Holding On to Promises

He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. 2 Peter 1:4

When I am confronted with the reality of my own failure, hopelessness tries to land in my soul.  I'm often aware of my brokenness and the pain it causes others long before I get the deliverance and victory I am believing for.  There are other times where discouragement is caused by others' failure.  Sometimes it's just the exhaustion of working in a world that has been subjected to futility (Rom. 8:20).

These are the moments to hold on to God's promises.  Holding onto promises is spiritually powerful.  By remembering and refreshing myself in fact that God will win in the end, I am translated out of the futility of my own effort, and introduced into the realm of God's victory.  Again and again it says of King David that he "strengthened himself in the Lord" (1 Samuel 30:6).

Here are some ideas for how to stay strong in God's promises:

• Make a lifestyle of sharing the things God has promised to you with others.  Our tongue is a rudder that steers the course of our lives (James 3:4).  We defeat the enemy as we share with others what Jesus has spoken to us (Revelation 12:11).
• Write down any verses that Jesus has made alive to you.  Put them where you'll see them often.
• Pray that God shows you how He's making those promises come true in your life.
• Invite God to show you how you get off-track from those promises being made real in your life.  Ask others to help you see this too.  Repent.  Rinse and repeat.  :)
• Make a big deal out of it when you see God be faithful to a promise.  Throw a party.  Make a memorial (in the Old Testament, they built altars; the point is to have something physical to look at that will remind you of something God did).  Don't succumb to the lie that it just "worked out."

If we trust His promises all the way to the end, we will not be disappointed!

Santa's Visiting the Coastlands this Sunday!

Kneeling Santa by Bonnie T. Barry

Each year at the Coastlands, we invite Santa Claus to come and spend some time with our kiddos.  We're excited that he found some time in his busy schedule to be with us this Sunday!  Sometimes I get asked why we invite Santa to be part of our church tradition since he wasn't part of the original Christmas that's recorded in the Bible.

It's a great question!  Let's start with a few verses that will help give a framework for the rest of our thoughts:

God gives to all generously.  James 1:5

Every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.  James 1:17

He will give you the desires of your heart.  Psalm 37:4

The Lord has much more to give you than this.  2 Chronicles 25:9

He who did not spare His own Son... He will with Him freely give us all things. Romans 8:32

We love to invite Santa to visit our kids in Children’s Ministries because Santa understands God’s heart.  Nothing makes God happier than seeing His children delighted and astounded by His generous love.  Santa is a great reflection of God’s generous love.  He’s like a sign-post that points the way.

Santa himself knows that he’s not the destination, and neither are the presents that he brings.  Like any good sign-post, his job is to point the way.  In fact, all our Christmas traditions point to Jesus.  The mistletoe, the garlands, the lights, the trees, the hot chocolate, the ornaments, the gifts... the whole season of wonder and delight... it’s all about Jesus.

When our family was on vacation a few years ago, we took a picture in front of a sign that showed where we had been.  Nobody imagined that the sign was our destination.  And it wasn’t nearly as amazing as the actual experience.  But that picture seemed like a good way to remind ourselves of the whole adventure.

In the same way, when Santa comes to visit our kids, take pictures, and get excited together, we don’t imagine for a moment that Santa could or would ever replace Jesus.  Nor do we worry that he will threaten the true meaning of Christmas.  Like you and me, Santa is another in a vast array of characters who celebrate Jesus.  In our classrooms, Santa will tell the story of Jesus’ birth and how He is the greatest gift that was ever given.

When Jesus taught, He used examples from fishing and farming, normal stuff from people’s lives that would help them understand God’s Kingdom.  Santa is like that: a normal part of our culture that can help our kids understand God’s heart.

Each cherished Christmas tradition, whether directly connected to the Bible story or simply enjoyed by our family or culture, are signs on the sign-post, all pointing the way to Jesus, the greatest Gift and the greatest Giver, the One who is the reason for all our celebrations.

The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people.” Luke 2:10

Merry Christmas!

Unto Us a Child Is Born

Adoration of the Shepherds 
by Gerard van Honthorst (1590–1656)

Christmas is a celebration of God’s love for us.  He put Himself in a most vulnerable position: an infant born in a barn.  He let go of His power and His majesty so that He could be with us.  It wasn’t enough for Him to love us distantly… aloof on His throne.  No, He knew that normal people like us would never be able to approach Him there.  So He came to the most humble setting, a real-life scenario, so that He could love us right where we live.

We celebrate the most stunning moment in history: when God gave Himself to us. “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given” (Isaiah 9:6).  Unto us.  To put Himself into our hands… that’s a vulnerability that shows true love.

Contrary to popular misconception, God doesn’t want us to grovel before Him.  He calls us His children and invites us to come home.  Not to scold us (as we might have feared).  But to welcome us and to honor us.  He doesn't flatter us and pretend that we don't have problems, nor does He shame us for them.  Instead He comes to be with us, no matter where we are.  No pretense on our part or His.

Just like in that barn, it’s with simplicity, honesty and humility that God gives Himself to us.

The world we know is constantly on the offensive, so we’re trained not to let our guard down.  It’s full of attack, of blame, of facades and performance—and we’ve all been forced to learn to navigate it.  Because of this training, it can feel awkward to allow God into the unvarnished reality of our hearts and lives.  It doesn't seem like a place fit for a King.  But God loves us and there's no place He'd rather be.   And when He shows up, even a barn becomes a peace-filled, intimate, holy place.  That's what Christmas is about -- God coming into the world and into our hearts to transform us by loving and serving us.

God came as a baby so that we would always know His heart.  He doesn’t want His power or glory to intimidate us.  He wants to lay all that aside so that we can simply talk with Him.  But don’t be surprised if you hear some singing in the background.  The angels are aching to burst out just like they did back then.  When God gets personal, they just can’t help it.

Merry Christmas!

What about those (other) guys?

I recently got an email from one of our former interns asking my thoughts about a certain celebrity TV evangelist.  He wanted to know whether I thought ministry was "real" or "fake" and how to think about the negative rumors he's heard about the guy. Here's the answer I sent him.

Hi [Friend]! 

So GREAT to hear from you!  I hope you're are doing well.   

Honestly, [Friend],  I don't exactly know how to answer your question.  It's not as clear cut for me as that.  Everybody is a mixed bag.  You and me included.  Just because there are things in our lives that aren't the way they are supposed to be doesn't keep God from using us.   

In other words, if the miracles are real, I don't think we should take that as evidence that everything in a person's life is A-OK.  Also, if a person doesn't have a miraculous ministry, that doesn't mean that they aren't doing everything God has asked them to do.
Look at Sampson.  His spiritual maturity level was near zero.  But God used him miraculously. 

Look at the church in Corinth.  Paul says they "are not lacking in any [spiritual] gift" (1 Cor. 1:6), but they have nearly zero spiritual maturity to go along with that gifting and that faith.  In fact, there is more sin inside their church than outside of it (1 Cor. 5:1)!  Lots of super-spiritual signs and wonders, speaking in tongues, etc... but that wasn't coupled with a growth in the Corinthians' character.  So Paul instructs them and begins to disciple them. 

The reason I don't know how to answer your question about [Celebrity Ministry Person] is that I'm not in a position to know the inside scoop of what's really going on in his life.  I am confident that at least some of the miracles are for real.  But I don't have any way to know about his character.  I'm not saying that I think the rumors are true.  I'm not saying that they aren't. I just don't have an opinion because I don't think God has given me any place to have an opinion.  When it's not my place, I try not to have thoughts.  It just keeps my life a lot simpler and freer from judgement, criticism, doubt and so forth. 

I hope that [Celebrity Ministry Person] has voices in his life that are helping to keep him on track the way that the Corinthians had Paul.  But Sampson didn't have anybody like that.  And God still used him.  But I think that Sampson's life would have been much less of a tragedy if he had allowed someone to help him with his thinking and decision-making process. 

I hope some of this is helpful! 

Yours,
Todd

Have you ever struggled to step forward in what God wants for you because you've been turned off by some of what you've seen being done in the name of "ministry"?  I sure have!  I used to hold back from really going for it in the Kingdom because I didn't want to look like, sound like, or be associated with one of "those people."

In fact, I sometimes used to watch Christian TV with a mocking attitude in my heart.  But one morning a few years ago, after I had one of my little mocking-episodes the evening before, I came across these verses:

Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife... out of selfish ambition, rather than from pure motives... What then?  Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice, yes, and I will rejoice. Philippians 3:5

God leveled me.  He showed me that I was so proud of my particular approach that I would mock another person's attempt to share the gospel.  He told me that the people I was mocking had great motives.  But even if they didn't, even if they were off-track in their motives, I should be grateful and excited for the gospel to be preached.  After all... it's the gospel that is powerful.  Not how well or how badly we preach it.

The Myth of Balance

I got a question the other day about how to balance family life with church life.  My main thought about this is that balance is a myth.  Nowhere in the Bible are we encouraged to be "balanced."  The whole concept seems so fragile, so teetering, such a constant effort to make sure I don't overdo anything.  Trying to be "balanced" feels like a recipe for apathy and mediocrity or else exhaustion and bitterness.

Instead I want to be 100% gung-ho about whatever I'm doing!  I think God has given me each of the things that He's put in my life because they help ground me in who I really am.  When I'm at home with my kids being daddy, I want to be 100% there -- body, soul, and spirit -- connecting fully with my little ones, laughing, tickling, playing, encouraging, disciplining, praying, and so forth.  When I'm engaged in church stuff, same thing (well... actually not the tickling part *smile*).  When I'm hanging out with another dad of a kid in our neighborhood, same thing.  When I'm relaxing watching the 49'ers game, same thing.

I find that the enemy of my soul always tries to distract me with other good things God when I'm trying to engage in the good thing God has put right in front of me.  The enemy wants me to be thinking about the church when I'm at home, wishing for vacation when I'm being given time to work, regretting my family's needs when I'm serving the church, and so forth.  The enemy never wants me to be fully engaged in anything that God gives me.

But when I trust that God is the one holding onto the big picture of my life, when I truly know that He gives me all these things to add life to me and not to take life from me, then I can give myself fully to each of them.  Then I can trust that He's taking care of my family when I'm taking care of the church.  And I can trust that He's taking care of the church when I'm taking care of my family.  The same is true for my finances, for my efforts to reach my neighborhood with Jesus' love, my vacation plans, my need for rest, and so forth.  Every facet of life is another gift from God that is meant to be fully received and thoroughly enjoyed.  And again, the only way to fully immerse yourself in each of these gifts is to fully trust that God's got all the other ones handled while you're engaged with the one He's put right in front of you.

If we understand all that, then the big question of life is not, "How can I live a balanced life?" (notice how God is not part of that question), instead it's "God what do you want me to do today?"

Trying to be "balanced" in life leaves us vulnerable to legalism (performance / man-pleasing), self-pity, shame, and hopelessness.  They come in and try to steal away the life Jesus wants for us.  But when we remember that everything Jesus has given us is for our benefit and blessing, then we can go for them with all our hearts, and we find ourselves growing more into the people He's made us to be.

There are two extremes that spiritual forces try to drive us towards.  Self-pity and laziness try to tell me that the things God has given me will steal away my life.  These forces tell me to go back to bed.  Legalism tells me that I have to do it all perfectly, and there's no room for flexibility or creativity or grace in the things I'm doing.  This force cracks the whip on me, and takes the life out of the good things God gives.  Either extreme is deadly.

The way to escape these deadly extremes is to live in the grace God gives with all the stuff He puts in front of us.  Part of His grace are the natural limits God puts in our lives (i.e. there are only 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week and a limited about of energy that we can expend within that limited about of time, we can't be in two places at ones, etc.).  If we try to ignore the limits God gives us then we'll end up doing both ministry and family in unhealthy, unrealistic ways.  We won't promote other leaders, we won't delegate responsibility, we won't encourage people to go to God for themselves, we won't discipline our kids or require them to help around the house, and so forth.

The MOST important thing is that we need to seek Jesus in the things that He gives us.  We're not supposed to do it on our own wisdom and strength (i.e. trying to find "balance").  We need His help to teach us how to navigate all the stuff we're doing.  We really need to hear from Him.  If we just try to think it through on our own, we'll end up confused and frustrated and in the end... embittered against God & people.

In addition to asking God for help, it's key to be asking others for help, too.  Find mentors whose lifestyle you admire and ask them for perspective about the specific things you feel stressed by.

Click here to read more about The Myth of Balance.

VBS -- Go BIG!

Enlarge the place of your tent; stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not;
Lengthen your cords and strengthen your pegs.
For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left.
And your descendants will possess nations and will resettle the desolate cities.
Isaiah 54:2-3

Our theme for VBS is “GO BIG!” –it comes from the verse above. Fear tries to keep us in small places that feel safe, but in the end those small places rob us of the future that God has in mind. So God is inviting us out of fear and into faith.

When I am stretching into the BIG place God has for me, I get nervous that I won’t have enough to cover. I am afraid that in the end, I’ll look silly for having stepped up. But what I (and many others) are discovering is that God is meeting us in those places, and that when we go BIG, He goes BIGGER!

Let's join our faith together and each offer those places that we need God's BIGNESS to cover our smallness. Let's not wait until we feel ready to say, "YES!" Let's not let our boundaries be defined by our fears, but by our faith! Let's believe that best and encourage the most in one another (and agree to cover each other when we do fall short)! Our kids ("descendants") will reap the reward of our faith and courage, and those hopes that seem forever lost ("desolate cities") will be rebuilt!

For those of you who won't be able to join us physically, we are going to LIVE stream our VBS Assemblies. Monday through Friday next week, you can tune in at 9:15am and 12:45pm, and again on Friday night at 6:15pm for our Grand Assembly. You can use either of these links: Facebook or directly on Ustream.

Exciting Days

This past weekend was über-cool. Evan, who is my brother in law, spoke in our services. Evan gave one of the best messages I've ever heard... deep, funny, personally vulnerable, theologically rich, challenging... Wow! You can check it out on our website... it's titled "Bag in the Can."

After services, Evan & Lindsay shared their heart and some of their vision for planting a church in the Bay Area with a group of about 35 folks who came to support them. I especially appreciated their heart for their church-planting team. In response to questions about how we can support them, Evan & Lindsay basically asked us to pour ourselves into their team members. Love it! That's the heart of a shepherd... always looking to benefit those under their care.

What an incredible boost to all of us as we rally together to launch Evan & Lindsay and their team later this year! Keep updated on their progress by following their blog.

I'm also stoked on the developments with our other Foursquare churches in Santa Cruz county. Danny & Jenny Bennett are rockin' the house with their 5-week-0ld church-plant, Santa Cruz Hope, which meets at Del Mar Elementary in Live Oak. They had over 150 folks at their first public service on Easter, and Danny told me over dinner this past Sunday that lots of folks have kept coming back! Yeah!!! That's what I'm talking about! Here's a video of Danny talking a bit about their heart as a church:



Also, I just got word this morning that Michael & Kim Howard (pictured left, but no, that's not their baby) were just officially installed as the new Senior Pastors of our church in Soquel (formerly Lighthouse). Up until now they've been "interim" pastors, but now it's all systems GO! A couple weeks ago, Mike & Kim invited Steve & Donna (who pastor our church Scotts Valley), Daniel & Pamela (our church's founding pastors), and Hilary & me to lay hands on them and pray for them and the church. What an amazing thing to have such unity and sense of teamwork in all our efforts! Mike & I are having coffee in the morning to brainstorm an inter-church work-party over at their place sometime later this summer. Such a work party would be a seriously awesome and seriously historic moment!

All of this to say... Jesus is remaining faithful to His promise:

I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18

Gates (last I checked) were defensive structures. That means we're on offense! We're called to be advancing, not just surviving or maintaining! His invitation to each of us is to seek Him so that He can show us our place in the ranks of His saints' onward march toward victory. Jesus is teaching me and encouraging me lots these days as He is showing me my place among His troops.