Before the Foundation of the World...

Ephesians 1:4, "Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes." {NLT}

I have given a lot of thought to the above verse. I have been blown away by its implications. Beginning to see salvation from the view and opinion of God has been mind boggling. To think that the God who created us, placed us into this world, knew exactly what would happen, and yet had a plan to put us all in Christ is so difficult to grasp that theologians still debate its reality.

As I think about the truth of this verse and so many others that speak of God's point of view regarding the salvation of man, here's what I have come away with: There is an aspect of salvation that is totally God's. He's done everything that needs to be done. He's overcome every obstacle, eliminated every hindrance, and ensured that mankind was placed in a perfect place to receive the life that they were created to enjoy. This is the heart of God that has been revealed to us. It's the mystery of the Gospel. It's the missing piece to the puzzle of our lives.

There is another aspect of salvation that is totally ours. Not that we could ever do anything to earn it, deserve it, or purchase it; but that we would receive all that God has granted unto us. That we would wake up to the reality of God's unconditional love, see the demonstration of His love at the Cross, and realize the reality of life that is in Jesus. Rejoicing over God's plan doesn't negate the need to respond to what God has made available. It just makes it easier.

If you have read this blog for any length of time, you should know my stance on the finished work of Christ. My belief about what God has accomplished through His Son was to restore mankind back to His original intention. In this place of being in Christ, we understand that the old creation has passed and that all things have been made new. What I'm realizing is that many people struggle with this understanding because we think of our own personal salvation experience. We know what we have lived in, how we felt, and the lostness that we were experiencing. Coming to faith in Jesus released us from the weight of our own sins. It granted us freedom from the guilt, the shame, and the condemnation that we had created through a life of bad choices. Because of that experience (I believe) we struggle to see the plan of God in salvation. Instead, our understanding rests in our personal experience. What we don't realize is that when we came into faith, we were coming into the reality of what God had already planned for our lives.

I want you to take some time this weekend and reflect over this glorious fact. Everything that you have personally experienced as a result of our personal salvation was/is the result of what God chose to do before the foundation of the world. It was God preparing the way for you to be your true self (that which you were created to become). Read these words from the Gospel of John:
He came to His own people,
but they didn’t want Him.
But whoever did want Him,
who believed He was who He claimed
and would do what He said,
He made to be their true selves,
their child-of-God selves.
These are the God-begotten,
not blood-begotten,
not flesh-begotten,
not sex-begotten. {John 1:11-13}

It's an incredible thought isn't it? We often think that unbelievers are anything but God's children. However, coming into the light just reveals their true selves, their child-of-God selves.

Learning to Celebrate...

Today was a very special day for my wife's family business. Read on to learn more...

My wife and I are from Carroll County Virginia, a rural community in Southwest VA. When something big happens around there, we learn how to celebrate it.

Virginia Produce Company Inc., a business started by my father-in-law, was recognized today with a wonderful ceremony. The announcement was made about expanding into a new facility, introducing a new product line, and the expectation of creating 75 new jobs for the area over the next few months. We heard from local officials, business leaders, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Governor of VA. It was a wonderful event and an incredible opportunity for my kids to meet the Governor and see what it means to celebrate the lives of others.

My father-in-law is a visionary. What he has been able to do in the field of produce and farm management is something to be celebrated. It was an honor to hear the Governor commend him on his excellence and present him with a flag that had been flown in his honor over the capital building.

This event comes on the heels of a thought that I had last week:
We need to learn how to celebrate life and the lives of those around us. We should look for ways to bring encouragement, call out the greatness in people, and take time to be thankful. It's one of the greatest manifestations of the Kingdom of God that we possess. It's also a wonderful way to display the love of God through our lives.

Let me encourage you to never waste a moment, a hug, a smile, or a kind word. Instead of finding ways to be critical, look for ways to lift people up. All of us are surrounded by greatness in one form or another. See it. Call it out. Celebrate it. You will be glad you did.

Have a blessed day!!!

Grace Is Not A Movement...

A friend of mine posted an article today entitled "The 3 Most Dangerous 'Grace Movements" In The Church Today & How To Spot Them." While I have no intention of sharing all of these thoughts, I found the article quite revealing. At some point or the other I have been a part of these movements due to my lack of understanding. I pray these thoughts will stir your heart to rest in God's unconditional love.

This article was written by Phil Drysdale and can be found on his website.

False Grace Movement #1: Elevates Works Over Faith

This movement’s ignorance of what grace is causes them to spend all their time trying to become more holy. They believe that God will relate to them based on their good works.

They pay lip service to the fact that God has forgiven all sin – but really they don’t believe it because they live constantly in fear of sinning.

False Grace Movement #2: Talks About Jesus’ 2nd Coming More Than Jesus’ 1st

This movement’s ignorance of what grace has given them causes them to fixate on the 2nd coming of Christ to an extremely unhealthy degree.

By doing so, they effectively communicate that they are not happy with the job Jesus did the first time round and would like Him to come back and do what they really want this time.

False Grace Movement #3: Focuses On Our Attempts To Be Intimate With God

This group sounds really good, right? I mean, this is the very foundation of Christianity – it’s why Jesus died for us! So we could be made one with Him.

But this movement’s ignorance of grace causes them to focus on intimacy as something to be attained rather than something we already have which can be enjoyed today.

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What is my point in sharing all of this? The point is that if we add anything to the grace of God then it is no longer grace. Grace is the operating power of God at work in your life. It was given to you as a gift. You didn't earn it. You don't do anything to get it. It's yours. You simply receive it - establish your heart in it - and watch God do amazing things in and through your life. Grace is the foundation of your faith. It is the key to your intimacy with God. It is a powerful force in the earth.

Grace is the rest that is promised in the Bible. It allows God to demonstrate Himself through your life. It reminds you that everything was settled through the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. It's the life you were meant to live all along. One of the wonderful things about the indwelling Holy Spirit is that He will always lead you to grace, deal with you through grace, and comfort you through grace.

How wonderful the love of God is for us!!! He places us in Christ and provides everything we need for life and godliness. The moment we get this understanding is the moment that we will stop trying to please God through our works, seek an escape through the rapture, or beg to become more intimate with God. Instead we will rejoice that He has made us holy, righteous, & blameless. We will look forward to what God is going to do today - in our lives. And we will discover that God wants intimacy with us more than we understand. He's in us to make this all possible.

I pray that you will be refreshed in your experience of His grace.
I hope that you will learn how to rest in His unconditional love.
I trust that you will be encouraged to establish your heart in His grace once and for all.

Remember this: GRACE is NOT a movement. It's the life that you were always meant to live.

Enjoy the journey!!!

Lose the Drama

Proverbs 26:20 (my paraphrase), "Where there is no wood, the fire goes out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceases."

I'll admit that there are times that I can use the blog to serve my own purpose. That's true of a lot of things. However, what I never want to do is use something that can be a powerful tool and use it as a destructive weapon. Unfortunately, not everyone thinks the way that I do because we see these things happen through the media all the time. While I may not buy into all of the "agenda" talk that is out there, who can deny that at least with some of the things we read & hear that at least one person has an agenda?

I've been thinking about "Drama" today. And by that I don't mean the kind that you would buy a ticket to watch but the type of drama that can play out in our workplaces, our homes, our schools, and even our churches. Over the course of my ministry I have seen drama play out in many different forms and fashions. You come to the realization that some people are more prone to it than others. Some love a good drama while others would rather pull out their fingernails than be involved. According to Proverbs 26:20, there is one proven method to bringing it all to an end. Get rid of the "talebearer" - the gossip - the instigator of drama. Then, and only then, are you guaranteed to bring it to a close.

These words are so simple that it sounds almost too good to be true. However, wisdom is often found in the simplest statements.
Think about:
No Wood = No Fire
No Gossip = No Strife
Pretty simple equation. The question that remains is why would we ever put up with it?

One of the definitions of drama is "an exciting, emotional, or unexpected series of events or set of circumstances." While there are times where we may use this term to define a good situation, I believe most of us know that we tend to use it in the negative. Think about the reality shows that people watch on TV. Why do they watch them? They usually watch to see all the drama played about between the people. They see all the bickering, the fighting, the murmuring, the complaining, etc. and probably sit back thinking that there life isn't quite as bad. The problem is that if we are not careful that we can carry that same junk into our own relationships. My encouragement to you: LOSE THE DRAMA!!!

The best cure available is prevention. Don't say things that you shouldn't say. Don't participate in conversations that you shouldn't have. Don't allow people to use you as a sounding board for their complaints unless you are willing to turn them toward reconciliation. This isn't easy. We want to "be there" for people. But if we don't know how to not get caught up in their stuff, we will find ourselves playing a major role in the latest drama of their lives.

Proverbs 16:28 says, "A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends."

Can the Bible make things any more clear? Learn to detect what is really happening when people want to come to you to "vent." Always turn them toward their personal responsibility to deal with the person one on one. Oftentimes a person will come to you not just to vent but in hopes that you will confirm their issues. It's like the old saying "misery loves company." And if you don't get out of the line of fire then you will be brought down in the flames.

Want a drama free life? Then learn how to deal with those who want to create it. You will discover that life is much more enjoyable when you don't allow it to take place around you. Be fascinated by the goodness of God, learn to love others, and settle in your heart that you don't have to get involved with everything.

NO FEAR

"The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.'" [Romans 8:15]

I don't think we fully appreciate the damage that fear causes in our lives. It keeps us from opening up to God, life, and to others. While I don't plan on giving out too many details in the blog (may be sharing some of this on Sunday), the thought that keeps running around in my head is this:
If all of our Christian influence is fear based, then what spirit are we operating in? In other words, if the greatest motivator of our devotion to God, our salvation experience, and the way in which we conduct our lives is fear; then we really don't understand the heart of God.

God has removed every barrier that would keep you from experiencing abundant life in Him. The perfect love of God casts out fear. There is no reason for it to hang around. In fact, if there are areas of your life that are still dominated by fear, then those are the areas where God wants to manifest His perfect love in your life.

My son is playing middle school football right now. The past 4 years he had been involved in recreation league play. I knew there would be a lot of changes. He would move out of a league where he excelled and into a system that would require some learning. His playing time would be earned. His position would be his to get and keep. The first few weeks I could see that this new environment was difficult. He wasn't excelling. He was struggling. The position he had played over the last 4 years was no longer his. His playing time was limited at best. In the midst of all of it, he began to question himself. He even told me that he missed being good at football. After a lot of conversation I discovered that his problem was that he had been playing in fear. Somewhere along the way he got intimidated. This fear that had grabbed the attention of his heart was keeping him from enjoying the game he loved. Not only that, but it kept him from reaching his full potential. Once I was able to motivate him properly, he began to take his place among the team. He wasn't shrinking back anymore. He was going out there, working his tail off, and earning every minute of playing time. This approach earned him a starting spot this past week and allowed him to play almost the entire game. What have we learned? Intimidation is a cheap weapon and it only works on those who are willing to be distracted by it.

God doesn't want you living in fear. In fact, once you come to faith in Christ, He places His Spirit inside of you to ensure that you don't have to give in to it. He wants you confident. He wants you full of faith. He wants you living in expectancy. God, being God, ensures that His children have everything they need to make this possible. Fear doesn't have to be a motivator in your life because it will only serve to keep you bound in a slavery mentality.

As it was in the football portion of my son's life it will be in your spiritual journey. If you don't realize that fear works against you, you will always be bound to it. You will not assert yourself in life. You will simply allow life to happen to you. And I don't know about you, but that's not way to live. God has a much better plan for you. God has a much better way for you to experience Him and all He has provided.

You are more than a conqueror my friend. Live like it!!!

God is Faithful...

Deuteronomy 7:9, "Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations"

God is faithful.

Part of me wants to stop right there and just allow you to focus upon those three words. They are simple, maybe even a little too cliché for some people, but incredibly true.

As a part of your thought process today, I want you to reflect upon the faithfulness of God. I don't want you to consider whether or not He operated on your timetable. I'm not asking you if He showed up exactly the way you thought He would. I simply want you to meditate upon His faithfulness and allow it permeate your heart.

As I think about the last 22 years as a devoted follower of Christ, I'm amazed at all He has done. In fact, I can see His faithfulness through my entire life. He has always been faithful in His love. He has always been faithful to speak. He has always been faithful to act.

Faithfulness isn't something that God does. It's who He is.

It doesn't matter what season you may find yourself.
It doesn't matter if it looks like the walls are closing in around you.
It doesn't matter if everything is going your way.
WHATEVER GOD HAS SPOKEN TO YOU - HE WILL PERFORM!!!

Don't lose heart. Don't allow your circumstances to speak louder than His promises. Don't allow negativity to creep into your thought process. Hold to this incredible truth: HE IS FAITHFUL!!!

9/11 Reflections

As we remember the tragedy of 9/11, let us also remember the unity that came out of this event. America had rediscovered a sense of community. Although this sense of unity may have been short lived, I believe it stands as a testimony of what can (and should) be recovered in our nation.

The picture above is one of my favorite memories from the aftermath of 9/11. There's just something about seeing our President, overcome with grief, filled with emotion, and standing with resolve that affects my heart. Our nation needed a leader in this moment and I believe we found one. Regardless of what people may think about George W Bush, his approval ratings went through the roof after this tragedy. What he had to say, and how he responded moved our nations beyond political and social divide. He struck at the heart of the greatness found within our people. We rallied around him and he around us. I believe this picture captures the essence of the type of leader he was for America. He was real, he was himself, and he cared.

The point of today's blog isn't to praise George W Bush, nor is it meant to simply focus upon the tragedy our nation faced. What I want us to reflect upon is the sense of community and unity that our country lived in over the following weeks. In the people around us we found hope, comfort, resolve, and the presence of God. We were reminded of the importance of "one another" and it made a huge difference as we attempted to move forward.

It's sad fact of life that tragedy often brings out the best in us, but I'm glad to see it come out. I love seeing people give of themselves. Kids making sandwiches and cookies for first responders. People willing to volunteer their time to go through the rubble looking for survivors. Chiropractors taking their practice to the streets to help realign those who were working so tirelessly. People carrying water, serving food, and caring for kids. This is the best of our nation. They may not be in the limelight but they are willing to serve. They see the necessity of "one another" and it makes a difference.

Regardless of how I got to where I am today, I'm grateful that God has allowed my focus to be fixed in this area. Community, unity, common ground, love - all the things that we often get neglected through distraction. Days like today remind me to be intentional. That relationships really do matter. And that in the end, my relationship with God is best judged by my relationship with others.

While many of our news stations will focus upon the tragedy itself and the stories that come from those who lost loved ones, I want us to reflect upon the newly discovered unity that our nation felt. I remember the memorial service that came as a result of 9/11. It was ecumenical in it's design (which brought some criticism) but powerful for our nation. It reminded us of the importance of God in our midst and that we could cross denominational lines to work together. Yes...once again, it's amazing how tragedy brings out the best in us. However, I will say again how grateful to see these things rise to the surface.

Let us remember that disasters do not have to occur for us to live out the best qualities of life. Let us be challenged to always keep our love on, our compassion stirred up for others, and mercy to be our first response. Let us recapture a sense of community within our churches, schools, subdivisions, and nation. Not a "Utopia" where everything is perfect but a living, breathing reality of what the Kingdom of God can be on the earth. A place where people matter because they are made in the image of God. A nation where God is put in proper perspective and life flows out of Him. May we never forget the lessons we learned 12 years ago. Our prayers are with the families that still grieve, our nation that continues to recover, and the church that still stands as a beacon of hope in the world. Allow today to bring out the best in us.

How Do You See It?

There are an estimated 6.9 billion Christians in the world. So there might be a small possibility that we will disagree in certain aspects of our faith.

Sorry I'm a little late to the blog today. It's been an interesting few days. There will only be two entries to the blog this week. Hope to be back to a normal routine after this week.

Now...Let's go back to my original statement. It's estimate that there are 6.9 billion Christians in the world (and there are plenty of people who will put that number up to debate). They are also the people that probably think that there particular brand of Christianity is the only one out there. I'm serious folks. If you don't think that people who claim to follow Christ could possibly think this way then just pull up a list of Protestant denominations. Our denominations have denominations.

This is a reality that we will probably have to live with for quite a while. I would love to the Church overcome some of these disagreements but I'm not sure that I will get to see it in my lifetime. Regardless of what happens, and regardless of what we may think about "so and so" over in "that" denomination, the reality is that there are 6.9 billion people who claim to follow Christ. So it seems to me that there's at least one aspect of our faith that we can all agree on: Jesus.

There was a time that I didn't think like this. I used to believe that it was my purpose in life for people to think just like I do. Those days are gone. All I can do is try to help people understand why I communicate the gospel the way that I do. This change occurred in my heart when I became more concerned about being rightly related with people rather than just being right. I have learned to respect other Christians in their beliefs, have conversations (rather than debates), and seeks ways to create fellowship around our agreed upon beliefs. It's not always easy but I'm thinking that it's worth a shot.

Think about it this way:
How long has the debate gone on about zebras? Are they white with black stripes or black with white stripes. I'm sure there is a scientific and educational explanation but the reality is that people see things the way they see it. Outside of revelation from the Lord, people are going to do the same thing with Scripture and doctrine. Your view of God, your church background, and your own understanding of the Bible will shape the way you understand Christianity and how you communicate it.

The question then for us is not how do we get people to see things the way we see it? The question is: How Christlike will we be in our interaction with them? The reality is that the person of Jesus can change the way a person thinks quicker than any argument that I could come up with. As people encounter the living Christ in and through our lives then they will be faced with a decision.

There are certain big name preachers that I have met personally that some people don't like. They disagree with their doctrine or their practice of the Christian faith. However, because I have met them and encountered the Lord through them, it has changed how I view them. There's something about encountering the Lord through an individual that will make all the difference. It doesn't necessarily mean that you will believe everything that they believe, but it should mean that you will handle them differently. It should mean that you will respect the Christ in them.

More and more I hear the Lord talk about the necessity of relationship. Love for our neighbor ranks right up there with love for God. The problem in the church is that we have put so much emphasis on "right believing" (because...remember that our particular group is the only one that lines up with Scripture) that we have neglected right relationships. We need to learn how to agree to disagree in certain areas, respect Jesus in our brothers/sisters, and look for ways to promote fellowship among the church as a whole. If we don't then that 6.9 billion people will remain out there - outside of our touch, outside of our love, and definitely outside of our fellowship.

Dealing with the Red Letters

Matthew 5:23-24, "Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering."

I have often heard that if we would take the "red letters" of Christ serious then it would dramatically change the way we lived and how the church was perceived. We will use these words of Jesus as an example. How many of us have actually left during a worship setting to make things right with our brother/sister? Or do we just go right on singing, giving, hearing, and doing ministry with offense in our heart? Something to think about.

Please understand that I'm not asking if you were able to bring reconciliation. That's really up to the other person. What I am asking is if you are willing to allow the words of Christ to come alive in you? You see, the grace of God elevates our lives to a higher standard. It's not just enough to go through the motions. We cannot allow bitterness, offense, or anger to reside in our hearts. We must be willing to do what is necessary to expel these things from our life. If it were not possible, I don't believe Jesus would have instructed us to carry this out. In reality, all things are possible with God. We just need to be willing to partner with Him.

Personally, what I have done is take the words of Christ and compare them with the Holy Spirit inspired words of Paul: Romans 12:18, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." All I can do is all I can do. I cannot force anyone to reconcile with me but I can be reconciled to them. I can approach people in humility and honesty. Seek their forgiveness. And pray that their hearts will be turned. While I can't make it happen, I can do what I can do. From that moment forward, my heart is pure as it relates to the situation.

If these verses were alive in us and our fellowships I think the world would view us much differently than they do today. Think about it: Would churches be considered unloving, unkind, and/or unforgiving if we took the words of Christ seriously? When people know they will be loved, relationships will be cherished, and that people are willing to walk in honor toward one another - it will make a radical difference in their perception. They may not agree with everything we believe but they will have to take notice of how we treat one another.

The challenging part of Jesus' words in Matthew is that it hits us right in our religious mindsets. It begs the question, What is God really after? The answer: He's after our hearts. When our hearts are in line with Him then we don't have to leave gifts at the altar to make things right. We will have already taken care of these issues. When our hearts are in line with Him then forgiveness becomes a part of our nature and reconciliation is an attainable goal. It is my opinion that there should not be any issues that divide brothers & sisters in Christ. Especially when we consider that love "bears all things."

I believe that this culture can be cultivated even within "organized religion." If I didn't, I would not be a part of it. That may sound like a bold statement but if those who claim to love God are not willing to operate in love with others then we are wasting our time and making a sham of the gospel of reconciliation. How we teat one another matters to God. Therefore, it needs to matter to us. I challenge you to make much of God and others in your life. Do what you can to live peaceably with all men. Seek reconciliation where it is needed. And allow the Lord to demonstrate His love through your life. You won't be sorry.

Getting Closer to God

Have you ever said, or have heard someone say, "I just need to get closer to God"? There's nothing wrong with this statement (in and of itself) but I'm afraid that we often go about it the wrong way.

Now...if you have been reading this blog for any amount of time, you know that I'm going to tackle this from a different perspective. The reason is simple: We often apply external pressure to our lives so that we can get our behavior to follow. We seek out accountability partners who will ask us questions. We make resolutions to read the Bible more, pray more, go to church more, do more, etc. The problem with this type of approach is that we can do it all with the wrong mindset. We can make getting closer a lot of work and never see/feel the results.

Here's the deal...
If He's in you then He can't get any closer (nor can you). We talk about getting closer to God as if He's far away. That cannot be further from the truth. According to Scripture, the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwells inside of you. You are a partaker of the Divine Nature. Jesus Himself said, "On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you" (speaking about the coming of the Holy Spirit - John 14:20). This is a reality that we really need to grasp.

What I am discovering in my own life is that "getting closer to God" is tied more to awareness. Therefore, I am learning how to become more aware of His presence in my life and in the lives of others. Do I read my Bible? Do I pray? Do I fellowship with other believers? The answer to all of those things is "Yes" but I don't do those things to get closer to Him. I do those things because He has brought me close to Himself. My outward devotion to God is tied to the inner reality of His presence and my identity in Him. Everything that I do, I do as Son.

Think about it this way...
You want to get closer to your children, your spouse, another family member, or a friend. Part of the equation in this closeness requires that you fellowship together. In other words, you spend time with them. I don't know about you, but if I'm spending time with someone, I'm aware of their presence with me. In fact, there are times that I can miss out on intimate moments with family and friends when my attention is somewhere else. How many of us have missed out on what our spouse was saying because we were glued to the TV, social media, or our phones? In that moment we have allowed other things to become a distraction. What's true in the natural is true in the spiritual: We cannot allow other things to distract us from the reality of His presence in our lives. We must give attention to the reality of Him in our lives. We are determining in our hearts that we don't want to miss a thing.

Awareness of His presence is the key to getting closer. While there may be times that the distractions become so great that we need to pull away from everything (like going to the mountains, or shutting yourself off from the world), the reality is that you can experience the closeness of God each and every day of your life. Did not the psalmist say, "Be still and know that I am God"? When you learn the art of being still, learn to listen to His voice, learn to become aware of all that He is doing in you/around you, then you will appreciate His way of getting closer.

His ways are not our ways...
If you have spent any amount of time in the church then you realize how radically different this sounds. It may even appear to be a bit mystical. But what I'm trying to convey to you is that learning how to live in the Spirit of God is vital to your experience of Him. Whenever you move into the striving mentality - working to get closer - you can actually lose intimacy. While there are times for diligence, and learning, there are also times when you need to cease from your labor and learn how to interact with God. Part of your journey is knowing how to differentiate between the two.

It is my prayer that you become AWARE of His presence in you. That you will stop thinking of God as far away. That you will understand that it is IN HIM that you "live and move and have your being."

Enjoy your day. Enjoy your awakening. And...Enjoy the journey!!!