Taking Off...and..."Going Dark!"

after take-off, originally uploaded by Dom Dada.

Today I'm taking off...shuffling off to Buffalo...or as Jack Bauer, the protagonist on the television series "24" would say, "I'm going dark!"

The next few weeks of my life will be filled with thrills, chills, grills, and hopefully no spills. Finally, after almost a year, me and my gang will return to the water's edge (that's the beach, for those of you who haven't read my book yet) over Spring Break and then it's "over the river and through the woods, to Grandma's house we go."

For the next several weeks, I'll be on the move, and on many occasions--far from a modem, cell-phone, Internet connection, or other electronic devices. So, I'm "going dark."

So from now until April 17th, LiveTheRed.com is going "bye-bye." I know, the heartbreak is almost overwhelming. Never fear, like the Terminator (only think of me as the "Sermonator")...I'll be back!

What to do for the next 30 days without LiveTheRed.com? Visualize world peace. For that matter, you could join the Peace Corps. Invent a better mouse trap. I'm sure if you do, the world will beat a path to your door.

If none of those options work, you could always go back and re-read the first 276 postings. Think of it as a trip down memory lane. Or, you could go to Amazon.com and type in "Breakfast on the Beach: Finding God at the Water's Edge." Order my book and read it over the next month. Whether you're at the beach or not, you'll be glad you did.

I'll see you back here on April 17th...if not before. In the meantime, you know what to do...

Live The Red,

Mark

Anticipation

Anticipation, originally uploaded by steph.A.

I ran across some thought-provoking comments recently. Here's what Christ-follower Scott Rodgers had to say concerning the anticipation we feel about the upcoming weekend at our churches...

"Are people speculating about what is going to happen this weekend at our churches? Are they curious about what God is going to do through ‘this weekend’s message’? Are our volunteers anticipating God using them AGAIN this weekend? ‘I can’t wait to introduce this song.’ ‘The kids are going to flip when they experience this.’ ‘Our students are going to be shocked.’ ‘I can’t wait to see people squirm when I say that.’

Are statements like that a part of your Monday through Friday vocabulary? On a scale of one to ten, what’s the level of anticipation for each weekends experience at your church? Anticipation fosters curiosity which creates speculation which generates conversation. Are people talking? We do it all the time elsewhere.

I live in Phoenix, Arizona. Right now (at the time of this writing) you can’t even get downtown. It is full of media personnel from around the world who are covering the ‘Big Game’ in Glendale. The whole world is anticipating, speculating, and talking about the big game. Who will win? Is he really hurt or is it a ploy? Can they go undefeated? The BUZZ is huge.

Is it right to expect such a high level of anticipation week in and week out in our churches? If not, should we accept a low level of anticipation or even none at all? Have you been successful in creating a healthy sense of anticipation in your church? If so, what did you do?"

Thanks, Scott! Your comments have challenged us all to have a healthy dose of spiritual ANTICIPATION as we head toward our weekend worship services on Palm Sunday and Resurrection Sunday! May the BUZZ about Jesus grow ever stronger in our social circles.

Like a child eagerly anticipating a joyous ride on a merry-go-round, we should all be filled with a wondrous expectation as we anticipate what our great God is going to do next.

On a one to ten scale, where is your spiritual anticipation right now?

Live the Red,

Mark

An Uphill Climb

Brisbane bridge climb, originally uploaded by Jackie Cooper's Photos.

Today is Bridge Day--Wednesday! Why call it "hump day" when you can call it "bridge" day?

Today's Bridge pic comes from "down under" is Brisbane, Australia. I think it beautifully reminds us that following Christ is not always a Sunday afternoon walk in the park.

It takes determination, persistence, and a good bit of both physical and spiritual stamina to cross over into the places where God wants us to be.

As you read through the Old Testament this year, pay careful attention to how difficult it was for God's people to make it into the land of promise. There was hardship, sacrifice, disobedience, complaining, power struggles, and politics galore!

As a follower of Jesus, you may be in the midst of some "arduous" (def: difficult or laborious) days. Don't give up! Hang in there! Keep on keeping on! What you are doing for Christ matters in God's Kingdom economy.

Remember these encouraging words from His Book. "Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary." (Galatians 6:9)

And this is one of my favorites: "Therefore my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." (I Corinthians 15:58--ESV: English Standard Version)

Make it a great bridge day...even if it's an uphill climb to the other side.

Live the Red,

Mark

Two Simple Words

Ebb and flow - Freshwater Bay, Isle of Wight, originally uploaded by s0ulsurfing.

For believers at the Bridge, we've begun a journey...together.

We invite you to tag along. It reminds me of the title of a Dr. Seuss book, Oh, the Places You'll Go. Indeed. We're on a journey to some incredible places.

When God leads, we must follow. It has always been this way.

We cannot "go with God" and stay where we are. Our God is on the move and His people have always been a people on the move. Following Jesus is not a sedentary experience but I'm afraid that we've made it that way.

Abraham’s life is a beautiful example of what it means to follow God. “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.” (Heb. 11:8)

Moses, also, taught the people of God to follow wherever the Lord led them. “And with a pillar of cloud You led them by day, and with a pillar of fire by night to light for them the way in which they were to go.” (Nehemiah 9:12)

When Jesus began His public ministry, he called his disciples with two simple words--Follow Me (see John 1:43). Throughout the three years of His public ministry, time and again, Jesus extended this clear imperative—Follow Me. Near the conclusion of His time on earth, Jesus issued the same, clear, succinct instructions—Follow me! While Peter was overly concerned about what would happen in another disciple’s life and ministry, Jesus helped Peter to see that it was not Peter’s job to “figure out” the will of God for someone else’s life. “Jesus said to him [Peter], ‘If it is my will that he [John] remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!’” (John 21:22—ESV, my additions in brackets)

Make it the sole purpose and focus of this new day and this new week to follow Christ! I'll see you along the way.

Live the Red,

Mark

A Bridge Too Far?

Rama VIII Bridge, originally uploaded by ~izz~.

Today is Bridge Day--Wednesday! Hang in there, your work week is half over! You're going to make it!

Today's bridge pic is from Bangkok, Thailand. It's the Rama VIII bridge over the Chao Phraya River in the center of the city. Bangkok is covered with waterways and has been called the Venice of Asia. A dear friend of mine traveled to Bangkok this week and will be in this amazing mega-city for the next ten days or so.

Believe it or not, the world is getting a lot smaller. My friend was able to leave his home in central Virginia and be on the other side of the world in Bangkok in less than 24 hours! Wow! What a world we live in. Just a century ago, it might have taken months instead of hours to get to Thailand.

My friend's time in Bangkok has reminded me of an important reality of our present day. You and I are living in what I'm calling the "Global Generation." We live in a day and time when we (like no generation before us) can connect globally to our world like never before. I also believe you and I can make a global impact for the Gospel like never before.

There are five important reasons why you and I are apart of this global generation:

1. English is the language of international business and people of most nations want to learn it. We can communicate easier than ever before.

2. The American Dollar is still the envy of the entire world. Even though it has slipped in value in recent days, don't kid yourself. The Dollar is still the "gold" standard for most of the world.

3. Transportation is better than ever before. My friend took a direct flight on Thai Air that left JFK airport and landed in Bangkok seventeen hours later. You read it correctly. A seventeen-hour direct flight. We're living in a day of almost miraculous air travel making it possible for us to go almost anywhere--faster than ever.

4. Despite the threat of international terrorism, the world (globally speaking) is at Peace. With the exception of some neighborhoods in Baghdad, the Gaza strip, the mountains of Afghanistan, and the Congo...the world is a relatively safe place. We can go almost anywhere.

5. Technology is making many things possible for us today that our parents and grandparents could never have imagined. Cell phones, GPS, laptops, the Internet, and digital gadgets have transformed the way with think, live, communicate, and work. Very little has stayed the same in this age of unprecedented technological transformation. It's a great time to be alive. It's a great time to connect.

For all these reasons and many more, you and I can build bridges to virtually all parts of the world. We can have a global perspective like no generation before us.

It's a great time to follow Christ, and it's a great time to build bridges...across the street, down the block, across town, and on the other side of the world!

Live the Red,

Mark

Lost

The Lost Sheep, originally uploaded by deceptionpanda.

The Month of March came in not like a lion but more like a lamb at our house. And when I say lamb...I'm referring to the "lost sheep" variety.

You see, on Saturday, March 1st, our 2-year-old Doxie ran away, flew the coop, made a break for it! Call her McGyver-Dog! What Steve McQueen was to "The Great Escape," our Doxie is to the dog world! Escape-artist, par excellence! The Great Houdini of Dog-dom. '

And she's gone. Lost. Missing. Call it what you like. I've got a heart-broken 10-year-old son going through some serious separation anxiety. It's a hard life lesson for a little kid to have to learn so young. Our pup "Candy" has now been gone for more than 48 hours. We've posted signs, we've searched, and we've done all the things you're supposed to do. And still no puppy.

Will we ever see her again? Only time will tell.

My family and I have received a crash-course in "lostness" over the past 48 hours. There have been some tears. There has been some worry. We keep hoping for her return. Maybe someone will call. The "not-knowing" is what makes it hard for our young son.

This whole episode has reminded me of a story that Jesus told. Here it is from Luke's Gospel, chapter fifteen.

"By this time a lot of men and women of doubtful reputation were hanging around Jesus, listening intently. The Pharisees and religion scholars were not pleased, not at all pleased. They growled, 'He takes in sinners and eats with them, treating them like old friends.' Their grumbling triggered this story. (Jesus then tells this story...)

"Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and lost one. Wouldn't you leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until you found it? When found, you can be sure you would put it across your shoulders, rejoicing, and when you got home call in your friends and neighbors, saying, 'Celebrate with me! I've found my lost sheep!' Count on it--there's more joy in heaven over one sinner's rescued life than over ninety-nine good people in no need of rescue." (Luke 15:1-7, The Message)

Losing our puppy has given me a new appreciation for Jesus' attitude about finding the lost. After all, that's why He came in the first place.

If we find our puppy alive and well, or if she decides to return home, you can be sure that there will be great rejoicing at our house.

Maybe we should have this same "the lost have been found" kind of celebration each and every Lord's Day when we gather at "The Bridge." We can think of ourselves as "the fellowship of the rescued."

Live the Red,

Mark