plan G

A man once asked me the question of all questions, “If you were to die today where would you go?” I didn’t have a smart answer. I was curious, but though to myself, “Could anybody really know the answer to that question?”

How do I get to heaven? Many have tried to answer this question in many different ways:

• You got to do a bunch of good deeds [hope to make the Cosmic curve for the class].
• Do as you please [aka: heaven on earth]. This is the only life you got.
• God is a God of love and wouldn’t send anybody to hell.
• You got to have faith.
• You got to follow the teachings of Buddha, Muhammad, Joseph Smith, or Jesus.

Yet these many ways do not answer the question. They just lead to more questions: How good is good enough? If this is heaven on earth, why is there so much suffering, sin and temptation? Why wouldn’t a loving God judge sin? Faith in what? How do we know which guy? What is your plan get to heaven?

PLAN A: By Being Sinlessly Perfect

If our eternity rested on our perfect performance we would all be doomed. We have all committed errors and made foul plays. This is called sin. You are not perfect. You cannot bat 1.000. Sorry to burst your bubble but you are not good enough [Rom.3:23 “all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory].

God is perfect. Our sin causes us to miss the mark of His glorious perfection.

The problem is that you and I are born sinners. You are born needy. You cry for attention. Ask any baby who desires the attention. You did not have to take sin lessons. We are educated as selfish little sinsner straight from the womb. And I have been sinning habitually ever since.

When people say that they are a “good person” or share their list of “good deeds” [i.e. help the poor, generosity] or compare themselves with “bad people” [i.e. Hitler or Bin Laden]…they are just sugar coating  the reality of their sinfulness [Prov.14:12 “There is a way that seems right to man, but in the end it leads to death.”]. PLAN A: I CANNOT CHECK

PLAN B: By Paying the Price for our Sin

Trying to be a good boy or girl only ends in disappointment and frustration because we can never quite match up. It ends in death [Rom.6:23 “For the wages of our sin is death…”]. This is more than physical death, but also eternal separation from God. Notice this spectrum of goodness [Evil being murders, rapists, and abusers / God being absolute perfection]:

First on the specturm is Mother Teresa [MT]. She is known for her compassion for orphans in Calcutta. Under “Christian” in the dictionary would be her picture. Some would say she is the best of all Christians, yet in her biographies she admits struggling with many sins. Second, Billy Graham [BG], the long known evangelist who was used by God to bring many into God’s kingdom. He preached to more people than anybody in history. Yet he publically admits his fall into sin. Then there is me [JH]. I cant even be in the same category with MT & BG. Just ask my mom or wife and they will let you know what kind of sin I am!! Where would you put your initials?

Mother Teresa, Billy Graham and I are in serious trouble. We cannot match up to God’s standard. We fall way short. This applies not only us, but you too. It doesn’t matter if your parents are Christians, if your grandma prays, if you go to Africa to help AIDS children, if you go to church every time the doors are open, you will still fall short.

There is a giant chasm that separates you and me from God [cf. Bridge to Life]. It is like trying to throw a stone from where you are to the North Pole. Some might throw farther than you, but we all still fall way short. Our sin creates a separation [Is.59:2 “It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, He has turned away and will not listen anymore.”]. We cannot pay the debt load for our sin. It cost too much. PLAN B: I CANNOT CHECK

PLAN G: By Trusting in the One who did

Since Plans A & B fail what other option do we have? How about Plan G? Plan G = God’s Grace. Grace us unmerited favor or a gift from God that you do not deserve. I do not deserve God’s grace even on my best day. No one deserves it. This is why it is called grace [Rom.6:23b “…but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”].

What does God’s grace look like? Because of His love He sent His Son to die on the cross for your sin [all your junk, funk errors, strike outs and foul plays]. His grace can at a gruesome cost; execution on a cross. Jesus did the work of Plan A & B before He went to the cross. He did what we could not do. He did it for you. The work is done. The cross bridges the separation. It is a homerun game willing deal.

Religion = DO. Do this and don’t do that. It doesn’t work.

Relationship with Christ = DONE. It is finished on the cross. [Jn.19:30]

From the moment we receive God’s grace there are many things we receive: Forgiveness, Christ’s Righteousness, acceptance into His family, reconciliation, redemption, and so much more.

How do I get God’s grace?

Admit. Admit that you have fail with Plan A & B. That you do not measure up to God’s standard. That your sin separates you from Him. See yourself as God sees you. Recognize the chasm between you and him.

Believe. Believe that God sent Jesus to die on the cross for your sin. It is not about understanding everything. It is about trust.

Receive. Let Jesus come in. Open the lid of your heart and let Him come in. Let Him change you from the inside out.

PLAN G: I CAN CHECK, DONE

GODcast

Don't knock the Speedo

One of my passions is a love to fish. As a child ever summer we would spend weeks at our cottage on Lake Alma in the northwood’s of Wisconsin [as you can see in my Speedo-lishous picture above]. My dad taught me how to fish for bass, bluegills crappies and anything that swims. Any chance I get I go out fishing. You know, fishing is a biblical sport? Fishing should be your passion too!

Thousands of years ago Jesus set forth a strategy for His followers and it looks something like this. In Matthew 4:18-20, Jesus makes a very bold invitation [like asking a girl on a date], “Let’s go fishing.”  Jesus was just walking around the Sea of Galilee. There were about 30 little villages that surrounded this lake, which made their living off the lake. It was the center of thousands of people’s lives. And Jesus approaches two stinky fishermen and says, “Follow Me, and I will make you into something you are not [Fishers of Men].” And the amazing thing is they left their nets and followed Him.

The Fishing Manual for Followers of Christ:

Followers Fish. It is as simple as that. A follower of Christ fishes for other people. If you are not fishing you are not following. Jesus was fired up about fishing. From the first to the last words to His followers he lived, breath, ate and expected His followers to fish [cf. Mt. 4 & 28]. It is interesting He had fishermen as some of His followers.

Fishermen are interesting people. They are passionate, focus, patient, they always tell stories, and they love taking newbie’s fishing.

I am thankful for Mike who fished for me as a young man. Without someone fishing for me I would not know Christ. Who fished for you. Mike was an average Joe. He wasn’t a pastor. He wasn’t super spiritual. Pastors or super spiritual are not the only ones who fish, but also everyone is a fisherman for men.

It is easy to get so wrapped up in the here-and-now that we forget to fish and impact those around us with the story of the Good News. Stop thinking about the now and think eternal. The only things you can take to heaven are followers; people you fish.

Followers Fish Where the Fish are. You got to get out of the Lazy-boy to catch fish. Don’t wait until people come to you. Go out to meet unbelievers where they are. I find the best time to fish right before the weather gets bad or when it is raining cats and dogs outside. Followers fish in all kinds of elements. Sometimes fishing is dirty, stinky, slimy and uncomfortable [where’s the Purel?]. Followers don’t care because Christ is worth the cost.

Followers Fish with Fervency. Sometimes when fishing you do not get hits; the line breaks or the big one gets away. Followers keep on fishing no matter the results. It is not about patience, but persistence [not pushy]. People think fishing is boring or lame because it is a lot of sitting and waiting. Let me tell you: that’s not fishing, that’s laziness. Fishermen go after the fish with fervency.

Followers have Fish Stories to Tell. I have a dozen or more fish stories to tell. Like the time I caught a 20-inch bass without looking, or the time my Gramps caught an 18-pound Musky on 4-pound test-line while fishing for bluegills, or the time I saw a Musky bigger than my canoe oar. Believers have fish stories too. If not, you have been around the Marina too much.

Followers Fish with a Guide. I know all the hotspots on Lake Alma because my dad taught me where they are. My father was my guide. Good fishermen follow a guide. As believers our guide is God. He directs us where to fish. He equips us [John 16:13]. The Holy Spirit works within you to fish.

Followers Fish, Not Catch. Jesus did not say we are to be catchers of men. That job is up to God. We fish, He catches. The Guide does the catching we follow the Guides instructions. Fishing is hard work. It is uncomfortable at times. But the benefits and rewards are out of this world. Literally. Are you fishing for men?

How do you fish? There is no one-way to fish. Some fish with nets, others fly fish, some us real bait and others use plastic worms. This is the same with being a fisher of men. Principles for Fishing: It starts with prayer, then going to unbelieving friends/family, and it ends with relying on your Guide. Share your story of coming to Christ and how He has changed you [BC & AD]. I find that to be the most impactful.

crowded

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to go through a day while ignoring what is around you? We become so focused on a few things that we miss hundreds of other things going on. We live in our ME-centered world without noticing what’s happening to others. The everyday things of our busy-jammed-packed-lives make us comfortably numb to others around us.

Living for ME is the easy/comfortable way. Jesus shows us that there is another way to live. In Luke 19 we see Jesus is “passing through” Jericho on His way to Jerusalem to die on the cross. We are passing through life too. We pass through our life, school, work, fun, and everything else here on earth. Life is not permanent. You will spend more time on the other side of the tomb than this side, and what you do on this side matters forever.

Another observation from the text is that there were many people were “crowding around Jesus.” They were pressing in all around Him. They wanted a chance to see Him, meet Him, or talk with Him. The religious guru’s were out to get Him and fire questions at Him for He did miracles and said He was the Son of God. Just imagine the pressure Jesus was feeling! Do you ever feel like life is crowded? Or that you are passing through without a purpose?

HE SEES THE SEEK-HIM-MORE TREES [Luke 19:1-4]

he was a wee little man

In the middle of all the passing through and crowds we are introduced to a man named “Zacchaeus.” He was a hated man by the Jewish society. He was a tax collector for the Roman government (IRS). He got rich by ripping of people and making dishonest deals. Yet (like everyone else) He wanted to see Jesus. He had a problem. He was short. He had no vertical leap to see over the crowd, so he climbed a Sycamore tree. This was his one chance to intersect with Christ.

Do you know that you have Zaccheaus’ in your life? They are hanging around in Sycamore [Seek-Him-More] trees desperately wanting to see who Jesus is. As you are passing through your crowded life people are looking at your life, actions, words, and faith trying to see Jesus. The Zaccheaus’ want to see how you do business, spend your money, treat your family and friends, and handle difficult situations. Do people see Jesus when they look at your life? God places Seek-Him-More trees in your life because He wants us to help their lives intersect with Jesus.

HE KNOWS YOUR NAME [vs.5-6]

What does Jesus do? He call out to Zaccheaus by name. Jesus had never met Zaccheaus in person before [the only time in the NT this happens]. When you come to Jesus you are not just a person in the crowd. Have you ever been surprised to be known by somebody you thought didn’t know you? You might think you do not matter or that no one cares, but Jesus knows your name. Even if you have never met Him, He knows who you are. God seeks you out [Acts 17:27].

Jesus then invited Himself over for dinner. Imagine if Jesus invited Himself to your house for dinner. “Hey mom, guess who is coming for dinner tonight?” Zaccheaus is excited about the opportunity [cf. Rev.3:20]. This meal with Jesus changed His life forever. He did a 180-degree turn around; repaying everyone he ripped off and became an uncomfortable follower of Christ.

HE IGNORES THE COMPLAINTS [v.7]

So everything is cool, right? Not quite. All the people who saw this complained that Jesus was hanging out with a well-known sinner. “How could Jesus do this?” The Lazy-Boys of Jesus day were complaining about His ministry, agenda, and His purpose. They are complaining about the work of God in another person’s life. “How come God isn’t doing the same thing in my life?” Get your head out of your own butt and thank Him for what He is doing in the life of others. Complaints from others are good. It should alert you that you are doing what God wants you to do. Jesus didn’t pay any attention to the complaints; He just focuses in on Zach.

HE WANTS US TO COME OUT OF THE CLOSET [vs.8-10]

Zach is coming out of closet about his faith in Christ. Salvation is a public thing. It is like saying that my marriage to Sarah is secret thing. That’s absurd! Yes, salvation is a personal decision, but it greatly affects your public persona. Zach took his faith to the street, to work, to His family. What we find out is that Zach’s family comes to Christ. This gives me hope for those who have unsaved family.

In middle school I was quite the loser. I didn’t get to see the light of day very much because I was in detention. My family and I started attending a church in town and I was making some friends there some of which went to my school. They didn’t talk to me much at school (at first) because I was the troublemaker. My teachers talked down to me as if I was never going to amount to anything. I remember getting suspended for stealing items from the Home Ec classroom. While doing my time (2-weeks), my Sunday School teacher from church, Mike, contacted me. He knew I was a See-Him-More tree distracted by the crowds and passing through life without a purpose. He challenged me to follow Christ. It wasn’t long after that I came to Christ.

Why are you here? What are you doing about it? Who is your Zacchaeus?

a lazy boy

It is easy to find ourselves in the “comfort zone” [do do do do...do do do do... // insert Twilight Zone music here]. Most people do not want to be uncomfortable. If given a choice they would choose comfort over discomfort. When it comes to comfort the one thing that illustrates comfort the best is—the La-Z-Boy. La-Z-Boy is synonymous with comfort. The inventor of this chair was a genius. You just sit down and its cushiness swallows you up.

We live in a world that embraces comfort like a god. We go to the spa and treat ourselves to a massage, facial or pedicure. We like to veg on the couch, munch on chips, X-box our socks off, and binge on relaxation. We love comfortable shoes, comfy clothes, furniture, car and more. We pad our selves with friends and people that will bring us comfort. We desire to go to college or have a lofty career so that in the future we will be financial comfortable.

Do you realize that God got uncomfortable for you and me? He sent His Son Jesus Christ to live a very uncomfortable life on earth, to die an uncomfortable death, to conquer death and rise again so that we might live forever with Him in comfort. I don’t think Jesus spent His life on earth looking for a La-Z-Boy…

1. Jesus challenges us to follow Him, which might be uncomfortable for some. Mark 1:17 “Guys. Follow Me and I will make you…” These guys were everyday normal guys. They had jobs, families, friends and lives. They might have thought that if we follow Jesus He will make our life better, richer, famous, or more comfortable. He said, “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.” These guys were fishing for fish. Why would they need to fish for men? What He was saying is if you follow me I will show you what life is all about. “Get out of your boat, follow Me, and get comfortably uncomfortable fishing for the lives of other people.”

Jesus says that if you follow Him it will be uncomfortable at times by saying some uncomfortable things, “I am sending you out like sheep among the wolves” (Mt.10:16) and “Go and make disciples of all nations.” (Mt.28:19) He wasn’t saying, “Go sit in your comfy chair and wait for Me.” We will all choose a the comfort that matters: some a life of eternal comfort (heaven), others eternal discomfort (hell) [note: dot on paper representing a fraction of eternity]. It is all about choosing Jesus.

2. Jesus says you are not really following, if you are not fishing. When you sign up to follow Christ it is a lifetime commitment to fish for Christ [like when you say “I DO” at the marriage ceremony]. In Luke 9:57-62, we see that Jesus is all about committed followers. He shows us how we must count the cost ahead of time (vs.57-58), pay the price during hardship (vs.59-60), and finish the course to the end (vs.61-62)

3. Jesus knows that being fishers of men is not natural to most followers. That’s why He sends His Holy Spirit to supernaturally help us. Once you have been changed by the power of God, you cannot help but tell others about it. When the Packers won the Super Bowl over a decade ago, I couldn’t stop talking about it. I didn’t stay on my La-Z-Boy after the game. I got up and got the good news out there!!

4. God has strategically placed you as fishers of men. Not everyone will respond with excitement like you do as you share the good news, but Jesus says spread the seed (Mt.13:3-8, note the 4 soils: some reject, some listen and forget, some accept). Sow wherever you are. Don’t follow the way of many Christians who get sucked into the subculture of comfort. I would rather trade a life of temporary discomfort for Christ than an eternity of discomfort without Him. Don’t be a LAZYBOY.

What if I got uncomfortable at school? Home? Work? What if I lived like Jesus? What if I lived for eternal comfort and temporary discomfort? Remember, God sent His Son Jesus Christ to live a very uncomfortable life on earth, to die an uncomfortable death, to conquer death and rise again so that we might live forever with Him in eternal comfort.

God of this city

Now that we are back in the US of A it is time to do a little of DR08 in L-town. I am challenged to share with our community the good news of Jesus Christ. May God use the E85 FUEL mission team to impact our city.

E85 FUEL, what does it mean? E = evangelism team; 85 = well the only thing I can think of is that we “partying like it were 1985″,  have our sights on the eternal as in “back to the future”, and are cheepy-cheepy like biofuel; FUEL = our student ministries. Quirky, I know.

DR08 mission presents

See our DR presentation here.

a prayer of thanks for the DR

Early Sunday morning we got back into town. We are tired.

I didn’t want to leave the ministry in the Dominican Republic. Personally, I wanted to adopt at least 5 kids from the villages or orphanages we visited. I am so proud of our team for the spiritual initiative and giftedness they pour out on this mission. The fruit was immediate in their lives and ours. God is glorified. May we repeat more of the same here on our home turf.

Father,

thank You for the opportunity to  glorify Your name in the Dominican Republic.

thank You protect us and keep us safe as we flew, during Kiko’s bus driving, and walking around the various villages.

thank You for the strength empowered within us as we did new things in a strange place.

thank You for opening up the floodgates for you glory to shine through us.

thank You for using us as lights of your Sons grace.

thank You for Your love and allowing us to show Your love to the unlovable.

thank You for bring our team together as One.

thank You for using our hands to touch minister to Your orphans, and allowing Your love flow through us.

thank You for spiritual nourishment and immediate fruit the people we feed, clothed and played with in the sugar cane villages.

thank You for the spiritual healing those we sought to nurse in the medical clinic.

thank You for the numerous souls redeemed through our drama “Tired” and Your gospel message.

thank You for being the center of our worship.

thank You for humbling my prideful heart from the joyful poverty of the people we met.

thank You for my new friend Kiko [thank You for rescuing him and giving him a passionate heart]

thank You for creating a beautiful island with beautiful people.

Amen.

a prayer for the DR

On Friday we leave from Battle Ground Bible Church with 16 team members for the Dominican Republic. We are gearing up for a stretching 10 days of ministry. Here is my prayer for our trip…

Father,

may Your name would be glorified in the Dominican Republic.

may You protect us and keep us safe as we fly, bus, and walk.

may Your strength empower us as we enter a world unknown.

may You open the floodgates for you glory to shine through us.

may You use us as lights of your Sons grace.

may our love be Your love.

may our team be One.

may our hands touch minister to Your orphans, may your love flow through us.

may You spiritual nourish the people we feed in the sugar cane villages.

may you spiritual heal those we seek to nurse.

may souls be redeemed through our drama “Tired”.

may You be the center of our worship.

Amen.

the sea horse

The sea horse declares the glories of God. This unique creation gallops slowly near the shore with its tail twisting forward gripping seaweed. The seahorse is an amazing creation that describes a lot about our amazing Creator

The sea horse is incredibly unique. Its protective bony armor cleverly protects it from imminent danger. Its armor is so strong that it is almost impossible to crush a dried dead sea horse in your hands. Its tough skeleton is not a yummy or crunchy for predators. 

The sea horse unlike all other fish in that its head is set at right angles to its body. It swims with its body held upright. It can bend its head down or up, but not from side to side. To most this would seem like a handicap, but the Creator in His amazing wisdom has designed the seahorse’s eyes to move independently, swiveling around in any direction to watch each side. 

The sea horse uses its fins to swim vertically, and rises or sinks by cleverly altering the volume of gas within its swim bladder [w/o the use of Beano!?]. If this bladder is damaged, and it loses even a tiny bit of gas, it sinks to the bottom, where it will lie helpless until death.

The most unique characteristic of the sea horse, compared to all other animals in God’s creation, is that the male gives births to its young. The male sea horse has a kangaroo like pouch built into its armor. The female lays the eggs directly into this pouch, where the male fertilizes them. She may lay as many as 600 eggs. Once impregnated the dad-to-be swims off as the baby incubator. One or two months later he gives birth to tiny replicas of their parents.

The sea horse is like the platypus. As far as evolution is concerned: it presents an enigma that baffles and frustrates all theories that seek to disprove a Creator. It is easy to see when one looks at the sea horse that there is a Divine Designer.

 

the smoke of a thousand villages

 

“I have seen, at different times, the smoke of a thousand villages – villages whose people are without Christ, without God, and without hope in this world.” (Robert Moffat who inspired David Livingstone).

In 1816, Robert Moffat was sent out to South Africa and his fiance Mary Smith followed him 3 years later. After spending a year in Namaqualand, with the chief Afrikaner, whom he converted, Moffat returned to Cape Town in 1819 to marry Mary Smith. She proved to be a remarkable woman and most helpful wife.

In 1820 Moffat and his wife, left the Cape. They had a daughter, Mary Moffat (who was later to marry David Livingstone).

The saying above has inspired many missionaries to take the gospel to unreached people over the years. Today it has become increasingly easy communications and transportation, but  Coca-cola seems to have done a better job at making itself known worldwide than the gospel. I HAVE SEEN, MANY TIMES, THE HOUSE LIGHTS OF MANY HOMES AND CITIES–WITHOUT A MISSIONARY OR VOICE TO SHOW THEM THE WAY TO CHRIST. 

“We have all eternity to celebrate our victories, but only one short hour before sunset in which to win them.” – Robert Moffat