Good News

(photo mine)

So, what’s the point of having an Old Testament if the whole story of Christianity is wrapped up in the New?

While listening to one of our special guests, Fred Markert, at church Sunday morning, I took particular interest when he passionately brought up “healing the Gospel”. Whatever could he mean? As I intently took in his words my heart resounded with every point he was making. He expounded on Ephesians 3:8 – pointing out that “God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when He said, “All nations will be blessed through you.” (NLT)

If God proclaimed the Good News centuries before Jesus was crucified for our sin, why do we start with the book of John?

(Fred Markert teaching at CFAN)

I love Fred Markert. His joy is unbridled. I want to seek him out and become close, personal friends with him. Mind you, not in a stalker kind of way. I’d love to absorb the contents of his heart and his brain! He has more knowledge and wisdom than most of the people I know all rolled into one. Google him, he's an amazing man. Here's just one link: Fred Markert YWAM )

Here in America, our Gospel generally begins with the New Testament; with the short, pointed message that we are sinners in need of a Savior. I suppose as “westerners” we’re inclined to make it more about us than the God that created us and loves us. But, that’s not where the Good News begins! As Mr. Markert so perfectly reveals, it begins with God and all that He is, not with us or our sinfulness.

How can we assure joy to those we’d seek to make known the message of salvation when we start with our own condemnation? Romans 8:1, another one of my favorites, heralds the news that in Christ, there is no condemnation. Yet many of us who declare we are in Christ often reach out to those we perceive as “lost” with empty hearts; no joy in our soul and no love in our message. Ouch!

(thepolicylass.org)

Not pointing fingers at others, not even the ones who may have sternly presented the Good News to us, but looking inside at our own hearts; what is our mindset? Why do we share the message of salvation? Do we “preach Jesus” out of love for our fellow man? Or because “that’s what we’re supposed to do”? Do we even understand the Gospel we believe we’re sharing?

Do we look past the loving, creative God Who literally gave us life because we want to “spare someone the agonies of hell”?

True. I hate the very thought of anyone finding themselves facing Satan and the fires of hell.

But, let’s marvel at the diamond in front of us, lest we freak out over the idea of washing our hands before we reach out and touch it! Let’s stand in awe of the One Who gives life before we even look at ourselves. Let’s take notice of God’s love.

(progressivechurchmedia.com)

God’s salvation comes gift-wrapped in His love. He IS love! Before God even sees our sin, He loves us. Before He sees our accomplishments, He loves us!

Let’s aim higher; think bigger; open our eyes wider and expose our hearts more deeply. Let’s lay fear aside for the moment and seek to take in the awesomeness of our Creator and His creation. Then perhaps we’ll forget what we were afraid of in the first place.

“In the beginning, God……” Genesis 1:1

(crosscards.com)

Whatever........

(picture from stampinup.net

“And now, dear brothers and sister, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” – Philippians 4:8 (New Living Translation)

The New Life Version says it this way, “Christian brothers, keep your minds thinking about whatever is true, whatever is respected, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever can be loved, and whatever is well thought of. If there is anything good and worth giving thanks for, think about these things.”

The New King James reads, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of a good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.”

No matter which version we pull up, Paul tells us to think on the good things. Yet, I catch myself allowing things that could never be good creeping into my mind. One of my favorites verses in scripture, one I lean on greatly, yet one I don’t live up to all the time. I wonder what my reality would look like if I thought only on good things!

This instructional list of adjectives includes:

True and honorable

Right and pure

Respected and lovely

Noble and just and admirable

How is it we find ourselves filling our minds with thoughts that are:

Gossip and destructive

Angry and hostile

Bitter and ugly

Worrisome and lying

Disgusting and hurtful

Sad and regretful

Jesus is coming back for a church that is without spot or wrinkle, a church that is watching and waiting for His return. How can we expect to produce the fruit of the Spirit of God if we’re weighed down with the negativity of that second list? God knew how powerful our minds are; He created them to be powerful! Paul no doubt learned from his own experiences, and could see how this wisdom from God was so vital for our lives to be filled with liberty and joy and power-filled. He shared it with us centuries ago, knowing that however many generations received his instructions, we’d all need them to thrive.

(picture from oldfaithgateway.com)

If we read this scripture every single day and post it where we’ll see it and memorize it and teach it to our children and make up songs about it the job will be partly done. But, we also need to fill our minds with those good things. Constantly watching television programming that degrades our thoughts or listening to music filled with perversion and profanity and reading material that should make us blush and hope no one sees us won’t give our mind much of an opportunity to fill itself with positive things. Nor will rehearsing over and over again every failure we’ve suffered through or every hurtful thing done to us.

(picture from ibelieve.com)

It’s time to take inventory. Do we complain more than we give thanks? Do we curse when something upsets us? Do we find vulgarity entertaining? What kinds of images are stored in the hard-drive of our brain? It’s time for some reprogramming. It’s time to focus on the Word of God, for real. It’s time to focus on the things that glorify God and all that is good instead of what the world beckons us to accept as good.

“Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.” – Psalm 34:14 (KJV)

“Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” – Romans 12:21 (KJV)

If you have an extra minute or two, read 2 Timothy chapter 3 for a description of what things will be like in the last days of life on this planet as we know it… Personally, I don’t think Paul is talking about the people around us that don’t believe in Jesus Christ as Savior, but to us – the church of Jesus Christ, His own body.

Yes, it’s a good start. Write out Philippians 4:8 (4:4-8 is GREAT) and put it where you’ll see it often to remind you. It’s such a good idea; I suggest you do it right now. Watch your mood change, too!

(picture from butlerpartyof3.com)

Love With Me

(picture from www.pegor.com)

With one foot here in the reality we see and one in the heavenlies, unseen by carnal eyes, knowing where my allegiance is pledged, I daily dance between the two. I note that I’m heavier here on Earth, literally. There are burdens here weightier than gravity itself. It’s so liberating to exhale on the other side and allow the heaviness to lift, setting it free.

I yearn to discover what it’s like to mentally and spiritually live there continuously, whilst walking here among the mortals, without being accused of being so heavenly minded that I’m no earthly good.

Do I even know anyone, personally, who honestly revels in this freedom? (Please take the minute to comment below if you are one of those people and tell me how you do it!)

One of my sister writers (Donna Martin) made mention that our worth isn’t determined by our I.Q., but by what we allow to grow in our hearts. If we approach life through what our hearts can embrace versus what our minds can conceive and understand, how different will our lives look?

Yes, I’ll admit I’d like to understand everything. But what if everything isn’t meant to be understood? Or what if everything isn’t meant to be understood….yet?  I ponder so many what ifs…. We will always enjoy mystery.

I find simple things so mesmerizing. A baby’s smile, ripples on water, dancing leaves, sunshine reflecting off most anything, harmonies, delicate flower petals, sometimes it’s nothing in particular that can hypnotize me, demanding an almost trance-like attention, as if I’m being teleported to another dimension. Is it merely the ADHD? Or is it deep calling out to deep? Does a part of me leave Earth for a glimpse of heaven?

I suppose it’s the part of me that’s probably buried in everyone, whether they know it or not, that longs to be part of something bigger, that allows me to connect with God and His splendor; His peace and the awareness that there’s more to life than what I see with my eyes.

Today, I ponder wonder itself. And I marvel over everything wonderful in my life. The divine entwined with the tangible; the known with the unknown and the accepted with the rejected, all within my grasp….

Just how powerful am I? How marvelous and wonder-filled is my existence? As surely as God loves me, His love resounds within me and boldly breaks out of me like an avalanche, toppling over everything in its way – until it reaches you. What will you do with it? Will you let me love you with this tender, yet passionate love? Will you surrender to it and embrace it? Or will you run from it; hide from it? Will you deny it? Yes, it’s overwhelming, but don’t be alarmed. When my inhibitions fade, and I’m no longer afraid to open up, I’m vulnerable, too.

Will you be vulnerable with me? Or leave things broken, just as they are?

It's Consequential

(photo from foldsfive.blogspot.com)

Loving someone doesn’t mean allowing them to do everything they want to do, or to do everything their way. Right and wrong, good and bad are all still reality. The line isn’t wiped out because you love someone.

If I love someone who becomes abusive, I cannot allow them to hurt me. To walk away from them doesn’t imply I’ve stopped loving them, only that I won’t be tormented by them. Lines need to be drawn.

Because I love my toddler I’m not going to let him play with the sharp knives in the kitchen. Because I love him, I’ll keep them out of his reach until he can understand the dangers they pose. Whether he completely comprehends why he can’t play with the knives or not, lines need to be drawn, rules need to be accepted.

Though, as parents, we create rules about what our children can and cannot do, there will always be those strong-willed children who go around us to prove to themselves that there’s really no danger; that mom and dad don’t know what they’re talking about. Many of those children will get hurt, some seriously. Fortunately, some of the little smart-alecks will investigate the knives when backs are turned, and walk away unscathed. But, too many will find out the hard way, that the rule was in place for their own protection.

(picture from wallpaperhere.com)

As my child grows, I’ll warn him of other dangers, but I’ll do so because I love him, not to deny him pleasure or the answers to curious questions. I’ll want him to discover the answers to as many curious questions as his little heart comes up with, and yes, there may come a day where it involves danger to uncover the answers.

I love a little man who knows no fear. He’ll run right up to the edge of a cliff while we’re hiking and insist that he won’t go over. I have to admit, the boy can stop on a dime, but the day may come when the souls of his shoes meet with sand that sends him sailing over the edge. Do I warn him or attempt to stop him from running at full speed right up to the very edge simply to deny him the thrill? No, of course not; but because I love him and want him to live to be a hundred and accomplish great things with his life.

Again, pondering perception, as I’ve done so many times before, why do we think rules are meant to deprive us? Why do we think that being warned of consequences implies that the outcome of ‘breaking the rule’ is a punishment? If I tell my young man that sliding off the edge of a cliff could mean his death, I’m not saying I’ll punish him with death if he flies out past the end of the ledge. I’m saying that death might be the natural consequence.

When God tells us that without Him we cannot live, He’s not punishing us for trying to live without Him, He’s merely showing us the consequence of excluding Him from our existence. Believing in Jesus Christ results in eternal life, whereas, denying Him results in eternal damnation. Just as cutting off your head will lead to your death, death is not the punishment for cutting off your head, merely the result.

Ponder this, why do we so easily feel threatened with punishment, by warnings of consequences?

“…eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” – 1 Corinthians 2:9 (KJV)

(photo from early-riser.com)

Are Praise and Worship Simply to Butter-Up?

(photo courtesy of christcenteredmall.com)

Jesus Himself said, “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is a spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” John 4:23-24 (NIV)

Praise and worship is not to be used to “butter up” our Father. It’s given from a pure heart that wants nothing more than to climb up on to His lap and to love on Him and to take in His love. It’s not something we put out there trying to manipulate Him into giving us the things we want. He knows our hearts, our thought and intentions; do we really think we can our smart Him or put together a magic formula to make things go the way we want them to?

There are so many things I don’t understand. There are so many things I’d do differently than God is doing them – but only because I don’t always know why He’s doing them the way He does. I know that He sees the whole of everything, and that I merely catch glimpses of His kingdom as He sees it. Since I don’t see the end from the beginning like He does, I can’t possibly expect to see clearly why He does what He does, when He does it.

How many times have you said, or heard said, “Well, if I was God ____________”?

I’m relieved that none of us is God, with our limited scope of everything, we’d surely mess things up. And how many of us would have thought of grace all by ourselves?

The Psalmist wrote, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” Psalm 100:4 (NIV) He didn’t give us this instruction as a magic wand to gain entrance to the throne room of God for our own personal venues.

As Christians, we’re told, “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus…..” Ephesians 2:6 (NIV)

We not only have permission to enter the God’s throne room, spiritually speaking, we’re sitting there already, with Jesus our Savior, as joint heirs with Him. God welcomes our thanks, our praise, our worship, our love, our obedience – and yearns to take us in His arms and love us in ways we still feel so unworthy to receive.

Twice in the gospels Jesus says, “…how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.” Matthew 23:27 & Luke 13:34 (NIV)

Let’s let go of our inhibitions, and like David, dance before the Lord, thanking Him, praising Him, honoring Him and worshiping Him with all that’s within us!

Matthew 6:33 tells us that when we seek first the kingdom of God, everything else will be given to us. So why do we seek the things and ignore the kingdom?

Along the Way

Life isn’t about getting to heaven. Jesus already provided for that….. Though this may be our destination – life is about the journey we travel while we get there.

So what am I doing as I journey?

Again, last night I heard the phrase, or something like it, don’t worry about doing – focus on being!

Being? How do I ‘be’ without doing? Isn’t what I am while I’m ‘being’ because of what I’m doing?

No.

But if I’m not doing – I’m LAZY! And we all know what the Bible says about laziness. (If you don’t – laziness is not a good thing.) And of course, faith without works is like a screen door on a submarine. (I wish that was an original thought I came up with on my own, but it’s from an old song.)

So yes, doing is important. But we run into trouble when doing becomes more important than being – and when we allow what we’re doing to determine who we are and worse, our worth.

Something really incredible happened this morning, but you’ll have to wait for my next blog post to hear about it…. I’m running out of words for today. (Yes, I already have it written, so you won’t have to wait long!)

But I want to leave you with these thoughts for today:

*Life is not about getting to heaven. Think on that for a few minutes – even share your thoughts with me if you’d like.

*Who are you today? Put aside what you’re doing and ask yourself: who am I being today?

The white peacock – he’s just being himself……