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.

Good Christian B**ches

I recently heard that there was a new show planning to run on ABC called, "Good Christian Bitches."  It's about a lady who returns to a community and is the subject of malicious talk from the women in the Christian community.  No doubt it will be a cross between Desperate Housewives, The Real Housewives of Whatever County, and Sex in the City. 

I'm not here to say whether or not it should be aired.  My first thought on the subject was, "Why do the writers of this show have this material to work with?"  The sin of gossip and slander, unfortunately, is probably the most obvious act of disobedience to Scripture in the church.  It is everywhere.  Everywhere you look, Christian people, men and women (but women in particular- I'm not being sexist, just observant) slander and gossip and talk maliciously about just about anything you can think of.  As a minister, I have been the subject of more malicious talk, gossip, and slander in the church than just about anyone else I know.  It flows freely in Christian communities, Christian families, and Christian events. 

The thing that hurts even worse is when the unbelieving world sees it and we don't.  The writers for this show, unfortunately, aren't going to have to make up ANYTHING.  All they have to do is attend church for a few months and they will have all the material they will need.  All they have to do is observe Christian conversation in the church hallways.  They will probably hear something malicious about a minister or a person in the church.  Lord help us if they ever get a hold of private text messages or emails sent from Christian to Christian.  That will provide more than enough material for the writers of this show.

I guess what I am trying to say is this- Christians, I am upset about this show, but to be honest, we've brought this on ourselves.  I think the reason I am most upset is that it isn't a fabrication.  They will probably show a very real portrayal.  They will show, on national tv, what happens every day in our communities and churches.  They will make fun of us using material WE have provided for them.  I say we stop providing them with the material and follow Scripture when it comes to our mouths.

Proverbs 10:19- "When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise."
Ephesians 4:29- "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful   for building others up, that it may benefit those who listen."
Proverbs 18:2- "Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions."

The list goes on.  This TV show has called out the Christian community on one of its biggest areas of disobedience to Scripture.  Protest it if you want, but get your own house in order first.

Deaths in Arizona

Like most of you, I have been shocked and saddened by the reports of the senseless killings in Arizona- a federal judge, a 9 year old girl, and four others, as well as 13 or so wounded.  I watched the news and heard all the commentary.  I've seen pictures of the guy who did it and of his victims.  It's been on my mind all day.

I've been listening to the commentaries from all sides.  I've heard the incident described from several different perspectives:  MSNBC commentators called the motive a "right-wing ideology."  FoxNews was quick to point out that his favorite books were "Mein Kampf" and "The Communist Manifesto," showing he was a left-winger.  Gun-control advocates are hollering for more gun-control.  Pro-gun people are pointing out that the Arizona Congresswoman was pro Second Amendment.  Mental health professionals are talking about his mental illness and how we need more treatment.  It's a frenzy of commentary, and it does make you stop and think.

However, the one thing that I have not heard from all the commentators is this:  this act was evil.  Why does our society have such a problem with calling evil for what it truly is?  We jump to the labels of right and left, political agendas about guns or banning guns, evaluating the mind but not the heart.  This act, this mass pre-meditated murder of innocent people, was pure evil.  In our attempts to be a non-judgmental culture, the word "evil" has gone the way of the dodo bird.  To describe something as "evil" is politically incorrect.  However, I call it like I see it.  This was an evil act perpetuated by a human being with a dead soul, and it's about time someone said it.

I think our reluctance to categorize anything as "evil" also shields us from looking too closely at ourselves.  To think that we are incapable of such an act ourselves is to think naively about ourselves.  You and I have the same sin nature that this man has.  If we leave it unchecked, if we don't allow the love and grace of Jesus Christ to destroy that sin nature and replace it with love, we will be capable of the same act.  Will all of us become murderers?  No.  Or Yes.  In the sermon on the mount, Jesus says that whoever harbors hatred in his heart is the same as a murderer.  Yes, there is evil in you, and there is evil in me.  It's about time we start calling it what it is.

This act in Arizona was evil.  It won't be solved by more gun control, blaming right or left, analyzing mental health, etc.  The only way things like this will stop is when the heart changes.  I guess what is so scary about the murderer in Arizona is that I am so much like him.  I have the same nature, the same anger, the same ability to kill, that he does.  And so do you.  I am in desperate need of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to kill that sin nature within me and replace it with a spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  And so are you.

Dear kid in whatever third world country: Let me tell you about my bad day.

Dear Kid:

I saw your picture on tv today, so I figured I would write you a little bit about my day.  It was terrible.  One of the worst days of my life. 

I got up out of my comfortable Queen-sized bed, out of my warm flannel sheets and complained about having to get up early.  I started the shower (I let it run to get warm- at least five gallons of water went down the drain.  I heard water is scarce where you are, but this is about me, not you).  It took forever to get hot.  After my shower, I got out, and I was freezing cold.  The gas heat in my house was only set to 66 degrees (heat is so expensive and we hate paying the bills- I'm sure you understand). I was in a bad mood because I didn't want to go to work that day to a job that pays me very well.

I opened up the fridge (yes, we have a fridge- it keeps food from spoiling so we have plenty of it around) and I was so angry that all we had was Skim milk.  I swore under my breath as I went to the cupboard to look at my choices of cereal for the day.  I only had about five to choose from.  I was really mad at my wife for not getting my favorite cereal.  See how bad my day already is?

When I left for work, it was even worse.  I got into my 255-hp 2002 Nissan Maxima and had to wait a full minute before the heat kicked in.  I can't believe I have a car that is 8 years old.  See how rough my life is?  How old is your car?  Probably a lot newer than mine. 

I drove to work on paved streets.  They are so annoying.  There was, incredibly, ONE pothole in the road.  I'll bet they don't have potholes in the paved roads where you live.  Americans are so lazy.  They never fix anything.  When I got to work, I walked into the heated building, which was still cold- about 65 degrees.  You'd think people would crank up the heat a little in the wintertime, you know?  What temperature do you keep your house at?  I'll bet it's a lot more comfortable than mine.

I worked in this comfortable building until lunchtime, and then my friend and I went out for lunch.  I was pretty hacked off that we went and got Chinese food instead of going to get pizza like I wanted to.  As a matter of fact, the all-you-can-eat buffet we went to didn't have a single good thing.  I'll bet the restaurants you go to are much better. 

My iPhone wasn't getting good reception.  In fact, I had two dropped calls that day, and my internet was running slow.  It took almost two full minutes for all of my emails to be downloaded to my phone.  Who's got THAT kind of time?  I called my cell phone company and complained.  Do you have 3G at your house?  My house is in a dead zone and sometimes I have to walk around to different rooms in my house to get reception.  My life is so hard.  I hope you are hearing this.

When I got home from work, I turned on my DirectTV.  Can you believe it?  300 channels and there was NOTHING on worth watching.  Why the heck do I pay the cable bill?  My wife came in and started yelling at me.  I sat there in my leather chair with my feet on the coffee table in my comfortable clothes in my warm house watching tv and listened.  See how hard my life is?  My friends' wives don't yell at THEM.  Man, what a terrible day I've had.

The kids were loud that night.  I guess when all of them are healthy, disease-free, well-fed, and loved, they make a lot of noise.  It's so annoying.  After dinner, there was a huge stack of dishes that needed to be washed.  I complained about it being MY turn to wash the dishes.  Know what I had to do?  I had to actually walk over to the sink, turn on the running water (which I'm sure you have in your house, right?) and wash these dishes BY HAND.  Pain in the rump.  Can you believe the inconvenience?  Not only that, but the kids didn't eat half of what was on their plates, so I had to carry the plates over to the garbage can and throw it all away.  Talk about tough!  See why I've had such a bad day?

Then, when it came time to go to bed, I brushed my teeth with more running water with awful tasting toothpaste (what kind of toothpaste do you use?  I'm sure it's better than the kind we have here).  I had to crawl back into my warm, comfortable Queen sized bed with flannel sheets and think about how awful tomorrow was going to be.  See, tomorrow, I'm going Christmas shopping and I'm going to buy about $1000 worth of gifts to people who live just like me.  The gifts I get them will probably wind up in a yard sale in a year or two, but hey, you got to get the folks SOMETHING.  What did you get for Christmas last year?  Are the malls in your town as crowded as the ones here?  Do the people in your village spend as much as we do?  I hope you get better things for Christmas than I do.  Last year I didn't get half of what I was expecting.

Oh well, thanks for listening to my awful day.  Please write me back and let me know if you have days like I just had.

Your new pen pal,
Dave

Isn't She Beautiful? Part 2

Today I met my beautiful wife at Chik-Fil-A (most excellent!) and as we were sitting there, we ran into three people that blessed my day.  First was Bob Young.  Bob was a teacher at Henry Clay when I was there back in the late 80's.  To say that this is a godly man is the understatement of the year.  While I was at Southern Acres, I was blessed to be able to visit and care for his mother in her final stages of Alzheimers.  I also was blessed to get to know his father, the incomparable Palmer Young whose life influenced countless preachers and churches through his 60-plus years of ministry.  Bob's kind, caring personality and his steady faithfulness is a witness to the love of Christ.

Five minutes after we talked with Bob, up walked a good friend named Greg Williams.  Greg is a man passionately devoted to Christ- if you talk with him for more than two minutes, you are hearing about Jesus.  His powerful walk with Christ inspires and challenges me to surrender more and more of my life to Christ, and his passion is contagious.  Greg's challenging, courageous personality is a witness to the power of Christ.

Five minutes after we talked with Greg, I saw an old friend from my youth ministry days named David Jones.  David was an up and coming youth minister- one of the best in the business- until several years ago he was fired from his church for some immoral behavior.  I lost touch with him until today.  When I saw him today, I found out that not only is he back in ministry, but he is in ministry at the SAME CHURCH he used to work at.  To say this is rare is an understatement- I have seen so many graceless churches that would never give a minister another chance.  David has gotten his marriage together, his life together, and is going full steam in ministry now.  What a blessing.  David's restored life and renewed sense of calling is a witness to the amazing grace of Christ.

Three friends.  Three different people showing three different examples of Christ.  Christ's love.  Christ's power.  Christ's grace.  All in a period of one hour.  As I drove away from Chik-Fil-A today, I just whispered to myself, "Isn't She Beautiful?"  I would not have known these fine men without the church.  Like I said in another blog, I have met some of the worst people I've ever met by being in the church.  But like I said before, and say again today, the very BEST people I've ever met, I have met in the church.  I saw three of them today.  Bob, Greg, David- what blessings you were to me today.  It just reaffirms the statement, "Isn't She Beautiful?"

Are We Living in the End Times?

For many years, I looked with scorn at such a question.  I remember hearing people say, "Repent!  God is coming soon!"  He never arrived.  At least, He didn't arrive in the way I defined "soon."  I also remember as a little kid wondering when Jesus would return (after all, the Bible says Jesus will return to earth one day).  I was told by many people, "No one knows the day or the hour.  Only God knows that."

As I grew older, however, I began to notice Bible prophecy and ask that question again.  Are we truly living in the end times?  Is this the last chapter of human history?  Is Jesus going to return soon?  While no one knows the day or the hour, the Bible says we CAN know the season.  Jesus even told us to be watchful.  He instructed us to look for the signs of His soon return in Luke 12:

 ⁵⁴ He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does. ⁵⁵ And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. ⁵⁶ Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?"

I began to get interested in Bible prophecy about ten years ago after hearing Dave Reagan speak at Southern Acres Christian Church.  As I have studied the signs of the times listed in the Bible, from the prophesied re-establishment of Israel in 1948 by the Balfour Declaration (an event the Bible says is the beginning of the end times) to the multiple signs in the world today (the movement towards a cashless society, the movement towards a one-world currency, the movement towards a one-world religion, the turning of the world against Israel, etc) I am more and more convinced that God is calling His people and the people of the world to "interpret this present time" as Jesus instructed us to.

We will be doing a six-week study of Revelation in a series called "The End" starting this Sunday.  What better time to talk about the return of Christ when the world is thinking about His birth?  Jesus arrived in this world once as a baby.  The second time He arrives, He arrives as the King of kings and Lord of lords.  We will be looking intensely at the way the Bible says everything will end.  We will also be talking about what the role of the Christian should be.  Should we be afraid?  Should we cower in fear? Should we worry?  Should we deny everything?  Or should we structure our lives so that the return of Christ will be everything we've ever looked forward to?


I have never taught a series on Revelation before.  I have never really thought about the end times seriously before.  I have always just kind of gone on with things, thinking the times will last forever.  They won't.  If they do, the Bible is full of lies, because over 20% of the Bible is prophecy.  The times won't last forever- there will be an end, and I happen to believe it is soon.  I don't know the day or the hour, but I do know how to read the signs of the times.  If you want to know what these signs are, come to Catalyst for the next six weeks and find out.  Hope to see you there!