April 1, 2008 by craig.

When the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they were terrified and said, “This man really was God’s Son!” - Matt 27:54 (HCSB)

Continuing on with the events that occurred the moment Jesus died, take a look at the eyewitnesses. For them, this was a moment that took them to the extreme of human emotion. The words “very frightened” in the original language point to an utmost level of terror and dread.

But also for the eyewitnesses, this was a moment of clarity. It leads to an astounding confession of faith. Sadly, if you look back at v. 41-43, you’ll see an ironic twist. Those who should’ve been the first to confess the Lordship of Christ missed it! The honor was given to a band of worldly, rough-around-the-edges, pagan, Gentile soldiers. The first confession of faith. All they saw was a crucified Jew, but they hailed Him as the Son of God. That’s faith!

Now, let me just stop here and ask you - What would you have done with “the earthquake and the things that had happened?” Today, what do you do with the evidence? I believe each of us faces a “Centurion moment.” I believe there is a moment for all of us where we are pushed to the edge, to the extreme, and we see Jesus for Who He is. It’s just us and Him. When that happens for you, how will you respond? What will your confession be? Or if that moment happened in the past, how did you respond? How are you prepared to respond to seeing Him suffer, die, make available a way into the most holy, and change everything? Will you come with a balled-up fist as a mocker? Even one who on the outside has the “right look” & all the “right answers.” Or will you come on bended knee as a worshipper? Even one, like the rough old centurion and his staff, who does not look the part?

How will you respond?

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March 24, 2008 by craig.

“The tombs also were opened and many bodies of the saints who had gone to their rest were raised. And they came out of the tombs after His resurrection, entered the holy city, and appeared to many.” - Matt 27:52-53 (HCSB)

Many are confused by this event that also happened when Jesus died on the cross. But, we should actually be surprised if something like this was not recorded in the Bible! Think about it … Everything in the past pointed toward this. So many had longed to see the Messiah, the promised one of God. God had spoken of Him to Eve, Abram, Jacob, Moses, David, and of course, the prophets. All past events pointed in some way to this one!

When the Lord Jesus accomplished His work on the cross, there was a supernatural cosmic paradigm shift. There was deliverance and salvation now available! These were the first moments of the new age. This was the first peek at the cleared ledger. The holy expectation of the faithful was now realized. And it rocked the order of the way things had been. Something in heaven and earth got jarred loose in this detonation of justice and mercy. In this holy collision of sin and grace.

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March 13, 2008 by craig.

“the earth quaked and the rocks were split.” - Matt 27:51b (HCSB)

This event also occurred the moment Jesus died. Again, this is the action of none other than the Father Himself. As His heart was wrenching in pain, all creation was joining in the violent stirring. The supernatural was bleeding over into the natural. The very cosmos was shaken!

Why? Because one so innocent had taken on Himself the weight of the guilt of the entire human race. But could it also be that what Jesus had predicted only days before (Luke 19:40) was coming true? It reminds me of the song my church choir used to sing when I was a boy:

If we keep our voices silent,
All creation will rise and shout;
If we keep our voices silent,
Then will the very rocks cry out!

I want to get in on that kind of worship!

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March 11, 2008 by craig.

“Jesus shouted again with a loud voice and gave up His spirit. Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary was split in two from top to bottom.”
- Matt 27:50-51a (HCSB)

This curtain was the great physical division between the Holy Place in the Jerusalem Temple and the Most Holy Place. Literally in the original biblical language, the curtain was torn “from above, all the way to the lowest bottom.”

What was happening here? An act of God, fulfilling the requirement He Himself had set up. Honoring His holiness and at the same time breaking through with His love. God Himself was fulfilling what He had promised through the prophet Ezekiel: “My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be My people (Ezek 37:27, HCSB).”

Only God could make that right; only God could do away with the great gulf that sin had caused. And in a beautiful living picture of His mighty action, He separated the separation by tearing the curtain of division … from above, all the way to the very lowest bottom.

I believe that makes room for you & me.

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February 12, 2008 by craig.

Today is the birthday of one whom many consider to be the greatest president in USAmerican history - Abraham Lincoln. A man of immeasurable influence and, despite his untimely demise, a man of great success.

But was he always successful? A quick rundown of his life’s highlights (or lowlights) is revealing:

1816: His family was forced out of their home. He had to work to support them.

1860: Elected president of the United States.

It’s absolutely amazing what Lincoln’s perseverance accomplished. Lincoln knew something many people don’t. God places a high value on perseverance through life’s difficulties.

“Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. But perseverance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.”
– James 1:2-4

Consider the stick-to-it-ive-ness of our 16th President, and take heart!

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January 9, 2008 by craig.

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned;
struck down, but not destroyed.”
2 Cor. 4:8-9

Do you feel hard-pressed? Perplexed? Persecuted? Struck down? If you are seeking hard after God and His will like Paul was when he wrote this, you are probably not feeling this way because of sin, but because God is pruning you. And that’s not a bad thing, even if it may feel like it on the surface.

Jesus said, “… my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful” (John 15:1-2). After the frigid winter, the coming springtime will be a very welcome time of year! Which plants, shrubs, and trees will yield the richest buds, blooms, and fruit this year? Chances are it will be the ones that have been pruned by someone who has a masterful knowledge of those plants and a plan for what they need to grow into.

I look back at rough times in my life and now recognize them as times of pruning. Why? Because the most spiritually fruitful times in my life, and for the Kingdom of God through my life, have come in the season immediately afterwards.

Is that you? Are you there? If so, rest assured that the pruning shears are right where they need to be – in the Father’s hands. Have a happy new year as you keep this in mind!

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December 24, 2007 by craig.

Have you prepared room in your heart? Listen to this message.

Heading back to Texas after Christmas to see our families!

God bless you all & have the best Christmas yet!

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November 28, 2007 by craig.

Can you believe all the ways political correctness rears its ugly head during Christmas time? It seems like each year, things get a little more ridiculous. Christmas is now generically (and more importantly, unoffensively) referred to as “Holiday.” Nativity scenes are replaced with the Grinch or statues of gingerbread men (I’m sorry, gingerbread people). To keep kids from idolizing obesity, mall Santas have been asked to slim down (okay, that one may not be too bad). And now, I heard the other day on the radio that Santas have been advised to bellow a hearty “Ha Ha Ha” instead of the traditional “Ho Ho Ho” so that no women of questionable rebute will be offended. Where does it stop?

Let’s face it – there is nothing politically correct about Jesus. And that’s okay. He didn’t come to meet people’s expectations. He came to meet our biggest need – lostness, hopelessness, eternal separation from the Person and the destiny for which we were created. He came to save us – in spite of us. So, feel free to call it what it is – a birthday celebration for the King of Glory, the Word become flesh.

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November 19, 2007 by craig.

“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”
- Romans 12:11

In advertisements and interviews, we are constantly hearing people declare that they have a passion for this, that, or the other. Forget about the car manufacturers, artists, and actors for a minute. What is your passion? What is it that draws your ardent adoration and boundless enthusiasm? Let me remind you that we need to focus our passion not on something, but Someone. Before we can love doing the work of the Lord, we must be head over heels in love with Him. Then, and only then, will we be passionate about what draws His passion.

And what is that? This season as we intentionally focus on the birth of our Lord and His mission to come to earth and change human history, people everywhere will be offered a vivid reminder of what makes the heart of God beat a little faster … them. Christ gave everything to show that people are His passion. He laid everything on the line for people … people like you and me. Let God be honored as our passion conforms to His!

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October 30, 2007 by craig.

“I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out–plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen. “When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. “Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” GOD’s Decree.
Jeremiah 29:11-14a (The Message)

What is your image of God? What do you think His attitude is about you, your family, your future? Something that continues to amaze me about the heart of God is that He honestly and deeply cares about me and the things I care about. Does He have to? Absolutely not! He owes me nothing. Clearly, He loves me for free.

Not only that, He has plans for me and for you. Perfect plans. The plans that will enable us to get the very most out of this life that we possibly can.

Are you far from God? Good news. These words from Jeremiah were spoken when God’s own chosen people were far from Him and far from home. Today, God still has plans for you — in spite of you. No matter what you’ve done, no matter how far you’ve wandered, there is still a way back. That way is by getting serious about finding Him and wanting it more than anything else.

He, and He alone, will not disappoint. Ever.

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October 17, 2007 by craig.

Do you remember your eighth-grade grammar? That might be going back quite a way for some of us! Personally, I HATED English class and opted for the objectivity of a good ol’ math class! [I know, I know, nerd alert!]

Do you remember the difference between a first-person pronoun and a third-person pronoun? First-person shows one’s own action or perspective, with words like “I,” “My,” and “Me.” Third-person shows the action or perspective of someone else, with words like “He,” “His,” and “Him.” They are two very different kinds of words.

Nowhere are the differences greater than when we deal with the issue of salvation. Look at all the third-Person pronouns in this passage from the book of Titus:

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us,
not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.
He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.
- Titus 3:4-6

And also notice what few first-person pronouns there are.

So, just what exactly is the point? A brush-up on our grammar? Hardly. It’s more about getting a grasp of the salvation God has provided and made available to us, and our part in the process. Clearly, no matter how you slice it, God is the Initiator and Agent in salvation. And our part? We simply receive.

When you think about it, that’s really all that’s left to do.

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September 26, 2007 by craig.

Jesus was all man and all God. Completely human and, at the same time, divine through and through. His unique nature is a mystery of God that cannot be absorbed fully by our finite minds. Yet, the fact remains - Jesus was and is 100% man and 100% God.

His nature is not designed to confuse us, however (1 Cor. 14:33). He, being fully God (spirit), clothed Himself with our humanity (flesh) for a purpose! Who else, in all creation, shares that makeup of spirit and flesh? For two, the person reading this blog entry, and the person who has written it. You and I are both flesh and spirit. In fact, every human being ever born has existed on the physical and spiritual planes. Clearly, Jesus took on that makeup so we could identify with Him and He with us.

“Concerning His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was a descendant of David according to the flesh and was established as the powerful Son of God by the resurrection from the dead according to the Spirit of holiness (Romans 1:3-4).” Paul begins his letter to the Romans focusing on the Person of Jesus. According to this passage, one of the reasons Jesus exists in flesh is to fulfill prophecy about His family lineage. Jesus never did anything contrary to the will of God in His flesh - beginning with his very birth. How about you?

Jesus’s divinity has been established in the spiritual realm. His resurrection from the dead, brought about by the working of the Holy Spirit, is the ultimate evidence of that divine nature. He makes possible our own spiritual resurrection from the grip of death that sin held over us. This is also an example for our lives in the spiritual realm, that we might always stay in step with the working of the Holy Spirit.

Flesh AND spirit. We, like Christ, exist on both planes and can find only in Him the model for that kind of existence.

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September 17, 2007 by craig.

Would any of us dare hinder the work of Christ? We would almost instinctively say, “no way - not me! I would never keep God from doing all that He desires in my life, my family, or my church.” But, our personal disobedience in the seemingly “small things” can actually be an obstacle to His will from taking place in this world. That is a major consequence for something we may consider just little ol’ daily decisions.

Mark 1:43-45 gives us an interesting exchange between Jesus and a man He had just healed … “Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: ‘See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.’ Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.”

This man whom Jesus healed from leprosy made the choice to disobey the warning and the instructions Christ gave him. That violation of God’s will resulted in others missing out on what could have been. Blessings, teachings, even healings like he himself had experienced!

Even so, we’ve got to note that Christ’s sovereign plans are never thwarted. He still drew the people to Himself and passed on His intended blessings.

“So what,” you may say. “God’s will was still accomplished. Why make such a huge deal out of this one man’s disobedience?” Put yourself in this man’s shoes. Would you want to be remembered throughout all history as the one who was a hindrance to the perfect will of God in this phase of Jesus’s ministry on planet earth? Think before you act; weigh carefully the outcome of your disobedience. When Christ gives you a clear warning or command, your obedience must be complete, exact, and immediate.

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August 29, 2007 by craig.

I admit it. I’m a child of the 80’s (and some of the 70’s!). If that’s you, too, or if you ever even surfed through late night TV on Saturdays, you probably remember the rock-band-roadie wannabes who had their own cable show (how did THAT ever happen, by the way?) on SNL named Wayne Campbell & Garth Algar. After observing their quirky behavior in many sketches and in two motion pictures, we expected to hear certain catchphrases or see certain gestures from these guys. When they met up with a band or musician or actor they idolized, they would always respond with the chant “we’re not worthy!” accompanied with the repeated “falling prostrate” position offered before their admirees.

While that should also be our response in light of who receives the glory in life, I wonder, is that your response in thinking about the rewards of God? There is nothing wrong with thinking that God will reward us for living lives that glorify Him and expand His Kingdom here on earth. It’s not prideful to think about such things. We may be too “humble” or “shy” to think God would ever do anything like that. But very clearly in Scripture, He has a heart geared to rewarding you!

The Bible gives us a preview of Christ’s mindset when He appears at the end of time: “Look! I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me to repay each person according to what he has done.” - Rev 22:12 (HCSB) Wow! He is concerned with you and bringing rewards of blessing with Him. Not just any reward, but (did you notice?) His reward! A Jesus-sized payoff.

You’re ultimately right, Mr. Campbell and Mr. Algar. You’re not worthy. But God is generous. Remember, there’s a big difference between self-aggrandizing pride and putting high expectations on Him! Which are you about today?

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August 16, 2007 by craig.

This is it!  Welcome to the new blog. It seems that we are obsessed with the idea of newness. Think about it … the draw of a new store or a new neighborhood, how a new song on the radio by an artist is all the rage (and dropped completely from the rotation months later!), and of course, that new car smell!

How interesting to note that God gets that obsession. Actually, He doesn’t just get it. He created it and built it into every one of us. For it is a passion that originated with Him! As he showed a glimpse of the culmination of time, Jesus said to his dear friend John in Revelation 21:5 “Look! I am making everything new!”

Our Lord’s heart is excited and driven by newness. It is what He freely offers to you and me in the possibility of our becoming a “new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17) — to not just enjoy new things and experiences, but to be new and live out the newness!

I’m looking forward to adding new posts. For the time being, enjoy that new blog smell.

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