Sunday, September 27, 2015

The End?

In preparation for the end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it tonight, I’m going to watch three episodes of the television show, “Fear The Walking Dead.”  If this is the end, then what better way to prepare by watching a documentary that’s all about it?

Pardon my sarcasm. 

While I am not as educated about "end times prophecy" as some people are, my understanding of scripture, my now lengthy life experiences, and knowing Jesus and life by the Spirit tells me that this "September Doom" message—perhaps you’ve heard it—is yet another harbinger of what life is like without knowing that the New Covenant in Christ’s death (with far better promises for Jew and Gentile alike) ended the former covenant, ended what life was like without knowing Jesus Himself, and ended what life was like without being led by the Spirit, who gives us trust and rest and a future. 

Maybe this angers you, and I’d understand if it did.  I’m not saying that people who are caught up in the “September Doom” message are not Christians.  I am saying,however, that they are likely dazzled and entranced by information bombardment that has led them to make certain signs-of-the-times conclusions that have many people running for cover. 

You probably know what information bombardment can do to us, inducing us to near panic buying of dried foods, batteries and lanterns, guns and toilet paper, water and propane.  Does anybody remember the book, “88 Reasons Why Jesus Will Return in 1988”?  Or how about the follow up book, “89 Reasons”?  Or how about Y2K, the turning of the calendar from 1999 to 2000, when all of the computers would supposedly malfunction and shut off electricity the world over?  Many of us in the church were fixated upon these and other dire predictions over decades past of impending doom, because information flooded the bride of Christ.  We were attracted to the flood itself, which swamped one of our most prized possessions:  intimate communication with God Himself.

Info bombardment makes us crazy, mostly because we become more attracted to it than to what the Spirit Himself is doing with us and telling us.  I submit that that’s what’s happening now.  It has happened in the past, and it will happen in the future.  I might even be able to cause some of it.  Have I told you that I’m writing a hot new book called, “Why the Donald is God’s Anti-Christ Trump Card In 2016”?  I mean, the book I was going to write, “Why Obama Is The Anti-Christ” is so yesterday.  See what I mean?  How many of us get flooded-out by this kind of stuff?

It’s not at all because we’re stupid.  I think it’s because we were made with passions coming from beliefs that lead us to causes.  That’s not a bad thing, but it can become one.  I totally want Jesus to return because that’s going to be the best thing, but I’m not looking at the heavens to try to figure out the exact date.  He lives in me, and I know Him because He and I talk together.  We have a relationship, and His calendar is busy already through the end of the month.  At least.

(Please, I do not mean to be critical of those who are harried and worried about this end-times stuff. I have my own memories of similar concerns years ago that influence me now. I wonder, however, what will become of those disillusioned by the “wise” teachers and speakers they’ve been following? How will they recover by and to the truth? Will their despair lead them to doubt Jesus and the Bible? How hurt will they be? Or will there be people who will gently and calmly tell them that error is sadly normal, and that they will recover? That would be good. That would be God.

Additionally, what will we do with the teachers who have been at the forefront of this “September doom”? Do we give them a pass? Do we accept some kind of “Well, because we prayed enough, God decided to forestall the day?” I hope not. Frankly, I hope we mark them as in error and as teaching error, and then kindly assist toward repentance and silence. Maybe they will come to their senses. Perhaps they will accept their own fallibility and become well acquainted with it—even laugh at their weakness and become better at being with people in authenticity and love. That would be good. That would be God.)

Thursday, September 24, 2015

New Living

If you’re trying to stop sin, you’re presenting yourself to it. You’ve got it backwards and it won’t work. You’ll inflame the power that is sin by paying attention to it. Sin will not master us because we conquer it, but because Christ conquered it, and He is in us. The new way of living is to offer ourselves to Christ in us—to Him—and He produces righteousness and life. That’s the wonder of Christianity and life by grace: Christ in us. You’re going to like Him in you.

(For more about this, read Romans 6, and see my book: http://lifecourse.org/Ralphs_Book.html.)

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Sin & Life

As long as we think of sin as the breaking of a moral standard, a law or a commandment, instead of an inner power which induces us to attempt life apart from God and His grace, disconnected, we will exalt moral compliance as the goal of life, guaranteeing our frustration, and miss the One who is Life, and who happily takes up residence within us.

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

None

“What is ‘None?’” – During a heavenly-oriented Jeopardy game, this is the correct question to the answer, “How many sins you would visit if your Savior were to take you on a tour of them.”

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us.

Saturday, September 12, 2015

If I Could Only Change

“Change.”  We talk a lot about it and put great effort into it.  But what if we’ve missed something?  What if God thinks one thing about “change” and we think something else?  The good people at Surrendered Image have published my article, so click below to read more.

http://surrenderedimage.com/Blog/if-i-could-only-change-35337

Saturday, September 05, 2015

Your New Track Record

The good news is that God remembers my track record no more.  (And likely not yours either.)  While the world obsesses upon how I’m doing and how I’ve done, He doesn't ever point to it and say, "See?  This is why you're such a success.  Pat yourself on the back!” or “This is why you’re such a loser.  Pull it together, man!"  Instead, God points to Jesus and says to me, "I have given you His record as your own, and it is flawless.  It is perfect.  His success is yours; it belongs to you now.  Get used to that—I’m going to be telling you all about it all the time.  It will change your life."

Speaking of the religious busy-bodies and track-record accountants of his day, the apostle Paul writes to the Philippians in chapter 3:

7-9 The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness.
10-11 I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself.

So, look behind and you’ll see that you’ve got a new track record—perfect.  Look ahead, and the race, the effort is to know Jesus, who has everything for you already, even before you’ve taken a step.  You win.  That is your new track record.

(See Philippians 3:1-14; Colossians 3:1-4; 2 Corinthians 3:1-10; Romans 4:23-5:2.)

(This is a transcript of yesterday’s video, “Your New Track Record,” and is for those who might rather read than watch.  To see the video, click http://youtu.be/Sz4xtwPcLuk, or scroll down this page.) 

Friday, September 04, 2015

Your New Track Record

Got 3 minutes?  When God examines how you’ve done and when He thinks about how you’ll do, what forms His opinion?  If God knows the ultimate reality, how does yours look? 

Christianity

Christianity is not just about Jesus; Christianity is Jesus. Christians do not believe in a set of spiritual principles or rules by which to live, making it a faith similar to other faiths. Christians believe in and know Jesus Himself. When you encounter Him, everything changes because everything changes in you—without trying to make change happen. He does it for you. That’s Christianity—Jesus for you. And love, true and wild and reliable, happens, again and again and forever.

Wednesday, September 02, 2015

He's In Me

All of the fruit or production of the Spirit is as much the working and evidence of God in a believer as is hearing his voice. Have you thought of that? If you’re feeling joy or peace, if you’re knowing love or patience toward someone, if you’re enjoying gentleness or self-control, or any of the other graces of God, that’s God in you. Him!  That’s pretty fantastic. You’re knowing and feeling God in you. Give Him your attention, and enjoy!  What an idea—Christ in you. “How amazing, Father! You’re in me and I’m in you.” (Matthew 1:23; Galatians 5:22-23; Colossians 1:27)