faith

Known by the Scars

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / Leave a comment

I had one of those wow moments when I was flipping channels recently. I came across a discussion group involving Ann Voskamp, Sheila Walsh, and a few others. One of them said that so many of us base our identity on the wounds that others have inflicted on us rather than on the wounds that Jesus bore for us. That was a WOW moment that left me Without Words.

I think it’s telling that in one miracle, Jesus asks a paralytic if he wants to be well. You would think it would be a Captain Obvious question with the inevitable answer of YES, but then so many of us have built so much of our identities around our pain and our hurt that we wouldn’t have anything left if our affliction were suddenly taken away.

A better way is to be identified with the Suffering Servant who was wounded for our transgressions, who bore scars on His hands, feet and side from taking the punishment that we deserved on Himself. This is the Jesus who still bears those scars even in Heaven.

All of us will be called at some point to suffer for the cause of Christ. Some will suffer physically. Some even to the point of death. One of the greatest honors I can think of is to bear wounds and scars from following Jesus faithfully through opposition, trials, suffering, and pain. Maybe too some of us will bear scars in heaven.

I do know for sure that Jesus was willing to lay down His life for each and every one of us. Your and my identity rests in the fact that God so loved us that He gave His only Son, Jesus, so that we should not be lost but have real, abundant, and eternal life in and with God. We are no longer strangers and aliens, outcasts with no hope or future but children of God, the Bride of Christ, and beloved.

Chariots of Fire

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / 1 Comment

One of my favorite movies of all time, Chariots of Fire, is based on an actual true story. The film is an account of the life of Eric Liddell, or at least the part of his life where he chooses between going to China to be a missionary and training for the Olympic games.

The movie hit theaters back in 1981. I can’t say with 100% confidence that everything portrayed in the movie is the way it actually happened. Hollywood does tend to take liberties for the sake of dramatic tension and for those feel-good moments.

I can say that the real Eric Liddell was willing to live and die for the sake of the gospel. He ended up going to China after the 1924 Olympics (spoiler alert), where he remained until his death in 1945. He literally sacrificed his life at age 43 for Christ because he felt that to lose your life is to gain it and to die for Christ is gain.

These are his actual words that reflect the heart of a true missionary and follower of Jesus Christ:

“I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Creator, infinitely holy and loving, who has a plan for the world, a plan for my life, and some daily work for me to do. I believe in Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God, as Example, Lord, and Savior. I believe in the Holy Spirit who is able to guide my life so that I may know God’s will; and I am prepared to allow him to guide and control my life. I believe in God’s law that I should love the Lord my God with all my heart, and with all my soul, and with all my mind, and with all my strength; and my neighbor as myself. I believe it is God’s will that the whole world should be without any barriers of race, color, class, or anything else that breaks the spirit of fellowship. To believe means to believe with the mind and heart, to accept, and to act accordingly on that basis” (Eric Liddell).

Befriending Your Pain

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / Leave a comment

Note: this was originally posted on October 10, 2021:

“I want to say to you that most of our brokenness cannot be simply taken away. It’s there. And the deepest pain that you and I suffer is often the pain that stays with us all our lives. It cannot be simply solved, fixed, done away with. . . . What are we then told to do with that pain, with that brokenness, that anguish, that agony that continually rises up in our heart? We are called to embrace it, to befriend it. To not just push it away . . . to walk right over it, to ignore it. No, to embrace it, to befriend it, and say that is my pain and I claim my pain as the way God is willing to show me his love” (Henri Nouwen).

C. S. Lewis said that God speaks to us through our pain. Oftentimes, pain is the only way for God to get our attention, distracted as we are by our pleasures and pursuits. Living in a beautiful but broken world, it’s not hard to find pain. God simply uses that pain to speak to us, to gently remind us that He is near, to mold us into something closer to His likeness.

God of this City

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / Leave a comment

I confess that I have had a certain worship song on my mind for quite some time. The song is God of This City, as recorded by Chris Tomlin in 2011 for his Hello, Love album. My church is in the middle of a Pursue campaign, part of which is for the purchase and renovation of a facility for my campus, The Church at Avenue South.

The song originated from a mission trip to Pattaya, Thailand and speaks to how where God is present, better things are still to come. It fits with what I believe God is doing in the city of Nashville. I believe God will use all nine of Brentwood Baptist Church’s regional campuses, including The Church at Avenue South, to start an awakening in this city.

Also, I can’t believe this song is already 13 years old.

“You’re the God of this city
You’re the King of these people
You’re the Lord of this nation
You are

You’re the light in this darkness
You’re the hope to the hopeless
You’re the peace to the restless
You are

There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this city
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this city

You’re the God of this city
You’re the King of these people
You’re the Lord of this nation
You are

You’re the light in this darkness
You’re the hope to the hopeless
You’re the peace to the restless
You are

There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this city
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this city

Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done here

There is no one like our God
There is no one like you, God

For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this city
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done

We believe, we believe in you, God

Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this city
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done here
Greater things, still to be done here” (Aaron Boyd / Andrew Mccann / Ian Jordan / Peter Comfort / Peter Kernaghan / Richard Bleakley).

Kissing a Few Frogs

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / Leave a comment

In a business setting, to kiss a few frogs means that you don’t quit on your first mistake or your first failure. You keep going. You keep dreaming and trying new things and hoping for the best until one of those hare-brained schemes finally works.

I think the same goes for car shopping. None of the cars I’ve looked at have been frogs by any means, but none of them were the one for me to drive home and call my own.

I’ve learned a bit in the experience of looking for a Wrangler. I’ve been able to refine what I consider must-haves and nice-to-haves. I still don’t want any manual windows. Been there, done that, got rained on a few times.

I’d prefer a 2-door, but I’m not opposed to a 4-door for the right price. I’m pretty sure I want a hard top and normal tires (as opposed to the oversized off-road tires).

I still can’t see myself in any other car but a red one. My faithful audience expects me to pull up in a red Jeep, and I just can’t disappoint.

Above all, this is one more way that God is using to strengthen my prayer life. I keep going back to that prayer of Jehosaphat from 2 Chronicles 20:12: “We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

I’m praying and believing that God will lead me to the right Jeep at the right time not because I am so faithful to pray and so diligent in my faith but because He is faithful to His promises and He remembers me when I forget.

So here’s to more coffee and carsguru.com and lots more praying. And maybe a few weeks from now, I’ll have a update post with color pictures and everything.

The Smallest Blessing

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / Leave a comment

“Be thankful for the smallest blessing, and you will deserve to receive greater. Value the least gifts no less than the greatest and simple graces as especial favors. If you remember the dignity of the Giver, no gift will seem small or mean, for nothing can be valueless that is given by the most high God” (Thomas a Kempis).

First off, you should find a copy of The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis and read it as soon as humanly possible. This book is a timeless classic that has stood the proverbial test of time and remains relevant.

But also, if you want to step into all the fullness of God’s provision and blessing, you need to appreciate what you have. You need to learn how to give thanks for the smallest blessings that are easy to miss and take for granted. And by you, I mean me. I need to do these things.

Also, if you feel stuck in a phase of your life, you might want to see if there are any areas in your life where you are being disobedient to a command of God. There’s probably something that God wants you do to but that you have not done because you simply don’t want to do it. And again, by you I mean me.

The most clear part of God’s will is in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 where it says to rejoice always, give thanks in everything, and pray without ceasing (not necessarily in that order). The verse explicitly says that this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

In other words, learn to cultivate an attitude of joy, prayer, and thanksgiving. Learn to love what God loves and love who God loves. Always put others ahead of you and God above all. And remember that Christianity is not like all those other religions where the key word is DO, as in what must I DO to appease the deity, how can I make sure I’m good with my higher power, but Christianity’s key word is DONE, as in Jesus already fulfilled everything you need for heaven and all you need to DO is receive that gift of salvation by faith.

Do the Next Thing

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / 5 Comments

In case you couldn’t read the picture, here’s the poem in a little bigger font:

From an old English parsonage down by the sea
There came in the twilight a message to me;
Its quaint Saxon legend, deeply engraven,
Hath, it seems to me, teaching from Heaven.
And on through the doors the quiet words ring
Like a low inspiration: “DO THE NEXT THING.”

Many a questioning, many a fear,
Many a doubt, hath its quieting here.
Moment by moment, let down from Heaven,
Time, opportunity, and guidance are given.
Fear not tomorrows, child of the King,
Trust them with Jesus, do the next thing

Do it immediately, do it with prayer;
Do it reliantly, casting all care;
Do it with reverence, tracing His hand
Who placed it before thee with earnest command.
Stayed on Omnipotence, safe ‘neath His wing,
Leave all results, do the next thing.

Looking for Jesus, ever serener,
Working or suffering, be thy demeanor;
In His dear presence, the rest of His calm,
The light of His countenance be thy psalm,
Strong in His faithfulness, praise and sing.
Then, as He beckons thee, do the next thing.

That’s the key. As Oswald Chambers said, trust God and do the next thing. It’s not about figuring out God’s complete will for your life or knowing how the next six months or six years are going to play out.

Just be faithful with the next thing you know God wants you to do, be obedient to what you know Jesus has asked of you (pray always, be anxious for nothing, give thanks, stay grounded in God’s word), and keep your eyes on the next step on the walk of faith.

I don’t know who wrote the poem. I know Elisabeth Elliott quoted it. I know the words speak truth that I need to remember and heed.

Trust God and do the next thing.

Lesson from The Chosen

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / 1 Comment

I went to the theater to watch the first three episodes of the new season of The Chosen. The fact that I am voluntarily paying money to watch television in a movie theater is a bit mind-boggling when I really think about it, but I don’t regret it for one moment.

One moment that caught my attention was a conversation between Roman Gaius and the disciple Matthew. Bear in mind that Matthew used to work for Gaius as a tax collector [mild spoiler alert following].

Gaius remarks about how much more peaceful and relaxed Matthew is than in the olden days. Matthew’s reply is what made me sit up in my seat and pay attention. He said, “I have only one thing to do today. Follow Him. The rest takes care of itself.”

That sounds remarkably like a passage from Matthew’s gospel: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33, ESV).

It also served as a reminder to me that I don’t have to worry about so many things. It’s not my job to work out every detail of my future and worry myself sick over things like the next job or a new car or what may or may not happen to me or to those I love.

My job is to follow Jesus. My job is to seek after the things of God. If I do the first part, then naturally I will be doing the second. It’s impossible to be around Jesus and not love the things He loves and look more like Him a little more every day.

So maybe the lesson for today is to fret less and follow more.

Real Church

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / Leave a comment

“What if we take away the cool music and the cushioned chairs? What if the screens are gone and the stage is no longer decorated? What if the air conditioning is off and the comforts are removed? Would His Word still be enough for his people to come together?” (David Platt)

“Heresy of method may be as deadly as heresy of message” (A.W. Tozer).

I am the first to confess that I love technology. I especially love it when the church is able to incorporate talent and technology to advance the gospel in ways that were unthinkable even a generation ago. I love how we can reach all over the world with literally a tap of the finger and the power of social media and the world wide web.

But I wonder if sometimes we plan for talent and technology but leave no room for God’s Holy Spirit. I wonder that if the Holy Spirit were to depart from a church if it would cause the slightest ripple in the service that is pre-planned down to the second.

Again, I am all for worship not being all hap-hazard but well thought out. I just know that in many places around the world, people are worshipping without the comforts of padded pews or air conditioning or even buildings. Many of them meet in secret for fear of being arrested. Many know that to openly proclaim Jesus as Lord will cost them their lives. Yet they’re the ones worshipping in spirit and in truth while many of us here in America are worshipping in comfort and ease.

I’m afraid it will take the persecution of the Church in America to get us from lukewarm to faithful. I don’t mean the persecution of us getting our feelings hurt because people say things about us that are not nice. I mean persecution in the sense of some of us being dragged off to prison and maybe at some point people losing their lives for not denying the name of Jesus.

Lord, wake us up and make us faithful.

Wise Words from Amy Carmichael

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / Leave a comment

Amy Carmichael was a missionary to India for over 50 years without ever taking a furlough. She was involved in rescuing women and children from temple prostitution, so basically she was on the front lines against human trafficking way before that was a term.

She also wrote some beautiful and profound books. Here’s a taste of something she wrote that many of us will find helpful and timely in this day and age:

“Let us end on a very simple note: Let us listen to simple words; our Lord speak simply: “Trust Me, My child,” He says. ‘Trust Me with a humbler heart and a fuller abandon to My will than ever thou didst before. Trust Me to pour My love through thee, as minute succeeds minute. And if thou shouldst be conscious of anything hindering that flow, do not hurt My love by going away from Me in discouragement, for nothing can hurt so much as that. Draw all the closer to Me; come, flee unto Me to hide thee, even from thyself. Tell Me about the trouble. Trust Me to turn My hand upon thee and thoroughly to remove the boulder that has choked they river-bed, and take away all the sand that has silted up the channel. I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. I will perfect that which concerneth thee. Fear thou not, O child of My love; fear not.’

And now…to gather all in one page:

Beloved, let us love.

Lord, what is love?

Love is that which inspired My life, and led Me to My Cross, and held Me on My Cross. Love is that which will make it thy joy to lay down thy life for thy brethren.

Lord, evermore give me this love.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after love, for they shall be filled” (Amy Carmichael).