Jesus Christ: The Word

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. (John 1:1-3)

As we head into Advent season, it is good to understand exactly who it is we are celebrating when we celebrate the man Jesus. John's gospel opens at the very beginning. Indeed, it gives us a glimpse before time. Before Man, before Earth, before the Universe, there was God. Outside of what we know as time itself, there He is, the Creator of All Things and Giver of All Life. 

We like to talk about Jesus as Son of God -- and He is. But He is so much more! 

This Man -- this man who was born the lowly, poor son of a carpenter; whose parents were so poor He had to be born in a stable; whose parents fled to Egypt just to save His life; who walked among us, healing and showing us what it means to love; who had no place to call home here on earth; who was mocked and beaten and brutally murdered -- this Man was, and is, God Himself. 

John tells us He was present for the creation of the Universe. That it was by Him that all things were created. He built this world. He created us. And then, by His great love for us, He lowered Himself to our level. 

Words are insufficient to capture the awe of this moment we celebrate once a year. The moment when the very Person of the Creator was pushed into the world of men through the womb of a young virgin girl, screaming and gasping for His first breath of oxygen, and then laid into a straw-filled trough. 

This birth wasn't His beginning. The Word, the Son of God, present and instrumental in the creation of all things has no beginning and no end. But what this birth shows us is that as eternal as He is, so is His love for us.

For His Name's Sake

He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake. (Psalm 23:3b)

Have you ever wondered exactly why it is that the Creator of the Universe loved us so much He would send His only Son to die at our hands, carrying the weight of our debt and guilt? Has it occurred to you to stop and wonder why this same Creator desires a personal relationship with people as tiny as we are -- and individually, at that?

It still amazes me to think about it. Why would this God be our shepherd? Why would He make us to lie down in green pastures, lead us beside still waters, restore our souls? Why would He deign to lead us in the paths of righteousness, which we are incapable of walking on our own? 

Why does He do these things? For His name's sake! To put it another way, because it's who He is. It is in His nature to love -- to truly love -- because Love is who He is. 

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. (1 John 4:7-8) (emphasis mine)

God is love. Our salvation has nothing to do with who we are; it has everything to do with who He is. Love is His very nature. It is the core and fiber of His being. He is Love, and so much more! He is Just. He is perfect. He, therefore, doesn't merely save us. He doesn't merely lead us to green pastures and still waters... but once He's taken us there, He then shows us how to be righteous. Because He loves us. 

Because that is who He is.

In The Paths of Righteousness

He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake. (Psalm 23:3b)

Our God is marked by His grace and mercy. These two key traits are how we best know our Messiah -- they are manifestations of His great love for us. We, meanwhile, are known by our need for His grace and mercy. If you're a Christian, this is pretty basic stuff. You don't come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ without first understanding what it is you need to be saved from. 

One of the wonderful things about having a God who saves though, is that He knows our strengths and weaknesses. Take, for example, Jesus' admonition in Matthew 5:48 to "be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." Does He really believe you and I, in our own strength, can come even close to that kind of standard? If He did, He wouldn't have needed to die. 

No. He knows you and I aren't capable of perfection. We take a couple steps toward Righteousness and are as completely lost as a ship in fog with no navigation. But He doesn't expect us to tread the path of Righteousness on our own. Instead, He leads us. 

This is part of what it means to be a shepherd. The sheep don't always know the way. They don't always have the destination in mind. They get distracted. But the Shepherd knows where He's going. He knows what the sheep need, and how to get them there. So He leads. 

And the leading, too, is a part of His grace.

He Restores My Soul

He restores my soul...
Psalm 23:3a

Have you ever been bone tired? It's that level of fatigue where you're not sure where you're going to come up with the strength to take another step. All your body wants to do is fall down and stay where it lands. It's that feeling you get when all your reserves are used up. There are no more second winds. There is, simply, nothing left.

The beauty of Psalm 23 is that it speaks to the soul in that same state of fatigue. The soul that is spiritually used up; when you feel like you've given everything you have, and then some. There's an old cliche that says God won't give you more than you can handle -- but, deep down, your soul knows it isn't true. We are constantly given more than we can handle on our own. With all the darkness in the world, with all those who use us, or abuse us, with all that we have to give of ourselves... it all becomes too much, until finally our souls want nothing else but to collapse in on themselves, to be tucked away into a dark corner, and kept safe and alone for the next several years.

I've been there. So have you.

But the good news is, God never expected us to do it on our own. We are given more than we can handle, because nothing is more than He can handle. He's in this with us -- even more, in fact. And when we're exhausted, He lets us rest in him. And He not only lets us rest, but restores our souls.

To restore means to renew; to bring back to a state of health and vigor. When we rest in Him, He doesn't merely lend us support enough to go on; He brings us back to full health. More, in fact, He makes us stronger, because of the trials we've already undergone.

When you're willing to let yourself be led -- when you recognize God as the Great Shepherd, and submit yourself to His will -- He will give you rest and restore your soul.

Beside Still Waters

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters. (Psalm 23:2)

Is there anything as refreshing as a cool drink of water? Throughout the day, we consume a lot of different fluids. For some people, it's coffee or tea, juices or lemonade, adult beverages or soda. Yet, with all the choices the world offers, ultimately our bodies need -- our bodies crave -- simple, God-given water.

When you're going for a walk, or mowing the lawn, exercising in some way or simply exerting yourself more than usual, often the very first thing you want (after a breather) is pure, refreshing water.

Indeed, we love water so much, we find its very presence peaceful and calming. It's as though our spiritual selves long to be near it just as much as our physical bodies require it for survival. We build our homes next to it. We plan activities around it. We'll sit and stare at it for hours.

Maybe this need -- this physical, emotional, spiritual need -- is why Jesus talked about the Water of Life.

“Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:13-14)

As the Good Shepherd, Jesus knows our desires... but more than that, He knows our needs. It's our nature to drink. It's God's nature to lead us to the still, peaceful water of Life.

He Makes; He Leads

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters. (Psalm 23:2)

Sometimes, kids need a nap. 

As a parent, my job is to lead my children. Sometimes, I can lead them by example, or through suggestion. And sometimes, because I'm the adult and know what's best for them, I have to express my will more insistently. I have to tell them what to do, and expect them to obey it. Naps are like that. Very rarely will one of my 5-year-old daughters tell me they want to take a nap. Even when I can judge by their behavior that a nap is exactly what they need, their own will is to keep going, to stay awake. So I must make them lie down. I'm not taking away their autonomy; I'm helping them grow, because I'm giving them exactly what they need -- even when they don't know it. 

Sometimes, God works this way as well. Once we put ourselves in His hands, His expectation is that we will be submissive to His will. We are the sheep; He is the shepherd. 

What this means is that sometimes He will lead us beside still waters. He will guide us to refreshing water, and we will drink, because it is in our nature to do so. But it is also in our nature to keep going, long after our ability to walk straight, to think clearly, to follow well. We're not people who trust easily; who put ourselves fully under the authority of another. We're not people who willingly rest under the protection of another -- even when rest is exactly what we need. So, like a loving Father, He makes us lie down.

Many people have experienced this. Certain doors close; options are removed until all that is left is to shut down and to rest in His arms. 

Maybe this is what Jesus meant when He said,

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:29-30)

He Makes Me To Lie Down in Green Pastures

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters. (Psalm 23:2)

There is something peaceful about green pastures and still waters. The whole scene, set in just those two sentences, whispers, "rest," for those weary enough to need it. Later in the psalm, we'll learn about a valley of a shadow of death, and about enemies being present... so this respite, this calm interlude, is made that much more important.

Indeed, in the busyness of our lives, in the day-to-day drama of living out our lives for Christ, in a world that increasingly values Self above all else, I find that I seek rest more and more. In the constant noise of our bustling age of electronic everything, how sweet it is to find that quiet place and relax in the presence of the Shepherd!

Jesus again echoes the Psalm when He says,

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27)

Yet, there's even more blessing in these pastures than simple rest. A shepherd himself, David knows that green pastures aren't merely bedding for tired sheep; they are also nourishment. A part of the rest offered here is the knowledge that their needs are being met. That they can rise at any time and partake in the abundant grass around them. 

This is what it means to rest in the abundant life of Christ: to lie down in green pastures, knowing the Shepherd is keeping watch, that He has met our needs, that He has it under control.

I Shall Not Want

The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1)

In the first verse of David's hymn, we learn of a Shepherd who supplies the needs of His sheep. "I shall not want." Or, in another version, "I lack nothing."

This first verse could be seen as an introduction to the rest of the psalm. In verses 2-6, David will tell us about many of the needs God is meeting. But it's also a more profound statement than that, because he isn't just saying, "my Shepherd will provide the following." He's saying, "I have everything I need."  And, to go further, the reason he has all he needs is that the Lord is his Shepherd.

Jesus touched on this very subject -- and in fact neatly paraphrased this first verse -- when He gave His sermon on the mount:

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:33)

It's easy -- and for many, tempting -- to turn this into a test of faith. To look at this verse and wonder why it doesn't seem as though our needs are being met. To wonder whether persecuted Christians throughout the world can take comfort in this Scripture. But they can! Much of this is about perspective.

Like the old song says, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus / look full in His wonderful face / and the things of earth will grow strangely dim / in the light of His Glory and Grace."

The things of this earth are temporary, where God is concerned with the eternal. They are finite where God is Infinite. In Psalm 23:1, we learn that when we follow the Shepherd, He will take care of our needs, leading us where He wants us to be. And what He has in store is so much better than what this world can offer.

Like all of Psalm 23, this is reminder to rest. To not worry. And, most importantly, to trust that your God has things well in hand.

The LORD is my Shepherd

The Lord is my shepherd... (Psalm 23:1a)

We often use the 23rd Psalm as a hymn of comfort. And it is. But more than that, it is a song of faith -- and of faithfulness. Faithfulness on the part of both the sheep and the Shepherd.

In this first verse, We learn the identity of our Shepherd. In Hebrew, the word "Lord" is written as YHWH, a name for God so Holy the Hebrews wouldn't even pronounce it (even in translation, the vowels are removed out of reverence and respect). In reading these manuscripts, Hebrews would instead see this designation and pronounce it as "Adonai," a word meaning "Lord." In a world of many cultures, celebrating many deities, David wanted no mistakes as to the God he worshiped. The Hebrew God, "YHWH," said David, "is my Shepherd."

This is a weighty distinction. And as much as it is a comfort to the Hebrews -- to those who claim YHWH as their God, it is meant also as a warning to the enemies of Israel and of God. Remember: David, too, was a Shepherd. Not only did he tend his sheep and see to their proper feeding, he protected them as well. He killed a bear and a lion with only his sling to defend his sheep.

Perhaps David, then, knew of what he spoke when he boldly confronted Goliath:

“You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. ⁴⁶ This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. ⁴⁷ Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.” (1 Samuel 17:45-47)

He knew, as a shepherd, that as much care as he provided for his sheep, the God of Israel would provide that much, and more! 

Psalm 23 was written as a man who was a shepherd. A man who knew his shepherd -- the one who kept him safe -- was no mere mortal, but the Lord God!

Get Lost!

I hate being lost. Hate. It. There are few things more stressful to me than not knowing exactly where I'm going. I'm not even particularly comfortable with guessing.

It's a control thing.

It's true in general, and it's true in my life as well. I've never been somebody who always needs to have a plan, but I've always had the need to be in control. Even if I didn't know where I was headed, I had to know where I was. There's a difference, you see, in knowing where you are and actually having a destination. For me, the destination was never as important as simply knowing my location.

Yet, as I seek to follow God's Will, I find I sometimes don't even know that much. And I'll be honest: it's unsettling. This has been what might be called a "growth area" for me, as I learn and grow in Christ. Giving in. Giving up control. Recognizing that, even when I don't know where I am or where I'm going, He does.

Have you ever followed a friend to a destination, because you weren't familiar with the area? I still do that. Having lived here for over a year, I still don't always recognize where I am... and certainly have no idea how to get wherever it is we're going. So, I wind up following somebody. If you've been in this situation, you also know that knot of panic that settles in your stomach if, Heaven forbid, they go under a yellow light, stranding you at the red.

This is what it feels like to step outside of God's will. Speaking from the experience of years of wandering around lost, you find you lose that need to have control as soon as you hear His voice say, "Here I am."

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
² He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
³ He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell^[a] in the house of the Lord

(For more on this topic, see my earlier 2-part post, Where To, God? Part 1 ... Part 2)

I :Heart: My Cushy Christianity

Man, we have it easy.

It's true. Western Christians have a very, very easy life. Some might say it's even too easy.

There are Eastern countries in which our Brothers and Sisters in Christ are being beheaded for proclaiming the name of Jesus. There are places where churches are being bombed, with no justice for the victims. Places where even children are cut down because of the God their families worship. There are nations in which Christians are willing to die just to possess a single page of God's Word.

I have a confession to make: I'm glad I live in a country where we have religious liberty. There are days in which we're tempted to believe we do not. But when it comes right down to it, what we deal with on a daily basis isn't persecution. Not even close. If I so chose, I could walk down the street, carrying my Bible, and even speak openly about God's word in public. I can share my faith and not once worry about whether I'll keep my head. I can attend one of hundreds of buildings in my city openly dedicated to preaching Christ and worshiping God.

If I go through life as a Christian, and the worst I have to deal with is being called a hypocrite, a fool, or a bigot, I'm honestly okay with that.

In this time of Thanksgiving, I'm thankful today that my children are growing up in a country where they can openly worship Jesus Christ. A country where we don't have to huddle in dark corners of basements, meeting in secret to grow in Christ.

I'm thankful, and I feel horrible that I'm thankful. Because, meanwhile, our Brothers and Sisters suffer. Be thankful. Thank and praise God that you live with freedom to worship Him. But pray, too. Pray for the Body of Christ being persecuted and murdered on the other side of the world. This is our Family being cut down, chased, truly persecuted. Pray for them, and hold fast.

And, while you're praying, ask yourself this question: what are you doing with all your freedom?

"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." -Matthew 5:10

Dust and Ash

Fact: eventually, the dominion of mankind will end. All the work we've done to build civilizations; everything we've ever done to build a lasting legacy; all the monuments to our conquering of nature, or gravity, or plain ol' adversity... all of it will fade away. Gone. Turned to dust. Everything that has a beginning has an end; this is the way of nature.

But.

For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For,

“All people are like grass,
    and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,

but the word of the Lord endures forever.” (1 Peter 1:23-25a)

It's amazing to think about it, but the Word of God is indeed Eternal. It is without beginning, written by God since before Time began, and breathed into the world of men through the lungs of prophets and sinners. The Word of God, personified by Christ, the Salvation of Man, endures forever. 

Think of the implications of 1 Peter, Chapter 1. God has taken man, finite and small, and lifted him -- lifted us! -- out of our mortal existence, and into His eternal one! 

Those stresses we have day to day? That constant struggle to make something significant of ourselves on this world? Ultimately, it's meaningless. The greatness of nations, the legacy of kings, all of human history is dust and ash when stacked against Eternity with the Creator.

So the question I must ask myself, then, is for what purpose do I strive in my daily life? Am I working for things that are temporary? Or is my focus on the Eternal? Am I building my own glory, which will whither and fall like the flowers of the field; or am I concerning myself with the Glory and Word of the Lord, which endures forever?

Miracles 1: The God of the Mundane (repost)

(Originally posted Nov 12, 2012. My Wednesday night class was discussing miracles, and I remembered this. Part 2 coming Monday.)

Miracles 1: The God of the Mundane

I've noticed something about the miracles of Jesus: no matter the reason for the miracle, no matter how big or how small, Jesus performed it with the same attitude and nonchalance as if He were carrying a box from one room to another. Something was one way; He wanted it to be another way. He made it happen.

He walked on water, as though He were walking down the street. He commanded a storm to be still as if telling His dog to "sit. Stay." He can do that. He created the water, and the storm.

I think we often feel as though a miracle ought to be accompanied by fanfare. As though we have to sing and dance and shout, and announce from on high before God will so much as heal a cataract. Televangelists have an organ playing obnoxiously before dancing down the aisle, raising up a trembling hand, and smacking a troubled audience member while declaring, "Be Healed!"

Jesus spat in some mud, smeared it on some guy's eye and told him to wash his face (John 9:1-7).

Very often, when we look for miracles at the hand of the God of the Universe, we're looking for some big announcement: Hey, look! I'm performing a miracle over here! Thunder! Lightning!

But the Jesus of the Bible just says, "Get up and walk." (Luke 5:22-24)

The truth is, when we look for the mighty miracles, for the trumpets to sound and a voice to come over the wind, we miss the every-day miracles. And when we miss the miraculous in the every day, we also miss the chance to be a part of a miracle ourselves.

Small Stuff

When I was growing up, my Dad always told me he had two rules in life: Don't sweat the small stuff, and it's all small stuff. This made a lot of sense to me at the time, and I grew up not really ever worrying about anything. If it was something I could do something about, I did it. If not, I braced myself for whatever was about to happen.

Of course, even my Dad would tell you, the carefree life instantly dissolves when you add family into the mix. Particularly when you add children. You worry about what they're going to eat. You worry that they're always going to have a warm place to sleep. That they're getting along well in school. That they'll always be safe.

Worry is easy. But of course, Jesus was never a fan of taking the easy way.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? (Matthew 6:25-27)

He goes on, with reminders not to worry about what we'll eat, or drink, or wear. But instead, "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (v33)."

In other words: keep your eye on the Big Picture. Worry never made anything better. But Christ did more than simply give us the admonishment not to worry. He gave us a promise, too. That He, God, had it well in hand. As the Psalmist says, "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken (Psalm 55:22)."

We aren't promised an easy life. Indeed, we're promised trouble in this world. But we're also reminded that Christ Himself has overcome this world (John 16:33). 

The point in all of this? Simply this: keep your eyes on Christ. I could go verse after verse after verse, but this is the message. Keep your eyes on Him. Focus on eternal things. The rest is small stuff. Don't sweat the small stuff.

Four Facts About Sin and Temptation

Drug addict. Alcoholic. Gay. Loose. Gossip. Bully. Hypocrite.

All too often, we define others by the sin in their lives. We label and judge on the nature of their fallenness, turning their wounds into their identity. It only makes sense for us to do this, though. After all, on some level, we do it to ourselves, too. We define ourselves on how we are tempted. And so we define others the same way.

But we've forgotten the truth about sin and temptation. There's Good News to be had here, and we needn't collapse under the weight of our own imperfections. And we certainly needn't add the weight of our own judgement onto the burdens of others.

Here are four forgotten facts about sin and temptation, straight out of the Bible.

1. Temptation is not sin.
Hebrews 4:15 tells us, "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin."

Here's a truth that shouldn't be controversial: it isn't a sin to be tempted by homosexuality. It isn't a sin to be an alcoholic. Sin is not temptation, and temptation is not sin. Jesus Himself was taken into the desert and tempted. But He did not sin. See the difference?

2. Temptation may never go away
While it's true that God may remove temptation from some people, it's not always the case. I've certainly heard wonderful testimonies from people who stopped drinking as soon as Christ entered their lives. I've heard of God gradually healing people of sexual temptation, of homosexual desires, or of the desire for drugs. Sometimes, He removes these heavier temptations from us. But for every case I've heard where God removes temptation, I've heard countless others where He has not. 

Why? Because in our weakness, we rely on Him, and He is made strong. 

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.(2 Corinthians 12:9)

3. You are not your sin
Your sin doesn't define who you are. 

When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”
She said, “No one, Lord.”
And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” (John 8:10-11)

"Go and sin no more." When Jesus was confronted by the legalists over the woman caught in adultery, His response was to challenge the first person without sin to cast the first stone. No one was able. But it was His words to her that were most telling. She wasn't an adulteress. It wasn't who she was. It was something she did. And she was forgiven, and empowered to leave that sin behind. 

And if you're not defined by sin, your identity certainly isn't tied to your temptation.

4. Sin can be forgiven.

Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation... (2 Corinthians 5:16-18)

The Point, We Have Missed It

I had an interesting discussion online the other day. I said some things about church doctrine in general, and was asked whether I believed doctrine was important in defining our beliefs. It's a good question, and I certainly think it has its place. But with a few caveats.

Doctrine is constantly changing; God's word doesn't. Doctrine is made by man, who is fickle and double-minded; God is neither.

Doctrine can be a good thing, so long as it compliments God's word rather than contradicts. When the doctrine of man is elevated to the status of Scripture, we have a problem. When a church begins defining sin based on its own set of extrabiblical beliefs, it has lost its way. When it preaches Christ is A way to Salvation instead of THE way, it has lost its way. When it elevates the trappings of religion and religiosity over the "religion God finds pure and undefiled" (James 1:27), it has lost its way.

We miss the point because we let doctrine first define, and then separate.
We split the church over dunking or sprinkling, and we miss the point.
We declare Holy Communion exists only inside the walls of the church, or only when we use bread, or unleavened bread, or holy blessed wafers, or red wine, or grape juice, and we miss the point.
We elevate the rich over the poor, and we miss the point. By a mile.
We pull out the parts of Scripture we don't personally like, and we miss the point.
We declare ourselves outside of Israel's law because of Grace, but saddle the Body with laws we invented, because we missed the point.

Doctrine can indeed be useful in defining what we believe, but that doctrine must be informed first and only by Scripture.  And doctrine must not be used to separate believers. We must instead look past the surface, into the commonality we have in Christ, and find unity.

 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. (James 1:26-27)

The Crack In My Songlasses

 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:4-8)

 
I have a confession: I sometimes have a really hard time seeing people the way Jesus sees them.

I'm not talking about the poor here. Or the widows. Or orphans. I'm not talking about people who obviously need to be shown God's love in a practical way. Granted, I could do more on that score, too, but I don't have a difficult time seeing them through Christ's eyes.

But on the other side of the spectrum, you have the haughty. The proud. The rude. You have people who seem to somehow believe they are better or more important than everyone else. You see people who are selfish with their belongings, refusing to help others. You have people who cut in line, cut you off, look down their noses, judge others. The greedy, the arrogant, the self-righteous.

I confess a difficult time seeing Jesus in some people.

But the more I think of it, the more I think it has more to do with me than it does with them. I have never been homeless or orphaned. I have been proud. I have been rude. I have been arrogant and self-righteous. And, sometimes, I still am.

Maybe I have such a hard time seeing Jesus in these people, because I'm too busy seeing myself.

Still Thirsty? (repost)

Since we're at the end of the week, and our Moment of Truth this week has centered on the Samaritan women who met Jesus at the well, I thought it would be appropriate to pull this one back out of the archives. Originally posted Dec. 4, 2012

I am a chronic joiner. If there is a group or a club around some topic or hobby in which I am even remotely interested, I want to be a part of it. Of course I don't have any time at all to be actually active in anything, so often being a nominal member has to be enough. The biggest draw for me is community with other people who like the same stuff I do.

I think this is human nature, to want to connect with other people. We are relational people, and to our very souls, we hunger for interaction, for a relationship.

I have lately come to realize, however, that I don't need to be a part of everything. I love being with other people, or connecting in some way, but the truth is, I no longer need that human approval or validation that I once did. I've come to realize in fact that my need to constantly join, to be a part of everything, was the spiritual equivalent of emotional eating: there is a hole we can't understand. We know something is missing, but we don't know what. So we fill that void with... something. For some it's other people. For some it's food or drink. Anything, so long as it helps, even temporarily, to fill that hole in our lives.

Jesus recognized this Spiritual gap in a woman near a well in Samaria (John 4:1-26).

¹³ Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
¹⁵ The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
¹⁶ He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”
¹⁷ “I have no husband,” she replied.
Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. ¹⁸ The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”

Jesus wanted for this woman to recognize the depth of her Spiritual thirst.  When He told her about her five husbands, he wasn't saying it just to prove He was a prophet. He already had her attention and curiosity. Instead He was telling her: just as your body thirsts, your soul thirsts also, for a relationship, a communion, with One who will satisfy. 

The truth is, I no longer need to be a joiner, because I already belong. I belong to the family of God, a brotherhood of saints. I no longer require the water of being validated by others, because I have been quenched by the Christ, the Living Water. In Him, my cup is full: my Spirit overflows with His love.

Like the woman at the well, I have gone looking for a way to quench my thirst for another day, and have found a way to quench it for Eternity.

I-dol worship

 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. (Exodus 20:3-6)

We hear a lot about modern idolatry. Possibly not enough, actually. But when we hear about it, we always hear about cars or jobs or other material things. Things, in short, that we put above God. Things we worship through our time and attention and even financial sacrifices. But, just as with the graven images God spoke of on the top of the mountain, the real object of idol worship is ourselves. 

With the ancient idols, it was a question of "what can this little god do for me?" Israel created a golden calf to worship because they wanted a god. It wasn't about God, or even the calf. It was about them. 

And still today, idolatry is really about ourselves. And it takes many, insidious forms. I was once mailed a paper prayer rug. Put my name on it, I was told, and pass it around, and I would be blessed. Take a trip through Social Media and count the number of posts promising the blessings of God by simply passing them on to your friends. 

This is not God. This is idolatry. It is idolatry because we are placing our own needs at the forefront of our worship. It is idolatry because in seeking tips and tricks to discover God's "blessings" we cease to worship God and begin to view Him as a cosmic genie. 

God doesn't exist to make you happy. And how blessed we are that He doesn't! Man is a fickle creature, happy with one thing one day, and dissatisfied the next. But the God we worship -- the Almighty, the Magnificent, the All-knowing, all Powerful -- the Creator and Shaper of the Universe wants instead to love you. He wants not to give us what we think we want, but what He knows we need: a restored relationship with Him, and an inheritance, not of temporary treasures that moths and rust destroy, but of an Eternity by His side.

A New, Unopened Box Of God (repost)

(originally posted Oct 18, 2012)

Remember miracles? Remember when the people of God saw visions and dreamed dreams, and the Spirit of God moved in the Church, filling and causing some to speak in tongues, and some to interpret, and some to prophesy, and some to heal, and some to discern good spirits from evil?

Remember that?

Whatever happened to that,  anyway?

Does all that seem a little far-fetched? A little science-fictiony or scary? A little bit kooky, perhaps?

Why is that? Paul talked about exactly these things to the church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 12), didn't he? Are things so different now that God has ceased to move in these ways in our Church, and in His people? Surely, some Christians -- even pastors -- will say, even if He really DID cause miracles to happen (which, depending on your church, may now be seen to have a perfectly natural, logical, and un-supernatural explanation), He no longer moves that way now.

Now the Holy Spirit moves us to... what? Tentatively raise our hands in church? Clap shyly and without rhythm -- but only if everyone else is clapping, too? Pray for one another by nodding along when the pastor says their names, and then grudgingly put our check in the offering plate?

I miss miracles. I miss the Supernatural power of God. But I begin to wonder: did God pull His Power away from us, or did we merely stop asking for it?

Road Weary (repost)

Originally posted 9.20.12

The one constant in my married life has been travel. With families at least six hundred miles apart, visiting always meant travel. Whether we lived in Michigan and had to drive to New York, or whether it was the other way around, and now that we live in Wisconsin, the word "vacation" is pretty much synonymous with "Road Trip." And, though they are never short trips -- in general it would be 10 to 12 hours in the car, depending on how tired we were, how often the kids had to use the restroom, how many cups of coffee we needed -- we almost always drive straight through, with no overnight stops.

Needless to say, by the time we get to our destination, there is nothing more wonderful than the welcoming arms of my parents or in-laws and the words, "the bed is made. We'll watch the kids."

We grow weary in our travels on this Earth, too. Bone tired. Exhausted to our very souls. But how wonderful to know that, even as we travel straight through and full out, we can keep our eyes ahead and know that, at the end of the road are the welcoming arms of The Father, and a nice, clean room.

As Jesus said to His disciples,

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” (John 14: 1-4)

Even now, Jesus is putting out the good linen and setting a glorious table, preparing to welcome us home. 

Blindness

I remember waking out of a nightmare once. It was dark. My head was covered. I could see nothing. Turning my head in a panic I looked for something -- anything -- on which I could lay my eyes and prove to myself I hadn't gone blind. The panic was brief, lasting only seconds as I came out of my sleep-induced stupor. But it was one of the most frightening experiences I can remember.

The fact is, I'm scared to death of going blind.

The reasons for this are legion, but among the greatest is simply this: I just don't have the faith to walk without sight. I don't like to be led. I don't like to not know where I'm going. Even fog is sometimes enough to give me serious pause. I can drive in almost any condition with confidence and competence. But you take away my ability to see more than a few feet ahead, and I slow to a near-crawl, taking each several yards as a significant triumph over the weather-produced blindness. Take away my sight entirely, and I may well become something like a hermit. I can perhaps count on both hands the people I trust enough to lead me in the event I'm unable to see where I'm going.

Yet, for all the nervousness I have about physical blindness, how much more important is the ability to see clearly in Spiritual matters? As important as we believe our temporary, physical bodies are, how much more our eternal souls?

When it comes to the Mystery of God, I admit I can see only a few feet in front of me at a time. I was once entirely blind, but praise God, He has opened my eyes. Even so, my vision is imperfect. Even so, I need the wisdom of those walking before me to counsel me on the turns and ruts in the path ahead. But, it is important to know where these leaders are leading. It's important to understand whether they are leading in a Godly direction.

In Galatians, we read of a group of believers under the thrall of a blind leader. He doesn't know where he is going, yet he is leading others.

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! (Galatians 1:6-9)

Yet, Scripture tells us to test the words of preachers and prophets against the Word of God and the guidance of the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:20-22). 

So thank God for Godly pastors and ministers. Thank God for those who have been given the terrifying and all-important task of leading the rest of us through the fog and darkness of this world. Thank God, and pray for them, that they continue to be led by Him, so they can lead us in His steps.

All Fun And Games Until...

Repent is a big word. A huge word, actually. Even an impossible one.

Repent means to turn away from sin. It means to recognize what we have done to displease God, and to simply walk away from it. To stop doing it. Sounds easy, right? Sure, until you try it. Before you know it, one tiny sin trickles its way back to your doorstep. One little temptation.

Yet Scripture tells us repentance is necessary for Salvation. Indeed, Jesus takes sin so seriously He recommends doing whatever it takes to cut it out of your life.

If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. (Matthew 5:29-30)

Not only does this passage tell you how serious Sin really is, and how serious God really is about it, but it tells you how impossible it is to fight it on our own. Cut your hand off? Pluck out your eye? Does Jesus really mean these things?

Fortunately, repentance isn't merely a turning away. It is also -- perhaps even more -- a turning to. We take our eyes off our own worldly temptations and fix them instead on Christ. And it is in Christ that true repentance becomes possible. 

So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.  For in my inner being I delight in God’s law;  but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.  What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?  Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. (Romans 7:21-25)

We can't turn away from sin on our own. But we can turn to Christ, and in Him have the strength to truly repent.

Repost: "Sweet Merciful Heaven, It's Only Wednesday!" -- And Other First-World Problems

(originally posted 9/26/12)

I didn't sleep well at all last night. Nothing in particular,  just for some reason, my body wanted its requisite seven hours, and my brain wouldn't get on board with the idea. I left my cell phone -- which doubles as my alarm clock -- at work last night, which meant I had to crawl my way out of bed to hit the snooze button on the actual alarm clock. Of course, the new cups for our single cup coffee maker haven't arrived in the mail just yet, so I had to wait until I got to work to brew and enjoy my first cup of coffee. Brushed my teeth before leaving and found a little "pink in the sink" as they say,  and thought, "Man, when I actually find a dentist, I'm gonna get yelled at about my flossing habits."

But, somewhere between tiptoeing through the room to avoid waking my wife and stumbling around to find where ever it was my kids put my shoes, I realized... I have it pretty darn good.

There are people on this planet who have never even experienced bad coffee -- let alone the sweet, smokey aroma of a well-crafted morning blend. There are people in this very country -- in my own neighborhood -- who would happily do anything for a job. I make a living doing what I love. I worry about gingivitis while there are people across the globe who have lost teeth and even lives because they simply don't have enough water for dental hygiene. I have a beautiful family that loves me, while some children will never know their fathers.

Yet how often, in my complaining, do I actually take stock of all the ways I've been blessed and tell God, "thank You?"

Remember Paul's final instructions in 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18: " Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

And remember, too, that those circumstances the early church faced were not nearly so cushy as those faced by you and I on a day to day basis.  

And maybe, in learning how to be grateful for the things we've been given, we can remember also that the point of blessings is often to bless others with them. There is a hurting world out there, and we, after all, have a pretty good life.

Love Note Day: It's The Little Things (Repost)

Today is Love Note Day. So with that in mind, this is a repost from October 23, 2012 - a reminder of the little ways God says, "I love you."

It's The Little Things

Consider this: when you are in a relationship, what means more to you? Is it the occasional grand gesture of outward love; or is it the many little things that person does for you? Is it the big dinner on your wedding anniversary, or the notes left in your lunch sack, the text messages or emails just to say "hi," or the simple act of picking up the kitchen?

When it comes to God, we often look to the Grand Gestures as proof of His love: The crucifixion of Christ, the forgiveness of our sins, the blessings of our families.

Yet,  His sacrifice and forgiveness aren't the sum total of His relationship with us. In fact, those things were necessary to begin the relationship. I have found, as I grow in this relationship with my Creator and Savior, that He also shows me He loves me in countless small ways. Little blessings. I'm beginning to learn that growing in this relationship means recognizing those small blessings for what they are, and thanking Him for them.

Sometimes,  it's a good cup of coffee at just the right time (I often joke about this, but think about it: who made the coffee bean, the water; who gave me the ability to afford a coffee maker?). Or He shows me a sunrise when I need to be reminded of His glory. Sometimes, it's the laughter of my children when I need to remember just how blessed I really am. God knows what I need, and when I need it. He knows how to tell me He loves me when I most need to hear it.

All of this leaves me asking two questions of myself: am I thanking Him for all those little ways He says He loves me? And how am I telling Him in return?

What's In Your Backpack?

Fairly recently, there was a big issue regarding the amount of stuff in the average student's backpack. Enough, experts worried, that the load could potentially cause serious injury. Book after book of Important Material, different binders for every class, and Heaven help them if they played sports and brought their own lunches!

Carting around 30-40 lbs of Education isn't just painful; it's actually harmful.

Life gets like that, student or not. By now it's a well-known fact that stress can contribute to early death. A recent study even suggests those with elevated stress are 50% more likely to die early. Yet we all carry it on our backs. The cares of this world. The burden of sin. Whether you realize it or not, the guilt of a life lived without God. All of this is shoved into our proverbial backpacks and carried around all day. If you're walking around, there it is -- all your care, all your worry, all your guilt and pain -- strapped to your back. This isn't a new problem: it's as old as sin.

And that's exactly why Jesus offered an alternative. It turns out, all that stuff you're carrying on your back? You can trade it in.

 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

When you hand your stress-filled pack over to Christ, He will, with your permission, empty it of all that excessive junk. He will fill it instead with Love and Grace, and shoulder your own weight for you. Life doesn't have to be heavy. It doesn't have to be a burden. All of that can be lifted from you, the weight removed from your shoulders. And, standing straight for the first time, you can know what Christ meant by a life abundant.

Get Ready

Pre-, post-, or amillennial ... when it comes to the end of days, what we don't know -- or at least what we don't agree on -- could probably fill more books than the entire Left Behind series. Including spin-offs.

But, and this is important, I don't think God requires that we all agree on exactly how He's going to accomplish his Ultimate Will. He's going to do what He's going to do, regardless of how you, I, or anyone thinks it's going to happen. More vital is that we are now and always ready for Him to move, however He's going to do it.

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. 

“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. (Matthew 25:1-13)

Are you ready? Are you loving as He has loved? Are you going into the world and teaching His gospel, telling everyone of His great love and mercy? Are you prayerfully going about your day, in communication with the Father? Are you living your life in such a way that God is, even now, pleased with what you do with what He has given you? 

Get ready. Get right. And then, get to work. When He returns, however He does so, whenever He does so, it will be a glory the likes of which you and I have never even imagined. So be watchful, and be ready. You won't want to miss it!

Love, and that whole "submission" thing

Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5:24-27)

I don't know how many people really use this passage as a guide in their marriages. What I do know is that a whole lot of people who claim to are only using half of it, and usually not correctly. So, a quick word on that: submission and servitude aren't the same thing. Not remotely. 

But speaking of service, let's look at that pesky, mostly ignored portion: "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her..." 

Very often, we ignore this entire section of Scripture because it makes us uncomfortable. But when we really look at it, we can see a beautiful, wonderful prescription for a loving household. Christ didn't come to dominate the church. He came to humble Himself, to serve her, to die for her, to lead her in the ways of God, and back, ultimately, to the arms of the Father. 

You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (-Jesus, Matthew 20:25-28)

This is what Holy Love looks like. It is a sacrificial, desperate love. It is the kind of love that makes a man willing to die for his wife. The kind of love that weeps with her, that rejoices with her, that wants only the best for her.  

Imagine how marriage would look if men would truly love their wives as Christ loved the church!