Some People Love Jesus Too Much

Now that you have read the title, I am sure you have formulated an opinion. Can you love Jesus too much? It depends on what you mean by too much. We can never love others in the name of Jesus too much, care for elderly or sick too much, stand up for the oppressed too much, or reach out to the lost too much. We can’t pursue Christ too much, pray too much, seek Jesus in his word too much, or serve in His name too much. So how can we love Jesus too much?

”Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and not do what I tell you?” Like 6:46

(ESV) ”Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”Matthew 7:21

There are a lot of people who use the name of the Lord, but it is for selfish gain. My son showed me a tweeter he follows called, ”Preachers and Sneakers”. Pictures of preachers wearing outrageously expensive shoes and other clothing while preaching the gospel. They are examples of prosperity theology and the use of God for personal gain. But you don’t have to buy expensive shoes to fall into this trap. American evangelicals spend a lot of money on clothing, vacations, sports, and hobbies. And though there is nothing wrong with these endeavors, to do them to the exclusion of investing in God’s work is to walk hand in hand with the prosperity theologian.

You can’t love the Lord Jesus too much, but it is possible to love yourself too much. I’m just saying…

What I Should Have Said

Jesus is the Answer and Mental Health 

“Simple Answers Are The Most Profound, Not Easy.” There is nothing easy about simple answers. Let me give an example. “(ESV) The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6,7. 

Often we find ourselves in situations that cause us to be anxious. Paul said that we are to cast those worries at the feet of Jesus, and by doing so he will give us peace and guard our hearts. That is a simple and profound answer to anxiety, but it is not easy on two levels. First, we love to worry. We will always find something to worry about, whether it is an illness, children, work, relationships or church we can complain about everything under the sun, which creates anxiety. It’s not easy to give up something we love. Paul continues, after verse 7,  to think on honorable things, beautiful things. Peace comes when we stop complaining and stop focusing on the negative. Instead, we need to focus on our identity in Christ, what he has given us, the blessings that are ours in Him, and our hope of eternity in Christ. 

The second level has to do with chronic anxiety, chemical imbalance, or behavior disorders. Though the above answer to anxiety holds true for these situations as well, the added component of mental health complicates the issue. Anxiety as a mental health issue helps us understand the complexity of our mental state. For people who suffer from a chemical imbalance, medication helps them to see and think clearly. But there are underlying triggers that if not dealt with will fight against recovery. Triggers such as a poor identity in Christ, a loss of hope, or deep meaningless in life, if not corrected will increase anxiety.  But with proper medication and a disciplined mind focusing on Truth, our minds can be transformed. 

So, for our brothers and sisters who wrestle with chronic anxiety, depression, or any other mental disorder, let’s remind them they are loved, even at their worst. Don’t assume everything is alright when they say it is, often their facial expression or body language says differently. Also, share scripture. There is nothing more powerful than to hear God’s word.

Simple? Yes. Easy? No. I’m just saying.

The Saga Continues (Shed Raising)

I know I said the last blog was the end to the shed story but is it ever really. I woke this morning to dark clouds on the horizon, and all I could think of was the incomplete roof. What could a little rain do to such a sturdy structure? I went outside and the air was thick and warm. I put a few things in the shed for safe keeping a headed for my car (a morning meeting). No sooner then I put my foot in the car a raindrop fell, then another, and another until it was torrential. The wind blew, 50 mph and a shingle flapped against the shed roof. 

Fortunately, I couldn’t see out the back window, for all the rain. The sight of what the wind was doing to my poor shed was too much to bear. I turned out of the driveway and to my right I could see something through the wall of water, a black specter flapping after me. Whatever has blown off the roof would have to wait, and I didn’t want to think about it.

Storms test the quality of our work. I think of that in relation to God. “(ESV) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10. We are the product of God’s work. Those who believe are filled with His Spirit, given the blessings of heaven, and the strength to live for Christ. If He is truly in you (Christ in you the hope of glory), then you will weather the storms of life. Anything that blows off or falls down are the parts of our lives we don’t let the Spirit recreate. What we do in the flesh will be like building on shifting ground, it won’t stand.

The master craftsman is always concerned with the details. He takes care to fasten the little things because he knows that is where the wind or rain will make its way in. In our lives the little things are important. What’s the old children’s song, “careful little eyes what you see, careful little hands what you do, careful little feet where you go, for the father up above is looking down in love, careful little one what you do.” Live according to the plan of our Heavenly Father, and in the storms of life, you can find shelter and peace. I’m just saying.

After breakfast, I will go home and see the damage is. 

(I went home before after breakfast and only some tar paper blew off)

Barn (shed) Raising the Conclusion

Uhhhhh! If I had a nickel for every nail I had to take out I would be rich. Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not complaining (yeah, right, I am too complaining), but as hard as I tried I just couldn’t get it right. In fact, I watched YouTube videos to make sure I was doing it the right way. “It’s easy, even you can do it, and in the next 10 minutes you will be able to install your shed’s roof like a pro.” Don’t believe them, they are Satan in disguise.

Rake first or drip plate? Is it a drip-plate or drip cap? Does the tar paper (or is it felt) go on top of the drip plate or under it? The answers were as different as the number of videos I watched. My friend showed up as I proudly laid some tar/felt paper. Did I see him sigh? We did some “adjustments” and then he started a row of shingles and left me to follow his example. What does he think he is doing, leaving me alone? My heart sank as he drove out of the driveway. I felt like a little kid whose dad left him and didn’t say when he would be back. I got up on the roof followed his pattern. I’m not saying it looks good or not, because it’s not quite finished. Tomorrow is another day.

I wonder if Jesus ever got frustrated with his disciples? “(ESV) 8 But Jesus, aware of this, said, “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? 9 Do you not yet perceive?” Matthew 16:8,9. “(ESV) 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.” Matthew 8:26. “(ESV) 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith.” Matthew 17:19,20.

They didn’t get it either, and though Jesus chastised them for their little faith, he never sent them away or rejected them. I am sure he might have rolled his eyes. But this is discipleship. Teaching others how to do what you can do, correcting where they go wrong, then letting them do it again and again. Discipleship is God’s call on every believer, and it is never easy. Life is messy and it takes time to train up people to be more like Christ. They try and then try again. Sometimes you have to take out a lot of nails, but the next time you will do it a little bit better.

I’ve learned a lot about building a shed, and about discipleship. I’m just saying...

What I Should Have Said —This Is the Testimony

This is the testimony, God sent his Son, to be the propitiation for our sin, so that we who believe might have eternal life. 

Why does God even care? Why doesn’t he just hand us over to our eternal punishment? Why not destroy everything by fire and start over again? Why send his Son at all? We are a rebellious people. We constantly violate God’s holiness. Striving against one another with gossip, backbiting, hate, and murder until we are consumed with self interest, impurity and corruption. We put on a good show, by giving money to charities, smiling and shaking one another”s hands, and loving our own, but deep down sin is eating away at the foundation of our souls.

So, why does God care? “(ESV) 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?... (ESV) 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:35-39.

God’s love is so deep, so wide, so encompassing that he is compelled by his character to love his children. I can’t imagine anything that my boys (or grandchildren) could do that would cause me to love them less, I might get angry, impatient, disappointed, but I would always love them and want to do good toward them. To do less would be to deny  my fatherhood, and to deny myself. If this is true of me, how much more is it true of God?

(ESV) 13 “if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.” 2 Timothy 2:13. God can not deny himself, and he is love. He is justice. He is holiness. He is mercy. Since he “is”, then he “must.” God’s justice demand propitiation, and His love demands the giving of His Son. For those of us who believe, it means eternal life. For those who reject His gift, eternal death. That’s God’s testimony, a testimony I will attest to as long as I have breath. I’m just saying

Barn (Shed) Raising Continued

I want to be that guy. Measure (forget about it), eyeball it and hope for the best.  Now, back in my Youth Ministry days, I decided to redo the Youth Room. I recruited a carpenter and an electrical engineer to organize the project. The room was full of teens and adults reshaping the Annex basement. 

I noticed that a wire was hanging from the ceiling, and knowing that it was not going to lead to a fixture I decided that it need to be cut short. “POP”, sparks  and I was this to the ground, and the subsequent darkness all pointed to a bad idea. Cutting a live wire could have killed me. My electrical engineer friend helped me up and pointed me toward the carpenter.

I was tasked with building a false beam, about eight feet long. The carpenter explained what needed to be done and left me to my safe assignment. Thirty minutes later he came by to see how I was doing, and I proudly stepped back and displayed my handiwork. He was kind and showed me why measuring and cutting were important. What he really did was take the whole thing apart and in five minutes had built a completely different looking false beam. He then asked if I would sort through the nails.

I want to be that guy. The walls to my shed are up, and a sample rafter was left for me to copy. No cutting necessary, I just had to nail them together. My friend also set up a jig to make it idiot-proof, and it didn’t take me long to finish 10 rafters. Now to put them up. Surely I could do this. I figured out a process and in no time they were all up. I stepped back and looked at my handiwork and thought it didn’t look that bad. Until my two friends showed. One of my rafters was completely wonky, and several others had to be moved in order to fit the sheets of plywood. Out of kindness one of my friends told me that it wasn’t unusual to adjust rafters. It’s good to have friends.

I want to be that guy, but my patience is too short, my concentration on the little things is overlooked, and my experience is not enough to know if the job is down well or not. What I’ve learned, is that takes a community. Nehemiah wrote, “(ESV) 6 So we built the wall (shed). And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people (my friends) had a mind to work.” 

The reality is that I am not that guy when it comes to construction. I’m a great gofer, and I can sort through nails, and I can nail things if it is made idiot proof. I am so blessed to have friends willing to take the time to help me with my shed. They do it because they are that kind of guys, servants and selfless. I’m just saying…

Mennonite Barn Raising

A good ole Mennonite Barn Raising, or in my case a shed raising. I purchased a DIY  shed kit. Everything you need came with it – Even the nails. The instructions said, ”minimum carpentry skills required.” There you have it. Everything pre-cut, all the hardware is the provided, so all I needed was some hardy men to help. We even threw in cinnamon rolls for breakfast (we started at 7 am), and sloppy joes for lunch.

With hammer in hand the first nail was struck. ”Was that an explicative?” several wacks latter,  and if these men swore the air would be blue. So, as good Mennonites, any swear words were tucked away in their minds; between them and God.  

The problem was the nails. They were soft and kept bending. So soft that you could bend them with your hand. It was going to be a long day. I would not be beaten by nails. Off to the local lumber store, and I returned with a nail gun. (don’t judge me, I was looking after my men). It was nice and much faster. 

Wait, the pre-cut was pre-cut to fit perfectly. Fortunately, we had a carpenter and math whiz who made the calculations, adjusted the corners and pulled out his circular saw. Then came the anchors. The drill bits were too short and the drill not powerful enough to drive the anchor. Off to the store again. They had only one, really long bit, which was not the right size. I bought it, along with a new box of anchors. It was now going great!

It was the hottest day of the year (so far), and it took its toll on all three of us. I felt like my Dewalt drill when the battery is draining. I probably sounded like it too. The walls are up, and the sun is going down. We have to finish it another day.

I like the concept of a barn raising. A community of people gathering to help one of its own. That’s the way it should be. We also are being built up. Not with human hands or earthly materials. The Apostle Paul said, ” In him, you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” Eph. 2:22.

We are “being” — it is a process that God works in each of us so that together we will be a dwelling place for God. Think about it, Christ in you, in us, the Spirit of God working on us, to join us together for a common purpose; to be his dwelling place. That makes us special in Christ. That’s why I like corperate worship. It’s a taste of what’s to come. See you tomorrow, I’m just saying.

Propitiation — What I Should Have Said

Propitiation— offering a sacrifice to appease the wrath of a god. The scripture says, “But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King. At his wrath, the earthquakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation.” Jeremiah 10:10. And again, “My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender. 9 I will not execute my burning anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and not a man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath.” Hosea 11:8b,9.

God’s holiness sets a standard (that we cannot achieve), His justice demands recompense (which we cannot endure), and his love makes a way (that we cannot provide). God does not want to display his wrath, because it consumes all that sin and fall short of his glory. God is not like us. His standard is based on his character, and his character doesn’t change, therefore, neither does his standard. Every generation has a cause that believes God is too harsh on a group of loving and caring people, no matter what they have done. Fairness is their battle cry! Inclusion their goal.

However, righteousness is better than fairness. We all stand condemned. That is fair. Love provides a way to escape God’s wrath through faith in the propitiation of His Son, Jesus.  That’s grace and mercy. In today’s culture grace, mercy is trumped by fairness. People want God to bend his standard so that they can escape judgment, but they aren’t willing to submit to God’s mercy and grace and allow God to change them from the inside out. They want their cake and it too. They want their sin and God’s love, and God doesn’t work that way.

Example:

• God’s standard: all life is precious and valuable.
• Man’s sin: abortion
• God’s Justice: “15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” 1 John 3:15
• God provides a way: “16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us,” 1 John 3:16
• Man’s responsibility: “and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.” 1 John 3:16

Example: 

• God’s Standard: Sexuality between one man and one woman who are married.
• Man’s sin: Homosexuality.
• God’s justice: “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,” 1 Corinthians 6:9
• God provides a way: “And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:11
• Man’s responsibility: “The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!” 1 Corinthians 6:13-15.

Praise the Lord, that in the midst of our sin he offers salvation. Praise the Lord, that He is not like us, but is constant and sure! Praise the Lord that He is inclusive because everyone is welcome into the Church through faith in Christ! Praise the Lord that you a part of His family! I know I do, I’m just saying. 

What’s On My Face?

“Look in my face; my name is Might-have-been; 

I am also call'd No-more, Too-late, Farewell” 

― Dante Gabriel Rossetti, The House of

When you look into my face, what do you see? Do you see opportunity? Do you see disappointment? Do you see what could be or regret? What do you see? There are two kinds of people in the world, those who see moments as opportunities to reach out to others, and those who see moments in relationship to their own self-interest.

Russell approached me one day, this is when we lived in Houston the first time. He had been trying to talk to me after church for some time, but was just now getting up the confidence.“Pastor,” he began. “I was wondering if you would like to come over and watch basketball?”

My shoulders must have dropped visibly, or maybe it was the look on my face, but he shot back, “if you don’t want to that’s alright.”

Russell was a nice guy, but spending an evening watching basketball was not my idea of having fun. Nothing interested me about ten guys running back and forth making shots with little to no effort. It wasn’t my thing. I looked at Russell, and then it hit me. He wasn’t asking me to watch basketball, Russell wanted to spend time with me. Basketball was just the excuse.

Too often we miss opportunities to develop deep and meaningful relationships because we get caught up in the medium and not the person. How many times have you turned down an opportunity because it “wasn’t your thing”? You don’t have to accept every invitation, but let’s no miss out on opportunities, because we miss the real reason we are being asked. “So then, as we have the opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” Galatians 6:10.  I’m just saying…

PPPPOWER WASHING

Power washing in the rain seems oxymoronic. But it had to be done, and a friend graciously let me borrow his washer. The problem with borrowing someone’s tools is when they don’t work. I couldn’t get it to sustain a steady spray. The water tickled and then it burst out for just a second and there a trickle. Of course, my phone went out and I couldn’t call my friend for help; emailed instead. Oh, the snail’s pace email. By the time he saw his email and responded I was able to get it going, or rather it was a miracle because it just started working — and did it work. I didn’t realize how filthy my sidewalks were.  Is the glimmer in the moonlight. 

Something about any tool that has the words “power” in front of it — power hammer, power, drill, power washer. Makes you want to grunt. It’s a good thing I have my own well because I could have afforded the amount of water that went through the washer, and the power part, well. Let’s just say that the only thing that fought the 2500 psi stream was the spiderweb. We all know about Spidey strength. Dirt, grime, and algae were washed away in its stream.

 

It reminded me of Pentecost. Imagine praying for God to send you something. You’re not really sure what it is, but Jesus said it would be a helper, the Holy Spirit. You in a circle reading Old Testament passages where the Spirit came in prophets with power, and your heart beats a little faster, and then it happened,

“2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Acts 2.

Like a power washer going off in your head, mighty wind of the Spirit, and the people around them were amazed as they heard the Galileans speaking their own languages. God was getting the attention of these devout men. They knew something was happening and they didn’t want to miss out. Of course, there were mockers, there always are, but the multitudes who would respond to the gospel’s call was unprecedented. 

Are we waiting and looking for something greater, or are we self-absorbed with small expectations of what God can do? There is a time for power washing your patio, and then there is the rushing of a mighty wind I know which one I would rather experience. I’m just saying… 

Relaxed and without a care in the world

Porthos has it made, though he may not think so. Every time I pass through the house he is grabbing my hand wanting me to go out and play. With all this rain I would rather not get all wet just so he could go out and chase the frisbee a couple of times. But he is insistent and eventually I will give in, tromp through the wet grass, throw his frisbee and watch him chase it down with enthusiasm. That is until he no longer wants to, then he grabs my arm and wants to wrestle, which I never do. Now it is 1 am and he has kicked back for the evening and has doned his “I have no care in the world” posture. 

Jesus tells a parable of a certain woman who intreated a certain judge for justice. The judge feared neither God nor man, and would not hear her case. She wouldn’t have any of it and continually came back to the judge to see justice done. The judge had enough and said, “though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this woman keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.” Jesus said, “will not God give justice to his elect, those who he has called.”

Throughout the world, Christians are suffering from persecution and injustice. They cry, day and night, to God for deliverance and He seems to be silent, but he’s not. Their persistence has not gone unnoticed, their cries unheard. Jesus said this, “Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” When Jesus returns he will bring justice down in those who have persecuted his bride. He will not let evil go unpunished.

Do not think your prayers are unheard. In His sovereign time, God will bring you justice, he will bring you healing, he will bring you home. That’s when I will kickback for eternity and take on the posture of, “I have no care in the world.” I’m just saying.

Why Hockey Is A Christian Sport

Watching the Columbus Blue Jackets and I have to say they aren’t too bad. I’m not much for Hockey, but the company is food and the wings were delicious. You might be wondering why I entitled the post as I did. Hockey, you say, is anything but Christian. It’s brutal, the players are pushy, and everyone is watching for a fight to break out. 

32 Now some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. (Acts 19:32)

Some have called this a description of a congressional meeting. A place where people come together watching for a fight to break out. There is nothing more than the evil one wants then to create division in church. As a community, the body of Christ, we reflect God’s love in the context of community, and when our community is broken, God does not receive glory, and the churches testimony is tarnished. That is why the church is called to, ”bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” Ephesians 4:3. 

It is good to dwell in the house of the Lord in unity, and that can be said of St. John. We are entering into a time of unity in mind and purpose. As a result, I believe, we will see God work in our midst. As we learn together how to love better we will find St. John to be increasingly friendly, welcoming, and inviting. The gospel of Christ transforms lives, and as we work together for the common purpose of the Kingdom, we will see depth and breadth of our ministry grow. 

By the way, a couple of fights have broken out during the game. Nothing like our local community of believers. I’m just saying…