Easter Week

I could barely sleep last night thinking about all that God has been doing at [e] stat. Four people that I know of have given their lives to Christ in the past week. I can sense that there are many more to come. After all, it’s Easter week!

After sleeping pretty restlessly, I was ready to get going when my alarm went off at 5:30. There is so much still to plan and do. It’s Easter week!

I grabbed my phone and checked emails while making coffee. Several more confirmations that God is at work in the hearts of people. God is not dead. It’s Easter week!

I grabbed “The Story” to read the Resurrection story and my heart was pounding in my chest. I could hardly sit still. I felt like I was one of the disciples at the tomb. God is on the move. It’s Easter week!

God brought to mind the names of many – some regulars at [e] stat, some who haven’t been in a while, and others who have yet to come. I was so excited with anticipation of what God is going to do, I could barely formulate prayers. It’s Easter week!

Whatever stress, fatigue, and pain I feel, I lay at the cross of Christ. Father, fill me with your Resurrection life and power, so that everyone may know IT’S EASTER WEEK!

Chapter 9 – Making Bitter Mother-in-Laws Pleasant (Again)

A long time ago in a land far away, a certain man named Elimelech (Eli for short) left his home town of Bethlehem, in the country of Judah, because there was a severe famine. He took his wife, Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Kilion and went over to the country of Moab, just to the east on the other side of the Dead Sea. There was plenty of food there in Moab and things were pretty good. That is until Eli died and Naomi was left alone in a foreign land with her two young sons.

Chapters 7 & 8: “Be Strong!”

One of my kid’s favorite movies is The Incredibles. The Incredibles is a Pixar animated film about super heroes that are forced into retirement under a government witness protection program because of mounting lawsuits against them. One of the endearing aspects of the movie for adults is that it shows the “Supers” as ordinary average people. In forced retirement, Mr. Incredible marries Elastigirl and they raise three children in their suburban home while Bob (Mr. Incredible) works as a claims adjuster for an insurance company. They have the same problems that most people do: financial stress, marital stress, parental stress, job stress, etc. They try rather unsuccessfully to fit into mainstream Middle America as ordinary citizens, but, of course, the reality of it is that they are not “ordinary;” they are extraordinary people trying to live ordinary lives. But they are absolutely miserable (especially Mr. Incredible) because they weren’t created to be ordinary. They were created to be extraordinary – to leap tall buildings in a single bound… smash through walls… and defeat evil villains.

Chapter 5 – Letting God’s Presence into our Lives

(The following is adapted from The Story pastor materials provided by Zondervan).

It was perhaps the greatest opportunity ever.  God tells Moses that he wants to come to his people and dwell right in the middle of their camp.  Not on the outskirts.  Not in the ‘burbs.  But right downtown.

You might wonder, “What preparations would a people need to make for God to live in their midst?”  Would it be like getting ready for weekend guests or someone special coming to dinner? You feel compelled to make sure your home looks as good as possible. You want to make a good impression and you want your guest to feel welcome.

God anticipated the question and told Moses what needed to be in place for his coming.  First, he wanted to be close to them but there was the problem of sin that created a barrier between them.  So God provided Moses with instructions about the practice of sacrificing, offering a covering for the people’s indiscretions before a Holy God.  Sin is serious stuff, not to be taken lightly, and the sacrifice of unblemished animals was necessary to give the people a picture of sin.

Second, he wanted to stay close to them.  Moses was given the blueprints for the building of the Tabernacle.  It’s a big word for “tent.”  A portable place of worship.  Kind of a mobile Motel 6.  And he wanted to camp out right in the middle of where they were camping.  God wanted to be close to his people.

But he also wanted them to be close to each other.  So he declared a third thing to get ready.  He gave them Ten Commandments concerning relationships.  The first four commandments focus on how we are to demonstrate our love to God.  The second set of six have to do with how to show love to other people.  In seeing these relationships of love it was God’s desire that people would come to know Him too.

Jesus said the same in John 13:34: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. . . By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

God gave the Israelites guidelines so that, when they sought to live by them, other nations would see them as different and know that they were God’s people.  God gave us Jesus so that, when we live like him, others will know that we are his people.

For those who know him, God took care of our sin through the sacrifice of Jesus.  He tabernacles in the hearts of those who have drawn near to him.  Could it be then that the degree to which we are obedient to him in this command to love each other is the degree of his presence we will find among us? It could be our greatest opportunity ever.

Chapter 4 – When you are walled in…

There’s a wall in front of you.  Behind you is a past you are running from.  Beyond the wall awaits the promise of a new life.  But you’re not moving because there is this “wall.”  You feel trapped.  No way out.  This is just the sort of situation in which God does some of his finest work.

You need only ask the Israelites.  Behind them was a life of back-breaking work and slavery.  Ahead of them was a life in the land of Promise.  Behind them was the fierce army of a fanatical Pharaoh coming towards them.  Ahead of them was a wall.  Their obstruction was made of water.

Your “wall” may be a fear of failure.  Or maybe it’s a lack of confidence that has grinded your progress to a halt.  Or it could merely be too many problems that have piled up in front of you at the same time. And you have no clue which one to tackle first.

So you stopped.  And you aren’t sure if there is a way over, around, or under this imposing impediment.

At this point many people panic.  Anxiety courses its way through the body, atrophies the movement muscles, and rigor mortis overtakes their resolve.  Eyes which once had clear focus now only focus on the wall just inches away.

But some look elsewhere.  The Israelites looked to Moses.  They began belting him with blame.  Have you done the same?    Blame the boss.  Blame a co-worker.  Blame your dog.  Blame God.  Maybe even blame yourself?   Blame all you want but the wall remains.

While the Israelites were body punching Moses, he opted to look elsewhere.  His options?  He could have looked at the enemy’s army.  He could have looked at the ungrateful people he led.  He could have looked at the wall of water spread out before him, sat down, and given up.

Instead he looked to God.  And God opened an unlikely route through the wall of water.  Safely on the other side, the very wall that had halted their steps closed in on and covered the sources of their fears.

The very name of the book where we find this story serves as a reminder when we face our “walls.”  “Exodus” is a compound Greek word meaning “the way out.”  And in case you might have missed it, the way out was not a better job, a different spouse, or a victim mentality.

No, the way out is God.  Next time you find yourself up against a wall, look to God.

Finding Freedom from Pornography

This is the practical follow-up to my sermon on June 20, 2010 – “Lust, Lies and Truth.” You can listen here: http://www.epiphanystation.com/MEDIA

Most people try to free themselves from a pornography addiction by doing either one or a combination of these things:

1. Asserting their will (“I’m not going to look at pornography today.”). This is akin to the alcoholic declaring, “I’m never going to drink again” when he wakes up with a horrible hangover or does something regretful. This is admirable, but if it is just your will against your addiction, you will lose most of the time. And even if you win today, you despair because you know you will only give in tomorrow.
2. Constructing a bunch of rules and regulations (“All computers must be kept in a common area.”). This is not a bad idea, but in and of itself, it will fail because… well, because rules were made to be broken. And chances are you got to where you are by breaking a bunch of them already.
3. Praying (“God, take away this desire.”). Again, not a bad idea, but in many cases, our prayers are misdirected. Newsflash: God gave you the desire, so He’s not going to take it away. It’s not enough to just pray. We must pray the right kind of prayers in conjunction with the things listed below.

Lust is a matter of the heart before it is an act of the body. Therefore, just simply modifying our behavior won’t solve the problem. It may for a time, but if we don’t address the heart issues, our lust will rear it’s ugly head again even stronger. Jesus doesn’t want our morality. He wants our hearts. We must allow God’s truth to change our hearts and transform our minds.

Put simply: Our love for Christ must outweigh our love for porn.

That said, here are 7 practical things I believe are necessary for finding freedom from pornography.

Lent Reflection # 6: Dealing with Fear

God has gifted me with the ability to see the big picture and develop strategies to accomplish the vision He’s given. That means I’m also a planner. Whether articulated or not, I often have in my mind the steps (in the correct order) necessary to get from Point A to Point B. Most of the time, I like having this ability. There’s just one problem, however: God rarely does things according to my plans.

We can make our plans,
but the Lord determines our steps. (Proverbs 16:9)

I’ve realized this week that I’m dealing with some anxiety over some directional issues with Epiphany Station. Now, let me say, these are good issues to have. They are issues of growth and vitality. I’ve been on the other side dealing with issues of death and decline and I have to say I do prefer this type of anxiety over that one. But that is also what scares me. I’ve never dealt with this before. I’ve dreamed about it. I’ve envisioned it. I’ve prayed for it. I’ve prepared for it. But I can’t say, “Been here, done that; this is what you do next.” And frankly, it’s a bit unnerving.

We all deal with fear at one time or another. For some the fear is fleeting. For others, it’s constant. Sometimes we have fear of good things (“Don’t screw it up!”). Fear of bad things (“Don’t hurt me!”). And fear of the unknown (“I don’t know what to do.”). Sometimes fear can motivate us. Other times it paralyzes us.

Whatever the case, fear is an instrument of the devil. The Bible makes it clear that we are to fear one thing and one thing only: Him (see Matthew 10:28 for instance). This fear is one of respect, reference and awe for the power, knowledge and holiness of God. All other fears must be submitted to Him.

There is a well-known Proverb that I’ve been going back to this week in dealing with my fears.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

It’s probably obvious how this speaks to fears of good things and the unknown. The reality is, I can’t screw it up! If I am trusting God and seeking His will, He will take care of the rest. Same applies to fears of the unknown. Trust. Seek. Go.

But this passage also has a lot of truth for those dealing with fears of bad things. The fundamental issue is trust. Your fears may seem rational, plausible, and real, but do not depend on your own understanding. Satan is a deceiver and one of his primary tactics is to get you to feel fear. But your own understanding deceives you. It is not truth. Are you going to trust your own thoughts and feelings or are you going to trust God who tells us that fear and timidity are not of Him. Instead He gives us a spirit of power (to conquer fear), love (to endure fear), and self-discipline (to resist fear) (2 Timothy 1:7).

In addition to trusting God, we are told to “seek His will.” This isn’t as complicated as we often try to make it. God’s will is that you not be afraid. God’s will is that you trust Him. God’s will is that you obey. If you do this, He will show you the way out (“which path to take”).

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

Lent Reflection #5: A New Song

Psalm 98

¹ Sing a new song to the Lord,
for he has done wonderful deeds.
His right hand has won a mighty victory;
his holy arm has shown his saving power!
² The Lord has announced his victory
and has revealed his righteousness to every nation!
³ He has remembered his promise to love and be faithful to Israel.
The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.

We literally have been singing a lot of new songs lately at Epiphany Station because God is doing such wonderful things! He is winning victories over sin, addiction, fear, and complacency. He is saving people from cycles of poverty, despair and depression. The Lord Almighty has declared victory in Thief River Falls – over every hidden power and evil authority in the unseen world (Ephesians 6:10-12). The Lord is proving His love and faithfulness to us and people all around the Red River Valley are seeing the victory of our God.

This is the truth.

But Satan is a robber and a liar. He will try and steal our joy. Knowing that he has lost, he will try to make us think that we are the losers. He will dig up old hurts and dirt to try and get us to question our victory. So watch out! Our enemy prowls around like a lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).

But despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ Jesus! (Romans 8:37).

So keep on singing new songs! Keep on praising God for His wonderful deeds! Keep on declaring victory! For our God is mighty to save!

Lent Reflection #4: Turned Inside-Out

I could hardly sleep last night. I was still so jazzed up about the incredible worship service yesterday. It is so encouraging to see and hear what God is doing in peoples’ lives.

I took a bit of a different track in the 2nd service (the one that is online), so I wanted to just share some of the reflections from 2 Corinthians that I shared in the 9 a.m. service.

2 Corinthians 5:16-21 (New Living Translation)

¹⁶ So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! ¹⁷ This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

¹⁸ And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. ¹⁹ For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. ²⁰ So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” ²¹ For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

1. People matter to God for who they are, where they are. Paul says in v. 16 that “we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view.” We have to look at each and every person with God’s eyes and see what He sees – a beautiful person made in His image and for whom He sacrificed His Son. The obvious implication is that we not judge people by their appearance, but perhaps a less obvious notion is this: that we not rush people through a process or program trying to force them to reach their potential. People matter. Not for the potential they have, or the results they can produce, or the amount they can give or serve. But for who they are, where they are.

2. God loves you just the way you are, but He also loves you too much to leave you the way you are. “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (v. 17). God loves you and accepts you just the way you are – with all your history, junk, and mess. And because He loves you so much, He’s not going to leave you just the way you are. He’s going to change you; transform you from the inside-out. You can’t come to Christ and not be changed. But this is why #1 above is so important. Because it is God that does the changing, not us. We can put steps in place to guide the journey, but it is God that transforms the heart and mind.

3. Our transformation is for other peoples’ reconciliation. “And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him” (v. 18). We are transformed not just for our benefit, but for the benefit of others. So that people can see what God has done in our lives and be reconciled (literally “to change a relationship”) to God by the powerful witness of God’s miraculous work in our lives. In the words or our mission statement, we are “turned inside-out by the life-transforming hope of Jesus Christ and sent out to embrace thousands more…”

Lent Reflection #3: Answered Prayers

We’ve been doing a prayer challenge at Epiphany Station in which people pray 60 seconds a day for 60 days for our church. We’ve been seeing some pretty amazing results. In our GPS (small) group, we’ve been praying for some specific things, most of which have already been answered. One of the things we’ve been praying for is 7 new families to join our church during the 60 day challenge.

Now, I must admit, I wasn’t really sure how we were going to measure such a thing because we are not simply praying for 7 new guests, but for 7 new families or singles to “sign on” and make [e]stat their church. People don’t typically just show up and say, “I want to join your church.” If they do, then you’ve got good reason to be suspicious. So even though I believe that God could grant this request, I wasn’t exactly sure how He would do so.

Well… Yesterday I met with my 7th family in less than 3 weeks that essentially has said, “We want to make [e]stat our church.” Now let me just say that in the previous 18 months, this happened exactly zero times. Although guests have been coming, people have been sticking, and we’ve been growing, I’ve never actually sat down with anyone before who has said to me, “We want to commit to this church. What do we do now?” But in about the last 18 days, it has happened 7 times!

Now to be fair, most of these people have been coming on and off for several months already, but something has happened in them that has made them want to move from the crowd into the level of community, which is exactly what we have been asking God to do.

I feel very humbled and blessed to be a part of something that is far bigger than me and way out of my control.