Why the Ten Commandments? What's the point?

In Exodus 20, God calls Moses and speaks to Him the Ten Commandments. I still love the Mel Brooks rendition of this scene: "I give you these 15 ... (drops one of three stone tablets). Oy vay ... Ten! Ten commandments!" But in all seriousness, why did God provide these Commands? Was it - as is popularly misunderstood - to hold us down? To take the fun out of everything?

Quick answer: Of course not. Remember, God loves us with a perfect love. He is a good, good Father.

So why? Why the Ten Commandments?

1. To show us / To remind us. To show the Israelites (and to remind us) that we can not measure up on our own. We "miss the mark" every day. No matter how hard we try, we will mess up, we will stumble. Our pride and ego get in the way of a fulfillment of these commands. They show us what "sin" is according to God, and they are a constant reminder that we need a Savior to be holy and perfect FOR us. We can not and should not do it alone.
2. To direct us, to guide us. As a good Father, God is showing us the way. He's build our character and growing our awareness of our need for Him.
3. To protect us from what we don't understand. Again, a good Father creates rules to protect His children. Break any of these commands and bad things will naturally happen. He knows this and wants to keep us safe.
4. To give God the honor He is due. He is worthy. We should acknowledge that He is a loving and caring Father. When we obey the Commandments, He is pleased with his children as any father would be.

Let's take the very 1st Commandment as an example: "You shall have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:1) Everything we "worship" is a god. Money, power, popularity, our abilities/talents, a person (our spouse, a sports figure, a celebrity, a politician), our health/fitness, sex, etc. Every god will eventually fail you. They will disappoint you. Why do Wall Street brokers jump out of windows to their deaths after the market crashes? Because money and power has become their god. Why is a young girl crushed when a boy breaks her heart? Because she's made him her god.

Only God is worthy of the weight of being worshiped. Only He can withstand the responsibility that comes with being honored to the utmost. And He knows that. He knows that we will be crushed if we put any god before Him. And He does not want to see us crushed.

Put another way, if we put God above all else ...

• we can have money or not have money - doesn't ultimately matter
• we can have a man/woman in our lives or not - doesn't ultimately matter
• we can have popularity or be shunned - doesn't ultimately matter

With God as our focus, we can rest about all that other stuff. We can even have it still and enjoy it ... but putting God first, above all else, allows us to put all these other gods in their proper place in the pecking order where they can't hurt us when they ultimately disappoint.

The Ten Commandments are not for God. He does not need them. But we do. And he knows that. And He loves us. He wants us to love Him back through our obedience, which is an acknowledgement that we KNOW He loves us and wants the best for us.

All things are for HIS glory. Period. But when we give Him the glory he is due, we are blessed and protected from the unseen evil forces that are hoping to take us down.

Dear Younger Me: A letter to my younger self

Hey Greg.

I know you think that you're a good guy ... and you are. I know that you think you can be good without a God ... and you can be. I know you're a smart guy with good common sense, who has it all under control. I know. I was you (literally), so I remember your perspective on life.

But, as the artist formerly know as the symbol that means the artist formerly known as Prince said, "There's something else ...". You're rolling your eyes inside - I know - but bear with me on this. I have 15 years of experience on you and I've learned a few things that you simply don't know yet.

I know you're a skeptic. And to question things is healthy. But if it stops you from looking further into something because you've decided, "that just can't be ... not worth spending time on", you are only hurting yourself. Again, I know. I'm you. In fact, for the next 8-9 years, you will continue to think guys like me are deluded, misinformed, goofy, and a bit dull to believe what I believe. But that will change, and it will change rapidly.

I'll be direct: God is real. 100%. Jesus is His son and you need Him. You will never become the man you were created to be without putting faith in Jesus. And you won't spend eternity with Him either, if you don't give in and accept the free gift He offers. What scares me is, you could die at any time and you would spend eternity in the other place - away from God. Thankfully, I know that you survive (because I'm writing you now), and now you are fully saved and growing in your understanding of God and a resemblance to Christ.

Again, with the eye rolling. I get it.

Here are a few seed questions I'd like to plant with you, Greg. They are things to start thinking about over the coming years. Things to consider that you've not considered fully before.

• Meaning. What is the meaning of your life? Is it simply random and - as such - without purpose? If so, how do you feel about that? Does that feel right to you?
• We exist. How? How did anything come to be? How did life come from no life? How are you even thinking about this in a philosophical, rational, and lucid way? Could you have come from a random explosion of nothing into this immense universe, with the collection of diverse and complex life we see, with the vast DNA data represented in each of our cells, and with the ability to discuss such things? Is that even possible? Is that even reasonable?
• Jesus proved to be who He said He was. Jesus did die. Jesus did rise from the grave. This isn't faith - this is historically documented and supported by secular and other non-Christian historians. Jesus IS who He said He was - the Son of God AND God Himself in human flesh. This I know from both statistical probability of one man fulfilling even a small subset of the prophesies about Him AND from my personal interactions with Him. "What? Personal interactions?" Yes. I know Him.
• I am not you. I am a new man. I am no longer you. You are dead, Greg. You died when I accepted Christ in 2010. I know that's the future for you, but know that I have a renewed mind. I am in the same physical body, but I (the real me inside of me) is 100% new and improved. Trust me, life is so much better. It took humility (which you are short on now) for this to happen. But once I humbled myself and sincerely thought, God took the reigns and brought me the rest of the way. I know that doesn't make tons of sense now, but you'll see.

Greg, God (the one you're not so sure even exists) IS here and He loves you more than you could even fathom possible. You are smart and strong, but you are not as smart or strong as you think you are. Unfortunately, you'll learn this the hard way. Sometimes it takes a fall to break us of our pride.

• Once you accept Christ into your life, Greg, you will be so hungry for His word and the Truth you've been blind to, you won't believe how many books you read in the first 3-4 years.
• Once you begin your journey as a Christian, Greg, you will be on fire to share with everyone about the good news of Jesus. You'll lose some friends, who will believe that you've lost it. And that's okay.
• Once you seek Him and find Him, it will be like someone turned on bright flood lights, showing you things you won't believe you couldn't see before. It will rattle you and shake you to the core.
• Once you become His, you will gain a desire to live not for you, but for Him and for others. He will start the process of sculpting you, removing the barnacles and mud and stains and warts. It will hurt at times, but it will be for your good.

I so want to shake you out of your sleep, Greg. But I can't. God's timing is not mine. He has plans for you that include this unbelieving season in your life. As a result - I now know - you will be able to speak to others (like you) who don't yet believe and, because you are as you are now, you will have credibility and can empathize with their way of thinking ... and see the flaws. And that was God's plan all along. So clear to see in the rear view mirror.

Sincerely,

The Older Me
Follower of Christ, my Lord and Savior

P.S. Return to your eye rolling ;)  

Dear Younger Me: A letter to my younger self

Hey Greg.

I know you think that you're a good guy ... and you are. I know that you think you can be good without a God ... and you can be. I know you're a smart guy with good common sense, who has it all under control. I know. I was you (literally), so I remember your perspective on life.

But, as the artist formerly know as the symbol that means the artist formerly known as Prince said, "There's something else ...". You're rolling your eyes inside - I know - but bear with me on this. I have 15 years of experience on you and I've learned a few things that you simply don't know yet.

I know you're a skeptic. And to question things is healthy. But if it stops you from looking further into something because you've decided, "that just can't be ... not worth spending time on", you are only hurting yourself. Again, I know. I'm you. In fact, for the next 8-9 years, you will continue to think guys like me are deluded, misinformed, goofy, and a bit dull to believe what I believe. But that will change, and it will change rapidly.

I'll be direct: God is real. 100%. Jesus is His son and you need Him. You will never become the man you were created to be without putting faith in Jesus. And you won't spend eternity with Him either, if you don't give in and accept the free gift He offers. What scares me is, you could die at any time and you would spend eternity in the other place - away from God. Thankfully, I know that you survive (because I'm writing you now), and now you are fully saved and growing in your understanding of God and a resemblance to Christ.

Again, with the eye rolling. I get it.

Here are a few seed questions I'd like to plant with you, Greg. They are things to start thinking about over the coming years. Things to consider that you've not considered fully before.

• Meaning. What is the meaning of your life? Is it simply random and - as such - without purpose? If so, how do you feel about that? Does that feel right to you?
• We exist. How? How did anything come to be? How did life come from no life? How are you even thinking about this in a philosophical, rational, and lucid way? Could you have come from a random explosion of nothing into this immense universe, with the collection of diverse and complex life we see, with the vast DNA data represented in each of our cells, and with the ability to discuss such things? Is that even possible? Is that even reasonable?
• Jesus proved to be who He said He was. Jesus did die. Jesus did rise from the grave. This isn't faith - this is historically documented and supported by secular and other non-Christian historians. Jesus IS who He said He was - the Son of God AND God Himself in human flesh. This I know from both statistical probability of one man fulfilling even a small subset of the prophesies about Him AND from my personal interactions with Him. "What? Personal interactions?" Yes. I know Him.
• I am not you. I am a new man. I am no longer you. You are dead, Greg. You died when I accepted Christ in 2010. I know that's the future for you and that's off-putting to even think about, but know that I have a "renewed mind" now. I am in the same physical body, but I (the real me inside of me) is 100% new and improved. Trust me, life is so much better. It took humility (which you are short on now) for this to happen. But once I humbled myself and sincerely sought, God took the reigns and brought me the rest of the way. I know that doesn't make tons of sense now, but you'll see.

Greg, God (the one you're not so sure even exists) IS here and He loves you more than you could even fathom possible. You are smart and strong, but you are not as smart or strong as you think you are. Unfortunately, you'll learn this the hard way. Sometimes it takes a fall to break us of our pride.

• Once you accept Christ into your life, Greg, you will be so hungry for His word and the Truth you've been blind to, you won't believe how many books you read in the first 3-4 years.
• Once you begin your journey as a Christian, Greg, you will be on fire to share with everyone about the good news of Jesus. You'll lose some friends, who will believe that you've lost it. And that's okay.
• Once you seek Him and find Him, it will be like someone turned on bright flood lights, showing you things you won't believe you couldn't see before. It will rattle you and shake you to the core.
• Once you become His, you will gain a desire to live not for you, but for Him and for others. He will start the process of sculpting you, removing the barnacles and mud and stains and warts. It will hurt at times, but it will be for your good.

I so want to shake you out of your sleep, Greg. But I can't. God's timing is not mine. He has plans for you that include this unbelieving season in your life. As a result - I know know - you will be able to speak to others like you now who don't yet believe and, because you are as you are now, you will have credibility. And that was God's plan all along. So clear to see in the rear view mirror.

Sincerely,

The Older Me, Follower of Christ, my Lord and Savior

P.S. Return to your eye rolling ;)  

Christians say that everyone is a sinner. I don't believe I am, however maybe I just don't understand what "sin" means. Let's discuss...

What exactly is sin? The term "sin" makes most people cringe. They picture a fire and brimstone preacher, dressed in black, holding his Bible above his head, face contorted in an angry scowl, yelling at a crowd "you're all sinners and you must repent!" I've seen these guys outside of rock concerts and music festivals. Not the best of approaches :-)

No one wants to think of themselves as a "sinner". Many joke about it, smiling and saying, "I'm such a sinner!" That's because we are uncomfortable with the reality of sin. We've become accustomed to hiding our faults, our flaws, our scars and our blemishes. We are hard-pressed to admit our sin to anyone in any way. We hope that no one ever blows our cover.

Most use the word "sin" incorrectly because they don't really know what it means to sin.

So, let's discuss...
Sin means to "miss the mark". Every thought or action (or lack of action) that misses a perfect bull's-eye is sin. But here's the key: At whose target are we shooting? THAT'S the right question! God created the target. This is His game. Any other target we're shooting for is false, a made-up target that does not count for anything except maybe to make us feel better about ourselves.

But so what? What if we don't hit the bullseye every time? Why is this such a big deal? Why can't people just be imperfect? Why can't you just let it go? Well, we can let it go. But God can't.

It matters because this life is secondary at best. We look around in this life to see what the difference would be if we were to sin or not sin, and we don't see a huge difference. "Serious sinners" seem to get away with murder, so to speak. So my sins "aren't that big of a deal in comparison", we think. But if that's how we think, we're missing the point.

The goal... the endgame... is eternity.

Where will I spend the time after time ends? We all know fundamentally that we are more than this body we travel around in. We are a soul. And that soul will live on past the breakdown of our earthly body. How we hit the mark on the target provided by God determines if we will spend eternity with Him (heaven) or eternity away from Him (hell).

Here's the rub. No one - I mean no one - hits the mark perfectly every time. That means that every one of us is a sinner. Everyone has missed the mark. That leaves us hopeless without someone to save us. Seems unfair doesn't it? How could we ever even come close to spending eternity with Him? Now you're getting the point. We can't. We need to be saved from are hopeless inevitability.

Enter God's love and grace.

For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, that whoever would believe in Him would not only not perish but have everlasting life. For Christ did not come to condemn but to save the world.
John 3:16-17

Why do we all need to be saved? Because we all miss the mark. And if we miss the mark, even once, we are not perfectly holy. And if we are not perfectly holy, we cannot be near God.

God knows this, and so He made a way...

This, my friends, is Amazing Grace. This is unfailing Love. That He would take my place. That He would bear my cross. He laid down his life, that I would be set free.

Jesus I thank you for all that you've done for me.

What it will take to fix the issue of poverty/race ...

... give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the LORD?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. Proverbs 30:8-9

I speak every Friday morning with a good friend of mine about race. Just two white guys chatting about the problem of race ... that's a joke. My friend is African American, and as a result he has a very different history, and very different perspectives than I do. This is natural since I grew up as a blond-haired blue-eyed white guy in America, and he grew up to be a black man in America. 

Through our conversations, we've come to a general conclusion that it's less about race and more about poverty. It may have resulted - in part - in racial issues, but the origin is this: 

the vast majority of violent crimes happen because of poverty, not because of some racial proclivity toward violence or crime.

The majority of violent crimes seem to be done by black men. True, but that leads us to a false conclusion. For instance, how many of these crimes are done by those black men who are educated or more affluent? Answer: Virtually none. So, as said, it has less to do with race and more to do with poverty. Much more.

Poverty is bad for everybody. And I'm willing to bet that the lion's share of people in poverty don't want to be there. But they have a ton working against them:

1. It takes money to make money. Either they get sub-prime loans (which are almost impossible to pay off because the rates are astronomical) or they can't get loans. This is not the financial institutions fault, though. they are just giving loans based on probability of payback. But it is an issue for someone who wants to get up and out, and has the work ethic and willingness.
2. It takes good education. Suboptimal schools don't educate them to levels commensurate with schools in more affluent areas. Again, this is not necessarily someone's fault, but it is an issue.
3. There is a jealousy and resentment that occurs in certain poverty-stricken neighborhoods against those who do try to get up and out. This is human nature and it's certainly part of the problem.
4. It takes good role models. Good role models are scarce while bad role models are a plenty. There is a fatherhood epidemic to begin, which starts out the life of a child of poverty on the wrong foot. Then the ones seen getting up and out are either sports figures (which is few and far between) or it's those involved in crime or gangs.
5. And so on ...

So what are we to do? For some, it certainly takes a "get up and pull yourself out of that cycle" talk, but for most, that is not really the inhibitor and it's not that simple.

What it will take (we think)

My friend and I have decided that it will take a few key steps and actions to fix this situation:

1. Education. My friend has noticed that the Kumon after school supplemental programs and the like are virtually everywhere in "good school districts" and are absent from poor neighborhoods. This is purely economic, of course. Why would Math and Reading centers that are for-profit rent space in an area where people can't afford their services? Again, no one to blame, but a problem to address. Education is the beginning to brining the poor community up and out. This must be supplemented.
2. Understanding. As people who have never faced poverty or race issues (people like me), we must seek to understand those who have faced these issues. This will accomplish three things: (a) it will show that we actually care, which will change sentiments, and (b) we will begin to understand that which (as I'm finding) we never even knew were issues. Finally, (c) it should (hopefully) result in action by those who are in a position to help through voting, funding, serving, etc.
3. Legislation and Funding. This must be a hand UP, not a hand OUT. But, something must supplement this financially. Again, this is an investment, not a black hole of careless spending. Either a private or public entity must be given the directive to tackle this education and lending.
4. Christ and His Church. If this is not a hot topic and something the church is actively endeavoring to tackle, what chance does a secular world have of solving this issue? We are called to love God and love others, especially the poor, the widows and the orphans. It must begin, endure and end with the church.
5. Patience. We must pray and we must wait on the Lord. This will not be fixed quickly. This is an issue in and of itself as (a) we care and want to see this issue addressed rapidly and (b) we are impatient and fickle people. In the early days of this effort, there will be some set backs, naysayers, people who try to take advantage, and so on. We will learn, adapt, change it and continue. But we must not give up. Most importantly, we must depend on God to fix this. And His timing is sometimes (most of the time in my experience) different than ours.

We can do this. As brothers and sisters in Christ, we are called to compassion, kindness, love, servanthood, and sacrifice. Know that it will take all of these, especially humility and a servant's heart, willing to let go of our time, talent and treasure to right this.

And as we begin to fix this, I speculate that crime rates will go down, police incidents will decrease, the economy will improve, we'll be safer, prisons will emptyied, and race relations will accelerate in the right direction as this country shows that everyone matters.

God bless.

Think you know Jesus? Chances are, you don't. And neither do I. Not yet, not fully.

A dangerous thing that we've come to believe is, once we've accepted Jesus, we've won the race. We're done. Mission accomplished. High five.

This is a lie. 

There is nothing the enemy wants more than for Christians to buy this untruth.

When we accept Christ, we are at the beginning of a life long journey where we will (note the future tense) grow to know Him, we will grow in our appreciation of Him and the significance of what He's done, and we will grow in our resemblance of Him.

A life where we've made Christ our Lord as well as our Savior includes:

• Constantly learning through striving to know Him more and more. This comes through consistent devotion, prayer and bible reading. This comes through church attendance and church involvement (emphasis on the latter). And this comes from obedience - stepping out into uncomfortable territory and being His hands and feet, loving our neighbors (even our enemies).

• Standing up for His Truth when (especially when) it's highly unpopular. We will be mocked, ridiculed, and called hateful bigots, depending on the topic as the world continues it's drift on the open sea of random thought and opinion. Be ready, and stand firm and confident that it is not God (and you that has changed). It is the world.

• Exchanging our desires, temptations, and sin for a continually improving life of righteousness. Know that sanctification (the slow path to holiness) takes a lifetime. We must replace a desire to look at porn with reading the Bible. We must replace a desire to gossip, with positive statements about people or biting our tongues and even removing these negative thoughts from our minds. Feeling temptation for one of your proclivities? Ask God for His power to help you. He will. And soon, He will remove it from your life, given enough time and consistency.

To know Jesus is to be like him. To be Christlike. None of us are there.

We all have a long way to go, but here's the good news: we're on the path. And while our daily and weekly steps may be tiny, over time we will look back and see how far we've come in resembling Christ. 

And your life will be more purposeful. 

And He will be pleased.

And that's what matters.

FAITH: One of the most misused terms in history

Let's cut straight to the chase. Faith in God and in a Savior named Jesus Christ is a knowledge that His way is infinitely better than my way. Therefore, having faith in Him does not mean that I believe He exists or that His claims of deity are real, etc. That I know. 

What FAITH means is,

I don't do things my way anymore. 

In every situation and under all circumstances, I look to what He says and I do that. My life is now run by Him, not by me. And that is where my FAITH rests - in knowing that His ways - even if I don't understand - are just better. The best.

I've come to this verdict for two reasons:

1. Left to my own devices, I tend to (at best) make 50% good decisions (based on God's standards, not the world's or my own). That means half of the decisions I make are imperfect (e.g. selfish, prideful, emotional, etc.) or downright wrong. This is bad given God needs perfection, holiness, purity in order to be near Him.
2. His way is always 100% right. Every time, in all circumstances ... no doubt. Always has been.

So, given the option of running things the way I think are right (which are 50% wrong at best), I'll put my Trust in Jesus, let Him be Lord of my life, and just chill with the "I know better" thinking.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming ...

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming ...
... Instead, speaking the truth and love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the head, that is, Christ.
Ephesians 4:14-15

Infants are egotistical. That's funny to say, because it's true. Infants think they know better, but what they know is based on absolutely nothing... no experience, no life's wisdom, nothing solid or real.

But aren't we the same sometimes? We believe and blurt out certain perspectives that are based on absolutely nothing other than our feelings or someone else's opinion that resonates with us and our desired way of thinking.

As a result, without something solid to ground us, we are tossed around in the wind like an empty plastic bag. This is the world we live in, and we are not immune.

But we are called to ignore all of that, and to keep our eye on the ROCK that never changes, that is never blown around in the wind, that never ebbs or flows with changing cultural tides.

We may begin as an infant Christians, but we are called to grow in Christ. And this growth process will take our entire lives.

So be patient.
Trust in the Truth.
SPEAK that Truth.
And keep growing little by little, day by day with your eye on the Rock (no, not Dwayne Johnson).

God bless.

Nothing God does is accidental or arbitrary ...

Everything God does is intentional, planned, and thoughtful. Everything God does is on purpose. It is “predestined according to the . . . counsel of His will.” When we see the equivalent of spilled milk in life, it is important to view it through the lens of God’s purpose and God’s will. Trying to understand “why” is not the motivation. Rather, the motivation is developing trust and faith in God.

Look at life through purpose-colored lenses. See everything from God’s perspective. Trust that He is acting “according to the counsel of His will.”

If life is an accident, it cannot conceivably have any purpose, for accident and purpose are mutually exclusive. 

--John Blanchard

[From Turning Point with David Jeremiah]

The best news in all of history! How can't you be beside yourself? Unless you simply don't get it?

How can't you be beside yourself with excitement, and appreciation, and relief? The only way you couldn't be is if the gravity of the situation hasn't quite clicked yet. Either that, or you might be completely oblivious to our hopeless situation without someone.

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
Ephesians 2:1-2

For many these days, I think the missing ingredient is awareness of sin and what that means for us. Most people believe they are "pretty good" all in all, and would not consider themselves sinners. But Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Malala, The Buddha, Mohammed, St Peter, John the Baptist, Abraham, King David, Billy Graham, Krishna ... all sinners to varying degrees. Huh? "If THEY are sinners, where do I stand?" Excellent question. But let's start with this truth: No one is without sin, not one. No one in history - no matter how "good" - has lived a holy and perfect life.

No one but Jesus.

The simplest example of sin is a lack of acknowledgement that our Creator God exists and created us. If we've even thought that He doesn't exist - and I know I have - we've sinned. If we've ever told even a "little white lie", held resentment toward another, gossiped, thought lustful thoughts about someone outside of marriage ... and the examples go on.

"So, where's the good news here, Greg? This sounds pretty hopeless. How can ANYONE live up to that standard?" you might say.

... and therein lies the issue with every other religion on earth. With Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism ... even Judaism, you must live up to an unattainable standard. Unattainable ... meaning you cannot attain it, which means there is no hope. In short, you can't do it. No one can. Your greatest efforts are worthless toward this end.

But God made a way.

He didn't have to, but He did. He loved us so much ... He wanted to be reconciled with us so much ... that He sent His only Son to, first, live the perfect life that we could not. Second, He paid the price FOR us (i.e. for the wages of sin is death). And, third, He showed everyone it was real by appearing to hundreds, then ascending into heaven publicly.

Here's the good news part:
Because He did this, we have been given the right to be called Children of God ... to be reconciled with Him, back into a perfect relationship with Him, just like it was before Adam and Eve turned away from God in the Garden of Eden.

When we accept Christ, making Him the Master of our lives (instead of us),we accept the gift of redemption and eternal life, long after our current bodies are dead and gone.

If God hadn't made a way, we'd be lost. Dead. We'd spend eternity away from Him and His glory (which we all enjoy currently to one degree or another, whether we believe in Him or not). If we reject the gift, we reject all good things ... the things we take for granted now. We drop into what can only be called "hell". We CHOOSE, in effect, to never feel God's warmth and comfort ever again.

But if we do accept the gift ... if we do ...

Amazing grace that saved a wretch like me. This is the Gospel ... a.k.a. the good news. And when someone gets it and accepts it, they can't help themselves. The joy is too overwhelming. It's good news that can't be hidden. It must be shouted from mountain tops, at work, in school, on a crowded street, ...

How can't you be beside yourself with excitement, and appreciation, and relief? The only way you couldn't be is if the gravity of the situation hasn't quite clicked yet. My hope is that it clicks for you as it clicked for me.

The light is on for me, and there is no going back.

How to be a fit Christian: "Training", not "Trying"

As mentioned in the previous post, the training mentality expects a certain amount of failure and uses it to measure progress. The training way of life drives, endures and perseveres.

Jesus didn't say, "Try to follow me". He said, "Follow me".

Training is a combination of diet, exercise and time. Spiritual training that leads to growth has the same components.

Diet
Meet with God in as many ways as possible, pursuing worship as a lifestyle. Ask God to meet your deepest hunger. Experience God's presence through worship. Taking spiritual nourishment by reflecting on God's word and Biblical teaching from qualified teachers. Spiritual food needs to be as regular as physical food, not just when you're hungry. This kind of diet offers ultimate satisfaction.

Exercise
Prayer is to spiritual life what breathing exercises are to correct performance. Attentive Bible reading is like weight lifting for strength and physical development. Relationships with other believers and participation in the local church are your Running Partners to enhance your endurance. Application and obedience of God's Word are the fundamentals you practice to run the race.

Time
You need a commitment of time, exposing yourself to the fundamentals listed above for the long term. You need a commitment to time, faithfully waiting and expecting God to do his part (the biggest part!) in bringing about spiritual maturity. It's God who makes things grow (1 Corinthians 3:6-7).

In a nutshell, lasting spiritual growth comes from trusting what God will do, waiting for God to do it, and doing our part faithfully in the meantime.

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation. (1 Peter 2:2)

[From the MANual, the NIV Bible for Men]

The Stew That Is You: Why Do We Think As We Do, And Believe What We Believe?

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 

Ephesians 2:1-2

We are a stew of sorts, made up of ideas, opinions, influences, and emotions. And a "stew", in terms of a meal, is made up of a broth and chunks and various ingredients, all mixed together, creating a certain taste and texture. And it provides a level of nutrition, depending on what is allowed to be added to the stew by the chef. If you follow the recipe and know what you're doing, it can be delicious and extremely nutritious. If others add whatever ingredients they think should be added, it's a crap-shoot ... no telling what you'll end with, or even how you got there.

When we're young, we are a simple broth, made up of few inputs: our parents and family, our teachers, and whatever media our parents allow. We're a pure stew with little to no "gross" additives. But as we grow older, and we have liberty to add what we want, it's amazing what things we'll add:

• Pornography
• Hollywood's idea of how life should be
• Shifting cultural ideas and opinions
• Our own guesses at life ...

And it seems the human race tends to follow the original recipe less and less on average. The good ingredients are added infrequently if at all. The bad ingredients are dumped in by the bucket load.

God has provided the perfect recipe for the stew He intends. But how much input comes from Him? We go to church every Sunday? That's 1 hour per 168 hours (1 week) or 0.59524% of the week spent listening to God versus listening to the world (99.4% of the week). Okay, there's sleep in there, but you get the point. But putting the data in these terms shows you just how susceptible we all are to the world's influence versus God's.

And with that much bad ingredient input dumped in, what stew are we left with? Would you eat that stew? How would it taste? How nutritious would we be to anyone?

No denying it ... we ARE a stew made up of the inputs we allow: TV, the news, non-Christian opinions and constantly shifting cultural perspectives ... and (I'm hoping) God's thoughts.

How much input does God have in your stew? I hope you're as convicted by this as I am. And I hurt even more for those who have no idea how real stew can and should taste. How it can and should fill us with what we need. I pray for all of us.

I have a death wish ... really I do.

For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Philippians 1:21

I believe the aforementioned verse 100%. To die is GAIN. 

I am not afraid of death. In fact, I have a bit of a death wish!

We normally hear that statement from someone who lives life on the edge. We hear it from someone who does crazy things for the thrill of it, for the adrenaline rush. I'm a bit of that guy, too, but that's not what I mean. I DO mean, though, "living life on the edge" in a different way ...

If I die today, I know I'm secure and I know I will be in bliss - eternal joy and ecstasy, near my God, my Creator, my Lord and Savior ... forever and ever. How could I be afraid of that? How could I not WANT that? Now, the process of dying? Maybe not that part, but we're all dying, aren't we? And I certainly hope I go out peacefully, maybe in my sleep instead of drowning or falling to my death. But regardless, it will end abruptly and I will find myself in "the Land of Glory" with no more tears, no more pain, no more sorrow, no more shame. Perfection.

If I live, on the other hand, I will have been given the honor of continuing to do God's work. I continue on with the knowledge that I'm here for a specific purpose, assigned to me personally by God. As I learn that specific purpose, in the interim I'm here to spread the Good News (the Gospel) to as many as possible ... to make Disciple-making Disciples ... to walk along side my fellow Brothers and Sisters, together building the beginnings of His Kingdom here on Earth. 

Either way, it is well with my soul. But I have to admit, from what I understand, heaven sounds better. Far, far better. And I can hardly wait!

I certainly will not seek death, but I will welcome it happily when it comes. Until then, I will keep my eyes on Him and on eternal things, because that is what matters. Nothing else does.

Carpe Diem (for His glory alone)!

Looking for Lasting Spiritual Growth? Trust in what God has promised, wait for Him to do it, and do YOUR part faithfully in the mean time. Treat it like a marathon ...

Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith." (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Few events in life involve more striving and stamina than running a marathon. Living the Christian life is one of them. The parallels between the athletic effort and the spiritual life seem obvious. The Bible backs up our comparisons. We're told to "run with perseverance the race" (Hebrews 12:1).Paul instructed us to "Run in such a way as to get the prize" (1 Corinthians 9:24). He also pointed out that "physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things" (1 Timothy 4:8).

The parallels between growing spiritually and running a marathon may be apparent, but they are not simple. No one decides to run a marathon and shows up at the starting line the next day. An extended period of training is required between the decision to run and the starter's pistol. The decision to trust Christ takes a moment, but he consequences take a lifetime to work out.

No one decides to run a marathon and shows up at the starting line the next day. An extended period of training is required between the decision to run and the starter's pistol.

The difference between trying to run a marathon and actually running a marathon usually boils down to training. Likewise, those who "try" to live the Christian life may get stuck in failure, while those who enter training to live the Christian life survive failures and actually live! The trying mentality can't handle failure, and usually ends when failure happens. The training mentality expects a certain amount of failure and uses it to measure progress. The Training way of life strives, endures, and perseveres. Jesus didn't say, "Try to follow me." He said, "Follow me."

Jesus didn't say, "Try to follow me."

He said, "Follow me." 

[more to come on this topic ...]
From The Manual, The NIV Bible for Men