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 grace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grace. 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...
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
What's My Name?
I am a student of leadership. The study of leadership and bettering myself so that I can in turn better others around me is a passion of mine. One thing that is HAMMERED into your head in almost any basic leadership class is to use a person's name as much as possible. Why? Because people feel special when their name is used. They recognize that to the one calling them by name, they are more than a number, a demographic, or an employee. Names matter.
Any company that has survived years of building a brand around a name will tell you, names matter. There is a lot riding on a name. Reputations, lawsuits, promotions, guilt, and innocence can ride on a name. One of the first responsibilities ever given to man by God after creation was naming the animals. God gave Adam and Eve their names. Your parents probably named most of you! Names count. They matter. People, organizations, countries all respond to a name.
As I look through and read scripture, I see this fact drilled home as I see those whose names were changed after significant events in their lives. Here's a short non-exhaustive list:
Jacob - Genesis 32:27-28
Paul - Acts 13:9
Abraham - Genesis 17:1-5
Gideon - Judges 6:31-32
Each of these men had something significant happen in their lives and their names were changed as a result. And their new names reflected the events for which they would be known.
As a leader, when I'm coaching someone else, I've started doing something that I've seen a mentor of mine do with those whom he is helping to develop a God-centered vision for their lives. I now have people write out their own obituary and their own epitaph. Macabre? Maybe a little. But see, these two things are how those who come behind you who may not have known you or anything about your life will remember you. They will look you up on the Internet, or they'll pass by your headstone in a graveyard somewhere, and there engraved in marble will be the one phrase summation of what you meant to the world while you were here.
Take a moment. Try it. Your obituary can be a little longer - a paragraph maybe. Your epitaph, what will be written on your headstone, must be much shorter. How do you want those who follow you to remember you? What do you want said about your life in one simple phrase? What difference do you want to have made when you breathe your last?
Gideon was the last name I listed above. I recently did a study on the few chapters in Judges that record for us the life of Gideon. There's not much there. But what is, is powerful! He was raised in a society that worshipped an idol named Baal. There was an altar to Baal in Gideon's parents' home where he had grown up. As a matter of fact, Gideon's first act of obedience to Jehovah God was to go to the home of his father and tear down the altar of Baal! The verses above pick up right after this event. We see the people calling for Gideon's life! Yet the name that he ended up getting was one that meant "let Baal contend for himself." Basically, "Baal Fighter."
In Revelation 2, we see the letter to the Church in Pergamum. At the end of this brief letter, click on the reference link that follows and read what is written. Revelation 2:17
Does this mean that all of us who claim the name of Christ, who have placed our faith and trust in Him as Savior, who devote our lives in the pursuit of holiness have received a "new name" that only we will understand? I think it just might.
Those of you who know me personally call me, Kevin. It is how I am known and the name to which I respond. But I believe with all my heart that there is another name. I believe it may even be the name referenced in Isaiah 43 (and surrounding chapters) when the scriptures continually remind us that God has "called you by name." (Isaiah 43:1) "I have called you by name and you are mine." It tells of how when we are overcome by waters, we won't drown. Or when we find ourselves in the fire, we won't be burned up. We are HIS and He has a name for every one of us!
So if our names represent who we were while here on this earth, what great things we did for the cause of Christ, what do you want your name to be? When you walk through the gates of heaven and you look your Savior in the face for the very first time, and He says, "Welcome home, _________." FILL IN THE BLANK! I'm afraid for so many of us, we may be trying to leave Jesus at a loss for words because we're not doing anything to earn a name greater than "Warmer of Many Seats!" As a matter of fact, when I'm coaching people in the future, I may add this to the list of assignments. Write out the name for which you want to be known by your Heavenly Father.
For me? Messenger of Hope, or Hope Bringer. That's not a very pretty name in English, but it really is how I want to be remembered! Whatever my name is that is waiting for me, aside from seeing Jesus, it'll be the best moment of the beginning of my eternity... when I get to hear my name for the first time. What's your name?
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...
Any company that has survived years of building a brand around a name will tell you, names matter. There is a lot riding on a name. Reputations, lawsuits, promotions, guilt, and innocence can ride on a name. One of the first responsibilities ever given to man by God after creation was naming the animals. God gave Adam and Eve their names. Your parents probably named most of you! Names count. They matter. People, organizations, countries all respond to a name.
As I look through and read scripture, I see this fact drilled home as I see those whose names were changed after significant events in their lives. Here's a short non-exhaustive list:
Jacob - Genesis 32:27-28
Paul - Acts 13:9
Abraham - Genesis 17:1-5
Gideon - Judges 6:31-32
Each of these men had something significant happen in their lives and their names were changed as a result. And their new names reflected the events for which they would be known.
As a leader, when I'm coaching someone else, I've started doing something that I've seen a mentor of mine do with those whom he is helping to develop a God-centered vision for their lives. I now have people write out their own obituary and their own epitaph. Macabre? Maybe a little. But see, these two things are how those who come behind you who may not have known you or anything about your life will remember you. They will look you up on the Internet, or they'll pass by your headstone in a graveyard somewhere, and there engraved in marble will be the one phrase summation of what you meant to the world while you were here.
Take a moment. Try it. Your obituary can be a little longer - a paragraph maybe. Your epitaph, what will be written on your headstone, must be much shorter. How do you want those who follow you to remember you? What do you want said about your life in one simple phrase? What difference do you want to have made when you breathe your last?
Gideon was the last name I listed above. I recently did a study on the few chapters in Judges that record for us the life of Gideon. There's not much there. But what is, is powerful! He was raised in a society that worshipped an idol named Baal. There was an altar to Baal in Gideon's parents' home where he had grown up. As a matter of fact, Gideon's first act of obedience to Jehovah God was to go to the home of his father and tear down the altar of Baal! The verses above pick up right after this event. We see the people calling for Gideon's life! Yet the name that he ended up getting was one that meant "let Baal contend for himself." Basically, "Baal Fighter."
In Revelation 2, we see the letter to the Church in Pergamum. At the end of this brief letter, click on the reference link that follows and read what is written. Revelation 2:17
Does this mean that all of us who claim the name of Christ, who have placed our faith and trust in Him as Savior, who devote our lives in the pursuit of holiness have received a "new name" that only we will understand? I think it just might.
Those of you who know me personally call me, Kevin. It is how I am known and the name to which I respond. But I believe with all my heart that there is another name. I believe it may even be the name referenced in Isaiah 43 (and surrounding chapters) when the scriptures continually remind us that God has "called you by name." (Isaiah 43:1) "I have called you by name and you are mine." It tells of how when we are overcome by waters, we won't drown. Or when we find ourselves in the fire, we won't be burned up. We are HIS and He has a name for every one of us!
So if our names represent who we were while here on this earth, what great things we did for the cause of Christ, what do you want your name to be? When you walk through the gates of heaven and you look your Savior in the face for the very first time, and He says, "Welcome home, _________." FILL IN THE BLANK! I'm afraid for so many of us, we may be trying to leave Jesus at a loss for words because we're not doing anything to earn a name greater than "Warmer of Many Seats!" As a matter of fact, when I'm coaching people in the future, I may add this to the list of assignments. Write out the name for which you want to be known by your Heavenly Father.
For me? Messenger of Hope, or Hope Bringer. That's not a very pretty name in English, but it really is how I want to be remembered! Whatever my name is that is waiting for me, aside from seeing Jesus, it'll be the best moment of the beginning of my eternity... when I get to hear my name for the first time. What's your name?
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!
Monday, September 16, 2013
BIBLE: Love Is A Choice
First, read Luke 10:25-37.
As a Worship Pastor, I have sat down with many of the artists I've had the privilege of pastoring, and I've heard them say something like this, "You can't help who you love." Or, "It just happened! I didn't WANT to love that person!" If you're like me, you've probably even said something like that YOURSELF! It's on television, in the movies, printed in books and magazines, and all across social media. We're told that we need to find our own truth. That our purpose depends on what is best for us.
I will agree that each of us are made as individuals. We are made uniquely with diversity in mind. That was always the intent. We are "fearfully and wonderfully made" according to Luke 139:13-14. We have a purpose and a calling that we are each supposed to fulfill. BUT! There is a commonality that binds us all. There is a foundation on which our diversity and uniqueness is to be built. Isaiah 64:6 tells us that any purpose, and calling, any "righteousness" is like a filthy rag without Christ. So in order for anything we do, our works, to make any difference at all to God, there must first be the common foundation of a relationship with Christ.
In the scripture I asked you to read, the expert in religious law asked Jesus what he must do to have eternal life. Look again here at verse 27 as the expert recounts what we now call the Old Testament law. And he was right, according to Jesus! In order for everything to make sense, for all our works to be counted, we must FIRST love God, then love others!!!
But now let's stop right there! How is that possible? If we are to find our own truth, according to the media and what's popular, and if we can't help who we love, then how can we CHOOSE to love God and love others?!? AND, that last part actually says to love neighbors as MYSELF, so I have to love ME too!!!
Michelle and I were watching a Podcast of Bishop TD Jakes tonight on TV. He said something that just HIT me!!! He said, "Love is controllable. God could not be considered to be a just God were He to command us to do something we can not do." Oh WOW!!! Bishop Jakes woke up a whole new thing within me as God used him to speak into my own heart. Do you understand what God is implying here by His command to us to love?!? He is saying that we CHOOSE who we love!!! If we choose to love Him, we choose to love others. We choose who our mates will be. We choose our friends. Love is a CHOICE!!!
And did you see how cool Jesus answers the question in our main scripture passage? When the expert recounted to love God and love our neighbor, the lawyer wanted to know who was classified as our "neighbor?" That's when Jesus delivers the story of the Good Samaritan. Samaritans and Jews didn't talk to each other! Ancestors of the Hatfields and McCoy's, these two nations!!! Yet Jesus showed a CHOICE by the Samaritan to have compassion on this hurt Jew and care for him. This was the kind of choice on whose shoulders could ride the reconciliation of two peoples. Remember at the end of ROCKY IV when Rocky was being interviewed by the Russian announcer after just knocking out Ivan Drago? He said, "If I can change, and you can change, then maybe we ALL can change!" It's a choice.
And the part that I only touched on earlier isn't by any means the lesser of the lessons here. We are to choose to love ourselves. According to this scripture, we can't love others until we love ourselves first! Otherwise, who are we going to love our neighbors AS? Just to get you thinking.
I'm reminded of ol' Joshua in the Old Testament telling his people to choose that day who they would serve, but, he said, "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." So who you gonna love today? Choose now. :-)
As a Worship Pastor, I have sat down with many of the artists I've had the privilege of pastoring, and I've heard them say something like this, "You can't help who you love." Or, "It just happened! I didn't WANT to love that person!" If you're like me, you've probably even said something like that YOURSELF! It's on television, in the movies, printed in books and magazines, and all across social media. We're told that we need to find our own truth. That our purpose depends on what is best for us.
I will agree that each of us are made as individuals. We are made uniquely with diversity in mind. That was always the intent. We are "fearfully and wonderfully made" according to Luke 139:13-14. We have a purpose and a calling that we are each supposed to fulfill. BUT! There is a commonality that binds us all. There is a foundation on which our diversity and uniqueness is to be built. Isaiah 64:6 tells us that any purpose, and calling, any "righteousness" is like a filthy rag without Christ. So in order for anything we do, our works, to make any difference at all to God, there must first be the common foundation of a relationship with Christ.
In the scripture I asked you to read, the expert in religious law asked Jesus what he must do to have eternal life. Look again here at verse 27 as the expert recounts what we now call the Old Testament law. And he was right, according to Jesus! In order for everything to make sense, for all our works to be counted, we must FIRST love God, then love others!!!
But now let's stop right there! How is that possible? If we are to find our own truth, according to the media and what's popular, and if we can't help who we love, then how can we CHOOSE to love God and love others?!? AND, that last part actually says to love neighbors as MYSELF, so I have to love ME too!!!
Michelle and I were watching a Podcast of Bishop TD Jakes tonight on TV. He said something that just HIT me!!! He said, "Love is controllable. God could not be considered to be a just God were He to command us to do something we can not do." Oh WOW!!! Bishop Jakes woke up a whole new thing within me as God used him to speak into my own heart. Do you understand what God is implying here by His command to us to love?!? He is saying that we CHOOSE who we love!!! If we choose to love Him, we choose to love others. We choose who our mates will be. We choose our friends. Love is a CHOICE!!!
And did you see how cool Jesus answers the question in our main scripture passage? When the expert recounted to love God and love our neighbor, the lawyer wanted to know who was classified as our "neighbor?" That's when Jesus delivers the story of the Good Samaritan. Samaritans and Jews didn't talk to each other! Ancestors of the Hatfields and McCoy's, these two nations!!! Yet Jesus showed a CHOICE by the Samaritan to have compassion on this hurt Jew and care for him. This was the kind of choice on whose shoulders could ride the reconciliation of two peoples. Remember at the end of ROCKY IV when Rocky was being interviewed by the Russian announcer after just knocking out Ivan Drago? He said, "If I can change, and you can change, then maybe we ALL can change!" It's a choice.
And the part that I only touched on earlier isn't by any means the lesser of the lessons here. We are to choose to love ourselves. According to this scripture, we can't love others until we love ourselves first! Otherwise, who are we going to love our neighbors AS? Just to get you thinking.
I'm reminded of ol' Joshua in the Old Testament telling his people to choose that day who they would serve, but, he said, "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." So who you gonna love today? Choose now. :-)
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
BIBLE: Leave 99 and Go for 1
Matthew 18:12-14 (MSG)
I'm one of those sinners. I'm one of the ones who claims to have a relationship with Jesus, yet I've got a past that would lead some to question. I'm not proud of my past at all! I'm reminded of it every day because the devil makes it his business to do so. But in the middle of one of my "past" seasons, I read the above referenced verse and it changed my life! But first, just a little bit of background.
I'm not going to go into what all I've done. It's really not important at all. Suffice it to say that it was something that I shouldn't have been doing as a believer in Jesus, much less as a Worship Pastor in a church! But I validated my poor choices because life, at the time, was hard for me. I, and other staff members at the church where I served, were being abused by the Pastor. There were many more before us (and some since), but I chose to ignore some red flags when interviewing for the job and went anyway. So as a result, my experience was no different than that of my predecessors. This hardship led me to believe I deserved something to make me "feel better." How many of you have learned that life isn't based on how you FEEL?
What I thought was a hardship at the time was made to look like a cakewalk to the season that followed! My wife and I lost EVERY friend we had (for two separate reasons) and for the first time in 20 years of marriage, we found ourselves alone with only each other. For over a YEAR, we had ONE common friend that would get together with us when she could (which due to busy schedules only equaled to about 4-5 times throughout the whole time). I was isolated. My wife was there, but because of my mistakes, I was experiencing guilt, anger, bitterness, and brokenness. I wasn't the model husband at that moment!
It took almost half of that year for God to get my attention and begin the healing process, a process which continues today. I've come a long way, too!!! But along the way, God took me to these verses listed at the top. I had always thought that the 1 that the shepherd left the 99 for was in the category that the church world calls "lost." (meaning someone who does not trust in Jesus as their Savior) But that's not what Jesus is saying here at all!!!
The "1" was once a part of the 100! He was a full fledged part already. Initiation completed. Name on the dotted line. Wool imparted. Black socks doled out. This was a SHEEP! And it was part of the flock! It just wandered off.
Now, the majority of church folk will tell you that hey don't believe in a God that carries a lightning bolt waiting to strike down that heathen sinner who slides his toe across the Spiritual out-of-bounds line. BUT, let one of their own mess up...DIFFERENT STORY!!!! Suddenly it's almost like the whole bunch is pointing not only to the mess, but the mess-er! We can't believe that one of our own would act like that! "Why, scripture tells us we're to have no part of someone who does stuff like that!" Oh no it doesn't!!! That Matthew chapter 18 (from which the above passage is taken) we often refer to as being on "church discipline" isn't focused on that at all! It's a chapter on how to be REDEMPTIVE with someone! Here. Read the whole thing for yourself and make your own opinion.
When shepherds watched over sheep, they carried a staff. It was pointy on one end and had a crooked hook on the other. The staff had three purposes. First, it was a way for the sheep to see the shepherd. It stuck high in the air and was taller than the shepherd, so it was easier for them to see. Second, it was a weapon. Wolves would be out trying to kill he sheep for a tasty meal. And the shepherd, who genuinely loved his sheep much like we would a pet in today's society, would use the pointy end of the staff as a weapon against impending predators. And third, it was a tool of rescue. Sometimes the sheep would be about to get into danger, or would be in water and couldn't swim. The hook on the other end would be used to reach out and hook the endangered sheep and pull him to safety. Jesus was talking to shepherds here. They knew EXACTLY what he was saying and telling them about the character of God!
When we stray, God doesn't leave the 99 to come and execute His wrath on us for wandering off! NO! The wages of our sin are still death! The eternal part is handled if you're a believer, but not the earthly temporal! He knows the wolf, the devil, is out there and that we're in danger! That's right. His leaving is a RESCUE MISSION!!! He comes running, calling our names, and seeking us out. And when He finds us, He doesn't rush over to us. He knows that would startle us into thinking He is going to be angry. Instead, He lovingly calls us back to Him. And if and when we go, He scoops us into His arms and hightails it back to the 99 so that the family is under his safe watch again.
Now here's the hard part, yet it's beautiful at the same time. The shepherd then breaks the leg of the sheep. WHAT?!? I can hear your gasps from here!!! That's right. Why? He does it because though sheep are extremely dumb animals, they have remarkable hearing. So He takes away their ability to run away by breaking their leg, but then He holds them and nurses them lovingly back to health. AND as He does this, He always carries the sheep in His arms with the sheep's ears over the left side of His chest...because that's where His heart is. See, a sheep, when used to hearing the shepherd's heartbeat, won't stray outside earshot of that heartbeat when it's once again released on it's own. There may come a time when it starts to make a wandering move (it's a dumb breed of animal, remember?), but it will be a long while.
That's the way you truly redeem and treat a Christian who's messed up. You bring them back in as fast as you can by gently calling them. Don't bash them or panic and scare them away for good by displaying anger! But doing everything in love, rescue them from certain danger. Bring them in. Hold them accountable by talking away some freedom, maybe. But constantly surround them and cheer them on letting them know that you are there for them and want nothing more than to see them restored. Then understand that it is the Shepherd who makes the decision when healing is done and releases them back among us. That decision is not ours! No matter how many "Christian counselors" we've been to, know, and have in our Rolodex.
This isn't what was done for me. But it's what I'll do for someone! My wife, my parents, and some people I didn't even know prayed for me while Jesus came after me. I'm walking on my leg again. It still smarts a little! But I'm getting there. :-)
I'm one of those sinners. I'm one of the ones who claims to have a relationship with Jesus, yet I've got a past that would lead some to question. I'm not proud of my past at all! I'm reminded of it every day because the devil makes it his business to do so. But in the middle of one of my "past" seasons, I read the above referenced verse and it changed my life! But first, just a little bit of background.
I'm not going to go into what all I've done. It's really not important at all. Suffice it to say that it was something that I shouldn't have been doing as a believer in Jesus, much less as a Worship Pastor in a church! But I validated my poor choices because life, at the time, was hard for me. I, and other staff members at the church where I served, were being abused by the Pastor. There were many more before us (and some since), but I chose to ignore some red flags when interviewing for the job and went anyway. So as a result, my experience was no different than that of my predecessors. This hardship led me to believe I deserved something to make me "feel better." How many of you have learned that life isn't based on how you FEEL?
What I thought was a hardship at the time was made to look like a cakewalk to the season that followed! My wife and I lost EVERY friend we had (for two separate reasons) and for the first time in 20 years of marriage, we found ourselves alone with only each other. For over a YEAR, we had ONE common friend that would get together with us when she could (which due to busy schedules only equaled to about 4-5 times throughout the whole time). I was isolated. My wife was there, but because of my mistakes, I was experiencing guilt, anger, bitterness, and brokenness. I wasn't the model husband at that moment!
It took almost half of that year for God to get my attention and begin the healing process, a process which continues today. I've come a long way, too!!! But along the way, God took me to these verses listed at the top. I had always thought that the 1 that the shepherd left the 99 for was in the category that the church world calls "lost." (meaning someone who does not trust in Jesus as their Savior) But that's not what Jesus is saying here at all!!!
The "1" was once a part of the 100! He was a full fledged part already. Initiation completed. Name on the dotted line. Wool imparted. Black socks doled out. This was a SHEEP! And it was part of the flock! It just wandered off.
Now, the majority of church folk will tell you that hey don't believe in a God that carries a lightning bolt waiting to strike down that heathen sinner who slides his toe across the Spiritual out-of-bounds line. BUT, let one of their own mess up...DIFFERENT STORY!!!! Suddenly it's almost like the whole bunch is pointing not only to the mess, but the mess-er! We can't believe that one of our own would act like that! "Why, scripture tells us we're to have no part of someone who does stuff like that!" Oh no it doesn't!!! That Matthew chapter 18 (from which the above passage is taken) we often refer to as being on "church discipline" isn't focused on that at all! It's a chapter on how to be REDEMPTIVE with someone! Here. Read the whole thing for yourself and make your own opinion.
When shepherds watched over sheep, they carried a staff. It was pointy on one end and had a crooked hook on the other. The staff had three purposes. First, it was a way for the sheep to see the shepherd. It stuck high in the air and was taller than the shepherd, so it was easier for them to see. Second, it was a weapon. Wolves would be out trying to kill he sheep for a tasty meal. And the shepherd, who genuinely loved his sheep much like we would a pet in today's society, would use the pointy end of the staff as a weapon against impending predators. And third, it was a tool of rescue. Sometimes the sheep would be about to get into danger, or would be in water and couldn't swim. The hook on the other end would be used to reach out and hook the endangered sheep and pull him to safety. Jesus was talking to shepherds here. They knew EXACTLY what he was saying and telling them about the character of God!
When we stray, God doesn't leave the 99 to come and execute His wrath on us for wandering off! NO! The wages of our sin are still death! The eternal part is handled if you're a believer, but not the earthly temporal! He knows the wolf, the devil, is out there and that we're in danger! That's right. His leaving is a RESCUE MISSION!!! He comes running, calling our names, and seeking us out. And when He finds us, He doesn't rush over to us. He knows that would startle us into thinking He is going to be angry. Instead, He lovingly calls us back to Him. And if and when we go, He scoops us into His arms and hightails it back to the 99 so that the family is under his safe watch again.
Now here's the hard part, yet it's beautiful at the same time. The shepherd then breaks the leg of the sheep. WHAT?!? I can hear your gasps from here!!! That's right. Why? He does it because though sheep are extremely dumb animals, they have remarkable hearing. So He takes away their ability to run away by breaking their leg, but then He holds them and nurses them lovingly back to health. AND as He does this, He always carries the sheep in His arms with the sheep's ears over the left side of His chest...because that's where His heart is. See, a sheep, when used to hearing the shepherd's heartbeat, won't stray outside earshot of that heartbeat when it's once again released on it's own. There may come a time when it starts to make a wandering move (it's a dumb breed of animal, remember?), but it will be a long while.
That's the way you truly redeem and treat a Christian who's messed up. You bring them back in as fast as you can by gently calling them. Don't bash them or panic and scare them away for good by displaying anger! But doing everything in love, rescue them from certain danger. Bring them in. Hold them accountable by talking away some freedom, maybe. But constantly surround them and cheer them on letting them know that you are there for them and want nothing more than to see them restored. Then understand that it is the Shepherd who makes the decision when healing is done and releases them back among us. That decision is not ours! No matter how many "Christian counselors" we've been to, know, and have in our Rolodex.
This isn't what was done for me. But it's what I'll do for someone! My wife, my parents, and some people I didn't even know prayed for me while Jesus came after me. I'm walking on my leg again. It still smarts a little! But I'm getting there. :-)
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