Transitory Psychosis

My 4-year-old grandson, Andrew, was playing with the Nativity set one recent morning. He set the wise men up and then started looking all around—behind the Christmas tree, on the floor, in the box—obviously searching for something.

“Honey,” asked his mother, “what are you looking for?”

His reply: “The foolish man. The song says the wise man built his house on the rock and the foolish man built his house on the sand. Where’s the foolish man?”

“No, Honey, that’s a different kind of wise man.”

“Well, how many wise men are there?”

Drew is too young to know that you don’t have to search to find a foolish man these days. They’re all around us, building their lives on things of no eternal value. My advice to men: Don’t be that guy!

My 4-year-old grandson, Andrew, was recently at the hospital for a test that required general anesthesia. After the test (the results were good!), while he was in recovery, the following conversation occurred between him and his doctor.

Andrew: Do you know God?
Doc: Yes, I do, but I call him, Allah.

Andrew: No. God only has one name and that is “God,” well, sometimes it’s Jesus, but mostly it’s “God.” Do you know Jesus?
Doc: Yes, but probably not the same as you do.

Andrew (with great concern): But, if you don’t know Jesus, you can’t go to heaven when you die.

At that point, the good doctor patted Andrew on the leg and told his mother, “I think he’s ready to go home now.”

Simple truth.

I’ve been around ministry for a number of years now–since 1981, while I was still in college. I’ve had the opportunity to see a number of trends come and go. A few have hung around for a few years, most have disappeared in short order.

Ultimately, the things that last are rooted in Scripture. Funny thing, God knew what He was doing . . .

I feel like I’m seeing one of those lasting movements taking place now. Across many different denominations there is a call for the church to equip parents to disciple their own children. Like all lasting trends, this is nothing new. Scripture has given that responsibility to parents (not churches or pastoral staff) centuries ago.

Deuteronomy 6 is a rallying point for this movement. As I write this I am at the 2010 D6 Conference in Frisco, TX. Here about 2000 church workers, pastors, parents, and other interested parties have gathered to further the conversation about this important issue. It is exciting to see people gathered from around the country, and several places around the world, with a passion to see the Christian faith passed on to the next generation.

The D6 Conference is, of course, only one element in this movement, but it is a powerful point of contact. Speaker after speaker has called the church back to the biblical model of discipleship. There is a growing sense among attendees that God is up to something special in this generation of parents and church leaders.

It is exciting to be on the crest of a growing wave. My prayer is that God will use this movement to further the cause of Christ around the world,

Battle. Warfare. Struggle. All those words and many like them are used to describe the Christ-followers day-to-day fight against our all-too-human desire to think and do that which displeases God. In 21 years as a pastor, it is safe to say that the majority of questions I received from fellow believers had to do with achieving daily victory over “the old man”–the person we were before entering new life in Christ.

I won’t take time here to explain all the differences between the “religious” or self-described “spiritual” person and the true follower of Jesus Christ, but trust me, the differences are legion–both on the pages of Scripture and in the crucible of life.

In short, the true Christ-follower has experienced a spiritual rebirth, sealed by the indwelling of the Spirit of God. That event sparks a warfare–a battle between the flesh (the person we were) and the Spirit. This warfare is a day-by-day, minute-by-minute reality. Our world caters to the flesh at every turn, encouraging us to indulge it in a million ways ranging from laziness to lying, from rage to rebellion, from stealing to sexual sin.

Of course, most Christ-followers don’t fall prey to the outward sins everyone can see. We’re quite adept at keeping up the image of I’ve-got-it-all-together goodness. Still, the battle rages in private. So what’s the key to consistently winning this fight and doing what pleases God instead of what does not? In a simple phrase: Feed the spirit, starve the flesh.

When I say feed the spirit, I’m talking about engaging in those things that strengthen your relationship with Christ, bolster your resolve to do His will, fill your mind with His truth, and direct your thoughts to that which pleases Him. (See Philippians 4:8.) Starving the flesh is abstaining from those things that weaken your relationship with Christ, ease your resolve to do His will, fill your mind with the world’s “truth,” and direct your thoughts toward that which does not please Christ.

The next time you consider an entertainment, recreation, or activity ask yourself: Will this feed my spirit or feed my flesh? Then choose that which feeds the spirit.

This simple approach is not the perfect equation, but it is a step in the right direction. “Set your mind on things above,” wrote Paul (Col. 3:2). I’m convinced it is the key to winning against temptation, again and again.

Here is a brief update of the situation at Randall House as a results of the extensive flooding of the Nashville Metropolitan area. This statement was prepared by Randall House CEO Ron Hunter.

“Nashville recieved historic record flooding this weekend and Randall House was flooded along with many others. The flood effected our [printing department] press where $2.5 million dollars of equipment, printing in process, and paper inventory is kept.

Today, Monday, we are assessing the damage and beginning cleanup. Please pray over the next few days that our equipment weathered the flood waters.

Please pray for three of our Randall House family who may have suffered the personal loss of their homes and/or contents of their homes.”

All our Randall House families are safe. Please pray for us today as we are indeed short staffed and please continue to pray for the RH families and all those effected by the Nashville flood of May 2010.

I happened across a brief excerpt from musician John Mayer’s recent interview with Playboy magazine. (No, I didn’t see it in the magazine or get it from Playboy. I followed a link from a Christian ministry to get to it.) If you haven’t noticed, Mayer has dated and bragged about bedding some of the leading ladies of pop culture (actresses, singers, etc.) all of whom are very attractive. Oddly enough, none of these relationships has lasted.

WARNING: I’M GOING TO GET A LITTLE FRANK FROM HERE ON OUT, BUT THIS NEEDS TO BE SAID. I’LL BE AS DISCREET AS POSSIBLE.

In the interview, Mayer confesses to a fondness for porn. He states that with the magic of modern communication, he sometimes sees 300 pictures of naked women before he gets out of bed. He also acknowledges that he may be his own best lover.

Mayer recognizes that easy access to pornography has profoundly impacted his generation. He even admits that when he is with a real live woman, he replays his mental library of pornographic images. His conclusion seems to be that his fantasy world is better than any real world experience.

I couldn’t help but be saddened by it all. What Mayer describes is the inevitable destination to which pornography leads. Young men sometimes see porn as an enhancement to their sex lives. In reality, it is an insatiable leech. A little soon grows into a lot. It distorts the mind’s eye, turning every woman into little more than an object of momentary pleasure or disgust. Real women are measured by how they compare to the fantasy women on the page, screen, or in the mind.

It’s not something that can be easily turned off either; even when a man wants to do what is right. As many young men have discovered, marriage does not cure an addiction to pornography. And as many women can testify, no living breathing woman can measure up to the fantasy world of porn. Even after the addiction is broken, its shards work their way to the surface from time to time, bloodying relationships with fresh wounds.

The truth is, guys, if you walk this road it will take you where you don’t want to be. Porn promises to give you all, it just doesn’t tell you how bitter that all can be.

Beware, my young brothers! Proverbs 5 advises men to stay far away from the immoral woman and go nowhere near her house (verse 8). That advice rings true, even if she lives in a magazine, DVD, or website.

Now might be a good time to get into the rehab business, helping people put their lives back together and deal with their addictions–real and perceived. I noticed a teaser on a magazine cover at the drug store checkout: “Jesse James Goes to Rehab.” Apparently after being caught cheating on his wife, Sandra Bullock, James has decided he needs rehabilitation. He joins a long list of celebs that have done stints in rehab.

Most notably in recent months, Tiger Woods has spent some time in rehab trying to put his life back together after his sexcapades were exposed. Last week, Tiger was back on the links at the Masters making some amazingly good (and bad) shots and scowling his way around the course. At a tee on Saturday, Tiger was so frustrated by his drive that he blew up, spouting profanities. The announcer said, “Well, at least one thing hasn’t changed.”

Now I’m not trying to say rehab is all a scam. I know some people who have been helped through rehab programs. Neither am I saying that once a person goes through rehab we should expect him to behave perfectly from then on. Habits of all kinds are hard to break, I know. So I’m not criticizing Jesse or Tiger or anyone else.

I do find it interesting though that in so-called “post-Christian America,” rehab has become a means of rebuilding a public image. There was a time when people would “get religion” in order to accomplish that end. Years ago, people might be photographed going to church after their misdeeds had been exposed. Sometimes it smelled phony and probably was. The same thing is true of rehab today.

The sad thing to me is that both approaches miss the one ingredient that can truly change a life forever–a genuine personal encounter with Jesus Christ. Rehab can certainly help you cope with a life out of control. It may even been a successful means of breaking free from a self-destructive habit. But it cannot bring about the inner change that comes from a personal relationship with God through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. That is a change that will last for eternity.

The evidence of Christ’s ability to transform a life is plentiful and exhibits abound. From the apostle Paul who went from a Christ-hater to a Christ-follower to my friend Gene who went from a drunken patron of the rescue mission to a pillar of his church and community. Tiger can change. So can Jesse. So can you. But I’m convinced that change requires a fundamental “rewiring” of the soul found only in Jesus Christ.

I ran across a sports story yesterday that left me scratching my head. Here’s an excerpt:

Gordano were first to cross the whitewash, with wing Jack Thomas scoring out wide. The home side replied with an unconverted try, but the Sharks responded with a dominant period, with the superb Ben Harvey taking the ball to within yards of the line, No 9 Gavlar Yandell [no relation, by the way] eventually going over.



Playing down the slope, Gordano’s seven-man pack led by skipper Matt Rollings, still had the upper hand, with Harvey and flanker Mike Yandell [again, no relation] prominent.



With confidence high, the Sharks turned down a kick at goal, opting to use their powerful backs to run the ball. This paid dividends, with fly-half Aaron French crashing over.



Soon after Gordano were punished for overcomplicating a move in midfield. A loose pass was collected by the home side, and fluid passing saw the wing score in the corner.

Now, I’m a lifelong sports fan. But reading this story left me confused. What is the world is the “whitewash” and a “sin-bin.” What does a “fly-half” do and how do you “overcomplicate a move in midfield”? A rugby fan could answer all of those questions and move, but I am woefully ignorant of the sport of rugby. The terminology, descriptions, and jargon leave me with more questions than answers.

Near the article’s end, a realization hit me. This is exactly how the unchurched feel when they are confronted with the in-house jargon of Christianity. So often, we are speaking a language they don’t understand.

The further our culture moves away from its historical Christian consensus the more imperative it is that we define and refine our terminology so this marvelous message we bear can be accurately understood.

In truth, it’s hard work to “translate” the gospel into the language of our times. It is much easier to just speak to those who are already on the “inside.” And, in fact, a few (very few) will actually dig in to learn “our” language. But most will do what I’m doing with the rugby story. Smile, shrug my shoulders, and go back to what is familiar. We simply can’t be content to let that happen.

Danny Conn forwarded me a story about a South Korean couple that has been charged in the death of their three-month-old daughter. Quoting from the story:

The baby was found dead last September 24 and an autopsy showed her death was caused by a long period of malnutrition.

“They indulged themselves in the online game of raising a virtual character so as to escape from reality, which led to the death of their real baby.

Incredible story, don’t you think? But it prompted a thought. Isn’t something similar occurring when parents immerse themselves in things such as work, leisure, media, or pleasure to the neglect of parenting, marriage-building, and their relationship with God? I’m not saying those things are wrong, each one has a place in our lives; but when things are allowed to overshadow our God-given priorities it results in long-term repercussions.

It all dovetails with my recent concerns that we are, as one author said, “amusing ourselves to death” as a culture. We find a million things to do to “escape” from those things we should be doing. Too often it results in neglecting life’s most important relationships.

Time invested in building your relationship with God, your spouse, and your children pays dividends for generations to come. It’s worth the effort!

I had an interesting experience at Walmart a couple of weeks ago. My wife and I stopped by there in a hurry on the way to work, a little after 6 a.m. I had something in my right eye that I couldn’t get out. We went there to find some type of eyewash in hopes of getting some relief.

After finding what we needed, we rushed to the checkout line. There was only one woman in front of us, with what appeared to be a week’s worth of groceries. I noted the cashier was obviously Muslim, complete with traditional head covering. Her accent indicated she was not a native English speaker, probably an immigrant. She was also s-l-o-w.

My impatience was growing as I scanned for another open register. The only other one open had a line much longer. So we waited. Finally, the groceries were almost all scanned and bagged. Then the cashier pointed to the remaining items and said, “I can’t touch that.” On the counter were two pounds of bacon, a tube of sausage, and a frozen sausage pizza. It dawned on me what was going on: As a Muslim she could not handle the pork.

Everyone’s frustration level was rising. My wife suggested the cashier let her scan it. She declined and went to ask another employee for help. He was not sympathetic and suggested she let the customer scan the items. Sheepishly, the cashier returned and handed the scanner to the customer. She scanned the pork and my wife helped her bag it before leaving. We paid for our items and left.

Questions filled the air as we left: Why would the manager station a woman who can’t handle pork at the register? How can she work at a place that sells pork and be faithful to her beliefs? Why didn’t she just let the customer scan the items to begin with? Doesn’t she know this is America? Why is she here if she won’t conform to our social norms?

In the midst of our frustration it hit me. While I still can’t understand the manager’s decision to put her at the register, I think I know why she is here. She needs to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. God brought her here to meet His followers who can introduce her to the Truth.

Sadly, all she saw in me was my frustration at being late for work. I hope her next encounter with a Christ-follower is more redemptive.

In the meantime, I’ve been reminded of a lesson I thought I had already learned: Wherever I am, whatever the circumstance, I am an ambassador of Jesus Christ. That matters far more than getting to work on time.