Driving the Nails

Watching "The Passion of the Christ" the movie produced a couple of years ago by Mel Gibson, I was deeply moved by the depiction of the Lord's anguish as He carried the sins of the world on our behalf. From the opening scenes of His heart wrenching prayer in Gethsemane to the last moments when He commends His spirit to His Father in Heaven, I was held in this thought - He did this by choice because He loves me! My sin nailed Him there- every rebellious act, every selfish word, every miserable moment focused on myself.

In a very real sense, we continue to drive the nails yet today when, as Christians, we live selfishly, lustfully, or unlovingly. There is a difficult text in the book of Hebrews the full meaning of which Believers argue about it for it speaks of turning away from Christ. Can a Believer lose her relationship with God completely? What does it mean to 'fall away?' Those questions are hard to answer and are not the focus of my thoughts today. There is one line in that passage that echoes in my mind today - "... if they fall away...they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. (Hebrews 6:4-6, NKJV) But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation." (Hebrews 6:9, NKJV) When I am cruel to another, I need to hear the ring of hammer on nail! When I choose deliberately to reject the humble way of the Spirit, exerting my selfish will against God, I need to feel the handle of the whip that opened Jesus' back in my own hand! When my voice is raised in angry accusation against another, I need to realize I joined the crowd screaming for His blood - "Crucify Him!"

If we turn the atonement (Jesus becoming the sacrifice that brings a holy God and sinful humanity back together) into an exercise in theology and individually distance ourself from the Cross, we err badly! Jesus not only died for the sins of the world - He died for my sin, your sin, dear Believer. If we let ourselves realize that our sin, personally, nailed Him there, we will come to true repentance instead of the momentary regret that so often passes for it in our lives. Singer song writer Ray Boltz captured the thought in this song. Read the lyrics thoughtfully.

They tell me Jesus died
For my transgressions;
And that He paid that price
A long, long time ago
When He gave His life for me
On a hill called Calvary.
But there's something else
I want to know.

Does He still feel the nails
Ev'rytime I fail?
Can He hear the crowd cry,
"Crucify," again?
Am I causing Him pain?
Then I know I've got to change.
I just can't bear the thought
Of hurting Him.

It seems that I'm so good
At breaking promises,
And I treat His precious grace
So carelessly.
But each time He forgives,
What if He relives
The agony He felt on that tree?

Do you still feel the nails
Ev'ry time I fail?
Have I crucified You, Jesus,
With my sin?
Oh, I'm tired of playing games,
I really want to change.
I never want to hurt You again.

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord.
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord.

© 1989 Sonworshipers Music (Admin. by Integrated Copyright Group, Inc.) / Shepherd Boy Music CCLI License No. 810055 Feel The Nails Boltz, Ray / Millikan, Steve

Let's not rush past the Cross to the Empty Tomb this holy week! Yes, I love the joyful hope of Easter morning. I am thrilled by the proclamation of eternal life that is made by His resurrection. But we cannot forget that without Friday there would be no Sunday, that without the willingness to die for our sins there would be no triumph over sin, death, and Hell. Kneel at the Cross today anew. Be made holy by the act of atonement which Jesus Christ willingly accomplished there, moved by obedience and love.

Then rise with a forgiven, humble heart and walk to the Empty Tomb, joyfully and with holiness that is a gift of God, not of our works, so that none can boast of his own goodness before God.

He prays for me!

At the risk of sounding weak, I'll admit that I often find life exhausting! One task is completed only to have two more pop up on the to-do list. Some personal victory is celebrated but only for a moment until the next crisis starts to unfold. One of Job's friends wryly observed, "People are born for trouble as readily as sparks fly up from a fire." (Job 5:7, NLT) Now that is an interesting turn of phrase. No matter how smart you are, how well you think you have prepared for tomorrow, how faithfully you take your vitamins - from some unexpected corner, at some unexpected moment, difficulties and disappointments will find their way to your door.

Believer, here's the best news. We have a High Priest who is always praying for us! I love when somebody sends me note or gives me a call and says, "Just wanted you to know that I was praying for you today." There is no gift that compares to the sincere prayers offered on another's behalf. But to think that Jesus Christ is at the Father's right hand making a case for me, asking for mercy on my behalf, directing the Spirit to keep me on my feet when life is coming at me hard and fast- is amazing - and true! The Bible says, "He is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens." (Hebrews 7:25-26, NIV)

John's Gospel records the final hours of Jesus' earthly ministry in greater detail than the other Gospels. The 17th chapter is a record of the prayer that Jesus prayed on behalf of His disciples and for Believers to this day. It's a wonderful prayer that gives encouragement. It allows us to hear the heart of Jesus' prayers on our behalf. In part He says, "I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth." (John 17:14-17, NLT)

What He does not pray is as important to note as what He does ask on our behalf. He does not ask God to make life easy or to provide a rocket ship out of this world! We pray that way sometimes, don't we? "God, let me outta here! Change this situation. Just let me have an easy time of it today." Yes, I pray that foolish, childish prayer sometimes. But Jesus prays that we will be preserved from spiritual destruction, that we will be full of the Spirit's life and distinct as the people of God in a dark world, and that we will understand God's word and will.

There are two things I want to leave with you today.

1st - He is praying for you! Never forget that. You are not alone, forgotten, or forsaken.

2nd - He asks the best for you, not the easy! Pray like He prays; not for release, but for courage; not for an easier place, but for His glory shine through you as remain faithful to Him in your present situation.

Remember this. Our High Priest understands our needs for He was tempted and tested in all the ways we are. When you're wrestling with life and the will of God, remember He did, too. As He prayed in Gethsemane, under terrible pressure and in great anguish, He pleaded for another way, but eventually came 'round to surrender, "Not my will, Father, but Yours, be done!" So He understands when you're pressured, squeezed, stressed, broken, disappointed, distraught, confused, or afraid! He is praying for you.
________________________________

Jesus! What a friend for sinners!
Jesus lover of my soul!
Friends may fail me, foes assail me;
He, my Savior, makes me whole.

Hallelujah what a Savior.
Hallelujah what a Friend.
Saving, helping, keeping, loving,
He is with me to the end.

Our Great Savior - Chapmen, public domain

I am a friend of God!

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Those words which Jesus screamed in His agony on the Cross are precious words, despite the ugly context that tore them from His throat! Why? Because they let me know that my Lord and Savior understands the despair and sense of alienation that stalks each of us when we are separated from God. The grim facts are that sin entered the world. Sin separates us from God. All sin and therefore, all are orphaned from their Father. And yet, there remains a longing, often undefined, to know Him. We attempt to fill up that longing for God with many things - success, owning things, working for rewards and awards, sex - to name a few.

We search for significance in different ways attempting to make the statement- "I matter, I am a person of worth." But, none of our efforts brings lasting satisfaction. Why? Because the hole in our being is a God-shaped gap that only He can close! The only lasting satisfaction for our longing for purpose and place in this world is restoration of the relationship with God.

The Bible explains the concept like this- "When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. . . . God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God." (Romans 5:6-11, NLT)

There are dark days in our lives, even after we have come to faith, that cause us to wonder if God has forsaken us. Sickness, death, and disappointment come to saint and sinner alike. In those seasons we hear the whispers of doubt, the hiss of demonic tormenters, that say - 'Where is your God? Has He turned His back on you?' Then I remember Jesus' greatest agony, the alienation He felt as He was torn from His perfect relationship with God, the Father, as my sins were laid on Him. And I am able to pray that He will strengthen me, knowing that He has stood where I stand and that He will keep me in the hour of trial. "Since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:14-16, NIV)

Do feel that God has forsaken you?
Apart from Jesus Christ, that is not just a feeling. It is a fact. Our sins have torn us from our Father! Look to Jesus. Believe that He has provided the full price for your forgiveness and, by faith, accept your place in God's great family!

If you are 'in Christ,' and you are feeling forsaken, ask the Spirit of God to work with you on an inventory of your life. Persistent disobedience to the will of God creates distance in our relationship. If you find that kind of willful rejection of God's will, turn to Him with open admission and "He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing." (1 John 1:9, The Message)

Know this, too. Sometimes our sense of being alone is just that - a feeling, not a reality. Fatigue and disappointment resulting from missed expectations give us a feeling that God has left us. But He is near! Stay steady, hold onto faith.

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.
The righteous person faces many troubles,
but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.

For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous;
not one of them is broken!
Calamity will surely overtake the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be punished.
But the Lord will redeem those who serve him.
No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned." (Psalm 34:18-22, NLT)

Church, who needs it?

The man said, "I really do believe in God and Jesus, but I hate church." The irony underlying the conversation hit me hard. How could I, a creature of the Church, a man who has spent his entire adult life employed by religious organizations address that statement with any kind of integrity? I understood what he meant though, for I, too, have found myself despising parts of organized religion. Sometimes I, a full-time Pastor whose calling is perceived by most people as being all about spirituality, long to escape religious enterprise to do something 'spiritual.' My friend went on to ask, "Do you find many people like me?" The answer is yes! There are a lot of people who claim faith on some level but who have abandoned organized religion. The reasons are many, but a few are common. What are they?

1. Too much emphasis on money.
Church buildings need maintenance. Programs have to be funded. People who teach, preach, and lead have to be paid. But what about ineffectiveness, waste, and a lack of accountability? May I dare to say that if businesses were operated like a lot of local congregations, they would be bankrupt in a year or less! Many church leaders expect people to pour their money into the offering plate, but resent the questions about results. It is somehow considered unkind to ask - what did that all that money accomplish for God and good? And, yes, there are those few preachers who live extravagantly. The few get a lot of press and live high profile lives. But the truth is that most church employees live on salaries that are less than they would make in the secular world. They do so gladly. I am convinced that where the mission of a church is defined, where results are being observed in terms of that mission, and where real people needs are being met - there will be ample funding for God's work to be done without resorting to gimmicks, pleading, or pressure.

2. Too many hypocrites.
It's true that the church has its share of people who talk faith better than they walk faith; but, many others are totally sincere, if imperfect. If I somehow managed to poll family members and/or work associates of each and every person who sits in the pews of my church, I would find gaps in every one of their lives. I know that I don't get it right everyday, or even every hour of a single day. I'm sometimes less than loving. I allow fear to overtake faith. I misjudge others. I become the victim of my own pre-conceived ideas; but I do really love God! Christians are 'becomers,' works in progress, growing in Christ. If you're throwing stones at the 'hypocrites' in the church, watch out, because your own sins are likely to be revealed sooner or later. That said, I know there are churches where image has overtaken substance, where tradition is worshipped on a higher level than God Himself, and where conformity to the accepted rule is king! I probably would not hang out in that kind of church too long, either.

3. Irrelevant to my life.
Yes, the message of the Gospel must be connected to the culture. Paul himself said that he was willing to become all things to all people so that by all methods he could bring them to Christ! It is important to be conversant with the people that we hope to influence. The rest of the story is this: too much accommodation of the culture destroys the distinctive quality of a real Believer's life. Our calling is to be 'the salt of the earth.' But the Believer who has become 'worldly' no longer functions in that way. A healthy church will always have a tension between those who guard the gates and those who drag in the sinners! It will always have the evangelists whose hearts bleed for those in need and the theologians who work to protect both orthodoxy (right beliefs) and orthopraxy (right practices). The church isn't just about being relevant. God has given the Church (and Christians) a message of transformation that conflicts with the sins of whatever culture into which it is spoken! A church that is so compromised as to have lost her voice to call people to live in love, in mercy, and justly, isn't worth a thing, no matter how many fill up her building on Sunday.

Who needs to be a part of the church?
Every Christian Believer! The Christian experience is not a Lone Ranger one. The highest and best spiritual life is not lived in isolation from other Believers. Christianity is a communal experience according to the will of God. We are called to be a part of the Body of Christ, working at the relationships with other Believers.

The Bible says, "God has put all parts of our body together in the way that he decided is best. A body isn’t really a body, unless there is more than one part. It takes many parts to make a single body. That’s why the eyes cannot say they don’t need the hands. That’s also why the head cannot say it doesn’t need the feet.
In fact, we cannot get along without the parts of the body that seem to be the weakest. We take special care to dress up some parts of our bodies. We are modest about our personal parts, but we don’t have to be modest about other parts. God put our bodies together in such a way that even the parts that seem the least important are valuable. He did this to make all parts of the body work together smoothly, with each part caring about the others. If one part of our body hurts, we hurt all over. If one part of our body is honored, the whole body will be happy.
Together you are the body of Christ. Each one of you is part of his body." (1 Corinthians 12:18-27, CEV)

Find a group of Believers who are serious about the prime commands- Love God wholeheartedly, and love others unselfishly - and commit yourself to their company. Work at it. Give your all, for God's sake.

The Bible says that the results will be simply amazing: "we’re all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God’s Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ. No prolonged infancies among us, please. We’ll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for impostors. God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love." (Ephesians 4:13-16, The Message)

Strengthen your brothers

Nine young Believers from The Church at Chapel Hill in Georgia traveled to NJ to be at our church this past weekend. Pastor Jeremiah and members of Fulfill The Call sang, danced, spoke, and injected our church with a dose of healthy enthusiasm. Their visit reinforced a truth I already knew but had forgotten - living in isolation is unhealthy. Groups and people tend to get ingrown. We can become paralyzed by our own sins and failings. We begin to think that our way of living the Christian life is 'the' way. The cross pollination of ideas can make us strong, will force us to stop and think, to ponder life from a new perspective. Hearing what God is doing in the lives of others renews our hope in Him for our own lives. That's what FTC did for us. They didn't invent some new truth - thank God! They told us the Gospel story as seen through the lens of their experience. They came and brought us strength!


Luke records a poignant moment at the table where Jesus celebrated the Passover and told his friends to celebrate it in His memory in the future. After that important moment, the disciple fell to squabbling among themselves about who was most important! Amazing, isn't it? They got so caught up in making sure that their place in the pecking order was protected, they lost sight of the One who gave them true Life. Jesus reminds them that true greatness is found in serving each other, that the way up is down. Then I can almost hear Him sigh and He says these words directly to Peter - "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers." (Luke 22:31-32, NLT) His is a bitter-sweet charge. "Simon Peter, you're going to be a failure, shaken like wheat in a sifter by the work of Satan, but you will come through it and repent. Use your experience to restore your friends who will fail even worse than you will."

Peter did emerge weeks later a new man, infused with the authority and power of the Holy Spirit. He was the leader of the first generation Church, not in title, nor even in intellectual abilities, but by his testimony. James held the title of Pastor of the Church at Jerusalem. Paul came to be the thinker who distilled Christian theology, but Peter was the one with the story to which people could relate. "I was the one who fell on his face when the Lord needed me. I was the one who missed the point of the lessons - but He loved me still and restored me. Now, He'll do the same for you!" The broken, the failing, the hopeless heard a word of hope in his testimony and turned to follow the Lord. He embraced the Lord's command - "Peter, strengthen your brothers!"

Do you think you're too _____________________ (what's your excuse?) to be useful to the Lord?
Do you let the mistakes and failures of another day disqualify you from serving the Lord today?
Are you trying hard to pretend that your sins never really happened, burying them?

Take Peter's example for yourself. Get right with God. Confess the sin, find forgiveness, let the Spirit do His restoration work, then strengthen your brothers!
Are you telling the Story to others who need to hear it anew? Are you strengthening others by sharing your experience?

Here's a word from the Word. Put it into practice."Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NIV)
_________________________
I don't care
What label you may wear.
If you believe in Jesus
You belong with me.
The bond we share
Is all I care to see;
And we will change the world forever
If you will join with me,
Join and sing.

You're my brother,
you're my sister,
So take me by the hand.
Together we will work until He comes.
There's no foe that can defeat us
When we're walking side by side.
As long as there is love,
We will stand.

We Will Stand
Author: Taff, Russ / Taff, Tori / Hollihan, James
Copyright: 1983 Word Music, Inc. (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.)