I often pray a very specific prayer for my children.  I was already certain that the Lord hears my prayers, and that he answers them.  It’s just that this particular prayer is more of a long-term prayer of eternal consequence, a prayer for their salvation.  Ultimately, I hope that they get to know the Lord Jesus the way that I know him, or better.

The glimpses of seeing the Lord at work in the lives of my kids are seemingly few and far between, but tonight I had perhaps the most satisfying moment as a father.  Oddly enough, the moment came tonight after a questionable decision to watch the movie “Avatar” with my six-year-old son over the past two evenings before bed.  He seemed to enjoy the the first half of the movie so I agreed to let him watch the second half with me tonight despite my knowing that there would be violence.

*Spoiler alert* Please skip to the next paragraph if you haven’t seen Avatar and you intend to!  During the final battle scene, when the Na’vi had finally turned the tides and the forest creatures joined in, my son was thrilled to see the “bad guys” get destroyed.  He gleefully shrieked when a pack of giant hammer-headed beasts crushed the mechanized warriors that had decimated the good guys just minutes before.  He absolutely loved seeing the “dragons” fling the flying warships into the cliffs.  He really had a great sense of who to root for, particularly against the evil forces.  In the past, my son had often rooted for the bad guys in various movies and shows, but not this time.  Amazingly, this is not the end of my story.

When the movie finished, it was time to head off to bed (an hour late because of the movie).  We laid down on his bed and talked a bit about the movie.  I was interested to hear his favorite parts as well as finding out if any of the violence had scared him or impacted him.  He told me his favorite part, which involved the “dragon”, and he said that he wasn’t scared or sad or anything, and then he got quiet for a minute.  I was about to ask him what the scariest part was when he said “Daddy, I don’t think they worshiped the same God we do.”  He meant the “good guys”, that they didn’t worship our God.  I was floored, so I probed a little deeper.  I said “You’re right, buddy (my heart is full at this point)… there was something/someone missing from the story, wasn’t there?”  He said “Yeah, they didn’t know Jesus.”  WOW!  He continued “They were worshiping, but they were worshiping the wrong thing.  I mean, they prayed and stuff, but they prayed to a tree or something.”  Then, as if I wasn’t already fully blown away, he concluded with this nugget of spiritual wisdom.  Mind you, this is ALL unprompted…  he said “How can a created (the tree) be THE Creator.  It just doesn’t make sense.”

I about fell off the bed.  I told him how right he was, how proud I was, and we immediately prayed, among other things, that the people that made the movie would meet the Jesus that we know and love.  I really think that he was praying with me in his heart and not just listening to his bedtime prayer before zonking out.  Even now, as I write this an hour later, I am still full of thankfulness to the Lord that captured my heart.  I am thankful that he is answering my prayers for my kids.  I trust that my kids will both be believers, and true warriors for the Kingdom of God.

One more thought before I wrap this up.  I’ve talked to lots of people about Avatar, even though I hadn’t seen it until yesterday.  I had heard from a source or two that there were bits of bad theology mixed into the movie, mainly pantheism.  So, I was prepared for it when I saw it, and I wasn’t surprised at all.  Most people I talked to about Avatar, though, made no notice of the theology and just enjoyed the movie.  Mind you, I enjoyed the movie, too.  Anyway, leave it to my six-year-old, as if he were a mature Christian, to solemnly point out that they weren’t worshiping the right God.  I find that highly ironic and totally amazing.

Nights like tonight are so gratifying, comforting, fulfilling, and all kinds of other words ending in ING.  I am just so happy that the Lord is taking hold of my kids’ hearts and that the time I spend telling them everything I know about the Creator of the universe is actually sinking in.  Wow… just wow!

News is spreading that, lately, Christians in Nigeria are being killed for upholding their beliefs.  Militant Muslims are demanding that these Christians should convert to Islam, and those that reject such a notion are being put to death.  Several pastors have been martyred, as have hundreds of others, including women and children.  Christians in Nigeria deserve our attention and especially our prayers in the face of such a horrible persecution.

In America, we’ve become very complacent with our religious freedom.  We are able to come and go from churches and other religious functions without any scorn, ridicule, torment, or bodily harm.  This is not the case throughout much of the world, especially overseas where Christianity is spreading the fastest these days.

If we choose to study church history, we may read about similar persecutions ever since the church was in its infancy in the first century.  There were scores of famous martyrs that witnessed to Jesus Christ as their lord and savior, only to pay the ultimate price for their testimony.  These stories of our brave and vigilant forefathers went a long way to assist in the spread of the gospel during the first few centuries after Jesus’s ascension.  A martyrdom, and to stand up for what we believe in the face of  death, is a powerful testimony.

My question is this: when faced with a similar scenario, would we American Christians make the same proclamation in the face of terminal adversity?  I would like to hope so, but I’m not so sure.  Something like 95% of Americans claim to be Christians, but I can’t imagine that number would hold up in the face of persecution.  Would would a realistic percentage be?  A better question is this: how many self-proclaimed Christians in America actually have a relationship with Jesus?  I wonder.

Jesus gave us the ultimate model of perfection as he endured shame and torture on the cross.  I sincerely hope that I’d be able to go to my death proclaiming the truth of Jesus Christ.  No matter what perils I might face, I hope to be able to hold fast and strong to my Lord.  I pray that it won’t come to that, but if it does, I trust that the Lord would see me through it.

I am a wooden spoon.  This has been confirmed numerous times.  What does that mean, you ask?

Several years ago, Jill and I were becoming regulars at our church.  We were attending the four-week new members class required to officially join the congregation.  It was then, during the first week if I recall correctly,  that I received the dubious title “wooden spoon”.

It was a simple thing, really.  The class facilitator posed the following icebreaker question: “Which kitchen appliance best defines you, and why?”

I love this sort of thing, and I could NEVER have given an ordinary answer.  It’s not in my nature to do so.

Of course, we go around the room and we hear some other answers.  Perhaps someone said “I’m a refrigerator because I like to keep everything cool” or “I would choose a microwave because I like to get things done in a hurry.”  Not me.  I like unusual.  I like to think outside the box.

I am a wooden spoon. Here’s why that’s my kitchen appliance of choice…

1. I definitely like to mix things up.  I’m always looking to break up the status quo.  I like to mingle with new people rather than isolate myself with my best friends.  I like to sit in different places at church or at other various meetings.   I am even known to take people (especially my wife) out of their comfort zon es to achieve this.
2. I am not very complicated, nor am I made up of lots of different parts.  I am the same person all the time, Mr. Consistent.  There should be no confusing which Jason you’re going to get.  I am the same person at home, at work, with friends, and at church.
3. I’m sturdy, and while I will eventually wear down, I am not easily broken.  Eventually the spoon will break (and I’ll go to be with the Lord), but I’m not going to fall apart (lose faith) until that day.
4. I’m original.  Really, who else would choose “wooden spoon” as their kitchen identity?  I’m not usually satisfied with following in anyone’s footsteps, save one extraordinary person, Jesus Christ.  Jesus liked to stir things up, and so do I.

So, which kitchen appliance are YOU?

I read something recently that suggested something like this “Speaking in public is one of the scariest things a person may do in his lifetime.”  Can you identify with that?  I’d have to agree.  I have very limited experience speaking in public, only a handful of opportunities really, and I can remember the sheer terror of every single one.

Needless to say, that phenomenon has crossed my mind once or twice as I think about what it might be like to be a pastor.  I’ve been really excited to perform nearly all of the duties typically required of a pastor, but the idea of me preaching a sermon has myself mystified.  My wife gets a kick out of the idea as well.

All at once I felt scared, excited, anxious, and eager to preach.  Thankfully, much of my fear and anxiety has been washed away after having read a book suggested to me by my pastor.  The book is Communicating for a Change by Andy Stanley and Lane Jones.

Even though I have never prepared or preached a sermon, I thought this book was great.  I devoured it in only a few days!

It includes a list of seven excellent principles suited for a sermon intended to promote life change in the listeners.  Apparently, that’s not always the intent of the preacher.  That baffles me.  According to the sources I’ve read, many preachers are satisfied if they are able to teach the Word of God.  They “leave the rest to the Holy Spirit”.  As the authors of the book put it, we’ve got to give the Holy Spirit something to work with!

Don’t get me wrong, I hope my future listeners are able to learn the Word of God from my sermons, but that won’t be my primary intent.  As with all other things I do as a servant of Jesus, I want people to develop and strengthen their relationships with the Lord.

I hope I never lose sight of that.

Last night my Christian small group began the Truth Project as our study for the summer.  If you haven’t heard of it, this series is a production of Focus on the Family, and it focuses on developing a Christian worldview.  It’s taught by bright and engaging guy named Del Tackett.  While I’ve  already been through the course once before, I’m excited to experience it again.

I can remember the passion and eagerness I felt after each and every video session the first time through.  I can remember wishing each time that the hour long lecture/video could somehow not end.  I remember how empowered each of us in the group felt as we were equipped with some new knowledge and perspective.  I remember clearly the feeling I had as my worldview was being transformed and solidified.

I’m excited to relive some of those feelings and to see others share the experience.  I’m looking forward to discussing the course particulars in a smaller setting.  I’m pleased that we’ll be able to pray amongst friends about the issues presented to us each week.

I know that the Lord has a plan and a message for each of us as we delve into the Truth Project… so cool!

Here’s a link to a teaser video if you’re curious what this series is all about…  The Truth Project

Tonight marked the end of our 10-week “seeker’s course” called Christianity Explored.  What started out as an idea to help get me involved in ministry, while reestablishing something that’s been missing at Bay Presbyterian Church for some years, had turned into a 10-week ministry on Wednesday nights from 6:30-8:30.  There were over 30 participants, 9 table leaders (including me and Jill), 5 cooks, and one pastor involved.  All this stemmed from a meeting with my pastor sometime late last year.  It’s pretty cool how the Lord uses us in His kingdom plans, and how the Holy Spirit works through us to execute those plans.

So, my wife and I were both table leaders for a small group, and we’re both pretty bummed that it’s over.  I think we have both invested quite a bit emotionally in these people that we’ve gotten to know.  Some of them are right on the brink of having a relationship with Jesus, and I’m so excited for them.  I’m just feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all right now, so I’m not sure how to process all these feelings.

On the other hand, we are excited about what the Lord has accomplished in and through us over the last 10 weeks.  After having read the feedback forms, clearly the course was a resounding success.  Our church had even decided to run the course this summer in several host homes, and again this coming fall in a class format.  Praise God!

I have one question… is this feeling of emotional investment likely a sampling of what a life of ministry will be like?  If so, I’ll embrace it with open arms, even though I know there will be disappointments along the way.  If I’m off base, is there any comparison that may be drawn?

So far, my understanding of ministry is that it will likely be an emotional roller coaster.  Perhaps it’ll be much like what I’m feeling right now… bittersweet.

By His gift of grace, the Lord has shown me what I believe to be the greatest challenge for those seeking to follow Jesus Christ.  Our greatest difficulties come in the form of “barriers”, essentially road blocks on the path to a relationship with our savior.

Looking back at my last few years of life, I can clearly see a progression of identifying and removing those barriers standing between me and and a healthy relationship with Jesus.  I can see now what a wreck of a person I was before I put my trust in the Lord.  That’s a hard thing to recognize.  It’s impossible, actually, without God’s grace.

Five years ago, I was an unrepentant sinner, plain and simple.  I was angry, neglectful, insincere, and selfish, among other things.  The worst part of it all is that I was honestly oblivious to these major flaws of mine.  I often blamed others for my shortcomings, and turned a blind eye to my own evil nature.  Oh sure, I believed in Jesus, but I wasn’t a follower of Jesus… a huge distinction needs to be made there.

In what seems like rapid succession, the Lord has systematically removed most of those barriers and has begun a process of regeneration in me.  I have opened my eyes to the rampant sin in my life, and I continually ask the Lord for forgiveness and assistance in overcoming the faults that used to rule my life.  By no means am I perfect, although the irony is that I used to think I was, in fact, perfect.  Only now, in my regenerate state, do I realize what a flawed human being I am.  I recognize the need for a truly flawless savior, and my eternal gratitude is owed to Jesus.

What a miraculous gift is God’s grace… so undeserved and wonderful.  Looking back on the course of events in my life, I realize that I contributed nothing to this process myself.  It wasn’t like I decided to change my life and acknowledge my sin all of a sudden.  This was totally the Lord’s work done in me.  This is a difficult thing to understand, I know.  I try to explain to some folks that are curious how things turned around so dramatically in my life, how those barriers were removed.  I see now that only grace is the answer.  Praise God!

You might hear the word “pray” a lot.  It gets used liberally in regular conversation, probably more than any other spiritual word.  It seems to be less taboo than other religion-related words, doesn’t it?  Lots of people I know, including self-proclaimed atheists, claim to pray at least occasionally.  How can that be?

First of all, I think that the word “prayer” has taken on more meaning than it should.    What some people call praying, I call meditating.  Their prayer time consists of establishing inner focus, relaxation, and self-awareness.  Sure, I could see that definitely being useful to relieve stress and settle nerves.  But that’s not prayer… not to me.

Still other people do pray to their God, but the prayers seem very benign to me.  They often say the same prayer as part of a routine, perhaps at bed time.  That was me for much of my life, in fact.

Another large contingent prays regularly, but their prayers are typically requests to fix their problems and that’s it.  Sometimes I believe it’s appropriate to ask God to help fix our problems, but I think we need to pray a bit more dynamically than that.

Prayer for me has taken on a whole new meaning in the past couple years, and during the same time period I feel like my relationship with Jesus has grown by leaps and bounds.  It’s no coincidence.  Let me explain what prayer means to me now.

Before I go there, let me tell you a little story.  A little over a year ago, my wife and I were going through a bit of a hard time and we rightly decided to turn to the Lord and our church to help us solve the problem.  (I’d like to acknowledge that the Holy Spirit was responsible for this, not our superior intellects).  In the process, we decided to sign up for our church-sponsored small group program.  It was a six week commitment to last through the Lent season.  As we signed up, not knowing much more about it than what I just told you, I said to my wife “I sure hope we don’t have to pray out loud!”  What a joke that turned out to be!  The name of the study we were to use was “When God’s People Pray”.  Yes, I had to pray out loud on the very first night!  Ever since then, I’ve realized that God has plans for me.  Of course, I believe it was no coincidence, and I was destined to be a part of that prayer study.  I had to get over that fear of praying out loud, and I did it.  Fast.  God doth have a sense of humor, but more importantly, he has a plan.

God’s plan for me has been a process of removing the barriers that prevented me from having a close and personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  Slowly but steadily, those barriers have been eliminated in my life.  My poor/ineffective prayer habit was one of the most important ones to overcome.

Now, prayer for me fosters a relationship with Jesus.  I pray much more often, but not on a routine.  Prayer has become somewhat of an ongoing conversation, at random points in the day.  As God reveals His creation and His presence to me, I acknowledge it by saying a prayer of thanksgiving or praise.  As I realize when I’ve committed a sin, I ask the Lord for forgiveness and for the strength to overcome my weakness or propensity to that specific sin.  As I encounter a person in need, or if I have an immediate concern myself, I pray it right away.  Sometimes my prayers are long and elaborate (though not fancy like you hear from TV evangelists), and other times my prayers are short, sweet, and to the point.  I’ve become comfortable asking God for specific things (like guidance), and I’ve even been known to ask God questions.  When I ask God for signs or advice, I often ask for Him to be obvious about it, in a way that I can’t confuse His providence with my own reasoning.

The most amazing part of this change in my prayer life is that God answers my prayers!  His answers aren’t usually what I expect, but they almost always address my problem, concern, or question directly and intentionally.  As I become more convinced that my prayers will be answered, God is more faithful in answering my prayers.  Weird, huh?

Again, though, he does things His way, not mine.  That’s fine by me, because I’ve learned that my way is lousy and flawed, and His way is perfect and beautiful.

I implore you to pray.  If you already pray often, try praying a little differently or more often.  Give it a try.  What have you got to lose?  For me, it’s been the most important and profound change in my life.

I’ve heard the question a number of times, and I’ve even asked it myself previously:  Why is a cross the symbol of Christianity?

Let’s be honest here.  The cross is a symbol for Jesus’s death.  It is a reminder that Christ died for our sins.  It is also an image of the immeasurable sacrifice that God made as he sent His only begotten son to die a horrible death.

In order to appreciate Christ’s death on the cross, we need to recognize that we are indeed sinful by nature and completely unable to redeem ourselves for those sins.  Let’s take those points one at a time.

First, sin is part of who we are as fallen human beings.  Do you know anybody that isn’t sinful?  Let’s set aside the Ten Commandments for a moment and look at things more practically.  Do you ever succomb to pride, greed, jealousy, laziness, overindulgence, wrath, or lust?  I know I have.  Over and over again throughout my life I’ve been guilty of these sins.  Who’s hasn’t?  Be honest with yourself and you’ll see.

Next, I guess I should acknowledge that we need have a desire to be saved.  Knowing that we’re sinful by nature doesn’t necessarily mean that we want to do something about it.  There are people I know that just don’t want to let go of their lifestyle.  Others believe that God doesn’t exist or that He isn’t interested in us in any personal way.

Finally, we need to recognize that we can’t save ourselves from our sinful nature.  Paul addresses this in his letter to the church in Ephesus…

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  –Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV)

We can’t do anything pleasing enough in God’s eye to be worthy of His forgiveness.  God’s grace is a gift, one that we don’t deserve.

Only by acknowledging these three points do we begin to recognize the enormous significance of the cross.  Jesus paid our debt so that we may have life; but we have to believe!

The title of this post, and our call to action as Christians,  is to “take up your cross” and follow Jesus.  Following Jesus entails a life of sacrifice.  As Jesus stressed, we must honor the Lord and love our neighbors as ourselves.  Serving God and serving others means NOT serving ourselves.  Not serving ourselves is sacrifice.  To “take up your cross” is to endaevour to be more like Christ in all aspects, especially his own self-sacrifice.  That quality, above all others, is what separates Christians apart.

Let us make every effort to understand the meaning of taking up our crosses to to live it out in our lives.  Amen.

As I delve deeper and deeper into my understanding of God, I’ve run into more and more theology.  Lately, I often find myself reading articles, essays, and books that are thick with theology.  It seems like the Bible has been examined from a billion perspectives, for equally as many reasons, and is thus explained in a similar number of ways.

Why is it so complicated to understand the God? Does one need to be a scholar to truly understand our creator?

Actually, I contend not.  At least, it shouldn’t have to be that way.  Thankfully, we have the Bible itself, the Word of God, the ultimate authority on which we can rely.  Especially with our modern English translations (thank you ESV), we are able to understand the Bible with little to no supplemental material.  Any extra information we may learn, such as that which provides more contextual awareness, can only strengthen our understanding.

But what of the practical application of the Bible?  How are we to understand how to apply the Bible to our every day lives, nearly 2000 years after it was written?  Can theology really be practical?

Indeed, it is necessary to actually read the Bible in order to understand it…  repeatedly, in fact, and regularly.  We can read all the commentaries we like, but ultimately, we need to establish a framework upon which we can draw our own theological conclusions.

That is not to say that we should disregard others’ theological summaries.  I’m a firm believer in not “reinventing the wheel”.  If someone else has something meaningful to say, let’s hear it!  Chances are good that somewhere, at some time, someone has expressed a greater understanding of God’s Word than I ever will.

My only concern is that somehow, this gap has formed between true believers and those seeking the Truth.  Many folks want deeply to know and understand Jesus, but are somehow sidetracked or misguided.  Often, I believe this is a result of a shallow understanding of the Bible.

Early on in my walk of faith, that was truly the case.  I quite literally had dismissed most of the Old Testament as fantasy, simply because I didn’t understand it (and hadn’t read it).  Only after deliberate and careful examination of the scriptures have I come to realize that the Bible, in its entirety, is the true story of the kingdom of God.

I’d like to find a way to bridge this gap.  I’d like there to be a way to reach out to “seekers” and unbelievers in general, so that we could just show them the Truth in a practical way.  I’d be great to be able to answer their practical questions without a long, drawn out diatribe.  Jesus was able to connect with his audiences in an amazing way, using “word pictures” to deliver his messages.  I believe that’s the model to which we should aspire.  I’d like there to be a way to share with people all of the excellent essays and articles I’ve read without pummeling them with theological jargon… like Jesus did!  I guess I would define what we need as “modern parables”.