may God bless America?

"WOOO!!! HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!! IT'S INDEPENDENCE DAY!!! WHERE'S MY AMERICAN FLAG BIKINI?" 
- a woman we will see in social media pictures today

It's a weekend of celebrating our country and the freedoms others have fought for.

Sometimes we struggle with this... 

whether we are cynical of government or wave the flag every chance we can - including the unique aforementioned bikini.

There's wisdom on all of this in the Bible. It instructs us to see an honorable government as a way to honor God, and for a government to be honorable to God in how it treats its people.

Even when the government does not live up to its role, we are still to live up to ours.

The catch is when a government asks us to do or support something that is in direct disobedience to God’s Word. In such times, we are to put God first, trusting in His power to protect us here or take us into the world to come.

Those who take this kind of stand for God stand in good company.

One example we can read about involves some young men who took a stand by simply doing that - standing up when everyone else bowed down in resignation at the risk of punishment.

Our persecution might be name-calling or shunning. Their persecution involved being thrown into a blazing fire.

"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn't, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up." (Daniel 3:17-18)

The question this weekend isn't if we're blessed to live in a country like America.

We are blessed.

(Eat a hot dog and a brat and a burger alongside of a slab or watermelon and a diet coke... if you need proof.)

The challenge with a "blessing" is to not turn the blessing into an indulgence to do whatever we want but to be responsible and God-honoring with it.

That's the true nature of a blessing -

not "Woo hoo! Look at me! Let's do anything and everything with it!"

but "How can I use what God has given me to further what He is doing in this world?"

May God bless America?

Only if we begin by blessing God as America.

"America was founded by people who believe that God was their rock of safety. I recognize we must be cautious in claiming that God is on our side, but I think it’s all right to keep asking if we’re on His side."  - Ronald Reagan

Are you in?

ordering another "hit"

Be aware -

some social media trends/posts turn us all into Mafia-like mob bosses, ordering "hits" out to "kill" someone/something we don't like...

but it a business that treated us a certain way or a person who cut us off in traffic.

• "No one shop there!"
• "If you see this person, give them a cold shoulder!"
• "Everyone go write a bad review online!"
  

We justify it by saying such things are justifiable, and in rare occasions they may be.

Strangely, we don't treat this as a rare response but as our first response.

And our response is often as ugly (if not uglier) than what we end up rallying against.

“You’re familiar with the command to the ancients, ‘Do not murder.’ I’m telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother ‘idiot!’ and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell ‘stupid!’ at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill. (Matthew 5:21-22)

tangible ambition

Tangible ambition matters.

The moment that you finally forge your sense of ambition will give sudden clarity to the remaining moments of your life. 

Without that moment, you will continually think of yourself as an outsider to everything everyone else seems like an insider on. You will be a victim.

With that moment, you will begin to put your jabs together and form combinations that will give you a shot at the title. You will be a victor.

Ambition gets you off your side of the chasm and onto the bridge of discipline...

and discipline gets you over the chasm and onto the side of life you want to live on.

So...

what's your next right thing to do?

"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord." (Ephesians 5:8-10)

a new year of new living: yes, no and maybe so - foundational priorities

On the first day of 2012, I spent some time with some of the greatest people I know and we kicked off 2012 together with a focus on one of the tougher questions - what do we say "Yes or No" to in our lives? The answer from the Bible is simple - don't put God first.

Yes, you read that right. To clarify - don't JUST put Him "first."

Often we put the Lord in the "top spot" of our lives, but we don't let Him into the "other spots" of our lives. Jesus said the most important commandment is to love the Lord with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself.

That means God isn't supposed to just sit at the top of our lives like a cherry, but is the spoon by which we eat the whole sundae of life.

If you aren't sure of the difference, here are a few thoughts:

• Making money: "Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops." (Proverbs 3:9)
• God is your cherry: "Look at this money I made! What do I feel comfortable doing with it?"
• God is your spoon: "Look at the money God blessed me with! Lord, how do you want me to use it, even if it's uncomfortable?"
  
  
• Chores: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Philippians 2:3)
• God is your cherry: "I’m SO sick of doing all this work for everyone else. When will someone serve me? My life is so exhausting. God, give me a break!"
• God is your spoon:  "God, these chores are difficult. I don't want it to get to me, so thanks for giving me these responsibilities and the people who are blessed by what I do. Help me have a better perspective. Use my work to help You let others know they're loved."
  
• Study/school: "The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge;the ears of the wise seek it out." (Proverbs 18:15)
• God is your cherry: "I’ll never use this information in life. It’s worthless to spend any real time on it, so I'll do the bare minimum and that's all. God, get me through this."
  
• God is your spoon: "I have no clue why any of this matters, but... I'll give it my best. Who knows - maybe what seems purposeless to me can be used down the road for something purposeful. Lord, I’ll honor You in this."
  
• Family time: "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)
• God is your cherry:  "My family time is our time. We’ll watch what we want to watch, go where we want to go, and do what we want to do. Besides, it's a losing battle to try anything different. Everyone needs time to do whatever they want to do without feeling judged or guilty."
  
• God is your spoon: "I'm going to make sure our family doesn’t turn inward, even if I'm the only one in the home who feels this way. I will lead my household to enjoy and seek God in our time leisure time."
  
  
• Health/Beauty: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
• God is your cherry: "My body is my body. It doesn't matter what I put in it or on it. I'm going to show it off - whether it's by how much I can put into it or by how fit I can get."
  
• God is your spoon: "Modesty matters. I don't need to boast or get showy about my health, nor do I need to neglect it. This is the only body I have on this side of heaven. God, how can I honor You with it?"
  
  
• Friendships: "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God." (Proverbs 27:17, Matthew 59)
• God is your cherry: "My friends are who they are. I'm not going to make things awkward by challenging them because they'll just get angry and bite my head off... especially if it involves two of my friends who aren't at peace with each other.”
  
• God is your spoon: "What's happening in and to my friends is my concern. I'll be a peacemaker who makes sure people I care about grow and work out anything awkward between them and others."
  
  
• Fun/hobbies: "Then Jesus said to them, 'The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.'" (Mark 2:27)
• God is your cherry: "I'll work hard, and then maybe I’ll rest. Or maybe I'll make life all about rest and not about work. Either way, it's my decision - and nobody better criticize for me for how I spend time and money on my favorite hobbies, sport/team or how I decorate."
  
• God is your spoon:  "God, thanks for loving me and commanding me to take a day every week for Sabbath. I don't want to just rest - I want to be restored to You. So I'm kneeling my life to you on that day and every day, including how I use the hobbies that bring me life. Help me to find fun things that don't distract me from You or others, but build those relationships."
  
  
• Faith: "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33)
• God is your cherry: "God, bless me."
  
• God is your spoon: "God, how can I bless You?"

Of course, we're not perfect in how these tensions play out. The question is if we’ll use that as an excuse or as grace to make things right.

Keeping God more than “first” but “first in everything” opens up a new kind of freedom, for we better know what to say yes and no to beyond our moods. You will begin to do more than what you feel like doing, including the things that need to happen.

Take a look again at the list above - which ones are you most able to take a step of growth in today by surrendering to him in the areas you've been holding back?

"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength... Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31)

manhood and girls who say no

Manhood is weird. Some days I feel like I need an assistant to keep track of which guy friends I handshake, fist-bump, slap-hand/grab-fingers/finger-point, or tough-hug-while-maintaining-heterosexual-distance with.

Today I confronted another lack of manhood in a public place.

My family and I ate lunch at a pavilion near a local park. Afterward I took my boys to play, and my wife and baby daughter hung out in the shade of the pavilion. After fifteen minutes my wife got my attention, and as I approached her informed me that some pre-teen boys were giving a girl a hard time who was resisting one of them.

I walked over quickly, assessing the situation just as she described. Even from a distance the boy noticed me and let go of the girl... as if he knew what he was doing was wrong but only was reminded of it by my approach.

Using my best "man" voice, I got close and asked, "WHEN A GIRL SAYS NO, WHAT DOES IT MEAN?"

"I don't know," he answered to avoid answering.

"WHEN A GIRL SAYS NO, WHAT DOES IT MEAN?"

"I don't know."

"Yes," laughed one of his buddies.

I glared at his friend. "DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT? DON'T ANSWER - JUST THINK... DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT?"

Turning back toward the first kid, I asked again, "WHEN A GIRL SAYS NO, WHAT DOES IT MEAN?"

"I don't know... maybe... or no, I guess."

I paused, looking him over. "You WILL respect these girls." The two females, about 12 years old each, sat on the picnic table listening with their backs to me.

"Why does he care?" chirped the third boy.

"He's trying to be our father figure," said the first.

"Do you have a father figure?" I asked him.

"Yeah," he answered.

"Does he set a good example for you?"

"I don't know," he replied.

"Not mine," said the second boy.

"I don't have a dad," blurted the third. He seemed serious.

"Then stop waiting for someone to set an example and start setting one," I pressed. "I know how this works. You nod your head now and then when I walk away you shout out something that sounds clever but is your attempt to look cool instead of be a man. So decide if you're going to be boys who don't respect girls or men who fight for their purity and honor."

"Okay..."

"Don't tell me okay. I have a daughter and she's going to grow up, and you'd better respect her."

"I won't know your daughter," he said.

"But you do know these girls, so start with them."

"Okay... okay..."

I sat down across from them.

Awkward pause.

"So..." he said, "are you just going to sit there and watch us now?"

"Yep. Someone will always be watching you."

---

I had this happen once before and wrote about it: http://www.connectionchurch.org/pdfs/2011/020911_MedinaGazette.pdf

Different boys, same lack of respect.

As long as it keeps happening, I'll keep on giving the same talk. It may go in one ear and out the other... it may only stick with one of them... it may be the girls decide to stop hanging out with guys like this.

Or maybe you read this and will be the next reminder to someone that what is common in our world should never be considered normal.

"Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us." (Titus 2:6-8)

the questions asked by "answer men"

I have found something to be true of the categories I may fit in: Pastor, writer, and practical theologian.

This is likewise true of others in similar categories.

• Sometimes we ask questions to find answers.
• Sometimes we ask questions to sound profound.
• Sometimes we ask questions to maintain job security or sell something.
• Sometimes we ask questions to increase our base of fans and followers.

Ironically, those motives will all ask the very same question.

Yet each asks that question for a completely different reason.

"All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD." (Proverbs 16:2)

thinking on your feet

Consider this story about a college football team whose starting quarterback had just been injured. Their #2 quarterback was sick, so he hadn’t even dressed for the game. All the coach had left was a third-string freshman who had experience as a quarterback in high school but was used to being used as a punter on this team.

To make matters worse, the team was backed up on its own third-yard line. It was a desperate situation, and the coach’s only thought was somehow to get a little farther from their goal line to give them room to punt out of danger.

Sending in the third-string quarterback, the coach said, "Son, I want you to hand off to the big fullback Kowaski for the next two plays, letting him run right into the middle of the line to get us a few yards of breathing room. Then I want you to punt."

The young quarterback did as he was instructed. On the first play he handed off to Kowaski, but almost miraculously Kowaski found a hole off tackle and ran for 50 yards. The young quarterback called the same play again, and once more (miracle of miracles), the hole opened again and Kowaski gained another 45 yards. The fans went crazy. In two plays they had gone 95 yards and the ball was on their opponent’s 2-yard line. It was first down and goal to go!

Confidently the team lined up once again. The young quarterback received the snap, then stepped back to everyone’s amazement, and punted the ball into the end zone. As his stunned teammates came off the field, the coach angrily grabbed the young quarterback and demanded, "What in the world were you thinking about when you called that last play?" The quarterback answered, "I was thinking what a dumb coach we have."

----

Perhaps you find that story ridiculous, for indeed it is.  It's actually not as far-fetched as you may imagine, for many professional coaches today do not expect their quarterbacks to make decisions.

And yet I wonder... where in your week are you most tempted to be passive instead of active?  What are the areas of life that you don't intentionally engage the moment and merely go an auto-pilot?

Granted, there is something to be said about when we need to follow someone's instructions literally.  I've heard stories about soldiers whose lives were saved because when their commanding officer told them to "hit the deck" they ducked away from something they couldn't see (but their C.O. could).

The greater question, then, is are you able to not only follow instructions... but are you able to follow the POINT of those those instructions?