Innoculation

My friend Jane recently shared about a pastor in Dallas whom she follows, Matt Chandler. After she referenced him I wanted to know more so I googled him and read some things about him, as well as watching several video clips on youtube. One of his recurring clips is called "Jesus wants the rose." Check it out if you have time. It's great!

But in another clip he put out an idea that I haven't been able to stop thinking about. His church is in Dallas, entrenched in the Bible belt. He said that many, many people in the Bible belt have been "inoculated" against the Gospel. This works just like the shots we get to protect us from many terrible diseases. When we get the vaccine, what we are getting is a small dose of the germs that cause this disease, in order to form an immunity to it. Now think about this in terms of the Gospel. Many people get just enough of the Gospel so that it has no real power over them. They are immune to it.

This is an amazing thought.

What it needs to cause us to do is to think. To consider. How do we reach people who have been "inoculated" from the Gospel? New methods, new approaches will have to be launched. We will have to use great creativity. It is a challenge.

Boom Boom Revolution

I have invited all my FaceBook friends to take part in the Boom Boom Revolution. I want to give a further explanation of what this is all about here.

You’ve heard of Random Acts of Kindness. Well, the premise behind Boom Boom Cards is that we should be doing intentional acts of kindness. So each of the cards has a task to be completed, some good deed. Some of the deeds will cost something, but many of them won’t cost a thing. You can choose to do all the tasks or pick the ones that work for you. It won’t matter if you aren’t able to do a particular task on the day it is posted either. Just do it when it works for you. The main idea is to plan to do something.

I’ve been thinking of doing this for a long time. But there are principles behind the reasons for doing these small, simple acts. One of my favorite quotes comes from Helen Keller. She said, “I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.” I love this idea because it works to squelch the pride I battle in my life often.

Another quote comes from President Obama. During his speech for the memorial service for the Arizona victims this week he said that we all need “a continuously widening circle of concern.” It will only widen as we stretch ourselves to reach beyond those we comfortably reach out to regularly.

Hebrews 10:24 says, “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” So that’s my goal, to spur you on.

For those of you who have young children, I hope you will involve them and engage them in conversations about the good deeds that are all around us, just waiting for us to have eyes to see. Train them in this kind of thinking.

So, beginning February 1 I will be posting a task each day. If you decide to play along I would love to have you post on the event wall what you do and any thoughts you have about what we’re doing. I’m excited about the possibilities.

The Tapestry of My Life

One of the reasons I wanted to come to Indianapolis this week was to see Robin. Robin and I were best friends in high school. I was Maid of Honor at her wedding. I don’t have a great memory for things that happened long ago but I do remember a time I spent the night with her. We could not stop giggling, and Robin’s mom had to come in repeatedly to tell us to be quiet. For whatever reason we were crazy about Mark S. and this was the source of our giggling. How silly we were!

We kept in touch somewhat during college years, but then our lives took us in very different directions. We didn’t talk for over 25 years. Then last year she found me on Facebook. We got together during spring break for our first visit, and now we have had our second. She had a letter that I had written her in 1978 saying that it didn’t matter how long we had been apart, that we were always able to just pick back up with each other as if no time had passed. And that was true again today. I like her now for all the same reasons I liked her so long ago… she’s funny, she is insightful, we have great conversations… she’s just dear to me. I’m so glad she’s in my life again.

So I’m finding once again that life is like a tapestry, a picture/story that is being told thread by thread. Sometimes the threads are visible in the picture but other times they run underneath, only to resurface when they again become part of the picture. I have found this so true in my life over the past year. Former friends have resurfaced and have become active once again in my life, and they are such a blessing. I’m thankful the color and texture they bring to the tapestry of my life.

I love you, Robin!

Romans 8:28

In the previous post I talked about the tremendous attacks that I feel my family has been under. I wanted to add some further thoughts to this idea.

Sunday night Bro. Brian preached from one of the greatest and most comforting verses in the Bible, Romans 8:28. It says, “For we know that all things work together for good to them who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

As I reflected on this verse and the many examples we find of this in the scriptures such as Joseph, Daniel, Paul and others, I came away with renewed assurance that my family will survive these trials. Every attack, every problem, that the Devil sends our way with the intention of destroying us, devouring us, God intends and allows for our good. No matter how impossible it may seem that anything good can come from these situations, I will take hold of this promise and run with it. I have complete confidence that I will be able to one day look back on all this and see the purpose of God fulfilled in bringing the best to all our lives.

This, too, is part of the fight.

The Roaring Lion

I believe in the devil and all the Bible says about him, but I've never been one to talk about him like others do. I hear people say things like, "The devil has been attacking me," or "I could feel the devil at work." I am often skeptical when I hear people talk like that because I don't think like that normally. But I have to say that today I became a believer.

I just got a clear picture in my mind of I Peter 5:7-9. It says, "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings."

The devil is attacking my family. He is seeking to devour my children. It is real.

Now here is my next thought. If a lion were literally attacking my children, if the lion had one of them in its jaws and were dragging them off, I would not run away and hide, or stand there and cry. I would find myself a club or some kind of weapon and go after that lion. I would beat the lion and grab hold of my child and fight with all my might to take them from the jaws of the lion.

So I'm on the attack. I have my weapon, the Word of God. I will resist the devil with all my might, and the Word promises that the devil will flee. Pray for me. The battle is raging.