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Persecution: don't flatter yourself

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Many Christians will say the Bible tells us people will hate us for being followers of Christ.  They will use the words of Jesus telling us we will be persecuted because of his name.  People use this part of scripture to attempt a validation of THEIR actions.  When their actions anger people, they all but shrug their shoulders and say, "Well the Bible tells us people will hate us when we speak the gospel in Jesus' name." I am not entirely sure people today are angry with the gospel OR Jesus.  I am not convinced that people are angry because we have really represented Christ to these people or our culture.  In fact, I think most people are great with Jesus but angered by his followers' actions.

I am not sure people hate the gospel as much as they do the Christians.  I am not convinced that our culture is frustrated with the gospel, Jesus, Christianity or its message as much as they are with the the followers' actions in the name of the gospel, Jesus, and Christianity.

There WILL be persecution for those who are followers of Christ (that much is promised) but there is a fine difference between persecution and deserved disappointment and frustration with poor examples of Christ, the gospel, and love.

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The Evangelist in You

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I have been asked what my evangelistic style is, and while I am not one to stand on the street corners preaching the word of God from the rooftops, that may be partly because I think there are better ways in which to preach the gospel (more effective ways). It may also be due to my understanding of evangelism as more relational than a force-fed rant or learned intellectual pathway or "road" written on a restaurant napkin. Now I am a firm believer that some people have the spiritual gift of evangelism, and those people should absolutely teach and preach the gospel at all costs.  But where there are some of us with this gift of evangelism, we are ALL called to relational evangelism.  If you are a Christian; a disciple of Christ, you absolutely must evangelize.

There is a common misunderstanding among Christians today that says, "Well I'm not really into evangelism as much as I am discipleship."  As if they are exclusive of each other!  You cannot be a disciple and not have a desire to evangelize.  Disciples, followers of Christ are called to GO and make disciples of all nations.  Evangelism is a part of discipleship.

Though you may not be one of those who have the gift of evangelism as a teacher or preacher, you are absolutely and inescapably called to relational evangelism.

As relational evangelists, our job is to treasure and cherish relationships with other people.  As relational evangelists, we have to be mindful of these treasures at all times and everywhere we go.  Relational evangelists realize that building sincere relationships with people means simply being involved in people's lives...intentionally.

As these relationships are built, you are always devoted to your growth in your most important relationship, with God, and as that primary relationship bleeds out into all others, you begin to break down all the destructive stereotypes people have of Christians, and thus, Jesus.

We know that Jesus is diametrically different from the stereotypes our culture has of him and his followers, and that if HE is really seen through an authentic relationship, even the most resistant people are drawn by authentic and sincere love.

As disciples and followers of Jesus, we are all called to be evangelists, and though you may not have the gift of teaching and preaching evangelism, no Christian is exempt of the call to relational evangelism.

Blameless; not faultless

Consistently thorughout scripture is reference to people being blameless before God. A few years ago I read an Oswald Chambers footnote that changed the way I read that word from then on. It simply said "blameless; not faultless". This is humbling on one hand and encouraging on the other.

It is humbling to know that you are still not without fault. It is humbling to remember that you still live on earth short of perfection. It is good to have this humble reminder once you have been called 'blameless'.

It is encouraging to know because of Jesus and as you consistently walk with God, you are blameless before Christ even though your life is still not without faults.

It is encouraging to know even though your life is bent toward destructive choices (faults) you can still be seen as blameless if you will be entangled with Christ and walk with God.

May I learn to live blameless though not always faultless.

Double-dip: book review and letter to my daughter

Zondervan gave me an opportunity to read and review The Heart of the Story by Randy Frazee. I am certainly glad they gave me this opportunity.  Have you ever read scripture with a bit of driving coma? You know that way you arrive somewhere and suddenly realize, "I really was not aware of any moments driving here just now"? I often wish I had no understanding of scripture at all; I wish I did not know the ending of some of the stories. I wish I could read scripture through a different lens than I have grown accustom.

If you feel the same way The Heart of the Story will serve you well. Frazee sets the tone with the difference between the Upper Story (God's story above our here and now) and the Lower Story (the story we see unfold day after day in front of us). Randy writes in his introduction, "As a pastor, I have the privilege and responsibility to help people to understand the Bible...One of my greatest joys, however, is to see that 'aha!' moment when they learn that God's Upper Story in the Bible connects with their own Lower Story of going to work, caring for their families, and trying to live decent, honorable lives."

I am beginning a slow walk thru what will be my daughter's Bible adding commentary written to her. Below is what I intend to write on the inside flap, and I think it also serves as a great review for Frazee's book.

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Bryleigh,

This is the story of a Father who has always anxiously awaited every opportunity to be with and near his children. It is the story of a Father who promises and protects his children even when they do not understand; even when they outright abandon him. It is a story of an outrageous love that will do crazy and drastic things. This love of a Father will do things you never thought possible or even necessary at times, but make no mistake, this Father's love is real. It is not a fairy tale or piece of nice fiction.

It is a Father's love that could not wait for his children to be created. It is a Father's love that was pained when his children turned away from him. It is a Father's love that always protected and shielded when it could. This is a Father's love that offers the greatest gift ever given to anyone.

My hope for you is that you will always know this Father to be near you. I hope you will know a love for you that is so tangible you could taste it. I hope you will always remember this love through your life as the one truest love that cannot be debated or shadowed. I hope you know this love and trust it even when it is hard to understand.

This hope of mine  will require of you trust and risk; risking enough to trust in such an outrageous love.

This is a love for you nobody on earth will ever be able to match, including me, and I love you more than you will ever understand.

This is a large and long (eternal) story, but each piece will make a bit more sense if you remember the Upper story of a Father's outrageous love for you.

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Bold act of humility

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Proverbs 25:21-22 demands that we serve our enemy when he is hungry or thirsty, and in so doing, we heap burning coals on his head. It is a reminder that our actions communicate and accomplish much more than our words alone. We can be great at lip service to an apology and attempts to make things right.

When I serve my enemy, I place them in a position where any further attack on me would be crazy, because what kind of person attacks someone who cares for you?

I can also defuse a situation that is only a situation and allows you to see a person. People deserve respect, and when our frustrations are out of the way, we may actually find someone we like a bit. We often dislike in people the characteristics we dislike most about ourselves.

Reconciliation requires a bold act of humility and is not concerned with payback. It is not concerned with selfish demands. It is not concerned with whether the response will be your view of "equal".

Who are you in an argument with right now? What is some way you could enact a bold act of humility and completely disarm the argument and the person to find reconciliation?

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My daughter's gift from dad: circa 2028

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Today I ordered my NASB Wide Margin Leather Bible. I should say I ordered Bryleigh's Bible. Per the example of a couple father friends of mine, I am embarking on a story between father and daughter. I will be walking slowly through this Bible writing out my brief commentary  in conversation tone. Each writing is to address Bryleigh with God's story and my hopes for her.

Once she turns 18, the Bible will be my gift for her.

My depraved little daughter and the creation of the world

I remember the days and months leading up to the birth of our daughter. At some point, my wife and I wanted to share our life with another human being. We would share our life with a human being we would create together. As the day approached we got more and more anxious for her to be here...with us. We had already made all the preparations we were going to make, and now we wanted her to be with us.

When she was born, I looked at Tonya and said, "She's perfect!"

I imagine God has an incredible plan to always be with us. That seems to be the real point of creation. God wanted to be with us. He wanted to share life with us. He, together with Spirit and Son, created us.

After all the preparations he had made, He just wanted us here. Once human life was created, he said, "This is very good!"

Tonya and I have huge hopes for Bryleigh; hopes of a bright and incredible future.

God intended for not only a bright future, but a perfect one. He for us, like Tonya and I for Bryleigh, wants the best. But life does not play out in perfection.

Bryleigh will make bad decisions I only hope she learns from instead of getting stuck in. My hope is for her to have a perfect and harmless life, but that is not the world we live in.

God intended for us to never suffer, and that did not happen. He intended for us to live in perfect harmony with one another; I don't even know my next-door neighbor's name, and I called the cops on the neighbors across the street.

Immediately when we were given choices to make we were introduced to our innate selfishness; our depravity if you will.

We are bent toward selfishness. Randy Frazee writes, "Good looks for out for others; evil looks out for self."

But though Bryleigh will make poor choices, and it will break my heart to watch, I will still walk with her. I will still be WITH her, which is what Tonya and I wanted all along.

Though Adam and Eve were banished from the perfect garden, God would meet with them outside the garden.

Still today, God meets us outside his perfect plan for us and walks with us through every experience, no matter how broken, hurtful, or torn-up those experiences might be. No matter how selfish I am, he wants to be with me.

This is the outrageous loving heart of a Father who could not wait for you to be here.

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Where were you

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I had run out of my student apartment like I did every morning; quickly and without regard to anything but making it to class on time. As I walked to the other end of the South Campus parking lot, my friend Justin came out on to his balcony and asked if I had heard.

After a briefing left me stunned, I sulked my way to class. My mind was clouded with disbelief and some confusion.

I came to the one of the common areas of campus where they had wheeled in some televisions for coverage. I arrived just in time to watch the second plane hit. Screw class!

Chapel was strange that morning. It was indicated that classes would resume that day. I had no idea how that was a good option.

Later that evening, there was a large group of students gathered to pray. In my smaller cluster of students, I remember praying, "God, we have no idea why things like this happen. We simply have no idea, but help us trust you."

They were only words I could hope came from a deeper place of truth inside me, because even today I have no idea what I would have prayed.

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My Top 10 Posts of All Time

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All is Grace by Brennan Manning [a review]

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This was the most difficult book I could not put down. This book was discovering that his or her alter ego anchors every soaring super hero. It was finding out Santa Claus pees and poops just like I do. Brennan Manning used to be my hero.

You are going to hate this book if you are looking for an account of the profound things done by one man in God’s name. You will not find here the account of a faith powerhouse who, with shear grit and discipline, followed God flawlessly.

You are going to love this book if can accept that God’s love for you is ridiculous and entirely impossible to comprehend or define. You will find here a beautifully broken picture of this love we all want to taste, but it is not an orthodox portrayal for you to study.

The writings and teaching of Brennan Manning have been a slow IV drip when my reliance and trust in Abba’s love have dehydrated. They have also been shock paddles to my heart in emergency moments when I am flat lining under the weight of shame, temptation, and failure.

I first heard the word ‘ragamuffin’ in 1999 in Brennan’s book The Ragamuffin Gospel. It ravished my aching heart. I came to understand God’s grace and furious love in a way I had never taken hold of in my life.

The ragamuffin is one with a singular prayer: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” Brennan explains further in All is Grace: “any additional flourishes to make that cry more palatable are pharisaical leaven.”

The ragamuffin is one who understands that he, along with every other person, is a beggar at the door of God’s mercy. She is the one who is bedraggled and beat up in life and faith, but have learned to take the hand out of grace without regret or allowing shame to hold them back.

Revealed in this book are all the brokenness and pride, the shame and the wounds, the arrogance and failures that lie behind all the books and accolades. Brennan takes large risks in a tell all memoir, but he would clarify in other books that trust is no trust at all without risk. The amount of risk taken in this book reveals with just how much trust Brennan has fallen on the love his Abba.

One of my favorite poets, Buddy Wakefield defines forgiveness as “the release of hope for a better past.” This book reveals the hope of forgiveness. You see a hero forgive the unforgivable others in his life, namely the unforgivable within himself.

Your heroes will do all they can to keep you from seeing the sad and broken realities behind the capes. Brennan Manning used to be my hero, but this book has made him far more of a hero than he ever was.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j73mYgpxhTY&w=560&h=345]