Wanna' Backstage Pass to an Event of a Lifetime?

Billions of people across the world are planning to attend the most incredible event in the history of time: “THE END OF THE WORLD!” In fact, everyone (whether they know it or not) has already locked-in their tickets to this most-spectacular event! When I say “EVERYONE will be there,” I mean it more than ever, because EVERYONE (including those who have already come and gone) will be in attendance for THIS event! It’s an event you don’t want to miss, and even if you do, you can’t!

The event is being sponsored entirely by the coolest dude in existence, none other than GOD himself! And you better believe there are going to be fireworks, because God’s arch enemies have promised to show up and try to crash the show, but God has promised an unstoppable and undefeatable performance!

Just after the show, God will be hosting a never-ending after-party, wherein only those with backstage passes will be allowed! Because God is determined to keep the after-party exclusive and available only to those who are in his entourage, he placed his own son as the sole distributor of the backstage after-party passes!

The really cool news is this: God’s son has promised backstage passes to everyone who gets tight with him. In fact, he’s promised to personally and permanently hang with anyone who receives a backstage pass even before the start of the big event!

If you’re eager to chill with God’s son and obtain your own backstage pass, I'm totally committed to freely sharing information concerning his whereabouts, and (if you want) I'll even introduce you to him! (Let me know! Brandonlewis79@msn.com)

It's Time To Fight Off Some Sharks!

Did you catch the story about Greg LeNoir? According to an article I found linked on drudgereport.com (from the Miami Herald), LeNoir recently saved his 14-pound rat terrier named Jake from a five-foot shark, most likely a bull shark or lemon shark. Greg had taken his 28-month-old adopted pal to the Worldwide Sportsman's Bayside Marina pier in Islamorada (Florida Keys). While this was rather routine for little Jake, as he would occasionally retrieve jellyfish and soaked coconuts on his daily swims, things took a turn for the worst when a shark swam up and clamped down on nearly the entire body of the pup, excluding his head and three legs. Immediately, LeNoir took action. He said, "I clenched my fists and dove straight in with all my strength, like a battering ram. I hit the back of the shark's neck. It was like hitting concrete." Ultimately, the shark let go of Jake, and he and LeNoir both swam to safety a few yards away.

LeNoir's wife, Tessalee, wasn't at all surprised when she heard of the heroic actions of her husband, as she described him as a "Dr.Doolittle" type who would "[climb] up a tree to save a possum." However, perhaps the most telling reason as to why LeNoir didn't hesitate to jump in the ocean and fight off a shark for the life of his pup is because, as LeNoir explained it, "We have no children. Jake became our child. When I saw the shark engulf him, I thought, 'This can't be the end.' "

Sure enough, because of LeNoir's actions, there is one happy little rat terrier who gets to swim another day! While the shark's teeth had punctured Jake's skin and muscles on the dog's abdomen, chest, and back, in addition to suffering lacerations in several areas, "the pooch is expected to recover," says veterinarian Suzanne Sigel - all thanks to a man who was so invested in his dog that even the jaws of a shark were no match to his commitment to seeing little Jake remain alive!

Christ Followers Should be Shark Fighters!

As Christ followers, we should be just like LeNoir! I'm not saying that we should jump into shark infested waters to save our four-legged friends (as some would call that absolutely foolish, including me), but we would do well to allow this story to force us to review our own passion and commitment towards seeing those we love "remain alive" in Christ! As some of our brothers and sisters in Christ have fallen into the grip of the world's sharks, what are "we" doing (if anything) to help save them? Are we not supposed to be committed to each other more than LeNoir was committed to his furry friend, and does not the Bible instruct us to carry each other's burdens, lift each other up, gently restore (when someone has sinned), and give ourselves sacrificially to the benefit and well being of our brothers and sisters in Christ? These mandates, and more, require that we be wholeheartedly devoted to each other and committed to doing whatever it takes to spiritually keep each other alive and kicking and ready to live another day for Christ! But sadly, we are often content with allowing loved ones to be swallowed up by sin and disaster, as we stand idly by, doing and saying nothing. Where are the LeNoirs for Christ, who will see their loved ones in distress and jump in to help fight off the sharks?

Shark Warnings
There are all kinds of sharks on the prowl (like Satan) waiting to "steal, kill, and destroy." One of the most immediate sharks that comes to mind is the shark of "divorce." Do you know a couple who has one of these sharks biting into them right now? Are you doing anything about it? Are you watching the shark rip and shred a loved one's marriage to pieces, or are you jumping in and pounding that ugly shark in the head, trying your best to keep your brothers and sisters in Christ alive and kicking (together) for another day? Go ahead and jump into the water, and do whatever it takes! Encourage men and women to stay with their spouses, forgive each other, love unselfishly, and to keep the commitment they made to their spouse! Oh, you might feel a bit uncomfortable taking action, but fighting off sharks is never easy or fun. I've learned that myself as I've jumped in the water a time or two regarding a believing friend of mine who has recently divorced. I've had so many conversations with him, I've read him God's word on the matter, and this Thursday I'm going to kidnap him and take him to see the movie "Fireproof!" (He knows we're going somewhere, but he doesn't know where ... and I say "kidnap" because he has no idea that I'm taking him to see a really good movie that I hope helps loosen the grip of that nasty shark of divorce). I'm willing to do anything it takes! I'm going to spend a few hours with him, pay for his movie and a meal, and pray with him - that God restores his marriage! I don't want to see that ugly shark win!

Another shark that loves to devour fresh spiritual meat is the shark of "financial hardship!" In fact, there are a ton of these sharks on the prowl, especially nowadays with our poor economy. But when we see our brothers and sisters in Christ being devoured by this kind of shark, do we jump in and take action? You know the early church members (in Acts) sold all they had and gave to each other as they had need, so that none of them was ever devoured by a shark of this nature. Unfortunately, however, this doesn't happen much today. It's like most Christ-followers are on the beach watching loved ones eaten up by this shark of financial hardships while we merely wait on somebody else to jump in and take action. Again, fighting these kind of sharks (among others) is never going to be fun and easy. In fact, it's going to take extreme commitment and dedication towards those we love to have the guts to jump in the dangerous waters and work on their behalf, but it's something we must do. Just last week, my wife and I gave a substantial amount of money to a family in financial need. It wasn't easy, and it's certainly not like we have money just sitting around, but we prayed about it and decided that we didn't want to see some evil shark take down a family close to our heart if we could do anything about it!

There are plenty of other sharks out there, and maybe you're thinking of some right now. Maybe you're presently reminded of a person or a family who desperately needs you to love them enough to do whatever it takes to help rid them of whatever shark has hold of them. Again, shark fighting isn't easy, but it's crucial. It's what God has called us to do, as those who are following Christ (our example), who "made himself nothing" and "humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross" in order to fight off the shark of sin and death that had taken a bite into all of us (Phil 2).

What's With All of the Tape?

I remember an occasion when I was around five years old, and I eagerly wanted to go roller-skating within the double carport attached to my family's house. The carport was empty at the time (as my dad was off in the one car my parents had at that time), and all I could think about was using my new roller-skates and having a blast within the empty carport area. It was like the carport was calling me, "Brandon, come skate on me! I'm sitting here empty ....a flat hard surface ...just perfect for skating ...what are you waiting on?!!" But my mom wasn't about to let me go roller-skating without taking some precautions first! I remember her instructing me to skate a few minutes in the kitchen while she "prepared" the carport for me. As I did, I remember thinking, "This kitchen is alright, but it's nothing compared to what the carport will be like! It's so small, and the carport is so huge!" Moments later, my mom came in and told me that the carport was "ready" for my roller-skating fun! As I made my way into the carport, I observed why my mom had made me wait before using the carport. In the absence of any available rope, my mom had taken numerous strands of thick tape and strategically strung them across the one part of the carport that had no form of a wall and which led into the driveway. She had done this to protect me from accidentally skating out of the carport and into the driveway, which happened to be a very steep driveway that sloped right into a fairly busy road. I even remember her telling me before I got started, "Brandon, try not to skate near the tape. It's there to keep you from going out of the carport, but it's best if you don't even get near it so you don't get stuck and all tangled up."

Guess what! I had a lot of fun skating in that "prepared" carport, and later (when the time was right) I had even more fun skating in a real roller-skating rink that was far better than even the carport! But you see, each level of skating (from the kitchen, to the carport, to a roller-skating rink) had boundaries. Those boundaries were not there to keep me from having fun, but to insure that I would have the most fun in the most healthy and lasting way!

It's the same when God gives us boundaries. He's not trying to suck the pleasure out of life while he gets kicks by telling us what to do and treating us like a puppet, but instead (like my mom who "prepared" the carport) God's boundaries "prepare" every situation, thus allowing us to to enjoy life to it's fullest! When we go outside of his boundaries, we doom ourselves to steep slopes into dangerous territories. As Proverbs 14:12 says, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." When we go "our way" instead of remaining within God's set boundaries and parameters, we always suffer.

Believe it or not, God wants you to live a happy and abundant life (John 10:10), as you remain satisfied in him. As John Piper says, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him," so don't think for a minute that God's established boundaries are anything less than for your well being and necessary for your overall happiness and satisfaction. Therefore, we should determine to live within God's boundaries. In fact, we should try not to even play it close and tinker around anywhere near them, lest we stumble and get "stuck and all tangled up!"

Are Life's Stingrays Posing a Threat?

Some of my fondest memories of my childhood can be traced back to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It's where my family would often vacation when I was young, before we ultimately moved there years later, when I was eleven. I remember building sandcastles with my mom and dad, eating at seafood restaurants, walking the beach, swimming in the pool, staying up later than normal (as kids get to do on vacation), playing miniature golf, flying kites on the beach, and sitting out on the balcony of the condo to enjoy the views and the ocean breezes. These are such great family memories to hold on to, but the memory I treasure more than any of these happens to be a particular time I was in the ocean with my dad.

On this particular occasion, my dad and I were in the ocean jumping waves and enjoying the feeling of the water splashing against us. My dad made sure to keep a tight grip on me, and I held him fairly firm as well, because my skinny little self was certainly no match for some of those big waves! (At least, they were big to me then). Next thing you know, something quite unusual happened. Amidst all the fun we were having, my dad and I happened to notice the lifeguards begin to blow their whistles and motion for everyone to get out of the water. Danger had crept into the situation in the form of a stingray that had made its way right there into the shallow waters where we, and many others, were having so much fun. Of course, without hesitation, everyone (including my dad and I) immediately began to move quickly to the shore. As we did, my dad did something that took me off guard! - He jerked me up all of a sudden and placed me on his shoulders, without any explanation! He then proceeded to walk us both to safety. I couldn't understand why he had allowed us to walk a little distance while just holding on to one another, only for him to yank me out of the water without any warning before reaching the safe shore a dozen or so yards away.

It wasn't until we were both safely on the shore watching some guys catch the stingray with their fishing equipment that I asked him, "Why did you pull me out of the water like that? Was I not moving fast enough?" And my dad's answer is what has made this particular memory something I will never forget! As we watched the fishermen pull in the stingray and cut off his stinger (only to release him back into the water thereafter), my dad said to me, "Son, I believe I saw the stingray for a moment, and it appeared to be very near you, and I wanted to get you out of the water."

The reason I cherish this memory and will always be eager to share it is probably obvious: it was a beautiful display of a father's unselfish love and protection for his child. My dad could have chosen to head-off in the opposite direction after spotting the stingray, while leaving me to fend for myself, but that wouldn't have been much of a real dad. Instead, my dad made my protection his top priority. He got me out of the water as quickly as he could (as he placed me on his shoulders), and then he calmly walked us out of the water, all the while making sure not to point out the stingray and frighten me all the more.

While this story speaks volumes about my dad's love towards his son, it should serve to remind us all about God's love towards his children. The Bible says that if natural fathers (like mine) know how to treat children with love, how much more so does God love us and want to give us good things? You see, God desires to protect us and shield us from life's stingrays just as my dad did for me in the literal sense. When we look to God as "Abba Father," and when we're holding fast to him and him to us, we can always count on him to be there for us in the midst of danger and turmoil. Psalm 46: 1+2 says "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear ..."

If you're currently surrounded by some of life's stingrays, if doom seems to be on the horizon, if you're in a mess and you don't know how you're going to handle it, here's some simple advice worth following: Stay connected to God and allow him to carry you through it! Draw close to God (James 4:8), and make God your shepherd (Psalm 23) so you can say like David, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death (or the waters of life's stingrays), I will fear no evil, for God is with me."

Feast on the Meat of God's Word!

Steak and Crab Legs

Sometimes you can read a biblical passage and it's like you're devouring a delicious steak at Applebee's; the meat (being the principles of the passage) is right there in front of you, and you can eat it up without much work involved. Other times, however, you can read a biblical passage and it's like you're feasting on crab legs; you have to work to get to the meat, but when you finally crack it open and pull the meat out, it's oh so delicious! (Pardon the analogy if you don't like crab legs, but I love them!) Perhaps Nehemiah chapter three is of the crab leg variety of biblical passages, because unlike chapter two (which basically exudes easy-to-spot principles that are just waiting to jump right off the page at you as you read), the meat of the third chapter is somewhat hidden under a layer of crust that needs to be cracked.

Nehemiah Chapter Three - A Crab Leg Delight

Nehemiah chapter three is entitled, "Builders of the Wall," wherein a long list of builders (including their names, their professions, and where they are from) is supplied. I believe most people might be quick to skip over this chapter in their reading of Nehemiah, or at best they skim over it quickly so they don't feel guilty later, when they're telling someone about how they have read the 'entire' Bible from cover to cover. Ha! However, believe it or not, passages like these are placed in the Bible for a purpose, including those long boring lists of genealogies and such, and often times the meat (principles) can be found once you've done a little 'digging'. Sometimes the 'digging' process doesn't even have to mean using commentaries, Hebrew/Greek word studies, and Bible dictionaries (although I highly recommend the use of these aids as often as you can, when necessary). Sometimes 'digging' simply means reading the passage, focusing on what it is revealing, and then asking, "Why is this piece of information included? What can I possibly take away from this?"

Spiritual Leaders
With that in mind, let's take a look at Nehemiah chapter three. Let's think about it, make a few cracks in the crust, and devour the delicious meat within! For instance, notice how the chapter begins by talking about the role of the priests. The priests are mentioned first; they "went to work and rebuilt the Sheep gate ... set its doors in place, building as far as the Tower of the Hundred ... and as far as the Tower of Hananel" (vs.1). If we think about this passage, we clearly see that the priests (the spiritual leaders of the time) did not consider themselves too 'spiritual' or too 'important' to put their hands to work along with those of whom they spiritually led. This is a principle that can certainly be applied today, where too often spiritual leaders have big egos, enormous pay checks, and absolutely no aptitude for doing things that they have come to feel is beneath their status as a spiritual leader. These same people may be quick to tell others what needs to be done, but then not so quick as to help do the very work they speak of. However, the priests in Nehemiah's time walked the talk! They were the first mentioned among those who labored in the building of the wall. They must have realized that spiritual leaders (like themselves) could not rightly lead anyone to do what they were not willing to do first. This is a principle that we should all adhere to, as we lead others. Every time we challenge our followers, whether we're their teacher, their deacon, their pastor, their youth pastor, their mentor, their parent, their friend, their role model, or simply their brother or sister in Christ, we should make sure that we are willing to put our own hands to work first so that our actions will confirm what we say, and then our actions will compel and inspire our followers more than words ever could.

A Few Other Principles

Chapter three contains other principles. Take for instance the fact that great effort is taken to list everyone involved in building the wall. (1) Just as 1 Corinthians 12 explains, "everyone" is useful and needed in the family of God; we should all be a part of what God is doing, and each of us should build our part of the wall. (2) Nehemiah reveals how people from all kinds of professions helped build the wall, including perfume makers, jewelers, merchants, and others! This principle reveals that no matter your profession, as glorified or as menial as you think it might be, there is a place for you to work alongside everyone else in the kingdom of God. Kingdom work is not reserved just for the priests and spiritual leaders! (3) Nehemiah mentions those few who refused to partake in building the wall (vs. 5). The nobles of Tekoa would not "put their shoulders to the work." This little fact reminds us that in every church, youth ministry, community, family, and situation in which God is using people to do a great work for his glory, there will always be those among us (even inside our own camp) who are at odds with the mission. For whatever reason, these nobles did not want to participate, possibly because they felt the work was beneath them (as elite members), or they didn't agree with the plans, or they wanted to be in charge (and yet, as the passage makes clear, they were not the supervisors). But no matter the reason, notice what didn't happen as a result of their lack of participation. - Nehemiah and the gang did NOT battle with them, take them to court, or try to force their hand in the situation. Having done so might have stirred up a mess and thwarted the mission altogether. Instead, these few were apparently overlooked and ignored as the mission went forward. This is a principle we can apply to our own situations. Instead of fighting it out and bickering with those who are not on the band wagon, concerning God's work in a particular situation, we would do well to overlook them (as far as their inactivity goes) and continue moving forward with those whom God has provided to carry out his mission.

The Dung Gate

While there are several other principles that can be extracted from Nehemiah chapter three, I don't want to belabor this posting by trying to list them all (as you can no doubt discover them for yourself as you study the passage, crack the crust, and pull out the meat). However, I feel as though I would be remiss if I did not conclude this posting with perhaps my favorite principle from this passage. It involves the construction of the Dung Gate, made by "Malkijah son of Recab, ruler of the district of Beth Hakkerem" (vs 14). Malkijah, to whom I will henceforth refer to as "The Man" (because he was "The Man," in the cool sense of that term, and because I won't even pretend I know how to pronounce his real name), constructed a gate that was used solely for taking trash and refuse out of the city to be burned. In the Hebrew, the word "Dung" literally means "ash heap". 'The Man' could not have had a less glorified task in the building of the wall, and yet he no doubt did his duty without complaint. Moreover, he was a district ruler's son, and yet he did not go about asking to construct the prestigious main entrance gate that was within proximity to a beautiful water fountain. He was content to build the gate near the trash, the ashes, and the rotten odors, and I'm sure he took pride in his work just like every one of the other builders. The principle we can pull from this passage is simply this: Let's not be too eager to serve in the glorified positions, as those of lesser glory are equally valuable and just as needed! Just imagine if 'The Man' had refused to rebuild the Dung Gate or failed to complete it because it wasn't the most special and glorified place to be building; no doubt the city would have been vulnerable to attack from enemies, and trash would probably have begun to make its way into the city with no clearly defined gate and walls marking where the burning was to take place. 'The Man' knew that the Dung Gate and portion of the wall was just as important as the other more glorified areas of the wall. Too often, we forget this is true today; we forget that stuffing pews with literature, handing out bulletins, making phone calls, cleaning the church, taking care of babies, greeting visitors, visiting the elderly in nursing homes, and a million other duties that are perceived to be menial are just as important and necessary as those tasks that are perceived to be more glorified, like preaching, singing in the praise band, and teaching a Bible study. Like 'The Man,' we need to do whatever the task God sets before us, whether glorified or not, and we should do it to the best of our ability, as unto the Lord. (Who's 'The Man?' Are you?)

Dear Unworthy

Bush Pulls Top Security Agent From Fracas (November 20, 2004)

Santiago, Chile (AP) - President Bush stepped into the middle of a confrontation and pulled his lead Secret Service agent away from Chilean officials who barred his bodyguards from entering an
elegant dinner for 21 world leaders Saturday night.

Several Chilean and America agents got into a pushing and shoving match outside the cultural center where the dinner was held. Bush noticed the fracas after posing for pictures on a red carpet with the summit host, Chilean President Ricardo Largos and his wife and First Lady Laura Bush.

Abandoning the other three, Bush walked over to the agents, reached through the dispute and pulled his agent from the scrum.

The president, looking irritated, walked away with the agent. The incident was shown on APEC television.

“Chilean security tried to stop the president’s Secret Service from accompanying him,” said White House deputy press secretary Claire Buchan. “He told them they were with him and the issue was resolved.”

______________________________

Dear "Unworthy,”

Sometimes it’s easy to feel unworthy to spend time with God, perform His work, and minister to His people, because (when it comes right down to it) “unworthy” is exactly what we are! Just like the Secret Service agents were unworthy to enter a prestigious event with important dignitaries, you and I are unworthy to do anything for Christ (or to even be in His presence), based exclusively on our own merits. But what we must constantly remind ourselves is this: it’s not about our worth; it’s about His! In the same way that President Bush reached through the fracas and pulled his agents through, God takes ownership and responsibility for us (His children), and He pulls us through the fracases and trying circumstances of life. It’s His prestige and worth that matters! We’re just the beneficiaries! And lest anyone, including ourselves, tries to prohibit us from walking with God and doing His work, God would have but one thing to say: “He's with Me!” Issue resolved!

2 Timothy 1:9 "[God], who saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life ..."

John 15:16 "You did not choose me (Jesus), but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last."

The Passion of the Crocodile-Hunter

A couple of years ago, on Sept. 4th 2006, the late Steve Irwin (better known as the Crocodile Hunter) was snorkeling when he was struck and killed by a stingray. While many things can be said of Steve and the exciting entertainment that he brought to millions of people while he was alive, perhaps he’ll be most remembered for his extreme passion for loving and saving animals of all kinds! And yet, while we remember Steve, the awesome things he did, and what he stood for, we can also reflect on Christ and remember his love and passion for us!

(1) Steve was so in love with animals that he even named his first child Bendi Sue, after his favorite crocodile (Bendi) and his favorite pet, Sue (a Stafford Bull Terrier). On the flip side, God was (and is) so in love with us, that he not only gave his first and only child a human name, but he sent him in human-form to live among us! (John 1:14, 3:16)

(2) Steve once said, “I consider myself a wildlife warrior. My mission is to save the world’s endangered species!” On the flip side, Christ considered himself a soul-warrior whose mission was from His father – a mission to save the world’s endangered souls! (Mark 10:45)

(3) Steve once told Larry King that he had received many painful bites and scars from parrots and that he was apprehensive in dealing with them. However, despite the pain and scars, Steve loved parrots nevertheless. On the flip side, Christ was betrayed, beaten, and killed by people just like you and me, and yet his love for us continues! Despite the scars and death, Christ gave himself for us. (1 John 3:16) Moreover, Christ continues to make himself available to us today, even as we continue to stumble and cause him pain.

(4) Steve believed it would be the “ultimate” if he were to die doing something related to his passion for animals. He said, “My number one rule is to keep the camera rolling. Even if it’s shaky or slightly out of focus, I don’t give a rip! Even if a big ole’ alligator is chewing me up, I want to go down and say, ‘Crikey!’ just before I die. That would be the ultimate for me!” “Crikey,” in Australian-lingo, is an alternative word to “Christ.” Speaking of whom, on the flip side, Christ considered death the “ultimate” thing to do for us – to give his life for us, even while we were sinners! (Romans 8:1)

(5) When Steve was just beginning his pursuit to save animals, he would take a tripod and camera and position it to capture himself wrestling crocodiles and moving them to safer locations. Alone, he would film himself doing what he was passionate about – and then he’d show his family the footage. On the flip side, Christ constructed a tripod (earth) and mounted a camera (earth’s inhabitants) in order to film himself doing what he was passionate about – loving and saving souls, even by death on the cross! Of course, the footage has been observed by Christ’s father (God) and discussed in God’s Word (the Bible), and you can partake in the incredible repercussions of this footage by becoming part of God’s family – if you haven’t already! (Romans 10:9-13)

If you would like more information about how to talk with God about joining his family, then please send me an email right away! (Brandonlewis79@msn.com) I look forward to hearing from you!

No More "Disappointment Rooms!"

HGTV - "If Walls Could Talk"
My wife Amy and I love to watch HGTV, and one of the many shows we occasionally get to enjoy is a show entitled, "If Walls Could Talk." This particular show is all about exploring the history of homes and the unique (and sometimes very valuable) items found inside the home or elsewhere on the property.

Disappointment Rooms - The Laurie Dumas Story
Recently, Amy and I watched an episode showcasing the home of a couple (Jeff and Laurie Dumas) in Rhode Island. If I remember correctly, there were several items of interest, such as furniture and original paintings, that were revealed on the show. But the most interesting feature of the Dumas home was a strange room that existed in their third floor attic. Laurie Dumas explained that she and her husband could not figure out what the room had been used for; it was a small room with a metal floor, a drain in the middle of the floor, no doorknob on the inside part of the door, and a lockable doorknob on the outside. Laurie tried her best to discover the reason for the room's existence, and with no luck she checked old newspapers and books specific to her community. While she discovered that the home was built by a prominent judge many years ago, and while she likewise discovered all kinds of information about that judge and his family, she still couldn't find one clue as to why the family had built such an odd room in their attic. It wasn't until one day when she was recounting her story to some coworkers at the local library (where she worked) that an elderly lady walked up to the desk Laurie was sitting at, placed her little hand on Laurie's hand, and said with a degree of sadness, "Honey, you have a 'disappointment room' in your attic." At that, the elderly lady turned to walk away, but Laurie was quick to seek further information from her, and she asked, "What is a 'disappointment room?' I've never heard of that." The elderly lady then explained that disappointment rooms were unfortunately somewhat common years ago; it is where families would occasionally keep and hide children with Down syndrome, or children who were really sick, or children born with deformities. After receiving this new information, Laurie researched and discovered that indeed the judge and his family had been hiding a 'disappointing' secret with that odd cage-like room in their attic. There had been a girl named "Ruth" who died at five years old, which (as the only mention of her) was found on the father's gravestone epitaph. The judge, his, wife, and several of their kids had been occasionally mentioned in newspapers (as they were a prominent family in their day), and they all had birth records, but aside from the sole mention on the father's epitaph, little Ruth was never mentioned, and there were no birth records ever discovered.

As Laurie later discovered, families that utilized 'disappointment rooms' for children with special needs did so because, years ago, there wasn't a lot of information concerning how to help and treat these children, and parents didn't know what else to do. Moreover, if these children were brought before the public, fathers were sometimes unable to advance politically and mothers were ostracized and never invited to social events and women's programs, because people unfortunately believed that the 'parents' were responsible for their child's situation. Therefore, parents would lock-away their children in 'disappointment rooms' in order to keep their 'disappointments' hidden from the world, sometimes (as in the case of Ruth's father) taking their secret to their grave.

Disappointment Rooms - The Rose Marie Kennedy Story
Perhaps you remember the story of Rose Marie Kennedy, the sister of John F. Kennedy and Ted Kennedy. As a teen, Rose Marie was a bit moody and a bit slower than other children, but still rather bright (as most sources reveal). Late into her teen years and into her early twenties, Rose Marie loved having boyfriends, partying, and spending her parents money on the 'wild' side of life. Unfortunately, Rose Marie's parents made a big mistake when Rose Marie was 23 years old, and they decided to take her to have a lobotomy (which involves cutting into the brain). Unfortunately, lobotomies were acceptable practices year ago, and Rose Marie's lobotomy left her mentally incapacitated for the rest of her life. For the longest time, Rose Marie was hidden from the world and kept in "disappointment rooms" in order that nobody would discover her family's big mistake.

Disappointment Rooms - Your Own Story (The Spiritual Parallel)

If you're wondering why I have taken such effort and written so much about disappointment rooms, it is because you and I are guilty of creating disappointment rooms of our own at times. Of course I am not referring to literal disappointment rooms like the ones used for Ruth and Rose Marie. Rather, we create disappointment rooms within ourselves to hide our own shortcomings and disappointments from the world! For example, some of us try hide our sin, struggles, and shortcomings from everyone (including God) while we wear a phony smile on our face. Maybe we're hiding our pain and guilt, suicidal thoughts, sexual sins, negative feelings, jealousy, envy, bad attitudes, a negative self-image, and sinful thoughts and habits. On the other hand, some of us are hiding our scars and disappointments (many of which we had no control over, pertaining to their existence) such as things that have happened to us (abuse, rape, abandonment), the environment we are currently in or the one we grew up in, and health problems and sickness. Both of these lists could go on and on, as many of us are actively hiding away our disappointments, sufferings, struggles, sins, and scars from the rest of the world! Unfortunately, some of us don't seek help, we don't speak about our disappointments, we pretend before others that there are no disappointments, and we say that everything is fine. And sometimes we plan on taking these very disappointments to our grave, if need be, just so long as nobody ever finds out about them!

The Good News - Disappointment Rooms Are Not Necessary!

The good news for followers of Christ is that disappointment rooms are not needed. The Bible makes it clear that Christ followers should not be in the business of creating and maintaining disappointment rooms; they are unnecessary! Of course Christ followers are not perfect, and disappointments will abound (both because of our own making and those that come from sources out of our control), but the Bible advocates two things that we can do (as apposed to creating disappointment rooms) when faced with various sins, struggles, shortcomings, sufferings, and disappointments. These two things can be found within James 5:13-16.

James 5:13-16 (NIV)

13Is anyone of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

(1) Talk To God About Your Disappointments!

Verse 13 of James (above) commends Christ followers to "pray" whenever we are in trouble. The Greek word for trouble is "kakopatheo," which means "to suffer, endure hardships, and face troubles." In other words, when we are facing disappointments of all kinds, we should talk to Jesus. As an old hymn used to put it, "Have a little talk with Jesus, and tell him all about your troubles. He will hear our faintest cry, and he will answer by and by!" No longer should we hide our disappointments on the inside and try to cope with them on our own; Jesus wants us to talk with him! If you didn't know it already, Jesus is very compassionate, and it pains him to see us suffer (especially when we're trying to deal with suffering by ourselves). The Bible reveals that Jesus would even take compassion on those who were hungry and tired after he had been speaking to them, and so if he cares about the most basic of human needs, don't you think he cares about that disappointment room that has been plaguing you? Remember, this same Jesus took compassion on Mary and Martha when they (and others) were mourning the death of their brother, Lazarus. And I believe Jesus is no doubt crying over some of us (in a figurative sense) and our disappointment rooms because he knows the pain we're in, and he's just waiting on us to come talk to him about it!

Sometimes we may feel too ashamed to talk to God, and we might feel like keeping it hidden from God (as if that were even possible) is the best road to take. But Hebrews 4:14-16 tells us that God is able to sympathize with our weaknesses, and this passage encourages us to "approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." We should take our sins, our struggles, our pain, our sicknesses, our scars, and all other disappointments to God! 1 Peter 5:7 tells us to cast all of our anxiety on Him! Philippians 4:6+7 also tells us to take everything to God, and it promises that in return God will give us peace to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Wow, that's an unbeatable deal! How can any Christ follower rationally hold on to a disappointment room with an opportunity like that? But as if this wasn't enough good news, there is a second thing that we can do when faced with disappointments.

(2) Talk To Others About Your Disappointments!

James first encourages us to talk to God when we face troubles and disappointments, but we're also told to talk to others as well! James 5:14 says to take sicknesses to the elders of the church, and then verse 16 says that we are to confess our sins to each other and pray for each other so that we may be healed. You see, God wants us to go to other Christ followers and share our disappointments with them, and he wants us to pray for each other! Of course, this doesn't mean that we all should stand at the pulpit of the church and announce our disappointments to everyone, but we should go to pastors and other spiritually mature people who we know we can trust (and who have our best interests in mind) and tell them what we're going through. Likewise, we should be people who others can confide in, as we pray "powerful and effective" prayers for them! We need to be for each other like the friends of the paralytic (in Mark 2) who lowered their sick friend through the roof to get him to Jesus. We need to start opening up some roofs in the spiritual sense and start taking each other's disappointment rooms directly to God! More than that, we need to stay in good relationship with God so our prayers will be powerful and effective. The Greek word for "powerful and effective" that James used is "dikaios," which means a person in right standing with God. If we're not in right standing with God, we can't pray for each other as effectively as we should.

Recap - Conclusion

In summation, Christ followers should never be burdened with disappointment rooms. Rather, we have a better course of action. We can confidently take our disappointments to God, and we can also take our disappointments to others, as we pray for each other and minister to each other on a personal level. If you've been harboring disappointment rooms in your own life, get rid of them today!

Any "Lin Hos" for Christ out there?

A little more than a month ago, at the opening ceremony for the Olympics, a little nine year old boy named Lin Ho accompanied basketball hero Yao Ming, as they led the Chinese athletes into the Bird's Nest arena. Lin Ho was chosen for this honor because of his remarkable and heroic performance during an earthquake that had taken place earlier this year. It is my understanding, after reading multiple sources about the situation, that Lin Ho's grade school collapsed during the earthquake, which resulted in many deaths, while many students (still alive) were seriously injured and stuck or buried under rubble as they tried to hold on to dear life. Lin Ho was one of those students who had been injured (with a gash in his head) and also stuck, and yet he managed to free himself and find his way out of the collapsed school. But the heroic thing about his story is what he did after making his way to safety; he immediately decided to trek back into the school of rubble and debris in hopes of finding and saving other survivors. Reports say that in fact Lin Ho freed several classmates and led them to safety. The most remarkable part of this story is the way Lin Ho answered reporters, who asked him "why" he would go back into danger after freeing himself. Lin Ho's answer: "I had been voted class leader, and it was my responsibility to look out for the others." Little Lin Ho understood that a certain title and position had been appointed unto him, and he knew it carried much responsibility along with it. As the appointed"class leader" (or "hall monitor"), Lin Ho wanted to live worthy of the calling he had received. He knew he could have made his way to safety and wiped his hands and said, "I'm glad I got outta' that mess!" without even looking back, but he also knew that his calling (and the responsibilities that came with it) wouldn't let him live with himself if he did. And so he did something unfortunately rare in today's world; he put his own inhibitions and concerns aside, and he lived up to the calling he had recieved. Lin Ho stunned the world as perhaps the best "class leader" anyone could have asked for, which is why a pre-olympic national poll in China placed him within the top 50 heroes of modern China.

In a world where people are quick to enjoy the priviledges of titles and positions but equally quick to forfeit responsibilities when their callings and appointments get tough, perhaps some of us could learn a lesson or two from Lin Ho. In fact, it would do well for Christians to let this remarkable story of Lin Ho remind us of our own calling as Christians and to reinforce our determination to live up to that calling. Ephesians 2:10 says "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." And later, Ephesians 4 demands that we "live a life worthy of the calling we have received." Yes, God has created us and called us to do good works which he has long prepared for us to do, but how many of us are actually living a life worthy of the calling? Too often, like the rest of the world, we focus on ourselves and what we want to do, rather than fulfilling the duties that go with the positions and titles that have been bestowed upon us as children of God.

We are called to be ambassadors, watchmen, intercessors, ...and the list goes on and on (as my students are well aware, as we've done a lot of talking about our responsibilities as Christians lately). Will we fulfill our duties and perform the good works for which God has created us and to which he has called us, or will we shirk our duties when the going gets tough and extreme commitment is required? Any "Lin Hos" for Christ out there?

Seven Traits of a Great Leader (2/2)

5. Leaders inspire people to do what they should do because they want to do it! (Neh 2:18B) I believe I stole this little saying (above) from someone like John Maxwell, although I can't remember - but it's true nevertheless, and Nehemiah was certainly a man who demonstrated this kind of leadership. After Nehemiah cast his vision, which included the full report, the people responded, "Let us start rebuilding!" The people responded in the affirmative because they "wanted" to do what they "should" do! Too often, vision casters try to guilt and bribe people to jump on their bandwagons! These tactics usually don't get people motivated to act, and (if they do) people who are motivated by guilt or bribery normally won't stick in there and finish the job. Nehemiah was the kind of leader who expected people to see his heart and join his cause because it was the right thing to do, and so he didn't find it necessary to guilt them or bribe them. Moreover, Nehemiah knew that God played the biggest role in motivating people to act according to His will, and so any efforts to guilt or bribe people would have only underminded God's divine plan. Let's stop placing people through guilt trips and/or bribing them with false hopes and rewards, and let's share our hearts with those we lead and trust God to produce good and solid motivation within them! That's what Nehemiah did!
6. Leaders will experience opposition! (Neh 2:19) Nehemiah, as with anyone who takes a stand and follows after God, faced opposition from the the very early stages of his missionary endeavor and all throughout! Those who think they are leading (in a godly fashion) and who do not occasionally have to weather opposition are actually not leading at all, because opposition is inevitable! How we respond and react to opposition is of paramount importance if we, like Nehemiah, are going to lead successfully! This leads us the next and final point:
7. Leaders know it is God (not themselves) who supplies the power to overcome opposition! (Neh 2:20) Nehemiah was no fool; he knew that God was the author, maintainer, and finisher of this whole rebuilding project that God was using him to head-up. Therefore, when opposition began to show its ugly head, Nehemiah immediately invoked the authority of God and declared that success would come from Him! Notice that Nehemiah didn't make the battle a personal one; he knew the opposition was a matter that wasn't so much about him as it was about God and His plans. Often times, leaders will make a mission and endeavor about them instead of God, and so opposition brings those leaders to get a big head and seek to defend themselves and their pride, ultimately hindering or crushing the mission altogether. Nehemiah wasn't about to let that happen! Instead, he proclaimed who was really in charge of the mission! This reminds me of David when he was ridiculed by Goliath; like Nehemiah, he didn't retaliate on a personal level, but instead he proclaimed that success would come from God rather than himself! Let us be like Nehemiah and David, and let us remember and proclaim who is the force behind the mission's success, lest we allow the opposition to get a foothold as we make the mission about ourselves!

Seven Traits of a Great Leader (1/2)

Nehemiah was an exceptional leader! My students are learning all about him on Wednesday nights as we look at the book of Nehemiah in a chapter-by chapter and verse-by-verse expository fashion. (By the way, if you want to be a part of this intense Bible study, you can find us in the youth suite upstairs from 6:30-7:30PM every Wednesday - The Village Baptist Church). We just finished studying the second half of Nehemiah chapter two last night. As I had been preparing for my lesson regarding this section, seven distinct leadership traits jumped right out at me. Listed below are these seven leadership traits that Nehemiah exhibited; they are traits that we all would do well to learn from and emulate.
1. Leaders take care of the small things! (Neh 2:11) - Notice that Nehemiah didn't begin casting his vision from the very moment he arrived in Jerusalem. He didn't immediately start pointing and barking orders to those who would ultimately help rebuild the city. Instead, when he reached Jerusalem, Nehemiah stayed there three days before making what we would consider a "big" move towards his ultimate mission. No doubt he was visiting with his family, forming necessary relationships with important people, and getting his feet on the ground before stepping out to take care of the "big" stuff. Moreover, notice that Nehemiah had already begun taking care of the smaller things even before he left for Jerusalem. He secured safe travel and building supplies from King Artaxerxes before his trip was even underway. Nehemiah, unlike many of us sometimes, must have surmised that "taking care of the little things" was a very needed and important step in the process of accomplishing some pretty big goals. Too often, we tend to want to overlook the small details and jump right into a ministry task head over heals, and then we learn what a terrible mistake we made later. Let's learn to be like Nehemiah and take care of the small things!
2. Leaders know who they can trust! (Neh 2:12) When Nehemiah set out to observe the destruction of the city, notice that he was accompanied by only a "few men." The text doesn't even tell us that any of these men were members of his own family. Apparently, Nehemiah understood that "trust" is of utmost importance, especially when you're about to lead a large group of people to do something incredibly huge and important in the eyes of God. Nehemiah didn't involve a lot of people (and maybe not his own family) in the earlier stages of his mission, and he knew that only a "few" trustworthy companions could know (and protect) the time-sensitive nitty-gritty details of his plan. More than that, the text seems to reveal that Nehemiah had even held-back much of the details from even those "few" that were with him. Far too often, we tend to jump the gun and spew details to everyone and their mama long before it's wise to do so. Unlike Nehemiah, we are sometimes willing to let our excitement and eagerness get the best of us, and our mouth's get us in trouble (pertaining to the details that we should have held close). We need to be like Nehemiah and learn who we can trust, and (at times) we need to keep some things just between us and God - until the right time to share with others has been made obvious.
3. Leaders take inventory before they take action! (Neh 2:12-16) Nehemiah knew what he wanted to do in Jerusalem. It was what he had prayed about. It was what he had been called to do. It was to rebuild the wall and restore the city! And yet, before casting his vision and getting his people to jump on the bandwagon, he took a personal inventory of the situation. He knew the walls had been destroyed and the city was in ruins; his brother had already told him that before he left the service of King Artaxerxes - but he nevertheless wanted to see the evidences first hand so he would know exactly what he was dealing with. Often times, we fail to show this kind of wisdom in our leadership endeavors. We sometimes begin to craft plans and recruit people before having our own complete understanding of what the situation will require. Like Nehemiah, we need to make every effort to gain a personal and full understanding of situations that we seek to change before we begin casting a vision and leading others where we have not been ourselves.
4. Leaders cast a vision - telling the full report! (Neh 2:17-18) Nehemiah had taken care of the small things. He had kept those close who he could trust. He had taken a personal inventory of the situation. And now came the time for him to cast a vision to God's people and release information that had been hitherto undisclosed. And so he did just that - and he included the bad information with the good! He started by telling the people the bad news: "You see the trouble and disgrace we are in! Jerusalem lies in ruins! It's destroyed! Everything has been burned up!" and then he began to solicit their action! But Nehemiah didn't stop there! After requesting that God's people join him on his mission to rebuild Jerusalem, he threw in the good news when it needed to be heard the most, as he explained how God had already been working on their behalf to get the building plans started! He even told them about how God had impressed the King give his blessings to the whole deal! Nehemiah didn't hold back the good news or the bad; he gave God's people the full report and requested that they join him! Sometimes, we're known to water down the report and tell people what they want to hear. We tend to leave out the bad news out of fear it might turn people away, and sometimes we leave out the good news out of fear people will jump on the bandwagon for the wrong reasons. Let's start leading like Nehemiah; let's give the full report when we cast the vision!