Why Christianity?

I often wonder about Christianity. It blows my mind that there are millions of Christians in the United States, yet there seems to be a disconnect between the New Testament Christians and modern Christians. In the Bible the Christians knew what they were doing, but I'm not so sure modern Christians have the slightest idea about what the Bible says we should be doing.

As a Christian sometimes I don't know what I am doing. Sure I have all the phrases memorized that makes it look like I know what I'm doing but I'm tired. I'm tired of Church. I'm tired of telling people Christianity is a 'personal relationship with God' when really I treat Him like more of an acquaintance than a close friend. I keep him far enough away so that He doesn't change me but close enough so that I can call him when I'm in trouble.

You see what I mean? I get too busy with life that I forget to even talk with God.

Am I a Christian because I like having a 'community' of people around me? Is Christianity my medication to just get through life? Is God really there?

I get that Christianity gives hope to people who are hurting, in trouble, and who are afraid to die. But is there real hope beyond this life?

The Apostle Paul, who wrote most of the New Testament said,

"For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied."(emphasis added) 1st Corinthians 15:15-19

For those who are hurting they hope that because of the death of Christ all wrongs will be made right. The people who hurt them will answer for what they have done, if they do not seek reconciliation through Christ.

There are so many injustices in the world that if there is no retribution after death, then there is little reason to even live out the rest of our lives.

Maybe Karl Marx was right when he said, "Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opium of the people."* 

Is it possible that Christianity is also only an opiate for people who are hurt? Are we to be pitied because of our hope in Christ? Or is there an undeniable truth to the death and resurrection of Jesus? And if Jesus has been raised from the dead, then what does that mean for us?

There is a lot of proof that Jesus did live and was killed. But so were dozens of other religious leaders who claimed to be the savior of the world around that time. So why did Jesus, and Christianity survive 2000 years after His death?

In the book of Acts in the 5th Chapter, verse 33-41, there is an incredible look into why Jesus Christ and Christianity has thrived throughout two millennium. 

"When [the religious leaders] heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill [Peter and John]. But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice, and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then they(Peter and John) left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name [of Jesus]."

Gamaliel had a great argument, he referenced 2 other leaders who 'claimed to be somebody' but when they were killed their followers scattered. He essentially said, "if Jesus is God, then we can't stop Him." Little did he know that when Jesus was killed all of His followers scattered, 

"And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” And they all left him and fled." (Mark 14:48-50 ESV)

But something brought his disciples back and caused them to preach and teach to thousands of people, travel around the known world, and eventually suffer horrible deaths. What would cause someone to leave Jesus and then come back to be even more courageous than they were before He died? 

Luke 24: 44-49 provides us with the backdrop of the promise of Christ to his disciples:

"Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”' (emphasis added)

But this is the stuff of fairy tales. I’ve been a Christian my whole life but I haven't been clothed with power, or seen anyone raised from the dead. I think all of the early Christians were liars.

Then again, I don't really spend that much time with God. I tell him I love him but do I really love him with all of my heart? Unfortunately, I don't; I have a family to lead, a job that keeps my schedule full, emails to respond to, bills to worry about, and countless other deadlines. Who has time to 'seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness' (Matthew 6:33a)? 

Maybe I wonder about Christianity because I’m actually not fully committed to Jesus? 

If we gave ourselves 100% to Christ the things of this world would fade away. Jesus would fill our every need. 

It may not seem safe, 'but who said anything about safe?'*     

http://www.notable-quotes.com/c/christianity_quotes.html

*Karl Marx, Critique of Hegels Philosophy of Right

*C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. 

Sonshine

A few months ago the ground had a pretty layer of snow covering it, preserved by the cold temperatures. Then it started to get warmer. And as the sun shone on the freezing ground, the snow started to melt. Exposing the ugly, lifeless brown grass. To be honest the snow looked prettier than the grass. You could almost sense how shameful the dead grass felt. Longing to be covered; disgusted that you could see what the ground really looked like under the pristine mask provided by the snow. 

It hurt to see the ground so weak and dead. 

The earth around my apartment was unseemly, I would sometimes tell the grass how ugly it looked, because I'm a jerk. I did this pretty often for a couple of months until recently when I noticed that the grass was not as ugly as it use to be. The grass was starting to get a little greener. 

Upon reflecting on the way I handled the grass situation, I was confronted with the reality that the grass didn't want to be exposed from under the snow because it knew that people would be mean to it and cut it down. I was cutting the grass down with my insults thinking my words would help it grow. 

Despite my insults the grass was trying to drown me out and focus on absorbing the sun. The only thing the grass needed was nutrition from the sun and encouragement from the soil. It haunts me to know that I may have hindered the grass from regaining its strength and color because of my careless words. Only because the grass was exposed, and the dead patches were made visible could the sun restore it to an even greater glory than the mask of snow could provide.

redeemyourlawn.com/how-to-take-care-of-your-lawn/

The grass outside my apartment got me thinking about how I sometimes try to cover myself up to hide my weaknesses. The truth is I don't want others to see my mistakes and think differently of me. But I know that only when I let down my walls and take off my mask can the Son really change me. 

The Son of God who died on the cross so that we didn't have to be bound by my shame anymore. He died for us to be free. If we allow the Son to shine on us, only then can we be released from our captivity and insecurity. 

“But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.  This is why it is said:

“Wake up, sleeper,
  rise from the dead,
  and Christ will shine on you.”- Ephesians 5:13-14

How to Judge

Most people who have a negatively skewed sense of Christianity feel that way because of how they see Christians live. There are generally two ways a Christian can enhance the negative perception of others. The first way is to become legalistic and judge people based on rules that the other person has not put themselves under. The second way is by acting against the rules that the Christian has voluntarily put themselves under (hypocrisy). Because of these inconsistencies there has to be ways to help our brothers and sisters become better followers of Jesus and better understand the scriptures. There are a few steps to judge our brothers and sisters in a beneficial way, or better yet, steps to walk along side Christians to help them grow up in the faith. 

Embrace Humility

In order to effectively and rightly judge others the first thing we have to do is heed the words of Paul to the Church in Philippi, "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; (‭Philippians 2:3 NASB)" This is vital to be faultless in our critique of our brothers and sisters. Thinking of others as more important than ourselves will allow us to put a wall of defense up against pride. Sure you may have studied the bible longer than a certain person and maybe they are completely out of line according to the bible but no one has ever become a Christian from being attacked. I am not saying that we can’t defend our faith, but what I am saying is that arguments don’t change people. If we are telling people what they are doing wrong simply because we want to be right we are not loving and we are not walking in humility. Humility requires us to listen rather than speak, come to an understanding and then guide to the truth. This mindset leads us into the first step of judging fellow Christians.

Find Out What They Know

Much of the New Testament was written to churches that needed to be taught in the ways of Scripture or had to be reminded of the truth they already knew. In knowing the early churches, seeing and hearing the things they were doing gave the New Testament writers the ability to write to the church in Corinth, Ephesus, Galatia, Rome, etc, and tell them that they needed to change in certain areas. Moreover the Apostles, John, Peter, and Paul planted and taught these churches. So they already knew what the people in the church should have known and were already taught. But for us in this time we have not taught our brothers and sisters and do not know what they know so we can not easily point out where they fall short because they may not know what they are doing wrong. This is where humility comes in. We have to ‘be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;’ (James 1:19 NASB) When we listen we may be convicted in our heart that we are in the wrong, or we may be able to understand where they are coming from and where they went wrong in accordance with Scripture.

Pray Over Our Convictions

Is this conviction significant? – Am I being zealous for the wrong things (Pharisaical)? Am I putting too much weight into this issue instead of looking at the bigger picture? Will this issue take away from their relationship with God or with others? What does the scripture say about this? Is this a bigger issue than issues going on in my life?

Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? (Matthew 7:3 NASB)

What is the best way to bring up the issue? – What ways could I loving show them the issue? Does this require confrontation because they have already been reminded of the truth? Can I guide them in studying scripture for them to figure out for themselves the dangers of their actions?

But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, (Ephesians 4:15)

“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.’ (Matthew 18:15-17)

Take Action

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/14/sports/baseball/
10-years-later-a-cubs-fan-remains-invisible.html?_r=0

Our culture is a sort of ‘vulture culture’. The culture determines the significance of mistakes. If one person takes a jab at someone, the surrounding culture will quickly take more jabs at that person’s mistake. For instance, if you are a Chicago Cubs fan then Steve Bartman is a household name because of his ‘mistake’, and how that mistake prolonged the Cubs World Series drought. But the culture ignores other things that can affect more people’s lives beyond a baseball game, like political scandals, drug use, and social injustice around the world. Christians become vultures too on certain sins and certain people’s mistakes. Following the example of Jesus, we need to step out of the shadow of our culture and stick to the Bible when it comes to being graceful about people’s mistakes and putting more emphasis on things that will take away from a personal relationship with Christ. Even though people do not think certain things are worth the effort, if we test the issues with Scripture and through prayer we have to be obedient to what the Holy Spirit is leading us to say to our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Judgement and Hypocrisy, Part 2

It is no secret that the Bible has a lot to say about how Christians should live, and obviously Jesus is the main example for Christians to follow. He says, ‘“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ²⁵ For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”’ (Matthew 16:24-25 ESV, emphasis added). The Greek word used for after here is opisō (BlueletterBible.org). This adverb in conjunction with the Greek verb deute is used in Matthew 4:19 and is translated as ‘follow’. The question I asked while researching this passage was why are two different words that can both be translated as ‘follow’ used in the same sentence? My thought is if we are Christians who desire to follow Jesus, then denying ourselves and following His example has double significance. John, One of Jesus’ disciples, agrees that we need to do what Christ did, ‘the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.’ (1^st John 2:6 NASB). These passages along with other scriptures show us that as we take up our Cross, we need to follow Him even in His actions and His words so as to become like Him.

As I have examined my heart in light of the above scriptures and in juxtaposition with judgment and hypocrisy I came upon a few scripture passages that struck me as odd. One passage in particular is from 1^st Corinthians 5:9-13 (NASB):

⁹ I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; ¹⁰ I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world.¹¹ But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. ¹² For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? ¹³ But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.

While I was reading this scripture the first thing I noticed was that Paul implores us to Judge people who claim to be Christians. I noticed this because it is posed as a rhetorical question, ‘do you not judge those who are within the church?’ Paul’s question struck me as odd because our American culture emphasizes the ‘don’t judge me’ attitude, which has infiltrated our churches. So much so that the churches emphasis for the last few years has been on the verses like: Matthew 7:1-2, Luke 6:37, James 4:11-12, Romans 2:1-3 etc. These verses are incredibly important to Christians because without these verses we can become incredibly prideful in our obedience to the Bible. But with these verses people who claim to be Christians are condemned by their (our) hypocrisy. For that very reason I was put off by the rhetorical question Paul posed. With those verses being so adamant about us not judging others why does Paul encourage us to judge people who are within the church? The answer if found in another one of Paul’s letters; the letter to the Roman Church:

Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. ² And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. ³ But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? (Romans 2:1-3 NIV, emphasis added)

The reason Paul encourages those in the Corinthian Church is because of that 3^rd verse in Romans 2. If we do not judge hypocritical Christians how can they know that they are not following Jesus? They are not denying themselves by indulging in things that they judge others for doing. For when we judge as Christ judges, we speak the truth in love. To let hypocrites know that they are being hypocritical is the most loving thing we can do for them, because we are showing them that they are condemning themselves by their own words. Jesus said some harsh things to the religious leaders because they were putting so much weight on the people and not doing anything that the Old Testament said of them to do (Matthew 23:4). Therefore if we do not judge hypocrites, they will put heavy weights on people, or push them away from Christ because of their hypocrisy and the perceived acceptance of hypocrisy by the church.

But when we talk to those outside the church we have no right to judge them because they do not claim Christianity. Therefore let us win them to Christ by our love for them and our love for our brothers who claim Christianity, just as Jesus spoke to us, ‘”As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35 ESV).’ If those outside the church first deny our testimony of Jesus in our personal lives, then as we emanate love in our actions toward others they will recognize Jesus power in our lives. That power will certainly show that we are following the example of Jesus by denying ourselves, picking up our cross and counting others as more important than ourselves (see Philippians 2:3).

To that end we must leave judgment up to Jesus, for we do not know the motivations of the heart like He does. Yet He has given us His selfless example to follow if we claim to be His.

Judgement and Hypocrisy, Part 1

Most of us have heard the old adage ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’, but I would suggest there is a new adage we have missed out on, and that is ‘don’t judge a movie by its trailer.’ We have all read books or went to movies that looked better on the outside, but the content was lacking in several areas. But I’ll be the first one to confess that I only buy books or watch movies that look like they will be interesting based upon the cover. The truth is, if I didn’t judge movies or books by the trailer or cover artwork, I would be spending a lot of time and energy reading and watching things that I don’t actually enjoy.

[Grand Rapids Initiative for Leaders, Adult Leadership Training, Personal Assessment Workshop]

Judging is an action that everyone performs on a daily basis. We make judgment calls about things or people in order to save time and energy.  We take note of what a person is wearing, what they are saying, their piercings and tattoos, and the way they smell. Through these exterior attributes we somehow come up with an idea of that persons character, work ethic, family, financial situation and so much more. Experts call this The Ladder of Inference (see above diagram). “We adopt beliefs based on the conclusions we draw, which are based on what we observe, which are influenced by our assumptions and experiences.” (GRILeadership, Adult Leaders Training) This is a very natural process for most people.  We see or experience something or someone, and through our experiences and beliefs we try to put labels on situations and people groups. Otherwise known as stereotyping.

Labels and stereotypes lie. Physical appearances or previous mistakes don’t define people, but the problem is humans don’t operate well when there are no definite categories in which to make judgments on. Even if we were to successfully label and define people groups, when we get to know individuals from different tribes and nations we notice that they can’t be shoved into statistics and definitions or analyzed based upon our own prejudices and experiences.

I would hope that people wouldn’t label me, and I know I’m not the only one who struggles with going up the ladder of inference and making judgments about people and labeling them. So as a person reaching for maturity I must heed the Bible about judgment.

Jesus Himself says, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. ² For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (Matthew 7:1-2 NIV)

Just imagine being face to face with Jesus during our time of judgment. He lovingly reminds us of Matthew 7:1-2 and then kindly starts judging us by our appearance and the labels we used because that’s the way we judged others. How terrifying that will be for a lot of people! Every one of us has judged people with labels that are so disrespectful and demeaning that we would not be able to stand on judgment day, all because we look at the appearance rather than the heart.

When a person judges solely on looks he has turned his heart away from Gods heart, and accounted Gods words as false. For when God tells Samuel to go anoint the King of Israel He tells Samuel, ‘“Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”’ (1^st Samuel 16:7 NIV)

If we judge based on appearance we disregard the dignity of human beings. The very dignity we received when God deemed us all worthy of His sacrifice on the Cross.

As we examine our hearts let us also look deeper into the word of God about Judgment.

Evangelism and Hypocrisy

I was downtown yesterday with a couple of great guys who were open air evangelizing, where we stood outside talking about Jesus. These guys know the good news of God, and were preaching it unashamedly. The fact that I knew the hearts of these men is one of the main reasons why I wanted to see their method of evangelism.

The truth is I love evangelism. I know some great men and women who are evangelizing around the country, and the people I know all do it a different way. The method that we used today was standing on a box and lovingly preaching the Gospel of Christ.

I know for some people standing on a box and shouting is quite the turn off no matter what that person is talking about.  But I would argue that the reason it is a turn off to people is because the majority of box preachers obnoxiously talk about hell. But the mastermind of this specific operation is a good friend of mine who led us in a way that I did not expect.

Before we started evangelizing we went to Biggby to warm up with a hot drink. While we were waiting for our drinks we discussed our goals and hopes for our endeavor. We had some pretty great goals for the day; preach Jesus Christ crucified and raised from the dead for us as well as to show people that we are not crazy bible thumpers, rather that we are sinners who have been saved by Gods' great love for us. We hoped that just one person wanted to talk to us so we could praise God for that opportunity.

As we were getting ready to start evangelizing my friend led us in prayer, the message in his prayer was clear: God is love, but love is not God, who God is defines what love is like. God is a God of Justice and Mercy. There are many bad things happening in the world; our own “city is sick. We murder and rob our own people; we destroy the gift of life. We need to turn from these things. Our City NEEDS Jesus Christ.” We need Gods justice. However- by the agency of Jesus’ death on the cross- whoever repents of their sins will be saved.

My friend Stephen and I, Courtesy of our friend Matt

So we took that mindset into our time of evangelism.

We handed out a bible or two while my friend spoke about our need for the love of God. There were not many people walking by us, so as my friend was speaking I used that downtime to reflect and pray on our efforts.

As I reflected on our endeavor, my heart was broken because of the people who are using the Bible to beat down everyone that the Bible tells us to love. The Word of God that so many people use as a weapon against sinners says this,  'As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” (Romans 2:24 NIV). God is blasphemed because of hypocrisy (Romans 2:21). Those who preach condemnation to people have clearly not read the Bible because the Jesus in the Bible said this, ‘For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.’ (John 3:17 NIV). Twisting scripture to condemn people when there are other scriptures that communicate the exact opposite of what they are preaching is indeed hypocrisy.

Although box preaching may not be the most effective way of evangelism the real enemy is hypocrisy. I know because I was the worst of hypocrites.

I remember one time in particular when a friend of mine confessed a sin that had been weighing on him heavily. And instead of communicating the truth of Gods word-‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.’ (1st John 1:9 NIV)- I asked him, in a condemning way, how it felt to know that God was watching him consciously disobey Him? My friend was on his way to being purified of his unrighteousness but my hypocrisy put an even heavier weight on his already downcast soul.

I apologized a year later but I had almost permanently damaged our spiritual relationship.

Evangelism in all forms is good unless accompanied by blatant hypocrisy.

Hypocrisy can do unbearable damage. If you have been a hypocrite I suggest you humbly admit it to whomever you have burdened because many people have rejected Jesus because of unacknowledged hypocrisy.

Remember if we confess our sin of hypocrisy “[God] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

As we examine our life for signs of hypocrisy let us walk humbly in the grace of God, by the blood of Jesus Christ who has taken the sin of hypocrisy upon himself for those who have shown genuine repentance.

***

My next few posts will be about hypocrisy and judging, because judging is often followed with hypocrisy. These are hard topics that are very heavy, but still good!

God Bless you all!

True Intimacy

I recently read Donald Miller’s new book, Scary Close: dropping the act and finding true intimacy. In his book, Miller is very honest about his journey to true intimacy. The reason he wrote it is because he found that his life experience is similar to other peoples experiences as well. He noted that intimacy is hard, especially for men. Our popular culture has been showering us with perverted versions of intimacy for many years. But the question is: what is true intimacy?

http://scaryclose.com/

Intimacy is a difficult topic for men to talk about because we want to be seen as strong. And the truth is we don’t know a lot about intimacy. That’s why I really appreciated Scary Close. Miller admitted he was very weak in that area. His transparency allowed me to face my own problems with intimacy.

I knew that something was not right with me but I couldn’t figure out what it was. I thought I was pretty good at playing the 'feelings game' but something else was holding me back. Holding me back from accepting myself and being able to give myself to people without worrying about what they thought of me.

Throughout this book I was able to see that shame is a huge barrier to intimacy. For example, the first time I ever felt shame was when I was a child. I was doing something that my friends were doing, but if my parents found out they would have been upset. I felt shameful because I had to hide it from my parents for so long. Not to mention that I knew it was wrong because I had gone to church my whole life, but I wanted to have fun with my friends. I knew God loved me and I knew my parents loved me, but as a kid I didn’t understand what was happening.

That shame experience is what made me decide that I needed to be an actor. I thought I needed to put on a show to get others to like me and accept me. So I started to become an actor in all of my relationships; I became almost a completely different person depending on who I was around. I knew all the right answers to fit in with the church people, I worked out hard and swore enough to fit in with the athletes, I also sang and listened to enough depressing music to fit in with the music crowd.

I never knew that I had been acting out of unacknowledged shame for all these years.

My whole life I was driven by the fear to let go of my shame. I felt I didn't deserve to let go, and I didn't think anyone could love me if they knew who I really was. Shame ruined relationships because I didn't know how to let people in without trying to perform for their acceptance. And I suspect Donald Miller and I are not the only ones.

Shame drove me away from being transparently honest. Consequently my view of intimacy was flawed.

Shame breeds fear. And the truth is most people live life afraid, including myself.

Scary Close helped me see that fear and love don't cultivate intimacy.

Only recently have I begun to realize that the Bible has a lot to say about what intimacy looks like. The Apostle John had experienced true intimacy with God. He details his experience in 1st John, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love." (1 John 4:18 ESV)

That passage is so freeing. God never wanted us to operate out of shame and fear, but out of love. I kept myself captive for so long thinking punishment was my only option. However God had another plan; He sent Jesus to die for us because of His great love. He wanted me to open myself up to His love so that I could experience true intimacy with Him and with others.

God is love. God is perfect. Gods perfect love covers our shame and frees us to live a free life for His glory.

Holding Out For A Hero

America is obsessed with movies. I’m sure most of us have been asked at one time or another what our favorite movie was.  Some of our favorite movies might stem back to the Charlie Chaplin silent films all the way up to How to Train Your Dragon 2. I’ll tell you that one of my favorite movies is the first Avengers. My favorite Avenger is Captain America, because of his courage and his integrity throughout the movie. I’m certain Captain America is not everyone’s favorite avenger but I am sure that most people who saw that movie came away feeling like they should start jumping off of buildings and carrying a massive hammer or shield around with them wherever they go (Or maybe that was just me).

Near the very end of the Avengers there is a world news scene (after the heroes save the city) about the public opinion of the various superheroes. In that news scene there are two types of people, the first type are the ones who are fearful of the Avengers and want them to answer for the damage they caused to the city, the second type are the ones who are thankful that the heroes saved them. This may sound ridiculous but I was mad at the citizens who thought the Avengers needed to answer for the damage done to the city. I was almost in a rage, thinking: they just saved your lives how dare you question them. Would you rather be dead? They have so much more power and prestige than you guys do! You don’t deserve an explanation. Do you even know what you are saying?!

http://www.comicvine.com/forums/battles-7/fantastic-4-vs-avengers-vs-x-men-vs-superman-1639333/

As I was raging about the citizens of that city a woman, while being interviewed about her first hand experience, was notified of the criticism of the Avengers, she responded, “What, that this [destruction] was all somehow their fault? Captain America saved my life.”

At least someone got it.

As I thought about that scene I noticed that it was the people who were not in immediate need of saving that were against the Avengers. Little did they know that if the Avengers did not step in, the whole world would have been in ruins. Then it would have been different; then they would have prayed for the Avengers to save them.

The people who were thankful for the Avengers were, like that woman in the final scene, people who were in immediate danger of death and serious injury.

The people that didn’t know the reality of the situation were the ones who were trying to control the Avengers.

It’s kind of like the people who Jesus came to save. There were two types of people who Jesus encountered, the religious elite, and the sinners. The religious elite (i.e. the Pharisees and Sadducees) followed the law so diligently that they thought they would be saved by their actions. They were so angry with Jesus when he ate dinner with sinners and tax collectors (Matt 9:10) because the sinners did nothing to deserve a Rabbis company.

The sinners on the other hand were so open to Jesus that they came from miles around to see Him. They were in need and knew it.

Those that saw their need for healing, that saw their need for saving, came to Jesus.

The people who thought they were righteous were the ones who hated Jesus and wanted him to answer for what commotion He had raised among the people. Jesus had turned the country upside down because of his great love; He destroyed the social dynamics of the country, He gave the sinners confidence and comfort. And the religious were uncomfortable and afraid, so they had Him killed.

The problem with the religious elite (the problem with me) is that they don’t realize that their self-righteousness is an attempt to barter with God, to control Him. Self-righteous people think they earn the approval of God. Self-righteous people think they deserve something in return for their good works. But why should God give us anything? Psalm 8 verse 4 frames that question in this way, “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?”  While I was meditating on that question a couple of years ago on a cold winter night in Texas I had a disturbing thought. As I was looking up into the sky admiring the stars this thought hit me: the universe is so big and humans are so small. Why do we go about our daily lives as if nothing could ever happen to us?  Meteors and planets are flying through the space around us at thousands of miles per hour and I think God owes me a good life because I believe in Him?

That thought brought despair into my soul; my religious to-do list can’t protect me from a meteor much less a car crash or a hurricane. How can I be certain that I have done enough to be saved? I need a superhero to save me because I can’t do it on my own.

The only hope on this earth is Jesus Christ. There is a passage in the Gospel of Mark chapter 4 that outlines this truth perfectly:

On that day, when evening came, He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. 37 And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up.38 Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” 39 And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. 40 And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

The disciples were about to die; the uncontrollably powerful sea was about to swallow them up. What’s more is that in what they thought were their final moments they accused their teacher of not caring about them. But Jesus was demonstrating his care as their teacher so that he could demonstrate His power over the uncontrollable sea. This terrified the disciples because they were trained fisherman with a vast knowledge of the unpredictable nature of the sea, but with 3 words their teacher calmed that raging sea. Jesus showed himself to be more powerful and more uncontrollable than the sea. In that moment everything the disciples ever thought was impossible became possible, their world was shifted, and they finally realized that Jesus was the only hero they every needed.

Jesus Christ is more powerful and more caring than we ever thought possible.

The night sky and that passage in Mark terrify me. I’m terrified because all the good works I’ve done and all the money I spent on College bring no security against death. I constantly seek comfort but the God I believe in never promised comfort.

As much as I know the truth about Jesus I still find myself trying to accumulate good works so that I can control my own destiny. That’s exactly why I find Jesus’ words in Mark 2 offensive, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”(Mark 2:17b). I can identify with the religious elite and the people who wanted the Avengers to answer for the damage because I often am just like them. I get caught up in doing all the right things so that Jesus will accept me. But it is not by my work that I am accepted.

Jesus isn’t the soft, tame, or safe God we sometimes hope He was. But “who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.” (C.S. Lewis, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe).

May the realization of His power allow us to stop trying to earn salvation

May we open our hearts to His powerful love.

May we realize that we cannot control Jesus.

Springtime

As I look outside the window I get so excited for springtime. The snow is melting and the grass is trying to start growing again. In the distance I hear a bird singing a song of home coming joy. The baseball fields are still covered but many teams are preparing for their first game next week. I can just feel the energy that spring brings to the people in Michigan.

The winter feels like it lasted so long but now that springtime is finally here, it seems like it was so long ago. The temperature is only 46°F outside today but because of the long hard winter we have endured I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few people wearing shorts today. When the season of fall came around many months ago, 46°F seemed like it was freezing; but 46°F in fall, and 46°F in the spring are two different temperatures.

Whenever we come out the other side of a long winter it suddenly doesn’t matter what the thermometer reads. Winter has tried its best to drown out hope, but hope is what got us through it.

I am generalizing a bit but the truth is that we all face a winter of sorts in our lives. That winter could be marital conflict, family conflict, spiritual deadness, loose living, maybe lost friendships, abusive past relationships or present relationships, or maybe winter could be a sports or school related issue. When winter comes no life remains outside, it becomes a cold desert. Our lives become void of warmth, we go through the motions pushing away our friends who are in a summertime period in their life. All the while our heartbeat is becoming more faint with every passing second.  But we don’t have to feel this way. We don’t have to fear the cold desert.

Jesus himself was led into the wilderness and was tempted by the devil; he ate nothing and became hungry (Luke 4:1-13).  At the end of the temptations in the wilderness the bible records in Luke 4:14 that, “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.”(Emphasis added).  Jesus was led into the wilderness and was tempted; after the wilderness (maybe because of or through the wilderness) he returned ‘in the power of the Spirit’.  There is hope for those of us in a desert wilderness.

But why did Jesus come back with power? I know some people face hard times that are not Christian and end up on top too, so what is the difference, what is the reason?  For some of us we question the meaning of life or the reason to live, we have been in the desert so long that we are unsure what it would be like to come out of the desert.  For others we are convinced that the desert wilderness is the only place for us because of things that we have done or are doing now. But the truth is that Jesus didn’t just come out of the wilderness just because of his personal strength; He came out of the desert because He knew what he had to do to bring others out of the desert too.

Later on in Jesus ministry He was betrayed over to those who wanted to kill him. His friends abandoned Him and he was strung up on a cross to be killed (Luke 22-23).  He was buried and rose again on the third day. He conquered death so that we could live! He brought us close so that we could feel his warm embrace. He loves us so much that He accepts us where we are, but He loves us much too much to let us stay that way.

The only hope that leads us out of winter and into spring is the warmth of the Son. Others may seem to have it all together but the only true hope is through Jesus Christ. 

Are We Entitled? I Know I Am.

In the New Testament portion of the Bible we see a lot of things we do not see in our current reality. Our current reality encourages everyone to seek what pleases them rather than living for anything or anyone outside of their comfort zone. Wouldn't we all prefer pleasure over worrying about others? I don't know about anyone else, but I feel entitled to pleasure.

My childhood was full of entitlement, illustrated best during Christmas time. I remember when I was a teen being upset with Santa because I didn't get what I wanted. I dropped a few hints to my mom that Santa had failed that year. A couple years earlier I was upset with my great grandma for buying me an off brand Beanie Baby for Christmas; the years after that she started giving all her grandchildren money because it was easier than buying the wrong thing.

I also learned entitlement from my childhood friends. I often watched them yell at their parents for perceived slights and eventually get what they wanted.

As I have gotten older it's turned into a more subtle form of entitlement. Taking the form of, I've earned my paycheck, so I should be able treat myself to a few nice things. I'll still give 10% of my income to the church but I deserve a few lattes and a couple of expensive dinners a month. Don't I?

In the Acts of the Apostle in chapter 5 there is an account of a couple who sold a piece of property. They sold the property and only gave a portion to the church but they lied to the Apostles and told them that they sold the property for that price. Then, because they tried to deceive the congregation and the Holy Spirit, they fell down dead.

I know I'm not lying to the Spirit by thinking I'm entitled to certain pleasures, but I may be lying to myself. My self deception comes through saying that I am fully committed to God yet neglecting others through indulging my own desires. Though my deception is not as serious as lying to the Holy Spirit, it is nonetheless blocking me from real commitment to God. And I suspect I am not the only one.

Entitlement can masquerade as many things, but it usually looks like self justification. The harsh reality is no matter how much we justify our spending and living habits it does not change the fact that we need to be sold out for Jesus. The couple in Acts 5 died because they wanted people to think they were sold out for Jesus. They wanted the recognition without the sacrifice. They sold themselves short.

Through my own entitlement I sell myself short as well.

We sell ourselves short.

But for Gods grace we are not stuck in entitlement, we can be educated through the Holy Scripture by the Holy Spirit to transform our world away from entitlement towards sacrifice. I'm not sure what that transformation processes looks like, but I'm excited to find out.

May we read the Bible with fresh eyes opened to our need for self reflection, and may the Holy Spirit empower us to fight for each other rather than for ourselves.