Prof!

Recently I spent an hour with one of the most important men in my life—Professor Howard Hendricks. I was in Dallas for a few days and scheduled some time in his office at Dallas Theological Seminary.

Prof has had a lot of health problems over the last few decades. On the outside he’s obviously not the dynamo I remember quickstepping across campus from one classroom to another where he kept us spellbound with the most effective teaching I ever sat under.

Back then, his energy seemed limitless, his strength seemed unrestricted, and his mind undiminishable.

It was obvious to me that my beloved mentor’s steps have slowed a little and his thoughts take a little longer to connect now days.

But I’ll tell you what has not changed: His passion for the Lord Jesus and his plans to serve Him.

(more…)

I’m fascinated by God’s timing; always have been. A friend of mine use to say that it’s His signature on events. He sure signed off on the last two days of my life to teach me an important lesson.

Last Sunday our study of Mark brought us to chapter 9:30-37, a fascinating conversation between Jesus and His disciples concerning greatness. As they passed through Galilee, Jesus taught them again concerning His impending death and resurrection. This time He added the discouraging news that all of this will happen because someone will betray Him. They didn’t understand; it was just too much for them, and they were afraid to ask Him to explain further.

What they did understand were the prophecies that someday Messiah would rule and reign over His Kingdom on earth. Still clinging to their insistence that Jesus should be that Messiah—the ruling and reigning one, rather than the Messiah He was telling them He was—the One who would first suffer, die, and then rise from the dead, they did what everyone does when they are around someone they think has power and status: They postured for position in His Kingdom. They were about to learn Jesus’ definition of greatness—His radical, counterculture, counter-flesh, measure of greatness in His Kingdom: If you follow Jesus, He will ask you to serve everyone—especially the weak.

It’s an upside-down measure of greatness for most people. It’s not the number of people who serve you that matters to Jesus; it’s the number of people you serve.

(more…)

Many years ago Judy and I were facing our most traumatic and hurtful trial of faith. Our world as we knew it was falling apart, and there was nothing we could do to put the pieces of our lives back together again.

Kevin Butcher and his wife Carla helped us through with words of encouragement, counsel, and their usual warm friendship. As two of our closest friends who understand the challenges and heartaches of local church ministry, their support comforted us greatly.

I didn’t understand!

Four years later, Kevin and Carla faced the exact same crisis, the exact same heartache in their own church. I’ll never forget Kevin’s words to me in the middle of his own battle, “Ed, I never knew. I just didn’t understand. I wish I could have helped you more, but now that I’m going through it myself, I get it. There’s so much more I should have said, so much more I could have done.”

(more…)

Looking for a friend?

If you’re looking for that friendship that is totally fulfilling, you need to know that you won’t find it this side of heaven.

On the other side of that barrier is the only One who will not disappoint you, the only One who is always thinking about you and never of Himself, the only One who doesn’t need you.

His name is Jesus.

Friendship:

Since no one thinks about you much,

Unless they need you.

Relate deeply to Jesus;

Expect Him alone to meet your deepest needs.

Like the Lonely Jesus

I know the song doesn’t go that way, but it helps me when I think about friendship. Jesus was the leader, the Master, the One they all looked to. He always met their needs, cared for them, answered their questions. He was the friend of sinners; they were the sinners who needed a friend.

The L0nely Jesus

The one time when Jesus needed their friendship in the garden, they fell asleep. How could they be so insensitive? So self-centered? So uncaring? So weak?

How could they not be? When a friendship is defined by what one friend is always doing for the others, that’s just the way it is.

Strong people know this. Leaders know this.

Friendships for them are about  other people, not about them.

It’s lonely. Most of the time you walk alone, except for the One who’s always your Friend.

His name is Jesus.