9). And not to be ignored, the day after a marvelous Easter experience, it's likely you've been tempted to return to hold habits or hurts without change.

Easter services are geared to move you toward Jesus. And for many, it's the first step in a godly direction in many years. But the day after often leaves you wondering what's next. It's critical at this point to fight fervently against the former way of life. Build upon the decision you made in truth by connecting it to another. Start by giving the church you attended on Easter the chance to take you deeper with God. Make a commitment today to get connected. Do it now while it's only the day after; for with every passing day, it becomes harder. Here's hoping that you build upon the Easter challenge you had yesterday, the day after.

I Corinthians 16:13 - Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.

Birthdays and Easter

2011-04-18T05:41:51+00:00

Birthdays are special. In my family, we treat the birthday boy or girl like royalty. That person gets to decide where to eat, what kind of cake we'll devour, who's invited to the party, and so on. That special person gets to make all the decisions. But in spite of how wonderful it is, there is a problem. Besides the fact that you're looking (and sometimes feeling) older, this special day comes only once a year. I can remember as a child during the last hours of my birthday lying on my bed in tears. I was sad because once I fell asleep, my special day was over, and it was back to normal.

In a similar way, we treat Easter Sunday like a birthday. It comes once a year; we deem Jesus as King; we show up to his "party" at church; and when it's over, we return to normal life. And for many people, they replace Jesus with themselves back on the throne of life for the next 364 days. This isn't how it's meant to be. Please don't misunderstand me. There's not a problem in pulling together a great gathering on Easter Sunday, for I thoroughly enjoy Easter Sunday. But the joy of Jesus' resurrection is to be celebrated daily!

Easter is quickly approaching, and I assume most of you will give him that special day on April 24. God will smile upon you for that. But I advise that you take your celebration a step further. Think beyond the day of Easter and celebrate his resurrection starting today. Read the resurrection story in the gospels. Retell it to a friend. Pray for the resurrection power of Easter to consume your life and those around you. Expect a great miracle to occur just as it did back then. The resurrection of Jesus is too special, too powerful, too captivating to reserve it for one day a year. Make it a special day, everyday, starting today!

Philippians 3:10 - ...I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection... .....

When Free Is Not So Good

2011-04-05T21:10:09+00:00

Yesterday, I had some work done on my car. There was some good news and some bad news. The bad news was that I needed much more work done on the car than I expected. (It’s never a good sign when the auto shop refers your car to a transmission specialist!) The good news was that they gave me a free oil change! Woohoo! I know, in comparison to what I’ll be spending on repairs, the free oil change is a small amount. But hey, it’s FREE! And who doesn’t like getting something free? Free almost always seems to be the way to go. That is almost always.

When David sought to build an altar to the LORD, he was offered the altar free of charge by Araunah. David refused the free gift because he did not want to worship God in a way that cost him nothing. (2 Samuel 24:24). Free wasn’t good in this case, because worship that costs him nothing isn't much worship at all. In fact, I’m not sure there is such a thing as free worship. Now, I realize that there is nothing we can do to earn the gift of eternal life, for Jesus did the perfect, full work of salvation on the cross (Ephesians 2:8). We just humbly accept that gift. But after we receive the free gift of salvation, we’re motivated to honor him with something of worth: our lives. (Luke 9:23) As we give our time, energy, and resources to God with the right heart, we express a sweet aroma of worship that is pleasing to Him. Free might be good in most cases, such as with an oil change, but it’s not so good in regard to worshipping the God who laid down His life for you. Worship that pleases God involves a cost. What are you willing to give?

2 Samuel 24:24 – …I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.

Who You Are With Matters

2011-03-30T23:35:30+00:00

Recently, I started coaching my son’s t-ball team. At moments, I’ve wondered what I was getting myself into, but after a few weeks, I feel like I’m in a nice groove.

One evening after practice as Noah and I were driving home, I asked him if he enjoyed playing t-ball. He said, “Yes.” And just trying to keep the conversation going, I asked him why and to my surprise, he said, “Because you’re the coach.” I kind of did a double-take. I thought he’d say something like, “I enjoy being with my new friends” or “I like hitting the ball” or “I love the snack shack” or something similar, but he was just glad to be with his dad. I was overjoyed with his response, but I kept my composure (and refrained from doing a big fist pump!) and I just smiled. Nevertheless, I needed some reassurance about what I just heard, so I asked again a few moments later and got the same answer. It’s a great feeling knowing that your son wants to be near you.

This was a fresh reminder that it's not so much what you're doing, but it's who you are with that matters. Regardless of the activity, take advantage of the time you have with the people you love because life is a vapor.

James 4:14 – …What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

Seeing the Face of Royalty

2011-03-08T20:02:49+00:00

Recently, Cathy and I took our kiddos to Disneyland. Since I have two daughters, there was no way around it that we’d have to wait in a two hour line to meet a “princess.”

Doing my best to stay patient while waiting in line, stuffing Rice Crispy treats into the mouth of a screaming child (I won’t name names), we were beginning to wonder if the wait was worth it. But when my oldest daughter, Haley, laid eyes on Belle for the first time, it truly was a magical moment. Her face lit up with joy! She was so happy to see the princess she had only read about in books and watched in movies. It was priceless.

Later, I couldn’t help thinking about what my face will look like when I see for the first time my King Jesus, whom I’ve only read about in the Bible. I’m quite certain my face will light up like Haley’s! It will be a special moment to behold the face of the King. The wait will be worth it!

Psalms 17:15 - …when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.