How Much: Free. But Please RSVP so we get enough food. Text Coach J at 720-448-2628 and say: “I will see you at the encounter” and give a number of people that are coming with you. Why: We can’t leave the most important aspect of life on the sideline and expect things to go well on the field
As I was driving this morning I was convicted by God. The word that came on my mind was:
FACADE
Looking on google, the word facade is defined as: an outward appearance that is maintained to conceal a less pleasant or creditable reality.
I knew exactly what God was talking about and have had many thoughts on this very issue.
Many years ago, as I walked the strip in Las Vegas, I was convicted by this very concept.
As I glanced on Treasure Island, it was clear to me:
They (the city of Las Vegas) are trying to create heaven on earth, a Eutopia, a place where “all of your dreams come true”.
Nothing is held back.
There are buffets where you can stuff yourself with food.
There is architecture and some of the most beautiful man-made structures that you could ever lay your eyes on, walk in, or be in.
There is the bombardment of LOVE—or false LOVE—as sex is in your face everywhere you look.
As I began to be aware of this, I watched a woman in a casino playing a slot machine.
She looked like she had been on the same slot for hours—maybe even all night. As I watched her, she hit a $500 jackpot. She didn’t even stop. She just continued to play and shove money in and pull the handle. No celebration. No conversation with another. No smile. She was in a trance pulling the handle on a slot machine.
Unhappy.
Lost.
Unaware of anyone around her.
Seeking something that she would never find.
And all the while God is waiting.
Haggai 16 “You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”
As I stood in Los Angeles, I saw the same thing. Standing in the middle of an intersection I saw the most bizarre thing I had ever laid eyes on.
On one side, the richest city block in the world (or one of them). Sidewalk cleaners, thousand dollar suits, business people hustling to meetings.
On the other side—skid row. 10,000 homeless. People in cardboard boxes. Broken. Broke. Lost.
I sat with a man on skid row who had left his work place where he was making six figures and walked across the street to live in skid row. To him, what they did on the rich side made no sense. And he gave up worldly wealth because he had found no peace.
He saw the FACADE.
Ask God to open your eyes.
Ask Him to remove the blinders.
Ask Him to give you hope and a future.
Because before you minister to others you have to minister to yourself.
In The Name of the Father and the
Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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I want to challenge you, as you read this, to show it to someone who does not believe in God. I want to engage with them in the most important conversation that they might ever take part in.
I am passionate about this debate because of a very complex concept that we discuss in mathematics. And because I get to teach it, I get to live in it every single day:
Infinite Things Make Finite Things Insignificant
The reality that we all face is simple: We are either Finite or Infinite. We are either blips in a large timeline or we are part of the timeline.
And the reality of this concept is very simple. We are either NOTHING and INSIGNIFICANT and UNIMPORTANT or … we have HOPE and a FUTURE.
This is a simple, and yet very disturbing, thought.
But I say it because IF I AM RIGHT—it is the ONLY thing that matters for all of us.
IF I AM RIGHT, this is the most important thing that you could ever read.
IF I AM RIGHT, you too can discover the most important treasure in the history of of the UNIVERSE! A TREASURE THAT MAKES ALL OTHER TREASURES INSIGNIFICANT, AND SMALL, AND UNIMPORTANT.
While it might shock my atheist friends, I, too, believe in science.
I am amazed that Isaac Newton would conceive of breaking something finite into infinite pieces to make an exact calculation of area, volume, velocity, acceleration, and many other things. To think of using something that is uncountable to describe something that is countable to an exact value is unfathomable, and yet engineers and scientists and businessmen do it every day.
It is Miracle Math. And we, in fact, live in a world that is a Miracle.
Albert Einstein once said:
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
What are we to do with all of the information that bombards us in 2021? How are we to act, and think, and process?
How could we, in fact, truly discover if we were created beings that were the creation of an infinite God?
One of the wisest men to walk planet earth, understood that he DID NOT understand. In one of his biblical texts, he wrote:
Ecclesiastes 311 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
“He has set eternity on our hearts—yet we cannot fathom …”
As I said at the beginning of this blog, I believe in science. I study and teach it on a daily basis. And as we conclude today, I would like to leave you with these thoughts:
You are NOT an accident. You are not the result of some cosmic, random consequence. You are filled with life and question life because life was put in you. And you were wired to know right from wrong, good from evil, love from hatred. This was no accident either. The Holy Spirit will always work your convictions, and prompt you, and try to guide you.
You are a finite being that struggles with an infinite concept because God has written that on your heart. As Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 3, you will have conflict about this. That conflict is, again, because God has put it on your heart.
Your life has a plan, a destiny. God has put this on your heart. And so long as you deny it you will constantly look for it and be restless in the very existence of your life. But if you embrace it—He will fill you with purpose that you will not be able to contain.
He is waiting for you. Whether you are 3 or 43 or 93 — He has set the wheels in motion that you might transform into an infinite being. One with a future not only here on earth, but for after you are gone. And all you know were given that same opportunity.
God is Infinite. And as sure as Isaac Newton brought the idea of infinite things into a finite world, God can bring that into you.
God is Beyond Our Sin. And just as Solomon’s terrible beginning did not stop God from putting a destiny over him, neither can yours. You are forgiven. And loved. And you are destined to be a Son … or a Daughter … of the King.
God has prepared a place for you. One of the last things Jesus told His disciples was that He had prepared a place—for THEM. “Where I am going you cannot come, but I have prepared a place for you”. And for us. When the disciples finally got this into their hearts—they were transformed by the Holy Spirit and started the greatest movement in the history of the world.
As you take inventory on your life, you have had many options.
And if you have not considered it, God, through Jesus would like to give you just one more. Eternity. It is no mistake that Buzz Lightyear’s great line in Toy Story was “to infinity and beyond”. We are intrigued by that concept. And God tells us why:
He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
This is not some random thought in billions of random people. It is a creation ordained principle that God put within us all that we might find our destiny.
Your destiny … IS Jesus.
In The Name of the Father and the
Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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This last week in mathematics I was showing my class the “miracle” math of Isaac Newton, who made many contributions to Calculus and the development of things that we still use today. In fact, what we now estimate on a computer, Newton calculated as EXACT SCIENCE over 300 years ago.
As we calculated a limit, one of my students made the comment:
“When x is infinite, that other number becomes insignificant.”
And what he said was right. The absolute truth is this:
Infinite Things Make Finite Things Insignificant
And yet—God broke that rule twice. He made Himself finite and insignificant so that He could make us infinite and significant.
In a move that is beyond comprehension, He became Emmanuel:
Matthew 123 … and they will call him Immanuel”–which means, “God with us.”
Nothing is more effective than joining someone in their state. And God chose to do just that. He came and joined us in our world so that He could invite us to His. It is the very reason that we say: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
If you have trouble contemplating the idea of God. I want you to give Him a chance.
Ask Him to come into your heart and your mind.
Ask Him to speak to you and to do a new thing in you.
Ask Him to show you love to the core of your being.
If you do I can assure you—He will show up. And the reality is that you will never understand something infinite until you walk into “infinity”—and actually connect with God. After all, how could you? The point on the line can not possibly comprehend that the line goes to an unstopping value on each side of it.
The Father did something 2000 years ago that we can not fathom. He left infinite and became finite.
So give Him a chance to change your eternity.
In The Name of the Father and the
Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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A week ago I started feeling sick and got tested for Covid-19. The test came back positive.
It has been a difficult week.
Genesis 131 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.
When I woke up this morning, I felt “good” for the first time in about 8 days. I could breathe. My head did not feel like it was going to explode. My hope was being restored.
And my sweet daughter made me an incredible omelette.
Life is good. And when things are not good it truly fills us with gratitude when we get our lives back.
I am a blessed man.
I have a wife that I adore who truly melts me.
I have the best kids in the world.
My job is incredible.
And my God?
He … is the God of All My Days.
Thank You Jesus.
In The Name of the Father and the
Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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It was a day to celebrate. And I got to be a part of it!
Normally, I am not a big fan of 4-20. Neither marijuana nor Adolf Hitler are a reason to celebrate. Both have wreaked havoc over our society and hurt many. So normally, 4-20 is a day that I try to avoid talking about.
But not yesterday.
Yesterday changed my mind.
And gave me hope.
And reminded me that we have something great in our future.
And a 20 something reminded me of that.
As I sat in amazement in Grand Canyon University and watched a celebration of graduates, I was truly amazed. Worship songs were played, prayers were spoken, God was given glory, and our national anthem was played. All were represented—all races, all social classes, all who could stand up and put in the work.
It looked like the place where my dad and mom raised me: Born into poverty, they overcame more adversity than many of us could ever face. And they succeeded. And they represented. And they taught.
They are gone now. And in the glory of God. But their granddaughter … she stood in honor. And she received a diploma. And she spoke the words of the great nurse Florence Nightingale:
In full knowledge of the obligation I am undertaking, I promise to take care of the sick with all the skill and understanding I possess without regard to race, creed, color, politics or social status, sparing no effort to conserve life, to alleviate suffering and to promote health.
I will respect at all times the dignity and religious beliefs of the patients entrusted in my care, holding in confidence all personal information entrusted to me and refraining from any action which might endanger life or health.
I will endeavor to keep my professional knowledge and skill at the highest level and give loyal support and cooperation to all members of the health team.
I will do my utmost to honor the international code of ethics applied to nursing and to uphold the integrity of the nurse.
School was not easy for Jayci.
She had sleepless nights.
She monitored and mentored students who needed help.
She got “punted”, as she would say, many times.
But she stood up, and stood strong, and became an Overcomer.
Revelation 321 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.
The Father is my Creator. He made all things and He is my Dad in all times.
Jesus is my Savior. He gave me the right to become a child of God and died willingly to pay for my sins.
The Spirit is my Counselor. He reminds, and prompts, and directs.
But my wife, and my daughter — they are my Heroes.
In The Name of the Father and the
Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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Jesus never intended for us to live safely. He never wanted us to run and hide. And He never wanted an exclusive club for the select few. It was just the opposite:
Matthew 81 When He came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before Him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” 3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.
This is verse is unfathomable.
Hideous to look at, socially unacceptable, and viewed by all as the disease of the sinner, Leprosy was highly contagious.
To be around it was a ticket to removal from the social norm. It was dealt with by ostracizing those who had it and those who were around those who had it.
And yet … Jesus walks right up and touches it. Before people could ostracize both Him and the Leper, the Leprosy was gone. What could they do?
In the Old Testament and in some of our thoughts today, the righteous are encouraged to completely separate themselves from those who were not part of their group …
But in the religion of Jesus, it is not like that at all … In His world, HE is the infection. Ask the Lord to expose you.
In The Name of the Father and the
Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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God holds the keys to the eternal kingdom. And though He works in mysterious ways, He is always the best way. ALWAYS. In his best moments, David knew this.
He stood up to face, and kill, a giant.
He pursued and won battle after battle as God anointed all that he did.
He made a great decision not to kill Saul in a moment where he very well could have.
1 Samuel 24 After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.” 2So Saul took three thousand able young men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats. 3He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. 4The men said, “This is the day the Lord spoke of when he said to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’” Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. 5Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. 6He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.” 7With these words David sharply rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way.
In his greatest moments—David was an incredible example of how we are all to be before the living God. In a moment where the “easiest” thing to do would have been to kill Saul, David chose God’s plan.
What do you do when you are hiding in the cave? Or walking in the fire? Or feeling the world close in on you?
God is fighting for you. And He will NEVER, EVER let you go.
In The Name of the Father and the
Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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On Friday, in His last breath, and in incredible agony, He uttered the words: “It is finished” (Translated: It is Paid IN FULL)
But it wasn’t finished.
It was only just beginning.
John 2015He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” 16Jesus said to her, “Mary. She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).
What was FINISHED was Satan’s power over creation.
What was FINISHED was sin’s reign over all of mankind.
What was FINISHED was death’s power over all people.
In one breath, God wiped out the power of the enemy, the power of sin, and the sting of death.
Gone.
Destroyed.
And never to return again.
As you worship this morning, and tonight, and tomorrow— do not take that lightly.
It isn’t to be trampled on, or disregarded, or forgotten about.
For as much as soldiers storming the beaches of Normandy began a walk to bring us to freedom in the world, He made a move that gives us freedom before, during, and after our earthly existence.
He brought us freedom in the eternal.
And John tells us in John 1 that “to those who would receive Him, He would give the right to become children of God “.
Hallelujah.
And unlike everything else we encounter, it isn’t for the select few:
For the poor, He became homeless, that He might walk in the shoes of those who have no place to lay their head.
For the broken, He was beaten, and spit on, and punished, that He might experience brokenness to the highest degree.
For the illegitimate, He came to earth at His father’s shame.
For the slave, He was given over to Satan—to be tempted, and attacked, and devalued at the highest level.
And though the scriptures said He was coming—they did not know Him when He arrived. They DID NOT RECOGNIZE HIM.
But thank God this isn’t about us.
If it was, we would be living in utter failure—and without hope.
But we have hope.
And our hope is in Jesus—and Jesus ALONE.
He is alive. And He lives that you might have life, and life eternal.
Rejoice my friend.
And Receive Him. In Him, you are saved.
In The Name of the Father and the
Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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