There is something about a storm that brings you closer to God. Nobody in thier right mind asks for storms, but God in His goodness allows us to passage through them because He knows that it is in the storms where we grow. Angela and I have been enduring some storms lately. We seem surrounded by the needs and hardship of those we serve. And yet God has been so faithful to show Himself strong on our behalf. 

Last night we had prayer meeting at Gages Lake. I was looking forward to Wednesday prayer all week, because it is in the time of prayer and fellowship with the fellow saints in the church that God really shows up. I felt it last night. One of the things I have learned about Gages Lake Bible Church in the last year is that our people are a praying people. They really are. Lately, our church body has seen many of its members in the hospital, enduring crisis after crisis. Our poeple have rallied to the cause, getting on their knees and praying. 

There are a lot of institutions in the world where people go for comfort: the bar, the coffee shop, the living room, the TV, the chat room, the telephone. But I dare say that the most comfort is found in the prayerful presence of brothers and sisters in your local church. My family and I always come away refreshed and encouraged. 

I thank God that he brought me to these people here at Gages Lake Bible Church. We are blessed to be among the saints. 

 One of my favorite authors and pastors is Joshua Harris. When people say, "Who is Josh Harris?" I say that he's the author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye, but that's really not fair, because he wrote that book many years ago. The title of that book induces panic in people, but in its pages is great truth for young men and women in dating relationships. I recommend it for all young people, high-school and college. I also recommend Boy Meets Girl. Both those books profoundly affected my view of relationships as a young person. 

But I'm not talking about those books today. Instead, I just finished one of Josh's more recent works, Stop Dating the Church. Now this book was written in 2004, so its not terribly recent, but it is ever relevant today.

Josh is now a pastor of a church in Maryland. In Stop Dating the Church, Josh speaks candidly about his own lack of committment to church in his youth. He said that he was "dating the church" instead of engaging in whole-hearted committment to the church, which is God's bride.

Today there are stacks of books in the Christian world that critique the church. Some are useful, but most are full-fledged assaults on God's chosen instrument in this age. The fact is that God loves the Church, in spite of its shortcomings. When then, is it so fashionable to beat up on God's bride? 

Josh also speaks truth in an area where very few Christian authors and pastors speak. Committment to a church. I'm glad he took up this issue, because we live in an age of church-hopping and church-shopping. Consumer Christianity. But God's plan and God's will for every believer is to be actively committed, loyal, and faithful to a local church. Now, to be sure, it should be a local church that is built on and preaches from the Word of God in a systematic, clear way. It should be a church with solid doctrine. It should be a church that preaches the gospel clearly.

But one thing it won't be is a perfect church. We must aproach our church not to see what we can take from it, but what we can contribute to it in a way that edifies the brethren. 

I enjoyed this book, not just because I'm a pastor, but because I'm a lover of the church. The local church is where God is active, where His program is progressing, where His mission is being fulfilled. I like being in the center of God's activity on earth. 

Disclaimer: I don't agree or endorse every single thing I read in every single Christian book. Christian books are written by men who are flawed. The books I write are flawed. The only book I wholeheartedly endorse without reservation is the Word of God, which has no flaws and was not written by man. 

 For the first time in almost 7 years, I have been living at home by myself. My wife and two children have spent the last three weeks in Texas. We lost a good friend, Ben Kottwitz and Angela is there trying to help her best friend, Ashli, get thru the initial grief. Even though we know that God is in control, that Ben is in Heaven, it is still a very tough situation that needs the prayers of everyone.

We had to make the travel plans quickly so Angela could get down there. Both of us felt it would be good for her to go and for me to get a lot of work done on my new book. I have a tight deadline and three uninterrupted weeks would be helpful. The truth is that I have gotten quite a bit of work done, but I wasn't prepared for three weeks without my family. Sure, I had enough food, all my physical needs were taken care of. But I didn't realize just how much I'd miss my wife and my two children.

I've gone out of town for a day or a couple of days. I even taught at a conference for a week. But this is different. Coming home every night to an empty house is lonely. It miss Angela's laugh. I miss the noise of my two children. I miss the busy structured days.

God wired us for community, for relationships. But we don't realize this fully until those relatoinships are gone. I'll admit that I have never fully appreciated what my wife brings to my life until these three weeks. I guess we get so stuck in the day-to-day routines that we forget to stop and enjoy the blessings God has set before us. 

Ultimately, we find our satisfaction in Christ alone. He gives us the love and security that no human can provide. 

I guess my advice is this. Appreciate your loved ones while they are close by. Take every opportunity to tell them how much you love them. Show grace and mercy and forbearance on their faults. Serve them selflessly. 

And pray for those who've lost loved ones, pray that God will give them extra grace to endure the lonliness. 

This year, I'm celebrating the 4th in a most unusual way. My wife and two kids, Grace, and Dan Jr, are out of town. I have quickly realized what a great woman she is and how much I depend upon her. I realize how lonely it is around here without her. She has enriched my life in so many countless ways. I would not be who I am without her. And I miss the noise and conflicts and love of my kids. 

The 4th of July is a special holiday, because it forces us Americans to sit back and embrace and be grateful for the country God has given us. And let's remember that it is God who has given us this great nation. We seemed to have forgotten that. 

I've travelled overseas to third-world countries. I've seen unimaginable poverty, disease, and hopelessness. I've seen partially-clothed children crawling the streets, looking for something to eat. I've seen entire families living in huts made of dung and leaves and cardboard. 

We Americans are truly blessed. We're in the top 1% of the world. So what does that mean? 

It means we should stop on the 4th and praise God for our prosperity. We should be deeply grateful for His undeserved blessing. 

It means we should be profoundly appreciative of our military veterans. Everyone says this on the 4th, but we should really mean it. These men and women signed up voluntarily to fight for our protection. We have several veterans in our church. Every time I hear their stories, I am touched deep into my soul. My own brother is a veteran. Thanks Tim, for fighting for our protection. My good friend Robert is still active and has served on many missions. Robert, you're a hero. My own grandfather was stationed in the Pacific during World War II. He suffered through the Great Depression. He was part of the Greatest Generation that built this country. I loved Grandpa and when he passed in 06, he left a hole in our hearts that still remains. 

It means we should consider why exactly God put us here as Americans. Was it so we could live in self-indulgence and greed? Or is there another reason? Maybe God has given us prosperity so we could affect change in the world? As a Christian, I strongly believe we have been given so much--so that we could give back. I believe God raised up America so thru its prosperity, we could bring the light of the Gospel to those who have never heard. Think of the millions of people who've come to know the Savior, because faithful missionaries have been sent from our shores. And today, ministries broadcast the gospel to living rooms in almost every country on the planet. The internet and other technologies are shining the light of the gospel into the world's darkest corners. Its a heavy responsiblity to be given so much, because to whom much is given, much is required. I hope our generation rises to that challenge.  

Today, I hope we stop and reflect on the good fortune of being born in America. And I hope we think of others who are less fortunate. I hope we thank God for the fighting men and women of this country. 

Happy 4th. 

Dan