Getting High Off Christ or Taking a Hit of Jesus

Everyone has faith.

Everyone is putting their faith in something.

Everyone is putting their faith in something they hope will save them.

What are you putting your faith in?

Faith is popularly associated with religion, but it’s narrow-minded to seclude faith to those areas alone. People don’t just put their faith in God. People also put their faith in the nonexistence of God.

Or Wall Street.

Or a relationship.

Or a job.

Or a political party.

Or beauty.

Or an opinion.

Or a feeling.

What are you putting your faith in?

I have grown up in church-world. It’s a realm filled with choir robes, hand bells, pews, Sunday and Wednesday worship gatherings,vacation Bible school (worst summer activity title EVER), ties, dresses, flannel graph, hipster clothing, Sunday school, moving lights, puppets, Veggie Tales, and potluck dinners. Amidst this fascinating (and at times odd) sub-culture is the zenith of activities…church camp!

I’ve been to a bunch of church camps over the years. You go to play pranks on your bunk mates, get your first kiss, and ask Jesus into your heart…again. (I always got pranked, never got kissed, and asked Jesus in so many times He took up all the spots in My Circle.) You had to work at the first two but the last one was impossible to avoid. It was the combination of extended singing, intense message, bonfire by the lake, and girls crying that made asking Jesus into your heart unavoidable.

Most everyone who has left church camp leaves on this incredible high. It’s as if they put a little speed in the haze machines or in the Kool Aid on the final day. You leave jacked to read your Bible more and not fall asleep reading the book of Numbers, pray for 24 hours a day, and save everyone you meet.

And then you get home. And camp’s not there when you wake up the next morning. And you didn’t get pranked, but the girl you had a crush on lives 3 states away. And the high starts to fade.

And then we meet the faith dilemma face to face.

What did we put our faith in?

God?

Church camp?

Or a feeling?

When our feelings are telling us, “All systems go,” it’s easy to follow suit. But when our feelings don’t feel as energized we begin to doubt or disregard the faith we were so certain about.

Here’s another example for the non-church-camp-going-type. Consider when people fall in love with one another. Love is one of the strongest feelings experienced. But like all feelings it can fade away. Many couples break up and or get divorced because they just didn’t love their partner any more. When this happens were people committed to a person or a feeling?

What did we commit to? What did we put our faith in?

This doesn’t just happen, or always happen, at church camp (it’s just an easy example) or with love. It can happen at church one Sunday morning or after a late night conversation about God with a friend. It can happen after viewing a inspiring movie or hearing a invigorating speech. It can happen with a particular routine you love or Bible study you’re a part of. It can happen with a promising opportunity, “success,” or a great expectation. It can even happen the moment you decide to surrender your life to God and follow Jesus.

All these moments and experiences can super charge our feelings and cause us to believe that our faith will bring about these feelings every time. Instead of putting our faith in the One who gave us our feelings we place our faith in the feelings. In the emotion instead of the One who gave us our emotions. Feelings are a gift from God but He never intended them to be worshiped and permanently trusted in place of Him. A.W. Tozer writes, “God’s gifts now take the place of God, and the whole course of nature is upset by the monstrous substitution.” It’s easy to get high off Christ without putting our actual faith in Christ. Jesus didn’t suffer and endure agony, pain, and death on a cross so we could put our faith in our feelings but so we could put our faith in the One who gave us feelings.

When the feelings fade or confuse what will become of our faith?

Feelings, the high and the low, are but a catalyst, an igniter, to greater dependency and faith in the one who gave you feeling.

Will your feelings be just another high or a jump start to faith?

When _____________ Happens

I doubt and question God’s promises and His provision constantly even though I have experienced, received, and seen them regularly.

I believe that all good things come from God yet I doubt that God is good. He may have provided in the past but I’m unsure if He’ll do the same in the present. When things are going well I’m certain that God is in control. When life gets jostled I have the tendency to believe that my certainty was just a mirage.

Do the “good times” depict God’s provision?

Do the “bad/hard times” occur when God relinquishes His sustenance?

Does He want to help?

Does God get tired of providing?

Do I grow tired of depending?

The book of Exodus is a story about freedom. The Israelites become slaves to the Egyptians and God calls a man named Moses to lead His people out of their captivity. God sends 10 different plagues on Egypt that lead to the release of the Israelites. On their journey out of Egypt Pharaoh changes his mind, rallies bunch of chariots, and chases after the Israelites. Though free they become slaves to the land, their route blocked by the Red Sea ahead of them and plan B shut off by determined Egyptian army.

What does God do?

“Good luck Moses!”

“Back stroke is less tiring.”

“Gotcha.”

“Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.” And Moses responded, “That’s just what I was about to do. How’d you know?”

Moses spread his hands across the sea and God separated the sea setting the Israelites free to walk through on dry ground. Once they got to the other side Pharaoh’s army plunges in after only to be swallowed by the sea at the wave of Moses’ hand.

God provided. He sent plagues to set the Israelites free. He guided them out of Egypt. He guarded them against an ensuing army. He opened and closed the sea. He eliminated their captivity.

If we stood on the banks opposite of the Israelites we would have heard them worshiping God for His tremendous provision and unbelievable salvation.

The LORD is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him.

God is the hero and the people praise Him for His provision.

But something changes. “Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, ‘What are we to drink?’”

Over the span of three days God goes from hero to zero. The people from wonderers to grumblers. Have they already forgotten? I know it’s three days but is it plausible to think that God will spare your life amidst excess water and then kill you for a lack of it? They complained to Moses, but they failed to cry out to God. Moses led them, but God provided their freedom. Would He not provide their water?

I’m an Israelite.

Crying out to God usually isn’t my immediate response, and sometimes it even isn’t a last resort. I turn on the radio, blame others, take the helm of my life, supress everything, get frustrated and angry, retreat, or tune God out instead.

He provided in the past, will He not provide for the present?

If things seem out of control is He not in control?

I believe we’re all Israelites. We need help remembering and depending on God when ______________ happens.

We have an abundance of options when ___________ happens but they all narrow down into two choices:

1. Turn towards God in dependence.

2. Turn away from God in rejection.

When your world falls apart. When everything is overturned. When you’re afraid. When your feelings are hurt. When you lose your job. When your heart is broken. When you’re offended. When there’s no water. When division occurs. When nothing makes sense. When people disappoint us. When picture perfect becomes the perfect nightmare. When you don’t know which way is up. When there’s no easy way out. When the hero disappears. When you’re trapped between a bunch of chariots and a large body of water. When ______________ happens.

Turn towards God in dependency and cry out for His help.

Everyday is January 1st

What if the last day of every month was New Years eve?

Would we celebrate?

Would we continue to over play “We’re gonna party like it’s 1999″?

Would we make more resolutions?

Why do we equate the beginning of a new year with fresh starts? We all know that the changing of a number from 2009 to 2010 doesn’t change the pattern and regularity of our days. Tommorrow is the same as today, it’s the content of each day that makes them different. Mondays are the dreaded day for most because the weekend is over and we have to go back to work or school. We look forward to Fridays because when the “whistle” blows or the bell rings, we’re “free” for a couple days.

There’s no power in a new year.

Everyone acts and thinks as if there is though. What if our calendars only consisted of days but never any years? We not only could party like it’s 1,999, but also like it’s 19,999.

If there were no years but only days, would we still make resolutions?

Why do we wait till the ball drops to start going to the gym, attending church, or paying off debt? Gyms are packed in January, but empty by Valentine’s Day. Church participation skyrockets at the beginning of the year but gradually decreases as the weeks progress.

Some people maintain their resolutions, but it appears as if the majority gives up, resorting to old routine. What causes this? Guilt for missing a day? Eating the whole cake?  Laziness? Or fear of the challenge?

There are numerous factors and excuses we give that hinder us from starting over, picking ourselves up off the ground, and moving again. But why wait?

Our confidence in resolutions may reveal something about our mentality. A new year promises a fresh start, a clean slate, but it demands we attain it on our own.  We believe we can fix ourselves, and  the new year, the new semester, the new job, or the new relationship is our opportunity to make it happen. All it takes is a little discipline, right?

We trust our resolutions will change our lives. Our faith is in our ability to fix ourselves. Our resolutions expose the condition of our souls – our internal lives that influence our external living. We are inconsistent and unfaithful people, convinced we can do it ourselves. Self-confidence is a soul issue.

In Lamentations, one of the most difficult and depressing books of the Bible, captures the sorrow and shame of those who have turned away from and disobeyed God.  Their temple was destroyed. The land  made desolate. They have experienced loss, pain, judgment, and suffering.. Observing their circumstance and analyzing their despair, a voice from among the physical and spiritual wreckage professes,

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

We’ve screwed up. We’ve journeyed off course. We’ve lost our way. We have actually put our faith in our unfaithfulness.

But the Bible reveals that we can’t right our wrongs, and that we don’t have to.

We’ve been offered a new start, not with every new year, but with every new day. We have been invited to place our faith in Jesus, who is faithful to heal our unfaithfulness.

2010 offers us no mercy, neither do our resolutions.

The cross was God’s way of being faithful to an unfaithful people. Even though we deserted Him, He has never deserted us. In the midst of our broken attempts to repair our lives and our souls God offers us His faithfulness. Faith in a faithful God results in faithful people. His mercy is new today, why wait for 2011?

:: The French Pressed Four ::

: My Sweet :: Happy Birthday

:: PF Changs, Sherlock Holmes, and Ben and Jerrys :: Thanks Big T and A Boom!

::: Wilco :: Yankee Foxtrot Hotel

::::  Plaza Fiesta :: Chuck E Cheese on steroids

We Can’t Love

Will you let God love you?

I’ve never thought about this before. I’m realizing that I live to let God know that I love Him. This isn’t the first time I’ve been confronted by my perspective and reaction toward God. Growing up I struggled trying to earn God’s love. Throughout college I grew tired trying to attain peace with God by pleasing people. Shrapnel of those misconceptions and misunderstandings is still lodged within me, misguiding my understanding of God and treatment of people on those wrong-side-of-the-bed-rainy-days.

Or when I forget that I am loved.

A lot of my history is marked and marred with attempts to right my wrongs and perfect myself. A broken person trying to fix broken things only leads to greater brokenness. I don’t like to admit I’m broken, but I do like to think I’m unloved.

There’s a story in the Bible about a man who marries a prostitute. Actually, God wants the man to marry her so He can make a point. Hosea marries the prostitute and they have children together. She then leaves him to reengage in her former way of life. God then gives Hosea directions to go back and get her, to pursue her, to recapture her heart.

For the relationship to work the woman has to let Hosea love her. She has to let him embrace her, lead her, forgive her, and renew her.

Hosea represents God, and I have been asked if I will let Him love me.

I know my story is intermingled and overlaid with rebelling against God and rejecting His love. I know He made the first move to win me back, pursue me, and capture my heart so He could renew and transform me.

Now will I let Him love me to continue the process?

The writer of Romans reveals that it is the kindness of God that leads to repentance. Repentance gets a bunch of bogus and negative criticism, but it actually means to turn from to turn towards. The message here is crucial, God’s love turns us from our rebellion and rejection, turning us toward His renewal and transformation. God’s love enables us to love God.

Will I let God love me so I can love Him?

Giving God this type of permission and power requires trust. If I really let God love me I’ll have to allow Him to remove the shrapnel of my past and my lingering rebellion and rejection. Because, His love removes and replaces. Destroys and rebuilds. Denies what we want so He can gives us what He has. Works surgery on the wounds we hide. Empowers us to love others correctly. Messes up our plans and popularity. Permits us to love like Him. Casts out fear and calls in peace. Breaks cycles and starts movements. Allows us to rest in what He’s done instead of stressing over what we have to do. Requires me to love those who hate me and forgive those I can’t stand. Disables and repairs. Offends the self-righteous and the insecure, the intellectual and the idiot. Brings the far away close by. Moves the comfortable to places of discomfort. Gives us what we never dreamed we’d have. And, can’t be controlled, bottled, or sold.

His love enables us to love Him like we never could.

I don’t trust Him to love me this way because it would mean that I would have to give up my attempts to let God know that I love Him, by myself.

So, will you?

:: The French Pressed Four ::

: Empire State of Mind :: Jay-Z

:: Jon Foreman :: “If you approach the world with the apron of a servant, then you are allowed to go places that you can’t go if you approach it with the crown of a king.”

::: Headache :: The boy in front of her does give a valiant effort

:::: TMok’s 3 B’s of the AM :: Basketball, Brew, and Bible

Who Will Get Me? My Feelings or My Wife?

I’ve been married for 4 years. My Sweet and I celebrated in a way only the Lesher’s could – orange rolls, outmeal squares, and recommitment.

Abbey and I meet 6 years ago in a copier room. She was looking fly in a classic pair over overalls and I was bumbling around flippin copies. She doesn’t remember this momentous occasion, but there’s nothing like the combination of copies and overalls to create chemistry.

We dated for 7 months, were engaged for 5 months, and spent our honeymoon in Cancun with 1,500 people in a warehouse (but that’s another story). Take us out to eat to celebrate and we’ll tell ya.

I’ve heard people talk about the first couple years of marriage as the honeymoon stage, when couples are young and in love. To an over analytical mind does this mean that the honeymoon stage ends when you’re old and in love? Or, when your young and out of love? Or, when you’re out of both?

During our 4 years of marriage Abbey and I have had our times when love ran high and other times when we’ve had to scrounge up all the love we could muster. So, based on the definition above we’ve been in and out of the honeymoon stage; and truth is, if age is a factor we have no chance of staying in it for very long anyways.

I don’t buy the honeymoon stage idea. I’m young and I love my wife. But I won’t be young forever and love is an unpredictable emotion. When I married Abbey I made a commitment to a person not to an age or an emotion.

Our culture is afraid to make lasting commitments because if our feelings change we’re stuck doing something we don’t feel “good” about anymore. This is something I wrestle with on a regularly basis. I want my way. I want to call the shots. I want to control things.

Singleness has it’s perks.

Marriage has it’s sacrifices.

When I was single I could treat my life, my living room, my car, my money, and my calendar like I wanted. When I got married my agenda  collided with Abbey’s. My life isn’t my own anymore. When agendas collide feelings get involved and people get hurt. It’s here in our pain that we begin to question our commitments. Forgiveness frees us to uphold our commitments and forces us to communicate our feelings.

The invitation to follow Jesus is, “come and die.” As a bachelor I thought I knew what this meant and how to do it. I had no idea. When I got married I began learning what it meant to die to myself to love, lead, and serve Abbey better. In turn I began learning what the invitation to follow Jesus meant.

Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. Singles can totally learn what it means to die to themselves to live for Jesus. Marriage, for me, has been one of God’s ways showing me what it means to follow Jesus.

Marriage is a commitment to a person not a feeling.

Following Jesus is very similar, it’s a commitment to follow a person despite a crisis in feelings.

Feelings are really important for faith and marriage. Feelings accentuate life. They also accentuate faith and marriage.

The question I must continually brew on is, will I allow my commitment to Jesus to shape my commitment to Abbey, or will I allow my feelings to compromise both commitments? Who will get me?

Die to yourself to fulfill your commitments.

My feelings are important, but my commitment is to Abbey, and man she’s worth it! Happy anniversary!

:: The French Pressed Four ::

: My Sweet :: To the moon!

:: 4 Years :: Flying by with my best friend.

::: Muse Media Player :: www.muse.mu/ (thanks AJC!)

:::: Drops Like Stars Tour :: I missed it, but my friends who went said it was money. If it’s coming by your town don’t do what I did.

The Figment of Emotional Stability

I put too much confidence in my emotions.

I make decisions, daily, based on how I’m feeling at a particular moment. I’ll choose ‘avoid it’ over ‘should do it’ simply because I don’t FEEL like it. ‘Should’ should dominate and drive my decision, but when feelings take the wheel I’m feeling good checking out the scenery.

This happens all the time when I watch movies. After seeing Marley and Me I left feeling really bad about how I treat our dog Zeke. I told Abbey that I was going to treat him better. But after about the 2nd time (yeah pathetic) he wiped his slobbery mouth on my clean shorts, my feeling bad turned to feeling mad and I was done with the ‘being nice’ bit

When I’m following my emotions, responses and reactions will vary from one situation to the next. Living life and making choices off feeling like it or not affects my relationship with Abbey, Allen, the students I pastor, emptying the dishwasher, getting out of bed, kicking the dog, reading, watching TV. But ultimately it can really influence my relationship with God.

I will join rank with all those who get upset with God when difficult things happen to us, our friends, or to the world at large. A lot of the time it doesn’t make sense and ‘why?’ seems to be the only proper response. Our emotions will always get jumbled in the mess as well. It’s times like these that I begin to believe that my emotions are telling me the truth about what’s real about life, the future, relationships, as well as God. When my emotions tell me ‘it doesn’t feel good for things like this to happen’ I, and most people, allow feelings to influence the validity of God’s faithfulness. If God is faithful my emotions remind me that He’s faithful at messing up my life.

In Psalm 77 the writer details his frustrations and doubts about God’s presence, involvement, and work among His people. He questions whether or not God has forgotten and deserted His people, “Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time?” Ever feel like that?

At one point, as in a moment of clarity and boldness, the writer determines to reflect not on what God isn’t doing now, but on what God has done in the past – remembering His great works, miracles, and presence, “I will remember the deeds of the LORD.” Remembering His faithfulness. It’s as if he resolves to rely on God’s faithfulness over his emotions. As God has been faithful in the past He will be faithful in the future.

Emotion is a wonderful thing. The emotions experienced as Steve Smith scores a touchdown are exciting. Graduating school is full of emotions that display our feelings of joy and sadness. Finding a wrinkled 5 dollar in my ski jacket causes unbelievable emotion inside of me. Emotions can even lead to a deeper connection with God. But when we trust our emotions over the faithfulness of God we are allowing the uncertain to define the constance of God’s character.

Give Psalm 77 a read this week and place yourself in the midst of the issues the writer contemplates. Try praying about this as well. What would your prayer be if motivated by the reality that God is Faithful?

:: The French Pressed Four ::

: One Prayer :: http://2009.oneprayer.com/the-messages

:: Basketball + GymNasty :

::: Hey Mambo! :: Thinking about quitting my job to toss pizza for a living ::

:::: Jay Leno’s Farewell to Late Night :: That was emotional! (Check it out at Hulu.com)

“Don’t Stop Believin’”

Abbey and I took our little guy, Allen (aka Lil’ Bubba), to the zoo last weekend. We started the day off fresh, french press to go, packed up and made our way to the Cola zoo.

The trip down was filled with songs, stories, and words like, “ba” (ball), “ba” (bottle), and “da” (dad of course). Once we got to the zoo our journey had only begun. We plotted our course (orangutans, lions, and hyenas first). We took pictures shot videos, pointed a lot and poorly impersonated every animal we saw.

As our journey zig-zagged us through bird cages, the sea lion pool, and flamingo island we really enjoyed being at the zoo together. As we entered “beast territory” (yeah I have no idea why the lions were stuck over with the monkeys either) our experience went to a whole other level. This depicts it perfectly!

If his vocab contained more than “ba” you know he would be saying, “Mommmm, Dadddddd, look at this! This monkey, is it a monkey?, is huge!! Can we buy a gorilla? Oooo! Oooo! I want to be a gorilla when I grow up! Wow! Deactivate this force field holding me back…”

As we watched our Lil’ Bubba take it all in our experience became more significant and memorable. If Abbey and I had journeyed through the park by ourselves we would have had a good time, but we wouldn’t have seen Allen’s eyes widen, jaw drop, and drool hit the floor. We would have glanced and moved on…been there done that, right?

Who have  you journeyed with? Isn’t life better experienced with someone or a community of people? From the zoo, movies, the park, life changes, difficult circumstances, to faith.

Have you invited anyone to journey with you as you discover the love, truth, and forgiveness of God through Jesus? When you’re part of someone trusting Jesus with their life for the first time there’s nothing like it! Journeying with others who follow Jesus’ life and teachings – serving, caring, and sacrificing – is powerful. As people are impacted we too are never left the same.

As we left the zoo, picked up our diet coke and iced coffee, to journey back to Ctown Abbey and I both felt like we grew as husband and wife, Da and Ma, and individuals. We were able to take in the zoo from a new angle.

Have you joined the journey Jesus invites everyone in to?

Have you invited others to join the journey?

Inviting and taking part in someone’s journey may impact you as much as it impacts them.

:: The French Pressed Four ::

: My Sweet :: Been taking care of Lil’ Bubba while he’s fought an ear infection and fever all week.

:: Paper Route :: New album, Absence, is real nice! #mce_temp_url#

::: Red Iron Design :: Get Branded, G$ will make it happen. #mce_temp_url#

:::: Join the Rescue :: #mce_temp_url#

The Comfort Zone

You know the phrase, “let’s think outside the box,” (or for all my Taco Bell compadres, “think outside the bun”)? The phrase kinda drives me crazy. It’s the catch phrase used when you want to be creative.  Using this phrase so frequently means we’ve lost the understanding of the  word “creative.”

Creative means original, imaginative, different, unexpected, artistic, yada yada yada (my Seinfeld quote of the post). Thinking creatively means “thinking outside the box!!” Now that’s unboxafiable!!

A new phrase I’ve had running through my head this past week, that has a minor connection with “thinking outside the box (TOTB),” is “live outside your comfort zone.” If you’re tired of TOTB than this new phrase may be just as annoying, but for those willing to press through brew on this with me for a minute…

When I live in my comfort zone things are easy, safe, and predictable. When I move out of my comfort zone into the “unknown” all those previous adjectives get shattered. Can you think of a time when living outside your comfort surprised or benefitted you? A date? A new job? A best friend? A chest of solid gold (metal-detector man always lives outside the comfort zone)? What about our faith? Does life change, transformation, and influence take place in your comfort zone or outside of it?

I’m about 95% certain that becoming more like Jesus (more loving, truthful, and forgiving) and sharing His love, truth, and forgiveness with others only occurs outside of my comfort zone. It’s not easy transforming through Jesus or caring people to Him but I believe our life and the lives of others are better when we choose to move outside our comfort zone into the realm of the uncertain, unfamiliar, and intimidating. When it comes to your faith where is outside your comfort zone? Go there, things will never be the same.

Brew on This: Think outside your comfort zone. Pray outside your comfort zone. Live outside your comfort zone. Trust God!

:: The French Pressed Four ::

: www.TOMSshoes.com/oneday :: Many across the nation went without shoes to make a silent statement that people all over the world go shoeless everyday and we can do something about it.

:: Lecrae :: Legit Christian Hip-Hop that I can’t stop listening to! Download “Don’t Waste Your Life”

::: iTunes Weekly Rewind :: Great podcast for those who want to keep up with music but don’t have time to.

:::: Allen’s Lineman Wave :: Every morning when I leave Allen, crawling toward the door, will intermittently stop, tripod it, and wave goodbye. He’ll do it about 3 times before he gets to the door. And the thought ran through my mind when I left, “What if he did that when’s he’s a lineman for his high school football team? He’d wave, confuse the heck out of the defense and then rip the quaterback’s face off.” Allen’s awesome!

Enjoy the Brew!

Grace+Peace

TLesh