Family Update - 2.26.10

Who Holds Your Heart?

Inasmuch as one has undertaken to compile an account of the things that transpired yesterday among us, it seemed fitting for me as well, having experienced them myself and investigated carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order most excellent blogosphere.

Yesterday I took my 5-year-old daughter, Areyna, (well, she turns 5 Sunday, but she might as well be 16 for crying out loud) out for an amazing day of father-daughter bonding. Tasha and I have been praying and seeking the Lord on ways to creatively reach her heart. It just so happened that on the way down to Georgia last week, we began reading a book together called, Raising a Modern-Day Princess. The authors list many creative ways to help to begin teaching your daughter what biblical womanhood is all about. So, I can't take total credit for what I'm about to tell you.

We both got dolled up and went to IHOP for one of her favorite meals ... pancakes. And it was there that I presented her with two gifts containing one significant meaning. I gave her a necklace with a silver key on it, as well as a charm holding a key and a heart. After presenting them to her over pancakes, I explained that right now Daddy holds the keys to her heart. Which means that I'm going to do everything in my power to protect her heart, to love her heart, to care for and cherish her heart. Until the day that the Lord brings a young man into her life who will become her husband—her new heart protector. And when that day comes (100 years from now), those keys will be handed over to that man (unless I kill him first) and he will then be the one who holds the keys to her heart. BUT until that day, it’s Daddy alone who holds those keys and who will make decisions that are in the best interest of protecting her heart.

After explaining all of that I asked her to repeat what I had said, to see if she understood. After a few blank stares, I asked it another way. I said, “Rainy, whenever you look at these keys worn around your neck, what will you think of?” She answered with a smile, “That you hold my heart!” I about melted like strawberry butter right there all over the IHOP dining room floor. That was it exactly. Even if she can’t explain all the nuances of love and marriage and what all that stuff means, she knows what really matters. She knows whose responsibility it is now, and whose responsibility it will be one day to protect, and care for, and cherish her heart. And that’s exactly what I needed her to understand.

After IHOP we gallivanted around Raleigh the rest of the afternoon, took in The Princess and the Frog at the $1.50 movies and just enjoyed being together. (Seriously, when you get her away from Zeke or other kids, she’s about as grown up as they come. Crazy.)

By the end of the afternoon, we were both spent, but we were also very much beaming from ear-to-ear with the events that had just transpired. Let’s just say it was a very special day for both Daddy and daughter--the first milestone along her path to maturity and her rite of passage. I’m a blessed man.

A John Deere Mom

While in Macon, GA this weekend with our friends, the Broome's, Tasha decided to ride the John Deere. It's fun having a little wife!!

The Sacred, Imperishable Gospel

I'm not sure what your feelings are regarding the longer ending of Mark (and if you have no idea what that means, well ... you might be better off). This really isn't the point of this post, but to give you a very brief understanding, the basic idea is that there are some ancient manuscripts that include additional material in this last chapter of Mark. And to be clear, none of this additional material has any real bearing on the authenticity and reliability of Scripture. It simply means that some of the copies include some additional commentary that some of the scribes decided to include and others did not. Some may have accidentally overlooked it, or some may have thought that it helped close the book with a little more clarity and cohesiveness.

Regardless of your opinion, there is, indeed, truth to be found in these additional verses. (And my point is not to argue for or against additional biblical material anyway). One of my favorites is the verse that follows verse eight in some latin manuscripts and is included as a footnote in many translations (including the ESV and NASB). It says,

"And after that, Jesus Himself sent out through them from east to west the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation."

I can't stop thinking about that verse this morning. And there are several points from this verse that stick out to me that we need to remind ourselves of today:

1. Jesus sent sent out the proclamation of the gospel through His disciples. -

The disciples were His mouthpiece. He actually went through them. It was His voice. His hands. His feet. His heart that was going.

2. It's a sacred proclamation. -

It's a holy message. A sacred proclamation because it's the most important message in the world. Christ's message. His life, death, burial and resurrection. It's holy. It's sacred. It is the words of eternal life.

3. It's an imperishable proclamation. -

It's imperishable because it's eternal. It's never ending. His word endures forever. It cannot be destroyed by any Bible-burning regime, or Christian-killing empire. It will last forever. It's imperishable.

Remind yourself today of the greatness of this gospel that we live and proclaim. As Jerry Bridges says, "Preach the gospel to yourself everyday." And this is an amazing verse to help you do that.

Magic Motion Monday: Cai's First Swing

Week in Review

Wednesday we led worship at Raleigh Road Baptist Church in Wilson, NC for a missions banquet. Had a blast leading with guys who love Jesus and are all worship leaders in their own right--Alex Anders, Jordan Leino, Will Hughes, and Patrick Downing.

We tried to gear the set with a salvation/redemption theme. So many great songs. It was hard to narrow them down.

We played:

1. Everlasting God (B. Brown)

2. Mighty to Save (Hillsong)

3. Tear Down the Walls (Hillsong United)

4. God of This City (BlueTree)

5. Send Us Out (Via's)

Friday and Saturday we headed up to Virginia to celebrate the life of my late great Uncle Mayo Adams who passed away last week at the age of 93. He was an incredible man who m

odeled godly Christian character, a faithful and loving husband, and an honorable citizen. He flew a B-17 bomber in WW-II. On one mission out of his 31 (most pilots only averaged about 12 missions), he was shot down and crash-landed him and his entire crew in a corn field in England, only about 30 feet from a small English cottage. His crew was saved.

On another occasion, a bomb blew up in front of his cockpit and shrapnel exploded through his body. His co-pilot landed the plane and got him to a doctor. Days later, he was back flying his B-17 and earned the purple heart. He loved Jesus with all of his heart and was a man's man. It was an amazing experience to see how he was honored and to be a part of his funeral.

After the funeral Saturday we loaded up the Trooper and headed to Charlotte. Today we had the privilege of leading back at Ridge Church. Had a great day leading with Scott Spruill, Adam Wilson, Brett Banks, and Patrick Trombley. Great bunch of guys. It was good to see several old friends in the crowd who came to say hello. Always love that.

Also, a Happy B-Day shout-out to Rusty Burchard, one of the most creative service programmers I know. Thanks for letting us crash with you guys last night.

We played:

1. 1,2,3,4 (Plain White Ts - V-Day cover/opener)

2. Glory to God Forever (Fee)

3. No One Higher/The Stand (Fee)

4. How He Loves (John Marc)

After lunch, we went to the park with the Burchards where Rusty caught some great shots of our kids. Man, I love my family. Enjoy.

Go-Between Guy

When I read the OT account of the Exodus, and observe the constant ungratefulness, faithlessness, and overall rotten attitude of the Israelites, it’s hard for me not to get frustrated and perhaps a little self-righteous, as if I would have acted differently had I been there. But as I reflect internally and think about my own proclivity toward doubt and self-centeredness, I really can’t much blame these guys. If I’m honest, I’m no better than they were. And perhaps neither are you.

But when I read this account in Exodus 20, I can’t help but wonder when we dig beneath the surface a little, if perhaps their attitude was, in fact, purely motivated ... or at least in part. Here’s the passage:

Exodus 20:18-19 – “All the people perceived the thunder and the lightening flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance. Then they said to Moses, ‘Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die.’”

Leading up to these couple of verses from Exodus 20, the Lord had just given the 10 Commandments to Moses and then proceeded to make Himself known to the entire Israelite camp, putting His awesome power on display through crashing thunder, an ominous blaze of fire, the mountain shaking on its foundation, flashes of lightening and the piercing sound of heavenly trumpets. And it was immediately after this display that the people turned to Moses with these words, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die.”

The result of this grand display of deity was fear, and rightly so, I suppose—fear that seemed to push them away from God, their deliverer, and propel them toward Moses, a mere man. And remember, the Israelites had just seen firsthand God’s mighty power at work to bring them out of the bondage of Pharaoh, through a dry corridor of ocean walls, and now His provision in the desert of manna, quail and water. But now, suddenly they want to deal with a man, not with God. They want an intercessor. They want a mediator—an arbiter—a go-between.

And though their overall attitude toward God, their Deliverer, was undoubtedly wrong at many ventures up to this point, I can’t help but wonder if part of their motivation in this case was purely rooted. They saw the awesome power of the Lord of Hosts, and probably wondered to themselves like the Psalmist, “Who can stand before Him in His holy place?” And so they looked to Moses. Right or wrong, they wanted a go-between guy.

People today want a go-between guy as well, but it’s more often not because they observe or understand the grandeur of God, but rather that they’re just too lazy to approach God on their own. So, they go to a local priest, or a pastor, or someone they believe has some sort of direct line to the “big man upstairs.” Someone who can do the job for them. When the moment comes that they need God, they find someone who can get the job done—someone who can help fulfill the sense of obligation they feel—someone who can appease the capricious god they’ve concocted in their imagination—someone who can help make their situation or circumstance better.

Job understood that he needed a go-between guy. But it wasn’t out of a sense of duty or obligation. It was because he understood that he couldn’t be made right with a holy God on his own. So, he prayed out of desperation, “There is no arbiter between us, who might lay his hand on us both.” Almost prophetically, Job announced the coming of the Messiah. Job understood that he needed a God/Man who could both touch Almighty God and touch humanity simultaneously.

The Israelites tried to find an arbiter in Moses. I have Catholic friends who try to find an arbiter in the Pope. I met a woman in an extravagant cathedral in Romania weeping at the feet of a statue of Mary, trying to find an arbiter. I saw people in the streets of Travandrum, India, shooting off fireworks to wake the sleeping gods, trying to find an arbiter. I saw a man standing with his 3-year-old daughter at a Buddhist temple in Japan, teaching her how to present her offerings—teaching her how to find an arbiter.

All over the world, people are looking for their arbiter. When will we realize that He has come in the person of Jesus Christ? When will we help the misdirected individuals in the thick of our cultural milieu understand that Jesus is the go-between that they are looking for? God help us to start today.

2.7.10

Highlights from Journey today - week 4 of "Jump" series:

• If I believe in who He says He is, then I must believe He will do what He says He will do.
• We are fearful of moments that don't make sense; we shy away from things that we think will cause pain.
• God will sometimes give you a glimpse of the future, but He rarely throws you right into it. He has to prepare you first.
• Faith is not so much about my destination as it is my destiny.
• He does a work in you, so He can do a work through you.
• Sometimes He'll take you the long way home ... to prepare you.
• The Promised Land was less about the land, and more about the relationship.
• Most people want the victory without the fight.
• Doubt is a partner of fear.
• A life of faith is a life of testing. Biblical examples: 1) Shadrach, Meshach and Ebednego, 2) Gideon and his army of 300, 3) Jesus sleeping in the boat on the stormy sea
• Desperation breeds dependence.

Worship Set:

1. Freedom is Here (Hillsong United)

2. You Hold Me Now (Hillsong United)

3. I Exalt Thee (Jesus Culture version)

4. Overcome/This is My Story (New Life Worship)

What Happens Beneath the Soil

The Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-20) is definitely one of the most famous parables in Scripture. Next to the Prodigal Son, I think I’ve heard more sermons on the Sower than any other parable. But one thing I noticed from my journey through Scripture this week is the importance of this tiny little passage, the Parable of the Seed, just a few verses later in Mark 4. It’s almost an addendum to the Parable of the Sower, but it actually stands alone as its own separate thought.

26And He was saying, "The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil;

27and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows--how, he himself does not know.

28"The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head.

29"But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

Jesus describes the kingdom of God like a man who plants a seed, goes to bed, and then wakes up (continuous sleeping and waking in the Greek) to discover that the seed is growing. I love that next phrase—“how, he himself does not know.” I actually think Jesus was using a little humor here. Because the guy wakes up and wonders, “Hey, what’s that seed doing there?” As if he didn’t know what would happen. And I think the way Jesus words these few short sentences reveals the absolute impotence and powerlessness of the human agent involved in Kingdom work. It shows that apart from the work of the Spirit, our best effort is ridiculous. Our greatest endeavor is absurd. It actually reveals that the growth of the seed doesn’t depend on the sower at all. Yes, we must sow. Yes, we must water. And yes, some of us will reap. But it is God, the Holy Spirit who causes the growth (1 Cor. 3:6).

Taking credit for what happens beneath the soil could possibly be one of the biggest evangelical failures of our day. We are wired to take credit for things. The bent of our DNA is to receive and accept accolades and recognition. But God is calling us to return the credit to Himself, the One who indeed causes the seed to grow.

In fact, this should actually bring us some relief and reprieve, liberating us to preach, share, and live out the gospel without the weight of responsibility that we must do something to cause the seed to grow. In reality, we do nothing to cause the seed to grow. That is the work of the Holy Spirit. And where the fear of evangelism once paralyzed us from sharing this incredible news, the liberating truth of this parable should do the opposite. Because God, the Holy Spirit is the real agent at work while we are sleeping. And that reality alone should move us into action to accept the responsibility of seed-planting, and seed-watering, knowing that we leave the growth up to our sovereign God.

God's Glory on Display Through Our Trials

What if the whole point of hardship and trial was to put the glory of God on display? What if it was about the magnification and celebration of God’s glory?

I actually think it is. In Exodus 10, God explains to Moses the reason that He continues to harden the heart of Pharaoh, when He could have very easily softened his hard heart to allow the Israelites’ escape.

He says, “I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may perform these signs of Mine among them, and that you may tell in the hearing of your sons and grandsons how I made a mockery of the Egyptians and how I performed My signs among them, that you may know that I am the Lord.” (Ex. 10:1-2)

Here it is—the whole reason for the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart—the whole reason for the difficulty in fleeing Egypt—the whole reason for the hardship was so that God’s glory would be put on display—that it would be a lasting testimony of God’s faithfulness to His people—that future generations would know the faithfulness of YHWH, and as a result come to know Him.

So, what hardship are you enduring currently or what trial have just come through? And what would happen if you viewed the purpose of it in this way? To put God’s glory on display? Would it change your perspective and your attitude?

A Snowy Winter Retreat

Our snowy weekend winter retreat at Grace Community Baptist Church in Richmond, VA was not anything like it was planned to be, but it turned out to be a great weekend of spiritual renewal and commitment with around 70 students involved. Due to the weather, Grace made the last-minute decision to host the weekend on their church campus rather than chartering a bus down to Camp Willow Run on Lake Gaston in NC. Tasha and I and the band that we had lined up were also on pins and needles just hours leading up to the event, trying to decide what to do.

In less than a 24-hour period of time, I had 3 different bands lined up to go with us, but each one canceled right after the next with concern for the weather. The last band I had lined up was actually from Richmond--contacts I got through a mutual friend. But with just minutes to go before the first session Friday night, they were forced to back out being stuck in traffic and weather in Richmond.

Obviously, as I've already indicated, Tasha and I and the kids decided that we would go ahead and make the trip in our 4-wheel-drive Isuzu Trooper, though Richmond was projected to get a foot of snow (and a foot of snow is exactly what came). We planned for the worst and headed out on our adventure.

The weekend actually turned out exceptionally well. The parents and volunteers at Grace are a rare breed, for sure. They sacrifice, plan and prepare unlike anywhere else we've ever been. And through the leadership of my buddy, Ed Martin, their fearless student pastor, they managed to pull off one of the most organized audibles that we've ever been a part of.

My good friend, Wes McMurray, came and brought the Word in a powerful way, as he always does. Tasha and I love getting the opportunity to partner with long-time friends like Wes and Ed. It's always a blast and never a dull moment. Many of the students were challenged and encouraged in their faith through the weekend as each session sought to answer six "What if" questions:

1. What if we were all here for a reason?

2. What if we finally understood the Gospel?

3. What if we lived like we were possessed?

4. What if we made decisions based on eternity?

5. What if we considered others better than ourselves?

6. What if we were desperate for the Word?

Needless to say, we made it back home safely Sunday evening before the ice had time to re-freeze. And now it's Monday afternoon, and it feels good to do nothing but study the Word, veg, and hang with my awesome family.

Thanks Grace for taking great care of us. We had a blast. Love your students!!