Practicing Oneness

Colossians 1:16-17, "...all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."

Today...I rest. I rest in the knowledge of the Father's goodness. I rest in knowing that all of life is wrapped up in Him. I rest in the security of His unconditional & unending love. I rest in His grace. I drink in the beauty of all that He has accomplished. I meditate. I find myself completely at peace.

Our Father is not like the child who made a paper airplane. He did not form us out of the dust, send us into flight, and watch how we land. He's not timing us to see how long it takes until we descend (or crash). He has always been, and will always be, tied to His creation. Adam & Eve were the beginning of a species that would walk in unique relationship with their Creator. His image & likeness would always be represented in them. Their offspring were destined to fill the Earth with His glory. However, much like the paper airplane, they fell from the heights they were created to soar in. They neglected one of the basic rules of life: Relationship with their Father held everything they would ever need.

The Father did not cease relating to them. He continued as Provider, Protector, and continued Sustaining life. He would eventually find His way into their darkness - their fall. It would take some time. He would overcome some great obstacles. But He was committed. He never relented. He never scrapped the work to start all over. He would always have, in essence, what He had created. And this creation was meant to thrive.

When I read through verses like the one from Colossians, I'm reminded that the whole of life is not separate from the Creator. All things were created through Jesus & for Jesus. In His life, in the work of atonement & in His resurrection from the dead, He was given preeminence. He has become the firstborn of all creation. While the first Adam was a living soul, the Last Adam became a life giving spirit. He would sustain. He would preserve. He would hold all things together. We are His crowning achievement. We are the inheritance of the Lord.

It seems as though we recognize the glory of God in birth. There is something about watching a child emerge from the womb that causes us to be in awe of the Creator. We are reminded of our partnership with Him. He created life & gave us a part in it. However, somewhere in the middle, we seem to lose touch with this sense of awe. Somehow, our minds shift to the idea that we are doing it all on our own. We lose the wonder of connection. Much like Adam & Eve, we forget how intimately tied our Heavenly Father is to us. Somewhere in the end we tend to find peace. We often find God so intimately close in death. We feel His peace. We see our loved ones no longer struggling. He's there. But the question remains: Where was He in the middle?

Jesus declares that He is the Alpha & Omega - the Beginning & the End.
Scripture states that He is the Pioneer & Perfecter of Faith - He initiated it & is unequaled in its accomplishment.
What we often miss in those statement is that we cannot go from A to Z without hitting everything in between. He has lived our life. He has carried our burdens. He has experienced the darkness & was able to shine throughout. This is why the Apostle Paul could declare, "In Him we live & move & have our being." He was reminded that the "I am with you always" of Jesus is the connector to the whole of life. He was there in the beginning, He will be there in the end, but it's in the middle that we truly experience the uniqueness of this relationship. The discovery is only a part of the journey. Then the revealing can begin.

The writer of Ecclesiastes remind us to "Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth..." It was a call back to this connection we have with the One who has made us in His image. He knew the pitfalls of life. He knew how easy it was to neglect this understanding. He wanted those who read His words to never get to place where life was darkened & without pleasure. We were created to live in Him. To live with the awareness of His closeness. To see within ourselves & others the image & likeness. We were never meant to go at it alone.

One of the greatest secrets of life is practicing oneness. Jesus said, "Abide in Me, and I in you..." I love the definition of the word "abide." It means (among other things) "to continue to be present" & "to remain as one, not to become another or different." This is the Lord's way of saying "don't disappear on Me." Practicing oneness has so much to do with our mindset. It's all about awareness. It's reminding yourself who you are & whose you are. It means to dwell in this understanding. I am in Him & He is in me. This is where we see the fruit of relationship. This is where we encounter the connection. This is the life we were meant to live - what we were created to enjoy. This is Him right in the messy middle of our lives. This is Him reminding us to stay connected to the source of life.

So...today I rest. I rest in the awareness that He is with me. I rest in the security that comes from His love. I feel His presence. I'm in awe of all that He has accomplished. I hear His voice. I experience His life. This is not a form of emotionalism. This is more than just an experience that will soon be fleeting. This is life wrapped up in Him. And...today...I am AWARE!!!

Peace With God

Ephesians 2:17, "And He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near."

There are times in life when we don't need to learn anything new. We need to immerse ourselves in the truth that we already know. Jesus declared that the truth will set us free. Over the last few days I have chosen to meditate upon and abide in the truth of His finished work. The more we allow ourselves this kind of time, the truth we possess flows even more freely through our lives.

I want you to think about the phrase "Peace With God." It's not a new phrase. Most of us have heard about it, prayed for it, and even been told how to get it. What is amazing to me is that when I read the New Testament, I see that we already have it.

Paul said that Jesus came & preached peace to those who were far off & peace to those who were near. In other words, it didn't matter where they were in their journey. Jesus proclaimed peace. It didn't matter what they believed, how they perceived God, or whether or not they were actively pursing Him. Jesus declared peace with God for all of humanity.

The fact that Jesus IS OUR RECONCILIATION with God should be enough to get our attention.
The fact that Scripture declares that HE IS OUR PEACE - has broken down the wall of separation - should be enough for us to rest.
The fact that Angels sang "Glory to God in the Highest. On Earth, PEACE & GOODWILL TOWARD MEN" should have signaled it for us.
God has declared peace over our lives. He has done everything in His power to ensure that we would be at peace with Him.

Jesus was/is the Prince of Peace. He came to establish an everlasting peace ONCE & FOR ALL.

When you view this verse above in context, you will discover that Paul is referring to the Jew/Gentile relationship with God. The Gentiles were considered far off. Jesus proclaimed peace over them. The Jews were considered near. Jesus proclaimed peace over them. In one stroke of absolute genius, the Father accomplished what He had always been after. The Jews were to be a light to the Gentiles. However, they chose to live in separation. This was not the Father's heart. He ensured that what Jesus did, He did for all. There would not longer be Jew or Gentile, Male or Female, Slave or Free. All were brought in through the death, burial, resurrection, & ascension of Christ.

What if you knew that God was at peace with you?
What if you knew that anything that is keeping you from being at peace with God is on your end of the equation?
What if you knew that trusting in all that Jesus has accomplished would allow your heart to be established in peace?
What would you do with that kind of knowledge?
This is the GOOD NEWS. This was the message that the Apostles carried to the ends of the Earth. This is the reality that each & every one of us should live in daily. The Father has declared peace. He has accomplished it through the Son. It is an abiding gift in our lives.

I pray to the Father that you will be able to comprehend this peace. That you may know it fully. That your heart would be established. I pray that your eyes would be open to see, and your ears be open to hear the Lord's declaration over your life: "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you...Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

Under Lock & Key...NO MORE

There are times in my faith where I find myself genuinely frustrated. Not the small, petty, frustrations that each of us experience from time to time. But major, gut-wrenching, almost infuriating frustration. You know...the kind where you would like to just grab someone & shake them (not that I would actually do it)!?! This sense of frustration generally shows up when I hear people talking about the New Covenant using Old Covenant language. When I hear legalism wrapped up in so-called "grace preaching." When I hear people teach on the finished work of Christ and trying to get us to add something to it. I find this frustrating because we have kept the truth under lock & key. I'm going to share with you a secret: the door is UNLOCKED!!!

If you own a Bible, I want you to go ahead & get it out. There are some things you need to read for yourself. There is so much truth in plain sight that we often overlook it. The beauty of the New Covenant often becomes shrouded in our religious thinking. Today, I want you to throw away any misconceptions you may have about the nature of God, misunderstandings about the finished work of Christ, & see the glory that you were created to live in from the day you were born. Are you ready?

The letter to the Hebrews is one of the greatest writings we possess regarding the sacrificial nature of Jesus' ministry. The writer takes great pains to help those who came out of Old Covenant Judaism to enter into New Covenant Relationship. He places enormous emphasis upon the centrality of Christ. He talks about the types & shadows of the Old Covenant. We read about the priesthood, the role of mediators, and the significance of Jesus' blood as it relates to sacrifices. While we may not always understand many of these references since most of us did not come out from under this type of religion, the truths within these pages are remarkable. While many people have misused many of the verses to try and convey a different understanding of God, the reality of the New Covenant is there for the taking.

I want you to take some time to look at Hebrews 8. I will not post the verses here for the sake of time & space. However, I do want to draw attention to a couple of quotes found in this chapter & the writers summation.

VERSE 10: "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people."

VERSE 12: "For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”

Now...VERSE 13: "In speaking of a new covenant, He makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away."

Verses 8-12 are quotes from the prophet Jeremiah in particular. You can also find other aspects of these verses in Isaiah & Ezekiel. What's my point? My point is that the writer of Hebrews is trying to help these Jews understand the fulfillment of these prophecies concerning the New Covenant. Verse 13 is a cap stone to all that he is saying. He is saying that the first covenant (Moses) is obsolete. It's growing old. It's ready to vanish away. This is important. What the writer is trying to tell his readers is that what they used to experience has changed & is changing. What I am trying to tell my readers is that what was ready to vanish away THEN has completely vanished NOW.

We were not born into a dying covenant. We were born into an already established & fully functioning covenant. A covenant that was not based upon our performance. A covenant that was firmly established between the Father & the Son. Jesus prophesied the end of the age to his followers & the writer of Hebrews is declaring that the end of that age is coming to a close. In 70 AD, when the Romans invaded Jerusalem & destroyed the Temple, they did away with the last remaining ties to the Old Covenant. You were born after that time. You were born into the New Covenant. How can I say that? I can say that because many of the Old Testament prophets envisioned a time when the Gentiles would be included in the God's Covenant with Israel. They envisioned a time when there would be an inclusion of all nations, tribes, & tongues into the blessings of God. What you & I read about in the book of Acts is just that. The WONDERFUL GOOD NEWS that the Gentiles had received the same blessings of the Jewish believers. You were included!!!

The Father, before the creation of the world, looked down through times & space. He saw the failings of His children. He saw the darkness that would come upon them. He saw all that He would have to go through to win back the heart of His creation. An agreement was made. The Son chose to come into our darkness. He chose to take on our flesh. Once, and FOR ALL, the Father had a Son of Man who would walk in covenant relationship. Jesus would establish what Adam could not. Jesus would be obedient were Adam failed. As a High Priest, Jesus would be the Once & FOR ALL mediator. As the Lamb of God, Jesus would take away the sin of the world. He is our atonement. He is the Author & Finisher of faith. He is the one who took upon Himself "the handwriting of ordinances against us" and nailed them to the Cross. He would establish a covenant that could not fail. How? If you look back at the verses in Hebrews 8, you discover the issues of the Old Covenant. The issue was humanity. This is why Jesus took on flesh. The New Covenant cannot fail because the Man who established this Covenant with God is none other than Jesus. Did anyone see that coming?

Do you now understand my frustrations? Can you see how old covenant thinking & language has hidden the beauty of the New Covenant? Can you see how our vain attempts at keeping the Law has kept us from enjoying the reality of the Law that was already placed within our minds & hearts? Is it any wonder why Paul said, "If our Gospel is veiled, it is veiled from those who are perishing..."? What are they perishing under? The Jews would be perishing under a system of religion that was fading away. The Gentiles would be perishing under false misconceptions about God. The light of the Gospel was to be shed abroad among all people groups. No one should be left out of its hearing because none have been left out of its reach. It is a Gospel of inclusion. The Good News that we have been included in the Son's relationship with the Father. The Good News that we have been redeemed, reconciled, and restored to our original design. This is what you were born into. This is the reality that you get to live in. Your belief about the finished work of Christ simply gives you access to what Jesus paid for. The door is unlocked. In fact, it is standing wide open.

I hope you will take the time to read through chapter 8 of Hebrews. I pray that the eyes of your understanding would be open to reality of all that Jesus has accomplished for us. May you be amazed at the goodness of the Father on your behalf. May you live in the freedom of Christ.

***********
I just wanted to mention that I will only be writing two more entries this week. I will be attending a conference beginning Thursday & do not have plans to write during this time. Have a great week!!!

Sons not Slaves

Identity is crucial in it's ability to cultivate security. The longer we go through life trying to figure out who we are, the more difficult it becomes to rise up & take our place in any circumstance. This is a call to the sons of God. The whole of creation waits for you to be revealed.

One of the reasons I quote the Apostle Paul so much in this blog (other than the fact that he wrote the majority of the letters in the New Testament) is because he speaks so much to our identity. He doesn't want there to be any confusion about who we really are. In his letter to the church of Galatia, he says "you are no longer a slave, but a son..." (Galatians 4:7)


I want those words to sink in for a moment. I want you to consider to whom he is speaking. I want you to realize the freedom that comes from this understanding.
Slaves are not free
Slaves do nothing of their own free will
Slaves are forced labor
Slaves are lower class people in regards to their social standings
WE ARE NOT SLAVES!!!

Sons...quite different.
Sons are free
Sons have the ability to exercise their will
Sons work in partnership with the Father
Sons are heirs - their social standing is the same as the Father
WE ARE SONS!!!

It's an area that desperately needs to be addressed within the church. We have all heard preaching/teaching that has designated us as undeserving, wretched, worthless, and not really worth God's consideration. But this could not be further from the truth. The Father has created us. He has placed within us image & likeness. In the sending of Jesus, God has demonstrated the infinite worth of each and every human being. He did not see us as something worth losing. He did not glory in our fallen humanity. There was something in us worth saving. There was something about us that they believed was worth going after. The Father saw children who were estranged from Him. Children who had given themselves to all sorts of bondage. Children who had embraced darkness rather than the light. The Abba of Jesus, being a good Father, was not content to watch us slip away into nothingness.

Paul's letter to the Galatians, reminds us of the standing of sons.
It reminds us that there is nothing we need to do to get His approval.
It reminds us that there was nothing that we did to have this place of favor.
It reminds us that there is overwhelming security in our identity in Christ.

Think about it. Slaves do not have a sense of security. Slaves don't even have a sense of belonging. All they know is that they are trapped. They have to work out their time with a particular owner. They have to do his bidding. Sons, on the other hand, know they belong. They know who their father is. They know about the inheritance that is coming so they partner with the father. They are loved. They are secure. They are provided for.

Paul has made a profound statement in this verse. These men & women are not slaves to a legal contract. They are not slaves to ritual & tradition. They are sons - joint heirs with Christ. All that the Father has promised the SON is available to all sons. And I believe one of the greatest acts of humility in our lives is to realize that we are not self made. We celebrate who we are because of the grace of God in Christ Jesus. We don't have to talk about our unworthiness but celebrate the worth He has placed upon us. The Spirit of God within us - the Spirit of adoption - cries out "Abba, Father!" It's time for our dialogue to come into alignment.

We are SONS, not slaves. May our Father continue to reveal this amazing truth in our lives.

Saying "Yes!" to Life

Have you ever noticed that after a child picks up the words "Da-Da" & "Ma-Ma" that the next word is "NO!"? Unfortunately, it seems as though we carry the "NO!" with us for the majority of our lives. We tend to live in the "Thou Shalt Not(s)" rather than in what is "Yes" & "Amen" in Christ. The question still remains for many people, "Does God really want me to enjoy life?"

Galatians 5:1, in my opinion, is one of the most understated truths in Scripture. It is here that the Apostle Paul tells the church that "It was for freedom that Christ set us free..." What he warned them against is picking up things that hindered their freedom. He did not want them to be "entangled AGAIN in a yoke of bondage." I know a lot of people in churches that struggle to believe that God wants them free so that they will be free.

The reason our children pick up the word "NO!" so quickly is because that is what we tend to live in. They are immediately introduced to a life of rules rather than boundaries. They are given the letter of the law rather than the lessons of love. I've often wondered what the lives of my children would have looked like if I would have had this understanding in my 20's rather than now in my 40's. What if I would have taken the time to explain the differences between boundaries & rules? What if I would have sat them down and said "This is what love looks like..." and lived out that reality? What if they would have learned that life is full of "YES!"?

Scripture declares, "For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us." (2 Corinthians 1:20). So much more of our life is wrapped up in "YES!" than we realize. There is much more freedom than we have lived in. There is so much more fullness than we have experienced. For too many people, God is nothing more than the BIG RULE MAKER rather than the TRUE LIFE GIVER. We have sat under so many teachings that have taught us what we cannot, or should not, do. And my question remains: What if we taught people that value of love? The power of Grace? And what if we taught them what other centered life looks like?

The reality is that we have become way too sin conscious in the church. We missed out on the understanding that when we teach the Law that it actually creates opportunity for sin to come alive in us (read Paul's letter to the church in Rome). He is not advocating the necessity of the Law in our lives. He is advocating the grace of God in our lives. The one thing that can empower us to become everything that we were created to become. Paul saw the Law as something that hindered us, drug us down, and kept us from becoming. He saw us entrapped in a system of "do's" & "dont's". This is why he was such a grace advocate. He did not want the Gentiles to become entangled in the very thing that Christ had set them free from. He wanted them to say "YES!" to the life of Christ within them. Oh, how I wish more and more people would get this understanding. I have seen far too many good people struggle under legalism. They have a pure heart for God but they never enter into the freedom of Christ. They are like children living in a house full of fear rather than a family full of love & acceptance.

Imagine life without fear. Consider life full of love. This is what you have been invited to participate in. Our lives are not about sin management. Our lives are about discovering the freedom we have in Him. Seeing that freedom come into full expression. It's about love, laughter, & fullness. It's about living in unbroken communion & fellowship. It's about understanding that His mercies are new every morning. When you & I discover this reality of freedom, then we will learn to say "YES!" to life.

Does God really want me to enjoy life?
Jesus said, "I have come that [you] may have life & that life more abundantly." (John 10:10)
I believe the death, burial, resurrection, & ascension of Jesus is the greatest "YES!" ever spoken to humanity.
YES!!! I want you to be free.
YES!!! I want you to come out of hiding.
YES!!! I want you to become everything I designed you to be.
YES!!! I want you to know you are loved, you are accepted, and you are invited to participate fully in this relationship.

What a glorious journey.

Clearing Up the Confusion

Last night we continued in our discussion of "Questioning Your Answers." The nature of this discussion has been incredibly revealing. What are the beliefs you carry, or the church carries that you have basically adopted, that creates fear, confusion, and/or disillusionment? Being the kind of person that I am, I tackled the "BIG ONE" on our list of topics. I chose to provide different ways to view the Book of Revelation, understanding the contextual nature of Matthew 24, and looking into some of the Greek words that I believe have been translated incorrectly in some of the popular Bible translations.

Much of what I am attempting to do would be much easier if we could just dump out a lot of the bad teaching we have received and start all over. However, I don't think we've invented a memory wipe. Which means we simply have to look at certain passages in context. Matthew 24 is one of those particular places in Scripture that has to be seen in context or we get ideas for a sci-fi thriller.

I will not go into great detail about this chapter today. I simply want you to look at the first few verses. The reason this is very important is because we see a discussion that is initiated, a question that is asked, & an answer that is given. When you see this in the chapter, you can begin to think about the meaning in a whole new light.

"Jesus left the temple and was going away, when His disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. But He answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” As He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them..." [Go to Matthew 24 and read all of this for yourself]

I want you to place yourself in this story. Consider that you are one of the disciples. Jesus is walking out of the temple and suddenly all of your friends start showing Him all of the buildings. He looks at all of you and says, "You see all of this? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down." Then He just walks away. As you follow Him up to the Mount of Olives, and are sitting there looking at the temple, you have to ask the question: "When will these things be? AND what is the sign of Your coming and the end of the age?"

Here's what I want you to notice. A specific question was asked of the Lord. The disciples clearly want to know when the Temple is going to be destroyed & how/when Jesus is going to pull this off. It's an honest question. He just said this thing was coming down. They recognized it as something He was going to do & that it would also signify the end of the age. These are important questions. Unfortunately, in our day & time, this has not been how Matthew 24 has been presented. We don't see it as applying to that generation. We have been taught to view this passage in a futuristic tense. In other words, our future. What we have missed is the meaning behind it.

We read Matthew 24 & think that they are asking Him about the signs of His 2nd coming. Folks...they didn't think Jesus was leaving. There was no other group more shocked at the death of Jesus than His disciples. He tried to let them in on what was going to take place. They simply didn't hear it. They didn't believe He was going to die. They didn't believe He was going to leave the Earth. They were wondering when He was going to rise up and make this thing happen. His "coming" that is in question is the coming to destroy the Temple. Can you see that?

Another thing that we have to look at is the "end of the age." The KJV, along with some other translations, have improperly translated the Greek word "aion" which means "age" not "world." Based upon the translation of the Bible that you use, you can read this & think they are asking Jesus when the end of the world is coming. That is NOT what they are asking. They are asking about the end of the age. What age? The age of the temple. The age of Moses. The age of the Law. Think about it this way: If I came to you the day before your 60th birthday and said, "Welcome to the end of the "aion", and you heard end of the world, then you would be very fearful. However, if you understood that I mean end of the age, you would understand that I was talking about your 50's. You are getting ready to enter into a NEW AGE. Turning 60 doesn't literally mean the end of the world. It may just feel like it.

Last of all, I want to point out that everything Jesus declares in this passage is for that generation. "This generation will not pass away until all these things take place." This is a specific time statement unless you spiritualize the word generation. A Biblical generation is typically understood as 40 years. Which is an important number for the fulfillment of these things.

Let's recap:
Jesus makes a statement concerning the destruction of the temple.
The disciples ask Him about it. When will it happen & what are the signs that will lead up to it?
Jesus answers them.
Everything that follows in Chapter 24 IS AN ANSWER to their question in verse 3. What we read is prophetic in the sense of that generation, not ours. He is preparing them for what is to take place. The wars & rumors of wars, earthquakes, famines, etc. were all a sign that these things were getting ready to happen. The warnings about taking flight when you see these things coming, the prayers that it would not take place in winter or on the Sabbath, etc. were all meant to prepare them for what was to come. This "generation" would see these things come to pass. And all we have to do is look into some of the historical documents about this time to see that these things did take place.

So what signified the end of the age? The destruction of the temple. The age of Moses came to a close in/around AD 70 when the Romans invaded Jerusalem. They utterly destroyed the city & the temple. Many, many, Jews died during this invasion. Those who were allowed to live would be hauled off as slaves. All of this we read in history. According to Jewish history, and what is often overlooked by many people, is the fact that there were no Christians who died during this invasion. Why? The Christians did not die in the invasion because they left. The saw the signs of the times and they headed for the hills. They did not run back into the city, they did not go after their cloaks, and they did not go back into the house to get their possessions. They left the city as they had been instructed. Their lives had been saved from destruction.

Why is this important?
It's important for us to recognize that the end of that age had come. We are in a New Covenant age. An age of grace. The temple, with all of it's practices has been done away with. The Jews no longer had a priesthood. There was no place to offer sacrifices. All of the vessels of the temple were destroyed or taken as loot. Because of the fire within the temple, all of the gold was melted down through the stones. The Romans took what was left of the temple apart stone by stone. Therefore, there was not left "one stone upon another." The prophecy of Jesus in Matthew 24 has been fulfilled. It was the end of the age. Welcome to the New Covenant.

As long as we read Matthew 24 in a future tense, it creates confusion, fear, and misunderstanding. When we see it in it's historical context, it creates security, comfort, and assurance. See this chapter for what it is, who it was spoken to, and the questions that it answers. That is all I ask. Read it in context & see if it changes the way you view life. It's time to clear up the confusion.

Be Blessed.

He Changes NOT...

I have been sitting on this testimony for the last couple of days. Not an easy thing to do for a blogger. However, I was waiting the last bit of confirmation so that I could share with you what the Lord has done. Buckle Up...this is going to be a wild ride.

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's." Psalm 103:1-5

Scripture declares that God changes NOT. He is the same yesterday, today, & forever. What we read about concerning the nature, character, & names of God has not been altered in any way. In fact, nowhere in Scripture are we told that God has ceased to be Jehovah-_____________. The finished work of Christ has proclaimed to us a God who has forgiven, has healed, has redeemed, has crowned, has satisfied, & has renewed our lives. We may bless the Lord every day. The celebration never ends.

This past Sunday evening, we showed the Holy Ghost movie to our home fellowship & the youth of our church. It's the latest documentary in a series done by Darren Wilson. While we were challenged & moved by the movie, what happened next brought us into a greater realization of the Kingdom of God. Seated within the crowd was one of our young people who had just been injured the previous week in football practice. A major knee injury that would leave him (according to the Doctor) in a brace until he stopped growing, and out of sports in the future. At the close of the movie, I asked him to allow us to pray for him. He came forward. Using his crutches. Wearing His brace. And full of faith.

We removed the brace from his leg, anointed him with oil, and laid hands upon his knee. It was a beautiful sight to behold as young & old gathered around him. We prayed, believing God to manifest healing in his leg. After praying, he stood with his crutches - no brace, and described how much better the knee felt. There was no pain. He described to me & his Dad that it felt like something was moving up his leg. Like everything was reattaching to his knee. Wanting to be protective, and knowing he had a Dr appointment the next morning, I encouraged him to take it easy. That was my faith. His faith had him carrying his crutches on his shoulder on the way out of the sanctuary.

The next morning came the news: the Doctor pulled on his knee cap - blown away that everything was so tight. There was no pain. The knee was strong. The nurse confirmed the healing but the Dr was blown away. They were encouraged to get a second opinion. They did. This morning. I want you to imagine the tears, the joy in my heart, as I looked at a picture on facebook of him walking through the hall with brace in hand!!! No crutches!!! The Dr. this morning confirmed that God could heal & by all accounts has healed because it was the only explanation. The Doctor, being a good physician, encouraged him to use the brace for a few more weeks & continue with rehab. How AWESOME is that???

HE CHANGES NOT...
Our Father is still Provision.
He is still Healing.
He is still Righteousness.
He is still Sanctification.
He is still Peace.
He remains everything He revealed Himself to be.

Within the New Covenant, we discover that "ALL the promises of God in Christ are YES & AMEN." They are not "maybe" or "it might be." The reality of God's goodness has been forever displayed in Christ. His love has been confirmed. His blessings have been revealed. His mercy is from everlasting. His grace has been established ONCE & FOR ALL (for everyone). This is our Heavenly Father. And this is the awareness that I encouraged you to live in yesterday. This is who He is. This is the I AM He has promised to be for us.

We are encouraged, all throughout the Scriptures, to walk in relationship with our Father. Jesus continually call us to Himself. He calls us to see the life that He has made available. He calls us to live in the goodness of the Father. He calls us out of the darkness of our own creation to walk in the light of His love. He calls us to lay down our preconceived notions, our misunderstanding, and our confusion about the nature of the Father. He calls us to take on His understanding of who His Father really is. He calls us to walk in the TRUTH of our Father & the TRUTH of who we really are...who we were designed to be.

THIS IS ETERNAL LIFE. That we may know the ONE TRUE GOD & JESUS CHRIST whom He has sent. Enjoy the journey. And by all means, keep celebrating the goodness of your Heavenly Father.

God With You

If there is one thing we tend to be well versed in, it's the idea of separation. This is commonly referred to as Deism. It's the idea that God is out there - somewhere - and we are down here. In Deism, God & man are totally separate. This is quite different than what we see in the Incarnation of Jesus. In the incarnation, God & man became one.

I realize that it's not Christmas. However, it's important for us to remember the other 364 days of the year that Immanuel has come. "God With Us" was born into the human race. According to the Nicene Creed, the very Light of Light, God of God, took on human flesh and dwelt among us. Now, in the person of the Holy Spirit, God is with us once again. I don't know about you, but I think it's time to get rid of our separation language.

What does that mean?
Jesus told His disciples, "I AM with you always..." That means that regardless of where they went, what they were doing, and what they were going through; Jesus was with them. His presence was an abiding gifts. In the midst of persecution - He was there. In the midst of celebration - He was with them. In the midst of work, rest, & play - Jesus was always there. They were to trust in His presence.

I believe we have gotten ourselves into a quandary of sorts with our language. We sing songs inviting Him to come. We pray prayers asking Him to be in our midst. We often go through lives without any thought of His presence. The question needs to be asked: If we have to invite Him to come, then where is He? Is He off on a journey? Is He somewhere High & Lifted Up out of our reach? Is God outside of our humanity? The reality is that if we are questioning His presence, it's only in our awareness of it.

I believe one of the greatest transformations that happens in our lives is when we renew our minds with this thought: HE IS WITH US!!!

The God who said "I will never leave you nor forsake you", has not left & has not forsaken. You may ask the Lord where He is in certain situations, but the reality is that it's our awareness of Him (or lack of awareness) that creates the issues. I have learned through inner healing ministry that God can be discovered even in the most difficult of situations. Those who have gone through abuse, pain, or loss, have found God to be very present even during these horrific events. While we may not know it at the time, the reality of God's presence with us never changes.

What if you believed that God was present with you at the grocery store?
What if you believed that God was with you at the gym?
What if you believed that God was with you while at home, around the table, or sitting in the living room with family?
What if we took God at His word & believed that every second of every day that He will never leave nor forsake us?
These are questions that need to be answered. There is a lifestyle that comes out of this awareness that will radically alter our reality.

Take some time today to thank the Lord for being with you. Ask the Holy Spirit to manifest His presence to you. I don't know what this will look like for you, but I assure you that the Spirit of God will make Himself known. He is "God with you." You don't want to miss out on it. Always remember that He who is fully God & fully Man is now seated at the right hand of the Father. That should bring some incredible encouragement to your life. From this day forward, it's all about AWARENESS.

Listen to the psalmist:
"Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me." [Psalm 139:7-10]

He is everywhere. And He is everywhere with you. Enjoy the Journey!!!

Lessons to Be Learned

This morning I read through a list of "15 Biggest Mistakes I've Made As A Pastor." It was written by Carlos Rodriguez at www.happysonship.com. I saw the article on a friend's facebook page & thought it was worth sharing.

I'm only sharing Carlos' mistakes because I haven't made any...yeah...right. The reality is that I have made many of these same mistakes. We can learn from them or continue to fail in these areas. We can try to hide from them, burying our head in the sand, or we can embrace our humanity. The reason I share these is because of his honesty & openness. I hope these are encouraging for you.

*************************
1. When I told other people to, “Get over it”:
I usually said it a nice way. I sounded spiritual and caring while doing it. But it was the fleshy advice of someone who didn’t care. I didn’t want to be that someone, but most of the time I was so consumed with the things I was dealing with in my own life, that I had nothing else to give. So “Get over it” really meant, “I have no solution.” “I have no energy to walk this road with you.” "I think we both need help!” From now on, I’m going to try my best, just to listen to my friends.

2. When I pretended to be humble: (Which is the most prideful thing).
But it’s so easy to do. You share enough to appear humble, but not enough to actually be humbled. Our generation is enamoured with the idea of vulnerability, but we kind of suck at it. It has become a marketing tool to appear approachable. It’s the hipster thing to do. But we still want control. We’re still ashamed. So we hide. (And now I’m aware that that’s probably what I’m still doing writing this blog.)

3. When I exaggerated the story:
a.k.a. Embellished the truth – a.k.a. Took licence with reality – Lying, basically. It’s one of the biggest temptations a preacher will face. But the truth is beautiful, it’s daring , it’s captivating enough. And it carries more power than any add-ons you can produce. Say it like it is, or don’t say it at all.

4. When I booked too many meetings:
It’s like an addiction. A need to meet again, and again, and again. I guess we do it because we like the people we work with. We try to communicate as best as possible. We are committed to having quality time with our team. But the “meeting” became the main driver. I forgot to value the faces and began to focus on the agenda. I realized that I was communicating unspoken messages like, "I don’t trust you”, “I need to keep my eyes on you” “Unless I lead you in this project/strategy/situation you will fail” Bull!

5. When I de-valued people’s desires and minimized their personal dreams.
But people are at their best when they are doing what they want. Because we all love choices. Especially our own. And God seems to be ok with that.

6. When I started to fall in love with Western Christianity:
Which made me fall out-of-love with Christ. Dumbest. Move. Ever.

7. When I believed the lie that “ministry is a lonely place”:
Which gave me permission to be a hermit, to play the victim card. Enough of that junk. We were created for community. This is not a cute church slogan, it’s a reality for survival. We need each other.

8. When I thought my sermon was awesome:
Or thought my sermon sucked bad. They are both self-centred reactions. Just have to trust God with what came out of my mouth. 50% of it was my opinion. The other 45% was the opinions of others, spoken through me. The 5% left was probably God (probably) (I hope). And I have to trust that He loves me, and the crowd, enough to do wonders with that 5%.

9. When I forgot to go to the bathroom before speaking:
Or remembered to go the bathroom, but forgot to check if my flies were still open. (It’s happened multiple times) When will I learn?!?

10. When I told everyone how much I prayed:
Or the last time I fasted (which was 2004 but I’m still taking about it). Or how good this morning’s time with the Lord was. Classic. But Jesus was all about keeping that stuff secret. Expose your weaknesses, let your strengths speak for themselves.

11. When I treated the congregation like they were all full-time pastors:
Demanding stuff from them like they were all employees of the ministry. Expecting them to drop everything for the sake of the kingdom (Carlos’ kingdom) Where I ruled as king and lord. Never forget, the whole point is to serve, not to be served.

12. When I considered missing my sons’ birthday to go on a ministry trip:
I did not do it. A combination of my wife’s stare and God’s wrath allowed me to see light. But I was on the edge. And that is bad enough. I should have said “NO!” without blinking. But I thought about it. A lot. #almostadouche

13. Caring too much about your opinion, but not caring enough about your heart:
Been there. Done that. And I’m sorry.

14. When I told everyone “family was priority” but I lived like the ministry was:
I fell for it. Like so many others before me. And so I ask for your prayers. (And whenever I forget, I will watch the movie, Click with Adam Sandler and let God speak to me again) – My wife is my calling. My boys are my disciples. My family is the congregation.

15. When I waited too long to get help:
Are you in pain? Are you constantly feeling alone? Do you have emotions that seem to be out of control? Talk to someone. Like right now. Don’t fight alone, you might lose. And that would be a shame.
*************************

I have a good friend in ministry who has made it a point to apologize for the times he tried to shame them into things. I have another friend who stands before his church regularly to say he is sorry for missing it. I've personally apologized for things I have believed, said, or ways that I have acted. Why? Because the church needs this type of integrity. The church needs this type of openness. The church needs to be seen for what it is: a community of believers who are REAL.

Have a great weekend.

Questioning Our Answers

During our Bible Study last night I asked the question: “What do you believe that causes you to be unsure about the nature/character of God?” It generated quite the discussion. I wrote down each item, gave a short version of an answer, and promised to return in the coming weeks to address these matters. The point of this approach is simple. If we cannot question our answers then we will always have questions.

Would you agree that answers should bring some type of resolve? Would you agree that having an answer, even if it’s not the one you are looking for, should help bring closure to an issue? Most of us like having the answers. However, what I’m discovering in the lives of many believers, some of their “answers” are doing more harm than good.

Having questions about what you believe is a normal part of life. This is especially true if what you believe is not producing peace. If what we believe about the Lord causes us to shrink back, carry fear, and keeps you from moving forward; then it needs to be addressed immediately. The agenda for the next few weeks in our Bible Study will be to address what the Scripture says about these particular issues. We will look into the original language because there are times that the English doesn’t do the word justice. This is an attempt to establish our hearts in the goodness of God. It’s going to be a fun time.

What I refuse to do, is to simply come in with a generic answer. In other words, this isn’t about me simply sharing what I believe or passing on what has generally been taught. It will be a time to look at both sides of the coin. To present various understandings of troubling passages and simply ask: Which way of looking at this creates peace in your heart? Which of these views builds you up? Which of these understandings causes you to draw closer to the Father heart of God?

Jesus’ confidence in His Father is something that we tend to admire. The question is, how many times do we try to emulate it? Do we believe we can possess the same type of intimacy? Will there come a time in our lives where we can say that we only do what we see our Father doing or we only speak what we hear our Father saying? I believe it is possible. The challenge, of course, is working through the landmines of our own thinking. The trouble spots in our own beliefs about God & His nature. Only by addressing our answers can we help rid ourselves of questions.

Think about the tension we carry concerning the nature of God. We hear it all the time in the preaching/teaching of the church. One moment we are talking about a God who loves completely and the other minute we are talking about a God who is vengeful, angry, & ready to judge. Like I shared yesterday, we find ourselves crippled between two opinions. We have not learned how to rest in the love of God. We struggle to accept the Good News that Jesus came & did everything that needed to be done. We flounder under the idea that God simply wants us to believe in His goodness for us.

While I have no doubt that the next few weeks will be challenging, I also understand that this undertaking is not about what I carry into the meetings. I have purposefully set the stage for the Holy Spirit to teach, to guide us into all truth, and to comfort our hearts concerning the nature of the Father. That’s the beauty of challenging truth. It doesn’t matter how many questions you hurl at it, TRUTH will always stand & the Spirit is determined to guide you into it. Why? Because you’re experience of the TRUTH is what will set you free.

According to the Apostle Paul, the grace of God is designed to establish our hearts in the mystery of the Gospel. This understanding of grace should create stability, security, and soundness in our lives. Rather than being tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine, we will find ourselves anchored to the love of God. We will discover a confidence in His nature that we have yet to experience. However, we do not take this challenge lightly. We realize that some of these understandings have been passed on from generation to generation. So we move on with respect for the past and purpose for the future. Recognizing that what we carry, we carry on into the lives of the next generation.

Allow me to conclude with this statement: If what you believe about God does not create peace in your heart, then you have a right to question it.
Jesus assured His disciples that they could possess His peace, His joy, & His life. We are promised nothing less in our experience of the Father. Therefore, we enter into the faith challenge, and encourage others to be challenged as well. There will be no fanfare for this challenge. We will not be doing videos of people having junk dumped on their heads. We will not be raising money for a good cause. This endeavor is meant for those who are hungry & thirsty for righteousness. It’s meant for those who are simply pursuing God. They are ready to be established. They are ready to carry the full meaning of His peace in their lives. They are ready to rise up as sons of God in the Earth, confident in the nature of their Heavenly Father. These are exciting days!!!

Between Two Opinions

1 Kings 18:21 puts us in the middle of a standoff. Elijah has chosen to confront the prophets of Baal. Tired of seeing his people go back & forth between the God of Israel & the deity of the Canaanites, he has decided something must be done. It's here in this verse that he asks an important question, "How long will you go limping between two different opinions?"

This is the dilemma that many of the people within our churches face every day. What are we going to believe about God? On the one side, you have people who believe fully in the goodness & love of God. On the other side, you have people who are convinced that God is storing up judgement. One opinion teaches you how to rest in His grace & mercy. The other causes you to question the nature of God. How long will we limp between these two opinions?

It was during a conversation with a friend of mine the other day that this verse was brought to my attention. Some versions of it ask how long we will falter between the two opinions. It's the Hebrew that points us to the limp. Another way of saying it would be, "How long will you all these two opinions to cripple you?" That is what I want to address with you today.

Elijah's question was to allow Israel to make a difference between God & Baal. You would think their decision would be simple. However, they didn't answer him a word. The question for us today is not quite as simple. What we are dealing with is a complex issue. We have brothers & sisters in Christ who believe God to be one way & those who believe Him to be quite different. How do we solve this problem? How do we understand the true nature & character of God?

When faced with this kind of question, it has been my experience to say what I need to know about God, I will find the answer in the person of Jesus. How did He reveal the Father? How did He express the nature & character of God? If Jesus is the exact representation of His nature, and He is, then it's imperative that we understand the Father through the Son. He is the Word made flesh. While there were a great many people who were devoted to God, sought to bring an understanding of Him, and believed they were believing the right things about Him; Jesus challenged their way of thinking. He didn't mind saying, "You have heard it said, but I say to you..."

For time purposes, I want to share with you one verse that I believe can cause us to stop and really think about the nature of God. In Luke 6:36, we read Jesus' statement "Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful." I want you to hear these words. I want them to sink down deep into your spirit. YOUR FATHER IS MERCIFUL!!! While grace is often touted as one of the greatest attributes of God, I want you to consider the merciful nature of our Heavenly Father. He is, according to Old Testament Scriptures, a God who DELIGHTS in mercy. The Apostle James even tells us that "mercy triumphs over judgement." In Lamentations, Jeremiah proclaims that "His mercies are new EVERY MORNING." I mean, what does God need to do to prove to us once & for all that He is GOOD? What does God have to do to prove that He is LOVE? What does God have to do to prove that He is FOR YOU not against you? Maybe the problem isn't with God. Maybe the problem is with us and our perception of who He is.

You want to know why I talk about the finished work of Christ so much? The answer is quite simple. Too many people are living between two opinions of God. They are trapped between a God of the Old Covenant & the Jesus of the New. They see two drastically different expressions of the Godhead. While many of them are persuaded by the gracious nature of Jesus, they cannot get the other thoughts about God out of their mind. It's the good cop/bad cop scenario. Which opinion do we trust?

Jesus tells us to be merciful because our Father is merciful. Let me go ahead & say that God is not going to ask you to be more righteous than He is. He is not going to ask you to be merciful if that is not in His nature. He is not going to ask you to love your enemies, if that is not a part of Himself. He is not going to ask you to forgive, to make reconciliation, or to give grace if He is not already doing that for us. It's high time for the church to stop being crippled between these two opinions. It's time for us to see the Father through the lens of Jesus once & for all. Are you ready to make up your mind?

I have talked to many people who are in limbo. They feel as though they are trapped between the Abba of Jesus they want to embrace & the God of their upbringing. While they see in Jesus a representation of God that offers true & lasting freedom, they are stuck in an understanding of God that demands adherence to a list of rules. While they see in Jesus a God who loves, a God who gives, a God who is compassionate; they struggle with an understanding of God whose goodness is based upon our performance. I want to assure you that when you make up your mind, when you stop limping between the two opinions, when you choose to believe in the goodness of God for you & others, you will be ushered into a greater experience of who He is. Can you trust in His nature?

"For God so LOVED the world that He gave..."
This verse does not say that God wants to judge the world so He gave.
This verse does not say that God is angry with the world so He gave.
This verse does not say that God is ready to condemn the world so He gave.
NO...It's because of His LOVE that He gave.

Paul was so convinced that the Cross was the ultimate expression of the love of God that he declared "even while we were sinners....Christ died for us." What else does God have to do? What will it take for you to be convinced? When will we stop faltering, limping, & being crippled by two opinions? I'm telling you that you can be secure in the Abba of Jesus.

Ask yourself this one last question: Which understanding of God gives you the greatest peace?
It's time to stop limping.

Are You Awake?

Over the course of the last 20 years, I have tried to teach and apply the Scriptures of our faith. I enjoy preaching, leading in studies, and sharing insights about the Bible. One of the tools that I have used over the years is what we call word studies. This is where we go into the original language to ensure that we get a correct English translation. People tend to enjoy a good word study...at least...until it changes what they believe.

This may sound crazy, but I like knowing why I believe what I believe. I want to take everything that has been passed down to me and study it for myself. I'm going to dig into the verses, look into the original language, and come to the best understanding that I can. I want what I believe to be a part of me.

Unfortunately, not every Christian goes through this process. They simply believe what is being passed onto them. They believe in the people who are sharing with them, they trust them, and it makes it a whole lot easier to just agree. I don't say this to shame anyone, I'm just saying that this is the normal process. I don't know many people who came to an understanding of the entire Bible all by themselves. Did we not learn what we have learned in Sunday School, church services, or Bible Studies? Have we not been educated by our friends, tv preachers, and podcasts? I'm not against any of these methods when it comes to our growth, however, I do believe that we need to follow up with ourselves.

Let me give you a for instance.
I have lived my entire life in Southwest Virginia. I have been involved in church my whole life. If there is one thing that I have heard over and over again is that there is only 1 true translation of the Bible. That would be the Authorized King James Version. I have been involved with churches that preach only from the KJV, will only allow you to teach from the KJV, and have placed that belief in their by-laws. Countless books have been written on the subject, sermons preached, and bookstores established touting the only authorized version of the Bible. I remember this becoming a big issue when I was a child. I remember people talking about the "Good News Bible" and the dangers of people actually reading it. This was something that would continue through my development as people began to blast new versions of the Bible.

Why is this important? It's important because in the information age of today, there is no reason to carry around this type of ignorance (please don't be offended at the word - it simply means unlearned). We have so much information at our fingertips. Most homes have a computer, tablet, or a smartphone. Information is being streamed into our lives on a continual basis. We have the necessary tools to find out the truth if we are willing to look for it.

The reality of the KJV is that scholars now believe that it is not the most accurate translation of the Bible. We honor the work of the people who created the translation, but there are just too many errors. One of those is found in Acts 12 when talking about Peter being apprehended by King Herod. The KJV says that the King had determined to bring Peter to trial after Easter. However, the original language here is clearly the Greek word for Passover. While that many not be enough to rattle the cage of a KJV proponent, it should be enough to get us thinking. There are many other places where the KJV translators inserted words into the text rather than simply translating what is in the original. I've shared with you in this blog how the word translated as "baptism" isn't a translation at all, but rather is a transposing (cause two or more things to change places with each other). The Greek word baptizo should be translated as immerse.

I'm not sharing all of this to bring up a debate about the KJV, but to show you how easy it is for us to get caught up in a line of thinking without questioning truth. This happens when we talk about Bible translations, styles of worship, and the varying beliefs of the different denominations. It's time for every believer to wake up. Take the time to know why you believe what you believe. Rather than simply argue with someone because they view something differently than you do, take some time to try and understand where the difference comes from. Most people don't even realize that there is such a thing as Eastern Christianity because they have been raised in Western Christianity. If your background in church life comes from Catholicism or the churches that came after the Reformation, then you have probably been indoctrinated in a western form of Christianity. Have you ever asked what our Eastern brothers & sisters believe?

Is any of this important? I believe so. If TRUTH is TRUTH then it can handle my questions. Not only that, but the Holy Spirit has been given to "guide us into all truth." What I have discovered is that truth can be found in the history of the church. And what I desire more than anything, when it comes to what I believe, I want them to line up with what the early church believed. I want that fire that burned in the belly of the Apostles. I want that confidence that the 1st Century church carried in the midst of horrible persecution. I want to know the resolve of the Apostle Paul as he stepped out of Pharisaic Judaism and into the Freedom of Christ. I want to understand the Gospels through a Jewish mindset. I want to celebrate with the Gentiles when they discover that God included them in the death, burial, resurrection, & ascension of the Son. I realize the cost of this journey. However, I also realize the liberty that it brings me into.

Are you awake yet? Has any of this caused you to think for yourself? Are you at least willing to have the discussion? It may mean junking some theology. It may mean losing some friends. It may mean stripping yourself down to the plain confession that Jesus is Lord & start over. I'm not saying that everything you believe is wrong. I'm simply saying that we need to be honest with ourselves. We need to give the Holy Spirit the right to change what needs to change & keep what needs to be kept. I will warn you that there was a time where I asked myself, "What do I really believe?" In that moment, Jesus became my only confession. I believed in who He was. I believed in what He did. And I determined to make my life about the person of the Lord. I wanted Him to teach me. Of course, He will use others along the way. People that are on the same journey as you. They will encourage you. They will point you to Jesus over and over again.

This journey has caused me to look into a lot of things that I though were solid, only to find that there were many holes in my theories. This journey has taught me to trust fully in the Holy Spirit to lead, to speak, and to reassure me. This journey has allowed me to have compassion for those who want to argue because I've been where they are. This journey has taught me the power of forgiveness because I don't want to burn bridges. I have asked (and continue to ask) some serious questions. But I believe this is the journey of a son. To quote Morpheus from the Matrix once again: "This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill - the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill - you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes."

Wake Up [insert name here]...

Hope Evolving...

We took a glimpse at Romans 15:4 yesterday. I felt the need to remind us of these powerful words as we head into the weekend. "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." I pray today is an encouragement.

Over the last couple of years, I have started seeing the Bible in a different light. While I believe it to be inspired by God, valuable for doctrine, instruction, and correction; I also see it as a lens through which we can honestly view life. I see that many of the stories we read, while literal, also prove to be excellent object lessons. I discover the wisdom of the ages hidden within the pages.

Paul stated in his letter to the church at Rome that everything that was written in the earlier times was written for us. In particular, he was pointing towards the Torah (collection of Scriptures held by the Jews). Found within these writings were instructions, the history of Israel & God's dealings with them, and the prophecies concerning the Messiah. All of these things were meant to provide encouragement for the early church. Of course, today, we have the New Testament as well. Therefore, I believe that it is necessary for us to apply Paul's own words to his writings as well. There is so much to be learned from these 1st Century believers.

I have never believed the Bible to be outdated. However, I have found some of our understanding to be archaic. Think about it. Almost 2,000 years since the death of Jesus and we still struggle to understand what freedom in Christ is all about. We may not argue about circumcision anymore, but only because we have a longer lists of things we believe are to be done in order for someone to be accepted. Rather than finding encouragement through the Scriptures, we often find ourselves bewildered.

God had a plan to redeem His creation. He had a plan, before the foundation of the world, to do what needed to be done to redeem & reconcile humanity. The Old Testament Scriptures are full of this understanding. I would encourage you to go back & read through some of those pages with this understanding: Everything God did in those days was to preserve the Seed that He had promised to Eve. The Seed that would destroy the hold of the evil one upon this creation. The Seed that would bring restoration. Paul mentions this Seed in Galatians 3 & then in 4 talks about the fullness of time coming - God sending His Son - born of a woman. The promises of righteousness restored. The promises of a nation delivered. The promises of God even upon the Gentiles. All of these were wrapped up in the Seed. And the Seed was none other than Jesus.

The coming of the Seed meant the promises of God being fulfilled. When we talk about the finished work of Christ, we are talking about the things that were accomplished through the life, death, burial, resurrection, & ascension of Jesus. He would be the One who would do what Adam did not do. He would be the Son of God who walked in obedience, in faith, in righteousness. He would be the Son to restore the children of God to their rightful place. He would be the One who would shine the light of God into our darkness. He would become the summation of ALL THINGS, according to Paul's writings in Ephesians 1. All of these things were written for our instruction and our encouragement, so that we would have hope.

Paul takes this idea of hope a little further when he says that it is "Christ in you" which is "the hope of glory." It is Christ in you which speaks of the fullness of time. It is Christ in you that gives you a future & a hope. It is Christ in you that allows you to rest in God's unconditional love. It is Christ in you that causes you to trust fully in the grace of God. Your life is hidden with/in Christ. The glory that comes out of your life is due to His indwelling work. He allows you to hope. He allows you to persevere in the midst of great difficulty. He is the One in whom we live, and move, and have our being.

What does this mean for us now? I believe it means we can begin to look back at the writings of Scripture, see them in their historical context, and trust in the goodness of God for today. I believe the instructions found within, help us to formulate our understanding of the Lord and His church. I believe that the way in which Jesus did life is something for us to emulate. We see His confidence in His Father. It should be ours. We see His trust in the heart of God. This should be ours. We hear about His confidence in prayer. This should be our confidence. This same Jesus, looked at His disciples and said, Greater works than I have done - you will do. We should believe that. It may take a little patience on our part to see the things come to fruition in our lives, but that is what the Scriptures are for: "That we, through patience and the encouragement of the Scriptures might have hope."

What God has said about who you are in Christ is true. Be patient to see it developed. Don't lose hope. You are the righteousness of God in Christ. Believe it. Walk in it. And if you struggle to see it manifest in your life, be patient. This life of faith is not a sprint. It's an opportunity, everyday, to believe in the finished work of Christ in your life. KEEP GOING. And by all means, ENJOY THE JOURNEY.

Seeing Through the Glass, Darkly...

Romans 12:3, "For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think as to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to each man a measure of faith."

The more I learn, the more I realize I have a lot to learn. While I have confidence in what I believe to be true, I also recognize that we only see through a glass, darkly, but one day we will see face to face. How will we handle the light that breaks through the darkness?

I often find myself in the position of needing to be the one with all the answers. I'm often questioned about the Bible, faith, life, and many of the mysteries that we as human beings struggle with on a daily basis. While I don't have all the answers, I trust in the One who loved me & gave Himself for me. I am confident in Him.

Consider the words of the Apostle Paul, "We know in part...prophesy in part...we see through a glass, darkly..." What an honest assessment of spiritual life. I want you to consider that much of what we think we know is only commentary. While we may be convinced that we have a great handle on the truth, we find ourselves struggling with thoughts/ideas that the church has wrestled with for nearly 2,000 years. Are we humble enough to admit it?

Have you ever found yourself in a darkened room with just a little light pouring in? While we cannot see everything, the light coming in helps us to discern shapes, objects, etc. We do not see clearly, but we see clearly enough to make out certain things. I want you to consider that this is a lot like the life of faith. We are still seeing through a glass, darkly. Each of us have enough light pouring in to have discernment, but it takes others on the journey to enable us to see things more clearly.

The Church should be a place where this type of thinking is encouraged. A place where we can give expression to the light we have shining in our lives. A people of honest evaluation, who know they don't have all the answers, and are confident only of the Father's love for them. Unfortunately, our structure doesn't always allow for this type of honesty. We elevate a particular person into a place of having all the answers. He's the one who is supposed to see through the glass clearly. He's the one who is supposed to have a close enough relationship with the Lord to not have any questions. His commentary becomes the truth in our lives or it becomes the argument against our own way of thinking. I've said for some time now that I wish many of our churches would put a sign out front that said, "Come & seek the answers with us."

This is the beauty of the Body of Christ. Made up of various members, all with their particular perspective, working together to possess a greater understanding. I believe our problems arise when we think we have a corner on the truth. We find ourselves arguing against others who are simply seeing through the darkened glass. We forget about the humility that is exemplified throughout the Scripture. We erroneously believe that since we have the Bible that we have all the answers, and yet the Bible never makes that claim. These things were written for our learning that we through patience and the encouragement of the Scriptures could have hope [see Romans 15:4].

What if we all came to the table with the simple confession that JESUS IS LORD?
What if we all carried the humility that said we don't have all the answers?
What if we all chose to have a discussion on where we are, what we are learning, and how we can have unity?
This is what the church desperately needs in this hour. We don't have to possess all the answers. We simply need the humility that says we are all seeking the answers together.

Have you ever heard this statement in church: "The Bible clearly says..."? According to several studies on the matter, this is one of the statements that is actually driving the next generation away from the church. In the age of information that we live in, they understand that the Bible isn't particularly clear on every subject. What if we said, instead, "This is my understanding of what the Bible is saying."? Could this simple approach make a huge impact? Would people then feel invited to bring their portion of light to the table? I believe so.

My encouragement for you is to not lose heart when you only see in part. Simply seek out the wisdom of others. Listen to their individual parts of knowledge. Seek to bring together these collective pieces. And watch how God puts the puzzle together. Not only is the church a bit of a mosaic, but our understanding is a mosaic as well. When all of our parts come together it creates a beautiful picture of the Lord in our lives. It's a reminder of how we need each other. We need each person's portion of light. We need their understanding. We cannot afford to stand alone with all of our answers anymore. We need every member of the Body of Christ. This is how we begin to see face to face. I believe, God in His wisdom, did not give one person all of the answers. I believe He gave to every person what the collective whole needs in their understanding of Him. While the Holy Spirit leads us into all truth, the relational nature of God keeps us all in a place of needing to relate to one another. Jesus is the Head. We all have our place in the Body & we must work together.

We see through a glass, darkly. Humility allows us to see face to face. What a beautiful journey.

What If We Lived Without Fear?

1 John 4:18 clearly states, "There is NO FEAR in love because perfect love casts out fear..." With that being said, why is much of the preaching/teaching of the church fear based? Why are many of the "faith based" movies nothing more than fear based? And by fear, I don't mean healthy reverence...I mean straight up scared to death type stuff. This has got to change.

We have become so fear driven in much of our thinking that we are afraid to think differently. So fear driven, in fact, that our perception of the love of God is perverted. The lack of confidence in the love of God within the church is astounding. Is it any wonder that we struggle to convince those outside of the church that God really loves them?

The Good News of the Gospel is L-O-V-E. A love that, quite honestly, took the world by surprise. A love that exceeds any of our understanding or expectation. A love that was/is completely grounded in the nature & character of God. It was this message of love that propelled the first century church in the midst of the Great Tribulation (that is how they referred to the persecution they endured from the Jews & the Romans). Jesus told His disciples not to lose heart. "In the world you will have tribulation, but I have overcome the world." There was no fear in His message but a reassurance of all that He had accomplished. This love enabled them to grow, to expand the Kingdom of God, the boldly proclaim the salvation of the world through Jesus Christ. They did not shrink back. They knew who they were in Christ and who the Father was for them. They understood that NOTHING could separate them from the love of God in Christ Jesus. No nakedness. No famine. No peril. No sword. They were OVERCOMERS!!!

So why all of the fear based preaching? Why do we still uphold messages like Johnathan Edwards "Sinners in the hands of an Angry God"? Is that really the heart of the Father? When I read the Gospels, I see Jesus in the hands of Angry Sinners. And I hear Him say, "Father, forgive them. They don't know what they are doing." I realize the Good News of the Gospel can seem like fantasy, but the reality is that the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit loved their creation so much that they were will endure the "hostility of sinners against [themselves]."

Instead of fear, Jesus promoted GOOD CHEER, FAITH, JOY, & LIFE. He wanted His disciples to know what it meant to have the same confidence in His Father that He possessed. What we know about church history is that they were fully convinced. They carried the message in the midst of severe persecution. They continued to travel the world carrying the message. They faced imprisonment, loss of property, scorn, ridicule, & even death. However, they did not relent. They followed in the footsteps of their Master. Some of them to a cross, some to a chopping block, & some to imprisonment. Why? Because they saw something that many of us have not seen. They saw the end of the age upon the horizon. They knew the Old Covenant system was coming down. They knew that Jerusalem was going to come under fire. They advanced the Gospel well beyond the borders of the Holy City to ensure they would not be stuck when the time came to flee.

It's this misunderstanding of Scripture that causes many good believers to carry fear. What we read in Matthew 24 & Luke 17 is not a description of our future but theirs. Jesus is describing the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem which occurred around 70 AD. If you read through Josephus' history of these events, you discover that not one Christian was killed during the Roman invasion. Why? Because they left the city. This is why we need to read these verses in context. What was Jesus talking about? Who was He speaking warning? When would these things take place? What generation would see these things come to pass? Jesus tells them what they would endure, what actions they would need to take, and that THIS generation would not pass away until these things came to pass. Why is this important? It's important because when we take these verses out of context, we create a fear driven message for our generation that was not intended.

Our Gospel message is one of peace, love, and confidence in the love of God. Our covenant is not the Old Covenant of the letter (the Law) but the New Covenant of liberty (in the Spirit). We don't have to carry fear of the future, fear of an impending judgement, or fear of the wrath of God being poured out on mankind. God has already displayed His judgment against sin - it was at the Cross. What we see in the death, burial, resurrection, & ascension of Jesus is God restoring mankind back to the original design. The world is ours for the taking. This is not a world that we should be trying to flee but a world that we should by trying to fill with the knowledge of God.

I want you to consider some serious "What If(s)?":
What if our understanding of eschatology (view of end times) is wrong?
What if our understanding of the finished work of Christ has been flawed?
What if the way we have applied & interpreted certain Scriptures is faulty?
What if we knew that much of the modern "end time" preaching we hear today did not arrive until around the early 1500's?
What if Revelation was written for the 1st Century church rather than the 21st Century church?
What if God really did judge all sin for all time in Jesus?
What if God was really as good as I have tried to communicate?
What if God wanted you to carry a future & a hope?
These are just some questions to consider. These are meant to stir you to study for yourself, and to ask this one last question: "How would I live if I did not live in fear?"

Regardless of what the future holds, I want you to consider the statement made by Jesus to His disciples: BE OF GOOD CHEER, I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD. Fear may produce a few converts or a few followers, but faith produces true Sons arising in the Earth. I ask you, what was God's intention? What is the Earth groaning to see revealed? May the sons of God take their place. May we be perfected in His love. May we live in unbridled confidence.