Happy Forgiveness Day!

Happy Forgiveness Day. No, really. Today is Forgiveness Day. This should be on every single Christian's calendar. A day to celebrate forgiveness! A day to remember that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8)!

There we were, enemies of God (Romans 5:10), but reconciled to Him through the willing sacrifice of His son. If it hasn't struck you how amazing this idea is, consider: have you ever had an enemy? Somebody you just can't get along with, no matter how hard you try? You may not even call them an "enemy" (I mean, who even uses that word anymore?)... but they certainly aren't your friends. Sure, if they asked you to, you'd happily forgive them for however they wronged you... but would you go after them? Would you be the one to take that step at restoration? Would you be the first one to reach out and offer forgiveness -- and truly mean it? And, if they failed to see that they did anything wrong, if they persisted in denying you, if they still talked about you behind your back or undermined what you did with your life... would you still be willing to die to save their lives?

Would you do that? Because that's what Jesus did. That's what God still does! And, what's more, He chases after those who still deny Him by using those of us who are already beneficiaries of His grace to do so! And, He expects those who have been forgiven to also forgive. That person I mentioned earlier? That enemy? Forgiveness of that person isn't an option -- whether they ask for it or not.

Consider the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13):

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. (Emphasis mine)

Did you catch that? Forgive us as we forgive! And lest we think that means something other than what it means, Jesus is sure to clarify: 

For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:14-15)

Does that thought scare or comfort you? That when we ask God to forgive us as -- in the same way -- we forgive others, He just might? 

We are forgiven in our imperfection. Let's celebrate that today -- and every day -- by imitating our Savior and doing likewise!

It's June 25th... Do you know where your Christmas presents are?

Today is June 25th. It's been exactly six months since Christmas -- and it'll be another six before it returns. Do you remember what you got for Christmas? Have you used it? Are you still using it, or is it already gathering dust in a room somewhere? Of my two most memorable gifts of last Christmas, one is already broken, but the other is used daily, and a constant reminder of my family who loves me.

But what about the other gift? The gift that is the reason we celebrate Christmas at all? The birth of a small child -- the very person of God become human flesh -- whose teachings, character, love, and sacrifice would change the world? What have you done with that gift this year?

Is it gathering dust on the shelf of your mind -- given occasional lip service, but mostly forgotten?

Is it a suit you put on for church on Sunday and then maybe vaguely reference the rest of the week?

Do you use this gift daily, whispering prayers to Heaven, but only in private, letting nobody see it?

Or have you taken this gift of Salvation, of faith, hope, and love, and used it to bless others? Have you allowed this gift to become more than the storefront commodity our culture has made it; to instead change who you are, and let it define you until you have no choice to but to share it with the world? Have you taken this Gift, and presented it, unwrapped, as a gift to others?

It's been six months since we celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Savior of humanity. Like all gifts, it won't do you any good unless you do something with it. So, what have you done? What will you do? This is one gift that can change your life and the lives of those around you... and all you have to do is let Jesus do what Jesus does. Allow Him access. And then, allow Him control.

Do that, and you will find each day is like opening the gift anew.

Five Ways To Worship

Have you ever tried worshiping God with your nose?

I love the fact that, when God put us together, he gave us multiple avenues by which to experience the world around us. Rather than merely seeing and hearing the works of His hands, we can feel the breeze. We can smell and taste the food we need to sustain us. These five senses we have -- touch, sight, taste, smell, and hearing -- can warn us of danger, help us to make our way in the world, and even provide means of experiencing joy and pleasure.

We can also enhance our experience of God by engaging the senses. Listening to worshipful music -- even just instrumental music -- and letting it wash over you as you meditate on the glory of God. Seeing the world around you and praising the Creator, or viewing a work of art created as an act of worship. Feeling the grass beneath your feet or the touch of a child. Smelling a flower; tasting the fruits He has provided for our food.

Indeed, the Scripture reminds us we can experience God Himself through our senses!

Psalm 34:8 says "taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!"

So often, we see worship as something internal. We sing songs, and try to feel something inside ourselves. But God, though He lives in us, lives outside, too. He is all around us, and can be experienced -- and worshiped -- by each of the senses He provided.
 

Mistaken Identity Can Be Deadly

Do you know what Black swallow-wort is?

Native to European countries, the Black swallow-wort -- a cousin of North American species of milkweed,
is invasive to this continent, having been introduced by a plant collector in Massachusetts, and recorded as spreading by accident since around 1864.

So why are we talking about native Milkweed's annoying cousin? Entomologists and butterfly enthusiasts have noted another marked difference between what is also called "Black dog-strangling vine" (how's that for an evocative name?) and the native plant. While Monarch butterflies more or less live and thrive on native milkweed, its European cousin is actually deadly to the insect.

It turns out, this invasive plant registers to the butterfly as similar to its usual nutrition source, providing similar stimuli. However, when mama butterfly lays her eggs on the Black swallow-wort, the caterpillars who hatch are killed by the toxins in the plant. To the Monarch butterfly, this European vine looks like her usual milkweed. It smells like it. But it is certain death to any Monarch who eats it.

As Christians, we are inundated by teachings that sound an awful lot like Scripture. Sometimes, these things are throw-away lines, heard in our day-to-day lives. "Cleanliness is next to Godliness." "God helps those who help themselves." But sometimes, they are in the form of teaching -- often right from the pulpit. We are lulled by the spiritual-sounding words. Maybe they promise health and wealth (after all, didn't Jesus say He wanted us to have an abundant life?). Maybe they promise blessing in exchange for financial gifts (God loves a cheerful giver!). Maybe the words make us feel good about ourselves by condemning all those sinners out there.

It sure does sound like Scripture. But it's poison.

The apostle Peter issued a stern warning against those who would lead God's flock astray.

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. (2 Peter 2:1-3)

Don't be fooled! These so-called teachers and preachers may come in with pretty words, and tickle your ears with happy thoughts, but feeding on their teachings will poison your soul and lead you to death. The Gardener is coming, and these fake weeds will soon be rooted out. In the meantime, keep watch, and see that you are checking what you learn, not just against what sounds good, but against the truth of Scripture.  


(Thanks to Wikipedia's entries on the Monarch Butterfly and Black swallow-wort)

Go. Fish.

Though I haven't been for some time, I love fishing. Whether on a boat, or standing on a shore, there's
something about being on the water, casting a line, and (hopefully) reeling in a catch. Of course, I'm one of those who fish for leisure. When Jesus called His disciples, however, he chose from among men who caught fish to survive.

And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him. (Matthew 4:18-20)

A couple things about fishing. First, when you're fishing the way Peter and Andrew were fishing, it's not a leisurely kind of thing. It's not a simple matter of dropping a line and waiting for your bobber to disappear. It's hard work, and it's work done with a sense of urgency. For Peter and Andrew, if you didn't catch fish, you didn't feed your family. 

So, Jesus wasn't inviting these men -- nor James and John, the fishermen He called next -- on a vacation. He was inviting them to work. But a work of more eternal importance than mere food. Jesus would later tell these men, and the rest of His disciples -- indeed, each of us who call ourselves by His name -- go into the world and make more disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). We were, like Peter, Andrew, James, and John, called to catch Men in Jesus' name. And this calling isn't to simply drop a line and see who bites, but to drop a net and actively pursue.

It's important, too, to understand that occupation was and is a part of identity. These men weren't just a couple of guys. These were fishermen. That's how they were known. Jesus was, in changing what they did, redefining who they were. This is just as true today. If we are Christians, the discipling of others isn't merely one of the things we do -- it's a part of who we are.

The second thing about fishing is that it requires movement. Whether for food or fun, if you actually intend to catch fish, the first rule is, go where the fish are. We can't catch men by sitting in a church pew and waiting. We need to see where the fish are gathering, and then cast our nets wide. 

Now we could stretch this metaphor until it breaks, discussing bait, methods... even the depths of the water. But what's important to Christ is that we go. And fish.

Bunker Hill -- Losing to Win

Today is Bunker Hill Day. If I read my history right, Bunker Hill was a terribly bloody battle of the Revolutionary War. That we lost.

Violent defeat seems like an odd thing to celebrate... but I'm reminded of Paul, who likewise celebrated his own weakness.

And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
(2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

Acknowledging our own weakness is not willingness to give into our temptations or shortcomings. Rather, we celebrate the opportunity to let God take over and provide His strength in our personal failings. 

The Boston colonists of 1775 may have lost the Battle of Bunker Hill -- but it stands as a reminder of what they overcame, by the grace of God, to found this Nation. It is also an example of a Pyrrhic victory. That is, while the British won the battle, it was ultimately not worth the cost in lives. Likewise, our own weakness reminds us of the person we are leaving behind, as Christ guides us to become more like Him. We learn to lean not on our own strength, but on His. And our small failings remind us, too, of the greater Victories we have in Him.

And yes. That is worth celebrating.

Repost: Fathers and Pictures of God

This was originally posted October 17, 2012. It's being reposted in honor of Father's Day.

Pictures of God

I've been thinking lately about legacy. When Jesus talked about the love and care God has for His children, he liked to paint a picture of a loving father. Of course, we all know the story of the Prodigal Son. And there's Luke 11:11-12, in which Jesus reveals the generosity of God: “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?"

Or, in the book of Hebrews, where we are taught about discipline:

Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. (Hebrews 12:9-10)

The point is, when it comes to how our children view God, that picture is painted by how they view us.  When it comes to learning about a relationship with God, they take their cues from our relationship with Him, and our relationship with them.

To this day, I measure myself against the standard set by my father. To love his wife and children, to be a man of integrity, to love and obey and worship his God, to submit to the authorities placed over him, to enjoy the life and the family that God has given him. 

It's a high standard, and it has informed the way I view our Heavenly Father as well. 

The question that keeps me up at night is, when my own son is 35, what will his picture of God look like? 

Weeds in the Garden of Your Heart

Some time before we moved into our rental home, a previous occupant planted flowers -- annuals -- in areas around the house and yard. We were pleasantly surprised to find tulips, bleeding hearts, and irises growing as Spring finally came. And of course, once we realized we had actual flowers in our garden areas, we set about getting rid of the weeds.

We weed for obvious reasons. First, in a flower garden, weeds just aren't as pretty as the plants you want there -- in fact those weeds can ruin the image of the whole thing. They simply don't belong there, so when they pop up, they just throw off the aesthetics of the entire garden. In the case of a vegetable garden, weeding is even more important. Weeds steal nutrients needed by other plants, and ultimately can even crowd out and kill the vegetation you actually want. Weeds can destroy an entire lawn, even replacing the grass until all you have is a giant weed patch.

Sin is like that. We try to live as Jesus instructs us, to bring glory to Him... but those little sins pop up. Maybe at first, they're ignored. It's just one little sin. Maybe, like a dandelion, it even appears pleasing. Maybe you don't even know, at first, that it is a weed! But there it is. One tiny weed in the garden of your heart. It can't do that much damage. Maybe we even mow over it -- pray for forgiveness and then forget about it... until it pops up again. Then we pray again, ask God to forgive our little indiscretion.

Meanwhile, deep in the root system, where the Church isn't looking -- where you don't even look yourself -- that little weed is expanding its own roots. Slowly, it steals the nutrients from your Soul, subtly crowding it out, finding its way first into every little crack, and then expanding, expanding, growing into something quietly untamed.

What was one weed becomes two. Then three. They start to strangle a relationship. Then they keep a ministry from bearing fruit. And then, once you finally do kill them, they've already seeded for next season. Before long, your heart is so overrun, the weeds are all anyone can see. The garden you've cultivated -- your relationships, your ministry, your walk with God -- is obscured or even dying.

The good news is, we don't garden on our own. The same God who sows those seeds of faith and fellowship and ministry can also kill the weeds of sin.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:1-2)

Hey, Guess What?

Hey, guess what? God loves you.

The creator of the Universe, who set the stars and planets in motion; who set nine rocks around one star, chose one the perfect distance from that star so He could put people on it, and then made it habitable; who populated the waters of the planet with creatures we've only begun to discover, and the earth with creatures who move in such a relationship with each other as to keep the whole system moving and vibrant; who created man in His own image and breathed a living Spirit into him -- that God loves you.

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
For You have made him a little lower than the angels,
And You have crowned him with glory and honor.
(Psalm 8: 3-5)

What, indeed, is man, that God is mindful of him? And yet, He loves you. He loves you so much, He sent His only Son -- indeed an aspect of Himself -- to become one of us, to be beaten, to be mocked, and to be murdered. He sent Jesus Christ to become a final sacrifice, a door and a bridge back to Himself, even while humanity reveled in its own sin and greed and pride, and walked further away. Even while we were born unable to shake the mire in which humanity is soaked, and so stuck that we couldn't walk to Him, He came to us (Romans 5:8).

Whatever you have going on; whatever other people think about you, or what you think others think; whatever you think about yourself -- God loves you. 

Mourning For Money?

Yesterday was "Mourn For Your Money" Day. The idea is to commemorate the money being withheld from your paychecks in order to pay your taxes. Yet, when I consider the idea of today, I can't help but think of one of the final scenes in the powerful film Schindler's List.

Oskar Schindler, having rescued 1100 people from concentration camps, is surrounded by those he helped. His Jewish friends give him papers to help flee the country, and a ring -- a token of their appreciation for all he has done.

"I could have got more out," he laments. "If I'd made more money. I threw away so much money."


Here was a man who saved the lives of 1100 people. Generations, as he is reminded, who will survive because of what he did. Yet, he sees, he could have gotten one more. Just one. And he mourns, not for the money lost, but for the life that money represented.

Jesus reminds us often of the value of money. In Matthew 6:19-21, He tells us,

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Money is a tool we have. And like all tools, its value isn't in what it is, but in what it can do. There are children starving, at home and abroad. There are people going without. There are countless people who don't know Christ. Yet we are blessed with the tools to accomplish that and more -- if we but choose to do so. 

Even that small gold pin, Oskar Schindler remembered, could have saved just one more life. It's small. Insignificant, even. A decoration. But it could have saved a life. 

God Forgive Us

People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Luke 18:15-17)

I think our Lord is heartbroken by the plight of innocent children all over the world. Through no choice or fault of their own, children are victimized daily by war, by hunger, by the violence surrounding their daily lives. Millions are killed or finally succumb to starvation or disease, while millions more are murdered in the womb before they even have a chance at life. 

As people, we talk a pretty good game when it comes to loving and treasuring the most helpless among us. But the reality is, we have failed as a planet -- as a people -- when it comes to revering and protecting our young. 

According to a 2008 UNICEF report, an average of 26,000 children under five die every single day -- and mostly from preventable causes. That number doesn't include abortions.

In a world where 2.1 billion of us claim to be followers of Jesus Christ -- Christianity still being the largest religion in the world -- this is unacceptable.

God, forgive us. 

Compassion International
The God's Child Project
Christian Children's Charities

It's Worth Repeating: Love Conquers All

Today is both Love Conquers All Day, and Repeat Day. In honor of both, here's a repost.

Love Wins (posted Nov 5, 2012)

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. (1 John 4:7-9)

It seems like God can be pretty hard to figure out. It can be hard to understand why the righteous suffer while the unjust prosper, or why God allows some things to happen to some, but not to others. It can be just as difficult to comprehend why a God who is so hard on Sin can show so much grace as to send Jesus to die, be resurrected, and cleanse that sin away, and without demanding anything from us but acceptance. 

It's so tough to figure out, in fact, that we in our humanness can often be tempted to ignore the more difficult parts of Scripture. Like all the "Hell" stuff. Or that "I am the Way, The Truth, and the Life" rhetoric attributed to Jesus.  If we focus on the "Love" aspect, we figure, that'll be okay. After all, God is Love, right? Everything else is just man-made, we reason. 

Never mind that the "God is Love" stuff is part of the same Bible we want to mostly toss out. And, I hate to say it, but if you toss out all the "sin" stuff and the "Hell" stuff, the "Salvation" and "Love" stuff is pretty much meaningless. 

Confusing, isn't it? Well, after all, 1 Corinthians 1:25 does remind us that "the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of Man." And indeed, just a few verses ahead, verse 18, says, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

Could it be that, when it comes to what Love actually means, we in our humanity simply don't get it? When we say "God is Love," what we're really describing is God's entire character. If God is love, then everything God does is love. Even the stuff we don't like. 

Maybe we really don't understand Love that much at all. 

Actually, the fact that we are sinners -- the fact that we have fallen short of God's glory -- is proof that He acted out of nothing but love when He sent His son. The law -- and the sin of disobeying it -- serves to highlight the difference between us and God. It shows us that by ourselves we could never be good enough to enter the Holiness that is God, but that, because He loves us, He created a way to bring us into His presence.

Love -- God -- built a bridge. All we need to do is cross.