Above My Highest Joy

It might sound crazy to think or say, but God wants me to be so dependent upon him that if I go a day or two without him, I will feel completely useless. I think this is the conclusion I have come to when it comes to some particular verses I've been contemplating lately: Psalm 137:5-6:

"If I forget you, O Jerusalem,

let my right hand forget its skill!

Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth,

if I do not remember you,

if I do not set Jerusalem

above my highest joy!"

Here's some context. This psalm was written as a response to God's people, Israel, after being deported and exiled into Babylonian captivity (586-539 B.C. if you were curious). The Babylonian conquest was a discipline delivered by God in response to his people's lack of trust and proper worship of him in the decades prior. So the psalmist is pretty much mourning over this period, and is repenting of "forgetting God." You see, at the time (before the Christ) Jerusalem and her temple were considered the center of Jewish worship. To truly worship God, one must be in his presence at the temple. Therefore, the writer of the psalm is associating communion and worship of God directly with Jerusalem, and rightfully so.

It's Old Testament, but the principle completely applies to Christians today. When Jesus died and rose from the grave, he did away with the former way of worship. 

"The hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father..." (John 4:21).

"The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth..." (John 4:23).

The point Jesus was making in this passage is that the worship of God will no longer be done in one location, but can be done wherever a believer is present. Whoever has been born again, the spirit of Christ dwells in them, so communion and fellowship with God is constant. We have become the holy Temple, the dwelling place of the living God (Romans 8:11)!

So if I understand the above verses as the psalmist understood them, I might say something like, "If I forget to worship(!), if I forget to spend time with you(!), if I forget to acknowledge you everyday(!), then render me useless! Without you, I am unskilled and ineffective. Nothing I have to say is worth anything!"

My efforts then, in my own strength, are just chasing after wind. I must not forget my Lord, because he is actually the one who does any good in and through me anyway (Philippians 2:13). I have to make him my priority (above my highest joy!), or I will be useless for kingdom work. I must come to my "Jerusalem" and live by his grace, for it is full, sufficient, and effective.

We do what we are

Let's just humbly admit it: the Bible can be confusing. Some of the chapters and some of the verses  (even some of the books) can be difficult to understand for anyone on whatever reading level. Take the book of James for example. This letter, written by the half-brother of Jesus, is one of the more difficult books of the Bible to not only read and understand, but even more so to preach. In fact, Martin Luther, the leader of the Protestant Reformation, had incredibly ill feelings toward the content of the letter, even to the point that he didn't consider it to be Scripture! In his Preface of the New Testament, Luther said of James, "St. James' epistle is really an epistle of straw…for it has nothing of the nature of the gospel about it."

I can understand Luther's frustration, and I'm sure I share that with many people. When reading a verse like James 2:17 ("Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead"), one can scratch their head thinking, "I thought we were saved by grace alone, not works. You know, so no one can boast..."

So what's up with verses like this in James where it seems to be insinuating that we must have works in order to be saved? I think what James is trying to say is that our initial faith is not based on works, but our works are based on our faith.

What James is really challenging his readers with is the thought that if you are really and truly saved, your actions will show it. If your identity is truly in Christ, your outward self will reflect and mimic that inward identity. Of course, none of us are perfect when it comes to emulating the person of Jesus, but the point is that our "works" will continually look more and more like him.

One of the major misunderstandings with these verses comes from the world we live in. The whole notion of "you are what you do" has completely confused us. We are led to believe that to be defined as something or someone, we have to go out and do it, then we will be something the world can define. That's what the world says, but that's not what holy Scripture teaches. 

Collectively, the Bible teaches that our outward actions paint a picture of our inward nature. Simply put, our actions do not lead to our identity, but rather our identity leads to our actions. As James writes in the very next verse (18), "Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works."

Here's one way of saying it: "We are saved by faith alone, but saving faith is never alone."

Our outward actions, therefore, reflect our inner faith, and are a manifestation of the inward state of the heart. So instead of saying, "we are what we do," which is a works based identity, we would do much better to say:

We do what we are.

The Greatest Story Ever Told

Last night I shared a few of these thoughts with the students of our youth group. Blogged it to share with others...

Everyone wants to be a part of something great. And yes, I know when using the word “everyone” some might think this to be one of those all-encompassing statements (which most of the time I am annoyed with myself). I get it, but I think this is a safe usage.

In the book of Ecclesiastes, the Bible says God “has put eternity into man’s heart” (3:11). There are many possible applications for this verse, but I think the true meaning it alludes to is the fact that every single person has some sort of sense that life continues beyond what is seen or known in this present existence. If all of us are completely honest with ourselves, we would say that we want to be a part of something bigger than us.

So, if you want to deceive yourself into not believing that, this blog is probably not for you (but thanks for reading anyway). For those who say, “Yeah, that’s me,” stay with me for a minute...

No matter who you are, this applies to you. If you are a guy, most likely a war movie or an epic battle scene will rev you up and cause you to want go out and just be manly. It triggers testosterone and ignites a passion for greatness, and makes you want to do something like this.

If you are a girl, something a little different probably sparks your interests: a beautiful love story. Ladies, we all know that most of you dream and fantasize about having a story in the likes of Noah and Ally, like Landon and Jamie, Edward and Bella...you get it. You want "the best kind of love."

We want to be a part of a great story. The truth is, though, the greatest, biggest, and most epic story imaginable is going on right now. It’s happening in the very world in which each of us lives. Around us, amongst us. Yet most are hardly aware or even familiar with its existence. It’s the story of God, and its been playing out since the beginning of time. For the masculine, its an epic battle against the powers of darkness and the Kingdom of light (Ephesians 6:12), and nothing is more valiant and honorable. For the feminine, its a romance that puts all others to shame, and nothing is more poetic and heart-heartwarming (John 15:13).

We are at war, and we are in it because of love. Because of his great love for us, the God of all creation, the Almighty God who spoke this universe into existence, sent his only Son to die for us. There was nothing about this Son that made him deserving to die on a Roman cross, but it was God’s reckless and scandalous love that sent him there. From that moment, we have been at war, and there is much more at stake than mere matters of life and death.

The reality of all of this is that you are living in this story whether you realize it or not, or whether you like it or not. The choice you have to make, the question you must answer, is what part of this story will you play? What role are you going to fill? Will you join the cause of the Hero in this drama, or will you sit back indifferent, lost in the mix.

God doesn’t want that. He wants you to join his cause. He wants you to “buckle your chinstrap” and get in the game. He wants you to experience and share in the love that has changed the outlook of eternity forever (redundant? I know). Yes, the Gospel of Jesus Christ sets you free from something (slavery in sin), but it also sets you free to something, and that is to act, to fulfill your assignments and duties.

So if you are ready, if you want to be a part of the greatest story ever told, don’t wait. There is too much at stake to waste one more day. This is your time...

The Pressure is Off

I don't really know an artistic or clever way to begin this post, so this is what the reader gets I suppose...

A big change has recently taken place in my life, one that I'm not exactly thrilled about, but at the same time very at peace with. It's one of those "it's not exactly what you planned or wanted but you know it's ultimately for the best" type of things. I was in an environment that even though I felt I was getting a lot of benefit from, it probably wasn't the healthiest fit for me at this point in my life (well, in retrospect, not sure if it was a good fit at any point in my life). Either way, the Lord took me away, taught me a lot, and then brought me back home.

Sometimes we question whether or not God knows what he is doing. Did he do the right thing? How does this make sense? What was he trying to teach me here? Why would he do that? Then we have to remind ourselves of what it means to be God. It means all power, authority, knowledge, and sovereignty, which simply means, yes. He knows what he is doing, and he knows why.

The beautiful thing about faith is that we have no idea what we are doing sometimes. Perhaps this is disheartening, and maybe sometimes a little nerve-racking. Ok, it can be downright scary, but there is one check that I'll be taking to the bank:

"No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you." -Psalm 84:11-12 (ESV)

Stay faithful to his promises, and he will not withold his blessing. Don't misunderstand, this is not about him rewarding us if we keep our end of the bargain (this wouldn't be grace-driven faith). It's not about our efforts in behaving properly or appearing "super spiritual." I think sometimes we have this mentality (even though we may have been taught otherwise) that we need to try really hard, then maybe, if we are good enough, God will love us more.

Honestly, I think our misunderstanding (my own included) may be a result of not understanding the Scriptures fully. Take, for example, one of my favorite verses, Romans 8:28:

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (NIV)

You see, I think when we remember this verse, we tend to stop after the first half. We say, "Yeah, God works for the good of those who love him." And it ends there. So we have this understanding that if we love God, things are going to be good for me, so I better "do good" in loving him...or else.

The problem is, we can't love God. Nothing within our own selves wants to do that. We aren't in even the least bit remotely interested. We just. Don't. Care (see Romans 3:10-18).

This is why I have emphasized the word called. To my knowledge, the second clause of the verse, "who have been called according to his purpose," is actually defining the preceeding phrase, "those who love him," meaning that those who love him are those who have been called.

You see, we cannot love God unless he has called us and loved us first. "We love because he first loved us," says 1 John 4:19 (see also Romans 5:6-8). The only way we can truly love and trust in him is because he has loved us first. If we do not have his love, it will be impossible for us to love him back. Without him, we have not the slightest inclination on wanting to love, or even on how to do it.

I say all of this intently to bring us back to the main point with a full(er) understanding. It is NOT up to us to determine whether or not "all things" will work toward our good. We are faithful to God because he is faithful to us, and HE will be the one to sustain that end (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24), as well as any other end he wishes to bless us with to his glory.

So relax. Chill. The pressure's off.

When things seem cloudy, trust that Jesus knows what he is doing. Trust that he is already working on what is coming next. Trust that he is still alive and well and sitting on the throne. Trust that he is faithful. Trust that he is working for the good of all things, and trust that HE will do it.

Childlike Christmas

The other day I was at my aunt and uncle's house with a bunch of my cousins and all their kids. There's a 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 year old. Needless to say it was chaotic, but also pretty cool to see all those rug rats. Anyway, after dinner the parents decided to pull the old Jimmy Kimmel Christmas trick on the unsuspecting tikes (the one where the kids open the presents and get a box of rocks, coal, etc.).

I think the goal was to see the shocked reactions from the kids, hopefully seeing looks of confusion and perhaps utter defeat, but we didn't get that. My little cousin Max (3 years old) got one of his grandpa's old yard gloves, while the other gifts included two small paint rollers, a block of wood, etc. After literally one or two seconds of looking at his "new" toy, Max became excited and yelled out, "I got a GLOVE!!!" Once he said that, it started a chain reaction in all of those kids. Each one of them immediately became so enthused about his or her own gift. It didn't matter if it was a glove or a power outlet cover. They were so excited to just get it and actually played with their new "toys." Heck, they even shared their new childhood treasures with each other. It was seriously one of the greatest moments of this year's Christmas.

While I was disappointed at first that I didn't get a small temper tantrum or a moaning and groaning, it turns out that God showed me a lot in that moment. Jesus says, "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." (Mark 10:15). Not only is a childlike faith something God demands us to have when we enter into his kingdom, that type of faith is also necessary for us to receive many of the blessings he longs to bestow on us in this life. You see, sometimes we completely miss it when we are receiving a blessing from God. Yes, we acknowledge when things go great for us and thank the Lord, like when we get a promotion at work, when we get accepted into a program or win a big game. That's easy. But what about when things aren't going so great? What happens when we open a blessing and its disguised as...an old, dirty glove?


I've lived just long enough (and have been blessed abundantly enough) to know that God works in incomprehensible ways. When things don't go how we wish, and even when it is painful, God's providence is always at hand. The Bible says that God governs even the roll of dice (Ps. 16:33). Yes, even Farkle and Yahtzee. The point is that whenever we are given the short end of the stick, or the dice doesn't roll our way, we can rest assured that we are still in the hand of God. And if we truly believe Romans 8:28, we can be confident in our faith that these things are happening for our benefit, for our ultimate good.

The kids' reactions were definitely not what I expected. Maybe I was looking for more of an "adult" response (it's funny, we are all grown up, but those kids have at least one thing figured out that we don't). However, at the end of the night, I wish I saw every blessing the way those children saw their presents. Truthfully, I envied them. I envied their joy, their youth, and their excitement over the mere fact that they have a gift to open, no matter what is inside.

No matter what God has in store for us around the corner, it is always a challenge to be joyful in both the good and disappointing times. Like my little cousins, I wish I was more content in every situation. The though that I get anything from the God of the universe is a HUGE DEAL, no matter what it is. So I want to be more like Brice, Rider, Max, Tatum, Taylor, and Josiah when unexpected blessings come to me. Even if I think those blessings are just rolls of string.


"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

My BCS Solution

All of the debate and commotion over the BCS results has gotten me thinking about what I would do if the system was up to me. Unfortunately, its not, and this idea will probably never catch on, but at least I'm making an effort and doing my part as a college football fan to brainstorm a solution.

It should be known that up until now I have never been a proponent of the playoff system. I love the bowls, and to be truly honest, as an OU fan the current system has favored the Sooners quite well in recent years. The Big 12 tie-breaker in 2008 was a prime example, and getting to the national title in 2003 without even winning our conference (sound familiar Bama?) definitely increased my enthusiasm for the system.

However, in lieu of recent voting trends and the television networks increasing infatuation with certain conferences, I have decided to sway in my opinion on how it all should work. So here it is...

First, I believe the current computer rankings, based on the strength of schedule and human voting, should stay exactly the same. It is an imperfect method, but it is the best we have with so many teams.

Second, I do believe there should be a 12 team playoff. The automatic qualifying conferences would still have their benefits (although I believe the Big East AQ (automatic qualifying) really needs to be looked at), and this would also give the Boise crazies (and other non-AQ schools) at least a chance to flex their cute statue-of-Liberty muscles.

How this would work and how the teams would be seeded is where it gets a little bit tricky. I would not just throw out the top 12 and seed them as such, but would instead seed them in a the following way:

After the final BCS standings are announced, the top 12 would not necessarily be in the playoffs (you will soon see that unfortunately, Va. Tech and Baylor would be left out because they had a least two losses and did not win their conference). However, that does not necessarily mean that the 2nd ranked team will be the #2 seed, the 6th rank team will be the #6 seed, etc.

Conference champions from AQ schools have first priority for seeding over other schools who did not win their conference. For example, if we look at the current BCS standings from this season, because Oklahoma State won their conference while Alabama (who did not even PLAY in there conference title game), they would actually be the #2 seed instead of Alabama. Likewise, using the current standings, Oregon would be the #3 seed because they are the next highest ranked conference champion.

Some may say, "But oohhh you can't let a Pac-10 team with 2 losses pass a 1-loss SEC team for the better seed!" Um, yeah I can. It's my system. Win your conference and you won't have that issue...

I would love a set-up like this because it actually rewards AQ conference champions. It would actually give teams an incentive to play for their conference titles. If Georgia would have beaten LSU in Atlanta, UGA would have received a higher seed in the playoffs than the Tigers (in my system). Win your conference. It's what every team's goal should be before every season. If you have a huge debate on why a team should be seeded higher or lower, your team can settle the debate in the playoffs (if you make it).

Another note: In the case of ties for conference champions, the team with the higher BCS ranking gets the nod for the seeding.

So here are the final BCS standings from this past season:

1. LSU
2. Alabama
3. Oklahoma State
4. Stanford
5. Oregon
6. Arkansas
7. Boise State
8. Kansas State
9. South Carolina
10. Wisconsin
11. Virginia Tech
12. Baylor

Here would be the seeding of my 2011 playoffs (1-6 being conference champions, 7-12 being the highest BCS rankings left after conference champions):

1. LSU (SEC Champions)
2. Oklahoma State (Big 12 Champions)
3. Oregon (Pac-12 Campions)
4. Wisconsin (Big 10 Champions)

5. Clemson (ACC Champions)
6. West Virginia (Big East Champions)
7. Alabama (#2 in BCS)
8. Stanford (#4 in BCS)
9. Arkansas (#6 in BCS)
10. Boise State (#7 in BCS)
11. Kansas State (#8 in BCS)
12. South Carolina (#9 in BCS)

In this system, seeds 1-4 would get an automatic bye-week in the playoffs. During the bye-week, seeds 5-12 play to get the bracket down to 8 teams for the next week. This way, you can still use the traditional championship bowls (Orange, Sugar, Fiesta, Rose) to host the "round of 8" games (which can easily be played over the course of 2 days if the Bowls are worried about television incentives). There would need to be a National Semi-Final game, which I'm sure some NFL stadium would love to host (Jerryworld?).

Finally, you could even have an "off" week between the semi-final game and the "BCS Playoffs National Championship Game", which would allow the game to be played in and with the same "first week of January" mentality.

You can see for yourself what the playoff match-ups would be (endearing, I know) and obviously the worthy non-AQ schools would get their fair shot at the big guns if this system were in place.

As a former opponent of a playoff system, I would be very interested in seeing how much the BCS Playoffs system would add to the college football tradition.

Feel free to poke holes in this idea if you want, but remember there is no way to develop a perfect system.

The Essential Christmas Collection (Part 2)

Welcome back Bandstand fans.

Well December is officially upon us. That's right Thanksgiving turkey sympathizers, no longer can you protest the rights of that tasty bird who is only bound for an edible doom.

I hope you enjoyed the first half of my "Essential Christmas Collection," and I know you have been waiting on the edge of your seat, some of you over sleepless nights, for me to reveal the second half of the album. So here it goes...


10. I'll Be Home For Christmas - Michael Buble
Now I know he is not the original artist of this song, but you've got to hand it to the guy. He can sing (and the chicks LOVE him). However, to be truthfully honest (and redundant), one of the main reasons I love this song is that it was originally written for our troops overseas. Before its first debut in 1943, it was believed that World War II would end and all of our heros would be home by Christmas. Unfortunately, as we all should know, that reality never happened. This is where the line "if only in my dreams" rang true for our troops. This song truly was a popular and heartfelt hit of the 40s, and obviously became an American Christmas classic over the last 7 decades. We can now only pray that someday, all of our men and women in service will someday be able to come home for Christmas. God Bless and Merry Christmas to our troops!


11. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Frank Sinatra
There he is. You didn't think I'd leave good ol' Frank off the list, did you? Sinatra is arguably the most popular singer in American history. The unmistakable sound in his voice just puts you in a total "chill mode." One could even argue that Frank relaxes, even comforts the listener, and when you add the holiday inspired lyrics to his already sophisticatedly suave tone, it makes for a unique and unprecedented Christmas charisma. Nobody does it better than Frank.


12. The Christmas Song - Nat "King" Cole
C'mon now, any attempt at a Christmas playlist without Nat King Cole is a futile effort. Although the credit for writing this classic goes to Mel Torme and Bob Wells (1944), it was best performed by Nat King Cole. And when you hear someone else's version, it's simply not as good. Originally a Jazz pianist, Cole incorporated some of those jazzy roots into this piece. About two minutes into the song there is an interlude of keys and jazz guitar that recalls the memories of spending quality time with loved ones by the fire. The Christmas Song; a no doubt MUST for any Christmas music enthusiast.


13. Do You Hear What I Hear? - Martina McBride
Some of you may have been wondering when the songs about the TRUE reason for the season would start making the list. Well wait no more my friends. Wait no more, that is, for the Son of God, for the Hope of the World, for the Word to become flesh. Though it was written in 1962 by Noel Regney, Martina mystically performs it here, passionately singing of the whispers of a Messiah finally coming to the Earth to save Israel and the rest of the world from their sin. The star that guided the Magi and shepherds. The Song that rose above the trees. The Child, asleep, adorned with silver and gold. It all points to the Light of the world. This song speaks to that quiet, yet fateful night.


14. The Little Drummer Boy - Josh Groban
There are three reasons this song makes the list. First, when I was just a tyke, I remember having this little toy drum with drumsticks that I would always play with. When I heard this song, I would play this drum. I WAS the little drummer boy (legendary, I know). Second, the inclusion of bagpipes is absolute GOLD. The rise and build of the song into the breathtaking instrument of the highlands is just epic. Third, Josh Groban. I mean really, he is probably the best male vocalist on the planet right now. There is no question about the necessity to have him on this album. 


15. O Come Let Us Adore Him - Shane Barnard & Shane Everett
Some of you have never heard of these guys, but those that have know exactly where I'm going with this. If you have ever heard any of their work, their harmonic blends are second to none. Check this song out on iTunes, and tell me I'm wrong. I can already see some of the male vocalists out there trying to match the harmonies in this one, maybe in the car or even in the shower (I feel you, bro). With that being said, I really love the theme of this song. Christmas reminds us of the gift that God gave to us; His precious and begotten Son. Wherever we are in the world, wherever we are spiritually, we can come, and we are able to worship and adore Him.


16. What Child Is This - Carrie Underwood
Sorry Taylor Swiffer Sweepers, Carrie out-sings every female country artist by a landslide. When you combine her talents with one of my favorite Christmas songs, the result is an obvious choice for my list. This version of the song begins soft and mellow, but the change of key and the build in this recording almost floors me. This song declares that the child, born of a virgin outside a quaint town in a humble manger, is indeed the Savior, the Christ King. He is worthy of honor, praise, and affection.


17. Silent Night - David Crowder Band 
I know what many of you are thinking. "You chose arguably the most popular Christmas song known to man, and with that you have a plethora of artists and versions of the song you could choose, and yet you choose...David Crowder?" I would love to explain...

First of all, the song begins like it should; quiet and somber (stop messing it up hippies). Second, when we actually sing the second and third verses, we realize that this song isn't what the consumer driven Christmas has made it out to be. We forget about these verses, and thus forget that element of worship that was put into the writing of this song. Third, I love that this version was recorded live (in fact, for all I know, I could have been in the arena during the recording). Fourth, I love how the end of this song is different. While we usually end it in "heavenly peace," Crowder rolls it into a celebratory jam session. Yes! There is reason to celebrate! "It started so quiet...oh what a night...started so quiet...and then a Light!"

This is it. The grand finale...


18. O Holy Night - Celine Dion
If someone wants to tell me there is a better female vocalist in the world than Celine Dion, just stop. You are wrong. I want my list to have the best. That is why Celine makes the cut. Honestly, I did have some trouble with this one. I knew this song would be on the playlist because it is by far my favorite Christmas song, I just didn't know which artist/version to choose. I had it narrowed down to Celine and a guy named Ryan Stuart (a select few of you might be familiar) who recorded a cover of this song for the North Point Church Christmas Album (available on iTunes). It may be a surprise to most, but those of you who are familiar know that this guy CAN STRAIGHT UP BELT. But at the end of the day, you can't say no to the most gifted female singer maybe ever. Think I'm wrong? Download this version and wait until about the 4:25 mark on the track, and then get back to me. You will poop your chaps.

Again, much like Silent Night, I love the second and third verses of this song we tend to neglect. They are awesome and powerful. They speak of a broken world, lost in sin and hopelessness. Then, a thrill of hope...a divine night...then a new day will come! Finally, the Savior. He is the Lord! Broken chains. Freed slaves. And we will praise Him forever...




So there it is, folks. The Essential Christmas Collection, chosen by yours truly. I would love to hear your own thoughts too...What songs did I miss? Do you agree with some of them? Etc...

Either way, thanks for reading, and Merry Christmas!