Meditation: Holding Heaven Back

What if heaven sent us a gift but we tried to give it back?

When Jesus trained and released his disciples, he provided a remarkable level of equipping: “He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” (Luke 9: 1 - 2)

Even among those who welcome the signs of the Kingdom (which include healing, cleansing, and freedom from demonic oppression) there is a tendency to consign the powerful manifestations of the Kingdom of God to another age.

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Sinners in the Hands of Willy Wonka

Between the efforts of Johnny Depp, Gene Wilder, and Roald Dahl most of us know that five children entered Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory one cold British morning and experienced a trial like no other. Before the day’s end four of the children were weighed, measured, and found wanting--their shortcomings revealed to all. The fifth child, Charlie Bucket, was proven kind and virtuous, and received a reward beyond all reason.

The four rejected children were spoiled, each in their own way. They had “gone bad” the way a peach spoils when left on the kitchen counter too long. In the language of the scripture, these children were sinners.

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The Parable of the Pushy Fireman

When I was a young boy Josué De La Cruz saved my life. My third-floor apartment on the northwest side of Chicago was fully involved in flames. The Latino firefighter crawled up the steps beneath the smoke, through the fire, and carried me to safety. I wouldn’t be alive today if it wasn’t for him.

He visited me in the hospital the next day. I thanked him for his courage and sacrifice. He told me he was happy to make a difference. We chatted for a while. His Spanish accent reminded me that he was from a completely different culture than mine. It was hard to understand him sometimes, but I was grateful. I fell asleep and he was gone.

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Four Reasons God Doesn't Need Me to be His Cop

My daughter saves her deepest theological questions for bedtime. She doesn’t give a rip about theology, but she cares deeply about delaying bedtime. If Daddy is foolish enough to take the bait on Who made God-type questions, then she wins. Ever though her greatest need is rest she thinks her late-night allies are unsolvable religious questions. In the end, everyone ends up sleepy and confused.

So it is with following Jesus. Let’s talk about theology; let’s talk about church; let’s crusade against the high-profile fools of Christendom and expose them for charlatans--in fact, let’s do anything other than take the yoke of discipleship. Like stupid trolls into arguing all night long about how best to cook a hobbit, we will be surprised when the morning takes us all.

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Meditation: Go Crazy ~ Order the Happy Meal

Following Jesus sets us up for hard work, right? Study, pray, meditate, intentional action, and just hunker down to get serious with God. But wait--I thought Jesus said the yoke of discipleship would be easy. What about the light burden? Today, I’m up for a child-like grasp of the scripture. You don’t always have to read N.T. Wright.

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Five Men Who Forever Changed My Life

Writing is an exercise in faith. Either that, or vanity. Alone at a keyboard, the voice in my head is my own, and I imagine these pixels will light up some other screen God-knows-where. Writing requires an inflated sense of self-worth. The only act more vain is to write a post all about me. Today I want to share with you the writers who have shaped my life. These five books were not the result of "study." Each was life-changing encounter. Someday, at the marriage supper of the Lamb, I will ask for the privilege of pouring wine at the table of these men.

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Meditation: His Presence, His Voice

One day I left my cell phone in a friend’s office. When my daughter sent a text message soon after, my friend thought it would be fun to respond to the text and pretend to be me. After an exchange of just two messages my daughter texted back, “Who is this really?”

She knew my voice. Even though she was apart from me and limited to the shorthand of text messaging, she was not fooled by an impostor.

One sure sign that we are becoming followers of Jesus is our ability to distinguish his voice from others. Jesus said simply, “My sheep know my voice.” Yet one hallmark among Christians in our day is anxiety regarding God’s direction and guidance. How can there be so many believers who struggle to hear his voice?

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