Sharks Teeth, A New Perspective

In April of 2010,  My family and I were spending a long awaited weekend at Myrtle beach, SC which was only 4 hours away from our home near Charlotte.  After settling in to our room we all headed out to the beach.  As we walked to the beach I asked God a simple question, nothing major that had any life impact, just a small request, “I want to find a sharks tooth, would you help me?” The family and I proceeded to the beach where we set up for an afternoon of games and surf.  After a while I took a stroll searching through the white shells and sand hoping to find my hidden treasure a sharks tooth.  Some time had passed and still no tooth just a lot of shells posing as teeth. This process lasted throughout the weekend with no tooth and a little disappointment.  After all it was not like I was asking for a winning lottery number, I just wanted to hear His voice and direction.

As we were preparing to leave the beach for the last time, I heard His voice, “next time.” Next time, not really the answer I wanted to hear, but it was His voice.  That small knowing that goes beyond are own self talk.

May roles around and we were given a gift for us to go back to the beach before we moved to Minneapolis.  We eagerly prepared and when the weekend came we headed out.  I had forgotten about the sharks tooth, my mind was on something else, God.  Being grateful for many things God had done for me, when I saw the ocean my mind became consumed with the vastness of God’s love and power.  As the family and I walked to the beach, I remember touching the sand and my mind jumped back to the word, “Next Time.” We set up our spot on the beach and I went with the kids down to the water.  As they played in the surf, I stood looking out at the ocean thinking again about the goodness of God.  At that moment, I looked to my left and saw a family handing my kids something.  Being a responsible parent and seeing a stranger handing my small children an item I quickly, but politely went to investigate.  To my amazement they were giving my kids sharks teeth that they had found on the beach.  My son being a little shy said no, so they offered it to me which I eagerly accepted.  Then I discovered my problem.  God was not holding out on me during the last trip, I had a perception problem.  The problem was I was looking for white teeth, but the teeth here are from sharks that died and the teeth that float up are black.

Once this new bit of information was given, I was back on the hunt with new directions.  Within a few minutes, no exaggeration, I looked down at a pile of black color rocks and sitting on top of the pile was a black sharks tooth.  “Unbelievable, this just can not be!”  I thought. A few minutes later another one. I was going crazy inside, this was not about finding something, but being directed by God Himself. It was time to leave the beach and we packed up to head back to the hotel.  I am still in awe of how good God is and how awesome to be directed in something that mattered to no one except me. While walking off the beach, I muttered one last prayer, “One more for the road?”, as we prepared to leave the sand and step on to the boardwalk, my eye caught something next to the path, Another tooth! A powerful soberness came over me and the impression that this did not just matter to me, but it mattered to Him.

The moral of the story is not just God’s desire for our fellowship, but how are perspective of Him or circumstances around us affect the answers we are longing to discover.  This New Year stop and ask God to give you a fresh perspective on your relationship with Him.  I believe you will find His intentions and plans for you a lot better then you have perceived.

“out of place” – Part 3 (Samson)

While flying home from Thailand on a Boeing 747.  I looked out the window and pondered if the Wright brothers ever imagined a flying ship dangled in the air at 37,000 feet with 400 people watching movies, sleeping and eating. If the Wright brothers own father ridiculed the idea of man flying and even as a minister rebuked his sons.  What would their dad say about modern flight.  Thinking about this idea was quite amazing as we blast through the air at over 500 mph.  Someone had a lot of nerve to go against all conventional realities to see this mass of aluminum fly.  Today it is a part of our reality, but 50 years ago?  What has brought change today was most likely not accepted at the time of conception.  Change, new ideas, new ways are not for the insecure or inferior.  For it demands humility to accept that their are other methods and ideas that you cannot control, but have to embrace.  It takes the greatest of courage and faith to birth an alternative to the status quo, especially when you do not fully understand how it will turn out.

Samson was like this 747 to the Jews of ancient times.  No man had ever wielded the power of an army as an individual.  He went against the common measurements, accomplishments and laws of the time.  Who could train and develop him into a man as he was. . . no one.  His family, people and culture had no idea how to make him a deliverer.  The result, they rejected him. He was out of place and unconventional, yet, he demonstrated the physics of a common man infused with the Spirit of God.

Their is a common theme among Christians around the world.  A group of people that believe the unbelievable: A virgin birth of their Savior who was sinless, all man and all God, healed the sick, forgave sins, was not partial to your background, died on the cross as a perfect sacrifice, raised from the dead and is alive today.  To top it off, His Spirit that was on Samson now dwells in our heart making us one with Him.  Yet,  what is the theme of Christians? It must be unconventional, full of faith, powerful! No, around the world the common theme is not faith, boldness, courage, self sacrifice, love unfeigned, or mercy.  It is fear.  Fear of man which has breed rejection, discouragement, malice, disappointment and cowardice.

What does the story of Samson clarify:  Courage, Strength and freedom are not the same category as man’s acceptance, security and popularity.  Consider what happens to someone who allows God to have his full way in and among him.  A world that is changed.

Making Fathering Famous

In June we celebrated fathers. It is challenging  in a culture where much of the U.S. and churches are filled with the fatherless (absent or disengaged fathers).  In order to celebrate fathers we had to still address the sobering realities of the negative effects of a fatherless generation. Because of this, our view of God as our Father has been tainted, diminished and sometimes rejected.

Malachi 4:5-6 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”

“A community that allows large numbers of young men to grow up in broken families dominated by women, never acquiring any stable relationship with male authority, never acquiring any expectations about the future – that community asks for and gets chaos,” 1965 Senator Patrick Moynihan. Since, that day the number of fatherless children has more than doubled. In the last decade, conservative estimates have American taxpayers spending $112 billion dollars annually on fatherlessness and single parent homes.

God is eager for us to change our view of the father child relationship.  It is not as much that all of our earthly relationships will change, but our perception of how God views and interacts with us will.

Joseph, Jesus step-father, had his world turned upside down by God’s Son, Jesus. He could have responded culturally for his day and put out pregnant Mary.  Instead, he gave up his temporal reputation, to effect eternity.
        

Let’s make Fathering Famous

 

The Father Deficit

The idea of a father is less then a noble role in America today.  In fact, it is a name met with contention in many peoples lives.  When Mothers day is celebrated Churches attendance increases, dinner at Mom’s and gifts exchanged.  Probably the easiest day for our local crime fighters.

Fathers day takes on a little different outlook, low church attendance, DWI enforcement increased (Minnesota Highway Patrol warnings) and regarding gifts, not a major budget breaker. Hollywood comedy has also added to the reluctance of being a father:

All in the Family
Married with Children
The Simpsons
American Dad
Everybody Loves Raymond

Basically fathers are the center of mockery in our nation and in the defense of the writers rightly so in many circumstances.  The reality is that we as men have let this humor become the image of fathering, or the image of fathering has become our humor. Either way we are facing a pandemic.  In the United States, we are approaching the reality that 50% of the nations children will be fatherless.

I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father’s protection – Sigmund Freud

Hollywood may have mocked fathers, they are also leading the way with a subtle cry for real fathers to arise. This can be seen in the underlying problem within the storyline of movies for decades, the need for a father:

Batman Begins
Gladiator
Field of Dreams
Good Will Hunting
Million Dollar Baby
Slum Dog Millionaire
Kingdom of Heaven
Cinderella
Recentley Robin Hood and Thor

The results of this fatherless generation are staggering. Children from fatherless homes account for:

• 63% of youth suicides.
• 90% of all homeless and runaway children
• 85% of all youths in prison
• 71% of pregnant teens
• 70% of all juvenile in institutions
• 85% of rapists
• 85% of behavior disorders
• 75% of chemical abusers

“A community that allows large numbers of young men to grow up in broken families dominated by women, never acquiring any stable relationship ship with male authority, never acquiring any expectations about the future- that community asks for and gets chaos.” 1965 Senator Patrick Moynihan

Since that day the number of fatherless children has more than doubled. In the last decade, Conservative estimates have American taxpayers spending 112 billion dollars annually on fatherlessness and single parent homes. More legislation, more demands for justice, more pressure will not change these statistics.  There is only one thing that will change this problem.  It was written over 2000 years ago by the prophet Malachi foreseeing this epidemic:

Malachi 4:5-6 – Behold, I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.

We can see God’s heart in this matter.  Many will become angry here since we ultimately blame Him (God) for this mess, yet He was trying to offer the solution. How we view our natural father relationship is how we view God.  It is time to allow HIS real identity to be revealed.  It is our relationship with Him as our Father in honor and trust that we change this cycle.  Ultimately we take on the identity and role of our father.

A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation.  God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity;” Psalm 68:5-6a (This is God’s desire)

How do we swing this pendulum?  We begin by engaging God into this father/child relationship.  When we begin to experience Him standing behind us when we venture into the unknown, encouraging us to move forward unashamed when failure has shattered our dreams and listening to His words, “you are my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased,” in spite of your performance.  We will begin looking at our children and others around us from a new light.

Jesus closed His walk on earth with this prayer from John 17: 22-23, “And the glory which You gave me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one; I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved me.” vs. 25-26 “O Righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that you sent me.  And I have declared it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”  This is our hope, now let’s engage.

It is time to make fathering famous!

No Shame

The book of Judges chapter 11 introduces us to the unique character Jephthah.  “A mighty man of Valor, but he was the son of a harlot.”  What an introduction, “Mighty and valiant, but…he was the son of a prostitute.”  To add fuel to the fire as he grew older his brothers from another mother told him,”you shall have no inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.” Jephthah is forced out on his own, in shame. He leaves for the land of Tob where worthless men banded together under him.

It is here where choices are made.  It would be easy and justifiable to some to become bitter and allow the shame of the situation to consume the heart.  However, this was not the case for Jephthah who was noted in Hebrews as a man of faith who did not let bitterness take root.  Instead he grew stronger, deeper and became a man of influence in his circle. Apparently he developed a reputation as a warrior. For when the threat of an invasion of the Ammonites loomed over Israel, who did they call? The man of character, strength and valor, Jephthah. He went on to lead Israel for 6 years until his death.

Shame is a robber and is after your future. This evil can be ruthless and is a core tactic of the enemy.  This public enemy number one was battled all the way to the cross where victory was finally found.  Hebrews 12:2 – For the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross despising the shame. Jesus despised it, setting his face like a rock knowing he will not be put to shame. We too have this victory.  Romans 10:11 – Whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.

Jephthah discovered that if the shame of life, that is many times out of our control, does not take root in our heart we can see a life of great reward.

Kindness Defined (Part 2)

Previously, http://wp.me/p120f8-1i, we brought new light to the word “kindness”.  The following clip brings the imagery of kindness to the forefront.  As a father of royalty calls forth his lost son, whose identity has been lost, into a new world.  The video shows that the giver must first step out of his world into another and the benefactor must receive the gift.

Kindness Defined

Yesterday during a talk to a group of men we discussed a word that has often been misunderstood, kindness.  Kindness is not simply holding a door open, being nice to a stranger or bringing home flowers to you wife.  These  are great things to do and recommended to every married man, but it is not what defines kindness.

Kindness can be best defined by seeing it in action.  I Samuel 18 and II Samuel 9 defines this through the story of Jonathan and David.  The scene opens with son of King Saul, Jonathan (an heir to the thrown of Saul), asking his best friend David to make a promise to him.  The promise is that when David becomes king he will show kindness to Jonathan’s children.  David agrees.

Years later David finds himself at the end of all his running from being hunted by King Saul.  Saul and Jonathan are killed on the battlefield and now David is placed into position as the King.  When word is spread to Saul’s family and they run as they fear for their lives.  As was custom of that day, if a new kingdom is established the old leading family was destroyed to prevent a future uprising. As the family flees Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth, who is five,  is dropped on the way leaving him permanently crippled. They flee to a land that is desolate and unfruitful to live out their days vanquished from their kingdom.

After David secures his kingdom and order.  He asked if their was anyone of Jonathan’s house that he could show his KINDNESS..  David’s staff found one, Mephibosheth (who we will call Meph), and David sent for him.

Meph was brought into the thrown room where he fell on his face before David saying, “here is your servant.” David began to pour out his kindness on Meph.  This action was not because of Meph’s performance, but because of a promise made to Jonathan by David for the heirs of Jonathan. (Whew, that was a mouthful.) In other words, Meph was simply a beneficiary of the actions of another. This was the kindness that was shown:  Meph was given all the lands of his grandfather King Saul and he was given a place to eat at the kings table the rest of his days.  Kindness simply means to make of like kind, equal identity.  Meph went from royalty, to a crippled outcast, to restoration in the court of the new king with all the benefits and perks.  He was not a pity case to be looked down on, but now c0nsidered an equal in the the court of David. This was the kindness of David.

Then the stakes went higher. David said, “I want to show you the Kindness of God.”  This is included not just the restoration of lands, a seat at the kings table, but David made him like a son.  This picture is the same as what we received by God.  He showed us His kindness by restoring us into the position of His beloved sons.  Their is one string attached, he had to leave his old kingdom he possessed, deserted Lo Debar, and step up into a new kingdom that he did not earn or deserve.

Psalms 63:3 says, “that His loving kindness is better than life.” Why? because he restores us into a position far above the life we could make for ourselves.  His Kindness is not passive, weak and superficial.  It is an invitation to be a joint heir of His Kingdom, with all His power and benefits. Not because of your performance or behavior, but because of what Jesus had promised.

What happened to the men?

Comments on an article about the police of the Third Reich

Hitler did not rise out of mastery of leadership and wit, nor out of his great oratory and writing skills. He seized an opportunity within a nation who lost economic hope. Those who opposed his moral stand covered their eyes.

Why does this happen?  How do men, which were the primary gender on the police force, easily go along easily with a man like Hitler or any other evil for this matter. May I propose – Economic despair.

Genesis 3:17 -“… cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life; ¹⁸ thorns and thistles it shall bring forth to you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. ¹⁹ In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Men find their identity and value in what the produce or provide.  Their value in their home is stemmed to their production and provision.  When Adam ate of the tree in the Garden of Eden, God told him a curse would now affect all of man.  Before this, Adam’s identity was based on his position of ruler over the creation.  He had food, provision, covering and he went about bringing identity to all the creation.  With a faithful partner, Eve, they named the animals and cared for creation.  Adam and Eve were one. Their identity was in the relationship with the Creator.  They were superiority was clear and their relationship was sound.  They didn’t rule over each other nor were the created to rule over other men and women.  Through the identity as being created in God’s image they were free to live.

Now, it was every one for themselves. They lost the key element that their life depended on – identification with God.  Now they would be identified by what they did with their hands and not who they were.  The rules had changed, the dirt, which they once had dominion over would dictate the life of man and the woman would be subject to his inferiority, instead of being a valued partner.  Insecurity would rise in the female as she tried to rise over man’s inadequacy.  Fueling the wedge that would produce societies which devalued women to the degree of making them cheap property.  In other cultures, men become passive as women dominate compounding even more shame on the weakness of men.  Both produce their own evils and the partnership which should be mended becomes an even deeper divide. What a mess!

Mankind’s heart longs to rule again, we want to connect with what frees us from our weakness. Throughout the ages men like Hitler and Stalin have gained ascendancy because they represent a dominance that is a perverted answer to heart desire of superiority and security. This type of identity always requires the ruling over and suppressing of others.

There is only one solution, we need to connect to the one who created us. Free from the shame that has haunted man for thousands of years.  Being restored back to the position that was originally intended for us by the Maker Himself.

Samson – “the misfit” – Part 2

Continued from part 1 -

Descending the stairs into C-Block I received the usual glances from the inmates in the rec area.  The deputy on duty greeted me and opened the training room door where the bible study was held.  With a loud voice the deputy shouted, “Bible Study!”

I set my books down inside the room and greeted the men as they entered   My mind began to ponder where we go now with this new direction. After sitting down one of the men opened in prayer.  I then posed the question, “What comes to your mind when you think of Samson?”  Delilah, man’s failures, superhuman strength, defeat were just some of the responses.  Honestly, these were my shared responses as well.  Until we actually read the story in light of God’s perspective.

Here we begin the lesson.

(NOTE:  The following has been adapted to include ten months of study)

Beginning in Judges 13:1, we discover that the Philistines had oppressed the Israelites for at least 20 years (or 40 years depending on when Samson came on the scene.)  When a people are oppressed for a long period of time they begin to adapt and modify to the oppressor.  Remember the greatest weapon in the hand of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed. What happens then is salvation comes, an answer to our oppression, but we want to reject it because the appearance is not packaged as we expected.  Somehow it needs to come at the convenience of our world, identity, and comfort.  This became true to me when I talked to a young man with a cane.  I had asked him how his life had changed since he damaged his leg and now has constant pain. At first he was bitter, but now he receives his schooling paid and income.  “I am in no rush for it to get better,” he told me.  Don’t get to uppity over his last comment.  We all have done this in some area of our life.

Back to the story. An angel appears to a woman who was unable to have children.  Tells her in verse 3 what SHE must do and that no razor should come on his head.  This man would be a Nazirite to God from birth and he will begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistine.

A Nazirite, according to Numbers 6:1-21, was required to take a vow that required a sacred consecration of their life to God.  There was a specific period of time for the vow.  During this time they were not allowed to touch any fruit from the vine (ie., wine, grape juice, grapes, not even the skin from a grape).  They could not come into contact with anything dead or bring a razor to their head.

The father, Manoah, now enters the scene and the wife tells him of this angel that appears.  He is not satisfied so he wants to meet this Angel and ask (vs.8), “what shall WE do for this child.”  Angel returns, but Manoah is not there (there could be a whole book written on that subject).  The barren woman goes and brings her husband, Manoah, back to the Angel and he asks (vs. 12), “What will be the boys rule(s) of life, and his work.”  Not an unusual question unless you missed the PURPOSE for the child.  This idea runs through our social circles as well, “how do we conform or legislate God’s idea into our box?” These Isrealites needed deliverance, yet the focus was not on the GRACE  God had bestowed, but on mans WORK to see it come to pass.  This would be Manoah’s challenge, entering into the meaning of his own name, “place of rest.”

The angel quickly addresses the man (vs. 13), “Of all that I said to the woman let her be careful.”  The best development for Samson was the father watching out for his wife in order for the deliverer to be revealed. This is what Joseph did for Mary and what a deliverer we received.

Samson is now birthed into the world with a secret, a power the underworld feared, but to those needing deliverance a misfit.  This concept runs through the annuls of history, both in fiction superhero’s to modern day leaders.  I was reminded by my seven year old girl about Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and the Island of misfit toys.  Rudolph’s nose did not fit in and his father tried to cover it up to his own embarrassment.  The father believing he was doing something noble was actually cheating one foggy Christmas from Santa’s visit.   It was on the island of misfit toys Rudolph unashamedly discovers his gift.

Back to real world.  This frustration and ultimately isolation followed Samson all the way to his death. We talk about the unique gifts and purposes that lie on the inside of every individual. Yet, we as parents or leaders try to legislate it in those we birth or discover. We try to shape them into what we can manage, but deliverers cannot be made with cookie cutters . . . they are revealed and released. They are like all the other great men (and women) misfits to the status quo.

To be continued…

Samson “the misunderstood” – Part 1

Returned two days ago from a gathering of men in Gastonia, NC, which I spoke.  My mind is still contemplating the interactions, message and effects of the trip.  One of the ideas that was forefront was the musings on  Samson and how we can learn so much from this man’s life and the image of him we share.  As I laid out the ideas of this man’s life it became visible in the face of the listeners that Samson was not a story of failure, bad decisions and what not to do with your life. Rather it was a story of a man who faced fear, loneliness, rejection, and opposition . . . victoriously.  Well, maybe not in man’s eyes or mine at first, but clearly in the eyes of God.

This journey into the life of Samson began on a Tuesday afternoon in February 2010.  I was heading down into the C Block of the County Jail on my way to speak to the inmates.  This had been a regular event for about eight months.  Walking through each check point the crash of the iron door behind me reminded me of where I was, more importantly where these men were.  As I talked with God about what was prepared, he spoke clearly to me, “Samson.” “No,”  I thought to myself.   “We do not need another message of what not to do, the importance of keeping your vows and of course prostitutes and Delilah. “  I heard his voice again with a question, but this time with more clarification, “What do I think about Samson?”  My mind raced and remembered Hebrews.  Did not remember the verse so I flipped my bible open and raced through the pages in search of an underlined area that would assist in my location of the verse.  And I saw it in chapter 11 and verses 32-34, man of faith whom God was pleased.  If God was pleased with Samson why has Sunday school, church and teachers created such a negative image of this man.  More importantly what was God wanting me to share with the inmates this morning.

Here begins our journey and through the next series of blogs we will expose the cover up and the greatness of Grace.

To be continued…