GRACE BLOGS COLLECTION
Thank God that this past two months is finally over. I am celebrating! In this video I share the difficult things I experienced while working on our new website as well as the steps I took to be able to complete this tough project from a place of rest and peace. This will encourage you […]
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I suppose it is because some Christians don't want to be offensive that they seem hesitant to disclose the name of God. They prefer terms like "a higher power," or the "the man upstairs" instead of God or Jesus. I appreciate their trying to be sensitive to those who might not believe in God -- though I notice that people of other religions don't hesitate to identify their deity.
The idea behind this vague reference to God seems to be that His name and His nature don't matter. What matters is just that one believes. That's all.
Actually that is very deceptive. Who God is makes all the difference. It determines the way in which He calls us to approach Him, and what kind of relationship we can enjoy with him.
The fourth chapter of John's Gospel relates the story of a Samaritan woman who met Jesus at Jacob's old well. In the midst of their conversation Jesus told her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." She thought He was a just a traveler, although unusually kind and strange for a Jew. If she had known He was the Messiah she would have been enjoying the opportunity to drink from the river from heaven rather than being suspicious of Him. She would have been asking for the life she had longed for rather than questioning Him about Samaritan theology.
When people believe God is angry, they try to avoid His wrath. When they believe He is distant, they live in loneliness. When they view Him as mostly a judge, they try to do good and hide or justify their failures. When they see Him as a boss, they try to perform for blessings and curry His favor. But when they have seen Him as the loving Savior, they rejoice in admitting to being a sinner. Only the sinner qualifies.
I can remember when I first saw this about God. I had tried to qualify for His pleasure, earn His favor; gain His blessings, be a good person. But I knew I was a sham at best. Good deeds didn't erase my guilt or shame. But when I understood who God really was, I knew at last I qualified for something: I was eligible for grace.
The righteous (whoever they might have been) did not need him. The strong were doing fine. Even with all my effort, though, I knew I was neither righteous nor strong.
When I came face to face with God's true nature, I was astounded. He came for me! He had more mercy than I had sin! He had more grace than I had weakness! I could never drain the resources of His love. I wanted to run toward Him. I wanted to know Him. I wanted live with Him. I was free from trying to make points because I realized He wasn't keeping score.
Don't settle for relying on your faith in some nebulous higher power. Refuse to let vague snapshots or previous impressions of God serve as your perspective of Him. He has revealed himself fully in His Son, and His Spirit will open your eyes to see Him when you ask. If you knew the one who today is confronting you, you would ask and He would give.
Jesus made room at his table for everyone, including those on opposite ends of thought. At Jesus’ table, everyone has a place and everyone is equal. I can imagine that the discussions that went on among his disciples were pretty lively at times, especially between two of them — Matthew, the tax collector and Simon, the zealot.
In Jesus’ time and country, a tax collector was a Jewish man who was working for the Roman government. They were looked upon with disdain by their fellow Jews. They were not included in the temple, nor were they guests of honor at anyone’s party. The tax collectors would basically bid for their job. They would tell Rome they could extract X amount of dollars in taxes. If the number pleased the Romans they got the job. However, many of them collected way more than their bid, which they ended up pocketing. They were extorting their fellow countryman for the sake of their oppressors.
Zealots, on the other end of the spectrum, were revolutionaries. They were the ones that wanted to take Israel back from Roman domination. They wanted their country back and they were willing to kill Romans to get it back. They believed in the sovereignty of Israel and were willing to lay down their lives for the cause. They hated the Romans and wanted them gone.
Jesus invites both of these men to his table and his team. I wish I could go back in time and see these two men interact with one another. It would be like putting the most conservative Republican on the same team with the most liberal Democrat. Jesus had some guts. And he made it work.
What this shows me is that it’s possible to disagree with someone and still work together, and *gasp* even be friends. Jesus’ instructed these guys to love one another as their commitment to him. He taught them to serve one another as he had served them. He taught them to love one another as he had loved them.
I am sure that it took a while for these two to get it but eventually, they did. Both had to give up their ideologies for a picture of a much bigger kingdom. Jesus wasn’t interested in the politics of his day. He was interested in establishing his kingdom. I think the same is true today.
Now, back to American politics. It really grieves me the way that the American Church is acting over politics. You would think that we were at war with one another split down a political line. I’ve read so many statements on Facebook about how you cannot be a Christian if you vote for Hilary Clinton. I’ve read about the same number of people stating there’s no way you can be a Christian and vote for Donald Trump.
My Christianity isn’t based on who I vote for . . . my Christianity is based upon whom I confess as Lord . . . and that is Christ.
You would think that during election time Christians somehow have managed to throw out the teachings of Jesus until after election day. Even then there will be doomsayers on whichever side loses. So many people are afraid the country is going to hell in a hand basket if either candidate gets elected. Folks, I have heard this rhetoric since I started voting.
If we truly believe that Jesus is Lord then stop your bellyaching, name-calling, mud-slinging and judging and start doing what he told us to do…prefer one another and love one another as he loved us, especially towards those that disagree with you.
In the end, our trust has to be in HIM and not a political party. Neither Trump or Clinton will be the savior of the United States. Neither one of them are, nor will be, the perfect candidate.
If Jesus can take two opposing men and bring them together, helping them understand there is a larger kingdom that we are to be concerned with, then don’t you think we should do the same?
My fellow Christians, please hear me . . . you are a Christ-follower first and foremost, an American second, and a member of a political party (or not) third. Don’t forget that order. Right now the people outside of the Church think we are a bunch of whiny cry-babies when we don’t get our way.
We are to be known for our love, not our political affiliation. If you want to immerse yourself in the political arena, then, by all means, go for it. Just remember who you represent! You represent Love (for God is love). Jesus taught his followers to love their enemies and to bless those that persecuted them. He said this to a group of people living under a hard and repressive regime.
At the end of the day, someone will win, and someone is going to lose. God will still be God 
and live will continue on. Will there be changes? Of course, hopefully for the betterment of everyone. Regardless of who is in the White House, we are called to pray for our leaders, submit to the governing authorities and do all we can to live in peace.
There’s a place for you at the table of Jesus. There’s also a place for the person who politically believes exactly opposite as you do.
Matthew and Simon learned the lessons of Jesus.
Will we? I sure hope so!
For a very interesting article on a greater kingdom perspective in this election, read Brian Zahnd’s article on How I Am Voting.
A number of months ago a panel of four of us had a great time recording a program on how to unplug from the pressure of stress on Enjoying Everyday Life, my Mom’s TV program. I hope you thoroughly enjoy this discussion and it helps you enter into a greater level of peace! If you […]
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