Need we say more...

"O death, where is your sting?
O hell, where is your victory?
O Church, come stand in the light
Our God is not dead, He's alive! He's alive!"

Praise God!

The Gospel, Grace, and Race

I guess it's fitting that the black guy pull out the dreaded "R" card. Yep. Race. My brothers, isn't it amazing how a something created in such a awful time in U.S. history has been adopted to stay away from each other on perhaps the ONE day in the week (at Least) where we should be coming together. And if it's not separated by skin tone and preference, it's through theological differences. Now I am not saying that we should Rob Bell on 'em and say everyone is going to heaven, nor am I saying go out and find you a black/brown/white/etc friend, but I am asking for a little bit of Voltron/Power Ranger Unity (by the grace of God). Learning to hang out with people of differing races, and to a certain extent, some like minded Christians from different backgrounds, allows you to see God from a different facet. It troubles me when people can only see that their church is the only one in an area doing something with the gospel, like they've got a hold on what God is doing. It can start to sound like the Jews for a minute, who thought they had dibs on what God is doing and everyone else was "unclean".

This thought process has been brewing for a minute after pastor JD referred to the minorities at summit as heroes for putting aside their personal preferences for the sake of the gospel. I was conversing with another brother and he suggested sarcastically that I was a "hero". Due to the nature of my brother's comment, it seemed to me that he missed the bottom line of what JD was saying. For example, being black, a couple of months ago, had I just stayed for praise & worship, I probably would have dipped. Let's be honest-it's just not my style. However, I am glad that I stayed to hear the Gospel for the first time. It wrecked my world, and I don't think that I have been the same since. It has altered my though process in dealings with other people, especially with my wife. Matt A. and Ninjattitude are great brothers, and I pray that we would continue to draw other brothers that don't look like us, but are drawn to the glorious message of the gospel. This is the only thing that can bring us together. God gets glory when anyone comes to trust in Him, but what a picture to share the gospel with people who look like you, and don't look like you! When we get outside of our comfort zones and preach the gospel to ALL nations, our Pop in heaven goes crazy! So I pray that we would continue to spread the message of the gospel, that draws people from different backgrounds, racial, ethnicities, people groups, and nations.

"He's got children of many colors, He goes hard in the paint!"- Sho Baraka

Mike B.

The Process

I do not think anyone would disagree that we live in a society that is obsessed with what they can get now. It seems at least in the western world that everything is driven and designed to make things happen immediately, and if they cannot happen immediately then as quick as possible. From the “get rich quick” schemes to even the downloading of information, we do not really want to wait or fight for much of anything. I mean no one likes getting stuck behind a slow driver because it delays wherever they are going. No one has the patience to really slave in the kitchen to cook a good meal. But that is ok because if you don’t get stuck behind a slow person on the road you can have your food now. Someone just sticks his or her arm out a window and you just drive by and swoop it up. It seems that in everything there is a short cut to get to where we are going because we want everything now. All day long we are bombarded with ways to get what we want now. What I am getting at here is that instant gratification and the desire to have everything now removes us from the process.

Have you ever noticed during Christmas time you can’t wait till Christmas morning? Then when it comes it is gone very quickly and not really as good as you thought it would be. However, if you look back at the process leading up to Christmas, that is where all the hype came from. You got caught up in the process. The process was the Christmas lights, the music, and the anticipation of being around family. Lets not forget about the making of Christmas cookies, the shopping with family, the fat ham, and the weighted gained. The process was the best part not the end result. When we skip the process and are so focused on the goal and so focused on what we think we need now, we miss all the nuggets of truth and revelation the process has for us. It is really in the process that all things take place. Because once you arrive at whatever it is that you had to have now or had to learn now it is gone and something else has consumed our thoughts to obtain now.

I am going through the process right now. I am living in Mijas, Spain serving at G42 Leadership Academy. When I came I did not think I would be sweeping the floor and being the maintenance guy. In this process there has been greater growth for me in humility and servant hood, than there would have been if I had been put in a leadership position from the onset. I am also learning that in this process you can serve your way to greatness. Jesus said in Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” So what processes are you’re currently in that you are trying to skip over? What are you trying to get right now that could have a process involved? There is much joy in the process. I will end with this quote from Donald Miller, “love the process more than the results.”

Gospel Idolatry?

I was in a meeting yesterday with a bunch of very smart dudes and one of them raised the question, "Do you ever think we make an idol out of the 'Gospel?'" What he meant was, do we ever prioritize the "Gospel" (what God did) so highly that we are worshiping that instead of God.

What a great question.

Is it possible we idolize the gift more than the giver? Absolutely. Is this idolatry? Absolutely. We don't worship God because Christ came and lived the perfect life and then died in our place; we worship Him because He is God.

The beauty of the gift of the Gospel is what it shows us about the Giver. What God gave us was not a way out of hell, or world peace, or even happiness. What He gave us was Himself. The beauty of the Gospel is not just what was accomplished, but who He is. Is it possible we emphasize Jesus living, dying, and resurrecting while neglecting the Incarnation - God quite literally giving us Himself in a way and shape that we would know (and thus love) Him better? 

So, do we love the Giver because of what He accomplished, or do we love the gift because it helps us know and love the Giver more?

Thoughts?

Well

Well

My soul, wait in silence for God only,

For my hope is from Him.

He only is my rock and my salvation,

My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.

On God my salvation and my glory rest;

The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.

Psalm 62:5-7

I was thinking the other day about an old song, a hymn called It is well. I know what you are thinking and the answer is no, I don’t normally think about hymns. Normally my thoughts consist of the most recent sports headline, or what’s for dinner, or the why gas is costing twice as much as it did last year. Anyways, I was thinking about it, and wondering is it well? How am I really? Am I at peace? Is it well with my soul? I think this is a question that a lot of us ask. It comes in different forms, like do I have peace, or am I happy? It normally does not end there either. Even if we do not ask this question outright, we pursue the things that try to make us “well.” People pursue God, money, fame, sex, success, family, drugs, education, adventure, friendship, television, food, and the list goes on and on. However, I wasn’t thinking about this question for other people, I was thinking about it for me.

I had a time that I was brutally honest with myself. I think that we like to see ourselves in a good light, and quite honestly, do a disservice to ourselves by thinking we are better than we really are. I mean I could tell you that I grew up in a good home, with loving parents. I have had only one speeding ticket, and other than that have no other qualms with the law. I work with kids and I go to church. Those things are not bad, in fact, others would consider that I am doing just fine and have nothing to be ashamed of. That with a little effort I can be anyone I want to be. From the immediate perspective, they’d almost be right. But, if we are being honest… and I mean really honest, then my state is not that good. Actually, it is really bad. How do I mean? Well since you asked I will tell you…

I can be incredibly insecure. I try to find ways to validate myself. Often times, I use sports, and if I can’t win against adults, then I play the kids that I work for even though I am supposed to be there for their benefit. I think that its cool or that I have done something when I dunk on a 9 year old or block their shot with fierceness while yelling. Yes, some of it is a joke when I block them and they laugh, but other times, well lets just say I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it. I am scared of rejection. From friends, from girls, even from those who have loved me all my life, and there is truly no reason to be. I long for attention, I long for a good position at my job, I long for a pat on the back every time I say something I think is funny. I am un controllable need to be understood. Are you understanding now? . I am selfish. I still take my laundry to my parent’s house sometimes for my mom to do it. I said sometimes. I want people to do what I want to do and play what I want them to play. I whine when I don’t get my way. I cannot stand when people take my food. I want the praise owed to me. I fight against my constant need to be entertained and satisfied now. I want the lane afforded to me on the road. I am a glutton. I eat to prove what I can eat. I get it and satisfy myself instantly. My god is my stomach. I judge people who don’t eat, think, or act like me. I feel like I’m smarter, better, holier and better put together than most of the people who I meet. This comes from both my pride and insecurity. Explain that! I am an adulterer. If you talk to PETA then I am a murderer. I have stolen, lied and cheated. I have fought, slandered, gossiped, held prejudice, adulterated, hated, rebelled, self- fulfilled, and am a glutton. I am completely vile, depraved and evil. I deserve nothing but hell. It is not well with my soul…

Here I feel utterly helpless, without joy, hope, or love. Here it is low, it is the pit. Here is the truth about me. Just me. It doesn’t matter who I am or where I came from, the fact is that is who I am. Here I feel unlovable, unredeemable, lost, and rejected. Dead.

It is only by grace it does not end here…

There is a greater truth about me… and at the same time as nothing to do with who I am or what I have done. I have only given you half of the picture of my life. Call it deceitful, I told you I am that already. Call it suspenseful, or even good writing, or bad if you wish… but what I gave you was only about me. However, there is another who has placed a redemption upon me and as given me a different identity.

The state of myself that I described is similar to all other people. We are not perfect and our souls are at unrest. However, I know of a greater truth, one about me that has been given to me by another. God has seen my soul’s unrest and that I am evil. God saw this problem and entered into history to live and be everything that I could not, perfect. He came to offer himself for my imperfections. He offered Himself up for my gluttony, insecurity, and adulterations. He came as the man Jesus, and lived a life that I could not live, and then died a death that I should have died. Why? Because there is something that He finds valuable in loving me, in loving man. He saw that it was worth it to lay aside heaven, and come to earth, and experience hell on it. He thought it worth it to be rejected, slaughtered and killed. He thought it worth it to take what I deserve for my evil and place it on Himself. To state it clearly: though I deserve death and hell, Jesus came so that I can have life in Him and what He has done. Not only was he perfect, blameless, without sin. He then by his death and resurrection conquered it and passed it on to me. I am here with you not in the bondage and hell that I deserve, but in the life that has been graciously given to me by Christ. In this great exchange I get Christ’s righteousness, blamelessness, and perfection. My old truth dies and the truth about Christ becomes my identity. I get His identity. I become heir with Him and inherit, well I get Christ. You ask me, is that it? I say that is all I need. He is life. He has given me peace and freedom from the man that I am. His truth is greater than my truth. It is because of Him that I get rest. It is because of what He has done that I can have peace beyond any circumstance I find myself in. It is because of Him my heart sings: Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul. It is well, It is well with my soul.