Julie and Julia

Last night I watched the movie Julie and Julia. It is a movie based on two true stories. One story is about the early life of Julia Child, and her culinary career. The second story is about Julie Powell, and her experience blogging about cooking all 524 recipes from Child's cookbook titled Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Both women shared the desire to do something with their lives besides existing. Julia Child pursued a dream of graduating from culinary school, and she eventually became a published author of her famous cookbook. She also hosted a television show teaching viewers to cook French cuisine. Julie Powell had basically hit rock bottom in her career, and the only relief she received from her mundane life was to cook dinner each night. Julie aspired to be a published author and she saw no way this would become a reality. While discussing her dissatisfaction about life with her husband, he inspired her to blog about cooking all 524 recipes from Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking within a year's time. Julie accepted the challenge, and her blog became extremely popular with readers. Eventually, she published a book about her blog, and from that, the movie Julie and Julia was produced.

This movie highlights how the lives of two people who have never met can be intertwined. It demonstrates how the life of one can influence the life of another, and in turn, the lives of so many more are and will be inspired. Truly, all of our lives have impact in this world. A web that connects all people together, and no matter how insignificant we believe our actions are, they are touching the lives of people we may never meet. Even the normal everyday decisions we make can have atomic influence over history.

Julia and Julie both desired to do more than just exist. They wanted their lives to mean something. One was not content to be an ordinary housewife. The other was discontented with working day in and day out confined to a cubicle. Because of this, each woman followed their heart's desires, and both have influenced time and history and the lives of countless others. These two women represent us all.

No one wants to just take up space and waste the air they breathe. Everyone has a deep desire to do more with their lives than just maintain the status quo. All people, no matter who they are, are significant. Placed within us all is the key to unlock destiny. It has been given to us by our creator. There is a champion in us all, waiting to be unleashed upon the created order. We can't truly live until we have unlocked our own genius. As a matter of fact, others cannot truly live out their potential until we begin to embark on our own journey of faith. It is locked away within us. It's waiting to be engaged. Now is the time to discover!!
"For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope." Jeremiah 29:11

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I Can't Get Up!

Just the other morning, I was getting ready to take my children to school. It was an extremely cold morning, well, for south Alabama, and I was making sure I was dressing warm. Over my sweater, I had on my black leather jacket. I had my neck wrapped in a scarf. My head was covered with a toboggan, and my hands were warmed by my leather gloves.

When my two sons and I got into the car, I said, “I am bundled up.” They looked at me and said, “Yes, you are.” I then asked why they had not done the same. They told me that it was too many clothes to be wearing. I said, “Well, at least, you will be warm.” And they said, “Well, at least, we will be able to move around comfortably.” Then one of my sons said, “We would be like Ralphies’ brother Randy on ‘A Christmas Story.’ You know when his mom put all those winter clothes on him, and he fell in the snow and could not get up.” Then we all laughed, and I said, “I guess you’re right.”

As I drove, I began to think about that little scene in the movie. By bundling her son up so heavily, Mrs. Parker really believed she was doing Randy a favor. Obviously, she was protecting him from the snow and cold; however, her actions put Randy at a disadvantage. As Randy was walking with Ralphie to school, he was knocked down, and because of all the clothing Mrs. Parker wrapped him in, he could not get up. So he just rolled back and forth in the snow, shouting, “I can’t get up!”

Then it dawned on me, we pastors often do this to those under our care. We do our best to help them and to encourage them. We give them the dos and don’ts, and we mold them to be exactly like us. Though our intentions may be good, often, we do more harm than we truly desire.

Instead of allowing them to wear the belt of truth, we squeeze their waist with hypocrisy. We teach them to allow self-righteousness to guard their chest instead of allowing them to put on the breastplate of righteousness that is truly found in Christ. Shoes for the gospel of peace are replaced for shoes of backbiting, gossip, and disunity. We lead them to put down the shield of faith and to take up the flaming arrows of the evil one to throw at one another. The helmet of salvation is reduced to an individualistic, self-seeking, self-serving message of protection from hell instead about the Kingdom news that heaven has come near to earth. The sword of the Spirit is proclaimed as the word of God only when it can be used for our advantage to advance our agendas or to keep others under control.

When we replace the armor of God with something of our own creation, we are actually preparing the people of our communities for failure. Just as Randy could not get up under the weight of his own clothing, often, those we have been entrusted to disciple feel the same after we have bundled them up and turned them lose to walk on their own. When they find themselves fallen due to life’s pressures or sin, they wallow in fear, self-pity, and condemnation, yelling, “I can’t get up!” We assume we are preparing the participants of our faith communities for the cold world they face day in and day out, but in actuality, we have burdened them even more. The people of our faith communities are often ill prepared to face life in a Christian way. We turn them loose to the wolves; they fall, and can’t get up. Then we fail to help them get out of the hole we put them in.

As we seek to disciple those who are part of our faith communities, we should remember well the words of Jesus, “The scribes and Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them” (Matthew 23:2-4, NRSV).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HW4IZ0Flh3M

Jaclyn: Blessed to be a Blessing

Well, tonight I saw the vision of God for his people in action. Jaclyn Elliott, my beautiful fiancée, preached a great message on God's calling for us as individuals. She was living out her calling as she gave the message God had given her to a group of a little over 50 people at Love In Action's Celebrate Recovery (www.loveinactionministries.com). She used her blessing, her gift and calling God has given her, to bless others, and she done a wonderful job as the Holy Spirit worked through her.

As the Spirit of Christ spoke through her, others were being encouraged to live out their calling from God to become a blessing to others by living out their own blessing from God, which in this case would be their call from God. I was so proud of her and thankful that many others came and encouraged her after her message. God truly blesses us through others.

She is a wonderful preacher of God's word, and I am so looking forward to working as a team with her in God's Kingdom. It is such a blessing to be blessed with a person who shares the same hopes, dreams, and visions with you. I know in my spirit that God has great things in store for us as we seek his will together. Together, we will be blessed to be a blessing to others. I can see with the eyes of faith a tremendous ministry in store for us. God has been so good to me.

Practical Atheist: Are You Who You Say You Are?

Beginning this Wednesday Night, 1/6/10, I will begin teaching a four week series titled "Practical Atheist: Are You Who You Say You Are?" I will be teaching at the Love In Action Ministry Center located on Montgomery highway next to the Piggly Wiggly in Dothan, AL. Each session will begin promptly at 7:00 PM.

Here is a break down of each weekly session's title:

Week One: I Believe in God but I don't Fear Him

Week Two: I Believe in God but don't want to go Overboard

Week Three: I Believe in God but I trust in Money

Week Four: I Believe in God but I don't Know Him

You say you believe in God. Do you Really? Do you live your life as if God was in the room, or do you assume he's not paying attention? You call yourself a Christian. Are you who you say you are?

Practical Atheist: Someone who believes in God but lives as though he doesn't!

I expect to see you there!

For more information call Brian Turner at 334-655-6435

(I thank Craig Groeschel and LifeChurch.tv for this free resource.)

What About Evil and Suffering?

It doesn’t take long to look around and know there is evil and suffering in the world. Turn on the TV or radio, buy a paper or magazine, log on to the internet or even your cell phone, and “BAM!” there it is in your face. From war to terrorism, from genocide to slave trade, from starvation to aids, from murder to theft, from domestic violence to divorce, suffering and evil is all around us!

The nagging question that has gripped people for centuries is, “Why does God allow evil and suffering?” If God is all benevolent, all powerful, and all knowing, why doesn’t he put an end to the pain and misery that millions experience everyday? This is probably the greatest hurdle for atheists to get over, and it has become their greatest arsenal against Christianity.

This is a difficult question to answer, and no matter what answer is given, it seems too simple and inadequate to really do justice to the question itself. Very often, the answers given to the question of suffering and evil do not give respect to those who are suffering. Sometimes, the answers given make the victims into perpetrators who are guilty of causing their own pain and misery. While it may be true that suffering and evil can be the result of poor choices, it is also true that suffering and evil plague the innocent. Injustice such as this has caused one person to say, “If God is God, he is not good. If God is good, he is not God.”

Some do make God the blame for evil and suffering. Since, the existence of pain and misery cannot be adequately dealt with by logic and reason, well, someone has to pay the price for evil’s existence. So, God becomes the one to bear the brunt of the punishment. Yet, this is nothing more than making God the scapegoat because we as finite human intellectuals have reached the full extent of our own logic and reason. (By the way, since the enlightenment we have made our ability to reason an idol. Logic has become the God of modernity, and we have suffered, to some degree, because of it. Uuummmm, very interesting, to say the least.) If we take God out of the picture, as an atheist would, then who would be the cause of evil and suffering? Well, the answer would be humanity since there would be no God to point the finger at. Now, if we place God back into the picture, could we not still say that in some capacity humanity is still responsible for pain and misery, evil and suffering. Yes, of course, we could make that very conclusion.

I, for one, do not pretend to understand pain and misery, evil and suffering. I have no pretense I have figured it all out. My answer will probably raise more questions, and we will be back at square one; however, in my opinion, I believe we should stop asking the question of why evil exist in the world. We should stop putting the blame on God, and we should begin working with God to stop evil and suffering in the world.

And here we are, back to the call God has given us. We are blessed to be a blessing. We as believers can put a sizeable dent in the existence of evil and suffering if we would truly live out God’s vision for us, to be a blessing to others because he has blessed us. Isn’t that just wonderful? We need to quit asking God why he allows evil and suffering because, in my opinion, he does not allow it, but he is actively involved in eradicating it from his creation, and at the close of history, he will complete this very act. We, as believers and humanity as a whole, need to point the finger at ourselves and ask, “Why do I allow evil and suffering?” That is the question God is asking us; however, he is also saying, “Turn from practicing evil, turn from causing others to suffer, place your trust in me, and join me in being a blessing to others as I bless you.”

I ask you to answer the call of God to bring about the end of evil and suffering. Pray with me for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven, and begin to work with me in ways to do the same.

A New Year: Moving Toward a New Heaven and a New Earth

I was just musing that we have put the year 2009 to rest, we have begun a new year in 2010, and that means we are one year closer to the New Heaven and the New Earth being established by our King Jesus. Isn’t that totally exciting? Well, it is to me. So, I am going to live this next year with the vision of being a blessing to others because I am blessed. Hopefully, as I live this out, a little more of Heaven will be brought to earth.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ”See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.” And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Revelation 21:1-5 NRSV

This vision is my guiding hope. It is this vision I put my hope in as I wait patiently in faith for it to arrive. It is this vision that inspires me to be a blessing to others because if this is what my King is doing, if he is making all things new, then I am motivated to join him in the process.

My vision for 2010 is to follow Jesus in making all things new. I am not one hundred percent sure what all this entails, but I am looking forward to the journey. Whatever it does consist of, I am sure it will have something to do with hanging out with those others may consider to be a menace to society. I am sure Jesus will lead me to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, and clothe the naked. I pray I will have the tenacity and fortitude to follow him in doing these things.

I ask you to join me as we both join Christ in the restoration of His creation.

What about Heaven and Hell?

Is heaven real? Yes. Is hell real? Yes.

Heaven is a dimension where God lives. A spiritual dimension that is all around us. We can’t see it, and we cannot fully engage in it. Yet, it is real. Heaven is not a place that is a million miles away where God is sitting on a throne looking down at us. God is here living among and with us and even in us, though we do not completely with all of our being encounter Him and His Kingdom.

Heaven is where God is, and it is where God’s will is being done. It is all around us. It is surrounding us. God is omnipresent. His Spirit is everywhere. We get glimpses of Heaven when we see someone healed or see someone come to put their trust in Christ and begin to live with Him as their leader. Heaven is here all around us. We cannot fully participate in it yet, but Jesus has brought it near. Remember, Jesus said, “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near” (or is at hand).

In the present, we live in the tension that Heaven has arrived and has been inaugurated; however, it is not fully here. We live in the present where the past (the coming of the Kingdom with Jesus) kisses the future (the full recreation, consummation, the New Heaven coming to the New Earth, and the establishment of the New Jerusalem). This is where we reside. We long to fully experience Heaven, which is all around us, but we can only partially engage with it; yet, the hope of the future experience of Heaven awaits us, and this hope gives us the courage to push forward in faith working in love to co-operate with God in the present to bring Heaven to earth. In essence, we become God’s agents to bring about the recreation of the entire cosmos. Those who choose to join Christ in bringing Heaven to earth in the Present will live with God in the New Heaven and the New Earth in the future consummation.

Those who choose to live with Christ now will live with Him in the future.

Hell is another dimension where God is not. A dimension where God’s will is not being done at all. It is the complete opposite of Heaven where God is and His will is done. Hell is complete separation from God, and because of this separation it is Hell. A place of darkness, suffering, and agony. A place were narcissistic people try to satisfy their selfish desires by feeding on other narcissistic people. Hell can be experienced on earth in a similar way as Heaven, though it cannot be fully experienced at this time. People around the world are suffering, starving, sick, and being treated unjustly. Sin reigns in the hearts of many, and nations war against nations. Unbridled consumerism and materialism are the fastest growing religions that entire countries are bowing down to. Due to this stampeding greed, marginalized people are being exploited and treated in inhumane ways. People of all cultures and religions are blinded to the truth of the Gospel, even some of those who call themselves Christian.

This is but a small example of the Hell that is on earth; however, as terrible as these things are, they do not compare to the full expression of Hell. Those who choose to disregard the way of Heaven in the present will live in Hell in the future, when Christ comes back to judge the living and the dead and to fully establish His Kingdom with the New Heaven and the New Earth.

Those who choose to live without God now will continue to live without Him in the future.

So, we as Christians bring Heaven to earth in the present, and by doing so, we co-operate with God to bring the full expression of His Kingdom at the close of history. We do this as we live out our calling of being blessed to be a blessing. Being a blessing to others through the power of the Holy Spirit actually reduces the impact of Hell in the present, and eventually, as we move toward the full consummation of God’s creation, Hell will be completely erased from His creation, and there will be no expression of Hell in the New Heaven and the New Earth. This is the exciting news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Kingdom of God had its D-Day in the arrival of Jesus, and through His people the Holy Spirit expands the Kingdom until the final day of victory.

Want you join the call to be blessed to be a blessing? The Kingdom of Heaven awaits you!

The Good News is Good News to the Whole World

It seems that most believers think the good news is only good news for Christians, but nothing could be further from the truth. If you remember, the children of Israel were blessed to be a blessing; however, they forgot they had been chosen by God to be a blessing to the world, and they began thinking of themselves as privileged and exclusive. The Israelites forgot about their mission of compassion and justice and mercy and caring for the poor, widow, orphan, and foreigner, and began to think of themselves as the only ones who were loved by God. Salvation became something that was only for them or so they thought. They were the exclusive “in group” while everyone else was the rejected “out group.” Of course, pride, arrogance, and self-righteousness began to consume their lives as they looked down their noses at other peoples and nations.

If you think about it, some Christians have become the same way. Instead of remembering that they are blessed to be a blessing, they think of themselves as the “in group” while everyone else is the “out group” deserving of hell; however, the good news is good news for all people, not just for us Christians. The Kingdom of God has come near, and because it has, God is redeeming the entire cosmos. Jesus inaugurated the redemption of all things. This is good news to all.

If a person is a Christian, they have entered God’s redeeming process in the world, and that person joins other Christians in cooperating with God in bringing heaven to earth. This entails social action as well as conversing about Jesus and His redeeming work in the world. This means joining hands with our Father in caring for the poor, widow, orphan, and foreigner. It means following the Holy Spirit’s guidance in reaching out to the marginalized of society. It means clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, visiting prisoners, and fighting for justice. It also means that Christians are to ask others to forsake their selfishness and to acknowledge that Jesus is Lord and Savior of all and to recruit others to join God’s redemptive process of His entire creation.

Wow! Isn’t this good news to all?

For those who have not yet acknowledged Jesus as Lord and Savior, the good news is still good news because their world should become a better place for them because Christians are living out their call to be a blessing to others. I hope you are getting the picture here. Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, and even Christians benefit from the good news because the good news, when taken seriously by believers, benefits the whole world, not just Christendom. Oh, how I long that we could realize that the good news is not about who is in or who is out. That is missing the point. The good news is that Jesus has brought the Kingdom of God near, that the redemption of all things has been inauguarated, that all people are invited to join God in His redemptive process through Jesus by the Holy Spirit, and that those who do begin to cooperate with God in the redemptive process are BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING TO THE WHOLE WORLD. As Christians live out this vision of blessed to be a blessing, then the whole world benefits, not just believers only. Now that is truly good news!

Stay tuned for: What About Heaven and Hell?

Jasmine: An Unbeliever ask for Prayer

Just the other day, I was online doing whatever when I received an instant message from a friend. This friend (whom I will call Jasmine) asked me a peculiar question. She asked,"Can you pray for someone even if they are not a believer?" I quickly responded, "Yes, I can pray for you. You do not have to meet any requirements for me to pray for you."

Jasmine is a professed unbeliever. She has told me numerous times that she has no interest in becoming a follower of Christ. I have even point blank asked her, "Do you believe in God?" Her answer has always been that she believes there is a higher power, but she is not sure the Christian God is the one true God. Once I asked her if she was even remotely interested in spiritual matters. Jasmine answered my question with an emphatic no.

It is because of our conversations that I was a bit surprised when she asked me to pray for her. I thought that maybe she was ready to receive Christ as her forgiver and leader. I stepped out and asked her, "Are you ready to become a follower of Jesus?" She politely typed back and said, "No, I am not. I just want you to pray for me. I have had a bad day, and I am feeling bad. All I want is for someone to pray for me."

Well, I told her that I would definitely pray for her, and I have been. However, I was a bit curious as to how she could ask me to pray for her and still not be interested in being a follower of Christ. It seems to be a contradiction. Yet, most people in our culture feel the same way as Jasmine. Even though they proclaim not to believe in the Christian God, they are extremely open in asking for prayer.

As a matter of fact, it seems that most people are positive about the teachings of Jesus; They just don't want to become a follower of Him, especially if it means becoming a Christian. Why? Upon talking with unbelievers, it seems that what they really have a disdain for is Christianity, not Jesus. They can see a definite divide between the actions of Christians and the teachings of Jesus. They see Christianity as a world religion. To them, the Church has become an institution, an organization not much different than the Red Cross, the YMCA, or our local Health Department. They are so bombarded by non-profit and community organizations they can't see a reason for yet another one. Aren't there enough of these organizations in existence? To them, there is absolutely nothing that sets the Church apart from any other do-good-er group.

Quite frankly, much of this is the Church's own fault. Take a look around at the hundreds of Churches that are on every street corner. It's just as common to see as many Churches in our cities as it is banks, gas stations, and restaurants. And to be completely honest, we have nothing more to offer than convenience in most of our congregations. Where is true spirituality in the Church?

I have personally witnessed how a person such as Jasmine could become indifferent toward Christianity, but feel comfortable asking someone they understand to be a true follower of Christ for prayer. Many Christians are just plain arrogant and are not walking in love. For instance, I have heard well intentioned evangelicals (a group to which I am proud to say I belong) tell people such as Jasmine that their prayers would not be heard by God if they were not believers. Of course, they teach this because they are desiring to win people to Christ. They feel it makes more sense to be a complete follower of Jesus before making requests of God. After all, why would someone be motivated to give their heart to Jesus if they could turn to God while not being a believer?

The fact of the matter is that Jesus never turned anyone away that came to Him. I have never read in scripture where Jesus stopped a person and said, "Before you make a request of me, you must first confess me as your Lord and Savior" (leader and forgiver). It seems that the very act of coming to Jesus was seen as faith and belief in Him. There are many instances of this. One that I will mention can be found in Matthew 9:1-2. "Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, 'Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.'" (NIV) This man's faith was proof that he believed. Jesus saw his faith and forgave him his sins.

However, Jasmine is honest about her unbelief. She clearly explains that she does not have faith in Jesus. And because of this many Christians would say that she is only interested in what she can get from God. To them I would ask these questions:

Would you say the same of a believer who asked something of God?
Would you say that all the paralytic wanted from Jesus was to be healed?

One thing is for sure, Jasmine is honest about her unbelief. Many of us Christians should learn to live by her example of being authentic and genuine.

How should we respond to Jasmine? She isn't a believer, yet she wants prayer on her behalf to the Christian God. At the surface level, this seems to be an absolute contradiction. I say it is not. Unlike some, I would say that Jasmine's request for prayer is a good thing. Why? It is a step in the right direction. Jasmine or anyone like her should never be discouraged to come to Jesus for prayer. We should respond to them positively and show them the love of Jesus as well as explain the gospel to them.

I would tell the Jasmines of the world that Jesus loves them. He desires to hear from them and about them. Most importantly, I would remind them of the words of Jesus, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him" (John 6:44 NIV). "No one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him" (John 6:65 NIV).

Many will say, "Yes, but Jesus is talking about coming to Him for salvation, not for prayer." However, no one can see their need for salvation or prayer apart from God working in their lives. Jasmine's request for prayer is the direct result of God working in her life. It is the providence of God. God in some way has moved upon her heart and prompted her to turn to Him. Her request is but a step forward toward God, and believing in Jesus as forgiver and leader. I would explain this to her and encourage her to be sensitive to the drawing of God.

We are all at different levels in our spiritual journey. Jasmine is on her journey. She may have just begun, but I firmly believe God is pulling her to Himself. She is showing that in some way, no matter how small it is, and even if she doesn't realize it, she has become a seeker. Remember, Jesus said that those who seek will find. I can only pray that God will use me and others in love to guide her along her path until eventually she becomes an apprentice of Jesus.