600. Looking Back – How We Crossed the Grace Bridge
Waiting for the Other Shoe
I was so angry at myself. I was standing in the middle of a party where family and friends had gathered to celebrate my birthday, when someone broke into my thoughts, "Smile, we are having a good time." Suddenly I realized that I was thinking about tomorrow's potential for bad news. A medical test results would come back. The possibilities flashed through my mind at the speed of light. Malignant. Funeral. Finances. Care for my wife. Kid's response to my death...
We Were Designed for Joy and Victory Over the Accuser
Maybe you can relate. You lose sight of a three-year-old at the zoo for a panicky two minutes. A teenager is late coming home. A letter in the mailbox from the IRS... It is amazing how quickly our imaginations can create the worst possible scenarios. We seem to be constantly waiting for the next batch of bad news. That’s common to humanity, since our forebears listened to the lying accuser in the original garden. But I have some good news today. I saw it while meditating on Psalm 112. It’s worthwhile to stop and read that.
“They will not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them.” -- Psalm 112:7
I will summarize. There are three actors in the picture. God is gracious, faithful and caring. The believer is designed for joy and victory over the accuser. The enemy is trying to steal the joy. It is helpful to know the background. God created us to be image-bearers. We are to reflect his goodness to all his creation. He has done everything necessary for us to be joyful recipients of his grace, full of thanksgiving and generosity.
The Psalmist gives a list of blessings God has reserved for those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying his commands. It includes their children, their lasting wealth, their guidance, their assurance of victory over evil, their legacy, their honor, and “they will not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them.” (vs. 7) Oh, and “the wicked will see this and be infuriated. They will grind their teeth in anger; they will slink away, their hopes thwarted.” (vs. 10 NLT)
His Intent for You is Good
Nothing can separate us from God’s love -- not even the tragedies of this fallen world.
Why do we expect bad news? Intrinsically we know we deserve it. We have sinned and deserve to be punished. Even though as believers, we know that Jesus took our penalty, we revert to familiar feelings when the enemy's thought is shot like a poison arrow into our minds. The accuser uses the law to condemn us, and when we are not conscious of the law being fulfilled in Jesus, we fall victims to his thievery. But the ultimate bad news was taken by Jesus -- so that we could hear the good news. We know that since God is love, his every act is an expression of love. He earnestly desires us to live in the joy of his continual care. If he is with us and his intent is our good, then we can rejoice.
Since Jesus fulfilled all conditions for being blessed, we can faithfully rest in his righteousness. We fear God because his love is incomprehensible, and his grace is endless. We delight in obeying his words because they are life to us. They alone feed our hungry souls. We have lost our suspicion of him and found him to be faithful in every circumstance. Nothing can separate us from his love -- not even the tragedies of this fallen world.
When the other shoe falls, it will be another expression of his love. He cares for his own and his presence makes every circumstance a piece of heaven. The enemy hates it and the world is amazed at such joy.
Living From A Place Of Security
Here’s a little one-minute video clip from my most recent speaking engagement for your encouragement! WE ARE IN and we are in to stay…all because of Jesus. Live from this place of security and you WILL produce the right behavior/right responses/right actions. To live the Christian life successfully you have to live from a foundation […]
The post Living From A Place Of Security appeared first on Sandra McCollom.
Whose Responsibility are the Poor?
Solomon was one of the great kings in Israel's history, and he was known worldwide for his wisdom. In a Psalm ascribed to him we find his advice for those who rule.
Give your love of justice to the king O God, And righteousness to the king's son. Help him judge your people in the right way; Let the poor always be treated fairly. May the mountains yield prosperity for all, And may the hills be fruitful. Help him to defend the poor, To rescue the children of the needy, And to crush their oppressors. (Psalm 72:1-4)
It is the responsibility and privilege of all who rule to care for those who are struggling. Jesus has affirmed that "the poor you have with you always." (Mark 14:7) There will always be the opportunity to display the heart of God in sharing what we have with those who need it. It is what we do as image-bearers. The presence of the poor reminds us that our abundance is not just for our own consumption. We are blessed to bless.
Everyone has Something to Offer
A terrible thing has happened to the poor. Corrupt leaders have used their plight for political leverage. They promise to be for them what only God can be, and the poor are disappointed and disrespected. Even well-intentioned charities have aided in diminishing the dignity of struggling people.
The poorest people are those who feel worthless. That kind of poverty starts inside when a person begins to believe that, because of his or her economic status, he or she is of less value than others. Handouts can confirm that lie. When nothing is asked in return for the handout, it shouts aloud that the person has nothing of value to trade. The truth is that everyone has something to give. It might be as simple as a song, a poem, a joke, advice, a story, a task or their time.
The true church of Jesus Christ will not be pushed to the side when it comes to caring for the poor.
Of course, many could find meaningful labor if we took their plight seriously. There is the rub. We are very busy and helping the poor is time-consuming. It is much easier to peel off a few bills and hand them over without ever looking into the eyes of the needy. Somehow, we know that if we ever look into their soul, we will be connected.
That’s Where the Church Steps In
But those in the body of Christ, indwelt by the Spirit, have it in their spiritual DNA. The God who cares shares his life with them. They care. It bothers them that civil government has pushed the church to the periphery and taken the job of managing the poor. Handouts from an impersonal entity enables poverty.
The true church of Jesus Christ will not be pushed to the side in this important assignment. We cannot be content with laws that allow us to worship in our churches but forbid us to engage in the issues of societal life.
It is revealing to hear political leaders strategizing to remove the tax advantages of ministries and charities. They are saying that the church's people are not valued nor wanted in the realm of taking care of the needy. They see the government as the solution and want the church to get off the turf. But we can take the field again by each member of Christ's body getting involved with a person of need. It doesn't have to be a sponsored program. It is our daily privilege.
Working Together to Find a Solution
It’s time for there to be mutual respect and collaboration between the church and the government in addressing the weak and poor.
As church people repent of neglecting our task, we will refuse to be supplanted by those offering a bribe to the poor in exchange for a vote. We accept our role as representatives of the kingdom of God. We admit that our abundance is our opportunity to find and meet the needs of others who struggle. We will also stand against policies that reflect injustice toward the weak. We will hold leaders in the government and the church to account. We know that we are more than a social service, but we also know that the good news we proclaim transforms people; and people make culture.
The government has the power of the sword. It can be intimidating. The body of Christ has the power of the cross -- where love defeated all the principalities and powers that rule by manipulation. We may not be intimidating to those who only observe the circumstantial, but the powers of darkness know us. The light of the world has come and we are reflections of that light. Because we are ruled by the love of God, we proclaim the good news that a new creation has been launched -- and that anyone can participate by trusting Jesus the Lord.
We also promote justice in all arenas and stand against every expression of injustice. Our Lord came to set the world right again. We work with him. His love compels us to equip people to live in the knowledge and wisdom of God -- as citizens of his kingdom and as citizens of this world. It is time for there to be mutual respect and collaboration between the church and the government in addressing the weak and poor. They have suffered enough. It is our opportunity.
Incomplete Freedom
They cried out again, "Not this man, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a robber. -- John 18:40
It was a tumultuous few days. The trial with trumped up charges, the examination by Pilate, Herod and Caiaphas, mixed with the confusion of the disciples of Jesus often take the focus off what was really happening. Pilate would unknowingly introduce the last Adam. "Behold the man," he said. The man as humans were created to be was finally on the scene. "Behold your king," he added. Yes, the long-anticipated king of the Jews was taking his rightful place.
Then, there was the episode regarding Barabbas. Pilate evidently thought the Jews would choose to release Jesus instead of the rebel robber, but they didn't. What a surprise it must have been for Barabbas. The door to his cell was unlocked and he was free. Many preachers have used this story to show the parallel to what was happening to enslaved humans because of the substitutionary death of Jesus. He was condemned and we are set free. But there is a marked difference. Those freed by Jesus' sacrifice are not only let out of the prison of sin, but they are empowered to live in their new freedom. It is possible and even probable that Barabbas wound up back in jail within a few weeks. After all, his release did not change his vocation. He was a robber.
The cross and resurrection are the beginning of a whole new creation where God is renewing what has been perverted.
Too often we are willing to accept a Barabbas-kind of freedom in our own concept of salvation. We are so glad to have our debt paid and the charges dropped that we conceive of God's grace as such a limited freedom. Skeptics of grace are afraid of a gospel that emphasizes the unmerited forgiveness that Jesus offers. They most likely assume that without some bit of restraint provided by fear, the forgiven will abuse the freedom and go on to a life of selfish consumption. They misread the totality of the salvation Jesus purchased on the cross. He doesn't stop by opening the doors to the cell. He changes the prisoner into a disciple. Forgiveness doesn't come alone. It comes with a new life.
The cross and resurrection are the beginning of a whole new creation where God is renewing what has been perverted. That God did not stop with the crucifixion is evidence that his freedom includes a new start as a new creation. Those who embrace the crucified Jesus also receive the resurrected Lord. He becomes the center of their lives as they live for a different purpose.
For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. ... Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. -- II Corinthians 5:14-15, 17.
We have new hope because we have been born of the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. We are not only rejoicing that the prison doors are open, but that we have a new vocation. The resurrection offers more than hope for life after death. It offers life now. We can live for something larger than our own agendas. Life with the living Lord satisfies at a level that nothing else can. We must not settle for being like Barabbas when we can enjoy being sons and daughters of the now-reigning king.
Confident to Engage
The bitter partisanship and the virulent bickering among our leaders is both reflecting the angst of the population and contributing to it. It is time for the body of Christ to accept our role and engage our world with the hope that is central to our existence.
“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” -- Hebrews 12:28-29 ESV
While the nations rage in despair, our privilege and "acceptable worship" is to proclaim and demonstrate the good news of what God has done through his Son on the cross and resurrection. We are not deluded by the cultural religion that often goes under the name of Christianity, but is more akin to nationalism or moralism.
We are commissioned to engage. The body of Christ (Church) has a mission to bless the whole world.
We have been radically transformed by the greatest event in history. We do not look to the enlightenment as our defining moment. It was not the exaltation of mankind that sparked the rise of civilization, but the exaltation of the Son whose death and resurrection restored us be fully human again. We live with the consciousness of being forgiven and cleansed. We know that the message of Jesus carries the power of heaven and can transform even the vilest villain. In fact, we are certain that many of the leaders of tomorrow's restoration are probably drunk today.
We faint not at the present darkness. It cannot permanently sustain under the rising dawn of the gospel's light. The Word of God will not return to him without accomplishing what he intended. (Isaiah's perspective: 55:11). We joyfully trust the promise of our Lord who promised that his church would destroy the gates of hell. (Matthew 16:18). It is often camouflaged among the cultures of the world, but it will emerge and succeed.
It Takes More Than Morality
We are commissioned to engage. Our God loves the whole world. He saved Noah for the sake of the world. He exalted Joseph for the world's sake. He chose Israel for the sake of all other nations. Jesus came for the world. Now, the body of Christ (Church) has a mission to bless the whole world. But we know that American civil religion is not the mustard seed that will grow to harbor the birds of the nations. It is not the leaven that is now working through the lump of dough.
We know that even morality based on natural law will not transform people or cultures. It is the powerful proclamation that God has acted in his Son to restore us to full humanity, ready to enjoy him and work with him in blessing the world.
We are not intimidated by the misinterpretation of the deceived, nor the accusations of the defeated deceiver. We are not making plans to abandon planet earth or to escape the expected conflict with darkness. We feel no need to compromise with evil to survive, nor adapt the culture in order to appear relevant. We represent the latest thing in government. In fact, the launched kingdom of God is the freshest and best form of government ever seen on earth.
We speak the universally relevant language of love, while dressed in the finest fashion of humility, which makes even the most homely, beautiful. We are steadily marching from Calvary's victory to Zion's glory.
There is no need to rage along with those who have no grounds for hope. It does no good to curse the present darkness of divisiveness. It is time to rise and shine. It is our day. We are confident because our Lord has conquered.
God Wants Us to Know and Love Him, Not Try to Save Ourselves
Evidently there is a vast number of people who have occupied this earth who believe that their purpose is to be good. They suspect that whatever god there might be has determined that he likes good people and detests bad people, and that he is planning a final test where the bad guys will be enthusiastically thrown into the fire and the good will get rewarded because of how good they proved to be.
I say that because so many still feel so badly because they do bad things and don't do enough good things. There have been so many religions created because bad people are trying to be good.
Even in our predominantly secular culture, people are always trying to be better. The best-selling books tell us how to be better at something. Even if it's not for God's judgment, we want to do better because we will feel better about ourselves. It's secularism's version of heaven.
What if Goodness Isn’t the Goal?
It is a scary question, but what if that isn't what God wants? What if badness and goodness were not the issue? What if being good were not the goal? It sure would take a lot of pressure off. But, someone will argue that we tried that in the 60's when we trashed responsibility and thumbed our noses at rules, and boundaries. That didn't pan out so good. Someone is probably about to mention that much of our society is already rejecting any morality and that we are amid a culture war because of it.
Before we get too far, let me point out that being bad is not the only other choice.
The truth is that God is all about humans knowing him and being loved by him. He created Adam and Eve to know him and partner with him in a great project. Their role on earth was to be the image-bearer of their creator.
We can get back to being his image-bearers on earth as we partner with him in getting the truth of his real purpose delivered to the whole world.
It was after they believed a lie about him and his intentions that they started trying to get back in his good graces by being good the way they assumed he wanted. Since that time, humans have speculated as to what it would take to appease the gods, or they have taken God's own instructions and turned them into ladders they could climb toward goodness.
Christ’s Goodness
In time, God sent the Son to be the perfect human who lived in love and righteousness. He died as our substitute so that his goodness could be transferred to us. We can't be better than he, and he has paid for our badness. We are free to know God without guilt, shame or fear.
We can get back to being his image-bearers on earth as we partner with him in getting the truth of his real purpose delivered to the whole world. We can lay aside our dead works that never impressed him anyway. He loves to show off his mercy when we sin. His glory is made manifest when in our weakness he is strong.
Our failures don't put him off. They are opportunities for him to show any who are watching how much he loves to restore the broken and pick up the fallen.
Oh, we don't try to be bad, or just do bad things because we can. We are constrained by the love that he has shown. It changes us. We long to honor his name, and we find that we love the same people he does. Some might look at us and say we are good people, but that is not our goal. It is just an observation. We are known and loved by him.
Jesus Loves Failures
Only one human has ever made it through life without failure, and most of his peers thought he had failed miserably. It makes you wonder why we seem surprised when we or others fail. When I hear people say, "I like winners, not losers," I am reminded of how different Jesus is from that. He loves failures. If he didn't, he would have no one this side of heaven to love.
I have been studying the first letter of Peter in the New Testament, and I am fascinated with Peter. He was well acquainted with personal failure. He is probably our favorite failing hero simply because we can identify with him. He was confident (cocky) about his commitment to Jesus. He openly declared that though all the other disciples might fail, he would go all the way even to death. But when the pressure was on, barely moments after his boast, in the early hours of crucifixion day, he denied Jesus three times.
Peter wasn't disqualified from participating in God's mission because of his failure. It was his failure that opened the door to see the true nature of Jesus' love.
After the crucifixion, some women went to the tomb and were surprised by an encounter with a heavenly messenger who told them that Jesus had arisen. He also told them this: "But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee." (Mark 16:7).
Jesus wanted to see Peter, the failure. He desired a special appointment with him. From the later discussion in Galilee, we see that Jesus was not wanting to see him in order to rebuke or shame him. They talked of love and of feeding sheep.
Peter wasn't disqualified from participating in God's mission because of his failure. It was his failure that opened the door to see the true nature of Jesus' love. Knowing he was loved by Jesus regardless of his character flaws moved him to spend the remainder of his life tending the sheep that Jesus purchased with his blood.
I know you have failed. We are all in that category. Jesus wants to see you. He does not carry a scorecard. He eagerly wants you to know a kind of love that is foreign to unbelieving humans. His love satisfies our every longing and changes us from self-centered consumers to sheep-conscious disciples. Keep the appointment. You will never be the same.
No one is benefited by your guilt and shame. Jesus took that on himself when he was crucified. You actually honor him when you trust him for cleansing and forgiveness.
Go ahead. He is ready to meet you.
Fake News is Not New
Is anyone besides me tired of hearing about “fake news”? You would think it was a new discovery on the level with fire. It isn’t It's been going on for a long time.
The serpent wove a pretty fantastic story in the Garden of Eden. After all, fake news is simply a false narrative constructed to incite people to follow a specific agenda. The recent political campaign had more than its share of such. The current headlines do too.
The media has been exposed as less objective than we thought or hoped. Who could believe the accounts presented about Mr. Trump or Mrs. Clinton or President Obama? If the story fit your bias, it was tempting to certify it as true, and even pass it on as legitimate news.
Competing Narratives
During my early high school days, before I had a driver's license, I had to catch a ride for the ten miles home after football practice. My uncle who lived just a mile away was a good prospect. He was the clerk of the district court and left for home at 5:00 p.m. most days. Sometimes when court was in session, he would be forced to stay later, and I would sit in the courtroom and watch the proceedings.
I was always amazed at how an attorney could take the presented evidence and create a narrative to account for it in such a way to benefit his desired conclusion. The jury had to decide between competing narratives. This has been going on a long time.
Back to the Garden. The serpent reinterpreted the circumstances and wove a story about how much better it would be if the original pair would distrust God and believe his version of reality instead. Later in history, Jesus said that the devil was a liar from the beginning, and “the father of lies.” All alternative narratives come from him, through the minds and mouths of those who, like the serpent, reject God's word as final truth.
Sadly, many don't even admit that such a dynamic is going on. They ignore the reality of spiritual deception and walk headlong into issues they have no ability to discern.
You are blessed in Christ. Your circumstances are opportunities to discover His grace and sufficiency.
On Christmas night, the shepherds heard real news and it was good. A new day had come! A new King had arrived. Blessings would come from His reign. Sin would be forever defeated. Life as designed would be possible for those who submitted to Him. They would be given His name as authority and His Spirit as power to live.
Fake News, Real News
You might have heard some fake news. For instance, the accuser, Satan, likes to broadcast that God is angry with you and that you should probably avoid Him. After all, look at the circumstances around you. Why are you having all these problems? Surely this is incontrovertible evidence that God doesn't want to bless you.
The good news that Jesus brings is that He took upon Himself the wrath of God for your sins. If you trust in Him, you are now viewed by God as righteous as Jesus. You are blessed in Christ. Your circumstances are opportunities to discover His grace and sufficiency.
Or, you might have heard that evil is so pervasive that it will ultimately win. Again, if you look at the circumstances, with all the bad things going on, it’s easy to wonder, if God is ruling, why so much evil?
But try looking at the good things going on. God is using His people to address issues of injustice and hostility, and will ultimately vindicate His own. Give thanks for the blessings and your eyes will open to more.
Finally, you might have heard that life is just unfair and random and you are one of the victims. Look at how the wicked are blessed and the righteous are ignored.
Far from being a victim, you are God's delegated representative on earth. As one who trusts in Him, you carry His approval and His name. He is using you to address the issues that you see with the truth of the good news that is real.
There is real news and it is good. You can trust it if it aligns with the word of God. He can be trusted and so can His word. When you know the truth you can be free.
Jesus Doesn’t Need a Tent. He Has the Cross
On his way to the Cross, Jesus took three of his closest followers with him onto a mountain where he was transfigured. (Metamorphosis comes from this word.) His glory was evident as he was clothed with unspeakable bright light. He was on his way to be treated as a criminal and a moral scourge. The disciples needed to know his true nature.
Moses and Elijah were also present. These heroes of the Law and Prophets made the event even more dramatic. Peter was moved to do something significant. He suggested they build a tent for each of those three great men, but his ignorance was exposed. Moses and Elijah were important but they were not on the same level as Jesus. He in fact was the fulfillment of both the Law and the Prophets. He alone stands at the center of God's universe.
His physical body was the tent he lived in while on earth, and now His people serve as his temple.
See Jesus for Who He Is
Until we see him for who he is, we, like Peter, will be trying to fit Jesus into our own stories of reality. Yes, he played with the little children, but he was not childish. He humbled himself, but he was not weak. He was crucified but no one took his life.
He stands uncontested as the Lord of life and death. We don't have to try to make him relevant, by reducing him to the level of other religious leaders. We don't have to make him acceptable by defining him as a social worker and avoiding talk of his blood. He is the Lord of creation and redemption. He is the judge of all men. He will sum up all things in heaven and earth in himself.
He brings all things together that sin separated. He takes sin upon himself and absorbs its wrath so that we can take his righteousness and enjoy God's eternal favor. He doesn't need a man-made tent for us to have a God we can be close to. His physical body was the tent he lived in while on earth, and now his people serve as his temple that is universally accessible to all people -- without distinction.
Later in the biblical story, we see his glory being revealed in even greater measure as he lays his life down for us. This is the mystery that baffles the secularists. It is the majesty that angels long to behold. It is the day of the Lord when righteousness is vindicated and wickedness is forever judged. It is the reason that Paul the apostle chose to make all his preaching revolve around the Cross of Christ.
The vision is available for you now! Look to him. Look at him. He is beyond the treasured Law of Moses. He is the fulfillment of the great promises of the prophets. The angels adore him. The demons run from him. Death and Hell lose their threat in his presence. A vision of him will tranquilize the mind, pacify the conscience, purify the heart and transform the character.
Seeing him in his glory will prepare us for the days of trial. Don't get so busy building him a place in your culture that you miss seeing him in his glory.
Am I a Christian? Ask My Neighbor!
If your neighbors, family, friends or co-workers were asked if you were a Christian what would their answer be? Would they be able to answer with a resounding yes or would they simply say that you claim to be one? What would make the difference? Most people know what a Christian is…..a follower of Jesus.
Nine Great Blessings in God’s Forecast for You
Have you ever thought about the idea of blessings and curses? These words are seldom used these days, except as polite and impolite words we sometimes interject in our conversations with each other. The Bible takes the idea much further than that, telling us that people may live under a curse or a blessing. But what might that mean?
Some people think of witches and potions when they think of curses; and as for blessings, that's mostly about thinking nice thoughts. That's not what they're about, though, and the difference is important.
Paul, the author of much of the New Testament penned this to the sophisticated people of Ephesus in the first century.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 1:3)
Jesus Christ, our representative before the Father, has been blessed fully and eternally. All available blessings have been conferred upon Him. Jesus followers are "in Christ," so God's forecast for them is bright and sunny. It is full of blessings.
Should we then be concerned about living under a curse? Alan Wright says, "a curse is not so much a magical spell whipped up in a witch's pot, as it is the voice of fear forecasting [things that are] opposite from the word of God."
Though we who are in Christ are not cursed, we can live as those who are by believing something contrary to God's word concerning us. When we make conclusions based on fear instead of trust, we will be inclined to forecast a future that features calamity and conspiracy.
For instance, when the people of Israel confronted the promised land, they were told by God through Moses that it was theirs for the taking. They sent out spies to see what was there and how they would go about taking what God had given. Most of the spies came back with fear; they concluded that they would fail if they tried. When the people believed that fearful report, they chose the curse of its fulfillment. When Joshua and Caleb believed the promise of God in the face of daunting circumstances, they moved ahead under blessing.
What then is God's forecast for His people in Christ?
Your faith is evidence of God's election and His eternal love being expressed to you. His mercy has been bestowed upon you. Jesus "became sin" so that you could be His righteousness. He set you apart as His chosen vessel to display His glory through you. He has given you His life so that you could enjoy Him as He enjoys you. He sees you as His child and delights in your success in fulfilling your calling. He has made you an heir to His entire estate. He has already gone into the heavens to establish your place there. He has conquered death to free you to live now with trusting abandon. He has allotted necessary grace for each stage of your life and every circumstance on your journey.Thanksgiving was just a couple days ago, but the time to embrace your blessing with thanks is still now. Refuse the report that comes from fear. Keep your external and internal conversation consistent with His proclamation.
In Christ we are blessed, because He took the curse. The giants may appear imposing, but the forecast is sunny.
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