Life

Separated? Never!

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I recently betrayed the confidence of a friend. I may be doing it again by posting this. My friend told me something… and then I repeated it. I screwed up. I apologized but now I feel that what I did has separated us. I can just feel it. I’m sure you know what I mean.

Although we say God’s love is unconditional, we don’t really live like we believe it.

If I screw up and sin against God, I feel separated from Him. I feel like I need to run and hide. I don’t want to approach Him. In a more practical sense, I don’t feel like going to church. I don’t feel like listening to Christian music. I don’t feel like hanging out with folks that seem to have their Christian life all-together.

Does sin really separate us from God? Most would say “Yes, absolutely.” And they’d point to a Bible passage like this in the Old Testament:

But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken falsely, and your tongue mutters wicked things. (Isaiah 59:2-3)

But I’m not so sure that sin separates us from God AT ALL. Let me try to explain.

First, a few caveats: God is holy. He cannot and does not tolerate sinfulness in His Presence. And those who haven’t been cleansed of their sins are not, cannot, and will not be able to stand, kneel, or sit in His Presence. (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9) Secondly, God is just. He has demanded justice for sinfulness. (See the same verses) I get that. I understand that. I’m not diminishing His holiness or His requirement of justice.

But in the person of Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, those requirements have been fulfilled. By the blood of Jesus, our sins have been cleansed once and for all. All our past sins, all our present sins, and all our future sins have been cleansed and paid for by the crucifixion which we remember this Friday.

Yet when we sin… when we rebel… when we “do our own thing”… we think God turns His back on us… we think He frowns on us… we feel as if our actions and behavior has affected the way God feels about us. And instead of running toward God, we run away from Him. We run and hide (like Adam and Eve in the garden – see Genesis 3:8). We think God will punish us if we come clean. So we continue to stay away. We act as if God’s love is conditional instead of unconditional. We behave as if He loves us differently based on what we do or don’t do.

That is simply not true. That is not the God who loved us so much that sent His one and only Son to die for us… to fulfill His requirements of holiness and justice. Out of the love He has for us, He has fulfilled the passage in Isaiah above. He has fulfilled the requirements of the Old Testament. We can draw near to God and be assurred that He will draw near to us. This is the Father who looks longingly, waiting for the prodigal son to come home — not to punish him but to have a party and celebrate!

Lastly, this does not give us a license to sin. Those who truly get a revelation of the love God has for them are filled with such gratitude and have such amazing liberty that the old way of life is not given a second thought. It is a wonderful life of freedom — not a freedom to live as they please, but to live as God pleases. It is a (super)natural outflow of an inward transformation.

Unlike our fragile human relationships, the relationship we have with God is unchanging, steadfast, and unconditional. Just read these beautiful words:

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

Separated? Never!

Hoping…

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My friend, Bruce Catlett passed away last Sunday, and in his last few months, he had grown especially close to a few friends. One of them texted me last night, and I asked him how he was handling the death of his close friend. He answered that he was doing fine… he was just longing to be where Bruce now is, in heaven with Jesus.

Ultimately, that is what gives him hope. That is what gave Bruce hope. That’s all Bruce could talk about, especially in his last days.

That is what gives me hope and is what gives you hope as well, I’m sure.

Hope is what sets us apart, as Jesus-followers. Hope is what gets us through terrible days. Hope is what gets someone like Bruce and Donna through the sickness which results from chemo treatments. Hope is what makes us victorious, both in the “here and now” and for eternity. And according to the apostle Paul, faith and love are birthed from hope. Hear the words of Paul:

We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News. (Colossians1:3-5, NLT)

Faith and love come from hope. There it is. In this case, it was music to Paul’s ears. He had heard that the church he had planted in Colosse was making an impact. They were spreading the love of Jesus Christ, most certainly by just living their lives in front of the folks around them. They were different from the culture. They had hope. And news travels fast… especially good news. It made it all the way to Paul’s prison cell in Rome.

We have that very same hope. And our good news – the hope that we have in Christ Jesus and the work He has done for us – shows itself in faith and love. It shows itself in very much the same way as it’s done for centuries: by just living it authentically (not perfectly) in front of a watching world. It’s not easy and I am embarassed by my behavior in so many ways on so many occasions. But because of Jesus’ love for me (and you), I know that I live in the unshakeable Kingdom of God. I am a Kingdom-dweller. I am a follower of Jesus. My hope is borne out of my identity (which is permanent) and not my behavior (with is temporary). That is where my hope comes from.

And although I, too, would love to be with Bruce and Jesus, I know that as long as I’m still here, there’s still the Good News of hope to be spread.

Formation for Mission

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I’ve mentioned the three books our church is working its way through many times. I only do so because God used these books to change me: the way I look at myself, the way I look at the things happening around me and my role, and the purpose you I have in the Kingdom.

The church has been on a nine-month journey through…

The Good and Beautiful God: Falling in Love with the God Jesus Knows
The Good and Beautiful Life: Putting on the Character of Christ
The Good and Beautiful Community: Following the Spirit, Extending Grace, Showing Love

The books are designed to help each person focus on spiritual formation, growing in grace, and living out their faith to make an impact on the world around them, even if that world is just their family and the families in their cul-de-sac.

They are not just Bible-studies. They are spiritual formation with a mission.

This should really be the point of growing in Christ. We don’t do it for ourselves. We don’t even do it for God. We do it for the world around us… to be Jesus to the folks around us and bring more into this Unshakeable Kingdom.

Take the next 3:30 to watch this video. It sums it up nicely.

Time is shorter than we think…

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Our friend, Bruce

Our friend, Bruce

As I posted yesterday, my friend, Bruce died early yesterday morning. He was buried yesterday, too, in a natural cemetery in Penn Laird. It was a beautiful graveside service on a beautiful day at a beautiful place. He was honored by his family and a large throng of friends.

I didn’t know Bruce as long as virtually everyone else there. I’ve only known him since his illness. He was invited to our men’s group by his friend, Wayne, and he was quickly welcomed with open arms. He shared in that first meeting his diagnosis of stomach cancer and was ready to begin with the treatments. This was nearly two years ago.

In the journey he and his family have been on the past two-plus years, his steadfast faith and resolve were an inspiration to us all. His perspective was always eternal.

A group of us went to see him two weeks ago. He thought his time was short. He looked good when we saw him: good energy, good color to his skin and face, and he was alert and engaging as ever. That was the last time I saw him.

In the past two years, since his diagnosis, relationships became more and more important to Bruce. It seemed as if his marriage relationship drew even closer than before. His relationships with his children were even more important than before and he placed a special emphasis on getting to know his numerous grandchildren. He loved his friends, both the men in his churches (as Pastor Kerry Willis said, one church couldn’t hold Bruce) and those outside the church. Relationships were of the utmost importance to Bruce.

I regret not going to see him at some point in the past two weeks. He knew his time was short. I knew his time was short. Hospice had been called in to help. I just thought he had more time.

I say all this not to make you feel sorry for me, but to remind us all how important relationships are. They were of growing importance to Bruce as his time here grew shorter. They should be of growing importance to us as our days here grow shorter.

You’re still teaching me lessons, Bruce.

Drinking Deeply

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As I’ve mentioned several times, our church is working it’s way through a series of books by James Bryan Smith. We just finished The Good and Beautiful Life, and we are moving on to the last in the series, entitled The Good and Beautiful Community. I heartily recommend each book. They are life-changing.

The first book in the series is called The Good and Beautiful God, and it is one that God has used most to turn my life around. The basis for the books is replacing the false narratives of the world with the words of truth that Jesus said and taught. In The Good and Beautiful Life, the author helps you replace the false narratives about God that you and I have imbedded deep within us with the words Jesus taught about His Father.

For instance, ever since we were children, we were taught that you get what you earn. If you work hard, you will be rewarded. This continues on throughout our young lives into adulthood as we are taught that working hard, and getting good grades, will earn us favor with our teachers, and later with colleges and universities. We are constantly graded and evaluated. In adulthood, we are given periodic performance evaluations at work. It goes on throughout our lives.

It is not hard to project this cyclical characteristic upon God. We do it without even thinking. There are countless pulpits which say, in essence, “God is good, you are bad, try harder” or “God is good. Why isn’t He good to you? You must not have enough faith. You must not be believing. There must be something that you’re doing that’s blocking God’s favor in your life.” As we hear those messages, we fall into the trap of trying to earn God’s favor. Is any of this ringing true with you?

The Good News is that our heavenly Father is a generous God who longs to show you His love and grace. He is not a respecter of persons. There is nothing you can do to earn His favor and love, or do to earn MORE of His love and favor. It is unmerited. It is underserved. But He longs to pour it out on us anyway.

In the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew’s Gospel, Chapter 20), Jesus tells the story of a landowner who pays all the workers a day’s wage, no matter when they showed up for work. And the message that we hear is this: “No matter when you accept Jesus as your Savior, you get into heaven. Even death-bed confessions receive the same reward as the lifelong saint.”

But don’t miss these messages: First, our God is a generous God, and He longs to be generous. The wages paid had nothing to do with how long or hard the worker labored in the field. The wages paid were solely a reflection of the generosity and goodness of the employer.

The “wages” we receive from God, His blessings, His rewards, His favor, His healing, and even His power have nothing to do with us or anything we’ve done as Christ-followers. It has EVERYTHING to do with what’s already been done for us. Whatever we receive, it is a reflection of the Father’s generosity and goodness. It is all received by grace.

To some, this will rub the wrong way. They’ll say, there’s not enough talk about sin and its consequences. They’ll say that I need to mention Hell and punishment. There’s not enough talk about our part: prayer, fasting, serving, etc. Perhaps. But those that lean that way may be more apt to be rule-keepers and rule-makers, looking to measure and evaluate their own performance and the performance of those around them. This is the law. The law brings death, but the grace that gives freedom brings life.

I think what makes this book so attractive and so encouraging is that it has made the Gospel real to me again. The Gospel really is Good News! It is truth and life. Jesus said that I should come and drink. I have. It is so refreshing! I want others that are walking in a dry and dusty land to drink deeply, too.

As Jesus said, you will never thirst again!

Rediscovering

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It’s hard to watch the news nowadays. In fact, news is something that is on 24 hours a day, seven days a week. However, for my generation, it wasn’t always that way. Growing up, it was three networks broadcasting at 6:30 PM, and for me, it’s still that way… mainly because I can’t take much more than that.

The news is so full of tragedies and illnesses and sickness and murder and strife and war that it’s hard to watch. It’s not that I stick my head in the sand; I just can’t be a news junkie who has a news channel playing in the background all day long. To me, it’s somewhat of a poison. I believe in “garbage-in/garbage-out”. The more bad stuff you take in via the eyes and ears, the more poisoned your life becomes. That’s probably just me.

But if you notice all the national networks end their news broadcasts with the feel-good story. They end their news with an upbeat message about someone or something that is good. Because, let’s face it, good news is easier to hear or watch than bad news.

The Good News of the Gospel is just that: it’s good news. That’s what the word “gospel” means. But it’s not just good news for those who find God’s love, acceptance, and forgiveness for the first time. It’s good news every moment of every day of every week of every month of every year for everyone.

It’s good news for you and good news for your family. It’s good news for your spouse and your children. It’s good news for everyone around you. It’s good news for the rich. It’s good news for the poor. It’s good news for the destitute. It’s good news for the affluent. It’s good news for the educated. It’s good news for those that can’t even read. It’s good news. Period.

And here’s why: It is finished. (John 19:30) The work has been done. The requirements of a holy and just have been met by His own sacrifice: the Lamb of God, Jesus, slain for our sins. One sacrifice for all. Once and for all.

There’s no more work to do to satisfy God’s requirements. He has redeemed us Himself! What love! It truly is amazing. If you just get that thought deep enough within you, there’s no need to read further.

The Gospel needs to be rediscovered. You and I need to get its liberating truths deep down within us. It’s truths can truly set the captives free, and you and I are still captives. We are captives of all the false narratives that we’ve been taught over the years. Things like:

“You’re not quite good enough to cut it.”
“You need to just try harder. Re-double your efforts.”
“It’s time to suck it up. Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps.”
“I’ve got to look out for myself. No one else will.”
“Winning is everything.”
“If I perform well enough, I’ll be loved and valued.”
And there are so many more.

Pastor Tullian Tchividjian says:

“Rediscovering the Gospel enabled me to see that:

Because Jesus was strong for me, I was free to be weak.
Because Jesus won, I was free to lose.
Because Jesus was someone, I was free to be no one.
Because Jesus was extraordinary, I was free to be ordinary.
Because Jesus succeeded for me, I was free to fail.”

This is the kind of news that needs to be heard from every pulpit on every Sunday. Jesus came to proclaim the Good News. To set the prisoner free. For the poor, for the captive, for those grieving, for the blind and for the oppressed. For you and me.

It is finished. It has been completed. The work has been done.

I can rest in that freedom. I can live.

Good News indeed.

Need a Spark?

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I’ve talked to a few people recently who feel they are struggling spiritually. They feel they are just going through the motions. They are believers; that is, they believe that Jesus, the Son of God, died for their sins, and they’ve accepted the gift of salvation. However, their spiritual life has no real life to it. It’s blase and lacks any vibrancy at all.

They read their Bible, but not consistently, and their infrequent devotion time with God is dry and barren. Their prayer-life is virtually non-existent, and any prayers seemingly hit a glass ceiling. Lastly, going to church is a chore. It’s something they do because they know they should, but they would rather be virtually anywhere else on a Sunday morning. And for the most part, they ARE anywhere else; they haven’t been back to church in quite a few weeks.

This isn’t what they want. They desire more. They want a spiritual life that is alive, and where God speaks and answers prayer, and where they experience God’s power – spiritual power – in their lives to live victoriously.

Does any of this sound familiar? It does to me. I’ve been there. Many times. I think we all have. So, how do we “snap” out of it? How do we turn our spiritual life around so it comes alive again?

I don’t know much, but I’ve come to realize that although we call it a “spiritual life”, it is not a “thing”; it is a relationship. It is a relationship with God. It is a relationship with Jesus. It is a relationship with the Holy Spirit. Not three relationships, but just one… with God. And like any relationship, if we choose to ignore it or neglect it or betray it, it will slowly (or not so slowly, with betrayal) wain or die out.

However, God is passionate in His pursuit of you. You are just what He’s looking for. You are just who he wants. And He will go to no end to have a relationship with you. And unlike human relationships, He will forgive you no matter what you’ve done and no matter how many times you’ve done it. He accepts you just as you are and loves you just as you are. He loves you just as much as He loves Mother Teresa or Billy Graham.

All you need to do is come back to Him.

It takes humility to come back. It requires saying that you’re sorry and that you want to do it differently this time. You have to tell Him this. You have to tell Him that you need His help. This is where it starts. God’s Word says,

For this is what the high and exalted One says—he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite”(Isaiah 57:15)

This is where the spark is ignited.

Secondly, because it is a relationship, you have to nurture it. You need to start doing the things that bring you closer together, and stop doing the things that push you apart. Going back to church, where there is worship, where others are drawing close to God, where you will hear the Word of God spoken, the Good News proclaimed, and where like-minded folks are pursuing the same relationship will help you. As Rick Warren says, “You were formed for fellowship.” You need other believers in your life, for encouragement, for friendship, and for accountability.

You need to begin rekindling your prayer-life and Bible-reading. This is so crucial. This is where the relationship blossoms. Start small and slowly grow it into a time you can’t live without. But you must start. Even if it seems dry and lifeless, continue doing it – by faith. Tell God that it seems dry. Tell Him that you’re going to continue to ask, seek, and knock, because He promises to answer… He promises that you will find Him… and He promises that the door will be opened. Be persistent. Be relentless in your pursuit of the relationship.

Lastly, treasure this time with God. Guard it. It is the most important time of every day, whether it’s done in the morning or evening. You will find that it’s not just the morning or evening that He will be with you, but throughout every moment of every day.

For me, it was hard to realize that this time devoted to God is not just another thing on my To-Do List. It’s not another thing that I need to get done to make me feel better about myself (or think that God will feel better about me). It was a way to nurture the relationship, to get to know God better. It’s a way for me to yield more and more of my life to Him, and have His life lived through me more and more.

But as God says through the prophet Isaiah in the Scripture above, it begins with a humble and contrite heart. That is the starting point for revival.

Is there life BEFORE death?

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“God, how can I make you more known?”

That’s a question I’ve been dwelling on for several days. Since March 13th, in fact. I wrote it down in my journal on that day.

Some people have told me privately that my writings each morning have helped them. That’s certainly one way I can answer the question at the top of the page. But in what other ways can I answer that question? And there are a couple of questions that accompany the main one.

Like, “Why is it that the first question I ask myself each day ISN’T that question? Why don’t I think of ways to make you more known? Why isn’t that my goal? I seem to want to make MYSELF more well-known. Why is that?”

Okay, that’s more than a couple of questions.

But as I write each day, that is a question I feel compelled to ask. Because if I write and post it somewhere, I must have the motivation of making God more known. If that’s not my motivation, then it is self-indulgent dribble. It serves no one but me. If it doesn’t make someone know God just a little bit better or a little bit more or is not redemptive, as God is redemptive, then it should be tossed into the garbage.

In fact, I need to be asking the question at the top of the page each day as I wake up and start my day. If my actions, motives, words, and behaviors don’t attempt to make God more known, and then each day has been no more than self-indulgent dribble… a waste of energy… a waste of… life.

I know that sounds harsh, and you may say, “God wants us to enjoy our life, too. What’s wrong with living life to the fullest?” My reply would be, “Who says that can’t be done by making God more known in the process? In fact, I would say that enjoying life and living life to the fullest comes from making God more known.”

In fact, I believe that Jesus words about “abundant life” in John 10:10 were all about living for God and others. I believe that the abundant, fulfilling life in which Jesus shows us is a life which channels God’s living water into the lives of everyone around them. This can happen in so many ways, whether it’s sitting by the bedside of a sick friend, feeding the hungry, adopting a child, a smile and a hug to someone who needs it, or typing words on a page. It can be loving your spouse as God intends it, or raising a godly family, or working with integrity on your job.

When Jesus said these words…

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)

… He wasn’t just talking about life after death. Shane Claiborne writes about this when he says, “Few people are interested in a religion that has nothing to say to the world and offers them only life after death, when what people are really wondering is whether there is life before death.”

Making God’s love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, justice, hope, healing, friendship, wholeness, acceptance, victory, freedom more known brings life… true life.

So my day begins with the question: God, how can I make you more known?