Yes, that's me. Or at least, a pretty accurate likeness.I am on vacation.
I've checked out for the week.
I've hung out the "Gone Fishing" sign.
I'm just "chillin' (relaxing) with my homies" (the family).
Have a wonderful, safe 4th of July!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Vacation
Yes, that's me. Or at least, a pretty accurate likeness.I am on vacation.
I've checked out for the week.
I've hung out the "Gone Fishing" sign.
I'm just "chillin' (relaxing) with my homies" (the family).
Have a wonderful, safe 4th of July!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Just Like Job
The Book of Job is one of those in the Bible we find ourselves relating to quite often because of the sufferings of this apparently righteous man. But I find I can relate to Job's experience for quite another reason. In Job 23, the man of God struggles to know God, to understand Him, or even to sense His presence:
"Behold, I go forward but He is not there,
And backward, but I cannot perceive Him;
When He acts on the left,
I cannot behold Him;
He turns on the right,
I cannot see Him."
~ Job 23:8-9
How often I struggle to know God's ways. I want to where He is, and what He is doing all around me. And I can't. That was Job's plight. But Job didn't stay at the point of despair. He came to a realization; one that I am awakening to. The very next verse says:
"But He knows the way I take;
When He has tries me,
I shall come forth as gold."
Job figured out that it doesn't matter if I know what God is doing. It only matters that He knows.He knows what I'm doing, too. And He knows what He's doing in my life. I simply need to trust Him.
"Behold, I go forward but He is not there,
And backward, but I cannot perceive Him;
When He acts on the left,
I cannot behold Him;
He turns on the right,
I cannot see Him."
~ Job 23:8-9
How often I struggle to know God's ways. I want to where He is, and what He is doing all around me. And I can't. That was Job's plight. But Job didn't stay at the point of despair. He came to a realization; one that I am awakening to. The very next verse says:
"But He knows the way I take;
When He has tries me,
I shall come forth as gold."
Job figured out that it doesn't matter if I know what God is doing. It only matters that He knows.He knows what I'm doing, too. And He knows what He's doing in my life. I simply need to trust Him.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Meetings
I've been MIA for the past few days. Not by choice. I've been in North Carolina Department of Correction meetings.
I hate meetings. I find most meeting are a complete waste of time. Meetings keep me away from doing what I'm called to do: Ministering to inmates. However, these meetings were worse than the run-of-the-mill waste of time kind of meetings. These were just plain foolishness. They were facilitated by people who sit in offices in Raleigh all day trying to figure out ways to spend taxpayers' hard earned money on nonsense. Most of them haven't ever worked inside of a prison facility. It shows.
A few times I just got to the point I couldn't stand the stupidity any longer. So I politely raised my hand and pointed out the foolishness of what was going on. They don't like that much. I'm afraid they may not have much of an opinion of Chaplain Burger this week.
I can't stand stupid and I hate bureaucracy. This week I've had my fill of both.
I hate meetings. I find most meeting are a complete waste of time. Meetings keep me away from doing what I'm called to do: Ministering to inmates. However, these meetings were worse than the run-of-the-mill waste of time kind of meetings. These were just plain foolishness. They were facilitated by people who sit in offices in Raleigh all day trying to figure out ways to spend taxpayers' hard earned money on nonsense. Most of them haven't ever worked inside of a prison facility. It shows.
A few times I just got to the point I couldn't stand the stupidity any longer. So I politely raised my hand and pointed out the foolishness of what was going on. They don't like that much. I'm afraid they may not have much of an opinion of Chaplain Burger this week.
I can't stand stupid and I hate bureaucracy. This week I've had my fill of both.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Jesus Didn't Do Drive-Bys
I originally posted this last year. I still feel the same way today. Maybe more so.
We've all seen them in the movies or on television. Drive-by shootings. A car screams out of nowhere. Guns blazing. People are hit. Confusion reigns. And just as quickly as they came, they're gone. Leaving chaos in their wake.
Disturbing, isn't it?
That's also a picture of much of the evangelism done by churches and ministries today. I call it "Drive-by Evangelism." They come screaming into a community, or a prison firing away. Their modus operandi is to hit hard and fast. They're after big numbers. They call them "decisions for Christ". And just as fast as they come, they're gone. It's evangelism done at warp speed. "Get there, get 'em saved, and get gone." It's a poor substitute for the biblical variety.
Jesus didn't do drive-by evangelism. He involved Himself in the lives of those He ministered to. He saw their needs, and inquired about their hopes and dreams and ambitions. He had compassion on the multitudes. When the preaching ended He stayed and fed them - all five thousand of them. He wasn't in a hurry. And rather than leave behind confusion and half-baked decisions to follow Him, Jesus left people with the calm assurance that He is Messiah, their hope.
People call my office all the time wanting to do a drive-by. Oh, they don't think of it that way. But I do.
"I just want to come preach to those boys, chaplain." "Just let us come and do our program. We'll get 'em saved. Yessir! We've had nine million decisions for Christ so far this year."
My answer is always the same. "No thanks." But I do offer an alternative. How about coming to teach an inmate to read. Or to help them be better husbands and fathers. Or could you possibly help to provide soap and deodorant for those inmates who are in need? You'd be amazed at the responses I get. One actually told me I was "hindering the Spirit." He'd "heard from the Lord" and was "supposed to preach at Charlotte Correctional Center."
I used to think this kind of evangelism had it's place. After all, they were making decisions for Christ, right? But I've been where I am long enough to see the long-term results. It doesn't work. Many are left wounded, dazed, and looking for answers in the aftermath. So I don't have any use for drive-by evangelism anymore. But if you're interested, come on by. I'd like to introduce you to someone who needs a friend.
We've all seen them in the movies or on television. Drive-by shootings. A car screams out of nowhere. Guns blazing. People are hit. Confusion reigns. And just as quickly as they came, they're gone. Leaving chaos in their wake.
Disturbing, isn't it?
That's also a picture of much of the evangelism done by churches and ministries today. I call it "Drive-by Evangelism." They come screaming into a community, or a prison firing away. Their modus operandi is to hit hard and fast. They're after big numbers. They call them "decisions for Christ". And just as fast as they come, they're gone. It's evangelism done at warp speed. "Get there, get 'em saved, and get gone." It's a poor substitute for the biblical variety.
Jesus didn't do drive-by evangelism. He involved Himself in the lives of those He ministered to. He saw their needs, and inquired about their hopes and dreams and ambitions. He had compassion on the multitudes. When the preaching ended He stayed and fed them - all five thousand of them. He wasn't in a hurry. And rather than leave behind confusion and half-baked decisions to follow Him, Jesus left people with the calm assurance that He is Messiah, their hope.
People call my office all the time wanting to do a drive-by. Oh, they don't think of it that way. But I do.
"I just want to come preach to those boys, chaplain." "Just let us come and do our program. We'll get 'em saved. Yessir! We've had nine million decisions for Christ so far this year."
My answer is always the same. "No thanks." But I do offer an alternative. How about coming to teach an inmate to read. Or to help them be better husbands and fathers. Or could you possibly help to provide soap and deodorant for those inmates who are in need? You'd be amazed at the responses I get. One actually told me I was "hindering the Spirit." He'd "heard from the Lord" and was "supposed to preach at Charlotte Correctional Center."
I used to think this kind of evangelism had it's place. After all, they were making decisions for Christ, right? But I've been where I am long enough to see the long-term results. It doesn't work. Many are left wounded, dazed, and looking for answers in the aftermath. So I don't have any use for drive-by evangelism anymore. But if you're interested, come on by. I'd like to introduce you to someone who needs a friend.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Baptism
I've been busy all afternoon getting set up for baptism in this evening's church service at the prison. It's always hectic, but always exciting, too.
As we were filling the baptistry, a number of those being baptized this evening were standing around sharing testimonies and stories, and laughing and cutting up with me. They were barely able to conceal their joy at the prospect of making this very public pronouncement of faith in Christ in just a few hours.
I pray they'll never forget what happens here tonight. May it leave an indelible mark in their lives.
As we were filling the baptistry, a number of those being baptized this evening were standing around sharing testimonies and stories, and laughing and cutting up with me. They were barely able to conceal their joy at the prospect of making this very public pronouncement of faith in Christ in just a few hours.
I pray they'll never forget what happens here tonight. May it leave an indelible mark in their lives.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
God's Favorite Saying
God's got a favorite saying. Do you know what it is? "Fear not!" That's gotta be it because it's all throughout the Bible. Over one hundred times in the Scriptures we find that simple admonition.
"Fear not!" were the first words God spoke to Abraham in Genesis 12. When Israel stood at the edge of the Red Sea with the Egyptian army charging toward them, God said, "Fear not!" When Joshua took up the mantle of leadership following the death of Moses, God said to him, Fear not!" When the Angel of the Lord appeared to Daniel as he fasted and prayed, he said, "Fear not!" When Gabriel appeared to Mary to announce the coming of the Lord Jesus, he greeted her with the words, "Fear not!" And when the Jesus Christ Himself, the glorified Son of Almighty God, appeared to the Apostle John on the Isle of Patmos, He said to him, "Fear not!"
I can't think of two words I'd rather hear God speak to me than "Fear not!"
The world we live in desperately needs a dose of "Fear not!" Fear is the prevailing emotion all around us. The media makes a living playing on it and politicians rise and fall with it. People are fearful.
I hit on some of the reasons for our fear a couple of posts ago, but here's the short version. Gas prices are spiraling upward. There's a crisis in home mortgages. Storms and flooding seem to be the daily headlines. And we can't rely on the tomatoes we buy to be safe for consumption.
Pretty scary stuff, huh?
Well, no scarier than the Egyptian army coming straight at you. Or the thought of leading the people of God into the Promised land. Or being asked to bear God's Son. Yet God was able to handle all of that.
I'm pretty sure He'll be able to handle my mortgage, my gas tank, and my BLT sandwich.
"Fear not!" were the first words God spoke to Abraham in Genesis 12. When Israel stood at the edge of the Red Sea with the Egyptian army charging toward them, God said, "Fear not!" When Joshua took up the mantle of leadership following the death of Moses, God said to him, Fear not!" When the Angel of the Lord appeared to Daniel as he fasted and prayed, he said, "Fear not!" When Gabriel appeared to Mary to announce the coming of the Lord Jesus, he greeted her with the words, "Fear not!" And when the Jesus Christ Himself, the glorified Son of Almighty God, appeared to the Apostle John on the Isle of Patmos, He said to him, "Fear not!"
I can't think of two words I'd rather hear God speak to me than "Fear not!"
The world we live in desperately needs a dose of "Fear not!" Fear is the prevailing emotion all around us. The media makes a living playing on it and politicians rise and fall with it. People are fearful.
I hit on some of the reasons for our fear a couple of posts ago, but here's the short version. Gas prices are spiraling upward. There's a crisis in home mortgages. Storms and flooding seem to be the daily headlines. And we can't rely on the tomatoes we buy to be safe for consumption.
Pretty scary stuff, huh?
Well, no scarier than the Egyptian army coming straight at you. Or the thought of leading the people of God into the Promised land. Or being asked to bear God's Son. Yet God was able to handle all of that.
I'm pretty sure He'll be able to handle my mortgage, my gas tank, and my BLT sandwich.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Motive
"The man of God set his heart to exalt God above all; God accepted his intention as fact and acted accordingly.
Not perfection, but holy intention made the difference."
~A.W. Tozer
Not perfection, but holy intention made the difference."
~A.W. Tozer
Friday, June 13, 2008
Sometimes God Says, "No"
What do you do when God's answer to your prayer is no? We don't often think about that, do we?
Just recently I was talking with an inmate in my office and he was sharing with me something he had been praying about for some time. He was very sincere in his desire. There was nothing wrong with his request. He was full of faith. After hearing him out, I asked, "What if God's answer is no?"
I think that thought startled him. It caught him off guard. "Man, I've never thought about that. Do you think God could say no, chaplain?"
Of course God can say no. Remember the Apostle Paul and his "thorn in the flesh"? Three times he asked God to remove the thing that troubled him so. And God's answer was, "No, Paul." Actually, God's answer was, "My grace is sufficient for you." But that's really a nice, polite way of saying, "No."
What do we do when God's answer is no? I believe how I react when God says no really defines my relationship with Him. How I handle God's no, and what I do at that point says a lot about my faith. Do I really trust Him? If it's always about God doing what precisely I want when I pray, it's really not a relationship. It's more like going to Walmart. I always come out with what I want.
I like Paul's reaction to God's no. "Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me." Paul chose to trust God. He chose to carry on. We need to learn the same.
Just recently I was talking with an inmate in my office and he was sharing with me something he had been praying about for some time. He was very sincere in his desire. There was nothing wrong with his request. He was full of faith. After hearing him out, I asked, "What if God's answer is no?"
I think that thought startled him. It caught him off guard. "Man, I've never thought about that. Do you think God could say no, chaplain?"
Of course God can say no. Remember the Apostle Paul and his "thorn in the flesh"? Three times he asked God to remove the thing that troubled him so. And God's answer was, "No, Paul." Actually, God's answer was, "My grace is sufficient for you." But that's really a nice, polite way of saying, "No."
What do we do when God's answer is no? I believe how I react when God says no really defines my relationship with Him. How I handle God's no, and what I do at that point says a lot about my faith. Do I really trust Him? If it's always about God doing what precisely I want when I pray, it's really not a relationship. It's more like going to Walmart. I always come out with what I want.
I like Paul's reaction to God's no. "Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me." Paul chose to trust God. He chose to carry on. We need to learn the same.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Not Worried
As has become my habit, I've been watching the news this morning. I don't know why I do that. Sharon and I were having this conversation the other day. Watching the news can be depressing. Record gas prices. Salmonella-tainted tomatoes. Deadly tornadoes. Raging floods. The weakening dollar. Stock market losses. Food prices soaring. The worsening mortgage crisis. You get the idea. Things seem to be bad and getting worse.
But here's the thing. I'm not worried about any of it. Really. It just doesn't faze me. Let gas prices go through the roof. And I'd like extra tomatoes on my order, please. You see, I believe God. I believe He'll care for me. My life is in His hands. That's what His Word tells me. Without condition. If gas hits $30 a gallon, He can handle it. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. And Jesus said that if we ingested anything poison, it wouldn't harm us. Tainted tomatoes? T'ain't no problem.
So I'm not worried at all. You shouldn't be either. God is going to take care of those who trust in Him.
But here's the thing. I'm not worried about any of it. Really. It just doesn't faze me. Let gas prices go through the roof. And I'd like extra tomatoes on my order, please. You see, I believe God. I believe He'll care for me. My life is in His hands. That's what His Word tells me. Without condition. If gas hits $30 a gallon, He can handle it. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. And Jesus said that if we ingested anything poison, it wouldn't harm us. Tainted tomatoes? T'ain't no problem.
So I'm not worried at all. You shouldn't be either. God is going to take care of those who trust in Him.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
The Way God Works
"I will send hornets ahead of you, that they may drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites before you.
I will not drive them out before you in a single year, that the land may not become deslolate, and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you.
I will drive them out before you little by little, until you become fruitful and take possession of the land."
~ Exodus 23:28-30
Little by little. That's God's way. At least, it's been His way in my life. And in the lives of the Israelites, too. Little by little.
When Moses had led the people of God out of Egypt, God told him precisely how He would lead them into the Promised Land. Little by little. They couldn't handle it any other way. They'd been slaves in Egypt for four hundred thirty years. They knew nothing of warfare or laying siege to fortified cities. They weren't ready to possess all that God had for them. Not right away. They had to grow into the Promised Land. God knew that. So He gave it to them "little by little."
I think sometimes we want God to do things He's just not going to do. We want all the promises of God right now. We want "the Promised Land" before we're ready for it. Or, at the very least, we want the five year plan, or the ten year projection. But God is not going to operate that way.
As I reflect back over my life, I see God's hand at work. In my life and in ministry, I've been blessed beyond measure. But He's done it all "little by little." I couldn't have handled it any other way. Twenty five years ago I wasn't ready for all God had for me. There are things in my future I'm not ready to have today.
Little by little can be so frustrating. What I can look back and see today, I couldn't seen then. So many times I found myself out battling enemies I couldn't defeat, trying to take possession of a "Promised Land" I wasn't ready for. I usually got beat-up and ended up discouraged. Looking back now, I see the problem. God's plan was "little by little", but my plan was "hurry up, right now, gotta have it today, let's go, Lord!" I pushed too far. I ran ahead of God. I tried to take the land before I was ready for it, and before God was ready for me to have it.
God's thoughts are not our thoughts, and our ways are not God's ways. We can all quote it, right? I'm glad God doesn't do things my way. What a mess that would be.
I will not drive them out before you in a single year, that the land may not become deslolate, and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you.
I will drive them out before you little by little, until you become fruitful and take possession of the land."
~ Exodus 23:28-30
Little by little. That's God's way. At least, it's been His way in my life. And in the lives of the Israelites, too. Little by little.
When Moses had led the people of God out of Egypt, God told him precisely how He would lead them into the Promised Land. Little by little. They couldn't handle it any other way. They'd been slaves in Egypt for four hundred thirty years. They knew nothing of warfare or laying siege to fortified cities. They weren't ready to possess all that God had for them. Not right away. They had to grow into the Promised Land. God knew that. So He gave it to them "little by little."
I think sometimes we want God to do things He's just not going to do. We want all the promises of God right now. We want "the Promised Land" before we're ready for it. Or, at the very least, we want the five year plan, or the ten year projection. But God is not going to operate that way.
As I reflect back over my life, I see God's hand at work. In my life and in ministry, I've been blessed beyond measure. But He's done it all "little by little." I couldn't have handled it any other way. Twenty five years ago I wasn't ready for all God had for me. There are things in my future I'm not ready to have today.
Little by little can be so frustrating. What I can look back and see today, I couldn't seen then. So many times I found myself out battling enemies I couldn't defeat, trying to take possession of a "Promised Land" I wasn't ready for. I usually got beat-up and ended up discouraged. Looking back now, I see the problem. God's plan was "little by little", but my plan was "hurry up, right now, gotta have it today, let's go, Lord!" I pushed too far. I ran ahead of God. I tried to take the land before I was ready for it, and before God was ready for me to have it.
God's thoughts are not our thoughts, and our ways are not God's ways. We can all quote it, right? I'm glad God doesn't do things my way. What a mess that would be.
Monday, June 9, 2008
This Guy Could Have Written Proverbs
Some of Will Rogers wisdom could easily have found it's way into the Book of Proverbs had he been a contemporary of Solomon. Here is a sampling with my comments in parenthesis:
- Never slap a man who's chewing tobacco. (I don't know if they chewed tobacco anywhere in Scripture - but this is really good advice.)
- Never kick a cow chip on a hot day. (Just plain wisdom. Don't test this one. You won't like the result.)
- There are two theories to arguing with a woman .... neither works. ('nough said.)
- Never miss a good chance to shut up. (I'm trying to learn this one.)
- Always drink upstream from the heard. (Again, don't test this wisdom.)
- If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging. (Admittedly, I am a slow learner here. But getting better.)
- The quickest way to double your money is to fold it and put it back in your pocket. (I wish I had learned this one about twenty-five years ago.)
- Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment. (This is true. I know. I am the voice experience.)
- If you find yourself riding out in front of the heard, take a look back every now and again to make sure it's still there. (A good word for pastors and those of us in ministry.)
- Letting the cat out of the bag is a whole lot easier than putting it back in. (Yep.)
- After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral? When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut! (If more people learned this lesson, the world would be a much quieter place, wouldn't it?)
Thursday, June 5, 2008
A Great Preacher is Born (Again)
On January 6, 1850, a snowstorm almost crippled the city of Colchester, England. Because of the storm, a teenage boy was unable to get to the church he usually attended.So he made his way to a nearby Primitive Methodist chapel, where an ill-prepared layman was substituting for the absent preacher. His text was Isaiah 45:22 - "Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth."
For many months this young teenager had been miserable and under a deep sense of conviction. Though he had been reared in the church, and in fact both his father and grandfather were preachers, he did not have the assurance of salvation.
The unprepared subsitute minister did not have much to say, so he kept repeating the text - "Look unto Me." "A man need not go to college to learn to look," he shouted."Anyone can look; even a child can look!" About that time, he saw the young visitor sitting to one side, and he pointed at him and said, "Young man, you look miserable. Young man, look to Jesus!"
The young man did look by faith, and that was how the the man commonly referred to as "The Prince of Preachers" - Charles Haddon Spurgeon - was converted.
Why is this story significant to me? Because very often, when I step to the pulpit, I feel that I am the ill-prepared laymen. But I also remember that there may be a Spurgeon in the congregation.
For many months this young teenager had been miserable and under a deep sense of conviction. Though he had been reared in the church, and in fact both his father and grandfather were preachers, he did not have the assurance of salvation.
The unprepared subsitute minister did not have much to say, so he kept repeating the text - "Look unto Me." "A man need not go to college to learn to look," he shouted."Anyone can look; even a child can look!" About that time, he saw the young visitor sitting to one side, and he pointed at him and said, "Young man, you look miserable. Young man, look to Jesus!"
The young man did look by faith, and that was how the the man commonly referred to as "The Prince of Preachers" - Charles Haddon Spurgeon - was converted.
Why is this story significant to me? Because very often, when I step to the pulpit, I feel that I am the ill-prepared laymen. But I also remember that there may be a Spurgeon in the congregation.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
"Hey Lord, What About ...?"
"There are secrets the Lord your God has not revealed to us ...
~ Deuteronomy 29:29 (LB)
With these words, Moses in essence told the people of Israel, "God hasn't told us everything. There are things He has decided in His infinite wisdom we just don't need to know." Of course, Moses' point was simple: Don't worry about the things He hasn't revealed. Be sure to obey the things He has."
I realize that there is so much we just don't know; so many things that we may wonder about that aren't revealed in the Scriptures. I know people who have a problem with that. Human beings are inquistive. We want to know everything, don't we? And the things we don't know we wonder about.
I sometimes wonder why the grass is green and the sky is blue. Why not the other way around? Why can't we fly, or breath under water? Silly stuff, I know. But I wonder about many more serious things, too. Why do so many good, godly people suffer? Why is evil so pervasive in the world we live in? Why is nature permitted to wreak such havoc with earthquakes and storms and winds and waves?
Someday we'll know. In the mean time, I'm wondering what you may wonder about. Leave me a comment about things you wonder about. I guarantee you I won't have any answers, but I'd like to know what you're pondering. Then we can all wonder about it together.
~ Deuteronomy 29:29 (LB)
With these words, Moses in essence told the people of Israel, "God hasn't told us everything. There are things He has decided in His infinite wisdom we just don't need to know." Of course, Moses' point was simple: Don't worry about the things He hasn't revealed. Be sure to obey the things He has."
I realize that there is so much we just don't know; so many things that we may wonder about that aren't revealed in the Scriptures. I know people who have a problem with that. Human beings are inquistive. We want to know everything, don't we? And the things we don't know we wonder about.
I sometimes wonder why the grass is green and the sky is blue. Why not the other way around? Why can't we fly, or breath under water? Silly stuff, I know. But I wonder about many more serious things, too. Why do so many good, godly people suffer? Why is evil so pervasive in the world we live in? Why is nature permitted to wreak such havoc with earthquakes and storms and winds and waves?
Someday we'll know. In the mean time, I'm wondering what you may wonder about. Leave me a comment about things you wonder about. I guarantee you I won't have any answers, but I'd like to know what you're pondering. Then we can all wonder about it together.
Monday, June 2, 2008
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