Mike Edmisten Follower of Jesus. Husband of Nicki. Father of Ryan & Brock. Communicator of the Word.

A Few Messages About Pain and Suffering

As a follow-up to my post yesterday, I thought I'd direct you back to a few messages I've preached in the last couple of years.  As I said yesterday, I don't have all the answers. But even in the absence of answers, I do believe the Bible offers hope.

Maybe one of these messages will help if you're in a tough stretch in your life.

Habakkuk – When Life Falls Apart (March 8, 2009)

When Life & Truth Collide – The Collision of Unanswered Prayer (January 27, 2008)

Q&A – Where Was God at Virginia Tech? (April 29, 2007)

I Just Don't Know

I used to think that I had to answer for God.  He needed me to defend Him.  Whenever someone would openly question God, I would come to His rescue. He was lucky to have me on His defense team.

Pretty arrogant, isn't it?

I have since left this mode of operation for a decidedly different approach.  Now, I'm just lovingly honest with people.  If they question God…if they ask me why He is allowing something bad to happen…here is the answer I usually give them:

I just don't know.

I realize this isn't all that comforting…but how comforting is it for me to spout some long theological dissertation about why God allows pain and suffering to occur?

I know the theology. I can recite it all day long.  But it doesn't help when a person is hurting.  All it does is make me look uncaring and arrogant.

So I take a more emotionally honest approach.  The answer I often give is, "I just don't know.  I don't know why you are hurting.  I don't know why God hasn't intervened. I know He loves you and I know He is still in control…but I can't tell you what He is doing right now because I just don't know.  What I can tell you for sure is that my heart is breaking for you."

That's the answer that I gave someone this week.  I'm not sure it helped, but I can tell you this…this person knows that I care. And in times like these, love speaks louder than anything.

Salsa Friends

My family had the opportunity to visit with some great friends over the weekend.  We met Terry & Juli in our previous ministry in Indiana.  Even though we were only there for 3 years, the friendship we developed with them is lifelong.

Terry & Juli rode to Cincinnati on their Honda Gold Wing.  (I want one.)  But even though they made the trek on a motorcycle, that didn't stop them from bringing us some gifts.  Nicki and I each got an Indianapolis Colts t-shirt.  I never knew what it was like to be a fan of a winning football team until we moved to Indy.  Been a Colts fan ever since.

But that wasn't all.  Terry & Juli also brought us a huge tub of salsa.  Did you know that the greatest Mexican restaurant in the world is located in Indiana?  It's a little family owned joint called Little Mexico.

A-MA-ZING.

Their food is phenomenal.  Their salsa is the best we've ever had…EVER! Terry & Juli stopped at Little Mexico, bought massive tub of salsa, packed it in ice, and somehow managed to bring it all the way to Cincinnati on their bike.

The salsa is great.  But the sentiment behind the salsa is even greater.

I hope you have salsa friends in your life.  I'm blessed to have them in mine.

Random Excitement

A few things I'm excited about, in no order whatsoever.

• The worship experience at ACC this Sunday. It's going to be smokin'! And…this might shock some of you…the song I'm looking forward to the most is an old hymn.  Our band lights it on fire!
• My progress from just four weeks of Power 90.  It's cool that people are starting to notice a difference in my appearance.  And I feel a lot better.  Specifically, my back feels a lot better.  That was one of my biggest motivators to kick-start a new workout routine.
• We may be witnessing a scientific breakthrough for the treatment of Leber congenital amaurosis.  That might not mean much to you, but it means a lot to me.  My sister was born with this rare condition, which has caused her to be legally blind her whole life.  This article really got me excited today!  We live in amazing age.
• Seeing some old friends from Indy this weekend.  It's awesome to have friends like Terry & Juli.  Friends that you might not see for a year or more…but as soon as you do, you pick up right where you left off. That's something special.
• God of this City. Every time I hear this song, it freakin' pumps me up! It grabs my spirit and doesn't let go.
• Seeing God change lives.  There are times when every pastor feels like throwing in the towel. Every pastor thinks, "There MUST be an easier job out there for me."  But then, when you see lives changed by the power of the gospel, it is like a spiritual B-12 shot. It is all the motivation I need to keep my passion and my drive for ministry.  I ain't going nowhere!
• The Great Inland Seafood Festival is this weekend.  We intend to go every year, and never make it.  I'm really hoping we make it this year. Where else can you get a whole Maine lobster for $10.95?
• I have to go the BMV soon to renew my license and get new tags for our cars.  This last one is just a test to see if you read all the way to the end of this post.  Anyone who gets excited about a trip to the BMV probably looks forward to root canals and prostate exams.

New Staff Pics

Don't know if you're interested in this or not.  If so, great.  If not, go check your Facebook page.

We updated our staff pictures on our website.  Check it out.

ACC Staff Page

I had a few random thoughts after seeing this page.

1. Who would win if I did a blog poll with this question: "Who is the best looking staff member at ACC?"  And then I thought I'd better not do that poll.  It wouldn't be fair to the other staff members.

2. Do we only allow guys with short hair to be on staff around here?  Apparently we believe in our barbers.  Anybody think Melanie should shave her head so she can fit in?

3. I work with the best staff on this planet.

Does It Make You Sweat?

If you're wondering if God is calling you to do something in your life, here's a good question to ask:

Does it make you sweat?

(Note: I didn't say this is the only question you ask.  But it's got to be one of the first.)

The more I think about the godly people who went before us, the more I come to realize that God's call on their lives had to make them sweat.

God told Abram (who would later be called Abraham) to leave everything he knew and embark on a journey…but God didn't even tell him where he was going.  Had to make the dude sweat. (Genesis 12:1)

God told Isaiah to walk around naked for three years. Not only did that plan probably make Isaiah sweat, but everyone would see exactly where the sweat was coming from! (Isaiah 20:1-3)

God told Hosea to marry a prostitute. And if that wasn't bad enough, the prostitute's name was Gomer! That just adds insult to injury.  It was a God-ordained vision for his life that had to make him sweat. (Hosea 1:2-3)

God told the apostles to go stand in the middle of the temple courts and preach the gospel…right after the religious leaders had  jailed them for doing that very thing.  That'll make you sweat.  (Acts 5:17-20)

God told Ananias to go share the gospel with a guy named Saul.  But here's the thing…Saul was well-known for killing Christians! You think Ananias left a few drops of sweat on the road as he traveled to meet Saul?  (Acts 9:10-15)

The point is that, when God calls you to do something, it will make you sweat. You'll be nervous.  The final outcome won't be guaranteed.  You'll feel like you're walking a tightrope without a net. The call of God will make you sweat.

But God loves sweaty disciples. If you don't let moments of sweat stop you, God will use you to do incredible things for His Kingdom.

Sweat on.

Your Church Isn't Perfect

Your church isn't perfect. Whatever church you call home, it's far from a picture of perfection.  There is room for vast improvements.

But complaining isn't going to magically make it any better.  It might make you feel better, but the only thing it really accomplishes is that it puts your spiritual immaturity on display for everyone to see.  Does complaining ever solve the problem?  Nope.

Criticizing won't help anything, either.  Criticism is simply complaining that gets personal. You know what?  Criticizing your pastor won't make him a better preacher, or leader, or man. Criticizing any leader won't accomplish a dang thing.  Criticizing any ministry, program, etc. won't make a dime's worth of difference. Criticizing the worship style, what someone wears, etc. is not worth the oxygen it takes to utter the words.  In short, the only thing criticism does is reveal your hard heart.

The bottom line is that negativity will only make things worse in your church.  If your goal is to help your church improve, a negative, complaining, critical attitude isn't going to do it.

The gospel is good news.  The Fruit of the Spirit is joy (Galatians 5:22-23).  But you'd never know it by observing the attitudes of many Christians.  If you are constantly carrying around a negative, pessimistic, critical attitude, you need to let God do some work on you before you ever try to help your church.

If you legitimately want your church to improve, try these things instead.

Start serving. If you are not serving in your church, then you have no right to complain about your church.  Seriously, if you're not serving…shut it.  Generally speaking, servants don't complain about what's wrong because they are too busy helping to make things right.

Praise the positive. Your church isn't perfect, but it still has a lot going for it.  Instead of seeking out the negative, accentuate the positive.  Offer encouragement whenever and wherever you can.  Negativity spreads like wildfire.  But a positive, encouraging attitude is equally contagious.

Focus on the mission.  Churches that are filled with negative, backbiting, divisive people all have one thing in common: they lost focus of their mission. Instead of fighting against Satan, they started fighting against one another.  Instead of offense, they started playing defense.  When a church is laser-focused on their mission, petty disagreements and arguments usually take care of themselves.

Offer forgiveness freely and quickly.  The church is a family, and every family has its squabbles.  This is why the Bible speaks early and often about forgiveness.  The only way we can live, work, and worship together is with a forgiving spirit.  Someone in your church will hurt you. It's guaranteed.  But if you can apply Colossians 3:13 to the situation, you will singlehandedly propel your church forward.

You church isn't perfect.  But you get to choose whether you will be part of the problem or part of the solution.

Hitting The Nuts

Just read an article in The Cincinnati Enquirer featuring a guy who had a profound impact on me when I was a teenager.

Joe Boyd was a youth ministry intern at my home church one summer.  That might not sound like much, but it was huge for me.  Joe went out of his way to connect with me.  He spent a lot of evenings hanging out at my house.  He took me on a road trip.  Even though it was only a  three-month internship, Joe's friendship with me came along at a very crucial point in my life and my spiritual journey.

Now, Joe is a teaching pastor at Vineyard Community Church.  But he is also pursuing another passion…he is currently shooting a movie here in Cincinnati.

This article was a really fun read for me.  And even though you probably don't know Joe, you should check it out, too.  I can't wait to see the film, "Hitting the Nuts."

Check out the article here:

Storyteller, soul saver…and filmmaker – The Cincinnati Enquirer

What Stormy Taught Us

For any Cincinnati fan who hasn't turned their attention to the upcoming NFL season, you know that the Reds traded reliever David Weathers to the Brewers this past weekend.

Before you non-baseball people quit reading, I've got a  point to make.  Read on.

David's nickname is Stormy. (Get it?  Stormy Weathers.)  And it fits him. I saw him pitch in many a game, and he always made it very interesting.  And at times, he flat out blew it.

But I loved what Hal McCoy wrote about him.  "Regardless what you think of David Weathers, traded Sunday to Milwaukee, the guy is first class and a pro….Yes, he gave it up a few times. All relief pitchers do. And when he did, he stood in front of his locker and answered each and every question. No hiding, no excuses."

There is some sage, sound, and even Scriptural wisdom there.  The Bible honors a person who takes responsibility for their actions.  That means that you own up when you screw up.

I love the fact that, when David Weathers blew a game, he owned up to it. He admitted his mistakes.  He took it on the chin.  He was never evasive.  He never passed the buck.

That ought to describe every single person who claims to follow Jesus.  You're not perfect.  Neither am I.  So when you blow it, just be man or woman enough to admit it.  And I'll do the same.

That would make a whole lot of issues, problems, and divisions in the church fade away faster than the Reds 2009 season.

Relevant

I am officially ready to declare war on the word "relevant." There may not be a more overused term in the church today.

So many churches state that their mission is to be relevant.  In the past, I've said the same thing.  And, in a sense, I haven't changed.  I never want our church to be irrelevant.

But, a lot of churches are making huge…and dangerous…sacrifices in the name of relevance.

Pastors avoid preaching hard truth, because it might offend someone.

Worship leaders are more concerned with how a song sounds than the the truth that it expresses.

Churches minimize the cross, because it's too ugly, gory, or uncomfortable.

More attention is given to videos, lighting, and presentation media than is given to the preaching of the gospel.

Decisions are made because,  "This would be really cool," instead of,  "This is what God is calling us to do."

I am going on record by saying that I don't care if our church is relevant.  I care if we are faithful.  At the end of the day, Jesus isn't going to look at us and say, "Well done, good and relevant servant."  He will look us in the eye and say, "Well done, good and faithful servant"  (Matthew 25:21).

Again, I'm not advocating irrelevance.  But I'm not willing to sacrifice faithfulness on the altar of relevance.

I love the way Rick Warren puts it.  "Every style goes out of style. The only way to always be relevant is to focus on what's eternal."