Matthew 5:3 - "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
A few weeks ago I watched a modern remake of The Prince and the Pauper with my boys. I love the story of The Prince and the Pauper. A poor boy and a rich prince who look alike switch places. The boys learn lessons from living in each other's shoes. So, what if I told you that God likes to work with spiritaul paupers? Jesus called it being "poor in spirit."
What does it mean to be poor in spirit? It's a valid question. If you casually read Jesus' words in Matthew 5, and don't take the time to study what it is that Jesus is saying, it can become very frustrating. After all, who talks like this today?
When Jesus talks about the poor is spirit is is speaking of those who recognize their spiritual poverty apart from Christ. We need to live lives of complete surrender and complete dependence upon God. On our won, we are spiritual debtors in need of God's touch. Jesus came to pay our debt, and in doing so offered us life everlasting.
In the past couple of days we have seen a Jesus who called people to repentance, and called people to become fishers of men. Now as Jesus begins his great Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is calling his followers to live lives of surrender. Want to join in the great adventure of kingdom living? Then start with recognizing that you can't get into the kingdom based upon your merits and accomplishments. We need Christ! And, He wants us. So, spiritually bankrupt one, cheer up, blessed are the poor in spirit, for to you belongs the kingdom of heaven.
Dear God,
We are spiritually bankrupt apart from you. Thank you for taking debtors and making us princes and princesses in the kingdom of heaven. Help us to live our lives making deposits in the economy of the kingdom. We love You and want to make You known to the world around us. To God be the glory, great things You have done. Do great things in us and through us.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Let's Go Fishing!
Matthew 4:19 - "'Come, follow me,' Jesus said, 'and I will make you fishers of men.'"
My brother Randy loves to fish. In fact, of all of the men that I know in my life, Randy is the biggest fisherman of them all. When it is summer time, my brother will often times go fishing in the golf course ponds behind his home. He's been known to spend his birthdays taking trips from his home in Illinois to Tennessee to go fishing with his father-in-law and some close friends. The guy loves to fish.
So did Peter and Andrew. Peter, commonly believed to be the oldest of the disciples was a fisherman by trade. So was his younger brother Andrew. They were fishermen because they didn't make the cut to become a Rabbi. Every Jewish parent had a dream for their child. They wanted their child to become a Rabbi. The Jewish educational system consisted of three distinct levels of education. The first level was Beth-Safar. This was for children aged 5-10. In this level they would memorize the Torah, word for word. The education took place at the local tabernacle, synagogue or in the case of Jerusalem, the temple court. The second level of education was called Beth-Talmud. This was for children aged 10-14. During this stage of education they memorized the rest of the Old Testament. When a child reached age 14 he could apply for Beth-Midrash. If he passed the test, which only a small percentage (less than 5%) did, the student would reach the final level of education. If not, they were sent back to learn the trade of their father, with the encouragement to have lots of children and pray that one of them would become a Rabbi. The final level of education allowed the students to study the law and the prophets, and to begin to learn how to interpret the law and the prophets. There were so many interpretations of the law that a student would pick a Rabbi whom he respected and whom he believed to correctly interpret the law. When they followed the Rabbi, they took the Rabbi's "yoke" upon them. Which means that they agreed to take the Rabbi's interpretation of the law with them.
Peter and Andrew's fishing career paralleled their father's career, but it was not their first choice. They would have preferred to have taken the Rabbi course. When Jesus, the new Rabbi, asks them to follow Him, they are given a new lease on life. They leave their nets and follow Him. The Rabbi had chosen them! Jesus had chosen them! And, if you are a believer in Christ, then Jesus has chosen you too! He has chosen you for a task that is difficult, at times scary, at times feels thankless, and one that offers the greatest joy ever afforded to men and women. Jesus invites you to be a fisher of souls.
Jesus invitation to Peter and Andrew would leave them forever changed. Both men eventually became martyrs for Christ. Christian tradition says that both Peter and Andrew were crucified, like the Rabbi that they followed. Peter was crucified upside down because he did not consider himself worthy to die in the same way as Christ did. Andrew, Peter's constant companion in the Gospels had become a missionary in the Grecian colony of Achaia. He was fishing for souls when he was arrested and eventually crucified.
The martyrs of the first century helped spread the news of Christianity. It is good news. And yet today, so many of us cower at the telling of it. May the blood of the early martyrs and the call of God spur us on to share his word. Let's go fishing! Are you ready?
Dear God,
You have called us to spread Your Word. You choose to use weak vessels for the pronouncement of the greatest and the strongest message ever given to mankind. Help us to not cower in the face of opposition. Help us to live for Your glory and Your renown. We thank You for the example of the earliest followers of You. Help us to honor You like they did.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
My brother Randy loves to fish. In fact, of all of the men that I know in my life, Randy is the biggest fisherman of them all. When it is summer time, my brother will often times go fishing in the golf course ponds behind his home. He's been known to spend his birthdays taking trips from his home in Illinois to Tennessee to go fishing with his father-in-law and some close friends. The guy loves to fish.
So did Peter and Andrew. Peter, commonly believed to be the oldest of the disciples was a fisherman by trade. So was his younger brother Andrew. They were fishermen because they didn't make the cut to become a Rabbi. Every Jewish parent had a dream for their child. They wanted their child to become a Rabbi. The Jewish educational system consisted of three distinct levels of education. The first level was Beth-Safar. This was for children aged 5-10. In this level they would memorize the Torah, word for word. The education took place at the local tabernacle, synagogue or in the case of Jerusalem, the temple court. The second level of education was called Beth-Talmud. This was for children aged 10-14. During this stage of education they memorized the rest of the Old Testament. When a child reached age 14 he could apply for Beth-Midrash. If he passed the test, which only a small percentage (less than 5%) did, the student would reach the final level of education. If not, they were sent back to learn the trade of their father, with the encouragement to have lots of children and pray that one of them would become a Rabbi. The final level of education allowed the students to study the law and the prophets, and to begin to learn how to interpret the law and the prophets. There were so many interpretations of the law that a student would pick a Rabbi whom he respected and whom he believed to correctly interpret the law. When they followed the Rabbi, they took the Rabbi's "yoke" upon them. Which means that they agreed to take the Rabbi's interpretation of the law with them.
Peter and Andrew's fishing career paralleled their father's career, but it was not their first choice. They would have preferred to have taken the Rabbi course. When Jesus, the new Rabbi, asks them to follow Him, they are given a new lease on life. They leave their nets and follow Him. The Rabbi had chosen them! Jesus had chosen them! And, if you are a believer in Christ, then Jesus has chosen you too! He has chosen you for a task that is difficult, at times scary, at times feels thankless, and one that offers the greatest joy ever afforded to men and women. Jesus invites you to be a fisher of souls.
Jesus invitation to Peter and Andrew would leave them forever changed. Both men eventually became martyrs for Christ. Christian tradition says that both Peter and Andrew were crucified, like the Rabbi that they followed. Peter was crucified upside down because he did not consider himself worthy to die in the same way as Christ did. Andrew, Peter's constant companion in the Gospels had become a missionary in the Grecian colony of Achaia. He was fishing for souls when he was arrested and eventually crucified.
The martyrs of the first century helped spread the news of Christianity. It is good news. And yet today, so many of us cower at the telling of it. May the blood of the early martyrs and the call of God spur us on to share his word. Let's go fishing! Are you ready?
Dear God,
You have called us to spread Your Word. You choose to use weak vessels for the pronouncement of the greatest and the strongest message ever given to mankind. Help us to not cower in the face of opposition. Help us to live for Your glory and Your renown. We thank You for the example of the earliest followers of You. Help us to honor You like they did.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Our Speaker This Sunday Is. . . God!
Matthew 4:17 - "From that time on Jesus began to preach, 'Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near.'"
It's been a while since I've taken the time to meditate upon a short passage of Scripture. These last several weeks have been crazy with a lot of life transition. As most of you know, I will begin a new phase of life on June 1, when I become the Senior Pastor of Woodbury Community Church. I can't tell you how excited I am to begin this new role. For the past several weeks my devotional time has consisted of taking turns reading the Bible with my two youngest sons (who are trying to read through the Bible in a year), reading sections of several books (I've become a fan of David Nasser's book A Call To Die, and occasionally reading the Bible on my own.
Today, I decided to try to get back in the habit of blogging on what God is teaching me as I read His word. It was a couple months back that I finished the Psalm 119 experiment, where I blogged on a verse a day for 176 days through Psalm 119. It changed me. My appreciation for the Word of God, and the law of God increased. I think it wore me out on blogging for a while though. I wrote at the time that I was going to try to blog through the words of Christ that are written in the Gospels. I was going to try to go through them from Matthew-John, which meant repeating many of the words and not necessarily blogging in chronological order. Instead, I'm just going to focus on the words of Christ as spoken in the book of Matthew.
So, I'm back. And, this is where I left off last month.
In Matthew 4:17 Jesus began to preach. Did you catch those words? If not let me type them real slow for you: Jesus began to preach!
What HUGE news!
I'm a preacher. As a preacher, I love listening to good preaching. I can sit in front of a television set fascinated by Billy Graham's preaching. I have a few preachers that I love to listen to on the Internet. I love when you can tell that the Holy Spirit takes over when a human being is preaching. There is something powerful about seeing God move through a man or woman to accomplish His purposes. But, this verse is talking about God preaching.
Picture it with me. . . Our speaker this Sunday is. . . God!
Now, that would be something. Which is why when Jesus, God in the flesh, preached, people responded. And I imagine they said things like:
"No one ever spoke the way this man does!" (See John 7:46) all of the time!
Wouldn't you love to have God as the preacher every week?
So, what did Jesus preach about? Matthew 4:17 tells us that the first big idea that Jesus communicated was to, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
Those words follow an ancient prophecy from Isaiah 9:1-2.
"Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, along the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles—
the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned."
Jesus was in Capernaum when he began to preach his message of repentance. Capermaum was located by Zebulun and Naphtali. Jesus' first sermon fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy. He came to be the light for people who were living in darkness.
Jesus Christ, and the sermons that he preached continue to offer light to the world today. Many of my friends who are opposed to Christianity say that they dislike all of the talk about repentance. They don't like the idea that Christians judge others.
I don't like judgmental Christians either! Christians aren't called to judge, nor are we called to be the judge. Jesus is. Jesus Christ, our God who taught as no other because of His authority, called people to repentance. We need to heed His message. We need to find out what it is that He wants us to repent from. We do know that when he called people to repent, He also called them to live in His Kingdom. The Kingdom of Heaven is better than anything that this world has to offer. Jesus says that that Kingdom is for today. As people who have been forgiven by Him, we who are Christ-followers have a mandate to live for Christ and to reflect His kingdom to the world around us. May it be so. And, when we are in sin, may we be quick to repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.
Dear God,
You have blessed us beyond measure. You taught and Your word continues to teach us today as no one or nothing else can. Help us to reflect You and Your kingdom as You would have it look to the world around us.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
It's been a while since I've taken the time to meditate upon a short passage of Scripture. These last several weeks have been crazy with a lot of life transition. As most of you know, I will begin a new phase of life on June 1, when I become the Senior Pastor of Woodbury Community Church. I can't tell you how excited I am to begin this new role. For the past several weeks my devotional time has consisted of taking turns reading the Bible with my two youngest sons (who are trying to read through the Bible in a year), reading sections of several books (I've become a fan of David Nasser's book A Call To Die, and occasionally reading the Bible on my own.
Today, I decided to try to get back in the habit of blogging on what God is teaching me as I read His word. It was a couple months back that I finished the Psalm 119 experiment, where I blogged on a verse a day for 176 days through Psalm 119. It changed me. My appreciation for the Word of God, and the law of God increased. I think it wore me out on blogging for a while though. I wrote at the time that I was going to try to blog through the words of Christ that are written in the Gospels. I was going to try to go through them from Matthew-John, which meant repeating many of the words and not necessarily blogging in chronological order. Instead, I'm just going to focus on the words of Christ as spoken in the book of Matthew.
So, I'm back. And, this is where I left off last month.
In Matthew 4:17 Jesus began to preach. Did you catch those words? If not let me type them real slow for you: Jesus began to preach!
What HUGE news!
I'm a preacher. As a preacher, I love listening to good preaching. I can sit in front of a television set fascinated by Billy Graham's preaching. I have a few preachers that I love to listen to on the Internet. I love when you can tell that the Holy Spirit takes over when a human being is preaching. There is something powerful about seeing God move through a man or woman to accomplish His purposes. But, this verse is talking about God preaching.
Picture it with me. . . Our speaker this Sunday is. . . God!
Now, that would be something. Which is why when Jesus, God in the flesh, preached, people responded. And I imagine they said things like:
"No one ever spoke the way this man does!" (See John 7:46) all of the time!
Wouldn't you love to have God as the preacher every week?
So, what did Jesus preach about? Matthew 4:17 tells us that the first big idea that Jesus communicated was to, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
Those words follow an ancient prophecy from Isaiah 9:1-2.
"Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, along the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles—
the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned."
Jesus was in Capernaum when he began to preach his message of repentance. Capermaum was located by Zebulun and Naphtali. Jesus' first sermon fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy. He came to be the light for people who were living in darkness.
Jesus Christ, and the sermons that he preached continue to offer light to the world today. Many of my friends who are opposed to Christianity say that they dislike all of the talk about repentance. They don't like the idea that Christians judge others.
I don't like judgmental Christians either! Christians aren't called to judge, nor are we called to be the judge. Jesus is. Jesus Christ, our God who taught as no other because of His authority, called people to repentance. We need to heed His message. We need to find out what it is that He wants us to repent from. We do know that when he called people to repent, He also called them to live in His Kingdom. The Kingdom of Heaven is better than anything that this world has to offer. Jesus says that that Kingdom is for today. As people who have been forgiven by Him, we who are Christ-followers have a mandate to live for Christ and to reflect His kingdom to the world around us. May it be so. And, when we are in sin, may we be quick to repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.
Dear God,
You have blessed us beyond measure. You taught and Your word continues to teach us today as no one or nothing else can. Help us to reflect You and Your kingdom as You would have it look to the world around us.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
Great Post on College Ministry and Churches in the Twin Cities
I came across a fascinating blog post yesterday as I was surfing the web. It's by a guy named Benson Hines. He's a seminary student at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he is working on his M.A. in Theology. While studying, he is conducting a fascinating experiment. He's traveling to churches all across the nation to see what they are doing to reach young adults with the Gospel.
This past Sunday, Benson visited the Twin Cities. He attended a number of churches including, The Rock, Bethlehem Baptist, Sanctuary Covenant, Solomon's Porch, Wooddale Church's Gathering Service, and Bethel University's Vespers Service. As I read his post, I have to admit that I got a bit tired! What a day. The churches that Hines visited are all churches that I am familiar with. I have the privilege of serving at Wooddale and have friends that either serve at or attend all of these other churches. It was great to read what a visitor thought about what he experienced.
If you are a student of churches or how churches are ministering to emerging generations you won't want to miss this post. It offers a lot of food for thought.
You can read Benson's blog HERE
This past Sunday, Benson visited the Twin Cities. He attended a number of churches including, The Rock, Bethlehem Baptist, Sanctuary Covenant, Solomon's Porch, Wooddale Church's Gathering Service, and Bethel University's Vespers Service. As I read his post, I have to admit that I got a bit tired! What a day. The churches that Hines visited are all churches that I am familiar with. I have the privilege of serving at Wooddale and have friends that either serve at or attend all of these other churches. It was great to read what a visitor thought about what he experienced.
If you are a student of churches or how churches are ministering to emerging generations you won't want to miss this post. It offers a lot of food for thought.
You can read Benson's blog HERE
Thursday, April 10, 2008
I Have A New Job!
Almost seven years ago, God gave our family one of the greatest gifts that we have ever received. He brought us to Wooddale Church. We came so that I could serve as Wooddale’s Senior High Pastor. Little did I know how much Wooddale would change me, and how much of a blessing that Wooddale would be to the Schulenburg family. We have been blessed beyond measure to be a part of such a loving and healthy church family. It is with mixed emotion that I write this blog post to inform you that I have accepted the position of Senior Pastor at Woodbury Community Church in Woodbury, Minnesota. May 31, 2008 will be my last day of employment at Wooddale Church.
As much as we hate to think about leaving Wooddale, we are excited about our future. We truly believe that God has called us to Woodbury Community Church. It's a great church with wonderful people who we have felt our hearts being drawn to. You can visit the church's web site HERE. We'd love to have you visit us some time. Our ministry at Woodbury Community begins on June 1. We value your prayers for this new phase in our lives.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Heat Retreat 2008 Promo Video
One of the highlights of our summer is always the Heat Retreat. This year's Heat Retreat takes place, August 1-3 at Lake Beauty Bible Camp. Incredible speakers, great music, wake boarding, water skiing, and more make this a weekend you won't want to miss. For more information give Wooddale Student Ministries a call at (952) 944-8360.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
He Is Risen!
I wrote this poem last Easter, and posted it on this blog. I thought I'd re-post it today.
He Is Risen!
Have you heard the news?
In the middle of life's chaos
In the wars and rumors of wars
In the hustle and bustle of life on the street
Christ, the Lord, is Risen Today!
Have you heard the news?
In the family crisis
and school crisis
In the workplace struggle
and neighborhood squabble
Christ, the Lord, is Risen Today!
Have you heard the news?
In the homeless' plight
and widow’s tears
In the aged's pain
and the young person's indifference
Christ, the Lord, is Risen Today!
Have you heard the news?
In Hollywood's self absorption
and Bollywood's worldly fortune
In palaces and shantytowns
and everywhere in between
Christ, the Lord, is Risen Today!
Have you heard the news?
In the secret places of your heart
and mine
In the public faces on you and me
Christ, the Lord, is Risen Today!
No scholar or skeptic
No pastor or priest
No celebrity or star
No scientist or Atheist
No billionaire or pauper
No discovery or philosophy
No greed or philanthropy
No government or institution
No TV special or blockbuster movie
No book or periodical
No diversion or distraction
No boy or girl
No man or woman
Can stop the news
Christ, the Lord, is Risen Today!
Christ, the Lord, is Risen Today!
He is Risen, Indeed!
He Is Risen!
Have you heard the news?
In the middle of life's chaos
In the wars and rumors of wars
In the hustle and bustle of life on the street
Christ, the Lord, is Risen Today!
Have you heard the news?
In the family crisis
and school crisis
In the workplace struggle
and neighborhood squabble
Christ, the Lord, is Risen Today!
Have you heard the news?
In the homeless' plight
and widow’s tears
In the aged's pain
and the young person's indifference
Christ, the Lord, is Risen Today!
Have you heard the news?
In Hollywood's self absorption
and Bollywood's worldly fortune
In palaces and shantytowns
and everywhere in between
Christ, the Lord, is Risen Today!
Have you heard the news?
In the secret places of your heart
and mine
In the public faces on you and me
Christ, the Lord, is Risen Today!
No scholar or skeptic
No pastor or priest
No celebrity or star
No scientist or Atheist
No billionaire or pauper
No discovery or philosophy
No greed or philanthropy
No government or institution
No TV special or blockbuster movie
No book or periodical
No diversion or distraction
No boy or girl
No man or woman
Can stop the news
Christ, the Lord, is Risen Today!
Christ, the Lord, is Risen Today!
He is Risen, Indeed!
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Greater Things Have Yet to Come!
I love the song, God of This City. It was originally written by the band, Bluetree. Bluetree is from Belfast, and when you consider the turmoil that Belfast has been under for years, this is a beautiful song. It's also a beautiful song in light of the resurrection. As you celebrate Easter, celebrate the God who makes the truth of this song possible.
Friday, March 21, 2008
The Wooddale Spirit Squad!
Two night's ago, my son, Chris was part of dance presentation, that frankly, blew everyone in attendance away! Here is the video:
2008 Mission Trip Promo Video
Check out this 30-second promotional video for our 2008 Operation Central America and Chicago Urban Mission Trips! I created it at www.animoto.com. It's a great web site that lets you upload pictures and pick music. It automatically generates the video and then lets you export it to Facebook, MySpace, Blogger, etc. This is a great resources for video announcements at church, your youth ministry, etc. Best of all, if you are just doing a 30-second promo video, the service is FREE! Don't you love free stuff?
Monday, March 17, 2008
Holy Week Awe
It's Holy Week.
This week we celebrate Jesus, His love, His sacrifice, His gift, His life. It's a week to look back on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Many of you marked Palm Sunday, yesterday, by going to church. You either gave or listened to sermons on Christ. At Wooddale we heard about the cross.
Years ago, when I was a child, I asked Jesus Christ to be my Savior on Easter Sunday. So, this week is always special to me. It not only commemorates the week that Jesus gave His life for all; but for me, the week that I gave my life to Him. At a summer camp, several years after that, I listened as Greg Speck, a youth evangelist told a story that helped me understand God's love. I told the story often, until a few years ago someone told me that it never really happened. I was told that it was a made up story, used by evangelists to move a crowd towards a decision for Christ.
Just recently, I have been told that the story that you are about to view on YouTube, did indeed take place. The year was 1937. The father's name was John Griffith and his son's name was Greg. Watch. Be prepared to cry. And, thank God, once again, for His love for you:
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16
This week we celebrate Jesus, His love, His sacrifice, His gift, His life. It's a week to look back on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Many of you marked Palm Sunday, yesterday, by going to church. You either gave or listened to sermons on Christ. At Wooddale we heard about the cross.
Years ago, when I was a child, I asked Jesus Christ to be my Savior on Easter Sunday. So, this week is always special to me. It not only commemorates the week that Jesus gave His life for all; but for me, the week that I gave my life to Him. At a summer camp, several years after that, I listened as Greg Speck, a youth evangelist told a story that helped me understand God's love. I told the story often, until a few years ago someone told me that it never really happened. I was told that it was a made up story, used by evangelists to move a crowd towards a decision for Christ.
Just recently, I have been told that the story that you are about to view on YouTube, did indeed take place. The year was 1937. The father's name was John Griffith and his son's name was Greg. Watch. Be prepared to cry. And, thank God, once again, for His love for you:
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16
Saturday, March 15, 2008
March Madness and Blake Hoffarber
Did you see the play last night?
The University of Minnesota, a heavy underdog against the University of Indiana, was done. I was listening to the game on my radio as I drove back from a church event. The last 30 seconds of the game must have taken up a good six minutes of my ride home. As I sat in the car I listened as announcers talked about how Minnesota had squandered a lead. The announcers couldn't believe the foolish errors that the Gophers had made. With 1.5 seconds left on the clock the announcers were talking about what could have been. And then said something like, "We'll see what Tubby (Smith, the coach of the Gophers) can draw up."
The coach drew a play up, but I'm sure that Tubby couldn't have imagined what would happen next.
Blake "The Minnesota Miracle" Hoffarber did it again. In 2005, while playing for Hopkins High School, Hoffarber helped his team win the State Championship game, by making a shot from the seat of his pants in the closing seconds of the first overtime. Maybe Tubby said something like, "Blake, you did it before. You can do it again. Son, you wanna make ESPN? You had the highlight of the year in 2005! You beat out all of those pro atheletes to get that award. Now, let's do it again! Make the shot! Get the ball to Blake, boys!"
It probably didn't go quite like that, but in case you missed it, here's what happened:
The University of Minnesota, a heavy underdog against the University of Indiana, was done. I was listening to the game on my radio as I drove back from a church event. The last 30 seconds of the game must have taken up a good six minutes of my ride home. As I sat in the car I listened as announcers talked about how Minnesota had squandered a lead. The announcers couldn't believe the foolish errors that the Gophers had made. With 1.5 seconds left on the clock the announcers were talking about what could have been. And then said something like, "We'll see what Tubby (Smith, the coach of the Gophers) can draw up."
The coach drew a play up, but I'm sure that Tubby couldn't have imagined what would happen next.
Blake "The Minnesota Miracle" Hoffarber did it again. In 2005, while playing for Hopkins High School, Hoffarber helped his team win the State Championship game, by making a shot from the seat of his pants in the closing seconds of the first overtime. Maybe Tubby said something like, "Blake, you did it before. You can do it again. Son, you wanna make ESPN? You had the highlight of the year in 2005! You beat out all of those pro atheletes to get that award. Now, let's do it again! Make the shot! Get the ball to Blake, boys!"
It probably didn't go quite like that, but in case you missed it, here's what happened:
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
I Went to the Dentist Today
I went to the dentist today and was fitted for my second crown in a month. While in the chair I was told that the tooth next to my tooth getting the crown would probably also need one. I was also told that I'd need to get a filling on another tooth. Ugh! I hate going to the dentist.
At staff break today I was talking about my dental woes, when another pastor told me about a video that he had seen on the news recently. It was of a politician passionately arguing his point and his teeth falling out. I'm not sure if this is the video, but when I saw this it made me laugh. I'm hoping this will never be me:
At staff break today I was talking about my dental woes, when another pastor told me about a video that he had seen on the news recently. It was of a politician passionately arguing his point and his teeth falling out. I'm not sure if this is the video, but when I saw this it made me laugh. I'm hoping this will never be me:
What Jesus' Desert Temptation Teaches Us
Matthew 4:8-11 - Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor."All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
It had been 40 intense days of testing. Jesus must have been starving. He had been without food for 40 days and nights. He was lonely. In the desert without any company but the devil. And, the devil was doing all that he could to tempt God.
In a last ditch attempt to distract Jesus, Satan offers Him the world. Upon showing Christ the kingdoms of the world and their splendor, Satan says, "All this I will give you, if you will bow down and worship me.'
Jesus responds with righteous indignation.
He begins by saying, "Away from me Satan!"
And, in the statement we learn something. Satan has to flee when Christ commands him to. There is no fight left in Satan after Christ defeats him again. Satan thought he had Jesus right where he wanted him. But, Jesus is God. He cannot be tempted. He cannot sin. He cannot fail a test. He is all powerful. And, Satan is not.
Jesus continues His rebuke of Satan by quoting Scripture. He said, "For it is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only'" (Deuteronomy 6:13). And, Christ teaches us another lesson. (He's already taught it twice in the temptation account.) The lesson is that Satan and temptation are defeated with the Word of God. When the tempter comes if we are not equipped with the Word of God, we will fall. My college chancellor was fond of saying, "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything." I would say that if we don't hold firm to the Word of God, we'll fall for anything.
The final thing I'd like you to notice from this passage is that spiritual warfare is draining. When Satan left, Jesus was attended to by angels. It's one of two places that you'll see that in the New Testament. You also see this happen when Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane. In the Garden, Jesus was under extreme duress. He was actually sweating drops of blood. Modern doctors have speculated that Jesus was probably suffering from a rare and deadly condition brought on by the stress, and that if the angels had not have come and ministered to Him in the Garden that Christ might have actually died there.
I wonder if He was under similar stress here. If, at the beginning of His ministry, he was also close to death. He was, after all, without food for 40 days. He did engage in spiritual battle with the devil. He was isolated. Just as God sent angels to minister to His Son, so God provides strength for us when we go through spiritual battle. In the midst of the storm, it can seem overwhelming. We may feel like we are going to be swallowed up. But, God will bring strength. He will help us through the battle. He will equip you for every good work.
May you be given strength as you walk through your daily life.
Dear God,
Thank You for the example that Jesus set for us here. Thank You that we do not have a Savior who is unfamiliar with temptation and trial. Thank You that You set the example for how to defeat our enemy in a spiritual battle. Help us to be people of prayer and Your Word.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
It had been 40 intense days of testing. Jesus must have been starving. He had been without food for 40 days and nights. He was lonely. In the desert without any company but the devil. And, the devil was doing all that he could to tempt God.
In a last ditch attempt to distract Jesus, Satan offers Him the world. Upon showing Christ the kingdoms of the world and their splendor, Satan says, "All this I will give you, if you will bow down and worship me.'
Jesus responds with righteous indignation.
He begins by saying, "Away from me Satan!"
And, in the statement we learn something. Satan has to flee when Christ commands him to. There is no fight left in Satan after Christ defeats him again. Satan thought he had Jesus right where he wanted him. But, Jesus is God. He cannot be tempted. He cannot sin. He cannot fail a test. He is all powerful. And, Satan is not.
Jesus continues His rebuke of Satan by quoting Scripture. He said, "For it is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only'" (Deuteronomy 6:13). And, Christ teaches us another lesson. (He's already taught it twice in the temptation account.) The lesson is that Satan and temptation are defeated with the Word of God. When the tempter comes if we are not equipped with the Word of God, we will fall. My college chancellor was fond of saying, "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything." I would say that if we don't hold firm to the Word of God, we'll fall for anything.
The final thing I'd like you to notice from this passage is that spiritual warfare is draining. When Satan left, Jesus was attended to by angels. It's one of two places that you'll see that in the New Testament. You also see this happen when Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane. In the Garden, Jesus was under extreme duress. He was actually sweating drops of blood. Modern doctors have speculated that Jesus was probably suffering from a rare and deadly condition brought on by the stress, and that if the angels had not have come and ministered to Him in the Garden that Christ might have actually died there.
I wonder if He was under similar stress here. If, at the beginning of His ministry, he was also close to death. He was, after all, without food for 40 days. He did engage in spiritual battle with the devil. He was isolated. Just as God sent angels to minister to His Son, so God provides strength for us when we go through spiritual battle. In the midst of the storm, it can seem overwhelming. We may feel like we are going to be swallowed up. But, God will bring strength. He will help us through the battle. He will equip you for every good work.
May you be given strength as you walk through your daily life.
Dear God,
Thank You for the example that Jesus set for us here. Thank You that we do not have a Savior who is unfamiliar with temptation and trial. Thank You that You set the example for how to defeat our enemy in a spiritual battle. Help us to be people of prayer and Your Word.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
The State of Hockey
I live in Minnesota. We're known as The State of Hockey. This weekend's Minnesota State High School Association Boys Hockey Tournament (the state tourney) sold out the Excel Energy Center. That's the same facility that the Minnesota Wild sell out for every home game, and that the Republican National Convention will be at in a few months. Needless to say, Minnesotans are rabid about their hockey.
I was watching the Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Washington Capitals game for a few minutes in my office this afternoon when this ad came on. I'm not sure if it gets a lot of national airplay, but it certainly describes the fans in the state that I've come to love.
Check it out.
I was watching the Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Washington Capitals game for a few minutes in my office this afternoon when this ad came on. I'm not sure if it gets a lot of national airplay, but it certainly describes the fans in the state that I've come to love.
Check it out.
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Deception
Matthew 4:5-7 - Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"
Deception. That is his character. He has been called the great deceiver, the father of lies, the accuser of the brethren. He is Satan. And, he is real. A 2001 poll.
poll of Christians in the United States revealed incredible ignorance on the part of believers as to the existence of a literal devil. From their findings: "While most of the sample American queried by Barna still affirmed God as the all-powerful Creator, a mere 17 percent of the Catholics, 18 percent Methodists, 20 percent Episcopalians, 21 percent Lutherans, and 22 percent of the Presbyterians told Barna that they thought Satan was real."
It looks like the father of lies has pulled the wool over the eyes of the church. To deny the existence of Satan is to reject the teachings of the Bible, and the very words of Jesus Christ. That is treading on dangerous territory! It makes me wonder if the narrow road that Jesus talked about in Matthew 7:13-14 is being missed by the majority of those claiming to know Christ. Here are Jesus' words from Matthew 7:13-14 ""Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
When Satan attempted to tempt Jesus for a second time in the desert, Jesus responded to Satan's deception with the truth. He told Satan not to put the Lord your God to the test. Are we guilty of that? Do we put God to the test? Do we respond to His benevolent grace by accepting only some of what Christ taught and rejecting those doctrines which seem harsh, too far out there, would cramp our style, or don't sound politically correct? When we do that, we've fallen for Satan's lies. We reject The Truth - God, for the deceiver - Satan. Satan has been deceiving his followers for a long time. He deceived 1/3 of the angels of heaven, before the creation of man. He deceived the first man and woman; Adam and Eve. He has deceived every person who has ever lived on the face of the earth. Every time we choose to sin, we have fallen for Satan's lie that we know better than God.
It's time to follow Christ's example and speak truth to Satan. Don't know how to start? Pick up the Bible. It is the very breath of God. In it's pages you'll find truth. And, just like Jesus, you'll be able to combat Satan's lies, with God's everlasting truth.
Dear God,
Thank You for giving us Your Word. In it's pages are contained wisdom for living. We desire to know You more. We desire to live for You. We desire to honor You. We desire to know and live by Your truth. Help us to recognize the deception that comes our way. And, help us to love those who have continue to chase after the darkness so that they can see You through us.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
Deception. That is his character. He has been called the great deceiver, the father of lies, the accuser of the brethren. He is Satan. And, he is real. A 2001 poll.
poll of Christians in the United States revealed incredible ignorance on the part of believers as to the existence of a literal devil. From their findings: "While most of the sample American queried by Barna still affirmed God as the all-powerful Creator, a mere 17 percent of the Catholics, 18 percent Methodists, 20 percent Episcopalians, 21 percent Lutherans, and 22 percent of the Presbyterians told Barna that they thought Satan was real."
It looks like the father of lies has pulled the wool over the eyes of the church. To deny the existence of Satan is to reject the teachings of the Bible, and the very words of Jesus Christ. That is treading on dangerous territory! It makes me wonder if the narrow road that Jesus talked about in Matthew 7:13-14 is being missed by the majority of those claiming to know Christ. Here are Jesus' words from Matthew 7:13-14 ""Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
When Satan attempted to tempt Jesus for a second time in the desert, Jesus responded to Satan's deception with the truth. He told Satan not to put the Lord your God to the test. Are we guilty of that? Do we put God to the test? Do we respond to His benevolent grace by accepting only some of what Christ taught and rejecting those doctrines which seem harsh, too far out there, would cramp our style, or don't sound politically correct? When we do that, we've fallen for Satan's lies. We reject The Truth - God, for the deceiver - Satan. Satan has been deceiving his followers for a long time. He deceived 1/3 of the angels of heaven, before the creation of man. He deceived the first man and woman; Adam and Eve. He has deceived every person who has ever lived on the face of the earth. Every time we choose to sin, we have fallen for Satan's lie that we know better than God.
It's time to follow Christ's example and speak truth to Satan. Don't know how to start? Pick up the Bible. It is the very breath of God. In it's pages you'll find truth. And, just like Jesus, you'll be able to combat Satan's lies, with God's everlasting truth.
Dear God,
Thank You for giving us Your Word. In it's pages are contained wisdom for living. We desire to know You more. We desire to live for You. We desire to honor You. We desire to know and live by Your truth. Help us to recognize the deception that comes our way. And, help us to love those who have continue to chase after the darkness so that they can see You through us.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Expelled
I can't wait to see this film. Check out this video. It's well worth your time. Props to Ben Stein for this bold stance.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
What Are You Living On?
Matthew 4:4 - Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
I thought about calling today's devotional What Are You Living For, but decided that it would be more aptly named, What Are You Living On, because as Jesus' answered Satan, in Matthew 4:4, He addressed a timeless truth.
What is it that sustains you? Is it the bread that you eat? Sure, food is important, and if we don't eat, we die. But, Jesus rebukes Satan's first attempt at tempting Him by saying that man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
The theological imperative is that we cannot live apart from God's will. It is because of God that we have our breath. It is because of God that we have any food. It is because of God that we hope for today and strength for tomorrow. What are you living on? You are living on the words of God. The life giving, life transforming, life sustaining and precious words of God.
It's been awhile since I've written on here. I decided that it was important for me to take a little break from blogging. The last post indicate that I would be blogging on the words of Christ as found throughout the Bible. In these words I find something else interesting too. It's not so much the words as it is in who the words address. Jesus' audience in this verse is Satan. Satan's relationship with Christ goes way back. He was an angel that existed before the creation of man. Did you notice who heard the first words in the book of Matthew that Jesus spoke? Yes, it was John the Baptist, and those gathered at the Lake, but it was also God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. So, in these first two statements that Jesus makes in the New Testament you have present The Father, the Holy Spirit, Satan, Jesus' earthly cousin. In other words, those who knew Christ best, were there. Take away John, and you have those who existed before the creation of man. Take away John and Satan and you have the triune God; the eternally existent Trinity. And that Trinity sustains you. What are you living on? You are living on God. Now, glorify Him with your life.
Dear God,
Our lives are about You. We exist to glorify You. Help us to honor You with our lives. Thank You for allowing us to live another day. May our words bring glory to You.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
I thought about calling today's devotional What Are You Living For, but decided that it would be more aptly named, What Are You Living On, because as Jesus' answered Satan, in Matthew 4:4, He addressed a timeless truth.
What is it that sustains you? Is it the bread that you eat? Sure, food is important, and if we don't eat, we die. But, Jesus rebukes Satan's first attempt at tempting Him by saying that man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
The theological imperative is that we cannot live apart from God's will. It is because of God that we have our breath. It is because of God that we have any food. It is because of God that we hope for today and strength for tomorrow. What are you living on? You are living on the words of God. The life giving, life transforming, life sustaining and precious words of God.
It's been awhile since I've written on here. I decided that it was important for me to take a little break from blogging. The last post indicate that I would be blogging on the words of Christ as found throughout the Bible. In these words I find something else interesting too. It's not so much the words as it is in who the words address. Jesus' audience in this verse is Satan. Satan's relationship with Christ goes way back. He was an angel that existed before the creation of man. Did you notice who heard the first words in the book of Matthew that Jesus spoke? Yes, it was John the Baptist, and those gathered at the Lake, but it was also God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. So, in these first two statements that Jesus makes in the New Testament you have present The Father, the Holy Spirit, Satan, Jesus' earthly cousin. In other words, those who knew Christ best, were there. Take away John, and you have those who existed before the creation of man. Take away John and Satan and you have the triune God; the eternally existent Trinity. And that Trinity sustains you. What are you living on? You are living on God. Now, glorify Him with your life.
Dear God,
Our lives are about You. We exist to glorify You. Help us to honor You with our lives. Thank You for allowing us to live another day. May our words bring glory to You.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
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