WATCH OUT FOR THE PLANK!

It is no secret that I bleed blue and love the University of Kentucky Wildcats. What many don't know is that while serving in Indiana in the early 1990's I came to respect coach Bob Knight as well. For one thing, he was the only Big Ten basketball coach who was still teaching in the classroom during that era. His outbursts of rage, crude language, and physical abuse of players were indefensible. But I could not help but appreciate his high standard of discipline on the basketball court.

Certainly a couple of Coach John Calipari's teams have had their issues with the NCAA. But since his arrival at UK he's been the epitomy of "class." He has embraced the Big Blue nation with humility and he unashamedly talks of worshiping Christ daily. I'm not saying the guy is a saint, just that from what we've seen so far he seems sincere about his faith and family, and is a class act.

Well, Calipari totally outclassed Knight this week! In response to Knight's cheap shot against him, citing him as the poster child for college's basketball's lack of integrity, Calipari once again show true class. Ukatletics.com quoted Calipari as saying that while on his way to morning mass he saw like 100 text messages and wondered what had happened. When he realized it was about Knight's remarks, Calipari said that he's a big Knight fan, that he respected him, and even went as far as crediting Bobby with helping him perfect the dribble drive offense. While Coach Cal said he disagreed with what Knight said about him and there being a lack of character in college basketball, he said it wouldn't change how he feels about Knight.

Keep up the humble, sincere, classy spirit Coach Cal! Your actions reveal your true character.

And Bobby, maybe you could take a cue from the One who is most qualified to speak about character - Jesus Christ. He said, "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brothers eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ...You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye" (Matthew 7:3,5).

"When the princes in Israel take the lead, when the people willingly offer themselves - praise the Lord!" (Judges 5:2)

So begins the song of Deborah and Barak, two bold Israelis who liberated their country from 20 cruel years of oppression. The book of Judges reminds us over and over again that God raises up leaders for His people when we call upon Him.

Today is a great day for a body of sincere followers of Jesus who comprise Heritage Christian Church in Fayetteville, GA. Because today is the day that God has raised up a new Pastor to lead this beloved congregation. And the exclamation point on God's providential care for Heritage is that they welcomed their new Pastor with a unanimous affirmation! God is praised indeed when His people willingly offer themselves to follow His will!

I believe this is "a match made in Heaven" and that Heritage along with their new Pastor and his family will be a great blessing to God and the community (and the continents) they serve. To find out more about this "match" check out Heritage's website: www.heritagechristian.org.

Having just visited that website and watched the introductory video for the new Pastor, that verse from Judges 5:2 really stood out to me. There have been some incredibly intense challenges that the Heritage Elder Team has had to navigate over the past 11-months during this transition in the lead Pastor role. And wow, did these guys ever rise to the ocassion! "When the princes in Isreal take the lead...God is praised!"

Men who serve as Elders in the Lord's church often serve with a great deal of devotion and very little appreciation. Having served with these men I can say with confidence that they are indeed "princes" of our Lord Jesus! They have shepherded God's people through unprecedented terrain with courage, commitment, and conviction. So here is a shout out to Biff, Bob, Ed, Mark, Mike, Michael, and Scott! You've led with genuine humility and faith in God!

That great song of Deborah and Barak in Judges 5 ends with this refrain: "may they who love you (Lord) be like the sun when it rises in its strength." May it be so of all our brothers and sisters at Heritage as well! And then the chapter ends, "Then the land had peace forty years." May God grant such peace, and even more, upon His shepherds and His church in Fayetteville, GA and around the world!

FORGETTING GOD?

My wife often reminds me of how forgetful I am. She usually points this out when I ask her if she knows where I put my wallet, or keys, or shoes! My assistant also knows my tendency to "space it," especially when it comes to meetings. Not only has she set my computer calendar to sound an alarm prior to each meeting, but she even texts me a reminder...sad, I know.

As forgetful as I can be at times, honestly, I've never figured how the Israelites could actually forget God! The Bible says, "The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs" (Judges 3:7). How do you forget God? Does He just slip your mind? Does He simply drop from your consciousness? I can sympathize with those who forget things, but they FORGOT GOD!

I think another passage clears it up for us. Romans 1:28 talks of those who do evil in God's sight and says, "they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God." Now it makes sense, right? You cannot just forget God like you forget an appointment or where you placed your keys. We forget God by conscious choice. We decide to put Him out of our mind. We actually have to work at forgetting God! It takes intentional effort. It's true. The times I fall into sin are the times I deliberately don't think about God.

Today is Thanksgiving Day in America. Every American knows why we celebrate the holiday. The Pilgrims gave thanks to God for getting them through the first winter in the New World. But I wonder how many will choose to forget God today. Besides a quick prayer at the dinner table, I wonder if most of us will forget to humbly and genuinely give thanks to God for all of His provision in our lives.

I'm glad we still have Thanksgiving Day. It's a good day to REMEMBER God and give Him thanks...real, heartfelt thanks. Now, if I could just remember where I put my shoes!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

BATTLING THE BEAN!

For the past five days I've cut out my coffee intake. That's a big deal since I normally do 6-8 cups a day. After battling mood swings that go from being easily aggravated one minute to being totally depressed the next, I'm not sure I can keep away from the Starbucks much longer. Pray for me!

I've been reading from the book of Judges (for the umpteenth time) and again find myself amazed by the repitition of Israel's bad behavior and God's faithful deliverance. It's like a broken record! Here's the cycle:

Israel does evil in the eyes of the Lord -- God punishes Israel with foriegn oppressors -- Israel repents and cries out to God -- God raises up a Judge to deliver Israel.

That cycle repeats itself over and over. It gets frustrating to see how cold Israel continually grows in her commitment to Almighty God, especially when He keeps rescuing her again and again. What's that definition of insanity again?

But the truth is, I relate far to well with Israel to stay frustrated for very long. Ultimately, I just end up humbled and extremely grateful to God for His faithfulness and mercy.

In all honesty, this is like the 10th time I've tried to kick the coffee habit over the last 15 years. I've rationalized it over and over. Trust me, I know that a recent medical report described the benefits of drinking coffee. That report has caused me to go back and forth a couple of times arleady...and it (along with that great aroma, smooth taste, and warm sensation) will probably keep me fighting the battle over the bean for the rest of my life!

And if I'm really honest, I'll be fighting battles over besetting sin for the rest of my life too. That's why I thank God for His faithfulness, just like we find in Judges! Here's a verse I get jazzed about even without a caffiene kick: "If we are faithless, He will remain faithful" (2 Timothy 2:13). That makes me want to keep on keeping on...how about you?

TEST-TAKING

How do you feel about "tests"? I have a dear friend enduring some extremely important medical tests this week. My older kids are immersed in study for a couple hours each day preparing for their tests in school (well, a guy can wish...right?). A brother in Christ from Pakistan, staying in our home, tells of being tested by radical muslims who frequently threaten his life and the lives of those he loves.

I've never looked forward to tests with eager anticipation. Yeah, I know they are necessary indicators of progress, but do you have to savor them? Today my devotional reading was from Judges 3:1-4. I'm still not sure how I feel about it. The Bible says:

"These are the nations the Lord left to test all of those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience)...They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the Lord's commands..."

To be honest, I kind of hoped that my last exam in Seminary would be my final exam in life. Of course, over the last couple of decades there have been many, many more tests, on a variety of topics and with varying levels of difficulty. I don't think God has written all of these exams, by the way. I'm quite sure Satan put together a few of the pop quizzes. But God has allowed them to be administered.

Unfortunately, I've not always aced those tests either. In some cases an "F" would have been way too generous. If we're honest, we'll admit how well we relate to the refrain appearing throughout the book of Judges: "Once again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord."

But have the tests made me more battle-worthy, like they did those young Israeli soldiers in the days of the Judges? I sure hope so. Here's the goal I'm holding on to..."the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete" (James 1:3,4). However we might feel about or perform in the tests of life, God promises to use them to mature and complete us in Christ.

Not only do they indicate our progress, the tests of life induce it. Although I've never looked forward to the test, I've always loved the sense of relief that comes when it's over. Here's what God says we have to look forward if we'll hold on to Him during the test - "Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer...the devil will...test you... Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life" (Rev. 2:10).

PARADOX

While stuck on the tarmac at CVG recently, I was trying to wait patiently as the plane underwent repairs before take off. About 30 minutes in, my fellow travelers and I got a much needed distraction. The flight attendant pointed to a large plane across from us with some unusual passengers. The fleet of trailors that drove in like the Spanish Armada quickly revealed that the plane was loaded with high-dollar horses! It seemed paradoxical to watch dozens of these animals which once provided a major means of transportation, trot out of a jet airplane. And, yes, as we sat motionless at the gate it was tempting to joke about whether they could get us to our destination more quickly!

One of the things that makes life so interesting, and often fun, is that it's full of irony. The great A.W. Tozer captured the paradox of the Christian life in his book, The Root of Righteousness. I hope this quote from Tozer will encourage you as much as it has me!

“A REAL CHRISTIAN is an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to Someone he cannot see, expects to go to heaven on the virtue of Another, empties himself in order to be full, admits he is wrong so he can be declared right, goes down in order to get up, is strongest when he is weakest, richest when he is poorest, and happiest when he feels worst. He dies so he can live, forsakes in order to have, gives away so he can keep, sees the invisible, hears the inaudible, and knows that which passes knowledge.”

WANT TO DO SOMETHING REALLY SCARY?

Every Halloween I'm amazed at the people who actually enjoy being scared...my teenagers included. From horror movies to haunted houses, lots of people will seek the thrill of the "fright" this weekend.

It actually seems appropriate to me that our church is beginning a message series about handling finances on Halloween. This topic can be really scary to some folks! A lot of pastors are afraid to even touch it. I can understand why, few things make people's hair stand up like talking about money.

The reaction some have to this topic is almost "Freddy Krueger" like! They angrily contend, "All the church talks about is money!" Here's the truth: there would be far fewer financial "Nightmares on Elm Street" - or any other street - IF the church talked more about God's wisdom for handling finances. The Bible offers principles that lead to financial freedom. Why wouldn't we talk about that? People are enduring more economic "Misery" today than actor Kathy Bates inflicted on James Caan in Stephen King's thiller. God's Word on money is more important now than ever! Honestly, nothing could be more Alfred Hitchcock "Psycho" than people closing their ears to God's truth on money. Okay...I've got to stop with the cheap movie references.

One of Satan's greatest tricks is causing you to get offended when the church talks about money! He wants to rob you of God's blessing and power. Jesus talked a great deal about finances. Why? Jesus wants you to know the truth because the truth will set you free! (John 8:32)

So, this Halloween do something really scary...tune in to God's truth on handling your finances.

MORE THAN "PARANORMAL ACTIVITY"!

The marquis above the theatre entrance doors read: Paranormal Acitivity. But what took place beyond those doors yesterday morning was way bigger than paranormal activity, it was Supernatural Activity! It was one of the coolest days of worship I've ever experienced.

As a couple hundred people showed up for the first public worship gathering of Restore Community Church, it was obvious that God had shown up too. The launch team came early and worked hard to transform the local theatre (just outside of Washington D.C.) into a place of worship. The lobby buzzed with more excitement than you'd find at the new release of a blockbuster film!

People came from all walks of life, but I'm pretty sure that few, if any, in the crowd had experienced what was about to happen. After a compelling message on God's heart and call to "unleash generosity" in our communities, Pastor Ron and Restore gave an offering to those in attendance.

Yes, you read that right! Rather than "receive" an offering from those attending, the church literally "gave" an offering to each attendee. That goes far beyond paranormal, folks! That kind of generosity and vision is supernatual! We received more than money, we received a challenge to use that money generously to help someone else...no strings attached. What a great way to communicate God's heart and His vision for loving others as He has loved us!

I'm excited about what God is doing and will do through a new church with that kind of commitment to God's extravagant love and generosity. If you want learn more about what is happening at Restore Community Church check out their website: www.restorenova.com.

I'M GLAD IT STUNG ME!

I had forgotten the pain of a yellow-jacket sting. We lived in the backyard of the “Yellow Jackets" (Georgia Tech) for nearly 12 years and I'd never been stung. There were close calls. At age three my son was hit hard by a swarm after jumping on an inground nest. But I made it through our years in Georgia unstung!

That's why it felt so ironic a few days ago when a yellow-jacket attacked. It got me on a tender part of my right-hand thumb...and just 7-months in to our move back to Kentucky! One thing I can promise you is that the wrath of God fell on that nest. And few things have I ever enjoyed more.

The sting on my thumb was still obvious as I read Joshua 24:12 this week. God said to the Israelites, "I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove them out before you -- also the two Amorite kings. You did not do it with your own sword and bow."

An elder at First Church is a Bible scholar who wrote a commentary on Joshua. So, I asked for Mark's view on "the hornet" in this passage. He said archeological evidence shows that during this period the Egyptian army made a few forays into Palestine and attacked the Israeli enemies. Amazingly one of the Egyptian symbols at that time was a bee! Quite literally God could have sent these "Egyptian hornets" into the land to soften up the enemies of Israel. Or, Mark said, it could have been a metaphor for the decay of a culture over time which caused them to be vulnerable and ripe for defeat by the Hebrews.

I love this new metaphor for how God works "upstream" in our lives! He sends the hornet ahead of you! It's how God works. He sent John the Baptist ahead of Jesus to prepare the way of the Lord." To the Jews He gave the concept of animal sacrifice for the cleansing of sin thousands of years in advance, why? To get us ready to for the shedding of Christ's blood, as the Lamb of God, once and for all. He "goes ahead" of us in battle and prepares the way. Isn't that a comforting thought? It's a confidence-building truth for those who follow Jesus.

As we face a huge transition in 2010 at the church I'm privileged to serve, my prayer is that God will send the hornet ahead of us! That He will drive out the enemies of fear, doubt, mistrust, cynical attitudes, selfishness, and disunity. The good news is that the battle belongs to the Lord! It is His church, not ours. So He will get it done in a glorious way, and we will give Him all the glory for it!

I have to say, I'm really glad that bee stung me! What a great reminder that God is the God who "sends the hornet ahead of you!"

YOU GOTTA LOVE THE GAME!

Today I was thinking of my dear friend, the late Olin Hay. Olin pastored South Louisville Christian Church (Louisville, KY) for over 20 years. Occasionally he liked to watch football practice at the University of Louisville. On one occasion a skinny freshman quarterback was sacked by a huge lineman right in front of him. Olin said the kid went down so hard it took him a minute to get up. When he finally extracted himself from the turf he looked at Olin with mud in his facemask, smiled and said, “You gotta love the game!”

Olin loved to reveal the identity of that scrawny quarterback. It was Johnny Unitas! Records show that the 6'1" Unitas weighed only 145 pounds on his first day at UofL. But his love for football was weighty enough to win him the NFL's MVP award in 1959, 1964, and 1967. His record for touchdown passes thrown in consecutive games still stands at 47! (Could Brett Farve be hanging on to break that record too?) Johnny Unitas is considered one of the greatest NFL quarterbacks of all time. It was his love for the game that enabled him to take the punishment as a skinny QB and excel.

Sometimes it’s easy to feel like a 145-pound weakling in faith. You may be facing a huge obstacle or bearing a crushing load in life. Do you ever end up with a lot of mud in your facemask? You can get up. You can keep going. You can succeed and even thrive. How? “You gotta love the game!”

If you’re feeling a little beaten down, remember this word from Hebrews 12, “let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross…Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

WAY TO GO WAYNE!

An incredible thing happened today.

In a message on the importance of doing life together we did a physical demonstration. I asked four volunteers from the audience to come on stage and surround an empty chair. The plan was for me to sit in the chair, ask one volunteer to try and lift me on his own (a huge task!), and then have all four easily lift the chair with me in it. The illustration is simple but clear - we can do together what we could never do alone!

Things did not quite go as planned. An older gentleman quickly volunteered and as he stepped on stage I immediately recognized him. It was Wayne, a man in our congregation with obvious special needs. Before we knew it Wayne had taken a seat and made himself really comfortable in the chair!

On the fly I thought, "No problem, Wayne's a big enough guy. If he will just stay in the chair when we lift it, this can work." As expected, one could not lift the chair alone. But I was not prepared for what followed. No, Wayne did not get scared and jump out of the chair. Quite the opposite actually. As we four men gathered around Wayne and lifted him into the air, he gleely swung his feet and smiled like a kid in a candy store.

That was when it hit me. This is it! This is exactly it! Here was a guy with real (and significant) special needs. And the guys around him were lifting him up, giving him the experience of a lifetime, showing him that he was special indeed...to us and to God! What a beautiful picture to see Wayne in that chair held up by his brothers in Christ. It was an incredible thing that I will not soon forget.

Following worship a lady introduced herself as a first time guest to our church. She said with deep sincerity, "I was supposed to be here today. It touched me to see the man with special needs lifted up," she added, "because our daughter has special needs." Isn't God incredible?

MAXIMS FROM THE MAN

Did you hear about the 28-year-old guy with over 300,000 followers on Twitter? I heard a report on CNN about this guy who moved back in with his parents and started tweeting the funny things his elderly father says. One of the quips from his dad was something like, "Don't touch the bacon, I'll take care of the bacon and you take care of whatever it is you do...I guess nothing!"

That is good stuff! And it made me think about sharing a few classic quotes from L.D., who has served First Church as pastor-teacher for the last 37+ years. The guy oozes wisdom (often in a witty sort of way)! And when it comes to pastoral effectiveness most people would agree that L.D. is the man! Since I'll be following him as First Church's next pastor, I'm doing my best to pick up as much from L.D. as possible.

This weekend L.D. shared what he called his "agenda" (yeah, he quite unapolegitcally said he had one!). For the last four decades L.D.'s driving agenda has been: "to see as many as possible, as soon as possible, by all means possible, come into the house of God." That statement met with rousing applause from the congregation.

I can definitely get into following that kind of passion for reaching those who need Jesus! After all, wasn't that also God's "agenda"? Oh yeah...John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

GETTING AHEAD OF GOD

Joshua chapter 9 got me this week! It deals with how people called the Gibeonites deceived Israel. God instructed Joshua to avoid making treaties with any inhabitant of the Promised Land. But the Gibeonites pretended to be a wayfaring people from a land far, far away. They pulled off the ruse to the last detail.



The Gibeonites donned old clothes, saddled their donkeys with moldy bread, cracked cheese, and old wineskins, and wore worn-out flip flops. When Israeli investigators searched their supplies they were convinced that these people had travelled a great distance. The truth was that they lived just down the road and had cities that were the class of Canaan!



The key to the deception is in verse 14, "The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord." Israel saw their stuff, but did not see through their sham! And the result of rushing into a decision without seeking God first? Deception! From that day forward the Gibeonites were like a thorn in Israel's side.



When I'm honest with myself, I have to admit that most of my decisions are made without "inquiring of the Lord" first. No, not the big "life" decisions like career choices. Not even ministry related choices like what sermon to preach. It's more often the conclusions I draw about things like which car to buy, when to take vacation, and daily things like the TV shows I watch. As a result of leaving God out of those decisions more often than not, I know I've been deceived. If I'd only inquired of God first, I'm sure I would not have wasted 2-hours of my life last week watching Obama's address to Congress -- and certainly not the talking heads arguing over what he said afterwards!



I think I'll take to heart a little more God's great advice in Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

NO REGRETS!

Have you ever been halfway into a new endeavor and thought, ""What in the world am I doing! This is crazy! If only I'd been content with how things were before I got into this mess!" That's exactly what Joshua was thinking soon after He led the Israelites into the Promised Land. In Joshua 7:7 he cries out to God, "If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan!"

The honeymoon period had been pretty sweet for Joshua. As soon as he assumed leadership of the Hebrew people, God parted the Jordan River (during flood stage, I might add) and Joshua led the people across into the land of Canaan. The buzz in the Israeli camp was, "God is with Joshua just like He was with Moses!" Everyone, including Joshua, was feeling really pumped about it. Even their first battle in the Promised Land was a miraculous victory. God delivered Jericho into Israel's hands and they didn't have to fire an arrow! With a simple shout the walls came tumbling down. At this point, not a single Israeli was regretting the decision to charge into Canaan and take possession of the land of promise. It was all good.

But then came the city of Ai. Joshua's advisor's thought it would be an easy win. But it turned into an absolute disaster for Israel. They were soundly defeated. That's when the remorse hit Joshua. The pain of his regret literally put him face down on the ground. How he wished they had stayed on the other side of the Jordan. Can you hear his thoughts? "It was so easy on that side! Back then there were no battles to fight. Back there we didn't have had to shed tears or blood. If only we had been satisfied to stay in our comfort zone!"

What's interesting is God's response to Joshua. The Lord said, "Get up off your face! You've got business to take care of." Long story, short, God revealed to Joshua that there was sin in the camp and that was the reason they'd been defeated. With this news and renewed hope from the Lord, Joshua pushed through his regret and got back to the task at hand. The result was that Israel got rid of the sin holding them back. They reached a new level of dedication to God and determination to follow His plan.

I've been praying for the 113 people who were baptized into Christ at First Church last weekend. My own experience on the journey tells me that at some point each of them will hit a wall of discouragement, even disillusionment, in their faith. It just happens. And when it does, that's when we need to find renewed hope in Christ. We need to hear God say, "Get up and keep on keeping on!" If we persevere our regrets will fade and God's promises will grow brighter. That's why God tells us in Galatians 6:9, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

Sometimes people regret starting a family. It's hard at times, but in the end, to say it's worth it is a huge understatement. Sometimes people regret beginning to tithe their income to the Lord. It's not easy, but in the end there are no regrets!

Many years ago the young heir to the Borden dairy fortune, Bill Borden, left his life of ease to become a missionary in China. While there he contracted a disease that caused an early death. On his deathbed he penned these words, "No reserve, no retreat, and no regrets."

I want to lean into the life God has called me to! When tempted to retreat, I want to heed God's call to keep charging. At times Joshua may have wished he had been content on the other side where life was comfortable. But in the end he lived a "strong and courageous" life for God's glory. On my deathbed that last thing I want to do is regret failing to "cross the Jordan" when God said go.

TODAY IS THE DAY!

The last 6 months has been a whirlwind! Basically due to an incredible transition in life. In March I wrapped about 12 years of ministry with Heritage Christian Church in Fayetteville, GA and began a new ministry at First Church in Burlington, KY. My wife and children moved from our home in Peachtree City to our new home in Union, KY in May. As wild as it has been, we've seen God's hand in it each step of the way. Still it was crazy enough to keep me away from the blog spot!

But what happened this weekend at First Church was more than enough to get me off the "blogging bench" and back into the game! Over the course of three weekend services 113 people were baptized into Christ. The 14-foot diameter pool on stage was rocking as students, grandparents, men, women, and even entire families plunged into the waters of baptism with Jesus. It's was the closest thing to Acts 2 I've ever experienced! God showed up in a powerful way to lead people to say, TODAY IS THE DAY!

Some of the stories were amazing. One couple told me that their son baptized a buddy who is heading off to college next week...this couple had been praying for their son's friend to accept Christ since he was in 4th grade! I was blown away as entire families stepped into that pool together. It must have been a lot like that in the Bible as Lydia's entire houseld and the Philippian Jailer's whole family were baptized into Christ. The tears, shouts of joy, whoops of praise, high fives and huge hugs among those baptized said it all. God was there and He was changing lives!

For the past month our mantra has been "Don't put off until SOMEDAY what God is calling you to do TODAY." And wow, what a day TODAY has been!

The Difference A Year Can Make

One year ago today I was frantically finalizing a number of last minute details in preparation for my first pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The anticipation of experiencing God in the very places Jesus walked, taught, touched, lived, died, and lived again rivaled the anticipation of holding each of our children when they were first born.

God did not disappoint! I'm sure I can speak for each of the pastors on our pilgrimage journey in saying that God met us there, He walked with us there, He transformed us there. In fact, God "deconstructed" me on a number of levels during that pilgrimage. As He builds us into His image the Lord's "reconstruction" process sometimes includes a wrecking ball. And I was wrecked in Jerusalem.

Leaning against the trunk of an olive tree in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus sweat ran as drops of blood. Kneeling before a mosaic of Judas betraying Jesus with a cold kiss. Ascending the stairs the Lord himself ascended to be mocked and falsely accused before Caiphas the High Priest. Standing in the dark pit where the Christ was held only hours before his crucifixion. Walking the "Way of Suffering" - Jesus' path to the cross.

Each place made Christ's sacrifice more real. Each experience brought a deeper understanding of the price Jesus paid to forgive my sin. Each moment wrecked me with the realization that God loves me in spite of me. So the desconstruction began.

It's now been a year since that wrecking ball began crashing into my soul. And God has been faithful to rebuild what He had to tear down. His reconstruction process has forced me to deal with old wounds, think with greater complexity, listen more deeply to His calling, and to live with greater abandon for His cause.

In a way that is similar to building with legos, God sometimes needs to deconstruct us in order to construct us. It's all part of the process to get the peices in the right places. He is reconstructing my heart of flesh into His heart of holiness. And though I'd love to be furiously packing once again today for a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, perhaps I should just enjoy this season of God's re-creating rather than His wrecking!