The Body of the Resurrection

Jesus was the first to be raised from the dead to eternal life. His resurrected body was very different from the body He was born with. He was still recognizable by his disciples, but He had the ability to walk through walls. He still bore the wounds of His crucifixion, but He could still share a meal with his disciples on the beach. His new body was very unusual. He didn't seem to have the same limitations as He did before. And to think that one day, we will receive a new body in the resurrection as well! Jesus was the first to receive this new body that will never die again, but He certainly won't be the last. We who choose to follow Christ with our lives will receive this new body as well. I can't wait for that day!

What's All the Buzz About "The Shack"?

Have you heard anything about this book The Shack? It seems like everywhere I turn people are talking about it. Some love it, and are deeply moved by the story. Others are bothered by the potential theological ramifications that may come out of the book. A few weeks ago I read an article about the book in the USA Today and heard many different peoples' opinions about the book, so I decided to pick up a copy for myself and read it. (I have a pet peeve over people who critique things they've never read themselves...) And I've got to tell you, the book was hard for me to put down! The story gripped me form the very first page and brought me to tears on a few different occassions. It caused me to ask myself questions like: What is God really like anyway? How does the Trinity interact? Does God really care about my hurt and my pain? I would encourage you to pick up a copy and read it for yourself. And then...let's talk about it together! I know it will stimulate some good discussion!

The Power of the Gospel

The power of the gospel lies not in the offer of a new spirituality or religious experience, not in the threat of hellfire (certainly not in the threat of being "left behind"), which can be removed if only the hearer checks this box, says this prayer, raises a hand, or whatever, but in the powerful announcement that God is God, that Jesus is Lord, that the powers of evil have been defeated, that God's new world has begun." N.T. Wright - Surprised by Hope, p. 227

Evangelism?

I've been forming a friendship with a guy over the past year in order to show him the love of Jesus in a practical way. He knows I'm a follower of Christ. Today he shared with me that one of his clients came in yesterday and basically asked him: "If you were to die tonight, how could you be sure you'd be going to heaven with God?" He didn't have an immediate answer and this person went on to point out how he was sinful and probably on his way to hell unless he repents. This person kept at it pretty hard until my friend had to walk away. I asked him how he felt about the experience and he said he's never felt more attacked in his life. He asked me if this was how all Christians behaved. I apologized and said I hoped not.

Where does someone come up with that kind of stuff? Why do they feel like they're the Judge in another person's life? What gives them that rite? Isn't just really a form of Idolatry for someone to set themselves up in a position of judgment in another person's life? And why do so many "Christians" feel compelled to "save the entire world" before they die? Isn't that God's job? Isn't our job to love people with the love of Jesus Christ and serve them and offer them hope?

I feel like the time I've invested with my friend was severely damaged by this person and I'm pretty frustrated about it...

Wow!

That's the only word I have to describe my last 3 weeks and the first 3 weeks of summer. After school let out, my family and I immediately took off to Nicaragua on a mission trip with 18 others form our church. It was amazing and God did some incredible things in and through us. But on our way back to the states, we received a call informing us that my wife's best friend from Ohio had just lost her 20 year old son in a tragic accident. So we left immediately. We were stunned by what we experienced: We waited 2.5 hours in line for the visitation...over 1200 people attended his funeral. Let's just say that God was amzingly present and at work. While we were in Ohio, we took some time to visit my wife's father who just got out of the hospital and was in a nursing home, and then we left right from there for a weeks vacation in Florida. Some friends were generous enough to let us use their condo in Bradenton Beach, so the 16 hour drive was definitely worth it. We had a blast as a family...just catching our breath and relaxing together. Then yesterday, we made the 16 hour drive back to Indiana and are finally settling in for the rest of the summer. Our Lead Pastor just left for his first ever sabbatical, so I'm holding down the fort while he's away for the next 8 weeks. I'm just happy to be in one place for awhile! Wow...

Nicaragua...What an Experience!

Wow! I just returned from a week in Central America...and what can I say? How can I ever possibly convey what I experienced there in a short Blog post? It's impossible to paint an accurate picture of the overwhelming poverty. But it's also equally impossible for me to describe the unbelievable love I felt from the people there. As we drove through the dump in Managua where over 1 million people call home, our bus was inundated with flies. The filth was everywhere and I wanted to get out of there as fast as I could...and then I realized that people live there every single day. Kids wake up there and go to sleep there at night...every single day. My heart broke. And then we traveled for about an hour to Masatepe where the poverty was just as bad, but hundreds of children greeted us with smiles and hugs. They were so happy that we were there to love them and serve them with the love of Jesus Christ. What a privilege! As I've reflected on my trip, I imagine it's exactly where Jesus would be if He were here living with us on the earth today. And it's exactly where I want to be too...serving whoever Jesus brings across my path with His love and grace. Thank-you for the opportunity Lord. Thank-you for stretching my soul and making me more like you...

Nicaragua Here I Come!

Well, the packing has begun and the trip is just a day or so away. I'm excited and nervous and happy and tired all at the same time. It should be interesting, because half of the team has come up sick in the past few days and the enemy is doing all he can to distract us. God must have something HUGE in store for us down there. It seems like whenevr these types of trips come up in my life, something inside of me doesn't want to go at the last minute, but then I decide to ignore my feelings and go anyway...and God always blesses me. I know this will be the same type of trip!