Will Davis Jr.'s Blog, page 68

Hey Guys, Here’s Your Standard for How to Treat Your Wife

The Apostle Paul’s command in Ephesians 5 couldn’t be any clearer: Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her (Ephesians 5:25). In other words: Husband, love your wife like Jesus loves you; love her enough to die for her. The type of love Paul mentions in that verse is the lofty and noble kind that exists between Jesus and God as members of the Trinity. It is the love described in John 3:16 that led God to give his Son as a sacrifice for sinners. This high and holy love is the unconditional, unwavering, covenant love modeled by God in his relationship with the rebellious nation of Israel. And, it is the type of love that is impossible for humans to show for others without the ongoing work of God’s Spirit in their lives.

Left to yourself, you’ll never be able to love your wife adequately. The command to love her as Jesus loves you will elude your abilities, despite your best efforts. But praying every day–asking God to equip you with his love and grace for your wife–will go a long way toward helping you fulfill your biblical assignment to love your bride as Jesus loves you. Prayer can give you the humility, patience, self-control and vision to rise daily to the occasion and serve your wife.

I learned this firsthand several years ago. Susie and I were going through a bumpy time in our marriage. I was shedding years of emotional and relational baggage and my healing process had created a prolonged season of tension in our marriage. Whenever I grew impatient with Susie and with what I perceived to be her prickly attitude towards me, I would call my accountability partner Rick to gripe and complain about what a victim I was. He would listen to me for about 10 seconds and then always ask the same question that inevitably led to a conversation I didn’t want to have. It would typically go something like this:

Rick: Okay Will, so you’re put-out with how Susie is acting.

Will: Yep. Pretty much.

Rick: And you want things to change.

Will: Yep.

Rick: I think I can help. Let me ask you a question: How far did Jesus go to serve you?

Will: Excuse me?

Rick: How far did Jesus go to serve you?

Will: I don’t understand the question.

Rick: Come on Will, it’s not that hard. How far did Jesus go to serve you? What did he do?

Will: That’s not fair; it’s not the same thing.

Rick: Yes it is. How far did he go?

Will: He died.

Rick: What? I couldn’t hear you.

Will: HE DIED!

Rick: That’s right; he died for your sorry butt. And since he’s your Lord and Master, and since he’s your role model for how to act in marriage, how far are you supposed to go to serve Susie?

Will: I really don’t like you.

Rick: Answer the question. How far?

Will: I’m supposed to die for her.

Rick: That’s right! You’re supposed to die for her. And now, Will, I have a final question: Are you dead yet?

Will: No.

Rick: Right again! No, Will, you’re not dead. You’re griping and complaining and calling me to tell me how bad you’ve got it. And since you’re obviously not dead, shut up and go back to serving Susie. Call me when you’re dead.

I always hated those conversations. But Rick was right, and I would inevitably humble myself before God and Susie and go back to praying for her. In my prayers, God would break and teach me, and give me the equipping I needed to love Susie the way he wanted me to. In the end, God did a major work in us both.

You need to pray for your wife simply because God’s call on your life requires it. You won’t be able to fulfill your biblical role without it.

From Pray Big for Your Marriage

And Just in Time for Easter–An Atheist/Christian Roundtable

Tonight I have the opportunity to sit down with two of my colleagues here in Austin and three well-known Atheist leaders in front of a live audience. The Atheists are celebrating their 50th anniversary this week in the city where they began–Austin. A colleague of mine reached out to them and they agreed to the discussion.

So what do I/we hope to gain? Do we think we are going to convert them or sway them in some way? Obviously not. But I do have several things I hope to accomplish:

1. I want to listen. These guys are anti-God and anti-religion for a reason. I want to try to listen past the talking points and see the real reasons they’re so opposed to the concept of a God.

2. I want to sharpen my own skills. These guys are the leading antagonists in the world to the Christian faith. Of course I want to sit down with them and go a few rounds with them.  It’ll make me a better Christian.

3. I want to love them. These guys are people for whom Jesus died. That’s the bottom line. I want to do my best to be Jesus to them, regardless of their theology or lack thereof.

Here are the two press releases about the event. When the video is available, I’ll post it here.

PRESS RELEASE

For Release: Tuesday March 26, 2013

Atheist Leaders and Texas Pastors Will Meet for Roundtable Discussion

 Cranford, NJ— American Atheists President David Silverman and Vice President Kathleen Johnson will join with noted British philosopher and atheist A.C. Grayling to meet with Austin-area pastors for a non-confrontational exchange of ideas.

The three atheist leaders are in Austin for the American Atheists 50th Anniversary National Convention this weekend.  David Silverman says “We will all have the opportunity to express our points of view – I am truly looking forward to this dialogue.”.

The roundtable, which will be held on Wednesday March 27th at 8:15 PM at the Hyatt Regency in Austin, is open to the press and the public.

Pastors in Austin face difficult challenges familiar to pastors nationwide: the secularizing of Americans. According to an October 2012 Pew Forum report, fully 20% of Americans now self-identify as having no religion. In the past five years alone, this has increased from 15%. For Americans under age 30, a full one-third state do not identify with any religion. The roundtable will provide a much-needed opportunity for pastors to better understand the perspective of nonbelievers.

American Atheists’ 50th Anniversary Celebration and National Convention takes place this weekend at the Hyatt Regency in Austin and includes such speakers as former Congressman Pete Stark, Twisted Sister lead guitarist Jay Jay French, authors A.C. Grayling and Katherine Stewart, popular debater Matt Dillahunty, former pastors-turned-atheists Teresa MacBain and Jerry DeWitt, and American Atheists President David Silverman. The convention also features a costume dinner, free concerts, a comedy show, an art show and silent auction, more than 25 national and local vendors and exhibitors, and childcare options for attending families.

Christian and Atheist Leaders Exchange Views in

Local Roundtable Discussion

Hyatt Regency Downtown Austin, Wednesday, March 27 at 8:15PM

Austin, Texas – March 21, 2013 – Local pastors and national Atheist leaders are engaging in a public roundtable discussion during Easter Week, as atheists from all over the country gather in Austin for the American Atheists National Convention. The organization of atheists began in Austin 50 years ago under leadership of Madalyn Murray O’Hair.

The selection of Austin and the timing of the convention prompted a local Christian pastor to invite American Atheist President David Silverman to consider coming together to talk about respective perceptions. Silverman quickly replied, resulting in the upcoming roundtable discussion.

The thought and cultural leaders will conduct their public dialogue on Wednesday, March 27 at the Hyatt Regency Austin at 8:15PM. Admission is free.

Area pastors who will participate in the discussion include Gaylon Clark, Greater Mount Zion; Will Davis, Jr., Austin Christian Fellowship; Tim Hawks, Hill Country Bible Church; Rob Harrell, First Evangelical Free Church; and Randy Phillips, LifeAustin. Participating on behalf of American Atheists are Silverman, noted British author and professor A.C. Grayling, and others.

“David and I agreed that this would not be structured as a debate so much as an opportunity for each party to better understand the other’s point of view,” said Ryan Rush, senior pastor, Bannockburn Baptist Church, and moderator of the discussion. “The victory for both is gaining greater perspective of the other,” he said.

Placement Night

Last Friday night my wife and I attended an event known as Placement Night here in Austin. It’s sponsored by Young Life–a ministry to middle and high school students. Young Life reaches tons of fringe kids who usually won’t darken the door of a church. Young Life ministers all over the world and is a juggernaut in the area of ministry to students.

For the past several months over 200 University of Texas freshmen have been receiving training to become Young Life leaders. They are interviewed by the Austin YL leadership and have to be quite serious about their own discipleship. Placement Night is where and when they find out what school they’ll be serving. Ask any Young Life leader and they’ll tell you it was one of the greatest nights of his or her life.

We met in a 4000 seat church auditorium that was close to half full. Each leadership team and current Young Life leaders from each region of the Austin area has their time on stage to perform a skit/dance/or some wild combination thereof and to brag on the uniqueness and coolness of their respective teams. Then, a host calls out the names of the newly placed team members and the whole place goes wild.

The kids don’t know their school/team assignments until they hear their names called. As they run down to join their new teammates on stage they’re greeted with wild cheers, hugs, tears and laughter, all before they even reach the stage. Then, they’re totally mobbed. You would think they had just won the lottery or solved world hunger by the reception they get. But it’s nothing that glamorous. They’re missionaries, newly placed missionaries to Austin area middle and high schools, and they couldn’t be more excited about it.

Let me try to translate this for you: These college freshman agree to spend a significant portion of their college lives not acting like typical college kids. They’re placed in a school–one that could be five minutes or 50 minutes away, one that could be in a rich part of town or a very poor part of town–and on a team that they didn’t choose.

And watching these kids dance down the aisle and join their teams because they get to go serve is one of the coolest and most inspiring things I’ve seen in a long time.

Oh that more of us would have that kind of mindset. Oh that we would cheer and applaud the wild and radical obedience of others. Oh that we would encourage others who are being sent. Oh that we would obey without griping about the distance or relative convenience of the assignment. And oh that we would set aside the best years of our lives to serve people who need Jesus.

Congrats to Young Life and all the kids who lead, serve and to those who were placed on Friday. You set the bar of obedience very high.

Shared Responsibilities

My lovely wife Susie and I had the chance to teach this weekend at ACF on the shared responsibilities we have in our own spiritual development. We took the sentence, “When I do _____________,” God does ____________________,” and filled in the blanks. We talked about the things we do that create an environment for God to grow us.

There’s a clear cause and effect between my practicing of spiritual disciplines and God’s work in me. Said more simply, when I participate in the Gospel, God participates in me (see Hosea 6:3 and Philippians 1:5-6). It’s a practical, helpful message.

Click on the image to watch or listen.

Friday Fire Starters–Let God Restore You

Fire Starters are easy ways to kick-start your time alone with God. Here’s this week’s suggestion:

Read Zephaniah 3:14-20 aloud.

Sing, O Daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem!  The LORD has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm.  On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands hang limp.  The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”  “The sorrows for the appointed feasts I will remove from you; they are a burden and a reproach to you.  At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you; I will rescue the lame and gather those who have been scattered. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they were put to shame.  At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes,” says the LORD. Zephaniah 3:14-2

Release (say them aloud) all the oppressions / punishments / and burdens that feel you have.

Acknowledge that God is the Restorer and has ultimate power over these things.

Lay your burdens at his feet. Picture him taking them from you.

Be quite.  Let God rejoice over you. Hear him singing over you. Feel him embrace you.

Give thanks for all the ways he is restoring you and healing you and making you new.

The Big, Ugly Oxymoron

The Hill Country west of Austin is filled with gorgeous lakes, beautiful rolling hills and breathtaking, panoramic views. It’s probably the exact opposite of what you might think Texas looks like. And actually, you’d be right. The Hill Country is a rare jewel in a state known for its flat farmland and rugged ranch land. As a result, the property values in the hills west of Austin are quite high and the half-acre lots in the area boast $1 million to $3 million dollar homes.

Then there’s the Armadillo. The Armadillo RV Park is about two acres of poverty that sit right in the middle of one of the more affluent parts of the Lake Travis region of the Austin Hill Country. The Armadillo is home to about thirty families, some Spanish-speaking, some English speaking, all poor. The RVs they live in tend to add to the collective misery of the area: they’re run down, broken, damaged, leaky and in some cases, unsafe.

The Armadillo is home to some of the most beautiful children I’ve ever seen. I’m not sure what it is about kids that live in poverty that makes them some adorable—maybe it’s their bright eyes, unquenchable spirits or the automatic sympathy and compassion you feel for them—but once you meet them, you’re hooked. They don’t seem to know they’re poor, at least not yet. But when you look into the eyes of their parents, you get a different feeling. Their eyes tell a different story. You can see the pain and stress—the inadequate medical care, the nagging hunger, the uncertain future—that slowly dampens the light in their eyes. But they do have one thing in common with their kids—once you meet them, you don’t forget them either.

The Armadillo—its residents and their living conditions—is one big, ugly oxymoron for the area. I mean, just a six-iron shot away from the Armadillo are some of the largest, most luxurious homes in central Texas. The families that live in those homes are blessed to have air conditioning, hot and cold (and clean) running water, the opportunity to receive a good education, to travel, to dream and then pursue those dreams. They have some of the best health care in the world and they eat three good meals a day, at least. And, there’s nothing wrong with how they live. They’re not bad for having more than enough. It’s just a curious juxtaposition that so close to them are families who live on the completely opposite end of the social spectrum.

The road that runs in front of the Armadillo is a busy one. It comes off of a major, scenic highway and leads to some of the gorgeous neighborhoods and marinas that line the shores of Lake Travis. And even though it’s such an eyesore for the area, the Armadillo is still easy to miss. It’s that small and that insignificant.

My point is that there are thousands of cars that pass by the Armadillo every day, but few ever turn into it. And here’s the question I’m struggling with: What would the concept of biblical justice have to say about that? Is God okay with the fact that such economic disparity exists in the area? As a pastor of a church in the area, what is my responsibility to the folks at the Armadillo? None of my church members live there. So do we have an obligation to help them? And what about the believers that live in the area and drive by the Armadillo every day? Do they have a responsibility to do something, and if so what?

From Enough: Finding More by Living with Less

A Face Like a Lion

Last night I had the opportunity to speak to a men’s banquet for a little church north of Bastrop. The event grew out of the church’s Friday morning men’s gathering that began 18 months ago. The banquet included the men of the church and their wives, the Pledge of Allegiance, a church update from one of their leaders, some great entertainment (when was the last time you heard a killer rendition of Nancy Sinatra’s Summer Wine sung at a church event?) and me.

The moment I stood to speak I knew that what I had planned on saying was all wrong. That happens sometimes. So I said a prayer, asked the Lord for guidance and tried to follow his Spirit by simply encouraging and affirming their church and specifically, their men.

I had intended to talk on one of my favorite verses:  From the Gadites there came over to David in the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for war, who could handle shield and spear, and whose faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as the gazelles on the mountains, (1 Chronicles 12:8). I love that description of David’s mighty men. I have taught on it many times and prayed it for me, my son and many of my friends more times than I can count.

God didn’t let me teach on it, but that didn’t mean I was through with the verse for the evening. After the event one of the younger men walked up to me. I pegged him to be mid-forties, which tells you the overall age of the guys in the church. He grabbed my hand and thanked me for what I had shared. Then I got a good look at his face, and especially his eyes. They were filled with tears, but there was something behind the tears. I think it was fire. I think it’s what the verse was trying to describe when it said that David’s mighty men had faces like lions.

I have a hard time describing a face like a lion, but I know one when I see one. I saw one in this guy. He had a fierceness, a determination, a focus that I don’t often see. Behind the tears I saw a resolve. It’s the resolve you see in a guy’s face when he has crossed the line of reserve and has moved to the point of abandon.

You see it when the guy says that he’s going to break his porn habit, no matter what it costs.

You see it when a guy is committed to living on the moral and ethical high road, even if it costs him his job.

You see it when a guy has decided to stop running from God and has determined to practice radical obedience.

For the guy last night, I think it was the look of a man who had just seen the potential of a group of men that sell out to Jesus, and his determination to be at the front of the pack.

I told the guy what I saw in his eyes. I told him I’d seen that look before–the fierceness, the hunger, the determination. I told him it’s like looking through one set of eyes (his) into another (Jesus’). That guy is going to have some impact.

Friends, we need men with eyes like that. As the men of a nation go, so goes the nation. Too many men have stars in their eyes, or worse. I pray daily for a generation of men who will embrace the call to be a 1 Chronicles 12:8 mighty man–

Men who know how to fight–spiritually and not through their own flesh
Men who are skilled in the weapons of a mighty man–in prayer, worship, fasting and the use of God’s Word
Men with the fierceness and ferocity of a lion
Men who are surefooted and don’t easily stumble over the daily temptations of sin
Men who are ready to stand for their King–the Lord Jesus–even if it costs them everything

Oh God, give us a nation of men like that. I think he’s got a good start with a guy in a little church just north of Bastrop.

 

 

Broken Wells. Dusty Lips.

The mistake made by the woman at the well described in John 4 is one many people still make today. They somehow believe that the right marriage recipe can yield the ultimate happy life. They’re wrong, and that’s why so many relationships end up failing. If you go into a marriage hoping that a relationship with another human can somehow complete you, you’re going to be very disappointed. Humans—sinful, broken and inconsistent—can’t meet the longings of their own souls, much less someone else’s. Trying to draw spiritual life from an equally spiritually depraved human is a poor relational strategy. But we do it all the time. People enter into relationships, move in together, become sexually active and even marry in hopes of finding ultimate fulfillment. It just doesn’t work. It’s one desperate and needy person trying to suck life from another. It’s what a friend of mine used to refer to as “two ticks, no dog.”

The Bible offers a more sobering description of the same phenomena. The prophet Jeremiah, speaking to the soon-to-be exiled nation of Judah, called it idolatry. Listen to his words, spoken nearly 700 years before Christ:

Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods at all.) But my people have exchanged their Glory for worthless idols. Be appalled at this, O heavens, and shudder with great horror,” declares the Lord. “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water (Jeremiah 2:11-13).

In these challenging words to Judah’s priests and leaders, Jeremiah accuses them of making two very foolish decisions. First, they abandoned their faith and dependence on God. Second, they put their confidence in dead, lifeless idols that could neither hear their prayers nor provide for their needs.

Now, before we judge these folks too harshly, we have to acknowledge that we do the exact same thing. While swearing allegiance to God with our mouths, we look to things (idols) for ultimate fulfillment. You can name them—money, power, job security, talents, sex, popularity, possessions and even relationships. Our idols are much more glamorous and sophisticated than the gold statues worshiped by Jeremiah’s contemporaries, but they’re idols nonetheless. And they’re equally insufficient at meeting the needs of a human soul.

For those of us who are married, a likely and tempting object of our misplaced loyalties is our spouse. Men and women make rotten gods, but we still deify them. It’s not that we really see them as divine, because we know better. But it’s easy to slip into the rut of looking to the person we love most in the world to meet the deepest and most pressing needs of our soul. We lean heavily on them, somehow thinking that their approval, their love, their smile, their affection, their words, their presence or their blessing will ultimately give us life.  I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve counseled with Christian women who were dating or married to complete spiritual duds simply because they couldn’t face not having a man in their life. The social stigma and personal blow of feeling unwanted and unattractive was more than they could handle. They settled for any guy they could get in the misguided hopes that being wanted would make them whole.

The same misplaced loyalties can even creep into healthy Christian marriages. Many committed Christ-followers are equally guilty of paying verbal homage to God but really looking to their spouse for their security and self-esteem. It’s easy to do.  Unfortunately, I speak from experience.

From Pray Big for Your Marriage.

Come Away with Me

Sometimes my heart just aches. Sometimes the crowd noise becomes totally overwhelming. Sometimes there is so much to do–people to pray for, calls to make, projects due, work lists, home lists, kids to parent and a spouse to serve–that there is no time to eat. I don’t mean eat physically, I mean eat spiritually. And I don’t really mean there isn’t time, I mean that the demands of my world exceed my ability to maintain consistent, in-depth spiritual feeding times. My irregular diet of spiritual fast food leaves my soul in great want. As a result, I get grouchy, needy and carnal, and I become highly ineffective for anything of kingdom value.

And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place and rest a while.” (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.) Mark 6:31

That’s why verses like this are so important. We’re all going to have times of excessive giving, times when output well exceeds input. When those times occur, long before we slip into true spiritual atrophy, we need to heed Jesus’ call and run away to him and with him. Jesus was himself the grand champion of knowing when to pull away and get with his Father. He modeled this lifesaving discipline for his disciples and often called them to join him in his own retreats. He calls us as well.

Now I bet at this point you agree with all that I have said. I bet you could even say it yourself. We know as Christ-followers that we need to feed on him. He is our Bread of Life. The question remains: what are you going to do about that hungry soul of yours? Are you going to continue to starve it, to let it remain undernourished and weak? Or, are you finally going to put your foot down, say NO to the list that will never go away, and RSVP to Jesus’ invitation? He is waiting for you; even now he is waiting for you. Listen to his tender call: Come away with me by yourself. Let’s go to a quiet place where I can feed and teach you. Come away with Me right now and get some rest.

Friends, it’s not a sin to be tired spiritually; it is sinful, however, to neglect your soul when such transforming grace is so readily available. Come away with Me.

Want to learn more about how to feed your soul? Click here.

Friday Fire Starters–Psalm 46

Friday Fire Starters are simple ways to kick-start your relationship with God. Here’s today’s suggestion:

Read Psalm 46 slowly, quietly and out loud. Take a deep breath and let it out.

Consider quietly the magnitude of God. Write some words that describe his magnitude.

Consider His power and sovereignty. Write phrases that explain his power and sovereignty.

Consider His authority. What does it mean to you that God has all authority?

Now consider His love for you. Think about how you would describe God’s love to a seven-year-old. Now take whatever you might say to her and say it to yourself in the exact same language.

Be still and rest in Him. Turn your hands over–palms open and up. Take several deep breaths. Instruct your soul to be quiet. Try to sit silently before the Lord for several minutes. When you mind starts to stray, rein it back in by quoting verse 10 out loud.

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.