Linus tells Charlie Brown what Christmas is all about

I am thankful for...God!

There is much to be thankful for during this Thanksgiving weekend!

God exists. He is Creator. He has written his words down and placed them in a book called the Bible so that we can better know who he is. God has wonderfully revealed himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ who was fully man and fully God. Through his life, his death on the cross, and the fact that he was raised from the dead and currently lives again he made a way for us to know and experience God. Through Christ, God has extended to us an invitation to be adopted into his family. This offer is extended to all who receive him and believe in his name. As we choose to become a follower of God we are given the Holy Spirit who enables us to live for him in all things. And we are given the promise that with Christ is not just the best way to die, but he is the best way to live - far better than wealth, fame, pleasure, power, security, and comfort. And we are told that one day he's coming back. His current delay is so that you can hear this word, trust in him, and be saved and then turn and encourage others to do the same.

Now that's Good News!

Pastor Cor

While you're going, make disciples.

God is sooooo cool. At Tuesday night's HOC meeting we talked about making disciples. One of the points shared is that Matthew 28:19-20 could very well be translated "Going, make disciples." As you're going, while you're going, make disciples. You don't have to go somewhere to make disciples. Just make disciples as you're going about life. I would have never thought God had this in mind when I went to the dentist!

So, we're doing the casual conversation thing which I'm becoming pretty good at, being a pastor and all. Then he asks me what I do. "I'm a pastor in downtown." There is usually a pause after I bring this up in conversation. The person then decides if they want to continue asking more questions about this or change the subject all together. Well, he pursued further to the point of asking for my card and when services were! His dental assistant then said that she and her family were looking for a church! Praise God!

I didn't get them to pray a prayer. I explained some about Hope (we take the Bible seriously, emphasize the teachings of Jesus, the imputation of Christ's righteousness...ya know, the usual) but not much. And I invited them to come and check us out. Then I left and he went to do someone else's fillings. It wasn't an evangelistic crusade, churchwide outreach, or picking somebody at random. It can be but it doesn't have to be. But, hopefully, they took one step closer to Christ. And come Sunday they'll take another step by coming to Hope. Pray for them to come.

Wow! I was getting the first cavity fillings of my life. And God showed up! I just wanted to encourage you that as you go make disciples!

It's over!

My run of 28 years has come to an end. For 28 years I had been able to claim that though I incessantly drink Mountain Dew I had never gotten a cavity. I can't anymore. In fact, tomorrow I will get 3 fillings! The 28-year run has come to a screeching halt.

But, look on the bright side. I'm still 28 years without a headache or nosebleed. I'm thinking if those two are going to end they happen conjointly when I receive a massive blow to the head. I'll be on the look out for any flying anvils.

Don't be fooled

There have been 3 advertisements today that caught my attention. I can only remember 2. An ad for a local casino with a guy saying, "I take happiness in all sizes: $5, $10, $25, $50, & $100." Another one said "We've all dreamed of something bigger." What was the "bigger"? The TV show Friday Night Lights on NBC. Don't be fooled. Money does not equate to happiness and Friday Night Lights (the TV show or actually playing) is not the something bigger we all long for. They fill for a moment but don't satisfy. Only Snickers does that. I joke. I kid.

The question I used to ask myself almost daily is "What is it all about?" A couple of weeks ago something changed. Bethel theology professor David Clark once remarked, "Sometimes theology answers your question and sometimes theology changes your question." Theology changed my question. No longer do I simply ask, "What is it all about?" Recently I have taken to asking, "Who is it all about?" i'm founding out that as I learn to answer that correctly the what comes much more easily.

Ans: Who is God. He is the happiness and something bigger.

The joy of being a dad

One of the joys of being a dad is playing with my boys. We rassle. We dance and sing to the Wiggles. If you don't know the Wiggles, you're not 3 years old. We cry when we're short on sleep and food. Oh yeah, I'll cry.

But, one of our great activites is running. We play chase around the dining room table and upstairs in the boys rooms. Upstairs this has transformed into running and jumping on Drew's old crib mattress. Isaac will yell "go". That's his role. Drew will take off from his room into Isaac's. Then I come trailing after. Drew jumps once and then twice on his mattress before doing it all over again. And again. And again.

Daddy gets tired of the same ol', same ol', so I've been changing up the routine. My newest fun is trying to time my jump. If I time it perfectly I can essentially catapult Drew through the air on his second jump. After a couple of minor boosts in his vertical I hit one just perfect. Drew took off like a rocket. After 1, 2, no 3 flips he ended up horizontally heading towards the ground with face first. Daddy didn't catch him and he hit his nose and mouth. There was crying. There was kissing his owies. And then there was more of the same. It's great being a dad!!

I think there is a spiritual analogy in there somewhere. We play Drew and try our best. God comes behind us and adds MUCH to our limited efforts. Perhaps, at times, we do not expect him to come through in such a big way even though we invite him to play with us!!! And we land on our faces because we didn't really think prayer would actually work - that God would really answer.

PRAY BIG! BELIEVE GOD! HE DELIGHTS IN BEING RIGHT THERE WITH YOU!

Where I got the title for this blog

I've just got done reading a couple of great books: Contending for Our All by John Piper and Confessions of a Reformission Rev. by Mark Driscoll. I highly recommend them. Contending for Our All is a look at 3 historical Christian figures: Athanasius, John Owen, and J. Greshem Machen. What I am learning is that many of our current theological and ministerial bru-hah-hahs have been experienced in prior generations. Sure, they are nuanced fitting our current cultural, historical, technological, philisophical, etc. context, but the divinity of Jesus Christ and his role was debated as much then as it is now. The true meaning of the gospel was debated as much then as it is now. Here are three that contended for our all, for the truth, for the gospel, for Jesus Christ - who he is and what he secured on our behalf through his life, death, and resurrection. If you are looking for an abrasive pastor that doesn't mind aiming the gun at you and pulling the trigger read Mark Driscoll. One example: a man called him in the middle of the night broken up because he had lusted. After a brief conversation the man asked Mark to pray for him. So he prays "Jesus, thank you for not killing him for being a pervert. Amen." I'll try not to adopt this as my personal approach should any of you come to me in the middle of the night!