Change of Plans (Superheroes)

I decided not to continue the Superhero blogs. I know I didn't get far, but the more I thought about it...that is COMPLETELY cheesy.

So, change of of plans.

For those thousands of you that check the iRescue blogspot daily in hopes that I posted the next Superhero blog, here is a completely condensed version of my top five Superheroes of the Bible:

5. Samson (A.K.A. Superman) - Yeah, I know Superman is suppose to be the biggest, baddest (er, goodest) superhero ever...but I still think he is pretty lame. And although Samson is cool, everyone expects him so I didn't move him up the rankings. But, he did kill a lion with his bare hands and 1,000 men with the jawbone of an ass. Oh, and he has his very own kryptonite - women were his weakness. Check it out at Judges 14-16.

4. Moses (A.K.A. Captain Planet) - Earth! Fire! Water! Wind! Heart! Moses used all of these when leading his people out of captivity. It all started with the plagues - blood, frogs, lice, flies, livestock disease, boils, violent hail and fire, locusts, darkness, and death. Later, water split and water came out of rocks to nourish thousands of people. Check it out at Exodus 7.

3. David (A.K.A. Batman) - David didn't really have any supernatural abilities just like Batman. However, he was very resourceful! He used his abilities and weapons to take out lions bears and even giants! Then, he lurked in the shadows while escaping his enemies. Check it out at 1 Samuel 17 and 24.

2. Elijah (A.K.A. The Flash) - You might have not heard of this guy and that is just too bad. Elijah’s incredible God-given speed allowed him to outrun a chariot over a distance of about 13 miles. Of course he did possess a few powers that the Flash lacks, such as the time when he called down fire to consume 51 men who came to capture him. Unfortunately (for them), they sent another 50 after that to try again and they were cooked as well. Check it out at 1 Kings 18:44-46.

1. Josheb-basshebeth, Eleazar and Shammah (A.K.A. The Fantastic Four) - I know, three guys, but you can leave out the Invisible Woman (for a couple of reasons)...King David had a baller group of warriors but he had three that led the pack. Josheb, the captain of the three, used his spear to kill 800 men at one time. Eleazar found himself facing the Philistine army alone, but he fought them until he was exhausted and when the rest of his army came to help him, they found Eleazar had already slain them all. Shammah stood his ground against an army when his own fled. Check it out at 2 Samuel 23.

Superheroes (Part 1)

There is absolutely nothing better than a muscle-clad man or woman fighting crime WHILE looking good in tights. And to top it all off, most of these heroes have some kind of power that we, mere humans, don't have.

Movies, television shows, songs, and comic books all portray them. But only a few of us are lucky enough to say we know the real superheroes (see World Superhero Registry...or don't, it all depends on if you want to be embarrassed or not).

Believe it or not, the Bible records some very interesting people that did some pretty incredible things. Some would say that they did super things. Some would say that they were their hero. We can just settle and say they were both super and heroes...superheroes.

Over the next couple of days I will share with you my Top 5 Biblical figures with "superpowers" of their own. Stay tuned.

Affirmation File

I am really just an amateur when it comes to being a youth pastor and even fairly fresh when it comes to being in the work environment at all. But I have been here long enough, and can see enough into the future, to understand how difficult it can sometimes be. No matter what field of expertise you find yourself in, there will always be those seasons in which you are down and out. Sometimes you may even want to give up and just quit all together. Those times are when this concept will come into play with the greatest results.

The idea is to begin an affirmation file. You can call it something else so it doesn't sound so plain and rigid, but the concept should remain the same.

When you receive a thank you note, encouragement letter, or any kind of recognition for a job well done, save it. It is as simple as that. It's tempting to sometimes toss these notes or let it gather with the rest of the clutter, but don't let this happen! Instead, immortalize them by saving them in a file folder or a box.

Next year when you are struggling, or you feel like you can't produce the quality you once did, or no one seems to appreciate your hard work, you might be able to pull out a note or two to read. After two or three years the folder may begin to bulge, and after 10 years you'll need a crane to move it.

This might sound conceited or self-centered right now. But I promise you that when you get to the low points in life it is often difficult to remember the high points. This file should help you shed some much needed tears and put a smile back on your face. Try it.

Questions for God - Week 1

In our youth ministry, AMP Student Ministries, we just began a new series called Questions for God in which we allowed the students to anonymously send in any questions about God, life, Christianity, faith, family - literally anything! We are gathering the incoming questions, grouping them together, and spending each Wednesday night in the month of October answering these challenging questions.

This past Wednesday we answered the question, "If God is good, why is there so much evil in this world?" At the end of the service we had an exciting time called "Ask Anything" in which students could send in any question and I would attempt to answer them live in a biblical manner. The two questions we picked to answer are below, and I wanted to expand on my short answers in service:

Is it okay to listen to secular music?
My "Ask Anything" Answer: Yes. Yes. Yes. It is a must! The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church and exclaimed,

"I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some."
1 Corinthians 9:22

Paul was willing to adopt to the lifestyle of a typical Jew to build relationship with the Jews that lived all around him. In that, he did the things that Jews did, he listened to the same music the Jews did, he went to the same concerts and plays the Jews did. Paul did anything short of sin to reach those around him with the story of Jesus.

ALSO, in Acts 17, Paul is preaching at Mars Hill to a bunch of nonbelievers. In his sermon he boldly quotes one of the pagan Greek poets that would have been so familiar to his listeners during this time. Understand that ancient poets = current day rockstars. Paul quotes them with approval but does not state that he agrees with everything they write and everything they stand for.

The point is, we have been called to engage culture rather than distance ourselves from it. The worst thing you could do (in regards to music) would be to listen only to Christian music, or even worse, only to Country music.

Engage culture. Listen to secular music. Even pull out biblical principals out of secular songs. But don't listen to filth. You should not be listening to any music that hinders or hurts you relationship with other people, yourself, or God.

My Qualification: Don't hear/read what I said about secular music and go against the will of your parents. If your mom or dad has told you, "Christian music only," then guess what? Christian music only. Respect the rules your parents set out for you - they know best.


How will I know when I find "her"? My future wife that is...
My "Ask Anything" Answer: I'm not married - how am I suppose to know!? And then I tried to answer a little more: Most importantly, a potential husband or wife, girlfriend or boyfriend, MUST be a Christian. The Bible clearly says that no Christian should be "unequally yoked" with an unbeliever. This is the idea of two oxen plowing the field with a yoke over their necks. If one ox is pulling one way and the other ox pulling another way, the field will not get plowed and nothing will be accomplished but stress, anxiety, and failure. NO MISSIONARY DATING! Let the person get saved, even help the person find Jesus, THEN entertain the idea of dating.

After that, compatibility is absolute necessary for a future spouse - you want to be with someone that you enjoy being with.

My Addition: Your marriage should be one that makes both you and your spouse a better person and a person Christ-follower. Your marriage should be one that better allows you to effectively minister and reach the world around you. And your marriage should be one that allows the both of you to better experience and know God.

Your marriage should make the both of you better people, should make the world around you a better place, and should make both of your relationships with God stronger and more effective.

*P.S. The series, Questions for God, is still going on. Send in your anonymous questions via text:
Text keynumber 2065 with your question to 99503. -OR- Go to http://poll4.com, type keynumber 2065 and your question.*

Would Jesus Discriminate?

Maybe you have seen the billboards up on the highway, or an internet ad, or even television commercial, and wondered - "What's all that about?" I first heard someone at church mention it and gave it only a seconds thought before brushing it out of my mind, sure that the woman had misread the billboard. But then only a day or two later I was driving down the highway and saw this sign up and to my left.
Would Jesus Discriminate?
My answer to this billboard, group, and question, is Yes. Would Jesus discriminate? Yes, He definitely would. Discrimination simply means to distinguish by exposing differences. This is the very nature of God. The God of the Bible is both a God of love and peace as well as a God of righteous anger and judgment.

Both Jesus and God (I will use their names synonymously because, after all, they are One Person) are beings of love and joy and happiness and friendship and fellowship. They love the non-Christian just as much as they love the life-long Christ-follower. They love their creation, they hate their creation's sin. And in this, God discriminates.

Jesus lived His human life as a man set on correcting the corrupt world in which He chose to live. He healed the sick, He raised the dead, He loved the abandoned, and He saved mankind through His death and resurrection. He discriminated between the fallen nature - sickness, death, abandonment, sin - and His holy and perfect nature - complete health, full life, salvation and safety.

God wants all of creation to turn back to Him, and as this fails to happen, those who are apart from God will be judged by God and condemned to eternal punishment in Hell. God discriminates between the righteous and the unrighteousness - those who love, honor, and serve Him, and those who want nothing to do with Him.


In regards to sexuality...
Sexuality is intended to be within marriage and between one man and one woman. In the Book of Beginnings - Genesis, God Himself instituted the covenant of marriage. Matthew 19:4-5 reflects back to Genesis:

"At the beginning the Creator made them male and female, and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.'"

God's plan for a man and woman is to be married and enjoy one another through marital intimacy. Anything outside of this plan sin.


In regards to homosexuality...
Therefore, fornication (sex before marriage), adultery (sex outside of marriage), pornography (you know what this is...), and yes, homosexuality are all sexual sins.

All sex outside of heterosexual marriage is sin.

"Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; it is an abomination."
Leviticus 18:22

"Abomination" here describes a fairly heavy connotation encompassing words such as scandal, disgrace, and atrocity. And I think this is law is pretty applicable for us today, not just for that day, as many would argue. After all, the next law forbids sex with animals...

The Apostle Paul clearly speaks to both homosexuality and lesbianism as being shameful, indecent, and perversion:

"God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion."
Romans 1:26-27

Yes, homosexuality is a sin. It is a perversion of God's original intended plan of marriage. Though this specific sin, while it has some potentially serious consequences, is not any greater of magnitude than the sin committed by the young couple who is dating and having sex.

The point is, ALL sexual sin outside of heterosexual marriage is sin. We should all be conducting our lives in a right and holy manner, pleasing to God, and free of any and all sexual sin.

A Lesson in Viral Christianity from the Black Eyed Peas

Have you seen this video yet? A simple performance by the Black Eyed Peas on the Oprah Show in the streets of Chicago. They were performing their hit song "I Gotta Feeling" with some pretty incredible results. Pay close attention to the girl dancing in the front...all alone. And no matter where you might be right now (home, work, school) - blow up those speakers - turn it up!



Pretty sweet, huh? You have this incredible group performing their hit song on stage to thousands of people who were just...dead. Although BEP and the song had tons of energy, the crowd was lifeless, except for one girl. It was definitely awkward at first - thousands of people standing still and listening to the music as one lady at the front was completely involved no matter what the rest of the people around her were doing or thinking.

BUT, how quickly that changes when some other people start to get involved. It went from one person to about ten, from ten to twenty, and then all of the sudden every single person was dancing along with the song and it became a cool thing.

Allow me to make a spiritual connection to what you just saw. Without getting cheesy or irrelevant, I want to connect this performance by the Black Eyed Peas with Christianity.

If you are going along in life trying to do the "Jesus" thing all alone it can be a pretty lonely, dare I say even, at times an awkward situation. BUT, how different is that pursuit of Jesus when you aren't doing it by yourself? When you have others standing (or dancing) alongside you that can change everything!

It might start out with just you though. At least it might feel that way. You might feel as though you are the only Christian at your school or at your job and everyone else is just looking at you like you are crazy. But if you continue in your "craziness" long enough it will become attractive and as others begin to see it work, they will take part in it two. You might only infect four or five people, but those four or five infect ten, the ten infect thirty, the thirty infect one-hundred, and before you know it, all the thousands of people at the concert will be "dancing" along with you.

Christianity is truly viral. Ask the first church in the book of Acts. They went from 1 or 2 Christ-followers to 3,000 in one day. Within a week or two they hit 5,000, and Scripture says that they grew in numbers daily (for those of you not good at math, that is at least 365 new Christians a year).

Your job is to infect. Start with one or two, but stay strong. Go against the crowd if that is what it takes. We have something worth living for and you should want everyone around to have it too. Continue to dance.



*This concept I completely "borrowed" from Pastor Mike Leahy at Liquid Church.*

Monologue and Dialogue

Jesus Preached
There are many sections throughout each of the gospels in which Jesus taught and preached extended sermons (Matthew 4-7, Mark 4, Luke 12-18, John 15-17). Just think about how tired and hoarse Jesus must have been after preaching the Sermon on the Mount.

He preached on subjects such as heaven, hell, salvation, faith, grace, His death, His future resurrection, and about everything else the disciples and the people around him would have needed to know. During these long sections you notice that it's not a dialogue; it's a monologue—Jesus is preaching. He's speaking with the authority given Him, and His words are weighty.

When we make disciples we must preach to people at times. When we are being discipled, as we constantly should be, we must receive preaching from others. There are times for discussion, debate, and dialogue (like the 3 D's?) —but there are other times for a good word preached. We should all - the spiritual new-born to the spiritual grandfather gladly receive preaching and teaching from those who study and appropriately administer the Gospel.

Jesus Had Conversation
Jesus did not exclusively use preaching as His method of teaching, but He also allowed question and answer time. On many occasions we can find Jesus conversing with His disciples, with religious leaders, and with the common people. He doesn't confine himself only to the strategy of preaching from a pulpit and retreating to his office. He follows up his sermons by allowing interaction.

Attend a church to grow spiritually from pastoral preaching and teaching. But also get into the community; get into the family and the small groups and build relationships that provide room for open discussion on biblical topics.

We all require growth - physical, emotional, and spiritual. There is no better place, and dare I say, no other place to suitably get it than in the local church.



*Deeply indebted to Mike Anderson for his recent blog by the same name*