“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” (Colossians 1:19-20).

My son, Jonathan, is at Fort Jackson this summer for 12 weeks of basic training for army chaplains called “CH-BOLC.” Even though chaplains don’t carry guns, they are still required to go through all of the physical and mental training of other soldiers and officers. They have to know how to survive in a war zone.

So, Jonathan has been receiving training in such things as how to respond when tear gas is deployed against you.

“I understand why they teach us to properly put on a gas mask.” He told us during a recent Skype call. “But why we have to take it off inside a gas-filled room and recite our name, rank, and serial number, escapes me!” He continued with a laugh.

They have taught him how to crawl under barbed-wire and keep his head down while “live fire” is flashing 18 inches over his head. “Can you say, ‘Sandpaper face?'” He asked, while describing his day crawling in the sand in 100 degree heat, in full combat garb including kevlar vest with armor plating.

Basic training is physically and mentally demanding, but they are preparing our sons and daughters for war. Chaplains go to war with their fellow soldiers, putting their lives at risk while at the same time offering encouragement and solace. This is a paradoxical role. Wearing army green, but carrying a Bible under their arm instead of a rifle. (Photo: Jonathan is the one in the middle with the big smile.)

Jesus plays a paradoxical role too. Even though He is the “image of the invisible God,” with all the “fullness” of God dwelling in Him, He came to our warring planet without a weapon in His hands. The Son of God became one of us. Even while we were at war with God, He laid down His life for us at Calvary.

This Christ is the Supreme Reconciler between God and man. He is the only way to be at peace with God. He is the only hope for peace in this world. One day, this peace that He has paid for with His own blood will be made fully manifest upon His return.

When Christ returns, as the song says, “We ain’t gonna study war no more!”

Until then, I’m thankful that there are young men and women who are willing to fight to defend our country. And I’m especially thankful and proud of those who answer the call to be representatives of our Supreme Reconciler on the field of battle to our soldiers. Thank God for chaplains.

This weekend, my grandson and daughter-in-law are going to visit Jonathan. They really miss him. Before they left, I asked my 2 year old grandson where he was going. “Goin to see Dada at chaplin school!” He answered, while clapping his little hands.

“Nate, you tell Dada we love him when you see him. OK?”

“OK Papa.” He pledged while hurrying to climb in his car seat to leave.

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant…” (Philippians 2:5-7).

“Can I intern at the church this summer?” Auston asked, a look of real sincerity on his face.

“We can’t pay you.” I said, watching to see his response.

“That’s OK. I just really want to help any way that I can. I really feel called to help our church.” He said, his enthusiasm bubbling over.

“Alright.” I said. “But ministry isn’t all that people expect it to be. Some days it’s standing up front preaching, but on others, it’s mopping the bathroom floor.”

Auston Jones just finished his junior year at NC State. He started interning with us a couple of weeks ago. Since we just moved into our newly remodeled building, a lot of the work we have to do is very physical and often menial. The first week of his summer internship with us he was assigned the task of organizing and cleaning the storage room.

“Hey Auston, great job on organizing, but when are you going to mop the floor?” I asked, while pointing at the storage room floor.

“Hmm… I did already.” He answered. “It just won’t come clean.” He continued with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Well, you’re going to have to get some mop-training from someone because mopping is more than just moving the dirt around. It’s getting the dirt up.” I said, with a wry smile softening the critique.

He nodded his reply, his shoulders drooping a bit.

I knew this was a real test for him. At WCC, we’re looking for disciples who are “servant-leaders.” Before we promote someone to leadership, we want to make sure that they are willing to serve no matter how small the job. We want leaders who are first of all great followers and great servants. We want leaders who serve and lead like Jesus.

Jesus is the Son of God, yet He humbled Himself and became a Servant. He demonstrates to us the kind of obedience He wants in His followers. He also shows us the kind of character He wants in those that He calls to lead. Jesus is looking for servant-leaders.

A few days after I had talked to Auston about getting some “mop-training,” I was a little surprised to see him standing outside the storage room smiling. In fact, I was surprised to see him at the church at all. A lot of volunteers lose their enthusiasm for ministry when they discover its reality. They often feel “called” to do something else.

“What’s Auston smiling about?” I asked one of our staff.

“He wants you to come look at the storage room floor.” She said.

“Why? Did you finally teach him how to mop?” I asked.

“Nope. He said that he googled “How to Mop” and watched a training video.” She answered with a giggle. “You should really go look. He is very proud of his floor.”

I went and looked at the floor. “Not bad.” I said. “Let’s see what else we have for you to do.”

So, this past week we had Auston teach at our high school youth meeting on Sunday evening, he taught at our men’s meeting on Monday evening, and on Wednesday evening he organized and led the Hot-Diggity-Dog church picnic.

On the morning after the picnic, I saw him sitting in our church coffee shop reading. “I’m surprised to see you here. I figured you’d take today off after last night.”

“Yeah, I am pretty tired, but it’s a good kind of tired.” He replied.

Auston is learning the value of service. When we humble ourselves to serve like our Lord Jesus and according to His empowerment, we discover a real sense of fulfillment, a “good kind of tired.” We also discover that our faithfulness in the little things leads to God trusting us with bigger things.

I’m praying that God keeps trusting our church with young men and women who will learn to become servant-leaders.

“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12 NIV).

Robin and I celebrated our 32 year anniversary this week. We went to the beach for a couple of days to mark the moment and to thank God for all His blessings through the years (I took a few photos to remember the occasion. Here’s one of our beach chairs. Sorry, none of us. Seeing me in swimming trunks these days is not something worth remembering.).

As usual, we spent part of the time discussing our wedding day. This is something we do every year and this year was no different.

“OK, it’s 10 AM. What were you doing at this time 32 years ago?” I asked, while leaning back in my beach chair.

“I was in a panic about my hair not looking right.” Robin answered, pulling her hair back in the ocean breeze to demonstrate.

“I was looking for white dress socks at Tanglewood Mall in Roanoke. I didn’t realize my white tuxedo rental didn’t come with socks.” I said, laughing with the memory.

At 2:00 P.M. I hummed “Here comes the bride” and said, “What were you doing at this time 32 years ago?”

“I was doing something that I would gladly do over again.” She responded with a smile.

“What was that?” I deadpanned.

“Saying ‘I do” to you!” She answered, leaning in for a kiss.

“Wait a minute.” I said. “The preacher doesn’t pronounce us for another 30 minutes!”

“Very funny.” She said with a little smirk.

This kind of reminiscing usually goes on throughout our day. It’s amazing what power those two little words “I do” have. This is especially true for the bride. She marks her life long commitment with those words and then even her name is changed.

The Bible says that the Church is the bride of Christ. When we receive Him as our own and believe into His Name, we get a new name too. We become part of His family.

I have said “I do” to two very important people in my life. The first and foremost is my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The second is my sweet wife of 32 years, Robin.

There is real power and blessing in saying those words and meaning them.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12).

What do you think Jesus meant when He said that we would do “greater things?” Will we walk on water or calm the waves? Will we heal the leper or pay our taxes with money found in a fish’s mouth?

We might. If Jesus enables us. I haven’t experienced any of these things, but I’m not ruling them out. I believe that Jesus meant what He said about those of us who have faith.

Perhaps we should be more focused on the latter part of what Jesus said, rather than the former. He explained that we would do “greater things” because He was “going to the Father.”  As it was, He was doing the work of the Father as one individual person, but when He returned to the Father, He became the Head of the Body, which is the Church. We can do “greater things” because He is in all of us doing them through us.

Another thought that comes to mind is that those who will do “greater things” have first placed their faith in Christ and begun to do the things that He did.

Are we as a church doing the things that Christ did? Are we feeding the hungry? Are we preaching the gospel? Are we offering healing and encouragement? If we aren’t believing in Jesus and attempting to do the things that He did, then there will be no seeing of “greater things.”

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of flying around Wilson in a little two-seat plane with my friend, Mike. Mike is a retired Air Force pilot. He overheard me talking about wanting to fly over our new church property and take some photos, so he offered to make it happen.

As we circled our new home, I could see our whole city laying out before me. I thought of Christ’s words, “Do even greater things.” And I prayed, “Lord, tell us how to use this property as a platform to offer Your grace to the people of this city and shine forth Your glory!”

I don’t know what it’s going to look like yet, but I believe we’re about to see “even greater things!”

“For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13).

“To be or not to be” (Shakespeare, Hamlet)?

What is our purpose? Why do we exist? Or as the French would ask, “What is our raison d’être?” (Our “reason of being, reason for existence, purpose).

One popular approach is to look within ourselves for purpose.

“What do I want? What makes me happy or comfortable?”

Answering these questions, we set as our purpose the acquisition of these things. Therefore, our purpose for living is this: “I have desires and I exist to fulfill those desires.”

We see this view work itself out today when people view their identity through the lens of desire. They allow their appetite for sex or food or pleasure to determine purpose. Many contemporary social movements find their origins in this desire-driven approach to life.

But what if our reason for being is found outside rather than inside ourselves? What if we are creations of a Creator God? And what if He made us for His own purposes?

If God made us for a purpose, then don’t you want to know it?

I believe that God made us for a purpose. I believe that He calls us back to that purpose through His Son, Jesus Christ. When we believe in Him and receive Him as Lord and Savior, God gives our life new purpose.

The first question in the Westminster Catechism (Written in 1647 to teach biblical doctrine.) addresses this important matter. It asks:

     Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?

     A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, [a] and to enjoy him for ever. [b]

[a]. Ps. 86:9; Isa. 60:21; Rom. 11:36; I Cor. 6:20; 10:31; Rev. 4:11

[b]. Ps. 16:5-11; 144:15; Isa. 12:2; Luke 2:10; Phil. 4:4; Rev. 21:3-4

So, the best diagnostic question for purpose-filled living might be this: “Does my life glorify God?”

Or to paraphrase Shakespeare’s words, we all have to decide “to be or not to be” what God wants us to be.

“… You belong to God’s family” (Ephesians 2:19 NCV).

“And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life” (Matthew 19:29).

When we first learned that the company I worked for was transferring me to Wilson, NC, we weren’t excited. Both my family and Robin’s lived within easy driving distance. We both came from very close and connected extended families. Holidays, vacations, birthdays and weekends revolved around being with them. We didn’t want to leave.

When we arrived in Eastern NC we didn’t know anyone. Our children were ages five, two and one. Robin was a stay-at-home mom and I worked a corporate job that averaged 70 hours a week. We were overworked, overwhelmed and lonely.

I’m glad we found a church. We soon got very involved. I started teaching Sunday School for young couples. Before long, teaching this class became the catalyst that moved me to answer God’s call to preach. So, I quit my job, went to seminary and planted Wilson Community Church.

Now over 23 years have passed, 19 since we planted the church. When we first moved, we thought we’d only be here a little while. Surely, we would move back home to Virginia in only a couple of years.

But that didn’t happen. Instead, my children have grown up here. They have married spouses here. We have two grandchildren born here. And God has given us an extended family here too. Actually, it’s much bigger than the one we left behind. And it’s daily growing!

I’m thankful that God never calls us to leave something that He doesn’t replace a hundredfold. What at first seemed to us a temporary transfer has now become our home. We once felt that we were leaving family to be here. Now, we have family in both places.

On top of all these blessings, God has also given our Wilson family a home of its own. I’m thankful to God for a family that would work and wait together for this wonderful day. After 19 years of being a “portable church,” we just cut the ribbon on our very own building on April 30, 2011!

Have you left family or houses behind somewhere? Are you overwhelmed and lonely? Call out to God. He wants you in His family.

And if you live near Wilson, come join us. We’ve found family here.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3-5 NIV).

“I hope so.” I said.

I often respond that way when I wish something would happen, but actually have very little confidence that it will. In these instances I’m not really hoping, I’m really just wishing. But hope is more than a wish.

The real meaning of hope is much stronger than the way we often use it. The dictionary defines hope as follows:

Hope, noun hōp – 1. archaic : trust, reliance; 2. a: desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment <came in hopes of seeing you>; also : expectation of fulfillment or success <no hope of a cure>; b: someone or something on which hopes are centered <our only hope for victory>; c: something hoped for.

Notice the three ways hope is manifest: 1) as the expectation itself, 2) as the basis on which it is centered, as in something or someone, 3) as its object.

When the apostle Peter wrote about the “living hope” we have in Christ. All three of the implied meanings of hope are in view. First, our hope is “living” and not dead. It is filled with faith and belief. Second, the basis of our hope is in Christ and in His resurrection. Finally, our hope is focused on the future fulfillment of being co-heirs with Christ. Learning to really place all our hope in Christ is the key to having a living hope.

There’s one area that our hopes are finally being fulfilled. After 19 years of existing as a church that met in rental facilities, we’re finally moving into a home of our own. I have to admit that when people have asked whether we would ever see this day, I have usually responded, “I hope so.”

Now, it’s more than a wish. Praise the Lord! We’re cutting the ribbon this Saturday at 10:00 A.M. and then, our first worship services will be on this Sunday, May 1, 2011!

“They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

“Hosanna!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” (John 12:13)!

This coming Sunday we begin our remembrance of Passion Week with what Christians call Palm Sunday. So called because the crowds present on that day 2,000 years ago cut palm branches and waved them in the air shouting praises to Jesus as he made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

This particular week is given more space in the Bible than perhaps any other, except maybe the week of creation recorded in Genesis. All four gospels give almost daily details of what Christ did during this week that began with praise and ended with suffering

Have you ever compared these two weeks?

Day                Creation Week            Passion Week

Sunday            Light                         Triumphal entry
Monday           Sky/sea                     Cleansing the Temple
Tuesday          Land/plants               Teaching in the Temple
Wednesday      Moon/stars                Anointed in Bethany
Thursday         Birds/fish                  Last Supper/Garden of Gethsemane
Friday             Animals/man             Crucifixion and death
Saturday         God rested                 In the tomb

8th Day           Man’s fall                   CHRIST’S RESURRECTION!

The Bible mostly records history in broad strokes, occasionally zooming in to focus on certain events. But there are two weeks recorded in the Scriptures where greater detail is given– Creation week and Passion week.

Why do you suppose God wanted these two weeks so carefully recorded?

I think it’s because when we rightly understand both, we rightly understand the gospel. God created a good world, but sin entered in and polluted both humanity and creation. Then, God’s Son entered in to this fallen creation, becoming the second Adam, paying for our redemption on the cross, and offering us the possibility of being a new creation in Him.

Starting this Sunday, I plan to remember what Christ did on each of these days. Since God inspired all four gospel writers to carefully record this week, I plan to meditate every morning on what Jesus did that day.

Will you join me in remembering the week that Christ answered our prayer of “Hosanna” (God save us!)!