The Worst Advice

We say it all the time. Books with this advice sell millions of copies. Speakers and preachers proclaim it all the time. We tell it to our children. The truth is, it might just be the worst advice we can give someone. There is something better. ©2018 Mike Kerby & Jesus' Outsider Ministries

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This episode was very challenging. I knew that by taking on the whole "chase your dreams" mentality that permeates our culture and the church that I was doing something unpopular. Given the number of messes that our team has cleaned up in the wake of a conference, book, or what passes for revival in some churches, I couldn't keep silent.

The longer I follow Christ, the more that closer adherence to what the Word of God actually says becomes important. Fast and loose interpretations or subtle worldly influences drop away in the light of His real truth. Finding who we are called to be and the good works prepared for us ahead of time is far more important than dreaming big dreams and chasing them. Like it or not, most of us are not called to do what we would consider large and important. However, God is often in the things we see of little impact in our fleshly mind but are huge in His Kingdom.

Science and Miracles

Okay, I admit it, I'm a nerd. I love science. Before going into ministry, I started life studying engineering with a real love for physics. It was only doing the job that I learned that while I love math and science I really hated engineering. I am grateful for a solid scientific education but am just as grateful not to be spending my life in a fabric box. My hat's off to everyone who loves the work. (You da real MVPs)

A Pew research poll released this morning surveys people who have left church who now profess to have lost faith in God. Many, I'm willing to bet, were raised more as cultural Christians (a large number admitted to never having really believed). The ones that stood out are those who stated that rational thought or science cancel out religion. I tend to disagree with that idea.

Several months ago, I had a chance conversation with someone who stated that he left church because no one could answer his questions. So, I responded out of genuine curiosity, "Okay, like what?"

He stood up straight and in a strong defiant tone made a statement rather than asking a question. "Miracles violate all laws of science!" He obviously thought that this would end all discussion. His tone indicated that he would brook no argument to his position.

Undeterred, I looked at him, "So, you don't have a question but a wall. Miracles, by definition, are violations of the known laws of science. If they fit in our understanding of science, they wouldn't be miracles." I'm not sure but I'm willing to bet that he had heard something similar before our conversation. He got very huffy and even more defiant. He made it clear that he wanted no more of this kind of talk. I think he was hoping that I would fumble and stumble or maybe try to use weak science or rewrite the Biblical account to explain miracles like some do. I merely stated my logical belief.

There are a lot of people who are striving to demonstrate a fictitious divide between faith and science. Vocal atheists including Bill Nye state their belief plainly that no one who believes in God can be a scientist. Personally, I find that statement to be completely irrational as I see the hand of a Creator through science. I believe that some of that is simply that the idea of the miraculous, even when there is evidence to prove that it occurred, breaks their safe world.

I am a logical, rational man with a background in physics. Of all the scientific disciplines, apart from healings, physics seems to be the one most often on the receiving end of these alleged violations. Walking on water? Crazy, right? What about that whole dividing the Red Sea thing? Liquid water doesn't behave that way. That's why they're miracles. In each of those two cases, water changed its properties. In one case, a liquid supports the weight of not only Jesus but Peter as well. The surface area of the human foot is no where near sufficient to create buoyancy.  Water splitting and becoming walls on either side of the gap? Don't even get me started on why that just doesn't work.

I chose these cases because they are dramatic example of something that could not be easily dismissed. No attempt to alter the Biblical account has ever been able to measure up to each detail of the event. My scientific background says that these could not have happened. However, that same science points me to the Creator. Logically, if there is a Creator, He can exert His power over the universe he created.

Yes, there is an element of faith involved. However, it is my experience that science also involves an element of faith. Sometimes, the faith isn't in the actual data but in the interpretation of that data. For the man I mentioned earlier, he was hung up on how he saw the world and couldn't put it aside. He had faith in his interpretation of the world around him and anything that contradicted that could not be accepted. In truth, I didn't continue the discussion because I knew that he wouldn't be receptive to a word I had to say.

Do miracles make rational sense? That depends. It is rational if you accept the reality of a Creator and put your faith in Him. However, for a purely naturalistic world view, anything that violates the known laws of the universe can be a tough hurdle to leap. Miracles definitely break all the rules.

Please, when engaging in these discussions, please don't assume the other is a fool who only needs to come around to your point of view. Debating science versus religion won't get you far. A little piece of wisdom from my father, "A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still."

Remember the mission. It's about Jesus and His work on the cross. Let the faith and belief in miracles take care of itself. It worked with me. I was well versed in science when I came to Christ at the age of twenty-four. Trust the work of the Holy Spirit. He is very good at His job.

Help Make The Sex, Porn, and Freedom Conference Happen

There is a cancer spreading throughout our culture and the Body of Christ. It’s time to face this evil head on.

Pornography and the culture it creates has penetrated every level of society. It’s everywhere including the church. Some of the numbers:

• 33% of youth pastors admit to pornography addiction or to struggling with pornography
• 40-45% of Christian men admit to being addicted to pornography
• 70% admit to struggling with porn
• 25% of all internet downloads are porn related

This is just a taste. However, if you believe this is just a problem for men, consider the following:

• Fifty Shades of Grey has sold over 125 million copies worldwide with an estimated reach of nearly double that amount with libraries and book sharing. Millions of Christian women have been exposed to the BDSM lifestyle in its pages.
• Surveys range from 25-40% of women admitting a pornographic addiction.

Our culture is becoming increasingly sexualized and it’s influence is felt in the church. That’s why we are putting on the Sex, Porn, and Freedom Conference scheduled for May 14th of this year. We’ll be sharing the full statistics, how porn has influenced our culture, and, most importantly, how to break free from its clutches. We’ll be using personal testimonies, clinical methods, and the power of the Gospel to share freedom from sexual addictions.

Our speakers include Pstr. Mike Kerby, (Director of Jesus’ Outsider Ministries and program host), Kim Kerby (a survivor of the real BDSM lifestyle and Addiction specialist for Jesus’ Outsider Ministries), Kevin Sisco (D.MIN., LCPC, CSAT, CMAT, Antioch Group), and Rich Gerberding (Men of AIM).

In order to make this conference happen and help stem the tide of sexualization in the church, we need your help. We are looking for businesses, congregations and ministries who are willing to stand up to this evil and support our efforts.

Through sponsorships, direct donation, and congregational support, we need to have at least half of the projected cost (approximately $3000 of an expected $6000 cost) covered before we start selling tickets. We need to accomplish this before April 1st to ensure a venue has been booked and printed materials can be ordered. 

Sponsors with at least $75 will be featured on the conference site. Higher levels of sponsorship (at least $150) will be in the participant guide including a full color logo and a QR code to the sponsor’s website or Facebook page.

Please consider how you can help. More information and links to make contributions can be found on a special section of our site dedicated to the conference or you can contact me directly. My contact information is below.

In Christ,

Pstr. Mike Kerby

Director and Program Host

Jesus’ Outsider Ministries

mike@jesusoutsider.com

Office: (309) 670-0302

Moving Forward

As of right now, we are up and running at about 50% capacity. We have the use of an older machine that allows some of the older versions of software to run but videos are still out of the question. Producing new episodes of Jesus' Outsider may be possible but we haven't had time to test it yet. We're putting everything we have into laying the groundwork for the Sex, Porn, and Freedom Conference so we can get that ball rolling.

We have been able to make several key updates to the Jesus' Outsider website reflecting the shift from being a podcast page to a full media, evangelistic, and conference ministry. Preliminary team bios are on the page for the start of our core leadership team with more to be added soon. As soon as time allows, we will also be adding a resource page with an Amazon store and a separate store for apparel. Big things are coming but they take time.

The SP&F conference must go forward. The need is huge. We have dedicated an entire page of the new Jesus' Outsider Ministries site to the conference with more content to come. We've been teasing a little of what we intend but it's time to go farther. Even at our reduced capacity, we know we must do everything we can to make this happen.

That means we need your help. In order to book a venue, musical talent, and cover other starting expenses, we need some resources. There are a number of ways you can get involved in helping us get the initial boost in bringing this much needed conference to Peoria and, as the Lord allows, beyond.

1. Individual Donation: Any amount helps, even as little as $5. There is a special PayPal link on the SP&F page on the Jesus' Outsider site.
2. Business/Ministry Sponsorship: We are looking for ministries and businesses who understand the scourge of sexual sin in our community to sponsor the event. A rate sheet is available for anyone interested.
3. Church Offerings: Allow us to come and share the vision for the conference and overall ministry with your congregation or appropriate committee. We also can bring a straightforward Gospel message for an evangelistic event.
4. Spread The Word: If you are not in a position to make a financial contribution, help us to spread the word about the conference and ministry. Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter. Share as many of our posts as possible with as many people as possible. In many ways, this is at least as important as direct financial assistance.

We need your help to make this happen. Please email Pastor Mike with any additional questions.

The Tyranny of The Urgent

I first came across the concept in business. There's a list of tasks that need to be prioritized and completed. Once sorted in to their proper order, the items on the list need to be checked off in order of importance. Inevitably, something happens that throws the list into chaos. Under normal circumstances, this usually isn't an issue because once the new issue is resolve, the normal priorities return. The problem happens when this happens over and over again. Urgent problems take the place of the truly important things that need to get done. This is the Tyranny of The Urgent and it's destroying lives in ways that few recognize. It's one of the most potent weapons in arsenal of the enemy.

The urgent gets in the way of the important and prevents us from actually getting anywhere. Often, the important that the urgent blocks is the very thing that will solve the urgent problem in the long term. To use finances as an example, someone takes a lot of odd jobs to solve immediate financial concerns but doing so prevents an actual job search. The urgent need of unpaid bills drives the decision to solve the short term problem because there seems like no choice. The urgent prevents the long term solution from coming to fruition.

People do this every day. More of us are governed by the this tyranny than we even realize. I have to confess that the last several months have found me in that position. My lovely bride and I have been facing a whole list of issues from health issues to financial problems that have been in the way of doing anything meaningful. Perhaps that's why I'm writing this post. I need to confess my own sins and at the same time try to bring you some hope that you too can overcome your tyranny through prayer and allowing the Lord to actually be in charge.

The root of the Tyranny is fear and worry. What happens if I don't do this? Can we survive if I let this slide? In many ways, as this world slides and the economy just continues to languish, more people will move into survival mode, the essence of the urgent. Fear justifies way too many decisions with finances and relationships. Worry eats us alive.

Like so many issues of life, the answer is simple but not easy. Jesus Himself gave it to us in the Sermon on The Mount. (Matthew 6:25-34)

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

As I said, the answer is simple but not easy. In truth, this is one of the more challenging teachings the Lord has given us. It's easier to overcome adultery than worry. The urgency that is driven by worry is what keeps us from doing what really needs to be done. The urgent is really a shut down. We get tied up, scrambling from one crisis to the next, never getting anywhere. All we seem to do is just spin our wheels. We were meant for better.

Jesus takes hold of our fears and worries and assures us that God knows our needs and will take care of us. There are times, even for the most spiritually mature, when this truth is hard to grasp. Financial, health, or relational issues get in the way. Here, the Lord is telling us not be worried about such things.

He tells us that God will meet our physical needs if we put His Kingdom first. In truth, all of our needs are found in Christ. The Father knows not only that we need food, clothing, and shelter but so much more. He will meet all of them. 

One of the laments I have taken up over the last several years is that so many important decisions have been made based almost entirely upon finances. This is more than simple budgetary concerns. It's been based upon finding enough money to solve a looming crisis. I'm ashamed to admit how little prayer went into most of them. Now, as the Lord is convicting me of my lack of faith, I look back and see how much damage foolish, prayerless decisions have done. I even see some of my recent choices going awry after choosing to trust God more only a few months ago.

That's when the enemy hits us with urgency. The first of the year, my lovely bride and I undertook a new step in life fueled by faith. It was a huge leap that had been basked in prayer. Two months in and we're facing a huge disaster. Questioning that choice is natural when it seems to go badly. We were hit with a series of health issues affecting by my bride and me. These problems had a profound negative effect on our finances. Combined with other unplanned problems, we've been forced to make decisions we didn't anticipate. Many of those choices at the points of decision went against our better instincts but, because of the problems we face, we made them anyway. In several, those decisions have exacerbated the long term problems. Now, we have to find a way back to the important through the clutter.

That's the problem we all face when we fall into the Tyranny. Now begins a process to reclaiming our position of trusting the Lord. Some of the choices cannot be undone easily. There will be resistance not just in the spiritual realm but the physical as well. This is to be expected whenever moving back to where faith guided decisions rather than urgency. That's why prayer for wisdom is essential. The Lord promises that whosoever asks for wisdom will have it given to them liberally. (James 1:5) That's what all of us need when getting back to the priorities He sets for us.

Allowing the Lord to set our priorities is how we break the cycle of tyranny. "Whom the Son sets free is free indeed." (John 8:36) The law of liberty means that we are set free from the constraints of sin and the world's system. That includes fear and worry, the root of the tyranny of the urgent. Walking out the law of liberty and shedding the shackles of this world is the abundant life Jesus promised.

If you are in this situation now or find yourself there in the future, prayer and faith are the only way out. None of the time management solutions I learned in all my years of business education are truly sufficient for breaking free. Trust me, I've tried. This isn't our first time in this mess but it's at one of our more critical junctures. Faith has freed us before and will do so again. It will just take time. The same is true for you.