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GRACE BLOGS COLLECTION

God Blesses the World Through His Family

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Christians of the World Change God Hope - 900

Contrary to a growing belief, the family was not a human social construct to facilitate interpersonal relationships and ensure economic survival. It was and is God's idea. History testifies and will continue to testify that the breakdown of the family will be the unwinding of society. Artificial means of organizing human relations by civil governments do not align with the divine design and they are doomed to fail. Those tempted by the lies of socialism and Marxism must wake up.

God’s Family

But the downward spiral of Western civilization does not cause God to despair. He has invested heavily in his creation and will not abandon it to the forces of evil. God did not throw up his hands when Adam and Eve sinned and messed up the Garden of Eden. He refused to destroy everything when the world became so corrupt in Noah's day.

When Abraham's descendants were enslaved in Egypt, he led them out. When Israel chose a bad king, God gave them a good one. When the nation violated his covenant, and ended up ruled by Babylon, the most pagan empire in the world, he brought them back to their homeland. For 400 years of turmoil as nations swapped control of the known world, he was silent until Jesus appeared. When Jesus was unjustly killed and laid in the grave, God raised him. When the church became corrupt in the Middle Ages, he caused a reformation.

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But we notice that God has always interacted with the nations of the world through his spiritual family. The people of God are called sons because of the authority they have been given to do his business. Adam, Isaac, Israel, David, and Jesus were all sons who acted in concert with the purposes of God to bless the world.

The astounding news is that in our time, we who have received Jesus as Lord by faith are the sons. We have the privilege of representing him and carrying out his work on earth. The hope of the nations is related to the activity of the sons of God. If the sons are ignorant of their identity, or negligent toward their calling, the whole world suffers. Another way of saying it; the blessings on the nations will come through the revival of the family of God.

As it was the 16th century, the recovery of the simple and pure gospel is the key. People do not become children of God -- sons by any means except through faith in Jesus alone. 

The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. -- John 1:9-13 (ESV)

Spiritual Food

There are reasons to hope. God has not given up on his way of blessing. He still has sons on the earth, his family. Millions of those who have truly been born of the Spirit are hungry for the sound of the gospel of grace that initially awakened them to faith. They are starving for the nourishment that comes from the gospel. They have been fed the pabulum moralistic religion based on some form of transactional false gospel.

The corrupt church of the 16th century sold salvation through indulgences. Today's religious peddlers promise various forms of temporal prosperity, while the awe of the cross of Jesus loses it glow. But the imperishable seed of the gospel sown in people's hearts will not cease to cry for the sincere milk of the word.

Church leaders are growing tired of trying to water the dessert one cupful at a time. Many are returning to believing with the apostle Paul that "the gospel is the power of God for salvation..."

The internet is waiting. Evil forces are eager to use it for the dissemination of lies, but it allows any child of God to post their story of the grace of God. And the advantage goes to the sons, because God's word does not go forth without accomplishing what it was sent to do. It was sent to bring light to darkness and life to death.

Rise up, O Family of God. The world is waiting.

The Elusive ’15 Minutes of Fame’

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Paparazzi Cameras Flashing Fame Notoriety - 900

Andy Warhol's prediction that everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes captures a powerful drive in us all. When I was a kid and we were asked what we wanted to be when we grew up, we said things like, "I wanna be a fireman, policeman, pilot, cowboy, astronaut, president, etc." In recent years, a very common response to that same question is, "I want to be famous." It doesn't seem to matter what it takes to gain the fame, as long at the individual is the center of attention at least once.

We Are Not Ordinary

We are made for glory. We are significant. There are no ordinary people. Each of us has the image of God stamped on us. The problem is that when our ancestors, Adam and Eve chose to reach for the glory that belongs only to God, their own glory was marred. Ever since, humans have been seeking to recover it. We want to matter. We long for purpose and meaning. We find ourselves boasting of our accomplishments, spinning stories that present us as the hero. We will even stoop to killing the reputation of others in an effort to elevate our own status. We may work long years in obscurity, but underneath we hope for the day when, finally, we are appreciated and honored.

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When I was a young pastor in a decaying neighborhood in the city, the funeral homes discovered that I would handle funerals for those who had no church affiliation, and at no charge. I did lots of funerals. Some of the people were homeless, and almost all had lived their whole lives in relative obscurity, known only by a few others who mostly lived in obscurity as well. Sometimes there would be less than five people at the funeral. As I stood behind the casket, I always wondered about their stories. Who admired them? Who loved them? What had they done during their days on earth? What difference had they made? Who would miss them? It can lead one to think that our lot is to live in obscurity -- unless of course God's word is true about those who trust him.

When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:4 ESV)

United With Christ

Since our life is united with Christ's life, we have the assurance that when he appears we shall appear with him. He has come as one of us to do for us what we could never achieve. He has rescued us from guilt, shame and condemnation. We have been enlisted to be partners with God in spreading the news of his kingdom, which offers hope for everyone. We have glory and honor now as his own sons, but we look forward to the day when our 15 minutes of fame will last for eternity.

Our boasting now is in his achievements. He is the one who did what no other man could do. He lived the perfect life, died a sacrificial death that paid for our sins, defeated death in his resurrection, and now sits in the place of authority over all God's creation. What accomplishments do we have that could compare? Our fame is not in what we have done, but in what he has done for us, thus establishing a value on us that is inestimable. The fact that we are unconditionally loved by the most significant being in existence gives us a glory that mocks any fame we might achieve by what we do.

Because our life is united to his, we are enabled to live as people of the future while we are still in the present. He has already judged sin. He has already fulfilled the covenant. He has already stood in our place before eternal justice. He has already been enthroned. He has already sent his Spirit to empower us for our work on earth. We are glorious because we are united with the glorious one. No need to boast. No call to spin the stories. No pushing and shoving to get on stage. We are in Christ and he is eternally and outlandishly famous.

St. Paul Takes a Knee

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Praying Kneeling Football Season of Inspiration Sunset - 900

If you have been paying attention to the news lately, you are aware of the controversy involving NFL players taking a knee during the National Anthem before the games. At this point it is not clear to the public what the protest has come to mean. It is not my purpose to clear that up, though I do think there is one former athlete who might have the best solution.

The apostle Paul commonly used the athlete as a metaphor for our struggle with the powers of darkness. He even described himself as a boxer and runner.

When it came right down to how he fought to win, we see that Paul took a knee.

Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. -- 1 Corinthians 9:25-26 (ESV)

Paul used the metaphor of an athlete to describe to his spiritual son, Timothy, one of the most vital principles of living.

An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. -- 2 Timothy 2:5 (ESV)

But, when it came right down to how he fought to win, we see him take a knee.

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named... -- Ephesians 3:14-15 (ESV)

The Battle in the Trenches

He goes on to pray for believers to be empowered with the Spirit in their inner being; that Christ might be real to them; that they would be grounded in an other-worldly kind of love; that they would comprehend the vastness of Christ’s love for them; that they might be filled with the fullness of Christ.

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The battle in the trenches (as football coaches often describe the main battle) is in prayer. But not just any prayer. It is a prayer for internal change that can only happen when Jesus Christ displaces selfish obsession in the inner being.

The external conflicts we face will not be fully settled until we see with his eyes and love with his heart. As radical as that might seem, it is the heart of the gospel. We not only believe in the historical Jesus and trust him to get us to heaven, we know the transcendent Jesus by means of the Spirit, and fellowship with him as a person, our Lord and Savior.

Illumination is Vital If We are to Live in Love

Paul knew that he was on a team with the Spirit of God. He could preach, teach, explain and exhort, but only the Spirit can reveal the mysteries of the risen Christ.

Paul was very active in his ministry, but he was not fooled into thinking that the real game was about reason and behavior. He used his remarkable skills to persuade his hearers about the reality of the Messiah, but he knew that convincing the mind was not enough. Until their spiritual eyes are opened, even believers operate on limited perspective. The mind and will can only do so much.

When the inner being is regenerated and empowered by the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, things change dramatically. So, Paul prayed. He knew that he was on a team with the Spirit of God. He could preach, teach, explain and exhort, but only the Spirit can reveal the mysteries of the risen Christ.

As a citizen of this country who is grateful for all those who have made great sacrifices for the freedoms we enjoy, I will be standing when the National Anthem is played. When the real game starts however the best place to start is taking a knee.

We See the Future

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Easter Cross Storm Hill Sunset White Cloth - 900

Those who only have the past as a reference for living will want to go back to a better time. Those who have seen the future are compelled to move forward.

There is a great deal of hand wringing among church leaders about the rapid slide of our culture into sexualized secularization. Some seriously wonder if the church will survive the cultural onslaught. This reveals an alarming level of fear that results from relying on present observation. This perspective doesn't seem to consider the nature of the gospel and the promise of Jesus who is the head of his body.

Prospering on the Foundations of Our Forebears

We have been privileged to live for more than 200 years in this country on the benefits of the gospel that was preached and believed by our forebears. The very nature of our founding documents reflects the assumption of the biblical values espoused in the gospel. We have had some good times.

The uncomfortable truth is that there is no guarantee America will survive. But there is a nation that will not fall. It is the Kingdom of God.

Sure, we acknowledge the rough spots as well. We didn't exactly act as loving missionaries to the native Indians. We fought each other over slavery. We have ignored injustice to our own shame. But, we had the foundations of human dignity, freedom of conscience, stable families and personal responsibility. A high level of prosperity was the result.

Now, we see those foundations eroding and wonder where it will end. The evil forces have aligned to lie, steal and kill again. What can we do?

We Can No Longer Assume the Benefits of the Gospel

The uncomfortable truth is that there is no guarantee that America will survive. If there aren't sufficient moral leaders to guide her, she cannot long endure.

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But there is a nation that will not fall. It is the Kingdom of God. It will not only survive the culture wars. It will ultimately displace all other authority claims. It is populated by those who have been transformed by the power of the resurrection. The existence of this kingdom gives hope to any person or nation. Since any person can be transformed from an enemy to a friend of God, we can hope for such leaders as Saul of Tarsus, Augustine of Hippo or John Newton, the slave trader.

The past years of moral slide are not our measure of hope. The church as a colony of the kingdom of God on earth will not vanish or retreat. The promise of Jesus (Matthew 16:18) and the nature of the preached gospel (Romans 1:16-17) assure its success.

If we have any desire for America to become what it could, we must cling to Jesus and proclaim the life-giving truth of the gospel. Trying to return to a former time of borrowed benefits is futile. We can no longer assume the benefits of the gospel. It must be preached and again embraced.

Jesus sits on the throne ruling over God's affairs. We are in him and have been sent to represent his kingdom on earth now.

The great hope is that the thousands of those living on the lies of secularized and sexualized culture will acknowledge their unmet needs and be attracted to a Savior who loves sinners and specializes in mercy.

Jesus Has Already Secured the Future

Since Jesus has already moved into the future and secured it for those in him, we can live based on his perspective. We as his people have seen the future and it is the basis for our living now. We do not wring our hands in hopelessness, though we grieve over those who refuse to embrace life. We know the end.

Jesus sits on the throne ruling over God's affairs. We are in him and have been sent to represent his kingdom on earth now. There is a lot to do, but the light we carry cannot be extinguished by darkness, and the life we enjoy cannot be diminished by death. We have seen the future. We must move forward. No going back!

The Curse of Victimization

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Little Boy Pointing Finger, Warning, Blame Game, Victimization

If you know me at all, you know that one of my favorite topics is my four grandsons, ages 2 to 7. They are a delight, and I am constantly learning by being with them.

Don’t Allow the Past to Rule Your Life

Recently, I have been reawakened to the human default mode of victimization as we work through the conflicts that arise among these young children. When confronted with accountability, we descendants of Adam tend toward blaming others and playing the victim.

One of them was drawing a picture for his mom while being slightly harassed by his brother. "Look what you did. You made me drool on Mom's picture." Now that is a stretch.

But it’s no greater a stretch than is common in our society, when grown adults are blaming people and events from centuries past for their irresponsible choices today. Of course, some really oppressive things happened. It has been that way since the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. However, there comes a time when all of us must stop the past from ruling us. It should not be given that much power.

Our future will not change just because we rail at the past, especially if we grant it the power to rule over us.

We are creations of God. He has bestowed on us the dignity of being his partners in world management. What we do with the present is what matters. Our future will not change just because we rail at the past, especially if we grant it the power to rule over us. Forgiveness is essential if you hope to move forward.

Taking Responsibility

Admittedly, some people are poor because of forces beyond their control. But some are poor because they are paralyzed by victimization. They refuse to work at jobs they consider beneath their dignity, and rail at those who are working at more prestigious jobs.

Their complaints might have more merit if others, who were in worse conditions, hadn't proven that circumstances can be overcome. People who took responsibility for where they were, and refused to believe that their circumstances made them victims.

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Some are not highly educated, but that does not prevent them from accessing the wisdom of God that is dispensed to all who say yes to his invitation. Some are physically limited compared to others, but that does not prevent them from managing the personal "garden" in front of them.

Embrace Your Redeemer

No one is forced to be a victim. It is a self-imposed captivity.

God sent his Son who gave his life to free us from all kinds of bondage, including victimization. He has taken the curse of injustice and granted heaven's blessings to those who trust him.

Deplorable circumstances are bad, and should be changed as soon as possible, but deplorable thinking will make angry slaves of anyone. No one has made you angry. You chose that. No one has made you jealous. You defaulted to that.

Rise up and embrace your Creator/Redeemer. He enables his redeemed to live in victory in all circumstances.

Is The Church Relevant?

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church relevant

The church in contemporary society is often criticized and even mocked by those within as well as those on the outside. There is much to be corrected in the church's witness, but we should make no mistake: the church is vital. Without the witness of the church, society will rot in darkness. When the salt loses its preserving quality or the light no longer reveals reality, true hope is lost.

The church is God's gift to the world. With all its imperfections, it does what no other institution can do. So many caricatures of the church have polluted the minds of the casual observer, that many are now concluding that it is so irrelevant as to be dispensable. Bad mistake.

Courting the Culture to “Stay Relevant”

Cultural relevancy is fluid. When the church has tried to change in order to be relevant to culture, it invariably loses its distinctive. It never catches up. Culture without the influence of the transcendent message of the church is always moving toward the exaltation of mankind. When any part of creation takes precedence over the Creator, deception and destruction is just a matter of time.

The aim of the church is to show how the timeless relevancy of the word of God applies to culture. To do less is to deny our calling. It is to show a lack of love for those around us.

In a culture that makes fun of biblical imagery, we cannot rewrite the Scriptures just to be relevant.

There is a great temptation to strike back when mocked. The church can't afford to fall for that. It is contrary to our being. We must refuse to be embarrassed by our distinctive message and model. In a culture that makes fun of biblical imagery, we cannot rewrite the Scriptures just to be relevant. We must boldly interpret and apply the truth that confronts the skeptics and comforts the saints. We don't shun the defense of our beliefs, but we recognize that argument alone is not our assignment.

Proclamation of the good news in Jesus Christ is relevant in any culture. Whether humans will admit it or not does not change the reality that we all know we will face judgment one day -- and we tremble.

We intuitively know that we have fallen short of even our own moral standards, not only God's laws. We are lonely at a level we cannot fully explain, and we are never satisfied with our achievements regardless of how great.

Let Us Look Onward and Embrace Our Role

It is not time for the church to be paralyzed by always looking inward. We are a forward-looking family of faith. We believe that because the gospel can change one person, it can change multitudes. As people are transformed by the grace of God, their moral intuitions will instruct the values and policies of the culture. Our love for our Lord and our embrace of his mission demand that we stand our ground as his church. The world will suffer if we refuse.

Let us not be embarrassed at the distinctives of the kingdom of God that the culture thinks strange. Let's make much of the virgin-born Messiah that the culture labeled a bastard. Let's glory in a small-town boy who was run out of his home town, but walked out of his own grave yard (a phrase I love, borrowed from Russell Moore's book, Onward).

Let's embody the truth of the gospel in the way we speak with kindness, work with diligence, war with courage and love without condition.

Let's joyfully bow before a crucified Nazarene who now governs the world. Let's salute the Cross as our national flag, identifying with the kingdom of God over all other loyalties. Let's speak the word of God as articulated in the Apostle's gospel, with full confidence that it is more powerful than any tyrant, and more effective than any sword of steel or opinion of man.

Let's embrace our role as reflectors of the Son of man who served, suffered and sacrificed to fulfill his mission. Let's embody the truth of the gospel in the way we speak with kindness, work with diligence, war with courage and love without condition.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes… -- Romans 1:16 (ESV)

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever: Amen. -- Ephesians 3:20-21 (ESV)

Who Will Be Left Behind?

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Jesus Hand Out - 900

A few years back there was a lot of talk about being left behind when Jesus comes back. It was stirred by some very popular books and movies with that same theme. Among other things, it revealed that our fear of being left out is still prominent, regardless of what the event might be.

Though some of the fervor around the timing of the Second Coming has waned, Christians concerned with the condition of our culture are talking about a move of God in a great revival or even an awakening. Those discussions invite the question of what that might look like and who would be included -- and by contrast, who would be left behind.

God Has Acted on Our Behalf

We might gain some insight from the ancient prophet Ezekiel, who addressed the Jewish exiles in Babylon:

Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came.

-- Ezekiel 36:22 (ESV)

The people of Israel had broken the covenant with God. They had lost their land and were under the control of the pagan Babylonians. Things were bad -- even worse than today. The prophet announced that God was about to act. His reason for action, however, might have seemed strange to them as well as to us. He was concerned with his name.

God is gracious and never overlooks the guilty. He can keep his people because he acts in their behalf.

The nations were saying that God couldn't keep his people in their own land. He was going to act to vindicate his name. It wouldn't do any good to admonish his people severely to do better next time. God took responsibility for their actions as well as his own. He initiated a new covenant in which he negotiated with himself to both keep the requirements and bless the one who kept them.

God the Father would bless the representative of the people. Jesus as the Son of Man was that representative.

Those who by faith are identified with Jesus are blessed because of him. This all played out in history as Jesus, born of a virgin, lived a righteous life, died a sacrificial death, and was resurrected from the dead to rule over his kingdom. God's name has been vindicated. He is gracious and never overlooks the guilty. He can keep his people because he acts in their behalf. Those who trust only in Jesus for their righteousness can never be expelled or exiled.

Those Whose Faith was Merely an Accessory

Sadly, this simple gospel has been maligned in our land. Often the church is blamed for the atrocities in the world rather than being viewed as the hope for every sinner. The watching society is mocking the people of God and slandering his name because we, the people of God, have focused on our efforts to be righteous and to leverage his blessings.

We have also mixed our nationalism with biblical revelation and settled for an American Christianity that is much less than New Testament Christianity. We have foolishly assumed that being a good American is basically the same as being a Christian, or that it would at least give us some advantage.

God's name demands that he show how much bigger and better he is than we have seen until now.

The recent surveys show that many are casting off their religious affiliation. They don't need it anymore. At one time, it was advantageous to be known as a Christian in America. Now it is a political and economic liability. That brand of Christianity is being left behind by those seeking to fully embrace the American dream that is mostly characterized by secularism. They had rather have no religion than one that does not give them advantage in their own pursuits. They are content to just be an American.

What About Those Who Hold on to the Former American Christian Model?

But, when God moves to highlight the essence of his name in the gospel, those who try to hold on to the former American Christian model will also be left behind. In truth, the New Testament gospel is only attractive to those who know they have nothing with which to negotiate.

It is not comfortable for any of us to conclude that we can bring nothing to the negotiating table. We tend to harbor the illusion that we have something God wants; that we aren't as bad as Hitler; that we haven't been as bad as we could have been; that others are worse; that our intentions have been good; that if we can muster enough faith, God will respond.

Much of the contemporary preaching is exhorting people to elevate their commitment and bolster their faith. The focus is on what we should do to get God to act. And, the action we desire from him is a return to a former day in our own society where Christian values were not mocked and we had the advantage.

I think the move that we await will be forward and not backward. God's name demands that he show how much bigger and better he is than we have seen until now.

There is room for only one in heaven's spotlight, and that spot is taken -- by Jesus, the Son.

He Will Get the Glory

Many are praying for a fresh move of God in our world. His name gives us hope that he will move. He will vindicate his name. He will move to honor the Son.

Those who insist on featuring human efforts to gain his blessings will be left behind. There is room for only one in heaven's spotlight, and that spot is taken -- by Jesus, the Son. The gospel of the Kingdom of God is much better news than the American Civil religion version.

The vulnerable and weak are the stars in God's version. He shows his power in behalf of those who have none. He reveals his wisdom to those who have none. He moves to reveal that his name is full of mercy and grace; that he loves justice and has given himself to vindicate it; that he has put his church on earth to be an embassy of heaven; that he loves people from all nations; that he will not long permit his name to be slandered on earth.

If we don't want to be left behind in God's actions in our day, we must look for him to move in a way consistent with his eternal nature. He will get the glory. We get to participate.

When We’re Blindsided by the Storms of Life

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In this Aug. 29, 2017 photo, a north Houston resident walks through waist deep water while evacuating her home after Hurricane Harvey caused severe flooding.

The people around Houston have been blindsided by circumstances they could not control. Though thousands of volunteers have joined professionals in trying to help, most of the country stands both helpless and keenly aware that we too could be blindsided by life's unexpected turns.

Being Blindsided Reminds Us That We Aren’t in Control

A few months ago my precious wife got the dreaded call from her doctor about her yearly mammogram. She has been battling cancer ever since. Less than a year ago, my nephew, in the midst of a well-planned and successful life, fell in his hotel room and is now paralyzed. This past week a very good friend, serving as an ambassador from a small Central American nation and instrumental in moving that country forward economically and politically, was diagnosed with lymphoma. He is now taking the chemo prescribed by his doctors. In each situation, life changed in a moment. Uncertainty in life is certain.

Even when we plan carefully and seek to manage as well as we are capable, we get knocked around.

Some would try to explain the tragedies by focusing on misapplied principles or willful sin. Others conclude that such events prove that God is either not very loving or not very powerful. A few would try to justify the futility of trying to live any sort of disciplined life by proclaiming the randomness of the various events in history. None of those options satisfy the inner longing of serious minded people. We know instinctively that there is a creator who is sovereign and that he deserves reverence and gratitude.

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

-- Romans 1:19-20 (ESV)

It is just that we so desperately want to be in control. The blindside episodes remind us that we aren't.

Even Joseph was Blindsided

The Old Testament patriarch, Joseph, is a great reminder that God's purpose is not only going to be fulfilled but that the willful choices of evil men, along with the circumstances of nature, will be utilized to bring his word to pass.

Joseph was content to endure and embrace the blindsided blows, knowing that he was loved by his heavenly Father.

Joseph was loved by his father. His brothers were jealous. They conspired to kill him but compromised by selling him into slavery. He was taken away from home into Egypt and made a servant in Potiphar's house, where his master's wife falsely accused him of sexual abuse. In prison, he helped his fellow prisoners by interpreting their dreams but was promptly forgotten when they were released. Finally, he was called to interpret the Egyptian Pharaoh's dream. Joseph saw an upcoming economic upheaval. He was put in charge of managing the economy, and when the brothers who had sold him came to Egypt to buy food during a famine, they were afraid of him.

When Joseph revealed he was their brother, he also revealed his perspective on the loving sovereignty of God. He explained that it was God, not them, who sent him to Egypt so that he would be there when they became hungry, for it was essential for a remnant of the family to be rescued for the purpose of God on earth. (See Genesis 45.)

Life for Joseph was about more than his comfort, plans and agenda. He saw himself as a vital part of a bigger story that would one day reveal the ultimate Savior who would save not just a remnant of Jacob's family, but people from every tribe and family on earth. He was content to endure and embrace the blindsided blows, knowing that he was loved more by his heavenly Father than he was by his earthly father, Jacob.

He concluded that God can be trusted.

When We are Blindsided, We Can Have Confidence in Our God

God will reinterpret our personal dreams and let us participate in more than we could ever have imagined. We are not here primarily to seek our own dreams. We are here to fulfill his. When we trust him, we discover that his conscious presence makes any circumstance bearable. Being confident of his unconditional love allows us to move forward in the midst of sorrowful times. As the Psalmist so beautifully wrote:

He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and staff, they comfort me.

-- Psalms 23:3-4 (ESV)

None of us look forward to being blindsided by unexpected news or unplanned disruption. But we do not have to walk in fear. The same Father who gave his Son for our ultimate rescue is the one who works behind the scenes to bring his purposes to bear in our lives. We live for his glory, and that sheds a new light on everything.

Joseph's life was a shadow of the coming Savior. Our lives are a reflection of that Savior, as we expose the darkness that dooms mankind to the light of truth and love. Rain or shine, we march forward as participants in the greatest story ever.

How Do We Prepare to be Fully Prepared?

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Man Holding Holy Bible, Missionary, Christians, Christianity, Scriptures, The Word of God

In one of his many interviews, I heard Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott echo something many elite athletes convey when asked about coolness in the face of pressure situations. The quote may not be exact, but it's close: "I don't feel pressure because I believe I am fully prepared. It is lack of preparation that creates anxiety."

I think they are on to something. I wonder if that is why so many of us are nervous about managing our own lives now and in the future. The unexpected troubles of life offer an opportunity to yield to fear. Fear is an awful kind of paralysis. It forces us to live in reaction mode rather than as responsible managers.

A Call to Be Prepared

The apostle Paul gave some great encouragement to young Timothy who had responsibility to care for people who were new Christians. He would be managing them regarding the most important aspect of their lives. It is a heavy responsibility.

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

-- 2 Timothy 3:14-17 (ESV)

Some have wrongly concluded that the good work Paul mentions only applies to church work. That would contradict what he has consistently taught about all Christians being called to represent Christ in all kinds of work. We can all take his words to heart. We can be fully prepared to do whatever is right in any situation.

The question then is: how can we prepare to be fully prepared?

Knowing the Word, Knowing God

The place of the Scriptures is vital to such preparation. Timothy had been blessed to be introduced to the sacred writings of the Old Testament when he was young. Paul had furthered his preparation by showing him that the inspired writings were given to lead the readers to faith in Christ.

To be an expert on biblical knowledge while missing Him is to fail to be prepared for managing life.

The Bible is a unique book. It is a record of God's word and deeds from creation to re-creation. It is the story of God's love being revealed in creation. It specifically reveals the dignity God gave humans. It describes the sin of the first pair and its consequences. It shows how man's sin could not prevent God's purpose from being accomplished. It gives specific laws that govern His creation. It reflects the struggles humans have trying to fulfill their calling as image-bearers.

There are great stories, useful principles, clear instructions and adequate warnings, but all of them point to the final man who came to fulfill all the hopes of all people for all time. He alone is the full and final Word of God. Knowing Him is the designed end of all the writings.

To be an expert on biblical knowledge while missing Him is to fail to be prepared for managing life.

Our Biblically Illiterate Culture

In our secularized culture, belief in biblical authority is mocked. There was a time when someone like Billy Graham could say, "The Bible says..." and it would carry weight. Eyes roll and heads shake if that is tried in the public square today. So how do we find the right perspective on the Scriptures? The main trouble is that, on the whole, neither the mockers nor the believers have read the Scriptures much.

The mockers promote the idea that the Bible is full of errors, yet they don't cite those errors with any kind of consistency. They claim that it is a book written by men and can't be considered divine, without any explanation of the millions of lives that have been transformed for the good through faith in the Jesus that the Scriptures reveal. They are either ignorant of its unique place in world literature or they regard that as evidence of primitive ignorance of those who had nothing better.

It is time for those who claim to have confidence in the Scriptures to make reading the Bible a priority.

Too many believers have either relied on clerical experts to read the Scriptures for them, or have cherry-picked some texts to prove their own cherished beliefs, or have embraced their culture that used the values presented in Scriptures to enhance the common lifestyle. They don't regularly read the texts with a heart to encounter the living Word that it presents.

Now is the Best Time to Prepare

The foundation of Christian faith starts with belief in a personal creator God who is sovereign, loving, all-knowing and purposeful. It continues with the belief that God has spoken.

Since He has chosen to reveal his thoughts, we are eager to know them. We find them in His creation, in our own conscience, in the inspired record of history and finally in Jesus, the Son of God who became a man. If we ignore the Scriptures, we limit our search to human explanations of creation and personal opinions about God's nature and purpose. That leads to being ill-prepared for living a meaningful life.

When the pressure comes, it is too late to prepare. It is time for those who claim to have confidence in the Scriptures to make reading the Bible a priority. With a humble heart, we will hear the voice of God through His divinely inspired texts.

An Expensive Party

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Worship at church. Silhouette of anonymous people. High key lighting.

I read with interest of the party celebrating the induction of Dallas Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones, into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Dallas Morning News reported the cost around $10 million. There were lots of celebrities with great food and entertainment. It was celebrating quite a milestone. It is not every day that anyone, especially an owner gets into the Hall of Fame. Not everyone gets invited to the party either. (My invitation must have been lost in the mail.)

Some people resent such partying. They focus on all the good that could have been done with $10 million. I find myself tending to think like that, and I want to challenge that attitude toward celebration, especially as a God-lover. He loves parties. He designed us to celebrate. In fact, we find our truest self when we lose ourselves in the celebration of ultimate glory.

The whole meaning of life is wrapped up in our celebrating the unmatched majesty of God himself. We were designed to be image-bearers -- reflectors of God's glory. As we celebrate his unique and unmatched nature, we lose our need to be gods. We see that not everything wrong is our fault and fixing everything is not our job. We relax in being humans and not gods.

God Told His People Israel Celebrate

God commands us to celebrate him above all other entities because anything less will not satisfy the longing in our inner most being. Why would a loving God want us to glory in anything less than ultimate goodness? He commands us to love only him since he is the highest object of praise, and that we love him with all our being. To do anything less is to settle for dissatisfaction.

Humans are most fulfilled when they are focused on the unsurpassed glory of the God who has proven his love for them.

God did mighty works for his people Israel. They are recorded throughout the Old Testament. He established feasts for them to celebrate some of the most significant works. These feasts lasted for days. They weren't some cheap hot dog and hamburger type parties. There was lots of food, barrels of wine, joyful dancing, loud shouting -- just fun.

And there were lots of feasts. They dotted the calendar all over. Passover, Tabernacles, Pentecost ... Sometimes you wonder, "when did they get their work done?" Part of their work was to celebrate the goodness and faithfulness of God. Humans are most fulfilled when they are focused on the unsurpassed glory of the God who has proven his love for them.

But Israel refused to obey the command to celebrate the feasts. What? They turned down the invitation to party? Yep. They turned down the invitation. They were too busy trying to establish their own glory. They couldn't take the time to stop and celebrate the many expressions of mercy that God had bestowed. Jesus told a story about two brothers who responded to a party their father was giving. One who had messed up big time came to the party celebrating the father's love for him. The other wouldn't attend because he was focused on what he had done to merit the favor of the father. (See Luke 15:11-31.)

As Christians, We Ought to Celebrate Every Day

The most expensive party ever is going on right now. It cost the Father his own Son. None of us merits an invitation, but we are given one. He offers us forgiveness, cleansing, abundant joy, and partnership in the family business. We don't separate our worship from our work. We party while we work and work while we party. When we see how big and good he is, we can't help but celebrate. If we aren't celebrating it is probably because we have a poor vision of him.

The recent inductees to football's Hall of Fame were decorated because of their achievements. God is never decorated by us, but he can be celebrated. We can't add to his fame, but we can enjoy his exaltation. Our praise won't change him, but we will change. Don't miss this party.

Famous Forever

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Woman with paparazzi fame- 900

Increasingly, young people answer the age-old question of "What do you want to be?" with the surprising answer: "Famous." It doesn't seem to matter all that much what we become famous for -- just famous. One can be famous for just being famous. It shouldn't surprise us. We are designed for honor. After all, we are made in God's image with the purpose of managing creation under his authority. There is honor in that.

After the fatal fall of Adam and Eve, our desire for honor got all messed up, but we still crave it. Celebrity status is the substitute.

I am struck by the text of Scripture in Hebrews 11. There is a long list of people who are famous for eternity. They are a great cloud of witnesses whose lives still speak to current generations. (Hebrews 12:1) A chapter earlier we are told why they are famous.

Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation. (Hebrews 11:2)

These people are famous both in heaven and on earth. Their names live on and their influence continues to make an impact. They won't be forgotten when this TV season is over. Millions of parents have named their children after them. Though the canon of Scripture is complete, the implication is that there is still room among that crowd of witnesses for new names. They all pointed toward one person in history: Jesus. Those who place their faith in him become part of that famous company.

Wanna be famous? For eternity? There is a sure-fire way.

We must note that the kind of faith they had made them radically different. In fact, many of them were so different from the cultural norm that they were cruelly persecuted and killed. Their witness was threatening to societies unaccustomed to sacrificial love and heaven-anchored faith.

It is still so today. Many Christians are being persecuted and executed in various places in the world for one reason, their faith in Jesus as Lord. They have been born again of the Spirit that rules heaven rather than being controlled by the spirit of the worldly systems. They have embraced the power of love rather than the love of power. They have seen the reality beyond the visible and embraced it.

By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God's command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. Hebrews 11:3

Of course, they were misunderstood. Their reality was not confined to the test tube or reasonable observation of physical phenomena. They saw what only faith can see. When they embraced the word from God, their imaginations were filled with new perspectives. They were changed all right, but not from moral exhortations. They were changed first in their imaginations by receiving a new revelation. This happened by hearing and embracing the word of God.

In other words. When they heard the word of God with obedient hearts, they saw what he was saying, and lived differently because of it.

For instance, Noah heard the word of God and though he had never seen rain, much less a flood, and he built a large boat. How strange. His neighbors made fun of him for 120 years. What kind of nonsense was he talking about? He had seen the future reality because he believed the word from God, and he prepared in view of what he saw.

Or look at Abraham. He heard God's command and believed. He somehow saw the reality beyond the visible to the extent that he was never settled in the physical land of promise. There was another realm that held his attention. He was looking for the eternal city. (Hebrews 11:10)

Wanna be famous? For eternity? There is a sure-fire way. Believe that there is a God who lives to bless his people. He has spoken. His word is authoritative and alive. Hear it and believe it. Your spiritual eyes will open and you can see the reality that surpasses the obvious. Live on that basis and you will be different. Probably mistreated. Surely misunderstood. But famous forever.    

Negotiating With God

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Our Certain Hope

Since our forebears ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, humanity has been trying to negotiate with God by using goodness as currency. The lie perpetrated by the Serpent is that the human individual can determine what is good and bad, and that he or she can achieve that moral standard by their own determination. What an illusion!

In a recent blog, Wade Trimmer refers to a survey revealing that 74% of Americans believe they are going to heaven based on their moral record. About the same percentage don't think their neighbors will make it. Wow! We are willing to give ourselves a break, but not our neighbors.

We somehow believe we can negotiate with God based on our concept of goodness. "Sure, we have done some sinful things, but we have also done some good. We have turned our lives around lately. Surely God will give us a break based on our intentions. We aren't in the category of Hitler or the Boston Strangler."

It’s Not About Mere Moralism

God doesn't negotiate based on our goodness or badness. The Father made a covenant with his Son who represents us. He fulfilled every aspect of righteousness, and the Father declared his sacrifice for our sins: Sufficient!  The currency of the kingdom of God is not goodness, but faith. We believe in Jesus accepting his work as our own, and embracing his mission as our calling. The prophet Isaiah spoke of this hundreds of years before Jesus was born.

Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?

Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. -- Isaiah 55:1-2

Christianity is About Trusting in Jesus

It is difficult for us to get away from the belief that God is primarily wanting us to be good. Of course, he is not trying to make us bad, but our concept of good is flawed. We tend to define it totally in terms of not practicing bad behavior. Sadly, much of the religion that is identified as Christian is mere moralism, rather than life with Christ.

Put your moral currency away. It is not legal tender in God's kingdom.

Some people were reared to be polite, gentle and mannerly, but their hearts are filled with selfish intent. Others were not given such privilege in training and are rough around the edges, yet they have been captured by the unconditional love of God through Jesus. The issue is trusting Jesus as our goodness.

All of us try to manage transactions with God until we are struck with a true vision of who he is and what he has already done. Even after initial conversion, we tend toward a transactional relationship with God. We look for levers to pull, formulas to follow, and principles to practice in hopes of unlocking his treasure of blessings. The great transaction is done! God has acted in our behalf by forgiving our sins and granting us the blessings due to Jesus. When that truth becomes more than a meme, or a stanza in a song, we will begin living as the sons and daughters we are by virtue of his grace.

Put your moral currency away. It is not legal tender in God's kingdom.

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