Endings (Part 5): The Essential Church

As those close to me should know by now, I have recently resigned from my position at Victory Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky. This post is not about that. Rather, this post is about what I want my legacy to be at VBC (or really, anywhere else that I ever teach and minister).

I finished my time there by teaching through a series called "Endings." These six messages attempted to drive home the six main things I have tried to teach them over the past fifteen months that I have spent as their student minister, and would be the six things that I would focus on more than anything if I were to remain there indefinitely. Thus, I taught six statements that sum up everything I am about. This blog series will communicate that to whomever else would like to know my heart.

Here's the fifth statement: The church is the Body of Christ living united, loving, and doing life together as a family.

That's the church of Jesus Christ in a sentence, but what does that all mean? Why do exchanged people that are following Jesus in love during a war need the church? Let's break this sentence down:

1. The Body of Christ: The church functions like a body. A glance over at 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 says as much:

For as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ.  For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 

-1 Corinthians 12:12-13 (HCSB)

We're a unit. Every part of the body, every person, has their own unique roles and parts to play. We have the same Spirit and the same Jesus and the same gospel; this should lead us to act together in support of those things we have in common. Ephesians 4 takes it a bit further:

But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head—Christ. From Him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part.

 -Ephesians 4:15-16 (HCSB)

We are fitted together so that we can grow together, building each other up so that we can all be the follower of Jesus that we are made to be.

2. Living United and Loving: As we move as a body, leaning on one another to be able to live this Christian life, we do so as a united and loving body. A body cannot function properly unless it is in agreement. 

One time, I was playing basketball with my brother, and I decided to drive to the basket. My head, arms, torso and right leg were in agreement on how that should happen; my left ankle was not. The result was that all of my body later agreed that my ankle should not be that swollen and painful. This is the kind of damage that can happen when a body part isn't in agreement with the rest of the body: pain and a loss of progression. It's hard to drive on the basketball court with a rogue ankle, and it is hard to fight the war with three fronts as a body with rogue parts.

This is why Jesus prayed this for the church:

I pray not only for these,

but also for those who believe in Me

through their message.

May they all be one,
as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You.
May they also be one in Us,
so the world may believe You sent Me.

I have given them the glory You have given Me.
May they be one as We are one.

I am in them and You are in Me.
May they be made completely one,
so the world may know You have sent Me
and have loved them as You have loved Me.

Father,
I desire those You have given Me
to be with Me where I am.
Then they will see My glory,
which You have given Me
because You loved Me before the world’s foundation.

Righteous Father!
The world has not known You.
However, I have known You,
and these have known that You sent Me.

I made Your name known to them
and will make it known,
so the love You have loved Me with
may be in them and I may be in them. 

-John 17:20-26 (HCSB)

He prayed for us to love each other and be so in sync with each other that we are as united as He is with the Father. A Trinitarian-level of unity is pretty united, if I must say so myself. That's how He says that the world will know that we are His and that the Gospel is for real! Hebrews 10:24-25 goes on to say that we must encourage each other in this, "more and more as the day draws near." We must pursue an other-worldly unity that shows the gospel to the lost, and we do it together.

3. Doing Life Together: There are so many passages that could explain how the church lives united and loving as a body. Galatians 6:1-5 shows how to bear each others burdens, while Matthew 5:14-16 tells us to "shine before men." The best passage, though, to look at is Acts 2:42-47:

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to the prayers.

Then fear came over everyone, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as anyone had a need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple complex, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with a joyful and humble attitude, praising God and having favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved. 

-Acts 2:42-47 (HCSB)

This is how we live life together: learning about God, talking about God, praying to God and breaking bread in the name of God. That's what the church does: follow Jesus together. They generous give to each other. They care and love for each other. And did you happen to read the last part? "And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved." They were being united, showing the gospel by living life together, and that brings more people to Jesus.

4. As a Family: The Church is a body that lives life together in unity and love, yes, but there is a deepness to it that I believe one more passage helps with, and that is Ephesians 2:19:

So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, 

-Ephesians 2:19 (HCSB)

We're a family, members of one household. Yes, we're exchanged. Yes, we are following Jesus. We love God and neighbor. We fight a war on those three fronts. However, as we do all of that, we're not alone. We have a home base, a group of people that care and keep up with us. That hold us accountable. That play games and laugh and cry and scream with us because they are family.

The church must maintain all of this to be successful at supporting one another on the mission we are all on. We have to be there for each other. We have to support and rebuke and encourage and disciple and coach another. After all, that's how we will all make it to the end.

Endings (Part 4): War on Three Fronts

As those close to me should know by now, I have recently resigned from my position at Victory Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky. This post is not about that. Rather, this post is about what I want my legacy to be at VBC (or really, anywhere else that I ever teach and minister).

I finished my time there by teaching through a series called "Endings." These six messages attempted to drive home the six main things I have tried to teach them over the past fifteen months that I have spent as their student minister, and would be the six things that I would focus on more than anything if I were to remain there indefinitely. Thus, I taught six statements that sum up everything I am about. This blog series will communicate that to whomever else would like to know my heart.

Here's the fourth statement: We're in a war on three fronts.

You see, we're exchanged people who follow Christ in loving God and people, but any Christian that has been at this for a while knows that it isn't easy to live the Christian life. Why is that? Quite simply: we are at war, and little at war is easy.

Ephesians 2:1-3 is a crucial passage for this topic. These little verses contain three fronts in which our war is waged. Let's see if you can find them:

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens, the spirit now working in the disobedient. We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. -Ephesians 2:1-3 (HCSB)

Did you see the fronts? Let's explore them a little:

1. The Ways of the World (v.2): our first problem is that we are in a fallen, sinful world full of fallen, sinful people. The people around us are not pursuing God, and therefore are not pursuing a loving, righteous life. They have no desire for their own holiness, and have less desire for yours. They will long for you to sin alongside them, pulling you off the road to glory and into the murky waters of worldliness. We must stay on guard against this, remembering that sinners sin and want others to sin with them. But it isn't just other people that lead us to sin and turn from God.

2. The Ruler Who Exercises Authority over the Lower Heavens (v.2): There is an influencer of souls in this world, and his name is Satan. He and his armies of darkness are our adversary, and they have been given a certain amount of authority and reign on this planet for this time. These dark forces are active and evil, moving on the hearts of people all across the globe to turn from God and fall like themselves. They influence those of "the world" and those of us who are exchanged and following Jesus. However, one more front exists in this war.

3. Our Fleshly Desires (v.3): Not only does the world and our enemy want us to sin, but we ourselves want to sin. Our flesh is broken and sinful just like the flesh of every other person on Earth. We are no better than any other; v.1 of this passages states that "we were dead in our sins" just like all humans. That is why the exchange had to happen: we were sinners following the ways of the world and the adversary, all while loving sin ourselves. We must never forget that our flesh longs for sin, and this is why we must be made holy by Him who can do so.

Our growth in holiness happens as we follow Jesus, but it isn't overnight. We must work and scrap and fight, relying on the Spirit to help us. That is why Ephesians 6:10-18 is in the same book as verses 2:1-3. This passage tells about spiritual warfare and the "armor of God" that allows us to fight the good fight. I urge you to look it up. Read it. Study it. Put the armor on.

Our flesh is yearning to throw us off a cliff, into sinfulness. The world is pulling us towards the same cliff, begging us to join them. And the adversary is behind us, waiting to kick us off the edge when we hesitate. We're in a war on three fronts, and in order to follow Jesus, we must fight. We must strive for truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation and prayer in the power of the Spirit and the Word of God. That's our fight; that's our war.

Will you take up arms? Will you fight?

Endings (Part 3): Loving Like Jesus

As those close to me should know by now, I have recently resigned from my position at Victory Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky. This post is not about that. Rather, this post is about what I want my legacy to be at VBC (or really, anywhere else that I ever teach and minister).

I am teaching through a series called "Endings" with the students over my last weeks with them. These six messages will attempt to drive home the six main things I have tried to teach them over the past fifteen months that I have spent as their student minister, and would be the six things that I would focus on more than anything if I were to remain there indefinitely. Thus, I will teach six statements that sum up everything I am about. This blog series will communicate that to whomever else would like to know my heart.

Here's the third statement: The most important thing we can do is love.

Doesn't that sound cliche? Alas, it is precisely what Matthew 22:37-40 is getting at:

He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands." (HCSB)

We love God and love people. That is what Jesus called our most important task when He was asked that question. But how do we do it?

1. We love God because He first loved us (John 3:16, 1 John 4:19): God looked upon some scraggly ol' sinners and loved them anyways. That is how we even got saved: He loved us before we loved Him. In fact, we are incapable of loving Him without His first loving us.

This love that He shows us, despite our terribly sinful disposition, should bring us to an infatuation with Him. He has so showered us with love that the only proper response is to be obsessed with Him. Just read the Psalms. Read verses like 16:11, 28:7, 63:1-5, and 90:14. They overflow with a love for Him. Yet, how can we truly show that we love Him?

2. We love others because He first loved us (1 John 4:20-21): It is by loving others that we show our love for Him. There is a reason that James points out that faith without works is dead; those who have faith and love for God should love on and work for almost anyone in need. That's how we show the love we have for Him!

Furthermore, our lives are reviewed by God based on how we love others (1 Corinthians 13:2-3). How do we do that correctly? We follow the rest of 1 Corinthians 13, and we foster a love for Him and others that we never imagined possible.

 Love is patient, love is kind.
Love does not envy,
is not boastful, is not conceited, 

 does not act improperly,
is not selfish, is not provoked,
and does not keep a record of wrongs. 

 Love finds no joy in unrighteousness
but rejoices in the truth. 

 It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.

 Love never ends.  

(1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, HCSB)

So, how are you living your life? Do you love like 1 Corinthians 13 or Luke 6:32 say we should? Do we go out of our way to show some nutzo love to people, being kind and patient and humble? Do we bear all things with them? Believe them when no one else will? Hope for them things they won't even hope for themselves? Endure the hard times with them and be the shoulder to cry on?

We are exchanged to follow Christ in love. That is the calling for believers in Jesus: we love God and love people with reckless abandon.That's all there is to it; that's how love truly wins.

Endings (Part 2): The Cost of Discipleship

As those close to me should know by now, I have recently resigned from my position at Victory Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky. This post is not about that. Rather, this post is about what I want my legacy to be at VBC (or really, anywhere else that I ever teach and minister).

I am teaching through a series called "Endings" with the students over my last weeks with them. These six messages will attempt to drive home the six main things I have tried to teach them over the past fifteen months that I have spent as their student minister, and would be the six things that I would focus on more than anything if I were to remain there indefinitely. Thus, I will teach six statements that sum up everything I am about. This blog series will communicate that to whomever else would like to know my heart.

Here's the second statement: Giving up all that we have and leading others to do the same is the cost of discipleship.

My last post focused on the exchange that occurs when Christ's righteousness was given to us and He took our sinfulness upon that bloody cross, bearing the weight of God's wrath on our behalf. That's how we have a relationship with God. It is freely given, even though we don't deserve it: that's what grace is, after all. However, once we have this salvation via exchange, there is a cost. That cost is a rather significant one.

When Jesus first called the twelve original disciples, He said a simple phrase: "follow me" (Matthew 4:19). In fact, as one reads the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), it becomes clear that His call to everyone wanting the exchange, wanting the freedom that He brings, is "follow me." This remains His call to all who wish to follow Him to this day. But what does that mean? What does it mean to "follow" Jesus. Allow me to give you two quick points that I believe truly encapsulate what it means to follow Jesus.

1. Give up everything you have. That seems like a pretty intense opening point, does it not? We must give up everything? What do I truly mean by that?

I mean that we give up everything. Wealth may be where you thought first (specifically in the Western culture I am surrounded by); must that go? Perhaps. Do you have an excess that brings you to look at your goods more than Christ? Then yes, it must go.

Perhaps you are more worried about other things: freedom, family, love, success, entertainment, sports, popularity, or something else. Allow me to show you a passage that likely will wreck your understanding of what it means to be a Christian:

As they were traveling on the road someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go!”

 Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”  Then He said to another, “Follow Me.”

“Lord,” he said, “first let me go bury my father.”

 But He told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.”

 Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house.”

 But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” -Luke 9:57-62 (HCSB)

That's one of the most difficult passages in the Bible, if you ask me. Jesus seems pretty cold-hearted here, right? The first guy simply says he wants to follow Jesus, and our Lord said "bro, I'm homeless. You ready for that?" Then He tells another guy to skip his dad's funeral to follow Him. Finally, the last fellow that wanted to follow Jesus was told he couldn't even say goodbye to his living family. That doesn't seem fair, does it?

Yet, was the exchange fair? Did Jesus not give up everything, even His life, for our ability to live eternally? His request, in response to His own unfair bargain, is that we deem Him to be our Lord and Savior. That means we give up all that we have for His gain. We are willing to give up a life of security and pleasure (v.57-58). We are willing to follow Him, even when our personal life seems to just get worse and worse (perhaps even because of following Him!) (v. 59-60). We are even willing to follow Him away from family and friends that may not want us to go (v. 61). Luke 14:26-27 words it like this: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sister--yes, and even his own life--he cannot be my disciple." You see, our devotion to and love for Jesus Christ must be so intense and all-consuming that we are willing to give up all that we have and pursue Him so passionately that our love for our loved ones (and even ourselves!) will seem to be hate in comparison.

Perhaps an illustration may help: I have a candle on my desk as I write this. It is burning with a fairly bright light. If my room were dark, then this candle would seem exceedingly bright. However, I also have a lamp on my desk, and it is considerably brighter than the candle's flame. Such should be our love for Christ and others. Our love for others should burn brightly in a dark world, making a sharp contrast with the selfish, hateful ways of the world. It should be a radiant, beautiful flame of love that warms the hearts of all that we give our affection to. However, in comparison with the burning love and passion that we have for Christ, our love for others should seem but a dim flame before a burning lamp. It is not hate for others; it is love for others with an even greater love for God.

This love and devotion, this passion that begins when the great exchange occurs in our lives and we are given new hearts with new passions and new devotions (Ezekiel 36:26-27), is what drives us to be willing to sacrifice whatever He asks of us for His glory. If that means leaving any and everything we have ever had and will have, then so be it. He is worth it. This is why we are willing to bear our own cross, taking punishment from the world (Luke 14:27) for His sake. This is why we say with Peter in Luke 18 that we have left all that we have! We have nowhere else to go but with Him!

The cost of discipleship isn't over with our own lives, however. It goes a bit further.

2. We lead others to follow Him. You see, Jesus gave up everything He had to bring us to follow Him. Now, it is our task to follow Him by bringing others along with us in this journey. No one is above His master, and the messenger does no better than the One who sent him (Luke 6:40, John 13:16). If our Teacher, Master and Sender gave up everything for the sake of bringing us along, then we give up everything for the sake of bringing others along, as well. This is why Jesus's last command to His disciples on Earth was to make disciples: bringing them to follow Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20). This is our "message" (John 13:16); this is how we "fish for men" (Matthew 4:19). The only way people ever experience the exchange that we have enjoyed is by our sharing the good news with them and training them in how to follow Jesus (Romans 10:14-15).

This is the cost of being a disciple of Jesus: we give up everything for the One that exchanged our sin for His righteousness, and then we lead others to follow that same path. That is the call of a Christian. There is no alternative route; there is no other option. You are either a follower of Christ or not. This is the fork in the road; which direction will you walk?



For more about how to follow Christ, check out the Multiply Movement and Radical.net for more information. These sites and the guys that lead them are largely responsible for my own personal understanding of what the cost of discipleship truly is. I hope they can help you, as well.

Endings (Part 1): Exchanged

As those close to me should know by now, I have recently resigned from my position at Victory Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky. This post is not about that. Rather, this post is about what I want my legacy to be at VBC (or really, anywhere else that I ever teach and minister).

I am teaching through a series called "Endings" with the students over my last weeks with them. These six messages will attempt to drive home the six main things I have tried to teach them over the past fifteen months that I have spent as their student minister, and would be the six things that I would focus on more than anything if I were to remain there indefinitely. Thus, I will teach six statements that sum up everything I am about. This blog series will communicate that to whomever else would like to know my heart.

Here's the first statement: We were sinners before God, and now all He sees is Jesus.

That, my friends, is the gospel. That's the Christian's "good news." We were sinners before God, and now all God sees when He looks upon us is Jesus and His perfection. Where am I getting this?

He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. -2 Corinthians 5:21 (HCSB)

There's a few things of note in this verse that should rock your world.

1. He had no sin. The "One" with no sin was Jesus. He was without any blame or flaw (1 Peter 2:22), despite the fact that He was tempted in every way, just like us (Hebrews 4:15). It wasn't like the devil left Jesus alone on this Earth. Rather, he came hard at our Lord, and He maintained His holiness, innocence, and purity. He was separate from sin and exalted above all (Hebrews 7:26).

2. God made Him a sin offering. So, why does it matter whether Jesus was without sin? Who cares? Is there any reason for why He had to remain perfect and pure? Yes, as it turns out.

If one were to read the account of the first Passover (Exodus 11-12), they would see that in order for the wrath of God to be satisfied, a pure, unblemished male animal had to be sacrificed (Exodus 12:5). This would begin a long line of sacrifices that God would require of the Israelites--all involving lots of blood and killing and death of pure animals. Why was all of this necessary? As we can see in Leviticus 17:11, it is in blood that a creature's life resides, and it is by the shedding of blood that God allowed for atonement (the payment of sins) to occur. So animal after animal after animal was killed under the Old Testament law, and that was how sins were atoned for. However, God was merely foreshadowing to a greater Sacrificial Lamb.

Jesus became the Great Passover Lamb, dying upon the cross and spilling His blood for our sake. He became the ultimate sin offering, and took the wrath of God upon Himself on behalf of sinful men. Do you realize the weight of that? Jesus took the blow for our sin when He had none. He was all of those things that 1 Peter and Hebrews stated above, and yet He also, as 1 Peter continues to point out, was the sacrifice for our sins (1 Peter 2:24). He bore our sin upon the cross. Fair? No. But it was for a purpose.

3. We become the righteousness of God. This is the great exchange; this is the great news of Christianity! We were hopelessly sinful, and yet, He became sin on our behalf so that we may live in His righteousness. He essentially traded our sinfulness for His righteousness. He gave us His peanut butter and jelly for our rotten apple at the great lunchtable of life.

Take some time and look up these verses in Romans: 1:17, 2:13, 3:21, 3:24. They show our hopelessness that became the ultimate hope by receiving the righteousness of Christ. We gained His relationship with and standing before God the Father. That's ours. In fact, our relationship with God is so great that He made us His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). Doesn't that seem reckless on His part?

It should. However, this is how we must trust the righteousness that has been imputed to (put on) us. That is how we must see ourselves: as holy before God. He knows we still sin. I'll talk about that in another post. However, when it comes to our relationship and standing before Him, He sees Jesus and His sinless perfection. We cannot be removed from Him. We cannot be too sinful to read our Bible or pray. We cannot undo what Christ did. We cannot lose Him as our Father. We cannot expel the Spirit from our hearts when we mess up. We're as secure in our relationship with our God as Jesus is with the Father. That's some Trinitarian-tight bonds right there, and I am beyond thankful that I find myself amongst such a Trio. May we never doubt our relationship with our God and think we can undo the work of His offering!

I Am Not Bradley Cooper

I'm officially done with my first year of graduate school. Sure, I've got a summer class in a few weeks (let's not talk about that...), but I have completed a fall and spring semester. That happened.

Woah.

It is during this year that I have come to see how much of a work in progress that I am,a dn my awareness of that only continues to grow. I'm a construction zone, and God is the foreman for a number of people sledgehammering away my old and decrepit parts or building up new parts of me.

I really have no idea what I'm doing most of the time. I think I do, but I don't. I just try my best, put my heart in it and go. So, what do I do? How can a person that knows very little do much of anything? Let's chat.

We are made to glorify God. That's what Isaiah says in 43:7. The real question comes down to how we do that (or avoid it), and it's here that I am really trying to grow. I want nothing more than for people to look at my life (and everything I'm doing in it) and see Jesus. I want God to radiate through me like sun through a window.

And yet, ain't it easy to get discouraged? You see, here's the part where I am trying to figure this out, and maybe you are, too. I try and try and try to do what I know to do, but I feel like there is never enough time in the day or people I can love or sermons I can preach or what-have-you. I am limited.

I don't know what to do in the moments that God does give me. I've had two ministry opportunities so far today, and honestly had no idea of what to do or say in either of them. I find myself Googling about this stuff and what to say to these people, because I haven't got a clue. I am limited.

I have people close to me that need me, and I don't even know how to help them. I have family and friends that want to spend time with me, and I am unable to do it all. I have ideas upon ideas for my ministries, and lack so much to make them happen. I am limited.

And so here's maybe what I'm learning most right now: I'm limited. I know that. You, if you know me, are probably more aware of my limits than I am. Ya know who else knows about my limits? God does. He gave me my limits. Like, they are on purpose. God didn't accidentally leave the parental controls on my abilities, blocking off things that I could be doing; He limits me on purpose. And I think I know why: so I depend on Him.

I'm one of those overly-scheduled, overly-independent, type-A kinda folks. I don't depend on anyone for anything if I can help it. I'm the Lone Ranger, Lone Wolf or Lonely Island or something like that. The problem with that is that I'm not an omni-God like the Lord that can truly pull that off. All my schedules and charts and calendars and what-not can do is help me use the limited time I have to use the limited energy I have to the best of my limited knowledge for His infinite glory.

And that's okay.

That's all He is asking for me to do. He just wants my best and my whole heart. To pour out myself for Him and others and do what I can. The best way to do that: rely on Him to help me do it. I can do infinitely more with my limitedness with His non-limited help. I am not Bradley Cooper in Limitless, but I worship a God that is all that and more, who loves me and cares for me and wants to help me through this life.

I'm a work in progress. Fines are doubled as you pass me. But if I rely on Him to get the project done, I can trust and hope that He will. He is my Rest, my Rock, my Salvation, my Stronghold and my refuge. So imma pour my heart out to Him, and hope and trust He'll get it done. I am confident in His promises.

That's certainly more than Lexington can say for Centrepointe, and that's all I need.

Until next time,
The Free-Flying Lightning Bug

Freedom: A Call to Prayer

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." -Galatians 5:1, NIV

This verse (and all of Galatians 5-6, as we will see) speaks of freedom, which is a word near and dear to my American-born heart. When we as Americans hear the word "freedom," our hearts ring like the Liberty Bell with nationalistic pride and we say things like "I can do what I want!" or "I have rights and can exercise them!" And to be honest, there is an element of that in this passage. 

We are, in a sense, able to do as we like and can exercise rights...that honor God, that is. Christ freed us for a freedom that goes deeper than our nation's sense. Think of the 21 Christians that were recently killed by the Islamic State (ISIS). The Islamic State doesn't allow freedoms like the United States' Constitution, so how is Galatians 5:1 relevant to Christians in those positions? Are they freed for freedom?

Most certainly.

The freedom here is a freedom from sin, which enslaves us (5:1). An enslaved person lives a life gratifying the desires of a sinful nature (5:16-17), which looks like such: sexual immorality, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, orgies (the Bible said this, not me!) and "the like."

The problem we find here is that people enslaved to lives like the list I just mentioned are headed to Hell. They will not inherit the Kingdom of God or any benefit from Christ (5:18-21). And yet, isn't this all of us in our natural state? Aren't we all guilty of having lived at some point for one or most of those things (and if you're saying no, you are lying and that falls into the "the like" category)? Have we not all been enslaved to that life? Have we not all been "contrary to the Spirit?"

This is why Christ must free us! We were directly opposed to the Spirit (which is God, so we opposed GOD) until we were freed for freedom in the Spirit of God through the death and resurrection and sacrifice of the Son of God by the hand of the Father God. We have had the gratification of the sinful nature replaced with a desire and goal to gratify the Spirit, and this brings a new list of things: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (5:22-26)! Our sinful nature, our enslavement, was put on the cross with Christ! He took it for us!

So now we live in the Spirit. That is why we bear with one another, rebuke one another and fight through sin's last grasps at our souls together (6:1-8). This is why we love one another (5:13). This is why we teach each other (6:6). We do good without ceasing, even looking for opportunities to do so (6:9-10)!

We also must stand with those who face persecution. They may have the same spiritual freedom as us, but they do not have the other freedoms we enjoy. Paul says twice in Chapter Six (v. 12 & 17) to be with those in persecution/have sympathy towards a persecuted state in a person's life. These are our brothers and sisters in Christ, and the Islamic State is just the latest group of people that are out to destroy the people of God, the "people of the Cross."

So, how can we do this? Some great people that I respect dearly have started 21martyrs.com, a website devoted to ways that we can stand with our brothers and sisters in IS-controlled countries. Specifically, they are praying at 7:03am until 7:14am (times and more explained here) for ourselves to take back up our crosses, to pray for Him to work through us in this world, to pray for His restoration of everything to how it is supposed to be, for our hearts to be looking for opportunities to "do good" toward people, as Galatians 6 said, and more.

Also, please join me and many others with a moment of silence tomorrow, Sunday, February 22, 2015, while we pray for churches in persecution to stand strong for Christ, to continue being a witness for Him, and for our hearts to break with them. Below, I have placed a video to help with that time of reflection and prayer. I urge you, Christian, fellow person of the Cross: do not abandon these opportunities to live out Galatians 5-6. We have been freed for freedom; let us now live in that freedom.



Here's a link if this video doesn't work: 21 Martyrs Video

The Thrill of Victory: Meditations and Thoughts on NASCAR and Jesus

So, this weekend is the Daytona 500. Last night, I spent the evening on the couch, watching the qualifying races for the Great American Race on Sunday. This got me thinking: everything good in the world points to Christ. NASCAR is not, by definition, sinful, and so therefore, there should be evidences of grace (of God) in the sport. What can I think of in NASCAR that shows God in His general revelation? What traits of Him can I see in it? Here’s a list I quickly have jotted down:

1. The drivers are made in His image, and thus have all of His traits that all humans show. Last night, I saw His grace and patience being shown as the cars moved about in the pack. I saw His wrath after the race, when Danica Patrick approached Denny Hamlin about wrecking her. I saw His creativity in the paint schemes and the sponsor logos and the grass in the infield. 

2. The easy thing to point to is the race analogy from 2 Timothy 4:7, where Paul is speaking to Timothy about “finishing the race, keeping the faith.” A NASCAR race is a long, arduous test of skill, patience, mental fortitude and adrenaline—much like our lives! 

3. There is a joy in victory, you know? I watched Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Jimmie Johnson leap from their cars in victory last night, thrilled to win a race that didn’t even matter for anything beyond qualifying places in the race on Sunday. There was no money, and no championship points were awarded. Jimmie Johnson did not even improve his starting place for Sunday’s race. However, I think there is something in humans that makes us just enjoy victory, and I think that comes from a longing for the victory over sin and death in this world by the Savior of the world. Fortunately for us, we don’t have to wait for a finish line to know the final standings. 1 Corinthians 15 speaks of the victory we have in Christ over sin and death now, and Revelation reminds us that while sin and death were wrecked out of the race back in AD 33, the checkered flag won’t fly until sometime in the future, when the Champion, the Lord of the Universe, will ride in on some real horsepower and finish the race that He started long ago. Now, that is something to celebrate!

I don't know if you watch NASCAR or not, but what I do know is that He can be found in nearly everything. Here's something to try out today: think of something that you enjoy. Maybe it's a hobby, book, sport, movie or song. Then spend a few minutes and see if you can tie your life experiences back to some truth about God and His Word. I'd love to hear what you come up with!

Puritan Musings: Sovereignty and Success?

I am currently reading through Michael A.G. Haykin's book "To honour God: The Spirituality of Oliver Cromwell" for one of my classes at seminary. Each week throughout the semester, I am supposed to read a portion of this book, which is a collection of Cromwell's writings, and have a small reflection upon something that he says. Therefore, I have decided to share these "Puritan Musings" with you. They won't be very long, but I hope that perhaps someone may get something from them.
  

Today, my musings upon Oliver Cromwell’s writings come from two sources: his letter to the Honourable William Lenthall in June of 1645 (pg. 53), and the other from his letter to Sir Thomas Fairfax on March 7, 1646 (pg. 59). Both letters contain words about someone giving God credit for their achievements. The former is talking about a brave soldier, and how this man gave God all glory and honor for his battlefield heroics, despite the fact that this was a rather brave and skilled man. The latter speaks directly about Cromwell himself, as he admits to giving God the glory for as many things as he can. 

I have long pondered on, say, a professional fighter giving thanks and props to God for the knockout he just scored. Did God really give him that knockout? If I say yes, then it almost seems God is playing favorites in the ring, but to say no denies that He is sovereign and in control of even the most trivial of matches. That is obviously false, and both men in the Cromwell reading knew that. He is a sovereign God; He deserves honor in all good that we do. 

What successes are being given to us by God that we need to give Him credit for? How can we better give Him the glory for what we do, win or loss?

Puritan Musings: Declaring His Works for His Honor

I am currently reading through Michael A.G. Haykin's book "To honour God: The Spirituality of Oliver Cromwell" for one of my classes at seminary. Each week throughout the semester, I am supposed to read a portion of this book, which is a collection of Cromwell's writings, and have a small reflection upon something that he says. Therefore, I have decided to share these "Puritan Musings" with you. They won't be very long, but I hope that perhaps someone may get something from them.
 

I am currently in Timothy Beougher’s Personal Evangelism class at Southern Baptist Seminary, and in that class, we talk about our motivations for the spreading of the Gospel, among other things related to evangelism. After all, the entire class is about sharing the Gospel with those who need it. Today, as I read Oliver Cromwell’s letter to his cousin Mrs. St. John, I was struck by a phrase: “Yet, to honour my God by declaring what he hath done for my soul, in this I am confident, and I will be so” (pg. 47). 

How often do we ponder on how we may honor God? How often do we view evangelism, or conversation in general, or anything we do in our day-to-day lives as being for His honor and glory? That is our primary focus, as Cromwell was right in stating, so why are we not more confident in doing so? Why I am not? What more motivation do I need to share the truth (or you could say “declare!”) than to do so for His honor? What a noble task the Christian has! It is our job to proclaim and declare the glory of the God of the universe, our Lord and Savior!

My hope is that I may grow in this manner. I pray that I become more confident in my purpose of bringing Him glory and honor, and that an out-pouring of that is that I would boldly declare His name whenever He prompts. I pray that I might tell of what He has done for my soul.

No Bad Days

As I rode in my car on the way to Louisville today, I was in a fantastic mood. As in, one of those irrationally good moods. Music was blaring, I was dancing, the sunroof was down, the skies were clear, my smoothie was refreshing and temperatures were up from the past few days. As one of my friends loves to say, “things were going my way.” Even when the gas pump wouldn’t work quite right, and when the clouds rolled in, and when traffic began to back up, I was not to be deterred, as my mantra over the past few days has been “No Bad Days.” 

 I don’t mean that in the obnoxious “happy Christian” sentiment, where many of my brothers and sisters seem to believe that the only way to be a good witness is to always have a smile on your face and not let the world see you down. They might even say that a person that isn’t happy isn’t close to God. I would, only somewhat respectfully, disagree. David wrote some pretty sad psalms to be a “happy Christian,” and they called him the “man after God’s own heart.” Paul wept for his nation, Nehemiah pulled his beard out in sorrow and Jesus Himself wept. If Jesus weeps, then he’s either a bad Christian or it’s ok for Christians to have an emotion beyond “happy.”

Instead, we pursue joy and contentment. We don’t always have to be a little ray of bubbling sunshine, like I was this morning. Instead, when I say “No Bad Days,” I mean that I am seeking to find some sort of positivity, some kind of trace of my good God and loving Savior's grace in the midst of even the worst days. Philippians 3-4 preaches a message of contentment and the pursuit of joy. This is the Christian's goal.

A particular Scripture of meditation on this topic is Philippians 4:13, which has become a real foothold in my walk with Jesus. A few years ago, when mom had cancer, the fourth chapter of Philippians became a real lifesaver for me. I repeated turned back to this chapter of God’s Word for encouragement during that time, and it gave me a much truer appreciation of this famous verse. So many people assume that this verse is all about pulling ourselves up from our bootstraps and becoming all we can be, either in the office or on the football field (sorry Tim Tebow). However, this could not be further from the truth.

Rather, Philippians 4:13 is the culmination of these two chapters of encouragement from Paul to what could have been his most beloved of church plants. The previous thirteen verses in chapter four, specifically, all speak of putting aside worry and praying, all in the name of fostering a deeper trust in Him, not in us. When the storms of life hit us (see Matthew 7:24-27), we need a solid foundation. We get our content and peace and security from others (Philippians 4:10) and from learning how to deal with stuff (v.11-12), but it is ultimately (even in those three verses) the Gospel of Jesus Christ that gives us a foothold when life tries to sweep us away in the currents of strife and hardship.

So, with all of this said, let's have No Bad Days. Not in a ridiculous, unbiblical manner that ignores the pains in our lives. We will certainly have some very rough, painful, cripplingly-awful days. However, let's not lose track of Him in the darkness. Don't get so focused on the water swelling around you that you forget who your Savior is. When Peter saw Jesus walking on the water, he called out to Him, asking if he could walk out to Jesus. When he actually hopped out of the boat and began towards Him, though, Peter realized that the waters were thrashing about him and that if he fell in, he'd probably die. So he lost track of what was in front of him (Jesus) and instead was swallowed up by the seas. Don't be swallowed up. Instead, look for Jesus in even the most violent of waters. He's there; walk towards Him.

Like a Child

Yesterday, I read Matthew 18:1-9 and 19:13-15. Both of these passages feature Jesus speaking about how to inherit or enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Take a look:

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
² Then He called a child to Him and had him stand among them. ³ “I assure you,” He said, “unless you are converted and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child—this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵ And whoever welcomes one child like this in My name welcomes Me.
⁶ “But whoever causes the downfall of one of these little ones who believe in Me—it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea! ⁷ Woe to the world because of offenses. For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes. ⁸ If your hand or your foot causes your downfall, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire. ⁹ And if your eye causes your downfall, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, rather than to have two eyes and be thrown into hellfire. -Matthew 18:1-9

Then children were brought to Him so He might put His hands on them and pray. But the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴ Then Jesus said, “Leave the children alone, and don’t try to keep them from coming to Me, because the kingdom of heaven is made up of people like this.” ¹⁵ After putting His hands on them, He went on from there. -Matthew 19:13-15

You see, He claims that we must come to Him like a small child to enter the Kingdom of God. We must have the trust and faith in God and in Jesus that a small child has in his/her father. We are completely dependent, relying on Him for everything and having ever-flowing love for Him. 

But, we often times are not like this. Our dependence and love for Jesus can be muffled by many things, including earthly possessions. I don't think it is a coincidence that in Matthew 19:16-22 we find the story of the rich young ruler. He claimed that he wanted to follow Jesus, but could not let go of his money. He was not able to part from possessions:

 Just then someone came up and asked Him, “Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life?”
¹⁷ “Why do you ask Me about what is good?” He said to him. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
¹⁸ “Which ones?” he asked Him. Jesus answered:

Do not murder;
do not commit adultery;
do not steal;
do not bear false witness;
¹⁹ honor your father and your mother;
and love your neighbor as yourself.

²⁰ “I have kept all these,” the young man told Him. “What do I still lack?”

²¹ “If you want to be perfect,” Jesus said to him, “go, sell your belongings and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
²² When the young man heard that command, he went away grieving, because he had many possessions. -Matthew 19:16-22

Money brings safety and security, so we trust Him less. Money brings distraction and entertainment, which sucks away from our love for God. This is why Matthew 19:23-25 is such a somber passage:

²³ Then Jesus said to His disciples, “I assure you: It will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven! ²⁴ Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
²⁵ When the disciples heard this, they were utterly astonished and asked, “Then who can be saved?” -Matthew 19:23-25

 The good news is that there is a flipside. In verse 26, Jesus says that all things are possible with God. That is then followed up with a quick back-and-forth between Jesus and Peter: 

But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
²⁷ Then Peter responded to Him, “Look, we have left everything and followed You. So what will there be for us?”
²⁸ Jesus said to them, “I assure you: In the Messianic Age, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on 12 thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel. ²⁹ And everyone who has left houses, brothers or sisters, father or mother, children, or fields because of My name will receive 100 times more and will inherit eternal life. ³⁰ But many who are first will be last, and the last first. -Matthew 19:26-30

You see, we as Christians are called to be completely devoted to Jesus. We are willing to leave it all and be totally dependent on God, relying on Him day-by-day, step-by-step. We must walk by faith, trusting that we will be held tight by our Father and that the One who loves us won't let us go.

We can be confident in that because He loved us so much that He gave up His Son on the cross, and it was through that act that the impossible happened. The ones who were far from God, separated from Him by sin, were brought close. We were impossibly separated from God until God made it possible for us to draw near to Him.

So, it is no longer impossible for us to trust Him, walk with Him, love Him, be with Him and depend on Him in all things. It is no longer impossible for us to give up all we have to follow Him. It is no longer impossible to come to Him like a small child, and it is no longer impossible for us to inherit eternal life. The Kingdom is ours.