I wrote this blog a few weeks ago but just had the nerve to post it today.
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I have worked at Johnson County (KS) Juvenile Detention Center since March 2007. I started out on the evening shift, but ended up on the night shift—where I’ve been for about a year and a half. I do shift work, so I don’t have much interaction with staff from other shifts except the exchange of pertinent information about our residents.
Last November, I stayed over to work overtime on the day shift. I was already acquainted with an officer by the first name of Brock. But now, since I was working on his shift, I could talk with him. After some generalities, he asked, “You went to seminary right?” I said yes. He went on to describe a ring that his late grandfather had left behind. On the inside of the band, it was marked with the word “Mizpah.” Brock asked what the word meant because he had heard it was from the Bible. I told him that it was a word used in Genesis 31 in the account of Jacob and Laban parting ways.
Later on in the day, I asked Brock if he had ever considered following Jesus. His answer surprised me. It was not hostile. His attitude was not belligerent. He simply said, “No, I’ve never even thought of it. Our family has never even discussed it or considered it.”A few days later, I gave Brock a copy of More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell. I told him that maybe we could get together and discuss what he thought about it. Sometime later, he told me that he had read most of it, so I suggested that we go out for lunch or dinner on that Thursday or Friday. He agreed to go out to dinner on one of those nights (I can’t remember which one.) However, because of family commitments, he suggested that we wait to meet until after the holiday season was over.
January came and I presented a new Bible to Brock. He explained that he had read the first half of the Old Testament for a class at St. Mary’s College. I recommended that he start in the New Testament. “Start reading in John,” I said. “You’ll see that Jesus is God and that he died so that we could have forgiveness of sins.”He thanked me for the gift and said that he would start reading soon. I again suggested that we get together. And again he agreed to meet with me on that Thursday or Friday evening.
On Wednesday morning, though, he approached me in the hallway. “I’m struggling with some issues,” he said. “Today, I’m checking into a treatment facility. Obviously, I won’t be able to meet with you tomorrow.” I told Brock that I would pray for him.I sent him an e-mail later. In the message, I quoted Matthew 11:28-30, where Jesus said: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” I wrote, “Brock, I will be praying for you.” He replied with a message thanking me.
I didn’t want to be pushy, so I backed off and figured that, if he wanted to meet or discuss Christ, I would let him approach me. So time went on and never asked me about it again. About 2 weeks ago, I saw Brock in the locker room at work. I asked him if he had been reading anything lately. He mentioned 2 different books—neither of them the Bible. I had to go back to my work responsibilities. Little did I know… that was our last conversation.
On Wednesday, May 20th, Brock chose to end his life. A million questions flooded my mind this week. Why would he leave a wife and 2 sons behind? Why couldn’t I speak to him once more about the gospel? A million tears flooded my eyes. It doesn’t make sense. It’s not fair. I’ve never known anyone personally that committed suicide. It’s new, unfamiliar, unfriendly territory.
There are many issues I’ve had to work through and lessons to learn. I won’t list them all—and to tell the truth, I don’t feel like writing much more about this right now—but I would say that the most important lesson is this: Be urgent about sharing the gospel. You never know how much time someone has left. You never know what they are going through.
Each and every person desperately needs to hear the terrible news that they are a sinner and will be punished in hell for their sins. They need to hear the good news that Jesus came to die for sinners and rose again from the dead. Tell them to follow Christ—to turn from their sin and trust in Jesus to rescue them from sin and hell—and they will receive eternal life with God.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Missions and Evangelism
Christian missions is a subject very close to my heart. Trisha and I intended to serve God overseas, but He had other plans for us. So now I help in the area of missions at our church. One of the ideas that I have discussed with leadership is the difference between missions and evangelism.
One of our church's missionaries recently spoke on the difference. It is basically this: Our outreach--our sharing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ--in the community is evangelism. There's already a church established in the area. Missions, on the other hand, is the task of taking the Gospel outside of ourselves to an area that does not have access to the Gospel.
After he spoke, I was inspired to write this little limerick called "Missions and Evangelism." Note: Shawnee, Kansas is the town in which we live and where our church is located.
Missions and Evangelism
Though it may be a matter of degree
I quite emphatically agree
100 percent,
the two are different.
We cannot confuse them, you see.
The goal of them both is the same:
Making disciples in Jesus' name.
Gospel access is the key;
It may be known in Shawnee
But the entire world knows not God's fame.
One of our church's missionaries recently spoke on the difference. It is basically this: Our outreach--our sharing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ--in the community is evangelism. There's already a church established in the area. Missions, on the other hand, is the task of taking the Gospel outside of ourselves to an area that does not have access to the Gospel.
After he spoke, I was inspired to write this little limerick called "Missions and Evangelism." Note: Shawnee, Kansas is the town in which we live and where our church is located.
Missions and Evangelism
Though it may be a matter of degree
I quite emphatically agree
100 percent,
the two are different.
We cannot confuse them, you see.
The goal of them both is the same:
Making disciples in Jesus' name.
Gospel access is the key;
It may be known in Shawnee
But the entire world knows not God's fame.
Lord of the Rings
I did it. I finally watched Fellowship of the Ring, the first of the LOTR trilogy. For all of you fans out there, I want to be respectful. So, I will just note the length of the movie. Wow! I think I could've read the book in the time it took to watch the film. I could've done a lot of things.
It wasn't a bad movie, and I will suspend judgment until I see all three. (I hope I have enough time this decade to sit through the next two.) But I think the Chronicles of Narnia set is more compelling, although I hate The Last Battle and its ending. Darn Lewis' theology of inclusivism.
In fact, off the top of my head, I can think of several trilogies that are more compelling than LOTR, starting with The Matrix, X-Men, Ocean's 11/12/13, and even Shrek.
I've got an uncle who loves the LOTR story. He lives out in New Jersey and he came to Missouri (where my Grandma lives) for Christmas or vacation or something like that. He watched one of the LOTR movies in a theater in every state that he passed through. I think he saw it like 11 times. Yeah, that's just bizarre.
Anyway, he smacked me when I told him I hadn't seen any of the LOTR movies yet. I think the next time I see him, I'll ask if he's seen the High School Musical trilogy. I'm guessing he hasn't. So watch out, Uncle Dan! My hand flies where it wants!
It wasn't a bad movie, and I will suspend judgment until I see all three. (I hope I have enough time this decade to sit through the next two.) But I think the Chronicles of Narnia set is more compelling, although I hate The Last Battle and its ending. Darn Lewis' theology of inclusivism.
In fact, off the top of my head, I can think of several trilogies that are more compelling than LOTR, starting with The Matrix, X-Men, Ocean's 11/12/13, and even Shrek.
I've got an uncle who loves the LOTR story. He lives out in New Jersey and he came to Missouri (where my Grandma lives) for Christmas or vacation or something like that. He watched one of the LOTR movies in a theater in every state that he passed through. I think he saw it like 11 times. Yeah, that's just bizarre.
Anyway, he smacked me when I told him I hadn't seen any of the LOTR movies yet. I think the next time I see him, I'll ask if he's seen the High School Musical trilogy. I'm guessing he hasn't. So watch out, Uncle Dan! My hand flies where it wants!
Exceeding Expectations
A friend approached me on Sunday and noted that I had not posted a new blog in quite some time. When I started my blog on April 2nd, 2009, I sent out an e-mail to friends and family telling them about my new post. I included this disclaimer in the e-mail: "I do not claim or pledge to update my blog often, if ever."
So if I never published another post, I have still exceeded expectations. Good day.
So if I never published another post, I have still exceeded expectations. Good day.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Enter the Tomb
I have been a Christian for nearly 26 years, and I've heard it all. But I heard someone say yesterday at church something I've never heard before. It is a saying that's sounds cheeky, but is somewhat profound. Here it is:
"The stone wasn't rolled away to let Jesus out, but to let the disciples in."
My mind immediately drifted off to John 20:19: "On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, 'Peace be with you.'"
Jesus didn't need to sneak in through a door or window. He just showed up. First of all, He is God. Though He did (and still does) have a physical body, He is not restricted to one location. Second, He had a new resurrection boyd. We don't know much about how it is made up, but Paul writes, starting in 1 Corinthians 15:35, that the new body will not have the same limitations that our current bodies do.
So it made sense. Jesus didn't need an opening in the tomb to get out. He could've walked through the stone walls. He could've just "transported" Himself to wherever He needed to be. Then why was the stone rolled away?
The stone is just one more piece of evidence for us to see that the Resurrection is true. There is so much contained in the Gospels and the writings of Paul that confirms that Jesus is alive.
Praise God that He gave us this evidence and recorded it in Scripture. Without the Resurrection, "our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain" (1 Cor. 15:14). And if "we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied" (1 Cor. 15:19).
Enter into the tomb. Stare at the place where His corpse had once rested. Listen to the angel say, "He is not here, for he has risen." He is risen indeed!
"The stone wasn't rolled away to let Jesus out, but to let the disciples in."
My mind immediately drifted off to John 20:19: "On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, 'Peace be with you.'"
Jesus didn't need to sneak in through a door or window. He just showed up. First of all, He is God. Though He did (and still does) have a physical body, He is not restricted to one location. Second, He had a new resurrection boyd. We don't know much about how it is made up, but Paul writes, starting in 1 Corinthians 15:35, that the new body will not have the same limitations that our current bodies do.
So it made sense. Jesus didn't need an opening in the tomb to get out. He could've walked through the stone walls. He could've just "transported" Himself to wherever He needed to be. Then why was the stone rolled away?
The stone is just one more piece of evidence for us to see that the Resurrection is true. There is so much contained in the Gospels and the writings of Paul that confirms that Jesus is alive.
Praise God that He gave us this evidence and recorded it in Scripture. Without the Resurrection, "our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain" (1 Cor. 15:14). And if "we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied" (1 Cor. 15:19).
Enter into the tomb. Stare at the place where His corpse had once rested. Listen to the angel say, "He is not here, for he has risen." He is risen indeed!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
The Shadow of Light (part 2)
My wife read "The Shadow of Light" and gave me a puzzled look. She slowly responded to the poem, "I have no idea what it means." So I told her what I meant, and I told myself that I would write down what I meant. Here is that explanation:
Aiming for a paradox, I placed shadow and light together to lead the reader to ponder how they fit together. I wrote this poem to illustrate a certain truth: you must see your sin before you see the need for a Savior.
The shadow represents the darkness of sin. This grim reality mocks us by trapping us in its grip. We cannot escape its hold, and it leads to death and destruction. Light, on the other hand, gives us the ability to see the glory of Christ. It leads to eternal life by lighting the way to the Father. Before we can see the light, though, we must understand that we are hopelessly lost in the darkness. Only then can we step into the light.
The salvation that Christ offers makes no sense if there is nothing to be rescued from. I tried to capture this idea in “The Shadow of Light.”
Aiming for a paradox, I placed shadow and light together to lead the reader to ponder how they fit together. I wrote this poem to illustrate a certain truth: you must see your sin before you see the need for a Savior.
The shadow represents the darkness of sin. This grim reality mocks us by trapping us in its grip. We cannot escape its hold, and it leads to death and destruction. Light, on the other hand, gives us the ability to see the glory of Christ. It leads to eternal life by lighting the way to the Father. Before we can see the light, though, we must understand that we are hopelessly lost in the darkness. Only then can we step into the light.
The salvation that Christ offers makes no sense if there is nothing to be rescued from. I tried to capture this idea in “The Shadow of Light.”
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Waxing Nostalgic
"Nostalgia is a bitter enemy for those of us who dare to dream." A wise man once penned that great thought. Oh wait... I flatter myself... I wrote it. I must explain what I mean.
My mind moves so fast, it would do well on the Autobahn. There is no slowing my brain down, as I'm always thinking of something. My personality assessment puts it politely when it says that I have "sporadic listening skills." It takes every ounce of my being to pay attention when someone is talking. I'm already thinking ahead finding a solution to what they are discussing. Generally, I'm thinking of the future and all its possibilities. "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one."
Lately, though, I've been waxing nostalgic. My mind is on a trip, flying through the peaks and valleys of my past. I don't really remember much from birth to age 5. Oh, I remember Kindergarten in Archie, MO, with Ms. Fuller. I learned to use scissors there. We moved to Harrisonville, MO, when I was 6. Halfway through first grade, we drove up US71 and planted ourselves in the Seat of Cass County. It was a tough transition and I even remember crying in school about it. But Michael Jackson's "Thriller" came out around that time and everything was OK. (Thanks, Michael. Now beat it!)
Elementary school was awesome, even though I spent a lot of time in the Principal's Office all the way up through 6th grade. But my mind cannot escape daydreams of ages 16-19. I'm not going to bore you with any details. Heck, I'm not even going to write anything vague.
I just want to say this: God has been faithful to me each and every step of the way. He used Mrs. Cavanaugh pinning me against the wall by my shirt in sixth grade to break my rebellion. (I still struggle with that one, and I wish Mrs. C was still around to put me in my place.) He used the socially awkward years of high school--yeah, I hated high school--to show me that I needed to find my identity in Christ. (Hey, I'm still struggling with that one, too.)
Every single thing that has happened in my life--all the experiences, all the friends, all the hard lessons--were designed by God to bring me closer to Him. He is guiding me every second of every minute of every hour of every day. In all my nostalgia and daydreaming, I need to take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ. I must allow the Holy Spirit to give me spiritual sight into my past. When that happens, I can see clearly that God has been faithful to me my whole life until now. And when I understand that, I know that He will be faithful to me each moment from here through eternity.
My mind moves so fast, it would do well on the Autobahn. There is no slowing my brain down, as I'm always thinking of something. My personality assessment puts it politely when it says that I have "sporadic listening skills." It takes every ounce of my being to pay attention when someone is talking. I'm already thinking ahead finding a solution to what they are discussing. Generally, I'm thinking of the future and all its possibilities. "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one."
Lately, though, I've been waxing nostalgic. My mind is on a trip, flying through the peaks and valleys of my past. I don't really remember much from birth to age 5. Oh, I remember Kindergarten in Archie, MO, with Ms. Fuller. I learned to use scissors there. We moved to Harrisonville, MO, when I was 6. Halfway through first grade, we drove up US71 and planted ourselves in the Seat of Cass County. It was a tough transition and I even remember crying in school about it. But Michael Jackson's "Thriller" came out around that time and everything was OK. (Thanks, Michael. Now beat it!)
Elementary school was awesome, even though I spent a lot of time in the Principal's Office all the way up through 6th grade. But my mind cannot escape daydreams of ages 16-19. I'm not going to bore you with any details. Heck, I'm not even going to write anything vague.
I just want to say this: God has been faithful to me each and every step of the way. He used Mrs. Cavanaugh pinning me against the wall by my shirt in sixth grade to break my rebellion. (I still struggle with that one, and I wish Mrs. C was still around to put me in my place.) He used the socially awkward years of high school--yeah, I hated high school--to show me that I needed to find my identity in Christ. (Hey, I'm still struggling with that one, too.)
Every single thing that has happened in my life--all the experiences, all the friends, all the hard lessons--were designed by God to bring me closer to Him. He is guiding me every second of every minute of every hour of every day. In all my nostalgia and daydreaming, I need to take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ. I must allow the Holy Spirit to give me spiritual sight into my past. When that happens, I can see clearly that God has been faithful to me my whole life until now. And when I understand that, I know that He will be faithful to me each moment from here through eternity.
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