Out of the Box

Unexplainable vs. Undeniable

I recently returned from a teaching retreat at The Cove in Asheville, NC. During one of the morning devotions the Lord brought to mind a talk I heard Andy Stanley share on one of his podcasts. The subject was the difference between the undeniable and the unexplainable. I began to share this with the group and it seemed to strike a chord and the subject came up several times during the retreat. I thought I would see if it did the same with the readers of my blog.

We seem to struggle when unbelievers and doubters challenge our faith. They usually do so in the area of  the unexplainable. How do you explain the story in the Old Testament where God made the sun stand still? How about bad things happening to good people, or the holocaust, how does a good God allow these things to happen? Can God make a rock so big that He cannot lift it? The questions often come in the realm of science. Did dinosaurs and man live at the same time in the same place? If light from the nearest star takes longer to get to the earth than creationists say the star has existed, then how is it we can see the light at all?

As a man of faith I can deal with those questions. I have come to grips with most of the skeptics issues after years of growing in my faith and the study of the Bible. But rarely can I win an argument with a skeptic. The arguments become emotional rather than rational. I have found that I can capture the attention of my unbelieving audience with the undeniable facts of my personal faith. The cannot attack my personal testimony. When I came to believe in Christ He turned my world around. I lost the desire for the things that once dominated my life. I became a better person. I could sleep at night. It wasn't after counseling, or after  I read a book or became better educated. I was changed because I had an encounter with almighty God. That they cannot deny.

This has always been the case. When the man was asked to give an account of how Jesus could be the Messiah or a sinner  he simply said, "this one thing I know, I once was blind, but now I see!" (John 9:25) It was his personal healing that could not be denied. When Jesus spoke of eternal life and life beyond the grave, His skeptics denied His teaching. But when He arose from the grave He crushed their arguments. In the Book of Revelation, the saints during the Tribulation defeated Satan with "the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony!" (Rev. 12:11)

 The word of your testimony is the argument for faith in Christ that no one can deny. There is no argument that can stand against it. If we are going to change the world around us, it is not because we prepared a better brochure or won a debate. We are going to turn things around because we are letting the light of Christ burn brightly in our lives! 

The Real Super Heroes

I heard on a news program yesterday that The Avengers did over $200 million at the box office this weekend. It's next closest rival took in $8 million. Someone told me at church Sunday that it is well worth the extra cash to see it in 3D. I might. It's kind of pricey to rent those glasses when it works just as well if you keep your eyes crossed through the whole movie while sitting no further back than the second row. This dictates that I can't sit with my wife who says something like, "I don't know this man" as people see me cross eyed waving for her to sit beside me. It's also confusing when I keep throwing Coke in the air and try catching it in my mouth as I try to sip on my popcorn.

Why do we go so ga-ga over super heroes? Other than the tight outfits I can't understand why adults go to observe demi-gods with hammers or mutant girls whose touch turns a hot blooded male to ice. Have we accomplished so little in our own lives that we must live vicariously through fictional characters who save the world from aliens and asteroids? Maybe, but I don't think so. At least that's not what's going to get the plastic out of my wallet in exchange for 3D glasses and a paper stub. I think it is as much about their weaknesses as it is about their strengths.

Whether it was an identity crisis or kryptonite, Superman could save the world and still go home weak and depressed. Daredevil had to deal with physical impairment. He could compensate for it while fighting, but never in his personal life. Thor is a demi-god, but he comes from a dysfunctional family that makes my childhood home look like the Cleavers. Every super hero has some personal cross to bear. Yet, they fight back their insecurities while they save the world. That's what makes them appealing to me.

Closer investigation of Biblical heroes reveals the same truth. Each had to fight through physical, mental or spiritual issues while still being someones hero. Moses had an Egyptian skeleton in his closet and fear of speaking in public that caused him to question God as His choice for an enormous task. David struggled with lust. All of the disciples were so insecure in their faith that they had to ask Jesus if they were the one to betray Him at the Last Supper. Paul was self conscious of his appearance. As a matter of fact, neither Moses, David or Paul could pass the background check to work for a church or the mission board. They had all taken another persons life at one time or another. Still God used them all to be someones hero.

There are no perfect people. There are only imperfect people. Some who don't let their faults disqualify them from doing great things. They are my heroes!          

A Trip in the "Way Back" Machine (Conclusion)

(Continued from last week's post)

A church did finally take a chance on him. They didn't have much to lose. No building payments had to be met. There were no buildings. Just  a school that was willing to let this little church meet in their cafeteria on Sundays. No staff salaries had to be paid. There was no paid staff beside this preacher. No traditions to be honored and very few people to be let down. So he began his work at this little mission church still trying to fit into the religious community where piousness was the greatest virtue and humility was... well for other people.

As we move forward a few years in our way back machine, we find this pastor a little heavier and a little more tired. He has grown the church with decent preaching and a lot of hard work. The church now has a few hundred members instead of a few dozen. The mission has become a church and now has built its first buildings. Still, inside the pastor something is terribly wrong. He still is acting. On the outside, he is putting his tie on along with his religious smile, while on the inside he is dying spiritually. That's when it happens.

While walking away from an empty auditorium one weekday after pouring his heart out to the Lord, God speaks. He is not sure if it is audible, but he knows it is loud, and he knows it is God. In a phrase this is what God said. "I made you who you are. Stop being what people expect or want you to be. Be yourself. I didn't make a mistake when I called you or created you."

If you are observing the face on this weary preacher from the comfortable bench seat of my way back machine, you will notice a smile. If you could feel what he is feeling, you would notice that 100 tons of worry have just been lifted off his back. In a word, he feels free for the first time in years.

Periodic stops coming forward on my way back machine will reveal that it has not always been easy for this man. People have not always understood his methods. Sometimes his motives have been questioned. Some who hold religious tradition in high regard have walked away from him and labeled him a rebel, an actor, a liberal and even worse. Still the words he heard that day from His creator are repeated in his soul, "Be yourself." To that calling he has stayed true. He no longer lives for the applause of men, but only to hear the his Father say, "That's my boy."        

A Trip in the "Way Back" Machine (Part 1)

Come slide in next to me on the rich and supple Corinthian leather bench seat of my customized "Way Back" machine. We are not traveling to the past to visit our founding fathers or to the ancient past to draw on cave walls or track woolly mammoths in the snow. No, we are only traveling to the not too distant past of 30 or so years ago. There we will find a passionate young preacher with no steady gig. No church willing to take a chance on this young  long haired loud preacher with too much facial hair.

You will learn after observing his behavior that he is erratic in his faith at best. He has only recently gotten hold of his potty mouth. Expletives, that were so common before he had decided to follow Christ, were now only occassionally a part of his dialogue. He is a little rebellious. Enough to keep most potential pastor-less churches from taking a chance on him. So he labors as a computer programmer to pay the bills but realizes there is an emptiness inside his soul that only teaching the Bible will fill.

There is one striking characteristic of this young man that makes him hard to like. He is very judgmental. When he does have an opportunity to speak he most often condemns everything from Hollywood to rock and roll. He closely investigates album covers of such demonic forces as Ozzy Osborne and Alice Cooper and declares them to be the ruin of our young people's minds. He accuses Democrats and those kooks on the west coast as the reason America is going to hell in a hand-basket. He trashes Catholics and Pentecostals alike. Phrases like "Get Right or Get Left!" and "Turn or Burn!" are peppered frequently in his conversations with others of his kind. In a phrase, if you are not just like him then you are wrong. His favorite comeback to those who disagree with his ideology is "You can disagree with me if you want. Everyone has the right to be wrong."

Inside, where you are not able to see, this young man is a mess. A desire to fit in with the religious crowd is directing his actions while in his heart he knows he is just pretending to be what others expect him to be. He really still likes Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac and Rush. He is afraid that someone in his church might discover that he had voted for Jimmy Carter for president. Heaven forbid someone discover his extreme distaste for neckties and three piece suits. If that last bit of information were to be discovered his chances of being a pastor were sunk for sure. Had this young man mistaken God's call to preach as directed to him while it was really meant for the young man standing next to him in youth group who looked like a combination of Billy Graham and Chuck Colson? He wonders if God could ever use someone who looked at the world in such a non-conventional way. He knows that God had forgiven him of his past, but he wasn't sure if He could make much sense of his future....    

To be continued...            

I have been following a trial in Israel for months now. The presenters of the James ossuary (bone box) were charged with forgery. The inscription on the box reads, "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus." The Israel Antiquities Authority tried to prove that the inscription had been added to the box to make it news worthy. After a long trial the judge declared the defendants not guilty on all counts. This is a victory for all of us who want the name of Jesus to be declared to the nations!

Goodbye to Another Friend

I just read an email from a fellow pastor in our community. He informed me that he was moving to another community to pastor a different church. I can't tell you the number of times I have received similar news. The only thing that has really changes is the way the message is delivered. Most often in years past it was a phone call. Sometimes a guy would stop by my office and say good bye. Most often now days it is by email. No matter how the message is delivered it is painful.

Most of the people in my line of work stay only a few short years in their church before moving on. It is almost always a move upward into a larger church or a more influential position.  If it isn't a move upward it is usually just a move out. Either being pushed out or just running from a problem that would not go away. Most of these guys just land wherever they can and lick their wounds for a while.

My situation is rare. I have been at Dallas Bay for 22 years. None of my staff were here in the beginning. Of the nearly 2800 people less than a dozen people remain from the original congregation. I have never sought to move to a bigger church. Instead the church has grown with me. I have considered running from problems a few times. Some were thrust upon me and others were of my own making. I even considered quitting ministry entirely once. It was not people I was disappointed in, it was me. My heart had grown cold and I had lost my fire. I'm thankful that God rescued me from ruin. His methods were painful, but I could not imagine doing anything other than what I do.

So I say goodbye to my pastor friend. I know he will do well in his new church. His denomination is different but his calling is the same. We both live to share Christ with others. I wish him the best and I know we can spend some time around the throne together someday. Maybe I can arrange a reunion of all the pastors who have come and gone during my lifetime. Then, maybe, we can stay put for a while. Until then, the only thing that is certain in this life is change. So love people while you have them around. See you all soon, I hope!    

Jesus Understands

In an attempt to have more attend Easter communion this year we have moved its observance to tonight instead of Thursday. While preparing for the observance this morning I have been contemplating that original drama over 2000 years ago. While I do, one thought keeps surfacing above all others. It is only possible to be betrayed by a friend. 

As Jesus sat reclined in the upper room with His disciple gathered near, He would have been reciting stories from the Exodus. This was usually reserved for fathers as they shared with their families the story of their ancestors deliverance from Egypt. But Jesus did not have a traditional family. Joseph has probably been gone for years and Mary has been widowed left to raise Jesus and His siblings alone. He was not welcome in his hometown. They had attempted to kill Him the last time He had visited their city. (Luke 4:28 - 29) Now this small band of men had become His family. (Matthew 12:48 - 49)

Early in the Passover meal, each member of the family would be instructed to dip unleavened bread into a mixture of horseradish and apples. This was a picture of the sweetness of God's love in the middle of their bitter slavery in Egypt.  Jesus had just told His friends gathered at the table that one of them would betray Him. John, at Peter's request, asked Jesus who that person would be. He answered, The one to whom I will give the piece of bread once I have dipped it." Normally, the person would dip his own bread. Jesus then took the bread and dipped it into the mixture of bitter and sweet. He handed the sop to Judas and said, "What you do, do quickly."

What a strange mixture of bitter and sweet it is to have close friends and family. To allow someone the nearness to hear your heartbeat, to weep over the things that break your heart, to rejoice with you in your victories and hold your hand when you fail...is the sweetest thing in the world. But the nearness also allows them to know things about you that can damage you almost beyond repair. It was Judas that knew Jesus would retire to the Mount of Olives to pray after the meal. He arranged to have the Temple guards to follow him there. He knew Jesus would be waiting there with His friends as He struggled through the most difficult night of His life. Only Judas would be able to get this close to Jesus so as to betray Him to His enemies. The Gospel of Matthew captures the heart of Jesus at this moment; 

Matthew 26:48-50 (NKJV)
⁴⁸ Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him."
⁴⁹ Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.
⁵⁰ But Jesus said to him, "Friend, why have you come?" Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.

 I know Jesus is omniscient. I know that He is aware of all that is going on around Him. But, I can't get past that painful statement after Judas had kissed Him, "Friend, why have you come?" He certainly knew, but could He bring Himself to believe it? It is impossible to be betrayed by an enemy. Only our closest friends can get so close as to betray us with a kiss. When you think of the suffering of Jesus this week. And I hope you do. Don't forget how he suffered at the hand of His friend and you will know that He understands your hurts as well.

Have a blessed Easter week!!    Pastor Ken 

 

Where Have All the Mentors Gone?

My wife, Marilyn, and I just returned from a conference that we try to attend each year. I think we have only missed once in the last 12 years. It is held by a pastor I greatly respect and is intended to educate and encourage pastors and their wives. My wife would divorce me if I told we were never going again. It is the highlight of her year.

While listening to this well known and influential pastor I began to notice a glaring difference between the two of us.  Over and over he referred to his mentors as having a great influence in his life. He read meaningful quotes and recited powerful conversations he had with these men of faith over his ministerial career. He spoke of people like Adrian Rogers, Henry Blackaby, Fred Wolfe, Jerry Vines and on and on. He spoke of elderly men who were not as well known who came into his life at very crucial times of despair or hopelessness. After two days of hearing about these spiritual mentors it became clear to me I had none of these people in my life.

The first really spiritual sounding person I recall was my first girlfriend's father. He and I went to a couple of revivals together before his daughter and I broke up. I haven't seen or talked to him since and that was 35 years ago.

Then there was the pastor of the church where I was attending when I got saved. He gave me an opportunity to preach in his absence and recommended me to the first church where I was the bi-vocational pastor. When I went to him and asked about whether to accept the invitation to become Dallas Bay's pastor he cornered me against a brick wall at his church and said, "I wouldn't do it son. You just don't know how hard it is to be a pastor." Later when Dallas Bay achieved some degree of success some men from that church asked me to speak at their brotherhood breakfast. They had to call me back a few days later when the same pastor told them they had to rescind the invitation. To this day, although he lives nearby, he has never stepped foot onto our property.

I did have one man who was my spiritual mentor for a few short years. He had been one of my professors as I took seminary classes here in Chattanooga. His name was Dr. Pat Maloney. Many saw him as just an eccentric old preacher, but he was the wisest man I have ever known. In the early days of Dallas Bay I would call him when I ran into a problem I did not know how to handle. I will never forget the advice he gave me time and time again, "Ken, you are only responsible for, what you are responsible for." In other words, "You can't change another person. They have to do it themselves."      

But since Brother Pat died,  the Lord has not sent mentors into my life again. No Adrian Rogers to call and say, "Just hang in there son. It will be better tomorrow. The Lord never forgets his own." The Lord either never brought them into my life or I was not wise enough to seek them out when I was young. Either way I regret it. The only mentoring I get is when I sit in the room with 88 other pastors and listen to the pastor where I just spent the last 2 days. But at $400 bucks a pop I can't afford to lsten too often. 

My advice is to actively seek out spiritual leaders and mentors when you are young. Don't think you are being rude when you ask for another person's time. In doing so you will grow wiser and deeper in your walk with Christ. You will take away memories that will last long after your mentor has gone. As for me, I keep repeating Brother Maloney's sage advice, "You're only responsible for, what you're responsible for." At least its something.  

A Message at the Right Time

Monday is always a tough day in my world. It is administrative day at the church. On Mondays's I meet with the staff about yesterdays services. I work with my worship leader to plan next week. I answer dozens of emails and schedule appointments for the week. It is always tough, but this week was worse than usual. Why? Because last week I was on mission in Jamaica where we visited the hospitals of small children and the elderly. There were delivered prayers and stuffed animals to those patients who eagerly awaited both. We visited schools where dozens of kids sat in their uniforms on homemade chairs and cramped conditions. The overworked and underpaid teachers appreciated the break in their day as we came in with new school supplies and sang and prayed with the children. I had the opportunity to preach to crowds of Jamaicans who raised their hands in the air and voiced their amens throughout the message. I saw many, many come to know Christ with tears and shouting. Now, in my office, I am back to the stark reality of leading a large church with and abundance of opportunities and a shortage of money. I had to remind my staff that while we continue to grow our level of giving has plateaued and in some weeks diminished.

While feeling the weight of the issues before me I grabbed a book off my shelf and began to read. It was just an attempt on my part to take my mind off my problems, but it was God's opportunity to encourage His child. After reading a few pages I realized there was a slip of paper stuck in the book as if it were marking a page. It was not. I was sure because I had never gotten very far in this book in the past. It was obviously a note from God given at the appropriate time. But there it was a typed note that was titled, "Today's Prayer." It went like this:

"Dear God, This morning the Holy Spirit brought to mind my pastor. He faces so mant decisions and burdens that I know nothing about. He has such great responsibilities and weighty decisions. He has personal family to care for as well as church family to shepherd. I pray that as he comes to you today...and every day...that you will refresh his spirit, enlighten his mind, and strengthen his body. I pray that you will grant him wisdom, anointing, and openness to receive the message you want to deliver through him an to deliver that message when and to whom you want it delivered. I pray for protection and blessing for my pastor's entire family and all the leaders of the church. Please keep them safe and from all harm and evil...and lead them on to accomplish your plan for their lives, the church's future, and the Great Commission. In Jesus name I pray, amen."

I don't ever remember receiving that prayer from any human being. I must accept it as a gift of God given at the right time! Thanks GOD!   

I'm Privileged

Someone just asked me about my transition plans when I leave DBBC. I wondered if he knew something I didn't. The truth is I have thought about it. I know the day is coming when God will have another take my place in the pulpit of the church I have now served for 22 years.  Truthfully, it scares me to think of not preaching every week. I'm not really very good at anything else. 

Vance Havner, famous Baptist evangelist, would get up everyday in his nursing home room and prepare as if he were going to preach.  I can't imagine not having the opportunity to speak God's Word into people's lives. It is a blessed role I have been given and I appreciate it more each day. I know that the church will need a new voice someday and I am ok with whatever God plans. Until then I will count each day a privilege.