Thursday, December 1, 2011

Why I like Tim Tebow


If you have ever talked to me for more than 5 minutes, you probably know that I’m a diehard Baltimore Raven’s fan. I hail from the land where they bleed purple and black and unless you are from Baltimore, you may not understand…even my wife Amanda doesn’t (she’s from Delaware). However, if you were to ask me who my favorite football player is, right now I’d have to say Tim Tebow. Now before you throw up, let me explain. I’m not one of those people who thinks that God is causing Tim Tebow to continue to win and I don’t pray that Tim will win so that the gospel can be spread. When it comes to Tim Tebow, he doesn’t have to win for that to happen...he just has to be himself. There have been many athletes to bow their knee in the end zone and point to the sky (e.g. Reggie White, Mike Singletary; Deion Sanders, Kurt Warner, etc...) but never has a player been so defined by their faith as Tim Tebow. From the days of writing scripture verses on his eye black at Florida to the iconic bowing to pray after practically every action (now known as Tebowing).

Let's face it Tim Tebow doesn’t need football because he has defined himself not as a football player but as a follower of Jesus Christ. And Tebow will follow Jesus wherever that might lead. In fact, I suspect Tebow will be out of the league and in the mission field in the next few years, but what he’s doing with the time he has, is simply remarkable. He’s a role model for all of us showing up that we can wear our faith on our sleeves and not be fake. Of all the criticism that Tim Tebow gets (and he gets a lot), you never hear people questioning his character. He’s genuine and caring and loving to everyone regardless of whether they agree with him or not. There’s a reason people compare him to the second coming of Christ...he acts and looks an awful lot like Jesus. But isn’t that exactly what Christians are supposed to do; look and act like Jesus?

Nevertheless, Tebow is a polarizing figure in which he is both loved and hated. Some people wish he'd stop talking about Jesus and just play football. Others think he's a joke of a quarterback. Others still have naively elevated him to a superhuman status in which he is on a level with Jesus Himself. I personally feel that this is nothing different that idolatry. However you feel about Tim Tebow, one thing is certain, there is something about him that demands a response. He is different. As a youth pastor, I couldn’t be more happy to see a young man of God in the spotlight who is proud that he’s a virgin saving himself for marriage; who thanks God even for the little things; and in spite of his weaknesses and shortcomings, he’s proving that with hard work, you don’t have to be the best to win.

In a world where the media inundates of with pictures of Christians who stumble in sin, who are greedy for more money, who are judgmental and filled more with hate for those who don’t think like them, and even worse, Priests who abuse little children; isn’t it refreshing that we finally have a Christian in the spotlight for which we can say, “that’s what it means to be a Christian”? I pray for TimTebow, not that he’ll continue to win, but that he’ll continue to live his life to the glory of God so that my students will be able to see an athlete in the spotlight who loves and serves God with his whole life.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Distractions

Distractions are everywhere. Around every corner is a new “thing” to push us off our path or interrupt our stride. Some of these “things” are sinful, others are just that: distractions. You may be working on a project for work or school and are distracted by a text message from a friend telling you to check out his or her Facebook page that leads you to a website with a 30 minute video of something your friend thought was awesome. And in the process of all of this, you realize you’ve just wasted an hour of your life that you can never get back; not to mention you could have used that hour to finish the aforementioned project.

But what about things that distract us from God? Doesn’t the busyness of our whole life sometimes become a distraction that forces us to put God on a shelf to be brought down only when absolutely necessary? As people, we typically pride ourselves on being self-sufficient. We can do almost anything without the help of anyone else; including God. Sometimes we even convince ourselves that “God only helps those who help themselves.” The fact is that this is a lie. By excluding God from, what we see as, the mundane and insignificant parts of our lives, we have shortchanged ourselves by missing out on the intimacy that God want us to have with Him. God doesn’t want to be catastrophe insurance; He wants to be near to us always. But how often in a day, do we truly stop to think about God? So today, as you read this, I offer you a challenge. Set a timer to go off every 15 minutes. When that timer goes off…think about God; pray; or even read a verse or 2 of scripture. The point is that we need to intentionally and deliberately enter the presence of God throughout our day or else at the end of the day, we may go to sleep having not considered God at all. And that would be foolish.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Criticism

I dislike criticism. I don’t like it when people tell me that something I’ve said or something I’ve done is wrong. I’ll confess that part of this has to do with pride, but not all of it. You see, when someone comes to me and criticizes me, I will almost always try to see it from their perspective. While I may not always like it, if they are right, I’ll seek to correct the problem and I’ll have gained a new-found respect for that person. However, many times, I’ve found that criticism is misinformed. At times, people are quick to criticize before having all the facts and they jump to conclusions leading them to criticizing a make-believe problem which is never helpful. It’s often been said, “seek to first understand and then to be understood.” The problem, of course, is who has the time? Can we all be detectives in our spare time?

Nevertheless, criticism is immensely important. Through positive and constructive criticism we essentially sharpen our skills. As an editor criticizes a first draft so the final will be better or a coach critiques a player’s technique so that he or she will be best prepared at game-time, criticism can make us better. But it must always be done with love. So here are a few basic rules to keep in mind when you feel the need to express your criticism:

Seek to understand what you are criticizing. This may involve dealing with the person directly. Ask why the person did something or what they meant when they said or wrote something. You may even find that you’ve completely misunderstood and that you now, having all the facts, actually agree with them.

Criticize the position/action and never the person. In order for you to criticize a position/action you have to know the facts. However, it is easier to assassinate a person’s character than to take the time to learn those facts. If you don’t take the time to learn the facts you have forfeited your right to criticize them.

If you don’t feel strongly enough to criticize the person to their face, then don’t criticize them at all. Self explanatory.

Ask yourself, “does this matter?” There are big things that need to be addressed, but more often than not, what we are criticizing isn’t really important. When you are always critical, people are less likely to listen when important criticism needs to be said. So learn to let those little things go. When people don’t see you as a critical person, when you do feel the need to share criticism, it makes people ask, "does this person have a point?"

By exercising discretion in our criticism we can help one another to be better in everything we do.


Note: This post was inspired by a 2 part series written by Ed Stetzer on his blog (www.edstezter.com). I've adapted some of his points to fit my on cultural context. Honestly, his posts are better so here are the links:

http://www.edstetzer.com/2011/03/criticism1.html

http://www.edstetzer.com/2011/03/how-to-offer-criticism-part-tw.html

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

30 Hour Famine

I was recently shocked to learn that the leading cause of death in our world is not war, disease, or even cancer, but rather hunger. It’s hard to believe that in the 21st century we still live in a world where more than 8,000 kids under 5 will starve to death this very day! The students of Trinity have decided that they’d like to do something about it. This weekend, Trinity’s youth will be participating in the 30 Hour Famine to raise money and awareness for world hunger. From noon on Friday until 6:00pm on Saturday the students will be going without food for around 30 hours to get a small glimpse into what it means to be go hungry. Through this, we’ll be learning about hunger in our world as well as serve the hungry of our own community.

We as Christians are called to not just share the gospel in our broken world, but to live the gospel as well. Sharing the gospel without first living the gospel points the world to a hypocritical Church. However, living the gospel with sharing it on a personal level, doesn’t really help anyone in the long run.

If you would like to participate in the 30 Hour Famine with Trinity’s youth, feel free to contact the church office. Please pray for our students this weekend as they seek to live out the gospel in their community!

Friday, April 8, 2011

Meandering Through Leviticus

For the past few months, I have been following a Bible reading plan that will take me through the entire Bible in one year. I try to do this once ever few years so that rather than focusing on specific books or passages I can get a broad overview of the entire landscape of Biblical theology. For the last few weeks I have found myself trudging through the book of Leviticus. Honestly, I have felt increasingly convicted because as I approach this book my mind seems to shut down and put forth only the effort to simply get through. Moses begins this chapter with very detailed and specific instructions for the correct way to slaughter animal sacrifices. Let’s face it, if this book were written today, PETA would have a fit! Yet there it is, right there in the pages of our sacred Scripture begging the question, “what does this have to do with me?”

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 HCSB)

Do we honestly believe what Paul wrote to Timothy? If so then, why is it so hard for us to read the book of Leviticus? Why does it seem more like we’re trying to get through rather than learn something from it? Better yet, how might the words in Leviticus help us in our journey to be more like Christ?

I got to around chapter 11 of Leviticus before it finally hit me that these chapters are the very words of God to His people for a purpose. They may not directly apply to me today since it’s clear that these instructions belong to a different era under an Old Covenant. But the book of Leviticus does have application to us and it does have meaning for us. But it will take a little more work to see that meaning.

Here are some of my thoughts on the Book of Leviticus in response to my daily devotions.

1. The book of Leviticus gives us an outline for a religious system that would ultimately culminate in the crucifixion of Jesus. God’s instructions to the Hebrew people for the proper way to atone for their sins shows us that sin is a serious offense against God that requires serious consequences. Hebrews 9:22 tells us that, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews 9:22 HCSB) The book of Leviticus sets the background and necessity for the Cross of Jesus. Through our reading, we should look to the cross and be thankful. “For this is the kind of high priest we need: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He doesn't need to offer sacrifices every day, as high priests do-- first for their own sins, then for those of the people. He did this once for all when He offered Himself. (Hebrews 7:26-27 HCSB)

2. God is Holy. In Christian circles we throw the word “holy” around a lot: we sing it; we preach it; and we talk about it. But do we really know what it means? Holy means to be set apart from everything else. As Holy, God is set apart from all that He has created; He is infinitely above us in all things and infinitely greater than all things. The main point of Leviticus is that God is perfect in His holiness. Mankind is far from holy. Leviticus show us just how inferior we are with respect to God and thus shows us the way in which man must come before God in order that we, who are imperfect and unholy, might have a personal relationship with a Holy and Perfect God. Ultimately, when we come face to face with God’s holiness, it should point us to our need for a savior and to the cross.

3. Worship should not be spontaneous and sporadic, but rather deliberate and thoughtful. Anyone who has read the book of Leviticus knows that God (through Moses) is very specific about the way in which His people are to worship Him. Leviticus contains great detail and precision concerning proper worship. Failure to approach God with reverence and humility can have grave consequences. Leviticus 10 interrupts detailed instructions concerning the sacrificial system to tell us the story of Nadab and Abihu. These sons of Aaron, the High Priest, did not follow the instructions of Moses concerning the worship of God and as a result God took their lives for their disobedience. God was serious and consequences were serious. How often do we approach God in a casual or irreverent way? I’m not talking about methods or models but about attitudes. What is our attitude when we approach God? Are we hoping to get something out of it? Do we leave feeling that God failed to show up for us? Or did we come to worship with the attitude that it’s all for Him?

Leviticus in undoubtedly a book that is difficult for Christians, living this side of cross, to identify with. It’s understandable that we might find it hard to believe how we might be edified by instructions for bloody sacrificial worship, but Leviticus tells us some pretty important things about God. When we approach Bible study, the most important question for us to ask is, “what does this tell me about God?” Leviticus at its most basic premise tells us that God is holy and must be approached with the utmost reverence and awe.