Pass It On

And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. 2 Timothy 2:2

I am sad today. I have lost a hero. I have known Justus and Jan Garrett for most of my pastoral ministry. I first met him when we pastored in the same area and he lived up the street from my parents. They have been a tremendous example to Andrea and me in our marriage and in our lives.

From Justus I have learned a lot about being a husband. Every time I went the Georgia Baptist Convention, I would look for them to come in, take their seat (almost always on the floor level) and enjoy the proceedings. They always came in holding hands, even in their 80s they were still in love. Jut always spoke highly of Jan, always was her greatest advocate.

From Justus I also have learned a lot about being a pastor. Jut genuinely cared about people. During his years as a pastor, he had experience quite a bit of mistreatment. Yet, he refused to speak ill of any body or any church. Even when he no longer was a full time pastor, you could find him ministering in jails, ministry centers, and nursing homes.

From Justus I have learned a lot about being resourceful. One time, he “helped” me change a clutch in a car. I wonder if he realized “helping” me would mean he would be doing most of the work. Our little project turned into a major project with an assortment of left over nuts and bolts – even after hiring a mechanic to come and do part of the work. But he was so confident in our work that he bought that car and gave it to his daughter Laurie, who at the time was a med school student. She drove it for years. She had learned from him as well.

But as I have reflected on the life of Justus Garrett, I have learned one more lesson from him. You see, we all pass along SOMETHING to others – good, bad, or indifferent. I have asked God for two things. First I have asked Him to give me the grace to be the kind of “faithful man” who applies the life lessons I have learned from Jut and others who have taken the time to invest in me. Then secondly, I have asked God allow me to be a mentor to someone just as Jut was faithful to mentor me, even when he didn’t realize he was doing that.

Since I am going to pass along something, I want to know that there are people who are closer to Jesus because of some instruction, challenge, encouragement, or example I have given them. What are you leaving behind? What are you passing along to others who are watching your life? If your life was the only sermon a person may encounter, what about Jesus do they be know now?

Cutting Some Slack

Have you ever just had a bad day? You know what I mean – you misjudged someone, or said (or did) something you wish you hadn’t or maybe really upset someone before you realized you had. Or maybe your bad day consisted of a colossal mistake or a collection of smaller ones. Whatever the case, you just wish you could get someone to cut you some slack.

Now, think about this honestly: have you ever been on the other side of someone else’s bad day? Maybe they misjudged you or said (or did) something they wished they hadn’t or maybe really upset you before they realized what they had done. Or maybe their bad day consisted of a colossal mistake or a collection of smaller ones that impacted you in a negative way. What they really need is grace. Yes, grace from you!

Consider what Paul has to say about how we should treat each other:

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. – Colossians 3:13

Now don’t get me wrong. I am not suggesting we overlook or enable sin in a brother or sister’s life. Paul teaches us quite clearly in Galatians 6 that when we see a fellow believer overtaken by sin, we who are not overtaken by that sin should gently and humble help them. I believe that involved honestly identifying and addressing the sin. BUT, what I think Paul is teaching us in the Colossians verse is that when others unload their “bad day” on us, then we need to cut them some slack.

First let me suggest a practical reason for extending grace. If someone has hurt you and you choose not to let it go and forgive them, who is hurt most by that, the offender or the offended? If I hold a grudge I am adversely affected physically with higher blood pressure, stress, and a host of other issues. I am affected spiritually in that my prayer life and communion with God is short-circuited, and I am affected mentally in that I cannot think clearly about anything else, but rather I am consumed with thoughts about my offense.

I also am compelled to extend grace because of a theological reason – I, chiefest of sinners, receive grace on a daily basis from God. I have been forgiven, therefore I am free to forgive. In fact, Jesus says that if I choose to not forgive those who wrong me, then I cannot receive forgiveness from my heavenly Father. Forgiveness is a much more attractive option.

Let me challenge you to find someone in your life who needs you to “let them off the hook.” Allow others the courtesy to be wrong now and then. Cut them some slack and let the wrong go, release them from whatever obligation you may feel they have because of what they did to you. When you do that, you look just like your Heavenly Daddy.

Tour de Life

The Tour de Georgia came our way Saturday - right down the middle of Old Hog Mountain Road. We stood by the road and cheered them on as the leader (wearing the yellow jersey) and one other cyclist had pulled away led the rest of the pack by our house, 20 miles of 114 miles into leg 6 of 7 for the race. When the event ended on Sunday, the racers had traveled over 600 miles of Georgia pavement. My mind immediately thought Hebrews 12:1 and our Tour de Life:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Just as people lined the course to encourage the racers, so also, we have men and women who have gone before us, cheering us on from the grandstand of heaven, as it were. In the previous chapter of Hebrews we read about ordinary men and women who lived lives of faith that enabled them to experience the supernatural power of God operating through their everyday lives. Their stories remind us that we, too, can trust God to do some miraculous things through us when we step out of our comfort zones and live a life of daring faith.

Have you ever noticed what bikers wear when they ride? The tight jerseys and spandex pants are not a fashion statement; they serve a very important purpose. The uniform is designed to allow for the greatest freedom of movement and the least amount of aerodynamic resistance. Similarly, we are encouraged to throw off hindrances and cast aside besetting sins that create spiritual drag in our lives. It is important for us to prioritize our lives and to keep our sin accounts current. All of us slip up and sin from time to time, but if we confess it and make it right as soon as we become aware of the sin, we are not slowed down in our journey of faith.

The racers raced an average of about 100 miles a day which required great stamina. They trained hard to build up the ability to ride for such a long time over various elevations of terrain. So also, our spiritual life requires us to be faithful each day. Sometimes the days are easier than others, but nonetheless, the one who would live a victorious life of faith is the one who remains faithful each day.

The racers had their course laid out for them; they were not allowed to go anywhere they wanted. So also, God has a plan and purpose for our lives. Our course may not be marked as clearly as theirs, but God knows where He is taking us. If we will follow Him, just as the race leader follows the pilot car, we will not stray off course and we will arrive victoriously at the destination He has planned for us.

Our race is not a competition to see who can get to the end first. We strive together to make sure we make it to the end as our Righteous Judge awards us our Crown of Life and says, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Keep running, don’t give up, the cause is worth it!

A Lesson We Are Not Supposed to Learn in College

All of us watched in shock and horror Monday as the events at Virginia Tech unfolded. What turned out to be the largest single massacre in the United States has left us all reeling emotionally and searching spiritually. One troubled young man in one single morning snuffed out the promising lives of 32 students and professors before taking his own life.

As Christians we are not immune from wondering how God can allow tragedies such as this to happen. In Luke 13, Jesus and some who had come to listen to Him teach dialogued about two particular tragedies that had recently happened and which had raised a lot of questions about God and His dealings with His people. Jesus’ ensuing teaching provides us with four lessons we can learn during our present national tragedy.

First of all, sin is universal. Jesus reminded them of the universal truth that we are all sinners. Outside circumstances did not cause Cho Seung-Hui to commit such a heinous act of violence, sin caused it. Until we as a society accurately diagnose the source of our problems as sin, we will not apply the only effective cure for that diagnosis – the blood of Jesus Christ. The only cure is for us to get the message of Jesus into as many ears as possible. Only HE can change a sinful heart into a new creation.

Second, life is fragile. Students at Virginia Tech woke up, showered, had breakfast, and went to their classes never giving a second thought that the possibility of a mass massacre would become a reality in their lives. Life can be snuffed out in an instant and death is no respector of persons. All of us are vulnerable. Since life can be taken in the blink of an eye without any warning whatsoever, wouldn’t it behoove us to make it our primary priority to get the good news of Jesus to as many people as possible as quickly as possible?

Third, judgment is inevitable. There is life after this life. Some people think we are bodies who have a soul, but in reality we are eternal souls who for now at least reside in a body. All of us are going to die and we will be judged not on the good or bad that we have done, but on our relationship to Jesus Christ. The Bible says that is appointed to man to die once and after that face judgment. Since eternity is at stake, shouldn’t we be about the business of sharing Jesus with urgency?

Finally, God is gracious. In the parable that Jesus used, He portrayed God as patiently waiting for His people, not hastily giving up on us, but continually cultivating us until we are effectively bearing the fruit of birthing new believers into spiritual life. How long will God’s patience last? Only He knows, but it seems to me that it is time for us to start proactively sharing Jesus – the ONLY ONE who can change lives, heal the hurt, and repair the damage that sin has caused.

My heart goes out to and my prayers go up for the families and friends of the heroic and innocent men and women needlessly murdered and to those victims still living but emotionally and physically wounded. Maybe if every one of us gets busy sharing Jesus, these kinds of things will no longer happen.

Andy

Earlier this month, Andrea and I lost someone who was the source of a lot of good memories in our past – many of you who regularly read this blog know him also. Andy had a God-given ability to bring joy into people’s life. The Andy I will always remember was a fun loving guy who could make me laugh when all I wanted to do was scream. Everyone who knew Andy loved him, and he loved everyone. Andy had no enemies and could make friends easier than anyone else I knew. In fact, as far as Andy was concerned there were only two kinds of people – strangers and friends. He quickly and easily moved people from the first category to the latter.

We lost touch with Andy when we got married and moved away from Macon, and we were not even aware he had moved with the rest of his family to Pensacola. We were shocked when we got the email informing us that Andy had taken his own life. In fact, shocked doesn’t quite capture what I felt. I have given so much thought lately to Andy’s life and his passing. I know that he had endured some painful experiences over the last several years, the losses of a sister and a daughter I am sure weighed heavily on his spirit. I am so grieved that my friend, who loved life so much and lived it to the fullest, felt such an intense pain deep inside that he took the extreme measure of ending his life. What a paradox!

As I have thought about Andy, I am all too aware that many of us face some really difficult circumstances in our lives. Truth be known, we think we know each other, but we may not know what pain simmers in the depths of the soul of the people we think we know best. One of the greatest benefits of being in the family of God is the network of support that should be available to us. If we share in the common experience of knowing Jesus as our Savior, then we are family. I believe there are two steps we can take that will hopefully help each other and possibly even prevent another situation like Andy’s.

The first step is transparency. We need to quit trying to be so brave and holding in what pain we may feel. As brothers and sisters in Christ, we have a wealth of people around us with whom we should be able to share our burdens. No one has to carry their load alone; it is a symbol of true strength, not weakness, to ask a brother or sister for prayer support. Here is what wise Solomon taught us:

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

The second step is encouragement. I am afraid that all too often we Christians are the world’s worst encouragers. We are more apt to point out faults, criticize, gossip, and disparage than to affirm strengths, praise, hold confidences, and commend. I have experienced first hand the apparent new hobby of some Christians to find new and fresh ways to slather their negativity all over the lives of others. But listen to what the writer of Hebrews had to say:

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25

What we need now more than ever is a new breed of believers who are committed to being cheerleaders. I think it is high time we can the negativity and set about to build up our brothers and sisters. It is time to stop being so mean to each other, but instead become each other’s best advocate.

To my friends who read this blog, let me say that I love every one of you. I want you to know that you can come to me with anything anytime. You have nothing to prove, I love you for who you are and hope that you reciprocate. Let’s take off the masks and allow each other to be honest and share our hearts with each other. Let’s expect the best from each other and challenge each other to be all that God wants us to be. Let’s hold each other up and motivate each other toward love and good deeds. If “the Day” was close in the mind of the writer of Hebrews, how much closer is it even now? It’s time to quit being fighters and start being lovers.

I am just TOO sweet

No, really, I am! I have the doctor’s report to prove it. I knew I was living the high life – high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides – but now I have added a new one: high blood sugar. Yes, two weeks ago during a routine physical exam I found out that I am diabetic. See, I told you I am too sweet. I get to prick my finger four times a day to see just how sweet I am! Fortunately I am controlling my levels with medication, a MUCH IMPROVED diet, and some moderate exercise.

I must admit that at first the news stunned me. I have never had to take medicine, I am rarely sick, I have enjoyed fairly good health all of my life. Now I have a new friend who will be with me the rest of my life who will demand my attention. After the initial shock and subsequent pity party, the Lord reminded me of a Bible verse that I have shared with many people who faced “bad news.”

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. –
1 Thessalonians 5:18

Yes, even diabetes is a cause for thanksgiving. As I look at my diagnosis I see so many reasons to be thankful. The more careful attention to my diet, the increased exercise, and the identification with hundreds of thousands of others who also struggle with the disease on a regular basis, all benefit me and give me an opportunity to testify to the grace and power of God at work in my life.

What I am learning is to totally change my attitude about the “bad” things that happen to me. I firmly believe that God is in control of my life. NOTHING happens to me that He is not allowing to come to pass so that (1) I can learn more about Him and experience His power more profoundly, and (2) He can use me in many more ways than He would have otherwise.

It all boils down to learning to see my life as a progressive interaction with a gracious and powerful God rather than a random set of days filled with “coincidental” circumstances and dumb luck. Even bad things when placed in the hands of an almighty God turn into miraculous good things.

Only God knows how He will use my diabetes for His glory, I only know that He will. And for that I am thankful beyond measure. That God would chose me to accomplish His purposes is both amazing and humbling, but I am a willing participant.

I am sure you experience circumstances and situations in your life that seem “bad.” Let me challenge you to just begin to be thankful for even those things. You may not know WHY God has allowed them, but He knows why, and He knows exactly what He wants to do with you and your circumstances. Hang in there, your miracle is on its way.

The Find

Have you ever thought you stumbled onto something valuable or rare? Once I used a metal detector on the beach and with every scratchy beep I thought I was uncovering someone’s lost diamond, gold, or precious jewel. Those who have used metal detectors know that most of those scratchy beeps meant I had found a bottle top, can tab, or some other absolutely worthless piece of litter someone had left on the beach.

Way back in 1980, archaeologists found what they claimed to be a burial boxes which held the remains of Jesus of Nazareth and his family. Recently, film director James Cameron has brought them back into the pubic eye ith a Discovery channel documentary. The biggest problem with the find is that there are no remains of Jesus of Nazareth. His death and burial are well chronicled in each of the four Gospels. And in each case we read of angels telling people who had come to the tomb where he was buried that he was no longer there, that he had risen just as he promised.

Enough logical and written evidence exists to support their claim. I recommend a book titled The Case for Easter by Lee Strobel. Strobel is a former journalist and legal editor for the Chicago Tribune who has approached the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus from a reporter’s investigative viewpoint. His book is a compelling read.

But what if it was all a hoax? What if all of the information about Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection was a legend birthed in the mind of crazed followers who wanted to perpetuate his legacy and validate their religious movement? What if the resurrection had not occurred? Paul answers those same questions in 1 Corinthians 15:12-20.

Paul comes to the sobering conclusion that if Jesus did not rise from the dead our faith is empty and we are still in bondage to our sin. Additionally if Christ is still dead then those who have died staking their eternity on their faith in him have perished along with him. Without the resurrection there is no hope for life beyond the grave for those who choose to believe in him. He goes on to say that if all we can hope for is what we achieve in this life, we are of all people most pitiable.

What a hopeless thought – that this life is all there is and that a life spent trusting in Jesus and his claims has been a waste. But Paul goes on to say, “but now Christ has been raised from the dead…” There is a hope. Our faith is not empty and we are not in bondage to our sin. We can be set free. Paul concludes that chapter by saying, “Grave, where is your victory? Death where is your sting? . . . Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The story is true. Jesus is risen, he is risen indeed. Believe him, trust him, give your life to him.

TGIF

Everybody loves Friday! School is out, last day of the work week, in the fall it’s high school football, in the summer it’s fishing or some other outdoor activity. Friday traditionally marks the end of “a time to work” and the beginning of “a time to play.”

Tomorrow is a day that in Christian circles we call “Good Friday,” but it certainly didn’t seem good to the people who were experiencing the events that eventually led us to deem it good. For some three years a small group of people had given up all that they had and the live they had know, and they had invested their lives in a leader who promised a new “kingdom.” In their minds that meant an overthrow of Roman oppressors and a return to the theocratic rule of a God appointed Jewish king to sit on the throne in Jerusalem. Yet in a little better than 24 hours they saw all that they lived for fall to pieces.

Now what would they do? Many had sold houses, most of them had given up their jobs, and some even had alienated family and friends to the point they could not go home again without facing scorn and ridicule. Things had not worked out like they were supposed to. They had risked everything and now Jesus was being executed. All but one man and a few women retreated into obscurity. It wasn’t supposed to end this way, but end it did on that fateful Friday. Jesus breathed His last and they took down His limp and lifeless body and buried Him hurriedly and unceremoniously in a donated grave. Tomorrow was Passover – back to the old way of doing things before Jesus came on the scene. The Revolution showed promise, but the leader was dead and His followers were hiding in fear.

But three days later, the ladies went back to the grave to finish up the burial process only to find the body missing. Somehow they missed the references Jesus made to His resurrection, they thought His body had been stolen. But the angel announced His resurrection and soon Jesus personally verified their report with a Personal Appearance. What seemed like the broken agony of utter defeat on Friday turned into the sheer ecstasy of absolute victory on Sunday morning!

In this we learn a very important spiritual lesson . . . there could be no Resurrection without the Crucifixion. There could be no Easter without Good Friday. And here is an important application for us. We cannot experience the resurrection power of Christ without joining the fellowship of His suffering. More than anything else, Paul wanted to experience a relationship with Jesus Christ on the deepest, most intimate level. Read his words:

My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of
His sufferings, being conformed to His death . . . – Philippians 3:10

Paul understood that the painful, difficult moments of suffering would eventually lead to a deeper experience and understanding of Christ.

So let me encourage those of you who, like me, feel like it is a not-so-Good Friday in your life right now. Your circumstances are weighing in on you and the devil is telling you that it is over. He tries to tell you, “Things will never get better. You misunderstood God’s promise. What you thought was going to happen was a figment of your imagination. Your life is always going to be what it is right now and there is nothing you can do about it.”

The devil is a liar, always remember that. He laughed in arrogant delight that Friday when Jesus died on the cross, but he screamed in horrified defeat when Jesus came back to life. And he maybe laughing at you right now, but Jesus gets the last laugh. Hang on, brother! Don’t give up, sister. It may seem like Friday night, but Sunday is on the way. THANK GOD, IT’S FRIDAY, because your Friday puts you square in the crosshairs of a resurrection powered miracle.

My prayer for you is that you would soon emerge from the fellowship of Christ’s suffering to enjoy the victory brought about by His resurrection power. And in doing so, may you draw closer to Jesus than you have ever been.

Trust Issues

Trust. That is a touchy subject. Allstate® used to advertise “you’re in good hands with Allstate.” But most of us have gotten burned so much that we find it difficult to trust. Life in the 21^st Century has become a jaded experience. Is there really anyone we can trust?

Yes. God. Absolutely. Even when things do not go as we think they should, even when circumstances seem to indicate otherwise, God IS in control, He IS a good God, and for those of us who know Him and are His children, He DOES work out everything for good.

If anyone had reason to question the paragraph above, it was Jesus. He was hanging on a cross, dying not for sins He committed, but for the sins of mankind. They had sinned of their own free will (as do we), yet He was paying the price. As He hung on the cross, He even felt the spiritual pain as His Father turned away from Him. As He hung there in shame he was ridiculed by the crowd and even by one who was being executed with Him. But just as His life is slipping from Him, we read these final words – words that indicate quite a different attitude than we would think:

“And Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into Your hands I entrust My spirit.’ Saying this, He breathed His last.” – Luke 23:46

Even at His darkest hour, Jesus had full confidence in His Father – the same Father that earlier he felt had forsaken Him. That begs a question of us? At what point to we give up on God? When do we stop trusting God’s grip on our lives and take matters into our own hands? What circumstances in our lives seem so confusing, conflicting, or frightening that we decide we have to resort to our own resources, know-how, and abilities to try and cope with it? Has that ever happened to you? I’d be lying to say it never happened to me. I am ashamed to admit there have been times when trusting God got a little too scary or a little to difficult and I backed up to a safer, more comfortable place. But ultimately what place is safer than in God’s hands?

Sometimes I am utterly amazed that we Christians are eager to trust God with our eternity but reticent to trust Him with our today? We trust Him to safely carry our souls from this life to the next when it comes our time to go, but yet we have these moments where we only trust ourselves when life gets a little sticky. If you are honest, are you trying to hang on for dear life with only your hands? Turn your circumstances over to the One who hands are more sure than Allstate’s and live securely in His grip.

God IS good . . . ALL the time . . . and ALL the time . . . God IS good!