Chad Lewis' blog

New Blog and Website

2008-05-29T08:14:00.000-07:00

Hey friends,

I am abandoning this blog for a new blog using Wordpress. A deacon at Sojourn, Aaron Marshall (www.churchsmo.com), has set me up an account that will give me freedom to do all that I need to from one spot and for free. It is a huge blessing.

If you have an RSS feed on this site and would like to receive my new posts or just check out the new site while it is still being built, go to www.chadlewis.net and check it out.

Deepest blessings,
Chad Lewis

Difficult Gifts to Receive

2008-05-01T07:18:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about God's gifts this morning. The gifts of difficult relationships, hard working environments, disobedient children - all of these and many, many more are gifts even though they don't seem to be in the moment. God uses all of these "gifts" to make us more like Jesus. They are all part of our sanctification.

As you approach these "gifts" throughout each day of life, the choice exists for us to react in our own strength and understanding or turn our eyes to the Father and seek to use each of these situations as redemptive possibilities.

With difficult relationships, we have the opportunity to move towards people with the love and forgiveness that Christ has shown us. He is always moving toward us - especially when we are unlovable. With hard work environments, we have the opportunity to realize how needy we truly are and this can drive us to God to ask for help moment by moment to love others, react with kindness and actually live in the strength that God provides. And with our children, we have the opportunity to not merely correct behavior, we can explore their hearts and see each opportunity as a chance to share grace, love and discipline. It even gives us the opportunity to ask for their forgiveness when we act sinfully towards them.

Is any of this easy? Nope. It isn't supposed to be. The fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5 is not named by mistake. It isn't the fruit of my good efforts or the fruit of trying harder. It is the fruit of the Spirit because it is the fruit that only God can truly give.

Rich Mullins wrote, "The long and short of all of it is that if I believe that God is good, then I need to accept whatever happens in my life as being a gift, and allow Him to take some of the things that hurt, allow Him to take some of the things that sting, some of the things that I think are going to kill me - allow Him to take those things and make of me the person He wants me to be. It may not be the person I want to be, but it'll be the person He would want me to be."

Let's remember that God is at work today and seek to be thankful for these "gifts" that God gives.

Going to Church vs. Being the Church

2008-03-12T13:35:00.000-07:00

Language is such a funny thing. Sometimes we say something and mean something different. Sometimes words can have several meanings and we get confused when things are taken out of context. I once heard of an anecdote that posed a young Christian as dropping their Bible open to find out God's will for their lives. They dropped it open and it said "Judas went and hanged himself" and then the next place it dropped open was to the phrase "go likewise and do the same."

"Church" is a word that too often means very different things to different people. To most in the our day and age, "church" simply means the building that we go to on Sundays and Wednesdays. However, we would all agree that Jesus didn't die to redeem a building.

A pastor has been challenging me to redeem the language of church. He says that we should kick hard against the notion that we ever "go to church" but rather, we go to gather with other members of the church. The church is me and the church is you. We can gather as the body that calls itself Sojourn Community Church, but we are not going to a building and calling it church.

Is this really such a big deal? I hope to answer this question more thoughtfully and eloquently later, but yes, it is a big deal. People for ages have been going to church and paying ministers to do the work of the Gospel. You can go to church twice a week and check those boxes off your to-do list and feel good about yourself. However, you cannot "be" the church and ever not consider your life as being a life on mission. We never cease being on mission if we consider that we "are" the church and we must reach out to a lost and hurting world that needs the healing power of Jesus Christ. May we go and "be" the church to those in our lives.

The Grass Isn't Greener

2007-01-21T08:02:00.000-08:00

After living a gazillion places, having a thousand jobs, being up in front of people playing music and speaking, mopping floors, having money and being dirt poor, receiving accolades and awards, and being made fun of, I have realized that none of this earthly stuff is ever enough. One might think that after having experienced earth shattering lows that are so painful your teeth hurt that you would truly appreciate the highs where the whole world seems to be affected by you, but it is never enough and it was never meant to be.

We were created to never be truly filled by anything but God alone. If we believe the Scriptures, God has us where we are for His exact purposes and to fulfill a greater plan. I have seen the green grass on the other side of the fence and moved to the neighbor's yard only to desire to go back because the shades of green seemed to change.

With all of this, I think of Paul's words in the epistles. He counted "ALL" loss compared to knowing Christ. He counted everything as rubbish and refuse compared to knowing Christ. And he also found contentment in all things. Whether he was hungry or full, warm or cold, in safety or in danger, in all these places he was in Christ and Christ was in him.

We were not created for this world so the next time you find yourself useless because you are thinking that being somewhere else would solve all your problems, remember that your problems and heartaches will always go with you. However, the God of our fathers will never change and He can meet us in our time of deepest need.

So I write this to myself this morning because I've been thinking that the grass is greener right now and my contentment in what God is providing is at a low. But, I will trust in His promises and say along with David, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures..." God has made me lie down in the green pastures that He has ordained for me at this time, and I will praise Him for it.

The Humble Christ

2006-12-14T06:46:00.000-08:00

As Christmas knocks on our door this year, let us continually keep before us the reason for this holiday. It is not for getting "stuff" though it's theme is the gift of Christ and how He came to reconcile sinners to His Father. It is not about family though it is awesome to be with loved ones and even dwell on the fact that the family of God breaks through any socio-economic or cultural barriers. Christmas is about Christ.

One of the first things I learned in Seminary was so simple that it amazed me that I had not picked up on it earlier. When reading the Bible, the main character is always God. In the story of Abraham, the main character is God and how He will bring about His promises. With Moses, the main character is God and how He will set His people free and bring them into the land of promise. This list could go on and on. The story of the judges is how gracious God is and how He will bring his ways about even through a rebellious and obstinate people.

So we come back to Christmas. The main character is God again. In His infinite wisdom and with a plan that was drawn up before the earth was created, the Father decided to send His Son to earth to redeem a people of His own choosing. This Christ is spoken of so beautifully in Philippians 2. Paul admonishes us to be like Jesus as He is the ultimate and perfect picture of humility.

Though in perfect union in the Trinity for all eternity past, Christ does not keep hold of what is rightfully His. He lays down His rights and "made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Phil. 2:7-8). This was the very plan of God!

As we meditate on these things, let's not forget about the depths of this story. Let's get beyond singing carols and kneel before our Maker who made our eternal salvation possible. And after a few thousand years of prophecy and things lining up perfectly by the administration of God, Jesus was born when the fulness of time had come. And now we are to proclaim, "Hallelujah, What A SAVIOR!!!!"

Deserving Nothing

2006-10-20T16:03:00.000-07:00

I recently read a quotation from a famous pastor that relayed the following message. Those who deserve nothing should be content with anything.

We do live in an entitlement age. We feel entitled to get what we deserve. We see this on talk shows, on the news and to those desiring to get what is coming to them. The selfishness of this age should not surprise us. It just seems that media allows the message of "self" to get to the public's ears much more readily than in any time before ours.

So this attitude seaps into our churches. We blame God for not making our lives perfect according to our standards. However, when you look at the lowest class of Americans, they are rich in comparison to the rest of the world. In our country, you can usually find food to eat and water to drink no matter how bad your plight might be.

If we are not careful, we can reach the point where we proclaim to God that we deserve grace and all the blessings of this life. We forget one enormous truth. We don't really want what we deserve.

If we got what we deserve, we would be put on trial instantly for pointing our finger in the Creator's face and saying "No thanks! I'll do this life thing my way!" We would be put on trial for the mulititude of sins we commit each day as we put ourselves before God and others.

We are in the most hopeless and pitiable state. Those who do not realize this are the worst off. They do not even realize what they deserve.

If we are children of God, we should look and see that grace is really amazing. We should look and see that all we have has been given to us. We should look and be thankful for another breath to be able to even speak the Name of God and thank Him for what eternity has in store. This life is not too long to live recklessly with great contentment for the One who has given us life and Himself. Let us refocus and whose we are and what we really deserve.

The Thorn Holds Back the Veil

2006-08-31T17:10:00.000-07:00

The thorn holds back the veil so I can see my Savior's face.

I heard the above line in a poem a few days ago. In pondering this thought, I imagine all the things that keep us from an intimate relationship with our Lord. If we were left to our own devices, we would never seek God. We would simply go on god-hunts for all our lives thinking that the next thing would fill the Grand Canyon cavern in our soul that longs for something bigger than we can imagine.

The writer of Ecclesiastes says that God has put eternity in our hearts. We can taste that we were made for something bigger though so often, even as Christians, we don't believe that God can fill this hole in our hearts.

Then enter the thorn. We hate thorns. We would have a problem if we liked pain or loneliness. But we don't have to like them to know that they are useful in our lives. We can humbly accept the thorn because it will help us cling to the hem of our Savior's robe and we will then notice His accepting eyes and open arms. Could this grace be true? Could God send distress? Could that be in His master plan?

There has been no sweeter fellowship with the Lord save when I was in my deepest point of distress. When aching and gut-wrenching agony had crippled my soul, I found my Savior weeping with me. But in the same moment I found my Savior smiling for He knew that this was best. This thorn allowed me to see Him more clearly. I could see better whose I was and that is much more important than who I am. I am beloved. I am Christ's. I was bought back at the highest price so that I can be a shining jewel for God.

So if you find yourself complaining about your thorn, stop and breathe. Stop and read 2 Corinthians 12 and following. Stop and TRUST. For Gospel transformation only begins when we recognize our need and take it to the Savior. God choose a few ordinary people to change the course of the world. Each one realized their need for Him. Let us glory in our need for it will help us glory in our Savior's sufficiency.

Waiting Patiently on the Lord

2006-08-19T13:22:00.000-07:00

Contentment and patience - these are two difficult words to swallow. Clay and I discussed this just the other day. Sometimes we long to be used so greatly by the Lord and all of life looks like a holding pattern. Sometimes we long for a relationship and nothing seems to be on the horizon. Days go by and all seems to be the same and we wonder if God has forgotten our name. Do we believe that He is in control? Do we believe that He has us exactly where He wants us? Sometimes we need to be reminded of God's plans because the battle rages against us everyday.

The same night I talked to Clay, my wife and I laid down to bed. I was feeling less than content. She mentioned that we should bypass our usual Bible reading for the night and read a devotion from Streams in the Desert. So we did. It was a message in a bottle to my soul. I will post it below and pray that it ministers to you as well.

August 16
From Streams in the Desert

I waited patiently for the Lord. (Psalm 40:1)

Waiting is much more difficult than walking, for waiting requires patience, and patience is a rare virtue. We enjoy knowing that God builds hedges around His people, when we look at the hedge from the aspect of protection. But when we see it growing higher and higher until we can no longer see over it, we wonder if we will ever get out of our little sphere of influence and service, where we feel trapped. Sometimes it is hard for us to understand why we do not have a larger area of service, and it becomes difficult to "brighten the corner" where we are. But God has a purpose in all of His delays. "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord." (Ps. 37:23)

Next to this verse, in the margin of his bible, George Mueller made this note: "And the stops too." It is a sad mistake someone to break through God's hedges. It is a vital principle of the Lord's guidance for a Christian never to move from the spot where he is sure God has placed him, until the "pillar of cloud" (Ex. 13:21) moves.
(This excerpt was from the Sunday School Times)

So as we read the above message, let us remember that God is in control. He sees all we were, all we are, and He sees all we will be. In His perfect wisdom and gentle compassion, He is bringing us through the valleys and mountain tops that we need to visit. Even though it sometimes doesn't feel like it, He is doing a beautiful work in our lives for our best and to His glory, AMEN!

The Mind of God

2006-07-25T16:43:00.000-07:00

This summer has moved by quickly. Ginger and I are working with my dad in Memphis for a few weeks in between a few camps we will be doing some music at during this summer. The heat wave and Memphis humidity have drained us, but it is such a blessing to be able to work with one's hands (and to have a nail gun.)

During a break one day, I laid down in my dad's truck and peered up through the leaves of an old shade tree. My mind wandered to the vastness of God's mind. It seems a little strange to ponder the infinite mind of God. Scientists continue to discover that the universe is bigger than we imagined. They are also finding that things are smaller than we had once thought. All of this is not only known by God, He created it all - He thought it all up.

This same God who knows where every sub-atomic partical is knows the very hairs on our head. I have been humbled lately as God has taken off a few more blinders off of my eyes. I hope they stay off. I see Him working in the good and the bad. Just today, my dad felt led to go to a different worksite. We had not been there for more than a few minutes in weeks. The owner of the house that is being built was on some scaffolding and fell. His leg was broken badly, and we were able to call for help and get him stablized. My wife is a nurse and she guided us in wise decision making. God knew that we needed to be there for him to help.

This is but one small instance in our days filled with God's amazing Providence. He knows your name and He is caring for you. He is not anxious or worried because He is in control. He knows how everything will turn out. He is our God and He is working.

So let us find rest in Him. Let us realize that patience is needed as we seek Him. Whether or not we are able to do amazing things with our lives is up to Him. His purpose for us is to seek first the Kingdom of God and His face and He'll take care of the rest. So let us all take this journey of resting in our God. And remember, resting is hard work.

George Mueller Like Faith

2006-07-13T15:09:00.000-07:00

Ginger and I just got through listening to John Piper's biography sermon on George Mueller. Mueller has long been a hero of mine as his faith in God's Providence is legendary. As an evangelist, head of orphanages, and missionary, Mueller saw God do amazing things. It is not hard to get discouraged when I sometimes look at my lack of faith.

But as I listen and read about this man's life, his main desire was to show the faithfulness and majesty of God. Those whom we would call "super-saints" would be horrified to hear such a title. They would be quick to proclaim that they are not super, but that God is more powerful, awesome, lovely, caring, intimate, etc... than we can ever dream or imagine.

Do we dare take God at His Word? Do we dare trust His hand and not the riches of this world? Take the long view brothers and sisters! It may seem that we are throwing away our money, time and very life to the world, but we are trading the temporary for the eternal! Mueller knew this full well.

The ironic thing is that we actually find life when we give our life away. By trading these worldly accolades and treasures in for God's glory to be known, we gain joy indescribable. This takes place as we shine like lights to a darkened world and they see something that cannot be explained. This directly shines the spotlight on our God and His sufficiency.

Take some time today and ask yourself "What things am I really putting my trust in?" "What things am I not willing to part with?" Then get before the Lord and ask Him to be your sufficiency. It is then that we don't need to struggle for more faith. We need to struggle to rest and see who God really is. For when we get a better view of God and His glory, our faith is soon to increase. It is all about Him. We must decrease and He must increase.

Into Me See

2006-06-29T11:30:00.000-07:00

During a sermon years ago, Dave Busby defined intimacy in one of his last sermons. He simply stated that intimacy means "into me see." I ponder that definition as I type today. I'm on the other side of marriage now. After 32 years of singleness, the Lord has blessed me with an amazing friend. Even though she is my special gift fom God, I still have to fight to open myself up instead of crawling into a shell of safety.

It is a dangerous thing to let someone in. I know that men too often believe that we must have this persona of strength even when we are weak. We all may battle the lie that if someone sees us for who we really are, they could not love us. Though I know these are lies, the battle still rages. The encouraging thing is that I am learning.

As I am real with my wife, I find her embrace growing stronger. As I reach out from my innermost parts and reveal what I feel is ugly, she loves me even more. Isn't this just a small picture of God and His children?

Much of the journey of the Christian life is growing in belief of what is true. God already sees everything about us. He sees and knows ALL. The invitation of God is the most amazing imaginable. He says to us, "Into me see." He desires for His children to grow in the knowledge of Him. It is not for the sake of knowledge, but rather, it is for the sake of a thriving, intimate relationship. He already knows all so why don't we share all with Him?

As we grow to know who our Abba, Father is, we grow in trust and the journey of life becomes one that we walk by faith and not by sight. He is GOOD! Oh, He is GOOD!!! Believe this and pour out your heart to your Father. Believe this and dig into His Word so you can know the very Creator of your soul and the keeper of all things. He calls us just like He called David. "When You said 'Seek My face', my heart said to You, 'Your face, O Lord, I will seek.'" Let us have the heart of David and seek God's face today.

As a simple reminder, I once put a large sign on my wall. It simply said, "'Chad, come sit with me.' God"

What God Doesn't Forget

2006-05-17T13:30:00.000-07:00

On many occasions I need to be reminded. This morning was such a time. I grabbed an old journal and went to a park. While sipping on some coffee I read about the following instance that occured two years ago.

I was sitting at a lunch table with a counselor named Melissa. I had come back to Lake Forest Ranch to be the worship leader for the 2004 summer. In 2003, I had come with a friend and played some music during his week of speaking. Melissa had been a counselor the summer before as well. She shared with me that one memory stuck out with her from the summer before. Their was a kid who was being difficult all day long. He was a bit different and because I realized the stresses on the counselors and the massiveness of their responsibilities, I made this kid my friend for the week. I hung out with him when everyone else wanted him to get away.

It was funny that as she reflected on this experience with me, I barely remembered the story, but it did sound vaguely familiar. It was during that conversation that God reminded me of an amazing truth.

God doesn't forget... Though our sins are in the category of "forgotten" if we are His children, He knows all things. It is amazing to think that we will never have to pay the penalty for our rebellion and treason against God. It is wiped away. To continue this amazing thought, God never forgets the smallest act of kindess that we show.

During my times of darkness, I wallow in the lie that I am of no use to this world and a somewhat fatalistic attitude begins to simmer. But even so, I must be reminded that God remembers me hanging out with that kid that weekend and sharing the love of Christ with him. God remembers the sacrifices I have made in the attempts to follow hard after Him.

It is amazing to think that we will be rewarded for these things in the life to come because it is God who empowers us to do them as well. But remember to never grow weary in doing good for God is watching and His eyes are the only ones that matter.

The Horror of Sin

2006-05-02T07:11:00.000-07:00

A time is coming when the blinders will be taken off of our eyes. During the day when we see God, we will not be able to stand on our feet. As every knee bows and every tongue confesses, the entire creation will be humbled and the reality of sin and its' consequences will be seen in bold light.

We often trivialize sin. My attitude has too often been to take sin lightly in my life and in others lives. However, my heart has been shaken as I have been meditating on sin and the ramifications of it. Why does hell exist? Why is it such a horrible place? Well, if sin is no big deal, hell would not have to exist. When we think of the horror of hell we need to tie with it the horrific nature of sin.

When we see in Scripture that we will fall on our faces before God and confess that Jesus is Lord, it would be safe to say that two scenarios will be going on. Both deal with the realization of who we were. As we see God in His glory, I believe that possibly we will be able to see the depth of our sin and the effects that it had in us, towards others, and most importantly toward God. To those who are saved by the sacrifice of Christ, an unparalleled sense of joy and gratitude will enter that we will not get over for all of eternity. Our sins are forgiven and God treats our sin as forgotten. Not only that, He has adopted us as sons and daughters. We will never get over this. However, the second scenario is as ghastly as the first is glorious.

To those who did not accept the sacrifice of Christ and make Him Lord of their life, the reality of their sinfulness will hit them with the weight of eternity. What they once took so flippantly will be exposed and they will see how horrible their sinfulness was and see the eternity waiting for them.

This past week I heard about "The Weight of Glory" written by C.S. Lewis. He wrote that no one is an ordinary person. If you could see what that person will be in eternity, you would know they are not ordinary. For some, they will be so glorious and brilliant that you would wonder if they were an angel from heaven. For others, they will be so hideous and dark that you might suspect them to be a demon from hell.

With all these things in mind, let us rejoice that a way has been made so that we might be reconciled to God. Let us seek God's face and realize how lovely He is. Even though it is important to meditate on our depravity and sinfulness, their comes a point that we need to lift our eyes to the Father. Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted. The way to stop sinning is not to try to control your sin. The way we sin less is by filling ourselves with something greater than our sin. That something greater is... you know it - God. Seek His face while He may be found in this life.

We All Have Different Stories

2006-04-26T13:22:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I had some friends come into town. What do old friends usually talk about? That's right - relationships. This has been the most exciting time of my 31 year life in regards to relationships as I'm preparing to enter into a marriage with my best friend and biggest supporter on earth. Ginger and I both love to share the story of how God brought us together.

In relaying this story, I was quick to add to my single friends about some of my frustration in the past concerning advice given by those who had walked the road before me. Much of the advice I got seemed very much like a magic formula to repel singleness and catch a mate. A few times I received the advice to stop looking and then God would be sure to provide someone really soon. However, when after months turn into years, one has to wonder about the advice.

I never did buy into these thoughts hook, line and sinker, but they did plague me on occasion. What I have found to be true is both liberating and beautiful. We all have different stories. In Psalm 139, David declares that God has written all the days David would live in His book before one of them was even lived!

As we apply this to our lives, the implications are wonderfully exciting. God decides what is best for our lives. He asks us to give our lives to Him completely and trust Him with all that He gives and all that He takes away. He is not some cruel God saying, "I wish they would stop looking for a mate so I could finally bless them with one." No, God is working out whatever He wills and I have said many times, the best thing in the whole universe for us is God, Himself.

He is writing a different story with all of our lives. We are sometimes bruised and battered. We are sometimes joyful and full of rejoicing. Through it all, we must surrender each day and trust that He knows what is best.

One of the greatest song lines I have ever heard was written by Rich Mullins. He sings, "I'd rather fight You for something I don't really want than take what You give that I need." I find myself doing that so much. I have fought God for different things and in reality, I was blinded to the fact that I didn't really want those things. The encouraging thing is that God knew what was best. And in my life, He took me through 31 years before He provided me with a helpmate. In His good plan, He ripped a relationship from my hands that I thought would end in marriage three years ago, but He knew best. I am so glad that God did not give me what I thought I wanted. I would not be the person I am today.

So as you are giving advice, don't put handcuffs on God. He works in everyone's lives and He is writing different stories for us all. All of these stories will one day bring glory to God as we sit around and discuss how awesome our God is for all eternity.

The Homeless: A Lesson of God's Grace

2006-04-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

As I looked out of my Jeep window, I observed Jason and Scott getting ready to join me for a ride to church. The year was 2000 and I was living in a ministry house in Atlanta, Georgia. Jason and Scott had recently been homeless and I was one of three leaders in the mission house. Our goal was to help the helpless and try to train them with basic life skills so they could get off the streets and have a second chance at life.

As I watched, I looked down at what I was wearing and looked into the rear view mirror. My hair was a bit long and I wore my hooded jacket and jeans. Jason was lacing up his combat boots and was covered in piercings and tattoos (most of which were homeade tattoos.) Scott was dazed from sleep and putting out his cigarette butt before getting in for the ride. He also had the biggest afro I had ever seen on a white man. He would stuff it under a baseball cap.

Thoughts raced through my head and I imagined that we would be a group that others would try to avoid. I thought about how unlovely they seemed, how bad they smelled and how frustrating it was to help them as they usually were very difficult to get along with. I thought we must look like a motley crue.

In those 30-seconds before they got into my vehicle, God shot an arrow to my heart that still sticks with me today. The impression cut to the core and humbled me deeply. The thought rang in my heart, "Chad, you are no different than they are." The thoughts continued about how I had no choice in the home I was born into or the I.Q. that I had been given. How was I to take pride for anything that God had given me? My body, mind, heart, circumstances and most of all the grace of God to transform a wretch into a beloved child - this is all God's grace.

It is helpful to me to be reminded that all that I have is a gift of God's grace. Apart from His strong hand being present in my life I believe I could be an alcoholic, addicted to all sorts of vices, selfishly abusing others for my own gain, and the list goes on and on... We must humble ourselves before our Maker and with thankfulness, submit ourselves in surrender. Just like the parable of the talents, to whom much is given, much is required.

Let us rejoice for the life that God has given us and the means with which He has blessed us. He desires that we give it all back to Him and give our lives away to point to the wonderful gospel message and to the cross. For it is here that we find true life.

So next time you see a homeless man, remember that could be you and thank God for His grace. You might also want to take him for a cup of coffee and lose some of your fear of the unknown.

Behind a Frowning Providence

2006-03-28T13:29:00.000-08:00

William Cowper was a hymn writer during the days of John Newton. Cowper struggled from the deepest depressions and most of his life was marked by darkness. John Newton was a friend and pastor to Cowper and he encouraged him to write hymns along with him as it might be good therapy for the soul. One of those hymns is called "God Moves in a Mysterious Way." The lyrics are listed below.

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

Though the entire hymn has ministered to many, one line has become more famous than the others. "Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face."

As we walk on this road of life, we often cannot trace God's hand at work in our lives. We may be in the fiery furnace as the flames blaze out of control. From there, we may find ourselves in the cold, dark room of deepest doubt. In these times, events in life are hard to explain and sin often looks good when we perceive God to be bad.

But the truth remains - God is ALWAYS good! Though He sees you in your heartache or storm right now, He sees how He is going to use this in your life to bring glory to Him and to draw you to Himself. He is working ALL things together for good... (Romans 8:28-29)

Several years ago as I struggled with singleness, I had an impression in my heart during one of my loneliest times. The impression was that even though God was seeing me devestated in my heartache, He was also seeing me in the joy of my wedding day. The goodness of God allowed me to struggle so that I would know Him more and learn to trust His hand.

A few years ago, I lost what I thought was the fulfillment of that promise. But I stand here three years later and am engaged to the woman who is my best friend and helpmate. The frowning providence of God pulling the other relationship away has brought me to this moment of marriage. He is good! He is in control! He is at work and He is smiling because He knows the end result of all of His children - eternity with Him!

"Hold You!"

2006-03-09T07:10:00.000-08:00

"He will feed His flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in His arms, holding them close to His heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young" (Isaiah 40:11 NLT).

I had the privilege of speaking four times to a group in Chatham, Illinois this past weekend. I usually stick to my notes fairly well, but God brought a story to my mind during one of the sessions and it was useful to bring home some of the truths we had been talking about concerning God being our Father. The story follows...

Brian Lowe is a dear friend of mine. A few years ago, he took his family to the beach. His oldest son, T.J., was just a couple of years old then. As T.J. saw the hugeness of the ocean for the first time, he began making a b-line to the water. He had little floaties on his arms and a vision of making it to the endless blue.

Brian lovingly followed his son to the waves and told him to wait on daddy. Little T.J. continued to run and say, "I do it with myself!" Brian continued to follow and admonish his boy to wait, but T.J. did what most little kids do, he ran on.

Upon reaching the water, T.J. was hit with the first little wave and was knocked over. He got up with determination and went back for more. The next wave came and tumpled him over again. After a few episodes of this getting up and getting knocked down, T.J. looked up at his daddy and said, "Hold you!" Brian picked up his son and they waded into the water together. Brian turned his shoulder to take the brunt of the waves and this father and child went and enjoyed the beautiful ocean together.

I heard Brian share this story one Wednesday night years ago and have shared it myself a few times since. The implication is pretty obvious. We are called to follow God, but we too often run on ahead and do things our own way. We don't keep in mind that the Christian life is impossible to live in our own strength.

As we get knocked down, we often try harder and harder and are continually disappointed about our failure. The funny thing is that we were never supposed to be able to make it on our own. Our very failure is a good sign that we need something greater than ourselves to live this life.

As we turn to the Father and say, "Hold you!" we can walk each day with the confidence that it is in our weakness that we are strong. The very characteristics of God can be exhibited in our lives as He works in fruit that brings Him glory (John 15).

Are you tired of walking? Are you getting beat up each day? Maybe you have been living in your own strength too long. Maybe you are like I was just a few years ago when I finally discovered that I had been living on my own too long. Maybe you need to hear Jesus say, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle of heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light" (Matthew 11:28-30 NLT).

Thoughts on Heaven (Part 3) - Bigger and Better

2006-03-03T14:39:00.000-08:00

Psalm 19 tells us that the heavens are declaring the glory of God. As I travel, I often show a slide show of universe slides in order to show the massiveness of God's creation. Too often, we just look at our everyday world and fail to look up and imagine the awesome works of our Creator.

A few years ago, I began looking into how big our Universe actually is. As a former math teacher, I got my pencil and paper out and began crunching numbers. We know that most agree that we have 9 planets orbiting around the sun in elliptical paths. This is our Solar System. Scientists say that our sun is but one of between 100 billion and 300 billion other stars in our Milky Way galaxy.

If you looked at a diagram of the Milky Way, we would be on the outer portion of the swirl. I began wondering how long it would take to travel to the center of the Milky Way. I found it in light years but thought it would be interesting to see how long it would take if we could fly in a jet airplane going 600 mph. After some calculations, the numbers were astounding. I found that it would take approximately 40 trillion years to get to the Middle of the Milky Way from the outer rim.

If this was not mind boggling enough, the Milky Way is thought to be only one of 100 billion other galaxies.

When I consider the heavens declaring the glory of God, I rarely think of their vastness. I rarely remember that God spoke these things into existence. This is the same God who created physics and mathematics to explain our world and who created the beauty of the sunset. This is the same God who is in control of our eternal destiny and He bids us to know Him more.

In Isaiah, it talks of how God measures the universe with the span of His hand. As massive as it all is, it cannot contain our God. He is bigger and better than anything we can ever imagine.

Maybe you should jump on a NASA website and just marvel at our Universe and then remember that God did this to show His incredible glory and majesty. Let us remember that the God who thought all this up hears your prayers and knows you by name. Oh how wonderful and awesome is our God!

Thoughts on Heaven (Part 2) - Just a Taste

2006-02-23T19:54:00.000-08:00

As I was sitting in Dr. Ware's theology class this week, he told a story from his youth that I would like to relay to you this week. On Thanksgiving each year, his family was allowed to eat breakfast, but they were required to skip lunch. Their mom's thought process was that they would definitely be starving by the time dinner came around and they would be able to enjoy everything all the more.

Sometime during mid-afternoon, the young Bruce Ware would be smelling the incredible aroma of the feast and would be driven by his starvation to go into the kitchen and ask for something so he wouldn't die. His mom would slice off some small portion of what she was working on to tide him over.

He compared this to us having the Holy Spirit as a pledge in our lives. For now, we can experience God in real ways as we daily worship Him and as we commune with other believers. If you can imagine a time in your life where you felt closest to God and the Spririt was welling up inside you, then you got a little scrap from the table. Our bodies groan for redemption and God is gracious enough to remind us that the best in this world is but a small nibble for the feast that is coming for all eternity. Hunger is a good thing because it reminds us that we need to eat. C.S. Lewis said it was a good thing that we have longings that cannot be filled by anything in this world. He said that it was a good sign that we were made for another world.

As we think of heaven and our brief time here on earth, let us strive to rest in Christ and abide in Him each day. We will have all eternity to enjoy God, but we must seek to enjoy Him now. As we are not guarenteed our next breath, let us strive to seek God's face and show love to a world that is in desperate need of the truth of God's amazing grace. Our home is coming, and it is a good thing to be encouraged by the thoughts of eternity. However, we must make the most of these moments and proclaim the truth of the gospel to a world in need so that they may hear how they too can join in on this amazing feast.

(I will post one more installment on Heaven next week concerning the massiveness of the Universe and some possible implications on our eternal dwelling place.)

Thoughts on Heaven (part 1) - Beyond Imagination

2006-02-17T06:57:00.000-08:00

When I was a youth, I imagined heaven to be a big, golden box where everyone present sat around and sang from a Baptist hymnal. I probably would have tried to use some elevated descriptive terms to make it sound better but inside I was never truly excited about my eternal home.

As I have learned more about God and His amazing creation, my view of heaven has expanded greatly. I once secretly hoped that I would not die before I had experienced some of the best things this world has to offer. One of these areas was marriage. I recently got engaged to the most lovely creature imaginable. More excitement is welling up in me than ever before concerning this new chapter in my life, but it still cannot begin to compare to what heaven will be like.

Paul said, "for me to live is Christ but to die is gain." If we can imagine the best this fallen world has to offer, it is only a mere taste of what eternity has for us. The most intimate relationships, the greatest excitement, the fullest joy, the least insecurity, or the greatest moment of spiritual bliss cannot compare to what we will find on the day we stand before our Father.

All sin, heartache, insecurity and selfishness will melt away like ice in the blazing, summer sun. Our greatest gift will be right before us, and that gift is God, Himself. It will not be a crown or room or street made of gold in which we will glory. We will glory at the majesty of our Creator and His amazing love for His children.

C.S. Lewis imagined that God will send us to and fro across this massive universe He created (I'll talk more next week about the unbelievable dimensions of the universe.) We will no longer be bound by time or space so adventure is limitless. As we discover more of this infinite God who created all, we will find our greatest joy in knowing Him. So the parallel is complete - in this life the greatest gift we can have is God. In the life to come, the same will be true. Let us seek to know the One who rescued us from eternal punishment and has a place for us to call home for all eternity. There will be no more need for light for He will be our eternal light.

Meditate on Philippians 2 and ask yourself how important knowing Christ was to Paul.

The Gift of Suffering

2006-02-11T06:36:00.000-08:00

Two years ago I wrote "Suffering Song." It simply chronicles my journey through the fire. The lyrics are posted below:

I begged for You to take me out of this fire
But You heated the furnace seven times more
The flames leapt and quenched all of my heart’s desire
Oh how I felt alone, I felt unknown

You gave me this cup of suffering
But I let it sit on, on this cold hard floor
If I were to take it up and drink it complete
I could not stand anymore, I could not stand anymore

When I prayed for life, You took mine away
My dreams shattered and like cold ashes blew in the wind
I prayed to comfort Your people so you planted this pain
The wound is deep in me, I didn’t want them to see
This wound is deep in me, but it’s what You want them to see

Because in the fiery furnace, You held my hand
And this cup of grief, You helped me drink it to the dregs
And this thorn in my soul is Your story to be told
Your grace is sufficient for any need,
Yes Your grace is sufficient for the greatest need

So rebuke our prayers for comfort Lord
For we should ask for so much more
To be broken and used up for this lost, dark world
Change our heart’s Lord, rob us of selfishness Lord

And if this cup you ask us to drink
Is filled to the brim with suffering
let it be, let it be for Your glory

As I type this morning, I remember recently wrestling with the line, "rebuke our prayers for comfort" because it seems vague enough to cause some misunderstanding. My intention in writing this line was not to say that asking God to comfort our troubled souls was wrong, but rather that we should be rebuked as we pray for earthly comforts.

The most loving thing God can do for His children is to often bless them with the gift of suffering. The question could be posed, "What is the greatest gift God could give us?" The answer - Himself. Another question: "What is the one thing we need on this earth more than anything else?" The answer - God, Himself.

If these are our answers, we must be willing to accept that God is so gracious, He will do what it takes for us to seek Him. If our lives were filled with earthly comforts, we would never (in and of ourselves) cry out and seek after Him.

The greatest gifts of my life have often been the trials of sadness and despondancy. It is during these times where I have wept before the Lord and sought to grab hold of His garment. It is during these times that I had nothing else and found that God was closer than I imagined. It is during these times that my Abba's hand has restored my soul and given me courage to walk on. It is from this storehouse of sufferings that God allows me to connect to the troubled and weary soul.

So when you are walking through the furnace, remember that this may be the very gift of love that you are longing for. We do not have to love the suffering - it would not be natural to do so. However, we can rejoice in the affects of the suffering for it can drive us to our knees. In this place, we will be driven into a more loving and intimate walk with our Savior and Lord.

So whether you are walking through the loneliness of singleness, the black cloud of depression, the uncertainty of the future, or even through the valley of the shadow of death, fear not, for He is with you and He is working. Take time to meditate on the truths of Romans 8 and remember how much our Abba cares.

(to listen to "Suffering Song" you can go to www.chadlewis.net and click on listen)

Awakened by Grace

2006-02-02T06:47:00.000-08:00

When I had just turned 23 and graduated from college, God led me to work at a camp in the middle of Mississippi. Lake Forest Ranch (www.lakeforestranch.com) has become a second home to me. More than any other place, God has used LFR to shape me into the person I am today.

This morning, I was considering my grace awakening which took place in those woods 8 years ago. The staff was watching a series by Dave Busby. This particular session was simply called "Intimacy with God." His main text was Luke 19 and the story of Zacchaeus. The story I had heard 1,000 times but something was different this time.

Busby painted the picture of this hated tax collector. He was rejected by his own people as he was employed by the Roman government and historically, tax collectors abused the power of their position. On top of this, Zacchaeus may have been ridiculed because of his height. Busby spoke that he probably heard the unbelievable press that Jesus was a friend of sinners. Zacch was exactly that and he just wanted to catch a glimpse of this amazing man.

What happened next was beyond his greatest imagination. Jesus came up to him and...

1. Jesus saw Zacchaeus - He saw him up in the tree.
2. Jesus knew Zacchaeus - Jesus didn't have to ask about this man's soul condition or his employment. He knew exactly who he was.
3. Jesus wanted Zacchaeus - Here is the most tender part of all. Jesus knew everything about Zacch and he wanted him.

Being wanted by Jesus affected him so deeply, he instantly gave half of his possessions to the poor and told the people he had defrauded that he would repay them four fold. Jesus said that salvation had come to Zacch's house that day. Not because he gave his most prized possession away but because his heart had changed simply because he was wanted by Jesus.

So how did this apply to me? We can see the very heart of God by viewing Jesus' heart. Looking into Jesus' heart can shatter misconceptions about our Creator. He is the visible image of the invisible God.

So this is true...

1. Jesus sees you - everything you are going through; past, present and future.
2. Jesus knows you - He knows all your failures, sins, thoughts and fears.
3. Here is the most tender part of all! Jesus wants you! He wants me and you!

For years I had been running on a performance treadmill trying to earn God's love and never realized that it was already a free gift. God's love is never ending. We can do nothing to make Him love us more. We can do nothing to make Him love us less. That day the truths began to sink in that I am God's precious, chosen child and nothing could ever change that.

So I type this morning. Some days these truths are too hard to believe, but as I grow older, they take deeper root in my heart and I live more in the reality of God's amazing love for His children. Bask in these truths and remember today that you are God's beloved if you are His child. These truths are the foundation that allow us to live the Christian life out of delight and not duty.

Where There is No Water

2006-01-26T05:37:00.000-08:00

In tough times, I often flip my Bible to Psalm 63 and read words penned by David in one of his most trying times. "O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for You; my whole body longs for You in this parched and weary land where there is no water." (NLT)

As I pondered the first verse this morning, I told God that He is what I longed for. Even when I don't realize it, my soul yearns for God alone. I may try to fit something in the place that only God can fill, but it leaves me lacking, discouraged and even more thirsty than before. Whether it be a relationship, job, ministry or anything else, it was not created to fill the inmost need. Only God can do that.

This world is a weary and parched place. We can watch people every day who are dying of thirst. They try to squeeze a drop of water out of a dried sponge when God has the ocean waiting for them.

So what do we do? We ask to see the One who can fill us up. And when we do see Him (and I believe we need to be reminded of who He is everyday) we can say with David, "I have seen You in Your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise You!"

When we see God with His infinite love, our response will be the same as King David's response. Not only is God's unfailing love better than anything this life has to offer, it is better than life itself! And then? We are are left praising God as we walk through life.

Take some time to soak in Psalm 63 today and remember God's unfailing love for His children.

Our Hearts, Flooded with Light

2006-01-18T19:28:00.000-08:00

During four summers of my life, I was on staff at a Christian camp in Mississippi. In addition to being a worship leader and activity coordinator, I pulled nightly patrol duty. I was nicknamed “The Green Lantern” because I had a green headlamp I would wear around camp. Rumors circulated that you didn’t want to be caught out of your cabin and see the green light coming towards you. Students were afraid. As I roamed the camp, the light helped me see. Basically its function was simple. It helped me see what was already there.

As Paul prays in Ephesians 1:17, he asks God to open the eyes of the Christian’s hearts. One author interprets this by translating it as follows: “I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light…” (NLT). I believe this is a beautiful thought as Paul goes on to ask that the people realize the hope, inheritance and power of those who believe. This would mean that their hearts would realize what is already true about them.

It seems so much of our sanctification consists of growing in a deeper understanding of what took place at salvation. As we grow deeper in the knowledge of God and His love for us, we grow more confident in trusting Him and surrendering our lives to Him each day. We need Him each day and there will never come a single moment when we will not need Him.

As I spoke at a retreat this past weekend at the very camp I wore the green light, I shared with the group about a new relationship that has been birthed out of a friendship. My heart is aglow with the adoration and encouragement of my new girlfriend Ginger. A man who has been married for 40 years relayed a message to me. He said, “Do you think you love her now? Just wait until you’re married.” “Do you think you love her then? Just wait until your first child is born.” He went on to explain how love deepens as life steadily goes by. This thought excites me very much.

I imagined how this is true about us with God. His love is never changing. It is the greatest it can ever be. We can do nothing to increase it or decrease it. He is unchangeable. However, our love towards Him will always be growing. As truths are revealed and our hearts are flooded with light, we will grow in love and adoration.

So I ask, “Do you think you love Him now? Just wait until you see Him carry you through the next storm.” “Do you think you’ll love Him then? Just wait until He shows you more and more the enormity of the cross and your adoption as His child.” The list could go on and on, but let us recall that we need to dwell on the amazing truths of Scripture and ask God to get out the floodlight so we can see what is already true about us in Christ.

The Watered Down Gospel vs. The True Gospel

2006-01-09T09:16:00.000-08:00

It was not too long ago that I sat as a visitor in a thriving church. The music was really good, the people were nice and the preaching presentation was fine. Dring the last half of the sermon, the pastor shared about the people's need for Christ. It was obvious that his talk was pointed to unbelievers.

The pastor asked if the people felt unfulfilled. He also asked if they needed a little something more in life to make them happier. The summation of his talk was that our lives may be pretty good, but they would be better if we would just accept Christ as our Savior. I left that day with a knot in my stomach because the amazing truths of the gospel were watered down to a self improvement strategy for wealthy Americans.

In Ephesians 2, Paul discusses why the gospel is really good news. Christ did not come to make our good lives a little better. Paul reminds these Christians that Christ came because they were DEAD in their trespasses and sins. They also walked according to the course of this world and were controlled by Satan himself. Their situation was even worse than that because they lived in the lusts of the flesh indulging in their sinful desires. By nature, they were children of wrath just like Satan, their father.

Will we take a moment to remember that this is who we were apart from Christ? You and I were children of darkness and had no hope. Dead people don't have the option to cry out for life. We were without hope, destined for eternal punishment for our rebellion against a Holy God.

BUT (this is an amazing statement), BUT God, being rich in mercy (why?) because of His great love with which He loved us, made us alive with Christ. The GOOD news is so GOOD only because the BAD news is so BAD. Ephesians 2:6-10 explain more why God did this and I would recommend soaking in the chapter for a while and remembering why this precious gospel affects every aspect of our lives. Intimacy, identity, community... all of our lives are shaped by this amazing reality.

Let us never water down the gospel. If you are not in Christ today, seek Him. Not because He will make a good life a little better but because eternity depends upon it. Only two choices remain - either we pay for our sins for all eternity or we accept Christ's payment for our sins and then follow Him as Savior and Lord for all our days.

Deeply Rooted in God's Love

2005-12-29T09:32:00.000-08:00

One of the greatest struggles of my life deals with belief. Do I believe God is in control of my future? Do I dare trust the promises of Scripture in regards to my acceptance in Him? Am I really adored by my Abba, Father?

Because I feel so deeply and dwell too often in the land of introspection, the battle to believe rages daily. Because of this, I have been stuck in the 3rd chapter of Ephesians for several days now. The implications are huge and I'm praying that these truths will sink deeper into my heart. I'll list the truths below.

Paul is basically falling to his knees and praying that this church would be empowered to believe what was already true. This is amazing - the battle is not to earn anything or achieve anything more for ourselves. The battle is to simply believe what is reality but God must open our eyes more and more each day. We must be reminded more and more each day to the amazing truths of the gospel.

So Paul prays (v. 14 ff)...

that God from His umlimited resources would empower them with inner strength through His Spirit... (God's resources are unlimited)

then Christ will make His home in their hearts as they have trusted in Him...(Christ has made His home in our hearts)

then their roots will grow down into God's love and keep them strong... (God's love is the foundation on which we can live each day. These roots will keep us grounded in the storms when we don't "feel" His love - we know it is truth.)

and that they would have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is... (All God's people should seek to understand this love)

that they would experience the love of Christ though it is too great to understand fully... (It is too massive to fully understand)

then, then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God... (Life and power find their source in the reality of God's love for His children)

As you battle to believe these truths today, soak in the Scripture - write down Romans 8:38 and 39. List out all the things that cannot separate you from God's love. You will see that everything is included - NOTHING can separate us... NOTHING! Then ask God to help you live in the reality of what is today.

In a Spiritual Fog

2005-12-15T20:00:00.000-08:00

My friend encouraged me yesterday. The jist of the conversation follows...

It is O.K. to enter a spiritual fog because we know what we believe. The truth remains whether or not we feel it. It must be grounded in our lives so that we can battle to believe when the darkness comes. We need friends and loved ones to preach the gospel to us each day because we'll forget the awesome, life-giving truths of it before we go to bed.

So are you in a spiritual fog? I am currently. Even so, I read a quotation from Streams in the Desert that encouraged the socks off of me yesterday. It follows: "We do not see... We are not able to discover any beauty, any possible good in our experience. Yet if we are faithful and fail not and faint not, we shall some day know the most exquisite work of all our life was done in those days when it was so dark." J.R. Miller

Dear brother or sister, be faithful during these days. Reach out for help and cry out to God to help you believe. The hope of Christ will be an anchor for your soul when days seem darkest. And when you least expect it, the noonday will shine forth gloriously bright and God will show you what He did to glorify Himself in these dark days. It might be in the next life, but it will be worth every tear and heartache.

Journey on Christian and remember that He is leading you further on...

Note: One of the most helpful books I own is a little devotional book called Streams in the Desert compiled by Mrs. Chas E. Cowman. It's contents contain jewels from Charles Spurgeon, George Mueller and many other heroes of the faith. The entire theme woven throughout is God's redemptive work in suffering. It has been a friend to me many a lonely night.

When Good Desires Become Demands

2005-12-05T06:02:00.000-08:00

"When good desires become demands, they turn into an idol and replace God." As my teaching pastor said this last night, the sting made it's way deep into my heart. I believe this statement can sum up many seasons in my Christian life - this one included.

In the past, one area that has plagued me is suffering through singleness. Some times I have soared with the wings of victory in contentment, while other times have seen me crashing in the rocks down below. During the times of crashing, too often my good desire for a best friend to marry has turned into a demand. "I must have this to truly be happy!" This is when my eyes roam and Chad becomes captain of the ship. Even during these times, God has been gracious to let me know that my mutiny is not right and I humbly give Him back the wheel.

Currently, music has become a demand. After recording four humble, self-produced albums, a few guys from my church have taking me under their wing to help me take my best stuff and make it better. Somehow as the process has begun, my good desires to have this album be useful for others has become a must. Somehow I believe if this doesn't happen in a big way, it was all in vain and I'll just quit songwriting altogether. I truly write music to encourage people and let them know they are not alone. This is a good desire. But when this desire turned into a demand, my focus changed for the worse.

This was not a quick process but it did sneak up on me. Last night I spent time repenting and God's sweet refreshment came over me. I acknowledged that His ways are higher than my ways. To second guess the Creator's plans and say my plans have to take place - that is not the Christian life. With every breath we can pray our desires to God, but they must be stipulated with "But Your will be done, Father. For You know what is best."

I was humbled, but the fruit of peace has returned to me and I have stopped striving in this moment. However, I know that the battle will come again. When it does, we must stop and remember that He is God. We must be still and hand over the reigns again. This might be a daily thing for many of us.

Let us be encouraged that we are trusting in the finished work of Christ and our God's mercy and grace are like the ocean. Like Amy Carmichael said, we are just tiny shells and the oceans of God can fill us over and over and over again. May we to God's ocean and find ourselves filled in Him today.

Thoughts on Hell (part 2) - Grace Removed

2005-11-30T06:23:00.000-08:00

If one believes that the Bible is God's Word, it is not an option to set parts of it's contents to the side. Because of the stark teachings on hell in Scripture, many have done just that. The argument rings out, "How can an enlightened society believe in an eternal punishment described by fire and suffering?" And though many Christians sheeplishly simply answer that it is in the Bible, they secretly agree with the skeptic.

It is not hard for me to understand why. As compassionate people, we cannot imagine the thought of some sweet old lady or some nice young man being punished for eternity for a few wrong things they did on earth. However, we are not even scratching the surface theologically by thinking such shallow thoughts concerning God, hell and the true state of our depravity. Let's take a moment to go deeper and imagine some foundational truths concerning the true nature of humans.

As I type, I watch my morning apple turn brown as I take bites out of it. If left uneaten, it will soon shrivel up and will eventually rot. A person's soul is not much different. Excuse the apple analogy, but I will take it a few steps further.

As the apple is covered with the skin, all humans experience God's common grace (common to all living beings). This is not the grace that leads to salvation (special grace that awakens the dead heart and yields new life), this common grace is described in Mattew as Jesus challenges the people to love their neighbors. He says concerning the Father, "...for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." (Matt 5:45-46 NASU)

This common grace allows all humans to be capable of loving others and receiving love. This common grace keeps us from killing each other and riots breaking out in the streets everyday. With the recent looting in New Orleans, we should stop and wonder why this doesn't happen more often. The thought in Hebrews is that if God stopped speaking us into existance at any moment, we would cease to exist. The very thought that we can experience life, eat food, feel the warmth of the sun, and so many other things is based completely on the goodness of God.

So we return to the little old lady and the nice young man who are not believers. The destination of their souls, apart from coming to Christ, is eternal damnation. Why? Because all the good that exists in them is simply a gift from God. If God were to remove His common grace from their lives, their sin would instantly consume them and the results might be something worse than Hitler or Stalin.

The dish washing philosopher/theologian Brother Lawrence said that he was not shocked at how evil the world was. He was shocked that it was not worse. When we consider the total depravity of man and what we are all capable of apart from God's grace, we should shudder at what the status of the world might really be.

So the older lady and young man live what seem to be good lives. However, at judgment, the truth is revealed and they have no ground to stand upon. Their goodness was like filthy rags and the sin compiled in one day would be enough for eternal punishment. They will see that any good they did was a gift from God while they are held accountable for all their wicked deeds.

It is my humble opinion that as sin takes complete control in hell, the end result will be something so hideous and wicked that the soul will look nothing like it did upon earth. I can imagine that these souls will appear like Satan himself in that they will be totally consumed with evil as eternity begins. The wickedness of Hitler on earth might not be able to match the tamest soul in hell as God's grace is removed.

With all this said, how can we rejoice in the midst of such terrible and frightening thoughts? I will close with the words of the Apostle Paul. Read these words and know that we can rejoice for God has made a way!

Rom 5:6-11
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
NASU

Thoughts on Hell (part 1) - Betrand Russell

2005-11-18T10:00:00.000-08:00

Bertrand Russell was a famous writer and thinker throughout the previous century. He was not a supporter of any religion as he felt they contributed to many ills in society. The following is an excerpt from an essay he wrote outlining the reasons he was not a Christian.

When considering the doctrine of hell preached by Jesus, Bertrand Russell states, “I must say that I think all this doctrine, that hell-fire is a punishment for sin, is a doctrine of cruelty. It is a doctrine that put cruelty into the world and gave the world generations of cruel torture; and the Christ of the Gospels, if you could take Him as His chroniclers represent Him, would certainly have to be considered partly responsible for that.”

Though I have many problems with the way Professor Russell draws his conclusions from Scripture, I will simply discuss the statement above.

Before Christ came into the world, did cruelty not already exist? People were so wicked that human sacrifices to pagan gods took place on a regular basis? Many temples were filled with forced prostitution for the purpose of worshiping other gods. Cruelty has existed since the Fall of humans. Sin and cruelty go hand in hand.

Since Russell holds to the presupposition that hell does not exist, his statements follow suit. If this is true and hell is not real, then Christ’s teachings are nothing more than spouted lies with horrible consequences. But if hell is reality, Jesus Christ would be the most unloving being in the universe to not declare this truth from the top of his lungs.

If a train were speeding towards a collapsed bridge, would a man be praised by keeping his mouth shut? If asked later why he did not speak, he might say, “I did not want to scare the conductor or the people in the train. Can you imagine the panic?”

Would we not call this man a fool and a murderer? The most loving thing possible would be to proclaim the reality of what is to come for the passengers unless the train stops and then hope they stop in time.

My presuppositions are clear. I do believe hell is a real place and that a divine Jesus Christ spoke truth in love. He came to make a way for this cruel world. He warned about impending judgment and then opened the closed door to be reconciled to a holy God.

He did not stop at saying hell is a real and miserable place. He came to suffer, bleed and die. He came to bear the wrath of God so we would not have to spend eternity in hell. Why did he do this? Because it was God’s perfect plan! It gave him pleasure to redeem a wayward people to himself. It is by his good graces that he calls us to come to him.

This is an excerpt from a song by Stuart Townend. It clearly depicts the Gospel message.

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

And the most gentle and kind Savior sings to us, “Come to me, all you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Our postmodern generation gags on the doctrine of hell for many reasons. I would like to address some of these reasons next week. Thanks for reading and may you be blessed as you consider the marvelous grace that is so richly lavished on us each day.

A Mop Bucket and a Math Degree

2005-11-10T19:33:00.000-08:00

The following words hung in my closet all last year as a reminder of calling:

"Serve.

Cease selfishness in…
Phone calls
Time
Emails
Comfort
Conversation

Give your life away and in doing so, gain true life.
You once lived with the Homeless. Remember the mop and continue to seek service daily."

The mop reference refers to some time I spent helping a coffeehouse ministry get started in Atlanta a few years back. I lived in a ministry house with some other volunteers. Our goal was to seek community and to help some homeless guys get back on their feet. I got a lifetime of great stories from those 14 months of life.

With the ministry, I had volunteered to do "whatever" for a year. And "whatever" is what I did. I remember one night after everyone had gone home. Tons of hurting teens who had every type of addiction had come to an open mic night where we sought to build relationships so that we could share the Gospel.

The floors were sticky and trash was everywhere. All had gone home and I was pushing the mop. I can remember thoughts running into my head like, "Where are the other leaders?" "Why am I alone?" The best one was "I have a degree in Mathematical Sciences and here I am mopping a floor."

And that's when it hit me. The example of our serving Savior. My disgruntled attitude turned into songs of praise and tears of joy.

Oh that God would capture our hearts so that we might see the gift of serving our brothers and sisters and serving a hurting world.

May God replace our disgruntled scowls with tears of joy as we mop up after those around us each day. This will truly be an enigma to a self-centered world as we love each other selflessly with the love Christ provides.

The Singing Savior

2005-11-04T06:29:00.000-08:00

While attending a lecture yesterday by Reggie Kidd (www.reggiekidd.com) I was hit with an idea that I rarely think about. The idea is that Jesus is the Singing Savior.

Most of us have heard the story about a young David playing the harp to calm the distressed spirit of Saul. We've also heard that music soothes the savage beast. Throughout history, music has been a common language between nations that could not communicate otherwise.

In Tolkien's The Silmarillion, we see the picture of God's song bringing everything into existance. Within Scripture, we have a picture of God rejoicing over us with singing and quieting us with His love (Zephaniah 3:14-17). And the reason for rejoicing is that He has taken away our sin if we are in Christ and He has adopted us as precious, adored children.

This same Christ sings a song that woos the wayward sinner to come home. His song transforms the hardest of stoney hearts to warm, living flesh. This song takes the selfish hater and makes him a selfless lover. Our Savior's Song has been welling in my heart for many years now. On many days it has been very quiet and almost undistinquishable, but on other days it has burned like a raging fire in the night.

Oh that we would listen and think about His song more often. Look in the Gospels and look at the beautiful life of our Savior.

John Cordova always said...

2005-10-28T13:48:00.000-07:00

My friend John Cordova is moving to town to work and go to seminary. I recall a conversation we had this summer and something he briefly stated in one sentence has often been on my mind since that muggy, summer day in Florida.

Cordova simply said, "I'm willing to trust God with my eternal destination but I'm not willing to trust him today."

My heart resonated with that statement. Then I thought about how illogical it is for it to be so true in my life on so many days. How can I trust God with my eternity - the part that never ends - but I'm not willing to trust him with today's needs and trials?

The same God that has rescued me from the domain of darkness (read Ephesians 2 if you like) so that I could be a pointer to His amazing grace gives me all I need today. He will do the same tomorrow and the same when I am breathing my last breath on this round globe.

He will make sure I get to eternity all right and that the new heaven and earth will be my home - He will be my home.

So here I am today, having trouble trusting... What do I need? I need to remember and trust in the foundational promises of God's word. I might need a friend to remind me of the amazing gospel through a phone call or letter.

If you aren't trusting God today, don't beat yourself up. But do go to Him and honestly share your heart. Then call a friend and ask them to preach the gospel to you for we need to be reminded everyday.

Who we are vs. what we do

2005-10-23T15:57:00.000-07:00

I just got finished with a review of Twenty Something by Margaret Feinberg. This was an interesting book as it sought to shed a little light on the trials of those struggling with life decisions being made in those twenty something years. This might be a nice gift for someone struggling with these decisions.

One thing that I gleaned came in the form of a simple reminder. She writes, "The most important thing about being in your twenties isn't figuring out what you're going to do, but figuring out who we are" (64).

We live in a culture that too often defines a person and their worth based on their occupation. I have several answers when people ask me what I do. To some I say I'm a student. To others that I travel and play music. Still to others, I am a retired school teacher drawing 4 cents a year on pension. I try not to be defined by what I'm doing, but the lies rage internally sometimes that tell me I'm insignificant if I'm not "doing" something great.

If my worth is in who I am, my worth is great. This has nothing to do with who I am necessarily, but rather Whose I am. I am God's. My life is to be about seeking Him and sharing His love with a darkened world outside my Christian boundaries. Within my Christian realm, I am to teach truth and remind people who we are in Christ.

If you have the time, go to www.chadlewis.net and click on "listen." After that, click on "Sweet Release" and listen prayerfully. Remember, you are not defined by what you do. We must seek God's truth so that the lies that bombard us can be released. As A.W. Tozer said, "What comes into our mind when we think about God is the most important thing about us." This thought shapes our very existance. We must think about God in the same way He reveals Himself to us in the Scriptures and be reminded that He is our Abba and that He cares for us more than we could ever dream or imagine.

Though some might say that this teaching will keep us from doing anything, we should note that those who have been used in this world the greatest are those who knew themselves and knew God. From this source of identity, a life of work springs forth. Duty becomes desire and the light shines greatest in the darkness because it is God's light and not some contrived effort on our own. It is then that people will see our lives and glorify our Father because it was only possible through Him.

Be blessed and seek to live in the reality of who you are in Christ,
Chad

The Beauty of the Bride

2005-10-17T15:47:00.000-07:00

Hattiesburg, Mississippi housed me the last few days as I went to share with Temple Baptist's student ministry and be a part of a wedding between two of my friends. Weddings can be an amazing reminder of who we all are if we children of God.

As Phillip waited to see Shelley bust through the double doors, he began bouncing up and down lightly on his toes. As the organ hit strong and hard, the audience stood and somewhat blocked Phillip's view. He stood on his tiptoes in order to see his best friend in her white dress. Upon his face radiated joy as he received his beautiful bride.

Do we get it? Do we see that God created this to be a picture of who we are in Christ? We are the beautiful bride and because we are in Christ, we are totally accepted - totally. We will be presented holy and blameless because Christ lived the perfect life that we could not live. He took our sin and gave us His righteousness. This is the most lopsided exchange in all eternity but it was God's plan before the foundations of the world.

Take some time to meditate on Ephesians 5:25-33 and then look back to Ephesians 1:3-14. It is more than amazing. We are now alive in Christ. We are now containers of Christ. We once were children of darkness and wrath was our destiny. Now the great exchange has taken place if you are a follower of Christ. Sit and think upon these things as we must live each day in the reality of our belovedness.

Our God sees tomorrow

2005-10-06T18:47:00.000-07:00

I have recently been reflecting on an idea that still boggles my mind and still gives me comfort. In the midst of intense turmoil and loneliness a few years ago, God impressed something on my heart that has left a lasting impression.

The impression had to do with vision. My vision was limited to the circumstances and my pain in the moment. I had felt that God had been distant and things seemed to be crumbling around. All of life seemed to closing in around me and then came this thought.

Although God saw me in my pain, He saw much more than that. He not only sees all of the past and the present, He sees all of the tomorrows that will ever be. The reality is that God sees us now in our pain, but He also sees the joy that this pain will produce as it drives us to Him and is used in our sanctification.

It would be like this for some. Though you may be incredibly alone and realing inside right now, longing for a mate, God sees you in the midst of that struggle. But if He has it in His plan for you to marry, He can see you in the joy of your wedding day. He is willing to walk us through the valley for greater purposes than we can imagine. If being comfortable was what we needed most, I'm sure it would be on the top of His list to give to us. But we need something far more than human external comfort. We need Him.

So remember this and read some chapters from Isaiah 40 on and remember that our God sees tomorrow and He is in control. He is involved in the intimate most details of our lives and He is at work.

It is as we remember this that we can say, "Blessed be the Name of the Lord."

We're all broken, everyone

2005-09-26T08:29:00.000-07:00

My view of people has been subtly changed within the last weeks. I have been seeing everyone as a broken person. God has used this new perspective to flood me with patience and care for the most obstinate persons that I have come in contact with lately.

I have seen the unruly youth as one crying out for attention so desparately that they are willing to interrupt a youth meeting. I have seen the impatient, mean man who honks at me as someone who has been offended greatly by someone else. I have seen them as broken people who are coping with their brokeness with anger, hate, distractions, sex, materialism and whatever else they can do to fill the void that resounds as deeply as the Grand Canyon.

What can fill that void? God alone can fill it, because just as a famous philosopher said, "Our hearts are restless until they find rest in Thee."

One of God's greatest acts of grace was to fill us with a void so great, that nothing on this planet could satisfy it. When we see people looting in the streets of New Orleans, we should not be shocked. We should not be shocked by the evil in the world, we should probably agree with Brother Lawrence and wonder how the world could not be more evil. We live in a fallen world with fallen people containing fallen desires. Who can save us from this wretched plight we live within? Thanks be to Jesus Christ who not only redeems us from our falleness, He gives us power to live and abide in fullness of life everyday.

So let us pray for God's eyes as we see the lady who is checking out with 18 items in the 15 item express line and complaining about the wait. And let us pray that God would break our hearts for the broken.

Here and now - today

2005-09-17T13:33:00.000-07:00

This past Thursday and Friday, I got to go hang out with a friend in Nashville to pick his brain about music stuff and to get some good counsel. Matthew is one of the most gifted musicians I have ever been around and the rawness of his realness nourishes my soul.

As we talked about dreams and visions, he said that his mentor constantly reminds him of the following idea. It is so easy to get frustrated in our daily life because we see where we want to be in the future, but we can't get there. The vision or dream might be great and even planted by God, but we can't just magically appear at the end. It may seem too overwhelming to imagine the process to actually achieve the goal.

So what do we do? How can we overcome? Do we just quit or stay frustrated? The answer that resounds in our hearts is simple - we live today. The way we get to God's desired goal for our lives (and the main goal is intimacy with Christ and a life the glorifies God)is achieved by living today.

If I desire to have a thriving ministry to reach out to the brokenhearted, what do I do? Well, today, I write a blog entry. Today is all I have.

I want to record more music and play all over the world while sharing the story of God's redemptive purposes in suffering and to let people know they are not alone. How do I accomplish that? Well, today I simply work on one song I'm trying to make flow better and ponder different ways to communicate the theme.

If I long for marriage and have someone I am building a relationship with, what do I do today? Today, I simply try trust God with her heart and do my best to live in the now and work on being patient.

You get the idea. I need to be reminded of this daily for we only have the contents of today to work with. We only can seek God today and do that which He puts before us.

So if you're frustrated with your plot in life, seek God and see what you should do today. And then meditate Ecc. 9:10 and do that thing with all your might while relying on the strength of God in your weakness.

Many blessings,
Chad

P.S. Check out some of Matthew's music
You can cut and paste the following extension
http://www.myspace.com/mpjmusic

Check out "Letting Go" and pray to be in that place.

Struggling with singleness

2005-09-11T17:27:00.000-07:00

This is an excerpt from an email I sent to a friend tonight.

Hey,

I believe my heart can coincide and agree with you. Circumstances shouldn't dictate our joy, but they quite often do.

So 31 and still no blips on the radar for me? Somehow, it is O.K. tonight though. On many, many nights it has not been O.K. I have tried thinking of the shortness of time here on earth and how God might most be glorified in my life. I think of my friend and mentor Rich Malone (Director of Lake Forest) and how he got married at 35 and has 4 awesome kids now... I think of you and how much I struggled with singleness at your age and then wonder where the last years went. It is hard brother. It is so very hard. And though this may not help the aching, I will say what I have told myself many days. You don't have to make it through singleness for the rest of your life... You just have to live through it today. What I mean is that we will never know what tomorrow holds and we cannot expect grace to be given for next year because it is only available in the moment.

We get overwhelmed and think there is no way we can make it through the rest of our life without that special someone - it is overwhelming for me, but in reality, I just have to make it through today without her. And what do I have instead of her? I have God Himself. His grace can only be experienced in this moment and as we dwell on the future, we won't live in today. Tomorrow we will find grace for each second, but we must live in the here and now for tomorrow is not guarenteed.

So there is the struggle. Truthfully, I don't do very well on many days when I'm in the mire of loneliness and I hang out there a good bit. It seems so easy for some people. They meet a girl, they date and they are married. We are the ones that not much comes easy to. It is more frustrating when we have something wonderful in front of us and then it is taken away - but we move on. We will last and God's will will be done.

My brother, thanks for sharing and I will pray for you as you pray for me,
Stay strong in the word,

Chad

Waiting is hard business

2005-09-05T07:26:00.000-07:00

31 now and I read on my wall “I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.”

It is a difficult thing to wait. That which I believed hesitantly about my life at 25 I still believe now at 31. I would be a fool to not see tremendous growth and maturing over these years. Some things have changed drastically but some old things still linger.

Wisdom tells me that I should not worry about the fulfillment of these dreams but that God, in His good timing will bring them to pass. It has always been His deal so I wait and work to rest. I work to learn. I work to be patient. I work to abide in Him so I can love others. I work to fight against discouragement.

My heart is reminded of a most precious promise concerning our God. He is not like some distant being who is uncaring and unconcerned. He is not some cosmic Santa Clause who wants us to have earthly “stuff.” He is our Abba, Father to whom we can pour our souls out to and know He hears. He sees us at all times. He knows our deepest hurts and longings. He wants us in the midst of all of our imperfections. He is our fortress and our strength. He works on our behalf and moves in the intimate details of our lives. This is God – how do you explain the One who created the vastness of our Universe that seems limitless? How do you begin to comprehend the One who created mathematics and physics to describe how the universe works? How do you describe the One who created us to feel love, hopes and dreams? Words will never completely do… He is awesome and He bids us to come and seek His face. The invitation is open.

Though we may wait, He is working. May our lives be like King David who writes in Psalm 27:8, “When You said seek My face, my heart said to You ‘Lord, Your face I will seek.’”

Whether you are in the midst of a bountiful time of intimacy with God or you are wallowing in the mire, He desires for you to seek His face. It is here that we will find freedom and rest as we come to our greatest good - God, Himself. Wait patiently on Him.

God's grace in the loss of a child

2005-08-23T18:10:00.000-07:00

My dear friends Jenn and Jason Marshall went through every parents worst dream. After a long and trying pregnancy, little Pruitt Marshall was born with severe complications and with doctors not believing this baby would live past a few days in the hospital.

Most would have thought that abortion would have been the obvious choice, but this is not a choice for those trusting God with the beginning and ending of all life. My friends were courageous. They had doubts. They shed tears. They fought for their babies life and little Pruitt went home to be the Lord after a little more than a month on this earth.

Through it all, God's grace has been and IS sufficient. Many might ask, "How could this be God's will?" I answer with Isaiah 55:8 and 9. God's ways are so much higher than our ways. We can speculate on 100's of reasons that this was God's plan. He is working them all for the good of Jenn and Jason and their family. God will use this so that my friends can comfort others with the story of God's all sufficient grace within a fallen world filled with heartache, pain and loss. God is conforming them to trust in Him more and to make them look more like Him. God is healing old wounds and allowing fear to die. God is doing more than we can dream or imagine.

So I conclude with a poem Jenn wrote not long before her baby died. It follows...

Out Came the Son

There is a little nursery rhyme
We all know so well
About a teeny-tiny spider
His story we can tell.

But this is our story,
One of joy and pain,
And how, just like the spider,
We'll go up the spout again.

See, for so long the rain has poured
And mixed in with the tears.
The storm rages all around us,
Bringing questions, doubts, and fears.

Yet even in the midst of night,
When the clouds turn grey,
The Son's light falls upon us,
His mercies new each day.

He gives us hope, He gives us peace,
We are strengthened in our faith.
How we make it through the trials,
Is only by his grace.

At times we thought the rain wouldn't end,
Then a glimpse we'd get,
Of a ray of sonshine
To remind us, He's not done yet.

The flowers bloomed because of the rain,
The grass grew green and tall.
Miracles came that some had said
Would never come at all.

So through the storm we're learnin things,
To get us through each day.
And just in time, out comes the Son,
And dries our tears away.

So when you sing a little rhyme,
About a spider and a spout,
Remember, tho the rain may fall,
The Son, ALWAYS comes back out.

Deepest Blessings,
Chad

O.K. With Being Me

2005-08-12T15:10:00.000-07:00

While at a leadership meeting tonight, we had a time to get away and ponder what might be keeping us away from true, life giving ministry and leadership. As I prayed and asked God to shine the light in my heart, many things flooded to mind.

It is interesting to me that many people want to be someone else. A few (not many mind you) have told me that they wish they could do what I'm doing - that they could essentially be me. If possible, I would let them live in my skin for a day. If they weren't overwhelmed by the anxieties, insecurities and rampaging thoughts running amuck in the head, then they could get out of bed and begin living a day filled many trials and struggles. I know we all struggle, but for some reason, we always think life would be better if we could be in someone else's shoes. But truth be known, we question God's sovereignty and say He is not sufficient for us if we live in that fantasy land.

So I'm pondering what is keeping me from life giving leadership and ministry and the answer comes back again and again. It is not my anxiety or battles with periods of sadness. It is not my lack of gifts or lack of charisma. It is not many things. I have come to believe that it is simply not believing in what is already true - not trusting in the finished work of Christ.

It is simply Chad not being O.K. with all that makes up Chad. I shouldn't need validation from anyone to know who I am - I am chosen of Christ and am now free to live in the reality of what is and who am I now - a new creation, a child of God, a saint, holy, beloved and adored. I have been given all I need and the rest of my life will be discovering more about this incredible gospel that has set me free to be what I was created to be - "me". And this "me" was created to worship and enjoy God forever. It is not about what I can do for God but what He has done for me. From this rest flows the reality of my work - I work to know Him and He loves others through me. I work to rest in Him and He moves mountains and bears much fruit through me.

My life is liberated as I get caught up in something much more than the little kingdom I was trying to build. I now am about letting others know about this amazing Kingdom of God's as He invites us to join Him in this wonderful journey of life. God's muscles are infinitely bigger than mine and I must continue to learn to be O.K. with who I am and know that God is controlling my life.
So I sat and pondered and realized that the God of all creation knows my name and cares enough to remind me of this truth. May you be reminded of this truth today.