Question: This question comes from mwamba: I have been a disciple for 22 years and at the start of my journey I naively thought, the disciples I was with would be with me until Jesus returns, we would all be married (never divorce), our spouses would be with us, we would all have children and remain united. As an older disciple I realize that God's plans to prosper and not harm are very different in reality to my expectations. So my rather long winded question is, do you have any scriptures, and helpful thoughts on staying faithful when what you expected to happen doesn't, the unexpected occurs, yet somehow try to navigate life holding on to faith that sometimes seems to be slipping away? I hope this makes sense... ANSWER: Thanks for your question, the entire bible itself is actually chalk full of reminding people to persevere and continue in the midst of difficulty.  It's hard to read any book of the bible (or just about any page) and not see a motif of perseverance, reminding, and not giving up. The book of Hebrews for instance is actually written to an older group of disciples and the main theme of the book is reminding them to not give up and continue to persevere in their faith, even after great suffering, loss, and disappointment. You can find the same motifs in John's revelation to the seven churches (Rev 2-3). Jesus himself tells us to not let our hearts be troubled (He knows how often they can tend to be troubled) for he has overcome the world (Jn 14:1; 16:33). One of the reasons that Christians for millennia have partaken in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper is precisely what you are asking about, to remember (as instructed by our Lord in Luke 22). It is a great task of the disciple to continue to remember our Lord, and what drew us to follow him in the first place (c.f. Jn 6:68-69) year after year, heart break after heart break (1 Thes 4:13-18).

Question: This question comes from mwamba: I have been a disciple for 22 years and at the start of my journey I naively thought, the disciples I was with would be with me until Jesus returns, we would all be married (never divorce), our spouses would be with us, we would all have children and remain united. As an older disciple I realize that God's plans to prosper and not harm are very different in reality to my expectations. So my rather long winded question is, do you have any scriptures, and helpful thoughts on staying faithful when what you expected to happen doesn't, the unexpected occurs, yet somehow try to navigate life holding on to faith that sometimes seems to be slipping away? I hope this makes sense... ANSWER: Thanks for your question, the entire bible itself is actually chalk full of reminding people to persevere and continue in the midst of difficulty. It's hard to read any book of the bible (or just about any page) and not see a motif of perseverance, reminding, and not giving up. The book of Hebrews for instance is actually written to an older group of disciples and the main theme of the book is reminding them to not give up and continue to persevere in their faith, even after great suffering, loss, and disappointment. You can find the same motifs in John's revelation to the seven churches (Rev 2-3). Jesus himself tells us to not let our hearts be troubled (He knows how often they can tend to be troubled) for he has overcome the world (Jn 14:1; 16:33). One of the reasons that Christians for millennia have partaken in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper is precisely what you are asking about, to remember (as instructed by our Lord in Luke 22). It is a great task of the disciple to continue to remember our Lord, and what drew us to follow him in the first place (c.f. Jn 6:68-69) year after year, heart break after heart break (1 Thes 4:13-18). #ministry #perseverance #faith

How are you New Year's resolutions going so far? Are you still sticking with it, or have you found yourself already giving up? For many, the new year is a great time to make goals and plans and to set up New Year's resolutions, where we (supposedly) set out resolutely to accomplish something or to change some habit, or usually for American's - lose weight. But as Christians, could these types of New Year's resolutions be from the evil one? Jesus says in Matthew 5:37 (in a passage talking about making oaths) that we should let our yes be yes, and our no, no and anything more than that is from the evil one (or as some editions have it; from evil). Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for making goals and having plans to better ourselves and be intentional about our lives (for I believe this is in line with what the bibles teaches - to consider - Heb 10:24; Rev 2:5; Luke 14:28-33; etc.) and anyone who knows me knows that I am as driven as the next guy (sloth is not typically one of my vices, though I have plenty)! As a personal trainer in the past I could appreciate so many people's New Year's resolutions to lose weight and get in better shape ... it's what kept us all employed! If we are like most people (and if we are honest with ourselves), we have typically given up on our New Year's resolutions by February, if not sooner! And often there is something inside of us as Christians that feels a little weird about that. I think it's because we know that our Lord told us that simply saying yes, or no, should be worthy enough without having to bolster it with some other verbiage like, "I swear on my mama's grave!" or, "but I made a New Year's resolution!" Obviously Jesus and God know that we are finite and fallible beings and do not have the power to completely follow through with what we desire or intend, yet for those of us that make New Year's resolutions over and over again only to see ourselves not follow through time and again, shouldn't we pause and consider for a moment if we are truly following Jesus' teachings in this way? So the next time we set out to make New Year's resolutions (or any kind of goal for that matter), let's be sure to pause and make sure we are counting the cost of what we are saying we are going to do, so that we aren't making flippant "oaths", even if it is something the world is doing constantly. #righteousness #culture #spirituality #discipline #discipleship #speech #oaths

As a newer father I have found that my emotional capacity for love has dramatically increased and is now embarking into uncharted territory. Loving so deeply as I do with my sons, I am brought to an exponentially greater understanding of God's love, and risk, of creating beings in his image. My sons have been "created in my image", for not only do they look exactly like me, but they have also been born of my genetic makeup (warts and all). And while this creates a bond and closeness that is quite indescribable, there is nothing that has merited this closeness other than the fact that I am aware that they are my offspring. And let's face it; they don't have jobs, they don't pay any bills, they don't really contribute to the family in any meaningful way. The youngest can't even communicate anything at all at this point and he has only started smiling at me. Yet in spite of there being no "real" and "tangible" merit for my love, it barely knows any bounds for them. I have struggled unlike ever before with anxiety, fear, and worry - all a byproduct of my love, affection, and protection of them. I worry about something bad happening to them, I fear someone mistreating them or hurting them, I fear all sorts of things, both of the rational and irrational variety. And lo, at the end of it all, I have no real control over any of these things that could happen in the future. In fact, Jesus even specifically tells me to not worry about anything that could happen tomorrow, for each day has enough trouble of it's own (Mat 6:34). Thanks a lot Jesus. But seriously, why do I worry? And why all of a sudden now? I believe it is because my love, manifesting itself with my small children who cannot protect themselves, causes me to realize just how vulnerable and out of control of life I truly am. It is clearing the foggy distortion that I have some control over life. This is a scary thing. Just the other night while my two year old son was struggling with some sort of viral infection that gave him a pretty good fever, got the chills and was shaking in obvious discomfort and pain. In the midst of his discomfort I had a wave come over me that was instinctual, and not at all volitional, that caused me in an instant to not only be willing but to desire to do whatever it took to bring my son comfort in that moment. Even if it meant giving my own life. It's sort of crazy where this stuff even comes from. I am more and more convinced that God has innately hard wired these things into us that remain dormant until the time is right. These experiences bring greater color, depth, and clarity for me to passages like Abraham sacrificing Isaac out of his faith and reverence for Yahweh, or Jesus' mom standing at the foot of the cross of her son's execution. It also makes practicing teachings like in Philippians 4 to not be anxious about anything all the more difficult to carry out (Phil 4:4-8). It also creates a magnified gratitude in me for God's love and restraint. His restraint to not rescue Jesus from the clutches of pain, torture, and death in order that I might be saved (Mat 26:53). His vulnerability and risk to create Adam and Even in the first place and give them the choice to hurt him (Gen 2:15-17). His love to create me in his image, and allow me to spit in his face (Acts 2:23). Even the thought of my son one-day spitting in my face breaks my heart. So in the midst of all of this love producing anxiety, fear, and pain, I am brought to my knees in prayer, trusting and allowing God's strength to be made perfect in my weakness (2 Cor 12:7-10). In this I shall delight and boast. #fatherhood #parenting #love #anxiety #family #theology

There has been a lot of talk in the past several days about there being evil on "all sides" of the issue after the recent #Charlottesville tragedy. And while I generally don't get that involved in politics, news of this has reached even my ears. Yes I think we all inherently understand that evil is always on "all sides", as in "evil is in all of us" ... but that is like saying, "There certainly are a lot of grains of sand on the seashore." It's stating something so obvious that it doesn't really mean much ... especially when there is such blatant and obvious evil that is not being specified or called out (I understand Trump specified the evil later). Don't get me wrong, this is not really about Trump. This is about us as Christians. Whatever your political stance and preferences, and whatever your thoughts about our current president in the United States, we must remember as Christians we are citizens of heaven, of a different kingdom ... under the rule of a different king. And it is as such that we must find ourselves not trying to just be politically correct, but rather kingdom correct ... both in our thinking, our actions, and our speech (including our social media outbursts for heaven sakes!). For our king taught that hatred, violence, and enmity, not to mention retribution upon our enemies (including ones you think you have on capitol hill) - is strictly forbidden for followers of Jesus. Jesus blistered the leading majority constituents (those that held the most power and influence) of his day, calling them hypocrites, hard-hearted, children of hell, blind guides, wicked, snakes, broods of vipers, and that they would not escape being condemned to hell (Mat 23). And don't forget his campaign manager calling them a brood of vipers as well (Mat 3)! Jesus apparently didn't have a problem calling out evil when he saw it, no matter where it resided, or what kind of trouble it got him in. He even called it out amongst his closest friends and followers, calling the apostle Peter "Satan", stating that he did not have the things of God in mind but the things of men (Mat 16). Jesus also said that everyone on the side of truth listens to him - implying that we do what we hear (John 18:37; c.f. Jam 1:22). Let's listen to Jesus for a moment (who we claim as our king ... right?): “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?" (Mat 5:43-47) "Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved." (Mark 13:13) "For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander." (Mat 15:19) "But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias, his brother's wife, and all the other evil things he had done," (Lk 3:19 - there's that pesky campaign manager again) "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed." (Jn 3:19-20) "The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil." (Jn 7:7) As Christians who follow our Lord Jesus, let's not be afraid to call out evil, no matter where we see it. And let us call it out first and foremost whenever we see it in the mirror (Mat 7:3-5). #righteousness #racism #sin #diversity #prejudice #peace #politics #culture #kingdom

These days a child's primary toy and often best friend, closest companion, teacher, babysitter, and even sometimes a parent ... is a screen. Starting in the days of television, now further developed with the strength and opportunity of the Internet into computers in our pockets capable of shooting 4K resolution video with the touch of a button, screens are as ubiquitous as ever. And they are not going anywhere anytime soon. Even just a cursory search at Google about children and screen will give results of nothing but warnings. Over the years the research has poured out, yet public opinion, much less practice, seems to have shifted very little. I know personally because for the last year and a half I have had numerous conversations with people about not letting my son play with their phone, or not posting pictures of him online - that they just happened to snap of his most recent and cutest facial expression without my permission . I don't even want to know the uphill battle I face when baby number 2 comes along in a few weeks. Even back in 2014, UCLA research has shown that after 5 days(!) of no exposure to technology, 6th graders consistently perform better at being able to recognize and read human emotions than those that were interfacing with screens as usual. Now, research from the American Academy of Pediatrics is even linking toddlers handheld screen time to delayed speech development. At the end of 2016 in fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics released new recommendations for children's media usage: < 18 months: Avoid use of screen media other than video-chatting. Parents of children 18 to 24 months of age who want to introduce digital media should choose high-quality programming, and watch it with their children to help them understand what they're seeing. 2 - 5 years: Limit screen use to 1 hour per day of high-quality programs. Parents should co-view media with children to help them understand what they are seeing and apply it to the world around them. 6 and older: Place consistent limits on the time spent using media, and the types of media, and make sure media does not take the place of adequate sleep, physical activity and other behaviors essential to health. Designate media-free times together, such as dinner or driving, as well as media-free locations at home, such as bedrooms. Have ongoing communication about online citizenship and safety, including treating others with respect online and offline. How many of our families are already intuitively integrating these types of practices? I know in my experience not many. Even as I try to implement these types of practices in my own family, I feel how difficult it can be, and even how strange it can seem to others around me (even in the church). So why is this so difficult? I think that there are a couple primary reasons why technology is so difficult to control (much less eradicate - just picture Ron Swanson from Parks and Recreation). 1. It's easy. As a parent of a toddler, I understand this one. A built in screen babysitter than can so effectively mesmerize our child for several minutes, or even hours, is so tempting when we just need a couple of minutes of peace and quite. Recently we were on a relatively short airplane flight (just a couple of hours) and our toddler hadn't had his nap and was absolutely hating being confined to a 2 square foot space (he doesn't even get his own seat yet). And in the seat in front of us there was a mom and grandmother along with the toddler girl that couldn't have been more than a year older than our son. The girl was fixated on a screen with her own set of headphones the entire time, as quiet and calm as can be. They even turned back in apparent empathy (or perhaps it was just frustration) for our situation as our son was going ballistic. They even seemed to want to say, "Why don't you have your own screen for him?" 2. We think it's "educational". Everyone wants their child to be the best, brightest, and most athletic. It's the American way. But sitting your child in front of Baby Einstein won't necessarily give them a leg up on their competition. Findings show that without social interactions, screens don't teach anything. Watching educational programming is best suited for age appropriate children (not under 2 years old basically) and only when it is done when the parent or caregiver is present and interacting with the child because children younger than age two don't understand that the world on the screen corresponds to their world, and have a hard time translating what they see into real life. So before we hand lil' Johnny our phone to simply pacify him for a few minutes helping him create all kinds of dopamine addictions that he will likely spend much of his adult life trying to break ... let's decide to make the harder choice for their sake. Click here to see the American Academy of Pediatrics Media and Children Communication Toolkit #technology #parenting #discipleship #fatherhood #culture #family

In C.S. Lewis's The Screwtape Letters, the devil Screwtape tries to explain to his nephew Wormwood what he finds most appalling and disingenuous about God: that God is really out to make people happy, and that even the austere parts of his program, the spiritual disciplines, are really ruses, clever deceptions to make them more happy. "God is a hedonist at heart" says Screwtape. Screwtape goes on to explain to Wormwood about God that "all those fasts and vigils and stakes and crosses are only a facade. Or only like foam on the sea shore. Out at sea, out in His sea, there is pleasure and more pleasure. He makes no secret of it; at His right hand are 'pleasures forever' (Ps 16:11) ... He's vulgar, Wormwood. He has a bourgeois mind. He has filled the world full of pleasures." You see as Lewis's indicates in his dialogue between a demon and his nephew that humans have really been given opportunities at great pleasure from their heavenly father, and the devil's grand strategy against this is to twist it, to get us to misuse it. "Never forget that when we are dealing with any pleasure in its healthy and normal and satisfying form, we are, in a sense, on the Enemy's [God's] ground. I know we have won many a soul through pleasure. All the same, it is His invention, not ours. He made the pleasures: all our research so far has not enabled us to produce one. All we can do is to encourage the humans to take the pleasure which our Enemy [God] has produced, at times, or in ways, or in degrees which He has forbidden. Hence we always try to work away from the natural condition of any pleasure to that in which it is least natural, least redolent of its Maker, and least pleasurable. An ever increasing craving for an ever diminishing pleasure is the formula." It is this 'ever increasing craving for an ever diminishing pleasure' where the devil and the world have taken God's good creation of sex and turned it on it's head for some cheap imitation through pornography, clandestine sex, and other forms of sexual immorality and idolatry. Our culture (like many others before us) have embraced this twisted view of sexual pleasure. Simply take a look (or don't) at the magazines at the checkout counter of the local store, there is a weariness about them, a chatty droning about this technique and that technique, this pleasure point and that pleasure point. G.K. Chesterton's description of the world's joy applies here: these amount to merely "small publicity" when set next to the Christian's "gigantic secret" of joy. The gigantic secret of the joy of sex is this: Sex is good because the God who created sex is good. And God is glorified greatly when we receive his gift with thanksgiving - for the gift points back to the God who gave it - and enjoy it the way he meant for it to be enjoyed in covenantal marriage relationships (which as a tangential point, if you are a Christian married couple and not having sex regularly, that is a sign of an unhealthy marriage - obviously, unless there is some extenuating circumstance that inhibits it). God has made many things good and enjoyable, sex is certainly one of them, in fact everything that God has made is good (Gen 1), hence the phrase "God is a hedonist at heart". It is only our own corrupted and rebellious hearts (with the help of the Screwtapes and Wormwoods of the spiritual realm) that twist these good things to some lesser, infantile version. Of course God himself is the greatest pleasure, but when we receive these good things God has made with thanksgiving (1 Tim 4:4-5); whether sex, a beautiful sunset, time spent with a good friends, or enjoying the fruits of our labor, we are recognizing the creator God who made these things for our enjoyment, thus bringing him the glory and honor he is due. *Excerpts taken from: Sex and the Supremacy of Christ #sexuality #worship #sex #pornography #culture #marriage

My first born is now 18 months old and my second is due to arrive in a couple of months. It has been both a wonderful, and strange, experience so far. I often tell people that it's as though there was some remote part of me that was locked away in some unknown mysterious dungeon, where no key could be found to unlock the door. Then my son was born into the world, and all of a sudden this part of me burst forth into existence with no prompting, no warning, no alarm or sirens ... just uncontrollable sobbing in the delivery room. (I'm hoping that doesn't happen again with the second one ... it was a little embarrassing as I was the only male in the room, and the only one crying). When my son laughs as we get into our routine tickle fights in the evening before he goes to bed, my elation and joy soar amongst the clouds. At one point in my life I literally could not envision or even imagine such a reality (Eph 3:20). I find myself wishing I could bottle his laugh and pure, unadulterated joy in a bottle, so I could uncork it and experience it over and over again whenever life has it's way of beating me upside the head with depressive notions. Consequently I also have felt a strong, somewhat unexpected, sense of wrath and fury when it comes to my child. To protect him; his innocence, his purity ... to pounce on another child whenever they accidentally knock down my sack of preciousness in the Chick-fil-a play area. All of a sudden I want to do violence to another 2 year old! Where the heck does that even come from!? The only answer I am able to come up with is this now unlocked part of my heart has been placed there long ago by my own heavenly father. A heavenly father who desires to give me good gifts (Mat 7:11) as well as peace and joy beyond comprehension (Phl 4:7). A heavenly father who's own wrath and justice are stirred against evil and injustice (Rom 1:18; Rev 19:15). And this heavenly father of mine has made me in his own image (Gen 1). I wonder how God felt as his own son's life was pursued by king Herod, and every boy under the age of two were slaughtered (Mat 2)? What if that had been my two year old boy? My heart aches, and my fury is aroused at even such an idea ... much less a reality. But John reveals his final revelation in the Scriptures, that there will be no tears, no pain, no sorrow or suffering, but only one great and endless day of joy and fellowship, when we are made complete and fully reconciled to our heavenly Father (Rev 21). Where the outpouring of wrath because of injustice will no longer be needed, when children will not be mean to one another any longer, where people will no longer use and manipulate one another for their own benefit, but where humanity is made whole and un-fragmented in harmony once again ... in the image of our heavenly Father. #family #joy #relationships #wrath #fatherhood

My birthday is today, on this country's national holiday, "Memorial Day", in which we honor and celebrate those who died in the service of this country. Typically a tag line something like, "we won't forget", or "remembering our fallen heroes", or "who died for the freedoms of this country", (usually meaning freedoms of speech, religion, and oppression from monarchies and dictatorships ... usually not meaning freedom from capitalism, consumerism, and relativism ... but that is another story altogether I suppose) goes along with the holiday spirit. While I certainly am grateful for the freedoms that I experience everyday in my modern western lifestyle, and by extension I suppose those that died to "set them up" and "protect" them (even some in my own family), and my heart certainly breaks for those that will grow up without a father or mother, or a brother or sister because their lives were lost in battle. But am I grateful for the ones they killed? This is a little bit more tricky. And coming from the perspective of following Jesus, I must say it presents a real quagmire for me. Especially since it can seem like I am blaspheming against the Lord himself if I think anything other than what the mainstream says on this holiday; "everyone who died, died a hero to protect God's nation" (or some version that). But is that really true? Are we really God's nation? Where did we get these ideas from exactly? Since when is America God's nation exactly? I wonder who started that idea. When I hear that the "founding fathers" were Christians, it makes me cringe. It is very likely that these people were not actually biblical Christians, but that they founded the country loosely on Judeo-Christian "values". I guess on this holiday, and the day of my physical birth (my "spiritual" day of birth is a different day entirely, but in many ways much more important, and real), I have to ask myself what am I really memorializing, and why? I think it's definitely honorable to be willing to give up your life for the sake of others (though in reality I'm sure motives are often mixed), and is indeed a selfless act worthy of recognition and remembrance, but are we honoring patriotism to our country (which won't be around forever) over the Lordship of Christ and him bringing us into an eternal (and entirely different) nation (Phl 3:20)? In this "Christian" nation of ours, do we memorialize or commemorate those who were martyred and died for their faith in Jesus, not retaliating as they followed their Lord's example and they continued to spread His gospel message? Is there is a holiday for that? I am not aware of it if there is. As Christians in America (or Christians anywhere in the world that celebrate memorials), what is it exactly that we are celebrating? Are we celebrating death and those that died fighting for temporary ideals (which don't get me wrong, many of them are good ideals), or are we truly memorializing Jesus who died to offer true life and freedom to the worst of humanity, which is all of us? #spirituality #culture #theology #discipleship

Have you ever considered how your internet behavior can shape the real world? It does. At this point in the game it's probably not likely that many of my readers would need to be convinced about the ubiquitous nature of the Internet and the digital realm (I mean, com'on where are you reading this article?). The average American now spends more time in front of a screen of some sort than they do at work every week (and more and more people's work has them in front of a screen which skews that statistic even further). Every time we click on something on the Internet such as liking a tweet or Facebook post, sharing an article, or clicking on the add at the bottom of a web page, that information is stored and informs the digital world in which we live. Our interests make the Internet what it is, so be careful what you click for. The Internet is a vast smorgasbord universe, consisting of the important, comical, trashy, and down right useless. Consider for a moment as a Christian that what you click can have a profound impact on you as an individual, and also be pleasing to God or not. But your clicking can also have an impact on what others see and are exposed to on the Internet. That which receives no attention (clicks, likes, shares, votes, etc.) on the Internet, dies on the Internet (at least to the point where you are not very likely to come across it). The things that you click, you "endorse" on the Internet, telling all those browser cookies, "Hey I like this, show me more!", which then in turn informs the people producing the content to continue with more of what they are doing. Things that 'go viral' actually shape the culture around us. Have you seen some silly kitten video in some add on Television? That's because people couldn't stop clicking it. Do you remember when nothing on T.V. had a Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram logo beside their own brandname and logo? Now they do ... and they want your click. “There’s all these hidden algorithms, that help show you more stuff that’s like what you just clicked on or searched for, that also end up showing all of us more of what most of us are clicking on and searching for. No longer are editorial decisions made by solely by a select few; we are all, in a sense, editors of the Internet. What we click on is what we all get more of – even if it is stuff that most of us would say we disdain." (Sally Kohn's Ted Talk). So the next time you are going to click on that scantily clad woman randomly endorsing motor oil, or respond to that emotionally charged political statement on Facebook by your "friend" baiting you to jump in and swim with sharks, pause for a moment and ask yourself, is this the type of content I want to continue to spread on the Internet? Is this the type of content that I want my children being exposed to? Every click counts, click for Christ. "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed (or click), do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Col 3:17 #technology #spirituality