FAAAASST!

We had a busy couple of days, Denise and I.  Cade's football team played 200 miles south on Friday, against the Kress Kangaroos.  The place was really hopping, if you know what I mean.

We got home about 1:00 a.m., hopped in bed (and we're not even from Kress), got up at 5:30 a.m., left for OKC at 6:30 to attend Denise's cousin's memorial service and to visit a friend in the heart hospital.  Home around 4:00 p.m.  800 miles in a span of 26 hours.  Really had a good couple of trips and much fun and visiting.  But I really wanted to relate one story.

This is Cade's senior year and he is a good athlete, but I would probably follow to every game even if he played little.  Beginning of the 3rd quarter, Follett is up by a score of 38 to nothing.  In 6-man football, whenever a team goes up by 45 points anytime by or after halftime, a win is declared.  It's called the mercy rule.  We have 45'ed every regular season opponent so far and were 45'ed by the second ranked team in the state at a special tournament before the season started.  In our defense, we had to drive 7 hours and play in the humidity of central Texas.  The opponent had to travel 20 miles and were used to soggy air and heat.

Back to the story at hand.  There we are - the football team that is - up by 38 and the coach sets up for field goal attempt - they are worth 4 points in 6-man football.  At any rate Cade is the holder on all such attempts.  The ball is snapped and we see that it is a fake.  Cade takes the ball, rolls right and lets go of a perfect spiral - right into the waiting hands of a defender - who immediately blocks the pass - right back into the waiting hands of Cade, who reversing field proceeds to avoid several tackles and run for a touchdown. He had to do it all by himself since all his teammates are laughing too hard to block for him. Extra point is kicked - counts for 2 points in 6-man football - game over.  Follett 46 and Kress 0.

Anyway, you can see that Cade is really faaaasst!  Threw himself a touchdown pass.  He had previously caught another pass for a touchdown.  Fun to watch.  Even better, he is a good son.  We'll miss him next year at this time. 

Tough and Tender

I am trusting that my big sister won't mind my here presenting one of her recently written poems that is very moving and then making a few parallel observations.

Yesterday a blue jay fell
onto the window slanted
over our breakfast table.

He hobbled under the feeder,
crest retired, bullied by doves.
This morning I saw him
trying to remember
the meaning of spilled grain.

Then he was dead, angled
in the grass – blue pinstripes,
snow-white underbody still
beautiful, beautiful – waiting
for the ants to close his eyes.


Becky Haigler
September 2008

Back in the 1980's I remember seeing a book authored by Robert Schuller entitled, Tough-Minded Faith for Tender-Hearted People.  I never read it, but imagined I knew what he was alluding to in the title.  Becky's poem brought back thoughts I have entertained for many years, i.e., that life in its bitter sweet glory requires a toughness to go along with tenderness.  Without both qualities, life will never be all God intends.

Blue jays are one of my favorite birds.  Squawking and gawking, they are juvenile to a fault, all about having fun and making sure that we know they are around.  Sometimes I'll see 5 or 6 of them chasing each other around the neighborhood, railing and sailing.  It is one of my life's pleasures to walk down to work at the church and hear them calling out to one another, and to anyone else with an ear to hear.

Anyway, back to my point, if I can remember it.  As much as I enjoy a good blue jay, so I am sorrowed to hear of one's demise, even though I know death must come.  Life is so short.  Reminders are all around us.  On the highway to Okeene, OK, to the east of here, there is an old set of signs fashioned after the old Burma Shave advertisements:     Life is short,

                            Death is sure.

                            Sin the cause,

                            Christ the cure.

So it is.  And if we are to take joy in this short journey, and not simply go into denial, insulated by stuff and activities, we must know the sureness of death, assured of the cure in Christ.  He knows when a sparrow falls to the ground - how much more a blue jay - and immensely more one stamped in His image.

So to stay tender, but still be tough enough to do some good, let us remember Toplady's ode:

"While I draw this fleeting breath, when mine eyes shall close in death, when I soar to worlds unknown, see Thee on Thy judgement throne, Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee", Rock of Ages

In  my tenderness I both cry for the blue jay and for joy at the One Who can create such a wonder.  In the toughness He provides, I seek to carry the knowledge of His tenderness to those who must hide themselves at the thought giving an account to Him.  Fig leaves are a poor substitute for the durable fabric of Christ's righteousness.  They need to know that God's judgement - evidenced in even the death of a blue jay - is overcome by His mercy.

Blessings, Probonose

Evangelism Tales

Okay.  For my two daughters I here give a couple of short stories concerning witnessing events I mentioned in my previous blog.

After hearing Joy Dawson speak on Psalm 67 almost 30 years ago, I decided to begin to speak blessings as I closed every visiting situation.  I did it for several years and am trying to get back in the habit, though I must battle my predisposition to simply be nice, rather than evangelistic.

At any rate, with regard to the "God Bless You" story, it occurred in Captian, NM, where I pastored and we lived throughout the 1980's.  The local hardware store had just been sold, and friends of ours that had owned it were no longer around.  The new proprietor's name was Matt and besides owning the store, he lived a couple of blocks down the street from the parsonage.  As I purchased things in the store I always left with a "God Bless You."  After I had done this several times, Matt asked one day, "Are you a preacher or something?"  After I replied in the affirmative, we began a discussion and it turned out that Matt had been involved in church for a long time, but when I asked him if he had ever met Jesus, he said "No."  After some more talk, and discerning that he was not only confused but in a time of turmoil in his marriage, I asked him if he wanted to make Jesus Lord in his life.  He said yes, and so we prayed to confess Jesus as Lord, believing God had raised Him from the dead.  Over the next few weeks I visited with him and his wife at their home on a few occasions, giving counsel and praying with and over them.  They didn't remain in Capitan much longer and I don't know what happened with them.

I used to work for the government before entering pastoral ministry.  As I traveled, I always made it a point to engage people around me in spiritual conversations.  What a departure from my introverted nature.  One of my favorite lines to open dialogue was simply to ask - after visiting about weather, children, points of origin, etc. - "Do you ever think about spiritual things?"  Sometimes the answer was "No."  That usually signified no interest and I didn't pursue it.  But sometimes a good discussion about what spirituality is and how the Bible gives the real answers to our questions ensued.  One time on a trip to Denver I asked the cab driver the question and he said he did think in those terms sometimes.  I began to tell him about my take on spiritual things, beginning with my testimony of having met Jesus through some very trying personal circumstances.  When I finished I asked him if he would like to know Jesus and he said yes, so I prayed with him as he dropped me off at my hotel, and he confessed Jesus as Lord.  I got his address and sent him a New Testament and some other literature.  I believe I heard back from him once.

Pretty simple stuff.  Seems all it takes is a desire to obey Jesus, be concerned for others and trust God to use the foolishness of the gospel to accomplish His purposes.  But simple is often not easy.

By the way, most (99%) of such sessions and conversations ended with no dramatic or observable change.  That is up to God.  I must also add that on a very few occasions the statements and questions resulted in hostile responses.

Blessings, Dan, Dad

God Bless You

     Being the typically shy guy that I am, I probably come across as aloof in many settings and situations.  When  it comes to initiating conversations, if my lovely wife, Denise, is around, I am guilty of letting her handle the responsibility of being civil and carrying the day.  I shouldn't, I try not to and I often determine to change.  But I haven't made much progress in 36 years of marriage or 56 years of living.  But I have found a couple of things that help when it comes to doing the work of an evangelist, things that may or may not fit your personality and gifting.  Feel free to use them if they help.  If not, ask God for some approaches that utilize you personality and talents, both gifts of God.

     The first business card I fashioned for myself when I became a pastor simply read "GOD BLESS YOU" across the center, in large print.  My name and that of the church were considerably smaller and off to the side.  I didn't use those cards much, living and ministering in a rural area, but I did make it a point to say "God Bless You" to almost everyone I conversed with.  Waitresses, clerks, friends, acquaintances, all of them.  That simple phrase, lifted from a sermon I heard on Psalm 67, opened up many conversations, and even resulted in one man giving his life to Christ after he heard me speak that several times in his store.  It's kind of a variation on Jesus' command to His disciples to speak peace to the houses that they visited (see Luke 10).  He told them that if they weren't received, the blessing would boomerang back to them.  They really couldn't lose.  Neither can we, if we speak  blessing.

     When I used to travel on government work, I struck up a lot of conversations with cab drivers, clerks, even fellow diners in restaurants with the question, "Do you ever think about spiritual things?"  Sometimes that led to a quick close of the conversation, aborted before it took a breath.  Other times it opened up some interesting dialogues, and one time it led to a cabbie's salvation in Denver.

     A lot of evangelism involves listening to people share their stories and then sharing your experience of God's wisdom, provision, peace, etc., when you have been involved in similar situations.  And then asking if you might pray for them.  It is amazing how the power of God is often manifest when we risk praying over someone in need.

     I often ask God for boldness and compassion.  But then I must act like He answers prayer.  He does.  Pray with me as I pray with you, that not only will God give us open doors for effective ministry, but that we will have the boldness to step over the threshold. 

Top 10 Reasons Why ...

 Why We Don't Evangelize, That Is

Here we are assigned by God as His people, the church, to go and declare the good news of reconciliation through the Person and cross of Jesus Christ, His Son and to make disciples of those who hear and believe the message.  And yet we seem to really do poorly at this task.  Why don't we evangelize more freely, more readily?

I pose this question to you, and as a teacher, I have the answers ready.  See if you can identify with any of these reasons for avoiding our assignment.  But first a little terminology. 

1.  evangel - simply the good news or gospel message.  God loves us.  Jesus life, death and resurrection prove it.

2.  evangelism - the process of telling the good news, literally speaking well of someone.  How better to love God and the people He loves than to speak well of Him (praise Him), giving the hearers the opportunity to meet Him, believe on Him and enter into relationship with Him.

3.  evangelist - a messenger sent by God to tell the good news.  Although it is also a specific spiritual gift (see Ephesians 4:11), doing the work of an evangelist falls to everyone whom God calls to Himself.

It's also important to note that good only has meaning in the context and in relation to bad.  The bad news is that we are all going to die.  Scientists don't understand why the human body undergoes senescence, growing old, decripit and finally dying.  But the Bible is clear that it is due to sin (see Genesis 3, John 3:17ff and Hebrews 9:27).  The good news declares that those who believe avoid the condemnation that follows physical death, instead having passed out of that judgment and into life because of receiving the good news (see John 5:24ff).

Reminds of a good news/bad news story.  Seems a man returned after two weeks to visit with his doctor about a series of medical tests that he had endured.  Upon seeing the doctor, he is asked, "Do you want the good news first or the bad?"  The man, thinking the good will help him endure the bad says, "The good I suppose."  The doctor replies, "You have two weeks to live."  The man says, "That's the good news?  What's the bad?"  Doctor replies, "These results are 12 days old."  Drum roll, cymbal clash.

The good news that Christians possess and proclaim is essentially what Isaiah is given to say to Israel, "Our God reigns" (read Isaiah 52).  He reigns in spite of and beyond darkness and death and time, enwrapping all evil in the resurrection of Jesus and giving Him the keys to death, hell and the grave.  His Kingdom is forever and His Name above all names.  Boy, good news is encouraging - to the cancer sufferer, the widow, the bankrupt, the abused, the neglected and everyone else who believes.  Hope in the good news does not disappoint, though sorrow may last for a season.

Okay.  I'm finally ready to do the Top 10 countdown.

#10 Reason why we don't evangelize - We don't want to.  I can't help you here, but perhaps in reviewing #'s 9-1 you will find reason to share the good news.

#9 Reason - Didn't know we were supposed to evangelize.  Jesus said all in the Kingdom are like a city set on a hill, that no one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but places it on a table that others may see (see Matthew 5:13-16).  Faith in the good news is not a private matter, regardless of what some may say.  Jesus said that what He tells us in secret is to be shouted from the housetops.

#8 Reason - Maybe we have been taught and think that all roads and religions lead to heaven.  A recent Pew Research poll shows that more 50% of evangelicals and 85% of my particular denomination, believe that other religions also have truth that will lead people into heaven and eternal bliss.  However, the Bible says "There is no other Name under heaven by which we must be saved", (Acts 4:12).  Jesus said He "is the Way, the Truth and Life and no one comes to the Father but through Him", (John 14:6).  Not Buddha, Vishnu, Scientology, Joseph Smith, spiritism, meditation, etc., provide good news.  Paul says "There is One God and One Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus", (I Timothy 2:5).  If you don't think Jesus is the Way and the good news, it really tends to put a damper on your efforts at evangelism.  This may be the #1 reason some don't evangelize.  There must be as many roads to Jesus as there are people who respond to Him.  But He is the only way to the Father.

#7 Reason we don't evangelize - My life, my example is not all it should be.  Hold it.  That's why we need good news.  We're not good enough to meet the standard God has set.  Only Jesus is.  It is not the perfection of our life that makes us able to evangelize, but the direction.  Are we moving toward God in Jesus?  If we are, we are to tell others that good news.  We are accepted by virtue of His virtue.  We won't be perfect until we see Him face to face (see I John 3:2-3).  Besides, evangelism is speaking well of God and His Son, Jesus, not us.  If we are trying to get people to follow us and be our disciples, we have not yet begun to evangelize.

#6 Reason - I/you don't have the gift of evangelism.  Pretty much answered this one in #9, but if you read first Corinthians 12, Romans 12 and Ephesians 4, you'll see that it takes the whole body of Christ, the church, to really fulfill the mandate we are given to evangelize.  And you can't "preach the gospel, use words when necessary."  They are necessary.  "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God", (Romans 10:17).

#5 Reason - We fail to keep in mind the consequences of unbelief and the reward of faith.  Jesus spoke more about the horrors of eternal separation from God than any other person in the Bible, and gave His life in order to provide an escape for all who believe.  He also said to His disciples that He was going to His Father in order to prepare a place for them, and then coming back to get them (John 14).  We live in hope of sharing that new Edenic paradise and serving and worshiping God forever, free from sin and all its consequences.

#4  Reason for not evangelizing - We're too busy to be about God's assignment.  We've got families, jobs, hobbies to attend to.  But if we consider it rightly, those are the very environments we are assigned to evangelize.  Our spouses, our children, our co-workers, friends, team mates - all these are people that God has given as our sphere of influence.  We don't have to go to Africa to share the good news.

#3 Reason - We aren't interested in others, just ourselves.  Guilty!  I find that every day I have to work at dying to myself and my own interests and consciously remember to take an interest in others and their needs and destiny.  It is interesting to note that Paul, after having evangelized all around Asia Minor only had a couple of converts who he felt were more interested in others than in themselves (see Philippians 2:12ff; cf. Acts 24:16).

#2 Reason we fail to evangelize - We are afraid of others' reaction to our "holier-than-thou" attitude; afraid they will reject us, label us fanatics, etc.  Jesus said if we witness to Him and are rejected, it is really Him they reject.  Interestingly we are not so reticent about sharing our views concerning politics and sports teams, etc.  But when it comes to the greatest value of all, eternal life and truth, we become cowards oftentimes.  Paul tells Timothy, a hesitant and shy young pastor, "God has not given us a spirit of fear (timidity), but a Spirit of power, love and self-control.  Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of the gospel", (II Timothy 1:7).  We're in good company.  If we're shy - and I am - others before us have been too, and they learned that the power of God in earthen vessels was sufficient for whatever they encountered.  Even Paul came to Corinth in fear and trembling.

AND the #1 Reason we don't evangelize - We are ourselves unevangelized.  We have no testimony of life.  We have not believed the good news preached to us, that first of all Jesus was crucified, died for our sin, was buried and the third day rose from the dead to justify us freely (see I Corinthians 15).  We are like Nicodemus, curious and earnest about the Person and testimony of Jesus, but yet to be born of His Spirit.  If that describes you, remember God's promise, "If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved ... No one who calls upon the Name of the Lord will be disappointed", (Romans 10:8ff).

OUR GOD REIGNS!  LET THE EARTH REJOICE!