If there is one thing I've struggled with (and there are several, I assure you!) in the past couple of years its how to describe who we are and what we do as a Community of Christ-followers at The River. I often tell people, "I can't explain it, you just have to experience it."
I think the reason that I have trouble describing it is because I've never been a part of expressing the Body of Christ like this before. I was riding along with a friend of mine this week when we stumbled upon "The God Journey" podcast from the week before Thanksgiving. In it, Wayne talks about an article that he had read recently that put words to this dilemma for me. (The text of the article is posted on The River Redemptive Community's Facebook page if you're interested.)
In the podcast, he reads the bulk of the article but its their interaction ABOUT the article that was so reaffirming to me personally. I hope you find as much encouragement as I did. Enjoy!
*To access, click on the title of this post.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
My Journey into discovering what True Love is
Several weeks ago, God asked me if I would be willing to let Him teach me what True Love really is and so I began my journey. It amazing how many people can quote the words of
the Father but how many of us actually believe them. After all the wearisome lists of the do's and the don'ts that I had been taught were so necessary in a relationship with the Father, who, not I, could believe it can be so easy? I made a choice to say I Will and so here
begins my journey. I am coming to this conclusion: since I have been raised with Christ, I will believe Him. I am going to seek the things that are above (where He dwells, at the right
hand of God). I am going to seek the things that flow from His throne alone. Yes, I know that I will fail along the way. I will sin again but I also will repent again and I KNOW that He will forgive me again. I know that I am drawing closer to Him in spite of myself and I know
that He Will deliver me from All my unrighteousness. I know that He is working inside of me
while I walk this journey with Him. I am free from condemnation and the accusations of
those who sit in the seat of the scornful. I am free to follow my Father and yes, I no longer
care what they say or how they accuse me or even how they will dis-fellowhsip me. Yes, I
know it may and will cost me friends and it may and will cost me my reputation; but I am gaining Him who lives outside the controls of religion and the rules that these modern day
Pharisees establish to control in their feeble, fleshly attempts to legitimize their own
kingdom building efforts. They will call us, the hungry & thirsty, heretics and fanatics. I
have found that this is an accusation that flows far too easily from the lips of a lifeless &
morbid system of religious idology that has no power, no truth and certainly no Savior. It really doesn't matter to me anymore because I have discoverd the voice of mortal man sounds so different than the voice of my beloved Father. I am discovering that every time I've heard someone say "God doesn't, God won't or God can't" means that He does, He can
and He will. Now that I've found Him again, I pray that He will continue to fan this flame of passion for Him that He has ignited in my soul. I pray that He will help me not to allow anything that would cause my relationship with HIm to become lost again in that religous black hole of mediocrity and death that I lived in for so long. I just want to be so lost in His presence that there will be no shadow of myself as I walk with Him. As the song goes: I feel like I'm born again and breathing for the very first time.
the Father but how many of us actually believe them. After all the wearisome lists of the do's and the don'ts that I had been taught were so necessary in a relationship with the Father, who, not I, could believe it can be so easy? I made a choice to say I Will and so here
begins my journey. I am coming to this conclusion: since I have been raised with Christ, I will believe Him. I am going to seek the things that are above (where He dwells, at the right
hand of God). I am going to seek the things that flow from His throne alone. Yes, I know that I will fail along the way. I will sin again but I also will repent again and I KNOW that He will forgive me again. I know that I am drawing closer to Him in spite of myself and I know
that He Will deliver me from All my unrighteousness. I know that He is working inside of me
while I walk this journey with Him. I am free from condemnation and the accusations of
those who sit in the seat of the scornful. I am free to follow my Father and yes, I no longer
care what they say or how they accuse me or even how they will dis-fellowhsip me. Yes, I
know it may and will cost me friends and it may and will cost me my reputation; but I am gaining Him who lives outside the controls of religion and the rules that these modern day
Pharisees establish to control in their feeble, fleshly attempts to legitimize their own
kingdom building efforts. They will call us, the hungry & thirsty, heretics and fanatics. I
have found that this is an accusation that flows far too easily from the lips of a lifeless &
morbid system of religious idology that has no power, no truth and certainly no Savior. It really doesn't matter to me anymore because I have discoverd the voice of mortal man sounds so different than the voice of my beloved Father. I am discovering that every time I've heard someone say "God doesn't, God won't or God can't" means that He does, He can
and He will. Now that I've found Him again, I pray that He will continue to fan this flame of passion for Him that He has ignited in my soul. I pray that He will help me not to allow anything that would cause my relationship with HIm to become lost again in that religous black hole of mediocrity and death that I lived in for so long. I just want to be so lost in His presence that there will be no shadow of myself as I walk with Him. As the song goes: I feel like I'm born again and breathing for the very first time.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
The Right Question
If there is one thing that having a blog has taught me, its that I'm a terrible blogger! Even though thousands of ideas run through my head and I think, "I should write about that", I find that I don't take the time to do it.
However, every now and again, a thought hits me that I believe is so critical to our journey that I have to get it out there.
The thought is this: Religion focuses on discovering what WE think of God - like He is an option in our life - and how to "get to" Him, if, in fact, we end up believing He exists. Let's face it, man has been trying to "perform" his way into God's favor for centuries. And, without putting it on their promotional material, the institutional church (especially the American institutional church) supports this same false idea in the way it operates - those who "do more" are viewed as more "spiritual" than those who just show up, those who give the most money get the leadership positions because they are "more invested" than those who just give what they can, those whose behavior is consistent with the theology of the particular church are the ones on display because they won't be an embarrassment to the establishment. You get the idea. It is an unspoken, but very real, dynamic in most churches today.
But Jesus didn't come to start a religion or build institutions. The word "Christianity" never appears in Scripture. The word "disciple", however, appears more than 260 times in the New Testament. "Christianity" describes a religion, an institution. "Disciple" describes a relationship.
Jesus came to show us what a relationship with the Father looks like. A relationship by its very nature has to be two-sided. One cannot have a unilateral relationship. And, as we see Jesus relating to people in the Gospels, we get a sense of what HE thinks of US! Think about the times He related to people in the complete opposite way of the religionists of his time:
- He touched the leper in Mark 1
- He didn't condemn the woman caught in adultery in John 8
- He showed kindness to the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4
- He forgave the very men who hung Him on a cross in Luke 23
In every instance, not only do we see who HE is, but in His actions, He also makes a statement about who WE are. We are loved. We are chosen. We are precious to Him.
If this is the case, why is so much of our time and effort dedicated to getting His attention and proving our worth to Him? Didn't He answer that question when He came and, ultimately, with the cross?
When Jesus answered the question of the Pharisees in Matthew 22 about the greatest commandment, He answered with, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor AS YOURSELF."
If we don't see ourselves as GOD sees us, how will we ever love others as God sees THEM? The self-sacrificing, agape love of Jesus can only flow through us when we receive His love and learn to love ourselves as He loves us - not a conceited, self-centered love, but a holy and pure view of who God has created us to be.
So, the question is not just, "Who is God?" but it is also, "Who am I?"
Once we allow God to show us who WE are, once we learn to "lived loved", I believe everything else in our lives begins to take on that transcendent, abundant life that is the promise of the Gospel.
Do you find yourself wanting a deeper, more intimate relationship with God and with others? Start with the question, "Am I living loved?"
Pastor Marc
However, every now and again, a thought hits me that I believe is so critical to our journey that I have to get it out there.
The thought is this: Religion focuses on discovering what WE think of God - like He is an option in our life - and how to "get to" Him, if, in fact, we end up believing He exists. Let's face it, man has been trying to "perform" his way into God's favor for centuries. And, without putting it on their promotional material, the institutional church (especially the American institutional church) supports this same false idea in the way it operates - those who "do more" are viewed as more "spiritual" than those who just show up, those who give the most money get the leadership positions because they are "more invested" than those who just give what they can, those whose behavior is consistent with the theology of the particular church are the ones on display because they won't be an embarrassment to the establishment. You get the idea. It is an unspoken, but very real, dynamic in most churches today.
But Jesus didn't come to start a religion or build institutions. The word "Christianity" never appears in Scripture. The word "disciple", however, appears more than 260 times in the New Testament. "Christianity" describes a religion, an institution. "Disciple" describes a relationship.
Jesus came to show us what a relationship with the Father looks like. A relationship by its very nature has to be two-sided. One cannot have a unilateral relationship. And, as we see Jesus relating to people in the Gospels, we get a sense of what HE thinks of US! Think about the times He related to people in the complete opposite way of the religionists of his time:
- He touched the leper in Mark 1
- He didn't condemn the woman caught in adultery in John 8
- He showed kindness to the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4
- He forgave the very men who hung Him on a cross in Luke 23
In every instance, not only do we see who HE is, but in His actions, He also makes a statement about who WE are. We are loved. We are chosen. We are precious to Him.
If this is the case, why is so much of our time and effort dedicated to getting His attention and proving our worth to Him? Didn't He answer that question when He came and, ultimately, with the cross?
When Jesus answered the question of the Pharisees in Matthew 22 about the greatest commandment, He answered with, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor AS YOURSELF."
If we don't see ourselves as GOD sees us, how will we ever love others as God sees THEM? The self-sacrificing, agape love of Jesus can only flow through us when we receive His love and learn to love ourselves as He loves us - not a conceited, self-centered love, but a holy and pure view of who God has created us to be.
So, the question is not just, "Who is God?" but it is also, "Who am I?"
Once we allow God to show us who WE are, once we learn to "lived loved", I believe everything else in our lives begins to take on that transcendent, abundant life that is the promise of the Gospel.
Do you find yourself wanting a deeper, more intimate relationship with God and with others? Start with the question, "Am I living loved?"
Pastor Marc
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
The Measure of a Man
I have to speak out on something that I've held onto for far too long. Forgive me in advance if this seems like a "vent session", but I believe there is an issue that the Church needs to address before we push God even farther into the background and buy into any more lies from our culture. That issue is the measure of a man.
I was talking with a friend of mine the other day who was relaying to me how he perceived some of his male friends defined what it took to "be a man". Their definition of a "man" reeked with the John Wayne 'pull-yourself-up-by-your-own-bootstraps-and-never-let-them-see-you-cry" nonsense. A "real man" in their eyes would be one who never showed weakness, never offered vulnerability and never, ever, for ANY reason, EVER, let anyone else see them cry. Some have so bought into this lie so deeply that they won't even allow themselves to cry in secret. These men have locked their hearts away in a place where THEY can't even find it anymore. What a tragedy.
I have been criticized on numerous occasions for being "too emotional". The most recent critcism even dared to go as far as saying I was "fake" because of my propensity to show emotion. If the above definiton truly is the measure of a man, and if showing emotion in public is "fake" then we are also passing judgment on the following men of the Bible, all of whom are recorded weeping PUBLICLY:
Jacob & Esau (Gen 33)
Joseph (7 different times in Gen 43 - 50)
Benjamin (Gen 45:14)
David & Jonathan (1 Sam 20:41)
Saul (1 Sam 24:16)
David and his Mighty Men (1 Sam 30:4 - "until they had no strength")
David (again, too many times to mention)
Jehoash (2 Kings 13:14)
Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:3)
Ezra (Ezra 10:1)
Nehemiah (Neh 1:4)
Job (Job 30:25)
Peter (Mark 14:72)
John (Rev 5:4)
Paul & the elders at Ephesus (Acts 20:37)
Jesus (John 11:35, Luke 19:41)
This is NOT a complete list. ALL of these accounts are MEN of the Bible weeping PUBLICLY. I am not ashamed nor will I EVER apologize for being in their company.
Even though those who would define a 'man' as 'one who doesn't cry', there is one emotion that they don't seem to have any trouble at all showing off in public - anger.
This type of anger is not a righteous anger that leads to justice, such as Jesus showed when he cleared the temple. Its a very selfish, self-serving anger that is driven by fear of being exposed or being 'out of control' of their own situation. This anger is a simmering pressure cooker fueled by an undercurrent of frustration that explodes all over people when the person's selfish goals are blocked - or, when they are found to be wrong and are too prideful to admit it. (not a trait that leads to anything good, according to God)
When a man is driven by that kind of insecurity, he tends to look at men who have found freedom from that prison of posers as 'fake' or 'less of a man' somehow. Again, this judgment is driven by fear that they may be exposed because THEY KNOW IN THEIR HEARTS THEY ARE NOT THE REAL THING. These "men" are no better than the third grade bully whose bubble is burst the first time someone punches him in the nose.
Its ironic and sad all at the same time.
Maybe its time for men to start looking to the BIBLE for their definiton of a man instead of the movies, or sports figures, or posers who ignore their wives & kids, or bullies who think they're in charge just because they're bigger and can yell louder. You get the idea...
The REAL strength of a man is found in how he SERVES his wife & kids.
The REAL strength of a man is found in his ability to ADMIT when he's wrong.
The REAL strength of a man is found when he GIVES himself away.
The REAL strength of a man is found in how he EXPRESSES emotions...not how he suppresses them.
There, I feel better now that I have THAT off my chest...my hairy, MANLY chest!!
I was talking with a friend of mine the other day who was relaying to me how he perceived some of his male friends defined what it took to "be a man". Their definition of a "man" reeked with the John Wayne 'pull-yourself-up-by-your-own-bootstraps-and-never-let-them-see-you-cry" nonsense. A "real man" in their eyes would be one who never showed weakness, never offered vulnerability and never, ever, for ANY reason, EVER, let anyone else see them cry. Some have so bought into this lie so deeply that they won't even allow themselves to cry in secret. These men have locked their hearts away in a place where THEY can't even find it anymore. What a tragedy.
I have been criticized on numerous occasions for being "too emotional". The most recent critcism even dared to go as far as saying I was "fake" because of my propensity to show emotion. If the above definiton truly is the measure of a man, and if showing emotion in public is "fake" then we are also passing judgment on the following men of the Bible, all of whom are recorded weeping PUBLICLY:
Jacob & Esau (Gen 33)
Joseph (7 different times in Gen 43 - 50)
Benjamin (Gen 45:14)
David & Jonathan (1 Sam 20:41)
Saul (1 Sam 24:16)
David and his Mighty Men (1 Sam 30:4 - "until they had no strength")
David (again, too many times to mention)
Jehoash (2 Kings 13:14)
Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:3)
Ezra (Ezra 10:1)
Nehemiah (Neh 1:4)
Job (Job 30:25)
Peter (Mark 14:72)
John (Rev 5:4)
Paul & the elders at Ephesus (Acts 20:37)
Jesus (John 11:35, Luke 19:41)
This is NOT a complete list. ALL of these accounts are MEN of the Bible weeping PUBLICLY. I am not ashamed nor will I EVER apologize for being in their company.
Even though those who would define a 'man' as 'one who doesn't cry', there is one emotion that they don't seem to have any trouble at all showing off in public - anger.
This type of anger is not a righteous anger that leads to justice, such as Jesus showed when he cleared the temple. Its a very selfish, self-serving anger that is driven by fear of being exposed or being 'out of control' of their own situation. This anger is a simmering pressure cooker fueled by an undercurrent of frustration that explodes all over people when the person's selfish goals are blocked - or, when they are found to be wrong and are too prideful to admit it. (not a trait that leads to anything good, according to God)
When a man is driven by that kind of insecurity, he tends to look at men who have found freedom from that prison of posers as 'fake' or 'less of a man' somehow. Again, this judgment is driven by fear that they may be exposed because THEY KNOW IN THEIR HEARTS THEY ARE NOT THE REAL THING. These "men" are no better than the third grade bully whose bubble is burst the first time someone punches him in the nose.
Its ironic and sad all at the same time.
Maybe its time for men to start looking to the BIBLE for their definiton of a man instead of the movies, or sports figures, or posers who ignore their wives & kids, or bullies who think they're in charge just because they're bigger and can yell louder. You get the idea...
The REAL strength of a man is found in how he SERVES his wife & kids.
The REAL strength of a man is found in his ability to ADMIT when he's wrong.
The REAL strength of a man is found when he GIVES himself away.
The REAL strength of a man is found in how he EXPRESSES emotions...not how he suppresses them.
There, I feel better now that I have THAT off my chest...my hairy, MANLY chest!!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Remember...
God has been speaking to me a lot lately about remembering - remember from where I have brought you, remember your former slavery, remember who I am, etc. Its not that I intentionally forget any of these things. As life happens and time passes, I find these things slip from my memory and experience. The voice that was one day so vivid and powerful becomes a distant whisper among all the other voices that clamour to be heard.
This led me to read back through some journals from the past couple of years. Wow. He has brought us through so much...shown Himself to be so faithful...has done amazing things in our midst. So, why do I so easily forget? I don't know the answer to that. One thing I know is, if I don't remain intentional every day to remember, those things get lost in the shuffle of my busyness, my "to-do" list.
Another thing I know is that God is faithful to pursue me in my forgetfulness. I will hear a line in a movie, read a passage of Scripture or a great book, or just be hanging out with friends and God will stir my heart back to center...remind me for what I was made. Its then that the real battle begins! I can choose to remember, or I can keep dabbling on the fringes, letting the busyness of life carry me along like a raft on a raging river until I'm so far away from God's destination for me that I can lose heart to the point it would be easy to lose hope of ever getting back.
That's where I find a lot of people whom God brings into my path - feeling hopeless that they will ever get back to who God intended them to be. They have bought into the lie that screams to them every day, "Your choices have disqualified you from EVER realizing God's intention for you." That's simply not true.
In the book of Jeremiah, we find that the nation of Israel had taken a trip down that raging river of bad choices yet God declares to them that He has a plan for them. A plan to prosper them and not to harm them...a plan to give them a hope and a future.
The choices of our past NEVER have to disqualify us from God's best for our lives...but that's our choice. The choices we make every day - the choice to do the next right thing - will determine whether we rest in the center of His will or keep drifting aimlessly down river.
May you always remember who you are and whose you are. And may that remembrance lead you to the abundant, fulfilling life found only in God.
Pastor Marc
This led me to read back through some journals from the past couple of years. Wow. He has brought us through so much...shown Himself to be so faithful...has done amazing things in our midst. So, why do I so easily forget? I don't know the answer to that. One thing I know is, if I don't remain intentional every day to remember, those things get lost in the shuffle of my busyness, my "to-do" list.
Another thing I know is that God is faithful to pursue me in my forgetfulness. I will hear a line in a movie, read a passage of Scripture or a great book, or just be hanging out with friends and God will stir my heart back to center...remind me for what I was made. Its then that the real battle begins! I can choose to remember, or I can keep dabbling on the fringes, letting the busyness of life carry me along like a raft on a raging river until I'm so far away from God's destination for me that I can lose heart to the point it would be easy to lose hope of ever getting back.
That's where I find a lot of people whom God brings into my path - feeling hopeless that they will ever get back to who God intended them to be. They have bought into the lie that screams to them every day, "Your choices have disqualified you from EVER realizing God's intention for you." That's simply not true.
In the book of Jeremiah, we find that the nation of Israel had taken a trip down that raging river of bad choices yet God declares to them that He has a plan for them. A plan to prosper them and not to harm them...a plan to give them a hope and a future.
The choices of our past NEVER have to disqualify us from God's best for our lives...but that's our choice. The choices we make every day - the choice to do the next right thing - will determine whether we rest in the center of His will or keep drifting aimlessly down river.
May you always remember who you are and whose you are. And may that remembrance lead you to the abundant, fulfilling life found only in God.
Pastor Marc
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
The Lord Almighty
This morning as I was reading my email devotionals, God asked me the ? that was being asked: What comes to your mind when you hear the words "The Lord Almighty"? I realized that I also had in-the-box thinking or a mindset that had been drilled into me. I have to tell ya that as I began to let Him expand yet another concept of who HE Is, I was just blown away. To picture our God putting on battle gear and picking up a sword and leading armies to come and fight for me was so humbling and powerful. I was filled with such awe, joy and excitement that I could hardly bear it. I began to really see this picture of a God who loves us with such a fierce and protective love that He will allow nothing to stand in His way to get to us. My mind can hardly comprehend this. It gives new meaning to "If God is for us, who can be against us" thinking. This is reality! This is truth! I feel like one of those people who has been standing, listening to their leader as he is rallying the weary and the discouraged to arise with renewed strength and hope. I am shouting yes, yes, yes with arms lifted high. We have a God who is at war on our behalf. The words to one of my favorite songs: "if God is for us, who then shall we fear" has a whole new meaning. I never want to parrot words these words "The Lord Almighty" again. I want them to be alive and active in my life. Yes, yes, yes The Lord Almighty is my God!
Shalom
Shalom
Monday, April 20, 2009
Sing of Him, Sing of His praises
Since my departure from the institutional church I have had to find opportunities to "sing of Him, sing His praises" as Psalm 105 encourages me to do. I mourned and missed Thursday night rehearsals and sometimes I found myself desiring to privately sneak into a Sunday morning service where the music would be loud enough that no one would hear me in the back row, belting my private praise to God. I admit it, I missed singing, rehearsing, working toward a great sound. Making music is an awesome experience and I found comfort and joy in the creativity.
This past Saturday night I gathered with a group of extremely creative people to make some noise to the LORD, bring our fellowship before His throne and learn of one another and better learn who God says He is in this Story we are in.
One of the first songs we sang together on Saturday was the song "Friend of God"... it just slayed me. This song took me back years ago to when I had first heard it (before radio played the Phillips, Craig and Dean version every half hour). I decided to introduce it to the crowd on a Sunday morning with the iWorship Video knowing the bass line at the beginning of the video would render some comment cards but hopefully the crowd would hear the message. I was to rehearse on Thurs and lead on Sunday as our full time worship leader was to be absent. Interestingly, the memory that clearly came to me was rehearsing this song with the video without our band. The lead guitarist kept telling me I was singing the wrong part at the chorus. He was insistent that if I did not follow Israel Houghton's part like the video, the congregation would not know what to sing. The soprano I was paired with that week had sung with me tons of times and if I jumped to lead, she would jump to alto, if I jumped to alto, she would go to lead. We knew this about one another and it did not need to be discussed. But the guitarist kept trying to sing the part that he sensed I should be singing. Rehearsal began to deteriorate at a speed I could not remedy. His frustration grew and rehearsal became tense as I continued singing what I knew to be true, not true by my experience but true by what I heard in the lyrics and general makeup of the song. There was beauty in the relationships of those I was singing with that the guitarist could not hear. I probably knew even that night many years ago that God was moving me out of that realm of performance. Not necessarily because I was a mediocre song leader but because it was killing my heart. I am so thankful His timing was priority over mine.
As this entire memory played out in my mind Saturday night and then again this morning I have entered into greater gratitude as a friend and child of God. I am so blessed by the Holy Spirit that the critical and often hurtful experiences of the past can be remembered but not hold me captive. I am still learning to sing again but without looking around me to see who I might offend. I am learning to sing again with a singular purpose...Giving praise to the LORD, calling on His name; making known among the nations what He has done. Singing of Him, Singing of His praises; telling of all His wonderful acts.
This past Saturday night I gathered with a group of extremely creative people to make some noise to the LORD, bring our fellowship before His throne and learn of one another and better learn who God says He is in this Story we are in.
One of the first songs we sang together on Saturday was the song "Friend of God"... it just slayed me. This song took me back years ago to when I had first heard it (before radio played the Phillips, Craig and Dean version every half hour). I decided to introduce it to the crowd on a Sunday morning with the iWorship Video knowing the bass line at the beginning of the video would render some comment cards but hopefully the crowd would hear the message. I was to rehearse on Thurs and lead on Sunday as our full time worship leader was to be absent. Interestingly, the memory that clearly came to me was rehearsing this song with the video without our band. The lead guitarist kept telling me I was singing the wrong part at the chorus. He was insistent that if I did not follow Israel Houghton's part like the video, the congregation would not know what to sing. The soprano I was paired with that week had sung with me tons of times and if I jumped to lead, she would jump to alto, if I jumped to alto, she would go to lead. We knew this about one another and it did not need to be discussed. But the guitarist kept trying to sing the part that he sensed I should be singing. Rehearsal began to deteriorate at a speed I could not remedy. His frustration grew and rehearsal became tense as I continued singing what I knew to be true, not true by my experience but true by what I heard in the lyrics and general makeup of the song. There was beauty in the relationships of those I was singing with that the guitarist could not hear. I probably knew even that night many years ago that God was moving me out of that realm of performance. Not necessarily because I was a mediocre song leader but because it was killing my heart. I am so thankful His timing was priority over mine.
As this entire memory played out in my mind Saturday night and then again this morning I have entered into greater gratitude as a friend and child of God. I am so blessed by the Holy Spirit that the critical and often hurtful experiences of the past can be remembered but not hold me captive. I am still learning to sing again but without looking around me to see who I might offend. I am learning to sing again with a singular purpose...Giving praise to the LORD, calling on His name; making known among the nations what He has done. Singing of Him, Singing of His praises; telling of all His wonderful acts.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Spring is Here!
I can't believe that my last post was in February!!
Where does the time go? One reason I haven't been writing much lately is the advent of spring! Its been a long, cold winter that doesn't seem to want to give up even in April. Regardless, its 70 sunny degrees on this day and I'm knee-deep in preparing my garden for the summer.
I just wanted to take a moment to let you know that I will resume posting teachings from The River next week. We've had a couple of fabulous weeks together during Holy Week. The teaching times were a little different and harder to capture on audio so we didn't even try!
God keeps amazing us in so many different ways. We're discovering depths of His love for us that before we only heard were possible. We're experiencing a depth of community and commitment for each other because of that love that's beyond our understanding...but its REAL. For the first time in my 44 years, I'm finding that it IS possible to experience community like the church in Acts.
I'm so grateful for my God and the community in which He has placed me. The words of the Richardo Sanchez song express my desire to go even deeper into God and into true, redemptive community:
I'm not going back
I'm moving ahead
I'm here to declare to You
My past is over
In You all things are made new
I've surrendered my life to Christ
I'm moving
Moving forward!
For the Kingdom,
Marc
Where does the time go? One reason I haven't been writing much lately is the advent of spring! Its been a long, cold winter that doesn't seem to want to give up even in April. Regardless, its 70 sunny degrees on this day and I'm knee-deep in preparing my garden for the summer.
I just wanted to take a moment to let you know that I will resume posting teachings from The River next week. We've had a couple of fabulous weeks together during Holy Week. The teaching times were a little different and harder to capture on audio so we didn't even try!
God keeps amazing us in so many different ways. We're discovering depths of His love for us that before we only heard were possible. We're experiencing a depth of community and commitment for each other because of that love that's beyond our understanding...but its REAL. For the first time in my 44 years, I'm finding that it IS possible to experience community like the church in Acts.
I'm so grateful for my God and the community in which He has placed me. The words of the Richardo Sanchez song express my desire to go even deeper into God and into true, redemptive community:
I'm not going back
I'm moving ahead
I'm here to declare to You
My past is over
In You all things are made new
I've surrendered my life to Christ
I'm moving
Moving forward!
For the Kingdom,
Marc
Friday, February 20, 2009
Snakes and Doves
In Matthew 10, there's a great passage where Jesus is giving His disciples instructions before sending them out to the "lost sheep of Israel". In verse 16 he says, "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves."
This passage obviously talks about discernment but I have always found myself caught up in the "snakes and doves" part. After all, didn't our adversary take the form of a snake in the garden?
After doing a word study, I discovered that the snake also stood as an emblem of wisdom in Jesus' day. I guess what they lacked in arms and legs, they made up for with their cunning.
The dove was also an interesting choice of animal. What about 'innocent as a lamb' or any other number of cute, cuddly and, well, innocent animals? Its then that I discovered that the Levitical law required an animal sacrifice for sin...and the dove (two, in fact) was to be the offering for someone who was too poor to afford a female lamb or goat from their flock.
This was all a fascinating study of the history of animals in the Bible for me but the real meaning of the passage can't be discerned by the animals Jesus chose. It is discerned by the words He used to describe these animals.
"Shrewd" (in the NIV - 'wise' in others)means "to think, to have a mindset, sensible, prudent, practically wise in relationships with others".
"Innocent" (again, in the NIV - 'harmless' in others) means "without any mixture of deceit, without any defiling material"
It was then that I realized that Jesus was trying to tell His disciples, "Be discerning in your relationships but do so from a pure heart - without any internal deceit, defiling sin, or hidden agendas."
Often, we beat ourselves up about being "judgmental" if we choose to disassociate with someone because we feel they are not a good influence on our lives or our minsitry. Jesus is very clear in this passage that He was sending them out "as sheep among wolves." But notice He wasn't sending them out into "the world" (that portion of humanity that the church - small 'c' - has so effectively eliminated from any of their associtaions). He was sending them to "the lost sheep of Israel" - the religious establishment.
He told them that they would find some who were "people of peace" - those that would accept the Gospel of the heart. For those, He instructed His disciples to "let their peace rest with them." But to the ones who would not accept His message, He told them to "shake the dust off their feet when you leave that home or town."
Now, this was a VERY strong gesture in the Jewish culture. In fact, it was the pious Jews - the ULTRA-religious - that would perform this gesture after going through a Gentile town or being found in a place where "good Jewish boys" shouldn't find themselves. It signified to those on the receiving end that "the dust of your town is not even good enough to be found on my the bottom of my shoes."
THIS is the gesture that Jesus instructed His disciples to perform for those who were not open to His message. He basically turned the gestures of the religious back on themselves. Amazing.
So, what does this mean for us?
I believe God is reviving the true Gospel - a Gospel of restoration, a Gospel of intimacy with God, a Gospel of the heart - that has been lost under a pile of religious ritual, tradition, denominationalism, and human ambition to build monunments to men. God is reclaiming His Church - one remnant at a time.
As He calls out these remnants, He knows that we will face accusation, lies, and even persecution from the established religious organizations. But, He's calling us to focus on those who will be open and receiving to His message - the person of peace - and shake the dust of the religious organizations (and the people who control them) off our feet.
As we do so, however, we must make sure that we are doing so as one who is "practically wise in our relationships with others without any mixture of deceit or any defiling material" within ourselves.
Psalm 24 makes it clear - "Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false...Such is the generation of those who seek Him."
Shrewd as snakes, innocent as doves.
This passage obviously talks about discernment but I have always found myself caught up in the "snakes and doves" part. After all, didn't our adversary take the form of a snake in the garden?
After doing a word study, I discovered that the snake also stood as an emblem of wisdom in Jesus' day. I guess what they lacked in arms and legs, they made up for with their cunning.
The dove was also an interesting choice of animal. What about 'innocent as a lamb' or any other number of cute, cuddly and, well, innocent animals? Its then that I discovered that the Levitical law required an animal sacrifice for sin...and the dove (two, in fact) was to be the offering for someone who was too poor to afford a female lamb or goat from their flock.
This was all a fascinating study of the history of animals in the Bible for me but the real meaning of the passage can't be discerned by the animals Jesus chose. It is discerned by the words He used to describe these animals.
"Shrewd" (in the NIV - 'wise' in others)means "to think, to have a mindset, sensible, prudent, practically wise in relationships with others".
"Innocent" (again, in the NIV - 'harmless' in others) means "without any mixture of deceit, without any defiling material"
It was then that I realized that Jesus was trying to tell His disciples, "Be discerning in your relationships but do so from a pure heart - without any internal deceit, defiling sin, or hidden agendas."
Often, we beat ourselves up about being "judgmental" if we choose to disassociate with someone because we feel they are not a good influence on our lives or our minsitry. Jesus is very clear in this passage that He was sending them out "as sheep among wolves." But notice He wasn't sending them out into "the world" (that portion of humanity that the church - small 'c' - has so effectively eliminated from any of their associtaions). He was sending them to "the lost sheep of Israel" - the religious establishment.
He told them that they would find some who were "people of peace" - those that would accept the Gospel of the heart. For those, He instructed His disciples to "let their peace rest with them." But to the ones who would not accept His message, He told them to "shake the dust off their feet when you leave that home or town."
Now, this was a VERY strong gesture in the Jewish culture. In fact, it was the pious Jews - the ULTRA-religious - that would perform this gesture after going through a Gentile town or being found in a place where "good Jewish boys" shouldn't find themselves. It signified to those on the receiving end that "the dust of your town is not even good enough to be found on my the bottom of my shoes."
THIS is the gesture that Jesus instructed His disciples to perform for those who were not open to His message. He basically turned the gestures of the religious back on themselves. Amazing.
So, what does this mean for us?
I believe God is reviving the true Gospel - a Gospel of restoration, a Gospel of intimacy with God, a Gospel of the heart - that has been lost under a pile of religious ritual, tradition, denominationalism, and human ambition to build monunments to men. God is reclaiming His Church - one remnant at a time.
As He calls out these remnants, He knows that we will face accusation, lies, and even persecution from the established religious organizations. But, He's calling us to focus on those who will be open and receiving to His message - the person of peace - and shake the dust of the religious organizations (and the people who control them) off our feet.
As we do so, however, we must make sure that we are doing so as one who is "practically wise in our relationships with others without any mixture of deceit or any defiling material" within ourselves.
Psalm 24 makes it clear - "Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false...Such is the generation of those who seek Him."
Shrewd as snakes, innocent as doves.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Freedom
Freedom doesn't mean I get to do what I want.
Rather, freedom is being enabled by God's transforming Spirit to do what I couldn't do of my own accord:
Loving my neighbor...
Forgiving those who have hurt me...
Trusting God with my life...
Freedom is being liberated from actions borne out of my own fears and insecurities.
Freedom is dying to how I would live life left to my own devices so that I can be resurrected into life as Christ himself would live it.
Freedom is abandoning my life and taking up the life of Christ.
Nothing to hide...
Nothing to lose...
Nothing to prove.
Rather, freedom is being enabled by God's transforming Spirit to do what I couldn't do of my own accord:
Loving my neighbor...
Forgiving those who have hurt me...
Trusting God with my life...
Freedom is being liberated from actions borne out of my own fears and insecurities.
Freedom is dying to how I would live life left to my own devices so that I can be resurrected into life as Christ himself would live it.
Freedom is abandoning my life and taking up the life of Christ.
Nothing to hide...
Nothing to lose...
Nothing to prove.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Living TrueFaced
I received an email from Brian Stayte on Saturday night after our gathering that I just had to share with you. He wrote this last Friday after having a conversation with one of his students. I love how God speaks to us each individually and then confirms what he says to us in the context of community. Enjoy what he wrote...I thought it was too good not to pass on...
Marc
I came across a quote today that I thought spoke loudly what I see in
so many Christians today, and what was true about me until about a year
ago.
It's from "A Knight's Tale". "When a knight dies during the recession
of a fight, one of his squires, William Thatcher, disguises himself as
his master in order to win the prize money of the tournament. He wins
the fight and decides to, together with his fellow squires Wat and
Roland, take on a new false identity as a knight and make a living
winning tournaments." (Written by J. Rieper)
When young William's true identity is found out, the villain, of true
noble bloodlines, Prince Adhemar jumps the squire and beats him to a
pulp. And he finishes him off with,
"You have been weighed, you have been measured, and you have been found
wanting. In what world could you possibly beat me?"
Rather than embracing his true identity, William decided to hide behind
the mask of someone he admired. He was aware of his condition. The
reality of his world was that he was stuck. He saw an opportunity to
"become" a knight without going through the proper channels, and he took
it. He put on the mask, and people called him Sir. Deep down inside he
knew it was a lie. But he CHOSE to believe that he'd find more meaning
and greater fulfillment as a knight. The sad self-story had begun long
before Prince Adhemar spoke those words. Long before he stole that
man's identity, he already believed he was "found wanting."
How many Christians strive, posture, and try to fake their identity in
Christ? They try to "be good" and "follow the 10 commandments, "read
their Bible daily," and "pray more." But, if we were truly honest with
ourselves, we'd tell you that it doesn't work. Something is still
broken inside of us and we can't figure out the newest technique that's
going to fix it. We're still unfulfilled, and the pile of sin doesn't
ever get any smaller. The guilt over not measuring up continues to
build. We're still "just" William, wearing a suit of rusty armor that
belongs to someone else.
The reality is that Jesus didn't just die to save us from eternal
separation from Him. It wasn't just a "get out of hell free" card. He
died so, primarily, so we could receive His spirit inside our heart and
become a totally new creation. He didn't die to "fix" our sin. He died
so that we could receive HIS righteousness and justification. Then, and
only then, can our sin be dealt with. If we read the Bible from that
perspective, and we believe that it's true, Why don't we believe all of
the stuff Paul says about our new identity? "Maybe your old self died,
but mine didn't" . . . isn't this how we think sometimes? If William
had believed that he was, in fact, adored by God just the way he was,
maybe the rabbit hole he went down wouldn't have been so deep.
And his closest friends supported his decision. Rather than trusting
his friends with his poor view of himself, William asked them to follow
along . . . and they did. Instead of affirming him in how they already
looked up to him and saw his leadership, all they could think about was
the next treasure they could win. You see, William was good at what he
did. He was winning tournaments, and gaining a crowd. And, most of
all, he was good at pretending. He'd seen the way nobles acted, and he
was sure that he could do it. And so, he hid his past, and his reality
from everyone. By following his lead, these "friends" only affirmed
what he already thought was true . . . that the real William wasn't
enough. So, not only did he believe it, but his friends confirmed it by
allowing him to hide behind this fake identity.
Why does our theology allow for so much hiddenness? Where did "confess
your sins to one another" go? When did we buy into the fact that mask
wearing was acceptable in Christ's church ? And it goes both ways. We
might be the one hiding, or we might be the one ignoring and therefore
encouraging the sins of our brother. When we hide our sins from each
other, there are many truths that follow. First, we are hiding that sin
from God, and hindering His Spirit from doing its great work in our
hearts, making his gift of repentance impossible. Second, we are
rejecting love from God and from the others that he's placed in our
lives. We're being arrogant. We'll never know the love of Christ, and
of others. Third, hiddenness gives power to a sin. It feeds our sinful
nature and the cycle of sin continues. Last, Satan fills in the blanks
of our heart and those that we've sinned against. And his lies are
ALWAYS going to be worse than the reality of whatever it was we did.
Every time.
There is only one option. . . . full disclosure. OUCH! Does that mean
. . . .yes, yes it does . . .we've got to come clean. With our wives.
With our kids. We are to be an open book with God and with others. No
more secrets. No more lies. No more generalities and half-truths.
"Let your yes be yes."
Here's the deal . . . The Bible says that we are a new creation when
we accept Christ into our lives. Thus begins the "war" that Paul speaks
about, between our NEW nature, and our old nature. So, in that war,
which has more power? The spirit of the living God, or this bag of skin
and bones we wear? Our robe of righteousness that He gives through
belief (like Abraham)? Or our robe of flesh? Don't we all know the
answer? So what do we have to hide? That is . . . IF we believe in the
power of this new nature. And IF we understand the difference between
our sin, and our identity. What are we afraid of?
We're still afraid that we will be "weighed, measured, and found
wanting." But it's a lie from the devil himself. "For you have not
been given a spirit of fear, but of POWER, and sound mind." The TRUTH
is that with Christ in our hearts we will NEVER be found wanting again.
He measures us by HIS Righteousness in us . . . DONE through faith (not
just in who He says He is, but what He says He's done in us).
Justification . . . NO PROBLEMO. Redeemed our of slavery and bondage to
our sinful nature. . . PAID IN FULL. Intimately adored by God . . .
EVERY SECOND OF EVERY DAY, AND LONG BEFORE WE KNEW OUR SAVIOR.
Reconciled to Christ . . . ABSOLUTELY. Condemned . . . NEVER, EVER
AGAIN NOT MATTER WHAT WE DO! When are people going to trust God and
others with what He already says is true about us?
Friends, we've got to be better at teaching each other these truths,
and living them out. It is essential to our effectiveness as salt and
light.
Have a wonderful weekend. Ask God to reveal to you how HE sees you, to
show you the truth about your identity. And believe it. Join in the
battle and pray for the attacks of the enemy to fail in Christ name.
Take time to share with others how you see Christ working in their life.
Live TrueFaced,
Brian
Marc
I came across a quote today that I thought spoke loudly what I see in
so many Christians today, and what was true about me until about a year
ago.
It's from "A Knight's Tale". "When a knight dies during the recession
of a fight, one of his squires, William Thatcher, disguises himself as
his master in order to win the prize money of the tournament. He wins
the fight and decides to, together with his fellow squires Wat and
Roland, take on a new false identity as a knight and make a living
winning tournaments." (Written by J. Rieper)
When young William's true identity is found out, the villain, of true
noble bloodlines, Prince Adhemar jumps the squire and beats him to a
pulp. And he finishes him off with,
"You have been weighed, you have been measured, and you have been found
wanting. In what world could you possibly beat me?"
Rather than embracing his true identity, William decided to hide behind
the mask of someone he admired. He was aware of his condition. The
reality of his world was that he was stuck. He saw an opportunity to
"become" a knight without going through the proper channels, and he took
it. He put on the mask, and people called him Sir. Deep down inside he
knew it was a lie. But he CHOSE to believe that he'd find more meaning
and greater fulfillment as a knight. The sad self-story had begun long
before Prince Adhemar spoke those words. Long before he stole that
man's identity, he already believed he was "found wanting."
How many Christians strive, posture, and try to fake their identity in
Christ? They try to "be good" and "follow the 10 commandments, "read
their Bible daily," and "pray more." But, if we were truly honest with
ourselves, we'd tell you that it doesn't work. Something is still
broken inside of us and we can't figure out the newest technique that's
going to fix it. We're still unfulfilled, and the pile of sin doesn't
ever get any smaller. The guilt over not measuring up continues to
build. We're still "just" William, wearing a suit of rusty armor that
belongs to someone else.
The reality is that Jesus didn't just die to save us from eternal
separation from Him. It wasn't just a "get out of hell free" card. He
died so, primarily, so we could receive His spirit inside our heart and
become a totally new creation. He didn't die to "fix" our sin. He died
so that we could receive HIS righteousness and justification. Then, and
only then, can our sin be dealt with. If we read the Bible from that
perspective, and we believe that it's true, Why don't we believe all of
the stuff Paul says about our new identity? "Maybe your old self died,
but mine didn't" . . . isn't this how we think sometimes? If William
had believed that he was, in fact, adored by God just the way he was,
maybe the rabbit hole he went down wouldn't have been so deep.
And his closest friends supported his decision. Rather than trusting
his friends with his poor view of himself, William asked them to follow
along . . . and they did. Instead of affirming him in how they already
looked up to him and saw his leadership, all they could think about was
the next treasure they could win. You see, William was good at what he
did. He was winning tournaments, and gaining a crowd. And, most of
all, he was good at pretending. He'd seen the way nobles acted, and he
was sure that he could do it. And so, he hid his past, and his reality
from everyone. By following his lead, these "friends" only affirmed
what he already thought was true . . . that the real William wasn't
enough. So, not only did he believe it, but his friends confirmed it by
allowing him to hide behind this fake identity.
Why does our theology allow for so much hiddenness? Where did "confess
your sins to one another" go? When did we buy into the fact that mask
wearing was acceptable in Christ's church ? And it goes both ways. We
might be the one hiding, or we might be the one ignoring and therefore
encouraging the sins of our brother. When we hide our sins from each
other, there are many truths that follow. First, we are hiding that sin
from God, and hindering His Spirit from doing its great work in our
hearts, making his gift of repentance impossible. Second, we are
rejecting love from God and from the others that he's placed in our
lives. We're being arrogant. We'll never know the love of Christ, and
of others. Third, hiddenness gives power to a sin. It feeds our sinful
nature and the cycle of sin continues. Last, Satan fills in the blanks
of our heart and those that we've sinned against. And his lies are
ALWAYS going to be worse than the reality of whatever it was we did.
Every time.
There is only one option. . . . full disclosure. OUCH! Does that mean
. . . .yes, yes it does . . .we've got to come clean. With our wives.
With our kids. We are to be an open book with God and with others. No
more secrets. No more lies. No more generalities and half-truths.
"Let your yes be yes."
Here's the deal . . . The Bible says that we are a new creation when
we accept Christ into our lives. Thus begins the "war" that Paul speaks
about, between our NEW nature, and our old nature. So, in that war,
which has more power? The spirit of the living God, or this bag of skin
and bones we wear? Our robe of righteousness that He gives through
belief (like Abraham)? Or our robe of flesh? Don't we all know the
answer? So what do we have to hide? That is . . . IF we believe in the
power of this new nature. And IF we understand the difference between
our sin, and our identity. What are we afraid of?
We're still afraid that we will be "weighed, measured, and found
wanting." But it's a lie from the devil himself. "For you have not
been given a spirit of fear, but of POWER, and sound mind." The TRUTH
is that with Christ in our hearts we will NEVER be found wanting again.
He measures us by HIS Righteousness in us . . . DONE through faith (not
just in who He says He is, but what He says He's done in us).
Justification . . . NO PROBLEMO. Redeemed our of slavery and bondage to
our sinful nature. . . PAID IN FULL. Intimately adored by God . . .
EVERY SECOND OF EVERY DAY, AND LONG BEFORE WE KNEW OUR SAVIOR.
Reconciled to Christ . . . ABSOLUTELY. Condemned . . . NEVER, EVER
AGAIN NOT MATTER WHAT WE DO! When are people going to trust God and
others with what He already says is true about us?
Friends, we've got to be better at teaching each other these truths,
and living them out. It is essential to our effectiveness as salt and
light.
Have a wonderful weekend. Ask God to reveal to you how HE sees you, to
show you the truth about your identity. And believe it. Join in the
battle and pray for the attacks of the enemy to fail in Christ name.
Take time to share with others how you see Christ working in their life.
Live TrueFaced,
Brian
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Broken Fences
2008 was packed full of memorable events for many of us. One event that sticks out in my mind was the torrential rains and catastrophic flooding that occurred all through the Midwest. Some say it was a "500 year flood" meaning we won't see flooding like that for another 500 years!
The reason this event sticks out in my mind, though, is not because of the historical significance or even the mind-boggling amount of water that we saw. This event is memorable because of one short conversation on a Sunday morning.
At the time of the floods, my Mom had about 20 cattle on her place - a beautiful 125-acre farm that's fenced off in two separate 40+ acre plots for the cattle to roam. These plots each have two places where the stream that runs through her property goes under the fence to provide fresh water for the cattle. The downside is this: Every time we have high water...especially a 500 year flood...the fences get wiped out.
This happened 4 times in a six-week stretch last summer.
We found ourselves rebuilding the same 4 sections of fence 4 different times. Sometimes when it was blazing hot with unbearable humidity, other times slogging through mud past our ankles.
One of these flash floods came through on a Saturday night completely devastating all four "gaps", as we call them. Mom had called a friend of ours to come help rebuild the next morning. Sunday morning.
This man is the kind that would do anything for you - anytime, anywhere - yet, he doesn't claim to belong to any church. I can remember the day like it was yesterday. The sun was bright and the air was clean. The kind of clean that only comes after a rain like that. It was the most glorious day I can remember.
As we began to clear away the debris that had lodged itself in the barb wire, the verse from James 1:27 hit me, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress...". I realized at that moment that I could have been sitting in a pew somewhere listening to a great sermon about how we should help widows in their distress...or I could just get out and do it.
When I shared this with my friend, it started a great conversation about what being a Christian is all about...and what its NOT about. I learned from this conversation that my friend doesn't have a problem with God. Its the actions, attitudes and behaviors he's seen out of some of his "followers" that has him confused.
A person who never misses a church service yet talks about his neighbor with a judgmental tongue is sending a mixed signal to the world.
A person who sings in the choir on Sunday yet cheats in his business would lead one to ask the question, "why do I need church if those who attend act like everybody else?"
A person who will argue theology with you but shun those in need around them causes those outside the church to get as far away as possible.
And I don't blame them.
Jesus didn't come to establish a religion. The Pharisees had that under control. You get a great glimpse into what Jesus feels about religion when you read Matthew 23.
He hates it.
There would have been a time when I would have felt guilty for "working" on Sunday...and there would have been plenty of modern-day Pharisees to reinforce that feeling.
But not this day.
This day, I realized that "religion" that God accepted as pure and faultless was helping a widow in need and having a God-ordained conversation with someone who acts a lot more like a Christ-follower than some who claim to be.
This day was worship.
Its not the act of going into a building on Sunday or belonging to a certain organization that makes you a Christ-follower. Its surrendering to Christ and letting Him work through the "everyday-ness" of your life to make a positive difference in someone else's life.
I'm really glad its not my job to determine "who's in" and "who's out" when it comes to heaven. I see some who have done all the "right" things, said all the "right" words, and show up every Sunday to "worship" yet what they hear on Sunday makes no difference whatsoever in how they live their lives the other 6 days of the week.
On the other hand, I see my friend who I've never heard say a bad word about anybody, would give you the shirt off his back, and is always there to help, yet doesn't have anything to do with "church" because of the impression he's received from those who go.
I understand that its a belief in Christ and the acceptance of his work on the cross that saves us and not our deeds but, there has to be a point in our lives where that belief transcends our old nature and make us more like Christ and less like our old selves. When others see Christ working in our lives, they will be drawn to Him, not pushed away.
We can be in church every time the doors are open, be on boards and in choirs, but, if people aren't drawn to Jesus by how we live our lives outside of the organization, we're nothing more than modern-day Pharisees. Again, see Matthew 23 for insight on what Jesus thinks of these guys!
May you see that God wants more than your Sunday mornings.
May you see that worship that God accepts as pure and faultless may just happen where you least expect it.
May you see Him in the simple conversations and the necessary tasks of your life.
Most of all, may your preconceived notions about what a Christ-follower is...and isn't...be rooted in relationship, not religion.
Next - A New Point of View
The reason this event sticks out in my mind, though, is not because of the historical significance or even the mind-boggling amount of water that we saw. This event is memorable because of one short conversation on a Sunday morning.
At the time of the floods, my Mom had about 20 cattle on her place - a beautiful 125-acre farm that's fenced off in two separate 40+ acre plots for the cattle to roam. These plots each have two places where the stream that runs through her property goes under the fence to provide fresh water for the cattle. The downside is this: Every time we have high water...especially a 500 year flood...the fences get wiped out.
This happened 4 times in a six-week stretch last summer.
We found ourselves rebuilding the same 4 sections of fence 4 different times. Sometimes when it was blazing hot with unbearable humidity, other times slogging through mud past our ankles.
One of these flash floods came through on a Saturday night completely devastating all four "gaps", as we call them. Mom had called a friend of ours to come help rebuild the next morning. Sunday morning.
This man is the kind that would do anything for you - anytime, anywhere - yet, he doesn't claim to belong to any church. I can remember the day like it was yesterday. The sun was bright and the air was clean. The kind of clean that only comes after a rain like that. It was the most glorious day I can remember.
As we began to clear away the debris that had lodged itself in the barb wire, the verse from James 1:27 hit me, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress...". I realized at that moment that I could have been sitting in a pew somewhere listening to a great sermon about how we should help widows in their distress...or I could just get out and do it.
When I shared this with my friend, it started a great conversation about what being a Christian is all about...and what its NOT about. I learned from this conversation that my friend doesn't have a problem with God. Its the actions, attitudes and behaviors he's seen out of some of his "followers" that has him confused.
A person who never misses a church service yet talks about his neighbor with a judgmental tongue is sending a mixed signal to the world.
A person who sings in the choir on Sunday yet cheats in his business would lead one to ask the question, "why do I need church if those who attend act like everybody else?"
A person who will argue theology with you but shun those in need around them causes those outside the church to get as far away as possible.
And I don't blame them.
Jesus didn't come to establish a religion. The Pharisees had that under control. You get a great glimpse into what Jesus feels about religion when you read Matthew 23.
He hates it.
There would have been a time when I would have felt guilty for "working" on Sunday...and there would have been plenty of modern-day Pharisees to reinforce that feeling.
But not this day.
This day, I realized that "religion" that God accepted as pure and faultless was helping a widow in need and having a God-ordained conversation with someone who acts a lot more like a Christ-follower than some who claim to be.
This day was worship.
Its not the act of going into a building on Sunday or belonging to a certain organization that makes you a Christ-follower. Its surrendering to Christ and letting Him work through the "everyday-ness" of your life to make a positive difference in someone else's life.
I'm really glad its not my job to determine "who's in" and "who's out" when it comes to heaven. I see some who have done all the "right" things, said all the "right" words, and show up every Sunday to "worship" yet what they hear on Sunday makes no difference whatsoever in how they live their lives the other 6 days of the week.
On the other hand, I see my friend who I've never heard say a bad word about anybody, would give you the shirt off his back, and is always there to help, yet doesn't have anything to do with "church" because of the impression he's received from those who go.
I understand that its a belief in Christ and the acceptance of his work on the cross that saves us and not our deeds but, there has to be a point in our lives where that belief transcends our old nature and make us more like Christ and less like our old selves. When others see Christ working in our lives, they will be drawn to Him, not pushed away.
We can be in church every time the doors are open, be on boards and in choirs, but, if people aren't drawn to Jesus by how we live our lives outside of the organization, we're nothing more than modern-day Pharisees. Again, see Matthew 23 for insight on what Jesus thinks of these guys!
May you see that God wants more than your Sunday mornings.
May you see that worship that God accepts as pure and faultless may just happen where you least expect it.
May you see Him in the simple conversations and the necessary tasks of your life.
Most of all, may your preconceived notions about what a Christ-follower is...and isn't...be rooted in relationship, not religion.
Next - A New Point of View
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