O Holy Night

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining;

It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!

Long lay the world in sin and error pining,

Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices,

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!

O night divine, O night when Christ was born!

O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,

With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.

So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,

Here came the wise men from Orient land.

The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger,

In all our trials born to be our friend!

He knows our need, To our weaknesses is no stranger.

Behold your King, before him lowly bend!

O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Truly He taught us to love one another;

His law is love and His Gospel is peace.

Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother

And in His Name all oppression shall cease.

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,

Let all within us praise His holy Name!

Christ is the Lord, O, Praise his name forever.

His power and glory every more proclaim!

O night, O holy night, O night divine!

A God Who Sings For Joy

"The LORD your God is in your midst, The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,

He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing."

Zephaniah 3:17 (NKJV)

Although the Old Testament Prophet spoke these words regarding the nation of Israel, I believe these words reflect God's love for all His children. I love the last line, "He will rejoice over you with singing". When I read that I picture a mother holding her blanketed infant, humming a lullaby--full of joy and love for her precious child. The little one returns her gaze and coos with contentment.

God loves you like that. In the old King James Version it reads, "He will joy over thee with singing". 'Joy' is used not as a noun, a thing, but as a verb, an action word.

God actively "joys" over you, and bursts into song, overwhelmed with his own love for you.

That is the message of Christmas:

"The angel said to the shepherds, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ (Messiah), the Lord." (Luke 2:10-11)

"All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet (Isaiah 7:14): "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" --which means, "God with us." (Matthew 1:22-23)

"The LORD your God is in your midst...quieting you with His love...rejoicing over you with singing."

Merry CHRISTmas

Christian Hate Crimes: Honoring the Fallen

A memorial service was held today in Colorado for two young missionaries who were killed this past Sunday. A young man opened fire inside a Youth With a Mission (YWAM) training center dormitory in Arvada, Colorado killing two.

When I was in Asia I was privileged to meet some of the young people affiliated with this organization. They are an inspiration. With a deep love for God, and an equally deep desire to share that love with the world, they demonstrated a great commitment to share the Gospel (Good News) about Jesus.

The Denver Post carried an article on the two "YWAMers" who lost their lives early Sunday morning during a shooting in Arvada. I am reprinting it here so that more people will have the opportunity to read about who these young people were, to see what they believed in and what they gave their lives for.
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Young missionaries: caring and forgiving. One victim had turned away from gangs; one was called "an angel". Philip Crouse first came to church an angry young man — a member of a skinhead gang. He left it with peace in his heart, say those who knew him. "He had a heart of an evangelist," said Tim Maus, the senior pastor at Peters Creek Christian Church in Alaska. Maus said Crouse would have held no bitterness toward his assailant, the man who opened fire in a training-center dormitory for young Christian missionaries early Sunday. "He had found the power of a giving life," Maus said.

The bullets killed Crouse, 24, and Tiffany Johnson, 26, who grew up in Chisholm, Minnesota. They had been studying with Youth With a Mission. "Tiffany was an angel," said Andrew Strobridge, who also was studying at the Arvada dormitory to become a missionary. "Always smiling, always caring." He recalled how she cared for him when he was sick, helping nurse him to health. Johnson had traveled to the Middle East and Africa as part of YWaM, said Cheryl Morrison, wife of George Morrison, a pastor at Faith Bible Church, on whose property the YWAM dormitory was housed.

After Johnson finished her training with Youth With a Mission, she became a staffer there, organizing housing and guest stays. "She was an amazing young girl who had a heart for what God called her to do," Morrison said. Crouse came to church about six years ago, recalled Maus. The product of a broken family, Crouse had become an angry skinhead, the pastor said. He was under the care of a psychiatrist, who prescribed drugs to battle depression and other ailments. After turning his life over to Christ, Crouse no longer needed the psychiatric care and drugs, the pastor said.

Zach Chandler, the youth pastor of the church, said Crouse was on his way to becoming a missionary in Kazakhstan. "He said he was willing to give his life to do the work over there," Chandler said. "If that meant staying over there for the rest of his life, he would. If that meant dying over there, he would." Crouse taught himself Russian and German and would visit Russian cafes and German clubs in Anchorage to give his testimony, Chandler said. He also took rides on buses, just so he could share the Gospel with other riders, Chandler said.

Chandler said that if Crouse had been a survivor, he would have been the one leading prayers for the killer. "If Phil had ever seen this guy, I'm sure he ministered to him at some point," Chandler said. "If Phil was one of the surviving ones, he would have visited this guy in jail. That's the kind of guy Phil was."
(Staff writer Alison Sherry contributed to this report by Christopher N. Osher: 303-954-1747 or cosher@denverpost.com)

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The gunman, 24-year-old Matthew Muray, left Avarado and headed to New Life Church in Colorado Springs (which housed a YWAM office) where he opened fire in the parking lot, fatally shooting two church goers and wounding four others. When he tried to enter the crowded church, he was gunned down by a security guard.

Officials said revenge was one apparent motive for the attacks. Police said Murray had sent hate mail to the Youth With a Mission center in Arvada Denver suburb in the last few weeks after being removed from the program years ago. Murray attended the YWAM school in Arvada briefly in 2002 according to the group, but didn't complete the 12-week DTS training because of health issues.

It appears that Murray posted an anti-Christian diatribe on a web site for people who have left evangelical religious groups. His most recent post was Sunday morning in the hours between his attacks in Arvada and Colorado Springs.

"You Christians brought this on yourselves," he wrote. "All I want to do is kill and injure as many of you ... as I can especially Christians who are to blame for most of the problems in the world."

Hate Crimes are not random acts of violence. They are intended not only to inflict harm on the immediate victims, but intimidate an entire group of people; in this case, Christians. I can't help wondering, "What if Matthew had lived in my hometown?" What if he had lived in your hometown?

Around the world Christians are persecuted: beaten, imprisoned, killed; for no other reason than because of their belief that Jesus is God's Son and the world's Savior. The Voice of the Martyrs reports that more Christians have died for their faith in the past 100 years than the previous 1900 years combined!

These two young people are heroes in my book. Jesus, after his resurrection from the dead, told his disciples that they "would be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth"--to their own neighbors, their region, across racial and cultural lines, reaching to peoples all around the world. The New Testament was written mostly in the Greek language. It is interesting that the word "witness" is the same word for "martyr". Jesus knew that his followers would be willing to give their lives for the Gospel, and that their sacrifice would be a powerful witness to the truth of their claims.

Phil and Tiffany were killed because they were Christ-followers. Matthew wanted to kill Christians, and sadly he did. We grieve with the families of all who were involved in the tragic events in Colorado this past Sunday. We take comfort in the knowledge that the story of their lives, and even their deaths, may point others to the power of God's love to change lives. Well done, good and faithful servants.

Mike Huckabee Is My Hero

This is not a political endorsement. I am not campaigning on Mike Huckabee's behalf. I am saying that I admire the man. Our stories are similar in that we hail from the same home-state, both have "Pastor" on our resumes, and were about the same size and age when we got a "wake-up call" about our health (or lack thereof).

Today marks day 180 since my own lifestyle makeover began. While the rate of weight loss has slowed considerably in the past month, the weight continues to come off as I continue to eat well and move my body. If you are seeking a healthier lifestyle and/or trying to lose weight, then I hope you find Mr. Huckabee's story as inspirational and motivating as I do.

While Governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee knew he was overweight. His doctor had told him so. And at more than 280 pounds, he had trouble fitting into airplane seats and restaurant booths. But his weight problem was made painfully evident in early 2003 at a meeting in a State Capitol conference room. The room had just undergone a renovation to restore its nearly century-old design and Huckabee's usual seat had been replaced with an antique chair. When the governor sat down, there was a collective gasp among the attendees. The chair had collapsed under his weight. Huckabee laughed it off at the time, joking, "They sure don't build them like they used to!" But, in his book, "Quit Digging Your Grave with a Knife and Fork," he admits, "Deep down, I knew it wasn't the chair that needed rebuilding--it was me that needed a major overhaul."

While Governor, he dreaded climbing the two flights of marble stairs in the Arkansas statehouse. He prayed there would be no reporters at the top because he knew he needed two minutes to catch his breath. Few knew how seriously Gov. Huckabee’s weight affected his health; he also tried to ignore it. His wake-up call came in June 2003 when his friend, former Gov. Frank White, whom he had seen just days before, died suddenly of a heart attack. Huckabee resolved to change his diet and lifestyle, and in about 10 months he had undergone a jaw-dropping metamorphosis: trimming 105 pounds off his 5-foot, 11-inch frame.

Huckabee's parents grew up dirt-poor during the Depression, and he inherited the philosophy that "you should eat what’s here today because there might not be another meal." He observes that “foods that stretch one’s wallet also stretch the waistline – potatoes, meatloaf that’s part breadcrumbs. In the South, we batter and fry everything and eat it with gravy.”

He says his weight ballooned after he got married, but he certainly doesn't blame this on his wife. "My weight is absolutely my own doing," he says. "I ate too much and exercised too little, simple as that."

Even when he had symptoms of heart blockage, such as chest pain and shortness of breath, he didn’t go to the doctor immediately because he knew he would be hospitalized for three days, and he didn’t have the time. This is how stubborn he was: “I can afford to die, but not to be out the next three days,” he explains.

In March 2003, he woke up with his arm numb and tingly. Immediately, the doctor diagnosed the condition as diabetes. “I was devastated and angry at myself. I hadn’t done anything to prevent it,” Huckabee says. His doctor told him that without some lifestyle changes, he was in the last decade of his life. "That meant I wouldn’t see a bunch of grandkids grow up,” Huckabee realized.

In June 2003, under a physician's supervision, Mike went from eating 3,000 calories a day to only 800 calories a day by switching to meal replacement shakes and unlimited vegetables. It was difficult. After three months, the doctor introduced a balanced diet of 1,600 daily calories. To avoid the drive-thru, Gov. Huckabee started taking his meals in a cooler: a salad and some lean turkey or chicken for lunch, apples for snacks, and grilled or steamed vegetables.

After he lost 40 pounds, exercise was added to the program. Though tough at first, after four months, Huckabee could run three to four miles. By March 2004, Gov. Huckabee had lost 105 pounds and reversed all the symptoms of his diabetes!

New World (dis)Order?

Replacing the Ten Commandments is nothing new. Of recent and notable attempts to do away with them include the efforts by billionaire media mogul Ted Turner. As an atheist who is personally offended by the Ten Commandments, he has, as far back as 1988 at the National Press Association, suggested replacing the Ten Commandments with “Ten Voluntary Initiatives,” referred to by many as The Ted Commandments.

Turner claims that with the Ten Commandments “we’re living with outmoded rules, and nobody even pays much attention to ’em, because they are too old. When Moses went up on the mountain, there were no nuclear weapons, there was no poverty. Today, the commandments wouldn’t go over. Nobody around likes to be commanded.”

Some of his ideas are good ones, like helping the downtrodden, and caring for the planet. I can't go along with #3 though, "to limit families to two children...", I don't want anyone telling me how many children my wife and I can have.

Do people really believe that laws against murder (commandment #6), theft (#8), and perjury (#9) are “outmoded rules”? It seems to me that if people don’t follow the Ten Commandments--if they don't like to be "commanded", or to abide by "outdated rules", they are not likely to live under anyone's proposed substitutes.

and #10, "to support the United Nations" may not always be a good idea if we value national sovereignty and independence. Of course, a “voluntary initiative” is not enforceable, and, therefore, is not a law. Not yet, anyway.

Enter The Ark of Hope. Like the ancient Ark of the Covenant that contained the stone tablets upon which were engraved the Ten Commandments, this ark contains a document that some hope will have greater-reaching influence than the Ten Commandments have.

In fact, Former Soviet Premier and President of the International Green Cross, Mikhail Gorbachev, who also co-chairs the Earth Charter Commission, is quoted as saying, "Do not do unto the environment of others what you do not want done to your own environment....My hope is that this charter will be a kind of Ten Commandments, a 'Sermon on the Mount', that provides a guide for human behavior toward the environment in the next century.”

Maurice Strong, a founding co-chairman of the Earth Charter Commission and advisor to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan concurred, “The real goal of the Earth Charter is that it will in fact become like the Ten Commandments.”

Back in 2000, Shafer Parker wrote an article observing:
"The UN is pursuing global peace, even if it has to start a global religion to get it. If prevention of world wars is the standard by which international peace organizations are judged, then the United Nations has been a smashing success, especially when compared to its hapless predecessor, the League of Nations. But by any lesser measure, the UN has failed. Despite an alphabet soup of committees, organizations and commissions striving for the betterment of mankind over 80 at last count the world seems no closer than it ever was to achieving universal peace and prosperity. More than 100 armed conflicts have erupted in over 70 locations during the last decade alone. And since the Second World War ended in 1945, more than 27 million people have lost their lives in various wars. Nevertheless, the UN has not given up searching for the magic formula. For most of the latter half of the 20th century, UN operatives argued that peace would arrive with the eradication of poverty and a reduction of the birth rate in Third-World countries. Now they have added a third ingredient to the mix: religion".

A singular, world-wide religion. Hmmm. Seems like I've read something about that before...oh yeah, in the Book of Revelation, predictions of events leading up to the End of Time. One-world government, One-world religion, One-world Leader. Hmmm...

Tagged!

I was on vacation all of last week: Kayaking, hiking in the mountains, swimming and relaxing in the hot tub at night--it was heaven on earth. A week without cell phone or internet--at first I had withdrawals, but after a couple of days got used to being "unplugged". We had a blast!

So, I get back home and check my e-mail and some of my favorite blogs and find out I've been "tagged". So now I have to share 7 unknown (little known) tidbits about myself and tag seven others to play along. So here goes...

1. 2007 has been one of the "lowest" years of my life. I have battled depression most of this year and have really struggled at times just to maintain whatever level of sanity I usually enjoy.
2. Ironically, in light of #1, during this year I have felt as close to God, or closer, than at any other time in my life.
3. I am still "grieving" my daughter's going to college--I miss her so much and there is an "emptiness" in my life without seeing her everyday (which probably has played a bigger role in #1 than I realize).
4. I don't have any friends that have blogs (other than Brian (who tagged me), and the others he tagged).
5. I hate, despise and detest much of organized religion. Which is perhaps ironic coming from a pastor, but then I read the gospels and the stories of Jesus' reaction to organized religion and I think maybe I'm in pretty good company.
6. I enjoy cleaning the toilets--one of the few areas in my life where I see immediate and positive results.
7. I LOVE to cook.
8. (Bonus factoid, just for fun) I was born in Arkansas.

So there is my list...for now.

So just sitting here wondering how well people really know each other--even the people with whom we work and with whom we spend most of our days. I'm wondering how well most of us really know ourselves. If you're reading this I hope you know (or soon come to know) that there is a God and he knows you, and he's crazy about you.

Peace.
JimT

Living in the Overflow

Is the cup half empty or half full?
For those who cultivate a heart of gratitude it is neither.

I found this little ditty; not sure of who the author is, but thought it was appropriate for the Thanksgiving season:

I’ve never made a fortune and it’s probably too late now,
But I don’t worry about that much, I’m happy anyhow.
And as I go along life’s way I’m reaping better than I sowed,
I’m drinking from my saucer, ‘cause my cup has overflowed.

Haven’t got a lot of riches and sometimes the going’s tough,
But I’ve got loving ones all around me and that makes me rich enough.
I thank God for His blessings and the mercies He’s bestowed
I’m drinking from my saucer ‘cause my cup has overflowed.

I remember times when things went wrong, my faith wore somewhat thin
But all at once the dark clouds broke and the sun peeped through again;
So Lord, helped me not to gripe about the tough rows I have hoed;
I’m drinking from my saucer ‘cause my cup has overflowed.

As God gives me strength and courage when the way grows steep and rough,
I’ll not ask for other blessings, I’m already blessed enough.
And may I never be too busy to help others bear their loads,
Then I’ll keep drinking from my saucer, ‘cause my cup has overflowed!

3 things that keep me from enjoying the overflow:

• Complaining and having a critical attitude;
• Jealousy;
• Lack of prayer.

A Thanksgiving Hymn

In the Ancient Hebrew Hymnal (The Book of "Psalms" in the Bible) there are many songs of praise to God. Perhaps the most popular Psalm is a great song for the Thanksgiving season:

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want"
– Thank you God for meeting all my needs.

"He makes me to lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside still waters, he restores my soul"
– Thank you God for nourishing my body and spirit.

"He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name sake"
– Thank you God for giving me wisdom and courage to make decisions that please you.

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for you are with me"
– Thank you God for your presence and your peace.

"Your rod and staff they comfort me"
– Thank you God for your protection and discipline.

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies"
– Thank you God for vindicating me, for blessing me as I honor you.

"You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows"
– Thank you God for your abundant blessings.

"Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life"
– Thank you God for your constant care, your patience and forgiveness.

"And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever"
– Thank you God that death is not the end of the road, just a bend in the road. Thank you for meeting my eternal needs as well as me everyday needs.

Giving Thanks

In our church we often sing "The Doxology":
"Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise Him all creatures here below.
Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts.
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen."

All kinds of people have a hard time being grateful:
Suffering and/or sick people often feel angry and abandoned;
Poor people may think God’s given them the shaft;
Rich people sometimes take their blessings for granted;
Working people, perhaps, think they earned it with their own sweat and don’t see God as part of the equation.

For me, the path to real "Thanksgiving" is to Focus on God’s character and unfailing love:

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." (Psalm 107:1)

"Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
(James 1:16-17)

It is easy to be deceived about the source of our blessings, or decieved about the apparent lack of blessings.

The truth is our lives are full of blessings and good gifts and God is the source of them all.

I choose to give credit where credit is due. How about you?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Taming the E.G.O.

Phil Hodges gave me some good insight into my all-too-frequent lack of gratitude:

He says I need an Ego Check.

E.G.O. – Edging God Out

We as humans are wired for worship. Whether it be God, or stuff, or self, or someone else we will "worship" something.

The object of worship; who or what a person worships —that is, where one finds security and self-worth— is a crucial question.

Phis maintains that when we put self first, we tend to operate out of fear and pride, focused on our own needs and a sense of self-preservation. This often lleads to isolation, distortion and separation.

On the other hand, when we put God first and worship Him -- whwn we find our security and self-worth in Him -- we tend to operate out of confidence and humility...and this often leads to community.

"For everything in the world--the lust of the eyes (cravings of sinful man), the lust of the flesh, and the boastful pride of life (bragging about whate one has and does) comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." (1 John 2:15-17)

The remedy for "the Enemy's" limited and predictable strategy is:
Lust of the Eyes: instead of focus on one's passions focus on purity.
Lust of the Flesh: instead of focus on possessions ask God for a spirit of generosity.
Pride of Life: instead of pursuing position and titles seek humility.

I find that Phil to be a pretty smart fellow.

Little Nyasha

Our neighborhood was rocked last Saturday evening when three young men, between the ages of 18 and 21, entered an apartment and began shooting.

Three people were shot, one of them fatally. A grandmother frantically tried to protect her granddaughter. One of the bullets went through the woman's hand. The bullet stopped when it hit little Nyasha. Little Nyasha had celebrated her first birthday on October 15.

Upon hearing the shots ring out, the baby’s mother, who had been sleeping in the back of the house after a hard-day’s work, ran about 75 yards to a nearby fire station. By the time the paramedics had suited up, the grandmother arrived at the fire station with the infant in her arms. The ambulance took them to the hospital where little Nyasha later died. Nyasha's body was buried earlier today.

All of this happened within 100 yards of the front door of our church. Our neighborhood is becoming plagued with criminal activity. On the same block in April, a police officer was shot during an attempted robbery at a pizzeria.

Please pray for this family as they grieve the loss of this precious child. Please pray for us as we seek to respond to the increasing gang activity and violence in our community.

Peace.

I'm Okay, You're...You, I'm Not So Sure About!

When I was in Tibet a couple of years ago, my companions and I encountered an old Tibetan woman who stuck her tongue out at us as we passed on the street. "What kind of greeting was that?!"

Out translator laughed and then explained to us the custom. She was showing us that her tongue was pink and not black, thus signifying that she was neither a demon, nor demon-possessed. Of course, she already knew that. She was mainly inviting us to return the gesture because she wasn't so sure about us!

I was recently reading some research by Gallup pollsters about American morality trends. It was interesting that the majority of respondents indicated they had never been unfaithful to their spouse or significant other; had never done drugs, cheated on their taxes or lied to their boss...but they were quite certain the majority of their neighbors and co-workers had done all of the above.

Back in 1969 (I've heard) there was a bestselling book entitiled, "I'm Okay, You're Okay" by Dr. Thomas Harris. He introduced the concept of "Transactional Analysis" and observed that "for a huge portion of the population the feeling is "I'm Not OK -- You're OK." The culture has certainly changed in the nearly 40 years since Harris' work and today a more accurate title might be "I'm Okay--You I'm Not So Sure About."

In fact, there have been several "take-offs" on the title over the years: "I'm Okay--You're Dead", "I'm Okay--You're a Brat", etc. One of these books with a message for the Christian community in particular is a humorous work by John Shore entitled, "I'm OK -- You're Not: The Message We're Sending Unbelievers And Why We Should Stop."

One reviewer had this to say about the book...

"How refreshing then to find a book on Christianity which is intelligently written and loaded with gentle humor. A book which takes a slap at the arrogance of contemporary Christianity, yet manages at the same time to convey what is truly beautiful about it.

Over-zealous Christians will learn a lot from the quotes of non-Christians used as examples throughout this book. Harris provides some of the best writing on religious themes I've encountered anywhere. This kind of Christian exposition, coupled with the rising tide of ecologically and socially aware Christianity, gives me hope that Christ's church is being reborn as he intended it."

Christians far too often send the message, "I'm okay, you are not." "Arrogant", "judgmental", "intolerant" and "irrelevant" are words often used to describe the church today. A far cry from the one who was known as "a friend of sinners", the compassionate, humble, accepting and always relevant Jesus.

~ Father, help me to be an authentic Christian, more accurately portraying the character and actions of the one I claim to be following. Amen.