I'm Too Busy: How will God view our excuses when eternity comes?

The church is full of hypocrites.

A God of love would never send people to hell.

Everyone has their own truth and their own path to God.

My teacher told me God doesn’t exist.

I went to church when I was little so it’s all good. Or, I’m a member of the local church so it’s all good. I’m covered.

I’ve done too many bad things. God doesn’t want me.

I’m a good person. God will let me in.

I can take care of that some other time. I’m too busy right now.

I don’t feel like it.

All that Bible stuff is too hard. I’ll just wing it.

I went to church but someone there made me mad. I won’t go back.

I’d go to church but someone already there hurt me. I’ll never go somewhere where he/she is at.

They are just after my money. They don’t care about me.

We’ve all heard these excuses for why people reject Christianity. We’ve probably even said or thought some of them ourselves.

I’m not even going to offer a rebuttal to them. Instead, I’m going to skip the debate and go straight to the point. I’m going to focus on the heart of the issue. These are all excuses we use so we don’t have to face the truth. However, when the moment of truth comes, our excuses won’t matter one single bit.

I’m not going to sugar coat this or try to make it politically correct. I’m going to put it out there and leave the rest up to you.

You will stand before God at some point. He’s not going to consider your excuses and make allowances for them. God won’t say, “Yes, I know. The church was full of hypocrites so I understand why you didn’t go. Please, enter into eternity with Me.”

You’ll never hear, “Your teacher told you I don’t exist so it’s not really your fault that you rejected Me. We’ll blame your teacher instead. Heaven awaits you.”

God isn’t going to look at the calendar on your smartphone and reply, “Wow, you’re right. You were really busy with your career and your children’s activities and civic responsibilities and taking care of your home and still trying to fit in some fun stuff. I can see why you never took time to learn about Me. Sure, we can make an exception. I have a spot prepared for you in heaven with Me.”

Do you see where I’m going with this?

We throw out excuses for our rejection of God’s truth as if they’ll make a difference in our eternal outcome. We actually think God will consider those excuses as valid “Get out of jail free” cards in a cosmic, eternal Monopoly game.

I mean, after all, God is love and His is a message of grace, right?

This is God’s Love

“God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His One and Only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10).

God is a God of love. As Creator of the universe, He has the privilege of defining love. He defined it as a sacrifice made by one person for the benefit of another person. He played it out by sacrificing Himself to pay the penalty for our sin so we might receive the benefit of forgiveness and eternity in heaven.

This is God’s Grace

“Since by one man’s trespass [Adam], death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. … But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness, resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 5:17, 20-21).

God is a God of grace. Grace doesn’t make excuses and exceptions to get around the truth. That’s called lying and deception and they’re trademark signs of Satan, not God. God’s grace recognizes our sin for what it is without excuse. Instead, He forgives it completely and totally because of the blood sacrificed by Jesus.

A difference exists between excusing an offense and forgiving one. To excuse an offense means to pretend as if it wasn’t actually offensive or didn’t hurt you. To excuse an offense gives power to the offender. To forgive an offense means to recognize that the person’s action was wrong, it did hurt you, but you choose not to hold it against them. To forgive an offense gives the power to the one offended. The latter is God’s grace.

No one will hold your hand

When that moment comes and you stand before God, I won’t be there to hold your hand and offer false promises of security. Your excuses won’t be there still promising false justification. That moment will be between you and God alone; all that will matter is what you did with the message of love and grace offered by Jesus. Did you accept it or did you excuse it away?

Please click here to read a full explanation of what it means to accept Jesus’ gift of love, grace, and salvation. It’s eternally significant.

Common Thread: Finding Jesus on every page

I spent last week studying for this week’s section of our current, ongoing study through the book of Hebrews. We’ve been studying Melchizedek, and quite honestly, his place in Scripture is about as difficult as his name.

I worked through a hard passage and ended at the same conclusion where I always end up. It’s happened so often that, if I don’t end there, then I go back and check my progression through the passage because I probably missed something.

Here it is – the conclusion I reach on virtually every Bible lesson I teach – God loves you and wants a relationship with you through His Son, Jesus.

That’s the whole message of God’s Word – from Genesis 1:1 through Revelation 22:21 – from the days of Adam about 6,000 years ago until the days of Messiah’s reign sometime in the future. The whole thing is the story of how He expressed that love and made that relationship possible. I reached that end this time and thought, “That’s the same conclusion I reach every time. Why keep studying? I know the point of the book… God loves me and wants a relationship with me through Jesus.” We can learn this truth reading John 3:16; why spend hours studying?

Let’s use a thread to represent this statement. We’ll call it our John 3:16 thread because you can simply read John 3:16 and know everything you ever need to know, “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” It’s simple and direct; with a few abbreviations we can even make it fit within the 140 character limit of Twitter.

Yes, this one statement has enough power to change the world. But it’s only a thread; it’s only a single strand of power and truth.

When I questioned why Jesus might possibly be troubled, I found it was because He loves us and wants a relationship with us.

When I wondered why Jesus had to go against all conventional wisdom, I learned it was because He loves us and wants a relationship with us.

When I struggled to understand Jesus’ parables, I found buried within them that God loves us and wants a relationship with us.

When I wondered what it meant to soar on wings like eagles, I realized we only can do so because God loves us and wants a relationship with us.

When I freaked out because a great cloud of witnesses surrounds me, I learned they are there because God loves us and wants a relationship with us.

When I was curious why the Bible sometimes calls Jesus the Rock, I discovered it’s because God loves us and wants a relationship with us.

When I wanted to know more about the name Immanuel, I learned it’s His name because He loves us and wants a relationship with us.

When I wondered why Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah had to suffer, I realized it’s because He loves us and wants a relationship with us.

Those are only the topics I’ve blogged about. More are in my books and many more sit on my shelves from old studies I’ve written and taught. Maybe someday I’ll get more of them posted here. Things like finding this message hidden in the garments of the priest in the Old Testament.

Or finding it in the complex person of the priest Melchizedek, which is where I found myself last week.

These topics all contain the common message of our John 3:16 thread. Each one is a powerful message of grace, love, and relationship restored. God wove each of these threads and countless more into an intricate and deep blanket that spans thousands of years and reaches every person of all time. We call that blanket the Bible.

The John 3:16 thread is enough but the whole design is so much more.

The world is a hard, cold place. When I need warmth and comfort, I’d rather wrap up in the whole blanket than try to curl up in a single thread.

The pits of inadequacy, despair, and depression can be deep, dark, foreboding places. I need the whole blanket to pull me up out of the pit. I may lose my grasp if I hold onto only a single thread.

The enemy’s attacks come at me from every direction. A single thread may not block every fiery dart but if the whole blanket covers me completely then the power of the Word can stop every attack.

Weaving it in to your life

The John 3:16 thread is all you need in your life. It’s simple and reveals God’s plan for our relationship. So much more awaits though when you start searching through the rest of Scripture’s pages to find that thread woven throughout the whole story, from beginning to end. I encourage you to open His Word, start studying it, and weaving His threads together into your own life so you’ll have the whole blanket when you need warmth and comfort, a pull out of despair, or defense from the enemy.

Peace and Equality: Can they really be found?

150 years ago, almost to the day, our nation’s bloodiest war came to an end. On April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant at the Appomattox Courthouse. Within a few days, President Lincoln was assassinated; by May 9, his presidential replacement, Andrew Johnson, declared an end to all hostilities.

In the midst of this 150 year anniversary, our nation once again struggles to remember that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” In one of the largest riots in decades, violence broke out on the streets of one of America’s oldest cities – Baltimore, Maryland. According to reports, by the end of the night police had arrested 235 people while 20 officers required medical care from assaults by rioters. Reports also indicated one person was in critical condition due to a building fire. Rioters burned more than a dozen buildings and over 100 cars. Looters destroyed even more businesses as they busted through doors and windows, clearing shelves of food, alcohol, and anything else they wanted.

During it all, I sat securely in my home watching news coverage throughout the evening. I prayed for my cousin and her husband who live within blocks of the riots. I asked myself, “Has our nation come to this? Civilians throwing rocks and bottles at those assigned to serve and protect? City officials blatantly lying on television so those behind them may break in to another man’s business and take whatever they want? When did our society become this?”

Like the Civil War, the tensions were attributed to unequal treatment of black individuals. I’m not sure how rioters rationalize that burning a neighbor’s vehicle or place of business will bring peace and equality to race relations. Seems to me, those rioters are more interested in an opportunity than a civil rights issue.

Peace and Equality

However, not everyone is taking illegal and violent advantage of an opportunity. Many want their voices heard as they non-violently engage in dialogue and peaceful activity. They desire to bring peace and equality to their local community.

Where do we find peace and equality?
I attended my daughter’s spring choir concert last night at her high school. The school’s different choirs performed throughout the evening; at one point, I did a little mental math as I watched. I determined that over 40% of the choir was of a non-white ethnicity. Together, they represented multiple countries across Asia and Africa.

I listened to the voices sing last night and thought, “Our school has made this work.” Throughout the school, all is peaceful and all are equal. I have to believe that’s mainly due to their goal to inspire kids to realize their God-given potential through Christian training. Their goals don’t specify racial equality; however, inherent in the belief in God-given potential and a call to Christian training is the philosophy that all are equal. Racial equality is a natural outcome for those who honestly seek to live according to the Christian teachings of God’s Word.

I know. All kinds of racial groups have used God’s Word to justify all kinds of racial hatred through the centuries. I acknowledge that sad reality.

But what does the Bible really say?

Our Humanity
We’re all made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). He made us all equal in His own creative image.

We’re all descended from Noah (Genesis 10:32).

The evil within us leads us to distinguish and discriminate between people groups (James 2:3-4).

All people need to be told the message of Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20).

Jesus' Death
God loves all of us – the entire world (John 3:16). His death makes salvation equally possible for every single person on the planet.

Jesus’ death united all ethnicities and brings them back to peace (Ephesians 2:13-15).

All are one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28).

Relationships
God asks all of us to love others just as much as He loves them (John 13:34).

Those who harbor hatred toward anyone aren’t living as followers of Jesus (1 John 2:9-11).

God also calls us to be kind and compassionate with all people (Ephesians 4:32).

What I know and what I don’t

I don’t know how a black man living in downtown Baltimore is treated. I don’t know if racial discrimination is rampant throughout their city government. I don’t know how many people there are trying to find solutions to a serious issue and how many are taking advantage of a bad situation to spread violence and promote hatred.

I do know a few things, however. I know that we’re all messed up pieces of the human race. Our common ancestor, Adam, passed down to each of us a genetic bent to sin. And I know that regardless of how much we let that sin control our relationships with each other, Jesus still died to restore our relationships with each other and even more importantly, with Him.

I know that unity through Him is the only thing that will ever bring true peace and equality to the human race.

Deal Breaker: Crossing the line into false teaching

False teaching. It’s a touchy subject but one that thrust itself into my life this week. It wasn’t loud or obnoxious; it didn’t come from an arrogant televangelist or celebrity Christian. It was small – only a few lines quietly buried in the middle of an otherwise great message.

I’m sure I’ve taught the Word of God incorrectly at times through the years, as much as it pains me to say so. I know God’s Word is absolutely true – every word, every concept, every story. I also know my mind isn’t perfect, my heart is sinful, and sometimes I just mess up.

So this week, I heard something that goes against God’s Word – an errant teaching I’ve encountered before on the internet but not from the mouth of a friend. I’m not going to share what it was as that would be an article in itself. But today I’m wondering a few things…

• What distinguishes a false teacher from a teacher who messed up on a particular point?
• What distinguishes a false teaching from a teaching with which I happen to disagree?
• Where is the line between areas where we “agree to disagree” and areas that are “deal-breakers” under valid Christian teaching?

Many believers think the end times are approaching quickly. If this is so, Scripture warns that false teaching and deception will be prevalent in our world. “False messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24). And again later, “Now the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will depart from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, through the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared” (1 Timothy 4:1).

So, if false teachings and deceptions will increase, I think it’d be wise of us to answer some of these questions.

A false teacher from a teacher who messed up

No Bible translation is perfect, no denomination is perfect, no pastor or teacher is perfect, no commentator is perfect, and no Christian blogger is perfect. Sometimes I think God allows this on purpose as only He is perfect. No one and nothing will ever match His sinless perfection. Every person who’s ever tried to teach something from the Bible has messed up at some point. So how do we distinguish between a teacher who messed up and a false teacher?

I think a key factor is intent behind the teaching. I can only speak for myself, but I know my intentions in studying the Bible and writing about it is to know Him and make Him known. My books and blog are a natural outcome of my desire to love and serve God. A false teacher’s intention is destruction. “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly bring in destructive heresies…” (2 Peter 2:1). It goes on to describe their work as unrestrained, blasphemous, exploitative, and greedy.

Another key factor is the outcome of their teaching. Good teaching brings others into a relationship with Jesus and then helps them continue to grow in their relationship with Him. This isn't the case with false teachers. “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. You’ll recognize them by their fruit. … Every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit” (Matthew 7:15-18).

A false teaching from a teaching with which I disagree

Or, to say it another way, it might be ok for us to disagree on some teachings. In other areas, lines have to be drawn, truth spoken, and even relationships severed at times. Where is the line between these two areas? After all, I know of no other person with whom I agree on every single detail of Christianity. When is it ok and when is it a deal-breaker?

Sometimes we may disagree but we don’t have to argue about it. I think of a friend who believes the rapture will happen at the end of the tribulation whereas I think it will happen at the beginning. We can’t know for sure and simply agree to disagree.

At the other end of the spectrum, I heard a church deny Jesus rose from the dead after His crucifixion. I don’t have to question or wonder; I know this is a deal breaker. If we deny the resurrection of Jesus, then God’s Word is a lie. The whole plan falls apart.

The problem comes in a wide range of areas in between these two extremes. That is why Paul wrote, “Test all things. Hold on to what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). We have to put this into practice rather than blindly accept every teaching we hear – even if that teaching comes from someone we know and respect.

John gives us a little more help when trying to discern the validity of a teaching. He wrote, “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. But every spirit who does not confess Jesus is not from God” (1 John 4:1-3).

Denying Jesus isn’t only denying what the Bible says about Him. To deny Jesus is to deny the whole of the Word of God as John also wrote, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. … The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1, 14). The Word isn’t merely about Jesus; Jesus is the Word made flesh.

I guess it comes down to one thing when we’re trying to determine if we can agree to disagree or if the issue is a deal-breaker. Does this teaching deny Jesus – His truth, His Word, or His work? If the answer is yes, then it’s more in the deal breaker range. If the answer is no, then maybe we can agree to disagree. We’ll only know into which category it falls if we know the Bible for Jesus Himself – the Word made flesh – said, “You are deceived, because you don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God” (Matthew 22:29).

Receive the Victory, Chosen of God

"Yet the Lord was pleased to crush Him severely" (Isaiah 53:10).

Ouch.

So begins the fifth and final stanza of Isaiah’s fourth song of the Servant (Isaiah 52:13-53:12).

• First stanza – Wake Up, City of God; the suffering of the Jews foreshadowed the Messiah’s suffering.
• Second stanza – Believe It, People of God; as hard as it might be to believe, the Messiah came as a man.
• Third stanza – Consider the Why, Rebels of God; the Servant’s suffering had purpose.
• Fourth stanza - Behold the Lamb, Children of God; the Servant was shorn and slaughtered as a lamb.

And all of this made God happy? It pleased Him?

The four previous stanzas described the sacrificial death of the Servant with awful terms.

• Disfigured, beaten to the point of being unrecognizable
• Despised, rejected, a man of suffering
• Stricken, struck down by God, afflicted
• Pierced, crushed, punished
• Oppressed, judged, cut off

Why on earth would God find pleasure in this?

Because of this…

The Servant’s death would make restitution for wrongs done against the holy name of God. Jesus gave Himself up as a restitution offering (aka, guilt offering in other translations). Jesus’ death created a way for the ultimate wrong to be made right – for God’s creation to be restored to their former position. God and people could dwell together once again.

The anguish of restitution
With restitution made, the Servant will see His spiritual offspring. Through resurrection, He will no longer experience death. He will accomplish the desire of God (Isaiah 53:10).

Yes, He will go through anguish to reach the end goal. God’s not pleased with that part. But sin’s entrance into the world brought with it the need for sacrifice. God is pleased that the Servant willingly offered Himself as the final sacrifice to permanently make right the wrong done by our choice to sin. And despite the anguish, Jesus will be satisfied because He knows the results (Isaiah 53:11).

He knows His anguish will make restitution to declare us righteous. He knows it will bear our distortion of truth (Isaiah 53:11); His resurrection will defeat our distortion of truth. He knows that He is the truth (John 14:6).

He knows His suffering will take us from co-conspirator to co-heir (Romans 8:17). From vile to victorious (1 John 5:4). From condemned to conqueror (1 John 4:4).

The victory of redemption
Jesus experienced anguish that none of us will ever know. But with that anguish came the victory of redemption. He died as our Passover lamb so that the death angel might pass over us.

He exposed His soul – the very part of Him that communed with God the Father – to death. Although He was sinless, He allowed Himself to be counted among those who have rebelled against God. He carried away our sin and caused the punishment for it to fall upon Himself (Isaiah 53:12).

Because He willingly did so, His is the greatest victory and the greatest reward. God will make Him chief or captain over all. That is why Paul later wrote, “Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death – even to death on a cross. For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow – of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth – and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:7-11).

Yes, God will make Him chief over all, but He won’t keep it all to Himself. That’s the part that knocks me to my knees every time. When final victory is His, He will assign the spoils among the mighty. In other words, there’s a part in there for us. We will be with Him. The fourth cup will be drank. The victory will be complete. In the midst of all that, He will say, “Come here, my beloved. Good job, my mighty one. I have a little something for you.” I can’t wait. How about you?

Consider the Why, Rebels of God

The people have suffered.

The Servant has suffered.

With this week we reach the middle – the pinnacle – of Isaiah’s Song of the Servant (Isaiah 52:13-53:12). In the midst of this week’s stanza lies the point of the servant’s suffering; the “Why?” which we have all questioned.

The people and the city of God suffered under oppression and slavery just as the Servant would also have to suffer (Article one of this series – Wake Up, City of God).

God would have to become a man – forsaking all rights and entitlements – no matter how hard it might be to believe such a thing (Article two of this series – Believe It, People of God).

Why?

• Why did Israel suffer?
• Why did the Servant suffer?
• Why did He come as a man?

We may know the “what” of the Servant’s suffering – the characters, the details, the methods, the timing, and the place. All of that is worthless, though, unless we know the “why.” Why gives the suffering purpose.

“Why?” takes a random execution and gives it meaning. This execution held significance for all people for all time.

The Connection

A little Hebrew wordplay in Isaiah 53:3-4 ties together the suffering of the Servant Man with the reason for why He had to suffer. Verse three describes Him as “a man of suffering who knew what sickness was.” As is common in Hebrew poetry, Isaiah repeated these ideas – in reverse order and with more explanation – in verse four. “He Himself bore our sicknesses and He carried our pains.” In the pictures below, the words highlighted with the same color are the same word in Hebrew.

Yes, the Servant was a man. All men are familiar with suffering, sickness, and sorrow. The first line doesn’t tell us much that’s new. The connection between the first line and the second shows us the significance. The Servant knew pain and sickness because He knew OUR pain and sickness. Isaiah’s. The Jews’. The Gentile’s. Yours. Mine.

Another Hebrew repetition reveals even more significance to the Servant’s suffering. In verse three, when we thought the Servant was just some man who suffered, we couldn’t even be bothered with it; didn’t give it a second thought. “We didn’t value Him.” In verse four, Isaiah told us it’s our suffering that the Servant carried. And so our response changes – we do take the time to think about it. Our conclusion? We “regarded Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.”

Yeah, we thought about it. We decided He’s just a man so God must have…

• Reached out to strike Him as a sinner
• Wounded and killed Him
• Brought Him down low

But we distort the truth

Whether or not we believe something doesn’t change whether or not it is true. Truth is truth regardless of whether we believe it or not. That’s the case here.

We may choose to believe that Jesus was just a man – brought low, wounded, and killed. But that doesn’t change the reality. Remember, it was our sickness which He bore and our pain which He carried. But there's more...

• Our rebellion pierced Him.
• Our distortion of the truth crushed Him.
• We needed discipline to restore our covenant relationship with God but the discipline fell upon the Servant.
• Every hit He received brought healing to us.

He never rebelled, He never distorted the truth, He never needed discipline to restore His relationship with the Father, and He never needed healing. If He was just a man He would have needed all of these things. But He’s more – He’s God. The Servant is a man; the Servant is God. Together in one.

There’s another reason

He carried our sickness and pain. He restored our relationship. In case that’s not enough, the Servant’s suffering is significant for one more reason in this stanza. God created us to go on a certain path but we wandered off it. We turned to our own path instead. We distort God’s truth as we wander aimlessly down our own chaotic path. The result of our wandering was punishment. 

But Love stepped in. The punishment that was supposed to fall on us – God made it fall on the Servant instead.

So the answer to "Why?" is this...

He did it so He could carry our sickness and pain instead of us.

He did it to restore our relationship with God, despite the rebellion and distortion of truth that is within us.

He did it to bring us back onto the right path – the path for which He created us.

Read about the fourth stanza, Isaiah 53:7-9, by clicking here: Behold the Lamb, Children of God.

Read about the fifth stanza, Isaiah 53:10-12, by clicking here: Receive the Victory, Children of God.

All About Jesus

The more I study, the more I read, the more I learn and grow, the more I realize...

It's all about Jesus. He's the love of life.

He divides us from the way of the world and unites us through grace.
He created in the beginning and will destroy in the end.
He split time between what was and what will be.

In light of that, I've been looking over some of my past articles on Jesus and want to share them with you.

How to Not Stink
I was riding in the car with my husband when the song “Come, Now is the Time to Worship” played on the radio. The song says someday every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord and every knee will bow before Him - based on Romans 14:11. As I contemplated the lyrics, I said, “That stinks. That would just stink.” After he looked at me questioningly, I continued... (Read more).

She is a... a... Sinner!
There are three kinds of people in this world... (Read more).

Having Loved His Own
Many, if not all, of us can look back at an event in our lives and realize it was the last time we did something significant. Often those thoughts are accompanied by wishes of things we could still say to that person or do in that place... (Read more).

Who are we? Who is He?
I am. You are. She is. We are. They are. The verb “to be” is the most basic sentence structure; it's one of the first things you learn in a foreign language class. It is also one of the most complex names of God... (Read more).

We've Got Troubles
I stumbled across something that troubled me in John 13. In verse 21, I came across the phrase, “Jesus was troubled in spirit…” Jesus was troubled? He is the Rock. He is the Alpha and Omega. What could trouble Him? (Read more.)

Shoutin' at Jesus
A lot of shouting is going on in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. All that shoutin' boils down to four basic messages... (Read more).

Do You See the Miracle?
The birth of a child is a miraculous, life-changing event. At the same time, births happen every day, all over the world. They have since the beginning of time. One birth, however, was miraculous on a scale that the world had never seen before and hasn’t seen since. (Read more.)

A Divine Appointment
Jesus was leaving Judea and going back to Galilee but the region of Samaria was between His place of origin and His destination. It might seem logical that He had to go through Samaria. However, I can think of three reasons why it was odd that He had to go through Samaria... (Read more.)

That Name
Believers can do great things in the name of Jesus... (Read more).

The Tomb isn't Finished...Yet
I spent some time thinking about the experience of visiting the Garden Tomb; I struggled to come up with some words for it.  While doing this, I had a new insight into the Garden Tomb that I am so excited to share with you! (Read more.)

My Bridegroom Cometh...Home from Africa
The preparations to have both the house and myself look nice combined with the text of his impending arrival reminded me of another Bridegroom who will return soon... (Read more).

The Word of God
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). So, “in the beginning,” when “God created the heavens and the earth,” the Word was with God and was God. The fullness of the Word of God already existed at the creation of the universe. Mind-blowing. (Read more.)

I hope you've enjoyed this focus on Jesus. May He also be your love, your joy, your reason to live.

Divided by Worry

Remember Bobby McFerrin’s famous old song about worry? He’d sing in his Jamaican style, “Don’t worry, be happy now.” If you grew up in that era like me, you can probably hardly hear the expression “Don’t worry” without adding your own mental Jamaican accent. And the song will be stuck in your head for hours. You can thank me later.

In the song – and in life for many who espouse a “don’t worry” lifestyle – they don’t offer an alternative. Just don’t do it; stop it. Don’t care, don’t be responsible, don’t pursue – just let it all go and don’t worry – be happy. The problem is we can’t all live on a beach in Jamaica sipping exotic drinks with little umbrellas on them.

Surprisingly, God is in favor of the “Don’t worry” lifestyle. He had Paul write in the Bible, “Don’t be anxious for anything, but…” He then provided a follow-up option different than nonchalant irresponsibility. Before I tell you what it is, though, why is worry – or anxiousness – such a bad thing?

The Greek word for anxious comes from another word which means to be divided or distracted. Worry divides our attention and distracts us from the truth of the situation. Three familiar stories from the Bible help us understand the division.

Matthew 6:25-34

Jesus taught us not to worry by using the example of birds and lilies. God provides food for the birds and clothes the lilies in splendor. God provides so extravagantly for the birds and flowers; He’ll provide so much more for us! He’s teaching truth – trust God to meet your needs. Our sinful response to His truth, however, is to let worry step in and take over. Worry divides the truth. The division leaves an empty platitude to “trust God” on one part and no provider of our needs on the other part. So we step in and think we have to do it all on our own.

Matthew 10:17-20

Us Christians worry a lot about sharing our faith. In this passage, God promises to give us the words to say, especially in times of persecution. Trust God to speak. Again, though, worry steps in and divides that truth. The division again leaves the empty platitude “trust God” alone on the top and we are left to try and speak in our own power.

Luke 10:38-42

Jesus visited His close friends, Mary and Martha. These two sisters had different responses to His visit. Mary chose to sit with Jesus and listen to Him teach; Martha worried about getting the work done for His visit. Verse forty even says that the work “distracted” Martha. When Martha complained, Jesus gently shared with her it is better to spend time with Him than worry about all the work. His truth is “Spend time with Me.” Worry divided Martha from that opportunity; the division left how she spent her time with no focus, separated from Christ.

God’s Solution

Earlier I hinted that God provides a solution for how to not worry. The answer is in the rest of the verse. “Don’t be anxious for anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). Prayer takes the focus off of our own attempts and restores our focus on God. Prayer recognizes He is the Provider of our needs, the Speaker of our truth, and the Friend for which we long. Prayer closes the circle back up again; it removes the division. Prayer recognizes we can’t do anything on our own but rely solely on Him. With that balance restored, we then bring our requests before Him. As we make our petitions, we’re already thankful for the promised provision, the unchanging word, and the loving relationship.

To Meet and Kiss: Finding beauty where the gentle balances the harsh

I read two of the most beautiful lines of poetry I’ve ever encountered as part of this month’s focus on faithfulness. We don’t know the exact author; Scripture attributes it to the Sons of Korah. The Sons of Korah refers to the choir that served in the ancient Jewish temple.

Grace and Truth have Met
Grace, who sometimes goes by the name Mercy, has met Truth. The two came together. Grace with her eyes of favor, clothed in lovingkindness and forgiveness, brought words of loyalty and devotion. Truth came with steps of firmness and faithfulness. His established words were right and unwavering.

Justice and Peace have Kissed
Meanwhile, Justice and Peace kissed. These two also came together; Justice, although full of righteousness, spoke words of vindication and deliverance. Peace embraced his words with quietness and tranquility. She came wrapped in wellness and wholeness and brought contentment to their relationship.

Truth and Justice
These two seemed so harsh; so unwavering and focused. However, blessing came through their constant and unchanging words.

Truth sprung up from the earth. He reminded us all of the abundant provision given by the earth. Abundant provision came for us all from the words of Truth.

Justice looked down from heaven. He shined on us all with warmth and light. He gave us all the strength needed to grow toward him.

Union
In case the blessings of Truth and Justice weren’t enough on their own, remember Truth met Grace and Justice embraced Peace. They each united to offer the beauty of balance to us all. Truth’s firmness wrapped itself in Grace’s lovingkindness. The righteousness and vindication of Justice joined with the quietness and tranquility of Peace.

They live as an example to us all. They remind us not to forsake Truth but wrap it in Grace to offer to a lie-confused world (Tweet this). Don’t neglect Justice in this ill-treated world, but along with him, offer Peace (Tweet this).

My Picture of Freedom

Live free. It's no surprise that as Grow Barefoot developed, this powerful phrase became a tenet of our ministry. This aspect of the Christian life has always been important to me.

My grandpa did incredible leather work. When I received a new Bible as a teenager, he offered to make a leather Bible cover for it. I sorted through all of his patterns to select a design for the cover. I knew the right one as soon as I saw it; a horse running at full speed with his mane and tail blowing in the wind. The addition of my initials at the bottom completed the design. My grandpa and mom both seemed surprised. My mom asked, "Why did you choose that instead of a cross or something religious?" 

I answered, “Because it’s a picture of freedom and that’s what this book is all about.”

For those of us in America, this time of year reinforces our foundation of national freedom as we celebrate our independence. On July 4, 2010, I wrote that the fibers of American's national freedom and Christianity's spiritual freedom were once wound tightly together. (Click here to read that brief article.) However, that rope was unraveling then and the strands are looser now than even three years ago.

For our many readers outside of America, national freedom may be an unimaginable concept. Some Grow Barefoot readers live in places of tyranny and dictatorships. Civil rights are unheard of as oppression based on gender, religion, and social class abound.
The freedom offered through Christ surpasses all man-made situations, however. Freedom in Christ is available for those in America and nations that will never taste national freedom. Freedom in Christ abounds for men and women, poor and wealthy. He patiently waits to pour His freedom out on those with a history of Islam, atheism, or any other religion - including nominal Christianity.

Freedom in Christ goes much further than a promise of eternal life. Freedom in Christ transforms how we live right here and now during our life on earth. It helps us relinquish our control issues, overcome our fears, prioritize our lives, and even extend grace and freedom to others. (Click here for more on any of these areas.)