C. Gene Wilkes's Blog, page 6

Signs of Spiritual Illness

What are the symptoms of spiritual illness? How can you know if your religious and life activities are squeezing out your spiritual vitality? Here are some symptoms you may find in your own life.

We are currently walking through the Book of Acts at Legacy Church. If you need a spiritual exercise plan, join us on our LifeGroup page.  
The above symptoms were taken from my book, A New Way of Living: Practicing the Beatitudes Everyday, on the chapter "Those Who Hunger and Thirst," 140-141. It, too, is a way to burn some spiritual fat from your life.

Kudos for The Bible

Kudos for The Bible television series! The producer of the series, Mark Burnett and his wife, Roma Downey, have invested their time, talents and treasures to bring the story of God's redemptive love as told in The Bible to television. Their faithful presentation of the story has people watching, talking, AND reading the Bible. 

Thank you, Mark and Roma, for your investment in a media that is accessible to millions and vividly more appealing than my sermons. I expect many of us who tell the story week after week will use clips from the series multiple times in the future.

Jesus and His disciples, Episode 4Almost 11 million people watched the third installment, beating the previously more popular shows on ABC and CBS. Don't tell me people are not interested in what the Bible has to say. They just don't come to church to hear it as much as before.
It is also reported,

Every Sunday during the series, the YouVersion Bible App has been in the top 25 out of over 800,000 apps on iTunes. [That's over 87 million downloads!]

It's also the #1 topic in Twitter world. #TheBible, @bibleseries Like it or not, we are talking about The Bible, and that is a plus for me.

Read more here: http://www.heraldonline.com/2013/03/2...

I have appreciated the quality of the cinematography, acting, and choices of the stories. Budget and time limit what can be produced, and while some key stories are absent, those that are portrayed tell the story of God's character and love accurately. 
Yes, there is some artistic license, like ninja angels in Sodom, but those extras enhance the viewer's experience and are consistent with what television watchers expect. These additions do not pollute the story nor misrepresent the essential truths told in The Bible.
My only criticism is that Jesus is still a white, British-speaking guy,
Watch the finale this Sunday evening with your family. 
Invite friends over. 
Buy the series and invite your neighbors over to watch it commercial-free! Let them tell you what they know and think of The Bible.
The Burnett's have given us a way to show and tell the greatest story ever told. Use it!

I'm Hungry, Now What?

Hunger and thirst are two natural desires that keep us alive. Both drive us to food and water that sustain us physically. 

When Jesus looked across the crowd that had gathered to hear him introduce "the kingdom of God" that was near, he blessed those who hungered and thirsted for righteousness. (Matthew 5:6) And, he promised those folks would be satisfied.

In my analogy of spiritual growth in my book, A New Way of Living, this Beatitude is the summit of our spiritual climb to be like Jesus.

Climbing the summit of God's mighty presence is a journey that begins by exposing our tremendous lack of personal resources. And like on a physical climb, when our resources run out, we begin to hunger and thirst. The difference is that in tackling a mountain of spiritual growth, what we hunger and thirst for is refreshment only God can give our craving souls. (130)

Righteousness is a characteristic of God (Psalm 48:10). It describes our standing before God in Christ Jesus (Romans 5:1-2). Righteousness is also how we live our lives toward God and others (James 2:23-25). We hunger and thirst spiritually for these things.
The problem with both our physical and spiritual hunger and thirst is that we seek to satisfy those drives with unhealthy things. Just as I eat chips instead of fruit, cookies instead of vegetables, and ice cream instead of toast when I am hungry sometimes, I fill empty hours watching television or Googling nonsense rather than reading the Bible or watching messages or videos about my relationship with God. 
With what do you satisfy your hunger and thirst?
Only the Bread of Life (John 6:35) and the Living Water (John 4:13-14) can ultimately satisfy the desires of our hearts.
Jesus promised that when we turn to him and his way of living to satisfy the spiritual hunger in our hearts, we will be satisfied--satisfied like after an American Thanksgiving dinner!
You will get hungry and thirsty both spiritually and physically today. Prepare now to fill those desires with the healthy provisions God has provided for you in his good creation and in a relationship with him.

I Support Operation Beautiful

Today at Plano Senior High School the girls are taking a risk to be themselves by not wearing makeup. As a father of two grown daughters and pastor of a local church, I know the struggle girls face throughout their lives to look a certain way. I don't have to tell you the disorders and personal pain that follow a pursuit of an image you were not created to be.
My wonderful wife, who is a teacher there, is joining the girls today! This is the first time I ever remember her intentionally going into public without makeup except to workout. Her love for the girls and her support of this value motivated her to join the experience.
Here she is this morning without makeup!!! I remember the first time my heart jumped when I saw her. She was walking across campus coming from a PE class without makeup. 
I respect her for caring enough to look nice when she leaves the house, but I love her for the face she wears in her sleep.
The Bible makes it clear that outward beauty is not the benchmark of worth or beauty. Here's just one example:

Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. (1 Peter 3:3-4, NLT)

Let the girls know you appreciate their efforts. "Like" their video. Forward the message. Have a talk with your child. Let beauty from who we are not what we wear be our message today.
Here is the video the group made:


Here is some of the attention they have received:
102.9Now radio station
WFAA.com article and report
ABCNews.com

Legacy Church in Plano also supports a similar program called Beautiful You. Check it out and watch for events coming in the future.

Meek is not Weak

Meek? Definitely Cute!To be meek is not to be weak. When Jesus blessed--announced God's favor upon--those who had gathered that day to hear his inaugural address he pinpointed the meek ones. (Matt. 5:5) He promised they would inherit the earth.

Meek is not in the world's dictionary of what it takes to get things done; and, getting things done is the goal of life, right?

I went into a friend's office one day several years ago and saw on his desk the sign:

If the meek inherit the earth, what do we tigers get?

I thought it funny at the time, but I later realized that my friend had completely misread Jesus' promise to those who followed him.

What does meek mean?

In my book, A New Way of Living: Practicing the Beatitudes everyday, I describe the biblical word to mean "power under control." (111) It is translated "gentle" in Jesus' famous self-description of himself. (Matthew 11:29) Jesus, however, was anything but gentle as we use it.He never compromised his calling, and he refused to waver even when faced with an unjust trial and torturous death.

When Scripture lists evidence of the Holy Spirit living in a person's life, it lists "gentleness" or meekness as one of those characteristics.(Gal. 5:22-23)

Meekness is placing power under the control of another or principle. Like a wild horse broken and guided by a cowboy's bridle to cut cattle, we give all we have and are to the control of God so we may be effective for divine purposes.

Meekness is evidence that the Spirit of God lives in us. It is what we clothe ourselves with as we put on our new lives in Christ. (Col. 3:12; p 113)

Meek is not weak. I submit that the great men and women in our lives--if we observed them long enough--would find they are meek. They willingly give themselves to God and/or a greater purpose than those things that serve their wishes.Their power, personality, and resources are directed by God for His purposes rather than investing them all for their comfort and enjoyment.

Meekness is a benchmark for spiritual wellness. If you want to read more about how you can be spiritually fit, you can start here.

What does meek mean to you? Who is a meek person in your life? How can you live meekly today?

Bike Racks and Church

Several months ago I wrote about The Bikeable Church by Sean Benesh. The idea of a bike-friendly church captured my attention, and we now have bike racks placed around our church campus.

Why? Plano and North Dallas have a large cycling population. We have a cycling group connected to Legacy Church that includes over 50 riders.

The issue for me is that in our community cycling is a hobby and not part of our day-to-day lives. (Some would say our faith is like that too.)

My hope is that we can take away the excuse, "If I did ride my bike to church or work, there's no place to put my bike." My prayer is that more churches and businesses will provide for those who will ride instead of drive. You now have no excuse to ride your bike to Legacy on a beautiful day.

Thanks to Tim Parker, Legacy Cyclists, and Richardson Bike Mart who donated and installed the racks. 

You'll hear more about this in time, but I wanted you to know you can ride your bike to Legacy Church this weekend!

Happy are the Unhappy!?!

When we read The Beatitudes, we are surprised at whom Jesus blessed and why. The second Beatitude may be one of those. Here's my paraphrase of it: 

Happy are the unhappy because they will be comforted. (Matthew 5:4)

Not that we purposefully want to make ourselves unhappy or mournful so we can receive comfort, but the promise of Jesus is if we find ourselves in that condition, comfort from him is a promise.

How does being unhappy (mournful) help in our spiritual growth? We try to avoid that condition, don't we? How could Jesus put value on us feeling this way?


In my book, A New Way of Living , I point out that mourning is the next step in our path to spiritual wellness because it follows our awareness of our spiritual poverty. Jesus blessed those who were "poor in spirit" and promised them access to his kingdom.

Mourning is evidence of our own confession of spiritual poverty. Take King David's mournful confession recorded in Psalms 51:3-5 after his affair with Bathsheba, for example.

Here's an authentic confession in community about one man's heartfelt need for God and the church in times of loss and need. Watch it here.

Mourning can also express our sadness over the spiritual condition of others. Jesus mourned the spiritual condition of those he came to rescue and was moved to compassion for them. (Matthew 9:36) Genuine remorse and authentic sadness over the reality of sin and it consequences leads to spiritual wellness.

Jesus promised that when we find ourselves in this condition, we will receive comfort. Jesus said he would send "another Comforter" (John 14:16-17), an Advocate (1 John 2:1), to those who trusted him. The Holy Spirit Comforter responds to our confession of spiritual poverty and need for comfort.

What spiritual exercises can maximize this condition and promise? 

I suggest in my book:

Confession in community is God's plan to help us achieve and maintain spiritual wellness. It is the door to God's forgiveness that begins in sorrow, but leads to joy. (103)

When we come to the place to realize our wrong doing and that of others and we confess that to others with whom we share authentic community, Jesus promised we will find comfort from him and others to come alongside us to address those wrongs.

Have you experienced genuine mourning for your spiritual condition and that of others?
Have you had a huge loss that caused you to mourn?
Embrace the promise of Jesus, and continue on the path of spiritual wellness.

Becoming Spiritually Fit--Poor in Spirit

To Grizzly GulchIn my new book, A New Way of Living, I draw parallels between physical wellness and training and spiritual wellness and training. I want to start us on this wellness program as I see it laid out in the Beatitudes of Jesus.

I believe the Beatitudes provide a path to spiritual wellness that transform us into the "peacemakers" Jesus calls us to become where we live, learn, work, and play. That path begins like a hike to the summit begins, in the valley. But, how does that journey begin?

If the summit of our path is the presence of God that fills our "hunger and thirst for righteousness," then,

The journey into the presence of God begins with the confession "I need help!" It is only when we realize we are unbelievably unfit to stand before God and equally unable to honorably wear the title Christ follower without His help that we are in the most prime position to be used by and for God's will. (66)

I believe "the poor in spirit" are "blessed" because Jesus promises them "the kingdom of heaven."

What does it mean to be "poor in spirit?" 

[They are] people who do not see themselves as the answer to all their problems.

[They] realize they have drained their spiritual bank accounts and cannot pay their spiritual debts...someone who has maxed out their spiritual credit cards--all of their credit cards. (73)

Poverty of spirit--realized by choices, circumstances, choices by others, or the Holy Spirit--is physically like having a heart attack and finally admitting you are sick and need a new way of living.

How do we make room in our lives to experience both this blessing and promise?

The spiritual exercises of solitude and silence can expose and enhance our spiritual poverty.

Being alone [solitude] allows you to hear your soul...Silence follows you to your place away from the noise of life. Silence is how you hear God. (79, 81)

To follow Jesus is to follow him to quiet places. (82)

Begin the path to spiritual wellness by following the path of the Beatitudes. If you have begun your year with physical goals, care for your soul, too.

Leave a comment or contact me. I'd love to continue to conversation with you.

Staggered Starts

Why a Staggered Start?Aenise Montgomery, a friend and member of Legacy Church, sent me her thoughts about spiritual growth, and I wanted to share them with you. Here they are:

One Sunday Pastor Gene talked about each of us being right where we are supposed to be. I seriously doubted his statement because I had a list of things that I should have done by now, and I had not done them. But, by the end of the sermon I understood. Another Sunday he told about his faith journey and how long he had known the Lord verses someone who had never cared to know God and how they would have the same mercies extended to them! I thought, “Talk about starting in different places.” This idea lingered well after service, and I started to think about how I used to run track a long time ago. Well, that deserves two “longs!” 
I pictured all the runners prepared for different races, waiting for their lane assignment and their start time. We all wanted the inside lane on the track. (Lane 3 was my favorite, but from lane 1 you could see everybody!) I ran sprint and distance, and in a short race like the 100-meter dash, we all started even. If the race was longer your start was staggered. I shared this with my daughter, and she asked, “How does that work? Is someone running further than the other?” I answered, 
“They run the same distance. They are staggered at the start because of the curves on the track.”
That was an “aha” moment that connected me spiritually to my thoughts. Whatever “lane” God has assigned us in life, know that it’s because of the “curves” in this race that He staggers our starts. Find comfort in knowing that the curves and the bends come at different times on our journeys of life. Whether you feel like you got the inside lane or you’ve been on the outside too long—for whatever reason—God ensures we all have the same distance to the Cross! He knows what is best for us, and he gave us the equipment and strength to finish with victory.
I returned to the Bible and saw that “under the sun,” the race is not given to the swift or the battle to the strong. Bread is not given to the wise, or riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill, but time and chance happen to all. (Ecclesiastes 9-11) 
If we run in our God-assigned lane, pick up our cross, run with endurance this race that is set before us while looking to Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith….….We Win!

The Saddest Part of the Lance Armstrong Story

I was a Lance Armstrong supporter from the beginning. He grew up where I live, and I bought my road bike and gear from Richardson Bike Mart, the store he rode out of when he began his triathlon career. He was a hero whom I pointed to often in conversations, writing, and messages as an example of what persistence and the human spirit can overcome. I believed him until the trophies started falling, and then I wondered. Not until he gave the series of "yeses" to Oprah's questions was I totally convinced he had been lying to us all.
Paul and Me in 2009I have ridden three times in the Ride for the Roses in Austin, raising funds for his foundation, LiveStrong. One of the most meaningful finishes in my life was riding with my cancer-survivor friend, Paul Olson, who finished the ride after much pain but with great joy. That ride down the final stretch with him as he received his survivor rose touched me deeply, and I gladly gave to the foundation Lance started.
I know Lance was not a man of faith. Abandoned by his bio-dad and treated in an unchristian way by his Christian step-father who gave him his Armstrong name surely did not set the platform for a trusting relationship with anyone. But, I still prayed his heart would be changed from "win at all cost" to serving others with a humble heart.
I didn't watch all of the Oprah interview the first night, but it was clear in what I did see that he was there to give "just the facts, Ma'am," seemingly because he got caught--not because he was sorry. 
The second night's interview was what caught my attention. I had not seen a tear-filled emotion on his face throughout the interview until he talked about his family. I knew he still had a heart when he began to talk about disappointing his mother and his children.
The saddest part of the whole story for me was when he told his son to quit defending his father. His 13-year-old son had fought for his dad his entire life, believing the lies he told him and the world. Now, the dad he fought for and trusted, told him it was all a lie. Lance finally saw the hurt he rained on others. His competitors, friends, sponsors, and foundation people could all get over it, he said through his actions, but he could not get past what he did to his family.
For his confession about his family, I am grateful. It tells me he has a heart, and there is hope that heart will lead him to repentance and a new way of life. I pray for him as I do Tiger Woods--incredibly gifted and successful athletes who would be complete in a relationship with God. 

The loss of trophies brought him to the confessional booth of Oprah's show. The loss of a trusting relationship with his son may bring him to the confessional booth of faith. 

Lance Armstrong is an example of do whatever it takes to win. For that, he is a the top of the ladder. He is also an example of Jesus' teaching, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26) For that, I pray he will become a new man.