A Christ-less Christianity?

Here we are in the aftermath of an historic election. Whatever we may feel about the results, the social upheaval is undeniable– people’s unrest and uncertainty about their lives visible in the passion of their politics.

As a conservative Christian I see a possible consequence for us, a feeling of triumph that will lead us ever more deeply into a ‘Christianity’ that is Christ-less, when we use the words of Christ without understanding the profound discipleship to which He calls those who bear His Name.

Our new political order promises greater wealth, a new swagger on the world stage, a disposal of those among us who are disdained as ‘illegals,’ and a new pride in Nation. Is there an upside to those policies? Perhaps so, but none of them can be undertaken in the Name of Jesus! None of those things have any support in the words of our Savior and professed Lord, do they?

In a statement of the obvious – Jesus Christ is not “American” nor is He a Republican or a Democrat. He is the Lord of Glory, God of Eternity, and Judge of all the earth.

Rather than celebrate  I believe that Christians should take on a time of extended prayer, real reflection; even fasting, that ancient spiritual practice of self-denial. IF we have not already sold our souls for mere political influence, we are in great danger of doing so now!

I have no issue with the defense of the unborn, with the strengthening of the family, or with greater support for the role of parents in the nation. I do believe that compassionate regulation of immigration is necessary to prevent terrible social disruption in our communities and with those convictions come responsibilities to care for the poor, the less, the marginalized with more than rhetoric.

We need to make certain that Jesus is the Center of our lives and our only hope. Greed, pride, and raw power of the sword are anti-Christ’s values and practices. Christ’s are compassion, contentment, service, sacrifice, and humility.

Whatever your emotions in these days following our election, I urge you to turn anew to Christ Jesus committing to the leading of the Holy Spirit, being willing to live counter-culturally for His sake.

The word from the Word is lengthy, from the heart of Jesus Himself.

"One day as the crowds were gathering, Jesus went up the mountainside with his disciples and sat down to teach them. This is what he taught them:
“God blesses those who realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them.
God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

God blesses those who are gentle and lowly, for the whole earth will belong to them.
God blesses those who are hungry and thirsty for justice, for they will receive it in full.

God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.

God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.
God blesses those who are persecuted because they live for God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

“God blesses you when you are mocked and persecuted and lied about because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted, too." (Matthew 5:1-12, NLT)

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(Video of this blog at this link)

 

The Jesus Way

If you curse me then I will bless you
If you hurt me I will forgive
And if you hate me then I will love you
I choose the Jesus way

If you’re helpless I will defend you
And if you’re burdened I’ll share the weight
And if you’re hopeless then let me show you
There’s hope in the Jesus way

I follow Jesus I follow Jesus
He wore my sin I’ll gladly wear His name
He is the treasure He is the answer
Oh I choose the Jesus way

If you strike me I will embrace you
And if you chain me I’ll sing His praise
And if you kill me my home is heaven
For I choose the Jesus way

I choose surrender I choose to love
Oh God my Savior You’ll always be enough
I choose forgiveness I choose grace
I choose to worship no matter what I face
I choose the Jesus way
I choose the Jesus way

 

Jonathan Smith, Phil Wickham © Be Essential Songs; Cashagamble Jet Music; Phil Wickham Music; Simply Global Songs   CCLI License #810055

Receiving what God Prepares

“But I don’t like …”  is a phrase sometimes heard when certain foods are set on the dinner table. I am prepared to eat what is placed before me, with thanksgiving.  Do have preferences? I sure do, but early in life I was trained to eat what was set in front of me and to do so without complaint! Now, I must be honest about salmon and tomatoes. If those were on the menu, I would simply choose to remain hungry.

Are you prepared to receive what God has prepared for you,
with thanksgiving, so that you can live in His peace?

IF we desire to know a deep and intimate relationship with God,
IF we want to experience the ‘abundant life’ which Jesus offers,
IF we would be most effective in our Christian service -
we must be willing to surrender our preferences and accept His plan.

There is no better illustration of the toxicity of willfulness than the experience of the people of Israel during their pilgrimage from Egypt to the Promised Land. By miraculous provision, God delivered them from slavery and led them.  Repeatedly, they found His provision – in circumstance and even in daily food – unacceptable.

When they were hungry in the wilderness, the LORD provided perfect food. All they had to do was gather it up from the ground each morning. Listen to their response - “Oh, for some meat!” they exclaimed. “We remember all the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic that we wanted. But now our appetites are gone, and day after day we have nothing to eat but this manna!” (Numbers 11:4-6, NLT)

Their repeated refusals to accept what God gave to them caused them to sin in multiple ways and their failures met with terrible consequences.  They became faithless. They rebelled against Moses’ leadership. They experienced God’s judgment, and many died. An entire generation ended up dying during the 40 years of wilderness wandering because they refused to follow God into the Promised Land the first time!

The tragedy of their sin led them to turn back to God, but too late to avoid the consequence of their ingratitude and rebellion.

The book of Hebrews alludes to those stories of refusal of God’s leading and encourages us to choose differently. "God’s promise of entering his place of rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to get there. For this Good News—that God has prepared a place of rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t believe what God told them.

For only we who believe can enter his place of rest. … So God’s rest is there for people to enter. But those who formerly heard the Good News failed to enter because they disobeyed God. So God set another time for entering his place of rest, and that time is today. … So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God." (Hebrews 4:1-9, NLT)

As we begin this new week, let’s present ourselves humbly to God as His grateful children. Not every situation will be exactly as we would want it to be. We will find ourselves presented with challenges to our faith, with developments that are hard to accept, with choices in which we know what is right but not what we want to do. May we have the faith and courage to walk in faithfulness so that we may enter the fullness of His provision, with gratitude.

The word from the Word puts the focus in the right place. Meditate on this truth today. "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:23-25, NIV)

Lord, find us grateful and accepting. Amen

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(Video of this blog at this link)

Making a religion of politics?

Next Tuesday we, the people of these United States of America, will elect a President who will, regardless of who it is, will bring horror and delight to the country in equal measure. The awfulness of the recent conversation, the ugliness of the political ads, the stress created between friends and family members will most likely not diminish, only increase!  Politics, it seems to me, has become our new religion.  The expressions of devotion reflect a kind of absolutism once reserved for convictions about the nature of God Himself.

Christian friend, let me urge us all to reflect and realize that politics are no substitute for the Gospel of Christ and the power of the Spirit for the salvation of the world. 8 years ago Russell Moore (Editor of Christianity Today) wrote what is even more true today - “the most important lesson we should learn is that the church must stand against the way politics has become a religion, and religion has become politics.” 

Christians are first and foremost, of Christ and in Christ. It is to our shame that we let our convictions about the state of the economy, immigration, environmentalism, or gender rights bring division and hatred among those who are called to be brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. In this electoral cycle I have heard and read this sentiment more than a few times -  “He could not possibly be a Christian. Look at who he supports.”  I’ll be blunt in my response- knock it off!  Our relationship to God, our Heavenly Father, is not determined by an R or D on our ballot! 

If we believe that legislation can redeem sinful humanity and transform sinners into saints we been seduced by an empty hope!  We have created an idol, a false god.  That is not say that Christians should be disinterested in politics or neglect their citizen responsibility to vote.  We ought to care about public policy and how it forms our culture and effects our lives. Christians, just like everyone else, have ideals that they would like to see written into law.  (And, Christians will think differently about many things.)

We who love Jesus have a high and holy calling to be messengers of the Kingdom Come, to be those who share the joyful truth that God has reconciled us to Himself in Christ Jesus.  Our mission is not to write better laws.  The world will be changed, not by our political power but by our humble service which demonstrates the Gospel.  Moore wrote that our privilege is to “maintain a prophetic clarity that is willing to call to repentance everything that is unjust and anti-Christ, whether that is the abortion culture, the divorce culture, or the racism/nativism culture. We can be the people who tell the truth, whether it helps or hurts our so-called ‘allies’ or our so-called ‘enemies.’”  A prophet speaks on God’s behalf with holy authority born of an intimate relationship with God.

I will pointedly ask – when you make those ripping statements on Facebook, when you hurl hateful comments at the ‘other’ side or when you seethe with rage about some imagined insult for ‘your’ party– is that the result of time before the Throne of Heaven and a profound experience of the Holy, or is it an expression of the preferences of Self?

Want to lose the election angst? Trust God profoundly to do what He promises – to guide, to keep, to direct. Then, pray fervently for His wisdom to be made known to your mind and heart.

When we make our politics our priority, we sin like Esau of old, exhanging true treasure of our salvation for trinkets of little lasting value. Right or Left in our convictions, we cannot afford to become so closely aligned with one party’s agenda that we lose our ability to represent the One who is the Hope of the World.  I am a Christian first, an American second, and my political affiliation comes in a distant third. How about you?  Are you my brother or my sister in His family?

The word from the Word is a reminder of our true identity. I am His, He is mine. 
In Christ, “You are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.  “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.”

Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.”  (1 Peter 2:9-11)

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(Video of this blog at this link)

 

Father God,  preserve us in this time of change.
Call us into Your holy Presence.
As we kneel humbly and gain the assurance of
The salvation and Your love shown us in Christ Jesus,

Help us to rise to love others to wholeness.
Forgive us for making our politics into a religion,
For giving devotion and fervor rightly reserved for You
To lesser things.

Make Your Church beautiful, a place of clear vision of what is true and best.
Transform us into people of hope, full of amazing, courageous, and bold love.
Jesus shine brightly in us and through us. Amen

Let’s talk

Prayer is one of the most mysterious practices of the Christian faith.  We may ask many questions about it.

Why do we make requests of a God who already knows everything? 
How does prayer actually ‘work’ or should we even think about it in that way? 
Is prayer just a psychological exercise as some skeptics insist, merely a way of talking to ourselves? 
If we pray, what are best practices?

I have heard thousands of prayers and prayed even more than that! 
Some were formal with carefully prepared phrases and rich vocabulary.
Others were desperately spoken, raw, and emotional. 
Some were quiet and intimate, whispered only for the ear of God.
Some were expressions of fear, some of love, some shaped by obligation.
Some were exuberant, outbursts of praise in times of great joy.
A few were wordless – a quiet heart in God’s Presence that waited on His comfort or offered Him adoration.

If you are thinking, “Jerry, that sounds a lot like our human conversations,”  then you just got the point! Prayer is connecting and communicating with God and takes many forms, shaped by the need of the moment and the personality of the one praying.  If you know how to have a conversation, you know the basics of prayer.

Whatever our questions about prayer, this I know for sure: we must pray.  We can learn to pray in better ways, but prayer is not reserved for pastors or those of advanced years in the faith. Prayer is a privilege offered to all of us that makes us richer in the practice. 

Jesus did not say “If” you pray, He said “When” you pray.  To think about prayer only in terms of ‘answers,’ determining if we should pray based on observable results, misses the heart of prayer.  True prayer is much more than bringing our ‘grocery list’ of human needs to God everyday.  It is our spiritual lifeline through which the vitality of the Holy Spirit enters our lives and circumstances. So, just speak – using your words to start a conversation with God; doing it often!

When we grow into intimacy with the Lord, He promises this: "the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." (Romans 8:26, NIV)  When we turn our attention to Him, even when words fail, He remains our Advocate, there with us, the Divine connecting with the human, Heaven touching earth.  The Message says it this way: "God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God."

When I pray, whether it is just a few words in a moment, or a focused time in the church’s sanctuary, I remember that I have a Meditator in the Throne Room of the Almighty!  Jesus, who knows the frail state of my humanity, stands alongside of me. "So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." (Hebrews 4:14-16, NLT)  When I do not know what to say, He fills the gaps. When I am less than articulate, He understands. When my prayer is an overflow of emotions, I know He has felt what I feel.  Even if the only words we can find are mumbled cries for mercy, He knows the deeper need.  Moreover, He has taken away our guilt and given us confidence to come into God’s Presence. 

When I pray I know He stands alongside of me. I am shabby, without beauty,
but the majestic Lord of Glory puts His arm around my shoulders and says,
“Father, Jerry is here with this need, this cry!”

Richard Foster speaks of ‘simple prayer.’  This most basic form of prayer is not about eloquence or persuasive arguments.  It is prayer that is filled with our inconsistencies, mixed motives, sorrow, anger, joy, dreams, hopes, longings, and daily concerns.  “Let us pray!”  Yes, simple prayers, wordless prayers, groans, and laughter formed into simple prayer.

The word from the Word is an invitation - "And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. This is the new, life-giving way that Christ has opened up for us through the sacred curtain, by means of his death for us. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s people, let us go right into the presence of God, with true hearts fully trusting him. For our evil consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep his promise." (Hebrews 10:19-23, NLT)

God is inviting you and me this day to stay in touch!  He says, “Let’s talk!”

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(Video of this blog at this link)

The Lord's Prayer (It's Yours)

Father let your kingdom come (holy holy)
Father let your will be done
On Earth as in Heaven (let it be done)
Right here in my heart

Give us this day our daily bread
Forgive us forgive us
As we forgive the ones who sinned
Against us forgive them
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from the evil one
Let your kingdom come

It's yours it's yours
All yours all yours
The kingdom the power
The glory are yours

It's yours it's yours
All yours all yours
Forever and ever
The kingdom is yours

On Earth as in Heaven
Right here in my heart

Bryan Fowler, Jacob Sooter, Matt Maher

© Be Essential Songs; bryanfowlersongs; Caroco Songs; Just When Publishing; So Essential Tunes

License #810055

Going for the WIN!

Tonight the World Series kicks off with game 1 between the Yankees and the Dodgers. Not being a baseball fan I have no favorite, but I probably will watch some of the series play out. There are some who are so fanatical about their team that you might conclude the fate of the world hangs on the outcome. I find that somewhat amusing, though if put in the context of the once nearly invincible New England Patriots, the understanding shifts somewhat. (Joke!)

A much different kind of fanaticism exists in the United States today of far greater concern to me, especially when I see my fellow Christ-followers falling into the trap.  We are struggling to remain a democracy where a shared love of country is overcome by tribalism – the need for ‘our side’ to not only defeat the other but to obliterate it!

What is tribalism? 

It has these characteristics. Tribalism generates rigid views that cannot be challenged – a dogma about history, the economy, human sexuality, the place of religion, and general cultural and social values. Critical thinking within the tribe is viewed as disloyal, even heretical.  The idea that ‘my tribe is superior, right, and must win at all costs’ is primary.  The person who is thinking tribally gains a sense of belonging, his acceptance with ‘the right group’ more important than even family ties. He will eventually withdraw from meaningful relationships with others and become insulated within the faction or party to which he has joined himself.  It is my opinion that tribal thinking has gripped many people from both sides of the political spectrum.  Anyone who appears to be seeking consensus on issues is viewed as ‘weak’ or uncommitted or ignorant. People who think tribally replace genuine discourse with name-calling, superficial slogans, and blind recitation of accepted views.

Christian – tribalism is not the will of God for those of us who claim to be servants of Christ Jesus!  

In Jesus Christ, we find an identity that supercedes those of people groups, nations, or political affiliations. By way of illustration of that fact, Paul wrote "For Christ himself has made peace between us Jews and you Gentiles by making us all one people. He has broken down the wall of hostility that used to separate us." (Ephesians 2:14, NLT)  The first generation of Christians were completely different from the prevailing culture in that slaves and freed, rich and poor, male and female, citizen and non-citizen sat together at the Table of the Lord.  This was not just an ideal. It was the amazing truth. "So you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have been made like him. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female. For you are all Christians—you are one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:26-28, NLT)  There is no basis for ethnic divisions in the Church, the household of God.

Christians understood that everyone, every race, every social class, shared the same ‘disease’ (called sin) and that healing was exclusively found in the shed blood of Jesus Christ. This gift of grace eliminated any sense of superiority of tribe or class. "Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on our good deeds. It is based on our faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law. After all, God is not the God of the Jews only, is he? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. There is only one God, and there is only one way of being accepted by him. He makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles." (Romans 3:27-30, NLT)

Yes, those first Believers struggled to find that unity in Christ, that common ground. The natural tendency of humans to wear the tribal colors crept into their congregations as we can see from Paul’s appeal to the Christians of Corinth. "Now, dear brothers and sisters, I appeal to you by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ to stop arguing among yourselves. Let there be real harmony so there won’t be divisions in the church. I plead with you to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. For some members of Chloe’s household have told me about your arguments, dear brothers and sisters. Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,” or “I follow only Christ.” Can Christ be divided into pieces? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul?" (1 Corinthians 1:10-13, NLT)

Christian, we are not called just to win an election! We are invited INTO a Kingdom of greater glory, one built on gathering, not dividing, on a mutually held love of God, not on exalting a mere person or gaining a party WIN. The Bible says  that God calls - "I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth— everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” (Isaiah 43:6-7, NIV)  At the throne of Christ Believers will sing  this anthem - “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” (Revelation 4:11, NIV)  

We hinder God’s work when we allow our political opinions, our race, or our ethnicity to become more important to us than our shared loved of Jesus Christ and our longing for His Kingdom to come.  I plead with you to know that you are Christ’s FIRST.  Let the Spirit’s fruit shape all your interactions and conversations- always loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and marked by self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23, NIV)  As Election Day approaches, let’s not be fans, cheering for a win for ‘our’ team, but citizens seeking to build a better future for all.

Jesus’ call to us is the word from the Word today.  Meditate on what it means to be His, to serve as ‘salt and light.’   He says - “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:13-16, The Message)

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(Video of this blog at this link)

BE Heroic!

Who are your heroes, people you admire for the ways in which they live their lives?  I can think of a few.  I am inspired by Deitrich Bonhoeffer, a pastor in Germany during WW2 who spoke truth to power and was martyred by the Nazis.  I have always admired a young missionary named Jim Elliot who died on an Amazoean river beach in 1955 while trying to take the news of Christ Jesus to a Stong Age tribe who lived in awful violence.  His motto decorates my desk –
"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” 

My Mom is a hero to me, even more so as I become older and realize how much she sacrified for others. After raising three children, she became a Mom again, by adoption, not once but 10 times!  She was still actively mothering when she died. I seldom heard her complain about preparing meals for a full table, doing piles of laundry, or trying to make sure that reluctant students did their homework. She kept a neat home and served actively in the church my father pastored. Yes, that ‘ordinary’ little woman is a hero to me.

Biblical heroes, men and women who did spectacular things, have their stories recorded to inspire us, too. We make a real mistake when we turn people like David, Moses, and Peter into legendary heroes, forgetting that their choices of faith were made in ‘real life’ situations.  Each of them, as well as those modern heroes I mentioned, were not without flow, making mistakes in spite of notable achievements. 

David met Goliath on the battlefield and took him with a slingshot and he also committed adultery with one of his general’s wives! 

Moses met God on the mountain and brought down the Law and but also struggled with his temper that caused him to murder a man and to miss out on the Promised Land!

Peter led the Church, preaching a Pentecost message that brought 3000 conversions. He also quivered in fear before a servant girl and vehemently denied Jesus, on the night of His trial!

You can be a hero!  If you think that means being perfect you’re sunk already. If you know that it means accepting God’s call and living it out, day by day, where you are, welcome to the Hall of Heroes of the faith.  Let me remind you of what you probably already know:  in the Christian experience we will know victories that make celebrate and trip-ups that land us flat on our face.  

Real heroes of the faith know that faithful service is not about their reputation or personal charisma but rather about God’s covenant love gifted to us through Jesus Christ.   Real heroes are ‘becomers’ – changed day by day into the likeness of Jesus - who are given the Spirit so that they can, in turn, give good gifts to the people with whom they work and play.

Paul, a genuine hero, points to the source of his strength - "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:13, NIV)  In his letter to the Romans  he describes the ways that God reveals Himself, the nature of our salvation, and the great grace that is ours in Christ. He leans hard on the unfailing promises of God.  But, all those truth recorded in the lines of that wonderful inspired text is more than theological musing. The last three chapters of the letter get down to nitty gritty, daily choices. 

Paul reminds those Christians in Rome (and us!) that we are not just to sit around listening to sermons and taking Communion; we must become different, in an ordinary way. Why? To pay God back for His grace? No!  Our lives make Him known in a dark world and causes people to praise Him.  "May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other—each with the attitude of Christ Jesus toward the other. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 15:5-6, NLT)

God is glorified in the ordinary, which makes our lives heroic!  What kinds of things are we directed to do for God’s sake?   Paul says, “Be good citizens, honoring those who govern, seeing them as God’s servants. Pay your taxes.”  He goes on to tell us to “Avoid debt and pay your bills!”  Now there’s a novel thought.  Yes, our Christianity finds expression in our money!

We are directed to “Love extravagantly! Our only continuing debt being one we feel towards others in love.”     “Be holy,” he says. And, I need to quote him directly in this area.  "Don’t live in darkness. Get rid of your evil deeds. Shed them like dirty clothes. Clothe yourselves with the armor of right living, as those who live in the light. We should be decent and true in everything we do, so that everyone can approve of our behavior. Don’t participate in wild parties and getting drunk, or in adultery and immoral living, or in fighting and jealousy. But let the Lord Jesus Christ take control of you, and don’t think of ways to indulge your evil desires." (Romans 13:12-14, NLT)

Real heroes don’t go looking for fights, they build bridges.  The Word teaches us to "Accept Christians who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong." (Romans 14:1, NLT) Our goal is amplified here - "So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up." (Romans 14:19, NLT)   Bold love marks God’s heroes who learn to "Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." (Romans 15:7, NIV)

Suppose we allow ourselves to imagine that our best experience of Christ and service will be found on a ‘missions trip’ to an exotic locale, or leading some ministry where we stand in front of thousands to teach, or developing an outreach to rescue girls from sexual slavery, or some equally noble thing. In that case, we will miss out on doing God’s will right where we are.  Most of us will love God best by loving our family, serving in obscurity, refusing temptation, and staying deeply involved with our local church!

Here is the word from the Word that describes ordinary heroes and I aspire to be one of them.   "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is." (Romans 12:1-2, NLT)

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(Video of this blog at this link)

Thank You

I dreamed I went to Heaven
You were there with me
We walked upon the streets of gold
Beside the crystal sea
We heard the angels singing
Then someone called your name
You turned and saw this young man
He was smiling as he came

 

And he said friend
You may not know me now
Then he said but wait
You used to teach my Sunday School
When I was only eight
And ev'ry week you would say a pray'r
Before the class would start
And one day when you said that pray'r
I asked Jesus in my heart

 

Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am a life that was changed
Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am so glad you gave

 

Then another man stood before you
He said remember the time
A missionary came to your church
His pictures made you cry
You didn't have much money
But you gave it anyway
Jesus took the gift you gave
That's why I'm here today

 

One by one they came
Far as the eye could see
Each life somehow touched
By your generosity
Little things that you had done
Sacrifices made
Unnoticed on the earth
In Heaven now proclaimed

 

I know up in Heaven
You're not supposed to cry
But I am almost sure
There were tears in your eyes
As Jesus took your hand
You stood before the Lord
He said My child look around you
For great is your reward

 

Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am a life that was changed
Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am so glad you gave

 

 

Ray Boltz

© 1988 Gaither Music Company

CCLI License #810055

Fun-house mirrors

Jokingly, I said ‘Yes, I’m that fat, bald, old guy around here.”  A lady in the room, overhearing my remark, chided me – “No, you are a beloved child of God!”  She did not understand my self-deprecating humor, but she had a point. We tend to act in ways that align with what we believe to be true about ourselves. Plenty of lies find a home in our minds, don’t they?  A phrase somone else thinks is ‘cute’ can cut to the heart.  A word of encouragement may stick with us for life! But, what do we understand about ourselves? How do we form that all important self-image, without arrogance, without self-deception, or without adopting the toxic opinions expressed by our detractors?

When I a child, I remember entering a place at the county fair that was a maze of mirrors. Each one distorted the image reflected. Some made me appear short, others made me tall. Some made my head grotesquely out of proportion to the rest of my body. Ohers made my feet huge!  It was called a ‘fun house.’  I do not remember it that way!  To me the experience was disorienting and I was glad to escape the twisted world and to step back into reality.  

You and I must deal with distortions and distractions, misrepresentations of ourselves, in everyday life. The reflections we find the faces and words of others are not always accurate, sometimes distorted by their own bias, prejudice, fears, selfish motives, and past experiences.  We can become a slave to a fake image, desperate for love and acceptance, willing to be governed by lies and manipulation.

A mirror that reflects an accurate image is quite valuable. It shows us the spinach stuck in our teeth or the stain on our shirt we did not notice when we put it on. Seeing ourselves that way gives us the chance to correct a problem or even feel good about ourselves.  What a gift is that person who truly loves us enough to hold up a mirror – truthfully pointing out flaws and hopefully offering encouragement.

Here is what I KNOW about you and me: we are, in fact, beloved children of God! John reminds us of that fact when he writes – “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!”  (1 John 3:1)  In a well-known text we learn that God’s love is not earned, but given! "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16, NIV)  He is for us, not against us. He sees us as valuable not because we are attractive in some way, but simply for who we are.  What a powerful message for the formation of self-image.

Perhaps you jump quickly to the word ‘sinner’ and feel that God must surely hate you. That is a distortion. Yes, we are sinners, but our failures are matched with God’s grace, our need of life met by His offer of rebirth through Christ Jesus. Paul exults in the gift of love and is inspired to teach us that "there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death." (Romans 8:1-2, NLT)   

Our sins and failures, our alienation from God, our Father Creator, our insecurities  are all met with Jesus’ love. When He forgives it is complete, not partial. Where He is invited to save, it is a finished thing and allows us to change the image – sinner to saint, broken to whole, dead to alive! Grab this declaration of the Spirit and live in the truth. "Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it!" (2 Corinthians 5:17, The Message)

Feeling like you are trapped in a fun-house full of mirrors that confuse you?  Bow your head in prayer, offer yourself to Christ Jesus, simply, wholly, and in faith. Begin to know who you are in His love. You are enough! You are worthy! You are loved!

Here is the word from the Word. Believe it, receive it, and live it!  "I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God." (Ephesians 3:17-19, NLT)

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(Video of this blog at this link)

Jesus Loves Me

Jesus loves me this I know
For the Bible tells me so
Little ones to Him belong
They are weak but He is strong

Jesus loves me He who died
Heaven's gate to open wide
He will wash away my sin
Let His little child come in

Yes Jesus loves me
Yes Jesus loves me
Yes Jesus loves me
The Bible tells me so

Jesus loves me and I pray
He will keep me 'til that day
Keep me standing true and strong
Singing heaven's joyful song

Jesus loves me may I be
Ever faithful knowing He
Walks beside me ev'ry day
Shines His light along the way

Jesus loves me He will stay
Close beside me all the way
If I love Him when I die
He will take me home on high