Speechless

22 Aug , 2008 31 Comments

It’s surprising for one who traffics in words to find himself at a dead end.  But here we are, struggling to find the words to express our gratitude to you, our dear friends, for the outpouring of love that we have experienced over the past few days.  Stacy wants you to know that she is overwhelmed by your love.  Your words have not only sustained her but have allowed her to prevail in these days.  We love each one of you so much.

By the grace of God she is recovering well from surgery.  She is experiencing the sweet presence of Jesus and clearly the joy of the Lord is her strength (I caught her singing “Great is Thy Faithfulness” yesterday morning).  We had the first of many meetings with doctors and we have established a course of action that will include chemotherapy and radiation.  We hope to begin chemotherapy in a few weeks which will last for about six months with radiation to follow.  We’ll keep you posted.  Most of all we want to thank you for your prayers.  What a great God we serve.  Our Redeemer is faithful and true.   

We love you all.

An Unexpected Journey

17 Aug , 2008 194 Comments

Many of you now know that my precious Stacy has been diagnosed with cancer. Following a routine mammogram we discovered that she would have to undergo surgery. Believing that this would be a simple “bump in the road” we moved ahead with surgery on Tuesday. During surgery the doctor informed me that he had found that the cancer was not as contained as originally thought. Chemotherapy would be the next course of action.The past month has been a difficult, heart-breaking, and yet hopeful journey for our family. We have all embraced this unexpected journey as an opportunity for God to show Himself great. We have incredible children who love God with all their hearts and they have been amazing. I’ve often said, “Stacy is the purest person I know” and she has a heart to serve Jesus with her life. On Tuesday night, as she was brought into her hospital room following surgery, through tears she quoted her life verse:

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

Stacy has totally surrendered this situation to the Lord for His purposes and glory. Knowing that we serve a loving and sovereign God who is control of all things, our entire family is committed to a desire for Jesus to be known and seen through our lives. I will honor my wife and at the same time inform you along the way. What we need more than anything else is, of course, your prayers. I would love for you to encourage Stacy. You can leave a comment here and in time she’ll read every single one. We love you all so much. Please pray for peace and wisdom in the coming days.

The book is here!

05 Aug , 2008 5 Comments

The book has finally arrived (here we are on the day we got our first copy)!  I am so thankful to the many people who have helped make this a reality.  May God be honored and His Kingdom advanced with every reading.  Tell your friends!  You can get copies through Amazon.com  click here

Rediscovering the Mission of Jesus

16 Jul , 2008 2 Comments

My daughter Whitney- living in love in Guatemala City. 

I saw the Kingdom advancing in Guatemala.  Over the course of a week our teams saw 1,745 people come to Christ.  It was unbelieveble.  I was struck again by the simplicity of the Christian life and how the Kingdom of God advances through people with a simple passion for Jesus and a love for others.  We partnered with local churches and served alongside them every day.  We shared the love of Christ with people in the parks, schools, workplaces, churches, alleys, shops, and in their homes. 

My team served in an incredible church- La Familia de Dios Iglesia Buatista.  Pastor Mario and his people are truly pursuing Jesus on the move in their community and they’ve decided to join Him in what He’s doing.  They saw the need for medical assistance to those who cannot afford (many who’ve never seen a doctor before) and so they established a clinic once a month.  We went into homes of women who had recently come to the clinic and because they were first loved by the people in the church they welcomed us gladly into their homes.  We saw several teenage moms (two were 16 and pregnant with their second child) come to Christ. 

Mario decided the best way to reach their community was for each person to share Christ in the context of established relationships (imagine that!).  So they’ve established “Lighthouses”- small groups in homes designed to be missional communities to reach their friends and neighbors (sounds familiar).  We were in on nearly every night.  

Here’s just one of a million stories: Francisco (32 years old) was very concerned about his mother, Amelia.  She had lost her husband and had recently been diagnosed with diabetes.  He knew she has never received Christ.  he wanted us to go see her so we went to her humble home and shared the love Jesus with her.  I shared with her that Christ was at the door of her heart and He wanted her to open the door and let Him in (Rev. 3:20).  She seemed resistant even though she clearly understood what Christ had done for her.  In the midst of our conversation our translator, Maria, got up and left the room.  I assumed she going to the bathroom and was thinking, “This is not a good time to leave!”   A moment later there was a dramatic knock at the door.  Amelia got up and answered the door.  It was Maria!  She said, “Will you let me in?”  Amelia laughed and said, “Yes, come in!”  Maria, paused and said, “Well, you don’t know me and yet you’re going to let me in?”  “Yes”, Amelia said.  Maria continued, “…and yet you know how much Jesus loves you and what He’s done for you but you won’t let Him in?”  Amelia broke.  Through tears she said, “I’m ready.”  She threw her arms around Maria and the two wept in the doorway.  We all gathered around and wept and hugged Amelia.  I watched Francisco weep over his sweet mom as he celebrated her new life in Christ.

Time and time again we saw stories like this one (I need to tell more) and we were constantly reminded that God is always at work in and through people who are willing to displace themselves (whether across the sea or across the room) and join Him in loving others into His Kingdom.

Change or Die

25 Jun , 2008 1 Comment

I’ve referenced two recent articles in the DMN that have confirmed what some of us have sensed for a while. In his article “Southern Baptist Convention- Realities looming ahead of gathering”, Sam Hodges quoted SBC president Frank Page who said “that many of our churches are not connecting with the younger generation, and they’re certainly not connecting with our growing secular culture. Because of that, I fear many churches will die.” Christine Wicker’s article (link above) points out that half of the SBC’s 43,000 churches will have shut their doors by 2030 if current trends continue. It’s time for church leaders to change or die.

For a long time I’ve been a proponent for some radical shifts in our churches (not changes but seismic shifts). We tried “changes” during the “seeker-sensitive” years of the 90s. I believe our motives were pure (to create a church for the unchurched) and evangelism was at the core of our changes) but, in the end, all we got was a consumer-focused mindset that simply came into the church and asked, “What’s in it for me?” Ironically, we wondered, “Who said it was about you?” Jesus never offered a bait and switch message. The shift is to move from the attractional church (come and see) to the incarnational church (go and be). That was the Church Jesus envisioned all along.

It seems the problem is at the core of what we’ve been fighting for so long. We need to re-think the Gospel. No, it hasn’t changed; it’s just a lot bigger than we thought it was. We thought the Gospel was solely about getting people into heaven. Clearly it is, but it’s also about the broader forgiveness of Christ that sets us free from our sin and our selfish lives so we can serve others in His name. We thought the Kingdom of God was about some place “in the sweet by and by” instead of wherever Jesus reigns and rules in the hearts of His people as Lord. His Kingdom is coming but it’s bigger than we thought. We thought the Bible was about doctrine and truth to be argued instead of forgiveness and freedom that’s found in the One who is the Truth. The culture wars have been more a battle over grace than they have been a battle over truth. You can argue over truth with a radical Muslim all day long. It is grace that sets Christianity apart from the religions of the world.

I’ve quoted Rick Warren who said, “The Body of Christ has had its hands and feet amputated and all that’s left is a big mouth.” Still some argue that the answer is to simply continue on with the same message- just louder. The shift will come when the people of the church repent and decide to align everything they do with the mission of Jesus to restore and redeem our broken world. The shift will not come through an institution but a revolution. It will not be through a denomination but a movement. And as it comes, so will the Kingdom of God among us as we join Jesus who is already on the move. The Gospel is bigger than we think and it’s time to wake up and show the world.

I want to be among those who, with an ear towards heaven and a resolve to follow Jesus, are courageous enough to ask the hard questions and do whatever it takes to see His Kingdom come (regardless of the cost). Some of you saw another article this week that revealed many evangelical Christians (and Baptists) have forsaken critical truths (namely salvation through Christ alone). Much needs to change but one thing will never change: Jesus is Lord. A reformation is needed and it will come as God’s Spirit falls upon a prayer-soaked people, clinging to God, with a simple and uncluttered message: “Jesus is Lord.”