She Died With Her Running Shoes On

Eighty-six year old Joy Johnson, a veteran of 25 New York City marathons, died with her running shoes on. Johnson, who was the oldest runner in 2013’s marathon, fell at the 20 mile marker in the event. She crossed the finish line at about eight hours. After the race she returned to her hotel room, lay down with her shoes on, and never woke up.

Amazingly, Johnson didn't run her first marathon until she was sixty-one years old. The only hint of the sport was the verse from Isaiah 40:31 which hung on the kitchen wall in her family farm home in rural Minnesota: "But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."

Ironically, the career gym teacher, Johnson was a stranger to personal exercise until she took a three-mile walk in 1986. Then she started jogging and competing in 10-K races. By 1988 she had competed in her first New York City Marathon. Three years later she recorded her best time at age sixty-four with a time of 3 hours and 55 minutes.

A few years ago she told a reporter about her exercise regimen. She would wake up at 4 A.M., drink her coffee while reading her Bible, and then set out on an eight mile pre-dawn run. "When you wake up it can either be a good day or a bad day," Ms. Johnson said. "I always say, 'It's going to be a good day.'"

The devout Christian ran every day but Sunday so she could attend church. Johnson sang hymns to herself to pass the time while running. According to Johnson's daughter, "She was always a happy runner—and besides her faith and family, this was something she loved the most."

Joy Johnson died with her running shoes on! I suppose this could serve as her epitaph. Joy Johnson died while doing the things she loved.

What will my family choose as my epitaph? What will yours be? We determine that which will be said of us when we are gone by the choices we make every day. The way I live my life each day tells the world who I am.

While I’ve not chosen to run a marathon, I am choosing this New Year to live my life in such a way that my family will know exactly who I was and what I loved when my life is over. This day, I choose to live a life that will leave no doubt as to my priorities.

With love,

Mike

Incarnation

As Christians, we affirm a belief in the Son, Jesus Christ. We say that God took on human form, came and lived among us, suffered the same trials that we suffer, experienced the same feelings that we experience. Jesus was purely human and purely divine. Jesus was not just God. Jesus was God incarnate.

Soren Kierkegaard, the great Danish theologian of another century, tells a story of a prince who wanted to find a maiden suitable to be his queen. One day, he passed through a poor section of town. As he glanced out the windows of his carriage, his eyes fell upon a beautiful peasant maiden. During the ensuing days, he often passed by the young lady and soon fell in love. But he had a problem. How would he seek her hand?

He could order her to marry him. But even a prince wants his bride to marry him freely and voluntarily and not through coercion. He could put on his most splendid uniform and drive up to her front door in a carriage drawn by six horses. But if he did this, he would never be certain whether the maiden loved him or was simply overwhelmed by the splendor.

As you might have guessed, the prince gave up his kingly robe. He moved into the village, entering not with a crown, but in the garb of a peasant. He lived among the people, sharing their interests and concerns. In time, the maiden grew to love him for who he was and because he had first loved her.

This very simple, almost childlike story, written by one of the most brilliant minds of our time, explains what we Christians mean by the incarnation. God came and lived among us. In the person of Jesus we are told that God, that mysterious Other who created the stars and the universe, is willing to go all the way; to be one of us, to speak our language, eat our food, share our suffering, and die on a cross. Why? So that we might be redeemed – and grow to love Him.

With Love,

Mike

Promises and Signs

The birth of a child is not a time for asking questions – unless there are concerns about issues that are known in advance of the birth. The birth of a child is a time to celebrate – hopefully, without any complications at all. But we know there were complications surrounding the conception and subsequent birth of Jesus. Mary and Joseph were engaged to be married, but were not yet married. There was concern about Mary traveling such a great distance so late in her pregnancy. There was concern about whether or not there would be lodging for them in Bethlehem. And there was concern over where the birth would actually take place. But there was no concern over whether or not this was the plan of God.

Normal gestation is approximately 40 weeks from conception to delivery. Modern medicine divides pregnancy into three, 3-month periods, or trimesters. Physicians warn young mothers about the dangers of strenuous activity during the third trimester—after the start of the 28th week of gestation. Mary was going to travel—by donkey, no less—in her thirty-ninth week! And no physician was available.

But the timing of the birth of Mary’s first child was not the central question. The primary question was, “Why Mary?” Why would God select her for such a huge responsibility?

The Jews believed that the Messiah would be a descendant of David. Isaiah wrote, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel!” (Isaiah 7:14) Simply stated, this is what the Scripture states: God keeps His promises!

In the Old Testament, God’s promises were often accompanied by special signs. With Abraham God “signed” his covenant with a ram caught in a thicket. With Moses, God “signed” His covenant with a flaming bush, a rod of power, and a series of miracles. When Mary asked, “How can this be, since I have no husband?” the angel offered two signs—her child would be conceived miraculously, and her cousin Elizabeth would bear a child in her old age. Both promises were fulfilled.

The signs were more than enough. Mary never questioned God further about the child. Not once, from those moments of revelation until her son was crucified on a cross.

This season is not a time for questions. Instead, it is a time to celebrate Christ’s birth. And it is a time to celebrate God’s Covenant with all who follow him in faith. During this Christmas season, let us celebrate the God we worship—a God so committed to keeping his promises that He accompanied them with signs that still cause us to wonder – and to worship.

With Love,

Mike

Taste and See

In 1989, Carlo Petrini started a movement known as "Slow Food". The movement exists to counter the world's ever-increasing dependence upon fast food. The preservative-laden, mass-produced fast food meals are neither good for us, nor for our environment, argue Petrini and his comrades.

They encourage people to eat foods grown locally and to preserve cultural cuisine. In addition, Slow Food undertakes what proponents call “taste education.” This process helps people rediscover the joys of eating food made from fresh, quality ingredients.

Many people are insulted by the idea that their taste is not what it should be. But anyone who is deeply invested in the culinary world knows that some tastes must be developed, and as long as our cravings are satisfied with processed, prepared foods, we will never be able to appreciate more delicate, nourishing fare.

In a similar way, many people have lost their taste for the things of God. Innumerable rivals compete to satisfy the hungers of our spirit, and as long as people continue to eat and drink from the world's offerings, they will not be able to see the appeal of the nourishment God offers them. As John Piper writes, "If you don't feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because you have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because you have nibbled so long at the table of the world. Your soul is stuffed with small things, and there is no room for the great. God did not create you for this. There is an appetite for God. And it can be awakened."

Scripture commands us: "Taste and see that the LORD is good…” Psalm 34:8a

If you are not sure whether you have ever tasted the goodness of God, stop and think about what might be dulling your spiritual senses. Has your craving for the praise of men, the sophistication of the world, or mind-numbing entertainment deadened your hunger for God? It may be that by removing yourself, at least for a time, from whatever has killed your spiritual hungers, you will be able to taste the goodness of God in a way that you have never known it before.

If you have tasted God, and you know his goodness, do not be satisfied with anything less. Peter puts it this way, "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good." 1 Peter 2:2-3

With Love,

Mike

The Blessing of Asking for Forgiveness

If therefore thou art offering thy gift at the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

Matthew 4:23-24

Being reconciled to a brother means both forgiving and being willing to forgive. Both are necessary and both bring blessings.

Many years ago, a professor at the University of Edinburgh was listening to his students as they presented oral readings. One young man rose to begin his recitation but was abruptly stopped by the professor. “You are holding the book in the wrong hand,” criticized the educator. “Take your book in the right hand and be seated.”

Responding to this strong rebuke, the young man held up his right arm. He didn’t have a right hand! The other students were deathly quiet and began to shift in their seats. For a moment the professor sat in dumfounded silence. Then he slowly made his way to the student, put his arm around him and with a tear in his eye, said, “I am so sorry. I never knew. Please, will you forgive me?”

This willingness made a strong impact on the young man and later inspired him to pursue the Christian ministry.

When we are forgiven, the burden of guilt is lifted, and we are set free. But before we receive forgiveness from the one we’ve wronged, we must ask to be forgiven. The very act of asking is itself a grace, giving testimony to the work the Holy Spirit has accomplished in our heart in order to bring us to the point where we can see and admit our sin. Our willingness to confess that sin to a brother can have an impact we never imagined.

With Love,

Mike

5 Kernels of Corn

During this Thanksgiving season, our hearts and minds turn to the blessings that we have received. For most of us, they are abundant, and we have much for which to be thankful. But the enormity of the blessing is clearest to us when we are able to contrast it with times of meager existence.

The Pilgrims endured incredible hardship when they came to the New World seeking a life of freedom. After three months at sea on the Mayflower, they landed to face a brutal winter. They were physically and emotionally ravaged, there was no food, and they possessed no resources for surviving the elements.

Nearly half of the company died, and those who survived existed on the brink of death as they battled against exposure, sickness, and starvation. They were unfamiliar with the new environment, and gardens proved fruitless. They rationed every bite of food, and at one point, only five men were well enough to care for the sick.

Despite it all, they continued to worship, and they gave thanks to God every day along with the earnest petitions they offered up for His presence and help. One Sunday morning, they received tangible evidence that God had heard their prayers. Their worship service was interrupted by an unexpected guest, an Algonquin Indian chief, who assessed their hopeless situation. He left and then returned with a helper named Squanto.

You know the story. Squanto spoke perfect English and taught the Pilgrims how to hunt, trap, and plant Indian corn, a staple that would save their lives. What followed was a marvelous shared feast of thanksgiving.

But the Pilgrims’ hardships were far from over. The plentiful autumn was followed by another treacherous winter and a terrible drought. To make matters worse, their supplies were completely depleted when more colonists arrived on the ship Fortune.

At their lowest point, the Pilgrims were reduced to a daily ration of five kernels of corn for each person. In utter desperation, they fell to their knees and prayed for eight hours without ceasing. Again God heard their supplications, and fourteen days of rain followed. A second day of thanksgiving was declared.

Eventually, as the months and years passed, God helped the Pilgrim company to become firmly established and to thrive in their new home. But it is said that ever after, when they came to a feast of thanksgiving, they placed five kernels of corn at the plate of each person who came to celebrate. It served as a bold reminder of the tough times – the times when they survived only by the direct hand of God.

As you approach this Thanksgiving Day, you may be looking back on a year filled with joy and abundance, or you may have experienced a year of hardship. For most of us, it has probably been a mixed bag – times of plenty and times of sorrow. Whatever the situation, as we sit down to a feast this Thanksgiving, perhaps we would do well to think of the five kernels of corn. Not only will we be reminded that God is present during the bleakest of times, but we will be more appreciative of the enormity of the blessings in the good times.

With Love,

Mike

Pursue Excellence

I once heard a sports analyst describe an undefeated college team this way: "They have a tendency to play at the level of their opponents. They seem to do only as much as is necessary to win, and nothing more." He went on to say, "Their mediocrity will catch up them; they won't be serious contenders for the national championship this year." He was right; they lost that weekend.

Mediocrity is a curse. Mediocrity does what it can to avoid a bad showing, but rarely concerns itself with an excellent showing.

We see this all too often in worship. We see it in congregations who engage themselves half-heartedly in a worship service.

We also see it in our approach to ministry, from the way we print our bulletins to the extent of our efforts to reach the lost. Many churches are held back only by their commitment to mediocrity.

In talking about his approach to ministry, Paul said, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one get the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize." (1 Corinthians 9:24)

He's talking about pursuing excellence in everything: in the way we strive for holiness, in the way we reach out to others, in the way we live for Jesus. His words echo the words of Solomon: "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might." (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

Let's do our best to move in the direction of excellence, running to win the race.

With Love,

Mike

The Stranger in the Mirror

Joyce Urch and her husband Eric celebrated their golden anniversary in a way she never envisioned. Blinded by a hereditary illness 26 years ago, Joyce has lived amongst her 5 children, 12 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren, some of whom she has known only by sound or touch. When Joyce was suddenly rushed to the hospital with severe chest pain, she feared she was about to lose even this.

A few days after her admittance, Mrs. Urch suffered a serious heart attack and was nearing kidney failure. Doctors did not expect her to live, yet they performed emergency surgery. Amazingly, Joyce not only survived the surgery, but experienced a recovery that shocked the entire family – herself included. Mrs. Urch woke up seeing!

Her husband describes the stunned reactions of a family indelibly marked by blindness, but suddenly given the gift of sight. At first he didn't believe her frenetic bedside declarations—"I can see! I can see!"

He immediately asked her what color sweater he was wearing. "She leaned forward," said Mr. Urch, "and she just looked at me and said, 'Haven't you got old.' And I said, 'Wait 'til you have a look in the mirror.'"

I cannot imagine what it would be like to look in a mirror after more than 20 years of knowing your face by touch and imagination alone. Joyce Urch had to deal with the difficulty of learning to recognize the stranger in the mirror.

Equally difficult for most of us is the adjustment that happens when we begin to see ourselves as God sees us. Sin has blinded us to the reality of our true identity in Christ. We tend to see ourselves as less than the child of God that scripture declares us to be.

When God looks at you, He doesn’t see your sins or imperfections. If you have asked for the forgiveness that comes through faith in Jesus, God sees only the robe of Christ’s righteousness that covers you. Thus, He sees you as being perfect, just like His Son Jesus.

When, after 20+ years of blindness, Mrs. Urch looked in the mirror the first time, she saw a woman much older than the one she remembered. Adjusting to that image was quite a shock. By contrast, when we begin to see ourselves as God sees us, the shock is one of positive surprise. We look like Jesus!

“But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

Love,

Mike

The Care and Feeding of a Soul

Just after the end of World War II, a U.S. Army officer and his wife were stationed in Japan. The country had been devastated by the war. The post-war economy was in shambles. Unemployment approached sixty percent.

People came to the Army wife's door daily looking for work. One man said that he could do wonders for her garden if she would only give him a chance. So, for the first time in her life, this young Army wife hired a gardener. He spoke no English, but the wife, through sign language and pencil and paper gave him instructions about where to plant, prune, and pamper her garden. He listened politely and followed her instructions exactly. The garden emerged as the finest in the neighborhood.

After a time, the woman began to realize that her new gardener knew far more about the matter than she did, so she stopped giving him directions and let him freely care for the garden. It was magnificent.

Then one day the gardener came with an interpreter who expressed the appreciation but the regrets of the gardener. "He will no longer be able to care for your garden. He must leave."

The wife expressed her sorrow over his departure and thanked him through the interpreter for making hers such a fine garden. Out of politeness, she asked the interpreter, "Where is he going?"

The interpreter replied that the gardener was returning to his old job as the Professor of Horticulture at the University of Tokyo.

Imagine the look that must have been on that Army wife's face when she discovered that her gardener was a university professor of horticulture. No wonder he knew so much about gardening!

How often have I given instruction to Jesus on the care and feeding of my soul? How many times have I attempted to tell Him where to prune and where not to prune? How much better to allow the Master Gardener of Souls to freely care for the garden of my life! The results are far superior when I trust Him to do as He pleases with my life.

With Love

Mike

Doing the Impossible

Jesus said, "With God, all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)

This principle can -- and should -- be the driving force behind everything we do; certainly behind every effort we make in bringing the gospel to our world. It's not enough to play it safe, reaching only for goals within our grasp. We should attempt things so great for God’s glory, that unless He intervenes, we will certainly fail.

Think about that statement. We should attempt things so great for God, that without His intervention, we will certainly fail. If we followed that advice, it would unquestionably make us conscious of whose power was at work. And when there was success, we would certainly know where the glory belonged.

Look at the challenges you face today. Are they related to your health, your relationships, your finances, your job? What challenge do you face in ministering to others? Have you attempted great things in order to share God’s love? Impossible things are all around us – things that are absolutely beyond our power or grasp.

Jesus said, "With God, all things are possible." We need to remember what this promise does and doesn't imply:

First, it doesn't imply that all things are easy. Accomplishing the impossible typically takes extended effort.

Second, it doesn't imply that all things are immediate. Reaching worthwhile goals requires a long-term investment of time.

Third, it doesn't imply that all things will be painless. Personal sacrifice is part of the process.

It may not be easy, immediate, or painless, but for those willing to step out in faith, for those bold enough to offer themselves in service and then trust God to do the impossible, the reward will always be greater than the investment.

As Paul said, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Don’t be afraid to launch into your “impossible” venture for God because God has promised to do immeasurably more than we can even imagine. Let’s make each venture so great that, when it happens, we’ll know without a doubt it was God’s presence and power that brought it to pass.

With Love,

Mike

Forgiveness - The Gift

In the movie, The Interpreter, Sylvia Broom (Nicole Kidman) is an interpreter for the United Nations who overhears an assassination attempt on President Zuwanie of the African nation of Mantobo. Sylvia was born in Mantobo, and Zuwanie was responsible for the deaths of her parents when she was an adolescent.

When the Secret Service question Sylvia about what she has overheard, they doubt her story and suspect that she is actually the one who is plotting Zuwanie's death. Secret Service agent Tobin Keller questions Sylvia:

"How do you feel about Zuwanie? Never mind 'I don't care for him.'"

"I feel disappointed," replies Sylvia.

"That's a lover's word," Keller responds. "What about rage? Of all the people that I have looked into since this thing started, the one with the darkest Zuwanie history is you. It was his land mines that killed…"

"Shhh," says Sylvia, placing her fingers over his lips. "We don't name the dead. Everybody who loses somebody wants revenge on someone. On God if they can't find anyone else. But in Africa, in Mantobo, the Ku believe that the only way to end grief is to save a life.

"If someone is murdered, a year of mourning ends with a ritual we call the drowning-man trial. There's an all-night party beside the river. At dawn, the killer is put in a boat, he's taken out in the water, and he's dropped. He's bound so that he cannot swim.

"The family of the dead then has to make a choice. They can let him drown, or they can swim out and save him. The Ku believe that if the family lets the killer drown, they'll have justice, but they’ll spend the rest of their lives in mourning. But if they save him, if they admit that life isn't always just, that very act can take away their sorrow. Vengeance is a lazy form of grief."

If the Ku are right – and I believe they are – then forgiveness is the better way. And praise God that forgiveness doesn’t have to come through our own strength or even through some manmade ritual. Forgiveness is a gift that comes straight from His heart to ours.

With Love,

Mike

A Bitter Refuge

In November of 1930, The Chicago Examiner reported the story of Harry Havens, who went to bed and stayed there for seven years, with a blindfold over his eyes, because he was angry with his wife.

Havens told the reporter that he had always tried to be a good husband. He worked around the house, took care of the yard, carried out the trash, and even helped with the dishes. But the final straw for Harry came when one day his wife complained that he wasn't doing it right. Right then and there, Harry decided that enough was enough. He said, "All right, if that's how you feel, I'm going to bed. I'll stay there for the rest of my life, and I don't want to see you ever again."

Harry went to bed, put a blindfold over his eyes, and stayed there. According to the Chicago Examiner, he finally got up again when the bed started to feel uncomfortable...seven years later. Seriously!

The article's headline states, "Man Spites His Wife By Staying Blindfolded in Bed Seven Years." Maybe his exile did get on her nerves somewhat, but whom did Harry really spite? Who was the biggest loser in this extended temper tantrum? It was Harry himself. He lost seven years of his life. He lived seven years in darkness. No reading. No walks in the sunshine. No laughter with friends. Just seven long, miserable years trying to settle a score that maybe was never settled.

The writer of Hebrews said, See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. (Hebrews 12:15)

Truly, bitterness can damage a relationship. But most of all, it damages you. It destroys your happiness and peace of mind, and it causes you to miss out on the grace that God offers to each of us.

This reminds me of what Nelson Mandela once said: "Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies."

It took Harry Havens seven years to decide that his refuge of bitterness felt uncomfortable. How long will you wait to let your bitterness go?

With love,

Mike

Take Heart

In the classic historical drama, Braveheart, William Wallace was the Scottish hero who led the fight against British rule in Scotland. Alongside Wallace stood Robert the Bruce, a Scottish nobleman who betrayed Wallace, but later—after Wallace’s execution—rose up to lead Scotland to freedom and was known as Robert the First, King of Scotland.

Before Robert the Bruce died in 1329, he requested that his heart be removed from his body and taken on the crusade against Britain by a worthy knight. His closest friend, James Douglas, who was at his side when he died, agreed.

The heart was removed, embalmed, and sealed in a silver container. According to legend, Douglas took the responsibility of literally carrying the heart of the nobleman-king into every battle he fought.

In early 1330, James Douglas found himself in an ill-fated battle, surrounded by the enemy. Death for him was both certain and imminent. In an instant, Douglas reached for the heart and flung it toward the enemy, shouting, “Forward, brave hearts, and fight for the heart of your king!” The motto of the Douglas clan to this day is, “Forward!”

I wonder what battles you find yourself in today. Has life worn you down to the point of exhaustion? Is it a struggle to simply find time to share your deepest concerns and thoughts with your King? The good news is that if you will only move forward—not capitulating—our Lord will meet you and embrace you at the point of your need! He will join you in your battles to ensure victory in the struggles you face. So, take heart!

With Love,

Mike

Easier Said than Done

During the Holocaust, countless children were exterminated at the Ravensbruck concentration camp. When the camp was liberated, a note, written by an unknown prisoner, was found on the body of a dead child.

"O Lord, remember not only the men and women of good will, but also those of ill will. But do not remember all the suffering they have inflicted on us -- remember instead the fruits we have bought, thanks to this suffering: our comradeship, our loyalty, our humility, our courage, our generosity, the greatness of heart which has grown out of all this. And when those who have inflicted suffering on us come to judgment, let all the fruits which we have borne be their forgiveness." [From "The Hidden Jesus" by Donald Spoto]

Sound familiar? How about the words spoken by Jesus on the Cross? "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)

Or, what about Stephen's prayer when he was martyred? “Then he fell on his knees and cried out, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’" (Acts 7:60)

Compared to these offenses the things we endure are comparatively minor, and yet, if you're like me, there are times when forgiveness is still very difficult. It feels so much better, at least for a while, to hold the grudge and wallow in our bitterness.

Still, we are called to a life of forgiveness. As Christians, we only have one option. We only have the option of forgiveness. Easier said than done!

Remember that we will never be more like Jesus, we'll never be more holy, than when we say, "Lord, do not hold this against them...Father, forgive them."

With Love

Mike

A Life Worth Living

William James said, "The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast us."

The overwhelming majority of things we do during the day are profoundly temporary. Driving here or there. Having a meal. Watching TV. Even at work, what we do is more often about fixing yesterday’s problems than realizing tomorrow’s dreams.

So how do we bring a sense of the eternal into each day? How do we ensure we spend our lives building something that will outlast our time here on earth? The only two things that last forever are the Word of God and people. If you want to build something in your life that will last, look for ways to connect these two.

Look for ways to speak God’s word into the lives of others. This involves more than quoting Bible verses, though that is certainly part of it. It involves bringing the presence of God into every conversation.

Paul said, "But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort." (1 Corinthians 14:3) This kind of prophecy doesn’t require a microphone or a podium. In fact, it’s most effectively done one-on-one.

Try this today: In every conversation, ask yourself, "How can I help this person experience more of God’s strength? How can I encourage him or her to keep pressing on? What words can I use to help this individual feel the comfort of God’s Spirit?"

It may take only a sentence or two, but every time you do this you’ll be building something that will last for all eternity.

With Love,

Mike

The Old, Old Story

When comedian Bob Newhart stood in front of a live audience for the first time (it was at the Tidelands Motor Inn in Houston), he performed the only three comedy routines he had: one about Abe Lincoln, one about a Driving Instructor, and one about the Navy.

The crowd loved him, so as he exited the stage, the manager grabbed him and told him to go back out for an encore. "That's all the material I have, " he said. It didn't matter; the crowd was cheering and the manager wanted him to do an encore.

Newhart went back onstage and waited for the applause to die down. Then he asked them, "Which one do you want to hear again?"

He had three routines; if they wanted to hear more, it could only be more of the same. The story goes that Newhart repeated part of one sketch and got laughs all over again.

Preachers feel this way sometimes, I think -- like we've got only a certain number of messages, and we repeat ourselves too often. I especially feel this way when I'm preaching through a book that addresses the same topic chapter after chapter.

In preaching, there are certain themes we turn to again and again. Sometimes it feels as though we're saying what's already been said by countless others countless times. But, to a certain extent, this is okay. In his book, Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis wrote that "people need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed." The simple topics of how to pray and have a devotional, the importance of loving others and sharing your faith, accepting God's forgiveness and forgiving others -- these are things we need to be reminded of again and again.

Peter told his readers, "Like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the Word that by it you may grow in respect to salvation." (1 Peter 2:2) Milk is food for beginners, but we never get past the need for milk. Neither do we get past our need for the basics of the Christian life.

While it is important for us to strive always to be fresh in our approach to presenting the gospel, we must also remember that people (and we ourselves) need to hear those same wonderful truths again and again. They never lose their power.

Love,

Mike

What's Your Identity?

What is your identity? Have you stopped to consider who you really are and what your foundation is? A life of contentment and success comes only when we are grounded in something bigger than ourselves.

Henry Ford is one of the biggest names in American life. His use of mass production in manufacturing the Model T automobile shaped not only the economy and industry, but he helped shape the values of 20th century America.

A 2005 biography of Ford tells the story of the man who achieved incredible fame and fortune, but also tragically describes his loss of identity and its ultimate consequence. In the end, this "gifted man was undone by his own success."

Ford loved the ordinary folk, and they loved him back. By 1920, half of all cars on US roads were Fords. But it wasn't just cars that Ford was selling. He preached a new gospel to a public raised on Puritan ideals of delayed gratification and self-control. Ford believed that money was for spending, and that workers should use their income to buy products that would improve their lives—products like his Model T.

Seen as a hero for making it possible for the average family to own a car, Ford's opinion was sought out for every area of life, from world peace to marriage and childcare.

The adulation of others ultimately convinced Ford that he was infallible and led him to ruinously bad decisions. It blinded him to his own hypocrisy as he preached family values and old-fashioned virtue and yet kept a mistress. It may also have driven him to destroy his only child, Edsel. The older Ford—offended by his son’s gentle style and superior education—ruthlessly undercut him at every turn, only then to mourn grievously when Edsel died young.

Ford's last days were sorrowful. On a visit to the house where he had lived as a newlywed, he told his chauffeur, "I've got a lot of money, and I'd give every penny of it right now just to be here with Mrs. Ford."

God wants something better for your life than Henry Ford experienced in his life. He wants you to live differently because you are a citizen of heaven. God wants you to live your life based on different values, different principles, and a different set of behaviors.

As long as we remember who we truly are – citizens of heaven – our lives will be different from the lives of those around us. True success? True contentment? They are the gifts that come with a realization that our identity lies in our relationship with the Creator God, and that we live for something greater than ourselves.

With Love,

Mike

Serendipity

What is serendipity? It is discovering something totally unrelated to the problem you are trying to solve. Call it an accident, dumb luck, or whatever—serendipity has given our world great products, new hope, and better ways of doing things.

For example, Columbus discovered America while searching for a route to India. It is said that the American Indians, finding no water for cooking, tapped a maple tree and made the first maple syrup as the sap billed down. Pioneers, traveling westward, stopped for water and found fold nuggets in a stream. These are all examples of serendipity.

However, the classic example of serendipity must go to George Ballas. As George Ballas drove his car though a car wash, he watched the strings of the brushes surround his car. His mind relaxed and turned to the chores he had to do before the day drew to a close. Finishing the tedious chore of trimming and edging his lawn was first on his list.

Suddenly an idea struck him. He studied the strings in the car wash again and watched them straighten out when revolving at high speed, and yet they were flexible enough to reach into every nook and cranny. Why not use a nylon cord, whirling at high speed to trim the grass and weeds around trees and the house? Bingo! The Weedeater was born!

Ballas’s first Weedeater was homemade. He punched holes in a popcorn can and threaded the holes with cord. Then he took the blade off his edger and bolted the can in place. His crude invention tore up the turf and made a terrible noise, but it whipped off the weeds just as he knew it would.

When he decided to go commercial, Ballas found the way rough going. He was turned down by the first twenty distributors he approached. “You must be crazy!” they told him. “Cut grass with a nylon string? Impossible!”

Finally, in 1971, Ballas invested his own money in the first thirty-pound Weedeater. He and his son filmed their own commercials, and then Ballas bought $12,000.00 worth of local TV airtime. Immediately, he was swamped with orders from all across the nation. “There must have been a convention in town because I only advertised on our local TV channel,” Ballas recalls.

Before long, Weedeater, Inc., grew into a multimillion-dollar international corporation. Ten minutes in a car wash resulted in serendipity!

May I suggest, serendipity awaits you as well? Ten minutes with your Bible, ten minutes in prayer, ten minutes in worship, or ten minutes of selfless service can surprise you. Serendipity!

With Love

Mike

Idealists and the Fire

Warren Wiersbe said, "A realist is an idealist who has gone through the fire and been purified. A skeptic is an idealist who has gone through the fire and been burned."

Do you know what the difference is? It's not the fire or the heat or the duration. It's the attitude you bring into it. When you look back on life's unpleasant events, you can choose to see what you learned from the ordeal, or you can choose to just see it as a bad experience.

In every trial, every problem, every difficult situation, God is seeking to teach us something new. He's seeking to take us to a higher place. Maybe it's a chance to exercise a bolder faith, maybe it's a chance to identify bad behavior that we must abandon, or maybe it's an opportunity to practice perseverance. The lesson is always there in difficult situations; we can choose to be purified and made holy, or we can just allow ourselves to become burned and bitter.

Daniel wrote, "Many will be purified, cleansed and refined by these trials. But the wicked will continue in their wickedness, and none of them will understand. Only those who are wise will know what it means." (Daniel 12:10)

With love,

Mike

Four Little Words

What would you think if I told you that on your tombstone would be inscribed a four-word epitaph? Based on your life, what would those words be? Jesus once had an encounter with a person whom he described with just four immortal words: “Great is your faith.”

Interestingly, she was a Canaanite woman, from the country north of Palestine, a country hostile to the Jews. Presumably, the woman was married; she had at least one child; but that's all we know about her. We don't know whether she was a good woman or a bad woman. We don't know her name. All we know is that in this single encounter with Jesus he spoke to her this four-word epitaph: “Great is your faith.”

Only four words, but they are enough to make her immortal. We can trust these words as being true because the expert on faith spoke them. Jesus continually searched for faith, as a gem collector would search for fine jewels. He didn’t always find it in his disciples. He never said of Peter, James, or John: “Great is your faith.” More often His words were, “Oh, you of little faith.” On only one other occasion did Jesus praise a person for their faith, and that person was a Roman soldier – not a disciple, not one of the “chosen” people.

The Canaanite woman awakens in us a feeling of admiration, perhaps even envy, because she stands where most of us would like to stand. What faithful Christian would not like it said of him or her, “Great is your faith”?

But what great thing did this woman do to prompt Jesus’ affirmation? She simply believed. She took Him at His word. She acted on His words.

If we are to have the same epitaph, we, too, will need to simply take Jesus at His word. We will need to act, simply because Jesus made a promise. Then it can be said of us, “Great is your faith.”

With Love,

Mike