For He made Him who knew no sin...Part 3

2 Cor 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

You awake in a courtroom. The last thing you remember was going to sleep in your bed the night before. At least that what you think you remember. Waking up in this courtroom makes no sense. Especially since your sitting behind the table on the left of the courtroom. The D.A. is behind the table to your right. What the heck is going on? Why am I here? What did I do? Is this just a very bad dream? You pinch yourself. You slap yourself. All that happens is the pinch and slap hurts. But it's not hurting nowhere near as much as that leaden sense of dread laying in your gut like last nights meatloaf dinner. You are clearly awake. And this bizarre reality of being in this courtroom seated at the table of the accused is just beginning to sink in. It feels like those first moments after being told someone who is as dear as life itself just died. You know that something major, something as disturbing and as life changing as can possibly be just happened. Your brain tries to reject this information but your gut knows. And as this horrible reality begins to sink in you look around for your attorney and there's no one else at your table but you. In fact the courtroom is empty except for you and the D.A. You try to get his attention but he just ignores you. You ask him what is going on, why are you here and you get silence. Nothing in here but silence. Dead silence.
Suddenly there is something going on up at the judge's bench. Something unseen but clearly felt has occupied the judges bench. You feel like the purest, most perfect presence has entered the courtroom. And within your gut it elicits the most severe and piercing sense of terror you have ever felt. If you could figure out a way to dig through the floorboards and straight through to China you'd be long gone. But you can't move. You are paralyzed and can hardly even breath let alone move.Whatever it is that is up at that judges bench has filled the room with what is all at once the most wonderful and terrible sense of "presence" you have ever known. You know that you dare not utter a word let alone raise any questions about why you are here. You just sit there spellbound and awestruck.
Suddenly a Voice speaks. Or rather explodes. It fills the room, it fills your head, it fills your soul.
"I AM WHO I AM".
That's all it says. That's all it needs to say. And as the Voice says this, you know who you are. For in this Presence you see yourself for the first time. You had thought you knew who you were the night before but in this Presence all is exposed. And you know that your are unclean. You know that you are undone. You know that you are doomed.
The Presence doesn't need to say a word. You just know that in this Presence that you are guilty. You know that you are a criminal. That you have ignored many of the warnings and guidance from this Presence throughout your life. You thought you were a good person and compared to most you might have been a saint. But in this place you are exactly who you really are. A person who knew something of right and wrong, of there being something called the 10 Commandments but you paid it no mind. You thought that was just for those religious fanatics. You thought that you were a good enough person to get past what you are facing now.You have a distant memory of attending youth groups and asking Jesus to forgive you and all but you never really thought much more about it. But in this Presence you feel you are as clean as a woman's menstrual rags. You know you have no good thing to say on your behalf. You now know the truth that you offended a holy God simply by rejecting Him and being your own God. More times than you can remember. And you know that you literally have no leg to stand on.
You know the verdict; guilty. Guilty as sin.
The D.A suddenly speaks. He begins to read from what appears to be an endless list that he is holding. " Stole money from his mother's pocketbook as a child; lied more times that I can count as a child; told his grandmother that he hated her guts as a child; mercilessly teased and bullied a kid in the neighborhood as a child; took money that his parents meant for him to put in the collection plate and bought doughnuts instead as a child..." "Holy crap" you think to yourself. This is just the stuff from when I was a kid! Wait until he gets to when I was a teenager and an adult! The D.A. is far from done, "took your name in vain countless times, as a child".
And just as you are about to pass out from the intensity and the reality of what is taking place you hear a soft noise behind you...
"Father, this one is in My hand"
You dare to look behind you and the first thing you see are those hands. There are two large and pronounced scars through the wrists as He holds out those hands. And then those eyes. Those eyes that are all at once pierce through to your very soul and know all there is to know about you and looks at you with the greatest tenderness and love you could have ever imagined.
"Father this one was guilty of all he is accused of. Until I took his place and took the punishment meant for him. He is one that You told me I would never lose"
You think to yourself, "when did this happen? I was never a religious person. I do remember asking for Jesus to forgive me of my sins more than a few times in my life and I do remember trying to apply some of the stuff they taught me in that youth group I was in but I still never really felt like I was good enough as a Christian. So I kind of got away from it for awhile there but deep down I always really believed. I knew there was no other way and I trusted in that but it had never felt like it was enough."
Suddenly it all becomes crystal clear. In the place of the judges bench there now stands before you a cross. And the One who stood behind you is now receiving in your place the punishment meant for you. You know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it should be you nailed to that cross instead of Him. But those eyes of tenderness and infinite love look down upon you and you hear His voice to the depths of your soul.

"Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Jesus never sinned. He never literally became sin. Too much of the rest of Scripture bears this out:
 All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. (NASB) Isaiah 53:6
And you know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. (NASB) 1 John 3:5
2 Cor 5:21 For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become [endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of] the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness]. Amplified version.
Yes He was cursed. Yes He took our place. Yes He took upon Himself the punishment for our sin but He Himself never literally became sin.
This distinction is very important for reasons listed before. In these times when the truth of truth has been thrown up for grabs it is imperative that we are established and rooted in the truth of God's word and not swayed by the opinions, the traditions or on anything else other than what God's word tells us.
Many have tried to add to this and have tried to make it seem more dramatic by using the words "to be sin" to mean that Jesus literally became a sinner. God by His nature could no more become a sinner than you or I could become God. And yet many of these (and many more) heresies have corrupted the church for centuries.
Isn't it enough that He took our place? Why would He have to become a sinner in order to fulfill all righteousness? He was made to be like a sinner; in the likeness of a sinner but it was not necessary that He ever became a sinner in order to accomplish the completed work of the cross.

Some years ago I was riding around with my brother-in-law Keith Peters and he was telling me about when he was involved in prison ministry that he counseled and ministered to someone he called, "David".
A few weeks before I had watched Spike Lee's "Summer Of Sam" about the terror wrought on New York City from 1976 to 1997 by a man named David Berkowitz who was also known as Son Of Sam.
The man Keith was talking about was none other than David Berkowitz himself. Keith told me about how David became a Christian while in prison and had been leading a Bible study and all..
In my mind my thoughts were, "WHAT? This guy killed at least six people! Think of the families he affected forever! This guy is saved? He's leading Bible studies? That's just not fair!"
And then His Spirit began to speak to me, "I took His place. I was treated as if I was David. Same as I did for you."
Think about it. Jesus was treated as if He was David, Jeffrey Dahlmer, Charles Manson, Adolf Hitler, Jerry Sandusky...
Me. You.

We know that He did this because of His love for us. Incredible isn't it.
But there's a bit more to it than that. He also did it so that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ.
The world needs to know of His love but they also need to see it through the righteousness of God in Christ. Who does He use to accomplish this tall order?
David Berkowitz, me, you, whoever He chooses. Whosoever will believe. Whoever is willing to give their lives for Him in order to live. Whoever is willing to repent as often as it takes. Whoever is willing to obey as much as necessary. Whoever is willing to trust Him completely in a way that can be seen by others. God's righteousness is something that can be seen in our lives. It should separate us from the pack. It can move us closer and closer to that original likeness and image we were all created in.

They need to see Him somewhere in this world. If not in you then where?

For He made Him who knew no sin...Part 2

2 Cor 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
It's taking awhile to get back to working on this particular blog. Issues in the personal and work life as well as needing to really dig a bit deeper than usual in writing about this particular verse and what is contained within it. I want to start off first by stating that for eons many have attempted to tackle this verse who I am sure are way more insightful and intelligent than I will ever be. My purpose is not to define this verse but to just open it up for exploration in hopes that it touches the heart and soul and helps us to come to an even better understanding of the God who is beyond words. I always feel like attempting these blog posts is a little bit ridiculous in the sense of who am I (or who is any of us) to be arrogant or vain enough to think that we have a clue about these matters and then present ourselves and our words as somehow being meaningful and significant enough to matter to anyone, especially to God.
All I know is that something inside me is touched by these verses and feels compelled to espouse something about them. So please keep in mind that I am by no means an expert or a theological scholar on any of these matters but that I'm just as regular a guy as they come. My hope is to somehow convey to the reader what touches my heart and soul and also be (and this is very important!) correct in the doctrine espoused. The last thing I want to do is walk anyone down the wrong path of Biblical doctrine. I have more than enough to answer for and I really don't want to add guiding people into darkness as part of my having to make an account to God. I've done more than enough of that in my lifetime and I want no part of that any more.
I've read some other writings on this verse in order to see what other's have to say on the issue and the best stuff I found used the rest of Scripture to support the writings. That's always the best method of Bible study because God cannot contradict Himself. If doctrine isn't supported by the rest of Scripture then it needs to be thrown out. A lot of church tradition has twisted many a core doctrinal issue and I see many church goers who just digest what they've been fed from the pulpits and from years of church tradition that frankly is plain wrong. This is why spending the time to really study the Bible in it's context and it's self sufficient support is so important. Especially in this very strange and troubling time we live in. I see before me the church itself becoming splintered and divisive on so many topical and worldly issues. I also see the ramping up of calling into question the sanity, intelligence and overall morality of those of us who stand upon the word of God for our stance on these worldly issues and it's disturbingly apparent that it's going to get much worse. We are definitely in the days of our faith coming under attack like we have never seen before. It's so important that we are secure and established in the truth of God's word, not to be arrogant (I've been seeing so much of that as well) to the world that we are called to show the love of Christ to but to be able to stand against the wiles of the devil; to understand that our fight is not against the flesh and blood of those who oppose our faith and our God but that we are now more than I can ever remember, in a raging battle against the enemy. I see it happening in my personal life, my work life, in my family and I can't turn the TV on or read the news or go on Facebook or Twitter without the attacks just being thrown in my face. It is everywhere I look. And sad to say it is in the church as well. Read the reports about the church being divided in America over the same-sex marriage issue and we are seeing before our very eyes those who are in the church making a stand on one side or another.
The Bible prophesied these days and these events. So my hope in my own life and in those I am writing to is to be sure that our stand is on the right side, which in my opinion is on the side of the truth of God's word.
It is in this spirit that I want to attempt to enter into what feels like the holy of holies.
This verse is in a sense, taking us to the heart of God; the Holy of Holies.
We already looked at the Biblical basis of Jesus being fully God and fully man and being without sin.
So let's take a look at what it means that Jesus was made to be sin.
Once again, it is of the greatest importance that any stance be made on Scripture itself. Not on church traditions or on sentimental "profound" wisdom from the pulpit.Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
In Pauls magnum opus; the book of Romans; Paul writes about the issue of how man cannot be saved from sin or from the punishment for sin based on man's compliance with God's law. In this verse Paul writes that the perfect law of God was actually weakened by our flesh. That when law meets flesh it falls apart and can do nothing to save the flesh from it's sin. That when law meets flesh, flesh ends up desiring to do exactly what the law tells the flesh not to do. And flesh also tries to do the work of meeting the righteous requirement of the law but in doing so ends up violating the law with it's own arrogance and pride. It's a Catch 22. Since the beginning man has tried to appease God based on man's works and man just doesn't seem to get it that this is the greatest exercise in futility of all time. We are so accustomed to everything about our lives being performance based that the idea of not being able to bring anything that is good about us to the table is just about as offensive to us as, let's say the cross of Calvary. And even for many of us as Christians we learn about the gift of grace that comes by faith and that there is no good thing that is in our flesh and that all of us have sinned against a holy God and yet something within our flesh still clings to the lie that we have something of value to offer to God on our behalf that is somehow apart from God. The sooner we get to the place of truth; that in us there is nothing good apart from God ;that our flesh is desperately wicked and is completely depraved, then the sooner we will be dwelling in that glorious truth of what it was He really did for us. In order for us to understand His work on the cross we must see it in the light (or darkness) of the total depravity of our sinful flesh. What Jesus accomplished was not just a nice thing to do or an interesting footnote in history. It was the complete fulfillment of the righteous requirement of God's law on the penalty of sin. The cross shows us many things but unless we see the truth of the total unholiness of our flesh then we just won't ever really get what took place there. And it is ONLY in that place where we can even begin to get an understanding of the truth of this God we speak of.
So the law cannot save us. Our works, our best efforts cannot save us. So what the law was incapable of ever doing and what we are incapable of ever being able to do, God did it for us. And how did He do this?
We all seem to know that Jesus died for our sins. But what are these verses telling us about how that happened? What does Jesus dying for our sins really mean?
It tells us that God did this by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the eternal God to this earth in the likeness of sinful flesh.
Does this idea of likeness sound at all familiar to you?
Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;...
27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Every single one of us bears the image; the likeness of God. Now don't get this confused as the new agers get it; none of us are God. Whenever someone tells you that "we're all God man" just ask them to create anything, an apple, a dog, a thread of yarn. Ask them to make it out of nothing. Ask them to speak it into existence. Consider the man being God test a failure and for those who still believe it, go and buy them a straitjacket.
Look at it this way. When you are watching a Tom Hanks movie in your living room, say, Castaway, you are seeing an image of Tom Hanks in your living room. Obviously it isn't the real life in the moment Tom Hanks in your living room, but it is an exact image of the real Tom Hanks. It is in a sense, a likeness of Tom Hanks.
And with that image we really only get to see but a glimpse of the real Tom Hanks. Even if we saw Tom in home movie footage it would still only be but a portion of the real Tom. In order for us to get to know the real Tom Hanks we would all have to live with him and see him day in and day out. And even then, we still never get to know the complete person because as the Bible says, we only see the outward appearance.
But this is the point; inasmuch as all of us bear the image and likeness of God we are all immeasurably so far from the holiness and righteousness of God that if a glimpse of that image and likeness ever gets through then all we are ever seeing from one another is exactly that; a quick, momentary glimpse of the divine.
And the reason for that is that the original image and likeness has become corrupted by sin.
1 Cor: 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
Our flesh has been corrupted by sin. In order for us to enter into the Kingdom of God, to go to heaven, a pretty drastic change must take place. This corrupt flesh must be transformed into flesh that is no longer corrupt. Now try to incorrupt yourself. Which is what many religions teach that we can accomplish by living lives of holiness. The Bible tells us something completely different. No matter what your church or religious tradition has taught you, if they have taught you anything other than atonement comes only through the cross of Christ, they have taught you a lie. Any teaching that places any aspect of salvation based on man's works is a lie.
This is the very claim about our beliefs that has the world as stirred up as it is. We are hated and reviled because we agree with the claims of God's word that the ONLY way to heaven, the only way to be right with God is through the way, the truth and the life that IS Jesus Christ and that way through is ONLY through that cross. This is supposed to offend the majority and it does. The way is too narrow to allow for all these other beliefs. The way is as narrow as the width of a savior taking the punishment on a cross. What is amazing is that it's enough space for everyone but not everyone will go that way. Most will insist on doing it on their own terms. And here is where it really ticks people off; those who go any other than way than through Jesus will end up not in heaven but instead in hell.
Sue and I watched a 2 hour program on ABC last night that had Barbara Walters going around the world asking all kinds of folks about where heaven is and how do you get there. It was as I expected it to be. Barbara spoke with the Dalai Lama (who by the way is a pretty funny guy), Richard Gere, Maria Shiver, people who had near death experiences, mainstream Muslims and Muslim terrorists, Rabbi's and the primary Christian representative of the show, Joel Osteen. And take a wild guess how this mish mash of a mess went? Exactly where you thought it would go. Not one person on the show made a stand for the claims of God's word. In fact the only other "Christian" representative basically used the false doctrine of universalism to state the "Christian" perspective. To Osteens credit, he did say that he believes that the only way to heaven is via Christ but when asked about those who believe otherwise he went into his all too familiar aw shucks, who am I to judge anyone, non-commital, beating around the bush routine taking the easy and inoffensive way out. Osteen doesn't want to offend his cash cow which are the thousands who flock to his church and the tens of thousands who watch him on TV and buy his books. I would hate to be in his shoes when it comes time to make an account before God. Like I said before, the image of the true God coming through any of us is fleeting at best.
I'm not sure how the mechanics of these things work but somehow in a similar way that we are created in the image and likeness of God, Jesus Christ becomes the likeness of sinful man. Don't ask me to explain it any other way than Jesus was fully God and fully man but was without sin. That as a man He took on the likeness of the rest of us sinners but He himself was not, ever a sinner. Our flesh is corrupt. His flesh was not.
So since the law cannot save us God sends His Son in the likeness of us sinners to condemn sin in His flesh.
Ya'all still with me? Good.
So God takes His Son who was never a sinner and made Him to be sin for us.
Here is where things can get a little weird.
Many have taught that this verse teaches us that Jesus became a sinner in this moment. That when the wrath of God for our sin was poured out on His Son on the cross, when Jesus cries out, "Father, why have You forsaken Me", that God the Father who can have no fellowship with sin turns His back on His Son and basically, disowns Him, at least during this time.
Now this idea makes for, as they say, good television. The idea of Jesus becoming sin makes this all seem a little more dramatic, a bit more sentimental, a bit more taboo. Ever seen a movie based on true events where "artistic license" is used to embellish the story to make it more entertaining? Of course you have. It's then that the movie becomes even more of a distant image and likeness than the actual truth.
Which is very much like what has happened to the Gospel message in the church today.
Jesus became a sinner? Sounds enticing. Sounds scandalous. Sounds like something that an expert director would drum up. Sounds like something that someone who had an agenda against people hearing the actual truth of God's word and being saved by hearing the truth of the word of God would drum up.
They don't call him the prince of the power of the air for nothing.

Stay tuned for part 3...

For He who knew no sin... Addendum to Part 1

I didn't want to just give you my opinion as to why Jesus was without sin. It's always important to be able to back up our beliefs on what the word of God states. It's important that any doctrine be supported by the rest of Scripture or else it's a contradiction. If we try to stand on any other foundation than the Bible in all areas of life we are standing on shaky ground. I'm real big on not relying on fallen humans to be the sole bearers of truth. This is especially true when it comes to those of us who proclaim anything about the Gospel. Any good pastor, preacher or teacher of the Bible should tell you to never trust in the person giving the message and to take the time to study it for yourself in order to be able to discern false teaching from true teachings.

The importance of accepting and trusting the truth of doctrine cannot be overemphasized because the foundation of our faith requires that the doctrines we stand on are sound and true.

The importance of trusting that Jesus was without sin is important because if Jesus wasn't without sin then His sacrifice would not have been an acceptable one. And without the sinless sacrifice the basis of our faith that we all we stand on and believe in as Christians crumbles to the ground.

So here are a few more Scriptures that deal with this issue:

Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

22 1 Peter 2:22 “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”

1 John 3:5 5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.

9 Isaiah 53:9
And they[a] made His grave with the wicked—
But with the rich at His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

The other obvious aspect of all of this is that Jesus who is full man and fully God as being God in human form still remains holy. The same characteristics and nature in the being in God we find in Jesus as well. Such as:

1 John 4:8
He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

Psalm 11:7
For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright.

1 Peter 1:15-16
But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Beholy, for I am holy."

Psalm 145:8
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy.

The search in God's word to describe His nature and character would take a lifetime or probably an eternity. It is so important to get to know exactly who He is based on the descriptions in His word and not based on our feelings or opinions. If you've never done a specific study on the nature and character of God do yourself a favor and do one. You will come away with a much better understanding of who God, Jesus and who the Holy Spirit is. And isn't getting to really know God one of the main points of Christianity? We talk about the importance of relationship and how can you have a relationship unless you know who it is your are relating to? Too often we rely on our feelings in this interaction between us and God and as important as that part is, it really makes a difference to approach God as He is; to worship God in spirit and truth.

It is on this basis that we will move on to the most incredible aspect of this particular study; of Jesus being made by the Father to be sin in order that we may become the righteousness of God.

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin... Part 1

2 Cor 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

This verse contains what may be the deepest riches that the Bible offers us. I don't like to compare the importance of verses against one another because I doubt if God had intended for us to partake in such a parlor game. It's just that I listened to a teaching last week by Alistair Begg which touched on this verse and it has been hounding me since.
The implications of this verse are beyond human comprehension; are disturbing; are awe inspiring and puts us smack dab in our place. Especially regarding how we not only look at ourselves but how we look at one another.
I take it for granted that most Christians understand and agree with the doctrine of the sinless Christ. I know that there are many who haven't accepted this truth but for me it's not at all difficult to grasp. It hasn't taken much faith on my behalf to trust that Jesus was fully man and fully God and committed no sin not only in His time on this earth but also for all of eternity. As Jesus being God; for me it goes without saying that in understanding the character and nature of God that God cannot possibly be a God where sin is anywhere in His existence. For me this is cut and dried, black and white and is as certain as anything can be. If you have any problem accepting that within the being of God that there cannot possibly be any hint or even shadow of sin then you have some serious fundamental issues that really do need to be dealt with in order for you to accept any of the other myriad truths of God's word. If this is an issue it is imperative that you go to God and get this reconciled immediately. You cannot have your cake and eat it too as a Christian. You either have to accept the revealed truth of Scripture for what it claims to be or you don't. I have heard the words from many "Christians" who say for instance that they believe in Jesus Christ (and what they exactly mean by that I'm not so sure) but can't accept the creation account, or the virgin birth, or the Flood, or Jesus walking on water, etc. I'm not saying that in order to be saved that you have to accept every dogmatic doctrine but it leads me to wonder how can someone rationally and logically accept any of it unless they can rationally and logically accept all of it? The very popular "pick and choose" method of which parts of the Bible are true and which aren't is a very dangerous way to approach the throne of God. It makes no sense at all to me that God accepts this and if I am to walk by faith then it means to take God at His word.
Which includes trusting that Jesus was without sin. Doesn't matter what the world says; what the Jesus Seminar states; what Dan Brown wrote in the "Da Vinci Code"; what the Discovery Channel airs every Christmas and Easter or what any other religions state about the being of Jesus; He never sinned. Ever.
And our being entirely convinced and established in this truth is vital to our life as Christians. The attacks of the devil have always hinged on the questioning of God's character and integrity. The defamation of Gods character will always be at the core of Satan's ministry. There are so many warnings throughout the Bible to be on guard for these attacks and for us to established in His truth that we can never take where we are in regards to our being in line with believing the truth of who God is for granted or can we take it lightly. We need to be vigilant and willing to allow the Holy Spirit access to our innermost being to root out and destroy any notions about God that do not line up with His truth. This is one of the many reasons why the battlefield of truth is so important these days.

Next time we will begin to dig deeper into the disturbing and awe inspiring notion that God made Him who knew no sin to be sin...

This Is What We Have Come To

2 Tim 3:1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

I'm flippin done.
Maybe it's because I've been sick lately with a cold that really sucks right now. Maybe it's because I'm getting crotchety in my old age. Or maybe it's because I've just had enough of your crap. I'm sick to death of the crap you've been peddling and that people have been buying up by the boatloads. I'm sick of how ya'll act one way in public and behind closed doors it's like you're another person altogether. I have an inner B.S. meter and most of the time it's ringing off the hook. Especially when I'm around you.
As far as I can see my time here is coming rapidly (I hope) to a grinding halt. And when I tell people I look forward with tremendous excitement to the event of my own death they do the sign of the cross (about time!) and look at me like I'm crazy. Now don't anyone who actually cares get all alarmed and all. There is no condition other than life itself that has me talking like this. The only terminal illness that I know of having is dealing with this life and this world. And sin of course but that's been dealt with so there's no need to go into all of that.
I'm just feeling like Howard Beale (Network) or William "D-Fens" Foster (Falling Down) who both felt pushed to the brink and were just done. Now I'm not intending on going on a rampage or offing myself. I'll stick around as long as I have to and continue to endure this crap; but let it be known that I'm not at all pleased with the notion anymore. I heartily agree with Paul when he writes in 2:Corinthians 5:8, "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." Was Paul crazy for wishing this for himself and other believers? No, it was one of the most sane desires he ever expressed.
I watched this video earlier at the top of the page. It's pretty disturbing and the language is as explicit as it gets. Whats much more offensive than the language is the heart attitude of the offenders in this video.
But this is the crap that I'm talking about. I know first hand what it's like to be treated like this by kids and it takes everything in you not to slap the living crap out of them when it happens. I don't care how "christian" you are, if seeing this doesn't make you want to go round up these little "children" and spare no rod (no rod left behind!) then you're one of the people who have bought the crap that this world has been selling everyone else. But the problem is is that we're way past the point of no return on this stuff. Corporal punishment doesn't do any good because you people took prayer out of school and punishment out of the hands of the proper authorities and put the authority in the hands of these precious little ones. They know that there's really no real consequences because you liberal folks don't like locking up innocent little tykes like these fine children because don't we all know that their all innocent of any wrongdoing because it's their parents who messed them up. YOU FOLKS MESSED THEM UP BY LETTING THE LUNATICS RUN THE ASYLUM. The school systems have been feeding these kids cancer for years by telling them, "now little Johnny, if someone at home does as much as lay a finger on you or even holler at you then let us know and well make a call to CPS for ya". Well, years have gone by and these kids aren't stupid and they know that mom and dad and the bus monitor have no real authority because the laws protect the poor little innocent children. The reason that there even was a CPS in the first place was to deal with actual cases of neglect, maltreatment and abuse. REAL CASES. That was a good thing to do because let's face it, right is right and wrong is wrong and abuse on any level is wrong. But you people have thrown the baby out with the bathwater on this and have taken it to such an extreme that these kids have the run of the house in America now. So don't shake your heads in revulsion at this video and wonder how it all came to this when you probably helped to contribute to a culture where kids have no fear of any authority anymore. Why should they fear authority when there isn't any authority anymore? If this crap happened when I was a kid (and it didn't) then that woman would have started wailing on those little punks and walked them off the bus to their houses where mommy and daddy would've been waiting to pick up where the bus monitor left off. And everyone would've applauded.
But not anymore.

Psalm 111:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

You lovely folks started by taking prayer out of schools because you lived in fear of what us crazy religious folks were gonna do to your society. Hope ya'all like this result instead. And then you told folks that no one has a right to tell a woman what to do with her body and that it was ok for a woman to kill a human fetus. With that nice little present you sent the message that human life isn't really all that valuable anymore which was the very environment these kids were raised up in. You show them how invaluable they all really are and you end up with little savages who have no respect for themselves or anyone else. And why should they when you showed them that life itself isn't really as important as birth control? And now ya'all are insisting on same-sex marriage. We've been warning you people all along but no, you can't even begin to entertain the possibility that we just might not be as crazy as you all believe we are and so instead of having any civil discourse with us on these issues, you have instead become hatetheists and look down your noses at us because doesn't everyone know that Bible believing Christians are imbeciles who pray to an imaginary man in the sky? I read your stuff and the hate that you have for us is ridiculous. And it's really illogical and sad. We can't have conversations with people who see themselves as being intellectually and even morally superior to us. Yes, you see yourselves as being morally superior because after all isn't this same-sex marriage thing which we've been warning you all about is all really about equal rights isn't it?
You seem to forget that for every action there will always be a reaction that will be both positive and negative. The negative is the continuing breakdown of the family and the message that just about anything goes now between two consenting adults. There is no right or wrong anymore. We make the rules up as we go along. If you really think that this won't have some pretty bad repercussion then you just don't get it. And I'll admit ya'll make some compelling points about the disaster's us Christians have made of a lot of the family systems we've been involved with but the best results in any family I've ever seen is when that house consists of everyone being on board with God and doing it His way. But that's getting harder and harder to do these days when ya'll keep making up your own rules and turn your backs on God's.
We all will reap what we sow. Ya'll seem to like the idea of karma so sit back and enjoy the ride.

Just like the ride Karen Klein had on that bus.

The Good Wife

Proverbs 8: 22 He who finds a [true] wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.

I am a man who has gained mucho favor from the Lord.
Ten years ago I found a good wife. Or she found me. Someone got found. Because someone was lost.
For those of you who know Sue and I you know we have a really good thing going for us. In spite of extreme trials and tribulations, Sue and I have been able to persevere and live up to the commitment we made to one another when we said those vows. We both meant it and we still do. We have endured some rocky roads and treacherous waters but we are still together with a love that is deeper and richer today than it ever has.
We could easily take credit for our success for many people would agree to that because of what Sue and I have done to accomplish what we have. But our taking credit for any success or blessings we have as a couple would be beyond foolish.

A few years back I ran into someone in a grocery store who knew about some of the things Sue and I had been going through and asked me why I was still hanging around. Without going into any of the details, the struggles really rarely ever had anything to do with anything going on between Sue and myself. They had to do with people we both love who were (and still are) making some really bad choices that caused tremendous heartbreak and pain in our lives.
The answer to the person in the grocery store as to why I was still there was, "well, there's a God...".
And this God saw fit to bless me with a true wife. How many people can honestly say that they are able to trust their spouse completely? How many people can say that they know beyond a shadow of any doubt that their spouse will always be there? And most importantly; how many people have a spouse who has a heart and a hunger for God?
This God also saw fit to bless me with the ability to stick and stay and live up to the commitment. Every ability that we have that is meant for good comes from God. Whether that ability is considered to be a great talent or skill or even the ability to breath or type these words; all abilities came from God. None of us are the creators or originators of these abilities. When I hear people who subscribe to new age teachings that we all are ourselves God, I inwardly cringe and chuckle at the same time. I always think to myself, "could you just make let's say, an apple out of thin air?".
God gets the credit; the glory for the blessing that Sue and I get to enjoy. In the midst of great difficulties is priceless blessings.
Now if we look at this verse from the perspective of us believers being the bride of Christ we see this verse from a whole other angle. Is God blessed; obtaining favor by having any of us as His bride? Are we being true to Him? Has God found a good thing in us?
If He has we still don't get to take any credit for our righteousness comes from the cross and sacrifice of Christ. Any blessings, rewards, crowns, etc. all rightfully get returned to their source.
But I really like the idea of being pleasing to God as I like the idea of being pleasing to my wife. I adore her and I want her to be pleased with me. It's a two-way street. Love always is a two-way street. Or actually an endless infinite super highway. Love wants to simultaneously be pleasing and be pleased. And it is only in the hands of the Infinite God that this is possible.

Sermon Notes: The Need For Love Part 2

So if all of this is true then why is it that many of us know about His love but few of us dwell in the reality and experience of His love? Why is it then that so many Christians rarely if ever express and present to the world around them a person who has been fundamentally and radically changed by the experience of dwelling in God’s love? Why is it that we look and sound like those who walk around this earth speaking the language of the lost; complaining. Why do we have to fight so hard with our self absorption in order to even begin to consider what is going on with someone else around us, maybe someone in our homes and in our own beds? Why do we feel that we aren’t good enough Christians yet and that I need to do all this work for Christ in order to gain His acceptance and approval? How come I don’t have a clue about this so called victorious Christian life of rest and peace in Him? Why is my life being ruled more by my emotions instead of the eternal truth of God’s word? How come I haven’t learned how to be content in all things like Paul was able to learn? Why do I continue to believe the lies about myself that my inner man mumbles to me when I want to go to sleep that I am worthless and unlovable and that no one really cares about me because why would they?

It is all because I have allowed my emotions and thoughts to be my god. It is all because I have defined love based on my experiences with fallen, sinful human beings. And as thankful and appreciative as I am for the priceless gift of the love of another person, it can never do the work of "completing me". Somewhere along the line we believed the message that human love be it from a parent, a lover, a spouse or even a child can fulfill us and "complete" us. And as wonderful and precious as all those forms of love are, they still end up failing in sustaining our need for love.  

And then we are presented with the truth of God's word which goes to great lengths to describe a love beyond human understanding; a love that is infinite; a love received not based on the recipient earning or even deserving of His love. A love that just is because the God who gives it is love. And to prove the truth of His love, He sacrifices His Son in the single greatest act of love in human history. 

And yet we struggle with experiencing His love. I think the problem is THE problem of all problems; the problem of sin. Sin has tainted and distorted everything good in God's creation. By the time we get to experience anything of God's creation; the purity and holiness of what His hand has created has changed. Think about it. In the original creation everything was sinless, pure, perfect and holy. Once sin entered our experience it tainted everything. Man who was made in the image and likeness of God barely resembles that image and likeness anymore. Certainly not at all without the transforming work of Jesus Christ. And even then, the born-again renewed and transformed spirit and soul is still housed by a body of corrupted flesh. Then you put together a hundred or so of those transformed and renewed people housed in flesh together in a place we call church and it's no wonder the church has the issues it has. Christians are not perfect human beings. We are transformed, saved, forgiven, sanctified ONLY by the work of His cross. To expect complete perfection from Christians is an extremely unrealistic expectation and a recipe for disappointment and disaster. To expect complete perfect love from any human beings, even Christians is a set-up for failure. It is only through the work of the Holy Spirit that we get to experience any of the glimpses of His original, sinless, holy creation at all. Including the experience of love.

We believe that the love of God is a real and wonderful reality but have we judged the quality of His love based on our experience of human love? And since human love is lacking we judge God’s love to be lacking as well. And since pain, heartbreak, disappointment, suffering, tragedy and the fact that life is not going my way are all a parts of this life, my brain jumps to the conclusion that if there were a God who loves us then why do I and the rest of us have the experience of suffering and pain? (Funny how we never ask this question when we experience pleasure which probably cause more problems than pain does, but that's another blog for another day).

Despite the problem of God's love being tainted by our sin, God has made His love as abundant to us as the air we breath. I really don't have to look very hard for it. What did I have to eat today? Where did the food come from? Is there anything at all that I need that I don't have? Is there at least one person in the world who loves me and that I can love back? The answer to all of these questions is a resounding yes and the truth is that I have much, much more than I need in all of these areas and so many more.
So then why is it that so many of us are so dissatisfied and interpret our dissatisfaction as meaning that God's love is deficient in our lives? The reason I don’t always experience His love is simple. I am still a child throwing a temper tantrum who insists that I get my toy or my ice cream and if the one who can give it to me ever says no then I am not being loved.

But if I make the choice to reconsider all of this; to see the truth not just in His word but in this world and in my own life and the lives of most, then maybe something could change. If I begin to place the truth of God’s love before my thoughts, my feelings and my interpretations of my life then maybe I might start seeing things differently. If I force my mind to begin it’s processing with the truth that God loves me then maybe something might begin to change. If the first thought I choose in the morning when I awake would be that God loves me then maybe things might change. If when I look at my wife I would have the thought God loves me maybe things would be better between us. If when I go out the door and drive and think God loves me maybe I will see and treat others a little bit better and maybe His love will push through the sin and corruptible flesh to touch someone else. If when I have to deal with difficult people I think that God loves me in my extreme difficulty maybe they won’t bother me as much and I won’t be as inclined to give them a piece of my mind.

If I begin to look back through my life and look for the evidence that God loves me maybe something might change deep within me. If instead of looking at my parents through critical eyes that condemn them as being dysfunctional maybe I would be able to see that maybe there were times that they provided love for me. It might have been imperfect and it might have been infrequent but maybe there were times where they at least tried to love me through their fallenness and sin. If I really look hard enough I’ll see that they loved me when I was disrespectful and took my anger out on them. I’ll se that they loved me in spite of my own sin and fallenness.

If I look hard enough I would see that God had sent a multitude of people throughout my life to love me. And instead of being angry that they were only there for a season and when they left my life they took their love with them; maybe I could instead be grateful that they were there in the first place and that I did experience their love.

If I look hard enough I would see that during the times of my being abused that there was an eternal action of love that took place 2000 years ago when God gave His Son to be abused in order to deal with what was being done to me then maybe I might begin to see that despite what He allowed that He still loved me and would eventually use this for good.

If when I look at myself instead of seeing a severely overweight, getting older by the minute lump of flesh who in my own critical eyes never does anything right and who questions his own existence in this world; if I would choose instead to see His creation, His handiwork created by Him for a purpose and function in this world then something very deep within me might begin to change. Instead of looking at myself and seeing a Christian who just isn’t good enough yet if I would choose instead to see me as He sees me; forgiven, made righteous through His blood, a new creation made new by His love having paid for my sin then things might really begin to change.

If I ever wonder if God actually loves me or not maybe I’ll imagine a beaten beyond human recognition Savior dying on a cross for me. Maybe something might fundamentally begin to change deep down inside of me that this event happened because of His love for me and because of my hatred for Him. 

If after all of this change in perspective I begin to look at you and understand that I am just as much of a sinner as you are and that since God loves me it must mean that He loves you too then maybe I just might start looking at you differently than before and I might just start treating you differently than before.

Because once I begin to experience and live in and dwell in the reality of His love for me things will begin to fundamentally change. The world won’t change one iota. But I will. Once my need for love begins to be filled by Him I won’t need yours as much as before. I will still want and it and need it for God loves me most often through you. But once I become secure by the power of His might reinforcing His love over and over again and again in me I will be a person who is more at peace and at rest in Him; secure in a love that has no limits; a love that can never be depleted; a love that still loved me when I was against Him in my sin; a love that loved me before I was born; before the heavens and the earth were formed. I am not loved because I exist; I exist because I am loved.

And I’m going to need you in order to give you some of this love too. He doesn’t just want me to dwell in the experience of His love just for my benefit. If that were the case then it wouldn’t be love at all. His love can’t just stop with any of us. It has to keep keeping on. Just as being loved is a need so is being a lover a need. So let people love you. Don’t steal their blessing. And pass it on. When you do you will be living as Jesus lived. You will be fulfilling the purpose of His creating you.  

Knowing that through what Jesus performed on that cross that I am forgiven and accepted as I am; that at this moment of still having flawed fallen flesh that God is ok with me; has got to be the most incredible thing of all. Just as a newborn baby is loved for coming into the world and cannot earn or even deserve that love based on any accomplishments, we too need to know that His love for us is always exactly the same. There is nothing we can do to earn it. What He wants us to do is believe it so that we can receive it and share it with those around us. As far as I'm concerned that right there is the deepest and most profound theology of all. And once I allow myself to exist in that knowledge I can take a deep breath and relax in Him and in His love. There is still work for Him to do in me for I am far from completion. Even after dwelling in the experience of His love the old self absorbed old man resurfaces pretty much everyday. But that’s ok, there’s always a cross to take that old man to. God always provides the way.

So I don’t have to worry about jumping through any hoops and being a better Christian for His work on that cross was complete. There is no greater love than a man laying down His life for another. He did it and I get to receive the blessing of it. 

And so do you.

Sermon Notes: The Need For Love Part 1

EPHESIANS 3:16-19 16May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality]. 17May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love, 18That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God's devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it]; 19[That you may really come] to know [practically, [e]through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses [f]mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] [g]unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and [h]become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!

"Love is a basic human need," says Dean Ornish, M.D., author of Love and Survival: 8 Pathways to Intimacy and Health. "When we don't get it, we pay a price in how long we live and how likely we are to get sick."
We may also pay a price if we don't give love. According to Stephen Post Ph.D. professor of bioethics and religion Ohio's Case Western University, research shows that loving acts neutralize the kind of negative emotions that adversely affect immune, endocrine and cardiovascular function. Studies published over the past five years show that loving and helping others has health benefits, says Post. There may even be a physiological response or "helper's high" that makes people feel stronger and more energetic and counters some of the harmful effects of stress.
Fifty years ago at the University of Wisconsin, psychologist Harry Harlow believed that affection and connection were the foundations of life. In a landmark experiment, Harlow took baby monkeys from their real mothers, giving them wire "moms" devised to deliver milk. But the youngsters would only cuddle when their surrogates were covered in a furry cloth. These monkeys thrived, while those with the bare-wire models didn't. The results proved Harlow's theory that attachment to another is as crucial a drive as thirst, hunger and sex.
A landmark 1945 study by René Spitz established that love is so vital to infants that those deprived of it may perish for want of it. The study looked at "a hospital where a group of children—all under three years of age—were fed and clothed adequately but, because of too few nurses, given very little personal attention. No one talked to them, carried them around, or cuddled them. The human results were devastating: within two years fully a third of the children had died and the rest were mentally retarded . . . The conclusion seemed to be clear: loving attention is as essential as food for the human infant" (James McKee, Sociology: The Study Of Society, 1981, p. 79).
That people need love is considered a basic truth by many scientists. In "Can't Do Without Love," U.S. News and World Report reported that biologists "know that love is central to human existence . . . The capacity for loving emotions is . . . written into our biochemistry, essential if children are to grow and thrive" (Feb. 17, 1997, p. 58).
From birth to death, love is not just the focus of human experience but also the life force of the mind, determining our moods, stabilizing our bodily rhythms, and changing the structure of our brains. The body's physiology ensures that relationships determine and fix our identities. Love makes us who we are, and who we can become. (A General Theory of Love, 2000, Lewis by Amini, Lannon, p.viii)
Recently I met a group of scientists in America who said that the rate of mental illness in their country was quite high—around 12 percent of the population. It became clear during our discussion that the main cause of depression was not a lack of material necessities, but a deprivation of the affection of others. Dalai Lama
Humans need to feel a sense of belonging and acceptance, whether it comes from a large social group, such as clubs, office culture, religious groups, professional organizations, sports teams, gangs, or small social connections (family members, intimate partners, mentors, close colleagues, confidants). They need to love and be loved by others.
The need for love lies at the very foundation of human existence. It results from the profound interdependence we all share with one another. However capable and skillful an individual may be, left alone he or she will not survive. However vigorous and independent one may feel during the most prosperous periods of life, when one is sick or very young or very old, one must depend on the support of others.
The need to be loved is exceptionally strong in all human beings. From childhood to old age, humans want to be loved by those around them. Love connects people in the strongest of ways. It produces care and concern, without which no one would take the responsibility of looking after others. Love makes the difficulties of life bearable, and helps ease the struggles of life. The love given to a child is more important than any material goods the family can provide.
Life cannot just run on cold and hard rules. The warmth of love is necessary to infuse spirit and joy in life. A home without love, however orderly and organized, has not fulfilled its true purpose. A family is not just a micro-organization where the material needs of its members are met. This could be done by a state run facility. A family’s outstanding characteristic is that members love one another, and this emotion binds them together. Love or the lack of it has a profound effect on the lives of children. Their mental capabilities, their fluency of speech, their observations and deductions on life, are all affected by it. That is why Islam emphasizes the display of love to one’s family. Imam Ja`far as-Sadiq

You don't need money, don't take fame
Don't need no credit card to ride this train
It's strong and it's sudden and it's cruel sometimes
but it might just save your life
That's the power of love

  Huey Lewis 

All you need is love. 

 John Lennon

What you have just heard is the tip of the iceberg from the world of science, psychology, Buddhism, Islam and music that love is a need. Not a want or just a desire but a need. Love is as vital to our lives and survival as air, water, food, clothing and shelter. Without it we perish. With it we don’t just live, we thrive.
The only example that came from the Bible was the section from Ephesians. It just shows through research, common sense, science and even differing religions that love is recognized as a need. Of course God’s word has been stating the same thing for a long time now.
Paul in writing his letter to the Ephesian church prayed that out of the rich treasury of God’s glory that the Holy Spirit would reside in our innermost being and personality so that we would be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man so that Christ would make Himself at home and dwell within us so that deep within us we would be rooted deep in His love and that His love would be secure in us.
So that through His power and strength that we would be able to lay hold of and grasp within ourselves and along with one another the infinite dimensions of God’s love for us.
That we would REALLY come to know the love of Christ which is so much greater than mere knowing about it. He wants us to know the experience of His love. So that we would be people filled with His fullness and [h]become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!
Since all Scripture is given by inspiration of The Holy Spirit and is God breathed (meaning there is His life in these words) it is safe to say that this is not just the prayer of Paul but it is the heart desire and will of God Himself.
God doesn’t just want us to know the concept and idea that God loves us; He wants us to dwell in the reality and experience of His love. Because if science, psychology, other religions and the arts all recognize love as a human need then its safe to say that God recognizes it too.
And since God is the source of all things; of life itself then it is also safe to assume that He being the source of His divine perfect love makes it available to us just as He has made air, water, food, clothing and shelter available to us. For God has certainly and without doubt supplied us with all we need.
So if all of this is true then why is it that many of us know about His love but few of us dwell in the reality and experience of His love? Why is it then that so many Christians rarely if ever express and present to the world around them a person who has been fundamentally and radically changed by the experience of dwelling in God’s love? Why is it that we look and sound like those who walk around this earth speaking the language of the lost; complaining. Why do we have to fight so hard with our self absorption in order to even begin to consider what is going on with someone else around us, maybe someone in our homes and in our own beds? Why do we feel that we aren’t good enough Christians yet and that I need to do all this work for Christ in order to gain His acceptance and approval? How come I don’t have a clue about this so called victorious Christian life of rest and peace in Him? Why is my life being ruled more by my emotions instead of the eternal truth of God’s word? How come I haven’t learned how to be content in all things like Paul was able to learn? Why do I continue to believe the lies about myself that my inner man mumbles to me when I want to go to sleep that I am worthless and unlovable and that no one really cares about me because why would they?

Stay tuned for part 2...

An Important Question

I was on my way to an eye exam yesterday near where I work when I sensed the Lord instructing me to shut off Ravi Zacharias and talk to Him instead. I was praying about stuff going on with our kids, stuff going on with Sue being sick lately, stuff about stuff in general. And once again God led me down that path that winds way deep down within me to get to the heart of the matter. Once again it was something that I wasn't really thinking about or even feeling anything about but it was something that He knew that needed to be addressed. I say once again because this experience has happened to me more times than I really can remember. I think I'm going into prayer about this or that and it ends up being about something else entirely. It feels like God reaches His hand down from heaven and puts His finger upon the "something" that's usually buried way, way down somewhere at the innermost core of my being.

And what He placed His finger on was nothing new. In fact it was something that I've struggled with pretty much throughout my time as a believer. There have been times when this particular struggle was really not much of a struggle. And then there have been other times when it's been downright debilitating. Lately its been more like a nagging ache.

At my core was the question, "am I really Yours"?

In my last blog post I wrote something about how we can't allow our thoughts, feelings, opinions, philosophies and experiences to dictate what is and what isn't true about God's word. And in writing that it kicked up some stuff in me about my own failings in living up to that. All too often, I have allowed my perspective on my grossly imperfect walk as a Christian to dictate to me as to whether I am actually His or not. And I have also deep down inside just really wondered about my salvation. Was my conversion real? Was my repentance enough? I mean, I have no problem whatsoever believing that Jesus accomplished salvation for whoever believes on that cross but when it comes to me, sometimes I have really wondered if I really am included in this or not. Because I really want to be.

And also because I am also extremely intimately knowledgeable of my inner man. I'm the only one, other than God, who gets to hear my thoughts and feel my attitudes even if I mask them for the rest of the world, I get to have full view of them. And quite frankly, all too often, maybe even more times than not, those thoughts, feelings and attitudes have no place in the vicinity, let alone in the body, of Christ.

I disagree with Paul when he calls himself the "chief of sinners" because I know I can give him a good run for his money. I am at least a close, by a nose second. And also I know the ludicrousness and silliness of competing either for being the worst sinner or the best Christian and how that nonsense is not of the Kingdom either (see what I mean!). But the point is I have wondered many, many times if I am really one of His or not because when I see me I see a Christian failure. I don't see a giant of the faith at all. I see someone who just doesn't seem to really get it. In fact, when the non-believers call us hypocrites I can't help but think, "YES! I AM! YOU FOUND ME OUT!"

Deep down in my core for years has been this burning, nagging question. So yesterday when God pointed out the existence of the question within me I just asked Him, "am I Yours"?

I was still driving to the eye doctor and God didn't answer my question. Not yet.

I got there a few minutes early and I sensed God impressing on me to close my eyes and try to think of nothing but Him and to focus on His presence with me in my van. It was calm, peaceful, relaxing and just plain nice. No deep spiritual experience that solved the mysteries of the universe or even answered my question but just a kind of matter of fact, "I'm here and so are you" kind of thing. It was just a really nice little moment.

So I go inside to the eye doctors and sat in the waiting room. I pulled out my phone because I also sensed that I needed to look up 1 John on my Bible app and read it while I was waiting to get my eyes examined. I didn't hear a booming voice out of the sky proclaim, "READ 1 JOHN NOW". It was, once again (has happened many, many times) a simple, matter of fact kind of impression to just read 1 John. I thought, "well maybe I need to read about God's love for me" since 1 John deals a lot about that subject. But that wasn't what He wanted me to see. It was this instead;

(By the way this is from the Amplified Bible which is the translation I was reading it from) (and oh yeah, the Amplified Bible is the Bible turned up to 11) (get it?)

1 JOHN 2:3And this is how we may discern [daily, by experience] that we are coming to know Him [to perceive, recognize, understand, and become better acquainted with Him]: if we keep (bear in mind, observe, practice) His teachings (precepts, commandments).

4 Whoever says, I know Him [I perceive, recognize, understand, and am acquainted with Him] but fails to keep and obey His commandments (teachings) is a liar, and the Truth [[c]of the Gospel] is not in him.

5 But he who keeps (treasures) His Word [who bears in mind His precepts, who observes His message in its entirety], truly in him has the love of and for God been perfected (completed, reached maturity). By this we may perceive (know, recognize, and be sure) that we are in Him:

6 Whoever says he abides in Him ought [as [d]a personal debt] to walk and conduct himself in the same way in which He walked andconducted Himself.

Hmmmm. I asked a question from the core of my being. A pretty important question. "Am I Yours?" And within the hour He leads me to Scripture with the clearest and most direct answer possible. Not a sign on the sky, not a voice booming from the heavens, not on a mountaintop or at a spiritual retreat but in a waiting room, waiting to get my vision checked.

I was blind to the truth about being His and He corrected my distorted and blurry vision with the truth of His word.

So the question from this passage is this, do I keep His word? Do I treasure His word? Do I bear His word in mind? Observe it in how I live? Practice it in my life? I guess I have to say yes I do but only by His grace. And keep in mind I am still "practicing" it. Thank God it doesn't say I have to do it perfectly. For the work of perfecting is all His. It even says that in this passage as well. The rest of the Bible bears this out and supports this; that He is the author and perfecter (finisher) of our faith; that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.

I'm so glad that he gets all the credit (glory) for the work because frankly, I don't want nor could I achieve that responsibility.

Then comes the challenge of verse 6. If I say I am in Him, if I believe what His word says in answer to this question, then as a debt to Him I need to be mindful to walk and to conduct myself in the same way that He walked and conducted Himself. Please be patient and bear with me on this one because I got a long way to go. When I fail at it do me and yourself a favor and don't gloat and point fingers. Be gracious (like Him) and pray for me. But we aim for the bulls eye. We will miss the mark many, many times but He has our failings covered too (read 1 John 1:8-10 and 2:1, I won't post it, get your Bible out or whatever you use and look it up!).

His mercies are new everyday. He prays for us when we don't have a clue on what to pray for and He completed the work of atonement on that cross. All He asks us to do is to believe and to follow and He shows us how to walk like Him through the supernatural power and work of the Holy Spirit.

And He reaches down from heaven and digs His fingers into the mess that is us and forces us to face what we'd rather ignore and He doesn't shy away from the hard questions but provides the answer in Himself and in the truth of His word. Every time.

Ask me today as I write this, "Jack, are you His?"

You betcha.

"Has God indeed said?"

Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”
2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’”4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that itwas pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

"Has God indeed said...?"

Ladies and gentlemen, this is where it all begins.

And it is exactly as it is today. There really is nothing new under the sun, or the moon for that matter. The integrity and the authenticity of God's word has been under attack since this moment in the first garden. Many refuse to read this story and take it as a factual moment in history. Many proclaim it to be a metaphor in which gain insight into the eternal war of good vs. evil. Many just simply disbelieve the whole thing and that the notion of the existence of God is just pure bunk.

And since none of us have been given the means to prove the validity of the reality of the story, we are hard pressed on how to explain our belief in God's word.

There are many evangelical approaches to those not yet saved. Many of them are wonderful and some not so wonderful. For instance, the approach of Eve in her evangelical efforts to persuade Satan that God did indeed say ended up in a pretty extreme mess. So much can be gathered from these verses but I want to focus on what Eve did wrong. I don't mean the partaking of the fruit, although that was clearly wrong but instead lets focus on her efforts to proclaim the Gospel to the enemy.

Eve's first mistake is quite often the one we still make to this day. At Eve's disposal (and ours) is a hot line to the Creator. In the blink of an eye any of us who are saved can call on Him and get immediate help on how to answer the enemy whenever the enemy attacks the truth of God's word. But no, she and unfortunately we often take it upon ourselves to answer for God. even Jesus in His infinite wisdom knew better than to answer Satan with any earth born words or means. When tempted by Satan Jesus used the very thing that Eve should have used which was the word of God. Pay attention to the exact wording of Eve's first response; And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die".

Eve misquoted God. Here is what God said to Adam recorded in Genesis 2;
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Somewhere between Adam filling the wife in on this pretty important little rule and Eve talking with the Devil about it was a slight little misinterpretation. Was this misinterpretation, this little adding on about touching the fruit that big of a deal? Is focusing on her adding to the word of God really that big of a deal? Was it actually worse than her eating the fruit and then giving it to Adam?

The comparison of the mistakes Eve made isn't the point. The point is that whenever we change one dot or tittle of God's word we are setting ourselves up and those around us up for disaster.

This I imagine would seem to be pointless nitpicking to many. But think about it. If the exact translation of God's word was good enough for Jesus to use during His temptation by the enemy shouldn't it be good enough for us as well? Did Eve going to battle by herself and improperly without the exact truth of God's word not open the door for the enemy to put his foot in the doorway?

Paul writes to us in Ephesians to put on the whole armor of God. Out of all the pieces of armor, all meant for protection of the body, only one piece of weaponry is described. The sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.

In a day and age when the truth is not only up for grabs anymore but is openly being discarded and rampantly abused, we desperately need to be a people of His body who can wield this sword of His Spirit properly. The lines are being drawn in this war in their most distinctive and clearest capacity then they have probably ever been drawn before. When you have had such a vicious attack on God's word and His truth as we have seen in this day and age then you must know this; the enemy is gearing up and amassing his troops for war. This war is also nothing new. But what is new is the mind boggling, overt display of anti-Christian sentiments everywhere you look. You want to talk about people coming out of the closet to portray the truth of who they are; there has been nothing like what we are seeing before our very eyes in man's history of the extent and numbers of those who openly and wantonly attack the validity and authenticity of the word of God. And even more disconcerting are those who have been mounting these attacks from the pulpits and pews of so many churches. I read an article the other day about a Christian softball league that kicked another church's team off of the league because the pastor from that church was openly bi-sexual. Believe it or not many, if not most people that replied in a forum about the article, were offended that Christians would dare to kick a team out of their league just because Christians aren't supposed to perform such a judgmental act. Uh, what about the obvious offense of a pastor of a Christian church being bi-sexual? What is wrong with that picture? How can a Christian church be allowed to allow pastors to be gay? Well, not all "Christian" churches are in actuality Christian. Nor are they part of the body of Christ. I could build a hamburger joint and put some golden arches outside of it but unless I have the corporate backing of McDonalds, it's no McDonalds.

Many are being deceived. And it's so easy to see how this deception is occurring because many of the deceivers themselves believe their hearts are in the right place. What is being presented by so many is the common denominator that is within most human beings; the desire for justice and love.

It is partly understandable how this came to be. Most of us want to see justice prevail. We want to see people treated with love and grace. We cringe at the idea of people being abused and mistreated. And we cringe for good reason. Because all of us were made in the image and likeness of God. God hates it when we mistreat one another. You see this theme running throughout the entire Bible.

So it's easy to understand why so many see us as being intolerant and bigoted about this whole same sex marriage thing. They see it purely as an equal rights issue and here we come along with our history of wack a doos protesting the funerals of slain soldiers; Jim Jones and his horrors; the Crusades; Catholic priests sexually abusing children; the blowing up of abortion clinics; the embarrassing truth of the failures of so many Christian marriages and just the plain wackiness you see routinely on Christian television and then we proclaim that your wanting to legalize same sex marriage is wrong because our Bible tells us so. Let's keep it real folks. All too often the bad press that the church has gotten is well deserved. Of course all the good that the church has done (and it sure has) gets no coverage at all because that stuff just doesn't raise the ratings nor does it fall into the enemies missionary agenda. But the sad, pathetic truth is that we as the body have given them plenty of ammunition to shoot at us with and to roll their eyes at us when we try to proclaim anything about the truth of God's word. Be aware of why they react the way they do. Have they been deceived? Absolutely, but know that they don't want to just hear what we have to say, they need to see it being lived out in order for it to make any sense to them.

The failures of the church combined with people in the pews giving an ear to anything outside of the truth of God's word has not just allowed the enemy to get his foot in the door; it's invited him in and has fed him dinner on a silver platter.

The only way we get to where we need to be is when we allow God's word to overrule any thought, opinion, emotion, philosophy or experience that would persuade us to go in any other direction.

It is this simple. We are people who either trust completely the full counsel of God's word above and beyond everything else or we are people who are easily swayed by the winds of this day and age.

Back in the day when I knew that God wanted me to believe in Him through His Son, I was reluctant and extremely skeptical about believing in anything about the Bible. The idea of becoming one of those "Christians" frightened me. Part of my "reasoning" about not believing was how could anyone know what to believe in because of the vast marketplace of religious beliefs all claiming to be "it". Plus the fact that I thought you "Christians" were all a bit nuts. Plus I had a reputation as an agnostic with a chip on his shoulder to uphold. By the way, the chip is still there.

I've never heard the voice of God but I have gotten what I can only call as being clear, precise, exact impressions from God. And at that time the impression that was as clear as anything that has ever been communicated to me was this; "you think you know something about My word; you know nothing (ouch). In order to believe in Me, you MUST believe in Me through My son" (keep in mind this was way before I read John 14:6). And here was the kicker; " I want you to approach My word as if it were the truth and lets see what happens".

And so my reluctant and skeptical self submitted and did what I had been told.

I have seen so far what has happened. In a nutshell His word impresses me more and more every day with how it has weaved together a mind boggling array of threads that all connect to one another in the most cohesive manner in anything I have ever encountered. In it's infinite complexity there is found the most profound simplicity where all verses, chapters and books all lead to one destination and that is the person of Jesus Christ. It led me to "religion" but not at all in the conventional sense that word imparts but to a religion of His truth where what is at the very core of this "religion" is the revealed heart of God made manifest in the person of Jesus Christ.

I have watched and experienced what has happened as a result of my submission to His command and I am at a loss of words to really describe what it is I have experienced. All I know is that it makes the most sense to my mind and it makes the most sense to my heart.

And I watch a world being destroyed and I get to see so many precious lives being torn to shreds by the creator and father of lies. And I see a multitude of people buying into his "religion". And I see on a daily basis the earthly end result of what happens to those who buy into his religion when I see people who I have counseled for substance usage who end up relapsing over and over again and you can see the life and spirit just being drained out of their bodies; the addicts who have ended up with a family and a community of friends grieving over their dead bodies in a funeral home or the addicts who have given up all hope and end up taking their lives because they and so many around them have bought the lies that life has no meaning and it's all crap because don't you know that in the end we just die and end up in the ground and none of this means anything?

Well that's not what God's word says.

God's word says that all life is more precious than silver and gold. That the value of every man can be found on a cross raised up on a hill outside of Jerusalem where the Son of God bears upon Himself the price and penalty of all of us believing the lie instead of believing Him. God's word also says that when we look to the One on that cross and believe in Him that we are then granted eternal life with Him and with those who believe the same. We think too often of sin of being the bad things we do when at it's core it's our giving ear to the enemy when he whispers in our ears, "has God indeed said?" To believe that life is meaningless; that there is nothing after we die or that everyone regardless of belief or non belief goes to heaven is one of many lies of the devil. To believe anything that is contrary to God's word is to believe a lie. Is this nitpicking? I think not because lies kill. Truth gives life.

The only adequate and necessary answer to the enemies question of "has God indeed said" is found in the word of God. Not in human reasoning or persuasion of wonderful words but only in His word which is the weapon of choice for all Christians. If it worked for Jesus it can certainly work for us.

Even little children who attend Sunday school know this for they are taught this simple yet most profound of truths:

Jesus loves me! this I know,

For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong;
they are weak but He is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.

Armed with this truth you can withstand the assault and attacks in any and every capacity. Things may look bleak but remember what the Bible says about the end result;

God wins.

Dear Mr. President

Posted on Huffington Post on 5/9/12:
"This is something that, you know, we’ve talked about over the years and she, you know, she feels the same way, she feels the same way that I do. And that is that, in the end the values that I care most deeply about and she cares most deeply about is how we treat other people and, I, you know, we are both practicing Christians and obviously this position may be considered to put us at odds with the views of others.

But, you know, when we think about our faith, the thing at root that we think about is, not only Christ sacrificing himself on our behalf, but it’s also the Golden Rule, you know, treat others the way you would want to be treated. And I think that’s what we try to impart to our kids and that’s what motivates me as president and I figure the most consistent I can be in being true to those precepts, the better I’ll be as a as a dad and a husband and hopefully the better I’ll be as president."

This is of course last week's statement from President Obama about his support of same-sex marriage. This recent stand has rocked our country in the last week and has polarized an already divided nation. The stand that President Obama made has caused us to have to make a stand as well; either for his stand or against it. Honestly, many of us have already made this stand but because of the publicity surrounding this historic statement from a United States President it has forced many of us to respond publicly as well.

Never before has a President made such a statement. It is historic because of it's content and because of it's implications. Never before has a President publicly backed such a sensitive issue which 5-10 years ago would have been impossible. And what has made it possible? Is it because we as a nation have become more progressive and modern in our tolerance and in our world view or is it because we have lost complete bearings of what used to be the moral compass of our nation? Many, if not most people (based on recent polls) would believe that we have "evolved" into a more caring and loving people who simply want everyone to have equal rights. It's pretty hard to logically argue against granting equal rights. Especially when equal rights and the "Golden Rule" become the pinnacle of what is of utmost importance. 

But there are many other people who see the continuing decline of morality as the barometer that indicates that we have not been evolving at all but have been become even more morally depraved than ever. The fact that we live in a world that not only accepts behaviors and attitudes that a short time ago were considered immoral and depraved but now celebrates has become extremely alarming to many. For the President to embrace same sex marriage in the name of "doing unto others as they would do unto you" is in my opinion, the death knell of morality as we used to know it. Many, many people applaud the sounding of this death knell and once again, believe it to be mankind moving progressively and lovingly into the future. Nothing could be further from the truth. 

Or rather, from The Truth.

President Obama stated that, "in the end the values that I care most deeply is how we treat other people". He then goes on to say about himself and Michelle Obama that, "we are both practicing Christians". And then, "but, you know, when we think about our faith, the thing at root that we think about is, not only Christ sacrificing himself on our behalf, but it’s also the Golden Rule, you know, treat others the way you would want to be treated.

First of all, I never like trying to figure out who is a Christian and who isn't. I've seen others do that and it's a foolish and dangerous practice. God alone knows the heart and condition of salvation. But the Bible does tell us that "you will know them by their fruit" Matt 7:16. Obama calls him and his wife practicing Christians and they just might be. But what is glaringly obvious is that their theology is far from Christianity.

To place the Golden Rule above Christ sacrificing himself on our behalf is paramount to placing religion and legalism above the all in all of Christianity which is Christ sacrificing himself on our behalf all by it's self. Nothing whatsoever about the Bible, Christianity or any take on God's word supersedes the sacrifice of the cross. It doesn't matter what well intentioned preachers have preached about the "social gospel" of the Golden Rule and how many church goers have placed more emphasis on social programs nothing; absolutely nothing overshadows or replaces the thing that makes the Golden Rule possible! The atoning work of Jesus Christ is it! To minimize the sacrifice of the cross the way President Obama did by placing the Golden Rule as the thing at the root along with the cross is not of God. It is of God's enemy. And it is exactly what makes his support of same sex marriage possible. Whenever we place anything alongside of or above the cross we can then make room for calling evil good and good to be evil. President Obama displayed his fruit and his heart for all to see when he stated that, "in the end the values that I care most deeply about is how we treat other people". He cares more about how we treat one another than he does about the sacrifice of the cross. When anything else other than the cross becomes the primary focus of our minds, our lives, our very being then we have placed whatever that is above God. 

It appears noble and wonderful to place the Golden Rule above all else. It's hard to argue with a politician as he is kissing the baby and is feeding the homeless for the maximum photo op. Didn't Jesus care about His people? Absolutely. Isn't that a large part of what it means to follow Him? Absolutely. Didn't He say that the greatest commandment was tied to loving others as yourself? Absolutely. What is wrong about wanting to treat others as we would want to be treated? Absolutely nothing. 

What is wrong though is calling sin and evil right and good. Homosexuality is a sin. As is fornication, sex outside of marriage and people "shacking up". It is also sinful to steal, to lie, to cheat, to envy, to disrespect parents or those in authority, to engage in gluttony, to gossip, to do anything that falls short of the holiness of God. 

President Obama acknowledged that Christ sacrificed himself on our behalf. Mr. President, what exactly was that sacrifice on behalf of? To give us the ability to endorse, encourage, accept, applaud and to legislate sin in the name of doing unto others or was His sacrifice about Him taking upon Himself the penalty and wrath of our sin in order for us to be saved from our sin? Mr. President I mean no disrespect but you are wrong. If you have really been affected by His cross I doubt you would have said what you said. Imagine yourself standing before that cross and getting His approval of what you have said and done. It's just not possible. 

He died for and because of your sin. And mine too. He did not die in order for you or anyone else to make a mockery of His suffering and death by calling what is evil good and good evil. I am afraid that you and those who agree with you have brought unimaginable destruction and horrors upon this country. I pray that you reconsider your stance. Repentance is a wonderful opportunity. I wish you, your family and the whole country well. 

But some things come first. And it all begins at the cross. 

"How horrible it will be for those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness into light and light into darkness, who turn what is bitter into something sweet and what is sweet into something bitter." Isaiah 5:20.