The First Step
It's really interesting how the Lord began this part of my journey in His Word. The third chapter of Philippians had always been one of my favorite chapters. Its like that for a lot of “radicals.”
Verse 7-10 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith-- that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death... (ESV)
This passage is loaded with inspirational material for the person who wants to be a whole-hearted, totally sold-out lover of God. “I count everything as loss... I have suffered the loss of all things and count them but rubbish... that I may know him and... share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.” Wow! Now that was an example I wanted to follow. I had read those verses many dozens of times in my devotional times. If you dropped my bible on the table, it would probably fall open to that page. I think most of it was underlined in at least four different colors. The different hues didn't mean anything in particular. I just wanted to underline it almost every time I read it. So, a day or two after my conversation in the van with Rexie, I return to this familiar passage. And the Holy Spirit was waiting for me. I started with the first verse, sort of skimming through that first part on the way to the good stuff. You know... the death to self, loss of all things, radical stuff. But then He stopped me. “Go back to the beginning.” So I started with the first verse again, reading a little more slowly and attentively.
Verse 1-7 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.
Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.
For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh--though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
I flashed back to the grace conversation. And I began to realize that I had been misinterpreting one of my most treasured passages of scripture. Now... I think its perfectly legitimate to use these verses in dedicating ourselves to whole-hearted discipleship. I am sure Paul would have included that in his heart cry to “count all things as loss.” But his primary intention in this passage is to dedicate himself to the grace of God. He begins with a bold declaration. “For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.“ This makes his main point pretty clear. We put no confidence in the flesh. He then gives a fairly detailed description of his “spiritual pedigree” and finishes it with the amazing description of himself, “as to righteousnesses under the law, blameless.” That's an incredible thing to say. Did he mean it? Did he really believe that he was blameless under the law? There's nothing there to indicate that he was exaggerating or being rhetorical. He meant what he said. But he said it to make a point.
“Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.”
Paul wasn't talking about earthly belongings or accomplishments. He wasn't talking about position or power. He was talking about anything that he might point to in making a case for his own righteousness. His bloodlines, his obedience, his zeal; all of it was loss. He was so determined to live by “the righteousness from God that depends on faith” that he considered anything that would distract him from that to be a hindrance. He didn't want his own righteousness. He wanted the gift of righteousness. He wanted to “be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God.” He was blameless before the law, but wanted nothing to do with that. He saw that the righteousness that comes from God through the cross was superior in every way to even the purest and best righteousness he could come up with through his own strength and efforts. He wanted to be absolutely dependent on God's mercy and grace for his right standing before His throne.
So how was I trying to live?
Friday, January 11, 2008
Thursday, January 03, 2008
An understanding of grace Pt. 2
How it began
I was driving down the highway, on the way back to our ministry headquarters in Lindale, Texas, after a time of outreach in a small town in Arkansas. At this point, I have been walking with Jesus for six or seven years, most of that in Agape Force (or AF as we usually called it). The rest of the team was in the back of the van, and my friend Rexie was “riding shotgun”. It was her job to keep me awake and alert so that we could all make it back in one piece. For some reason, on that drive, the subject of our conversation turned to grace. That sounds pretty normal for a couple of young people in a Christian organization, but it wasn't. We didn't talk about grace much in our ministry. We talked a lot about being totally sold out for Jesus, and prayer, and revival, and evangelism, and everything related to being radical for God; but we hardly ever talked about grace. Really. Hardly ever. It sounds odd, but looking back, I understand it. Grace was considered to be a given. Everyone understood grace. It was “unmerited favor”, God's Riches At Christ's Expense. “By grace you have been saved...” It was taken for granted that everyone understood grace. Or, it was assumed that they didn't understand it. We had a term for what we perceived as a wrong understanding of the concept. We called it “greasy grace”. We felt like much of the church was trying to “slide” into the kingdom without repentance or dealing with their sin in any way. Talking about grace a lot seemed to be a smokescreen for living in sin while wanting to claim a spot in heaven. We believed that what the church needed to hear about was repentance and holiness and living for God with all your heart. Not bad stuff. The mistake we made was to take the truths of grace, and justification by faith, and assume that we all understood those. To a very great degree, we did not.
So, Rexie and I are riding down the highway, talking about grace, and the Holy Spirit begins to stir a hunger in my heart for greater understanding of this truth. It was the beginning of a very focused three month journey that would change my relationship with God forever.
I was driving down the highway, on the way back to our ministry headquarters in Lindale, Texas, after a time of outreach in a small town in Arkansas. At this point, I have been walking with Jesus for six or seven years, most of that in Agape Force (or AF as we usually called it). The rest of the team was in the back of the van, and my friend Rexie was “riding shotgun”. It was her job to keep me awake and alert so that we could all make it back in one piece. For some reason, on that drive, the subject of our conversation turned to grace. That sounds pretty normal for a couple of young people in a Christian organization, but it wasn't. We didn't talk about grace much in our ministry. We talked a lot about being totally sold out for Jesus, and prayer, and revival, and evangelism, and everything related to being radical for God; but we hardly ever talked about grace. Really. Hardly ever. It sounds odd, but looking back, I understand it. Grace was considered to be a given. Everyone understood grace. It was “unmerited favor”, God's Riches At Christ's Expense. “By grace you have been saved...” It was taken for granted that everyone understood grace. Or, it was assumed that they didn't understand it. We had a term for what we perceived as a wrong understanding of the concept. We called it “greasy grace”. We felt like much of the church was trying to “slide” into the kingdom without repentance or dealing with their sin in any way. Talking about grace a lot seemed to be a smokescreen for living in sin while wanting to claim a spot in heaven. We believed that what the church needed to hear about was repentance and holiness and living for God with all your heart. Not bad stuff. The mistake we made was to take the truths of grace, and justification by faith, and assume that we all understood those. To a very great degree, we did not.
So, Rexie and I are riding down the highway, talking about grace, and the Holy Spirit begins to stir a hunger in my heart for greater understanding of this truth. It was the beginning of a very focused three month journey that would change my relationship with God forever.
An understanding of Grace Pt. 1
How many people have tried to explain the grace of salvation? Probably too many. But I will make one more attempt. Why? Do I think I have an understanding that has eluded the saints down through the ages? No, not at all. So why take the time to put forth an explanation of my perceptions? If nothing else, it will serve to clarify and sharpen my own thoughts. Or, it might provide the means for someone else to point out and correct my misunderstanding. Or maybe... just maybe, it will be helpful in challenging someone else to pursue a clearer and stronger grasp of this all-important truth.
As a young believer, I spent almost ten years serving in a missions organization called Agape Force. It was a wonderful season of my life, living and working each day with other young men and women who were committed to serving the Lord with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength. We lived together in community, sharing a life of prayer, worship, study of the scriptures, and bringing the gospel to the unchurched in many different ways. We were extremely zealous, sometimes referred to by other ministries we worked with as the Green Berets in God's army. We had as our theme song an anthem that included the line “to win the lost, whatever may be the cost.” We were in love with Jesus, and wanted to know Him, and to make Him known to others more than anything in life. This passion was also our Achilles heal. It was our strength, and it was our weakness. It was our point of vulnerability.
We live this life on a battlefield. Every day. John tells us, “The whole world lies in the power of the evil one.“ The kingdom of darkness is continually looking for ways to cause us to stumble and fall. There are really only two basic strategies. One involves getting us to fall into sin. He will tempt us with the pleasures of this world, and the appetites of our flesh. But, if he can't effectively capture us with blatant sin, he will put on his “angel of light” disguise, and come after us with religious lies and legalism. “If I can't get them to fall back into sin, I will just get them to fall on their face in legalism.”
Either way, we miss out on the kingdom of love that God has called us to.
As a young believer, I spent almost ten years serving in a missions organization called Agape Force. It was a wonderful season of my life, living and working each day with other young men and women who were committed to serving the Lord with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength. We lived together in community, sharing a life of prayer, worship, study of the scriptures, and bringing the gospel to the unchurched in many different ways. We were extremely zealous, sometimes referred to by other ministries we worked with as the Green Berets in God's army. We had as our theme song an anthem that included the line “to win the lost, whatever may be the cost.” We were in love with Jesus, and wanted to know Him, and to make Him known to others more than anything in life. This passion was also our Achilles heal. It was our strength, and it was our weakness. It was our point of vulnerability.
We live this life on a battlefield. Every day. John tells us, “The whole world lies in the power of the evil one.“ The kingdom of darkness is continually looking for ways to cause us to stumble and fall. There are really only two basic strategies. One involves getting us to fall into sin. He will tempt us with the pleasures of this world, and the appetites of our flesh. But, if he can't effectively capture us with blatant sin, he will put on his “angel of light” disguise, and come after us with religious lies and legalism. “If I can't get them to fall back into sin, I will just get them to fall on their face in legalism.”
Either way, we miss out on the kingdom of love that God has called us to.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Our awesome God
Friends,
I have been spending some time meditating in Psalm 145 lately. What a beautiful declaration of the glory of God. David extols His unfathomable greatness, His goodness and compassion, His love for all of of His creation. Perhaps best of all, though, he tells us that He is “near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.” In another place he tells us, “the nearness of God is my good.” And James encourages us to “draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”
He will draw near to you... to me.
The Creator of the universe will “draw near” to you and me.
What an amazing idea.
Lord, give us the grace to push past all the distractions and deceptions of this world and to draw near to You each day.
“Seek first the kingdom of God...”
Here's the whole psalm.
I will extol You, my God, O King, And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised, And His greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts.
On the glorious splendor of Your majesty And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.
Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts, And I will tell of Your greatness.
They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness.
The LORD is gracious and merciful; Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.
The LORD is good to all, And His mercies are over all His works.
All Your works shall give thanks to You, O LORD, And Your godly ones shall bless You.
They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom And talk of Your power;
To make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts And the glory of the majesty of Your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.
The LORD sustains all who fall And raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to You, And You give them their food in due time.
You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing.
The LORD is righteous in all His ways And kind in all His deeds.
The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and will save them.
The LORD keeps all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy.
My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, And all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever.
What an incredible God...
I have been spending some time meditating in Psalm 145 lately. What a beautiful declaration of the glory of God. David extols His unfathomable greatness, His goodness and compassion, His love for all of of His creation. Perhaps best of all, though, he tells us that He is “near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.” In another place he tells us, “the nearness of God is my good.” And James encourages us to “draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”
He will draw near to you... to me.
The Creator of the universe will “draw near” to you and me.
What an amazing idea.
Lord, give us the grace to push past all the distractions and deceptions of this world and to draw near to You each day.
“Seek first the kingdom of God...”
Here's the whole psalm.
I will extol You, my God, O King, And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised, And His greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts.
On the glorious splendor of Your majesty And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.
Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts, And I will tell of Your greatness.
They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness.
The LORD is gracious and merciful; Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.
The LORD is good to all, And His mercies are over all His works.
All Your works shall give thanks to You, O LORD, And Your godly ones shall bless You.
They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom And talk of Your power;
To make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts And the glory of the majesty of Your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.
The LORD sustains all who fall And raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to You, And You give them their food in due time.
You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing.
The LORD is righteous in all His ways And kind in all His deeds.
The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and will save them.
The LORD keeps all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy.
My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, And all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever.
What an incredible God...
Monday, September 10, 2007
He will come and serve them
Luke 12:37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.
What an amazing statement! Instead of "awake", most versions use the word "watching". Watching for what? His return. Two thousand years later, we are still to live this life in the expectation of His second coming. From a human perspective, that is tough. We don't think in terms of waiting patiently for thousands of years. In fact, in this day and age, we don't want to wait for thousands of minutes. We want what we want, and we want it NOW! But that is not my point this morning.
Look at what GOD says He will do if He finds us alertly watching and waiting for His return.
"He will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them."
Once again... amazing beyond words. The Bridegroom is waiting for His Bride, to love and serve her. He wants to serve us. He wants to pour out His great and awesome love on us. And it sounds like its one of the first things He wants to do.
Lord, let me be found awake.
What an amazing statement! Instead of "awake", most versions use the word "watching". Watching for what? His return. Two thousand years later, we are still to live this life in the expectation of His second coming. From a human perspective, that is tough. We don't think in terms of waiting patiently for thousands of years. In fact, in this day and age, we don't want to wait for thousands of minutes. We want what we want, and we want it NOW! But that is not my point this morning.
Look at what GOD says He will do if He finds us alertly watching and waiting for His return.
"He will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them."
Once again... amazing beyond words. The Bridegroom is waiting for His Bride, to love and serve her. He wants to serve us. He wants to pour out His great and awesome love on us. And it sounds like its one of the first things He wants to do.
Lord, let me be found awake.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Poor old Abe
It never ceases to amaze me... the things we spend our time and money to study. Thankfully, a new AP report on Yahoo has just informed us all that Abraham Lincoln's face was sort of deformed. One side bigger than the other. Wow. Oh... and 150 years later, we have also diagnosed him with depression.
Actually, this startling discovery should make us all let loose with a sigh of relief. Imagine if there had been modern media covering his career. He would never have been president at all. Not photogenic enough. And everyone in the civilized world would have known about the "alledged" depression. Nope, he probably wouldn't have made it past local politics. We value style over substance today. The master of the sound bite wins the day. The guy with the $400.00 haircut.
A modern-day Abe Lincoln could never get elected.
And no... I am not the least jaded toward politics or the media.
But thanks for asking.
Actually, this startling discovery should make us all let loose with a sigh of relief. Imagine if there had been modern media covering his career. He would never have been president at all. Not photogenic enough. And everyone in the civilized world would have known about the "alledged" depression. Nope, he probably wouldn't have made it past local politics. We value style over substance today. The master of the sound bite wins the day. The guy with the $400.00 haircut.
A modern-day Abe Lincoln could never get elected.
And no... I am not the least jaded toward politics or the media.
But thanks for asking.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Saturday, July 21, 2007
the gladness of His heart
Go out, O daughters of Zion, and look upon King Solomon, with the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding, on the day of the gladness of his heart.
Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure"-- for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." And he said to me, "These are the true words of God."
I saw the most amazing truth this evening. I was sitting in a class on the Song of Solomon, and the last verse of the passage we were looking at was the one at the beginning of this post. If you have been in the kingdom any length of time, you know that the scriptures describe the relationship between Jesus and the church as a Bridegroom and a Bride. And the Song of Solomon is primarily a poem describing many aspects of that relationship. Its a short book, but absolutely loaded with truths about our life with Him.
So... the teacher was talking about a number of principles found in the passage, and they were all really good, but when he got to the end, I was stunned. In speaking of Jesus, the Bridegroom, it describes His wedding day as "the day of the gladness of His heart." Amazing. We really don't understand the depths of His love. He is really looking forward to the wedding day. He is really looking forward to that full, unbroken face to face fellowship we will enter into on that day. I have often heard people talk about how much we should look forward to that day, but never really thought about how Jesus is looking forward to it. God is anxious for the day when we will fully be one. Sin and this fallen world will be dealt with fully, and we will go forward freely in the love that He created us for. And He calls that "the day of the gladness of His heart."
Truly... "blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb."
And it makes me take more seriously a passage just before that, "his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure."
Lord, strengthen your Bride to make herself ready.
Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure"-- for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." And he said to me, "These are the true words of God."
I saw the most amazing truth this evening. I was sitting in a class on the Song of Solomon, and the last verse of the passage we were looking at was the one at the beginning of this post. If you have been in the kingdom any length of time, you know that the scriptures describe the relationship between Jesus and the church as a Bridegroom and a Bride. And the Song of Solomon is primarily a poem describing many aspects of that relationship. Its a short book, but absolutely loaded with truths about our life with Him.
So... the teacher was talking about a number of principles found in the passage, and they were all really good, but when he got to the end, I was stunned. In speaking of Jesus, the Bridegroom, it describes His wedding day as "the day of the gladness of His heart." Amazing. We really don't understand the depths of His love. He is really looking forward to the wedding day. He is really looking forward to that full, unbroken face to face fellowship we will enter into on that day. I have often heard people talk about how much we should look forward to that day, but never really thought about how Jesus is looking forward to it. God is anxious for the day when we will fully be one. Sin and this fallen world will be dealt with fully, and we will go forward freely in the love that He created us for. And He calls that "the day of the gladness of His heart."
Truly... "blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb."
And it makes me take more seriously a passage just before that, "his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure."
Lord, strengthen your Bride to make herself ready.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Ain't it the truth
Pro 19:3 When a man's folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the LORD.
No comment necessary...
No comment necessary...
Monday, July 16, 2007
Exalting Jesus
Been thinking a little about the roles of men and women at this time. Marriage. Church leadership. The scriptures. Political correctness. Courage. Truth. Humility.
Think about this one.
Your pastor wants to teach a message about the bride of Christ, and he asks you to get some volunteers to put together a skit as a visual aid.
You write a story illustrating how Jesus and the church function together, and put out a call for interested people to come to a practice at the church building on Saturday afternoon. You stand before the group, explain the story line, and announce that there are basically two parts. One person is needed to play Jesus, and everyone else gets to be the church. One person gets to be the Bridegroom, and the others get to be the Bride.
"So... who wants to be Jesus?" Almost everyone in the room raises their hands.
"Ooooooookay...hmmm. Well then, who wants to be the Bride?" A few people timidly raise their hands, probably embarrassed that they weren't bold enough to want to play the lead role.
Now you have a problem. You have a story to tell to assist the pastor in his teaching, but it wont work unless the participants are willing to accept whatever role you assign them. So again, you go back over the story line with the group, and explain that you only need one Jesus, and that everyone else will need to be part of "the church." You want to demonstrate to the congregation what it looks like when the church loves Jesus and follows Him in trusting obedience. The role of the church is just as important in the skit as the role of Jesus. It will illustrate to the audience what it looks like to relate to him as our Bridegroom and King. Without the people who "play" the church, the story can't be told. You explain that the purpose is not to show the congregation what great acting gifts we each have, but to tell a story. The telling of the story is the reason you have come together. And the only way that the story can be properly told is if each person can accept whatever role is given to them.
You look around the room and choose Bill Jones to play the role of the Bridegroom. Everyone else will have roles as part of the Bride. Now the problems really begin.
John Brown stands up, "This isn't fair! Bill gets to play the most important part. I am a pretty good actor. I had the lead role in my high school play. I think I should get a chance to play Jesus."
Another guy speaks up, "The rest of us will look like we aren't important. We'll just be up there taking up space."
And then there was Mary Smith, "Yea... I didn't come out here to just stand in the background. I have more talent than anyone here. My gifts are being wasted!" And from there, play practice broke down into people arguing and fighting about who is most qualified to play what they see as the most important role.
No one had noticed when the pastor had slipped in the back door of the room. He sat quietly watching the scene unfold. It didn't look like the skit was going to happen. He could still preach his message. He could still teach the ideas. The Holy Spirit would still use him to reveal fresh understanding of our eternal calling as Jesus' Bride. But the living illustration he had hoped to use to help make the whole thing clear and understandable wouldn't be happening. Nobody was humble enough to play the supporting role. And no one was really qualified to play the lead, either. They had their eyes on the throne, but forgot that He got there by way of the cross. Everyone was concerned with the fulfillment of their own personal goals and desires. Everyone was looking for importance and significance. The sad thing was, no one could see the incredible value and significance of being the church, the Bride. And everyone was so absorbed in their own desire for recognition, that they forgot that the whole point of the story was to exalt Jesus. They forgot that we have to lose our lives in order to find them.
"I must decrease, He must increase."
The pastor shook his head sadly, and slipped out quietly. There wouldn't be a skit this Sunday.
Oh well...
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Its not about power. Its about telling a story. Its about demonstrating the kingdom.
Its about exalting Jesus.
This one will probably get me in trouble.
Oh well...
Think about this one.
Your pastor wants to teach a message about the bride of Christ, and he asks you to get some volunteers to put together a skit as a visual aid.
You write a story illustrating how Jesus and the church function together, and put out a call for interested people to come to a practice at the church building on Saturday afternoon. You stand before the group, explain the story line, and announce that there are basically two parts. One person is needed to play Jesus, and everyone else gets to be the church. One person gets to be the Bridegroom, and the others get to be the Bride.
"So... who wants to be Jesus?" Almost everyone in the room raises their hands.
"Ooooooookay...hmmm. Well then, who wants to be the Bride?" A few people timidly raise their hands, probably embarrassed that they weren't bold enough to want to play the lead role.
Now you have a problem. You have a story to tell to assist the pastor in his teaching, but it wont work unless the participants are willing to accept whatever role you assign them. So again, you go back over the story line with the group, and explain that you only need one Jesus, and that everyone else will need to be part of "the church." You want to demonstrate to the congregation what it looks like when the church loves Jesus and follows Him in trusting obedience. The role of the church is just as important in the skit as the role of Jesus. It will illustrate to the audience what it looks like to relate to him as our Bridegroom and King. Without the people who "play" the church, the story can't be told. You explain that the purpose is not to show the congregation what great acting gifts we each have, but to tell a story. The telling of the story is the reason you have come together. And the only way that the story can be properly told is if each person can accept whatever role is given to them.
You look around the room and choose Bill Jones to play the role of the Bridegroom. Everyone else will have roles as part of the Bride. Now the problems really begin.
John Brown stands up, "This isn't fair! Bill gets to play the most important part. I am a pretty good actor. I had the lead role in my high school play. I think I should get a chance to play Jesus."
Another guy speaks up, "The rest of us will look like we aren't important. We'll just be up there taking up space."
And then there was Mary Smith, "Yea... I didn't come out here to just stand in the background. I have more talent than anyone here. My gifts are being wasted!" And from there, play practice broke down into people arguing and fighting about who is most qualified to play what they see as the most important role.
No one had noticed when the pastor had slipped in the back door of the room. He sat quietly watching the scene unfold. It didn't look like the skit was going to happen. He could still preach his message. He could still teach the ideas. The Holy Spirit would still use him to reveal fresh understanding of our eternal calling as Jesus' Bride. But the living illustration he had hoped to use to help make the whole thing clear and understandable wouldn't be happening. Nobody was humble enough to play the supporting role. And no one was really qualified to play the lead, either. They had their eyes on the throne, but forgot that He got there by way of the cross. Everyone was concerned with the fulfillment of their own personal goals and desires. Everyone was looking for importance and significance. The sad thing was, no one could see the incredible value and significance of being the church, the Bride. And everyone was so absorbed in their own desire for recognition, that they forgot that the whole point of the story was to exalt Jesus. They forgot that we have to lose our lives in order to find them.
"I must decrease, He must increase."
The pastor shook his head sadly, and slipped out quietly. There wouldn't be a skit this Sunday.
Oh well...
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Its not about power. Its about telling a story. Its about demonstrating the kingdom.
Its about exalting Jesus.
This one will probably get me in trouble.
Oh well...
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Mystery
Ecclesiastes 11:4 in several different versions.
As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.
As you do not know what is the way of the wind, Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything.
Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things.
But I like the interpretive version from the New Living Translation,
God's ways are as hard to discern as the pathways of the wind, and as mysterious as a tiny baby being formed in a mother's womb.
This is a truth we must come firmly to grips with. He is great and we are small, and we won't always know or understand what He is doing.
Thats where faith comes in.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding... Proverbs 3
As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.
As you do not know what is the way of the wind, Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything.
Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things.
But I like the interpretive version from the New Living Translation,
God's ways are as hard to discern as the pathways of the wind, and as mysterious as a tiny baby being formed in a mother's womb.
This is a truth we must come firmly to grips with. He is great and we are small, and we won't always know or understand what He is doing.
Thats where faith comes in.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding... Proverbs 3
Monday, June 18, 2007
shaken expectations
This is an unusual post for me. I have two different tracks running in my walk with Jesus lately. On the one hand, I feel Him calling me to a diligent pursuit of deeper intimacy with Him. The Song of Solomon. "Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His lips."
(The kisses of His lips are the revelations of His love, particularly in His word. That explanation is for those who would get nervous with the kissing language, me being a guy and all.)
On the other hand, I have felt lead to spend a lot of time in the prophets lately. Ezekiel, Amos, Hosea, and Zephaniah most recently. I am freshly aware of the general unhealthiness of the western church.
(I am part of that... not the judge sitting up on my high horse.)
The worldliness and compromise so common in the western church today is seen as normal, and to be expected. The prophets called it spiritual adultery. They were generally sent to the people of God with a warning of divine judgment aimed at bringing the people to repentance. The purpose was to bring restored relationship with the Lord. The promise of blessing following the word of judgment is always rich and beautiful. As it says in Hebrews 12, He disciplines those He loves.
Well, this morning I was reading in Zephaniah, and the Holy Spirit told me to go take a nap, because He wanted to speak to me in a dream. Odd. Especially for me. He doesn't often speak to me that way. I can count on one hand the number of spiritual dreams I have had in thirty years. So, I went and laid down, and sure enough, had a dream. I won't go into the details, but at the end of the dream I was picturing a situation in my mind, and how I thought the Lord was going to handle that situation, and suddenly He took that image and shook it. It broke into hundreds of little pieces, and I clearly heard the phrase, "Shaken expectations."
And then I woke up. I believe this could be, and probably is, a word for me, but I feel like it is also a word for the church. (That sounds so pretentious, but I just can't escape it.) We think He is going to do things a certain way. We have promises from His word upon which we base our expectations. And we begin to formulate a vision in our mind of what that is going to look like. That's where we make our mistake. And that is where we set ourselves up for disappointment and offense toward God. Offense toward God is extremely dangerous. We must guard our hearts carefully against it. We must put our hope in His goodness and faithfulness, and not our vision of what that looks like when it is manifested. He is good. He is faithful. He will do what is best according to His perfect wisdom. Those are the truths that we put our trust in.
Lord, help us keep our eyes on You.
(The kisses of His lips are the revelations of His love, particularly in His word. That explanation is for those who would get nervous with the kissing language, me being a guy and all.)
On the other hand, I have felt lead to spend a lot of time in the prophets lately. Ezekiel, Amos, Hosea, and Zephaniah most recently. I am freshly aware of the general unhealthiness of the western church.
(I am part of that... not the judge sitting up on my high horse.)
The worldliness and compromise so common in the western church today is seen as normal, and to be expected. The prophets called it spiritual adultery. They were generally sent to the people of God with a warning of divine judgment aimed at bringing the people to repentance. The purpose was to bring restored relationship with the Lord. The promise of blessing following the word of judgment is always rich and beautiful. As it says in Hebrews 12, He disciplines those He loves.
Well, this morning I was reading in Zephaniah, and the Holy Spirit told me to go take a nap, because He wanted to speak to me in a dream. Odd. Especially for me. He doesn't often speak to me that way. I can count on one hand the number of spiritual dreams I have had in thirty years. So, I went and laid down, and sure enough, had a dream. I won't go into the details, but at the end of the dream I was picturing a situation in my mind, and how I thought the Lord was going to handle that situation, and suddenly He took that image and shook it. It broke into hundreds of little pieces, and I clearly heard the phrase, "Shaken expectations."
And then I woke up. I believe this could be, and probably is, a word for me, but I feel like it is also a word for the church. (That sounds so pretentious, but I just can't escape it.) We think He is going to do things a certain way. We have promises from His word upon which we base our expectations. And we begin to formulate a vision in our mind of what that is going to look like. That's where we make our mistake. And that is where we set ourselves up for disappointment and offense toward God. Offense toward God is extremely dangerous. We must guard our hearts carefully against it. We must put our hope in His goodness and faithfulness, and not our vision of what that looks like when it is manifested. He is good. He is faithful. He will do what is best according to His perfect wisdom. Those are the truths that we put our trust in.
Lord, help us keep our eyes on You.
Monday, June 11, 2007
He is faithful
Paul to the Thessalonians:
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
Amen.
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
Amen.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
the tongue
Proverbs 18
Death and life are in the power of the tongue…
Matthew 12
You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
Ephesians 4
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
James 3
And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
I don't think I have much more to say today...
Help Lord.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue…
Matthew 12
You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
Ephesians 4
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
James 3
And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
I don't think I have much more to say today...
Help Lord.
Monday, June 04, 2007
Come Lord Jesus
Psa 119:123 My eyes long for your salvation and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise.
Amen.
Amen.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Longing
Earthly prosperity. I am wondering, is it a blessing or a curse? I guess it depends partly on how you define it. We all want to have what we need, and that is the most basic definition of prosperity. To be without need. No, I am speaking of a much higher level of prosperity. The kind we have experienced in America for the past sixty years or so. We have gone way beyond having what we need. Even the majority of our poor have what they need. The poor of the rest of the world are starving. Its not uncommon for the poor of America to struggle with obesity. I am talking about a prosperity that never really has to think about what I need, but always about what I want. That level of society-wide prosperity in a fallen world is dangerous. We seem to have become a "culture of covetousness." We have an insatiable hunger for more, and bigger, and better. Do I think it would be better for people to suffer in need? Maybe. Sometimes. Do I think that this is God's heart for people? No, not ultimately. I do know this, though. When you look at the history of His dealings with Israel, He would put them in a place of need when their hearts grew hard towards Him. We call it judgment. Judgment is not destruction. Judgment is God saying "I love you too much to let you destroy yourselves in sin." It's His way of getting our attention. It's making us aware of our need for Him. On a human level we call it "tough love."
I think the American church is on a crash course with some Tough Love.
Paul wrote to Timothy,
Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
Do we love His appearing? Does our heart long to be wholly joined to Jesus? Paul said in another place that he would rather go to be with the Lord than to stay here on earth. Peter talked about a lifestyle for the believer that would hasten the coming of the Lord. Do we think like those guys? Would we rather go be with Him than continue to enjoy the pleasures of the earthly life? Are we longing for the day when He will come to judge the earth and fully establish His kingdom?
But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Is that the deepest desire of our inner man? Or do we love this present world? Do we want to squeeze every possible drop of pleasure out of this life, and then "go to heaven" when we die? Is that what our faith is all about?
Lord... give me a heart that longs for more of You, and all that You have for me.
I think the American church is on a crash course with some Tough Love.
Paul wrote to Timothy,
Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
Do we love His appearing? Does our heart long to be wholly joined to Jesus? Paul said in another place that he would rather go to be with the Lord than to stay here on earth. Peter talked about a lifestyle for the believer that would hasten the coming of the Lord. Do we think like those guys? Would we rather go be with Him than continue to enjoy the pleasures of the earthly life? Are we longing for the day when He will come to judge the earth and fully establish His kingdom?
But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Is that the deepest desire of our inner man? Or do we love this present world? Do we want to squeeze every possible drop of pleasure out of this life, and then "go to heaven" when we die? Is that what our faith is all about?
Lord... give me a heart that longs for more of You, and all that You have for me.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
A good question...
Luke 6
Jesus asked a challenging question.
"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?
James commented on that same basic idea a few years later.
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
So... when we hear His word, but don't respond in obedience, we deceive ourselves.
Scary thought.
Lord, teach me the ways of your kingdom.
Jesus asked a challenging question.
"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?
James commented on that same basic idea a few years later.
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
So... when we hear His word, but don't respond in obedience, we deceive ourselves.
Scary thought.
Lord, teach me the ways of your kingdom.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
listening
“It is better to listen in order to understand than to listen in order to reply”
I saw this somewhere tonight, and I liked it. I sort of get that switched around a lot.
I saw this somewhere tonight, and I liked it. I sort of get that switched around a lot.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Forgiveness
In the sermon on the mount, Jesus taught,
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Think about that for a minute.
Forgiveness is an absolutely critical element in the kingdom of God. The fact is, we are going to be offended, wounded, and just plain mistreated by people in our lives. Its an inescapable reality of life in a dark world. We have to learn to forgive, or we will carry around wounds and offenses in our hearts, and it will impact every part of our lives. But its not easy. Many people have written books on forgiveness, giving us explanations and formulas of how to do it. One common element of thought is,
"Its a choice, not a feeling."
They tell us how to identify our offense, and steps to take in forgiving the person involved. Its usually pretty simple to understand, and not all that hard to walk through the steps. I honestly believe that when we sincerely pursue forgiveness on that level, that we satisfy God's commandment to forgive. He is simply looking for a sincere heart of desire for reconciliation and peace. Its all we can do.
But...
There is more.
Twice in the past few years I have experienced deep wounding that touched the very core of my being. I couldn't get free from my offense. I tried. I followed the steps of forgiveness. I prayed and spoke the right words before God. But the wound and it's pain were still there. It was like walking around with a knife in my heart. I was functional, but the pain was always there. In both situations, I continued to pray and forgive and ask the Lord to heal my heart. I didn't want to settle for a "technical" forgiveness. I wanted that full emotional release that would enable me to freely love the one who had offended me.
The first release came a couple of years ago. I was sitting with a bunch of friends, studying and discussing the reality of loving without judgment. We were sharing experiences, and talking about principles in a book we were reading together, when the Holy Spirit began to speak to my heart, and show me how it applied specifically to my situation. In a moment of time, He let me see things from His perspective, and my heart was set free. The unforgiveness and the accompanying heaviness lifted like a cloud carried away by the wind. Tears filled my eyes as I described what I had just experienced while we sat there. It was incredible. The truth set me free.
And it happened again last night. I had carried "the wound of all wounds" for almost two years. It had crippled me emotionally. This wasn't a knife in my heart. It was like my heart had been put through a shredder. I forgave and forgave and forgave... but to no avail. I tried to walk in love, but my heart was heavily guarded. I was tempted to shut down completely many times, but the Lord just wouldn't let me. He would always come at my darkest moments and give me hope and strength to persevere.
And God is merciful. Wondrously merciful. He came for me again, and liberated my heart to once more walk in His peace. He came and revealed true understanding about my situation that set me free. I didn't read a book, apply the principles, and experience the results. I had applied the scriptural principle of forgiveness for a long time, but my heart was still bound. This was something more. This was God shining light in my darkness, and the darkness was vanquished. I did have to respond properly. It wouldn't have happened if I had hardened my heart toward this person. "We can't do God's part, and He won't do ours." I wanted to forgive. I wanted to walk in His ways. I wanted restoration.
And He gave it to me. A gift of grace. A healed heart.
Thank you Lord.
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Think about that for a minute.
Forgiveness is an absolutely critical element in the kingdom of God. The fact is, we are going to be offended, wounded, and just plain mistreated by people in our lives. Its an inescapable reality of life in a dark world. We have to learn to forgive, or we will carry around wounds and offenses in our hearts, and it will impact every part of our lives. But its not easy. Many people have written books on forgiveness, giving us explanations and formulas of how to do it. One common element of thought is,
"Its a choice, not a feeling."
They tell us how to identify our offense, and steps to take in forgiving the person involved. Its usually pretty simple to understand, and not all that hard to walk through the steps. I honestly believe that when we sincerely pursue forgiveness on that level, that we satisfy God's commandment to forgive. He is simply looking for a sincere heart of desire for reconciliation and peace. Its all we can do.
But...
There is more.
Twice in the past few years I have experienced deep wounding that touched the very core of my being. I couldn't get free from my offense. I tried. I followed the steps of forgiveness. I prayed and spoke the right words before God. But the wound and it's pain were still there. It was like walking around with a knife in my heart. I was functional, but the pain was always there. In both situations, I continued to pray and forgive and ask the Lord to heal my heart. I didn't want to settle for a "technical" forgiveness. I wanted that full emotional release that would enable me to freely love the one who had offended me.
The first release came a couple of years ago. I was sitting with a bunch of friends, studying and discussing the reality of loving without judgment. We were sharing experiences, and talking about principles in a book we were reading together, when the Holy Spirit began to speak to my heart, and show me how it applied specifically to my situation. In a moment of time, He let me see things from His perspective, and my heart was set free. The unforgiveness and the accompanying heaviness lifted like a cloud carried away by the wind. Tears filled my eyes as I described what I had just experienced while we sat there. It was incredible. The truth set me free.
And it happened again last night. I had carried "the wound of all wounds" for almost two years. It had crippled me emotionally. This wasn't a knife in my heart. It was like my heart had been put through a shredder. I forgave and forgave and forgave... but to no avail. I tried to walk in love, but my heart was heavily guarded. I was tempted to shut down completely many times, but the Lord just wouldn't let me. He would always come at my darkest moments and give me hope and strength to persevere.
And God is merciful. Wondrously merciful. He came for me again, and liberated my heart to once more walk in His peace. He came and revealed true understanding about my situation that set me free. I didn't read a book, apply the principles, and experience the results. I had applied the scriptural principle of forgiveness for a long time, but my heart was still bound. This was something more. This was God shining light in my darkness, and the darkness was vanquished. I did have to respond properly. It wouldn't have happened if I had hardened my heart toward this person. "We can't do God's part, and He won't do ours." I wanted to forgive. I wanted to walk in His ways. I wanted restoration.
And He gave it to me. A gift of grace. A healed heart.
Thank you Lord.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Drinking shrinks the brain???
WEDNESDAY, May 2 (HealthDay News) -- While it might help your heart, drinking even moderately could shrink your brain, U.S. researchers say.
Really? They did a study to figure this out? What kind of study? An evening in the corner bar? And I couldn't help chuckling at this statement a little further in the article.
"Brain shrinkage was slightly greater in female drinkers than in male drinkers... the researchers found."
I am pretty sure every guy that walks into that bar where they did their "study" is counting on this.
I know... bad joke.
Seriously, though, I find it sadly ironic that much of western Christianity will measure one's "freedom in Christ" by whether or not they will consume alcohol. If you are a teetotaler you can end up with that most dreaded of titles... religious. We know that alcohol is dangerous on many levels, and science only continues to confirm it.
And yet we love its effects.
Don't get me wrong. I will have the occasional beer, or glass of wine. I am not legalistic about it. I am just wondering about the place it has taken in much of American church life.
Why do we need it?
I remember a statement I made in my search for "meaning" in life as a young man in college. I was pretty serious about my drug and alcohol consumption in those days. Seven days a week, usually a couple of times a day, I was finding some way to get loaded. I wasn't homeless. My outward life wasn't falling apart. I was pretty much a straight A student, drove a nice car, and had lots of friends. But I loved to get high. No... I had to get high to feel happy and free from all my hidden fears and inhibitions. And it brought me to a point where I made this statement to myself and my closest friends.
"I should be able to fully enjoy life without having to alter my consciousness in any way."
I really did say that. Often. It was a bit of a mantra with me in that last year before I encountered Jesus. Actually, I have always believed that it was a thought dropped into my mind by the Holy Spirit. It drove me to pursue that inner freedom. And it ultimately led me to Him.
I will never forget what happened the next day after I surrendered my life to Jesus. It happened late one night in a friends basement. He prayed for me, and I experienced a power that moved through my entire being. It pretty much left me speechless, and I basically went straight home to bed. I had to be at work at 6:00 a.m., to begin my glorious day of washing dishes in a hospital kitchen.
That afternoon, I was standing at the conveyor belt where the trays come through after they come off the food carts, and it suddenly hit me.
"I dont need to get high. I dont want to get high!"
I was free. Finally. It was one of the most exciting moments of my life.
So... I ask again. Why do we do it? Why do we need it?
Really? They did a study to figure this out? What kind of study? An evening in the corner bar? And I couldn't help chuckling at this statement a little further in the article.
"Brain shrinkage was slightly greater in female drinkers than in male drinkers... the researchers found."
I am pretty sure every guy that walks into that bar where they did their "study" is counting on this.
I know... bad joke.
Seriously, though, I find it sadly ironic that much of western Christianity will measure one's "freedom in Christ" by whether or not they will consume alcohol. If you are a teetotaler you can end up with that most dreaded of titles... religious. We know that alcohol is dangerous on many levels, and science only continues to confirm it.
And yet we love its effects.
Don't get me wrong. I will have the occasional beer, or glass of wine. I am not legalistic about it. I am just wondering about the place it has taken in much of American church life.
Why do we need it?
I remember a statement I made in my search for "meaning" in life as a young man in college. I was pretty serious about my drug and alcohol consumption in those days. Seven days a week, usually a couple of times a day, I was finding some way to get loaded. I wasn't homeless. My outward life wasn't falling apart. I was pretty much a straight A student, drove a nice car, and had lots of friends. But I loved to get high. No... I had to get high to feel happy and free from all my hidden fears and inhibitions. And it brought me to a point where I made this statement to myself and my closest friends.
"I should be able to fully enjoy life without having to alter my consciousness in any way."
I really did say that. Often. It was a bit of a mantra with me in that last year before I encountered Jesus. Actually, I have always believed that it was a thought dropped into my mind by the Holy Spirit. It drove me to pursue that inner freedom. And it ultimately led me to Him.
I will never forget what happened the next day after I surrendered my life to Jesus. It happened late one night in a friends basement. He prayed for me, and I experienced a power that moved through my entire being. It pretty much left me speechless, and I basically went straight home to bed. I had to be at work at 6:00 a.m., to begin my glorious day of washing dishes in a hospital kitchen.
That afternoon, I was standing at the conveyor belt where the trays come through after they come off the food carts, and it suddenly hit me.
"I dont need to get high. I dont want to get high!"
I was free. Finally. It was one of the most exciting moments of my life.
So... I ask again. Why do we do it? Why do we need it?
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