Life Together

The word is out that Christians need each other. One of the most precious blessings in Christ is that He grafts us into a family of believers. We are His body and His bride. Is there anything more sacred than the body of our Lord or His beautiful bride?

With all of the dysfunctional families today, we tend to be a bit hesitant to become part of another family. But families have been dysfunctional since Cain and Abel and as long as Satan is alive and well, we will always be faced with sin and bondage and its harmful effects.

The simple truth is that I need you and you need me if we are going to live out this journey of faith. If we are in a battle, who would ever dare to fight against the armies of Satan alone? That would be the most foolish decision ever! Satan loves to divide and conquer us one by one and his strategy works extremely well. He tells us that church has too many problems and we would be better off in our relationships with the Lord without others being involved. But others need us and as much as we hate to admit that we have needs, we need each other.

Here are only some of the wonderful things that happen in a family of believers and they are as necessary as the air we breathe if we are going to have life…real life in Christ:

1. Loving support system--cry together and celebrate together (See Philippians 2:17-18)
2. Encouragement to keep going (See Philippians 1:9 NIV)
3. Strength in numbers to resist the schemes of the evil one (See 1 Peter 5:9)
4. Share in each others spiritual gifts (See 1 Corinthians 14:3-4 NIV)
5. Nurture one another--teaching and admonishing (See 1 Corinthians 14:26 NIV)
6. Discipline one another--correcting and rebuking (See 2 Corinthians 10:6)
7. We are never alone in this journey of faith and we pray for each other (See Ephesians 6:19-20 NIV)
8. Remind each other who we are and where we’re going (See 1 Corinthians 15:1)
9. Share in the physical blessings of Christ (See 2 Corinthians 8:7 and 9:12 NIV)
10. Fight spiritual warfare for and with each other (See 2 Corinthians 10: 4-5 NIV)

Plug in and use your gifts to build up the body of Christ. Be blessed by others and be a blessing to them. If you are doing that--great job, keep it up! This is war and we are under attack. Our leader said “Love one another.” He prayed for strength for His disciples to endure. We can also pray for each other to hold on and keep running the race.

“After this I looked around and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:9 NIV)

God In Me, God In You

Thinking, acting, and speaking like the Father is the goal of Christian discipleship. “Walking in His steps” as Peter says, is our aim.

I love to be around people who know each other so well that they can finish each others sentences or they do what the other person was thinking without needing to be told. This is a more mature level of our faith when we are able to know what the Father is thinking and we are so in tune with Him that we act without even needing to ask.

I know that His ways are not our ways and we will never think as holy as our Lord, but it is possible to get to that place where we are so connected with His heart that we desire what He desires because we know Him so well. His Spirit is given to us in greater measures when we seek and allow Him to indwell us. (See Luke 11:13) I feel like I have only caught glimpses of this in my life, but it drives me onward to learn more and love more. It draws me to seek the will of the Father. I want to get to that place where I reflect His glory and I’m not even aware that He and I are so intertwined.

It is so different than a child who always has to ask his or her parents for permission or directions. “Is this what you want me to do?” or “What should I do about this?” The more the child grows and matures in this relationship, the more the child is able to do without asking or being told, fully confident that he or she is pleasing their parents. The child can even begin to finish the parents thoughts, almost reading their mind.

Again, I realize that God is so holy and omniscient that I would never dare to bring Him to my level, but I’m fully aware that He gives us His Spirit and desires that we think like Him and take on His character.

At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.” (See Luke 10:21 NIV)

Dear Lord, fill me up with more of Your Spirit. Please make Your home here in my heart. Remove the strongholds in my life and replace them with Your presence until my thoughts are Your thoughts! Such knowledge is too wonderful for me that You my Creator would choose to live in me! Thank You Father!

Extending Our Influence

Another one of those rich blessings in the Christian life is that God wants to use us as conduits of His grace in the lives of others. Our lives will never feel more meaningful than when we are aware that Someone so powerful has so gently and mercifully given Himself to people that are in the realm of our influence. In a way, everything else seems trite compared to knowing that God is working through us to bless others.

Though we aren’t always aware of how and when the Lord is using us to plant or water seeds, we can learn to extend our influence in the name of Christ. As maturing disciples, we should develop a ministering mentality. We are servants who are conscious of the God-moments in our contact with people. We learn to be intentional and deliberate in listening and communicating with our friends and family, believers and unbelievers. Our eyes see people who cross our paths as not merely casual coincidences but Providential appointments. Wow! What a different way to see those interruptions--even angry, narcissistic enemies of the cross appear differently when we are extending our influence.

Think of that--the apostle Paul was once an enemy of the cross of Christ but it takes a divine appointment for him to visit with Ananias, and God uses Ananias to influence and bring Paul around to the truth (see NIV Acts 9). Truth. That’s what it’s really about--living truth and being available for the Lord to use us and lead others to the Truth.

With a ministering mentality, we may find ourselves with some weird or even dangerous characters. We’ll definitely be in company of ill repute. Jesus makes time for thieves, prostitutes, adulterers, and the other social outcasts like the poor, the lame and the sick.

Extending our influence--it’s yet one more reason to praise our sweet Lord who fills our lives with meaning and purpose every single day!

“Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.” (see NIV Revelation 19:8)

Lost

Søren Kierkegaard said that most of us stay in the ocean where we can touch the bottom, but God wants to call us out into the deepest leagues of the ocean where only He can save us!

Have you ever been lost? Missed a turn and lost your sense of direction? It’s completely disorienting and can be debilitating. A very common response to being lost is panic. We start to listen to those unrealistic voices, afraid that we’ll never find our way and we’ll be eaten by a ferocious pack of wolves, after being dragged by our toenails through cactus fields and fire ants.

Lost with people around is one thing, but lost and alone is a little different. No one is around to comfort, console, or give directions. Just you and the Lord and a lot of unfamiliar territory.

It’s actually a great place to be, assuming we’re not in an extremely life-threatening situation. We are the sheep who has wandered away from the fold, oblivious of the dangers lurking nearby. He is the shepherd who runs off the wolves, snatches us from the thickets, and throws us on his shoulder and carries us home. Savor that for a second. The sheep on the shoulder of the Shepherd! Does anything else in the world matter? Is there any safer place to be? Is there anywhere that I could possibly go and feel more valued or loved?

Life, real life, is fully experienced when we are in His presence. No place to go. Plenty of time. No agendas. Just sitting on the lap of our sweet Lord. His strong shoulders, His nail-scarred hands, His tender voice, and His beautiful, loving eyes. This is the place to get lost forever. And when we lose ourselves here, we'll find ourselves!

Psalm 139 (NIV) (See Psalm 139 here)
7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

Out of the Blue!--Coincidence and Providence

The Lord throughout history loves to change our present and our future. Think of all the stories in Scripture that could have started with the words “And out of the blue…” A ram in the thickets that rescues the life of Isaac and the treasure of Abram's heart. Moses stumbles upon a burning bush. What-is-it (also called manna), and quail feed a lot of Israelites for a long, long time. It would have taken train-loads of food to supply that number of people! A fourth man walks in the fire with Shadrach and company. A giant fish has temporary life-saving hunger for a little runaway Jonah.

Those are some of my familiar favorites. In retelling those stories, every one of them could have begun with the words “And out of the blue.” But they don’t. Instead they usually begin with phrases like “But God” or “Then the Lord”.

Coincidence and Providence are two extremely different terms. Coincidence suggests that things just happen out of luck or mere circumstantial scientific reasons that can easily be explained. Something happened that coincided with what we needed. Most people say things like “And out of the blue, a person showed up and helped us out.” Or “And out of the blue, we received some extra money that helped pay our debts and got us out of trouble.” Sometimes we word it a little differently like “It just so happened that I was thinking of them and called them” or “Luckily, I read a book that inspired me to do such and such.”

But Providence suggests that God the creator and sustainer of the universe has left His fingerprints in our life-situations by providing exactly what we needed when we needed it. It believes that the God of Scripture and history is still as active as ever in caring for, blessing, sustaining, and delivering us as His true children. Providence believes that if God would give us His only son, crucified on a cross--what would He not be willing to do for us?

Parents love to provide for their children, whether it’s the basic necessities like food, clothes and shelter, or it’s the finer gifts like money, jewelry, toys, cars, vacations, etc… Why would we ever think that we are better parents than God? Some would argue that God doesn’t care about the little things in our lives. Do we as parents care about the little things that would please our children? Even the tiniest surprises? How far would we not go to see the bright smiles of our own children!

The truth is that Providence is the reality for Christian believers. The Lord does more than we ask or imagine. His dreams for our lives are greater than our dreams! Providence is only one more of the amazing attributes of our God that makes us fall to our knees in worship and thankfulness.

“And I pray that you…may…grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ!” (NIV Ephesians 3:18)

Living Under His Gaze

The words of Jesus are so powerful and his actions speak louder than his words. His touch heals and consoles. As amazing as those are to me, I find his eyes to be the most astonishing. Living in his gaze changes everything!

And though we haven’t seen him in the flesh, it’s easy to picture the warmth, kindness, love, humor, and honesty in his eyes. I see him looking at me every day and I can’t help but walk away a different person just because of the way he looks at me. He sees in me the person he created and he wants to redeem and restore me back to the masterpiece he intended before Satan got his hands mixed up in our world.

Everything could go wrong and life can be depressing if we are looking at the wickedness and immorality of our culture. But living in the gaze of Christ is a completely different world. The more we fix our eyes on him, the more we take on his nature and see things like he does. Lost in his gaze is a wonderful place to be!

Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. (NIV Hebrews 3:1)

A One Hundred Yard Swim Sprint

He walks on water--never mind that he starts to sink. He catches a boatload of fish--never mind that he reluctantly throws the nets out again just to oblige his master. He tries to save Jesus from crucifixion--never mind that Jesus tells him that Satan is speaking through him. He follows from a distance when Jesus is arrested--never mind that he disowns his Lord not once but three times.

While fishing again after Jesus has risen from the dead, Peter hears John say that Jesus is standing on the shore. Peter gets in the water and swims to shore and leaves his friends to tow the large catch. My guess is that Peter doesn’t just hop in the water. He dives and swims with the urgency of one racing to rescue his loved one.

But Peter isn’t racing to rescue; he’s racing to be saved. One hundred yards away from the one he loves is one hundred yards too far! There’s no time to wait and ride the boat to shore. Jesus is here and ready to restore Peter after his betrayal. Love does that. It quickens us to be with the one we love and also leaves us yearning when we're apart.

I love how Peter never gives up even though he’s a little rough around the edges. He takes risks even when he doesn’t quite understand. He knows one thing--Jesus sees something in him that no one else has ever seen. Jesus brings the best out in him and no other friend has ever meant so much.

Jesus restores me and brings the best out in me. He believes in me, in spite of my flaws and inadequacies. He’s the one I’d jump out of the boat for in a heartbeat--my true friend!

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.” (NIV Matthew 16:16-17)

It Was Grace That Taught My Heart To Sing

“It was grace that taught my heart to fear”--these are words from the famous hymn Amazing Grace. I want to change it slightly to “It was grace that taught my heart to sing!” (See the lyrics and hear the tune to Amazing Grace)

Something changed in me one day. Along the way, I learned that love is the motivation for obeying the rules, not just because they are God’s commands. I learned that Christian baptism is the believer’s wedding ceremony, not just an act of obedience on a checklist to salvation. He taught me that being good will never be good enough, and He already took care of that for me. He showed me that His unconditional love was really that--all my imperfections were swallowed up in His glory. Sometime I realized that a heart overflowing with thankfulness was the absolute best way to influence others.

The day grace came, it was a hard pill to swallow. Kind of like the rich man walking away sad because he had such great wealth. Maybe he was sad because he would have to be completely dependent on the Lord to be part of His kingdom. I would have to give up trying to earn salvation and accept it as the pure and free gift that He offered. Giving up a life I had built my beliefs on wasn’t easy. It meant changing everything about how I see myself, the Scriptures, my church community, and my relationship with the Lord.

There is no going back! Who would ever want to return to the slavery of self-righteousness? Grace makes me run to the Lord every time I hear even a notion of someone suggesting a life of righteousness obtained by works. I know exactly where that road goes--it leads to spiritual slavery and death.

It was grace that taught my heart to sing, and grace will lead me home!

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. (NIV Acts 20:24)

And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. (Romans 11:6)

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. (1 Corinthians 15:10)

We're Getting There! --Christian Growth

Life is a process. We are being built into something beautiful (NIV 1 Peter 2:5). We are being transformed from an old self into a new self (2 Corinthians 3:18). We are learning to walk in the footsteps of Jesus (1 Peter 2:21). Learning to think how he thinks, act how he acts, forgive how he forgives, and love how he loves.

The scriptures are full of these verses that indicate a life-long struggle for maturity. We wish transformation were an overnight process or a quick snap of the fingers, but children don’t learn to walk as soon as they are born. They are being taught and encouraged, all the while they are growing the muscles and coordination to walk like they see us doing.

That’s pretty important--to see us doing. Spiritual growth doesn’t just happen to us; we have to see the master to become like him. James says we need to stare intently at the law (James 1:25). In other words--if you want to become like Jesus, spend time learning and seeking his ways. His influence will take over little by little until we look more like him.

James also says to persevere (James 1:4). It’s easy to give up and be content crawling, after all, crawling gets us where we are going. But perseverance must finish its work if we are to become mature disciples of Jesus.

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything (James 1:4).

Blessed are the Peacemakers

Blessed are the peacemakers (NIV Matthew 5:9)

A gentle smile, a calming touch, a helping hand, a soft-spoken word, and some well-placed humor are some of the ways that peacemakers diffuse and de-escalate angry and hostile situations. At the end of a long and stressful day, when nerves are tense and emotions are high, the Lord works in us to restore order and harmony. We are able to refocus people on the value of relationships and the more important things of life.

To see a peacemaker in action is a joy to watch. They work with the skill of a surgeon, knitting peace out of chaos. They’ve honed their people skills and delight in helping people regain their composure and help them save face and find redemption in the process. More importantly, they allow the Lord to give them the right words to say. They aren’t judgmental or condemning, nor are they conceited and self-righteous. As the poem by Kipling says, “they keep their head about them while others are losing theirs and blaming it on them.” --(my paraphrase)

We are all capable of being the vessel that God uses in these acts of diplomacy. Even when we’ve also been the hothead, the fool, or the jerk, it’s God’s grace to us that He still channels His peace to others through us. It also changes us when we recognize that the Lord has just finished working through us. It’s humbling and exciting at the same time.

They will be called sons of God! (NIV Matthew 5:9)

Where Is My Faith?

He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (NIV Mark 4:40)

In other words, Jesus asks his disciples “What are you trusting in?” The storm on the sea is howling and the ship is near the point of sinking. Are you trusting in the ship to save you? Are you trusting in your own ability to keep the ship afloat by bailing enough of the incoming water? Are you trusting in recruiting more people to help you? At what point will you rely on Jesus to save you or will you stubbornly refuse his help?

Which leads us to ask ourselves some other questions. What are some of the things we place our trust in? We trust our health and physical fitness, educations, résumés, homes, cars, bank accounts, insurance, retirement investments, relationships, careers, etc… In our culture, the goal is complete security.

It’s not that any of these things are inherently evil. God blesses us with many opportunities and expects us to be co-workers with Him. However, all of these blessings come with the danger of distorting the reality that God is the one whom we trust. Prosperity can lead us to praise and thankfulness, or it can lead us to conceited trust and selfish independence. But God is our sovereign provider whom we need to sustain us, no matter how much we try to shore up our lives against future calamities.

He does not expect us to live passive lives with Him dropping blessings out of the sky at our every whim. But He does desire that we trust far more in Him than any trust we place in own abilities and accomplishments. Our culture constantly promotes achieving independent success, but the Lord will have nothing to do with our independence; He insists that we depend on Him.

This is what the Lord has commanded: Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the desert when I brought you out of Egypt…Then place it [jar of manna] before the Lord to be kept for the generations to come. (NIV Exodus 16:32-33)

A Truce In The Name Of Jesus

“Teacher,” said John, “we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.” (NIV Mark 9:38-41)

How many times are we the ones telling others to stop? How many times do we experience denominational jealousy and exclude others from being participants in bringing the message of God’s kingdom being near? How many times do we waste energy and resources because we are disputing against other Christ-followers who have different beliefs than we do?

What if we set aside worship differences, church government differences, and doctrinal differences, and unite in a coordinated effort to give a cup of water in the name of Jesus to a lost and dying world? What if we stop caring about who gets the evangelistic credit and focus more on wanting God to be glorified?

There is no limit to the blessings God would outpour in our communities. Our cities could be turned upside down! Satan would fall like lightening from heaven and we would rejoice that our names are written in heaven. (NIV Luke 10:18-20) We would have the resources together that we do not have individually. All we need is to be mobilized in a coordinated effort in the name of Jesus.

What would happen is that a world would see a light shining so brightly that it would be impossible to deny the existence of God and His transforming power in our lives. Love would conquer many of Satan’s strongholds in our world and in our churches. People would want to declare Jesus as Lord because they too want to participate in the glory being revealed.

We as Christians would also be changed in the way we see our world more like Jesus--“you [people] are either for me or against me.” Instead of clinging to our sectarian and divisive efforts, we should strive to find common ground that unites us.

It's time for Christians to call a truce in the name of Jesus and minister to reach a dying world.

Tensions In Christian Faith

…live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. (NIV 1 Peter 1:17)
I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. (NIV 1 Peter 2:11)

It seems undeniable that no matter how mature we become as Christian followers, there will always be restless tensions in our faith. This is a core truth that we are heavenly citizens living our lives as earthbound citizens. Because we live in a war zone, our souls will always groan for something more than we see and experience in this temporal existence.

Tension will always exist between living in the now and living for eternity. We will always be restless in losing those we love and expecting to see them again in heaven. The more we become stewards of God’s money and blessings, the more we will always have tension of being responsible with our talents. The more we recognize the sinful state of our world, the more homesick feelings we will encounter. Christian joy will always be held in check by our heartache over lost souls and the disparities of justice and suffering in our world. The more we grow in Christ, the more we will yearn to be Christlike and the more we will be aware of our own sinfulness and our need of the Lord’s grace.

Can you imagine the utter tension Jesus felt as he walked among us on the earth, knowing where he had left and knowing the creation he had intended from the beginning before the fall of man? It doesn’t take much to fill Jesus with compassion for the sick, the lame, and the blind. He groans when he hears the hearts of Pharisaical false righteousness, and he weeps at the tomb of his close friend Lazarus. He even feels the frustrated tension of “how long must I put up with you?” with his disciples. He must have felt completely out-of-place at times.

Tension is part of the journey and it’s all the more reason that we need to embrace each other and share the struggles of discipleship with other God-fearers.

…we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. (NIV Romans 8:23, 24)

Walking in the Wheatfield

“Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” (NIV Revelation 5:8)

Thunderstorms and lightning were rolling in late one Saturday night this summer. I decided to go for a drive in the lonely little farming town I was visiting. It was dark and I was just driving to be driving and getting away to watch the lightning. Just at the edge of town where the wheat fields met the houses, I saw a man walking in the shadows, just at the edge of a wheat field.

I was a little surprised that someone was out so late in this sleepy little town, and I was even more curious about what he was doing, walking in the bar ditch when no one was on the roads, well, except for me that is. And then I saw who it was. The slow walk. The big stature. The contemplative stride. None other than the community preacher for the big little church in the community.

I know he wasn’t checking the wheat, and he didn’t appear to be walking for exercise. It was the night before Sunday morning and I’m pretty sure I know exactly what he was doing there in the shadows. He was praying for that little church and all of the lost. He was mulling over the sermon he would preach and fine tuning the words as a spokesman for God. Basically, he was in his closet praying, though the closet was the dark edge of a lonely wheat field in a lonely little town.

I thank God for the impression that made on me. It’s one thing for people to say their lengthy, wordy prayers to be seen. It’s quite another to unexpectedly run across someone praying in their closet. I know he was outside, but clearly he was not trying to be noticed.I wonder how many others like him were up so late and also talking with the Lord in their secret places.

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.” (NIV Matthew 6:6)

Too Much Of A Good Thing

Too much of a good thing is not a good thing. Satan is the one who uses the good things in our lives to steal, kill and destroy the abundant life that God has richly blessed us with. We need balance in our lives and the temptation comes when we find something we enjoy and we take it to the extremes.

Too much food leads to gluttony.
Too much love for money and it becomes our master.
Too much desire turns into lust.
Too much work and we lose our health.
Too much sleep and we become lazy.
Too much exercise and we wear out our joints and heart.
Too much love becomes control.
Too much power becomes idolatry.
Too much knowledge and it puffs into arrogance.
Too much caring about our looks becomes vanity.
Too much possessions and they possess us.
Too much thinking highly of ourselves and we are conceited.
Too much thinking lowly of ourselves and we are depressed.
Too much ministry to others and we neglect our own families.
Too much pride and the fall comes afterward.

Running With Pagans

The race is on and sometimes we are in the race and don’t even realize it. Jesus poses the question “Which race are you running and who are you running with?” The obvious indicator is to see what we are chasing. If we find ourselves worrying about clothes and food and drink, the basic necessities of life, then we are running with the pagans. If we’re chasing God’s rule, purses that don’t wear out, and treasures in heaven, then we are running with the righteous.

Worry consumes us when we should be consumed seeking the more important aspects of life. Worry is a faith issue. “O you of little faith” Jesus says. What is the focus of our hearts? The heart and treasure are inseparable and each is the telltale of the other.

Think of the amount of time, energy, and resources that are wasted in worry land when we could actually be participants with God in providing for others by sharing the wealth and giving to the poor. And how much poverty and hunger in the world would be nonexistent if we took to heart being rich towards God?

Forgive us when we run with the pagans Lord and give us grace to run with the righteous and chase after Your reign.

See NIV Luke 12:22-34

Seeking Approval

From very early in life, we are trained to seek the approval of those around us. Even as babies, we goo-goo and gah-gah at the smiles and requests of others. As toddlers we are taught to show off our unusually gifted abilities at the applause of our friends and families. During our school years, it is ingrained in us to seek good grades and win our sports, music, and other contests. Getting a mention in the local paper or on the school website carries extra favor with our teachers and peers. Who wouldn’t want “Most Likely to Succeed” or “Most Popular” beside their name in the school annual?

As employees we constantly try to attract the attention of our supervisors and co-workers to gain those “Best Employee” marks or next big promotions. As church-goers we look to impress our church family with our spiritual enlightenment or servanthood. As parents and spouses, we are eager to please our families and receive their approval for our accomplishments.

Paul teaches that we are to honor our parents (NIV Ephesians 6:2) and slaves are supposed to try to please their masters to win their favor (6:6). Our lives should also win the respect of outsiders (NIV 1 Thessalonians 4:12).

On the other hand, Paul doesn’t seem interested in trying to please people with eloquence or superior wisdom (NIV 1 Corinthians 2:1). His ministry is not trying to please men but “God who tests our hearts” (1 Thessalonians 2:4). Yet in 1 Corinthians 10:11 he claims to try to please “everybody in every way.” Still in Galatians 1:10 Paul says, “If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

Speaking of the teachers of the law, Jesus says, “They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.” (NIV Luke 20:46-47) He also says, "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” (NIV Matthew 6:1)

Pleasing the Lord may require us to try to please others and we may gain the attention of many people. The motives of our hearts are always the concern. Some heart-check questions: Am I trying to please the Lord in every possible way? Does my life constantly redirect the praise of others toward God? Do I think more highly of myself than I should? Have I cared too much for the praise of men and not enough for the praise of God?

Humble Hearts Receive Healing

If Jesus turns leprous skin, which is white as snow, back to the skin of a child, what can He also do with our hearts? Spiritually leprous need His touch. Spiritually cripple need to walk again. Spiritually blind need to see. Spiritually deaf need to hear. The bottom line is that Jesus came to heal us and to restore our relationships with the Father and with each other.

Sometimes we want healing but we want to dictate to God how to heal us. We have our time schedules to keep and we would rather not have to be humbled to be healed. We are the sinner standing and praying that we are thankful we are not as wretched as the humble sinner who is kneeling and beating his chest and crying out for mercy (NIV Luke 18:13).

Naaman is not healed the way he prefers. But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Are not the Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage (NIV 2 Kings 5:11-12).

Our anger is probably more a sign of our pride than anything else. Surrendering is the first step to being truly healed by Jesus and we have to recognize that we need healing that only He can do. When we ask if He is willing, His answer is “I am willing” (NIV Luke 5:13).

When God Runs

But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. (NIV Luke 15:20)

This is such a far cry from what we might expect to happen in this story. It is one of the surprise turning points that should catch our attention. God is not sitting on the porch stewing and stamping his foot. He doesn’t have a scowl on his face nor anger in his eyes.

He ran! God ran to embrace his lost son! No judgment or condemnation but celebration. We give up on people much sooner than God does. We tend to run away from our relationships with people because we are afraid to deal with the brokenness. But God runs the extra mile to keep the relationship with us.

The other pivotal moment that strikes me is when the son realized his situation. “When he came to his senses…” (NIV Luke 15:17) Our way of saying it is that he “finally woke up and smelled the coffee!” How many times in our relationship with God do we have to “come to our senses?” For me it’s over and over and over.

It’s sad that we would rather have a mean God standing on the porch with a whip ready to deal the lashes for our sins. Reminds us of the woman caught in adultery. Jesus’ words to her were “Neither do I condemn you.” (NIV John 8:11) We simply get what we don’t deserve--grace.

Will we come to our senses and run to God who is more than ready to run to us?

The Prodigal (True Love Waits)

Runnin’ from our fears
As we pass through the years
Runnin’ for our lives
Scared of our own shadows

Afraid to be loved
For who we are
Who would ever dare
To love these scars

Pain behind that mask
That you call your smile
Tear down those walls
And let love in

The past is behind us
But it still lingers
It changes our future
For better or worse

Like slaves held captive
Bound by our chains
That keep us from finding
Where freedom reigns

True love awaits
With open arms
He stands on the porch
And He’s ready to run

There’s nothing like knowing
You’re home sweet home
There’s love and laughter
That most never know

Nothing else matters
Than being right here
His arms around me
It’s love without fear

So no more runnin’
Runnin’ from my fears
I’ve come to my senses
And this is true love

Christian Paradoxes

Paradoxes are seemingly contradictory statements that are true. I think Christian paradoxes leave us shaking our heads and confused from time to time because they are so counter and contradictory to the “truths” that the world teaches us to believe. Look at some of the following and feel free to post some of your favorites or add references to these. Better yet, share a time in your life when you've found one of these to be true.

We become free when we are slaves to Christ. (NIV John 13:15-17)
We become rich when we give things away. (NIV Luke 19:1-10, Luke 21:1-4)
To grow up, we must become like children. (NIV Luke 18:15-17)
We are fully alive when we are dead to ourselves. (NIV John 12:23-26)
To become the greatest, we must become the servants of all. (NIV John 13:12-17)
When we are independent, we will want to fully depend on God. (NIV John 13:8)
We are most powerful when we are meek and humble. (NIV Matthew 5:5)
When we lose ourselves we find ourselves. (NIV Matthew 10:39)
We love our enemies and bless those who curse us--completely the opposite of revenge. (NIV Matthew 5:43-45)
We are strongest when we are weak. (NIV Matthew 5:5)
Sometimes God speaks the loudest in a gentle whisper. (I Kings 19:11-12)

All of these are essential truths in the Christian faith. They are identifying marks that we are different than our culture. God’s way is foolishness to man (NIV I Corinthians 1:18-31) and His ways are not our ways.

If you feel like you don’t belong here or feel out-of-place, then you are probably living right in the heart of the Christian paradoxes. This is a paradox in itself--we belong the most when we don’t belong! Christians think backwards and the narrow road is exactly where we want to be.

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power…he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet. (NIV 13:3-5)

Imperfectly Loved Encounters Perfect Love

A woman has had five husbands and now lives with another man. A woman is caught in the act of adultery and publicly dragged, humiliated and condemned by her accusers. An outcast woman has been bleeding for twelve long years, desperately wanting to be healed. A Canaanite woman’s daughter suffers terribly from demon-possession.

Our culture loves imperfectly. We love conditionally. I will love you if you dress a certain way. I will love you if your body looks a certain way. I will love you if you act a certain way. I will love you if you own certain things. I will love you only for the good things about you, but the hideous closets of brokenness I will despise.

Growing up in a broken world of rejection, betrayal, abandonment, and conditional love, it is no wonder that we refuse to believe God’s unconditional love. He loves us with warts, moles, pimples, unshapely bodies, bad hair or no hair, imperfect teeth, big ears, and scars that seem unlovable. He also loves us in spite of our pride, arrogance, stubbornness, lust, greed, lies, anger, and other sins where Satan has footholds in our lives.

And Satan--doesn’t he want us to believe that we are unlovable? “No one could love me that much! God especially can’t love me because He knows all of my dark secrets and depravity!”

And so the cycle continues of imperfect love. We build walls around ourselves thinking that others won’t love us for who we are. The cycle leads to broken relationships and broken trust.

Jesus wants to change that for us. He wants to heal the wounds of abandonment and betrayal with His unconditional love.

“He told me everything I ever did.” …They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” (NIV John 4:39, 42)

Core Truths We Can Agree On

Instead of focusing on all of the issues that divide Christianity, what if we invested our energy in pursuing the common elements of our faith that are core beliefs of the Christian faith? The following are just some of these key elements:

We are to love God, our neighbors, our enemies, and ourselves.
We are to be overflowing with good deeds and acts of service.
Christ died for our sins and wants freedom from slavery for us.
God wants us to be co-workers with Him in bringing lost souls into a redemptive relationship with Him.
God wants us to be thankful for our blessings and generous to widows, orphans, and those who are distressed.
Christian disciples are to pursue a life of holiness and put to death the immoral and sinful acts of the flesh.
Christians are to wait in hopeful anticipation that Christ will return to set things right and judge the wicked and unjust.
Discipleship is an ongoing maturity process. We are growing in fruits of the Spirit in our relationship with God and others.
We are to forgive each other as God has forgiven us.
Life is not about our physical comfort, and persecutions and trials are to be expected.
God’s Holy Spirit is a gift from Him to empower us to live the Christian life.
Peace and gentleness are evidence of Christ ruling in our hearts.
God will raise the dead one day and take His people to live in eternal happiness with Him.
Christians no longer live under law but we now obey because of His grace.
God wants unity among believers but it doesn’t mean we have to agree on every single issue.

This is not an exhaustive list, but it is a starting point where believers can find common ground to anchor themselves deep in the core essentials of Christianity. I am posting some of the work on themes that surface in the letters of Paul, even though it is incomplete and I don’t think I included the Corinthian letters yet. I am posting them if you want to find Scripture references that support the above beliefs. I also regret that I didn't record Paul's references to love. It surfaced over and over throughout his letters.

Theme's In Paul's Letters

Righteousness from God is ours
Gal. 2:21—cannot be gained through the law
Gal. 3:3—not by human effort
Eph. 2:8—grace not from yourselves, it is the gift of God…no one can boast
Phil. 1:11—filled with fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ
Phil. 3:9—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith
1Thess. 2:10—how holy, righteous, and blameless we were among you

Pray for me
Eph. 6:19—words may be given me
Col. 4:3—and pray for us too, that God may open a door for our message
1Thess. 5:25—brothers, pray for us

Keep maturing
Eph. 1:17, 18--…so that you may know him better and your heart enlightened
Eph. 2:22—you are being built
Eph. 3:19—you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God
Eph. 4:13—until we become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ
Phil. 1:6—he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion
Phil. 1:9—that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight
Phil. 1:25—I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith
Phil. 2:12—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling
Phil. 3:12—not that I have already obtained all this…but I press on to take hold…
Phil. 3:14—I press on toward the goal to win the prize
Col. 2:6-7—continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him
Col. 4:12—so that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured
1Thess. 2:12—urging you to live lives worthy of God
1Thess. 4:12—Lord make your love increase and overflow
1Thess. 4:1—instructed you how to live—urge you to do this more and more
1Thess. 4:10—love all the brothers…urge you…to do so more and more

Continue doing good deeds—keep growing
Gal. 4:19—until Christ is formed in you
Gal. 6:10—let us do good to all people
Eph. 2:10—we are created in Christ Jesus to do good works
Eph. 4:12—to prepare God’s people for works of service
Col. 1:10—please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work
--growing in the knowledge of God
Col. 1:23—if you continue in your faith
1Thess. 1:3—your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love

Don’t return to slavery
Gal. 4:3—we were in slavery under principles of the world
Gal. 4:7—not a slave but a son
Gal. 4:8—turning back to weak and miserable principles
Gal. 4:31—we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman
Gal. 5:1—not be burdened again by a yoke of slavery
Eph. 2:1—you were dead when you followed the ways of this world

Don’t be hypocritical
Gal. 2:13—Other Jews joined Peter’s hypocrisy

Live in unity with each other
Gal. 3:26—no Jew or Greek, neither slave nor free, male nor female…one in Christ
Eph. 4:3—keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace
Phil. 1:27—stand firm in one spirit
Phil. 2:2—being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose
Col. 3:11—no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all
1Thess. 5:13—live in peace with each other
1Thess. 5:15—always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else

Do not be controversial
Gal. 5:15—if you keep on biting and devouring each other…
Gal. 5:26—not provoking and envying each other
Phil. 2:14—do everything without complaining or arguing
Phil. 4:2—I plead with Euodia and Syntyche to agree with each other
1Thess. 4:6—no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him

Forgive each other
Eph. 4:32—forgive each other just as in Christ God forgave you
Col. 3:13—forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another--
Forgive as the Lord forgave you
1Thess. 5:15—nobody pays back wrong for wrong

Don’t associate with deceitful people—people distort the truth--troublemakers
Gal. 1:7—throwing you into confusion and perverting the gospel
Gal. 4:17—zealous people want to alienate you from us
Gal. 5:10—the one throwing you into confusion
Gal. 5:12—wish those agitators would emasculate themselves
Eph. 5:6—let no one deceive you with empty words
Phil. 3:2—watch out for those dogs…those mutilators of the flesh
Phil. 3:18—many live as enemies of the cross of Christ
Col. 2:4—so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments
Col. 2:8—no one takes you captive with hollow and deceptive philosophy
Col. 2:18—don’t let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you
1Thess. 2:15—they displease God and are hostile to all men

Persecution is ok—it is not the final word
Gal. 5:11—why am I still being persecuted?
Gal. 6:12—circumcision people are trying to avoid persecution
Gal. 6:17—I bear on my body the marks of Jesus
Eph. 3:13—my sufferings for you, which are your glory
Phil. 1:18—chains don’t matter, just that Christ is preached
Phil. 1:29—granted on behalf of Christ to suffer for him
1Thess. 2:2—we had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi
1Thess. 2:14—you suffered from your own countrymen
1Thess. 3:3—so that no one would be unsettled by these trials
1Thess. 3:4—we kept telling you that we would be persecuted
1Thess. 3:7—in all our distress and persecution, we were encouraged about you


Jesus redeemed us—cross and resurrection motivate us—everything in life must be related to the cross and resurrection
Gal. 1:4—gave himself for our sins to rescue us
Eph. 1:7—in him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins
Eph. 2:4—God made us alive with Christ even when we were dead…by grace you are saved
Eph. 5:25—Christ gave himself up for the church to make her holy
Phil. 2:5-11—our attitude should be like Jesus’ attitude toward the cross
Col. 1:13-14—he rescued us…in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins
Col. 1:19—making peace through his blood, shed on the cross
Col. 1:21—he has reconciled you by Christ’s death
1Thess. 1:10—to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus who rescues us from the coming wrath
1Thess. 5:10—he died for us…we may live together with him

God’s Holy Spirit is in us
Gal. 5:16—live by the Spirit
Gal. 5:26—we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit
Eph. 1:14—you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit
Eph. 2:22—to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit
Eph. 3:16—may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being
1Thess. 1:6—you welcomed the message with joy given by the Holy Spirit

Live holy lives—Quit with sin--Blameless
Gal. 5:16—do not gratify the desires of the sinful nature
Gal. 5:24—crucify the sinful nature with its passions and desires
Gal. 6:8—sew to the sinful nature will reap destruction
Gal. 6:14—the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world
Eph. 1:4—he chose us to be holy and blameless in his sight
Eph. 4:1—live a life worthy of the calling you have received
Eph. 4:17-19—you must no longer live as Gentiles do…indulging in impurity
Eph. 4:22—put off your old self which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires
Eph. 4:24—put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness
Eph. 5:8—you were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord
Eph. 5:27—to present a radiant church…holy and blameless
Phil. 1:10—may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ
Phil. 2:15—so that you may become blameless and pure children of God without fault
Col. 1:21-22—once alienated and enemies—holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation
Col. 1:28—so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ
Col. 2:20—you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world
Col. 3:5—put sins to death (followed by sin list)
1Thess. 3:13—you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God…when our Lord Jesus comes
1Thess. 4:7—God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life
1Thess. 5:22—avoid every kind of evil
1Thess. 5:23—whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord

Sin lists
Gal. 5:19-21
Eph. 4:25-31
Eph. 5:3-5
Col. 3:5-10
Spirit lists
Gal. 5:22-23
Col. 3:12-17

Joyful lives
Gal. 4:15—What has happened to all your joy?
Eph. 1:26—your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me
Phil. 3:1—Rejoice in the Lord!
Phil. 4:4—Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Col. 1:11-12—and joyfully giving thanks to the Father
Col. 2:7—be overflowing with thankfulness
Col. 3:15—let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…you were called to peace
1Thess. 2:20—you are our glory and joy
1Thess. 3:9—all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you
1Thess. 5:16—be joyful always

Resurrection
Gal. 1:1—God who raised him from the dead
Eph. 1:19, 20—power he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead
Phil. 3:10—I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection
Col. 2:12—the power of God raised him from the dead

Paul’s previous life
Gal. 1:13—used to persecute and tried to destroy the church

Dead to the law
Gal. 2:19—I died to the law to live for God
Gal. 3:10—all who rely on observing the law are under a curse
Gal. 3:13—Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law
Gal. 3:25—Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the law
Gal. 5:4—trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ
Eph. 2:15—by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations
Col. 2:14—he canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us

I Give Up God!

Surrender is most often used in the context of relinquishing ourselves to our enemy. However, for those whom the relentless Hound of Heaven pursues, surrendering is the doorway to the open arms of one who loves us more than we ever dreamed possible!

Why should we be so stubborn? Why do we insist on doing it our way? We behave like toddlers, constantly resisting the help others offer. Don’t we realize that God wants to love and bless us? He offers freedom where there is slavery and light where there is darkness. He loves us not because of who we are, but because of who He is and in spite of who we are.

He chases us with an untiring pace until we finally say “I give up Lord. I can’t do it without You. That which I have tried again and again to take control over in my life, I give up to You. Redeem the scars and heal the wounds in my life. Rain down your grace and mercy over me until my will is completely lost in Yours.”

Everyday is filled with new chances to surrender our walk again and again to God. And this path of least resistance is sure to be the road less traveled but also the road most blessed.

Love Never Fails

Think of all the things we participate in that fail. Revenge. Fails. Selfish ambition. Fails. Jealousy. Fails. Anger. Fails. Pride. Fails. Lust. Fails. Why do we keep running back to things that fail?

The way of love is the narrow path that leads to peace. And isn’t it wonderful when we catch glimpses of God transforming our hearts and finding ourselves on that narrow road! We find ourselves in situations where our natural inclinations would have been anger or pride, and God empowers us to peace and self-sacrifice. We would have normally been anxious, but God’s peace and confidence overwhelm us. We would have been egocentric, but God fills us with compassion.

One of the true standards of Christian maturity is evaluated by answering a simple question, “Do I love my God, my friends, my enemies, and myself?” Other questions follow, "Have I been a true neighbor to those around me?" "Are peoples' lives richer and more connected with God because of His love in me?"

Is there anything more freeing or satisfying than losing our selfishness and loving others? We are free to love even the worst of sinners with the love of Christ. We are liberated by love to love!

When Christ picks up the towel to wash His disciples feet, He isn’t selfishly drawing attention to Himself. He is loving His friends with this simple act of kindness. No power-trip nor manipulation. Simply love. The story of washing the disciples' feet begins in love: "Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love." (NIV John 13:1)

Paul said it this way, “I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." (NIV Ephesians 3:18, 19)

I'll Never Be Thankful Enough

I am such an ingrate! It’s not that I want to be unthankful, but I’m so unconscious of the powerful and mysterious ways the Lord is providing for me in my life.

I feel like a 4-year-old child having a birthday party. I’m so enamored with the presents, my friends, the cake, the balloons, and just the sheer excitement of being the center of all this attention. Little do I know that my parents spent hours putting it together for me.

They sent out invitations, bought decorations, baked a cake, made the ice cream, found the time to buy and wrap presents for me. Made sure the camera was ready to capture this memorable occasion. Of course I am not aware of their sacrifices and efforts and all of their thoughtful consideration of me, working behind the scenes.

Our Father delights in the heart of His children. He is constantly working behind the scenes to direct our paths and wants nothing more than joy and life for us. I wonder how He feels when I am completely oblivious of all the things He is doing to bless my life and make it more abundant.

How many times have I been the leper who failed to return and throw himself at the feet of the Lord to thank Him! How many times has He walked right beside me and I wasn’t even aware! He works behind the scenes like no other, yet I am blind to seeing what He is doing.

One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him--and he was a Samaritan. (NIV Luke 17:15, 16)

Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him…They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” (NIV Luke 24:31, 32)

Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (NIV 2Kings 6:17)

Imposing Questions

If we force our questions on Scripture, isn’t it possible that we may draw the wrong conclusions? For instance, I want to know at exactly what point a person is saved. Is it at confession when a person declares their heart for the Lord, or is it at baptism when a person is buried with Christ and raised in His likeness? When is a person actually saved?

If I look at Scripture as an encyclopedia set containing all the answers I have questions about, then it would be fair to ask this question about the moment of salvation. But did Jesus or Paul or the other New Testament authors write to answer this question? What if they didn’t? Am I now imposing a question on Scripture that may lead me to the wrong conclusions?

Again, asking the wrong questions may lead to faulty conclusions. It would be similar to taking a recipe book from the kitchen and trying to force it to tell me how to change the oil in my car. I have asked a great question (how to change oil in my car) but I have also imposed it improperly on my recipe book.

Perhaps the point of salvation isn’t the issue. The issue is salvation. Maybe confession and repentance and baptism are all part of the mysterious process by which God redeems our lives.

Someone would argue that Scripture answers all of our questions. It is true that the Bible has everything we need for training in righteousness (NIV 2 Timothy 3:16) and God has given us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). But does God’s Word give us everything we want?

Think of all of the divisive issues that we bring to Scripture and then walk away with completely different answers than other Christians. We major in minors rather than majoring in love. We are discontent with the mysterious questions of Christianity and we desire so badly to have all of the answers right now.

When we trust in faith that God will lead us to truth and we trust that His grace is sufficient, we walk in love and fellowship with other believers and we look more like the unified body of Christ that He meant for us to be.

You Be the Judge

Christian disciples are supposed to judge others. How else would we be able to discern if people were out to harm us, lie or deceive us, or may be in need of hearing the gospel?

The kind of judging that Jesus condemns is hypocritical, self-righteous, arrogant and conceited judging. I nit-pick at your faults while not admitting the glaring, willful sins in my life. I set myself up on a pedestal and look down and scoff at others, pointing my finger to shame them.

In the same passage where Jesus says “Do not judge,“ He also says “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs“ (NIV Matthew 7:6). We have to make judgments in order to know if a person is a dog, a pig, or a false prophet that comes in sheep‘s clothing but is a vicious and fierce wolf in disguise (NIV Matthew 7:15). Jesus does say that a tree is judged by its fruit and “by their fruit you will recognize them“ (NIV Matthew 7:20).

Paul passes judgment on an immoral believer in the early church (NIV 1 Corinthians 5:1-13) and says “are you not to judge those inside?” speaking of the church.

Many people are quick to use the passage “Do not judge.” We use it to defend ourselves from someone who is confronting our sin. “Stop judging me!” is a common refrain. We also recite the passage when we want to dismiss our responsibility to confront others or we justify overlooking their sins. “I’m not going to judge them,” we say.

What kind of church do we become when we don’t exercise our judgment? Wolves eat right beside the sheep and no one says a thing. “We’ve all sinned, so how can we judge this poor wolf?”

Intimidated and indecisive, sometimes it seems that we have forgotten how to call a sin a sin. Although, I wouldn’t want to judge anyone…

What Are We Making Time For?

“I’m so busy!” “We’ve been so busy lately.” “I would love to but I’m busy.” “I don’t have time--I’m busy.”

Sometimes in all of the busyness, I wonder what we are missing out on. If life is about relationship, hopefully our busyness is centered around enjoying the blessing of our friendships and families. Not that it is entirely bad to be busy about kingdom ministries, but it seems like our culture has adopted a mindset that the busier we are, the more we must be alive. Even the more we are doing for the Lord, then it must please Him that we are “burning the candle at both ends.” Is that true?

When is the last time you enjoyed a sunset? I don’t mean watching it the last five minutes before dark. I mean sitting back and enjoying time with the Lord, with friends and family. When is the last time you invited friends or family over to enjoy their company or just soak up life? When is the last time you got to church early to spend time with the Lord, preparing your heart to worship and then not rushing home to “get things done”? How much fast food have you been eating lately?

Where is the Lord in all of our busyness? That’s the point. Does He get tired of waiting for us to slow down? Aren’t we missing out on the good stuff that He has to offer?

We reach the destination, but we don’t enjoy the journey. We accomplish success, but we miss out on the relationships in the meantime.

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (NIV Luke 10:41, 42)

But the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. (NIV Mark 4:19)

When Beliefs Change

The older I get, the less I know. The questions I once thought were essential have given way to more important ones. I found that I was even asking the wrong questions so naturally I was getting the wrong answers. The things in life that I once treasured are now rubbish compared to knowing Christ.

It’s kind of like when parents raise their second or third child. They do things differently because they have grown in wisdom and parenting and they may have “majored in minors” with their first child and now they see things more clearly.

Jesus upsets the religious world because he comes and asks different questions. The Pharisees and teachers of the law and the highly respected elders are angry and embarrassed to learn that they have been asking the wrong questions and teaching and discipling followers with the wrong answers. Somehow in their zeal for what’s right, their focus has shifted to the nitty-gritty matters of the law and they love to be in the spotlight and receive the praise of men.

When a woman is caught in adultery, the Pharisees ask “Should we stone her?” (NIV John 8:7) Their question breathes condemnation. Jesus changes the question from law to love, from slavery to freedom. He sets the woman free from her accusers and tells her to sin no more.

When a man with a shriveled hand wants to be healed on the Sabbath, the Pharisees ask “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” (NIV Matthew 12:10) Jesus changes their question to “How much more valuable is a man than a sheep?” In other words, ‘Aren’t men and women more important than the law?’

No wonder they wanted to kill Him--He was asking them to change their entire belief system!

The disciples ask "Who is the greatest?" (NIV Mark 9:34) Wrong question. Jesus essentially asks "Who is a servant?" Answer that and you'll be set free from all that competitive bickering, jealousy, and arguing.

It is not that truth is changing in my life. It’s more that the Lord is leading me to the true questions. If I allow Him, He shifts my heart from the trivial to the truth, and truth sets me free.

Second Chances

“But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people who cannot tell their right hand from their left…” (NIV Jonah 4:11)

Jonah knows the wickedness of Nineveh and he is also aware of the abounding grace of God. He decides to run away from this “mission impossible” and finds himself sleeping on a ship headed to Tarshish, the complete opposite direction of Nineveh.

The Lord sends a fierce and violent storm. Imagine. Jonah’s disobedience threatens the safety of other pagan people. Jonah tells the sailors that his God is chasing him and against their better judgment, they hurl Jonah overboard into the water. Peace follows and then pagan prayers ascend to a God previously unworshiped and unknown but now revealed.

Not only do the sailors pray, Jonah gets some quiet time in a fish belly after nearly being drowned by seaweed and dragged to the ocean depths. Sometimes God provides a little downtime for us where all we know to do is pray and cry out to Him for mercy.

The sailors get peace, Jonah gets rescued, and the people of Nineveh receive mercy. It’s startling that the Lord gives Jonah a second chance to do the “mission impossible.” Jonah thinks he deserves the second chance, but he wishes the 120,000 wicked people of Nineveh would be destroyed by God's fury. He even sits outside the city waiting to watch them die.

We all need second chances and isn’t it amazing what the Lord accomplishes through them. He uses imperfect vessels to be His witnesses. He saves the lost while teaching and disciplining His servants. And most of all, He reveals how great and compassionate and slow to anger and abounding in love He is to us.

Heaven's Feast

Chorus

We’re gonna have a feast
Like none has ever known.
Today (this meal) reminds us
That we’re going home

We’ll laugh (ha-ha) and never cry
Always say "hello" and never say "goodbye"
All our loved ones there, will be waiting at the door
They’ll throw their arms around us—an "eternal roar"
        "Welcome home" "Glad you’re home!"

And feet that never walked will dance on golden streets
And lips that never talked will sing songs pure and sweet
Eyes that never saw, will twinkle like the stars
They’ll see Jesus and behold his scars
        Going home, home sweet home

We’ll enter there, like coming in out of a storm
That sparkle in his eyes is the fire that keeps us warm
All the unborn here, who never had a chance
Will run and laugh and play and sing and dance



Thoughts Behind The Music
This song was originally inspired by Thanksgiving when families meet around a table and share a feast. Willard Tate preached a sermon and reminded us that during the holidays, it is not what is on the table that is important, but who is sitting in the chairs.

Heaven will be an uncommon feast. Every Lord’s Supper looks forward to "The Feast" when everyone is gathered around the table in heaven. That feast might look different because of who is around the table. It’s all the people who were blind, deaf, lame or had other diseases and heartaches. It’s all the children, whether babies from natural miscarriages, abortions, or those who suffered on earth and left us too soon. They have new bodies. Everyone. No one will be scolding the ones who leave the table early or never sit down at all. The blind will see Jesus’ scars. The scars remained after Jesus’ resurrection. God suffered like us.

I think it was Frederick Buechner or C.S. Lewis who said that heaven will be like coming in out of the cold storm, putting our coat on the coat rack. It will feel like home. No more storms from the earth. No more of Satan’s painful schemes. We’re home. All of our loved ones who were saved by the Lord will race to heaven’s door with open arms, better than returning home for a Thanksgiving holiday. And as Max Lucado wrote, even God himself will be clapping for us when we get home. He’s the father running from the porch to welcome us home!

Lead Me On

I know there’s more, there has to be
Than wealth and fame or poverty

I look around and all I see
Is death, decay and misery

You’re not through yet, there’s more to do
‘Til the world falls in love with You

Living for ourselves--foolish pain
Own the whole world and what is gained?

Chorus
So lead me on to higher ground
Where servants kneel and peace is found

Where angels sing and love abounds
I dare to tread on higher ground
       Lead me on!


In love with now and brokenness
We find it hard to place our trust

The unseen hand of One who loves
More than we ask or think enough

When people laugh and still can’t see
Through eyes of faith what’s meant to be

People working to save and store
Where moths and rust and thieves destroy

Chorus
So lead me on to higher ground
Where servants kneel and peace is found

Where angels sing and love abounds
I dare to tread on higher ground
       Lead me on!

Prayer: The Good Stuff

She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. (NIV Luke 2:36-37)

Think of the words that characterize our society. Stressed. Uptight. Anxious. Worried. Sleepless. High-strung. From a distance I’m sure we look like a colony of ants hurriedly tromping all over each other without much clear sense of purpose.

Would anyone question this servant of the Lord, Anna the prophetess? Does it seem like she is wasting time in the temple? Isn’t the world passing her by and life happening all around her and she is missing out on life? Others probably think that she is an old widow woman, just trying to pass the time. She’s probably lonely so she hangs out in the temple.

But maybe Anna is the one who can see what others don’t see or are afraid to see. Maybe she knows what is more important than the busyness around her.

After living her life, she finds a place that her heart won’t allow herself to leave. A place of worship. Fasting. Praying. The good stuff.

Reminds me of another widow living in a care home, someone I knew through church. She was ninety-seven years old and still praying for the salvation of one of her children. And the Lord honored those years of praying when her child made Jesus Lord. Even in a care home, we are participants in the good stuff if we choose to be.

The Father's Delight

A friend of mine recently was moving his family to a new house in a new city. To help get their 3-year-old boy excited about the move, he was promised a new bicycle. After months of preparing for the move and having to live with their relatives for a while, the little boy continued with anticipation each time he was reminded of the gift that would be waiting for him in their new home.

The Reality

I was with the boy’s dad a week before the move in, helping prepare the house. The dad was so excited about picking out the right bicycle for his little boy. In an empty house, in an upstairs bedroom closet, a brand new purple, yellow, and black bicycle with training wheels already attached, was placed just where the little boy would discover it.

Though I wasn’t there when the family arrived, I heard how excited the dad was as he recounted seeing the joy and excitement in his little boy when he discovered that bicycle. The boy started shaking and jumping up and down, hardly able to contain himself. He could hardly believe his eyes that what was promised was now a reality! And heaven only knows how long that memory will bless their lives.

Doesn’t that remind us of our Father’s delight for the joy in the heart of His child!

If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him. (NIV Luke 11:13)

What joy it gives our Father when He sees us receive His gifts with such thankfulness. Too often, we organize our lives in such a way that we try to provide for ourselves and don’t ask the Lord to provide. We rob the Father and ourselves of the joy and excitement of living in anticipation and witnessing the promises fulfilled as a reality.

He is our great Dad who delights in the heart of His child.

The Secret of Life

In a word--Relationship. Life is all about our relationships with God, our friends, our enemies, and ourselves. That’s why when Jesus is asked what the greatest commandment is, He says to love the Lord our God with everything we have and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

It’s interesting the things Jesus does not say. He doesn’t say don’t murder, steal, lust, lie, or worship idols. All of the other commandments are taken care of when we love. Paul says, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” (NIV Galatians 5:6)

When they write our eulogies or engrave our tombstones, will they speak of all the possessions we acquired? Will they say, “He owned a 4,000 square foot house and drove a BMW!”? Of course what we hope they will remember is how much we invested in our relationships with people. How we were loving even with our enemies and how we loved the Lord. People are what mattered in his life. He loved.

Don Williams says, “The only thing you will ever have is what you give away.” On a radio money talk show recently, a host reminded the listeners that the graveyards are full of people who died wealthy and never experienced the joys of being generous to others during their lives.

Wouldn’t you rather be known as one who risked on the side of being too generous than the one who was greedy and stingy and didn’t have time to love others?

Our time, money and possessions must all be subservient to our relationships.

It’s all about relationship.

Being Content

However, some of them (Israelites) paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it (manna) until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell…Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none. (NIV Exodus 16:20, 27)

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (NIV Philippians 4:12-13)

How do we measure “enough“? Is it one house or a house, a condo, and a getaway cabin in the mountains? Is it a car or two cars, a Harley and a boat? Is it soup and salad or an eight-course meal? Do you have to eat a rib eye steak or is bologna okay?

The Israelites complain over manna and quail and wish they could return to slavery and die on full stomachs of meat in Egypt. Of course they do eat manna for 40 years. The crowd of five thousand don’t complain over the bread and fish that Jesus serves. Not much left over after that meal when you consider the size of the crowd.

We confuse our wants and needs all the time. Advertising and marketing schemes tell us that we should not be satisfied with what we already have. They dangle the carrot in front of us just out of reach and tell us we will be happy if we only have just a little bit more.

If Christians are to be counter-cultural, isn’t being content one of the more glaring ways that we have to witness to our materialistic world?

Being content and being lazy are separated by a fine line. But my experience is similar to the quote from Will Rogers that too many people are working too hard for too many things that are too inconsequential. Jesus words it another way. “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (NIV Matthew 6:21)

Part of being content is being rooted and grounded in faith in the hand that provides for us. God wants the Israelites not to gather on the seventh day because He wants to remind them that He is the one taking care of them. We find it easier to be like the Israelites and store up a little extra for a rainy day than to depend on God providing. I mean, what if God doesn’t come through? Aren’t we surprised when our savings and treasures are eaten by maggots, moths, and rust.

What are some of your ideas for living the simple life or how can you testify that God will provide?

Until Christ Is Formed In You

You want us to live in freedom.
       We want to return to slavery.

You want us to love our neighbors.
       We want to build taller fences.

You want us to depend on You.
       We want to be independent.

You want to forgive us unconditionally.
       We want to keep remembering our sins.

You want to be our one true desire.
       We want money to be our master.

You want peace and gentleness.
       We want anxiety and restlessness.

You want us to trust completely in You.
       We want to store up treasures on earth.

You want us to live for eternity.
       We want to live in the moment.

You want us to walk the narrow road,
       We want to take the broad one.

You want to lead us to green pastures,
       We want to wander for greener ones.

You want to offer us living water,
       We want to be thirsty again.

You want to give us true relationships,
       We want to live in lust and brokenness.


Lord, help us to want what You want.

Living Epitaphs

In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha…who was always doing good and helping the poor. (NIV Acts 9:36)

Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (NIV 1 Corinthians 15:58)

When James speaks of pure religion, he says there is nothing better than looking after widows and orphans and keeping ourselves clean from the sinful world. (NIV James 1:27) This is a core truth in Christianity that we are created to do good works. (NIV Ephesians 2:10)

Tabitha, who is also called Dorcas, dies and her body is washed and placed in an upstairs room. The other followers who love her show Peter the clothes she had made while she was alive and they speak of the good deeds that she had been doing. Peter raises the woman from the dead by the power of Jesus and her story is known all over Joppa. Not only was her story told then, it lives on today and continues to inspire believers across the world.

What is it that people will say about us when we are gone? What they will say when we die is probably similar to what they are saying right now while we are alive. We have lots of control over the epitaphs, the words carved on our gravestones, which will be read one day.

Albert Schweitzer said “One thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve.” It’s true that we will never be happier than when we find ourselves doing the things for which we are created.

When we love the Lord, we love doing good deeds for others. We delight in helping those who can’t help themselves. It is our pleasure and joy to be in the service of our King. It is religion at its finest hour!

Battle-Tested Peace

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (NIV Philippians 4:5-6)

He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” (NIV Daniel 3:25)

Peace, gentleness, and tranquility are rewards of the Christian life. Our gentleness does not come from a completely “blind” faith. It is the result of a faith that has endured the storms of life and witnessed the peace, power and deliverance during the difficult times.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego not only had faith that God could rescue them if He wanted to, but they also believed in God. That’s it. Simply put. They believed in God.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s courage was not a completely newfound one. They had just experienced the power of God working in the dream interpretations of Daniel. Our faith continues to move us forward because we have already experienced God in the valley of the shadow of death and we know that He will lead us to greener pastures.

It is not just that we trust that God can save us. That makes the story all about us. But we believe that God is sovereign over the entire world and that His will reigns supreme and regardless of how it works out in this life, He will set things right one day. Just like there was a fourth man in the fire, we know that things are happening all around us in the unseen realms.

Our peace is the result of battle-testing and fire-refining. Paul knew the hardships and persecution of the Christian life. He actually knew both sides of persecution because he had been the persecutor of Christians in his earlier life. And now as a Christian, five times he received the 39 lashes. Three times he was beaten with rods. Once he was stoned and three times he was shipwrecked. (His danger list continues in 1 Corinthians 11:24.)

Did Paul believe that his body and comfort were the main issues? What was it that Paul believed was more important than his comfort and well-being? Everyday, the scars on his body were a reminder of his former life and the mercy that God has for sinners. Isn’t it remarkable that after all those beatings, Paul still says “The Lord is near”!

Prayer takes us to that inner sanctuary where we sit on the Father’s lap and let Him comfort us. It centers us with gentleness because we know the love of our Father and that He is as near as the fourth man in the fire.

He Cares for the Flowers and Grasses of the Field

Reasons for Human Suffering

Reasons for Human Suffering Found In Scriptures
Look at some of these familiar stories and reflect on some of the numerous reasons for suffering that are found in Scripture. Below these stories is a list of some of the reasons. I hope to develop this at a later time.

Abraham and Isaac
Achan’s Sin
Lot leaving Sodom and Gomorrah
David losing his son and death of Bathsheba’s husband
Jonah’s storm at sea
Plagues of Pharaoh’s hard heart
Joseph and his brothers
The man born blind
Paul’s thorn in the flesh
Herod’s death in Acts
Judgment on Ananias and Sapphira
In order to comfort and console others
Persecution
Heavenly wars
Job
Revelation—discipline of churches
Many of you are weak and sick
You do not have because you do not ask
Stoning of Stephen
Paul persecuting
Tests of faith—refining fire
Satan prevented Paul’s trip


The Reasons:
God’s discipline
Satan’s attacks—like a roaring lion
God’s testing our faith
National/community discipline
Innocent bystander
Sins of the fathers—inherited trials and circumstances
Natural disasters
Unwise decisions
Not seeking the Lord’s guidance
To keep us humble
God’s testing someone else’s faith

It's My Father's Heart

It’s My Father’s Heart

And the love of the Father,
For the heart of his child

Runs deeper than oceans
It goes on for miles

It’s wider than canyons
Or the galaxies

The ways He can love us
It’s a mystery (optional—and set us free)

Chorus
How long, how wide
How deep, how high
Is the love I feel inside!

Cause the love of the Father
Has blessed my life

When the days feel empty
And no one cares

When the world is falling
Into deep despair

Your love surrounds me
And takes me away

To other places
And fills the day

Chorus


And when I seem to lose my way
And don’t know where I’m going

Your love protects and fills me up
My heart can’t get enough

© 2005

One Heart, One Mind

One Heart, One Mind

Lord I pray,
When distractions come my way,
         And keep me from my first love.

Make it dark around me.
Drag me into the deep waters
         Where only You can surround me.

Take away my sight so I can see.
Take away my ears so I can hear.

Make me poor as a beggar in want
So You can give me what I need.

Let the raging storms roll in
So I can remember Who calms them.

Bring the scorching sun and make me thirsty.
Then provide the shade and let me drink
         From the waters that give life everlasting.

One Thing is all I need.
One heart. One mind.



© 2005

Dreams Poured Out

Dreams Poured Out

Chorus
One faith, one life, one hope, one love
That’s all his heart was dreaming of

And now I declare this mystery
He came to earth and set this heart free
       He died upon a tree


And now I declare this mystery
He’s coming back—wait and see!
       He’s coming back for you and me.
(Optional lyric—Wait expectantly!)

Pure and blameless in his sight
When he comes back he’ll set things right
       When he comes back, he’ll set things right

Chorus

No ear has heard, nor eye has seen
What he’s prepared for you and me
       What he’s prepared for you and me

So what will we do with this “in between”?
Will we allow him to set our hearts free?
       Will we allow him to set our hearts free?

Chorus


© 2005

I Love

I Love

I love a child hanging on my neck in church as he studies me and rubs the whiskers on my cheek.
I love sneaking up on a giant boulder or small beaver dam in a quiet stream and tossing an irresistible fly into the pool.
I love watching powerful thunderstorms move in across the mountains and hearing the rain on the water or on a tin roof.
I love visiting with old people who still love living life.
I love smelling laundry fresh from the dryer.
I love homemade macaroni and cheese fresh from the oven.
I love hanging out with friends and memories of trying to get a friend to laugh in church and we could hardly contain ourselves and the pew was shaking.
I love homemade pizza and homemade ice cream.
I love waking up to sunlight and birds chirping outside and the soft peacefulness of nature.
I love talking to my parents about days gone by and still learning about the past.
I love the sound of a great acoustic guitar with someone playing from their heart.
I love to see people having a good time at a picnic, parade, or festival.
I love tender moments when life is as real as the person in front of you and nothing else in the world matters.
I love the feeling from giving a gift that surprises someone and they can’t repay you.
I love the challenge of fixing things that takes a lot of patience and creativity to figure out.
I love a good nights rest on a great bed after a hard day’s work or play.
I love sitting in a great hot tub after a day on the ski slopes.
I love the crackle of wood burning in a fireplace.
I love old t-shirts that have been washed and dried so many times they get rugged collars and sleeves.
I love traveling, people watching, nature watching, and exploring places I’ve never been.
I love finding mom-and-pop restaurants where the food is great and the people are friendly.
I love helping someone who can’t help themselves.
I love people who are passionate about their work, or art, or family.
I love underdogs and Cinderella stories and frogs turning into princes.
I love it when someone is saved and gives their life to the Lord.
I love humor that is intelligent but silly.
I love people who have a free spirit and confidence and they don’t really care if they express themselves in front of others.
I love cars that the common man could work on before computer chips.
I love having friends and family to go through tough times with and know that love would walk through fire without blinking or they would be there for you and hop a plane in a heartbeat if you asked.

Lies We Believe

Lies We Believe

The person with the most stuff is happiest.
The person with the biggest house and newest cars are happiest.
You will never be lonely if you are in a relationship.
We never deserve happiness.
A person should not enjoy wealth and material blessings.
Material blessings are inherently evil.
Sexual relations are inherently evil.
You are not serving the Lord if you are not constantly busy.
The busier we are and the more noise in our lives, the more productive we are.
Greatness is only achieved in the big things.
Grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
Revenge is ours.
Forgiveness isn’t worth the price.
We are created for our own happiness.
God only wants our happiness.
Life should be fair.
God has created all vessels for noble purposes.
Instant gratification is more satisfying than persevering and struggle.
Pain is our enemy. It never helps us.
Suffering is only from Satan.
God can’t and won’t do miracles anymore.
God is too busy to be concerned with my problems.
The narrow road isn’t any fun or rewarding.
Rewards should come in this lifetime.
Contentment is the same as laziness.
We should be in control of our own destinies.
What seems wise is always God’s will.
We should lay up treasures on earth where moths and rust destroy.
More is always better.
You cannot be both powerful and humble.
Humility is a sign of weakness.
Eternity begins after this life.
Persecution is a bad thing.
Some sins are too big for God to forgive.
Prayer and leading a quiet life of good deeds is not enough.
Prayer is about us talking to God and not our listening.
We don’t need rest like God commanded with the Sabbath.
Rest is a sign of weakness, laziness, and boredom.
God speaks the loudest in the thunder and lightning.
God cares more about the law than He does about our heart and well-being.
Down time and “in the meantime” are not as productive as the other time.

Welcome to Gentle Heart Whispers

This blog is for those who like to listen in silence and the people who know that the Lord doesn't always speak in the thunderous voices. Sometimes He stirs our hearts and speaks the loudest to us in a gentle whisper.

This will not be a site for deep thoughts, although they may appear once in a while. Some of the simplest thoughts in life are the most meaningful. This will be my chance as a fellow traveler to express some of those times when God is stirring and whispering in my heart and hopefully for someone else to share with me in His blessings.

Thanks for stopping by and listening.