Microwave Christianity

Yesterday I listened to last week's "audio sermon" from The Grace Project, entitled "Microwave Christianity." It's really a discussion between three individuals: Paul-Anderson Walsh, Frank Irawo and Peter Rowe.

What I like about the conversation is that a lot of questions are asked, and the three men discuss the questions coming from their own perspectives and experiences. They discuss all sorts of things, including "large" churches, "home" churches, the emerging church, discipling, growing, etc, and whether or not any of this can work together. In other words, can people grow in a big church? In a small gathering? In both? In neither? What is necessary in a "church" so that all people can grow and mature in Christ? Is it a primary focus on teaching? Is it a primary focus on discussing? I'm only touching on some of the things they mentioned. As I said, all three men draw from their personal experiences, and it's interesting to listen as they discuss how their thoughts and ideas have changed or evolved - or remained the same - during their years working with people in the "church system."

Really, my reason for posting this was to focus more on the "title" of the sermon, "Microwave Christianity." One of the main points is that no matter the size of the church or gathering, Christians don't grow into maturity overnight. You don't just pop 'em into the microwave and expect them to be fully cooked. I think the term "slow-cook" or "slow-burn" was used at least once in this conversation. The reason I'm drawn to this type of conversation is because during most of my "church life," I've been subjected to teaching that is mostly focused on the "do's and don'ts" of Christian living, or the "how to's," and it's as if I hear a teaching or a series of teachings on one subject, and then it's on to the next, as if we've got that subject completely tackled now.

I understand that there are times in the Christian life when buds pop out and flowers suddenly appear. But to get to that point - there are four full seasons that take place! Anyway, I think the point is well made in the audio sermon and I think the gist is easily gotten by those who have been in that type of church atmosphere - Christians need time to grow and mature and it can never be a speedy process. God knows our hearts and thoughts, and only He knows what a person needs to grow. And He's faithful to do it just right!

Don't be light on legalism

First, Miller decided to wage a war between those who think Miller Lite "tastes great" and those who think it's "less filling." Now it's a matter of making sure you're drinking "Lite" and not "Light." That naughty "i-g-h"!

Ok, so all that has nothing to do with what I'm saying here, except to say that when it comes to grace vs. legalism, there's no "light" version. There's no "diet" version of life in Christ. :) You're either in Him or you aren't. You're either under the law or you aren't. It's either His life that perfects you or it's not.

Paul did not take legalism lightly. What did he say of his own legalism? He certainly had a lot to "brag" about in regards to his righteousness according to the law. He didn't hold back in describing the stellar life he'd lived as a Pharisee (see Philippians 3:3-6). However, right after that he said, "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ (verse 7). The thing he thought God was proud of - his own righteousness - he counted as loss so that he could be in Christ, "not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith..."

Notice what he didn't say. "You know, I've done some pretty good things and in addition to all those things, I've found righteousness in Christ." He also didn't say, "Wow, not only have I lived a great life as a Pharisee, but I can add all of that to my account in addition to what I've found in Christ."

He wasn't light about it at all. He said, "I count all things loss" so that I may have Christ. He wasn't bringing an ounce of his own goodness into this life in Christ. He counted it all as dung and threw it away in the garbage, so that he could have a completely different righteousness - a righteousness that had nothing to do with his own works, but was given to him as a gift through faith in Christ.

He had great reason, as well, to be hard (not light) on the legalism of others. When he wrote to the saints at Galatia, he used some pretty heavy words on them to describe the legalism they'd fallen into after having received life in Christ by faith.

He reminds them of his own former conduct in Judaism. He says, "I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation..." After telling of his early years as a Christian, he mentioned on particular encounter he had with Peter. Peter had been a hypocrite. (Oh, how we love to pick on Peter, but who of us can say we've not been in his shoes in one way or another). Peter had feared the legalists. See, he would have great fellowship with Gentiles, but when the legalists came around, he would withdraw from the Gentiles in fear. Had Jesus taught you nothing, Peter! Ok, ok, again, I know I can't point fingers.

The point here is... Paul was certainly not "light" with Peter. He says, "I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed," and he called him on his legalist hypocrisy.

But it doesn't end there. In chapter three the opposition to legalism gets pretty intense. "O foolish Galatians!" (Tell me if you would take that lightly!). "Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth...?" He reminds them that they began this life in Christ "in the Spirit," and he asks them rhetorically, "are you now being made perfect by the flesh?" And he goes on to ask, "He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith..."?

Paul isn't easy on them for a moment!

He doesn't say, "well, you're learning, so I'll give you a break. If you feel the need to mix a little law in with the Spirit, that's ok." He flat out rejected his own legalism and he rebukes others who are walking in it!

In Galatians 5, he goes so far as to flat out tell them they've "fallen from grace." He says, "You ran well... who hindered you from obeying the truth?" Their "running" wasn't a matter of doing a bunch of fleshly works to please God. Their "obeying the truth" wasn't a matter of obeying commands. Rather, they had fallen from grace and were no longer running well and they were no longer obeying the truth, because they had gone back to trusting in their own flesh.

There's so much more that he says. I'll sum it up in this: Reject, chuck aside, throw away, get rid of, all legalism. First, your own. Then, as you establish and build relationships with others, help them to do the same. Don't be light on legalism!

God

Rebecca St. James - God

This one's a classic. A wonderful tribute to our Creator...



Lord I praise You for your endless love, your boundless grace, I stand here... amazed...

I Want To Be A Clone

This is what it's all about, right? ;) Another one from Steve Taylor.



I'd gone through so much other stuff
that walking down the aisle was tough
but now I know it's not enough
I want to be a clone

I asked the Lord into my heart
They said that was the way to start
But now you've got to play the part
I want to be a clone

chorus:
Be a clone and kiss conviction goodnight
Cloneliness is next to Godliness, right?
I'm grateful that they show the way
'Cause I could never know the way
To serve him on my own
I want to be a clone

They told me that I'd fall away
unless I followed what they say
who needs the Bible anyway?
I want to be a clone

Their language it was new to me
but Christianese got through to me
now I can speak it fluently
I want to be a clone

(chorus)

Send in the clones

Ah, I kind of wanted to tell my friends and people about it, you know
What?
You're still a babe
You have to grow
Give it twenty years or so
'Cause if you want to be one of His
Got to act like one of us

(chorus)

So now I see the whole design
My church is an assembly line
The parts are there
I'm feeling fine
I want to be a clone

I've learned enough to stay afloat
But not so much I rock the boat
I'm glad they shoved it down my throat
I want to be a clone

Everybody must get cloned

"I can't help prayin' for another high score"

I used to dig this song from Steve Taylor. From the 1990's, it's...

BANNERMAN!

"He don't worry 'bout the critics
He don't worry 'bout the cynics
He ain't gonna change the world but he knows who can..."



"Sports fans everywhere dying for a drink
But they gotta find the well first..."

What's right with you?

Instead of asking God, "What's wrong with me?", why not ask Him, "What's right with me?"

He'll point to His perfect Son, Jesus. Whatever is right with Jesus, is what's right with you.

I know that answer isn't pleasing to the flesh. But last I checked, we're not out to please the flesh. :)

More Muppet fun...

I first posted this quite a while back, but I noticed that the link is now broken, so here it is again. This is a classic.

Manamanah


I love drum solos and I love drum battles. :)
Here's Buddy Rich vs. Animal

Together We'll Make Music

Garth Brooks on Sesame Street. :-D

Mephibosheth

For several years, four words from a certain Bible verse have really been "alive" for me and have held deep meaning.

These words from 2 Samuel 9:6 have even brought me to tears a few times: "Then David said, 'Mephibosheth.'"

Obviously those words need context...

We all know the story of the love-hate relationship between David and Saul. Even though Saul was on a mission to kill David, David was set against doing anything "to my master, the Lord's anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord." David swore to Saul that he would never cut off Saul's line of descendants.

David had been very close friends with Saul's son, Jonathan. What a great story that is. Well, it turned out that Jonathan and two of his brothers, as well as their father Saul, all died in battle together. This deeply grieved David, of course, even though Saul was his enemy. David ended up becoming King of Judah and at the same time Ishbosheth, a son of Saul, became King over all of Israel. Long story short, "There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. But David grew stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker." (2 Sam 3:1)

Fast forward to 2 Samuel 9. After a series of events, David had become King over all of Israel. Even after the long line of hatred and war between his house and the house of Saul, David was moved to ask, "Is there not yet anyone of the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?" (2 Samuel 9:3). He then found out about Mephibosheth, a son of Jonathan. (Mephibosheth had become lame years ago, when he was five years old as his nurse took him and fled after hearing the news of Saul and Jonathan's death).

So David sent for Mephibosheth. When Mephibosheth arrived, he fell on his face and bowed down before David. Not knowing why David had called for him, and having come from an enemy household, he probably feared the worst.

"Then David said, 'Mephibosheth."

This grips me to tears even as I type it! Knowing what's coming next, I hear compassion, kindness and love as David says Mephibosheth's name.

"Do not fear," David says, "for I will surely show kindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan, and will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul, and you shall eat at my table regularly.

But there's no way that poor, lame Mephibosheth could ever feel worthy of such a thing. Again he prostrated himself and said, "What is your servant, that you should regard a dead dog like me?"

David ignored Mephibosheth's talk of unworthiness, and went ahead and did all that he had promised to do. "So Mephibosheth ate at David's table as one of the king's sons."

While we were still sinners and while we were enemies of God, Christ died for us and reconciled us to God.

Then God said, "Joel."

And God said, "(enter your name here)."

"Do not fear. For I will surely show you kindness and you will eat at My table forever." I believe God lovingly ignores our pleas of unworthiness and simply continues doing all that He has promised to do for us! Mephibosheth enjoyed the blessings of David, not because he was worthy, but because David was kind. He lived the rest of his life in the grace of David. He never earned anything that David had restored to him, and even though he had considered himself a dead dog, David treated him as a son.

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
Titus 3:3-7 NIV

What were the Galatians established in?

As I think about having our hearts established in grace, many, many passages come to mind. One particular passage - which is really a six chapter epistle that's worth reading over and over again - reveals a great contrast between being established in "doing" and being established in grace. The Galatians, in Paul's absence, had changed the foundation upon which they were building their lives in Christ. Paul had some not-so-kind words for them about all this in his letter to them, and he even went so far as to call them "foolish" and to ask who had cast a spell on them. Basically, their problem was that while they had received Christ by faith alone, they were now trying to lay a foundation of perfection in their life in Christ through their own fleshly deeds.

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Gal 3:1-3

Paul reminds them that the gospel that he had already preached to them hadn't been given to him by man, but through the revelation of Jesus Christ. More on that in a second.

Paul goes on to say something that's very easy to skim over, but that I think is very important. He reminds them of just how advanced in Judaism he had been during his former life as a Pharisee. (He gives a more complete account of this in Philippians 3:4-6, where he lists the many reasons why he would have confidence in his fleshly actions and heritage, before coming to Jesus by faith alone). This is all very important as he works to reestablish the case for the true gospel to these foolish Galatians.

See, the same Jesus who had revealed the gospel of grace to Paul had previously said (during a very famous teaching on some mountain), "unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." To many people who would take Jesus' words at face value without considering the context of the full revelation of the gospel of His grace, this might be taken as a word from Him for them to begin working harder at becoming more and more established in righteous deeds that would exceed even the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees.

Paul had considered himself very advanced in Judaism. And according to his words to the Philippians, he had considered himself blameless according to the righteousness which is in the law. But again, Jesus said, "unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees..."

What I believe it comes down to is this: We find that it had been revealed to Paul that his former life, which had been established in Judaism, the works of the law, and in his superior performance as a Pharisee, wasn't nearly good enough! In fact, as he told the Philippians, he ended up counting all of it as loss (as DUNG), so that he could gain Christ. The only righteousness that would ever count, and the only righteousness that could ever hope to exceed the best of the best of the righteous Pharisees, was "not... my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith..." (Phil 3:9).

The entire foundation of Paul's life had been completely torn up and ripped apart and chucked away! He turned from being established in fleshly commandment-keeping to a solid foundation of trusting in a righteousness that was not his own but that had been given to him freely as a gift, by grace. He rebuked the Galatians for receiving this free gift but yet trying to go on to establish perfection through works.

It is good that the heart be established in grace. Grow in grace.

Established and Growing in Grace

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace , not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.
Heb 13:8-9 NKJV

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen
2 Peter 3:18 KJV

3 1/2 years ago, through a series of events that would take too long to write about here, I decided to get my own web domain. I asked the Lord something like, "What should I name my website?" Almost immediately, "graceroots.org" came to my mind. Long story short, I had never, ever thought of a name like that before. After questioning the Lord about it and praying some more, I realized that this indeed was from the Lord.

One of the frustrating and yet amazing and wonderful things that I've come to accept as a reality of life in Christ is that God doesn't reveal everything to you all at once! As I began to design a site, I was still asking the Lord all kinds of questions regarding what it was supposed to be about. Is this to be a "ministry?" Is it just a website where I can write about grace? What is "graceroots" really supposed to be about?

With not much to go on, as far as clear direction from the Lord, I eventually came up with a tag line that went something like this: "Let everything you do rooted in grace." It's been amazing to look back and see how my thinking has evolved during this time. It's not that there's no worth in that first tag line, but I think I've grown in my understanding of how life in Christ is much deeper than having our "doing" rooted in grace. There is something that comes first, before the "doing." Or perhaps better said, I believe "doing" is a fruit of being established in something else.

I was just thinking about all this the other day. I was thinking heavily about the two highlighted phrases in the scriptures above. I do want to say that in the passages themselves, there is a lot of context that is very important and worthwhile and my intention is not to ignore all of that. I do, however, see that the concepts that come out of these two phrases are spread all throughout the New Covenant.

It is good that the heart be established in grace.

Grow in grace.

I've come to understand that this is what 'Grace Roots' is all about. It's about getting the heart established in grace, and growing in grace. Grace is fertile soil. Grace is far more than forgiveness of sins. Grace is the power and source of the Christian life.

I believe our hearts need to be established in grace, and we need to grow in this. Not just a dab here and a dab there. Not just a sermon series now and then. My frustration, as I think about churches I've been in and as I survey Christian media, and as I simply look at the lives of people I know who are trying to live this Christian life, is that so much of the teaching and preaching is about establishing people in what to do and how to live as a Christian. Now, aside from some teachings that I don't agree with, I think that a lot of the "doing" that's taught isn't necessarily wrong. It's just that it's very rare to find ongoing teachings about grace and our identity in Christ. It seems as if the church is established in doing, and that grace is merely a supplemental teaching.

What I've found to be true in my own life, and what I believe to be Biblical, is that when the foundation is grace - which is found in the living Jesus Christ, with whom we've been made alive together - the "doing" becomes an outflow of our relationship with Christ and His life in us.

If your life is established in "doing" the things of the Christian life, it may seem very noble and it may appear very wise. But I hope you'll consider taking a breath and taking a step back and reevaluating and readjusting your thoughts, and asking God to help your heart to be established in grace. I don't believe for a minute that you'll ever regret it!

Mark Lowry - Jay Bakker

Mark Lowry shows a clip of Jay Bakker on Jim Bakker's program. Jay talks mostly about love, relationships, differences, etc. Mark talks about Banana Puddin'. :) (This is an earlier program than the two that I previously posted, and much shorter).

Who's Crying Now

I woke up this morning with the chorus of this song on my head. "Who's Crying Now" by Journey. I don't know why it was in my mind - I don't recall hearing the song lately at all. But I couldn't shake it. All I could think of is those hurt by religion. I was thinking primarily about those who have been hurt by people in the name of Christ, but I think this goes for any type of religion or religious activity in which people are oppressed or hurt, all in the name of God.

But I wonder... who's crying now? I mean, right now? Who is crying on a bed somewhere, or in a corner, or in their car, not because they've been hurt physically but because of the chains of oppressive religion?

Who's crying now because their preacher, spouse, parent, etc, has put the chains of criticism on them? Or the weight of trying to measure up or fit in. Or the bondage of legalism. Or the confinement of having to do things a certain way or else. I know the list goes on and on.

Who's crying now because they've been rejected or condemned in the name of Jesus?

I readily admit that I've been on the dealing side of pain in the name of religion. I mean, I've dealt it out. I've also been on the receiving side and I know how it hurts. And I've seen a lot of it in the lives of other people... Both those who deal it out and those who take it.

Who's crying now? They may not show it. I've told about my own plastic smile that I used to wear. People may not openly admit than anything's wrong but on the inside they're really dealing with it.

Jesus, love these people through us.

Love is the fulfillment of the law

I don't claim to be the world's greatest lover of people and of God, but I do know that as I look back on my life I've grown a lot in love and grace and I have no reason to doubt that I'll continue to grow. I could tell of many experiences from my lifetime that have contributed to the growth process, but I want to focus on one thing in particular that I believe is the core, the root, the foundation of growth in love and grace. This core is the very reason why I know that I'll continue to grow. See, this core is not based upon my own performance or self-effort to get my act together and start loving God and loving people. This core is based upon Life that I can't produce on my own, so I simply sit back and rest in the Life that I've been given as a gift.

The only real way to love people and to love God is to have Jesus living in you. The love of God permeates our very being because God Himself, who is love, dwells in us. He is in us, we are in Him. But to back up just a bit, the only way to have Jesus Christ in you is to get the Law off your back! You have to die to the Law in order to become joined with Christ. There is no such thing as being married to Christ and the Law at the same time. It's impossible! The Apostle Paul makes a great case for this in Romans 7, and perhaps a great summary of Romans 7 would be Paul's words to the Galatians: "Through the law I died to the law that I might live to God."

In order to "live to God," one must die to the law. However, it seems that many Christians live as if they've still got a relationship going on with the Law. In reality, if they've truly received the life of Christ, they truly are dead to the Law... but perhaps they just don't know it and they don't reckon it to be true in their daily living. They don't count the fact as a real fact, and they continue living their Christian life with an adulterous affair with the Law going on, and perhaps they don't realize that all their problems in living the Christian life are flowing out of this affair! Because of today's preaching and teaching in the church that mixes law and grace, I think many people don't even realize that their relationship with the law is wrong.

But in order to truly love God and people, and to truly bear godly fruit, we must reckon ourselves as dead to the Law (count it as fact as live as if it's real - because it is real) and alive to God through our one and only marriage partner, Jesus.

The Law doesn't help us to love. You would think that if we followed after all the commandments, great love would result. But think about it, we could do everything the law says to do and still have no love!

But wait a minute, Joel. Paul said, "love is the fulfillment of the law." (Romans 13:10). Well, let's make sure we read that carefully. He didn't say "fulfill the law and love will result." Love is the prerequisite to fulfilling the law - not the other way around. Jesus, who is perfect love, fulfilled the law and He dwells in us. As we focus not on Law, but on Love (Jesus Himself), the righteous deeds of the law are fulfilled. Again, this is not done by following law, but through an abiding relationship with Jesus.

We have died to the law. We have no relationship with the law whatsoever! Love - the fulfillment of the Law, is not accomplished through a relationship with the Law. It's only accomplished through the Person, Jesus Christ, who is love, and who lives in us.

We're in each other

The video I posted yesterday - Peter Frampton's song, "I'm in You" - is to me a beautiful love song. I've heard the song at least three times in the past few weeks on a popular local radio station that plays music from the 70's and 80's. Watching the video really, really touched me - in several ways - and that's why I decided to post a link to it.

Kind of like the love story in Song of Solomon, I see this song as both a wonderful romance story between a husband and wife and as an allegory of the love between God and His Bride, the church. I'm guessing that's not at all what was intended with the writing of the song, but that's what I got out of it! I'm not afraid to admit this... I had tears streaming down my face during one particular viewing of the video. It was a very worshipful, thankful, loving moment.

But I also captured one more picture in my mind when I watched the video that I most likely would not have seen if not for Frampton's live performance and the way he interacted with the audience. I know I wouldn't have seen this if I didn't have a huge heart for the church of God.

In the video, when Frampton sings "I'm in you, you're in me," he turns around in a circle and motions back and forth between himself and the audience. Does he have in mind a picture of the body of Christ? I highly doubt it! But nevertheless to me his actions represent the truth of the body of Christ. I really see the body of Christ as many members who make up one whole body, as Paul talks about in Romans 12 and 1 Cor 12, and I think it's vital that we see each other this way.

Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. (Rom 12:4-5 NIV)

The NKJV words it this way: "and individually members of one another."

Whoever you are out there in the body of Christ, I am a member of the same body as you. We are members of Christ and we are members of one another. We're in Christ and we're in each other. In John 15, Jesus talked about abiding in Him as a branch abides in the vine. Well, all the branches abide in the same vine and all are members of the same vine. We not only have an abiding relationship with Christ, we have an abiding relationship with each other. It's impossible for the body of Christ to exist without all the members!

We've all got different functions in this body. A heart does something different than a finger or a kidney or a knee joint, but they're all members of the same body. And each member receives nutrients and information on its identity and on what to do from the same head. In the body of Christ, we all have very diverse functions, but all the functions work together to make the body as a whole work properly!

We are in Christ and we are in each other.

Frampton - I'm in You

Beautiful song.

Could this be a missing chapter from Song of Solomon? (Perhaps mixed with John, Chapter 15?). :)



I don't care where I go
When I'm with you
When I cry
You don't laugh
'Cause you know me

I'm in you
You're in me
I'm in you
You're in me
'Cause you gave me the love
Love that I never had
Yes, you gave me the love
Love that I never had

You and I don't pretend
We make love
I can't feel anymore than I'm singing

I'm in you
You're in me
I'm in you
You're with me
'Cause you gave me the love
Love that I never had
You gave me the love
Love that I never had

Come so far when you think of last fall
You can't buy what we made, you and I
I'm in you
You're in me
I'm in you
You're with me
'Cause you gave me the love
Love that I never had
Yes, you gave me the love
Love that I never had
You gave me the love
Love that I never had

I don't care where I go
When I'm with you

Growing in Grace 'Podcast'

I've not really done much on this blog to promote the weekly program that I record with a friend of mine (Mike Kapler), but I thought I might just mention it. We record our 14-minute programs for Grace Walk Internet Radio (24/7 grace-centered programming), and we've archived our programs on a blog. For all intents and purposes, I'd call our archive a 'podcast.' You can subscribe using iTunes or using a regular RSS feed, or just go to the blog itself.

We wouldn't personally label our program as a "teaching" program, although there may be elements of that in some of our programs. We think of it more as a casual conversation, as we discuss and try to encourage each other to "grow in grace" (2 Peter 3:18) - drawing from scripture and from our own life experiences, as well as from others who have helped us along the way as we've been growing in grace ourselves.

The programs are free to download, of course, and we invite you to take a listen.

Growing in Grace Blog

The next verse

I love John 3:16. I think that in anticipation of meeting in private with Nicodemus, Jesus spent the whole night praying, asking the Father to give Him just one line that would be remembered forever - you know, some words that would leave Him a legacy or something. Hehehe... Just kidding!!

But really, I do love how the simplicity of the gospel comes out in these words spoken in the dark to a skeptical yet curious Pharisee.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

However... as many people as have come to believe in Jesus through the simple message that our culture is perhaps more reminded of at sporting events (through strategically placed "John 3:16" signs), I'm saddened that the truth of the next verse seems to have either been ignored or forgotten by those who tout John 3:16.

Before I get to this verse I want to share how in the past couple of days I've been reminded about how our society views Jesus and the Bible. A conversation I overheard yesterday is what led me to think about writing about this, and a post from Matthew kind of solidified the idea.

The conversation I overheard was between two younger guys who work in the inpatient pharmacy at the hospital where I work. They were talking about some kind of event that was coming up - and I have no clue what it was or what it involved at all - and one of them said that "So and so is going to bring a puppet 'Jesus' with a wagging finger! Hehehe." They both seemed to get a laugh out of it. And just to repeat, I have no idea what this was about, but I got the impression that the intent of having the puppet was to mock Jesus, as if to say that Jesus was wagging his finger at whatever they were doing.

Matthew's post has to do with an episode of "According to Jim" in which jokes were made about the Bible being a rule book, and in which they talk about how God is all about keeping laws.

A rule book? All about laws? A wagging finger? "Tsk tsk," says Jesus, "You naughty person, you shouldn't be doing that."

However...

"...God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." (John 3:17)

Look at all the sinners Jesus came in contact with, face to face. "Tsk, tsk" is the farthest thing from the message He gave them. The LAW wagged its finger, relentlessly, but grace and truth came through Jesus.

So why do these pharmacy people and the According to Jim characters, and much of the rest of the world view Jesus as a finger wagger? Why do people on-the-outside-looking-in see the Bible as a rule book? Why is Jesus mocked as one who looks with condemnation upon sinners, and why are Christians mocked as self-righteous bigots, when Jesus came not to condemn but to save, and when Christians are meant to be the ambassadors of this good news?

Really... just what is the church presenting if many people aren't seeing life, salvation, freedom and grace when we talk about our Jesus and live our lives in front of them? Is a wagging finger really the impression Christians give about Jesus? Apparently, yes.

But here's what I want to do:

I WANT TO "JOHN 3:17" AS MANY PEOPLE AS I POSSIBLY CAN!

You with me?

VOG: Lions, Crocodile, and Buffalo

I really like this video that Jul at Voice of Grace posted. It's about 8 minutes long, and well worth the watch. In this amateur video, see how a baby buffalo gets captured by lions - and then a crocodile tries to steal their catch - and watch how the other buffalo come to the rescue. It's an amazing video. I like how Jul likens this to the body of Christ working together as we prevail against the devil, who goes around like a roaring lion, seeking to devour.

Take Me To Your Leader

They don't know why we care
They don't know what's out there...

Newsboys

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Isabelle is a belly dancer with a kleptomaniac's restraint
Tried stealing Helena's hand basket,
Made a fast getaway, but McQueen she ain't
At the courtroom Joshua judges her ruthlessly
On account of Ruth walking out on him
In the Big House Isabelle is a-telling all
To the chaplain who's become her friend

She says: I don't know why you care
I don't know what's out there
I don't know where or how
Just take me to your leader now
Take me to your leader now

Justin is adjustin' to the odor from
Theodore's Evergreen Incense
But aroma therapy don't make him
Any younger than Oliver's All Liver Supplements
His late mate Merrilee merrily said
Immortality can't be bought in a jar
This just in: Justin's had enough of cure-alls
Gonna quiz the neighbor kid with the fish on his car

He says: I don't know why you care
I don't know what's out there
I don't know how it's done
Just take me to your leader, son

I see you've got the joy
I've seen you live it, boy
It's real, it's free, it's fun,
So take me to your leader, son

-------------------------------

They don't know why we care
They don't know what's out there
They don't know how it's done
Let's Take `Em To Our Leader's Son

They see we've got the joy
They see us live it, oi
It's real, it's free, it's fun,
Let's take `Em To Our Leader's Son

Kissin' your cares goodbye...

"So be content with who you are, and don't put on airs. God's strong hand is on you; he'll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you."
1 Peter 5:6-7 - The Message

("Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." NIV)

Newsboys - Million Pieces

Don't worry, be prayerful

"Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life."

Phil 4:4-7 - The Message

=)

No doubt about it

There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.

(Philippians 1:6 - The Message)

Grace Roots Video

I've finally gotten around to creating a blog to archive my Web TV programs, which are, surprisingly, entitled "Grace Roots."

Movement of Grace New Covenant Web TV was created a few months ago, directly from the heart of Grace Walk Internet Radio station manager Dave Lesniak. "MOG TV" features a variety of New Covenant/Grace based teaching and discussion. Call your local cable or satellite company and DEMAND your MOG TV! Just kidding. :)

I've only recorded a few Grace Roots shows so far. My plan was to do one or two per week, but you know how that goes...

Mark Lowry interviews Jay Bakker

A few weeks ago, in the days before Tammy Faye Messner (formerly Bakker) passed away, and in the days following, I saw much of the Bakker family on TV, especially on Larry King. (I'm guessing most people know the story with Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker). Anyway, I've been very impressed with their son, Jay, and how his life has turned out. He's very much a lover of people and God's grace.

I found these two videos from the Mark Lowry Show, in which Mark interviews Jay. (Mark is the same comedian from my last post, only older now) :) Anyway, although I don't necessarily support everything I've heard him say, Jay has been through a lot and I do believe he has some great insights on grace, church and people in general. See what you think.

Mark Lowry - Open Heart Surgery :-)

Laughter is good medicine. :)

NOTHING but the Blood

In June, Bino wrote a post called "Dismantle the confession booths." Using only scripture, Bino covered a lot of things, including the complete forgiveness of sins that we have in Christ Jesus, as well as our justification, salvation, completeness, righteousness and many other things that we have freely received by faith in Christ Jesus. All of this is made possible by one thing, and one thing only - the blood of Jesus. I've personally printed out his list and I'm using it as a means of memorizing and meditating upon some great truths that I want to be more and more grounded in.

I've often heard Christians worry out loud that we've become "desensitized" to sin. I hear them say things like, "We hardly blush anymore." Well, I think that's very true and I don't want to discount that at all, but I think we've become even more desensitized to something that is far, far more important. We can easily sing "What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus." Perhaps we've sung it so much that we've become numb to the far-reaching aspects of the truth it holds.

In fact, it's not that the blood of Jesus can wash away our sin. It did wash away our sin, once and for all!

To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (Rev 1:5-6)

But you were washed , but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Cor 6:11)

Past tense. We have been washed - completely!

Hebrews 9-13 deals a lot with blood. And a very, very important point is made in Heb 9:22. "Without shedding of blood there is no remission" (of sin). It was only with blood that sin could be atoned for under the Old Covenant. The blood of bulls and goats was a necessary sacrifice in order to atone for the sins of the people. But there were problems with this. For one, all it did was to "atone for" or "cover" sins, but it didn't actually take away the sin of the people. In fact, "in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year." (Heb 10:3). How about that? A system in which your sins are not actually removed, but in fact reminds you of your sins! "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins." (Heb 10:4).

But what the blood of bulls and goats could not do, Jesus Himself did with His own blood. John the Baptist prophesied, "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." This is no small thing!

Heb 9:12-15
Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

It's not through fleshly efforts, nor through trying to atone for our own sins, nor paying for the guilt of our own sins that we serve the living God. Our conscience is not cleansed by "trying harder" or by having a period of "guilt" for our sins. Our conscience is cleansed by BLOOD. The blood of Jesus.

Heb 10:19-23 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

How can we have boldness, full assurance and our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience? Is it a result of coming to a place where we've finally, once and for all, put an end to sin in our lives? Is it when we come to a place where we're finally completely faithful to God in all we do?

We have boldness, a true heart in full assurance of faith, and a clean conscience all because of... NOTHING but the Blood of Jesus!

I was going to end right there, but I just want to say this: Although I've spent time in the pentecostal church, I'm generally pretty mellow and I'm not a zealous, fervent, fiery preacher by any means... but yet I just want to add a hearty "Glory to God*!" right here!

*That would be pronounced "GaaaawwwD."

Surety

There are a lot of "for's" and "therefore's" in the book of Hebrews, so it's hard to just jump in at any one place, but I've been thinking a lot about the surety of our salvation, and I see a lot of rich truth in various passages regarding this. I think that in order to get our roots established in grace, we must become more and more confident in the means of our salvation - and that it has absolutely nothing to do with human accomplishment.

Heb. 7:22 "...by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant."

One reason for that is:

Heb 7:23 "There were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing."

(I remember listening to Bob George sharing from this passage one time, and he paused at that point and laughed. Funny thing, that death would prevent the priests from continuing). :)

Anyway...

Heb 7:24-28 "But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people's, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever."

Jesus Himself is our surety. I've occasionally heard people talking about the need to get right with Jesus. What??? Jesus is the one who came down to our level and made us right with God! There is no "go between" between us and Jesus, but rather, "There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all..." (1 Tim 2:5-6a).

Jesus saves to the uttermost those who simply come to Him with childlike faith.

Enter In

Some comments on my last post, as well as a new blog post from Jul, inspired me to post this video. The "No Doubt" project from Petra (1995) is by far my favorite of their multitude of albums over the years, and it includes this song:

Petra - Enter In


Once a year for sacrifice
Just one priest could pay the price
And step inside the inner veil
To make the people free
Temple stood the same for years
Till the Nazarene appears
Things will never be the same since 33 A.D.

When He spoke and bowed His head
He who saved the world was dead
Then the earth began to shake
Heaven's wall began to break
Opening the Holy place
The temple veil is torn in two
The way is clear for me and you

We can enter in, enter in
Into Heaven's Holy place
We can enter in, enter in
Boldly by His blood we can approach
His throne of grace
We can enter in a new and living Way
By our faith He will receive us when we pray

Now without a second look we forget what all it took
To be seen as innocent by His Holy eyes
Never thinking foolishly
There is something He won't see
For our lack of righteousness there is no disguise
He won't look the other way
Someone's life will have to pay
Once for all it has been done
Taken out upon His Son
He remembers it no more
Now for us He is the Door
Opened up forevermore

We can enter in, enter in
We can enter in His gates with
thankfulness and praise
Into the once forbidden Holy place
We can live in goodness and in mercy all our days
We can enter in a new and living Way
By our faith He will receive us when we pray
We don't have to be afraid to seek His face
We can enter in