I don't know exactly how long this blog will be as I start to write, but I can only guess it may take minute. Those of you who follow me on a regular basis will have noticed that I haven't posted a blog since September 5, two months ago to the day. It's not because I had nothing to write about, but I'm a processor when it comes to lessons that I'm learning in life. Ask me for advice? I'll normally give it to you at the drop of a hat. Need help with leadership, music, or photography questions? I'm ready on a dime and I'll pay it. But I've learned in my 43 years that when God starts to teach you something, listen carefully and don't rush it. What follows is such a lesson.
My blogs are me living my life out loud in writing. I don't want to tell you that this is the way that you should believe if God is teaching you or leading you in other directions. This is the result of my time with God about me and what I have read and interpreted scripture to mean and say. If you disagree with me, that's ok. You won't hurt my feelings.
In 2006, I was in the process of interviewing at several different churches. I ended up accepting a position at the First Christian Church in Decatur, IL. There had been some very blatant sin in my life and at the time, I felt the need to be open and honest with the pastor and associate pastor about those issues. I remember telling my accountability partner at the time about my honesty with the staff. His response was, "Kevin, I hope that works out for you. I don't know that I would've been so forthright and magnanimous about it, but I hope that works out for you."
At the time, I didn't know why I'd been so up front either. There was no Biblical reason that I could place my finger on, it just seemed the right thing to do. I followed suit when I moved to Newnan, GA in 2009. I wish I could say that being open about my past kept me from repeating it, but it didn't. But this blog isn't an expose about my life. i recently wrote a book that I'm now editing where I once again state in the intro a very brief list of my failures. Though the book isn't about my failures, rather what God has taught me as a result of them carrying a message of hope to the world, I felt it necessary to briefly state the wrong choices I've made without detail. And I'll be the FIRST to admit that seeing my sin in writing, knowing that the world would too some day soon, was a very jolting experience.
So in light of all of this, the question I'm asked most by others and the question I've even asked myself in times past is, "Why tell it?" I was told not long ago by someone I highly respect and admire that his view was that telling what I'd done gives power to the sin rather than to the blood of Jesus that covers it. That statement to me jolted me almost as much as seeing my sin in black and white letters on a page. I was told that back in September of this year. I needed to ponder that a while. Giving power to sin is not a business in which I want to find myself. I've done that too much through poor choices to start doing that again through good intentions in a blog of all things.
This brought about some "sit back and listen" time between me and God. I desperately wanted to know how I needed to respond, and especially act, in light of this wise counsel. I've also learned that sometimes God gives us convictions that are different based on our relationship with Him and our life experiences. Mind you, these would not be things that are black and white in scripture! He would never tell you that there's more than one way to heaven or that Jesus may have just been a prophet. But for instance, my personal conviction is the Bible does not teach total abstinence from alcohol. I know there are some of you that strongly disagree with that. That's ok. But for those who have had addiction problems with alcohol in the past, no matter what I would believe scripture doesn't condemn, it would not be ok for former addicts to have a drink under any circumstance! That action may send them right back to a former bondage they don't want to revisit. It's tempting the devil. So this transparency issue may be a similar one.
Let's first tackle transparency with God. Can we all agree that we can hide nothing from God? If you didn't know that, well...you can't. He sees all, knows all, hears all, and is over all. There's no way to get around our Heavenly Father. When we confess our sins to Him, we are simply agreeing with Him that we have done what He already knows we've done. So why is it necessary if He already knows? It's not necessary for Him. It's necessary for US. It's opening up ourselves to His love, holiness, forgiveness, and mercy. Scripture equates sin to darkness many times throughout. In contrast, it equates God, holiness, and righteousness to light. When light, even a small flicker, is introduced into darkness, darkness cannot hide from light. Darkness is forced to reveal its secrets.
But the revelation of secrets can be a scary thing, can't it? We don't like other people, especially someone in authority, like GOD, knowing all our junk. After all, we're programmed from the time we are kids that "good" is rewarded and "bad" is punished. We're told that Santa Claus only come to "good" boys and girls. So we'd better watch out and not cry or pout. The first thing that's asked of a baby sitter or someone watching kids for a time by parents on their return is, "Were they good?" When kids ask for candy, ice cream, toys, etc. when parents are running errands or our shopping, the general answer is something like, "If you're good while we're out, I'll get you ______." And all of that is programmed into our minds during the most formative years.
So no wonder as adults, even though we may never be under authority where someone would use those phrases to describe us, the devil has a field day with well intended lessons we learned as children. He continues and feeds the idea that we will be rewarded if we're good and punished if we're bad. So more than anything, we want to be "good" people! We don't want others to know how bad we are behind closed doors. We don't want them to find out what we watched on our computers, or the few deposits we left off our taxes, or the true intent of our hearts when we gossip in the name of a prayer request. We magnify the bad deeds of others, why? Because it makes us look "good." So why upset that apple cart?
Besides that, it's only between you and God, right? And God is the only one who can forgive sin anyway. Verses like 1 John 1:9 that says, "But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness." (NLT) That is indeed 100% correct. Only God can forgive the eternal consequence of sin through the work of Jesus on the cross. And He is faithful to do so. But what about the next time you're faced with that choice? See, sin normally isn't done in light where everybody else can see what we're doing. Those things from your computer, the taxes. the heart's intent, those things are all hidden from prying eyes. And the fact that they are hidden creates an environment rich in temptation.
Luke 4:19, Jesus says, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor, He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." But let's be honest. freed prisoners sometimes find their way back to captivity. Before we know it, we can find ourselves back under the weight of oppression. Sin that we thought was in our past comes to surface again. There is indeed freedom to be had, otherwise Jesus would be a liar. So if there indeed is freedom, how do we experience it? Here is where God has started teaching me new things. Bear with me and let's chat a minute, because you might not understand or comprehend unless we wrap it all together and you finish with me. There are certain parts of our salvation that are "one time only" and others that are a process.
1 Peter 3:18, Romans 6:10, Hebrews 9:27-28, Hebrews 10:12, and Hebrews 7:27, we are told Jesus died "once" for all (click on the verses to read them). His death was good enough to cover the sin of the world past, present, and future. Romans 8:35-39 reminds us that nothing in the natural or supernatural can separate us from the love of God. Our salvation is secure. But in Philippians 2:12, it tells us to "work out our salvation." Is that contradictory? Not at all.
Everything about scripture is uniquely linked as only God could orchestrate it. Sometimes in our reading of scripture, we can tend to jump from "linked" to "equated," however. When we think about love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness, because it took all of them for our salvation, we tend to treat them as all pretty much the same thing. They indeed are linked, but are not equal in definition nor should we treat them as such. Love is the foundation. It started the whole relationship process. God first loved us and therefore we can love Him. And as we read earlier, nothing can separate us from His love. But love wasn't enough without the cross. Love required action for sin to be defeated. An action that Jesus even prayed could be bypassed. But it couldn't. Mercy won out. Jesus paid our debt. And Lamentations 3:22-23 say that His mercies are new every morning. Why do they even need to be? Because we have a sin nature and we will continue to sin post-salvation. But then there's grace. Grace is the key to salvation in Jesus. It's what His blood paid for. (Ephesians 2:8) Our faith in who Jesus is and what He did leads us to His grace which is the miraculous result of the cross. It is the conduit through which flows forgiveness from the Father.
I've said it this way:
Love holds on to us.
We hold on to grace.
Mercy holds grace within reach.
Stay with me for just a little longer because I'm about to put it all together for you into this wonderful lesson that I've learned over the last two months or so.
I think that most of us can hang with these general truths. Confession is required for salvation. God's love for us is foundational to every aspect of our relationship with Him. Forgiveness comes through grace which is recognized through our faith because of our belief in the work that Jesus did for us on the cross.
And then I read 2 Peter 3:18 where it says, "...you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ..." Grow in grace? What does that mean? It was here that the lights started popping as God revealed things to me. The youth pastor at my church did a devotion with us as a worship team a week and a half ago and this verse was his text. In that devotion time I learned that there are two Greek words that translate to the English word knowledge that is used in the New Testament. One is "gnosis." Gnosis is gaining knowledge through the study of a subject. Gnosis is what we get from school. It is what produces degrees and diplomas. The second word is "epignosis." Epignosis is what is used in 2 Peter. And epignosis is knowledge that is gains through having an intimate relationship with someone. Peter is telling us that the growth of grace comes through getting to know Jesus more as a person through an intimate relationship with Him.
Remember us talking about light and dark? Holiness and sin? The desire to be good from childhood? We want to be good so badly that we view our own sin as "not being that bad." We tell "little white lies" and are quick to "just follow our hearts" even though scripture warns that the heart is "deceitfully wicked." (Jeremiah 17:9) We have gotten so busy in the pursuit of being good that we have neglected the pursuit to be holy. Holiness is what we're called to, not goodness. And they are two very different things.
Through time the devil has made us fearful of holiness because it is light, and light will illumine what we try so desperately to hide and will reveal to the world that we are not near as "good" as we say we are. But God says that's a GOOD thing! Here's why. When we draw close to God, His holiness shines its light into our lives and, yes, illumines the hidden places. But light kills the POWER of the hidden sin! Growing in grace ONLY happens when we realize the true wretchedness of our own sin. That happens when we draw close to Christ. Our "little white lies" take on a much different and horrifying look in the pure light of holiness. Holiness from Jesus removes the veil and allows us to surround ourselves with others who care and can help us "work out our salvation." Huh? Others? YES!
Now PLEASE click on this link from James that is coming! I don't want you to miss this. It is central to what I have learned and want to share with you. Click here: James 5:13-16. Did you see that? When we ask forgiveness of God for sin, even when others pray over us and we agree, we receive forgiveness from God. But HEALING (which I believe to be primarily spiritual, but also can be the physical) come from CONFESSING TO EACH OTHER!!! There is power in Jesus, to forgive, yes, but HE set up the Church and we are His bride. Because He instituted us and we are soon to be joined with Him, He has empowered us through His Holy Spirit. The freedom from oppression that He spoke about in Luke, freedom from sin that has seemed so elusive to the Church for so long, is found when we confess sins one to another!
Now does this mean we need to broadcast it and be reckless with how we tell it and to whom? NO! But our small group is the Church. Our Christian friends are the Church. Our prayer groups, worship teams, volunteer groups, Sunday School classes, Christian golfing buddies, they're ALL the Church. The intent was to not tackle sin ALONE because we can't. Our fellowship with Christ brings forgiveness, but our fellowship with each other brings healing because that's what Jesus has empowered us to bring to each other! I'm about to shout people!!!
The Church has been trying to help God along thinking that His plan wasn't complete enough or maybe even to harsh. We've wanted to protect the innocent and even protect ourselves from people who would gossip about us if they knew our hidden secrets. But when we bring the hidden to light, we negate the power that what was hidden had over us! Sin becomes POWERLESS in confession just as darkness is powerless in light.
So WHO and WHAT do we tell? Glad you asked. WHAT would you be worried that others would find out? That's what you tell. WHO would you be most worried about telling? That's WHO you tell. Am I crazy? Nope. But worry is a tool of the enemy, is it not? It wears on our mental state, our physical health, and can extend to our families as well. If we get the darkness into the light, we remove the cloud of worry that would otherwise hang over our heads. We invite accountability into ur lives to assist in bringing freedom from the chains that held us. Our stories of hope through sin and failure become faith building tools to the Church at large.
People sit in church pews EVERY WEEK and are in bondage to some kind of secret sin because they think they are alone and that their sin is worse than what others go through because everybody else is "good." Oh, they've heard the testimonies from others who have been in "sin," but they didn't ever name it. They think to themselves, "So surely it MUST'VE been just something like lying or running a stop sign. After all, they would never be guilty of something as bad as _________ like me." And they play along all the while living in deceit that they are the only ones. That is a tool of the enemy, my friends! We are to worship "in spirit and in truth!" Hiding our sin or making appear to be better than what it was is not truth and it does not glorify the hope we have in Jesus through His mercy, grace and forgiveness.
I know this is different from the way most Church is done today. But think about if this were the norm in your church ethos. Gossip would all but disappear because it would be powerless. Compassion would increase as those who had walked a mile would put the arms of others around their necks who are going through something similar. True forgiveness would be easier because we would realize we have no reason to hold a grudge. Stress would decrease due to reduced worry. Needs would be met because people could talk about their financial problems. Health would increase because sin, stress, and worry wouldn't weigh on the heart and mind. Seriously, do you see a down side? Of course not. Because I believe with all my heart that this is what Jesus had in mind when He instituted and empowered the Church.
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THANK YOU for stopping by! Till next time...
Showing posts with label forgiveness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label forgiveness. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Thursday, June 12, 2014
A Passed Past: Grace
It's been a little over a month since my last blog. For my regular readers, I'm sorry for the delay (I normally try to write one about every two weeks or so), but to say life has been interesting in this past month would be an understatement!
Some of you know that as I type this, I'm home recovering from foot reconstructive surgery on my left foot. Surgery was on June 5. I made the decision to go ahead and have the surgery about the time of my last blog near the end of April. Stress and worry have plagued me as the enemy has tried to attack both Michelle and I with not only our emotions, but our pursuits of our personal business successes as well.
Add to that the fact that a pastor that I served under in the recent past lost his job because of moral reasons. Now understand, this was a man that had abused me and every other member of his staff, had abused church members seeking to only have relationships with "friends" if he gained something from it, and had left hundreds of people in his wake! It was two years and two months of hell on earth and the worst season of 24 years of worship ministry! I had been praying ever since I left that God would intervene there, and He did.
For years I had carried anger and maybe even some forms of hatred toward this man. The very sight of anything that reminded me of him would stir those emotions deep within me! But then, I get this news. And after jumping up and down in my living room for about 20 minutes, which I had to repent of immediately after, God gave me a very sobering thought. See, I've been where he is now. I know the sting of coming face to face with my sin and the hurt that it caused to loved ones and the body of Christ. At that moment, a page turned and I was able to not only forgive him, but almost become a crusader for his restoration. His sin (as far as I know and based on my experience) was now in the past where my Father is concerned, thus it should be with me. Repentance sought. Forgiveness given. Grace in motion.
We all have a past. Technically speaking, you started reading this blog in the past. Every split second takes us further into the future and leaves a string of moments in its wake. For many of us, we have a past we're not proud of. The past consists of scenes that flash through our minds on a daily basis playing a film in high definition reminding us of our weakest moments, our times of which we are most ashamed, or seasons of searing hurt. For some of us, years separate the present from those moments. For others, only minutes. Some of you may find yourselves reading this in a desperate cry for hope because you're in one of those times right now!
Pasts are like fires. You can run or try to pull away from the sting when you feel it, but it's already on you, burning you. By the time you recognize the pain, the mistake is made. You can't take it back. You're on fire now. And the fire uses your mind and body for fuel. As long as there's a part of you left, it seems it will never stop. And if you do get the flames put out, you stand back up only to realize you don't look like you did "before." Your past has marked you. Grossly.
I remember looking in the mirror and not liking what I'd become. I remember the days begging God to take me out; to just kill me! I didn't want the suffering and pain and worst of all, I didn't want to see it in the faces of those for which I cared. And these things brought me face to face with that emotion that you always hear said, but until you've experienced it for yourself, you may think it to be hogwash: The hardest person to forgive is yourself. You think of yourself as a monster! Hope has faded as a single drop of water into a raging inferno.
But in that season of tremendous loss, God reminded me of something in His word about which I had written a song years earlier. Click on the following reference link to read Isaiah 43:1-3. It's not an "if," but "when" we walk through fire and deep water. And the deformity that we saw when we looked in the mirror is nothing more than seeing our sin in the light. However, we ARE NOT defined by our sin! Let me say that again, we ARE NOT defined by our sin! Make it personal and read this out loud: I AM NOT defined by my sin! If you are in Christ, a child of God is who you are. Again from Isaiah, "I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine."
Click here and read the story of the Prodigal Son. Jesus uses this illustration to give us a glimpse of the Father's heart. When the lost son was out doing his own thing, did the father get angry? Did he cut him out of the will? Did he renounce him from the family? No. He sat. Waiting. Knowing. One day, his son would be coming down the road back home. And the father wanted to be there to see him coming when the event came into play. Not to say, "I told you so," but to run and wrap his lost son in his arms and welcome him home! That's grace. That's what happened to me. The son's past was IMMEDIATELY just...passed. It was no longer relevant to the father.
Scripture says that upon repentance, God separates our sin as far away from Him as the east from the west. It says that our sin becomes white as snow when washed under the blood of Christ. That means that there is HOPE for us all! Thanks be to God, there's HOPE!!! There may be darkness for a time. But it doesn't last! Read here what the Bible says: 1 Peter 5:10.
Now let me take a moment to talk to the "saints" reading this. You may know someone who has fallen. Their sin may scare you. Really, it may damage your good standing in the community if you are seen associating with the likes of such sinners. They have damaged the name of Christ and the work of the church. The need to see if they are truly repentant wells up inside you because of those verses you've read about "wolves in sheep's clothing!" There's danger in the camp and you need to be the one to rid those you care about of that danger! Read this passage: Galatians 6:1-3.
Still think that way? Remember the pastor I mentioned earlier in this blog? I remember sitting in church and listening to one of his messages when he said, "Show me a man who's always talking about grace, and I'll show you a man who's looking to minimize or seek an excuse for his sin." I wonder if that's what he still believes? He now has a "past." One of those that have burned him like fire.
And remember how I said that I have almost become a crusader for his restoration? I haven't done that to earn a merit badge from Jesus! As a matter of fact, that could only happen because I had been - have been - the recipient of grace. It is impossible to give what you have never received. If you've never come to fact with the weight of your own sin and the fact that just yours would have still cost Jesus His life, then how can you expect to give it to anyone else? You can't. Impossible.
My pastor's poor statement was made with the thought that grace is an excuse to sin. That grace follows repentance. That grace is earned based on some sort of demonstration by the sinner. Maybe they haven't cried enough to suit you. Maybe you haven't seen them in the altar. So what?!? Did scripture say to make sure and look for those things, it just said to do it! The heart condition is up to God, not you! The repentance is because of Him, not you. But we are to have His heart. We are to act like the person we are - a child of God.
Grace comes before repentance! Grace begs repentance! It is not an excuse to sin, but the very reason to never sin again! When we become givers of grace because we have first been recipients; when we see others not as a danger to the cause of Christ, but as the HEART of the cause of Christ; when we stop looking for the faults of others because we can't face our own faults and make a bigger deal out of their sin in order to better hide our own, then we become bearers of HOPE!!! And hope is the one thing that every person on this planet needs every single day. Without Jesus, there is none. With Him, there's nothing else.
God told me something in a prayer time when I was being attacked by those who knew details about my past. He said to me, "Son, first know that I love you and am proud of you. Second, know that any time you are reminded of your past, it is never from my voice. It is always the voice of the enemy! How can I remind you of something that has been washed from your record by the blood of my Son and that I have since forgotten?" Grace is here. Your past is passed. Live in freedom of your future.
Don't forget to use the social media just below here to share to your Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ accounts directly. I welcome your comments! PLEASE leave one!!! Here's how:
1. Click on the words "No Comment" or " (#) Comment" (whichever is listed just to the right of the posting time directly below this paragraph)
2. Write your comment in the box provided.
3. You must also choose a selection from the COMMENT AS drop down list. If you have a Google+ ID, AIM, or other you wish to use, choose that. Most of you should choose the NAME/URL option and leave your name in the space provided. You do NOT need to leave a URL unless you wish.
4. Click the PUBLISH button. THAT'S IT!!!
THANK YOU for stopping by! Till next time...
Some of you know that as I type this, I'm home recovering from foot reconstructive surgery on my left foot. Surgery was on June 5. I made the decision to go ahead and have the surgery about the time of my last blog near the end of April. Stress and worry have plagued me as the enemy has tried to attack both Michelle and I with not only our emotions, but our pursuits of our personal business successes as well.
Add to that the fact that a pastor that I served under in the recent past lost his job because of moral reasons. Now understand, this was a man that had abused me and every other member of his staff, had abused church members seeking to only have relationships with "friends" if he gained something from it, and had left hundreds of people in his wake! It was two years and two months of hell on earth and the worst season of 24 years of worship ministry! I had been praying ever since I left that God would intervene there, and He did.
For years I had carried anger and maybe even some forms of hatred toward this man. The very sight of anything that reminded me of him would stir those emotions deep within me! But then, I get this news. And after jumping up and down in my living room for about 20 minutes, which I had to repent of immediately after, God gave me a very sobering thought. See, I've been where he is now. I know the sting of coming face to face with my sin and the hurt that it caused to loved ones and the body of Christ. At that moment, a page turned and I was able to not only forgive him, but almost become a crusader for his restoration. His sin (as far as I know and based on my experience) was now in the past where my Father is concerned, thus it should be with me. Repentance sought. Forgiveness given. Grace in motion.
We all have a past. Technically speaking, you started reading this blog in the past. Every split second takes us further into the future and leaves a string of moments in its wake. For many of us, we have a past we're not proud of. The past consists of scenes that flash through our minds on a daily basis playing a film in high definition reminding us of our weakest moments, our times of which we are most ashamed, or seasons of searing hurt. For some of us, years separate the present from those moments. For others, only minutes. Some of you may find yourselves reading this in a desperate cry for hope because you're in one of those times right now!
Pasts are like fires. You can run or try to pull away from the sting when you feel it, but it's already on you, burning you. By the time you recognize the pain, the mistake is made. You can't take it back. You're on fire now. And the fire uses your mind and body for fuel. As long as there's a part of you left, it seems it will never stop. And if you do get the flames put out, you stand back up only to realize you don't look like you did "before." Your past has marked you. Grossly.
I remember looking in the mirror and not liking what I'd become. I remember the days begging God to take me out; to just kill me! I didn't want the suffering and pain and worst of all, I didn't want to see it in the faces of those for which I cared. And these things brought me face to face with that emotion that you always hear said, but until you've experienced it for yourself, you may think it to be hogwash: The hardest person to forgive is yourself. You think of yourself as a monster! Hope has faded as a single drop of water into a raging inferno.
But in that season of tremendous loss, God reminded me of something in His word about which I had written a song years earlier. Click on the following reference link to read Isaiah 43:1-3. It's not an "if," but "when" we walk through fire and deep water. And the deformity that we saw when we looked in the mirror is nothing more than seeing our sin in the light. However, we ARE NOT defined by our sin! Let me say that again, we ARE NOT defined by our sin! Make it personal and read this out loud: I AM NOT defined by my sin! If you are in Christ, a child of God is who you are. Again from Isaiah, "I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine."
Click here and read the story of the Prodigal Son. Jesus uses this illustration to give us a glimpse of the Father's heart. When the lost son was out doing his own thing, did the father get angry? Did he cut him out of the will? Did he renounce him from the family? No. He sat. Waiting. Knowing. One day, his son would be coming down the road back home. And the father wanted to be there to see him coming when the event came into play. Not to say, "I told you so," but to run and wrap his lost son in his arms and welcome him home! That's grace. That's what happened to me. The son's past was IMMEDIATELY just...passed. It was no longer relevant to the father.
Scripture says that upon repentance, God separates our sin as far away from Him as the east from the west. It says that our sin becomes white as snow when washed under the blood of Christ. That means that there is HOPE for us all! Thanks be to God, there's HOPE!!! There may be darkness for a time. But it doesn't last! Read here what the Bible says: 1 Peter 5:10.
Now let me take a moment to talk to the "saints" reading this. You may know someone who has fallen. Their sin may scare you. Really, it may damage your good standing in the community if you are seen associating with the likes of such sinners. They have damaged the name of Christ and the work of the church. The need to see if they are truly repentant wells up inside you because of those verses you've read about "wolves in sheep's clothing!" There's danger in the camp and you need to be the one to rid those you care about of that danger! Read this passage: Galatians 6:1-3.
Still think that way? Remember the pastor I mentioned earlier in this blog? I remember sitting in church and listening to one of his messages when he said, "Show me a man who's always talking about grace, and I'll show you a man who's looking to minimize or seek an excuse for his sin." I wonder if that's what he still believes? He now has a "past." One of those that have burned him like fire.
And remember how I said that I have almost become a crusader for his restoration? I haven't done that to earn a merit badge from Jesus! As a matter of fact, that could only happen because I had been - have been - the recipient of grace. It is impossible to give what you have never received. If you've never come to fact with the weight of your own sin and the fact that just yours would have still cost Jesus His life, then how can you expect to give it to anyone else? You can't. Impossible.
My pastor's poor statement was made with the thought that grace is an excuse to sin. That grace follows repentance. That grace is earned based on some sort of demonstration by the sinner. Maybe they haven't cried enough to suit you. Maybe you haven't seen them in the altar. So what?!? Did scripture say to make sure and look for those things, it just said to do it! The heart condition is up to God, not you! The repentance is because of Him, not you. But we are to have His heart. We are to act like the person we are - a child of God.
Grace comes before repentance! Grace begs repentance! It is not an excuse to sin, but the very reason to never sin again! When we become givers of grace because we have first been recipients; when we see others not as a danger to the cause of Christ, but as the HEART of the cause of Christ; when we stop looking for the faults of others because we can't face our own faults and make a bigger deal out of their sin in order to better hide our own, then we become bearers of HOPE!!! And hope is the one thing that every person on this planet needs every single day. Without Jesus, there is none. With Him, there's nothing else.
God told me something in a prayer time when I was being attacked by those who knew details about my past. He said to me, "Son, first know that I love you and am proud of you. Second, know that any time you are reminded of your past, it is never from my voice. It is always the voice of the enemy! How can I remind you of something that has been washed from your record by the blood of my Son and that I have since forgotten?" Grace is here. Your past is passed. Live in freedom of your future.
Don't forget to use the social media just below here to share to your Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ accounts directly. I welcome your comments! PLEASE leave one!!! Here's how:
1. Click on the words "No Comment" or " (#) Comment" (whichever is listed just to the right of the posting time directly below this paragraph)
2. Write your comment in the box provided.
3. You must also choose a selection from the COMMENT AS drop down list. If you have a Google+ ID, AIM, or other you wish to use, choose that. Most of you should choose the NAME/URL option and leave your name in the space provided. You do NOT need to leave a URL unless you wish.
4. Click the PUBLISH button. THAT'S IT!!!
THANK YOU for stopping by! Till next time...
Friday, December 20, 2013
Phil Robertson & WWJS
The reason that people have their panties in a wad over this Phil Robertson thing is simply because the majority of humanity can accept the idea of a heaven where good people go who have lived good lives, but also lean toward rejecting the thought of an "eternal torment" place called hell. I happen to believe fully in both because the Bible teaches this truth. But for those who do believe in a hell, the begging question is how to avoid it.
Because of our laws, our views on karma, our reward systems, and every other part of culture, the logical accepted way to get into heaven is to be a "good person." If we've done enough right, and it outweighs our list of wrongs, then we must be going to heaven. Only "bad people" go to hell. But if THAT'S true, then the question begs, "How good is good ENOUGH?" "Good" to one may not be "good" to another. Hitler was someone's son. They may not have viewed him as evil, though the rest of us probably would.
So is it then a majority vote? If so, who casts the ballots? In the eyes of gay & lesbian groups, they have viewed Phil Robertson's quote as a "ballot" cast against them. Many gays & lesbians believe in heaven, God, and a moral code and attend churches weekly. So they are wondering how DARE someone cast that ballot against their ability to get into heaven?!?
But here's the truth that I know...that Phil Robertson knows, I believe. There isn't ONE of us worthy to cast a ballot, nor make a determination on what must be right and wrong, or dub someone "good enough" for heaven. THAT responsibility is God's and His alone! So if we don't determine who is or isn't good, and God does, then how does this standard leave His mouth to reach our ears so that we're not just left guessing? That would be the Bible. But the problem there is that NOBODY is good enough to live up to the standard set by this book! God knew that too. He didn't send a list of right and wrongs that He knew we couldn't uphold to simply laugh at us and scoff because of our failure at righteousness, tho. There was a plan. One that would pay the death sentence that is the ONLY payment for sin and satisfy the law that He, Himself, instituted. And that's why He sent Jesus. What we deserve, hell: eternal death and punishment, because of all the things HE listed as wrong in scripture (yes, homosexuality is one of those things along with lying, cheating, murder, adultery, coveting, putting anyone or anything as a priority in our lives over God, etc., etc.) was trumped by God's love for humanity in the death of Jesus Christ and is granted to ALL through an acceptance of this gift. It goes against everything we trust in in our merit based sociological systems, I know. But that's grace.
Phil didn't just come up with what he said. God did. Robertson may have stated it a little harshly, maybe. But it doesn't negate the truth of it. Nor the grace, love, and mercy God offers those who are caught up in ANY of the "sins" listed in scripture. I've not been a participant in that particular one (homosexuality), but there are certainly others that I have been. And what I deserve is no different whatsoever from anyone else. NONE of us are perfect! We are all sinners saved only by God's grace. We (including Phil) are ALL deserving of hell. None "good enough" to make it into heaven on the merit of our own spiritual report cards. Those of us who are assured that heaven will be our eternal home are only confident of that hope because we have accepted the gift of Jesus' death on the cross. We have no room for pointing fingers. Grace just changed everything.
So, WWJ...um...S: What Would Jesus Say? Let me be very clear, do NOT lump me in the crowd that looks at the Robertson issue with A&E and yells, "Christians need to stand up for what's right!" If we talk double standards, yes, I believe there is one in this nation on free speech when it comes to Christian beliefs and morals. But I don't believe that it is a battle won in the media, Facebook, pulpits, or especially the White House! This may shock some of you, but I don't think that's what's needed here!!! I don't think that would be advised by our Savior either.
I can here the collective, "HUH?!?" What would Jesus say? Well, let's see. I believe He's already said it. Fellow believers, people who choose not to follow Christ will not act as though they are Bible thumping believers and neither should they be EXPECTED to!!! Jesus said it on the cross, remember? "Father, forgive them. THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING!" (emphasis mine) (Click here to read it for yourself.) How dare we argue something with the very people to whom we are trying to extend hope?!? That makes NO sense! Phil was asked a question. He answered it. Do I think he's being treated fairly? No. But he is not the first and will not be the last. So do we sit by and do nothing?!? Absolutely not. "Then what do we do?" you ask. I'm so glad you did. But let's start with what NOT to do from the words of scripture, the same source from which Phil drew his deductions shared with GQ.
Remind everyone about these things, and command them in God’s presence to stop fighting over words. Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them. 2 Timothy 2:14 (NLT)
A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare. Proverbs 15:1 (NLT)
Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord. Romans 12:19 (NLT)
Let's stop acting like spoiled brats and saying we gotta stand up for Jesus! Jesus can handle His own! He's waiting on us to stand up for the broken, the sick, the hurting, the needy, the hungry, the tired, the confused, the addicted, THAT'S who we need to stand up for! THAT'S who Jesus gave His life for!!! You can't make the change you want when you do it top down. Jesus knew that. That's why He never instructed us to "love thy President, Mayor, Governor, Congressman, King, Pastor, Elder or otherwise." He said, "love thy neighbor." Right before Jesus' ascension, He gave the instructions to start with those closest to them geographically and work outward from there! Click on this scripture reference and read Acts 1:8 (NLT). This was God's plan all along! Christians have been acting like we can save God time by forgetting our neighbor and trying for the big fish! That's never worked! So what can we do that WILL make a difference?
“The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ 31The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31 (NLT)
You know that guy standing on the exit ramp begging for a dollar? Stop, get out, and give him $5 and pray for him while you're there. "But he might be running a scam!" Click on the scripture reference and look back at Romans 12:19. That's not your call or your problem. You know the single Mom who checks you out at the grocery store or serves you in your favorite restaurant? Cook her a meal to feed her family because when she gets home, she's probably too tired and would enjoy a night to concentrate on her kids. You know the college students in your town that may be staying over Christmas because they can't afford to go home? Buy one of them a gift and invite them to your home to spend it with your family. Give your sales clerk a friendly smile and understand that they are just as stressed as you and that their day would be better if they could make yours better as well. Pay for the person's coffee behind you at Starbucks just because. Give toys to a family in your community who you know needs them. Act like you're a child of God and that you believe what you claim! Watch your attitude. If you know Jesus, all of the fruit of the Spirit (click the underlined part to read the list) are in you and at your disposal. LIVE IT!!! Be hope. Be grace. Be mercy. Be the Church. Be Jesus. Err on the side of grace. Love the unloveable. Forgive the unforgivable. Don't think you can do that? That's exactly what Jesus did for you! Who do we blame for the mess the world is in? Go look in the mirror! No, you didn't do it alone. Neither did I. At some point the collective Church forgot her mission and her call to obedience. We devised our own plan and thought we could do better. We didn't. We can't. Get back to basics. Love because your are loved. Serve because you have been served. Give because you have been given to. And one by one by one by one, we will see the change we seek in our communities, our nation, and our world.
I welcome your comments! PLEASE click on the words "No Comment" or "Comment" (whichever is listed just to the right of the posting time directly below this paragraph) and post a comment of your own. You must also choose a profile from the drop down list, or just choose "anonymous" from the list and type your name at the end of your comment in the actual comment box. Clicking the PUBLISH button posts your comment and you're good to go! Use the social media links there to share to your Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ accounts directly. THANK YOU for stopping by! Till next time...
Because of our laws, our views on karma, our reward systems, and every other part of culture, the logical accepted way to get into heaven is to be a "good person." If we've done enough right, and it outweighs our list of wrongs, then we must be going to heaven. Only "bad people" go to hell. But if THAT'S true, then the question begs, "How good is good ENOUGH?" "Good" to one may not be "good" to another. Hitler was someone's son. They may not have viewed him as evil, though the rest of us probably would.
So is it then a majority vote? If so, who casts the ballots? In the eyes of gay & lesbian groups, they have viewed Phil Robertson's quote as a "ballot" cast against them. Many gays & lesbians believe in heaven, God, and a moral code and attend churches weekly. So they are wondering how DARE someone cast that ballot against their ability to get into heaven?!?
But here's the truth that I know...that Phil Robertson knows, I believe. There isn't ONE of us worthy to cast a ballot, nor make a determination on what must be right and wrong, or dub someone "good enough" for heaven. THAT responsibility is God's and His alone! So if we don't determine who is or isn't good, and God does, then how does this standard leave His mouth to reach our ears so that we're not just left guessing? That would be the Bible. But the problem there is that NOBODY is good enough to live up to the standard set by this book! God knew that too. He didn't send a list of right and wrongs that He knew we couldn't uphold to simply laugh at us and scoff because of our failure at righteousness, tho. There was a plan. One that would pay the death sentence that is the ONLY payment for sin and satisfy the law that He, Himself, instituted. And that's why He sent Jesus. What we deserve, hell: eternal death and punishment, because of all the things HE listed as wrong in scripture (yes, homosexuality is one of those things along with lying, cheating, murder, adultery, coveting, putting anyone or anything as a priority in our lives over God, etc., etc.) was trumped by God's love for humanity in the death of Jesus Christ and is granted to ALL through an acceptance of this gift. It goes against everything we trust in in our merit based sociological systems, I know. But that's grace.
Phil didn't just come up with what he said. God did. Robertson may have stated it a little harshly, maybe. But it doesn't negate the truth of it. Nor the grace, love, and mercy God offers those who are caught up in ANY of the "sins" listed in scripture. I've not been a participant in that particular one (homosexuality), but there are certainly others that I have been. And what I deserve is no different whatsoever from anyone else. NONE of us are perfect! We are all sinners saved only by God's grace. We (including Phil) are ALL deserving of hell. None "good enough" to make it into heaven on the merit of our own spiritual report cards. Those of us who are assured that heaven will be our eternal home are only confident of that hope because we have accepted the gift of Jesus' death on the cross. We have no room for pointing fingers. Grace just changed everything.
So, WWJ...um...S: What Would Jesus Say? Let me be very clear, do NOT lump me in the crowd that looks at the Robertson issue with A&E and yells, "Christians need to stand up for what's right!" If we talk double standards, yes, I believe there is one in this nation on free speech when it comes to Christian beliefs and morals. But I don't believe that it is a battle won in the media, Facebook, pulpits, or especially the White House! This may shock some of you, but I don't think that's what's needed here!!! I don't think that would be advised by our Savior either.
I can here the collective, "HUH?!?" What would Jesus say? Well, let's see. I believe He's already said it. Fellow believers, people who choose not to follow Christ will not act as though they are Bible thumping believers and neither should they be EXPECTED to!!! Jesus said it on the cross, remember? "Father, forgive them. THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING!" (emphasis mine) (Click here to read it for yourself.) How dare we argue something with the very people to whom we are trying to extend hope?!? That makes NO sense! Phil was asked a question. He answered it. Do I think he's being treated fairly? No. But he is not the first and will not be the last. So do we sit by and do nothing?!? Absolutely not. "Then what do we do?" you ask. I'm so glad you did. But let's start with what NOT to do from the words of scripture, the same source from which Phil drew his deductions shared with GQ.
Remind everyone about these things, and command them in God’s presence to stop fighting over words. Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them. 2 Timothy 2:14 (NLT)
A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare. Proverbs 15:1 (NLT)
Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord. Romans 12:19 (NLT)
Let's stop acting like spoiled brats and saying we gotta stand up for Jesus! Jesus can handle His own! He's waiting on us to stand up for the broken, the sick, the hurting, the needy, the hungry, the tired, the confused, the addicted, THAT'S who we need to stand up for! THAT'S who Jesus gave His life for!!! You can't make the change you want when you do it top down. Jesus knew that. That's why He never instructed us to "love thy President, Mayor, Governor, Congressman, King, Pastor, Elder or otherwise." He said, "love thy neighbor." Right before Jesus' ascension, He gave the instructions to start with those closest to them geographically and work outward from there! Click on this scripture reference and read Acts 1:8 (NLT). This was God's plan all along! Christians have been acting like we can save God time by forgetting our neighbor and trying for the big fish! That's never worked! So what can we do that WILL make a difference?
“The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ 31The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31 (NLT)
You know that guy standing on the exit ramp begging for a dollar? Stop, get out, and give him $5 and pray for him while you're there. "But he might be running a scam!" Click on the scripture reference and look back at Romans 12:19. That's not your call or your problem. You know the single Mom who checks you out at the grocery store or serves you in your favorite restaurant? Cook her a meal to feed her family because when she gets home, she's probably too tired and would enjoy a night to concentrate on her kids. You know the college students in your town that may be staying over Christmas because they can't afford to go home? Buy one of them a gift and invite them to your home to spend it with your family. Give your sales clerk a friendly smile and understand that they are just as stressed as you and that their day would be better if they could make yours better as well. Pay for the person's coffee behind you at Starbucks just because. Give toys to a family in your community who you know needs them. Act like you're a child of God and that you believe what you claim! Watch your attitude. If you know Jesus, all of the fruit of the Spirit (click the underlined part to read the list) are in you and at your disposal. LIVE IT!!! Be hope. Be grace. Be mercy. Be the Church. Be Jesus. Err on the side of grace. Love the unloveable. Forgive the unforgivable. Don't think you can do that? That's exactly what Jesus did for you! Who do we blame for the mess the world is in? Go look in the mirror! No, you didn't do it alone. Neither did I. At some point the collective Church forgot her mission and her call to obedience. We devised our own plan and thought we could do better. We didn't. We can't. Get back to basics. Love because your are loved. Serve because you have been served. Give because you have been given to. And one by one by one by one, we will see the change we seek in our communities, our nation, and our world.
I welcome your comments! PLEASE click on the words "No Comment" or "Comment" (whichever is listed just to the right of the posting time directly below this paragraph) and post a comment of your own. You must also choose a profile from the drop down list, or just choose "anonymous" from the list and type your name at the end of your comment in the actual comment box. Clicking the PUBLISH button posts your comment and you're good to go! Use the social media links there to share to your Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ accounts directly. THANK YOU for stopping by! Till next time...
Monday, December 9, 2013
Overcoming - A Lame Lesson
Click on the scripture reference and read Luke 5:17-26 (NLT).
If you're like me, you've read this passage or heard it used in sermons or Bible lessons many times. If you're new to the story, this is probably a "wow" moment for you to read of how a paralyzed man suddenly got up and walked away! With which ever group you find yourself aligned, the healing power of Jesus was on great display.
Healing is such a needed thing in our world today. People find themselves in need of healing from many varieties of circumstances. While physical healing may be the most common thought, emotions, attitudes, finances, marriages, relationships, anxieties, and worries could also be among the much longer list of life conditions in which healing is sought. There are many lessons that we can take away from this story, but there are only a few that I want to discuss in this particular blog, just simply because these are the things that God has been teaching me in recent days, not because they are the most important.
We could talk about the faith of the friends who brought this young man to Jesus. We could also discuss the fact that the religious leaders were so busy judging the actions of the Son of God, that they became part of the problem of the friends being able to even get him to Jesus. (How I could go expound on this point!!! Religious people block the healing of others because of their pious attitudes all the time and it gives me a pain I can't locate!!! We're so busy gossiping about the Pastor, talking about others, acting un-Christ-like, and ruining our testimonies among people who are seeking hope, that we contaminate the healing power of Christ in the eyes of those who desperately need Him! But I digress.)
I want us first to pay attention to Jesus' first action regarding this young man. Click here and read it again. Jesus is the Son of God. He is God in human form. He knew the minds of the friends who brought this young man to Jesus. He knew their intent. He knew that the whole reason they went to all that trouble was to see their friend healed and their faith made sight. So when the first words Jesus spoke to the young fella was that his sins were forgiven, I can imagine there were questions and feelings of disappointment among those friends. But Jesus knew that the healing of which he was most in need was that of his sin condition, not his physical condition. One way or the other, heaven or hell, his physical condition would be temporary. But the healing of his sin condition would change his eternity.
I won't expound on the fact, but notice how when the religious leaders heard Jesus tell the young man that his sins were forgiven, they muttered among themselves calling Jesus blasphemous. Scripture is clear that Jesus didn't audibly hear them, He "knew what they were thinking" and then addressed them. God knows the heart of us all. Even if we think we are being quiet enough, nonchalant enough, or secretive enough, He knows.
To be an overcomer, Jesus' next three things spoken to the young man become key lessons in our Christian walk. First, Jesus said, "Stand up." Please think his through with me for a moment. Here is a young man who has NEVER used his legs! His brain is not programmed to deliver the proper messages to his muscles to cause a response that would cause movement of any kind, much less, getting up! This young man responded in faith to the command of God! I can imagine that every inner voice within him was telling him "you can't do it," "this is an impossible command," "you'll be embarrassed and made a fool if you fail." Any of those sound familiar? But this is where many of us lose the battle and surrender to the enemy! We are not created to be lame! We are created to be overcomers! Lesson #1: We must respond to the command of God in faith.
Jesus could have just told the young man to get up and go home. For this young paralytic, that would have probably been quite enough. But Jesus put another command in the middle. He told him to, "pick up your mat." See, when Jesus heals, He heals completely. Jesus wanted this man to know that the very thing that used to mark his identity, was no longer even an issue! The young man now carried the mat, not the other way around! Jesus asked him to take it with him simply because Jesus wanted him to remember the place from which he came. The mat became his testimony of a past that had been healed and changed by the power of God! Lesson #2: We must accept that the thing that defined us is subservient to the definition God has given us through the blood of Christ - we are His kids!!!
And lastly, Jesus said to the young man, "go home." Friends, this man not only got up and picked up his mat, he WALKED!!! Do you get the power of this?!? Babies have to learn to walk. Accident victims have to be rehabilitated and once again learn to walk. That is the natural order of things except breathing. But not him!!! Scripture uses the word "immediately" to describe how long it took for him to be able to put one foot in front of the other and get moving. His muscles were probably about the size of a pencil. He had never used them. They had never responded to brain wave activity and command. But they DID respond to the command of the Creator - the Great Physician! Lesson #3: Simple obedience on our part brings about God's power to circumvent the natural so that we walk in the supernatural!
Let me say with authority that I have seen this very power in my life! I could tell you stories that would blow your mind about God's favor and His move in my life! Maybe I will soon. But let's look at one more point, ok? Other than the physical response to the command of Jesus, the young man did one more thing. Read it by clicking here.
He praised. He worshipped. I can almost hear him shouting, "I'm HEALED!!!" "I can walk!!!" "I'm RUNNING!!!" "Praise be to Jesus, He healed me!!!" "All He did was speak the words and it HAPPENED!!!" Lesson #4: Publicly give God the glory for the healing! Oh how pride gets in the way with us nowadays. We want to keep our mats under our cloaks hoping nobody will notice the small undeveloped muscles in our legs. We want others to believe that we are strong with no weakness. That we have the preverbal tiger by the tail - a demon slayer in our own right. But that's just not the case. We are what we are ONLY because of the healing power and forgiving, limitless grace of Christ. How DARE we keep that silent!!! When a world is begging, searching for hope under every rock they can find, when they only need the stone that the builder rejected - the Cornerstone - Jesus. We are as the religious leaders in the house. We become part of the blockade for those searching for Christ. Stand aside. Expose the mat. Show some leg. And then point to Christ. We can overcome by this "lame" lesson.
Please leave comments below! Ask questions! Tell your friends by clicking on the social media links and posting on your Facebook or Twitter or Google + accounts. It helps to know that these are being read and even helping YOU! I never know if they are helping unless you're doing these things and ESPECIALLY leaving comments!!! Thanks for sharing a few moments with me!
If you're like me, you've read this passage or heard it used in sermons or Bible lessons many times. If you're new to the story, this is probably a "wow" moment for you to read of how a paralyzed man suddenly got up and walked away! With which ever group you find yourself aligned, the healing power of Jesus was on great display.
Healing is such a needed thing in our world today. People find themselves in need of healing from many varieties of circumstances. While physical healing may be the most common thought, emotions, attitudes, finances, marriages, relationships, anxieties, and worries could also be among the much longer list of life conditions in which healing is sought. There are many lessons that we can take away from this story, but there are only a few that I want to discuss in this particular blog, just simply because these are the things that God has been teaching me in recent days, not because they are the most important.
We could talk about the faith of the friends who brought this young man to Jesus. We could also discuss the fact that the religious leaders were so busy judging the actions of the Son of God, that they became part of the problem of the friends being able to even get him to Jesus. (How I could go expound on this point!!! Religious people block the healing of others because of their pious attitudes all the time and it gives me a pain I can't locate!!! We're so busy gossiping about the Pastor, talking about others, acting un-Christ-like, and ruining our testimonies among people who are seeking hope, that we contaminate the healing power of Christ in the eyes of those who desperately need Him! But I digress.)
I want us first to pay attention to Jesus' first action regarding this young man. Click here and read it again. Jesus is the Son of God. He is God in human form. He knew the minds of the friends who brought this young man to Jesus. He knew their intent. He knew that the whole reason they went to all that trouble was to see their friend healed and their faith made sight. So when the first words Jesus spoke to the young fella was that his sins were forgiven, I can imagine there were questions and feelings of disappointment among those friends. But Jesus knew that the healing of which he was most in need was that of his sin condition, not his physical condition. One way or the other, heaven or hell, his physical condition would be temporary. But the healing of his sin condition would change his eternity.
I won't expound on the fact, but notice how when the religious leaders heard Jesus tell the young man that his sins were forgiven, they muttered among themselves calling Jesus blasphemous. Scripture is clear that Jesus didn't audibly hear them, He "knew what they were thinking" and then addressed them. God knows the heart of us all. Even if we think we are being quiet enough, nonchalant enough, or secretive enough, He knows.
To be an overcomer, Jesus' next three things spoken to the young man become key lessons in our Christian walk. First, Jesus said, "Stand up." Please think his through with me for a moment. Here is a young man who has NEVER used his legs! His brain is not programmed to deliver the proper messages to his muscles to cause a response that would cause movement of any kind, much less, getting up! This young man responded in faith to the command of God! I can imagine that every inner voice within him was telling him "you can't do it," "this is an impossible command," "you'll be embarrassed and made a fool if you fail." Any of those sound familiar? But this is where many of us lose the battle and surrender to the enemy! We are not created to be lame! We are created to be overcomers! Lesson #1: We must respond to the command of God in faith.
Jesus could have just told the young man to get up and go home. For this young paralytic, that would have probably been quite enough. But Jesus put another command in the middle. He told him to, "pick up your mat." See, when Jesus heals, He heals completely. Jesus wanted this man to know that the very thing that used to mark his identity, was no longer even an issue! The young man now carried the mat, not the other way around! Jesus asked him to take it with him simply because Jesus wanted him to remember the place from which he came. The mat became his testimony of a past that had been healed and changed by the power of God! Lesson #2: We must accept that the thing that defined us is subservient to the definition God has given us through the blood of Christ - we are His kids!!!
And lastly, Jesus said to the young man, "go home." Friends, this man not only got up and picked up his mat, he WALKED!!! Do you get the power of this?!? Babies have to learn to walk. Accident victims have to be rehabilitated and once again learn to walk. That is the natural order of things except breathing. But not him!!! Scripture uses the word "immediately" to describe how long it took for him to be able to put one foot in front of the other and get moving. His muscles were probably about the size of a pencil. He had never used them. They had never responded to brain wave activity and command. But they DID respond to the command of the Creator - the Great Physician! Lesson #3: Simple obedience on our part brings about God's power to circumvent the natural so that we walk in the supernatural!
Let me say with authority that I have seen this very power in my life! I could tell you stories that would blow your mind about God's favor and His move in my life! Maybe I will soon. But let's look at one more point, ok? Other than the physical response to the command of Jesus, the young man did one more thing. Read it by clicking here.
He praised. He worshipped. I can almost hear him shouting, "I'm HEALED!!!" "I can walk!!!" "I'm RUNNING!!!" "Praise be to Jesus, He healed me!!!" "All He did was speak the words and it HAPPENED!!!" Lesson #4: Publicly give God the glory for the healing! Oh how pride gets in the way with us nowadays. We want to keep our mats under our cloaks hoping nobody will notice the small undeveloped muscles in our legs. We want others to believe that we are strong with no weakness. That we have the preverbal tiger by the tail - a demon slayer in our own right. But that's just not the case. We are what we are ONLY because of the healing power and forgiving, limitless grace of Christ. How DARE we keep that silent!!! When a world is begging, searching for hope under every rock they can find, when they only need the stone that the builder rejected - the Cornerstone - Jesus. We are as the religious leaders in the house. We become part of the blockade for those searching for Christ. Stand aside. Expose the mat. Show some leg. And then point to Christ. We can overcome by this "lame" lesson.
Please leave comments below! Ask questions! Tell your friends by clicking on the social media links and posting on your Facebook or Twitter or Google + accounts. It helps to know that these are being read and even helping YOU! I never know if they are helping unless you're doing these things and ESPECIALLY leaving comments!!! Thanks for sharing a few moments with me!
Friday, September 6, 2013
BIBLE: How To Win Back A "Fallen" Christian
BEFORE READING THIS BLOG, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU READ MY BLOG FROM A FEW DAYS AGO, LEAVE 99 AND GO FOR 1. IT SETS UP THE ATTITUDE AND SOME OF THE LANGUAGE I WILL BE USING HERE IN THIS BLOG.
I'm not speaking to this question having gone through some kind of seminary class on the theology of rescuing wayward Christians. Neither have I been to some psychology classes that gives me some kind of degree to hang out a shingle and start a counseling firm. I have a Spiritual Gift of counseling, but no degree.
So what are my credentials? I have only one. I'm one of the wayward Christians who have been rescued...on more than one occasion. A "success story" type description would be a bit of a stretch. I made it through once, only to do again what I swore would NEVER happen again! But I'm also one of the fortunate ones. I'm in love with Jesus today and I'm learning more and more about Him every day. There's hope for those like me. Maybe you know someone like me and you want more than anything to see them in a better place. Read on. There's no formula, but here, you'll get a little advice, a few guidelines, and, I pray, a lot of hope!!!
First and foremost, YOU need to realize that you're no different. Name the sin. Whatever it is that someone else has done, it's no worse than anything you've done! The moment you think yourself better, in any way, than the person you want to help, you give the enemy a foothold in the outcome. The devil will consistently spin the conversations with that attitude unless you first surrender that spirit of superiority to Christ, repent of it, and be a conduit of grace because you fully understand that it took the same Spotless Lamb's blood to save YOUR sin as it will theirs. If you can't reach this place, let someone else handle it. But this is important for ALL Christians to realize, not just a few. It's the recognition of the power of the grace and forgiveness in our own lives that supercharges the effectiveness of our testimonies and counsel to others. It's "Being A Christian 101!"
Second, you need to realize that tough love and scare tactics rarely work. It's not something you see in scripture either. Giving your life for someone else's is one thing, if you want to call that a form of tough love. But there's no greater love than that. THAT kind of love is not only in scripture, it is what Jesus did for us all!!! Discipline is in scripture. It even says that God chastises those whom He loves. So I'm not saying there should not be discipline. But Jesus never exercised, endorsed, or encouraged any form of tough love! It causes resentment in the one you're trying to help. Resentment causes a desire for separation. The moment you further separate the person any more than what they already are, that is the moment you turn them over to that "roaring lion seeking whom he may devour." The devil WANTS them alone! Without protection, they're easy prey. It's the 1 who has left the 99. Yet this seems to be the FIRST thing that many Christians do! We feel like we can't handle it or don't want to, so we take a hands off approach. We look at them and say, "I'm not sure you're even a sheep. And if you ARE one, you're not like us and we don't want you or to be associated with you." But in doing this, we remove the protection of the influence of other Christians in their lives. We paint a target on the back of the sheep and say, "Here you go, devil. You can have this one. He's not worthy to be in our group!"
I can hear your thoughts, "So then are you saying to CONDONE the sin and act like nothing is wrong?" ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! Scripture doesn't do that either!!! Sin is sin and it cost Jesus His life!!! We need to, again, FULLY understand of what Jesus has forgiven us, before we EVER start trying to point out the ins of others! We're quick to go to Matthew 18 and say that we should consider them o be like tax collectors and other sinners. But did we do what Matthew 18 pointed out before it ever got to that point?!? It lists a step by step process! But read what happens we choose not to forgive someone who asks for it in Matthew 18:21-35. It doesn't do well to withhold forgiveness.
So then, WHAT IS THE ANSWER?!? It's simple. Love. That's it. A simple four letter word. Love in SPITE of the sin, not because of it. Love the SINNER, not the sin. Remember the shepherd going out to find the 1 and leaving the 99? Remember what his staff is for? NEVER use the pointy end on the sheep!!! That is for the enemy, the devourer, not the one you wish to protect. Guard your words carefully. Be transparent about your own failures. Take responsibility for any part you played, even if you don't think you did!!! This can't be about you. It's about them. It is reducing yourself below your rights and what or who you believe you are to reach out to someone who doesn't DESERVE your rescue attempt, but you love them or Jesus or both enough to try.
Now let me say a word about counseling. I've been through counseling. I went through about 3 years of it a number of years ago. It worked some wonders in my life at the time. I identified a lot of things that helped me to watch out for pitfalls in the future. But it did not keep me from making the same mistake again! There are all kinds of great programs out there for all kinds of different problems. But an alcoholic will always be tempted by alcohol. A drug addict by drugs. A porn addict by porn. These things are readily accessible by anyone who wants to try hard enough. But NOTHING out there works as well as the move of God in a person's life! I don't care how many programs you send someone to, Jesus is still better than any doctor or counselor. I believe in the work of doctors and counselors! I DO!!! But Jesus is making the lasting difference!!!
Read Romans 6:23. Notice the use of the words "is death." Friends, when Christians sin, there is still DEATH!!! Hear me? Let me repeat that. When Christians sin, there is STILL DEATH!!! When I sinned, I had all kinds of friends - CHRISTIAN friends - dessert me! They all told me, "That's the consequences of your sin." WHAT?!? No. See, we don't get to sentence our brothers and sisters to any kind of consequence. They're dying inside!!! If they truly know Jesus, there is conviction, there is grief, there is mourning, and yes, there is a part of them that has died. It is the part called "a right relationship with God." And that part is the very heartbeat and breath - the LIFE - of a believer in Jesus. There is NOTHING you or anyone else on this earth can say or do that will cause more death in a person's life that being outside that right relationship! They may not realize it. They may deny it. They may reject a belief in it. But that's not THEIR choice either!!! That's Bible. Death is the payment - the wages - of sin. God said that would happen. And our belief as far as what treatment sinners need doesn't mean a hill of beans to God! He's got this. He doesn't need our help. GOD is the Judge. God is the Jury. And HE will pronounce sentence. He has given us two commands, basically. They are NOT, "watch and see how many tears they cry at the altar, I need to know if they are REALLY sorry! I can't tell from up here." He's never deferred and said, "Pastor, how many years of counseling do you think he needs before I let him serve Me again? Now I know I can't let him back in the capacity he was because you people won't accept him that way." Sounds ridiculous, almost blasphemous, doesn't it? But that is the attitude we take. That's the way we expect God to act. When He has told us our two responsibilities: love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind, and love our neighbor as ourselves. Period. We love them. We ache with them when we see the sentence (if He chooses to pronounce one) on their lives. Because we know that but for the grace of God, there go I!
People have looked at Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Bakker, Ted Haggard, Michael English, and the like, and have shamed them and shunned them and refused to listen to them because they have sin in their past. Well SO DO YOU!!! The ONLY difference between them and you is that everybody knows what THEY did!!! What would happen if someone were to read your most private sins that you hope nobody ever finds out about in a public arena? THEN how would you feel about grace?!? You'd want a little, wouldn't you? But we need PROOF that they've repented!!! NO YOU DON'T!!! God's a big boy. He said He would handle that part. LET HIM!!! Personally, I think that is a total blatant display of a lack of faith in God! When Christians do that, it is a window into their own relationship with God that says, "I really don't believe it when I say that God can handle anything, even that which He has promised to handle." In that situation, YOU are the problem, not the one who is wayward and crying out on the inside for someone to help and listen.
Understand, I'm not trying to get any kind of sympathy or "preach" to friends who turned their backs on me. I left that to Jesus. All but 1 has allowed me to restore my relationships with them through Christ. Thank You, Lord, for that!!! And I have left the 1 in the hands of Jesus and have accepted his decision not to have any further contact with me. He has that right. As far as I know, he will never see this blog.
Understand, I'm not trying to get any kind of sympathy or "preach" to friends who turned their backs on me. I left that to Jesus. All but 1 has allowed me to restore my relationships with them through Christ. Thank You, Lord, for that!!! And I have left the 1 in the hands of Jesus and have accepted his decision not to have any further contact with me. He has that right. As far as I know, he will never see this blog.
Truth be told, people who have experienced public sin, people such as those listed above, probably have a closer walk with Jesus than any of you! WHY?!? Because HE is the "Great Shepherd" who left the 99 and went after them and now holds them close to His chest! HE is the "Great Physician." HE is the "Wonderful Counselor." Not YOU! Not Dr. Phil!!! No Dr. Drew!!! JESUS!!!!
Let me tell you, friends, I have learned more about the power of God in my life (thus the lives of others since He loves us all) after my "fall" than I ever did before!!! I'm closer to God now. I have a renewed sense of purpose. I have a renewed calling, even though His first call on my life has never been revoked according to Romans 11:29.
I also believe that the closer a person is to a wayward Christian, the more responsibility they have. Parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents, best friends, spouses, children, whatever - we have the responsibility of getting our hands dirty. Scripture makes it VERY clear what our responsibilities are in Galatians 6:1-3. Pay strong and close attention to the words "GENTLY" and "HUMBLY." Plus God says in James 5:19-20 that those who bring them back - those who embark on a rescue mission - end up saving a life and a multitude of sins! The question to you is, "Do you mean what you say?" Do you really LOVE that person?
There are many out there who have children, parents, friends, etc who have "gone off the deep end." I'm no pro. I have no shingle and no degree. There are no formulas. But if you need to ask a question, I would love to help if I can. Feel free to write me. You can use the link on the right of this blog under the ABOUT ME section. I will write you back. And PLEASE take time to comment below!!! Share this blog on YOUR Facebook page so that your friends can read what's here. I believe this information to be so very important. Just click on the Facebook and Twitter links that are somewhat grayed out below this blog near the "Comments" section and you can share to either one you wish.
Thanks for taking time with me. I hope and pray this helps you and many others. Till next time...
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