I'm not very good at prayer.

I'm not very good at prayer.

There.  I said it.  Here's a little secret for all you people who attend churches and look up to your pastor- chances are, the guy you call pastor isn't very good at prayer either.  He experiences the same apathy as you do.  He experiences the same doubts- "Is this going to do anything at all?"  He experiences the same frustration over the silence that frequently occurs after a prayer.  Many times, the guy leading the church has a prayer life that resembles that of a whiny 6-year-old ("God, give me this or I won't believe in you anymore," etc).

Many times I feel ashamed about my prayer life.  I read stories of great prayer warriors like Susannah Wesley (who had 17 children and still prayed about 2 hours per day) and Charles Finney (the great revivalist preacher who dedicated hours and hours to prayer, silence, and seeking God) and instead of feeling inspired, I simply throw up my hands.  How could I ever be the kind of people they were?  Most of the time, I'm good if I can remember to say a prayer before mealtime and one at night with the kids.  When I do actually get alone and quiet and plan to pray, a million thoughts and distractions flood my mind.  Songs blast in my head, random stray thoughts take me down paths that don't resemble prayer, and so many things hit that I sometimes simply give up.

Other times, I am able to focus and concentrate, and the magnitude of what needs to be prayed for hits me.  My family, my church, marriages, the persecuted church overseas, finances, new church plants, upcoming future plans, the future of Catalyst, neighbors, etc (just to name a few) flood the prayer time until I feel overwhelmed by it all.  Not to mention the exhortation of the prayer warriors to sit still and listen.  Add to all that the continued need for repentance and confession, and I find myself thinking I could spend all day long on my knees and not even scratch the surface of what needs to be prayed for. 

As I sit and ponder the flood of opposition and overwhelming difficulty in prayer, I wonder if Jesus ever felt this way.  I wonder if the magnitude of the needs on earth, the spiritual corruption of the day, His knowledge of what was at stake ever overwhelmed Him to the point where He could not pray.  I wonder if He ever was frustrated by interruptions in His prayer time.  I wonder if He ever had trouble focusing on prayer with His Heavenly Father. 

Maybe that's why the Bible says to persist in prayer.  I know that I naturally tend towards the things that make sense and/or that I am good at.  I really enjoy reading the Bible.  That makes sense to me.  I can read it, comprehend it, apply it to my life, and love it more and more.  It's right there in front of me.  Prayer isn't like that.  It's random.  It's two-way communication (unlike reading the Word, which is primarily one-way), and I think that scares me.  I guess God knew that we would have problems getting into deep, regular prayer, and that's why He told us to persist.

One thing I do know- the times I DO persist in prayer, blocking out the distractions and not getting overwhelmed by the needs in this world, I am blessed.  I am blessed beyond recognition.  The presence of the Almighty encircles me and fills me like nothing else can.  However, it only happens when I persist in that prayer. 

God's Word- A feast to those who hunger

Every other year, I read through the entire Bible.  I do this for several reasons- first and foremost, I have always loved the Bible.  I never get tired of reading it.  You could say I have a passion for it.  There are some parts of it that I enjoy more than others, but to me the Bible has always been more than just a book.  It is life to me.  Or rather, the One I read about is life to me.  The Bible is the connection. 

I also read the Bible consistently because I truly believe I am supposed to be an example to the church.  If I am not reading the Bible, the people that God has entrusted to me to lead won't read it either.  This is a primary problem in the church- the Bible is the only bestseller that is never read.  There are probably two or three Bibles per American household, yet they do little more than gather dust. 

Anyway, the part of the Bible I am studying today is the book of Zephaniah- a minor prophet in the Old Testament.  One particular verse stuck out to me.  I have learned to listen when verses stick out to me- I believe the Holy Spirit speaks to me by highlighting verses of Scripture, teaching me things about my own life, commenting on our society, or simply imparting wisdom to me.  The verse was Zephaniah 3:1-2, "Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled!  She obeys no one, she accepts no correction.  She does not trust in the Lord, she does not draw near to her God."

I have found in my own Christian life the need for submission to God.  Christianity, the church, faith- it all hinges on submission to God.  If you are a person that cannot submit to God, you will not ever walk with Christ.  You will never have faith.  If you even consider yourself a Christian, your faith will never pass beyond that of simple intellectual proofs.  There will be no great strides, nothing great accomplished for the kingdom through you, nothing worth mentioning at your funeral other than, "He was a member of this or that church."  Your relationship with God will be cold and distant, the church will be boring and oppressive, and if you even have a faith in later years it will simply be "fire insurance"- thinking that a belief in God will somehow keep you out of hell.

This passage in Zephaniah condemns the lack of submission in our lives as Christians- "She obeys no one, she accepts no correction."  Does that describe you in your Christian life?  The big thing in American culture is to accept no correction, because what is right for you is right for you, and what is right for me is right for me.  When the Holy Spirit challenges your lifestyle, your lack of faith, your rejection of your calling- do you respond?  Is repentance part of your faith?  How many Christians do you know, possibly yourself included, that walk in open disobedience to Scripture on a daily basis? 

When there is no submission to God- when you accept no correction and do not obey God, then the second sentence of that verse is true- "She does not trust in the Lord, she does not draw near to God." Most Christians I know would say they wish they were closer to God.  I know I want that.  Most likely, so do you.  However, it simply will not happen without submitting to God's authority, God's word, God's sovereignty.  Every day it is our job to crucify the sinful nature- to live out of the Spirit and not out of the flesh- because our sinful nature will never submit to God.  Here we see the biggest battle in the church, in the world, actually.  Are we governed by the flesh or by the Spirit?

Submission to God brings such joy, such peace, such LIFE.  Following Christ for me is like running a train along the tracks.  The train was meant and designed to run on the tracks, and life simply works when we live as we were meant and designed to do.  We were meant to submit to God, and in turn, enjoy life to the full.  Who has more freedom- the law-abiding citizen or the criminal behind bars?  By submitting to the laws of the land, you have freedom to go and do whatever you want.  By resisting the law of the land, you have freedom and life taken away.  The same is true of God- by submitting to God, you receive freedom and life.  By a lack of submission to God, you have freedom and life taken away.  Unfortunately, we often learn these lessons late in life if at all. 

Israel: The Immovable Rock

I read with shock about President Obama's speech where he called Israel back to 1967 borders.  That would call for Israel to surrender half of Jerusalem and a great deal of the land that was Biblically promised to Abraham in Genesis.  I cannot tell you the feelings that I got reading this- disbelief, sadness, horror, betrayal. 

This is a bad move for many reasons.  First, I will start off with the Biblical reasons.  I happen to believe we are in the season of the Lord's return as prophesied in Revelation.  One of the signs that we will see right before the Lord's return is the coming of the world against Israel.  Zechariah 12:2-3 says, "“I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves."

So, the Bible says all nations will be gathered against Israel in the end times, including the US.  We have been the largest supporter of Israel, and we have been blessed because of it.  In Genesis, God promises Abraham, "Whoever blesses you I will bless, whoever curses you I will curse."  Second, the Zechariah text states that Jerusalem will be an immovable rock- no one can change the borders.  Third, the text states that all who try to move it will injure themselves- basically saying that if we mess with Israel and try to move it, we will incur injury.  I believe this will be in the forms of natural disasters- hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, etc (let me see- seen any of those recently?).  Israel is God's chosen nation; His chosen people.  They are not to be messed with. Those who do so do it at their own risk.

Second, this is bad from a foreign policy standpoint.  Israel is about the only friend in the Middle East that we have.  To publicly and internationally humiliate them by calling them back to the 1967 borders is folly.  Obama has a track record of disrespecting our allies, from NATO countries to Israel and beyond, and it will come back to bite us when we need them.

I am incredibly uneasy with this call from the President.  While I respect his office and honor him as leader, this is a decision and policy I do not and cannot agree with.  This is an alarming development in our world- much more alarming than anything I've seen recently.  Obama, pick up your Bible and read it- realize the significance of what you are saying.

Why I SERIOUSLY don't care what Celebrities Say about Anything

“[Marriage is a] dying institution.  I don't think we should live our lives in relationships based off old traditions that don't suit our world any longer."

This was a quote from actress Cameron Diaz.  Now, I understand that she is insulated in her little Hollywood bubble where the real world rarely penetrates, and I also realize she may have had bad experiences with marriage growing up (which many of us do), but to make such a statement is at best mistaken, and at worst, dangerous.

To say that marriage doesn't suit our world any longer is like saying that cells don't suit our bodies any longer.  The body is made up of about 75 trillion cells, and when those cells get sick or die, the entire body suffers.  Family is to society what cells are to the human body.  It is the fundamental building block of any nation or society, and if the family gets sick or dies, the nation or society dies along with it.  I would argue that with a few notable exceptions, families with married parents are more stable than single-parent families.  That's not to diminish the work being done by single parents.  Many of them do a great job with the stresses involved.  But I would argue that having two parents makes the job much easier.

Now, the only way a two-parent situation builds the optimal family unit is if there is permanence.  That goes without saying.  Marriage is the answer, or should be, for that permanence.  So, if marriage is the key to having a stable, two-parent family, and if the family is to society what cells are to the body, then I would make the case that marriage not only "suits our world," as Ms Diaz puts it, but it ESSENTIAL to our world. 

So, if that is all just plain common sense, why would Ms. Diaz say something like that?  Well, Ms Diaz is simply reflecting a disturbing trend that is becoming more and more common in our society.  That is simply self-centeredness.  The self-centered person is all about me, me, me.  The self-centered person can't stand making commitments and sacrifice, because that would take maturity and wisdom- both of which run contrary to self-centeredness.  The self-centered person sees marriage as something that is good as long as it benefits me (and it has to benefit me every moment, not just some of the time or most of the time).  The self-centered person never sees himself or herself as part of a larger picture.  All the self-centered person sees is me, me, me.

To a self-centered person, marriage is the ultimate death-threat.  Marriage is not easy nor is it always fun, rewarding, or fulfilling.  It takes work, commitment, and sacrifice.  It also brings joy, stability, productivity, and lifelong committed love.  Plus, and you never hear this from Hollywood, married people have better sex.  That's just an aside, though. :) 

So, Ms Diaz is basically saying that since we are such a self-centered society, marriage doesn't fit our world any more.  She makes a good point.  Marriage will not work where there is childish self-centeredness.  It will fail.  However, marriage is not the problem.  Self-centeredness is the problem.  The same self-centeredness that runs contrary to marriage will ultimately destroy this nation, just like a virus that destroys cells in your body.  Ever wonder how something as tiny as a virus could kill a human?  It does it one cell at a time.  The virus knows that in order to destroy the body, you must destroy it at the most basic level- the cellular level.  The same is true of any society or nation- in order to destroy it, you have to take out the family.  If you can't take out the family completely, then make the families sick.  Split up the parents.  Get couples living in "I'll stay in as long as it is good for me" relationships so that the transmission of values to the next generation never happens.  Grow up an entire generation of kids who never had fathers in the home.  Grow up an entire generation of kids living in two separate homes every other weekend, never having stability or the foundation of a secure, stable home.  That sounds like a great way to kill a nation. 

So, keep at it, Ms Diaz.  You and all your self-centered movie stars out in the the fantasy world of Hollywood just don't get it.  Continue living in your perpetual adolescence where the end of your nose is where your vision stops.  My advice?  Stick to acting.  We like your movies- but we can't stand your philosophies.

The Power of Inertia

I remember well sitting in science class in high school and learning about inertia.  The law of inertia states that objects will remain in their current state of motion unless acted upon by an outside force.  In other words, a ball will stay where it is on the ground unless someone kicks it, throws it, or it rolls downhill (acted upon by gravity). 

I have recently realized the power of this physical law on the spiritual lives of Christians.  I have often wondered why it is that some people can go to church for months, years, decades and remain basically the same.  I have often wondered why others can come to church and be radically altered in a short while.  I have wondered how two hundred or two thousand people can hear the same message, read the same passage of Scripture, sing the same song, pray the same prayer- and yet have exceedingly different results. 

The law of spiritual inertia says two things:  1) you will stay exactly where you are (that's the natural default mode of humanity.  Don't change.  Resist change.  Stay where you are.  It's safe, it's comfortable, it's familiar) unless 2) you are acted upon by an outside force.  The outside force that acts upon us is the very Spirit of God.  Because the default mode of people is spiritual stagnation and complacency, it takes an active effort on the part of the believer to allow the Spirit of God to move us.  It takes intentional surrender and intentional action to break out of the current state of motion you are in.  The default mode of humanity is NOT the pursuit of God and His purpose for you.  The default mode is inaction.  Laziness.  Spiritual apathy. 

I believe it is important for pastors to understand the spiritual law of inertia.  Our congregations, barring intentional surrender to the outside action of the Holy Spirit, are complying with the law of inertia, remaining where they are, who they are, and being totally okay with it.   I believe it is important for every Christian to realize that once the Spirit acts upon you and moves you, you develop momentum, and that momentum keeps you moving forward.

However, the Spirit of God isn't the only outside force acting upon you.  Why, when you kick or throw a ball, does it eventually stop?  Another force is at work known as friction.  Friction stops forward motion and returns an object to a standstill.  If you develop momentum in your Christian life, being acted upon by the Spirit of God, you will encounter friction.  Friction from other believers, friction from the unbelieving world, friction from just about anywhere you can imagine.  This world fears someone with spiritual momentum.  It fears anything different, anything unique, anything that is revolutionary. 

Today, allow yourself to be acted upon by the outside force of the Spirit of God.  There is probably a great deal more in life that God wants for you than you are currently living.  Go for it.

Sympathy of Iran(ians)

One of the great things about playing soccer is the number of people from foreign countries and cultures that you get to meet.  Last night I went over to the Indoor Soccer Arena to play the final game of the season.  Many of the teams were short on players, and I wound up playing on three different teams over the course of 2.5 hours.  Awesome night.

One of the teams I played on was called FC Persia.  It was called that for a good reason- the entire team was from Iran.  In between games, I got to talking with them.  They were super nice guys and were very open to talking about their country.  I asked one of them, "What is your honest opinion of Ahdmedinijad (or however you spell his name)?  He said, "He's a tyrant.  The whole world HATES US because of him.  Nobody likes him- he only keeps power by brute force.  He kills his own citizens.  It's terrible over there."

Once again, another one of my stereotypes was shattered.  I realized again how people who live in a free society have no right to criticize people who live in totalitarian societies.  Because of news stories and all that, I have been conditioned to think that the crazy Iranian president truly did represent his people.  What I found last night was that the Iranian people don't support him, don't like him, and are very well aware of what people in the world think of them because of him.  These people were not fanatics, they were not jihadists.  They were not Holocaust-denying psychos bent on punishing the infidels.  They were people with their own thoughts, own beliefs, and own criticisms of their country.

They couldn't believe how Americans were allowed to speak about their President.  They couldn't believe that Americans could walk into a store and buy a gun- in Iran, gun ownership is illegal.  I guess it's difficult to terrorize your own people when they can shoot back, right Ahdmedinijad?  They loved many things about America- most of them said they were never going back to Iran.  Several of them had family members and friends that had been imprisoned or killed by the government over there.

Walking away from that soccer game, I had a new view on Iran.  Or, should I say, Iranians.  They have my sympathy- I have never lived under a tyrant.  I have never lived in a totalitarian society where the rights of people aren't respected.  I have never felt the disapproval of the world like the Iranians have- all for things they have no control over.  While I still believe Iran to be a dangerous country, I don't blame the Iranian people.  They hate their government as much as we do.

Lastly, they were very interested in the fact that I was a minister.  I told them I pastored a church.  They said, "Hmm!"  Then they invited me to be on their team.  I plan to go back and play with them.  Maybe they will want to hear about Jesus.  Even if they don't, I look forward to hearing more about their side of the world.

Importance of Fundamentals

Yesterday was a different kind of day- normally my middle school soccer team (which I am very proud of) has games Tuesdays and Thursdays, but this past Thursday we had a team cancel on us, and we just had practice.  Seeing as how we don't play until next Tuesday, there wasn't anything pressing to work on, and I decided it would simply be a day where we hit fundamentals very hard.

For an hour and a half I ran my players through things they learned (or should have learned) when they were 6 years old.  Over and over again they practiced striking the ball with accuracy, receiving a ball and controlling it, etc.  I'm sure it was boring.  I'm sure it wasn't thrilling to these guys. 

I believe this is a life lesson that applies to everything:  when the fundamentals are good, everything is good.  You can apply this lesson anywhere, anytime.  Why is our government in so much debt?  The fundamental law- spend less than you make- wasn't followed.  Why are our schools being outperformed by dozens of other countries?  We've neglected fundamentals of reading, writing, and arithmetic.  Why are our churches so anemic?  We don't know the first thing about the Bible.  We don't know who Jesus is.  We don't know anything about grace.

The fundamentals.  The building blocks of life.  The best soccer teams I've ever been on were ones that did the ordinary things- dribbling, passing, defense- extraordinarily well.  The best churches I've been in are ones that do the ordinary things- prayer, study, love, grace- extraordinarily well.  The most effective Christians I know are ones that have strong fundamental beliefs that lead and guide in every aspect of their lives. 

Perhaps it is time to refocus on the fundamentals.  Are they exciting?  No.  Are they thrilling?  Nope.  Do they make headlines?  Not often.  Are they essential?  Absolutely. 

One of my players actually complained yesterday.  He said, "You should make this exciting."  I stopped practice, called my team around me, and said this, "Let me tell you what "exciting" is.  "Exciting" is when the other team knows this stuff and you don't.  "Exciting" is when the other team can shoot with accuracy and you can't.  "Exciting" is when the other team knows how to play defense and you don't.  Exciting?  You guys don't need "exciting."  You guys need to learn how to play the game."

Maybe Christians are the same way.  Maybe we need to learn how to play the game instead of wanting everything to be "exciting."  Maybe we need to sit in silence for awhile, basking in the presence of God.  Exciting?  Maybe not.  Maybe we need to begin a serious study of God's Word, not just a verse here and there.  Exciting?  Maybe, maybe not.  Maybe a little less emphasis on excitement and a little more emphasis on fundamentals is exactly what our anemic, comfortable, non-controversial churches need these days.  Maybe it's simply what I need.