Living Lives in Quiet Desperation

“Satan is a master of counterfeit. He provides almost limitless opportunities for illegitimate but very convincing satisfaction. He capitalizes on our desperate desire for a quick fix to blind us to the long-term emptiness of following him.”
- Larry Crabb, Understanding People, 115

The Call

In his book, Lectures to My Students, Spurgeon listed four signs to determine whether one is called to the ministry:

1. An intense, all-absorbing desire for the work.
2. Aptness to teach and some measure of the other qualities needful for a public instructor.
3. He must see a measure of conversion-work going on under his efforts.
4. His preaching should be acceptable to the people of God.

Of course, there is no higher calling than to serve God with our gifts and abilities. Question: does the Bible teach such a thing as having a "calling"?

Worship Wednesdays: Compassion

“Jesus wept.” John 11:35

Because I am a history enthusiast, I continually seek out places where I can learn about the events that have shaped and molded our legacy. Over the weekend, my wife and I visited the Oklahoma City National Memorial site. I cannot fully articulate the feelings that overwhelmed us as we walked around the site which evoked the memories of that tragic day on April 19, 1995.

What captured my attention was a monument erected across the street from the memorial. Built next to St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, the monument is a continual reminder of the tragedy on our nation’s soil. It is a statue of Jesus with his face buried into His hand. In front of the statue is a wall with 168 bricks missing from the wall each representative of the 168 lives lost on that day. Our nation wept with those families who lost their loved ones.

As I stood before the sculpture of Jesus, my mind went to the text in John where Jesus wept for His people. In John 11, we are introduced the seventh and final sign of Jesus’ miraculous ministry on earth. Word came to Jesus that his friend Lazarus had passed away, and messengers were sent to inform Jesus of Lazarus’ death. Instead of Jesus going right away to Bethany, he waited four days. Four days!

“…if you had been here…” Though appearing as a condemnation, Martha expressed her grief and anguish by questioning Jesus’ tardiness, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:21). Though Jesus could have rightly rebuked her lack of faith, He reassured her that death was no match for He was “the resurrection and life” (John 11:25). Then Mary approached Jesus with the same question as Martha, “…if you had been here…” (11:32).

We must not judge Jesus’ delay as a lack of compassion. Though we often expect answers and solutions immediately, Jesus does not work on our timetable. Often we will view His delays as signs of aloofness and lack of concern, but we must never forget that we serve a merciful and compassionate God. Though we might not face a tragedy as heartrending as the Oklahoma City Bombing, our adversities are just as real and painful. When we sit in front of the doctor who relates to us the bad news or come home only to discover the emptiness of a home, we experience the pain like a kick in the stomach. However, never let us forget, the God we serve is a compassionate God who has not nor will He ever forsake us.

“Just as a father has compassion on {his} children,
So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.” Psalm
103:13

“When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He felt
compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He
began to teach them many things.” Matthew 6:34

“We count those blessed
who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of
the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is
merciful.”
James 5:11

Following after God

"I live with the dread of tame, domesticated Christianity. I fear for my students that they will chase after what they want- and therefore miss what God wants." -Prof. Howard G. Hendricks

Raymond Crowe's Hand Puppetry

Click here to see Raymond perform Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World."

Robert Leroy Johnson: The Crossroads

A good friend of mine is a huge history buff, and he will often take vacations that are historically oriented. He has been to various Civil War sites throughout the South and has traveled to several states to explore historical battle scenes (for example, Custer's “last stand” at Little Bighorn).

He and I have ventured on several historical tours of Dallas. Though I was unable to attend the Bonnie and Clyde tour with John Neal Phillips, we signed up with several tours seeing the sights of downtown Dallas, Deep Ellum, Oak Cliff, and the famous (or infamous) JFK/ Lee Harvey Oswald excursions. That will have to be for another day.

Besides history, I love a good autobiography especially one shrouded with mystery. There is something about reading people’s lives that intrigues and fascinates me. Whether someone is famous and well-known (most will be if you are reading a book about them) or any everyday person that I meet on the street, I love listening to their stories which often become windows into their souls. You can learn so much about a person if you take time to listen to them.















So is the life of Robert Leroy Johnson. His life and music remain a mystery even to this day. Because we do not have much information about Johnson, what we do have are people who have some knowledge about this mysterious person. Though Johnson pops up on the life radar at the Leatherman Plantation in Robinsonville, MS, birth certificates have surfaced showing him being born in Hazleurst, MS, on May 8, 1911. Johnson was the 11th child of Julia Major Dodds. Because Johnson was the offspring of an extramarital relationship, this created tension within the home when Julia was forced out of the home to work in various plantations.

Johnson’s death is even more puzzling. Some have said that Johnson died from pneumonia probably caused by complications with syphilis. Others like “Honeyboy” Edwards disagreed noting that Johnson was poisoned to death by a man who was seeking revenge on Johnson who was having an affair with his wife. “Honeyboy” Edwards avowed that he took Johnson to a home in Baptist Town, a suburb of Greenwood, MS, where it was claimed that Johnson was crawling around on all fours, hissing and barking like a dog. Several days later he died at that home.

One of the most interesting facts about Johnson is the tale of how he met the devil at the crossroads who bestowed upon him the gift of playing the guitar in return of his soul. My friend recently took a trip through Mississippi to visit several of the historic places around Johnson’s life. Clarksdale 61/49 intersection has been proclaimed as the historical marker for the crossroads largely because Clarksdale is the home of several great blues artists like Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker.

Some have suggested that the actual crossroads is located south of Clarksdale between Cleveland and Ruleville. It is told that Johnson visited the well-known guitarist, Charley Parker, at the Dockery Plantation located on Highway 8. When my friend visited the area, he went to the Dockery Plantation and discovered the Dockery Road. It is said that the crossroads is located at old Highway 8 (which runs parallel to the new Highway 8) and Dockery Road.

(Dockery Plantation in the background)

Does not look like the crossroads I would have imagined. Maybe the film “O Brother Where Are Thou?” has skewed my image. There is no longer an intersection. It appears that a field has taken over old Highway 8 and now the crossroads has become a T shape.

Much of this info is taken from John Hammond’s “The Search for Robert Johnson” (The Search for Robert Johnson) and Soul Patrol (Robert Johnson).



Cross Road Blues
Written and recorded by Robert Johnson (1936)

I went to the crossroad, fell down on my knees I went to the crossroad, fell down on my knees Asked the Lord above "Have mercy, now save poor Bob, if you please"Yeoo, standin' at the crossroad, tried to flag a ride Ooo eeee, I tried to flag a ride Didn't nobody seem to know me, babe, everybody pass me by Standin' at the crossroad, baby, risin' sun goin' down Standin' at the crossroad, baby, eee, eee, risin' sun goin' down I believe to my soul, now, poor Bob is sinkin' down You can run, you can run, tell my friend Willie Brown You can run, you can run, tell my friend Willie Brown That I got the crossroad blues this mornin', Lord, babe, I'm sinkin' down And I went to the crossroad, mama, I looked east and west I went to the crossroad, baby, I looked east and west Lord, I didn't have no sweet woman, ooh well, babe, in my distress

Worship Wednesdays: When Forgiving is Easy

“It may be infinitely worse to refuse to forgive than to murder, because the latter may be an impulse of a moment of heat; whereas the former is a cold and deliberate choice of the heart.”
-George Macdonald

The expression “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me” is a well-known adage to remind people not to allow others to abuse and misuse your relationship with them. When have you entrusted yourself to someone only to have them turn their back on you and deliberately hurt you? If you are like me, your first response is “Never again!” My wife and I are spending our family time in the book of Romans. As we were making our way through Romans 9 and examining God’s relationship with His people, Israel, we realized that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has not forgotten nor abandoned His people. In due time, He will return Israel to the land He gave them and will restore their relationship.

After having this discussion this morning about this chapter, I began to think about God’s forgiveness. Though He had every right to completely forsake Israel because of their disobedience, He has chosen to remember His promises and forgive His people’s sins. Just as with Israel, God continues to forgive us. I am so thankful that God does not respond to me as I do with people who have hurt me. He would have every right to tell me “never again,” yet He chooses to forgive me and cancel my debts.

Listen to how the Bible describes our God who readily forgives us all:

1. “…But You are a God of forgiveness, Gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness; And You did not forsake them.” (Nehemiah 9:17)

2. “O Lord our God, You answered them; You were a forgiving God to them, And yet an avenger of their evil deeds.” (Psalm 99:8)

The greatest example of God’s forgiveness is found in His Son, Jesus Christ, who gave His life for us all so that we could be the recipients of God’s grace:

1. “In whom (Jesus Christ) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” (Ephesians 1:7)

2. “In whom (Jesus Christ) we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:14)

3. “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions.” (Colossians 2:13)


When we choose not to forgive, poison seeps into our lives and we become bitter and hardened. My wife heard someone make an insightful statement one time about bitterness: “Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” If God has chosen to forgive each of us, why can’t we learn to forgive others? Are there people in your life that you have not forgiven? Why not start today?

“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.” (Colossians 3:12-13)

Throwdown at Swissaire

Before you men laugh at me when I tell you that I am a huge Food Network fan, resist the urge for a minute. Instead of watching some sports event or catching up on the latest stats from ESPN, I enjoy watching Iron Chef America or Throwdown with Bobby Flay or the new Food Network Star. My wife and I can spend several hours watching these programs. She will call me at work to let me know that she has recorded Throwdown with Bobby Flay to watch when I come home. Somehow the term “Throwdown” sounds manly and justifies my excitement to rush home, pop a bag of popcorn, pour me a glass of Coke, and kick back on the couch with my wife and enjoy the show. Before you think that I have lost it all, I have not wandered too far over to the other side because I am not a big fan of Rachel Ray. Hopefully I may have retained some of my dignity. Not!

If you have ever watched Throwdown with Bobby Flay, it is a friendly competition between Bobby Flay and some well-known cook in the country who prepares some type of dish better than anyone else. Flay will surprisingly visit the chef during what they believe is a personal profile about their dish on Food Network program and will challenge them to a cook-off. Of course, in the beginning of the show, Flay has studied the opponent’s dish and tries his hand at making a better dish.

So I decided to have a personal Throwdown with my wife. By the way, she is an excellent cook so I was way out of my league and gourd on this one. But why not? A good challenge is always exciting. Our Throwdown Casserole was judged according to three criteria: economical, taste, and plating. We invited a couple who lives a few doors down from us in our apartment complex. I thought I had the winning hand when they told us that my Mexican casserole was colorful, but not enough to beat the delicious taste of Nicole’s Mexican casserole.

Though I lost, I enjoyed spending time in the kitchen with my wife, have a friendly and competitive game, and finding creative ways to make our marriage meaningful.

Bobby Flay is a successful chef-owner of Manhattan’s Bolo and Mesa Grill. Not only is Flay the challenger in his show Throwdown, but he also is one of the Iron Chefs in Iron Chef America (Food Network Throwdown; Bobby Flay).

St. Athanasius on the Cross

.... But if any honest Christian wants to know why He suffered death on the cross and not in some other way, we answer thus: in no other way was it expedient for us, indeed the Lord offered for our sakes the one death that was supremely good. He had come to bear the curse that lay on us; and how could He "become a curse" (Gal. 3. 13) otherwise than by accepting the accursed death? And that death is the cross, for it is written "Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree." ( Gal. 3. 13. ) Again, the death of the Lord is the ransom of all, and by it "the middle wall of partition" ( Eph. 2. 14 ) is broken down and the call of the Gentiles comes about. How could He have called us if He had not been crucified, for it is only on the cross that a man dies with arms outstretched? …For it was not the Word Himself Who needed an opening of the gates, He being Lord of all, nor was any of His works closed to their Maker. No, it was we who needed it, we whom He Himself upbore in His own body - that body which He first offered to death on behalf of all, and then made through it a path to heaven.

St. Athanasius, The Incarnation of the Word of God , Chp. 4 ¶ 25.

Universal call of the gospel or not?

Why was it necessary that Christ come to earth and die for mankind? First Scripture highlights God’s desire to see men delivered from their sin and receive eternal life. Founded upon the love of God, He sent His Son as the ultimate sacrifice for man’s sins and will give all who believe the gift of eternal life. Furthermore, God’s justice was poured out on His Son. A punishment that rightfully belonged to every man was placed on Jesus Christ who voluntarily paid the penalty of sin. When we accept what Christ did in our place, we are reconciled with God.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19- “Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”

We are instructed to take this good news to the world, yet if God’s love is restricted to the only a select few, then why proclaim the gospel?


Isaiah 45:22- “Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other.”

Mark 16:15- “And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”

Luke 14:23- “And the master said to the slave, Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled.”

Acts 17:30- “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent…”

Revelation 22:17- “The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let the one who hears say, Come. And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.”

What are your spiritual goals?

The Barna Team researched a group of Christians and asked them to identify their spiritual goals. The following were the results. It was sad to see that only 7% identified improving the spiritual state of their family as a goal. So how are you doing?

Grow spiritually- 26%
Live a life that’s more pleasing to God- 19%
Be involved in spiritual growth activity- 15%
Read the Bible more, know more Bible content- 14%
Attend church more consistently- 13%
Have a better prayer life- 11%
Serve other people; have a personal ministry- 10%
Participate more frequently in church activities- 9%
Improve the spiritual state of my family- 7%
Have good feelings about myself- 2%
Don’t remember the goals- 5%

Did Stephen misquote the Old Testament?

In the last post, I listed several sets of verses that pose alleged discrepancies in the Bible. Of course my post was not to belittle the integrity of the Scriptures but to answer these apparent “differences” while upholding the honor of the Word of God. If you are a firm believer of the inerrant, infallible Word of God, then how do you handle some of these verses that present a difficult challenge? Let’s look at one set.

In three passages, the Old Testament attests to the number of people from the house of Jacob who went down to Egypt. In every passage, it states that there were seventy people who went into Egypt.

Genesis 46:26— “and the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt were two; all the persons of the house of Jacob, who came to Egypt, were seventy.”
Exodus 1:5—“All the persons who came from the loins of Jacob were seventy in number, but Joseph was already in Egypt.”
Deuteronomy 10:22—“Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons in all, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven.”

How are these verses to be understood in light of Stephen’s statement in Acts 7:14 when he stated, “Then Joseph sent word and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five persons in all.” In Stephens’ speech, he explains that there were 75 people who entered Egypt. Though it appears that there is blatant contradiction within Scripture, there is a possible resolution which will clarify Stephen’s account.

Because the Septuagint was widely read in Jesus’ day, it is probable that Stephen would have been familiar with the reading of the Septuagint text. In the Masoretic text, both Genesis 46:26 and Exodus 1:5 have the number 70, but the Septuagint has 75. It is very possible that Stephen was quoting the Septuagint number including Joseph’s grandsons born to Ephraim and Manasseh in Egypt (1 Chronicles 7:14-20).

Contradictions or Differences?

• 2 Chronicles 9:25- Now Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots and 12,000 horsemen, and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.
• 1Kings 4:26- Solomon had 40,000 stalls of horses for his chariots, and 12,000 horsemen.
  

• Acts 9:7- The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one.
• Acts 22:9- And those who were with me saw the light, to be sure, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me.

• Acts 7:14- Then Joseph sent word and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five persons in all.
• Exodus 1:5- All the persons who came from the loins of Jacob were seventy in number, but Joseph was already in Egypt.

• Proverbs 26:4- Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Or you will also be like him.
• Proverbs 26:5- Answer a fool as his folly deserves, that he not be wise in his own eyes.

• Matthew 27:34- They gave Him wine to drink mixed with gall; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink.
• Mark 15:23- They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it.

Is There an Elephant in the Room?

This week I read an interesting story from Bobb Biehl’s book Masterplanning (2). He illustrated a point from his story about how people’s words “stake” us down and we become paralyzed in life. Let me quote his story about going to the circus:

When we got there, it was hot, dusty, windy day at the fairgrounds where the circus was playing. We moved props from one of the three rings to the next, helped in any way we could, and generally got dusty, dirty, hungry, and tired. During one of the breaks, I started chatting with a man who trains animals for Hollywood movies. “How is it that you can stake down a ten-ton elephant with the same size stake that you use for this little fellow?” I asked (the “little fellow” weighed three hundred pounds.) “its easy when you know two things: elephants really do have great memories, but they aren’t very smart. When they are babies, we stake them down. They try to tug away from the stake ten thousand times before they realize that they can’t possibly get away. At that point, their ‘elephant memory’ takes over and they remember for the rest of their lives that they can’t get away from the stake.” Humans are sometimes like elephants. When we are teenagers, some unthinking, insensitive, unwise person says, “He not very good at planning,” or “She not a leader,” or “Their team will never make it,” and zap, we drive a mental stake into our minds. Often when we become mature adults, we are still held back by some inaccurate one-sentence “stake” put into our minds when we were young leaders.

Let’s remove those stakes that have held us back too long.

How does the Church define success?

I came across these characteristics of true discipleship within the church in George Barna's Growing True Disciples. Sure has made me rethink what I consider success.

1. Congregants who worship not just on Sundays but every day of the week; not just in the sanctuary but wherever they are.
2. Constant efforts by the laity to discover new insights into their faith and to convert that in formation into personal application.
3. Complete submission to the Holy Spirit in both decision-making and behavior.
4. Hearts that are sensitive to sin and wounded every time we do something that offends God.
5. Individuals who joyfully share their resources—time, money, skills, information, relationships, possessions—with those in need, especially those who share a love of Christ and a commitment to people.
6. A deep commitment to building a lasting and life-changing community among those who profess Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.
7. Demonstrating selfless compassion toward those in need of emotional, physical, financial, or spiritual assistance.
8. Engagement in “organic evangelism” – the process of sharing one’s faith in Christ in very natural and unforced ways, based on relationship with the recipients of the information and supported by lifestyle modeling.
9. People who live differently than the norm because of their faith, leading lives that conform to the dictates of Scripture without cutting corners or trying to interpret biblical passages for personal comfort or advantage.
10. A church body that projects (and lives up to) an image of being loving, caring, focused and clear-minded in its pursuit of God.
11. Individuals who are continually linked to God through prayer and meditation, as if they were “online” 24 hours a day with ultimate spiritual power.
12. Believers who take the initiative to use their gifts, skills, and training for the benefit of their church, without having to be cajoled into serving.

Hell Hound on my Trail

Have you ever listened to the music of Robert Leroy Johnson? Unless you are a Blues fan, you may not be familiar with his music; however, he has influenced a great many musicians including Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, Allman Brothers, Rolling Stones, and Eric Clapton. His life and death still remain a mystery, but I recently discovered an interesting fact about him. He recorded his last album right here in Dallas in 1937 at the Brunswick Record Building on 508 Park Avenue. One of his songs recorded at Brunswick, “Hell Hound on my Trail,” contributed to Johnson’s posthumous fame that he sold his soul to the devil. Some say that the devil finally came for his end of the bargain.

Second Wedding Anniversary

This weekend is my second wedding anniversary. According to tradition, I am supposed to buy my wife something with cotton. Our Bible community teacher shared a tradition that he started with his wife almost 16 years ago. Every year during their wedding anniversary, he gave his wife gifts that spelled the number of years they were married. Pretty creative, huh? I’ll let you know what I decide to do.

Happy Anniversary Boo!

Another Reflection of Yahweh as Shepherd

“The position of this psalm is worthy of notice. It follows the twenty-second, which is peculiarly the Psalm of the Cross. There are no green pastures, no still waters on the other side of the twenty-second psalm. It is only after we have read, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" that we come to "The Lord is my Shepherd." We must by experience know the value of blood shedding, and see the sword awakened against the Shepherd, before we shall be able truly to know the Sweetness of the good Shepherd’s care.” (C.H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, 353)

Are you enjoying a sweet relationship with the Great Shepherd?

Reflections of Yahweh in the Psalms: Shepherd

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. Psalm 23:1

David uses a very common and well-known metaphor of his day to tell us something wonderful about our relationship with God. When you read the psalm, the first thing you will notice is the perspective of the speaker. David is writing the psalm through the eyes of a sheep. Out of all the animals that David could have used, he decided to put himself in the wool of a sheep. They are not the smartest animals. Actually they are quite dumb. When they get lost, they cannot find their way home. They will wander and will not return unless the shepherd rescues them.

After thinking about the characteristics of a sheep, I want to ask, “David, what were you thinking? Couldn’t you have picked another animal?” But I would not have been surprised by his answer because I am like that sheep who continues to wander from my Master. David could have easily camped on all the negative features of sheep, but he chose to change the angle of the camera. He focuses on the shepherd, the Great Shepherd.

It is the job of the shepherd to protect, guide, care, and direct his flock. Unless sheep have a good shepherd who will care for them, they are totally helpless and defenseless. David knew the tremendous responsibility on the shoulders of a shepherd. A shepherd lived under some strenuous and rigorous conditions. He was exposed to the extreme weather conditions, faced the challenges of the rugged terrain, lived off the land, and faced many dangers like insects which plagued the sheep, people who tried to steal his sheep or predators that preyed on his flock. The shepherd knew that the welfare of his sheep were in his hands alone.

Though it was a huge responsibility for the shepherd to care for his flock, his duty gave him a sense of delight and utmost joy. He would go to any extreme to provide for them and give them the necessities of life. David is saying, “This is a picture of our God.” He cares for us, He protects us, He provides for us, He longs for us, and He loves us. The Shepherd does not prevent the bad things happening to his sheep, but he teaches them to trust in him and to follow him. So it is with our God. Though He has absolute power to prevent evil occurring in our lives, He allows things to come into our lives. Why? So that we will experience dependence on Him and allow Him to be glorified through our circumstances.

Martha Washington once remarked, “I've learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not on our circumstances.” In Psalm 23, David is showing us that the outcome of our lives is based upon our perspective. When we recognize that the Lord is our Shepherd, indeed we will have it all.

Pursuit of Prayer

"Dear boy, I should like you to preach, but it is best that you pray. Many a preacher has proved a castaway, but never one person who had truly learned to pray." C. H. Spurgeon to his 12 year old son

Fathers have many dreams for their children, but what a testimony of a father who desires to his son become a prayer warrior. Have you taught your children how to pray? Better yet, do they see that prayer is an important part of your family?