The Truth Is...

I was thinking last night about how humans have so many different perceptions of God. The Muslims think He is a mean God who wants them to kill people for Him. The Christian Scientists think He is an alien. Some people think He is the earth, or the sun, or a tree. So many differing ideas and beliefs.
So what is the truth?

I was thinking about the Bible...about how many years it has been around. Strange that a book could even survive all these years...and not only survive, but have the respect and honor and "life" that it does. As Christians, as believers in God, we say that the Bible is the Word of Truth. What does that mean? Well, to many people it means that everything within the pages of the Bible is written for us to fashion our lives after. But that doesn't really work. That line of thinking has caused us to pick and choose which things we actually want to live or obey, because...let's face it. We cannot actually take every word literally. I think saying we do has done more harm than good. And since we all interpret it differently, that cannot be the Bible's ultimate purpose can it? Why would God keep this book around, and keep it alive among us, so that it can cause divisions and disagreements as to what we should obey and follow and what we can let go? No, the Bible has to be more than a book of rules or simply a "how-to" book.

What if the Bible is truth in that it was given to us, and has remained here for us, to continue to point us to the truth of who God is, and to be the ultimate resource to answer our questions about him?
What if the Bible is a biography written about the God of the universe, wait...an autobiography actually written by him...to show us what he is really like? To give us the truth of who he is? Because without this picture of him we tend to get off track and start to make God up to be something or someone from our own imagination...we make him in our own image. If left to ourselves, God becomes whatever we like (or dislike) as the case may be.
So the Bible is here to tell us that God made us like him, in his own image. Now I can know for certain that He is not an alien, or a tree, or the earth...because I don't look like any of those things. OK, that gets me closer to understanding who he is. But not close enough. Because the beginning of this book is full of chapter after chapter of what seems to be a very mean and vindictive God. In reality though, as I read the Old Testament after knowing Jesus, I see it more as an account of how "way off" man gets in his perceptions of God, of who he is, and what he wants from us.
The Old Testament shows us what a frustrating mess we have made of things, and continue to make of things, without knowing the truth. It also shows us a few people who had a true picture of God, and how they maintained a relationship with Him because they found him loving, full of acceptance, and utterly other than a dictator or a mean old king.

Enter Jesus. The Living Word. The actual Word of God. Jesus, the living autobiography...the real, tangible, alive "Truth". Our ultimate representative of what God is really like. (God must have been getting frustrated with being so misrepresented all those years.) So God comes to us, as one of us, to show us Himself in a way that we can finally, truly understand. He comes as a baby, and lives as an "average Joe" or the guy next door, until the day that God...this God we never really knew or grasped...reveals Himself to us through Him, through Jesus. No more doubt or argument. All of our misconceptions laid to rest. "This is Me, guys! This is what I am really like! This is who I AM!!"

People ask me how I know that God is real? How do I know that what I believe is true? It seems prideful to think that I have a corner on God, or a handle on God, or that it's my way or the highway. But it isn't prideful at all. Truth is...and God wants us to know Him, and to know what He is really like. He has made every effort, and given all provision...He has revealed Himself and His heart to us fully and completely. He gave us the book, and now all we have to do is look at Jesus. Listen to His teachings. Observe the way He lived. In His life, and in His death, and in His risen life, we find our answer. In Him we see the Truth of God. 
The Bible is the Truth. Jesus is the Truth. They were given to show us once and for all who God really is so that we never ever forget.

So when we "stand on the Truth," or when we "speak the Truth," we aren't just standing on a Scripture, or reciting a certain passage of the Bible from memory. What it means is that we are sure, we are convinced, we have more than head knowledge...but have actually experienced...Truth. Because Truth is a person. We know this Man, therefore we know God Himself. He is Truth. The truth is...

Eye Salve...Continued

Luke 7:36-50
This is the story of the woman who brought a flask into the Pharisee's house, and washed his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, then kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. Her actions riled up the religious men, and in verse 44 it says 'Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, 'Do you see this woman?' Whoa. That question gives me Holy Spirit bumps. She felt invisible all of those years because of her sin. The eyes of judgment were the only eyes which looked upon her. Yet in that moment, she was seen!! Love saw her, and noticed her act of love. Jesus said to those men....Do you see this woman? Look at her!! See her!! Then he told the woman her faith had saved her, to go in peace.
Sadly, we have walked in jealousy toward one another. We walk in judgments and insecurity. We want to be seen. No, we need to be seen. Yet when another is seen we feel threatened, 'She is stealing the limelight.' But once we know we have been seen by Jesus, we will never be the same.
'I once was blind, but now I see!' As we are seen, then we are given eyes to see. I remember praying, 'Lord, give me eyes to see!!' But I had to be seen first. And I had to come out of hiding.

Look at Luke 8:40-48. It is the story of the woman with the issue of blood. She was desperate for Him. She pressed through the crowd to touch Him, and managed to touch the border of His garment. And what happened? Verse 46 says 'But Jesus said, 'Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me. Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.' Jesus again told her that her faith had made her well and to 'Go in peace.'
Look at her.....after she knew she was 'seen' (not hidden) she became bold!! She testified before the crowd!!
He sees us! When we are seen by Him, noticed by Him, validated by Him....we are never the same!!
He told both women to now 'go in peace'. There is no peace until we have been seen by our bridegroom. We live our whole lives waiting to be seen.
The enemy does a number on us as children. Some of us fear being seen, because being seen means to us to be mocked, made fun of, abused, or maybe even used for somebody's perversion.
Sin comes into our lives and just as Eve tried to do in the garden, we go into hiding. I can remember just wanting to blend into the wallpaper. But then He looked upon me. He noticed me and He found me worthy of His gaze.....and all of my insecurities melted in His sight. There is healing in His gaze.

Luke 9:38 'Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, 'Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for his is my only child.' Interesting that the man asked Jesus to look on his son. He knew that if Jesus noticed him, if he 'saw' him, the result would be his healing!
Again in Luke chapter 13 there is another woman who had a spirit of infirmity for 18 years, and in verse 12 it says 'But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, 'Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.'
Luke 17:11-14 is the story of the ten lepers, who stood afar off. Verse 14 says 'So when He saw them....' They were crying out to him, and He noticed!!

In Genesis 16:6-14 we find the story of Hagar. This poor woman! She did nothing wrong, she went to Abram at Sarai's request. But she found herself despised because of Sarai's jealousy, and she fled from the house. Verse 7 says that 'the Angel of the Lord found her'. He spoke to her to return, and gave her a powerful promise; after which she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, 'El Roi' meaning 'the God Who Sees' and she then says 'Have I also here seen Him who sees me?' She was seen by God, and then she could see God. Wow!
Now look at Gen. 21:14-20. Hagar was being sent away. She was not being very nice to Sarah, so Abraham gave her some bread and water and sent her away with her son. She wandered in the wilderness until she thought they would both die. She laid the baby down, and sat down and wept. But God heard the voice of her child, the child of promise that He had given her. And in verse 10 it says 'Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water.' Now, the way I read the story, that well was there all the time! But God had to open her eyes to see it! He had to open the eyes of despair, the eyes that were cast down. Bitterness, self pity and unforgiveness can blind our sight.

Religion can also keep us from seeing. In Luke 13:34-35 Jesus laments over Jerusalem. They could not see Him!
Revelation 3:14-22 talks about the lukewarm church, which makes God puke. What does He tell them to do? Verse 18 says ....'and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.' Any place where we are fat, comfortable and content, we are blind to Him.

Look more at the book of Revelation.....all through the book it says 'I looked' and 'I saw'!!!
John 3:3 says we must be born again to see the Kingdom of God. When I read of all that John got to see in Revelation, I am just blown away. There is so much 'seeing' in just this book alone.
Rev. 5:6 says 'And I looked, and I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.' I don't understand it all, but I know that there are seven eyes representing the seven Spirits of God. Eyes!!
Later on, chapter 11 talks about the witnesses being resurrected and when they ascended to heaven in a cloud their enemies saw them. I think back to the woman with the flask of oil. There she was, before her enemies who were the religious men of that day......but Jesus held her up before them as an example.....and as she was seen by Jesus, her enemies also saw her. They knew that Jesus looked upon her, and loved what He saw. I believe they saw her differently after that.

When we are seen by our Lord, when we dare to look into the eyes of Love, we too can go in peace....knowing that we have caught the gaze of the One for Whom we have waited our whole lives. And once we have been seen we realize that we have been found worthy of His gaze and lovely in His sight; and our whole countenance changes. Our eyes are opened! We are transformed into people who see. We can see His Kingdom, we can see His glory! We begin to see others as Jesus sees them. And our enemies tremble because they can see Him in us!!

What Child Are You?

Today I am thinking about my childhood, and thinking about my Mom. I loved my Mom, and she taught me a lot. I remember being proud of her, and loving her so much. I talked about her to all my friends who didn't know her and I was always quoting her wisdom..."My Mom says this and my Mom says that" because I knew that she was very wise and her solutions to problems were mine to share.
My friends all loved to come over to my house, and our house was always full of them. Partly because my Mom was a good cook, but mostly because she was there. She was a great listener. She welcomed everyone with open arms and whatever we had, which was never anything much, was always for sharing.
My Mom was kind and loving to all who knew her. I know her love touched the lives of many young people as she accepted them without judgment. So I was always excited to share her with my friends and I wanted them to meet her, because I knew that they would feel loved and accepted. I remember feeling so secure and confident in that.

I had one friend, we weren't necessarily close, but I do remember going over to her house on a couple of occasions. She would always warn me before I went, that I needed to take off my shoes before I went inside because her Mom would "have a cow" if we tracked anything in. She would give me the rundown on acceptable and unacceptable behavior, and I remember feeling afraid most of the time at her house, fearing I would do the wrong thing and set off her Mother's wrath. It didn't make me want to be there, and I felt sorry for my friend who had such a difficult Mom to share.

So, what child are you? Because I know what your Dad is like. If my Mom could be so welcoming, and so full of grace and love for people in all walks of life, then how much more grace-full is our Father? But do we present Him to others like He really is? Do we share Him with our friends with excitement, because we are confident in His love? Or do we misrepresent Him as a strict Dad, warning them all of the rules and regulations that they must try and meet in order to make a good impression? What child are you?

You Might Be An Evangelical...



If you insist on a "real" Christmas tree because it is part of the true meaning of Christmas...

If you read your Bible and have your quiet time every morning, then don't give God another thought the rest of the day...

If you attend church where you do because you "like the worship" and they preach "the word"...

If you go to every conference within a 200 mile radius of your house...

If you tithe religiously, but you won't help out your jobless brother Bob because he is a Mormon...

If you love everyone except gays...

If you have alienated most of your extended family in your attempts to "get them saved"...

If you are pro-life when it comes to babies, but pro-death when it comes to criminals...

If you go out of your community to buy your adult beverages so you don't cause anyone you know to "stumble"...

If you believe all democrats are satanists... 

If you judge every pastor who dresses differently than you, or believes differently than you, or worships differently than you a heretic and call it "discernment"...

If you fast for three days every year and practice gluttony the rest of it...

If you read this and take offense, then have to work through forgiveness and inner healing...you just might be an Evangelical!

Happy Holi...oops, I mean Merry Christmas, everyone!!!

 

Oh Give Thanks!!

"Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!" (Psalm 105:1)


This Thanksgiving will be different for us. We won't be gathering around a platter of turkey. I won't be worn out from two days of food preparation. And our whole family won't be together. Yet I find so much to be thankful for, and feel even more gratitude in my heart than ever. Sometimes when the external things are stripped from us it causes us to dig even deeper to discover and celebrate the abundance we have been given.

I am thankful for my imperfect yet beautiful family, who in our imperfections give God even more opportunities to display His goodness and amazing grace!
I am thankful for new life, reminding me that we are all part of a much bigger story, a story which will continue to be told throughout time.

I am thankful for long time friends who have appreciated me, warts and all, and shown me that I do not have to be perfect to be loved.

I am thankful for new friends and discovering their beautiful stories of faith, and for developing even more relationships in which to grow.

I am thankful for difficult people who challenge me to exercise the abundant love and grace I have been given.
I am thankful that to God there are no difficult people, only kids who need His love.

I am thankful for death and passing on, and for every new member of the great cloud of witnesses who surround me and have gone before me.
 I am thankful for missed opportunities which remind me to grab hold of each opportunity that comes my way to prevent any more missed ones.

I am thankful laughter, good old gut cramping belly laughs that make me feel so alive.
I am thankful for tears, for grief and sorrow that cleanse my soul and allow the sweetness of God's comfort to be made real to me.

I am thankful that I know for sure, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God is real.

I am thankful that I now also know for sure that God is good.

I am thankful for the trials which have all become catalysts for God's goodness to be revealed to me in greater measure.

I am thankful that He has shown me that His goodness can be relied upon every day in every situation.

I am thankful beyond words and beyond measure!!

"The Lord is my strength and my shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving."!!!!! (Psalm 28:7)  

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! 

Stand Up!!!

I had an interesting experience last week. I was working as a "temp" with some other also-temp people. I mostly listened to them as they were all quite talkative and full of stories about their lives. I love to listen and hear what makes people tick. Sadly, these people...one woman and a young girl in particular...seemed to be ticking off their illnesses constantly. I mean, between the two of them they had every illness every diagnosed and then some. They had strange accidents, broken bones, and the more I listened the more I realized that pretty much all they talked about were their afflictions. It was as if their "conditions" made them feel special. And that just plain made me sad.

I was reading in the book of John chapter 5 recently. We all know the story. The man who was waiting by the pool of Bethesda. Evidently angels would stir the waters from time to time, and if you happened to be blessed enough to be in the water at that moment, you would be healed.
The man was waiting there...every day...waiting, waiting, waiting for 38 years, for someone to carry him into the pool. I don't know the details of his condition, but evidently he was too sick, weak or maybe even paralyzed to walk himself into the pool. Now, I don't want to come across as heartless...but I imagine if that were me I would try rolling into the pool. Or maybe dragging myself in there. Hanging on to the guy next to me. Something...anything...to get by butt into that pool and get healed!
Jesus asks the man "Are you here hoping to be healed?" Is it self pity I hear in the man's response to Jesus? Or is he just a whiner by nature? The man answers Jesus by making excuses for himself. "I can't get to the pool...nobody will carry me...waa waa waa."
It is funny if you think about it. Jesus knew full well why the man was there and what he was hoping for. Yet he asks him "What do you want?" Now that is a loaded question! But really, maybe my take on this guy isn't so cruel and far fetched. What did he want? Did he want to be pitied? Felt sorry for? Commiserated with?

I confess I must ask myself these same questions at times. What do I want? Do I just give up and wait for someone else to carry me? Do I believe I cannot move? Do I want to be pitied and felt sorry for? Do I feel defeated?
Jesus doesn't give the man what he thinks he needs. He thinks he needs help. He thinks he needs carried to the pool. But Jesus didn't pick him up, He didn't coddle him at all. Jesus commanded him, (which sounds to me like stern talk), and said "Stand up, carry your mat, and walk."
Ouch. Get up you big baby! Get off your butt and carry your own mat, and get moving! No pity there!
And it is interesting that Jesus mentioned to him to carry his mat. Because it was the Sabbath and Jesus knows the rules, He knows the law. He knows that they were forbidden to carry anything or do anything that was considered "work" on the sabbath.
Jesus gives him specific instructions to disobey the law! Maybe because the law kills and Jesus was proving a point here. Rise up! Get out from under the law! WALK!
The man did just that. After 38 years, he stood up...no more weakness, no more pain, no more depression, and no more shame! FREEDOM!!

What is holding you down? Who has convinced you that you cannot do what Jesus is asking of you?
Maybe it's time for you to "Stand up and walk!!"
.

Guilt Trip

Jesus gave us life. He gave us eternal life, as we were meant to have it from the beginning. He restored our birthright to us. It was a gift. We all know that. He came, He conquered, He lives, we live through the grace that He provided. A gift. He said it is finished, and it is finished. End of story. Done. A done deal.

A gift:  the transfer of something without the expectation of receiving something in return.

Say you are a teenager who, like all teenagers, love to drive. Your Dad comes to you one day, gives you a set of keys to a beautiful car, and tells you, "I got you a gift! She's all yours! Enjoy!" WOW!!! How cool would that be and how excited would you be? Now....suppose a week goes by and you are leaving to go for a drive in your beautiful new car. And suppose on your way out the door your Dad calls you back and says, "Where are you going?" and you tell him you are going out for a drive in the beautiful new car he gave you. Dad comes back at you with this, "Well, if you are going to keep that car then there are some things you need to do for me. I want you in church every Sunday. And you need to keep your room clean. Maybe then I will let you go for that drive!"
"What??"  And it suddenly hits you like a ton of bricks that your Dad's supposed "gift" has strings attached. In fact, Dad is going to use it to get you to do what He wants. He will guilt you into living as he wants you to live, every time using the gift he gave you as leverage. Wow. That sort of takes away the giddy feeling you originally had. Maybe even makes you want to give him the car back!

We received our Salvation, our life....as a gift. It was freely given by our Heavenly Father through His Son's obedience. And it was all finished....left there on the Cross.
But then...because we struggle believing that we could ever truly receive anything without strings attached, we start to place a guilt trip on ourselves and on others. Yes, it was free but now we have to do something, anything, to keep the gift. It is subtle, but it creeps in and begins to rob us of the giddy feeling we originally had.

How many messages have we heard telling us we must "do" more to get more of God? My Bible tells me how to receive His fullness, by experiencing His love!
"May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." (NLT) Wow! That is amazing. I receive God's fullness....as I become rooted and grounded in love. Part of my being grounded in love is believing that God is a loving Father to me. And believing that He gave me a free gift with no guilt trip attached. That kinda makes me giddy just thinking about it, and it should!!

If our goal is to make disciples, then it would seem to me that the best way to do so would be to remind them constantly of the reality, of the scandalous free gift of grace which they have been given by a generous God who IS love and loves them dearly.
Instead we fear this message, we believe we must now convince them to work to stay in God's good graces.
There seems to be so many teachings right now on things that we must "do" to be acceptable to Him. Sometimes they are worded as steps we must go through, in order to have "more" of Him. It is almost like God is seen with a grace pitcher, and initially He pours out a little drop of grace in us to get our attention, but then in order for us to fully receive all of Him we must work hard and follow these steps and then He'll pour out a little bit more, then a little bit more.....until....what? We are full? When are we full? How do we know when we are full? What is the capping point of God? And why are the steps that we must follow different depending on who is preaching the message?
Ultimately we teach that Salvation was a gift, but maintaining it takes a lot of work and effort on our part.

I don't think God is into giving us grace, then giving us a guilt trip. I know, Jesus was Jewish and Jewish mothers have a reputation of laying guilt on their children to get what they want. I just don't believe Jesus is like that. And I want to live gracefully...and eternally giddy for His fullness in my life.
"And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace...." (John 1:16)