Thought You Might Want To Know...

Recently, it seems the Lord is bringing me back to the Gospel, the Good News. This morning, I was thinking about the song, "The Heart of Worship", and singing it in my head. Out of nowhere, the Lord said, "I'm bringing you back to the heart of Jesus." Wow!

Therefore, I've been thinking about this for some time and I've decided to read through the gospels again. I don't intend to do a "study" per se, but I do intend to rediscover the heart of Jesus and His gospel. And I intend to follow whatever I find therein. So, join me, if you'd like...

Relevance and Infection, Part 3

So, what made Jesus relevant? He did the Father's will; He loved and trusted His Father, even to the point of death on a cross. Jesus gave His life for the world and made Himself of NO reputation. Jesus wasn't called to be "cool" or "hip" - He was called to do the Father's will, no matter the cost. "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you" (John 20:21).

Jesus said that He would build His Church and that the gates of Hell will not prevail against it. If Hell can't beat you, that's pretty relevant in my book. But there's still the problem of our unbelief.

I said in an earlier post that we have been infected with the spirit or mindset of the age. What we (who call ourselves "believers") need is to be infected with the Gospel. I'm not talking about evangelism (though that is part of it) - I'm talking about being "possessed" by Jesus willingly. Carrying our cross gladly and without complaint; not pointing the finger or demanding our rights; giving ourselves for the life of the world. We love comfort and the esteem of men more than we love God and our neighbors. We cry "Lord, lord", but do we do what He asks? Or do we pick and choose our tasks from Him based on "respectability" and propriety? In truth, we are unbelieving "believers".

I sincerely don't mean to sound harsh, self-righteous, or condemning. God knows that I include myself in these indictments. And I praise God that He is patient and merciful. But is that how we want our children to live? Do I want my two beloved sons to live weak, miserable, disobedient lives, simply comforting themselves with thoughts of how patient I am? NO! I want them to LIVE FULLY! I want them to enjoy ALL that I can give them. "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him" (Matt. 7:11)! My desire is to live the Gospel and let Jesus determine my relevance.

To whom it may concern, LIVE THE GOSPEL! Don't just be a "Christian" with cool T-shirts and funny bumper stickers - be a follower of Jesus and be conformed to His image. Do the stuff that He did (and still does)! Let's give up all and follow Him. May His Gospel and Life fully infect us with His likeness! Then we will be relevant.

Relevance and Infection, Part 2

Now, I don't mean any guilt or condemnation toward anyone. If there's any guilt to bear for the Church being irrelevant to the needs of the world, we all (Christians) bear it. The Church is US. We are the Body of Christ. This is not a figure of speech that Paul simply enjoyed using; it's a living reality. We are the Body of Christ, the Church (Col. 1:24). So, if there's blame, we all share in it (1 Cor. 12:26; Eph. 4:16).

So, the next question is: What do we mean when we say the Church is irrelevant? Do we mean out-dated in its ways and methods? Do we mean the Church just isn't "cool" or "hip" (or whatever the current slang may be)? Do we mean that the Church is culturally out of sync? If so, I think we're asking the wrong questions. The questions we should be asking is: Is Jesus relevant? How does Jesus define relevance? Does Jesus even care about relevance? To answer these questions, let's think about some of the things that Jesus said about believers and about the Church that He would build.

Jesus said, as already stated, the WE are the light of the world. Shining is a fact; not an act. If we are being light, darkness goes away. Jesus said that WE are the salt of the earth. If salt is salty, it changes whatever it's applied to. If it doesn't, it's lost its saltiness and is worthless. Jesus said, "Ask whatever you wish in My name and it shall be done" (Mark 11:22-24; John 14:14; 15:7). James says that we have not because we ask with wrong motives, selfish motives (4:1-6). Jesus said that signs and wonders will accompany all those who believe (Mark 16:17-18). In my life, I've seen some, but not a lot. I can't say I've been "accompanied by" or "followed by" signs and wonders. There are many more promises of Jesus that say He has fully and abundantly equipped us to do the stuff that He did - He even said that all who believe in Him would do greater things than He did (John 14:12-14)! Therefore, if WE are not relevant, who's fault is it? Is the problem on His end? Is He the problem? No. No! NO! The underlying problem is OUR unbelief, plain and simple.

Relevance and Infection

If there's one thing that I don't believe in, it's "re-inventing the wheel"; i.e., if something is working and doesn't need improvement, don't mess with it. Lately, I've encountered a lot of discussion with friends (online and off) regarding the question: Is the Church relevant? This has raised a lot of questions with me, so I'm going to talk about it here.

Relevant means "pertinent; close to or applicable to the matter at hand". It comes from a Latin word meaning "to raise; to lift up". Using these definitions, I would like to re-phrase the earlier question: Does the Church have any bearing on life where we live it? Does the Church have anything to offer that redeems and resurrects our present state in the 21st century? These are legitimate questions; but the problem I have with them is that I hear them being asked mostly by Christians. This reveals a deeper problem to me.

We've been infected. Not by the Gospel, but by the "spirit of the age", "the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient" (Eph. 2:2). This spirit or mindset divorces itself from any personal responsibility for the problem. Jesus said, "YOU are the salt of the earth" (Matt. 5:13); "YOU are the light of the world" (Matt. 5:14). The word "YOU" means US, you and me. In Luke 14, he connects this statement with His words about carrying your cross, being His disciple, and counting the cost (vs. 25-35). Could it be that if the Church is irrelevant to our world, it's because WE have become light-less and salt-less?

Things We Lost In The Fire

I was talking with someone recently about the Lordship of Jesus. To be "Lord" means that He is the boss, master, commander-in-chief, etc.. This means that when I became a Christian, I forfeited all rights of my own. I became His son, born into a kingdom, but freed from all rights and self-entitlement. He is the king, and while I am a son of the king, everything - rights, privileges, identity, whatever - is now bestowed from His incomparable love and scandalous generosity. Everything - EVERYTHING! - is grace; it's all gift.

The spirit of the age says, "I deserve this or that...". Let's not forget that we all deserve hell; anything less than that is mercy. Our father, Adam, trapped us in the burning house of sin. But, the Landlord ran into the fire and rescued us, of His own goodness. In the fire, we lost everything; but now, the Landlord who saved us has also adopted us and taken responsibility of us as His very own. Instead of replacing what we lost with the same things, He instead gives to us of His own things, better things, that we could never afford apart from His grace and generosity. This is how He loves us: by rescuing us out of our fatal inferno; by giving us more and better than we ever had before (or ever deserved); and by not giving us rights, but instead privileges. What an awesome love! What a wonderful Lord!

Choices Along The Way

I have a tendency to approach choices in the Kingdom of God as being "either/or" decisions. But over the years, I've come to see that many of the choices are "both/and". "You either love Him or you don't" is the way I used to think; the truth is "I love Him and I don't". That's closer to the truth. A man with a demonized son brought him to Jesus, saying, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief." Like myself (and I would think, like many of us), he was an unbelieving believer. The Good News is that as we walk in continual repentance and believe the Good News, the belief starts to outweigh the unbelief (it's actually our choice to believe that helps our unbelief). Thank you, Jesus! It's You that does the work in us: "The work of God is this: that you believe in the one he has sent" (John 6:29); and "May the God of Peace...equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ" (Heb. 13:20-21).

Real Truth And False Truth

"If you continue in my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:31-32, NIV).

"It's never the nature of an activity that determines whether it is holy or not; it's the source of the activity" - Major W. Ian Thomas.

Last year in January, I was reading numerous books by some folks who centered most of their teaching around a particular "truth" or belief. And while I gleaned some stuff that was helpful, the foundational "truth" that they espoused was false and damaging to many.

Recently online, I shared my experience with a brother in the Lord who also has been reading some of the same stuff. I'm not sure whether he accepted my testimony or not, but I trust and pray that the Lord will keep him on safe ground. But, in recalling that part of my journey, I've noticed something about myself during that time that I think may be helpful to share.

While reading the books I referred to above, the foundational belief they shared, when considered, actually felt good and seemed right. When I say "felt good", I'm not necessarily speaking of feelings, although that was certainly part of it. I think it had something to do with the idea of being released from all responsibility for my choices and actions. Nonetheless, I found myself kind of hoping that it was true. I found out otherwise, thank God.

In the scripture quoted above, Jesus said that the truth will set you free. The question for us today is: Which truth? The one that makes me feel good or happy? The one that I so desperately want to be true? Jesus is pretty clear about which truth: "If you hold to my teaching...then you will know the truth." If a particular belief or so called "truth" isn't consistent with the whole of scripture, and especially the teachings of Christ, then it's not a truth that will set you free. And if it doesn't set you free, it's a false truth, and instead, it binds you up. Too many believers are bound up by "truths" that make them happy or make them feel good, and Jesus wants to liberate them with real truth, truth that sets free. "If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (v. 36). Instead of the word "indeed", my sons would say, "for real!" If the Son sets you free, you will be free for real!

So, how do you know real truth from false truth? The teachings of Jesus will reveal your need for Jesus (John 15:4-7); they will bring about the character of Jesus (Matt. 10:24-25; 1 John 2:6); and will never render you unaccountable for your choices and actions (Romans 6; John 14:23-24; Gal. 5:13; Rev. 22:12). These are just a few characteristics of real truth, but I trust that these are enough.

John Wimber said, "If I'm going to be a follower of Christ, then I must teach what Jesus taught and believe what Jesus believes."

May we never be believers who only seek comfort, happiness, and "feel good" Christianity. May we be followers of Jesus and be fully conformed into His likeness all our days. Amen.

The Heart of The Matter

God, in his great love, has given us many gifts and provisions for knowing him and loving him more fully: the Church, the bible, the sacraments, liturgy, worship music - and countless other things to encounter him within and through. All of these things are holy, healthy, and necessary. They strengthen our devotion and remind us of our true love, of our truest reality and selves. And yet, they are shadows.

When I look at my wedding band, I don't think about the ring itself. I don't admire the gold or it's shape and design. Instead, I remember my wife. And in that remembering, an entire host of other experiences and sensations rush in on me: thoughts of the one I love the most; thoughts and emotions toward the one I find most beautiful and wonderful; events of warmth and love flood my soul. I hear her voice; I see her smile; I know her heart and her touch. All of this from an object that is separate from my wife and completely different in nature from her. All of this from a symbol of our love and marriage. It's really quite wonderful and amazing.

But what if I started to spend more time with my wedding band than my wife? What if I started talking more to my wedding band than her? What if all I ever wanted to do was to keep trying over and over to experience all the wonderful memories and feelings described above without ever being with and being present to my wife? The end result would be emptiness and frustration for she and myself because love doesn't work that way. Love has to be person to person.

Which brings me to the heart of the matter: relationship. In marriage and with the Lord, the heart is always relationship founded in intimate, honest, daily communication. Love has to be exchanged for it to be healthy; love has to be poured back and forth from one vessel to the other. We were created for this - a love relationship with God the Father. If we lose ourselves in trying to substitute his actual Presence and fellowship with the gifts and reminders he's given us, we lose indeed.

The relationship is more important than all else. Jesus wants me, my whole heart.
Do I want him and his whole heart? Yes.

Fruitful & Grateful

"You didn't choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name" (John 15:16, NLT).

"Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit" (John 12:24, NRSV).

Recently, on two separate occasions, the Lord allowed me to see the fruit of His life in me within the lives and ministry of others. And it blessed me deeply. Scripture says in John 3:27, "No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven." So, everything is a gift. And it's all of grace. Thanks and praise to God, who works in us all His good pleasure to the glory of His name!