The difference between a servant and a servant

This isn't going to be a deep, theological look at the Greek definition of the words "servant," "bondservant" and "maidservant," which are found in the New Testament. This is just a basic look at the difference between an involuntary servant and a voluntary servant.

I've heard a lot of talk in church over the years that says that when we come to Christ, we become His servants "by default." In other words, now that we're in Christ, we're to "get busy serving Him!" No if's, and's or but's. At first, I really went along with this. Sometimes I thought I was doing a good job serving Him! But other times (most of the time), I felt like I fell so very short of the mark. I would always think, during those low times when I felt I fell so short, that "some day" I'm going to be a mighty servant of Jesus! I'll just keep praying and keep disciplining myself. I'll keep taking notes in church about how to be a wonderful servant. And so on and so on. I kept going through this cycle of a high point here and there, followed by long periods of being in low points.

All along, something didn't seem right, but I didn't know what it was. I knew that Jesus had said, "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing, but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you." (John 15:15). But then I would see Paul calling himself a bondservant of Jesus, and I would see other places in the Bible where Christians are called "servants," and I just didn't get it.

Again, not to get deep here, but just to point out that one thing I've come to learn is that much of this has to do with the difference between being a forced slave/servant, and being a child of God - and a friend of God - who has come to love his Savior, his Friend, his "older Brother" Jesus, and who willingly puts himself in a Master/Servant relationship with Him. Jesus' next sentence, following the above verse, puts it in perspective. "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you." (John 15:16)

If we're to live out the dreams and desires that God has placed in our hearts, or even if we're in a place where we can't really sense any dreams or desires in our hearts from God, then the answer isn't to force ourselves to just get out there and serve Him. Instead, we simply put our focus on our Father, our Friend, our Savior, our Lover. We realize that it's not about us choosing to try to bear fruit for Him, but He's chosen us to bear His fruit. We submit to Him, not to score points with Him or in an attempt to maintain some standard of Christian living. But rather, as we grow more and more in His love and grace, and in the understanding that we're His friends, not His involuntary servants, it becomes more and more of a desire for us to submit to Him so that His wonderful fruit - which is fruit that lasts - is what comes out of our lives. This real fruit comes out of our union with Him, rather than it being self-fabricated fruit coming out of our own efforts to serve Him.

Who Knows What We'll Find!

I like most of the lyrics in this song, especially when they're placed within the context of who we are in Christ, and the dreams and desires He's placed in our hearts, and within the context of He Himself being the strength and power that brings them all to fruition. I have also always loved the video images of the Blue Angels used all throughout the video.

Van Halen -Dreams

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Moon Pies and RC Cola

Where's the spiritual gift of comedy listed in the Bible? :)

We know all about the gifts of teaching, preaching, tongues, healing, exhortation, giving, prophecy, etc. Those gifts are specifically "listed" and called by name in Paul's epistles.

But what about the gift of making others laugh? And also, what about the gift of baking a mean chicken dish that's the talk of the town? What about the gifts of acting and performing? What about the gift of motherhood? What about the various things that God has gifted you with that aren't "listed" in the Bible?

"Christian comedian" Ken Davis is coming to town later this week. I saw him in person a year ago, and I love listening to him on the radio. His tag line is "Lighten up, and live." I love that. Now, Ken is the type of comedian who mixes comedy with scripture teaching. His comedy act includes some teaching and encouragement directly from scripture, and it also includes some pure comedy that has nothing to do with 'scripture.' I think it's great that he does this... but I'm wondering... is there also perhaps a Christian or two out there whose gift is to simply make people laugh, without the added gift of teaching from scripture? I would bet there are probably a lot of Christians out there who have the "gift of comedy," but who aren't necessarily equipped as Biblical teachers! They are simply 'called' to make people laugh. Isn't that great?! And isn't that enough?! Does a person with a gift or talent for "speaking" or "performing" (or any other gift that gets them out in front of other people) necessarily also have to teach in order to make their gift "valid?"

I was listening to Jeff Foxworthy's country music countdown yesterday morning. I am not a country music fan! Country music is of the devil. Well, close enough! Seriously though, I've gone through phases of liking some country music. I liked Garth Brooks and Clint Black, back in the day. But all in all, country music is simply not my cup o' tea. Anyway, if/when I listen to the country countdown these days, it's most definitely not for the music... but for Foxworthy's humor! He's a hoot! As an example, yesterday he was talking about a "wonderful" prize package that features Moon Pies and RC Cola - "the essentials of life." :) I can't even begin to portray the way the whole bit came across, and how it would've made me fall over in laughter had I not been driving.

Nowhere was "Christ" mentioned, but yet Christ-in-me had a great laugh! Did I just say that? Yes I did! Some minds may jump right to the question, "Is Jeff even a Christian?" "Should you even be listening to him?" To me, that's not the point! Should I only ride a bus with a "Christian" driver? Should I only listen to a "Christian" weatherman? Should I only call a "Christian" plumber? Should I only laugh at "Christian" comedians and listen to "Christian" music? (I say all this, hoping you have the understanding that I'm fully aware that there's a lot of junk out there that I wouldn't give the time of day).

And the point I was really getting at... Should Christians only talk about and do things that are specifically listed in scripture as "spiritual gifts?" There are many, many Christians out there who have many, many gifts and talents that don't have much or anything to do with teaching or preaching scripture. Can we only call out the "spiritual" spiritual gifts in ourselves and others, or can we truly be what God has created us to be in all of the "non-religious" ways in which He has gifted us as well?

Come on, before we crack!

I've had the song "Footloose" stuck in my head for days now. I think I was about 15 when the movie came out. I'm guessing most people know the movie, but here's a very quick movie synopsis just in case:

City kid (Ren, played by Kevin Bacon) moves to small town where dancing and rock music are banned. Bible-thumping preacher (Reverend Moore, played superbly by John Lithgow) wants to keep it that way. (However, you do get the sense that he's not simply fire and brimstone for fire and brimstone's sake, but he's a sincere family man who's truly concerned about his flock and family).

Of course, Ren and other students want to do away with the ordinance. Dancing that is not allowed in public happens in private out on the edge of town. Preacher's daughter (Ariel, played by Lori Singer) and other students rebel. Pent-up frustrations are released. Showdown between students and preacher/town council. Big dance scene at the end.

Footloose

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Been working so hard
I'm punching my card
Eight hours, for what?
Oh, tell me what I got
I've got this feeling
That time's just holding me down
I'll hit the ceiling
Or else I'll tear up this town
Now I gotta cut loose...

Footloose
Kick off your Sunday shoes
Please, Louise
Pull me offa my knees
Jack, get back
Come on, before we crack
Lose your blues
Everybody cut footloose

You're playing so cool
Obeying every little rule
Dig way down in your heart
You're burnin' yearnin' for some...
Somebody to tell you
Life ain't passing you by
I'm trying to tell you
It will if you don't even try
You can fly if you'd only cut loose

Footloose
Kick off your Sunday shoes
Oowhee, Marie
Shake it, shake it for me
Oh, my lord
C'mon, c'mon let's go
Lose your blues
Everybody cut footloose

You got to turn it around
And put your feet on the ground
Now take a hold of your soul
I'm turning it loose...

Footloose...

The Starting Point

I shared this passage of scripture the other day:

Col 2:6-10

6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. NKJV

Oh, how I wish I'd understood the truth found in this verse years ago when the foundation for my understanding of my life in Christ was being laid! I shared a bit about this passage the other day, but for the moment I just want to focus on the word "complete."

In Christ dwells all the fullness of God, and we are in Christ, and we are complete in the fullness of God! This is the starting point (and finishing point!) for our life in Christ! This is our entire life in Christ. Completeness. The fact that we are complete.

What I mean by saying "this is the starting point" is that at the very moment we receive Christ, we become complete in the fullness of God. From that point on, life is all about experiencing the completeness we have in Him.

My intention here is to contrast the perhaps - all - too - common - way - of - thinking that says that from this point on, we're now trying to become something great for God or we're working or striving to get closer to Him or to be more and more acceptable to Him. It seems that many people live their Christian lives with the thinking that if only they can get themselves to do more and more godly works "for God," then they'll become more and more close to Him and complete in Him. They may even say that they're going to accomplish all this "by the grace of God."

What I'm really getting at is that the grace of God has already accomplished all this! We are complete in Him already. We "start" from the place of completion. Rather than a life that's lived to try to bring us closer to God or to make us more complete in Him, we run the race that's before us as people who are already complete! We live from completeness, not toward the goal of completeness! I think so many of us are so messed up because we're trying to achieve something we already have, and we're trying to achieve it through means that never worked in the first place!

Can we grow in our understanding of this completeness? Can we grow in our application of the completeness that we already have? Of course! To me, those are ways to describe what's commonly known as growing in Christian maturity. This maturity doesn't come by becoming something. Maturity comes from growing in our understanding and application of who we have already become! Does this make sense?

In Him we live and move and have our being. When I began my walk with Jesus, I was seriously trying to be all I could be for God. I always felt like I fell so short! Now I realize that I already am all that He wants me to be, because He made me into a New Creation, complete in Him. The rest of my days are no longer to be spent striving to become something. I'm learning and growing daily in my understanding of my true identity - who I already am in Him!

The Most Frequently Taught Law in the Modern Church

I thought I had already linked to this post by Steve McVey, but a few brain cells must have misfired somewhere along the line. :)

The Most Frequently Taught Law in the Modern Church

My own summary and additional thoughts:

• The Law commands, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength" and "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." And we've even added our own interpretations to all this, using, for example, the J.O.Y. acronym: "(J)esus First, (O)thers Second, (Y)ourself Last."

• But Grace says, "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." Grace says our love for God and for others isn't based upon trying to keep the commandments to love God and others! It isn't about making a list of "who's Number 1, Number 2, Number 3, etc. Grace says "in Him we live and move and have our being." Grace says, "we are members of Christ and members of each other." Grace says we are "one spirit" with God. Grace says there is One Head and One Body. Our entire being is not a matter of putting Him first and others second. Our entire being is a matter of us being in Him and Him in us - and us being members of each other. We partake in the divine nature!

Walk in Christ, not for Christ

Jesus is a Person to know, not a religion to be followed.

Col 2:6-10

6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. NKJV

How did we receive Christ? By grace, through faith. How ought we to walk in Him? By grace, through faith. He is the foundation. His grace is the fertile soil in which we receive all nourishment and sustenance and life. We are rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith.

In Him - the Person, Jesus - dwells all the fullness of God. We are complete in Him, in whom dwells all the fullness of God! Let's walk in this fullness, as people who are already complete, rather than relying upon the traditions of men and the basic principles of the world!

I think sometimes we try to do it the other way around... walking by principles and trying to get established in our various methods for Christian living, thinking this will somehow make us more complete or closer to the fullness of God. But in Christ, once we've chucked aside the silly notions that somehow our life is our own life and that we can actually work towards being something great for God, we then begin at the point of completeness and the fullness of God. It's not something we achieve; it's something we walk in!

God loves you...

Great thoughts here on this blog:

The Assembling of the Church: God loves you...

Dog Tired

If it seems like I'm on a kick lately about too much busyness and a lack of restfulness in the church... I am!

Sort of, anyway. It's sort of a "kick," but mostly it's been an ongoing thing.

I've been very concerned about the busyness that goes on in churches for quite some time. But lately I seem to be seeing a lot of evidence all at once, and it's been on my heart more than usual. The "kick" seems like it was in its early stages a month ago when I wrote my latest article for my church's monthly publication. It was about busy Martha and restful Mary. Since then, I've come across blogs and I've communicated with others in person or on the phone or via emails in which people have shared about their struggle with busyness and their lack of restfulness in "the church." Through one particular blog post, I found another entire blog that is actually called "One Thing Is Needed," a title that is based upon the story of Mary and Martha. The blogger's profile shares this: "After getting distracted by many things, I'm on a journey back to the one thing that matters."

Our dog, Puppa, gets very, very excited when someone arrives home or when we take him for a walk. He whimpers and whines and yelps in all the anticipation. It's not necessarily "fun" to take him on walks. He tries to go so fast, and he pulls so hard that he chokes himself on his collar, where the leash is attached! He coughs and gags a lot, but yet he won't let up. Someone from a distance might think we were abusing him! What's worse, he is somewhat out of shape. He's supposed to be perhaps 18 to 20 lbs, but he's more like 23 to 25 lbs. Our entire walk this morning was only SIX BLOCKS, but because of his eagerness and because of being out of shape, he was so very worn out when we got back to the house!

It reminds me of how I got burned out as a Christian and of how I see many others doing the same. We get saved "by grace, apart from works," but we seem to jump right in to all kinds of church activity, thinking somehow this means we're performing our proper Christian duties. We "choke and gag" as we try to stay ahead of the game, but we don't let up because we're afraid we'll miss out on something. In the beginning, we're very motivated to get out and do all these things. But in the end, we get so worn out and tired that those things we may or may not have enjoyed doing, look very, very unappealing to us.

So if it seems I'm on a kick, so be it. :) But if anyone gets anything out of it, it's just to remember that one thing is needed. Martha chose being busy for Jesus, but Mary chose the one thing that was needed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to Him.

"If someone gave you a million dollars..."

"...you'd tell the whole world, wouldn't you!"

This is a phrase I've heard many times in my 'church life,' used essentially to guilt people into telling others about Jesus, who is worth far more than a million dollars. It sure sounds good. It's true that the good news of Jesus is worth far more than any amount of wealth that we could ever earn or stumble upon.

So, if the good news is so very valuable, why do preachers feel such a need to try to guilt people into sharing it? Is the good news of the gospel somehow not being made very obvious? Is "gospel" a word that has come to take on all kinds of other meanings, except what it really means? Has the word become so polluted that it doesn't really mean "good news" anymore?

Rather than being truly grateful due to the truth of the pure gospel (Christ has redeemed man and brought us close to God, by grace alone!), are we really ashamed of the "gospel" because we (the church) have made it into so many things that it really isn't? Has the gospel become an ongoing plea for funds so our "churches" and "ministries" can continue? Has the gospel simply become "church work?" Has the gospel become a life of fleshly works ("for God") that we're busily trying to maintain so that we can "advance the Kingdom of God?" Has the gospel become nothing more than an effort to "be excellent for God" or be a "promise keeper" or be "purpose driven" or to "live intentionally?" Has "sharing the gospel" really come to mean, "Come visit my church?"

Or how about this - In our hearts, we "believe" in the power of the gospel; we believe that God is good; we believe that God will never leave us or forsake us; we believe that "one day we'll go to heaven;" etc and etc, but the reality of Christ living His life in and through us, moment by moment, is something that can happen in only a few select "holy" people who have learned the spiritual disciplines and who have moved into that "higher level" in their spiritual walk.

I guess what I'm asking is... why is it that the church doesn't see the gospel as news that is so wonderfully good that we naturally and enthusiastically want to share it! What hinders us?

I'm suggesting that we've really and truly quenched the reality of the good news with all our church activities, programs and ministries, etc. I'm not saying that people's hearts are wrong in wanting to provide these wonderful ministries that often really do help people. But along with my link yesterday to the "It's just a thing..." post, I'm wondering if we have left the gospel behind in order to pursue these things? I've listed a few things... but what other things have we called "the gospel" that are really nothing more than fleshly attempts to fix man and get us doing church work and get us close to God apart from the grace of God and the person of Jesus?

I understand the desire for pastors and teachers, etc, to fulfill their callings of "equipping the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ..." (Eph 4:12), but is it just me, or have we added all kinds of additional unnecessary works to the definition of "the work of the ministry?" Perhaps another way to word the question would be, in order to go about equipping the saints for the work of the ministry, have we gone off and created a whole bunch of additional and unnecessary so-called "works of the ministry" and systematic processes that we're now trying desperately to maintain, but yet are keeping us from the true work of the ministry?

And if we read on in Eph 4:12, what is the purpose and what is the desired result of the "work of the ministry" anyway? Is it really to "expand the kingdom?" Is it to "grow" our church? Is it really to devise ways to become more "seeker sensitive?" Is it really evangelism programs, classes and a bunch of other church activities, etc. I'm not saying any of these things are necessarily inherently "wrong." But have they distracted us from: "coming to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God," "growing so we're no longer tossed to and fro... with every wind of doctrine," speaking the truth in love, that we may grow up in all things into Him who is the head?" Have all these seemingly good "church activities" really been a matter of trying to get people to do their true part in the body of Christ, or has it distracted us from being the individual parts of the Body that we truly are? The desired result is not church activity! The desired end result is the edification of the church.

It seems to me that we have turned the means into an end, and the so-called end result ("church service") is really distracting us from Christ.

No wonder we're not so thrilled to share this "good news!"

It's just a thing...

My thoughts in life lately have been eerily similar to the thoughts laid out in a blog that Heather linked to today. Eerie in a good way!

In his post entitled, "It's just a thing...", a Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary student named Alan Knox (of whom I had never heard up till now) discusses how easy it is to "play" being a Christian, doing all the things that the church tells us to do, all the while not even really knowing God or His unique word to us as individuals. So many seemingly "good" things (children and youth ministries, Sunday morning activities, Sunday night activities, prayer meetings, evangelism programs, service programs, preaching, teaching, singing, planning, organizing, fundraising, _______ name your own church activities) can become just that... "things." Anyway, I like Alan's honest thoughts on the whole thing.

Not too long ago I posted my own article on a similar subject, called "Rest and Simplicity."

With what I'm about to say, I don't mean to sound negative, and in fact all my thoughts on this do lead ultimately to some very positive outcomes as far as me getting to "know" the PERSON, Jesus... but I guess I'm really becoming more and more turned off by the church system of today. I mean, for the past dozen years or so I've already been turned off by a lot of what I see. But my antipathy seems to be growing - seemingly exponentially at times.

I'm definitely not a conformist (who knew!), but I'm also not a rebel for rebellion's sake. I do not see myself as a victim. I love, love, love the people of the church, and I've tried to remain "within" the system because all my brothers and sisters ARE truly my brothers and sisters, and my fellowship with anyone and everyone in Christ is based upon the Person of Jesus, and not based upon whether or not we all agree on what it means to be "in Christ." I am solidified in that. But right now I am simply dealing very much with the thoughts that I personally do not "work well" within the church system and the system does not work for me at all. Perhaps I'm just venting here... Perhaps the Lord is doing something so much bigger than what I can see or imagine. And thanks be to Jesus, who has it all in His hands.

There is life in the Red Letters... Sometimes.

I was recently listening to some music from good ol' DC Talk. I've always loved their music. Even from the freaky hip hop days. :) By the way, are those guys ever gonna get back together? Their greatest hits CD, "Intermission," came out when? 2000??? That's quite an intermission! I know, I know, they've all gone on to other wonderful things, and I could really digress quite terribly here! So on with the point...

The chorus of their song "Red Letters," from the "Supernatural" CD goes like this:

There is love in the red letters
There is truth in the red letters
There is hope for the hopeless
Peace and forgiveness
There is life in the red letters
In the red letters

I want to go on record as saying I'm not trying to judge the writer's heart or intentions. A response to what I'm going to say here could go something like, "Come on, Joel! What are you bickering about now!" And it's true that I didn't even have to use this song to make my point. I actually had another title for this post, but this song popped into my head because I had just listened to it the other day. So it simply provided a starting point for what I'm saying.

The "red letters" in the song refers to the words of Jesus. Certain Bible publishers have published "Red Letter" versions, to highlight the words of Jesus in red.

So, first off... everything that is said in the chorus of this song can indeed be found in the "red letters" (in various words that Jesus spoke): Love, truth, hope, peace, forgiveness and life.

HOWEVER... There are times when the red letters do not speak love, truth, hope, peace, forgiveness and life. If you don't already know where I'm going with this, please stay with me give me a chance to make my point. There are times when the red letters speak death and condemnation. And it's not always at the most obvious times!

Let's back up a minute. In our modern day Bibles, we see a division between "Old Testament" (Genesis to Malachi) and "New Testament" (Matthew to Revelation). The New Testament (Covenant), we therefore perceive, begins with Matthew, Chapter 1. But hold on just a minute. Let's look at something Jesus said that's recorded in Matthew 26 and Luke 14. At the "Last Supper," Jesus takes the cup of wine and says "this cup is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."

The New Testament (Covenant) did not come into effect until the shedding of Jesus' blood. Before His death on the Cross, Jesus ministered and taught under the Old Covenant. Jesus was "born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law." Many of the red letters were addressed to those who were "under the law." Many of the red letters were spoken to affirm, emphasize, accentuate and show the intensity and true meaning of the... Law!!!

Paul would later remind us that "whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped and the world become guilty before God" (Rom 3:19). While Jesus HIMSELF "did not come into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:17), He knew that the LAW was the means by which the world stood condemned and which silenced their self-justifying mouths, and which ultimately was the schoolmaster that would lead them to Him (Galatians 3:24,25).

Paul called the law "the ministry of death" and "the ministry of condemnation" (2 Cor 3:7, 9). And again, Jesus Himself did not come to bring death or condemnation. But in order to bring Life and Justification, He taught the fullness and the exactness and the definitiveness of the death and condemnation that was through the law. This "tutor" (schoolmaster) of the Law is what leads people to Jesus.

Many of the "red letters" were not actually meant AS life, but rather as the means of demonstrating the death and condemnation of those under the law... with the intention of ultimately leading a person to Life.

So... if I were a big Nashville lyricist (don't I wish!), and if I would have been part of the writing team for this song, perhaps I would have added another line or two to the chorus, or even another chorus!

There is law in the red letters
There is guilt the red letters
There is death and condemnation
End of self justification
Sin abounds... in the red letters
In the red letters

(See Romans 5:20-21 if you think that last line is utter foolishness)!

I realize I may have dropped half of my audience with this post. Either because someone thinks I'm dissing DC Talk or because I'm misrepresenting the Bible.

PLEASE don't think I'm dissing DC Talk! As for the Bible, don't take my word for it anyway!

Fixed Eyes

The small group that I'm a part of - we really consider ourselves to be a close family, even with diverse thoughts and ways of looking at things - recently came across this verse while doing a study on "small groups."

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Heb 12:2-3 NIV

The body of Christ is one body, one unit (see Romans 12), made up of many "parts" or "members." My friend Dave Lesniak recently shared something with me that I believe he heard from Frank Friedman. (This is not an exact quote): "The criteria for fellowship is not understanding the New Covenant. It's Jesus Christ." We can hang out together and fellowship and be involved in the work of the ministry (Eph 4:12), not based upon everyone seeing everything the same way, but based upon the Person, Jesus Christ, who is in us and among us. Jesus, the head of the body, works in and through the various members that make up His body as He sees fit.

I don't understand some of the things He is doing in and through certain other people. I may even object to what I see them doing. I may be right in my objections. On the other hand, I may be opposing something that Jesus is legitimately doing through the members of His body. I have learned to discern, and will continue to learn to discern, as we all do. The main thing is that Jesus Himself, the Person (not the religion of Christianity, nor the other parts of His body, not even the spiritual principles or doctrines nor the ministries we're each called into), is the 'object' that we have our eyes fixed upon. He is the one who writes our faith and He is the one who perfects and finishes our faith.

Like the image of a palm tree that I shared a while back, our roots dig deeper and deeper into the fertile soil of grace, and our "branches" are spread out toward heaven in a Godward gaze. These external gestures and images can be used to point to internal realities... the very life of Christ, who is our life. We are members of Him, and "individually members of one another."

Not that we shun doctrine or the other members of the Body, nor the work of the ministry, etc. I'm not saying that at all! I love doctrine. I love working with the other members of the Body. I'm just saying that Knowing the Person is what it's all about. All the other stuff flows from that. The work that the Head does in and through His body is really His work. Sometimes the arm has no clue what the middle toe is doing, and that's ok. Jesus simply tells us to abide in Him - and the branches will bear His fruit.

Jesus Christ Superstar 2000 - Simon Zealotes

Other than this video showing that many didn't understand what Jesus was all about, I'm not posting this to make any point whatsoever! Call this simple indulgence on my part. :) My family had the Double-Record soundtrack to the original Jesus Christ Superstar movie in the 70's (I am still in possession of it), and as a boy I enjoyed listening to it and also watching the movie. Even from my childhood, I've understood completely that the movie takes a lot of liberty and license with the story of Jesus, although you can find a few occasional thought-provoking points about the gospel in it. In the year 2000, I heard that a very talented music artist who I had followed since his early days in the Christian music world, Tony Vincent, was starring as Simon Zealotes in an updated version of the film. Tony's music was probably the most grace-based music that we played on the radio! Anyway, I have the DVD from 2000, and I found a bunch of videos from the movie on YouTube while unsuccessfully trying to find some of Tony's older music.

In this song, Simon Zealotes is trying to incite Jesus to begin his takeover and start His kingdom reign through the means of violence. You also see Jesus' response, and I like the very end: "To conquer death you only have to die." I'm sure many of us have come to know what that really means. :)

Here comes the BRIDEGROOM (rejoicing over you)...

The following blog, from a MyCCM'er, was published in this month's edition of CCM Magazine.

So I just wanted to share with you (the awesome reader who is reading this) what I read in my Bible today in my quiet time with God. I thought it was pretty cool…..but hold on a second, I’m just looking out the window and there is the most beautiful rainbow arching across the sky, oh! The sun is out and seriously, you know those types of rainbows that seem like the colors are all kinda blurring together? Well not this one, each color is like the bold stroke of a paint brush, well, almost.:) Wow! Okay so I was looking for certain verses in the Bible when I came upon this one, you probably have heard it before but here it is again:

“..As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.” –Isaiah 62:5

I think that that is just so awesome! I’m sure most of you have been to a wedding before, but instead of turning around in your seats and looking at the bride as she comes through the doors, have you ever stayed looking straight ahead at the bridegroom’s face? I remember I did once and I remember seeing his face when he saw his bride, it literally lit up and there was so much joy and love on his face, but the cool thing is to think that that’s how God looks and feels about us, but not just “us” as a group, but each one of us individually as His own child. You, that’s how God looks and feels about you! And when you think that the bridegroom is going to burst from so much love and joy, it’s nothing compared to God’s love and joy for us. God loves and rejoices over us so much more! His love is so much more infinitely satisfying and He will never stop loving us! How awesome is that?! So the next time you’re at a wedding, along with having the opportunity to be apart of such a special occasion and covenant, think about Isaiah 62:5 when you see the bridegroom’s face and think about just how much God loves and rejoices over you!

Your sister in Christ,

Elizabeth

Raise your hand if you're sure

- Now we know -

- that whatever the law says -

- it says to those -

- who are under the law -

- That every mouth may be stopped -

- and the world become guilty before God. -

(Romans 3:19)


- For sin -

- shall not -

- have dominion over you -

- for -

- you are not under law -

- but under grace. -

(Romans 6:14)

Raise your hand if you're sure!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mothers Day to my wife, Tracey, and to my Mom, and to all you moms out there! Thank you all for caring for your children, whether they're young or grown, and for providing for them all those things that only a mother can provide. We love and appreciate you!

Ocean Floor

Micah 7:19
You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
NIV

Audio Adrenaline - Ocean Floor

Freedom - Will You Take It?

Came across this 'amazing' blog entry from Paul Anderson-Walsh.  Paul speaks of thoughts he derived from the movie "Amazing Grace" and the TV mini-series "Roots."  Let's not be like Kunte Kinte's friend, Chicken George, who couldn't handle the thought of freedom.

Amazing Grace - A Song of Solidarity or Sympathy: You Decide

The Law and the Believer

This is a discussion I took part in today with Mike Zenker (Grace Walk Canada), Paul Anderson-Walsh (The Grace Project) and Dave Lesniak (Grace Walk Internet Radio), that will be aired on Movement of Grace New Covenant Web TV (www.movementofgrace.net). The discussion is based upon a section of scripture from Galatians 2. (In the preview you can probably only see a small part of the video. After you click on it, it shrinks so you can see the full video).

Click To Play

The Law and The Believer Galatians 2

Grace Writers

Found some interesting stuff in an article called "Our Problem With Grace," by Michael Spencer. Spencer tackles several questions such as "Don't we hafta...?" and "What about church discipline?" This question then arises: "Who has a problem with grace?" Spencer lists 6 categories of people who, in his opinion, have a problem with grace:

Christians who feel responsible for the "growth" of other Christians

Pastors who want people to _____________ (fill in the blank with dozens of major church projects)

Parents who want their kids to be Christians, and also look and act like it.....whatever that means

Christians who equate grace with weakness, permissiveness and excessive leniency

Christian young people, who have been brought up in the battle for the moral high ground in our culture wars

Anyone in a Christian bookstore

Each of these thoughts includes a paragraph or two to explain further. For me, as one who loves to write, my favorite one was the last one, "Anyone in a Christian bookstore." Here's the summary (highlights mine):

"What you can do, not what God has done, is the great theme of most of what is published and recorded in the evangelical world. Grace writers and poets stand out like lighthouses in a sea of mediocre legalism and do-it-yourself religion. Grace is an endangered species, and we all need to celebrate and promote any writer who truly, passionately communicates grace. This isn't a matter of theological labels. We can quibble about the footnotes some other time. No matter who they are, when they wrote or where you find them, applaud, buy and give away the grace writers and artists. The beauty of what they are saying needs to be heard in a church choking on legalism, moralism and timidity about the Gospel."

All I can say is "Amen!"

Prodigals

I liked this quote at the beginning of Chapter 4 of "What's So Amazing About Grace?" by Philip Yancey.

Yancey quotes Simone Weil:

"It is to the prodigals... that the memory of their Father's house comes back. If the son had lived economically he would never have thought of returning."

Bug Bites and Condemning Preaching

In Star Wars, it was Obi-Wan Kenobi's constant criticism of his "young padawan," Anakin Skywalker. In a marriage, it's one spouse's ongoing nitpicking about the other spouse's faults. With a bug bite, it's scratching it, hoping it will make it feel better.

In church, it's condemning and judgmental preaching, thinking it will make the congregation live better lives for God.

Without thinking much about what the consequences will actually be, the presumed intended result of all this is a change for the better. But in the end, doesn't it really only make things far worse than whatever the original concern was? One word that might describe the end results is the word "fester."

Fester means "to cause ulceration, as a foreign body in the flesh," "to putrefy or rot," "to rankle" (to cause keen irritation or bitter resentment), "an ulcer; a rankling sore."

Several years ago my wife and I were out of town and we visited a church on a Sunday morning. It ended up not being the most pleasurable experience we've ever had. I thought the worse part of the morning had passed when the pastor shone the spotlight on us "visitors," asking us to stand up so everyone could see us. Don't visitors just love when that happens. ;)

Well, the subsequent sermon didn't help to make the morning any brighter.

The entire sermon was a lecture - perhaps I'd go a tiny bit far if I called it a tirade - against the people of the church for how poorly they were performing during their Sunday morning services! They lacked joy. They lacked enthusiasm. They lacked in their worshiping. They lacked in fervent zeal for the Lord. They lacked in this. They lacked in that.

Gee, I wonder why.

The pastor essentially put them through the wringer, chiding them with rhetorical questions such as, "Are you staying up too late on Saturday nights, so as to impair the quality of your worship on Sunday mornings?" Using my own words, I'd say the entire sermon could be summed up in, "COME ON PEOPLE, GET WITH IT!!!"

I really don't think I heard any good news at all that morning. The best news was that we didn't have to wait too long to get a table at the restaurant afterwards. My overall feeling was that this church had a massive bug bite, and the pastor seemed to think that sandpaper was the cure.

Anakin didn't seem to take too kindly to Ben Kenobi's incessant scrutiny. Can you say, "Darth Vader?" Spouses don't seem to respond well to their partner's put-downs. Can you say, "disaffection?" Bug bites initially feel better when they're scratched, but we all know the end result. Can you say, "fester?"

It's not that there's never a time for admonishment amongst the members of Christ's body. But really, how much need for that would there really be if the GOSPEL were actually preached in the first place?! Talk about prevention and a cure for any bug bite!

Isaiah 52:7
How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
"Your God reigns!"

Romans 10:15
How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace
Who bring glad tidings of good things!

How beautiful are the feet of those who give others something to be joyful about, something to be thankful for, something to actually celebrate!