Phoenix Shout-out

I just got back from 5 fabulous days in Phoenix!! What a great time we had promoting our trip to Israel next March.  It is going to be another amazing trip and we are praying for the Lord to open doors for more folks to join us, so if you're interested -- let me know!!! Click here to visit the site and download a brochure.

Dr David Barnes, John Rinehart, Med Skeens, me,
Don Schepemaker, Michelangelo & Jon

It was a whirlwind trip that began when we got into town on Wednesday. Our friends Anita and Mark had us over for a fabulous dinner. Thursday was a flurry of activity at Southwestern College, talking with the students at chapel, a panel discussion on ministry, then lunch with the team. What a great Christian college and any college student that is interested in going to Israel with us can get 3 college credits through Southwestern!

Bowling at Lucky Strike

Then we hopped on the light rail and headed downtown for a fun night out. Michelangelo took us to a really cool place - Lucky Strike Lanes. I wasn't prepared to bowl, but it was such a fun time and the food was great!! And Don was The Man... seriously... 180+ is pretty impressive.

me, Rosie & Sandi

Friday I got to have lunch with two of the sweetest women I know, Sandi and Rosie. Sandi and I have been friends since we met on our 2009 Israel trip, but we were only Facebook friends with Rosie... until now. We enjoyed a 2+ hour lunch and got to know Rosie better. What a precious lady and what a remarkable testimony she has. Then Sandi took me to Fashion Square Mall to visit with our friend Glenda... and of course SHOP... 'nuff said :)

Friday night we went to Cibo Urban Pizzeria in downtown Phoenix. What a fun night! If you live in Phoenix, you have to visit this cool downtown bistro. They have a great menu, yummy desserts and live entertainment. Michelangelo and Jon put on a great show to promote his new cd: The Come Away Project. You can download it on iTunes or buy it here on cdbaby. Great alternative Christian rock, and you won't be disappointed.

Jon & Michelangelo
These guys will be blessing us in Israel

I got a little work done on Saturday before the party at Rick and Debbi's house. What gracious hosts they were and they allowed us to show photos of our past trips to Israel and explain our Holy Land ministry to some friends who are interested in making the pilgrimage with us. I recently blogged about our experience and vision, so click here if you'd like to read about what makes our trips distinctive.

Worship at Kineo

Sunday morning was a special blessing because I got to visit Kineo Church, a vibrant and dynamic church plant in downtown Phoenix. Jeff Skeens is a fresh, young, energetic preacher who is on-fire for Jesus. The Lord's hand is all over this faithful group, and it'll be exciting to see how He uses this fellowship for His kingdom.

And one last shout-out to Med and Gail Skeens - Dad and I can't thank you guys enough. Your gracious hospitality went above and beyond anything we could have hoped. We loved meeting your sons and their families, and you are truly blessed and you are truly blessings to everyone around you. And thanks a bunch for letting me take a catnap on your couch Sunday afternoon. The red-eye back to Roanoke was... hmm... let's just say, less than restful...

I'm so blessed to have these friends, these precious brothers and sisters in the Lord. I love the Body of Christ and how we have an instant bond because of our faith in the Lord Jesus. I'm constantly amazed at Who He is and What He does.

The Power of Prayer in the Life of a Christian

What is prayer?  Simply stated, prayer is talking to God.  I find it interesting that so many Christians are uncomfortable praying.  I can understand being uncomfortable praying in public, but praying should be as natural to us as breathing.  So why isn’t it?

I think some Christians make praying harder than it needs to be.  Some feel their prayers are more meaningful or carry more weight if they’re offered in a church.  Some think prayers are only for certain times.  Some think that praying is best left to the professionals – vocational ministers, lay leaders and those who are “good at it.”

But praying is actually pretty simple. We can pray anywhere and anytime, and ANYONE can do it! We just need to understand a few simple components.

When we pray, our focus turns to God and away from ourselves and the world.  Sure, our worries and cares are still there, but our focus isn’t there.  We focus on God so we can know Him better and understand His will in our situation.  He doesn’t expect us to come to Him with a head full of potential solutions and a mouth full of eloquent words, He only expects us to come in:

• Humility – understanding that only He has the big picture for which He alone has the answers, and 
• Faith – believing that He will answer us and wants what's best for us.

Prayer has four basic components:

• Praising Him – for Who He is (almighty, all-powerful, all-knowing, sovereign…)
• Thanking Him – for what He does (the blessings He gives us, even blessings-in-disguise)
• Confessing to Him – the sin that is between us (because it affects our ability to listen to Him)
• Asking Him – our needs and the needs of others.

One of my favorite prayers in scripture is found in Ephesians 1:15-21:  "For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come."

In this prayer, Paul praises God as the source of hope, wisdom and power; Paul thanks Him for the friendship he has with the Ephesians; and he asks God to enlighten the eyes of their hearts so they can experience Him more fully.

Paul asked the Lord to give them a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, not so they would be smarter, but so they could know Him better. And then Paul prayed for their hearts to be enlightened. He didn’t ask the Lord to give them higher IQs or expand their ability to comprehend deep doctrinal issues, Paul prayed for their hearts because a tender heart is far more important to God than a brilliant brain, and that is happy news for ALL of us.

Paul also talks about the power that is available to them (and us). Through the presence of the Holy Spirit living in us, we have the same power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. Think about that expenditure of divine energy for a minute: all the demonic forces of evil came against Jesus, and He DEFEATED them. Satan’s goal was to keep Jesus dead and in the grave, but He arose and ascended to His Father’s right hand. If you’ve ever seen The Passion of The Christ you’ll remember the gruesome image of Jesus hanging on the cross after His scourging. And three days later all of those lacerations, wounds and bruises were healed. There were scars, but He was whole. Think about the POWER that accomplished that feat alone! As we pray, do we realize we have access to that kind of power? Do we LIVE like we have access to that kind of power?

One of the biggest sources of earthly power is the Hoover Dam.  Its generators can provide electricity to 1.7 million homes, but somebody somewhere needs to flip the switch that starts the engines that release electricity to those homes.

Imagine there is a heavenly barrier like the Hoover Dam that holds back God’s blessings and power.  God can provide those to us, but He wants somebody somewhere to flip the switch of prayer so He can release them to the earth.  Oh, to be sure, God can do WHATEVER He wants WHENEVER He wants to WHOMEVER He wants, but He has designed prayer as our way of communicating with Him.

Prayer is also a way we can encourage others as we pray for them and with them.  As we pray for each other, we remember their needs and concerns and are not always focused on ourselves.  As we pray with them we can help them to focus on God and encourage them to be persistent and faithful as they wait for His answer.

Another amazing thing about prayer is that it’s not only about us in the earthly realm, but it’s also about God Himself.  God desires fellowship with us, and as crazy as that seems, it blesses Him when we pray!  Let that sink in – we BLESS God when we communicate with Him in prayer.  WE BLESS GOD.  Wow.

So let’s talk to Him. It’s not hard.  In fact, it’s just a breath away.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…” ~Eph 3:20 (NIV)

9-11 Anniversary

Few days in American history have shaken us as much as September 11, 2001. Images of the two airliners crashing into the Twin Towers, smoke billowing from the windows, dust rising as the buildings collapsed in New York City... fires raging at the Pentagon in Washington DC... fiery blazes from the crashed United Airlines Flight 93 in rural Pennsylvania...

Then we watched determined first responders dressed in full gear rushing down crowded streets, frightened survivors struggling to learn what had happened, grief-stricken families hearing heartbreaking reports...

Those images evoked a feelings that covered the full emotional spectrum: horror, shock, relief, confusion, sorrow, joy, disbelief, anger... You name it, we felt it that day.

Nine years have now passed and many security measures have been enforced, all of which are designed to help us feel safe. But in a world filled with evil, injustice and uncertainty, how can we fight our feelings of despair?

En Gedi

David experienced a similar time in his life as he was running from King Saul in the barren Judean wilderness. Those desperate feelings found their way onto the page when David penned Psalm 142.

He envisions his enemies hiding and setting traps for him, of being chased and feeling all alone. He was faint of spirit and felt that no one cared. There was no place of rest for him and in the eyes and estimation of the world, his situation seemed dire at best.

Saul's army was large, heavily armed, blood-thirsty and determined. David was outnumbered, tired, depressed, hungry & thirsty. In his desperate cry to the Lord he poured out his heart, but even in his cries he acknowledges that God:

• is merciful (v1)
• listens (v2)
• knows David's way (v3)
• is his refuge (v5)
• is his provider (v5)
• can rescue him (v6)
• is good to him (v7)

In the last verse, David asks God to deliver him, but not so he would feel safe or could go back home. David asked God to deliver him so he could PRAISE HIM and testify of His goodness to him.

Praising God in the midst of a trial is often difficult. When we're in the throes of grief, uncertainty, tragedy, or confusion our natural response is to focus on the problem so we can find an answer. But many problems in life don't have answers, or don't have answers we can see. How then do we refocus our minds from problem-solving to praising?

I've found these steps to be helpful in my life:

• Humble myself before God. Remember that He is with me, He is sovereign and He is all-knowing. He alone knows the full scope of my problem and He is in control.
• Pray and trust Him with the problem. No matter how overwhelming it may seem, He will use it to work out His plan (Romans 8:28). As I pray, I remind myself that Jesus is praying for me too (Romans 8:34) - how amazing is THAT?
• Ask Him to teach me. I want Him to show me all the lessons I need to learn so the trial isn't wasted on me (I don't want to have to repeat any lessons).
• Call on friends. No matter how alone we feel, God has put people in our lives who will pray with us and for us, and there are friends who are blessed when they help us. Don't be a blessing robber!
• Thank Him for my deliverance. He has my deliverance path already planned so I ask Him to give me the strength, insight and wisdom I need to move forward.
• SING! Psalm 22:3 tells us that He inhabits the praises of His people, so put some worship music on and SING!

Our nation did some of these things in the aftermath of the Sept 11 tragedy because people tend to turn to God during a tragedy. But when time passes and life gets back to a semblance of normal, God is forgotten.

May that NEVER BE! We can let the anniversary of this tragedy remind us to be a people focused on God. Let’s continue to pray for those who lead us, those who defend and protect us, and especially for those who are affected by tragedy of any kind. When we’re able, let’s freely give and lovingly serve! And when tragedy comes our way, and it WILL, remember that as Christians we are always secure in Christ (John 10:28), and we are NEVER without hope.

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." ~2 Cor 4:16-18 NIV

Welcome to She Knows, She Grows!

Today we start a fun new Bible study at our church, "She knows, she grows!"  Each week we'll look at a current event and see what the Word has to say about it.  As I work on these lessons, I'm amazed at the timelessness of God's Word. It's always fresh and can teach us about ANYTHING that's happening in the world around us!

What would Jesus do? Based on the classic novel “In His Steps” by Charles M. Sheldon, the WWJD movement introduced a long line of merchandise such as jewelry, bumper stickers, bookmarks, bible covers, t-shirts, desk plaques, etc. WWJD merchandise is still widely available and is intended to remind us that no matter WHAT happens, we should respond in a way that Jesus would.

But think for a minute about ALL the things that are going on in the world. Things are happening EVERYWHERE and, because we live in the age of information, we are hearing about a lot of them through television, radio, newspapers, magazines, internet… they even FOLLOW us now on our cell phones!

Personally, it’s information overload. In fact, I stopped watching the 11:00 news because after I had watched it I couldn’t fall asleep!! Seriously, how CAN you relax and drift off to sleep when we learn taxes are going up, or chocolate causes cancer, or Brett Favre is retiring? AGAIN!!

Whether we watch the news on TV or listen to it on the radio or read newspapers or magazines or internet reports, news reports are designed to alert us and make us think. It’s important to remember that news reporting is a BUSINESS – photographs and videos are strategically shot, stories are carefully written, and the scripts are thoughtfully read by reporters and news anchors.

I love to watch and study newscasts. I think it’s interesting to see what stories lead and close the newscast, the transition from national news to local news and from hard news into something like health or entertainment or sports. I notice the music they play. I pay attention to the words and phrases that flash on the screen to get your attention. I study the news anchors – I watch their facial expressions and listen to their voices – how they use tone & inflection & how they modulate their voices as they read the stories. Even the backgrounds and colors and fonts are carefully chosen and positioned. NOTHING on a newscast is random – everything is intentional and is designed to help us with the way we process the information, which is highly complex.

People can see the same event and have different responses and perceptions of it. A simple example: Thanksgiving. What comes to mind when you think about the Thanksgiving holiday?

No doubt there are images of pilgrims, baked turkeys, food-laden tables, autumn decorations and people being together.

Some people imagine big families with lots of little kids running around and people laughing and playing games and having a great time. Somebody else might envision long hours of grocery shopping and cleaning and decorating and cooking and washing dishes. Someone else may think about being alone or volunteering to work that day.

So when each of us thinks about the topic of THANKSGIVING, different images come to mind that stir different emotions in us that cause us to have different reactions to it because it represents something different to each of us.

The person who would rather be alone may have memories associated with a fractured family, and may feel sad or resentful. To her, Thanksgiving may represent something she always wanted but never had.

The person with the long to-do list may feel unappreciated because the responsibility of the "family fun" falls to her. To her, Thanksgiving may represent an obligation.

And for the person who has happy memories and joyful feelings, could she still be thankful if she was experiencing a heartbreaking loss?

Regardless of our emotions, experiences or expectations, we can have the mind of Christ. We  need to identify WHY we react a certain way, push past the messages of the world, then look at what the WORD has to say so we can adjust OUR thinking to match GOD’s infinite and unfathomable mind.

God’s thoughts and ways are infinitely higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9), and we’re instructed in Romans 12:2 not to follow the pattern of the world but to be transformed by renewing our minds. The word "renew" comes from a word that means “renovation – a complete change for the better.”

The way we start our mental renovation is to know God’s Word. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the Word of God is living and active, and like a double-edged sword. When we KNOW what the Word says about something, we can think and pray about what is right (Phil 4:8). “Right-thinking” will transform our minds because at the exact time we need it, the Holy Spirit will pop that verse in our heads. This “AHA!” moment will give Him the chance to remind us that  1) God is still on His throne, 2) we’re secure because our hope is in Christ, and 3) we need to share with the people around us (who are AMAZED at the quiet confidence we have) the hope that we have in Christ.

No panicking, no stressing, no fretting – just the same confident assurance that Jesus had, and we’ll DO what Jesus would DO.

If you're in the Roanoke area and would like to join us, please do!! This class is open to the public. We meet at First Baptist Church downtown from 6:00-7:00 PM in Room A-310 (Church Parlor). Each week we'll address a different topic, there is no book to buy, any homework is optional, and a handout with scripture is provided in case you forget your Bible! This is a great way to introduce your friends to the study of God's Word. Discussion is encouraged so feel free to come any time and bring a friend!

Ephesians 1a - RICH Blessings in Christ Jesus

How would you define the word "RICH"?  Having lots of money? Owning a lot of property? Driving a luxury car? Do you picture Bill Gates? Donald Trump? Warren Buffet? Or do you imagine something dark and smooth and chocolately?  (Thanks, Marcha!)  Webster's Dictionary defines it as having wealth or great possessions; abundantly supplied with resources, means or funds; wealthy; abounding; of great value or worth.  Strong's Concordance includes full, abundant, plentiful.

By cultural standards, being rich means having the finer things found in the world; but by God's standards, being rich means sharing the blessings found in Christ Jesus. As Paul greeted the church in verses 3-14, he unpacked a veritable treasure chest of infinite and eternal blessings that he wanted those faithful saints to remember:  In Christ, we are

• chosen (elected, v4)
• predestined (v5)
• adopted (v5)
• graced (v6)
• redeemed (v7)
• forgiven (v7)
• graced some more! (v7)
• knowledgeable (v9)
• for the praise of His glory (v12)
• included (v13)
• marked (v13)
• sealed (v13)
• given a deposit (v14)
• given an inheritance (v14)

In those verses Paul mentions all three persons of the Godhead: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Although Three in One, Each is distinct and Each plays a part in our salvation.  The oversimplified bottom line is: God chooses us, Jesus redeems us, and the Holy Spirit seals us!

(One of my commentaries described the Holy Spirit as God's engagement ring to the bride of Christ - a promise of the wedding to come. What a great metaphor - it makes me long for the wedding supper of the Lamb in Revelation 19!)

As believers in the age of grace, it's amazing to ponder the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives: 

• indwells us (John 14:17)
• comforts us in our grief (2 Cor 1:4) 
• convicts us of our sin (John 16:8)
• encourages us in our struggles (John 14:26) 
• rejoices with us in our victories (Zeph 3:17)
• speaks to us through God's Word (1 Cor 2:13)
• directs our steps (Is 30:21)
• transforms our minds (2 Cor 3:18)
• reveals God's truths (John 16:13)
• gives us peace to guard our hearts (Phil 4:7)
• equips us to serve (1 Cor 12:7) 
• speaks through us to encourage others (Eph 5:19)
• marks us as believers (Eph 1:13)
• seals us to secure our salvation (Eph 4:30)

And that's just scratching the surface! One day in Heaven we'll look back over the course of our lives and see everything He did.  We'll see that He moved in ways we never knew and blessed in ways we couldn't have imagined. 

How then shall we live? 

With humble hearts - our blessings aren't because of anything we've done to deserve them, they are because of the grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus. With forgiving hearts - Christ forgave us, so then we must forgive others. With grateful hearts - our blessings have been freely given, so we should freely give and serve so we can be a blessing to others. 

As we continue our study of Ephesians, we'll see several words repeated throughout the letter: grace, power, mystery, riches, faith, body/church, and inheritance. We'll also see a phrase repeated, and it's found ten times in verses 3-14 alone: in Christ Jesus.

No amount of money, real estate or things will ever truly satisfy us. No millionaire lifestyle will fully secure us. A delicious dessert may sate our appetites for a time, but the infinite, eternal and rich blessings that our souls desperately long for can only be found in Christ Jesus.

Final Goodbyes

"... he knelt down with all of them and prayed.  They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him... After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea..."

If you had been given some bad news and didn't know how much longer you had to live, who would you want to spend time with?

When people get this kind of news, one of the first things they do is get things squared away at work, then they focus on having time to spend with family and friends.  In their darkest hours, they want their closest friends and immediate family nearby.  It's what Jesus did the last week of His life, and it's what the apostle Paul did when he feared his life was drawing to a close.

Paul spent quite a bit of time in jail or in shackles or being hustled out of cities because his friends feared for his life.  Even though he lived there for a couple of years, the city of Ephesus was no exception.

Like many of the cities Paul visited, Ephesus was a large cosmopolitan city on the sea.  There was a lot of trade and commercial activity as well as a lot of religious activity.  Ephesus was home to the temple of Artemis, the goddess of fertility.  This didn't intimidate Paul, and he did what he normally did - went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews, then turned his attention to the Gentiles and established a church.

Paul's first visit to Ephesus was at the end of his second missionary journey, and it was little more than a "drive-by."  His message was well-received and the people wanted him to stay longer but Paul's schedule was tight so he kept going.  But he left his friends Priscilla and Aquila behind to minister to them.

Paul revisited Ephesus on his third missionary journey and he lived there for a couple of years.  His ministry was fruitful in Asia Minor, so fruitful that it was cutting into the local economy.

Local craftsmen made a lot of money selling statues and temple articles to people who came to visit the temple.  With people coming to faith in Jesus, the temple business dropped off and it angered the local craftsmen who created a ruckus/riot in the city.  After much shouting and pushing and confusion, Paul's buddies hustled him out of the city and sent him on through Macedonia.  His third missionary journey continued but it wasn't easy.  Not only did Paul face opposition from the locals, he had problems with the Jewish leaders in each city.

Paul had made no small number of enemies among the Jewish leaders in the various cities he visited.  When he visited the synagogues and tried to reason with the leaders about who Jesus was, his message fell on deaf ears... that were attached to hard hearts and furious minds.  Word made it back to the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem that Paul, who was once a well-respected Pharisee, was speaking against their laws and traditions and they wanted him STOPPED.  In fact, many of them wanted to kill him.  So at the end of his journey, Paul headed back to Jerusalem to go on trial before the Jewish leaders.

As he made his way to Jerusalem, Paul made a couple of stops to visit with friends he had made along the way. It wasn't safe for him to return to Ephesus, so he asked the church to visit him a little way down the coast at Miletus.  It was here they had their tearful goodbye and escorted Paul and his companions to their ship.

Paul loved his friends in Ephesus so much that he wrote a letter to them when he was under house arrest in Rome.  Unlike many of his letters, this one doesn't address problems or controversies in the church.  The letter to the Ephesians was intended to build them up in their faith.  The first half of the letter described who they were in Christ and the blessings they had because of Him, and the second half detailed how they were to live that out in their relationships.

Proverbs 17:17 tells us "A friend loves at all times..." but I love how that verse is translated in The Message: "Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble."  We will always have troubles and hardships in life, but we don't have to face them by ourselves.  When we invest ourselves in the lives of others, the return we receive on that investment is immeasurable.  And some of those friends may well be the ones we call to us in our darkest hours.