the heart of the matter

Last post I talked about trademarks identifying certain things. Nike swooshes and golden arches are something almost the whole world recognizes. A christian ought to be identified two ways..........forgiveness and love. We looked at love and how as Christ followers, we can't allow ourselves to be characterized only by what we're against.

Forgiveness is another trademark that must be a distinction among those of the Way. In a world of backbiting, getting even, bitterness, and grudges, we are commanded by our saviour to follow His example and walk in forgiveness.

Forgiveness in our society is unfortunately looked at as a sign of weakness. Nothing could be further from the truth. Forgiving someone takes a faith, courage, and conviction that is next to impossible but by the grace of God.

The reason we get so angry and upset when people wrong us is because a debt has been incurred. Something has been taken from us and human nature tells you that retribution must be made. (They OWE me) Maybe someone took your good name, your innocence, or your heart. I remember a young person confiding in me that he hated his father for leaving him and his mom when he was a child. The pain and hurt in his voice was heartbreaking. He looked me in the eyes and told me he could never forgive his dad and he wanted him to pay. I kept thinking to myself, even if your dad said he was sorry, you'll never get those years back that your dad was gone. How could he ever get back those years of neglect? The lie of hell is that forgiveness will let the person of the hook, when the reality is that it's the only way you will ever be free.


Forgiveness is simply releasing a person from the debt that we feel they owe. It involves trusting that God will one day right all wrongs and us hanging on to bitterness and anger is a trap that will ultimately ruin us.
Forgiveness does NOT mean that what they did didn't hurt you, that you should trust that person again, or that you have to be best buds now. It means you refuse to allow the things someone may have done to you in your past, dictate your future.
It's a decision, not a feeling. Trust that feeling will eventually follow, but forgiveness is always an act of faith first.

Never was this displayed more lovingly then when Jesus hung on the cross. Everything about this was wrong. The innocent, spotless son of God, nailed naked to a tree. I'm sure the angels were looking at their leader from heaven and wondering if He would say the word so they could show up with swords drawn by the millions. Instead, Jesus, for the joy set before Him, asked His Father to forgive them, for they know not what they do.........It doesn't get anymore powerful than that.

Ephesians 4:31-32

31 "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you."

Romans 12:19

19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,

“I will take revenge;
I will pay them back,
says the Lord.



this easter season reflect on the grace God has shown to you in Jesus, and allow it to change how you see forgiveness.

show me how to love like you

Trademarks, we all recognize them. My kids can't read, but if they see the golden arches, they know that Mc Donalds, complete with saturated fats and germ filled playlands is near. You see the swoosh on a billboard, and everyone knows it's Nike. Creepy green mermaid lady, starbucks is in your future.

What about Christianity? I think there is some confusion as to what should "define" a christian. Do we have a trademark? What should people see in order to say.........Oh, they must be a Christian. Moral Uprightness? Church attendance? Niceness? Political party affiliation?

While these things may indeed have their place, when you examine the life of Jesus in scripture, you see two things that are the common thread throughout the new testament..........forgiveness and love. These things ought to be the "trademark" of every christian.

John 13:34-35--" A new commandment I give you, love each other as I have loved you. Your love for each other will prove to the world that you are my disciples"

Jesus said the proof is in your love for others, not just your love for other christians. You mean I have to love people I don't agree with or even like? (see luke 6:27-36) How do I do that........they're wrong!!

Here's what I feel Christians are in danger of becoming...............People known (trademarked) by what they protest, instead of by their love. We can't go around communicating to people.....I PROTEST YOUR LIFESTYLE, I PROTEST YOUR SIN, I PROTEST YOUR POLITICAL AFFILIATION, I PROTEST YOUR WHOLE WAY OF LIFE!!! "Your protesting of things you don't agree with will prove to the world that you are my disciples" doesn't have quite the same ring to it.

Protesting isn't always wrong. After all, the word protestant comes from the word protest, and Martin Luther tacking the 95 thesis on the door of the castle church in Wittneberg ushered in the protestant reformation exposing many of the clerical abuses happening in the church.
I get that, and it certainly had it's place, but the way we will reach people far from Jesus today is thru love. Show me how to love like you have loved me is a prayer every christian should include daily. I'm not saying we have to be doormats and never stand up for anything we believe in, but I am saying that Love is the hope of the world.

God is love. When we show people love, we show them God.

Here are two songs ( you know how I tend to relate everything to music) that both speak of love. Everytime I hear "bleeding love" I think of Jesus on the cross forgiving his offenders. When I get "cut open" either by someone's comments, peoples behavior, or life's events, I want to bleed love. The other song is what I think of when I see "christians" holding up picket signs that say things like "God hates fags" I'd much rather bleed love than give it a bad name.

The Numbers Game

Every leader, no matter what your leading, should constantly be looking for ways to lead more effectively. One measuring stick for all organizations is growth. Did I have more customers, more profit, or more overall gains than the year before? But what about church?

Instantly when you hear about a "growing" church, you assume numerically. It's one of those things that every pastor asks pretty much any other pastor they meet, "how many people are in your church?" I equate it to when guys begin working out, someone will always ask you how much you bench, as if that is the beginning and end of all strength training. While it is important for churches to reach people, numbers alone are not always a sign of health. Take for instance the 500 lb lady recently featured in the news whose goal is to reach 1000 pounds. You can log onto her website to watch her eat............That is not healthy growth.

Another example, and the spark for writing this blog, was an interesting article i ran across concerning an animal shelter in Ontario. They bragged for years about having a 6% euthanasia rate, compared to other big city shelters that put down 50% or more of its animals. What they didn't tell you, was that in order to achieve that low rate, animals were kept alive in filthy living conditions with very little food, and many animals, while not euthanized, suffered a slow painful death from inadequately treated infections and disease.

They had become a slave to their 6% number and lost sight of what they were really there for......to help animals.

This is not an anti big church post. Healthy churches need to grow. A small church is not synonymous with a healthy church. However neither is just drawing a crowd. We could give away a new car every week and I'm pretty sure our numbers would swell, but is that healthy?

To me, the true sign of a healthy church is one that is experiencing growth numerically, but also spiritually. People should be able to come in to church one way, but grow in their walk with God over time. If there are no "unsaved" folks in your church that are dealing with some major sin issues, your not reaching enough people.

If people can continue to come to your church and never be uncomfortable in their sin or be challenged to change, it doesn't matter how many people come on sunday, your not growing.

Just a few thoughts I have milling in my head about the best way to love and disciple people into the kingdom, without always being hung up on numbers.

What do you think is a sign of a "healthy" church, leave a comment, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

heaven

link to bryan adams "heaven" on youtube because of embedding disabled=(




Heard the cure song "just like heaven" in starbucks last week and it totally brought me back to my high school days. I wasn't a huge cure fan by any means, but it I did have this song on one of my "mix" tapes, created by placing two boomboxes (or ghetto blasters depending on which side of the tracks you grew up on) facing each other. One recorded the song while the other played it, talk about quality.

Anyways, it was the title that stuck out to me in starbucks (where I was supposed to be studying=) but I found my mind wandering to all the songs off the top of my head that talked about heaven.

These were the three that popped into my head and I found it interesting that all of them spoke of a relationship with a significant other that paralleled what must be going on in heaven. I'm certainly not "railing" against these songs, In fact I like them all. (especially belinda carlisle, who didn't have posters of her, Tiffany, and Allysa Milano on their bedroom wall? Ummm me neither.

Anyways, I guess i couldn't help but think that Heaven gets a bad rap most of the time. The bible gives us a glimpse into the glory of heaven and very little of it resembles an earthly david archuleta "crush".


I am including the entire chapter of Revelation 21 which talks of a new heaven and new earth that will be revealed in the last days. Scripture also speaks of responsibilities believers will have in heaven as well as rewards for how we lived on earth. We're not going to sit around playing harps on clouds while eating cream cheese.

I want to live my life, as if heaven really matters.

Revelation 21 (New Living Translation)

The New Jerusalem

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.[a] 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

5 And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” 6 And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. 7 All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.

8 “But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

9 Then one of the seven angels who held the seven bowls containing the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come with me! I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”

10 So he took me in the Spirit[b] to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious stone—like jasper as clear as crystal. 12 The city wall was broad and high, with twelve gates guarded by twelve angels. And the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written on the gates. 13 There were three gates on each side—east, north, south, and west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 The angel who talked to me held in his hand a gold measuring stick to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16 When he measured it, he found it was a square, as wide as it was long. In fact, its length and width and height were each 1,400 miles.[c] 17 Then he measured the walls and found them to be 216 feet thick[d] (according to the human standard used by the angel).

18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city was pure gold, as clear as glass. 19 The wall of the city was built on foundation stones inlaid with twelve precious stones:[e] the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.

21 The twelve gates were made of pearls—each gate from a single pearl! And the main street was pure gold, as clear as glass.

22 I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. 24 The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory. 25 Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there. 26 And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city. 27 Nothing evil[f] will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

"rear" and present danger

Actual news headline below........

NEWARK, N.J. — " A black-market butt-enhancement "practitioner" is injecting New Jersey backsides with household caulk and other hazardous materials, according to New Jersey health officials...........


I am not trying to make fun of people who are obviously now suffering from this "j-lo" surgery gone wrong, but when I read "news" headlines like the one above, I have to wonder.........What is wrong with people!!!!!!@@@!!!!!?

One doctor who treated the victims stated that after receiving the injections their backsides resembled "moonscapes" filled with bumps and craters that resulted in deep tissue and skin infections.........REALLY?@!!! Who would of thought?!!!!!

Are there seriously people out there who would go to a black market plastic surgeon and allow them to pump mystery magic (caulk) into their buttcheeks to be more curvy, or is this an episode of twilight zone?

Look, being a little flat in the back myself, I too have asked "why can't I have a little more junk in the trunk? Can't I have a head turning beyonce booty? Who hasn't found themselves at least once in home depot stroking a caulk gun and wondering if this may indeed be the answer to my body image woes? NO? Umm.....me neither.

Butt all jokes aside, I hope this backside bandit is caught and brought to justice and that the punishment fits the crime.

sooo looking forward to spring

I'm sure there are a ton of michigan parents that cannot wait for warmer weather so that their kids can finally do something active outside!!! With winter dragging on and on it seems like saturdays consists primarily of movies and whining about being bored!! With the sun coming out the last few days, the girls begged and begged to go outside. Here is how that plays out at our house. Dad drags all of the snow gear out and helps them get all fifteen layers, boots, hats and gloves on. Three minutes later they are at the slider with this epiphany........."it's cold out". YOU THINK!!!! Your staying out there!! (my compassionate side takes over) "but Dad, Addy threw snow on me and I can't feel my fingers!!!!!!!!!!" "Are they black yet?....Then your not that cold!" JK. Anyways, I for one will rejoice when warmer weather at last arrives!!!

ps. We are looking for a nice wooden swing set this spring. Anyone know someone getting rid of theirs or where to get a good deal? I constantly check kzoo craiglist but not much is going on. Leave a comment if you know of something!!