Ted Haggard & Dealing With Sin

Ted Haggard is the senior pastor of the 14,000-member New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado and he is the president of the National Association of Evangelicals, which claims membership by dozens of denominations and millions of Christians. Haggard has had regular meetings with President Bush and was named by TIME magazine as one of the 25 most influential religious leaders in America.

November 2, Mike Jones, a male escort in Denver, claims that Haggard had been paying for sex with him for the past three years. Jones also says that that Haggard snorted methamphetamine before their sexual encounters to heighten the experience.

Ted Haggard is on suspension from New Life Church pending investigation and he has resigned his position with the NAE. Haggard’s initial response to the allegations was a complete denial of gay sex and drug use. At this writing Haggard has now admitted that he received a massage from Jones and bought meth but never used it and threw it away.

More of the story and the truth will come out. I will not draw final conclusions about Haggard until the investigation is over.

Because Haggard was such a man of influence and had taken strong public stands against a number of moral issues including gay marriage which is on the Colorado ballot for November 7, many are jumping on the story for whatever political gains can be had as well as to take shots at the hypocrisy that is found in religion, especially Christianity.

I concede that Christianity and the church have much hypocrisy and sin. For a variety of reasons there have been a percentage of believers through the years that have felt it important to portray themselves as “having it together” and not living “in bondage to sin”. Therefore, when it becomes known that said life that is “together” and free of “bondage” is in fact broken and sinful, watching skeptics take it as one more reason not to come close to God and faith.

To my skeptic friend, Christianity does work in the lives of believers to bring integration and to free from destructive behaviors. It works in my life. But, I’m still a broken and sinful person and so is every other Christian. I’m more healed, more whole and more free from destructive ways than I’ve ever been. But, I’m not above ever failing and falling again. That’s why we must live with humility about our state and extend much grace to others.

To my believing friend, take Haggard’s story as an occasion to re-examine your own frailty. Refresh your relationship with Christ and continue receiving His grace to become all that God has designed your life to be.

John Kerry & God's Grace

This past Monday former presidential candidate and Massachusetts Senator, John Kerry, addressed a group of college students and said that if they studied hard and made “an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.”

Five days away from mid-term elections Republicans are scrambling to spin this story in ways that lessen their sure-to-come losses and Democrats are scrambling to spin this story to shore up their anticipated gains. It’s all resulting in way too much noise for me.

Like you I’ve seen video replays of the comments more than I want to. I do think that Kerry’s intent was to take a shot at President Bush and not the troops. I don’t know whether Kerry’s comments were a true reflection of some level of disdain he holds for the military (like a “Freudian slip”) or if it was a “botched” joke.

Here’s what I do know. What comes out of the mouth is a reflection of what is in the heart. What’s in the heart affects the way we think and speak. Jesus said, “What people say with their mouths comes from the way they think; out of the mind come evil thoughts…” (Matthew 15:18,19, NCV)

Politics and damage control aside, if John Kerry wanted to experience God in light of his comments and the national backlash he’s incurred, Kerry would want to pray a prayer similar to King David: “God, examine me and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any bad thing in me. Lead me on the road of everlasting life.” (Psalm 139:23-24, NCV)

If I’m critical, harsh, unkind, sarcastic, or wounding in any way with my conversation, that is an indicator of the state of my heart. If I want to have a rich experience with God I must have a clean heart. So, I pay attention to my conversation (and a lot of other things) to help monitor the state of my heart/thinking.

At the point that I see pride, condescension, lack of kindness or love, that’s God’s invitation to receive His grace to repent (have my thinking changed). Then, my confession to others about my conversation is not an attempt to spin or lessen some consequence, but to reveal the changing work of God in me.

Oprah Winfrey Gives Away $1,000 Debit Cards

On Monday’s Oprah Winfrey show, the hostess had another big giveaway. If you’ve missed it in the past she has given away to her audience books, clothing, trips, a variety of foods and treats and even cars. This time Oprah gave each of the 300 guests in the studio audience a debit card worth $1,000.

However, there was a stipulation to receiving the gift. Each recipient had to agree to give away the $1,000. The audience was told that they could give away the entire $1,000 to one needy person or charity, or they could divide it up and give it to multiple people or charities. The choice was theirs. Each recipient was also given a DVD recorder so that they could capture what happens with their giveaway. Some of the clips will be used on later Oprah broadcasts.

Oprah said this was her favorite giveaway of all time. Why? Because she loves the feeling she gets when she gives something away. In her mind the gift was not the $1,000 debit card. The gift was the opportunity to know the feeling of bringing happiness to someone else.

What do you think? If you received a $1,000 from Oprah would you then want her to tell you how it must be used? I wonder if any of the recipients were disappointed? I wonder if any of the recipients will find a way to keep most or all of the money for themselves?

Why would I think such lowly thoughts? Because you and I regularly receive blessings and gifts from God that far exceed $1,000, and God retains the privilege of telling us what to do with it. A lot of the times we get to keep and enjoy His blessings. A lot of the time God directs us to give away His blessings. When we choose to pass on God’s blessings to others, theoretically we get to share in the experiential joy of blessing others.

But, many of us choose to keep God’s blessings to ourselves. We choose to ignore the needs of others or rationalize our own need for keeping all or most of the things God entrusts to us.

Here’s a prayer that God will always answer; “Lord what would You like for me to do with your blessings in my life?” Pray that prayer today and have some fun!

"Ferris Bueller's Day Off" Is More Difficult Now

It would be much more difficult for Ferris Bueller to have a day off now than it was in 1986 when the movie, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, was made. Do you remember how high school student Ferris tricked his parents into believing that he was sick, then he went out for a fun day of driving around Chicago with his buddy and his girlfriend?

According to USA Today it would be nearly impossible for Ferris to pull that off in 2006. Many cities have passed daytime curfew laws, so the cops would stop Ferris if he were on the street during school hours. New provisional driver’s licenses forbid teenagers from having other teenagers in their cars. Mom and Dad now have a global-positioning device installed in Ferris’ cell phone so that they can pinpoint his location on a map on their own cell phones.

Ferris also used the occasion of his day off to hack into the school’s computer to change his grades and attendance record. Now Mom and Dad can examine all of Ferris’ typing with software that let’s them monitor the home PC from their monitor at work.

Yes, it’s a new day. If you’re a parent you understand the desire to have more control over your child’s whereabouts. If you’re a teenager you probably don’t have much appreciation for the new technology and legislation.

No matter your age or generation the reality is that your Heavenly Father has always been monitoring your location, behavior and decisions 24/7. You’ve never even had a thought that God didn’t know about. Cheating, gossip, lust, illicit acts, unforgiveness, punitive behavior, stinginess, hate, prejudice, and much more have been seen and acknowledged by God. The human heart is desperately wicked and fallen.

Did you just do a double take on my use of the word “wicked”? In our relativistic world we’ve relegated wickedness to mass murderers and terrorists. But, the Bible makes it clear that we don’t compare our lives to others in this world. We compare our lives to the life of Jesus.

What we all deserve is judgment and condemnation from God. But, the grace and mercy of God provides forgiveness, redemption and transformation. That’s worth going to church and celebrating this Sunday!

Here Comes "Christmas Creep"

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…and we haven’t even had Halloween yet. Have you noticed? Retailers are already stocking their shelves with Christmas items while it is still October.

Wal-Mart, Target and Penney’s are hoping to get consumers into a shopping frame of mind two months early.

It’s a phenomenon called “Christmas creep,” according to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. William Cody of the Wharton School said, “The creep has been going on. Every year retailers hope that coming out early is going to reduce the amount of promotions. They’d rather people buy at full price.” The strategy is to capture more sales by letting people shop early.

For those who have forgotten, “Christ”mas is about the coming of Christ into our world. Every year the reality of Christmas and its rightful celebration is further buried and overshadowed, and for many even lost because of the assault of consumerism.

The retail industry has become so dependent on Christmas sales that for many it makes up 40% of their annual profits. This assault will only continue in the years to come.

For those that want to have a meaningful experience of God in the month of December let me encourage you now to make strategic decisions with your calendar, your checkbook and your heart. Make and live a plan to not get crazy during the holidays but to enjoy God’s presence.

Dreams, Fears & Darkness

Saturday I attended the memorial service for a long time friend. Buddy had been a Christian for many years and served God faithfully. You always knew when Buddy walked into the room. He has to be one of the top 5 extroverted people that I personally know. Energetic. Visionary. Funny. Encouraging.

During his service an anonymous quote by one of the speakers has arrested my thoughts for the past 24 hours.

Most people have their dreams reduced to the size of their fears.
Then their vision is tunnel, and most of what they see is darkness.

Do you have dreams? Has God given you a vision? Are you pursuing a destiny from above?

Buddy always did. I heard him say many times, “The best is yet to be.”

I pray today for you, my blogging friend, that your dreams are liberated from your fears and that your vision is filled with light. Believe it…the best is yet to be.

Mention of Prayer "Enrages" Professor

At Olivet College in Michigan a student who is a Christian says he was punished by one of his professors for making a reference to God in the classroom. According to Agape Press, freshman Jeremiah Bannister claims he was the target of anti-Christian bigotry and grade retaliation in his “Writing and Rhetoric” class.

Apparently Bannister was asked by Professor Austin Jackson, a Sunni-Muslim, to voice his personal opinion about what African-Americans can do to overcome historical prejudice. Bannister opposed affirmative action and slavery reparations and suggested that prayer would be one means of dealing with prejudice.

That suggestion allegedly angered Professor Jackson. Bannister claims that the professor said, “that invoking God in class was unacceptable; that it was anti-intellectual, that it was belligerent, and [that] it was completely unacceptable in his classroom. And he actually docked us 10 points from our grade because I invoked God in my opinion of what could be done.”

According to Bannister he was instructed to never mention anything about God or Jesus in the classroom.

Ironically Olivet College was founded in 1844 by Father John Shiperd with Christian values. According to the college’s web site Olivet redefined its direction in the early 1990’s.

The school is investigating the matter and my purpose is not to be critical of students, administration or faculty. My reflection is on the alleged statement of the professor. Whether he actually said such things or not, other academics certainly have. Are Christian theology, ideology and values “anti-intellectual”?

I’ve been in places and gatherings where “Christianity” was very “anti-intellectual” and looked at academia with disdain. To be fair, academia has often been anti-faith. But, the rest of the story is that nowhere does Jesus (the founder of Christianity) ask men and women to “check their brain at the door”. In fact just the opposite is true.

Jesus exhorted that if one is going to know God and follow God well one must “love the Lord your God with all your heart (feelings) and mind (thinking)…”

Dying Is Living

Last week I was listing to one of my favorite groups, MercyMe. Their latest CD,"Coming Up To Breathe", has a song at the very end called, "I Would Die For You". I liked a lot of the songs but this one arrested me.

I pulled the sleeve out of the CD cover and began reading the lyrics. They were exactly what I was preparing to say in a talk that I was giving yesterday in my church. Below the lyrics there was a paragraph that mentioned that the song had been written about a guy named BJ Higgins. Check out his web site here.

I read about 6 months of blog posts that not only detailed how BJ lived a full and abundant life for God but also how he died with peace and grace and a powerful sense of God's presence. BJ was just 15 years old but even at such a young age he discovered what was most important in life and he lived well.

The Bible says that the secret to living the life God plans for you is a paradox. In order to live you must die. Check out the link to my talk, "Dying Is Living" if you want to hear more.

A Lesson From The Torn Down Amish School

Thursday the Amish in Nickel Mines, PA had their one room schoolhouse demolished before dawn. The site where a gunman fatally shot 5 girls and wounded 5 others is now a bare patch of earth. The Amish plan to leave a quiet pasture where the schoolhouse stood.

Hopefully our nation has already learned important lessons from watching the Amish respond to this nightmarish tragedy. The Amish have modeled forgiveness having already declared their concern for the gunman’s family. They have modeled grief as they have clung to their faith and to their community for strength and courage. Anyone that learns how to forgive well and grieve life’s losses well is living an extraordinary life.

Now the Amish are demonstrating how to move forward from tragedy. Forgiveness and grief are not over. They will continue to experience both for some time. But, they will no longer view the schoolhouse. There will not be a structure to remind them of their pain. It’s gone.

In the Bible, Ecclesiastes 3:3 tells us that there is a time for everything; “A time to tear down and a time to rebuild.” There are times when our experience is so far reaching and so life penetrating that moving on has to be more radical than a patch work job on the walls and a fresh coat of paint. There are times to tear down and remove.

Some of us have “rooms” of resentment in various places of our heart. We sometimes go there and relive past trauma and experience pain, anger and raw emotion. And, as long as that “room” remains we return to it over and again. It’s like playing a videotape of someone wronging us, then rewinding it and playing it again and again.

That “room” needs to be torn down and we need to move on. This is a work that God does in us and we exercise faith in order to cooperate with His work. By faith we receive power to forgive, grieve, to tear down and to rebuild.

Do We Need More Churches?

In answer to the question, “Do we need more churches?” many cities are saying an emphatic “No”. According to USA Today churches are being turned away by cities and towns that hope to enliven a fading downtown or boost their tax base.

“There's more interest than ever in attempting to exclude churches and other houses of worship,” says Kevin Hasson, president of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. “They say they don't want churches there. They want something that generates tax revenue.”

Kenly, NC; Stafford, Texas; Miramar, Florida; Titusville, PA; are some of the cities listed that have concluded that more churches would be detrimental to their communities. It’s a case of choosing economics over faith.

Hey, I understand the argument and I’m sympathetic to cities that are trying to provide services to their citizenry in the face of escalating costs. And, I’ve seen many a church that never made much of a contribution to the well being of a community.

Let me hasten to say that I love the church, I’ve committed my life to serving God through His church and I believe that the church is the hope of the world. I really do. The church is entrusted with the gospel, the message from heaven on how to have eternal life. The church is the steward of the ministry of changing lives.

However, many churches have taken the notion of “don’t let the world corrupt you” to mean, “don’t be involved in your community.” As a result churches often act like leeches. Once you get involved in a church then you are no longer a contributing participant in the community.

About 3 years ago someone asked me the question, “If your church no longer existed would the city care that you were gone? Would the city even know that you were gone?” Great question.

From that point it became clear to me that God not only wanted us in the business of “changed lives” but He also wanted us in the business of “blessing the city”.

“When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices…” (Proverbs 11:10)

I want our church to be so involved in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, aiding those in recovery, counseling those who are confused, encouraging those who are losing hope and equipping others with basic life skills, that if our church should disappear the city would greatly mourn our absence.

What's Going On With Recent School Shootings?

This past week we were shocked and saddened to learn of a 32-year-old milk truck driver and father of 3 entering an Amish school in Pennsylvania and killing little girls execution style. This follows the tragic account from the week before of a 53-year-old man entering a school in Colorado, molesting several girls and then killing one. In both cases the men killed themselves afterward.

According to ABC News there have been 25 shootings at or near schools across our nation since the beginning of school two months ago! What’s going on?

Some complain that schools are not secure enough and need more procedures and personnel to ensure safety. Some continue the debate about gun control. Some point the finger at the media for giving “15 minutes of fame” to the perpetrators. Maybe there’s some truth to these positions and others that I didn’t mention. We probably should see some change in the above-mentioned areas.

However, I’m not hearing in the national conversation what I consider to be at the top of the list for the cause and effect of these tragic and horrific shootings. EVIL.

The most recent case involving Charles Roberts is the most illustrative of my point. Here is an average guy with a regular job, married with three children of his own. Without exception, everyone that knew Roberts said that they could never in their wildest dreams imagine him shooting and killing the little Amish girls. And yet, with full premeditation he enters the school with several guns, a lot of ammunition, lumber to block the door, a change of clothes and K-Y jelly, which one can only speculate was for sexual assault purposes.

Was Roberts depressed, upset, despondent, or hopeless? People get like that all the time but if they start “losing it” they are usually self-destructive at that point. They get drunk, take drugs, or even attempt suicide. Yet, Roberts carefully orchestrates and carries out a plan that assaults innocence, brings him fame and ends his life and pain. Now Roberts' invisible and seemingly insignificant life is known to all Americans and will live on in infamy.

This is the way evil works. The Bible teaches that there is a real person of evil called Satan or the Devil. He really has power. He really does influence the thinking and feelings of people.

Yes, make schools safer. Let’s work to have better control over who gets the privilege to use a gun. Let’s quit sensationalizing and making famous disturbed people who do awful things. But, let’s not forget to address the pervasive problem of evil. The ONLY hope we have in fighting against evil is the heart transforming work of God. ONLY God can change our evil and broken hearts and make them good and whole.

Is Congressman Mark Foley a Pedophile?

Mark Foley, a Republican Congressman who represented parts of Palm Beach County in Florida for 12 years has resigned and entered a rehabilitation program. He has been disgraced by the disclosure that he sent sexually suggestive emails and text messages to male congressional pages. He claimed that at no time was there actual sexual contact with any page. Before Foley entered rehab he also disclosed that he had been sexually abused as a child, he was intoxicated when he sent the inappropriate communications and he is homosexual.

Wow. One week Foley is a multi-term Congressman about to be re-elected and the next week his life is an entire “made for TV mini-series of scandal”.

I am sympathetic and I pray for rehabilitation and healing for Mark Foley. I do hope he is telling the truth that there was never any sexual contact with any page. I’m also prayerful for the pages that received these communications that God would guard their hearts from emotional, psychological and spiritual wounding or damage.

Reflect with me on one of the statements made by Foley’s attorney, David Roth. Speaking on behalf of and in defense of Mark Foley, Roth declared, “Any suggestion that Mark Foley is a pedophile is false.”

That statement raises the question: Is someone a pedophile because they have inappropriate sex with a minor? OR, Does someone have inappropriate sex with a minor because he is a pedophile?

I contend that the Bible makes the case for the latter. Jesus clarified the nature of a sinful heart when He pointed out the Law says, “Do not commit adultery. But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust in his eye has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27-28)

In other words, someone commits adultery because he IS an adulterer in his heart. Foley is a pedophile because he has pedophilia (lust for young males) in his heart.

Let’s bring that home to you and me. What’s in your/my heart? Pride? Greed? Lust? Envy? Gluttony? Wrath? Sloth? The Christ following life is not one that just recovers over and again from fallen behaviors. It is also a life that experiences “heart surgery” where God is allowed to purge and heal our hearts and thereby deliver us from fallen behaviors and outcomes.

Veggie Tales More Shocking Than Madonna?

Writer Terry Mattingly asks, "If you were a television executive, which program do you think would offend the most viewers across America?

"The first is a children's show featuring digital vegetables that sing and dance and tell silly parables. Each episode ends with a Bible verse and a witty tomato's reminder that 'God made you special and he loves you very much!'

"The second is a prime-time special in which Madonna sings her enigmatic ballad 'Live to Tell' while hanging on a disco-mirror crucifix and wearing a crown of thorns."

If you decided that it's the vegetables that are too hot to handle, then you're on the save wavelength as NBC.

Actually both shows got the green light but the veggies had to do some significant editing. The editing "rule of thumb" is that the veggies can tell what God did in the past but they can't suggest that God can do it in the present.

For example, in one script about Samson, Larry the Cucumber is convinced Samson must have gotten his extraordinary strength from his hairbrush. No, replies Bob the Tomato, the Bible says that Samson's strength came from God.

That line was okay. The next line where Bob says, "And God can give us strength too," had to be stricken by order of NBC execs.

Got it? Claiming that God can do something in your life today is offensive and not suitable programming.

Dear Reader, I'm not complaining. I'm just pointing out that there are powerful people in high places that are committed to preventing you and others from hearing the full story about God's presence and God's activity in this world. That's worth a moment of your reflection.

Embezzling Priests & The Nature of Sin

Thursday the news services carried the story of two priests in Delray Beach, Florida who allegedly embezzled $8.6 million in offerings and gifts made to their parish over several years. Specifics on how the money has been spent or where the remaining amounts are have not been determined but apparently the two priests have taken some trips and gambled a good bit of it away. It should be noted that the attorney for the priests claims that the money is more like $325,000 rather than millions. The seizure of funds began in 2001.

The actual amount of money stolen is important but my point of reflection focuses on the act, not the amount. How can two “holy men” do this? I’m not concluding that these two priests are already guilty. I’ll let the courts do that. But today’s news also carries the story from the West coast of a pending legal situation concerning a priest who allegedly molested boys and young men. I also don’t cast my reflection upon Catholic priests only. There are plenty of stories about protestant clergy.

How can those entrusted with the spiritual care of people and given stewardship over resources abuse that trust? This isn’t a case of someone “slipping” and falling once and repenting and getting back up. All of us do things we know are wrong and that most of the time we don’t want to do. Regular confession, repentance and forgiveness are the means of getting back on the right track.

But what I’m highlighting today is long-term, systemic sin, even while continuing to carry out ministerial duties of prayers, mass, communion, blessings, etc. How does that happen?

Long-term, systemic sin (sin habits) happens to all of us. You have “pet” sins and I have sins that tug at me to repeat them over and again. Maybe our sins don’t get into millions of dollars or make newspaper headlines, but our sins grieve God and leave us separated from God no matter how “insignificant” we deem them to be.

Sin habits and even addictions happen when we don’t immediately repent from a sinful act. For the priests, this would have meant that the first time they embezzled in 2001, God no doubt convicted them of this wrong and stirred them to repent (i.e.: stop, turn around and go a different direction). If they had chosen to repent there would have been some immediate consequences but they would also have been set free from the sin becoming a “master” that had power over their lives.

Every time they were convicted in their hearts and failed to repent, their hearts hardened. The human heart is capable of being so hard and our thinking can be so double-minded, we can literally perform ministry while stealing millions.

I share all of that to say this--Guard your Heart. The scary thing about the priest’s story is that it can and does happen to all of us. Again, just because you don’t make the headlines doesn’t diminish the importance of having a clean heart before God.

An unchecked lusting heart will lead to emotional or physical affairs. An unchecked greedy heart will lead to theft. An unchecked selfish heart will lead to a narcissistic, self-centered life. I could go on. Guard your heart.

If you are unclear about how to guard your heart, get involved in a church and a small group of trusted Christians that are all committed to “heart care”.

Dave Dravecky & Doing Life Over

Do you remember the Dave Dravecky story? A young left-handed pitcher for the San Francisco Giants in the late 1980’s, Dravecky showed great promise as a major league player until it was discovered that he had cancer in his pitching arm. Dravecky had an operation that removed the cancer. He went through grueling rehabilitation and re-entered the major leagues with an inspirational performance that earned him standing ovations.

Life and baseball looked exciting and promising again, and, Dave had more positive influence in the lives of young and old than ever before because of his courageous comeback. Then, the cancer returned and it was determined that the pitching arm had to be amputated! There are books and videos that tell the story and it would be worth your time and money. Check out his web site.

Last week my son got to hear Dravecky speak. I asked, “How was it? Did he say anything that stood out to you?” Justin replied, “Dad, he said that if he had his life to live over again he would want it to happen exactly the same way. He said that going through the cancer experience was the best thing that ever happened to him.”

Does that surprise you? It doesn’t me. I’ve heard dozens of people of faith through the years say similar things. Their conclusions are the same. God worked so powerfully in their lives and changed them so thoroughly that they would significantly be less than the person they’ve become had they not walked with God through hardship.

I think that is similar to what the Apostle Paul had experienced and thus he confessed, “I boast in my weaknesses so that Christ’s power may rest on me…I delight in my weaknesses…For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

$200 Million Powerball Winner & Heaven

At this writing it has been determined that one person selected the correct numbers in Iowa’s Powerball but he or she has yet to come forward to claim winnings of $200 million (actually about $140 million after taxes).

Wow! Can you imagine? One day you go to work for an average or below average salary and the next day you’re a multi-millionaire. In my mind the only thing that could be more stunning is to discover that you had the winning numbers after the time allotted to collect the prize and therefore you forfeited the windfall.

Do you feel the pain of the above scenario? Regretfully such a thing happens daily with respect to life’s greatest “jackpot”; the gift of knowing God and going to heaven some day when you die.

God has already said that He is not willing that any should perish without having eternal life. Therefore He pursues and woos you, others and me in order to give us life’s greatest gain. Yet many of us ignore God’s gift like a Powerball winner ignoring the announced winning numbers. The day that the “could-be-winners” discover their loss will be so awful that there is only one word to describe it: Hell.

What Do Tiger Woods & Roger Federer Have In Common?

Tiger Woods attended the recent US Open tennis championship and was spotted in the stands watching Roger Federer play. Did Tiger just happen to be in town, snag a hard-to-come-by ticket and enjoy a little tennis? Hardly. Tiger came just for the purpose of watching and later meeting with Federer. Why?

According to USA Today Tiger was with Federer because champions are attracted to each other. The article is the first in a series that looks at champions in baseball, football, basketball, NASCAR and more. Writer Erik Brady contends that men and women that are champions at such a high level are like “soul mates, magnetically attracted by mutual eminence.”

After the match Tiger and Roger spent significant time together connecting about life and about competition. Brady contends that only a few people on the planet know what it is to be the best of the best.

Before I finished the article I was in agreement with Brady’s premise. Recently I had the opportunity to spend three days at a nationally known training center for Christian missionaries. This center trains thousands of missionaries from all over America. I was privileged to have conversations with several men and women, some of whom were in their 20’s and others in their 60’s and all ages in between. Within minutes of each conversation I felt a tremendous connection.

I’ve been on mission serving God for several years and though I am not engaged internationally there is a lot of common experience with these missionaries so that my heart was constantly stirred as I heard stories about where each was going and what each would be doing. As with Brady I’ll also call it being “soul mates.”

We have chosen to love God and love a group of people with all our heart. We have chosen to sacrifice and pour out our lives to bless, encourage, resource, befriend, counsel, console, grieve, celebrate and in general just walk with people in the name of Christ.

If your mental picture of ministry is narrow-minded, know-it-all, condescending people that you wouldn’t want to hang out with, please think again. I’ve met those kinds of people and I don’t want to hang out with them either. The hundreds of “soul mates” that I know are some of the kindest, most generous, caring and sensitive people you’ll ever meet. Some of these “soulish” kinds of people can probably be found in a church that is near you. This Sunday might be a strategic time for you to check it out.

Rick Santorum & Bob Casey Talk About Faith

Tuesday was an election day for primaries and other issues in many states. In Pennsylvania incumbent Senator Rick Santorum (R) and challenger Bob Casey (D) are both openly talking about their faith during their campaigns. Both are Catholics and social conservatives. Both address Catholic and Evangelical groups. Sound okay to you?

For several years it has been increasingly taboo for Christians to talk about their faith in public much less in the political arena. The vocal social opinion has been that religion should be a private matter and not imposed on others in public discourse. Why?

I’ve had people share with me about their non-Christian convictions and I’ve never been offended or even uncomfortable. In fact, I’m often interested in what someone has to say because I’m curious about why people hold to non-Christian beliefs.

I agree that no one wants to be put down, condescended, or “sold” someone else’s convictions. I’m sure that kind of thing happens. I just never really encounter it. If someone becomes a little too enthusiastic with me in sharing his or her beliefs I don’t mind coming back with, “I can tell that means a lot to you. My faith means a lot to me also.”

If we are in fact moving in a direction of more freedom to discuss or share something of our faith I rejoice. Will there be those who posture themselves religiously or overstate their practice? Of course. Those people will overstate their concerns or involvements in other arenas also. But if we also have the opportunity to hear from authentic people like Santorum and Casey I say, “Bring it on.”

Life Has A Way of Crashing In On Us

Mary and Bill Hornbrook live in a relatively quiet and uneventful mobile home community for seniors in Auburn, Washington. Mary has some hanging baskets on her porch that needed some trimming. As she was headed toward the porch she was startled by a loud crash. At first she wondered if it were an earthquake. Bill came running into the room wondering if there had been a car accident in front of their home.

When they went out on the front porch to see what had happened the Hornbrook’s discovered that a piece of an airplane had fallen from the sky and crashed through their front porch roof according to the Federal Aviation Administration officials who came and took it away.

Mary was shaken for quite some time not only because of what happened but also because of what might have happened. If Mary had moved a little quicker and been trimming her baskets two minutes earlier she would have been standing in the exact spot where the airplane part came crashing in. In the “blink of an eye” Mary’s life as she knows it would have been over and she would have been ushered into the life to come.

In the Epistle of James we’re told that life is like a vapor or mist. Our lives are only here in this world briefly and it’s over. The Apostle Paul tells us that Jesus Christ is going to return to our world (a second coming) and when He does life, as we know it will be “changed in an instant, as quickly as the blinking of an eye.”

Whether we experience our own death or the return of the Christ, life can instantly be over and we enter the afterlife and world to come. The question is, “Am I prepared?”

I don’t know if Mary was and is ready to meet her Maker. I know that I am. Maybe you have some skepticism about this matter. That’s fine. My friendly encouragement to you today is, “What if I’m right? Don’t you owe it to yourself to find out?”

Perhaps you’d like to dialogue with me or with some friend that you respect who is a Christian. Maybe you’d like to read a book. Why not take some step to begin to get answers to what I think are life’s most important questions. Do it before life comes crashing in on you.

Susan Kuhnhausen Strangled an Intruder, a Hit Man

Susan Kuhnhausen is a 51-year-old nurse in Portland, Oregon. She returned home from work September 6, turned off her home alarm and stepped inside to find Dalton Haffey racing toward her with a hammer in hand. He landed a couple of blows on Susan but she began to fight back and she wrestled the hammer away from him and then strangled him to death.

Police are not charging her with any crime concluding that Susan Kuhnhausen acted in self-defense. In the immediate aftermath the police investigation was going in the direction of an interrupted burglary that turned violent. However, when investigators looked further into Haffey’s background they discovered that he not only had prior arrests for assault and attempted murder, but that he also worked for Michael Kuhnhausen, Susan’s estranged husband from whom she was in the process of divorce.

Now there is evidence that Michael was upset over the divorce and hired Haffey to kill Susan. Michael Kuhnhausen also bought a gun just prior to this incident and left an apparent suicide note. Allegedly Michael was going to have Susan killed and then take his own life.

This story is but one more example of the axiom, “Truth is stranger than fiction.”

My point of reflection revolves around Susan’s recovery from this ordeal and God. It’s significant enough to deal with the sense of invasion that happens when someone breaks into your home. Add to that attempted murder, then killing a man with your own bare hands as a matter of defense. Then, to top it off, your husband has orchestrated this episode. This trauma is off the charts in terms of recovery.

Susan is an ER nurse and acquainted with trauma and bizarre realities. But, there is a world of difference in maintaining a professional objectivity in your job and coming to grips with multiple personal violations.

I couldn’t find in any of the stories posted if Susan is a follower of Christ. I pray that she is or will be. Her inner life has been ravaged and though medicine and psychology can offer many kinds of help, this life needs a touch from a loving God. Don’t misunderstand; that loving touch isn’t like a magic wand that suddenly and immediately brings transformation. Rather that touch leads to another and another that in process brings healing and wholeness.

T-Ball Coach Mark Downs Has Lost His Moorings

Mark R. Downs, 29, of Dunbar, Pennsylvania, coaches 8 and 9-year-old boys in baseball. Near the season’s end there is a tournament, which is typical for most youth leagues. And also typical is a rule that says every player on the team must play some number of innings. That of course attempts to keep coaches from being so competitive that they only play their best 9 players and every other kid then sits on the bench for the whole tournament. Most parents have faced the ordeal of encouraging their child when they don’t get much if any playing time.

Downs apparently was overtaken by his competitiveness because he offered one of his players $25 to hurt a 9-year-old mentally disabled teammate. Obviously if the child was hurt then Downs would not have to put him in the game.

Eight-year-old Keith Reese testified in court that Downs made him the offer before a June 27 playoff game. “He told me if I would hit Harry (Bowers) in the face he would pay me $25,” Keith said.

Today a jury convicted Downs of two misdemeanor charges and acquitted him of the more serious charge, a felony count of criminal solicitation to commit aggravated assault.

Most of the commentary (journalistic and blogger) about Downs just says he is a jerk. Maybe. More precisely I contend that Downs has lost his moorings.

When a ship is moored or tied to a dock, it is prevented from drifting away and being lost. God creates people with unique and purposeful design. People have tremendous capacity to enrich and bless. When we become “untied” or disconnected from God, when we lose our moorings, then we are left to the ravages of the seas and we become broken and fallen. Downs squandered a strategic place in the lives of boys to enrich and bless their lives.

I pray for Downs to experience a “wake-up” call and use this episode to turn his life around. He is the father of two daughters. I also pray for the boys that the trauma of testifying in court and the sad memory of a spoiled summer can be used for positive life lessons. All would benefit greatly by being connected to the Creator.

Chicago Bears, Free Furniture & God's Blessings

Congratulations to the Chicago Bears for their shutout of the Green Bay Packers on September 10. Congratulations to all those who received free furniture because of the 26-0 win. According to the Chicago Tribune 206 families received free furniture from purchases made over the Labor Day weekend because Randy Gonigam, furniture store owner and Bears fan, had promised that all purchases over the holiday weekend would be free if the Bears shutout the Packers.

Gonigam was both frustrated with the Bears quality of play and he wanted to sell furniture. He thought his combined interests would make for an interesting promotion and he also thought it was a safe bet since the Green Bay Packers had not been shut out in 16 years. Now Gonigam is writing off $300,000 worth of furniture!

For one woman this meant her $5,000 master bedroom set was free. For one man it meant his $1,500 book shelving was free. And so the giveaway went. One customer commented, “This is the luckiest day of my life.”

In this story everyone is a winner (except for the Packers). The Bears win, the furniture customers win and even Gonigam wins. He received a lot of free publicity and calls from CNN and MSNBC about the promotion not to mention he took out an insurance policy just in case the Bears pulled off the shutout.

What would it take for you to have the “luckiest day of your life?”

Everyday Christ followers personally enjoy friendship with the Creator of the Universe. Everyday we see God bring healing to broken hearts, hope to despair, guidance to the confused and companionship to the lonely. Yes, God is the Almighty who holds our world together and He is the Judge that we all answer to, but He is also our Father, our Savior and the Lover of our Soul. The day you begin a relationship with God is the luckiest day of your life.

US Open Champion Maria Sharapova & Obeying God

This past Saturday Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova won her second grand slam tournament when she beat Justine Henin-Hardenne in the US Open. If you are a tennis fan you no doubt enjoyed seeing some of the best tennis players in the world as well as the farewell appearance of Andre Agassi.

If you’re not a tennis fan you may not be aware that there is a rule that no coaching can take place during tournament play. Even though your coach may be seated in the stands a few feet from the court there is not supposed to be any verbal or non-verbal communication taking place.

Apparently during tournament play Sharapova’s father and her hitting partner were at one point holding up a banana and holding up four fingers. In a post tournament interview Sharapova was asked to explain the hand signals she was receiving from her support people.

Sharapova explained that during the match she gets so focused on tennis that she forgets to drink water and hydrate herself. The hand signals were meant to simply be a reminder.

With that explanation Sharapova indicated to reporters that she didn’t want to talk about the subject of unfair communication any more. She said, “Right now I’m sitting here as a US Open champion, and the last thing I think people need to worry about is a banana.”

I like Maria Sharapova and I enjoy watching her play tennis. In the matches that I’ve watched she has always conducted herself with class and professionalism. And, I don’t like to nit pick. However, it doesn’t matter if you’re being reminded to hydrate or if you’re being reminded to hold your racket a certain way for a drop shot, it is still receiving coaching during the tournament.

Why am I putting that little act under the microscope? The receiving of illegal coaching and the demand that it be dismissed as a matter of interest is a reflection of how our world thinks today. Many who believe that there is a God and that someday we will stand before Him to give an account of how we spent our lives, also believe that they are going to be able to insist that God not look at certain behaviors. Some live like they are going to be able to say, “I’m a US Open champion (good, charitable, fair, hard-working, kind person) and the last thing I think You ought to worry about is a banana (cheating, lying, selfishness, etc.).”

On that day you won’t be able to control the press or your image. God will be in control. And, the only hope you’ll have is that you already received forgiveness for sin from Jesus Christ and that you followed Him as Your Lord. Friend, that’s worth reflecting on.

To Combat 'NFL Exodus,' Church Subsidizes TiVos

Many churches in the fall have a common experience. Men begin staying home from worship gatherings to watch Sunday NFL games. One church thinks that they have discovered the answer to this dilemma. Red Oak Nazarene Church in Cleveland, Ohio bought a stack of TiVo players, placed them in the foyer of the church and offered to subsidize TiVo subscriptions to any member in good standing. Seventy-five families have availed themselves of the offer thus far.

The church now prints the Brown’s schedule in the Sunday bulletin and also offers classes on how to program a TiVo DVR.

Sound crazy? It is. This story appeared on a satirical web site called LarkNews. However, it raises a great point for reflection.

How much should a church coax, encourage, invite or entice people to gather on Sundays to worship God?

After all, we’re talking about the Creator of life, the Redeemer of our souls, and the Judge we face at life’s end. If God is who He claims to be (see the Bible) then it only makes sense that worshiping (honoring, exalting, yielding to) God would be our first priority. Forget football, boating on the lake, sleeping in late, working in the yard or drinking coffee and reading the paper. The King of kings and Lord of lords is looking for our arrival and expecting our celebration of His Presence in our midst.

On the other hand, if God is imagination, mythology, or superstition, then I would be wasting my time gathering with other people to sing songs and hear a speaker drone on about nothing.

But, which is it? That is THE question.

Remembering 9-11 & Asking the "Safe" Question

As we approach the 5th anniversary of the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, journalists and politicians will bring many things to our attention and remembrance. Amid all the talk will be one question that will be asked and discussed over and again; “Are we safer today than 5 years ago?”

There will be posturing and pontificating, bloviating and bellowing about how we are/are not more safe. Anecdotes, statistics and expert opinions will be in abundant supply. I do care about America being safer. I do think that we’ve made progress in securing our nation. I do think there is much more to be done. I want our government and citizenry to do everything reasonable to keep our country as free and secure as possible.

That being said, we can never be totally safe. Right? Even if we secure the borders and keep Al-Qaeda at bay, there will always be a “Timothy McVeigh” within that will strike senselessly and ruthlessly. There has always been and there will always be cruelty and an assault on innocence.

Because of this reality, ancient Hebrews and Christians refused to trust in “horses and chariots” or in alliances with powerful nations. Rather, they placed their trust in the Lord. Did trusting God mean that a “believer” never suffered at the hands of evil? No. There are many accounts in history and contemporary news of robberies, rapes and ravages. But the difference is that the “believer” had a confidence and hope that God would either be their fortress and rock (safety) or, if God allowed something horrific to happen God would somehow make that work for a good, redemptive purpose.

In Hebrews 11:35-39 there is an account of many faithful believers that suffered terrible things. Their testimony is that it is more important to know the Deliverer than it is to be delivered. That testimony is worth reflecting on.

As I close today’s post let me encourage you to take a moment right now and say a prayer for surviving family members and friends of the 9-11 victims. They deal and cope every day with loss that we only think about occasionally.

"Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin Killed

Steve Irwin, aka the Crocodile Hunter, was tragically killed today while filming off the Great Barrier Reef. Irwin is a television personality and conservationist known for handling crocs, snakes and other deadly kinds of animals. His latest project was producing a series called “Ocean’s Deadliest”. While filming today Irwin got too close to a stingray and was killed at age 44.

Irwin’s colleague, John Stainton, said that Irwin “came on top of the stingray and the stingray’s barb went up and into his chest and put a hole into his heart.” Apparently stingrays have a serrated, toxin-loaded barb, or spine, on the top of their tail. The barb, which can be up to 10 inches long, flexes if a ray is frightened. Stings usually occur to people when they step on or swim too close to a ray and can be very painful but rarely fatal, said University of Queensland marine neuroscientist Shaun Collin.

Collin said he suspected that Irwin died because the barb pierced under his ribcage and directly into his heart.

I only have sympathy and grief for the Irwin family and all of his fans and I have no criticism for the work he did and the risks he took. However, the first thought I had when I saw the news of his death was the old proverb, “If you play with snakes you will get bit.” Another similar proverb is, “If you play with fire you will get burned.”

In my world I have meaningful relationships in multiple arenas. In every arena I have friends that are playing with “snakes” and “fire”. Like Irwin, my friends have children and other loved ones that are or will be impacted as they get bit and burned. Every week I offer friendship and counsel to those who have lost their marriages, their children, their careers, their health, and the potential of their futures because their hearts were “pierced” by pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, or sloth.

Yes, I just named the so-called 7 Deadly Sins. If I were you I would take this post reading as a divine encounter. God has sought to lovingly tap you on the shoulder, to lead you away from deadly games, and to usher you in to a life marked by true abundance.

Life Is Fragile. Do You "Handle With Care?"

Betty Simon was a 46-year-old mother of two grown sons. She worked at a Jack-In-The-Box in North Seattle. All she was doing was waiting at a bus stop to catch a ride home and now she is dead.

Apparently Simon was standing at the bus stop just minding her own business when a 53 year old Seattle man rode his bicycle past her and accidentally bumped her. Simon lost her balance from the bump and fell off the curb and under a bus. She died instantly.

The bus driver, who apparently had no fault in the accident whatsoever, was taken to the hospital for evaluation.

The Bible tells us that our lives are like a mist, like a vapor. Life is very temporal and very fragile. My post from August 31 told the story of a 43 year old father of 4 who was tragically killed while driving down I-5 because debris flew off the back of a truck in front of him.

Friend, it raises the question, “How prepared are you for your life to be over or changed forever?” The bus driver was just doing her job. Though she had no fault she will have to deal with running over and killing a mother of 2 for the rest of her life. The bicyclist will have to deal with bumping into Simon for the rest of his life. Simon now stands before the living God to give an account of how she spent her one and only life.

I don’t have the personal strength, courage or wisdom to deal with everything that happens to me in a lifetime. I need God as my Rock as well as my Companion in order to do life’s journey well.

God's Power for Forgiveness & Peace is Real

August 18 Gavin Coffee, a 43-year-old father of 4 was tragically killed in a car accident on Interstate 5 in Seattle. Brian Campbell was driving in front of Coffee when allegedly his unsecured load in the back of his pickup truck flew backward causing a chain-reaction car crash. Coffee’s vehicle swerved in order to miss the falling debris and his car was T-boned by a Lincoln Town Car, probably killing him instantly.

Gavin and his wife Heidi are devout Christians and members of Seattle’s City Calvary Chapel. Gavin volunteered and worked with the church’s youth. In fact, he was on his cell phone talking with his pastor, John Aydelott, when he suddenly said into the phone, “Whoa! Whoa!” Then came the sound of metal crunching. Pastor John overheard the car crash and Gavin’s death.

About losing her husband Heidi said, “I don’t have any regrets. We expressed how much we loved each other. We lived life to the fullest that we could.” God’s peace was so powerful and prevalent in Heidi, who is pregnant with their fifth child, that she instantly offered forgiveness to Campbell. She said, I don’t want the man “to be blaming himself all his life” for the crash. “It was one of those freaky things that happened.”

What’s more, Heidi contacted Campbell and invited him to attend the memorial service.

I’ve been a Christian for several years and though I’ve seen God’s power bring forgiveness and peace many times I’m always in awe of God’s gracious work in our lives.

Heidi will still have grief and sorrow over her loss. She will still have tremendous challenges raising her four children. Giving birth to her fifth without Gavin at her side will be bittersweet. But God’s power is real and Heidi gives every indication that she will continue to lean into Him and find the grace she will need to face the challenges of each day.

Oscar Winner "Chariots of Fire" 25th Anniversary

It’s been 25 years since the release of one of my favorite films, Chariots of Fire. The story about two British athletes preparing to compete in the 1924 Olympics was nominated for 7 Academy Awards and won 4 including Best Picture.

The movie is based on the true story of Englishman Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell known as the flying Scotsman. Both were competing in the 100 meters but Liddell dropped out as a matter of Christian conviction when he discovered that the race was to take place on the Sabbath. Liddell was allowed to compete in the 400-meter race instead where he won a gold medal.

If you haven’t seen the movie do yourself a favor and rent it this week. It is not a “sport’s film” as much as it is the story of men who follow their passions and live their convictions.

There are many memorable scenes. Allow me to highlight just one. Liddell was a devout Christian whose parents were missionaries. His sister Jenny had serious doubts about the appropriateness of Eric’s racing and the fame that accompanied his success. On one occasion she challenged him that he should quit racing and get on with becoming a missionary.

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Liddell responded, “Jenny, God made me to run fast and when I run I feel His pleasure.” My friend, God has made each of us to do and be something and when we are faithful to that we “feel His pleasure.” What a profound joy that is.

The film doesn’t go on to tell the rest of Liddell’s story. He did become a missionary to China where he served the poor and worked as an educator. During the Chinese-Japanese War his mission was taken captive by the Japanese army. Liddell became a leader in the prison and helped the others to survive the ordeal. He died in prison in 1945.

The Virgin Mary, Turtles & God Sightings

Shirley McVane is 81 years old and lives in Chicago, Illinois. She has a couple of little turtles in a bowl. As one of the turtles has grown over the past year the underside of the turtle’s shell has developed an image that Shirley says is the Virgin Mary.

In the past couple of weeks there have also been reports of the Virgin Mary seen in chocolate drippings in a Southern California candy factory. Perhaps you remember the story from several months ago of the woman who saw the image of the Virgin Mary on her grilled cheese sandwich. Later she sold that sandwich for $28,000!

This blog is all about God sightings. I believe that God can be found in many ways and in many places every day. I want to capture that and reflect on that and share that with others. I want to hear about such sightings from you.

But honestly, I don’t know what to make of turtles, chocolate and grilled cheese sandwich sightings. My fear is that skeptics see these stories and solidify their skepticism about God and confirm their conclusions about people of faith as superstitious and silly.

Hebrews 11:6 invites us to believe that God exists and to believe that God will reward those who seek Him. What’s the reward? If you seek God your reward is that you find God. Finding God is an invitation to experience God. May this be such a day for you.

Is Jose Miranda Jesus Christ?

Jose Luis De Jesus Miranda is an evangelist, a television and radio personality, claims to have a following of millions, and says that he is Jesus Christ.

In addition Miranda has announced that sin no longer exists and there is no devil. However, there is still the call to give offerings and his followers give huge contributions. Some hand over their entire paychecks while at least one follower gave him a $1 million home. He says that God wants him to have gold, diamonds and drive BMW’s.

What do you think? Upon what basis would you make a decision?

I think Miranda is seriously deceiving his followers. Whether he is being deceptive because he is deluded or deranged or devious, I don’t know. What I do know is that he is neither Jesus Christ nor correct about his theology.

How can I make such a conclusion? Who am I to say Miranda’s wrong and I’m right? Let me briefly state three things. 1) I believe the Bible is a trustworthy guide to knowing God and knowing what God is like. Miranda is not in step with the Bible. 2) I have had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ for 30 years. I’m His follower and servant. Miranda is not Jesus. 3) The Bible teaches that God gives to His followers discernment about whether matters are true or false. Miranda is a false prophet and teacher.

My point with this reflection is that you face issues and decisions every day. You need divine guidance, wisdom and discernment. Most issues are not as obvious as Miranda. If you’re going to grow in confidence of knowing God, knowing what God is like and discerning God’s guidance for your life then you will be greatly helped by these three things. 1) Pray to God and learn to have a conversation with Him. 2) Worship God privately and publicly with a church body. 3) Read the Bible and discover what it says for yourself. Having a community of faith with those who become trusted friends will provide a safe and encouraging context for experiencing God.

McGavick Senate Race & Confession

Washington Republican Senatorial candidate Mike McGavick released in the news this week a list of past "sins" including a 1993 DUI. In the somewhat unusual campaign move McGavick said he didn't really know if Maria Cantwell, the Democratic incumbent, was planning to use these matters against him during the campaign but he thought he should be the one to bring them up and talk about them rather than his opponent.

Campaign strategists were quoted as saying, this "looks like a good move." We'll see if it is a good move or not.

My point of reflection today is, "Why would anyone confess to past sins?"

There are very powerful reasons that have nothing to do with whether it is a good political move. The Bible tells us that when we confess our sins to God, "He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from our iniquity." There's a lot to be said about forgiveness and cleansing.

I've made a lot of mistakes. I've received a lot of forgiveness. I live daily in the freedom that comes with forgiveness. I don't have to be afraid of who might find out what about me. I don't have to waste a lot of time and energy with "image maintenance". Because of God's forgiveness I've been able to be open and real with trusted friends with whom I've shared similar confessions. I live a life of being "known". I highly recommend it.

Those in AA and other recovery circles have a saying that is right on the mark: "You're as sick as your secrets." Maintaining an image and hiding things from God and others keeps you in bondage, in hiding and in distress.

Jesus said, "If you're weary, come to Me and I will give you rest."

Paramount, Tom Cruise & God's Perspective

Tom Cruise and Paramount Pictures are parting ways according to news reports yesterday. Movie industry analysts have described Cruise as a “cash cow” for Paramount, with his films having earned them $2.5 billion over the last 14 years. While his latest film, Mission Impossible III, was a domestic disappointment with $133 million, it has taken in more than $390 million internationally.

What’s the problem? According to Viacom chairman Sumner Redstone the problem has been Cruise’s behavior, which has included the Scientologist’s public criticism of antidepressants and his very public courtship of star Katie Holmes. Redstone said, “His recent conduct has not been acceptable to Paramount.”

As with most things Hollywood this is all about externals and marketability. There are plenty of big stars with outrageous behavior including drug abuse, prostitution, rape, DUI’s, imprisonment and so much more. Cruise looks like a “boy scout” in comparison.

So, don’t misunderstand Paramount. They are not taking some “high road on conduct” and raising the bar on behavior. If Cruise’s Scientology and courtship with Holmes had been well received by the public all would be well in Paramount land.

All of this brings me to God. He’s not interested in public opinion polls and doesn’t care about what is marketable. His focus is never on the externals, no matter how awful or how meritorious. God is all about the internal, the heart.

A sick heart produces sick behavior. A redeemed heart produces life-giving behavior where we have capacities beyond ourselves to love, to give, to forgive, and to bless others. There is considerably more “heart disease” in our world than ever reported by the American Heart Association because so many hearts remain disconnected from God.

Do you know how to connect your heart to the heart of God? Much could be said in response to that question but let me just mention one. You can’t connect your heart to God’s heart by first cleaning up your behavior. Being good is not the issue. You connect your heart to God’s heart with a humble admission that you can’t be good and with a simple faith request that Jesus save you from yourself and from sin. Only Jesus can change the root (heart) so that there is different fruit (behavior).

The Atlanta Braves & "Faith Days"

Professional sports want to fill the seats of their stadiums and arenas. Thus a new marriage of marketing and faith has recently taken place with the Atlanta Braves organization.

It’s not unusual for professional sports teams to have Christian athletes and several of them use their celebrity to share their faith in Jesus Christ. Is that wrong?

On July 27 the “share the faith” factor took a twist when the Braves used the Christian faith of their athletes to sell tickets and draw a crowd by having ‘Faith Day’. Lest you think it was like a Billy Graham Crusade with Bibles in the seats, it was a Major League Baseball game that featured a post-game event with players sharing their Christian testimony and Christian bands playing music. In other words, you had to make a choice to stay after the game to experience the faith part of the day.

The idea began with the minor league baseball team, the Nashville Sounds. Their ‘Faith Days’ sometimes doubled and tripled the size of their crowds. The Braves thought it was worth trying at the major league level.

This led sportswriter Dave Zirin to comment that Faith Days “mark a tremendous step backward for the sport because baseball has always been the great Americanizer for people of all nationalities. Religion belongs in Major League baseball as much as fish belong on bicycles.”

Come on Dave, you’ve got to be kidding. I’ve been to professional games that touted “single’s night” which featured a dance and party for all the singles that wanted to stay after the game and enjoy the festivities. There have been other targeted groups to have special emphases as well. No one is forced to experience any of these marketing events. You have to choose to stay.

In my opinion there is an increased sensitivity about faith (especially Christianity) in the public arena. The contention is that religion is private and ought to remain private. Historically this has never been true. Faiths of all types have always been expressed and experienced publicly. It seems to me we need to relax about such things.

I'm Addicted To Transformed Lives

Today's phone call is one of the reasons that I love being a Christian. I'm addicted to seeing lives change. The word that comes to mind is metamorphosis. You know, the caterpillar becoming the butterfly.

I asked permission if I could share some of Kimberly's story. After experiencing a date rape as a teenager Kimberly dealt with her brokenness in broken ways. She became promiscuous and also began using drugs. Even though she later got married and had kids she couldn't shake her drug habit and Kimberly and her husband began going to strip clubs. On a whim she entered an amateur stripping contest and won. That opened the door to Kimberly becoming a stripper.

The money was good, the hours gave Kimberly flexible time to be with her kids, and it kept her drug habit going.

Then came Easter. All you can say is that God must have stirred her heart in some way because Kimberly decided she was going to church on Easter, and she did! Then she went again and again. Her heart softened toward Christ and His church and she decided to become a Christ follower. God so deeply touched Kimberly's life that she not only was able to stop doing drugs but she began telling her customers at the strip club, "You ought to go home to your wife and stop coming here!" Within weeks Kimberly not only left the business but she created and led a coalition to promote family values and to oppose the operation of strip clubs with ordinances and legislation.

It was at this point that I met Kimberly and invited her to my church to share her story. That was several years ago and we've stayed in touch ever since. Today's call was to let me know that God continues to redeem her life and change our world. She just returned from training leaders in Puerto Rico to work with family enrichment and to work for the healing of those with wounded hearts. She just received an invitation to do the same training in Venezuela and a major American organization just hired her to train thousands of their personnel.

Have you considered bringing your "caterpillar" life to God and inviting Him to birth you into a new life? I've done it. I have dozens of friends that have done it. God may be closer to you in this moment than at any other time in your life.

Postcard Delivered After 58 Years

Charles “Rocky” Rose is 82 years old and lives in Spiceland, Indiana. Recently Judy Dishman, the postmaster, delivered to Rose a penny postcard mailed in 1948. The postcard had been mailed from Rose’s mother. The mother and son used penny postcards in the 1940’s to exchange news. No one knows why it wasn’t originally delivered over 58 years ago.

The postcard said in part, “Hi Buddy, How’s my boy? Fine I hope.”

To Rose the words are priceless. “I wouldn’t sell it for nothing on earth,” he said.

It’s understandable how precious it would be to suddenly receive written words from a long deceased parent. No doubt Rose’s memory and imagination have been working overtime the last few days as he reflects on his relationship with his mother and what she meant to him.

This is the way it is for many Christians with respect to the Bible. The Bible is a lot like a letter written from our Father. Along with history and theology there is a very personal message to His sons and daughters that reads similarly, “Hi son/daughter, How are you? I am committed to make it well with you.”

Rose’s postcard wouldn’t mean a great deal to other people beyond the novelty of it being old and undelivered for so long. The Bible doesn’t seem to mean a great deal to others beyond it being ancient and containing mysteries. But, for those that know God as Father, they are precious words for which “we wouldn’t take nothing on earth”.

Should Boone Pickens Give $165 Million To OSU Athletics?

Oil tycoon and savvy investor, 78-year-old Boone Pickens loves Oklahoma State University and loves OSU athletics. Just after Christmas last year Pickens wired $165 million to a school-connected account. Why? Pickens wants to make OSU athletics the best in the United States. The money will benefit all of the athletic program’s team sports since it is tied to building projects that will create or improve facilities.

A lot of people give significant sums of money to college athletic programs. But, I ask you, if you had $165 million would you give it to college athletics?

The rest of the story is that Pickens has given through the years a total of $250 million to OSU. A relatively small percentage of that total has gone to academics and the rest to athletics.

I love sports and I follow college football and basketball closely. And, let me hasten to add that I am not critical of Mr. Pickens decision. I raise the question of where or how to spend money because it reveals our worldview and theology.

How does anyone make a decision to spend any amount of money? Followers of Jesus Christ do so by praying for divine guidance. Why? Not because Christians lack common sense about spending or because we lack courage to invest. Divine guidance is necessary for believers because we hold the conviction that everything in this world belongs to God, including money.

In Psalm 50:12 God tells us, “For the world is Mine, and all it contains.”

God is very aware of what we need and don’t need. He is aware of poverty, disease, and economic injustice that devastate large parts of His world. God is also aware of the enrichment to life that college academics and athletics can provide. Therefore God stirs the hearts of people to whom money has been entrusted and guides them to give away significant portions of it to meet the needs of others and to make a difference in the experience of life.

Was it a good idea to give $165 million to OSU athletics? I don’t know. Ask God. It’s His money.

Do Americans Have ADD About Important Things?

A recent poll found that nearly three-quarters of those asked could name each of the Three Stooges — Larry, Curly and Moe — but only 42 percent were able to name the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government.

That's according to a new Zogby poll in which 77 percent of Americans could name two of the seven dwarfs, while just 24 percent knew two of the nine Supreme Court justices.

And while 57 percent of Americans could name fictional boy wizard Harry Potter, less than half could name Great Britain's real prime minister, Tony Blair.

Do Americans have attention deficit when it comes to the important things of life? Is our thinking dominated with the trivial?

What about God? Many claim that God and our relationship to Him is THE most important thing in life. Is it? How do you know? If that is a false claim wouldn’t you want to know?

Let me encourage you to spend 4-5 weeks legitimately seeking answers to questions about God. Read a biblical book in its entirety like the Gospel of John. Say some prayers every day just to see what happens. Attend worship services at a church with a friend that you respect. Many go to that much trouble to try a new diet or to explore a new hobby.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” --Jesus, Matthew 7:7-8

Bono Is Seeing Christianity Redefined

Friday I had the unusual opportunity to see U2 lead singer, Bono. Of all places, I was attending a leadership conference and Bono was being interviewed by Chicago Pastor Bill Hybels. The subject was about the responsibility that we all bear to speak for those that have no voice and to advocate for those who are without power in our world.

Of special focus was Bono’s humanitarian effort in Africa and his challenge to churches to get involved and make a difference. Apparently in 1984 Bono was a part of Band Aid (he’s been a part of several other concert fund raising efforts since) where his personal encounter with poverty and disease broke and seized his heart.

Bono is out in the open that he sees his celebrity as a gift to be spent on behalf of those in greatest need. As a result Bono has been calling heads of state, film stars, rock stars and even pastors to enlist them all in the battle against poverty and disease.

During the interview Pastor Hybels asked Bono a few questions about his faith. Bono said something that I’ve heard several others say through the years. His reply was, “I really like Jesus. It is Christians that I have a problem with.”

Since Bono’s initial contact with Hybels many churches have begun to join the movement for justice for our world’s weakest people. Hybels asked Bono, “Is your opinion about Christians and churches changing?” Bono replied with an obvious smile, “Yes. Christians are really making it difficult for me to continue to dislike them.”

Christianity and the Church have often been slow to respond to need, especially in the West. But in many nations in the world Christianity has been the first on the scene to build schools and hospitals. In recent national and international disasters Christian organizations were first on the front lines providing food and medical aid and building shelters for the homeless.

If you have been like Bono (Jesus is okay but Christians are problematic) perhaps you could give it all a second look and a second chance.

Katrina Teaches Church Important Lesson

Hurricane Katrina was the costliest (about $81 billion) and one of the deadliest (1,836 deaths) hurricanes in the history of the United States. Katrina devastated the Gulf coast for over 100 miles from its center.

On the morning of August 29 2005 Katrina slammed into the Mississippi and Louisiana border and the First Baptist Church in Gulfport, Mississippi lost their church facilities.

Founded in 1896, the church had to demolish its current sanctuary, built in 1967. They plan to rebuild on a different site a few miles North of their current site. For now the church gathers and worships in the Gulfport High School auditorium.

The congregation learned an important lesson. The church is never the building. The church is a group of Christ followers who live in covenant and commitment with one another and with Christ. Why is that important?

If you have any interest in “checking out church” sometime, don’t begin your search with the newest building in town or for that matter the oldest, most historic. The building is only a resource. Begin your search with looking at the church body or church members. Do they love each other? Are they pleased that you’ve come to visit and do they show interest in you? Is there a sense of God’s presence present? Are they concerned to live and put into practice the teachings of the Bible, or do they just want to talk about the Bible?

No church is perfect so don’t let a few faults scare you off. And, you’ll do well to not approach “checking out church” as a consumer. You’re not shopping for a religious commodity. You’re searching for connection with God.

Experiencing the church of God is a passion of mine. If I can assist you in any way in your search I would be pleased to help.

If Floyd Landis Was A Christian

Floyd Landis, the 30-year-old cyclist from Pennsylvania is only the third American to win the prestigious Tour de France. Now the title has been officially stripped from him because he has been charged with “doping” or using extraordinary substances to enhance his performance. In other words he’s been charged with cheating. If the ruling stands he would be the first competitor to have the title stripped away in the 103-year history of the Tour.

I’m not a cycling fan and I’ve only paid slight attention to the story. Tuesday night Landis appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. There were no jokes and it was not a humorous part of the show. Leno asked Landis some straight questions and Landis maintained his innocence.

I obviously don’t know if Landis is innocent or guilty. The charge was that Landis had a very high testosterone level in his system caused by an external source and not naturally produced by his system. Landis claims that he has always, naturally had high testosterone levels.

Here’s what I do know. If Floyd Landis were a Christian the Bible has very clear instructions about how he should proceed. If Landis is innocent, then he would take whatever legal means available to him to prove his innocence but ultimately he would entrust his innocence and reputation to God. When I become a follower of Christ I give Him my heart, my ambitions, my influence and my reputation. I trust Him to use and to guard these things in life enhancing and life giving ways.

There’s a story in Genesis 37-50 about a man named Joseph who was wrongfully charged, found guilty and imprisoned. In the end God vindicated Joseph and restored to him dignity, respect and influence. Sometimes God’s vindication comes in our lifetime and sometimes it comes in the next life. If Landis is innocent then to a great degree he would be “resting” in the care of God.

If Landis is guilty then the Bible instructs that he should confess, own up to the cheating, seek forgiveness and offer restitution (do whatever possible to make the wrong, right).

Becoming a Christian does not mean one never has unjust problems, nor does it mean that one never sins or fails again. Therefore, we’ve been given clear guidelines about how to deal with both scenarios.

Mel Gibson Is Anti-Semitic

What else can be said about Mel Gibson? By no means do I want to add to the piling on he has experienced in the past week. Following his drunk driving arrest and his profane and prejudiced comments about Jews Mel was apparently very contrite. He didn’t pretend that he was misunderstood or misquoted. Mel admitted that he had been despicable and said horrific things. He apologized and committed himself to finding ways to reach out to the Jewish community.

I’m a Mel Gibson fan. I like his movies. I’m pulling for him to overcome his alcoholism. I’m willing to forgive him and I don’t quite get it why others feel a need to punish him.

But, I reject Mel’s claim that he is not anti-Semitic.

You drop a tea bag into hot water and you’ll find out what kind of tea you have. The hot water merely releases what is already inside of the tea bag. In Mel’s case the alcohol released what was inside of him. Several Jewish colleagues of Mel’s have come forward and testified that they know him and they know that he’s not anti-Semitic. Sorry, I still contend that it was anti-Semitism that came out of Mel’s heart.

I’m not concluding that Mel Gibson is an anti-Semite in a condemning way. He claims to be a Christian. If so, I believe that following Jesus can bring a fully transforming power to his life that thoroughly changes his heart.

Mel involuntarily had his heart revealed. He now has an opportunity to let God transform him. You don’t have to have your heart revealed, but you may choose to. You see, following Christ is not a matter of just being good or moral. Following Christ is an act of courage to see clearly what is in your heart and to invite Christ to invade your heart and radically change it.

An Hour On Sunday

What are you doing this Sunday morning? Do you have plans? Have you even thought about it? What about investing an hour in drawing nearer to God?

If you are already a follower of Christ then invest an hour in worshiping God. If you are still seeking answers about faith, then invest an hour investigating Christ and His church.

Nancy Beach has written a wonderful book, An Hour On Sunday. She concludes, “I am convinced that modern day miracles can take place when people enter our churches. The hour on Sunday can be a time for wonder, a time to quiet souls, spark deep emotion and prompt turning points with eternal significance.”

I’m praying today that you might have a simple but special hour this Sunday with God and His community.

Blessings.

Room Service Bills & Eternal Life

Bill McGee at USA Today writes a helpful piece on tipping called: “How to Avoid the $30 Hamburger.” He shares about a recent hotel stay where he ordered a hamburger through room service so that he could get some work done in his hotel room and not have to run out for lunch.

The hamburger cost $18, room service delivery was $3.00, room service “service charge” was $3.78 and tax was $1.80. His total for a convenient in room hamburger lunch was $26.58! McGee comments, “What’s worse is that I failed to read the fine print on the bill and gave the delivery person an additional $3.00 for a tip.”

If you don’t read or understand all of the charges then you’ll end up with a “$30 Hamburger”. As it turns out the room service delivery fee of $3.00 wasn’t a tip but the room service “service charge” of $3.78 was an 18% tip. The waiter made nearly $7.00 for carrying a tray for 10 minutes to a guest room.

Thanks Bill. Truly it is a helpful reminder to those of us that travel to be aware and to read the fine print.

Reflection: Have you spent as much time reading and understanding what God says in the Bible about forgiveness of sin, end-time accountability and eternal life as you would a hotel bill for room service?

If you have a couple of minutes, click the online Bible in the right column and enter these texts for a little information concerning your soul. Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23; Hebrews 9:27; John 3:16; Romans 10:13

The good news is that eternal life is a free gift. Jesus Christ paid your tab. The bad news is that if you fail to receive His gift then you’ll be responsible to pay the bill in full.

What the Secret Service & Christianity Have in Common

Many of the Secret Service agents who have guarded President Bush at his home in Crawford, Texas have at one time or another visited a nearby tavern called Cricket’s Bar & Grill. This past Friday 30-year-old agent John Scott Lewis became intoxicated and treated staff and patrons so rudely that the Waco Police were called.

When the police arrived Lewis was trying to start a fight with Cricket’s manager. Lewis could not be talked into toning down his behavior and leaving so he was arrested. Lewis resisted arrest and had to be subdued by a Taser electronic stun gun. Lewis has been charged with public intoxication, resisting arrest and reckless damage to property.

When I read the story my first reaction was, “I can’t believe that an agent would conduct himself in such a way.” Then, it occurred to me that many a time the media has carried stories of Christian church members and clergy who have been abusive, dishonest, and criminal. Sometimes that has lead the public to conclude that “all” Christians and ministers must be hypocrites. As a result the public will frequently dismiss any serious consideration of faith and involvement in a faith community.

When one Secret Service agent is inappropriate we should not conclude that the entire agency is corrupt. The agency is honorable as are the majority of their agents. I hope that the same grace-filled conclusion can be held concerning the church.

Last night I spent two hours in a small group experience in someone’s home where in honesty and authenticity men and women shared with one another something of how God is at work in them to transform their broken ways into wholeness and sane living. There was no pretense, image maintenance or game playing. In that room we were just real people engaging a real God in ways that make a real difference.