False Hope (Voting Day)

Today is voting day in America.

Whose America is it?  Which side is going to win?

I cannot remember a time when the political divide, or the constituency it represented, has been this wide…each ideology absolutely disgusted with the other to the extent that families and friendships are splintered along party lines, venom is being spewed in multi-million-dollar campaign smears, and positions are being fortified against the enemies among us.  It seems that we’re practically at war with each other…and there’s festering hatred on both sides. It’s embarrassing and demoralizing.

As a citizen of this country, who believes in the democratic process, I have cast my ballot.  It represents my wishes, which will be added to the thousands of others from my area, millions from my state, and hundreds of millions from my countrymen from coast to coast.  Whatever the results, I will keep on living my life as I did yesterday, with tremendous hope. I certainly have opinions and preferences, but my greatest hopes are not captivated by this maelstrom of vitriolic posturing and promising.

There is another Kingdom that I am a citizen of, whose allegiance I am delighted to be ultimately bound to.  Whether my preferred candidates win or lose today, those Kingdom values are unchanged, and my hopes pursuant to that Kingdom are unaffected.  There is a higher level of HOPE, which that Kingdom animates through its people, which covers-over any other lesser-hopes that this world contains.  The foundation of TRUE HOPE does not provide a promise that things will work out in my life, or on earth, as I would like them to be; on the contrary, scripture is clear that as time advances the opposite will be true…but that His Kingdom of Heaven will continue to break-through in spite of it all in the lives of countless individuals.  

A good look into the earthly life, teachings, and way of Jesus is like a glimpse through the prism of that other Kingdom.  It’s certainly supposed to affect us here and now, and through us to elicit transformation to that Kingdom’s values; but we make a grave mistake when we hijack that calling and attempt to divert it to self-seeking socio/political destinations.  That’s not what Jesus was interested in then, and His followers are not to be focused upon it now.  When we do, it makes a mockery of the Gospel and the transcendent hope that it promises.  It's never been about "heavenizing" our own preferences or agendas for society, but about surrendering them in favor of our Creator's Mission for the individuals and the world around each of us.  Anything other than that is heretical trickery, and countless misguided Christians are falling for it!

You who call yourself by the name of Jesus, or endeavor in some way to follow Him; I appeal to you to rise above the hype and name-calling and fears of loss, and regain a sense of compass toward “true north!”  Your political opponents are not your adversaries, there is only one adversary…and even if they were, how about we treat them with the level of respect that Jesus treated His enemies?  As we aim to live as good citizens of our country, and make our own lives matter for good, let’s cling to the HOPE that will never be shaken...and avoid being carried-away by lesser, false hopes.

“Why, my soul, are you downcast?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God.

(Psalm 42:5)

“Dear friends, I warn you as ‘temporary residents and foreigners’ to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then, even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world. For the Lord’s sake, respect all human authority—whether the king as head of state, or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right. It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Respect everyone, and love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God, and respect the king….For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ sufferedfor you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.” (1 Peter 2)

“My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

(Old Hymn: “The Solid Rock”)

Goliath-Sized Love

A friend of mine shared a very intriguing and challenging thought with me about one of the most famous of Old Testament Bible stories.  In the account of David & Goliath, young David slays the giant enemy of God and cuts his head off in the most mismatched duel you could possibly imagine.  It was a miracle that injected hope into the nation of Israel and terror into the enemies of God.  Her point was that, since on this side of the Cross of Jesus everything has changed in our posture with the fallen world, that we need to be clean of hatred of people in our pursuit against evil.

“Goliath was knit in his mother’s womb the same way I was. God knit him, right?  Did Jesus not change the law and say ‘A NEW LAW I AM GIVING YOU, LOVE ONE ANOTHER?’ It CAN’T, NOT mean Goliath too.”  

The idea stunned me, but she’s absolutely right…even though it challenges some deeply valued aspects of the Christian culture I grew up in. I remember learning the story of David & Goliath, and a bunch of other Old Testament stories about killing people who didn’t believe in my God, when I was a little kid in Sunday School. It seems like it was generally accepted that all those stories were important to teach little, impressionable kids so that they could learn how strong and almighty God was; while at the same time reminding them that we’re not actually supposed to resort to hatred & slander & violence in real life…because Jesus changed all that.  So, why teach children those stories when their brains aren’t yet mature enough to be able to understand complex, abstract issues like how Jesus’ propitiating death, burial, and resurrection changed the nature of heaven & earth, and set the stage for a new era in God’s relationship with mankind? Anyway, I digress from this little pet peeve issue.

Now, I understand that the story of David & Goliath wasn’t about two people who didn’t like each other resolving their differences, but it was part of a war between nations.  I get that, and I support the need for lethal defense against nations & individuals who want to cause harm to others.  That aside, it’s a challenging thought to actually LOVE ONE’S ENEMIES, isn’t it?  Not condoning or partnering with evil, not excusing or pardoning legitimate grievances that require consequences; but being motivated by love for the enemy rather than thirst for indignation.  Like the Lord’s brother James says,

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.” (James 1:19-21)

It’s telling how, so often when Christians are threatened or mistreated, we resort so quickly to Old Testament (i.e. “Old Way”) values while giving lip-service to Jesus’ revolutionary commands.  Jesus teaches us to turn the other cheek, love those who persecute us and mistreat us, and give more to those who wrongfully take from us.  These values are meant to be counter-intuitive and challenging, given in Jesus’ signature style of exaggeration; but that doesn’t give license to throw away the lesson, as so often happens. Jesus’ own character and lifestyle are there for us to model and imitate.  My perception is that we tend to follow Him in this regard until it becomes unjust, super uncomfortable, or when we encounter outright evil….and then we dispatch Jesus’ mansie-pansie answers and revert back to the strength and decisive control of the Old Testament God.  And then after the dust clears, we wonder why we’re struggling inside with our own inner demons and attachments to false gods.  This requires surrender of any right we believe we have to be anyone’s judge.  Not that we are called to agree with evil as the Lord defines it, certainly not!  But in our response to evil we must strive to be motivated and directed by love of the individual, leaving the judging to God.

I saw someone wearing a T-shirt a few weeks ago that said ”God Loves All The People You Hate.”  That should be sobering.

I learned this hard-fought lesson years ago, and it has served me very well.  If there is a person in your life that you think is misguided - or even evil – there are only two options for you…you’re either right or wrong.  If you’re right, then God knows about it too, and it’s His responsibility to pursue & convict the person…not yours.  You are not God’s instrument of judgement or wrath.  Your role is to love the person as only God can through you, representing His truth through the filter of the same mercy and grace that forgives you for all your own B.S.  On the other hand, if you’re wrong about the person’s evil, then God knows that too.  And when the fingers point back to you, the Loving Father has a way of ferreting-out of us the blurring presuppositions and prejudices that cause us to see the specks in the eyes of others while not noticing the big log in our own vision.

These are some of my thoughts, now consider the following thoughts from the mind of God…..

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34)

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12) 

”Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:17-21) 

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48) 

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16-17)

Off The Rails

Locomotive trains are very powerful, can carry huge loads over immense distances, and travel with a tremendous amount of momentum…which means it takes a while to get them going and even longer to stop them.  Everything goes smoothly as long as the machinery stays in good order, there’s plenty of fuel, and speed is controlled to keep the behemoths on the tracks.  As long as things are going smoothly, they have an unrivaled capacity for transporting cargo and people, and can be operated to such precision that people used to set their clocks by them.  When safety is violated, terrible things can happen.

“On December 18, 2017, Amtrak Cascades passenger train 501 derailed near DuPont, Washington, United States. It was the inaugural run on the Point Defiance Bypass, a new passenger rail route south of Tacoma, Washington. The bypass was intended to reduce congestion and separate passenger and freight traffic, and was designed for faster speeds and shorter travel times (saving ten minutes from Seattle to Portland) than the previous route used by Cascades. The lead locomotive and all twelve cars derailed while approaching a bridge over Interstate 5 (I-5). The trailing locomotive remained on the rails. A number of automobiles on southbound I-5 were crushed and three people on board the train died. The train derailed a short distance from where the new route merges with the previous route. Preliminary data from the data recorder showed that the train was traveling at 78 miles per hour (126 km/h), nearly 50 miles per hour (80 km/h) over the speed limit, when the incident happened." (Wikipedia)

Our emotional & spiritual lives are like this.  Have you ever crashed?  Have you ever experienced the consequences of taking undue risks in circumstances that turned against you?  Have you ever known you were moving too fast but were so overconfident that you ignored the warning signs that resulted in a crash?

As sons and daughters made in the image of Almighty God, we are incredibly powerful and capable; yet great care is required to keep us on the rails.  Part of the trouble we experience in our generation is the fundamental polarizing arguments about what, exactly, constitutes “the rails.”  Values, both internal and interactive, are the railroad ties, spikes, and the steel rails of our lives.  There are a host of directions offered in this vast, diverse world we live in; and a seemingly endless number of exchange opportunities.  Those of us who have committed to following Jesus’ straight-and-narrow path have believed that we can trust Him, no matter how alluring the alternatives, arduous the terrain, or distant the destination.

Part of staying-the-course is avoiding the constant temptations to change tracks…especially when we’re working hard to go up hills.  There are always lots of opportunities during hard times to give-up and choose the easier paths.  These temptations arise from our own desire for comfort, the misguided cheers of others, and from the enemy of our souls. The enemy’s desire is to “kill, steal, and destroy;” and he has a multitude of victims who have wandered far from The Way of Jesus.  Temptations that get us most often come at times of weakness, capitalizing on lack of maintenance.  The other dangers have to do with speed.  In a culture where our worth is measured by accomplishments, activity, and possessions, we are prone to careening so quickly around the twists and turns of life that we risk crashing.  The ever-increasing speed of “more” only leads to hardship unless it is governed-back into control by the Master.  Have you ever gone off-the-rails? Have you ever wounded yourself or others so deeply that you wondered if God could possibly put you back together?

I have…and in those times I’ve found the heart of the Father, always ready to heal and repair and recommission; as if He was waiting there for me, knowing I was going to crash there in need of Him to set me back on track. Thankfully, we can never wander too far, or be wrecked to such an extent, that we cannot be put back together and placed back on the tracks that lead to Him.  But make no mistake, there is one path that leads to Him, it’s the One that He prepared for thousands of years which culminated with the life, death, and resurrection of His Son Jesus of Nazareth.  Following in His steps, along the path of values and commitments that He has laid out for us, is HIS PATH.  This is the path that leads to life.

I needed this reminder today...to surrender my desires, dreams, and destinations to the Father; knowing that when I do, His way always leads to life.  Entrust yourself to Him today.

”Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) 

“Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3) 

“Go in through the narrow gate, because the gate to hell is wide and the road that leads to it is easy, and there are many who travel it. But the gate to life is narrow and the way that leads to it is hard, and there are few people who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

"What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?" (Matthew 16:26) 

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)