Meditating

Psalm 1:2 (NLT)

But they delight in the law of the Lord,
    meditating on it day and night.

Psalm 143:5 (NLT)

I remember the days of old.
    I ponder all your great works
    and think about what you have done.

Psalm 145:5 (NLT)

I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor
    and your wonderful miracles.

“So meditating on the Word of God day and night means to speak to yourself the Word of God day and night and to speak to yourself about it- to mull it over, to ask questions about it and answer them from the Scripture itself, to ask yourself how this might apply to you and others, and to ponder its implications for life and church and culture and missions.”

- John Piper (When I Don't Desire God: How to Fight for Joy)

Something To Chew On

Psalm 19:10 (NLT)

They are more desirable than gold,
    even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
    even honey dripping from the comb.

Psalm 119:11 (NLT)

I have hidden your word in my heart,
    that I might not sin against you.

“I saw that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the word of God, and to meditation on it…What is food for the inner man? Not prayer, but the word of God; and…not the simple reading of the word of God, so that it only passes through our minds, just as water runs through a pipe, but considering what we read, pondering over it, and applying it to our hearts.”

- Geoge Mueller (Written By Himself, Jehovah Magnified)

The Purity of Desire

1 John 5:14 (NLT)

And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.

“It is for gratifying our desires when those desires have been so purified and so saturated with Christ and his Word that they coincide with his plans. This happens more and more as the Word of Christ abides in us.”

- John Piper (When I Don't Desire God)

Fight of Our Lives

Matthew 5:29 (NLT)

So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

"…there is a mean streak to authentic self-control…Self-control is not for the timid. When we want to grow in it, not only do we nurture an exuberance for Jesus Christ, we also demand of ourselves a hatred for sin…The only possible attitude toward out-of-control desire is a declaration of all-out war…There is something about war that sharpens the senses…War keeps us vigilant.”

- Ed Welch (Self Control: The Battle Against 'One More')

Gutsy Guilt

Micah 7:8-9 (NLT)

Do not gloat over me, my enemies! For though I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. I will be patient as the Lord punishes me, for I have sinned against him. But after that, he will take up my case and give me justice for all I have suffered from my enemies. The Lord will bring me into the light, and I will see his righteousness.

“But in the ashes of our regret, the flame of boldness never goes out. It may flicker. But when self or Satan taunts us that we are finished, we lay hold on Micah’s faith- indeed we lay hold on Christ and his righteousness- and say, “Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light unto me…He pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light.”

- John Piper (When I Don’t Desire God)

Hearing

Romans 10:7 (NLT)

And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ (to bring Christ back to life again).”

“Not only does the first act of faith come by hearing, but all subsequent acts of faith come by hearing. And since God supplies his spirit through this “hearing with faith”, the fullness of the Spirit comes by the ongoing hearing of the Word of God. And when the Spirit comes, he comes to make much of Jesus. Which means he comes to ignite joy in our hearts over the glory of Jesus. Which means the word of God is worth more than anything this world can offer.”

- John Piper (When I Don’t Desire God)

Never Outgrowing the Gospel

2 Corinthians 4:4 (NLT)

Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

“Hearing the word of the cross, and preaching it to ourselves, is the central strategy for sinners in the fight for joy. Nothing works without this. Here is where we start. And here is where we stay. We never outgrow the gospel. Here we see the glory of Christ more clearly than anywhere else. Indeed, the gospel is “the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” If seeing Christ is the key to savoring Christ- and it is!- then here is where we must linger. The word of the cross is the revelation of the glory of Christ.”

- John Piper (When I Don’t Desire God)

Reevaluating Grace

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT)

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

“Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession.... Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”

― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost Of Discipleship

Formulas and Bullet Points

2 Timothy 2:15 (NLT)

Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.

"Maybe the gospel of Jesus, in other words, is all about our relationship with Jesus rather than about our ideas. And perhaps our lists and formulas and bullet points are nice in a sense that they help us memorize different truths, but harmful in the sense that they blind us to the necessary relationship that must begin between God and ourselves and God for us to become his followers. And worse, perhaps our formulas and bullet points and steps steal the sincerity with which we may engage God.”

- Donald Miller (Searching for God Knows What)

Like a Monk

2 Timothy 2:15 (NLT)

Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.

“I was reading The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris the other day and she was talking about Benedictine monks and how they would sit up late at night to study the Bible by candlelight. I wondered what it would have been like to have studied the Bible and not be tainted by lists and charts and formulas that cause you to look for ideas and infer notions that may or may not be in the text, all the while ignoring the poetry, the blood and pain of the narrative, and the depth of emotion with which God communicates His truth.”

- Donald Miller (Searching for God Knows What)

Just Pray

Ephesians 6:18 (NLT)

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Just pray. Talk to God. And listen.

Life and Death

Romans 6:23 (NLT)

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

“Do you know the easiest part of the Gospel for me to believe? The part that says 'the wages of sin is death.' I take that to mean that when Adam and Eve sinned, they began to die, not only physically, but in their souls, too, because they had been separated from God. It makes sense that if a plant is separated from the sun, it dies, and that if people are separated from God, they die. And so now it feels as if we live on a planet where there is just a little bit of water left, poisoned as it is, and we are all trying to get it and drink it so we can stay alive. But what we really need is God.”

- Donald Miller (Searching for God Knows What)

Relational Faith

Matthew 13:10-17 (NLT)

His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”

He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables,

For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand. This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,

‘When you hear what I say,
you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
you will not comprehend.
For the hearts of these people are hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and let me heal them.’
“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.

“I have this suspicion, however, that if we are going to get to know God, it is going to be little more like getting to know a person than practicing voodoo. And I suppose that means we are going to have to get over this fear of intimacy, or whatever you want to call it, in order to have an ancient sort of faith, the same faith shared by all the dead apostles.”

- Donald Miller (Searching for God Knows What)

Relationship Not Formula

Matthew 13:10-17 (NLT)

His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”

He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables,

For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand. This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,

‘When you hear what I say,
you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
you will not comprehend.
For the hearts of these people are hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and let me heal them.’
“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.

“My friend…believes the qualities that improve a person’s life are relational, relational to God and to the folks around us. This made a a lot of sense, too, because when Jesus was walking around on earth He taught His disciples truths through experience, first telling them stories, then walking with them, then causing stuff to happen like a storm on the sea, then reiterating the idea He had taught them the day before. Even then it took years before the disciples understood, and even then the Holy Spirit had to come and wrap things up. So it made me realize that either God didn’t know about the formulas, or the formulas weren’t able to change a person’s heart.”

- Donald Miller (Searching for God Knows What)

Jesus on Earth

Another poem from Melissa Gonerway…

Jesus on Earth

What if Jesus was working on this earth as a human being?

Would you act the same and do the same things?

Would you talk to him about the people that you talk to all the time?

Or would you realize that’s not kind?

Would he wake you up from the coma you’re in?

And help you choose not to sin?

Jesus is here and he sees it all

Are you trying not to fall?

You wear his name but are you anything like him?

If you could touch him would you choose him or sin?

Real Life

Psalm 1 (NLT)

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

“To live how you were intended, to interact with God’s creation in ways that were his breathings, brings life. Real life. Not just tedious existence, but life that breathes like a tree by a cool river with the grass of Eden stretching broad and embowering under limb. It is beauty. It is bending in the breeze, arms wide, leaves dancing. And to live in ways that twist and distort his creation brings death. Real death. Not just redundant (none of us are getting out of here alive) burying of corpses, but the walking around kind that tastes of dust rather than the Maker’s exhale of love. It is repulsive. It doesn’t hold together. It is not the genesis-shape imagined for a human.”

- David Crowder (Praise Habit)

The Meaning of it All

John 10 (NLT) - too long to post. Look it up!

"The Bible and its message help you leave behind things that seem to offer pleasure (like living for yourself) but fail and leave you empty. God’s word does more than that. You find true life. Jesus says in John, “I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.” Jesus himself is life (John 14). So don’t miss this: When you live the Word, you truly live.”

- David Crowder (Praise Habit)

A Silent Song

Psalm 88 (NLT)

O Lord, God of my salvation,
I cry out to you by day.
I come to you at night.

Now hear my prayer; listen to my cry. For my life is full of troubles, and death draws near. I am as good as dead, like a strong man with no strength left. They have left me among the dead, and I lie like a corpse in a grave. I am forgotten, cut off from your care. You have thrown me into the lowest pit, into the darkest depths. Your anger weighs me down; with wave after wave you have engulfed me.

You have driven my friends away by making me repulsive to them. I am in a trap with no way of escape. My eyes are blinded by my tears. Each day I beg for your help, O Lord; I lift my hands to you for mercy. Are your wonderful deeds of any use to the dead? Do the dead rise up and praise you? Can those in the grave declare your unfailing love? Can they proclaim your faithfulness in the place of destruction? Can the darkness speak of your wonderful deeds? Can anyone in the land of forgetfulness talk about your righteousness?

O Lord, I cry out to you. I will keep on pleading day by day. O Lord, why do you reject me? Why do you turn your face from me? I have been sick and close to death since my youth. I stand helpless and desperate before your terrors. Your fierce anger has overwhelmed me. Your terrors have paralyzed me. They swirl around me like floodwaters all day long. They have engulfed me completely. You have taken away my companions and loved ones.

Darkness is my closest friend.

“In this psalm there are no reasons given for GOD’s silence. This psalm is not interested in explanation…This psalm reports what its like to be GOD’s partner in His inexplicable absence…Everything properly belongs in this conversation of the heart. To withhold parts of life from the conversation is to withhold parts of life from the sovereignty of GOD. GOD must be addressed even if GOD never answers… Psalm 88 shows us what the cross is about: faithfulness in scenes of complete abandonment.”

- David Crowder (Praise Habit)

Preaching To Ourselves #2

Psalm 42:5 (NLT)

Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again— 

“The main art in the matter of spiritual living is to know how to handle yourself. You have to take yourself in hand, you have to address yourself, preach to yourself, question yourself…you must turn on yourself, unbraid yourself, condemn yourself, exhort yourself, and say to yourself, “Hope in GOD” -instead of muttering in this depressed, unhappy way, and then you must go remind yourself of GOD, Who GOD is, and…what GOD has done, and what GOD has pledged Himself to do. Then having done that, end on this great note: defy yourself, and defy other people, and defy the devil and the whole world, and say with this man: “I will praise Him for the help of His countenance, who is also the health of my countenance and my GOD.”

Martyn Lloyd-Jones from "Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cures"

Preaching To Ourselves #1

Psalm 42:5 (NLT)

Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again— 

“Have you realized that most of the unhappiness in your lives is due to the fact that you are listening to yourselves instead of talking to yourself? Take those thoughts that come to you the moment you wake up in the morning. You have not originated them but they are talking to you, they bring back the problems of yesterday, etc. Somebody is talking. Who is talking to you? Yourself is talking to you. Now this man’s treatment [in Psalm 42] was this: instead of allowing this self to talk to  him, he starts talking to himself. “Why are you cast down, my soul?” he asks. His soul has been depressing him, crushing him. So he stands up and says, “Self, listen for a moment, I will speak to you.”

Martyn Lloyd-Jones from "Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cures"

Delight in GOD

Psalm 1:2 (NLT)

But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.

“Our chief end is to glorify GOD, the great Object. We do so most fully when we treasure him, desire him, delight in him so supremely that we let goods and kindred go and display his love to the poor and the lost.”

From “When I Don’t Desire GOD” by John Piper (page 31)

In the End

1 Peter 4:13 (NLT)

Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.

2 Corinthians 4:17 (NLT)

For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!

“…be so enthralled with the hope of glory that they would be willing to make any sacrifice now for the sake of knowing Christ…The final revelation of the glory of Christ will be the consummation of our joy. Every sacrifice will have been worth it. Indeed those who have suffered the most for Christ will say, in one very true sense, “We never made a sacrifice. That slight momentary affliction was ‘preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.’”

From “When I Don’t Desire GOD” by John Piper

Seeing Without Seeing

Psalm 135:15-18 (NLT)

The idols of the nations are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands.

They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see.

They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell.

And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them.

“The Psalmist described the connection between this inner blindness and idolatry… Make and trust a blind idol, and you become blind. Apply that principle to the modern world, and think of the idols of our own day. What we do make and what do we trust? Things. Toys. Technology. And so our hearts and our affections are formed by these things. They compress the void in our heart into shapes like toys. The result is that we are easily moved and excited by things- computers, cars, appliances, entertainment media. They seem to fit the shape into our heart. They feel good in the tiny spaces they have made. But in this readiness to receive pleasure from things, we’re ill-shaped for Christ. He seems unreal, unattractive. The eyes of our hearts grow dull.”

From "When I Don’t Desire GOD by John Piper" (page 58)

My Savior’s Healing

I have a wound inside me inflicted by a man,

I want you to heal me, but do I believe you can?

I’m scared to put my faith in what I cannot see,

But I feel this love stirring inside of me.

I feel this healing touch and this awesome power,

The voice inside of me is getting louder and louder.

The more I follow and I allow you to lead,

This wound inside of me has started to heal.

If I let it go and give it all to you,

Will you do what you say you do?

I’m gonna take that chance and reach out my hand,

The love from my Savior is much much more than man’s.

- Melissa Gonerway

Skinned Knees and Pain

Recently, a friend of mine, Melissa Gonerway, passed along two poems she’d written. I have deemed them worthy (for whatever that’s worth) to share with the world wide web of Refugees. One today, the other tomorrow. May they touch you as much as they touched me…

Skinned Knees and Pain

I was a little child with skinned knees and a heart full of pain,
Some days I wished I could create some kind of change.
I tried to make myself feel better through a lot of different things,
Like drugs and alcohol and plenty of bright and shiny things.
I came to find out that I was created with a hole,
That went all the way down to my soul.
I was miserable and suicidal in the middle of sin,
It was really bad shape I had gotten myself in.
I tried everything that I possibly could,
To no avail and absolutely no good.
I got broken enough to reach out to Jesus Christ my Lord,
And he lifted me up and filled that hole with love.
He brushed me off and bandaged my knees,
He reached down in sin and took hold off me.
I reached back and held on and I’ve never let go
I have a GOD that loves me so.
Through some time and prayer He fixed me up,
Now I am happy because of Jesus love.
No more do I look for a fix in this world,
Because I know that my GOD’s got this little girl.

Being with GOD

Let us break the mold today.

Rather than going through the usual routine of reading your LifeTogether scripture, devotion, and praying, put all your “resources” away and simply pray.

Talk to GOD.

Listen to GOD.

Be with GOD.

Find your joy in him, not in any words or thoughts from anywhere else.

Awkward though it may be, press on-

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 47: Don’t Try So Hard

Galatians 5:6,13-14

 For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

For years, I hated church. Despised it. Avoided it. Excused my way out of it. Quit it.

“You? No way! Why?” you may ask with astonishment.

“Well,” I would commence, “the reasons are two-fold.”

One: People are made to come out of fear, not love. And two: People are forced into guilt, not conviction. (This is not a scathing indictment on all churches. Just sharing my experiences.)

I have been a part of churches and services where hell-fire, brimstone, and judgment were spewed so voraciously that people flooded to the altar, terrified of being thrown in the lake of fire and scorched for eternity. If you’re not praying…if you’re not squalling at the altar…if you’re not doing this or that…if you aren't turning, you’re burning. And on and on the deluge of condemnation pours. While there is a judgment and a hell away from GOD, the church should focus on the love of GOD. Remember that we are instructed to love, set apart from the world by our displaying it. A holy fear, or reverence, for GOD is spiritual healthy. But we shouldn't quake in fear of him squishing us like a bug. The Scriptures says, “Perfect love casts out fear” and “we can approach the throne (of GOD) boldly” because of Jesus Christ.

So let us do things more out of love and less out of fear.

The second thought goes hand-in-hand with the first. A Biblical difference exists between Godly sorrow (conviction) and worldly sorrow (guilt). Conviction is wrought by the Holy Spirit and ushers us back to the Presence of GOD. It can be a rather bumpy ride sometimes but like the Prodigal, we return home. Guilt, by contrast, drives us further into self and reeks of a vicious cycle of depression and sadness. Of the utmost importance is distinguishing between the two both in our own lives and as we help the Refugees (and others) around us.

So accept the Spirit’s conviction, confess, and sprint back to GOD. To sit, soak, and sour in guilt leads you further away from GOD and the hope he so desperately desires to share with us all.

Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read pages 101-103 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski   

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 46: When You’re in Love

Psalm 42:1-2 (NLT)

As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.
I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him?

Ever heard anyone hurl the following phrase?

"I still love them; I’m just not in love with them anymore."

While it's usually referring to couples, the sentiment seeps into our relationship with GOD as well. And it doubtlessly occurs when we get our priorities distorted. During the summer, a friend and I reeked of similar symptoms when it came to this thought. He was having a hard go of trying to fit GOD into his busy schedule and seeking materialism, while I, on the other hand, was doing a lot “for GOD” and drowning in his blessings to the point I’d lost sight of Him. Because we shared a longing to return to pure relationship with Jesus, we began a devotional together called, “When I Don’t Desire GOD.” The whole premise of the study is desiring GOD for no other reason than because he is GOD. Forget the blessings (which are good things by the way). Forget the prosperity. Forget the poverty. Forget the motions and mentalities we get entrapped by. Forget doing things for GOD. Forget everything…but He alone.

The Message words today’s Scripture like this, “I want to drink GOD, deep draughts of GOD. I’m thirsty for GOD-alive.”

That’s what we cried out for. And when you find joy in GOD, not just in the things he so graciously bestows upon us, we return to the roots of our salvation. Remember how real it felt. How freeing. How you would burst into laughter or tears or shouts of joy. Simply because you were with GOD. In relationship. Keep in mind that love is a choice. Feelings come and go, and ebb and flow. But we can make a conscious choice to love. Especially when it comes to the One who loves us first.

Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read pages 99-101 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 45: Weighing Eternity

Luke 9:25 (NLT)

And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?

“…But the fact is nothing should concern us more than our relationship with GOD; its about eternity, and nothing compares to that.” (page 96)

While I hate to keep harping on the same things, my conviction will not relent until we get it. That this life ultimately doesn’t matter. It’s the next one which resonates for eternity.

This whole discussion reminds me of a conversation I had while sitting in John’s (the Pastor not the Baptist) office. He shared with me a story about Martin Luther (of Protestant Reformation fame). Many in Luther’s congregation had grown weary of hearing him preach the plain, simple Gospel week after week. And told him so. In what must have been an awkward moment, he turned to them and replied, “When you start living out the plain, simple Gospel, I’ll move on to preach about something else.”

This topic- of focusing too much on this corporeal world- continues to grab our attention because we haven’t gotten “it” yet. We still get deceived into believing that we need this or that thing, we must spend every minute of our time making ourselves more comfortable, we must find any (and every) distraction possible to the fill the void. Despite our understanding of this and John’s repeated messages and these persistent devotions and God’s relentless reminders, we still go in circles.

One thing is certain. One day we will fall on our faces before the Living GOD. And we will have to give an accounting. And on that day, we don’t want to explain to GOD that he only got our leftovers. An hour on Sunday and Wednesday. Five minutes a day to read the devotion. A ten second prayer before a meal.

There’s this saying we have in education: “Begin with the end in mind.” May that become an anthem we display. (And then, we can quit talking about it all the time.)

Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read pages 96-98 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 44: Lessons From The Mighty Mississippi

James 2:17 (NLT)

So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

“If life is a river, then pursuing Christ requires swimming upstream. When we stop swimming, or actively following him, we automatically begin to be swept downstream.” (page 95)

Mere miles from Refuge flows one of the most awesome forces on the planet- the Mississippi River. Since moving here a decade ago, I’ve loitered under its bridge writing and drinking, stared mesmerized into its unrestrained power, and heard countless stories revolving around its banks. Some of the more fascinating ones involve people attempting to swim across. Anyone brave (or stupid) enough to do so will tell you a couple of things. First, no one swims directly across. The raw force of the current will take you down river no matter how strong a swimmer you are. That being said, number two is that it is possible to cross the river if you persist and never give up. And third, if you do lose heart and give up, you will drown and die. Plain and simple.

In remembering these stories, their significance to us spiritually is even more profound. No matter how strong our faith in Jesus is, it must be reinforced by our actions. We must “swim” with everything we have, understanding that it won’t be an easy, straightforward crossing, but a manageable one nonetheless. We must endure being swept away and jostled by the current and whirlpools of life. We must never lose sight of the opposite bank (the eternal life) and continue chugging away until we reach it, having spent every ounce of energy we possess. If at any point, we take our eyes off of Jesus, throw our cross down, or find the struggle too difficult, we will be pulled backwards. And downstream. Lost among the churning waters and further and further away from GOD.

The other side awaits. Press on-

Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read pages 90-95 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski

August and Everything After

James 4:13-14 (NLT)

Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.

Yesterday, all was quiet.

Today… On celebrating the life of our friend Jamie, many personal memories have flooded my mind. Among those are our time together in small group. We have been combing through the Crazy Love book (mush like we do with the devotions). This past Sunday, we discussed the second stanza, titled “you might not finish the chapter.” When I asked the group what stuck out to them the most in their weekly reading, Jamie shared the story about Stan. Stan had given the eulogy speech for a friend in which he shared not only the Gospel of Jesus but the fact that all of us have a time to go. Stan concluded his speech by asking, “Are you ready?” After returning to his seat, Stan crumpled over dead. This story had resonated with Jamie. And it does with me now also.

With the passionate but peaceful joy of a wise sage, Jamie went on to relate with words what we had seen in his actions over the last year. That GOD, through the power of the Holy Spirit and a willing heart, had radically changed another broken human being. He expressed he had a peace that surpassed all understanding. That he absolutely loved nothing more than grabbing a cup of coffee and pouring hours into conversations with GOD over the Bible and other devotions. How he savored the thought of coming to Refuge to worship and mingle with his friends. How everyone- from the pastor to the musicians to the servants to the pew sitters had been the hands and feet of Jesus. With every eye in the room glued on him, the unforced rhythms of grace pouring from within were contagious. Through his transparency, his music, and his discipleship, Jamie transformed from Christ follower to a disciple. And not only does heaven applaud but we celebrate with him in praising GOD.

Yes, life will go on…but we will never forget you, Jamie.

Now, in the immortal words of our departed friend, “Rock on!”

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 43: Poor Rich People

Luke 18:22-24 (NLT)

When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich.

When Jesus saw this,[a] he said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!

For the past seven years, I’ve slung wisecracks about how broke we teachers are.

A mission trip to Honduras in March changed all that.

As much as I relish the gift of words and writing, a limit exists to their power. Sometimes it takes a picture to get our attention. You know, the whole “a picture is worth a thousand words” thing. Even more powerful than the most poignant picture is the experience itself. And no amount of reading, picture-looking, or relative poverty here compared with much of what I witnessed there. I saw firsthand what Chan writes about when he quips, “Simply by purchasing this book, you spent what a majority of people in the world will make in a week’s time.” Although I didn’t purchase this book (but ripped it from the back table as a first time visitor to Refuge post facto), the statement registered.

The people in the village of La Preadera live on much less than the cost of this book. How humbling it was when they gave us food out of their need to feed us during our days there. Because of this situation and sacrifice, I was encouraged to make changes to my lavish lifestyle. Upon returning home, changes were made. I live on less. Give more. Ride my bike to work. Am grateful for any meal, not just blowing through the blessing. Am grateful for O’Bannon High School and its crumbling infrastructure.

I feel much like Zacchaeus from the Gospel. Like salvation over those trappings has come to my house.

Despite living in the Delta, may we all come to see ourselves as we truly are. Rich. Wealthy. Prosperous. And may we thank GOD for such things and pray that they are kept in their proper place. In our gratitude for these things, let us be willing to give them away or never lose sight of the One who bestows such things.

May our joy come from Jesus and not in the gifts he provides!

Author’s Note #1: In case I came off as holier-than-thou, here is an edited list of my dirty laundry for the week to let you know I’m still a work in progress: vanity, pride, ego (monstrous), idolatry, lust, the essence of evil (taking joy in the gifts of GOD rather than in Him alone)

Author’s Note #2: for more on this topic, read pages 88-90 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 42: Posture of Obedience

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT)

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

It bothers me that sometimes I don’t need GOD.

A while back, a conversation arose between me and a friend about complacency and persecution. This friend related how the church over in China was praying for the American church to be persecuted. This, naturally, took me aback at first, until I understood it in context. Under extreme persecutions, the underground church in China has flourished (like the Book of Acts church). The arrests, beatings, and sometime death sentences has only served to throw spiritual gasoline on the flock there. It has forced them to spread out, stretch their comfort zone (if there was one to begin with), and display a love for everyone- including those who want them shut up so badly. Despite some of the obvious pain accompanying such a situation, they are taking joy in clinging to their crosses, serving GOD, and relying on Him for EVERYTHING. Out of this love and conviction, they are praying for the American church to be shaken from our complacency. Given is the fact that there are many sold-out Jesus Freaks here in the States. But overall, the church has become like that in Laodicea which we read about in the Scripture yesterday. There was a time when we needed GOD. But in our prosperity, wealth, entertainment, and materialism, we have grown distracted and distanced from the Giver of those things. Gotten out of balance. Lost sight of the eternal. May we begin to once again heed the anthem of our prayer ministry, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves…I will heal their land.”

And, by the way, remember your Chinese brothers and sisters in prayer today. The world is much bigger than our little patch of buckshot.

Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read pages 87-88 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 41: Of Leftovers and Vomiting Spit

Revelation 3:15-18 (NLT)

I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! You say, "I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!" And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see.

In 2004, Rob Lilwall began riding his bicycle from the frozen tundra of Siberia back to his home country of England. Along the way, he experienced a plethora of adventures and lessons, strengthened his faith in Jesus, and wrote such a riveting book that I not only read it, but placed it among my “keepers” in the shelf (to be read again). During the course of his journey, he pedaled through Afghanistan and Iran among other hostile countries. In a conversation with an Iranian Muslim, Rob discovered why Christians, especially those in the Westernized world, are frowned upon there. He pens, “They [the Iranians/ Muslims] gained most of their experience about America from Hollywood and some crude television shows on their (illegal) satellite dishes. They seemed to think that all Westerners were Christians, and thus the television shows and films were portraying how normal Christians lived.”

While it is of course unfair to lump all Christians in America into this category, it can’t be far off. Because that’s how normal Christians (if we can even call them Christians) live. In my personal experience, the vast majority of people who show up to church on Sunday live however they want during the week. We watch things we have no business watching. We do things we know we shouldn’t be doing. We bounce from one thing to another, do anything to get ahead, rationalize our lusts and desires, and then, only then, squeeze some time in for GOD. If we’re not too tired after turning the television off.

We are indifferent to GOD.

And it makes GOD want to vomit. Blow us out in chunks of spittle. Hurl us from his mouth. Wrenching and coughing. Ashamed and embarrassed and in agonizing anger.

May it be said of us that we are a delight to GOD. May we give GOD our lives- “our sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking around life- and place it before GOD as an offering.” (Romans 12:1, The Message). May GOD have all of us. And may others see this, this different “Christian” lifestyle, and praise GOD because of it!

Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read pages 83-87 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 40: Reflections of the Lukewarm

Luke 14:34-35 (NLT)

Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? Flavorless salt is good neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown away. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!

Congratulations! You made it through the wilderness of the lukewarm (so to speak). If the last three weeks were as gut-wrenching as they were for me the first time I paged through this chapter, you may find the need to rest. To take a deep breath. To veg out in front of the television for a month. To read something else lighter. But I would encourage to plod on.

One thing is for sure. If you put your whole heart into the last three weeks of the lukewarm chapter, then your life is in the process of being transformed. Yes you, like me and everyone else, are still messed up human beings. But, as Chan describes, “there is a difference between a life that is characterized by [negative] mentalities and habits and a life that is in the process of being radically transformed.” No matter your spiritual maturity level, we can all grow. If we are willing to humble ourselves, admit our half-hearted attempts to follow GOD, confess it, and press on toward Him with everything we have.

I know you’re tired. I’m exhausted too. But let us continue to unabashedly follow Jesus in this LifeTogether.

Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read pages 80-81 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 39: Lukewarm 19

Matthew 23:25-28 (NLT)

“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too.

“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.

“Lukewarm people probably drink and swear less than average, but besides that, they really aren't that different from your typical believer.” (page 79)

Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read pages 79 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 38: Lukewarm 18

Luke 12:16-21 (NLT)

Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’

“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

“Lukewarm people do not live by faith; their lives are structured so they never have to.” (page 78)

Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read pages 78-79 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 37: Lukewarm 17

Matthew 7:21 (NLT)

 Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.

“Lukewarm people feel secure because they attend church, made a profession of faith at age 12, were baptized, came from a Christian family, vote Republican, or live in America.” (page 78)

Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read pages 78 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 36: Lukewarm 16

1 Timothy 6:17-18 (NLT)

Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.

“Lukewarm people are continually concerned with playing it safe; they are slaves to the god of control. This focus on safe living keeps them from sacrificing and risking for GOD.” (page 77)

Maybe it’s a mission trip to a far off corner of the world. Maybe it’s a calling to leave your current job to pursue one in which you focus on the Gospel. Maybe its sharing your testimony at Refuge. Maybe its as simple as smiling and speaking to someone.

Many things can jar us from our comfort zone.

As human beings, we are creatures of comfort. We get caught up in routines and motions that are repetitive. What they lack in excitement is usually made up for in the safety of knowing we are in comfortable surroundings. Consider your life (and quit thinking about your neighbor so much!). Could you honestly say that you have fallen into a comfort zone, a rut from which there is safety but little excitement? Could you say that you balk when GOD guides you toward reaching out to others, sharing your story, or discovering your purpose in life? If you answer yes (which, let’s face it, is most of us), then first pray. And don’t just run your mouth. Allow GOD to whisper to you. Listen to others around as GOD uses them to speak to you. And then do whatever it is He says. Then leave the made-for-TV comfort for the great adventure that is following Christ. While I can’t promise you “comfort,” I can assure you it will draw you closer to Jesus and a world so desperately in need of what you have to give.

Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read page 77 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 35: Lukewarm 15

Matthew 13:44-46 (NLT)

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.

“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!

“Lukewarm people do whatever is necessary to keep themselves from feeling too guilty. They want to do the bare minimum to be “good enough” without it requiring too much of them.” (page 76)

It’s the proverbial spiritual tightrope. How close can I get to the edge? Can I blur the black-and-white line into gray? Where can I push the envelope to? Why must I shake up my comfort zone when it includes such wonderfully delightful things such as church attendance and daily Bible reading? How far does this grace reach? Can I take this one drink and be okay? Can I look at the body of that woman/man just a little longer? Can I want all the wealth in the world as long as I would share some of it? Can I tell the truth about this person without slipping into gossip? Can I take another bite of this supper despite being full already?

Everyday we encounter situations such as these. Situations where, in our depraved human nature, we seek to blur the righteous lines GOD has drawn. When it comes to relationship with Jesus, however, it continues to be all or nothing. Jesus didn't sacrifice himself for us to just be “good enough.” He came “that we might have life, and have that life abundantly!” The next time these questions or this wishy-washy attitude slips into your spirit, remind yourself of those words of Jesus. May we continue to live LifeTogether and live it abundantly. Completely sold out to our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ!

Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read pages 76-77 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 34: Lukewarm 14

Matthew 25:34, 40 (NLT)

 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

“Lukewarm people are thankful for their luxuries and comforts, and rarely consider trying to give as much as possible to the poor.” (page 75)

Not long ago, there was an apartment fire over in Shaw, Mississippi. Shortly thereafter, relief teams were asking for many things to meet needs there, including toys for children. This gave Elizabeth and I a perfect opportunity to share a valuable lesson with Savannah. We took her to her room and showed her the incredible amount of toys, games, and books she had accumulated. Things she had always been very thankful for, even mentioning them in her prayers. We explained the situation as it was: there were children in our area who had no toys and she had an abundance. While we were willing to make her give some of them up, we first asked her what she thought of the dilemma. Without much of a second thought, she confessed that she wished to share her toys. We gave her a box and told her to put some toys she doesn't play with anymore into the box. A few minutes later, she had filled that box up and asked for another. And another. As I moved the packed boxes out of the way, I noticed a couple of toys she loves and plays with regularly cradled in the box.

“Savannah, do you realize you put your favorites in here, baby?”

“Daddy, these kids don’t have any toys and I want to share what they need,” she replied.

After swiping more than a few tears from my eyes, I told her I was proud of her and she responded by simply saying that Jesus loves us and wants us to share. Now I’m not a man with much, but I learned a valuable lesson from my four-year-old that evening. While I’m thankful for what I have, am I actually making a point to give some of it away to those who have little to nothing? May our answers be a resounding yes.

Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read pages 75-76 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 33: Lukewarm 13

Colossians 3:2 (NLT)

Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 

“Lukewarm people think about life on earth much more often than eternity in heaven.” (page 75)

 Once more I shall gracefully bow out and permit the literary genius that is C.S. Lewis to take the devotional today.

Regarding this issue, he writes,

“If you read history you will find that the Christians who did the most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.”

Enough said.

Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read page 75 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 32: Lukewarm 12

Luke 18:21-25 (NLT)

The man replied, “I've obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”

When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich.

When Jesus saw this, he said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God! In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

“Lukewarm people will serve GOD and others, but there are limits to how far they will go or how much time, money, and energy they are willing to give.” (page 74)

The word of the day is “willing.”

Are we willing to give?

Many theologians, pastors, and lay people (that’s the rest of us) have dissected the preceding Scripture. But every time I read this passage, it causes me to think mainly of my motives. Did Jesus really intend this man in the story to sell every single possession he had and give all the money to the poor? Maybe he did. But it occurs to me that this was more a question of his motives than any thing else. A probe to see the condition of the man’s heart. A check to see if he was willing to give everything up for Jesus. Had he been willing in heart, he’d have jumped at the opportunity to give everything to Jesus.

Which inevitably leads back to us. Are we supposed to sell every possession we have- house and cars and toys and entertainment goodies- and give the money to all the poor around us? Maybe GOD is calling you to do so. But maybe he’s just questioning us to see if we’re willing to do that. Because if we’re willing to do it, we will do it if the time every comes to do so. To give everything. Or a check to help someone for the month. Or a car so they can get back and forth to work. Or a basket of groceries to fill a physical need. Or any number of things.

So check the motive of your heart today. If GOD said it was time to lay all aside for another, would you be willing?

 Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read page 74 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski 

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 31: Lukewarm 11

Matthew 5:43-47 (NLT)

“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.

“Lukewarm people love others, but do not seek to love others as much as they love themselves.” (page 73)

This whole thing about “loving your enemies” was difficult for me to understand for a while. I’m like you, I have no enemies. Or at least, I make an effort not to have any on my end. But if you live and work and volunteer around people long enough, you may (if you're honest) develop “combative” feelings towards some people. For me this came several years ago when a particular individual entered our Arms of Mercy program. This guy  (let’s call him Leonard because I don’t anyone by that name and that will protect the aforementioned name from being spilled) entered our program after having taken advantage of my generosity once before. He came into the program cocky, arrogant, and with a distaste for authority. On one occasion, he asked to use my phone (no-no number 1) to call someone to bring him something up there (no-no number 2). After I told him “no”, Leonard waited until I returned inside and walked over to a nearby pastor’s house and concocted a creative story that convinced the pastor to let him use the phone. An hour later, he had a visitor show up. He had gone behind my back (no-no number 3) and got his way anyway. Because I was still new to the whole servant-leadership thing, I called Major to inform him that I was about to murder one of the men so that he could handle it in his own unique way of doing things. I was rather surprised to see the guy the next day at my church (I assumed Major would have kicked him out). I was further surprised when I opened the door to greet him and was met with a mumbled string of expletives. As you might imagine, I kept a cool and collected on the outside but on the inside it was not so pretty. I had made my first enemy. I despised this dude. His arrogance grew worse and worse for several days. He all but refused to participate in Bible study. He continued mumbling things under his breath. He continued to manipulate the system. And he was winning because it was eating me up inwardly.

Until I poured out my heart to GOD. And he gave me the strength to not only forgive Leonard but love him. Even if I didn't care for his company much. GOD taught me to love everyone, even my enemies. Because often, it's those things I hate in my enemy that I struggle with the most personally. How’s that for humility?

P.S. Leonard and I patched up our differences and are now friends. Not close friends, but friends nonetheless.

Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read page 73 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski 

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 30: Lukewarm 10

Matthew 22:37-38 (NLT)

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment."

“Lukewarm people love GOD, but they do not love Him with their whole heart, soul, and strength. They would be quick to assure you that they try to love GOD that much but that sort of total devotion isn't really possible for the average person; its only for pastors and missionaries and radicals.” (page 73)

Like you, I admire men and women who are radical for the cause of Christ. People like our pastor and friend John (the Pastor not the Baptist) for his passion and unfailing love. Or my friends Nate and Lauren who are my heroes for dropping the comforts of America to move to the mission fields of Indonesia. Or by people I haven’t yet met but would like to. People such as Rob Lilwall, who rode his bike from Siberia to England to spend time with GOD and raise money for a Hong Kong children’s charity.

For years, as Chan expresses so profoundly, I thought this type of sacrificial living was for Super Christians. Christians who were in paid ministry or had a “Call” over their lives.

But the Scripture is clear. While some pastors and teachers may be held to a higher standard, we all must hold to a high standard. Following Christ is not a half-hearted, lukewarm effort, but complete and blinding devotion. It's all or nothing.

Do you give your iPhone half your attention? Or your football team half your passion? Then why are we doing this with the Living GOD?

Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read page 73 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 29: Lukewarm 09

Luke 9:57-62 (NLT)

As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.”

He said to another person, “Come, follow me.”

The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.”

But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.”

Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.”

But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”

“Lukewarm people say they love Jesus, and He is, indeed, a part of their lives. But only a part. They give Him a section of their time, their money, their thoughts, but He isn’t allowed to control their thoughts.” (page 72)

My wife and I have a wonderful relationship. Among the many things we do to ensure that it stays that way is communicate daily. We simply sit there and talk and listen to one another. Sort of like in those days of dating. I've learned countless things through this process, including that I can be sitting there with her physically but be a million miles away in my head. What I mean by this is that she can be talking and I’m sitting there listening and nodding my head, but my brain may be thinking of what I forgot to do that day or lesson plans for school or an idea for my next book or how hot she looks in that outfit. You get the point. While she has my attention, she doesn't have all of me, just a part. Like a shell of a person.

When this occurs, I’m not being the best I husband I could be. I’m giving my wife only part, not the whole of me, mind and body. And it’s the same thing that happens in our relationship with GOD. As “good” of Christians as we think of ourselves, most times we are giving GOD but a piece of ourselves, not the whole. We may talk to him in prayer or sing worship songs or do some community service for him, all the while thinking about other things like what time the game is, what new app they have for my iPhone, or when the clearance sale ends. We are giving him but a hollow shell of who we really are.

Like in our human relationships, our lives should be completely devoted to GOD. He should get not only our time, talents, and tithe, but our thoughts as well.

It's been the theme throughout the “Profiles of the Lukewarm” chapter: It's all or nothing!

Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read page 72 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski 

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 28: Lukewarm 08

Luke 18:11-12 (NLT)

The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.

“Lukewarm people gauge their morality or goodness by comparing themselves to the secular world. They feel satisfied that while they aren't as hardcore for Jesus as so-and-so, they are nowhere near as horrible as the guy down the street.” (page 72)

I grew up in the great state of Texas. The land of Republicans, Baptists, the Religion of High School Football, and competitions. (And no, these aren't the reasons I moved. Although it may have played a part in it.) From an early age, Texas boys are trained like Spartans in preparation for their entrance onto the field and turned against one another to compete for positions and therefore, status. They are taught to worship the Dallas Cowboys, study the history of the glorious old days of the Southwestern Conference, and review over the “X’s” and “O’s” long before learning their regular alphabet.

Not to be outdone, cheer-leading and its various competitions are just as fiercely competitive as the football environment. Remember the story about the mother who had people injured so her daughter could make the team?

In short, Texans (and most every other American) are bred and programmed for competition. So we have a predisposition to comparing ourselves to others. Like most everything else however, Jesus draws a different line. We aren't supposed to worry about what others are doing or not doing. We are to pick up our crosses and follow him. We are to give everything we are and not look at our neighbor and say, “Well, we’re giving more than them.” With blinders on like those race horses wear to guide their vision straight ahead, let us run the race with our eyes on the prize. Not on everyone else. This is not about position and whether you’re better at this thing than one of your cohorts. This is all about Jesus!

Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read page 72 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski 

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 27: Lukewarm 07

Matthew 10:32-33 (NLT)

Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.

“Lukewarm people rarely share their faith with their neighbors, coworkers, or friends. They do not want to be rejected, nor do they want to make people uncomfortable by talking about private issues like religion.” (page 71)

When Savannah and I go to the park to play, there is this line of concrete that reminds me of a tightrope. Her and I will gingerly tip-toe our way across it doing our very best to avoid falling off. (If you do step off, the crocodile bites into you like he did Captain Hook from Peter Pan). The same thinking rings true for many believers today. We walk a spiritual tight rope when it comes to sharing our faith. We don’t want to trip to the left and be rejected by saying something that someone may make fun of us for. And we don’t want to lean right and share our faith because it may make some people uncomfortable. Because to some, religion is a private matter, separate from the operations of our normal daily lives. I've even bought into this a time or two.

Then I thought about it this way. If my soccer team finally won the elusive championship, would I quietly go on about my business? Absolutely not! (Even if you had no idea what I was talking about, I’d still share it!) If Alabama/LSU/MSU/Ole Miss/Michigan won the national title, would you sit idly by and be silent? If you met B.B. King or Jimmy Page or Brad Pitt or Beyonce, would you take a vow of silence? If you got a killer deal on some new fall clothing from the department store, would you keep it a secret? In all cases, I believe you would say with me, “Absolutely not!”

Then why on earth would we keep the greatest news imaginable a guarded secret? I’m not telling you to thump your neighbors over the head with your Bible or preach to them on how they should live when you don’t practice it yourself. I’m simply encouraging you to let your light shine and when (not if) the opportunity presents itself, “be prepared to share the hope you have in Jesus.” (1 Peter 3:15)

Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read page 71 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski 

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 26: Lukewarm 06

James 1:22 (NLT)

 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

“Lukewarm people are moved by stories about people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act. They assume such action is for “extreme” Christians, not average ones. Lukewarm people call “radical” what Jesus expected of all His followers.” (pages 70-71)

Over the last 30 years, millions of Americans (and people around the world) have been inspired by the film Rocky. There is something about the character which resonates with us all. His rough upbringing. His desire to make the most of life. His determination to never give up no matter what life throws at you. His response to adversity by withstanding its punishment then fighting back. His feelings of inferiority and mid-life crisis. His commitment to being in peak physical condition. His humble heart even before GOD. Whatever it is, we love it.

What I've always found perplexing though, is that the vast majority of people I know who either love the film, or been inspired by it, don’t live out its messages. Sure, we sit on the couch and dream of doing such noble things like living life to the fullest or getting in shape. But when we finally leave the couch, we’re more likely to hit the fridge rather than the exercise equipment, the TV remote rather than our knees in prayer. Rocky was my favorite movie for years before I actually adopted many of its mottos.

As I read this portion of the Lukewarm profiles, my mind went to Rocky. Because that’s what many of us believers do. We are moved and inspired by stories of people who completely sell out to the cause of Christ, overcome their obstacles, and glorify GOD. However, we think of them like we do Rocky Balboa. That that is their calling. That is them, not us. So we cheer them on from the sidelines or from our couch and don’t act on what they’re encouraging us to do- to walk closer to GOD and serve others in whatever way we can. We are all “Rockys” for the cause of Christ. We must get off our butt, dive into our spiritual training, withstand the punches of the enemy, and with the help and hope of the Holy Spirit fight the good fight until the final bell sounds. Then the victory party!

So let us pray what Rocky shouted at the end of Rocky IV: “If I can change…and you can change…everybody can change!”

Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read pages 70-71 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski 

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 25: Lukewarm 05

Romans 6:1-2 (NLT)

Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?

“Lukewarm people don’t really want to be saved from their sin; they want only to be saved from the penalty of their sin. They don’t genuinely hate sin and aren’t truly sorry for it; they’re merely sorry because GOD is going to punish them. Lukewarm people don’t really believe that this new life Jesus offers is better than the old sinful one.” (page 70)

Despite being known for soccer when it comes to athletic fanaticism, I’m also a closet baseball fan. I’m not fond of watching it on television but I enjoy attending games in person, lingering in the ambiance of all that is…baseball. The converging smells of freshly hewn grass, hot dogs, and eight dollar beer somehow blend together in sweet seamlessness. The sounds of cracking bats, obnoxious vendors, and muffled conversations. The dramatic dancing duel between pitcher and hitter. The tension of the bases being loaded with a 3-2 count with 2 outs in the bottom of the ninth. Like soccer, an elaborate chess match. One glaring blemish preventing me from falling head over heels in love with baseball, however, is the continued use of steroids and the ugly scandals which ensue as a result. Now I realize that every sport (even my beloved soccer) has athletes who cheat by using illegal performance enhancing drugs. But its seems epidemic in baseball. What gets me is that many of the best ballplayers use these substances then lie profusely  about it when asked.  Then, even though their infractions are proven and well documented, they still vehemently deny the issue.

It reminds me of the lukewarm issue from Crazy Love today. These guys who finally admit their mistake (some still don’t) usually do so to avoid a more devastating penalty. One player in the news yesterday was the MVP a couple of years ago. He’d got off on a charge last year by a technicality and got busted once again this year. This is an example of someone who obviously didn't stop their “sinning“ and was only apologetic after being caught. Despite having to serve a 65 game suspension, I dare say he would do the same thing if he could get away with it. The thought of being a famous ball player instead of a common one is too much for some to handle. The life of sin, in other words, has more to offer them than a clean existence.

Sounds remarkably like us does it not? Sure, we all hate when we get caught and must suffer the consequences of our sin. But do we hate the sin itself? Are we so disgusted by our behavior that we confess it and change? Or are we only sorry when GOD sends down the punishing consequences for our actions?

It's my prayer that you and I recognize our sin problem and deal with it openly, honestly, and truly apologetically.

Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read page 70 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski 

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 24: Lukewarm 04

Revelation 3:1 (NLT)

“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Sardis. This is the message from the one who has the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven stars:

“I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive—but you are dead.

“Lukewarm people tend to choose what is popular over what is right when they are in conflict. They desire to fit in both at church and outside the church; they care more about what people think of their actions (like church attendance and giving) than what GOD thinks of their hearts and lives.” (page 69)

Have you ever gone through the motions? Put your best foot forward so that others will think more of you? Whether this affliction affects your church friendships or your outside-the-church friendships, it's equally appalling to GOD.

Let’s deal with the outside-the-church friendships first. If you’re reading these devotions, I’ll assume that you have a daily relationship with GOD. Because of this, you've probably already sacrificed some “friendships” to stay away from various lifestyles which would drag you down. This is not only commendable but necessary. As we reconnect with these friends or make new ones, a temptation may be to try to fit in with the crowd. Maybe you don’t join in the drinking or drugging or partying anymore. But maybe you gossip about someone you know. Or water down your relationship with Christ by not sharing the drastic change its made in your life. Maybe you change the subject to avoid talking about it. Maybe you have an opportunity to speak hope and encouragement but back down for fear of what they will say about you. Maybe you even succumb to some of those old behaviors. Jesus has something to say about both. First, he warns that those ashamed of him will get the same treatment when they stand before GOD. And secondly, those who turn back are not worthy of the kingdom of GOD. Although these Scriptures sound rather harsh, the real tragedy is turning your back or denying the relentless love and grace GOD changed you with.

Equally adverse to your spiritual health is wearing a righteous mask at church while on the inside your rotting away. This disease is so ingrained in many of us that we rarely even catch it. Or we’re in blatant denial. We consider ourselves “good Christians” because we show up for church, toss some money in the plate, eat and hangout at fellowships, and try to cover up any flaws we possess because we don’t want our fellow “good Christians” thinking we’re not as righteous as we should be. All the while, we’re falling apart on the inside and further and further away from GOD. We may be able to pull off the masquerade on the outside while the inside fades away. Jesus also had something to say about these types of people. He laments that they are whitewashed tombs filled with dead man’s bones.

It takes a great deal of energy to try to maintain both a churchly and a worldly persona at the same time. So let it go. Move from the ranks of the lukewarm. And to the glorious fire and freedom of the Holy Spirit.

Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read pages 69-70 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski  

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 23: Lukewarm 03

Luke 21:1-4 (NLT)

While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins.

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.”

“Lukewarm people give money to charity and to the church…as long as it doesn't impinge on their standard of living If they have a little extra and it is easy and safe to give, they do so. After all, GOD loves a cheerful giver, right?” (page 69)

God Bless America. We live in the richest country in the world. Yes, even our little patch of buckshot and poverty is among the wealthier on earth. You will spend more money today than most of the world makes in a week, month, or in worst cases,  a year. That’s correct. This isn't one of Provine’s profound literary embellishments. Most of the world lives on a few dollars a day. We spend  three times as much when we hit the drive-thru. For one meal. While I’m not writing this to make you feel some false sense of guilt, I do want to get your attention. Rather, GOD wants attention drawn to this tragedy. We, as believers, generally give to the church and other charities at comfortable levels, out of our abundance. As with everything, its reversed in the kingdom of GOD. We are shown examples of people who gave out of their need. They gave everything they had. Think of the widow and Elijah or the woman giving her two pennies when everyone around her unloaded their bank faults or the early church members who sold everything to give to those in need..

Giving is about the heart in which we do it so more than anything else. Are we giving because GOD gave us first? Or are we giving because it’s the “right” thing to do and is expected of any acceptable church goer. You will find the more you give, the more you end up getting. Maybe not in financial reward but in the eternal. We don’t give more intentionally to get more. (At least I hope not). But it’s a principle throughout Scripture. GOD multiplies faithfulness many times over.

“So, Provine,” you may say. “We break even every month. How can we possible give more to the church, charities, or friends in need?”

“Thank you for asking,” I reply. And then offer some of the following tips:

Live on less.

Don’t buy that thing you really don’t need. Impulse buying.

Curb your eating out and cook as a family at home.

Ride a bike to work.

Carpool.

Raid the food pantry at church and eat rice for the summer (sorry, that one was just for John (the Pastor, not the Baptist) and I).

Wear what is in your closet.

Beg, borrow, and steal. (That’s for all my teachers out there.)

Pray that GOD changes your heart when it comes to giving. Money and otherwise.

Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read page 69 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 22: Lukewarm 02

Isaiah 29:13 (NLT)

 And so the Lord says,
    “These people say they are mine.
They honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
And their worship of me
    is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.

“Lukewarm people attend church fairly regularly. It is what is expected of them, what they believe “good Christians” do, so they go.” (page 68)

During the course of a school year, numerous opportunities arise to share Jesus with my students. Somehow we’ll get off on the topic of God, or religion, or denominations, or church. I will then inevitably continue this conversation because it affords me a chance to share the Gospel with them. Among the many questions I inquire of them is “Why do you go to church?” As you can imagine, I’m assaulted by a slew of differing answers. Some say they’re forced to go by grandma or another family member. Some go because of the girls/guys. Some of them go for the free food or the entertainment value. Some can’t stand the thought of going because of Christian hypocrisy. But the most resounding answer in favor of church attendance is that’s expected of them to be good.

“So,” I pry, “you can do whatever you want during the week so long as go to church on Sundays or Wednesdays.”

“Pretty much,” they reply.

While such answers no longer surprise me, they still cause me to cringe. I don’t cringe out of judgment but because I used to think the same way. Over my life, I have gone to church for all these reasons. And many more. And not gone. Period. But there comes a time in everyone’s life (right now if you've never experienced this before) when they must decide if they will simply keep coming to church because it’s the “right or good thing,” or whether they come because their greatest desire is to collectively worship GOD with other like-minded people. Other people broken and struggling and powerless in and of themselves. People in need of grace and mercy and forgiveness and love and patience. A people whose whole perceptions have been radically changed. A people who've shaken off the dust of the lukewarm and stepped into following Jesus the way he was meant to be followed. Passionately and solely.

Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read pages 68-69 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski 

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 21: Lukewarm 01

Matthew 13:44 (NLT)

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.

Preface to the Lukewarm devotions:

You've heard the saying, “This is going to hurt me a lot more than it will you.” As we embark on the chapter “Profile of the Lukewarm,” I will forewarn you (having lived through it) that the next three weeks of devotionals will be like a holy punch to the face. Or punches. Plural. If the truth hurts, then these next few weeks will leave you spiritually black, blue, and bloodied. But, if you can channel your inner Rocky, withstand the barrage, trust GOD, and punch through to the final bell of the final round, you will endure. And become who GOD is calling you to be. Many of the people I've talked to about the book admitted that they had put the book down when getting into this chapter. My prayer that we all pick it back up, pray for the strength to do what we can’t do on our own, and press closer to GOD.

Now that you've been warned properly, spend the remainder of today’s devotion meditating on the Scripture or reading the “Profile of the Lukewarm” chapter. If you dare.

Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read pages 65-68 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 20: The Great Romance

Mark 1:1 (NLT)

Here begins the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.

Take a stroll down memory lane. Maybe you were 13 or 30. But remember the first time you fell in love. Remember how you were struck by their beauty/handsomeness. They wooed you with flowers and candy and movies and romantic walks. You wanted to spend all of your waking hours with them. You had a choice whether to do this but your attraction to and love for them swayed you. Sucked you in. Fascinated you.

This is what GOD does. In purest form. GOD loves us enough to pull us toward him. Even before we know we need a Savior. Nowhere is this depicted more simply than in C.S. Lewis' book The Silver Chair from the Chronicles of Narnia series. Here, a little girl is talking to Aslan the Lion (who represents Jesus). She relates how she prayed to come there and stand before him. But Aslan responds that she would have never come had he not drawn her there. Profound.

If you’re not the story type of person, pastor and author John Piper states it concisely:

“GOD would have to transform my heart to do what a heart cannot make itself do, namely, want what it ought to want. Only GOD can make the depraved heart desire GOD.”

Powerful.

One of the phrases I've latched onto as a believer and share often as a teacher is this:

I wouldn't even know I needed GOD without GOD impressing Himself upon me.

This is what Francis Chan is conveying here. We should love GOD because we choose to. We should love and desire GOD because He is GOD. Not what we can get out of him. And GOD gives us the choice, all while drawing us to him and giving us every opportunity to join in relationship with him.

Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read pages 57-60 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 19: A Strange Inheritance

Ephesians 1:18 (NLT)

I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

In what is a brief, but poignant section of the book, Francis Chan candidly observes:

“The irony is that while GOD doesn't need us, we desperately need GOD but don’t really want him most of the time. He treasures us and anticipates our departure from this earth to be with Him- and we wonder, indifferently, how much we can do for him and still get by.”

This stuff seems to somehow become routine. So take a moment to reread that phrase and reflect on it.

(I know you didn’t reread it. Seriously, reread and reflect)

Maybe I can even make it plainer. In the Refugeese language:

            “GOD want us but doesn't need us.

            We need GOD but don’t want him.

            He gives lavishly.

            We give enough to get by.”

Something is bad wrong with us. Pray today that GOD adjusts our vision.

 Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read pages 57-60 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 18: Wanted

Jeremiah 1:6-10 (NLT)

“O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!”

The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said,

“Look, I have put my words in your mouth!
Today I appoint you to stand up
    against nations and kingdoms.
Some you must uproot and tear down,
    destroy and overthrow.
Others you must build up
    and plant.”

Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Yesterday, I unfurled some of the serious (and humorous) fears I possess. But none of those have wreaked more devastation than that of insignificance. Throughout my life (and even from time to time still), I splash around like a drowning victim gasping for significance. As a kid, I dove into books and learning. While I developed a life-long love for reading, I couldn't find fulfillment in them. Next, I tried athletics. And I excelled at every sport I played. There are trophies littering a trash dump in Dallas, Texas to prove it. My search continued to intensify as I joined the underground art and music scene. I eventually got in a band. Wrote and screamed lyrics and poetry. Authored a book or two. And despite the writing dealing with that very issue, I found no significance in the process. If anything, it made it worse. As the addictions to sooth this increased, life then became truly insignificant. I gave up.

In the midst of all this, I collided head-first into GOD’s unfailing love and grace. And things changed. For a while. One danger we must be aware of as believers is that, although we are new creations, the old nature tries to rear its head from time to time. And that’s what happened with me along the way. Eventually, I bought into the lie that Jesus wasn't enough. That despite being his, I was lost among the other 10 billion people on the planet. That I need to write about this complexity and confusion. That I would become a published author. That I would be revered by millions.

By reading this passage of Crazy Love and, more importantly, the passage from Jeremiah, I’m reminded that we are significant because GOD loves us. And if we need more than that- he knew us before we existed! He thought each of us up and then created us. I realize what I’m about to write is far from literary, but -WOW!

Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read pages 57-60 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 17: In Love With the One I Fear

Isaiah 40:22-24 (NLT)

God sits above the circle of the earth.
    The people below seem like grasshoppers to him!
He spreads out the heavens like a curtain
    and makes his tent from them.
He judges the great people of the world
    and brings them all to nothing.
They hardly get started, barely taking root,
    when he blows on them and they wither.
    The wind carries them off like chaff.

Matthew 22:37-38 (NLT)

 Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment."

Throughout much of my life, I've been afraid. Of being alone. Of being insignificant. Of being abducted by aliens for exponential purposes. Of clowns (who I’m still not enthusiastic about). But the most irrational of fears was being terrified of GOD. I somehow knew that when I messed up, GOD put everything else on hold, pointed wrinkled hands at me, and shot lightning bolts out of his fingertips like the Darth Lord from the Star Wars Trilogy (the classic ones). You know, pop me and make me flop around a bit until I’d learned the lesson. Compounding that was my guilt and shame over missing quiet times or coming to the harsh realization that I hadn't prayed until I curled up in bed half asleep. This entire time my perceptions of GOD- what I thought, learned, and knew of Him- were drastically different from the GOD described in Scripture. I began to quote the verses of GOD’s love until it began to sink in. They relate how GOD love us…not how he hates us or despises us or zaps us with the blue lighting from his fingertips.

The Bible defines GOD as love. In fact it says, “GOD is love.” When we come to realize this and return to that love, our perceptions change. We then can possess peace within our selves- even if we miss a quiet time every now and then. Let’s be clear on this however, in all of our love and freedom, we should fear GOD. Not in the biting-your-nails-and-peeing-your-pants type of fear. But a holy reverence knowing that He and His ways are beyond our understanding. And He holds everything- including all the power.

Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read pages 56-57 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 16: I AM Your Father

Matthew 7:11 (NLT)

So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

After taking my wife on a hot date last Thursday, Friday was Daddy-Daughter Date Night. Savannah and I spent the whole evening together. We sang songs in the Jeep. Dined at El Toro's. Hit Sweet CeCe’s for dessert. Then proceeded to walk the shopping strip there. We entered Wal-Mart, played with the toys, poked around the videos, and read a dozen books. Being with my baby was a joy. All of the memories were good because we were together. And I comforted her the entire time as well. I rubbed her head and hugged her after she bumped her head at the Mexican joint. I walked between her and the curb on our jaunt to the store. You know, as a buffer. I grabbed the toy off the top shelf so she wouldn't pull a Curious George and climb to the top, thus knocking the shelf off-balance, causing it to tumble into the next one and creating an enormous domino-knock-down-game out of the entire store. I steered her away from the horror section in the media center. We talked about prayer and saving up your money to buy things you want and the value of sharing toys with kids who don’t have them. We also spoke of not passing gas and blaming it on Daddy in the middle of a public place. (Like I would ever do that to her).

At times like these, we get a glimpse of how GOD is with us. On such a greater level than this. GOD hovers over you and I with joy as I spend time with my family, hike a trail, ride my bike, read a book, or even write these words. He follows you as you gather for football or baseball games, laughs with you as you watch Madea, rejoices with you over the new baby, uplifts you as you chalk up another sober day, delights when you discover joy in Him and not just it what He gives. He protects us from dangers we don’t even know about. He guides us into deeper relationship with Him. He stands as a buffer between us and the one who would snatch our soul. He teaches us how to love others.

Some of us had wonderful fathers; others had one who did the best they knew how; and still others had absent or horrible fathers. But GOD is the perfect Father. He loves his children perfectly.

Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read pages 54-56 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski 

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 15: A Revealing Conversation

1 Corinthians 3:13-15 (NLT)

But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.

Today is less devotion and more devotional exercise.

Use your imagination. Let’s say that you die as you read this devotion. (Not trying to be morbid. Just making a point.) And suddenly you are face to face with YAHWEH. After you have risen from your knees and he draws you into conversation, the question arises, “What did you do with the beautiful gift of life I gave you?”

Ponder the question. Deeply. How would you answer? Honestly. Would you find that GOD would delight in your answer? Or do you already feel like you have wasted much of your life now that you've carefully examined it?

Take the time to think hard about this issue for a while. Have a conversation with GOD about it. If you've found that your life is full of the Spirit’s fire and you are taking every opportunity to share the hope of JESUS, then press on! If not, make today a turning point in your life. Because you never know when  the curtain will descend on the play that is your life.

Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read pages 48-51 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski 

The Crazy Love Sessions, Volume 14: Are You Ready?

Matthew 10:32-34 (NLT)

“Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.

“Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword.

My greatest desire is to be praising GOD the moment my time here on earth is complete.

Funny the things you remember. Years ago, I listened to this band called Korn. One of their songs builds and builds instrumentally until Jonathan Davis (the singer) screams, “Are you readyyyyyyyy?” What follows is a musical barrage and, if you’re present at their live show, thousands of people thrashing up and down, side to side in a flood of angst-ridden humanity. (Check out a YouTube clip. The one from Woodstock 99 is moving. In more ways than one).

After reading the subtitle “Are You Ready” in Crazy Love, I thought about these images. But my perceptions have changed drastically since those depressive, anger-driven days. Now I can still hear the clarion call of “Are You Ready” in my head, but I think not of a lost crowd of passive people releasing their pent-up aggressions in an emotional orgy. But of a countless crowd bursting into the unrestrained praise of GOD. I envision what it will be like to leave this fleeting world and the human condition behind and lift my voice with innumerable others in a concerted chorus of praise to the Creator and Redeemer. I see joy in its purest form flowing out of hearts who spent lives in faith believing and now becoming one in the greatest “ending” to any romance story ever told. I witness the absence of pain and confusion, and the emergence of an eternity in which light and love and story emits. Forever.

Now that’s a concert I not only desire to attend but want to participate in. So now allow me to say (not shout), “Are You Ready?”

Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read pages 46-47 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski