Wishing You All A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Well folks, the time is upon us once again. Time to turn the calendar in anticipation of all that this New Year will bring.

The challenge that I shared with my PBC Family on Sunday, I would like to share with you: In this New Year I ask that you resolve to "Be still and know that He is God."

Our New Year celebrations tend to bring with them resolutions to do better in some area of life. Many resolve to lose weight, reduce debt, start something new, chase their dreams, etc. My challenge is quite different. To be still means to stop striving. It's a challenge to cease from the labor so that we may see what God can do. One of the greatest lessons that I have learned over the past year is the one of rest.

As a child of God I am learning to rest...
In His Unconditional Love
In His Abundant Grace
In His Unending Mercy
In His Heart for Me
In His Indescribable Goodness
All of these things (and many more) bring with them the wonderful opportunity to know the nature of God and to discover my identity in Him. While I am all for improving myself, I'm understanding the importance of being. Resting in Him allows me to be. Then all of my doing will come from that place.

In this New Year, I challenge you not to do more but to rest in Him more. As you learn to rest in Him then all of your doing will flow from your identity in Him. What you will discover is the wonderful truth that comes from security in Him. When you are secure in your relationship then you are free to be yourself. When you are secure in His love then you are free to love as He does. When you are secure in His grace then you will discover the ability to do all that this life opens up for you.

May 2014 bring with it the amazing revelation of who God is for you and of who you are in Him. Many blessings to you all.

See you next year!!!

Life = Time + Relationship

It's been several days since my last post and will probably be several days before my next one. Things have been a little busy around here but one thing is for sure...

Our family just came back from an early Christmas present. We traveled to Pittsburgh this weekend to enjoy a few days with family and friends, watched the Steelers beat the Bengals at Heinz Field, and returned on Monday to finish up everything for the holidays. One of the things that made this trip so unique was that it was a "first time" moment for all of us. We took it all in. We walked around the stadium, ate at Primanti Brothers & Jerome Bettis' Grille 36, enjoyed the game, and made a lot of memories.

After this weekend, I was reminded of a quote from "The Shack" when Papa told Mack that "life takes a bit of time and a lot of relationship." Think about those words for a moment. I think we can all agree that life takes a bit of time. How many of us are very different now than when we were 18 years old? At least...I hope we are different. Time does a lot of things for us. It allows us to grow and mature. It teaches us how to be patient, set goals, and also to enjoy every moment. Time is one of the most precious things we have. The second part of the statement made by Papa is one that we need to pay careful attention to as well. Life not only takes a little bit of time BUT it also takes a lot of relationship. Whether we talk about a relationship with God, with our spouses and/or children, or our relationships with families/friends; each of these relationships can shape who we are and what we become. The longer we live and the more relationships that we enjoy, the better life can become.

Thankfully, life doesn't require us to pack up in a vehicle to drive several hours down the road for us to get the most out of it. Life needs to be lived every day to the fullest, lived in such a way where we are all in. I think one of the greatest challenges we face is simply going through the motions. It happens all the time. We go through the motions at work, at home, and even at play. Our minds and hearts can be elsewhere. And in the midst of it all we miss out on the joy of right now.

I see people do this all the time in spiritual circles. They get so fixated on the future and believe that getting to heaven is the goal. My dear friends, Jesus is the reward, and you can enjoy Him every day. When He was upon the earth, He told us that He came to give life and to give it more abundantly. He isn't interested in you wasting your life, or missing out on the wonder of it all. No...He wants to give you more of it. Then that abundant life can be given by you every day, in every relationship, and in every situation.

What does this have to do with Christmas? Nothing really. I just start thinking this way around this time of year because I'm reminded of some very important moments in my life. December 18th marked 22 years as a follower of Jesus. That's right folks, 1991 was my first Christmas with my eyes opened to the reality of why Jesus came. This Christmas also reminds me that 19 years ago I asked a beautiful young lady to marry me - she said "Yes" - and my world has never been the same. So you see that this time of year holds a lot of sentimental value to me and it has nothing to do with presents under a tree or a guy in a red suit. This time of year reminds me that life takes a little bit of time and a lot of relationship.

I hope that you will allow this Christmas to take on a lot of new meaning for you as well. Appreciate the people around you. Love them fully. Be "in" every home, every event, and every conversation that you can be. You don't have to hold anything back because God has held nothing back from us. Take away the stress of trying to make everything perfect. Simply enjoy your family, love God, and appreciate the journey.

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. ~ Isaiah 9:6-7

Merry Christmas Everyone!!! I hope to be back before New Years.

Perfected in Love...

1 John 4:18, "There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears has not reached perfection in love."

Last night, I shared with some folks during prayer time about our need to be secure in the love of God. This cannot be something that we simply assume or hope that we have, but we must know without a shadow of doubt that God has manifested His love toward us through the sending of His Son. The reason for this is quite simple: Perfect Love Drives Out Fear!!!

Most of us have seen fear in action. It produces what is commonly known as "flight or fight." The best video I have ever seen on this happened a couple of years ago when a young man decided to dress up as a scarecrow sitting on the porch while kids came to trick or treat at the house. He thought it would be a lot of fun to scare anyone who came onto the porch. This worked well with most of them and it accomplished exactly what he hoped - they ran for their lives. However, one young man came upon the porch and when the scarecrow tried to scare him, he punched him right in the face. Why? Fear. It causes us to do crazy things.

Look into your relationships. If there is any fear present then you will see people hold back, shut down, pull themselves away, or there will always be a fight. This is true in children, parents, friends, etc. Fear is not conducive to strong relationships. It will actually work against them. It eats away at any confidence, trust, or security. That's why when someone lies in a relationship or breaks trust it takes a long time to work through the issues. Fear is a powerful weapon for the enemy.

I want you to take that same mentality and apply it to your relationship with God. When you know you are loved (as Brennan Manning says) for who you are and not for who you are supposed to be, it will create incredible security. You will be free to be yourself. There's no need for masks, hypocrisy, or a cleaning up to make an appearance. You don't have to wring your hands wondering if God is going to have a bad day or be in a bad mood. You will stop living your life as though you could do anything to make yourself more lovable. I mean...really? God loved humanity at its worst. The Bible declares that even while we were yet sinners that Christ died for us. It doesn't get much worse than that. Jesus took the pain, endured the agony, and was nailed to a Cross while saying "Father, forgive them for they don't know what they do." That doesn't sound like anyone who has love issues.

However, we often do have love issues. We struggle to understand unconditional love. We struggle to see the good in ourselves and them project our image of ourselves on God and we think that He sees us in exactly the same way. My friends, if I could give you some encouragement today: STOP IT!!! The love that God has for us should drive out any and all fear. The problem is not with His love. The problem is with our lack of perfection in it.

We have to see ourselves as loved. We have to interact with God on the basis of His love and not our performance. We must be absolutely convinced of His love. When we are, then we can begin to live in an open relationship with Him. Then we will be free to love others with the same type of love that He has lavishly poured out on us. When people are perfected in the love of God it will create a new found freedom for life and relationships that we never thought possible. No longer will we cower in the shadow of an unloving father. No longer will we be driven by the pain of lost love, broken promises, and shattered dreams. We will enjoy being loved and we will gladly give love to those around us. Not only that, but we will learn how to love God completely as well.

People who live in fear only give a part of themselves. If we view God outside of the fact that He is unconditional love we will do the same. God wants all of you. Jesus came to make that relationship possible. See yourself as loved by your Heavenly Father. Anytime a question comes up about it, just take it to Him. Allow Him to perfect you in His love because there is nothing quite as glorious as a child who knows they are secure in the love of their parents. Enjoy the journey!!!

Fully Alive

“The glory of God is a human being fully alive; and to be alive consists in beholding God.” ~ Irenaeus

The Glory of God is a human being fully alive...
Think about that quote for a moment. I don't know that any of us fully appreciate what we have been created to become and what we were created to do. The simple fact that God has created each and every one of us should promote some self-worth in humanity. That we were created for a relationship with God should absolutely blow our minds. God didn't create mere servants or minions that would do His will. He created us out of a desire for fellowship, a fellowship that He already enjoyed as Father, Son, & Holy Spirit.

Is it any wonder that God went to such great lengths to ensure that humanity would be redeemed from the Fall? Is it any wonder that Jesus would come down into our darkness, take on our flesh, and give His life as a ransom? Who could conceive this kind of love other than Him who is LOVE?

The Scriptures tell us clearly that God determined to do this before the foundation of the world. In other words, before the earth was created and before man was ever formed from the dust, God decided to put us all into Christ. The early church honestly believed that even if Adam had not fallen that Jesus would have come to the earth simply because God's plan wasn't a response to the Fall but to the heart of God. Why? Because the glory of God is a human being fully alive.

That's right folks, God wants you to be fully alive. He wants you to enjoy life to the fullest. Jesus told His followers that He came that we may have life and that life more abundantly. He has given us the same quality of life that He possessed while on the earth. It is a life that knows how to live in relationship with the Father. It's a life filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It's a life that is secure in the love of God and offers that same security to others. Can we fully comprehend how much glory God receives from us when we are fully alive? I'm not so sure we can.

How many "fully alive" believers have you met? I'm not questioning anyone's salvation but I do question the quality of life that many believers possess. The amount of guilt and shame that they live in. The lack of joy, comfort, and peace. The constant questioning about their own relationship with God. Do we really believe that Jesus simply saved us to go to heaven? Have we forgotten that abundant life was to be lived out on the earth, enjoyed fully, and shared with others? What is missing?

It is my belief that religion has done much damage to the thoughts of abundant life. We simply don't know how to experience it. We hear so many teachings about dying, sacrificing, and giving that we don't know much about living, enjoying, and receiving. I'm not suggesting that we toss these things out the window, I'm just concerned that we haven't given enough attention on what it means to enjoy life as a child of God. This is what we were created to enjoy. God gave us this earth. He placed us in it. As we live, we spread His glory throughout it. It's what we were made to do. Not as robots who have only one program to follow but as children of the living God who get to enjoy our relationship with our Heavenly Father.

Irenaeus goes on to say that to be alive consists in beholding God.
"Beholding" is such an interesting word because it means more than seeing. It also speaks of being able to discern through the senses. It is looking, seeing, understanding, and knowing. To be alive according to Irenaeus consists of seeing, discerning, looking at, understanding, and knowing God. Can you see how these two things go together? A human being fully alive is the glory of God and a human being that is fully alive is that way because they see, discern, understand, and know the Father. In other words, they are fully alive because they have come to the realization of who they were created to be and what they were created to do. Living fully alive is impossible outside of relationship with the Father - the Creator of all life.

In the journey of life, we cannot miss this. We must encounter the Father, the Son, & the Holy Spirit. We must experience the life that they have for us. As we do this, then we can behold Him in all things. Nature will begin to speak to us about the glory of God. We will see Him in the lives of others. We will hear Him in music, the arts, and all other created things. We will discover Him through the Scriptures, and enjoy Him in the fellowship of the church. We will recover the joy of walking with Him in the cool of the evening, hearing His voice in the day, seeing His handiwork, and making Him known throughout the earth. This has nothing to do with religion but has everything to do with encountering the living Word of God which is Jesus Himself. It is beholding HIM and only HIM that makes the difference.

"The glory of God is a human being fully alive." ENJOY THE JOURNEY!!!

A Journey of Rediscovery

Over the last several weeks, I have challenged myself in trying to find an understanding of the early church fathers. I thought it would be beneficial to see how they interpreted the coming of Jesus - His life, death, burial, resurrection, & ascension. In particular, I was looking for the men who were closely tied to the Apostles. What I've discovered so far has been wonderful.

A couple of names that I would like to mention are Irenaeus and Athanasius. These two men are given an incredible amount of credit to the development of theology in the early church. Their writings are remarkable. It's amazing to me how little I knew about what they had written or how they shaped the early church until I began looking. Much of what they said and did have been like breadcrumbs on the path to lead me on a journey of rediscovery.

According to Irenaeus, the high point in salvation history is the advent of Jesus. Irenaeus believed that Christ would always have been sent, even if humanity had never sinned; but the fact that they did sin determines his role as a savior. He sees Christ as the new Adam, who systematically undoes what Adam did: thus, where Adam was disobedient concerning God's edict concerning the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, Christ was obedient even to death on the wood of a tree. Irenaeus is the first to draw comparisons between Eve and Mary, contrasting the faithlessness of the former with the faithfulness of the latter. In addition to reversing the wrongs done by Adam, Irenaeus thinks of Christ as "recapitulating" or "summing up" human life. This means that Christ goes through every stage of human life, from infancy to old age, and simply by living it, sanctifies it with his divinity.

Athanasius put forward the belief that the Son of God, the eternal Word through whom God created the world, entered that world in human form to lead men back into the harmony from which they had earlier fallen away. He believed that the God of all creation was good and therefore the lover of humanity.

As I looked into some of the writings of the Patristic Fathers, I came across this from Irenaeus "Demontration of Apostloic Preaching." I want to share some of the points he makes in this writing:

- This then is the order of the rule of our faith, and the foundation of the building, and the stability of our conversation: God, the Father, not made, not material, invisible; one God, the creator of all things: this is the first point of our faith. The second point is: The Word of God, Son of God, Christ Jesus our Lord, who was manifested to the prophets according to the form of their prophesying and according to the method of the dispensation of the Father: through whom all things were made; who also at the end of the times, to complete and gather up all things, was made man among men, visible and tangible, in order to abolish death and show forth life and produce a community of union between God and man. And the third point is: The Holy Spirit, through whom the prophets prophesied, and the fathers learned the things of God, and the righteous were led forth into the way of righteousness; and who in the end of the times was poured out in a new way upon mankind in all the earth, renewing man unto God.

- So then He united man with God, and established a community of union between God and man; since we could not in any other way participate in incorruption, save by His coming among us. For so long as incorruption was invisible and unrevealed, it helped us not at all: therefore it became visible that in all respects we might participate in the reception of incorruption. And, because in the original formation of Adam all of us were tied and bound up with death through his disobedience, it was right that through the obedience of Him who was made man for us we should be released from death: and because death reigned over the flesh, it was right that through the flesh it should lose its force and let man go free from its oppression. So the Word was made flesh, that, through that very flesh which sin had ruled and dominated, it should lose its force and be no longer in us. And therefore our Lord took that same original formation as (His) entry into flesh, so that He might draw near and contend on behalf of the fathers, and conquer by Adam that which by Adam had stricken us down.

- Thus then He gloriously achieved our redemption, and fulfilled the promise of the fathers, and abolished the old disobedience. The Son of God became Son of David and Son of Abraham; perfecting and summing up this in Himself that He might make us to possess life. The Word of God was made flesh by the dispensation of the Virgin, to abolish death and make man live. For we were imprisoned by sin, being born in sinfulness and living under death.

- But God the Father was very merciful: He sent His creative Word, who in coming to deliver us came to the very place and spot in which we had lost life, and brake the bonds of our fetters. And His light appeared and made the darkness of the prison disappear, and hallowed our birth and destroyed death, loosing those same fetters in which we were enchained. And He manifested the resurrection, Himself becoming the first-begotten of the dead, and in Himself raising up man that was fallen, lifting him up far above the heaven to the right hand of the glory of the Father: even as God promised by the prophet, saying: And I will raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen; that is, the flesh that was from David. And this our Lord Jesus Christ truly fulfilled, when He gloriously achieved our redemption that He might truly raise us up, setting us free unto the Father.

The reason I share this today is because I am often asked about how I came to believe what I believe concerning the finished work of Christ. In other words, how I view the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Christ as it relates to what was accomplished for humanity. It's rediscoveries such as these that tell us quite clearly that the early church had a much more complete understanding of redemption, salvation, and adoption. They saw the new birth as something that was performed by Christ. They saw everything that was bound up in the First Adam set free in the Last Adam (Jesus). And what is truly amazing about this discovery for them is that they did it by looking into the Old Testament Scriptures, discussing these truths among themselves, and finding the truth about what God had predetermined to do before the foundation of the world.

Think about the fact that Irenaeus did not have the New Testament letters that we possess today. He had listened to Polycarp who was a disciple of John, but the fact that He came to these conclusions based upon the leadership of the Holy Spirit is remarkable. I'm not saying that he had everything right just like I don't believe any of us have full knowledge. Jesus is the only one who could claim to fully know the Father. The point is that we are all learning, all discovering and rediscovering, and we are all being conformed unto the image of the Son.

I'm not sure when the message changed. I cannot give you a specific point in history when this happened. I do have my own theories. I do believe that Augustine's belief about "dual nature" changed the way we viewed mankind and even salvation. After the reformation, John Calvin and his beliefs about "double predestination" also hurt the message because many began to believe in a God who had elected some to heaven and others to hell. What's amazing about the predestination conversation is that predestination is found in the New Testament but it is the predetermination of God to put us all in Christ so that He could adopt us as His own. We also find in the New Testament that God has completely reconciled Himself to mankind. Nothing can change or alter that. However, if you are never reconciled to God then you will never enjoy this quality of life.

I hope that what I have shared with you today is challenging and refreshing. I hope that you will begin to see what was accomplished in Christ was complete. I hope that your faith is renewed in a good and loving God who has done everything that needed to be done to bring mankind back to His original intention. And I hope that you will enjoy the journey!!!

Good Luck FC Pioneers!!!

We want to wish our very own Fort Chiswell Pioneers a safe & successful game this weekend.
FC is traveling to Essex High School to play the Trojans in the state semi-final game @ 1pm - Tappahannock, VA.

It has been our privilege to feed these boys before every game this season and to share with them spiritual truths for life and football. This is a special group of young men that has brought a great sense of pride to our community.

Godspeed Pioneers!!!

More Thoughts on the Father Heart of God

Luke 15:20, "And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him."

This one image created by Scripture has been reproduced in songs, paintings, and sculptures. What is it about this scene from one of Jesus' parables that so captures the attention of mankind? Could it be that we are so enamored by the love of this father? Could it be that in our heart of hearts we so desperately want this to be true of God? Could it be that we struggle to understand this type of compassion? Whatever the reason, I do believe that woven into the fabric of every human being is the need to feel this loved, this forgiven, and this accepted. The Good News according to Jesus - YOU ARE!!!

I often read this parable and wonder how I would have handled the return of my own son. Would I be as forgiving? Would I be so overwhelmed with emotion that I wouldn't even consider what he was saying? Would I be so ready to celebrate? This scene creates so many questions about myself, and what I would do, but thankfully it's not a parable about me. This is a parable about the heart of our Heavenly Father and how He treats every person that comes to Him. They are like a son who has been off in a far country, separated by their own choosing, alone and desolate, and desperately wanting to come back home. And God is the loving Father who looks out at the horizon waiting to see that lone figure traveling up the road. He desperately wants His son back.

This was a hard image for the religious leaders to accept. They were comfortable with their ideas of separation. They were completely content with the idea that God was so obsessed by the sins of humanity that He couldn't tolerate them. This mentality felt good to them. It felt right. And they had even created a God in their own image who felt the same way. However, Jesus presented a drastically different image of the Father. He presented an image of God who was comfortable with the humanity of humans. A God who wasn't obsessed with their failures, their sins, or their issues. Instead, a God whose heart was emphatically set on seeing them brought back into His arms.

The parable of the lost son is (in my opinion) the heartbeat of the Gospel. It adequately displays many of our issues while at the same time adequately portrays the nature of God. He's not a Father sitting on the porch with a shotgun. He's not a Father that just cannot wait to rip into this son of His who made all these mistakes. He's a Father who is completely comfortable with His place in the family. A Father who loves His child enough to divide up the inheritance and allow His child to make His own choices. And even when those choices lead to ruin He is compassionate enough to welcome us back.

It's no wonder that this story has inspired so many. It's no wonder that so many people hear this parable and are stirred in the core of their being. This is their Father. This is His heart. And they know without a shadow of a doubt that they are acceptable to Him not because of anything they have done but because of His great love.

Life is a journey and in this journey we all have choices to make. Sometimes the choices we make will lead us down a lonely path filled with ruin. Sometimes these choices will keep us close enough to God but still cause us to never see the Father's heart (you see that in the elder brother). Regardless of where we are in the journey, take comfort in knowing that God's heart is for you. You have a Heavenly Father who longs for nothing more than relationship with you. It's what you were created for and in Jesus He has made the dream of His heart a reality. It's my hope and prayer that every person on the journey will have their eyes opened to the reality of God's heart for them. It is my hope that they will have that moment in life as the younger son where they come to their senses. It is my prayer that they will acknowledge the Father's love for them. This is where life makes sense - at home with the Father.

Peering Into the Father Heart of God

Allow me to welcome you back to PBC Voice. I trust your Thanksgiving holiday was blessed. This past Sunday I shared with the PBC Family out of Luke 15 and talked about the Father Heart of God. One of the things that I love about this chapter is that everything that gets lost is found. Whether Jesus is talking about a lost sheep, a lost coin, or a lost son - they are all found. What an incredible picture of the Father's heart.

To understand the context of these parables, it's good for us to hear the murmuring of the religious leaders. When they would look at the crowd that gathered around Jesus, they would grumble among themselves “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” I don't know if there was anything more offensive to their religious way of thinking. Jesus being able to discern what was going on decided it would be a wonderful time to put the Father's heart on display.

The parable of the lost sheep - a Shepherd is willing to leave the 99 to look for the 1
The parable of the lost coin - a woman will stop everything to look for 1 lost coin even though she still had 9 in her possession
The parable of the lost son - a Father isn't content to have just 1 of his 2 sons home with him. His heart is always ready to receive the one that was lost
Those that the Pharisees regarded as "sinners" and therefore out of the realm of God's love, Jesus regards as those who should be in the fold, a part of the possession, and in the family. In each of the parables, neither item that was mentioned lost their value. The sheep was still a sheep (it didn't become a goat). A coin was still a coin (it didn't drop in value). The son was till a son (even if he couldn't see himself coming back as a son). All of these things were valuable & valued, just as every human being in this world is valuable & valued in the heart of God.

These parables also tell us that none of us are outside of the love of God. His heart is for them. The reason Jesus received "sinners" and ate with them was because they also had a place at the table. These were lost sheep that the Pharisees didn't go looking for. They were lost coins that the Pharisees didn't have the time of day to find. They were lost sons that the Pharisees were not willing to open their hearts toward. Aren't you glad that our Heavenly Father doesn't operate this way? Isn't good to know that Jesus is a Good Shepherd that looks for the lost sheep? Isn't it good to know that nine coins isn't good enough for God but that if there was just one lost He would go looking? Isn't it good to know that the Father is always looking out into the horizon for His child to find his way back into His embrace? This is the heart of God. Unfortunately, it wasn't the heart of the religious leaders of Jesus' day.

I've often wondered why religion has this way of creating outsiders? We still struggle with this mindset today in the church. We are quick to judge the lost, condemn the lost, and even reject the lost. However, if our heart was moved with the same compassion of Jesus then we would look for them, find them, and rejoice over the fact that they are now home.

One of the things that moved me about my time with the PBC Family this Sunday is that we had a man in our congregation (probably in his 50's) who came to me after the service to tell me that after all these years he finally gave his heart to the Lord. I was blown away. In fact, over the past month I have seen grown men (30, 40, & 50 years of age) confess Jesus as Lord of their lives. This is almost unheard of statistically in the churches across America. The only Person that gets credit for the change in their life is Jesus. The only message that gets credit for opening their hearts is the Gospel. The Good News that Jesus came looking, to seek and save that which was lost, and that God valued the human race - considering us as valuable. He placed so much value on us that He gave Jesus to bring us out of the darkness.

When Jesus spoke to Nicodemus He said, "I did not come into the world to condemn the world but that the world through me might be saved." Those are powerful words. More importantly, it allow us to peer into the Father heart of God. Sending Jesus wasn't about condemnation but salvation. The Gospel is not about alienation but has always been about adoption. May our hearts overflow with this understanding and may we rejoice with the angels of heaven over every person who has found their way back into the arms of our loving Father.