The Gospel and Life

My conversation this morning with my wife revolved around the beauty of the Gospel. In particular, we talked about misconceptions of the Gospel that cause us to miss out on the impact we should experience in our lives. The Good News of Jesus has been overly simplified. In essence, we have said to believe the Gospel means going to Heaven while rejecting the Gospel means going to Hell. I honestly do not believe that is what the Lord or the Apostles were teaching. I believe that the beauty of the Gospel is reflected in how we live life.

I read a blog entry recently where the writer was talking about how Christians need the Gospel. This type of thinking blows the mind of the normative believer. If all the Gospel has anything to do with is our postmortem standing, then I can understand the disconnect. The reality is, however, that the Gospel has WAY MORE to say about how we live life together. How we experience the reality of the Father's love NOW and how we share that love with one another. The Good News produces a quality of life within us. It's time to stop thinking that once we have come to faith in Jesus that we do not need the Gospel. On the contrary, we need it now more than ever.

I do want to clear up something. Does the Gospel give us hope for life after life? Yes! Absolutely! 100%! The Gospel offers us absolute assurance of the Father's heart for us and our relationship with Him. I do not want to take any of that away. My concern is when the Gospel is simply conveyed only in light of eternity. That its greatest affect occurs when we pass from this life to the next. If that were the case, why wouldn't we simply be translated into Heaven? Why not make it easier? Unless...unless the Father has a greater plan. What if...God...believes that the Gospel has a way of impacting what we experience in this life? What if the redemption and reconciliation provided by the Father through the Son has greater implications than just our forgiveness? What can we glean from the Gospel that would have anything to do with the here and now?

SELF-GIVING, OTHER-CENTERED, LOVE
God, not willing that humanity perish, gives of Himself.
He enters into our darkness through the Son. He lays down His life for our well-being, our salvation.
He demonstrates what unconditional love looks like and asks us to live in the same.
He offers us a greater way of life. Of relating to one another.

THE REMOVAL OF VIOLENCE AND THE REALITY OF PEACE
The Kingdoms of this world often establish themselves through violence and domination.
The Kingdom of God (the Kingdom of Heaven) operates quite differently.
The offer of peace from the Godhead demonstrates that we can lay ourselves down for the good of humanity. That this KINGDOM (the King's domain) comes through acts of love and service.
It shows us that we do not need Crusades to establish this Kingdom. That it is, in fact, our lives being lived in unbroken fellowship with the Father that advances this Kingdom throughout the world.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE OTHERS
God's love was for the whole world. This is central to the Gospel.
This was not merely a message for Israel. The Gentiles were included. And what we discover in the writings of Paul is a Gospel that also destroys other lines of separation: male and female, Jew and Greek, circumcised and non-circumcised. It's quite amazing actually. Everything that we could bring up to separate ourselves from one another, the Gospel eliminates. It places all of creation upon an equal playing field. It compels us to live out His love to every tribe, race, and nation. The Gospel knows no boundaries. Neither should we.

FORGIVENESS FREELY GIVEN, FREELY RECEIVED, & FREELY GIVEN AGAIN
One of my favorite statements of Jesus to His disciples is, "Freely you have received, freely give."
What a concept!
We did nothing for it. Therefore, let us stop requiring that others do something as well.
"I forgive you" should be a statement that freely flows from our hearts and mouths.
"Will you forgive me?" should be a question we are willing to ask of others.
If there is anyone on the planet that understands that forgiveness is freely given, it should be us. If there is a group of people in the world that does not give place to hatred, bitterness, and wrath, it should be us. There is no place in the Gospel for unforgiveness. There is no place in the Gospel for an unwillingness to reconcile. This is the heart of the Father for us. It should be the heart of the Father though us.

The reality is that the Gospel not only announces the arrival of the Messiah, it introduces us to His way of life. And it is His quality of life lived out among us, in us, and through us that will change the world. Save the world. What would the world look like if we took this understanding of the Gospel and proclaimed it, demonstrated it, and lived it out on a daily basis? How would the Church be perceived if we began demonstrating unconditional love for one another? What if we walked in unbroken fellowship with our Father and our brothers/sisters? Imagine the impact of this Gospel upon the world.

I think it is time that we connect the dots. That we see the Gospel for what it is: the announcement of the arrival of a new kingdom. A greater way of life. A return to the relationship that humanity had with the Father before the Fall. The removal of all failing systems of the world (political, religious, and social). A call for mankind to take their rightful place as the children of God and to advance His Kingdom in the world. The Gospel is so much bigger than being a ticket to Heaven or an escape from Hell. It is about the Kingdom of Heaven taking root in our hearts, being lived out in our lives, and being built upon the cornerstone of Jesus in the Earth.

Let me say this again: May we be the answer to the Lord's prayer.
"On Earth as it is in Heaven."
May His Kingdom come!

Labor Day Weekend Is Upon Us

Labor Day weekend is here. This means some last minute trips to the lake, the pool, and some mini vacations. Regardless of how you spend this time away from work, I hope you enjoy some rest.

I, for one, have always been grateful that in America we celebrate Labor Day. I like the fact that people get a much needed day off from work (or a 4 day weekend). We tend to be an extremely busy society. Rest is something we can definitely use. While I'm sure that many people will continue to be busy, I do hope that you will take this time to enjoy your family, this beautiful creation, and that you will give yourself the opportunity to recharge. Don't miss this incredible opportunity.

We have talked about rest several times in the blog. Several years ago I heard Graham Cooke talk about Rest As A Weapon and it changed my whole understanding of the word. Learning how to rest in the Lord is vital to being conformed to the image of Christ. Knowing how to be still, how to trust fully in His finished work, and how to lose the striving mentality allows the fruit of the Spirit to come forth naturally in your life. However, this thing of rest is not just spiritual. It's necessary for emotional and physical well being.

While the busiest people in the world may be some of the most financially successful. They are rarely the most stable. Relationships take the back seat to their endeavors. They may be building empires, but rarely are they building families. Rarely do they connect in areas outside of the business realm. Stress becomes the most active agent in their lives. And what can often follow are unhealthy choices in how to deal with this destructive force.

Do you know people who simply cannot take a day off?
Are you one of them?
I think one of the most profound statements of Jesus, one of the most incredible invitations that He gave to us, was a call to rest for those who were weary and heavy laden. The religious system of His day was burdensome. The Sabbath, because of the rules and regulations applied to it, was anything but a day of rest. It was a day of stress. What if I looked in the mirror and plucked a hair? What if someone deemed me brushing my hair as work? Would people believe that the ox actually fell into a ditch or will they think I was working when I should be resting? All of these questions were legitimate concerns for the Jewish people. The religious leaders were so concerned with protecting what they believed to be important, they did not realize that their approach was taking the focus off of the Lord and placing it upon man's performance. In the midst of it all, Jesus cries out for those in desperate need of rest. Is that you?

The greatest way to de-stress is to rest.
Sleep. Take your time. Enjoy a cup of coffee. Read. Be with family. Go out into nature. Breathe. Do what you need to do to slow the world down for a moment. Spend your day in conversation with the Lord. Listen. There are so many ways to reconnect, to recharge, and to reevaluate how to move forward.

The Jewish people believed that God took the seventh day of Creation to rest as an example for all of us. We need a day of reflection. A day to look over all that we have created. A day to enjoy the fruitfulness of our relationships and our labor. A day to connect. It's what the Sabbath was always meant to be. When is your Sabbath? What does your day of rest look like? Are you able to turn the machine off for just a little while?

Take this weekend and make the most of it. Life is meant to be enjoyed not endured. Rest is waiting for you. May the Lord bless you in it.

Enjoy! Talk to you next week.

The Beauty of Endurance

I was asked during the summer if I would be willing to help coach Cross Country at our local high school. The head coach is a member of our Church. She believed that my work ethic in the area of my own personal fitness would be helpful. I agreed, and it has been an amazing experience so far.

There is a lot that goes into training a runner. Especially long distance runners. While we can help with strides, breathing, how to manage different aspects of a course, and increasing distance; there is one area that belongs solely to the runner. Endurance. As coaches we can give encouragement. We can train them. We can remind them of technique. However, what they must learn to overcome is that voice inside of them that says "slow down" or "stop."

I was reminded of this again yesterday. We have a couple of runners on our team who are young. My encouragement to them right now is to run a race without walking. I want them to continue to push themselves even when their body is asking them to give in. I was standing at the 2 mile split calling out times. When our last runner came across that line, I was shouting out times and how to make adjustments for the remainder of the race. The course was flattening out, there would be a big down hill grade, and the rest was up to them. My last runner was exhausted. It was hot. There was no cloud cover. He desperately wanted to walk. As he rounded the curve above my position, I continued to shout out encouragement to him. He was struggling. As he came by me once again, I began to jog beside of him. He told me he wanted to stop. He couldn't keep going. I just kept encouraging him. He talked about stopping again. I told him he could do it. What happened next I didn't expect. There was a runner just ahead of him who turned around. "You can do this," he said. "Just run with me." My runner never stopped. Inside, he was hurting. He was tired. But he never stopped. And he recorded his best 5k time to date.

This moment has captured my attention. This runner of ours was next to last. What would it matter if he stopped? Who cares if he would finish last if he began walking? As I followed his progression, staying within earshot, I continue to shout out encouragement. And he continued to respond. Not only did he not walk, he finished 2 minutes ahead of a guy he barely edged out last race. I told one of the other coaches that I never believed I would be so excited about someone finishing this late in the race, but they just didn't know how far he had come. He's learning endurance. He's learning that there is more in the tank. He is learning how to give all that he has within him.

The writer of Hebrews talked about "running with endurance the race that is set before us." He said this to a group of believers who were experiencing difficult times. I'm sure there was talk of giving up. Questions that asked if it was really worth it. The thought that they could simply finish the race through compromise. But this early church leader continued to shout out his encouragement. He reminded them that they were not those who would fall back, give up, or compromise their faith. He spoke of Jesus' willingness to finish the race that was set before Him. Even though it meant that He would endure death itself.

The beauty of endurance is that it teaches us there is more inside than we realized. That even in our weakness grace abounds. That it is here we discover that God's strength is perfect.

Personally, I don't know what you may be going through. I don't know what challenges you may be facing. I cannot speak to your situation precisely. All I can say is that through my own experience, you can trust in the nature of your Heavenly Father. You can experience His grace. You can feel His strength. You can discover that you have everything within you through His divine power to finish the course.

The faith that we are associated with has a long history of those who endured despite difficulty. Those who went through ridicule and persecution. And even those who died. Those who carried their faith to an early grace because they would not give in. That, my dear brother and sister, is our heritage in the Lord. While everything screams that we should give up, the Lord runs with us. While we want to back down, the Spirit says, "Run with Me." When it feels like we are all alone, there is a great cloud of witnesses that are with us. They chant our name. They applaud our effort. They believe in our ability.

It has been said before that it's not how you start the race that matters. It's how you finish.
The Christian life is not a sprint. It's a marathon.
There is a lot to learn. A lot to overcome. A lot to discover about the Lord and ourselves in the journey.
Don't stop now. There is glory yet to be revealed in you.

"Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory." ~ William Barclay

Giving An Answer

Peter instructed the Church to "honor Christ the Lord as holy (in your heart), always being prepared to make a defense (give an answer) to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you." He also adds this statement: "Yet do it with gentleness and respect." 1 Peter 3:15

A lot has changed with the Christian faith over the centuries. What was once seen as a ragtag group of individuals that exploded into a large portion of the known world's population, faith in Christ has become the greatest religious affiliation in the world. What was once the most persecuted faith in the world, has become one of the most accepted (at least within the hearts of common people). While many of our brothers and sisters still continue to be persecuted, the reality is that the majority of professed Christians have experienced nothing like the Early Church. Peter's instruction is to remind these men and women that a time will come when they must provide an answer, a defense, for the hope that is in them in the face of ungodly violence. Rather than denounce the faith, these men and women made a bold proclamation of why they trusted in Jesus.

Certain translations use the word "defense". Others tells us to "give an answer." How you position yourself in that moment matters to those who are listening. Carrying yourself with gentleness and respect makes all the difference.

While there are plenty of churches and individuals who take a defensive posture, there are plenty who carry the message in love, confidence, peacefulness, and respect for others. While we hold the answer to genuine and abiding life, we are not arrogant. Even though we know the way, the truth, and the life, we are not disrespectful. Though we believe that Jesus is the only way to salvation, the only way to know the Father, and the only means of our reconciliation, we learn to carry the message with the same meekness of our Lord. Strong, but under control. Knowing who we are, but willing to humble ourselves. Filled with confidence in our Father, yet willing to submit ourselves.

I have been on both sides of this equation. I spent a lot of years in arrogance. I filled my arsenal with scriptural weapons. I shot down every person who came across my path. I was right. I knew I was right. And I believed it was my job to tell them how wrong they were. Since that time, after discovering the love of God as an abiding reality of my life, I have learned what it means to carry the message in meekness, love, grace, and mercy. Knowing the love of the Father for all mankind, I don't see enemies - I see brothers who are lost in the estrangement they feel from God. My heart goes out to those who are ignorant of the truth. Rather than enter into a debate, I choose to enter into a conversation. I want them to experience the heart of our Father. I want them to encounter the living Christ. I'm still ready to give an answer, but my sword has been turned into a plowshare and my spear into a pruning hook.

Some have asked me for the reason for the hope that is in me. Especially those who have watched my conversion over the last decade. Why am I filled with so much hope? Why do I talk about the unconditional love of God so much? How can I possibly preach with no condemnation, no judgement, and without shame? To those questions, I am more than willing to give an answer.

I believe...
In a God who is love above everything else.
In the One who created us out of love for relationship. The One in whom we live, move, and have our being.
A God who placed His image and likeness in frail humanity.
A Father who saw the Fall of His first Son Adam before it ever took place and made arrangements to bring us back into fellowship.
In the One who demonstrated His love fully at the Cross. Eliminating any doubt that He would go to great depths to reconcile us.
In a God who has judged the world in love.
In a Father who pleads with us to be reconciled in our own hearts.

I believe...
In a humanity that is to carry this image and likeness throughout the Earth.
In Brothers and Sisters who are meant to partner with our Father to see His Kingdom established in every corner of the globe.
We are a Kingdom of Priests, a nation set apart for His goodness, and a people who carry the Father's heart.
That we are ministers of reconciliation. Ambassadors of Christ who represent His Kingdom in everything that we say and do.

I believe...
That we are meant to walk in love, peace, and harmony with one another.
That the Church was meant to be the re-presentation of Christ in the Earth.
That the love we possess for one another is the means through which the world will know that we are His.
And that He has provided everything we need, placed it within us through His Spirit, so that we will not come short in this endeavor.

I believe...
As we mature and are conformed into the image of Christ, that we will fully manifest the nature of our Father.
That His Kingdom will be firmly established, and Jesus will be enthroned among us.
That until then, we are sent as the firstborn Son was sent - to be the representation of our Father to all of His children.
To extend His love, justice, and acceptance to all without prejudice.

I believe...
The Holy Spirit is our guide in this endeavor. Empowering us with all that we would need.
That He goes before us to prepare the hearts of every man.
That His job is to convince the world of all that was accomplished in Christ, and to soften their hearts to believe the Gospel.
That the Lord walks with us, regardless of our frailty.
That He encourages us to continue in the journey.

I believe...
In a Father who never stops looking for His children.
In a Father who readily accepts us back into full fellowship and relationship.
In a Father who loves even those who reject Him. Whose heart is broken to see them suffer in the consequences of their actions.
In a God who is not willing that any of them should perish, but all would come to change their minds about Him.

I believe...
The Gospel is the most incredible message in the Earth.
That the Gospel reveals the heart and mind of the Father concerning us.
That the Gospel itself has the power to save us from the alienation we carry. To illuminate our hearts to His love.
That the Gospel is not the news of what you can do, but the beautiful message of what He has done.

This is my answer. At least in part. This is the hope that I carry within me. This is the reason for the changes within my own perception. To quote the Apostle John, "I have come to KNOW and to BELIEVE the love that God has for us." It has changed my life. It has allowed me to see the world through a Kingdom lens. It has softened my heart to humanity. It has allowed me to believe the best about my Father, myself, and the world that I live in.

Strengthen Yourself in the Lord

In 1 Samuel 30 we read the story of David returning to Ziklag to discover that the Amalekites had raided the area, burned the city, and taken captive the women and children. Feeling the grief of this moment, David and his men wept bitterly. In verse 6 we read that David himself was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him because of their bitterness. "BUT" (and this is a HUGE but) David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

I for one am glad that Scripture doesn't really tell us how David strengthened himself. Did he pray? Did he sing like he often did? Did he recall moments where he experienced the goodness of the Lord? Did he remind himself of what had been spoken over him? Did he do all of the above? We can only speculate. What we do know is that it happened. And because he was able to strengthen himself, he was able to lead these men to rescue their families.

We've all been there. Right?
We've all had those moments where we felt as though we were the only person in the room. The only one going experiencing pain, doubt, distress, or fear.
It's in those moments where we either find ourselves at the end of our rope, or we discover just who the Lord is for us.

One of the greatest things you can discover in your journey with the Lord is how to strengthen yourself. How to encourage yourself. How to get rescue your mind from wrong thinking. David could have allowed his distresses to swallow him whole. Instead, he reminded himself of who his God was and who he was in Him.

Is there a verse of Scripture that always brings encouragement?
Is there a song that always lifts your spirit?
Is there a memory that always rekindles the passion within you?
Has there been something spoke over your life that you are waiting to see fulfilled?
Has the Lord put a dream in your heart that hasn't been realized?
All of these things can prove invaluable when it comes to strengthening yourself in the Lord.

Are there people you can talk to?
Are there folks who always bring out the best in you?
Do you have a community that believes in you, encourages you, and reminds you of your identity?
Sometimes you have to put yourself in the midst of them. You have to confess your struggles. They can be the means the Lord uses to bring you back to where you need to be. However, it needs to be said, they cannot be your only source of strength. There will be times when we have to learn how to stand on our own two feet with the Lord.

I've experienced this in my own life. There have been moments where I have had to firmly believe in what the Lord has spoken over my life. I've had to trust in the fact that I can hear His voice. I've had to accept what He has affirmed. I've had to trust His heart for my life. And as difficult as those moments may seem, I have discovered a confidence in the Lord that I would have gained no other way.

I wrote down something last Friday that was stirring in my spirit. I hope this helps you.

In absence of the cheering crowd
In the deafening silence of no applause
In the isolation of adversity
The authentic you is revealed.

This is what you have been waiting for.
Rise up!