For God So Loved ISIS

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Did the title just make you squirm a little? Did it make you angry? Did you say to yourself… No he doesn’t?

I get it. I really do. That one phrase is something I’ve been wrestling with for a while now. Could God really and truly love people who are doing such horrible things against humanity?

Surely God hates these guys just as much as we all do! 

I mean… They are killing people at an incredible rate. Raping women and children. Beheading anyone who claims to be a Christian. 

You mean to tell me… God loves those guys…

Yup! 

God doesn’t love the organization ISIS… But he loves every individual that makes up that organization! 

So much so that he gave his one and only son for them! He died so they could live. Just like he did for you and for me!

How can you say that?!?!

It’s simply… Scripture is filled with this message of love and hope. Even extended to those who WE deem unworthy. 

Remember Paul… Terrorist. Hated by Christians. Yet once he encountered Christ he was radically different. He advanced the gospel is ways we could only hope to. 

If there was hope for a Christ hating Pharisee who killed those who proclaimed Christ… There is still hope for those who are doing the same in the Middle East today. 

So what are you saying?

Should we not be fighting the evil that exists in these people. Yes! We absolutely should. They are just that… Evil. And just because we proclaim Christ doesn’t make us a doormat for people to walk all over. They must be stopped. 

But instead of wishing we’d just drop a nuclear bomb on them… Here is something else we can do…

We can pray for them! Crazy right? 

We can pray that they come to the same revelation the Aspotle Paul did. That they see Jesus for who he really is. Their savior! And that they use the same commitment to evil… As a new commitment to spread the love of Christ across that region!

It’s time to turn off Fox News and pray for our enemies… 

One last thing… Not all Muslims are evil ok… Yes they believe different. But that doesn’t make them evil. They hate ISIS just as much as we do. 

ISIS to Muslims are the same as Westboro Baptist to Christians. They’re insane. They do horrible things. But they do not represent the majority. 

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son. Whoever believes in him will not parish… But have everlasting life!

For God so loves you. For God so loves me. For God so loves ISIS. 

Why Veterans Day Is America’s Greatest Holiday

  
We are 15 days away from Thanksgiving. I can taste it now. The turkey is moist. The sweet potato casserole is sweet. The green beans are fresh. The rolls are so soft. 

We eat until we can’t breath and then crash in the living room. The guys are watching football and the ladies are planning their shopping as if they were the FBI planning a raid!

Surely this is the greatest day in America!

Or…

Christmas is 45 days away. The radio stations have begun playing Christmas music. The department stores are already decorated. And Starbucks has already offended every self righteous Christian imaginable. 

People in general are in a better mood around Christmas time. The parties are being planned. The presents are being wrapped. The excitement is building by the day! I LOVE IT!

So maybe Christmas is the greatest holiday of the year. 

Or Valentine’s Day. Or Easter. Or the 4th of July. 

These are all incredible days for us in the United States. But may I suggest that there is one holiday that silently passes by every November. And I think it’s truly the greatest Holiday that Americans could celebrate. 

Veterans Day!

Here’s why:

1. We are able to live in peace… Because they serve. 

I’m currently writing this from my smart phone while sipping on an Americano outside of a Starbucks. It’s a crisp 50 degree morning and the sun is shining bright. I have meetings scheduled all day long in the comfort of my office. My girls will show up to my office this afternoon and surround me with kisses. 

Today will be a great day for me. A peaceful day. Chances are… Your day will be just as peaceful. 

But let’s not forget… While we are having a peaceful day… There are others fighting halfway around the world for us. They choose to take the fight over there… Instead of the fight coming to us. For our protection. For our safety. For our security. 

They have put themselves in harms way so we can live in peace. That’s incredible! The men and women who serve are truly the most selfless people on the planet. 

And I have a few Veterans on my staff who remind me even on my toughest days… That nobody is shooting at me. All will be ok!

2. They spend time away from their family… So we can spend time with ours. 

Remember the day your first child was born? Some of our service men do not! What about that first tee ball game or dance recital… Remember how cute our kids looked? Well there are quite a few men and women who will never have that memory. 

Why…. They were out defending us, so we could have that memory. 

They miss Birthdays, Anniversaries, Thanksgivings, Christmases, and so much more. 

Again… For us!

And I’m convinced… The spouses and children of military families are heroes as well. Their sacrifice can largely go unnoticed. 

3. They wouldn’t have it any other way. 

These guys serve willingly. Faithfully. Without waiver. And they wouldn’t have it any other way. They take pride in what they do. They understand they are fighting for something bigger than themselves. 

They don’t mind the sacrifice. They count it an honor to get out and serve along side of their brothers and sisters. Many have signed up to go back time and time again… to some of the most dangerous places on the planet. Even when they didn’t have too!

Serving their country is in their DNA. 

And as one more reminder… They do it for us!

So the question begs to be asked…. 

What do we do for them?

1. We created a day to honor them. 

But what we really do is make it another day for ourselves. We sleep in. We go shopping. Maybe catch a movie. 

We enjoy a day away from work… And barely… If at all… Think about what the day really means. 

2. We created a system to provide services once they retire. 

The VA was created to take care of our soldiers once they come home and retire. And it has done everything but. The system is so incredibly messed up. 

Even to the acknowledgment of Congress. Yet we aren’t doing much to fix the broken system. Our Veterans aren’t getting the care they deserve. Leaving many of them without proper medication. 

And we’ve all seen the homeless Veteran on the side of the road asking for money. This simply should not be!

What was created to honor them has really done them a disservice. 

Call to action:

There is little we can do to fix the VA system. It’s really a sad thing. 

But we can all be better about honoring our Veterans. 

  • Buy them a cup of coffee at Starbucks. 
  • Take a Veteran out to dinner
  • Don’t ignore the Veteran on the street corner asking for help. 
  • Even a simple “thank you” goes a long way in showing you appreciation. And something they don’t hear much of. 

Veterans Day truly is the greatest Holiday in America. And it’s simply because of the sacrifice of others… We get to enjoy all the other holidays. 

Don’t let today pass by without telling someone who serves or has served in our Military thank you!

Why I Love Cleaning Up Trash In Our Sanctuary…

  

 

First let me just say I’m not 100% sure what my congregation is doing while I’m talking… But it appears they are having a trash party! Where is it coming from?

Are they bringing it from home? Do they grab a bag of trash from a dumpster somewhere and “make it rain” while I’m pouring my guts out? I mean the stage lights are bright. I can’t see anything. So for all I know… They’re having a blast!

And we have a rather large sanctuary and crowd. So by the time they are headed out to lunch… I’d imagine they have to walk on top of it all! I’m convinced I’ll find a body in the pile one day!

I’m kidding. They really aren’t bad at all! Just your normal wear and tear from people being in the building! And our people love and respect our building. So they mostly pick up after themselves. Just little things are missed. 

Whatever the case may be… I LOVE IT!

Here’s why:

1. It’s a quick reminder of why I do what I do?

I felt called to serve people. And not when it’s convenient for me. All the time. 

It’s easy to get caught up in the day to day actions of running a church. Going from meeting to meeting. Planning. Strategizing. Counseling. Growing leaders. 

Stopping for an hour to pick up trash is a reminder that God didn’t call me to sit behind my desk and crunch out great sermons… But to love and serve the people he has chosen for us. 

2. I get to read all the funny notes people are writing on the bulletins!

There is nothing more humbling then to think people are taking great notes only to realize they are making lunch plans with their husbands! 

You’ll learn a lot about yourself. If you thought you did an awesome job that week… Think again! If you were wondering if you shouldn’t  have worn that outfit… I guarantee the answer is written out there. 

And seriously… The greatest information comes from the “Youth” section! They are downright mean and hilarious at the same time. 

Disclaimer: If you’re a sensitive person, stay away from the trash! You’ve got to know who you are before you venture down that road!

3. I take the time to pray over everyone who sits in those seats. 

I may not know all of their names. Or even know all of their faces… But you can count on the fact that I’m praying over them. Each person who comes in that sanctuary is dealing with something. Big or small… It doesn’t matter. 

I love walking up and down the rows asking God to simply meet the needs of the people. The people I love and care deeply about. 

That they may find comfort or peace. Healing or restoration of a marriage. Financial freedom or that a son or daughter would stop rebelling. Whatever the case may be… The people who sit in our seats have been covered in prayer. 

I know this may not work for every Pastor or Leader who reads this… But let me challenge you today. 

Remember why you started. And as the job grows… make time to get back to that reason.

Love people. Serve people. 

You’re no better than anyone else! And you’re people will be grateful!