Resolution -- to live life Naked.

The other night as I lay in bed unable to sleep I began to pray to God about my desire to know a greater intimacy with Him.
All of a sudden the picture of me standing naked before God flashed in my mind.  I quickly began to dismiss it as my brain making a twisted connection between being naked and being intimate--but I felt the Spirit prod me to dwell on this idea as strange as it seemed.

It has led me to enter 2017 with the desire to be naked.  Naked before God.  Naked before others.

Now, don't worry -- you'll not see me strutting around without clothes.  But let me try explain.

Adam and Eve were naked in the garden and felt no shame.  They walked with God in the cool of the day; and shared life together in unashamed nakedness.  However, when sin enters the picture, they became self-aware, and ashamed.  They hid from God, and they covered their nakedness from one another.

There are a few things here:

First - I don't want to hide from God at all.  I believe He is good.  I believe He has the best plans for me.  I believe that by His Spirit I'm given life and life to the full.  Why would I want to hide from that or cover myself in anyway from fully receiving ALL that He has to give?  I think sometimes, we have a hard time believing that God really wants good for ME!  We see all the imperfections, the failures, the weaknesses of our naked flesh--so we cover it up--we spend so much time trying to prove ourselves to God as worthy, or simply hiding from God as if we shouldn't expect good from Him.  But to do so forgets that in Jesus we have been given a new and perfect humanity -- this is the humanity we claim, this is the life of glory we boldly are to live--naked and unashamed.

Second - I don't want to live my life try to perform, or meet a certain expectation of others through my own efforts.  I don't want others to see "my clothing"  -- my attempts to look presentable.  I want them to see the naked me.  The me who is imperfect, who struggles and who fails -- YET -- who is not naked in "my flesh" but is cover in grace, forgiven, set free -- with nothing to prove by my efforts. Instead I stand naked -- as God created me, as God redeemed me and is restoring me.  Showing not what I have done, but only fully displaying what God has done and is doing in me.

Third - And please don't take this the wrong way...and don't you dare start sending me anything creepy!  I want to see your nakedness too.  I want to see the you God has created...that He is redeeming, restoring and displaying His glory through.  I want to share in your imperfections and struggles and also in your glories and joys.  Humans we called to walk TOGETHER with God in the cool of the day.  Let's stop trying to present the "clothed, fixed up version of us" -- let's be real -- and so better reflect the amazing, active Life that Jesus gives to us.

Live a Questionable Life

This past Sunday our church family heard a few stories of people who are seeking to "take Jesus' abundant life" to their world -- through friendships, workplaces and community involvement.

I loved these stories because they were full of "common everyday ways" that the life of Jesus can be shared.  They all gave tangible, easy to do, ways of living a life that shares Jesus' love in natural ways.

One of our story-tellers talked about a few other Christians they talked to who said that their witness in their workplace consisted of "being known as a Christian" and "trusting that people will ask them questions" when/if they want to.

I hear this a lot.  And I get it.  In fact I've heard of some pretty awesome-life-changing encounters because of this exact approach.  But in those cases, it was because something about that persons life, actions and way of functioning was peculiar enough to beg a question as to WHY!

So the question is "How often ARE people asking you and me about our life, our faith, and why Jesus makes such a difference?"  For most of us -- it seems not all that often.

The problem as I see it is that we as Christians so often live lives that are relatively un-discernible from the lives of those who don't know or follow Jesus--therefore, it's a rarity for anyone to ask a question about our life, faith and Jesus because they see no difference of interest to ask about!

So, if you follow Jesus -- think about what HE SAID following Him means:  loving enemies, blessing those who persecute you, giving to those who take advantage of you, caring for the needy around you in sacrificial ways, being hospitable--especially to those who can't return the favour, giving up pursuing power for embracing humility and weakness, serving as He served, give freely, lay up treasures in heaven--not on earth...(and there is more)

Given that ... should not a Christian's life be questionable?  Whether people will think we are crazy or are inspired by us--both are possible -- but regardless -- our lives should beg people around us to question!

GIVE ONE OF THESE IDEAS A TRY:

-Buy a gift for someone who you have a strained relationship with.

-Invite someone over for dinner that you know doesn't get out much.

-If you hold a position of power/authority in a workplace -- do something to bless and serve those under you with no strings attached.  (Be generous--even extravagant!)

-Give a financial gift that stretches you.  For example: Do you usually give 10% away -- try give 20% and ask God to bless your giving!  OR if you get a bonus this coming season -- give half of it away and rejoice in doing so because Jesus has blessed you!

Don't be crazy for crazy sake -- But live questionable because you are following and trusting Jesus!

HEALING BALM FOR OUR WOUNDS

Scratch the itch

cry the people to their 'leader'

Scratch the itch

cries the 'leader' to the people

Both use the other to serve their own ends

Covering their selfish, sinful ways with fine sounding reasoning...

excuses, excuses!

The itch is deceptive

the more it is scratched

the rawer it gets; burning, inflamed.

There is not healing by scratching

only aggravation.

Blame arises from the leader 

against the people.

Blame arises from the people

against the leader.

Both cry innocence.

But both are GUILTY.

In the midst of the cries of blame,

at one another, now even blaming self,

comes another Voice, 

strong and clear:

"I AM HEALING BALM"

Eyes turn to the source of the Voice;

it is hard to believe He is Healing Balm.

For His flesh is raw wound,

dripping blood.

Hands, Feet, Side, pierced through.

Yet He lives??

How can this be??

Why are His wound not healed if He is who He says?

The strong clear Voice calls out again,

gently:

"BY MY WOUNDS YOU ARE HEALED."

Some begin to move toward the Voice.

Others deride and mock...scratching away as they do.

But for those inching closer,

Beauty begins to form in the most unlikely place:

Their Wounds,

which have been scratched raw, 

begin turning to beautiful displays,

No art can rival,

the beauty is raw

Bringing soothing and Life.

The closer they come to the Voice, the more beauty emerges.

Again the Voice speaks,

powerfully, with authority:

"YOU ARE NOW MINE; YOU NOW ARE FREE!"

As He speaks His words resonate deep within the hearers,

Stirring love long forgotten

In the eyes of the Voice who speaks,

each now sees Love so Pure it is unlike any they have seen

or ever imagined.

Now, as they look at each other they realize,

the same love beginning to emerge in them!

It is drawing them together as One;

They rest there in peace together,

in the Love that fills them.

But once more the Voice speaks,

calm yet urgent:

"GO, FOR I AM NOW WITH YOU ALWAYS.

LET MY LOVE TRANSFORM YOU

AND FLOW THROUGH YOU.

SHARE WHAT YOU HAVE RECEIVED,

FOR OF IT THERE IS NO END."

Jesus the shocking dinner guest

The other week I shared a sermon about Jesus eating with "riff raff"--you can catch a bit HERE.

In Luke 11 however, Jesus, instead of being invited to a "tax collectors" house, is invited to a Pharisees house to dine.  And Jesus "forgets" to wash his hands to the astonishment of the Pharisee!

But the trouble doesn't end there--reclining at the Pharisees' table, Jesus begins to tell the Pharisee what he thinks about him--here are a few of His choice words:

"...you are full of greed and wickedness..."

"You fools!"

"Woe to you Pharisees!  For you...neglect justice and the love of God...

you love the best seat...and to be recognized..."

At this point another guest--a lawyer (teacher of the law) speaks up--rather offended that he is being lumped in with the Pharisees...But rather than an apology Jesus continues, now directing His attention to the Lawyers!  

"Woe to you lawyers also!  You load people with heavy burdens and you don't lift a finger to help"

Woe to you!  For you build tombs for the prophets that you killed!"

"Woe to you lawyers!  For you have taken away the key of knowledge"

"You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering."

The question to wrestle with is what makes Jesus so gracious and accepting on one hand...and so harsh and aggressive on the other? 

I'd encourage you to press past giving a pat answer.  

What is at the heart of Jesus' actions in the different ways he dines/speaks with people?  (And what might Jesus be revealing about the hearts of those He had dinner with?)

What does this say about how we should "dine" with others?  

What is the good news of the gospel revealed when these differences are examined honestly? 

What are the warnings you may need to hear and examine in yourself?

What tone does your soul hear?

The tone with which one speaks makes all the difference in the world as to how words are received.

You can say "I forgive you" -- but if said with sarcasm, it may actually cause more hurt than saying nothing.

You can say "I love you" -- but if said with tired apathy, it may be heard as saying just the opposite.

OUR TONE IS POWERFUL.


What tone is God's voice when He speaks to you?


When you read the Bible -- is there a common tone with which you receive the words?

Tone makes a BIG DIFFERENCE.

I was talking with someone the other day and he shared with me his feelings about a passage that spoke about "being bought at a great price!"

He heard it with a hint of guilt -- like an angry voice saying: "don't you ever forget it!"  It was the voice of a reluctant giver ... someone who paid the price out of duty rather than great love for us.

But Jesus says that our Father is a GOOD FATHER who LOVES to give GOOD GIFTS to His children.

I told my friend that when I hear "you were bought at a great price" -- I hear the gentle voice of a loving Father telling me "my son, you are so valuable to me!  Don't forget how deep my love for you is that I would go to such a length just so you may know me!"

Tone makes all the difference in the world.

I am not saying that everything you hear from God will be gentle encouragement.  He also disciplines and corrects...but He does so because we are children that He dearly loves.

Hear LOVE in His tone always!

You OWE me...not in God's Kingdom!

Matthew 18:23-35
Jesus says: "The Kingdom of God may be compared to..." and tells a story that is summed up like this:

A servant is called by the King to pay all His debts--which are BIG!  But he cannot pay and even though rightfully he deserves prison--the King has pity on him and releases him from all debt.

This same servant goes and finds a fellow servant, who owes him a relatively small amount and demands to be paid in full--his fellow servant begs for mercy but is given none and put in prison.

I have seen this same scenario played out by Christians over and over and over and over!!!  O how petty our hearts are!  How many times have we refused to forgive because we have be "hurt"!  Or stood on the ground that "it's not my fault" so why should I forgive them?  We get bitter, and hard...breaking off relationships, holding grudges, letting feuds develop--all because we want what we are OWED!  (be careful what you wish for!)

Jesus' message about the Kingdom of God is simple:  In God's Kingdom debts are forgiven by the King, and those who are forgiven are to do the same for others.  To hold another in debt to you is NOT the way of God's Kingdom!  (and yes, I know this sounds backwards to our sense of justice!)  But the point is that we have a King--Jesus--who has forgiven us ALL our debt (sin, wrong-doing), so who are we to hold it over another?

The story ends with Jesus saying there was an outcry against this first servant and the King came and delivered him to the jailer.  And Jesus ends by saying: "So my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive another from your heart" (that is from a heart that is forgiven by the King!)  In another place Jesus says we are to forgive as we have been forgiven...and that if we do NOT forgive, we will not be forgiven.

The way of God's Kingdom all flows from our KING JESUS--he has forgiven us
--not because we are worthy or earned it--but by grace and through His own payment for our debt.  He invites us into His Kingdom to live with the same "Kingdom values" as have been shown to us.

If as you read this people or situations come to mind in which you have not forgiven another...take time to bring that to Jesus--ask Him to help you...and go and forgive as you've been forgiven!

Is Christianity Unreasonable?

What would you do if you had a friend -- one whom you saw immense potential for good in -- and that friend began to talk about how it was inevitable that they would soon be harassed by those who did not like them and it would end in their own death?

Would you for starters say something like:  "No way!  Let's make sure that doesn't happen!...even "I'll protect you!"

I know I would.  Why would I allow my friend, who has such potential for good...to just go walking on into his own death.  I'd want to try stop it!

In Matthew 16 -- just after Peter has declared that Jesus is the King who would save His people -- Jesus starts talking about how when they get to Jerusalem, the religious leaders were going to persecute Him and kill Him.

Peter exclaims:  "Surely not Lord!  This shall never happen!"

Given the well-meaning intentions of Peter, Jesus' response seems a tad harsh:  "Get behind me Satan!  You are a hindrance to me.  For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man."

Jesus follows this by saying things like:

"If you want to follow my you must deny yourself and take up your cross"

"whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it"

I titled this post:  "Is Christianity (that is--following Jesus) Unreasonable?"

Here is the answer:  Yes...and NO.

From the perspective of our world -- let's be honest, it sounds unreasonable.  I mean, Jesus give Peter a break right?  He was just trying to save your butt!  We'd all do it!  So from this standpoint it would seem Jesus is being unreasonable -- His commands to give up our own lives to gain life--is by all means crazy sounding!

But then why does Jesus say it?  Perhaps Jesus sees something we don't...knows something we don't? Jesus pointed out Peter's problem:  'you have your mind set on the things of man, and not on the things of God' ... don't we all have that mindset naturally?

But Jesus viewed things from a different perspective--what we might say is an "unnatural perspective":  Jesus viewed life from the perspective of the Kingdom of God. In fact Jesus came to establish a New Kingdom...a New Way of Life.  But it is a Kingdom that is far different than the examples of this worlds Kingdoms.  The ways of the world will not get us to it...It is a Kingdom that is gained by giving up all that we hold so tightly to.

Jesus continued:  "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits His life?"

Jesus' point is that our lives are meant for more than the temporary, fleeting things of "this world" -- Our lives are created to be lives that eternally reflect the Image of God through knowing Him intimately.  But to know Him intimately requires an exchange -- our old, dying and fleeting life and all of it's "values" for a New and Eternal Life that is ours NOW in Jesus.

Beware of like Peter--one minute confessing Jesus as Lord...and the next moment chasing the things of the world.  We are all prone to it-- but let us press more and more into Jesus and seek more and more of HIM...give up your life and the pursuits that rob your soul of Life and Life to the full today!

 Accept the Good News of Jesus daily--the Good News that gives us life and life to the full in Jesus.  This life came to us by "unreasonable means":  it's not reasonable that Jesus would die for you and me when we did nothing to deserve it or earn it--and we never can. -- But His Love for you made it reasonable from the perspective of the New Kingdom that He is establishing and wants you in!

Let's live "unreasonable lives" of faith -- trusting Jesus and following Him wherever He leads--even if it is to "Jerusalem" -- where suffering and even death awaits.  For the Life He gives far outweighs anything we can give up!

(if you are one who reads this and something stirs within you, and yet it all seems "out of reach"--I'd love to talk more in person!)