counter flow

Our Hope is Not in Politicians

2011-11-01T10:05:00.000-07:00

I am sitting at home sick as I write this. I am suffering from some sort of seasonal bug. This gave me more time in bed this morning to cycle through the various news channels and I have come to realize that I am weary of political rhetoric that is nothing more than competitive banter for votes to help gain some of the most powerful positions in America. They present themselves as all-knowing. If you need an answer to life's problems, ask a politician . . . it seems as though they are full of answers. These answers however fail to identify and address the real problems of life. They are so busy "campaigning" that it seems they haven't taken the time to slow down and ponder the depths of the fallen human condition that ultimately is the cause of much of this nation's anguish and despair. It is also a main point of contention and division. Instead, they build their ideas and make their plans under the faulty assumption that they are are "the next saviors" of our nation.

The greatest problem in our nation is not foreign policy, the war on terror, or the economy. Our main problem is a spiritual one that affects all that we are (how we think, speak, & live) (Rom. 3:10;23;6:23). Why are politicians so afraid of speaking this truth? It is because they have their eyes set on the wrong prize. Their foundation is wrong and their goal is wrong (Judges 17:6; Prov. 14:12). Thus the result will be wrong and life with all of its technological advancement will continue to give way to the moral depravity that is the bane of all people everywhere.

The hope is not in governments, politicians, and political schemes that breed corruption. The Hope for us, our families, this nation and the world is Jesus (1 Tim. 1:1; Col. 1:27). I hate to disappoint all of the politicians but there is only ONE SAVIOR (Rom. 5:8; John 14:6; Acts 4:10-12). Jesus is the prize we ought to live for (Heb. 12:2; Phil. 3:14) and the one we will all give an accounting to (Heb. 9:27; Rom. 14:10; Rev. 20:11-15).

Following Jesus

2011-05-28T08:17:00.001-07:00

I recall playing the game “follow the leader” as a child. Whatever the leader did, we did. For the Christian, following our leader is a way of life. Jesus commanded us to make disciples by baptizing them and teaching them to obey all that He commanded (Matt. 28:18-20). He also stated that our love for Him is measured by our obedience to His commands (John 14:15). When a rich man asked about eternal life, Jesus told him to sell all that he had, give it to the poor and follow Him (Luke 18:18-23). The Apostle Paul understood this principle when he wrote, “follow me as I follow Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1) and “. . . not I but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20). In Philippians Paul clearly states that his life was consumed by Christ and the desire to live for Him surrendering all that he had.

So what is the point? Well there are several implications of being a true Christian.

The first is that we are not our own, we have been purchased by Christ (1 Cor. 6:19-20). This means that He is our Master and we are to seek Christ in all things. Stop dictating to Jesus and start asking what He wants. Stop asking Him to bless your plans and start obeying the plan He has already established.

The second is that we are to love God and others above ourselves (Matt 22:37-40; Phil 2).
This means we share our faith and our lives with others. We need to seek to be involved in the lives of others teaching them what it means to love and follow Christ. Start getting involved in the lives of others. Tell them about Jesus, meet their genuine needs, feel their pain, celebrate their joy, tell them the stuff they don’t want to hear but need to hear and hold them to it. Remind them constantly of God’s love by showing it.

The third is that we are to follow our leader, the Lord Jesus where He is leading and doing what He leads us to do. How do we know where or what that is? We pray, seek the scriptures, and pay attention. We often follow Jesus when it is convenient, but the truth is, that truly following Jesus most of the time is all about inconvenience, discomfort, and sacrifice.

There are many who claim to follow Jesus. Just like the rich man in Luke 18, they do “good things” and want to find a way to have eternal life while at the same time keep their stuff, schedules, priorities, wants, comforts, and conveniences. They want to be Christ followers without following Christ as leader. This may appear legalistic but Jesus referred to it as freedom. We are free from the sin that keeps us from following Christ and we are left with an abiding love for Him. Following Christ is less of a “have to” and more of a “get to”, this is the nature of grace.

Who or what are you following? What do you need to give up or lay down to follow Christ, loving Him and others? May we “be” the church that Christ has saved us to be so that we can “do” what Christ has commanded us to do.

God Wins!

2011-04-12T08:06:00.000-07:00

Pastor Rob Bell (Mars Hill Church, MI) has sparked new controversey with his book Love Wins. Although I have not read the book, I have watched interviews that Rob has done that deal with the contents of the book. One such interview can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg-qgmJ7nzA . In a nutshell, Rob has come to believe that there is no literal hell and that eventually everyone makes it to heaven because . . . well . . . God's love wins. Really?

Bell's theological belief seems to be a mixture of inclusivism and universalism. It is nothing new and comes in various shades and colors but the premise is the same. Everyone makes it. That's right, God -haters, fornicators, atheists, murderers, slanderers, liars,and adulterers and even cruel and harsh dictators. The reasons for this false belief gaining popularity are numerous. Ultimately though, they all relate to how we deal with truth.

With the rise of postmodern and post-christian thought and culture, truth has fallen from its perch as an absolute standard by which everything is governed and measured to a relative one (every individual and group or "tribe" as Rob calls them, has the freedom to define truth and experience for themselves). There is also the theological "problem" of evil, pain, and suffering and it begins with a question like, "How can God send people to hell who have suffered so much in this life?", or "How can God send someone to hell who has never heard the Gospel?". While these are important questions to ask, we do not have the freedom to define our own answers and call it truth. This however, is exactly what Rob and others have and are doing. They twist the Scripture and cheapen the gospel to accomodate what "feels good" and is what would be acceptable to the general public. After all, the alternative according to Bell is billions going to hell and a select few making it to heaven and well . . . that's just not right and God is not that mean, He's loving.

This whole "no worries" ideology is not based in scripture. It is true that the Scriptures declare that " . . .God is love" (1 John 4:8) and that "God loves the world . . ." (John 3:16). The Scriptures also declare that God is Holy (Isaiah 6, 1 Peter 1) and will pour out His wrath on the wicked (Rev. 16), and will cast those whose names are not found in the Book of Life into the lake of fire (Rev. 20). John 3 declares that except a person be born again by the Spirit of God he/she will not see the kingdom of God and that humanity is under condemnation apart from Christ. Paul in 1 Corinthians states that the gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing. God has many attributes as revealed in the Scripture: He is Holy, Just, Righteous, Pure, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Patient, Loving, Kind, Merciful, Angry, Wrathful, and Veangeful to name a few. Just because we struggle with what appears to us to be conflict in these attributes does not mean that there is nor does it give us the right to re-write scripture and re-define God in the way we choose for this is a violation of God's law (Exodus 20:1-6).

It is not love that wins but God who wins for the victory over sin has already been won by Jesus through His atoning work on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. The Salvation of humanity from sin is not a mandate but an invitation and while the atonement satisfies the sin debt of all of humanity it must be appropriated by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9). Even though Jesus has paid it all doesn't mean that all will be saved and according to Romans 1 there are no excuses. We need to get back in our Bibles and not give in to false teaching in books like The Shack and God Wins that attempt to re-define God for us but offer a hodgepodge of contradiction, chaos, and no viable purpose for morality!

The Harvest

2011-04-02T05:41:00.000-07:00

"Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!- John 4:35

Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. "Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."- Matthew 9:37-38

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me."- Isaiah 6:8

Revelation 14 reveals two distinct harvests that will one day be reaped. We often forget that the ultimate reaping time is coming. We pour our time and labor into cultivaing and caring for things that have no eternal significance or impact for God's kingdom. American Christians are especially notorious for this. We take our worldly "crop" and dress it up so that we can present it to our King as something worthwhile pretending that we have been obedient and devoted followers. Isn't this what Cain did?

Everyday our lives connect with others and we pay no attention at all unless there is something for us to gain. We forget that Jesus is our reward and that the Harvest is His reward. The field is the world around us. We are the laborers sent into the field to sow the gospel through the Word of God. Why don't we realize this? It is because we have been numbed and dumbed. We are desensitized by all of the stuff we engage in and the influence of all this directs us to water down, compromise, and make excuses. Oh yes . . . we come up with real good sounding excuses . . . at least to us. What we need is a refresher course in holy motivation!

The prophet Isaiah witnessed the holiness of the Lord and became aware of his own wretchedness as well as those around him. It is this vision of holiness and wretchedness that prompted his eager response to the call to labor in the field. We need to capture a glimpse of God's holiness and the wretchedness of humanity so that we too will be motivated to become laborers in the Lord's field. The problem is that this experience most certainly brings discomfort and we are not prone to seek after experiences that are unpleasurable and uncomfortable. . . and all the while the field passes us by and people quietly slip off into eternity. Oh that we the church will awaken from our fruitless, passionless, and powerless slumber! The field is ready for the King's laborers and reaping time is coming!

Everyone Wants to Be Number One

2011-03-09T13:18:00.000-08:00

1What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. ³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. ⁴ You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"? ⁶ But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." ⁷ Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. ⁸ Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹ Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. -James 4:1-10

The passage above reminds us that humanity tends to have a pre-occupation with self. This is the primary reason that people can't get along. We are obessessed with an inward focus that motivates us to pursue the things that please us. When we don't get our way, the result is conflict. Look around the world, our government, our communities, our families, and what do you see? CONFLICT! It is all around us. For those of us being transformed by the power of the gospel, the conflict is within us as well, for God's Spirit within us has differnt desires and purposes then our flesh. We are quick to gravitate to comfort and pleasure but this is not the way of Christ and His followers. Note the strong language James uses above. When we focus inward and make our desires the priority of our lives, we put ourselves in opposition to God. This results in vulnerability to the temptations of Satan and when we are weak, we yield to temptation and this is destructive.

Instead of trying to be number one, we are to recognize that the number one spot can only be occupied by God. When we submit to Him, we arm ourselves with humility to resist the attacks of the evil one. Our view of others also comes into godly focus and we have a right relationship with others that strives for their best interest above our own. This is the power of the gospel and the reason why we should live it and proclaim it to others. As we look at the various conflicts all around us we must remember that ultimately at the core, these conflicts are a demonstration of opposition to God. We must constantly "crucify" the inclinations of the flesh that attempt to push us to make idols of ourselves. When we do so, we are able to properly draw near to God in wonder, amazement, awe, reverence, and worship.

Truth Matters

2011-03-01T05:25:00.000-08:00

Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?" . . . John 18:38

Is there really a universal standard for truth and morality? In recent days we have heard that the President no longer desires to defend the "Defense of Marriage Act". His actions have sent the message that the family as God has defined, ordained and instituted it doesn't matter in our postmodern society. On the global landscape there are world dictators killing their own people in the streets. These power hungry, self -aggrandizing individuals attempt tho place themselves in the place of God. In the entertainment industry, Hollywood is still enamored with the immoral antics of their tabloid superstars. It was difficult to recently watch one actor who struggles with addiction stumble over his words as he attempted to justify his actions.

I had a discussion with a retired gentleman yesterday. He had made a statement that everyone ultimately worships the same God. I hesitated responding in order to avoid a potential argument but felt compelled to let him know that the Bible is the only authority on such matters and that Jesus who is God the Son was the only way to a reconciled relationship with God the Father (John 14:6; 1 Tim. 2:5). Since then I have thought about how important truth is. In our day and age, people think that truth is relative or subjective. Many have the self-narcissistic notion that they can define truth for themselves (Judges 17:6; 21:25). This allows them to define their own rules of morality. These same people are so deceived by all of this that they are blinded to the fact that they don't even live by their self-invented standard of truth and morality because it is self-defeating.

The Word of God is the authoritative and absolute standard of truth and morality. It is the consistent surety for our past, present, and future. We need to stop inventing, re-inventing, and redefining God's perfect standard, and as believers we should simply submit and follow. The truth of the matter is . . . truth matters!

Time is ticking away . . .

2011-02-14T04:39:00.000-08:00

Tick . . . tick . . .tick . . .

As I am writing this, time has past that I cannot reclaim. Time is one of the most precious commodities we as humans possess and yet is one of our most wasted resources. As we delved into Revelation 11 this week, we were reminded that just as time had a beginning, it will have an end. In the span of time between now and the end of time, things in this world are progressing toward God's judgment. This means that there will be increasing rebellion and unrest in the world (probably not the news we want to hear to brighten our day). It is inevitable because of what the scriptures teach.

While there are differences of opinion with regard to interpreting Revelation, no serious students of the Bible disagree on the finality of this world and the consummation of God's eternal kingdom. Sometimes knowing time's future events can be a bit disturbing. It was hard to hear in chapter 11 that things are going to get so bad that God's holy city, temple, and people are going to be overrun with wicked rebellion and abused. The questions that matter are: What will we do with the knowledge of the future we have been given? How will we use our precious time in light of Jesus' return?
Tick . . . tick . . . tick . . .

The Bitter with the Sweet

2011-02-09T14:25:00.000-08:00

"So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, "Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey." Rev. 10:9

In Revelation 10:10 John takes the "little scroll" out of the strong angel's hand and eats it as he was instructed to do. It was indeed sweet as honey in his mouth but bitter in his stomach. This reminds me of the good news that we proclaim. Those of us who have tasted and seen that the Lord is good (Ps. 34:8), sometimes forget that just because the gospel is "good news" doesn't mean that it is readily received with joy and gladnesss by the masses (1 Cor. 1:18-23). We often are guilty of preaching grace apart from the law and in doing so we preach an incomplete gospel.

The Apostle John recognized the sweetness of the message of God and equally the bitterness because he knew that judgment is just as much of a reality as mercy. We too must understand that the heart is "deceitful above all things and desperately wicked" (Jer. 17:9). As such we must be honest about humanity's sinful condition as well as the consequence of sin. It is then that the gospel becomes exceedingly good news.

The Beginning of the End?

2011-02-02T10:47:00.000-08:00

The world seems to be on shaky ground right now. There are wars and rumors of wars, severe weather patterns, religious conflict, moral relativism, various political factions vying for control, scary technology, and an uncertain economic future. There is far more than we can see on the surface, but once again a generation is asking . . .is this the end?

We have been studying the book of Revelation on Sunday mornings. It is one of the most challenging studies in all of Scripture because of its three-fold literary style. It is epistle, prohecy, and apocalyptic. I must confess that my views on the book have changed over the years. I originally did what many have done and interpreted it through the lens of modern day events. While I still adhere to a futuristic perspective I can't ignore that it was written to churches. It is because of its ecclesiatical audience and apocalyptic symbolism that I hesitate to come to dogmatic interpretations that are described in a 21st century "popular" context. As I read other commentators I sometimes scratch my head and ask, "How did they come to that conclusion? It isn't explicit in the text!"

This has taken our study in a different direction where the answer is often, "We don't know." This can be unsettling as we all want answers about the future. The text doesn't provide neat packaged answers that can be framed out in a 2011 scenario. This doesn't mean that we ignore the book or treat it as second rate because we know that all scripture is God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16). Instead we have simply been trying to keep Jesus as the focus and asking "How should we currently live in light of His return?"

Are the events that are currently unfolding around the world signalling the beginning of the end? We don't know. What we do know is that Jesus wants us to not lose heart, keep our focus on Him, and stay true to His Great Commandment and Great Commission. Now that we can be certain of!

Stay Tuned. . .

2010-08-17T11:32:00.000-07:00

I have been doing alot of thinking lately . . . (this can be a dangerous thing)! I am at a time and a place in my life where I am looking back and wondering where the time has gone and how little I have accomplished in service to Jesus.

I am looking around and wondering . . .what in the world has become of the church in the west? Are we seriously to believe that what we see on television and in multi-mega churches is what its all about? David Platt in his book Radical says no. I agree. Our consumeristic narcissism subtly influences us to . . .lean on our own understanding. The church of western culture has demonstrated time amd time again that it does not need God. Rather than serving God's kingdom we have poured our time, talent. and resources into building empires on earth (apparently we have learned nothing from the Romans).

This brings me to consider the future. I have attained "middle-aged" status. More than likely, I have fewer years in front of me than behind me. The scale of time has tipped. What about the future? I don't know all of the specifics. What I do know is that the Bible provides real answers on the matter. Next month we will turn our sights on the future as presented through the vision of the Apostle John as he penned the Boof of Revelation.

It has been a long time since I have blogged, but I felt that it was time to begin again in order to provide additional perspectives not covered during the weekly sermons. We are constantly experiencing the future becoming the present and then the past. Our future is relevant to and affects our present. All too often we put off thinking about it so that we don't have to experience the change that God wants to bring for His Glory. But change is occuring nonetheless and so we will take a look at the future. Are we in the last days (end times)? Stay tuned, remain faithful , and find out!

Meet the Merciless

2010-01-05T06:37:00.001-08:00

Matthew 5:7: Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.

No one really disputes that there is cruelty in the world. There is however dispute as to its cause. There is also disagreement as to its solution. Some argue that religion is the cause, and others argue that religion is the solution. Radical atheists argue the former and explain it in terms of anthropology and natural selection. They see religion (especially Christianity) as a scourge on society and the great cause of cruelty in the world. Their tainted views and pre-suppositions lead to their inability to distinguish biblical Christianity from cultural Christianity and so they argue against the truth of scripture and exclusivity of Christianity on the grounds of distinct differences between the cultures of the world. This is a flawed naturalistic explanation of the problem.

These atheists are unable to think outside of the natural (metaphysically) and so they fail to understand that although the world has many distinct geographic/environmental/religious cultures, there is an underlying cultural understanding that unites the populations of the world. Hard-wired into humanity is a wicked and worldly culture that is contrary to and combative against the holiness of God. This worldly culture has been consistent throughout human history. It is one of the distinctions between homo sapiens (that's us) and animals. Even with our ability to reason, we still commit atrocities that have nothing to do with survival. They are simply evil. Murder is murder no matter where you live in the world. Even in a culture that allows for democracy and the freedom to choose good and right, we choose that which is self-serving. The darkness of our deeds does not become apparent to us until they are exposed by God's light (John 1:4-5; 8:12; Eph. 5:8-11). Until then, we march along believing that we are basically "decent" beings and that this gains God's acceptance. Regardless of where you live in the world, Romans 1 unites all under the indictment that no one is without excuse.

This is what is radical about the beatitudes. They are contrary to the corrupt worldly culture that grips the planet. The beatitudes are not what we do as much as who we are and that is why any attempt to convey our "decency" to others by working them out on our own terms falls short. Our false notion of "decency" becomes evident due to a faulty comparison. We compare ourselves with other people and other cultures and we purposefully choose those who according to our own standard are "bad" people. This is done to make us look "good". However when we compare ourselves to the holiness of God and His standard (the beatitudes as one example), we find ourselves depraved. This becomes especially evident with regard to the spiritual virtue of mercy. We can compare ourselves to others and appear to be merciful but we cannot fool God because His standard of mercy is demonstrated through the cross of Jesus. In our fleshly attempts to muster mercy, we demonstrate how merciless we really are for we often use the suffering and plight of others to gain favor with God and this results in futility, for no one can merit His grace. Our true motivation and expression should come from God. It is because we love God and have undeservedly experienced His mercy, that we extend love and mercy to others. We recognize the devastating bondage of sin that grips humanity and we mercifully extend the good news that there is freedom in Christ alone. May we daily flee and abandon the garment of self-righteousness making ourselves available to be active instruments of God's great mercy.

Matthew 5:6 Paraphrase

2009-12-14T19:12:00.000-08:00

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled. -Jesus Christ

My Paraphrase:Everyone who has a "gut wrenching" craving, and an intense urgent desire for God's narrow, unpopular path of right living and passionate devotion to Him, is a privileged recipient of God's divine favor and unmerited beneficiary of His all surpassing joy. These people experience a satisfaction that can be compared to nothing else in this life and yet still they experience a burning desire for more.

Are Lions Safe?

2009-12-09T05:33:00.000-08:00

"Aslan is a Lion-the Lion, the Great Lion," "Ooh!" said Susan, "I thought He was a man. Is He quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a Lion." "That you will dearie, and no mistake," said Mrs. Beaver; "If there is anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they are either braver than most or else just silly." "Then He isn't safe?" said Lucy. "Safe?" said Mr. Beaver; "Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course He isn't safe. But He's good. He's the King I tell you." (Chronicles of Narnia-The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis)

Is God safe?
The distorted views of God that are peddled in the culture attempt to keep God safe.

First there is the non-existent God. For people who hold this view, the question is a moot point because there is no God. We are all a cosmic accident and should focus on surviving in this harsh world, regardless of the cost.
Next there is the mother nature view of God. We are making mother nature angry with our environmental pollutants and if we don't appease her by offering billions of dollars to decrease our carbon footprint, she is going to bring down her wrath through the consequences of global warming. This view of God may appear to be unsafe, however in reality, this is a god we can control thus determining our own destiny.
There is the god of many paths (or the Oprah view). This view simply would have us to believe as Oprah stated, "there can't possibly be just one way!" This is a safe god because everyone's way is right.
There is the "higher power" god that made the universe but then left us alone to fend for ourselves and is not really interested in interfering in our lives.
There is the "First Bank of Blessing" god that only wants a financial commitment sent to one of his many television prophets. In return, he will invest it and return to you health and wealth.
There is the social god who exists only as an excuse to gather together in a church building and pursue the greater social good of those who are attendees.

. . . and so many others!

None of these are the view of God given in the Bible. The God of the Bible is the one True God and is holy, all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-present. He is The Judge who pours out His wrath on sin and the wicked. He is the one who created everything out of nothing, destroyed the earth once by flood and will one day destroy the earth permanently and cast those who have not been born again into the lake of fire. Hmmm... does this sound like a safe God to you? Hardly! This should cause us to tremble and mourn over our great wickedness against Him. This is a God who sustains our lives and existence and does confront our wretchedness and who will require an accounting of our lives regardless of how we view Him.

He isn't safe but He is good. He is all-loving and sent His Son Jesus (the Lion and the Lamb) in meekness to redeem (buy back) our souls from the depravity of sin. All of God's strenghth and power (enough to obliterate our existence) displayed in the miracles and humility of Jesus offering Himself as a sacrifice in our place. Three days later, we once again gain a glimpse of His power as He was resurrected from the dead offering hope to all who will repent and believe. God then works in us to transform us into worshippers who serve Him in love, humility, and obedience. How is your view of God? Are you a partaker of His grace and mercy? If not, then may God correct your spiritual vision to give you a proper view of Himself.

Spiritual Beggars

2009-11-24T06:35:00.000-08:00

"Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven."-Matthew 5:3
To come to the realization that I have nothing to offer God that will earn His favor is difficult for me. I wrestle with, no...I am in heated battle with my prideful flesh that wants to be able to come to God and say, "look over there Lord, did you see what I did for You?" We want God to see what we call the "good stuff" that we do but not the bad. However, God sees it all and says, "ALL that YOU'VE done is like filthy rags (Is. 64:6), I had no part in it." This is the crushing blow! I retreat into a fetal position, cover my face with one hand and dare to hold out the other and cry out to God in desperate need! It is in that moment that I recognize my place. I am a dog begging for the crumbs from the Master's table (Matthew 15:26-28), a spiritual beggar. It is only when I realize this solemn truth that God comes near and draws me to Himself. Yes, only after my heart has been broken and my spirit crushed that I might recognize my total dependency on God (Psalm 34:18). Sometimes this has to happen several times a day for God to bring me to a place where He can use me.

Psalm 24 reveals that only those with clean hands and pure hearts may enter God's presence. Here's the irony...none of us have clean hands and pure hearts! Only God can perform such a transformation. King David recognized this and we see his appropriate response to his wretchedness in Psalm 51. This doesn't mean that we are to sink into a deep dark depression that paralyzes us. Instead, we are to allow the light of God's word to pierce the deep, dark recesses of our hearts, expose our sinful pride for what it is, and purge it from us (Eph. 5). After all, God doesn't use the proud, He opposes them (James 4:6). If we are to truly be partakers of His grace, we are to be in a constant state of being reminded that we are not spiritual giants but rather spiritual beggars who are grateful that God doesn't pass by and ignore our pitiful, shameful, outstretched hand but instead grabs it and pulls us to Himself in an embrace and treats us like sons and daughters.

Extreme Living

2009-11-16T07:35:00.000-08:00

The mission that God has called His people to (Matthew 28:18-20) is one marked with discouragements, discomfort, difficulties, and danger. So why would anyone in their right mind endeavor to participate in such a mission? We do so because we have a right mind, a right spirit, and ultimately because we have a right love (Matthew 22:37-40). Our obedience to the mission, while birthed in our hearts, is manafested or shown in our lives as a whole. There is an old saying that states: People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. Sometimes we live in the extremes of both ends of the spectrum. We either work on knowing alot about God and His word and fail to live it out in our lives and relationships or we love and serve people faithfully without sharing what we know. God however has called us to an extreme life that involves sharing both characteristics. We share our lives in service and we share our faith (the gospel) because only God can save, not my service.

There is another extreme that the church has exalted at the exclusion of the mission. The church in western culture (that's us) has become comfortable with the extreme of cheering on the mission without participating in it. Yesterday I mentioned that Jesus wants followers, not fans. He wants us to radically trust Him with our lives and our obedience. Does this mean that there is no place for cheering? Absolutely not! Our cheering is expressed in the praises that we express through prayer, testimonies, and songs. Cheering becomes a problem when it is all we seek and all we do. You see God has called us to an extreme relationship and an extreme way of life that counters the cultural norms. We should be standing out in the culture. We should do so not because we cheer the loudest but because we love and serve the loudest. We have wrapped ourselves in the comfy cozy blanket of big words. We have learned that all we have to do is say we believe and that makes it so. However, the epistle of James teaches us that "faith without works is dead (James 2:18-26)". Paul even stated that although we are not saved by works, we are saved for good works (Eph 2:8-10). At times we all are guilty of justifying our extremes. Big words don't necessarily convey a BIG GOD! We need words and actions harmoniously displayed in our lives. I need prayers, support and accountability to keep me on task with the mission, and if you are reading this, you do to. Extreme love, requires extreme obedience. This is extreme biblical truth for extreme Godly living. May the Lord provide opportunities this week to serve others, and share the good news of Jesus!

The Push

2009-11-09T04:10:00.000-08:00

The push into our life's calling to "make disciples" is not an easy one. Our comfort zones are like security blankets that we cling to. When confronted with this seemingly impossible mission Christ has called and commanded us to partake in, we struggle between trust/obedience and safety/security. It is the nature of our flesh to strive for the comfortable/familiar. That's why we get the knot in the pit of our stomachs and the stiffness in our necks from tension everytime we are challenged to launch into the "unfamiliar" realm of trusting God. For many in the church, the fact that trusting God is unfamiliar is tragic. Maybe we need to make a practice of daily meditating on Proverbs 3:5-6 as a constant reminder. Protecting our comfort zones don't keep God at a safe distance, they push Him out of our lives, while He is simultaneously trying to push us into a lost world to embrace Him and engage His mission. Every time we push back we sin, and we will not win the pushing contest as long as we're pushing. Go ahead and surrender! That's the point! Winning in terms of God's kingdom only happens by losing (Matthew 10:39; 16:24-25).