He's Never Letting Go

Good morning! Today's passage of focus is Psalm 73:23-26:

Yet I am always with you;

you hold my right hand.

You guide me with your counsel,

and afterward you will take me up in glory. 

Who do I have in heaven but you?

And I desire nothing on earth but you.

My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart,

my portion forever.

Let's be real: I'm a moron. I do some really stupid stuff. Sometimes I forget to turn the burner off of the stove. Sometimes I fall asleep in my contacts. Sometimes I forget an assignment for school. Sometimes I forget to feed my cat in the morning. Sometimes I just do stupid things. Maybe you're a moron that does stupid things too. Maybe I'm the only one. I'll let the reader decide that on their own. 

Even more, I'm a sinner: a rebel against a holy God. Nothing is stupider than that. Asaph, the original poet behind this psalm, goes so far as to call himself a "brute" in reference to his own sinful nature, and I can't disagree from my own angle. I'm an oft-wayward son to my always-faithful Father God. 

And yet... I remain with God. He never lets me go, no matter what.

Does He remain, no matter how stupid I am? Yes, no matter what!

Does He always hold my right hand, guiding me like a dad helping a small child across the street? Yes, no matter what!

Does He always counsel and guide me, no matter how many times I have failed to listen before? Yes, no matter what!

And after it's all said and done, at the end of my life, will He bring me into glory with Him as my strength and portion forever? Oh yes, He will. No matter what. 

This is a truth I need daily reminders of. This is why we must dive into His Word and read the Bible: it rejuvenates our very life. I need to hear it, read it, study it, learn it, pursue it--all to remind myself anew amidst the chaos and temptations and hardships and struggles of each new day that the good news of Jesus and His faithfulness will see me through. 

We remain with God. He will never let us go.

Yes, no matter what.

The Horrible Result of Christian Hypocrisy

This morning I was stricken by Romans 2:24, which reads: 

For, as it is written: The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you. 

This passage is at the conclusion of a long rant from Paul about a lack of godliness in the Jewish people. The Jewish people were calling for the Gentiles (those outside the people of God) to live up to the values of the Old Testament Scriptures, yet they themselves were not living up to them, either. It's hypocrisy, plain and simple.

The Lord makes it clear in this verse that the hypocrisy of His people is not just reflecting poorly upon their own holiness, but it is ultimately a reason that the world is blaspheming and rejecting the Lord as their God! Can you imagine--the behavior of God's people, and lack of godliness in it, is turning people away from the Lord!

This has always been a struggle for God's people. In the Old Testament, this verse is actually stated in its original context in the prophetic books of Isaiah (who tried to get the Jews to repent of their hypocrisy before judgment came through the Babylonians) and Ezekiel (who tried to get the Jews to repent of their hypocrisy amidst their trials with the Babylonians). Then, in the New Testament, we have Peter clearly applying this principle to the church (and specifically the false converts and teachers that we fail to root out of the church), saying that our hypocrisy will lead the lost to follow our shameful ways and bring The Way, the path of Jesus Christ, into disrepute. We must not allow for this. 

To put it simply, our hypocrisy as believers leads to the world's rejection of Jesus as Lord and Savior.

There are almost an infinite number of ways that I fail to live up to what I preach and claim to believe as a follower of Jesus, but a lack of love for the Lord is the root of all of it. Because I do not love the Lord my God with all of my heart, all of my soul, all of my mind, and all of my strength as I ought, I end up failing to live according to the commands He said I would follow if I love Him. I allow other gods before Him. I make little idols out of any number of possessions, hobbies, or worldly ideals. I use His name in vain every time I refer to Him in a flippant or irreverent way (which includes half-hearted worship through singing or prayer). I fail to keep the Sabbath whenever I choose not to rest in His works and truly worship with His bride on a Sunday morning, allowing worries and distractions keep me from Him. I fail to love my neighbor or even myself as I should, all because my love for God is imperfect. 

The good news, however, is that these shortcomings in my own walk with Jesus upon The Way are what the gospel is all about! As I reflect daily on the salvation I have through Christ, which began when He knew me before I was born and will be completed throughout eternity as I walk with Him in the new earth, I become more ensnared by the beauty of His grace. As I reflect on the work of Jesus in my heart, on the cross, and on His throne today, praise and worship naturally blossoms in my being! I must daily, hourly even, remind myself of the beauty of the gospel!

Are you doing the same? Are you reflecting on the good news of Jesus to help you prevent hypocrisy among a lost world, Christian? Are you a non-Christian, and want to know more about what Jesus has done in my life? Drop in the comments below, and I'll be happy to talk with you more. 

They Covered Their Father's Nakedness (Morning Prayer 1/22/20)

Noah’s sons who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan. These three were Noah’s sons, and from them the whole earth was populated. Noah, as a man of the soil, began by planting a vineyard. He drank some of the wine, became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside. Then Shem and Japheth took a cloak and placed it over both their shoulders, and walking backward, they covered their father’s nakedness. Their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father naked. When Noah awoke from his drinking and learned what his youngest son had done to him, he said:

Canaan is cursed. He will be the lowest of slaves to his brothers. 

He also said:

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem;

Let Canaan be Shem’s slave.

Let God extend Japheth; 

let Japheth dwell in the tents of Shem;

let Canaan be Shem’s slave.

Now Noah lived 350 years after the flood. So Noah’s life lasted 950 years; then he died. 

-- Genesis 9:18-29 (CSB)

Nobody is perfect, ya know? Noah is often lifted up as a hero of Scripture and as an example of how to live a life following the Lord, and rightfully so. Noah was the only one following God when the time of the flood came, and is a great example in many ways of the Christian life. However, Noah was also a human with a sin nature, and in this tale, he sinned. He got hammered and stripped naked in view of everybody.

Now, in this moment of shame and embarrassing behavior, anyone could have two real options: help Noah or hurt Noah. Ham chose to laugh at Noah's embarrassing situation, highlighting his father's sin with a sin of his own. Shem and Japheth, however, chose to help their father, which was the correct choice. 

We, too, are faced with a similar opportunity each day. We can either help or hurt anytime another is in a bad situation--by their own doing or by no fault of their own. When we choose to help them get out of that situation, we are making the same choice that Shem and Japheth made: the choice to love. To help others is to love others, and that is what the Christian life is to look like. It's, frankly, what Christ did when He came, lived, died, and rose again--all on our behalf. He chose to love us, to help us, rather than to hurt or ignore us. Our plight was and is a direct result of our sinfulness, and yet Christ still loved us enough to come to our aid. 

Will we chose to follow the example of Shem, Japheth, and Jesus today? Will we choose love by choosing to help, or will we choose to hurt?

Father God, help us choose to help today. Help us choose to love. We know that is the way that you would do, because it is the way you have done. Aid us in becoming more like you today. In Christ's name, amen.

Maybe (Just Maybe) We Have Hope

We all have days where we feel a bit less ourselves, ya know?

Maybe we haven't been having a great time at work.

Maybe we were out of strawberries at the house when we made our morning smoothie.

Maybe we're afraid of failing those we love.

Maybe we have failed those we love.

Maybe we can't find Pikachu on Pokemon Go. 

Maybe we didn't get the job or the acceptance letter.

Maybe we didn't get that second date.

Maybe we didn't get a first date.

Maybe we won't get another date.

Maybe we can't get ourselves to the gym more than two days...a month. 

Maybe we missed our chance.

Maybe we overestimated our chance.

Maybe the doctor had something hard to say.

Maybe we finished a great show on Netflix and don't know what to do with our weeknights.

Maybe we haven't gotten a call back.

Maybe we're wondering if their phone works.

Maybe we know it does, and don't want to admit it.

Maybe we watch too much cable news and read too many Facebook posts and get discouraged.

Maybe we feel like the world is crumbling around us.

Maybe none of these sound like anything you've ever imagined, so maybe your life is peachy.

Maybe you're lying.

Maybe life has been handing you lemons, and you just don't know what to do with them because you don't have enough sugar and sweetness in your life to make this lemonade something you can drink.

Maybe you just need some hope.

The good news is this: we have hope.

I just spent the past six nights hanging out with my church family, loving on some elementary-aged kids. Let me be clear: this does not sound like an ideal week for me. Small children are not my favorite people to be around, and the idea of devoting my nights this past week to such activities kind of made me shiver. Yet, I knew before it even began that it would be a great week, and it was.

This past week was Pinckard Baptist Church's Vacation Bible School, and it was a blast. The kids had a ton of fun, and seven of them made a profession of faith! Yet, it was more than just a fun and spiritually educational time for the kids. For me, at least, it was a chance to dive deeper into my own faith.

The theme this week was "Submerged: Finding Truth Below the Surface," a theme based on Psalm 139:23-24, which says:

Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my concerns.
See if there is any offensive way in me;
lead me in the everlasting way.

This idea of God searching and testing our hearts lead to some fantastic themes each night. The points of the nights were as follows:
Jesus knows who I really am. 

Jesus knows my worth.

Jesus knows I need a Savior. 

Jesus knows my purpose.

Jesus loves and accepts me.

Maybe you need to hear one of these truths. I know that I did. The beautiful thing that God showed me this week was that Psalm 139, if you read all twenty-four verses, will lead you to each of these truths. 

It shows us that Jesus knows who we are, even when it seems like no one knows who we are or even cares to learn. Sometimes we can feel invisible, or maybe we feel like everyone knows us, but no one knows the real us. The good news of this passage is that Jesus sees deep inside us and knows exactly who we are, who we have been, and who we will be. We're not invisible to Him, and we cannot put up a fake version of ourselves. He knows us for who we really are. 

It shows us that Jesus knows our worth, even when we feel worthless. Maybe no one else sees us as valuable. Perhaps you feel used, or maybe you've done something that makes you broken. The good news of this passage is that Jesus not only knows us for who we really are, but He also knows our true worth. He made us, after all, in His precious image and in His precious, remarkable, wonderful plans. That's who we are to Jesus: preciously, remarkably, and wonderfully made.  

It shows us that, yes, we need a Savior. God has made us as His special imagebearers, but because He sees us as who we are, He knows that we're sinners. He knows we've lied, stolen, cussed, disobeyed, disrespected, lusted, and coveted. He knows we're made to worship Him and have chosen to worship our phones, our popularity, our problems, our situation, our jobs, or anything else that consumes our minds. The good news of this passage is that this isn't a mystery that needs to be figured out by Jesus; He already knows.

It shows us that Jesus knows our purpose. Maybe we feel like we don't have a purpose, or maybe we feel like our sinfulness has ruined that purpose. The good news of this passage is that Jesus has a purpose for every single one of us, and He can lead us to that purpose. How, you may ask? Why, by loving us.

Yes, this passage shows that Jesus loves and accepts us. We're His precious creation, full of purpose and worth. He knows us totally and fully. We have all sinned and failed to live up to that distinction, yes, but that does not keep Him from loving us and accepting us. He will test us and search us for anything wicked, offensive or idolatrous in us, and when He does, He is willing to root it out. He is willing to restore us to our purpose. He is willing to remind us of our worth. He is willing to save us, and that is because He knows, accepts, and loves us. In fact, He loved us so much that He died to save us from sins, if only we believe and confess Him as Savior and Lord. That's love and acceptance.

So maybe you feel hopeless today. Maybe it's been a downer of a day, week, or decade. Regardless, I want you to know that we do have hope, and that hope is found in Jesus. We have hope in a Lord that knows us fully, that knows our worth, that knows our purpose, that knows our sins, and yet also loves and accepts us as His own. 

Maybe, just maybe, this will bring you some hope.

Maybe Certainly He knows He can.

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.

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

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.

Dirty Love: It Ain't Easy to Love Like Jesus, But We Kinda Need To.

It is not an uncommon occurrence for people to tell us about a problem that they are having. After all, they are either griping and grumbling or they have a legitimate dilemma in their life. In the event of having a legitimate problem, they need someone to be there by their side. Yet, in our culture, we are often too busy to give people that support.

Christians are called to live in a sacrificial manner, loving people in a way that is anything but beneficial from the Earthly viewpoint. Would loving that person inconvenience you? Would it make you late for something? Would you lose productivity? If you can answer yes to any of those, then you probably should go ahead and do what you can to show love. Love is dirty and difficult.

So, what are some ways to show love to people? Perhaps you'd like to know how and simply cannot think of a way. Well, here's a quick list of things that I thought of. There are many more, but I hope this gets you thinking!

1. Say nice things. When someone is having a hard time, or even just trying to get through a normal day (which is hard enough, amiright?!), they could almost always use a word of encouragement. Job was not having a good time of things when he lost all of his possessions, children and own personal health. It appeared that God had completely abandoned him, and he could have used a little bit of cheer. Instead, his friends opted to shame him and try to get him to confess whatever sin he had committed to make God do this. Job even calls them out on it in chapter 16, calling them "miserable comforters." How often are we miserable comforters, either failing to support at all or filling their lives with all of our "advice" about how they can get out of their situation?

Rarely does the person going through a breakup, battling a health issue or failing a class need more advice, especially not in the midst of their darkest hour. What people need more than anything is support and love, letting them know that we are there for them. If there is a sin problem causing their issue, it should be addressed, but not in the form of a brutal chastisement. Think about how you'd feel in their shoes, and respond with love.

So send someone a little note. Say they look cute (in a non-creepy way...) or notice their new hair. Compliment their Tervis tumbler (those are still popular, right?). You never know how far that brief word of positivity can go.

[Side bar: someone who really understands this is Hannah Brencher, the founder/starting blogger at www.moreloveletters.com. Go check out their work. It's officially one of my favorite things right now.]

2. Do something nice. Sometimes people just need to know you are thinking of them. When Jesus saw the crowds hungry in Mark 6:34, the Bible says that He "had compassion on them." He then proceeded to give them a simply dinner of fish and bread (for 5,000 people!). Now, this does not mean that we must feed crowds of people, but it does mean that we have compassion for people in need and be willing to go out of our way to do a little something for them.

Bring them coffee on a cold morning. Surprise them with a little gift that they mentioned in conversation a while ago. Drop some food over at a friend's room during finals. Scrape the snow off their car. Pay a drive-thru meal behind you, or maybe even just give someone a ride home when they need one. It's the little things, y'all.

3. Spend time with them. People get lonely, and that can actually increase during the holiday season. Be willing to make time in your schedule for the people in your life that need you. You and I are likely surrounded by a group of people that could use a little bit of our time. So what if you're busy? I get it, that is usually my excuse, too. But Jesus, ruler of all, stepped out of His eternal rule of all things that exist, have existed and will ever exist in order to walk around Israel for a few years, spend time with some rather dense individuals and ultimately die on a cross and rise again for our benefit. If He made time for the people that deserved His least (note: that's us), then we can give up an hour (or afternoon!) somewhere in our schedule for people that need us.

Go grab lunch or tea. Give them a call and talk about life. Watch basketball with the kids. Drink hot cocoa with your elderly grandparents. Help someone fix their car (unless you're more likely to break it more, and in that case go with them to get it fixed). Show that your schedule is not as important as the people around you.

People need love. Simple as that. Our lives should not be so pristine, and I know that mine has been far too clean for far too long. Love is dirty and difficult, and loving people the right way (the Jesus way) is hard work. So be willing to put in the time and effort to do it. It can be as cheap as a hug or a little smiley face on an index card stuck between the keys of their keyboard. It ain't easy, but it is necessary for the Christian. No efforts are perfect, but all efforts are better than the one that doesn't happen!

Go out, and by the end of the week, I want you to do one thing for somebody, and then shoot me an email at thefreedbug@gmail.com. Lemme know how it went. After all, I could use some more ideas on how to love people myself. :)

Who Are Our Brothers and Sisters?

Do we think about the importance of our church families? When was the last time that you thought to yourself, "man, I would be distraught if I lost contact with one of them"? Have you ever really thought about the importance of being in the family of the Church? Have you thought about the fact that we say "brothers and sisters" about our fellow church members, and what that should mean in regards to how we approach these relationships? Today, let's briefly look at what Jesus had to say about the family of God and how important it should be in our lives.

While Jesus was preaching one day, his mom and siblings came to wherever He was preaching and wanted to speak with Him. One of people around, probably a disciple, came up to Jesus at a break point and said "Hey, your mom and brothers are here and wanna talk to you (Luke 8:20, Bryan Watts Paraphrase)."

Now, before I tell you Jesus' response, I want to remind you of some context here. Jesus has been at home in Nazareth, with His family, until He was thirty. This is a guy who had helped around the family business, spent years in town, etc. Jesus wasn't the kid that turned 18 and bolted for the furthest college that He could go to; He was with His family until He was thirty. Then, upon turning thirty, He proceeded to start His ministry, traveling all about the countryside, preaching the Good News of the Kingdom.

He probably hasn't seen His family for some time. They probably miss Him. My guess is that they had made a special trip to wherever He was in order to see Him. His response?

"My mother and My brothers are those who hear and do the word of God." -Luke 8:21, HCSB

What the what, Jesus?! Doesn't this seem insensitive? Doesn't this seem uncaring? Is He rejecting His family?

What I believe we are seeing here is not a commentary on how much Jesus loved His Earthly family, because I believe He loved them very much. Instead, I believe we see how much more He loves His spiritual family, the Church, and by extension, how much we should love them.

Christ died on behalf of His people. He longs for us to be in relationship with Him. His desire is for us to be with Him in glory and reign alongside Him for eternity, He as the Groom and the Church as His bride. That's us. He loves us that much.

Yet, despite how much our Savior loves us, how often do we disregard our family of faith? Names like "brothers" and "mother" are familial terms! We're the body of Christ, His beloved Bride, and we spend so much time ignoring our relationship with one another! We wouldn't ignore and disregard our families like that, would we? We are to be a family, even more so than our Earthly families. We're a body, made of many important, indispensable members, and it is crucial that we stay together.

Our church needs us and we need our churches. Be there for them. Love them. Appreciate them. Help them. Be active for them. Serve them. It is your calling, Christian. Don't neglect her; if she is loved enough by Christ that He died for her, then we should love her in a similar fashion.

Today, reach out to a part of the local body you belong to. Say hello, check in on them, do something kind for them. If you are not a member of a local church, find one. get involved in Christ's church; it is absolutely a must for the Christian to be in the body of Christ.

Let's stop neglecting our brothers and sisters. Christ died to make the family of God what it is; don't reject His work on the cross to bring us together by ignoring His bride.

Love, Persecution, Creation, Faith, and the Reasonable, Natural Man: My Thoughts Following the Nye-Ham Debate

Last night, and honestly most of today, the Internet and media has been consumed in many ways with a debate that occurred at the Creation Museum in Northern Kentucky. The persons debating were Bill Nye, famous for his work educating children about science, and Ken Ham, founder of the Creation Museum and head honcho at www.answersingenesis.org. The question was "Is Creation a Viable Model of Origins?" Since this has been such a big deal, here are a few thoughts I had following my viewing of the debate:

• I am most certainly a Young Earth Creationist (YEC). For years, I wavered back and forth between the Young Earth approach to creation (that the Earth was created approximately 6,000 years ago) and the Old Earth (OEC) approach (that God has been sovereignly guiding the development of the Earth since the Big Bang and made natural selection occur in a way that He approved). I never fully committed to an OEC stance, but always kept it as an option. I am a student in the psychology department of the University of Kentucky, and have taken a few science classes outside of that realm (including geographical and astronomical science). The "evidence" for an OEC stance seems overwhelming at times, and we've all heard the argument about whether Genesis 1-2 means an actual, literal six-day creation.

          Now that I have pondered on this debate, I have realized that I must accept the YEC stance, and this is why: I wish to be consistent in my interpretation of Scripture. The Bible is written in different genres, and the book of Genesis is considered to be a "historical narrative." This means that, as Christians, we believe that stories such as David and Goliath, Jericho, and yes, the Creation story are written as they happened. They are featuring real people and real time periods. My reading yesterday in Genesis 31 talked about how Jacob had been working alongside his father-in-law Laban for 20 years. Never once have I wondered if this was a literal 20 years, nor have I wondered about the actual length of any other time span in Scripture that is a historical narrative. Therefore, to be consistent, I must assume that when Genesis 1 talks about six days, it is actually six days. There is no reason to think otherwise. Scripture must interpret Scripture. We cannot bring anything else in first.

[Note: it has rightly been brought to my attention that Genesis one is more than just historical narrative; it is also prose, a more lyrical style. This is what has allowed for some to come to the OEC conclusion. I maintain my YEC stance for two reasons: it is simpler/more straightforward and it also avoids getting into trouble trying to match up with an evolutionary stance. If God is truly all powerful, then I have no issue believing that He made the Earth in six days. Regardless, Scripture speaks truth. However you interpret this passage, as long as it is centered on Him, I have no serious problem with it.]

• The debate won't save any people. This seems like a bold statement, but it really isn't. No one is saved through logic. We are saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. That is the only way to the Father. The benefit of this debate was not saving people. I doubt many people even were shaken in their stance by the debate. I believe that because this debate hit on something very deep in the human way of thinking.

• Every person is in a faith-based religion. It is in human nature to put our faith in something beyond ourselves. The creationist puts their faith in God or some other deity, and the naturalist/evolutionist/atheist puts their faith in logic, reason and science. There is no real way to "prove" either of them. Mr. Nye said last night that he had no idea how the Big Bang was started; he also couldn't say how language, life or logic came to be. Mr. Ham had no way to tangibly prove that God exists. There is no possible way for us to find it all out. We cannot go back and see the past for ourselves. Therefore, we cannot use observable proof to say one way or the other on this debate. Instead, all people must put their faith in something, and that something is usually what we believe is the most likely to be true. We're all trusting in something we cannot see. 

• God is truth. That being said, I do believe in the triune God and His creation. In fact, I would go so far as to say that He is the truth. Why? Two things have lead me to believe this:

1. Logic: There are simply too many things that point to Him for me to deny it. Even in my high school days when I was a functional agnostic, I could not accept an atheistic or naturalistic approach to Creation. Something or someone had to have made it all. Life cannot spontaneously occur. Language requires intelligence to develop, and despite careers devoted to the field, not a single animal species has been able to be taught to truly use language in a cognitive manner. Morals and ethics came from somewhere; if we are all merely the product of natural selection, then how do we have any kind of altruistic attitude at all? What would be the point of good deeds and helping those in trouble? Why mourn the dead, or save the sick? Let 'em die. Sure, they're humans, but carp are fish that shouldn't be in most ponds, either. Kick them out of the gene pool and let us improve as a race! Yet, we know this is not how we work. Atheists and Christians united alongside each other in New Orleans after Katrina, and people have always done humanitarian works, no matter their belief system. This all only points to a greater something. 
2. The Spirit: This is the big one. I can use logic, reason, mathematics and observation until I'm blue in the face, only to never come to faith. That's because the scientific method (which, as a psychology student/researcher and lover of the sciences, I have used and support in many instances) falls tragically short when it cannot predict a result. The scientific method, in all of its genius, requires a testable subject. We must be able to hypothesize and make theories (testable predictions), set up and experiment of some kind, gather data, record the results and interpret the data in order to draw any conclusion from the scientific method. Yet, there is no way to do this with things we cannot test, which includes the existence of God and the deity of Jesus Christ. 

This is where we must rely on the Spirit of God to do the saving. We can have rational arguments, but only God can make a dead heart new. Check out 1 Corinthians 2:12-16 here:

Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one.“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

You see, there are two kinds of people in the world: natural people and spiritual people. By natural, Paul (this passage's author) means one who is as they were born: lost, sinful, rebellious and on a path to an eternal Hell. By spiritual, he is not speaking of anyone who has a religion, but instead of someone who has the Spirit of God. This is also where the distinction between human wisdom and spiritual wisdom comes down. It's all about who has the Spirit and who doesn't. 

It is because of the Spirit that anyone can understand this wisdom of God, or the things of God, as said later in the passage. The natural, or unsaved person, thinks the things of God to be foolish; this is why Mr. Nye called himself a "reasonable man" throughout the debate last night. It is, by extension, considered "unreasonable" to be a Christian. The Christian faith is placed as opposed to the wisdom of the world, and this is to be expected. It is only by the Spirit's working that any of us understand. The Gospel is only discernible as truth by the spiritual mind, and it is by the Spirit that we have the mind of Christ. Therefore, the wisdom of this world holds no more weight against the wisdom of God. The truths of God are outside the understanding of the natural human.

Now, before any Christian gets cocky and thinks themselves better, notice that I said "outside" and not "beyond." Had I used "beyond" or "above" the understanding of the natural human, that would imply that I meant that we were more intelligent than someone who is without the Spirit; however, that could not be more wrong. It is not by anything we have done, but clearly by what He has done by giving us His Spirit. We should not think of our spiritual, God-given wisdom as making us better or smarter, but rather as a blessing and enlightenment into the mind of God. Keep this in perspective. We have all been natural men or women at some point in our lives.*

• This Spirit-given knowledge should impact how a Christian looks at anyone who is not saved. We must keep two things in mind as a result of this truth:

1. Christians must show love and understanding. We were natural humans at one time. There was a point where we were just as lost in the eyes of God as anyone else. If it weren't for Him saving me, I would probably be writing a blog post that praised the logic and evidence of Bill Nye right now. It is by His grace that sinners come to repentance and are clothed in the righteousness of Christ. Therefore, we must always show love to those who are not in Christ. When we do not show love, it is akin to a homeless man being given a house, car and job, only to mock other homeless people. It is insensitive at best, and arrogant, stupid and sinful at worst. How dare we be swept from drowning in the flood of our sins and then turn to look down upon those still swirling in the waters. It is disgraceful and disgusting to do so.    
2. Christians must not be pitiful. Let's be real: we get our feelings hurt when the world calls us stupid, ignorant or helpless idiots. Yes, it is upsetting to be mocked and ridiculed, but this is hardly persecution as Christ predicted. We are not martyrs when we are made fun of or looked down upon. We are not in any real danger. May that be in the future for Christians in the United States? Very likely. But it is not the case currently, and since the Bible says we will seem foolish, we need to quit acting pitiful and realize that this is to be expected. 

Ultimately, I believe that there was good that has come from the debate. Mr. Ham stated that he wanted to bring discussions on creation and evolution back to degree, and if anything, this debate has done that. This has certainly been a good topic to discuss over the past 24 hours, and I hope the discussions continue. Ultimately, I believe it is helpful to reflect on these truths and have these talks. They solidify faith and bring God's Word to the forefront of our focus. For that, I thank both Mr. Ham and Mr. Nye. May the conversation on this topic continue until the end! 

*For more on this, check out chapter two of D.A. Carson's book The Cross and Christian Ministry

A Grace-Propelled Patience

I love Starbucks. Few things in my life bring as much simple, sweet happiness as a tall peppermint mocha or an iced coffee with milk and toffeenut syrup. It's the small things, yo. So, with a few minutes to spare before work yesterday, I went to Starbucks to grab a coffee before I was on my Kroger grind for six-and-a-half hours. After all, what better prepares one for work than caffeine and sugar? I submit that there is nothing.

I was in the drive-thru, and only two cars were between me and the window. Score. I'm going to be at work on time. And yet, the care in front of me aimed to change that. They received four drinks through the window, as well as a gift bag with something in it. They, no lie, took about five minutes to complete their order and drive off.

The entire time that they were dominating the drive-thru and dwindling my time to get to work, I fought a battle within my mind. Much of me was frustrated and impatient.

I knew I shouldn't have wasted time on this.

I'm going to be late.

Come on people, let's go.

What the crap did you order?!

All the while, my mind also told me to be patient. The Spirit pushed and prodded my heart to remain calm. The reward would be worth the wait. I am in Christ, and as such, should exude patience as one of the fruits of the Spirit. Patience should define my life. Alas, I was not patient and remained frustrated at the long wait. By the time I got to the window, my stress levels were rising. I'm paying for this, daggumit!

And then I got my drink for free. Starbucks gave me a free gift because of my wait.

I was not patient.

I did not pay.

I was gifted this cup of coffee, despite my attitude, and it changed my entire perspective on the wait. When I wasn't paying for it, when I was being given something with no work or payment of my own, the wait no longer seemed so bad. Had I known the whole time that my coffee was free, I'd venture to say that I would not have been so impatient. I would, instead, have been calm and peaceful. I would have used my wait for more God-glorifying thoughts. Perhaps I'd have prayed. Perhaps I'd have read my Bible app. Perhaps I would have just been patient, which is glorifying in and of itself.

Don't you see that this is our lives, Christian? We have the free gifts of salvation and the Spirit within us and our future in glory with Christ (which are all immeasurably more amazing and beautiful than a mere cup of coffee), and yet we are impatient with God's timing in our lives. How ungrateful are we?

When one gives you a gift, we must depend upon their timing. How ridiculous would my impatience have been had I known that Starbucks was giving me a free cup? I'd have been unappreciative of the giver's heart, and would have disgraced the gift. It would be as if I were still running the show, demanding that a gift only make me happy if it is what I want, when I want it. Absurd!

Grace, therefore, should propel us towards patience. Every good thing comes from God (James 1:17), and we are undeserving of any good (Romans 3). It follows that all good things we receive are gifts of grace from a loving, good God. We have no say; these gifts are waiting for us in His time, in spite of our impatience and frustration with the wait. Instead, we should pursue patience. Patience shows a grateful heart for not just gifts such as His provision in our lives, His listening to our prayers or even His bringing us onto the throne with Christ in the end of time, but also for the Giver Himself. Patience shows that we trust that God has something good for us, and that we believe that He will give it to us in time. Patience shows that we understand His sovereignty, His love and His goodness.

Be patient, fellow Christian. The Giver of gifts knows best; let this truth of His grace launch you to new depths of patience!

"I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love," -Ephesians 4:1-2

"Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret, it leads only to evildoing. For evildoers will be cut off, But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land." -Psalm 37:7-9

"Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand." -Galatians 6:9

A&E, Suspensions, and the Return of Ancient Cultural Views of Christianity

Last night, A&E announced that Phil Robertson of their smash-hit "Duck Dynasty" was suspended for comments that he made during an interview with GQ Magazine. During the course of the interview, he made several comments that were "antihomosexual" or "antigay," including his stating that homosexuality was a sin (along with swindling, adultery and terrorism, to name a few) and a discourse on his lack of understanding as to why a man would choose a man over a woman. Naturally, the social media world exploded.

The hashtag #istandwithphil emerged from some tweeters, while others were enraged that the original Duck Commander would refer to homosexuality a sin. The point of my post today is not to discuss whether I agree with Mr. Robertson or not. I have posted on my thoughts about homosexuality before, and I get tired of one issue being the entire focus of the Church in the public arena. There are lots of issues that need discussing from a Biblical standpoint, not just homosexuality. If you want my opinions on that, go here or read Romans 1:18-32. Email me and we can chat. That's just not my focus today.

Instead, I want to briefly touch on what is rapidly becoming the norm: the media do not like Jesus.

It really isn't very surprising to me that A&E would make the decision to suspend Phil, and it all boils down to a very simple question: who was the most profitable group to keep happy? Would it benefit A&E more to keep Christians or the LGBT community happy? Think about this, if you can, from A&E's point of view.

They run a business, and it's primary focus is to make money. They had to make a business decision here. They had two options:
     1. Support Phil. This keeps Duck Dynasty untouched, which is easily their most profitable show,
         and it keeps their Christian fan base happy. However, the LGBT community would rake them
         over the coals, thus causing massive PR damage and potentially harming the channel in the
         future.
     2. Reprimand Phil. This option makes a stand for gay rights, and would win massive bonus points
         with much of the more liberal media types, considering A&E would be going against one of its
          biggest stars. However, this would potentially cause the Robertsons to pull out of Duck
          Dynasty, thus costing A&E its biggest show...ever.

They obviously chose option two. They probably assume that Duck Commander CEO Willie Robertson will go into damage control, put together some sort of apology, and business will be back to normal. If he doesn't? Well, Duck Dynasty has had a good run, everyone has made plenty of money, and A&E can send the Robertson clan back to the Outdoor Channel. What this whole ordeal illustrates is just another example of a growing trend: Christianity is becoming marginalized.

It is no longer normal or even socially acceptable to be a Bible-believing Jesus follower in the United States. If you wish to be deemed intelligent, caring, loving, or with the times, then orthodox Christian values cannot be yours. We live in a day where adultery is nearly expected, greed is a cultural norm and several actions that the Bible clearly calls sin are now considered human rights issues. That is why A&E chose the LGBT community over the Christian community: being on the "wrong side" of a civil rights issue is bad for bottom lines. If you stand for a Biblical view of life, then you are deemed at best ignorant and pitiable, and at worst arrogant and hateful. This should not surprise us.

Like Duck Dynasty, the Church has had a good run in the spotlight here in America. Christianity came over when we still had British accents, and has been rooted in our country ever since. Many founding fathers were Christian, as have been many other prominent figures in our nation's history. Yet, we have something else in common with Duck Dynasty: it is shocking that it even happened.

I remember watching Phil, Willie and Jase on the Outdoor Channel with my brother, who was an avid fan of the Robertson family before they were on basic cable. He read Phil's book before it was renamed "Happy, Happy, Happy," and had a poster on his wall of them years ago. So, when it was announced that the guys from Duck Commander were getting a TV show, I was shocked. It was so weird to me. The bearded guys that paint their faces up and hunt are going to be on A&E? No way.

Count it double when the show actually took off. I still sit back and marvel at how that family went from the darlings of hunters to become America's favorite family. It's crazy. And yet, if the early Church leaders looked at the Church in American history, they'd be even more floored.

Think about it: eleven out of the twelve disciples were martyred, with the only survivor being the exiled disciple that Jesus loved, John. John the Baptist was beheaded, and so was Paul. The Church was beaten, stoned, and massacred by both Jewish leaders and Roman authorities during the time that the New Testament was written. The bodies of Christians were used as torches, lighting roadways in the Roman Empire. Riots broke out. It wasn't cool to be a Christian; you only joined The Way if you meant it. In fact, the name "Christian" was originally a derogatory term for these followers of Jesus, insinuating that they were lesser socially. Sound familiar? It should.

The name "Christian" no longer has the positive vibes around it that it once held in America. As I stated earlier, to follow Christ now means to be intolerant and stupid. We hate, according to civil rights activists. We paraphrase ignorantly, according to Macklemore. We don't even know our own God, according to those who claim that Jesus was only about love.

The truth is this: we are called to love, yes, but also to call people to repent. Jesus's first words in ministry were not "all we need is love," but instead "repent, because the kingdom of Heaven has come near" (Matthew 4:17). We are to follow Jesus in this ministry, begging people to turn away from their sin and to God. In order to call someone away from sinful behavior, we are declaring them sinners. We are stating that, like ourselves, these people are in rebellion to God. They have done wrong. As Phil said to GQ:

"Don’t be deceived. Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers—they won’t inherit the kingdom of God."

People do not appreciate being told that they are not perfect. I don't, for that matter. The fact is, however, that every person on this earth is born into a life of sin. We are all sinners, and that sin has us destined for Hell without turning from it and running into the gracious love of our Savior. This truth, this Gospel, is not deemed good news by someone who believes that they have not done wrong. Thus, just as the call to repent caused John the Baptist, Paul, Peter, and even Jesus to be hated, we will be hated.

The Church has, by the grace of God, had a long time of peace, acceptance and popularity here in the States. However, we are rapidly headed for a time where we will be hated. This is only the beginning. People will not suddenly enjoy the call to repentance; they will only loathe it more and more, and in turn, the same loathing will grow toward those who call. We must remain faithful, no matter what, and remember that the world does not like us. Satan has blinded the heart of the unbeliever, so we cannot expect those who are in rebellion to God to tolerate or accept us, even if they expect the same out of us. Persecution, intolerance towards God's people and a hatred for  the call to repentance has existed since the Church began; the Church in America is just seeing it with a different coat of paint.

Why is Good Friday Good?

"It is finished!" -John 19:30, HCSB

It is finished. Que se termine. 它完成. она будет закончена. Il est fini. Consummatum est. それが完了しました. يتم الانتهاء من ذلك. 그것은 완료. Está consumado.

One could say that these may be the most important words in the entire Bible. Out of everything that Jesus said in His ministry, these three words may just be the most impactful, the most loaded, the most beautiful words that came out of His mouth. This is the climax, the highest point, in the entire plot and story of the Bible.

As He hung on the cross, He was not only experiencing the physical side of the crucifixion. Yes, He was in physical pain, but the spiritual pain was much worse. As hung on the cross, He took the burden of the wrath of God on Himself.

I once heard Jesus' taking God's wrath like this explained like this: imagine that we are in a canyon. A small river is trickling through, the product of a dam upstream. That dam is holding back a massive river that would flood the canyon if the dam broke. Needless to say, we don't want to be here when it breaks. Regardless, we throw rocks at it. I mean, it's a huge dam. How could it break?

One rock we threw hit another rock in the wall of the canyon, which in turn caused a group of larger rocks to become unlodged and fall into the dam.

 A crack runs up the middle, splintering across the facade of the dam. Time has worn the dam thin, and it is breaking. Suddenly, the river behind blasts through the cracked dam. The pressure was too much, and the river busts through.

We have since walked a little way downstream from the dam. We hear a loud noise, and turn to see a wall of water headed toward us. This deadly, overwhelming flood will destroy us, and it is our fault that the flood is headed for us.

We start to run, but there really is only time to turn away from the water when we hear a massive roar. Afraid to turn, we run a bit, but then realize that we are not dead yet. We turn around and see that there is no more wall of water.

Instead, a massive hole has opened up in the ground, creating a waterfall. The ground took the death from us and absorbed it all.

This is our story. God's wrath was bearing down on us, punishment due us because of our provocation and rebellion toward Him. Yet, instead of the death we deserved, Jesus took the punishment. He took the full wrath of God: not just my punishment, but also the punishment for you, our families, our friends, the guy across the table from me at the library...everyone. He took it all. Sin and death were defeated forever, all because Christ took the punishment for them away from His people.

If you have believed in Christ and confessed in Him as Lord and Savior, it is finished. There is no more punishment due to you, and there is no more power that sin can hold over you. Jesus took care of that. It's over, it's through, it is finished.

If you have never put your faith in Him, do so today. Feel free to trust in Him as Savior. None of us deserved for Him to die, but out of grace, mercy and love, He did it anyways. He took the punishment. Now it is up to you to accept Him as Lord and Savior and follow Him.

They call today Good Friday, the day that Christ died. But why is today good? Because it is finished.

Two Criminals and Red Pictures

 

"Then one of the criminals hanging there began to yell insults at Him: 'Aren’t You the Messiah? Save Yourself and us!'

But the other answered, rebuking him: 'Don’t you even fear God, since you are undergoing the same punishment? We are punished justly, because we’re getting back what we deserve for the things we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.' Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!'
 
And He said to him, “I assure you: Today you will be with Me in paradise.'” -Luke 23:39-43, HCSB

Yesterday, we discussed the critics of Jesus that were underneath Him, laughing at Him and His position. Today, we look at the stance of two people, both condemned to death.

There were three crosses standing at Golgotha on Good Friday. One, the one in the middle, held Jesus. However, the two men flanking Him to His right and left were merely common criminals.

One guy (who I will call Rafael) was also mocking Jesus, questioning His power, but also calling on Him to save him from His predicament. Rafael almost seems to buy into the truth about Jesus, yet won't totally believe in Him until Jesus proves Himself, all for the benefit of this criminal. All in all, he won't believe that Jesus is who He says He is until something happens to help himself. Rafael wants what is best for Rafael. 

The other guy (let's call him Eric), meanwhile, calls out Rafael for mocking Jesus. He even goes so far as to admit Jesus' innocence, and supports a lifestyle of fearing God. We then see Eric asking Jesus to remember him when Christ goes into His kingdom, and Jesus tells him "today you will be with me in Paradise." Eric is saved from eternal death.

As I read this story, I was also thinking about the debate over whether the LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender) community should be able to marry whomever they want. Some argue that religion should have no voice in the arena of government, while others claim that we should only have the Bible. Some claim that gay rights are the new civil rights, and some claim that they are not related at all.

Many of my Christian brothers and sisters have been rebuking those who support the marriage of same-sex couples. They have essentially been playing the part of the Eric, calling out the Rafaels for failing to fear God.

There is good in this. As long as rebuke is done with grace and gentleness, it is good to call people to turn from sin. A quick reading of any one of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) will show that Jesus regularly did this. It is biblical and right to call for people to repent of their sinful lifestyles.

However, Eric did something that many Christians tend to forget in this debate. He admitted his wrong past. He told Rafael that they were both guilty and deserving of death.

Christians, we are not more righteous in our lives than any other "sinner." We are not above the LGBT community. If you would like to look through the Gospels, you'll see that Jesus regularly ate and hung out with the "sinners," the people that the over-righteous Pharisees shunned for their lifestyles.

Back then, it was tax collectors and prostitutes. Now it's lesbians and transsexuals. Same story, different roles.

I am not supporting a gay/homosexual lifestyle. I believe that the Bible condemns such a lifestyle, and that all who live like that should repent and come to God. However, Christians, we are not to cast stones and beat people down and act like we have it all together. We're sinners, too. We also once (and many still act as such) were living self-centered, self-pleasing lifestyles of the flesh.

We are a broken race, we humans. Gay, jealous, lustful, hating, drunk... the list goes on. Whichever sins have defined your life have made you just as guilty before God as anyone else. That's why we all needed grace, the undeserved gift of Christ's death for us on a cross. It was on that cross that He took the wrath of God for all sin: homosexuality or judgmentalism. Let's show love and grace to all, and show everyone the nature of God in our actions and with our words.

We must point people away from themselves and their selfish, sinful desires, yes. But if we point ourselves instead of pointing to Jesus and His greatness, we're failing at our rebuke and are sinning ourselves.

Call to repent, Christians, but in doing so, don't forget that someone once had to call you to repent. Otherwise, you'd still be dead in sin, too.

For more of my thoughts on this, check out these two posts I wrote a while back from my unChristian series, which was about how Christians are often viewed, and how Christians should act instead:

unChristian, Part Three: Antihomosexual
unChristian, Part Six: Judgmental

Jesus: Mocked and Dying, Ultimately Loving

"He saved others, but He cannot save Himself! He is the King of Israel! Let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him. He has put His trust in God; let God rescue Him now—if He wants Him! For He said, ‘I am God’s Son.'" -Matthew 27:42-43, HCSB

Jesus wasn't in the best spot here, y'all. He had been beaten, stabbed, dehydrated, whipped, slapped, pushed, shoved, and oh, by the way, nailed to a wooden cross. His breathing is becoming harder and more difficult. His legs ache, lactic acid in His calves building up from holding Himself up. His hands are throbbing in excruciating pain from the bones in His hands, shattered as a nail went through them.

Meanwhile, the crowds around Him are mocking Him. They are jeering at His condition, laughing at the fact that He is dying. They questioned His power, His authority, His trust in God, how much God loved Him and what exactly His relationship with God was.

And isn't that the case today? Do people not question His ability to save others? Haven't you heard people who doubt His authority as King of all? Don't people scoff at His power over this realm? Don't people question whether or not He was the Son of God, or even a deity at all? Could He have saved Himself?

Thank God He did not save Himself!

It wasn't that He couldn't save Himself, it was that He wouldn't, in order to save us instead.

It wasn't that God didn't love or want Jesus, but rather that God wanted and loved us, too.

It wasn't that Jesus wasn't God's Son. No, no it definitely is not because Jesus isn't God's Son. But, praise be to God above that He wanted and desired many sons and daughters, not just One.

"For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!" -Romans 5:7-8, HCSB

We didn't deserve the death of Christ. We are not good or righteous; we are sinners. Yet, to show His love for us, Christ, Jesus Christ, died for us. He died so that sinners could become sons and daughters of God.

So the next time people are mocking Jesus, praise Him. Praise God that He would sacrifice Himself, that He would kick His Son to the curb, that He would die for us. Praise be to God, the God who died in order to love the unlovable!

Waiting for Our Groom: Are We Willing to Fast?

I want to start by promoting my friend Dylan Watts' new blog, The Gospel Displayed in Sanctification. He is just starting out his journey into the bloggersphere, so please show him a little love and check out his stuff! :) Now, to my post...

We're currently in Lent, which is the time of year when my Catholic brethren give up something to focus on God. The idea of giving up something to focus on God is considered fasting.

Fasting is something that rarely gets discussed. What's the point? Should we fast? Is fasting a Catholic thing? Am I allowed to eat during a fast? What does Jesus say about fasting?

All of these questions are good questions to ask. I am a Southern Baptist by label, and fasting is something my denomination rarely discusses or practices. So, what does the bible say about fasting? Let's take a look.

One of the passages that is central to understanding fasting is found in Matthew 7. I wrote a post on this passage last year, entitled To Fast or Not to Fast, That Is the Question. I would ask for you to read that post after reading this one, as they are really companions for each other. It discusses the heart behind fasting, which is one of humility and God-focusedness. That's not my goal today.

Today, my goal is to simply show that fasting is not a bad thing for Christians to do, and, in fact, is very helpful. Check out Mark 2:18-20 with me.

"Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, 'How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?'
Jesus answered, 'How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.'" -Mark 2:18-20, NIV

This passage alone shows that we, as the Church today, are not wrong to fast in a biblical manner (which is outlined in my other post). In v. 18, we see that Jesus' disciples were not fasting, while other "religious types" were. So they asked Jesus what was up with this apparent lack of striving for God.

At first glance, it appears that Jesus is supporting the abolition of fasting. Yet, keep reading on down to verse 20...

Here, Jesus discusses that "the bridegroom will be taken away, and on that day they will fast." Guess what: Jesus is not physically on this earth right now. Jesus, our Bridegroom, has ascended to the throne of God. The day has come for our fast.

Allow me to clarify something, though: God is not gone from this earth. His presence is all around us, and in the believer. I do not want you to walk away thinking that we are without our God; that is untrue. In Mark 2, Jesus' disciples literally had Him in the flesh, there beside them. They had no need to fast at all, and because of that, they didn't. We don't HAVE to fast, either; if you never fast, you are not doomed to Hell. We have the Spirit of God within us; thus, we do not have to fast. We are saved by grace, not works, and our salvation rests only in the work of Christ.

However, we are in a waiting period. We are in between the human life of Christ and His return. We cannot speak with Him in the same way that the disciples did then, and we will not have that level of closeness with Him until He returns. So, allow me give a scenario that I hope will show the benefit of fasting while we wait for His return.

Let's say a couple is dating. The man gets down on one knee and proposes. Do you think they are abstaining from enjoying life at that moment? No! They'd by excited! He is physically with her, and she will enjoy every moment with him!

But let's say that this man is deployed to Iraq before they are married. What do you think the future bride will do? Is she going to continue her life as if he were here? Of course not. She will call him, Skype him, email him... You get what I am saying. She will abstain from chasing after other guys, because she already has her man. She will even be willing to wake/remain up at crazy hours of the day to talk with him. She will sacrifice sleep, food or other relationships in order to grow closer with him, even in his time away.

We, Church, are currently that future bride. Our Groom has gone for a time, and we are now waiting for His return. We should desire to grow closer with Him at all costs, no matter what. There may come times when separation from food or sleep or other things will allow us to communicate with and draw nearer to our Groom, and we shouldn't be afraid to embrace that. This fasting with the desire of growing closer to God is a good thing.

Our Groom is on His way back to us; are we willing to do whatever it takes to be as close as possible with Him while we wait?

Thanks to Mr. Scott Fertig, who challenged me to go deeper with this post and better communicate my thoughts. If you, reader, ever find what I say to be erroneous or confusing, please let me know. I will be happy to clarify or study further.