Love people, not sin

There has been a lot of thoughts put out about Christianity and homosexuality in the past few months. I think this is actually ignoring a lot of other issues that affect many more people and will try to address the larger framework briefly here:

1. I am to love my neighbor as myself. (Matthew 22:37-40) To do that I have to know what kind of person is my neighbor and who am I?

2. We have ALL sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) This doesn't sound like a big deal, because who's perfect, right? Well it is a big deal, because our sin makes us unable to live in Heaven with God without accepting Jesus' sacrifice for my sins and His Lordship over my life.

3. So that means I'm good to do whatever I want as a Christian, right? Not quite. When Jesus prevented the women caught committing adultery from getting stoned, he didn't encourage another affair. He told her to "sin no more". (John 8:1-11) When he met the Samaritan woman at the well living with a man out of wedlock, he didn't celebrate her "independence". Instead He offered her the "Living Water". (John 4) We are not called to celebrate sin, but to love sinners and point people toward Jesus because they need Him, like I need Him.

So, this means that we are to love people because we are all sinners in need of the Saviour. Being saved doesn't excuse sinning and we certainly don't celebrate sinning. But we don't let Satan rule our future with our past either, we go forth with the goal to sin no more.

What are you doing to make sure that people still feel your love while hating sin?

Wanna Second Chance?

I had the opportunity to watch the Texas Rangers beat the Boston Red Sox earlier this week. Our seats were in right field, so we got to watch Josh Hamilton up close. For those of you who don’t know, Josh Hamilton’s story is quite amazing (text, video). Mr. Hamilton spent over 2 years out of baseball due to drug and alcohol addictions and returned to become a great major league player. He now uses his story to share his faith in Christ with others.

The Bible lets us know that God is a fan of second chances. The parable of the prodigal son is certainly a reminder of this, but there are actual accounts in the Bible as well. Samson lost his strength after giving into the whims of an ungodly woman, but God allowed his strength to return to show God’s glory. Peter denied Christ 3 times, yet was given the privilege of preaching a sermon where 3,000 were saved. Saul lost his sight while traveling to Damascus to kill Christians, but God restored his sight allowing him to become one of the greatest apostles responsible for many of the New Testament churches.

It is has been said that the way back to God is to just turn around. He is slow to anger and delights in mercy. Will you accept His mercy and return to His love today?

Playing a Full 48 Minutes

Professional basketball coaches will often talk about the importance of playing a full 48 minutes of a basketball game. This is especially true when their team played well most of the game and let things get out of hand for just a few critical minutes. The interesting thing about that is we don’t necessarily know which minutes will look most critical at the end of the game…or we would play our hardest during those times.

What are the most critical things for us? Proverbs 3:1-4 says “My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commandments in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity. Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.” What commandments are most important to follow? Jesus was asked this question and said “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the prophets hang on these 2 commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

So, God wants us to play a “full 48 minutes” for Him. He wants ALL of your heart…ALL of your soul AND ALL of your mind. He wants you to keep His commandments in your heart because He knows they will bring you good things. Do you believe Him? Do your actions say you believe Him? If you don’t like your answer, ask the great physician to work a change in your heart and see the wondrous work He will start in you.

Who’s Your Neighbor?

If you haven’t heard Michael Oher’s story, you are in for a treat (ESPN video). Mr. Oher grew up homeless as 1 of 16 children and quit school to avoid being placed into foster care. A neighbor helped Mr. Oher become enrolled at a local Christian school in spite of concerns of his 0.6 GPA. Mr. Oher was walking from school in shorts and a t-shirt in the snow one day when the Tuohy family stopped and began to take him in gradually…first clothes, meals, and spending the night a few times per week…eventually leading to the Tuohy family adopting Mr. Oher. Mr. Oher blossomed in this loving environment boosting his GPA to 2.65 and being recruited to a SEC football program. Mr. Oher’s football career at Ole Miss was so successful that he was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of this year’s NFL draft.

If something like this sounds familiar, it should. Jesus provided the parable of the Good Samaritan to answer an expert in Jewish law who asked, “…who is my neighbor?” This parable shows us that offering God’s love and mercy to others is more important than rules for religion’s sake (Luke 10:29-37). Also, a lame man had 4 friends who knew he needed to meet Jesus (Mark 2:2-12). They climbed up to the roof since the house was already full and opened a hole big enough to lower their friend down to meet Jesus. Jesus healed the man’s soul in addition to giving him the ability to walk (talk about hitting the jackpot!).

Unfortunately, we will come up against naysayers when we are obedient to God’s desire for us to show His love and grace to others. Other parents at the school Mr. Oher attended asked why they would let a black man live under the same roof as their white daughter. Similarly, some people questioned Jesus for healing a man on the Sabbath (Mark 3:1-5).

Neighbors are NOT defined by location, class, or status. If God has specially and wonderfully made someone to exist, that person is of great value. He tells us that he will come look for the 1% even if 99% are still in their place (Matthew 18:12-14). So, let’s extend God’s grace and love to our neighbors regardless of the consequences from others.

Don't Give Up...Don't Ever Give Up

Some of you may have noticed that ESPN has been running events and promos highlighting the Jimmy V foundation during the past couple of weeks. Jim Valvano, or Jimmy V as he is more affectionately called, was the head coach of the NC State team that pulled a miraculous upset over Hakeem Olajwon and the University of Houston to win the 1983 national championship in basketball. The jubilation and excitement was evident as Jimmy V danced across the court. This normally would be the thought of as the greatest moment in a head coach's career. Jimmy V was not your normal basketball coach. His last mission after being diagnosed with cancer was to start a foundation to help save lives by helping find cures for cancer. His speech from the 1993 ESPY awards program still plays 15 years later on national TV and has millions of hits on YouTube. Cancer didn't defeat Jimmy V....it gave him focus for his passion and his perseverance created a lasting legacy.

Hearing Jimmy V's famous speech, my thoughts can't help but to turn to Philippians 3:13-14 "...Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Acts 20:24 teaches us a similar lesson in regards to focus "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to God's grace." If we can stay passionate in our focus for sharing God's grace, then we can say like Paul at the end of his life "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7).

So, what can we do to press on and finish the race strong? Well, we can be prepared through: 1) staying in constant communication with God through prayer, 2) reading the playbook (Bible), 3) spending time in the video room (remembering what God has done in our own lives), and 4) having a group of mentors/friends that provide God-guided counsel. Utilizing these tools to be solidly prepared, we can more fully understand God's love and grace and share why no one should ever want to be separate from God. As we are in the midst of the Christmas season, do you know of someone who needs to know God's love more? What good words will you have for them?

Playoffs and Focus

We are on the eve of the baseball playoffs and 8 teams have the opportunity to end the year as World Series champions. For the next month, individuals on these teams will have a single focus...everything else is comes second to winning that title. Have you ever felt that way...whether it was about a friend, girl/boyfriend, family member, or work? If so, you know how your thoughts can be a runaway train and everything else is an afterthought.

We all know that a single focus on another human or a secular event can have adverse consequences. Maybe you've seen the person who plastered himself into a wall just to look at a beautiful lady/gentleman for one more second...or seen the person who got in a car wreck because they were texting on their cell phone while driving.

Now flip the switch...what if our sole focus was on God? We are told that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, wisdom, and discipline (Proverbs 1:7). We are also told to meditate on the God's word day and night, that we may be careful to do everything in it (Joshua 1:8). Psalm 84:10 reminds us that one day in God's courts are better than 1,000 days anywhere else. The beautiful thing about this is that serving others is part of our single focus on God. Jesus told us that the most important commandment in the Law is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind...Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the prophets hang on these two commandments (Matthew 22:37-40).

I don't know about you...but if Jesus tells us 2 principles to follow will help us be right in every other area of our lives, it's good enough and you can lock it up and take it to the bank (not only is Jesus better than Tiger and Shaft...He's also better than banks). We love to focus so much on things that will only let us down with time....let's flip the switch and focus on the one who is the great I Am...because at the end of the day if God is for us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31)?

Building a Legacy

If you haven't heard, tonight marks the final game to be played at historic Yankee Stadium. Which got me to thinking about how I will be remembered when I am no longer around (i.e. moving for a new job, new set of circumstances that don't allow interaction with with as many people, or the end of this life). Will I be remembered as a good pharmacist, teacher, or colleague? Or as the guy who used to host some fun parties and some Bible studies? Or as a good friend? Or as a man who loved God with all his heart? How would you be remembered if you moved to a different city tomorrow?

Roy Hobbs said in the movie The Natural that he wanted folks to remember him as “the greatest hitter there ever was”. We are told to use what God has given us in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30). We are also taught that to be the greatest in God's kingdom we must become the least (Mark 10:44-45). Furthermore, we are told that working for God's kingdom will come at a price in this world...”If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to world it would love you as it own...That is why the world hates you” (John 15:18-19). However, one of the greatest legacies possible for a human is for God to say “well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21). Another is how David is described as a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22). I know that work, friends, and family are all battling for our attention...but when it is time for us to move on, God's legacy is the only one worth leaving.

Mice and Men

Have you ever wanted something so bad that I drove your focus in all areas of life? I know I have. I thought I was leaving St. Louis for only one year after pharmacy school to get a view of the "outside world" and then return to St. Louis for my specialty residency and faculty position. Little did I know that God had much different plans for me that would take me to San Antonio for a year and then to Dallas. I wondered why roadblocks were keeping me away from St. Louis while applying for these positions…what I didn't realize is that I was about to find a great group church, fantastic group of friends, and wonderful career in Dallas. It turns out that the best laid plans of mice and men don't come close to stacking up to God's plans for us.

You might say, "Well, that's your opinion" or "you still didn't get what you asked for". True...but let me share a few examples with you to show God's consistency in His word. Jonah was quite unhappy with God for asking him to go to Nineveh and tried to run opposite of God's will (Jonah 1:1-3). God used this experience to teach Jonah about His compassion and for people (Jonah 4:1-11). David was not happy about being chased endlessly by his enemies, but God used his circumstances to teach David about God's unfailing love (Psalm 13:1-6)…David goes on in the next chapter to say how only the fool denies God. So, let us remember that God is with us not only on the mountaintop, but also in the valley...and He is worthy of our love, worship, and obedience in both places.

Meatloaf and Manna

Have you ever been to a dinner table and heard the expression "Oh no…meatloaf again" (feel free to insert your own dish here)? The Israelites complained about eating manna every day and not having meat to eat (Numbers 11:6). They were so frustrated that they claimed they would be better off back in Egypt (Numbers 11:18). Obviously, the Israelites were so frustrated that they forgot that God delivered them from Egypt by parting the Red Sea and drowning the Egyptian army (Exodus 14:26-31) and the promised land still to be given to them (Exodus 4:16-17).

Before we say that we would never be like that, how often do we say how much better things would be if God would only give us this or that? What is it in your case…a raise, a promotion, a fancier car, a nicer place to live, more or better friends, a husband/wife, a child…something else? Have we forgotten what God has already done for us (John 3:16) and what He has promised to do for us (Jeremiah 29:11, John 14:1-4)?

The funny thing about thinking that anything other than God will complete our joy is that it will always leave us wanting more. Wyatt Earp asked in the movie Tombstone, "What makes a man like Ringo, Doc, makes him do the things he does?" To which Doc Holliday answers, "A man like Ringo got a has great empty hole running right through the middle of him...he can never kill enough, or steal enough, or inflict enough pain to ever fill it." Only God can make the joy of our salvation complete (Psalm 51:12) and our obedience to His commands allows us remain in His love (John 15:9-11).

Perfect Games and Misdemeanors

Have you ever heard someone (maybe even yourself) talk about generally being a good person…not committing any of the "big" sins. The person makes it sound like their sins are misdemeanors and that the "big" sins are felonies that God cannot redeem. This just sounds plain silly to me (although I've been guilty of this thinking before myself). Have you ever seen a pitcher pitch a perfect game that just gave up a walk or an error instead of a game-losing home run? Anything less than perfection is not a perfect game and anything less than a life without sin is less than perfection.

Fortunately for us, God is able to forgive all sins…little ones, big ones, even seemingly unforgivable ones (John 3:16-18). The only sin that God will not cover is a person who never admits his sin and never accepts Christ as Lord to receive His gifts of salvation and eternal life. When people were ready to stone an adulteress, Christ said that he who has no sin should cast the first stone…and suddenly everyone accusing the woman was gone…Christ then told her to go and sin no more (John 8:3-11). Let's learn from this example in two ways: 1) being thankful for Christ's sacrifice, love, and mercy and 2) let us offer that mercy to others that has so freely been given to us.

Conversation with a Russian Cab Driver

I'll probably never forget my first cab ride to Beverly Hills. I landed at LAX for a professional meeting. I had no idea that I was about to be in for a terrific conversation when my driver picked me up. While we were going through a Jewish community, we started talking about how if someone saved our lives from being shot with a bullet (run over by a vehicle, stabbed, etc.) how thankful we would be. We would be telling all of our friends, our family, and people we didn't even know. It wouldn't matter if it was in a church, board meeting, airport, or bar. And every time we saw something that reminded us of that person it would remind us of how lucky we are to be alive.

At that point, the switch was flipped. How often do we tell people about Jesus and what He has done for us? Do other people see the joy in our lives from the Holy Spirit living inside of us? Wouldn't we want to do everything we could to show Jesus how thankful we are for His sacrifice? Someone saving me from a bullet saves me temporarily from physical death…Jesus saves our souls permanently and offers us eternal life.

One way we can show our appreciation for what Jesus has done for us is to obey God's commands. Jesus told us to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). We are also told to pray without ceasing (1st Thessalonians 5:17), and to exhibit the "be" attitudes (Matthew 5:3-10). And when Jesus was asked the greatest commandment in the Law, He stated that we should "Love the Lord your God with all your hear and with all your soul and with all your mind…Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:37-39). In other words, We have a lot to be thankful for…let's act like it.