“Happy Birthday To Me!”

36 years ago today I experienced my spiritual birth. Over the years I have learned new things and been challenged in many ways. I was a 21-year-old living at home with a dead-end job, substance addiction, little hope and no direction or purpose. I had declared that I would be dead before I reached 30 but what is really scary is that I didn’t care.

I have been encouraged and I have been declared crazy because of my encounter with Jesus of Nazareth that night. During that encounter with Jesus I felt as though a warm shower had washed over me removing all of the doubt, despair and hopelessness that had haunted me.

Tornado Relief Team!

Lifelong Friends!

Since then, I survived my thirtieth birthday, been blessed with the best family and friends any person could dream of. I have been trained and conditioned in all of the “correctness” of religion and have wrestled with the tension of thinking and believing what I understood I was supposed to think and believe.

August 11, 1984

The Best Daughter EVER!

The Best Son EVER!

Happily Ever After!

My theology is still pretty orthodox but my relationship with The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are more important than the components of my doctrine and theology. I found tremendous freedom in understanding that God will continue to be a wonderful mystery to me and that He will never run out of ways to amaze, encourage and inspire me. “…His compassions never fail. They are new every morning…”

I knew that I had reached what could be considered spiritual “maturity” when I became complacent in my journey. I felt I had learned and experienced everything there is to experience and that there was nothing new under the sun.

Then one day, when I read King David’s words in the 51^st Psalm, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation”, I realized that God doesn’t want me to be “mature” to the point of complacent haughtiness. He wants me to continue to experience the joy, peace, hope, wonder and amazement that I experienced 30 years earlier. He wants to amaze me – and He continues to do so.

Me & “Blitz” At A Wedding

Jesus said, “…anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it”. I want to always look at God and all of creation with the wonder and hope of a child. Maybe that makes me immature, childish or even naïve, but it also brings me peace, joy and hope.

People can argue my theology and my experience. Other believers can question my doctrine and theology, people of different faiths or no faith can question and doubt my experience but the simple beauty is this: No one can take it away from me! It’s mine – it’s in my heart, mind and spirit. And that can never be taken from me!

I Get PAID To Talk!

Thank you, Jesus! I love you!

“The Zen Of Jesus”

I had an interesting thought. How might the teachings of Jesus line up with the teachings of Zen Buddhism? I began to search the Gospels for teachings by Jesus on peace, love, contentment and the avoidance of worry among other topics.

Then I figured that there must be others who have had the same thought so I Googled “The Zen of Jesus”. On the first page alone I found six books available on the subjects of “The Zen Teachings Of Jesus” and “Christian Zen”.

I am not advocating doctrinal synchronization among world religions but I am so confident that Jesus truly is “The Way, the Truth and the Life” that I am compelled to present Him as more approachable to individuals hindered by preconceived notions resulting from the toxic rants delivered by a few of his vociferous followers.

There are countless individuals who are struggling so deeply with the trials and tribulations of this life that they aren’t concerned with theological discussions about the afterlife; like, if there even is one.

Jesus said that He was anointed to…

“Proclaim good news to the poor, proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”                                           Luke 4:18-19 / Isaiah 61:1

     

Anyone who is grieving, disenfranchised, marginalized, depressed, ill, confused, in pain and / or simply wondering why they exist would do well to consider examining and meditating on the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Even if one is not searching for salvation or eternal life but simply for some meaning to life and relief from the pain that can be so prevalent in our world, Jesus will meet you where you are. I am confident that one will be surprised and even impressed by encountering Jesus apart from the “trappings” of religion and just might find something even deeper and more wonderful than the existential meaning and relief they are seeking.

“Commandments, Suggestions & Relationships”

(I haven’t posted in a few months but the following thought came to mind. After arriving at my conclusion I figured that it is a good subject to post)

God gave us the Ten Commandments as the foundation of the Law (Torah). As people of faith we need to look at the Law through the lens of God’s heart.

Why did God give us the Law? What does God ultimately want? Does He want our obedience or our love and devotion?  He wants both but how should they be prioritized?

Jesus said that the Law, all of the Law and Prophets, were summed up in the Greatest Commandment, which is, from a human perspective, two commandments intertwined as to be unable to be separated.

Mark 12:30-31                                                                                                                                             “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’  The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.’”

Relationship is the key. God wants us to love Him first and foremost. He does want our obedience but He wants our obedience to be an outflowing of love and devotion to Him rather than an act of self-protection from divine wrath.

The best way for me to illustrate this concept is as follows…

The seventh commandment instructs us to “not commit adultery”. In our household that has never been stated as a house rule or law. (We don’t really have house rules, just an implied code of conduct developed over years of relationship.)  it would however, be a violation of a vow I took over 30 years ago to be a “true and devoted husband, faithful to her and to her only…”

I have never committed adultery, I have never cheated on my wife. Why have I not committed adultery and why will I not do so? Is it because I do not want to face the consequences of breaking that rule? That could be a secondary motivation but the primary reason that I have not nor will I ever commit adultery is because I love my wife. I am madly in love with her and I could not bear to hurt her, break her heart or betray her.

While the consequences of such an act would be devastating to me that devastation on my part would be warranted but the pain that my wife would endure would be incomprehensible and I could never recover from knowing that I had inflicted such an atrocity on someone so special and so important to me.

My reason for obeying the no adultery rule or not because it would be a violation of law but because I would be hurting someone I love deeply. Our relationship would at best be damaged and at worst, destroyed.

God wants us to get to know Him on such a level that our adherence to His commands are motivated by love for Him, not of simply doing good.

“Black And White In A Gray World”

In the 1980’s Christian singer, Leslie Phillips sang “Black and White In A Gray World” describing the challenge of living with a distinction between right and wrong in a world that is becoming increasingly ambivalent regarding good and evil.

I do not advocate a gray world but we should acknowledge that there can be different shades of both black and white.

What do most Christians really know about Islam? We are quick to point out verses from the Qur’an calling for violence against “infidels”. I acknowledge the existence of such verses but can we really judge the entire religion and its practitioners based on these hand-selected passages?

Have we forgotten the murders of abortion doctors, the bombings of abortion clinics (Granted these have largely declined in recent years) and beatings of homosexuals all in the name of God?

How do we respond when a new skirmish in the Scripture Wars erupts with…

“’Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”  1 Samuel 15:3

If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them. Leviticus 20:13

As Christians, we understand the contextual application of such verses but it is difficult to generate a solid position regarding handpicked verses in the Qur’an when we see how our own Scriptures are misquoted, misused or simply taken out of context. It would serve us well to recognize that all religions have their own “Westboro Baptist Churches”.

The Muslims I know personally are devout and they are kind, peaceful, friendly and often exhibit a warm and welcome sense of humor. They choose to live in the United States because they want to peacefully practice their religion in a nation where all religions are free to worship according to the dictates of their particular creeds and scriptures. They are fully accepting of me as a Christian and respect my devotion to Christ. I am quite certain that they don’t believe that I will go to paradise upon my demise but they are supportive of my devotion to my faith and to my Savior. I can accept that. I don’t have to affirm heaven as their eternal destiny in order to respect them as people created by God, loved by God and worthy of respect.

Should we be any different in our treatment of the practice of other religious observers when there is no violation the laws of our land?

I am not naive – ISIS and Al Qaeda among others have clearly revealed a clear and present danger but doesn’t mean that we should paint all Muslims with the same brush.  We are to consider them individually through the lens of God’s love.  We need to follow Jesus’ council to be “wise as serpents and innocent as doves”.

“So, I Guess I’m Purple”

The death of “ism” is exceedingly liberating.

Somewhere in American history, Republicans were painted “Red” and the Democrats tinted “Blue”. Republicans aligned with conservatism and Democrats sided with liberalism. (Of course, they have traded positions from time to time.) Based on this palette I have euthanized my “isms” and assumed the color “Purple”.

My blood may be RED but not RED enough for Fox News junkies and my alignment with the RED Party withers daily. My one-time connection with the BLUE Party as an 18-year-old was merely a rebellious reaction toward my very RED parents and didn’t survive a full term.

My individual opinions are unique treasures.

I oppose abortion – RED.

I oppose the death penalty – BLUE.

I support conservation – BLUE.

I support infrastructure progress – RED.

I advocate for the second amendment – RED.

I advocate reasonable gun control – BLUE.

I cheerlead the search for alternative energy sources – BLUE.

I drive a vehicle that is lucky to yield 20 MPG – RED.

I love Jesus Christ – REDDISH PURPLE.

I respect a Muslim’s right to worship openly in America – BLUISH PURPLE.

Politics frequently inspire division so I endeavor to avoid bitter and futile discussions on the subject. However, responsible citizenship requires one to participate in such muddy conversations in order to further the social and cultural common good. To do so one must occasionally dance into the political ballroom in order to be aware of the issues that affect society .

A possible next step would be to invent new words like “Libervative” or “Republicrat”.  But for now…

I am free! Color me PURPLE!

“Forest and Trees”

Science helps us to see, recognize and identify the trees.

Faith and spirituality help us appreciate the beauty, grandeur and majesty of the forest.

“Happy Birthday”

35 years ago today I surrendered to Jesus Christ. I didn’t even know that we were at odds. Its not about politics, it’s not about being conservative or liberal. It’s not about gay rights or gun control. It’s not about immigration or border definition. It’s about recognizing that a perfect God loves and desires relationship with imperfect man of which I am the most imperfect. It’s not about joining a church or a denomination; it’s not about aligning with a certain belief system, it’s about knowing that I am a selfish person who desires the best for myself and that I am passionately loved by a God who would rather suffer Himself than see me or anyone else suffer. Thank you Jesus for loving me when I didn’t love you. Thank you for giving me hope and destiny when I was certain that I had no hope.

You are not a religion or a religious figurehead; you are what God looks like when He puts on humanity for clothing. Holy Spirit of God, help me to love unconditionally as you do. Help me to love others as much or more than I love myself. Help me to love God with all of my heart, mind, soul and strength. Help me to treat others as I want to be treated by them even if I don’t agree with them or they don’t agree with me.

No one has to agree with me or disagree with me. Jesus delivered me from drug addiction. He freed me from fear of the future and self-doubt. He gave me hope and a destiny. No one can take that away from me. He didn’t call me to a congregation or a denomination; He didn’t even call me to a religion… He called me to love Him because He loved me first. He didn’t call me to behave; He called me to love Him and those whom He loves – who are everybody. He didn’t call me to change my culture or nation or society. He called me to love everybody.

Jesus. you can heal ALL wounds! You can fix ALL relationships if we will simply love the Lord our God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength and love our neighbors as much as we love ourselves. Treat others the way we want to be treated. If I want to be treated with respect and dignity by those who disagree with me then I must treat those with whom I disagree with respect and dignity.

I choose to extend love and grace and leave judgment to God!

“Hell; The Anti-Eden”

Biblical descriptions of Hell include a lake of fire, outer darkness, weeping and gnashing of teeth, Gehenna and Hades among others, none of which offer much appeal.

While Hell is largely considered to be a dungeon created to torment and punish unbelievers it is actually an accommodation for those who want nothing to do with God. It is not God who makes Hell the frightening dystopia we understand it to be. The cause of it’s hellishness is the absence of any essence of God. I would suggest that it is a place created in neutrality by God but, absent of God’s influence became a place where man’s imperfect and selfish nature reigns sovereignly.

There are Biblical prophecies that are not part of any grand design but are illustrations founded on a divine foreknowledge of what happens when man’s freewill runs amok. Imagine a society devoid of any semblance of God. (John Lennon’s song notwithstanding)

Hell, as described in the Bible, awaits any soul choosing not to enter into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Since Heaven is a place where the physical presence of God is manifest in the omnipresence of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, why would anyone who does not want to live with God on earth have any desire to live with Him in a heavenly city where His presence is constant?

Hell is devoid of any evidence of God’s existence and so, once inhabited by fallible, imperfect people the social trajectory is predictable; unbridled selfishness.

To summarize, Hell is a place with which God has little or nothing to do. He created Eden as a paradise to be shared by Him and His beloved human creation. He created Hell as a place for people who do not welcome fellowship with God. Consider it the Anti-Eden.

“How Did Jesus Treat His Adversaries?”

He loved us!

He prayed for us…

He died for us…

They we might have life abundant and everlasting…

“Silence of the Lamb” (Jesus’ Restraint)

“He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.”   –Isaiah 53:7–

The arguments over such hot button issues as atheism vs. deism, same sex marriage, and the theological differences between various religious groups are increasing. The battle of the Scripture wars would be amusing were it not so heartbreaking. With regard to our position as evangelicals, do we honestly think that there is anyone left who has not heard the Biblical remarks regarding homosexual activity? Members of the LGBTQ community quote scripture with the same deftness as evangelicals. They are well aware and are not frightened by the threat of hell or judgment. The only response is a rejection of the acerbic condemnation that they believe is being rendered toward them. They sense no concern for our opinions regarding their eternal or earthly well-being.

Here is the rub. LGBTQ advocates, if evangelicals treat you with love, respect and dignity even while they hold to their deeply held convictions of marriage being intended to be between a man and a woman, can you also treat them with love, respect and dignity? If we can draw together on the common ground of finding happiness in this life and for serving our communities can you join together in that?

There were times when Jesus demonstrated His wrath such as the account of His overturning the tables of the moneychangers in the temple courts. He also spoke harshly to only one segment of society; the religious leaders of His day. Those whom He viewed as the “regular” members of the community He treated with honesty, respect and most of all, love. There are also a few instances when Jesus remained silent. Permit me to look at two.

First, when Herod asked Jesus to authenticate his claim through the performance of miracles Jesus remained silent because He knew that Herod only wanted to see an illustration of the hype he had heard about Jesus as well as to goad Him into a senseless quarrel but Herod was not sincerely seeking to known Him.

Next, when Jesus was hanging on the cross between the two thieves one sarcastically and desperately challenged Jesus to rescue them all. Another confessed his crimes, accepted his fate and acknowledged the innocence of Jesus. To the second thief, Jesus promised paradise. To the first, He remained silent.

It might be wise to employ this practice toward those who challenge our faith and sincerely held belief. There seems to be no gain in engaging militant atheists, members of other religions or any segment of society that continually fires provocative salvos at God and His people.

Perhaps we can honor Jesus more by not being dragged into pointless quarrels and arguments. Maybe we would better represent Him by engaging only in constructive and edifying dialogues. When we are asked sincere questions we need to answer with respect, dignity and love. When we are being taunted and accused, silence just might be the holiest response.