Love & Decisions

Decision making is a relative breeze when I’m enjoying the love of God. When it isn’t, the solution is not to concentrate on making good decisions but to be restored to the love of God. He secures me, and the proper decisions follow in their proper perspective and order. (Philippians 1:9-11)

"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God."

Listening Gets Easier

The more I listen to God the easier it is to listen to you. I believe the reverse is true as well.

Helping The Freed To Freedom

If I’m going to help people be as free from fear and reprisal as Christ Jesus made them to be, then I’m going to have to let them love me in the way they can, not in the way I want them to.

Family Reunion

My three brothers and all of our families are together enjoying a family reunion in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

From left to right, eldest brother John, youngest brother Evan, me, and my twin brother Brent. I will post more pics in the days to come.

Yeah, we're having a blast!

Monday's Starting Point

It's the starting line of the work week, so here's something to thing about before going too far.

If you’re going to live by faith and if you’re going to help people today, you’re going to have to see past their behavior to who they are—either in Christ or not yet. Without the complete picture, you’ll be wrestling flesh, and in the long run that’s not helpful.

Beware The Fatheads' Parade

“Off with his head!” shouted the Red Queen of Wonderland, “Off with his head!”

The loveless and fat-headed queen, brilliantly played by Helena Bonham Carter in the recent iteration of the film, wanted to know everything about everyone, and, in her own twisted wisdom, dealt precisely and brutally with all who failed her scrutiny. Wanting to placate her, the subjects of the realm attached to themselves false and oversized features such as elongated ears and noses, and bulbous posteriors, completing the look of a kingdom in agreement and submission. The assembled court presented a fascinating and twisted parade.

Watching the movie, I wondered if I don’t unwittingly join a loveless and fatheaded parade as well. I’ll explain.

I have a long history of craving knowledge and insight, believing those qualities would be at the top of the gotta-have-it list for life. As I remember, grad school at USC was a seemingly endless immersion at the library, pouring through books and files and microfiche, interrupted only for fresh air and coffee. By necessity I learned how to research and found that knowledge was not only interesting, it provided protection against error as well. There’s a lot of value in that. Looking back, the fear of error became a big contributor to my desire for knowledge.

From those days to these, I’ve become a sort of glutton for knowledge that feeds insight so I can choose the best path, the right car, the proper foods, the most accurate and informative news sources, the correct candidate and the perfect position on anything and everything I should need to comment about. Oh, and it’s time I got a new cell phone, so I’m currently immersed in researching HSDPA+, LTE, UMTS, 4G, GMS versus CDMA, screen resolution, processing power, Android versus iOS versus Symbian^3, and which carrier has the best coverage, contract, and minutes for my bucks. This is SERIOUS! I don’t want to make a mistake and blow the decision, so I’ve got to get all the pertinent info I can, right?

But here’s what I’ve found: there is a knowledge and insight that renders the possessor as loveless as the fatheaded queen. It cripples its possessors by anointing them “Expert”, which, while making them feel good, comes with a heavy requirement: perfect judgments. We are not set up for that. Having become the crucified to this world, born from above new creation sons and daughters of God, we share now in the nature of our Father (2 Peter 1:3)—and that’s a nature of love. God is love (1 John 4:16); He doesn’t just have love or feel loving. God’s love never ebbs, it never is somewhere else, it never is too busy, and it never fails. He is love.

Love is in our DNA.

The Christian is set up for love—think about that—and the kind of knowledge and insight we’re to strive for is supposed to be the fuel of love.

The apostle Paul writes: “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:9-11)

What does God want for the Philippians and for us? Abounding love! You wouldn’t mind that would you? And what will happen then? We’ll be enabled to live—and live well.

What knowledge you’re going for today and what insight you’re getting will and is determining the abundance of love in your life.

Think of it this way: God knows absolutely everything there is to know about you. Does that sound scary? But what’s your favorite thing about God that He is always approaching you with? Isn’t it love? It is! Look, God has the goods on you—He knows all your dirt. He knows your heart, reads your mind (and your email), sees your activity—and loves you perfectly! And He doesn’t turn away from you so He can’t see your bad behavior or witness your ugly attitude. Ooh! I can’t look—Ralph looks awful today! God is always looking at the facts—He has all knowledge and all insight. And He loves endlessly. The facts He’s looking at affect Him greatly—I would say that what He knows and sees kindles His love! When He looks at you, love bursts forth from Him because He knows the facts!

Do you get it?

He sees you in Christ, His regal son, His magnificent daughter, His chosen vessel of and for His glory. That’s what He knows, that’s His insight, and love pours forth from Him for you. It abounds.

God knows all about Kim Jong Il and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He knows capitalism and socialism through and through, He knows there are differences between Nikon and Canon cameras, USC and FSU, corporate heads and government officials, and that there are benefits and risks to eating at McDonald’s. But so far, I’ve not heard a heavenly “Off with their heads!” (You may recall that He already sent Someone Else down that road.) Why not? Because His love, grand and happy, is never threatened. Something else fuels it—real knowledge and real insight.

Is that what you’re seeing when you look around?

If love is missing these days, then I suspect it’s because you’ve been looking at the wrong facts. If your recent history includes hot anger at Obama/Bush/Palin/Pelosy, and you’re convinced that you’re RIGHT about that lousy SOB, O/B/P/P; if your blood pressure boils when thinking that some people actually believe global warming is real (or fake), cap and trade is a good (or bad) idea, gays should (shouldn’t) be able to marry, the SEC is the best (worst), Apple is better (or not) than Microsoft, the Yankees are baseball’s best (worst), Brazil will win (lose) the world cup, and Obama bows too much (too little), then I think you’ve likely fallen into the parade of the fat heads. You’ve been too much about this world’s knowledge, and not only is love missing, but so is discernment, purity and confidence in Christ.

You may not be shouting “Off with their heads!” but you’re not far off.

Get out of the parade. How? In faith that Love is waiting and available, turn off the television for a few days. It might not be easy. By faith don’t read the newspaper or go to that newsy web site tomorrow—and for a few days. Instead, talk to God. Ask Him what He knows about things visible and invisible. Ask Him what His heart is for you. Ask Him what it’s like for those your flesh has lately been railing against. Crack open the book of Colossians, throw on some Steven Curtis Chapman or Tenth Avenue North. Take a walk. Get a great book—check my web site for recommendations (http://lifecourse.org/Recommends.html).

It won’t be long before you’ll begin preferring the knowledge and insight which fuels love, and your appetite for that which makes you a worldly expert will diminish.

And you’ll be out of the parade of the fat heads.

A Successful Career Change

(It's a beautiful Saturday morning here in the Rocky Mountains, which means it's time for a wee bit of fun. Have a great weekend.)

A gynecologist had become fed up with malpractice insurance and HMO paperwork, and was burned out. Hoping to try another career where his skillful hands would be beneficial, he decided to become a mechanic. He went to the local technical college, signed up for evening classes, attended diligently, and learned all he could.

When the time of the practical exam approached, the gynecologist prepared carefully for weeks and completed the exam with tremendous skill. When the results came back, he was surprised to find that he had earned a score of 150%. Fearing an error, he called the instructor and said, "I don't want to appear ungrateful for such an outstanding result, but I wonder if there is an error in the grade?"

The instructor said, "During the exam, you took the engine apart perfectly, which was worth 50% of the total grade. You put the engine back together again perfectly, which is also worth 50% of the grade."

After a pause, the instructor added, "I gave you an extra 50% because you did it all through the muffler, which I've never seen done in my entire career."

The Danger Of Drifting

Here's a post from a terrific writer, Steve McVey. You may access his blog (which I highly recommend) at http://www.gracewalkministries.blogspot.com/. Have a look!


My wife, Melanie, and I love to sail. Years ago we took classes and were certified to skipper a sailboat. One of the things we learned was to determine our course using a protractor and a chart. One important thing about sailing is that if you plan to go a long way, you’d better be sure you aren’t off course a few degrees when you begin. If you are, you’re going to end up in big trouble later. A few degrees off course in the beginning doesn’t look too serious, but the problem is that, the longer you sail, the further you move away from your intended destination.

It doesn't seem to make a big difference if you’re off course a little when you start, but as you move along your journey, you get further and further away from where you wanted to go. The same is true in our grace walk. When our eyes were opened to the gospel and we began to follow Christ, that wasn’t the finish line, but was the starting point of our journey.

Paul begins all his epistles with the word "grace" because that is where we have to start if we want to end up where our hearts long to be and where our Father has determined to be our destination. If you start your Christian life at the point of grace and you move forward, charting your course by grace, you will move further and further into the waters of abundant living.

If, on the other hand, you start from a place of grace, but you begin to drift toward legalism, you will most certainly end up in a place of frustration and defeat in your life. Many have started well, but drifted away from a grace walk and have found themselves in the troubled waters of legalism.

I actually got lost at sea once because I got off course. We were in the British Virgin Islands and my plan was to go around the tip of Virgin Gorda from one side of the island and stop at a beautiful bay on the other side. It didn't work out that way and for hours and hours we saw no land at all. When I finally spotted land again, I couldn’t figure out where I was because I had completely lost my bearings. Eventually, I made contact with a cruise ship whose captain sent the Coast Guard to rescue us.

I started well, but drifted off course. The same thing has happened to many who follow Jesus. A man at the conference where I spoke this past weekend said to me, "I didn't have to be taught grace when I first trusted Christ. That's how I naturally lived. I had to be taught legalism. Then the things I had done in the beginning because I wanted to became things I should do and that's when it all unraveled."

He's right. It made me think of Paul's words to the Galatians when he said, "You started out well. How has hindered you?" Staying on course with grace must be intentional because the current of religion always pushes against grace. Let us set our course by the love and grace of the Father and be careful not to drift away from Him into a religious lifestyle.

It can't be stated any better than the writer of Hebrews said it: "We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away" (Hebrews 2:1).

Rest & Trust

Here in the states we're enjoying a long weekend. You may know that means things get a little more relaxed around here.

So here's a little video of "someone" realizing that the illusion of control is just that--an illusion. We're made for Him, and realizing that means rest and trust, no matter the circumstance.

Right?

The Fuel Of Service

Nowadays we commonly measure ourselves by the amount and quality of our service but rarely by the enjoyment of our friendship with our Friend. If service to God has become a grinding drudgery, the antidote is not more service or less--it's a renewal of friendship with God.

Serving God is a high calling--friendship with God is not the cost but the fuel.

Catastrophe Avoided--Barely

It's the weekend, which means it's time for a little more fun than usual.

The following video has truly incredible footage of people narrowly avoiding catastrophe. I think its name, "The Luckiest People On Earth" is about right. You'll enjoy it.

Have a great weekend!

No Longer Flesh Bags, Pt. 5 (Conclusion)

In concluding my series about the flesh, I want you to consider another angle on the gift of Jesus, one indispensable for you and me.

When you received Jesus, you received the gift of everything you want to be—the best of it all. That’s really His gift to you.

Think of some of the ways you want to be: more loving, more joyful, more faithful, more self-controlled, more patient, more kind, more gentle, more peaceful, . . . more better. Have you ever asked God to make you more like one or two or maybe all of those? I have. Maybe you too.

But where did you look after you asked God? Did you look at yourself? Did you start a self-improvement vigil and regimen? That’s what I’ve done, and when I didn’t see what I wanted to see, I eventually stopped asking. And gradually, I stopped expecting.

Here’s my point: can you believe that all of the way you want to be, all of it, is the gift of Jesus?

Some of the best news of my life is that I don’t have to become anything more than I am right now, I’ve only to believe everything I want is in the gift of Jesus. It’s all there. It’s Him. Really.

Want to be more loving? Follow your desire to know Jesus and He’ll give you His love for others. Want to be more joyful? Ask Him to be that way in you. Soon there will be no room for Grumpy Gus or Gloomy Glenda. Short on the faithfulness scale this year? Ask the Spirit to produce Jesus’ faithfulness in you. You’ll be amazed. Lacking in self-control? Talk with Jesus about how much you want Him to do that in you – He will. In other words, pay attention to receiving the Gift, to knowing and enjoying the Gift, and He will pay attention to being in you everything you want.

Every way you want to be – He’s all that.

I know it sounds simple. But if you and I can grow in receiving from Jesus all that He is, if we can raise our expectation of what the Gift can do for us and in us, we’ll walk by the Spirit and not fulfill the desires of the flesh.

And for me, that’s it. That’s my hope – Jesus in me. That’s where the Gift is in every Christian. It’s incredibly satisfying to find Him there.

Have a look.

No Need To Hide

If the grace of God means anything it’s that, in light of what God thinks He has done for us and to us through Christ, we walk together in humility, without competition or condemnation, and without feeling ashamed into a cover up. Trusting God together with ourselves—who we are, what we’ve done and what we’ll be—means a love affair, grand and reckless. It’s like leaving a dark cave of isolation for the freedom of sunlight. It’s risky! But it’s living.

No Longer Flesh Bags, Pt. 4

(This is part four of a series, “No Longer Flesh Bags.” Below, we continue from last week…)

Luther Price wrote: “Be what you is, not what you ain’t; ‘cause if you ain’t what you is, you is what you ain’t.” In other words if you believe you are something (the flesh) when, in fact, you are not, the life you live will be a false one. You won’t live as you really are and have become because you’ll believe you’re something else; you’ll live as you ain’t.

This is why we must be very careful about imploring Christians to surrender because it's likely that they hear a false message when we do. Rather, we should encourage them to believe and to offer themselves to God, who now lives in them. While it’s true that we have flesh, that isn’t us, not anymore, neither does the flesh surrender to God’s commands. Paul wrote that the fleshly mind “is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. (Rom 8:7-9 NAS, italics mine.) Now that you have been reborn and belong to God, “you are not in the flesh”! You’re no longer found there! You’re “in the Spirit”! And you’re of the Spirit!

This is why, falsely identifying ourselves, whenever we implore ourselves to surrender, we add fuel to the false fight! If I believe that part of me which seems stubborn and reluctant to offer itself to God is me, then I’ve believed the flesh is me and I’ll see to command its surrender. Yikes! No wonder we can never seem to do it.

“Now, look here, flesh – I’m serious! I’ve had it with you and your terrible rule in my life, so I’m ordering you to cease your efforts immediately. You must no longer produce all that lousy, ugly stuff you’ve long pumped into my life – no more of that! Further, you must submit to daily prayer and Bible reading and like it! You hear me?! Surrender! I mean it!”

Twisted in my belief, I will invariably be twisted in my efforts. The way out of the twist is to live by faith and rightly identify the monster. Paul said that if he sinned, it was not him sinning; who was it? The monster! The flesh, through Paul! That which Paul used to be, but was no longer, ever since he had been remade and given life.

The following describes our hope:

11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you. 12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh-- 13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. (Rom 8:11-14 NAS, italics mine.)

You’re no monster – you’re a son! And you have the Spirit of God, and you have life. Because this is so, you may now happily put to death the ugly and awful deeds of the flesh.

When sin is evident in my life it isn’t the evidence that I am still seriously sinister, nor is it what I truly want to do. Sin is now a fleshly compulsion through the mental and emotional faculties of my body to harken back to empty days of long ago by rejecting dependence upon God in order to do something else. Empty stumblings.

Now, what do we do with this? If I offend you, I’ll say something like, “I’m sorry I did that to you…” But, I’ll know from where it came. If I don’t apologize to you and own the offense, then I’m irresponsible and our relationship will be impaired. After all, the behavior came through me – I am responsible. However, if I do not accurately identify the producer of the behavior, I’ll be blaming the wrong thing, most likely the devil or me, and I’ll be boxing the air.

But that’s not for you…not anymore. You’re better off than you think.

No Longer Flesh Bags, Pt. 3

(Don't miss this. What follows is part 3 of my series, “No Longer Flesh Bags.” I pick up with the last paragraph of part 2.)

With centuries of practice it is now common for men and women to live by the flesh and call it normal – it’s all they know because it’s all they have. But get alone with someone and they might admit that life isn’t at all satisfying and that it doesn’t work. You and I know it’s because, having been designed for something more, all they have is flesh. They’re left to walking “in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God,…” (Eph 4:17,18 NAS)

No one can live like that.

Living without God’s life is impossible; it’s a caricature, a perversion and cruel joke of life. It’s the sad lot of Pinocchio, who, while walking and talking and interacting with the world around, had not life. That he one day realized it was the gift of an irresistible itch.

For us, Pinocchio’s itch is answered in Christ - thank God. Since Jesus, “the way, the truth and the life,” made His entrance into us, we’re not flesh bags anymore! "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6 NAS, italics mine.) Jesus has successfully made us spirit, new creations now filled with God, now filled with life! Remember? That’s why He came in the first place, “that you might have life.” (John 10:10; 1 John 5:12)

While I know who and what I was born - a pagan-natured flesh bag - I know who and what I have been born a second time – a godly-natured spirit, a son filled with life. Where at one time I was by nature an object of wrath (Eph 2:3), I have become by nature an exalted son! (Eph 2:6) What a miracle.

You and I know that while I still have a monster (flesh), and can walk in the manner of a monster (by the flesh), I am not a monster! I have an enemy, but I am not an enemy of God; the enemy is not me. God has a problem, but it is not me. I am not God’s problem anymore. Without making excuse for sin (more about that next time) if I believe I am the problem, if I believe I am the reason for my stumbling, for my sinning against God and against you, I am deceived. (And the natural course of deception is that I’m off course but don’t know it.) I’ll usually make war on sin, which, in my thinking, usually means I make war on myself. If I think “I’m bad,” or “I’m the problem,” then where does my attention and where do my efforts go? Right at me…or the “me” I think I am. And that forces me into a double life.

Luther Price wrote: “Be what you is, not what you ain’t; ‘cause if you ain’t what you is, you is what you ain’t.” In other words if you believe you are something (the flesh) when, in fact, you are not, the life you live will be a false one. You won’t live as you really are and have become because you’ll believe you’re something else; you’ll live as you ain’t.

And that’s a mess. But you’re no mess. You’re better off than you think.

(To be continued.)