Less Of Me, More Of Him

           Sometimes my lack of faith disgusts me. Sometimes my lack of understanding, laid bare by the situations and circumstances of life, cause me to cry out to God in fear and anxiety. Sometimes I wake up at night with an overwhelming fear, where I feel like I am trapped in a vehicle that has constrained my arms and legs so I can’t move and my claustrophobia kicks in to overdrive and overwhelms me to such an extent that I am forced to get out of my bed and move around just to prove to myself that I still can. It leaves me breathless. Do I have your attention now? Good. Let me tell you something even more personal - Most times when I sin – I planned it. It’s first degree sin… and if you’re really honest with yourself the same is true for you.

I need you all to understand this one point - because it’s really the main point of this writing – The facts presented in the previous paragraph do not change one important fact – I did not choose Him – He chose me! No matter my sin or fears or lack of faith in God’s faithfulness one thing never changes – Him. Nor is my status as a son of God somehow placed in jeopardy by my inability to escape my sin and fear. It does not even disqualify me from the blessings God has for me. He blesses me many times daily. It simply serves to show me that no matter how hard I try or how desperately I want to be holy as He is holy or how badly I just want to be accepted by Him I will be unable to do it in this life and in this mortal frame, as this body is temporary, just like my fear. In fact, if my priorities are straight, my fear and weaknesses remind me daily of this one important fact: I am not good and that is exactly as He planned it. That’s why God, in Jesus, had no other choice than to die for me. That fact is central to a healthy understanding of the Gospel and if it’s not the same for you, then you might believe a lie.

I get that perfect love casts out fear. I know that there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. I understand that all things are possible for those who love God. I realize that all things work to good for those who love God and are called according to His purposes. I’ve read the verses a hundred times but sometimes the fear still gets through. Isn’t it the same for you?

Most Christians know and believe all the verses I just quoted, yet fear and doubt are at an all-time high in church congregations. Why is this? This is because we are still living in a fallen world and though we may have heard and believed the truth it has not saturated us to the point where we believe it as the default - and frankly – according to the Bible, it will not in this lifetime – at least not completely, until we see Jesus face to face. Too many times I’ve seen someone I loved hurt or betrayed or killed when it seemed to make absolutely no sense at all and even seemed to conflict with the promises in the verses above. This is OK. This is life. It is hard sometimes and we simply don’t get a vote. When Jesus says, “Fear not” it was not intended as a command that we can use to feel guilty when we fear – it is a statement of fact, to comfort God’s children and remind us that there is no fear in His love, but God will allow fear because the very fear we despise in ourselves will point us to the truth of the scriptures about fear and how God’s grace is present in them. Steve Brown says all the time he is scared every time he gets on a plane but the fact that he still gets on the plane is a much bigger demonstration of his faith than getting on the plane if there were no fear. I concur. Perfect love casts out all fear – that is true – but my ability to love, and my understanding of God’s love have been corrupted by my upbringing, and my friends, and my church family, and all the other broken people and situations that have influenced me throughout the course of my life. Therefore I have far from perfect love – so I will fear from time to time. Like Steve Brown though, I get back on that plane. I climb in my big red death box and hurtle down the road at 70 every morning because I believe what God’s word says… sometimes.

I heard it said recently that what the life of a Christian looks like is perfectly exemplified in the words of John the Baptist in John 3 – “³⁰ He must increase, but I must decrease.” This means that our faith should not be centered on ourselves, like when we make ourselves a sin management project, where we are constantly focused with ridding ourselves of sin. This is because too often, like the Pharisees and Saducees in the parable of the prodigal son, we are so self-obsessed with doing better and trying harder that we reject those who God has actually put us here to reach.

Remember - Jesus was a friend to sinners and winebibbers. Most Christians I know in the evangelical Church today would be offended if that were said about them. Can you say the same for yourself or are you the typical evangelical in America today – You’re constantly surrounded by other Christians, at church 4 nights a week, all because it makes you feel good about you and keeps you away from places you shouldn’t go? Now don’t misunderstand – when you first come to know Jesus, this may be necessary for a time, but God does not call us to work within the confines of any four walls – even the walls of a church building. All of creation is the Lord’s. How about we set our minds on God’s purposes; to love and to serve others, rather than continue our silly, futile, prideful efforts at self-sanctification? Allow your sin and weakness to become just as big a part of your witness as your victories, so that Jesus will be at the center of the tale, instead of you. You’ll be surprised how our weaknesses grab the attention of those we are placed in the paths of. Think about the first paragraph of this blog – didn’t that title and opening remark make you want to hear that story? The love and grace of Jesus Christ in the face of our unrighteousness should be the center and focus of every Christian witness. It’s the only human story with a happy ending and the only way to witness that reflects less of us and more of Him.

Just A Really Awesome Martin Luther Quote

           Now THIS guy got God's awesome grace and how it manifests itself in the life of believers. Too many modern churches have the cart before the horse here and believe that it is they work to earn favor with God instead of understanding that we work because we have already been shown His favor. I found this on a blog at Liberate.org and I just had to share these faith-boosting words!

Check out this powerful quote from Martin Luther:

"Faith is not what some people think it is. Their human dream is a delusion. Because they observe that faith is not followed by good works or a better life, they fall into error, even though they speak and hear much about faith. “Faith is not enough,” they say, “You must do good works, you must be pious to be saved.” They think that, when you hear the gospel, you start working, creating by your own strength a thankful heart which says, “I believe.” That is what they think true faith is. But, because this is a human idea, a dream, the heart never learns anything from it, so it does nothing and reform doesn’t come from this “faith,” either.
             Instead, faith is God’s work in us, that changes us and gives new birth from God. (John 1:13). It kills the Old Adam and makes us completely different people. It changes our hearts, our spirits, our thoughts and all our powers. It brings the Holy Spirit with it. Yes, it is a living, creative, active and powerful thing, this faith. Faith cannot help doing good works constantly. It doesn’t stop to ask if good works ought to be done, but before anyone asks, it already has done them and continues to do them without ceasing. Anyone who does not do good works in this manner is an unbeliever. He stumbles around and looks for faith and good works, even though he does not know what faith or good works are. Yet he gossips and chatters about faith and good works with many words.
              Faith is a living, bold trust in God’s grace, so certain of God’s favor that it would risk death a thousand times trusting in it. Such confidence and knowledge of God’s grace makes you happy, joyful and bold in your relationship to God and all creatures. The Holy Spirit makes this happen through faith. Because of it, you freely, willingly and joyfully do good to everyone, serve everyone, suffer all kinds of things, love and praise the God who has shown you such grace. Thus, it is just as impossible to separate faith and works as it is to separate heat and light from fire!
             Therefore, watch out for your own false ideas and guard against good-for-nothing gossips, who think they’re smart enough to define faith and works, but really are the greatest of fools. Ask God to work faith in you, or you will remain forever without faith, no matter what you wish, say or can do."

“An Introduction to St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans” from Luther’s German Bible, 1522. Translated by Rev. Robert E. Smith.

How The Fifth Grade Glee Club Brought Me To Tears

            It happens every time. Every time I go to see either of my little ladies sing or play music I end up blatting like an eight-year-old girl. Not really sure why. Now my kids are fantastic – probably better than yours, but they are far from perfect. I’m not crying because of the power of their performance or the perfection of the timbre, or the amazing vocal range. I think maybe I’m crying just because they are my kids - doing the best they can – and because I love them more than I could ever even begin to express here (and I’m usually pretty good with words, so that’s saying something right there, isn’t it?)

Anyway - as I sat there again tonight silently with tears streaming down my face and watched my little ten-year-old lady sing God spoke to me very clearly. As I watched the several soloists come to the mic and do their thing, some were great (like my girl) and others just did the best they could with the gifts they had. When they would return to their places after their solos I noticed something really cool in common to every single one…

 

Well – actually I noticed a couple of things.

First – I noticed you can always tell the parents of the soloist by the camera phones that pop up as each child steps to the mic. Second – I noticed that as each child returned to their spot I would see them make eye contact with their parents, and then I’d see that smile of satisfaction when they saw that big smile on the faces of the people they loved. In that moment - they knew they were approved of, regardless of the performance. Tonight Jesus reminded me that my walk with Him has had some good performances – and some really bad ones – but He also reminded me that just as my love for Anna, and my acceptance of her as my child was not dependant upon her performance, neither is His love dependent upon mine. My walk with Jesus is just like every person reading this, if they are really honest with themselves. It is also just like every character in the Bible. Well - except for one. This journey has not been a climb toward dizzying spiritual heights, but a continuous, long lesson on love from the master, and a journey of exploration in to the recesses of my very own heart, to face the fear and darkness that still dwells there more than twenty years after Jesus took me.

 

The sin remains no matter how hard I work to get rid of it, and every layer I manage to remove only reveals a new layer of filth and gook for Jesus to deal with! On nights like tonight though – all that is OK. On nights like tonight my faith is renewed through my tears, as my God reminds me that my performance is not the deciding factor - anymore than Anna’s performance could cause her to cease to be my child. The fact that He is my father is my assurance that when I don’t know where I stand, I can look to Him and know I am safe. I am gently held by the arms of my loving Father, and dwell in His mercy and grace - not because of the greatness of my performance – but because of the greatness of His performance on behalf of all who cry Abba, Father. Who knows? Maybe deep down that’s why I cry.

FEED ME, Seymour, FEED ME!

            In an old classic favorite movie of mine, “Little Shop Of Horrors”, Rick Moranis owns a plant store that receives an exotic plant one morning that develops a serious appetite – for human flesh and when it gets the slightest bit hungry it cries out "FEED ME, Seymour, FEED ME!"

That movie came to my mind this past week as I was listening yet another teaching, like so many these days, being taught out of pulpits all around the developed world these days. In that moment I realized something. I realized that this is the tenor of far too many sermons and sermon series in our culture. I hear them talk about how God “wants” to bless us and how if we just have

enough faith and obedience that our lives should be a steady uphill climb to victory in every area, especially our finances, our morality, and our health. This school of thought has created a gigantic group of ill-informed Christians who believe if they put in their money and attend church services whenever the doors are open then they can feel good about “their walk” with Jesus and expect God’s blessings to follow. Unfortunately, this is a faith that dwells on self and not those we are here for, less on works and more on blessings, less on Jesus and our desperate need for Him and more on what we need to do to earn God’s blessings in our lives. It is a shallow, self-absorbed faith that determines success by the earthly blessings (or lack thereof). As I have seen somewhere before – that’s not the Gospel, folks – that’s karma.

            These theologically bankrupt teachings all seek to do the same thing – to improve people’s lives; which sounds like a good thing - however it operates from a flawed definition of the word “improved”. As Christians, isn’t growth in Christ what it really means to “improve”, and because of that we know that growing in Christ is not a life, nor should it be, of continuous blessing. I learned that when I was about five, the first time I heard the old adage, “no pain, no gain”. The Bible says that God works ALL THINGS for good to those who love Him and are called by Him. Growth through pain is a normal part of every human experience – Christian or not.

It is fairly easy to determine whether or not you are in one of these churches. When you go to Church this week and hear the teaching – when you leave ask yourself this one question – Was Jesus and what He has done for sinners like us the main focus of the sermon or was He hardly even mentioned? In too many of these sermons He has been taken out completely (or almost completely) and hardly anyone even noticed. If you listen for a month and realize this is true for your church, ask yourself this: “When I leave church each week am I thinking more about what I must do for God or more about what God has already done for me?” If it’s the latter then something is wrong.

            Even the witness of these believers is tied mostly to material or health or other blessings God has given to them and just comes off as bragging, and often when they are not being blessed physically or financially, then not only do they feel like a failure, but other believers, like Job’s friends, believe they must be doing something wrong and God is “correcting” them. Of course almost none of these “brothers and sisters” will say anything either way in the shallow, passive-aggressive

version of Christian love found in too many places these days. The Christian “love” on display in many of these houses of worship is like Facebook Christianity - 20 miles wide and four inches deep. In fact, we still have friends from a church we used to attend that will call us for help or to talk when they feel scared and alone, or are in need instead of people from the church because they many times feel judged (and rightfully so) by people there when hard times fall. These poor saints are not free to be who they are because they know that they will not be accepted by most in the congregation so they hide away, never experiencing the deep relationships, or the freedom that Jesus offered to those who get to live the true Gospel, in all it’s magnificent splendor. This is a Gospel that not only explains the sacrifice of the Son of God for our sins, but also our inescapable and overwhelming need for that sacrifice to be available to us every day of our sinful lives.

            We want to believe we are getting better, and sometimes we are, but we’ve already seen how “better” may not mean what we think, and since we know we are not made better by having more stuff, or better health, why do we believe that our stuff or our health are a sign that we are living right in God’s eyes? Think about this - if Jesus had believed this pervasive false doctrine of pay-as-you-go Christianity - then we would ALL be in a lot of trouble. Fortunately He endured pain and suffering for us – Doesn’t it only seem natural that following Him would bring suffering of it’s own – just because He knows that is what is “better” for us?” It does if we realize that He is good and He is smarter than us and knows what is best for us – whether it’s pain or pleasure.

The Lamb Was Slain - Thank God!

             I posted a tweet recently that was simply this: "Jesus didn't die so some of us could be good - He died because He knew none of us can be."

             It was in response to something I had read that day. Here's the quote: "When you wake up in the morning and the devil is against you and wants to ruin your day before it even starts, you put on your bandana, war paint, and grab your machete and tell him where to go!"

             I so appreciate the sentiment behind this quote. I truly do. We are a people in America who want to, "go after it" and as Tullian Tchividjian says, "We would rather have someone tell us that it will take a lot of work on our part, than tell us there is nothing we can do". The problem is - there really is nothing we can do and before you write angry comments remember - I didn't say it - Jesus did.
             This ongoing sermon series of, "picking yourself up by your bootstraps" we preach in America and other western nations was not something preached by Jesus or by the preachers in the New Testament. Frankly - this view is not scriptural at all - for two main reasons.
1. It GREATLY over-exaggerates the human ability to do the right thing with the right motive at the right time, all the time.
and
2. It GREATLY underestimates our inescapable, omnipresent need for a savior, when compared with the height of the perfection that Jesus lived.
            It also completely misses the clear, scriptural fact that the life of Jesus was lived much more as a sacrifice for us, than as an example to us. Not because the Lord is not worthy of emulation, but because He is simply not able to be emulated by sinners like us! We are not capable, in our fallen form, with or without Christ, to reflect Him accurately for anything more than a split second here and there. Please understand - I do not say this to bring guilt to my brothers and sisters, but to bring the  liberty your heart has been craving. When we understand and grasp the fact that we are SOOO lacking and still have a Savior willing to shed God's blood in His pursuit of us, it changes us at a fundamental level, and simply changes how we wish to operate.
            I do not feel guilty as often. I am changing because as I fall in love with Jesus, I simply don't want the same things. I still fall (often) - but that becomes a secondary issue because my faith is about the finished work of Jesus, and the lost still here, and not about me working selfishly to please a God who is already pleased at the expense of loving those who need Him desperately. The more our life becomes about them the less we will sin. It is a natural byproduct of serving, and getting outside ourselves, as we know as Christians that all sin comes out of us according to Jesus in Matthew 15:11. 
             Now this doesn't mean that we won't sin even in the middle of our service to Him (ie. our pride, arrogance, Pharisaism creeps in, at some level, as it exists in all of us) - it just means that the fact we are sinners loses it's power to manipulate us when we realize that it's not really about us anyway, It's about them - and that our sin is not really even the issue.
            Understanding my own weakness, and God's love and mercy in spite of it, helps me to understand that because I am loved, I begin to DESIRE to change. I am no longer obsessively compelled to change myself by guilt and fear. I now just WANT to do the right thing more than I did, but I also see that the "right thing" is no longer selfishly about me and my sinlessness - it's about them and their need for Jesus love. I don't need to report to big brother - I'm just trying to love my brother - because the battle is already won. I do not fear my redeemer - I seek Him out of sheer delight, and don't obey out of fear that if I don't, I will lose favor with Him, or disappoint Him. I want to live like Jesus because I love Him - and I just don't want to let a loved-one down. I do not fear God's wrath or reprisal - I understand that if God says it's the best way - It's the best way and I can trust Him. I believe Him - because He is good - even when I can't trust myself.
             I wrote a song for Easter years ago whose chorus just says this - "The Lamb was slain - The Lamb was slain - Thank God!" (BTW - You can hear it at www.ronbakerjr.com/music/thelambwasslain.mp3 if you want.)
              Praise God today that only one good (Jesus) was enough - then to live free in the love He gives freely, and you will see quickly that there are plenty of other people just as need of a savior as you are. Understand that 1 Corinthians 13 speaks truth when it tells us that Love never fails - even when we do. The Lamb was slain - Thank GOD!

A Faith That Suffers

            What is the life of a Christian supposed to look like? Is it Church services and Bible studies five nights a week? Is it knowing the bible inside and out? Is it sinning less and less and less? Ummmm – No - although many act as if that were true.

So many in America believe their faith is to be an upward climb of some sort, leading to us sinning less and being nicer and becoming more and more like Jesus, “every day, in every way”. They live their faith out, although they wouldn’t say it this way, as though if they are good – God will bless them and when they are bad – God will punish them. As someone has said, “That’s not Christianity – that’s karma.”

The message of the Bible is a simple one of God’s radical grace toward a people that can’t keep themselves from getting into trouble and constantly needed (and still need) to be rescued. It is the story of a suffering savior, who lived His entire life in poverty, and yet was richer than Bill Gates and Oprah combined. Jesus laughed and danced and sang and turned water into wine and He knew how to have fun, but He also suffered throughout His life. Not only the suffering he went through during the day of His crucifixion, but all through His ministry we find Him weeping for Jerusalem or sweating blood, or grieving for the hearts of those who would betray him and kill him. He was a man that got involved in the work of God where He knew he should. He did it better than we ever could, but the way He went about things reveals a truth about life that is not preached in North American churches these days, and seems to be understood much more in countries where people are suffering or dying for their faith and places where you find the same “tired and huddled masses yearning to be free” that the statue of Liberty has been inviting into America for over 130 years. Part of life on this planet as a Christian is the concept of self-induced suffering. We are called to love the unlovely and we simply are too busy loving the lovely too often. It seems to me now that sometimes the very same things that are Americas blessings are also one of the root causes of the Church here developing a Christology that believes more in itself, and it’s programs and sermon series than on the finished work of Christ to redeem us. This paradigm revolves around seeking happiness and God’s blessing through faith and obedience and when they are sharing in His suffering, it is looked at as punishment. This should not be.

            I certainly don’t mean we all need to sell all our stuff and live as paupers, or even that we should not be hopeful of God’s blessings for our lives. It means that we serve a Savior who suffered, and whenever we do the hard work of the Gospel and “get down and dirty” with real people about real problems and cry real tears together – it hurts. You may sometimes lay awake at night with a burden for a brother or sister, or a friend who can’t find peace but won’t listen when you tell them about Jesus. You may wonder why God does things the way He does sometimes and when your friend dies of cancer even with all the prayers you prayed and tears you cried, and the hurt, and you won’t get any answer. You may even get angry with God and curse Him out. You will suffer. It is a natural result of being human in a fallen world. Christians in America need to learn that badly.

            Some reading this live in places where real suffering is going on right now, and may even know people who have died for their faith. People they love may have died for Jesus. These have hurt and cried the same tears of sorrow that Jesus cried and most in the Church in America have never tasted. This reveals itself clearly in our selfish faith, that looks more to the number of church meetings I’ve attended and how much Bible reading I’ve done, than it does the work of loving people and caring for the hurting ones He has placed right in front of us to gauge where your walk is with Jesus. It is a faith more about getting people into pews than bringing Gods love from the pews to the people who need it.

            It is honestly to the point that in some pulpits in America messages are preached where there is almost an unspoken expectation that God will bless the lives of those who are deemed to be “living for God” and punish those who step out of line. This self-obsessed Christian faith is not the one Jesus America from ten miles over any city/town/suburb - it would look like a field of stars. Each star is a church, and the darkness in between would be the places the Church doesn’t reach because too many Christians are all hidden away in their “Christian” places, and are often heard grumbling among themselves about how bad things are getting in the world.

taught or lived. In fact, it seems to be exactly what Jesus railed against and accused the Pharisees of in the Bible. Religion is now used as a tool to clean people up and make good, decent citizens out of them. That is not a faith that centers on Jesus. It is a faith that centers on us and our ability to please Him. True faith in the living God will CAUSE us to put ourselves into places where suffering is going on, because that kind of faith that understands that the darkness is where the light is needed the most. If we were to look at a map of the reach of the Church in

            Remember - God didn’t just call Jesus and the Apostles and the Church founders to share in his sufferings. He called us all.

1 Peter 4:13

“13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.”

Most of us in the Church in America have an over-exaggerated opinion of the depth of our

own suffering. If we would humble ourselves, and open our eyes to the depth of suffering in the world, and take off our masks and see ourselves as the selfish lot we have become and understand that we are all really just a bunch of frail hurting people who need God and each other because we are desperate, needy, and unable to do anything of lasting value on our own. Then we will look to Jesus alone to deliver us. When we truly understand how powerless and hopeless we are when compared to our perfect God – as an individual or a nation - then and only then we can be strong.

Paul said it wonderfully in 2 Cor 12:10 –

“When I am weak, then I am strong.”

Self-induced suffering in the life of a Christian does not mean we are called to beat ourselves up. This kind of suffering is a natural result of being in close relationships with others and being involved in the lives of people with whom God has led you to. It is simply part of life as a Christian. When we see God’s love, and how He suffered for us, it is only our own pride that would cause us to expect anything different for our own lives. Plus it’s really not supposed to be about us anyway, right?

 

Thanks For Reading!

            Hi friends. This is just a short note to say thanks and let you know how much I appreciate each of you. It is a crazy busy and hectic world and for you to allow me a few minutes of your mind space every once in a while to read my blog is so cool to me, and you are truly a blessing.
            I also wanted to say I'm sorry that I'm not the type who writes on a regular schedule but when I've tried, it has always felt contrived. I decided if I was going to do this, that I could only write when the Spirit moved in me about something. The expert bloggers say that's bad for keeping an audience but I think people come back to where they are fed, so I hope you are being fed by my scribblings and I hope you will remember to check back in every once in a while for a nice drink of the cool, clear water of God's love and mercy that only Jesus can bring. I pray that each of you are touched in a wonderful way as I share the message of God's radical grace for you today and that you are enjoying a growing relationship with Jesus. If we can pray for you - please ask. If you think of us, please say a prayer. Thanks again and God bless.
        Here's a chuckle for you to close out - a pic of me and my ladies at the Baseball Hall Of Fame in Cooperstown, NY from late last summer. Aren't they beautiful!



What We Really Need For Revival Today

             Let me say this up front - We do not need to work harder for God to bring revival. We do not need more flowery Christianese language in our sermons. We do not need more church meetings. While Church meetings can be good, they very easily can become another statue we've erected in honor of our own goodness. We do not need any of those things for revival - because we are not the ones who bring revival. God ALONE is the sole deciding factor in that equation. We don't need to do more for God - we need a heart transplant. We need God's heart for people. We need to be brought so low that the only thing we have to offer God is our brokenness. That's when we will see how vast and eternal is the love of our God, and how constant is our need for His deliverance. If we want revival - I mean REALLY want it - we need to get this point - and get it at our deepest level of understanding: We are NOT good people and those who don't believe in Jesus are not bad people for one simple reason - according to the Bible there are no good people - ANYWHERE. We say we believe that in our churches, but our legalistic actions and vain attempts to earn favor with God by "all we do for Him" deceive us, and this mindset is simply destroying our ability to affect the world around us in the long term. There may even be some success at first, but eventually people all see that they simply can't measure up to the image and they either lower the requirements of God to match their behavior, and put on their church mask to appear better than they really are, or these sulk away from the Church, feeling defeated and angry.
            Please understand this - bringing into the light the poisonous mindset of legalistic, self-absorbed Christianity is not sowing discord among the brethren any more than Jesus was sowing discord when He challenged that same mindset among the Pharisees. This heresy is a cancer in our churches and needs to be eradicated by the chemotherapy of Gods radical grace and His love toward His oft misguided people.
            You who preach revival - do you all really want revival? If you do - then stop making your faith all about what God wants to do for us and make it about who we can love for Him. Stop having church meetings for the same twenty people six nights a week and go bowling, or for a walk in the park, and you may get the chance to love someone who hasn't been to a church in years. Stop with all

the silly spiritual mumbo jumbo that no one outside the Church understands and go love someone who is dirty (just like you, by the way) in Jesus name. Learn to look at the imperfections in the world and realize what they truly are - just a reflection of our own imperfections. Get off your religious high-horse and come be with the masses of people who just need to be listened to and not preached at - people who need to be loved and not judged or Bible-bashed. In order to grow the Church we MUST COME OUT OF OUR CHURCHES and bring our faith outside ourselves. Remember - His children are safe in His arms and nothing can change that. I didn't say it - Jesus did. Oh yeah - He said this too - IT IS FINISHED! When the Church starts to act as though we really believe that - then we will see revival.

What Does It Mean To Be "Free In Christ"?

There are millions of Jesus-loving Christians around the world serving God. They live and love and eat and sleep and die for God each day around the globe. Each one has their own set of strengths and weaknesses, failure and flaws, sins and successes. According to Romans 3:23, they have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of our amazing God.

In my 20+ years of walking with Jesus, serving as worship leader or on the worship team in numerous churches, as well as several hundred

concert events, ministering in music for the brothers and sisters of God’s great Church, I have met thousands of wonderful Christians in many states and from many countries. They each have been called by God and equipped to do His work and I know many of them love Jesus more than me. I have noticed over the years that it seems like the Christians I have served with serve Jesus for one of two main reasons – They either serve Jesus because they believe that is how they keep favor with God, or they serve because they know they have already found favor with Him, just because He called them, and are eternally safe and secure in His arms. These also know that when the gift of salvation is given by God it can NEVER be taken away by anyone on Earth – including the one who has been blessed with that gift. Understand that this is not about salvation. Both of these types of believers know Jesus and will see Him in Heaven. It's a matter of whether we live our lives on Earth with liberty or in a religious bondage of our own making.

Two years ago God allowed me to see through some unsound doctrine that I had been taught in more than a few churches, doctrine that bound me to a system of sin management and religious rules, instead of the liberty Jesus promises. This moved me solidly in to the second group. It seemed that the ones who felt obligated to please God by their behavior and ever-increasing holiness always seemed tired, they often felt guilty, and made others feel guilty too. They would repent of the same sins over and over, and run to the altar every time there was an altar call. They would sometimes become almost neurotic in their behavior toward their sin and would often isolate themselves from non-Christians to such an extent that they spent almost no time with anyone outside the Church, and even when they were at work in their secular jobs they would keep their distance, not wanted to be sullied by the non-believers around them. There was very little freedom or liberty in their lives, and they served mostly out of fear, because how could they REALLY know how good is good enough, or how ‘holy’ did they really have to be. Most of the time when they were not working they felt guilty for not doing more.

Whenever we make the love of God dependent upon our performance, when failure and sin come, and they ALWAYS do, the natural tendency is for us to run from Jesus instead of to Him.

The other group smiles more. They dance more. They sing more. They are more fun at parties because they know the fate of the world doesn’t hang on their shoulders because it already hung on a cross for them. They understand, and don’t deny their inherent sin nature, before and after salvation, and they understand that they will always be sinful until they see Jesus face to face. They get it, that no matter how hard they work they will never be worthy of standing in God’s presence on their own. They know that the love God has for them is because of Him and Him alone and their behavior has nothing to do with His approval. He knew them and called them before the foundations of the Earth were in place, and than came to die for them because He knew they were way too weak to do it on their own.

Please understand something here - This paradigm shift in the lives of my family over the past few years has revealed the love and grace of God and of the Gospel in a new and awesome way, and has brought us freedom and liberty in a way we never imagined in our wildest dreams before. We no longer have the cart before the horse. We don’t serve to please God – we serve because we know He is already pleased. We don’t serve to secure the favor of God – we serve because the very love we receive from Him overflows from us, and it is a love that works to secure others in the hope found in Him alone because THAT is what His love does. We manipulate less (both others and ourselves) and love more naturally. We usually get better, but we don't get better because we have made it the primary focus of our Christian faith – We get better (sometimes) because we know we are loved completely in spite of ourselves, not because of our selves. We get better, precisely because we no getting better isn't even the point. We no longer have to live up to any standard, or be obsessive-compulsive about our struggles, or spend our lives trying to manage our sin, and then when we fail at that, to hide it. We can just be real, with nothing to prove. We can be the frail flawed sinners in need of a savior that God made us to be and just go out and love someone in His name. I love the way my friend Steve Brown says it – “we are just one beggar telling other beggars where we found bread.” 

Remember this, God's children, His grace is sufficient for you because if the Son shall set you free - you WILL be free indeed. Now deal with it! Amen.

How Can It Be Finished When I Know I'm Not?

One of the arguments opponents of the theology of God’s radical grace is this: If you believe that once you are saved you are always saved, or that there is nothing you can do to lose your salvation then that means you can just do anything you want and Heaven still awaits you and you are giving people a license to sin. They accuse us of believing that the law no longer matters. Instead, contrary to what one might think, what occurs when you understand this concept is the exact opposite. When the understanding of the true nature of God’s radical grace invades our spirit, the law actually becomes stricter because we can believe what the Bible actually says, rather than what we believe it means. Let me give you an example.

            In Matthew 5:27 Jesus says these strong words in the Sermon on the mount.

     27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

When we underestimate our own badness or overestimate our own goodness we lower the height of God’s perfection. We force ourselves to have to read more into the Bible than what is actually written in order to feel we are, "making the grade" and we end up trying to explain away God’s holiness by telling people that this scripture just means, “We need to do everything we can to avoid lustful thoughts or we may fall into sin.”

I think we can all agree - that is NOT what that passage says. It has been diminished so people can say and even believe, that they are living up to it.

I think that the main reason so many have this mindset today is founded in one easy-to-miss, but super-important point that is not understood by many in our churches. According to the words of Jesus here - our sin begins at its conception - not at its inception. Because of a flawed picture of ourselves and the nature of God, we are constantly striving to justify ourselves to God by what we do or don't do. When we do this, we miss the clear teaching of Jesus intended show us that the first passing thought is already sin. Let me type that slower. The first – passing – thought.      

We believe that if the sinful thought never reaches the point of costing us something, than it wasn't a sin. We say things to ourselves like, “if it just passed through my mind then God was pleased with me for being so strong." or when a hateful thought about someone else goes through our head, even with good reason, but we don’t say anything out loud – we say to ourselves - “That wasn't a sin. It was strong and Christlike of me to hold back those words.” 

Please understand - the point I am making here is while knowing when to keep your mouth shut, or to avoid a particular temptation may be good things, from looking at the words in the passage above, I don’t think Jesus would agree that there was no sin involved just because we didn't actually physically engage in the act or say the words. Sin always begins in our mind before it turns into action and according to Jesus it is a sin the moment it is conceived of. 

Now think about this with me for a second – Even if you're still mad because I told you that you are bad when you were thinking you were good all this time – stay with me. Doesn't viewing this passage, and God’s law this highly paint the life our Lord lived in a whole new, unmistakably incredibly holy light! He is lifted up. We are brought low. If we believe in anything less than a perfect, unwavering God aren't we short-changing the true majesty and beauty of our perfect Creator? If so – we are missing out on something special.

This is why it is so undeniably arrogant and silly for pastors to preach that they honestly believe they can go long periods of time without sinning, and teach others that they can too. If your pastor says that – RUN AWAY!! These false-teachers certainly don’t believe all of what Jesus said. They only believe the softened version of it that keeps them in their own good graces while God just sighs and continues to love them through it anyway – because He is love. These preachers also lead others into pride and arrogance and a self-serving faith that is much more rooted in what they do for God than what God, in Jesus, has already done for them. This view diminishes Jesus accomplishments and lifts up mans. It is the sin of foolish pride - plain and simple.

Jesus says harsh words like these in several places in the Bible only because He wants us to know that we are ALL guilty before a perfect God and there is no other option other than to run to Him and get forgiven, and get a hug. There is no other way to find peace – no other way to be free. The Gospel only becomes good news when we see it is not dependent upon us. Understanding this sets us free to just love imperfect people just like us imperfectly (downright poorly sometimes), and watch what Jesus does anyway. Remember, folks - it is finished. I didn’t say it – Jesus did - and that’s good enough for me.

For Rules or Resurrection – Why Did Jesus Come?

            There is no debate among Christians as to the validity of these statements about the Christian faith; Jesus Christ came to Earth. He lived a perfect life. He died on the cross. Three days later, He got up out of the grave and made many witnesses aware of that. All Christians know these facts are some of the fundamental tenets of our faith and on these we all seem to agree - however his primary reason for coming seems to be the subject of much debate these days.
 

            I am convinced the answer is much clearer than most make it and the Bible is clear about it too. I do not believe what many believe, whether they will say it or not – as their actions make their beliefs clear - that Jesus came to show us how to live, and in order for us to please God we must always try our hardest to live like Jesus lived.

            Frankly – this opinion is just this side of wacko. Not only is it contradictory to the clear teaching of Jesus, but it diminishes the amazing, awe-inspiring life lived (and died) by the Savior, in ways there are no words to explain, and shows an incredible pride and lack of understanding of just how bad we really are, deep down.

            Jesus came, first and foremost, to live, die, and rise again for the sole purpose of setting sinners like us free forever from the burdens of guilt and shame that we can’t escape without Him. We can’t be free until we accept the fact that we all need someone to fill in the chasm of our sin because deep down we are just not good enough to reach a holy and perfect God by ourselves. Think about this - Ours is a God who exists as pure, perfect love. Mind-blowing!

            In order for those who believe that their behavior is of primary importance to God they must first intentionally determine that the Bible, and Jesus in particular don’t always really say what they mean. For instance, take a look at just a few quotes of Jesus from Matthew 5 that are commonly softened by folks like this:

Matthew 5:48

“You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

....gets softened to, “just do your best.”

Or when they read -

Matthew 5:21

            “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. 

...they say it means, “He’s just saying it’s bad to do all those things.”

Or this just a few verses later -

Matthew 5:27-28

            “27“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. “

This just becomes, “As long as your gaze doesn't linger and you don’t dwell on it.”

There are two things that become instantly clear to me when I read those verses –

          1) Jesus is making the inescapable point that all sins are of equal offense to God.

          2) None of us are capable of living a life without sin – no matter how "good" we think we are or how long we have been “born again”. When we believe that we can go long periods of time without sin, not only do we delude ourselves, but we call Jesus a liar and mock the majesty and holiness of our God.

            Remember - The people Jesus had the biggest problem with were the ones who worked the hardest to follow the rules – and thought they were succeeding. These are the ones we call the Pharisees and Sadducees. Martin Luther once said this, “Even our most noble thoughts and actions need to be washed in the blood of Jesus.”

            I’m going to challenge you to be honest with yourself for a minute here – When you do the kindest things you do – isn’t there always in the back of your heart or mind just a little pride at what a wonderful thing you are doing and how happy God should be to have you in His service? Or maybe a teensy weensy expectation that something good should be coming your way, as if maybe the universe now owes you one? I think if we are honest with ourselves, the answer is always yes to one degree or another.

            Now - I know this is some kind of tough stuff and may be a little different message than you are used to hearing from me – even the words of Jesus seem tough here - but the Scriptures are clear - In order to earn the right to stand in the presence of a Holy and perfect God – Jesus lays out only one requirement - Perfection

            Of course, God knew that none of us could ever live up to that perfect example, so He put into motion His incredible plan that would allow us to make a decision to love Him – and through that love cause us to grow to love others – even some of the ones who are tough to love. ;-) You want to know how He did it? He loved us first – He graciously sent Jesus to live that perfect life in our place.

            So even though, yes – it is true - Jesus’ life was the best example of how to live a human life in all of history – what He taught was intended as a gift to us – not a new set of chains.

            Think about this - When we take the rules God has given us and soften them so that we can believe we are meeting God’s requirements aren't we really doing what Jesus warns us about in this passage in that same sermon?  

 

Matthew 5:19

            “19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven."

            He didn't say all these tough things to burden us. He even tells us in Matthew 11:30 that our yoke should be easy and our burden light. No - He said these hard things to help us understand this singular point - We CANNOT live a life worthy of God’s acceptance – we can only accept the life Jesus lived in our place and live in His love, confident that He will bring it all to pass because He even overcame the cross! –
           Death itself could not contain Jesus. The fact that He got up out of that grave, and showed himself to over 500 witnesses who were willing to die to tell others about Him, proves that He can raise us from death to life as well… we need only accept the gift He offers us, and we are instantly transformed and raised from death to life, becoming friends with God - even though it still doesn't look or feel like it sometimes.

            Jesus didn’t come to show us rules to bind us up. He came to live the life we couldn’t. He came to pay our debt. He came to overcome death once and for all. Run to him and stop believing you need to prove yourself to Him. He lived and died for you. You’ll love others a lot better once you get a hug from Him, and you’ll probably even get a little better too – but only because you see that the resurrection, not the rules, are the main reason He came in the first place.

The Rail Yard

            I once heard a story about a little boy who was sitting in a rail yard waiting for his train to leave. As he was watching the sights, he noticed an old man walking through the rail yard with a metal rod and he was tapping each of the wheels on each of the train cars three times as he passed. The boy had quite a long wait so he watched as the man worked his way across the yard tapping every wheel three times without missing one. Eventually the old man passed by the window of the train car that held the little boy, and he couldn’t contain himself.

            “Hey, mister” the little boy called, “Why do you tap every one of them train wheels three times?”

            The old man paused for a moment as if he had never been asked that question and replied, “You know, son - I really don’t remember – but I never miss a wheel.”

            I believe that anyone who desires to grow in life needs to be confident enough in God and the perfection of His plan, that they are always willing to re-assess their long-held beliefs. I have seen without a doubt, in my years in the Church that one of the biggest idols we face is our own religious dogma. We have spent centuries majoring in the minors. While this has caused a fracturing in the Church, which is bad, it has also clearly illustrated that part of the process of the Church becoming like Jesus is the need to be constantly aware that some of the things you have believed for years may be a lie.

            Let me give you this example from my own life. When I first became a Christian, I pushed more than a few people away because (this is what I convinced myself of, anyway) I just could not contain my zeal for Jesus. At the time I just wrote all those rejections off, telling myself that they were just arrogant and prideful and I used bible verses like this one to prove it to myself:

Matthew 7:14 (ESV)

¹⁴ For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

I often used the Bible to justify my overzealous and unloving witness. Sometimes when I had pushed away another family member with my ridiculousness (that I swore was from the mouth of God) I’d pull out this one:

Luke 14:26 (ESV)

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple."

This would help me explain to myself, in some way (although looking back, it was not a very believable way), why my mother wanted nothing to do with me or my amazing newfound religion, and why my father wouldn’t even come see his own family in Church for twenty years. Yes – my folks were wrong to behave that way too, however I had sinned grievously in my insensitive behavior toward them, and all I did was show how little I really understood the love of God or the word of God at the time.

            Through that, and many other similar mistakes over the years, I have learned that as we grow we should strive to be constantly aware of how our understanding of the Bible lines up with both the personality and the entire counsel of God as we understand it at that point in our lives, rather than our natural tendency to use a few cherry-picked verses just to win an argument. I've learned that sometimes we want to win more than we want to be right, or at least I do.

            I believe Christians owe it to themselves and frankly, to the ones God left us here for, to listen to many different Bible teachers, should we be blessed enough to live in an area where we can do so. In today’s world – that is pretty much anywhere there is internet access. We should be willing to be honest with ourselves, and pray to grow wise enough to change our views when God reveals an area in our lives where we may have grown in our understanding, or grown into a whole different viewpoint that we were unaware even existed until that precious moment in time when God revealed His truth to us.

Don’t trust in the way you’ve always done it – trust in God and His continuous work in your life right where you are today - not where you were five years ago. A faith that is unwilling to constantly grow and re-examine itself is really just a scared, weak, timid and shallow faith that does not really trust Jesus – it trusts in a set of beliefs. Some of us don’t have any idea why we believe what we believe – we just know it’s what that guy said from the pulpit Sunday morning – so it must be right. Or we know that’s what my daddy believed and my daddy’s daddy before him – so it must be right. Or that's what I've heard in church my whole life - so it must be right. Be careful, friends - that type of mindset can make you just like that old man. Clanking away – never missing a wheel – but also never leaving the rail yard.

How Much Of What We Believe Is Really True?

           I once heard a story about a man who worked in the local factory. This man had an important job, as he was responsible for the timing of everything in the factory - everything from the timing of the automated machines that produced their wares, to the locking and unlocking of the plant each day, right down to the whistle that blew to start the day at the factory each morning. For years this man had set the clock by the time on a beautiful, ornate, antique clock sitting in the window of the local jewelers

shop.

He was walking by the jeweler’s shop one afternoon when he noticed the jeweler out sweeping off the stoop. After all these years, he realized he had never met the man before, so he introduced himself and inquired about the clock.

            “Hey”, he said. “That is a beautiful old clock. I’ll bet that clock keeps perfect time.”

            “You bet”, said the jeweler. “In fact, for years now I’ve been checking it each Monday morning with that factory whistle and it has always been right on!”

            Much like that man from the factory, and the jeweler, we should always try to be aware of where we get our info from and understand that we live in a world of flawed humans, just like us, and because of that it is a given that right now believe lies in some major areas of our lives.

            There are just too many sources that can't be trusted because all those sources have believed lies too. Living in the age of the internet only makes the problem worse. It means that not only are there ten million times more opinions than ever before – It means that we get to hear ten million times the BS from people who have absolutely no idea what they are talking, in any number of areas, spewing out misinformation, that too many in our internet culture are quick to digest as fact and regurgitate to the next pupil/teacher in the perpetual school of the ignorant.

            Fortunately, there are some fantastic sources of info on how to live a life that can help us to minimize the lies. The Bible is certainly one of the best of those sources. The Bible is always true – and is also clear about the single best way how to help us avoid believing lies –

It is made clear in verses like Proverbs 11:14

     "Where there is no guidance the people fall, but in abundance of counselors there is victory."

Decisions, Guiding Principles OfBeing A LeaderBad FriendsCounselorsCounselBad HabitsadvisersCounselingBad CounselAdvice, Bad Human AdviceCommitteesWise CouncelOr this one in Proverbs 27:9

CosmeticsHeart, HumanFragrancePer     "Oil and perfume make the heart glad, So a man's counsel is sweet to his friend."

     Along with many others, these verses make at least two things crystal clear:

           1) All of us have believed and still believe lies we have been told as truths and need to seek trustworthy sources of info.

           2) All of us need people we can trust to help us along the way - people we know aren’t setting their clocks by untested sources.

    

           We all need people who understand the difference between knowledge and wisdom in our lives. We need friends and family, who have been through some of the same fires we face, to give us sound advice - and when they do we need to listen and see if it reveals any lies about ourselves we may believe. Remember - wise counsel can help to protect us from falling victim to those lies we hear and are inclined to believe.

            Who are you setting your clocks by today? Are you setting your clocks by those God has placed in your life to help you set them, or are you setting your clock by the pretty old clock in the jewelers window?

Are You A Legalist? Take This One Question Quiz.

“The law of God is powerless to give us the strength to overcome sin. It is only able to convict us of our sin, as that is its purpose. Only the love and grace of God are powerful enough to cause lasting change in us.”   Tullian Tchividjian – Founder, Liberate, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Legalism is much easier to understand than some try to make it. They wind up being legalistic about even their definition of legalism. Legalism is simply when we believe the lie that anything we do or say or pray is what makes us acceptable to God, or believe the lie that we play any part other than the part of the sinner in the story of our own salvation, redemption and sanctification.

     It is God alone who calls - God alone who moves - God alone who saves. You want, "the peace that passes understanding?" Wrap your brain around that truth and you will find it waiting on the other side. Understanding legalism is critical though, as overcoming it creates in us a living faith that serves only because it loves - not compulsively out of some misguided sense of obligation to God. God does not need you or me. God loves you, chose you, and in His mercy, lets all His children play a part, walking out the path He has preordained. The best we can even offer Him is filthy rags (See Isaiah 64:6).

     Legalism is a system that makes your faith more about you than about God. The quiz is simple - If you believe that your actions are in any way what gain you favor or disfavor with God - then you are a legalist... and I'll bet deep down you couldn't say that your yoke is easy and your burden light. Legalism is just us exchanging one set of chains for another. God has SO much better in mind for us - not only in Heaven - but here on Earth today!

No Lawyers In Heaven

I once heard an old joke once that goes something like this:

          A priest and a lawyer died and went to heaven.  They were met by Saint Peter at the gate, who told them he would be giving them some wheels so they could see the sights. He gave the lawyer a big white limousine.  Then up pulls an old three-speed bicycle for the priest. 

 

The priest says "wait a minute - you gave the lawyer a limousine and me a bicycle. Why is that?”

St. Peter replies, “Oh - We get a lot of pastors in Heaven, but this is the first time a lawyer has made it."

 

The Bible has a lot to say about Heaven. Now - to make a long story short - it says that it will exceed our wildest expectations. Just try to imagine what it will be like – no sin, no fear, no pain, no lies, no worry, no doubt. To be quite honest I can’t even fathom what it will be like to live so free that the thought of a lie doesn’t even occur to me.

Now – let me get to my main point - There will be no lawyers in Heaven simply because there will be no need for them there. The law exists because in this broken world we all, Christian or not, are still somehow inherently aware that things are not as they should be, and are aware that there are right things and wrong things and we are compelled to label them as such. When we believe one person has taken advantage of or caused harm to another we know this is wrong, and create a social construct to stamp those values on to our society. This is called the legal system and every society has had one, to one degree or another.

 

In Heaven, however – these folks will have to find a new profession. Maybe they can all take harp lessons. J In the face of the pure love and beauty that awaits us there – we will be a part of perfection. No one will ever cause pain to another. No one will ever take advantage of another. We will all serve as perfect instruments of grace to each other. No regrets – no fears – no worries. Ever.

 

Now to all of you who were thinking evil thoughts about lawyers after reading the title – you’re sick and evil and you need a redeemer. I didn’t say it. Jesus did.

 

God knew that too though, and He’s given us cover. It's found in the blood of the one who did for us what we could never do for ourselves. He covered our sin. The verdict is in. NOT GUILTY!