The Psalms: Psalm 15 - Who I wish I was vs. Who I actually am!

When I read Psalm 15 the other day my heart just sank. Maybe that should not have been my response, but it was. I just thought, "God...I am so far from this. How am I ever going to be who I know you want me to be?"

Well, with that super depressing though out of the way, I began to just meditate on this passage and soak it in.

The Psalm begins with a question. It is asked in two different ways but they both seem to be asking, "God, who is going to be close to you? Who will live their life close to you?"

The answer is the rest of the Psalm except for the last line. So, what is the answer?

1. He who walks blamelessly and upright - so, do what is right and be the kind of person who can't be blamed for doing things that are wrong.

2. Speaks truth in his heart...the truth is so deeply rooted in you that it is the only thing that will come out of you. Truth is what you speak at all times.

3. Does not slander (a false accusation that damage's someone's reputation) with their tongue. I would like to think that I don't intentionally damage people's reputations.

4. Does no evil to his neighbor. Well, I don't really know my neighbors. While that isn't a fail for this passage, it sure is for others...

5. Does not take up a reproach (blame, discredit, or disgrace) against a friend.

6. In whose eyes a vile person is despised. Here I want to say, do you laugh at those comedians. Do you watch the shows or movies where you either can't recommend it to fellow Christians, or you have to say, "It had some inappropriate things, but it was mostly really good."? I've done that. I do that. Now, that isn't what this line is saying. I know that. I just thought of this when I read it and wanted to challenge you with it. This line is specifically talking about vile people, which is someone who is utterly or completely bad or evil. Now, this word despise also give the idea of feeling that the vile person is worthless. So, I remind you, dear reader, that we live in the age of grace. That means that the most vile of person deserves to hear the Gospel message. Yes, that means ISIS. That means child molesters and people who have shot up schools. It does not mean their crimes go unpunished, it does not mean I don't support the death penalty. It DOES mean that God's love is offered universally and we are not put in a position to judge. I could say more, but then this one paragraph will be its own post, so I'll move on.

7. Who honors those who fear the Lord. Oh man. Do you ever find yourself thinking less than honorable thoughts about someone who is serving God to the best of their ability? Who truly fears God and wants to obey Him? Let's be honest, those folks can seem annoying at times...and yet...I wonder if that isn't because deep down we know that we should be doing what they are doing. That we should be seeking God with our whole hearts...but we are only seeking with about a 10% strength sometimes! So, honor those who fear the Lord. To that I would add....FEAR THE LORD!!! ..just a thought. :o)

8. Who swears to his own hurt and does not change. Oh man. Do we keep our word no matter what that means?? I think we would make fewer promises and commit ourselves less extremely if we knew that we would NEVER back down from our word. There was a time when a person's word was who they were...but that is not today. So, Christian, do you stand by your word? Do you say things to your kids and neighbors and then not follow through. Worse: do you make promises and commitments to God and then not follow them up? God is a God of promises who takes covenants seriously!!

9. Does not put out his money at interest. I'll let a pastor or Biblical scholar correct me, but I believe the point here is that you allow your money to be used by those who need it without charging them interest. Allow God to provide for your needs and not burden the needy or destitute.

10. Does not take a bride against the innocent. I hope this isn't something being done today...but I know better than to assume. May God open our eyes if we are doing ANYTHING against the innocent, much less if we take money to do (or not do) something that is against them! (Yes, I'm thinking about the seedy and terrible sides to international adoption right now and my heart cries out for those children!!!)

Wow. That was so much more than I meant for it to be. It was also encouraging to write this because while it is still true that I am NOT this person....I was also reminded both of who I once was and who God has made me to be....oh, and I was encourage by the fact that God isn't done with me and I look forward to seeing what God does in my life to bring me closer to living near Him!! May that be the thought God gave to you today too!!

To God be the glory!!!

My pastor...my hero...my friend

This last Sunday, my pastor announced that he was going to resign from our church next year...and I wasn't sure how to handle that news. So, background:

I grew up in more or less Baptist churches. I don't remember any of the pastors of the churches we attended until we moved to Colorado when I was 8. The first pastor left after a year or so and then ext one that came was my pastor all growing up. In fact, my parents are still at that church and with that pastor.

I left for college when I was 19 and I think I've only been inside the church itself 5-10 times since I left. -- just to clarify, I had a good pastor growing up. I simply wasn't one who wanted help or went to him for it. I was young and dumb, end of story. Anyway, I had the same pastor there for the last 9 years I lived there.

I went to college at the age of 19. Since it was a Bible college and a Baptist college, it was required that we would attend one of the local Baptist churches. Long story short - I visited my current church once and never visited another church.

The place felt....like home. It wasn't terribly small, but the people could still make you feel like family. it turns out, that the pastor was himself pretty new to the church himself. He had come in late 2001 (or early 2002) and I was there in the fall of 2002.

And the next 13.5 years have brought us together time and time again. He counseled Pam and I before we got married...and again afterward when we were struggling as a new married couple. He baptized me in 2002...and again in 2010. When I came to him in 2008 and told him that I didn't think that I believed the Bible was true and that I didn't really feel like I could talk to anyone about it, he took the time to meet with me regularly for several months and counsel me. (He did more listening than talking...but we both did a good deal of both!) Then, two years later, when I told him that I was certain that I had never accepted Christ as my savior until 2008, he didn't question me. He supported me...and he baptized me again. (Baptism for Baptists is a sign of our salvation and not something done as a child. It shows our figurative death, burial and resurrection with Christ.) When my family has not been feeling well, he has often told me to stay home and to put my family first. 

One thing that has most affected me, though, is his honesty about his humanity. He is human just like the rest of us. However, he doesn't allow that to keep him down. He usually admits his weaknesses and he leans on God for strength. He doesn't pretend to be what he isn't and he doesn't act like everything is fine when it isn't. 

I said usually....the last few years have been hard and most of us who are near him know that. And so, a chapter closes so that a new one can start. I have not had to face this in my adult years. Being the one staying behind while a pastor leaves. Then also dealing with interim pastors, candidating pastors, and all of the time inbetween now and calling a new pastor.

I am sad. I have found him to be a man that I can look up to for who I want to be (in many areas). Someone I can turn to when things are hard and I need someone to listen and advise me. He has been there for me through most of the major crises of my young adult life and I would not be who I am today without him and his ministry.

But, I also know what he would say if I ended this post here! He would not be happy. See, another thing he has taught me is how important it is to turn the focus to Christ. He is someone I can look up to, because I see him looking up too as he looks to Christ. His example has many times pointed me back to Scripture and back to Christ. It is not about him, as a pastor, but him as a tool of God's and what God has done through him. 

Thank you Pastor Michaelsen. Thank you for all you have done and for all you have taught us. We will miss you dearly, but we pray that God blesses you and your family as you all go forward and that you continue to be His tool in the years to come! 

To God be the glory!!

I am in my 30's, I play video games, and that's OK ... -ish

In the last year I have heard at least 1 sermon and had several conversations where a person has casually pointed out that men who are in their 30s and still playing video games haven't grown. They say it in a way that allows the hearers to infer that these men can't be good fathers or husbands because they can't grow up or be responsible.

This has never felt quite right to me, no more than any other "blanket" statement does. Yet, because I was part of their demographic, I kind of just assumed I was being defensive and that was why it didn't feel right.

It was after the sermon that I finally said something to my wife and we had a dialogue about it. Part of this blog comes from that conversation.

However, the other part was just something I was reminded of yesterday as I talked through some things with my wife. So, here we go.

This is an unfair assessment. Now, the same people who assume that guys who play video games in their 30s can't grow up will think the same thing about guys who still read comics. OK, what about the guy who watches football every Sunday afternoon and Monday night. What about the guy who is spending his evening looking up the highlights of the baseball games he missed? (I am picking on sports because I have rarely heard this mentioned, but I've heard video games mentioned by sports fans fairly often.)

All of these are OK pastimes...but yet none of them are! What do I mean? Well, simple. Can you disengage from what you are doing at the drop of a hat? If your child suddenly hurts themselves, can you stop what you are doing and not engage them angrily because you are missing something you want to do and they are the direct cause of you missing that? Can you consciously consider whether or not your wife needs you to spend an hour of your evening helping her around the house (or, heaven forbid, just talking) instead of doing your pastime? Or do you assume that certain times, without exception, will always be times that you get to do XYZ?

Problem with men in their 30s who play video games and can't grow up isn't the video games. It's that they are men in their 30s who can't grow up. These two things don't have to be synonymous. Are they sometimes synonymous? Absolutely. The frustration to me is that our culture more readily accepts the sports junkie who also doesn't grow up and therefore it is OK to be that kind of 30 year old who hasn't grown up...who doesn't engage with his children when needed...who can't see when he needs to skip a game to help or be with his wife because the game is what matters right now.

If you are anything like me then you have to be doubly aware. I tend toward addiction and I tend toward being frustrated when I get frustrated when I am interrupted and I've been focusing. Guess what? That means that if I am reading a really good book, I will probably be a really bad Dad because I'm going to be frustrated when Maya K interrupts me. Is the problem the book? No. the problem is me. So, I limit my reading when the girls are awake and, when I'm at my best, I don't play any video games when they are awake. It's that simple.

I understand the stigma. The stigma that 30+ men aren't growing up. However, if you attach that stigma to men who still play video games you are actually missing the point and not helping them grow up. Guilt-ing someone to get them stop playing video games doesn't magically make them grow up because the video games aren't the problem. It's the not growing up that's the problem.

So, men! Whatever your pastime is, you can still grow up, be the man, husband, and father you are meant to be. The wedding vows where you said you'd be there for her. The heart throb when you held your child for the first time and knew that you'd kill the first guy who wanted to date her....oh....sorry...that's just me. I meant, the love you felt for your child the first time you held them and sure knowledge that you would do anything for them! Those commitments cannot be sidelined for any pastime.


To God be the glory!

The Psalms: Psalm 14 - taking God for granted

Psalm 14 is an interesting Psalm. There are a couple more popular verses.

Like, verse 1 which is, "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'"

Another is verse 3 which rings in the New Testament. This is, "They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one."

However, the verse that stood out to me this time was verse 4. The last part of the verse is, "...all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread and do not call upon the Lord?"

Now, I'm not researching context and I'm not looking up the Hebrew. So, this is just a thought I had when I read this. Specifically, "as they eat bread and do not call upon the Lord" and I thought...what's wrong with that? I mean, is it wrong to not call on God when we eat bread?

...actually. Yeah. Specifically for Christians who are held accountable for what we know. So, we know that God loves us, we know that He sent His Son to die for us, and we know that He takes care of us (Matt 6:25-34). So, knowing these things, when we eat "our daily bread" (that is to say, when our basic needs are met) we still should be calling on the Lord. In thanks. In worship. In praise.

I mean, why not? Depending on your habits, you might thank God for the food before most meals. You might even pray with your kids before bed at night. But, do you consciously thank God for the clothes you have to wear and shoes to put on each day? Do you thank him that you woke up warm and dry because you were in a building that kept you from the elements? I mean, why do we take those things for granted? there are people in our area who don't sleep inside every night. Do know where tomorrow's meal might come from. Who aren't sure what they'll wear if what they are wearing gets ruined.

So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving and Christmas, take a minute when you read this and just thank God for the simple things that we take for granted....but we really shouldn't!!

To God be the glory!!