Sin and Prosperity

I think it is inherent in our human nature to want more. It is the major issue facing us today in our American society. The desire for more has caused thousands to lose their homes in the last year, to ruin their marriages and to harm to future generations through their selfish acts. We usually think that the grass is greener somewhere else, with something or someone else, but we fail to realize the grass us usually over a septic tank!!

I was reading yesterday in Proverbs 28 when this verse struck me: "He who conceals his sin does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy." The truth of that simple verse is a great reminder for us.

We view prosperity through a lens. More, better, bigger. Those words define prosperity in our minds. But the kingdom of God is a kingdom of upside down economics. To be rich, you must be poor in spirit. To be full you must empty yourself. To prosper, you must humble yourself before God. All of these things play against the course of human nature.

Here's my question: are we seeking worldly wealth through worldly gain, or Godly wealth through spiritual renewal? Are we seeking our own prosperity at the cost of our souls?

I like everyone else desire to have more financial freedom and to be able to enjoy certain other things in life. But I desire more than anything else Godly freedom that money and possessions of this world can never buy.

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep in order to gain that which he can never lose." Jim Elliot

Rescue Mission

I was reading a quote today from John Stott that has my head spinning. He says, "Christianity is in its very essence a rescue religion." When I first read that I had an instant reaction that I have fallen short in my vision of Christianity. It seems that I have lost that type of focus. I know that all things we do are spiritual and that there is an element of rescue in the most mundane of tasks at times, but I never thought of Christianity as being rooted int he concept of rescue.

It makes perfect sense. God sent Jesus Christ to rescue us from our sins. Jesus sent the disciples to share the message of this rescue. We are now commissioned to carry out the same mission as the disciples. It seems to me that, at least in my own life, I have lost the sense of rescue in my mission and ministry.

I have no immediate thoughts, plans, visions or six step processes to fix this. It is something my brain is simply wrestling with today. In all of my life and ministry, how do I live out the basic plan of a rescue mission?

Any thoughts?

Offended or Humbled?

Yesterday I spoke form Mark 6:1-6 where Jesus returns to Nazareth to teach. In his own hometown no one has Faith that he is who he says he is. They simply see him as the kid int eh carpenter shop or as the guy who studied int he synagogue with them. They were amazed at his teaching, but offended at the same time. In this passage he famously says, "only in his hometown is a prophet without honor."

The bottom line of the talk was that we respond to Jesus in one of two ways: we get offended or we get humbled. In Mark 5 we find the story of Jairus who, as far as we know, did not know Jesus. Yet when his daughter was dying he threw himself at Jesus' feet and begged Jesus to help. In Mark 6, the people who should have known Jesus best were offended that he spoke truth into their lives. I am amazed at how easily people get when Jesus gets involved.

The main reason people get offended is pride. It is the same issue as all sin. Pride and our own selfish desires drive us to a hardness of heart and to a closed mind. We never want to hear truth if it is going to invade our space or our life.

So, how do you react to Jesus. In what areas are you offended when Jesus shows up? Are you open to humbling yourself before Christ or are you going to cling to your pride? How has that been working out for you?

Sunday Afternoon Brian Dump

After a two hour nap (yes, I crashed!!) here are a few things running through my brain from the weekend:
* I worked hard around my house this weekend.
* I love all the people who have helped me work on this house project.
* Electricians work really hard! (Jeff, you rock!!!)
* I love that my son wanted to watch a movie with me last night.
* My daughter led worship for the first time in the service this morning. She was awesome!!
* God is doing some stuff. It may be a slower pace than I want, but he is up to something.

I am so thankful that my life is not in my hands but in Christ. It lets me nap a lot easier!!!

Markers and the Journey

I have really gotten into the lessons and teaching of Ray Vander Lann lately. Over the past few years I have been amazed at his ability to bring the geography of the Holy Land and the message of the scripture to life. If you are not familiar with Ray, you need to check him out at www.followtherabbi.com. He takes the land of Israel and brings it to life to teach us valuable lessons from the culture, history and people of scripture.

Have you ever wondered why God told the nation of Israel to gather stones when they crossed the river into the land? Of course it was to build an alter to God, but it was also to leave a history marker to tell future generations what God did in that place. The practice of "standing stones" was a very common practice in the Middle East.

Thinking through this concept makes you reflect on what markers your life has left. There are markers that others have placed in us that we have no control over. The words spoken that cut our heart, the pain of broken relationships, the celebration of true love. There are also markers that our life leaves on others. Are we testimonies to God's love and grace, or are we barriers that keep hidden true joy and acceptance from the one true God?

Life is full of markers. I have a rock from the Berlin wall, a brick from a factory in Mexico, and dirt from the first load of fill brought onto our property during our construction project. They all tell a story about an aspect of my life. The greatest marker we have is not something that can be touched. It is not a memento that can be passed around a room. It is a life lived in love and grace before an eternal Heavenly Father. Our life is the marker for someone else's spiritual journey. That is at one time exciting and at another time painful.

What story does your life share? What or who are the "standing stones" in your life? how are you living today to be a standing stone in the life of someone else?

Movement

I have been thinking a great deal lately about how God moves in our lives. Sometimes it happens with a great revelation or a crisis moment that turns into a life changing event. These become markers or boundaries in our life that help tell the narrative of how we got to where we are today. Other times God moves in our lives through people. We see him in others and we become curious and begin to ask some questions or seek some truth. I see him show up all the time in my kids. They say or do something and it paints a picture of God and his love and grace for me.

Most of the time, God shows up in very quiet whispers throughout our life. He shows up in a conversation we have with an old friend. He shows up in a voice of concern over our tears or in sharing laughter that leads to tears. He shows up in opportunities to help and serve others. The key is not how shows up, but that he shows up.

I was looking over a message from several weeks ago and was reminded how God showed up int he lives of the first followers of Christ. It was through three simple words that changed their lives forever: "Come, follow me." In those words Christ began a revolution of movement that still is going strong today. In those words the infinite God of the universe reached into the lives of ordinary men and changed the course of eternity.

Today, we still get to be in on the movement. We get to play a role in the narrative of all history. We get to step back and touch the waters of history stirred by twelve simple, uneducated men. We get to move!!!

Life is full of movements. There is the Green Movement to save the planet. There is the Peace Movement to end the war. There is the Political Movement to elect a new president. All of them are important and all of them matter. You have to make decisions on which side of those movements you are on. However, at some point, all of those movements will end. There is only one movement that will last forever and that is the movement of God in the hearts and lives of humanity made possible through his son Jesus Christ.

Which side of that movement do you find yourself?

Random Thoughts for Tuesday

• God loves me. Sometimes that is all you can hold onto.
• I am not perfect, but I am forgiven.
• Life is not all about me but how I fit into God's narrative.
• God is the one who sustains, provides and forgives.
• He has a plan. I don't always understand it, but he he has one.
• Jesus hung out with a bunch of "used to be's." She used to be a prostitute, he used to be a tax collector, she used to be filled with demons.
• Sometimes my life is so sanitized that I can't see any potential "used to be's" around me.
• I long for more! I want to see God more and more in my life and ministry.