craig's blog

passion, pursuit, and pac-man fever

2011-03-22T09:41:00.001-04:00

Pac-Man, the arcade game that seemed ubiquitous when I was a child, recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. I’m not exactly sure which is harder to believe – that the game has been around that long or that I am getting that old!

The programmer of the game, Toru Iwatani, recently revealed some interesting secrets about the game. He stated that three of the four ghosts chasing Pac-Man around the maze were not keyed directly on the little yellow gobbler. To achieve the random “cleverness” of the ghosts, Iwatani gave each of them specific goals. One was aiming for a point 32 pixels in front of Pac-Man’s mouth, another was seeking a different point relative to Pac-Man, and a third was moving in a completely random fashion in his quest for nothingness (that one was the orange ghost “Clyde” – remember him?). Only the red ghost “Blinky” was aimed directly at Pac-Man and pursued him wherever he went.

In Mark 10, we meet several people and discover how they each exhibited their relationship in regard to Jesus:

The Pharisees trying to trap Jesus in their legalistic snares
The so-called rich young ruler who, even though he was near to the Kingdom of God and “only lacking one thing,” was still an eternity away from the heart of Jesus
The apostles who, while near to Jesus physically and under his teaching everyday, were still missing His Kingdom composed only of those with a child-like faith
James and John who, although taking up two of the three spots in Jesus’ inner circle of leadership and discipleship, still prized holding onto position instead of letting go in submission.

Interestingly enough, in Mark 10 only the blind beggar Bartimaeus got it. He would not let anything deter him from a touch of the Master’s hand. And when Jesus healed him, his way became Jesus’ way as he “followed Jesus along the road.” The only faithful and true pursuer of Jesus in Mark 10 was “Blinky” Bartimaeus. He was honed in, passionately pursing the Person and the way of Jesus – pixel for pixel.

What kind of “ghost” are you?

if only someone understood

2010-07-01T23:10:00.001-04:00

“For He is not a man like me, that I can answer Him,that we can take each other to court. There is no one to judge between us, to lay his hand on both of us. Let Him take His rod away from me so His terror will no longer frighten me. Then I would speak and not fear Him. But that is not the case; I am on my own.”
- Job 9:32-35

Ever had a bad day, a bad season, a bad life? Job got that. And he agonized for an arbitrator, a go-between, someone who could interface on his behalf with God. Such a person would have to understand both God and himself on an absolute level of intimacy. Little did he know, but this was already on the heart and in the plans of God.

And it wasn’t just something that would’ve merely been nice to have. It is completely necessary – for Job, and for each of us! We NEED a mediator – Someone Who understands. And God provided.

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, a man, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself—a ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time.”
- 1 Tim 2:5-6

new place of service

2010-05-20T15:31:00.002-04:00

In case you were not aware, I have recently been called to serve Northwest Baptist Church in Gainesville, FL as senior pastor. My family and I are extremely excited about this wonderful new opportunity in life and ministry! However, it is always difficult to say goodbye. We will deeply miss our friends and church family here in South Carolina.

Pray for us during this time of transition! Thank you!

what was finished?

2010-03-30T09:58:00.003-04:00

One of Jesus' last statements from the cross was this:
"It is finished."

So, what did Jesus finish exactly? What did He accomplish? What did He carry out to the end and complete?

Jesus finished ...

The mission of the Great Missionary.
The project of the Great Orchestrator.
The example of the Great Model.
The message of the Great Word.
The race of the Great Trailblazer.
The bridge of the Great Engineer.
The work of the Great Creator.
The song of the Great Lover.
The sacrifice of the Great Lamb.
The purchase of the Great Master.
The salvation of the Great I AM.

And the results are still available for you today. Happy Easter.

great finish to 2009!

2010-01-06T10:48:00.008-05:00

Over the Christmas break, God blessed in several ways.

We were able to visit with family and friends back in Texas, where we actually had a White Christmas!

We got to take the girls on a "mini-tour of Texas" as we visited Houston (the best Mexican joint around - Gringo's in Pearland!), San Antonio (the Alamo, the Riverwalk, Casa Rio, Mi Tiera, and Rivercenter Mall), and Waco (Baylor University and the Dr. Pepper Museum).

Lastly, I finished my doctorate from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and graduated!

What a great finish to 2009! And very excited about what God has for us in 2010!

slipping success rate

2009-10-19T10:57:00.003-04:00

You’ve all heard of AA, Alcoholic's Anonymous. The 12-step program to help people find freedom from alcoholism. Did you know AA was set up on the foundations of the Christian faith? In the early days, co-founder Dr. Bob Smith asked each person entering the program two questions to begin: "Do you believe in God?" and "Will you get on your knees right now with me and receive Jesus into your heart?" In those early days, Step 3 of the 12-step process read: “I will make a decision to turn my life and will over to God.” The other co-founder, a man by the name of Bill Wilson, spoke to the statement of this particular commitment: “each of us must fearlessly face the proposition: God is everything or He is nothing.”

When Alcoholics Anonymous started several decades ago, the program was resulting in a 75% success rate – that is, 3 out of every 4 people in the program never returned to alcohol again. Know what it is today? 20%! Only 1 of 5 is completely freed from the shackles of alcohol; the other 4 return to it in defeat.

The beginning of the drop in the rate of success can be traced back to almost an exact point in time ... when the original wording of Step 3 was changed. In the decades since Smith and Wilson originally penned the step of spiritual commitment, the word “God” has been replaced with the non-committal phrase “Higher Power.”

The point is obvious ...
If Jesus Christ is not everything in your life, your success rate will slip! You too must fearlessly face the proposition: God is everything or He is nothing.

i can't help it!

2009-09-22T15:32:00.004-04:00

A response. It's something that bursts from within you, brought on by something outside of you that incites that reaction from you. You do it because you just can't help it. It's not forced or scripted or rehearsed. It just happens.

Take for example this past Sunday night when Lawrence Tynes, kicker for the New York Giants, nailed the last-second field goal to lift his team past my beloved Dallas Cowboys to victory. I had to respond. Without a word, I hit the 'Off' button on my remote in chagrin and disgust. At that time, the response honestly wasn't my most shining moment. But it was real. And it was me. My response.

But what if things had gone my way? What if Tynes shanked it, or what if DeMarcus Ware had gotten a beefy mitt on the ball and knocked it convincingly to the ground along with the Giants' hopes? Then my gut-level response would've been altogether different. I would've rushed in to my bedroom and woken my wife with shouts of joyous celebration (as I have so many other times)! Or possibly with an impromptu (and very Baptist-looking) victory dance. I just simply couldn't help it!

That is the best way to describe the life-activity we call worship: our response.

At it's core, worship is primarily a response to God's revelation of Who He is and what He has done. It is a reaction to His action. And it is something we can't help but to do when He appears or initiates or inspires in our lives.

Just ask Isaiah when you get a chance (Isaiah 6:1-9a). Or Mary (Luke 1:39-49). God acts (or just IS), we encounter, and lift up our response to Him.

Go on, worship! Every moment, every day. You can't help it!

it's all good

2009-09-09T15:27:00.002-04:00

"He has done everything well!" This was the confession of the crowd at the end of Mark 7. Everything Jesus does is nothing less than wonderful. He acts in pure goodness! And He always has, even from the beginning...

"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." - Gen. 1:31, emphasis mine

Think about that! You can count on everything God does to be wonderful, perfect, awesome -- GOOD! Each time, every time! Not half-done, not okay, not eeking-by, not the way you or I would do it!

And so ...
Everything He does is a reason for your praise.
Everything He does is a motivation for your trust.

the only reasonable response

2009-08-05T13:57:00.003-04:00

Worship is our response to the revelation of God. God never forces us to respond. It is always our choice. But it is the only reasonable response to follow. Regardless of our past or present circumstances, we have so many powerful, irresistible, urgent reasons to set aside everything else and worship Him!

Worship is our response to Who God is … He is Almighty God, Prince of Peace, King of Kings, Lord of All, Savior, Redeemer, Counselor, Friend, Healer, Comforter …

Worship is our response to what God has done … He has created the earth and everything in it, overcome the enemy, died for our faults and sins, chosen to dwell with us and in us, loved us with an everlasting love, justified us, called us children, called us heirs, given us new life, forgiven us, set us free …

If He never did anything else for you or was nothing else to you, He would still be worthy of your worship forever for any one of those things. Pick one. Go ahead. Worship is our only reasonable response to God’s revelation.

you're invited

2009-07-14T15:20:00.002-04:00

God invites us. To a journey that we:

can not control
will not understand
must trust Him to (re)learn

Observe...

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him.
- Matthew 4:18-20

God invites us. To something much bigger than we are. Will you accept?

it's not about you!

2009-06-30T09:44:00.002-04:00

Who you are & what you do in life has a great deal to do with your perspective, the point from which you view yourself, life, God, the world, everything. Apparently, this is a pretty big deal, because God took the time to remind His people of this on the way into the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 9:1-6). Go ahead, check it out.

Victory, success, or even progress in your life has nothing to do with your righteousness, the good things you do. Truth be told, you have none. God reminded His people of that three times in this passage alone! Jesus said in Mark 10:18 that "no one is good, but God alone." So, for your own sake, don't ever use your "greatness" as the scorecard! Sounds like it might be time to change up your perspective.

Life is about God. He Himself is motivated by His own glorification, His own magnification, His own verification. Are you? Verse 6 reminds us He lets you in on that process by His own giving and good nature.

I want my life to have a point, so I'm in. How about you?

acclaimed faith

2009-06-08T11:11:00.002-04:00

You probably knew that Hebrews 11 is the New Testament's "Hall of Faith." But did you realize that a common thread for the people in this Hall is the setting in which they exercised their faith? Most of these great men and women demonstrated that faith in the midst of those who had none.

Because of this, the faith of these people shone. And it made them noteworthy for the canon of Scripture. So, if that's you - one who swims against the flow of faithlessness, one who shines brightly in a dark place, lift up your head! God recognizes that, and honors it deeply!

Read the first verse in Chapter 12 for a bonus!

"another year ... "

2009-05-12T08:50:00.002-04:00

Today is my birthday, and as the saying goes: "It's not another year older, it's another year wiser!" Why is that exactly? I am reminded of the words of Solomon: "A lifestyle marked by reverent worship of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Prov. 9:10, my translation)

I am also reminded of the words of Solomon's dad: "Lord, teach me to number my days aright" (Ps. 39:4). Life is brief, and only God knows how much so. Join me in living each day and year to its fullest ... in a daily lifestyle of worship!

rest assured

2009-05-06T13:42:00.001-04:00

"And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. The one who has the Son has life. The one who doesn’t have the Son of God does not have life. I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life." 1 John 5:11-13

The first letter of John is a book of assurance. Do you ever doubt? Do you ever feel weak or fearful? Take time to read 1 John. This little book of only five chapters reminds us that there is victory and life that are found only in our faith in Jesus.

God doesn’t want us to ever be in doubt, but it’s important to know that He doesn’t condemn our doubt when we come to Him to deal with it. We know this because He has provided us with the words above for our assurance in times such as this. No matter how low the valley or dark the shadows may be in this world, there is assurance and eternal life for us in Christ. Take heart, because “you are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

finding Jesus

2009-01-22T12:21:00.000-05:00

Considering all the possible new years’ resolutions, is that you want? If it is, what stands in the way of that happening in your life? Mark 1:35-45 points out four barriers – barriers that you might think stand in your way of finding Jesus. But the truth is that Jesus is so overpowering, none of them can stop Him from being found!

1) You can find Jesus in spite of your expectation. (v. 35-37)
We can find Jesus in spite of where we think He is and what we think he’s doing. It’s true — we all have our idea of the heart of God, what is important to Him. Could it possibly be that we are wrong from time to time? Could it be that we are always wrong?

2) You can find Jesus in spite of your agenda. (v. 38-39)
We can find Jesus in spite of who we want Him to be and what we want Him to be doing. Let’s face it – we all have an agenda that we want God to be about. We all want to ascribe to Him qualities and passions and activities. But when we base those things on what we want, we have effectually reduced God to an idol that we have constructed. Idolatry is making God in our image. An attempt to force Him into our mold. Read the Old Testament. This has been a problem throughout human history, hasn’t it? And apparently, it continued to be a problem even in the New Testament, even with God in the flesh standing before them.

Mark and Jesus are pointing out the real mission of the Messiah. Jesus’ primary mission was not to be healer but to be redeemer. And He said “it’s time to move in that direction.” If you’re tired of missing Jesus, quit basing your understanding of Him on your understanding of Him. Base it on Who He says He is!

3) You can find Jesus in spite of your problems. (v. 40-42)
What an explicit picture of Jesus overcoming our barriers! This man had problems. Any one or more of a set of serious chronic skin diseases. It was extremely painful and crippling. It banished him from society. It isolated him. It rendered him religiously unclean. But Jesus was only an honest & personal request away. Very simply, Jesus’ response was passionate compassion. “I am willing” means in the original language “I want; I desire; I will.” Jesus was willing to receive this man despite all the rejection he had suffered, all the pain that had racked his body and his life, all the disgusting nature of his personal problems.

4) You can find Jesus in spite of your sin. (v. 43-45)
Look carefully at what Mark is pointing out to us here: a) The sin of our disobedience has Kingdom consequences. This man did what he wanted to anyway. And look what it caused. There must be some genuine repentance in the church over this even today. Because if you look around, there are Kingdom consequences this world is suffering because of our disobedience. You see, we’re just like this man … healed, but disobedient. And look at the cost.
But, Mark is also pointing out that b) The plans of Jesus will never be thwarted. Jesus has the final say. His will will be accomplished. He can use you. But if you want to wrest away the control, He can accomplish His will in some other way just as easily. What do you need to do right here, right now? How bad do you want to find Jesus?