Presidential Faith ... in Action

Donald and Melania Trump attended at (Washington, DC) church yesterday - the day he had called the nation to prayer.

Trump had designated yesterday as National Day of Prayer, specifically asking the country to pause to pray for the victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Louisiana. That hurricane, which hit the Gulf Coast last week, appears to be the most devastation natural disaster ever to hit the U.S. President Trump has already asked the U.S. Congress for nearly $8 billion in aid to the victims of this hurricane and the resulting flooding. The Texas Governor estimates they will need more like $125 billion to recover. But I digress.

Here's what I want to talk about today. It was front page news that our President & First Lady attended church. Looking back, it seems that neither of them have attended any regular church services since he took office. They have only attended when the church service was to inaugurate or otherwise honor Trump. This isn't a strong expression of Trump's faith.

Now, lest you think that I'm ragging on Trump, let me also mention the fact that Obama rarely attended any church services during his eight years as President. It was the same with his predecessor, George W. Bush. In fact, of all the modern Presidents of the U.S., only the Carters and the Clintons are known to have attended church services on a regular (weekly) basis.

I long to see our modern Presidents more open about their faith. Maybe Trump, with his addiction to expressing himself on Twitter, could tweet the Scripture passage that he and his wife read and meditate on together each day. (They do do that, don't they?) You know, I wouldn't mind if our President and his wife were zealous about the God they serve. I'd like to know that my President is a man under authority, that He is surrendered and submitted to Christ in every way possible.

I'd really like to see our President at least occasionally leading the nation in public prayer. To be fair, Melania Trump publicly read the Lord's prayer in a ceremony a few months ago. But again, that made front page headlines because it was so remarkable. We're not used to seeing much in the way of outward 

expressions of faith from our President or First Lady. It's something I'd like to get used to. And of course, I'd like to know that they are regularly attending corporate worship services - as God's Word commands them to. 

I've read the arguments (maybe excuses) about modern Presidents don't attend church regularly. Those range from not wanting to be disruptive to not creating a security scenario. But really don't those are valid reasons. The Scriptural command doesn't have an exception clause that lets Christ-followers off the hook if they think it might be an inconvenience to others or that it would be too much trouble for their security detail. Both of those things can be overcome. 

If the President and his family were attending the same local church regularly, the drama would die down. Jimmy Carter still teaches Sunday School, for example, and his fellow parishioners seem to be managing pretty well. Similarly, the security details could be worked out so that the church would be secure enough to ensure the President's safety. Years ago I worked in England, and had occasion to visit a couple of the Queen's castles. I recall that even the Queen of England attends local church services in well known cathedrals or chapels where security has been arranged and where chaos has been overcome.

Quite frankly, if the President and his family wanted to join my local church, I would be deeply honored to get to worship, pray, and study God's Word with them. And I know that as a pastor, if I knew the President and his family would be at my church each week, I'm confident that my staff and I could work with the Secret Service to keep it secure. Moreover, I could work with my staff and parishioners to keep the carnival atmosphere to a minimum.

The faith of our Presidents is documented. Not a single President of the United States has ever identified himself as an atheist. All have said that they believed in God, and there was an assumption that that meant they also worshiped and submitted to God. The only exceptions have been Thomas Jefferson - who eventually denied that Jesus is God, and Abraham Lincoln - who was so secular that even people who knew him well questioned his faith. (See chart below.)

What is less documented and less known, is the fruit of the Holy Spirit in the lives of our Presidents. Jimmy Carter, for example, is the only President of the United States that is ever known to have taught Sunday School. (He still does!) We have few examples of Presidents praying, reading their Bibles, worshiping, or making disciples as Jesus commanded us to. (Matthew 28:19-20) 

I remember one time the pastor of our large church actually got up on the stage with the singers and worshiped in front of all of us. He is a terrible singer - bad voice and can't carry a tune. But seeing his heart surrendered to the Lord and him delighting in the worship moved me to tears. It encouraged my heart to see my leader worship our God.

So here's the thing. If I were President of the United States, I'm pretty sure that I would want to start my Presidency with a prayer service. In fact, my inauguration speech would include a call for the nation to pray with me. I would ask Americans to pray for me to have wisdom and discernment. I would ask them to pray that God would allow me to see what He sees, hear what He hears, and even think through things with the Mind of Christ. I would ask that my people pray for me to be humbled before the Lord and before my fellow Americans.

As President of the United States, I would pledge to my constituents that I would make confession a regular practice - and I would tell them the name of the individual that I would be confessing my sins to on a regular basis. (James 5:16) I would tell them the name of the spiritual adviser whom I would be giving authority to hold me accountable, to challenge me and ask me the hard questions on a regular basis. My weekly radio address (a Presidential tradition) would include prayer for our nation - my people would hear me pray. And I would implement regular time of prayer and worship with my staff, and even invite members of Congress to pray and worship with me. (We might have to move that Bible study to the National Cathedral!)

I don't believe the God of the universe can be expected to bless our nation if we as a nation are not submitted and surrendered to Him in real, tangible ways. I believe that there must be evidence that we are actively service the Lord in our everyday lives. (It's called Fruit of the Spirit.) Most of all I don't believe any of this will happen without our country's leaders setting the example. So of course I'm very glad to see that Mr. & Mrs. Trump were in church yesterday. I only hope and pray that this will become a regular thing for them!

Won't you join me now in praying that the Lord put a fierce hunger and thirst for God's Word into the hearts of our President and First Lady? Let us pray that God will draw both of them to Himself, and that a desire to seek Him first will overwhelm both of them.

True Worshippers ... Aren't Late

I'm sure I'm going to get a backlash for writing this.  Let me just acknowledge that up front.  I'm going to call out something so central to Christianity in our culture that someone will have to berate me for it.  "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."  Or, "Who are you to judge?"  "Judge not, lest you be judged."  Yes, I will get those emails for today's blog.  I fully expect to get some that will remind me that it's better to get there late than not at all.  But I am not persuaded.  After all, it is my blog.

Jesus said, "You Samaritans worship what you do not know ... Yet a time is coming ... when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.'  (John 4:22-23)

Maybe I'm taking it a bit out of context here, but what kind of worshipers do you suppose Jesus had in mind here?  What does it mean to worship "in spirit and in truth?"  Does our heavenly Father really seek worshipers at all?  And if He does, what is it about worship that particularly pleases Him? 

Psalm 99 (1-9) sets the tone for me.  "The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble ... let the earth shake.  Great is the Lord ... He is holy.  The King is mighty ... Exalt the Lord our God and worship at His footstool; He is holy.  Exalt the Lord our God and worship at His holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy."  And that tone is set in the beginning of the Bible and it continues to the end of the Bible.  Just about every single book of the Bible seems to give me clear direction on how I'm supposed to regard the Lord, my God. 

But it's not a tone that we seem to embrace in our regular weekly worship of the Lord.  It happens in my church.  It happens in many churches.  The music starts, the worship begins --- and people stroll in.  They saunter in, quite casually.  In many American churches they have their coffee in hand, or maybe a cold drink. 

Others around them are worshiping the Lord, but they interrupt their worship to greet their friends and give them a hug.  Or they interrupt the worship to get the seat that they want.  I'm truly not judging them.  But for me, there is something going on. 

I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE KING!  How could I consider being late?  It's an ordained time, when people whom God has called to lead me are prepared and ready to take me to a fresh encounter with my Savior.  Honestly, it feels disrespectful not to be early. 

If I have concert tickets or tickets to a sports game or a play, I always get there early.  If we're going to a movie, we always make sure we're there in plenty of time to get our popcorn and get seated during the previews.  Is not the Lord as important as the latest movie or sports game? 

I said that the tone is set in the Bible.  Listen to how it ends.  Look at those worshipers Jesus said the Father is looking for.  "Day and night they never stop saying, 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty.'  Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne ... the twenty-four elders fall down before Him ... They lay their crowns before the throne and say, 'You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor ...'"  (Revelation 4:8-11)

Are these the kind of worshipers that you sit beside in your church?  My wife and I, we make it a habit to get to the church on time.  We're usually seated before the music starts playing.  Our church even starts with a song before the worship - and displays a stop watch, counting down the time until the worship will begin.  Usually this is to empty seats.  We often remark how empty the church is.  But then it fills up.  Somehow, between the time that the worship begins and the time that the sermon begins, the 'big house' fills up. 

But was God really honored?  Did He feel the love, while the worship leaders sang to empty seats and the worshipers getting their coffee, dropping their kids a their Sunday school classes, and greeting their friends? 

I want to stop people and ask them, "Do you know who God is?"  I'm teaching a class at my church right now and we recently talked about people whose God is too small.  I suspect that may be the God that most of us are worshiping.  For if we realized His true magnitude, could we dare not be in our seats and ready to give Him praise at the appointed hour?

I love my church and I love its people.  I love my fellow Christians in other churches.  But seriously folks, we are getting this wrong.  Is it possible that we are not the worshipers that our Father wants, but rather that He's being relegated to the worship we want? 

If you're a pastor or worship leader, please consider this an exhortation to confront the bad behavior that you see in your people.  (And I know that you see it!)  Don't be afraid to offend them.  They will be truly offended if God discards them because they never really knew Him.  Don't be afraid to offend them, when they are offensive to Him. 

I'm not saying you have to stop the service and rebuke the late comers.  But maybe you could preach on the subject, and then announce that "from now on," the doors will be closed when worship begins and people can only be seated late during the transitions (from worship to teaching, etc.). 

I remember attending Kensington Community Church in Troy, Michigan many years ago.  That's exactly what they did.  There were television monitors in the lobby and late comers could watch the worship on the monitors, waiting for a chance to join them.  You were only late once, and you realized you were missing out on something important.

I also remember worshipping at Willow Creek Community Church near Chicago.  I was amazed to see people lining up at the locked doors to the worship center.  When the doors opened, it was like a contact sport to see who could claim the seats down front.  (It was very exciting to imagine people that interested in declaring God's greatness!)

But alas, I don't attend those churches.  I attend my church and your church, and the one around the corner.  I attend that church that wants to make everyone feel welcome and comfortable, like they matter.  But I worry that in the process, we make God feel the opposite.

Can we as true worshipers, knowing the one true God, ever afford to be late?

Lord Reign in Me

Did you ever have one of those days when you feel like you've been completely undone ... by Jesus?  I tend to think of following Christ as this orderly kind of movement.  I read my Bible every day and pray every day.  But there's something about getting older in Christ that just seems to make the circumstances that I'm in not quite so relevant to my spiritual state.  I had one of those days this past week, on Wednesday. 

I've just started reading through the New Testament, and was in Matthew 14 and beyond.  This is where Jesus learns that John the Baptist - who had baptized him - was beheaded.  In itself it's a grizzly story.  Herod had arrested John the Baptist and had him in prison.  But on Herod's birthday, his wife's daughter danced for him and it so pleased him that he offered to give her anything she wanted.  The little tart that she was, was coached by her mother and asked for John the Baptist's head on a platter!  Having no spine, Herod was unable to decline such a request - so he granted her that wish.

When Jesus found out, He was naturally very saddened by this awful news.  John's disciples went and got the headless body to bury it.  Then they went to tell Jesus what had happened.  Matthew 14:13 says that, "When Jesus heard what had happened, He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place."  I can just imagine Jesus' sadness.  Most likely, He needed to grieve and pour out His broken heart to His Father in prayer.  But it was not to be. 

Matthew 14:13-14 continues, "Hearing of this (Jesus withdrawing by boat to be alone), the crowds followed Him on foot from the towns.  When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them and healed their sick."  Did you catch that?  Jesus is going by boat to a place of quiet solitude to grieve and pray.  He needed to be alone.  But when He got there, He was again confronted with a crowd of people who wanted Him to deal with all of their pain and misery instead.  And Jesus had compassion on them.

Now if you're familiar with this story, you know that the next thing that happened is that evening approached and there was no food for the crowd.  The disciples wanted to send the crowds away so they could buy food in the villages.  But Jesus said no.  Instead He took the five loaves of bread and two fish, blessed them and fed 5,000 men, plus the women and children that accompanied them ... with 12 baskets of leftovers!

But again, Jesus needed to be alone.  The death of John the Baptist still grieved Him.  So Matthew 14:22-23 says that, "Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowd.  After He dismissed them, Jesus went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray."  Now I can just imagine what that looked like.  As I said earlier, I've no doubt that Jesus probably wept with grief and poured His heart out to God in prayer.  But again Jesus would be interrupted.

As the night wore on, Jesus was alone, but the boat with the disciples was in considerable trouble.  They were far from land and the wind had blown up some pretty choppy waves.  So Jesus went to them ... out in the middle of the water!  This is the place where another miracle is recorded ... as Jesus walked on water.  And of course it's the story where Peter gets out of the boat and walks on water too.

So here's the part that shook me this past Wednesday.  I'm reading this account and I'm picturing Jesus.  I can just imagine how I would feel if I had just heard that one of my dearest friends had been beheaded like that.  I would be consumed with grief.  So I was picturing Jesus ... trying to get away from the demanding crowds just so He could deal with His own grief.  But no matter how hard Jesus tried to take care of Himself, the crowds demanded that He take care of them instead.  And then there were those disciples He had to care for as well. 

This is who Jesus is though.  It is His character and nature.  You see, sacrificing His life on the cross for us was not the first act of sacrifice that Jesus made.  Throughout His entire life, we see stories like this, where Jesus was laying aside His own human needs to care for pitiful people like you and me.  Even as I type this blog now, my eyes are getting watery, considering how such a great man, such a great God, could love such a man as me like this.  And truly He does. 

When I think about who I was before I gave my life to Christ, I realize how far I have come.  Frankly raising someone from the dead wouldn't seem any more miraculous to me than where Jesus has brought me.  He raised me from something that seemed worse than dead.  And it's because of Jesus that I truly have hope.  But I started this blog today telling you how I was undone this past Wednesday.  It wasn't while I was reading this.

Later Wednesday morning, I had a meeting to attend and as I was driving to that meeting, I was listening to some of my favorite Christian music in the car.  And there it was, one of my favorite songs.  Lord, Reign in Me (by Benton Brown).  If you don't know it, here are the words:

Lord Reign In Me
Over all the earth You reign on high
every mountain stream, every sunset sky
But my one request, Lord my only aim
Is that You reign in me again

(chorus)
Lord reign in me, reign in Your power
Over all my dreams, in my darkest hour
You are the Lord of all I am
So won't You reign in me again?

Over every though, over every word
may my life reflect the beauty of my Lord
You mean more to me than any earthly thing
So won't You reign in me again?

(chorus)

So picture me driving down the road in heavy traffic, singing this song at the top of my lungs.  And then it happened.  The mental imagery that I'd been through that morning with Jesus in Matthew 14, combined with my love for Him and my desire to honor and glorify Him with my life.  And the tears started to well up in my eyes.  Then they started to roll down my cheeks ... just as I arrived at my meeting place.  I had to pull the car over and just sit there, singing this song from the depths of my heart.  He had done it again.  Through Jesus, and because of Jesus, I was completely undone.

If you're reading this blog, my prayer is that you too can be completely undone by none other than Jesus Himself.  I have to tell you, there's no joy on earth that even comes close to that moment when I am in Him ... and He is in me ... and we both know it. 

Over all my dreams and in my darkest hour - Lord reign in me!

Worship's Basics

There's a song that's been popular among contemporary worship leaders for several years now.  It's called "Heart of Worship."  (http://www.stlyrics.com/songs/m/mattredman20504/theheartofworship929505.html)  It was written by a guy called Matt Redman.  (http://www.mattredman.com/)  You might not recognize that name, but if you like contemporary Christian praise and worship music, I bet you're a fan of his work. 

Anyway, in this song, "Heart of Worship", the lyrics make a profound statement regarding worship: "I'm sorry for the thing I've made it ..."  It's a popular song and I've seen it sung in many different churches many, many times.  But this statement has always seemed a bit odd to me.  I mean, what is 'the thing I've made it?'  Did we do something wrong with worship?  And if we did, how did that happen?  Would it have been purely out of ignorance?  Or are other sinful motives involved --- like maybe selfishness, laziness, or even pride?

Maybe I'm a bit of a fanatic, but like other things in my spiritual life, I've wanted to understand worship as much as anything else.  I mean, let's face it, worship can take on almost magical qualities at times --- as it seems to transform us and carry us away to a sort of Utopian existence.  As I've sought to understand this phenomenon, quite honestly, I've had some serious learning to do.  I love worship music, but I find that the more I grow spiritually, the easier it is to see that I have made it (worship) into something I'm sorry for. 

You see, I have often thought it was about me.  The worship wasn't so much in praise and adoration of God as it was ministry to myself.  Worship made me feel better. You may wonder what's wrong with that.  And there may indeed be nothing wrong with that.  But you and I were made to worship (lyrics from a Chris Tomlin http://www.christomlin.com/ song).  Seriously, that's why God made us!  You and I exist to please Him.  So any time I start to get selfish about worship and use it to strictly feed myself, I've started to make it something to be sorry for.

Now if we don't want to end up singing about how sorry we are for worship that we got wrong, it would seem that we need to learn how not to make those mistakes.  But it seems there are several aspects of worship that must be measured not in terms of what's wrong ... but rather in terms of what's right.  So like many things in the Christian life, it is better to focus on what's good and right instead of on what's bad and wrong.

So what needs to be right about worship?  What must God's people do to ensure that our worship is His worship?  Bear with me while we examine the facts and I'll share the conclusion(s) that the Lord has helped me draw.

Unacceptable worship.  The first time we see a problem with worship (aside from Old Testament worship of idols) is Jesus addressing the Pharisees in Matthew 15:3-18.    Jesus basically rebuked these religious leaders for what He considered to be worship that was "in vain."  In other words, He called them out for their phony religious rituals that were devoid of any real heart for God.  The point I can take here is that even worship that we may consider to be most excellent can indeed be quite unsatisfactory to God. 

What makes worship acceptable?  Jesus said that we are to approach Him as if we were children.  I gather from that that He's looking for a simple approach.  After all, children are simple-minded.  They don't tend to complicate matters to show off their intelligence of hone their skills.  One of my favorite authors, A.W. Tozer (http://www.awtozer.com/), said that, "God reveals Himself to the child-like, but hides Himself from the sophisticated."  So I gather that the more sophisticated the worship is ... the less likely it is going to be pleasing to God.  Said differently, I'm convinced that we must simplify our worship and stick to the basics.

I remember a few years ago I was leading a service in a mega-church here in the DFW metro area.  We have a string of disasters with the band and basically only one guitarist showed up.  No drummer.  No keyboard.  No piano.  No horns.  The situation was bleak.  How could I be expected to lead worship with only one musician?  Clearly I was frustrated and angry. 

So taking matters into my own hands I sat down with the sole guitarist and worked out a strategy.  We had the songs that he could play well, which would sound good with just one guitar.  And then it happened.  He broke a guitar string.  And he didn't have a replacement.  And we had no time to run out and get another one.  The service was about to start.

What happened next was a very humbling and defining moment for me as a worship leader.  I took the stage, announced to the audience that God was not providing musicians today ... and invited them to join me a capella (i.e., without instruments).  We worked our way through some worship songs and some contemplation prayer time as well.  After the service, several people came up to tell me that it was one of the best services we'd ever had.  Go figure.

Just how do we simplify our worship then? First of all, I think one of the key secrets is that pure worship emanates from people who know the character and nature of God.  Jesus said in John 17:23 that this intimate, personal knowledge of Him is experiential.  It's fundamental to the core of who we are.  You see, God is quite personal and intimate. Religion can never accomplish that.

Secondly, we prepare ourselves for important meetings.  Worship is a meeting with the Holy Spirit.  It is an appointment with God.  And like other appointments, these can be disappointing.  In fact, Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23 that many of us have appointments with Him (on judgment day) that will be very disappointing.  We may sail through life thinking viewing ourselves as Christ-followers.  But when we actually meet him face-to-face, it's going to be very disappointing. 

How is that so?  Look at the people Jesus was talking about (In Matthew 7:21-23).  They are believers.  they are religious.  They go to church.  They engage in regular worship.  They think they're going to spend eternity in heaven.  But their meeting will be disappointing ... because they didn't prepare themselves for all of the other meetings in life.  Are you prepared when you meet God in worship?

Third, authentic worship comes from authentic love.  Love for God and other sums it up.  1 Corinthians 13:1-13 tells us a lot about what love is and isn't.  You could take those words in those verses though and write a great deal more about what love is and isn't ... just based on the criteria here.  So it's very simple, really.  Do you know God?  Do you love God?  If you can get those two things right, there's a good chance you're going to get worship right.

Can someone worship God without knowing Him and/or loving Him?  No, I don't think so.  For you see, the very essence of worship is wrapped up in the knowing and loving.  Without knowing God and loving all that is God, no true worship is possible.  Oh, don't get me wrong here.  You can certainly sing songs in a spirited fashion.  But like 1 Corinthians 13 points out, you'd only be making noise.

Let's you and I get together, and let's come back to the heart of worship.  It is all about Him.  Can you and I now be all about Him as well?

God's Answer

I'm going to a memorial service today. It's for a very dear friend of mine who died unexpectedly this past weekend. For several days now, I've been moving in and out of shock and sadness. Don't get me wrong, he was a good Christian, and anyone who knows him believes he was right with God when he died. That's not the problem.

There's a sadness that sweeps over you that somehow gets emphasized by the suddenness of it all. He was playing racquetball I think, with some friends from his church. Apparently he had a heart attack there on the court and died. The doctors say he went quickly and didn't suffer. Of course we're all grateful for that. But it's a loss for his family and for all who knew him and loved him. It might be an even greater loss for those who knew how much Tom loved them. (I'm in that latter category.)

Tom (that's his name) was a very good man. Kind, considerate, generous, loving ... all words that anyone who knew him would use to describe him. Probably anyone who knew him long enough had a story about his kindness too. He was very focused on doing the right thing. Always. And usually he did too. He did many right things.

One of the most profound right things Tom always did was use his influence, wherever he was in life, for the better cause. If Tom worked for a certain company, he'd get that company's products donated to the cause. If Tom had an opportunity to speak, for example, to youth about his own struggles as a youth - he didn't need to wait for an invitation or have to script what he wanted to say. He was always ready to leverage the opportunities that God might put in front of him.

I had lunch with my friend Tom just a few weeks ago. Now this guy always gave the impression of what some might consider a worrier ... it was one of his weaknesses. He appeared to worry about everything. I don't think that's accurate though, because worry is based on fear - and I don't believe Tom was afraid. But he stressed about everything it seemed. Don't get me wrong, it was never for selfish reasons. He stressed about everything because everything mattered to him. He thought everything ... and everyone was important. And he lived his life that way.

At any rate, the main topic of our lunch was Tom's laser-sharp focus on God's will for his life. We talked about the fact that he didn't think his current situation was where he was ultimately supposed to be. He said several times that he had this strong sense that God had other plans for him. Tom figured those other plans would of course be best, so he was anxious to discern what they might be and move into them. But first the question had to be answered.

"What is God's plan for my life? What does God want to do with me? What's next? Where am I going?" Those were the kinds of things my friend was saying to me. So Tom was acutely focused on listening to God. He prayed, he studied God's Word. He listened to his wife --- knowing full well that God often speaks to men through their wives. And of course he sought and listened to the voice of other mature Christians through whom he knew God might speak.

We prayed together after that lunch, right there in the food court at the mall. We held hands and specifically prayed that God would give Tom peace with the question, and an answer to the question in God's perfect timing. We thanked God for His perfect provision in Tom's life, and for the ministry Tom had with his family, his work and others. And Tom assured God that he would gladly accept whatever God had for him next. He didn't need to know what it was to make that claim ... because Tom knew who God is.

I can't help but think this week that the question has been answered. I want to call Tom on his cell phone and leave him a message. "Well, buddy, I guess you've got that question answered now!" I've been having that thought for a couple of days now. The question has been answered. Isn't that what we all want ... for God to answer the question?

I know my friend Tom was completely surprised by God's answer to the question. But I'm equally certain that he's not disappointed with God's answer. Oh sure, he was not ready to leave his wonderful wife and two precious daughters. But he knows who God is. And he knows God is enough for his wife. He knows God is enough for his daughters. He knows God will care for them perfectly. He also knows that his wife and daughters are firmly grounded in God's truth. He knows they won't waver or be blown in the winds of life. Tom left three women behind who know where they're going ... and how to get there.

It isn't often that someone dies suddenly and we can think about how completely ready they were to "meet their maker" (to coin a phrase). But I think those of us who knew and loved this man have that comfort right now. That is quite an enormous gift, really. We'll miss him, and the pain of that loss is real. But the question is answered. And it's a question that Tom wanted to be answered. Moreover, there is no doubt that Tom is satisfied with the answer.

If Tom is at peace with that answer (and I'm sure he is), then shouldn't we be at peace as well? Shouldn't we take our grief and sadness to the Lord, and leave them there at the cross? Can we find comfort in the fact that Jesus is enough for our losses? Can we trust Jesus with the future of those loved ones that are left behind?

Ironically, I had to attend another funeral yesterday, for the father of a dear friend of mine. The preacher said something that I thought was pretty profound. He said that death is necessary for life to be in perspective. He said that light can only be put into perspective by darkness, and similarly, life can only be put into perspective by death. Mind you, I don't want that to be true. But I see that it definitely is.

I was talking to someone the other day, and they said something like, "This isn't natural." They were referring to life without someone who had recently died. I thought to myself, "Of course it is. It is perfectly natural!" Death is a very natural part of life. God engineered it that way. So the things and the people that we love and share life with --- they live and they die in what is a very natural cycle.

It would seem that the challenge for each of us is to consider what God would have us do with this natural cycle of life and death. How does one honor God with the grief that we have to process? How do we celebrate the life that was - in the face of the loss that we feel? How do we give thanks to God for the gift of that life we shared - without blaming Him for the loss that we feel?

I've long known that feelings are not truth. Whatever I'm feeling is not representative of what's true. So the loss that I'm feeling is not what's true about the situation or even about me. To be clear, my friend Tom was a dear, sweet man. He was a very, very good man. But you know, God is better. In fact, He is so much better that He covers all the losses that we experience in the death of loved ones like Tom.

Quite frankly, I can't imagine that anything would please my friend Tom more than to know that the people who loved him might turn to God in their loss --- and see the splendor of God's goodness. There's no doubt that Tom was surprised with God's answer to his question. But like I said, I am quite certain that Tom is satisfied with that answer. Let me now be satisfied too.

Obama's Church

How Obama picks a church and which one he picks.

White House staff prefers a church that serves the needy and is close by. Secret Service prefers a church that can easily offer the security accommodations the President requires.

The White House is busy vetting. Churches are busy lobbying. Invitations are coming into the White House, each extolling their virtues. Ultimately, the Obamas will decide, but the White House has been flooded with invitations from churches and from individuals trying to influence their choice of churches.

Each church seems to believe that if the Obamas pick them, their church will be "blessed."

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Okay, I wrote the above words on April 6th of this year. Then I just saved the blog and never published it. I thought I would wait and see what church the Obamas picked. Sadly, they haven't made a public pick of a home church ... yet.

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Does this mean that Barack and Michelle Obama are now part of America's famous "unchurched?" I suspect it does. Perhaps their allegiance is still to their "home church" in Chicago --- which ripped and shredded America, crying racism all the way. We'd like to think it's not.

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But come on ... wouldn't it be smart of the Obamas to take a stand with some church that is credible? After all, they claim to be praying people. To whom do they pray?

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I am not against President Obama. But I cannot find words strong enough to describe the yearning in my heart for a godly leader in my country. I guess I will continue to pray that God draw my President close to Himself. I shall pray that the Holy Spirit convict him (and his wife) to make a public commitment to a Christian community. I will hope, beyond all hope, that our President will submit himself to a spiritual leader who is truly a man of God.

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The Old Testament book of 1 Kings, in chapter 16, speaks of an Israeli king named Omri. He is clearly described as a capable and effective leader. In fact, he sounds downright charismatic. I imagine that he offered the people hope that they could believe in. Unfortunately, 1 Kings 16 goes on to tell us that he sinned greatly. Moreover, he convinced his people to follow him and do things his way, thus leading them into sin. God was greatly angered and punished the entire nation.

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I marvel at the fact that we serve this same God today. I wonder if the lessons of history are being repeated in our nation today. It seems that Americans have always been quick to understand what a blessed nation we are, under God. But we continue to be slow to respond to the responsibilities of being God's chosen nation.

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Like I said, I yearn for a President that will lead us in righteousness, in ways that honor this living God. I hope you'll yearn and pray for that too!

Addiction's Roots

It seems to have become a fairly common term in our culture. I’m talking about addiction. It is often used in the media. People readily confess to it. The stigma that surrounded it for so long seems to be disappearing. In fact, I am beginning to wonder if it might not become in vogue to be addicted to something!

But I’ve noticed that people usually don’t use refer to something as an addiction until they get caught by the consequences of whatever it is they say they are addicted to. Alcoholics, for example, don’t usually decide they are addicted to alcohol until it is ruining their lives. Those who profess a shopping addiction don’t typically get there until they are drowning in credit card debt. Food addicts are always obese by the time they confess the addiction.

Seriously, it makes me wonder if consequences aren’t the true measure in our culture of what an addiction is. If the consequences aren’t spiraling out of control, then I am not addicted. If I'm able to keep juggling my credit card debt, then I just like to shop. If I drink a lot, but it isn't ruining my life, then I just like to drink. If I smoke, it is part of my character and I just enjoy a good cigar or cigarette - until I get cancer from it. Then it's an addiction. Isn’t that the way we tend to view it? And isn’t that kind of thinking rather flawed?

I believe that addiction to anything is probably a physical symptom of a deeper, spiritual problem. Perhaps it is an attitude of the heart, or the result of a broken and hardened heart. It seems that many addicts have been through difficult traumas in their lives – the kind that tends to harden hearts. And I think it goes deeper than that. I think it gets down to the level of worship. I know, you’re thinking I must be insane to correlate addiction with worship. But bear with me here.

Worship is idolatry. We don’t think of it that way because it idolizes the one true God – when it is good and righteous. But when we idolize anything or anyone else, I would argue that it is still worship – except that now it is without the righteousness. Idolatry is defined as the worship of or an immoderate attachment or devotion to something (Merriam-Webster dictionary). It could be to the one true God of the universe. That would produce a Jesus freak, a sold-out fanatic who would give his or her life for Christ. On the other hand, it could be to something or someone less than Jesus.

Christians are by nature designed to worship. You and I were made to worship, as the song goes. That is very true. But what we were made to worship? And what if we don’t worship Him? Well then we will worship something or someone else. So the word idolatry, and my immoderate attachment or devotion can be applied to God – or it can be applied to alcohol, drugs, sex, food, gambling, TV, sleep, Internet, pornography, exercise, sports, work, video games, shopping, self, relationships … and the list goes on.

II Timothy 3:4 identifies people who desire an idolatrous (i.e., immoderate) pleasure more than they desire to honor God as “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” Ouch! Now loving these pleasures may be a response to pain. Both the love of pleasure and the avoidance of pain (or escape) can fuel any so-called addiction.

For most of us who have not learned to deal with our pain in God-honoring ways, and not learned to lean on God’s provision to walk through our trials, it is very tempting to reach for something that brings us pleasure or helps us avoid or tune out the pain. Enter the addiction.

Now I know what I’m saying is going to make some people mad. Why is that? Because it’s offensive. If I can blame my perverted relationship with food, sex, drugs, alcohol, or whatever on “addiction,” then I am not responsible. I am a helpless victim suffering from a sinister disease. But as we say in Texas, “that dog won’t hunt.” To get at the root of any addiction, we simply need to get at the root of your God.

The Bible tells us to love the Lord with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind. In other words, we are to worship Him, with an immoderate devotion and attraction. I believe the real solution for addicts of any kind is a relationship (be it new or restored) with Jesus Christ. Ironically, we were also made to worship only one thing at a time.

So as we worship, and commit idolatry over Christ, guess what? The addictions will fade. Alcohol will lose its power in my life. So will shopping, sex, drugs, food, gambling, and all those other things that promised to changed the way we feel --- and instead enslaved us in an ugly addiction with disastrous consequences.

Think you’re addicted to something? Look at the focus of your worship. If you find that you are addicted, get your focus on Christ and learn to idolize Him in your everyday life. Therein lies the only true cure for human addiction.

What Worship Is

It happened again today. I got to church on time, and was surprised to see so many people missing. There were lots of great parking spaces near the door.

Dropping my son off at his Sunday school class, I noticed that very few children were there yet. In fact, some of the classrooms were empty, with just a lone volunteer waiting for the eager children to show up. And it was 9:15; time for the church service to start.

In the worship center, there were lots of great seats. It wasn't even half full. The band started and the singers started and there was great music. "Lord, You are good and your mercy endureth forever!" It's one of my favorite songs. (I used to be in a band that sang it often.) But there was something missing. Where were the people? About ten or fifteen minutes later, they started streaming in. Some had their Starbucks coffee in hand. Steaming hot. Many of them arrived after the worship portion of the service was complete. They’d missed worship entirely!

I watched a movie this weekend with my family. It's called Duma. It's the story of a boy who adopted a big cat in Africa. When it was grown he was trying to return it to the wild. He had taken a motorcycle with a side car into the desert, where it ran out of gas. Pushing the vehicle along, the big cat jumped on board and was sitting comfortably looking out the dash window. It was a hilarious moment as the boy stopped and said to the cat, "Do you even know what wild is?"

If I were the worship leader in our church, I believe I'd be very tempted to interrupt the worship time and turn to these people strolling in late with their lattes. I'd stop the music short, and turn my attention directly to them so they'd know whom I was addressing. And I would probably say something like, "People, do you even know what worship is?" That I am so bold may be the reason why they have never asked me to lead worship in our church! Seriously though, it is a question that deserves an answer.

Do we even know what worship is? I suspect not. The Bible is chock full of instructions about worship. Mostly they center around two things though. First, do it. Second, make it genuine. Seems simple enough, doesn't it? Why then can we not seem to accomplish that?

I know, I know. You're saying, "But my church does do worship and it's awesome!" But I beg to differ with you. Your church may have talented musicians and singers, high tech graphics and videos, a superb sound system and play wonderful music. But if you are not there physically, mentally and spiritually, it is NOT worship. God does not tell us to go and watch genuine worship --- or stroll in at the end of genuine worship. He tells us to be genuine in our worship.

King David was perhaps one of the most memorable worshippers in the Bible. He broke all the rules, including dancing like a fool. God called him "a man after my own heart." (Oh that God would refer to me like that!) David wrote much of the Psalms. Let's look at some of what’s said in the Psalms about worship.

Psalm 29:2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. Psalm 33:3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. Psalm 95:6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; Psalm 96:1 Sing to the LORD a new song; ... Psalm 96:9 Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth. Psalm 98:1 Sing to the LORD a new song, ... Psalm 100:2 Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Psalm 149:1 Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints.

Do you see the message here? Where does it say watch the worship? Is there any place where it says applaud the worship? How about strolling in with your non-fat, double cream, grande latte in your most comfortable flip flops and jeans? Not finding this there? Me neither!

Folks, it’s all about recognizing who God is. It’s about being so taken … so impressed with God that we rise to the occasion to honor Him. When I lived in England, I remember seeing Queen Elizabeth on the street one day. When she passed by, people stopped and saluted. They genuinely loved her, revered her and wanted to show her honor. Shouldn’t it be the same way with God?

I’m not one to just simply sit and whine about things I don’t like. No, I like to look for truth. And the truth is that God has some pretty strong feelings about worship. He wants us to worship Him. He created us to worship Him. He intends to meet us in our worship … connecting His heart with ours as we worship Him. Simply put, this is terribly important to God.

On the flip side of this, God is not enamored with this sham that many of today’s Christians call worship. Let’s not be deceived about that. He wants genuine worship from people who are genuinely His. Anything less repulses God. Yes, it repulses Him!

The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth to honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. … You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay!” (Isaiah 29:13-16)

He’s saying that our hearts are not sincere. He’s saying that we simply go through the motions. He wonders if we know what worship is. And it turns out that God has some strong words of repentance for people like us.

Hear this word, … this lament I take up concerning you: This is what the Lord says to the house of Israel: "Seek me and live; … Seek the LORD and live, … You trample on the poor …. you have built stone mansions, … you have planted lush vineyards, … (but) I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins. … I hate, I despise your religious celebrations; I cannot stand your assemblies. Even though you bring me … offerings, I will not accept them. …. I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.” (Amos 5:1-23)

He’s saying that we need to get a clue. We need to learn what worship is. We need to do it now. He’s saying He’s fed up with our empty, shallow excuse for genuine worship. We are sinners and He knows it. We need to be giving Him honor and respect --- not just because of who He is, but because of who we are as well. He’s saying He doesn’t give a rip how talented the musicians or how fine the instruments. If our hearts aren’t in it, then God is not interested in our noise.

So I wonder if anyone’s heart could be in the worship at their church --- if they are not there when it occurs. We cannot outsource our worship to the professionals. We can’t assume that if everyone else is worshipping we've got it covered. Nor can we assume that “getting fed” in the sermon is all God cares about. He did not create us to be fed. He created us to worship Him.

Worship is supposed to be a true celebration, coming from the heart (not the head or the stage). It praises the Lord for who He is. It recognizes what God has done in our lives and in the lives of others. It is a show of humility and respect. We worship to praise God, to fill our hearts with His Holy Spirit, to grow spiritually as individuals and as a church, and to be obedient to God. More than anything, God wants our respect in worship. It disappoints Him when we are rude, disruptive or inattentive to the worship that is intended to grow us spiritually in Him.

Finally, worship appears to be a learned lifestyle and not a once-a-week act or performance. I may have to be the guy to tell you that you can’t be a genuine Christian if you can’t take worship more seriously. If you think you can learn that lifestyle and get what worship is though, then I’ll see you at church … on time!