Put On That Swimsuit

I think this little article has a great deal of wisdom and kindness concerning what false impressions do to us.  While it's true for both men and women, I think the "fairer set" will really get it.  Have a look.

http://www.themomcreative.com/2014/06/put-on-that-swimsuit.html

Sermons Available!

I had the pleasure of speaking at Convention 220 (themed by Galatians 2:20) in late March, and am happy to announce that the audio recordings are now available.  You can access them through Amazon (individual sessions or album) and iTunes (album).  The first link is to Andrew Farley’s sessions (and they are fantastic), and the second is to the rest of us speakers.  To get my session only ($.99), go to the Other Speakers Amazon link below and add my title to your cart, “Workshop 10: Love from the Inside Out.”  Don’t bother to click on my name because it will suggest that you add “Hickey Head” to your cart, and that’s certainly not me!  I have never been a Hickey Head, and I never will be.  Just to be clear. 

Andrew Farley:  http://amzn.com/B00KHUA972

Other Speakers:  http://amzn.com/B00KF3XMUC

Andrew Farley:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/convention-220-vol.-1/id881080694

Other Speakers:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/convention-220-vol.-2/id879258083

Freedom In Knowing Him

“Holy Spirit, will you free us from the addiction to the shallow, the tyranny of the surface, by showing us the truth of the unseen and eternal? Would you draw us, would you awaken and secure our happy-made hearts by what’s truly true, and which reveals our fit with you and our place in this world? We would find our kingdom and know our freedom from the one that exhausts us, and, knowing the riches of your love and grace to us in Christ, we would assist others to the same. We couldn’t help ourselves, and that would be wonderful. Right? Amen.”

The Look That Works

There are many common ways by which we are measured and by which to measure ourselves, right?  What pressure!  What a lot of work it all is.  Have you noticed?   If we attempt to manage ourselves by those measurements and we interpret our success in that light, we darken and do not receive grace.

If, however, our “measurement” is God’s gift of never-ending righteousness in Christ, His gift of “It is well, and you are too,” then we will enjoy the fact that we have been taken from the kingdom of darkness and put into the kingdom of the Son.  That’s where we are.  Only by believing (and sometimes newly believing again and again!) that we are where God says we are, and that we are how God says we are can we accurately measure ourselves.  In other words, that’s the only way we can live with the person we think we are!  It’s the only way—the only true way.  And that’s when the pressure eases, because we’re enjoying the riches of our inheritance—the gift—given to us in Christ. 

The GOOD NEWS, the big deal, is that we had nothing to do with achieving or earning the gift; we are happy receivers only and always!  And by looking at it, by enjoying the gift, we are built up and encouraged in Him.  That’s how this all works—that’s how WE work—by looking at the gift!  God set it up for us.

I know it doesn’t fit with the pressures and measurements of this world, and, really, you can keep immersing yourself and swimming in the crazy currents of this world’s identity measurements if you like.  But the truth is, they don’t work!  And you don’t fit.  Jesus took care of all that by taking care of you.

Now watch this—pay attention to how you feel as you read the following, which was written for you: 

“. . . joyfully give thanks to the Father, who has qualified you (in other words, He has made you right! It is well, and you are too.) to share in the inheritance (the gifted inheritance) of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.  (Colossians 1:12-14, italics mine.)

Already and all done!  You’re in and you’ve got it all.  No worries.  Remember?

(This is a transcript of an August 2013 video, “The Look That Works,” and is intended for those who might rather read than watch.  To see the video and/or to subscribe, click http://youtu.be/x3WzwNfcG5k.)

Repenting of Ace Ventura

Have you ever wanted to beat someone up?  You know, for their own good?  Give ‘em a good whop! across the kisser to wake them up to something great?  I have.

Maybe you’ve shown someone a painting or poem you loved, played for them a song that deeply moved you, or told someone of an enchanting discovery only to have them respond with a disinterested, “Um, that’s nice.”  How did you feel in that moment?  Were you bothered?  Did you think, “Hmm . . . Maybe a good whop! right about now would be just the thing because you should be more interested in this than you are.”

Have you ever wanted to beat someone up for Jesus?   I have.  That might be related, don’t you think?  And it might be a problem.

There have been times when I have presented the incredible truth of the gospel to someone and have them look as dull when I was done as they did when I began.  I don’t mean only the get-‘em-in-the-door, turn-or-burn gospel, I mean the stunning good news about what God has done for us in Christ gospel, the great and real life He gives us gospel, and the how well related to God we are in Christ gospel.  That one.  And when I arrive at a good place to stop, either they look like it’s naptime or like it’s all unimportant.  “Well, I’m glad that works for you,” they say.

And what fills my imagination is from one of those silly Pet Detective movies.  Remember those?  There were a couple of them.  Suddenly, I am Ace Ventura (Jim Carrey), and with an exaggerated nod and toothy grin, I hear myself say, “Really.  R-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-a-l-l-y . . .”

And in my imagination – Whop!  They had it coming, right?  And then I do that silly, jerky, walk-away thing that Ace Ventura did, grinning big as ever. “Turn me down?  Ha!  Loo-hoo-hoo-ser!”

It’s about then that I come to my senses and repent of Ace Ventura. 

Sometimes my flesh gets way too involved in the mystery of closing the gospel deal, or of changing someone else.  I know that I didn’t convince myself about the gospel, nor am I particularly skilled at changing myself, so when I begin practicing upon others (Dr. Ralph), you would think that I would be quickly alarmed.  Sadly, no.  Sometimes it takes a while.

What’s happened is that I have lost the thrill and confidence of God-in-charge, God-at-work, and God-never-failing.  Awe of Him has been over-run by frustration with this world, and sometimes that happens all too easily.  I watch a big batch of bad news, read the opinion section of the newspaper, or scan a blog, and fleshly angst becomes my chief navigator.  Joy in God’s ability has been hijacked by a fleshly desire to make life work, mine and yours – Reeeally – and the soon-coming end of that is disappointment and exhaustion.  It must be.  Either I get all worked up—We’ve got to DO something!—or I get all depressed and give up.  It’s one or the other.

Right around then, the Holy Spirit reminds me that I am an ambassador of God, not a general in the army.  I’m a vessel and messenger for God, not a detective bent on exposing the bad things of this world so I can change them.  He reminds me because He is looking to revive and refresh me so I can live and work in the power of God, not in the faux power of the flesh.  It doesn’t work for me, nor does it for you.  And that’s a good thing to know, although it probably won’t feel that way until we arrive at rest:  “What have I been trying to do that God is not?”  That’s a good arrival. 

Maybe you need to repent of Ace Ventura, too.  Besides, I can’t imagine him leading anyone to Jesus anyway.  Can you?

(This is a transcript of yesterday’s video, “Repenting of Ace Ventura,” and is for those who might rather read than watch.  To see the video, click http://youtu.be/Q_cja0fg5X4, or simply scroll down this page.)

Repenting Of Ace Ventura

Have you ever wanted to beat someone up for Jesus?  I have.  Find out what Ace Ventura has to do with it in this fun yet pointed 6-minute video.

I will speaking at 9:00am (or so, MST) tomorrow morning (Wednesday), and you may watch LIVE online by going to: http://www.fathershousefc.com/. Click the WATCH LIVE link that’s found in the top left corner of the page.

Grace Conference

There’s still time to register for the Word of Grace Conference, which begins tomorrow, June 2. It begins at 6:00pm, and I will be speaking at 6:30 (MST). You may watch LIVE online by going to: http://www.fathershousefc.com/ 

Click the WATCH LIVE link that’s found in the top left corner of the page.