2013

Wow, here we sit at the end of 2012, which hopefully we all thought we would see despite the maniacal claims that doomsday was upon us. No doubt this year has brought both blessing and tribulation in your life. There have been armfuls of both this past year in my life. Struggles, pain, tribulation, and fighting have been very real. Just as real have been the blessings, joy, and growth of this year. Sadly enough, the end of the year is one of those few times where we pause and reflect upon what has passed and what is to come. Reflection is something that most of us do not do often enough. Try taking some time to reflect on where you were last year. As you sat eagerly awaiting 2012 and the adventures to come, where was your mind? Where was your heart? How did you spend your time? Where did you invest yourself?

As I sat back and began to do this for myself, I the greatness of the work that God is doing in my life became very real to me. After reflecting upon 2012, I came to the realization of how much I have grown in the past year. It is difficult to see the growth (or lack of growth) that has taken place in your life without stopping and reflecting. If you aren’t constantly growing, then you are dying. If you sit and look back at where you were a year ago and you aren’t any closer to the Father, then you are not growing like you should be. True Christian growth is constant and never satisfied.

Keep growing. If you aren’t growing, then something needs to change. Maybe your attitude needs to change. Maybe your heart needs to change. Maybe the situations your put yourself in need to change. Whatever it is, you have to be willing to give it to God. Seek God. Follow him and truly know him. Don’t grow just for growth’s sake, that's called a tumor, grow as a disciple so that you can make much of Christ. Make 2013 better than 2012. Grow more this year than you grew this year. Continue being obedient and faithful. If you are obedient and faithful to the calling of God, you will find him in the most unexpected places. 

When Tragedy Strikes

This temporary earth that we currently inhabit is filled with brokenness, pain, and death. We see this every day on the news, particularly on a day like today where the atrocity committed in Connecticut is all over the news and social media. No doubt this is pure evil at work. Innocent children loved by God have had their lives taken from them for no reason. The lives of millions will be affected by this heinous crime. Most people, myself included, are furious and heartbroken over this horrible event. Be in constant prayer for the families of these children and people and the town of Newtown. Your prayers will make be heard. 

How ought we respond to this? Obviously with prayer. Always with prayer. And with mourning. Mourn the evil and the loss of human life and the pain that has come and will come from one person's decision. Whether or not you are a believer and follower of Christ, you are forced to respond to this in some way. As a Christ follower I struggle with how to respond in situations like these other than with heartbrokenness and mourning. What I do know is that no matter what the pain, no matter what the heartbreak, no matter what the loss, and no matter what the tragedy, there is always hope in Christ. He conquered death. He is sovereign and He is good. The awful acts of man do not change the fact that God is good and God is sovereign. 

There is no hope apart from Christ. If you are struggling with how to cope with tragedy, like this school shooting, I guarantee you that God is waiting for you with open arms. The pain of this earth will be washed away in the end. Revelation 21:4 says that when Christ returns in his glory "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Jesus will end all of this when he returns. 

But until then, we are left here in this wretched earth with death, mourning, crying, pain, anger, resentment, and righteous fury. Cry out to Jesus. Tell him your pain. Tell him your anger and your fury. Let him into your life and  when you're done screaming and flailing and crying he will come and wrap his arms around you. Run to Jesus in mourning. Run to Jesus in pain and anger. Run to Jesus when tragedy strikes. 

4 Months of Darkness

 Well this is my first post in over 4 months I believe. Senior year of college took me over and I found that every ounce of energy that I could muster had to be geared toward the absurd amount of schoolwork and other commitments that I had made. But really, all of that was just a wimpy excuse. Busyness becomes the easiest reason to permit stagnancy in our walk with the Lord. I shared with my small group last night that I believe spiritual stagnancy is one of the biggest threats facing Christians in America. For the last 4 months I have used busyness (with good things!) as an excuse to neglect walking in the light. Instead of basking the glorious light of Christ, I found myself content with sulking in the shadows beyond. There is no more dangerous thing for a believer than becoming comfortable with the shadows.

 

I share this not out of a desire to gain something, but out of a desire to surrender my pride and perhaps open your eyes if you have succumb to the same complacency that I had. The very worst part of this was that deep down I knew where I was and I lied to myself by saying that I just didn’t have the energy, time, or the strength to climb out of the pit. I convinced myself that circumstances beyond my control and the poor choices and actions of other people were what was driving me into this empty and helpless state of mind and soul. I let my eyes adjust to the darkness and soon had less desire to even try and see the light again.

Then all of the sudden, it was gone. I’m sure it is partially related to the fact that much of my schoolwork is done for the semester…but there is something more. There is hope now. There are thoughts and emotions and desires of the light that I tricked myself into thinking were somehow out of reach for me, when they were entirely within my grasp the whole time. God finally smacked me on the face instead of letting me wallow in the pit of despair into which I had so willingly and freely cast myself. No one pushed me in, no one dragged me in, I don’t even think I fell in…I jumped in.

If you have felt this way or are feeling this way right now, I would encourage you to persevere. Look at the suffering Jesus endured and the purity that his heart maintained despite it all. Look at Paul and the pain and suffering he endured and then rejoiced in. True believers will always have seasons of pain and suffering. They will always have those times when they let their eyes adjust to the darkness. What you must remember is that you are a free soul. You have been released from your captivity by Jesus himself. You must recognize that you have been set free and then choose to live like it! No circumstance, no pain, no fear, no worry, and no one can put your chains back on except yourself. After being set free and cleansed by Christ, the only force that can drive you into the shadows beyond is yourself. Stop sulking in the darkness. Stop letting the evil one whisper lies in your ear. Remember that the shed blood of Christ has freed you from all bondage and that there is no greater joy or comfort than pressing close up against Jesus when all the lights seem to go out.

The Holy Name

They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

-                    -   Titus 1:16

This verse is one that all believers ought to constantly have on their minds. I have written on this verse before and I believe that this issue needs to be addressed so much that I will write on the exact same verse again. Let me be clear, this message is to believers in Christ. Those who claim to know God. Those who claim his name and identify themselves with Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. If you claim to know God and identify yourself with His name then this verse is for you.

If you claim to be a Christian in any way then act like it! Your actions should not deny God but glorify him! When you identify yourself with Christ and then deny him by your behavior and your lifestyle and your actions then you are tarnishing the name of Jesus Christ. You are contaminating the pure and Holy name of Jesus. Not only is this irreverent and not glorifying to God, but it also turns non-believers away from the love of God. This would be the complete opposite of what Christ has called his followers to.

If you are living or acting in such a way that God is denied by your actions you have made yourself “detestable, disobedient, and unfit for doing anything good.” Obviously as sinful humans we are all going to fall short of God’s glory and none of us have the capacity to perfectly live up to the calling that Christ has for his followers. But if you claim to know God, the Creator of the universe, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, then you better live like it and you better act like it. This is our calling as believers and followers of Jesus. Do NOT blemish the name of God. Do not taint the name of God by your actions. Live like Christ did and like he calls his followers to. Glorify him with your actions and never lose sight of how precious and the Holy the name of God is. 

After God's Own Heart

King David is one of the most significant people in all of the Bible. Acts 13:22 shows us that God saw David as “a man after God’s own heart”. He is the only man that is ever referred to in such a way. What made David a man after God’s own heart? What made David so special? And how does this change the way that we ought to live?

First of all, King David was chosen specifically by God to lead (1 Samuel 16:10-13). Samuel went to the house of Jesse and went through all of his sons and God told Samuel that David was the next king. From a very early age, David had been selected by God to lead. Second of all, David’s heart was “fully devoted to the Lord” (1 Kings 15:3). His heart was not torn between numerous things, it was 100% completely and fully sold out for the Lord. Thirdly, David walked obediently with the Lord and kept his commands (1 Kings 3:14). He was constantly walking with the Lord and never strayed from the path. He kept God’s laws and was obedient to all that God commanded of him. Fourthly, David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord for his entire life, except for his one infamous mistake. This mistake of course is his affair with Bathsheba/the murder of Uriah, and his weak attempt to cover it all up. Every other thing that David did was right in the sight of the Lord.

There is one thing that set David apart from other men almost entirely. He made one epic mistake and that is perhaps what he is most famous for. But everything else he did was right in the sight of the Lord. However, when he did make this mistake and realized his sin and his brokenness, he did something that might just have been the very center of what made him a man after God’s own heart. He repented. In Psalm 51, David cries out to God in anguish and brokenness and repents as purely and sincerely as is humanly possible. Though it sets David apart from most men that almost everything he did was right in Gods eyes, what really set him apart was how he responded the one time that he did mess up.

Live like David lived. Lead like David led. Devote your heart to the Lord, walk obediently with Him, do what is right in the eyes of the Lord, and when you do mess up, run to the Lord, fall on your knees, and cry out to God in repentance. That’s what made David a man after God’s own heart. 

From The Lion's Mouth

At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. 

- 1 Timothy 4:16-17

This is a later stage in Paul’s life. Just a few verses earlier he says that the time of his departure is near, meaning he is near death. He pleads with Timothy to come visit him and bring some of their closest friends and ministers along with him. This is a very rough time for Paul. No one was there to support him. Everyone deserted him. He was alone.

Can you resonate with that? Have you ever felt like Paul did as he was writing this? Have you ever felt deserted and like no one supports you? Have you ever felt so empty that you were literally begging people to come be with you? Have you ever felt like you poured yourself out completely to the point you were out of strength entirely? If you haven’t, you will at some point in your life.

Luckily Paul doesn’t stop there. He continues on to say that the Lord stood by him and gave him strength so that the Gospel may be proclaimed. What can we learn from this? First, we learn that everyone, even one of the most prominent Christian leaders of all time, will be hit by loneliness, depression, and emptiness. Second, we learn that even when everyone and everything else fails, the Lord will give us strength. God remains faithful. Third, we learn that the Lord gives us this strength not for our own benefit, but for the proclamation of the Gospel. We are given strength to accomplish God’s mission. It is merely a side effect of our God’s love that we will be delivered from the lion’s mouth in the process. 

Glory Thieves

 I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.

-       Isaiah 42:8

Rant time. Yay. I’m tired of seeing pastors, authors, and Christian leaders saturating their ministry with self-promotion. I see it more now than I ever have before. Big shot pastors and evangelists and authors can easily become consumed more so with themselves than they seem to realize. One in particular stands out to me. His name is plastered all over everything that his church does. The books written, the curriculum created, the church planting they do, the music they create, and even Sunday morning service are infused with self-advancement and glory robbing.

Sure, the Gospel is preached. Worship music is played. God is worshipped. But all of the God and all of the good are poisoned by men attempting to rob God of his glory. Example time: In one church service I was at recently, after the worship through music, the pastor took the stage and announced the tour dates for his book, which he encouraged all the members to buy and tell their friends about. On the church website, the pastors name is plastered all over the place. His books, radio program, and blog are advertised like beer during the Super Bowl. This particular pastor is not the only one by any means. I am tired of seeing pastors attempt to steal the spotlight away from the Creator of the universe. The Lord God is His name, and he does not yield or share his glory with another.

Don’t misunderstand me. If you’ve written a book or have a website or speak for a living then by all means continue to make a living and support yourself and your family and so on. Even promote your own name and network and things like that. I have no problem with that. When I have a problem with it is when it steals glory from God. Don’t use church, the house of the Lord, to make money or promote yourself. That’s exactly why Jesus tossed tables in the temple and threw people out of his house. The Lord does not share his glory with another and he will not tolerate the self-promotion of Christian leaders who try to steal his glory and praise, whether or not they realize it. 

Pastor: (n) [pas-ter]

The top three online dictionaries’ definitions of “pastor” say something like this: A minister or priest who is in charge of a church or congregation. It appears to me as though dictionaries have really no idea what it means to be a pastor. Now, the second definition from these websites is perhaps a more accurate definition: A person having spiritual care of a number of persons. And finally, only one online dictionary has an accurate and helpful third definition: A shepherd.

Yes, a pastor is a minister or a priest. However, no pastor is in charge of a church or congregation; God is always in charge. Second of all, yes, a pastor is a person who has spiritual care of a number of persons. This definition is much more helpful than the first.  But I believe that the best definition of pastor is perhaps the most overlooked one: Shepherd. Why is “shepherd” the best of these definitions for a pastor? In John 10, Jesus refers to himself as “the Good Shepherd” and the Pharisees as evil shepherds and thieves. In the Old Testament, both David and Moses are referred to as shepherds of God’s people. Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel show how God will condemn false shepherds and appoint faithful shepherds to lead his flock and his people.

What we learn from Old Testament history and basic shepherding knowledge can give us some very meaningful insight into what it means to be a pastor. Every shepherd has a distinct call or whistle that his sheep know and recognize so that they will follow him. In addition to this call, shepherds also know their own sheep. Many shepherds give their sheep names and those who don’t will remember their sheep by their distinctive features. Sheep do not follow the voice of a stranger not only because they don’t recognize the voice, but because that means the shepherd does not know his sheep. A shepherd who knows his sheep guides them with his distinctive call. The shepherd is responsible for guiding his flock to places that can meet their unique personal needs. If the flock needs water, he finds a way for them to get water. If they need food, he does the same. He protects them from any harm or danger that may be stalking or hunting them. A shepherd knows his sheep and is willing to do almost anything to keep them safe.

Lets go through that again, this time replacing shepherd with pastor. Every pastor has a distinct way of relating to the people that he serves and his people are familiar with this, which is part of why they have chosen to follow him. In addition to this call, pastors know the people whom they serve. They know their names. They know who they are. They know their distinctive features that separate them from everyone else. They know their strengths and weaknesses. Pastors lead people who know them and recognize them for who they are. A pastor is responsible for guiding the people he serves to places that can meet their unique personal needs. If they need financial help, he guides them. If they need counseling, he guides them. If they need to be taken to new levels of spiritual growth, he guides them. A pastor protects his people from harm. He knows what is hunting them and is humbly willing to do almost anything to keep them safe.

Online dictionaries have very little idea about what it means to be a pastor. Don’t listen to them. God is the head of the church. Pastors are merely shepherds that God has placed in positions of leadership in order to watch over, care for, know, and guide his people closer to Himself. 

Paranormal Activity?

Scary movies are something that many of us enjoy, why many others of us do not. There is something about the thrill of being scared and the shock of being surprised that brings out that small bit of life inside us that nothing else has the ability to penetrate. Arguably the most popular and profitable scary movies that have been made in recent years are the Paranormal Activity movies. These stories, while are admittedly always somewhere between creepy and terrifying, tell the story of a family that is haunted by evil spirits because of a deal that was made with the devil for wealth and power by a family ancestors. Death and torment plague the characters in the movie throughout the series and no matter how hard they try or how far the run, they cannot escape the evil that relentlessly pursues them.

 

It is easy to watch these movies, be scared, and then afterward try to comfort yourself by telling yourself: “Ah, that wasn’t real, it is just a story. That sort of thing doesn’t really happen.” The spiritual world is one that we as humans will never fully understand and I firmly believe that God meant it to be that way. While we are fighting a spiritual battle and living a world controlled by spiritual forces, we have not been called to focus on or dwell in a realm other than the realm in which God has placed us. The devil is real and demons are real and they are absolutely trying to harm you and cause you to run as far from Jesus Christ as possible. They have no other concern than drag you into a spiritual wilderness apart from Jesus.

While you can try and comfort yourself all you want and tell yourself that there are not really evil forces out there trying to seek and destroy, you would be entirely wrong. Now should we take these movies as real events or even accurate descriptions of the spiritual evils that do exist? I don’t think so. But the reality is that there is paranormal activity in our world. There are evil forces trying to destroy us. And there are good forces trying to do the opposite. CS Lewis said, “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.” We must be aware and believe that there are devils and they are trying to harm us. But we also must not feel an unhealthy obsession or fascination with them. In other words, we must not focus on them or dwell in a state of mind where that becomes our reality. Be aware of paranormal activity but do not fear it and do not live in it. 

America: Mega-church and Mega-decline

There are two major trends facing the American church today. The first is the rise of the mega-church. In recent years, research has shown that the larger the church is, the faster it grows. Churches with more than 1,000 members are the fastest growing churches in the country. Churches with less than 100 members are growing approximately 45% slower. The simple fact is that small churches are not growing numerically while large churches are.

The second trend is an overall decrease in church attendance, baptism, and overall effectiveness. In the past decade over 300 million people have become new believers in Christ from around the globe. 10 million of those, just over 3%, are from North America and Europe (The other 290 million, almost 97%, are from South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia). Of the top 25 denominations in America, with combined members equaling about 146 million people, only 6 have seen growth in the past 10 years (and this growth is very minimal). About 50% of the mega-churches in the world are in the United States. Every year in America, 4,000 churches close their doors for good while only 1,000 open new doors. While larger churches are growing larger and smaller churches are growing smaller and closing their doors, the overall effectiveness in the American church is dying. With more resources, more money, and more freedom than any other nation in the world, somehow we have managed to botch church. Yes there are both small and large congregations that are sharing the Gospel, preaching the word, and providing fellowship and community. Not all churches are ineffective. There are many churches that are doing great things for the kingdom – both small and large.

What are we to make of these to trends? Are large churches the future? Are big buildings, multiple sites, powerful speakers, and superstar worship leaders necessary for church growth in America? The trend tends to support this statement. Churches with fewer resources, smaller buildings, and less money are dying and dying quickly. So what are we supposed to think? No one, even members of growing churches, can deny that the overall growth of Christianity in America is negative. When it boils down to it, fewer people every year are attending church, fewer people every year are getting baptized, and fewer people every year are coming to know Jesus in the United States. While around the world, churches are exploding exponentially. There is no money. There is no big building (many times there is no building at all). There are no superstar worship leaders. There are no budgets. There is no staff to be paid. And millions and millions of new people are saved and baptized as a result.

Are we missing something in America? Yes. Are we increasingly becoming an unreached nation? Yes. Do these trends of mega-church and mega-decline directly correlate? All that matters is the spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ; whether small churches or large churches are the ones doing that effectively. In America, very few churches of any size are doing that effectively. Around the world, house church movements are leading to rapid growth (of people, not churches). The 20 largest and fastest growing churches around the world are house church networks. Maybe we need to change our strategy and start learning from the rest of the world…

Stay Awake

32 “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33  Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. 34  It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. 35  Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— 36 lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”

            - Mark 13:32-36

We have all heard this worldwide rumor that the world is going to end on December 21, 2012. It is something that is entirely based on guesses and error-filled human hogwash. The world is not going to end on December 21, 2012. This passage makes it very clear that no one knows when Jesus will return. The angels don’t know. Even Jesus didn’t know. Only the Father knows when that day or that hour will come. Jesus tells us to stay awake and to keep our eyes open. “It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake.” Jesus has returned to his Father and he has left us, his servants, in charge. Each of us with our own work to do.

The warning Jesus gives at the end ought to terrify us. “…lest he come suddenly and find you asleep.” Stay awake! Do you want Jesus to find you lying around asleep and not doing the work that he left you to do? We have all had our parents or our boss leave us with a job to do while they were away. No matter how big or small it is, we know that there will be consequences if we don’t get it done. We know this because we have all been on the receiving end of the not so pleasant response to our laziness. What gives us the right to think Jesus will be any different? Jesus has left us with work to do. He has left his church with work to do. And we’re the big lazy inanimate kid who is sitting around watching TV and falling asleep instead of getting off our comfortable couch with our comfortable friends in our comfortable house and doing the work that Jesus has left for us.

Take initiative. Own your faith. Do the work that he has left for you wherever you are. Wake up! And stay awake! Lest he come suddenly and find you asleep.

God Reclaiming

There is no doubt that God's work is being accomplished throughout the world. Just this week I've heard crazy stories that would shock your view of God's work through Christianity all over the globe. 5,000 churches have planted in Cuba in the past few years. There are over 100 million believers in China now...there were only 1 million Chinese believers 50 years ago. Reports estimate that between 20,000 and 25,000 people are becoming Christians every day in Eastern Asia. The Brazilian protestant church has gone from 27 million to 59 million in the past 10 years and is expected to exceed 100 million in the next 10 years. Thousands are being baptized weekly in Middle Eastern countries that heavily persecute Christians.

Crazy things are happening around the world. There is no stopping the overwhelming and unfathomable power of God.  Millions of people are coming to know Christ in the face of persecution. Missionaries are being sent out by the thousands like never before. The worldwide church is exploding in way that the world has never seen. God is at work in this world. God is moving. God is reclaiming this earth.

One thing that is important to keep in mind is that none of this is because of us. None of this is because of you or me or anyone else. Yes, those who are obedient and faithful to God's calling are spreading the Good News, but only through the power of God. The explosions that we are seeing have not started with us but with God's divine authority. God's work in this world and his plan will come to be exactly how he wants it to with or without our help. People from all over the world are seeing Jesus in their dreams and he is beckoning them to himself. They know nothing of Christianity and have never met a Christian before, and yet Jesus is appearing to them. God doesn't need us to accomplish his works.

As Christians, we have been called to be obedient to Christ's calling. We have been called to go and make disciples. We have been sent out by Jesus. Our calling is to be obedient and faithful to the commands that he has given us through his Word. What you have to decide is if you are going to be a part of the wonderful works of God. Whether you are going to be a part of his kingdom coming to this earth. Whether you are going to be obedient and serve in whatever way he has called you to. Seek his calling and know that when you are bold, faithful, and obedient, God will use you and allow you to share in his glorious reclaiming and redemption of this world.

Overemotionalization

A common trend facing the Christian church today is the overemotionalization of Christianity. Many people think that having emotions and feelings is what Christianity is all about. Christian songwriters are pumping song after song filled with nothing more than emotional rambling about a mushy gushy sort of love that someone feels for God. Now I must not speak too harshly. As human beings, we are emotional; and created that way by God. Emotions are tricky things and we have a hard time mastering them the way that we should. Emotion is a good thing. Anger, fear, contentment…these are all good things at certain times. However, any emotion taken to the extreme becomes harmful. In the case of Christianity and spirituality, emotions are dangerous.

Watchman Nee said:

Emotion is what believers mistake most for spirituality…Christians whose tendency is emotional in character habitually crave sensation in their lives. They desire to sense the presence of God in their hearts; they yearn to feel a love-fire burning. They want to feel elated, to be uplifted in spiritual life…. True, spiritual believers sometimes do have such sensations, yet their progress and joy are not contingent upon these.

Spiritual growth and true joy are not rooted in emotions. The overemotionalization of American Christianity is causing people to fall face flat in a broken Christianity. It is placing an emphasis where it ought not be placed. It would be like saying a relationship with ones spouse ought to be doused in emotion first and foremost. No! Emotions are important, but they are not the defining factor in a relationship of any kind! Especially with God! It is teaching us that God is someone with whom we are supposed to fall in mushy gushy love. Well guess what, God already loves you and that is not going to change. Just like any relationship, it is not always emotional. It is not always happy-go-lucky on top of the world smiley I’m so in love with Jesus. Real relationships take work. They take thought. They take discipline. Emotions are no doubt an essential and valuable part of any relationship. Feeling love for God is one of the most basic things that Christians are called to. And through this love for God, we begin to love other people. I am not undermining the value of love. Love is the most priceless thing in the universe. However, emotion does not equal love. 

Don’t let your emotions rule you. Don’t mistake your emotions for spiritual growth or joy. Don’t underestimate the value of spiritual thought and intellectual growth. Have emotions but don’t let them define your Christianity and your relationship with God. Let your commitment, compassion, love and desire to serve be the foundation of your relationship with God.  

Alive in Christ

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made

alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

-   Colossians 2:13-15

Have you ever been in debt? Student loans? Owed a friend a favor? Whatever debt you have been in, are in, or ever will be in, it is nothing compared to the debt that you stands against you for your soul. You are a wicked person by nature and deserve death. Before any encounter with Christ, we are dead in our trespasses or our sin. But here’s the good news, God made us alive in him by forgiving us of everything we have done and everything that we are. He has cancelled our debt. Can you imagine having your student loans paid off? Now multiply that times infinity. That is how much God paid off for you and humanity. He nailed it all to the cross. What a powerful statement. Jesus loved us so much that even though we were in such a large debt that we could never do anything to pay it back, he wiped it clean, nailed it to the cross, and took the punishment himself. Not only did he save us and set us free from the slavery of our debt to death, he openly defied and shamed sin and death. He beat them. He knocked them out. He demolished them. Jesus loved you so much that he took all of the weight of your sin. He took the punishment that you deserve not only for what you have done, but also for who you are. He took your sin and nailed it to the cross with himself, erasing and canceling all debt that you owe.

You no longer are in debt. You are no longer a slave to sin if you are in Christ. You no longer are dead in your trespasses or your sin. You no longer are required to spend an eternity submersed in the flames of hell. You are no longer forced to succumb to the powers of this world because Jesus has defeated them.

Instead you have been set free to be a live in Christ. You are now a slave to righteousness. You are alive in Christ through Jesus. Beginning with Christ, you are spending an eternity in the splendor that is the Kingdom. Because of the grace given to you, you have no choice but to live in thankfulness and gratefulness for the sacrifice Jesus has made. You  have been made alive in Christ. 

True Claims

They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

-   Titus 1:16

Let’s get straight to the point. Is this verse talking about you? The context here is the apostle Paul writing to Titus. He is talking about a specific group of Jewish leaders who he calls “liars, evil beasts, and gluttonous”. These are people that claim to know God! They claim to serve him and be a “Christian” (though that term was not used at the time) and yet Paul describes them in this way.

How would Paul describe you? Would he describe you as someone who claims to know God and yet doesn’t act like it? Would he describe you as detestable and unfit to be a part of anything that might be labeled “good”? That is straight up harsh…but it was true of the Jewish leaders Paul is referring to.

If you claim to know God and are living in a way that says you don’t then you have a problem. If you claim the name of Jesus but no one could tell from looking at you that there is something different, then you have a problem. If you claim that you are following God and serving him but your actions are completely focused on you, then you have a problem.

Jesus changes people! A genuine encounter with someone as beautiful and powerful as Jesus Christ will not leave a person unchanged. There is nothing so overwhelming and life-changing as a face-to-face rendezvous our King. Do not become like the Jewish leaders of Crete that Paul is talking about. Do not claim to know God if you have not been changed. Instead, seek this change and never stop seeking it because Jesus will never stop seeking after you. Only a pure and true encounter with Jesus can change our very nature to the point where we finally gain the courage to stop worshipping ourselves and begin to worship the King. 

Mind Control

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

            - Romans 12:2

What does it mean to renew your mind? Wipe everything clean and start all over tabula rosa style? Scripture hammers home this idea of renewing our minds. So often in Christianity we tend to make everything an issue of “the heart”. What’s the difference in your heart and your mind in Christianity? That is a good question and one that you ought to think about. But what does it really mean to renew our minds? What’s wrong with our minds?

Here’s what’s wrong with our minds: we are sinful, broken people who have corrupt minds and thoughts. Everything about you, apart from Christ, is sinful. Our nature is sinful. It’s an internal part of who we are that only Christ can change. Our thoughts are grotesque and repulsive. What would we do if someone played a DVD of all our thoughts we’ve ever had in church on Sunday morning? We would run out and never show our face there again. Our minds need to be renewed.

Your mind, even if you are a Christian, is crucial to your faith and belief. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says: We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. What does it mean to take our thoughts captive? You have control over your thoughts to a certain extent. Yes, the enemy, Satan, influences your thoughts. Your mind is where he gets you. He attacks your head, your thoughts, and your mind. You have control over your mind but you’re letting the enemy use your mind to destroy you. You just are. Through Christ we have been set free…don’t forfeit your freedom and healing by letting the devil get a foothold in your mind. You have to choose not to believe the lies that Satan is telling you. You have to immerse yourself in truth, God’s truth. You have to plant truth mines in your mind so that when Satan tries to break his way in, he gets blown up along with his lies.

Our minds need renewing. We are sinful, broken people with filthy grotesque minds that need cleansing. Satan attacks our thoughts. That is a bad combination. It is essential that we are perpetually immersing ourselves in God’s truth so that our minds can be renewed by the Holy Spirit. 

Understanding Why: Part II

He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

-  Luke 24:25-27

In the last post, we examined this verse and saw that unless you understand why Jesus had to come, die, and be resurrected, you are “foolish and slow to believe”. We see from Jesus’ words that it is not a story that begins with Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. The story begins in the Old Testament and is told throughout ALL of scripture.

From beginning the story has always been about God. Humanity is never the focus of the story and if you read through scripture focusing on humanity, then you are going to miss the bigger picture. When you closely examine every ounce of the Old Testament you will find that it is all about God, his faithfulness, his compassion, and his unrelenting love for his people. The Old Testament tells a story of God’s creating man, man’s running from God, and God pursuing man anyway, God loving them anyway. It is one big game of hide and seek that God refuses to quit playing. The OT prophets and teachings all point toward God and the coming of the Savior that all humanity needs because of the sin that is so rampantly displayed by all people, especially God’s chosen.

This Savior was born in Bethlehem. His name was Jesus. His birth and life split history into two parts. He changed everything. He saved everything. Jesus is both fully God and fully human. Because God is a loving God, he must also judge. You cannot have a loving God without a just God. The wages of sin is death and humanity deserves judgment for their sin. Every single person, as highlighted in the Old and New Testaments, deserves judgment and hell. Because God loves humanity, he must also judge humanity. But he God loves humanity SO much that he sent Jesus to take our place, to bear the sin of all history. Jesus came to die. He took the punishment that we deserve. He was beaten, ridiculed, and crucified in your place. Someone had to suffer. We deserve it, and yet Jesus suffered in our place out of inexplicable love for all of humanity. But the story doesn’t end with his death. Jesus comes back to life having conquered death and sin through his resurrection. Not only did he take our punishment, he rose victorious over sin and death and entered into his glory! He defeated the sin of all humanity and made it obsolete through his saving grace. THAT is why the Messiah, Jesus, had to suffer these things and then enter into his glory. And the beautiful part for us is that through Jesus we may also enter into his glory.

Understanding why Jesus came is what the Gospel is all about it. It isn’t about you and it isn’t about me. It isn’t about humans getting to go to heaven or being a good person. It is about God and his incredible love for us in spite of ourselves. God has done everything, but he still requires repentance of humanity. Repentance means turning away from our sin and turning toward God. In order for full reconciliation and restoration to occur, we must acknowledge that we are broken and we cannot fix ourselves. We are completely consumed in and by the sin that Jesus died for until we come running to him confessing that we cannot do it on our own and that we need him to save us. And the beautiful thing is that heaven explodes with celebration when we realize our brokenness and need for a Savior. This is the Gospel story.

This is the shortest possible version of the story. If you want to know the full story then please let me know and I would be glad to do my best help you work through that. If you have any questions or comments or push backs then please feel free to comment or send me a message/email.