Resolutions

Frank

So I didn’t have any takers offering up their New Year’s resolutions in my comments. But that doesn’t mean no one made any. Here’s a sampling of some I read about online. But first, a Puritan Prayer that I saw a few people tweet and post on Facebook:

 
 
I launch my bark on the unknown waters of this year,
with thee, O Father, as my harbour,
thee, O Son, as my helm,
thee, O Holy Spirit, filling my sails.

Here were my resolutions:

Here are some others:

  • Carl Jones (@Youthguy07) resolves to make this day the best day.
  • Justin Mosteller (@wearemosteller) doesn’t like resolutions but thinks it’s a good idea to plan.
  • Scott Williams (@ScottWilliams) encourages us to go big.
  • Tony Alicea (@tonyjalicea) is approaching this year (humbly) expecting to fail.
  • Herb Halstead (@herbhalstead), via Michael Perkins (@MichaelDPerkins), encourages us to simply let go. (no, this had nothing to do with resolutions, but it fit)
  • Cassandra Frear (@CassFrear) doesn’t need any new resolutions for 2012, but instead is going to put into practice what she learned in 2011.
  • Matt Appling (@MattTCoNP) says the only resolution we need is to think. (Obviously some of us have problems in that area)
  • Jennifer Dukes Lee (@DukesLee) follows Paul’s example to “resolve to know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified”
  • Matthew Paul Turner (@JesusNeedsNewPR) tweeted, “Dear God, in 2012, let us love more, affirm more, lift up more, hope more, engage more, make peace more, & choose joy more. Amen.”
  • Mike Donehay from Tenth Avenue North (@mikedonehey) tweeted, “2012. May joy be the new cynicism. May grace be the new resentment. May generosity be the new lust. May we live like everything’s new.”
  • And Billy Coffey (@billycoffey) wrote about a conversation he had with the devil on New Year’s Eve.

So now you’ve heard all of ours, what are your resolutions this New Year?

Resolution: Be a Better…

Frank

After taking a break for the holidays I’m back with a series of posts on resolutions to start the new year. Please feel free to comment and share your own resolutions for 2012. Next week, I’ll get back on the saddle for my study of the book Not a Fan. For Monday’s resolution, career, click here, Tuesday’s resolution, eating right, click here, Wednesday’s, losing weight, click here. Thursday’s, debt free, click here. Please feel free to share your resolutions in the comments. There will be a post tomorrow compiling them all.

Isn’t the goal of most New Year’s resolutions to be a better: friend, spouse, parent, employee? Maybe even to be a better Christian? But doesn’t the notion of being better require some definition of what it means to be good? Jesus challenges our definition:

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.” (Mark 10:18)

If no one is good (and yes, this is hyperbole) then aren’t we maybe chasing the wrong goal? In fact, aren’t most resolutions “I” centered? I want to be… I resolve to… This year I will…

Like the saying, “there’s no I in TEAM”, let me rephrase as, “there’s no I in JESUS”. As I hope you saw this week in my posts, most I-centered resolutions can be turned on their ear to be Jesus-centered. And isn’t that really how we become a better fill-in-the-blank, by being more like Christ?

So if anything, resolve this year to be more like Christ. (and you’ll notice there is a little I in there somewhere)

“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18, emphasis added)

“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:10-11, emphasis)

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)

Resolution: Debt Free!

Frank

After taking a break for the holidays I’m back with a series of posts on resolutions to start the new year. Please feel free to comment and share your own resolutions for 2012. Next week, I’ll get back on the saddle for my study of the book Not a Fan. For Monday’s resolution, career, click here, Tuesday’s resolution, eating right, click here, Wednesday’s, losing weight, click here. Please feel free to share your resolutions in the comments. There will be a post at the end of the week compiling them all.

You know the drill. Between going overboard shopping for Christmas (and eating out while doing so) and traveling to see family and friends (and taking in all the sights while there, oh and eating out even more) the plastic in your wallet got quite the workout last month. One of the great ironies of “Black Friday” after Thanksgiving is that the day after we thank God for all he has given us we rush out to buy things we don’t need but feel like we do with money we don’t have. So the holiday shopping spree usually follows up with the vow to be wiser the next year and try to climb out from under the mountain of debt.

I’ve seen numbers from $5000 to $17000 for the average credit card debt in America. I’ll let you do the math to figure out what that means in payments every month. But add to that car loans, student loans, and mortgage payments and I’m willing to bet the average American church goer pays more to pay down debt than they give to their local church. Just something to think about. (especially since some stats show that 97% of American Christians do not tithe)

Some experts claimed that yesterday was the most depressing day of the year. Generally speaking, most say it is the third Monday after the New Year. Why? Because after taking however much time off for vacation, we’re struggling to get back into the swing of work, getting kids to school, and so on, and oh yeah, that’s when our credit card bills start showing up in the mail.

It’s a noble goal to try to get debt free. My wife and I took the Financial Peace University classes from Dave Ramsey last year and we’ve weaned ourselves off of paying for everything with plastic. We have a little ways to go before being able to claim that we’re debt free, but we’re on our way.

This is a common resolution. But like previous days, I’m doing a play on words here with a spiritual emphasis. In this New Year, Jesus makes me debt free. He paid all my debt on the cross.

“But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.” (Colossians 1:22)

“For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” (Romans 5:10)

“Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

Simon [the Pharisee] replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.” (Luke 7:41-43)

So if one of your resolutions this year is to be debt free, praise God, you already are!

Resolution: Lose Weight

Frank

After taking a break for the holidays I’m back with a series of posts on resolutions to start the new year. Please feel free to comment and share your own resolutions for 2012. Next week, I’ll get back on the saddle for my study of the book Not a Fan. For Monday’s resolution, career, click here, Tuesday’s resolution, eating right, click here. Please feel free to share your resolutions in the comments. There will be a post at the end of the week compiling them all.

Like most families we send out the cute family Christmas card every year. We try to look our best and somewhat festive for the holidays. Sometimes we share a collage of pictures reflecting the year. Last year I received this note in reply: “I see your family is growing up! Looks like you’re growing a little around the middle too.” This dear friend has known me since before I could walk. I had to laugh. But he was right. That “little” growth has continued to grow over the last year. I look at myself in the mirror now and I don’t recognize that thing that is hanging over my belt just enough to bother me.

I look back and I try and figure out what’s to blame. Snacking too much? Eating too much junk food and fast food? Not exercising anymore? Check, check, and check. But why are all the above true? Worry, anxiety, stress. Yes, I need to get back to healthy habits, but I can only do that if I lose the weight first.

Huh? Aren’t I supposed to do all that in order to lose the weight? No, I need to lose the weight first by casting all my cares on Jesus. I need to get rid of the weight of the world I carry around on my shoulders.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

Resolutions: Eating Right

Frank

After taking a break for the holidays I’m back with a series of posts on resolutions to start the new year. Please feel free to comment and share your own resolutions for 2012. Next week, I’ll get back on the saddle for my study of the book Not a Fan. For Monday’s resolution, career, click here. Please feel free to share your resolutions in the comments. There will be a post at the end of the week compiling them all.

I am a snack-aholic. I’m not much into sweets, but put a bag of something salty next to me and don’t expect to see it again. Doritos and Cheetos are my favorite. No need for fancy flavors, the originals are just fine by me. You can leave your bags over there.

What was I saying again? Oh yeah, I love me some snacks. But the problem with snacks are they don’t satisfy. I’m always left wanting more. As the Lays commercial claims, “you can’t eat just one!”

I used to have some self control in this area. I’d take a Costco-sized bag of trail mix to work and it would last me a couple of months. Now it’s lasting me just a few weeks. My other eating habits haven’t changed. And I’m not more active to want to eat more. In fact, far from it! But the usual handful of nuts and raisins just doesn’t satisfy anymore.

Jesus promised, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35)

Jesus satisfies. He never leaves us wanting more. But don’t we approach our spirituality like a snack? We reach for a handful when we get the craving, but we are never satisfied. I am guilty of this in my own personal Bible study. I snack on a little here and snack on a little there. And when I do sit down for a complete meal of in-depth study, I can’t eat another bite. So back to snacks I go.

So another of my resolutions this year is to eat right, to stop snacking on the Word of God and devour full meals. There’s already enough junk in my life, I don’t need to eat more of it.

Resolutions: Career

Frank

After taking a break for the holidays I’m back with a series of posts on resolutions to start the new year. Please feel free to comment and share your own resolutions for 2012. Next week, I’ll get back on the saddle for my study of the book Not a Fan.

I never thought I’d be that guy. You know, the cliche of working 80 hours a week to get ahead, sacrificing family, recreation, and everything else for the almighty dollar. It’s never been about the paycheck or status for me. Yet…

I look back over my short career and I recall the call I took while in the recovery room after my daughter was born. I remember taking a call while on vacation at Disneyland. I’ve gone in to work Easter weekend, traveled on Thanksgiving, held meetings the Friday before Christmas. I often think more highly of myself than I ought. I’ve tried to create job opportunities yet have turned down actual opportunities.

On that last one, it’s weird for me to think back a year ago that I actually was expecting to move and take a new job. All my “fleeces” seemed to check out. Then I interviewed. “This is not a 9-5 job,” I was told. “You stay until the work is done. You will travel a lot. And it might not be the best thing for you with a young family.” Gut punch. Could it be what I thought was a golden opportunity actually wasn’t? So I turned it down. And the year since at work has been one challenge after another, filled with uncertainties, additional demands, and stress. A lot of stress.

But I learned something. I learned that I really have no control over my career. I strongly believe that God brought me to this job. So He’s the one really in control. And the sooner I accept that, the sooner I can let go of that stress, not face the uncertainties with fear, and respond to demands with diligence and joy.

So one of my resolutions this year is to not get ahead in my career, but instead to get behind. To get behind God. Let Him lead. I work for Him after all.

“So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?” (Ecclesiastes 3:22)

“Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.” (Ephesians 6:7-8)

Misfits

Frank

Remember the claymation classic, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer? You should, it’s been broadcast continuously since 1964. Rudolph and rebel elf Hermy leave the North Pole in search for greener grass (or would that be whiter snow?). What they find instead during their adventure is an island filled with discarded and defective toys, The Island of Misfit Toys. There is some very interesting group psychology going on here, but I’ll leave that for your observation. What is fundamental however, is that these toys never got a chance.

Jesus, himself was rejected. A rabbi with no formal training. A prophet from Galilee. A “sinner” who didn’t wash his hands when he ate and healed on the Sabbath.

“The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” (Luke 9:22)

And Jesus made a habit of hanging around sinners and tax collectors, going outside of the city and healing lepers, and even striking up conversations with Samaritan women.

We have this image of a perfect Christian either by what they say, what they wear, or what they do. Our church’s doors are open wide for Christians like these! But who wants to sit next to the broken and the rejected, the defective and discarded?

When we gather together to celebrate Christmas we welcome family, but only reluctantly the black sheep child or the stereotype drunk uncle. We gush about our latest accomplishments and look down our noses at the single parent or the grown child without a job. Funny how we act the same at church and at home.

We forget that Jesus, even on the night he was born, was rejected. There was no room at the inn. Instead a baby was brought into this world in a stable, surrounded by livestock, feces, and feed. Unclean. Unwelcome. Rejected.

Praise be to God for that misfit! Who so humbly was willing to love a misfit like me.

Jesus and I, “We’re a couple of misfits…” (sing along!)

Do you feel rejected? Do you feel unwelcome? Most importantly, at this holiday season, do you feel alone? You don’t need to. Jesus was rejected first and he loves you. If you are not welcomed by family or by church this Christmas, you are welcome to feast with Jesus.

“‘Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.” (Matthew 22:9-10)

There’s a seat saved for misfits like us. Come, let’s celebrate.

Worship at the Mall

Frank

I’m taking today off to do some last minute shopping and decorating. (And got to sleep in, too!) I expect to encounter mobs of people all struggling to find that perfect gift. Impatience, selfishness, materialism and so on all get in the way of “the reason for the season” and “keeping Christ in Christmas”. So I am going out with my mind set on worship. But worship what exactly?

 
Are practicing
 
 By the joy of their
 
But be on your gaurd while worshiping at the mall because real worship might spontaneously break out.

The Gifts We Bring

Frank

So yesterday my son had is Broadway debut as one of the Magi, or Three Kings. Ok, so the stage was smaller, but he performed flawlessly to a packed house and in front of a ton of paparazzi (moms with video cameras) none the less. It has been pure joy the last couple of weeks as we have rehearsed for this. My son’s big part was to follow the other two wise men around. Pretty easy. He didn’t have a single line to speak. But he had one of the hardest parts. He had to be the first one on the stage to give his gift of gold to the newborn King.

My son, being a fan of pirates and treasure, quickly latched on to the idea of giving a box of gold. And it is easily identifiable in every nativity and creche. We couldn’t walk past one without him stopping, looking for a wise man carrying a box, and proudly proclaiming “look, that one’s me!”

As excited as he was, it gave me the perfect opportunity to explain what the gifts of the Magi meant. Gold for a King, frankincense for a Priest, and myrrh to anoint One who would die. And with each gift I was able to explain the birth of Jesus, his ministry/mission, and his ultimate sacrifice. My son was fascinated.

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:


“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”


Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”


After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. (Matthew 2:1-12)

It was refreshing to look at this story from a child’s eyes. The magnitude of the birth of Jesus and the significance of the gifts took on a whole new meaning.

The Magi gave their gifts to Jesus because of who he was, not because of what he had done or was about to do. They came to honor and to worship for the same reason. Today we live in a culture where the first question is often “what’s in it for me?”. And sadly, many approach Jesus the same way. We need to give our lives to him not because of what he has done, but because of who he is: King, Priest, atoning Sacrifice.

(For other posts on gifts, check out these posts from last year)

All Eyes Are On You

Frank

I’ve been putting off an “official” post on Tim Tebow for a while (and this post from a couple of years ago doesn’t count). I’m falling behind the news cycle and was expecting to change the tone of this post after it looked certain that the “Mile High Messiah” was finally going to lose one Sunday. (For the record, I have only seen that nickname used once in an article by the Evil Four Letter and I am sure Tebow wouldn’t accept such an anointing) But alas, he pulled out another win. One of my friends noted when I replied to his Tebow blog post that if I wait until the last two minutes, then this blog post will be a “win”. Does that mean that the other 3+ quarters of all my other blog posts are terrible? (if you don’t get the joke, don’t worry)

Anyway, I could go on and on about his throwing motion, his “yards per touch” ranking, his quarterback rating, etc, etc. I could even tell you that he has “it” without ever really identifying what “it” is. I could talk about how hard it is to hate the guy because he’s just so darn nice (see his last postgame comments about Brian Urlacher for example). And of course I could write about how divisive this man of faith is to believers and football fans alike. But I’ll let the following articles do all that for me.

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7319858/the-people-hate-tim-tebow

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/story/2011-11-29/broncos-qb-tebow-stirs-debate-on-religion-and-sports/51663956/1?csp=34news

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/Denver-Broncos-Tim-Tebow-showing-detractors-he-is-learning-to-be-nfl-qb-112811

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/Tim-Tebow-why-the-heck-do-we-hate-him-110211

But this post isn’t about Tim Tebow. At least not totally. In the second chapter of Not A Fan, Kyle Idleman calls our attention to Jesus’ late night conversation with Nicodemus. Nicodemus, not Nostradamus like I thought as a kid, was part of the religious ruling class- the Sanhedrin- and was a Pharisee with respect to religious conviction. He had a lot to lose even being seen near Jesus, let alone sitting down and having a conversation with this alleged heretic. So Nicodemus goes to Jesus at night.

Idleman is right to point out that fans of Jesus are comfortable wearing their favorite uniform so long as their star is winning. That’s because it doesn’t cost them anything. But when the star is controversial or doesn’t act the way a fan might expect, the jersey comes off. Meeting with Jesus at night didn’t cost Nicodemus anything. Idleman writes: “There is no way to follow Jesus without him interfering with your life.” (pg 30)

Which brings me back to Tim Tebow. No, he’s not a great quarterback. And no, I’m not necessarily a fan (but as a Bronco fan, I’m glad he’s winning). But does he deserve the mocking and scorn he receives? Here’s a sample conversation I heard last week on sports-talk radio: “So Tebow prayed for God to help him with his spiral? Well either God didn’t answer his prayer or God can’t throw a spiral either.” To which the other commentator replied, “Or maybe his God doesn’t answer his prayers.” It’s gotten to the point where not only Tebow is mocked, but so is the sovereignty of God.

Even other Christian players have backed off from him. Kurt Warner, notorious for his faith, admits that maybe Tebow should “put down the boldness” to prevent critics from becoming “calloused”.
Jake Plummer, who Tebow essentially replaced in a round and about way said, “I think that when he accepts the fact that we know that he loves Jesus Christ then I think I’ll like him a little better .” But both quarterbacks completely miss the point.

Tebow is not a fan of Jesus. If he was, he wouldn’t talk about him so much. If he was, he wouldn’t open up every postgame press conference by thanking his “Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”. (He doesn’t even shorten it for simplicity like Warner’s famous “Thank you Jesussss!” And he definitely wouldn’t take a knee and “Tebow” for the whole world to see and mock.

No, Tim Tebow is not a fan of Jesus. He is not afraid of being seen with him. He is not afraid of talking about him. He is not ashamed. He does not need to come to Jesus in the dark of night. He does not mind that his relationship with Jesus interferes with his life, his popularity, and yes even his play on the field.

So put yourself in Tebow’s shoes. Would you continue to praise Jesus with every camera on you? Would you pray to Jesus both through the good and bad, knowing everyone is watching and waiting for you to slip? Would you allow Jesus to interfere with your life that much? Or are you still just a fan?

This post continues my series blogging through the book, Not A Fan by Kyle Idleman. I encourage you to follow along by clicking on the Not A Fan label to the right. And I urge you to pick up a copy of this book for yourself.