About You, or About God?

Do you read the Bible regularly? Do you find it interesting, or do you do it because you think you are supposed to? I have found that many people read the Bible to see what it says to them or about how they should act. When they read it in that context, most of the Bible doesn't apply to them. The result many times is that most of the Bible remains unread. Either the person loses interest in daily Bible reading, or he just stays with the parts that apply to him. In either case, the individual is missing out on the great living and active power of the Bible.
If we read the Bible to see what it says about God, then every word is applicable. Even the long geneologies and all of the details about measurements and ceremonies speak about God's personality and His love for us. As we learn more about the nature of God, we learn how we as individuals should live. Rather than looking for a snippet of scripture that speaks directly to our situations, we look into the entire body of scripture to find the consistent themes that run through both the Old Testament and the New about God's desires for us and His relationship to us. Then when someone comes to us with some teaching or doctrine, we can weigh it against the whole counsel of God instead of relying on a verse or two that may be taken out of context. And we will not be "carried away by every wind of doctrine".
Read the Bible to see what it says about God instead of what it says to you. You'll never get tired of doing that. And it will speak to you.

Getting Close!

I'm getting down to the last couple of weeks until my Peru adventure. Last Saturday I made the walk around the lake and during the last three miles the ends of my toes started hurting. When I got home my toes were really sore to the touch. I decided that my boots must be just a little too small, so I bought a new pair. With a new pair comes a new break-in period, so I am wearing the new boots most of the time. So far, so good. My goal is to do the 10 mile walk around the lake at least 5 more times before we leave. I haven't lost as much weight as I wanted to, but I feel pretty good. I know I will be huffing and puffing at the high altitudes, but I plan to keep a positive attitude through it all. I did have a moment of panic a few days ago. I began to wonder if there would be coffee at breakfast on the trail. I don't want to go through caffeine withdrawl at the same time I am battling the altitude, so I e-mailed the outfitter. He said there "should be", and I thought, "Of course, there should be. My question is Will there be?" So, I plan to bring an emergency supply of instant (gag) coffee just in case. After my oilfield years, I no longer get a buzz from coffee. It is just a matter of not letting my caffeine level drop.

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to the trip. Don't hate me because I have excellent adventures.

Succor or Sucker?

Succor is a word that is not used much these days. It means relief, aid, or assistance. In the hours following last Sunday night's hailstorm my neighborhood was inundated with companies who professed to offer succor. They all promised to be my best friend, my advocate, and the repairer of my home. I couldn't help but wonder about some of them. I wondered if they were at my door to give succor, or were they there looking for a sucker? I prefer to give my repair work to someone I already know and have a level of trust with.

We should not think it strange when we meet someone who is skeptical when we make the offer of salvation. If we just show up offering a best friend, an advocate and the repairer of their lives, they may wonder if we are offering succor, or looking for a sucker. That is why preachers constantly hammer on the topic of relationships. When someone reaches a spiritual crisis moment, they are most likely to turn to someone they can trust to give succor. A stranger might just be looking for a sucker.

No Problems

This morning I had breakfast with a pastor friend of mine. We were commiserating about the same things pastors always talk about at some point: We have good people but would like to have more.
We could do more ministry with more money.
We love our buildings but they sure can be trouble some times.
God is faithful despite our own shortcomings.

My friend showed me an article in this morning's newspaper about a state budget agreement that addresses a projected $1.6 billion deficit. He said, "I guess we don't really have any problems, do we?"

Are You Willing?

I don't know how many of you know who Francis Chan is but he pastors a significant church in California. This Sunday he announced to his church that he feels God has led him to resign and go in a different direction. There is no moral failing, no unrest in the church. As a matter of fact, things were moving along extremely well, but God called him in a different direction. He said that he would have been a hypocrite if he had ignored God's call and remained doing what was easy and effective.

A few years ago, Earl Creps left a life of influence and impact as a leader in the AGTS (Assemblies of God Theological Seminary) and took a US Missions assignment to plant a church in Berkeley, California. He and his wife sold their comfortable house in Missouri and moved to a market where houses are insanely expensive and are following the call of God in their late 50's.

If God were to ask me to leave the comfort of Highpointe and do something completely different, would I do it? Would you? It depends on if we really believe what we say about God.

One Person's Impact

Thursday evening Carole and I attended a reception for a good friend of ours, Matt Wilkie. We met Matt through Book of Hope (now One Hope) several years ago and I have been on a number of trips in several countries with him. Matt currently heads up the intern program for Convoy of Hope and takes these young people to incredible places where they do personal evangelism and compassion ministry. My mind boggled as I thought of the impact this one young man has had for the Kingdom because he was willing to be used. There is no counting this side of Heaven to know how many people have received the Good News, how many people have been helped in practical ways, and how many people on teams he has led now have a greater understanding of the worldwide scope of God's love for His creation through Matt's availability.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Only a living God can cause an otherwise normal person to pour out his life on behalf of others like God is doing through Matt Wilkie. You go, God!

Oilfield Savior

Back in my oilfield days I did directional drilling. I had the knowledge and equipment to make a wellbore go in any direction and direct it to a target thousands of feet below the surface. I was involved in doing that on hundreds, if not thousands of wells during the 20+ years I worked in that business. I certified the legal bottomhole location of those wells without ever actually being at the bottom of even one of them to see if it was actually where I said it was.
I used to tell people that what I sold was faith. When I certified a result, it was not based on my actual visit to the bottom of the well; it was based on our industry proven methodology, the known accuracy of the instruments as they underwent calibration on the surface, and the best practices of the drilling operation. In other words, I could describe what we did. You had to believe that what we did actually acheived the results we certified. By being consistent and transparent in the way we did things we earned the trust of our customers.
Leading people to Christ is much the same way. I can tell them what the Bible says. I can give them instruction. But there is a point when each person has to believe that what the Bible says is true. That point where each person believes that by saying out loud that Jesus is Lord and believing in the depths of your heart that Jesus is the resurrected Savior is enough to receive complete forgiveness from sin. I can't take someone to that place in my heart where the evidence resides. I can only make sure that my life lines up with my words and that I am consistently and transparently living what I say I believe.

Thanks, Pointe Men!

Wow, the Pointe Men work day at HIghpointe was a great success! We had over thirty men, many with their sons, come to have breakfast and then work on the church facility. I saw young men working with older men who they might not have known prior. I saw guys using their vocational skills to help the work, and I saw men working far out of their normal area of expertise. As a result we got much more done today than I thought was possible. I am continually blessed and amazed at what is going on at Highpointe. Thanks, Pointe Men, for a great day of work for your church!

Pointe Men stuff

This Saturday we will be having a Pointe Men breakfast and work day here at Highpointe. Guys who show up at 9am will be treated to a hot, high cholesterol breakfast. Then we will work for a while. Some will help Nelson Alfaro change the light bulbs in the parking lot so they will all be working again. Some will help Michael Weed put in a door and frame up a wall for a new closet. If there are any men left, I have several things around the church which could use some attention, none of which will require much skill or specialized tools. Donovan Dufrene, our new Pointe Men director (Yay for Donovan!!!) will be officially installed in his new position at this event.

We are really blessed to have many guys like Nelson, Michael, and Donovan attending Highpointe. Even if you can't stay and work you should come to the breakfast and enjoy being around some of the best guys around!

Average is okay

I have always thought of myself as being adequate at many things. I often joke about eating being the only thing I do really well. But I don't stress over that too much because since I am willing to use my adequateness in many situations, I get to do a lot of different things, and since I do a lot of things, people think that I am above average.
By the very definition of the word, most of us are average. But many average people do many spectacular things every day. Very few extraordinary people do roofing, but a well installed roof will protect a house and its occupants for years. What goes wrong with average people is that we judge ourselves against the above average people we see. If we allow our comparison to the above average people to keep us from participating, we will miss out on a lot of experiences. I will always be a high handicap golfer. But just because I can't play at the level of the guys I see on television on Sunday afternoon, it doesn't mean that I can't enjoy playing golf.
Here is how us average people can become above average: Since the average person allows his averageness to keep him from participating in something that he is average at, participate. Just get involved. That alone will move you out of the average ranks into the above average ranks.
Stop using the thought that you aren't exceptional to keep you from doing something you want to do. By overcoming that average tendency, you will become exceptional. You don't have to be the best. You just have to give your best.

My Brief Running Career

Early Sunday morning I got up and headed downtown to participate in the Memorial Marathon Relay. As I have been fond of saying recently, I don't enjoy running, but I entered at the request of my daughter, Elizabeth. She put together a team and asked it I would participate. I had two stipulations: I had to run one of the shorter legs of the relay and I had to be finished with my leg in time to go to church.

I ended up running the second leg which is 5k (3.1 miles). The runner of the first leg made excellent time and I received the microchip (not the baton) at 7:20. There was a large crowd at the transfer point and it was kind of funny for them to be cheering for me as I headed into the mass of runners. All along the way people were in their yards as I started running. They were cheering, encouraging and offering high fives. At one place they were handing out cups of Powerade. My mouth and throat were dry from all of the panting I was doing so I grabbed a cup. I have seen marathoners on TV who take a drink and throw the cup aside. I got some of it in my mouth as I attemped to drink while running, but most of it went down my chin. I tossed the cup aside. It felt cool to "litter legally". Then I saw the trash cans. I'm not all that. I should have thrown it away properly.

Thirty six minutes after I began I came to the transport point where I handed the microchip to the next runner. My part was over. I collected my medal, grabbed a bottle of water and headed to the place where the shuttle bus was to take me back downtown so I could get back to my car. There weren't enough buses, so I waited two hours to get on a bus. When a bus would appear, the hundreds of runners who, like me, had just finished their segment, would crowd toward the door. All of the encouragement, cheering and high-fiving was over. It was now every man for himself.

I finished running a few minuted before 8. I got home at 10:30. The morning worship service starts at 10:30. I dashed into the house, changed clothes without showering and headed for church. I got there at 10:50.

I'm glad I did it, but it didn't wake a new passion for running in me. I'm pretty sure I won't do it again, but who knows?

The Church that didn't change has changed

My dad lives in the house I grew up in. We moved in in 1959. It was a pretty new neighborhood then. Just up the street from that house a church was built. It must have been around 1962 or 63 because I remember when the foundation was being dug, there was a large hole in the ground and all the kids in the neighborhood played in that hole for a day or two. When finished, it was an attractive and modern looking building. It wasn't our brand of church, so we never visited there. A boy I went to grade school with was the son of the founding pastor. I have never been inside of the building, but I have ridden bicycles and minibikes for miles and miles on its parking lot. That building is one of the constants in the neighborhood. It always looked the same. The only changes were a new pastor's name when the founding pastor died, and sometime in the late 80's a rock garden was put on what was formerly a flower garden.

Now when I drive by it on my regular visits with Dad, I see a tired old building that is in disrepair. The fascia boards are rotted and falling off in places. The rock garden is filled with weeds. It doesn't look attractive and modern any more. It is depressing to me, because I remember when it was built. It's younger than I am. Buildings are supposed to last longer than that. As I said before, I have never set foot in the place but I can tell you its story by what I have seen over the years.

The church was built in the early 60's by a group of people who saw the need for a church in the neighborhood. Vision was cast, pledges were made, money was raised, and a building was built. With great excitement the folks began worshipping together. Their kids grew up and attended functions. They had lifelong friends at the church and they loved meeting together. They liked the way things were and never changed a thing. When their kids grew up, however, they didn't stay in the neighborhood or the church. They moved on. The original members, in their twenties and thirties back in 1962, are now in their seventies and eighties. Many have died off or moved into assisted living centers in another neighborhood. Attendance declined and finances dwindled. Now there are not enough people in the church to maintain the facilities, much less to upgrade them. And now a building, lacking maintenance, is deteriorating rapidly. Because they didn't change, the building is changing in a way that reflects what is going on inside.

I can tell you with certainty that not everyone in that neighborhood is going to a church. There is still a need for a gospel presence there, but the vision is not there. Vision was replaced with comfort and the enjoyment of long-time friends instead of building the Kingdom.

I am grateful that I don't see that kind of future for Highpointe. Our seniors are wonderful people who realize the need to "give the church" to the next generation. Our middle aged folks continue their financial and spiritual support of current vision. Our young people are passionate and gifted in ways that astound me. As we again begin to grow in excitement and numbers, our facility will reflect it. We are already talking years ahead about ideas to keep the outside appearance of our facility as an accurate representation of the spiritual heart which is beating inside. Stay encouraged and excited. Great days are ahead!