The Blessing Continues

I trust that everyone had a Merry Christmas. I stopped by the blog today to wish you all a Happy New Year & to remind you that the blessing of the season continues.

In fact, this is not a seasonal blessing but an eternal one. I trust that you will discover in Christ the joy, peace, love, and purpose that is meant to be yours. My prayer is that you see the Kingdom continue to manifest in your life.

Jesus' coming was only the beginning. His life displayed all that is possible when man walks in relationship with the Father. His ministry proved that love is the most powerful tool in seeing people reconciled to the Father. His death proved that He was willing to go into the depths of our darkness so that His light could be fully seen. His resurrection became the re-birthing of humanity as we were loosed from the bondage of death & the grave. His ascension has restored humanity to our rightful place in face to face communion with the Godhead. The coming of the Holy Spirit calls to remembrance the words: "In that day, you will know that I am in my Father, and you in Me, & I in you."

The government was always meant to be upon His shoulders. We simply get to carry it in our hearts. We have the opportunity to see the righteousness, peace, & joy of the Holy Spirit (which is the Kingdom) manifest in our daily lives. We get to share it with everyone around us.

The blessing continues...

ENJOY THE JOURNEY!!!

Living in a Reconciled World

I made a statement this past Sunday which I think speaks specifically to the problem of religion. Religion, the way in which I define it, is any system we create to to appease God. It's steeped within our insecurity about the nature of God. And...unfortunately, it's something we pass along to many unsuspecting seekers. Including our children.

The statement I made is quite simple: "You will never have to lead a child to the Lord if you never lead them away." In other words, a child will never believe they are far from God unless you teach them. This is one of the greatest problems that religion possesses. In religion we have steps that have to be taken - hoops that must be jumped through. The idea that a child could grow up naturally into the faith seems so foreign to us. However, that is exactly they way they were meant to be raised.

If you buy into the goods that religion has sold us, this may be hard for you to grasp. However, I want you to stick with me for a minute. Religion tells us that in order to accept Christ then one must first admit they are a sinner. It's an interesting theory, but you just don't find it in the Gospels. In fact, you see something quite different. Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 19:14 to, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." Those in religious circles believe that a child has to take our adult "steps" to come to faith in Christ. Jesus would tell us that we have it backwards. We need to become like them.

I cannot tell you the times I have seen children turned away from making a profession of faith. Not only have I seen it, I've done it. Wanting to make sure they understood it all. Believing that I had their best interest at heart. And the reality is that it was my own misunderstandings about the nature of God that got in the way. No child, or adult for that matter, has to fulfill some religious obligations. The Bible simply calls on us to believe.

It is my belief that you could raise a child to know that they are loved by God and that they will love Him in return. You teach them about Jesus coming into the world to rescue humanity and their faith is awakened. They naturally want to follow Him. I've seen it over & over again. To put anything more on them other than believing is to hinder them in coming to the Father.

You might think this isn't a big deal but I want you to understand the implications. We have raised countless generations of children who grew up into adults believing that they are far away from God. We have taught them that there is something wrong with them. Something that happened to them by just simply being alive. We have taught them that they are sinners through no fault of their own but that God is going to hold them accountable. This is not the testimony of Scripture. The Apostle Paul actually told a group of idol worshipers that God was not far from them at all. If they would believe, they would experience the abundant life of Christ.

The Father gave to the Apostles & the early church the ministry of reconciliation. The message of this ministry was that the Father was in the Son reconciling the world unto Himself. This message was proclaimed nearly 2000 years ago. Fast forward to the day of your birth. You were born into a world that had already been reconciled. There was peace between you & the Father from the moment you came out of your mother's womb. You could have been raised with that understanding. You could have been raised with an awareness of the Father's love for you. Because of the grace of God, you could have been empowered to walk in relationship with Him from the time you were a little child. The majority of us were not raised in this manner. Instead, we were raised with the religious understanding of our parents or culture. The belief that we are sinners from birth actually creates rebellion in our hearts. To make matters worse, we had the Law placed upon our shoulders. Need I go on? Can you see the difference?

I'm believing for a generation that is raised with the awareness of the Father's love. A generation who doesn't have to wait for an "age of accountability" before they make a decision for Christ. A generation who walks naturally in faith & professes Christ through their life. A generation who never has to question who they are in Christ. I'm committed to this generation while trying to help mine gain the foundation they were always meant to walk in. There's a lot of work to be done. However, the more childlike we become in our faith the greater the possibilities.

The Narrative of Redemption

Have you every considered that the Gospel is a part of a much bigger narrative? I was reminded of this when I considered how much of Jewish history was passed down through oral tradition. This is why when you read the Bible that much of the history is presented in narrative form. Unlike a history book, the Bible doesn't gives you dates & facts. Instead, the writings tell a story. During this holiday season, I want you to consider the coming of Christ as crucial to the narrative of man's redemption. The WORD was made flesh & dwelt among us.

Rather than retell the story, I want to help you with the perspective. The Incarnation of Christ set in motion events that would change everything in the world. Your story is tied to His in more ways than you may understand. Jesus is the hope of the world, not just the Christian.

I want you to consider being born into a Jewish family during biblical days. The story of man's creation, fall, and the promise of the coming Seed would be a practical part of your upbringing. The hope of a coming Messiah who would deliver Israel once & for all would be commonplace to your faith. They had heard the promises of God. They knew that the Seed of the woman would one day crush the head of the serpent. They had heard the stories of a coming Savior. This was normal faith during the days before Christ.

The narrative after the coming of Christ changed dramatically. The story of man's creation & fall would still be a part of the narrative. However, the promise of the Father & the prophecies of His servants had been fulfilled. The promised Seed had come & the serpents head had been crushed. The virgin had conceived & delivered a Son. He had lived a perfect life in relationship to the Father. He died a cruel death and was raised from the dead. His death, burial, & resurrection ushered in a new age for humanity. We had been redeemed.

When you begin to look at the Gospel in narrative form, you can clearly see how Jesus changed everything. You begin to see the coming of the Christ as a child, the taking on of flesh, the life He led, the ministry He performed, and His finished work in a whole new light. What Jesus did, He did for all of humanity. Period. What Jesus accomplished, He accomplished for all of us. It may not fit neatly into our doctrinal stances, but it fits perfectly into the narrative of God. This is why Paul could write the words, "before the foundation of the world..." God always had a plan. He knew the fall of Adam & Eve would take place. The promise of the Seed was not a reaction to their sin, but the response of His will. If the Father were telling the story, He could easily say that He created them - they fell - but I redeemed them.

The Apostles & the Early Church carried this message of the Good News. IT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED!!! The Seed has come. The enemy has been crushed. We have been reconciled to the Father. The question still remains: Will you believe?

What is so important about believing?

What you believe determines how you live. You can rest in the finished work of Christ or you can somehow try to be reconciled to the Father through your own efforts. You can eat freely from the Tree of Life or you can try to work it out. You can embrace the Father's demonstration of love through Jesus, or you can embrace a religious system. It is quite a game changer. The Father knew humanity was lost. He knew that were trapped in the darkness. He knew they were separated from Him in they way they thought. He came to restore, to redeem, & to rescue.

I ask you to look at the Gospel as a part of the narrative of God & humanity. The Gospel is the GOOD NEWS portion. When you do that, you understand why the coming of Christ was announced as "Good Tidings of Great Joy that will be unto All People." If mankind were left to our own devices, our own way of thinking, & our own systems of religion, the narrative would look much different. However, in the Father's narrative of His creation, Jesus changed everything.

Religion today has robbed the narrative of its power & beauty. It has kept us bound in the fall of Adam & fails to see us in the light of Christ's finished work. It makes us the center of attention rather than the centrality of Christ. This is especially true in our Western Culture. It's time for us to recapture the wonder, the sheer excitement, and joy of the Father's heart. It's time to see ourselves included & invited to participate in relationship with the Father. May we no longer be unbelievers of the Father's goodness, but my our hearts burst with gratitude for His unfailing love. It's the narrative of our redemption. It is the Greatest Story ever told.

Thoughts on Christmas

First of all, allow me to apologize for the sporadic behavior in my writing. It seems as though every year around this time, the time between Thanksgiving & Christmas, that I struggle to keep up with the blog. I appreciate your willingness to stick it out with me. Now...some thoughts on Christmas.

I did something yesterday that I rarely do. In fact, I can only think of 3 other times I have done this in my adult life. I bought a Christmas album. The temptation was too great. Unlike my daughter who begins playing Christmas music immediately after Thanksgiving, I've never been a big fan of it. Sure, I have some favorite songs out there, but to buy an entire album means that I have dedicated myself in a purchase to the sounds of a season. In other words, it's an album that I listen to once a year.

What made this album so different you might ask? It's Kim Walker-Smith! Not only is her voice captivating, the thoughts behind her doing a Christmas album meant that the songs wouldn't be the same. The album has not disappointed. It is an incredible blend of spiritual Christmas carols & holiday favorites. It's also exactly what I needed this holiday season. A perfect 17 song collection where I can meditate, reflect upon the joy of the season, & simply enjoy the atmosphere.

What has prompted this kind of thinking? To be honest with you, it's been an extremely busy time of year. My wife's grandmother is in the hospital, our calendar is filled with obligations, and (like so many of you) we have been running in all kinds of directions. That's the mental & physical side of it. On the spiritual side of things, I woke up the other morning with "Joy to the World" playing in my head. I was amazed at the amount of comfort this song brought to me. Immediately I was whisked away to a childhood memory. There I was as an elementary school age kid standing on the stage of Lambsburg Christian Church. We were holding our annual Christmas program. I could clearly see the dimly lit sanctuary, the poster boards down front reminding people of their lines, and the smiles of family & friends. All seemed right in the world. I stuck my chest out, raised up my head, and was singing to the top of my lungs "JOY TO THE WORLD - THE LORD HAS COME - LET EARTH RECEIVE HER KING..." In that moment I was reminded of the simplicity of the message. I felt the peace, the joy, & the absolute assurance of the love of our Father.

He Has Come & We Will Never Be The Same!!!

Our world forever changed in that moment. The arrival of the Christ child signaled the dawning of a new age. Humanity had been lost in darkness. Groping to understand life, the nature of God, & how to live in peace with one another. The Incarnation demonstrated the heart of the Father for humanity. The Son chose to identify with us so much that He took on flesh. His name would be Emmanuel - GOD WITH US. Of course, we know the rest of the story. History reveals to us the life that He would live, the ministry He would perform, and the rejection that would be poured out upon Him. The Godhead knew all of this in the beginning. They stuck to the plan. The rejection of man would not stop the reconciliation of the Father. Emmanuel came to be a Redeemer. He came to Rescue. He came to Restore. "You will call Him Jesus because He will save His people from their sins." All of this wrapped up in the birth of a baby. All of this is what we celebrate this time of year.

Is it any wonder that the angel proclaimed, "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to ALL PEOPLE..."? The dawning of this new age meant and end to old one. It ushered in a greater existence. It reminded us, once again, of what had been lost. Our misunderstandings of the nature of the Father would be replaced with the awe inspiring knowledge of His love. His affection for His creation would be on full display. The blind would see. The lame would walk. Broken hearts would be mended. The prisoners & captives would go free. What I fully knew within my spirit as a child, what I sang about with all my might, & what I am now re-learning as an adult is that all is right in the world as it relates to the Father. The Lord has come & we will never be the same.

It is my prayer for you, that in the remaining 13 days you will be swept away in these thoughts. May your heart be forever persuaded about the love of the Father. May you be reminded that in the hustle & bustle of the season, that almost 2,000 years ago, PEACE arrived. Reflect upon His goodness. See the heart of the Father for you & all of mankind. REJOICE!!! THE LORD HAS COME!!!

Speaking the Truth in Love

In Ephesians 4, we hear the Apostle Paul encouraging the believers to "speak the truth in love." His words fit nicely into the remainder of the conversation. Unfortunately, as with many verses in the Bible, this phrase is often handled out of context & not within the writer's original intent. To speak the truth in love is not an excuse for criticism or condemnation. Speaking the truth in love is meant to propel each of us to see the fullness of God manifest in our lives.

To fully understand Paul's words, one must understand the backdrop of his letter. The greatest distractions from the truth that was found in Christ in those days were Legalism & Gnosticism. Legalism required a strict adherence to the Mosaic Law, along with faith, as a means of righteousness. Gnosticism, on the other hand, did not believe that the fullness of God could be manifest in a human body. This is why they rejected the idea that the Christ could be fully human & fully God. If you pay careful attention to these two different philosophies, you will discover at least one similarity: being human isn't good enough.

The reality is that within humanity we discover God's image & God's likeness. To be sure, that image & likeness is often shrouded with fear, cloaked in hate, muddied in the consequences of our choices, or even flat out rejected. However, image & likeness is still within the DNA of every individual. This is what Christ came to rescue, to redeem, & to recover. In order to rid the world of the notion of separation, He took on flesh. He became one of us. He demonstrated that the fullness of God could be manifest in our humanity. Not only was it manifest in His humanity, but also on display in the motley crew that followed Him. His teaching also pointed to a greater truth about the nature of our Father. In His death, He broke down the middle wall of separation (which was the Law), buried the old creation of Adam, and birthed a new creation within Himself in His resurrection. His ascension to the right hand of the Father, fully human & fully God, ensured that humanity was brought back to its rightful place. The Good News of the Gospel is the proclamation of this truth.

What does all of this have to do with "speaking the truth in love"? EVERYTHING!!!

Speaking the truth in love requires that I know the truth & that I am willing to see the truth in others. The way that I view people is no longer dictated by the rules of legalism. It's no longer clouded by the ideas of Gnosticism. I regard NO ONE according to the flesh. Instead, I choose to see people in image & likeness. The truth about them & myself is not rooted in our actions. The truth is rooted firmly within the finished work of Christ. If I choose to point out bad behavior, I do so from the place of seeing the truth manifest in the life of a person. It's not enough to tell someone what they are doing wrong. That's criticism. It's not enough to label someone with a particular sin. That's condemnation. In Christ, I have an obligation to dig deeper, to look deeper, and to discover the reality of Christ within them.

Speaking the truth in love also means that I am willing to walk with the individual until we see the truth manifest. This is what love does. Think about it. Jesus walked with His disciples for 3 - 3 1/2 years and they still struggled. What makes us think that just because a person prays a prayer, or commits to following Christ, that their lives are going to be perfect? The men & women who walked intimately with the TRUTH still fought against selfish gain, pride, walking in love, etc. The goal is being conformed to His image & the process is life. It's going to take time. This is why love is attached to the statement. Speaking the truth is not enough. Love is required to see the truth come to the surface.

You have to look back at Paul's letter to understand why this is important. It's done so that we can all "grow up in all aspects into Him who is the Head." The point of speaking the truth in love is so that we can all attain to the fullness that is Christ. It's a fullness that is ours, but it's in relationship that it is allowed to come forth. In Christ we discover a life that is connected with our brothers & sisters - those image & likeness bearers that often fail & often forget. It's also a reminder as to why KOINONIA is necessary. Our shared life together & our joint participation is crucial in seeing every person rise up to their potential. All of our gifts, everything that He has placed within us, work together so that He is fully manifest.

Too many people have believed that speaking the truth in love means pointing out what is wrong in the world. It's labeled as "calling sin, sin" and has been used to accuse, judge, and condemn. Without realizing it, the church is often partnering with the accuser of the brethren & agreeing with the lies that are evident in the lives of people who don't know who they are. The issue that I take with this is that you never see it in the ministry of Christ or the Apostles. The ministry of reconciliation tells people what God has done to reconcile humanity to Himself (and they have been reconciled) and it also points to the reality that they don't have to live life outside of it anymore. To label a particular group & bring down condemnation upon them actually further entrenches them in that lifestyle. It's the goodness of God that leads people to think & live differently (repentance), not any judgement that you might bring upon them.

I believe that it's high time for the church to recapture the view of humanity that our Father possesses. A humanity created in image & likeness. A humanity that is loved. A humanity that is not meant for condemnation but salvation. A humanity that finds its living, moving, & being in Him. A humanity that is still the object of His affection, the greatest means of filling the earth with His glory, and the inheritance of Christ. Speaking the truth in love calls out a greater reality than our current way of life. It also speaks to the depths of our existence. We know we were made for more. The truth in love creates an environment where we see this reality, this fullness, come to fruition. "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is..." (1 John 3:2) "...as He is so also are we in this world." (1 John 4:17). WAKE UP my Brothers & Sisters!!! There is more to you than you realize.

Returning to Child Likeness

Several years ago I read an interesting fact. It was stated that when churches would hold a "Favorite Hymn Sunday" that the most requested song is "Jesus Loves Me." The amazing part was that the song was not requested by the children but by the senior adults. That's right! The elder members of the congregation chose to sing one of the first songs they ever learned in church. I believe there is something to learn here.

When Jesus walked upon the Earth, He praised His Father for revealing things to the children. It wasn't the intellectuals, the scholars, or the theologians that grasped the simplicity of what God was doing in their time. It was the unlearned. It was the uneducated. It was the ones who seemed to be so far away from God who received the message of God's grace. Maybe it's time we do the same.

I have a friend in ministry who is on staff at a particular church. When the opportunity arises for him to share with the congregation, He always shares messages about the unconditional love of God & our acceptance in Christ. Without fail, the older ones in that church come to him & thank him for preaching the truth. Some have even said things like, "This is something that I always knew was true in my heart but had never heard from the pulpit." Please pay careful attention to those words. They reveal something deep inside of you.

Think about it. If you grew up in church, then as a small child you heard the story of creation. You were brought to an understanding that God created the world, you, & everything in it. You were told that God loved you. You might have even made a paper crown that said "Child of the King." And then you were taught the words & tune to "Jesus Loves Me." Oh, how you would smile when you sang that song. You would throw your head back, stick out your chest, and sing with all your might the words "Jesus loves me this I know. For the Bible tells me so..." This song, as simple as it is, resonates within your spirit. You didn't realize it at that moment, but God was establishing something in you.

So what happened? How is it that so many people who are raised with this awareness lose the idea of God's love? It's quite simple actually. We lose it in complexity. We lose it in theology. We lose it within the ideas of works based faith. We lose it within our doctrines & our religion. It's still there. Still burning deep within you. However, we get swept away with so many other things. I find it interesting that what we teach kids about a loving God and His acceptance of them is considered right/proper, but when you try to teach these things to adults it's considered wrong (at best) or heretical (at worst). No one seems to have an answer as to why.

Where am I going with this? It's simple really. The more seasoned saints within our midst understand what I'm getting ready to point out. The older you get, the more eager you are to think upon the things that bring comfort. You are less confident about your ability to sustain the love that God has for you. You are old enough to know better. You have tried to jump through all the hoops & in the end there is one thing you are relying upon: the love that God has for you. That's why the first song you learned in church stirs your heart. There are no expectations. No religious hoops to jump through. No laws, rules, or traditions. All you know is that Jesus loves you. Why? Because the Bible tells you so. And that assurance is enough.

What if you were never taught fear?
It's the fear within so many that has questioned the simplicity of the Gospel.
The result has been a presentation that has mingled Grace with Works, Love with Fear, & Acceptance with Separation.
What has been lost is the simplicity of why Jesus came: to Redeem, to Rescue, & to Recover a lost humanity.
The Gospel has been reduced to the idea that you can accept Jesus. It has missed out on the incredibly GOOD NEWS that He has accepted us. Jesus said it Himself, "God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."

During this Holiday season, I want you to reflect upon the goodness of God. I want you to see the coming of the Messiah through the lens of God's love. This is a time of "GOOD TIDINGS of GREAT JOY which shall be to ALL PEOPLE..." What God has accomplished in Christ is so much greater than what many of us have believed. He, who is our life, came to give us life abundantly. Don't miss it. The Messiah has done what He came to do. Our belief in Him doesn't make it true, it simply allows us to experience all that He has done. That may sound too simple, but my encouragement to you is to return to child likeness. Return to what you already knew was true in your heart. YOU. ARE. LOVED.