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On Sunday I returned home from my first tour of Israel. And today I stumbled across an article from the Christian Science Monitor that was written just a week before we left. The following paragraph is from that story.

Officials in Israel say that out of about 2 million people who will realize their dream of visiting the Holy Land this year, more than half will be Christian. And among those, more than half will be Evangelical. With that in mind, the Israeli ministry of tourism has gone public with a plan to build – in partnership primarily with American Evangelical churches – a sprawling Holy Land Christian Center on the northern shores of the Sea of Galilee, home to some of the most notable chapters in Jesus’ ministry. The center, to be built on approximately 125 acres that the Israeli government is offering free of cost, would be a Christian theme park and visitors’ center, one that would be particularly attractive to Evangelicals and other Christians who want to spend more time in the places where Jesus walked. Christian Science Monitor, November 10, 20

I understand the strategy. I suppose it is a good idea from a business and tourism point of view. But something about this concept troubles me. If I go to Orlando I expect theme parks and “attractions”. When I go to Israel I want to see the land of Abraham and David and Jesus and Paul.

Period.

I am sure the planners want the park to be tasteful. But the descriptions of potential accoutrement’s include an online broadcast center, which would give religious leaders an opportunity to address their followers back home, live, near the tranquil blue waters of the Sea of Galilee. Here is where my gift of cynicism flares up (I am still trying to find that listed among the spiritual gifts). Can you imagine the potential for over the top pride in this dangerous concept? The idea of clouds of hair spray and caked on makeup to impress the followers back home is a bit unstable to me. And shouldn’t the only reason to go on this journey be as followers of Jesus? I respect many Christian leaders and teachers. I follow Jesus. That was a lesson learned the hard way.

I reflected on just a handful of my experiences in Israel.

• Reliving the incredible story of Masada and realizing that David might have camped in this very place.
  
• The sobering sight of Megiddo…the Biblical location of Armageddon.
  
• Riding a boat onto the Sea of Galilee and imagining Jesus calming the waves.
  
• Standing on the Mount of Beatitudes and hearing the most amazing sermon in history read.
  
• Walking on pavement that Jesus had very likely walked on Himself.
  
• Looking at Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives and reading the words of Jesus describing the destruction of the temple.
  
• Standing at the Pool of Siloam and recalling the man who had been crippled for 38 years being healed by a command from Jesus.
  
• Marveling at 2000 year old olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane that may have been there when Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss.
  
• Seeing a young family from our group being baptized in the Jordan River.
  
• Walking through Caesarea Phillipi and recalling the amazing exchange between Peter and Jesus.

When Jesus arrived in the villages of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “What are people saying about who the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some think he is John the Baptizer, some say Elijah, some Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” He pressed them, “And how about you? Who do you say I am?”

       Simon Peter said, “You’re the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”           Matthew 16 – The Message

Being in the place where such exchanges took place was overwhelming. I imagined myself being asked that question by Jesus. How have I answered what is perhaps the most important question I will ever be asked?

How have you answered that question?

For years I have believed that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, and the Son of the Living God. But there was something about standing in the spot where Jesus spoke to Peter that made scripture come alive in a way that is indescribable.

Perhaps the Holy Land Christian Center will have an incredible ministry in the lives of those who visit.

But it is hard to imagine that this holy place needs any help.

I love to collect the stories of people who do stupid things. I am reluctant to call them stupid people because I am very likely to join their ranks at any given moment.

Parker T. Hall Houghtaling was struck in the head by a New York subway train three years ago as he leaned out to see if the train was approaching.  Amazingly, he suffered only bruises, cuts, and a shoulder injury.

On Friday, November 22nd Houghtaling was waiting on the platform of the Poughkeepsie train station when he stuck his head out and, you guessed it, he was hit by the 6:26 p.m. commuter train. The Poughkeepsie Journal reached Houghtaling by phone and he  confirmed the 2002 incident. He said he didn’t remember much of what had happened in his latest brush with the New York subway. You could say he is developing quite a “track” record.

It is so easy to shake your head and wonder how in the world this guy could do this once, let alone two times. I would hope that getting bopped by a subway train would teach me a lesson. I would hope that I would be grateful to have escaped serious consequences and I would stay far, far away from oncoming trains.

But I suspect that Mr. Houghtaling could be an amusing metaphor for how I live my Christian life. I make a mistake (that is politically correct for sin) and I am convinced I will never do that again. I am grateful that the consequences were not worse. I am determined to stay far, far away from that sin. And then before I know it I forget the lesson and get clobbered by the same sin express in the disgustingly near future. The Apostle Paul wrote about this very thing in his letter to the Romans.

I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.    Roman Chapter 7 The Message

Wow…can I relate to that. A bit later Paul writes…I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question?

That is the real question. And there is a real answer offered by Paul.

The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.

To avoid sticking our thick craniums in dangerous places requires a moment by moment submission to the spirit of God. And if you are anything like me perhaps you have noticed that such submission is not a natural response. Further advice from Paul follows in Chapter 8 of his amazing letter to the Romans.

But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him.

Ouch…I feel a little like Mr.Houghtaling after the truth of that verse hit me. I am learning daily to recognize that the Spirit of God has taken up residence in my life. I am learning that I am the one who limits His power by restricting access and control to my thoughts and actions. I am learning that I don’t need to get clobbered again by the same old train but I likely will do just that. And when I do I will pick myself up and thank God for His amazing grace.

I am considering a number of ideas for a third book. When I go to the Christian bookstores I see hundreds of books…most of them by Max Lucado.

I am praying that God will give me something to write about that will meet a need. I am no longer interested in killing trees for my own ego even if it is not a lot of trees. With my book sales I am killing shrubbery but you get the point.

Here is my request. If there is a topic that you do not feel has been addressed or that you think I could address would you let me know? Send me your ideas by posting at the blog or via my email if you wish it to be less public.

I will be back to the regular blog routine on Monday. Thanks for your help!

We used to sing a stupid little song in Sunday School. The song went like this…

Count your blessings,

Count them one by one.

Count your many blessings,

See what God has done.

There is actually a lot of wisdom in that stupid little song. We keep far better score of our problems than our blessings. Today I am counting my blessings with thanksgiving.

I pray you will have a blessed Thanksgiving.

I am taking a break from the daily blog until after Thanksgiving. But come back daily for an excerpt from my book “Bring’em Back Alive”. This section is from a chapter called Feud for Thought.

In December 1979, a tragedy occurred in my home state of Ohio. The Who rock group came to Cincinnati to perform at Riverfront Coliseum. The tickets were sold in a then-popular format called festival seating.

Ticket prices were fixed, and the best seats went to the concertgoers who could get inside most quickly. Needless to say, festival seating caused some chaos in the best of circumstances. But in Cincinnati that night, the self-centered desires for good seats led to

disaster. When the doors finally opened, the impatient crowd surged forward, resulting in a crush of humanity. Eleven people were killed that night and scores injured.

I would venture that not a single person went to Riverfront Coliseum that night with idea of hurting (and especially killing) another person. But hundreds of people were primarily concerned with their own interests: getting through the door first and getting a seat close to the stage. That seemingly harmless desire met with tragic results.

The same thing can easily happen in the body of Christ. We can get so focused on an agenda or goal that we don’t realize we are spiritually wounding other sheep in the process. I would suggest that more often than not no one starts out with any intention of hurting another lamb. But while we are rounding up support to remove the pastor…some lambs are trampled and maybe even spiritually killed. They won’t be back. When we divide the church over an issue that is eternally inconsequential some sheep will get crushed in the process. Such injuries are often faith-threatening.

As followers of Jesus, we have to understand that actions have consequences throughout the body of Christ and throughout eternity. For the sake of the entire flock, can we commit to pray before we speak, seek counsel before we act, and even allow situations other than “our will” to be done?

In His final hours, our Lord prayed primarily for our unity. I know that if someone I dearly loved made a dying request of me I would do everything in my power to make that desire happen. The Jesus who loved me enough to suffer the cross made a dying request that I (and the rest of us in the church) demonstrate unity “to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” It certainly seems like the least we can do in gratitude for the unmerited gift of grace and salvation He has given to us. Let’s make a commitment to fulfill His prayer and wish for us, because unity can make a difference in our quest to restore at least some of our wounded lambs. That would be an excellent start.

I am taking a break from the daily blog until after Thanksgiving. But come back daily for an excerpt from my book “Bring’em Back Alive”. This section is from a chapter called Feud for Thought. We covered numbers 3 & 4 yesterday.

One of the reviews of Bad Christians described me as “flippant.” To be honest I would have preferred “witty” or “erudite.” Flippant! But the fact is that I believe a sense of humor is one of God’s gifts to help get us to the finish line of life. “Humor is a rubber sword,” observed Mary Hirsch. “It allows you to make a point without drawing blood.”

An examination of the life of Jesus would indicate that He possessed a sense of humor. God’s writers did not set out to author a joke book, so you won’t find the phrase “a Sadducee, a Pharisee and a Roman walk into a bar” anywhere in the Bible. Still, you find glimpses of humor in the words of Jesus. For example, consider this exchange when the disciples came running up and asked Jesus the following question.

I can see them looking at Jesus and waiting to hear Him say something like, “Really? I had better go get that straightened out. Those Pharisees are some important guys.” I expect the Lord’s answer first stunned and then amused them.

You will also note that Jesus was an oft-invited guest at weddings and banquets. His appearances, in fact, drew the ire of the Pharisees. Think about it. If Jesus was a holier-than-thou, uptight, religious, suck-the-air-out-of-the-room sourpuss, would you want Him at your wedding party? Jesus must have been able to laugh and enjoy the common fellowship of others, and he was obviously welcome and desired at the festivities. Let’s join Jesus at Levi’s dinner party, which included some unsavory people, and see what happened:

At the risk of being flippant again, clearly Jesus knew how to party (in the good sense of the word). He knew how to interact warmly with others and connect with those around Him, no matter how unlike Him they might be.

The disciples that Jesus assembled were a fascinating blend of common laborers and professional types. Imagine today if Christ went to the local pier to recruit some fishermen, dropped by the IRS to pick up a follower, then went over to the medical clinic, and so on. I would imagine this would be (at least initially) a fairly coarse group. I don’t suspect that the men dropped the earthy sense of humor they likely possessed when they dropped their nets to follow Jesus. Part of any healthy and dynamic group relationship is having fun together. I believe that there were times when Jesus and the twelve told jokes and fish stories.

A lack of humor in the church apparently this has been a problem for a while now. Teresa of Avila prayed this simple prayer in 1582, “From somber, serious, sullen saints, save us, O Lord.” Amen, and amen.

There you have my little battle plan for unity: Remember that Christ died for everyone and not just your little Holy Huddle. If it is not heresy it may not matter much. Use your mouth for blessing. Love your neighbor as yourself, and have a sense of humor.

I am taking a break from the daily blog until after Thanksgiving. But come back daily for an excerpt from my book “Bring’em Back Alive”. This section is from a chapter called Feud for Thought. We covered numbers 1 & 2 yesterday.

There is a book that details a multitude of uses for duct tape. I might suggest one more: If you have a critical spirit, tape your mouth shut. (I confess, that would reduce a fair amount of my own communication.) A bit of more scriptural but less colorful advice is contained in the book of James.

James doesn’t pull any punches, does he? One good way to cling to unity is by not believing the gossip that is spread about our fellow Christians. And we certainly shouldn’t spread it any further. Gossip is a parasite that requires a host organism to survive; don’t give gossip a place to live. Think of how many times you have believed something to be true only to find out the information was mostly or even totally wrong. The threat of a libel or slander lawsuit causes some us to be cautious in our written remarks about others. But we’re not so careful about our discussing our brothers and sisters in Christ. Are we really more concerned about the People’s Court than the Kingdom’s Court?

God is serious about how we communicate about others in the flock. Peter writes:

So there is an added bonus for your godly communication: a blessing at no extra charge.

On a personal note, thanks to all of you who have prayed for me concerning my sharp-tongued sarcasm. I certainly need the prayer and you probably need the practice!

Love your neighbor as yourself. There are some tough to love people out there, aren’t there? I think God knew how difficult the task would be when He made that commandment a benchmark of walking with Him. Nothing I have encountered that is truly worthwhile is easy.

Marriage? Not easy but definitely worth it. Parenting? Not easy but certainly rewarding. Being a great athlete or student or musician? Not easy but immensely satisfying. Why do we hope that the most incredible journey of our lives should be easy? Loving our neighbors across the board is humanly impossible; only by the grace of God and the daily intervention of the Holy Spirit do we even muster a chance. The difficulties of loving the unlovable, forgiving their offenses, and embracing our responsibilities to them as followers of Christ will be discussed in detail in Chapter 10.

To be continued…