Memorial Day

My life was forever changed on June 26, 2003 when I received the call.  I could barely comprehend the words I heard, “Gunnar, Tom was shot and killed in Afghanistan.”  I have been dealing with the reality of these words for nine years now and believe they will be with me for the rest of my life.  Tom was a great Navy SEAL, husband, father of two young boys, and friend of mine.  This one death created a wake of pain and agony in the hearts of hundreds, if not thousands, of people who knew and loved Thomas E. Retzer.

This is Memorial Day.  A day set aside to remember those who have died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. This holiday has become a day connected with a three day weekend, BBQ, and fireworks.  I am not one to ostracize these practices as I doubt my friends who were killed in action would support me, but I encourage you to remember those who have given all in practical ways by doing something this Memorial Day and at every opportunity you are given.

This Memorial Day my family and I will go to Fort Rosecrans a National Cemetery and visit the gravestones of my many friends who gave all in their service.  Solomon says, “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, because that is the end of every man” (Ecc. 7:2).  In facing death, we faced with the brevity of our lives and are force to consider the day when we also will face our Creator.  I encourage you to visit a National Cemetery this Memorial Day.  Walk the aisles of white gravestones, remember their sacrifice, and reflect on life.

As you walk the cemetery on Memorial Day, you will likely encounter people who served with or loved those who gave all.  The Apostle Paul reminds us to “Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2).  How do we bear one another’s burdens in these circumstances?  There is no way to know what any given veteran has gone through, but impact of expressing gratitude to them cannot be overstated.  A simple, “Thank you for your service and (or) sacrifice” goes a long way.  In expressing this gratitude, you are taking a small burden from them, or at least help them carry their own load (Gal. 6:5).

Be on the alert.  Be prepared to shake the hand of a service member and look them in the eye and say “Thank you for you service.  I am praying for you.”  This “thank you” is all the more powerful when it is coupled with you picking up their tab!  Big group events are great displays of gratitude, but there is none more powerful than the individual touch.  Only you can do this something!

The Attack on the Boston Marathon

Certain events are seared into our memories.  I will never forget sitting in my elementary classroom as the space shuttle exploded after lift off.  Or hearing the news of the towers falling on September 11, 2001.   I’m not sure how you heard about the events in Boston yesterday.  I was at my computer and saw someone post, “Praying for Boston.”  This peaked my interest enough to Google “Boston.”  All the top hits revealed the Boston Marathon was in progress.  Strange.  Well maybe not as I am friends with a bunch of athletes and just assumed that they were praying for friends running.

Then I saw “explosions rocks finish line” and my heart sank.  Of course I was sickened as I felt like the war against terrorism had come to our shore; again.  I know, its entirely too early to speculate who is responsible for this attack, but warrior spirit rose up within me wanting to defend and protect.  We have to wait for the evidence to come in before we can identify who is responsible for this horrible act.

It’s far too early to start answering the many questions that surface from such a horrible attack, but I feel its appropriate to share how I have processed some of my questions.

Evil exists in the heart of humanity.  I am limited in covering this subject in full, but in short, the Bible makes it clear that humanity is sinful.  I am preaching through Romans right now and phrases like “There is none righteous, not even one”, “There is none who does good”, “Their feet are swift to shed blood”, “Destruction and misery are in their path” fill the first three chapters of this powerful book.  The apostle Paul makes it clear that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).  As individuals, we are warned of the wrath of God and are encouraged to turn to Christ for life and security.

This may seem obvious, but we must recognize and understand that evil exists in our world when events like this occur.  Our culture seems to have difficulty admitting that evil does exist for one reason or another.

The role of government as revealed in Scripture.  Our government does a lot for us.  In fact, almost all political debates revolve around how much, or little, should the government do for the citizens.  As I have scoured the Scriptures, I see one, quite possibly the only, command given towards authorities like our government.  This command is presented clearly in Romans 13:4, “It is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.”  This short sentence concisely identifies the problem and how it is to be dealt with.  Evil is the problem and the government has a responsibility to inflict the wrath of God on the one who does evil.  Bringing about justice to the individual, or individuals, behind this act of terrorism should be the top priority of our government.

How are we to respond to such events?  I’m not sure if this is the proper order, but this is the order of responses that come to my mind.

My first thought is thankfulness for the work God has done in my own heart through Christ.  I recognize my capacity for anger, rage, and evil.  I can’t help but to think, “But by the grace go I.”  I totally believe it’s okay to have a little righteous anger, but in that I realize if it wasn’t for the grace of God restraining me I could have been responsible for some evil act.

Second, I am so thankful for my life and family.  I thank God that my family is safe.  How many accidents has He protected me from that I was unaware?  I’m reminded of the shortness of life.  I need to appreciate each moment as a gift.  I think this is what Solomon meant when he wrote, “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting” (Ecc. 7:2).

Third, my heart and prayers go to the victims of this which are many—from those killed, the injured, their families, and the first responders both volunteers and professionals who first responded to the victims and to the scene of the crime.

Fourth, I pray for our leaders in charge of us as Paul commands (1 Tim. 2:1-2).  I pray that they would have wisdom, discernment, and courage as they stand against evil.  They have many difficult decisions to make as they protect those they have been entrusted to protect.

Fifth, I pray for those that “bear the sword” (Rom. 13:4).  There are men and women who have been tasked to bring about justice.  I am thankful for the sheep dogs who are willing to place their personal safety second to the safety of the general population.  The weight of this responsibility on them and their families is hard to describe.  I am thankful for them and pray for them as they carry out this great responsibility.

Finally, I cry out “maranatha” which Paul writes in 1 Corinthian 16:22 and means “Our Lord, come!”  Ultimately He is the one who will restore order in this world.  I realize that He is our only hope.  We need His help and should cry out to Him.

The Beauty of Prayer

I am up very early on a Sunday morning.  It was raining yesterday afternoon and evening.  We lit a fire and lounged during the late afternoon.  I was in bed really early and consequently I am up really early!  I love being up early on Sunday mornings because it gives me time to think, pray, and to get my heart ready for preaching.

Today we are studying Psalm 5 as we are in between books.  Next week we begin Roman--a major study for 2013.  I am very much looking forward to studying this book that Chuck Swindoll appropriately refers to as "The Christian Constitution."  But today, I have Psalm 5 before me and I feel led to mix things up at church today.  I'm looking forward to having a time of prayer and a time of thanksgiving in the middle of the message.  I'm also preaching first leading us into a time of taking the Lord's Supper and an extended time of worship.

Psalm 5:1-3 says this, "Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my groaning. Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God, for to You I pray.  In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; in the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch." I am blessed as I consider some things about David's example of prayer that I would like to share.

Directly to God.  I love the direct access we see here.  There is no need to pray to a "saint" or any other mediator.  We have direct access to the Father through Christ.  God hears our prayers and knows are hearts.  There is no need to sugar coat your words.  We can and should go to Him directly and boldly!

Personal relationship with God.  Did you notice how many times "my" was used in these three verses?  A ton!  Well, more like 7 times, but you get the point.  David cries that God is his God and King!  Do you have this relationship with God?  Good times, bad times, God is our personal God and He desires this relationship with Him!  We must guard ourselves from turning God into a lucky rabbit's foot and distorting our relationship into a religion, or maybe you need to ditch religion and gain a relationship?

Consistency in prayer.  I love the consistency of David's prayers.  He tells God He will hear from David every morning!  I'm not one to make rules concerning devotions, but there seems to be a pattern in the Scriptures to start the day with prayer.  I don't know about you, but my days always go better when I start it with prayer. 

Praying with expectancy.  We pray and forget.  I always been bad at keeping a prayer journal, but I always encourage people to keep one.  I enjoy going back and reviewing the prayers I have prayed long after the fact.  I am always encouraged reading them thinking to myself, "Wow, the Lord came through on that one!"  Let us not pray and move on, but let us be like David and wait expectantly after we pray trusting that God will respond!

Guest Opinion: Connecticut Tradegy

The events in Connecticut were simply tragic.  I have not had time to sit down and write out my thoughts about the events, but I received the following email from Ken Yoder a dear man at Valley Baptist Church.  The following is an email that he sent to his children after hearing the news.  He has given me permission to share it here:

 

This morning Mom and I were in the "Man Cave" going about our usual routine, Mom painting, I was building a new jig for my saw. We have a habit of listening to Rush on the radio. Rush was interrupted by the news of the incomprehensible tragedy that took place in Connecticut, it certainly affected us greatly.  I could not help but realize that "But by the grace of GOD there go us." How is this kind of evil even possible?  Obviously there are no answers to rationally explain how an individual could do something like this.  But I would like to share some thoughts on this event.

 

There are  two things that come to my mind when I hear of such a despicable thing as this happening. 

 

1.     One of the first things that I know from Scripture is something that Jesus told us in John 10:10 that explains the two forces in this world.  Let me quote that here: "The thief [referring Satan] comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."  You see, depending who an individual desires to follow, that loyalty will determine how their life's actions will take them.  Satan does desire to steal, kill, and destroy any good, and unfortunately there are people who allow that evil to take hold of their lives.  Does it seem like there is more and more of this happening?  Yes, and the reason is that Satan and his demons are winning the battle in the United States.  Without God, the nation will perish; and we are seeing the results of this every day.  Another thing that Jesus said is in John 3:19-20: "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.  Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed." 

 

2.     The second thing that I also know from Scripture with regard to the taking of these innocent lives is that little children are precious to Jesus.  Matthew 19:14 says, "Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’"  Scripture also tells us in 2 Samuel 12 that when David's baby was sick, he prayed for the baby to live, but when the baby died, he said in verse 23 that while he can't bring the baby back to life on this earth, he would go to him . . . meaning that the Lord receives those who are too young to make an informed decision.  What a joy that our loving Lord takes these children to be with Him forever.

 

What can we do?  We can pray for those families that lost their child; God can and does work, and He is God.  Pray for their comfort, and also that many will come to Him during this time of great sadness.

Trusting and Honoring GOD!!! (Numbers 20:12 NIV)

Your earthly farther;

Dad

I Can't Keep Up!

Do you like the game Tetris?  I haven't played it in a long time.  I'm not sure how my skills compare to other people, but I definitely have a strategy of placing my blocks.  I like symmetry so I try and keep the the top as level as possible.  The ideal situation is to have four rows completely leveled out with exception of the far right column that is fully open, just waiting for that long bar to slide in delivering massive points!  This game goes well for me as long as I have vision for what's coming.  If I can predetermine where I am going to place a particular piece, I can get it placed and stay ahead of things.  The problem is when things speed up and I cannot keep things neat and orderly in my landing area.  Everything eventually unravels and finally that last piece drops with no place to fall and the game seizes up.

I think life is a lot like the game Tetris.  We each have 24 hours coming our way each day.  There are times when I'm able to manage the responsibilities that fall my way and other times when things are falling so fast that I just don't know how I'm going to get them done.  One of my favorite Bible verses is Ephesians 5:15-16, "Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil."  We live in a world that is so busy.  There is so much going on all of the time.  I am so prone to saying, "yes" to people that I often myself running thin.  In order to avoid my life becoming like the last 20 seconds of Tetris, I've discovered some practical things that really help...when applied!

Setting goals.  I like setting goals from being a child of God, husband, dad, pastor, chaplain, friend, etc, etc.  What are my responsibilities within the various aspects in my life?  I don't know that I write these out, but I probably should.  Once I examine my responsibilities I set goals for what I would like to achieve as it relates to the particular category.  I do better if I can see what's coming down the chute so I can figure out how to place it.

Prioritizing responsibilities.  Once I have responsibilities set out, planning starts to fall into place.  With my great mental/written list laid out, I begin to prioritize my responsibilities.  Some repeat daily, like time with God and family, others are weekly, or one time events.  As I begin to lay them out on a calendar, I often discover a problem--namely too much to do and not enough time to get it all done.

Pruning responsibilities.  I really don't like saying "No" to people, but I've learned that I have to in order to stay sane and to actually accomplish the things that God has called me to.  In the last year, I've had to make hard decisions to resign from boards and other things I really enjoy in order to focus on things I have been called to do.

Using an online calendar.  I never used a calendar in the military, I was just always there.  As a civilian, I have a ton of freedom to meet with people, study, and to handle small fires.  I wasn't a civilian very long before I started double booking and forgetting appointments that slipped through the cracks in my brain, or sat on a paper calendar back at my home or office.  I've been way more productive since the advent of a smart phone where I can track and adjust multiple calendars all the time from my phone wherever I am.

I imagine Tetris blocks falling from the sky as I hear the lyrics of this old song, "Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' into the future..."  Time passes us all by at the same rate--one hour at a time.  I know we each have been allotted different amounts of total time as it slips by us, but I want to make the most of the time I am given in this life.  What have you done to best manage your time?
  

Cemetery or Seminary?

**I wrote this post for Cross Connection Network and am posting it here because of the popularity of it on that site.  Maybe, some readers here will appreciate the article.**

 In my spiritual journey God has used a number of things to shape me.  I think I accepted Christ at a Tuesday night Bible study that was at a Vineyard church.  From there I started attending Horizon, then to The Rock when Miles McPherson launched it, then to a little Mexican church in National City, then to help with an Evangelical Free Church, then I planted a church with my father-in-law that became Southern Baptist, to my current church which is Southern Baptist...this flyover covers about 17 years of my church life.  During the early years, 1996-2001, I traveled extensively as a Navy SEAL and would often find myself in different places on Sundays...I would always land at a Calvary Chapel because they were fairly consistent with their franchised product.  I know you guys are not a denomination, but nobody on the outside buys your claims. :)

As I was growing in the Lord and starting to sense God's call, I wasn't sure what the next step was or how I was to pursue this vague feeling inside.  I remember many of the pastors in Calvary Chapel bashing, or subtly making jabs against seminaries by referring to them as cemeteries.  I sort of found this funny because from the outside looking in it appeared as though many of the pastors didn't have college degrees let alone any time at seminary.  Where was this attack coming from?  Why would they be critical of something they never actually participated in or completed?  Maybe it was a chip on their shoulder?  Maybe.  Maybe there was some truth in what they said?  Possibly.  I know that I may be treading on dangerous ground as the majority of the writers of this blog are Calvary Chapel guys.  I am the outsider, the black sheep of the group proudly waving my Southern Baptist colors...which feels weird as I don't really feel connected deeply to this group, but I digress.

As God led me away from Calvary Chapel circles, I was exposed to a variety of very godly pastors who all had graduated from seminary.  Different seminaries all conservative, but with different flavors.  It was during this time that God's call became very strong and my desire to study the Bible at a deeper level continued to grow, but I didn't know how I could satisfy this as I was preparing to deploy to the Middle East.  Thankfully, I was informed of Moody Bible Institute's distance learning program.  I immediately enrolled in a number of courses like "Old Testament Survey", "New Testament Survey", "Elements of Bible Study", and "Advanced Bible Study Methods." Oh, my soul was getting nourished in ways that I couldn't have imagined.  I ended up completing a year's worth of coursework through Moody's program.  This whole experience opened up the door for me to complete my Bachelor's in Biblical Studies and Master's of Divinity degree through Southern California Seminary.  From there, I would go on and work on my Doctor of Ministry degree through Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, but I withdrew from the program when I was "All but dissertation" because I felt like it was interfering with the present ministry I was called to.

I had a wonderful experience through Bible College and Seminary.  I would not be able to handle the Word of God as accurately as I do now without my training there.  I understand that not every seminary is created the same, but that doesn't mean that all are bad and ineffective in training people.  Here are a few reasons why I support and encourage men called to the ministry to go to seminary:

You will grow and mature through the process.  Seminary is challenging.  Juggling life with coursework is challenging in of itself, but a good seminary is going to forged you to be handle the ministry--whether you are preparing to enter or are already doing the work.  To hunker down and to do the work will shape you in your walk with God.  This difficult season in my life definitely prepared me for the rigors that pastoral ministry would bring.

You will be equipped in handling the Word of God.  I often am asked, "Did seminary really help you?" I laugh and respond with something like, "If I wasn't in seminary, I would not have been digging, researching, and writing about topics that forced me deep within the Word on a daily basis."  Seminary will sharpen and expand you knowledge and application of the Word of God.  There is no way around this, you cannot experience this demand on your own.  I have often heard, "Seminary is like trying to take a sip of water from a fire hydrant."  This is so true!

You will be exposed to others schools of thought.  I can already hear some Calvary guys jumping on this point saying, "Ahh, you will be brainwashed and wander into bad doctrine!  Beware!"  An assumption of mine is that we are talking about a conservative, Bible believing and proclaiming seminary--which there are many.  Within this context you will rub shoulders and discuss biblical things from different vantage points.  This is iron sharpening iron in its truest sense.  For example, when I wrote my thesis on "The Christian and Combat" we brought in a pacifist, who deeply loves the Lord, to challenge my position.  I am better because of this experience of being exposed to other views within Bible believing Christianity.

You will develop deep friendships and broaden your network.  Outside of the coursework, I developed deep friendships with others in the ministry from a variety of denominations or non-denominations respectfully.  These friendships have been very meaningful and helpful to me in my service in the ministry at large.  I am thankful for these men that I can go to for support and outside consultation by men who are outside of my circle.

Concluding thoughts.  First, if you are debating going to seminary choose well.  The price is the least important factor.  Seek out graduates and examine the doctrinal position of the school.  If you don't feel comfortable with this, ask someone who can guide you and give you wisdom for not all seminaries are created equal.  Second, if you haven't been, or graduated from seminary, I would ask you to refrain from the bashing of them through subtle comments like letting "cemetery" slip out of your mouth when "seminary" was the intended word.  It makes one look like they have a chip on their shoulder for lacking something.  Of course one doesn't need seminary to go to the ministry...we simply need to meet the requirements of 1 Timothy 3:1-7.  Finally, whatever your background, I encourage you to read, grow, and study intently as you lead the body of Christ.

Growing as a Child, with my Children

A few weeks ago I began a new missionary book with my daughter Grace called Amy Carmichael: Rescuer of Precious Gems.  As we have been working through this book, I have been struck with thankfulness for the fruit I have seen in our lives from reading together.  Before my first child was born, I purposed in my heart to be their spiritual leader and to help them in their walk with the Lord.  Reading to them has been a great tool and I hope to encourage you as you seek to raise your children in the Lord.

Choose what you read wisely.  I don't just read anything to my children, but I carefully select what goes into their little minds and hearts.  We have multiple children's Bibles that I have read through to them.  As Grace got older, we detoured and started to read missionary books like this one about Amy Carmichael.  My aim in reading is to help us learn about God either through His Word, or through his hand in people's lives.  Christian biographies are a great way to discover how faith is lived out.

A great way for you to grow!  I don't know about you, but I wasn't raised in a Christian home.  I lacked a foundation of the Bible, nor did I have any clue about missionaries!  Reading through a children's Bible is a great way for you to develop an understanding of the overarching theme of the Bible.  You'll read all of the major stories and as you do this over and over again things will begin to come together in your mind.  Also, there are many great missionary books that are geared for children.  This is a great way to learn about some of these great people in Christian history.  As you read these easier books, you will probably discover someone that you want to learn more about.  Your children will grow spiritually and so will you!

You'll grow closer to your children.  I've heard it said that "quality time is found with quantity of time."  I agree with this totally, but I hope to provide quantity time with the Lord in hopes that my children will have memories of their "God ah-ha" moments with me there.  There is something intimate about reading the Bible and Christian biographies because they touch on deep subjects and we often find ourselves ending with prayer, or discussion about some significant spiritual truth.  I love that the kids are always calling for me around bedtime wanting to snuggle and to read.  I am confident I know my children and they know me better because of our time reading together.

Make if a priority!  There is nothing easy about the command found in Proverbs 22:6 to, "Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it."  It takes consistency and commitment from you.  There are many times when I simply don't feel like reading to them.  I'm busy and there is always something trying to distract me from them.  Now my second child is at the age where she enjoys being read to, but they are not as the same level so it requires two sessions on my part which requires even more time of mine.  The bottom line is I have made a commitment to train up my children in the way they should go so I carve out time for them even if I have to neglect other areas in my life.  I certainly don't want the song, "Cats in the Cradle" becoming a reality with me and my children.

Final Thoughts.  I guarantee your children will love you reading to them.  In doing so you will give your children great memories with you, you will help them learn about God, and you will grow!  We only have a children for a short while, make the most of this time you have with them.

Some recommended books:

The Trailblazer Series

Christian Heroes: Then and Now