ECIPLESHIP for Passionate Christ-Followers

Saturdays are wonderful. They are quite often a blank canvass that I get to paint from scratch. There are no regular meetings, work expectations, or high-pressure demands. These are days that usually start slow over a strong cup of coffee, reading my One Year Bible, perusing the newspaper, and then working on some home and family projects. I always spend time on my teaching material for the next day (when I’m on anyway)…and I ALWAYS love that!

Yesterday was…Saturday. I loved yesterday because…

• I got up so early that I took a nap before 9AM!
• I took another nap at 10:30…
• I had a simple and very late breakfast with Susan…and just enjoyed our moments together.
• I went to a Caribou coffee shop and did some church work for about four hours. God spoke and I wrote…
• Spent some time working on a fun project with my son.
• Grilled some MASSIVE steaks on the grill. We don’t do that very often.
• Did a little more church-work.
• Went on a very short, enjoyable, and inexpensive shopping trip with Susan. Nice!
• I sat in a chair while Susan cut my hair.
• Bedtime!

Saturdays are WONDERFUL! They’re like therapy to the soul…

I had a very full day of work yesterday. I wrote and wrote…and wrote. I was finishing up Morph for our all-church study in the fall. I got so into what I was doing that I had to come home mid-afternoon to change shirts! Enough said on that…

So last night was a welcome reprieve. Two things:

• A couple games of competitive softball
• A small army of guys working on brakes in my driveway until the wee hours

Both of the above activities are good for a man because they’re manly!

The softball games? Won them both! After knocking the rust out of my aging body, I had a lot of fun and a few decent defensive plays at shortstop. Let’s just forget what happened at the plate.

The mechanical repairs on my son’s Saab was an experience all it’s own. Old cars can give you big challenges. And there were quite a few of those. But many heads and several strong young arms accomplished the task! It was really fun to have a group of guys working on a car project. I was reminded of how unpleasant tasks can take on a whole new flavor when it’s shared with others. Cool.

So this morning, my elbow is swollen and really sore. My joints and muscles ache from running too hard, flopping around on the ball field and cranking like crazy on a tire wrench. But…I FEEL LIKE A MAN!

I’d do it all over again. In fact, I can’t wait until I do.

It’s all up to God. He does what He wants to do!

The earth is wet with rain this morning. I love it! I’ve always loved rain since our lively hood depended on it while on the farm. I get this warm happy feeling inside when the clouds roll in. At the first drop of rain on my windshield, I’m smiling inside. It represents the providence of God.

So consider this amazing verses from Job 37:

¹¹ He loads the clouds with moisture,
and they flash with his lightning.
¹² The clouds churn about at his direction.
They do whatever he commands throughout the earth.
¹³ He makes these things happen either to punish people
or to show his unfailing love.

That last verse blows my mind! Only God could take the same storm system and bring justice to some and lavish His love on others. His ways ARE above our ways, His thoughts ARE above our thoughts!

It’s all up to God.

I’ve missed blogging the last two days because I’ve been hiding out! I hunkered down in a nice cozy lake cabin to continue writing Morph. My brain hurts! Really–it does. I’ve had a headache since last night. I don’t think my brain is accustomed to working that hard. But it was good as I experienced God teaching and leading me as I wrestled with some life-changing concepts and wrote like a crazy man. Thanks to all of you who prayed for me.

Next week — same thing. I need two or three uncluttered days and I should have it. Just pray my head holds out…

So here’s a sneak peek at a section of Morph. Enjoy…

Nobody likes to be stupid. God doesn’t want us ignorant either. Our Morph passage states, “and in your moral excellence, supply knowledge,” 2Peter 1:5b. This “knowledge” is referring to information, facts, and data.

On a recent trip with my son, he was trying to figure out where we were, what directions we were going, what roads connected with what highways, etc. I found myself laughing repeatedly at his lack of information. I was glad to be able to tell this young driver where to go! Yes—good information is critical when traveling from one place to the next. It’s even more critical while traveling through life. Yet, many Christ-followers are characterized by ignorance rather than by knowledge. It spells TROUBLE. We find ourselves in all sorts of predicaments because we don’t really know what we’re doing.

I once read a book about making the Bible central in your life. It was entitled, “If All Else Fails, Read the Directions”. Good idea!

I LOVED our Edinbrook worship experience again today! Here’s why…

1. It was real.

2. God met with us!

3. The songs were fresh, deeply meaningful, and pointed me to Jesus.

4. No distractions — everything worked.

5. Excellence honors God and inspires me.

6. GREAT preaching/teaching by Pastor Bob! Way to bring it, friend…

7. The congregation was engaged and responsive. I LOVE that!!!

8. There was a sense that God is doing something pretty cool with us.

9. Everything touch real-life…our hurts, joys, dreams, struggles.

10. I got to sit with Susan…the whole service!

Accepting Jesus’ invitation “to come” to Him, especially extended to all who are weary and over-burdened (Matthew 11),  means you will also be leaving something else behind.

With the invitation, Jesus clarifies that we are to come to Him. This is not an invitation to

• religion
• a theological belief system
• or a ministry endeavor.

Sure—they are all somehow a part of this quest, but the invitation is first to simply come to Jesus. We get this single truth so twisted and cluttered at times. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent” 2 Corinthians 11:3. Just as a half-truth destroyed so much in Eden, so a little twisting or cluttering of the truth wreaks havoc still. I am concerned about the overzealous student who sees so many details in theology that they miss the point of it all (it’s what happened to the religious leaders in Jesus’ day). Or the person who is convinced that in order to be a Christ-follower you need to receive Jesus PLUS not have certain habits, have correct political views, and do certain things that make you “fit in”. Or the good person who does all “the right things”, but has somehow missed the core of it all—pure unadulterated devotion to Jesus.

Coming to Jesus means that nothing else matters at this moment…not where He wants you to go, how He wants you to change, or what tasks He has in store for you to pursue. What matters is that you come to Jesus. Just come.

Jesus offers a welcomed invitation to a weary and worn audience in Matthew 11:28-30.

²⁸ Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

I don’t know about you, but I find myself getting pretty weary at times. The fast-pace life of the 21^st century can become overwhelming. There are great benefits to technology, but it also makes “escapes” a little more difficult. The wi-fi connections, cell phones, and hip-side computers bring the work-a-day world with you wherever you go. The intrigue of a consumer-based society, the assault of a sensual sex-crazed culture, and the tantalizing array of modern pleasures can consume our attention at the expense of sinking our roots deep in the person of God. Of course, there are trials that people have faced since Eden…sinful choices made out of foolishness rather than faith, sickness and disease, broken relationships, living with the destructive choices of others, the baggage of shame, guilt, and remorse. Weariness and heavy burdens may describe our lives quite well these days. It’s a broken world we live in and it gets mighty tiring as we try to hold it all together.

So Jesus says, “Come.” The Greek word for come is deute’ and is used thirteen times in the New Testament. It is an imperative invitation, meaning, God is insisting that you accept His offer. With strong urging, he is inviting you to take what He is proposing…He knows the benefits He can deliver for you if you’ll only receive it.

This same word is used in Matthew 4:19 when “Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” The “come, follow me” is only one Greek word (made of two parts) simply meaning “follow behind me”. This invitation was given to Peter and Andrew as they were fishing on the Sea of Galilee. These simple fishermen were given an invitation to join up with Jesus and become immersed in a much greater cause than catching fish. They would become fishers of people!

Whenever Jesus invites us to come, there is something great on the other side of that invitation. Each time Jesus used that imperative plea in scripture, He backed it with a promise and a plan that was stunning. Peter and Andrew became spirit empowered world-changers—something they could have never imagined while casting nets, yet possible through the doorway of Jesus’ invitation. But also notice that Jesus doesn’t offer us our plan, but His.

Accepting His invitation means you will be leaving something else behind.

I’m away this week with Susan (my amazing wife) and Shane (my 15-year old son) at a simple resort in a quiet little place in Arkansas. With a lake as warm as a tub, beauty as stunning as a postcard, heat that feels like a sauna, and horseflies the size of Rhode Island, we’re having a memorable and wonderful time. We play late, sleep late, and eat lots. I was actually planning on cutting back this week and walking away a trimmer Me, but my parents joined us from Texas and brought along three gallons of farm fresh milk and a fews pounds of luscious Veldhuizen cheese. The good intentions went out of the window! I can’t turn down that kind of rare and amazing food simply for the sake of being slightly thinner. Sorry — but that will have to wait for another day.

The relaxation has been therapeutic. I have so much to do the rest of August that I MUST get in tip top shape right now. I look forward to working like a maniac when I get back home. For now, I will relax, refresh, recuperate, and refuel. The past days have been taxing and challenging. I have felt myself going through intense personal challenges relating to my leadership and sense of inner strength. At times I have passed the tests…at times I have failed. I’m refocusing and relaxing in preparation for the next surge of progress ahead.

I love the seasons in life that God gives us. I’m enjoying this one right now…

“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed” Ecclesiastes 4:9.

We were in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern Minnesota. My son, Shane, was thirteen years old as we trekked into the great wilderness of lakes, streams, and rugged trails. After being plagued by more mosquitoes than I’ve ever seen, wood ticks by the thousands, and a fertile black-fly hatching, we decided to get out a day early. Along with my brother and his twin boys, we mustered our resolve and decided to travel two days worth of territory in one day. The last leg was the most difficult of all. The portage was 1.5 miles…over a continental divide! I can’t even describe to you how painful this was. With a canoe on my shoulders and pain in every muscle of my body, we began the last great leg of our day’s bold excursion. And what fun! My brother, Glen, was carrying his canoe right in front of me when he suddenly went into a spasm of uncontrolled coughing. His canoe went down as he doubled over to get out whatever went down there. As my brother soon described, “a prehistoric creature the size of a hummingbird flew right down my throat!” I laughed so hard I cried. I also needed to suspend my hike for a few minutes. I made sure he was OK before we set out again to conquer the trail. Of course, the stories of suffering are almost endless. What pleasure we had in traveling together.

That’s what the wise words of Ecclesiastes means when it states the “two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.” It may be laughing together when we would normally cry, or giving some practical help when the other needs it most, or encouraging when resolve is waning, or carrying a piece of their pain when nothing else can be done. The equation in this verse is a little like this: 1 + 1 = 3.

The equation doesn’t really make logical sense, but it is true in the realm of relationships. There is a richness and pleasure in sharing experiences together, good and bad, that enhance the quality of life to a much greater degree. We tap into a completely different dimension of life when it is shared with others.

When my wife Susan and I lived in central Minnesota, we served a country church where the compensation was small and the benefits lean. We loved these people, but often served with little encouragement and a steady dose of critique. That’s why it meant so much to us when one day a couple from the congregation came to our house and said, “You need a suit. We want to take you to town and you can pick out any suit you want…on us!” We were blown away. I will never forget that day because we suddenly had someone who was on the mountain with us.” Even though they didn’t say it outright, Susan and I both knew it was their way of saying, “We love you guys and we’ll do anything to help you succeed.” They are very special friends to this day because of the partnership in ministry we develop with them years ago. There is certainly pleasure in sharing life together.

This morning I read about Uzziah, King of Judah. It says in 2Chronicles 26:5 that “Uzziah sought God during the days of Zechariah, who taught him to fear God. And as long as the king sought guidance from the Lord, God gave him success.” And much success he had, by the way. He was king for 52 years — most of that consisted of honoring God and leading well.

Things changed toward the end of his life, however. In verse 16 we read, “But when he had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall. He sinned against the Lord his God by entering the sanctuary of the Lord’s Temple and personally burning incense on the incense altar.” His sin subjected Him to God’s discipline. He was stricken with leprosy right on the spot and lived outside of the city for the rest of his life.

Here are a few random thoughts related to Uzziah:

• A godly priest was a critical part of his holy living. We will never succeed without godly people pouring themselves into us.
• Fearing God was central to his holiness. God was not overly friendly to Uzziah. He was, however, powerful, strong, righteous, and just. Tremendous respect for the nature of God enabled Uzziah to live rightly for most of his life
• Uzziah was successful as long as he “sought guidance” from the Lord. He was dependent, therefore, humble in this sobering task of leading a nation.
• Success and power planted the seeds of pride and independence leading to his downfall. Evidently, Uzziah forgot how dependent he needed to be upon God. He presumed that he was invincible to failure, even in his relations with a holy God.
• No matter how much good you have done, sin is still sin. God will deal with it.
• Uzziah failed to finish well due to the pride that infiltrated his soul. He forgot to seek the Lord, humble himself daily, and depend on God’s wisdom rather than his own.

So – fear God, humbly seek His guidance today, and persevere in God’s ways to the very end.