The Call to Do Nothing

"How can I kill the ones I'm supposed to love? My enemies are men like me."

Songwriter Derek Webb sings those words in the chorus to his song, "My Enemies Are Men Like Me." What Webb is saying in the song is that even though many of us enjoy watching conflicts -- real and imagined -- as they unfold on TV, what we fail to realize is that Jesus has called us to love our enemies and bless those who insult us. Our enemies are broken people just like we are, with the same problems and the same basic needs. They, like we, need a Savior.

I've been learning a lot about the Kingdom of heaven lately and one thing that I've come to understand is that the new weapons of fighting are not weapons at all -- and we are not meant for fighting. We are meant for trusting. Blessing those who curse, Paul elaborated, is the greatest insult we can give an enemy. To think... not fighting back is more powerful than a knuckle sandwich! By doing nothing in retaliation, we are actually denying our opponent the satisfaction he or she is looking for in a fight.

And when their guilt sets in... oh, man, is it ever convicting. Just a thought stirred up by a song.

I might add:

"We can point our guns at the other side
and with our mouths let insults fly;
But to turn the cheek the other direction
Is the strongest gesture of godly aggression."

All Creatures of Our God & King

I took a field trip with a friend to the Ft. Worth Zoo today, a majestic place of atmospheres, animals, and all around good fun. Seeing the varieties of creatures reminded me of the beauty of God, particularly how that beauty can be seen in creation. We entered a parrot cage where parakeets, parrots and the odd pigeon were flying around and it took my breath away. There were yellow birds and blue birds; red birds and gray birds; bigger birds and smaller birds; all flying representatives of the beauty and intimacy of the King.

Enough chatter from me. Here's a slideshow of some of the creatures we saw as captured through my lens. Enjoy!

An Upside Down World

Have you ever had one of those moments when a truth you learned as a kid ... and always kept with you ... suddenly becomes new again? What about a Bible verse you've always known but never fully understood until now?

Lately, I've been wowed by the makeup of the kingdom of heaven. You know, the first shall be last, the poor shall by rich, the meek shall overcome the proud, turning the other cheek, picking up your cross, etc. Jesus came and turned the known world upside down. He said all the wrong things and, as N.T. Wright famously wrote, He "blessed all the wrong people." He flipped their concept of righteousness and in the process revealed the true way of righteousness. The true way doesn't seem glorious. But the true way is the only way to pure glory.

Blessed are the poor in spirit...
Blessed are those who mourn...
Blessed are the merciful...
Blessed are...

As Christians living in a hostile culture, we often want to play by that culture's rules. We want to fight back when attacked. We want to boast of our accomplishments. We want to have a church building that's way bigger than the other church buildings. We're not looking at the world from an upside down perspective. We want to interact with the world right side up. But in doing so we are becoming like the world and not like our Lord. He stayed upside down and called you and I to do the same.

I know I'm not doing it as well as He'd like. So I keep on trying. How are you doing?

A Day in the Park (or Garden)

Here are a few snapshots from today's trip to the quaint little/big city of Grapevine, just across the lake from good ole Flower Mound.

Behold... A Video Blog Sequel!

Yet Another Favorite Picture

This one was taken at the Dallas Arboretum on April 5. I don't know why it appeals to me but I remember exactly what I was thinking when I saw the water fountain pictured here. "Gee, that's a pretty cool spiral. I guess I ought to take a picture." So I did. It's not the best picture I've ever taken, but not the worst, either. It just happens to be a picture I like.

Sometimes photography doesn't take great planning. All it takes is a willing heart and an opportunity. Just like the Christian life. If our hearts are willing to serve the Lord, He will provide us with opportunities to serve. A photographer prepares his or her camera, tripod/monopod, lenses, etc. in hopes that he or she will find the right picture opportunity. Sometimes it comes. Sometimes it doesn't. But the photographer is prepared nonetheless. So we should be. Identify your spiritual gifts and get them ready for service. Pray for open doors and then start looking for them. If the lens of your heart is open to the Lord, then He will provide a picture-perfect opportunity.

Of Miracles & Ministers

People flock to Lakeland, Florida, by the thousands these days. They aren't seeking the sunshine, nor the orange groves. They're seeking a miracle of God -- one provided by the hand of pastor Todd Bentley of Fresh Fire Ministries, a charismatic outreach located in the central Florida city.

Bentley is not from Florida, though his followers could care less. Many fly in from around the world to receive a miracle from God through healing, touting Bentley as a man who "is very close with the Lord." Bentley himself is no saint, having come to the ministry after spending a number of years behind prison and far from Christ. But the people don't care about his past. They need a miracle and Bentley supposedly delivers them.

Revival services draw thousands. Bentley's ministry staff grows by the week. As does his popularity. But he doesn't claim to provide miracles, only to give his followers the faith they need to be healed. He says this because in today's modern age, most miracles are easy to disprove. And phoneys are easy to uncover.

So they hide. Just like Bentley.

You see, Bentley claims the authority of Jesus in his miracles yet he does not follow the pattern of Jesus when he lays hands on the sick and screams at demons in his microphone. He ignores the methods of Jesus and the teachings of Jesus. Yet he claims Christ's authority over sickness and pain. Bentley backtracks and covers for his "miracles" when pressed to prove them. On an ABC News Nightline report tonight, Bentley was asked for the names of people he had healed so that they could be contacted. After some stalling, Bentley said his staff would provide ABC with a packet of persons. They failed to come through in a timely manner. ABC did finally get some information directly from the staff but important details were blacked out, such as addresses, doctor names, and other verifiable facts. And a disclaimer was issued by Bentley that basically said all miracles are not guaranteed to be full and final.

Partial miracles? Just like Jesus? Hidden miracles? Just like Jesus?

I'm amazed at what passes for "faith healing" these days. Todd Bentley, and the even more famous Benny Hinn, can wave their arms and shout into any microphone while sending people to the floor in emotional overload but no one gets fully healed on the spot. When Jesus healed folks, He did it in full. And Bentley can black out verifiable facts all he wants but Jesus did every miracle in plain sight. The participants went walking around as two-legged billboards for the reality of Christ's authority over sickness and pain. The Pharisees even wanted to kill Lazarus because he was walking proof that Jesus raises the dead! Peter and John healed a man in the Temple in Acts 3. Paul healed many along his way.

I do believe there is healing in this world and I do believe miracles happen every hour. I've heard that most happen on the front-line mission field, like in India, Africa, and SE Asia. They come through the hands and hearts of those who have committed their lives to sharing the Gospel in the authority of Jesus Christ. They live in poverty (not Bentley's 100 grand) and combat dark spirits and cold hearts in distant places. The power of Christ protects them and the Spirit of God goes before them.

But Bentley? Partial healing at best, if even that. It takes one walking in the pattern of Jesus to exercise the authority of Jesus.