Monday, December 31, 2007

I Don't Believe

The following is an excerpt from In God We Trust . . . but only as a last resort by Daniel Owens (Chapter 6)

I Don't Believe

Bodega Bay in Northern California is famous for being the location for Alfred Hitchcock's movie The Birds, but for me it's a place of adventure. I first dived for abalone off the rocks lining the shore there and discovered the beautiful world under the vast Pacific Ocean. It was also at Bodega Bay that I had my first experience on a charter fishing boat. I was seventeen. What a thrill to jump on board a boat that for once in my life was larger than a ski boat. The boat was complete with a captain and crew and all the stuff one needs for fishing the ocean depths, including food for us to ease the boredom of the long ride out to sea.

It took almost two hours to get to where the captain felt we should be in order to ensure that we would take home our limit of lingcod, rock cod, and sea bass, and who was going to argue with the captain. As we surfed over the gentle waves, many of the men helped themselves to the coffee and pastries included in the day's package. For me, I was happy to stand in the bow and let the wind and the saltwater spray buffet on my body.

Just as we were beginning to feel a bit of restlessness, the big diesel engines died down, and the air became incredibly quiet. An anchor was released to hold our position as the swells moved us around with ease. Now the fun began. Each man began to prepare his fishing gear with care and quiet pride. The bait was made available in big buckets, and it didn't take long for the first salvo of fishing lines to hit the water. Each man found his own place to sit with coffee and pole in hand to wait for the battle to come. I promptly baited my two hooks and let the weights pull my line over the edge of the boat and into the sea. I had never caught fish in the ocean before, and I certainly didn't want to be the last one on the boat to have that thrill.

I had never been this far out into the ocean before. In fact, I had never really ventured out past the bays of Northern California. Even in the exhilaration of the moment I was awed by the amount of water that surrounded us. The shoreline was barely visible.

Our seasoned captain had selected the right spot, and the fish began to take the bait. I hadn't been sitting too long before I felt a pull on my line, and I swiftly yanked on my pole to set the hook. Reeling this first fish in was much harder than I expected. I had forgotten how far down my hooks were and how heavy the sinkers were even without a fish. After many minutes of pulling up my pole, creating slack, and reeling the slack in rapidly, the muscles in my arms were beginning to burn. Just when I thought I might be embarrassed by having to ask for help, the first fish broke the water! It was a large rock cod, fighting to stay in its domain under the sea. Adrenaline kicked in once I saw the fish, and I furiously fought to get it on board quickly. To my amazement, I had a fish on my second hook as well. I landed both fish and was quite proud of what I had just done. I was a deep-sea fisherman!

The boat was filled with laughter, fish stories, and lots of fish. We were having the time of our lives, and no one was in a hurry for the day to end. It seemed to come out of nowhere when the captain yelled, "Cut your lines now!" The gently rolling swells had become steep, wind-driven walls of water that were higher than the captain's housing on the top of the boat. The engines were called upon, and the anchor was put back in its place on board. To the protection of the bay we headed, our trip cut short by a storm we hadn't even seen coming.

The boat that seemed so large and sturdy now seemed uncomfortably small next to the waves that were pitching us this way and that at will. We alternated between being on the very crest of a wave to being in the trough with walls of water on both sides of the boat. Many of the men who had been laughing and eating pastries and other delicacies that their wives had packed for them were now vomiting over the side of the boat. One man who had been in the center of all the hoopla now was huddled in a corner, his face as green as the Grinch.

The sky darkened, the rain shot from the clouds, and the waves grew bigger and bigger. The boat moved at a much slower pace as it fought against the elements, and our two hours coming out turned into about three and a half going in. We all sat there and wondered how much the boat could take and feared that one of those monstrous waves would swamp us. No one dared ask the captain how we were doing for fear that the news would not be good.

Seeing the mouth of Bodega Bay brought an incredible sense of relief. We were soaked, cold, and, let's be honest, terrified! The mood changed back to the levity of the early morning once we were in the safety of the bay. Every man knew this was going to be a story told again and again through the years. My first experience on the ocean was an unforgettable one.

The Gospel of Mark tells the story of a storm I can relate to very well. We find the story unfolding in Mark 4:35-41:

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, and it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you even care if we drown?" He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

This story of Jesus and His disciples is not unlike my own. Their day was much like mine, with all the joy and expectations of a great day out on the water. Jesus had said to His disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." Can you picture the disciples telling Jesus not to worry about a thing, that they would take care of getting Him across? In so many words, I think the disciples said, "Go take it easy and leave the driving to us!" They were eager to show Jesus they knew a thing or two about sailing. The sun was shining, the provisions were loaded, and the disciples, who at one time made their living on the water, were feeling at home and loving it.

The Sea of Galilee brings to mind gentle sea breezes, blue water, sunny skies, and families at play. A picture of serenity. However, like America's Great Lakes, that sea can give birth to furious storms. Gordon Lightfoot's song "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" describes in detail the events leading up to the sinking of a massive ship on Lake Superior. The Sea of Galilee has been known to exhibit waves as high as twenty feet when storms appear, seemingly, out of nowhere.

Mark intimates that the events of the next several hours were not due to some irresponsibility on the part of the disciples or their lack or planning. The storm was a complete surprise. Men of the sea commanded the boat. Men who could read the winds and the waves. Men who had been in storms before. But this storm brought the fear of death. I can picture those black thunderclouds, the cold, biting winds, sheets of driving rain, and mountainous waves. And just imagine - this was happening at night ("when evening came"), when all was dark.

Their little boat was being tossed around, bobbing like a toy. Unlike my experience in the Pacific, the disciples were having problems with water in the boat, a sailor's worst nightmare. The small boat would go down into the trough, but before it could back on top of the swell, the wave would break into the boat. Mark says it was "nearly swamped." That phrase means "filled to the full." It didn't look like they were going to make it. There was panic, fear, despair, horror, and hopelessness. This was an impossible situation, one that apparently was about to take their lives.

Then someone got an idea: "Maybe Jesus can help us out!" I'm sure there were skeptics on board. Sure, Jesus could turn water into wine and heal the sick, but what could He do with a storm like this? But gratefully someone thought of asking for His help.

We've all been hit with storms in life. They've come out of nowhere, taking us by surprise. A broken marriage, loss of a job, the death of a child, a debilitating disease. You may be going through a storm at this very moment and are doing everything you can to make it through, to make sense of it all. Here is where I see myself so clearly that it hurts. Did you notice how long it took the disciples to turn to Jesus? I'm sure they tried everything they knew to do in order to save themselves. Finally, when they ran out of ideas, they turned to Jesus. How many times have I done that very thing? The storm comes, I go into action, and in all the commotion I leave God out until the situation is so desperate that I can do nothing except call on Him.

But remembering the presence of Jesus was the beginning to the end of their problem. Once they turned to Jesus, a sense of peace swept over the situation. . . .

During the storms that blast our lives, we are often filled with negative thoughts. We may think God is out to get us or that He is angry with us because we're not living up to His standard. We forget that "God is love," that He cares for us very much, always. I know that my faith in God is a direct result of the intimacy we share together. The closer I am to Him, the more often I share my thoughts with Him, the more time I spend meditating on His Word, the more I will trust Him. Above all else in life, we must keep our relationship with Jesus current.

God bless you,

Dan

Copyright 2007 Eternity Minded Ministries - All rights reserved

Monday, December 17, 2007

A New Fire

The following is an excerpt from A Joy That is Real by Daniel Owens (page 89-91)

If your light was once burning brightly but now has begun to dim, what will it take to make it shine again? What do we need to do to bravely hold forth the word of life?

Wouldn't it be great if we could wake up on Monday morning and say, "Lord, who can I bring closer to you this week?" Instead of thinking about getting to work on time or what bills need to be paid, wouldn't it be great if we could focus our week on where to shine our light?

If every Christian in your city were killed except you, would you be able to march forward? Could you be a shining light to lead others to Christ and rebuild the church? That is a convicting thought for me. Knowledge without power will never transform a community. Dogma and creed without love will never transform a community. Only Christ's love shining through his people will draw others to the truth.

Martin Luther King Jr. gave a wonderful sermon in which he encouraged believers to establish a colony of heaven here on earth. In it he said, "Most Christians are thermometers that record or register the temperature of majority opinion, not thermostats that transform and regulate the temperature of society."(4) We need to be the ones who determine what our society will look like.

Jesus said that he came to seek and to save what was lost. As obedient followers, we should do the same. Our ministry is to hold forth the word of life, and shine as bright stars in a dark world.

In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus says, "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden . . . Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." We are clearly called to be light to nonbelievers.

Let me give you a challenge. If you don't think about the lost, if you never try to share your faith with anyone, then you are not being an obedient follower of Jesus. Perhaps your light has grown dim, or maybe it has never gotten strong, but you can fan that flame right now by making a commitment to be a witness for Jesus.

When a star burns out, it doesn't come back. When a light bulb burns out, we throw it away. But praise God that he brings back burned-out Christians. Even the person with the coldest heart who has lost his or her way can come back to God, who will relight the fire in our souls.

The Philippian church began with a bright light and a strong witness in their community. However, that light was beginning to dim because of the bickering and arguing that was taking place within the church.

As the church -the body of believers- we need to watch out for this trap. In Revelation 3, Jesus rebukes the church at Laodicea for being lukewarm. Their light had grown dim because they had been choked out by the world and its pleasures. Jesus told them to repent, to go back to the way they had been when their light first started to shine.

For many years when I lived in San Diego, California, we had a Christmas Eve tradition in out community. Volunteers would bring white paper bags, sand, and tea lights to each house. On Christmas Eve we would fill the bags with sand and nestle the tea lights inside, then place fifteen to twenty of them on the sidewalk in front of each of our homes.

When it got dark we would all go out and light the candles, and the neighborhood would be transformed. The streets were lined with these beautiful luminaries, and as you walked down the road, you truly felt like you were in a winter wonderland. We enjoyed a wonderful evening, but eventually the candles would burn out, and by midnight it would once again be dark.

What is your heart like? Is it cold? Have the lights gone out?

No matter what may have caused you to grow dim, always come to the Lord and say, "Relight the fire in my heart. Here are the things that have been blocking my way. Please give me a new passion to love you and reach the lost for you."

As we come to the Lord and open up before him and confess out shortcomings, he fills us anew with his Holy Spirit. The Spirit fans the flame and brings us back to the brightness we once had.

At some point, the light of Christ shining in someone else led you to accept him. Now will you be that light to others? It doesn't matter if we're shy or our gifts are different or if out personalities are not very bold. Let's be living luminaries who bring a warm glow to the dark paths of people's hearts!

Merry Christmas,

Dan

Copyright 2007 Eternity Minded Ministries - All rights reserved

Monday, December 10, 2007

The Words of Jesus Can Be Trusted

Who can forget the sight of the Twin Towers collapsing to the ground on 9-11? It is a picture that still staggers the imagination and causes a deep emotional response. As we watched the horrific drama unfold it was as though we were watching an action movie at the theater. However, the act was real, the results were deadly and the effects are being felt to this very day.

I also confess that as horrible as that act of violence was, it probably did not impact me as great as it did others who lived so much closer, or knew of loved ones in the buildings. Here on the west coast we feel a bit isolated and insulated from events that take place on the east coast. If something were to tragically happen to the Trans America building in San Francisco or to the Golden Gate Bridge, my emotional duress would be greater because that is where I grew up.

Jesus shocked his disciples with a prophecy regarding the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. Unlike my living in the United States and the 9-11 tragedy, the entire Jewish nation was emotionally tied to the temple. It was central to their beliefs, their culture, and their very lives no matter where they lived.

As he was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!" "Do you see all these great buildings?" replied Jesus. "Not one of stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, "Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to be fulfilled?" Mark 13:1-4

The temple that Jesus refers to in this passage is of course the second Jewish temple that was greatly enlarged under the rule of Herod. Since the first temple was destroyed centuries earlier it appears that the disciples were not in disbelief regarding its potential destruction again. It is apparent by their reaction however, that this prophecy is important to them and they wanted to know when it was going to happen.

History tells us that Jesus prophesied correctly and a few years later, 70AD to be exact, the temple was destroyed. The Jewish people it seems had been provoked by the Romans desecration of the temple and its articles. They rose up and battled the Romans for four years until Titus came with a massive army and destroyed not only the temple, but according to some calculations killed a million Jews.

Let's read the words of the Josephus, the Jewish historian who fought in the war and survived to tell about it. It is interesting to note that he surrendered to the Romans while in battle and became an informant against the Jews. He latter lived out his life in luxury as an employee of the Roman government. One can understand that even as Christians have embraced him because of his writings on Jesus, the Jews to this day call him a traitor and untrustworthy.

"The emperor ordered the entire city and sanctuary to be razed to the ground, except only the highest towers, Phasael, Hippicus, and Marianmne, and that part of the wall that enclosed the city on the west . . . . All the rest of the wall that surrounded the city was so completely razed to the ground as to leave future visitors to the spot no reason to believe that it had ever been inhabited . . . . When flames rose, a scream, as poignant as the tragedy, went up from the Jews . . . now that the object which before they had guarded so closely was going to ruin."

Jesus said it would happen and it did!

I have never been a student of prophecy because I have never really seen the need for it. That is just my own personal position, not something that I teach or promote. As a young teenager and new Christian I heard prophecy preachers on a regular basis speak with great authority as to what was going to happen in the near future. Oh, the abuse and manipulation of people still causes me to well up with anger. While I was studying in college and listening to my, at times, arrogant professors speak as though they knew better than everyone else regarding the return of the Lord, I decided not to care about prophecy. I still don't, but you may and that is fine.

What I care about is this passage of scripture and what it tells me regarding Jesus. Jesus said the destruction of the temple was going to happen and it happened. The words of Jesus can be trusted even if we do not have complete understanding.

If the words of Jesus can be trusted, then I should be concerned with Jesus' promise to return to this earth! In college and seminary I was required to study eschatology or end times, which I greatly disliked. There were, and are, so many thoughts on the timeline of future events and everyone thinks they are right. The fact is Jesus said only God in heaven knows the day and hour of his return so why in the world should I waste time studying that when there is a lost world that needs to hear about Jesus and his first coming.

Every generation of Christians has believed that Jesus was coming in their lifetime and so should we! That is the issue at hand today. Jesus said he would return and we should live as though he is keeping his word and will be here any moment. In reality if I could live with the belief that Jesus may come back today might my focus be just a little different? If Jesus returns tomorrow will I be glad? Will my soul be clean before him? Will my relationships with others be mended? Will my values be correct? Will I let go of this world easily? Will I know he is on his way because the Holy Spirit in me leaps for joy?

This is the season we celebrate the Lord's first coming, now let us eagerly anticipate his second coming!

Live It,

Dan

Copyright 2007 Eternity Minded Ministries - All rights reserved
www.eternityminded.org

Monday, December 3, 2007

What Are You Going to Give for Christmas?

I never cease to be amazed by the shopping frenzy the day after Thanksgiving. The thought of getting up early to stand in line for hours in cold weather waiting for the doors of a store to open just seems so foreign to me. Maybe it's because I am a guy, or maybe it's because there isn't anything I want that badly. This is the season of gift giving and the merchants are praying we fall into the spell of not only greed, but also generosity.

The average American household will spend $471.00 on gifts during the next few weeks. That is up $22.00 from last year. The amounts tick upwards according to geographical location and household income, which makes sense. This is all reported by the research group call The Conference Board.

Giving, or charity as it is sometimes called, is the hallmark of Christianity. God gave His Son, and we give out of appreciation for His great gift to us. Now if we are honest, sometimes our giving at Christmas is out of duty or guilt. I think most of us have received gifts that have been given out of these motivations as well and it is not so enjoyable. Yet, giving gifts and especially giving gifts to the Lord should come from a heart of love and appreciation.

Mark tells us in chapter 12:41-44 that Jesus is very interested in our giving patterns.

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offering was put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything-all she had to live on."

There are words of Jesus that give us comfort and there are others that make us feel uneasy. Just the very fact that Jesus sat down to watch the people give causes me to come face to face with the reality of his knowledge of my giving. It was such an important part of spiritual development that he called his disciples over so that he could teach them what real giving looks like. It is convicting to know that there is a difference between tax-deduction giving and Kingdom giving.

C.S. Lewis wrote "If our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc, is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot because our charitable expenditure excludes them."

Jesus would agree with Mr. Lewis. Jesus was not impressed with the large gift that came from the wealthy because they had it to give. It was not going to impact the wealthy person’s life style at all-there was more where that came from. On the other hand, Jesus was greatly impressed with the poor widow who had nothing and yet gave away her last cent. It is not the size of the gift that God takes notice of, it's the heart!

I would not consider myself a legalist because I feel that I was set free of those religious structures years ago. However, I am truly amazed at how few followers of Jesus follow Jesus in the area of giving. So many are concerned that they give a 15% gratuity to their food server, but think of giving nothing to the Lord and his work. I can also hear the Lord say, "You habitually give 15% to your server and yet a 10% tithe is to much for me?" Giving to the Lord is not about legalism, it is about thanksgiving, love, appreciation, compassion and obedience.

Maybe you have convinced yourself that giving is not an important issue with the Lord. I think the words of Jesus should tell you otherwise. As Jesus began to teach his disciples about giving he used the words, "I tell you the truth" or "I solemnly declare to you" which tells that what he is about to say is of extreme importance. When we meet the Lord face to face, giving will be one of the subjects that come up.

People often give to be noticed, as indicated by this story in Mark. People will give gifts at Christmas to impress others and to bring attention to themselves. Let me gently remind you again, the Trinity notices what you give, and take note of what is in your heart.

This season, give a gift from your heart to God! You can give to your church, to help the poor in your city, or even to Eternity Minded Ministries. The issue is not where you give the gift, but that you have given a gift and continue to give.

"Give and it shall be given"

Dan

P.S. Lest you feel sorry for the widow, remember, God was watching her and he takes care of His children!

Copyright 2007 Eternity Minded Ministries - All rights reserved
www.eternityminded.org