No simple lives

One thing I've noticed about people is that things are never simple. I think it's because we are not simple. Our lives are made up of hundreds of nicks and bruises we have each experienced. All those blows, bad relationships, disappointments and life experiences make us who we are and it's never simple to sort out.

A few weeks ago, as I listened to a couple working through some real problems in their marriage, I thought...."this is really complicated. There are no easy answers." Honestly, I think that same thing almost every time I talk with someone. It's difficult to sort out all the pieces of our lives that have brought us to where we are today. How do we get it all tied together so we aren't tripping over ourselves? How do we work through all that we are to fix what we have become? Honestly, there are no simple lives. There are no simple answers.

But as I watch Jesus in the gospels I see his encounters with people in a different way. The difference is that he knew the heart of man and was able to go to the very heart of each person's problem. With a word, a touch, a smile Jesus healed broken lives. He knew what each life needed.

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Here is a story of one man's encounter with Jesus. In this brief encounter Jesus meets the needs of this broken man,

Mark 1:40-45- ⁴⁰A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean." (If you are willing. It's almost a question, Are you willing? Not can you help me? but will you help me? The most important question is this one, Lord, will you help me?)

⁴¹Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" (The compassion of Jesus brought a response that I'm sure no one expected. In fact this leper was in front of Jesus contrary to the law that would keep him apart from others who didn't have leprosy.)

⁴²Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.

⁴³Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: ⁴⁴"See that you don't tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them." ⁴⁵Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.

This story is one of my favorites in the gospels. It's a story of the prayer we have all prayed, "if you are willing." We wait, hoping God is indeed willing to meet our needs, but he does so much more. This man had been without a human touch, without real love and without acceptance for so long that his first need, in spite of his obvious illness, was a touch. In that amazing moment of time Jesus did the unthinkable....he reached out and touched this dirty, diseased man. The touch did so much more than heal the disease, it healed the whole man.

Like this poor leper in Mark we each come to Jesus with all our sickness and disease visible for all to see...the bible calls it sin. Our plea is simple, if you're willing you can make me clean, you can forgive my sins. And with a touch...that amazing touch....we each find healing and forgiveness.

As a result of that touch and the love of Jesus to meet this man's needs a great exchange happened. It happens with us when we trust him. Some call it the exchanged life and indeed it is. But with this man the exchange was dramatic. The man who had lived alone and removed from mankind was now among them. Talking, touching, hugging and telling everyone about Jesus to such an extent that Jesus had to go to the wilderness away from mankind and even there the people, all in need of his touch, sought him out.

Mankind is still asking this man's simple question, "If you are willing you can make me clean." And his response is the same, with a touch of his hand he replies, "I'm willing, be clean." And so, with all our warts and wrinkles, all our problems and struggles Jesus comes to touch the hurting and heal each one. If you're wondering if he can fix your messy life just ask him. You'll be amazed at the smile, the touch, the acceptance and the reply, "I'm willing, be clean."

Because...

There's always a "because," isn't there? There's always a reason for what we do. We can explain ourselves very well when confronted. I made that decision because.... And with great reason or sometimes no reason at all we explain our actions, our words, our decisions. Because...it seems to cover a multitude of sins. This morning I was reading about the life of Moses and he had two "becauses" in his life. Here they are,


^{Heb. 11:26} He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. ²⁷ By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.

In this amazing chapter God explains the choices Moses made. There were two reasons, 1. he was looking ahead to HIS reward and, 2. he saw him who is invisible.


These were the two great motivators of Moses life. Because there is a reward and because he was aware of God presence. His two great motivators? The PRIZE and the PRESENCE. Often my "because" is a justification for a stupid decision. With Moses it's clear he was keenly aware of both the finish line and the invisible presence of God.


Why do you make the decisions you do? What is your "because?" How do you justify the choices of your life? I love the two things that guided Moses. In fact, I think these should be prime motivators for each of us. Why do I do what I do? BECAUSE there is a prize ahead and BECAUSE there is a presence...God himself. If we used the prize and His presence as motivators for choices in our lives it might change a lot of what we do because....

"Meet The Man Who Sneaked Into Auschwitz"

There are stories of lives that amaze me. Stories we have never heard before. This is one of those stories for me. This is the story of Witold Pilecki. Witold's story is amazing. I do encourage you to read the entire story at NPR's web page. Here's the link. Witold got into Auschwitz as a prisoner and stayed there for two and a half years. He got word out to the world and ultimately escaped. Stories like this amaze me. Lives like Witold's inspire me. He risked his life to let the world know how bad this place was.

There are men and women like Witold all around us. Men and women who do the right things, the hard things even if no one ever knows about it. They do it because anyone should. They do it because no one else did. Even if no one ever gave him credit, even if it cost his life he chose to risk everything to reveal to the world the horrors of Auschwitz.

I hope we would be those people, I hope I would be that person....doing the right things even if no one ever knows. Doing the hard things because Jesus did that same thing for me....giving his life to reveal to the world the horrible prison sin had created for all of us. Heroes like Witold live out what God has called each of us to....men and women willing to risk everything for the lives and souls of others. Can you tell I was challenged by Witold? I was.

Having the right ambition

I often need to stop and refocus. At least in my life it's easy to get busy doing and forget why I'm doing it. I often need to stop and refocus, see where the Lord is going, and check my bearings. This morning I got this quick course correction in 2 Corinthians 5,

9Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.

The key ambition- to be pleasing to God. I often read whole passages and don't stop for little verses like this, but here it is, in a short sentence....the prime ambition- to be pleasing to Him. I know, from my own life, that this is not the filter I use to make decisions, but I should. Will this choice please God? That one short question would change a lot of what we do and give us focus on the main thing. The main thing in life is to please God and bring him glory through those choices. But then, verse 10 continues with the reason why this should be my primary ambition,

10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Now there is some motivation! I don't choose this ambition of pleasing God in a vacuum. There's a good reason...I will give an account for my choices. I will get a report card from God when all is said and done. There is a reconciliation of accounts with God, not about sin...that has been dealt with, but an accounting about our choices to please ourselves rather than God. Who do you want to please? God will talk to us about those choices one day.

Ambition is good if it's the right goal. The goal of pleasing myself is short sighted and empty, but to make my ambition to please God? What a wonderful way to decide the course of my life. Will this please God? That simple question would change a lot about how we live, wouldn't it? I invite you to join me in making that the question that filters the choices of our lives. Why? Because God will one day ask us about those choices and there are rewards attached to the right choices. Why please God? Because there are eternal things going on here...not just what I want in this moment. Choose the right ambition, choose to ask and filter your life through this question, will this please God? It has eternal implications.

Saturday's Cartoon

It's almost finished!

It's almost finished! Our church family, with the help and leadership of one of our members, Tom Schara, have provided the money for our sister church in Tula, Russia to build a church building of their own. It's almost done. I'm so excited for them. It has taken a number of years and Tom's constant work to raise money to make it happen, but this fall they will have their own church building. The dedication will be this fall sometime. I hope I can be there with them for the dedication of their new building. I'm excited!

The perfume of God

Paul wrote two short verses in 2 Corinthians 2 that have always fascinated me. They tell of fragrance, but there is more to it. These two short verses speak to a reality that we often forget. Here are Paul's words,

"For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?"

"Perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils and aroma compounds, fixatives, and solvents used to give the human body, animals, objects, and living spaces a pleasant scent ."

"The aroma of Christ"....what an amazing phrase. Basically Paul is letting you know why some instantly like you and others almost immediately would rather not be with you. It's not you. (Well, actually, it might be you, but that will have to be a discussion for another time.) You simply give off an aroma that makes both believer and lost man aware of their condition. Basically you stink! To the lost man the "smell of death," their awareness of their own lack of life, is brought into clear focus and they hate it. For the believer it's the sweet smell of life and they inhale it with great joy. The believer immediately wants to be around you while the lost man wanders off to try to forget the truth your fragrance has reminded him of...that he's spiritually dead.

Then Paul finishes with this great question, "And who is equal to such a task?" Which of us is adequate for the task of bearing the fragrance of Christ to a dying world? But we do, even if we aren't aware of it. We stink of death to the lost, but have the smell of heaven to those who know Christ. When responses seem confusing from those you meet realize there is more at work here than just your pretty face and happy smile. There is a smell in the air...it's the perfume of God.
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Funny line of the night

This evening I just finished teaching through Daniel 3. It's probably the story most Christians know well...the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the furnace.

As we neared the end of the class I asked this question, "What do you think the angel said to them in the furnace?" Without thinking I replied, "He probably said, 'Well done!'" Moans and jeers ensued.

The veneer of civility

The veneer of civility. It's a term I've come up with to describe what I see in the lives of almost everyone. We all figure out how to get along as long as our personal needs, hopes and dreams are met, but when we sense that others are not meeting our needs then the veneer suddenly meets reality and watch out! I'm amazed at how quickly we change from nice and sweet to angry, mean and cruel in a moment of time. We all know this experience as the victim or the victimizer. This veneer is much thinner than most of us realize. Civilization only works when we maintain the veneer....but be careful...if this unwritten social contract of our culture is broken then watch your back.

But here is a contrast to our "veneer of civility" offered by Jesus. It's so different from what we know and experience that it's hard to imagine what it might look like if we really lived it out. Here is his invitation to a new way to live, a new way to interact.....it hints at the kingdom that is even now forming,

"Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

As I read his words I'm enchanted by the ideas he suggests. It's hard to imagine a culture that would live this out. A community that would be merciful as a first response. A people that wouldn't judge. A group of people whose natural response is forgiveness. A culture where giving to others is such a part of life that we are more concerned for others than we are for ourselves. One day that world will be normal. Today there are glimpses of it around us. Even now people are beginning to live out this new kind of life. We only see it on occasion, only for a moment, but what a wonderful kingdom it will be when this is normal everyday life.

Living in real time

This morning I got to lead a study with a group of guys who are studying the life of Joseph. Joseph's life is amazing. The favorite son. Hated by his brothers. Sold by them into slavery. Falsely accused and thrown into prison. A prisoner for more than a dozen years. But then....in a moment...flung into the role of leader in Egypt. From prison to palace in a heartbeat. It's the ultimate rags to riches story, but we live in real time. We don't see the end. We don't know how things will turn out. We can only see the moment of loss, the problems of life, the sense of failure. And yet, even living in real time we have an assurance from God regarding the end. What we can't see he can. What we don't know he does. What we can't control he manages with ease. He has a plan and it will be wonderfully executed by the God who loves us. In Proverbs the author writes these words,

Proverbs 20:24- The lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?

As I read the story of Joseph it's clear to me what God is doing, but Joseph couldn't see it. All he could do was trust God to work in his life. Living in real time is hard f you don't trust the living God who lives in eternity. It's a wonderful comfort to know we don't have to figure out all the turns and trials of life. We can simply live in real time and trust an amazing God to direct our paths.

Would Jesus Discriminate?

The Metropolitan Community Church has launched a new campaign on billboards across Dallas. I know because I saw several of them on my way home today. They surprised me because they claim things about Jesus, the early church and others in the Bible that are simply not true. Even more frustrating to me is that what they claim from the text is not only not true it's not there! When I saw the passages they used to defend the claims on each billboard I had to look them up, as I thought to myself, what story are they talking about? Clearly they had to write some fiction to create these billboards, but that's not what I want to focus on. The real issue, besides the fantasy they have created, is this question- Would Jesus discriminate? To answer that honestly we have to define words, so let's do that, ok?
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Discriminate-
–verb (used without object)

1. to make a distinction in favor of or against a person or thing on the basis of the group, class, or category to which the person or thing belongs rather than according to actual merit; show partiality: The new law discriminates against foreigners. He discriminates in favor of his relatives.

2. to note or observe a difference; distinguish accurately: to discriminate between things.

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Clearly, from all we see about Jesus in the gospels he never discriminated, but did he address and confront sin? YES! Discrimination is the wrong term to use to describe how Jesus dealt with people and it's the wrong term to use in reference to this lifestyle. The real question is this- Did Jesus confront sin in people's lives? Of course! The next question that must follow is a simple one for us- When I find that what I'm doing is sin do I need to repent of it or justify it? I don't care what the sin is....it doesn't matter. It can be lying, overeating, gossip, stealing, murder, or a hundred other things. Sin is anything that is contrary to the very nature of God. I don't steal because God is not a thief and I'm his child. I don't lie because God is not a liar. These are simple things, but they go to the heart of the issue. My life should mirror what I see about God in his word. To do anything else is simply called "sin." Sin, in it's simplest definition means to miss the mark. When I miss the mark of looking like Christ that's called sin. It doesn't matter what the sin is, it's the same problem.....in that moment of action or thought I don't reflect the nature and character of God.

It's not a matter of discrimination, it's a matter of pleasing God! Did Jesus confront sin? YES! Without question. He met it head on. If you want to read about one story read John 8. You will see clearly how Jesus dealt with sin in one person's life. The issue is not discrimination. You can redefine terms and lifestyles all you want. You can invent new stories in the bible, but the issue still comes down to this- Do you want to please God? That question is the core question for each of us. It's not my job to get the splinter out of your eye while ignoring the beam in my own. It's my job to look at my own life rightly and live as a reflection of Christ. If I do that, if you do that, then we will each be dealing with our lives in the right way and the billboard wars will be completely unnecessary.

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When will I ever learn?

When will I ever learn

to live in God.

When will I ever learn?

He gave me everything

I need and more.

When will I ever learn?

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These are lyrics from one of my favorite artists, Van Morrison. I was listening to some of his music coming home this afternoon and this song started. It always gets me because it's a question I ask myself...when will I ever learn? God has done so much. He's given me everything I need. When will I ever learn to live in God? What an amazing question! Van may not be a theologian, but his words speak to the need of my heart. I hope, one day before I die, I learn to walk with God and trust him. He's done so much. Why do I so easily become afraid? When will I ever learn?

Saturday's cartoon

Reaching the Uriay

September 14, 2010

by Dena McMaster

On September 8, 2010 the Uriay people of Papua New Guinea heard the last evangelistic Bible lesson in the series.

(left: Dakruma is clear and confident that she is a child of God.)

"The day had finally arrived," wrote missionary Lisa Kappeler. "It was finally time to present the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. I could hardly pray as we met this morning, getting choked up as I thought about a church being born [among the Uriay]."

The presentation included skits, Lisa reading the Scripture explaining the enactments, and Elias Struik teaching the lesson. Between the high emotions and expectations of the day and the teaching Elias and Lisa were exhausted.
Lisa and Elias talked with many of those who attended to find out how much they understood.

"I had the sweetest conversation first with Dakruma, who boldly declared that Jesus was her 'punishment bearing man'," wrote Lisa, "and then Nawiyem came over and the three of us, with Aketa just listening, talked about the Lord and all that they'd heard -- absolutely precious."

Elias talked with Lisa's language co-worker, Aendru, and he declared that he too had trusted Christ.

"Aendru had heard the talk about Jesus but never understood the substitutionary side of things. He was in tears basically. He said that when he saw Christ hanging on the cross, he put his head down and could hardly hold back the tears."

Several others gave a clear testimony of their understanding that Christ died for their sins and they had trusted in Him. Lisa and Elias will continue to talk with the Uriays to find out their understanding of Salvation.

Praise God with us that the Uriay people have heard the Gospel message and that many have declared their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

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This article from the New Tribes Mission site thrilled me. It's easy to get comfortable with salvation and forget that millions have never heard. I don't want to forget that we are here for a reason. We are here to share what Christ has done in our lives so others might trust Christ as savior too. As you pray and give don't forget we are part of God's eternal program to tell the world about his love for them in Christ.

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Something to hold onto

⁷ "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.

⁸ He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes;

its leaves are always green.

It has no worries in a year of drought

and never fails to bear fruit." Jeremiah 17:7--8