Loving God v. Using God

I was talking with a good friend about how to discern “God opportunities.”  We all face decisions every day where we need to judge between this choice or that, and those of us who want to follow the way of Jesus also need to know His thoughts on every matter.  How do we tell the difference between opportunities that God brings to us, those that spring from our own desire, or those from the enemy that are meant to ensnare?  This is a big question…so big, in fact, that it has a way of tripping us up and distracting our focus on what’s deeper.

“Understanding God’s Will” is the subject matter here, and the answer is woven all throughout the scriptures.  But the nature of the answer isn’t what we’re often looking for, so we miss it.  “God’s Will” is not primarily concerned with specific plans that He has for our lives, but for conforming our characters into the likeness of Jesus.  He cares about our development as His children, as members of His family, and as His agents in the world….in that order.  Our tendency, however, is to hijack His attention and divert it to the things we’re most interested in…which often have to do with stroking our egos, filling our wallets, and keeping us comfortable.  These things have nothing to do with His Will.

The goal of following Jesus is not to become a better person, to be more successful, or to change the world; but, like Him, to experience INTIMACY in relationship with our Heavenly Father, and to partner with the Holy Spirit in a way that aligns with our specific IDENTITY in Him. When the pursuit of these priorities is woven into our daily rhythms, responsibilities and relationships; God’s Word is unleashed, His Will is made known, and His Power flows freely to fulfill it...everything else falls into place.

That probably doesn't seem like a real answer to the original question, does it?  It is, in fact, God's answer.

When we leap-frog over intimacy and identity, and focus on trying to get God to fulfill agendas, things tend to fall apart.  This is ultimately about trust.  Do you trust God to do what needs to be done if you focus your attention ON Him, or do you carry the weight of the world on your own shoulders and ask God to make you stronger to do things FOR Him?  These can represent two extremes, God has a part and we have a part...but the message throughout scripture is clear.  Our primary posture, and indeed the whole goal, is relationship with Him...everything flows from this.  Here are some scriptures to meditate on....

“Don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Matthew 6:31-33)

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7)

“I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:1-2)

“God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” (Romans 8:28-29)

Believing

What we believe is of utmost importance, because belief shapes our trajectories and motivations and desires. We seem to have trouble understanding or valuing this when we misunderstand the nature of belief.

The word “believe” in the New Testament of the Bible is not passive agreement about things that happened a long time ago that are removed from our real lives.  In fact, it’s the opposite.  It’s translated from the Greek word “pisteuó” (pist-yoo'-o), which means to have faith in, trust in.  The word TRUST is probably a much better translation, because it requires something of us.

I thought of this when I was reading John chapter 14 this morning, especially the part where Jesus says...

“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”  

There are some crazy-big claims in this verse!  Doing greater works (aka miracles) than Jesus? Having Jesus grant our every request?  And all we have to do is end every prayer with “In Jesus Name, Amen”….right?  Obviously this isn’t what He meant…so what does He mean?

In the language Jesus used in this section, His “name” is figuratively the manifestation or revelation of His character, i.e. as distinguishing Him from all others. Thus "praying in the name of Christ" means to pray as directed (authorized) by Him, bringing revelation that flows out of being in His presence. "Praying in Jesus' name" therefore is not a religious formula just to end prayers with – to get what we want; but a life-discipline of operating under the authority of our Master – to work toward what He wants.  This is why the prayers of someone who invests in his/her relationship with Jesus every day is more potent than the prayers of another who only grasps at Jesus’ promises from afar in times of trouble.  Not to say that God is not available to all of us, or that those closer to Him are more dearly loved; but truly, those who are more greatly connected to Him through active TRUST/FAITH/BELIEF have greater access to Him.

Biblical belief is not a passive nod to some unknown force beyond us, the the aggressive dedication to aligning our desires and priorities to the God who has revealed Himself!

The power of belief is not in the believer, but in the ONE who is believed.
Believe Him today.
Put your faith in Him today.
Trust in Him today.

The Place of Prayer

Yesterday I devoted the morning to prayer.  Not boring prayer, but active prayer.  It was amazing, you should try it sometime if you don't already!

After waking up and getting ready, I began thinking about what I could do.  In less than a minute realized there wasn’t even enough time in this day to do the things that were coming to mind.  Then I said out loud “there’s so many things I want to do Lord”, and within a heartbeat His answer came back to the depths of my mind, “but only one thing is needed.”  I remembered Martha and Mary, with Martha worried and upset about “many things,” and Mary sitting at the Master’s feet listening to His Words…the choice that was better.  I felt a rush of delight that my God would speak so intimately to me, beckoning me to come hang out with Him with no agenda but to listen.  So I drove to my favorite place of prayer: Bald Peak.

I relaxed there for about 2 hours, listening and responding to the Holy Spirit…allowing my mind to wander, and meeting Him there in those places where it rested…allowing His still, small voice to lead me down forest trails and along sweeping fields, showing me wonders and teaching me truths.  At one point, I felt compelled to remain in a specific place at the edge of an immensely large field of seed-grass.  For the first 10-minutes or so I just stood there doing nothing, letting my mind slow down to make room for stillness.  Then the dialogue began.

He showed me all kinds of amazing things that were happening all around me.  I studied the grass itself, rich-green and strong coming out of the dry earth in healthy tufts.  I pondered that each blade of grass is intricately woven together and joined with others at the microscopic level by forces of Creation that He set in motion in millennia past, yet sustains through processes that scientists fumble to understand like Kindergartners.  The grasses within feet from my eyes were absolutely magnificent all by themselves, and as I lifted my gaze to their neighbors, and the whole field, and the trees and blue sky and mountains in the background, I was speechless with wonder.  “If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you--you of little faith?”

Then there were the living things.  The longer I remained, the more accustomed to me they became; and came out of their hiding.  First the insects, small flying things.  I had no idea what they were, but they were flying in & out & above the grasses.  They were aware of each other also.  It became obvious that they were doing things in the grass, either giving to it or taking from it, and then rising to the open air above in small groupings like school-girls gathering to talk about their latest crush.  Then there were the spiders.  Tiny arachnids of varying shapes & sizes, all around me spinning miniscule tracers between the stalks.  I expected them to erect circular webs, but did not see any…they seemed content to weave their minute ribbons from the tip of one to the other like miniature tightropes.  One spider, after spinning and stretching about 8-inches across to the nearest stalk, waited there for several minutes.  I watched it, waiting to see what it would do next.  It just sat there, making some little movements, resting I suppose.  I wondered what kind of role this tiny aerial performer might have in the field of grass, what food the Father would provide for it and whose food it might become.  Then I saw the birds.  Compact aviators, smaller than my hand, flitted through the field and into the canopy of weeds & trees behind me…small and fast enough to catch their prey.  They seemed oblivious to me and sang their songs to each other, to the world around them, and to the Creator who animates them.  All of these things were magnificent to me, and I remembered the other half of the Master’s words, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”

As I walked away from that place, I reflected on some of the things I had accomplished in this life, and also the worries and anxieties that I carry.  I prayed for deliverance of the effects of stress…of unwanted pressure that so often accompanies my efforts at doing, and builds-up over time like vast, heavy waters behind a dam that someday might burst.  I also thought about some of the things that lie before me, goals I want to achieve and experiences I want to have.  I asked the Father to grant me faithfulness in doing them, but it fell flat.  He gently reminded me that faithfulness doesn’t just mean doing the right actions out of the place of faith… It starts much earlier.  Faithfulness is being so full-of-faith to begin with that one is ready for whatever circumstances may come. The results are not the point, the posture is.  His consolation, and relief, is not that He enables us to do all that we want; but that He redirects our passions and desires toward our daily communion with Him; allowing His fullness to replace whatever achievements we thought we might need in the first place.

The birthplace of faithfulness his prayer – Cultivating intimacy with the Father to build such a strong foundation of trust and companionship that nothing in this world can touch me; and I end up doing what He & I both desire.

Holiness

“Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you will get neither.” (CS Lewis) 

“A person’s own folly leads to their ruin, yet their heart rages against the Lord.” (Proverbs 19:3)

These two quotes reflect a universal truth that applies to all of humanity; it’s woven into our instincts, as glorious spiritual beings who are created in God’s Image, yet critically flawed and shackled to this fallen world. It is said that about 70% of Americans “believe in God,” yet by a cursory glance at our social ills one could hardly believe it (and the stats aren’t any better for those who attend religious services, by the way). One of the culprits for this is that many believers don’t understand what holiness is. It’s one thing to believe that God exists out there somewhere, and that we can visit Him for favors in holy places with holy people; it’s quite another reality to actually agree with Him, love Him, and pursue Him in a holy relationship even though we're far from perfect.  This distinction is huge...it's about the heart.

“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians; who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, and then walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” (Brennan Manning)

This prophetic warning to God’s would-be followers were penned decades ago by a Franciscan priest, who lamented at the false witness that God’s people were offering to the watching world.  I would argue that, although many circumstances have changed, the preoccupation of Christians with worldly pursuits continues to grossly outpace the truth and love which they purport to believe.  Wouldn’t you think that those who call themselves by Christ’s Name would resemble Him?

This is what happens when religion swallows relationship with God…
…Church is seen as a location, rather than a people
…Spirituality is fractured into the Sacred and Profane, rather than the holistic pursuit of life’s fullness
…Jesus role in our lives is limited to “Savior,” rather than “Lord”

I think that the message of HOLINESS has been lost on recent generations of America’s Christians.  I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s, in the decades that followed a cultural revolution of expression.  Among other things, we were rebelling against the overly-strict & constrictive morality of older Christians…and the pendulum has swung to the opposite extreme, hasn’t it?  Now, many would-be Jesus-followers are afraid to authentically identify with Him for fear that they’ll offend somebody…focusing on the ethereal arena of “beliefs”, rather than any type of commitment that would obligate them to walk against the strong currents of popular culture. So what we have is whole generations of people who are deeply conflicted about their faith.  In their heart of hearts, believing the message about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; yet tied to their preferences and allegiances with the world around them to the extent that it doesn’t make much difference.

In His teaching about the seed of the Word of God, Jesus said “the seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature” (Luke 8:14).

I believe with all my heart that God can be trusted, that His promises & blessings are real and available to us today.  Yet, unlike the free gift of salvation for Heaven after we die, the things that we want from Him in this life are tied to our relationship with Him.  We must always remind ourselves that He is not there to make us happy.  That is a lie.  The truth is that He is the Master and we are the servants, and His fullness (love, joy, peace patience, etc.) is ours only when we fully acquiesce it to Him.  This is called holiness. The Bible word for holiness literally means to be “set apart for sacred use.”

Our trouble is that we tend to want all the good stuff that God offers, but without the part where we set aside our self-determination.  Sorry, that doesn’t work.  But He works!  Trust Him today!

“Taste and see that the Lord is good;blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.Fear the Lord, you his holy people,for those who fear him lack nothing.”(Psalm 34:8-9)

The Counter-Cultural Way Of Love

Love is the most supremely important thing in the world, isn’t it? We write songs about it, lay awake at night longing for it, strategize ways of obtaining it; but it’s true nature and purpose remain elusive and counter-intuitive to most of us.

Love is largely misunderstood.  Billboards, media & music tend to cast it as romantic or sexual. Self-help pundits and counselors promote it as prescriptive and therapeutic to our emotional ailments.  Celebrities and the popular elite hijack it and give it to their rich and beautiful friends, creating blissful relational destinations in a virtual-reality free of the plight of those who have less.

Most Americans don’t understand love because we’ve listened to the wrong voices.  This is why we get caught-up in vain pursuits that don’t produce what we’re looking for.  We’re saturated by images and narratives that make bold promises but deliver loneliness and disillusionment.  This is why so many end-up disappointed, dejected, and discouraged…believing that love has failed them.  I would say that it was not love that they were seeing & seeking, but only mirages that left them thirsty.

When we chase the wrong things, we end-up in unforeseen places where we do not belong.  Each of us is created by our Heavenly Father – who IS LOVE – for love… but we’re constantly being deceived and drawn-away from it by misleading counterfeits.  So what is love?  To find it, we have to forget everything the world has taught us, so that we can rediscover what God says it is.  Here are some examples from my favorite paraphrase of the Bible, called “The Message”:

“Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, Doesn’t have a swelled head, Doesn’t force itself on others, Isn’t always “me first,” Doesn’t fly off the handle, Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, Doesn’t revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end.” (1 Corinthians 13) 

“My dear friends, don’t let public opinion influence how you live out our glorious, Christ-originated faith. If a man enters your church wearing an expensive suit, and a street person wearing rags comes in right after him, and you say to the man in the suit, “Sit here, sir; this is the best seat in the house!” and either ignore the street person or say, “Better sit here in the back row,” haven’t you segregated God’s children and proved that you are judges who can’t be trusted? Listen, dear friends. Isn’t it clear by now that God operates quite differently? He chose the world’s down-and-out as the kingdom’s first citizens, with full rights and privileges. This kingdom is promised to anyone who loves God. And here you are abusing these same citizens! Isn’t it the high and mighty who exploit you, who use the courts to rob you blind? Aren’t they the ones who scorn the new name—“Christian”—used in your baptisms? You do well when you complete the Royal Rule of the Scriptures: “Love others as you love yourself.” But if you play up to these so-called important people, you go against the Rule and stand convicted by it. You can’t pick and choose in these things, specializing in keeping one or two things in God’s law and ignoring others.” (James 2) 

”My dear children, let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love. This is the only way we’ll know we’re living truly, living in God’s reality. It’s also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves. And friends, once that’s taken care of and we’re no longer accusing or condemning ourselves, we’re bold and free before God! We’re able to stretch our hands out and receive what we asked for because we’re doing what he said, doing what pleases him. “ (1 John 3) 

“You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.  In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.” (Matthew 5)

Believe

“If the Lord is with us, why has all this [misfortune] happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord [deliver us]?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us...”

The words above could have been written yesterday, mirroring the spiritual skepticism of our age; but they were uttered almost 3,200 years ago, as recorded in the early part of the Old Testament book of Judges, by a man named Gideon…just before God showed up, did some crazy miraculous stuff, and changed reality.  They key was Gideon's belief.

For the most part, American Christians no longer believe in miracles…apparently.  There are a few reasons why.  Part of this, indeed, is because of the immature and impostering few who have made a mockery of God for the rest of us clean-up.  Admittedly, some of us reading this (or writing this) have been willingly or unwillingly part of this…so let’s keep our pointing fingers to ourselves.  Another big reason is fear.  Fear of criticism & rejection by the world we want desperately to identify with…too desperately.  Another one is confusion of God's role.  We seem to have this unrelentingly skewed perspective that's God is there to make us happy...that our fulfillment and safety is His end-game.  What we see in scripture and history, however, is that God's most amazing interventions are about His will, not ours; and He sees all of history with one glance, so His perspective is a bit different.  When we partner with what He is doing, THEN we get to be part of the extraordinary.

Contrary to what you’ve been led to believe by the world around us; God is not dead, but very much alive and active!  The thing is, our perceptions of what is real and compelling are dependent upon what we expose ourselves to…and what we allow to gain dominion over our reasoning.  Are your opinions more informed by media and popular thought, or by God’s timeless wisdom and ways?  Are you reticent to admit that God works miracles because you believe that He cannot temporarily subvert the laws of nature, or because you don’t want to be made to look foolish for hoping?

Lack of trust in God’s desire to/ability to work wonders in the plane of human existence has always had a dampening effect on it.  Even Jesus admitted that He was unable to do many miracles in the small town he grew-up in because of peoples’ lack of faith.  I think that many of us who call ourselves by the Name of Christ, don’t often live as though we actually believe He is still walking with us and desiring to do His work among us today.  Largely, we’ve adopted the critical heart of our culture and try to keep it hidden away while going through the motions of Christianity just in case He actually shows up.  Perhaps that’s too harsh?

“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:4)

The Greek word “unbeliever” here is “ápistos” - from “a”-"not" and “pistós” - "faithful.” Properly, not faithful because unpersuaded, i.e. not convinced.  So the Bible isn’t talking about people who don’t call themselves Christians or go to church….it’s talking about people who don’t live like they really believe.  It’s a good thing this is a journey, right?

• “Why doesn’t God do miracles anymore?”
• “Why aren’t there prophets or epic stories like in ancient times?”
• “Why does it seem like, when I’m reading the Bible, that I’m reading fairy-tales that are detached from real life…those things just don’t happen anymore.  Where is God now?”

Have thoughts like this ever come to your mind?  Have you ever said them?  I have.  So have my children.  In fact, my inquisitive son has asked me these very questions on more than one occasion…usually accompanied by an eye-roll that corresponded to his age when asking.  But that was before he encountered the Lord for himself, and had the choice of believing on the basis of his own observations & thoughts as he grew older.

Is there really, truly a God?  Or is IT just a projection of human longing & meaning that manifests itself as all the various religions throughout the world’s regions & histories.  If the God of the Bible really is there, can He handle our questions?  Is His ego big enough to accept our inquiries?  Are the histories of His works as recorded in the ancient scriptures reliable enough to survive the fire of investigation? I am one who has asked all of these questions, and continue to aggressively search for answers, even to this day.  I can say with confidence that I believe wholeheartedly that the Biblical stories are true, reliable, and prescriptive.  I also believe that the miracles & meanings that characterized God’s activity in ancient times continue today.  I believe it theologically, because Jesus and His followers (and their followers) experienced it and said that it would continue; and I believe it because I see it with my own eyes, hear about it from people I know and trust, and learn crazy/impossible/wonderful stuff happening all over the world all the time!

There are many alternatives to the explanation that there really is One True God – Yahweh of the Jews; the God of the Patriarchs, Judges, Kings, and Prophets, as recorded in what we today call the Old Testament.  The God and Father of Jesus Christ; the Fulfiller of Prophecies who claimed to be God’s Son, miracle worker and healer, controversial teacher and leader of a Spiritual Rebellion against religious hypocrisy & greed…Who inspired the writing of the New Testament and catapulted the greatest movement of faith, hope & love the world has ever known (or will ever know).  But yes, there are many alternative explanations and paths.  There is always choice in belief…what’s important is to only go where truth and love collide.

I’m tired of listening to people give convincing arguments for why the Bible can’t be taken literally.  I wonder what will happen if, instead of getting blown-over by the wind; we decide to take God at His word, lean into it, and believe Him to show up in ways that He promises.  That’s the journey of faith, let’s do it.

Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. (John 14:11-14)

“Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20)

“Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.” (James 5:13-18)

Tradition

I have lots of opportunities to spend time with Jesus People of all sorts. Church pastors & preachers, para-church & non-profit leaders, lay leaders who have normal jobs, and church-goers who simply want to understand and follow Jesus in their own lives somehow.  One thing that I see consistently & constantly in just about all of them is some level of confusion regarding what we’re supposed to be aiming for by gathering together…namely, what is “CHURCH?”

Most of the time, when we hear the word “church” in our culture, it refers to a location or a weekly event.  The Greek word translated as “church” appears 114 times in the New Testament, and not once refers to a place or time…it’s people, literally.  Organizations & leaders & sacred practices are not Church….that’s human religion.

All of the people of Jesus are the Church: Each of us beckoned into individual daily communion with Him; commissioned to follow His example in the world we live in; and called to live in interdependent community with small groups of other followers.  This is unmistakably the Biblical model of Jesus and His followers, but it’s a lot easier to just show-up at a big shiny building on Sunday morning that will deliver a taste of all of it into our laps for free, and call it good.  “Life’s too short, we have to make sacrifices along the way…there’s just not enough time to live the Biblical way of Jesus in today’s world…we have to accommodate and be more efficient,” we may think.  Most of us instinctively know this isn’t right, but we don’t act like we know it.  Instead, we act like victims of our culture, settle for daily & weekly & monthly rhythms that squeeze-out God and His people, and wonder why we feel distant from Him and the abundant life that He promised.  Part of this, I think, is because we don’t understand what the Church is.

I feel like the word “church” has been broken & twisted almost beyond recognition in our culture.  With some exceptions, church traditions of all shapes & sizes had their genesis with small numbers of people trying to flesh-out what they’ve considered to be the most compelling aspect of God’s intention for His people together.  So why then, when we look at all the various denominations that have sprung up around the world over the years, do we see such disparity and disagreement…and disillusionment with others?  Why, when we look at the Biblical accounts of the beginning of Jesus’ Church, and compare it to our own present-day corollaries, do they often bear little resemblance to each other?  Why are we making a mockery of one of Jesus’ last & most fervent recorded prayers for the unity of His people? 

I’ll say it.  TRADITION

We love our traditions, but they often distort God’s mission and get in His way.  Even traditions that are meant to be reminders to reengage us with the Father’s heart can have a way of taking-on a life of their own and replacing our focus that belongs to Him.  I’m not anti-tradition, but the older I get the more antagonistic I am becoming about forms & practices that layer-over God’s timeless intentions.  Jesus spoke-out vehemently against manmade traditions that inhibited His Father’s will:

“He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.’ You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” (Mark 7:6-8)

Here’s a theoretical question…  What do you think would happen to the American Church if church buildings, services, and clergy, suddenly went away?  What impact would that have on the cause of Jesus in Amercia?  It’s really ironic to me that, here in the “land of the free and the brave,” Christianity has been plummeting in free-fall for decades; while in many places where it’s ridiculed, suppressed, and even persecuted, the Kingdom of Christ is exploding….but it doesn’t look anything like our organized western churches.  It looks more like the rapid, uncontrolled, underground, movemental growth we see in the New Testament.

So what’s my point?  I’m not opposed to traditional churches or services or clergy, but it’s essential that we see these as secondary.  Did I just say that? Yes, "GOING TO CHURCH" IS SECONDARY.  

We have believed the lie that showing-up to a 2-hour meeting in a holy building on Sunday morning with a bunch of strangers is the compulsory part of church that will somehow filter into the rest of our lives; while spending time with Jesus on our own, learning & praying with others, and living it out in the world is like “extra credit.”  I’m calling B.S. on that whole mindset.  I’m calling all of Jesus’ people to focus on the essentials and hold our traditions loosely.  “Going to church services is fine, but it is NOT THE CHURCH… any Christian leader worth his/her salt would agree with me.  

BEING THE CHURCH is about living our daily lives

1. In Jesus

2. With Jesus’ People

3. On Jesus’ Mission in the World

Whatever FORM this takes in your life is “your church.”  No fantastic event, no matter how attractive or inspiring, can ever replace this essential common denominator.  Any tradition that muddies, diverts, or squanders this truth must be poured-out so the cup can be full of the Living Water.

“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20) 

“Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25) 

“Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)