Good Enough???

Sorry it's been a while, but life has a way of consuming ones time and energy... So today I was asked to visit someone from our church who lives quite a bit away. Not too far, but enough of a drive to warrant some traveling music.

As I was driving back from my visit, a song came on that struck a deep chord with me. As a matter of fact, it's one of my favorites performed by Casting Crowns called "Voice of Truth". If you've never heard it, I highly recommend you take a listen...

You know, it would be SOOOO much easier if God would just tell me "Hey, on Friday at (insert time here), I'm gonna reach down and drop a revelation on you", just so I wouldn't be driving someplace or in the middle of something. But that's not how God works, is it? You see, for years I've struggled with being good enough. Good enough of a son; good enough of a husband; good enough of a father; good enough of an employee; good enough of a human being.

I've tried my very best to be responsible, to work harder than anyone else and to set a high standard for myself and others around me. And even if all of the things I've done were done to perfection, I still never felt good enough. I'm my own worst critic. My own worst enemy. I don't think I was born this way? So why?

I can almost recall every time someone else made me feel or flat out told me I wasn't good enough. Maybe not in those exact words, but still the same meaning. Do we really understand how damaging we are to one another? James 3:1-12 talks specifically about controlling your tongue. It would be better to just haul off and punch someone than to verbally assault them. Not that I condone violence, but a physical wound will heal over time. The mental wounds can take forever.

But today, while driving down a back-highway in Missouri, that song came on. A song that any other time I would sing along with, belting it out loud, if not a little off key... but today was different. The song began to play, and about half-way through it something happened. Something I never expected. As I was singing, I began to break... my voice, my train of thought and my heart. You see, for too long I've tried to be the best. To be good enough for everyone else around me. To prove to the world that I was good enough. But in a matter of a few seconds, God softly and gently spoke to my heart, telling me He thought I was good enough, and that's all that mattered.

So here I was, driving 60 mph with tears streaming down my face as I continued to listen to the song play, trying to decide if I needed to pull off the road or not. I kept driving, but for the next few minutes God reminded me that He thinks we are ALL good enough, otherwise sending His son to die on the cross was for nothing. He didn't do it for just a few of us that work hard enough. Not for those who give the most money. Not just for the ones who pray the most. Not even for those who invite the most friends to church and "get them saved". But for all of us. We're all good enough. And all it requires of us is this: to have faith and believe.

Faith in a creator who loves me enough that when I make mistakes, if I ask for forgiveness and truly mean it, He is willing to forgive me. Belief that Jesus Christ came down to this earth, giving up everything He had, to live a life just like me. For him to be beaten and punished and die on the cross so that all of the world would see that God thought we were good enough; that He would sacrifice it all just so we could always be close to Him.

I have to admit that as I've been writing this blog today, I have upon several occasions become teary-eyed. Not because of sorrow, but because of the great joy I feel in understanding that I no longer have to be bound by past hurts. That I have been set free by my faith and belief in the only one who makes a difference in my life. The only one who I need approval from. So let me close with this... Who have you told today that they are good enough?

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

Taking The Next Step

Hello again! Long time no see...

It's been a busy first part of the year already. I thought once the holidays were over, I wasn't gonna be busy for a while. LOL! Was I ever wrong. Seems to be a trend with me, being too busy to blog...

But that's not what I wanted to talk about today. Today I woke up to the realization that both of my daughters are somewhat in relationships with young men. Not that this hasn't happened before, but these ones seem different. I've met both young men, and believe it or not, as much as I should be spending my days instilling fear in them, I really like them. They are both talented in their own ways. And both share a very similar sense of humor with me. My daughters are looking at other men for the first time, and thinking about them first before daddy...

My son just turned 15, and has gotten his driver's permit. He is looking forward to getting a job in another year, and understands modern technology better than me. He's my right-hand man in my ministry, and I believe if anything happened to me, he could do the job no problem! And I believe he's reached the stage where girls aren't "yucky" anymore.

I think I'm about to take the next step in my life. I am facing the reality that very soon, all of my children won't totally rely on me anymore. That they will all very soon leave the house that I reside in and begin to live their own lives. That my three greatest creations will start to think about having families of their own. That I am already liking the idea of grandchildren. That I've gone from being a young man that women desired, to a father figure with graying hair and wisdom beyond my years. Can that time really be upon me?

I know that this is the natural progression of life. It is how God created us to be. His perfect order to the universe. I'm not sure I'm ready for it. I think this is what is referred to as the mid-life crisis. Our lives go through so many seasons. They never seem to be here very long. But I always reflect upon the life of my hero, Abraham. God told him he would be the father of nations and all would be blessed through him. Wow. How powerful is that? But Abraham started as a humble Abram, and had to go through so many seasons in his life before he got to that point.

I can only hope that someday I will look back, many seasons from now, and see those very promises fulfilled in the lives of my own family. That I will have been so faithful to God that my whole family for generations will be blessed in knowing God like I do, and that they are working towards the very same thing for their generations to come. That God will call them righteous, and His friends. That even though my seasons have come and gone, my life was full and rich. My favorite non-biblical poem is this one:

One hundred years from now,

it won't matter what car I drove,

what kind of house I lived in,

how much money I had in my bank account,

or what clothes I wore,

but that the world may be better

because I was important in the life of a child.

This I hope not only hold true for my children, but for every child God places in my care for the rest of my days serving Him in ministry. That as I continue to take each next step in life, I face them with excitement and anticipation of what God has in store for me.

Psalm 37:23 (New Living Translation)

²³ The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

Busy, busy, busy...

Hello again everybody!

It's been way too long once again since I've had time to write. As the holidays draw near every year, I promise myself that I will slow down and really enjoy the season. However, that never seems to happen. The holidays are supposed to be about love, kindness, patience, good cheer and giving. A very Christ-like sentiment.

But it seems that it is totally the opposite for most of us. There's impatience waiting in long lines at the registers, no love for those around us vying for the same sweater we want, no kindness for the person in line ahead of us with 50 items in the "20 items only" lane, so much giving that our finances are stretched out to the max, and forget any good cheer. Why do we do this to ourselves every year?

During a time in which we should be celebrating the greatest gift ever given to mankind, we are so pushed to our limits that we can't slow down long enough to even acknowledge Christ. Shop, shop, shop! Plan, plan, plan! Cook, cook, cook! Off to Grandma's and Grandpa's! Then to Aunt Shirley's! Run quickly to Cousin Bob's! Mush! Mush! Faster and faster! We over extend ourselves to the point that either we are too tired to be any good for anything, or too crabby for anybody to want to be around us. We need to STOP IT! Two simple words that will make your life so much more simple and enjoyable. Here's another good one: NO. As much as we want to do everything and be with everyone, sometimes we need to say "NO" and put the brakes on our lives that seem to run out of control constantly. Maybe then we will get back to focusing on the real reason for the season.

As I looked at the songs we sing every year in church at Christmas, none of them are about shopping, eating, running from place to place. They are about the things that mattered. "Silent Night", "Away in a Manger", "Joy to the World", "Hark the Herald Angels Sing", etc... it's all about Jesus. Try to take time in the last few days of this year to say no to a few more parties, places and things, and say yes to spending more time with Jesus.

God's blessings,

Pastor Brian

Halloween or Not?

Hello everyone! It's that time of year. The time when the weather gets cooler, the leaves are changing, and my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving, is almost here. But there's another holiday before it that creates so much controversy. Especially for Christians. And you all know it's Halloween...

Why does a time of year when you get to dress your children up and go door to door and get FREE CANDY cause such a stir in the church? Because of it's origins. If you don't know where it started and what it used to be about, here is an article that will help:http://www.loc.gov/folklife/halloween.html

So Halloween has it's pagan roots and practices, some of which are still practiced today, others which have long since disappeared. I remember as a child dressing up as one of many different characters. One year I was Snoopy, another CP3O (because I was and still am a Star Wars geek), Batman and many others. We would go visit family members first, then go door to door worshiping the devil in several neighborhoods that we new were safe. Who didn't?

Okay, in all honesty, do you remember preparing to worship satan every Halloween, or do you remember getting excited for parties at school and getting free candy? Mine was the latter. Now my parents didn't let me dress up like anything scary, and at that time most kids didn't want to. Maybe the scariest thing you saw was a witch or a ghost costume. We used to have so much fun and got all the candy we could eat! But, as everything man touches, we perverted it and made it so much sicker now than it was so many years ago. Our children's innocence has been sold out for the higher profits that depravity brings.

Eyeballs hanging out, bloody butcher knife wielding psychopaths, disgusting looking zombies... and those aren't the worst. Look closely at the costumes for kids the next time you are at the store. I, being a children's pastor, like looking for costumes for dramas and musicals that we may do. Can you ever really have enough gray-haired wigs or beards? Angel costumes? But the playful focus that costumes had when I was a kid doesn't exist anymore. What I see is the blatant sexualizing of our children. There is almost no difference between "adult" costumes and children's costumes. Why? Because we live in moral decay. Our society is getting sicker and sicker. It's not enough to see a suspenseful movie anymore. It has to be blatantly over gory and twisted. A veritable blood bath for people to be scared. Once again, a society in decay...

But should we avoid Halloween then? That is a personal choice up to each individual. I think it's one of the greatest opportunities to witness to those around us the glorious grace of God. When, outside of Halloween, do you have that many unsaved people come to your door? Matt McKey said it best in his blog: "You can leverage it to build relationships for the future or you can boycott it and lose the opportunity." You can read the rest of his blog here: http://www.mattmckee.me/happy-halloween-church-kidmin/

Parents, I would encourage you return to the days of when dressing up your child as a princess, fireman, super hero or teacher was cool. Or maybe even their favorite Bible character? Back to a time when for one night we got to pretend to be someone else and get free candy. Lose the gore and depravity. Let's restore the innocence to our kids that society as a whole has taken away. And if you are staying home and passing out candy, leverage that opportunity by giving the best candy you can. God always gives us His best. Become that house that every child wants to go to because they remember your generosity. That's when real witnessing can begin...

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

PS - Everyone knows that a "Harvest Party" is the same thing as a "Halloween Party". Just like a "gospel illusion" is the same as a "magic trick". Get over it!

The Season is Changing...

Hello again!

I'm sorry it's been so long again since my last blog. Too many things just pop up and take time away from other things, as you all well know. But I am working on making a change in my life and everything I do in it. Is blogging the most important thing on my "TO DO" list? No, but there is something about being able to share with others the things God is doing in your life that is very freeing and refreshing. So, while not at the top of the list, it is slowly moving up the ladder...

As I have looked outside over the last few weeks, I've noticed the days getting shorter, the weather is getting cooler and the leaves on the trees are starting to change colors. Why? Because Fall is here. The season is changing. The seasons serve to remind me of a few things. First, what beauty God has created in this world we live in. Not everybody enjoys every season, but you have to admit that they all carry their own unique beauty.

In the Spring, everything starts growing. We see the buds on the trees and plants as they begin to come back to life. We hear the songs of animals as they start the mating season. Then comes Summer. The sunshine makes us all want to be outside. We work on many projects that need taken care of outside of our homes. Maybe we go spend the day at the beach, enjoying playing in the waves, or just listening to the crashing waves while we relax with a good book? Then Fall comes. The sun still shines, but not as long. And the coolness of the wind brings relief from the heat of the Summer. The leaves start to change color, and the air takes on this special aroma that can only be described as autumn. Like moist leaves and burning wood. Finally comes Winter. Everything goes dormant or dies as the cold and snow cover it all. And yet, there is nothing more beautiful than waking up in the morning and looking out your window at the soft, white blanket that has covered everything. There is a feeling of purity the first time the snow falls on everything. And the joy you feel when outside playing in it overcomes the feeling of bitter cold that is caressing your cheeks.

But God is also reminding us through His handiwork, that we all go through seasons in our life. We have our Fall season, where things in our lives must start to die. We have our Winters, when everything feels cold and quite. But then comes our Springs, when new growth begins to replace that which had to die in ourselves. And finally, our Summers, when we can enjoy our days in His son, Jesus. The Bible says this:

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

¹ There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens:

² a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

Anne Bradstreet, I believe said it best:

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome."

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

I want it NOW, Lord!!!

Hello again everybody,

It's funny how I thought that after Summer, my days would be less full and I would get SOOOO much more accomplished and really get back into blogging regularly. HA!HA!HA! For those of you not in ministry, there is no such thing as slow days. Ministry is always happening.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm really not complaining. When you are called into ministry, you sign on for the long haul. The late night phone calls, hospital visits, replacing sick Sunday School teachers at the last minute, etc... It will certainly test your patience. And take time away from everything you may have planned for your day. I've recently tried to spend time looking for new curriculum for Kid's Church, and it just seems that I can't get it done. I found a few that I liked, but I just can't seem to go ahead and order any. I spend time daily praying that God shows me what He would have me teach the kids, but I've heard nothing yet. Today I decided to cry out,"Lord, give me an answer right now! I've got to get this done!"

Bold move, right? And you know what happened??? Nothing. No ideas, no release to order something online, not a single clue. How long can I spend struggling on this one thing? I have other obligations to get to. Important visits, meetings, phone calls and ministry that has to get done ASAP. The more my ministry grows, the less time I have! And then it dawned on me.

I haven't really been waiting on the Lord. I have tried to fit HIS WILL into MY SCHEDULE. And you know what? That never works. Our timeline is incredibly short in God's grand scheme of things. What God wants for His people doesn't always fit into our over-scheduled, too busy lives. Did wandering the desert for 40 years fit into the Israelites plan? No. Did they cause it by their own disobedience and lack of patience with God? Yes. So the question is: Are we being disobedient when we expect God to work in our timing? I think I am learning this lesson the hard way.

So tomorrow I plan on continuing to pray that God shows me what He wants for His children, knowing that it may take longer than I like, but He will provide daily what I need and never give me more than I can handle. And when the time is right, God will then open up my eyes and heart to His will and show me His plans, all in His perfect timing.

Psalm 33:11 But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

Unpopular beliefs...

Good morning everyone,

Once again it has been a while since I've had some time to post anything. But don't take this as an apology. When ministry calls, ministry calls. God's work is top priority. That being said, I have a little something I want to discuss. Okay, maybe get off of my chest is a better description.

This past week on Facebook, I posted something somewhat controversial. I decided to vent about something that our President has commented on and supported. Know what I'm talking about yet? Most of you do. I posted my feelings on the building of the mosque by Ground Zero in New York. My belief is that it is a bad idea. Sure, it will be two blocks away from there, but if you have never seen a mosque, you don't realize the size that they are. There are some smaller ones, but this doesn't appear to be the case with the proposed one. It would be very visible.

Now, not everybody agrees with me. Just like I have religious freedom to worship the way and where I choose to, so should the people who are Islamic. That I think is correct. See, I don't think that they are all terrorists. I don't think any of them are responsible for what happened there. But what I do think is that it is just in bad taste. A really bad idea. Why? It serves as a constant reminder to the people that lost someone that ill-fated day. There was a group of people, all be it a RADICAL group of these believers, that premeditated the murder of thousands of innocent people. Some say that this is how they show their superiority, by building a mosque on conquered ground. Maybe.

But that is no different than Christians over thousands of years. Any time we conquered people in history, did we not build a church there for us to worship our God? We still do that to this day. However, did we or do we convert people to our way of thinking by force? Not in this day and age. So, I choose not to believe that line of thought as to why they want to build a mosque there.

What about the idea that it is meant to be a slap in the face of America? A big "Ha, ha!" at us? Well, I don't believe that to be the case either, because once again I don't believe that they were part of the radical group who chose to do what they did on 9/11. It had already been a meeting place for them. They own the land and have probably had plans to build there someday anyway. Unfortunately, what happened that day damaged those plans.

So why don't I agree with building there? It is just in poor taste. Not to mention, we have people in our country that may look at such a place with such hatred and outrage, who knows what they might do? Do we need another tragedy or reason for violence there? No. Our President stands on the laws that govern our nation, and I can respect that. They have every right to build on their property and worship how they choose. But there have been offerings of land elsewhere in the city that would be less distracting for those who lost loved ones & friends, as well as provide less animosity in an already distraught city.

We would like to believe we can look past what has happened in the past, but as humans we have a tendency to hold onto the things that raise up our flesh the most. The best of men are men at best. We are flawed, sinful creations that only by God's grace have the freedom to be who we are in Christ Jesus. Some in others countries give their lives for that privilege. Others in our country have died to protect that privilege, for all of us, no matter what we believe. I don't know what God's will is in this, but I know it is a perfect will, and in His perfect timing, not for us to understand but to be obedient in His greatest commandment: "Love each other."

Blessings,

Pastor Brian