150 years for Madoff

He said, 'he was sorry'. But is that enough if you are convicted of single-handedly swindling tens of thousands of people of an estimated $60 billion. His victims label Mr. Madoff as disturbed, evil, rubbish, etc. and wish several unprintable scenarios upon him. Clearly this was a heinous crime. A reminder of the sinfulness of man and no regard for the law. Full disclosure, I have not been a direct victim of Mr. Madoff but who knows what they will uncover down the road? Why did people invest with him and his firm? Trust and Greed? They wanted higher returns, fell for the man's mystique and his standing in the community. A pillar of society. So they did some due diligence, did not see obvious red flags, and were drawn to the promised financial returns like moths to a light. We could have all fallen victim to this Ponzi scheme. Who can blame anyone for seeing the fulfillment of future dreams and plans in the Madoff magic investment fund? We all need to do practical investing to be good stewards. But some people thought they had paved their future with gold bricks by being in Bernie's exclusive club. We all need to be aware of our idols and placing our trust, our future in any man or corporation or government.

Romans 1:25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator - who is praised forever. Amen.

Commitment to your Body

Do you see yourself as being alone? Bonhoeffer instructs us to see the community in a Gospel manner. One practice is to confess to each other. Confession is liberating and helpful. By acknowledging that we are all sinners who have fallen short and need to depend on Christ, it levels the playing field and breaks down any self-constructed walls. We need to have others help us, through God's Grace, to be more Christ-like. This means being totally vulnerable with your close friends, and to open about things in your life. No, not on Facebook or a blog. Too often, in a vacuum or left to our own devices, we delude ourselves or rationalize our fallen nature. I ____ because and I am not as bad as Bernie Madoff, Paris Hilton, people on reality shows on TV, or Joe Schmoe the hypocritcal Christian I am aware of. So, who do you open up to about how you spend your money, what you do with your dating or married life, and why you work at your job or how things are with family and why you haven't become a member at a church? Use your gifts to love one another in confession and exhortation.

I Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

Scratching Backs

Matthew 5: 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? Do you live out the Gospel and treat everyone equally? Are you consciously aware of how you treat people? Do you treat your friends the best or give them the time of day over everyone else? Do you favor certain people because of their education or familial or political ties? Is that Biblical? Is that an idol or sin you struggle with? Pray about this in your daily dealings.

Judas, is that you?

God puts you in different situations to help you grow in your Faith and to lean on Him for everything. That is a powerful statement to live out. So, please take a look around you. Your family, your friends, your colleagues, customers, acquaintances, etal. Do you trust them? Do you lean on them? How much would it set you back in your Faith if they betrayed you? Only you can answer that. Someone early in my relationship with Jesus told me, "Do not trust anyone, lean on God" because he said even believers would be unreliable. This is certainly not a justification for being a "loner" without community. You should not tie your fortunes or self-worth or relationship with God on someone else's coat tails. Judas sought the safety of money from authorities and betrayed Jesus loyalty. Jesus lacked promise in Judas's eyes so Judas betrayed him. So, there are people who will for self-preservation pin their future hopes on those people with promise rather than on those who "lack" it.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding.

Y God friends you

Have you thought about why people like to spend time with you? What attributes or traits do your friends admire about you? Do you ever have an honest assessment? Is it your easy going manner? your expertise on an issue? your smile? your ability to mix drinks? Fill in the blank ______________ Have you thought about why God wants you around? Why would He spend so much time wanting you to be in fellowship with Him? 1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Listen Here

James 1: 5 If any of you lacks widsom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

No person is an island. We need fellowship. First and foremost, is fellowship with the One above. As the Doxology goes, "...from whom all blessings flow." Many of us how do I receive that wisdom in a tangible manner. Yes, it is not easy to get it all from the Bible by yourself. We receive wisdom through corporate worship (e.g. the songs, the sermon, the opportunities for service and fellowship through church and related activities). Tim Keller stresses the need for community and it is in community, along with your individual fellowship with God, that you receive wisdom in a way that you cannot if you did not participate. You may never be questioned about your faith, or held accountable, if you do not engage with other belivers but you would not experience the full richness of a Gospel community.

Come Back And Stay

How do you see yourself? Do you have a healthy sense of self? Do you "strut" down the street with a little bounce of confidence? Ahhh..smile at the world and the world smiles back. Hmmm..what if the world does smile back at you? Alot. Then are seeing the world through your eyes or God's eyes? I have a friend who is very very conservative when it comes to matters of Faith. I mean this friend really skewers people about theology and the hot topic issues of the day. But when someone we knew had some major personal issues, that friend was very encouraging. He said that no one is perfect and that just because there are momentary set backs in one's Faith journey and not to be so hard on one's self. So, if you are in a place where it is lonely or you have not talked to God lately or have not communed with His people or have some other issue that keeps you from fellowship with the Father, remember to take the opportunity to confess, repent, and return to God right away.

Jeremiah 3:14 "Return, faithless people," declares the Lord, "for I am your husband and I will choose you.."

Rearview Mirror driving

In October of 2008, the world seemed to be coming to an end. Anxieties about the economy, the change of power in Washington DC, and the war mongering and increased hostilies in various regions of the world. In New York City area, we wondered aloud - will crime make a comeback? Will there be more homeless? Will there be more drug use and alcoholics? What will there be? Even closer to home, I wondered whether my wife would have a job or my job at the church. At that time, we prayed through Psalm 125:1-2 Those who trust in the LORD are like Mont Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.

Now, it seems a new reality has set in. You don't expect to keep your job. Things change week to week. Crime has not flared up thus far in NYC. Still, we are uneasy and even when the economy improves it may not be the same as before. But that may be good. Then we can remember who our true foundation should be - the one eternal God rather than the pillars of beauty, sex, money, power, education, pedigree, and zip code. Thanks.

Assume the Position

Great line from Animal House or any other movie trying to depict fraternity and sorority life. Assume the position and be ready for punishment. A laugh or two for sure. What is not a laughing matter is to assume certain things about people. we live in a pluralistic society that holds divergent views. Assume not that the persons that share the arm rest in your worship service is a believer. Maybe that is why it is important to ask rather than operate with a business as usual approach. Do you not ask your customers an entire set of questions before offering options or solutions? Similarly, with people, would you not want to know more about them before assuming that they must be Christians if they come to a church program.

Acts 8:29-30 The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it." then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading? Philip asked.

As the World Turns

It is scary how fast time is flying. This summer has not begun yet and it feels like it is already fleeting. Time does fly. Things have a way of changing over time, slowly, gradually, and almost with little notice. Like the phrase, "a lobster in a warm pot of water on the stove" we don't notice how our theology "progresses'. I had an interesting conversation with someone who witnessed some moments of “girls and guys gone wild” at a relative's wedding, purportedly Christians getting married. He was shocked at the gyrations, wild behavior, drinking, machinations, and other things that took place. Well, he doesn't watch MTV or VH1 reality shows. But are we not to be salt and light? Or is a wedding or other life defining events supposed to mimic the world?

No one wakes up and says, “I don’t have Jesus in my heart anymore!” nor do they say, “I will not let the Gospel transform my heart daily”. It is progressive. It can be progressively worse – by putting off prayer until later, by putting off corporate worship to play ball, or brunch with friends ala Carrie Bradshaw or any New Yawker, or to finish some work, by not stepping up to be a leader in a fellowship group or some ministry. It takes time to become a champion for God as well as to become a nominal and lukewarm Christian. Please, I urge you, we are all flawed, busy, forgiven people who need to exercise our Faith daily. Be progressively stronger in the Word and live it out. Far better than that alternative.

Revelations 3:16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

Tempted to Negotiate

What was the second thing you did when you left your home this morning? The first was to load up on some energetic beverage…then where did your mind wander? Was it to the next task, the next appointment, the next meeting, etc., that would further your goal of being the best, pushing forward on your projects, and making “it” worthwhile. How many of us pray to begin the day? even for a few minutes? It is refreshing to do so before the day begins. Before you launch new projects (expansion, new sales strategy, new customer initiative, the beta testing, hiring someone, interact with colleagues, vendors, customers, neighbors, etc.) what should you do? Pray, fast, and allow yourself to be tempted?

Luke 4:1-2 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

We all have some temptations in our daily walk so how does the Gospel tell us to respond? Jesus responded with Scripture and certainly not by negotiating with the devil. Negotiating with temptation leads to some compromise and this often leads to bad long term consequences.

Are the dark storm clouds gone yet?

As you look out of the window, do you see the “mass” of dark clouds through the skies. I see patches of dark blue, purplish cumulous clouds and this weather pattern is an appropriate metaphor for our nation as it stumbles through a major political, economic, and social transformation. People are confused and still anxious. What will this country be after we come out of the process. Have you read Brave New World lately. I personally think we are headed down that path. We are feeling mental, spiritual, and emotional darkness that is immobilizing us. Everyone I know is drained by the end of the day. My friends, family, and neighbors are just drained. I am sure yours are too…what to say? I say less to my wife and just listen more now. (That is a feat in itself). What do you say about this darkness? What will come after the clouds move in?

Luke 23:44-46 Around noon the sky turned dark and stayed that way until the middle of the afternoon. The sun stopped shining, and the curtain in the temple split down the middle. Jesus shouted, "Father, I put myself in your hands!" Then he died.
Luke 24:7 The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day, be raised again.

Death, resurrection, glory. Amen.

Trendsetting Sheep

Not a leader per se. Not a trendsetter in your field? Not the life of a party? Any other cliches? Look through Psalm 100 to reflect on how God sees us. In his wonderful image. He has made us His people and our firm foundation.

Psalm 100
A psalm. For giving thanks.
1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.

3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his [a] ;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture

Have you reminded yourself recently and been thankful to be His sheep and what that means on a daily basis? Do you see other believers as people to commune with, to journey together with, to love? Baaa…

A random walk down your life

Nothing is ever random. No, not one thing. Previous interactions that seem meaningless, in retrospect, were quite important in your life. In my life, a simple introduction to someone from Campus Crusade for Christ in my senior year at University meant nothing to me. Just another acquaintance. Just a fraternity brother of mine pawning off a "pest" to me. This same "pest" accosted me in a walkway between classes a few weeks later and over a cup of coffee shared the Gospel with me. He shared about a wonderful relationship with Jesus and how that was for all who believed. I was not ready and walked about intrigued but non-commital. One more "random" encounter and then gone - out of sight, out of mind. It was 2 years later that I was ready to profess my belief on Christ as my savior. Nothing is random. All interactions have meaning and affect us.

Matthew 20:32-33 Jesus stopped and called them. "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. "Lord", they answered, we want our sight.

Why Do You Wake Up? To be enslaved?

What are the top 3 reasons for waking up? Can you name them and defend them? I wake up because I can LOL! Some people wake up to make more money, some to accumulate, some to be served, some to achieve greatness, some to just consume. It takes time to understand what it is that you wake up to. We try, at the Center for Faith & Work, to help people get to ask themselves that question. Then we try to build a community for people to explore and understand.

Matthew 20:27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.