Birthdays and Gifts

I turned 32 yesterday. Can't say that I feel any different. Just a bit more aware of how fast life moves.
The youth group an others came over. We ate cake, sat around, chatted, beat up an Optimus Prime pinata, played cheap harmonicas and I opened a couple gifts.

The best gift I received was orchestrated by my wife. It was a book she named "Lessons Learned from Brian." She compiled letters from the youth group, past and present. It was/is wonderful.
Thank you. It made an old man* cry.

*32 in youth ministry years is like 104 in normal human years

Momentum - valleys and mountain tops

Momentum.
It is a truly powerful thing. When it is swinging your way everything falls into place. Others are complaining you can’t understand why. Others think life is unfair and you tell them to deal with it, albeit in nicer words than that.

On the athletic field, all the calls are going your way, all the shots are dropping, and the crowd is big and in love with you.
In school, all the answers are coming to your mind, all the right questions are being asked and you have more time than you need to get the test done.
In writing, all the pages are coming together and flowing out of you and nothing seems to be able to stop you.
At work, the boss is praising you, co-workers are looking to you for help, and your pockets can’t hold all the cash that is pouring in.
And in the church, the people are coming, they are excited and thankful and bringing all their friends to see what is going on. When the momentum is with you in the church it doesn’t matter what program or event you put together, the place is packed! When it’s all going your way you have problems with all the last minute arrivals and finding enough time to do all the things your people want. And even if your people are singing some dusty old hymns that you thought nobody liked, the song and the voices are vibrant and alive (an amazing thing to consider with all the hype these days over song selection and style.)

But when the momentum shifts – then you know. Then you understand why the others were whining. You see all the missed calls by the ref, the crowd is now small and jeering you, the boss is thinking of firing you, the co-workers are gossiping about you, the exams are on material you have never seen before, you can't think of a single thing to write and you just wish the world was flat so you could run off the edge.

It is at this time that you feel compassion for the “other guy.” Now you feel what he was feeling. Now you wish you had enjoyed the good times more and had appreciated them for what they were. Now you think, "Why was I not more understanding with that distraught, frustrated person? Why was I so proud? Why did I think the success had so much to do with me?” When the momentum is on your side you try to not take credit but people are trying to give it to you. When it’s against you, you don’t want the credit and you are hoping people are kind enough not to blame you in public.

In the church, when the momentum shifts, it doesn’t matter what program you have or event you put on or who you have in as a special speaker - it seems that no one wants to come. When that momentum turns on you…the people are coming and they look like they have been dragged in. There is a stillness in the proceedings and a dullness in the singing no matter how upbeat the song. The people seem to be coming but not with an excitement and they are no longer contagious in their affection for their church, no friends are following in their train and evangelism is hardly even a spoken idea.

A man can think he is doing a great job and think that he doesn’t trust in the numbers, in others opinions, or other trappings of success until it all falls apart. Once that energy is sucked out, that same strong man now finds himself questioning all that he is doing. He sits alone and wonders, “Where did it all go wrong? Have the sowers of discord finally found their day? Have the dissenters won out?” Did he not confront as he should have? Did he fail to deal with sin as he should have? Was he too mean, passive, quiet, or loud? Did he forget to do something or do something too much? “Why Lord?!” he will ask.

And then it all comes back. All the things he has been teaching others all the lessons and sermons about living for the audience of God alone, knowing that God is everywhere that He sees everything, all the talks about trusting God and the reassurances to others – all of that comes back like a flood and you are left there saying, “oh how easily those words slipped off my tongue and how hard they are to write on my heart.”

It is often that the words of a preacher come back to him, they come back and talk to him and in the worst moments, haunt him.

It is at times like these that I must return to my dear friend Asaph, the author of Psalm 73. Often his words have lingered in my mind in the darkest hours of the night.
(73:21-28)

“When my heart was embittered and I was pierced within, then (in that moment)
I was senseless and ignorant! I was like a beast before You. (like a dumb unreasoning animal that had no vision or hope that stretched beyond the plans of this world)
- This last verse is usually what brings a clarity to things -

Nevertheless I am continually with You
- and this is the verse where the tears begin to roll -

You have taken hold of my right hand. (like a child who’s father grabs hold of his hand with strength as they cross the road)
With Your counsel (the Word of God is right here before me as my counselor)
You will guide me (Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path)
And afterward receive me to glory (when in death my hands lose their strength they will feel the grip of Your hand)
Whom have I in heaven but You? (You are my only hope)
And besides You, I desire nothing on earth (I just want to be near to You)
My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever (!!)
For, behold, those who are far from You will perish;You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You. (renew your trust in God)
But as for me, (the one who is Yours, the one who has been bought by the precious blood of the Lamb)
the nearness of God is my good; (ah, this is where I belong, this is where I needed to be)
I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, (I run to a Person not a place when I am scared)
That I may tell of all Your works.” (renew your trust in God and help other to do the same)

My last interjected thought is the reason I write these words here today. Truth be told, momentum and its direction is many times in the eye of the beholder. And while one person or clique may feel that all is wrong others might feel just the opposite. However, the emotional swing you are in is very real and very serious. It is so serious because a “valley” is a gift of God. It is a blessing because the valley brings you home. The valley brings you back to Jesus, coming back to the cross all over again, pleading with the Lord to be near to you as never before. The valley you may not like, but the destination is where you long to be. So really the valley is a blessed avenue that leads us to praise. In the valley you learn the value, the strength and the beauty of your Shepherd. It takes you to the place you belong.

So praise His name for the days of darkness even if you can’t smile through them, because now you know the nearness of your God. What more can you want out of life than that?

this brownie is AWESOME!

It’s a funny thing how we trivialize the monumental and build monuments to the trivial.
“this man has accepted Jesus as LORD and Savior.”
What is the typical response?
“that’s neat.” Or “cool.” And if you are old-school enough you’ll bust out an “Amen.”

Contrast this with: “this brownie is Awesome!”

This person was transferred from darkness to light, set free from the chains of sin and alive to God – neat.
But - this brownie - awesome.
Hmm.

We play epic, powerful music to our sports highlights all the while the real big stuff of life like the boy who daily picks up his bible so that he can know God, goes unsung and unheralded. The real epic moments of life are when a lad decides to choose righteousness over instant gratification, or when a young girl decides she will be modest because she wants to honor her God more than she wants to catch the gaze of boys.
A cheese-ball “Hip Hip Huzzah” should at least be in order right?
But no. Moments like these fade with no instant replay, no trading cards, and no (visible) crowd cheering on to victory.

I have frequently read that kids usually say their heroes in life are actors (paid pretenders), musicians (paid entertainers), and athletes (paid game players). Is that the stuff of a hero or is that just a person with a sweet job?
What’s going on here?

Shouldn’t the Christian be asking: Who are the men and women that God would exalt? Who are those that God would play the epic music to? Turn to Hebrews 11. Look through the pages of church history.
I think it will be a grand day when someone says to me their hero is Ulrich Zwingli! Or Irenaeus! Or how about my boy Athanasius! Ha.
(I use some names that are sadly obscure to many but they were incredible servants of God; men who stood against the popular trend; men who stood in the gap and gave no ground. Guys worth getting to know!)

In pondering this whole issue I keep returning to this thought: The world exalts events. God exalts faithfulness.

From the perspective of the world David was a random boy plucked out of obscurity and put on display in the battle with a giant. To God David was no obscure child. He was well known and loved, personally, by God. God used the boy (David) because God knew that he would use the platform to draw attention to God. David thought of himself as nothing and God as everything. David knew the faithfulness of God to him before the encounter with Goliath – this is the very reason why David was willing to fight on that famous morning. David had heard the mighty stories of God and His deliverance granted to the people Israel, and he had seen that faithfulness on display in his own experience. He heard of the past, lived it out in the present and this enabled him to walk by faith with his future.
The story of David and Goliath is peppered with samplings of the faithfulness of David, to God and people – and the two go together, just as love for God and man go together.

The moral of the story: David was faithful, so God used him. David was faithful in little, so God used him in much. People have since immortalized David for his stance on the battlefield that day. They built monuments and sang songs. People esteemed him greatly after that. But God esteemed him greatly back in that shepherd’s field - where everyone thought very little of him.

Stop trying to shake the world and start trying to be faithful in the minute details of the daily “grind.” Who knows, as you are faithful, he just might use you in a mighty way. He might put you in a position where everyone else buckles and you must stand alone with the opportunity to do something that will make the sighted world* tremble, like our boy David.

*sighted world = those who live by sight

bad guys go to hell

"Good guys might not always win but bad guys go to hell."
- Rick Holland

there is a lot more depth to this statement than at first glance. ponder. mull it it over. see if you get my drift.

Getting the word out

(This is not a usual blog post but rather a note addressed to parents. It is posted here to communicate this same message on all fronts and get the word out to our people what we do in our youth ministry.)

Beloved Parents, and fellow Pilgrims,

Parenting is a daunting task. It is a huge, scary, lifelong commitment. There are so many pitfalls, so many sinners who try to entice, so many who want us to join them in their self seeking endeavors. I am convinced that our young ones are the age group that is most specifically sought out and targeted by the enemy. In a battle like this, a battle for eternal destiny, allies are welcome.

This is the goal of our youth ministry. We seek to assist you as parents in the role of raising a disciple of Christ. As a parent myself these days I feel with you more than ever. When your child chooses sin and chooses to walk off the path of righteousness, I hurt with you. I lose sleep over those who wander away. I also rejoice when I see one of your children embrace the life of Christ. I rejoice when I watch one of them come alive to the Word. Now, granted I do not feel these emotions as deeply as you, but I do certainly feel them. And I seek to labor with you. I seek to be your ally and aid. I work to faithfully reveal the narrow way through the accurate teaching of God’s Word. I strive to be your ally in reinforcing the lessons you are teaching your children. I seek to be your ally in teaching them to be respectful of the authorities in their lives, and to honor their father and mother.

With such things as these in mind I bring this note to you. This is an effort to keep you informed and involved in the spiritual development of your child. I want you to be fully aware of what we have available to aid you in your quest to raise a man or woman of God:

Get Ryle'd Up

Thoughts for Young Men
by J.C. Ryle

General Counsels to Young Men:
Never make an intimate friend of anyone who is not a friend of God.

Understand me, I do not speak of acquaintances. I do not mean that you ought to have nothing to do with anyone but true Christians. To take such a line is neither possible nor desirable in this world. Christianity requires no man to be discourteous.

But I do advise you to be very careful in your choice of friends. Do not open all your heart to a man merely because he is clever, agreeable, good-natured, and kind. These things are all very well in their way, but they are not everything. Never be satisfied with the friendship of any one who will not be useful to your soul.

Believe me, the importance of this advice cannot be overrated. There is no telling the harm that is done by associating with godless companions and friends. The devil has few better helps in ruining a man's soul. Grant him this help, and he cares little for all the armor with which you may be armed against him. Good education, early habits of morality, sermons, books, all, he knows well, will avail you little, if you will only cling to ungodly friends. You may resist many open temptations, refuse many plain snares; but once you take up a bad companion, and he is content. That awful chapter which describes Amnon's wicked conduct about Tamar, almost begins with these words, "Now Amnon had a friend, a very shrewd man" (2 Samuel 13:3).

You must remember, we are all creatures of imitation: precept may teach us, but it is example that draws us. There is that in us all, that we are always disposed to catch the ways of those with whom we live; and the more we like them, the stronger does the disposition grow. Without our being aware of it, they influence our tastes and opinions; we gradually give up what they dislike, and take up what they like, in order to become closer friends with them. And, worst of all, we catch their ways in things that are wrong far quicker than in things that are right. Health, unhappily, is not contagious, but disease is. It is far more easy to catch a chill than to impart a warmth; and to make each other's religion dwindle away, than grow and prosper.

Young men, I ask you to take these things to heart. Before you let any one become your constant companion, before you get into the habit of telling him everything, and going to him with all your troubles and all your pleasures--before you do this, just think of what I have been saying; ask yourself, "Will this be a useful friendship to me or not?"

"Bad company" does indeed "corrupt good character" (1 Corinthians 15:33). I wish that text were written in the hearts of all young men. Good friends are among our greatest blessings; they may keep us away from much evil, remind us of our course, speak an appropriate word at the right time, draw us upward, and draw us on. But a bad friend is a burden, a weight continually dragging, us down, and chaining us to earth. Keep company with an unsaved man, and it is more than probable you will in the end become like him. that is the general consequence of all such friendships. The good go down to the bad, and the bad do not come up to the good. The world's proverb is only too correct: "Clothes and company tell true tales about character." "Show me who a man lives with and I will show you what he is."

I dwell upon this point, because it has more to do with your prospects in life than first appears. If you ever marry, it is more than probable you will choose a wife from among your circle of friends or their acquaintances. If Jehoshaphat's son Jehoram had not formed a friendship with Ahab's family, he would most likely not have married Ahab's daughter. And who can estimate the importance of a right choice in marriage? It is a step which, according, to the old saying, "either makes a man or ruins him." Your happiness in both lives may depend on it. Your wife must either help your soul or harm it. She will either fan the flame of Christianity in your heart, or throw cold water upon it, and make it burn low. She will either be, wings or handcuffs, an encouragement or an hindrance to your Christianity, according to her character. He that finds a good wife does indeed "finds a good thing;" so if you have the desire to find one, be very careful how you choose your friends.

Do you ask me what kind of friends you should choose? Choose friends who will benefit your soul, friends whom you can really respect, friends whom you would like to have near you on your deathbed, friends who love the Bible, and are not afraid to speak to you about it, friends that you would not be ashamed of having at the coming of Christ, and the day of judgment. Follow the example that David sets for you: he says, "I am a friend to all who fear you, to all who follow your precepts" (Psalm 119:63). Remember the words of Solomon: "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm" (Proverbs 13:20). But depend on it, bad company in this life, is the sure way to procure worse company in the life to come.