I have to admit, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Christian Life and Witness classes.  I’ve been attending on Wednesday mornings at 9:00 a.m.  The presenter is good.  The content is good.  The presentation is good.  The videos and slides and illustrations and stories are good.  It’s all good!

But do you want to know what I think is the best for me?  I’ve been utilizing the materials and looking up each passage for my quiet times each day.  Now, I’m not studying some deep theological truth or debate that I’ve never heard before.  I’m simply studying on my own each day, the basic message of the Gospel.  I don’t ever want to loose the wonder and awe of what God has done for me.  If I ever loose that, something in my spirit has gone wrong.  God loves me so much that He has given His Son to die on the cross for my sins so that I can enjoy Him forever.  Wow!  I’ve also enjoyed the little booklet, “Practicing His Presence.”

Sometimes I can go going so fast on doing a lot of stuff, I don’t take as much time as I would like to truly slow down and just rest with God, just as I am.  And let Him love me.  And for me to express my love back to Him.

I hope you are enjoying the classes as well.  But I hope that each day, you are meeting with the Lord.  He loves you and is waiting to tell you how much He loves you!  Don’t settle for the good content of the class, slow down and experience the best by spending time with Jesus.

As we rapidly approach Good Friday, here’s an article I read by Jayson Bradley.  I thought you might be encouraged by it.

On Good Friday we reflect on God’s plan for our reconciliation. The wonder of Advent became the heartbreaking reality of the nature and penalty of sin on Golgotha. The victory of the resurrection was still to come, and in the interim those closest to our Lord suffered confusion and despair.

Personally, this is the most reflective day in my year. I find myself vacillating between sorrow for my sin, gratefulness for a Creator so mindful of my condition, and awe at the magnitude of His plan to rescue me.

Here are five suggestions to get the most out of your Good Friday observance:

1. Read the Gospel accounts of Christ’s trial and crucifixion.
There are no substitutes for reading the various Gospel narratives to prepare your heart and head for the weight of Christ’s martyrdom and the grandeur of His resurrection!

Whether it is Pilate’s ambivalence, Peter’s denial under pressure, the commuted sentence of Barrabas, or the guilt-ridden betrayal by Judas, I always find something in the Passion story to identify with and challenge myself.

2. Set aside some time for quiet reflection.
This one’s significant for me. Every year I schedule a personal retreat. Sometimes it isn’t more than half an hour, but if it’s at all possible I will lay aside a good portion of the day to spend in quiet meditation. This isn’t necessarily prayer time (although it often evolves into prayer)—it is more time to reflect silently.

During this time I might think about the cosmic and personal implications of the crucifixion, my personal guilt and responsibility requiring such extreme measures, and my current alignment with Christ. Am I on the right page? Am I moving in the right direction?

This might sound heavy, but it is always tempered with the understanding that Good Friday is a picture of how deeply and passionately I am cared for by my Creator. My response to this reflective time is always contentment and peace.

3. Find other books and teachings to reflect upon.
There are many great resources available which revolve around Christ’s crucifixion. These resources provide opportunity to jump start your reflection with thoughts and teachings on the Passion story, as well as its ramifications and significance.

Here is a small handful of the many titles on this theme available from Logos:

• The Murder of Jesus by John MacArthur
• Raymond E. Brown Collection (5 vols.)
• Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die by John Piper
• The Radical Cross by A. W. Tozer
• The Atonement Collection (5 vols.)
• Christian Approaches to Contemporary Thinking Collection (6 vols.)
• Jesus and the Victory of God by N. T. Wright

4. Attend a Good Friday service.
If you are a member of a church that has a Good Friday service, make sure that you attend. One of the beautiful things about the crucifixion is how it has taken us from the isolation of our sinful condition and placed us within a kingdom of faith. There is an important aspect of Good Friday that can only be appreciated in community.

If your church does not have a Good Friday service, that’s okay. I have been blessed many times by attending services at other churches. In fact, some of my most significant Good Friday experiences were with others outside of my denominational circle. There is something transcendent in seeing believers from different backgrounds “celebrate” this holy event that we share.

Even if there isn’t a local church that has a Good Friday service, all is not lost. Gather with some people close to you and put on your own impromptu service where you can share in the Passion story together.

5. Cultivate thankfulness.
This might seem like the most trite of the five suggestions, but I think it is the most difficult.

In John 16:33 Jesus tell us, “In the world you will have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (NASB95)

It is easy for all of us to focus on life’s daily little tribulations and let them crowd out our courage and thankfulness. But this is the perfect time of year to realign ourselves with gratefulness. After all, it was in the crucifixion and resurrection that Christ did indeed overcome the world. In light of this, we can have an entirely different perspective on our daily troubles.

Hey everyone…here’s an excerpt from an article I recently wrote.  I wanted to pass it along as something to reflect on as we consider how important it is for us to be involved in the lives of our kids…and to help one another’s kids.  Please consider your involvement in the Orange Growth Groups for kids that are happening on Sundays.  We’re steering away from calling them “classes” because they’re relational, growth groups.  We have two services, giving folks an opportunity to attend one service and serve during the other.  God can use YOU to make a difference in a child’s life!

Not long ago I was watching one of my kids playing at the playground.  At one point I noticed another kid pummeling all the other kids around him.  He was taunting them, screaming at them, throwing sticks, kicking, punching, and saying some really nasty things to them. After we left, I got thinking about the trajectory of this kid’s life.  “If he’s doing this now,” I thought, “what’s he going to be doing in high school…bringing guns?”  What hope does he have?  What can the church possibly do to reach future generations?

I recently I read an except from David Kinnaman’s book You Lost Me:  Why Young Christians are Leaving Church…and Rethinking Faith.  In his research, Kinnaman lists six reasons people leave church:  isolationism (the church demonizes our culture), shallowness (church is boring, irrelevant, and Bible teaching is unclear), anti-science (the church is out of step on scientific developments and debate), sex (we live in a techno-porno world and the church is out of touch with reality), exclusivity (the church is too exclusive in this pluralistic world), doubters (it’s not safe to express doubt at church).

Other research by the Barna Group recently showed that six in ten young people will leave the church permanently or for an extended period starting at age 15.  That’s a lot of young people!  So I got thinking about my own kids.  Just because I’m a pastor doesn’t mean my kids are exempt from these statistics.  In fact, they may be more susceptible to them.  So what would it take for me to pass the torch to my kids?  What would it take for us to pass on our faith to the next generation?

I’ve come to the conclusion that the greatest way to pass on my faith to my kids and the next generation is simple:  live it out in front of them.  I want them to know that I really believe the Bible is my authority.  I strive to follow what Scripture teaches me.  As I read it, I want to obey it.  As I learn it, I want to apply it to my life.  I want the Gospel of Jesus Christ to transform my heart and the way I live my everyday life.  One of the problems we face is we compartmentalize our “religion” into a small corner of our lives and pull it out on Sunday mornings (those that do go to church).  It becomes a duty rather than a relationship.

A lot of people hope that government will pass new laws that will change the next generation.  Or for some, their hope lies in more information, expanding technology, higher education, self-help seminars, new business products, the next President, or more money.  Not that any of those things are necessarily bad.  But I believe that as I allow God access to my heart, He will change it, and it’s then my responsibility to pass that on to others, starting with my own kids.  The next generation is waiting, longing, crying out for us to live what we say we believe.  How might God want to use you to change the trajectory of someone’s life?

Here’s some thoughts from my quiet time with the Lord today.

I’ve been learning a lot about how performance driven I can be.  How easy it is for me to fall into this trap of doing more, looking good, being busy, and trying to accomplish more.  This morning, I was reading in Philippians 3 where Paul says that he too was doing all the right things:  circumcised on the 8th day, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, a Pharisee, a zealous persecutor of the church, blameless under the law…then notice what he says next in Phil. 3:7 “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.  Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”

Our mission at JCC is to lead people to actively follow Jesus.  What does that look like when that’s happening? Our vision at JCC is an attempt at describing what that looks like…it reminds me of Paul’s words in Philippians…We will be following Jesus in such a way that He becomes our ultimate treasure.  This will be characterized by the transforming of our hearts and minds, sacrificing ourselves for His glory, actively living out His Word, and participating in the expansion of His Kingdom.

When Jesus is my ultimate treasure, nothing I do, there’s no way I can perform, that is more important than just being with Him.  Enjoying and loving Jesus, and allowing Him to love me.  I don’t know about you, but I’m challenged to step off the treadmill of performance, count it all as loss for the sake of Christ, and strive to place Jesus as my ultimate treasure because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

Over the last 7 years, I must’ve said it 100s of times.  ”The church is not the building.”  And that is still true.  The church is the people!  However, the building will be a helpful tool for us to continue to lead this community back to God.  Here’s some reasons why I feel that way:

1.  A building lets people know we exist. 

A couple of weeks ago, there was a tragedy just a few blocks away from the Middle School.  A man killed his wife, two kids, and then himself.  I doubt that the average non-Christian person even knows that we might be available to help in such a crisis.  In fact, the only way people would really know that we exist is if they were invited by someone, searched for us on the internet, or happen to drive by a sign on a Sunday morning.

2.  A building communicates that we are establishing roots in this community. 

For those that have heard of Journey, it is still a big leap for many to do “church in a school.”  To them, perception is their reality.  Many may feel like we just set up, do a service, and poof, we are gone!  It doesn’t even occur to them that we are a viable place to join. There’s something very significant that happens when we have a place to call home with our name on it.  It helps build credibility that we are a part of this community and ready to serve.

3.  A building gives us more options for ministry. 

There have been many great ideas shared about how to use the building for further ministry at Journey.  Here’s a few:  starting a food pantry, marriage seminars, leadership development training, special classes such as Financial Peace University, student outreach for St. Norbert’s College.  The list could go on and on.  It also helps drastically in simple ways; such as music team rehearsals and a gathering place for mid-size meetings or activities.

4.  A building gives us a missional presence in downtown De Pere. 

We’re here for those that are not yet here.  This is our mission field.  A couple weeks ago, there were thousands of runners at the Seroogy’s Run in downtown De Pere. Many of them used the building as a place to warm up and get a hot drink.  We can also have a missional presence at the end of May as Celebrate De Pere attracts thousands of people from all around Brown County.

The building is going to be a helpful tool for us to utilize for His glory.  The sacrifice we make now of time, money, and serving God will use to advance His kingdom here in northeast Wisconsin  Please prayerfully consider an offering, an above and beyond gift, toward the transition into the building.

It’s not equal amounts, it’s equal sacrifice!  Thanks for letting God use you!

If you want to deepen your prayer life, here is one simple tool I periodically use, following the ABCs.  This has a way of right-sizing our problems and praising God for His attributes/characteristics.  Give it a shot!  In the future, think of new words for each letter.

A–awesome

B–bread of Life

C–creator

D–defender

E–eternal

F–father in heaven

G–great

H–holy

I–interested in us

J–jealous for us

K–knowing all things

L–loving

M–merciful

N–new life

O–orphans/outcasts–you care for

P–peaceful

Q–quick to listen to us

R–rejoices over us with singing

S–satisfies our needs

T–trustworthy

U–understanding

V–vindicating

W–weeps over us

X–hmm…only thing I could think of was Creator of the Xylophone!

Y–yesterday, today, forever–God is the same

Z–zion–road to Zion (God) is in our hearts

For those of you that like to follow some Christian traditions, Epiphany is celebrated on January 6.  Epiphany is the manifestation of Christ to the world, an observance commemorating Jesus’ birth (Mark 1:9) and his changing water into wine at Cana (John 2:1-11).  Later, the visit of the Magi (Matt. 2:1-12) was added.  Here are some Scriptures to use if you’d like.  Happy Epiphany!

Old Testament Isaiah 60:1–6

Psalm Psalm 72:1–7, 10–14

New Testament Ephesians 3:1–12

Gospel Matthew 2:1–12

If you’re like a lot of people right around now, your good intentions and resolutions are starting to fade.  Maybe you missed a day at the gym or you feel guilty because you missed a day reading your Bible.  You see, a lot of what is behind resolutions is self-effort, trying harder, and doing more.  What if we took a different approach?  I’m not saying we shouldn’t demonstrate discipline and structure in our lives.  In fact, those things are biblical.  But what if we shifted our focus from trying harder and being a better person to remembering how much God loves us, is merciful to us, and has showered us with His grace?

Think about the following questions:

• Are you tired of living up to unrealistic expectations?  Remember how passionately God loves and pursues us.  Reflect on that this year.
• Are you tired of trying harder and doing more?  Determine to focus on His goodness and faithfulness.
• Are you tired of greed and selfishness stealing the joy in your life?  Remember the joy we can have in Christ and determine to be more generous this year as a result.
• Are you discouraged about the direction of your life?  Focus on the grace of God, what He has already done, how He never lets you go, and how he invites us to join Him in His work.
• Are you worried and anxious?  Consider the blessings God has already given to you and rest in Jesus, not other things.  What good does it do to worry?  The energy you use to worry is the same energy you can use to pray.

Well, the day is here. Christmas Eve is upon us and tomorrow the big Celebration that we have all been waiting for since last Christmas. The anticipation and excitement in our house is electric.

Do you remember how you felt on Christmas Eve last year compared to how you felt on Christmas day toward evening? If you are like me, there was probably quite a difference in the excitement level. Christmas Eve through Christmas morning was exciting, but Christmas afternoon…I was bored. I was bored not because I lacked stuff to do, but I think my soul was bored. My soul was ramped up all year long to celebrate the birth of Jesus and now that we opened the gifts and ate the meal…it was over.

What I am coming to discover is that I have a worship problem. I think that I have been worshipping the idea of Christmas rather than worshipping the King of Christmas. I am not just talking about forgetting the “reason for the season”. I know what the reason for the season is. My soul is not bored because I am putting stock in gift giving, being with family, and decorating the house. I very much have known that Jesus is the central and most important part of the Holiday. I am discovering that it is deeper than just celebrating Jesus Birthday though. Think about this today as we go through the last exercises of the holiday…

Christmas is not about baby Jesus being born in a stable. It is not about a virgin “great with child” traveling a far distance to have a baby in humble surroundings. We even dramatize that to a greater extent than what it probably was. The bible never tells anything about how many kings or wise men visited…sorry to say it might not have been “3″ kings after all. Not only that, but the magi/kings/wise men (depending on your translation) didn’t even visit Jesus at the place of his brith. They never saw him laying in a manger. Did you know that?

It is cute and all to make a cake and sing “happy birthday” to Jesus with the kids (not knocking it…it is a great idea for young kids), but Christmas is so much more than little birthday cakes and parties and cute little angels and inaccurate stories that make for good drama.

So what are we celebrating anyway? Great question, so glad you asked…

“…Christ Jesus,who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Phil 2:5b-11

Jesus, creator of the universe, King of the heavens, Lord over all things, did not count equality with God something to be grasped. Jesus, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, slipped out of his kingly robes and put on humility. God came into the world. We are celebrating Immanuel, God with us. God came and put on flesh (we call this the incarnation) to live among us, to teach us through example how to live, to suffer the same suffering that we suffer, to smell the same air that we smell (so to speak). God came from his Heaven and walked among us who are unworthy to be with God. He came to earth in the form of a human, to show us that he loves us. The King of kings and Lord of lords, humbled himself to be under human authority and obeyed it to the point of death. He left his throne room to put on flesh to serve humanity in his death. His birth is about his glorious death.

You see, the Christmas celebration is about Jesus humility…the act of leaving his throne room to come and serve the sinners living in the sewer. Knowing that the only way these sinners will ever make it out of the sewer is to allow these same sinners to drown him in the waste that they created. I know that is kind of a gross picture for Christmas, but so is our sin.

The humble beginnings of Jesus life (virgin mother traveling on a donkey, born in a stable, laid in a manger, first visitors were some shepherds, Herod killing all male kids under two, Jesus family fleeing to Egypt, etc…) are just the beginning or the storyline of a King making himself nothing.

As we celebrate Christmas tomorrow, let us not just let our minds celebrate the “reason for the season”, but let our souls celebrate God’s love and his incarnation and Jesus’ humbleness.

And don’t ever forget the rest of the Christmas story… “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” That is reason for celebration!!!

Merry Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Congratulations if you’ve been following along on these blogs!  I hope they’ve been a blessing and encouragement to you and your family!

Begin with God’s Word:   Read Matt. 2:7-12; John 3:16

On Christmas Eve, after your children are asleep, place the Jesus figurine from your Nativity scene in a beautifully wrapped box.  Put this box in front of all the other presents under the tree.  On Christmas morning, have your kids open this present first.  Thank God for His perfect gift–His one and only Son–as you lay the figurine in the manger.  Discuss the amazing truth that this gift is not for just a few select families, but for every family in the world–past, present, and future.

Begin with God’s Word:   Read Luke 2:6-7

Imagine what Joseph and Mary must have been thinking when they knew the baby Jesus would be born and they ended up in a stable.  They placed the Son of God in a manger, a feeding trough where animals stuck there nose in and drooled in.  What must they have been thinking/feeling?

Question for Parents:  when was a time that you went through a really difficult time?  A time of uncertainty.  A time of stress.  A time when you didn’t know what would happen or what the future held.  Talk with your kids about the valuable lessons that God showed you along the way and what you learned from them.

Family Activity:  Using bedsheets, create a “stable” big enough for the family to huddle in.  Use a flashlight for a lantern, and choose stuffed animals for the animals that may have been present when jesus was born.  Talk with your children about the sights, sounds, and smells of the stable.  This humble dwelling was the birthplace of our Savior and King.

Begin with God’s Word:   Read Matthew 2:1-6

The Magi were wealthy and distinguished men from the East who traveled a long ways to honor Jesus after His birth.  We don’t know if there were 3 of them, we only know there were 3 gifts.  And we do know that they probably came some time after Jesus’ birth (he may have been close to 2 years old).  They followed a star that led them to Jesus.

Question for Parents:  What do you follow?  Not what do you strive to follow.  In actuality, who or what are you following in life?  If you’re not sure, take a look at your calendar or bank account. Those are both two really good indicators.  Your kids will pick up on what you follow and essentially this becomes what you worship.  Sometimes we can fool ourselves, but our kids can sniff it out even before we realize it.

Family Activity:  Take your children on a journey throughout your home, searching for hidden stars that you’ve place in their rooms.  They could be star ornaments or stickers or stars made out of paper.  Conclude your search in front of your Christmas tree and consider allowing eachchild to place the star of his or her choice on the tree as a symbol of your journey.  Talk together about how as a family you all want to follow Jesus.

Begin with God’s Word:   Read Luke 2:15-20

Think of a time that you were the first ones to hear a secret?  What was it like?  How did it make you feel?  Now imagine being the shepherds, the lowest of people in society.  They were the ones that heard a special secret for the first time.  And it wasn’t just any secret.  It was an announcement of the Savior, Christ the Lord.  How special they must have felt.

Question for Parents:  How do you make your kids feel special?   If they don’t feel special from you, they’ll try to feel special from others or in unhealthy ways. This Christmas, especially as your kids are on break, think of ways to make your kids feel special.  What’s the best way for them to receive love?  Is it a special gift?  A date?  Quality time?

Family Activity:  At the dinner table, take a turn and share with each person why you feel they are so special and what you love about them.  As you share, remind them about how special the shepherds must have felt and the significance of God announcing this special news, not to the elders or religious leaders, but to the shepherds.

Begin with God’s Word:   Read Micah 5:4; Luke 15:4-7; Luke 19:10

What comes to your mind when you think of a shepherd?  The prophet Micah used the image of a shepherd to describe the coming Messiah.  Jesus used the same imagery to tell people about himself, saying that He came to seek and save the lost.

Question for Parents:  how are you being a shepherd to your kids?  No parents want their children to wander aimlessly off a cliff.  Yet that is what is happening spiritually to countless children who do not have parents as shepherds.  Are you equipped to shepherd them?  Not trying to do a commercial here, but one of the main reasons we are launching Orange at Journey is to equip parents to know how to shepherd their kids and to be actively involved in their lives.

Family Activity:  choose a family member to become the “lost sheep.”  While all the other family members close their eyes and count to 30, the one “lost sheep” hides somewhere in the house.  The family searches for the one who has gone astray, and when he is found, celebrate as a family.  Together, thank Jesus for seeking and saving His lost lambs.

Begin with God’s Word:   Read Luke 2:1-7

Are you planning on traveling for the holidays?  How many miles are you going?  As Joseph and Mary journeyed from Nazareth to Bethlehem, it was more complicated than a road trip to the in-laws.  The distance was only about 80 miles, but since Joseph was walking and Mary was pregnant, it took them almost a whole week, riding on a donkey!

Question for Parents:  what’s your plan to navigate your way to God?  How do you handle it when the ride isn’t very comfortable?  How do you teach your kids along the way?

Family Activity:  To help your kids better understand Joseph and Mary’s journey, use an atlas or online program such as google maps to plot the way to a destination about 80 miles from your house.  If your children were traveling on foot, what obstacles might they face along the way?  Where would they sleep?  What would they eat and drink?

Begin with God’s Word:   Read Matthew 1:18-24

Imagine being chosen by God the Father to be the earthly father of the Son of God!  Yikes.  God showed confidence in Joseph’s character when He entrusted the humble carpenter with the raising of His Son.  Joseph probably nurtured Jesus by teaching him things in his profession:  carpentry.  I’d imagine as they worked they had many spiritual discussions!

Question for Parents (especially Dad’s):  How are you nurturing your children to have a deeper faith in God?  They need your direct involvement.  The Orange Family ministry is going to be a great tool to equip us as parents to know how to mentor our children spiritually.

Family Activity:  Gather a hammer, nails, and some lightweight pieces of wood.  Show your kids how to hammer a nail into the wood.  Or depending on their ability, have them nail wood pieces together.  As they do, talk about what it must’ve been like for Jesus and Joseph to work side by side.  What are some things that Joseph might have said to Jesus?

Whatever your profession, consider how you may actively engage and have conversations with your kids.  No matter how old they are!

As I sit here praying, reading, and pondering…I am struck by the fact Christians today don’t know how to fight that well. As a matter of fact, Amy and I have gone through great pains teaching our children not to fight and to be at peace with one another. It has taken many conversations and punishments and tears to help our kids understand that fighting isn’t what is honoring to the Lord. Or is it honoring to the Lord?

Obviously, the type of fighting that Amy and I are trying to rid our children of, is dishonoring to the Lord. That type of fighting is self-serving in a way that brings honor to self. That type of fighting elevates the individual and says, “My thoughts or my needs are more important than yours. Therefore I will take what I need.” We do know how to fight with a self serving attitude. That is automatic. That is part of living in the flesh. Our heart is already inclined to do that. We are ready to “fight” at anytime someone wrongs us. This is natural and easy.

The natural life is so much easier than the spiritual life. Through Romans, our Growth Group has been seeing that our salvation is by grace. There is not much that we have to do with our salvation. We don’t work at all for it. God does all the saving. He does all the healing. He does the drawing. All we do in our salvation is cooperate and trust that Jesus is our salvation and God does all the saving.

For many Christians this is where the journey ends…right where it began. After the event of Jesus saving them…they think, “whew, I am sure glad that I am saved,” and then that is it. That is how they live their lives. Just going through life thanking God that they are justified. We should be thankful that God has justified those who are in Christ, but is that it? If it is then why does the Bible tell us fight?

1 Tim 6:12 fight the good fight, 2 Tim 2:3 share in suffering as a good soldier, Eph 6:11-13 put on the armor of God, Luke 13:24 strive to enter, John 6:27 labor for the food that endures, Matt 10:34 Jesus says that he came to bring a sword, Luke 22:36 sell your cloak and buy a sword, 1 Cor 16:13 be watchful…stand firm…act like men…be strong, 1 Tim 1:18-19 wage the good warfare. This is just a sampling of the passages that tell us to fight.

The fighting that the bible talks about is a fighting in your soul against the forces of the world. This is a tough fighting that takes effort. We must equip ourselves and try. The Psalmist asks the Lord to INCLINE his heart toward God. That means that his heart, our hearts, are not inclined toward God, they are inclined away from God. The overweight person who expects to get trim and healthy by sitting on the couch eating donuts instead of eating right and exercising, is someone we would call misguided and possibly lazy. This person (and frankly most of us) likes to take the easy way and just expect to get healthy and trim by doing what is natural…doing nothing. If that person is to get healthy, they must fight for their health. Likewise, we must fight for our spiritual health (sanctification).

May we be always asking the Lord’s Spirit to help us fight. Fight to pray. Fight to read the Bible. Fight to be honest. Fight for good character. Fight for thankfulness. Fight to be generous. Fight to be kind. Fight to be pure. Fight to be humble. Let us not…not fight.

As we near the end of Revelation, I thought it’d be helpful to outline a few basic views of the End Times.  Each view false within Biblical Christianity, there is simply some disagreement on which view is the most accurate.  I guess there’s no way of knowing for sure until it happens. Happy reading!

4 Views of End Times

I can’t take the credit for this blog.  This is from Rick Warren, but I thought I’d pass it along to you!  Happy Thanksgiving!