The Holy Land, Memorial Day, and Shaun Groves

The Holy Land: I just spoke with Arlene who is with the team in the Holy Land. It is good to hear that everyone is healthy. It's great to be able to partner with them by praying. They are working hard and tonight they'll enjoy a Cuban meal and a movie - some much needed rest. It's been great to hear the focus on prayer; that is what is needed over there. They are praying for people and issues.

Memorial Day: My dad in a World War Two veteran. I'm very thankful for that amazing generation of men and women who gave their all to secure freedom for us. They are in their 80's or so now and are dying. We are indebted to them.

Shaun Groves: This guy's great. He played and sang at our church this Sunday. Visit his website, buy his records, get to know him. I don't really keep up with all that's happening in Christian music but Shaun is definitely an artist worth getting behind.

Serving Jesus

I love to see people serve the Lord. We just prayed with and said good-bye to the team from our church going to the Holy Land to serve Jesus by serving the people over there. They'll be gone seventeen days; for some, it's their first missions trip. It's going to be a wonderful time. Please keep them in prayer. They are Josh, Arlene, Pedro, Michelle, Luci, Heather, and Maydi. You can check out a chronicle of their trip at http://cckmissions.blogspot.com or click the link in the sidebar.

How To Ruin Your Life

I heard a sermon the other day entitled, "Four Ways To Ruin Your Life." Here they are:

1. Believe that the grass is greener on the other side.
2. Overcome temptation with willpower. (Isn't it true that we need prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit?)
3. In terms of integrity, wing it.
4. When you blow it, give up.

Marriage

My favorite quote from the teaching the past Sunday went something like this: "A blind woman and a deaf man always make for a great marriage." Be quick to forgive, be kind, keep your eyes half closed, and love your spouse.

Time To Buy A Gun?

I couldn't believe it.

Little children, my daughter included, live in a world of imagination. Just a couple days ago, she took a towel, put it on her head like a veil, and said, "Daddy, I'm married." Now there's some words that I didn't think I'd be hearing quite so soon. This was especially troubling because I have been teaching her what to say when someone tells her, "Genesis, will you marry me?"

I'm glad that this is all, in her mind, a world of pretend. For now, at least.....

Quote of the Month

Tertullian was a writer in the 3rd century who became a Christian after he was impressed with the courage with which the early Christians faced their brutal execution. I ran across these words of his today as I was preparing to teach Acts 3-5 this Saturday: "Kill us, torture us, condemn us, grind us to dust...The more you mow us down, the more we grow; the seed is the blood of Christians."

The DaVinci Code

There's been alot of talk these days in the Christian community about the movie based on Dan Brown's fictional novel, The DaVinci Code. It's a spy-thriller about a cover-up that hid the fact that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and that the "myth of his divinity" was written into the Bible by Constantine in 325 A.D. There's alot of great Biblical scholarship out there that shows that this is simply not true.

Many are saying, "Boycott!" I disagree.

While I'm not a big fan of boycotts, I am a big fan of dialoguing with people about Jesus. This movie will give us an opportunity to do that.

Once the movie comes out, ask people if they've seen it. No matter whether or not you or they have, tell them, if they're interested, about the story of Jesus. "Hey, do you know why Jesus wasn't married?" "Do you know why He had to die on the cross?"

If you're interested in reading a great perspective on the church and the movie, check out Relevant Magazine's article by going to: http://www.relevantmagazine.com/pc_article.php?id=7167

Sin

I heard about a couple people, actually four men who have had affairs. In one day, I heard about four people that broke trust with their wives and families, and in some cases, large flocks of believers. Hit me hard. Breaks my heart. Underscores accountability, honesty, and a close walk with the Lord. One of the truths that the Lord gives us to avoid this is the fact that "your sin will find you out." You can't hide it forever! There's nothing that's worth ruining your life and family for.

Stay close to Jesus today, friend. We need Him. Draw close to Him and He will draw close to You.

Distractions

My wife and I have noticed that oftentimes when we attempt something spiritual, like praying or reading the Bible, some distraction hits us, like, oh, I don't know, a baby crying maybe?

Case in point: last night I decided I would read the Bible to my family as my wife was bathing the kids. No sooner had I read a couple verses from Luke 18, about prayer incidently, then Genesis slipped in tub, fell down and starting crying. I kept reading, my wife starting laughing, and Genesis realized she really wasn't hurt.

Exhibit 2: This morning in my special effort to be a good husband I kissed my wife goodbye before I left to work. The only problem is that she was holding Caleb who decided to rear his head backward and hit my head as I'm coming in towards my wife's lips. No sooner thatn the goodbye kiss was completed that little Caleb starting complaining (crying) about his bonked head.

Be not discouraged. We must move forward. Be not dismayed. Keep doing those little spiritual habits. That is what growth and determination is made of.

The Acts

Saturday we had our first class in the book of Acts. This is a verse by verse study that I am teaching for Calvary Chapel School of Discipleship. How important it is to be baptized/filled with the Holy Spirit! In every arena of life - marriage and family, job, ministry, socially - we need to live a Spirit-led life. You can't be filled with the Spirit and filled with the flesh at the same time. Lord, help us to die to ourselves and live for You.