During the month of July and August we are going to immerse ourselves as a church in the Gospel of John. John is such an amazing and pivotal book of the Bible. It's very different from the other gospels, which tend to give an historical record of Jesus' ministry and teaching. John on the other hand, is trying to get us to see Jesus in the way that he had seen him.
As I've studied and read through the book I came up with over 31 messages that I seriously wanted to preach. Fortunately, my wise wife and leadership team convinced me that a 31 week series on one book of the Bible would probably be a little much:-)
As a compromise I decided that I'd share on this blog some of my thoughts on portions of John that I'm not preaching. So here goes.
Full of Grace and Truth
John 1:14 - The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:16-17 - From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
I love John's description of Jesus as being "full of grace and truth."
Often in Christian circles we find people who are one or the other. They are full of truth but suffer from a lack of grace in their life. (I once had a professor who was an expert on Paul, the apostle of grace, but was one of the least gracious people I'd ever met) Or they are full of grace but don't know the truth.
Jesus was simultaneously full of both grace and truth. In fact, he said of himself that he was truth and that we would know the truth and that it would set us free. Truth opens blinded spiritual eyes and breaks spiritual chains. Jesus was also full of grace.
We see "grace and truth" lived out in Jesus throughout the gospel of John, but I think the most powerful illustration of this principle is found in John 8 when Jesus deals with the woman caught in the act of adultery. After dispersing her accusers he says to her "Neither do I condemn you..." (Grace) "Go and leave your life of sin" (Truth). He set her free, not to return to her lovers bed, but to follow a new and righteous path for her life.
As a follower of Jesus I want to have the same characteristics that he did. My prayer for myself is that I would be simultaneously full of his grace and his truth.
How about you? How can you be full of God's grace and His truth?
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Surgery Tomorrow
I wanted to take a minute and just let everyone know that tomorrow morning I'll be having surgery to remove my colon. This is the procedure that was originally scheduled for April 22nd, but was postponed because of my DVT and PE emergency. I had an ultrasound of my leg on Tuesday and the technician said my leg was "Oh my gosh, so much better," than it had looked on the day I was admitted to the ER. What had been a clot from my ankle to my abdomen has totally dissolved except for one small area at the top of my leg. Even better, she said there was no sign of permanent damage to the veins or their valves. So thank God for that.
I feel glad and relieved to move ahead with tomorrow's surgery and begin the process of putting my 5 year fight with Ulcerative Colitis behind me. I'm looking forward to having health and energy I haven't had in a long time.
To all my friends who have been praying and who have called or sent cards over the last few weeks, thank you. Your encouragement and your prayers have been felt and I know have made a huge difference to Jamie and me.
On a practical note, for those in our LifeGate church family, Jamie will keep our leadership team (Michael, Kelsey, Greg and Tina) up to date on how the surgery and recovery are going tomorrow. If you need information connect with one of them. They'll also be updating the LifeGate facebook fan page as needed.
I probably won't be posting here or on facebook/twitter for a few days, for obvious reasons. But I look forward to connecting with everyone when I feel better and am off pain meds and clear headed.
I feel glad and relieved to move ahead with tomorrow's surgery and begin the process of putting my 5 year fight with Ulcerative Colitis behind me. I'm looking forward to having health and energy I haven't had in a long time.
To all my friends who have been praying and who have called or sent cards over the last few weeks, thank you. Your encouragement and your prayers have been felt and I know have made a huge difference to Jamie and me.
On a practical note, for those in our LifeGate church family, Jamie will keep our leadership team (Michael, Kelsey, Greg and Tina) up to date on how the surgery and recovery are going tomorrow. If you need information connect with one of them. They'll also be updating the LifeGate facebook fan page as needed.
I probably won't be posting here or on facebook/twitter for a few days, for obvious reasons. But I look forward to connecting with everyone when I feel better and am off pain meds and clear headed.
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Another Update at the End of a Crazy, Miraculous Week
In my last blog post I shared that after a five year battle with Crohn's / Ulcerative Colitis, I was scheduled to undergo surgery to have at least a portion of my colon removed. That surgery was scheduled for this past Tuesday. As things would turn out, God had a bit of a different plan.
I didn't preach on Easter Sunday simply because I was too sick to pull it off. I was planning on spending Monday hanging out with my parents and family and mentally and spiritually prepping for surgery the next day. Sunday evening I went out to put the lock on our church trailer. When I got there, I got out of the car and collapsed with an intense pain in my lower right gut, right groin and leg. I had been experiencing a similar pain for several days and had even had it shooting into my leg. The previous pains had subsided after an hour or so. I assumed, and had even been told by one of the residents in my surgeons office, that the pain was my swollen colon pressing on a nerve running into my leg. So, I caught my breath, got back in the car, drove home and went to bed, expecting the pain to go away.
After tossing and turning most of the night, I finally decided to wake up around 9:30 on Monday morning. As I lay there, I realized that something definitely did not feel right with my leg. I pulled the covers back and my leg was swelling and looked slightly purple. I tried to stand and couldn't. I called Jamie who rushed home and got me down the stairs and into the 4Runner. When I got to the ER, they rushed me right in. My heart was running between 140 and 150 BPM, my right leg was 3 times the size of the left (not hard since I have bird legs) and turning blue and I was hurting. At some point they took an ultrasound of my leg and CT of my lungs. The ultrasound showed a DVT, a clot of the main vein in the leg, running from my ankle to somewhere up in my abdomen. The CT scan showed what they termed as "multiple bilateral pulmonary embolisms" - basically blood clots in the arteries in both lungs.
The doctors were pretty amazed that I was breathing as well as I was. After starting me on a blood thinner drip they were able to get an arterial pulse in my foot. They then moved me to ICU for the night. After spending about 24 hours in the ICU, I was moved to a regular room.
On Wednesday I underwent another colonoscopy. Our hope and the hope of my GI team was that the situation in my colon had changed for the better. Unfortunately, the colonoscopy showed that I was still pretty jacked up. In fact, the ulcerative colitis and its side effects are probably the underlying reason behind this weeks blood clot problems. The GI team initially wanted to hold me in the hospital and push ahead with surgery as soon as possible. My surgeon, however, felt it would be best to go home and try and give my leg time to heal and let the clots dissipate. So, on Thursday evening I was discharged. It felt great to sleep in my own bed:-)
I'm spending the next few days focusing completely on resting and healing. I've got meetings with doctors on Tuesday and Thursday and a consultation with my surgeon on Friday.
Reflecting on this week there are a couple of things I want to share with my friends and church family.
Jesus Commands My Destiny
I didn't preach on Easter Sunday simply because I was too sick to pull it off. I was planning on spending Monday hanging out with my parents and family and mentally and spiritually prepping for surgery the next day. Sunday evening I went out to put the lock on our church trailer. When I got there, I got out of the car and collapsed with an intense pain in my lower right gut, right groin and leg. I had been experiencing a similar pain for several days and had even had it shooting into my leg. The previous pains had subsided after an hour or so. I assumed, and had even been told by one of the residents in my surgeons office, that the pain was my swollen colon pressing on a nerve running into my leg. So, I caught my breath, got back in the car, drove home and went to bed, expecting the pain to go away.
After tossing and turning most of the night, I finally decided to wake up around 9:30 on Monday morning. As I lay there, I realized that something definitely did not feel right with my leg. I pulled the covers back and my leg was swelling and looked slightly purple. I tried to stand and couldn't. I called Jamie who rushed home and got me down the stairs and into the 4Runner. When I got to the ER, they rushed me right in. My heart was running between 140 and 150 BPM, my right leg was 3 times the size of the left (not hard since I have bird legs) and turning blue and I was hurting. At some point they took an ultrasound of my leg and CT of my lungs. The ultrasound showed a DVT, a clot of the main vein in the leg, running from my ankle to somewhere up in my abdomen. The CT scan showed what they termed as "multiple bilateral pulmonary embolisms" - basically blood clots in the arteries in both lungs.
The doctors were pretty amazed that I was breathing as well as I was. After starting me on a blood thinner drip they were able to get an arterial pulse in my foot. They then moved me to ICU for the night. After spending about 24 hours in the ICU, I was moved to a regular room.
On Wednesday I underwent another colonoscopy. Our hope and the hope of my GI team was that the situation in my colon had changed for the better. Unfortunately, the colonoscopy showed that I was still pretty jacked up. In fact, the ulcerative colitis and its side effects are probably the underlying reason behind this weeks blood clot problems. The GI team initially wanted to hold me in the hospital and push ahead with surgery as soon as possible. My surgeon, however, felt it would be best to go home and try and give my leg time to heal and let the clots dissipate. So, on Thursday evening I was discharged. It felt great to sleep in my own bed:-)
I'm spending the next few days focusing completely on resting and healing. I've got meetings with doctors on Tuesday and Thursday and a consultation with my surgeon on Friday.
Reflecting on this week there are a couple of things I want to share with my friends and church family.
God's Word is a Firm Foundation
3
years ago I was hospitalized with an Ulcerative Colitis flare. On my
4th night in the hospital, lying in my bed with my Bible, I felt that
God gave me a promise from Psalm 27 about my sickness. The 13th verse
of the psalm says this, "I am still confident of this: I will see the
goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." I sensed that God was
reassuring me that this sickness would not kill me. All day Monday that
verse kept echoing in my heart, bringing me strength.
Jesus Commands My Destiny
On Easter Sunday we sang this verse, "
No guilt in life
no fear in death, This is the power
of Christ in me. From life's first
cry to final breath, Jesus
commands my destiny"
Those words are completely true. As I lay in the back of the car on the way to the hospital, as the doctors and nurses scrambled around me in the ER, I have to say I felt a level of peace that I've rarely if ever known. Had I gone into surgery on Tuesday with the blood clots that were already forming in my leg, I very well could have died. Jesus was and is in total control.
As we meet with my doctors over the next few days, I'm honestly not sure what they will say or what decisions we will make. I do know this - God has been and is continuing to work in my body and my life for my good and for His glory.
To Our Friends and Church Family
To all my many friends who have reached out to Jamie and me over the last few days with kind words and especially with prayer, thank you. We still need you, especially your prayer. If you are part of our LifeGate family, our leadership team will be sharing on Sunday some specific ways you can help us.
If you reach out and I don't respond, just know that on the advice of my overseers and concerned family, I'll be resting, reading and playing video games for the next few days.
We love and appreciate you!
AW
Friday, April 18, 2014
An Update on My Health
This past Sunday I shared some important information about my health with our church. I wanted to take a moment and share some of my thoughts in writing with you as well.
(If you'd like to listen to the podcast of my announcement, it's at #8 on our podcast list and lasts about 12 mins - I ramble a little:-)
For approximately the last five years I've dealt with a condition known as Ulcerative Colitis. (You can read more about it here) Basically, it means that my guts don't really work the way they should. I've been under the care of several doctors and have been on numerous medications to try and control the condition. Unfortunately, most of those medicines have failed to control my symptoms.
Over the last few weeks I've been in a full blown "flare-up" which has been very debilitating. Last Friday, Jamie and I went to see my doctor. He examined me and reviewed our previous courses of treatment. His conclusion is that the only remaining effective course of treatment for me is to surgically remove my colon.
So, we met with the surgeon earlier this week and I am scheduled for surgery this Tuesday afternoon for what will be the first of eventually two operations. Surgery will require a hospital stay of several days followed by at home recovery of about a month.
Obviously, this is a pretty intimidating moment, one which I had fought really hard to try and avoid. The good news is that this surgery offers the potential to finally give a functional cure to what I've been battling for the last 5 years. UC is extremely draining on my energy levels. When the doctor first spoke about surgery he said "We want to give you your life back."
As my friends and church family, I'd like to ask you to do a couple of things for me and my family over the next few days and weeks.
1 - Pray - Pray for God's wisdom for my doctors and for supernatural miraculous intervention in my body. Pray that we can get a resolution to this disease and that I can move forward in full strength.
2 - Show Up - If you call LifeGate home, I need you to physically be there on Sunday mornings for the next few weeks. We'll have members of our oversight team as well as Pastor Michael and some others who will be sharing the teaching duties.
Jesus said, on the night before he was crucified, "Strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter." I know that one of the devil's goals is to strike me and scatter you. I need you to help me not let that happen over the next few weeks.
3 - Continue to Invest and Invite - We frequently encourage you guys to invest at LifeGate with time and talent and treasure and to invite your unchurched friends and family to come experience what Jesus is doing at our church. Keep doing that over the next few weeks. This time between Easter and the end of the school year is a great season to see people come to Christ. We're going to have some great speakers in our pulpit and God is going to do some great things. Make sure that you bring other people along to experience it with you.
4 - Practical Stuff - There may be some practical ways that you can help out at church or even in encouraging our family for the next few weeks. Check in with our leadership team (Michael, Kelsey and Greg, Tina) or even with Jamie and see if there is anything you can do. We will need some help on Friday nights at 6:00 with setup for church, especially if you have a vehicle that can pull our church trailer.
I'm really hopeful that God is going to use this situation to work for our good. I believe that I'll get a final resolution to these health problems that have been holding me back for so long. And when I'm recovered in a few weeks I'm looking forward to moving full steam ahead with all that God wants to do at LifeGate!
(If you'd like to listen to the podcast of my announcement, it's at #8 on our podcast list and lasts about 12 mins - I ramble a little:-)
For approximately the last five years I've dealt with a condition known as Ulcerative Colitis. (You can read more about it here) Basically, it means that my guts don't really work the way they should. I've been under the care of several doctors and have been on numerous medications to try and control the condition. Unfortunately, most of those medicines have failed to control my symptoms.
Over the last few weeks I've been in a full blown "flare-up" which has been very debilitating. Last Friday, Jamie and I went to see my doctor. He examined me and reviewed our previous courses of treatment. His conclusion is that the only remaining effective course of treatment for me is to surgically remove my colon.
So, we met with the surgeon earlier this week and I am scheduled for surgery this Tuesday afternoon for what will be the first of eventually two operations. Surgery will require a hospital stay of several days followed by at home recovery of about a month.
Obviously, this is a pretty intimidating moment, one which I had fought really hard to try and avoid. The good news is that this surgery offers the potential to finally give a functional cure to what I've been battling for the last 5 years. UC is extremely draining on my energy levels. When the doctor first spoke about surgery he said "We want to give you your life back."
As my friends and church family, I'd like to ask you to do a couple of things for me and my family over the next few days and weeks.
1 - Pray - Pray for God's wisdom for my doctors and for supernatural miraculous intervention in my body. Pray that we can get a resolution to this disease and that I can move forward in full strength.
2 - Show Up - If you call LifeGate home, I need you to physically be there on Sunday mornings for the next few weeks. We'll have members of our oversight team as well as Pastor Michael and some others who will be sharing the teaching duties.
Jesus said, on the night before he was crucified, "Strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter." I know that one of the devil's goals is to strike me and scatter you. I need you to help me not let that happen over the next few weeks.
3 - Continue to Invest and Invite - We frequently encourage you guys to invest at LifeGate with time and talent and treasure and to invite your unchurched friends and family to come experience what Jesus is doing at our church. Keep doing that over the next few weeks. This time between Easter and the end of the school year is a great season to see people come to Christ. We're going to have some great speakers in our pulpit and God is going to do some great things. Make sure that you bring other people along to experience it with you.
4 - Practical Stuff - There may be some practical ways that you can help out at church or even in encouraging our family for the next few weeks. Check in with our leadership team (Michael, Kelsey and Greg, Tina) or even with Jamie and see if there is anything you can do. We will need some help on Friday nights at 6:00 with setup for church, especially if you have a vehicle that can pull our church trailer.
I'm really hopeful that God is going to use this situation to work for our good. I believe that I'll get a final resolution to these health problems that have been holding me back for so long. And when I'm recovered in a few weeks I'm looking forward to moving full steam ahead with all that God wants to do at LifeGate!
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Fasting - Spiritual Warfare
A couple of weeks ago I taught on some of the things that happen when we fast and pray.
- Our will becomes more submitted to God's will.
- God's supernatural power is released
- God reveals Himself
- We engage in spiritual warfare
I believe that as a church we are seeing these things begin to happen for us. I don't know about you, but I can almost feel my will being broken down in submission to the Lord. God is revealing himself to me and I believe to a lot of others in our congregation. And we are seeing God's power being released both in our lives and in the lives of people connected to LifeGate. I know that this is only the beginning of what God is wanting to do in our church in this year. And I'm excited about it.
I'm also excited because we are beginning to see physical signs of what is happening in spiritual warfare around us. Unfortunately, on Thursday night, one of our trailers, which we use to store and haul all of our church "stuff" in during the week, was stolen. Of the two trailers we have, the one taken held all of our children's ministry and cafe equipment. This is the second trailer theft we've been through in the last 14 months.
I started the previous paragraph by saying I'm excited. And honestly, I am. Yes, its frustrating that someone decided to steal from God's people. And it's a pain in the backside to go through the reports and insurance forms and all the hassle that a theft like this brings. But, I know that the timing of this theft, on the 11th day of a 21 day church fast, was not coincidental. God is at work and the enemy is also working to oppose, frustrate and distract. I know that as long as we maintain our focus on the Lord and on what He is doing and is calling us to do, God will work all of this together for good.
Last night one of our members was fired up about the theft. He wanted to help in some tangible way, which was awesome. My response was that the best way to help is show up on Sunday with your unchurched friends and family. The way we fight is by going after God with all of our heart and by introducing our friends and family to the life that only Jesus can give.
I'm excited about what God is doing and is getting ready to do at LifeGate!
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Simple Prayer Focus Tracks
If you're like me, it's sometimes easy to get distracted when you pray. I've discovered that one of the ways to stay focused when praying is by using a prayer track or prayer outline. Like a train track, prayer tracks help us get somewhere when we pray. Here are a few simple prayer tracks to help you maximize your time with the Lord.
ACTS
Adoration - Start off your prayer with a time of worship. Tell God how great He is.
Confession - Spend some time in repentance, asking God to search your heart and confessing your sin and brokenness to Him.
Thanksgiving - Get specific and thank God for all that He's done for you.
Supplication - Conclude your prayer time by bringing your needs and the needs of others to the Lord.
JOY
Joy - Prioritize your relationship with Jesus. Thank Him for being your Savior.
Others - Place the needs of others, your friends, family, other believers and situations that need prayer before the Lord.
You - Wrap up your prayer time by taking your own needs to the Lord.
PRAY
Praise - The Psalm's tell us to enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Begin your prayer time with a praise session.
Remember - Reflect on the Lord's blessings and on the answers to prayer that you have already seen.
Ask - Intercede for others, asking God to meet needs.
You - Wrap up your prayer time by taking your own needs to the Lord.
One thing you'll notice is that all three of these tracks have a couple of things in common. They begin by focusing first on God and end by focusing on you. A lot of times when we pray the temptation is to jump right into reciting our list of personal problems and needs. If we'll pause to take to time focus on God first and then others it's amazing the change in perspective that we'll get as we pray.
***Thanks to my Dad, Billy Wilson, for these simple prayer tracks which I've adapted from his book "Fasting Forward."***
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Fasting - Humility
Some more thoughts on Isaiah 58 from LifeGate Prayer Team Leader, Conrad Davies.
“Humility is the Focus”
“Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”
when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”
Humility is a powerful character trait. It positions the humble person as one yielding to another, allowing the other to be served. Notice the Lord’s comments here in verse seven (remember, Isaiah is speaking on behalf of the Lord):
- Share food with the hungry
- Provide the poor with shelter
- Clothe the naked
- Don’t turn away your own flesh and blood (family)
When we fast, humility is the characteristic we embrace as we interact with the people around us. Although our culture may not give us unstructured or spontaneous opportunities to provide the poor with shelter or clothe the naked, we can consider the needs of others over our own needs wherever we go. If you choose to go to a homeless shelter and serve, or a food pantry to help out, do it all with a heart of humility and not legalistic obligation. The point is to have a humble heart in denying our selves, our needs, and our luxuries.
Furthermore, we simply humble ourselves before our fellow human and consider his or her needs above our own. Consider the Lord’s initial comments in verses three and four, now see how He further clarifies the point of fasting here in verse seven.
PRAYER:
“Lord, help us be a humble people, serving the needs of others and not doing as we please. Open our eyes to find opportunities to serve those around us, especially our own flesh and blood, in Jesus Name. Amen.”
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