Be careful what you ask for...

I have been spending the last few weeks reading through some OT books. I am loving the process of reading through Proverbs every day.

I also am spending some time in I Samuel. I Samuel is really the story of Saul, the first king of Israel. As you read through the first few chapters of the book, you see a people who were bent on worshiping God when it was convienent. But as soon as things were good, they were on their own and God was in the corner. They spent decades under the thumb of the Phillistines and when they finally repented (chapter 7), God rescued them. He defeated the Phillistines and the Ark of the Covenant was returned to Israel.

Then Israel reverts to thier old ways. Instead of trusting God and believing that God would protect and bless them they decided they wanted to be like all the other nations and have their own king.(I Sam 8:6).

Why did they want this? Well, on the surface it looks like it was because Samuel's successors (his sons), were perveted and dishonest (vs. 3). But in reality it was deeper than that. They wanted to be like everyone else. I Sam 8:20 says, "Then we will be like all the other nations.. with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles."

God warned them... He told them that the King would draft their boys and girls, he would tax them to the gills, and eventually the people would cry out to God for relief (vs. 18). But they still wanted a king. They wanted something different than what they had. They wanted what everyone else had.

Sometimes what you have is exactly what you need. Not all the time, but sometimes. I don't think that "more of the same" is neccesarily best. But I am not sure that all this trumpeting about "change" is healthy either. We are in the middle of the longest and most costly poltical season in our nations history. Candidates for President are over working the "change" theme. Everything is about change. They come in with new programs, new ideas, new ways of getting to the same place. Candidates and their wives are on news shows, variety shows, late night TV shows,and even afternoon talk shows. All of them are trumpeting change.

I think also country would do very well to "be careful what we ask for." We just might get it.... change. But change to what? "Change agents" throw around how they want to change things, but do not say exactly what it is, or how much it will cost, or how we will pay for it. I fear that in 4 or 8 years we will be looking for a new candidate of "change". The difference will be that he/she will have to clean up the mess from the this last round of change.

It is a critical time in our country. I wish we could have educated debate on where we need to go. And if I could ask for one thing, it would be that we would have candidates and campaigns that would sincerely look to God for wisdom. Maybe the place to star would be with Proverbs...( full circle there).

Read through 1st Samuel... You will notice that the predictions and warnings of God came true. Its the same today for all of us... God knows...

Thinking Fathers...

When I think about this Father's Day....

I will think about my son-in-law Nathaniel. Two days before Father's Day 08, he became a father to little Grace.

I will think about a conversation I had with Joel last night. It was cool to hear the excitement in his voice as he talked about some positive developments at work. He's a man now...making his way in the world..I am proud of him.

I will think about the memorial service for Tim Russert. I watched part of it today and marveled at how his 22 year old son Luke, could play such a large part in eulogizing his father. You don't get that in the four days after your dad dies suddenly. You get that by being mentored by a great father.

I will think about a moment on Monday after Tiger won the US Open in a playoff, when he took his little girl in his arms and kissed her. When mom took her back, little Sam protested, and in an instant she was back in Dad's arms.

I will think about my three girls and how they have turned out to be wonderful, responsible and caring young ladies.

I will think how there's now way I get to be the father of all four, without their mother...who is the best thing to happen to me everyday.

I will think about my father who worked so hard for so many years, and who has managed to make retirement look good for anyone who works too much.

I will think about a father from the Bible named Jarius, who would stop at nothing to help his dying daughter. ( Mark 5)

I will think about the blessing my heavenly Father is to me. After all, the most difficult thing a Father could ever do is to "give up" His Son for me.

Preaching

Our summer series this year is "Wise Words for not so wise people." I think we all need a heavy dose of wisdom... and Proverbs certainly is a great book to learn from.
So far,I have recieved alot of very positive comments. This book and the messages seem to resonate with people...

Planning preaching takes alot of time, prayer, thought and conversation. The fact is that I am not one of those guys that can wake up every Monday and say, "I wonder what I should preach about this week?" If I did that, I would not last 3 weeks. Some guys can do that... Other guys take chunks of time off in the summer, go away for 3-4 weeks and work up a full years sermon titles and texts. For me, things slow down enough around here that I can give more time in my daily schedule to this. I have found it is better for me to bite it off in chunks , rather than trying to plan for a full year all at once.

So I plan 6-8 months in advance. That way I have a good idea of where I need to go. I am reading for messages that are in Nov. and Dec. right now. And I read for stories and illustrations in newspapers and the net with an eye toward what I am preaching about in the coming weeks and months.

Right now I am planned through about Feb. of 09. That doesn't mean that I can't change. And certainly it is all really up to God and His leading. There are times I plan, and it does get changed. I am good with that...

Sooooo... I was thinking... If you go to FCC what things or topics would you like to hear about? Do you have a particular subject, or passage that you would like to hear more about and learn from? Is there a concern or a need that you would to hear more about what the Word of God says?

I have some ideas for next spring and summer, but I welcome the input.

By the way, if you don't attend FCC, send some ideas of what you would like your preacher to address. It may not fit for us, but you never know, it might spark something in my spirit... which I can pray about and see how God leads.

Thanks.

Life and Death....It's real

Tim Russert's death hit alot of people hard. It seems (at least from a distance), that he was a really great guy. I didn't watch "Meet the Press" much, because I am usually pretty busy on Sunday Mornings. But his political anaylsis, especially during the election years was always brilliant... and easy to understand. He was truly an "everyman" kind of guy.

I have been interested in hearing alot of the comments about Him. I am listening to his doctor right now. The statement, "We all struggle with the limits of what we can do." He is right.Great doctors are still limited. The fact is that God is the one who is the giver of life. Great doctors, medicine and lifestyle adjustments are all good. But the reality is that we all will die.

Soooooo.... we need to look beyond this life. We need to be ready for eternity. There is only one way to do that, and that is through a relationship with Jesus Christ. No one else offers what Christ offers. He offers life eternal. He offers a way to have our sins washed away through his blood.

I did DVR "Meet the Press" from yesterday. Tom Brokaw and Russert's collegues all talked extensively about one characteristic that he had. He was prepared. He was offended when politcal figures came into Meet the Press unprepared. ( David Dukes for instance.) Over and over they talked about how prepared Russert was for any one that came in and sat across from him.

My hope is that he was just as prepared to stand before God. Last Friday was his day. That is how it works some times. It is a surprise. Statistical information says that 400,000 Americans die of sudden cardiac arrests. We have to be ready.

On another note, Baby Grace is now 4 days old! Lizzie and Grace came home Sunday... everything is good. Pam is staying there with them. That has got to be great fun for her too... I think this must be one of the sweet payoff's for having girls ( for a mom). Thanks for your prayers for them both.

Grace

Grace Capri Smith was born at 5:54 PM on Jul 13, 2008. Her vital statistics are 8lbs, 9 oz. 20.5 in long. Everything is great for her, Mom and dad are great too. So are the grandparents...

Psalm 139:13-18

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!

Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
am still with you.

Ramdom thoughts about modern Jewish History ( Holocaust)

One of the strongest impressions that Jews try to make when a person comes to thier country is the history of persecution and hatred that they have had to endure over the generations. It was said that the walls of Jerusalem were built and rebuilt over some 17 times over the years. Invading armies would come in and destroy the walls, then rebuild the walls to their liking , and the cycle would start over again. Whether it was the Babylonians, the Assyrians, the Turks, the Greeks, or the Romans, it seems like there was great pride and millitary strategy in destroying the walls around the city.

For the better part of one day on our tour we spent time at what is called YAD VASHIM, which is the National Musuem of Holocaust History in Jersualem. I am ashamed to say that I have not given this alot of thought...in part because I was born in 1958, decades after this terrible time for Jews. (That is an understatement.)

But going through the museum was a very emotional thing to do. To look at the depth of pain that the Jews throughout the world experienced as a result of Hitler and his atrocities was almost too much at times.

The new musuem was recently completed. Beyond the other memorials at the site, this museum included history of how the world stood by for years while Hitler strategized to destroy the Jews. We were given 2 hours to walk through it. We could have used 12-14 hours easily to read all the exhibits,view the films and to reflect on how our world got to the place where it could allow some 6 million people to be interned in death camps and then murdered. Men, women and children murdered. To look into their faces as they were herded into cattle cars was almost too much. Too know that they were told that they were being taken to work camps, when in fact they were being taken to camps with gas chambers, firing squads or to places where they would be left to freeze to death, was almost too much.

To learn more about how the world had ample warning that Hitler was up to something and did nothing was frightening. Are we that wrapped up in ourselves that we would just not pay attention

This has given me pause when I think about some of the things going on in the world. AIDS, starvation, ethnic cleansing, civil strife in countries around the world, all of those things are a result of the sinfulness of man and the product of a world that God did not intend to be.

I don't pretend to understand the World political situation. But it was Winston Churchill said, " Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

I can only imagine how hard it is to think about that time in Jewish history. Every school child is taken to the memorial. Millitary recruits are taken there. By the way millitary service is compulsory in Israel. (Two year committment in either the millitary or in some sort of national community service.)

German essayist Kurt Tucholsky said, "A country is not what it does, but what it tolerates." Can you see the application to our culture and world today?

Since "toleration" is the virture of the new millenium, we have alot to consider. To me, major concern should be given to world leaders who refuse to acknowledge the right of the Jewish state to exist. God told Abraham in Gensis 12 that he would "bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you." From that day on, there was a promise to the descendants of Abraham which God has said he would keep.

History has proved this to be true. Go through the list of conquerors of Israel. Short-lived victories were replaced by the renewal and rebirth of the nation of Israel. The Eygptians,the Canaanites, the Philistines, the Babylonians, the Assyrians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Turks, all of them are gone. Israel is still here.

Iran says they will attempt to do the same...they will lose too. They would do well to learn from history.

Bottom line, the history of the Holocaust was not something I had thought about as I contemplated this trip. But I am very thankful that we went there. And I look forward
to doing more reading about this.

The Temple Mount

Observations about Jews and Christians... per lizzie's request... I think it is hard for Jewish people to distinguish the difference between Christians and Americans. This is not alot unlike our own culture where so many people think, "Well I must be Christian, because I was born in American." Of course we know that is not true.

But in Israel, the same is true. While people may claim to be Jewish by "race," they seem to have some sort of thought that because they are living in Israel then they are part of God's chosen people

Our study in Romans pointed out that a Jew is a Jew because he one inwardly in God's sight. Same thing with Christians. Its a heart thing, not a location deal.

For the Jewish people we encountered along the way, they view Christians as well meaning people who love God. And they expect that we would afford them the same thought. I heard many times, "We are all part of the same family." Or "We believe in the same God." But try to take the conversation to Jesus and there is a decided difference in tone and receptivity.

Part of my view of Jewish people is a bit colored because they are so dependent on the USA for their protection. The fact is that if we do not stand up for them, no one will. It is an awesome responsibility. So when we bought things from them, they were grateful. They thanked us over and over for coming to their country, and reminded us how much they depend on America.

Back to the tour... One hot afternoon, we gathered together on the Southern Steps of the Temple Mount. 300 of us make quite a spectacle. We found some shade and had our teaching time from Kay Arthur. But what struck me was that we sat there, being taught from the Word of God, being taught about Jesus Christ, right under the dome of the El-Asqua Mosque. We are told that what we were doing was under the watchful eye of the Muslims. But we sang some great worship songs, and studied anyway. I really liked that.

Later in the week, we went up on the Temple Mount. The Dome of the Rock ( the golden one in all the pictures) is amazing. But what really caught my attention was the fact that Muslims watched your every move. They demanded that you not express any physical affection with a person of the opposite sex, and that you do not engage in laughter or any other "frivolity". Just to get on the Temple Mount is a hassle. You have to go through security, including metal detectors, they check your bags, etc. The security is all under Jewish control, because part of the agreement with the Jordanians (after the 6 day war in 1967) was that the Temple Mount would remain Muslim, but the Israelis would maintain control and security. Another example of "peacful co-existence." Lots of guns and security there.

Then you have to go up this long "boardwalk" kind of thing which is very rickety. Kind of creepy really...not safe and the City inspectors are all over the Muslims to get it together and get a safe ramp up the Temple Mount. Once you cross into the Temple Mount area, you are under the scrutiny of the Muslims... They are looking you over top to bottom. Do not hold hands, do not touch a woman, wear "holy clothes" ( men wear slacks and women must have their shoulders covered...no cleavage or anything like that.)

Interstingly enough , our guide, Kenny, was a bit nervous on the Mount. He is a Jewish man, and said that on more than one occassion he had been escorted off the Temple Mount by Muslim authorities. So we kept moving, he told stories without his usuall dramatic flair... Our Bus guide, Bob, was even more uncomfortable and kept things moving too... You just got the feeling that you were being watched.

One last thing about this. When we got up on the Temple Mount , we were besieged by young boys "selling" postcards which contained interior pictures of the Mosque athe Dome of the Rock. They were pretty agressive. Eventually, after most of us had bought a pack of postcards for $1, they were shooed away.

Captitalism still reigns, even on a Muslim Holy Site.

"We will drive Israel into the sea..."

There is so much more to Israel than archeology and history. There is a political reality that can not be denied.

One of the very interesting things about Israel is the fear that the country lives in. Israel is a country that is about the size of New Jersey. You can cover most of the country in just a few hours of driving. I suppose that would not be a big deal if you lived in New Jersey.

But think about it. On the north is Lebanon. Just beyond Lebanon is Iran. To the North East is Syria. To the due east is Jordan. To the south is Egpyt. All of these nations at one time or another have wanted the Jews run out of the promised land. Arabs through the ages have made this their stated intention. Some countries have modified their stand... negotiated peace and co-exist with Israel. Iran and Syria seem to be the major threats right now. Iran's leader has come out and said that the goal of his administration is to destroy Israel. He has claimed that the Holocaust was a concoction of the CIA, Israel and other pro-Israeli groups, in an attempt to steal back the land.

Syria is more subtle. Damascus has chosen to take a more subtle approach by funding terrorists groups like Hezbollah ( in Lebanon), and Hamas(rooted in the Gaza Strip, south and west of Jerusalem). From both the north and the southwest the Jews have seen bombs rain down on them. Just two years ago some 800 bombs were sent from southern Lebanon into the Tiberias area... Our Guide said that only two out of the 800 hit anything and no one was injured. But can you imagine going to bed each night wondering what would drop out of the sky upon your home? It is almost unimaginable to us.

I was very interested in the Golan Heights... which is due west of Tiberias. We drove along the Syrian Border and heard about the desire that Syria has for the Palestinians to regain control of this strategic mountain range. It is no secret that the ones who control the Heights will indeed control the northern part of the country. Syria wants it, and they have fought with Israel over that strategic area for 40 years.

While we were there, President Bush and Secretary of State Rice were in Jerusalem. It was a tense visit at best. They were there to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Israeli independence. On the one hand our leaders were saying, "Israel has a right to to exist...we will stand with you... etc. " But then they met with Palestinian leaders and in effect said, "Everyone needs to negotiate the division of land in the area." Boy that really made the Jewish leaders mad. It worries the Jews that we send mixed messages. The older Jewish people are adamant that they do not give up any more land than they already have. I heard this several times on the tour... " When it comes to Palestinans and Jews, a peace treaty is not worth the paper it is written on." Perhaps this comes from the consistent message of Israel's enemeies that says, "We will drive you into the sea." It is kind of hard to trust someone when that is the message. It is hard to negotiate when you have this kind of statement hanging over your head.

I am so thankful to live in America. We live with limited fear of an attack. We do not fear those neighbors to the south or west. Internally, we are trying to identify the enemies that have made their way into our country and thwart their efforts to destroy us. Aside from 9/11, our government has been pretty successful. But it would not take much to see fear invade our country... I would never want to live the way the Jews do. They know where their gas masks are. They know where the bomb shelters are. They live under the very real threat that Iran will successfully manufacture a nuclear device and if they do they have only one target: Israel.

Ultimately, God is in control. I believe he gave the promised land to Israel. While Arabs and Jews have been battling over this land for generations, it is Israel's. But, while I believe that... the fear of the Jews only reveals the lack of understanding about Christ and God's plan to finally settle this once and for all. Christ is the difference maker here... If only they would come to Him, recognize him as the Messiah who has come, has died, and has risen from the dead. If only they would come to Him, recognizing that He will come again, this time not as a lamb, but as a Lion and he will make everything right once and for all...

Jews may say that it is not that simple...but I really think it is.

More info on our trip to come....

A POSTSCRIPT: TODAY Iran's Leader said tht Israel will soon cease to exist..and that the decline and destruction of the US has begun. (USA TODAY). He is crazy and that is what makes him so scary...

A Stormy morning

After a flying across the Europe and the Mediteranean, we arrived in Tel Aviv. Then we had a 2 1/2 hour bus ride to Tiberias, which is on the southwest side of the sea of Galilee.

The Sea of Galilee is not huge...by our standards. But it is down in a valley, with Golan Heights ( long disputed land between Syria and Israel)on the east, and the mountains that lead to the Jezreel valley and the coastal region on the west.

We fell into bed the first night. Our bodies were definately confused by the 8 hour time change. We both were so tired when we went to bed about 9:30 that night.

The first morning on the Sea was very memorable. About 4 AM (about 8 PM Oklahoma time), I was awakened by the clap of thunder. I laid their for a moment thinking, "Where am I?" I did not expect a storm. But God has a surprise for us. I got up and looked out the window over the sea and it was a full-fledged storm broiling on the sea. I looked at streaks of lightning across the sky. Then the rain, then more lightning and thunder. Pam was sleeping, but I woke her up with, "How cool is that!" God was giving us a storm on the Sea of Galilee.

I did not see Jesus or a boat, but I could imagine it. Locals said that the storms come up from time to time, totally by surprise. And when they come up, they are loud and crazy. Wind, rain, lightning... the whole thing.

I thought about the storms that the disciples experienced on the Sea and how Jesus calmed them. It was a "miracle moment" for me. It was like God was saying to me on that first morning..."You really are here."

I came back to Oklahoma and our church family with a new appreciation for the calming influence and presence of Christ. This week many have needed to be reminded of it. One of our members mother died. Another member had been given a terrible cancer diagnosis and was undergoing exploratory surgery. ( Guess what??? After all the tests , they got in there and did not find a thing!). Another member found out that her mother has been given very little time to live. One of our secretaries is dealing with a terminal illness in her family.

Where do you go in the storm? You look for, you call for, you pray for Jesus. Even when it is stormy, His presence helps. It calms us, reminds us that this fallen world we live in is not all there is. His presences gives us hope, since he has conquered death.

It was all brought home to me this morning. I went to church with high hopes for a big crowd, the introduction of our series called " Wise Words." ( Proverbs). It had been stormy over the weekend, but not a really big deal.

First service went fine... Then the storms hit. Deluge, lightning, hurricaine force winds, and hail. It was incredible. Our water retention pond was nearly full. Things from our phase II construction were flying around. What a storm!

It all calmed down... and then it hit again during our second service. Attendance was way down, but we pressed on... and then as I got up to preach, ( two sentences or so into ), the power went out. What do you do? You keep going. You press on. Worship and preaching are not dependent on sound systems, lights and all the extras that we have in our building.

It was great moment, not unlike the moment from the Sea of Galilee. Storms come and storms go. That is life. But you keep on trusting, keep on searching, keep on believing. At the end of our "dark" service one of our members came forward for prayer. It is really stormy in her life. And another family came forward to join (Kyle had been baptized last Wednesday.)

I was proud of our church this morning. They pressed on and after it was all over, they said, "It was kind of neat." And they appreciated the fact that we did not stop.

I am also extremely proud of our Early Children, Childrens and Worship teams. They did not panic, and just kept on. They are great people.

Storms are part of life, in Isreal and Oklahoma. Jesus is there no matter where you are.

In AND out

I have been reflecting on our trip to Israel. There were so many experiences to talk about.

When we arrived in Tel Aviv, we went through security at Ben Gurion Airport. It was a little unnerving, because we flew all that way, and then stood in a line to go through "passport control." That should not be a big deal since we both had passports and a good reason to enter the country. However, Pam had a little problem. Four days before we left, I noticed that her passport had her listed as a "male" and not a "female." I called the US Passport service and they told me I needed to get to Houston to fix it, before the trip. That would have cost hundreds of dollars and there were no guarentees. So I called Delta Airlines and they said, "Bring the passport, and your birth certificate. Then act like nothing is wrong, and if they bring it up, act really surprised and pull out the birth certificate."

That sounds like an easy solution unless you are the person who is trying to get in and out of a country like Israel. So as we approached passport control, I could feel some tension and anxiety on Pam's part. That, added to a transatlantic flight overnight and it is a little hard to act like nothing is wrong.

We went to the booth and I gave the lady my passport. She asked me for the reason for my entry into the country ( "Bible Study tour of the country"), put a couple stamps on it, looked at a computer and said " okay."

Then the moment of truth. Would she see the "m" instead of the "f"? Would she think we were trying to pull a fast one? Would she notice that Pam is obviously a woman and this is a typo? Would she wonder if there was some terroist connection, pull her out of the line, take her to a room with one light bulb and interrogate her? The answer? None of the above. That was my prayer. I had prayed that she would not notice, not ask any questions and just let us through.

Well that is what happened. As we walked into the country of Israel, we high fived and thanked God. Then we went on our merry way.

Fast forward two weeks later..... now we have to get out of the country. Here is what I found out... at 9 PM on a Sunday night, it is harder to get out of Israel than it is to get into it. I guess that surprised us a bit. As we stood in line with our luggage, men and women were looking us over, along with the rest of the group.( Alot of profiling going on there.) We were told that if we got pulled out of the line , we were to answer the questions honestly, be patient, don't go on and on about answers and be courteous.

That instruction by our tour people bothered me just a little bit. Shouldn't Christians do all that stuff anyway? You would think so, but even that evening we saw some of our group get a little irritated, gruff, and even rude.

Once again, just like upon entry, I could feel Pam getting anxious. What if they pulled her out of the line? Well, she had nothing to worry about. They pulled our travel partner, Dale, out of the line. We watched him answer the questions confidently and kindly. Then we moved on.

Going out of the country, they x-ray everything. Pittmans had their luggage x-rayed twice. We sailed through. The questions by security were basic. Have you been with your bags at all times? Did anyone give you anything to carry on the plane? Interestingly enough when you fly in the states, you don't get all those questions any more. But Israel has the toughest and most thorough security in the world.

So, both coming and going, with a little anxiety because of a typo on the passport, we got in AND got out.

A couple other things about security. The top question I have gotten about our trip is, "Did you feel safe?" The answer is absolutely. We saw very few guns. We saw no millitary in the airport (that was a suprise). We never felt threatened in anyway, even in a land where they live under threat of bombs from the North, East, and Southwest of Jerusalem.

Lastly, I think I figured out who the air marshalls are on transatlantic flights. They are the guys who never sleep on a 10-13 hour flight. On both flights I noticed guys who didn't sleep. They read, watched movies, played video games. They did not talk to anyone, even those they were sitting next to. But no sleep, even though everyone else was. I thought, "Well that is comforting...they are working as air marshalls." But I did not attempt to ask. It would not seem right to lean up to a guy and say, "Hey, are you an Air Marsahll?"

More to come...

Trip update

Its been 15 days since last post. I had hoped to do so from Israel, but internet access was spotty...and I chose to use the internet time I did have to let the kids know we were doing well.

So what do you say about a two week Bible teaching tour of Israel? I have been home for 36 hours and I am still more or less speechless ( that may be the effect of jet-lag). I doubt that is true... simply put, this trip was incredible. To go and walk in the land of Christ is such a humbling experience.

People ask what I liked the most. It is very hard to say. There was so much. I loved the archeology. I loved places like Bet Shaan. There is a great story behind this archeological marvel. The actual place is where the enemies of Saul and Jonathon nailed their bodies to the wall. It was discovered about 20 years ago by a farmer who was plowing some ground. His tractor hit something and when he started digging and found the very tip of a Roman column. Not knowing what he had, but suspecting something, he let government officials know. They swooped in, took all his land, and begin excavating. What they found was amazing. A large city that had some of the classic columns, a Roman theater that seated several thousand people, a main North/south road commonly called a "Cardo" ( for heart). The East/West road was also very impressive. This was the area that most of the commerce took place. Addiitonally there were major religious sites , along with a "tel" ( or a mound) that was very impressive. The visit there set the stage for much more in the way of archeology that has revealed so much history in Jerusalem.

I loved Jerusalem. Of course the highlight was to study God's Word, looking at many of the steps of Jesus and be able to see it. Besides the walls and the different spots like Gethsamane, Golgotha, Caiahphas'house, the city of David, and the Western ( wailing- a term the jews do not like) wall, I think I was amazed by the topography of the area. Jerusalem is built on a series of hills... with large valleys below. To see the Kidron Valley, the Valley of Hinnom, and the central valley was amazing. I think that seeing that and understanding the physical test of walking all of that area over and over was striking to me.

Multiply that a hundred times when walking down the Mount of Olives as Jesus entered into the city in what is called the "triumphal entry", and you have something pretty special. Then take that feeling and begin to think about what Jesus was really doing when he entered into Jerusalem, knowing that he was on his way to his death! It is almost too much.

Personally, it was so amazing to share this experience with Pam. She had been there 30 years ago. But honestly, so much had changed in that time that it was nearly a new experience for her. She did so great, and was such an encouragement to me. All the while, knowing that her kids were half a world away, and one of them expecting a child in the coming days.

We also shared the trip with a couple from our church. Dale and Linda Pittman had gone to Israel 4 years ago, and since that time had wanted to invite us to go with them. I could not imagine taking that kind of trip on our own and getting as much out of it. They were so reassuring, generous, and good to us. Special friends who love God, love His Word, and the land of Jesus.

There is alot more to write about...so consider this a start. God showed himself to me in some very significant ways. What a blessing.

More to come....hopefully with some of the 900 pictures that Pam took. ( Yes, I said 900! Digital cameras are pretty cool.)

PS- Baby Grace is close to coming- any day now. So pray for Elizabeth and Nathaniel.

A Trip...

Pam and I are leaving tomorrow morning for Israel. We are excited about the trip. We are traveling with some friends from the church. We will be gone about 14 days. Our kids will be in and out...coming and going during that time.

Our "trek" takes us to New York City, the to Tel Aviv, 6 days in Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee, and then 6 more days in Jerusalem. Pam has been before (in college),but I have never been in that part of the world.

I will be posting along the way, so check back once in a while.

Meanwhile if you want you can pray for us...there are a couple things on our minds...

One, we are looking forward to what God will teach us through this trip. To be where Jesus walked, taught, lived and died... and then rose from the dead is a bit overwhelming. We know that God can bring a depth and richness to our lives through this.

Two, this is "getting away." I find that I do better when I am far away. So pray that I will "decompress" from all the church life, and just enjoy the moment.

Three, you can pray that Elizabeth's baby will hold off from coming until we get back. We do not expect the world to stop for us. But it would be nice is baby Grace comes while we are in the neighborhood. It is a small thing, but one of the considerations and matter of prayer for us. So far, everything is great!

Four, pray for our saftey. It is kind of wierd going into a world zone where there is such unrest... just this week Beriut broke out in a kind of mini-civil war. Although we will not be in those areas, again we are in the neighborhood. I think it will be really good for us to be somewhere where they do not enjoy the same freedoms we do here in America. I love our country, but I am sure that I will have a new appreciation for it all.

Last, you could pray for our kids. While we are gone, Lydia and James will be packing and loading to come back to Owasso. ( To arrive on the same day we get back!). Joel is beginning to make new preparations to relocate as well... Abigial will be getting out of college, coming home, flying to Chicago to help Lydia and James move back...and Elizabeth and Nathaniel will be making last minute preps for the biggest change in a lifetime...a baby.

So you can see it is a busy time for us. It is a time of rich blessings from God. We thank Him for our lives.

Thanks for praying...

Blessings

Charlie

A Cultural Experience

Last week, I traveled to Atlanta to attend a conference. It was a little out of the ordinary for me in that I joined Children's and Youth workers for this conference. Gray hair was at a premium.

I went because our Children's Minister wants to introduce an event to our church that will change alot of what we do. He recognized that it would be a different approach and wanted me to see it in action. I won't go into it right now, except to say that it is exciting, innovative and I think has great potential.

But there are some observations that I made beyond just the programming itself.

One, the future of the church is incredibly bright. I believe that leadership is a key to the further expansion of the church in the world. It is not the only thing, but it is very important. Throughout the ages, from the beginning to this day, leadership has been important to God. He uses people. Most of this conference was led by people younger than me. Some were alot younger...young enough to be my sons or daughters. I loved it. I loved their passion. I loved their focus on Christ. And I was especially excited about the desire of so many to learn from the Word and share the Word of God with a future generation.

History proves that different methods are needed to reach future generations. Some think the things we are doing now are things they did in the first century. ( Sunday School, Hymns, church buildings, ministry teams, Bible colleges etc.) All of that looked different then than it does now.

I think I got a glimpse into what the future will hold(to some degree.) It is not neccesarily what I would have designed. But then again, when I was a children's minister we would sit the kids down, sing "Deep and Wide", and then have a sermon. They don't do that any more...and I am glad. Things have changed.

So music styles, leadership styles, dress, and haircuts are different now. But through and through, the messages that came through were focused on Christ and Word based. That is very encouraging.

Two, the creativity of this new generation of leaders is amazing. They are learning to harness technology in order to relate to kids and families. They are bold. They use their imaginations. They are willing to learn from their mistakes, and not go back, but try again.

This is especially encouraging to me, because in just a few weeks our first grandaughter will be born. Baby Grace will be born into a world that is pretty scary. But there are churches out there that are committed to helping families speak into their children's lives in creative and true ways. At one point this week, I just stopped listening for a moment and thanked God for these people who serve each week in nurseries, children's church, as small group leaders, and sponsors.

Pam and I prayed that our kids would have other people who would be in influence in their lives. Each of them did... each of them had godly people who modeled Christ, held them accountable, and encouraged them, often saying the same things we were. But if you are a parent, you know how it is... sometimes it has to come from someone else.

We pray the same thing for our grandchildren as well.

Third, I was encouraged by one speaker who challenged the entire group ( 4,000 strong) to not buy into the current christian fad of cultural relevance and instead just be about Jesus. His message was powerful. It was a call to the Word of God, to the things that Jesus was about, and a challenge to not become part of the "Golden Calf movement of relevance and social justice." He said that Jesus was relevant, but that he called the culture to change... not the the church to change to the culture. He said that Jesus was all about feeding the poor, helping and healing the sick...but he never made that the final goal. This was about transformation and being part of a transcendent kingdom...One that spans the decades and centuries. One that takes the eternal truth of God and reminds people that when Jesus came, John said, "He came full of GRACE and TRUTH." ( John 1)

That message was it for me. There were lots of things, but to hear this group embrace this thought and still want to go back to their churches of all sizes, demoninations and conditions and teach people, young and old about Jesus was so uplifting and encouraging.

The last observation is this. We have a great staff of men and women who give so much of themselves. Our Children's minister is passionate about kids. His willingness to take a risk inspires me. What he is doing is risky. He will get some push back. But I will be right there with Him, because I have seen where he believes that God is taking Children's ministry. His team ( several of whom went with us),are so wonderful, committed and creative. Add to that our Youth Minister, the Assistant Youth minister and their love for FCC and the youth of our community, you have an awesome team.

What's even better is that these "departments" want to work together with families. They want to be more systematic in their approach to teaching the kids and working with parents. They want to see a child come through 12 years plus in the church and not walk away from Christ when they go off to college. These are their concerns.

God is up to something...it looks different. But then it again what God was up to 20 years ago looked really different... the only thing that happened is that we all got older.

Thank God for His creativity and his desire to reach people across the world with the message of Christ.

Today

Our services today were really cool. Tim sang the song "Cinderella" ( Steven Curtis Chapman). We had pictures of dads and daughters on the screen, along with three dads and daughters dancing at the appropriate time. Steve Oliver and his sweet little girl, Sydney, Wayne Hill and his graduating daughter Gloria, and then Gary Jones and his married daughter Lacey, added just the right touch for the song.

This is an example of how we can use media, and music to really bring home a point for the sermon. These things are not the sermons themselves, but they engage people emotionally. And I believe that at those points, many of the barriers that people bring to church are broken down.

The point is that we want to prepare people to listen to God's Word. Tim and his creative team do a great job of coming up with things... and then working them out so that they are presented with quality and clarity.

Considering some of the things we have done in the past, we have come along way. I love those who serve in so many ways. Just for the service alone (not counting First Touch, Nursery, Childrens etc.) we had about 30 different people involved on the stage and in the sound, video and lighting area. That does my heart alot of good. I look at some of those people and know where they were 5 years ago. Some were far from God. Others were just chomping at the bit to serve and use their gifts. Some were strong 5 years ago and still are.

It was a special as we talked about "Parenting in a Chaotic World." Elizabeth and Nathaniel were here... It is their last visit until baby Grace comes. Lizzie will not be able to travel after the first of the month. She looks great... and I am so proud of both Nathaniel and Lizzie.

Abigial was home too, which is a delight. She has had such a great freshman year at Ozark... It will be great to have her home this summer.

Joel had to work today...a first at his new job. But that happens. He is enjoying his job and his apartment.

Lydia will be back in Oklahoma in a few weeks, and she and James join our staff in the Children's Ministry area. Can't wait!

Pam and I have been so blessed by God through our kids.

I got some great comments on the blog and in email about parenting. Thanks to all of you. I settled on 4 things Parents have to provide their children. Affirmation, Discipline, Attentiona and Spiritual Guidance.

We are having some issues on getting the messages up on the website. But hopefully that will be remedied....check out www.fccowasso.com in a few days and we will see.

Parenting

This Sunday I am preaching about the subject "Parenting in a chaotic world."

I was wondering...... In 2008, What do you think are the most important qualities a parent needs to have?

This is called research...so participate and let me know

He is enough..

Well, the NCAA is over. I had all four #1 in the Final Four, both winners in the semi's and Kansas in the final. Additionally I picked Davidson to win their first three games and Sienna to beat Vanderbilt. I did miss a few in the early rounds, but played it pretty conservatively (except for the Sienna game). Best bracket ever for me.

That's the good news. The bad news is that the NCAA tournament is over. Tonight the women's team fight it out ( Tennessee and Stanford). Actually the women's game has improved dramatically. Its pretty good basketball. But after tonight, we are left with NBA.... ugh!

Some ramblings about church...

At church... we have seen a dramatic jump in attendance since moving. Our goal was to follow God's leading in this journey. Some want to make "success" about the number of new people coming, and all that. But even now, as I reflect on the journey of over 10 years... I am reminded that it is really not the number. I have always believed that. But in this part of the journey, I have learned that it is the next step which God uses to shape me.

Buildings are tools for this culture. Without God's people, any "church" building is just bricks and mortar, empty shells that cost alot to build and maintain. But have "the temple of the Holy Spirit" (I Cor 6:19)walk into that building and it is transformed into a place where people can connect to God.

Certainly this happens beyond the walls of church buildings. It happens in gyms, on ballfields, at work, in neighborhoods, anywhere. At FCC, we call it "rubbing shoulders." Life on life, pointing people to Christ , telling people of the difference Christ can make in their lives... that is what interests people.

Today, we hosted area ministers from the Christian Churches in the area. I was struck by how similiar we all are. Even though we serve churches that are different in size and methods, we are very strongly connected by one person. That is Christ. Theirs is a good work.... so is ours, because we are doing it for the same person.

Our community has dozens of churches. Some larger than ours, some smaller. All of them are different in methods and points of emphasis. But for those who preach the Word, focus on Christ, and desire to reach people with the truth of the Bible, we are more alike than we even realize. Some don't like that, thinking that thier distinctivness is what makes them special in God's eyes. I think he is not impressed with that kind of thinking. He is impressed with faithfulness to the Word, love for Him and His Father, and loving others. Each of these churches in our community is a good work. Some are dramatically different than ours, but they are still good. What makes it a good work? I believe it is Jesus.

We can never believe the that we are the only ones right... that we are the sole ambassadors of the Kingdom of God. While some would like to criticize other churches, different approaches, methods, personalities, and leaders their views are extremely short-sighted. Usually such talk is not about truth or mission. It is ego and self righteousness. The Kingdom of God has never been about those things. Jesus said his mission was "to seek and to save the lost." (Luke 19:10)

Ultimately it is the Word of God, which brings about fruit in a person's life. It was Peter who said to Jesus, "To whom would we go, you have the words of life." ( John 6:68). Peter knew Jesus and His Word was enough.

I am thankful for the opportunity to teach the Word of God to more people. I am thankful to sit down with people and hear thier story. Last night I talked with a young woman who had been led to Christ by a member whom she met at the gym. She said she saw something in that person and wanted what she had. When she found out that it was a relationship with Jesus Christ she "bought in." And in the weeks that have followed she has started to grow spiritually.

We are hearing more and more about how people are connecting to Jesus through various ministries and members of the church. There is one consistent thing in all of it... Jesus.

That is what gave me comfort today at a funeral of a former member of our church. He was a great guy. He was described as a man of integrity, a man who loved his wife and kids. He was a man who worked hard, had lots of fun and always seemed to have a smile on his face. He loved our church, and loved the church he was attending in Tulsa.

But all of that, while they are great qualities... are not enough at judgement. Only Jesus is. And He "knew" Jesus.

That is what we are trying to do...pointng people of all ages, of all walks of life to Jesus. He is enough.

I am good with that.

Squares

Two years ago today, I had a stroke...It was a pretty major deal. I am glad to be two years down the road from it. I feel better most of the time, but still have some "reminders" from time to time.

This morning I went to the hosptial for some follow up tests. They are the kind of tests to make sure the blood is flowing through my heart to my head. Of course, the techs are trained to say "nothing." (kind of like the Seargant Shultz on Hogan's Hero's- "I saw nothinnnnnnnng!). They smear you with gel, run machines over it, and then hand you a towell and say, "You may go now."

Neither tech had much personality and offered no results, but I figure the results are okay, since last year when I did this, they sent me to the emergency room for 8 hours. At least this time I got to walk out of there.

I took a book because I knew there would be some down time. John Ortberg is a favorite of mine. His new book is called "It all goes back in the box.." It is pretty good stuff about life management..If you know Ortberg, its pretty standard stuff for him. There are rare surprises, but he makes me think and laugh....at the same time.

I read Chapter 11 this morning...He quotes a man by the name of Lewis Smedes, in talking about time, our days gone by and the ones coming up. Here is a portion:

"I bought a brand-new date book yesterday, the kind I use every year; spiral-bound, black imitation leather covers wrapped around pages and pages of blank boxes. Every square has a number to tell me which day of the month I'm in at the moment. Every square is a frame for one episode of my life. Before I am through with the book, I will fill the squares with classess I teach, people with whom I ate lunch, everlasting committee meetings I sit through and these are only the things I cannot afford to forget. I fill the squares too with things I do not write down to remember; thousands of cups of coffee, some lovemaking, some praying and I hope, gestures of help to my neighbors. Whatever I have to do, it has to fit inside one of those squares in my date book. The four lines that make up the box are the walls of time that organize my life. Each box has an invisible door that leads to the next square. As if by a silent stroke, the door opens and I am pulled thorugh, as if by a magnet, sucked into the next square in line. There I will again fill the time frame that seals me- fill it with my busy-ness just as I did the square before. As I get older, the squares seem to get smaller. One day I will walk into a square that has no door. There will be no mysterious opening and no walking around into an adjoining square. One of those squares will be terminal. I do not know which square it will be."


Well, maybe you can see why that would have struck me this morning...There is a day(square) for all of us that will be our last square. What will matter the most will be not the appointments, meetings, big deals, sermons and all that. What will matter is our relationship to God and the people that we have touched and influenced. All the stuff in life we accumulate, all the accolades, the power, the fame, all of that does not go into the last square. The old phrase could not be more true. "How much did he leave? All of it."

Makes me think two things...

One, I am thankful for 730 more squares to live in...and I am hopeful that there will be more.

Two, I do not know when the last square appears, so I better be ready NOW.

Later today, I am going to a funeral in a little town west of here. The man who died is the father of a friend. His has been a long struggle. He finally got the last square. It's inevitable for all of us. Some just get more squares than others.

I will be reminded again to be thankful for the square I woke up in today, and to do my best to make it count for something that lasts.

Ouch!

I had a new experience this morning... a root canal. Not fun. I had a new dentist, a new dental assistant, and the joy of having my mouth held wide open for two hours.

The dentist was good... the assistant was good... root canals - not so good.

Right now the numbing medicine is wearing off. The dentist told me it would hurt when that happens. He is right...It hurts.

I have some pain medicine but I want to wait... I have to drive this afternoon.

I was nervous this morning...but it was not that bad. It just hurts.

Pam will tell you that I do not have a high pain tolerance.She is right. I am a big baby ( thats me saying that... she is too nice to say it.) It is a good thing I was not made to have children. But I am learning that pain is not always bad. It reminds us that our bodies are not perfect. Pain reminds me that I should not take good days for granted. Pain is good because it forces us to face something and work to get better.

I have had a hurting tooth for 4 weeks. It actually had not hurt over the past few days and I was thinking, "Hey, maybe I don't need that root canal." But those close to me who have experience with such things said, "No way." The way to get healthy is to deal with it. If I had cancelled the appointment (which I really thought about doing), it would have started hurting again and I would have had to go on antibiotics for 10 days before I could get the root canal... So it would do little good to push off the inevitable.

Isn't that the way life is? We can ignore the pain, or mask the pain, but if you don't deal with it, it will always be there. Sure, there are days that it seems better. There are days that you go along and there is little if any pain in that relationship you have at work, at home, at church, even with God. But if you are going to see the pain go away for good, you have to open it up, clean out the infection and deal with it.

Certainly that is true of relationships. When we are hurt, we have a choice. Deal with it appropriately , talk about it, and forgive OR stuff it, pretend like it doesn't hurt and become prsioners of bitterness. Too often I see people choose the latter. But the pain is always there...just under the surface. And then it flares up at the most inconvienent times. That is not good.

This is also true of our relationship with God. That is why wrapped up in the gospel are the ideas of confession and repentance. When we come face to face with God, we have to recognize and admit that we have problems. Sin is real. It is terribly damaging. And there is nothing we can do about it on our own. Thus the need for confession and repentance. That is painful. It is also a daily process for most of us. But the good news is God is able to cleanse us from the unrighteous things in our lives. He willingly does this day after day, even moment after moment. How great is the love of the Father!

So, in the long run, I am glad I had the root canal. Two weeks from now I will get a crown...and the dentist tells me that tooth will be better. It sure beats ignoring it and just hoping that it will all go away.

It still hurts...but better times are ahead.

He's Alive...

Easter services are over... But Easter is not! Tomorrow Jesus will be just as alive as He is today. Isn't that awesome!

FCC Easter was incredible. The power of a choir in a Worship Center bringing the message "He's Alive!" was so amazing. Every part of the day went well. Three services provided us with an opportunity to test some of our "systems" and they went so well. Parking was good... First Touch was good. Early Childhood and Children's programs were very good. And in the Worship service... well that was incredible.. best ever. The staff of our church is so talented and dedicated. And I continue to be amazed by our congregation and how people jump in and serve. Its never been better. They have "bought in" to "helping others know, love , serve and share."

Numbers are not in yet, but estimates put them way above our best ever... We have learned alot through the last three weeks... and experienced some pretty exciting things at the church.

Best of all.... Jesus is alive and we proclaimed the message in every corner of the church...

Some of you have already asked... Three services? How did you do? Well, I got tired... really tired... slept most of the afternoon... and it will take a few days to regain some of the stamina...but that is expected. I am continuing to get better and stronger. Many pray for me every day, and I am so thankful for each of you.

Tonight the house is full of activity. A great dinner at our table with Pam, Nathaniel, Lizzie, Joel and Abigail ( and Shiloh the Dog). Tonight James and Lydia come in from Joliet...long drive for them, but it sure will be fun to have them around a few days. It is always great to have the kids around for a few days...all of them!

By the way have I told you that there will be a grandchild soon? Yah I know...I have. Baby Grace is coming in about 2 1/2 months!

Some Rambling thoughts and questions..

Some questions....( if you want to answer, feel free.)

* Can the common person understand the economy? It seems that in just a few short months (maybe even weeks), the concerns of the nation have shifted from the war to the economy. That makes sense with gas and food prices skyrocketing. It also makes sense when it is all the news media talks about. I know very little about economics. But I do have concerns about national security, immigration, and morality in our nation. Those seems to take a back seat. Are we in a recession or not? Depends on how you define recession... and everyone thinks their definition works.

It does not suprise me that the economy has jumped to the top of the list. After all that has been the pattern for the last 28 years (during presidential election years.) But there are alot of other things to think about too.

* What was Eliot Spitzer thinking? One of the prices you pay for fame and power is that you have to give up your anonimity. People have to lie for you, turn their head the other way, or just ignore the stupid things you are doing. Did he not have ONE person who he was accountable too... who had the courage to confront him and tell him what a stupid thing he was doing.

If you want a great treatment on this, look up Cal Thomas' editorial piece on this ( In the Tulsa World on 3.16). It was masterful.

* Do Americans really care about Easter? We will have record crowds in church. But as the numbers grow, so do the numbers of people who make it only on Easter. We have to be careful that Easter does not just become sort of a marketing tool to get people into the church... and in so doing talk more about our church than we do about Jesus. That is why I preach every Easter. I just believe that the Word needs to be spoken.. the Word about ressurection, sacrifice, victory and change. This year we talk about New Beginnings and how that is wrapped up in the sacrifice and victory of Christ.

* Has there been a year in what is called "March Madness" when the top four seeds were bigger favorites to make it to the final four? NC,Memphis, Kansas and UCLA are the class of the field. There may be some upsets in the lower seeded games...but this is the year that I think all four #1's make it to the Final Four. My pick? Today it is Kansas.

Later