Holy Spirit Power

I just finished a classic work by Charles Spurgeon--a series of sermons on the work, the ministry and the person of the Holy Spirit compiled together to make up Holy Spirit Power.  It's a great read.  I love reading Spurgeon's material.  His writing and preaching style of the mid-1800s was not as polished and charasmatic as many of his predecessors, but his content was next to none, rivaling even Puritan scholars.  Holy Spirit Power is full of little bite-size takeaways that I know I'll be using in future talks and teaching sessions.  Here are a few that resonated with me:

• "God does not give a fresh revelation, but He rivets the old one ... He brings a fresh lamp to manifest the treasures hidden in Scripture ... There is enough in the Bible for you to live on forever." (p. 21)
  
• "There is not a minister living who can win a man's heart by himself. He can win his ears and make them listen, and he can win his eyes and fix them upon him. He can win his attention, but the heart is very slippery." (p. 42)
• "The grassiest paths and the most bewitching are the farthest away from right. The most enticing are those which are garnished with improper truths." (p. 66)
• "I am persuaded that wherever there is a real work of grace in any soul, it begins with a pulling down. The Holy Ghost does not build on the old foundation." (p. 91)
• " 'The words (of Scripture) are not inspired,' some say. If we have no inspiration in the words, we have got an intangible inspiration that oozes away between our fingers and leaves nothing behind." (p. 152)
• "God's truth is safe, and we must be perfectly willing to be forgotten, derided, slandered, or anything else that men please. The cause is safe, and the King is on the throne. Hallelujah! Blessed be His name!" (p. 168)

That last bullet point is how Spurgeon concludes the book.  And that one statement, "we must be perfectly willing to be forgotten, derided and slandered," hit me like a ton of bricks.  He's exactly right.  But that's not a statement that tickles too many ears.  That's not a statement that we want to hear, especially in this present age--the age of pride and Twitter.  (And I'm preaching to myself here)  In an effort to feel like our lives matter to people, we put it all out there, whether it's through our Facebook status, our blog, or whatever new pride-inducing social networking tool that comes along.  And in a desperate attempt to keep our name alive, we participate in this never-ending game--a game we play to help people remember who we are--a game we play to make us feel important--a game we play that we might not be forgotten.  But Spurgeon says, "we must be willing to be forgotten" so that Christ can be remembered.  It's His cause that matters.  Not ours.  

What are you doing that furthers His cause?

Guest Blogger: Andrew Litke

(This is a post by my brother-in-law, Andrew Litke, a student at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida.  He's much smarter than I am, and when he posted this on our family blog last week, I knew I wanted to share it here.  Be blessed.  There' s a lot to chew on.) 

A LENTEN PRAYER

On this first day of Lent I thought I would share the prayer that the Orthodox Church prays every weekday (Saturday and Sunday are different) during this season of repentance that leads to Easter. It is by the 4th c. Church Father, St. Ephrem the Syrian:

O Lord and Master of my life!
Take from me the spirit of sloth,
faint-heartedness, lust of power, and idle talk.
But give rather the spirit of chastity,
humility, patience, and love to Thy servent.
Yea, O Lord and King!
Grant me to see my own errors
and not to judge my brother;
For Thou art blessed unto ages of ages. Amen.

Some comments by Alexander Schmemann (Thanks Vias for the X-mas present):
Sloth: A strange laziness and passivity of our entire being which always pushes us "down" rather than "up." It is in fact a deeply rooted cynicism which to every spiritual challenge responds "what for?" and makes our life one tremendous spiritual waste.

Faint-heartedness: being in the state of despondency, the greatest danger of the soul. Despondency is the impossibility for man to see anything good or positive; it is the reduction of everything to negativism and pessimism. It is the suicide of the soul because when man is possessed by it he is absolutely unable to see the light.

Lust of Power: By vitiating the entire attitude toward life and making it meaningless and empty, sloth and despondency forces us to seek compensation in a radically wrong attitude toward other persons. It becomes pure self-satisfaction. It is indeed sloth and despondency directed this time at others; it completes spiritual suicide with spiritual murder.

Idle Talk: The word saves and the word kills; the word inspires and the word poisons. The word is the means of Truth and it is the means of demonic Lie. When deviated from its divine origin and purpose, the word becomes idle. It "enforces" sloth, despondency, and lust of power, and transforms life into hell. It becomes the very power of sin.

Chastity: It is the positive counterpart to sloth. Sloth is, first of all, dissipation, the brokenness of our vision and energy, the inability to see the whole. Its opposite then is precisely wholeness. If we usually mean by chastity the virtue opposed to sexual depravity, it is because the broken character of our existence is nowhere better manifested than in sexual lust – the alienation of the body from the life and control of the spirit. Christ restores wholeness.

Humility: This is the first fruit of wholeness. Humility alone is capable of truth, of seeing and accepting things as they are and therefore of seeing God's majesty and goodness and love in everything. This is why we are told that God gives grace to the humble and resists the proud.

Patience: The "natural" or "fallen" man is impatient. Having but a broken, incomplete, and distorted knowledge of everything, he measures all things by his tastes and his ideas. Being indifferent to everyone except himself, he wants life to be successful right here and now. Patience, however, is truly a divine virtue. God is patient not because He is "indulgent," but because He sees the depth of all that exists, because the inner reality of things, which in our blindness we do not see, is open to Him. The closer we come to God, the more patient we grow and the more we reflect that infinite respect for all beings which is the proper quality of God.

Love: Given by God alone, it is the goal of all spiritual preparation and practice.
To see my own errors and not to judge my brother: Ultimately there is one danger: PRIDE: But when we "see our own errors" and "do not judge our brothers," when, in other terms, chastity, humility, patience, and love are but one in us, then and only then the ultimate enemy – pride – will be destroyed in us.

The body is glorious, the body is holy, so holy that God Himself "became flesh." Salvation and repentance then are not contempt for the body or neglect of it, but restoration of the body to its real function as the expression and the life of spirit, as the temple of the priceless human soul.

3.1.09

Yesterday we led worship at Carmel Baptist Church in Matthews, NC. Lem Leroy, the worship pastor, is becoming a really good friend and was gracious enough to bring us in to help lead the service. Carmel is a great community of believers and is always extremely gracious to us every time we've led there. And in spite of the horrendous weather conditions here in Charlotte, I felt like it was a great crowd of people and an authentic attitude of worship in both services.

We played:
1. Your Grace is Enough (Tomlin)
2. The Stand (Hillsong United)
3. Jesus Messiah (Tomlin)
4. My Jesus, I Love Thee (J & T arrangement)

4

Today is my little girl's birthday. Areyna Joy turns 4-years-old today. I can't believe it. She was only 1-and-a-half when we moved to Charlotte, and that means that she's spent more than half of her life on the road with us. She's incredible. Alot of people ask us what her name means. In Greek, erene means "peace." We modified the ending just a bit so that it also carries some of the meaning of the Spanish word raina, meaning "queen." Our prayer for her from the beginning is that the Lord would mold her into a woman after His heart. A woman characterized by the peace of God ruling and dwelling in her heart. That the Lord would fill her with all joy and peace as she trusts in Him, so that she may overflow with hope by the power of the Spirit (Rom. 15:13).

Areyna, your mom and I love you more than you'll ever know. Let God's peace rule your heart...always. Happy Birthday. (Also, check out my wife's post about Rainy. It's much better!)

Tozer on Worship and Entertainment

I just finished a book by A. W. Tozer called Tozer on Worship and Entertainment. Tozer is one of my favorite writers of another generation. He pastored Southside Alliance Church in Chicago for 31 years in the early to mid 1900s. He was a prolific writer and self-taught theologian. One of my favorite books of Tozer's is Knowledge of the Holy, a Christian classic on the attributes of God.

Worship and Entertainment is a compilation of sermon quotes and other Tozer writings surrounding this issue. The title says it all--what Tozer felt about the embracing and harnessing of culture within the local church. He was adamently against it. And though Tozer takes a dogmatic stance, (many of his points I found hard to accept and had to filter some of his conclusions with my own interpretation of Scripture and the believer's role within culture) you have to appreciate his consistency of thought on this issue throughout all of his writings and sermons. In spite of my disagreement on some conclusions, there are countless treasures and takeaways in this book that caused me to reevaluate much of what I believe and practice--particularly as it involves my primary contribution to the local church, namely, worship leading. And even though Tozer went to be with the Lord nearly 50 years ago, the prophetic truths he preached to his generation have never been more applicable. Indeed, it's as if he was writing to the American church in 2009. This needs to be the next book you read.

Here are a few takeaways:

• The #1 Gem: "Christianity has been watered down until the solution is so weak that if it were poison it would not hurt anyone, and if it were medicine it would not cure anyone!" (p.170)
  
• "For multitudes of professed Christians today the Holy Spirit is not a necessity. They have learned to cheer their hearts and warm their hands at other fires." (p. 106)
• "What we need more than we need anything else is a restoration of the vision of the Most High God. The honor of God has been lost to men and the God of today's Christianity is a weakling--a little cheap, palsy God that you can run and pal around with. He's 'the man upstairs.' He's the fellow that can help you when you're in difficulty and not bother you too much when you're not." (p. 54)
• "Why should believing Christians want everything pre-cooked, pre-digested, sliced and salted, and expect that God must come and help us eat and hold the food to our baby lips while we pound the table and splash--and we think that is Christianity! Brethren, it is not. It is a degenerate bastard breed that has no right to be called Christianity." (p. 116)
  
• "When the Church joins up with the world it is the true Church no longer but only a pitiful hybrid thing, an object of smiling contempt to the world and an abomination to the Lord." (p. 171)
• "It is scarcely possible in most places to get anyone to attend a meeting where the only attraction is God. One can only conclude that God's professed children are bored with Him, for they must be wooed to meeting with a stick of striped candy in the form of religious movies, games and refreshments." (p. 120)
• "I don't mind telling you that most of the people we say we are trying to reach will never come to a church to see a lot of amateur actors putting on a home-talent show." (p. 110)
  

Animal Zeke

Nathanael Bryan, my good friend and one of the best drummers in Charlotte, took this shot of Zeke a couple of months ago just before a worship service. Watch out, Nate. Zeke's "vying" for your spot. Pun intended.

Macon Waves

The past few days have been really exciting. We just returned yesterday from Macon, GA where we've been ministering. Sunday morning we led worship for the student ministries of Ingleside Baptist Church. We took the band with us--Andy Cherry, Tim Morrison, and Terrance Key. These guys were awesome and in spite of Andy coming down with strep throat Saturday night and all of them functioning on very little sleep, they did a fantastic job. We led 2 worship sets, one at 9:30 for middle school and one at 11:00 for high school. Bill Stanley was the guest speaker and did a phenomenal job. During the 9:30 worship service the fire alarm went off just as we were about to take the stage (something that has never happened in the 2 years that my buddy Fred Broome has been the middle school pastor there)! We finally got back in and had to cut the set short, but it all ended up well. The morning was pitched as a camp preview weekend, sort of a teaser I guess you could say, since we'll also be leading worship for Ingleside's summer camp in a few months. And in spite of the chaos of the fire alarm incident, a ton of kids signed up for camp.

The band headed back Sunday afternoon, but Tasha and I and the kids stayed for a few extra days to chill with Fred and Lindsey Broome and then to lead their college group on Tuesday night. We led worship and then I preached a message from Psalm 51 called "What God Desires"--a message about brokenness. I felt pretty good about the night. A really cool highlight was hanging out with the college students afterward and meeting a handful of guys who are all worship leaders in various contexts. We talked for awhile and I encouraged them to continue doing what they're doing--sharing the Gospel through word and song. It was a cool moment standing there with them in a circle and realizing that this group of young artists very possibly could be the next group to shake middle Georgia with the Gospel and make waves for the kingdom of God. In that moment, I realized again why we do what we do and why I love it so much.

The District Sleeps Alone Tonight: Etch-a-Sketch

Zeke and I had a little too much time on our hands on Friday morning. So, this is what came out.

Ingleside

Pray for us this weekend as we head down to Macon, GA to Ingleside Baptist Church. My good friend, Fred Broome, is the middle school pastor there. So tomorrow morning we'll be leading worship for their middle school and high school ministries. Our whole fam is going along with our entourage, Andy Cherry, Tim Morrison and Terrance Key. We appreciate your prayers for us and for the students who will be exposed to the truth of God's Word. I'll also be speaking to the college ministry on Tuesday night. Thanks so much. .josh.

Internet Accountability

I found this Covenant Eyes promo video and thought I'd share it. If you don't have CE set up on your computer, you need to get it. At least give the free trial a chance by entering joshandtasha as the promo code. Go here and give it a chance. You'll be glad you did.

2.15.09

Last Sunday was an amazing day of worship at Southbrook Church. It was a full day of worship as we exalted our awesome God and celebrated the CD release of Southbrook's first live worship recording. What a rewarding day it was! All of Dan Rutty's and the worship team's hard work finally came to fruition, and it was worth it all. Thanks everybody, for letting Tasha and me be a small part of it.

For more pics of the day, check out Pastor Rob Singleton's blog here.

If you'd like a copy, you can wait a few weeks until it's online, or you can write me at josh@joshandtashavia.com and I'll be glad to mail you one.

We played:
1. The Time Has Come (Hillsong, led by Andy Cherry)
2. Revival's Fire (Andy Cherry)
3. Grace Greater Than Our Sin (Via's version)
4. Immanuel (Via's)
5. All Creatures of Our God and King (Crowder version, led by Sara Scott)
6. Everything You Do (Sara Scott)
7. Captivate (Watermark, led by Sharon Cauthen)
8. How He Loves (John Mark McMillan, led by Lauren Wilson and Gal Friday)
9. Mighty to Save (Hillsong, led by Lauren Wilson and Gal Friday)
10. King Above All Gods (Andy Cherry, Dan Rutty, and Josh Via)
11. Pour (Dan Rutty)

No More Thumbs #2

Guest Blogger: Tasha Via - Why I Love This Man

Okay, so I'm not technically a guest blogger today, I sort of confiscated his blog without him knowing it but I just couldn't help myself! I just wanted to share with the world about this man, my husband, my best friend...

Just A Few Reasons Why I Love This Man

*He truly loves the Lord with all his heart, soul, strength and mind
*Because he somehow ends up with all the covers by the end of the night
*He lives out what he believes
*The way he gets the kids wound up for bed=)
*He knows he is NOT above any temptation, therefore he lives a cautious life in constant communion with the Lord
*He isn't afraid to say "I'm Sorry"
*He is slow to anger

*His laugh when he really gets going!
*The way he taught Areyna to give me a "courtesy flush" when she's in the bathroom because smells are killing me this pregnancy=)

*His knowledge of the Word

*His sensitivity to me

*The way he always seems to find a quick little project to do right before we walk out the door. Example: replacing a doorknob while we're supposed to be packing up the car for a winter conference...

*This guy can go through some jeans because he constantly wrestles, crawls and plays in forts with the kids. He's just an awesome dad!

*The way I always have to get his attention by going right up to his face, making eye contact and stating his name before saying something very important. (otherwise he may respond without even knowing what I just said=))

*The way he makes me want to know our Lord more personally myself

*The way he leaves just one more bite in the box or a tiny little sip in the OJ container=) Well, maybe I don't love this one so much, but it reminds me of the man I married and I fall in love with him all over again.

Thank you God for blessing me with this man.

Josh, I love you baby. You are my favorite=)

CD Release at Southbrook Church

If you live in the Charlotte area, you need to come on out to Southbrook Church this weekend for the big CD release of Southbrook's latest live worship CD. It's gonna be an incredible day of solid worship and you don't want to miss it! Sunday morning - 9:00 and 11:00

A Universal Back-Stabbing

I've never noticed until yesterday the severity of the disciples' betrayal of their Lord in the last hours of His life--and not just the severity of their betrayal, but the universal scope of their betrayal. Each of the disciples broke the heart of their master in some way in those final hours. Matthew 26 illustrates this for us.

1. A Disappointment - vv. 40-46 - His disciples kept falling asleep in the garden instead of praying and keeping watch.
2. A Betrayal - v. 49 - Judas betrayed Jesus into the hands of the sanhedrin for 30 pieces of silver.
3. A Desertion - v. 56 - "...Then all the disciples deserted him and fled." - Following Judas' betrayal, the rest of the disciples scattered. They deserted Him.
4. A Denial - vv. 69-75 - Peter denied that He knew Jesus three times to people he didn't know.

This same group that had shared their last meal together and sang hymns together (v. 30) all betrayed their Lord in one way or another only moments later. From this one chapter there is this escalating scale of betrayal culminating with Peter denying Jesus three times and the rooster acting as the capstone, the final note of this tragedy.

Lord, as I think about how You were so badly mistreated by Your closest friends in those last hours of Your life before the cross, my pride wants to ask,

"How in the world could Jesus' friends have acted this way only moments before Your death? Why? What would drive them to such a low?"

And yet, if I'm honest with myself I have to acknowledge that I would have done the very same things--or even worse. I would have disappointed You by falling asleep instead of praying. I would have betrayed You for money. I would have deserted You, fled the scene, and run toward safety. And I would have denied that I knew You--at least three times--maybe more if given the chance.

I know that about myself because I've already done them--some in my heart--some in public. I'm quick to point the finger at the disciples and quick to ignore ... the four pointing back at me? No. The middle one that I've got raised in the air as a rebel to a cause already lost. In this case, the lost cause being this sense of self-righteous entitlement--a battle I'll never win because I'm entitled to nothing, save Hell itself! So why do I go kicking and screaming when all You want is my surrender?--the white flag--to give it all over to You.

O Lord, forgive me. It was I who disappointed, betrayed, deserted, and denied You. And then it was I who stripped, cursed at, beat, stabbed, mocked and nailed you to a cross leaving You for dead. Forgive me, Lord Jesus, for it was I who murdered You.

Radical Reformission

Just finished The Radical Reformission--a book that I should have already read by now, but at least I have now. And I loved it. Mark Driscoll unpacks what it means to live as a Christ-follower and how to share Christ with the culture God has placed you in, without selling out--without caving into the pressures--without looking like the world. It contains classic Driscoll humor and candor, of which I'm a big fan. If you're looking for a good read on how to influence the world around you within contemporary/pop culture, you'll want to check this out.

There are many great takeaways, but here are just a few:

• "The way to avoid sin is not to avoid sinners but to stick close to Jesus." p. 40
• "At worst, traditionalism fails to distinguish between biblical principles for ministry and cultural methods for implementing those principles. Traditionalism clings to dated ineffective methods in the name of staying truer to tradition than to Scripture ... Equally damaging ... is the tendency... to ignore church history and its lessons in pursuit of unrestrained and undiscerning innovation." pp.51-52
• "Innovation, when not tethered to the truth of the gospel, leads to heresy." p. 53
• "People who were raised apart from the church often have less resistance to ancient traditions and institutions. These are foreign experiences that intrigue them, rather than bad memories that repel them." p. 55
• "Too often the evangelistic task of speaking about Jesus is promoted as a work or something we must do, rather than as an overflowing of joy within us that explodes out of us because we have met God in Christ." p. 143
  

2.9.09

It was good to be back at Ridge Church yesterday and to be a part of their second official baptism service. It was awesome. One of the young men who was baptized was just recently saved at Ridge Church, both he and his 60-year-old dad. Tragically, the dad passed away about three months ago, but not before Pastor Chris Brown had the privilege of leading him to the Lord in his hospital bed. That's just one small story among hundreds that describes the work God is doing in Charlotte through Ridge Church and the many churches and ministries which we are blessed to partner with. It's a blessing to be a part of it.

We played:
1. Salvation Rising (Via)
2. Divine Romance (Wickham)
3. Your Grace is Enough (Tomlin)
4. Dear Money (Josh Wilson)

Covenant Eyes is Awesome!

I'm excited to announce that our ministry has just been approved as an affiliate of Covenant Eyes. Covenant Eyes is an internet accountability program that provides help and support for men, women and families desiring to steer clear of the filth and garbage that plagues the internet. Covenant Eyes is perfect for churches, families or individuals. I signed myself up and all of my brothers about a year ago so that we could hold each other accountable. Every week we each get a summary e-mail from CE detailing where each of us have been on the internet, with the questionable sites scoring high on the scale. It's a pretty awesome deal, it's relatively cheap, and it has saved each of us a lot of heartache from the dangers of internet porn.

If you, your family, your church or ministry are interested, you can get a free 30-day trial here using our promo code, "joshandtasha". I know, I know. It sounds like I'm a salesman. Well, I kinda am. The truth is, that if you sign up with our promo code, it actually helps support our ministry as well--it will help us continue writing and recording worship music, taking short-term mission trips to countries such as Uganda, and much more. I'm shameless. So, think about it. I highly recommend it. And really, you can't afford not to have accountability. Your wife (or future wife) and kids (or future kids) will love you for it!

CharlotteONE 2.3.09

Tuesday night we had the pleasure again of leading worship at CharlotteONE in uptown. God is doing a great work there among this community of young professionals and college students. We count it a privilege to be able to partner with them when given the opportunity.

James-Michael Smith began a three-part series focusing on the big picture, or meta-narrative of Scripture. He clearly communicated several key points in regards to Scripture: the need for proper handling of the biblical text, how not to read your own interpretation into the text, and proper questions to ask when approaching the text--subjects I believe to be crucial and particularly relevant for this body of believers. He then looked at Genesis 1 in light of these principles. He handled near flawlessly and clearly a subject that can easily be confusing and hard-to-grasp. Amazing!

Our goal throughout the worship experience was to clearly focus on and give praise to the God of creation--the overarching theme of the night! Here was our set!

We also played:
5. Grace Greater Than Our Sin
6. The Solid Rock

Pursuing Christ

This weekend was exhausting yet rewarding.  We led worship for Grace Community Baptist Church's student ministry retreat in Altavista, VA.  It was a great weekend.  Wes McMurray did a phenomenal job bringing the Word every session, reminding us that the pursuit of our lives must be Jesus Christ.  (If you have a minute, read Matthew 13:44-46 to remind yourself of what the greatest treasure is.) The students were awesome.  They came ready to hear from the Lord and engage with Him. (By the way, whoever shot me in the neck playing paintball...I want a rematch!)

 
The volunteers were amazing too.  Ed Martin is the most organized student pastor I've ever met.  He had things planned to the T, which made for a stress-free weekend for us.  Thanks, Ed, for having us down and taking good care of us. We love you guys. 

Late Saturday night, Tasha and I packed up and headed to Chester, VA where we partnered with my Dad on Sunday morning at Enon Baptist Church.  He brought the Word--strong--from Revelation 1.  It was an awesome day there as well.  We always love when get to partner with him. Thanks for praying for us.  God was good.  

Pursuit '09

Pray for us this weekend as we head out-of-town once again to lead worship for a student retreat at the Master's Inn in Altavista, VA. We'll be partnering with my good friend Ed Martin and his students from Grace Community Baptist Church along with another good friend, Wes McMurray, a gifted communicator of God's Word and cultural visionary! Pray that the Lord will move mightily in the hearts of these students and that they will be receptive to the voice of the Holy Spirit in their lives, desiring to pursue Him and His kingdom above all else.

Success and Failure

In reading through the Exodus accounts recently and more particularly, the call of God on Moses' life, I realized a very important principle that I've often thought to be true, but never really had it confirmed quite like this until now.

In Exodus 5, just after things began getting hard for the Israelites upon Moses' reluctant obedience, Moses has this conversation with God.

22 So Moses went back to the LORD and asked, "Lord, why have You caused trouble for this people? And why did You ever send me? 23 Ever since I went in to Pharaoh to speak in Your name he has caused trouble for this people, and You haven't delivered Your people at all."

What we see here is the human heart in all its disgusting glory. The very moment that things started getting hard for Moses and the Hebrews, Moses began blaming God, even though God made it clear that Pharaoh would not listen ... at least not at first. God made it clear to Moses that Pharaoh would harden his heart (or, more accurately, God would harden Pharaoh's heart) and that getting through to him would be literally impossible for quite some time. Yet, in spite of knowing this, Moses still blamed God. He blamed God for giving him a task that was destined to fail the first eleven times (10 plagues, plus the "staff-becoming-snake-then-gobbling-the-other-staff-become-snakes" sign) before he would finally see victory.

While processing this story, I became aware of the following principle:

PRINCIPLE: Failure in a task does not necessarily mean that you have missed God's voice. God may actually be the One setting you up for failure until He's ready to give you the victory ... in His timing.

In our results-based Christian subculture, we often equate failure with missing God's will or not hearing God's voice. But that just isn't always the case. (i.e. If a church-plant "fails", did the pastor and leaders miss God's voice? Or did God want it to "fail" so that something greater could take place later on?)

To repeat this principle another way:

What looks like failure by the world's definition, may not actually be failure.

And the reverse can likewise be true: What looks like success by the world's definition, may not be success at all.

Moses' situation certainly does not give us the right to justify our sin-soaked failures and the times that we definitely did miss God's voice. But it certainly helps to clarify the issue of what success and failure really look like in God's economy; namely, that they are often in utter contradistinction to our own.

1.25.09

Last Sunday we had the privilege of leading worship at Crosspoint Church here in south Charlotte. My good friend Scott Spruill is the worship pastor there. Scott and his wife Stefanie have become great friends to Tasha and me over the past 6 months. Scott recorded keys on our latest project and did a phenomenal job. If you've heard it, you know. Sunday he brought us in as guest worship leaders and it turned out to be a great day, in spite of us. Thanks Crosspoint for believing in our ministry, for being a church that loves Jesus and preaches the Word unapologetically--and for just being plain awesome! If you live in the Ballantyne area of south Charlotte and you're looking for a solid church, you need to head over to Ardrey Kell High School on Sunday mornings and be a part of what God is doing at CP.

We played:
1. Salvation Rising (J & T)
2. Immanuel (J & T)
3. The Solid Rock (Charlie Hall arrangement)
4. Stronger (Hillsong)

Motion Monday: No More Thumbs

Hardening Effect

Habitual sin has a hardening effect on your soul and a seering effect on your conscience. No question. When I read the following verses from the account in Genesis where Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery, this truth is especially highlighted:

Genesis 37:24-25 - and they took him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it.

As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.

They threw Joseph in the pit and then sat down to ... eat a meal?

What? ...

That's right. The hardening effect of sin had already begun to fasten its grip on the brothers. And Scripture says that throwing Joseph in the pit was only a temporary step in their murder plot against him. You see, selling him into slavery was not their first option. Murdering him was the first option. Perhaps they intended to leave him in the cistern. Or perhaps they were going to pull him out and end his life quickly. We don't know. But with only moments to go before the murder was to take place, they sat down to eat a sandwich. To grab a bite to eat. To relax a little before the rest of the plot unfolded.

The obvious question becomes, how had they come this far? What brought them to such a low level of depravity that they would even consider murdering their own flesh and blood?

Perhaps it began when Simeon and Levi, in an attempt to avenge their sister's rape, entered into the Hivite village under false pretense and mass murdered all of the males who had been duped into circumcising themselves three days earlier. (Gen. 34) Still in pain, the villagers couldn't defend themselves. Makes for a great movie plot. It almost makes me want to stand up and cheer for these guys as they defended their sister's honor. And something tells me that if Hollywood got a hold of the story, that's exactly the angle they would take.

And yet, Scripture makes it clear that this was not the will of the Lord. They were rebuked harshly and repeatedly by their own father (Gen. 34:30-31; 49:5-7). Why? Because they acted on their own accord--taking vengence in their own hands.

Maybe it began there and then snowballed out-of-control until their consciences were totally seered and corrupted. Then it makes sense why they could sit down to eat a meal hundreds of feet above their brother who sat in the pitch dark of the earth.

The bottom line? Don't underestimate the stronghold of unconfessed sin in your life. It can snowball much more rapidly than you ever imagined. As the saying goes,

"Sin will take you farther than you wanted to go, cost you more than you wanted to pay, and keep you longer than you wanted to stay."

Students Crave Spiritual Disciplines

Monday night we rolled back into town after an exhausting yet totally rewarding weekend at Camp Bethel in Fincastle, VA leading worship for the student ministries of Rainbow Forest Baptist Church and Calvary Baptist Church. The event was pitched to the students as a "prayer retreat." And though the typical student would steer clear of such an event, these students came out by the droves expecting God to move and to do something big in their lives. It was an exciting weekend.


Pastors Jay Richards and Clif Williams brought the Word to the students in a powerful way. Many students made commitments to begin each day with prayer and Bible study--to give God the firstfruits of their day rather than trodding through an entire day of school or work and waiting until the very end of the day to have fellowship with the Lord. It was cool to see so many of the students commit to establish this spiritual discipline in their lives in a way that was sincere--not out of a sense of obligation or duty, but out of a heart overflowing with love for the Lord.

Tasha and I always feel like we receive the biggest blessing from these kinds of events. And once again, we weren't disappointed. We were grateful for the opportunity.

Here are a few of the songs that seemed to connect well with the students:

Served By Royalty

Call me a nerd, but I love NPR. That's pretty much all I listen to in the car ... when I'm by myself, that is. Tasha hates talk radio of any kind. So, I indulge when I'm driving by myself. The other day I caught one of the coolest interviews I've ever heard. And when it hit the punch-line in the end, I knew I had to blog about it.

The interview was with a former White House butler named Lynwood Westray who served eight presidents for a total of 32 years. Mr. Westray's perspective on life inside the White House was fascinating. You can read the complete transcript here (if you're nerdy enough!) Toward the end of the interview, Mr. Westray was asked about his fondest memory during his 32 years serving in the White House. And here was his response:

"When reflecting on his fondest memory, Westray talks about a time in 1979 when Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visited the White House. After dinner, Prince Philip went into the Red Room, next to the state dining room. Westray and his buddy were serving liquor. Westray says he was carrying the tray and glasses.

"The prince was in there by himself, which was odd, because everybody else had gone down to the other end of the building," Westray says. "I said, 'Your Majesty, would you care for a cordial?' He says, 'I'll take one if you let me serve it.' What do you do? I didn't do all that because I had the stuff in my hand. And he says, 'If you let me pour it, I'll have one with you.'

"... So he poured it, the one he wanted, and we took the same thing that he had. And we had our drink there together and had a little talk while we were there. He told us if we were ever over there in London to stop at Buckingham Palace and see him. Can you imagine the prince serving you? I enjoyed it. You know, we're not supposed to drink and carry on at that time. We're not guests. It was just the three of us in the room, so nobody knew what happened. And I drank my little cordial, we all drank, and had a little conversation. But that was one thing I'll never forget, having been served by royalty."

I haven't been able to get that last line out of my head since I first heard the interview: "That was the one thing I'll never forget, having been served by royalty." I don't think I have to spell it out for you ... but that's exactly what Christ has done for us. We were served by royalty when He came to this earth,

taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross! (Phil. 2:7-8)

Jesus, the King of Kings came as a lowly servant washing the dirty feet of His disciples--being baptized by those unworthy to even stoop down and tie his sandals--loving the unlovable--serving those who should be serving Him.

We have been served by royalty. We must never forget that!

30 Today!!

Today is Tasha's 30th Birthday! I couldn't see her telling the blogging world, so I thought I would. Drop her a little note to say hey. It would make her day! Boy, I love her so much!

• tasha@joshandtashavia.com
• tashavia.blogspot.com
• facebook
  

Flashback Friday: The Car Phone

Whatever happened to the car phone? Some of my fondest memories as a kid were had traveling down the interstate with my Dad in our Eighty-Eight Oldsmobile station wagon chatting away on his stylish car phone. And when he had to pull it out to carry it with him, it was bigger than his brief case. That was awesome! My Dad was the kewlest!

On the Road ... Again

Please pray for us this weekend as we head up to Fincastle, Virginia to Camp Bethel. Tasha and I and our good friend Scott Spruill will be leading in worship all weekend for several student ministries! We're pumped. Please pray for the students that the Lord will open their hearts to the message of the Gospel. That the lost will be saved. That the hard-hearted will be softened. That the broken will be restored.

Also, please pray for my Dad as he is traveling at this moment to the nation of Swaziland where he will be preaching the Gospel and evangelizing all next week.

Third Way

"If both doctrine and practice are constant, the result is dead orthodoxy ... If both doctrine and practice are constantly changing, the result is living heresy ... But if doctrine is constant and practice is constantly changing, the result is living orthodoxy, which I propose is the faithful third way." - Mark Driscoll, Listening to the Beliefs of Emerging Churches: Five Views, p. 147)

It's Golden

I've been reading through the Sermon on the Mount this week. Wow, there's so much there. Every time I read it I glean something fresh. Here's something that jumped out at me this morning.

Matthew 7:12 is arguably the most quoted Scripture of all-time, though most people wouldn't know where to locate it in the Bible.

"Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them..."

Otherwise known in today's vernacular as "The Golden Rule." And here's the question that came to my mind: How many people can quote this verse, but have absolutely no clue the context surrounding it, particularly the verse that follows?

Verse 13 says, "Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it."

It almost seems that Jesus anticipated the phenomenon that verse twelve would become in our society--that it would turn into a social religion in and of itself when ripped out of its context. Yet, the ironic thing is that The Golden Rule means nothing without verse 13. Unless you enter through the narrow gate, it doesn't matter how many people you treat kindly; it doesn't matter how many people you treat fairly; it doesn't matter how many people you treat as you would want to be treated.

The Golden Rule, when standing on itself for support, is a like a load-bearing wall in a house when the main support truss is removed. It eventually collapses. The Golden Rule is meant to stand on the support structure of the whole context. And that demands that we enter through the narrow gate--life lived the way Jesus intended--abandoning the broad road to destruction--walking the narrow road with eternity in mind, and refusing the temporary gain we may easily achieve through social pleasantries, niceness and fairness alone!

1.11.09

Sunday we were back at Ridge Church after having almost 2 weeks off from the worship scene. But it was a good day back. Pastor Chris Brown brought a great message called "Unwritten," challenging us to make the most of our days, the days still unwritten--and to make them count for eternity.

The band was terrific. Chad Keith on lead. Trenton Starnes on keys. Brett Banks on bass. Tim Morrison on drums. Lauren Wilson on BGVs and lead vox on "Unwritten." I gave Tasha the week off. :) She needed it.

Also, let me just say, if you haven't done "Revelation Song" at your church yet, you need to do it ASAP. It's a pretty amazing tune. I definitely felt the Lord's presence in a unique way as we worshiped Him with that tune. Hard to explain those times, ... but it was real.

Here was the playlist:

Jeremiah, thanks for turning me on to playlist.com!

One Thing

Haven't checked e-mail or blogged in almost 2 weeks. And boy was it good! Good to be back though. Hope you all had a blessed Christmas and joyous new year.

Here's one thing I believe God wants do this year in my life:

• Take my prayer life to another level - Lately I've been reading alot about prayer. I'm reading the greats like E.M. Bounds and most recently Pete Greig of the 24-7 Prayer Movement started in England. And I'm being shaken to the core. I'm realizing that my daily conversation with the God who loves me immeasurably is pathetically small, de-evolutionizing into merely an honorable mention in my day-to-day walk. And I believe that God is saddened by this recent trend. But I also believe that He is waiting expectantly and with a heart full of hope that this trend is soon going to change. Thank You, Lord. May it be so. AMEN.
  

What about you? What does God want to do in your life this year?

The Christmas Reading

Our friends at Ridge Church put together this video montage of the reading of the Christmas story. Check it out. It's pretty cool. Thanks, Ridge, for letting us be a part of it. Merry Christmas to all! The King is born!

...And All Through the House...

It's Christmas Eve and Tasha and I are sitting on the couch finishing our monthly newsletter. Actually, starting our newsletter. (Fun) At least we get to do it together. The kids are actually sleeping. I think we wore them out. We just rolled in from a great night of leading worship and looking at Christmas lights with the kids. Great combo ... consecutively. (Probably not a great combo simultaneously though.)

The weekend was awesome. On Sunday, we ministered at Hampstead Baptist Church in Hampstead, Maryland where my good friend Chris Brammer is pastor. Chris and my Dad were best friends in seminary. And now, 28 years later, I'm leading worship in Chris' church having been best friends with Chris' oldest son, Ben, all my life. Pretty cool. Sunday night, Chris generously gave us the whole service to lead in worship, share from the Word and share a little bit about our ministry efforts in Uganda, Africa with Rick Via Ministries. We ended up leading a small worship concert of 8 tunes with my beautiful wife (of course) and our friend Micah Brown from Roanoke, VA on keys and drums. Thanks again, Chris.

Tonight, we led worship for Southbrook Church Monroe campus at 3:30 and 5:30. We had a stellar band: Zack Griffin on lead guitar, Brett Banks on upright bass, Andy Bradberry on drums and Tasha on piccolo. (hehe... you know better than that!)

It was a great night. This was the grand opening of their new facility in Monroe just off of Skyway drive in the Monroe Plaza. The band of volunteers have been working tirelessly to get the building open in time and get all of the permits that are necessary. And they did more than just pull it off. They knocked it out of the park. It was awesome. Geoffrey Janes brought the Word and did a fantastic job. Check out the pics.






















We played:
1. The First Noel - instrumental J & T version
2. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Mercy Me version
3. Hallelujah(Light Has Come) - Barlow Girl
4. Immanuel - J & T
5. O Come, O Come Emmanuel - J & T (with input from the rest of the band) version
6. Joy to the World - J & T version

Flashback Friday: Questron

Anyone remember this? The Questron electronic pen and workbooks--one of my all-time favorite Christmas presents as a kid. You would simply depress the pen's tip on the multiple choice questions to see if you answered correctly. An incorrect answer led to the red-light of death followed by the beeping noise of doom. A correct answer employed the green light of glee and the more pleasant affirming beep of glory. Many of my life's limited hours on this earth were spent enthralled with these workbooks. Most of the books began with "My First ..." My favorite was, "My First Exhaustive Systematic Theology for Second-Graders."

"Crazy Love" Review

Just finished Crazy Love by Francis Chan. This book kicked me in the gut from the outset and wouldn't stop--convicting to the core. In the same vain as Shane Claiborne's Irresistible Revolution and the whole idea of seeing God's kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven--only I place Chan's on another level from any of those other guys. He's the real deal. And that's not saying anything against Claiborne or any of the other young, evangelical, Bible-believing prophetic voices out there, I just think there's something uniquely special about Chan. The anointing of God is obvious on his life. He's well-balanced in his theology as well as his methodology. The guy puts his money where his mouth is, to be sure. All the way from building an amphitheater in Simi Valley, California rather than a traditional church building so that they can give the extra untold millions they're saving to mission work, ... to his own family of 6 downsizing to a 1000-square foot home so that they could give the rest to mission work ... all of this speaks for itself. And he preaches the Word ... hardcore. I've been listening to his podcast recently, and it's rocking my world just as much as the book has. Anyway, this is a must-read for anyone, in ministry, or not. Read it.

Some takeaways:

• In response to Colossians 1:16 that says, "... all things were created by him and for him," he says, "Don't we live instead as though God is created for us, to do our bidding, to bless us, and to take care of our loved ones?" (p. 33)
  
• "Worry implies that we don't quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what's happening in our lives. Stress says that things we are involved in are important enough to merit our impatience, our lack of grace toward others, or our tight grip of control ... Both worry and stress reek of arrogance." (p. 42) Ouch!!
  
• "The point of your life is to point to Him." (p. 44) Good stuff!!
  
• In response to a student who once asked him, "Why does God threaten me with hell and punishment if I don't begin a relationship with Him? Why would a loving God force me to love Him?" Chan replies, "If God is truly the greatest good on the earth, would He be loving us if He didn't draw us toward what is best for us (even if that happens to be Himself)? Doesn't His courting, luring, pushing, calling, and even 'threatening' demonstrate His love? If He didn't do all of that, wouldn't we accuse Him of being unloving in the end, when all things are revealed?" (p. 62)
• "We are consumed by safety. Obsessed with it, actually. Now, I'm not saying it is wrong to pray for God's protection, but I am questioning how we've made safety our highest priority." (p. 133)

There's so much more I could add, but I won't give the whole book away. Grab this one for Christmas for yourself and someone else.

Always Read the Instructions First

Sad news: Tasha is sick with a severe sinus infection. She says it's the worse pain of her life. Ugh. I'm playing the Mr. Mom role right now...canceling meetings, cooking, cleaning, spanking the children, etc. Have I told you lately that I love my wife and have a renewed appreciation for all she does? Tasha, have I told you that lately? Well, I do. Husbands, let's not forget to tell our wives that today.

On another note: In a desperate attempt to keep myself healthy in a home ravaged and invaded by germs, I have been taking Airborne, Vitamin C, and Sudafed PE like candy. But just one word of caution. This is the first time I've ever taken Airborne ... and I failed to read the instructions first. Big Mistake. As soon as I broke open the bottle I popped a tablet straight into my mouth and began chewing, figuring that was the proper method. I was wrong. They are meant to be dissolved in water first, much like alka-seltzer. That was debatably one of the worst mistakes of my life. I can't even begin to describe the horrific sensations that jolted through my entire body, beginning with my mouth that felt like Cherry bombs exploding, continuing down my esophogus that felt like it was being attacked by cheese graters, and concluding in the pit of my stomach where the experience was much like what I would imagine a prized deer might feel where he to tragically still be alive during the gutting and stuffing process by the local taxidermist.

So, just a word of caution: Always read the instructions first.

The Healing - Chord Charts

For all of you musicians out there, or anyone who cares, I just uploaded all of the chord charts from The Healing. You can get 'em here. Play 'em. Share 'em. Send 'em. Use 'em.

Proboscidea Elephantidae

Thanksgiving weekend in Virginia. Is this a normal family activity?

(To the tune of "Peculiar People" by MuteMath)

12-14-08

Today at Ridge Church:
It was a really good day. Nolan Verner, Logan Fincher, and Skylar McNabb rocked the house. Great job guys.

We played:
1. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Mercy Me version)
2. O Come All Ye Faithful (Third Day version)
3. God is With Us (Michael Olson)
4. The First Noel (instrumental, J & T arrangement)

Tasha's parents are in from Colorado Springs for a couple of days on business. But we're hanging out right now. Tasha's baking cookies. Larry's about to show us some pics from their recent mission trip to Chad. The kids are down. Panthers won. What a great night!

What It's About

I've got to give a shout-out to my good friend Scott Spruill and Crosspoint Church in south Charlotte. Scott is the worship pastor at Crosspoint and has become a dear friend. He played keys on our latest record and did a phenomenal job. He's been pushing our CD like crazy to his church community there in the Balantyne area and he informed me the other day of what their church was able to accomplish through CD sales*. Just through CD sales alone they raised enough money to feed 5 needy families during the Thanksgiving holiday! And that doesn't include all of the other insane outreach their church is doing to reach the down and out. Scott, thanks so much for your heart for the Lord and for the fringe of society! That's why our ministry exists. I'm blessed to partner with you.

*When you purchase Josh & Tasha's merch, just know that none of it goes into our pockets. It all goes back into ministry efforts to reach the lost and to bless Christ's bride. And a large part of it goes directly overseas to help plant churches, provide for widows and orphans and to train local pastors in Uganda, Africa through our partnership with Arise Africa International. Thanks.

A Princely Privilege

"To wash feet may be servile, but to wash his feet is royal work. To unloose the shoe-latchet is poor employ, but to unloose the great Master’s shoe is a princely privilege. The shop, the barn, the scullery, and the smithy become temples when men and women do all to the glory of God! Then 'divine service' is not a thing of a few hours and a few places, but all life becomes holiness unto the Lord, and every place and thing, as consecrated as the tabernacle and its golden candlestick."

-Charles Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, December 11

Pay Attention

Sometimes events or circumstances happen in our lives that make us question certain things. They make us question our loyalty. Our calling. Our mission. Our purpose. Our motivation. Our sense of direction. And sometimes it's good, I think, to allow those events or circumstances to drive us to reevaluate where we are. To reevaluate everything we know to be true about who we are. For Christ-followers committed to Jesus, we know that the core of who we are and the foundation upon which our lives are built can never be shaken. And that's reassuring, to be sure, especially in light of the world in which we live--with its craziness, insecurities, madness and endless pursuit of happiness, purpose and fulfillment.

But for Christ-followers, a different type of challenge or questioning can occur. Challenges that cause us not to reevaluate what we believe to be true about God necessarily, but challenges that cause us to examine who we are in light of Christ--in light of who He is--in light of His character--the things we know, with certainty based on His Word, to be true of Him.

For example, I know that God is good. I normally wouldn't doubt that. But let's suppose that due to the economic crisis I lose everything. My house. My car. My savings. My kids' college fund (what little there is--sorry guys!). Certainly, things have changed in my life. But I can be sure that God hasn't changed. I know intuitively, from the testimony of the Holy Spirit, and cognitively, from the testimony of Scripture, that God is good. He's still good. He hasn't change. My circumstances have changed, but He remains the same. The challenge comes, however, in my ability to process what has happened. Though I know that God is good, my experience might tell me otherwise. But let's say my experience loses the battle, and I walk away still saying, "God is good." A challenge still remains. The challenge then looks more like these questions: "What have I done wrong? What is there in my life that might be causing this misfortune? What's wrong with me? What am I missing? When did I miss God's will? When did I misunderstand Him?"

To be fair, sometimes these questions are legitimate. Sometimes it really is us who have walked away from the Lord, or who have dropped the ball somewhere along the way and the consequences for our actions have caught up with us. But let's suppose that's not the case. Then where are we left? We are left in the same position we've always been left in. The position that cries out from deep within us, "God is good. He's still on His throne. And He still loves me, no matter what my circumstances tell me." If we can be resolved to say that God hasn't moved, and to the best of our knowledge, in good conscience, neither have we, we can rest fully assured in God's sovereign providential plan that He will complete the good work He started in You (Phil. 1:6). That His plans for us are to prosper us and give us a hope and a future (Jer. 29:11).

I'll tell you where the challenge has been for me lately. Ready? The issue of calling. Things have happened lately that have caused me, well ... not to doubt necessarily my calling, but to question certain things. Issues concerning God's timing. Issues concerning His perfect plan for me--for my family. Not a nagging thing, like a toothache or a PMSing bank clerk--but more like a constant awareness, like the beeping of a pedestrian crosswalk sign making you aware that your time to cross is almost up. Sort of like that. Not annoying. Just there. And not completely sure why.

But then this morning I read a verse that seemed to be straight from the Lord. I've been working slowly through Colossians--finished it up this morning. It's an obscure verse found at the very end of the book. If you're not careful you can miss it. I have before until today.

It says, "And tell Archippus, 'Pay attention to the ministry you have received in the Lord, so that you can accomplish it.'" (Colossians 4:17)

Who's Archippus? No one knows. An obscure Pauline reference. But it doesn't matter. The point? Pay attention to your ministry! The ministry you have received from the Lord. Why? So you can accomplish it. So you can finish strong. So you can receive the reward. So you can rest assured that God hasn't forgotten you or forsaken you. That He is the One who equipped you and has given this ministry to you. So go for it! Pay attention to it! Do it! I needed that today. Maybe you need it to.

12-7-08

Yesterday at Southbrook we played:

1. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - (Mercy Me version - I never thought I'd actually lead a Mercy Me song in church other than "I Can Only Imagine" at funerals. However, when I heard this version I was sold on it. Having Tasha on the violin definitely makes this tune. When it's all said and done, it has a trans-siberian orchestra type sound. It worked well as an opener.)

2. Salvation Rising - (J & T - we did several originals this weekend, which is always awesome. Thanks, Dan, for pushing our CD!)

3. Immanuel - (J & T)

4. Grace Greater Than Our Sin - (J & T version)

Prayer, Death, and Marinades

Colossians 4:2-6 - 2 Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time, pray also for us that God may open a door to us for the message, to speak the mystery of the Messiah—for which I am in prison— 4 so that I may reveal it as I am required to speak. 5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the time. 6 Your speech should always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.

Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it...

There's so much truth in these five verses. So much convicting truth. I know I'm not devoted to prayer like I ought to be. I'm not alert like Jesus told the three on the night he was betrayed, "Watch and pray, so that you will not fall into temptation." (Matt. 26:41, Mark 14:38) There's a devotion to prayer that also requires a watchful alertness - so that we're not easily led astray by every wind of doctrine or tactic of the enemy.

...with thanksgiving.

Prayer must also be done with thanksgiving. Too often I'm simply bringing my list of needs to God, not truly thankful for who He is or what He's done, and the things He's answered already.

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders...

In relationships, we must walk in wisdom - to have Christ's attitude - in every relationship to maintain the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom. (Prov. 1:7) Paul calls them outsiders - those not a part of the family of God. They are watching how we live our lives.

... making the most of the time.

Our time is short. The Lord is coming back, and death is a certainty. In Crazy Love, Francis Chan tells a powerful story to illustrate the frailty of life.

"As a pastor I'm often called upon when life 'vanishes like a mist.' One of the most powerful examples I've seen of this was Stan Gerlach, a successful businessman who was well known in the community. Stan was giving a eulogy at a memorial service when he decided to share the gospel. At the end of his message, Stan told the mourners, 'You never know when God is going to take your life. At that moment, there's nothing you can do about it. Are you ready?' Then Stan sat down, fell over, and died. His wife and sons tried to resuscitate him, but there was nothing they could do - just as Stan had said a few minutes earlier.

I'll never forget receiving that phone call and heading over to the Gerlach house. Stan's wife, Suzy, was just arriving home. She hugged me and cried. One of her sons, John, stepped out of the car weeping. He asked me, 'Did you hear the story? Did you hear? I'm so proud of him. My dad died doing what he loved doing most. He was telling people about Jesus.'" (p. 46)

Our time is short. We can't forget that.

...to speak the mystery of the Messiah...Your speech should always be gracious, seasoned with salt...

So we must communicate our words and actions with grace - graciously - seasoned with salt. Not blurting out the first thing that comes to mind. To season a steak takes time - marinading takes time to get the right flavor. So also our words should be marinaded - seasoned - thinking before we speak - devoted to prayer before we speak - careful to say what God wants us to say, but not compromising the Gospel. Paul never did that.

And here's where I think there are two real dangers that we often fall into:

1. Thinking that seasoning equals compromise. It certainly does not, nor does it equal fear or lack of boldness. It's all about wisdom - the fear of the Lord.

2. On the other hand, there's a temptation to convince ourselves that we're seasoning or marinading our words, when we're actually doing nothing, using seasoning as an excuse for remaining silent. I think that's a real temptation in our evangelical culture that has silently and perhaps unknowingly adopted the principles of tolerance, though we often excuse it as and confuse it for seasoning.

Lord, help us be devoted to prayer, to stay alert and give You thanks in all things. May we be constantly aware of our own frailty and the shortness of life. Help us in our interactions and relations with those who don't know You. Give us speech and actions that are seasoned with salt. That we might proclaim boldly the mystery of the Gospel with outsiders. And in our effort to maintain seasoned speech, guard us against apathy, silence and fruitlessness.

#3 in the Oven

Tasha and I just found out that we are expecting our third child!!! :) We're so stoked we can hardly stand it. We've always said that we want to have four kids, and we were beginning to wonder there for a while if we would even have three. But the Lord is gracious and forever faithful, and we're grateful to Him for the blessing of new life and the opportunity to raise another youngster in the fear and admonition of the Lord. Next to being a husband, fatherhood is the greatest calling of my life. I love it and am grateful to God and humbled that He would see fit to entrust these little souls into our care. What a huge responsibility! But what a rewarding calling!! Thank You, Jesus!

Sudan: Blanket and a Bible

As a Christ-follower wanting to be a part of local and foreign mission efforts but sometimes not quite sure what to do, I sometimes feel stuck. Stuck because there are so many valid ministries out there that are doing great things for the kingdom of God and not knowing which ones I should partner with. So I wanted to share one such opportunity that our family has decided to invest in, especially during this Christmas season. It's a very simple opportunity, but one that is making a tremendous difference. It's an effort called "Sudan: Blanket and a Bible" by The Voice of the Martyrs. If you're not familiar with this ministry, you need to set aside some time to spend on their website, persecution.com. It will rock your world. VOM is committed to the suffering, persecuted church all across the globe--not only through making others aware of the need, but also through practical efforts to help the persecuted church as well as innovative ways to get the gospel into closed countries.

Here's a little excerpt from the flyer I received in the mail recently that will help you understand what Sudan: Blanket and a Bible is all about.

"Sudanese Christians have faced horrific persecutions at the hands of a radical Islamic regime. An estimated two million Sudanese have been killed during two decades of civil war, including many Christians. A glimmer of hope exists with the peace accords, and we can help our Sudanese brothers and sisters rebuild their lives and Christian witness. Sudanese Christians live a simple lifestyle, owning few or no material possessions. However, some items are essential to their survival. One blanket can make a difference.

Now with VOM's Sudan: Blanket and a Bible ministry outreach, everyone can have a part. Along with each blanket sent, VOM will provide a copy of He Lived Among Us, an illustrated Bible storybook. This program sends a strong message to our Sudanese family that they are not forgotten, and we stand with them in rebuilding their communities with the love of Christ."

So here's all you do:
1. Collect good quality, new or used blanket(s).

2. Add $2 per blanket for handling, shipping into Sudan.

3. VOM will add a He Lived Among Us illustrated Bible storybook.

4. Send blankets and collected funds to:
"Sudan: Blanket and a Bible"
The Voice of the Martyrs
510 W Adeline
Bartlesville, OK 74003

If you and your family have been looking for a mission effort to give to this Christmas season, I definitely recommend this one.