The Shack

I just finished reading the New York Times best seller "The Shack." The Shack has been read by hundreds of thousands and I'm sure many of them sense something different about God and themselves. There is a heightened desire for spiritual life and knowledge these days. People want to connect spiritually with themselves, a higher power, and maybe even God. Most anything written in this category gets people's attention. I hope many do find Jesus Christ and begin a real relationship with him as they read this book.

The book is well written. It is a good story. A novel. There are a few profound insights about life, God and relationships.

I have been a theologian for almost 33 years. I have studied the Bible for more than 20,000 hours. This includes the few thousand sermons, teachings, and small group meetings. It does not include all the hours spent quietly and privately studying, memorizing and mediating on Scripture. One of my greatest desires is to truly know Jesus Christ. I want to have a deep living understandable relationship with him. I want to be as he said, his friend. I am making good progress and I expect this learning to continue for all my life, both here and in eternity.

People are seeking more than ever for answers and when a book like the Shack comes along they dive in, with strong passion, and look intently for clues, insights, and explanations to guide them. Remember the Left Behind series? But when we say that God has written to us, through the sacred scriptures, people do not run there with the same passion and intentionality. God has spoken and it is there we will find the greatest help, insight, power, peace, wisdom, and so much more. God's writing, the Bible, is the measure, the standard, the revelation of Himself, and from it we critically discern what others have to say about God, life and eternity. Even though the Shack is fiction, it speaks about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and their ways. People will not read it as fiction but as truth. This is dangerous. The book is touted as a book to help spiritual life so caution and discernment are a must as you read it.

To not bore you with too many paragraphs I'll simply say a few things that caught my attention.

First, I did not like the characterization of Jesus. My understanding of Jesus is of a King, Warrior, Victor, Mighty God, Sustainer of the universe, Redeemer and Friend. And there is much more. He is not just a nice guy who works in a shop and is mild mannered. He's not just a good friend. Also, in the book Jesus says he is the best way for us to find God, gain eternal life and know him personally. Jesus isn't the best way, he is the ONLY way.

Second, the idea that there is no responsibility and no expectation placed on us by God. It says we should just "be" and don't worry about "doing." Don't we know, we must all appear before God to give an explanation for what we have done with our lives? Didn't Jesus teach a parable about the servants who were given talents? Weren't they expected to faithfully use these talents to benefit the kingdom and others? Didn't the master return to ask each one for an explanation and gave them an evaluation? Good servant and wicked servant were the two categories!

Third: The explanation of the Trinity. Albeit it is very hard to describe something like this, the offering in the book diminished the Trinity horribly. They did not become human in order to help us connect to them. They did not limit themselves in order for us to know and see them. There is not a mushy existence between them.

Fourth: Evil and darkness don't really exist? Really?

Fifth: Sin is it's own punishment? And God doesn't punish sin but only cures it? There are consequences of our sins. It may come to us and to others. It's true that Jesus was the cure for our sins but that came through God's punishment on Jesus on the Cross. He suffered and carried all the rottenness, decaying, wicked mess of our lives. There will be eternal punishment for those who reject Jesus and His gift of forgiveness for their sins.They will be separated eternally from God.

These are my thoughts. So what should you do? One: read the book, but do so critically with discernment. Two: learn some things about yourself, others and God. Three: become a student of the Scriptures which will make you wise unto salvation. Be diligent and a faithful one handling well the scriptures. Four: come to know Jesus in a much deeper real way.

God's wisdom, peace and blessing to you.

A Blessing...

I was with a man from India today. His name is Paul Moses. He leads a sports ministry there. In one region 177,000 children believed in Jesus Christ over the past little while. Sports is the one thing in the world where it doesn't matter your status. Show up with a ball and everyone wants to play. Sports is the creation of God where everyone can participate no matter who you are or what you have or don't have.

He said we are made to be a blessing to others. It's about giving the blessings not receiving them. In his talk he said that God uses us to bless others but there are a few things that must exist for God's blessing to happen. He used Joseph's story from the Bible where he became a great blessing to Potophar, the jail and then ultimately to all of Egypt. First: one should be loyal and holy to God and to your calling. Two: Integrity. Without integrity, no one stands (see previous blog).Third: one must be pure.

With these qualities you can become a significant person in your family, your community, your friendships and even to your self. But most importantly, God gives us a chance to be significant to others and a blessing them. But the three things here mentioned must be active in your life.

Are you a blessing to others, for what is brings to and does for them, rather than what it does for you?

Do You Have Some of This?

One of the statements we've all made throughout our lives is this, "I want some of that/this." We seem to know what we want most and we go after it with passion and intensity. We will go to great lengths to get it. Think about it. I think you will agree.

One thing everyone needs is Integrity. We expect it with others, our family, our friends. We expect it in the things we buy, the bridges we drive over, the food we eat. Without integrity everything falls apart. Nothing is trustworthy when integrity is absent.

Integrity is the central pillar that holds up our lives. If you want good character you must have integrity underneath holding it up. If you want strong trusting friendships, business success, political strength, strong finances, growing church community life, you must have integrity. It is also the core value of true leadership.

Integrity starts with, the key beginning action is, Submission. We all submit to someone or something all the time. But only One is worthy of our submission. It is to God alone through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. When we submit ourselves to God fully, then we start to build the incredible core pillar of Integrity.

Do you have some of this? With it you stand. Without it you fall.

All in A Day's Work

Friday morning I drove from Northern Virginia to Wilmington Delaware to meet with several leaders within the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in the Eastern Region. We discussed the growing ministry and looked at how much God is doing through this vital sports ministry. Literally 1000's of athletes and coaches are being helped and impacted every week. We ended in a time of prayer,celebrating God's faithfulness.

I then traveled back to Northern Virginia to do the chapel for the George Mason University Football team. I had one of the local youth pastors come and share his testimony. There has been a strong impact on this team including the coaches. It's hard to stand on the sidelines and not be in the action, even at my age!

After Chapel was finished I drove to the Metro station and took the subway into Washington DC to be at the Washington Wizards vs. the New York Knicks Pro basketball game. Twice a year we host a FCA rally after the game. The game was a thriller and the Wizards prevailed. After the game over 500 fans came to the outreach. We played a few games on the court. Gave some FCA gear away. We had a former NBA player share for a few minutes.

I got back on the Metro and then made my way home after midnight. All in a day's work!

Take a Look at this...

Lorens Hansen Bishop, my second grandson. Welcome Lorens!



Three generations.



Grandpa and Grandma are very proud and happy.



Children are a heritage from the Lord. Bless the Name of the Lord!