The next day it was downgraded to a tropical depression as it crossed North Carolina with sustained winds of 45 mph. Gaston dumped up to 6 inches of rain on NC.

As the storm tracked northward into Virginia, it strengthened and my town became the epicenter.

The Richmond area received close to 12 inches of rain that afternoon.

We drove in it.

We had nothing left in the kitchen for dinner, and my wife’s car was ready for pickup at the service station.

I told my wife, “It’s just rain. Let’s go get something to eat.”

So we loaded the kids into their car seats to head down Route 1.

The rain got harder, but I kept going.

I figured I got this far.

I was young and I was careless.

I certainly wasn’t responsible.

It became the most terrifying drive of my life.

Flash floods crossed the road like I’ve never seen before.

We reached our first destination (Chick Fil-A) which was wiser than I was because it closed early.

We crossed the street to the service station with the brave service manager waiting inside.

He simply said, “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

I quickly picked up the keys and my wife and I heading back home (now in separate cars) into the perfect storm.

By the grace of God, I reconciled, we made it back home safely.

To this day, I am still haunted by the sound of waves splashing against the vehicle.

My wife cried the whole way home, rightfully concerned for the safety of our young children.

I’ll never forget what she said when we pulled into the garage, “We could have had waffles for dinner.”

The next day we heard the news.

9 people in our town had been killed.

2,000 parked vehicles were flooded-out.

Some streets in Central Virginia collapsed (the picture above was taken in Richmond the day after the Gaston flash floods).

Total damage was estimated at $130 million.

My message to you.

Images of natural forces like Hurricane Sandy here in 2012 or the Tsunami that struck Japan in 2011 are absolutely haunting and brought back these personal memories.

I cannot begin to comprehend the magnitude of  theses catastrophes, and it is not fair for me to compare the damage of Gaston to these emergencies.

My message today isn’t to tell you not to take risks.

I strongly encourage you to act boldly toward your dreams.

My message to you is simply this:

Act wisely.

If the risk far outweighs the reward (as it did in my case in 2004), don’t do it.

God may have a plan for your life, but we are expected to make wise choices to stay on the right path.

Or in my case, the road. Literally.

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I don’t know why specific natural disasters happen on earth.

I do know we live in a very fragile and broken world.

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^“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”

Ephesians 5:15-16

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If you’re about to do something really careless, remember the waffles.

What is your experience or advice?

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The experimenters were administering an electrical current whenever the rats entered part of its cage.

Instead of fleeing from that part of the cage, the rats enjoyed the electrical stimulation.

Once a lever was installed to offer a self stimulation, the rats effectively pleasured themselves to death.

They ignored foot and water, and pressed the lever as many as 2,000 times an hour.

Later research would reveal that the brain’s pleasure center, nucleus accumbens, leads specifically to a constant “wanting” to obtain the stimulation.

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Almost 60 years later, it seems millions of people (with personal access to online and media activity) are seeking that same level of stimulation every day.

For males, it appears to be a dangerous mix of spectator/fantasy sports, video gaming, and pornography.

For females, it is the insatiable stimulation of digital conversations, perhaps through Texting, Facebook, and Pinterest.

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As a recovering Crackberry (and now iPhone) addict and avid sports fan, I can relate.

How about you?

How long can you without checking your email or text messages?  How about Facebook or Twitter?  Or Sports Center highlights?

A week?

How about an entire day?

Just an hour?

If these modern examples don’t apply to you, I’m sure there are many people within your close network that you would describe as pleasure addicted to television or the internet.

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Why We Pleasure Ourselves to Death

I’m no scientist or theologian, so take my opinion for what’s it worth.

But my theory is simply this…

Millions of people (and yes, Christians) are seeking constant stimulation because they have stopped seeking God.

As for why they have stopped seeking God…

Maybe it is due to a perceived lack of response.

Or they have been led by false teachings on how to experience God.

Or simply they are so easily distracted.

I know I’ve experienced all of the above.

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Whatever your situation is, I pray you do not fall victim to the same fate as the rats.

The Apostle Paul knew the only escape:

“Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.”

(Romans 13:14)

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What are your thoughts about seeking constant pleasure or stimulation?

What advice you have for seeking God instead?

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My trusty old Pontiac now has 166,000 miles on it.

It still runs (most of the time), but it’s showing its age.

For example, it overheats if caught in traffic (forcing me to jump off at the nearest exist just to keep the car moving).

I make it a game to make it to work without the car overheating.

Interstate 95 in Virginia usually puts up a good fight.

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The fact that I even have a car places me in elite status worldwide.

There are approximately 600 million vehicles in the world today. Of those about 240 million are found in the United States.

Considering there are 6.76 billion people in the world, roughly 9% of the world’s population have a vehicle.

That number is overstated when you consider how many people (especially Americans) own more than one vehicle.

Simply stated, over 90% of the world does not have access to their own automotive transportation.

(Source: wiki answers)

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There is no question Americans are blessed (or should I say cursed) with an obscene about of abundance.

We are the model for consumption.

And, for millions of Americans, the most visible symbol of our property on a daily basis is our vehicle.

We travel to work in it.

We take it to the mall.

We park it at the gym.

We maneuver it through the drive thru for coffee or dinner.

And our vehicles transport us to church.

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A biblical case could be made for Christians to not “own” a vehicle at all if it involves financing or leasing it.

However, I’m here to ask today…

How much is too much?

For example, should Christians drive luxury SUVs?

(That question is triggered by the photo herein that I snapped in a dealership lot in Virginia).

I’m sure the irony of the license plate is not lost on you either.

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As an American who does not live directly in a city and have access to public transportation, my vehicle does serve a purpose almost every day.

For the record though, I’m not in the market for a Cadillac or anything comparable in terms of luxury and price tag.

I do find it tasteless to promote a love for Jesus on the back of a $70K Escalade.

(For additional thought, I wrote a blog post on whether Christians should identify themselves on their vehicles.. aka the Jesus Fish)

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I feel humbled and embarrassed to even have this conversation about vehicles.

I also recognize that less than 5% of the world’s population have their own computer and internet access.

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It’s unfortunate so many “Christians” (myself included) regularly confuse the rewards of God’s Kingdom with the rewards of the World:

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

(Hebrews 11:6)

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What example do you feel Christians should be setting with their possessions?

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What were the last two words spoken by Jesus on earth, as recorded in the Bible?

In fact, Jesus said the two last words not once, by twice!

If you already know the answer, I confess you have me beat.

I was surprised by the answer.

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The Promise of Paradise to the Criminal on the Cross?

Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

(Luke 23:43)

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Jesus’ Separation from his Father?

When Jesus took on the sins of the world, he felt spiritual separation from God for the first time:

“At the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

(Mark 15:34)

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The Great Commission?

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

(Matthew 28: 19-20)

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The Promise of the Holy Spirit?

“I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

(Luke 24: 49)

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All of those verses are life transforming for us all.

Arguably though, Jesus’ last words are in the Gospel of John.

(Go to the very last page of the Gospels, right before the Book of Acts)

And Jesus repeated  these two words twice.

To Peter after his resurrection.

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Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

(John 21: 19)

Moments later, as Peter noticed that John was following them, John records these final words of Christ:

Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.”

(John 21: 22)

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Follow me!

What do Jesus’ last two words mean to you?

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The following excerpt from the international bestseller The Normal Christian Life is no exception.

I’ve shared it several times with friends and family over the past year, and my friend and brother Oscar inspired me to share it through this new blog.

I hope it connects with your spirit as much as it has mine.

This story was shared in Europe in 1938 and translated from Chinese in 1957.

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From the author Nee Shu-Tsu (Watchman Nee):

I was once staying in a place in China with some twenty other brothers. There was inadequate provision for bathing in the home where we stayed, so we went for a daily plunge in the river.

On one occasion a brother got a cramp in his leg, and I suddenly saw he was sinking fast, so I motioned to another brother, who was an expert swimmer, to hasten to his rescue.

But to my astonishment he made no move.

Growing desperate I cried out: “Don’t you see the man is drowning?” and the other brothers, about as agitated as I was, shouted vigorously too.

But our good swimmer still did not move.

Calm and collected, he remained just where we he was, apparently postponing the unwelcome task.

Meantime the voice of the poor drowning brother grew fainter and his efforts feebler.

In my heart I said: “I hate that man! Think of his letting a brother drown before his very eyes and not going to the rescue!”

But when the man was actually sinking, with a few swift strokes the swimmer was at his side, and both were soon safely ashore.

Nevertheless, when I got an opportunity, I aired my views.

“I have never seen any Christian who loved his life quite as much as you do,” I said.

“Think of the distress you would have saved that brother if you had considered yourself a little less and him a little more.”

But the swimmer, I soon discovered, knew his business better than I did.

“Had I gone earlier,” he said, “he would have clutched me so fast that both of us would have gone under.

A drowning man cannot be saved until he is utterly exhausted and ceases to make the slightest effort to save himself.”

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The author concludes:

“Do you see the point?

When we give up the case, then God will take it up.

He is waiting until we are at an end of our resources and can do nothing more for ourselves.

God had condemned all that is of the creation and consigned it to the Cross.”

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And I will confess some of the interruptions are my on doing.

Phone calls, voice mails, emails, and instant messages to name a few.

In today’s fast-paced world, we are wired to connect in multiple ways.

Many of the interruptions are welcome especially if it is our family or our customer.

The challenge however is staying focused on the top priority of the moment.

Otherwise, we fail to get anything tangible done.

Do others feel the same way?

Do you drop what you’re doing if your hear the Pavlovian buzz of your smart phone?

A Gallup study revealed that the average amount of time spent by a professional on any single activity before being interrupted or switching is three minutes.

That’s correct.

3 minutes.

When I first heard about that study years ago, I didn’t believe it.

Until I set a stopwatch on my day.

Since I was so conditioned for interruptions, I also discovered I would interrupt myself if no one else did.

The Gallup study revealed the same effect.

We create 44% of our own daily interruptions.

Are we becoming completely unproductive?

Consider this warning:

Lord, my strength and my fortress,
    my refuge in time of distress,
to you the nations will come
    from the ends of the earth and say,
“Our ancestors possessed nothing but false gods,
    worthless idols that did them no good.”

(Jeremiah 16:19)

Is there hope?

I know I still have a long way to go.  I’m committed to giving the Power of 4 a real test.

(The Power of 4 is a scientific study that evaluated behavioral differences between people who read or listen to the Bible the majority of the the week (at least four days), and those who engaged with scripture less often.)

I’ve also restored a simple but powerful image on my iPhone.

And that is to set the lock image to a picture of the cross.

That way, every time I reach for my iPhone, I see the cross.

And all of a sudden, I slow down.

The interruption can wait.

There’s more important work to be done in service to others.

²³ Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.²⁴ For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24)

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What are your thoughts and advice?

How do you stay focused on what matters?

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After all, I experience stress every day.

Don’t we all?

What struck me wasn’t some perfect tip to manage stress.

Instead, it was a profound statement made by the presenter who was a medical doctor.

At first, I dismissed the notion.

Then I realized it was truthful in more than just one way.

He said there was only one thing we have to do in life.

Just one thing.

And this is it…

We have to die.

At first glance, it is kind of depressing.

But it is true.

At some point in our lives, we have to die.

Our present physical bodies will no longer function.

That was the doctor’s point.  It had nothing to do with spirituality.

It is simply a natural fact.

For comparison, think about anything else.

For example, we technically don’t have to do our job.

There are consequences of course.

If we don’t work, we would lose our job or business and become unemployed.

We don’t have to pay our taxes.

But if we don’t, we will likely go to jail.

We don’t have to exercise or eat healthy food.

There are clear consequence there as well.

But as human beings… we have to die.

The Beautiful Truth

There is only one way to overcome sin.

And that is by death.

It is our death with Jesus Christ.

Read closely Paul’s words to the Romans:

 ⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶ For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,that we should no longer be slaves to sin— ⁷ because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. (Romans 6:5-7)

We Indeed Have to Die

There is no other way to overcome sin.

Christians are dead to sin and alive in Christ.

Praise God!

We are called to deny ourselves and carry our cross every day.

²³ Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. ²⁴ For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24)

Do not ever go through a day forgetting your old self was crucified with Him.

The good doctor was indeed right.

We have to die.

And we already have.

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What are your thoughts?

How do you remind yourself you are dead to sin?

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Maybe it is spring break from school or a day of vacation from work.

Or just another start to the work week.

In any case, it is Monday.

Is anything different for us spiritually?

Perhaps not.

Have millions of seekers met their “church quota” until Christmas Eve?

Did Christians experience Jesus’ crucifix or just get their Jesus fix?

At what point, did Christianity go from every moment to every week? And now to every year?

I’ve been caught in that tidal wave of spare-time Christianity.

And discovered I was fruitless and spiritually dead.

Here’s my story and I bet it is a familiar one.

I started this blog to tell a different story and promise.

And to share a different Christian experience.

An experience that I would be honored to share with you in the months ahead.

I don’t have all the answers today, and neither does any other man born of the flesh.

I do have however the same source that you do, and that is God’s Word.

If you are seeking truth, application, and inspiration, I’m prepared to share what I know and experience.

All of which, I pray is from the Holy Spirit:

 ⁹ You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. (Romans 8:9)

Happy Day After Easter.

May it be the start of something powerful in your life.

In Jesus Christ,

Brent

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What has been your experience as a Christian?

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