Nothing Due

There is nothing like owing nothing.  Think about that feeling of making that last payment on a large ticket item that you've had financed for years or figuring out a credit you had on a bill wiped out what you owed (at least for the coming month).  I'm talking about the feeling of paying all the bills and actually still having some money in the bank.  Not owing, or better yet not being indebted to someone else, is an amazing feeling - if only temporary.

There is something about owing something.  Anyone with student loan debt, a mortgage, or medical bills can sure tell you about it if you don't know.  It is a weight around your neck, a nagging feeling that creates pressure, and a painful reminder of the lack of freedom we have.  It's even worse when you can't pay that debt.  If you've never had to juggle payments, make decisions about which utility you can just live without, or never had the calls from bill collectors then you are living a blessed life.  Owing someone else is a horrible feeling, especially if you can't pay.

***

Last night, as usual I wandered into church for Wednesday supper.  My wife always gets there first with my youngest daughter since I have to pick up the older one from piano practice on my way from work.  When we walked in, the wonderful lady who collects for supper cost at the door takes one look at me and says, "You're already paid for."  WHAT A WONDERFUL FEELING!

I took a moment to express to her my thought that this must be what Judgement will be like for a Christian.  That as I wander into Heaven there will be Jesus smiling to say, "You're already paid for."  And how sad it will be for someone to find themselves there without the ability to pay what is owed.  Now this older lady who I've never had a serious conversation with lit up and we had a few minutes of genuine fellowship about and in the love and grace of Christ.

It's a simple line from an old hymn, but it rings true today and into eternity...
"I owed a debt I could not pay, He paid a debt He did not owe.
Christ Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay."

If you've never committed to Christ by telling Him you accept Him as Lord of your life and Savior of your soul, then you need to know that payment is coming due and you are already overdrawn.  You can't be good enough, you can't do enough of the right things, and you can't overcome the sin of your life which is due for judgement against you.  I know nobody likes collection notices and calls like this, but I'm just the representative making you aware of your obligations.  Just remember, you can't pay the price and don't need to.  He already paid, you just need to accept that gracious gift and follow Him.  Think of it as settlement offer that you'd be a complete fool not to at least consider.

Even as a believer, if you are not living a life based on the grace and mercy of Christ's acceptance and conquering of your sin by the cross, then you likely feel the weight of that debt even though it is already paid.  Are you trying to pay when someone else already paid for you?  Doesn't matter if you're 'saved', baptized, ordained, or even beatified - if you are still living this life based on your own merit and trying to pay some price, be assured you are going to suffer severely through your own infirmities of pride, fear, impatience, frustration, etc...  The grace of the Gospel and mercy of Christ's sacrifice to relieve the consequence of judgement is not a one time stop-gap measure to yank you from the flames so you can go right on doing your own thing for yourself.  It is a continuous ongoing work in the life of the believer that requires only one thing, constant reliance on that grace.

Try this out this week, as a believer be reminded constantly - "You're already paid for." There is a freedom here that is beyond belief.  It is not about neglecting responsibilities or walking around empty hearted / empty headed, it is about knowing that our labor and efforts are not about us.  The Christian life is not about marking points on some board in Heaven to get a better seat at the table closer to Christ.  It is about living in the grace of Christ to know God better through worship and prayer.  Our motivation to action of any kind ought to arise out of genuine Spirit driven compassion that there are in fact family, friends, co-workers, acquittances, and strangers around us that are still trying to pay for themselves unnecessarily and ineffectively to their own loss and pain (potentially eternally so.).  We can't pay the price for them either, but we do know who has and we should be making that introduction at every opportunity.

Stop Looking at Me

A soiled shattered mirror whose broken pieces show poorly.

Put back together quickly so to hide the shame of being ruined.

Jagged lines sit uneven, sharp edges cut deep, clearly wrong.

Looking at my brokenness, you are just seeing my sad flaws.

Seeing from different ways, reflections will change what you see.

Do not think the images are true, light from elsewhere comes off of each.

These cracks corrupt the sight of truth, making what is real, appear false. 

Looking at my hypocrisy, you are just seeing my sad flaws.

In one frame is seen Creator, another just sin, neither me.

Turned to you - you see yourself, showing you your faults, don't get mad..

This is my sad imperfection, I am so unable to show Him.

Looking at my poor expression, you are just seeing my sad flaws.

Glory in glimpses rarely seen, as I try to aim toward Him.

Please don't place blame on me or you - falleness has made us this way.

This is just how we will all be, until perfected in His Love.

Looking at my failures in life, you are just seeing my sad flaws.

 Until then, til this life shall end, trust only Jesus - and believe.

Rejecting this imperfect way which you and I see in each other.

I am doing my best to show a very small part of His grace.

Looking at my life made new, you are just seeing His working.

Well... I'll be a monkey's Uncle!

There's an old story about a study of chimpanzee social behavior that I never have found the confirmed source of the research, but it goes like this:


Researchers placed several chimps in a cage together with a banana bunch hanging from the ceiling and a pole that could be climbed to get a banana.  Every time one of the chimps would try to get a banana by climbing up the pole, when they reached a certain point a slight electrical shock went through the pole.  This of course caused enough pain for the chimp to let go and give up on getting the banana.


After a few unsuccessful tries, the chimp not only quit trying at all, but would actually prevent other chimps from going up the pole.  Even after the electrical connection was turned off, the chimps would not try anymore.  Anytime one of them even went near the pole, the others would yell loudly or even pull the offender away from the pole.


The researchers then pulled out one of the chimps and subbed in a new one.  With the pole still completely unhooked from electrical current, the other chimps sternly enforced the 'no pole' rule on the new chimp.  The new chimp never even made the pole and after a few times of trying and being held down and yelled at, he gave up completely.


They subbed out the chimps one by one until all the original chimpanzees had been replaced.  Again - with none of the chimps that had actually been shocked remained in the cage, the new chimps each continued to enforce the 'no-pole' rule, even though none of them had any personal knowledge of why - they merely followed learned behavior.


Here's another old story I know, that I do know the source on:


One day some Pharisees and teachers of religious law arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. They noticed that some of his disciples failed to follow the Jewish ritual of hand washing before eating. (The Jews, especially the Pharisees, do not eat until they have poured water over their cupped hands, as required by their ancient traditions. Similarly, they don’t eat anything from the market until they immerse their hands in water. This is but one of many traditions they have clung to—such as their ceremonial washing of cups, pitchers, and kettles.) So the Pharisees and teachers of religious law asked him, “Why don’t your disciples follow our age-old tradition? They eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony."  Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’ For you ignore God’s law and substitute your own tradition.  Then he said, “You skillfully sidestep God’s law in order to hold on to your own tradition. 


For instance, Moses gave you this law from God: ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ In this way, you let them disregard their needy parents. And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others.”


Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “All of you listen,” he said, “and try to understand. It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart.”


That's Mark 7:1-15 from the New Living Translation...


IF GOD HAS GIVEN YOU A VISION AND DESIRE TO DO SOMETHING IN HIS WILL - 
---go get ya a banana and don't let them other chimps hold you back or teach you their bad habits.

As Dear Children

Playing with Fire (Will Bell Get Burned?)

I

Who is Rob Bell?  That's what he wants you asking... maybe you've heard of the semi-recent (2011) broo-haha over his previous conglomeration of three line thoughts called Love Wins... compelling title, compelling story... it's all to sell the story... not just books but his story.  Now he's back three more years after his latest misconception with a new book on an obscure Hebrew word for love made into a book and dragging his wife around popular talkshow circuit and even has his OWN show, yeah capitalized purposefully  - Oprah Winfry Network boss.

I first heard of Bell about 6 years ago.  We were starting a contemporary worship service at our church and I had volunteered to play bass in the band.  To his credit, our worship leader felt led that the band should participate in some sort of bible study together.  His solution was NOOMA videos.  I still remember the first one we watched - called flame.  Here's the full version of it, it's about 10m.  Even if you've seen it before, watch it again.  Below the video, I have some thoughts about this fella's unique style. 

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vBhc6_bqP9s

I remember coming home from band practice and talking with my wife about this video.  I told her almost verbatim the story Bell told in the video and then shared with her some thoughts (not having a nice digital copy to just show her.)

* He's driving a 4x4 and stops on the Highway and then lugs two 5g fuel tanks a good couple of miles down through a drivable area. It seems so unnecessary, but man he is so committed to his mission, he is willing to do the unnecessary  - just to make a point.  {A good story has a journey.}

* He stops every now and then when he's tired of lugging his load to share a breathless message with forced angst and conviction.  His story seems to be going somewhere, but it's never clear until the very end and even then his point is not really all that clear. But man he seems to be a man on a mission doesn't he.  {A good story requires compulsion / purpose.}

* On one of his stops, and at the point most folks are likely getting tired of his schtick, he whips out a lighter and starts playing with it around the gas tanks - this is what keeps the audiences attention, the questions he creates, "Are those gas cans?", "Is he really playing with fire around gas cans?", "Did he fill those up himself or spill a little on the outside?"  I KEEP WATCHING FOR THE NASCAR FACTOR... too afraid to look away I am stuck waiting for him to go up hard core protester style.  {A good story requires tension.}

* I remember thinking as he doused the big fire - "Where'd all the wood come from?", "Why's he dousing the whole thing with so much fuel?","Does he realize he's walking on the fuel?","Why's he keep sloshing it out rather than just pour it?","WHY AM I ASKING SO MANY QUESTIONS?" --- It doesn't make sense, it's actually a little silly.  Just light it already, it'll burn!!! Ah, Rob Bell genuis showman. {A good story defies logic enough to make you think and seek.}

* At the end, we are left only to thank Rob for imparting to us such wisdom and knowledge... we can go home and love our wives more OR spit out our new found knowledge of the Hebrew love language OR for the careful eye a new found tool for showmanship.  But we are left to thank Rob for his hard work / effort / genius presentation. (A good story has a hero - usually a sacrificial hero.)

* The entire video is designed for a specific audience.  The ADHD, I got stuff to be bored with doing, generation used to high-quality production, shallow simple messages, presented as if they are so profound you cannot fathom how you lived prior to gaining such wisdom.  Give Bell his props, he can tell a story and he knows his audience.  {A good story gives the receiver what they need.}

Let me take our focus off Rob Bell for a second and put it where it belongs - the best story I know...

See, a good story requires:

* a journey 

    - Christ came from glory to became human even while He was still God in every way

* a compulsion 

    - Christ came to seek and save what was lost, us - He was passionate and driven in this...

* tension 

    - God is Holy (Perfect in every way) and humans are not (we're sinful)

       # How can these 2 so different beings ever be together?  (eternal life)

       # How do we as sinners, fallen in nature, ever hope to avoid what we deserve (eternal separation)?

* logic being defied to make you think and seek

   - no matter how hard you try, what you do, YOU cannot solve this problem of sin / seperation

   - it is the simple act of faith in Christ and reliance on this story that alone can save you

     {both of these concepts defy logic and make you have to think / seek}

* a sacrificial hero

   - see the bible tells us, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us 

   - in doing so took our sins upon Himself including the judgement we deserved

   - in doing so He conquered sin and death and was resurrected and returned to eternal glory

* to give the receiver what they need

   - the power / knowledge gained in this story, 'the gospel (good news)', is what we need

       # for an initial relationship with God that does not involve the tension created by our sin / judgement owed

       # for a continually deepening / growing relationship with Him that brings us into His glorious presence

 God made and tells us this story through His Word and Spirit for His glory and our salvation by the knowledge of our situation, its impending judgement, and His provision of grace through Christ to solve this problem.

HERE'S THE BOTTOM LINE:  for the story to have an affect it must be received.  It must be received and made a part of us - otherwise it's just a story to be rejected and forgotten. Without the knowledge moving us to response, we are no better off than when we started except that we have witnessed a great spectacle.

I accept God's story for my life.  You should consider doing the same.  If you haven't ever done it, you should tell Christ you accept the story and want to live by it.  If you have done that, you should keep doing it and learn more of the story - it's all written down in the Bible.

{As for Rob Bell, I reject his narrative - he's received more attention and glory than he deserves, even for a showman of his caliber.  My assessment of him now is the same as 3 years ago (2011) and again 3 years later (2014), 1m of empty teaching crammed into 10m of entertainment.  He should come down off the pile of wood he's been dousing with gas and carefully walk away before he burns himself and others.  BUT! Is he a universalist? Does he deny eternal judgement (hell)? Is he Oprah's lil patty cake? Will he really light the fire and how bad will he get burned? Will he ever answer the questions or just keep asking them?  Dude, at some point, the story's over.}

Two Become One

Bare Hearts / Bare Knuckles

Here beside you I stand firmly my brother,

for truly I cannot stand to lose another,

so I'm with you until one of us should fall in this fight,

or sadly give up and walk away, quietly into the night.

With every fiber and breath, together arm in arm,

I promise you, I will not allow to come to you any harm,

which I can stop, prevent or take myself in your place,

until we no longer fight, so there will be no more disgrace.

As a man, I bare my heart to one who is like me,

striving and struggling, aiming to achieve integrity,

by tearing from this very chest my own beating heart,

exposing it to prevent any other from feeling its part.

Bare heart, bleeding out its sorrow and pain,

in hope that it might prevent even one stain,

on the honor it is to serve my brothers in love,

and the glory and majesty of the One above.

Bare knuckles in this fight against sin,

together we can, we will, we must win,

for the glory of our Lord, Saviour, and Master,

to lose and defame Him would be disaster.

Bruised, battered, tattered, but not beaten,

bloody knuckles, dangling with the flesh eaten,

torn from the bone, as we have waged war,

but that is not all we are gathered together for.

We fight against something, this is true,

with bare hearts, once dead, now made new,

But we strive for something, more to claim,

in our broken hands, the banner of His Name.

I will warn you when your shield is low,

so none of the enemy's fiery arrows may go, 

into your heart, and cause you to fall,

in this battle waged by and for our call.

I will hold you steady when you are weak,

and help you find the strength to seek,

the one who gives us this great commission,

together, we are united in this, our mission.

I will be with you to the very end,

until we fall, or He should send,

us from this battle, weary and distressed,

to recover our souls within His quiet rest.

{inspired by a man whose bare heart and bare knuckles bleed-
 a man who reminds me of Christ in His struggle for our very souls
-this is the kind of man I long to be.}

Submit: Lessons in Love, The Priestly Husband

Pen & Tell him

I recently wandered into one of those conversations I love to hate.  I took umbrage with a statement by Penn Jillette on twitter about Christian bullies in the military.  This of course turned into a massive multi-threaded multi-participant thumb war of cosmic proportions.  You can see the whole thing threaded out here or below.

I recently saw Penn on a very interesting video in which he talks about receiving a bible from a very genuine believer.  In the video, it is clear he is wrestling with the Spirit that moved this man to care for him enough to take the effort to give him such a gift.  Penn also discusses a poignant notion that if hell is real the Christian must hate someone an awful lot not to tell them about how to avoid such a thing.  I have to say I found that video more an expression of the need for evangelism than any podcast or blog I've read lately from any number of Christian brothers.  Here is an article Penn penned for NPR entitled 'There is No God', interesting read but the summary is 'I reject the notion of God so I can live my life as I will.'

Now here's the issues... Penn's counter arguments to me centered on two specific areas:
1) you cannot prove God / creation, but you don't have to prove (believe) any specific alternative
2) if God exists He is an evil bully for demanding we all believe in Him or suffer eternal punishment

So let's take the first one:
I'm funny this way but assuming a physical reality, I see only two possibilities:
1) some being beyond this reality made/makes it what it is, OR
2) some random coincidence of chaos happened to generate the reality we have.

Again, this assumes reality as opposed to some "we're all in a dream and when Pam wakes up Bobby's not actually dead" scenario (sorry for the old 'Dallas' reference if you're under 30... instead think Leonardo Decaprio a la' Inception if you're cool young and hip.)

So take random coincidence.  The probability of so many random factors needed to take place in the exact correct and specific order for life to occur at all, much less some form of semi-sentient life is of such an order and magnitude that I am convinced the avowed atheist has a much greater faith to believe as they do than the creationist to believe this ordered universe came about by a creative and purposeful act.  I asked my buddy Penn a few times - what else?  His only response was just because it can't be thought of doesn't mean it doesn't exist, cop out.

Either somehow out of nothing came a soup of chaos and disorder which then proceeded to become a perfectly ordered arrangement capable of forming, evolving, and sustaining life OR a perfectly ordered purposeful creation has been brought forth from a being capable of doing so.  What else is there?  How else did all this get here?  Of course, from this come the next questions no atheist wants to even consider.

What kind of being is this Creator?  Why did He bring forth such a creation?  How active is He in this Creation? What might be then expected of us by such a being?  Nope, easier just to say god does not exist and move on to living as we choose, no justification then needed.  This is intellectual dishonesty at its finest, the culmination of the atheist mind is it isn't because I say it isn't until I prove differently to myself.

SECOND... of course Jesus is a bully... you know in that way that bully's leave their eternal state of glory and power place themselves in a weaker existence and then sacrifice themselves even to death suffering the eternal judgement due others.  So we pick out a few verses out of context and obsess on the one issue no atheist (or nominal christian for that matter) wants to confront as relates to themselves but will mead out on any and all - judgement.  The truth is we are all under judgement, everyone of us.  That's so much worse isn't it, it's not just the non-believer subject to Holy contempt and punishment - it is all of humanity.  We all have the same problem and concern.  Some of us choose to ignore it, some to confront it, and some to accept it.

It is not as the atheist will claim 'Believe or suffer torment' - even if the failure of the church has been to try to sell salvation under such guise for many years as 'fire insurance'.  NO!  It's this, you are going to suffer judgement like everyone else - except that by the very grace and mercy of God you won't because by belief you are covered under such.  It is NOT believe or get out of the boat to drown... It IS get in the boat so you don't drown out there in the water.  There is a subtle difference in direction that the mind clouded with sin refuses to even acknowledge.  It is the man who doubts gravity only to prove it in himself too late to benefit from that understanding.  It is the child who disbelieves the parent who warns the burner is hot, only to have the scars as proof.  The judgement is there for all due singularly to the fallen nature of humanity, but those who believe are prevented from having to experience it.

So then what... instead of celebrate in acceptance of such a gift as life they revel in their rebellion, pleased with themselves enough to demand from their non-existent evil overlord justification for his failings.  This is the truth on its head that starts with the presupposition that there is no god AND the just-in-case caveat in the same breath that if He is then He is to blame for all evils, failures, and shortcoming, which are in the fallen world and fallen humanity.  The if You exist You should have - created telling Creator - clay to Potter - failure in those who consider themselves to be driven only by logic and reason.  An art, science, and religion devised and founded on one presupposition 'there is no god' and a failsafe that 'if there is' well I judge him rather than he judging me.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul AND love your neighbor as yourself..." but the atheist claims we hate and we bully.  That the God-as-man who uttered those words and gave Himself as a sacrifice to overcome death and sin for us is instead a Manson-type death cult leader who demands life and blood rather than gives it.  Why such a distorted view? They are looking at an imperfect image of their non-existent god in themselves (and even worse in empty believers) and placing all judgement anywhere but on themselves.

The atheist will tell you we are much alike except that we stopped at one less God than they did.  I say the atheist and I have in common a great disbelief in their god.  I am further convinced they have yet to truly encounter the Lord of creation and the Christ sent for their salvation.  Speaking as one with scars gained in 'let me prove it myself', I am praying for that moment of connection to Christ for these folks that they might have a truer understanding of judgement now rather than then.