True acceptance

A few years ago I was reading a book a man I greatly admired: a pastor whom God had used tremendously to build His kingdom.  He was very famous and wrote a very successful book that pointed people to grow in their walk with God.  I was thoroughly enjoying his book when I came to the part where writes about his own personal experience with a child who was diagnosed with cancer.  Through this event he says, "Never once did I question God's love for me.  That was settled at the cross."  I remember reading that and at first being so discouraged.  I felt so inadequate, like I was never going to be able to measure up to people like this spiritual giant.  But I was also irritated as well.  It felt so . . . phoney.  I mean really, you NEVER questioned God's love?  And it brought up a longstanding pet peeve that I had about other authors as well.  These same kinds of themes seemed to permeate the  good 'ol Christian classics that I had read.  These men would talk about their walk with God (or what a walk with God should look like) in such terms that it almost seemed as if they were from another planet. Instead of being challenged in my faith into a deeper walk with God, I was often overwhelmed with a sense of inadequacy and condemnation.  I knew that if I was honest I was nowhere near where these men were modelling themselves to be. 

But one day as I was reading Scripture I saw things with a new eye.  I was reading about Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane the night Jesus was betrayed.  I had always wondered why Peter wasn't immediately arrested for cutting off the high priest's servant's ear.  I had read the passage many times before but had missed one important detail.  In John 18 we read that Jesus saw the arresting party and went out to meet them first.  As He approached them, the Scripture says that He opened up just a tiny window of His power and flattened the whole group to the ground with His divine glory.  For just a brief moment, those around Him experienced Jesus in all His divinity.  It clearly frightened the soldiers and it obviously emboldened Peter who was watching.  That's why Peter was so brave.  And it's also why He fell so hard.  Peter was relying upon what he could see with his own eyes.  He reasoned that now Jesus was going to let these men have it, so let's get at 'em!  He relied upon his flesh and when Jesus rebuked him, healed the servant's ear and allowed Himself to be arrested.  After that Peter realized the horrible truth: Jesus was going to be arrested; and he was wasn't nearly as brave or godly as he thought he was.

We all know the story of what happened next: Peter fell--HARD.  He denied Jesus three times, cursing and swearing to boot.  But rather than this leading to a life of substandard spirituality, Peter went on to become one of the great leaders of the early church, greater even than all the authors of the spiritual classics of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.  How could this happen?  How could God use such a bumbling idiot after he had failed so completely?  The answer is: grace.  Jesus extended grace to Peter.  He forgave Peter unconditionally, just as he forgave Moses for his lack of faith (and murdering an Egyptian), just as He forgave the sexually immoral, the swindlers, the brutal oppressors of the church, and just as He forgives me.  I realized that I have often tried to stand before God in my own righteousness and fail miserably.  When I think like this I live in fear: fear of being found out, fear of my righteous veneer being stripped away--fear of being exposed.

Far too many people rely upon an outward veneer to mask their true spiritual condition.  We succumb to the pressure to appear to be something we aren't: to look like we've gotten past our struggles with sin.  We start our walk with Him understanding this implicitly, but it doesn't take long before we seek to create an identity that covers up the fact that we are sinners.  We spend a whole lot of time either excusing our sin by comparing ourselves to those around us who are worse, or we create a false identity of superficial holiness and become concerned about only our outward appearance instead of the condition of our heart.  

There is victory over sin, but it isn't found in our own efforts alone.  Victory over sin is found in losing ourselves in Christ.  We become less--He becomes more.  This means that we don't try and hide our sin: we allow it to be exposed so that we can see things as they really are.  This leads to true repentance.  And when this happens, something beautiful happens to us: we feel truly accepted and loved.  Allow God to expose you--and for His grace to change you.  This is where you will be truly accepted.

Who's the boss?

I well remember leading my youngest son Ben to the Lord.  For months he had been talking to me about "asking Jesus into my heart".  I didn't want to simply lead him through the sinner's prayer without him really understanding what this decision really meant for him.  I prayed about what to say and the Lord revealed to me to ask Ben this question: "Do you want Jesus to be the boss?"  When I talked to him the next day, Ben did ask about Jesus being in his heart.  I said, "That's great Ben, but that means that Jesus is the boss now.  Are you ready to do that?"  Ben's response was so typically---Ben.  "Um, no" he said with some conviction.  And every time he would broach the subject over the next several months, I'd respond with the same question: "Are you ready for Jesus to be the boss?"  In his own child-like understanding, Ben knew that while becoming a Christian was a free gift--it required a submission of his will.  This truth is something that each child of God has to come to terms with--God want to give the free gift of salvation to all who would believe, but it is an act of surrender of the will that defines the beginning of becoming an authentic follower of Jesus Christ. 

On glorious evening before bed, Ben firmly announced, "I want Jesus to be the boss now".  I knew that he was ready.  And so we prayed together and Ben became a child of the King.  Immediately after the prayer, I went downstairs and told my wife that Ben had something to announce to her.  Ben bolted downstairs and said in a loud voice, "Mommy, Jesus is the boss now!"  And we smiled right down to the bottom of our souls.  Since then I've seen such growth in my youngest son--He truly loves Jesus.  Even though he often struggles to make Jesus the boss on some days, he is incredibly spiritually sensitive. 

What is the essence of the Christian life?  To love God above anyone or anything else (Matthew 22:37-40).  And we express this love by obedience--particularly in obedience by loving one another.  I John 3:18-23 says, " My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.  And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another."  It is so sad to watch professing Christians who are living in disobedience to Christ's Lordship--often because they lack a spirit of love toward others.  They are living under a spirit of condemnation--and they are missing out on the love of Christ.   Joy and peace are gifts that cannot be opened when our heart is in this condition.

Who's the boss in your life?  Let Jesus in.  He alone will give you the eternal peace and joy your soul longs for.

Seeing the real Jesus

Why do I love Easter so much?  Because Easter makes everything right.  And Easter gives us real hope.  We live in a world where so much of what we see doesn't make sense--where inhumanity seems to rule much of the day on the news, where corruption and self-serving seems to be the order of the day.  But Easter changes all that.  Easter is the key to a life of peace and joy.

Easter brings this peace and joy into our lives when we see the real Jesus for who He is.  He is the Divine One who came from heaven to save a lost and sinful world from death and eternal punishment.  Jesus' sinless life and perfect death made it possible for our sins to be forgiven.  His resurrection gives everyone a chance at a "new life" both right now and for all eternity.  I love this hope--the hope that, "If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come." (II Corinthians 5:17 NKJV)  No matter what we've done or how much of a mess we've made things, God can make all things new again!  The world has so many caricatures and notions of Jesus that aren't accurate.  He's either seen as just a good man or a distant religious figure from the past--someone who doesn't really make a difference in our lives today.  But nothing could be further from the truth.  The reality is, for all our wealth and technological advances, people aren't any more satisfied in life than they were one hundred years ago.  It seems that so many people are like a computer left in "search mode", constantly winding with activity (and perhaps even unaware that they are in fact, "searching") but never finding what they are looking for.  Satan is so good at distracting us too.  "Look here!"  "No, look over there; or there!"  The reason?  He desperately doesn't want us to discover the true meaning of life which is knowing God.  Not until we look to the One who is the answer to all of life's most pressing needs and questions: Jesus Christ, will we ever find the answer we need.

When we take our eyes off Jesus, disappointment is the natural result.  Sadly, many people, even Christians are crippled by this.  They are so bitterly disappointed in what has happened to them or what someone else has done to them (or not done for them) that they are emotionally and spiritually disabled--unable to really experience joy and peace in life.  The failure is usually in trying to set our own course rather than follow Christ's path.  Trying to set our own course can never really satisfy because we are missing the one element that matters: God's presence and approval.  And so many people settle for a distracted, busy life.  But after all the distractions of life play themselves out (entertainment, career/schooling, pursuing wealth, raising a family) the core issue remains: our relationship with God is broken because of sin.  We need a Saviour.

Seeing the real Jesus helps us to see this truth.  Seeing Him helps us to see beyond temporal things to the eternal issues that are of first importance.  Am I going to spend eternity in heaven with Him, or will I suffer eternity in hell separated from Him because of my sin?  And if I am going to spend eternity with Him, am I living for Him now, or am I living for myself?  Easter is the best time of year to consider these questions.  Our society is so short-sighted in this regard.  Life can keep us so busy with other things that we are constantly running just to catch up with our feet--so much so that we don't have time to consider the biggest questions of life.  The the reality of the Easter message is that there is real hope for purpose in life.  This is found only in Christ.

I want to leave you with this question: are you alive in Him?  Is Jesus is working in your life right now; is He making His presence known?  If not, I encourage you to stop all the busyness and just fix your eyes upon Him.  Believe in His work on the cross to forgive you of your sin and trust His resurrection power for newness of life.   Make this the Easter that you see Him with spiritual eyes for the first time!  And Christian: are you living as if He is alive in you?  As the Word says, "In Him we live and move and have our being." (Acts 17:28 NKJV)  Focus on Jesus this Easter.  See Him for who He really is.

Thank goodness life isn't fair

I meet many people who struggle with the concept of fairness.  In fact, I would say that this is a primary reason that people reject the message of the gospel: it just seems so patently unfair.  And sadly it is a reason that many Christians have fallen away from Christ and His church: because they feel that they have been treated unfairly.  The resulting hurt, disappointment and bitterness causes lasting spiritual, emotional, and even physical damage.

With the hope of a New Year before us, I thought that this is an issue that needs addressing.  You see, I agree with the assessment that life isn't fair, and I even agree with the assessment that God isn't fair.  Now that statement might shock you, especially coming from a pastor, but please allow me to explain.  There is a verse in Scripture that I struggled to come to grips with for many years.  Romans 5:12 says, "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned (italics and bold mine)." (NKJV)  I have read this verse in many other versions just to make certain that what was being translated into the English was indeed accurate, and I found to my dismay that it was always the same.  When Adam sinned, I sinned.  The Bible doesn't say, "because all we born with a predisposition to sin".  This alone would have been difficult enough to accept, but that's NOT what the Bible says.  It says, "[in Adam] all sinned".

So my sin was already upon me before my birth.  And it isn't just this one verse that tells us this.  "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me." (Psalm 51:5)  "All have (past tense) sinned, and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)  I might not think that this is fair, but it's true.  And God's sense of morality and what is right has to be higher than my own.  After all, He is the Creator. 

The principle of inherited sin is not one people can naturally accept because they are born sinners.  I cannot stress this truth enough: our sense of what is right and wrong, what is fair and unfair is skewed from conception.  The original sin of Adam in the Garden corrupted all of his offspring.  This is why it was absolutely necessary that Jesus was born of a virgin, because sin is passed down through the male.  This is the way God designed the human race.  And we are a race.  Not many races, but one.  There are different ethnic groups, but only one human race.  And we all have sinned.  We all deserve the penalty of sin: death.  Physical death and eternal death of the soul.  The evidence of this spiritual truth is that everyone dies.  No matter how hard we may try to deny it, God's spiritual law still applies to us and it affects our entire being, body, mind, and spirit.

So back to the original statement: life isn't fair.  But why?  Because there is a remedy for sin.  Fair would have meant that we all are destined for hell.  For eternal death.  This is what our nature demands.  Fair means that we all stand under God's judgment.  Now I know that my sinful self screams against this truth.  It says, "What are you talking about!!!????  How is it fair that I suffer because of someone else's sin?"  But it's funny how I am so willing to accept the benefits of what someone else has done for me.  Think about it, we human beings are designed to live in community.  If everyone of us had to start life from "scratch" as it were, were would we be?  All living in caves.  But God has given us the privilege of raising children and giving them a better life than the one we had.  He gives society the chance to progress, to discover new things and pass that knowledge on to the next generation.  Is that really "fair"?  What about those in another country who have less opportunity?  Is it fair that I was born into the most affluent society in history with medical care, air conditioning and heating and food in abundance?  Not really.  If life was really "fair", I'd start from scratch just like Adam and Eve had to.  And if God took any of these modern amenities away from me I'd probably struggle a great deal.  "It's not fair!", I'd be tempted to say.

We readily accept God's blessings, but are so quick to complain when we don't receive the things we think we should have.  The truth of the matter is, it doesn't matter what I think "fair" should look like; it only matters what God thinks.  He isn't going to change His governance based on yours or my approval.  I mean seriously, how arrogant is that!?  The truth is, we live in one of the most prideful societies in history.  We think that God somehow has to bow to our ideas or notions of fairness and we withhold worship and obedience when we feel that He has wronged us.  We need to repent of this kind of thinking.  And the church needs to repent of it especially.  Christians: your devotion to God should never hinge on notions of His "fairness" to you.  He has been more than fair--that was settled at Calvary.

Thank goodness God isn't fair!  The question should never be, "why did this happen to me (or my loved one)"?  It should never be "why do some people go to hell?".  Rather, it should be, "why do I have this blessing?" and "why do some people go to heaven?"  Let me ask you a question: Was it fair that the second person of the Godhead would take on human form and die on a cross for the sin of the world?  Absolutely not!  This is the question I have regarding Genesis 3.  Not why did God allow Adam and Eve to sin, knowing what pain it would cause them but why did God allow them to sin knowing what pain it would cause Him? 

I'm not saying that we won't struggle with these questions (goodness knows I have struggled), but in the long haul we must submit to God's truth in this matter.  Blessing and suffering come from His hand.  What sin and evil God allows is often a great mystery, but we must believe that He is in control and that He knows best.  Once we settle the question of God's sovereignty, we settle the question of fairness once for all.  And we are free to experience the fullness of His grace without reservation.  We are free to rejoice in the hope we have in Christ--that we can be a part of His family and have an eternal hope in heaven.

As you head into the New Year I encourage you not to think simply about how the year will be good for your plans and dreams, but how the New Year will be for God's sake.  May you put Him on the throne of your heart. For "In Him we live and move and have our being." (Acts 17:28)

Glory in the Highest

Human words are sometimes so inadequate to describe reality.  How do your describe the smell of a flower?  How do you convey the spectacle of the Milky Way galaxy stretching across the heavens on a cold clear fall evening?  How do you communicate the feeling that you have when you hear the first cry come from your newborn?  The simple fact of the matter is that human words can only do so much.  It is up to God to convey the full magnitude of what these experiences mean to our soul.  This is especially true of Christmas.  I cannot imagine what the shepherds on that lonely hill in Judea must have experienced that first Christmas eve.  One minute they were going about their mundane chores in taking care of their sheep, the next the heavens opened up in all their glorious brilliance and the angelic host was revealed.

I have to say that the actual magnitude of what this was like was lost on me as a child.  The shepherds' response was one of sheer terror.  And I would have responded exactly the same.  In a moment, in a flash of light, REAL reality is revealed in all its overwhelming awesomeness.  Suddenly you see things as they really are--and you are stunned.  I find it so sad when people meet the Christmas season with a dull spirit.  What they are missing is the magnitude of the only thing that ultimately matters: that God revealed all of Himself in the person of Jesus Christ and that the Son of God would die in our place for the sins of the entire world.  This is as real as it gets.  Our world is clamoring for "reality" but never seem to be able to find it even though it is right in front of their noses.

What should our response be to the Christmas message?  The same as the shepherds.  They were moved to explore this revelation from God saying, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us," (Luke 2:15  NKJV)  What kind of attitude do you think existed in the group?  Mild interest?  Skepticism?  Apathy?  Was it, "Hey guys we probably should go and check this thing out eh?"  Or was it something entirely different?  The angelic host had just sung "Glory to God in the Highest!"  ALL of God was revealed and wrapped up in the form of a tiny baby, and creation sang with anticipation.  How could they be ambivalent about that?

The wonder of Christmas brings to face the reality that God in the Highest became the lowest--all because of love.  It gives us pause to reflect upon the love of God--that He is intimately interested in each and every person and wants to make His residence within your heart.  Do you get the absolute unfathomable magnitude of it?  The same God who made the universe by merely speaking it into existence has lowered Himself so that you and I might experience a rebirth of the spirit!  The peace and joy that comes from receiving Jesus cannot be described with mere words--you have to believe in order to "see".  Bowing your heart before the King of the universe brings with it a freedom of the soul where our hearts break the chains of sin. My prayer is that you will bow your heart before the King this Christmas and sing with the angels and shepherds, "Glory in the Highest!"

The attraction of Jesus

I recently listened to a portion of a sermon by Andy Stanley.  In it he begins with this line, "People who were nothing like Jesus liked Him.  And Jesus liked people who were nothing like Him."  In it he refers to Matthew's first encounter with Jesus (Matthew 9:9) where Jesus simply comes up to him as he was busy collecting taxes and says, "follow Me".  This simple invitation is the same today as it was 2000 years ago on that dusty street in Judea--Jesus is still calling sinful men and women to come and "follow Me".

What is the attraction of the gospel?  It is the attraction of Jesus.  It is His interest in us that peaks our interest in Him.  It is His earnest concern for the lost, for the worst of sinners that shines in a bleak and worn spiritual landscape.  It is the attraction of Jesus--the fact that He loves the unlovable, the broken and worn that stands like a light on a hill in a dark world.  It is the fact that He would deign to love even a "tax collector" (the worst of all sinners in first century Jewish eyes) and command him to "follow Me" that gives hope to the most hopeless.

I know that many people who reject Christ do so solely because of a sinful heart.  But how many  reject Christ because they are influenced by a less than authentic witness of who Christ is?  How many reject Christ because they believe that Christians don't really "like" them all that much?  The church should be the most attractive institution in the world because it has the greatest "draw" of all--the heart of God.  Sadly, however, the focus of many Christian's hearts is not not centered upon the heart of God.  This is evidenced by the spirit in many churches and the attitudes of many Christians.  The sad truth is, we often don't even like one another, so how can we really love the world?  Expressing God's heart means following Jesus' example.  And that takes personal risk.  How did the religious people view His associations?  With spurious contempt.  How did His own disciples react to Jesus' openness to the lost?  With confusion and discomfort.  Don't think that it will be any different today.  If you want to express the heart of God, your actions will be misrepresented and your motives will be questioned.  But we have a higher calling: a call to obey God and to truly follow Jesus.  When we truly love God, His love for others flows out of us--not with words but in attitude and action.

There was a time where I have to admit that I wasn't that concerned about being known for exemplifying "the attraction of Jesus" to the world.  I was more concerned about finding a corner of truth and raising the flag high about how "discerning" I was.  As evidence of this I have to admit that there was a time that I wouldn't even entertain learning from someone like Andy Stanley [sorry Andy Stanley fans! ;)].  I would say that his theology is too "man centered" and avoids "repentance" (I would say that I know this because I heard other people say this about him and they must be right of course), so how could he have anything good to say--it must be tainted somehow.  But now I see things differently.  I don't defend Andy Stanley, and perhaps his ministry and theology aren't all up to snuff (I haven't read or listened to him enough to have an informed opinion), but I am discerning enough to recognize when God says something that touches my heart even if it is through an imperfect vessel.  I am discerning enough to recognize that it's not enough to be "right", I must be even more concerned to be "love".  Ephesians 4:15 has to be more than a cute platitude I learn--I want to truly speak the truth in love.  I want to be attractive for Jesus.  I want my church to be attractive for Jesus.  The world needs Him.

Be Strong and Courageous

I meet many people who seem overwhelmed by the circumstances of life.  Some slip into depression while others escape into entertainment or addiction.  Some simply shut down altogether or run from the problem as far and as fast as they can.  I am no stranger to these emotions and temptations.  Sometimes I am overwhelmed with the enormity of the task in front of me. I have the challenges of raising three children (one with special needs) and having a spouse working full time.

The foremost challenge in front of me today however, is leading a church through a period of transition.  This endeavor is not for the faint of heart.  I am not blind to the fact that the majority of church transitions fail.  But I honestly believe that when I took over as senior pastor of our church, "doing nothing" wasn't an option.  The Holy Spirit had clearly revealed to me the necessity of leading the church to make some significant changes if we were going to thrive (and perhaps even survive) in the years ahead.  Although things looked OK right now, the time had come for a new chapter to begin.  In the last few years the Lord had accomplished a lot of healing in the church, but now the Lord wanted us to take the next step.

The biggest surprise I experienced was the real presence of fear.  It's not something I'm used to.  I might look like I'm an indefatigable person and indeed, this is often how I viewed myself in the past.  But the truth is, I am susceptible to bouts of self-doubt, feelings of inadequacy for the task, and the constant reality that I'm a spiritual leader but still battling the sinful nature. I'm also not immune to the discouragement of receiving negative comments.  Each one of these is enough to sink me.  But that's exactly what the church doesn't need.  God has clearly told me that if I'm going to lead his church into a new day, I cannot shrink back--I have to be strong and courageous.  Not with a spirit of arrogance or insensitivity but with Spirit-led boldness.

Once the journey of moving with God has begun, we cannot look back.  To do so would invite disaster.  God doesn't approve of those who "look back".  Lot's wife was severely punished for looking back.  She was turned into a pillar of salt.  Jesus Himself said, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:62) 

I meet people who are all excited about change in the church.  What some of them aren't as concerned about however, is seeing any significant personal change in their own lives.  What they forget is that you cannot have one without the other.  Allowing God to humble us, change us, and shape our attitudes and actions towards others is essential to being used effectively by Him and in His church.  Denying the need for real personal change (growing in holiness in Christ) only proves that we are ultimately concerned about only having an "exciting" church, not a truly transformational church.  Too many churches have been built on this model, much to their spiritual detriment.  I have also met people who talk a good game about wanting change, but when the reality of that change starts to become real, some balk at it.  I hear comments like, "we need balance", or "we need to move slowly".  While there certainly is truth in these statements, I fear that they are often code for, "we don't want to change very much".   The proof is often found in the attitude (sometimes verbalized) that says, "I want our church to grow, but not that much (or at least slowly)".  What does this betray?  That we prefer our comfort over the heart of God, who wants all to become saved and that time is of the essence.

Going with God means uncomfortable change.  It means a sense of urgency in getting on with the mission of evangelism.  It means a sense of urgency in getting on with the mission of growing in holiness.  This willingness to change is rare however, and calling people to this kind of change is tough work.  Sadly many churches (and Christians) fail to allow this type of change to happen in their lives.  This is where fearless leadership is required.  If there is to be fresh outpouring of the Spirit in our life and in the life of the church it is absolutely necessary that we embrace BIG UNCOMFORTABLE CHANGE.  If you want real change like this, ask God to embolden you for the road ahead.  He will not fail you. 

"But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." (I Corinthians 15:57-58)