Child-like Faith

Ever have a kid ask you to pray for something ridiculous?  How do you respond? Say ok and laugh it off.  Do you explain to them, “God doesn’t work like that”?

I wonder.  How do we come up with these limitations we put on God?  He becomes less and less amazing and more and more fictitious. Why do we put aside the miraculous healing and ask God to make the doctor capable, or a medicine potent?  Didn’t God like being different than the rest of the world?  Do you remember Moses versus the magicians and how the magicians couldn’t keep up with the power of God?  We don’t see that so much anymore.

I thought what ridiculous things happened in the Bible.  Samson as the Hulk (Judges 15), Elijah outrunning a horse (1 Kings 18:46), Philip saying, “beam me up Scotty” and teleporting (Acts 8:39), a talking donkey (2 Peter 2:16), paying taxes with money found in a fish (Matthew 17:27), walking on water (John 6:19), turning water into wine for a party (John 2:9).  What did the party even matter?  God met whatever need there was, even those that were seemingly insignificant.

How do you come up with a limit?  The Bible says it’s the heart of the prayer.  Pray in unity (Matthew 18:19). Pray in selflessness (James 4:3). Pray in goodness (1 John 5:14). That’s it.  Paul says God can do infinitely more than we dare to ask or even think. Jesus doesn’t put qualifiers on prayer requests.  He says “anything”.

What is Love?

When people read 1 Corinthians 13, they try to emulate all the attributes of love. You can’t do that.  Just like you can’t try to muster all the fruits of the spirit. These scriptures don’t tell you how to love, they tell you how to discern love. You can’t engineer it.  If you have one attribute, but not the rest it is considered counterfeit. It’s something perfect.

In essence, love is holiness, and you can’t attain holiness without being in God.  People tend to think love is a deep emotional regard or attachment to someone.  Others say love is an action.  Love is more of a state, or a mindset. Many people will say they worry about their kids because they love them.  The Bible tells us that there is no fear in love; that, in actuality, love EXPELS fear. 1John 4:18  Not only that, but the Love Chapter also states that it always hopes, always trusts and it never fails. Hope is to have an assurance, an expectation of something good from God. You do not fear death or sickness with a loved one.  You expect something good from God to overcome this because love never fails.  You know that God first loves us, so he will always protect us.  He is holy, he is whole, he is self-sufficient, he is all.  So if love begins with him and you allow it to overtake you, you take part in him, you are guided by him and do the works he does… just as Jesus did. You persevere with difficult people, you intercede on their behalf, and you hope that God will get a hold of them like he got a hold of Paul.

When you operate out of love you also operate out of the Holy Spirit.  See if you don’t have the fruits if you are operating in love.  Will you not also have joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control?

You have to start with the cross.  Jesus died while we were yet sinners. The perfect died for the imperfect. Even while being beaten, mocked, spit upon, whipped, flogged, and crucified, he loved us and asked God to forgive us. Do you have that kind of love?  Or do you blow up if someone cuts you off?  God desires us to be whole, and he wants us to catch his vision. He wants to get rid of fear and corruption, hatred and perversion. God is everything good, and we cast him aside. We go on sinning, not even believing he is good. We are afraid to seek him. His holy nature isn’t something to fear, but to embrace. He brings freedom. Run to him and let the sin and corruption be burned up by his love.

Is Baptism just a Symbol?

I was worried that I didn’t provide enough information on the topic in The Lost Gospel.  So I’m trying to provide a little more clarity here.

In a day and age where words don’t mean anything, symbolism is totally lost on people.

Symbolism is an action performed with something physical, to signify something that couldn’t otherwise be seen. If I wave a white flag that doesn’t make me magically lose all of my strength and turn me into a acquiescent cyborg.  But it does signify my surrender… if I’m honest.

Just like Samson’s hair didn’t make him strong.  It was a symbol of a covenant he made with God.  A Nazarite vow.  When his hair was cut his covenant was broken and he lost the supernatural strength given him by God’s Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit was also represented by oil in the Old Testament when anointing a king, or applied for a healing.

When we are baptized in water it is a symbol, but that doesn’t make it a powerless act.  It is an outside physical act that signifies something we can’t see in the spiritual.  A renewal of our spirit and the dying of sins.  There is power in it because we are commanded to do it in the Great Commission.

It’s aggravating that so many arguments can arise from semantics.  But then I guess if we’re listening it can be a good thing if we gain understanding from these debates.

The Incorruptible

The amazing thing about Jesus was he was incorruptible.  He was unable to be deceived nor swayed by Satan.  So demons feared him.

The devil can destroy so much, but God has the power to build.  He’s faithful, he’s resilient.  It’s his character.  It’s like the big, bad wolf blowing against the brick wall.  He will not be moved or shaken. Jesus didn’t have to argue with demons, they cowered.  He gave them permission to enter the pigs.  Gave them permission.  He had ultimate authority.  This is the power of God’s holy love.

People are afraid of storms and death and demons.  What does Jesus say?  Do not fear the one who can destroy the body but cannot destroy your soul. (Matt 10:28)  We have something incorruptible, something eternal when we receive salvation.(1 Peter 1:23)  Paul says this is why we never give up, though our bodies are dying our souls keep being renewed.(2 Cor 4:16) Look at the value of what you have been given.  Your soul and it’s salvation, it’s unification with God, it’s fusion with his Holy Spirit.

Paul and Silas could sing praises, the apostles could rejoice when they were beaten.  Why?  Because the world only had the authority to destroy the one corruptible thing we have.  Who cares about the body?  It’s a reminder of the enemy’s limitations.  He cannot destroy me.  We can laugh at him because greater is he that is in us.(1 John 4:4)  Think about that.  Don’t just recite it, but dwell on it. We have the ability to build and restore and make holy. Focus on this truth. We have the ability to share the gospel.  We can infect somebody with holiness.

 

Transgender Phobia

This is annoying.

Stop with the hate.  I’m not liberal, I’m not conservative.  I just want to be a peacemaker.

Don’t hate the LGBT.  Jesus ate with tax-collectors and sinners.  Do you remember the story of Zaccheus?  Did Jesus say, “Get your life in order”?  No, he told him he wanted to eat at his house.  IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY!!! I’m surprised people didn’t start shouting “Boycott Jesus”.  Because tax collectors were evil people who took advantage of others. But that act of kindness, and bold kindness at that, changed the man’s heart in an instant.  He repented right then and there. Jesus did this a lot.  He didn’t shout condemnation to the woman caught in adultery.  He protected her!!!  Did he hate sin?  Yes.  Did he condone her actions?  No.  But he came to show her love and freedom from sin.

That’s what we are to do in a fallen world.  Stop complaining that it’s fallen and start changing it.  Even Jesus said he didn’t come to condemn the world but to save it.  You don’t change the world by calling people out and being pretentious.  You show them that love is the alternative to sin and it’s possible to attain.  Holiness in practice is perfect love.  LAY ASIDE YOUR AGENDA!!!  Look to others.

I’ve heard Christians post statistics that many in the LGBT community had been sexually abused before.  If that is actually true, and you believe it, are you seriously going to condemn and shun them and make them feel worse?  Then you are a part of the problem. Why don’t you start ignoring the sin and start focusing on the person?

Jesus didn’t have to tell the lost people what they did wrong, they were aware of their sin.  How could they forget?  The Pharisees and Sadducees wouldn’t leave them alone. Jesus actually accused and condemned the religious saying “You weigh them down with heavy burdens and aren’t willing to lift a finger to help them.  You travel land and sea to win a single convert and when he becomes one you make him twice a son of hell as you are.”  OUCH.  Not only that he said that the prostitutes were entering the kingdom of heaven before them.

I have a take on sexual orientation, but I don’t want to get into it here. I don’t care about sexuality.  I really don’t.  I’ve been hit on by both guys and girls.  It’s cool.  My focus is the heart.  Everyone is hurting and we are supposed to show the love of God.  My focus is not any specific “sin”.  My focus is getting rid of bitterness, hatred and fear, and you will never accomplish these things by boycotts or yelling at a lost world to act “saved”.

Sexist

This was just a quick thought.

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Guys have to talk in church and not do.  There is no power.  Guys innate desire is to fix, and in today’s church he’s powerless to do so.

Guys could get away with sex and drinking and abuse back in the day

Then women wanted freedom, now no one is responsible.

In the church marriages aren’t valued.  men just want sex and work for it.  they show no love for their wife.  they just submit and beg for sex. they make her to be a prostitute.  where is the love unity or respect. this is the norm in christian counseling. why?

It’s just sex.  There is no love anywhere.

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Update:

To provide some clarification, the early church consisted of more than just speaking. They operated in spiritual gifts.  They did as Jesus did: healed the sick, raised the dead, cleansed those with leprosy, raised the dead and cast out demons.  They could be men of action. Somehow the gifts phased out and it became about politics and doing nothing but talking. The guys innate desire to “fix” things was not met and they became hopeless just seeking out pleasures of the flesh.  They ate, drank, caroused etc.  That left just the women in the church to be the anchor for their families.  Now feminism has come in because women had enough of men’s actions.  They’ve left the family and gone after their own pleasures of the flesh. (This is all generally speaking). Many parents just drop their kids off and church and both of them skip out.

Most of the marriage counseling I’ve seen in the church consists of men serving women to get sex. “You may not enjoy the opera together, but sit through it so you can get lucky later.”  They don’t teach on actual love.  Once again this is generally speaking.  Mark Gungor is a popular marriage counselor and he says, “If a guy wants companionship he’ll get a dog.” Apparently you just get a woman for sex, and “love” her to get sex.

One awesome biblical teaching I’ve found on marriage came from Francis Chan.  He quoted Paul saying that those who are married should live as though they aren’t married.  Sounds like strange advice, but then he goes on to clarify.  If we make things about Christ and make his desires our own, we’re on a mission together. We have one purpose.  We have a good marriage because we aren’t trying to please each other, we are trying to live with the love of Christ and it just sort of happens naturally.

Power of Love

Jesus dying on the cross was the ultimate demonstration of love.  Giving his own life for wrong doing when he was perfect.

Jesus rising from the dead was the ultimate demonstration of the POWER of love.

Love is desiring someone whole despite personal cost.  There is no fear in love because you are willing to lose everything. Your passion consumes your fear. Jesus so desired for us to be whole that he gave his life, but the amazing thing is death did not trump his act. His love trumped death.  His love was more powerful than death itself.

This is why Paul said if there were no resurrection we should be of all men most pitied.  Love would prove to be futile or powerless. But because of his resurrection there is hope.  Love was able to conquer all corruption, all sin, all death.  He was able to undo all the mess we did. From one man, Adam, corruption entered the world.  Creation no longer reflected God and fell from perfect harmony.  However, by one act of the second Adam, Jesus, all this was undone and we attain righteousness.

We sing about death not holding Jesus down and have no revelation of it’s meaning.  Planetshakers has a song called “The Anthem” it says, “Hallelujah, you have won the victory, hallelujah, you have won it all for me, death could not hold you down, you are the risen King, seated in majesty, you are the risen King.”

This act wasn’t for glory.  God is already glorious and perfect, he couldn’t attain anything higher.  However he did this for love of us and desiring everything to be reconciled to himself. Death could not hold him down, not because of his deity, but because of the power of his perfect love.  And the amazing thing is that the same spirit that rose Jesus from the dead now lives within us. We can walk in victory over sin and walk in perfect love if we choose. He is King.  He reigns supreme, over everything.  It’s not a cliche that he is King of kings.  He conquered all corruption including sickness and death. This should free us from all fear.  We can love knowing it’s not fruitless. It’s powerful. This is why whoever loses his life for Jesus sake will find it just as he lost his for our sake.

Faith Hope and Love

People don’t know what these words mean.

Faith is not belief. James says faith without works is dead.  It’s has to have an action or reaction.  Hebrews tells us it’s by his spirit.  Unfortunately the meaning of Hebrews 11:1 changes depending on it’s translation.  The best I see says that Faith is “evidence” of things not seen, and “substance “of things hoped for.  A thought or feeling is not evidence or substantial.  You don’t go to a court of law and prove something by thoughts and feelings.  You have physical evidence.  Jericho’s walls falling down was “evidence” of the unseen God. Samson’s strength was “evidence” of the unseen God’s power.  When you look at Jesus he says to certain people, “your faith has made you well.” The centurion had revelation of Jesus’ authority.  He listened to a truth spoken to him by the Holy Spirit and Jesus was amazed that he listened and spoke “just say the word and my servant will be healed.” That’s when he praised his faith.  It wasn’t a “belief” it was his acceptance of the Holy Spirit’s truth and him speaking in faith.  The woman with the issue of blood, where do you think she got the idea to touch the edge of Jesus’ cloak? The Canaanite woman too had a revelation of the character of God. She refused to believe he didn’t care for her daughter.  Something was revealed to her by the Holy Spirit.  Same thing with Peter.  Jesus asked who he thought he was.  The Son of the Living God.  There were people listening to the Holy Spirit around Jesus. Others just focused on Jesus, and that got them in trouble.  The centurion believed Jesus words, but Lazarus’ friends and family did not.  They had to have Jesus come in person and rejected his word that he would be well. They did not operate in faith. Thus Jesus wept numerous times in their presence. Faith means the Holy Spirit initiates something inside of you and you act on his leading.  The Bible says we should live by faith.  Not by believing, but by submitting constantly to the Holy Spirit’s leading.

Hope is not wishful thinking, it is expectancy, it’s probably what you thought faith was: knowing what God will do.  That sort of belief. Hope is  the confidence that God wants to grant your desire. We can have confidence before him if our heart condemns us not. You don’t fear.  Fear has doubt, and according to James it means your love has not been perfected.  Love always hopes.

Love is not a feeling, and it is not an action, it is desire.  It is willful. It is a mindset. When you love somebody you want them to be whole despite the cost.  Not happy, but whole. Would you want your kid to be happy in a cage watching tv or playing a video game and never being free? He might be content, but he isn’t whole, he’s missing freedom.  Same with God.  He didn’t want us to sin and be broken, but at the same time he didn’t want us caged.  He loved us and wanted us whole, offering freedom and healing.

1 Corinthians says these 3 things will remain: Faith (ability) Hope (vision/expectancy) and love (desire for wholeness).  We will always have God’s goodness, his ability, and his holy nature if we take part in him.

What is Fruit?

Some think it’s mostly deeds of good will, but in actuality it is more about words.

Matthew 15:17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”(NIV)

James 3:9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. (NIV)

Matthew 12:34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.(NIV)

We read in 1 Corinthians 13 that we could do all the good deeds, even sacrificing our own life and still not have love. Love doesn’t keep account of wrongs, love always hopes and trusts, love is not self-serving or prideful or boastful.  You don’t do a couple acts of love. You live a life of love.  That shows the Holy Spirit is within you. Love is desiring someone to be whole despite the consequences.  It doesn’t matter if you get tortured or killed or lose everything you hold dear.  That’s why Jesus said that anyone who isn’t willing to lay down his life for him is not worthy of him.

You don’t get to that place later, you do it now.  Jesus said to count the cost before you jump into this or you will become a laughingstock. (Luke 14:28-30) Or if you set your foot to the plow and then turn back you are not worthy of him. If you are not willing right at this moment to lay down your life for God, God has never been revealed to you and you do not know him. The disciples were not saved until after Jesus died and was risen. They scattered when he was arrested.  Afraid to die for him even when they saw miracles, their eyes were never truly opened to who he was. Afterwards he breathed on them and they received the Holy Spirit, and all but one was martyred. They prayed for boldness and rejoiced in persecution.

We cannot claim to be Christians and not be holy.  God judged Israel when they stopped representing him. Do not claim to represent him if you have gossip pouring out of your mouth. Do not claim him if you have greed and hatred. If you cannot love someone who has hurt you, how can you claim to have the love of him who while being crucified said, “Do n0t hold this sin against them”?

Love Test

I’m always wondering what God wants from me.  I want to operate like the early church did and want to do whatever I can to get to that place. I know the disciples gave up everything to follow Jesus. I know he wants us to count the cost.  But I think there is some other requirement as well. I’m reminded that if anyone wants to come after God he must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.

I’m reminded of Psalm 73 where a man thought his righteousness was in vain. He gave up things.  Job gave up things. They also held out for God’s goodness. If we are going to represent God we need to know him. We also need to be careful not to think we know everything about him.  Paul said we could only see him partially or unclearly as though he was a reflection in a mirror. The Pharisees thought they knew all about God and were condemned. Paul realized we wouldn’t know fully until we saw him face to face.

So before you get discouraged or disappointed in God, ask what you need to learn about him. We know he’s perfect, we know he’s good and loving, but we don’t always act like it. There is something we don’t understand or fully realize about his nature. John the Baptist became discouraged while in prison and asked if Jesus really was the Christ. He proved he was by fulfilling prophecies regarding healing and encouraging the Jews. Life won’t be perfect, there will be persecutions and there will be hindrances. Jesus was not always accepted in the towns he went. However scripture states that love never fails.

I get frustrated because many people will “wait” on God and yet die without ever receiving.  We don’t just “wait” on God.  We shouldn’t be like Martha and go into autopilot, but rather like Mary and just listen.  We need to learn.  We can’t just pray and read the Bible out of habit, or to try and win God over.  Motivation and heart is everything. We need to actually seek God to know him, and then teach others what his love looks like.

Do what you can.  Do you know that God is your provider?  Show it by giving.  Do you know he is your comforter?  Show it by consoling.  Do you know he is your protector?  Defend others. Do you know that he shows mercy and has forgiven you?  Forgive others. I believe God will show you more and entrust you with more as you minister to others his love.