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One of the oldest human needs is having someone who wonders where we are when we don’t come home at night. The ache for home lies in all of us. Home is that safe place where we can go as we are and not fear be ridiculed.  Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home to get food, clean clothes, sleep, and love. Where we love, and are loved, is home. Our feet may leave, but never our hearts.

We are told that Jesus became human and made his home here with us. (Jn 1:14).  This fulfilled what had always been God’s desire. Early on he was telling people to make him a sanctuary, so that he could dwell among them (Ex 25:8).

Jesus seemed to be totally at home here on earth.  He attracted many followers and did many great things for them.  Then in the middle of everything Jesus began show his disciples how he needed to go to Jerusalem to suffer many things, be killed, and then be raised on the third day (Mt 16:21). No one wanted to hear him talk like that.  But he did go to Jerusalem, he did die, and he did rise from dead after three days.  It wasn’t easy for those near him to understand this.  Mary Magdalene was one of these people. 

Jesus had cast seven demons out of Mary Magdalene (Lk 8:2).  Her life was changed forever.  She was a transformed woman.  She owed Jesus everything.  She went to the place of the skull to witness Jesus’ execution. She heard his last words. She saw him die and then be carried off to a tomb. 

Then, one morning before dawn, she went to the tomb where he was. Somebody had opened the door and taken away his body.  She began to weep loudly.  A person heard her and asked, “Ma’am, why are you crying?  What’s wrong?” Mary said, “Mister, if you’ve taken him somewhere, just tell me.” 

The man then said, “Mary.”  She recognized that voice instantly. It was the voice she had heard just a few days ago crying out for water. It was also the voice that had commanded that horrible darkness surrounding her to leave.  It was Jesus!  She ran to hug him, but his response was strange.

“Don’t hang on to me,” he said. “Go and tell the others what’s happening.”

There’s an interesting analogy here.  Like Mary, we long for the good ol’ days.  We want things to stay the same.  We resist change.  We spend our energies wishing things were how they were.  The problem is that life is not static. It ebbs and flows.  It can be wonderful, it can be painful.

Kids grow up and move away. Some people get married, others don’t. You love people and sometimes they break your heart.  People are healed and others die.  Things seem easy at times and then very difficult at other times.  Great successes and rough failures.

Regrets, hurts, disappointments, or just thinking things were better back in the day, can keep us from experiencing what’s happening all around us right now.  If we live stuck in the past, we’re not fully in the present. 

Jesus has risen from the dead and Mary is thinking things are going to return to how they were.  But his death and resurrection changed everything, and still do.  Things will never be the same.  Go tell the others what’s happening!

Being a merciful person is right, but not always easy.

One summer afternoon in the middle of a Phoenix traffic jam, I noticed a elderly woman with a flat tire on the side of the freeway.  After fighting the, “She must have Triple A roadside service,” or, “Surely her husband, son, or grandson is coming to help her,” type of thoughts, I saw her open her trunk and begin to make efforts to pull stuff out.  My next thought was, “Even if I wanted to help her,  I’m stuck in the middle lane.”  No sooner than having thought that, both lanes to my right opened up.  “Alright!  I can take a hint,” I shouted at the roof of my car as I pulled over to the side of the road.

“May I help you?” I asked.  “That would be so sweet,” the little lady responded.  I began to dig the spare tire out, but she had no jack, and no lug wrench.  Fortunately, mine worked.  As I begin to place the jack under her car, she said, “No. That’s not where that goes.”  I paused for a minute.  She continued,

“That’s not how Bob does it!” 

“How does Bob do it? I patiently asked.  “I don’t know, but I know it’s not like that!” she snapped.  Did I mention it was 110 degrees? 

For the next 2 seconds, which seemed an eternity, I fought the urge to put my wrench and jack back in my trunk, and wish this dear woman adieu.  But something deep down inside me rose up that actually gave me pity for this woman and her situation.  I proceeded to change her tire, with her sideline directions coming over my shoulder the whole time. 

“Yes ma’am. No ma’am. Yes ma’am,” is all I said.

As I finished getting her flat tire in her trunk, I saw how dirty my arms and hands were, I also saw her digging in her pocketbook, then extending to me some cash.  “No, that’s okay ma’am, I don’t need any money.”  I shut the trunk, begin to say goodbye, when she said, “Thank you. Thank you so much young man.”  I told her it was no problem, and that I did it unto the Lord.  Then she said something that still amazes me,

“Things have been tough since Bob died.”

As it turns out, Bob was her husband of 48 years and had just passed away a few months ago. For another few moments she told me how he had always taken care of the car, and she never had to worry about anything mechanically.  Through the din of the traffic I listened.  Then I reached out my hand and asked if I could pray with her. She thanked me.

When I got in my car, I didn’t yell at the roof this time, but hung my head and said, “Forgive me God.  And thank you for using me”

This week is my wife Kathie’s birthday.  It’s one of those milestone birthdays.   Robert Browning said,

Grow old along with me!
The best is yet to be.

This is how I feel about Kathie.  As the years have accumulated, instead of growing cold and stale, my love for Kathie is greater than ever.  It’s not anything I’ve done or I’m doing, it’s her. It’s because of who she is. 

How she lives, thinks, loves, etc., captivates me.  She is like no one else on the earth.

She loves Jesus more than anyone.
She loves her family more than anyone.
She honors her dad and her mom, and mine.
She has a clear conscience.
She thinks about God, his people, and music all the time.
She’s the most unselfish person on the planet.
She never quits.
She’s never afraid to ask.
She hopes you’ll like her, but doesn’t care if you don’t.
She makes you feel like you’re the greatest person alive.
She’s way smarter than us.
She can get you to do things you don’t want to do, then thank her for asking you.
She’s mature but totally child-like.
She’s drop-dead gorgeous but never thinks about it.
She understands how animals feel and they love her for it.
She’s an amazing cook.
She doesn’t care about politics.
She knows what’s right, and does it.
She’s my wife!

Happy birthday Kathie!

As I write this it’s a beautiful sunshiny day, however there is a large winter storm looming on the western horizon.

It makes me think about how many of us have a love for Jesus, yet also carry shame for things we have done. The guilt threatens us like a low-pressure weather system pouring a mix of depression and unworthiness.

Even though you know you are forgiven, you can’t escape the troubling idea that your past disqualifies you from really counting for much in the Lord. You’ve blown it so badly, not just once but many times.  You’ve made such intentional and deep-seated departures from Jesus’ love and instruction that the best you can now imagine is that the Lord will only just accept you…barely.

Feel like giving up?  Feel like leaving?  That’s okay.

Some of the most important changes in our lives involve some kind leaving, but then a kind of home-coming.  The prodigal son packed his bags and left for a distant country, but then he packed his bags again and returned home. He was never the same. He was a changed man.

It’s about leaving the old ways of thinking and doing, and having something beautiful born inside of you.  Having something born in you that wasn’t there before. Learning to love yourself and learning to love others.  God wants to make this kind of character transformation in your life. Where before you might have been a person with an extreme temper, after God makes changes in your life you become someone who can hardly get bothered. Resentful people become gracious celebrators of others’ blessings. Bitter people become filled with contentment.

God’s plan is to recover you so completely that you become a living miracle. Jesus announced that people like you…

“…will be called a priest of the Lord, a minister of our God…Instead of shame and dishonor, you will enjoy a double share of honor.” (Is 61:6, 7, NLT)

It doesn’t matter to what extent you’ve made wrong choices. It is not about the past which you’ll never be able to escape. No. You serve a God who is alive. You serve a God who is real. You serve a God who can and wants to make huge changes in you.

American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow described loneliness this way:

“Ships that pass in the night, and speak to each other in passing.  Only a signal shown, and a distant voice in the darkness.  So on the ocean life, we pass and speak to one another.  Only a look and a voice, then again darkness and silence.”

This cold feeling of isolation is ubiquitous for so many people. They live life wondering if anyone notices them.  They face difficulties and wonder if anyone cares.  Hundreds of years ago David echoed the heart of the lonely when he said…

“I looked for someone to come and help me, but no one gives me a passing thought! No one cares a bit about what happens to me.” (Ps 142:4, NLT)

To people who feel this way, how comforting these words of Jesus should be:

“The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Lk 19:10)

“I’ve come so they can have real and eternal life, a more and better life than they ever dreamed of.”  (Jn 10:10, TM)

“The mere sound of his name will signal hope, even among far-off unbelievers.” (Mt 12:21, TM)

People who follow Jesus should be saying, “Yes! There is someone who really cares about you…me!”  Absolutely Jesus cares for them too, but we are the ones who communicate the reality of his love and care.

“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (Jn 13:35)

“I am giving you the same work to do that I’ve been doing.” (Jn 14:12, TM)

Jesus calls his people to be a positive force.  We are to be people of mercy, grace, justice, peace, and love.  We are the flesh and blood, hands and feet of Jesus. We live in a world that is diseased and polluted, yet Christians aren’t known for doing much.  The message from people who claim to be followers of Christ is strange and distorted…

“Jesus always gives me a parking spot near the front of the store”…she said

“Praise the Lord!  Jesus helped my football team win!”…he said

“Jesus hates sin! Misery, death, and eternity in hell await you unless you repent!”…they shouted from a bullhorn

“This sinful and fallen world is destined for destruction. Until then we hold on and persevere.”…he preached

How did the greatest message in the world become so lame?  It’s through Jesus’ resurrection that death has been swallowed up. It’s through Jesus that we are living, and will never stop living.   We are not drawn to him because of what he can do for or to us.  We are drawn to Jesus because he loves us the way we are, and keeps loving us. The gospel is not to “get us somewhere else,” rather it’s to bring life, power, peace, change, and the hope of God here. 

Many long-time Christians have cut going to church out of their lives.  It’s not because they have lost their faith in Christ, but because church doesn’t seem to resonate with them anymore.  They have questions about how often they need to sit in a weekly service that has little or no place for them to utilize and express the gifts God’s given them.  They want to be released to do more ministry. They want make a difference in their world.

Pastors often view people like this as rebellious, un-teachable, and/or lacking a servant’s heart.  They will say things like, “All healthy ministry originates in and flows from the covering of the local church,” and then remind us that there are places to serve with the children.   In their minds the primary justification for  people to attend services and listen to sermons is so they will get the necessary training and tooling to do ministry themselves.  This of course is true, but when does ministry actually start to flow out? 

Jesus’ model and method for ministry was to engage and train regular people who eventually went about doing things that “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). The training the disciples received wasn’t systematic or highly structured. It involved spontaneous situations encountered in daily life. Jesus taught them in every imaginable setting. There was fluidly and uncertainty.  Then away from the crowds and the routines, he would give them extra insight, then send them back into their daily rhythms to make use of what he had taught them. Most churches today function in a way that misses these critical components of modeling and mobilizing.

I’ve been sensing a significant change in the near future for the church. As pleased as I am with the way in which we’ve “done church” over the years, I know with certainty that our methods must change. Too many things have changed in our world. And rather than shrink back, I believe the Holy Spirit is whispering something wonderfully fresh that will bring about a change in the way we think about and do church. 

What God is doing right now is very, very big. Even for someone like me who has walked with Jesus for decades, it is still hard to discern what He is doing—and what He wants us to do. But one thing I know for certain, our response in this changing season will determine how much we will be equipped and released to make a difference in our world.

People have lots of opinions about church.  Although the viewpoints are countless, and can be extremely divergent, they basically come from one the three following groups.

The churched

These are people who are inside the church. They mostly agree on who Jesus is, but disagree and argue over styles and philosophies of ministry.  While one group believes in the  importance of worship, another stresses the importance of prayer.  While one believes that evangelism ought to be the primary focus, another contends for biblically-centered teaching. In another place discipleship is the main pursuit, while in another place it’s small groups, or it’s cultural relevancy, or it’s political activism, or it’s concern for the unborn, or it’s men’s ministries, etc.  While each of these areas has validity, more times than not, these particulars are often pursued in a way that polarizes anyone with a different view.

The un-churched

These are people who are outside the church. These people mostly see the church as irrelevant to their lives.  They most likely have had some exposure to church, but it seemed boring and old-fashioned to them.  And when compared to the rest of the voices and influences in their lives, the message from the church comes across as narrow and judgmental.

The over-churched

These are the people who are no longer attending church. These people have been raised in the church and/or were actively involved, but have found that the traditional model of church no longer satisfies them.  In search of a new experience to rekindle their love for God,  they try attending different churches, maybe even the local mega church, but find themselves feeling more disconnected and more disillusioned.

People inside the church are arguing about things. People outside the church who don’t seem to care.  And an ever-increasing number of people who are losing interest in the church altogether.  Yet listen to Apostle Paul’s words,

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her…” (Eph 5:25)

This passage is usually referred to, and rightly so, for the instructions it gives to husbands.  But the reference to God’s love for the church is equally important and should not be overlooked. Paul continues,

“…that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” (Eph 5:26-27)

Maybe the church needs to make adjustments.  Maybe the church seems passé to our modern culture.  But the church is loved very much by God. So much that he will do whatever is needed to bring out the best in her.  Look at what he’s done in you and me!

Johnny Carson read one night on The Tonight Show an item from the lost-and-found column of a Midwestern newspaper:

“Lost dog–brown fur, some missing due to mange, blind in one eye, deaf, lame leg due to recent traffic accident, slightly arthritic. Goes by the name of ‘Lucky.’”

It’s funny to me how many people actually believe in luck.  I know people who hang their lives and decisions on certain numbers, days, etc. that they consider lucky.  They believe there are fortunes and notoriety to be had all attributed to luck.  They might’ve been listening to this guy:

“Everything in life is luck.” (Donald Trump)

Based on his success it would seem Donald Trump must have a bunch of luck.  So what is luck and where does one get it?  After extensive research I have discovered that luck is found at the end of a rainbow and guarded by a leprechaun (please remember where you heard it, and best o’ luck finding it).

Seriously though, sorry to get spiritual on you, but luck isn’t even a biblical concept.  Blessing is.  Curse is.  But not luck. Either you’re blessed or you’re cursed.  And the Bible teaches us that sin has cursed our lives, but Jesus has taken away that curse.

“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us.” (Ga 3:13)

God has taken people who resemble the dog Johnny Carson was talking about, and calls them “Blessed.” And when you see a rainbow forget about the pot of gold.  Instead think of the God who created it also created you and wants to bless your life.

Back in the 80’s a movement began in the church that became widely referred to as the “prosperity gospel.”  With such notions as equating one’s faith to the type of car they drive (a Cadillac was seen as entry level), or the brand of watch they wore (special kudos for a Rolex), criticisms of this movement were/are justifiable.

The prosperity movement found its roots in the “Word of Faith” movement, which has also earned criticism for its over-emphasis of material things.  I can remember one prominent Word of Faith preacher, Jerry Savelle, saying that if Job had had more faith he wouldn’t have suffered the things he did. But God said this about Job,

“He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.” (Job 1:8)

Yet out of the prosperity and faith movements came some genuinely good things. Prior to these movements, you would rarely, if ever, hear any teaching about the authority of the Believer, or about the idea that God wants to bless His people. Defeat  and lack were seen by many as badges of true holiness. 

The pendulum often swings between the two positions: you’re either a poor old holy wretch eking out an existence, or, an upwardly mobile Bible-quoting expert, naming & claiming your way to blessing.  Obviously both of these extremes are wrong, but finding a middle ground can prove a little tricky.

Certainly there are strengths and lessons gained during seasons of shortages and attacks, but seeing them as the destiny for God’s people I believe is wrong.  It brings no praise to God that we would settle for lives characterized by  lack and/or demonic attack.  Whether its circumstantial or spiritual, Jesus has overcome everything on our behalf and has given us the necessary resources to be overcomers.

This kind of living can be difficult when the pendulum starts swinging.  We could find ourselves feeling totally unworthy, or feeling totally entitled, but Paul centers this issue by saying,

“We are to have no confidence in the flesh.” (Php 3:3)

This means there’s nothing in the natural we can do to merit or demerit what God has given us.  God’s not impressed with our doing without, nor is He coerced by the natural things the signal success.

We may see God prospering his people as too materially oriented.  We may have a hard time believing that God would want to prosper his people.  But these principles are built upon our faith in what God has promised.  Not because we are entitled.  Not because God wants us to rise in socioeconomic levels.  But because He is God and we are His people.

“Let us continually say, ‘The Lord be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His people.’” (Ps 35:27)

Are you good at math? I can vividly remember my first algebra class in junior high. My friend Tim was in the class with me. In a monotone voice the teacher introduced himself and then drew “x = ?” on the chalkboard. He then said unenthusiastically, “Algebra is about finding out what x is worth.” We then begin solving different problems. It wasn’t too long that things starting getting confusing for me. I wasn’t getting it, and what made matters worse, Tim was!

That experience began an unraveling of sorts in my life that left me not liking math, and lacking any confidence when came to it. It wasn’t until 15 years later when I earned my Private Pilot’s License that during the training process I learned that math could actually be fun and very useful. What was the difference? Besides having an amazing instructor, I was doing something I loved.

God has a math class too. Some people understand it, many don’t. Things like giving, generosity, and faith can be difficult to understand, but when it comes to money and the idea of God blessing His people the real problems begin.

There are those who teach faith as a formula to get wealth. There are those who teach poverty as a way to prove holiness. Certain ideas, doctrines, and even words have become so hotly contested that people feel about them like I did after that math class…not liking the subject and lacking any confidence in it.

This past December, while I was praying for my family and the new year that lay ahead, three words came to my mind: abundance, prosperity, and blessing.  At first I wasn’t quite sure why those words would come to my mind, especially the first two, because I don’t use them very often for the reasons stated above. But I felt the insistence of God’s spirit, so I begin to pray:

God, I speak abundance, prosperity, and blessing over my family.

I spoke them over my wife Kathie, and then each of our children and my son-in-law. As I did I could feel something begin to surge within me. It was faith, but it had a passion attached to it that was different. I was familiar with those words, but it was as if I was understanding them for the first time. I could sense God saying to me that those words were important to Him and should be to me as well.  

“You crown the year with Your goodness, and your paths drip with abundance.” (Ps 65:11)