fear factor

I had the privilege to go and hear Rob Bell speak in Pittsburgh this Saturday.  It was his "The God's Are Not Angry" speaking tour.  It was a great experience.  Traveled there with my wife, my pastor, and my friends Stephen and Craig.   Outside of the awful seats, it was a wonderful time. 

 

In this tour, Rob is unpacking how religion has capitalized on an ancient, ingrained part of our human psyche which makes us feel as though we have to perform to make sure the "gods" aren't angry with us.   And he used the picture of altar in ancient culture to make this point.  He talked about how before Christ and before the revelation of Jehovah God, the ancient cultures worshipped the forces that affected their lives, building altars on which they would offer sacrifices when things were going bad to get the gods on their side.   And when things were going good, they'd offer part of their blessings back to their gods to make sure they stayed in good standing.  It became a vicious cycle because whether it was a good time or bad time, you were always offering more and more to ensure you had not offended, or beg forgiveness if you did offend, the gods.

 

How he explained it was that for the ancient cultures, their lives were dependant on how they blessed their gods.   But into the midst of this ideology, here comes Jehovah revealing himself to Abraham…who just wants to bless him.  It wasn't about what Abraham could do for God, but what God wanted to do for and through Abraham.   Even to the point of taking Abraham to offer Isaac, it wasn't that God just wanted to test Abraham's loyalty, but to show Abraham that he was not like the other gods, who routinely wanted their followers to offer their best (even their children), but that he would provide even for the offering that his only child would not have to be lost.

 

Of course, going down through the centuries and here comes Jesus on the scene saying, I'm the way, I'm the truth.   Here he is changing the old way of relating to God.  He makes himself the sacrifice, doing for us what we could never have done.

 

But the part that is so much more powerful to me is the fact that we are still living with this ancient mentality in 2007, especially when you look at the charismatic church and current movements within it.   In the CLB and on religious broadcasting, all you have to do is listen for 10 minutes and you'll hear the undercurrent of fear being capitalized on to get believers to live, believe, give or act a certain way:

 

There is fear that if you don't give, not just your tithe, but your offering as well, that God will not be on your side, that he will leave you defenseless.   There is fear that if you don't do everything the leader/pastor/apostle wants you to do that you will be out from under "your covering" and the blessing of God will be stopped in your life. There is fear that if you don't do your devotions just right, pray and read your Bible everyday for a certain amount of time, you will not be able to fight the enemy and you will be attacked daily until you "get right."  

 

Now, please understand I'm not saying that we don't need to be participating in our spiritual disciplines and growing in our relationship with God, but what the Body of Christ could do without is this fear factor that puts words in God's mouth.

More to come on this…

more lessons learned

The message of grace is so foreign to many Christians.  From the time I was two, I was raised in church, learning what it meant to serve Jesus.   And most of the messages I heard were those of the "do not's."  It was the message of "followers of Jesus don't do this and don't do that."   We were quick to identify what sin was.  (Basically anything the preacher at that time especially hated.) 

 

But looking back now, I'm realizing the lack of identification with grace.  It was simply explained as "God's Riches At Christ's Expense." (Modern Christianity is a pro at taking a hugely profound and complex theological component such as grace and boiling it down to a bumper sticker logo.)   Okay, that's nice, but what did it suppose to mean? 

 

We sang "Amazing Grace."  It reminded us of what wretches we were without a chance, except for God's grace.   I learned that grace was the good will of God to let a sinner like me into his heaven and that it was only because of Jesus that he would do that.  There was always a "whew!" kind of feeling when it came to grace, like getting out of trouble and not having to go to the principal's office. 

 

But there is so much more!!  Grace is the love of God in action toward us.   It is not "just because of Jesus" that we can be saved and enter God's family, it's because of God's great love for us that he went to that extent to make room for us in his family.   His love is not based on what we do or where we've come from or how perfect I walk now that I know him, either.  His love is bigger than that.

 

It is his grace that keeps me wanting more of him.  How could I not, when no matter what screw-up I get myself into, he still loves me, and will walk me out of it.   How could I not, when he says that he loves me even before I could know anything about me.  How could I not be amazed by his grace?   This is why the scriptures say, "it's your kindness, Lord, that leads us to repentance." 

 

Have you ever had someone give you something and then later keep reminding you of what they gave you, as if you should owe them something, or everything, because they gave it to you?   Church taught me that I don't have to do anything to get God's love and forgiveness, but to keep it I have to work like…  But again that is not the picture of grace I see in the scripture now.   Now, I understand that my works and desire to live right is a response to this grace I've encountered and received, not because I'm afraid to lose it.  He wants me to live out of his grace and not be afraid of running out of it.  

 

More to come…

venting

You probably are sick of hearing about this.  Other blogs are probably been writing about it, but I've not had a chance to even look around my favorites lately.   But here's the scoop: six prominent TV evangelists are being investigated by the Senate to ensure that their lavish lifestyle and fundraising is not crossing the lines of propriety…and the law.  

 

I have to say this…I'm glad.  Yes, when ministers are put in the spotlight for questionable, or even proven wrong behavior, it puts a bad light on all ministers, churches and the body of Christ.   But someone has to call us to a place of accountability and many of these evangelists (though most wouldn't call themselves that) are far removed from any real accountability.   And unfortunately, many people who want to be like them follow their example and teaching, leaving a wake of wounded, disillusioned people behind them.

 

When I was in the CLB, I heard a lot of the same teaching as these ministers teach; most were promoted and recommended to us.   We had several similar ministries coming through the church and at conferences, but one in particular stood out to me. 

 

One guy came in a taught on prosperity at a conference we hosted.  In it he talked about his collection of luxury or high-end cars he had.   (I can't remember how many but it was more than five or six.)  These cars were worth a lot of money.  Then he goes on to tell us how he was believing God for a "new jet."  He had a plane already, but needed a new one, and was "believing God" to receive what he "needed".   Not to mention his Rolex watch he liked to talk about.  I guess all of this was supposed to make us all realize that if you were spiritual like him, you would get rich like him.  

 

The only thing I came out of it with was anger.  I don't have a problem with having nice things.   And I do believe that there must be an increase in prosperity in God's children's lives if we are to further the gospel like we need to.  I do believe it is plan of the enemy to keep us focused on our need and caught in debt, which will stall the furthering of the gospel.  

 

But I also believe it's the ploy of the enemy to keep us focused on the things we have rather than what we could do with what we already have.   When I was sitting in that service, I wanted to stand up and say, "God has already given you the money for your new plane, sitting in your garage!  Why do you need to 'believe' anymore, making people feel guilty enough to give you more money which you don't really need?  Sell your ….  cars and buy the ….  plane." 

 

I don't know where to go in this post, or what I'm really trying to say outside of venting, but I do hope in the light of this investigation and with all that's going on at ORU, that a reality check will come these that preach and have the people's trust.  

 

Yes, I do affirm a place for blessing in the people of God, but not to the place of excess where those who do not know Him are turned away because they are disgusted by the display they see, not to mention those of us who do know him and are just as disgusted.  

 

God save us from ourselves.

following the cloud, part two

The children of Israel lived with this tension of faith with God everyday they wandered in the desert.  For forty years, they pitched their tents under God's cloud of protection and covering, but at any moment the cloud could lift up and begin to move, and if it did, it was their signal to getting packing because they were on the move again.

 

They would follow that cloud and wherever it settled, they would settle.  But never with long term plans to stay, no matter how long it had been since the last move, because without warning God may come and mess up their plans.  

 

How has or will God show up in your personal walk of faith?  How will he "mess" up your plans?   Is the cloud moving in your life?

 

Just like Abram sitting on his back porch pondering the mysteries of life, and God showing up to challenge him to dream bigger, think deeper and live freer, so God will come to us and challenge us to step outside the lines and go on an adventure with Him.   If we do, we just might find ourselves changing our world. 

 

God has called all of us to be a blessing.  But a blessing only becomes a blessing when it is broken and given away.   When Jesus fed the five thousand, it only happened in the breaking of the bread, because if it had stayed in the state it was in, only one piece, it would never have multiplied.  

 

There is a breaking that happens when God calls us to be a blessing.  It is the breaking of our wills to submit to another higher, greater dream than our own comfort and our own plans.   It is the realization that the great God of the universe knows better what we need than we do…and where we will best fit. 

 

There is a story in the Gospels that seems hard and strange.  Jesus is calling some people to follow him, and they refuse telling him they have to bury their parents first, then they'll come to which He says, "Let the dead bury the dead."  

 

What?  How cruel!  But if you study this passage out, you find that Jesus wasn't making light of their loss, but rather, they were making the excuse to him that they couldn't follow him until their parent's had died and they buried them, then they would come and follow him.  

 

He was messing up their plans.  They were settled and believed their plans were more important.   But Jesus reminded them…the Kingdom is at hand, right here, right now.  What will you do with it?

 

Will we allow the King to mess up our plans?  Will we allow him to lead us to a place we never have been before?  

 

What of Abram?  What happened to him will happen to us, if we only will follow when the cloud moves…

 

"Then God took Abram up and showed him the land and said, look to the north, south, east and west, and wherever you can see, I have given to you and your descendants.   And the whole world will be blessed because of you." (John's paraphrase)

 

Do not be afraid to dream in the day of God messing up your plans.

 

Do not be afraid that where he will lead you will be less than what you can dream.

 

Do not be afraid that he will take from you and leave you desolate, without him and alone.

 

Because He comes to mess with us when He is making us into someone, something…a blessing the whole world can receive.

following the cloud, part one

Abram thought he had it made.  He was successful.  He had a good family, lots of servants and livestock.   He was established and his "five-year plan" looked like he was on track.  He had a religious life as well, though he had misgivings about exactly who or what he was worshipping, he was faithful to follow in the footsteps of his ancestors.  

 

Then one day, the one true God showed up.  And messed everything up.  

 

He was alone on the back porch one night, pondering the skies, feeling content with his life, when he heard a voice.   The voice, scary, intense, yet compelling him to listen, to obey.

 

"I have a plan for you.  If you will obey me, you will find more fulfillment than you ever have known.   I am the one true God and I have created you to know and love me and to be known and to be loved.  I have chosen you that through you the whole world will be blessed…

 

But you have to leave."

 

Imagine what went through Abram's mind:  What?  Are you serious?   I just built my life here.  I just settled down.  I just bought my 100^th cow.   I just buried my mother, and my father needs me.  And I really don't know you from Adam…what did you say your name was again??

 

But what was greater than all of the doubts and the confusion that he must have felt at that moment was the thought that he had finally met the one true God…and that he was chosen.   He had all that this life could offer, but still his heart's desire was to be the center of someone's heart, the apple of someone's eye…to be someone.   And here the great God of the universe was standing before him and telling him that he had been chosen to change the world!!

 

What an adventure.  What a mission.  Wait…if I'm leaving, where am I going?

 

"To a city you don't know."  Huh?

 

Basically God called Abram to follow him to a place he'd never been, didn't know how to get there, and wouldn't know he was there until he got there!

 

And what did Abram do?  He went. 

 

He took God up on the challenge, to fulfill him like nothing ever would, to follow this God who had created the universe.  

 

When God shows up in our lives, He brings mercy and grace, He brings love and life and faith, and sometimes He messes everything up.  He turns our plans upside down and inside out and we find ourselves somewhere where we've never planned on being.   Most of the time when God shows up in our lives, we end up asking God…"Where are we going?"

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update

I didn't mean to take a sabbatical from blogging…though it seems as though I did.  It has been very difficult for me to put my words down on paper/screen the last month or so.   I changed jobs, which put me through a mini-anxiety attack with all the transitional issues and struggles of leaving people and starting over with new.   This past month has been one of insanity as the storm raged in the middle of the transition.  Little fires mostly, but just like real fire, several little ones can add up to an entire forest fire…which is what I felt like I was trying to put out for a few days.  

 

But now as I'm settling into this new position and my routine is becoming more normal, my sanity level has returned to a normal state, which I will not try to justify!

 

A quick update on where we are in ministry.  I've not said much about it on the blog, but we have stepped into the waters once again.   This time, it's on our own terms though.  My wife and I along with about 10 of our friends are beginning our own new church start.   We've been meeting for a few months now as a bible study group of friends, supporting one another in our issues with the CLB and working toward healing.  But we all knew that God wasn't going to let us just stay that way on our own.   So now a new journey has begun…

 

Joanne and I are founding our personal ministry called "Grace Unlimited Ministries," under which the church start will be placed.   We don't have a name for the church yet, but we are working on it.  It's quite crazy when you get a bunch of friends together to try to come up with a name for a church, not religious and not traditional in any sense.   Some of the name offerings have been quite funny.

 

Another update.  My daughter is growing up so much.  I was watching her sleep last night and it just takes my breath away.   She'll be nine in a couple of months and it's breaking my heart.  She's growing into a beautiful woman…which is wonderful and terrifying at the same time.   I can't believe the little girl who sits on my lap will some day grow up to be a young man's wife.  It increases my prayer life…as does everything lately!

 

Well, I promise to get back on this blogging horse, so please check back with me.  I will be writing again, especially now on this journey of church starting.   This weekend we're going to be dreaming about who and what we will be.  Maybe I'll share some of those dreams next week.   Until then, blessings.