Philip Yancey continues to be one of my favorite authors for his insights into scripture and his ability to put flesh and bones on Biblical truths that sometime seem abstract or are simply overlooked.  In his book, The Jesus I Never Knew, Yancey gives a chapter to the resurrection and makes some interesting observations that in all honesty I had missed.

We who read the Gospels from the other side of Easter, who have the day printed on our calendars, forget how hard it was for the disciples to believe…Author Frederick Buechner is struck by the unglamorous quality of Jesus’ appearances after resurrection Sunday.  There were no angels in the sky singing choruses, no kings from afar bearing gifts.  Jesus showed up in the most ordinary circumstances:  a private dinner, two men walking along a road, a woman weeping in a garden, some fishermen working a lake. (P.214).

Yancey goes on to point out that as far as we know Jesus made no post-resurrection appearances to unbelievers but only to those who had already believed.  He then says, “The resurrection is the epicenter of belief. It is, says C.H. Dodd, ‘not a belief that grew up within the church; it is the belief around which the church itself grew up.’” (P.217).

It’s true.  Paul said that if there were no resurrection then we are fools to be pitied for living our lives for Jesus. So why did Jesus not march into the Sanhedrin or up Pilot’s steps Sunday afternoon?  Why did he not appear in the temple courts and show the thousands of unbelievers there the holes in his hands and the gash in his side?  Although angels appeared at the tomb, they only appeared to a few and then were gone with no angelic voices trumpeting the risen Lord.   Why leave the world guessing instead of offering irrefutable proof his resurrection and his deity?  Why does God so often seem to tantalize us with evidence of his existence but not irrefutable proof?  Why was Jesus so resistant to giving the Pharisees the irrefutable signs they so often asked for and why did he call them wicked for doing so?

Jesus probably summed it up when Thomas saw the irrefutable evidence of Christ’s scars and believed.  As Thomas came to faith Jesus said I’m glad you have finally believed but, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”  Evidence appeals to logic  which rests in the mind and believes that all its questions have been answered.  Faith, on the other hand, rests in the heart and can live with some unanswered questions.  God has always been more interested in our hearts than in our heads.

The truth is that nothing rests on absolute, irrefutable evidence. Even if we think science has proven something beyond a shadow of a doubt we cannot prove with absolute certainty that something else is not there that has not yet been considered. We can’t prove with absolute certainty that our system of logic does not contain some minute flaw that leads us astray.   We cannot even prove with absolute certainty that the scientists who have “proven” their theory are not merely figments of our imagination or part of some eternal dream like The Matrix.  Everything requires a measure of faith and a willingness to believe something for which we might not have all the answers. When we demand that God make total sense to us or that every mystery in the Bible be explained before we believe,  our problem is not a problem of evidence but of a heart that refuses to let God sit on the throne rather than self.

Faith, indeed, is the currency of heaven. Faith believes on the basis of sufficient evidence rather than overwhelming evidence.  Even in the face of overwhelming evidence, some hearts won’t believe.  The Pharisees saw miracle after miracle – even the raising of the dead – and would not believe.  Faith believes in the nature of God even when what we see doesn’t compute.  When we pray with all of our hearts and a loved one dies out of time, faith does not require answers before it continues to believe that God is good. When we pray with all of our hearts and a marriage dies anyway, faith does not demand God’s explanation to continue to believe that God is love.  When we have seen others healed and other marriages saved, then we are confronted by the mystery of why our marriage wasn’t saved or our loved one wasn’t healed.  The power of faith is not that it has all the answers but that it continues to believe in the goodness and faithfulness of God in the face of mystery and disappointment.

That is the heart that God values and that is the currency of heaven.  Faith does not measure God by what he has not done for us but by all that he has done for us.  When we wonder what God is like in the face of personal disappointment, we simply look at Jesus who told Phillip that if we have seen Jesus then we have seen the Father.  Jesus didn’t heal every sick person in Jerusalem but would we say that Jesus was not loving?  Jesus did not set every slave free but would we say he is not merciful? Jesus didn’t raise every dead person but would we say he was indifferent?  Then why would we say that about God?  There are mysteries that faith cannot answer but what it can answer is “what is the heart of God towards people?”  The cross surely answers that.

When we doubt, Jesus will probably not send kings with gifts or angelic choruses but will show himself to us in plain and ordinary ways.  It we will be open to him that will be enough.  Have faith today without having all the answers and be blessed.

He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters. “When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order.              Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. (Luke 11:23-26)

Neutrality is a dangerous place in the spiritual realm.  I’m reminded of a scene in the movie, “O Brother Where Art Thou?”  In that scene Tommy (a young black guitarist) has just been picked up and given a ride by the three principle players in the movie – Ulysses, Delmar and Pete who had escaped from a prison chain gang a few days earlier.  The three asked Tommy what he was doing alone in the middle of nowhere and he told them that he had met the devil at a crossroads the night before and sold his soul for the ability to play guitar.  Delmar and Pete had just come upon a camp revival and had been baptized so that all their past sins and crimes could be forgiven.  As they rumbled down the road Tommy explained, “I had to be up at that there crossroads last midnight, to sell my soul to the devil.”  Ulysses then commented, “Well, ain’t it a small world, spiritually speaking. Pete and Delmar just been baptized and saved. I guess I’m the only one that remains unaffiliated.”

Many people have the idea that they can take a neutral or unaffiliated position in the spiritual realm and somehow stay out of the conflict and even enter heaven because they weren’t bad people.  Jesus spoke to that idea when he said, “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters.”  Some actively and intentionally serve Satan while others make no commitments and remain uninvolved.  Jesus places both of those positions in the kingdom of darkness.  The truth is that everyone starts out on Satan’s team. Only those who choose to play for Jesus get to change uniforms.

The idea that I can pursue nothing spiritually and be okay because I’m not  pursuing evil things ignores the reality of the spiritual realm.  The enemy searches the world looking for vacancies and when he finds one he moves in.  Wherever he finds a heart or a life not filled with Jesus he camps there.  When a man encounters Jesus and spiritual freedom for a season but does not fill his life with the things of God….the enemy will return and bring others with him. He has the right to bring more because this man has tasted the things of God but not pursued them.  To fail to pursue the things of God is the same as rejecting them.

The warning and the encouragement is to never stop pursuing and filling your life with the things of God and his Spirit. The Spirit, like water in an old barrel, tends to leak out and must be replenished.  When enough of the Spirit that we once hungered for and pursued has leaked out, then a vacancy is formed in our soul and we become vulnerable to the enemy.  Paul instructs us to be filled with the Spirit (see Eph.5:18) because when we are filled we are fruitful but we also leave no room for the devil.

Back in my youth when I was faster and fifty pounds lighter, our football coaches always told us that the guys who were always moving and hitting hard didn’t get hurt.  The guys who were coasting or standing around on the field were the ones who got injured.  That was true most of the time and I believe it is true spiritually.  Keep moving, keep growing, keep serving, keep seeking, and keep filling up on God and there will be no vacancies or vacuums in your life that attract the enemy.  And remember, there is no one in the car who is unaffiliated because if you are not actively for Jesus  then you are against him.  No retirement in the kingdom, no coasting, no neutrality. We can all rest when we get home!  Be blessed today and fill up!

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – having a form of godliness but denying its power.  Have nothing to do with them.  (2 Ti.3:1-5)

Although these descriptors perfectly match our culture, the apostle Paul penned these words to his young protégé Timothy nearly 2000 years ago. The phrase ”last days” does not necessarily mean the end of times since biblically we have been in the last days or the last age since the day of Pentecost when the church was launched. In Peter’s sermon on Pentecost he quoted Joel who said, “In the last days I will pour out my Spirit on all men…” The “last days” began with that pouring out.  More likely Paul was warning that their would be times and seasons during this last age before the return of Messiah when cultures and men would be corrupt and that such corruption would seep into the church.

When I read those descriptors my first thought was that Paul was describing  unbelievers in a fallen world.  But in context he seems to be warning Timothy that there would be individuals in the church who also fit that description and it was those whom Timothy was to avoid.  The final quality of these men reveals that they will have a “form of godliness but will deny its power.”  What exactly does that mean and is it a warning for us today as it was for Timothy in the early years of the church?

The word “form” here seems to mean “an outward appearance.”   These individuals would have an outward appearance of godliness or religion but would secretly deny its substance.  These could be church leaders who simply lead portions of the church for the financial gain, status, or the praise of men that leadership role offered. Behind closed doors they would treat their role as a job, an opportunity or a “gig.”  There faith would be in themselves and they would use and discard people to accomplish their own ends and to build their personal empire.   Ultimately they would view God, judgment, and the Holy Spirit as a kind of myth that they would espouse publically but not take seriously.  Behind closed doors they would love money, comfort, and hidden immoralities.  Ultimately these men are always exposed but the exposure brings reproach on the church and sends hundreds or thousands of disillusioned believers into the streets wondering if any Christian leader  can be trusted.

This paragraph could also point to leaders of culture: education, business, politics, etc. who might publically claim to be followers of Christ and, therefore, moral  – but behind closed doors in backroom meetings are as worldly and cynical as those who make no such claims. These men use God as a prop but deny the power of the kingdom of God.

Each of these groups may believe in a God in some vague way but do not believe that God will ultimately judge the wicked or judge nations. They believe they can act without consequence and that true believers are really just suckers living in world of delusion.  Neither do they believe that there is a God in heaven who orchestrates lives and nations and that watches over the truly godly with his power and even entrusts his power – real power – to those who love him.  I believe we live in a season where both groups are profoundly represented in our society.   Not only that, but many believers who are moral believe that we are to serve God in our own strength and expect no miraculous interventions from heaven. The power of godliness for them resides only in the past.  Unfortunately, many unbelievers define Christianity by these people who carry the banner but not the reality or substance of the kingdom.

It is times like these that the power of godliness operating in the church is more critical than ever.  This power begins, of course, with faith but is also sustained by holiness. In Acts 5, Ananias and Sapphira treat the Holy Spirit as inconsequential and bring deceit into the church. As a result God judges them and they die  -in church – in front of everyone.  We are told that great fear seized the church following that episode but also that great signs and wonders abounded and the church exploded with growth.  We also see the church being very countercultural and when political leaders told them that they could not teach or preach in the name of Jesus they simply prayed for boldness because they were committed to please God rather than men. We are told that after times of prayer and fasting when the church prayed for boldness to stand against the culture, God shook the earth and displayed his power through the church.

We live in a world where homosexual athletes and celebrities who have “come out of the closet” are celebrated and treated as heroes while sincerely committed Christians who play on the same fields and stand on the same stages are ridiculed and discriminated against.   We cannot slip into a form of godliness but deny the power of godliness ourselves by simply rolling over and giving in to the culture.  Holiness, faith, and a total commitment to please God and speak up for him must become the descriptors of this generation of believers or this nation will continue to slide into the abyss and at an accelerated rate.  So today be bold, be holy, count on the power of God and be blessed  in His name.

In the third chapter of Joshua, Israel prepares for an event forty years in the making…the crossing of the Jordan River into the Promised Land.  Forty years earlier, the generation that Moses had led out of Egypt had come to the brink of the Jordan only to have their faith fail and to be consigned to wandering and dying in the wilderness until a generation of faith could be raised up.  As this generation of Hebrews prepared to cross the river we need to remember that the same enemy and the same obstacles awaited them that their parents had found too daunting.

Somehow, after forty years of living in the desert where they had been forced to depend on God for daily bread and water, where they had witnessed his presence above the tent of meeting, where they had heard the stories of God’s deliverance from Egypt, and perhaps where they had listened to the repentant hearts of parents who wished their faith had been sufficient, this generation was ready to cross.   They were also ready to see God’s supernatural interventions on their behalf without the presence of their parents and grandparents and without the presence of Moses.

For this generation there had to be some question about God’s willingness to act on their behalf.  They had experienced Manna each morning but miracles that occur everyday, year after year tend to feel less miraculous.  They had not personally witnessed the plagues on Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, or the destruction of Pharaoh’s army or, if they had seen those things they were very young and the memories were distant.  Was Jehovah only the God of their parents or the God of Moses?  Would he act in such amazing and powerful ways for them?  They were about to find out.

Their orders were clear.  “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you” (Joshua 3:5).  So Israel prepared to move and to possess what had been promised to Abraham hundreds of years earlier and what had been within the reach of their elders forty years earlier.  The orders were to pack up and prepare to leave.  The priests would carry the Ark of the Covenant ahead of the people and the people would follow.  The ark, of course, represented the presence of God and so God would go before them.

Only one thing stood in the way of a million-plus Hebrews that morning and it was the Jordan River at flood stage.  So awesome was the presence of God that God directed the people to keep a distance of about a thousand yards between them and the ark as they crossed. The command was for a crew of Levites to carry the ark on their shoulders by means of poles that were slipped through rings attached to the ark.  We aren’t told how these Levites were selected.  It was probably both a privilege and a terrifying prospect for those men.  They were commanded to carry the ark into the River and as they stepped into the water they were promised that God would stop the flow of millions of gallons a minute coming at them. The river was swift, the water was deep, and the banks were steep.  What would happen if they stumbled and dropped the ark?  What would happen if they stepped into a deep pool and the river continued to flow? What would happen?

What happened was obedience.  The people prepared.  They broke camp, lined up, and followed the ark towards the river.  They held their breath as the Levites carrying the golden chest containing the stone tablets, the rod of Aaron, and a pot of manna stepped into the Jordan.  My guess is that they shouted as the water ceased to flow and dry ground appeared.  The Levites stood in the middle of the dry riverbed while the entire nation of Israel crossed over into the land of Canaan.  We are told that the water simply piled up upstream.  As Israel crossed, the presence of God continued to stand between them and destruction keeping the waters pushed back. We don’t know how long it took for the nation to cross but it was certainly hours not minutes that God held back the Jordon.

Finally, when all had crossed stones were removed from the middle of the riverbed and stacked as a testimony to what God had done.  The Levites stepped out of the riverbed with the ark and the river began to flow again. This newest generation had their own miracle – their own Red Sea crossing of you will  – and every Hebrew that touched the dry riverbed had personally experienced the miracle.  That miracle increased their faith and planted fear the in the hearts of those who lived in Jericho for they had also watched to see if their gods or Israel’s God was greater.

I believe that every generation of God’s people needs its own miracles to step into that generation’s destiny.  The American church, by and large, has offered the miracles of the church 2000 years ago and has said that those miracles are sufficient for our faith.  Perhaps, but the miracles leading the Hebrews out of Egypt were not sufficient for the next generation.  God could have simply sent a drought to turn the Jordan into a trickle and the nation could have easily crossed without the Levites stepping into a swirling river.  But God chose flood stage and a clear and powerful miracle to set the stage for their destiny.  I believe God wants to do the same for every generation so that it can fulfill all that God has called it to accomplish.

We cannot do things worthy of God in our own strength and there is no clear testimony of God without miracles.  I’m always amazed at how much resistance there is in some sections of the church to the miraculous moves of God. I believe every generation should have its own undeniable miracles so that “stones” from that generation can be set up as a testimony to the greatness and faithfulness of God as an encouragement to the next generation to believe God for their miracles. Whatever river you are facing, I hope you will ask God for a powerful and n undeniable miracle to get you to the other side and when you get there, be sure to give your testimony of what he has done for you.  Be blessed today and expect miracles.

I’ve often talked about the need to take risks in the kingdom of God in order to grow your faith and to see miracles.  I have said that in the context of praying for healing, sharing prophetic words, sharing your faith, or commanding demons.  The premise is that when we step out and risk doing something that cannot be done without God, then God shows up.  I still believe that is true but in a small group conversation last night I was reminded that nearly all obedience to Jesus is risky.

We were discussing the astounding nature of Christ’s Sermon on the Mount recorded in Matthew 5-7. In that sermon Jesus gave a commentary on what the Jews had been taught by their teachers for 1500 years.  In a number of places in Matthew 5 he says, “You have heard that it was said….but I say unto you.”  In those sections he comments on the teachings the crowd had received about murder, adultery, divorce, taking oaths, revenge, and dealing with enemies.  His teaching was drastically different from what they had learned in the synagogues.

Under the Law the Jews had been taught right behaviors but Jesus took it all the way to the heart.  In so many words, Jesus said, “You have been taught not to murder but I’m telling you not to even be angry or use demeaning words towards a brother and if you have a damaged relationship go and heal that relationship before you even try to worship.  You have heard.  You have heard that you should not commit adultery but I’m telling you that having sexual fantasies about the woman at the office is the same thing so keep those kinds of thoughts out of your head and your heart.”

Jesus focused on our internal world more than the external and made out thoughts and the feelings produced by our thoughts that issue as much as our actions. The Jews had been taught that they could hate someone and wish them dead as long as they didn’t act on the impulse.  Jesus called them to a much higher standard and taught them to get the anger, the hatred, the revenge, the manipulation, and the pride out of their hearts before presuming to come before God in worship.

Jesus taught them and us to guard our hearts against lust; to stay in tough marriages except where there has been unrepented adultery; to avoid all spin, manipulation and half-truths in our conversations and business dealings; to turn the other cheek; to give someone more than they are suing us for, to serve more than our enemies are compelling us to serve, and to love our enemies and even pray on their behalf.

In practical terms each of these commands put us at a distinct disadvantage with unbelievers who won’t be playing by the same rules.  These unbelievers (or unspiritual believers in some cases) will likely take advantage of our godly behaviors…at least at first.   They will see our “turning the other cheek” as weakness, our refusal to speak badly of them while they slander us as naïve, and our willingness to give them more than they demand in court as capitulation.  In many cases we will feel as if we are enabling their bad behaviors through our gracious behaviors and our unwillingness to go for the jugular.

As you look at the teachings of Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount, it becomes clear that obedience to these teachings always put us at risk.  The reason we violate these teachings so often is because we sense that they will make us vulnerable to a demanding spouse or an unscrupulous business associate.  Obedience makes us vulnerable to the manipulations and aggressive behaviors of worldly people.  Just living our every day lives with the heart of Christ turns out to be it’s own risky business from the perspective of the flesh. And, just like in healing and deliverance, if God doesn’t show up in the moment, we may well be presiding over a great disaster.

The truth is that we must have genuine faith to live obedient lives.  We must trust that God will defend us, vindicate us, provide for us, give us favor, and stand next to us in a court of law if we live out the directives of Jesus.  To live out the Sermon on the Mount is to lay aside all of our worldly weapons of defense, all of our instincts, all of our aggression, and all of our own dirty tricks and play by one set of rules while the opposition plays by another.

My conclusion is that it is just as risky to turn the other cheek as it is to pray for someone in a wheel chair at Cracker Barrel. It’s just as risky to stay in a hurtful marriage hoping for God’s transforming power to change things as it is to face demons or to share your faith with the Hell’s Angels having a meal at the next table.  It’s just as risky to take the moral high road while your “ex” is dragging you into court with the dirtiest lawyer in town as it is to pronounce a prophetic word to your entire congregation.

The truth is that truly living for Jesus in any form or fashion is typically risky and will be disastrous if Jesus doesn’t show up.  But here is the good news:  Jesus always shows up because he is always with us. Even the Father has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  In fact, since he lives in us he is always present.  But will he manifest his presence when you need him most?  You will know the answer by living a life of risk which is simply a life of true obedience where doing it God’s way puts us in the Master’s hands hour after hour.

I’m reminded of the story of the man who used to walk a high wire stretched between to tall buildings in New York City.   One day he crossed the high wire pushing a wheelbarrow.  He asked the crowd if they believed he could do it again.  Of course they all affirmed their belief.  He then asked if they thought he could do it with someone in the wheelbarrow.  They also shouted yes.  Then he asked for a volunteer.  No one raised his hand.  That is the difference between faith and belief.  It takes faith to get in the wheelbarrow because you must totally trust the one who is pushing it.  It takes faith to fully live out the gospel but if we want to meet Jesus that is the only way. “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him” (Jn.1421).

Hey … life is full of risks!  Be blessed today and be sure to risk a little.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace  that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.    And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. (Eph.1:7-10)

Knowing who we are in Christ is essential to believing God’s promises for us and for walking in the potential destiny he has determined for our lives.  The accuser tells us at every opportunity that we are not worthy of God’s love, his promises, or our destiny.  If we receive the accusation we approach the Lord half-heartedly expecting little because of our shortcomings. Often we fail to even ask for much that is ours because we walk in the unworthiness of the flesh rather than in the righteousness of Christ.

The enemy’s primary strategy is always to dig up our past and rub our nose in sins and failings that have haunted us for days or decades.  The truth is, however, that in Christ we walk in a continual state of forgiveness purchased by the blood of the Lamb.  The writer of Hebrews tells us that we have entered into a covenant in which the Lord declares, “I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more” (Heb.8:12).   David put it this way.  “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust” (Ps.103:11-14).

The enemy accuses us of things for which there is no record in heaven. Peter declared, “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19-20).  The idea of “blotting out” is to wipe clean.  When ancient inks were used on animal skins there was no acid in the ink to bite into the skin.  It sat on the surface like watercolor on glass and when wiped with a wet rag, anything written was totally erased.  That is what God does with our sin when he blots it out.

Here is the essential truth you can stand on. You are forgiven.  Your sins are washed away.  There is no record in heaven because God remembers your sins no more. Satan brings up our past. We bring up our past.  But God does not bring up our past because our past is covered by the blood of Jesus. The enemy accuses you of things for which there is no remembrance.  The enemy is a liar.  You are forgiven and live in a constant state of forgiveness as long as your heart points in the direction of the Father.

Because of that, God considers you pure and righteous and has lavished his grace on you.  The word “lavish” means “in abundance” or “in excess.”  God has given you more grace than you ever needed.  Grace is God’s enabling power that comes to you freely because of what Jesus has done. Think of an exclusive club (if you’re a golfer think of Augusta Country Club) you always wanted to join or a university you always wanted to attend.  Being in the club would give you immense status and privileges.  Graduating from the “right” university would do the same. The catch is that you could never afford the dues or the tuition nor do you know the right people whose influence could get you in.

However, if someone loved you and paid the dues or the tuition on your behalf, you still get all the status and privileges of membership or connection even though you got there on someone else’s dime – someone else’s grace.  The enemy, of course will come along and tell you that you should not take advantage of the status and privileges because someone else paid your way.  However, They paid your way because they wanted you to have the status and privileges and they wanted you to use them and enjoy them. To spurn the advantages from the gift is to spurn the gift because it is all the same.

You are forgiven.  You are perfectly righteous in the sight of God by his grace, his good pleasure, and his desire. It is his will and his desire that you enjoy and use every blessing in heaven for his purposes and his glory.  He has given you such unique standing that not only has he made you righteous but he has shared with you the mystery of his will – the good news of Jesus Christ that saves not only Jews but Gentiles.

Peter tells us that the great prophets of old did not understand the prophecies they declared and that even angels longed to look into the things that have been entrusted to the church for declaration to the world and the spirit realm. (See 1 Pet.1:12).  You are the church.

When the Holy Spirit gives you insight into scripture and when you share that insight with others, God has given you the honor of revealing another facet of the mystery of the kingdom – not only to men but also to angels.  When you share the gospel with others and explain it to them, you are the oracle of God declaring his mysteries to both the natural and the spiritual realm. A great treasure has been entrusted to you whether you feel the honor and the responsibility or not.  So…you are righteous; you are one upon whom God has lavished his grace; you are the one to whom God has entrusted his mysteries.  You are one chosen from the creation of the world for these things.  God has planned greatness for you and he wants you to embrace that greatness.  Be blessed today knowing who you are.

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. (Eph.1:4-6)

We are continuing to talk about who we are in Christ and more specifically who you are in Christ.  The Holy Spirit is very clear in this passage about God’s intentions for you.  You are not just a random life floating through the universe.  According to the apostle Paul, God in his foreknowledge saw a number of people who would respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ if given a chance.  And so, it was determined before the creation of the world that Jesus would die on behalf of those who would believe. If you are in Christ, then you are one of those.  If you are considering Christ, then I believe you are one of those he chose before he put his hand to the ground and formed Adam in the Garden.

In his foreknowledge, God saw your heart.  It was a heart that would respond in faith to his grace and so he created a destiny for you.  Typically, we see much less in ourselves than God sees in us but he sees the potential in you for faith and greatness in his kingdom.  Most of us don’t agree with God about our own capacity.  We can’t imagine doing anything that God or heaven would  applaud. Be careful that you don’t begin to evaluate God’s estimation of you on the basis of what the world considers greatness.  Instead, consider greatness as it is measured in heaven.

Greatness in the kingdom is first measured by the condition of the heart rather than by great deeds. In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul is clear that you could do amazing and epic things but without love they would count for nothing.  So love is greater than deeds.  Hebrews 11 is clear that faith is the real currency in the kingdom of heaven. Abraham was justified by faith, by believing God, before his “doing” was ever praised.  Faith, then, is greater than deeds. Through the prophet Hosea, God said, “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:6). So even mercy is greater than the things we do.

Before you begin to evaluate yourself on the basis of your performance and possessions…look first at your heart.  As you scan all the men and women counted as great in the kingdom of God on Hebrews 11, very few were kings and very few possessed wealth.  But even for those that did, their power and possessions were not mentioned. There faith was what caught heaven’s attention.  It was faith that made them famous in the court of the King.  The world measures greatness, even for Christians by name recognition, books published, church size and television audience. But with love, faith, and mercy in your heart your greatness in the kingdom may exceed those men and women with huge television audiences, massive book sales, and sold out stadiums.

“But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on” (Mk.12:42-44).  Jesus said that his woman, who by worldly standards hardly counted, was counted greater in the kingdom of heaven than all those who gave great amounts out of their wealth.

God has destined you for greatness because he saw something in your heart through which he could do great things.  To say you were predestined simply means that he created a potential destiny for you before creation.  Of course, you can say no to any part of the destiny you choose, but you can also say yes. God loved you before you were ever conceived and arranged for your adoption before the first sunrise ever lit the eastern horizon.  On top of that, God did not feel compelled to adopt you because it was the “right thing” or the “righteous thing” or because you were pitiful.  He adopted you because it pleased him and because he wanted to.

In the days that Paul penned his letter to the Ephesians, a father could disown his own biological son if he determined to do so.  However, a father could never disown one he had adopted because the adoption was not by accident although a natural birth could be.  Adoption was by choice and the Father would always stand by that choice.  God is not undecided about you.  You are undecided about you.  He saw your potential for greatness before you were conceived. It’s up to you to step into the greatness he has destined. He will make you into whatever you choose by your choices. Whatever you say yes to or no to in the spiritual realm will limit God or release God to do all he has planned for you.

Here is the key – accept God’s evaluation of who you are and your potential for greatness. Focus on your relationship with the Father and a heart that pleases him.  The rest will take care of itself because it is the heart that will make you great or keep you small in the kingdom. Then ask God to make you everything he has seen in you.  Give him control and say yes to every challenge and opportunity because those will be steppingstones to your destiny.  Be blessed today knowing who you are and that God has been involved in your life longer that the earth has whirled through space.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matt: 7:21-23)

Christ’s words at the end of his “Sermon on the Mount” are one of those texts that always arrests our attention.  How can men walk in the power of the Spirit so that they can perform miracles and not be known by Jesus?  Even more, how can they drive our demons and be considered evildoers?

With Good Friday upon us I am reminded of Judas. He walked with Jesus for three years. He kept company with the apostles.  When he was sent out with the twelve to heal and cast out demons there is no indication that he was unable to perform miracles. And yet, we are told that even as he traveled with Jesus and his disciples he stole money from time to time from the group’s traveling fund and eventually betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.  Apparently, we can spend time in the presence of Jesus, fellowship with believers, and even see and do amazing things without truly turning out hearts to the Savior.

Judas was a double-minded man who had not fully made a decision to follow Jesus.  All indications are that he loved money and with that “idol” usually come the idols of power and status.  Perhaps he joined the mission believing that Jesus would establish himself as King of Israel and with his ties to the crown would come the financial perks, power, and standing he desired.  Each year he followed Jesus that vision seemed to slip away as he watched Jesus reject the power that circumstances offered him from time to time.  There were moments when the crowds wanted to declare him King and yet Jesus would slip away.  It’s possible that Judas began to resent Jesus or even feel betrayed as if Jesus were not making good on the bargain for political power that Judas had imagined.  In the end, whether to force Jesus to take power or simply wanting to make something out of this “failing enterprise,” Judas betrayed the King of Glory.

He had certainly called Jesus “Lord” and had apparently cast out demons and healed the sick in the name of Jesus but his heart was far from the one who would die for him.  In the end, he did not love Jesus and could not be counted as one of His.  Of course, there is a warning for all of us in this final stanza of the Sermon and in the story of Judas.

We can do amazing things in our own strength and with our own God-given talents.  We can even use the powerful name of Jesus to drive out demons and, perhaps, even to heal the sick.  We can stand on stages before thousands and call them all to faith and repentance.  We can ask others to give their hearts to Jesus when we have not yet given ours.

It’s possible to follow Jesus simply for personal gain without loving the one who died for us.  Any leader has followers who love him, will sacrifice for him, and have the same vision burning in their hearts that the leader possesses. At the same time others serve simply for the perks of power or fame.  In the end, they have no loyalty and will give themselves to the next highest bidder.  I believe those are the ones to whom Jesus will say, “ I never knew you.”

Sometimes, like the church at Ephesus in the book of Revelation, I need to be reminded to return to my first love and to stir my heart for Jesus once again.  This seems to be the perfect time of year for that. Without becoming too introspective or self-focused it is still worthwhile to scan our own hearts from time to time to check our motives for following Jesus and to see if any idols have been silently erected in our hearts without us even noticing.

At Passover, Jewish mothers have the task of clearing every suggestion of leaven out of their homes and the father of the house is to double check to make sure that not even one crumb remains.  Leaven symbolizes sin and so perhaps at this time of year we might do our own house cleaning checking for leaven in our own hearts – divided loyalties, serving simply out of self-interest, maintaining the appearance of respectability, or simply out of habit after years church going.

Is anything crowding out Jesus or muddying the waters of our love and loyalty to Him?  If so clean it out.  Rekindle the fires of love and appreciation for the one who hung on a cross fore each of us and get back to serving the King of Kings.  It’s not enough that we do amazing things.  We must do those things out of love for the one who first loved us.  Be blessed this Easter!

Anyone who has read biographies of British evangelists, especially charismatic evangelists, have run across the name Smith Wigglesworth.  He was born in 1859 and died in 1947.  He was painfully shy and took every opportunity to avoid speaking in public until the Holy Spirit fell on him in 1907.  He received a vision of Jesus and the gift of tongues. After receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit he was a changed man filled with boldness and power.  His wife was astonished at the change.

Wigglesworth preached four principles that he believed should guide the life of every believer.

• Read the Word of God.
• Consume the Word of God until it consumes you.
• Believe the Word of God.
• Act on the Word of God.

Those four principles seem basic and almost self-evident but Wigglesworth radically followed each principle in his own life. He followed them so radically that he offended soft-spoken religionists across the United Kingdom. He often acted in extreme and bazaar ways but led thousands to Christ and maintained a phenomenal healing ministry for decades.

It’s documented that he punched a cancer victim so hard that he fell to the ground but was healed when he stood up.  Wigglesworth simply commented that he didn’t hit people but he did hit the devil. If people got in the way he couldn’t help it. He explained that you can’t deal gently with the devil or comfort him because he likes to be comforted.  Wigglesworth was never accused of being comforting to the devil or even to people on many occasions.  It’s also reported that during a meeting, Wigglesworth kicked a deformed infant all the way across the stage but when the child landed he was healed and whole. Another account finds him shouting at a crippled woman to walk and then impatiently pushing her until she sort of fell into a run with Wigglesworth chasing her up the aisle of the church shouting at her until she ran out the door.  She was healed.

Now, I’m not endorsing punching, kicking or chasing as a matter of style.  But here is the thing.

This man was radically committed to doing whatever he heard God tell him to do even when it was unorthodox, unpopular, extreme, strange or criticized by other religious leaders. His total goal was pleasing God not finding acceptance among men.

If you think about it, Jesus was just as radical.  He often healed on the Sabbath while religious leaders screamed that he was a devil.  He put his fingers in ears, mud on eyes, touched lepers who were never to be touched, stopped funerals and raised the dead, drove demons into pigs who then hurled themselves into the sea, and so forth.  He was radical, controversial, and totally obedient to the Father.

If we want to move in the power of the Spirit we have to catch a little (or a lot) of that spirit. I have often noticed that God uses extreme people in extreme ways.  God’s power often comes wrapped in strange packages.  That has always been the case. Take John the Baptist who lived in the desert on locusts and honey, probably never cut his hair, and wore camel skin garments. Extreme. Take Saul of Tarsus who marched through Israel arresting Christians and inciting crowds to stone them to death. He was just as radical for Jesus after his noonday conversion as he had been against Jesus. Extreme.

The church has tried so hard to be socially acceptable and to fit in with the wealthy and powerful of America that she has lost her power. We have become celebrity chasers who draw people to our churches with big names and talent because we have lost the ability to draw them with healing, transformed lives, prophetic words, and funerals that don’t get out of the parking lot because the guest of honor has been raised from the dead.

Wigglesworth was extreme. He did whatever he believed the Lord told him to do and he did it immediately.  Because of his faith and obedience he had a worldwide ministry of healing, deliverance, and evangelism. During his ministry it’s documented that he raised twenty-three people from the dead. Of course he was criticized, called a fraud, and accused of being in league with the devil. It was the same with Jesus. One often quoted phrase from Wigglesworth is,  “Only believe.  Fear looks.  Faith jumps.”

If we want to be great in the kingdom and move in the power of the Spirit we must be willing to hear the Lord and act on what he is telling is….not just in church but at the Mall, Starbucks, Home Depot, or wherever we find ourselves being prompted by the Spirit.  It is so easy to turn God down because we fear being wrong, causing a scene, feeling foolish, being in a hurry, or being rejected.  I struggle with the same thoughts and internal pushback in those moments. But being obedient and being willing to risk all of the above is truly liberating for your faith and God honors faith with action from heaven.

As we approach Easter, the most extreme moment in history when a dead man rose from the grave having conquered death and hell, perhaps we can choose to be a little more extreme in our own lives. If we will choose radical obedience then perhaps the church will choose it and once again simple men will turn the world upside down. Be blessed as you step out in faith doing the impossible with God who is even willing to raise the dead when there is faith and obedience.

My comments about trying to make our spouse or child into our own image instead of honoring God’s design and destiny for their lives seem to have struck a cord…so I thought I would share a few more thoughts about marriage.  Actually, I just want to talk about Christian marriages. I have been involved in pastoral counseling in churches for about thirty years and have sat in front of a counselor myself on more than one occasion.  As I reflect on those meetings, I really believe that most of the couples that have come into my office needed to be “discipled” in the ways of Christ much more than they needed marriage counseling. In many ways they never took Jesus home with them after they said, “I do.” I say that because it is not hard to tell people how to live under the same roof in harmony and love.   The hard thing is getting them to do it.

Scripture is pretty clear and I think very practical.  For instance, we are told to love one another as Christ loved us and then we are given a number of hints about what that looks like.  In the New Testament alone there are a number of “one another” passages that command us to relate to others in certain ways that are very practical ways of loving another person.  We are told to pray for one another, serve one another, put the needs of others before our own, encourage one another, build up one another, submit to one another, be devoted to one another, honor one another, accept one another, and forgive one another as Christ forgave us. There are other passages just as straight forward but these are a sampling.  Most of them are clear enough and don’t take a lot of imagination to figure out ways in a relationship to fulfill these commands. The problem is that couples in marriages that are troubled find all kinds of reasons not to treat each other in these loving ways.

We usually begin to fight in a marriage because our emotional needs for security, affirmation, intimacy, respect, affection, and so forth are not being met by our spouse.  So, we begin to ask for what we want in vague or manipulative ways or assume that if our spouses truly loved us then they could read our minds and intuitively know what we are needing.  As these “needs deficits” build up, our attempts to get our spouse to do what we want become more coercive.

We resort to anger, biting criticisms, silent treatments, guilt tripping, withholding affection, demeaning language, sarcasm, nasty names, accusations, judgments, and bringing up the past in our attempts to force the other person to give us what we need.  In doing so we violate about every teaching or commandment Jesus ever gave us regarding relationships.  When we are called out on our disobedience, we simply try to justify our positions based on the other person’s disobedience. “I said that because he….  I won’t do that until she…. He doesn’t deserve my respect because…. I might forgive after she….”   You can add more of these statements if you like.

But that is like saying that we lie because other people do.  We commit adultery because someone else did.  We refuse to forgive because someone hasn’t earned our forgiveness.  Jesus doesn’t make our godly behaviors conditional on the godly behaviors of others.  In fact, he calls us to love when others don’t.  He calls us to speak well of others when they slander us. He tells us to throw in our coat when someone sues us for a jacket. And he tells us to pray for those who persecute us. How much more should we do those things in a marriage?  So why don’t we do those things?  There are lots of reasons we push back against these commands. We are afraid the other person will take advantage of our kindness.  We are afraid that our needs will never be met.  We are afraid that if we give up too much power in the marriage we will simply be someone’s servant without respect and without standing.  It just seems too risky.

The truth is that obedience to Christ nearly always puts us at risk of being taken advantage of, of being seen as weak, of letting others get the credit they don’t deserve at the office, etc. And yet Jesus still says that we must not attempt to overcome evil with evil but must overcome evil with good. He goes so far as to command us to love our enemies…even when we are married to one.  If you are in a difficult marriage right now your flesh was probably screaming that each of those commandments is insane.

So here is the bottom line.  When we push back against the teachings of Jesus it is because we don’t trust him to protect us, meet our needs, or bless our relationships through surrender. We don’t believe his word is true for us and we don’t believe obedience will produce good outcomes for us. We are afraid to trust and afraid to obey. I am not saying that my surrender to Jesus will save every marriage because eventually both must surrender. But I will say that obedience gives any marriage its best chance but, more than that, it prevents your heart from being poisoned in the process and keeps you form becoming the very thing you hated in your spouse.

Christian marriages fail because we fail to trust the one who designed marriage.  Discipleship is all about trust. When I fail in following Jesus it may be because I don’t know his will in a certain matter but, typically, it is because I don’t believe that doing it his way is in my best interest – in marriage, at the office, or on the golf course.  So, I decide to do it the world’s way which is Satan’s way.   And every time I do it his way, I “take and eat” of the fruit in one form or another.  Victory in the kingdom of God usually takes a kind of reckless obedience like Shadrach and the boys that seems to place us in the fire at first but then brings deliverance after a time of testing. It’s always been that way.  Our marriages need that same reckless obedience on many occasions and someone always has to go first. Think about it and be blessed today!