i'm filthy rich

Many years ago, I took part in a Poverty Simulation with Mission Waco. In one of the sessions, my friend Jimmy Dorrell explained the incredible gap between American affluence and the rest of the world. If my memory serves me correctly [and my recent data gets me in the ballpark], the United States comprises 5% of the world's population but consumes almost a quarter of the world's resources. We are users, hoarders, getters.

In my research for the My Simple Life series, I stumbled across a sobering website that puts my personal income in context with the rest of the world [see Global Rich List here]. I won't spoil the surprise for you. But, when you're finished inserting your annual salary and review the results, you might start tithing to your church, giving to a local compassion agency or checking out Kiva to see how you might put some of your dollars to work as a blessing to those much further down the wealth continuum.

On a related note: The compelling reason why my financial riches should pour over into the world is because of the spiritual riches that I enjoy in Christ. Paul writes, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich" [2 Corinthians 8:9]. I don't just make a decent annual income, I enjoy a marvelous eternal income. God has "met all of my needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus" [Philippians 4:19]. I'm filthy rich. So much so...I can afford to give so much away.

guess it #2

Here's another Grant Daniels pic. Guess it.

blast from the past

OK. So, I was noticing the tags on my blogs and realized that it's been a while since I've posted anything under the category "humor." So, when my son told me about a new creative website [yearbookyourself.com] where I could import my current pic to recreate a yearbook photo, I couldn't resist. I've posted Grant's too, I'm so proud of him. Create your own and let me know when I can see your nostalgic self. I'm thinking of posting Tiffany's picture next. Then we'll get counseling.

guess it #1

Grant has been taking some extraordinary photos. I love his artful eye and the ability to abstract the simple. I'm going to post a few of my favorites. Can you guess what it is? You can see more of my son's pics at Grant Daniels Photography.

simplify

I turned off the television a little more than a week ago. I have filled my time with several good books. If you are like me --trying to get a handle on your time and stuff and simplifying your life so that you can find the margin to do what really matters -- I'd like to recommend a couple of good reads. Two books are helpful resources for our simple life: Simplify by Paul Borthwick (105 ways to simplify your life) and Simplify Your Spiritual Life by Donald S. Whitney (practicing the spiritual disciplines in a way that brings simple pleasure to your spiritual pursuit of God). They can be purchased online or in the Pantego Bible Church Connection Bookstore.

entropy

Our Home Group just retired for the evening and I thought would reflect on our great conversation together. We enjoyed a delicious Mexican food dinner chased by homemade spice cake. Brandon Swinney gave us a mini-concert showing us all how much he has progressed on guitar (Grant is his teacher). Then, we talked about the new sermon series I started this morning: My Simple Life. Each of us shared our perspective on one or more of the four points that I presented from Ecclesiastes 3:1-15. To live the simple life, we must:

1. Know who controls time
2. Say "no" until the right time
3. Go to our gladness
4. Zero in on the glory

One of the points of discussion was the law of entropy. In science class, I learned (and this is a non-scientific, simple explanation) that items will move from a condition of order to disorder, if left alone. This is a law of living too. If left alone, my schedule will naturally move from order to disorder. I will suddenly find myself overwhelmed and overloaded. In other words, I must wisely and intentionally set about to guard my schedule and watch my decisions every day. Otherwise, I may wake up to discover that my simple life has become chaotic. That's entropy.

a different take on "I do"

My friend and PBC attendee, Lena Lewis, gave me a copy of Gary Thomas' Sacred Marriage several months ago and I put it in my reading queue [which is a dozen books long]. I'm sorry I waited so long. Expect me to come back to reviewing it several more time. But, Thomas' main thesis is that God designed marriage, not for my happiness, but for my holiness. The reason I commit to love, sacrifice, be selfless or remain pure, (i.e.) is because it reflects my ongoing transformation by God and a commitment to Him. I have been greatly challenged and blessed by the point of view of this book and highly recommend it to anyone wanting to add value to their marriage relationship.

what moves me

Several weeks ago, we introduced a new song in our worship service and since then, I cannot get it out of my head. I thank God for leaders who write such God-centered anthems to His glory. I found Angels Cry available for you to listen to at GateWay Worship. Find Angels Cry by Jonathan Stockstill and click "listen." The words are beautiful:

I saw the Lord
High and lifted up
And His glory filled the earth
His face shone like the sun
He was light to everyone
And the glory that fell on me
Was the glory that set me free

Angels cry "Holy is the Lord"
Seated on the praises of His people
Nations cry "Glory to the Lamb"
The Savior of the world
He is exalted!

living by dying

Yesterday, I received the tragic news of a brother's death. Though I never met him personally, Justin Mager was one of the founding fathers of the Oklahoma State University Kappa Chapter of Beta Upsilon Chi. Justin graduated in 2008 and immediately embarked on a trip to India with Student Mobilization. Sunday evening, Justin was returning from leading a discipleship class, investing in the lives of others, when his motorcycle was hit head on by a car that crossed the center of the street. Justin was killed instantly and his friend, John Miller, was critically injured. Our fraternity has been praying fervently for John and the families of these young men.

When I read this story, I wondered how I, as a parent, would feel receiving the news that my child has been killed 8000 miles away. It's a grief I pray I never have to bear. On the other hand, it's a suffering that I long for in my walk with Christ. Justin died doing something eternal--a better decision than living doing something that doesn't matter. He "filled up in his flesh" what was "still lacking in regards to Christ's affliction" [Colossians 1:24]. That is, he bore the bloodshed of Jesus so that his suffering might complete and compliment the suffering testimony of Jesus. In giving his life so that others might live, Justin proved that Christ is better than life and worth death.

Perhaps this is why the martyrs throughout history have considered it a privilege to die for their faith. Because, their wounds are simply mouthpieces of the all-surpassing worth of God for whom they gladly pour out all of their life.

a franciscan prayer

At the Willow Creek Leadership Summit last week, pastor Craig Groeschel mentioned a Franciscan benediction that I found quite compelling:

May God bless you with discomfort
At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships
So that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless you with tears
To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger, and war,
So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and
To turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness
To believe that you can make a difference in the world,
So that you can do what others claim cannot be done
To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.

Amen.

good pride

I sat mesmerized watching the opening ceremonies for the 2008 Beijing Olympics last night. What a spectacular display of artistry, technology and beauty. Every element of the program, from the giant floor level LED screen to the synchronized drummers to the elegant dancers to the parade of ethnic children to the giant globe rising from the middle to the runner skipping along the scrim to light the torch. Amazing.

What we witnessed was Chinese pride, rightly on display. The Chinese people finally had opportunity to showcase their people and their country's rich heritage. And, in working hard on the production, they served us well. I think that's the measure of appropriate pride. Pride is a deadly sin when it is self-serving. But, when pride pushes a person (or a nation) to a level of excellence that results in a blessing to everyone, it no longer is a vice, but a virtue.

When I am rightly proud of my church, I serve within it and advance it's mission. I invite my neighbors to be a part of it. My pride benefits others.

When I'm proud of my job, I demonstrate it by working hard, guarding against the kind of unethical dangers that could compromise my company. I arrive on time and stay until the job is done. My pride pours over into my performance on behalf of others.

When I'm proud of my country, I protect its resources, don't throw trash from my car window, vote in elections and pray for my leaders. Again, my pride selflessly serves others.

There is a pride that goes before destruction [Proverbs 16:18]. But, the Chinese pride that opened the Olympic games is worth modeling in our own personal lives.

To see more incredible Opening Ceremony pictures, click here.

word power

And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. --1 Thessalonians 2:13

Texas summer heat takes its toll on automobile batteries. Last week, Tiffany turned the key in our SUV and got nothing. No power, no movement. More important is the source that charges our spiritual life: The Word of God. Over and again, the writers of Scripture affirm that God's revelation is more than information; It's momentum and motivation. In Hebrews 4:12, the writer describes God's Word as "living and active," sharp, piercing and surgical. It works its way in and through us. Philippians 2:16 calls it "the word of life." Without it, we die.

Given the power of the Word of God to fuel life, there are several disciplines to help us "accurately handle the word of truth"

1. Understand how the Scriptures were inspired [2 Timothy 3:16 and 2 Peter 1:20-21]
2. Articulate a coherent view of inerrancy
3. Know how to study the Bible with a view to application [Acts 17:11 and 2 Timothy 2:15]
4. Memorize the Word to be prepared for ministry [Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1:1-3]
5. Intentionally and strategically teach the Word to others [2 Timothy 2:2]
6. Prioritize reading the Bible over any other religious literature

coalescence of worship

I was captivated by the following words from Ravi Zacharias. To access this original article, go to his ministry website here.

One of the great longings of the human heart is to worship; yet, within that very disposition there are tugs in many directions that contradict the essence of worship. This fragmentation is felt in every life. But there is a further complication. The idea of worship itself is not monolithic or uniform when you get a glimpse of the different kinds of worship in which people engage.

The thirst for worship or for the sacred across cultures and across time is ineradicable among the educated and the uneducated, the young and the old. During my days as a student at college in New Delhi, I well remember students seated around me with colored ash smeared on their foreheads, having visited the temple on their way to school. All over the world, churches, temples, mosques, and tabernacles abound. Sacred books still line the shelves of seekers after truth—the Gita, the Koran, the Bible. Religious ceremonies are performed and prayers are invoked in life’s most significant moments. Even a casual look at the record of human history reveals a fervent pursuit of spiritual things.

Jesus was very much aware of this bent within the human spirit. That is why He said worship should be done in truth, as well as in spirit. Without truth there is no limit to the superstition, deception, and sadly, even violence that can come in the name of religion. You see, worship alone cannot justify itself; it needs the constraints of truth, and that truth is the person and character of God. As an individual makes a commitment to God, not only is his or her life unified for God’s glory, but the impetus of truth is given for all other pursuits and relationships.

In other words, worship must not only be formal, it must also be substantive. You see, we humans are not a collection of isolated and unrelated senses just seeking expression. We are fashioned to bind these expressions by the character and reverence of God.

So much goes on in the name of religion today that must make us question whose character is being revealed in the process.

Worship that is true and spiritual binds all the diverse aspirations and propensities creating a tapestry of beauty and a life that is in harmony with the goodness and the holiness of God. So next time you pause to worship or even to observe it, ask the question: Is this what Jesus Christ meant when He said we are to worship God in spirit and in Truth?

right God | right worship [part 2]

Garbage in, garbage out. Not surprisingly, we learn about God from what we read. Therefore, it is important to fill our minds with the kind of instruction that doesn't domesticate God [making Him in our image], but presents God is the fullness of His transcendent majesty. I suggest the following books:

The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer
Knowing God by J.I. Packer
Desiring God by John Piper
The Joy of Fearing God by Jerry Bridges
One Holy Passion by R.C. Sproul

right God | right worship

Last Sunday, I preached from 2 Samuel 6--a humbling passage regarding worship and our heart toward God. What I learned is that David, a "man after God's own heart," was worshipping the right God, the wrong way. That's a curious statement. It's like saying "That's a wrong way to be generous to the needy." But, truth is, God demands to be worshipped in a certain way and worship must be on His terms, not mine.

I mentioned to our congregation that right worship requires a right heart [motives] and right expressions [singing, giving, confessing and reconciling]. The most significant thing for me in studying this passage is that right worship also requires a right mind. What I think about God drives my worship. Theology motivates doxology.

With that in mind, I urge you to watch the linked video on the prosperity gospel--false teaching that is being promoted today. The clip is an edited message from Pastor John Piper and his passion is sobering. I never want to think the wrong things about God again.

out of office

This week, I'm at Pine Cove Camp near Tyler leading 38 families into the Word of God. I love the opportunity to extend ministry beyond my church and into the lives of others. Please pray for me that I will speak clearly and that God's Spirit will guide compellingly.

nashville star

Perhaps you have noticed NBCs "Nashville Star" on Monday evenings. It's the country music version of "American Idol." PBC's own Melissa Lawson has made it through the rounds and has proven herself to be a front runner in the competition [see YouTube video here]. Be sure to watch the show next week and vote for Melissa. Text and phone calls on ATT are free [see the rules online], so vote often!

sign of the times

8 years. That's how long it took Pantego Bible Church to get a sign up to let people know where we're located. Don't ask me about the obstacles. But, for 8 years, we've been "the best kept secret in Fort Worth." Now, we enjoy a beautiful new monument sign on I30 to point the way.

I recently had a conversation with a fellow who asked why God doesn't reveal Himself. God would attract more customers if He erected a monument marque with flashing lights and five foot letters that alerted the world driving by Him everyday. Perhaps God needs a marketing department to make Himself known.

Truth is, signs of God are all around us. The Bible points out several proofs of His presence and His person. First, the created order signifies the reality of an intelligent Creator [see "must see movie" post below]. God's Divine fingerprints are all over the beauty and majesty of the sun setting over the Rocky Mountains as well as the intricate mechanics of the human body [Darwin admitted that the sophistication of the eye was one of the obstacles to his own evolutionary hypothesis. See "Problems With My Theory" chapter in Origin of Species]. Psalm 91 affirms, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." In Romans 1:20, Paul writes that we know God by observing what God has made. Creation is a signpost to God.

Second, human morality points to God's existence. In Romans 2:14-15, the Apostle Paul notes that when non-religious folks do "good things" that they "ought" to do, they prove that there is a law scribed on their heart--a law not taught to them through Sunday school classes or Bible teaching, but an internal, universal law common to all people. Some will argue that this sense of "oughtness" is culture-bound, the product of each unique civilization. However, there exists a fundamental moral code which transcends all cultures at all times. Such laws include not stealing, not murdering, not being selfish and so on. Such morality cannot be the product of mere biology. It reflects a greater code, beyond our cultures and beyond individual selves. It must come from a God who reflects perfect morality, truth and life.

Third, basic science proves the reality of God. The problem with the Big Bang theory is that, while it attempts to answer problems relating to the generation of single-cell life and beyond, it doesn't deal with the first strike of the match. In other words, many scientists are content to assume that the "stuff" necessary to make a bang simply existed. No idea where that stuff came from. It just was. This proposition, of course, violates an important principle of science which states that every effect must have an equal and sufficient cause. In other words, everything that happens must have something that made it happen. So, a Big Bang must have a Big Bang maker. Without addressing the first cause, science is left hanging. The Bible begins with the words "In the beginning, God..." [Genesis 1:1]. This introduction takes us before the beginning. It points us to a "first cause." What you believe happened after God isn't nearly as important as your realization that nothing "banged" without a big God who "made the world and everything in it" [Acts 17:24]. The world itself is sign of the existence of God who has the power to call everything into being.

A fourth sign of God is God's people. You can learn alot about my family by watching my kids. Similarly, the world watches God's children and gets a glimpse of who God must be. My neighbors see my grace, forgiveness, joy, peace, hope, generosity and compassion and wonder about what's inside me. That's how I came to meet God personally--I noticed spiritual qualities in a friend which highlighted the undeniable reality of God. Our lives are proofs that God is and who God is.

Pantego Bible Church is no longer a secret, tucked back in the woods of east Fort Worth. The whole world can drive by a see where we are. And, if the world doesn't suppress God's signposts [cf. Romans 1:18-19], made plain since the beginning of time, they will see Him too.

photo pro

OK...gotta brag on my kid. Grant has really been excelling in his photography. Check out his site and see what you think: Grant Daniels Photography

I'm very proud!

snack "Shack"

My kids head to camp in a couple of weeks. While there, they'll have opportunity to purchase goodies at the Snack Shack each day. I've learned that "snack" is the Greek word for "junk food." The candy bars and sodas they purchase are delicious, but hardly nutritious.

I'm afraid that's my critique of The Shack, a very popular book on the Amazon bestsellers list. The book, by William Young, enjoys a list of endorsements from people like musician Michael W. Smith and author Eugene Peterson [The Message] who touts it as another Pilgrim's Progress. Let me tell you why I disagree.

The book is an allegory and, while allegories are afforded creative license, I believe they must correspond to what is true. This is especially important when it comes to biblical truth. In other words, a Christian author cannot set some truths aside in order to communicate other truths. A partially true work is false.

The Shack contains several points that I believe are dangerous, if not heretical. First, I am concerned about the author's view on the authority of the Bible. On pages 65-66, the main character contemplates a "note" he has received from God. Young writes,

“In seminary [Mack] had been taught that God had completely stopped any overt communication with moderns, preferring to have them only listen to and follow sacred Scripture, properly interpreted, of course. God’s voice has been reduced to paper, and even that paper had to be moderated and deciphered by the proper authorities and intellects. It seemed that direct communication with God was something exclusively for the ancients and uncivilized, while the educated Westerners’ access to God was mediated and controlled by the intelligentsia. Nobody wanted God in a box, just a book.”

This viewpoint sets the stage for the rest of the book. Young dismisses propositional truth-- revealed by God and recorded in Scripture--and exchanges it for an experiential encounter with God. This popular position is held by many in a postmodern culture who criticize those who start with the Bible as their guide for life. Such absolutism, they claim, puts God "in a box."

The logical outcome for Young is that God can be whatever he [or anyone else] wants Him to be. While I appreciate the author's contention that God is not "white grandfather figure with flowing beard, like Gandalf," I do believe that God has revealed Himself in time in particular ways. When we take liberty with God's revelation, we run dangerously into the woods of heresy. With that in mind, I would argue:

1. The mysterious doctrine of the Trinity holds one God in three persons...not three Gods. Young sounds very tri-theistic throughout his work.

2. God the Father cannot be reduced to human form--not as an African American woman named "Papa" or anything else. The 2nd commandment very strictly forbids creating [or allegorizing] the Almighty with human characteristics. The principle is important: You cannot use the stuff below [on earth] to fashion the God above. I think it was Voltaire who said, "God created man in His image and man has since more than reciprocated." We often create God in our image rather than the other way around.

3. God has communicated Himself using masculine pronouns. I know this isn't popular and there are many who have theological arguments for neutering the godhead. My position has less to do with gender and all to do with a respect for Divine revelation.

The outcome of this reduction of God is that God isn't honored as He ought to be. A perfect example is when Mack comes into the presence of God. His response looks nothing like the awestruck, humble, repentant position of people in the Bible. Rather, when Mack first meets "Papa," he's angry [his face flushed red and his hands knotted into fists; p. 92] at God for the tragedy God allowed years earlier [I'll let you read about it]. Strangely, Papa's response is, "Mack, I am so sorry..."

Wait a minute! The Creator of the universe apologizing to Mack or me for what He has sovereignly orchestrated?! If God is always in control and is forever accomplishing His divine purposes, He need not apologize for anything! And, He certainly doesn't apologize to us! If there's any doubt, reread the story of Job and notice God's response to a man who lost even more than Mack.

A similar reductionism is expressed regarding salvation. An important dialogue takes place between Mack and Jesus:

“Those who love me come from every system that exists. They were Buddhists or Mormons, Baptists or Muslims, Democrats, Republicans… Some are bankers and bookies, Americans and Iraqis, Jews and Palestinians. I have no desire to make them Christian, but I do want to join them in their transformation into sons and daughters of my Papa, into brothers and sisters, into my Beloved.”

“Does that mean,” asked Mack, “that all roads will lead to you?”

“Not at all,” smiled Jesus as he reached for the door handle to the shop. “Most roads don’t lead anywhere. What it does mean is that I will travel any road to find you”

Where do I start? What does the author mean when Jesus says "I have no desire to make them [other faiths] Christian"? Does he suggest that Christianity is too exclusive and our "only way" of salvation is an "imposition" on other faiths? Young seems to lean in this direction by having Jesus add that He wants to "join in their transformation" as if people of other faiths can be transformed in and through their faiths. Whatever happened to John 14:6?

Young attempts to take himself off the hook when he has Jesus answer Mack that "all roads don't lead to Him," but it is in what he does not say that is troublesome. He never clarifies. And so, he leaves the issue of universalism up for grabs. The good news for him [and his publisher] is that the topic is left so obscure that an uncritical reader on either side will be left happy.

To be fair, there are redemptive messages in The Shack. The reader does get a beautiful picture of God's grace. He or she is challenged to understand forgiveness. And, Young does a great job tapping into the love of God, helping the Christian to understand and embrace their identity in Christ. However, the worst of all liars in history have uttered lines of truth. Their truth, however, didn't change the reality of their errors.

I would not necessarily encourage people not to read The Shack but would strongly urge caution. I suggest that the book is a snack--a taste, but not terribly nutritious. The danger is that, like children, we may prefer the sweetness on our tongue and not realize the sugary decay that comes from careless eating.