Jesus Loves Me, So I'm Told...

     As a child, I loved going to Sunday school. It was a weekly break from everyday life and activities that provided me a chance to sing fun and meaningful songs, hear stories that were wildly imaginative about a God who made the world and everything in it in seven days with his bare hands, or a guy named Jesus that turned water into wine so everyone at the wedding he was attending could continue drinking. Jesus was a favorite among the characters that I was told about. I sang songs mostly about him and how he loves me. The song, "Jesus Loves Me" became a standard in my mental repertoire. My grandfather used to take me along on Sunday afternoon drives to visit his parents, and other friends. I would always be called upon to sing for everyone and usually "Jesus Loves Me" was the selection of choice that caused the old folks to "oooh and ahhh" over my cherubic vocal styling. It was a good song. Affirming. Faith-filled and full of assurance that my position was Bible-based. Yes, I LOVED this song. And I loved Jesus, too! Who wouldn't? After all... "Jesus Loves the Little Children!" and "Jesus Loves Me!" I believed it with no wavering.
     However, at about the age of five I began to get a better grasp on the relational dynamics of my church, and the expectations and commitment to certain standards they firmly believed must be followed if I was to remain in good standing with them AND God... AND Jesus. It doesn't take a small child long by over-hearing adult conversations to fully grasp the context of all they are speaking about. It became clear that partaking in such things as smoking, drinking alcohol, dancing, movies, TV, card games, immodest clothing, too much make-up and other such classified "worldliness" would quickly find any participant on the slippery slope to hell and out of fellowship with those who were already too sanctified to be tempted. And, at age five, I found myself in a moral and spiritual and mental dilemma. Something was different. I was facing a new paradigm. "Jesus Loves Me, So I'm Told..." had become the unspoken mantra and the ending "...This I Know!" had lost its ability to remain unshakable in light of the unfolding understanding of all it takes to maintain good standing.
     So, here it goes. My maternal grandfather ran a small tavern in a little town about two miles from our home. There were times that my mother would take an afternoon and go to her dad's business and help out to allow him a rest. Grandma had passed away a little over four years prior and life was hard. Not only did grandpa own the business and work there, he lived in a small apartment in the back. I loved going there. It was a fun place. Not much to look at from the outside, just a small, flat-roofed building sided with wavy "tin roofing" and therefore called, "The Tin Building." But inside it housed a bar, stage, hardwood dance floor and a juke-box. When mom went to help grandpa, he would pour me a Coke in a glass of ice and give me a handful of nickels to plug the juke-box. This kept me out of trouble and from bothering him or my mom when she was tending bar. It was cool. All my favorite songs were on his juke-box. The ones I loved to dance to. So, I'd spend time drinking my Coke, playing the juke-box and dancing by myself in front of the lighted machine on a real hardwood dance floor. Heaven...
     The dilemma came when, by listening to the conversation of those given to my oversight at church, I discovered that much of the activity going on in "The Tin Building" was not merely questionable, or suspect, but bold-faced, blatant and willful SIN. I came to understand that virtually ALL of the above quoted "sins" except for movies and TV could be found being shamelessly committed within those four walls. I take that back, Grandpa DID have a TV in the apartment. What's a five year old to do when, after singing, "Oh Be Careful Little Feet Where You Go!" on Sunday, only to be told a few days later, "C'mon, get in the car! We're going to Grandpa's!"
Surely my mother was in some kind of misinformed darkness about it all. I never spoke to her about any of this. She went to church on Sunday and worked in grandpa's tavern during the week, there was a serious disconnect somewhere. Certainly she heard the same list of rules that I had. No, I couldn't take this matter up with her. Some other and more authoritative voice would have to be consulted. I decided to ask my beloved Sunday school teacher, Churchie, about it all. She'd be straight-forward about it all with me. That's what she was there for. (Her real name was Mrs. Church. But I thought it had something to do with her personal uprightness, thereby being bestowed the honorary name, "Churchie.")
     The next Sunday I gingerly approached the saintly old matriarch, tugged on her skirt and said, "Churchie!"
"Yes?" she replied.
"Will Jesus go with me to the grocery store?" I asked innocently.
"Why, of course he will!" she answered.
"Will Jesus go with me to school?" I further inquired.
"Yes he will, sweetheart." she cooed lovingly. But I think she could see something else was behind my searching. You know, the trick question. The stumper.
"Will Jesus go with me to a TAVERN?" I blurted out with emphasis on the last word.
Churchie recoiled in horror as the blood drained out of her face, along with all former expression of love and kindness toward my questions. Her backbone became rigid as righteous indignation caused her to stiffen before taking on a more serious and holy position.
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!" she exclaimed with the best authoritarian sound she could muster without causing too much disturbance among the rest.
"Oh... OK..." I said sheepishly, as I spun around and proceeded into my designated classroom.
     Therein was my dilemma. What is a five year old to do when he loves singing about Jesus, hearing the lessons and coloring the pictures of Noah's Arc, and his mother tells him to we're going to a den of iniquity for the afternoon? I could feel the flames of hell licking at my feet while Satan laughed with glee over the possibility of securing a new victim. I worried for days. Then came the testing of my faith.
     Later that week, when mom called me to get in the car to go to Grandpa's, I was ready to face the situation head-on. I had a plan. Considered all the options. It had to work. We arrived at The Tin Building, parked the car and got out, mom walking ahead of me. As she opened the old screen door and went inside I gave her a minute before following. When I got both feet on the step, I stopped, turned around, looked up to the sky and pointed my little index finger toward heaven and said, "Jesus... you wait right here and I'll be back in just a little while!" Then I spun around and proceeded to walk through the door with assurance that everything would be just fine. He either really loved me or he didn't. Life went on.
     At the early age of five, I learned several things from this experience. First of all, if I was going to continue to be in fellowship with church people who disagreed or disapproved of things I would be doing, I would have to live a life of pretense and be one way in their presence and another elsewhere when necessary. Or simply lie about my activities. The second thing I came to understand instinctively is that I would have to TRUST that, in spite of my inability to live by all the church rules, Jesus would love me anyway.
     The song, "Jesus Loves Me" can be presented to little ones as a solid eternal reality, and yet adults unwittingly complicate and confuse the simple truth by adding conditions and prerequisites that steal the song's foundational message from their minds and hearts. It becomes more like "Jesus Loves Me... So I'm Told" leaving the matter of keeping Jesus' love secured is based solely on our behavior and the vices from which we abstain. The truth that so desperately needs to be proclaimed in this day to children of all ages is the Good News that embraces God's provision of unmerited favor and grace to whosoever will, leaving the hearer with no response other than to believe and proclaim with absolute assurance... "Jesus Loves Me, THIS I KNOW!"

Drink deeply...

That In Me You Might Have Peace

     I just woke up from a dream. A sweet dream. I was in a church service and began sensing the Holy Spirit telling me to stand up and address the group on the topic of "Peace." The person in charge gave me the floor and I began to address those in attendance about the serious need for peace in our lives. The crowd was receptive to my words and as we began to sing the old song, "Peace Give I To Thee" the power of the Holy Spirit began ministering to people on an individual basis and great joy was released in the hearts of the believers. It was a sweet dream. I woke up singing the song in my head and recalling the heart-warming sense of God's presence that I had experienced. Made for a good start to the morning. Then, as I proceeded to get on with the routine of feeding the dogs, letting them out, making coffee, etc. I couldn't shake the fact that maybe the content of this dream wasn't just for me, but relevant and vital for someone else to reflect upon.
     As I began to meditate on it a bit more, I thought about all the things that normally one would consider, remember from books, or heard in a sermon at church or Sunday school, when the idea of peace takes center stage of ones mind. Everyone need peace. There is no one on the planet without the need for peace in some capacity. We seek peace personally, politically, socially, financially, materially, and spiritually. That is very telling about who we are collectively as people, friends, communities, and nations. Peace also plays a part of a craftily developed marketing scheme used through multi-media to bombard the population at large to get us to buy products. Actors in commercials portray everyday people like ourselves experiencing the "peace" that comes through the assurance of buying, or buying into, a particular insurance company, investment brokerage, law firm, medical product, clothing line, car company, or baby food. We like the "peace" that comes with knowing things are "covered" and that we've done all we can on our part to ensure our stake in this material world. We also seek peace among races and religions and governments and are met daily with blaring TV and Radio news coverage that keeps us all too aware of the deepening chasm that is keeping peace at a distance between all of these groups. Plus, it continues feeding the fear that, unless we do something drastic, the prospect for peace will soon be fatally crushed and it will be all our fault. Intensifying the anxiety in our lives and adding to our search for something to soothe it.
     The fact of the matter is that nothing is new under the sun. The Bible tells us story after story in Old and New Testaments about people seeking peace individually, collectively as groups, and as a nation, all the while dealing with the same basic issues of relationships, economics, politics, religion and race. It's the same story today as it always has been. Only the characters have changed. Jesus spoke to this very issue in his life and ministry because he saw the conflict in those around him daily who lived in fear of the Roman government occupying Israel. People who had once ruled themselves as a great sovereign nation under God, via the greatest set of laws ever given to mankind, now lived in fear of total political captivity by a barbaric pagan government who worshipped Caesar, a mere man, as "god." It was not only horrific political and religious oppression, but economically a hardship as well, paying taxes to Caesar AND Israel. Jesus was not out of the loop of the fight the Israeli zealot's were waging, trying to break free of Roman occupation and political domination. One would think that he would have righteously picked up a sword and joined the fight. After all, he preached about God's kingdom all the time and spoke of freedom and love. Hardly realistic under the present circumstances. Many wondered why Jesus didn't jump on the political bandwagon. Believing he could be the promised Messiah, working the miracles they saw him do, why wasn't he fulfilling the promise of Israel's restoration? Wouldn't that finally bring "peace"?
     But Jesus was speaking of something different. In John 14:27 Jesus said, "I am leaving you with a gift - peace of mind and heart! And the peace I give isn't fragile like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or afraid."  Jesus wasn't getting on the bandwagon of something this world offers, like politics, religion, economics, law firms, banks, insurance, car manufacturers, or baby food. Jesus was offering the real deal. Peace that passes understanding that comes from one place and one place alone. A GIFT FROM GOD. Jesus knew that everything in this world fails. The old saying, "God is in the details." might be good for an element of mental security when trying to be resourceful and tying up loose ends, but the best attempts at securing our lives and futures can be met with a swift and immediate downturn, bringing the best plans to an end. I know a faithful minister of the Gospel whose retirement plan of nearly $1 million dollars was reduced overnight to $90 thousand dollars when the stock market fell after the 9/11 attacks on New York City. That kind of loss to ones collected savings as they were approaching retirement would need more than a new plan. Security was in place from years of hard work and saving and investing and then, in a split second, lost. Certainly a sense of "peace" would be in order. A different KIND of peace. The peace they had in place is exactly the "world peace" that Jesus was speaking of. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it fails. Jesus wanted to offer the kind that doesn't. We are all too familiar with the "peace" that falls short of meeting our expectations. Jesus wasn't condemning the wisdom of saving, investing, etc. The peace that DOESN'T fail will not come from our saving, buying, investing, procuring, hoarding, storing, sensible eating habits, vitamin taking, or hard work. It comes as a free gift from God that is invested into the core of your being for such times as when the "world peace" we have WORKED FOR fails us. Or when we get a doctors report that might crush our future expectations and ruin our savings. There IS a peace that "passes understanding" which allows us to know that we are, and always will remain, God's responsibility until everything that He has planned for us is finished. The promise doesn't imply that we are somehow exempt from the calamities that come from living in a broken world, or a body that is dying because of sin. It gives us the assurance that nothing can separate us from His love and keep Him from bringing us to Himself when all is said and done. No slip up, mistake, error, bad judgment call, offense or the worst of sins can change His everlasting love for us. The curse of the Law and its decrees that was written against us has been nailed to a cross and broken. By knowing that fact we remain in a place of understanding God's provision that gives us a better covenant with better promises.
    When it SEEMS that everything the world promises to bring us as a personal, material, social, religious and political security begins to lose its foundation beneath us, which we believed was stable, there is a gentle reminder that comes in the form of a still small voice speaking to the depths of our innermost being saying, "These things have I spoken to you, that you might have peace...."  (John 16:33) Be wise and do the things you need to do with your time and resources. No one thinks these are foolish. But don't be worse than foolish and refuse the GIFT of PEACE that only comes freely from God, who Himself is the only thing that doesn't change and remains stable, faithful, loving and present in this life. He knows what we need and has made something far more secure available simply for the asking. Receive His peace...

Drink deeply...

The Devil In Mr. Jones

     Consider the fact that the Law was GIVEN (according to Paul's writing in Romans) BECAUSE of TRANSGRESSION, providing full expression of human sinfulness in light of God's righteousness. It wasn't intended to be the "righteous standard" for us to try and live by, creating favor with God... because we can't. The law had no power to impart righteousness or favor with God, or the power to uphold its decrees, only to expose our sinfulness and the corresponding condemnation and punishment. Which is why the Old Testament is FULL of accounts that testify from God's perspective about the reality of how BAD the human heart actually is... Paul merely repeated what the Old Testament said in Romans 3 when he was setting up the story of WHY the Gospels' provision is so desperately needed by humanity in general. "There is NONE righteous... no not ONE... NO ONE IS GOOD... No one seeks God... not even ONE. “ It gets worse as you read on, but the truth of the matter is, if we don't grasp the reality of "how bad we are" we will never clearly see the need for mercy and grace as the antidote for our own self-destructive condition. Neither will we be able to fully appreciate the free gift and exchange of the perfect sinless Christ as the substitute. However, once we are IN THE FOLD, tables turn and we are to be ever reminded of the life and righteousness that has been eternally imparted into our being by God's provision. And, although I no longer see myself as a mere "sinner," I try to remain humble before God due to the fact that I still have a problem with sin in my life. We ALL do. Anyone who says they don't is essentially a LIAR. Until we cast off this body of flesh, we will have an ever-present reminder of our humanity being slaves to sin.

    When reading the Gospels in light of the question, "What offends Jesus?" one quickly comes to understand that religious zeal, prompted by a deep self-righteous mind-set pretty much tops the list. Self-righteousness is often founded upon the false notion that we are inherently "good" and only lacking in being educated enough to modify any behaviors that are standing in the way of moral superiority. And when we DO modify our behaviors in this light... we take pride in our actions, lifestyle, etc. and lose ALL touch with the fundamental need for God's love, mercy and grace. (More often than not we excuse our upsetting behaviors with self-justifying reasons that don't even soothe our own conscience.) We begin to assume that we can "bargain" or "cut deals" with God because of our “proven goodness" (which is never the case). In other words, WE believe we can determine and measure and judge the standard of our performance, and hold God accountable for corresponding rewards and blessings. This attitude and understanding proves our total blindness to the very condition that stands between God and us. HOWEVER... Rom 5:5 says, "But to one who not working (by Law) TRUSTS in Him Who JUSTIFIES THE WICKED, his faith is credited to him as righteousness-the standing acceptable to God." So I frequently remind myself not only of who I am trusting in, but of the fact that faith is vital in the equation, causing God to PASSOVER my wickedness and call me RIGHTEOUS!

     We have a tendency to "neuter" the Gospel by forgetting to make the point that "someone had to DIE on OUR behalf..." Coming to that realization is most difficult and often shocking. "Churched" people take it for granted, AND there is such a common lethargy in the church world today because the truth HAS been essentially "neutered." Social club mentality in today’s churches can't afford such negative language. There is a reason for that... I find that an "I'm OK, you're OK" presentation has become so very pervasive within the spiritual landscape, common to today’s pop theology. The presentation of the Gospel is serious business. People have died throughout the last several thousand years for being fearless to speak to individuals or large demographics about the reality of human depravity and spelling out scripturally WHY we need to be saved. I will stick to my guns on this matter... if we don't know why we need to be saved, or what we need to be saved from (always within ourselves)... we will never value grace, much less the penalty Christ paid to make it available. We have exchanged a Biblical "world view" for something trendy, cool, socially acceptable, politically-correct, comfortable, non-threatening and undemanding. All of this renders us neutered of spiritual power. And we wonder why? Considering that fact, does God still love us? You bet... enough to save us from the dangers of what dwells within every heart... even mine. I, for one, know fully well how bad I am... like the old hymn "Come Thou Fount" says... "Prone to wander, Lord I feel it!” But I'm also FULLY aware of the ONE IN WHOM I TRUST in spite of the wickedness I've laid at His feet. The devil in Mr. Jones doesn't scare God in the least. Actually, God is very familiar with that element in all of us and has sworn by an oath that it will never be held to our account... we walk free. No guilt, no shame, and no condemnation. Who could ask for anything more?

 

Drink deeply...

Balancing Grace?

    Just the concept of "balancing grace" brings an absurd image into my mind. Surely you have held your breath and watched in awe of someone walking a tightrope or high wire across a dangerously high place, between skyscrapers, or stretched across Niagara Falls. Well, some Christians insist their relationship with God is similar to walking such a tightrope. Everything about the success of crossing safely to the other side, or plunging to ones death, hinges on our capacity to maintain "BALANCE." We become solely dependent upon ourselves to make God sit up and take notice of our ability to juggle everything in life with the skill of a death-defying circus act. Our daily endeavor is to get God to bless these actions, and as long as we can keep everything in balance, and not go too far one way or the other, we can feel pretty secure about our performance.
     We cannot offer much in the way of faith in God's ability to do anything in our lives as we maintain this preposterous mentality, because WE have to KEEP the focus, WE KEEP the balance, WE KEEP on target, WE KEEP towing the line, WE KEEP steady to prevent falling to our death, and WE KEEP creeping little by little to the other side until we finally make our destination. THAT is how the concept of "balance" seems to play out in the definition of keeping "grace in check." In other words, DON'T trust the saving grace of God, it might let you fall! The sufficiency MUST be a two-way street. A little God... a little me. Better safe than sorry! When all is said and done, unlike all those other sorry suckers, we can proudly stand before Him and say, "Lord, Lord! Look at all I have done in your name!"

     I was raised all my life in legalistic churches that placed EVERY key element of vital importance upon self-effort, performance, rule-keeping, etc. as the insurance policy to keep me in good standing with the denomination, fellowship within the ranks, and entrance into heaven, although our best efforts was still not a guarantee. If an open failure to maintain even the unspoken rules of the church was recognized, and it was perceived as something less offensive than, let's say, having an alcoholic beverage, emphasis was always placed on public remorse for the offense with an exhortation to "pray more-try harder" as the key to righteous reinstatement. All this after a good dose of condemnation, shaming and guilt tactics, silent treatment and the like by those considered "mature" within the church. The definition of "mature" usually meant those more entrenched in pseudo-holiness than others, and the title mostly self-ordained. You never could be sure when and by whom you might next be targeted for merciless scrutiny. Great pride was taken by those who could find out something to disclose on others. Usually made known by being brought up as a "prayer request" in a home fellowship. Those who weren't quite as highly regarded as the ones having sex with the pastor would be mercilessly accused of some heinous sin, turned out of the congregation, and readily forgotten. An easy sacrificial offering to keep the general congregants in line with microscopic supervision and manipulative control. I use that horrifying example because I have seen it as a reality on multiple occasions within churches that demand "holiness" (defined as "something I demand you to DO!") from their members.

     When the topic of "grace" became something MORE than just the means by which God chose to FORGIVE me for all I had done up to the point of my acceptance of Christ, things began to change. I started to see the cracks in the theology and government of the churches I had affiliated myself with and had to make sensible, intelligent and wise choices about the findings. At first, my response was simply, "This can't be! It's too easy!" And everyone knew in the circles I came up in that if Christianity was anything, it WASN'T easy! Naturally, I had to contend for "balance" when speaking on this topic with most people I knew. First of all, I couldn't allow them to become suspect that I might jump ship to align myself with the "heretics." Eventually GRACE became truly defined as "unmerited" in my understanding and I started to see the error in how I was always working to earn God's favor. Something was wrong in my whole foundational understanding of Christianity and had to be addressed, changed, radically altered. Either GRACE was the heart of the Gospel according to Acts 20:24 when Paul said, "...that I might finish my course... and ministry... which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the GRACE OF GOD" or, it was merely a tool used to assist us with a leg-up as better servants to the harsh mistress of self-effort. It was one or the other. It couldn't be both. Not any longer.
     Some teachers blame pastors for the general lack of understanding this vital topic. Not to mention the fact that people don’t study the Bible enough on their own. I agree that such is most often the case, but it remains, what people are generally taught from the pulpits of their chosen denomination is what they accept as truth. I have been guilty of this in my own life. Needless to say, my own study was colored by the perspectives I had been trained to believe as essential, especially among those I was taught to trust, regardless of the DIFFERENT theological positions I saw in scripture. Like everyone else, I just force-fitted the contradictions into my preferred theological narrative. Truly, people are not easily given to going against the grain of whatever "group/denomination" they are established in, comfortable with, or have been raised in. Regardless of what they are taught, if it's embraced as believable, acceptable, and valued by the peers of their religious community and family, no matter how crazy it seems outside their ranks, they will accept it. How do millions of people in cults that embrace the most seemingly absurd teachings (according to our set belief systems), having no foundation in scripture whatsoever, or from a different book altogether, fall prey to it? Pretty easy when considering normal human behavior, I think.
     I recently read a post exhorting people not to assume that everyone hasn’t heard this “good news of God's grace" even though some may have only recently discovered its richness. And, that we should make it a point to keep it away from the forefront of our conversation. I couldn’t be less in agreement. I have been in fellowship with countless numbers throughout my years in ministry who, like myself, had no clue of what the Gospel of God’s grace meant. Therefore, I have become a minister of that marvelous truth, and proclaim it regardless of who has or who hasn’t heard it. Those who HAVE heard it… TRULY heard it… rejoice with me when I speak of the excellence of God's glorious provision of grace. Those who haven’t, don’t. Often they strongly downplay its significance, relevance, and importance to bring “BALANCE.” They are usually the ones who fight to the death to defend the right to be responsible for their ultimate outcome, including being saved. As Paul writes in Galatians 1:7 “…there be some that… would PERVERT the gospel of Christ” tells me an ongoing battle for genuine faith has been a struggle since the beginning. If the gospel can be “perverted” then to what extent, and by what means? Because of my own experience with multitudes of Christians of various backgrounds, I believe it HAS been perverted and is held unwittingly in that twisted perspective. Ten minutes of conversation with most will allow anyone who understands this pivotal doctrine to determine such a position of ignorant disregard accurately. What's more, listen a little more closely and you will see how they are walking the fearful "tightrope" in hopes of securing through this balancing-act what was meant to be received as a simple gift.

     So, if born-again, Spirit-filled believers are JUST coming to this knowledge of God’s grace after years of serving under the yoke of religious bondage… HALLELUJAH! We should be REJOICING in this fact and hitting the floor on our faces in gratitude that truth and light are being revealed where falsehood and darkness flourished! That people are learning what REAL faith is about, and how to rightly place it in the person and work of Christ should make us shout from the housetops.

     For me, my early understanding of "grace” was merely a rite of passage into the world of traditional Christendom. I was assured all that was taught would be “true, Biblical, and life-changing" IF I did my part and lived by the standards of holiness. Once in, I became twice the son of hell as those that were falsely leading me into this quagmire of religious deception. After years and years in that web of pseudo-spirituality, I stepped out of the box. At the condemnation and warning from the faithful around me, I began to take the teachings of the Bible that I had earlier over-looked and compartmentalized as false or heretical until  the “scales” fell from my eyes. It was clearly written by the Apostle Paul that righteousness was a gift of God's grace through faith and not of works. Not of anything I could offer or accomplish.  I could no longer hold to any religious equation or method or tactic for what I must do to acquire blessing and favor. Either faith is sufficient or it isn't. Sheer faith is the victory or it's the catastrophe. But it became clear that it would be all or nothing. God can be trusted or he can't. To give the smallest fraction of dependence upon my own self-effort was a breach of the whole gift of grace that God offers. I stepped off the tightrope into a total free-fall of trusting in the promises of God's ongoing goodness and mercy. That was one of the hardest decisions I ever made. And I haven't hit bottom and died.
     Now, as the old hymn says, “My faith has found a resting place.” Clearly aware of my mission, duties, responsibilities and work, I place no longer place any emphasis on them as a means of keeping my relationship with God on track and well-oiled. The tightrope is gone and all the anxiety of maintaining the right balance between grace and works to avoid consequences are gone with it. The Good News is all about God's GRACE and my lips will never cease to proclaim it. If anyone thinks that they have quite literally moved beyond it… to higher and greater and better truths… I seriously question their foundation. And I fully relate to the fear they are facing as they walk that tightrope of religious insecurity.  

Drink deeply...

Finding Approval: Like a Mother with a Son in Prison

Coming to a place of actually believing that God loves us is difficult. Many will say they believe it, but their conversation will betray what they claim to believe if you listen closely for a matter of minutes. There is always a catch, a stammering, a "but" or "however" injected somewhere, which promotes the notion that there is always a need for change or improvement before we can seriously find a resting place in the concept of God's love toward us. It essentially causes us to believe that "God loves us, but doesn't approve of us." This has been a problem all of my life. Most of us live with this attitude and are willing to allow that mindset to be the guiding force of our relationship with him. Kind of like the notion that a mother will always grievingly love her misguided son who is serving a life sentence in prison. God is the mother and we are the kid in the big house. He loves us, but we have to become something different and pay our dues before he will bestow approval. It just seems like common sense in most religious perceptions.

Arriving at the TRUTH that he APPROVES of us is altogether different than coming to the realization about his love, and where most have the greater difficulty, causing us to jump through never-ending hoops of religious self-denial, self-loathing and castigating behaviors. None of which promote the peace that simple faith in his unchanging love affords. So, when you go to bed, turn off the light, and lay in the darkness with nothing but your innermost thoughts, THAT is the person God knows perfectly. God is not in a different room or building curiously awaiting your return to see what you've been up to. God knows the person that you allow NO ONE ELSE to discover. You may even try to live in denial of who you really are because the truth doesn't fit the expectations and definitions of what meets your own standards for public display. That is why we have trouble with this notion of God's favor... his grace... his love... his approval. IF others knew what we know about our hidden selves, our darkest desires, our selfish ambitions and codependent needs, you know, the "real" us, they would unanimously agree on our unworthiness to meet the requirements of God's approval. Yet he gives it anyway.

He can do this because the covenant we possess is not based on sin and punishment as in the Mosaic covenant of the Law. The Law says, "If you will do THIS.. then I will do THAT..." For this reason, according to the the book of Hebrews, God found fault with this system, because people cannot keep their end of the bargain. Heb. 8:7 "For if that first covenant had been without defect, there would have been no room for another one or an atempt to institute another one." His love for us is so great that a new and better covenant was developed and ratified, setting aside the former one, so that God's love, favor and approval could be poured out richly upon us by faith in his promise, Heb. 8:12 "I will be merciful and gracious toward their sins and I will remember their deeds of unrighteousness no more." 

God has given his love, favor and approval. There is no need to fear. We are NOT likened to the son in prison who is somehow still loved by a poor grieving mother. This love and approval is real. It is eternal and unchanging. So much so that his own life within supplies us with the very things we need to make it in this world. He works within to will and do his own good pleasure. Take a breath, exhale and breathe again... This is not "to good to be true" as most religious traditions would have you believe. There are no catches, hitches, exceptions, "buts or howevers" attached. Can you allow yourself to embrace it? Can you let yourself be set free in the truth of this powerful reality? Can you live in the glorious lifestyle of acceptance that allows others to be released from religious bondage as well? It's time to see God in the light of his own definition of love. (1Cor. 13) And it's time to believe he gave himself that definition for our benefit. Believe it, trust it, depend upon it, fall upon it, and know there are no means of adding something by your own self-effort to make God's love more stable, secure, sufficient or trustworthy. It's a gift for the taking. So why not make it yours?

Drink deeply...

Pharisees Anonymous

     My name is Jerry Piper and I am a self-righteous Pharisee. I was taught from an early age to put on the robes of religious morality and proudly ride the high-horse of spiritual superiority. Therefore, my affiliated obsession has been to impress God and others with the glorious capacity to raise above the common everyday dilemmas that everyone faces in life and showcase that I have a better handle on living right than most. If I did stumble, I didn’t tell anyone, and pacified my guilty conscience with more Bible reading, church attendance, a larger financial gift, etc. until I felt worthy enough to get back in the saddle and once again ride with the belief that maybe it was my last time to be thrown. At least I had good intentions at riding on to becoming sinless.

     In recent years, I have discovered something called the Grace of God. I used the term frequently throughout my journey, yet never in the same context as I do now. Formerly, any reference to the grace of God merely allowed me to be forgiven just up to the point that I accepted Christ into my life. From there forward, everything was solely dependent upon the performance of my “living right” to determine whether or not I would go to heaven. Because I was so fully aware of my own frailty, how could I trust my own capacity to save myself? And what if I might do something sinful just before I die and not get to confess? I was in quite a dilemma. Even with such good intentions things just fell short of being stable. However, since I have found grace in a different dimension than the definition I understood in earlier years, like the Apostle Paul, I have been knocked off my spiritual high-horse by the blinding light of this glorious awareness. And, again like Paul, I have to answer for the fact that I have personally persecuted Christ and his church through my earlier insistence that we trust in something OTHER than the sufficiency this grace offers. I'm talking total sufficiency. Once and for all saved to the uttermost. All by Gods doing. That is NOT easy to accept if you were as steeped in religious tradition as I was.
     I still fall off the wagon now and then in fits of self-righteous dependence upon Mosaic Law, rules, regulations, and religious prescriptions for superstitious self-help and such, which makes me unloving, miserable, prideful, judgmental, aloof and holier-than-thou. Although I fall off the wagon a bit less than I used to, there still remains the fact that my mind is so filled up with all the religious trappings of gaining favor with God by "being good." I struggle with it constantly. Sometimes I win. Sometimes I lose. I still have a tendency that desires being perceived by others as upstanding, even when I have to admit the fact that I haven't been. Learning through years of experience that I can easily be rejected by those who call themselves my "brothers and sisters" for revealing my faults and failures, it has been easier to put on a mask and present a false identity that is far more acceptable to those who demand nothing short of "victory" (whatever that means) rather than “faith” as the acceptable standard of living. The fear and anxiety I have turned loose of since letting go of that need has been life-changing and enabled me to rest in a provision that comes simply from trusting God.

     Day by day I'm learning more how this thing called "Christianity" was never meant to be perceived as a self-help method of becoming a "better person" but an act of ongoing faith that God, who justifies the wicked, WILL do for me, through the frustration of failure, weakness, inability and brokenness, what I can never do for myself, by finishing the good work HE STARTED. Little by little, I'm LEARNING to trust that. So bear with me... the real me… the one that God loves… that Jesus died for… as I am learning to do with you. If there are no others who have something to say, todays “Pharisees Anonymous” meeting is now adjourned…

Drink Deeply...

True Righteousness

     Since my last entry I've been giving a lot of thought to the concept of Righteousness. Not as in the common street vernacular of "he's a righteous dude" but rather the sense of right-standing one has with God that has been bestowed as a free gift. It's the great theme of the New Testament, yet probably remains one of the hardest concepts I have ever tried to wrap my own head around. For over forty years I have parroted the phrase, "I am the righteousness of God in Christ!" as if I had a full understanding of the height, depth and width of its meaning. The older I get and the more I continue to meditate on the subject, I have to admit the less I comprehend this amazing provision and its theological perspective. Why would I say something like that? After all these years of study, schooling, practical application and ministry... one might suppose that it would become all the more clear. In some ways it has, but the journey has taken much time. The reason I unashamedly give admission to this personal matter is because, though I have claimed this truth, I have continued to try and earn good standing with God, as so many are taught to do in fundamental religious circles and denominations. In spite of this glorious truth we confess with our lips, along with the rest of Christendom, there remains an underlying distrust of its foundational tenet as spoken by God Himself.
     This is most distressing when we consider the fact that what the scriptures claim God is seeking from us is FAITH, which some Bible translations define as "absolute assurance or confident trust" regarding his promised provisions. Humanity has never really been all that great at putting their faith in God. Our history has been more about us running scared than standing firm in absolute assurance or confident trust. The book of Romans is clear in chapter 3 where the Apostle Paul clarifies the condition of the human heart from God's perspective regarding this matter. The Living Bible puts it this way, "...all men alike are sinners, Jew and Gentile... No one is good - no one in all the world in innocent. No one has ever really followed God's paths, or even truly wanted to. Every one has turned away; all have gone wrong. No one anywhere has kept on doing what is right, not one. ...and they have never known what it is to feel secure or enjoy God's blessing. They care nothing about God or what he thinks of them." In so many conversations I've had through the recent years on this premise, I am responded to with a lot of, "Yes... but... "
     The thought of God putting all of humanity in the same boat, so that he can show mercy upon all alike, is not appreciated by many in Christian circles, or so it appears. When our religious denominations or affiliations hold us to a standard of performance, observances and works to maintain or uphold righteousness, it creates a false sense of security that can only be measured against ourselves. This is one of the most critical issues facing the church today. The false sense of security created by this notion is repetitively addressed by the Apostle Paul in his letters to the newly established churches in the region. It was obvious by his content and intent that there were people infiltrating the Body of Christ with unscrupulous and false teachings about "true righteousness." One might think the bearers of such unwelcomed news may have sounded something like this, "...of course we believe in salvation by grace through faith! HOWEVER... there are things we MUST DO to ensure we don't lose it!" What usually follows is a list of house rules as long as a roll of toilet paper that have to be upheld according to the scrutiny of some over-seeing religious umpire chomping at the bit to wield "spiritual authority" and disqualify us from the prize. (Another topic altogether!)
     It has occurred to me that any attempts at better securing a lasting divine provision though external activities, observations, religious rigor, rules, regulations, etc. is as deeply inordinate as assuming that, by putting on a dress, wig and high heels, a man can be transformed into a woman. Although I have applied a bit of levity to the matter, it should resonate with a greater sense of how genuinely preposterous it is to be self-assured that our feeble and fleshly religious efforts can manufacture the outcomes that only faith in God's grace was meant to secure. As I see it, only faith in Christ can result in the gift of applied grace and transforming righteousness that makes a fallen humanity into beloved children of God. Confidence in the promise of God to do ALL he has responsibly committed to accomplish on our behalf, including the ultimate end of bringing us lovingly to himself for an eternity of rest and peace is the only hope for us all. So easy... yet we resist... we run... we hide... we appeal by sacrificial offerings of promises and vows to "be good" or "try to do better." It's all unnecessary and does nothing to make the provision of God's everlasting love more secure or safe.
     We should thank God daily that he is our Great Shepherd and we shall lack no good thing. Every need he fully and responsibly supplies, starting with an on-going right relationship. Even the "faith" required of us to appropriate this gift is the byproduct of the Holy Spirit's indwelling presence. We can rest in the peace that passes understanding, assured that a "righteousness from God, apart from law, has been revealed... this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe... there is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." (Rom. 3)
Well said, brother Paul...
     But I must ask before I sign off... do we really believe these words? Do we read such passages, take a breath and "WISH" that it were true, as written? Or do we close the book and act like a man who has just looked into a mirror only to walk away and forget what he looks like? Are we desiring of such right-standing and favor with God, yet fearing that, due to the trappings of everything that makes us human, resign ourselves to a misconception that only in another life can such a relationship be realized? Do we continue to make promises to try harder, do better, pray more, go to church more, or faulter less in hopes of striking a deal with God to better soothe our inner guilt and secure our eternal outcome? So many of us do... and none of it is necessary, much less helpful. (AS IF OUR PROMISES TO GOD CAN ACCOMPLISH MORE THAN GOD'S PROMISES TOWARD US!!) Beloved, we are instructed in the New Testament to understand, "faith IS the victory." Faith is sufficient for receiving the on-going right standing from God we so desperately need. As our Sovereign Lord, Redeemer, Savior, Justifier and Sacrifice, he is also quite capable of KEEPING you in his loving care. John points out so clearly regarding the righteousness we lovingly abide in when he said, "Beloved, NOW we are the children of God." It doesn't get any more real or secure than that. Trust God's view of a RIGHTEOUS YOU! In other words, have faith...

Drink Deeply