I'm Sorry, What If, And A Trek Through Amos For Such A Time As This

Talk about a title am I right??? (That's the only "funny" (subjectively of course) thing in this thing.)

Disclaimer: These thoughts are directed to us as Christians: people who have surrendered and taken up the mantle of following Jesus in good time and bad. Also, this is long, and I’m unapologetic about it.

There’s so much going on in our world. There’s so much going on in our country. In reality, there’s so much going on in our hearts. I have a hunch that most of us will jump to the conclusion right away that it’s not us but them.

“You’re right Patrick, there is definitely something going on in the hearts! THEY are filled with anger and evil. It’s no wonder they’re acting that way! They should respond to this/that situation with frustration but restraint, like a mature adult.”

What if by jumping to this conclusion, we’re missing the point? What if, there’s something we’ve been missing, something of which we’re meant to see, hear, and respond? As I read the Old Testament, I can’t help but think of how many times something happened, God’s people responded in some kind of ‘denial’, and their land was subsequently terrorized, ransacked, and destroyed as a result. What if something similar is happening today?

In my studies, I’ve often run across the reality that human history is cyclical, and that God will sometimes do things within a cyclical framework. (If you’d like an example, just read Judges from the Old Testament. It’s a great example of this from a small cross-section of history.) It is also true, that in my studies over the years, the Old Testament prophets have become my favorite part of Scripture to study, the minor prophets in particular. A couple of years ago, as I was studying through this section, God laid on my heart the obscure idea of teaching through a series on the book of Amos, calling it “The Gospel According to Amos.” Many people stared at me with a confused look when we started the series:

“Doesn’t this ‘teacher’ know that the ‘gospels’ are in the New Testament, not the Old?”

Yes. He does. At the same time, limiting ‘gospel’ to the first four (4) books of the New Testament is a grave mistake. ‘Gospel’ is so much more than just four (4) books. ‘Gospel’ itself, simply means good news. Within the context of how the early Christians understood it, the good news was that the long awaited Jewish Messiah, through whom the promise God made to Abraham of the entire world being blessed, had arrived in the person of Jesus. Anyway, back to Amos. I believe that this little book has much application and helpful words for us today, if we just allow it to speak. It’s from this book, that I’ve realized that, as a whole, what if by jumping to our ‘rationalized’ conclusions, we’ve missed the whole lesson? If you’d indulge me for a moment (OK… 10 min… max!), let me take you on a tour through this timely, important book.

Amos 1-2, a ‘bullseye’ is drawn around God’s people as YHWH hands out judgment upon the neighboring nations. While sitting in a seat of ‘perceived’ security, I can imagine the shock and surprise that they must of felt when we arrive at the second half of chapter 2. The lengthiest of judgments have been saved for YHWH’s people. Enter Amos 3. Why is YHWH so angry, so upset?

⁸ The lion has roared—so who isn’t frightened? The Sovereign Lord has spoken— so who can refuse to proclaim his message? ⁹ Announce this to the leaders of Philistia and to the great ones of Egypt: “Take your seats now on the hills around Samaria, and witness the chaos and oppression in Israel.”¹⁰ “My people have forgotten how to do right,” says the Lord. “Their fortresses are filled with wealth taken by theft and violence.”

Amos 3.8-10

YHWH isn’t finished.

Listen to me, you fat cows living in Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy, and who are always calling to your husbands, “Bring us another drink!”

Amos 4.1

YHWH used so many things to try to shake His people from their complacency.

⁶ “I brought hunger to every city and famine to every town. But still you would not return to me,” says the Lord. ⁷ “I kept the rain from falling when your crops needed it the most. I sent rain on one town but withheld it from another. Rain fell on one field, while another field withered away. ⁸ People staggered from town to town looking for water, but there was never enough. But still you would not return to me,” says the Lord. ⁹ “I struck your farms and vineyards with blight and mildew. Locusts devoured all your fig and olive trees. But still you would not return to me,” says the Lord. ¹⁰ “I sent plagues on you like the plagues I sent on Egypt long ago. I killed your young men in war and led all your horses away. The stench of death filled the air! But still you would not return to me,” says the Lord. ¹¹ “I destroyed some of your cities, as I destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Those of you who survived were like charred sticks pulled from a fire. But still you would not return to me,” says the Lord. ¹² “Therefore, I will bring upon you all the disasters I have announced. Prepare to meet your God in judgment, you people of Israel!” ¹³ For the Lord is the one who shaped the mountains, stirs up the winds, and reveals his thoughts to mankind. He turns the light of dawn into darkness and treads on the heights of the earth. The Lord God of Heaven’s Armies is his name!”

Amos 4.6-13

God providentially acted to bring Israel to repentance, yet they chose not to repent. It’s now when we get to Amos 5 that we need to especially take notice and heed.

⁷ You twist justice, making it a bitter pill for the oppressed. You treat the righteous like dirt. ¹⁰ How you hate honest judges! How you despise people who tell the truth! ¹¹ You trample the poor, stealing their grain through taxes and unfair rent. Therefore, though you build beautiful stone houses, you will never live in them. Though you plant lush vineyards, you will never drink wine from them. ¹² For I know the vast number of your sins and the depth of your rebellions. You oppress good people by taking bribes and deprive the poor of justice in the courts. ¹⁴ Do what is good and run from evil so that you may live! Then the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies will be your helper, just as you have claimed. ¹⁵ Hate evil and love what is good; turn your courts into true halls of justice. Perhaps even yet the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies will have mercy on the remnant of his people. ¹⁸ What sorrow awaits you who say, “If only the day of the Lord were here!” You have no idea what you are wishing for. That day will bring darkness, not light. ¹⁹ In that day you will be like a man who runs from a lion— only to meet a bear. Escaping from the bear, he leans his hand against a wall in his house— and he’s bitten by a snake. ²⁰ Yes, the day of the Lord will be dark and hopeless, without a ray of joy or hope. ²¹ “I hate all your show and pretense— the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies. ²² I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings. I won’t even notice all your choice peace offerings. ²³ Away with your noisy hymns of praise! I will not listen to the music of your harps. ²⁴ Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living.

Amos 5.7,10-12, 14-15, 19-24

God’s heart is for His people to WAKE UP and be about the one whom they’re supposed to represent. They were redeemed and then chosen to enter in a covenant with the living God, YHWH Himself. One of the biggest results of this is the mantle of bearing YHWH’s name as a people. They were failing.

³ You push away every thought of coming disaster, but your actions only bring the day of judgment closer.

Amos 6.3

“Surely we’re not in the wrong. We’re people of YHWH!” One of the biggest phrases of ‘false-security one can utter.

I could continue with many more passages from this potent book, but I’ll end my trek through Amos with this last passage:

⁷ “Are you Israelites more important to me than the Ethiopians?” asks the Lord. “I brought Israel out of Egypt, but I also brought the Philistines from Crete and led the Arameans out of Kir.”

Amos 9.7

Wow. In my opinion, this may be one of the most neglected/underrated verses I’ve EVER read from the Old Testament. For ANYONE to view YHWH as a God who doesn’t care about all people, and ONLY a specific group, I strongly encourage you to look again. And if your framework doesn’t allow for this verse to “make sense”, then maybe it’s your ‘framework’ that needs revisiting/redeveloping.

Reading this from this side of history, of course we can agree with the description of accusations against the people of Judah and Israel! I can’t help but wonder, though, if the people of Amos’ day wouldn’t have seen this as quite so obvious?

Perhaps the same can be said of today. Up until this year, the overwhelming attitude of many white Christians in America, communicated by our actions, has been that we’re doing everything we need to do to be faithful to God. Yet In even 100 years, people reading history about what’s happening today will wonder, “Why couldn’t the Christians in 2020 see what had been happening for so long? Why??? It took HOW long, and HOW much for them to see?!” A big reason for this is honestly probably that we’ve on some level given up on God’s plan/mission/dream for this world, for our ‘escape to paradise’ plan of just hanging on until we can get to heaven.

I truly believe that it’s only when we’ll start to when we accept the fact that the message of Jesus and what He came to do IS NOT ONLY centered on what happens after you die, that we’ll see a change in all of this. We’ve allowed platonic thought to hijack and control all of our theology to the extent that we’ve completely neglected the original vocation and definition of what it means to be a human being. We were created to be image bearers (‘icons’ from the Greek LXX word itself) of YHWH Himself. We were created to care for and rule over the earth [Gen. 1.26-31]. (Even the idea of ‘ruling over’ has been twisted. Rather than the loving care/provision as you’d find with a parent/caregiver and a child, we’ve instead turned it into an early American plantation owner/slave relationship.) When Jesus came, more happened than just Him offering a better place to go after you die. The very prayer He gave us shows this. He prayed that God’s Kingdom would come HERE, on earth, JUST AS it is in heaven. If we truly believed this, we would be working toward the improvement of lives here and now, JUST AS much as we claim to be working for the eternal welfare of others. After all, Jesus’ words in John 10.10 apply just as much to right now (if not more?) as they do to life after death (I’m not going to indulge the itch to go deeper into this… for now).

Let me move to a supporting thought for a moment. I love Paul’s usage of specific wording in his letter to the Ephesians when talking about spiritual warfare. He writes:

¹³ Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. ¹⁴ Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.

Ephesians 6.13-14

Watchman Nee, writing a short masterpiece on the letter of Ephesians (Sit, Walk, Stand), wrote:

“In Christ we are conquerors - nay, ‘more than conquerors’ (Rom. 8:37). In him, therefore, we stand. Thus today we do not fight for victory; we fight from victory. We do not fight in order to win but because in Christ we have already won. Overcomers are those who rest in the victory already given to them by their God.”

And again,

“Nearly all the weapons of our warfare described in Ephesians are purely defensive. Even the sword can be used as well for defense as for offense. The difference between defensive and offensive warfare is this, that in the former I have got the ground and only seek to keep it, whereas in the latter I have not got the ground and am fighting in order to get it.”

Let me repeat one section from this, if that’s OK. “Ephesians is purely defensive… I have got the ground and only seek to keep it.” This has haunted me for nearly a year. Much of the way I have lived for a chunk of my life (and to be honest how I see/hear most of American Christianity living/speaking today), is the complete opposite of Watchman Nee’s perspective. We’ve tended to live in a way where we feel like all’s been lost here and now, so we’re just biding our time until we reach the ‘after death’ part of life. Most of the “encouragement” I hear given to people is to simply ignore what’s happening, Jesus will come and set everything right by taking us to heaven and sending all the bad away. My problem with this, is that it’s not-Christian and not-Biblical. Don’t get me wrong, there ARE these kinds of promises in Scripture, BUT each/all of them flow out of a new life/a life of shalom that begins here… now. Time and time again in the Old Testament God’s people lament and await for things to be restored. Their prayers are not for one day in ‘heaven’, but for now, here. Often times, YHWH’s answer for them is to BE A PART of the solution by living as they should in response to knowing Him. This is the same vein through which Jesus’ ministry operated. The ‘good news’ is that this long awaited in-breaking of YHWH doing something to establish shalom for all people, is here, in Jesus. As Christians, the reality that Jesus has already won what needed to be won, did what needed to be done, and has given what needed to be given produces a reality that should be flowing through us.

Speaking as a Christian who’s white and living in the United States to brothers and sisters (both as Christians themselves AND as human beings), on behalf of our side of the family, I’m sorry. I've loved you guys deeply, but not done enough. For that, I repent. I repent for inactivity. I repent for love NOT expressed in ways that are consistent with how you might receive it best. I humbly ask for your forgiveness. I want to be even more for you than I have been. I will be. I love you.

Speaking as a white Christian living in the United States to other Christians who are white who live in the United States, shame on us for not listening, loving, REALLY praying for, and promoting the cause of the neglected, mistreated, and left out. We should ask for forgiveness. We should seek the improvement of the lives of our neighbors, friends, family, and (dare I echo Jesus) enemies. Jesus’ love has the power to change even the most bitter of enemies into family. There is NO excuse and NO place for the lack of love/support/care for people of color.

What if we stopped giving up on the now? What if we realized that God’s GIVEN us ground, on which we STAND by the power of His Spirit, and proclaim? What if we started living like ALL PEOPLE matter to God? What if we STOP thinking that we’re right ALL the time and don’t need to repent of SOMETHING? What if… _______________ (you fill in the blank)… ?

We are ALL ‘eikons’ of YHWH (image bearers of God). May THIS be our calling, along with EVERYTHING that this demands. May this be our mission, however far it takes us.

Father, may Your Kingdom come and Your will be done here on earth (and in our lives) just as it is in heaven.

“Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. 

For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you. 

Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, 

but the glory of the Lord rises and appears over you. 

All nations will come to your light;

mighty kings will come to see your radiance. 

Isaiah 60.1-3

John 5.1-8

Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches. One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?” “I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.” Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”

John 5.1-8 [NLT] 

I've developed a skill in my life that has proven super helpful in terms of time-management and efficiency. Many other people also have this skill. In fact it's a skill that we're expected to learn. The skill/ability I'm thinking of, is to rationally think, problem solve, and anticipate things. However, there are some times when this skill/ability can inhibit us. I believe the man in this passage helps us see this.

Here's the situation. Jesus arrives. Jesus notices the man and asks him a question. The man responds to the question. Jesus graciously responds anyway.

Notice I didn't say that the an responded with an answer to THE question that was asked. It seems to me, that the question the man is answering is different from the one Jesus is asking. (Side note: I understand the question could have a multitude of 'non-communicated' meanings. The fact is we don't know Jesus' tone or body language, nor that of the man. Therefore our FULL observations on the passage are still yet limited.) Jesus simply asks if the man WANTS to be healed, to which the man replies with the REASON why he hasn't been healed yet.

As I read this passage this morning, it hit me that I think I often times answer questions that Jesus' isn't asking. I say this, because I do the same thing with friends and family close to me. I anticipate the REASON or MOTIVES behind a question, and seek to answer THOSE rather than the actual question. Now, as I alluded to, this is VERY helpful in today's world. However I can't help but wonder if this skill has proved to be a weakness in our walk with Jesus. There are countless examples in Scripture of God leading people one step at a time, rather than giving them everything at once. Maybe our (very good and great to have) skill of rationalizing, problem solving, and anticipating has moved us (in our relationship with Jesus), away from the very faith that we long to have. Maybe for us to have a DEEP faith, we have to stop anticipating and trying to "read-into" Jesus' questions so much, and instead LISTEN and OBEY. Maybe THAT'S how God paves the way for us to grow into the deep faith of so many other of whom we tend to look at with envy. I know in my own life, I can easily miss the point of the question Jesus is asking of me ALL TOGETHER, simply because I'm trying to operate out of efficiency and reason. As I sit here and think about all of this, I have to chuckle. If I were to sum up what God has been trying to teach me over the past 5 years, it'd be "TRUST." As I sit here looking at this passage, I'm "hearing" the very same thing. "Stop trying to find hidden agendas. Stop making excuses because you don't want the spotlight on your failure/weakness. Trust and just answer the question. What follows from there will change your life!"

"Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Matthew 11.28-29 [NLT] 

Review: From Megachurch to Multiplication: A Church's Journey Toward Movement

From Megachurch to Multiplication: A Church's Journey Toward Movement by Chris Galanos
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: The King Jesus Gospel: The Original Good News Revisited

The King Jesus Gospel: The Original Good News Revisited by Scot McKnight
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: Resisting Gossip: Winning the War of the Wagging Tongue

Resisting Gossip: Winning the War of the Wagging Tongue by Matthew C. Mitchell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had the privileged of meeting Matthew when I lived back up in Pennsylvania. I enjoyed hearing about him writing this book when I was able to meet with him for coffee one day. I stumbled across it in a bookstore and saw it on sale and had to get it. I wish I hadn't waiting this long to read it, but I'm glad now that I can say that I've read it! This book is a great resource to help the church today identify, target, and begin weeding out gossip in our lives. One thing that I've noticed since finishing reading this, is just HOW MUCH people around me say things that biblically crosses into gossip territory, but in today's life is no where close. This book isn't a hard read at all! It's practical, compassionate, and a very engaging read. There were many times when I didn't want to put it down (even when I had to in order to finish something else, haha). Overall, I would highly recommend this book! It's a great primer to acclimate the church today to resisting the most common of sins in our lives.

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Review: Reading Romans Backwards: A Gospel of Peace in the Midst of Empire

Reading Romans Backwards: A Gospel of Peace in the Midst of Empire by Scot McKnight
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've said this before and I'll say it again, I really like Scot McKnight's stuff! While I didn't agree or end up at the same conclusions 100% of the time as McKnight in this book, I would say that I would agree or think he's right in around 90-95% of his points. That being said, McKnight himself said that this book was first and foremost NOT a commentary (even though I shelve it as such) due to the broad scope used in the letter of Romans as a whole (though he did mention that he is toying and probably eventually going to embark on the adventure of writing a commentary through the lens which he uses in this book). By approaching Romans with the mindset of the end first, and thus reading it backward, the letter itself SCREAMS to be way more pastoral in nature versus the giant tome-only of theology I hear people identify it as so often (not denying that the way we currently read Romans is 'wrong', but I agree with McKnight that our obsession with 'theology-proper' in the West has limited our capacity of seeing the 'other stuff' that is just as important). After reading this book, I will never read Romans the same again. I had the joy of teaching a class as I read through this book (as well as a companion book 'Teaching Romans Backwards') and it proved to be even more enriching! This easily has become one of my top 5 favorite books I've read. It's certainly a book that will keep you engaged and you'll probably have a hard time putting it down (I know I did. The only reason I was able to take my time, was because I forced myself to read it slowly in relation to what chapters/sections I was teaching). Overall, I think EVERY person interested in studying Romans should read this book, EVEN if you end up disagreeing with McKnight on nearly everything he says. At the very least, it would be of great benefit to expose yourself to an alternative focus and more applicable application with this approach, using it as a supplement to your current Pauline-regiment.

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Review: The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears

The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears by Mark Batterson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. I know there is a lot of people out there ranting about how you shouldn't read this book, and that's fine. More power to you if you fall into that boat. I can be like that to MANY books, but this time I wanted to read a book on prayer that would encourage and challenge me if I were to approach it fully empty and with a genuine desperateness to grow in my discipline of prayer. This book certainly didn't disappoint. I walked away with a fresh determination to trust and lean heavily on God and His promises (even if it's really on a reputation of the kind of promises He makes rather than a direct promise to me specifically). If you're looking for a good introduction to prayer before getting into more bedrock books based on specific texts, I'd recommend this one. If you're a seasoned veteran but want something that'll help you freshen up or continue to encourage you, I'd recommend this book.

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Live Cleansed

I've recently been challenged/convicted (once again during my life) to stop only reading the Bible from a purely academic position. Even as I write that, I tense up a little. Nonetheless I will attempt to be faithful to what the Spirit is seeking to teach me and transform me toward. This isn't a DEEP exegetical excursion, but merely a reading of a familiar passage in light of my life today. I hope that you'll somehow be encouraged and reminded of the greatness of our God. I opened my Bible today and found this little passage at the end of Mark 1 about a man whom Jesus cleansed. It reads like this:

39 He went into all of Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons. 40 Then a man with leprosy came to him and, on his knees, begged him: “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched him. “I am willing,” he told him. “Be made clean.” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43 Then he sternly warned him and sent him away at once, 44 telling him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go and show yourself to the priest, and offer what Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” 45 Yet he went out and began to proclaim it widely and to spread the news, with the result that Jesus could no longer enter a town openly. But he was out in deserted places, and they came to him from everywhere.

At first pass, I simply moved right on through saying to myself, "I know this passage. Next." However, trying to be obedient and slow down a little, I opened my mind and prayed a short, quick prayer for the Holy Spirit to show me something about this that we all as Christians need to see. I take in faith that what I'm about to share is what He hoped to share. I'm only going to speak on half of the passage, so if you're wanting something with the full passage, sorry... for now.

Put yourself in the position of this man's position. Stricken with leprosy and desperate. Jesus has proven over and over again that He is capable of doing some pretty amazing things. Falling on your knees, begging, you ask Jesus to do another miracle. Jesus does just that. Following your healing, you're instructed to go and essentially live as if you never were sick to begin with (the whole present an offering as a testimony to them, testifying that you are already clean and not sick).

Now if I may indulge you for a moment, the most striking part of this passage in terms of listening for what we, or I, need to hear from God today, is what Jesus said in verse 44. 

“See that you say nothing to anyone; but go and show yourself to the priest, and offer what Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”

How many times do we (myself super included), do we resort to 'words' about situations we're in or sins we're wrestling with? I'm NOT saying that we shouldn't be transparent and real. What I am saying is that the temptation in being transparent and real is that we suffice to TALK words about where we are and that with which we're wrestling. As Christians, we take by faith what Scripture and tradition teaches us; namely that Jesus is King and as King, He has the authority to cleanse and pardon any and everyone whom He wishes. IF this is true and we truly believe it, we should be LIVING just as much (if not more) than we're TALKING. Jesus instructed the man to show himself to the priest and offer what was commanded for cleansing as a TESTIMONY. The offering became something that pointed to an already experienced reality.

For someone like me, particularly a person who resonates with type 1 on the enneagram, it can be super easy to remain in our our failures and sins, sulking and depressive. The reality is, however, that Jesus has ALREADY cleansed us (and promises to continue to do so for those who are His; see 1 John 1.9)! In Romans 12, Paul challenges us to live our lives as LIVING sacrifices. There are a great number of passages I could pull up and add to the list, but the point is already there. What if we lived our lives (as living sacrifices) as a testimony to all of the cleansing that Jesus both has done and continues to do? What kind of difference would that make not only within ourselves, but also our community? My prayer today is that we would all be open of what the Spirit is wanting to remind us all. May we all experience Jesus' cleansing today and beyond, and live our lives as testimony for His reign, rule, power, and love.

Review: Be the Bridge: Pursuing God's Heart for Racial Reconciliation

Be the Bridge: Pursuing God's Heart for Racial Reconciliation by LaTasha Morrison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is a very good read. That being said, this is also one of the heaviest reads I've read in a while. There were more than a few times when I audibly gasped in response to some of the history that Morrison brought up to emphasize her point of the need of this conversation. There were even times when I had to put the book down to process what I read because I felt sick to my stomach at what I had just read. Other than those moments, the book was hard to put down. Morrison writes in a clear, engaging manner and she pours her heart (and all the emotions with it) into her work. You can certainly tell she has been given a gift and passion from God to pursue and be a leading voice in the process of racial reconciliation.

All in all, this is a very heavy, but important book. I know there are some who may read this and come back and say that she's way too strong with her words, or that she's over exaggerating with her stance and recommendation on our response as Christians to the issue of racial injustice around us. I don't believe a person can read this book and leave not affected by her words. You certainly shouldn't read this book and then walk away without any desire to join the fight of reconciliation with which Jesus calls us to be front runners. I also LOVE how she incorporates liturgy within her book. It's a great practice to go through individually, and even better in a group/congregational setting! I highly recommend this book, but you should certainly make sure you're in a place where you can read it with an open mind, and with a willingness to be empathetic (not just sympathetic) to the issues and injustice other people are experiencing, and have experienced for too long of a time.

I received an advance reading copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Sit, Walk, Stand

Sit, Walk, Stand by Watchman Nee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I heard about this book from my mentor. It's a really short read. You could probably read it MUCH faster that I did. What Nee does in this book is essentially summarize the message of the book of Ephesians in three words: sit, walk, stand. Using these three words, Nee walks through the message of the letter and emphasizes how we as Christians should be living out the message from it that is easy to neglect.

We must first realize that right now, we are seated with Christ in the heavenlies. We must understand and believe this before we are to do anything as a disciple of Jesus. It is only from the posture of 'seated with Christ' can a Christian hope to excel progress within the 'walk' and 'stand' areas.

Next, we are to 'walk' in this world in a way that reflects the position we have in Christ, and His lordship over all.

Finally, we 'stand' against the enemy. Standing insinuates that we CURRENTLY hold conquered ground, and we maintain it. Christ has already won the victory, we obey and live faithfully to Him as we take a stand against the evil one.


All in all, this is a pretty good book that is a great outline for a short series on Ephesians, which is was we're about to use it for here at the campus ministry. =)

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Review: Jesus in Me: Experiencing the Holy Spirit as a Constant Companion

Jesus in Me: Experiencing the Holy Spirit as a Constant Companion by Anne Graham Lotz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

First off, the pros:

This book is very easy to read and get through. There's nothing that's going to cause you to have to stop, pull out a dictionary of some sort or look stuff up in a lexicon. Anne does a great job of weaving her thoughts together with good stories and examples. I found it easy to stay engaged because of her writing style and heart (which is VERY visible through her words). There hasn't been a more genuine book that I've read recently where you can actually feel the author's heart behind what she's writing.

Things that weren't for me:

There were a handful of times where I diverged from hermetical conclusions that were drawn. I'm always going to mention something like this when I come across it, only because I value biblical exegesis so much. Nonetheless, were they areas that would cause division? No. I fellowship with many people who would hold similar beliefs as Anne does, and I love them dearly. However I value conversations about where we disagree, in loving and respectful ways.

Overall, this is a decent book. I had never read anything by Anne Lotz before, so I really didn't know what to expect. If you're looking for a detailed, in-depth look at the Holy Spirit, this book probably isn't for you. You'll probably be frustrated and disappointed at the lack of what you're looking for. However, it's clear to me that writing such a book was never Anne Lotz's intention. She wanted to write a book dealing with the PRACTICAL side for us of our engagement with the Holy Spirit, and she has done just that. This is a great book for someone looking for an easy to follow, practical, not TOO over the top introduction to the Holy Spirit and the ministry that He works in the life of a believer. If you're looking for a book that'll fit that bill, then this one might very well be for you!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review.

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Review: Raising Successful Teens: How to Help Your Child Honor God and Live Wisely

Raising Successful Teens: How to Help Your Child Honor God and Live Wisely by Jeffrey Dean
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was pretty good. I really enjoyed it. While I don't currently have teens, I thought it would be good to read ahead and maybe start implementing some things in our family's rhythms that would help my wife and me prepare for the 'teen-years.' Overall, this is a pretty solid book, filled with insights, super helpful suggestions, and a good mixture of encouragement and challenge. While some passages of Scripture seem to be taken a little outside of what it was most likely intended (as is the case by a lot of books I read/people I listen to around today), the main practical application can still be gleaned and benefited from. Of the parenting books that I've read so far (which hasn't been a WHOLE lot), this one is certainly in my top 3, if not my favorite. I recommend giving this a read if you're looking for a good, practical book on raising teens within a Christian context.

I received an advanced reading copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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"Blessed are you college student(s)..."

This past Sunday, we held our first Sunday night service of the semester/year. I thought it went pretty well, and I've had some students still talking about some of the conversation we had that evening. I wanted to share with you what I wrote and ended the teaching with, in hopes that maybe it would be a blessing/help for you or someone you know. I did my best to remain accurate to the original text in terms of the overall message, but coupled it with some artistic liberty/flair to try and embody what Jesus would want today's college students to hear if He were speaking today. I'll leave this with you and pray you are refreshed in the grace and goodness of our God!

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5.1-2 – Seeing the great mass of students, Jesus went up the hill. And sitting, everyone gathered around him. Opening His mouth to teach, He said

5.3 – You who are miserable, oppressed, and utterly depressed, cheer up! Because you have a home with me.

5.4 – You who are stressed out to the point of tears, cheer up and breathe! Your performance in school doesn’t matter nearly as much to me as you do.

5.5 – You who feel alone and excluded, cheer up! I will give you a family who will never leave or exclude you.

5.6 – You who are drowning in debt for just pursuing your calling/dream(s), cheer up! I will provide for you.

5.7 – You who are patient with those who just don’t seem to learn, cheer up! I’m excited by your example.

5.8 - You who are excluded, taken advantage of, and made fun of because you look/long for the positives in life and avoid sketchy situations, cheer up! You’re someone I want to sit down with over coffee and meet with no hidden agenda. I just want to know you!

5.9 - You who are ostracized for doing the right thing, especially when it’s not popular, cheer up! I’d be proud to call you my own!

5.10 - You who are targeted for your convictions, by others who are both religious and not, cheer up! I want to show you what true love looks like in my Kingdom.

5.11-12 - And you who already one of mine, when you singled out, framed, and utterly destroyed by others who aren’t a part of my Kingdom, cheer up! Rejoice in knowing that the forces of darkness are intimidated by your allegiance to me, and this is why they are using those held captive to remove you. Remember the example of those who have shared your inheritance. God was with them and see how He moved. Know this fact, He’s with you too!

Review: May It Be So: Forty Days with the Lord's Prayer

May It Be So: Forty Days with the Lord's Prayer by Justin McRoberts
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a VERY short book. You could easily read it within an hour if you wanted to read the whole thing. It's purpose is to be a 40-day discipline utilizing the Lord's Prayer as an anchor, to explore both prayer and your own relationship, both with God and others. There are many prayers that are in this book that have stuck with me and I'm planning on encouraging college students in the campus ministry with them this year. Every prayer is super short, but will challenge you to meditate on what on not only what you're asking, but your current state/health of receptiveness to that prayer's answer. Justin includes personal stories that are great for trying a difference perspective in engaging a particular part of Jesus' model prayer. Overall, this is certainly a book that I'm going to utilize in a number of ways over the next few years within my life and my ministry. I certainly recommend you give it a read if you're interested in an 'artsy' take on a 40-practice centered around the Lord's prayer.

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NSC 2019

Well Emily and I just got back this past Wednesday afternoon from the 2019 National Student Conference up at Milligan College in Johnson City, TN this week. We had the honor and privilege to serve as worship leaders for this years conference. After spending some time resting and recovering from a whirlwind of a conference, I figured I'd share some highlights with you guys.

Each day, we led our morning and evening worship times, with Monday evening being a bluegrass set (in honor of being in east Tennessee). On top of that, I also had the cool opportunity to teach/co-teach 5 sessions worth of workshops. I co-taught a 3-session workshop on the book of Revelation with an old friend who is a campus ministry up in Pennsylvania, and I taught a 2-session workshop on troubling texts found in the book of Romans. The biggest obstacle for the week was trying to do whatever I could to keep from losing my voice. Trust me, at times it proved a little difficult, haha!

A few things I took away from this year:

1. I was reminded (yet again) that God is faithful and will show up/do something powerful whenever you do what He asks you to do and you fully trust Him. Our scheduled speaker had to back out a week and a half prior to our conference beginning due to the discovery of a very aggressive form of cancer that required immediate testing/treatment. I had been praying and planning our worship sets since the better part of February of this year, so this obviously would cause ANYONE who is an enneagram classified type-1 significant stress. Nonetheless, I was blown away at just how PERFECT the song selections meshed with the teachings each evening.
2. I really enjoy teaching. I was borderline a nervous wreck for parts of my workshops. Yet I had students and ministers alike come up to me at the end of the sessions telling me just how much they learned, enjoyed, and were challenged from the material and presentation. You could say this is a continuation from the first takeaway in that I should trust that as long as I'm faithful and do what God calls me to do, I shouldn't worry too much because He's always going to show up and do His thing. =)
3. I love being creative and planning corporate worship services. They may cause me stress in every aspect of the process, but in the end I always breathe a sigh of relief and gratitude at: a) the opportunity God's given me to do it; b) the willingness of others to follow my leading and make abstract ideas into reality; and c) lead/see people to truly worship their God with full abandon and be reminded of His love and truth.

Overall, while exhausting, I would say that I miss this conference. In a way, I also hope that those who attended feel the same way. I hope that when everyone who was there looks back to what we did and experienced together, we all are filled with a deep sense of fondness and excitement, not the kind that only sits and reminisces, but the kind that will move us forward into what we're being called to do.

God showed up. God was praised. We were all challenged, encouraged, and motivated to return to our areas and respond to Jesus' call to 'Go.' So let's go!

18 Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority (all power of absolute rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28.18-20 (The Amplified Bible) 

Review: A Tale of Three Kings

A Tale of Three Kings by Gene Edwards
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this book in the span of about an hour and a half while waiting for my car to be serviced. It was a recommended reading by my brother-in-law and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Edwards does a good job of creating a drama-like story involving King Saul, David, and Absalom. Throughout the story, you see the inner-character of a person undergo pressing and testing, while facing opportunities at every corner to compromise who he is and become someone he never was. Overall, you'll find yourself asking yourself questions about how you might be becoming (or already are) a 'King Saul' or a 'King David'. If you take it seriously and truly wrestle with the questions, scenarios, and illustrations provided, you can't help but walk away with a brutally honest assessment of your inner attitude and perspective on your life and service in relation to God's kingdom. Certainly a highly recommended read!

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Review: Extreme Prayer: The Impossible Prayers God Promises to Answer

Extreme Prayer: The Impossible Prayers God Promises to Answer by Greg Pruett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a very quick read. Using personal stories from the mission field as well as from his years of leading Pioneer Bible Translators, Greg Pruett invites us in to experience just how powerful prayer is as a regular practice. He explores passages from Scripture, as well as outlines what he means by 'extreme' prayer. I recommend this book as one to read if you're interested in reading up on prayer. It's certainly a quick read, it includes discussion questions, and it an excellent encouragement to invest more time in prayer.

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Review: Who Gets to Narrate the World?: Contending for the Christian Story in an Age of Rivals

Who Gets to Narrate the World?: Contending for the Christian Story in an Age of Rivals by Robert E. Webber
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Overall a decent book. I'm reading it along with Ravi Zacharias' "Why Jesus?" and it seems to be a good, smaller, companion read. While at times it was a little tough to follow and mentally process, I do appreciate the overall movement of the book, as it's an effort to call the church to remember and restore her place and position from WITHIN God's narrative, rather than standing on the outside, looking in. Webber argues that to do the latter forces one to succumb to the culture's terms in 'defending' God via reason rather than via His truth. It's certainly a thought-provoking read and worth checking out if you have nothing better to read right now and are interested in how today's church is engaging with today's world. I'll keep it on my shelf for reference, but I'm not sure it's one that I'll put in my "definitely re-read" pile.

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Living the NEW life... with all of our "Heart, Soul, Mind, & Strength"

This is a blog post that I started way back in the middle of April and have only recently gotten to finish it. Hopefully it'll be an encouragement to you, as you read about God's work in my life and in my spiritual growth.

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Recently I've made some changes to my life. For starters, I'm more purposeful about exercising moderation and self-control when it comes to eating. From there I've started to exercise… well... me! I've been getting up earlier to make time in my day to take care of what God's given to me. I'm not just talking about my physical body. There's a temptation to begin there (which isn't necessarily a bad thing) and then to STAY there (which I would argue isn't a good thing). A verse I've always been fascinated by is the shema from Deuteronomy 6, which Jesus pulled from (and amended) with another scripture from the Old Testament from Leviticus 19. New Testament scholar Scot McKnight calls this the 'Jesus Creed' (I like that). Within this passage, Jesus affirms the words spoken in Deuteronomy 6 to the nation of Israel for how we are to live our lives,

"Hear, O [people of YHWH]: YHWH our God, YWHW is one. You shall love YHWH with all your heart and with all soul and with all your strength." (Deuteronomy 6.4)

I REALLY like Mark's rendition [Mark 12.30] of it because it adds [clarifies may be a more appropriate word/understanding] 'and with all your mind'. From studying and meditating on scripture using 'The Jesus Creed' as a lens over the past decade, my understanding of how to care, live, and worship has grown and matured. This is why I said simply STAYING with the physical exercise application of caring for your body is probably not a good idea. I would like to share what I have learned over the years with you... and hope that what I have learned serves as an encouragement for you! NEVER do I want to come across in a way that's demeaning or condemning. My prayer is that others may experienced the joy, freedom, and growth that I feel in their own life! This is my humble contribution to the conversation, to which so many have already contributed.

Loving with all of your... HEART (καρδία)

The word for heart [καρδία] caries a nuanced usage within the New Testament. Its meanings can range from:

• Physical heart (the actual muscle)
• Its parallel in Hebrew is לֵב is ; 
• One's emotions 
• Example: Romans 9.2 
• A blending with what we typically think of today when we talk about decisions, attitudes, and will. 
• Example: Matthew 11.29; Luke 21.14

If you were to explore the corresponding Hebrew word [לֵב], you'd also find these meanings to ring true throughout the Old Testament.

Allowing these types of usages to roll around in our minds for a little bit, we'll walk away with a better idea of how to apply this important teaching, highlighted by Jesus.

To love God with all of our 'heart', we take all of our will (desires), attitudes (thoughts), decisions (plans), and emotions (feelings), and subject them to the Lordship of Jesus. (I would like to add as well, the command is for ALL... not just SOME.) This is not easy. This is hard. This is unnatural. This is

(dare I say) un-American (with all of today's encouragements to pursue OUR OWN life, OUR OWN liberty, and OUR OWN happiness). This truth was hard for me to learn... and even harder for me to consistently apply at times:

To love God will all of our 'heart', we might have to sacrifice [i.e. kill... not just postpone to a later, opportune time] things we feel like we deserve, have an inherent right to have, and are given.

Loving with all of your... SOUL (ψυχή)

In my undergraduate studies, I was part of a group project where we planned an entire service around this word. (In fact, that project is still with me EVERY week because my wife (then fiancé) got ahold of it and ordered a custom guitar strap with this logo printed down the side. I loved and still love to lead others in praising our savior with that guitar strap with me.) This is a very fun word to study, especially because our western culture has been so formed and influenced by the thoughts and teachings of Plato, that we tend to think about 'soul' SEPARATE from the physical body. Yet in Hebrew thought, they were not separate [i.e. the soul being the true 'you' and just inhabiting a body shell], but both were parts of a whole. In other words, both your physical and non-physical 'portions' made up the person of you.

1. Soul
2. Your very life essence

To love God with all of our 'soul', we might have to put in the effort to alter our thinking about what God desires and to what extent of our lives we might have thought He only cared about!

Loving with all of your... MIND (διάνοια)

This one has always been a big one for me. I've recently been introduced to a personality tool called the 'enneagram', and I discovered I'm a type 1. If you know what that means, then I'm going to guess this revelation doesn't come as a surprise. If you have no earthly idea what I'm talking about, here's one quick summary of what a type 1 person might be like:

(The following was borrowed from Beth McCord and her website: https://www.yourenneagramcoach.com.)

Type Ones are people who are conscientious, sensible, ethical, responsible, idealistic, serious, self-disciplined, orderly, and feel personally obligated to improve themselves and their world.

What drives a Type One to think, feel, and behave in particular ways?

Core Fear:
Being wrong, bad, evil, inappropriate, unredeemable, or corruptible.

Core Desire:
Having integrity, being good, balanced, accurate, virtuous, and right.

Core Weakness:
Resentment—repressing anger that leads to continual frustration and dissatisfaction with themselves, others, and the world for not being perfect.

Core Longing (message they long to hear):
“You are good.”

I've always been one who LOVES to learn and grow in understanding! I tell people quite often, "If it were affordable, I would NEVER leave school!" So to love God with all of my MIND, I would say, is probably the one that comes the most naturally for me (… if I can even say that!). Yet I've recently wanted to do more and be more purposeful/effective in my 'loving'. So I've made a more conscious effort/commitment to spend less time with entertainment and vegetating, and more time reading and learning. I'm hopeful that I'll continue to sharpened not JUST by reading books, but by also engaging Scripture on a bigger scale more frequently. Looking at other places where the word for mind is used, we can see a 'bigger' picture at work than just 'mental knowledge'.

To love God with all of our 'mind', we might have sacrifice times of entertainment that won't lead to growth/refinement, and replace it with methods of engagement in sharpening our minds!

Loving with all of your... STRENGTH (ἰσχύς)

This fun little word [it's only found 10 places in our New Testaments] can mean anything along the lines of: strength, might, power, force, and ability. In light of all this, here's some things I've committed to doing differently to increase my strength/ability/ and might at better loving God AND loving others!

• I've been consistently getting up earlier that I have in the past 7 years.
• I've engaged in a 90-day chronological reading plan through scripture (with the hope of continuing and reading the entire Bible 4 times every year) [Since beginning this, I have indeed finished. Because of traveling so much, I missed the goal of 90 days by 15, and completed reading the Bible chronologically on day 105. I'm also probably going to switch to an aim of reading through the Bible twice a year to allow more time for in-depth studies of various passages.]
• I've been more conscious about what I eat and how much of it I consume at a time. [My wife and I are currently over halfway through a detox from the 'Daniel Plan' book. I won't lie, it has been rough at times. On the flip side, I'm feeling fuller faster, less hungry overall, and I've lost 10 lbs thus far. Progress.]
• I've put things in place to encourage the practice of more of the spiritual disciplines with which God has graced us
• I've committed to live a life of love toward and for other people, fueled by the improved/fit self I'm conditioning. [In other words, I'm going to the gym more consistently to promote better living.]

To love God with all of our 'strength', we might have to begin ridding ourselves of some routines and pick up new ones, thus sharpening our 'ability', not 'squandering' our strength but allowing us to use ALL of it that we have at our disposal.

Looking back from today to where I was pre-April, I can see a MAJOR difference. It's exciting! It motivates me to continue! It actually causes me to crave more! Do I still need to grow? ABSOLUTELY! In fact one of the areas of growth that I've seen in myself, is the ability to see where I still need to grow! As an enneagram type 1, that would normally drive me crazy! Yet by God's grace and the guidance of His Holy Spirit in my life, I now look at these places as challenges that I crave to face head-on, right in-step with Him.

I hope and pray that this post serves as an encouragement for someone. I know it's hard to change something that is all that you've known, but if I could nudge you with one last piece of advice/encouragement to do so, it would be this:

It's SO worth it. It's hard. You'll feel left out when others are talking about shows you've missed because you've cut them out in order to love God with all of you, but it's worth it. There will be days where you'll face discouragement, but it's worth it. There will be things that will happen in your life that will try to derail you, believe me, I know! Yet it's still worth it. Looking back at this part of my journey that I took a leap of faith, trusting the Holy Spirit to guide me, and began, I can't believe some of the things that I have experienced. I can't believe the things that I've learned. I can't believe the boldness/courage that I feel growing inside. I can't believe how much more I KNOW God and His love for me. So, will you take a leap of faith? Will you make more room in your life in order to experience the FULL life Jesus came to bring? If you do, I PROMISE, it's SO worth it!

Review: The Minimalist Home: A Room-By-Room Guide to a Decluttered, Refocused Life

The Minimalist Home: A Room-By-Room Guide to a Decluttered, Refocused Life by Joshua Becker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a great book! I wasn't super familiar with the whole 'minimalist' thing before reading this book, but I feel like this was a fantastic introduction to it! I loved how Becker talked about the reasoning behind much of what he advocated, yet at the same time emphasized that each person has their own level of minimizing that they wish to achieve. It was a breath of fresh air compared to what I had heard from others who were advocating minimizing, almost to the point of demeaning you if you didn't see 100% alike.

From reading about the stories and the opportunities that Joshua and his family get to experience and participate in now since they have begun their minimalist journey, I found myself encouraged to purge some things from my life as well. It was really cool to read stories from real people who are all at different points of their journey, and to see/hear about their victories, struggles, and hopes. In fact, after reading this book, I started to clean out my office at work and get rid of some things in order to be more open.

This book is set up in an ingenious way, working from one area of the home to another, beginning with the easiest and moving on toward the most difficult. At the end of each chapter, there is a checklist/guide included to help you go about putting into practice what you've just read. I highly recommend this book to everyone! From the little bit that I've done thus far in beginning to purge things, there is something to reversing the course on consumerism and living with 'less' in order to enjoy/experience more!

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