Getting up for the 1001st Time!

The last 3 to 4 years have presented Luz and me with challenges that have not been easily detected by visual observation but that tested us emotionally to the core. There are a variety of ways one might choose to deal with such tests.  While the Lord provided us with much strength and determination to overcome, I found that I did not have enough energy emotionally to manage all areas of my life well. I found that slowly and steadily my physical fitness began to decline until I found myself in a state of being that was not at all satisfactory.  If I was going to overcome, I had to make a few decisions.

I had to first determine to get back in the saddle and endure what was certain to be a rough ride back to fitness.  I have generally been a lifelong practitioner of physical fitness with a few unauthorized hiatuses along the way.  This last hiatus had been very costly.  I began my journey back late last year after Luz and I celebrated our 25^th Vow renewal.  Everything about the return was painful and unpleasant.  By the time 3 months had passed and I had my annual physical, I had barely reached the shape I had been in a year before, which was still very much characterized by being out of shape.  I took that as a significant warning bell that could not be ignored.  So, I pressed on.  Now after another 3 months, I can feel and see progress.  Not the progress of an infomercial with drastic, “no sweat” before and after results, but real progress based on consistent, faithful, hanging in there commitment to a process.  It’s not been a particularly exciting, interesting or pleasant process.  It has been sometimes hard, mundane and taxing.  Yet, so many important facets of life are made up of elements which are hard, mundane and taxing, yet beneficial and fruitful.  I don’t look or feel like a 20 year-old but feel pretty good for a fellow in his early 50’s.

Why am I sharing this?  Because I have been encouraged and inspired by others who share their journeys and struggles yet hang tough and exude joy and confidence all along their challenging journeys. They are the kind of folks who live by the axiom, “You may fall down 1000 times, just make sure to get up 1001!”  I also share because I rejoice in having grasped a hold of the grace of God which doesn’t count my failings against me, but endows me with a renewed spirit that is extended to me by faith, giving me hope, endurance and the power to press on.  Romans 5:1-5 says,

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,  and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,  and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

How does this apply to the situation I am sharing? Because of the benefits of faith, I can stop worrying about my challenges but rather enjoy God’s peace.  That peace allows me to truly grasp the reality of faith, which brings joy and hope even to the point of rejoicing even if I am suffering knowing my character is being developed and from that process of maturity, hope and love overflow as powerful by products of God’s work in me.  Therefore, when challenges seem to overwhelm, I don’t need to drop out, I can instead, regroup, refocus and press on in faith with joy and peace of mind in the midst of life’s struggles and storms.

It is my hope that if you find yourself in a personal struggle that has you feeling whipped and knocked out of the race, you’ll bet back up, dust yourself off and begin your comeback with resolve and determination, knowing that God has not abandoned you, but rather has given you all you need to start afresh and press on with courage, dignity and victory.  The battle will be long, and the progress may be slow but as we enter holy week, I ask you to remember this encouraging word from Hebrews 12,

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.”

Hang tough and press on, knowing that Jesus endured and prevailed for our benefit. The fruit of His ultimate victory continues to manifest itself wonderfully as people of faith continue to endure and overcome, having embraced the love and hope that comes through faith in Him!  I am continuing to learn this lesson and hope that my learning serves as an encouragement to others among you who struggle too! Keep getting up. Keep pressing on!

Grace, mercy and peace to you all in this most holy season!

Your friend and brother,

Sam Jackson

Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me! Keeping an Eye out For Fake Preachers

I have been honored to have served as a pastor for over 23 years.  What a privilege it has been for me to serve others and to walk alongside them as they grow in faith and have helped me to grow in mine! It seems that this week the news has been replete with stories of misdeeds and ridiculous undertakings on the part of supposed ministers of the Gospel. As one who has devoted my life to serving in ministry,  let me offer a few words of reflection on how to differentiate true ministers from charlatans.  

We may not be called to judge others, but we can be fruit inspectors. Jesus said that His followers should let their lights so shine among others that they might "see [their] god works and glorify the Father in Heaven."  Jesus said of Himself, the Good Shepherd, that he came not to be served but to serve and to give His life. He calls those who lead in the faith community to the same standard of living.  

A true minister serves. If the minister is self-centered, they are not up to standard.  If the minister is motivated by selfish gain, their ministry focus is askew.  If the minister is consumed with greed,  they are a fraud.  Take the time to know those you follow. Seek to be a part of a local community - not a virtual one - where you can participate,  contribute and hold people directly accountable.  Observe the leadership up close. Get to know their character before you endorse or give. And by all means, if someone you don't know is petitioning you for money for a jet,  a 100 foot statue of Jesus or some other item that appears outrageous,  run don't walk, to the nearest exit or else change the channel and block the program!  Remember Jesus' standard.  He didn't demand the finest stallion or most ornate chariot as his transportation - his feet or a donkey worked just fine!

Wayward ministers must be confronted. Truth is at stake. Lives are at risk. Self-centered, money loving preachers are not just a menace, they are a danger to the spiritual well-being of throngs of people seeking the good.  We can't let these jokers slide, as they transpose good with evil.  They must be relentlessly challenged.  Too many faithful people have died to allow them to corrupt the reputation of the church.  Their false Gospel must be diminished.  The truth of the real Gospel must be defended!

As I consider my own call to ministry in light of an abundance of false teachers - some of whom began on the "straight and narrow" -  I ask you, my brothers, sisters and friends, to hold me accountable.  If my lifestyle departs from the standard of my Lord or the utterances of my messages, don't let me continue on without confrontation.  Talk to me. Challenge me. If I refuse to listen, a crisp left hook or a fresh 2x4 might come in handy, but by no means leave me in my error.  The only thing worse than not preaching at all is preaching a message of hypocrisy and calloused neglect.  May the Lord preserve the faithful and shut down the wicked! Even so, "come, Lord Jesus!"

"Would You STILL Have Loved Me, Given Other Choices?"

How Do I Answer My Love?

Why do wives like to ask deadly hypothetical questions like this: "So Honey, let's say a year before you met me, you met a very godly, talented and sweet woman who loves the Lord, & she falls in love with you and she looks exactly like Halle Berry, with the Lord saying 'There's a woman named Luz whose appearance is a mystery but she'd be a very good fit for you and you will soon meet her...' what would you have done?" As she sweetly smiles and enthusiastically adds, "Be honest!" And how would you answer such a question? There are definitely right and wrong answers to this! I posted the question through social media and received many insightful responses as well as some humorous ones! Here’s how I ultimately answered the question from my perspective:

I appreciate the vast reservoir of knowledge that has been made available to me in response to my presentation of a question of significant consequence from my dear Luz.  Though the wisdom shared has been deep and wide, the best answer to such a question can only be found in the recesses of the heart of the one to whom the question was presented.  How do I respond to my beloved asking me if I could have given my heart to another, when I possess an irrevocable conviction that God ordained our union? I respond with all the love and commitment that I possess.   I assure her that though many wonderful, beautiful, capable, and amazing women crossed my path in my years of singleness - some of whom may have been exceptional life partners had the Lord allowed such a relationship - only she held the key to the combination that unlocked the kind of love that lasts a lifetime.  Only she had the pin that released the code that ignited the flames of my heart in to a level of holy passion that consumed and continues to consume me body, mind and soul.  Only she, Maria-Luz Roda Bautista is the woman for me.  There are many wonderful women in this world, but only Luz holds my heart in her hands, owns my will at her command, and has the singular and exclusive covenant that identifies me as her until the Lord calls us home.  I offer this verse from the Grass Roots to my Luz, “I’d wait a million years, walk a million miles, cry a million tears!  I’d swim the deepest sea, climb the highest hill, just to have you near me!”  I am hers and she is mine – my one and only Luz! 

How Should A Christian Respond To Terrorism?

How should Christians respond to the incomprehensibly hateful actions of ISIS and other terrorist groups? In this extreme and genocidal brand of religio-political extremism, we find an ideology so reprehensible as to appear outside the bounds of reality. Yet, this threat to the well-being of peace-seeking humanity is indeed real.   All Christians must ask themselves in what ways they are called to fight against the evil empire seeking not just to exist independently, but to rule and dominate the world scene now and forever more?

Jesus calls us to extremes of a different kind that might appear as illogical and as difficult to understand as the actions which now have such a grip on the attention of the world.  Upon closer examination, to those who have faith in a righteous and loving God, Jesus’ words make all the sense in the world.  In His revolutionary thesis on living in sync with the heart of God, the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says the following about dealing with enemies:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven” Matthew 5:43-45.

Whatever action one takes must begin with love. “Love your enemies.”  One may be inclined to hate someone or an entire group of people who is set on your destruction, but hate is not an option for one who desires to follow Jesus.  Love must envelope the heart and drive the response. This is not an emotional, feel good, wishing and hoping reaction born of naiveté, but an intentional, powerful choice that declares that a focused, righteous foundation will guide my thoughts and actions, not hot-headed venting and ill-thought out revenge.  Love your enemies.

Jesus next calls His followers to prayer.  “…pray for those who persecute you.”  Have you honestly prayed for the terrorist agencies that have been at war with the rest of humanity?  I know my own struggles with prayer as someone who believes in prayer and engages in it aggressively. It is hard enough to pray for people I love and who stay on my mind.  It takes intentionality, purpose, commitment and devotion – every day!  Yet it can still be a struggle.  How much more praying for someone who desires evil for me and is committed to carrying out evil in the most hideous ways imaginable?  How does one pray for one’s enemy?  I’d like to make a few suggestions:

1.       Pray that the enemy will repent of their evil.  Most of us forget, that the Apostle Paul was a religious zealot in the cloth of Al Queda or ISIS.  He was committed to a brand of religion that called for the extermination of everyone who thought differently than himself, especially Christians!  Then he had an encounter with Jesus!  Directly. Mysteriously. Effectively.  He became as committed to the way of love (he authored 1 Corinthians 13) as he had been to violence.  Pray for the supernatural transformation of individuals who think their cemented in stone in their convictions, but whose hearts may yet have the hope of redemption.

2.       Pray that their plans will fail.  This means praying for the agencies, governments and leaders who must do the hard work of opposing them in real life real time. Pray for the exposure of their plans. Pray for the failure of their schemes. Pray that every evil deed will collapse in its execution. Pray that if they do not stop, those who have been commissioned to oppose them will stop them.

3.       Pray for the courage to call out the evil they are perpetrating.  Even the Nazis his their evil behind walls. The terror we are facing is brazen and bold, smirking and snarling with every manifestation of wickedness. This is the holocaust of our generation.  It is evil. It is wrong. It must be stopped.  To make no mention of it or to go about our daily lives only entertaining ourselves is tantamount to giving our stamp of approval to their heinous, evil crimes.

4.       Pray for the courage to stand and resist should we find ourselves face to face with the perpetrators of this wickedness.  Some first responders have already faced these enemies and continue to do so, face to face, hand to hand.  Pray for them.  The global nature of this threat opens significant possibilities that any of us could find ourselves in a situation that calls for us to stand for good in the face of undeniable evil.  We must pray for strength, courage and dignity to reign in our hearts and wills if we should ever encounter such a tragic situation. Pray for your enemies!

Love and prayer.  Formidable weapons that Jesus has issued to those who follow Him. Let us not love in word only, but in deed and let us not see prayer as a substitute for action, but rather as a propellant for proper direction, solid wisdom and energetic involvement in the challenge of our time.  How do we respond to the terrorists who target us? Love your them and pray for them!

How To Receive News You Don't Want To Hear - And Why It's Good For You!

 How do you respond when someone approaches you and dares to let you know that something you're doing requires adjustment? Do you possess humility enough to graciously hear when you're heading in the wrong direction and to energetically respond by making the necessary changes? I was privileged to take part in a leadership study today that discussed the dangers of falling victim to one's own success because of pride. The example we discussed was King Uzziah, whose life is presented in 2 Chronicles 26 of the Bible. Immensely successful, King Uzziah's ego grew beyond his achievements. He began to shun the faithful advisors who had helped him attain his powerful position and shunned the hallmarks of the character that made him a standout. Full of himself, he wound up out of power and position - pitied and alone. Somewhere along his journey, he unhitched the precious cargo of humility and gracious leadership and replaced it with the baggage of pride and heavy-handed authoritarianism. He did this to his own destruction. Have you reached the top of the mountain in your career? Perhaps you enjoy incredible success in your work? Beautiful! But, do those around you feel comfortable bringing you truth or advice, even when it's hard, or do they fear your wrath if they were to share less than welcome information. Learn from Uzziah! Don't spoil a great legacy of leadership and faitful service by being too proud to listen to the input of others. Consider these words from Bill Gates: “Sometimes, I think my most important job as a CEO is to listen for bad news. If you don’t act on it, your people will eventually stop bringing bad news to your attention and that is the beginning of the end.” Keep your ears open to the truth, and your heart tender enough to receive it. Lives may depend on it, including your own!

Americans Love to Fight - Especially Each Other - But NOT NOW!

What of the President’s remarks on Christianity, the U.S. and past atrocities?  I don’t enjoy political discussions, but the events that are coming to light in our generation and the level of inhumanity which is being applied with no remorse or regret by those who perpetrate it, demand public, unequivocal declarations regarding what is right and what is wrong.  There is a time for historic comparisons, but not now – at least not in such settings. If we occupy ourselves by making these types of comparisons rather than dealing with the global peril that has already touched us several times at home [and thousands of times with every life lost in combat and continued acts of terror globally], we make ourselves more vulnerable yet again. We must focus on the present and direct danger that is taunting us with its evil now. We can discuss our domestic shortcomings in other settings on other days." Addressing our own historic wrongdoings when we have a desperate need to unite against a common determined evil is a distraction. A big one. A dangerous one.  While race is our ongoing national issue, there is an immediate threat against which we must rally and unite. There is a strong possibility of us being so right, that we'll wind up dead right. Let's have some forums, let's continue the conversation in other contexts.  The Greatest generation showed us how. The Tuskegee airmen beat the devil out of the Nazis in their performance of their duties, and by doing so created the opportunities we now enjoy.  They addressed our own national issues but understood the task at hand as they dealt with it.  The The President is a masterful communicator with a staff to assist him. There was more focus on making a historical point than rallying the nation in a point in history, which is the urgent need of the day!  We are NOT perfect and we have certainly in our present generation demonstrated some of our uglier sides in discussions of great import to us as a nation.  Nevertheless, this is a situation much like our founders faced who said, and I quote, “If we do not all hang together, we will certainly all hang separately”…or burn.  We all have sinned in various ways because we are all sinners. It is always appropriate to inspect ourselves, examine our hearts, and apply accountability for our actions as we seek to execute justice.  In keeping an account of ourselves, however, let us not add to our common moral culpability by engaging in philosophical arguments in a distracting way, while faced with one of the most dangerous physical and moral threats in human history that demands of us, a physical, moral response.  Let's make sure that we aren't so engaged in fighting amongst ourselves, that we fail to focus on an enemy who has no intention of losing its focus on us.

Why Do I Always Write About Luz?

I write about many concerns and subjects on my blog and in my postings, yet I’m sure that many have noticed that a dominating theme in the thoughts I express in writing is the way I feel about my wife, Luz Bautista Jackson.  Why is it that my fingers seem to take a particular delight in dancing on the keyboard to share yet another story or another thought about My Number One Girl?

The answer is straightforward.  I love her.  I like her.  She’s fun. She’s funny.  She’s compassionate.  She’s a woman of honor.  She’s courageous.  She knows when to be a peacemaker and when to be a warrior.  She is extremely loyal.  She is Determined – always with a capital “D”!  I have so much fun being around her I want all of my friends to know her too because you can’t help but smile when you hear her share her heart and her way of seeing the world! 

I don’t know how I gained such mercy, for God to bless me in such great measure by placing Luz in my life. I don’t take this blessing for granted.  Having been in ministry for more than 2 decades now, I am well aware of how hearts wander.  I see couples who were giddy with affection grow cold towards each other.  I see married friends who would die for each other, become embittered enemies.  I listen to husbands who were once fiancées full of praise for their betrothed spew vile insults about someone who sounds like an adversary, until one realizes they are speaking about the bride of their youth.  I hear and I look deep within myself, realizing that left to myself and failing to cultivate the love within me, I too can grow cold, and turn against this wonderful woman who has touched the deepest parts of my soul – a woman who gently yet resolutely transformed the last vestiges of boyhood within me into real, beneficial manhood and has partnered with me for some of the most meaningful life accomplishments of which it has been my privilege to be a part.  

I cannot leave myself to the lesser angels of my own nature.  Therefore, I seek to cultivate the better angels within me. A great part of that cultivation comes through giving thanks for all God’s goodness to me and the recognition that I am not self-made.  The beginning of that recognition is sharing on every possible occasion, how good God has been to me through Luz – in ways both great and small.  I want to celebrate the milestones and the bumps in the road.   I want to express my love right now, while I can.  

I know that the day will come when she and I are no longer sojourners on this planet and my ability to share my heart will be no more.  For that reason, I want the record to show in my actions and words, for her sake, my sake and the sake of our children, that there were two people on this planet named Luz and Sam, who though not perfect, loved each other with every fiber of their existence, and left a legacy in their wake that glorifies God, honors their family and encourages their friends and others who may stumble across their story. 

With those thoughts, I wish my beloved a very Happy Birthday 2015, blessed beyond measure by her presence in my life and thrilled at the opportunities I have to share my feelings for her with others…and now you know why!