Goodbye Lee

Dear Lee,

I just wanted to thank you for the impact you had on my life in the few years that I knew you.

Some people might think it a waste that a person, so full of life, died at such a young age. You’re life was not wasted. Quantity of years don’t determine whether a life is wasted. What a person does with the years given to him matters much more. A person can live well into their 80’s, and if the driving purpose of his or her life is to simply secure a nice life, well, in the end, it will be taken away from them.

You lived your years on earth, particularly the last seven, on purpose. Your body may have been consumed by cancer. But your heart and soul were consumed by the one thing that really matters and that can never be taken away—a devotion and hunger for Jesus and His kingdom. 

It’s one thing for somebody in good health to say “I’m a Christian. I love Jesus.” It’s a very different thing, however, for someone who is battling cancer and suffering like you did, to say, “I love Jesus. He’s my life. He’s my everything.” Your blog statement that Brad read at the funeral is awesome—”This is not a courtroom trial, it’s a love story!”

I believe that cancer is evil. I believe that the power of God is bigger than it and that God could have healed you with a word.  I don’t know why you died. But one thing I know. Through your pain and suffering, the love of Jesus and the truth about His goodness were broadcast louder and more authentically than if it would have come through someone else. Your life was a megaphone that shouted, “Jesus is my treasure. He is my prize.”

Your love for Jesus was the real deal, Lee. It touched something deep in my heart and encouraged me to run my life’s race more fixed and focused on the prize. We will miss you!

Give Dad and Big Brother a hug for me and tell them I can’t wait to see them, too.

P.S. When I think of your battle with cancer and how Christ’s shined through your life in the midst of it all, a few scriptures came to mind:

“For God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair . . . struck down, but not destroyed . . . we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body.”  (2 Cor. 4:6-12)

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 3:10-14)

Your contending faith in the midst of the battle reminded me of what Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego told the king in Daniel 3:16-19:  ”Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)

Holy Invitation

As the U.S’s economy is being shaken in these unstable times, I want to ask you a serious question:

What are you feeding your soul?

Are you feeding off the anxiety and fear that drives our national news? Maybe your personal circumstances have left you emotionally drained or frightened. Maybe you’re feeling overwhelmed and uneasy.

Listen. You’ve got to know something in these times. Jesus Christ can provide peace, hope and rest for you like nobody else can. The inner peace and rest that He offers can carry you through any circumstance. It’s bigger than anything that comes your way, no matter how frightening or devastating. And Jesus longs to give it to you and I. But we’ve got to turn off the TV, put down the newspaper and lay aside any distraction that might keep us from Him. We’ve got to go to Jesus to get it!

In Mark 6:30-32, Jesus’ friends were exhausted and emotionally drained from the crowds of people. In the midst of their weariness, Jesus offered them an incredible and outrageous invitation. He said, “Come away with me to a quiet place and get some rest.”

Those words touch something deep in my heart. Through them, I get a glimpse of the compassion and longing in the heart of Christ to care for you and I. The question is will we let Him? Will we take the time to get away with Him?

Jesus knows that nothing can feed, nourish, refresh and restore our souls like His living, presence. He knows that we were made to spend quiet, intimate time with only Him—away from all the noise and distraction.

In Matthew 11:28, Jesus gives the same invitation. “Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle  and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

The Message paraphrases that scripture and puts it this way:

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.

 

A Prayer

Jesus, I come to you. I confess that the pressures of daily life and the concerns for my own well being have kept me from you. I bring all my fears, worries, restlessness and distractions. In faith I offer these to you and ask that in exchange, you would feed my soul with your quiet strength and peace. You alone can cause my soul to rest. Help me to rest in you. Thank you for your gentle and loving care.

Giving Thanks

Traditionally Thanksgiving is a time of giving thanks and offering gratitude to God. Lately, however, I’ve been wondering if what we do every fourth Thursday of November is really thanks-giving or just going through the motions of tradition.

Do we really give thanks to God with humility and sincerity? I have to confess that with my family, we have slowly gotten away from sincere gratitude. What we have slipped into is something like this—mom and grandma spend hours preparing a feast; everyone gathers together, we say a quick prayer and then stuff ourselves. After the table is cleared off and dishes are done, we plop down on the couch and spend the rest of the day eating pumpkin pie, drinking coffee and channel surfing through football games.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I thoroughly enjoy the feasting! Turkey with all the fixings is something I look forward to, and my wife’s sweet potato casserole is the bomb! But this year, I have come to recognize that Thanksgiving has become somewhat of an empty tradition for me because I’ve allowed the busyness and cares of life to slowly strip this holiday of it’s original purpose.

Did you know that in 1621, the Pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving for three days? Some Thanksgivings, our family can barely make it through a prayer of grace for three minutes!

Did you also know that approximately 110 Pilgrims set sail for the New World and less than 50 survived that first winter in Plymouth?  Let that sink in for just a minute. Despite these adversities, the Pilgrims gave thanks! I wonder if the children complained about the food that was placed before them during that first Thanksgiving? I don’t think so. I believe they were simply grateful to be alive.

As I’m writing this, I realize that my heart has gotten away from the simplicity of heartfelt gratitude. As Americans, we’ve got so much stuff, it’s easy to loose perspective.

Francis Frangipane, author of “The Stronghold of God,” writes,

The very quality of your life, whether you love it or hate it, is based upon how thank­ful you are toward God. Our attitude determines whether life is to us a place of bless­edness or wretchedness and misery. Indeed, looking at the same rose bush, some people complain that the roses have thorns while others rejoice that some thorns have roses! It all depends on your perspective.

 This is the only life you will have before you enter eternity. If you want to find joy, you must first find thankfulness. Indeed, the one who is thankful for even a little enjoys much. But the unappreciative soul is always miserable, always complaining. He lives outside the stronghold of God.

Because my heart has a tendency towards ingratitude, I have compiled a list of what I’m thankful for this year. It’s not as long as Barbara Kipfer’s list. She listed 14,000 things and ended up literally writing a book. It’s entitled 14,000 Things To Be Happy About.

Writing my list took a little time. I turned off the television and got quiet. Once I settled down and started writing, it became easier and easier. In fact, I discovered the more I wrote, the more joy and gratitude rose in my heart. This Thanksgiving, I hope you won’t simply go through the motions, but that you’ll sincerely give thanks to God for who He is and all that He’s done.

THINGS I’M DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR . . . 

1. God’s Gracious Mercy and Kindness—God, through Jesus Christ, doesn’t give me what I deserve! As a sinner, I rightly deserve God’s judgment and holy wrath (Romans 6:23). But thanks be to God! Through Christ’s death on the cross, God’s righteous anger towards my sin and rebellion was poured out on the only innocent and blameless man in history. Jesus was punished and judged in my place. I get forgiveness, mercy, grace, and I’m legally declared “Not guilty” before the court of heaven (2 Cor. 5:21, Romans 3:25, I John 4:10, I Timothy 2:5).
2. God’s Steadfast Love—God’s love is really, really big, it never runs out and is new and fresh every day. (“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23).
3. Jesus’ Ever Present Help—Jesus never leaves me by myself to try and figure things out on my own. He is always present, ready to help, guide, comfort, correct and encourage (Psalm 46:1, Hebrews 13:5).
4.  Jesus’ Binding and Inseparable Love—Nothing, absolutely nothing, can ever separate me from God’s love (Romans 8:38-39).
5. Jesus as a Treasure of Infinite Worth and Delight—My soul’s longing for lasting satisfaction, pleasure, joy, and beauty is found in Jesus (Matt. 13:44, Psalm 16:11, Psalm 27:4, Hebrews 1:9).
6. God’s Written Word—When I am not hurried, devotional Bible reading is one of my life’s constant pleasures. The Bible is God’s inspired word and it has become a continual source of wisdom and enjoyment (It wasn’t always). Through it, the Holy Spirit enlightens my understanding of God’s personality and leaves me awestruck with glimpses of Christ’s majesty and infinite perfections (2 Timothy 3:16).
7. The Promise of Seeing God’s Glory—The promise of one day seeing the blinding glory of Jesus Christ stirs my heart with deep longing and abiding hope (John 17:24, I John 3:2).
8. Janeen—My wife, Janeen, has made the last 19 years of my life more wonderful and richer than I could ever have imagined. You are patient, gracious, practical and fun-loving. You enjoy the simple things of life and you have given unselfishly to our family. Our marriage is a daily reminder of God’s faithful, sacrificial and all-consuming love (Proverbs 31:10-11).
9. Isaac, John-Mark, Lydia and Jonah—My four children are unique expressions of God’s creativity, love and boundless energy. Each of you is a work of art created in Christ to display His goodness and grace. The Bible says that even before mom and I knew you were coming into our family, God was knitting you together inside the womb. He made you and in Christ, He has given you new life. As a sinner forgiven by God, I am deeply humbled and grateful for the privilege of being your dad.
10. The Beauty of Creation—All of nature is a canvas through which the Creator has put on display His glory, splendor and majesty for our enjoyment and treasuring (Romans 1:20, Psalms 19:1).
11. Communicating the Gospel—More and more, I have come to see that sharing and communicating the gospel is not so much a duty, but a tremendous joy and privilege. The news that God became a man and died a sacrificial death for our sin and treason against Him is not only stunning, it is a source of life-transforming joy designed for every person on the planet! I am deeply humbled for every opportunity God provides for me to exalt Christ (Romans 1:1).
12. Other Simple Pleasures—Hanging out with a few good friends, Starbuck’s coffee, Typhoo and Tazo teas, Graeter’s Ice Cream, Skyline Chili, Macintosh, Writing and Blogging, Thought provoking books (a few of my favorite authors include John Piper, Sam Storms, Mike Bickle, Walter Wangerin, Jr., Floyd McClung, John Eldredge, and C.S. Lewis), Inspiring Music (Tenth Avenue North, David Crowder Band, Chris Tomlin, John Michael Talbot, Manheim Steamroller, Rita Springer, and Misty Edwards to name a few), and Recreation including whitewater rafting, snow skiing, and camping.

 

When Life Hurts Most

This week, I met three mothers whose children had died recently. One of the moms lost her son to cancer. The other two lost their teenage daughters to suicide.

As I listened to their stories, I was numb. I was left speechless. As a parent, I couldn’t help but put myself in their shoes. There was nothing I could say, nothing I could do except pray. And this is what I am praying: that the cross of Christ would become more and more precious in their lives and that it would serve as an anchor in their times of trouble (Hebrews 6:19).

Wait a minute, John, why the cross? The cross speaks of death and loss. Why not the resurrection? Doesn’t that speak of hope and promise?

Yes, Christ’s resurrection is a powerful promise of hope and new life. For all those who put their trust in Jesus, His resurrection is a promise that physical death is not the end! In 1 Corinthians 15:52-55, you can read about the incredible promise of resurrection for everyone who trusts in Christ.

But when trouble comes—the type and kind that these moms are walking through—Christ’s cross speaks of two, really important truths that we can cling to and use as an anchor for our souls when we may be doubting and questioning God.

First, the cross communicates that God is not removed from pain, loss and trouble. Jesus experienced everything that we experience in this life except sin. He knew pain, loss, rejection, abandonment, humiliation, and the deepest of sorrows (Isaiah 53:3-4).

The cross also speaks loudly that God the Father knows pain, particularly the loss of a child. “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). The word “gave” means that the Father handed his Son over to sinful men to be mocked, ridiculed, abused, tortured, brutalized and ultimately crucified.

Some may say, “Yeah, but God got His Son back!” Yes, that’s true, but nonetheless, the pain that pierced the Father’s heart at His Son’s crucifixion is unspeakable. What happened in God’s heart is unlike anything that we can think or imagine.

The Bible says that while Jesus hung on the cross, He absorbed and took on the sin of the whole world (2 Cor. 5:21, Isaiah 53:3-6). Stop and think about that for a moment. The only innocent, blameless and sinless person in history became the worst of us all. On the cross, Jesus became a whore, a drunk, a pedophile, an adulturer, a liar, a murderer, a rapist, a thief, a traitor, and even a self-righteous, religious snob! And when that happened, God the Father did something unspeakable. He poured out his just and holy anger toward our sin on His precious and beloved Son (Romans 3:25, I John 4:10), and then He turned His back on Jesus and looked away (Matt. 27:46)!

When glimpses of that reality hit my heart, the cross broadcasts loud and clear that both God the Father and God the Son have known and experienced the deepest sufferings imaginable!

Second, the cross speaks loudly that God loves you and I, even when we don’t understand why we are suffering. The whole reason that God sent Christ to die was so that we could be forgiven and brought into a loving, warm and affectionate relationship with Him. God sent Jesus to bring us back to Himself (I Peter 3:18).

At the cross, God’s love was put on display publicly and historically, once and for all. It is reliable and trustworthy, especially when our hearts are seared with pain. Nothing can separate us from this indescribable love, not even the death of a loved one (Romans 8:38-39). And this love that goes beyond our ability to understand, whispers to our hearts in the midst of our darkest nights and simply says, “I love you, and I know what you are going through.”

A Prayer

Oh Father God, I pray for the three moms I met this week who have recently lost their precious loved ones. Be with them now in a very real way. May the reality of the cross become an anchor to their shattered hearts. May the cross shout to them that you are deeply experienced with loss, pain and suffering. You know exactly what they are walking through because You have been there Yourself! May Your love envelop their hearts. When they are struggling for answers, may the cross of Christ speak of Your indescribable love that goes beyond our understanding. And may the pain, sorrow, grief and anger that wants to swallow up their lives, be lifted from them, placed on Jesus and absorbed by Him. May Jesus carry what they cannot.

 

A Final Note

If you or someone you care about is suffering with loss of any type, I’ve come across two helpful resources. One is a message by Louie Giglio entitled, Hope-When Life Hurts Most. The other is a book entitled, The Shack. It has become a nationwide bestseller. Click on the images for more info.

Thoughts on the Election

John Piper is the pastor for preaching at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis. In this video clip he shares some of his thoughts prior to the election. However, I believe his perspective may be even more helpful to folks after the election.

New Tunes—Tenth Ave. North

Recently I’ve been listening to a band called Tenth Avenue North. Their debut album is entitled “Over And Underneath.” I first heart their song, “Satisfy” on a local Christian station. The lyrics were simple but profound. It’s a prayer asking Christ to satisfy the deepest longings our our heart. From there I downloaded a couple more tunes and got hooked.

Last night about 20 students from our youth ministry went to their concert. My heart was deeply impacted, as was the hearts of our students. During the past month, I’ve been sharing a message series entitled, “Knowing God Deeper.” It’s about really knowing Christ (not just facts about Him) and having Him become the treasure and prize of our lives. Throughout the concert, the lead singer put the same message and thoughts in his own words. Their songs resonate with themes that are very meaningful to me personally—longing for more of Jesus, God’s unrelenting love, His affections for broken people, grace, forgiveness, Christ as our treasure.

A couple weeks ago, a friend of mine put one of their songs to a simple video with the lyrics only (it’s the YouTube video above). The song is entitled “By Your Side.” I played it during a Sunday morning service and afterwards learned that one of our high school students, a football player, wept as the song played. Apparently it made a deep impact. If you get a chance, check ‘em out.

Anonymous Encouragement

This week I received a hand-written note in my office mailbox. No one signed the note. It simply said “Isaiah 41:10.”  During a quiet time of Bible reading yesterday morning, I read Isaiah 41:10. Here’s what it says:

 

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

 

This verse was just what I needed this week! What a powerful and precious promise! In these uncertain times, it is so easy to get anxious or worried, or to loose heart. This verse is a simple but powerful reminder that the uncreated, all-powerful, almighty God is MY God! He’s mine! And He has promised to be with me.

This verse reminded me in a fresh way that God has promised to strengthen and help me! He has promised to uphold me with His unlimited power and strength. There is no reason to be worried, upset or anxious about anything! God is on the throne. He loves me. He’s with me and He is working out all things for His glory! 

It just doesn’t get any better than that!

Do You Have What It Takes?

Have you ever found yourself in a situation that you simply felt totally inadequate to do? I’m in a season like that right now. When I look at myself, it’s easy to see of all of my shortcomings and areas of incompetency.  Can you relate to that? Maybe you’re a worship leader, a youth pastor, a small group leader, a student, a parent or a business person. Maybe you’re in a situation that requires more of you than what you feel like you can offer. What do you do?

If you’re a follower of Christ, this is a normal, ongoing part of our spiritual journey. We invite Jesus to be the Lord and Savior of our life, and then He invites us to follow him. He calls us to step out of comfortable areas in which we’ve relied only on our own abilities and strength. He invites us to trust him, follow him and partner with Him in making disciples. In our own strength and ability, this is simply impossible.

The Apostle Paul was speaking about this in 2 Corinthians 3:5-6. Here’s what he says:

 

“Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made up competent as ministers of a new covenant . . .”

 

Did you get that? Did you hear what Paul is saying? Our ability to do what Christ calls us to do comes from God! Our qualifications—our power, our strength, our ability to be and do what God calls us to—comes from Him. Oh, what a relief! We don’t have to fake it! And we don’t have to wallow in despair. We can simply trust Christ and depend upon His strength.

This is good news for anyone who feels weak and inadequate. Let that sense of weakness drive you to Jesus where you can draw out of him His unlimited competency and strength. On the other hand, it’s kind of a bummer for those of us that feel confident in our own ability. Christ has nothing to offer if we can do it ourselves. 

Awaken Our Hearts

Recently, I came across a poem I wrote more than ten years ago. I remember writing this after having a particularly rich time in God’s presence. It is still the predominant cry of my heart.

I want everyone to know

The beauty of Your face

I want everyone to taste

The sweetness of Your grace.

 

The young and old alike,

I pray they’ll really see

Your indescribable splendor

And radiant majesty.

 

You are more than a concept,

You are more than a thought.

You are a living, breathing Person

And my heart, you have caught.

 

Jesus, Oh Jesus

How I long to know you more

Take me on with you

Deeper than before.

What David Saw and Sought

I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. (Psalm 63:2)

One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. (Psalm 27:4)

David, one of ancient Israel’s greatest kings and a person described as, “A man after God’s own heart,” saw glimpses of God’s glory that absolutely ruined him. By that I mean he encountered something of God’s majesty and beauty that conquered his heart and left him with a life-long yearning to experience more.

This is why you and I were created—to see and savor the glory of God. In Isaiah 43:6-7, God bluntly declares, “Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth—everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

You and I were made for more than the American dream. We were made for more than working a job, raising a nice family, buying a great house complete with a large screen HD plasma TV and having a secure retirement. We were made for majesty. We were created for nothing less than God’s glory.

The night before he was crucified, Jesus prayed for this very thing. “Father, I want [desire, long for] those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world” (John 17:24).

Then, just a few verses later, Jesus added to this prayer the most incredible thing. He not only prayed that we would see His glory, but that we would treasure it with the very love, enjoyment and delight that God the Father has! “I [Jesus] have made you [the Father] known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them” (John 17:26).

As followers of Christ, we were made to behold the blinding beauty and stunning goodness of the uncreated Son of God, and then to treasure it with the very affections of the infinite, uncreated God! This is why we were created. Maybe that’s why we are so easily bored (see earlier post). We’re trying to fill up this God-created longing for His glory with things that can never possibly satisfy.

A Prayer

Heavenly Father, when I think of why you created humanity, I am deeply in awe. You did not create us out of some lack or need on your part. You were not lonely. You did not need anything. Rather out of an overflow of infinite joy and love that exists within your presence, you formed us. You created us for more than an impersonal “Plan of salvation,” or even to know cold, hard facts about you. You made us to see and savor your glorious majesty and indescribable splendor. I want to be like David. I want to see glimpses of your beauty that conquer my heart and sets my life on a pursuit of seeking you every day. Thank you that one day, we will see the blinding, brilliance of your glory in your Son, Jesus Christ. And we will also love Your Son with the same infinite affection and enjoyment that You have. Until then, may your Holy Spirit and your precious word work together in our hearts so that we may behold glimpses of what you are really like.