Chains of Glory

My best friend and I are living proof that opposites attract. He’s tall, I’m short. He’s skinny and I’m not. He’s quick and impatient but I’m slow and take my time. Our differences couldn’t have been more obvious then this past weekend. We spent an afternoon together hanging out in his basement suite. Around dinner time he suggested we head to a nearby burger joint to satisfy our hunger. He told me it was within walking distance and would only take a few minutes to get there. So I grabbed my crutches and away we went. A block and a half into our journey, I’m sweating up a storm but going as fast as I can. My best friend is resting half a block away waiting for me to catch up.

What was a 5 minute walk for my friend ended up taking about a half hour! The walk was quite a challenge for me and when I got there I was dehydrated and in desperate need of a drink. In a few days I was scheduled to do a 10KM road race so I treated the walk as training for the upcoming event. It wasn’t until our journey back that my friend starts to realize just how challenging this trek for burgers is for me.

It starts settling in that he has a much easier time getting around then his little friend on crutches. After seeing the workout I’m getting from a proverbial “run to the store,” he starts running on the spot. By doing this, he figures he can get the same effect I am. That day he had a lesson in humility and a lot more to be thankful for when he went to bed.

When people first see that I have a disability, they have an automatic inclination to find out what happened. I usually tell people I was born with a disability and wouldn’t have it any other way. Life with disability is all I know. Unlike someone who ends up paralyzed after birth, I have nothing to compare it too so I don’t wake up wishing I could walk again.

Viewing a disability as good is not a universal stance. Being in a wheelchair 24 hours a day is a source of pain for many. I once met a girl in a wheelchair who wants to be a scientist so she can find a cure for her disability. Doing so will free her from the prison that is her disability. Even though I consider it a joy to be in a wheelchair, there are some days I agree. Because of my disability, I am in prison. During those times, I’ve found comfort from the apostle Paul:

Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly. Philippians 1:12-14 NIV

Paul writes this while he is in prison awaiting trial in Rome. “He had been allowed to arrange private lodging for himself; but night and day in that private lodging there was a soldier to guard him…” some in the church might view his imprisonment as a bad thing, so he writes this to let them know exactly the opposite has happened. Whenever Paul had a visitor, he would preach to them about Christ. Because a guard had to be with him at all times, it meant the guard’s duty was to watch and, consequently, listen to everything Paul was saying. This happened on and off over a two year period. During that time it became abundantly clear to everyone that Paul had a relationship with Christ. In Paul’s eyes this was how the Lord was advancing the gospel.

Paul’s prison term had another advantage. “…because of Paul's imprisonment in Rome many people had heard the gospel who would not otherwise have heard it.” Acts 28:17-30 tells us who these people are. Unbelieving Jews and Gentiles were among those Paul preached to. Other Christians were also encouraged by Paul’s boldness in sharing his testimony. This is how Paul can praise God for such dark circumstances.

I am no stranger to being an encouragement to people. One time it happened while I was at a conference in a local church. Sessions were held all over the place. Some were in the basement while others were held atop numerous flights of stairs. Stairs are not an issue for me, so I was a trooper and climbed them as necessary. At the beginning of the second day, I ended up chatting with a gentleman who attended the conference while staying at a homeless shelter. He told me he was hesitant in coming the night before; until he seen me going up and down those stairs on crutches still smiling. He went home that night and thought about what he’d seen. Considering the joy in the midst of the struggles I had, he decided to return for the rest of the conference hearing the Gospel of Christ he might otherwise have not been exposed too.

In 2 Corinthians 12, we learn that Gods power is made perfect in weakness. In sharing his weakness with the Corinthians (2 Cor. 12:7-10), Paul tells them having the weakness keeps him humble. Any good that he accomplishes doesn’t come from any merit of his own. It is God being gracious to him and using him in the moment. Sometimes God does that with us.

He gives us a weakness to keep us humble. Anytime people see something good come out of it, we are shocked. How such good can come out of our seemingly dark circumstances? It is because God is using us in ways that at the end of the night when our head hits the pillow all we can say is “praise God!”

What are your weaknesses? How might God be using them to open doors to share what Christ is doing in your life?

Joy In The Morning

“There’s something different about you Tim, your not like most people around here… more people should be like you, a fighter!” I learned a long time ago that encouragement is one of my gifts from God. So comments like this shouldn’t amaze me but they always do. I struggled to find the right words as a neighbor shared this over coffee last week, and all I could come up with was “thanks.”

I would like to take credit for the times people see me as a power house, source of strength or what have you, but the truth is that strength is not my own. Psalm 121:2 says:

My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!

I have a couple “friends by book” … I guess they are more appropriately “friends through circumstance,” who share the same scenario as mine last week. One of these friends is Joni Eareckson Tada. Being asked the same question she often shares this story:

“After my husband, Ken, leaves for work at 6:00 a.m., I’m alone until I hear the front door open at 7:00 a.m. That’s when a friend arrives to get me up…While I listen to her make coffee, I pray, ‘Oh, Lord, my friend will soon give me a bath, get me dressed, sit me up in my chair, brush my hair and teeth, and send me out the door. I don’t have the strength to face this routine one more time. I have no resources. I don’t have a smile to take into the day. But You do. May I have Yours? God, I need You desperately.’ I turn my head toward her and give her a smile sent straight from heaven. It’s not mine. It’s God’s. And so,” I said, gesturing to my paralyzed legs, “whatever joy you see today was hard won this morning.”

One of my newer “friends via circumstance” Nick Vujicic says, “Anything good that you see in me, is not me as a Christian, its God being gracious and showing up in me.”

I too echo the words of my comrade’s. My life isn’t always a bed of roses. I have days where I get down in the dumps and go through the motions, just waiting for the day to end. In my life its true, any strength or encouragement you see in me, does not come from me. It’s God using me in the moment. The reason and how fore is meaningless. Your strength or encouragement is all that matters.

Beware The Pharisees, Not Every Miracle Is Given

This past Sunday I turned on the TV and decided to take in one of the many televangelists that take the airways each Sunday. Being a stranger to early morning TV, I decided to check out Reinhard Bonnke’s program. Like most televangelists, Bonnke shows up on the screen and encourages people to call his toll free 24/7 prayer line. With the number scrolling along the bottom of the screen he tells people if they’ve been asking for a miracle they are to call and receive their miracle today.

This may be true. You could call his prayer lines, talk with the person on the other end, pray for a miracle and receive it. But there’s a danger in this line of thinking. Not everyone who asked Jesus for a miracle received one. Consider Mark 8:11-12

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had arrived, they came and started to argue with him. Testing him, they demanded that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority. When he heard this, he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why do these people keep demanding a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, I will not give this generation any such sign.”

If you read Mark 8:1-10, you’ll see that Jesus just fed 4000 people with a few loaves of bread and a couple fish. Jesus performed miracles prior to this mass feeding that confirmed his claims and authority as the Son of God. After witnessing these miracles the Pharisees still had unbelief in validity of Christ’s claims. They do not need another miracle; they have plenty of evidences to decide whether or not there is any integrity in Jesus being the Son of God. So he tells them no and walks off with his disciples.

Jesus then warns his disciples about the Pharisees. This is because the Pharisees belief in God was so futile. They demand strict obedience to Jewish law yet when they are under fire, will abandon God entirely. So am I saying that Reinhard Bonnke is a Pharisee, false prophet, or someone who can’t be trusted with the Gospel of Christ? I honestly don’t know my only exposure to him is a half hour TV program one Sunday morning… but that’s the impression I get. So I’m more likely to say yes, but I am a human who isn’t perfect and could be wrong. Reinhard Bonnke as a pharisaical false prophet is a decision all your own.

The Necessity of Biblical Context

Whenever reading your bible or preparing a bible study/ sermon or the like, it’s vitally important to consider the context of the passage. What things do the surrounding verses say about your passage and who is original audience the message was intended for? Consider their surroundings as well. This gets tricky when dealing with prophecies and apocryphal language as the imagery used can mean many things. This still doesn’t dismiss the importance of context. Without it, the message can become construed and people can make a mess of God’s word leading people to believe a message contained in scripture that was not there in the first place.

I remember being asked to preach from a particular passage of scripture by a pastor friend of mine and as we were discussing it, we were at odds with each other. By looking at the selected verses alone, the pastor saw one message. While I considered the context, I insisted he had missed the message because he wasn’t considering the context. In this particular case I stuck to my guns, prepared the message as I saw it, and it turned out to be one of the best messages the pastor had ever heard.

This is something I personally strive for when preparing any message I share. It’s also a discipline I tend to practice in my personal bible reading as well. Still, I find there are times when God speaks to me in lieu of scriptures contexts. Consider yesterdays worship service for example.

Accountability groups were being re-introduced to the congregation. To give us a taste of what its like, we were split into groups of 6 and were asked to mimic an accountability session. The pastor then asked us to interact with John 13:1-8 and answer a series of questions as it relates to our lives. At one point we were asked the question, how God spoke to us through this scripture passage. There was some talk about the cultural background and the meanings of a foot washer back in the day. However there were a couple guys in the group, myself included, who shared how Jesus reply to Peters refusal jumped off the page at them:

"No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."(John 13:8)

Our responses had nothing to do with its context. Instead we referred to being cleansed of our sin and living a holy, sanctified life. Without this cleanliness, we can’t be a part of God’s kingdom work.

I recognize the importance of scriptures context, as stated in the first paragraph. But situations like yesterdays church service have me wonder if examining the context and including it as part of God’s message to us is always 100% absolutely necessary?

Some Inspirational Thoughts to Ponder

The last few days I’ve encountered a number of inspirational quotes that have stimulated my thinking. So I thought I might share them. Maybe they will inspire you and stimulate your thinking as well. So here they are... Enjoy!

Faith in God's revelation is a way of grasping reality, without necessarily comprehending all the steps that may be involved. - Ray Stedman

As Moses laid aside the prerogatives of royalty for the sake of his God-given mission, so we must throw off whatever may hinder faith even though it may be right for others… Each runner must honestly judge what hinders faith for him or her and resolutely lay it aside, even though others seem to be unhindered by the same thing. - Ray Stedman commenting on Hebrews 12:1-2

Don’t think of me as a perfect Christian because I’m not. Anything good that you see in me, is not me as a Christian, its God being gracious and showing up in me - Nick Vujicic

It is essential to care about human rights - that ultimately is the bases of our existence. The responsibility to protect does trump sovereignty. If a sovereign does not take care of his or her people, the international community has a responsibility to protect." - Madeleine Albright

GRACE...God's Real Actions Compassionately Expressed - Erik Freiburger

Mine the things that make you angry and find the core values you can use to tell a great story - Don Miller

What makes you angry or think that “things” need to change - Erik Freiburger

The remedy for every tribulation is found in the cross. For obedience to God is found there - Thomas Aquinas

John Calvin and Calling: An Absolute Truth?

Theologian John Calvin once wrote: “And surely we may then safely triumph over our enemies when we are assured of having the call of God to the office which we hold, or the work in which we are engaged."

I don’t claim to be a Calvinist but as I was reading this (as difficult and wordy as his writings are); it leapt off the page at me. As far as I can remember, I’ve always struggled with God’s call in my life. When I entered college I was dead set on graduating with a youth ministry degree. This became my goal due to an influence by my own youth pastor. Prior to entering college my youth pastor told me she received a word from God regarding my future. Now she never claimed to be a prophet, or have the gift of prophecy enabling her to speak a word into lives, having it unequivocally come to pass 100% of the time. One of the things she shared was God wanting me to graduate with a youth ministry degree.

Fortunately, that part came to pass – but with some struggle. More then once, I questioned God’s call on my life to go into youth ministry. Every time that calling came into question, God confirmed that I was in the right place completing an appropriate call on my life. As I continue to follow God’s leading, I question Calvin’s above statement.

In a recent job interview, I was asked by the potential employer, after spending nearly a decade getting my degree, why I’m not pursuing a career as a youth minister. I responded by saying, since graduating, I feel a need to work within the disability community. Expanding on that thought I feel the need to use my gifts to bless them, and help usher them into God’s kingdom.

With this “change in calling,” on my mind I wonder if Calvin’s statement is absolutely true. That is, 100% true 100% of the time. Evaluating my current place in life, I find myself in a place where Calvin’s thoughts on God’s calling could be true. I’m currently involved in two churches. One works with the disability community helping to Guide them into God’s Kingdom. The other place of worship is in need of a youth minister and is a venue to exercise my years in Bible College and training in youth ministry.

After much prayer and considering where my walk with the Lord has led me, to date I don’t have an answer and wonder if I ever will. One thing is certain. I do feel a need to work with both churches and that I have the blessing of God to do both. Still doubt occasionally creeps in and I wonder if I’m double dipping running the risk of burning the candle of both ends, or if this is INDEED God’s way of saying: “Hey Tim, do both!” If experience has taught me anything this struggle with my calling will be ongoing.

Trusting Words From The Apostle Paul

Last night I heard an interesting quote regarding the life of the apostle Paul.

The resource that was the apostle Paul to the church was massive. And God gifts him and makes him into this person who is an apostle and a teacher and a preacher and the church gets established through those gifts. And yet those gifts because they get exhausted for Jesus lead him to prison.

He went on to talk about the trust Paul had put in Christ. The profound thing about the life of Paul was that amount of trust he put in his savior. Carrying the message of the Gospel, afforded him many scars as Paul’s mission took him before abusers and persecutors on numerous occasions (see 2 Cor 11:24-28). No matter how bad things got, Paul had this reassurance that everything was going to be alright. I would suggest maybe that’s why Paul was able to say

“I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me.” (Philippians 1:20-22)

My Wonderwall

At the moment, I’m sitting in front of my computer piecing together another devotional for my eventual book. This particular piece involves an interaction with Paul’s words on the armor of God in Ephesians 6. Verse 12 in particular is jumping off the page at me and causing my mind’s wheels to turn and get me thinking. It reads from the NIV like this:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

It's not so much the actual scripture itself that’s got the gears grinding in my head, as a commentary I’m reading about Paul’s words. Allan Turner writes:

…Behind the physical confrontations we experience with our fellow human beings, there are unseen spiritual hosts of evil at work. There is an ongoing confrontation between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness… This battle is unseen but real.

I’ll get into discussions with people... those types of people can range from professing Christians, those curious about the bible, and those who outright oppose anything to do with Christianity. Some are dealt with peacefully. Other times, we both walk away with questions and curiosities to ponder until a later date, when the discussion continues. Then there are times when our confrontations become heated shouting matches. And the only real solution is for someone to referee the situation, tell the both of us to go to our corners of the ring, take off our gloves and call it a night.

Countless times I walk away from those heated arguments confused, angry, and wondering if my actions were that of a light on a hill, or an outrageous beast looking for a fight. Early on in my relationship with the Lord, I’ve known about this spiritual battle the bible speaks of. Even then I’ve always wondered why these heated arguments occur. Is it a case of right and wrong, and those of us involved are too stubborn to see the err of our ways? In my experience, sometimes that’s true. Or is it an angel and a demon locked inside a steel cage, with the gloves on, dueling it out until one wins by knock out or submission? This is a question I’ve always had ever since that first heated argument, and one I continually seek an answer for. Maybe this will be one of those questions only God has the answer too and I'll only get the answer too when I get there. Until then i'll be echoing the words of Liam Gallagher when he sang this from Wonderwall

And all the roads we have to walk along are winding

And all the lights that lead us there are blinding

There are many things that I would

Like to say to you

I don't know how

Thoughts, opinions, or suggestions anyone?

Avatar, Christ, and The Peace Child: Hidden Gems Of God's Presence

This week, I, like thousands (if not millions) of others became the owner of James Cameron’s newest box office hit Avatar. Sitting and watching it a second time (yes you read correctly SECOND time), I find myself learning about the Na’vi and the world of Pandora all over again. By the way, Kudos to the script writers for how we learn of the Na’vi. For as Jake Sully is schooled we to become akin to Pandoric lifestyle.

One question Jake asks his army buddies are about Eywa – The deity and life source for all things Pandora. The one thing from which all living things originated, and to which all things return upon death. This parallels the biblical teaching of all human life came from dust and will return to upon death (Gen. 3:19).

One of the first things we learn about Sam Worthington’s character Jake is that he’s a paralytic marine. Contrary to popular belief, Jakes paralysis doesn’t disqualify him from active duty. His heart and determination are displayed with his desire to keep up with his fellow marines despite his lack of mobility. When Jake first uses his avatar, we learn that life as a Na’vi warrior is drastically different then the average human.Not only is the genetic make-up of the Na’vi different, but Jakes first exercise as an avatar is exactly that – physical exercise!

We see the paralytic Jake Sully wiggling his toes, shooting hoops with his colleagues, and running through the fields of Pandora with exceeding joy – possibly recalling the days of old, prior to his paralysis and able to use fully functioning legs again! Revelation 21:4 says: God will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. This is another of many examples of what Don Richardson calls redemptive analogies.

What is a redemptive analogy? Playing on the idea that God can use anything to communicate to people, it’s the theory that all people groups, including tribal cultures – like the Na-vi for example – have practices or understandings embedded in their way of life that can be used to illustrate the gospel. Don Richardson used this method of communicating the gospel to a tribal people in the 1960’s.

In 1962, he took his young family from Prairie Bible Institute to live with a group of cannibalistic headhunters known as the Sawi in The Netherlands and share the gospel of Christ. Don and Carol Richardson’s first attempts at sharing about Jesus didn’t go over so well with the Sawi people. As Don told them about Judas Iscariot’s betrayal of Jesus, the Sawi were inspired to be like Judas and Jesus became a laughing-stock among the tribe. They had success much later after witnessing a peace offering between the Sawi and two other warring tribes.

Each tribe would give up one of the infant sons to be raised by their enemies. Along with this trade, each member of the tribe would take a vow of peace as long as the child lived. There is no chance that a warring tribesman would kill the peace child as such an act was dubbed the ultimate sin. In this case, the ritual was especially poignant because one of the peace children was an only son . The Richardson’s were able to use this story as a parallel to Christ. Consequently, many decided to follow Jesus, and this led to a plethora of activities including having the New Testament translated into their native tounge. The Richardson’s mission in the Netherland jungle initially involved the young family showing the Sawi people that Christ had been imbedded in the tribes own mythology.

I wonder if the same could apply to the Na’vi of Pandora. From what we learn of Pandora, is there a Christ figure embedded in “the Na’vi way”? Where do you see Christ in Pandora and/or Avatar? Or even those who hold the same views about the natural world and humankind’s sense of being and existence. I see similarities between Pandora and the gospel of Christ, what about you?

what does it all mean basil?

In 1999 comedian Mike Myers reprised his role as Austin Powers international man of mystery in the second film to the Austin Powers franchise. in a dialogue with his commanding officer for the British intelligence named Basil, Austin asks the question ... "what does it all mean basil?" and this question I wish to prose here today.

I read a something recently (either in Rick McKinley’s Beautiful Mess or William Paul Young’s The Shack... quite frankly I have been doing so much reading these days I cant remember where I read it, anyways enough of my digression). It was  regarding the amount of time we comb through theological statements. too much time is wasted either trying to figure out everything there is to know about God, or someone will take a certain stance on a theological point (like the grace vs. works argument for example) and spend all their time and energy building an irrefutable claim regarding their take on the issue.

Time is wasted in debate centers and the arenas of argument when they could make better uses of their time by sharing a meal with a starving 40 year old mother to be wondering if she’s going to spend yet another night in the pee stained corner she slept in last night. Or in the middle of the Mohave Desert trying to produce clean drinking water to stave off dehydration, sickness and water borne diseases.

With that said I wonder the purposes of blogs. Now you’re probably thinking of the irony of the statement as I have my own blog that you are reading right now. Let me just say I realize the irony and just because it is ironic doesn’t mean I still wonder... on that note last night I mentioned my most recent posts about Jonah to a friend and advised them to read the two entries. They then expressed their joy and thankfulness in my sharing of Jonah as it resonated with them and I guess was a form of ministry

I guess to that I say there may be a purpose to blogging and a place for debate ... exactly what that purpose may be is beyond me but that’s okay because His ways are higher them mine. I don’t know, what do you think? Do I have a point or is this entry just mindless babble?

=)