Musings on Maundy Thursday

Today is Maundy Thursday ... I'm not sure if that was common in your faith tradition, it wasn't something we celebrated in my home growing up. But it has become important to me as an adult.

Holy Week is my favorite time of the year. I don't say that out loud often, but it is my favorite time of the year. Yes, Christmas is good, Jesus had to come to earth and we should celebrate his arrival. But Jesus ABSOLUTELY HAD TO DIE AND BE RAISED FROM THE DEAD to purchase our salvation. And while many Christian's understand that truth, I don't believe we celebrate it the way we should ...

Jesus had to die. He then had to be raised from the dead. Our salvation, our ability to stand as a spotless lamb in the throne room of God depends on those two things. Jesus' birth wasn't enough. So with all due respect to Ricky Bobby, I don't pray to baby Jesus. Baby Jesus didn't pardon my debt to God. Baby Jesus was just the beginning of the story.

What does all that have to do with Maundy Thursday? I think that if you spend time in the Book of John today and read chapters 13 through 17 you will see the heart of God in Jesus' final words to his disciples. John takes five chapters to cover the events in the Upper Room, nearly 20% of his gospel is about one night: Maundy Thursday.

Since the main plot of the Gospel of John is to demonstrate Jesus is God, taking 20% of his message to highlight a single day should cause us to pause and dig deeper. What do we learn?

• Jesus washes his disciples feet.
• Jesus shares a meal with the one who will betray him.
• Jesus predicts Peter's denial.
• Jesus talks about heaven.
• Jesus says, "I am the Way," the most confrontational of the seven "I am" statements he made.
• Jesus promises a Comforter will come when he leaves. We know this comforter as the Holy Spirit.
• Jesus says the second "I am" statement of the evening, "I am the Vine."
• Jesus prepares his disciples for a world that will hate them as it hated him.
• Jesus says his followers will be scattered.
• Jesus says, "In this world you will have trouble."
• Jesus prays for his disciples.
• Jesus prays for you and me; he prays "for those who will believe in me through their [disciple's] message."

Each one of these bullet points could be an entire book, many of them are. I could write a blog post about each one, and perhaps some day I may.

In chapter 16 we read: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace."

I want to leave you with that today. May the events of today (Maundy Thursday), may the events of tomorrow (Good Friday), may the silence of Saturday (Jesus is in the grave), and may the Resurrection Celebration of Sunday (Easter) resonate with you today and throughout the weekend. And may you have peace through Jesus. 

A Fresh New Look

Have you ever had an "ah, ha" moment with something you have read, heard, and even taught before? That moment when you are studying something and a fresh perspective presents itself?

I had that moment this morning as I was reading Philippians 4:4:-7. I had memorized this passage years ago from the New International Version (NIV-1984).

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV-1984)

I'm sure this is a familiar passage to most of you. Even if you don't attend church regularly, you have presumably heard this passage referenced at some point in your life. But this morning as I was reading my Bible before starting my day, this passage fell fresh.

I try to read the Bible in a different version each year. However, because I was so unfaithful to my Bible reading in 2014, I didn't change versions when I launched into reading in 2015. This morning, I was reading from the New Living Translation (NLT).

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7 (NLT)

I'm not sure why, but this morning I saw the "if/then" statement in this passage for the first time. Maybe it is because the NIV says "and" but the NLT clearly says "then" ... I'm not sure, but when I saw that "if/then" clause, this passage became so clear.

My job is spelled out for me through Paul's words:

1. Be full of joy in the Lord (entire books have been written on this topic).
2. Let everyone see I am considerate in all I do.
3. Remember the Lord is coming soon.
4. Don't worry (anyone have a song stuck in their head now?)
5. Pray about everything.
6. Tell God what I need.
7. Thank him for all he has done.

Those are my marching orders. Each and every day I need to do these seven things. It goes without saying that simply following these seven principles will make me a better person.

Don't worry... While tough to do, medical research shows that people who worry less have fewer medical problems. Worry leads to stress, stress leads to illness.

Let everyone see I am considerate in all I do... Have you ever shared a smile with someone having a bad day? The saying is true, "a smile is the one thing you can share and still take with you."

Being considerate is very similar. What if instead of rushing ahead as the traffic lane ends, I allow not one, but two cars from the other lane to enter ahead of me? What if I let the person with more items than me go ahead of me in the grocery store because they have two small children with them? What if I leave a note of encouragement for my child in their backpack the day of the big test? Not only will their lives be impacted, I will be positively affected too.

But the step that really opened my eyes this morning was "tell God what I need." Somehow in the NIV I had never translated, "present your requests" into "tell God what I need."

Doesn't this match what Jesus taught in what we call "the Lord's Prayer?" Jesus taught, "Give us this day our daily bread." That is specifically asking God to provide our needs.

My mind wanders to the passage from the sermon on the mount:

"You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. Matthew 7:9-11 (NLT)

God wants to give his children good gifts. But he also wants us to ask. I think that asking humbles us; it reminds us that this is a gift from God and not something we managed on our own.

And then after asking, we thank God for his provision.

Then God's part kicks in. This is the "then" part of the "if/then" statement: We will experience God's peace. This is a peace the world simply cannot understand. Because we lived life differently, following God's standard, not man's standard, we will receive God's peace.

God will sweeten the deal by guarding our hearts and minds as we live in Christ Jesus.

Don't read "prosperity gospel" here. This peace may not be fully realized this side of eternity. Paul and the apostles all suffered greatly on this earth. But today they sit in heaven with Jesus.

Yet even in the midst of their trials, they knew peace. They lived every day following these seven principles outlined here for us. Will you commit to follow them each day of 2015? Click below to share some instances where following these ground rules enhanced your life. Let's continue to encourage each other throughout this new year and beyond as we live life God's way.

Upside Down Christianity

My wife and I are part of an Activate group at SoAcres Church. We are watching the video series by Matt Chandler titled "Explicit Gospel." In this study, Matt shares some great inspiration from scripture about how the modern church has turned Christianity upside down.

I want to spend some time today looking at things I gleaned from Matt's observations from Colossians 3:1-10.

Paul spent the previous chapter sharing with this church about the spiritual fullness they can experience in Christ and how through that fullness they can also experience freedom from human rules.

From there, Paul says, "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above…set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." (Colossians 3:1-2—NIV®)

I like the way these verses read in The Message: "So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that's where the action is. See things from his perspective." (Colossians 3:1-2—MSG)

Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Isn't that how we so often live life? We become absorbed with what's for breakfast. We become focused on that "idiot" that cut us off in traffic, or worse, in line at Starbucks. We become tunnel-visioned with our needs; despite God's promise to "supply all [our] needs" (Philippians 4:19).

But more often, we focus on our sin. We realize when we fail God, and we become focused on that sin. We think, "God can't love me because…." We feel we need to "clean ourselves up" to be worthy of God's grace. We find ourselves struggling in a downward spiral of sin, guilt, sin, guilt, sin…

We practice upside down Christianity. Paul said, "Set your heart and mind on things above." That's where we need to focus.

Paul moves on to our next steps.

"For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear with him in glory." (Colossians 3:3-4—NIV®)

When we focus on Jesus, our old life dies. When our eyes are looking up, everything that is below becomes dim.

When you are walking, you so often look down to "avoid the bumps" in the sidewalk. You don't want to trip. Yet so often because we are looking down, we don't see the low tree branch and hit our head.

It's funny, but if we had been looking up, we would have seen what was coming and been able to avoid getting hurt. And, despite the fact we were looking up, we still would have managed not to trip, because in looking up, we are still able to see, and avoid, the lower obstacles because of our peripheral vision.

The same is true spiritually. When we look at Jesus, he becomes our focus and he helps us avoid the obstacles in our path. He removes the desires that once entrapped us (our old life dies), and he fills us with the desires of his Kingdom.

Only AFTER our focus is on Jesus and our lives have been transformed does Paul bring "morality" into the picture.

Put to death therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. (Colossians 3:5-10—NIV®)

Paul makes it clear, we can only pursue morality AFTER we have have set our eyes on Jesus. Once our eyes are fixed on Jesus, our hearts change and morality follows.

Upside down Christianity is focusing on the moral law first and hoping that will gain you favor with God. Upside down Christianity isn't Christianity at all, it's religion. Jesus stood in opposition to religion 2000 years ago and we should do the same today.

Jesus didn't die so we could follow a moral code. Jesus died so we could once again gain direct access to God. There was a moral code implemented by God, we know it as the Law of Moses. But with Jesus, God showed us that no matter how hard we try, no matter how much we sacrifice, we are never going to be "good enough."

That's where God's grace, freely offered as a direct result of Jesus' sacrifice comes into play. Only through setting our hearts and minds on things above are we able to live into the grace of God.

Too many Christians start with verses 5-10, forgetting verses 1-4. Too many preachers teach "if…then" sermons, either explicitly or ambiguously. Too many times we each have practiced upside down Christianity.

Let's commit today to stop practicing upside down Christianity. Let's set our hearts and minds on Jesus and take our focus of off the list of rules. Then we can marvel in his glory and in the change that will overtake us.

More importantly, we will become the change that Christ will bring to the world because we obeyed and set our hearts and minds on him. People are not drawn to a set of rules. People are drawn to changed lives. Are you willing to live the life to which Christ called? Are you willing to stop practicing upside down Christianity?

Don't Keep Petting the Lion!

It amazes me how many people think they can "handle" it. How many times have you said, "no worries, I've got this…"

What am I talking about? I'm talking about the lion we all allow to enter our homes. I'm talking about the apex predator that each of us feel confident we can tame. I'm talking about sin.

1 Peter 5:8 says, "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." (NLT)

That's a great analogy. In this day and age, I'm sure we've all seen video of a pet lion that suddenly, and for no apparent reason, turned on its owner and now that person is severely mauled or dead.

That's what happens to us when we refuse to stamp out sin; when we say to ourselves, "I've got this."

We let ourselves believe that because we haven't "stumbled" in a few days/weeks/months/years, we're OK.

But the truth is the "lion" is always there. Always lurking. Always ready to pounce.

That's why Peter tells us to "stay alert!" That's why Peter calls the devil our "great enemy."

I get the picture of a trained military person on overwatch while everyone else gets some sleep. The team can sleep because they have trust in the one watching over them.

We need to place the same trust and faith in the One watching over us, the Holy Spirit.

But we also need to "flee... evil desires… and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." (2 Timothy 2:22—NIV®)

We shouldn't allow the lion access to our home, to our heart, to our mind. We most certainly shouldn't see how close to the lion we can get without getting hurt.

Flee… run away!

Pursue… run towards!

What a great picture of how we should live each day. Flee evil, pursue righteousness.

How are you pursuing the righteousness of God in your life today? Leave a comment below so that others might be encouraged by your story.

Forgiveness is for Us

The topic of forgiveness came up this week in a conversation. I wanted to share some of my thoughts from that night, in part because maybe getting something "out there" will help me as I continue to contemplate what God needs me to learn and say on this very difficult topic.

I'm sure we've all heard the verse, some of us have even memorized it. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9-NIV®)

It wasn't until recently that I realized that asking God to forgive us isn't so much about God, it is about us.

What happens when we "mess up?" Most of us begin kicking ourselves. How was I so stupid? I know better than that. What was I thinking?

Even children do this. Think back to when you were a child. The worst punishment you ever received was when you mom said, "Just wait until your father gets home."

You would spend the rest of the day wondering what that punishment would be. And whatever you considered, it was always terrible.

I learned early on as a parent that asking my kids what the punishment for their "crime" should be often resulted in a harsher punishment that I was contemplating.

The Bible is clear that God is our father. In Luke 11 we read that God desires to give us good gifts, even better than we ask. (Luke 11:9-13)

Let's take that behavior of a child, the behavior we all exhibit from time to time, and transition it to our spiritual life. We sin, and we begin kicking ourselves.

Has our sin caused us to lose our salvation? No.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39-NLT)

Our sin does, however, block our relationship with God. Not from God's viewpoint, although a Holy God cannot stand sin, but from our view point. Remember, from God's viewpoint, "He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west" (Psalm 103:12-NLT).

So I believe that asking God for forgiveness is more about us. I know God has forgiven my sins in my head. I read throughout His word, the Bible, about how much He loves me. I understand mentally there is nothing that can remove me from the Book of Life.

It is the emotional response, my "heart response" where the disconnect happens. And I believe that is where my need to ask forgiveness becomes important.

It is through my seeking forgiveness, through my saying, "I can't do this on my own," through my acknowledgement of God's grace that I am restored.

Yes, God wants us to ask. But I do not believe He withholds forgiveness until we do. I believe that when we ask, we are allowing ourselves to get out of the way so His love can flood our hearts once again.

So the next time you sin, don't beat yourself up too long. Remember that God's love is eternal, His grace is sufficient, and He desires you simply acknowledge your need for Him.

When you do, your heart will be filled with His love once again.

Who Even Thinks Like That?

In a recent staff meeting we read the account of the sun standing still from Joshua 10. Joshua and the Israelite army are fighting the five kings of the Amorites. They are defeating their enemy, but the sun is setting and Joshua believes the cover of darkness will allow his enemy the opportunity to regroup and potentially win the battle.

So, what does Joshua do? He prays to God, asking Him to hold the sun so the Israelite army can finish the battle and completely destroy their enemy.

The following week we studied Peter walking on the water. In Matthew 14 we read that it is the middle of the night and the disciples are fighting the wind. In the midst of this storm comes Jesus, walking on the water.

Remember, some of these guys are seasoned fishermen. They have lived on this water all their lives. Yet they are straining to keep the boat moving due to the rough waves (see John 6:18). That's the scene, and here comes Jesus.

Back to Matthew, and we see that Peter calls out, "Lord if it's you, tell me to come to you on the water." (Matthew 14:28-NIV®) And Jesus says, "Come."

"Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on water and came toward Jesus." (Matthew 14:29-NIV®)

I have one question for both of these accounts: "Who thinks like that?"

Name one instance in your life where you were facing something and you said, "God, I need you to do this impossible thing, this thing that only You can do, so that I may have success in my adventure."

God, make the sun stand still so we can defeat this enemy in your name? Most people would have said, "God, keep the enemy confined tonight so we can win the battle tomorrow."

Joshua asked God for the impossible; and God provided.

Peter saw Jesus walking through rough waves on the water and said, "Let me come to you."

Most of us would have said, "Jesus, the waves are pounding the boat and we are having difficulty rowing, can you calm the waves?"

Since the waves didn't calm down until after Jesus was in the boat (Mark 6:51), Peter was walking on rough waves.

We fault Peter for sinking. I think we should praise Peter for having the courage to step out of a wind-tossed boat on to rough waves to walk to Jesus.

I know I do not have the faith of Joshua or Peter. I don't even think like those men thought.

All I can do is continue to learn more about Jesus and in learning about Him be able to see that He really wants to do miraculous things; I simply have to ask and have faith.

Remember, in Matthew 17:20 Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." (NIV®)

Joshua had that faith. He asked God to cause the sun to stand still and it did.

Peter had that faith. He asked Jesus to let him walk on water, and he did.

I don't have that faith. But I'm trying to learn to think like Joshua and Peter. Because when I begin to see the world with new eyes, with "nothing is impossible" dreams, with the faith of a mustard seed; then I will understand just how Great is Our God.

God of Love?

I was having a conversation with someone recently about how to reconcile the God of the Old Testament with the God of the New Testament. 

In the Old Testament we read God commanded King Saul through the Prophet Samuel to "attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys." (1 Samuel 15:3-NIV®)

In the New Testament we read, "love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked." (Luke 6:35-NIV®)

It seems that throughout the Old Testament we see a God of justice, in the New Testament we see of God of grace. Are the two one and the same God? How are the two one and the same God?

Especially when you consider Hebrews 13:8-NIV®, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

It is perplexing. It has been the cause for many to reject the message of Jesus and the gospel. The Internet is full of posts about the "vindictive" God.

To me, however, it all comes down to one thing. How did people who knew Jesus and God respond to him when in his presence?

Obviously people become close to Jesus while he was here on earth. Of those, it was John who we would consider to have been the closest to Jesus. John was with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. John was with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Yet when John saw the resurrected Jesus in all his glory: "I fell at his feet as though dead." (Revelation 1:17-NIV®)

John knew Jesus, was closest to him at the major points of his earthly ministry, and wrote in one of his epistles, "...God is love." (I John 4:8-NIV®)

Yet his response to the risen Savior in the throne room of heaven was to fall down as if dead.

What of Moses? Moses is an Old Testament man who spent time with God on the Mountain of God. Yet when Moses asked to see God's face, God said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live." (Exodus 33:20-NIV®)

How does looking at John and Moses help us reconcile God? It shows me that 1) God is Holy and as such cannot be seen by sinful men and 2) God is love.

As much as God is holy, that is also as much as He is love.

It is a mystery that we simply have to accept. Yes, the Holy God of the Old Testament demonstrated His holiness by methods unholy humans do not understand.

But the Loving God of the New Testament did the same. He sent His only son to pay the price we could never pay. "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21-NIV®)

God is the ultimate enigma wrapped in mystery to loosely quote Winston Churchill.

And maybe that is where faith needs to step in. Maybe it is through faithfully accepting that God is holy AND God is love, we are able to accept His love despite our fear in the face of His holiness.

In It to End It

I'm in it to end it … Not simply today because it is popular, but every day. I support causes that work with women who have been caught up in the sex industry and are seeking an escape. I know women who have walked away…some successfully, some unfortunately fell back into the lifestyle…

I am in it to end it.

I recently read an online article from the Washington Post (see the article here) which cited a 2011 FBI report on trafficking stating most trafficked girls are between the age of 12 and 14.

In the United States.

This isn't a statistic from Cambodia (although those are just as horrific), this is our own back yard.

I am in it to end it.

For me, it isn't just a slogan to me any more.

As disheartening as the statistics in the Washington Post article were, the treatment of the girls by the US authorities was worse. One girl, age 15 would tell her "johns" she was only 15 and being used against her will. Could they please take her to a police station?

She was eventually found by police, but rather than helping her, this 15-year old was locked up for prostitution.

America hasn't seen anything this bad since the 1800's when runaway slaves were sent back to their masters.

Today we enslave little girls, and rather than help them escape, we lock them up as common criminals or worse, sometimes we return them to their captors.

I am in it to end it.

February 27, 2014 we shine a light on slavery. It still exists today. In our own cities, towns, and villages.

This isn't' just some problem in a country somewhere across the globe. This is a problem in our neighborhood.

I am in it to end it.

We need laws protecting juveniles who are enslaved. We need transition housing for victims of sex trafficking. We need tough penalties for johns and even tougher penalties for sex traffickers.

But as good as getting tough on perpetrators sounds, my friends at Unearthed have found the only true way to end sex trafficking and the horrors that accompany it is to change the heart of men. So we also need churches to step up to help men.

Because when men's hearts change, demand diminishes. When demand declines, supply also falls off.

And when supply isn't required, women and girls become safe again.

I am in it to end it.

Will you join me?

Aim for Righteousness

It's hard to believe it has been nearly a month since my last post. It has been a crazy month; I've continued working at SoAcres Church, I've done some consulting work for House Right Production, and I've been taking my first college course since 1989.

My day's have consisted of getting up around 7:45 each morning, getting ready for work, heading to SoAcres until noon or 1 pm, then heading to one of two jobsites for House Right Production to work until 8 or 9 pm ... 11 pm one night.

On the nights I got off "early," I would head home and do some school work. There was little time for anything other than work and class work. I was not even able to spend much time with my lovely bride or my youngest son who still lives at home ...

But I did manage to squeeze in some time with Twitter here and there, and one of the posts I read is the basis for today's blog.

A modern hero of mine, Bob Goff, recently Tweeted the following: "Telling people they're wrong doesn't make us more right. Aim for righteous and end up as close as you can get."

That is a word this world needs. Far too many people, on both sides of any topic you can name, are striving to prove themselves right and their opponents wrong. While I do not subscribe to the Post Modernistic worldview belief that we all hold our own truth, and my truth can coexist with your truth, even if they are opposing views; I do feel there is great value in listening to people.

I Peter 3:8-9, 15 tells us:

Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do no repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing...But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect (New International Version).

I believe this is what Bob was saying when he called us to aim for righteousness. Don't repay insult with insult, don't go "toe to toe" with people trying to prove your point. Yes, have an answer (Jesus is the answer!), but answer with gentleness and respect.

People are rarely persuaded by debate.

Zacchaeus did not change his lying, cheating, steeling ways because he heard Jesus teach. Zacchaeus repaid those he had robbed and gave half of his possessions to the poor because Jesus came to his house for a meal.

How do we aim for righteousness? We keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. We ask ourselves how can I show God's glory in this situation? We show an infectious love (one of the reasons Bob Goff is my hero is his infectious love for everyone he meets). We don't strive to inflate ourselves, but rather we build up those around us. We decrease so Christ can increase.

This is not easy. I fail miserably every day. Yet because of the grace of God each time I fail I can simply start over again with a clean slate.

I'd love to hear stories of how you have successfully aimed for righteousness, and hit the mark. Or, if you prefer, also feel free to chime in with some time when you failed miserably, but in that moment learned a great lesson that would benefit all of us.

Today, live in such a way that you aim for righteousness, and see how close you can get.

Conversation on a Plane

I'm not sure if I have mentioned it here on my blog, but 25 years after first attending college right out of high school, I have re-enrolled in college in pursuit of an Organizational Management - Christian Leadership degree.

The following is from a paper I submitted this week for my first class. The class is an overview of world views, and in the instructions we were to provide a response to the person sitting in the seat next to us on a plane ride. During the conversation, she had stated she was an atheist, and then proceeded to ask what you believed about God. We were to also compare and contrast her worldview with ours.

Because this paper was for a college course, and because the college requires I follow the APA Style of writing, this will not be in my "usual" writing style for this blog. Please forgive the "formality" of some of my responses. I was writing more for a good grade than to actually capture a true conversation with someone on a plane.

So, here is my response to an atheist asking, "Do you believe in God?" while I flew cross country on a plane (remember, this is a scenario, not an actual event).

I believe there is a God, but not just any god, I believe in the “One True God” described in the Bible. I have considered other options, having read the holy works of Islam, Judaism, Mormonism, and the Jehovah’s Witnesses. I have taken a tour of a Hindu Temple and a Shinto Shrine in Los Angeles, California. I have also read works by Friedrich Nietzsche, Karl Marx, and Bertrand Russell. In the end, I found the only worldview that is credible in all areas of consideration-scientific, ethical, historical, and spiritual-is the God of the Bible.
Now, I am sure you are thinking, “This guy is nuts,” but let me take a minute to explain why I feel so strongly about the God of the Bible.
As I said, I found Biblical Christianity to be true scientifically. I assume that as an atheist, you follow the naturalistic worldview. Naturalism affirms the importance of the physical world. (Phillips, Brown & Stonestreet, 2008, p. 67) However, Paul de Vries notes that the scientific method “cannot pretend to provide answers to the ultimate questions. At some point in every explanation of phenomena, the question why can no longer be answerable within science.” (Phillips et al. 2008, p. 69) Science holds strongly to the theory of evolution. However Dean Kenyon wrote in the forward to The Mystery of Life’s Origin, “The authors believe, and I now concur, that there is a fundamental flaw in all current theories of the chemical origins of life.” The Mystery of Life’s Origin (as cited in Strobel, 2000, p. 93) James Tour, a nanoscientist and  professor at Rice University said, “…the deeper and deeper I have probed into the awe-inspiring wonders of the molecular level [I see]: the fingerprints of an Intelligent Designer. Only a rookie who knows nothing about science would say science takes away from faith.” (Strobel, 2000, p. 111) So, science does not disprove God, it actually leads man towards God.
I found the God of the Bible to be ethical. Again, I am sure you are thinking, “This guy is nuts,” so let me explain. Yes, many people believe the Bible does condone slavery, mass murder, genocide, racism, and polygamy. However, taken in its entirety, these “socially unacceptable” actions were taken by people in direct violation to God’s commands. The Bible includes these stories to demonstrate that despite man’s flaws, God remains faithful and loving. It was man who sinned against God, not the other way around. And all throughout the Bible, we read of God reaching down to restore mankind to Himself.
Many people have tried to disprove the Bible using the historical record. However Albright writes that “archaeological and inscriptional data have established the historicity of innumerable passages and statements of the Old Testament.” Albright, 1938 (as cited in McDowell, 1999, p. 370) Additionally, when you consider the manuscripts of the Biblical text with manuscripts of other ancient texts, the Bible stands in a league of its own. There are currently 5,686 Greek manuscripts in existence today for the New Testament. The first copy of an original New Testament manuscript was made within 100 years of the original document. Compare that to the closest ancient manuscript, the Iliad (by Homer), which only has 643 copies in existence today, with the first copy having been created approximately 500 years after the original (Slick, 2013). So, archaeological and literary sources support the validity and accuracy of the Bible.
Proving the spiritual truthfulness of the Bible is the most difficult challenge. Naturalists have consistently struggled with the implications of their worldview as applied to certain facets of man’s nature. (Phillips et al. 2008, p. 71) So, naturalism does not have a strong defense of spirituality either. When it comes to spirituality, one could argue that a definitive truth does not exist. However, as I read through the Bible, I found a consistent theme. God loves humankind! He loves us so much that He desires to be in relationship with us. This is evident from the beginning of the Bible, where we read about God coming to walk with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:8) to the promise in Matthew 28 where Jesus says, “I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day, right up to the end of the age.” (The Message, v 20) In fact, God wanted to be in relationship with us so much, He felt sending His only son to die in order to pay the penalty of my sin, was not too great a price. Love like that has never been seen before, and will never be seen again. Even though spirituality is difficult to define, I believe God has sufficiently proven His desire to redeem humankind.
I hope I have shown you that the only worldview that is credible in all areas of consideration (scientific, ethical, historical, and spiritual) is the God of the Bible. Science leads us to God. The God of the Bible is a God of love, pursing humankind despite our continual rebellion against His laws. Historically, the evidence supporting the validity of the Bible’s history and the evidence supporting the accuracy of the text we hold in our hands today is overwhelming. Spiritually speaking, is not a God who loves us so much, no price was too high to pay for our redemption, proof? While I respect your right to not believe in God, I hope I have shown you there are many unanswered questions in your naturalistic worldview; these questions do have answers when you look to God.

One more thought before I leave. In addition to "writing for a grade" I was also limited to writing a 1-2 page response. As usual, I went over the assigned page number, ending at about 2-1/2 pages of text. Unfortunately, the page limitation required me to be more brief in some of my responses than I would have liked. Maybe some day I will "flesh out" this conversation through multiple blog posts here at the 10:10 muse ...

Anyhow, I'd love to hear your feedback and thoughts. Post below to join in on the conversation.

Love God, Love People

The phrase, "Love God, love people" has been showing up virtually everywhere I look of late. It is the primary topic of the Love Does book by Bob Goff. It was the main topic of the sermon this past week at SoAcres Church. And it pervades some of the daily devotional and blog pages I read.

Not that I want to "jump on a bandwagon" for jumping sake, but when the message is so vital as "Love God, love people," who am I to miss out on an opportunity? Besides, if this message is coming at me so frequently, it means God wants me to learn it AND act on its message.

So, what does Love God, love people look like?

That, my friends, is the hardest part of the entire message. Loving God is the easiest part of the task. He loves me, and proved it by coming to earth to be like me in order to save me. While there are many, many people in the world who refuse to accept the overwhelming evidence supporting the validity of the Bible; the truth is, God came to earth to provide a path of redemption for His beloved children.

So, if this evidence is so overwhelming, why do people miss it? How are people still refuting, in their minds at least, the story of love God shares through His word? Why do people simply choose not to believe?

It all comes down to one thing. People are blinded. In I Corinthians 2:10-13, Paul writes: 

"The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along. Who ever knows what you're thinking and planning except you yourself? The same with God—except that he not only knows what he's thinking, but he lets us in on it. God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us. We don't have to rely on the world's guesses and opinions. We didn't learn this by reading books or going to school; we learned it from God, who taught us person-to-person through Jesus, and we're passing it on to you in the same firsthand, personal way." (The Message)

People are not able to understand God without the working of the Holy Spirit. However, for some reason that is far too deep for me to cover here in today's blog post, God only shares the Holy Spirit with those who have first accepted Him. Time and time again throughout scriptures the Spirit of God descends on those who have already accepted Him.

So how does a world blinded to the truths of God have hope? Through the love of the people who have accepted God's gift of grace. 

When we accept God's freely given gift of salvation, we are covered in God's grace. And because so much has been forgiven, our hearts long to share with those around us, especially those we love the most, just what God has done in our lives.

However, just like the new car wears down, just like last year's electronics are forgotten and placed on a shelf, just like our shoes and clothes wear out; so does our love for God. Unless we renew it every day.

I love my iPhone. I was a "hater" when the iPhone first came out. And when I finally went to the world of "smart phones," I started with a Samsung product, followed by a Blackberry product. It wasn't until four years after the iPhone was on the market that I finally purchased one.

And now I can't imagine what took me so long.

I use it every day, so many times every day in fact, I can't even guess at how much usage I get from my iPhone. It has become a part of me, and if I lost it or broke it, I would immediately go out and replace it.

That is how God should be in our life. If you connected with God as often each day as you connect with your smart phone, what would your life look like to those around you?

I mentioned Bob Goff at the beginning of this post. Bob is an infectious guy. In a comment I read about him, someone said he must drink a lot of energy drinks prior to going on stage because he has so much excitement when he speaks. If you want a better understanding, look at Bob's profile picture on Twitter.

I don't think it is artificial energy, I believe Bob is so connected to the Holy Spirit, he just exudes the energy of God.

And as Bob spills God all over the place, love is spilled. Because God is love.

Loving people is hard, but if we connect with God daily (that is why love God is listed first), God's love will spill out of us and we will love people.

Simply dialing a prayer in the morning, simply reading a devotional or passage of scripture in the morning, simply saying "grace" over our meals is not connecting with God. Well it is, but it is not sufficient for us to become covered in God's scent. The only way we can be covered in God is to roll around with Him, to really be in His presence.

So today, each time you grab your smart phone, take some time to also reach for God. And every day from now on as you reach for your phone, also reach for God. In a few days you will begin to "smell" like God.

And when you do, then God's love will leak out of you and onto others. And when you love people, they begin to understand who God is and how much He loves them.

Love God, love people.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. And I really want to hear your stories of how you grew in your love for God and how that love spilled out onto other people.

When Did We Stray from Our Mission?

My wife told me yesterday that the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) online version has added several words including: "selfie" and "phablet" ...

I really didn't have words when she told me this. After all, wasn't the dictionary created to "standardize speech?" Now, rather than providing a guideline for the language, the dictionary is simply doing its best to keep up with popular culture.

However, in doing a little research for this blog post, I found that my initial premise was wrong, but I'm still going to push forward, because I think these thoughts need to be explored. It turns out, the OED's focus is on current English.

The dictionary content in ODO focuses on current English and includes modern meanings and uses of words," he told ABC News. "It's not telling you what the language should be. It's all about how [words] are used. (Christian Purdy, the director of publicity for the Oxford University Press-USA)

So, my premise was wrong for the OED, they are following their mission. But as I said, there is some relevance in my thoughts today.

It seems that the Church has lost its focus. Initially, the church was established as a launching point, a place to come and be refreshed before stepping back into the fray. Early Christ followers literally gave up everything to become disciples.

Peter, James, and John left their family businesses.

Matthew left his profitable business.

Paul left his high place in society.

Many were shunned by family and friends.

Many gave their lives.

So "the gathering" became a place of encouragement, instruction, and hope. Then you returned to your workplace (if you hadn't been fired), to your community (if you hadn't been shunned), to your routine; not simply to exist, but to share the love of God with those around you.

Church was a launching point. It was where the battle plans were drawn. It was a hospital for those who needed life change. And everyone had a part in the plan.

I recently read a quote attributed to Martin Luther King, Jr. while he was in Birmingham Jail that is relevant:

"The early Christians rejoiced when they were deemed worth to suffer for what they believed. In those days the Church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the morals of society."

Today, it seems many churches have become just the opposite. They are intent on self perpetuation, not on an outward focus. They are still gathering places, but members only clubs; not a refuge for those who need the message of the gospel.

Fortunately, there are a growing number of churches who realize the need for change. It is like Jesus said in Revelation 2:4, "You have forsaken the love you had at first." (NIV)

Remember when you first came to salvation? You had so much joy, so much enthusiasm, and you couldn't contain yourself. You prayed and read your bible. You shared what God had done with anyone and everyone. You had been rescued, and the world needed to know of this saving grace.

We each need to return to our first love. We need to gather one day a week to celebrate the wins, to find encouragement despite the losses, and to be refreshed to step back into the fray.

We need to return to our mission: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV)

When did you stray from your mission? And how are you going to get yourself back on track? Share your thoughts below and let's encourage each other today!

Jesus Didn't Condemn the World - Why Do I?

I've been wrestling with something for the past few months ... maybe even longer, but it has truly become front and center recently.

As Christians, we so often cast a condemning net over the whole world.

This is so far removed from what Jesus did.

John 3:17 says, "God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again." (The Message)

Take a closer look at Jesus' actions while he was in the world, and you will see he went to places church people would never go. He sat and ate with sinners. He touched the unclean. He let the poor, marginalized, and abandoned come into his inner circle.

Jesus chose the common people, not the high-society people, as his core. It was through God's power, not man's power, the gospel became a world-changing force.

Yet we forget that in the modern church, I think.

We have elevated celebrity above Christ.

We have turned our back on sinners for the pursuit of larger buildings and bigger numbers. Many churches today only pursue other "Christians" not those who need it most.

When was the last time your church went into the darkest places of your city to simply love people?

When was the last time your church generously offered of its resources to help those in need?

When was the last time you did any of those things?

If I want to be more like Christ, I need to do the things he did.

I can no longer boycott companies simply because they don't follow the "Christian" path, UNLESS they are proclaiming to be a Christian company.

So ABC company takes a stand on an issue that is in conflict with my position? Don't boycott them, that is how the world responds. If you want to respond like Jesus, start loving on the head of the company. Rather than sending them hate mail, send them letters of encouragement. Stand out and you will potentially be given the chance to influence them.

It was only after people hung out with Jesus that they were changed.

That same relationship transformation continued in the early church. The people wanted to be in relationship; with each other, and with those who were still on the outside.

Today's church has turned the process upside down. Rather than going, so many churches simply invite others to come and see.

Come and see? People only come and see when they have a relationship.

The people of Samaria only came to see this man at the well (John 4) because the woman who he had spent time with invited them.

People want to see Jesus. People need to see Jesus. However, condemning the world for being the world won't work. We need to follow in Jesus' footsteps; we need to show love, compassion, and be willing to touch those who the church won't.

Jesus didn't come to the world to condemn the world, but to save the world (John 3:17). And because Jesus came to save, we are able to take his message of love and acceptance into a world that needs him desperately.

Jesus didn't condemn the world, why do I?

Where is Your Focus?

We focused on Philippians 4 this morning in staff meeting, and it was a gentle reminder of where we need to keep our focus in life.

What struck me this morning was from verse 6 and 7:

Don't worry about anything, instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 - NLT)

I like technology. Having the Bible available at my fingertips in several versions, has helped me understand things better in recent years. Being able to recall verses I memorized as a young kid (yes, I was THAT kid), but to now see them in a fresh light, helps me grow in my Christian walk.

I memorized this passage in the King James version of the Bible. I memorized most of the verses I know in the King James. It was the 1970's and most churches were still King James type churches. It amazes me how many still remain that way in the 20-teens ...

But reading this passage this morning in the New Living Translation made me take a closer look. While I'd memorized the passage, it had been some time since I'd focused on the passage.

Let's look at the end of verse 6: "Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done."

Nothing new here, it is after all important to thank God for all he has done. But it was what came next, verse 7, and how it tied to verse 6 that caught my attention this morning.

Verse 7 starts with, "THEN" ...

Then is an effect word. It denotes causality.

Causality (also referred to as causation) is the relation between an event (the cause) and a second event (the effect), where the second event is understood as a consequence of the first.

IF you (tell God what you need AND thank him for all he has done) - note this is a two part cause; THEN (you will experience God's peace).

Do you want peace in your life? To get peace, you need to tell God what you need (notice the word is NEED, not want) and thank him for all he has done.

Then, and only then, will you experience God's peace.

This isn't just any peace. This is "[peace] which exceeds anything we can understand."

I don't know about you, but I so often fall short in this category. I find my prayer time is telling God what I want, what I believe I need.

It is rarely telling him what I actually need (food, clothing, shelter, boldness in my faith).

And even more rare are the times I sit and thank him for everything he has done.

Sure, I'm grateful. I often utter "thank you Jesus" when something great happens. Especially if I prayed for it to happen.

But if I am honest here, I don't truly ask God daily for what I need and then thank him daily for his provisions.

I have a Twitter friend who frequently reminds people to make their gratitude list each night. I never have.

But I should close each day out thanking God for the things he has done that day.

And I should start each morning asking God for what I need and thanking him for all he has provided already.

Then, and only then, will I be able to daily live into the peace that is beyond anything I can imagine or understand.

Do you want that kind of peace?

Join me today in making sure each day starts and ends with time before God. And then come back here in a week, in a month, in a couple of months and share how you have found new peace!

Cleaned Up, or Broken

This has been a busy week for me. School started for my youngest son; he's a high school senior this year. While this wasn't officially the first week of school, it is still a new routine after the summer break, so that influenced my week.

Also, I had some gear issues at SoAcres (www.SoAcres.com) that had to be addressed this week. Additionally, we are gearing up for fall kickoff, so beyond the gear issues that occurred, I was also pretty much going through all of the systems to see what non obvious issues needed to be addressed.

And then I started college this week. Twenty-five years after first enrolling in college right out of high school, I've returned. This also added to my schedule.

If all that wasn't enough, I also did some integration work in the evenings three nights this week. After working at SoAcres all day, I went to another church here in town and helped install their new video and audio system.

All in all, a very busy week.

But I was able to find a few minutes beyond my "required' reading to check out some of the blogs I follow regularly. And the following statement stood out on one blog:

"The church went from being a cleaned up, homeschooling kind of church to being a church with a lot of broken people" (Nicholas McDonald quoting Dr. Rosaria Butterfield).

Dr. Butterfield wasn't a Christ follower. She was however befriended by a pastor and his family while living in a lifestyle many in today's church not only condemn, they openly and aggressively attack those living in that lifestyle.

Unfortunately, the result has been many, many people who Jesus loves have been turned off by the Church.

It took time and a loving relationship, but Dr. Butterfield finally came to church. And the preceding comment was made after Dr. Butterfield developed a relationship with people inside the church.

People who admitted to Dr. Butterfield, "... it was easier for them to be disgusted with a person like me than to pray for me ..." (ibid.).

Isn't that the sad commentary on today's church? We find it so easy to attack and condemn people. To be disgusted with those with whom we don't agree.

We do it to those outside the church.

But we also do it to those inside the church; but those who are inside a different church than our church.

We have walked so far from the path Jesus demonstrated while here on earth. I believe that if Jesus came back to earth today, he would have the same things to say about many of the churches and people inside them he said about the Jewish religious leaders in his day.

"White washed tombs." (Matthew 23:27)

"Hypocrites." (Matthew 6;2, 5, 16)

"Brood of vipers." (Matthew 12:34)

Jesus only had harsh things to say to those who claimed to follow God. He had loving things to say to those who needed God.

Now, just because Jesus only said loving things, doesn't mean he didn't speak the truth. It also doesn't mean the things he said were easy to hear.

The rich young ruler walked away very sad because he could not do what Jesus said he needed to do in order to follow. (Mark 10:21, 22)

Contrast that to the woman who was living a sinful life, she anointed Jesus' feet with perfume. (Luke 7:36-38)

So the question for each of us today is are we cleaned up, the equivalent of white-washed tombs; or are we broken?

Broken people have had much forgiven, so they show gratefulness. They want others to know and feel this great forgiveness. The woman at the well, she immediately went back into the city full of people from whom she was hiding to share the good news. But she also invited them to come meet this man who, "told me everything I did." (John 4:39)

Truth, spoken in love, leads to forgiveness. Forgiveness leads to us wanting to share it with the world.

Let's remember that we have had much forgiven. We are all sinners saved by grace. As we live into that forgiveness, we will share love with others; others who need forgiveness too.

Through our brokenness, God is able to provide healing to the world.

Stop living a cleaned up lifestyle today and live into the redemption of a broken vessel now redeemed and filled with God's love.