Recently I read a passage from 2 Kings 7 that brought hope to my world. The courage to continue walking into battle, or simply through life’s daily challenges, may be daunting, frightening and can bring rapid fatigue. When embarking on a God-assignment, He doesn’t always provide pathways that are familiar to us. God always brings opportunities for growth–He is a proponent of resistance training! I will have to say that as Brenda and I embark on new vistas, and as we grow older, it’s tempting to retire the pioneer spirit and settle-down into what has worked for us in the past. The problem with that notion is Brenda and I are suckers for adventure.

In 2 Kings 7, three lepers were hanging out at the city’s main gate pondering whether to sit around and eventually die or, even worse, go the enemy camp of the Arameans and be killed or, in a long-shot, be spared. Their hope had diminished to a suicidal low. They decided that action (some critics may say stupidity) was better than passivity. The story continues…

5 At dusk they got up and went to the camp of the Arameans. When they reached the edge of the camp, not a man was there, 6 for the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!” 7 So they got up and fled in the dusk and abandoned their tents and their horses and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives.

8 The men who had leprosy reached the edge of the camp and entered one of the tents. They ate and drank, and carried away silver, gold and clothes, and went off and hid them.

As I study the behavior of these poor lepers I am impressed by their ultimate fearlessness. I am more impressed that God kicked out the enemy and provided the lepers with an opportunity they didn’t deserve and could never have earned in a million years. Because those three men took a chance, they came away with much more than survival…they were blessed beyond their wildest dreams! My prayer today is to have the courage to walk into danger, if need be–to follow the voice of the Holy Spirit as He calls my name– to move forward into the unknown, toward the high calling in Christ.

Today is a day where we are not only reminded of our freedoms as Americans but, more importantly, as Christians. July 4th is one of my favorite days of the year–lots of food to eat (usually barbecue!) and friends and family are hanging out together waiting for the fireworks to light up the night sky. As we stop and celebrate this holiday, which happens to land on a Sunday this year, it’s also a good opportunity to express our thankfulness for the freedoms we enjoy as Christ-followers.

The cool thing about Christians is that we get to assemble every week to celebrate our spiritual liberation in Christ (the Bible encourages us to make meeting together a holy habit- Hebrews 10:25). The worship service is an opportunity to thank God for our salvation–for Christ’s relentless pursuit of His beloved and for the sacrifice He made on the cross–all so that we might have fellowship with the Father.

As we join this weekend for worship services, we have every reason to be thankful. For those of us who get “praise block” from time to time, just to remember the simple yet profound fact that He died for us and that we have new life in Christ is enough to get our hands in the air and our hearts lifted toward heaven with a song of thanksgiving. Thank you, Jesus, for the freedom that you bring to us! And…happy Independence Day, America!

A day is God’s blank canvas given to each of us. Some mornings we roll out of bed with an excitement for what’s in store. Other mornings we are annoyingly roused from a half-sleep after tossing and turning in our beds all night, only to reluctantly place a foot on the floor to start the day. For many of us a day is a block on the calendar that we quickly mark-off as we head toward a vacation or a much anticipated event. But some days are indelibly etched on our hearts and memories as a day that significantly changed us. Even though we spend a lot of time making plans to avoid catastrophe or financial ruin, an event can ferociously sail out of nowhere, over the high walls of our supposed security, and land violently like a mortar shell into the midst of our routines. For me, that day was April 19th.

On April 19, 1975 I received Christ as my Savior. My life forever took a turn toward God and ultimately in becoming a minister. My son was also saved on the same day, some 25 years later. The event that swept me off my feet in a way like no other was the day I learned my mother had died–April 19, 1997.

No matter how much we scheme, plan, manipulate or finance our little world, God has a way of showing us Who’s boss. Whenever that fateful day comes around on the calendar each year, I am reminded of just how fragile my life is–the value of every single second given to me. The Bible says, “For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:14).

I searched and listed here a few of the numerous, significant events that also transpired on April 19th:

1995–Oklahoma City bombing on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building by Timothy McVeigh
1993–The Branch Davidian Compound near Waco, Texas, is destroyed in a fire after 51-day stand-off; 76 people die, including 24 British nationals and 20 children
1971–Charles Manson sentenced to death (later commuted to life) for the Sharon Tate murder
1948–ABC-TV network begins
1943–Jews attack Nazi occupation forces at Warsaw Ghetto
1861–Lincoln orders blockade of Confederate ports (Civil War)
1775–Revolution begins-Lexington Common, shot “heard round the world”
1770–Captain James Cook 1st sees Australia

I didn’t grow up saying, “Mama, I wanna be a worship leader.” In the home where I was raised, my parents ran as fast as they could from anything religious. My mother always said she didn’t want anything to do with church. She was raised in a staunch holiness home where her mother was the spiritual leader and her father was indifferent. In my dad’s case, his family was filled with non-believers. It was once said about his grandfather, who died in Australia in 1920, that even though he didn’t profess Christ publicly, he lived his life as if he had. Needless to say, I was the product of two people who didn’t make Christ the center of their lives and thus, their home.

My mom’s mother took me to church when I stayed over for the weekend. My biggest memory was when she bought me new shoes one Saturday at Thom Mcan. Then, the next morning, she dropped me off in a Sunday school class. I was terrified because the room was filled with strangers. As soon as the cookies and fruit punch appeared, everything became tolerable. In the church service, the mono-toned preacher with his long, drawn-out prayers and sermon bored me to tears. The colorful, stained-glass windows portraying Bible stories were intriguing. But for a kid, it didn’t connect regarding a relationship with Christ. The truth that did connect with me was how Grandma prayed. She prayed for our salvation (one day her prayers would be answered for each person in my immediate family). So fervent were her petitions at the dinner table, she shed tears of gratefulness as she thanked God for our food and His many blessings. We all giggled as our heads were bowed, but today I am so blessed to be a product of her faithfulness to God.

I was 14 when God invaded my life. All of the backyard Bible classes I attended during the summer in my neighborhood, my grandmother’s faithfulness– the sum-total of my spiritual experience up to then–clicked on like a light when I finally saw the reality of Christ. That glorious day when Christ came into my life was April 19, 1975 at 9:05 PM. I brought the news home to my parents, who’s apparent reaction was, “Now what are we gonna do with this kid?” Their reluctance to be positive about my transformation began to turn the corner when, over time, my actions matched my testimony. I remember feeling such a connection to church and it’s importance to my spiritual growth. I knew that God was calling me to serve Him in a special way.

When I first began to follow Christ I visited Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa on Saturday nights and was mesmerized and inspired to be like the musicians who sang and played on the stage. I never aspired to be like the music guy at Grandma’s church who flailed his arms and led songs that seemed really out of date. Calvary Chapel was doing material in the style I heard on the radio. I wanted to do that.

35 years have passed. A worship revolution stormed the church and has made a way for guys like me to fulfill our calling as worship leaders. It’s amazing to see so many churches writing and arranging their own songs–putting together stellar bands. The future is bright. Now I realize that people probably look at me as one of those religious guys I saw at Grandma’s church as a kid. God forbid! I hope you don’t misunderstand me when I say that I never, ever want to be religious. I don’t want to be the guy who, when he prays, changes his accent and uses words that are never used in normal conversation (if I ever seem to be heading in that direction, please stop me and remind me what I said here!). My goal is to lead people to the throne of grace where Christ meets us without condemnation–where fear is not welcome and faith is nurtured. I want to help connect these spiritual possibilities to the lives of everyday people, young and old. If I can lead people there–in a relevant way– and God’s anointing is present, I don’t know a better way to spend the rest of my days on this earth.

I’ve been itching to get a new cell phone. It’s not that I need one–it’s just that the new Android phones look so cool and…the flesh is so weak. I have had a Blackberry Storm since November, ’08, and had a BB Pearl before that. If you are into email and a really good, solid phone that keeps tickin’ after way too many trips to the blacktop, Blackberry is great. Verizon tells me it’s time for my two year upgrade and, like I said before, my hankerin’ for a new gadget has got me checking out all my options.

What happened to the days when we had to keep a dime in the bottom corner of our bill fold just in case of an emergency? (That’s right, kiddos, a dime for a payphone!). Didn’t we manage to survive without cell phones? I can remember the rotary phones that we had as a kid. The only phone my family had for years was hanging on a wall in the kitchen . The cord was stretched into a tangled mess from constant finger-twirling, and could never be straightened out in a million years. The length of the cord dictated our distance from the wall…as well as our privacy. Then, in the 80’s, some brilliant soon-to-be millionaire figured out how to apply wireless technology to home-phones and we left those pesky cords in the dust. Now, every kindergartner has his own cell phone number, accountant, lawyer, masseuse and maid.

Once we adapt to new technology it’s hard to go backward. I like my phone, my laptop, wireless internet, satellite TV and radio. It would be like sticking your hand in a lion’s cage if you tried to take my stuff away. Our tech toys become an integral part in everyday life once we start benefiting from their genius. My problem is when a toy becomes uninteresting and too familiar– that’s when I start hankerin’ for a new fix.

The Blackberry has proven to be a good, reliable friend. My biggest complaint is when it freezes up or gives me a low-memory message. In the hunt for a new one, I, as a loyal customer, will probably hold-out for another Blackberry. But if Verizon ever gets the Apple contract from AT&T, I will drop it like a hot potato and snag an iPhone. I bet, even then, my tech lust won’t be abated. I’m learning that most of the time we don’t do the consuming, the products consume us.