The Beauty of Knowing Who You Are

Sonship - relationship of Son To Father.

As we bring this week to a close, I want you to consider the beauty of knowing who you are. The Spirit of adoption that lives inside of us continually cries out "Abba, Father." Always guiding us in relationship. Always bringing our true identity to the surface. Always leading us in triumphal procession. The more we allow this to take root in our lives, our walk with God looks different. The confidence we carry, the awe that we experience, and the joy that we live in is remarkable. It's a wonderful thing.

As I opened the Bible app on my phone this morning, I was greeted with Galatians 5:1, "It was for freedom that Christ set us free, therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." This is one of my favorite verses in all of Scripture. Today, I heard it just a little different. The Father wanted me to hear it from the perspective of a son.

You see, sons know the difference between servanthood and slavery. They know the difference between Lordship and dictatorship. It's called relationship. They know God as Father, and there is nothing that can be said or done to change that perception. They see themselves in relationship. Not outside looking in. Not wondering what it would be like to have intimacy. They recognize they have been invited to participate in the Trinitarian life. Blessed to be a part of the union.

Fear leads to bondage. Those who live in fear have not been made perfect in love. Scripture is very clear on this. We are called to live as sons because of the Spirit of adoption that dwells inside of us. It's not a spirit that pulls us back into fear. It's not a spirit that wants us to live in bondage. The Holy Spirit relates to the Father in the same way that Jesus related to Him. And we have been invited to participate.

Therefore, stand firm in your sonship. You don't have to submit to someone's misunderstandings about the nature of God. You can honor them, but you never have to surrender your privileges. You don't have to jump through their hoops, follow their traditions and rituals, or fall into their line of thinking. Honor them. Please honor them and where they are. But never forget who you are. Never lose sight of who you are becoming.

Standing firm is the work of grace in your life. You don't do this on your own. The grace of God gives you the confidence to live as a son of your Heavenly Father. You are not a hired servant. You are more than a bond-slave. John said, "Behold what manner of love we have been given that we should be called children of God." Don't underestimate your place in His heart. Enjoy the beauty of knowing who you are in Christ.

Have a wonderful weekend. Talk to you soon.

If You Are Going Through Hell...

Hopefully you have enjoyed the preview of the book I have been working on. "The Day I Stopped Trying" has taken quite a bit more time than I anticipated. There's grace for that. I hope to finalize the draft soon. Thank you for the encouragement to make this dream a reality.

As I was thinking about what I could share today, I was reminded of something I shared with our local high school football team. They have struggled this season. Still winless. A tough schedule ahead of them. And this quote came to mind. "If you are going through hell, keep going." I think this is exactly what the grace of God says to each one of us. Don't Stop! Don't Quit! Don't Give Up! There is more inside of you than you realize. There is no need to bow out now. Fight the good fight. Keep the faith.

One of the reasons people give up is because they only see how far they have to go. They fail to see how far they have come. As I said yesterday, this is a marathon not a sprint. There are some things in life that take time. The question remains if we will endure the process. When it comes to a difficult season in sports, it's hard to say when that first win will come. If you give up before the season is over, you may never experience the thrill of victory. When it comes to life, I cannot point to a mile marker. I cannot give you a predetermined place of success. All I can say is that if you stop reaching forward you will only experience what is in your present circumstances.

The Bible has a lot to say about the intestinal fortitude we need to keep going. Thankfully, this isn't done in our own power. The Lord has provided everything we need to keep going. To keep abounding in the work of the Lord. Think about these statements:
"Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding..."
"In the world you will have tribulation. Be of good cheer. I have overcome..."
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Paul said this after talking about being hungry and full, having plenty and lacking)
"Let us not grow weary in well doing. We will reap if we do not faint."
"He who began a good work in you will complete it..."
"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial..."
So much encouragement. So many reasons to never give up. Plenty of truth for the grace of God to bring to life in you. Just keep going.

I realize it can be tough. I understand that people will often let you down. Especially when you have determined in your heart to remain faithful to what God has placed within you. Some will reject you. Some will despise you. Is that any different than what Jesus experienced? Despised and rejected by men, He endured. Facing the execution tree, He gave Himself. The Bible actually tells us to consider all that He went through so that we do not lose heart. It was the joy set before Him that kept Him moving forward. Even in the face of death, He embraced the process. Believing that what He was doing would make a difference in the world.

The resurrection of Jesus from the dead gives us incredible hope. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives inside of you. What can He not resurrect? In what area of life can He not give hope? What could you possibly go through that He would not be able to overcome? You have to remain confident in Him. You have to trust that He is with you and will never forsake you. You have to believe that He's got this.

The world is full of people who gave up somewhere along the way. They allowed their circumstances to win. They tried the faith thing and it just didn't work out. I'm not questioning their hearts or their motives. I'm simply asking the question, "What if?" What if they would have allowed the grace of God to carry them through? What if they, like Paul, determined that the suffering of this present time is not worthy to be compared with the glory that would be revealed in them? I often wonder how close some people were to realizing their dreams before they gave up. If we could stand back and see from the Father's perspective - hear His voice - look at the timeline of life - what would we see. Some of them could have been days, weeks, or months away from what they hoped for. If they only kept moving forward.

This isn't easy. I get it. We just finished a race with our Cross Country team that taught me a lot about determination. The course was brutal. Most of the final times were at least 2 minutes off of a standard course. I'm not even sure that it would be considered a legal course under VHSL standards. The grades were long and steep. Footing was questionable in some places. As I stood at the 1 mile mark, I could see the agony in their faces. Just to get to this point required a lot of work. I told our top runner that he needed to be a warhorse rather than a racehorse. This one would be a battle. As they started the descent into the 2 mile portion of the race, I knew they had to loop back around to where I was standing. I decided to stay. They would need encouragement back up the hill. Some of the guys had to walk portions of that hill but they never gave up. I kept reminding them that the other side of the hill looks better. The finish line wan't far away and the majority of it was downhill. They gave me their best. Determined to never stop.

Several years ago I read the classic "Pilgrim's Progress." There is a scene in the book called the last difficulties. Christian (the main character) and Hopeful can see the Gate of the city. Between them is a river that must be crossed. Wading through the river would prove to be difficult. Christian, in particular, actually believes he will drown in the waters before entering the city. His faith was waning. The difficulty seemed too great. In that moment, Hopeful cries out, "Be of good cheer, my brother; I feel the bottom, and it is good." I love this statement. I feel the life that it produces. I feel the bottom and it is good. Oh, how we need the Hopefuls that will encourage us to keep going. The ones who, even if we are going through Hell, will let us know that it is just a season. That there is a place on the other side for us. Just Don't Quit! Keep Going! Don't Give Up!

"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy..." [Jude 1:24] If you are going through Hell, KEEP GOING. There's grace for this.

Preview 8 - "The Day I Stopped Trying"

I type out this blog post the day after doing some mechanical work on my daughter's car. Nothing too serious. I replaces a thermostat. Simple. Right?!? It's been years since I've done this. Like any well-intentioned Father, I looked it up on You Tube. I mean...anything you need to know how to do is on You Tube. Right? Anyway, I got it done. Sort of. Got the heater to working, but could not get the car to stop leaking anti-freeze. I called a friend who is a little more experienced in mechanics than I am. He checked over my work by taking it apart and putting it back together. Same problem. When I called for an update he said, "The good news is that it's not the gasket. The bad news is that the housing is cracked." Long story short, we got it fixed. All is right in the world.

This little event got me to thinking. (Imagine that!) I had the knowledge that I needed to fix the problem. She needed a new thermostat. With all of my effort, I took this knowledge and put it to work. And I sort of fixed the problem. Sort of. If it wasn't for a good friend, I would have spent hundreds of dollars on a mechanic. I needed someone who could look for things I couldn't see. Someone who could get to the root of the problem. Someone with experience.

The whole purpose of this book is not to say that I have all the answers. It's not to simply share with you my knowledge of the grace of God. No, this book is meant to share with you my experience of grace. To show you what life can look like with grace on the front end, rather than needing the grace on the back end. It's meant to change your focus. To understand that grace is meant to empower you, supply your needs, and keep you moving forward in life. Grace is more than just a clean-up crew. Grace is a game changer.

Knowledge isn't enough. It's one thing to know about the grace of God, and quite another to experience His grace in everyday life. There's grace for the mundane, and Grace for the extravagant. Grace for the little things, and Grace for the big stuff. I believe that it is our Father's intention to ensure that you have everything you need for life and godliness. In fact, He has already provided it. But knowing this is not enough. Repeating a bunch of verses will not suffice. At some point we have to put some skin in the game. We have to take action on what we believe. We have to trust the heart of our Father.

The Ability to Endure Hardships
The Apostle Paul discovered the grace of God in his weakness. So much so, that he was willing to boast of his weaknesses. What did he find? He found the strength to keep moving forward. He found the ability to overcome the thorn in the flesh. Rather than seeing the thorn removed, he was able to endure. This is what we find in the grace of God. Not a retreat, but an advancement into a greater existence. Power, life, perseverance, are in full supply.

The Ability to Overcome Temptation
"God will, with each temptation, make a way of escape."
Here's what you need to KNOW: Every temptation comes with an escape route.
This is not the same as enduring hardships. Those we press through. When it comes to temptation, there is a way to not be overtaken. When you settle in your mind and heart that every time you are tempted there is a way of escape, the grace of God will show you the way. While He never forces you, He will guide you. You just need to recognize it. You need to see it. You need to act upon it.

The Ability to Be Victorious
I saw one of those "cute" little church signs the other day that talked about exercise. "Walk with God and run from satan." I find it interesting that we are never told to run. Scripture tells us to resist. This is how grace works.
"Submit to God" - this is the whole of your being committed to Him. This is your thought life and your actions coming under His Lordship.
"Resist the devil" - rather than run, you stand fast. There's grace for this. Remember, you are fighting a defeated foe.
"He will flee" - in the grace of God, you don't run. He does.
Remember the words of John, "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world." Greatness does not run.

The Ability to Get the Most Out of Life
Peter said that it is His divine power that has given us everything for life and godliness.
Jesus told his followers that they would experience abundant life.
The grace of God does not assure us green meadows, rainbows, and unicorns. However, it does assure us of the presence and power of the Lord in our lives. As we get acclimated to this way of life, we discover that consistency is the norm. We continually find ourselves living out of our identity in Christ.

One Final Word
I have heard people say, "Well...I have tried that and it didn't work." It's amazing to me that these same people fall right back into the vicious cycle of self-empowerment. Believing that they can do it in their own strength. It's this approach that makes the grace of God of no affect in our lives. I'm not saying that you will be perfect. I'm not saying that even with a grace mindset that you will get it right 100% of the time. What I am saying is that every time you trust in the grace of God for you, you will experience the grace of God in you. He never fails. What we often don't see are the cracks in the housing. The areas of our life that knowledge alone could not reveal. The places where self-doubt, self-hatred, and insecurity have held us back. This is where the Holy Spirit does His greatest work. As He continues to speak to you concerning your identity, He also gives you the ability to believe fully in the finished work of Christ in you that is waiting to be revealed. You are in a process of being conformed into the image of Christ. A journey. A lifetime filled with learning, discovery, and realization. This doesn't happen overnight. This is a marathon not a sprint. This is not microwave Christianity. Like many of the great things in life, it takes time.

There is grace for the journey. Enjoy every minute.

Preview 7: "The Day I Stopped Trying"

Rather than give you a straight up preview, I want to summarize the next couple of chapters in the post for today. This will also make up for me missing yesterday. I share about some things that are completely personal for me, but I do believe that it is applicable regardless of your vocation or station in life. We exert so much energy and focus on our jobs and dreams that we sometimes forget that there is grace available. This is where resting in Him is so important.

Psalm 127:1 is considered a song of ascents. In other words, this is what the children of Israel would sing on the way to the Temple. While the words are familiar to most believers, I wonder if the mindset has taken root in our lives. "Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain." What this psalm is not suggesting is that you kick back and do nothing. Instead what this song of ascent does is it forces us to focus on the power and presence of the Lord among us.

In the two chapters of the book that I am summarizing today, I deal with two areas that are very personal. Preaching and building the church. The reason I use Psalm 127 is to help each preacher and pastor to regain their focus. So often we become consumed by what we are doing. We look into the latest models of church success. We catch onto the popular pastor threads and books and use their materials. We try to do an awful lot of stuff that works for others. All in an attempt to advance the Kingdom, build the church, and make a difference.

Thankfully, the Lord knows our hearts. He knows that we want to make a difference. He also knows that we have missed out on the grace He provides to do just that.

Jesus said, "I will build My church..." This tells me that He has this under control. He has laid the foundation, He has provided the laborers, and He will finish the job. We simply partner with Him. When we learn how to rest in our identity, and become secure in this relationship, we will discover that it's not about what we do. It's about who we are in Him and how we partner with what He is already doing.

Henry Blackaby made it so simple in the study "Experiencing God." He said, "Find out what God is doing and join Him." In that one little statement, the Lord brought incredible freedom into my life. I used to be consumed with trying to figure out what I needed to be doing. I placed so much emphasis on my performance. If the church was faltering, it had to be my fault. If we weren't reaching people, I must have been doing something wrong. While there can be some truth to those statements, it is only tied to my unwillingness to partner with the Spirit of God.

How do we find out what God is doing? How do we discover His will in the mist of all of this?

I think the problem is found in the last question and how we apply it. The will of God is not necessarily some THING. The will of God is something that is proved in your life. You discover the will of God within yourself. His will is attached to you. Therefore, it is very important that you learn how to do from your being. And this is where the grace of God comes in. His grace will supply everything you need. In fact, it already has.

While I spend a couple of chapters dealing with "church stuff." I think it's important for us to understand that this applies to every area of life. Keeping our focus on the Lord, and recognizing His ability at work in our lives, is an incredible blueprint for business, family, and relationships. Think about it. Paul said that what ever we do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord. Even the way that we serve is to be done as unto the Lord. When Jesus becomes the center of attention, then everything will center upon His activity in us.

It is time for us to stop treating the will of God like it is some bulls-eye that we have to it. We need to reconcile within our thinking that we are His will in the Earth. This is what He wanted. Image bearers that would carry His likeness. Although we would all do it through different avenues, the reality of His Kingdom can be found everywhere. You can see His Kingdom in a small business, coaching a team, within our law enforcement, and in the home. It's not about trying to do the will of God as it is becoming the will of God where we live and work.

There is grace to stop trying and to start being. Enjoy the journey!

Preview 6 - "The Day I Stopped Trying"

The hardest part about previewing a book is not wanting to give away too much, but also wanting to present coherent thought. I've always hated going to a movie and realizing that all the best parts were in the trailers. The struggle is real. However, I do hope that what I have shared thus far has been helpful and useful in your life. I also hope that it has stirred up something within you to go deeper into His grace. This is the change you have longed to experience. The life you have believed possible.

I actually believed at one point in my life that part of my calling was to change people. The whole point of sharing my faith, preaching, teaching, and making disciples was meant to make people more like me. Now before you think that sounds egotistical (although it is), is that not the reason we want most people to change? I mean, if they were more like us, the world would be a better place. Right?

The “need” to change people is associated with the “need” to control people. What we don’t realize is that this need is tied directly to our own insecurities. Hopefully, we are dealing with that. Hopefully, we are learning how to be secure in our identity. Hopefully, we are learning to trust in the Father’s heart for us. Therefore, the "need" to control and change others needs to leave.

Here’s something we have to understand: We cannot control people. On your best day, the only person YOU can control is yourself.

The need to control others is a learned behavior. We typically learn it first in the home. Depending on the amount of fear that was the foundation for your parents/guardians determines the amount of control you experienced. Rather than shape you into the man or woman you were to become, they desperately wanted to change you into their own image. A safe image. One that they could handle. Rather than create boundaries they built walls. Rather than provide freedom with responsibility, they chose the path of least resistance (or so they thought). It doesn’t mean that your parents did not love you, or that they did not have a heart for you, it just means that they didn’t know how to handle the things they feared.

Remember, this was a learned behavior for them as well. And even though they fear that you will make the same mistakes they did growing up in this environment, they unknowingly create the same one. Shaping children is no different than making disciples. It takes time, strong relationships, communication, and trust. We have to believe that our kids will learn how to carry and protect our hearts.

The need to control was then reinforced when we entered the school setting. I mean, who doesn’t feel the need to control hundreds of kids? Zero tolerance rules, standards of learning, etc., all played into how we learned the need to control so well. We stopped seeing the individual, forgot what it meant to connect with each person, and generally believed that everyone would thrive through the same approach.

The real kicker in all of this was when we discovered that the church often utilized the same approach. Fear based theology that only reinforced our need to control others. We became consumed with uniformity rather than unity. It starts with the need to control behavior, and moves to the way we think. Even though many people struggle within this environment, we protect the facade. We wear the masks. And we dare not allow anyone to think outside of our boxes. The reality is that freedom scares us. I have often wondered how people would handle "church" if they discovered the freedom they have in Christ. What if we removed fear and the need to control? What if the Body of Christ was made up of people who were absolutely secure in their identity?

Many schools are catching on. Slowly.
Many parents are beginning to learn different approaches to parenting. Painfully.
Some churches are starting to change their structure. Reluctantly.
But progress is being made. And for that I am thankful.

You may be wondering how grace plays into any of this. What does grace have to do with our need to change people? Simple. Grace empowers you to be the best you. YOU don’t need people to change. YOU don’t need to control the behavior and response of others. YOU simply need to keep YOU in check. That’s where grace comes in.

How does someone who is the righteousness of God in Christ respond to situations?
How does one who has everything he needs for life and godliness deal with unwanted behavior?
How does an overcomer deal with obstacles in relationships?
These are all questions that we have to answer. If we don’t, then we will be left with the best we can do based upon how we see ourselves.

Your identity in Christ is meant to give you incredible security. However, it also provides you with an incredible foundation for how you live. KNOWING that you are a son of your Heavenly Father means that you have His attributes at your disposal. KNOWING that He has provided everything you need for life and godliness means that you have access to the nature of Christ because it is in you. Life is no longer ruled by our feelings but fueled by our faith in what He has done.

Therefore, I don’t need to change anyone. I simply give them the best of me. I don’t need to hide. I learn how to shine. I don’t need to run away from them. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. It’s a process to be sure, but I have learned that the greatest amount of discipline we have to evoke is in the area of our thought life. Catching every thought to the obedience of Christ means that I don’t hang onto any thought about myself that did not originate in the heart of the Father. It also means that the way I think about others originates in His heart as well.

The day I stopped trying to change others was the day that I realized I only had the power within me to change myself. The fruit of the Spirit is self-control, not control of others. By the grace of God I can give my best in every situation and relationship. I don't need to change people or control them. I'm learning how to handle myself. Which is a journey in and of itself.

There is grace for this.

Preview 5: "The Day I Stopped Trying"

This chapter deals with a scary subject for the common Christian. Witnessing. You want to see absolute fear set in on a Wednesday night Bible study? Tell them to close their Bibles and tablets because you are going to hit the streets with the Gospel. The reason, I believe, that most people fear verbally sharing the Gospel is because of the way we (the church) have presented this to them. Although the grace of God is completely ready to empower us to do all things for the sake of the Kingdom, many have failed to recognize the potential dwelling inside of them. Not only that, we are asking people to share in ways that are uncomfortable. Here's how I stopped trying to witness.

I will try to handle this subject as delicately as possible. I know a lot of wonderful people who have dedicated their lives to sharing the gospel. They are true evangelists (in the biblical sense of the word), and I want to be sure they know, along with you, that I honor their ministry. What I want to address in this chapter is the concept about witnessing that is often brought out in sermons, books, and workshops. The idea that you are not who you should be if you are not sharing the gospel verbally with someone every day.

If that last statement sounds strong…good. I want to make sure that you understand that your value in life is not tied to anything you do or do not do. Your value is directly tied to who you are in Christ. What I would love for you to take away from all of this, as it relates to being a witness, is that sharing your life with unbelievers is a powerful form of sharing the faith.

Over the years, I have studied various witnessing programs. I looked into the concepts, memorized the diagnostic questions, and stocked up on the best tracts. I have used the various methods, taught classes on them, and even did the door-to-door programs. What I discovered is that you can get “decisions for Christ” through all of them. So I’m not here to tell you to not share your faith. On the contrary, I believe sharing our faith with others is a part of what it means to be a believer. I just want to help alleviate some of the pressure.

A strong witness to the faith is not just the one who stands preaching on a street corner, goes door-to-door, leaves tracts on a urinal in the bathroom, or turns every conversation into an opportunity for someone to accept Christ. I believe that a strong witness is someone who lives out their faith on a day to day basis. They are consistent in their love for all people. They are compassionate, caring, and steadfast in their relationships. They forgive quickly, and are merciful. They treat others the way they want to be treated. There is a lot to be said about the witnesses I have come across in my life who never shared with me personally, but loved me relentlessly.

I came to the faith through the love of a pastor. He reached out to me in a way that I had never experienced. He talked with me about life, family, and relationships. He gave took me out to eat, gave me a Bible, and showed incredible interest in my life. He captured my heart. While I heard him preach many times, in our personal encounters he never felt the need to ask me to accept Jesus every time we were together. He just loved me. And it was through that love that I came to know the Lord personally.

I learned a lot from that experience. He didn’t have to verbally share the Gospel when we were together. His life was a living epistle to me. His concern for me was the very concern of my Heavenly Father. His invitation to do life together became an open door for me to experience the love of God. I will be forever grateful for this man’s impact upon my life, ministry, and family.

One of the biggest issues that I have regarding the way many people handle this area of our faith (along with other areas) is the amount of pressure that gets applied. Making people feel inadequate. Shaming them. Even causing them to question the legitimacy of their relationship with the Lord because they are not doing things the way they think they should be done. I’m here to say that witnessing for the Lord has more to do with your lifestyle than your conversations. While there are definitely times where we should communicate the Gospel, there are more times where we should simply live out the reality of the Gospel.

An unknown author penned these words: “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.” While this quote has often been attributed to Saint Francis, there is no proof that he actually made this statement. However, I do believe this quote to be something we should consider. Jesus taught that we should do our works in such a way as to glorify God in Heaven. I would like to say that just like my experience, the grace of God at work in our lives will empower us to create a platform for the Gospel to come to rest in the hearts of others.

Regardless of how you do it, witnessing needs to come from a place of relationship. Relationship with the Father. Relationship with others. While the Lord often provides us with opportunities to share the Gospel with people we don’t know, the majority of our time is spent with people we actually know. It’s moments like this where we need to figure out the best way to communicate the Good News. This is when our approach needs to become personal. When we need to remove the guilt ridden approach to witnessing and embrace a Gospel lifestyle. Jesus was known as a “friend of sinners and tax collectors.” His life was available to the outcast. He shared the Truth (Himself) through communication, dining with them, and living among them. They heard and visibly witnessed the Gospel before them.

The Kingdom of God, according to Paul, is a matter of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. He also taught that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. When we start putting all of this together in our thinking, we can envision a Gospel lifestyle. A way of life that points people to the reality of the Father. Think about it this way: WHO YOU ARE can become a platform for people to experience the reality of WHAT YOU BELIEVE. How you carry yourself in life points people to the reality of the Gospel.

This is why we need grace. This is why understanding grace as the divine enablement of God is so important. It’s where the Lord moves us beyond carrying something to actually becoming someone. In the same way that God is love, His Spirit is at work in our lives so that we are love as well. Where we embody who He is in our lives. Where we take seriously the words of John to the early church: “As He is, so are we in this world.” There’s grace for this.

The grace of God empowers you to do it all with the right motive, from the right mindset, and with the right heart. If it is your desire to be a witness for the Lord, then the grace of God will empower you to BE just that. Once again: the emphasis is not on the doing but the being. What the Lord does through you is what He has first created in you.

Preview 4 - "The Day I Stopped Trying"

The chapter we are going to preview today is what I like to call the practical chapter. This one provides specific areas of practice that are conducive to growth. I share them simply because some people need something they can gauge. We like steps, procedures, and plans. We need a place to start. This chapter will provide just that. Remember that grace is an area of life where you can grow. Peter instructed the church to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We cannot leave this to chance.

I wonder how many kids feel pressured to grow. What about flowers? Do you think they feel pressured to grow? Isn’t growth supposed to be natural and normal? Then why is that not true in the church? Why do we approach growth from a standpoint of something that we have to make happen? Why is it that we are never taught to rest in the grace of God and that growth will be the overflow of that relationship?

I have formed my own opinions to answer these questions. I have no plans to share them with you here but rather to let you in on why I stopped trying to grow. That’s right!!! I stopped trying to grow and allowed growth to become the natural process that God designed it to be. I am not saying that I stopped learning. In fact, learning is a part of the natural process. It just means that I realized that growth occurs in the right environment.

Have you ever planted a garden that failed? Put flowers or a plant in a pot only to watch them die? What you discovered is that something wasn’t right. Whether it was a soil issue, lack of sunlight/water, or some other condition – the reason the garden failed or the plant did not grow is because something prevented the growth.

When you and I understand that our heart is the soil, then we can begin the process of ensuring it has everything needed for growth. We will spend less time trying to grow and more time enriching the soil of our heart. This comes through the relationship with God. It’s amazing how much growth can occur naturally simply because of our fellowship with Him.

When my heart is established in the grace of God then growth is as natural as breathing. Establishing my heart comes through things like worship, Bible reading, prayer, meditation, and fellowship with others. I’m no longer forcing things into my life trying to produce growth. I’m simply cultivating the soil, and allowing the Lord to bring the increase.

WORSHIP
Worship is one of the most misunderstood aspects of our faith. It is not a program, it is not a performance, and it is not a prelude to something. Worship is a natural part of life. Singing, dancing, shouting, kneeling, etc. should be normal. Worship is also a way in which we shift our focus. Turning our attention fully to the person and presence of God.

Worship places the Father exactly where He needs to be in our thinking. It also allows us to place ourselves exactly where we need to be. He is enthroned upon our praises, and we are accepted before Him. He is lifted up, and we are able to see ourselves seated in Heavenly places with Him. Worship is not about gaining acceptance. It’s a recognition of our acceptance in the beloved. An opportunity to gather around His presence. Ultimately realizing that we are His temple.

BIBLE READING
In case you haven’t figured it out, I’m not a legalist. I’m not one of those guys who will condemn you for not reading the Bible on a daily basis. However, I would ask this question: Why not?

The Bible is incredibly valuable to our personal growth. It allows us to see the unfolding of the redemption story. It gives us insight into the grace of God that we are experiencing. It reveals to us the struggles of the Early Church, and how they chose to live in the present age. The Scriptures are profitable for doctrine, correction, reproof, and instruction in righteousness. To neglect the Bible is to miss out on Truth that has stood the test of time. It also leads to missing out on the person that is revealed within the pages: Jesus – the living Word of God.

The Holy Spirit is committed to bringing to remembrance the things that Jesus has spoken. Much of what Jesus has spoken is found within these pages. Why would we miss out on this? Why would we not commit Scripture to memory? Within the history, poetry, gospels, and letters of this book is a language that the Holy Spirit will often use to communicate with our hearts.

PRAYER
It should go without saying that prayer is one of the most vital connections we have with our Father. It is communion on one of the most intimate levels. Mishandling prayer, viewing it primarily as a means to bring our lists before the Father, causes us to miss out on the beauty of this relationship.

I don’t know too many relationships that thrive when they are one sided. Communication is more than talking. Just ask your spouse. Communication also requires listening. How many of us have taken time to hear from the Lord in prayer, rather than just give Him our lists?

This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t share your prayer lists. It doesn’t mean that you cannot ask God for things. In fact, Jesus encourages us to ask with the full understanding that the Father knows the things that we need. However, prayer is also a time of seeking and knocking. A time of going deeper. A time of intimacy. What you don’t want prayer to become is a benchmark of spirituality. Simply allow it to become a time where the Lord can water, fertilize, and bring you into the light.

MEDITATION
This is one of the lost disciplines within the Christian faith. So lost that we don’t even realize we do it. I find that there are a lot of believers who meditate. They just tend to meditate on the wrong things. Consumed with negative thoughts, worries, and self-hatred; the average believer is drowning in emotional turmoil. And much of it is self-inflicted. Imagine what could happen in your heart if you meditated on the goodness of God? Imagine thinking over and over again about your identity in Christ. What if your time in meditation was spent pouring over testimonies of His love and power in your life? Think it would make a difference?

I have more to say about this in the book. Meditation is crucial to establishing your heart and renewing your mind. What the Lord does in our lives, He does inside of us. Give Him this time. You will be amazed at the results.

FELLOWSHIP WITH OTHERS
Sharing life with other believers is what I like to call the greatest form of discipleship. This is where we learn to do life, love people, forgive, and build up one another. Fellowship is necessary for growth.

Fellowship comes to us from the Greek word Koinonia. It describes the shared life, joint participation, and communion of the Early Church. This is what is described in the book of Acts and the culture that was created among the new believers. Here they had all things in common. They recognized the necessity of this community. They would grow together. They would learn what it means to live in honor. They would discover the very life of Jesus among them.

Fellowship is more than a potluck meal. It’s more than just hanging out. Fellowship (koinonia) is the heartbeat of family. While there is much to be said about fellowship with others, I would simply encourage you to find community with other believers. Spend time with those who are growing in their understanding of the Lord. So much can be lost in isolation, and yet so much to be gained from being a part of the family.

IN CLOSING
All of these areas that I’ve mentioned are simply vehicles for the grace of God to do amazing things in your life. You will grow. You will increase in your knowledge of God. But most importantly, you will experience Him.

You were created for relationship. These are all areas where that relationship can be enhanced. They are not hoops to be jumped through. View them as places of rest in the journey. Moments where you get to discover His strength, power, and love.

Enjoy.

Preview 3: "The Day I Stopped Trying"

Struggling to overcome? Maybe this chapter will help. This teaching has had the greatest impact upon my personal life. A key, if you will, to living victoriously. A discovery of God's power that is readily available. May the Lord strengthen you as well.

From my earliest years as a pre-believer to my struggling days as a young believer, the basic understanding of the grace of God that I possessed was that it meant forgiveness (or at least access to forgiveness). Never – not even once – was I told that the grace of God empowered me. It may compel me, even comfort me, but I was never given the key to my victory. I was told that I had the key, but was never told what it was or how to use it. As I have grown into this new understanding of the grace of God, it has been my mission (even my calling) to set at liberty the captives of religious thinking. I long to see the healing of the nations within the Body of Christ. The message of grace provides just that.

You no longer have to struggle with the darkness. You don’t have to wonder if you will ever be set free from the flesh. You don’t have to walk in shame. You can walk in the power of God every day of your life. Then your conversations will change. You will stop worrying whether or not you are forgiven. You will enjoy the ability that God has provided for you through the life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Christ.

The Bible gives us many descriptions of the victory we can walk in:
More than conquerors
Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world
God…gives us the victory through Christ
Christ always leads us in triumphal procession
And of course, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me

If you are anything like me then you have claimed many of those verses over and over. However, even in the claiming we have found ourselves striving and praying for something that is already ours. How is it possible that we could have something as glorious as victory and be so ignorant as to how to access it? The answer is just that – we are ignorant of it. Or we just don’t believe it.

Paul talks about this type of life in Ephesians 4:18. Describing the Gentiles he stated that they were darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to the hardness of their heart. While we may be quick to point to the unbelieving world as it relates to these words, I think if we were honest with ourselves that we would discover these words are true of us as well. In fact, much of the church that I have been exposed to is filled with unbelieving believers. They believe in Jesus but they truly struggle to believe all that He has to say about them.

You need to get a few things straight in your life. You are an overcomer. You are fully loved by God. You are victorious in Christ. If you are not experiencing this reality it may be because you are ignorant of it. Religion has kept most of humanity in a mindset that makes them less than what God created them to be. In particular, religion will say that there are two divisions of man: lost sinners and saved sinners. And while most would say this is a term that would adequately describe their lives, it would fall way short of how the Father describes us.

I have discovered that there is a reality that is true whether you listen to worldly philosophers, clinical psychologists, or Christian counselors. These men and women have come to the same conclusion: What you believe determines how you behave which determines your results. If you struggle in the area of how you believe, then you will struggle in how you behave. While most religions tend to focus on behavior first, they continue to have the same results. God wants you to change the way you think. In this way, you will be truly transformed.

As long as your definition of an overcomer is based upon your performance then you will be let down over and over again. However, if you can base your definition on the finished work of Christ then you will find the victory that God wants you to enjoy. When you realize that you are loved, accepted, and complete in Christ; everything you do will come from the place of rest. You aren't striving - you are being. AND that my friend is a totally different form of existence. Apart from grace we simply have to strive to be the best we can be. Enabling grace to work in our lives means that we get to be the best version of ourselves. Grace empowers us to overcome sin because Jesus already overcame it. Grace enables us to live abundantly because our life is hidden with Christ in God. Grace expands our understanding of God's unconditional love so that we can be settled in our relationship with Him. In essence, grace reminds us that Jesus did it all and we find it all in Him.

Here’s what you need to understand:
Grace empowers you to live the life you were created to live all along.

This life is not foreign to you. Maybe in practice, but not in reality. It’s the life that Adam & Eve lived before the Fall. They easily related to the Father. They walked with Him fully. The idea of separation was foreign to them. It wasn’t until they ate from the tree of knowledge that they began to see themselves in a different light. From that day forward, man would strive to be pleasing, to overcome every obstacle, and to do everything in their power to be like God. Those days are past. In Christ, those who were far off have been brought close. We have been redeemed, reconciled, and restored. This was His mission. This is what Jesus came to accomplish. What we are learning is how to live out our redemption, reconciliation, and restoration.

Can you believe that?
Can you trust that what Jesus did is enough?
Will you live in His victory?

The overcoming life is not something to be obtained but realized. The minute we begin to believe that there is grace for everything that we face, is the moment we will experience victory like never before. Your weakness provides a perfect opportunity for the Lord to demonstrate His strength. What does the Scriptures say? "And they have conquered him (the accuser of the brethren) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony..."

Enjoy the journey.

Preview 2 - "The Day I Stopped Trying"

I have at least one chapter in this book that is going to be difficult for some to overcome. It deals with a major mindset among many people within the church and the world. Please note that before you read this blog post that you have to understand my heart. I love the Lord, and I believe that I am fully loved by Him. I do what I do based upon His love for me. I don't believe we do things to please God, but we live in such a way that is pleasing to Him. The difference is the mindset that we carry. With that being said, enjoy the following preview.

Let’s just go ahead and deal with a major religious mindset right out of the gate. The only way that you are going to be able to embrace the truth of what I’m saying is when you are willing to rest in the unconditional love of God. Unfortunately, many people struggle to accept this truth. While many people understand the love that God possessed for the world and demonstrated openly through the giving of His son, they fail to recognize God’s unconditional love for them as an individual.

It’s easy to understand how we got to this place. Most of our relationships were not built on unconditional love. Even in the best of homes, with the best of parents, and with the best surroundings; many of us lived unaware of this concept (much less its reality). We may have been told everyday of our lives that we were loved, but due to the correction and/or instruction we received love is often reduced to something we have to earn.

This idea of love has been carried over into the Christian faith. It flows quite seamlessly throughout the fabric of our lives. It’s hard to imagine that we have created a God in our own image of love rather than allowing the Word of God (Jesus) to define Him, but that is exactly what we have done. John made it quite clear in his letter to the church that God is LOVE. It’s not something He does but who He is. It’s not just an attribute of God but the very essence of His nature. When we come to grips with the fact that GOD IS LOVE and that He cannot operate outside of His nature then it will be much easier to accept that WE ARE LOVED. John goes on in His letter to tell us that when you and I are perfected in love then it will cast out all fear. This does not describe many of the believers that I have met. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

The day I stopped trying to “please God” was the day that I realized that I was accepted in Christ. I discovered that God had completely immersed me in Christ at the cross, at His burial, and at His resurrection. I was crucified, dead, buried, and alive in Him. What was truly amazing about this discovery is when I found out that God did this before the foundation of the world. That’s right! God had already chosen to put us into Christ well before Adam & Eve fell in the Garden. This is the breathtaking nature of the mystery of the Gospel. It’s the part of our faith that causes us to stand in awe at the goodness of God. It was His decision from the start. It was His choice to have His Son numbered with the sinners. It was His design to reconcile the world to Himself through the offering of His Son. And it was His predetermined idea to put us into a position where we could readily be adopted as sons by placing us in Christ.

One of the books that God used to awaken me to this reality of love was “The Shack” by William Young. In this book there is a conversation between Mack & Papa about the nature of expectations in relationships. Listen to Papa’s reply: “Honey, I’ve never placed an expectation on you or anyone else. The idea behind expectations requires that someone does not know the future or outcome and is trying to control behavior to get the desired result. Humans try to control behavior largely through expectations. I know you and everything about you. Why would I have an expectation other than what I already know? That would be foolish. And beyond that, because I have no expectations, you never disappoint me.” [page 206]

I will never forget that moment: The moment I realized that God knew everything that He needed to know about me and I was accepted in Christ anyway. When I lost the idea of expectations in my relationship with God then I could learn how to live in expectancy. I could rejoice over the things that He rejoiced over. I could pick myself up when I failed because I could stand confidently in my love relationship with God.

Pleasing God is an idea that comes from an imperfect understanding of love. While I seek to do the things that I know are in God’s will for me, I don’t do any of it from a mindset of pleasing God. Instead, I do those things from a relational mindset of living loved. The best earthly example I have of this comes from my own personal experience. During our teenage years, my brother and I were met with a challenge. Our mom had left which meant three men were living in a house together. This meant that cooking, cleaning, laundry, doing the dishes, etc. were placed squarely on all our shoulders. My Dad made a decision – we would all do our share. My brother and I took turns with the dishes and on the weekends we would split the house cleaning chores. Dad would take care of the cooking and the laundry. The outside chores were already ours to share with one another. Over the course of those next four to five years this is how we lived. This is how our home operated. In all that time, I never considered those chores (those things that were a part of the will of my father) to be burdensome or restricting. We also never did any of these chores wondering if Dad was going to be pleased with us. Was he pleased? Of course. However, he was never displeased when we slacked on a chore or neglected dusting from time to time. He would often give us instructions or encouragement but he was never put out by our lack of doing. It was a part of our partnership together. How does this relate to pleasing God? Pleasing someone is never an issue when you know you are loved. Learning to partner with God becomes the issue as it relates to the Kingdom. He’s already pleased with me because I am in Christ.

Somewhere along the way you are going to have to ask some serious questions:
*If God has placed me in Christ then how does God feel about His Son?
*If God has placed me in Christ then what is Christ experiencing in His relationship with the Father?

Friend, there is nothing you could ever do that could make God love you more. There is nothing that you could ever do to make Him love you less. He loves you because He loves you. The quality of your life may be determined by how you partner with God, but the quality of His love will never change. You – YES…YOU – are already pleasing to God.

Stop trying. Start Living!

Preview 1: "The Day I Stopped Trying"

Over the next few days, I want to give you a preview of the book that I have been trying to write. While I feel as though I am getting closer to completion, I thought this would be a great way to gain some insight and get the creative juices flowing. Please note that this is not the finished product. However, I do hope that some of what I share will stir up the beauty of grace in your own life.

What you will be reading over the next few blog posts is a compilation of areas in my life where I have truly given up. That’s right…I threw in the towel. I quit. As a believer in Jesus Christ, I knew the truth that would set me free, but I wasn’t experiencing freedom. I knew that I was no longer a slave, and yet I continued to be shackled in various areas of life. I had just enough grace to be forgiven, but not enough grace to be victorious.

My journey with Christ began as a child. It was then that I learned the art of jumping through the hoops. I did the things that were asked of me: I prayed every night (especially for forgiveness), went to church (because my parents took me), and tried my dead level best to not sin (you can guess how that worked out). Of course, as many of you have found out, that type of life is filled with very deep valleys that are bordered by some very high mountains. I don’t know about your valleys, but mine seemed to last longer than the mountain top experiences.

Fast forward a few years and you will see a 17 yr. old high school senior respond to an altar call at a local church. It is that moment on December 18, 1991 when I “firmly” placed my trust in Christ. I prayed the sinner’s prayer and began another leg of my journey. My resolve was strong. I remember saying out loud that evening, “I hope I don’t mess this up.” What I did not realize was that statement would shape my theology and walk with Christ for almost 20 years.

I KEPT MESSING IT UP…or so I thought. It didn’t matter how much I grew in my understanding, how many times I re-committed my life to Christ, vowed to do better next time; I continued to struggle with my faith. I looked for the secret that other believers seemed to possess. I desperately wanted to be pleasing to the Lord. However, the up and down roller coaster of my faith continued. The longer I walked with God, the further away I seemed at times. And all the advice I had received up to this point had me looking inside of myself to see discover the problem.

It wasn’t until a few years ago that I discovered the problem. The problem wasn’t my heart for the Lord. It wasn’t due to an alive and active sin nature in me. It wasn’t because I was misusing the grace of God. The problem was in my basic understanding of grace. I, like many of you, had an understanding of grace that told me I was forgiven. However, it wasn’t the forgiveness that seemed to be lacking. What I was missing out on was the abundant overcoming life that was promised.

I invite you to join my journey. A journey that has been filled with discovery, repentance (changing the way I think), and incredible security. A journey of absolute freedom in the Lord. A journey that is built upon a foundational understanding of grace as "the divine enablement of God." Are you ready?

Before we begin, I feel the need to warn you. It's not always easy to change the way we think. Repentance is hard work. It means that you will have to junk some faulty thought processes. You will have to give up your "just try harder" mentality. You will have to learn how to rest in the Lord, trust the Father's heart for you, and be absolutely convinced of His redeeming love. While this journey is rewarding, it may cause others to question the joy you will carry. Some will wonder about the new found love you will possess. Others will be uncomfortable about how comfortable you are with the Lord. Don't give in. Just give up on the idea that it is normal for your life to be less abundant, and your faith less than overcoming.

The grace of God will take you farther than you have ever dared to dream. Freedom is on the horizon. Let's begin...

Working Through the Distractions

As a pastor, it is my primary role to speak into the lives of our members. This is typically done in a preaching/teaching format. Services that are generally centered around some kind of message (at least that's the way it has been done for thousands of years). This can be problematic. Especially considering that there are a lot of pastors/preachers who would say that Jesus needs to be the center of attention. The problem is that most churches struggle with this kind of mentality. The thought of doing something that does not center around a message seems ludicrous. Another issue we face is learning how to work through the distractions.

There's plenty of things out there that will tell you the best way to communicate. Plenty of ideas on how to hold a congregations attention. I remember once hearing that "the mind will only comprehend what the butt can endure." The idea being that sermons shouldn't be too long because people lose their focus. I've also heard that people only retain a SMALL PERCENTAGE of what is actually said on a Sunday morning. This is especially true if they don't take notes, don't read along with you, etc. How do we work through all of this? How do we help people stay on task? How does a pastor/preacher navigate these difficult waters?

Some churches have taken this to the extreme. They have created incredible stage sets to enhance the mood. Some pastors have driven motorcycles on the set, made the stage to look like a living room, or they have ensured that there is plenty of video images to keep the mind engaged. To be honest with you, I don't think these things are helpful. In fact, I think they have helped to ensure that this problem never goes away.

You don't get rid of distractions by creating other distractions. I also don't believe that the best solution is to limit the speaker's time. For the most part, we only get these people 52 days out of the year. Imagine if we limited a pastor to only 18-20 minutes. Would it change the way people receive the message? Possibly. However, I think it buys into the idea that the message is central to what we are doing.

Jesus being the center of attention means that Jesus is the center of attention. It means that everything we do should center around Him. Our worship, our sharing, our giving, our serving, etc. What does that look like for a group of people that may not operate this way within their own personal lives? How do we help others work through the distractions of work, family, text messages, social media, etc. so that they can begin to center their lives upon Him? Another question we need to ask is how to we convey what is in our heart to people whose minds are full of competing ideas? Because the reality is that each and every one of them bring something into this whole equation.

I wish I had the answer. I wish that there was an easy fix to this whole question. The reality is that all we can do is to ensure that Jesus is the main thing in all we do. All we can do is create an environment where people get to experience the presence and the person of the Lord. To cultivate a community that is sensitive to His voice and His activity. To help others be fully aware of who God (their Father) is, and who they are in Him.

Helping people work through distractions????
I don't know that I've provided answers or asked more questions.
All I know is that, for me, there is only one solution.
Jesus.
He's the answer.

Let Me Say This Again...

I know that I have said this before, but it bears repeating. In fact, anything worth knowing is worth saying over and over again. Jesus IS the exact representation of the Father [see Hebrews 1:3]. We must stress this point. The Bible was/is full of types and shadows. The prophets that came before Him, though divinely inspired, at times misrepresented the true nature of God. If you want to know the Father, you must see Him in the Son.

I believe that we often hold to the idea that every statement uttered by a prophet was/is 100% reliable and accurate. In other words, that there is absolutely no human element to these statements whatsoever. This belief, however noble, leads us to a lot of questions. How do we handle those moments within the Gospels when Jesus corrects our understanding of the nature of God? How do we come to grips with the stunning statement "You have heard it said, but I say to you..."? The point is that the prophets of the Old Testament, as well as the biblical writers, were/are not unlike you and me. In the midst of great revelation, they could still bring some of their own concepts into the equation. They could actually miss the mark. If they were adequately representing the heart of the Father, then why would Jesus feel the need to correct some of their misunderstandings?

I realize that this type of thinking stirs up a lot of controversy. I have said before that if you see something about the nature of God in the Old Testament that doesn't line up with what you see in Jesus in the New Testament then you have a reason to question it. This comment alone sends some people reeling. They have bought into the idea that everything in the Bible is a perfect revelation, without considering that Jesus (the Word of God made flesh) is the only perfect revelation. And Jesus often represented the nature of God in such a way that it was contrary to popular belief.

While some would hold to the idea that this type of thinking brings into question the validity of the Old Testament, I do not. In fact, I find myself rejoicing when I read something in the Old Testament that speaks so clearly about the nature of God as seen in Jesus. I'm blown away, not by the ones who missed it but by the ones who were able to see Him so clearly. These men and women were able to communicate so much with the Spirit of God upon them. Imagine what we can do with the Spirit of God within us.

I believe it is intellectual dishonesty to dismiss some of the obvious problems by simply placing them under the umbrella of divine inspiration. Please understand that this is not a critique of the Bible. It is a critique about how we handle the Bible. How we interpret the whole. How we handle those things that we do not understand. If Jesus, being the exact representation of the Father, the very radiance of His glory, could bring correction; how can we possibly hold up the idea that everything from the Old Testament is watertight? One must remember, especially when reading through the Old Testament, that we are dealing with Jewish history, Jewish poetry and epics, Jewish hymns, and Jewish prophecy. The New Testament, on the other hand, revolves around the revelation of Jesus Christ. The Gospels tells a bit of His narrative, Acts speaks of early church history and the evolution of the Gospel message, Letters to the early church that addressed particular problems, as well as the apocalyptic writings of John in the Revelation. All of that to say that the Bible is a collection of different types of literature, set at different times in Jewish/World history, from different authors, that were brought together to help communicate an amazing story of God's redemptive love.

So how do we handle this?

First of all, our faith was meant to revolve around a Person not a book. The Word of God is none other than Jesus Christ. He was/is the Word made flesh. The very thought and expression of God is Jesus. This is what the Apostles believed in so heavily. They recognized the centrality of Jesus to the faith. He was the cornerstone upon which the church was built. It was His revelation of the Father that they carried. It was His message, the Gospel of the Kingdom, that carried them through the darkest of days. It was the Spirit of Jesus, the Spirit of revelation, that allowed them to go deeper into their understanding of Him. There were things that they could not handle (these are Jesus' words) until the Spirit of God came to them. Which is plainly understood once Paul comes on the scene and we read the Gospel that he preached. We have to understand this. We have to get it. The PERFECT WORD OF GOD is JESUS. There is no misunderstanding in Him.

Second, we must do our diligence to understand the Father through the lens of Jesus. Since He is the perfect expression of the nature of God, we would do well to know the Father through Him before grabbing someone else's ideas. How did He talk about His Father? How did He teach the disciples to relate to God? How did He express His nature? We would do well to read through the Gospels especially. We should pay attention to the things that He said concerning the Father. We should see the indignation within the religious leaders of His day because they give us insight into their misunderstandings of the nature of God. We should allow Him to be our Teacher, the Holy Spirit as our guide, and seek to know the Truth that will set us free.

Third, we need to understand that part of maturing is realizing that we often get it wrong. Over the last few years I have been on a journey to know why I believe what I believe. It's a journey that I invite every person to join. However, it is a journey that is filled with repentance. Certain steps can only be made when we are willing to say we missed it and to change the way we think. That's what repentance is. It's a changing of the mind. One cannot encounter the Lord without it. He has every right to shape what I believe, correct what I have misunderstood, and cause me to stand in His revelation. This journey does not discount the Bible. It honors what Scripture says about itself, namely that "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness..."

I have discovered that it is the revelation of the Father through Jesus in my life that creates the greatest security. Rather than defend beliefs and/or doctrines that I haven't come to a full revelation of, I can honestly say that some things are a working progress. It's what I do know, what the Lord has revealed, that allows me to mature as a son. And what I have found to be consistent about the nature of my Father is that He works hard in us so that we would be persuaded about who He is and who we are. Identity, Identity, Identity. Isn't that what we have longed for all along? He moves us beyond getting our identity from our particular Christian affiliation, denomination, etc., and into an identity that is completely secure in Him. Crucial to this journey is the revelation of the nature of God that is found in Jesus. Remember Jesus' words in Matthew 11: "No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him."

Know Him.
See Him.
Hear Him.
You will never be the same.