Time To Collect My Thoughts

I hope you all are enjoying a wonderful week. I have decided to take a few days away from the blog to collect my thoughts rather than share them.

While I'm away from the blog, I pray that your heart will continue to be overwhelmed with the goodness of God. I look forward to being with you probably around the 12th of November. Feel free to look through the archives and see if there is anything that the Lord uses to encourage your life. Catch up with you soon.

Be Blessed!

Right Here, Right Now

For the better part of this day, I have had a song playing in my head by a group called Jesus Jones. Here are the lyrics:
"Right Here, Right Now
There is no other place I want to be
Right Here, Right Now
Watching the world wake up from history"

I couldn't help but think of Paul's words to the Philippian church: "I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith." (Philippians 1:23-25)

While Paul understood the reality and joy of heaven, he also understood his purpose in the earth. He had a longing to see people grow in their understanding of Christ, to see the joy of the Lord increase in their lives, and to see the church continue. It would be good for us to have this mindset and to follow after the words of Jim Elliot as well: "Wherever you are, be all there."

I have been around some believers (even young ones) that just couldn't wait to get the heck out of Dodge. It seemed as though all we talked about, sang about, or read about had to do with heaven or the rapture. What I didn't realize back then was that if we aren't careful that we could actually commit spiritual suicide. Rather than find our place in the earth, discover how God has gifted us to impact the area, and learn what it means to be a son of God in the earth, we will sit back and just wait for something better to happen.

The song that I posted above was written during a lot of changes in Europe. In particular, the fall of the Berlin Wall had so changed the landscape that it had given people incredible hope. We see things like this all the time. Events that happen that are so inspiring that you realize that you are a part of history.

What if our lives are to be more than just a mere drop in the bucket? What if there are things that God longs to do through our lives that could actually change the landscape? Do we simply want to be a part of history or would we rather be history makers? These are legitimate questions. Jesus took ordinary men, many of whom were rejected by society, and turned the world upside down. He didn't simply take them up to Heaven when He ascended. He left them in the Earth to make a difference. This can be our lives as well.

Each of us have the opportunity to partner with God to see His glory literally cover the Earth. We get to make Him know to those who do not know Him, and encourage the lives of those who do. We get to make a lasting imprint in the Earth. That's why you can never minimize your faith and your ability to change the culture. It's also the reason why you cannot sit around just wondering when you get to leave. We've all seen this happen in the natural. You go somewhere and are totally consumed with going home that you miss out on what is happening around you. A lot of Christians in that boat. Their minds are totally focused on leaving that they simply cannot enjoy today. Not only can they not enjoy today but they miss out on so many wonderful things that are happening right in front of them.

Ask the Lord to open your eyes to the good things that are happening in the Earth. And wherever you see Him at work, join Him there. You can enjoy a long and fruitful life in Him. There's no need to cut it short. Jesus promised abundant life, not just a rewarding death. Squeeze every ounce joy out of this life - enjoy it fully - cause you get to enjoy it for all of eternity.

Enjoy the journey!!!

Who/What Are We Following?

Ideology
1. The body of ideas reflecting the social needs and aspirations of an individual, group, class, or culture.
2. A set of doctrines or beliefs that form the basis of a political, economic, or other system.
Theology
1. The study of the nature of God and religious truth; rational inquiry into religious questions.
2. A system or school of opinions concerning God and religious questions.

Luke 9:49-50, "John answered and said, 'Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name; and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow along with us.' But Jesus said to him, 'Do not hinder him; for he who is not against you is for you.'"

After much thought and consideration, I am convinced that much of the disagreement/division in the church has more to do with ideology than theology. I have had several conversations with people where this has been the case. The problem is that we tend to become so tied to our ideology that it becomes a part of our theology. In other words, what we believe becomes our Bible and anything outside of our belief system is a cause for division.

Some people may not have a problem with this approach to life but I see it as an extremely narrow way of doing relationships. This approach can be especially true in denominational life. In America, especially, we have all of these Protestant churches running around with the belief that there way of thinking and believing is the only way. They have a specific set of doctrines and practices that we must line up with or we cannot dwell together in unity. It's not enough to agree 99% on the same core beliefs but there must be 100% agreement or else. It has gotten so bad in some areas that a person isn't even considered a brother/sister in Christ unless they are a part of a particular fellowship of believers. I have often wondered what would happen if you could get pastors together from all the different denominations, have them share from their core beliefs, find the places of agreement or disagreement, and whether or not they would consider these other pastors a part of the faith family. It's at least something to consider.

The point that I want to make in all of this is that we do have some common ground. I don't have to be a part of a particular assembly of people, nor do I have to prescribe to a particular set of beliefs. The commonality of all sons and daughters of God should be and always has been Jesus. He is our common denominator. He is the Author & Finisher of OUR faith. I'm not saying that we have to agree with everything that everyone is practicing in their faith but the time has come for us to stop demonizing every church or pastor that we do not agree with. There comes a time in each of our lives where we must believe what Jesus told His disciples: "Do not hinder him; for he who is not against you is for you."

Somewhere in this journey of life you will discover that there are genuine followers of Jesus that do not believe the same way that you do. You know this to be true because the evidence of His Spirit is so clear in their lives. The question you should not ask is whether or not you two agree on everything but can you agree on the one main thing...that Jesus is enough!

I'm fortunate in that denominational division has never really been an issue for me. I grew up in Baptist and Disciple of Christ churches. I was saved while being a part of an Independent Baptist Church, baptized as a part of a Southern Baptist Church, and worshiped frequently with members of the Church of God. I have friends who are pastors in almost every denomination and non-denomination. I have other friends who are of the same multi-denominational background. We all agree on the major points of faith. We understand that God sent Jesus in the world to be the atoning sacrifice for sin. We all agree that it is through faith in Him that we are saved. We believe that the power of the Holy Spirit is available to all who believe. We all believe in being a witness of Jesus to the earth. We also believe that there is no other name given under heaven whereby we must be saved. To put it another way, we all believe that Jesus is the main thing.

This approach to life and fellowship has allowed me to see relationships strengthened rather than weakened. I have been able to encounter the Lord through people of various backgrounds and they through me. There is genuine love, respect, and encouragement in our lives. Why? Because we don't believe that someone has to fall into our ideology to be considered a brother or sister in Christ. We don't have to listen to the same types of music, dress a certain way in church, read a particular version of the Bible, or practice our faith the exact same way. We don't even have to agree on how we split theological hairs but can appreciate the fact that we are walking in relationship with Jesus and one another.

This is how we experience the person of the Lord in our lives. We don't believe that Jesus is only blessing our denomination, or our practice of the faith. We have discovered Him everywhere - meeting people in their pursuit of Him. He's showing up in the lives of passionate worshipers. People are being saved, taught, and grown in their love of the Savior. Sure...it may look different than it does at your place but it does not negate the authenticity of their faith. It's no different than how you operate in your home. I don't know anyone in my current relationships that do not love their children. They want to give their child the best life possible. They want to see them grow up to be strong, respectable, and caring adults. These parents desperately want their children to grow up in the faith. However, the way they parent is not always in line with how I parent. They do things differently. They have some different core values in their home than I have in mine. The reality that I have to get a hold of is that they are legitimate parents to legitimate children. If this is true in our homes then why can it not be true in our churches? In fact, the only time this isn't true in parenting is when you have someone who is tied to a certain ideology when it comes to how we raise our kids (and I think most of us have experienced that in some form or another).

Why not begin to see our brothers and sisters for who they really are: Our Brothers and Sisters!!!
Let's appreciate the faith that they walk in.
Let's encourage them in their pursuit of the Lord.
Let's bless them, pray for them, love them, and even seek community with them.
We may never agree on everything but we can agree on Jesus being the main thing.

Who or What are we following is a legitimate question. May we be found following after Jesus. He is the main thing.

Removing the Dross & Challenging Mindsets

If you haven't heard me share this before then I think you will be in for a challenge. The reason that I'm sharing it today is because the Lord has reminded me of His activity in our lives. The Bible often presents Him as a refiner's fire. The question remains on how we will handle the dross.

The ideas that I'm getting ready to put forward have been some of the most challenging things I have experienced in my relationship with God. I'm sure that I have spoken about this subject on the blog and in sermons but it's good to be reminded. The thought of God as a refiner's fire can be difficult for some of us to understand. This is especially true if your belief about God is that He is always at odds with you. However, if you think of Him as a good Father then you will be able to experience this with a whole different attitude.

I'm not a silversmith but from what I have read is that metal is heated to the point that it melts down to a liquid. In this liquid form, dross comes to the surface and has to be removed. This is how we get silver to it's purest form. Once the dross is removed then the liquid can be poured into a mold. After it has cooled off and polished then you have something beautiful to behold. For the silversmith this process has nothing to do with his hatred of the raw material but actually a zeal for what it can become.

This is exactly how the Lord works in your life. When he applies the heat of His love toward you it causes the dross in your life to come to the surface. I have actually seen people experience the presence of the Lord and nasty things come out of them. Why? It's the refiner's fire. What we don't want to do is stop short of the process or get caught up looking at the dross. We actually need to allow Him to remove it from our lives so that we can be brought into our purest form.

Here's where the challenge comes in:
I have actually heard the Lord say this in my own life. I asked him one time why I responded in a certain way to a situation and He told me that He was actually drawing close to me. When He came near it caused this junk to come to the surface because He wanted to take it away. The challenge to your mindset will be whether or not you can believe that sin was actually just the wrong response to Him? That's right...I just said that!!! Can you believe that someone responded in anger simply because it came to the surface? Can you believe that someone responded in manipulation or control because it was time for it to be removed? Or what if someone actually turned to porn because they didn't realize that the Lord was drawing them into intimacy? The reality in all of these situations is that what caused all of this junk to rise to the surface was because of the nearness of His presence. I have had several conversations with strong believers who have experienced this very thing. What if the angry person chose to walk in love instead? What if the controlling person chose to walk in trust instead? What if the person who chose to watch porn chose intimacy with the Lord instead? If these people would have responded to the person of Jesus then He could remove the other issues from their life. These things that come up - when we allow the Lord to have His perfect work in us - can be removed and us molded into our perfect form.

I realize that this a challenging way to think. Especially if you think that God cannot be in the presence of sin. However, this is often when the Lord is the closest to us. This is possible because He dealt with sin at the cross. It's also possible because of His zeal to see us conformed into the image of His Son. He has an excitement over seeing us reach our potential. He knows what He has designed us for and He is committed to seeing it come into being. You are His work of art in the earth. Allow Him to draw near. Allow Him to remove any impurity in thoughts or actions. Allow Him to conform you into the image of Jesus.

Enjoy the process and enjoy the journey. His is for you!!!

Sowing In Relationships

"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life." [Galatians 6:7-8]

I shared this as a sermon on Sunday but wanted to refresh even my own thinking through a blog post.

So often we hear verse seven of Galatians six negatively. You will even hear these words coming through the mouths of people who may not understand the biblical implications: "Well...you reap what you sow!" How many times I have said it in my own life when people lose a job, destroy a relationship, etc. I'm actually asking the Lord to help me with this. The challenge is to see these words positively. To understand that we can sow GOOD seed. We can sow things that bring life rather than death. Not only is it a challenge to see these verses in a positive light, it's a challenge to live them out from time to time. However, the benefits are enormous.

What if...
We didn't allow negative words to dominate our conversation?
We didn't cultivate a negative mindset about someone?
We allowed encouragement to come out of our mouths?
We praised someone rather than cut them down?

These are just a few ways that we can learn to sow goodness into the life of someone else. Rather than just simply focusing on the negatives, we can actually see the opposite of them in the Spirit and call them out. For instance, if you know someone who is always critical we know that the Spirit of God wants to do the opposite. You can actually speak to that in a person's life and make a lasting impression. In light of this verse, if what we are sowing is seed, then we get to choose what seed is sown.


If we follow through the context of these verses, we will discover that Paul is actually talking about sowing in much broader terms. He talks about giving generously and then begins to discuss that same generosity as it relates to the people in our lives. When I realize that every morning I can choose to speak life into an individual or a circumstance, then eventually I will reap what that seed produces. The question is whether or not we will run out of patience in the process.

One of the members of PBC was actually talking about this in context of a relationship at work. There was a guy that he often saw in passing that just looked miserable. It didn't matter how many times he tried to be friendly to him, it wasn't making a difference. It became a major issue of prayer for him because he honestly felt like the guy needed some encouragement in his life. So he set out to make it a point to speak, be friendly, and trust God for the results. Over the course of a few weeks my friends patience was wearing thin. He had been greeting the guy in such a way that it couldn't be shrugged off but he just wouldn't do much more than grunt. It got to the point where he didn't even want to try anymore. This guy was apparently outside of the reach of God. Right? Well...one day my friend ran into the guy somewhere in the workplace. He had already decided he was done trying to reach out to him. However, the guy began speaking to him. It wasn't a monumental shift in the environment but he was able to see the hard exterior cracking. And to think that my friend had almost given up completely!

Never underestimate the power of goodness flowing from your life.
Don't underestimate the ability of God to demonstrate love through you.
Choose to impart life to someone today and wait for the harvest. It may not show up in the person that you are sharing with but you will reap a harvest if you do not faint.

Make this a part of your journey this week. Find someone to bless, love, and encourage. You will discover that every day can be an adventure and in the process you will be sowing life into them.

Living From Righteousness

"...not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith" [Philippians 3:9]

You know...I grow tired of the mentality that says if you focus too much on grace that you are giving people a license to sin. My friends, that couldn't be further from the truth. For the people who make such statements, they simply don't understand what grace is.

Allow me to define grace (again) so that we can have a clear understanding of it. Grace is the operating power of God at work in my life. According to Thayers Greek Definitions it is "the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues." In other words, grace has got you covered. It's not a license to do whatever you want but the ability to follow after your Heavenly Father.

I think the problem with our understanding comes from a legalistic mindset. Many, if not all, of the believers that I know grew up in the Bible Belt. Most of the churches that we have encountered don't understand the grace of God. Therefore, much of the preaching and teaching that goes on in these churches is all about how you need to serve God, stay away from sin, and do your dead level best to stay close to Him. While I don't have a problem talking to people about how they serve God, the danger of sin, and what it means to stay close to God; my approach is very different. What's different? The difference is grace. I want to make sure that people understand that all of these things are possible through the grace of God. It's the grace of God that keeps me. It's the grace of God that strengthens me. It's the grace of God that will empower me to do whatever is asked of me. Another difference is that I am going to talk to people about what it means to be a son/daughter of God rather than just a mere servant. You see, our Heavenly Father has given us everything we need for life and godliness. We just need to learn how to tap into it.

Paul spoke of this when he talked about the Jews. Listen to these words: "Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." [Romans 10:1-4] What we discover through the rest of Paul's writing is that the righteousness of God is only found in Jesus Christ. What they were trying to establish, God had already established. What they were trying to accomplish, God had already accomplished. One of the greatest days of my Christian life came when I learned what it meant to rest in Jesus. He is my righteousness.

There's an old hymn we used to sing that says "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness." In the past, I used to sing that song and the way my mind interpreted it was Jesus' blood and my righteousness. I don't know if anyone else had this same problem but I failed to understand the righteousness of Christ applied to my life. What the song is actually saying is that our hope is built on Jesus' blood AND Jesus' righteousness. The writer wasn't placing his hope in himself or his good deeds. He was banking it all on Jesus. Whenever I sing this song now, I'm overwhelmed by the goodness of God rather than my own inadequacies. Can you see the difference? It's the same difference that you will see in your own life when you learn to put your full trust and faith in the finished work of Christ. He has done it all. All the righteousness that you need is found in Him. Grace, as it relates to how you life your life, means that you live from His righteousness rather than trying to establish your own. Instead of working to establish it, you learn to establish your heart in Him. And establishing your heart in Him will make all the difference.

Someone who is established in the righteousness of Christ will not struggle in sin because that's not how righteous people live.
They won't struggle in their relationship with God because they know who they are in Him (the righteousness of God in Christ).
Instead, they will learn what it means to be free in Christ. Holiness will not be an issue because it will flow from their life. How they treat others, how they handle their families, and what you see out of their daily life will all come from the same source - God - and by His grace they will be able to stand. I'm not saying that these people will be perfect but I do believe it's a whole lot more possible than doing it on your own.

It saddens me to think that nearly 2,000 years have passed since the life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus and many in the church are still trying to work it out. Maybe that's not the right way to say that because I have read a lot of the early church fathers and they seem to have a better understanding of it then than we do now. I'm not sure what changed but I believe that there is a generation that is recapturing all that is possible in Him. I believe we are beginning to understand what the finished work of Christ is all about and starting to rest in Him. We are learning to live from righteousness rather than for it because we know that Jesus was/is "the end of the law FOR righteousness to everyone who believes." That's right...you get to faith it in rather than work it out.

Be blessed!!!

Trust in "I AM"

One of the greatest revelations of who God is came to Moses when he was sent to Pharaoh. God told Moses to tell them that "I AM" has sent him. I AM for the people of God is a name of open-ended promise.

I don't know when we will ever fully appreciate this truth. Maybe one day we will be able to look back over our lives through spiritual eyes and recognize just how constant I AM was in every situation.

I'm a firm believer that as a child of God that there is no situation in my life where I AM is not present or not at work. God loves to be everything for us. The more we come to grips with that understanding of His nature, the more available is the revelation. Personally, I have been able to look back over portions of my life, times when I wasn't sure if God was really there and have found His presence. I can see where He was giving peace, comfort, and provision. I can see Him in places where it just didn't seem possible to have Him there. But this is the beauty of who He is - "not far from each of us."

Knowing I AM changes who I am. Recognizing that He is peace, healing, provision, etc. makes all the difference in the world. Having the confidence that God wants to be those things regardless of my circumstances means that I can have confidence in who He is for me. I don't have to waver in my faith. I don't have to wring my hands with anxiety. I don't have to feel alone. He is always there and He is always what I need.

When I reflect on the I AM statements of God, I'm reminded of His word to the priests in the Old Testament. They were not given an inheritance along with the tribes of Israel. The Lord has told them that HE would be their provision. What God was saying is that they did not have to labor as the others, did not have to worry about a place to lay their heads, and did not have to worry about being taken care of in this life. He would be everything that they need. I believe it's one of the reasons we hear God rejecting what the priests were offering in Malachi because they were holding back what was rightfully God's - which is just the same as saying that they did not trust Him to be their provision. What you will discover in life is that this is where we often fall short as well. When we do not trust God to be who He says He will be then we will not experience Him in that particular way.

Think about it:
If we do not trust God to be our Healing - we will only experience the healing this world can provide.
If we do not trust God to be our Provision - we will only experience the best provision that we can bring.
If we do not trust God to be our Peace - we will look for peace through other avenues.
If we do not trust God to be our Righteousness - we will seek to establish our own.
It doesn't matter which attribute of God that I list here. If you don't trust that He will be these things for you then you will never experience this part of His nature. You must be convinced of the amazing reality that God will be EXACTLY who He says He will be and that God will do EXACTLY what He says He will do.

Take some time today to review the I AM statements of God. Allow these truths to sink deep into the very core of who you are and watch your life be transformed by your faith in Him. Imagine what a life of confidence in God looks like for you. If you struggle to see it then go back through the gospels and witness Jesus' confidence in the Father. His life radically changed the world and radically challenged the faith of others. Then put yourself in that picture. You could be the one who is changed and you could be the one who challenges the faith of someone else. Be encouraged today. In this journey you get to discover who God is and who He is for you.

Be blessed!!!

God IS NOT Far Away!

Acts 17:26-28, "He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward Him and find Him. Yet He is actually not far from each one of us, for 'In Him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we are indeed His offspring.'"

"Am I a God at hand, declares the LORD, and not a God far away?" {Jeremiah 23:23}

The verses out of Acts that I shared with you last week, and the verse from today out of Jeremiah challenge a mindset that many people carry. They challenge the idea that God is far away from us. Since the fall of Adam & Eve in the Garden, man has carried the idea that God cannot be near us because we have been exposed, naked, sinful, etc. Whatever our excuse, we have considered that God is the one who has a problem with us rather than understanding that our "separation" from God comes from a faulty way of thinking.

- God has revealed Himself as the One who has not problem being in our presence even after we fail (see Genesis account)
- Jesus displayed the goodness of God by touching the lepers, embracing the downcast of society, loving those who were caught in sin, and being in the presence of sinners (read the Gospels)
Does this sound like a God who is far away?

In fact, Paul's preaching in Athens has been challenging me for weeks on this very subject. He understands God as the Creator of all mankind. He sees in God's creation a need to seek God, to look for Him, and to find Him. But He also understands God as One who is not far away because it is in Him that we live, move, and have our being. Quoting the poets of the day, Paul goes on to say that "we are His offspring."

I don't know if there isn't a more challenging statement to the mentality of the church today than that one phrase. I often hear people quoting Paul's use of the phrase "children of disobedience" or John's phrase "children of the devil" and assume that this is God drawing the line between who belongs to Him. However, as I have studied these phrases, I believe that this isn't a segregation determined by God but by man. We treat the devil as if he has his kids and God has his own, when in fact all of humanity belongs to God. The children of disobedience are those who have been produced through disobedience. In other words, it was their actions that got them to that place. Think of it this way: If you have a son or daughter that chooses to live in rebellion then you would consider them a rebellious child. However, their actions would not change the fact that they are still yours. What you are seeing in their life is the "fruit" of their choices. When people choose to live outside of relationship with God then that is exactly what their life will portray but it does not mean that they were never His to begin with. Just as my natural illustration proves that activity doesn't negate the legitimacy of a child to a parent, the lack of faith in the life of a person does not mean they do not belong to God. It simply means they have been deceived into thinking their is life outside of Him. Sound familiar? It should. It's the same lie that Eve believed in the Garden. And to think that Adam & Eve were rejected by God is absolute nonsense created by people who do not understand the unconditional love of God.

The question that remains for us and all of humanity is this: Will we accept sonship that is based upon the finished work of Christ? Will we turn from a lifestyle of thinking we don't need God, or that we can somehow make it on our own? Will we return to our Father? Jesus Christ makes this life possible through His life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. He has demonstrated once and for all that God is not/was not very far from any of us. He has always been working in the lives of men. He always always been declaring who He is through His creation. He has placed something inside of every man that says "I must know Him." This is why the people in Athens had so many idols. That is why they had this statue dedicated to the "unknown God." There was something inside of them that caused them to look for God in everything. Paul's mission was to declare to them the truth of the unknown God - that He could be known - and that He had revealed Himself through Jesus.

I don't know where you are today or how you may feel toward God right now. Just know this truth: He is not far from you.
He has been working in your life even up to this point drawing you to Himself.
I'm sure you have made mistakes...
I'm sure that you have messed things up from time to time...
I'm sure that you have sought after other things thinking there is no way that God was even remotely involved in your life...
However, He has been there. And I believe if you look hard enough, and if you seek Him that you will find Him. I also believe that you will begin to see how He has been at work up to this point in your life trying to bring you to Himself.

You may ask: How is this possible?
It's possible because we have a Father who has completely reconciled Himself to us (see 2 Corinthians 5).
He has removed every barrier, every obstacle, and every thing that could keep you from knowing Him.
Why not turn your heart to Him in thankfulness today? Confess your faith in the Lord Jesus and believe that God raised Him from the dead. The Bible tells us that you will be saved. Then you can begin the journey of sonship in Him.

Love Changes Everything

I don't do fear based preaching or teaching. Why? Because Fear is the mentality of a slave. Reverence is the mindset of a son.
Fear is a poor motivator. Love should be at the core of all that we do, all that we teach, and all that we think.

"For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!'” [Romans 8:15]

To be honest with you, I really don't understand why the church has so often used fear as the great motivator. If this has not been your experience then you should be truly thankful. Unfortunately, this is not true of everyone. Raise your hand if you have been subjected to...
Fear as the motivator for salvation
Fear as the means for creating disciples
Fear as the main push for faithfulness to God & the church
If all you have ever known about the preaching of the gospel is fear-based, then you really don't understand the "good news."

The core of the Gospel is not fear but love. "For God so loved the world that He gave..." Notice that Jesus did not say that God wants to destroy the world so He gave. Jesus also did not say that God was so fed up with humanity that He gave. Instead, we hear the Son of God tell Nicodemus that it was love that motivated the Father to send the Son. C.S. Lewis phrased it so eloquently when he said, "The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God." If this is true, then why do we feel the need to fear people into faith rather than faith them into sonship?

Think about these verses penned by the Apostle Paul:
The goodness of God leads to repentance.
You did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear...
God did not give you a spirit of fear...
Paul wrote letters to the church that make up the majority of the New Testament. There is no fear based religion found in his letters. What you read comes from a heart of deep-seated reverence for God.

Fear is the mentality of a slave. It keeps me doing so I don't get punished. It keeps me obedient, keeps me in line, and keeps me from stepping out of the boundaries. If all we know about faith in God is grounded in fear then we will often find ourselves fighting against the very things that could bring us life.

Reverence is the mindset of a son. It cultivates honor, respect, and adoration. It endears us to obedience, creates a heart that is in tune with the Father, and trusts the heart of God in every situation. When we are grounded in the love of God, we will embrace His Son as the Way, the Truth, and the Life in everything.

It's my belief that God isn't looking for servants as much as He wants His sons and daughters to be revealed in the earth. And that revelation comes when we receive Jesus through faith. "For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith." [Ephesians 3:26]


With all of that being said, you actually have a right to reject any type of preaching/teaching/religion that uses fear to push their message. I honestly believe that if I do a good job of communicating the good news of the Gospel then fear doesn't even have to come into play. God's goodness will be enough to produce repentance in the heart of the listener. Heaven & Hell don't have to be the motivator to salvation - the love of God will suffice. The main thrust of the message of the Apostles in Acts was the coming of Jesus into the world, His death on the Cross, and His resurrection from the dead. This message alone turned the world upside down. This message produced converts and cultivated disciples in the towns they visited. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation and the Gospel is "Good News."

Some people will not agree with me on this point. I'm okay with that. I understand what I have been called to share with the people in my life. The Gospel is not a message of condemnation but a message of salvation to everyone who believes. Think about it: Jesus said, "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him." [John 3:17] That's good enough for me. Enjoy growing as a son or daughter of God. This is your journey!!!

A God Who Runs

What is your view of God? Is He some far away entity that is somewhat involved in the affairs of human life? Is He just the big rule maker in Heaven that must be obeyed at all cost? Or is He a God who is intimately involved with His creation filled with compassion and love? Your answer will determine how you interact with Him and how you experience Him in your personal life.

Of course those brief glimpses into some of the views of God that are out there cannot accurately portray how a lot of people see Him, but they do give us something to at least consider. Personally, I have chosen to understand God through the portrayal that Jesus gave of Him through His life. Hebrews tells us that Jesus was the exact representation of His being. So it would serve us well to see God through the lens of Jesus.

Another way that we can properly see God is through some of the stories that Jesus told. Out of all of them, one of the greatest is the story of the prodigal.
God - portrayed as the Father
Us - portrayed as the lost Son
In this story, we read about a father who willingly gave his youngest son an inheritance. This son then wasted all of it. Took a job as a pig farmer just to make ends meet and decided that it would be much better to be a servant of his father than to be stuck in his current lifestyle. The son picks himself up, makes the long journey home, and discovers something about the unconditional love of his father. [read it for yourself in Luke 15:11-32]

I had heard a lot of preaching about the youngest son, but it wasn't until I came across the book "Prodigal God" that I began to hear about the father. Now I can't even begin to read this story in the gospels without being blown away by the goodness of God. Think about it:
God is a Father who loves His children
God is a Father who longs to be in the presence of His children
God is a Father who looks past our shortcomings and welcomes us back into fellowship with Himself
Can you imagine how many mornings that the father in this story looked off into the distance just hoping to catch a glimpse of his son? Can you imagine how many times he said to himself "Son, if you would just come back home..."? Can you imagine just how fast he crossed the terrain just to wrap his child in his arms?

This understanding of God is the heartbeat of the gospel message. A God who is intimately involved with the affairs of His children. A God who loves, who gives, who shows compassion, and a God who comes running to us. There is no shame, no guilt, and no condemnation for this child who has come home. Instead, we see celebration, excitement, and great joy.

I'm not sure who or what painted your picture of God. It could have come through your own father. Maybe it came through the church. Or you could have picked up your view of God from Greek/Roman mythology. Regardless of where it came from, if you struggle to understand God through the life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus then you will struggle to know God in His fullness.

My friend Mark Durniak made a statement the other day that is worth repeating:
"Did you ever witness a mom or dad who's child has just been seriously injured, gone missing or taken? They stop at nothing, give everything, to have their child back in their arms safe and healthy, where they belong. Yep, that's the gospel of Jesus."

Allow the good news of Jesus Christ to forever shape your view of God.
Hear His heartbeat.
See His compassion.
Know His love.
Your life will be changed forever!!!

What is Repentance?

2 Peter 3:9 provides wonderful insight into the heart of God. He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. I had a great conversation with a friend last night about this very thing. It caused me to reflect upon repentance and ask the question: What is repentance?

Repentance, from the Greek, basically means to "think differently after." Metanoia is therefore primarily an after-thought, different from the former thought; a change of mind accompanied by regret and change of conduct, "change of mind and heart", or, "change of consciousness". Jesus announced that the Kingdom of God was at hand and that people should repent and believe the gospel. The Apostles on the Day of Pentecost told the crowd to repent. One of my favorite stories from the book of Acts is found in chapter 17:22-30, when the Apostle Paul was preaching in Athens. The following is that account:
So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: "Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him. Yet He is actually not far from each one of us, for
'In him we live and move and have our being’;
as even some of your own poets have said,
‘For we are indeed his offspring.’
Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent."

Let me ask the question one more time: What is Repentance?

I believe that repentance for the Jew in particular was turning from a life of establishing their own righteousness through the Law and accepting Jesus as the Messiah. Repentance for the Gentile often meant turning from a life of idolatry. We can see that in the church of Thessalonia when Paul stated that they had "turned to God from idols." Remember that repentance means to "think differently after." In essence what we are saying is that after you have heard the good news of the gospel that you will change your mind. You will see that your need is not to establish your own righteousness, or that the worship of idols cannot produce abundant/eternal life, or that we were not meant to live a self ruled life. No...after hearing the good news we should now turn our lives toward God. It is the goodness of God that leads to repentance. What Paul was telling the people in Athens is that their devotion to idols and to the unknown God wasn't good enough. There was a time when God overlooked this but has now commanded everyone to change their mind in regards to this conduct. He then goes on to tell them about Jesus.

Jesus presented Himself as "the Way, the Truth, and the Life." He tells us that "no one comes to the Father except through Him." Therefore, it is necessary for each of us to repent of any other ideas we may have about how to come to God. Jesus is the only way. Our repentance is a response to the good news. When Paul spoke to the church at Ephesus, he described the condition of those who did not believe. He says in Ephesians 4:18, "They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart." The ignorance and unbelief that was at work in the Gentile world kept them from experiencing the life of God. The necessity of preaching the good news was the only cure for bringing them out of the darkness.

In Romans 10, Paul talks about this same ignorance/unbelief at work in the Jews and how they should respond:
"For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes... But the righteousness based on faith says...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." [10:3-4, 6, 9-10]

What does all this mean as it relates to repentance? I'm glad you asked.
Repentance means to think differently about God and your relationship to Him. It means to turn away from whatever is keeping me from experiencing abundant and eternal life and turn to the only one who can give it. Repentance is found in confessing Jesus as Lord of our lives. No one can confess Jesus as Lord and still submit to anything else. Self cannot be Lord, an idol cannot be Lord, pleasures and possessions of this world cannot be Lord, etc. While some people may view repentance as a confession of all our sins (much like going to a priest and giving him a list of our sins), I don't see it that way. Personally, I see repentance as giving ourselves to God. I'm turning to Him and Him alone as my only means of salvation. I'm trusting in Jesus and Jesus alone as the only means of righteousness. I'm responding to the good news that says Jesus died for the sin of all humanity, was buried, and rose again. And according to Paul, when I confess Jesus as Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead, I am saved (saved, healed, delivered, and made whole). How's that for some good news?

His Love IN Us

1 John 4:9, "By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him."

This love of God thing has really filled my mind the last few days. It's like there is something (or someone rather) inside of me reminding me of this all important thing. I came across 1 John 4:9 in my devotional reading this morning and was struck by the language. You see, I had always quoted other versions of this verse. Never had I been forced to look at the original language. I'm grateful to share with you what I learned.

Most versions of this verse read that "the love of God was manifested toward us" or "among us." All of those versions made sense because John goes on to talk about the sending of Jesus into the world. However, the New American Standard chose to use the word "in" to describe the manifest love of God. That's what caused me to look it up in the Greek. The Greek word "en" means "in, by, with, etc." It is a preposition that denotes a fixed place. His love was manifested among us in His coming but the real change happened when His love was manifested in us.

Too often we think of the love of God as something outside of us that needs to come in. However, I believe that His love is something that is inside of us that needs to come out. This is true for every person. It doesn't matter if they are a believer or an unbelievers, they were made in the image of God. When we share the love of God with people, it gives them an opportunity to respond to the love of God that is already within them. Confessing Jesus as Lord of their lives and believing that God raised Him from the dead brings them into a place where they can now express the love of God.

The key phrase that I want you to take away from this verse...the thing that will radically change your life is this: "That we might live through Him." Everything God does for you, He does in you. He goes after that nature that He placed inside of you. What He does in you then can come out of you. We need to stop seeing everything from the outside in and understand that God works from the inside out. When this happens for you then you will begin to learn how to live life through Jesus. You will see that it is His life at work in your life. It's His life being manifest in your life. Your faith in Him is not just an outward discipline but an inward reality that He longs to see come to the surface.

Be encouraged today that everything you need for life and everything you need for godliness is already inside of you. Allow the Holy Spirit to bring it to the surface. Learn to live so in tune with the Spirit that you never have to question these realities. Let the love of God be manifest in you first so that it can be manifest through you later.

Enjoy the journey!!!

Giving Away Love

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." ~ Jesus

I heard a message the other day that really challenged me in my understanding of these verses. Understanding commandments from a grace perspective can be difficult depending on how long we have actually walked in grace. Does that make sense? For me it means that I am learning how to hear the Lord not as a drill sergeant but as a loving Father. I hear Jesus endearing His disciples - inspiring them into love and action. Who can doubt that from reading these words? Maybe today, for the first time, you will hear the Lord teach you to love others with the same love that He has given you.

We love others out of the same love we have received from Jesus. This means that love is not something that we create or "work up" - it's something we release into the lives of others. There's no plan for increasing in love other than increasing in your awareness of His love for you. There's no strategy in love other than there is no one who should be excluded. If we struggle loving others, we should allow God to overwhelm us with His love. It makes all the difference in the world.

Think about the love of God that has been on display since before the foundation of the world [Ephesians 1:4]
Think about how the love of God was demonstrated in the crucifixion of Jesus [Romans 5:8]
Think about the fact that God wants you to grow in your understanding of His love [Ephesians 3:19]
Meditate on these things, embrace the unconditional love that God has for you, and then give it away.

The reality of a grace filled life is this: We give out what we have been given.

If God has given us EVERYTHING we need for life and godliness - and He has - then we should never come up short in this area. There is not one person in this world who is outside of the love of God. There is not one person who cannot be touched, encouraged, or made to feel like somebody through the love of God because we have been given His love so freely.

What if Jesus would have said...
By your works - this is how all men will know that you are my disciples.
Can you imagine how much activity there would be in the church?
By your Scripture memorization - this is how all men will know that you are my disciples.
Christian bookstores would be hard pressed to sell Bibles because each of us would be a walking Bible.
By your separation from the world - this is how all men will know that you are my disciples.
Then we would probably see an exclusive Christian community that was gated with no access to outsiders.
However, Jesus never made those statement. He said that the living, breathing, proof that we were His disciples would come through the love that we give to one another.
Is it any wonder that the world struggles to understand who we really are in the earth? They hear us talk about the unconditional love of God but they rarely (if ever) experience it from those who claim to belong to Jesus.

Now...before you start cranking up your love engine to make sure that you are fulfilling a command, let me challenge you. This is not a command to do more. This is not a command that you can work out in your own strength and ingenuity. This decree from Jesus is an invitation to experience His love fully so that you can give it away freely. Hear His words - AS I HAVE LOVED YOU, LOVE ONE ANOTHER. Give out what you have been given.

This is no different than what I shared with you yesterday. You can forgive because you have been forgiven. You can show mercy because you have received mercy. You can shower people with love because it has been showered upon you. The list goes on and on. God is not asking anything from you that He has not already given you. Religion will tell you to give to God what He needs. Our relationship with God on the other hands provides what we need so that we can freely give it. How's that for the goodness of God?

In your journey with the Lord, the greatest discovery that you can have is that you are deeply loved by God. He loves you because He loves you. And out of this place of incredible, unconditional, love - you can love others. Take time today to immerse yourself in His love. As Ephesians 3 tells us, it's the knowledge of this love that brings us into the fullness of God. Imagine what the world would look like with a bunch of God's kids totally consumed by His love. WOW!!! What a concept. The challenge to our mindset is this - IT CAN BE A REALITY.

Living Grace

When you realize that you are loved, accepted, and complete in Christ; everything you do will come from the place of rest. You aren't striving - you are being. AND that my friend is a totally different form of existence.

Romans 6:14, "For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace."

When grace gets regulated to forgiveness - when that is all we know about it - then that is all we will ever experience. This is true of anything that we can ever know about God. We experience what we understand. Anything outside of our understanding tends to get shut down. Therefore, a ton of believers struggle to experience abundant life on a consistent basis. This has to change.

I was looking over a lot of old hymns about grace. There is one consistent theme: we are forgiven. What is incredibly lacking is the understanding of grace as the power of God at work in our lives. Just think about all the Christians that you know who have no problem going to God and asking for forgiveness but really don't have a clue how to overcome their particular issue. They quote verses like 1 Corinthians 10:13 but rarely find the way of escape. This has to change as well.

Being forgiven is only one aspect of the finished work of Christ. Becoming all that God has created us to be should be the result of our faith in Him. It opens the doorway into abundant life and freedom in Christ. The law was fulfilled in Christ, the benefits handed down to us, and we learn how to rest in Him. We find ourselves accepted in the Beloved, empowered by His Holy Spirit, filled with love - peace - joy, and able to overcome anything that would come against us.

Apart from grace we simply have to strive to be the best we can be. Enabling grace to work in our lives means that we get to be the best version of ourselves. Grace empowers us to overcome sin because Jesus already overcame it. Grace enables us to live abundantly because our life is hidden with Christ in God. Grace expands our understanding of God's unconditional love so that we can be settled in our relationship with Him. In effect, grace reminds us that Jesus did it all and we find it all in Him.

Grace is not a theory. It's not a fairy tale. It's an abiding reality that you must establish your heart in. The moment you can do that, the more victory you will experience in every area of life. You will discover an existence in this earth that you never dreamed possible. All because you have God's power at work in you to do anything & everything that He would ask of you.

The reason I posted Romans 6:14 is because you need to understand that the reason sin does not have dominion over you is because you are not under it. You are under grace. And in grace you will enjoy the benefits of abundant life in Christ. It's the only way to live. It's the life you were always meant to live. Enjoy the journey!!!