Churchless Ponderings

For the past year or so, my wife and I have been churchless.  In fact, it could be argued that we’ve been church shopping for fifteen years.  Yes, we’ve been actively involved in several churches, from being worship leaders and teachers in a mainstream denominational church; to counselors and pre-marital coaches in a non-denominational church; to being members of a church-planting team which included moving 1,400 miles to Oregon with 25-30 other church-planting enthusiasts; to finally joining a small group or home church in an attempt to avoid all the bureaucracy.

Most of this time, even in our most active times, it could be argued that we have been in search of a church home. 

Do you think it is possible to be an active member of a church and still feel disenfranchised?  Unfortunately, the answer for hundreds of thousands of people is a resounding YES!

So the question has to be asked.  Are we, the disenfranchised, failing the church or is the modern American church failing its people.  (The word “calling” could be interchanged with the word “people” but let’s stick with the idea of failing people for now… Failing God will come later).  Since there are hundreds of thousands of disenfranchised Christians walking the streets of America, let’s assume that the failing is that of the modern church.

C.S. Lewis discussed this failing in 1952 in Mere Christianity when he wrote: “In the same way the Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time.” 

Please take the time to reread this passage.  In many ways I believe this speaks volumes of truth about the modern church.  And, sadly to say, there are many comparisons we can draw between Pharisees and church organizations in Jesus’ time.  Jesus’ focus when he overturned the tables in the temple was simply to tear down the barriers that had been erected to keep people from gaining access to God.

Let’s look at the barriers to people today in our modern churches as they attempts to approach God:

 “1.       “The Inerrant Word of God” – Martin Luther fought this battle and it continues today.  People are not supposed to think when it comes to being a Christian.  Everything you need is in the Bible and if you get confused by some of things you read, or if you decide you don’t have time for thousands of hours of study to become a Biblical scholar with the ability to study the original Latin, Greek, and Hebrew texts, you may have to struggle with how the Truth applies to your life’s situation… Or just listen to the opinion of your pastor and do what he tells you.

      Maintaining the Bible as the inerrant word of God builds a barrier to those whose see that conflicting passages do exist and that letters written in an era 2000 years ago to people of far different cultures than our own may leave some room for interpretation… interpretation that may leave more questions than answers.

         The modern church does not want questions.  It wants us to accept the mainline view of Truth and apply it without question or hesitancy.  This is a barrier keeping tens of thousands of people out of the modern church.

2.       “Sin” – Do people really want to constantly hear how bad they are?  Yes, Salvation, Redemption, Grace, Mercy, Sacrifice…. these are all wonderfully beautiful aspects of what God and Christ has done for us.  The Gospel Message IS the Good News.  I get it.  I know its importance.  However, Sin is not the entire Gospel Message.  Wholeness and Relationship with God is the purpose of everything God has done for humanity.  He desires a growing, living and intimate relationship with his people.  The Modern Church is stuck firmly in the grasp of the sin-repent-forgiveness do-loop.  Round and round we go, constantly reading Romans 1-11 and never getting on with Romans 12 where we are to live life and grow closer to God.

        If you doubt what I say, then talk to a pastor of a modern church and ask him what is the number one goal or purpose and what is the most important measurement of his church activity.  I’m betting he’ll say “Baptisms” or “Saving Souls”

         Our modern churches teach sin-salvation and nothing else.  No one grows in their faith.  They simply relive their sinful nature.  How many people in today’s churches are baptized repeatedly?  Why?  Because they have not grown from their point of conversion.

        This is a barrier keeping tens of thousands of mature Christians from being involved in modern churches.

3.       “The Role of Women” – Dare I say it?  Women can lead.  Women are spiritual giants.  Women belong at the forefront of modern Christian churches.  Where are they?  They are systematically funneled either into children’s ministry because they have a womb so it must make them good with children or into music ministry, as long as they are good looking and sing on key.

        Much of this male chauvinistic thinking comes from the writings of Paul.  This is a great example of where our society has improved over the millennium to recognize that men and women, not to mention blacks, Hispanics, Asians etc., are created by God to have equal rights and to be equally responsible for sharing the news of his love for all man and womankind. Woman are capable.  Women have been created by God to lead.  The church stands firmly in the way.

      As long as modern churches continue to grasp tightly to the male-dominated mindset – hundreds of thousands of people will be barred from having an active and important role in the church.

4.       “Righteousness” – This stems from number one or simply from an attitude that “I’m right and you’re wrong, so do it my way.”  God forbid that something might come along that is different.  We see Righteousness in our churches lived out in many ways.  The things I’ve listed below are only an example of the hundreds of “righteousness” barriers that are keeping people from joining or attending modern churches:

a.       Rules pertaining to Baptism:  The Bible has many examples of Baptism including baptism by the Holy Spirit.  Setting rules that a person must be immersed at a certain age or that any baptism in another space, time, or church doesn’t count. This is not Biblical and it creates barriers that I’m guessing Jesus would overturn just as he did in the Temple.

b.      Premarital sex:  This Puritanical approach to modern marriages is so out of touch with reality that it is laughable.  Apparently 90% of Americans today have had pre-marital sex.  Oh my God. What are we going to do?  Let’s preach against it.  Let’s brain-wash our children, filling them with fear and self-loathing.  Let’s refuse to marry people until they rid themselves of this sinful practice.  “He who is without sin…”  Does this sound familiar?  Did anyone you know, while in ministry, demonstrate the pattern of meeting people where they are without criticism or judgment to simply to draw them closer to God? (hint: the Sunday School answer is always Jesus). The woman at the well?  The Tax Collectors?  The woman being stoned?  When you turn people away based on judgmental righteous, why would you expect them to come back?

c.       Money: The number one answer people offer when they are asked why they stopped attending church is money.  Yes, learning to depend on God’s blessing and thanking him by tithing in a generous way is an important growth characteristic.  However, there are two things stopping this message from getting through. 

                                                               i.      Churches waste tons of money with a very small percentage of it getting through to the ministries they support and

                                                             ii.      (see number 2 above) We are not growing people to the point where they get what tithing and generous living means.  They are still living in fear and doubt.

d.      Politics:  This may be wasted on the conservatives in the crowd and I know it may sound strange but God loves Democrats too. And yes, to the wonderful Christian I met in a hotel parking lot in Colorado, I can be a Christian AND vote for someone other than a person named Bush.  It has been far too long of a time since Democrats have felt welcome in a modern church.

e.      Prejudice:  Martin Luther King may have a National Holiday named after him, but God forbid if you should walk into a modern church and look different in any way.  Our society is learning to mask our prejudices but when you get into the meat of the issue and ask people to give their lives to something bigger than themselves, you better have put prejudice to rest.  I’m not only talking about racial prejudices, even though they are strongly prevalent in nearly every church. In addition to our well-document racism, there is prejudice of wealth/poverty, or dress codes that exclude homeless people from entering a church gathering, or the most obvious, a prejudice, if not hatred, towards LGBT.  Name one person you see walking the street in today’s cities that Jesus would not invite into his church.  Be honest – what are the prejudice barriers in your church?

I wish to close this letter with another C.S. Lewis quote:

“It is right and inevitable that we should be much concerned about the salvation of those we love. But we must be careful not to expect or demand that their salvation should conform to some ready-made pattern of our own.”

Are we acting as God and determining how salvation and a relationship with Christ is supposed to be for others?  Are we creating barriers to the very people with whom God wants to have a close and vibrant relationship?  The modern church is broken and in its brokenness it is pushing people far from God.

God Is Holy

As I begin my journey with My One Word in 2014, I wonder how the word “holy” will unwrap and reveal itself in my life.  My first impression as outlined in my article, “My One Word”  has a focus on the manner in which I am to live my life.  At all moments in life, we have choices to make and, for me, I believe I am to live 2014 being conscience of each choice I make and striving to choose the holier path, whenever possible.

I have been struggling, as you might imagine, at the concept that God is calling me to be holy.    Several verses I have noted in recent writings reveal that God is calling us all to “be holy because I am Holy.”   (please see:  1 Peter 1:14-16 - NCV and Leviticus 19:2 - NCV ) To be honest, I frankly do not understand what holiness is and what, specifically, God calling me to do.  “Be Holy.”  He might as well say “Be Green.”  At least I could perhaps look past the calling for a color change (which I doubt I could pull off) and focus on my environmental consciousness.  There are some specific steps one must take to “Be Green” but what does it mean to “Be Holy?”

In my article, “Living the Holy Life God Calls Us to Live,” I wrote how Jesus viewed a blessed life and how the world, the Kingdom, would be a better place by it.  Through this recipe, I have an understanding that if I’m to “Be Holy”, I need to be a peacemaker, have mercy, be pure of thought, and so forth.  However, those attributes and characteristics are the outcome of being holy, not a pathway to holiness.  I remain confused as what I am to do to become “Holy.”

In my search to understand holiness more fully, I purchased a copy of RC Sproul’s book, “The Holiness of God.” (I think it was a fairly wise decision to purchase this book and must indicate I’m on the right path.) It really did not take me very long reading Sproul’s book before I realized that this call to be Holy is more about God than it is about me.  At the closing of Sproul’s first chapter he asked the following question: 

“When you think of God as Holy, what comes to your mind?”

(Dear Reader: Before you continue farther into my ramblings on this question, please take some time to think this question through yourself.  You may need to walk away from your computer and find a quiet place to pray and meditate. You may need to read the Bible, write in a journal, or stare into a star-filled sky.  As you can imagine, the question is far deeper than we normally like to go in our thoughts and prayers but I believe it is truly a question that each of us needs to answer for ourselves.  This is not a test – it is an evaluation of your relationship with God and where he stands in your life, today.)

So where to begin?  No matter how I tackle this question I know that in the end, my word-smithing skills will fall short and the richness of my answers, incomplete.  It is a question where there is no wrong answer, just a sense of more… there is more to the holiness of God than we will ever fathom.  As I read the Psalms of David, I believe we see the effort of one man attempting to describe God’s Holiness.  David had perspective, talent, and opportunity. He had love, passion, and the heart of God beating in his chest.  No matter how amazing and far-reaching the Psalms may be, they still fall short.  There must be more….

It was during this thought pattern that I came to the conclusion that God’s holiness is unlimited in every perspective.  (Does this thought surprise anyone?)  What we attempt to do in our lives is to comprehend holiness from the perspective on one… one person, one moment, one glimpse. 

I learned yesterday that a star within the Ursa Major constellation has gone “supernova.”  Scientists are very excited by the opportunity to study this event.  They will have every imaginable scientific tool pointed towards the Big Dipper making measurements and readings of this pinpoint of light in the northern sky.  Pinpoint is the operable word.  A star, so far in the distance that it was only visible through high-powered telescopes, has exploded.  The amount of light generated by the explosion is unfathomable.  Think about a star exploding.  Light coursing out from the explosion in every direction and yet, we will benefit from only one pinpoint. Like a flashlight beaming from the heavens, we will see one beam, one view, one perspective.

This is how it is with God, we each have one perspective and that perspective is filtered by what is happening in our life at that moment.  Your answer regarding God’s holiness will be one thing when you are standing on the rim of the Grand Canyon or looking into the Milky Way on a star-filled night than it will be walking the back streets of an American inner-city or in the slums neighborhoods of a third world country.  Your perspective will change from what it might be while attending your daughter’s wedding to something quite different when you are in the hospital at her birth, or her death. If you are sick, depressed, or feeling hopeless, the holiness of God becomes one thing and if you are on top of the world, rolling in success, it is another.  (As you read David’s Psalms you see many of these different perspectives at work.)

God is Holy!  It is an easy phrase to say and there is little argument of its validity or truth, but what it means is entirely a different story.  In fact, it is the story of our lives.  If we were to take a pulse reading on our view of God’s holiness every so often and document it, we would start to see more of God and understand more fully what Holiness truly means.  God never changes and the phrase God is Holy is a foundational truth and yet, our view and our perspective changes with each breath we take.

As I pondered the question this morning on my drive to work four distinct answers came to mind along with thoughts as to how these answers were to be played out in my life in pursuit of my holiness:

1.       “God is completely Pure in all things.”  Holiness means purity of thought and deed.  As God calls me to Be Holy in 2014, he wants me to keep my mind out of the gutters of lust, greed, and selfishness and focused more on how to be ready to serve others.  The “all things” aspect is seemingly beyond reach, but I do not think God would say “Be Holy” and not mean it.  He did not say, 'be holy when you can or if you have time.'  He said “Be Holy because I am Holy.”

2.       “God is immeasurable Love.”  God is Love and God is Holy so it follows that Love is Holy.  The Godly part of love is the unfathomable depth of his love.  “He loved us so much that he gave us his only son so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but shall have eternal life.” (John 3:16 paraphrased)  And this is only the beginning of his love.  There is no end to God’s love and no one is outside its reach.  To Be Holy then, means to Love.  Love everyone.  Love in spite of harm, or differences, or hurt, or injustice or wrong.  Reach beyond these earthly things to forgive and love.  This is the Holy way.

3.       “God is unshakably Reliable.” I needed to turn to my Webster dictionary on this.  (perhaps proof that the word Reliable came from God instead of from my mind since I needed help defining it.) Webster defines Reliable as: “able to be trusted to do or provide what is needed: able to be relied on: able to be believed: likely to be true or correct.” Reliability then speaks to the Truth that God represents. In all things Godly, Truth resonates throughout.  He is unwavering, never changing, and consistent.  For me to Be Holy I will need to rely heavily on God’s Truth to guide me.

4.       “God is consistently Available.” God is always available when we need him. We may go days, weeks, months, and even years without a thought towards God but the minute we turn to find him, he is present, ready and available. “If you seek you shall find.” (Mathew 7:7 - KJV) He never lets us down, or turns the other way, or is busy with something else.  To Be Holy means to be reliably available to all those God sends our way who are seeking to find the Truth, the Light and the Spirit of God in their lives.

I can only pray that, as you dig into what God’s Holiness means in your life, you will discover a wealth of meaning and inspiration that takes you from where you stand today to where God is leading tomorrow.  May His Holiness always be a part of who you are and who He wants you to become.

Living the Holy Life God Calls Us to Live

5 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a hill and sat down. His followers came to him, ² and he began to teach them, saying:

³ “They are blessed who realize their spiritual poverty,
    for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
⁴ They are blessed who grieve,
    for God will comfort them.
⁵ They are blessed who are humble,
    for the whole earth will be theirs.
⁶ They are blessed who hunger and thirst after justice,
    for they will be satisfied.
⁷ They are blessed who show mercy to others,
    for God will show mercy to them.
⁸ They are blessed whose thoughts are pure,
    for they will see God.
⁹ They are blessed who work for peace,
    for they will be called God’s children.
¹⁰ They are blessed who are persecuted for doing good,
    for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

¹¹ “People will insult you and hurt you. They will lie and say all kinds of evil things about you because you follow me. But when they do, you will be blessed. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because you have a great reward waiting for you in heaven. People did the same evil things to the prophets who lived before you.  (Mathew 5:1-12 - NCV)

What does it mean to be “Blessed?”

One of the main teachings of the Bible as described by the Abrahamic Covenant is the idea of God’s blessing being laid upon mankind.  Through the story of Abraham we learn that God blesses us for a reason – to be a blessing to others.  Throughout the history of mankind we have prayed for God’s blessings to flow into and through our lives.  Being blessed is a huge part of our world.  Everyone wants God’s blessings in their life.

In 2000 Bruce Wilkinson wrote a book called the Prayer of Jabez based on 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 which was about the blessings one man prayed for and received.  This prayer became very popular for several years and I, to this day, still pray regularly in the Jabez format.  (see prayer at top of page.)  I pray every day for God’s blessings so that I can be a blessing to the world.

What am I praying for?  Riches and wealth?  Happiness and bliss? God’s anointing?

In the Sermon on the Mount in Mathew 5-7, Jesus begins his teaching with the verses referred to as the Beatitudes which provide us a list of examples of a blessed life such as: “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the children of God.” Do the Beatitudes mean that people blessed by God have a special impact on the world or is it the other way around where people who do special things are blessed by God?

The word Blessed has several definitions but the one generally listed first is “having a sacred nature” or “being holy” and “connected to God” or “favored by God.”  Yes, the idea of living an enjoyable and enriched life is also a common use of the word, but let’s say for argument sake that God’s use of the word Blessed in the Bible is of a more holy nature.  If we do this then the idea of living a life filled with blessings becomes “living a holy life.” And living a holy life brings a different set of baggage to the idea of being Blessed.  God blesses us, anoints us, for a holy purpose – to be holy people and to do holy things.  It means to become like Christ himself.

Being like Christ is a holy and lofty goal but is obviously a very challenging thing to do.  First, we generally react to the concept as being unworthy or inadequate to the task.  We clearly understand our failings as individuals and recognize how far from being holy we truly are.  And yet, in the Beatitudes Jesus calls us to live holy lives.  We could argue that only a few saints achieve this goal of holiness but that does not dismiss the calling and the expectation:  God created us to be holy beings.

 “The Lord has told you, human, what is good;
    he has told you what he wants from you:
to do what is right to other people,
love being kind to others,
and live humbly, obeying your God.

 (Micah 6:8 - NCV)

It is not only a desire that God wants us to do right, love one another and live humbly, it’s a commandment:

¹⁴ Now that you are obedient children of God do not live as you did in the past. You did not understand, so you did the evil things you wanted. ¹⁵ But be holy in all you do, just as God, the One who called you, is holy. ¹⁶ It is written in the Scriptures: “You must be holy, because I am holy.”  (1 Peter 1:14-16 - NCV)

And it is not only a New Testament concept:

“Only those who are innocent
    and who do what is right.
Such people speak the truth from their hearts
³ and do not tell lies about others.
They do no wrong to their neighbors
    and do not gossip.
⁴ They do not respect hateful people
    but honor those who honor the Lord.
They keep their promises to their neighbors,
    even when it hurts.
⁵ They do not charge interest on money they lend
    and do not take money to hurt innocent people.

Whoever does all these things will never be destroyed.”

(Psalm 15 - NCV)

But how are we to live a Blessed or Holy life?

I believe the main issue boils down to a chicken-and-egg question.  Is it up to us to become Holy or is Holiness a gift from God?  In one sense, holiness has the touch and feel of Godliness.  In other words, it seems that the whole concept of being holy is of a Godly nature, meaning it comes from God.  However, when the rubber meets the road, and we take time to review our days, we often come to realize that it is us who have failed at holy living because holiness is a tough goal to reach. There is a sense of unattainable perfection.

Is holy living unattainable?

I do not think God would dangle a carrot or level of expectation before us if he felt it was unattainable.  I do not think Jesus would provide a litany of examples for holy living if he knew we would never fulfill the calling. We are blessed to be a blessing.  We are made holy to be holy.

Yes, we have some work to do but this work can be summarized as simply turning to Christ. Once we have him in our sights on a regular basis and live each day without wavering from this focus, then the blessings flow.  How we keep this focus is different for everyone.  It can come in the form of prayer, meditation, devotionals, reading, writing, singing, Bible Study, blogging, exercise etcetera, etcetera, and etcetera.  It doesn’t matter what we do as long as the focus is Christ.

“Because of God you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God. In Christ we are put right with God, and have been made holy, and have been set free from sin.”

(1 Corinthians 1:30 - NCV)

Being set free from sin and responding to the call from Christ to live holy lives means that the kingdom of heaven becomes a tangible and achievable reality in our lives today… not once we pass through the pearly gates of heaven or when Christ returns in some future millennia… Today!

 “We need not and must not wait until we die to live in the land of milk and honey; and if we will only move to that land now, the passage in physical death will be but one more day in the endless life we have long since begun.” By Dallas Willard, Renovations of the Heart, p43.

Wasted Grace

“¹² When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he went back to Galilee. ¹³ He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum, a town near Lake Galilee, in the area near Zebulun and Naphtali. ¹⁴ Jesus did this to bring about what the prophet Isaiah had said:

¹⁵ “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali
    along the sea,beyond the Jordan River.

This is Galilee where the non-Jewish people live.

¹⁶ These people who live in darkness
    will see a great light.

They live in a place covered with the shadows of death,
    but a light will shine on them.” (Isaiah 9:1–2)

¹⁷ From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Change your hearts and lives, because the kingdom of heaven is near.” (Matthew4:12-17 NCV)

What does Jesus mean when he says “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand (KJV)?”

There are two extremely important theological tenets in Jesus statement in verse 17, neither of which point to the Gospel Message of Salvation that modern Christians seem to grasp onto as the only purpose for a relationship in Christ.  Yes, Salvation – the promise of eternal life based on the gift of grace given by God and represented in the death of Jesus on a cross through our faith – is the major message of the entire Bible.  God desires deeply to save us from an eternity of separation from his love.

However, there is another, equally important component to the Gospel message – Sanctification.  A relationship with the Christ (the spirit of God) should result in a change of hearts and lives.  In these verses, Jesus calls us to change our lives.  In fact, in the chapters that follow in Matthew (Matt 5-7), Jesus climbs a mountain in the region of Galilee and teaches the gathering crowd what a changed life looks like.  The characteristics and virtues he discusses are not to be “holy goals” where we choose a virtue here and there to maintain and fall short on the others. They are in total, depictions of what it means to live a life in Christ. 

“Change your life” is a commandment that can only be achieved by opening our hearts to the living Christ and allowing Him to lead, teach, help, guide, and inspire us to become the Holy Children of God we were created to be.  If Sanctification, becoming Christ-like, is not happening in our life then the purpose of our Salvation, the purpose of God’s blessing of grace, is lost and wasted. 

What is God’s purpose for Sanctification? Is it simply to make us better people; giggly and worry free?  No. It is really not about us at all.  It is about the Kingdom of Heaven.

When Jesus states “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” he is not referring to a Revelation-type promise where someday he will return from the heavens on a white horse with sword in hand reigning down judgment on all but a chosen few.  He is saying that the Kingdom of Heaven is here, now.  There is “Kingdom” work to be done every day in our lives and in the lives of the people to whom we come in contact.  He is saying that through our changed hearts and lives we can and will make a difference in the world.  That we can heal the sick; relieve suffering of the poor; be merciful to the weak and less fortunate; provide comfort to those who grieve; give food and drink to those who hunger and thirst; work for justice and peace in our communities; and fight against the evils of persecution, injustice, bullying, abuse, prejudice, and hatred everywhere we go.  The “Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” and we each play a role in what His kingdom becomes. 

In the incessant debate between Conservative and Liberal Christians what seems to be lost is the idea of Wholeness as it pertains to the Gospel message.  Conservatives tend to believe the Liberal message to be too liberal, focusing too much on loving, accepting and helping everyone, regardless of their beliefs or value systems.  On the other hand, Liberals tend to believe that Conservatives are too moralistic and harsh with too strong of a focus on Salvation, Sin, and the Judgment of God.

Is it possible that both are wrong about their differences?  Is it possible that in God’s kingdom the entire Gospel message, both Salvation and Sanctification are important?  If we choose to focus on only one component of the Gospel message are we wasting God’s Grace?  

In his letter to the Corinthians Paul seemed to indicate that divisions in our beliefs where we pick and choose what is important are wrong:

“I beg you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that all of you agree with each other and not be split into groups. I beg that you be completely joined together by having the same kind of thinking and the same purpose.” (1 Corinthians 1:10 - NCV)

If we, as a group, were to study the Sermon on the Mount a little more fully and rejoice a little more loudly at the gift of Salvation Christ represents, carrying both messages into the world around us, could the Kingdom of Heaven truly become “at hand?” Can we become a great light to those living in the darkness instead of a diverse collection of bickering believers with a clouded and unloving message?

Qualified to Write

“When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God’s way, I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities.

^8-10 And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ. My task is to bring out in the open and make plain what God, who created all this in the first place, has been doing in secret and behind the scenes all along. Through followers of Jesus like yourselves gathered in churches, this extraordinary plan of God is becoming known and talked about even among the angels!

^11-13 All this is proceeding along lines planned all along by God and then executed in Christ Jesus. When we trust in him, we’re free to say whatever needs to be said, bold to go wherever we need to go. So don’t let my present trouble on your behalf get you down. Be proud!” (Ephesians 3:7-12 - MSG)

Do you ever feel disqualified to talk about God with others?

I certainly do.  Who am I to presume that my words, written or spoken, will have any real impact in the world?  Who am I to suggest that God is the inspiration behind these words or that He agrees with my beliefs or opinions?  When you compare my oratory efforts, my teaching and my written word, to the world of wise theologians that live among us or the army of saints that have gone before us, why would anyone want to listen or spend time with my thoughts?

And yet, though I am certainly no Paul, it seems we share lowly self-estimations.  “And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are way over my head.”  That is true.  But isn’t it as true with any human living on this side of Heaven?  Do any of us truly have a claim on Truth?  Wouldn’t you agree that the wisest of the wise have acquired but a thimbleful of wisdom compared to the ocean of knowledge radiating by and from God?

So if not me – who?

Like Paul, “my task is to bring out in the open and make plain what God has been doing…,” as I perceive it.  To share the experiences, inspirations, ideas, vision, snapshots, and glimpses of God that we encounter each day is the task that each of us has been handed.  We are all called to spread the Good News.  We are instructed to talk about Christ with others – everyone. We are inspired to share our stories of how God is involved in our lives.  We are to demonstrate how the Spirit of God, living within us, has changed our hearts and lives.

“When we trust in him, we’re free to say whatever needs to be said, bold to go wherever we need to go.”

Free to love one another.

Free to teach one another.

Free to pray for one another.

Free to serve one another.

Free to be Christ for one another.

Perhaps, as you read the writings of modern theologians, you have become somewhat jaded.  Perhaps you consider them (us) to be simply a chorus of “other” voices, unsure of their origin or source.  Perhaps you find yourself listening to a different truth – disagreeing of what you hear from the Left –  or maybe the Right.

It is my belief, however, that we can all be voices for God.  God is definitely large enough to encompass and exceed all our beliefs. I believe that with each missive about God, no matter how narrow it may seem it, in some way, reveals a very small, yet, accurate image of God for us to see.  To me, while scanning the Internet to find blogs, or published books, or Facebook postings, or tweets, or Pin-It, or whatever the latest medium happens to be, I find God at work. God inspires writers, poets and songwriters today as much as he ever did. Hearing, reading, and writing about God is Holy work.

Nearly every time I turn to the Bible I find verses that pop off the page with truth that strikes to the heart of who I am and what I’m doing. It is an incredible experience.  Sharing those experiences with others is not only a dutiful response to God’s calling, it is a drive from within that cannot be squelched. And as I give in to the squelchlessness I find myself equipped to write or say those things God wants said.

I pray that from this writing, you too can “Be Proud!”

My One Word

      The following is a personal exercise I went through in following the guidelines from Mike Ashcraft’s book, “My One Word: Change Your Life With Just One Word”  I highly recommend reading his book and implementing the My One Word project into your life in 2014.  I apologize in advance to the typos, run-on sentences, and crypticness of the writing.  I decided to give you the roughed-out version just as I worked through the process in order that it be may model to you, both the thinking process and the impact. 

       I started the process with a question of my own that ties to the Crazy Chicken photo I have chosen for my blog.  As a chicken-raiser, I frequently find examples in their behavior that illustrate a not-so-complementary human characteristic.  Usually I find chickens to be rather comical.  I include this step as it was a beginning stage for my thought process.

        I hope you enjoy the article and that it helps you in your own, personal New Year’s dialogue with God.

Why did the chicken cross the road? 

                 This is really a question of why am I doing this?  Or why do I do anything?  Paul wrote “I do not understand the things I do. I do not do what I want to do, and I do the things I hate.”  (Romans 7:15-20 - MSG)  Just as the answer to the chicken-crossing-the-road is simply “because it’s a chicken”, the answer to why we do anything is just as senseless.  I do what I do, and I rarely fully understand why.

What kind of person do I want to be this year? 

               I think I want to be a person who better understands why I do what I do and to have more control or effect on the actual doing in advance?  Intentional living instead of reactional living.

What drives my desire to be this kind of person?

              Lack of control over my life?  A sense that the river of my life is flowing out from under me with the banks eroding under my feet.  Time is quickly passing and if I do not effectively create goals and objectives, the end will come and nothing will be accomplished.  Now is the time to be who God created me to be.  It is not some far off event that I’ll eventually grow into. Today is the day.

Describe the characteristics of this person. Make a list of words based on this description. 

              When I picture this person I see a dignified and esteemed person content with his being, with words of wisdom emoting like smoke from a pipe swirling around his knowing countenance.  He is a great listener and has a comfortable lap.  He is fatherly to everyone and respected by all.  He has a twinkle in his eye and a chuckle in his belly.  People love to be around him and with him.  They listen to his sage advice and laugh at his stories, not because he demands to be the center of attention but because they are drawn to him.  They trust him and know they are loved by him.  He is a man that provides positive impact on their lives.

      · Dignified               · Knowledgeable             · Content
      · Quiet                    · Comfortable                  · Fatherly
      · Respected            · Joy                                · Love
      · Sharing                 · Magnetic                       · Trust
      · Loving                  · Positive                         · In Control
      · Firm                     · Involved                        · Teacher
      · Elder                    · Peaceful                         · Twinkle
      · Faithful                 · Present                          · Mindfulness
      · Discerning            · Immersed                      · Distinction
      · Excellence            · Time                             · Weightiness
      · Accepting             · Kind                             · Tender
      · Benevolent            · Mentor                         · Leader
      · Shepherd              · Healer                           · Benefactor
      · Patient                  · Composed                   · Serene
      · Calm          

                 

Reduce your list to 10 words or less. Research those words using a dictionary, Bible, and thesaurus.

                        · Peaceful                            · Loving

                        · Mentor                              · Patient
                        · Faithful                              · Teacher
                        · Accepting                          · Holy

Choose one word from the list.  HOLY!

Choose a Bible verse that speaks to you about your chosen word and memorize it.

          ¹⁴ Now that you are obedient children of God do not live as you did in the past. You did not understand, so you did the evil things you wanted. ¹⁵ But be holy in all you do, just as God, the One who called you, is holy. ¹⁶ It is written in the Scriptures: “You must be holy, because I am holy.”  (1 Peter 1:14-16 - NCV)

Also: ‘Be my holy people. Be holy because I am the Lord your God. Lev.20.7 and ‘I am the Lord your God. You must be holy because I am holy. Lev.19.2

What initial expectations do you have regarding the impact of your word?

           I sense that a very large burden has been lifted.  In one way, a burden of responsibility has been lifted from heart.  It is not up to me to live in a holy way – it is through and with God that this is possible.  Instead of trying to add self-control to my knowledge and patience to my self-control…, (see 2 Peter 1:9-14 - NCV).  I now realize that these are things are the result of living a holy life.  God adds them as I chose rightly in each moment of my life. 

          I also have come to realize that the impact I have on others can be huge – both in a negative sense and in a positive.  The ripples of holy living can be far reaching but so can the effects of non-holy living.  An example was provided as I drove home from work yesterday thinking about the word Holy.  I had a traffic situation that went amiss.  I was in a lane of traffic that was ending and I tried merging into the through-traffic lane. There was a space but as I put on my turn signal and started moving into the lane, the driver in the car behind sped up to block me out.  Instead of breaking and allowing the person the spot he most craved, I continued my merge, trying to force the guy to stop and let me in.  His horn blared in my ears as I moved farther into is lane. Our cars came within inches of hitting.  I finally had to stop and watch my adversary speed past.  I took the space behind and drove up, angrily, behind him.  He responded by jamming on his brakes causing me to almost rear-end him.   The tete-a -tete continued through the 8 mile stretch of my village.  After the near run-in, I shrank back in traffic, giving him room but the other driver’s erratic driving and obvious anger at me continued.  His anger spilled over to other drivers and the entire village became at risk as he obviously was growing more and more out of control with his rage. I realized that in a more holy-living approach, I would have not forced the issue in the first place but, instead, would have allowed him his space as soon as he indicated it was important to him.  Had I allowed the word Holy to dominate my thoughts I probably would have recognized this earlier. 

        The main thing to remember is that our words and actions have impact on the lives around us.  Holy living is not just an attitude of reverence with my head in the clouds.  It is the key ingredient of discipleship where God can use my life to build his Kingdom on earth.

        Holy is the way.  Holy is what is expected of me.  Holy is God.

A New Creation

“If anyone belongs to Christ, there is a new creation. The old things have gone; everything is made new!”  (2 Corinthians 5:17)

I cannot think of a more fitting verse to read and contemplate on New Year’s Day than this.  The past is truly gone. This is a daily reality but more salient than usual on New Year’s Day.  Our desire, at times, is to relish the past, if not an attempt to maintain a fully engaged embrace on the glories of yesterday. Our reality, however, is that no matter how much we want to hold on to the past, our lives move forward into a new beginning… each and every day.

As I start this New Year, I have fond memories of this past year that began with us living in Oregon but quickly transitioned into a sudden, unplanned return-move to New Mexico in April and the death of Jennifer’s mother in May. With the return to our life in NM complete with tenant-caused reparations and reestablishing our chicken flock, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving with all our family. We have also endured a severe downturn in business that has put our company at risk.  It seems that there was a lot packaged into one year but it is my guess, everyone’s experience is similar. The past is filled with events, planned and unplanned through which we somehow managed to survive, endure and even thrive.

As we stood at the threshold of 2013 we had no idea what the future would hold.  We simply had to take it day-by-day, experiencing each day and each event as it evolved.  One thing is for certain, we are changed by the experiences we faced in 2013.

Will 2014 be any different?  I expect not.  We are, in fact, new creations each day that our life unfolds.  The question is: Are we ready for the ride?

As I begin 2014, there are a few things I hope to do to be better prepared for the unknown journey of each tomorrow.  The purpose of these intentions is not to affect the changes that will occur but rather be better prepared for the situations that occur.  Yes, it would be a good idea to resolve to lose weight as there are at least 10 (20) extra pounds that do not need to be carried around.  And, if I were to lose those pounds, then I’d probably be a better person for it.

These “intentions,” however, are not goal oriented.  They are recognitions to the truth that in Christ, every day is a new creation. It is by being “in Christ” regularly where the new creation called Gary Sims will better fulfill God’s intentional plan for his life.  As I remain in Christ God will provide all that I need in order to achieve the results He has in mind.

From previous experiences I have learned that for me to be in Christ, I need to write. It is as though the lessons God has for me to learn come alive on the written page.  I hear them more fully and I remember them more completely.  As a result, I live them more effectively.  However, to write, I must also read.  As I read scripture, words pop out to inspire my writing.  (An example of this is the word “Whenever” in my Sheep and Goats article.)  In addition, as I read books and other blog postings, I learn how God is using other writers to share his Word and his effect on their lives.

As we move together into 2014, I want you, the reader, to know how much I appreciate your readership as I believe that it is through these efforts, God reaches into the souls of those touched to open new insights and wisdom.  I also want to encourage you to spend time of your own reading the books I’m sharing from my library and the writings from the blogs I’ve listed.  I also hope that encouraging words authors from the past such as C.S. Lewis and John Wesley will provide wisdom for your path in 2014.

What is the bottom line? (Can you tell I’m a CEO?) 

What I pray with each writing is that someone, anyone, will hear a word from God that will change their lives for the better.  In this change, it is my hope you will become the new creation Christ intends and that you will be better equipped.