There are two teams with one goal: to win the Superbowl.  Defeat the other team and be declared the best team in football, the champions, number one.  Both teams have come along way to reach the Superbowl, overcome obstacles, defeated worthy opponents; but only one can win the game.  It will take the ultimate effort, giving 110%, going full tilt – full time, playing the full 60 minutes, never quitting, reaching down deep, playing with heart, giving your best, and whatever other cliches come to mind.  But these cliches are not just to please the media.  As cheesy as they may sound, they help the players focus on the goal, keep their eye on the prize.  They want to give everything they can, do whatever it takes to win that trophy.

Imagine what the world would be like if Christians took the same approach to our lives?  My pastor recently spoke on Genesis 4.  He talked about Cain and Abel, the sons of Adam and Eve.  One was a farmer, the other a shepherd.  They each brought a sacrifice before God.

In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. — Genesis 4:3-5

What was the difference in the two offerings?  Did God just prefer meat?  No.  God didn’t measure the offering, he measured the heart.  Cain’s offering was ordinary, just “some” of the fruits.  But Abel gave the best of the best, the choicest portions from the first born, and that is why God looked with favor on him.

Jesus judged hearts the same way.

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” — Mark 12: 41-44

Jesus didn’t measure how much was given, he measured the heart of the giver.  This poor woman gave her all, everything she had.

The apostle Paul also talked about giving our best.

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” — I Corinthians 9:24

I know that many times in my life, I do what I can, but not my best.  When I was young, my father always insisted on dressing up for church.  I didn’t understand why at the time, but now I do.

My dad was a career army officer, and in the military, how you look is important.  Not that it makes you better than others, because everyone wears a uniform so everyone looks the same.  But soldiers are taught to take pride in their appearance, because it makes a statement about who they are.  A soldier that takes care to look his best, pays attention to the details.  If they can do that with their appearance, they can do the same with their job.

So my father insisted on looking our best on Sundays, not to impress other people, but to give our best to God.

In my Christian life, it is easy to settle for middle of the road.  But I need to strive to be the best I can be, for Jesus’ sake.  He gave His all for me, I should give my all for Him.

The story was about his friend who is a Navy SEAL.  He [the folksinger] told it like it was true, so I guess it was true, although it could have been a lie.

The folksinger said his friend was performing a covert operation, freeing hostages from a building in some dark part of the world.  His friend’s team flew in by helicopter, made their way to the compound and stormed into the room where the hostages had been imprisoned for months.  The room, the folksinger said, was filthy and dark.  The hostages were curled up in a corner, terrified.  When the SEALs entered the room, they heard the gasps of the hostages.  They stood at the door and called to the prisoners, telling them they were Americans.  The SEALs asked the hostages to follow them, but the hostages wouldn’t.  They sat there on the floor and hid their eyes in fear.  They were not of healthy mind and didn’t believe their rescuers were really Americans.

The SEALs stood there, not knowing what to do.  They couldn’t possibly carry everybody out.  One of the SEALs, the folksinger’s friend, got an idea.  He put down his weapon, took off his helmet, and curled up tightly next to the other hostages, getting so close his body was touching some of theirs.  He softened the look on his face and put his arms around them.  He was trying to show them he was one of them.  None of the prison guards would have done this.  He stayed there for a little while until some of the hostages started to look at him, finally meeting his eyes.  The Navy SEAL whispered that they were Americans and were there to rescue them.  Will you follow us? he said.  The hero stood to his feet and one of the hostages did the same, then another, until all of them were willing to go.  The story ends with all the hostages safe on an American aircraft carrier.

This story is a great illustration of Jesus.  We are the hostages, held captive by our own sin.  God came to rescue us from our captivity.  But we did not recognize Him or trust Him.  So He became like us, took the form of a man in the body of Jesus, to show us that He was like us, He was here to help us, not to hurt us.  Jesus touched those around Him, suffered the same things we suffered, showed us He loved us.  Jesus helps us to see who God really is, to see through the confusion of our own captivity, to know the truth.  If we put our trust in Jesus and follow Him, He will bring us safely home.

The reason I mention this is because our church had Vacation Bible School this week.  The theme of the week was God’s Word.  What a great thing to be a part of, seeing the Word of God come alive in front of these children, to see the excitement in their eyes.  Sure, as kids they enjoy the snacks, the games, the music, and hanging with their friends, just like any kid would.  But I have seen some things that made it clear that God was moving.

As the VBS photographer, I had a great job, because I got to go around to all the different stations and see what was happening.  I was taking pictures at the Bible Adventure station, and noticed as the leader was sharing a Bible story to a group of kids, the kids were sitting around with their eyes glued to her.  No boredom, no fooling around with friends, but undivided attention, genuine interest in the story.

On Wednesday, any child that didn’t own a Bible was given one to keep.  After the program, one young girl, 8 years old, came up to me all excited, proudly holding up her new Bible, saying, “Look!  I have my own Bible!”

A lot of work goes into VBS, a lot of volunteers come give their time, but these moments make it worth the effort.

Anyone can take a few minutes and tell a child about God, and they might listen, they might understand, they might remember what you said for a little while.  But to spend 15 hours with these kids, over five days, and not just tell them about God, but show them God in your life, show them you love them because God loves them and you want to spend time with them, get to know them.  Show them that despite all the troubles in this world, there are people that truly care about them and want them to know about the love of Jesus.  That is a message that will stay with them for a lifetime.  Several kids accepted Jesus as their Savior this week.  Nothing is more exciting than that.

It has been great seeing kids learn that God’s word is true, comforting, surprising, life-changing, and for everyone. One of the songs we sang in VBS is about the Bible, a song called Ancient Words:

Words of life, words of hope

Give us strength, help us grow

In this world, where e’er we roam

Ancient words will guide us home

Ancient words ever true

Changing me and changing you

We have come with open hearts

Oh let the ancient words impart

The words in the Bible may have been written a long time ago, but they still hold true today.  They still give us comfort when we need comforting.  They can change our lives if we come with open hearts.  No matter how many times we read it, we will always find something new to surprise us.  God’s Word is for everyone!

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” — Psalms 119:105

My grandfather left his native Sweden when he was only 16 years old, venturing out alone to America looking for a better life, and he found it.  He passed through Ellis Island, settled in Massachusetts, and through hard work and determination made a life for himself.

Our country is founded on the principle that all people are created equal, we all have a chance to pursue that better life.  If you work hard, do your best and never give up, it will pay off in the end.  It doesn’t always work out that way, but it does often enough to make the dream worth chasing.

I recently heard Mike Donehey of the band Tenth Avenue North talk about our performance based culture.  As a musician, he is paid to perform, just like I am at my job.  Our worth is tied to how we perform, and we expect to get that which we have earned.

Maybe that is why Christianity is a difficult concept for some Americans to grasp, because it goes against our culture, how we were raised.  Christianity is not performance based.  Salvation is something we can never earn.  So it was given to us as a free gift.

We judge ourselves based both on what we have accomplished, and the mistakes we have made.  But we cannot earn God’s favor.  We cannot work our way into heaven.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” — Ephesians 2:8-9

But also, there is nothing we have done that can keep us from the love of God.  That is the theme of Tenth Avenue North’s song: “You Are More”

You are more than the choices that you’ve made
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes
You are more than the problems you create
You’ve been remade

‘Cause this is not about what you’ve done
But what’s been done for you
This is not about where you’ve been
But where your brokenness brings you to
This is not about what you feel but He felt to forgive you
And what He felt to make you new

We are all sinners, but God’s love is greater than any mistake we have made.  We need to ask for His forgiveness and put our faith in Him instead of ourselves.  We need to accept His gift, His grace.

“This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” — Romans 3:22-24

Just as the United States offers freedom to all people, no matter who they are, so too Christ offers the free gift of forgiveness to all who believe.

The basics can be explained in five steps.  When I worked with Child Evangelism Fellowship, we used the Wordless Book.  It is simply a book with five pages, and a solid color on each page.  Each color is used to remind us of something.

Gold – God loves us and wants to have a relationship with us

Black – Our sin (disobedience to God) has separated us from God

Red – God sent His son Jesus to die and pay the penalty for our sins, opening the way for us to return to God

White – If we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we will live with Him forever in heaven

Green – Until we go to heaven, we are to grow in our relationship with Jesus

It seems like there is so much more, but it all boils down to these five things.  If you don’t believe these five things, then you aren’t a Christian.

There are many people in this world who claim to be Christians, but are not.  Some people think that just by going to church on Sundays, that makes you a Christian.  Keith Green used to say, “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to McDonalds makes you a hamburger.”

There are some people who do wrong things and claim they are doing them in the name of Jesus.  But they are only fooling themselves. There are some who commit murder and other acts of violence, but Jesus never condoned such things.  When Peter tried to defend Jesus when He was being arrested, He told Peter to put away his sword.

Then there are those who do wrong things, things they know Christians shouldn’t do, but they do them any way.  Once they do them, they regret it.  That’s the kind of Christian I am, an imperfect one.  I make mistakes, I make wrong choices, and I have to face the consequences, asking forgiveness from the people I have hurt, and from God.  The apostle Paul was that kind as well:

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: 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. — Philippians 3:12-14

Is has been said that Ghandi carried a book of the Bible, the gospel of Luke, with him everywhere he went, but once said, “If Christians acted like Christians, I would be one.”  How sad it is as Christians when our failures prevent others from coming to Christ.  And yet, even in our imperfections, God is working in our lives and using us to draw others to Him.

God’s desire is for all to become Christians: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” — 2 Peter 3:9

But the choice is left up to us: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” — Matthew 7:14

“But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” — Joshua 24:15

I have chosen.  It has not always been the easiest path, but it is a path I have never regretted.  I have hope, and I know the reason why, and I am prepared to answer for it.  My hope gives me a reason to carry on.  As the old hymn says, “My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.”

But I have had one thought kicking around in my head for a few days now, that I need to share:

Dare to dream, but don’t dream too much.  It only limits what God has planned for you.

We often make plans and dream about all the things we are going to do in our future.  There is nothing wrong with that, but we should not be so obsessed with following our own dreams that we fail to see what God has in store for us.

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” — James 4:13-15

If our future is in the Lord’s hands, how can we go wrong?

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. — Jeremiah 29:11

Good things will come if we trust in the Lord, especially in the difficult times.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

What a great description of heaven!  The band Audio Adrenaline has a song called “Big House” based on these verses.  The chorus goes like this:

Come and go with me to my Father’s house
It’s a big, big house
With lots and lots of rooms
A big, big table
With lots and lots of food
A big, big yard
Where we can play football
A big, big house
It’s my Father’s house

Now it may sound silly, but this song had an eternal impact on a young girl named Maria.  This 5-year-old had heard the song in her Christian pre-school class, and one day she began to think about these lyrics.  She asked her mother, “Does God have a big house?”

“Yes He does,” her mother answered.

“Does it have lots and lots of rooms?”

Her mother, now realizing the song Maria is getting her questions from, answered, “Yes, and it has a big table with lots of food.”  Maria’s eyes widened when she heard that answer.  She told her mother, “I want to go there some day.”

She called in Maria’s father and together they explained to her that Jesus had died for all the wrong things we have done, and if she was sorry for those things, and asked Jesus to forgive her and come live in her heart, that someday Jesus would bring her to that house.  Maria listened very intently, and prayed an earnest prayer to ask Jesus to be her Savior.

This happened February 20, 2008.  How do I know this?  Because Maria’s father is my favorite musical artist, Steven Curtis Chapman.  He and his wife, Mary Beth, adopted Maria and two other young girls from an orphanage in China.  With three older kids of their own, they now had six children.

Three months after Maria became a Christian, a terrible accident occurred.  Maria was running from the backyard to greet her older brother, who had just driven home from school.  He didn’t see his sister coming as he pulled into the driveway, and his truck hit her.

Maria got to go to that Big House a lot sooner than anyone expected.  But Jesus knew, and made sure that Maria was ready to come to His house.  He had prepared a place for her, just as He promised.

The Chapman’s have dealt with this tragedy in a very open way.  They have pain, they have struggled, they have questioned God, but their faith has remained, and have been an amazing testimony to their Lord.  They have appeared on Larry King Live! and other shows to talk about these events.  Steven’s latest album, “Beauty Will Rise”, is all about Maria, and the turmoil Steven has faced in the wake of her death.

His song, “February 20th”, describes the story above:

February 20th 2008
On the floor with her mom
Puttin’ her shoes on
Getting ready for another day

February 20th
She says, “Mom, is it true?
Does God really have a big, big house
Does it really have a lot of rooms?”
And she says,
“I really, really want to go there.”
And I said, “Why don’t we just talk to him.”
And that’s what we did
On February 20th

February 20th
I did my best to explain
How it is that we all go to be with God
How it was the Savior came

February 20th
If it’s true what he said
God himself sang along with the beautiful song
Of rejoicing in heaven
She said, “Jesus please come and live in my heart.
And someday, can I come live with you?”
We could never have imagined
She’d be going there so soon

God only knows
Everything that happened in that moment
God only knows
What he whispered to her heart
God only knows
Just how thankful I will always be
That he gave her mom and me
February 20th

The pain Steven and his family have felt is evident in this album, but the overall message of hope shines through.  Maria is in a better place, and one day she will greet her daddy and bring him into that Big House.

It is always sad when someone we know passes away, even if we don’t know them personally.  Tom did not have much success as a solo artist, but his music was an influence on me many years ago.  One of his best songs was a praise song that still rings true today, “One More Reason”:

The blue Pacific on a summer’s day
Rushing in to meet the yellow sand
The view’s terrific, I see Monterrey
Looking mighty fine from where I stand
The water dances in the sun’s reflection
A thousand silver birds fly in my direction
Now isn’t this beauty, ain’t this sweet perfection?

(And it’s) one more reason to praise Your name
One more reason to love You, Father
The sky is singing, the earth proclaims
Always one more reason to praise Your name

I climbed the mountain to see Your face
And saw a golden sunset in the skies
It’s always different, but still the same
I take it in, and then I realize
It’s like the feeling of loving You
Always changing, but always true
Old as time, yet ever new
And right before my eyes, I’m seeing

One more reason to praise Your name
One more reason to love You, Father
The sky is singing, the earth proclaims
Always one more reason to praise Your name

From the dawn ‘til the setting of the sun
I look around at everything You’ve done

Lord of heaven, and Lord of earth
Father of the mountains and the sea
Through Your Spirit, we have one birth
And in Your grace You’ve made a place for me
I look ahead and I look behind
I know that I’m a part of Your grand design
Now and always, I know I’m gonna find

I can praise You for everything You’ve done
I can praise You for making me Your son
But the greatest praise by far
Is praising Who You are (Yahweh!)

One more reason to praise Your name
One more reason to love You, Father
The sky is singing, the earth proclaims
Always one more reason to praise Your name
(c)1977 Tom Howard Music

Another song of Tom’s was called “Come On In”. My cousin said it best when he said that those are probably the words Tom heard when he arrived in heaven and entered the presence of his Father.

^“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” — Revelation 21:1-4

This is a great passage, but there was always one thing that bothered me about this: why would there be tears in heaven in the first place?  In order to wipe away the tears, they have to be there first.  I have a theory on this, and there is a story from my childhood that illustrates it for me.

When I was a boy, my younger brother and I enjoyed superheroes:  Batman and Robin, Ironman, Hulk, Captain America.  We read about them in comic books, and got them as toys (they were action figures, not dolls!).   One year, my brother’s birthday was approaching and I found out that he was going to get Superman from my grandparents.   It was supposed to be a surprise, but I was too excited, and I told him.

When my mother was tucking us into bed that night, my brother spilled the beans, and I was in big trouble.  I felt terrible.  I cried, I apologized, but my mother was disappointed, and I knew my grandparents would be, too.

When the day of my brother’s birthday arrived, I greeted my grandparents when they arrived at the house.  When I first saw them, the feelings of shame came rushing back to me.  I knew they loved me and forgave me, but I still felt bad about what I had done.

I imagine when my time comes and I finally get to go to heaven, the same thing will happen the first time I see Jesus face to face.  All the sins I have committed, all the times I have disobeyed God, all the times I have  put my own desires before His, these things will come rushing back to me, and I will fall on my knees in shame.  There will be tears of regret, but my Lord will wipe them all away and welcome me as His child into His kingdom.  What a glorious day that will be!

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.’ ” — Matthew 25:34

“Yes, I am!” she replied with a smile.

Nobody’s perfect.  Whether it is pride, selfishness, or something else, we are all under the influence of a sinful nature.  Even as Christians, we are set free from the curse of sin, but we still have our sinful nature.  We want to do what God wants us to do, but sometimes we don’t.  Paul described this struggle in Romans:

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.” — Romans 7:14-24

Romans 3:23 tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  The only human who ever lived a sinless life was Jesus Christ.  No one can live up to God’s standard of perfection, which is why He sent His Son to be that perfection for us.

“Perfect People” is a song by Natalie Grant that talks about this.

Never let Him see you when your breaking
Never let Him see you when you fall
That’s how we live, and that’s how we try
Tell the world you’ve got it all together
Never let them see what’s underneath
Cover it up with a crooked smile
But it only lasts for a little while

There’s no such thing as perfect people
There’s no such thing as a perfect life
So come as you are, broken and scarred
Lift up your heart, and be amazed
And be changed by a perfect God

It is only when we see ourselves as we truly are, and humble ourselves before a perfect God and put our faith in His perfect Son, that He can restore us, cleanse us of our sins, and make us perfect in His sight. Then one day, when we stand before His throne, our imperfections will finally be removed once and for all, and we will live with Him in a perfect place, heaven.