___

I Confess

2012-03-01T10:00:00.001-05:00

Sometimes the awareness creeps up on us like a cat stalking a prey: Quietly, steadily and strongly. At other times the awareness crashes onto our consciousness like an unruly wave driven by howling winds and strong undertows: Loud, washing, pulling and pushing at the same time. When the awareness of moral trespass and resultant guilt hits our soul, it’s never a pretty sight. It’s chaos and clashing, darkness and bright light flashing.

Part of us wants to run and hide while another part wants to throw up our hands and say, “I surrender.” It’s never easy to deal with the awareness that our soul has become twisted, corrupted and damaged. It hurts. It is frightening. We want it to stop.

The awareness of sin is not what God intended. Ever. When God carefully and lovingly crafted the man and woman and tenderly placed them in the Garden, He gave them every opportunity to never experience the pain of sinful separation and sinful condemnation. But they did. Deception and death wrapped around their hearts as they turned from light to darkness, life to death and love to destruction. And they were aware of sin. And they didn’t know what to do.

The awareness of guilt is a disorder that wrecks our souls. It is a sadness that humanity was not created to handle. Guilt is the distance that jumps between God and us when we turn from Him and His ways. Guilt is the darkness that descends upon our hearts as they harden from rebellion and resistance to the rule of God in our lives. Guilt is not measured in distance or shade, but it is measured in the pain of separation. The awareness of guilt is a heavy weight on our souls. As the weight squeezes the life out of us, we don’t know what to do.

The awareness of God should be a blessing; it is the root of blessing, but sin and guilt pervert our perception of eternal realities. When tangled in the web of sin and guilt, our Greatest Ally appears to be our biggest enemy. Truth is exchanged for a lie and things are worshipped and the holy is diminished. And even though God has sought us in order to save us, we don’t know what to do. So, like Adam and Eve, we run and hide.

But God keeps coming because sin and guilt never leave without God’s intervention. Only God can forgive sin and remove guilt. The awareness of God is our good. He comes to give us what we need. We need our sin washed and our guilt removed. Those are things that only God can do. He comes to cleanse; He comes to comfort.

When He comes, He asks: “Where are you?” And we must confess. He asks again, “What have you done?” And we confess.

“I confess.” Two short words that do two great things: they cleanse our sin and wash our guilt. Miracles happen when I confess. When I agree with God and confess my sin, I am grateful for the awareness of God’s presence. I confess. God is God and God is good.

My God

2012-02-23T09:28:00.000-05:00

“Against You-You alone-I have sinned . . .God, create a clean heart for me.”

Psalm 51:4, 10

“My God” is the beginning place of returning to God.

“My God” is the name of One I have grieved.

“My God” is the direction I must follow.

“My God” is the source of my forgiveness.

“My God” is my only hope and help.

“My God” is the only antidote for “My sin.”

“My God” is the only remedy for sin’s destruction.

Sin deceives before it crashes reality into our lives.

We feel the effects of sin and we know our sin.

It is there.

Present in our lives, our minds and choices we make.

Sin shapes our lives before it smashes them.

Sin presses us to reality and requires that we seek God.

“My God” is the greatest Reality.

“My God” is, was and will be the only remedy for sin.

When Jesus came to destroy sin and its effect on humanity,

He called out, “My God.”

And God answered: “Look to Me and be saved all the ends of the earth, for I am God and there is no other.” (Isaiah 45:22)

Status Quo or Status NO!

2012-01-12T14:52:00.000-05:00

“Real, true religion is about caring for the orphans and widows who suffer needlessly and resisting the evil influence of the world.”

James 1:27

A new year brings a new opportunity to face the failures and problems of past days. It allows us to ask some big picture questions that face the people of God. As I have asked God to increase Covenant’s spiritual footprint into a growing number of countries and races, I have been pondering questions like this one: How will racism and classism ever be eradicated from the Body of Christ and generational poverty be addressed in the church and the world by the people of God?

Well, one thing we know: Nothing ever changes without effort. The law of entropy says that things will continue in an increasing state of disorder unless something intervenes. What is true in physics is true in personal and institutional life as well. That which reflects disorder must be recognized and confronted. All too often, the faith community has seen obvious disorder in culture (i.e. racism, classism as seen in the neglect of poverty and its resultant effects and issues and the effects of any other “ism”) and responded with passivity instead of activism. This passivity is cloaked in a shroud of decency often described as “respecting authority” or worse yet, “the way things are” or the worst, “the will of God.” But this cloak is not decent or proper; it is cowardly and dishonest to any spiritual walk of faith.

It is only when believers in Jesus begin to fear God rather than people that life and culture begin to change. Only then can life be evaluated as it really is, not in ways that overlook the abuses of slavery, racism and the blatant disregard of the rights of minorities, women and children or evil prejudice towards those of differing cultures, lifestyles or sexual preference. Such a perspective draws upon the Kingdom Ethic that Jesus plainly taught, shared and promoted: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is being done in heaven”—Mt 6:10.

From a spiritually informed, biblically centered perspective, things only change when courageous believers act on Jesus’ Kingdom Ethic and call for change. This is seen as true throughout history. It was the basis of the Reformation when Martin Luther challenged the here-to-fore unchallenged papal authority and called it ungodly and immoral. Other reformers of culture followed who brought social change by pointing out the willful and self-serving wrongs and the evil consequence of such behaviors. The Wesley brothers, William Wilberforce, Susan B. Anthony and a host of others exposed and confronted the ugly actions of slavery that ripped apart families and destroyed the psyche of a race of people; sweat shops that abused the poorest and weakest in society, unjust laws and distorted cultural mores. These Christian reformers found, as we must, that there is no nice way to confront social evils. These courageous Followers of Jesus spoke power to power. They spoke and acted fearlessly and boldly, confident in the goodness of God to support the right and to protect the weak. The one thing that they did not do was to be silent and do nothing. Such passivity was not an option. They acted and spoke challenge to the Status Quo. In effect they were saying, “Status Quo is not acceptable. Status NO!” To them it was obvious that the common and present status must be confronted and brought down that Kingdom may come. The Kingdom of God cannot come as long as the “king of this age” is on the throne. By the power of the Spirit of God and the Love of Jesus, we must say “NO!” to the kingdom of this world that “Thy Kingdom may come and Thy will be done on earth as it is being done in heaven.”

Cold Weather....Cold Shoulder

2012-01-05T17:37:00.000-05:00

“When did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in prison, and not help You?”

Matthew 25:44

There is a danger lurking in our neighborhoods. It doesn’t matter where we live; this danger is present. It is a totally destructive behavior, but it doesn’t seem like it. Such is the nature of the gravest dangers. Deadly dangers often disguise themselves very cleverly. This one is no different.

This is an attitude that will give birth to action and will grow into a defect of character unless it is confronted and changed. It is a habit that will ruin our life and the life of others. It is a chief cause of poverty and urban decay. It hurts children and women the most, but it devastates men as well. It is something that grieves and angers God. This behavior goes against the very nature of God. It is not only that it is a very present danger. There is something else that is really scary.

It is really easy to do. It happens every day. And we are all prone to do it. It’s something we’ve been doing for years. We do it without thinking about it. We do it without knowing it. And it erodes our heart. It chokes out our love for God-(Mt24:12 “the love of many will grow cold”) and it blinds us to God. And this danger is coming right at us 4 days from today. How will we protect ourselves from this danger that has eternal consequences? Will we even recognize it?

What danger am I talking about? I’m sure you have figured it out: it is the danger of overlooking the needs of the poor and needy that we can do something about. Life becomes dangerous when Cold Weather comes and we turn a Cold Shoulder to the needs of the poor and disadvantaged. God puts these people and their needs in our focus so that we can work to address them. “The poor you have with you always” (found in Dt 15:11, Mt 26:11, Mk 14:7 and John 12:8) is not an excuse for not acting, but for acting. It is as if Jesus is saying, “You are to so have My heart that you will seek out the poor and minister to them. . . just like I did. They will never be out of your focus.” Well, here it comes.

On Monday the Cold Weather Shelter is coming to The Church at Covenant Park. For a blessed 7 nights we will be able to do something that can grow our hearts, open our spirits, bless the lives of others and bring joy to the heart of our Heavenly Father. We will have opportunity to bring a smile to the face of Jesus. We will offer proof that our God is not only real, but that He is good and compassionate and wise and active in our world. In four days we will be able to give a rebuttal for everyone who says, “God is not real. Faith is of no value. The Church is a blight on society.” We will be able to quiet those voices of accusation in the way that Jesus told us to do it: not by debate and argumentation, but by the power of good deeds. “By this will all men know that you are My disciples, when you love one another.” The Cold Weather Shelter is a blessing to us, maybe more than it is for the homeless. Cold Weather must not be a time to turn a Cold Shoulder. It is the time God is brings for us to have a warm heart. That means that a major thaw is coming. It’s not too late. It’s not too cold. It’s time for us to have a warm heart, a big smile, generous attitudes and considerate actions that reveal a heart of love.

Wise Heart

2011-12-13T09:55:00.000-05:00

"Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.”

Matthew 5:8

Life has a way of leveling out our expectations. Not a few of us started out life with mountainous ambition, but as life’s journey unwinds those lofty ambitions slide into hopes of climbing a gentle slope. I’m not sure that gentle slopes are not the way of God more than the Rocky Mountains of grand assumptions. (To be sure there are those who scale Mt. Everest and hit the Who’s Who in God’s Hall of Fame. But there is a reason that there is far more land mass in the plains and rolling hills than in mountain peaks. Peaks punctuate life, whereas the plains are the body of life.) It’s odd that the human assumption is that God wants us to do a great thing. After all, He is a Great God. Yes, He is. No doubt about it. But that is totally disconnected from what He might ask us to do or where He might ask us to go. The human brain works like this: *God is a Great GodàI am His creationàTherefore His will for me means that I am destined for great things. “Hooray God, I’m the one you want. Promote at will. I’m ready for it.”

Hold on for just a minute. Before we wander too far into the wilderness of human assumption, let’s get our life aligned with God’s compass. If we don’t stay riveted to the North Star of His Word and Ways, we will certainly drift from His wisdom and direction. The Old Testament Scriptures point out the popular, yet false, assumption that security came from being in the high country. It certainly makes sense today as well as then. But it was not the way of God then and it is not the way of God now. He plainly declared, “Promotion comes not from the east or from the west, nor from the desert. But God is the Judge; He puts down one and exalts another.”—Ps75:6-7. Remember, Moses got his promotion when he was watching sheep in the wilderness, not riding chariots in Pharaoh’s army. Joseph rose in God’s ranks while in prison, not while in the palace. The place matters not to God, purity of heart does. God has an unusual leadership development school: It is the school of contented humility. It is the meek (read “humble”) that inherit the earth.

This shouldn’t be a stretch for our thinking because everything is small to God, whether a mountain or a valley; He is Lord over all. So, the big deal with God is not if we have lofty ambitions but if we have a dogged determination. Not seeking for the high country but for the close fellowship with Him. In the days of Elijah, the Syrians mistakenly reasoned, “The LORD is a god of the mountains, but He is not a god of the valleys”-IKings 20:28-and God gave them into the hands of Israel. Isaiah tells us “My thoughts are not your thoughts and your ways are not My ways”-Is 55:8-and we would be wise to listen. Walking with Jesus is the high country and the greatest ambition. “Lord let me walk with You,” is the prayer of a wise heart.

THANKS

2011-11-23T12:50:00.001-05:00

It’s one syllable. Six letters. It’s a short word. But it’s long on meaning and deep with insight. “Thanks.” It’s a common word: a part of any instruction on manners. It is the foundation of good etiquette. And it is the beginning place of a happy personality. “Thanks” means that I am not the center of the universe. It recognizes that others matter in my life. “Thanks” says that I’ve received something of worth from others. There is an understanding that I’m not responsible for all the success or accomplishments in my life. The investments of others matter.

The most basic sense of thanks should begin naturally in the family as children are taught that others make loving investments in their lives and to improve their lives. Families work well and grow healthily when there is a healthy dose of thankfulness in the lives of the family members.

Thanksgiving= the giving of thanks.

It is a genuine human response because no one of us is an island. The healthiest among us are not dependent, not independent, but interdependent. And interdependence realizes a few basic social realities: [1] I have an important role to play in my world [2] Others have an important role to play in my world [3] Together, we complement each other to higher level of living. Life is held together by a good sense of “thanksgiving.”

And life grows deeper, stronger and more meaningful when one realizes that saying “thanks” has a vertical dimension as well as the horizontal dimension among our fellow life travelers. Vertical means that we look up and realize a sense of gratitude for life, for opportunity, for blessing, for grace. It looks like this:

T S

H K

A N

N A

K H

S T

I find it interesting that it is easier to read it vertically down rather than vertically upward. We tend to like the upper position in life. It’s the way we naturally see ourselves. But that is the very posture that makes saying, “thanks” more difficult. It is only when we begin looking upward and outward that we are able to adequately assess ourselves inwardly.

How about taking some time in the next couple of days to say “Thanks” to those who have invested in your life to help you become who you are? And most of all, take the long vertical look upward and breathe a prayer of “thanks” to the One Who has made the biggest investment in all of humanity. And you will find out what the psalmist sang, “It is good to give thanks to the LORD.”

Wow!

2011-10-13T10:41:00.000-04:00

"Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

I’ve made an interesting, encouraging and life-deepening discovery while on vacation. It doesn’t seem profound. Actually, it sounds counter-productive; but it is really enriching and expansive in its effect. So this is it; here’s the big discovery: Life really gains texture when we slow down. By slowing down, I don’t mean taking a coffee break or hitting the pause button. I mean like really slow down. Not the “I’ll only do 5 things in the next hour instead of the usual 10.” But rather an “I am choosing to resist the urge to press so that I might wring the most activity possible in a day.”

I stumbled upon this discovery by accident—isn’t that the way most discoveries occurred throughout history?—when I approached Vermont from upstate New York. As I was playing “pace car” like I usually do when on a long trip, I encountered traffic signs that informed me that the speed limit on a major highway from eastern upstate New York that entered southwest Vermont was 40 mph. Not the minimum limit but the maximum. And it wasn’t long until I figured out why the low speed limit: to go any faster would put your life and other lives in danger.

Becky and I began to go through communities called burghs, boroughs, hamlets, townships and villages. The pace of traffic was maddeningly slow for people in a hurry to get to their destination. But as I drove along, I realized that it was designed that way for a reason: It fit the destination. Where I was headed wasn’t an interstate kind of place. Ascutney Mountain is the kind of place where the fast lane is a black diamond ski slope in winter. When your major local produce is Maple Syrup or Ben and Jerry’s ice cream you don’t major on speed. I found out that it takes 40 years to get a Maple tree to the age of producing the sap that is the source of Maple Syrup. And would you believe that it is drawn from the tree by the drop? Not the pound but the drop. And it takes 40 gallons (that’s a lot of dripping) of sap to produce 1 gallon of syrup. But it sure is sweet and it tastes great. And it’s natural. And it replenishes itself if you don’t hurry the process but rather live in the rhythm of life. Genuine sweetness takes time and care.

It doesn’t take a genius to see the wisdom of God’s Word and of God’s ways in nature. “Be still and know that I am God” isn’t just a fact for our understanding; it’s a command for our good. Life looks really different when we slow down. We see real people who have real names and needs and gifts. And our lives are enriched when we see the beauty of God’s creation and creatures. I’m reminded of a song that I loved way back in high school. It was a short song that said a whole lot. “Slow down, you move too fast. You’ve got to make the morning last. Just kicking down the cobble stones, looking for fun and feeling groovy.” Paul Simon was onto something. Life is not wasted in the slow lane; it can make us go “Wow.” That’s a lesson my neighborhood needs. Wow.

Small Things

2011-09-21T15:26:00.001-04:00

“He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much. . .”

Luke 16:10

It’s funny what you think about when you are tying lacy orange ribbons around cool little boxes that are filled with precisely the right amount of each kind of candy and mints packed tidily in each box. Who would have ever thought that Hershey’s Kisses needed an extra sticker on the bottom of the kiss to make it sweeter? And what is there about the placement of a mint on the top of the candy in the box that could mean so much? I guess that boxes and candy don’t mean so much if they don’t have these stickers stuck to them so that you can rip those very stickers apart when you unwrap the candy.

Yeah, I’m old; but I guess I’m not old-fashioned. I understand that old-fashioned thinking is that intricate handmade things are the best things. That kind of detail just really seemed to be a bit much to this old crow. Especially when the clock is striking 2:15 am and there is still a small mountain of stickers to be put on the candy to be put into boxes that still need stickers and the cute ribbon that must be cut “just so.” But when my lovely lady (i.e. my first wife, best wife, favorite wife, only wife, Becky) tells me that this will be special for our son and his beloved on their wedding day; what am I to say? Well, I can tell you that what I wanted to say was not what I did say. What I did say was, “I don’t get it, but you surely planned this out and made those beautiful centerpieces for the tables that I think are WAY COOL; so I’ll finish up here and you go on to bed because you have to get up earlier than me in the morning. I’ll take care of it.” You know, “yes dear” never sounds as manly as some of the things that wander through my cynical and jaded mind. But trying to sound “manly” isn’t important in cases like this. Come to think of it, is it ever important? I doubt it, but I know this: Showing love is. And realizing that Becky has a much purer heart than me gives me comfort as I went back to work on my candy box assembly line and then tie those orange ribbons around the neatly filled and well-stickered cute boxes.

And when I saw the look on Lisa’s face and heard the comments over and over after the rehearsal dinner and at the reception, “These are so cute”; “I love these ribbons on the box. Each one of them is individually tied.” “Wow, I wonder who made these? They are darling.” And all I could think of was my wise wife telling me: “I think this is the way we should do this.” And she was right. Just like Jesus is when He says, “Pray at all times and do not lose heart” and “The one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Prayer may seem like a small thing: I mean, you can’t see the God you are talking with. Sometimes it doesn’t seem to do any good. And sometimes you may wonder if you are talking to yourself. Prayer seems like a little thing. But little things change the world. And little things change our lives. And little things are big things to God. And He pays big attention to our quietest prayer offered with mustard-seed small faith. That mountain that looked so big is moved by those little things. Little things matter.

Just like those little boxes with stickers filled with candy with stickers on the bottom moved people in big ways. Thanks Becky; my first, best, favorite and only wife. You were definitely right. Again.

Inside Out

2011-09-08T18:37:00.000-04:00

"In my distress You enlarged me; be gracious to me and hear my prayer." Psalm 4:1

I’ll never forget it and I bet you won’t either. The scene of those smoking towers of commerce in New York City seemed totally surreal. We were in a staff meeting when a volunteer who was manning the front desk knocked and said, “Excuse me for interrupting but I think you would want to see this.”

She was right.

We all sat before a small TV screen in stunned disbelief trying to adjust to a reality that we all knew was changing our world. The psyche of our country was being shaken and pummeled by the images of smoky plumes reaching up into clear and sunny skies. “This just can’t be happening.” We all wanted to make it stop. But it kept going and it kept getting worse. We were glued to the horrific images of towers ablaze, people jumping from windows to a certain death, another attack on the Pentagon and a plane crash in Shanksville. What is going on? Air flight was closed down for days. Phone connections failed because of network overloads. Families huddled together. Prayer became a numb repetition from lips that were saying, “This has to stop.”

When you turn on the TV and every channel—every one of them— is fixed to something, you know something really bad is happening. That is what our country faced on that clear Tuesday morning that was just another day in the Big Apple until 8:45 a.m. when it seemed like all hell broke loose.

But when the worst was happening, the best began to show up.

With uncommon courage and incredible sacrifice, First Responders began to do what they were trained to do. They began working to save lives. Those brave men and women saw no racial, religious or class distinction as they began helping the hurting move to safety. In helping others to safety, they put themselves in harm’s way.

Imagine trading your place of safety for a place of danger to help another get to safety.

America gained a new appreciation and value for those we call “public servants” on 9/11. They were no longer enforcers; they were examples. And their example prompted bystanders to join in the effort as all America became one with New Yorkers. The Big Apple became personal to us all. People from all across the USA began going to help the largest and richest city in our country. And it was beautiful. Tragedy gave birth to a transcendent beauty. The good that was buried within was turned inside out.

These stories of valor moved our hearts then and now. Let them move you as you think of how you and your family may practice that spirit during this weekend: Giving blood, serving at a soup kitchen; making a meal for someone in need. Look past age or ethnicity and ask someone of a different culture or religion or race, “Tell me your story so I may learn who you are”; contact family members or friends you have not spoken to in a long time, perhaps being to mend some fences.

Most of all, May God grant the peoples of our world to have the determination to dwell in mutual respect, justice, nonviolence and mercy. Shalom. Come Lord Jesus. You reside in Your Followers hearts: turn us inside out. And the world will see You.

Touched

2011-09-01T14:05:00.000-04:00

"I stretch out my hands to Thee; my soul longs for Thee, as a parched land." Pslam 143:6

“Mine.” “Give it to me.” I bet you remember words like that. You’ve likely said them. I know I have. They well up from within us like seeds that naturally sprout from the earth. Some misguided moralists have concluded that this budding urge for more is the evidence for evil in the heart of humanity. The mistaken conclusion is, “If you don’t want more, you will not do wrong; so want less. Shut down your desire before it grows into lust.” And sadly, containment is confused for contentment. It’s the way of the Taliban and all fundamentalist religion: “Cover up your body and men will not lust.” NOT. Deprivation is not the same as godly discipline.

This fixation on a denial of our humanity is not a new teaching. The Apostle faced it head on in about 60 A.D. when he exhorted the Followers of Jesus in Colossae, “Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self abasement [i.e. deprivation] . . . don’t submit yourselves to decrees such as, ‘Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!’ which refer to things that will perish as you use them. . . these things certainly have the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of NO value against fleshly indulgence” (Colossians 2:18, 20-23).

Deprivation never leads to godliness; it leads to emptiness that cannot be filled. It is not surprising to find that before their ritual washings for “holy service”, the deceived jihadists of 9/11 indulged fleshly pursuits in strip clubs and bars. It is a reality of human existence that one craves that from which he is deprived. Observation, experience and Scripture tell us this is true.

God crafted our hearts after His capacity for love and grace and we want more. We stretch our hands out to heaven for we long to touch God as David sweetly sang long ago, “When Thou didst say, ‘Seek My face’, my heart said to Thee, ‘Thy face I will seek’.” (Psalm 27:8) It’s inescapable; our hearts were made to touch God with wonder and faith and to enjoy the comfort of His gracious and healing touch. As we reach out to touch God, we find ourselves being touched. It’s the lesson of Jacob as he wrestles with the Angel of God, “I will not let you go before You bless me!” . . . And He blessed Jacob there. . . and Jacob limped from Pineal” which means “the face of God.” Jacob whispers in amazement, “The touch is worth the limp. Keep reaching until you are touched.” Amen.

I Got What I Expected

2011-08-18T13:14:00.000-04:00

"What I feared came upon me and what I dreaded befalls me." Job 3:25
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

Expectations are funny things. Without good ones, life frowns at you. Without bad ones, life smiles at you. How can something that is “nothing” (at least, not yet) have such an important impact in my life? It’s time for God’s people to consider the importance of expectations in one’s spiritual development. Wise and honorable expectations shape Followers of Jesus into wise and winsome Kingdom influencers. Foolish and poor expectations dwarves one’s spirit and shrivels any greatness of God into a perverted caricature of Majestic Reality. Through years of coaching people through their various spiritual journeys (even though there is a commonality to all, there is an individuality to each—that’s a topic for another day!), I have heard people who profess to love God talk in a way that sounds like they think obeying God is the worst possible choice one could make. “If I do that, I’ll totally fail.” “We would go broke if we did that.” Here’s my all time un-favorite: “If I do God’s will, it will ruin my life.”

It’s this kind of spiritual schizophrenia that makes outsiders look at the churched crowd and say, “I thank God that I’m not in that crowd.” (Well, at least they are thanking God for something!) And all the while, the spiritually schizophrenic churched crowd wonders, “Why won’t they join with us? They must hate God and want to persecute us.” Actually, we need to hear what they are saying and get our act together when it comes to our expectations with God and of God.

God has given us a book full of wise expectations but we insist on getting our cues from misguided thinking instead of His perfect wisdom that rings true through the ages. The thing that must break God’s heart is that a whole bunch of this misguided thinking comes from within the crowd that says that they love Him but act like they are embarrassed or afraid of Him. It’s kind of like He has the cooties or something. I fear that we project that uncomfortable, “We all ought to follow Jesus, just keep your distance: He’ll make you look weird or mess up your life” look. And it’s not a good look.

Listen to some expectations that God has been rehearsing for us: “Rise and shine, the glory of God has risen upon you.” “You are the light of the world. Let your light shine.” “As they see your excellent behavior, they will be won without a word.” “Love never fails.” “Delight your heart in the Lord and He will give you the desire of your heart.”

Wow. Expectations really are important. I need wise and honorable expectations. Foolish and poor expectations inject toxicity into my spirit. Say with me, “I got what I expected.” Well, that lines up with what God has revealed in His Word. What did you expect?

PRESENT PERFECT

2011-08-04T18:57:00.000-04:00

"Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven." Matthew 6:10

Language, grammar and syntax provided a comfortable resting place for me in my days as a student. While Algebra, Calculus, and Trigonometry flew right over my head, the gentle rhythm of forming words into thoughts on paper beckoned my interest. In language skills I found a fertile soil for pursuing education. At least in the written form, not so much in spoken communication. (You must remember that I hail from the Deep South and the Big River state of Mississippi where people say “Mississippi” as if it were spelled “Misssssssiippi”; “business” contracts into “binness”; and “former” is expressed by the mysterious jumble of words, “here while back.” Forgive me, Mom!)

It may be that very simple joy of learning words that birthed my love for The Word of God. Even in my skeptical days of disbelief in which I challenged God’s existence and the veracity of His Word, it was His Word, simply and steadily that marched His Truth of Atoning Love right up into my heart. And it was to the Word that I submitted as I realized it was not only settled (Psalm 119:89) forever; it was Alive-(Hebrews 4:12)—the references noted here are but 2 of the hundreds of such references I could note. An open heart cannot help but sense the aliveness and power of Scripture.

The present perfect tense in English is a verb form that indicates action that has been completed (hence, the “perfect”) but is still continuing (hence, the “present”). An example might be “I have walked 2 miles, but I’m still walking.” The idea being expressed is this: “I started walking and have done some walking but I’m not through with this walk just yet.” That is the English grammar version.

Present Perfect in matters spiritual is the way of faith that Jesus taught us and is exemplified throughout the Great Holy Book. It’s what Jesus told us to pray (and how to think properly about the inter-relationship of God and our world) “Your Will be done (now-perfectly) as it is being done in heaven (now-presently). Present Perfect in spirituality means that we convert eternal truth into present reality. We become born again when we confess for our lives today (present) what has been accomplished already (perfect). Walking with Jesus is the process of learning to live “present perfect”. As my mentor in faith, Manley Beasley, so vividly expressed: “Faith is believing a thing is so when it is not so (present) in order for it to be so because God says it is so (perfect).” Present Perfect. It’s good grammar; a wise way to think and a fantastic way to live. Perfect.

Seeing the thing in the thing

2011-07-28T15:00:00.000-04:00

"But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears because they hear." Matthew 13:16

I find them curiously compelling. They pique my interest, create a curiosity, and urge my hunger. Words well put, sit easy on our ears and sink down deeply into our hearts. Those words are good words: the kind that not only convey meaning, but they spark thinking and other words stretch their chords to join in the chorus of such wisdom. These kinds of words were sown into history by the carpenter turned rabbi from Galilee, and as they echo through the centuries they carry a timeless essence that rings truth in the hearts of humanity. As the Master spoke, His words burst forth with multiple meanings, flowing from the depths of unique character forged from both human and divine seed. Whatever He said, it was always more than what one heard. The words may seem intelligible, but at the same time, they are beyond intellect. His speech, though simply put, caused the learned to scratch their heads and say, “Where did He get these things?

He has no degree and never walked the halls of academia.” Like good-natured dogs that look curiously at their master-friends, we tilt our heads and think, “I hear it and I understand it, but I’m not sure I really get it.” We see Him speaking and we know we see, but do we really perceive?

The Word of God, in the flesh version or printed translation, is such a mystery. There is always more than meets the eye. Listen to what it says of itself: “The Word of God is living . . . “ “Forever Your Word is established in heaven.” “The grass withers and the flower fades but the Word of our God stands forever.” “The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory; glory as of the only begotten of the Father.” Now that kind of press will cause one to say, “Wow. Awesome. Incredible.”

And yet, while seeing we may not see. While hearing we may not hear. We may not see the thing in the thing or hear the words in the song. Oh, we may see an image but through our dark glasses we may not perceive its genuine loveliness and true beauty or value. Our ears may detect great music, a symphony wrought from genius, but not hear the transcendent eternal notes that call us to the everlasting shore of the Kingdom of God.

Jesus warned us to be careful how we listen. We can hear and not hear. He warned us to have eyes enlightened from above, for we can see and not perceive. It is imperative that we see aright for the thing in the thing is the Thing. It’s not a riddle and we don’t need a code or cleverness to figure it out. But a pure heart opened to the Father is essential to see the thing in the thing.”

Do, Doing, Done

2011-07-21T12:31:00.000-04:00

"...I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12

By nature, I am a reflective person. I like to think. Or at least think that I like to think. Some people are people of action. They have a “Go for it!” mentality and their bodies lunge into motion without reservation. Now, it must be said, that I have a forward lean in my thinking and I’m generally not afraid to act on doing new or risky things, but I really believe in looking before I leap, especially if we are off the ground by more than a few feet. From my first skiing expedition to Colorado 33 years ago, I can still remember a couple of guys flailing at the snow as they went pell-mell down the mountain, falling head over heels time and time again. I watched in amazement as they picked themselves up from what looked to be bone-crunching falls and loudly proclaimed in somewhat inebriated tones, “This stuff is made for falling” while brushing fluffy snow from their goggles. I am not sure if they ever made it down the mountain alive. But they were happy. I chose to proceed slowly down the slope. I called it “enjoying the scenery.” It sounded a whole lot better than “scared and cautious but having fun.”

In my observations of humanity, I tend to think that most people are not reflective but reactive. This means that they face life as life comes at them. And like the commercial says, “Life comes at you fast.” So people often act without thinking. They just respond, often with little thought of the consequences of their behavior. Ouch.

I find it weird that where most people are really cautious is when it comes to Doing God’s Word. I’m sure that this is the one place we should proceed with a strong inclination toward action. Thoughtful action, not reactive action; but action indeed.

The Apostle Paul deservedly has the reputation of being a great thinker. But his analysis never led to a paralysis of action. He thought enough to know to act. And he says, in effect, “I am doing and continue to be doing that very thing that Jesus did for me.” It’s like declaring the forms of a verb: Do, Doing, Done. Paul realized that our obedience to Jesus is not a once and for all thing. It is a present thing built on a past reality and headed to a perfecting future. I am in constant motion toward the One who put me in motion by coming after me first. He came to me and touched my heart with His Gracious Forgiving Love. (Rom5:8) And that Love is like a GPS in my chest that is set for His Love. And I reach for it, press for it because I’ve been changed by it. It’s like obeying: Do, Doing, Done.

Increasing Capacity

2011-07-21T12:27:00.000-04:00

"Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and the man became a living soul." Genesis 2:7

Everything that God makes, He makes with the capacity to increase. Our God is an expansive, creative God who has no beginning or end. There is no limit to His greatness, no limit to His majesty. He makes humanity in His image. “”God created mankind in His image, in the image of God He created them, male and female He created them.” In the very earliest accounts of creation, we read of His incredible depth of being: “in His image He created them, male and female, He created them.” Wow, this is saying that God has a “femaleness” about Him? It sure is; there is more to God than we imagine. He has been described as the “Great Other.” We are in His image but there is no one like Him. He is unique. He is different. He Alone is to be worshiped, for He is God.

To worship Him rightly, (or at all), I must have an increasing capacity. On our own and left to our own devices, we just don’t have the desire nor capacity for God. As the Scriptures say, “All of us have become like one who is unclean and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment: and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. There is no one who calls on Your name or who arouses himself to take hold of You.” [Isaiah 64:6-7} Well, then you might ask, “It is useless. God is an overwhelming impossibility. What is the use in such?” That is the question. Ask it. Say it. Think it. And you will find. It is not only when we know what to ask for that He answers, He answers even when we ask from darkness and desperation. Listen to the wisdom from the Great Book, “I permitted Myself to be sought by those who did not ask for Me: I permitted Myself to be found by those who did not seek Me. I said, ‘Here am I. Here am I’. . . I have spread My hands out all day long to a rebellious people who walk in a way that is not good, following their own thoughts.” [Isaiah 65:1-2] Wow. This is grace. Amazing and amazingly precious.

We don’t have the capacity to find Him, to worship Him, to know Him. But He has the capacity to seek us, to love us, to know us. And His capacity increases our capacity. Remember the first words about humanity’s beginning, “He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and the man became a living soul.” When the LORD God breathed into the man, the man was just a blob of clay that had been formed into that which looked human. But God did not say to the clay, “get up”; no, He increased his capacity by breathing His Spirit into the clay. And the clay became a human alive. The glory of it all is this: We have a God who is an increasing God. He increases our capacity to know Him, to pray, to love, to give. Breathe into us, O God. Increase our capacity for YOU.

AWESOME

2011-07-07T13:24:00.000-04:00

"So shall My Word be which goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:11

“He said what?” “I can’t believe He said that!” “Are you kidding me?” I hear these statements often in the context of casual chat, but rarely do I hear such from God’s people as we discuss the Scriptures. It’s like we have lost the “wonder” quotient that so obviously riveted the attention of many of the writers of Holy Writ. The writers of the Ancient Book realized that there was a significant difference between their thoughts and God’s thoughts, their ways and God’s ways. They realized that to speak with the Divine was an awesome intersection of eternity and time, deity and humanity, Creator and clay. Intuitively, they realized that there was no way that a person, no matter how good or moral, would dare nor could dare to approach the Holy God. There was truly a fear of God, for He is holy and we are not.

The symbols that represent the Word of God that are inscribed in Scripture reflect the common and elemental poetic prose of writers who are searching for word pictures to describe the indescribable. As the Apostle wrote, “we are combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.” Well, that certainly clears things up. Or something like that. His Word is described as Lamp and Light-Psalm 119:105; Fire and Hammer-Jeremiah 23:29; Seed and Mirror-James 1:21,25; Sword-Eph6:17 and many other elements that are seen only by commonly uncommon perception.

And then one day the awesome thing happened. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory”. . . and amazingly, we were not consumed. Wow, the Word became what we thought it never could. The Word became flesh. The Awesome Reduction began, for Deity shrunk in size to human form. Glory was embedded into sinew, muscle, bone and skin. And in so doing, glory did not lose its glory.

This very glory shone through to human eyes from time to time, but it was always and ever before the watching gaze of angels and a Loving Father Who was pleased. And our eyes are opened to see, our hearts are opened to believe and our spirits are opened to love. And we say with the chorus of angelic voices echoing throughout the eternities, “Awesome.”

Winning Numbers

2011-06-30T12:28:00.000-04:00

"Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least, you did it to Me.” Matthew 25:40

I enjoy numbers. I’ve got a good brain for basic mathematics; stuff like addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Figuring percentages—(hey, I love baseball)—always came easily for me. This really came in handy when I’d do all the grocery shopping when our five sons were young and I had to figure the best deal on baby food, diapers and cereal. You know, real manly stuff. Well, maybe not manly, but working with numbers is absolutely essential for life to move forward.

Life is a numbers game.

Numbers are always a part of life moving forward. Whether the numbers are about birthdays, budgets or calendars, they measure life. But the way numbers measure life is not in the way one might initially think, because life is more than numbers. Life is about significant numbers; numbers that really matter. Numbers that are bigger than years, bottom lines or centuries. These kinds of numbers measure things like passion, love, sacrifice, effort. These numbers measure the immeasurable: for example, it has been said that you can’t measure love; but there are numbers that do. Numbers like: ALL, EVERY, WHOEVER. These words are all about a numerical value. And while Jesus may have spoken about the 1 and the 99; or 2 sons; or 5, 2, or 1 talent and other finite numbers; His greatest numbers were these words. He gave His ALL, for EVERY person that WHOEVER would believe, would know His redemptive love and be restored to God.

Recently some significant numbers (5, 14, 15) were brought to my attention as I received a call from Childcare Worldwide thanking our Covenant Family for our generous support of the Ugandan Orphans’ Choir last December. While the offering we collected was their largest from a performance at a church in 2 years, the numbers 5, 14 and 15 were the ones that really got their attention. Here’s why: those numbers represent lives.

5=the average number of sponsorships that come from a church performance.

14=the number of sponsorships made on December 5 at Covenant.

15=the number of sponsorships that were made in the next few months from Covenant.

When Suzette called last week, I was grateful to God for what I heard: Numbers that matter. Not because Covenant exceeded some “average” number; but because 29 children’s lives are being changed forever by the investment of those who love without seeing; who give without coercion. This isn’t ALL or EVERY or WHOEVER, but it is a start toward the kind of numbers that move God’s heart. “. . . to one of these brothers of Mine. . .” Life is a numbers game. Count and measure wisely. It matters for you and eternity.

Secure

2011-06-23T11:23:00.000-04:00

"I am calm and quiet, like a baby with its mother. I am at peace, like a baby with its mother." Psalm 131:2
"Your Heavenly Father knows the things you need. You seek His Kingdom first and all of these things will be added to you." Matthew 6:32-33

Safety’s stock is rising in our culture. From parental angst to government regulation, safety is something that we think we can provide, but we really can’t. We can make efforts to be “more safe” but “more safe” doesn’t guarantee “safe.” Whether it’s wearing your seatbelt, adjusting your diet, making regular doctor visits or stocking up on insurance, we make the effort but can’t guarantee the result.

Security is possible, however. And I’m not talking about the Homeland kind or the ADT or some other vendor’s sign that you get poked in your front yard. There is a real security that we can bank on. This kind of security is a gift from God. We can’t provide it but He can give it. And He not only promises it, He says He wants to provide it to and for us. How about thinking about how wise it is to begin trusting the One who is never inattentive to His children’s needs. He is never uncaring. And He has the power to pull it off. He gives security because He is secure. He projects and provides who He is. He can be no other. Safety? Sorry, we can’t provide it. Security? He already has.

Faithful

Faithful, forever You are faithful,

Father to the fatherless.

You uphold the one who feels forsaken,

You are faithful, God.

Faithful, forever You are faithful,

Lover of the wounded heart.

You defend the poor and the forgotten,

You are faithful, God.

And I will sing to the Maker of Heaven and Earth,

God, You reign forever and Your love will endure;

Faithful and true is the name of the Lord,

You are faithful, God.

Faithful, forever You are faithful,

Shelter for the fragile soul.

You lift us up, You hold us all together,

You are faithful, God.

You are there in every season of my soul,

You are there, You're the anchor that will hold;

You are there, in the valley of the shadows,

You are faithful, God.

Chris Tomlin

Real

2011-06-16T10:07:00.000-04:00

Don't you know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 1 Corinthians 9:24

I don’t know if you’ve seen it; but if you have you’d know it because you really don’t forget it. And if you’ve seen it, there is something in you that wells up and speaks to your heart and says, “I want to be like that.” It’s true in any pursuit where excellence, passion and dedication collide with a gentle ferocity that demands our attention. When such things invade our horizon, we have a moment that is almost reverential solitude. We realize that we are in the presence of greatness. We can’t help but see the expression of creativity, sacrifice or excellence and say, “Wow, something special is here.” I’ve had such moments at the ballet, stadium, concert hall, track, at a sunset, naturescape or any number of other places. It’s that REAL thing that causes our soul to stretch to absorb and appreciate what we are seeing. I heard it in the 1980 song “Saved” that many have heard from Third Day’s recordings some 20 years later. Max Powell sings it powerfully well. I find it sad that Max had to explain the song being on one of Third Day’s albums because some questioned the soundness of the song because of the songwriter. When I listen to the original (which I love much better than Third Day’s) I hear that REAL thing. . . and worship my Savior. And I thank Him for loving those that His people have often left outside in the cold instead of welcoming them home like Jesus did.

SAVED

I was blinded by the devil, born already ruined

Stone-cold dead as I stepped out of the womb 

By His grace I have been touched, by His word I have been healed

By His hand I have been delivered, by His spirit I Have been sealed.

I've been saved by the blood of the Lamb and I'm so glad.

Yes, I'm so glad, I want to thank you, Lord.

By His truth I can be upright, by His strength I do endure.

By His power I've been lifted, in His love I am secure. 

He bought me with a price, freed me from the pit, 

Full of emptiness and wrath and the fire that burns in it.

I've been saved by the blood of the Lamb and I'm so glad.

Yes, I'm so glad, I want to thank you, Lord. 

Nobody to rescue me, nobody would dare, 

I was going down for the last time, but by His mercy I've been spared. 

Not by works, but by faith in Him Who called, 

For so long I'd been hindered, for so long I'd been stalled.

Thank You, Lord. 

Bob Dylan

IN or OUT???

2011-06-08T14:51:00.000-04:00

“I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.” John 17:15

It really doesn’t make sense. Not even a little bit. I’m talking about the way that many of the voices of faith-based media express surprise, shock and disdain when they encounter negative press or apparently unfair treatment from some element of society, be it media scrutiny, judicial fiat or entertainment barrage or some other “negative” figure often described as a “godless secularist.” It is hard to understand this expression of “How dare you!” when open antagonism is encountered through various expressions. It really doesn’t matter if it is the press snickering at a call for morality, or a negative slant toward any number of righteous actions or negative reviews of so called “Christian” movies or music. I mean, Jesus really did tell us this was going to be the way it works. He did say, “If they hated me (and they did), they will hate you.” He rightly promised, “Many will come and speak evil of Me.” And He absolutely covered this subject through one of His disciples when John wrote, “Do not marvel, brethren, if the world hates you.” (I Jn 3:13) I mean, Jesus had discipled John well enough that John really got it. That’s what surprises me. It’s like we don’t get it.

This antagonistic behavior was not only anticipated by our Savior, He promised that it would come. He prepared His disciples for the conflict of the ages. He taught of the jagged and rough line drawn through the ages between love and hate; good and evil; Spirit and flesh. So, we need to go back to what He plainly lived by example, taught very clearly and discipled thoroughly: We are in the world but not of the world.

When we lose our bearings, we begin thinking that we live in a “Christian” world and that our way ought to be the way of everyone, regardless if they know Jesus or not. (And we really don’t connect the dots to realize this is just what the Taliban does. Intolerant Fundamentalism in any religion is dangerous and unChristlike.) But Jesus, Who totally loved people, faced open antagonism from the world system. His values were not theirs. His ways were not fleshly. His love was not returned. His Truth was not received. And He just kept on loving, showing patience, granting respect and allowing people to reveal their own conclusions. Wise or foolish; righteous or evil; He let them reveal their heart and declare their confession. And some of those confessions were totally against Him. They called him evil, a liar, demon-possessed, anti-God, soft on immorality, out of control, drunkard and immoral. And He wasn’t surprised. He didn’t confuse His divine rights with negative reaction. There is a lesson for us. We can’t be “in and out” at the same time. To be “in” with God means that we will be “out” with the world. And it’s ok. In or out? We can choose. But we can’t have both. Jesus taught us so.

Bottom Line Values

2011-06-02T14:00:00.000-04:00

“No, one of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his possessions.”
Luke 14:33

Love does funny things to a man. And it does even funnier things to a disciple. Love opens the heart while narrowing the focus. Love causes a man to say to his love, “I will be faithful to you and you alone.” Love causes the disciple to say, “I have found the Pearl Who is worth all I have.” The Bottom Line has become the first value. And the first value is to realize how much one has received, therefore the Bottom Line is what our hearts long to give. The Bottom Line is not about how much one makes but how much one gives.

You have given everything to me

What can I do for you? 

You have given me eyes to see 

What can I do for You?

Pulled me out of bondage and You made me renewed inside 

Filled up a hunger that had always been denied.

Opened up a door no man can shut and You opened it up so wide

And You've chosen me to be among the few.

What can I do for You?

You have laid down Your life for me 

What can I do for You? 

You have explained every mystery 

What can I do for You?

Soon a man is born, you know the sparks begin to fly

He gets wise in his own eyes and he's made to believe a lie.

Who could deliver him from the death he's bound to die?

Well, You've done it all and there's no more anyone can pretend to do.What can I do for You?

You have given all there is to give,

What can I give for You?

You have given me life to live,

How can I live for You?

I know all about poison, I know all about fiery darts,

I don't care how rough the road is, show me where it starts.

Whatever pleases You, tell it to my heart.

Well, I don't deserve it but I sure did make it through, 

What can I do for You?

Bob Dylan

“What Can I Do for You?”

I Forgot

2011-05-26T11:51:00.000-04:00

"...I will forgive their iniquity and their sin I will remember no more." Jeremiah 31:34

I’ve always wanted to be able to utilize my strength of forgetting, but really never found a good place to use that skill. My experience tells me that it doesn’t work at school when talking about homework, in marriage when talking about anniversaries and important dates or at work when talking about assignments and responsibilities. And don’t even try to forget a child’s birthday, or worse yet, your wife’s birthday! One thing about remembering your wife’s birthday: remember the date of the birth, not the year of the birth. They always want you to remember the day but forget the age. At least don’t say it.

And yet we read that God says, “I will remember their sin no more.” In effect, He is choosing to forget. Isn’t it just like God to find a wonderful way to do that which may get us into trouble if we do it? This is a proof of the greatness and the incredible wisdom of God.

God, who is omniscient—He knows all things of which there is to know. He knows everything; nothing escapes His sight. He is the Great God. But yet, He has chosen to use a greater power than knowledge in this matter where He chooses to forget. He has chosen to exercise the grace and love that is required for forgiveness. You see, He is not forgetting an insignificant thing: He is choosing to “remember no more” our sin. Sin is the very thing that created the biggest problem He ever had to deal with. Dealing with sin redemptively actually taxed God’s patience, His wisdom, His power and His love. I’m sure that there are other things as well, but these come to mind. Before you shout “Heretic! Nothing can be hard for God, He’s almighty,” consider a few things. Creation was a breeze for God for everything was cooperating in the glorious ooze of creativity. Miracles are easy for God can do those by power. Now God could have dealt with sin justly without much effort. All humanity would have died in their sin and been separated from God forever. He could have dealt with it angrily and blasted the planet into oblivion.

But God chose to deal with sin redemptively and that created the problem. Sin was not a challenge for God’s power but it was a powerful problem for His love. Love requires that He get involved personally; incarnationally; sacrificially. To the point of suffering. To the point of dying. To the point of forgiving.

So when one says, “God remembers our sin no more” be careful to remember what He has chosen to forget. My sin created a great problem for God. And He loved me right through it. All the way into my heart. So now, when someone hurts me or offends me, I can do that wonderful thing of forgiving and be just like my Heavenly Father.

Looking Behind the Curtain

2011-05-19T11:04:00.000-04:00

“And behind the second veil, there was a tabernacle, which is called the Holy of Holies.” Hebrews 9:3

It’s always been part of my curious nature. And I know there are more than a few of you like me in this regard. When seeing a play, I always wanted to know what was going on backstage. When seeing the magicians do their thing with incredible sleight of hand, I wanted to look under the table, in the box or behind that cape. When watching “The Wizard of Oz”, I was wanting to push the script along to see behind the curtain and know what that Wizard was like. I’m sure if I’d been around Moses in the days of the Tabernacle or, later on, the Temple, I would have wished to be a part of the tribe of Levi and get the opportunity to go behind the veil that separated us from “the good stuff.”

I tend to chalk up this desire as the root of curiosity. It very well may be what motivated Eve and Adam to make their fateful and disastrous choice to eat that fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. They wanted to get behind the curtain to “be like God.” Too bad they didn’t realize that there was a way, it is later called “the Way” and is Jesus; and was very likely the Tree of Life in that Garden. But they pursued their own way instead of God’s wisdom and created a mess that has touched the life of every person who has inhabited this planet.

There is a way to look behind the curtain, you see. And God was working on it all the time. He wasn’t planning to pull back the curtain to give us a glimpse of “the good stuff”; He was going to REMOVE the curtain. And that is just what He did through the Atonement of Jesus. In all the phenomena of that dark day that we call Good Friday; the most striking thing is not that there was an earthquake or a blackened sky for 3 hours. Most incredibly, that curtain, the Veil, was torn from top to bottom. Ripped apart by the finger of God inviting us to the “good stuff” of forgiveness, righteousness and acceptance. The place where Life is Restored to God’s Purposes. The Good Stuff behind the curtain.

Doing Basic Math

2011-05-12T11:37:00.000-04:00

"Add to your faith, virtue...." II Peter 1:5

Calculus, Physics, Algebra II, Trigo-something or another. How could I do it if I can’t even say it? There is a reason they just call it “Trig, Cal, A II etc”. Saying it is hard enough, so doing it is next to impossible for many of us except the brainiacs who make the rest of us look like simpletons. But just about everyone can do basic math. We know addition, subtraction, multiplication and division; at least with the 1 digit numbers. Basic math doesn’t require a calculator, we can usually do it in our heads. Like I said, it’s basic math.

The same concept works in our spiritual life. Spiritual life is a growing reality. That means that it is about growing. Things that are of the Spirit are things that are growing or being added to. Interestingly, God does the initial parts of our salvation: we cannot save ourselves nor sanctify ourselves. God does that but God will not do for us what we can and must do. God will not give us character, we have to work that out ourselves—Philippians 2:12b “work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” The fear and trembling is because we must not fail to add to what God has given. We dare not frustrate the grace of God. The call to discipleship is a call to add on to what God has done for us and in us. Peter instructs us that we are to “add” to our faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. Nurturing these qualities are our responsibility. They are the expectation of God for us. These things are not like the fruit of the Spirit that God brings into and through our lives as we trust Him to produce it and begin to rely on it through faith. Character is the outworking of what God has put in us. And it only comes as we take the initiative and “add” it to our faith. These qualities that Peter details in v5-8 are added to our lives as we act in faith.

This does not mean that they are not of grace, for everything that we do in the Spirit is fueled by grace and done by faith. “Add to your faith”=basic math. No special formula, just a basic acting on the Word of God. Simply like addition. Basic Math.

ALIVE!

2011-04-21T05:47:00.000-04:00

“He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee?” Luke 24:6

Grief really plays a game with our psyche. Our minds have difficulty embracing the facts and we keep going back and forth from pain to more pleasant thoughts. Emotionally we feel like a boat on a tossing sea. We are up and down. When we think we have it together, another wave comes along and buckles our knees. We often lose our capacity to act because we feel so hopeless and powerless in the midst of deep grief. Grief really hurts. The hurt and pain cause us to go into psychological shock. We just can’t function well. We have a hard time remembering things we thought we’d never forget. A favorite song from the past comes along and then a few minutes later we can’t remember what it was. We begin thinking, “What is wrong with me?”

Grief has a way of dulling our senses as we pass through its early stages. Denial gives way to deep pain and disappointment and anger. If you’ve not experienced the searing pain of grief; you will. Guaranteed. No one escapes it. We all will dance the dance, pay the price and follow the piper. And we will need Jesus along the way.

Because we don’t usually approximate emotions as we read the Sacred Scriptures, we often miss the pathos of the narrative. Perhaps we just don’t think that deeply about what we are reading. Whatever the reason, we often miss the point of the Scriptures.

It’s certainly true in the Easter Story. From our vantage point, we can comfortably, albeit irrationally, think, “How could they have not been ready? . . If I’d been there. . . " Yeah, sure. I don’t think so. As a matter of fact, I know so.

The Resurrection of Jesus is the most outlandish story ever told. 100% of people die. And they don’t ever get up. They begin to decay right away. A dead person doesn’t resemble one who is alive. The light has gone out of the eyes. The smile and twinkle fade. . . dead.

But as they come to the grave; the grave where they laid His dead, lifeless, bruised and battered body; they hear the startling announcement, “He is not here. He is risen. Remember. . . ?” “Well, no I don’t remember. You have no business playing with my grief!” And your grief needs this announcement: “HE IS ALIVE.” And He is. Forever.

Death could not hold Him. The grave could not contain Him. Don’t seek the Living One among the dead. He is Alive. Indeed.

Huh?

2011-04-14T10:35:00.003-04:00

Have you ever thought that you knew something; like for sure; but you got it wrong? We've all been there at some time. Back in my days of being a searching (mostly doubting, skeptical and denying) student of philosophy and seeker of life wisdom in the chaotic days of the late 60's and early 70's, I remember coming across Rene Descartes' "I think, therefore I am" statement. As I pondered that nugget of wisdom that encapsulated the capacity of humanity to conceive thought that gives meaning to existence I was about to say, "Yes! The fact that I can think gives validity to my existence." I was enjoying the feeling of reward one gets from a good search and a better find when I excitedly opened up my new Moody Blues album (yes, we are talking old school vinyl LP here). The album was Days of Future Past . . . and the opening lines of the first song were written right on the album liner jacket: "I think, therefore I am. . . I think." What??!! That can't be. I hadn't thought of that possibility. But it not only can be; it was. Wow. . . talk about being deflated. My mental balloon of certainty sputtered and flew all around the room as all the air of my 'victory' rushed out of my box of thought.

And the question thudded against the floor of my heart at the same time it rattled around my brain: How can I know anything for real or if anything is real? I wanted to scream, "I need some proof!! I need proof to deny God's existence or I need proof to deny my skepticism and denial of reality."

And the proof never came, pro or con. . . but something much better than proof came.

The thing that was better than proof was that wonder called REALITY. John described it this way: "The Word became flesh and we beheld His glory." Of course, John can't provide proof. Jesus left no fingerprints, no DNA, no photograph, no handwriting sample, no video. But He left something better: REALITY. While John or Peter or Paul or hundreds of other eyewitnesses couldn't prove His existence, they also couldn't be convinced otherwise. Not because they had proof, but because they had HIM.

He gave them life. And that's what He gave me. Life. While I was contemplating death, He gives life. So just like God. If you ask me, "Prove it", I will just look at you and say "Huh?" Oh yeah. He's real. Can't prove Him but you can't miss Him, because He's real. Really.

Hearing with Your Heart

2011-04-07T13:52:00.000-04:00

“Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening.” 1 Samuel 3:9,10

Have you ever heard something, but you just weren’t sure what you heard? Or maybe you thought you heard something, but just weren’t sure what it was or if it was. It’s not only old guys like me who are prone to think they are losing yet another valuable skill in this life who have this problem. Hearing is not only a skill; it is an art. Especially when you are learning to hear with your heart. It’s refreshing to read of Samuel as he learned to hear the voice of God. He thought he was hearing his old mentor. But it was God. Three times he missed the message. But he kept at it. Such is the joy of child-like faith that doesn’t worry about if it looks inept as long as faith is made sight. May God help us hear His voice through the din of noises in our relationships, conversations and life experiences. If we do, we can move past illusion to reality; from rumor to truth; from wish to faith.

We were talking-about the space between us all;

And the people-who hide themselves behind a wall of illusion,

Never glimpse the truth; then it's far too late, when they pass away.

We were talking about the love we all could share when we find it;

To try our best to hold it there with our love.

With our love we could save the world, if they only knew.

Try to realize it's all within yourself,

No one else can make you change.

And to see you're really only very small,

And life flows on, within you and without you.

We were talking-about the love that's gone so cold and the people

Who gain the world and lose their soul.

They don't know, they can't see.

Are you one of them?

When you've seen beyond yourself then you may find peace of mind

Is waiting there. And the time will come when you see we're all one.

And life flows on within you and without you.

Within You, Without You—George Harrison, 1967

Sometimes, the messages come from where we least expect them. But remember, God can speak through donkeys if HE wishes. He just wants His message to go out. Preferably within us. But if necessary, without us. LISTEN.

Dreaming of Dress Clothes

2011-03-24T14:08:00.000-04:00

To God, obscenity is not uncovered flesh. It is exposed intention. Nakedness is just a state of heart. Was Adam any more uncovered when he discovered shame? Yes.

Consider the story from the Good Book. . .

“Hello Singer,” said the voice of the World Hater. “Welcome to the quiet of the grove. Does the senseless empty crowd offend you?” After a long pause, the Singer asked, “How did you manage to make them cherish all this nothingness?” The World Hater sneered and said, “I simply make them feel embarrassed to admit that they are now incomplete. A man would rather close his eyes than see himself as your Father-Spirit does. I teach them to exalt their emptiness and thus preserve the dignity of man.” “But they need the dignity of God.” “You tell them that. I sell a cheaper product.”

They went deeper in the woods and stopped in a shaded barren spot beneath the fortress wall. A heavy set of chains hung from a great foundation stone that held the towering wall. Manacles hung bolted on the wrists of a burly, naked man and he slept, or seemed to. The sleeping giant stirred when the World Hater began to play his silver flute in a choppy, weird progression of half tones. The giant groaned and placed his hands on his temples. In fever-hot manner the Hater played and just as rapidly the Madman stumbled to his feet. The Singer had never beheld so great a man as he. Some unseen, unheard agony rippled through the Madman’s bleeding soul. He growled, then screamed and tried to tear the chains that held him to the wall. “Stop, Hater!” cried the Singer and He began to sing, sweetly and strongly until the chains began to shake and fall loose to the ground. The giant stood unchained before the Singer and with love that knew no fear, the Singer caught Madman’s torment, wrapped it all in song and gave it back to him as peace.

The two men held each other and in their long embrace of soul, the spirits cried and left. The two men stood at last alone. “What year is it?” the giant asked with perplexity. “It is the year of the Troubadour,” the Singer said. “How long have you hung upon the walls and writhed in madness?” “I cannot tell the years.” “Will you walk with Me?” asked the Singer. “Yes,” sobbed the Madman, and then hung his head as he added, “I cannot, for I am naked.” “Not if you love Me,” replied Singer. “He whom Earthmaker loves is hidden from his shame forever.” “I love You more than life,” the Madman confessed, “For you brought me back to life.” And they hugged. And as they turned to leave and continue on the journey, the two of them were dressed.

Adapted by Dan Crow from “The Singer” by Calvin Miller

See?

2011-03-17T10:56:00.001-04:00

It was a diagnosis that I didn’t see coming. . . literally. When Doctor Mike Siatowski told me my problem, I recoiled in denial. “I can’t be” “This can’t be happening to me.” “I’m too young for this!” All those thoughts jumbled through my head crashing into each other as I absorbed the emotional shock of his proclamation. When I finally stopped denying the possibility, I began to see the truth. The doctor was not mistaken. His diagnosis was spot on. His manner had been kind. I just had a hard time believing that it was happening to me. But Doctor Mike was right when he told me that I had presbyopia.

The word sounded so sinister as it rolled off of his tongue, kind of like I had been snared in a religious cult. “I have what??!! Some of you may have, but I’ve never gone to one of those churches,” I wanted to say. I never saw it coming. But I should have; because it happens to everyone. No exceptions. The fact is that we are all aging. We are becoming elderly. No matter how many times we try to fake ourselves out by saying, “60 is the new 50” after we said, “50 is the new 40” after we said, “40 is the new 30.” You get the idea don’t you? I was suffering from the delusion that “it won’t happen to me. That happens to other people.” Yeah, right. I’m still young. Oh, and I haven’t gained any weight since high school either. Those two thoughts are sure signs that I’m losing it a bit as I’m racing toward the Finish Line of life.

What presbyopia means is that I need to have sight assistance if I am to see clearly. The fine print is not so fine without my glasses. Some wear contacts or have lasik surgery. Since I’m a wuss, I wear glasses. It’s easier for me to put something on my eyes than in my eyes. And don’t even talk to me about letting someone cut up my eyes. No thanks; I’d rather look like Clark Kent in disguise.

So it works out that we are all born with a major sight defect. Jesus says that we can’t even see the Kingdom of God without major help; like being born all over by the Spirit of God. If we can’t even see the Kingdom on our own, why in the world would anyone think that they will just end up there one day by accident? That is about as foolish as I acted when I was in denial of my sight problems. I needed help from a specialist. Just like you do. Just like everyone does. It’s really kind of obvious. See? Oh, I forgot. That’s the problem. Without Jesus we can’t see. See? Oh, I forgot you can’t. . . Well, Look. Oops, I forgot that’s a problem too. See?

Follow

2011-03-03T13:46:00.000-05:00

It sounds so simple, so familiar and so understandable. The word is easy to say and spell. It is “first grade stuff”. The concept is woven

into life experience. It is the stuff of our earliest memories. It’s what children learn to do from parents. It is the language that has greater clarity than words. There is a family proverb that some have used in vain in the attempt to undo its influence when parents hopefully, but foolishly say, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Sure. Like that is really going to happen. One cannot undo time-tested patterns by invoking the latest psychological mantra or wishful hope.

The power of “Follow” is indisputable. Example is the greatest teacher of all. So much so that we quote the ancient wise, like Saint Francis Assisi, “Preach always. If necessary use words.” Now those are the words of a person who understood the transformational power of “Follow.” But Francis didn’t discover this truth. He had been shaped by it like the 1,100 years of generations who had passed the truth to him by their example as they had learned to “Follow.”

It is a forgotten, or I should say, neglected, truth in terminology that those early disciples of Jesus were called “Followers of Jesus” for a reason. Their lives were changed as they followed Him. His call was simple: It was not to a task or mission. It was to a Person. What did He say? “Follow Me.” Maybe the phrase “Follower of Jesus” is too descriptive for those who would rather be called “members” or “believers”. After all, those terms are not nearly as risky as “Follower.” You can be a member or a believer and stay where you are or think that you “have done that.” But “Follow” is an active, vigorous word. It requires motion, exertion, risk, unsettledness. Jesus never said, “Follow Me here or there or to this.” It was short, sweet and powerful. “Follow Me.”

Abraham heard that call. It was simple. It was personal. It was profound and powerful. And it was invigorating for it required faith. After all, “he knew not where he was going.” But what a joy was his for Abraham knew Who he was with. And that made all the difference. For him and us. Jesus calls us, not to a task or place. He calls: “Follow Me.”

All In

2011-02-24T12:42:00.000-05:00

The words were simple and few: "All in". The short phrase hung in the air like it was waiting for us to catch up with its vast meaning. A friend and I had been discussing the nature of commitments. He made an insightful comment about marriage that if one mate makes the commitment to go ìAll inî it changes the power of the marriage entirely. One person going "All in" raises the level of both mates. The total "All in" attitude and commitment not only empowers the one making it, but also projects a power to the other. The "not so All in" mate becomes empowered by the renewed estimation of the one making the "All in" call. When one says "All in" to a mate, the other, "not so All in" mate, immediately becomes the recipient of the commitments and affections of the "All in" mate. And there is nothing that they cannot do together.

No wonder Scripture teaches "Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her." [Eph 5] A husband who loves that way, will do whatever is necessary to bring his wife to the place of blessing. She becomes what she can be because he values her with "All in" love. When a man will do anything for his wife, she knows the joy of unconditional love. Giving Love. Extravagant Love. Risky love. "All in" changes everything because everything is on the table, having a value only in the immediate present actions at hand. And it changes everything. It changes him and it changes her. "All in" love is transformational.

"All in" love has such power because it is the way that God has chosen to redeem, reconcile and restore humanity to Himself. When God said, "All in"; i.e. "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. . ." the world was changed. Transformation was happening and God reconciled the world to Himself. Those who had been rebels became children. Lost sheep were transformed into sons and daughters. Slaves and freemen were united into the new humanity. Male and female were merged into one Body. And all were empowered to give and receive respect.

All because of "All in." And when you or I encounter Jesus, He calls us to "Follow Me, Take up your cross daily." And as we do so, we find that we are "All in." And Jesus smiles.

Perspective

2011-02-17T10:31:00.004-05:00

Perspective determines how one perceives reality. So much so that there is an American business and cultural proverb: Perception is reality. But perception is obviously NOT reality. Perception is perception. Reality is reality. Where perception grasps the truth about what it sees, it comes close. But it is still not the thing. The thing is the thing. Perception is about observing reality either wisely or foolishly. Inadequately or adequately. According to truth or error. But we must never forget that our perspective may be flawed. And if we are human, it likely is not without bias. We tend to look out for number 1.

A popular news channel trumpets out their carefully crafted slogan, "Fair and Balanced: We Report, You decide." It's clever marketing. No doubt. Did I say it was carefully crafted? So much so that it is legally foolproof while obviously stretching reasonable observation. The declaration "Fair and Balanced" makes a patently condemnatory accusation: i.e. other news channels are unfair and tilted or imbalanced. The addition of those 4 little words that follow allows the channel defenders to say to any critic, "Hold on, not so fast with your accusations." "We Report" is what we do. "You Decide" is what you must do. You must determine if our news is fair and balanced; we are not making that declaration of our channel and thus condemning other news services. The "You decide" is the loophole, for the station can legally argue, "We are asking you to determine if we are "Fair and Balanced"; we are not declaring that we are, we are declaring that we only report and you decide if the news we report is fair and balanced.

"Where is all this going?" you are asking and it would be a good question. The point is this: Our humanity renders us basically flawed in our perspective, even though we love to say we are being objective. Let me illustrate: When hearing the stories of conflict between Jesus and Pharisees of His day; we generally share the sentiment that "If I had been there, I would have been right next to Jesus and against those cruddy Pharisees." That is called a flawed perspective because we simply don't know this to be the case. Pressure does funny things to perspective. Just ask Peter. He went from the volunteer willing to die to being the coward willing to deny. Some difference. What accounted for the difference? What caused Peter to put on the black hat of a scoundrel instead of the white hat of a hero? Perspective. When reading God's Word, we would do well to remember the words of a wise one, We really don't read the Bible; the Bible reads us.

Let it classify you before you rush to classify yourself. Now there's a perspective that is Fair and Balanced.

We don't even have to decide. Perspective. Believe it.

Humble

2011-02-15T12:01:00.001-05:00

“. . our adequacy is not of ourselves, our adequacy is from God.” II Corinthians 3:5

Paradox abounds in Scripture. This is not because any writer of Scripture was attempting to be clever or literary-[after all, it is all inspired by God]; but Scripture has been admired by many outside the faith because of it’s beautiful use of paradox. Many of the paradoxical statements are legendary and woven into common cultural understanding: Give and you will receive; If you lose you will find; Empty yourselves and you will be filled; Die and you will live. I could continue but I have a point in mind. And that point is that Daniel lived 80+ years in the life of paradox. He was the human illustration of “if a seed is buried in the ground and dies, it bears much fruit.” He was the “die and you will live” guy. He experienced daily “give and it will be given to you.” But most of all, I think he lived the “humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and you will be exalted” or, as the proverb states it, “Before honor comes humility.” Yeah, it’s really obvious that Daniel pretty much destroyed the proverb of neo-America “Look out for Number 1!” or “Do unto others BEFORE they do unto you.” Daniel just keeps on defying the conventional wisdom of our culture. And he endures where our age/culture is falling all over itself into a wasteland of cultural debris.

As I survey the recurring flood of books on leadership, whether from a perspective of faith or secularity, steady constants in content are the pillars of self-confidence, pride, initiative and personal vision. Daniel exhibited each of these in great measure but they were born, shaped, hammered and forged from the crucible of humility under fire, not the strength of personal hubris, pride and self-confidence. Most of the books I read today have a foundation of comments something like this: “Determine your vision for your life; state your life purpose; and focus every resource toward fulfilling your purpose.” Daniel might say, “Well, that sounds backwards to me. Vision for my life came from lowering my expectation to one thing: submitting to God. And from that position, my purpose was shown in the perspective of serving others and giving myself to that goal.”

God’s purposes always flow from humility and brokenness. As the Apostle elaborated, “When we are weak, we are strong.” We might say it another way: “When we know we are inadequate, our inadequacy makes us adequate.” What a sublime and powerful thought. It echoes through time into eternity. It’s paradoxical Christ-likeness. Humble.

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