Two Sides to the Same Coin

We recently started meeting on Thursday nights at our new space and the Crave documentary was a perfect way to start us out, clarifying the direction we are moving at Genesis.

In the documentary we saw the importance of how leading a person to faith in Christ may begin first with simply joining them in their journey even as Jesus, unknown to the disciples at the time, joined them on the road to Emmaus. They soon found themselves in a

conversation with God, not even aware that God Himself was the One initiating that conversation.

It seems that many who follow Christ have embraced a certain method of communicating their faith that is often detached, judgmental, and really very different from what we read or see in Jesus himself and maybe instead of trying to win a debate and prove God to someone, we can hope to guide them to a place where they might meet and encounter God themselves.

Sunday morning was the flipside of Thursday’s coin as we are going through 1 Corinthians. It’s quite a contrast to go from journeying with people to find faith to disciplining someone in their faith; difficult unless you realize that the latter is dealing with family, which brings a whole new and complicated dimension to the situation.

It’s a hard sell in today’s society to see that the way we live affects those around us and when we think of a faith community it is usually more like an organization or club we attend than a family to whom we belong. And though we may romanticize the idea that when one person suffers we all suffer, we are not so quick to embrace the alternative that if we screw up, it screws everyone up, but that is exactly why Paul deals so strongly with the Corinthians; because we are not just a social gathering, we are family and what we do really affects those around us.

So Paul deals with serious moral issues and we have to ask ourselves how do we deal with these situations if we really are family? If a child gets hooked on drugs, does that affect the rest of the family? If a dad logs on to porn instead of showing affection to his wife and loving her, does that affect the rest of the family? If a wife flirts with another man and tries to seduce him, does that affect the rest of the family? Of course it does.

Our purpose is not to hunt down all the problems and condemn those who struggle or fall. Our desire is to live in relationship and when these kinds of issues show up, we, in humility, recognize how essential these people are and treat them as more important than ourselves. We do everything we can to strengthen and restore them, because they are our brothers, our daughters. This is exactly what Christ has done for us. He adopted us, made us family and relentlessly works in our lives for good.

So on one side of the coin we journey with a person to find faith

And on the other side we struggle with our family through faith.

Two sides of the same coin.

I Can't Walk Away

This is dedicated to those I love who are hurting and making dangerous choices.

I Can't Walk Away

I'm sorry I don't know how,

to move on like I don't care.

Dismiss the signs all around you,

pretend not to see what's there

I'm sorry I don't know how,

to close my eyes, while you live this lie.

Ignore the danger I see you in,

and then wait till you break, till you cry.

Can I walk away?

I'm sorry I don't know how,

to let go of what matters the most.

Of you and your wellbeing

to live like you're just a ghost.

I'm sorry I don't know how,

to wash my hands of you and be done.

Though before me are two choices,

inside me, there's only one.

I can't walk away.

Perspective

It seems I can never sleep on planes no matter how late it is or how long the flight, partly because the seats are so uncomfortable (at least in coach) and partly because there’s just too much going on in my head to be able to sleep.

That was the case during our recent red eye flight to New York and though it was late and I was tired, I found myself listening to music on my ipod and staring out the window into the dark, until out the window in the distance something caught my attention. I didn't know what it was at first and seriously thought I was over-exhausted and seeing things, but it happened again and then kept happening. I finally realized that what I was seeing was lightning from above the clouds instead of from below them.

From above, there were no jagged bolts reaching for the ground, just explosions of brilliant light echoing like fire throughout the clouds. It was incredible. They were huge and they were even a bit terrifying.

I began thinking about how our perspective plays such an important role in the outcome of what we do. How some are able to go through intense difficulties and become stronger because of them, while others go through identical struggles and crumble under the pressure. How one person sees the challenge to overcome and the other is overcome by the challenge. I wondered how God’s perspective looks compared to ours. I imagined how different everything must appear, how prayer looks like incense rising up to God’s throne, how Jesus saw Satan fall like lightning from the sky as his disciples went out and did the things that Jesus himself had been doing.

I wondered how would our lives change if we could recognize the reality of heavenly things compared to the illusions of this world. How would things change if we had those eyes to see? I think the view would be incredible, huge and maybe even a bit terrifying.

My Heart Breaks

Sometimes I get lost in darkness

Sometimes my heart breaks

Sometimes my eyes swell shut

with pain I just can't take

When will the light return?

When will my heart mend?

When will my eyes open,

and I see you again.

A Hole in our Thinking

I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. - 1 Cor. 4:3,4


When my kids were young, but old enough to be left alone, we at times would come home to some great surprises, like a hole in the wall. As the interrogation process took place, asking who did this and how did it happen, often times there was no answer; silent solidarity. No one knew or saw anything, which meant that either we had a stranger hiding somewhere in the house, some poltergeist action going on, or one or more of our kids were lying. And we actually hoped it was the latter.

After the questioning (which brought no confession) there might be a sentiment sounding something like this, “God knows who did this” at which point you could feel the sigh of relief in each of the kids and I could almost hear them saying, “Good! As long as you don’t know, we really don’t care if God knows or not.” If we are being honest with ourselves we will admit that we too think this same way at times and the reality of what we feel and actually care of God is sobering.

Paul speaks of three judgments in this passage of 1 Corinthians: judgment by people, ourselves, and from God. He says that he doesn’t care what people think of him (which is usually the opposite for for us). He figures that if he is doing what is right then who cares what others think. He then says he doesn’t even judge himself and though his conscience is clear, that doesn’t mean he’s innocent. Let’s face it; we all tend to paint ourselves in the best light. We justify what we do so even though we may feel good about ourselves, that doesn’t make us innocent because of how skewed we are. He concludes with the most important judgment: God’s.

It is absolutely startling to me how the most important judgment has the least influence on our lives while the least important occupies our greatest concern. We care so much what others think and give such little regard to what God thinks.

What would our lives look like if we really cared more of what God thought than what people thought? What if we didn’t feel the need to justify our actions, but believed that should really be left up to God? I think the holes in our lives, like the hole in my wall, could be fixed a lot quicker.

Need a Little Change?

There is a scripture in 1 Samuel 10:9 that fills my mind with wonder. It says, “As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart…” Just like that!! Saul’s heart is changed.

I can’t tell you how many times I have labored and tried to change someone’s heart regarding something, from my children to friends making bad choices to myself. How many times have I researched, debated, laid out an iron clad case that will “fix” the situation, only to have all my work, thoughts, and efforts gently set on a shelf and be of no use at all? It’s crystal clear to me that though I may be able to inform or influence someone, I can’t change anyone, but I always seem to try anyway. I guess that’s part of the reason that I find that scripture so fascinating. God can actually change, transform, a person.

Paul presented this idea to the followers of Christ in Corinth. He asks them in chapter 3, why some say they follow Paul and others that they follow Apollos? If you do that aren’t you acting like mere men? In other words, you’re not following God who can bring true change, you’re following men who can only give you information or status. As great a man as Paul was and as dynamic a man as Apollos appears to have been, they are mere men in service to the Lord.

Paul then gives an illustration of fields growing crops as to what part he plays as a servant in the bigger work of God. Men can plant the seeds and water the ground, but they can’t make the crop grow. They don’t make the seed die in the ground or absorb the nutrients from the soil. They don’t provide the rain to get the water or the sun and all it produces with its light, heat and vitamins. That is exclusively the work of God.

I really should write this down and try to remember it so that the next time I try to make someone change, I can step out of the way, and not frustrate myself or them (oh how I’ve frustrated some people) and leave that work to God.

I may be able to plant a thought or some perspectives in someone’s mind, but ultimately it’s God who brings salvation and transformation and only God who can change a person’s heart.

Is there anyone out there besides me that needs a little change?

I understand God is giving it, freely

Wrestling (revised and reposted)

One of the more difficult lessons I am learning in life is that you can't give up! You can't stop trying to move your life forward. It doesn't matter if you’re tired, fed up, angry, bewildered, overwhelmed, you still have to push ahead and try to do what is right. You just can’t say “to hell with it”, throw your arms up and quit. I think Paul had this in mind when he wrote not to lose heart in doing what is right.

The thought of wrestling came into my mind the other day after dealing with a situation that ended after 4:00 a.m. and totally drained the life out of me. I thought about that intriguing passage in Genesis, where Jacob’s walk was marked for the rest of his life after he wrestled with God all night. I wondered, what would have happened had he quit and let go without holding on for his blessing? There is another account where Daniel is praying and waiting for 21 days without food for an answer from God. He waits as someone (or something) is hindering the answer from reaching him that entire time. The answer finally came on that 21st day, but what if he had given up and stopped just one day earlier?

Like these stories, my 4-hour wrestling match also ended well, but the thought terrifies me, ‘What could have happened had I quit?’ And God help me, I almost did several times. It makes me wonder how many times have I given up just short of the blessing, just before the answer or breakthrough?

So to the mom overwhelmed with worry over her children, or the couple struggling to hold on to each other, the dad who’s in way over his head at work or anyone who finds himself praying and waiting for help, Jesus said, “Don’t stop asking, don’t stop knocking, and don’t stop seeking, because everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

When? Maybe on the 21st day or maybe in the morning. The question really isn’t when, the question is, can you afford to quit too soon and miss it?

Pastors Are People Too – Part 2

Jesus was asked once by someone to intervene so they could get their portion of their father’s estate. Jesus responded, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” Jesus went on to talk about greed, which appears the core of this man's request, but I was wondering, what if pastors followed Jesus lead when asked questions like this? Or like, “can you tell my wife to be more submissive? Should I marry this person or invest my money here?” Is it really a pastor’s job

to “decide such things as that?” It’s one thing to ask advice or prayer for important things in our lives, but it's another to expect a pastor to take the responsibility for our decisions and unfortunately some have that expectation.

The book of Acts gives an account of a problem where there was contention among some of the Grecian women who felt they were being mistreated. As this issue was brought to the disciples to “fix it”, instead of taking on this responsibility they delegated it and told them to pick out the right people who would handle the situation and take care of this important money matter themselves.

Not only can people expect too much from what pastors are supposed do at times, they also can expect too much of how they are supposed to behave. If you doubt this, just talk to any pastor’s kid.

I recently drove next to someone I knew from a local church who didn’t notice me because he was into his music. When he then saw me, he rolled down the window and apologized f

or his music being loud and quickly made clear, “It’s Christian music of course”, as if being a pastor made me the spiritual music police or something. And now what would he think if he found out that I (a pastor) at that time was actually listening to Smashing Pumpkins on KROQ? It’s because of these kinds of pressures that some pastors live undercover with the concerts they go to, movies they watch, or TV programs they like because of what people will think or say.

Pastors (overseers) as Paul told Timothy ARE supposed to live lives above reproach (exercise self-control, not be heavy drinkers or violent, to be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money), but I think we’ve expounded this to mean much more than what Paul mentions. This scrutinized expectation only feeds an artificial spirituality, which is hypocritical and based on perceptions rather than actual conditions of heart and life.

God has shown us what is good and what He requires of us, to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with Him (Micah 6:8). Pastors aren’t supposed to know everything or live to anyone other than Jesus’ expectations, but then isn’t that true for all of us who follow Christ?

After all, pastors are people too.

Pastors are People Too ~ Part 1

The meaning of my title is two-fold. First, is to be careful not to elevate pastors to an unhealthy status and second, is that we don’t have an unhealthy expectation of those in that position.

An Unhealthy Status

‘Pastor’ is synonymous with ‘spiritual shepherd’ and Jesus modeled what this is to look like. He taught His disciples that if they wanted to be great in the kingdom of heaven, then they must become the servant of all, and that those who sought to be first would actually be last. He gave a powerful example of this when He knelt down and washed their feet. Even though He was their Lord, He took the role of a slave and told them that they should follow His example.

Jesus’ example of what a leader looks like needs to be put side-by-side with pastors today. Are they serving or being served? Do they think their position sets them above others or do they think others more important than themselves? Though none of us compare well to Jesus’ example, He remains our model and goal.

Many, wanting to respect this position, feel that a pastor's role is off-limits to criticism, citing Paul’s letter to Timothy “not to rebuke an elder man harshly” and David saying that he would not bring an accusation against God’s anointed (King Saul) even though he (Saul) was behaving rather badly. But the Scriptures still bring to light Saul's actions and Paul himself wrote to the Galatians of how he publicly confronted Peter, telling him he was clearly wrong, hypocritical, and showing partiality. So either Paul doesn’t understand what he wrote, or we don’t.

I am not writing this to ridicule pastors and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with a respectful teacher/laity relationship as long as it doesn’t cross over into a spiritual hierarchy where a person is thought right or better just because of their title. The truth is, there is no such thing as ordained and not ordained Christians in scripture, but there is a priesthood of all believers. God does not have favorites and no position affords freedom from responsibility, especially spiritual teachers as James 3:1 points out.

The biggest danger I believe in all this is not just thinking too much of pastors, but expecting too little from ourselves. They hear from God, we listen to them, they go on mission trips, study the Scriptures, do the work of God and we become spectators who resign from the responsibility of being an active part in what Paul illustrates as the body of Christ where every member contributes.

1 Cor. 14:26 says “Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you.” (NLT) This passage affirms that when we meet together there is something to be gained from a variety of people, and pastors are people too.

Who Cares? - Jonah Part 4

I used to have this cool ceramic bowl. It was blue on the outside, white on the inside, and the perfect size for a bowl of cereal. I had that bowl since I was a kid and then one fateful day it fell off the counter and was gone forever. I still get bummed when I think about losing that bowl. It’s funny some of the things that we care about and sad some of the things we don’t and in this final chapter of Jonah we get a picture of what Jonah, “the prophet”, and God care about.

Over the years in my conversations with people, I often hear something to the effect of, “I can’t believe in God because there is too much evil in the world.” And there seems to be a consensus that God doesn’t care as much as we do about the injustices of the world, that we’re the ones who are compassionate and forgiving, that we are the ones who are merciful and God is just concerned with judging, but that’s not what we see in the final scene of Jonah.

Up to this point, we don’t know why Jonah was running from Nineveh and when he finally tells us, it’s a bit surprising, especially from a prophet as we see that Jonah ran away because he knew that the Lord was gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now there’s nothing wrong with a God like that unless you don’t like the people God is showing this mercy to, which is exactly the case with Jonah and is often the case with us. Our moral compass conveniently points to our prejudice.

If you think I’m exaggerating, ask a group of high school students if they saw a stranger and their dog drowning and could only save one, which would they save? The overwhelming response in my experience has been to save their beloved pet that makes them happy rather than the stranger, a fellow human made in God’s image.

When someone tells me that they can’t believe in God because there’s too much evil in the world I usually answer them, “Okay, you win there is no God. Now who do we blame for the evil in the world?” You see, God was just an excuse to shift the blame off us. The truth is we’re the ones, like Jonah, who have a problem with prejudice. We’re the ones, like the Ninevites, who mistreat one another. We, like Jonah, grieve more over a plant that dies, or a ceramic bowl that breaks, than for those who are lost and cannot tell their right hand from their left. We are the ones who don’t like to forgive those who have hurt us and want to see judgment for those we dislike and we, like Jonah, are able to close our eyes and ignore the fate of 120,000 people in Nineveh, or Haiti.

So, who really cares? …God does.

When Kings Bow Down - Jonah Pt. 3

Years ago when I worked at a music store, a young kid came in who looked like he was on the edge of being homeless. He picked up a used Les Paul Custom that was selling for $800. and played it for a while, said thanks, put it back and headed for the door. I didn’t think to pursue things with him because I figured he couldn’t afford it. But before he left, the owner of the store asked if he wanted to buy the guitar. He told the owner, yeah, but didn’t have enough money (as I thought). The owner then asked him how much he had. I was shocked when he said he only had $750 bucks. The owner said that he would be willing to sell the guitar to him for that price and then the kid proceeded to pull hundred dollar bills out of each of his pockets, a couple hundred from the front left, three more from the right and a few bills from the back and before my very eyes there lay $750 dollars on the counter.

I didn’t expect that.

Chapter 3 of Jonah is also not what you might expect; Jonah walks through that great city of Nineveh (a 3 day trek) with a simple and clear warning of God’s judgment and an entire city of people, who are thought to be far from God, unexpectedly change their hearts. Even the king puts aside his royal robe, comes down from his throne and bows down in the dirt with the rest of the people asking God for mercy.

Imagine how easy it would have been for the king of Nineveh not to join the rest of the people. We all seem to have a tendency to see ourselves above circumstances. That is why we are so offended by some things we see in others, such as gossip, but are blind to acknowledge it in ourselves. How much more if we were actually king?

For change to take place in our lives, we need to be more like the king of Nineveh, willing to step down from our throne that says I am above, put off the robe that says it doesn’t apply to me and in the dirt of humanity admit we need help.

Unexpected things can happen when kings bow down.

Awakening - Jonah Part Two

Before Jonah finds himself inside a whale, we see a disconnected attitude in him. He doesn’t care that God told him to go to Nineveh… he’s sleeping while the storm threatens the lives of everyone on the ship and he seems emotionless when being thrown into the sea to his supposed death. Strangely enough, it takes three days in that dark, damp place of despair before he has an awakening and cries out in prayer to the LORD (I recommend starting sooner). I find this same pattern at times in our lives; detachment, denial, and despair that provoke the perception that we really need to call out to God for help.

Our perspective plays a big part in the directions we move forward. For example: if you were at a restaurant waiting to meet your date for dinner and after 45 minutes they were still a no show, you would have to come to some understanding and your perspective plays a big part on what that is. If you think (perceive) she stood you up, you might be angry. If you thought she was in an accident, you may be worried. If you thought she was working overtime to buy you a car, you might be grateful (naïve, but grateful) or maybe you wanted to break up with her and now you have a reason, and so you feel relieved. Your perception will ultimately affect your direction. It’s hard to imagine, but in Jonah’s case being vomited out of a whale was actually perceived that things were looking up.

When we finally do cry out to God, our prayer is usually for God to give us what we want, to make things the way we want them to be and to give us a life that is comfortable, secure and free from stress or worry (you can probably buy that book at the Christian bookstore). But in Jonah’s prayer while trapped in darkness, he remembers God has been with him and is aware of His presence still. Then even more illuminating and alarming, is the thought of being banished from God’s sight all together.

It Could be Worse

What if Jonah got what he wanted? What if he actually made his connecting flight in Tarshish and was able to run away from God? You see, without God the universe is a cold and heartless place. It doesn’t care about Nineveh, Haiti or children used in sex trafficking. Jonah became aware that a life without God is greater to be feared than the depths that he found himself in.

You would think that a prophet of God should already know this, but the truth is that sometimes it takes the despair of life for us to realize life’s value. It is in that dark place that we realize how much worse things would be if God was not there and those thoughts can keep us from sleep, or awaken us from it.

We just began a series on the book of Jonah and I feel this need to win the book back from the Veggie Tale / Sunday school / cartoon-whale frame of mind, because it’s really a powerful book.

Running Away

The story begins with God telling His spokesman (prophet) Jonah to go to Nineveh, the capitol of Assyria, to announce the coming judgment to the city if they didn’t change their ways, but Jonah runs away! I know it’s easy to look at this and think, “Come on dude, you’re a prophet, get in the game”, but I wonder how often we’ve run away when God asked us to step up to the plate? Maybe it’s to involve ourselves in something out of our comfort zone, or to forgive that friend or family member. Heck, sometimes just crossing the street and extending ourselves to our neighbor is too much work. I think more often it’s the prophet, not pagan, who has the issue with running from God.

After Jonah boards the ship heading for Tarshish, there is a storm that redirects the next chain of events. We know that God is behind the storm and that mercy is behind God’s motives; mercy for those in Nineveh, for the sailors on the boat, and for Jonah.

It’s interesting how, because of a severe storm, so many significant things can change for the sailors in such a short time. They move from fearing the storm to fearing the Lord, from crying out to all their gods, to crying out to Yahweh, from asking Jonah to wake up, to asking him what they should do. And once again we see the prophet is asleep while the pagans are in pursuit of the answers

.

The book of Jonah is many things, but I believe at its heart is the invisible hand of God clearly being seen and at work for the benefit of all involved. The love of God is much more dangerous than we think. It is furious and jealous and is willing to risk our physical and material comfort for an eternal and spiritual relationship, which is far better. As Jesus said, “What does it profit if you gain the world, but lose your soul?” I wonder how many times in the dark storms of life do we pray for our circumstances to change and it never dawns on us that what needs to change is not our circumstances, but us.

PRAYERS FOR THE BATTLE

How shall I pray?

Are tears prayers, Lord?

Are screams prayers,

or groans,

or sighs,

or curses?

Can trembling hands be lifted to you,

or clenched fists,

or the cold sweat that trickles down my back

or the cramps that knot my stomach?

Will you accept my prayers, Lord,

my real prayers,

rooted in the muck and mud and rock of my life,

and not just the pretty, cut-flower, gracefully arranged

bouquet of words?

Will you accept me, Lord,

as I really am,

messed up mixture of glory and grime?

TRIBES

I recently finished a book entitled “Tribes” which is about society’s need for leaders and how those leaders assemble, develop, and communicate with a group of people who have a common idea. At first I thought the book was going to be about leading in the business world, but it was far from that and surprised and challenged me in a many ways.

Tribes vs. Crowds

• A tribe is a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea.
• A crowd is a tribe without a leader.
• A crowd is a tribe without communication.

Many groups spend their time trying to gather a bigger crowd, but smart groups assemble a tribe. A crowd can rally around any idea, from moms praying for their kids in school (Moms in Touch) to building homes for those who need assistance, like Habitat for Humanity. The goal is not for the group to just get bigger, but for their idea to move forward. What good would it be if a million people belonged to Habitat for Humanity but not one home was ever built?

Managers vs. Leaders
Managers use resources (like people) to maintain the status quo. Leaders, on the other hand, are about creating changes that advance their ideas. If this happens in a faith community the pastor, instead of taking risks that move “the idea” (gospel message), may choose to manage the “crowd” and secure the establishment. Retreats, conferences, and luncheons become maintenance opportunities, self-focused to solidify who they are and what they stand for. Managers sound the trumpet and circle the wagons, leaders the trumpet to advance.
Managers are also more concerned about controlling the environment than empowering the tribe and are committed to the system or religion of how things are done. Managers raise up assistant managers; leaders empower their tribes to make change. For example, Martin Luther was labeled a heretic when he nailed his 95 Theses on the Wittenberg door, but he didn’t change his faith, he sought to change the environment. He translated the Bible into the people’s language, enabling the “tribe” to further the cause of Christ, not just those who spoke Latin. If you are going to lead, you can’t be afraid to challenge the status quo of the religion to help the idea move forward and you can’t be afraid of empowering their tribe.

Risk / Change / Fear
Risk, change, and overcoming fear are all part of leading; fear you will fail, fear of change, fear that you don’t have what it takes, or fear that the status quo will reject you. A leader needs to push through all of these things because the idea is worth the risk and too important not to move forward.

To further ideas effectively there needs to be a tribe. A tribe needs to communicate the idea. A tribe needs a leader. Maybe you?

ADVANCE

Love Something More

“So we cheated and we lied and we tested,

And we never failed to fail;
It was the easiest thing to do.” (Southern Cross - Stephen Stills)

Why do people do things that they know are wrong? The drug user who abuses knowing it’s going to land her on the streets, in a hospital, or worse. The man having an affair who knows it is destroying his family, but still, he continues the destructive behavior. I think the best way to answer that question is to ask ourselves. Looking back there have been times in my own life where I recognized that my attitude, habits, or behavior was unhealthy and destructive, but I chose to do them anyway. Why? Because I wanted to.

We just finished going through the book of Joshua (still a favorite) and at the end of this book of promise and conquest, miraculous intervention and tremendous faith, we find Joshua’s final words to the leaders and elders of Israel quite curious. He tells them to choose for themselves this day whom they would serve” with his emphatic, “as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” The elders respond as you might expect, saying that they too would serve LORD, but Joshua responds in a way that strikes back at them saying, “You are not able to serve the LORD. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God.”

Why would he say that?

Twice Joshua told the elders to throw away the foreign gods among them, but before that he told them to be careful to love the Lord (23:11), and though the people knew what they should and shouldn’t do, we see within just one generation they end up leaving the LORD and doing whatever was right in their own eyes (Judges). In the end, the people did what they wanted, what they loved and they loved something else more.

Woody Allen said, after leaving his wife and getting involved with her adopted daughter, “The heart wants what it wants” which brings me to my point: if you know the right thing, but love the wrong thing, you will make the wrong choice. Jesus said in John 3, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” It wasn’t that people couldn’t see the light (what was right), or understand the darkness (what was wrong), they just loved the darkness more.

I know people don’t usually change until the pain of remaining the same is greater than the pain of the change, but eventually loving the wrong things will leave us broken and disillusioned. At that time I pray we choose to love something else, something better, someone better, the one who first loved us and is jealous for us still. - 1 John 4:19

Ri

Have you ever heard or read something and found yourself being encouraged just knowing that there was someone else out there who felt the same way as you? That was the sense I had reading Steve Saccones book “Relational Intelligence”. I have long felt that how we relate with people is an important area that we often overlook and in his book Steve illuminates many ways that we can better ourselves in this area. In fact I thought it so good that I gave a copy to those who are in leadership at Genesis and believe it will help us not only be better leaders, but better people.

It bothers me (probably more than it should) how we can be fascinated with the sensational, yet be dysfunctional with the practical. We learn all we can about eschatology (end times stuff), but never think to better our ability to communicate on a deeper level. It’s the typical guy who will talk your ears off about the ‘mark of the beast’, but can’t get a date! Or, the girl who dominates every conversation with all she does for God, but fails to understand why she has so few friends! I have to say that in all my years of counseling, I’ve never had to help a troubled teen or couple in crisis because they didn’t have a clear grasp on the second coming of Jesus, but failure in communication is almost always at the top of the list. Leaders who don’t recognize this often fail to see that the truths they share aren’t received many times because of the tiresome and detached way they are relating those truths.

Steve writes about this and says, “When people aren’t engaged in our vision, our movement, or our cause, its easy to think that they lack the ability to remain interested, rather than absorbing the responsibility ourselves to become more interesting persons. If we struggle in our leadership to capture people’s attention and engage their interests, we’re not simply the victims who have fallen prey to the culture of boredom; instead we must allow this reality to motivate us to become more compelling relators.” He then says “We must take responsibility to become the most interesting people we can be to bring that part of us into our relationships.”

Jesus is a tremendous example of how to communicate with identification, passion and illustration to those listening (look at the Sermon on the Mount). He never gave off the impression of being too busy or uncaring. Whether it was the Children who came to him, Zacchaeus, the women at the well or so many others? He was the epitome of a relational genius.

I know that some people are good with this area and some not so good, but all of us could use improvement and this book is a great tool to help in that endeavor. It sure helped me.

Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Relational-Intelligence-Influence-Jossey-Bass-Leadership/dp/047043869X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270575449&sr=8-1

How Far? - Good Friday -

How far did He have to go? The Lord, to find you? Where was the end of your rope the bottom of your pit? Were you on a hill or mountain of despair? Was it in the middle of a sea of restlessness, searching for some peace? Was it in religious ritual, diligently trying to gain favor with a God you didn't even know was there?

Jesus said; "If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won't he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost?"

I'm so glad that He found me in that distant place, and I can't express the comfort and hope I hold onto knowing that He searches for the lost still.

There is something about knowing you are loved that can change you forever, change you for the better. On this Good Friday, may you know that you are loved.

A D V A N C E

Endurance - Joshua 14

At 85 years of age Caleb finally received the inheritance of land he was promised from God 45 years earlier. 45 years! That's a long time to wait for a promise and when it was finally given to him; he still had to clear out the Anakites who were decedents of Goliath. In fact Caleb is the only one who totally drove out the enemy from the land that was given. How could a man of that age conquer the most difficult territory in all of Canaan?

The Lord said of Caleb, "he has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly (Num. 14:24)." I believe it was a faith that did not falter, that enabled him to take hold of a strength that did not fail. It was a man who wholly followed the Lord, who was able to be wholly victorious.

Hebron the mountain top that Caleb claimed was the place he had laid eyes on when he first spied out the land with Joshua. It was also the same mount where Abraham decades earlier pitched his tent and spoke with God face to face. The name Hebron has in its meaning: fellowship, love and communion, how beautiful that this was the place Caleb cherished, pursued and fought to obtain. It is this place that we too must seek and claim, for it is our inheritance as well.

I pray that you too lay claim to Hebron

Living This Life - Part 4

“Freedom”

Paul has spoken in these last chapters of Romans about a life completely devoted to God, devoted to others, and about a life that is well lived in the eyes of society. He then brings home in the last few chapters the importance of freedom and all that freedom entails, which is room to grow and the ability to love. Paul speaks about this throughout both chapters 14 and 15, and they are well worth the read.

A few things stood out to me in these chapters. One is the distinction that Paul makes between those whose faith is weak or strong and how he makes that distinction. I think most of us think that those who have more regulation and restriction on what they will or will not do would have a stronger faith, but Paul actually says the opposite, that those who have less freedom are the ones who are weak. “One man’s faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.” (14:2) Yay for eating everything!

This idea of eating meat or only vegetables may seem a bit out there, but it had huge implications for those in Rome at the time. You see, when you bought meat from one of the shambles (discount meat market of the day) you were buying meat that had most likely been sacrificed in some sort of pagan worship. This thought led some to not buy any meat at all because they did not want to be connected to idol worship or support those businesses. While on the other side of the aisle were those who believed that a false god is really no god at all, and so didn’t give it a second thought (cp. 1 Cor. 8). This also took place with the days a person would consider holy for worship, but it is important to understand that both these things were considered by Paul to be “disputable matters, doubtful things or opinions (14:1),” and that he is not talking about the rudiments of our faith or moral issues.

It’s strange how people feel compelled to impose their standards with these kinds of “disputable matters”. It’s not hard to see the same arguments raised about many similar things today in our places of worship. Drinking beer or wine, the music we like or even tattoos are a few things that come to mind and the compulsion to compare and rank ourselves to others happens all too often. It is worth remembering that the person who has more restrictions may actually be weaker in faith.

Now, it may surprise you to know that Paul never says that one view is right regarding these things and that the other is wrong, he does say that one’s faith is weak, but not that they are wrong. And instead of trying to declare who is right or wrong, Paul encourages both to be fully convinced in their own mind. (14:5)

Wow, imagine that; it’s ok to choose and make up your own mind and it can actually be different than someone else’s. HALLELUJAH! That little nugget can set a lot of people free if they give it some thought and let it sink in.

An important part of living this life of faith is to be persuaded with what we believe and the convictions we hold. For that to happen there needs to be communication between us and the Lord we are living for, the freedom to choose is a necessary part of growth and love in any relationship, including our relationship with God. Paul emphasizes the importance of this personal connection when he says, “Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” (14:4) Powerful! What business do we have telling the Lord’s servant what to do in these disputable matters? This is why Paul spends the majority of these two chapters explaining why it is more important to love others than try and prove ourselves right when it comes to these things and why freedom must bow it’s knee to love, but then that's the point, only freedom can. Oh, that we would learn.

“Let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way .“ (14:13)

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. (14:19)

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. (15:7)

Amen.

To think some will read this and miss the point, because all they see is the beer.

Living This Life Part 3

I wrote the last couple of times how living a life as a follower of Christ first begins with that relationship to Him. We then looked at how we not only belong to Him, but we belong to others as well, a community known as the church. Now, this third part of ‘Living This Life’ has to do with how we represent ourselves in the society around us and this seems to be an area in which we often fail to see the importance, until it shows up on the news in an ugly way.

Why This? Why Here?

Romans 13, at a glance, can seem to come from left field as Paul was talking in chapter 12 about …

• “Let love be genuine.” (Vs. 9)
• “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” (Vs. 10)
• “Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.” (Vs. 13)
• “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.” (Vs. 14)
• “Repay no one evil for evil.” (Vs. 17)
• “Never avenge yourselves.” (Vs. 19)
• “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.” (Vs. 20)
• “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Vs.21)

Then all of a sudden in chapter 13 he is talking about submitting to government authorities, paying taxes and not being in debt to anyone except when it comes to love, but really he is only continuing with love and concern for others, but in a very matter-of-fact kind of way. So, why are these things so essential?

There is a current story in the news that I believe makes the importance of these points very clear. A woman named Laura Silsby and a number of American missionaries were recently arrested while illegally taking 33 children out of Haiti into the Dominican Republic, apparently to start an orphanage. Now with the earthquake tragedy that has struck Haiti, the thought of rescuing children and starting an orphanage sounds like a noble thing to do, but add into the mix that Laura has a history of failing to pay her debts, has at least eight civil lawsuits and fourteen unpaid wage claims against her plus now the recognition that she did not go through proper channels to take these children. Well, whatever her intent may or may not have been, everything about her is now suspect.

Unfortunately, it’s easier to see just how important our conduct and character in life can be; from the bad examples than the good, because really, who cares how well you know the scriptures, how much you pray or how spiritual you claim to be if you take advantage of people and act like a jerk? That may seem like a harsh way of looking at this subject in chapter 13, but I really believe it is at the heart of what Paul is trying to convey.

It’s also worth remembering that in Acts 18 Luke wrote that Claudius (Caesar) ordered the Jews to leave Rome. We don’t know for what reason, but odds are that things were not good between the Roman government and this group of people. Now Paul is writing this letter only 5 years later to those Christians (Jew and gentile), who once again are in Rome. You can imagine the scrutiny these followers of Christ (most of them Jews) were under and why it was so important that they didn’t obstruct the faith that they shared with self-centered conduct.

I love J.B. Phillips’ translation of 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 that brings even more clarity to this. Paul writes: “Be busy with your own affairs and do your work yourselves. The result will be a reputation for honesty in the world outside and an honorable independence.”

What does it mean to be spiritual? Is it studying your Bible or honestly paying your taxes? Is it praying for hours or making sure you are not indebted to anyone? Is it in saying the right words or living the right life? Well, both would be best but Paul, in Romans chapter 13, wants us to understand the value in living a life that will honor the faith that we believe and how we display that faith in our society.

James writes, “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” – James 1:26-27 ( NIV )

So, don’t stop helping Orphans, just make sure your conduct doesn’t get in the way.

Living This Life Part 2

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:3-5 ( NIV )

I wrote last time about how the first step in living this life as a follower of Jesus begins with our relationship to God and how Jesus gave us a tremendous example of what that relationship looks like. Paul, in extreme language, described it as a ‘living sacrifice.’ Many people stop at this point either because it’s more than they want to step into, or because they

think that God is all they need and as long as they are good with God, then they’re good to go. Even in some of the songs we sing, this mentality is reinforced. We sing, “All I need is You” or “You are my everything.” I understand the poetic beauty and resonance of these words, and even love to sing them, but to think that we only need God and nothing else is just not accurate, even as Paul states in these verses. We who are many, form one body, and we belong to one another. What Paul is describing here is the church.

Church

The word ‘Church’ is one that stirs up a wide range of thoughts and emotions. For some good, others bad and for many, I believe, misunderstood. When the word ‘Church’ is mentioned in scripture, it does not mean a place or a building where you go to worship; it is referring to the people who follow Christ all over the world. They ARE the church, Christ’s body, as Paul states, active in this world. And it’s

important to realize that we were designed by God for this community and that it’s an important and necessary part of living this life.

In the Beginning

In Genesis, at the very beginning, God had created paradise and placed Adam in the middle of the garden. They walked in perfect relationship with each other before the fall and God at this time said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” (Genesis 2) Who else would dare to say “it is not good” in a situation where it is just you and God in perfect harmony? But God saw that there was still a need in Adam, the need not for more of God, but for someone else.

Now, when God created Eve, He didn’t just create a companion for Adam, He created family and larger still, He created community. The implications go much further than just the two of them. We can still see the gravity towards community in life all around us. We see it at sporting events as we wear our team colors and give high fives to the people around us we’ve never met as our team scores, at concerts or parties. Some will even be beaten half to death just so they can be accepted as a member of a particular gang. And though some of our choices aren’t always healthy, they are confirming what God saw there in the beginning, the need to be with others.

Jesus brought depth to this, and again (or should I say of course) in an extreme way. There was a crowd sitting around Jesus and someone said, “Your mother and your brothers are outside asking for you.” Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Then he looked at those around him and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:32-35 NLT). Jesus just took the closest circle that we have (family), and made it a whole lot bigger. Paul continues here in Romans with the attitude we should have toward each other, not thinking too highly of ourselves, recognizing our differences, as well as our dependency. Even as has been said, “If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go with others.”

This love for others was Jesus’ mark and example and His disciples became known because of it. The world saw how Jesus’ followers lived and called them, “Christians”. Today we call ourselves Christians and the world sees how we live and calls us hypocrites, because what they see so many times doesn’t match who Christ is.

I believe that our communities of worship would not be able to contain all the people that would come if we loved and cared for them as we should. It was how Jesus said people would know that we are His followers, by our love for one another. The importance of being connected to others is a vital part of living this life. Loving God includes loving others (1 John 3).

After all …we are the church.