Tag: love

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Power to serve.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.” ‭‭John‬ ‭13‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

If the gospels were to sum up one thing in the retelling of all the miracles Jesus did, it would be this – Jesus had all authority. Mark’s book consistently highlights, Jesus also had all power. All power and authority over EVERYTHING. What does one do with all that power? To be able to speak and your every command is carried out?

This is what is so shocking in John’s book as Jesus heads into the final moments with his closets friends. Just follow this thought that John lays out. Jesus knew… He knew the Father had given him authority and that He had come from God and would return to God. So then… then what? What does Christ do with that knowledge, that confidence? John says he got up, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist and poured water into a bowl. Are you able to mentally picture this scene as John gives a step by step view of Jesus’ behaviors. Now, Jesus looked like a servant, a slave. Someone you would hire for the night to tend to guests as they came into your home and left their dirty sandals on the stoop then walked in with the dust of the day on their feet. Every person in the room knew what this looked like. Every reader of this story knew what this felt like.

The radical role reversal was that Jesus IS God and he now would take on the persona of a servant. Jesus washed the disciples feet. Is it humiliating to have someone wash your feet? Sure, today it is. Was it humbling to have it done then? No, not by the lowest person of cultural status. But it would be extremely difficult to let the hands that multiplied loaves of bread, touched the blind eyes to make them see or reached out to grab a little girl’s dead hand and raise her to life. Those same hands on my dirty feet? No way! No wonder Peter was aghast saying, “you might as well wash my armpits as well then!” You get the idea.

This is what God looks like in all His might, power and authority? With all justice, judgment and wisdom across the eons of time and space? Yep. Take a selfie quick, God cleans my dirty feet. This gives Jesus the perfect time to tell the disciples (and us) His one final, summary command. Get this, Jesus wrapped up all the laws, all the commands, all the rules of faith and conduct towards others right here in John 13:34, “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” Take all the authority that Jesus clearly gives His followers, take all the power of Christ’s name and use it, apply it in this way – love one another! Just like Jesus served them by washing their feet, this is how the body of Christ, the people of God should be treating each other. Do you see the filth of the day caked on your brother or sister in Christ? Don’t judge them as dirty, grab a towel and a bowl of water and serve them.

Prayer

Dad,
In some of my most depressing days, when I have been down and struggling to get a clear view of your grace, I have had friends reach out and figuratively wash my feet. I had so much yuck caked on my soul, but they tenderly reached out and encouraged me, spoke hope into my life. This is the way! This love for you gets transferred into a humble love of serving one another. How beautiful! Help us keep that in mind in the whole body of Christ as we live as examples of how to distribute true power and authority.

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No longer a walk in the garden.

Reading Time: 4 minutes

“When the people heard the thunder and the loud blast of the ram’s horn, and when they saw the flashes of lightning and the smoke billowing from the mountain, they stood at a distance, trembling with fear. And they said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us, or we will die!” “Don’t be afraid,” Moses answered them, “for God has come in this way to test you, and so that your fear of him will keep you from sinning!” As the people stood in the distance, Moses approached the dark cloud where God was.” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20‬:‭18‬-‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

God once walked with humans, casually, perfectly, lovingly in the garden. In the cool of the day, God would take a walk, “When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden.” Now, years after Eden, years after many, many people, well past Noah and the total destruction of almost all living things, well past the rise and fall of Babel and Egypt, we now come to Moses and the Law.

God had just given Moses the laws, rules for His people to live and love differently from all other peoples, cultures and countries. These laws would keep Israel alive and allow them to interact with a holy, perfect God. God was always holy, always perfect. God is the same today and will never change.

Exodus captures a honest moment expressed by God’s beloved Israel… “we’re afraid of Him!” They said. God showed up like a tornado and the people didn’t feel all snuggly safe. Moses told the people, “God comes like a storm to test you. Your fear of him will keep you from sinning.” It did keep them from sin…for the moment, but it didn’t last. God told the people through Moses, “Remember, you must not make any idols of silver or gold to rival me.” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20‬:‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬.

Just twelve chapters later…“When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. “Come on,” they said, “make us some gods who can lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.”” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭32‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬ – really? That was fast.

Fear works while it is directly applied, but fades as we forget the storm, the threat of death. But fear is never enough to sustain a authentic relationship over the long haul. Who wants to take walks in a garden with someone they fear and sense that perfection is held over them at every moment.

Exodus, the Law and the entire Old Testament is very real and very much a part of our story of who we are and who God is. As I wrote, God is and always will be holy, perfect and completely incompatible with sin. The fear of God is still a reality today and will always be a part of our relationship to Him.

Fast forward to the paradox of New Covenant in tension to the Old Covenant. The God who showed up in the deadly storm is the same God who touched the dead body of a little girl and said, “talitha koum” (little maiden), arise. Or the same God who wept and embrimaomai (moved with anger) called out his friend, Lazarus, from death’s pit. We see God the Father, as holy, perfect and feared in the Exodus, but He is the same as the person of Christ, God the Son. Yet, this holy perfection, under the new covenant is love so pure, so piercing, it penetrates beyond fear. A fear that CAN make us want to hide as Adam and Even had done or stand at a distance as the Israelites. OR, this love/fear is to be experienced as an imperfect human completely and totally seen and known for who and what we really are. Yet, we have FAITH that the sacrifice of Christ doesn’t repel us from God’s holiness but contrarily – it supernaturally pulls us, draws us into God’s presence to be embraced by Him.

When shown our sin, we no longer need to run, hide nor flaunt or make excuses. We can now move towards God’s perfect grace not fearing the final judgement of separation. Believers will even be judged in perfect love and not fear (Bema – Judgement Seat of Christ (Romans 14:10, 2 Corinthians 5:10)).

Where is the “fear of God” in this season of grace? Well, it is still here. The fear of God should never be skirted, challenged or arrogantly thrown in the face of God, exclaiming, “His grace is sufficient.” Saying, “I can sin. I can disobey. I can do whatever I want because of Christ’s covering.” How arrogant, how immature! God can certainly strike you dead where you stand regardless of your status of being saved! God can end your life here and sort out the details later? Or, sin’s own consequences can bury you, destroying everything you’ve built and leave you destitute. Don’t tempt God’s grace!

Prayer

Dad,
I know of your love and it’s perfect. I also believe I have a healthy fear of your perfection, your righteousness, your repulsion of sin. I am completely and totally confident in your grace and painfully aware of the consequences of my sin, my choices that are neither hidden from you nor acceptable to you. I am willing to live in this tension. I am willing to run towards you even in my sin, with my failures and work hard to NEVER run from or uselessly try to hide or dodge my poor decisions. I am without excuse, but I am forever grateful for your mercy. Amen.

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The sweet spot of wisdom – decision making

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

These simple verses could be the synopsis for the entire book of wisdom. My mistake was thinking it was just for youth, just for late teens, early twenties. Once I got going in life; graduated college (first ever in my family), got married, had a child and settled into my calling from God to be a Pastor, I would be able to take things from there.

These verses were never meant to be a fortune cookie saying. I only thought the hard decisions were about getting started in life or at super big crossroads. I did not think of sustaining a godly life by continually trusting God, ignoring circumstantial signs and seeking His will. Oh silly young Padawan!

Robin and I both have had multiple missteps, life-altering moments and decision points since our youth. And, although I had memorized this verse and mentally quoted it at the start, I somehow had it hardcoded to our beginnings. And, I made the mistake of ONLY associating these verses with big life decisions, when clearly there are daily applications in them. Let’s put it this way, I STILL must trust. I still must ignore the ANTs (automatic negative thoughts). I still must seek God’s will in everything. With every decision pondered in prayer. Then with every conviction of faith, I must look for the path that God wants me to take. After that, it’s just about standing on that decision, confident that God has not and will not mislead me!

For example: With most of my people judgements I use the decision tree template of love. If I am to push my way in, wading into the muck and mire of the mess we get ourselves into, I have to decide if love requires that I enter into someone’s personal space to help. I ask, “What is my motive here?” Because if it’s to gain or spitefully be right, then it’s not love. Then I ask, “Am I willing to see this all the way through?” Because if I don’t count the cost, I may flake out when it gets really hard or expensive. Then I have to confront myself by asking, “What if I’m wrong?” I am talking about being wrong to get involved, butting in, throwing myself under the bus! If I make it through the mental flowchart and I get the go ahead, I quietly whisper, “For Christ and His love!” and with Paul’s words to the churches in Ephesus (Eph 4:15) – I go for it. I can definitely add these verses as a pre-checklist prayer as well.

I plan to tattoo these verses on my brain so I can quickly access them everyday.

Prayer

Dad,
Remember how many times I cried and quoted these verses in my teens and early twenties? I was scared out of my mind! I was desperate to do right. I felt ill equipped and awkward making big life, adulting kinds of decisions. You were the only one listening! You were the only one I could trust. I kind of miss that desperation. I also remember having one of those MAJOR crossroads moments when I was forty. I felt like I was completely changing my calling not just careers. You were and are so faithful to answer, to lead and guide. I am so grateful for your kindness and patience with me.

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Liberty with consideration.

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial. Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭10:23-24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

People do not believe that Christianity is all about liberty, freedom. We’ve been pitched so many lies and have self-inflicted stereotypes that even believers in Jesus don’t know they been freed from one master to be bound to another.

According to several Biblical writers we are freed from sin because Christ paid our death sentence. Yet, even in freedom, there are restrictions and restraints! How so? Being free from sin means that we are not mastered by selfishness, greed, lust, lies and deception. But we are, however, mastered by love, forgiveness and consideration towards others. This is where culture has corrupted the word love. Love is a self sacrificing, deeply considerate of others word. It is not a pleasure only, neurochemically induced feeling.

Christian freedom is upward and outward focused. This whole idea of “self-love” is absurdly repugnant! We are God-loved. We can be loved by others. But as soon as we twist this word to be all about my, mine and I it is no longer love at all. Freedom is considerate love! It’s a supernatural check and balance of what I want. In Paul’s admonition here, it’s about eating meat previously sacrificed to idols – filthy by association of spiritual hocus-pocus mumbled over some chunk of meat that has been presented to fake-gods, statues and carved rocks. Fake gods are plentiful but completely useless. It’s like offering meat to a fictitious alien then selling the meat at a discount store – alien offered cheap meat!

Ah, but if someone has come to Jesus out of a cult, out of a false religion, out of aliens-r-us it would be quite offensive to wave idol-meat, or cult-alien-meat in front of them and serve it at a dinner gathering. It’s insensitive to their past experience and doesn’t allow them to grow to a place of maturity when that meat-offering may be less of a trigger in their past.

This is the hard part, the forgotten part about love and freedom – it’s NOT all about us! This is why restraint and self imposed boundaries are good for us, even in our freedoms. This helps us keep a check on our motives and our rights. We may be within our rights, but it may not be helpful and considerate to someone who’s struggling.

Prayer

Dad,
I have a feeling that we have got caught up in the wrong crowd when it comes to freedoms, rights and even love. These are specific ideals that Jesus laid down on our behalf and instructed us to do the same. This is where we have not led our culture in humility and truth. We’ve adopted similar thoughts and practices simply mimicking our natural bent of selfishness. Help us God to continue to see you and reflect you in all circumstances we find ourselves in.

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Seduced by another love.

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“How happy I was to meet some of your children and find them living according to the truth, just as the Father commanded.” 2 John‬ ‭1:4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

John, the elder, writes these letters decades after walking, talking and experiencing Christ, the son of man, son of God on earth. How interesting that he describes the Church as the eklektos: selected, elected, by implication – favorite LADY as well as her children. It explains the reason John adds this comment in verse 4. He was ecstatic to meet the children of the great lady, the Church!

One commentator put it this way, John “has reason to know that certain others of her children are not walking in truth. Through the elect lady’s too indiscriminate hospitality, some of her children have been seduced by the deceivers who have come to her bringing another doctrine than that of Christ being fully God and fully man.”

It was that word “seduced,” that caught my attention. This is the most effective tool of deception. It’s not just a lie. It’s a carefully constructed process that lures people, wanting to believe something so badly, they are carried away with it – thus seduced.

When generational transitions happen in this transfer of truth, some will believe and live it – others will not. Even with this extremely powerful word called love operating in our soul – it can happen. We can wander. We can be seduced by another. John uses the word “love” to make the point of what truth translates into… love. Then he gives a definition, “Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.” John defines an aspect of love as obedience to what God has commanded. One of those commandments came from Jesus himself – “love one another.” Love wasn’t spelled out specifically in the big 10 commandments list.

Back to truth and seduction. What happens when truth and real love is just not sexy enough to hold our attention? What if someone, something comes along and subtly suggests that God is not telling us everything, you know, keeping a few things from us? And this deceit comes along, convincing us and carrying us away with a “better” truth, somehow a more appealing kind of love. This deception is so smooth, so deep that it can even persuade the most spiritual person who for one moment takes their eyes off Jesus and turns to find out what this “real” truth, this other love looks like.

John gives us the very difficult and sad news, children of the great lady (the church) can be deceived. So John adds this, “Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked so hard to achieve. Be diligent so that you receive your full reward.” John uses a very strong word to describe this word lose. It’s the word “apollumi” – to utterly destroy. People wander. They can be seduced. And, they can lose what they had worked hard to achieve. I don’t know if this refers specifically to “salvation” he speaks of losing, because it wasn’t earned or worked for. What is he referring to? Spiritual maturity? Growth in Christ? That seems more likely. The truth traded in this example is that Jesus wasn’t really a human. But, there are other truths that we wander or are seduced away from. Currently, people have been seduced by other definitions of love, life, sexuality and even gender, even to the point of twisting God’s own Word and character.

Prayer

Dad,
These deceptions and seductions are no longer just prevalent in culture, which is to be expected. They are divisively, insidiously supplanted in the “Great Lady’s” gathering – the Church. Now we are finding ourselves fighting a spiritual war over the definition of love within and without the community of faith. This is far above our ability or understanding to resolve. We need you to supernaturally intervene with your mercy, grace and power. This is my prayer. Visit us once again. Pour out your spirit on our country, our communities.

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HOPEBROKER

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.” Luke‬ ‭14:26-27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

​All or nothing.

Yes, this is the part of the gospel story that we don’t often talk about. A relationship with God is not only primary, it’s all consuming. It is an all or nothing situation! Jesus saying, “by comparison,” our love for God, our consuming desire to follow, obey and dedicate our entire life to him makes it look like we don’t give a rip about all the other family responsibilities, including: dad, mom, wife kids and siblings. I would guess even grandparents, but they are not mentioned 😬. There are other Bible references that discuss this. Like, “eat of my flesh, drink of my blood” verses. Or, “be hot or cold, but never lukewarm.”

This idea that we are in and committed or were not and it’s all just a religious show. That ought to get our attention, right?

And, Jesus goes on to tell this crowd that is following him, “Count the cost first.” Jesus tells two examples, “who builds a building, or goes to war,” without figuring out what it costs, what it takes to win? I remember arguing this point with friends, especially in giving high pressure “altar” calls or guilt drives to make decisions for Christ.

Should someone believe in Christ, YES. Should they make a decision to follow Christ, YES. Shouldn’t they also count the cost, YES as well.

When I said yes to Jesus I didn’t know enough to look forward and see what it would cost me to follow him, especially thinking it would cost my entire life! But, you need to understand, I came to Christ knowing my life to that point felt WORTHLESS. And, I had no ability to see anything in my future but a giant black wall. No dreams of a career, marriage, kids, or white picket fence. From my perspective, there was no future! I was a broke beggar, so there was only nothing or with God – everything.

Yet still, I knew what I was doing; what I was giving up as well as receiving. I was giving up my life in exchange for God becoming my Dad, the father I never had. At that point, I had only experienced two loser Dads, the third being “psychopath Ben,” would come later.

If anyone is going to pressure folks into making a decision, I want it to be God himself, pushing and wooing – pitching His love and abundant grace. Not the fire escape plan or promises of prosperity and the “good life.” A relationship with God isn’t a way to escape hell, it’s walking with Him for eternity. Jesus promised an abundant life but it’s only after completely giving and surrendering our own life.

Yes, I’m all in and wouldn’t have it any other way. For me it’s not hating the family relationships in comparison, it’s more like hating the American Dream that everyone else seems driven to still pursue. In comparison to loving Jesus, I decided to hate the high paying cushy job, the open-space, multiple bathroomed house, two pets, multiple marriages, 2.5 kids and some grandchildren! I only wanted God and whatever He had for me. It is ironic, no, pure-comedy, that God gave me a job Pastoring people, one-wife-for life, kids, grandkids and a couple of dogs in a house with three bathrooms and a pool in the backyard! Figured that one out.

Prayer

Dad,
Really. How did I end up with so much when I started with so little? I had nothing. I was nothing. I was invisible and liked it that way. Now….well, I am not invisible that’s for sure. And I annoy people by being too chatty, too friendly, too weird and tell way to many stories that no one wants to listen to! Oh, the humor of heaven has been poured out on me. I got old and have stuff. I never imagined that possibility. I had no dreams and no hope. You… you gave me all of that and more. I am a hope broker because I was broke and you gave me the greatest gift of all – hope.

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Haters hate good.

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous. So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.” 1 John‬ ‭3:11-13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Well this clears up some questions about the first two brothers. Don’t ya just love it when one of Jesus’ apostles helps us with some Old Testament interpretations? John is always going deep for the “Love God?” prove it by loving others!

Anyone can CLAIM that they love. This word has lost value in our world today. It’s been stolen, watered down and cut with nonsense and marketed back to us like a cheap cologne. It’s just a sales-pitch buzz word now.

Besides, anyone can say they love God and behave all holy and spiritual. Yet, because God is perfect and we can’t see him, we just have to take the person’s word for it when they say they “love” him. Oh, but trying showing love to another human, a flawed, broken human that is NOT perfect – not so easy.

This love John speaks of, towards one another, it doesn’t “save” them nor “save” us, it just lets us practice what we preach about our commitment to God himself. This love towards another doesn’t flippantly or carelessly push others away, judging them and walking away. No, this love artfully, thoughtfully engages them. This love stays in the fight for understanding, for perspective. This love LOVES HARD, determined, tenacious yet honest.

John gives an example. We must not be like Cain? What about Cain? Fun fact. Cain and Abel were not little boys, nor young men when Cain ended Abel’s life then angrily lied to God. No, they were in their 80’s! They had families and kids of their own.

Cain seethed over the fact that Abel just obeyed God and lived his life most likely getting all the good breaks because of being wise. Cain’s worst enemy was himself and continually believing a lie – he knew better than God and was self-determined to do life his way and prove that he did not need anyone telling him right from wrong. Cain snuggled up to the snake and chose evil as his advisor, his confidant.

When you choose to believe a lie and live towards that lie, only angry bitterness awaits you. It’s inevitable. Eventually, you’ll be picking up rocks and looking for something or someone to murder, looking for someone to blame for your own choices.

Haters hate good. Haters hate true justice. Haters have only one thing to prove, they don’t need God to be good, they can do it themselves!

Prayer

Dad,
There is no way I could ever be “good” or good enough on my own. I do not want to live for myself and unto myself as the standard of what love looks like. Kindness without your love is just a fake trying to duplicate who you are. It’s a northerner just responding with pleasantries but wishing the person would go away and leave them alone. Loving you is difficult on its own, but loving others? Wow – that’s the hardest love ever. I can say it with words but it’s empty without action. Help me to love like you love!

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¡Bienvenido a la revolución!

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.” Luke‬ ‭6:27-28‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Society has rules that we live by. It’s not just our geographic context or culture, it’s our overarching and unifying way of life. You do me wrong, I retaliate. You make a joke about one of my family members and I slap your face! It’s a code. It’s genetic. All this talk about love, kindness and non-violence – ah that’s so vogue.

Bullies are out, those are “red choices” my granddaughter’s preschool teachers would say. Forgiveness and using your words (and someone to understand the bully) is the hot-topic morality today.

You know who started the revolution? Yeah, Jesus. He’s the same guy that folks want left out of government, education and civil conversation because it’s deemed divisively religious. And everyone knows religion is judgey. Funny that Jesus was the epitome of revolutionary and rather anti-religion.

He actually said, you’ve heard… “eye for eye, tooth for tooth,” but I say… Almost every day on the news we hear about an escalated incident that goes way beyond black eyes and missing teeth! It’s Annie get your gun and blam blam blam, someone is dead. It’s so massively ironic that the guy who made “don’t judge” a thing which is now considered to be the lightening rod of any non-civil conversation. Jesus is the one who said “DON’T.” So sure folks can hide behind “choices” or “I identify as” or even have the law give them a special and protected class meant to protect people from bullies. Jesus said things that were anti-human nature – forgive, give, love, BLESS (which isn’t the word, makarios: to make happy but rather eulogeó: to speak well of, praise)! What if the “protected class by law” becomes our cultural bullies? What if folks quit being advocates and look more like activists who behave violently? I think we should quit giving credit to our more modern, historical peacemakers and remember where they got their campaign slogans from – Jesus, the founder and president of the LOVE movement.

PRAYER:

Dad,
I just get so worked up over the enemy of our soul, Satan, supplanting and subtly stealing YOUR words and twisting them to be used against you – and for sure, against us. Satan is a thief, even stealing words and symbols like love, promise and rainbows to be bumper-stickered to promote lies and deeply, morally bankrupt codes of conduct. These bait and switch techniques are so damnable! By the time folks find truth or realize they’ve been duped there has been so much damaged done to their souls, their relationships not to mention the platforms they used to mislead thousands of others. It’s just awful, it makes me sick to see it happen. And even still, I know that you will be waiting like a good father who runs to the prodigal because they’ve come home! I just ask that you stop them from spreading the pig-slop as truth! It’s not a lifestyle, it’s a blatant liestyle.