Simply Real

Let me start by saying "you're welcome" to my mom who requested I change the colour of my background so it would show up better when she printed out my posts.

Now on to other items.

I grew up in the church. Sunday School as a kid, Youth Groups as a teenager and eventually graduating into "big church." The bible was a central part of my upbringing. But to be honest I often struggled reading the bible, even as an older teen and into my early 20's. I was drawn to stories I had heard my whole life because I felt like I understood them but the rest of the bible, (which I discovered there was a lot I missing) I couldn't quite wrap my head around.  Then one day, as I was struggling to read and "get something" out of a passage I hadn't really focused on before, I had what's referred to as an "ah-ha" moment. It's going to sound stupid but it was an epiphany for me.

The Bible is real.  

That was my moment.  I told you it would sound stupid.  But it was ground-breaking for me. I always believed the Bible was true. I believed it was the written word of God.  But the realization that the events contained within these pages had actually taken place was mind-blowing to me.

I suddenly found myself in the crowd as Jesus performed miracles and said some pretty radical things. I began forming mental pictures of the walls of Jericho falling...except for where Rahab's house was built.  I began imagining what it would be like to watch Lazarus walk out of the grave still wrapped in his burial clothes and then look around as some people still didn't believe. These weren't fables and myths. I began to understand that the life and faith these people showed wasn't unattainable. In fact, the more I realized these stories were real, the more human the characters became. In reality, they struggled just like I struggle. They were flawed just like I'm flawed. The difference is that we are seeing their struggle and how they pushed through without always hearing the inner dialogue expressing their fear and doubt. But when you look at their actions and reactions and you put yourself in their shoes, it becomes obvious that they aren't much different than me and you.

This may not be super profound to some of you because you have already grasped this truth. If that's you, than all I'll say is thank God and never lose the wonder of that truth. But maybe there are some of you that struggle in reading the Bible. Maybe you know the Bible is true but you're just not getting the point. Let me suggest something. The next time you read, stop and ask this question:

"What if this happened to me?" 

Think about it. What if you were at a church service and it seemed like it was never going to end. (That may not be too hard for some of you to imagine.) You're hungry. You're wondering if this long-winded preacher is ever going to be quiet and dismiss before the grocery store closes. Suddenly, you see his staff members on stage talking to him and you're like; "Finally, someone is telling him to stop." Instead, they wave a kid with a lunch box over and you see them take out some bread and a couple packs of tuna. The kids lunch. The preacher prays over it, then turns and hands it to his staff who start passing it out. You're thinking, "I knew I should have sat at the front. There's no way, it's going to make it back here." But they keep passing and they keep walking and soon the food makes it to you. Not only do you get fed but it wasn't a snack size portion, you feel full. You look to the back and the staff is trying to figure out what to do with all the leftovers.

It's easy to look at this familiar story and think, well that was Jesus so it's a completely different situation. But this is where our thinking is off.  Jesus had just started His ministry. He hadn't died and rose again and these people weren't "Christians" yet. Most of them weren't sure yet if this was really the Messiah, the one that had been prophesied about.  But we tend to read the bible and think that everyone in that time had the same perspective that we have today. But we need to remember the Bible wasn't written yet. There were people from his hometown that were hung up on the fact that they watched Jesus grow up. The history we read today was in the process of happening. They didn't have the benefit of reading ahead to see what was coming, they had to truly walk it out in faith.  I know in my life, this realization made a profound impact on how I read the Bible.

So what's my point? I want the Bible to come alive for each and every one of you. So let me finish by challenging you to begin to read the Bible in a new way. Allow yourself to become a part of the story After all, the Bible is as much about your life today as it was about the lives of God's people then. Put yourself in the crowds that watched Jesus perform miracles. Imagine what it would be like to eat the same food and wear the same clothes for 40 years. Question for a moment if you could have the faith to not bow down to a statue when faced with a fiery furnace. Close your eyes and put yourself in the jail cell with Paul as he writes those letters to the Christians of that day who were also facing imprisonment and death. Paul wrote some powerful words that become more powerful when you look through his eyes and see the jailer on the other side of the cell door. In a situation that would have made it easier to walk away from his new found faith, he instead encourages the church, both then and now, to live a life of faith. As you picture the conditions of Paul's imprisonment, read the words again from Ephesians 6:12

"Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God." (NLT)

I challenge you, dust off the Bible and begin to read it again for the first time. With new eyes, with new questions, with a new perspective and I pray God reveals new truths for you everyday.

Life is hard sometimes

Life is hard sometimes.

I know I'm not supposed to admit that since I'm a Christian and a Pastor. But seriously, life can be rough. I think that's why I don't like when people try to make it sound like once you become a follower of Jesus that everything will be perfect. Whenever it rains, the clouds will part and there will be a beam of sunshine on you. Because let's face it, all of us need a little rain in our lives now and then. It's part of how we grow. When approached with the right perspective, these stormy periods in our lives can reveal things about God we would never have seen otherwise. I wanted to share some things I've learned about the storms in my life.

So here's 5 things I've come to understand about these times in my life.

1. Storms don't mean you are outside the plan of God.

Mark 4:35-41 is the story of Jesus calming the wind and the waves. It's pretty obvious when you read the story that the disciples got freaked out when that storm came up and started rocking their boat. 

But verse 35 says, "when evening had come, He said to them, 'Let us cross over to the other side.'"

Who's idea was it to get in the boat and go out on the water? Jesus. They were just doing what they were told to do and next thing you know they are scared out of their minds while Jesus was sound asleep.  Too often we assume that when bad things happen in our lives, God is punishing us. While there are consequences to the choices we make in our lives, sometimes you can be smack in the middle of God's plan for your life and still face scary circumstances. Maybe it's not life or death but maybe it's financial, maybe it's health, maybe it's a strained relationship. Whatever the case, remember storms don't always mean you're doing something wrong. Step back and review the path that got you there and if you can honestly say you're in the will of God, then remember this next point.

2. Bad things happen in a broken world.

³⁷  And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.

Many of the disciples were fishermen by trade. They were comfortable on the water. Why is that important in this story? Because I think it shows that these guys didn't set out in bad weather. The geography of the Sea of Galilee makes it susceptible to sudden storms. This was a natural event. Sometimes we too are simply victims of the environment we live in. We live in a broken world. Broken because of sin that was not a part of God's original plan. He never intended sickness, disease, death, shame, hate, violence, emotional and mental trauma. Romans 1:28-31 tells us that bad things happen in this world not because of a vengeful God but as a result of a broken people refusing a loving God.

3. When you feel like giving up, wake up instead.

The disciples panicked at first and then when things seemed at their worst, they remembered that Jesus was in the boat with them, they just had to wake Him up. When we go through difficult times, it's easy to get angry at God and blame Him for all our problems or not doing enough to help us. It's in those moments when you feel like giving up that we instead need to realize that Jesus never left the boat, He's right there with us. We need to awaken His power in our lives to get us through.  Our thoughts and emotions can be our own worst enemies. Read Psalm 73 and see if you relate to the words of David at all. After admitting that he was "almost gone" he came to the realization that life wasn't unfair but that his "heart was bitter and I was all torn up inside." 

4. Jesus is revealed in the Storm.

I love the last part of this story in Mark 4. Jesus wakes up speaks to the wind and waves and calms everything down. Then He turns to the disciples and is like, "what's wrong with you guys? Settle down." Their response is "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!" They had watched Him do amazing miracles before but this was a whole new level of power revealed when they saw Him command even the elements of nature.  What do you need to see God do in your life? There is no storm that Jesus can't speak to in your lives. Allow Him to speak to your storm and reveal His full power in your life.

5. Don't just SURVIVE but THRIVE 

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

This verse is quoted a lot by those of us in the Christian faith as a proclaimation of hope. And it is, but have you ever read the context of this verse? It's part of a letter Jeremiah wrote to those who were in CAPTIVITY in Babylon. Yeah, captivity. Where's the future and hope in that? Well go back and read the beginning of the chapter and what you'll see is that God was telling the people to build homes, plant gardens, get married, have kids so they will give you grandkids.  He was telling them to live their lives and not only that but to live their lives well.  He was telling them not just to survive their time in captivity but to actually THRIVE while they were there. He was saying, "sure it doesn't look good right now but I have a plan for you so don't give up." How often have you felt like just shutting down in life? Or maybe just laying low until the "storm" passes by? God says, live your life and know He has a plan for you that doesn't end in disaster.

A.W. Tozer said a "low view of God is the cause of a hundred lesser evils but a person with a high view of God is relieved of 10,000 temporal problems."  In other words, the worst of our problems are not always the circumstances but our perception of the problems. When we have a "low view" of God we lower the power of God down to the level of our biggest problem. Our problems seem really big because our God seems really small. When we have a "high view" of God, we lower our problems to the level of God's greater power.

Life is hard sometimes....true. But God is greater than any storm. He's bigger than our circumstances and He doesn't just want us to survive our storms but THRIVE in the midst of them. Don't give up, don't shut down, don't get angry. Instead, seek God during those imperfect times and allow Him to reveal His power to you in ways you never thought possible. 

Issues are not the Issue

I'm not going to start with a funny anecdote that leads to a point today. And anyone that knows me knows I'm not really one for confrontation and debates. To be honest I feel like there are better things I can do with my time since most of the time no one's mind really gets changed. But in recent days (okay maybe weeks or months) I've felt overwhelmed by the amount of confrontational debates taking place in the news, social media and coffee shops.  Everyone, it seems, hates someone.  Of course I know "hate" is probably a strong word but I'm taking the biblical definition of "love less."  It seems there is a epidemic of people that are loving people less than they should. Whether it's the poor woman who shares her personal conviction about yoga pants or the newest fear mongering taking place about terrorists. And of course let's not forget about anyone that has the audacity to to get involved in politics. I'm not saying it's wrong to have an opinion or to be concerned about social injustices around the world or in our backyard. It's just that it seems like someone is making a killing on soapboxes somewhere because everyone seems to have at least one. They are demanding that everyone pay attention to their cause and God have mercy on your soul if you don't throw every ounce of your being behind it.

I know you are probably thinking, "How can you compare yoga pants to what ISIS is doing?  How is thousands of people dying at the hands of a dictator compared to the outrage of Christian women flocking to see '50 Shades of Grey.'"  I'm not trying to compare them. I'm not saying they are on an equal playing field in any way whatsoever.  What I am saying is that they are all issues. And arguing about issues, or climbing on your soapbox to condemn people for not supporting your issue is not solving anything.  It never will.

Issues are not the issue...Hearts are the issue.

It occurred to me a while ago as I was talking with some people who were upset at a decision the government was making.  I'll admit, it's an issue that I felt very passionate about as well but I can't say I was irate or even that I blamed the person spearheading the campaign.  How can I when I live in a democracy where people vote on their leaders.  All it shows is the heart of the country. Whether you voted for the people in power or not, these leaders represented the majority of voices in our countries.  Agreed, it's not your voice but it's the majority.  So what should we take away from this realization? I think we need to remember that we live in a broken world that is in need of a Saviour. Our role is not to convince people to think like us by degrading them, calling them names, condemning them to hell or making them feel like less than a person.  We have a responsibility as Christians to point people to Jesus. Because issues are not the issue, hearts are the issue and only Jesus can change hearts.

So how do we do that without screaming at people verbally or in all BOLD CAPS? I think we need to revisit what it means to be a Christian.  At it's core it simply means to be Christ-like.  If we can embrace this one simple truth and apply it to every part of our lives, the church may actually become effective at changing the world again.  Because right now I think we are losing some credibility. To make this effort easier for us God gave us a really good line of reference.  He sent His Son Jesus to come into this world to walk a mile in our shoes. To go through life and deal with people. To deal with, what could be at times, a corrupt government system. To deal with the overly religious, legalistic church leaders. He faced off with the hypocrites. He got his hands dirty with the sinners and people who were broken and hurting.  Everything we have been called to do as His church.  There is no reason for us to try to reinvent the wheel on how to handle the "issues" in today's world. It's right there in the Bible and the one that we are instructed to imitate lived it out for us.  Jesus didn't shy away from the issues in society but instead faced them head on and got to the core of what was causing the problem...the heart.

So please hear me...I'm not saying we should lay down and let the world walk all over us. I'm not saying we should accept or condone actions that go against God's Word. I'm saying, we need to realize that "we wrestle not against flesh and blood".  People aren't the problem, issues are not the problem, sin is the problem. Sin is not overcome by yelling, picketing, blasting people on social media, sarcastic or hate filled speech about why we are so much better than the rest of the world. Stand up for what the Bible says, but do it in such a way that people feel loved. Sin is overcome by the same love that carried Jesus to the cross.  I get it, we don't want to be "wimpy Christians" but did Jesus allow himself to be nailed to the cross because he wasn't strong enough to stop it? Did he remain quiet during His trial because He didn't know His rights? Did He allow Himself to be whipped because He wasn't bold enough to speak against what was happening? He was tortured and died because the only way to overcome sin was and is love.  "Greater love has no man than he would lay down his life for another." Love is death. Death to self, Death to comfort. Death to your will. Death to your understanding. Death to pride.

I'm getting off my soapbox now. There are probably some that read this and totally disagree with me. I'm okay with that. In the end I'm just saying stop before you tell the next joke about that politician. Think before you post that next status about other religious groups. Pray before you condemn those people who live differently than you. Read what God says before you demand those people go back where they came from. Remember, attacking issues changes nothing. Loving hearts changes everything.

Should I Fast?

We started a new topic this month at our church and we're talking about "Losing My Religion." There are a lot of things that I think people, both believers and non-believers alike, can misunderstand about some of the things in the Bible.  My hope over the next few weeks is to shed light on some of these issues. So to be warned, if you were at church Sunday then you've already heard what I'm talking about here but I wanted to share it anyway.  The first topic we are hitting is about Prayer & Fasting. I know a lot of churches, ours included, will be starting this year out with 21 days of Prayer & Fasting. To be honest this practice was something I saw demonstrated by my father growing up but not really something I heard talked about a whole lot. I studied it on my own in my 20's and started implementing it in my personal walk. It wasn't until I joined a church staff about 7 years ago that I ever participated in a "corporate" or church wide time of Prayer & Fasting.  It has had a profound impact on my life. This year I find myself in the position of Lead Pastor at a church and wanting desperately for our people to take part in this act of seeking God to begin their year. The more I thought about how to present it to people though, the more I realized the challenge of leading people to understand the difference between taking part in these 21 days as a "relational" act instead of a "religious" act. As you read the bible and study the act of fasting from the Old Testament to the New Testament you see how this act of humbleness before God preceded some of the greatest acts of God. It also outlines the detriment of participating in a "religious" fast versus a fast implemented from a desire for more of God.  I had so much content I decided to take it easy on my church and only focus on the side of "should I fast" this week and approach the right and wrong attitudes of fasting next week.  So here is a glimpse into how I answer the question..."Should I fast?"

What is fasting?
I think the best way to answer that is to explain first what it is not. Fasting is not simply going without food for a period of time. That's called dieting or perhaps starving yourself.  There are a number of people that "fast" for health reasons and there are actually health benefits that come with fasting. But if you are simply going without food and not coupling it with seeking God, then you are just dieting.  It's not giving up a habit. I've heard people say they are going to give up TV, Social Media and other things for their 21 day fast. While that's probably a good idea to rid yourself of those distractions, make no mistake that's not fasting. The purpose of a fast is to refrain from food or particular foods for a period of time for the purpose of seeking God at a deeper level. Fasting stirs a hunger in your spirit that goes deeper than the temporary hunger you experience in your flesh. And when you hunger for God, He will fill you.  Throughout the Bible the idea of our desire for God is compared to a desire for food or water. I think that's what Jesus meant when He made this statement in the Beatitudes:

Matthew 5:6 (NKJV) - ⁶  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. 

Where is fasting in the Bible?
In order to ensure that this practice is still viable for our lives today and not just some religious act then we definitely need to see what the Bible says about fasting. This will also show us outcomes of fasting and hopefully show I'm not just some crazy religious nut job.  There are too many examples to speak about here but let me hit some highlights.  In Exodus 34 Moses spent 40 days on a mountaintop in the presence of God while fasting.  The results, among other things, were him returning with the 10 Commandments and his face shining so bright with the glory of God that the people were in awe.  In the book of Esther, a Jewish girl finds herself Queen. A man with the King's ear strikes out to have the Jews annihilated. Esther finds out and is in a position to do something about it but before she makes her move she calls the entire Jewish people to a 3 day fast to pray for God's favour. The result is God exposing the enemy and defending His people. 1 Samuel 1:7 talks about a broken Hannah desperately seeking God for a child. It says that she "wept and did not eat" while crying out to God and a short time later Samuel was born.  You'll find stories of fasting by Judah, Ezra, the city of Ninevah, Nehemiah, David and Anna.  The most significant example of fasting came from Jesus Himself.

Matthew 4:1-2 (NKJV) ¹  Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ²  And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.

Read the context of this story.  Jesus came and was baptized and then immediately departed to spend 40 days in prayer and fasting to prepare Himself for the ministry that was about to take place. If Jesus felt the need to prepare Himself for these next 3 years or so of His life and ministry, why wouldn't we also need to take part in this act.

Do we still need to do it today? 

It sounds an awful lot like some religious rule.

Matthew chapter 6 is right in the heart of Jesus first public teaching. The Sermon on the Mount, given right after returning from the 40 days of Prayer and Fasting mentioned above.  In this chapter, Jesus lays out a 3-fold expectation to His followers.

• Verse 2 says "When you give..."
• Verse 5 says "When you pray..."
• Verse 16 says "And when you fast..."

It's crucial you look at the wording of these statements and understand that these were not commands, they were expectations.  He wasn't telling us we "had" to do these things in order to be saved. He was just "expecting" that we would do these things because we are His followers.  He set the example of this in His ministry and His assumption is that if we were going to call ourselves "Christians" which means "Christ-like" then we would model our lives after Him.  Fasting is not something we HAVE to do, it is something we should WANT to do because we hunger for more of God in our lives.

Why Now? Why January?

This one is pretty simple but here's three reasons I think fasting and prayer is significant in January. By the way, I have dedicated times to prayer and fasting throughout the year. So understand it's not that this is the only time it's effective. That would be a rule and religion is full of rules.

1. It sets the course for the rest of your year. God does not want our leftovers. He wants to be first in every area of our lives. First in our day (devotions), our week (attending church), our finances (tithing). It just makes sense that we put Him first in our year by spending this time in Prayer & Fasting seeking His course, plan and desire for our lives.  Also, to lay out what you want to see God do in your family, home, and life in general.

2. Blessings will come throughout the year because you set your course straight at the beginning. This time isn't just about the 21 days in January, but it's about your whole year. How many times have you started something and said, "I don't know why I didn't do this sooner." Don't wait until July to seek God's direction and guidance. Do it now and start the year right.

3. It releases the principle talked about here:

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Remember the beginning of this chapter said; "when you give...when you pray...and when you fast" ?

Now it ends with Jesus saying we should worry about things and how we will make it in life but instead seek God first and all these other "things" that consume us will be added to our lives as well. Don't set goals or seek random "things" in January, instead seek God first and everything else will come.

So here it is...Should I fast?

Again let me answer your question with a few questions of my own.

• Do you have a circumstance in your life that seems hopeless without God's intervention?
• Do you have a family member that seems too far from God to ever find their way?
• Do you have a need personally or in your family - physical, relational, financial, emotional?
• Do you feel lost and without direction in your life?
• Are you facing and impossibility?

Then yes...I encourage you to take part in a fast.

Fasting reveals dimensions of God that can never be seen by the casual worshipper. 

When you take steps to break away from the ordinary you will begin to see things about God you never knew existed. He will share secrets about Himself, His plans for you, His desires for you, things about yourself you never knew. 

To have what you've never had, you'll have to do what you've never done.

My mom is an amazing cook. Being the good Italian woman she is, one of her specialities was pasta. When she would make her homemade sauce, the good stuff made with love, it was reason to stop and savour ever morsel. I can literally remember the sound of the spoon going through the rigatoni and immediately the drool would start.  The whole house smelled like pasta nirvana.  But let's be honest, if she served the meal over and over and over and over and over and over again...day after day after day after day after day, there would come a point where I would think "ugh, pasta again."  I wonder if sometimes God looks at us attending church when it's convenient, singing when we like the songs, giving when it's affordable, praying when it's needed and thinks..."ugh, religion again."  What if God hungers for our attention but all we offer is the same old religious routines week in and week out. Sure, pasta would do the job of filling my stomach but it wouldn't be nearly as satisfying as something new and different. 

I remember starting to go to the gym a few years ago. I didn't know what to do so I just attacked the cardio machines. I started losing weight and feeling better. But it didn't take long until I plateaued and stopped losing weight and while I felt good still, I was getting bored and not really getting the results I was wanting. I talked to a friend of mine and he explained I needed to mix up my routine and do something different. I started lifting weights every other day and cardio other days. I immediately started seeing different results again. I got stronger and had a renewed desire to keep going. 

Fasting breaks us out of the religious routines and allows us to experience new things and see results that may not come otherwise.  Even Jesus explained to the disciples in Matthew 17:21 when answering why they could not cast out a particular demon, "this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." It's a form of worship where you offer your body as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). It humbles you and reminds you of your dependency on God.   Fasting replaces your hunger for food with a hunger for God. Hungry people are desperate people. When you hunger for God, He will do those things that seemed impossible. 

If you are in a rut or a routine and you feel like your normal worship just isn't cutting it anymore then I encourage you to take part in a fast. If your circumstance seems to big, take part in a fast. Whether it's for one day or several days. Whether it's a complete fast with no food or a partial fast where you give up certain foods. The details aren't important because that would be religion. I'm saying you are hungry for more of God so let that hunger drive you towards Him. Give Him something new and watch and see what happens this year.