Simplicity From Discord

Home Grown Tomatoes Part 2

2012-03-14T16:23:00.000-04:00

Part 2. (You really should read Part 1 to catch up. Click here to do so.)

Let me give you the best example that comes to mind; home-grown tomatoes. Anyone who loves tomatoes knows that a home-grown tomato is in every way better than a store bought, commercially grown tomato. And why? The difference is all in the numbers. The industrial tomato is grown on five hundred acres and harvested by machines. It's picked when green and ripened with chemicals. The store tomato not only lacks taste, it has less nutrients. Of course I'll continue to eat store bought tomatoes but the love and attention of home-grown tomatoes makes them far superior to their commercial counterpart.

So many believers today are really living no better than their lost friends and family. I believe the reason is that “commercial” church is just not as healthy for the beloved as New Testament styled “organic” church gatherings. Christian divorce rates are as high as anyone else. Many men are addicted to porn and Bible believing couples sleep in the same bed at night unmarried. They're active members in their local church and feel no problem with it. Teens fall away from Christ and multitudes are stagnant and disillusioned wondering if there's something more to the “Christian” life. We are indeed unripe fruit being picked and offered to the masses without substance and lacking the true flavor of Christ.

I believe the return to New Testament home-based organic style gatherings is the primary answer to this dilemma. What I once thought was odd and outdated is in fact the Biblical answer to the world’s need yesterday and today. Even the very nature of current and future generations shows us that formal, pyramid led institutional meetings, where everything supports the gifting’s of only one or a few persons, are a detriment to the work of Christ and not the answer. Imagine a large hospital with only one doctor allowed to practice and many patients and you have a clear picture of the average church in America. What if every member were a physician allowed to contribute to the healing of one another as led only by the Great Healer Himself, Jesus? That’s New Testament Christianity.

Don't misunderstand. I attend a Sunday morning gathering that really ministers to me and my family. I liken it to the meeting in the “Temple courts”. However, the part that fosters growing as a strong community of believers is not found in a Sunday “Temple gathering”. And it's not found in a home group meetings where one person leads the discussion in a prescribed direction. It's found in doing life together. It's every one having a word, every one having a song, every one having something to contribute to the gathering. I've been attending this wonderful church many Sunday’s for a year. And yet I don't even really know one person who attends. The folks are friendly and teaching is awesome. But I'd hardly call our gatherings “Church” in the New Testament sense.

So, I'm excited to announce Elevation will be moving in the direction of planting organic churches around Atlanta and eventually throughout the southeast. We’re also launching a teaching radio broadcast beginning April in Cleveland Tennessee.We’ll broadcast at 10am on Sunday mornings on the new 101.3 the buzz FM. It will be a mixture of teaching and interviews with Christian authors and leaders. We hope to spread the broadcast over the entire southeast. And what a great place to launch our first broadcast, in the city where's I've spent so much of my life growing in the things of Lord.

So that's where I am. To many, I'm sure my growing shift toward organic church is a cop-out, or rebellious or maybe they feel it’s based out of failure and pain. Honestly, other than my above reasons, I have no other motivation. And I'm just as excited now as I was when trying to originally launch here in Atlanta. I’m not sure why I did not see all of this 2 years ago. Perhaps I’m hard headed. Or maybe I needed to walk this path for my eyes to be opened on the “Road to Emmaus”. Either way, I just can’t stop talking about this awesome gift we have in Jesus! I see such potential in reaching to the community as the early church did. Breaking bread, meeting in homes, doing life together.

After having worked at the last church for 12 years and now living in Atlanta for 2, I realize those who I’m closest with today, are not simply the ones who I sat with or even worked with every Sunday morning for all those years. It's the ones we camped and vacationed with. It’s those with whom we lived the Christian endeavor in our homes over chips and salsa and “Pictionary.” This is the church. These are the living stones. These are the threads that make up the fabric of organic Christianity. And I like it.

Home Grown Tomatoes and Organic Church.

2012-03-14T16:02:00.000-04:00

Almost immediately after penning the anniversary post last month about our 2011 church launch, God began speaking to my heart concerning the future of Elevation Church. If you want to read that post click here. It was almost as if I had to get that blog out of my system before getting clarity. I felt the Lord say the reason the type of launch we did did not succeed was my heart, my doctrine, my church paradigm were in radical transition.

Even before leaving Cleveland, TN to plant a church in Atlanta, I’d been moving away from the style of ministry I’d been accustomed to operating in for 25 years. I'd began questioning the hierarchical type church government many churches operate in. It was becoming hard to justify a pyramid style leadership when you can’t find examples in the New Testament. I'd told my closest friends that Elevation was going to be different. That when we were ready, we would transition to a plurality of leadership. And we did. I did not want Elevation church to be about me. I let my launch team know at our first meetings that I believed in the “priesthood of all believers.” That each member would be free to contribute to the gatherings as they felt led. It was different for most but they were excited. I said those things but once we started meeting in a building, I indirectly restricted the very things I desired.

I felt the Lord also say the reason Elevation did not grow as we had hoped, was it simply wasn't God’s plan for my life or for Elevation. He explained, by me trying to develop a gathering where every member was encouraged to fulfill their heart, where "everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation" and allowed to give it in the meetings, was trying to pour new wine in old wineskins. The ideas would not work in a large type gathering. In fact in my ignorance I wanted to restrain these things until I could teach people how to properly operate in the gifts in a public gathering. My heart was double minded. I wanted to not be in charge and yet I set rules to restrict others from operating in those things during corporate services. I wanted an “organic” church. But I was trying to launch an "institutional" church.

Within a few days of posting that update in February, God begin sparking a new vision for Elevation. In these last few weeks I've began to be invigorated at the thought of relaunching Elevation Church as a New Testament Church gathering. We’ve had some home meeting throughout the year but the goal was always to grow larger and hopefully into a building. Not any longer.

I think I've been a little behind my close friend Josh Howell. He’s wanted this type of meeting for a long time. For many decades I allowed the “status quo” of church existence to shape for me what “church” success is. Success to many Christians is a big building with lots of members. Status and importance. My new goal for Elevation church is to plant lots of gatherings of no more than 20 or so people. I'm sure when I share that goal, there are negative reactions. Some are disappointed. It feels like failure. Or it’s “Oh well. He could not hack it in "real" church planting so now he's doing some weirdo thing.” Or “he's rebellious,” or "not under covering." If success in ministry is planting a large growing meeting in a building with the goal of needing a bigger building, I've proven I am an utter failure.

But God has radically changed my idea of success. I admit 2 years ago, I couldn’t wrap my mind around creating a home church or an “organic” church. A few years back a missionary friend returned from her multi-year stay in a developing country. She was overwhelmed by the largeness and formality or the US church service she attended upon return. I remember not understanding what she was feeling. What was wrong with our five loud songs, announcements and hour long sermon in a formal building? It was much deeper than that. And now I get it.

Continued in Part 2 (Click here to read part 2)

Removing vain tradition from the Church: Revisiting the tithe.

2012-02-16T16:09:00.001-05:00

"Tithing was not practiced nor hardly mentioned during the first 700 years of the Church."

I’ve been reading a great book called “Pagan Christianity” by Frank Viola and George Barna. This is a book for the brave because it will challenge your doctrine and make you examine how much of what you’re doing as a believer is really grounded in Scripture. And George Barna is no “historical studies” lightweight. Barna is the founder of “The Barna Group”, a research firm specializing in studying the religious belief of Americans.

I did a teaching on tithing last year in which I shared, that although giving of tithes is fine for New Testament believers, it is not a New Covenant requirement. And neither will you be cursed for not tithing. I was excited to read the verifiable history of the tithe as detailed in Barna’s book. According to research by Barna, tithing was not practiced nor hardly mentioned during the first 700 years of the Church. It did not become widespread among Christians until the eight century.

And why is that? I believe the bottom line is because it not a required tenant of New Testament believers. Col 2: 14 “He (Jesus) erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the cross.” Of course some say, as I formerly declared, that Abraham tithed to a type and shadow of Jesus therefore we should also.

First, Abraham’s tithe was a free-will and not an under-obligation offering. Second, Abraham tithed out of the spoils of a battle he’d recently fought. He did not tithe of his income or property and most important, this tithe was the only recorded evidence of Abraham ever tithing during the 175 years of his life. Hardly enough to make as big a doctrine out of it as most pastors do.

Another reason I believe the early church did not practice tithing is because the early church had no strong financial obligations. According to Barna’s research, the early church did not own any buildings to which they were indebted to. Not until Constantine in the AD 300’s began constructing “church” buildings did believers even regularly meet outside of homes. They did, from time to time, meet in public spaces but there is no record of any of these spaces being owned by the early church.

I have more on this topic in part 2. I encourage you to subscribe to this blog in order to receive notification when it updates. If you are ready to take a journey that will challenge your traditions, I invite you to subscribe. Blessings!

Ad Hominem Pt. 3 "Exposing Darkness"

2012-02-14T13:10:00.002-05:00

Ad hominem (ad ho·mi·nem): marked by or being an attack on an opponent's character rather than by an answer to the contentions made.

Wikipedia explains it "is an attempt to negate the truth of a claim by pointing out a negative characteristic or belief of the person supporting it.”

In Part 1 and 2 of this teaching, I share examples of ad hominem in the church and how to identify it in action. I suggest you read those posts before continuing. So what do we do if we recognize ad hominem at work in church or ministry? To begin, let’s take our example from Ephesians 5:11 “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them”. If we experience ad hominem first-hand, it is our duty in humility to address and expose the sin for what it is. It’s possible those who practice this sin have done so for many years and may not recognize it in their lives.

What if you address a particular weakness in a believer and they divert the attention from themselves using ad hominem onto either you or another person in an effort to not respond to your concern? You should gently bring it back to the original question or concern. Do not allow it to be dismissed until it is properly addressed. Only after satisfactory examination of the concern should the focus be moved to you or another person and then only if really needed. What if they refuse to address the issue? Then take another believer with you per Matthew 18.

What if you witness ad hominem in action against another person or group? For example you are in a meeting and someone raises a legitimate concern from a person not present, especially if it is about the leader or ministry itself and it is dismissed with an accusation against that believer? Maybe the leader shares that the concern is not legitimate because brother or sister “So and so” is not a tither or does not attend church regularly or struggles with whatever.You should immediately refocus on the original concern by stating something like, “We all struggle in many ways. Perhaps we should discuss the concern addressed in case it contains truth we need to examine”.

Often, when a church or ministry operates in ad hominem, damaging confidential information about others will be brought up to persons who have no need to know such information. If you’re in a meeting where such info is divulged, you should gently stop the person speaking and ask why they’re divulging such info. If there’s no biblical reason, you should ask the person to cease continuing with such revelations and to recognize their actions as gossip and sin.

Keep in mind a church or ministry that regularly operates in ad hominem cannot be trusted. Leaders steeped in such sin should be addressed and if their sin continues, its members should leave that church or ministry and get connected where leadership operates within biblical values.You can be certain if you’re learning confidential information about others from your leadership without having a need to know, they are most likely divulging your private’s matters to others as well.

To all believers, whether in leadership or not, we must ask the Holy Spirit to help us recognize if we operate in ad hominem. If so, we must once and for all, turn away from that sin and ask the Lord to help us walk in love and truth, especially when confronted with our own blind spots. It’s time to leave being an “accuser of the brethren” to the accuser himself, Satan.

One Year Later (A long update about Elevation Church Atlanta)

2012-02-09T13:42:00.000-05:00

A year ago, Kim and I, along with the Howell family and a small team, began a new work in North Atlanta. We were excited. Elevation Church was to be a safe harbor in a sea of pain and discouragement. We geared everything toward reaching the lost, the un-churched and the de-churched. With great excitement we held our launch service. It was attended well for a first meeting but many of the folks were visiting from the city we relocated from. The rest were family members. A very small number were actually from the Atlanta area.

The next few months were exciting. Although not a large crowd, lost people were finding Jesus, people burned out on vain religion, were finding truth. The worship provided by Josh and April was phenomenal and inspiring. And yet with all this the work did not thrive. We were able to maintain the group’s small size for several months but due to financial reasons, we moved the church into our home. Then no one came. Well, a few folks came but most people stopped attending once we moved to a house. New people stopped coming altogether. We were really too big for our home at the time we made the switch. Plus the address was not on online maps or any GPS.

By summer, Josh and April’s house had not sold thus they were still commuting every week. Low attendance coupled with the rising price of gas, made it difficult to justify having them travel to Atlanta every week. After much prayer and communication with our team we decided to take a break for the summer.

During that time, Kim and I evaluated our hearts in the matter. One striking thing, although we were greatly disappointed things were not going as expected, neither one of us was crushed or discouraged. In fact we still had great joy. We were disappointed that we’d spent so much of our time and money along with donations from generous folks and then to not have what we envisioned. The bottom line is we were not discouraged, angry or sad. We were somewhat confused about why it did not go as expected but we still felt very close to the Lord.

Why we were not crushed?

A decade of learning how God is deeply in love with us really paid off in this matter. We did not doubt the goodness of God nor were we discouraged in Him. I did not blame God. I still trust Him explicitly. I used to say I’d rather attempt something for God and fail rather than do nothing at all. Well, it seemed to be what happened. Then there was the key aspect that I never wanted Elevation Church to be about me or to be centered on my gifting’s or personality. I believe when a church is lead well, it looks like Jesus not the pastor. I did not feel the lack of success was an indictment against me or my self-worth. My value was not wrapped up in Elevation Church. I decided the first month in Atlanta that I could not make my identity rest on whether we succeeded or failed. The bottom line is, a year later, I am in no way bitter about any of it. In fact I’m better.

So what happened?

I’ve tried to sort this question out many times the past 6 months. I’ve asked God and discussed it in detail with the Howells and other church members. Yet I cannot definitively say I know the answer. I’m sure there are some on the outside looking in who may have an opinion. And maybe they are correct. I just don’t know. I have some ideas. One thing is I think we tried to launch too soon. We had not even been in Atlanta for a year when we attempted to do the type of launch that church planting groups were advising to do only after at least 2 years of preparation in the area. I accept responsibility for not putting the brakes on and delaying the launch. I think that affected us more than anything else. We just did not know enough people nor did we know the area well enough to really tap into exactly what the people needed. But hindsight is always 20/20.

It could be me.

I’m willing to also accept that there is something insufficient in me. But honestly I’ve never had great faith in my ability but I do have great faith in God’s ability to use me. Perhaps this was all simply training for the future. Or maybe I was never called to pastor a church. I’m not sure but what I am sure of is I am called to bring truth and freedom to lost folks and to the Body of Christ. I never wanted to make a name for myself. (In fact I never understood why anyone would name a ministry after themselves.) One main reason we attempted to do this was because of my desire to help people. I worked as a church administrator for 12 years prior to coming to Atlanta. I enjoyed the duties of admin in the beginning, but over the years my heart shifted from spreadsheets and budgets to a strong desire to see people healed and rooted in biblical truth. I just did not have it in me to tell one more person to not park in the wrong parking place. Instead I wanted to know if they were living from their heart, and if they know how deeply God is in love with them.

I apologize.

To all those who gave and invested in Elevation and feel let down, I apologize. Our heart was to succeed. We gave many hours of our own blood, sweat and tears. We used what little retirement we had and even hurt our ability to purchase a house by choosing Elevation Church over our own financial responsibilities. We so wanted it to work but it just did not unfold as expected. I pray your faith is not shaken.

So what now?

That’s the million dollar question. I told Kim I feel we’re in a holding pattern. God’s not done with us yet. I have a number of folks who say they listen to my teachings online and skip over everyone on Facebook to read my posts or notes. That’s nice to hear. Not because it somehow validates me but it confirms my belief that I am still indeed called to bring truth to the hearts’ of people. So now, a year later we’ve decided to fully stop meeting as Elevation Church. We have had periodic meetings from time to time since we implemented a sabbatical break last summer. But I feel it’s time to call it a day in terms of trying to maintain a church body. I will continue to post teachings and blog as well as minister to folks in whatever way the Lord leads. I’m happy and healthy in the Lord. Kim and I are more in love with each other than ever. We are excited about the days ahead and look forward to all God has for us.

I want to share about the contributions and equipment that was given or purchased by Elevation Church. Of the funds that were given to help us launch, half was spent on advertising and the other half was spent to buy equipment, pay rent and other operating expenses. I never took a salary nor did Josh and April. We did regularly give to missions. We helped some folks with benevolence. We donated our most expensive equipment, our sound system, to Barry Strait, a missionary in Texas. We sold our box truck at a good price to a church in town. We also donated some supplies to a local Bible study. I took two mission trips with a small amount of the funds and we still have items remaining that we are dispersing to other ministries. A large expense we had was the launch of our church website. Kim and I took over the small monthly fees for that a few months back.

So the heart of Elevation will continue as a teaching ministry at this stage. Kim and I attend a wonderful church that in almost every way is what we desired Elevation Church to be. Every Sunday I get to sit and listen to awesome teaching, participate in powerful worship and rejoice that there is a body of people in this area who reflect the love of Jesus in the way we believe the Bible instructs. So please pray for us as we are in this refreshing, holding period concerning our full calling. We are always seeking the Lord for our lives and still willing to do whatever He puts in our heart to do. Thanks to everyone who invested in us and Elevation Church.

Ad Hominem: pt 2

2012-01-12T13:02:00.000-05:00

ad hominem (ad ho·mi·nem): marked by or being an attack on an opponent's character rather than by an answer to the contentions made.

Wikipedia explains it "is an attempt to negate the truth of a claim by pointing out a negative characteristic or belief of the person supporting it". In part 1, I shared that organized religion has the bad habit of using this technique when addressed with valid opportunities for repentance.

In John 9, the Pharisees are questioning the blind man healed by Jesus. The man is making a valid point, "Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” Pay attention to response by the religious leaders: To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.

We as members of the Body of Christ and especially those of us in leadership, must not fall prey to the temptation to dismiss potentially valid contentions about us by resorting to ad hominem.

Ad hominem deflects the focus from the greater problem by pointing out the flaws of the person making the accusation. This is dangerous because real concerns within a congregation or its leadership are never addressed. It's another form of killing the messenger instead of dealing with the message itself.

To recognize ad hominem is a precarious task. Human tendency is to be easily distracted from the more important matter at hand, especially if there is any validity to the deflector's claim. Once again from Wikipedia "Abusive ad hominem usually involves insulting or belittling one's opponent in order to attack his claim or invalidate his argument, but can also involve pointing out true character flaws or actions that are irrelevant to the opponent's argument. "

Susan brings a concern about the preschoolers' curriculum. But her concern is dismissed because she's in the middle of a divorce. "How can she really know what's healthy for the church?"

Here are identifiers to recognize when habitual ad hominem is used within a church congregation:

1. There's a large amount of departures from a church body, to which a negative reason is assigned concerning the departure. What this means is if 10 families have left the church and 8 of them, according to the leadership, departed for the "wrong reasons", this is possibly ad hominem. Of course these negative reasons are not typically announced but whispered throughout the congregation. And usually in the guise to "pray for" the Johnson family because "Bill has gotten into some weird teaching."

2. When you yourself inquire about a concern that another has within an organization and the questions are regularly deflected by answers that shed negative light on the person originating the concern.

3. Do you as a member of a congregation know an inordinate amount of negative things about your fellow members? This could indicate that someone in leadership is divulging confidential information in order to minimize concerns made about their leadership by those individuals.

4. Does a large amount of persons who have questioned the leadership in some fashion, also seem to have a negative character flaw or sin associated with them as "common knowledge" throughout the congregation? This indicates ad hominem.

These are 4 of the biggest indicators the sin of ad hominem is in operation with a body or organization. In part 3, I will address how to confront those who regularly utilize this negative tool with the hope to bring freedom to them and to those they are in relationship with.

Ad Hominem: pt 1

2012-01-10T11:05:00.000-05:00

Medieval 12th Century. Godwin is approached by two men in full knight regalia. The sun is down but he can make out by the moonlight that their chest plates bear markings of the Papacy. These aren’t ordinary swordsmen. These are those who do the “church’s” bidding.

“Godwin, please come with us. We need to have a discussion,” one of the men instructed in a polite but serious tone.

Fear gripped Godwin’s heart. He knew what it meant to “have a discussion”. His habit of pointing out to the church leadership their indiscretions, was about to take its full toll. He stepped around the corner as the men followed. After reaching the doorway to his modest home he turned just in time to see the gleaming sword as it silently entered his rib cage. “God save your church.” he gasped as he slumped to the dust and began his new life.

Fast forward. 20th Century. Hometown Church Board meeting: “Pastor Ed, so what are we to make of Deacon Smith’s concerns about how we’re handling the construction of the new vestibule? He has raised some valid points about accountability in this matter?”

The Pastor sat up stiffly as he faced his leadership board. The question caught him off guard. “I fully agree with Smith. I'd hoped to talk with him today but he's still out of town. He's right, we need to tighten the reins to ensure God’s money is not squandered.”

Mark, the newest member of the team took a deep breath and with humility asked the Pastor “What do you think about his concern that you’re using some of the funds for personal use? Is that accurate? I mean, should we be worried?”

The Pastor paused then put his face into his palms. He finally looked up with his saddened visage. “Brothers, I did not want to tell you this... but it looks like I will have to. As some of you know, Brother Smith has been very addicted to pornography in the past. Well, I think he’s gotten back into it again. Maybe even into homosexuality.”

Several men around the table let out a visible gasp.

“I know it’s shocking. I went to Brother Smith's home to ask him about it last week. And well… I feel these recent accusations are rooted in his desire to stay in bondage. He wants to hurt me. To hurt the church. I’m pretty certain, based on some disturbing things I’ve learned, he’s really going down a terrible path. “

“That’s too bad.” one of the leaders shook his head, “I never would have expected it.”

“I know,” the pastor replied, “Let’s be sure to keep Deacon Smith in prayer. I’m planning to ask him to step down this week. I want to be sure to give him time for restoration if at all possible.”

Mark looked around the room. “I’m so glad to be on a team with a pastor with such a heart for the Lord.”

Amens of agreement traveled the large table.

The pastor nodded in sad appreciation. Crisis averted. He then spoke, “Next order of business is taking a look at who we want to head up the next work day. Any suggestions?”

An ad hominem is short for "argumentum ad hominem" which is an attempt to negate the truth of a claim by pointing out a negative characteristic or belief of the person supporting it. One thing I’ve learned in 28 years of ministry is many folks in the modern day church are fully skilled in using this harmful tool. In part 2, I will address how to recognize when “ad hominem” occurs and ways we can restore truth and honor to the modern day church. Stay tuned.

Don't go to bed angry? On second thought, maybe I will.

2012-01-03T13:22:00.000-05:00

This is the second part of my “The Secrets to Happy Relationships” post. In part one I shared in order to cultivate intimate relationships, we must get rid of the tendency to blame others. In this post I’ll share a principle I find to be of great value in maintaining healthy, loving relationships.

I’ll begin by asking where the scripture is found that states “Don’t go to bed angry”? This supposed verse, like the infamous “God helps those who help themselves” is not found in the Bible. Most of the time people are referencing Ephesians 4:26 where it says to “not let the sun go down on your anger”. In my opinion, it’s simply adding too much to the verse to definitively declare it means “don’t go to bed angry”. I do think it perhaps means to deal with anger quickly. However, there are no other supporting verses to help us interpret the meaning with absolute certainty.

Related, I want to share this important principle for all relationships but especially marriage. The principle is; if at all possible, NEVER have a potentially divisive discussion with someone when you are tired, hungry or sleepy. This means for married couples you will sometimes go to bed without having resolved your feelings. The fact people erroneously teach and believe the Bible says to not go to bed angry, has taken what could have been more easily resolved conflict, and compounded its volatility with “tired” thinking. It causes two exhausted people to attempt to immediately address issues that would best be dealt with after a good night’s rest.

If you get rid of the dogma about going to bed angry, you’ll find yourself being more able to resolve conflict. This will lead to more fulfilled relationships. It’s been proven by scientific study, that when tired or sleepy, we show many of the same symptoms as someone who is inebriated. What this means is reasoning skills and self-restraint are very low, while extreme behavior and rash thinking rule our thought processes.

Kim and I have a rule that if either of us is tired, hungry or sleepy, we agree to discuss any important matter after we’ve both rested or had a good meal. You’ll be surprised at how many things that seemed to be mountains when we’re tired or hungry, turn out to be molehills once we’ve both had a good night’s rest or meal. Of course this is not about avoidance but it’s about choosing to set a time when both parties are well rested or fed and therefore, not dragged down by our bodies’ physical limitations. Also, by choosing to deal with the issue later, many times anger will subside right away. It's because the stress of attempting resolution right then at that very moment, is diminished.

I encourage you to take the 90 day challenge to not hold any type of important discussion with others until all parties are both fed and well rested. Choosing this has eliminated much of the conflict in my marriage. It’s bound to help your relationships grow stronger as well. Happy New Year.

Honor

2011-11-14T12:03:00.000-05:00

I was honored recently by my employer. Someone from the corporate office called to say she had good news for me. I'd been sick and was exhausted from some busy days. I needed good news right about then. She began, "Lewis, you've been phenomenal in your position. We're going to fly you to the corporate headquarters, you'll have dinner with the executives and, among other things, we'll take you shopping in the company store." (This store is loaded with techie stuff!) Then she said they were doing this because "we just want to honor you." I was speechless. I thought maybe I was in ibuprofen induced stupor. When it sank into my soul, I did indeed feel extremely honored.

Honor is an important theme throughout the Bible. We're instructed to honor our parents, honor our spouses, honor those in authority and especially to honor our Creator. Exactly what is honor? Webster defines this as the "showing of usually merited respect: recognition".

Honor is good for the soul. As I think about that call, I feel immense gratitude to the ones honoring me. I experienced a degree of inner healing. Honor is like that. It works as a salve coating the places in our heart that need a little TLC.

How do we practice honor? Overall we should exhibit honor in both small and large expressions. In the smaller ways we do so by respecting those around us in words and actions. It's spouses refraining from criticizing one another. Management showing respect to workers and vise versa. This is daily honor. It's paying attention to people when they're speaking, making eye contact, focusing on the person's heart rather than letting our mind wander. It's allowing other people to pick the restaurant even when we "hate that place". This list of "day to day" honor can continue but you get the point.

In "Esther" Xerxes asked Haman what he recommended to honor someone. Haman thought the king sought to honor him. Haman knew what it meant to honor someone thus he suggested: “For the man the king delights to honor, have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head. Then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them robe the man the king delights to honor, and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, ‘This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!’”

This is what I mean by large expressions of honor. I challenge you to find someone who needs honor and then go "over the top" to show them how much they are valued. Honor them with public words and actions such as a celebration party, taking them to a very nice dinner or sending them on a paid getaway.

I also recommend 2 things; if possible, include lots of people in the process who are important to the person being honored. And choose someone who has not experienced much honor lately or maybe ever. Too many times we honor the same people over and over with extravagance while letting others who are equally deserving go without this expression. The Book of James and other scripture instructs us to not show favoritism. All in all, let's be sensitive to the Spirit and bring the healing power of honor to those around us.

It's Over.

2011-10-20T14:04:00.002-04:00

Peter struggled to focus his eyes as he sat up. How long had he been sleeping? Must have been a long nap because the day's events were hazy. He rested one hand on the lush grass then noted moisture. With his other hand he tried to rub the sleep from his eyes. Dew. Morning? He wasn't napping but must have been sleeping all night. He tried to focus on those around him. Next to a smoldering fire he could make out the forms of two men squatting. They were using sticks to move embers around. Cobwebs. He needed to shake them from his mind.

"Peter." He recognized the voice. It was Jesus. "You finally decided to join us, did you?"

The other voice spoke, "Sleepy head. Come over here." It was James son of Zebedee in his low, raspy voice.

Peter stood, lumbered to the fire. Everything was still fuzzy. And bright. Man oh man, the sun was bright. Not blindingly but apparently the morning was well past dawn. But it was not hot or humid. It felt just right. He gazed around.

Wow, he thought, I must have slept deeply. I don't even remember coming to this meadow last night. The hill was covered in beautiful green grass. A few olive and fruit trees were scattered about. There were families sitting across the hillside. Kids were running and shouting in the distance. And there was a beautiful stream bubbling somewhere nearby. It was beautiful. Ah, that's right. They must be in Ein Gedi.

Ein Gedi was is a lush oasis located just west of the Dead Sea. Scenic and beautiful. He'd visited here with his wife, Perpetua, several years back.

Jesus extended his hand motioning Peter to sit beside him. He obliged. Phillip came running over the hillside. "Peter you old man. You're here!"

Peter stood again. Phillip gave him a big hug almost lifting the burly fisherman off his feet.

"You're sure happy to see me," Peter laughed.

"And why wouldn't I be?"

Peter shrugged as he knelt down again. But, in fact, he felt more affection for Philip than he ever remembered having before. He looked over at James and Jesus. He never thought much about it but he really, really loved these guys.

"So, what's on your mind Peter?" Jesus probed.

Then it started coming to him. A terrible dream he'd had last night. Maybe that's why things were fuzzy. "Oh, nothing important... What's for breakfast?" Actually, he asked that out of habit because he felt quite satisfied.

"Something's on your mind Pete." Jesus asked again.

"Well.. yes. I guess there is something. I was a little taken back by a dream I had last night." The images began to fill his head. Violent. Graphic. And yet somehow not disturbing but peaceful.

"What is it?" James asked.

Jesus reclined back and rested his head on one elbow. Phillip and James reclined as well.

Peter continued, "It was a strange dream. First, I dreamed you were arrested Jesus."

Jesus smiled, "Go on."

"Then I dreamed... well..." Peter did not want to say it.

"It's ok," Jesus patted Peter's hand.

"Well. You were scourged and then nailed on a cross to die in Jerusalem."

"No!" Phillip feigned shock. The other guys laughed including Jesus.

Peter was puzzled. Crucifixion was no joking matter. A butterfly paused on Peter's shoulder. He gazed at the peaceful creature for a moment before it fluttered away. He continued, "Then I dreamed I was an old man in Rome. And a wicked man was ruling the nation. The great city became consumed in flames."

"Wow," James uttered sincerely.

"Then I was chased by Roman soldiers who wanted to arrest me for being a friend of yours Jesus. Then I woke up."

The four men sat in silence. Peter rolled onto his back gazing at the remarkable cloud formations sailing above.

"It wasn't a dream." Jesus reclined on his back next to Peter, gazing up as well.

"What..huh?"

"It was real. The cross, Rome, everything."

Peter was perplexed, "No. Here you are. I mean... here we are in Ein Gedi. Judas is most likely off doing some errands and the rest of the guys are probably out buying food for tonight's meal.

"No Peter. Some of the guys are here. But the rest are back there."

"Back where?"

"Back on earth."

"What?"

"That's right Peter. You died in Rome today."

Suddenly the memories flooded like a torrent. He recalled after the flames in Rome, the Christians were blamed by Nero. He recalled being beaten and finally hung upside down on a cross, left to die.

"I died today?"

"Well, actually only your body. You're more alive than ever."

Peter bolted up. Jesus sat up also and faced Peter.

"It's all over Peter.... The pain, the persecution. The dark nights running scared from soldiers, mobs and violent priests, trying hard not to give in to your doubts. No more stuggling with reget for the night by the fire when the rooster crowed. It's all completely over."

Tears began to stream down Peter's face. Then he remembered. He remembered Jesus was crucified on a hill then resurrected in glory. He remembered the day at the upper room when he preached his first sermon.

He remembered the joy and pain of being a follower of the Way. He remembered prisons and parties and crying himself to sleep at night wondering if he would really ever see Jesus again. And now here they were... together.

Jesus stood. Peter jumped up and grabbed Jesus, sobbing and holding him for what seemed like... well, an eternity.

Joy flooded Peter's heart. Tears flooded Jesus' eyes. Phillip and James gathered around the two as family members and friends began to circle the men with smiles and laughter and tears.

"It's over Peter," Jesus repeated. "Every tear of sadness is wiped away. You are home."

Peter released Jesus and looked at all the glad faces gathered around. He beamed a huge smile he could not erase. Jesus then pointed to a large building on the top of hillside he'd not noticed before. Light was emanating from it in fantastic brilliance.

"Walk with me Peter. I've got someone I'd like to introduce you to again. But this time in person."

Are we as Believers mentally ill?

2011-09-29T11:34:00.003-04:00

The past year or so has been quite a ride. To go from being settled in a familiar place among people you thought you would never leave to living in a new city among a new culture to say the least, has been challenging. Regardless, Kim and I love the new life we are living. Our goals in ministry have not unfolded like we imagined, but we are happy.

I’ve learned valuable lessons this past year. A recent article, from of all places, Fox News solidified and confirmed some things I felt the Lord had been saying to me. The article was written by Dr. Keith Ablow posted on Sept 23.

The concept I want to focus on is about our mental well-being as believers. God wants us to prosper and be in health even as our soul prospers. (3 John 1:2) However, the key scripture I want to examine is the one when Jesus says “whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” in Matthew 10:39. I like many, have thought that to lose our life and to deny our self, meant we put aside our desires, our pursuits, our identity and take up a life that would only reflect Jesus. Certainly by all means we want to reflect Him in all we do. But I think we believers have endowed ourselves with mental illness to some degree or another because we have attempted to lay down the very person God has made us to be. God designed and fashioned us before we were born. Our personality, gifts, and the unique being who is ultimately us, are all part of His plan. We are not called to deny being who Christ made us to be. He’s made humanity a tapestry of many threads and colors in order to reflect the magnificence of His nature, thus living in the diversity of His design is how we best reflect the image of Christ.

So what does it mean to lose our life and deny ourselves? I’ve come to believe the part we must lose is primarily related to the following:

1. We must lay aside desires that conflict with the Nature of God, i.e. sinful desires.

2. We must lay aside all self focus.

3. We must lay aside all attempts at seeking to please other people when it violates who God has designed us to be.

“Whoever loses his life will find it”. Jesus wants you to find the life He designed for you to live. Col 3:3 “for you died to this life and your real life is hidden with Christ in God”. God designed you for a purpose. The experiences and people in your life, both past and present, who try to convince you that you cannot pursue your heart’s desire, are possibly the leading cause of your sadness and depression. Jesus is trying to give you the life He desires for you while some others try to keep you from the satisfied life He designed you to live.,

Dr. Ablow states this concerning these ideas, “they (those seeking mental health) must, essentially, reawaken some of what they were born with—the God-given, inexplicable, ultimately undefeatable capacity to move in the direction of their own, unique interests, abilities, beliefs and dreams.”

He goes on to say “This giving up of self is what causes all the suffering. It causes us to be depressed. It causes us to be anxious and panic. It causes us to seek all manner of self-defeating distraction.”

Here are some excellent examples from Dr. Ablow about the character of Jesus we can emulate in order to live the life we were meant to live:

• Christ doesn’t give up his core self for anything.

• He doesn’t surrender it even when he is in terrible pain on the cross, wondering if he is totally alone.

• He doesn’t pretend that those who have hated him for his beliefs are his friends.

• He doesn’t fool himself into thinking that they love him.

• He doesn’t down three scotches because of the gathering storm that will take his life. He doesn’t eat himself into oblivion.

• He doesn’t even let hatred for his oppressors, in the final moments of his life on earth, cloud his vision of who he is and why he has come here.

He goes on to say the way we lose ourselves is by turning away from "people who insisted we abandon our feelings, our sense of right and wrong, our talents, our opinions, our most heartfelt goals, our likes and dislikes, our hopes for unconditional love.”

Remember for a season Jesus turned away from his own flesh and blood in Matthew 12:46-50 when He would not go out to greet his family because they desired to side track Him from His true destiny.

I want to share some powerful truths from the article that Kim and I have come to terms with in the last few years:

• You have to come to grips and accept the fact that some people you very much hoped would love you, do not love you.

• You must stop following paths that felt easier when your real path would have been truer, but much harder.
• You must accept that you are mortal and will have to say goodbye (at least for a season) to everything and everyone you truly love, which should only immeasurably enhance your very love of those things and those people.

In conclusion, you have to be willing to die to “people pleasing”, denying the reality of pain, and to pursue the God given desires in your heart no matter what the cost in relationships. In doing so you will begin to truly live the life you are designed to live.

How do you think believers apply these truths to their lives in order to obtain mental health?

To read Dr. Ablow’s complete article go here. http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/09/23/what-do-jesus-psychology-and-psychiatry-have-in-common/

My Content & Movie Review of "Super 8"

2011-06-09T17:30:00.002-04:00

"Super 8" opens nationwide Friday June 10.

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, language and some drug use.

When 2 of the most bankable names in Hollywood, Stephen Spielberg and J. J. Abrams, collaborate to bring entertainment to the big screen, the odds are it’s going to be a huge blockbuster. “Super 8,” with its excellent storyline, great cinematography and acting, coupled with fast paced chills and thrills, does not disappoint. This film will certainly be the biggest hit of this summer.

“Super 8” centers around a group of teenagers in the fictional small town of Lillian, Ohio. The teens are shooting an amateur film on a Super 8mm camera for entry into a local contest. While filming at night on the platform of a local train station, a horrific train crash ensues. In the aftermath the teens regroup scratched and bruised but otherwise fully intact to discover the cause of the crash was intentional. Upon further investigation they learn by being eyewitnesses to this amazing scene of destruction, that their very lives are in danger.

From this point the film is an exciting ride of action and intrigue as we the viewers along with the teens, try to unravel exactly what happened and what the consequences will mean for the town of Lillian and its citizenry. Perhaps aided by its circa 1970’s backdrop, “Super 8” does an excellent job of capturing the magic and mystery of early Spielberg films like “E. T. The Extra-Terrestrial.” As such it is destined to be a classic film from the start. “Super 8” also contains elements of an M. Night Shyamalan kind of style and feel to the film very akin to “Signs” and “The Sixth Sense.”

Through the hit TV series “Lost”, we learned the writer and director of “Super 8”, J. J. Abrams, has a knack for grabbing viewers' attention with paranormal or science-fiction mystery. His direction here utilizes his masterful technique to immediately connect the filmgoers to both the plot and the cast of characters. His storytelling style causes us to care for each character almost from the first moment he or she is introduced on-screen. The film uses quick glimpses and dark shadows of intrigue to move the film forward, skillfully melding these elements into a well-told story of pain and loss.

There’s also plenty of humor in the dialogue as as we watch these teens emotionally bloom from self-centered kids into young adults who begin to understand the world is a much bigger and unpredictable force to deal with.

In addition to trying to discover the mystery behind the train and its unknown contents, “Super 8” centers on the loss and heartache of one of the teens, Joe Lamb, played by newcomer Joel Courtney. We learn from the opening scenes he’s lost his mother through a tragic work accident. Throughout the film his young character navigates through a tumultuous relationship with his grieving father played by Kyle Chandler as well as developing a romantic interest in the only female in the young group, Alice, played by the wonderful Elle Fanning.

The negative aspect from this part of the story is Joe is never offered any remedy in the way of spiritual help. We as Christian believers know the path of healing from the pain that life on Earth deals to us, is found in our Creator. There’s also the common negative theme underlying many films of the past 30 years that suggests our Government is not to be trusted, and it portrays the military as a force desiring to take away our basic freedoms as a society.

The content of “Super 8” is tame with the total absence of any sexual humor or suggestive dialogue. But like many of Speilberg’s works from the 70s and 80s, there is an abundance of scatological terms used by the young characters. The use of such dialogue is unnecessary and adds nothing to the film other than for those who find teenagers using such crude language humorous. There’s also one strong sexual profanity used by one of the older characters. As expected, there’s plenty of non-gratuitous violence here and there, but for the most part, those scenes are quick and bloodless.

As I shared, “Super 8” is a wonderful offering sure to become a classic like many Spielberg produced/directed films in the order of “E. T.…,” “Indiana Jones…,” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” It’s the best film I have seen in years. Other than the abundance of potty mouth, which is enough to make me wait to see it again with a DVD content filtering system at home, the film has much to offer in the way of entertainment.

My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 5

How To Be a Great Man.

2011-06-08T09:12:00.004-04:00

Father's Day is coming soon. Churches tend to spend Mother's Day exalting mothers and Father's Day rebuking fathers. If you are a pastor reading this, please don't make that mistake. Both men and woman have each fallen short of the Glory of God. There are many great men in the world. Still, everyone can use a little tuning up every once in a while. This article is written to men to be instituted by men in their everyday life.

1. Great Men don't act as if the world revolves around them.  No man is ever fulfilled when his primary goal is to make the characters in his world meet his every need. Find out what's important to the hearts of those around you and help them fulfill their dreams. What if your highest calling was simply to make the lives of those most important to you happier? That's greatness my friend.

2. Great Men look people in the eyes.  Put down the newspaper, laptop or remote control and pay attention. Do you really want your kids' memories to consist mostly of you saying, "Go find something to do! I'm watching the game!"? Deep eye contact when you're listening not only helps you focus on what people are saying, it makes the other person feel better connected.

3. Great Men grow up.  An hour or two of XBOX is ok every now and again, but 5 hours a day is for 12 year olds. Especially if your grass is knee-high, your oil needs changing and the kid's bike still has a flat from last summer. Maturity means knowing the difference between what's very important, what's kind of important and what's not important at all. Can't figure it out on your own? Then ask your wife or mother. She probably knows. :)

4. Great Men treat others with respect. The waitress serving your food, the customer rep on the phone, and the cashier at Walmart are real people with real feelings. They're not your bondservants or genies, so act accordingly. Degrading others with rude comments or actions is never appropriate. For those with wives and children, always imagine the words "Handle With Care" stamped on their forehead. Being respectful is a powerful force for the good. Learn to operate in it.

5. Great Men let people off the hook with words of forgiveness.  Someone messed up your plans, broke your ipad or spilled your Starbucks? Guess what? It's not the end of the world. Everyone loves to hear words like: "It's ok" - "It's no biggie" - "You are way more important than material things". When we use words that make life easier on people and we really mean them, we promote a type of love that heals and opens doors for deeper relationship.

Remember first and foremost it is in our original "fallen" nature to be selfish. The first step to greatness is to ask Jesus to come into your life. He's the only one that can truly change you into a better, more loving version of yourself. You can't effectively do anything on this list apart from Him. Email me to learn more. Lewis@elevatelove.com

This is part one of a three part series. Be sure to click "subscribe" on my blog to get notified of new articles posted.

A Job To Do

2011-05-24T10:50:00.000-04:00

   He stopped, leaning on an dusty outcrop of stone. Something had wedged itself into his shoe. A fruit pit. He worked it out with his calloused finger then gazed at the city sprawled beneath the hill on which they traveled. This was one of his favorite places to visit and meditate on the things that had happened in the past few years. He glanced to his left to see his companions in various states of respite. One had already fallen asleep. This was becoming typical. He wondered if he'd worked them too hard lately. But they never seemed to complain. At least not to him anyway.
   A few of the guys were in hushed discussion about something. Probably about what's for dinner. John, his closest friend, was propped against a tree staring at him with a concerned look. He smiled at John. His friend smiled in return but it appeared forced. John seemed to understand everything that was unfolding. At least more than the other guys. John turned away, closing his eyes then reclining his head on the tree. The sun was slowly inching its way to the edge of the western sky.
   Matt stepped over to him. "Should we head on down before dark?"
   The words "before dark" jabbed at him. Never truer were Matt's words. For there was darkness on the horizon unlike any he, or anyone for that matter, had ever or would ever experience again.
   "Just another moment please," he responded.
   "Sure thing Boss," Matt took a few steps then sat on the ground.
   Matt was the quietest of the bunch. He never seemed to speak unless it was related to logistics. He didn't tend toward debate or small talk. It was always about moving forward or where to lodge or to take lunch. And, he took a lot of notes.
   He turned again toward the city recalling encounters with people there. He remembered a young woman he'd met in a most unusual way. He recalled how she longed to be loved by men. She mistakenly believed if only she could obtain this elusive treasure to be deeply adored by someone, that perhaps her heart would have peace. He thought of Zak and how he was always looking for another successful investment, one more prime piece of real estate, one more thing to bring him closer to financial independence. A lie. He thought of the church people of the city. Bittersweet. Most of them believed keeping an ever-growing list of regulations would somehow appease their God. All wrong. Then there was one pervasive sad thought that emanated from so many, including from his own bunch of misfits. It was the deep longing of regret. The "could-a, would-a, should-a disease." "If only I had done this. If only I had said that. If only I would have taken that promotion." They were always reaching yet never obtaining. Their longing unfulfilled. He began to be consumed with compassion for these people. His eyes swelled with tears of emotion.
   John noticed and stepped over to put his arm around him. "Rabbi?...Yeshua? Are you okay?"
   He could no longer hold back the tears. He looked toward Jerusalem and lamented, "If you had only recognized this day, and everything that would bring you peace! But now it's too late. In the days ahead your enemies are going to bring up their heavy artillery and surround you, pressing in from every side. They'll smash you and your babies on the pavement. Not one stone will be left intact. All this because you didn't recognize and welcome God's personal visit."
   He kept his hands over his face for a long time. Finally, he turned to his disciples, wiped the tears from his red eyes and said, "Let's go down into the city. I've got a job to do."

Is Jesus Coming Saturday?

2011-05-20T12:08:00.000-04:00

The Pharisee Test!

2011-02-06T15:55:00.000-05:00

Right out of the starting gate, converted pharisees in the early church began jockeying for influence concerning the regulation of God's people.

Acts 15:4-5 "When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the Apostles and Elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them. Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.”

The first thing to note is these Pharisee were indeed believers. These were not unregenerate religious people but full-fledged believers in the cross of Jesus. We ourselves must be careful to keep a watch on our hearts lest we fall: 1 Cor 10:12 "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!" Even today the Pharisees are still among us.

So here is a fun little test to see if you have Pharisaical tendencies. Get your pen & paper and a calculator and lets go.

1. A person can add to their righteousness by obeying the law, fasting and doing other good works. yes +5 no -5 not sure +1

2. You keep standards such as avoiding profanity, attending church regularly, yet find yourself being harsh with others, harboring un-forgiveness or gossiping. yes +3 no- 3 not sure 0

3. It is important to dress up when attending a church meeting.
yes + 6 no -6 not sure +3

4. You get uncomfortable with people who get a little too friendly in their relationship and communication with God? yes +3 no- 3 not sure 0

5. You believe you must still keep the ten commandments? yes +5 no -5 not sure +2

6. You avoid being around events like weddings or office parties with alcohol and secular music because it grieves your spirit.
yes +3 no -3 not sure 0

7. You believe the Cross paid the price so fully that you know God has settled once and for all his view of you and your sin. yes -5 no +3 not sure + 1

8. You know that God is never ashamed to call you his own. yes -4 no +3 not sure 0

9. You believe that certain acts of righteousness open up heaven to your prayers. yes +3 no -3 not sure +1

10. You enjoy when you have a title of honor bestowed on you at church and you really-really enjoy sitting at the head table. yes +4 no -4 not sure 0

11. You believe being led by the Holy Spirit every day and not by keeping standards, is what makes a strong Christian. yes -5 no + 5 not sure +2

12. People who preach "Jesus plus nothing" to be right with God have watered down the real gospel. yes +5 no- 5 not sure +1

Now add them all up.

Your Score:
35-48 Sorry but you're really looking like you might need a long flowing robe to go with that attitude!
20-35 Watch out, you may be the blind leading the blind.
5-20 Not too bad, but you probably need to get into Hebrews and learn just how much better Jesus' sacrifice is than yours.
neg. score to 4. Good news! You understand what it means that because of the cross "mercy triumphs over judgement".

Of course this test is unscientific. No harm intended. But, if you scored high you may want to take another look into the promises of the New Covenant. Then maybe ask your friends and love ones how they view your faith in action. Either way, it is an easy yoke and a light burden that will draw people to the Kingdom!

Footnotes
Question 1. Romans 3:22, Gal 3 1:3
   2. Matthew 23:24
   3. Mark 12:38
   4. Romans 8:15
   5. 1 John 3:23, 2 Cor 3:7-8
   6. Matthew 11:19
   7. Hebrews 9
   8. Hebrews 2:11-12
   9. Hebrews 10:19-22, Hebrews 4:16
   10. Matthew 23:5-7
   11. Galatians 5:16-18
   12. 1 Cor. 2:2, Eph. 2:8

The Old Covenant Law has no place in the lives of believers.

2011-01-21T01:05:00.001-05:00

The Old Covenant Law has no place in the lives of believers. I know that stirs up some folks but I challenge you to read this post and see what the Holy Spirit speaks. Now, I didn’t say the Old Testament Bible has no place. The Old Testament is a treasure trove of awesome knowledge including Creation, the history of God’s people, and prophecy that points to Jesus. But again, the Old Covenant law is not for those who are Born again.

1 Timothy 1:9 We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels.
The Old Testament Law had one purpose: to show us we were incapable of saving ourselves. It was not for health reasons. It was not because things, people, animals are inherently clean or unclean. It was to show us our sin and to condemn us. 2 Cor 3:7-9 says the Law “brought death and condemnation”. The Bible clearly states this is the purpose of the Law, to convince us we need Jesus.

In fact the law does not even curb sin. Paul said in Romans 7:8, ”But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead.”

We are tempted by Eve’s original sin. Let me explain, there is nothing in scripture that indicates that Adam or Eve were guilty of trying to learn the difference between good and evil so they could do evil. On the contrary, Eve saw the the tree was desirable for “obtaining wisdom” (Gen. 3:6). I quote Andrew Farley from “The Naked Gospel”, “The original sin was not Adam and Eve thumbing their noses at the goodness of God. Instead it was wanting to author their own system of right and wrong so that they could make sure they did right and avoided wrong.” This was Satan’s temptation: that they would be like God by knowing what was right and what was wrong. This was in fact the invention of religion. Man trying to live up to the unobtainable standards of a Holy God.

Keep in mind we can never ever never be good enough. No matter what, WE CAN NEVER BE RIGHTEOUS apart from the supernatural impartation found through trusting Jesus as Lord and Savior. It makes no sense to think we can keep rules and regulations to make us better people. Am I saying we should do evil and not turn from sin? Like Paul, I say God forbid. There is an allure to rules. But again from Farley, “principles, rules and standards, no matter how godly, are poor substitutes for a life animated by God Himself.”

Do you get it? Galatians 5 verse 16: So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

Gal 2:14 Having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.

We don’t have to skip eating pork or not work on Sunday or keep the Ten Commandments to be more holy. So should and can we live holy? Most certainly yes. But we do it by letting the Holy Spirit live the life of Jesus through us.

And while we are on the subject, let me say to my knowledge, God never said the regulations of the law had ANYTHING TO DO WITH imparting spiritual or physical health. Let’s not add to the Bible. Sure, some of the principles appear that way. But what is the health benefit of not wearing clothes with two types of fabric, or of not having a bowl haircut, or of not cutting your beard a certain way? None. Zip. Nada, And all these things I mentioned here were against the Old Testament Law.

The Law was simply a type and shadow, not the real thing. In it there was good and bad, wrong and right, clean and unclean for one purpose: To show us that even when we have a clear representation between good and evil, we still cannot do the right thing. Our righteousness is as filthy rags. The clean and unclean were merely types and shadows of what is truly wrong and right. He could have easily called pork clean and beef unclean. God was making a point: True life is only found in Christ.

Colossians 2:16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

and again in Galatians 2: 20-23 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.

The Cross alone is ENOUGH. There’s no longer any need to attempt to fulfill the Law. Jesus fulfilled it for us. Your works gain you nothing in the way of righteousness. Paul said in Galatians to believe anything else is “like witchcraft”. If you believe God can provide righteousness to you through the cross then that’s all it takes. Now in this truth, let the Holy Spirit lead you everyday and you will fulfill the law of Christ. (More to come later).

You must settle these 2 issues with God. (He has)

2011-01-20T23:41:00.000-05:00

Over the past century God has been restoring truth to the church. Even in the early church the majority of Paul’s writing deals with preserving truth. An understanding of the following 2 truths is being restored in these last days:

1. We are no longer under Old Covenant Law and its requirements.
2. The entire penalty for sin has been paid and forgiveness is a settled issue.

Concerning truth number 1, please click on the post here titled: “The Old Testament Law has no place in the lives of believers”.

Now, concerning number 2, the forgiveness of sins, you must believe Jesus forgave ALL your sins before you ever commit them. If not, you wouldn’t be saved. He died once 2000 years ago and is not planning on dying again. All the forgiveness you’ll ever need was given then. He does not have to consider whether to forgive you now when you sin. He forgave you once and for all back then. He did His part. Your part is to turn away from sin and walk in Him.

According to the Bible, only one thing enables forgiveness of sin. Heb. 9:22 “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Only by blood. Heb. 9:12 “…but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.”

There was a forbidden piece of furniture in the Jewish tabernacle, a chair. The Israelites had to keep offering sacrifices, the debt was never settled. From Andrew Farley’s The Naked Gospel: “He forbade Levitical priests to sit down on the job, so the image of unfinished business would be imprinted on their consciences.” Heb.10:11 “Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties.” Contrast that with verse 12, “But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God”. Do you see it? He sat down. He’s done with sin offerings. All the forgiveness you’ll ever need was given 2000 years ago. He’ll never shed his blood again. The cross is history.

Now look at Ephesians 2:6 “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus”. And why does He seat us with Him? Verse 7 “that he might show the incomparable riches of his grace”. This “grace” enables us to sit down through His sacrifice and rest from trying to earn forgiveness, righteousness or holiness from God. Col 2:13 “…He forgave us all our sins”. Past tense. Past, present & future sins. It is finished.

Believers must settle these issues of law & guilt. There is no condemnation. We can serve Him with full confidence. Heb. 10:22 “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience.”

Yes, sin still exists. That’s why we needed the cross. But when you grasp these truths you’ll begin to live a life free from sin. After all, it’s not your nature to live in sin.

Let me recap with another quote from Farley’s book concerning blood sacrifice:

“A devout Jew would connect these dots quickly:
1. Only blood brings forgiveness.
2. Jesus Blood will never be shed again.
3. Therefore God is satisfied.
4. I can enjoy lifelong and eternal cleansing.”

So how do we settle these two issues? I think by believing and living accordingly to the following:

*Your relationship with the law is all gone
*Your old self is all gone
*Your sins are now all gone
*All obstacles preventing closeness to God are all gone.

So draw near to God, without guilt or shame ever again. Jesus has paved the way.

Straining out the Christmas Gnats or "How I learned to stop hating and love the world"

2010-11-22T11:12:00.000-05:00

For those who aren't aware, Pharisees were a sect of Judaism in Jesus' days on the earth. Wikipedia says: they were at various times a political party, a social movement, and a school of thought among Jews during the Second Temple period."

These legalistics tended toward focusing on the "letter" of the law rather than the "spirit". Jesus rebuked them often for their hypocrisy. On one occasion in Matt 23:24, he called them "blind guides!" who "strain out a gnat but swallow a camel".

They had a propensity toward focusing on minute, unimportant things concerning the law but allowing large acts of sin to take place in their lives. A perfect example is when the priests (many were Pharisees) refused to accept the 30 pieces of silver back from Judas saying it was against the law because it was "blood money" (gnat), but never mind that they paid the money to him to murder Jesus in the first place (camel).

One thing that's been happening in recent years is the uproar caused by a small sect of Christians, usually initiated by the American Family Association, who get bent out of shape because some retailer says "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas". I received an email saying we should boycott Dick's Sporting Goods for this reason. Now, I love Christmas. I say Merry Christmas and I have a Christmas tree. However, to my fellow brothers and sisters who agree with this boycott, I say "WAKE UP!!!". Do we really want people at Dicks or anyone for that matter, to simply know us as Christians by the "fervor" we use to force retailers to say "Merry Christmas"? I mean really, who up in Heaven cares? Is it Biblical to FORCE people to say things they choose not to say? What's next? Christmas police that interrogate citizens to force them to renounce the word "holiday" and confess that they celebrate Christmas? We could make all those who refuse to do so wear armbands that have a 'holiday tree" on them so we would know to shun these people.

Come on folks! This is a gnatty gnat gnat if I've ever seen one. Let me ask you, do we expect an unbelieving person would walk into Dick's or Target, and ask Jesus into their heart because the greeter said "Merry Christmas". Let's get real. The fact is we aren't required to force anyone to say anything about anything. Secondly, this is an exceptionally great example of NOT LOVING Dick's Sporting Goods and other retailers. Even if I believed it was evil to say Happy Holidays, are we supposed to repay evil with more evil by shunning and hurting financially those we disagree with?

The Pharisees drove away the masses but when Jesus came, He drew thousands into the kingdom. This type of stupidity is exactly why 80 percent of people don't attend church in the US. Who can blame them with this type of legalistic, distracting-from-the-Cross activity that some Christians engage in? We must become like Jesus who was a friend of the unchurched and drew them by his love and compassion for them.

"Well Mr Lewis it's about not letting them take Jesus out of Christmas." First of all "we put Jesus" into a pagan holiday in the first place. That aside, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 5:12 "What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?" It is not our business to pass judgement on retailers outside the church in the first place. Even so, whether one says Merry Christmas or Happy Holiday is a purely debatable matter which Paul says we are to keep these issues to ourselves. Romans 14: 1 "Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters." And later in those teachings he says in verse 22 "So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God."

I say Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas both. In my thinking, from Thanksgiving to New Year's is the "Holiday season". (If you really want to get technical, the word "Holiday" itself is derived from the word "Holy Days"). I say Merry Christmas in middle December when it's closer to Christmas Day.

The Bible does not say "All who say Merry Christmas will be saved". It does say "God so loved the world He gave his only begotten son" in order to save the world. Instead of straining out the gnats let's make sure we are not swallowing camels. They will know we are His by our love for one another. The important issue is, are we loving one another, or are we gossiping and withholding kindness and being jealous of other believers? Do we feed the poor? Do we visit the sick and those in prison? Do we give bread to our neighbor when he's in need? These are the weightier matters of the law of love.

This whole boycotting retailers because they do not say Merry Christmas is surely one work of wood, hay, stubble; that will not stand under the testing of God's refining fire. And by the way... Happy Holidays.

a simple test to see if you really grasp the love of God for you:

2010-09-08T12:00:00.000-04:00

Do you want all the fullness of God? Does it seem like something difficult to get? Well, good news! If you become established in how much God loves you. then you will be filled with ALL the fullness of God.

I sense some people feel teachings on the love of God are "milk" teachings and not as "deep" as other teachings. I do think it is a foundational teaching of course, but the problem is I know so many who do not really grasp how deep His love is. And many have allowed vain religion to define what God's love is. Would you agree an ongoing prayer from the Apostle Paul appearing in the new testament is an important prayer? Probably so. Now read his prayer from Ephesians 3 without preconceived ideas: "I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and width, height and depth, and to know the Messiah's love that surpasses knowledge, so you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

Did you catch that? He basically says if you can grasp how much God loves you, you will be filled with the fullness of God. WOW. Being rooted in God's love seems pretty important. It was to Paul.

Here's a simple test to see if you really grasp the love of God for you:

1.Do you fear punishment from God? If yes, you need more understanding of His perfect love that drives out fear. If you've accepted God's free gift of the cross you will not be punished with eternal separation. But that's usually not the "punishment" believers struggle with fearing. It's usually the fear if you do not live up to His standards and pray, fast, read the word, witness ...etc, that somehow God with punish you. Bottom line is you do not have to be good enough because Jesus paid it all. Yes, you should do those good works but the fact is if you are found in the cross, you will never be punished nor tormented by God.
2. Do you struggle with habitual sin? We sin when we do not allow God to meet a perceived need. Look at Eve. She choose to disobey. If she grasped how much she was loved by the Creator then she would not have believed Satan's lie that God was holding back something good from her. When we grasp how much he loves us we begin to choose His way knowing he will take care of us.
3.Do you withhold the tithe out of fear that if you give there will not be "enough"? If so, this is a clear indication deep in your heart you do not trust God loves you enough to take care of your needs. Some have other objections to the tithe but I don't want to get into that here. However, if you do not give because of fear, you need to become better grounded in God's love.

Becoming fully grounded in his love is a lifelong process. In this lifetime we may never fully grasp it. But I do believe we can grasp it now to such an extent that fear is removed from our lives. Doubting God becomes rare and trusting Him becomes the norm.

Sometimes God gets blamed for negative things He had nothing to do with. When something bad happens we say "God, I will still serve you even when you do these things in my life." I've come to believe if not careful, we're really saying "Look at how righteous I am because I serve you even when you do bad to me. That's how good a "follower I am." Well our righteousness is as filthy rags. NOTHING we do, not even that, earns one bit of God's love or righteousness. And God gets no glory out of blaming Him for evil nor for feeling we are somehow more pious because we serve an unpredictable God. His love is not unpredictable. It's constant and unchanging. All you have to do is look at Jesus to see the Father. He "went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him." and the Lord "does not add sorrow to His blessing" Proverbs 10.22.

Let's get right in our thinking about God's love so we can be filled with ALL the fullness of God. Some say this idea that God is not angry with His children takes away from the righteous judgement of God. I say to believe otherwise takes away from the work of the cross. I choose the cross. How about you?

Products I love that work!

2010-09-02T13:07:00.000-04:00

This is a different kind of note but I was feeling a weird sort of "product" gratitude today and thought hey, why not share the info? Who knows? It may make your world a little better place to live in. So here is a list of products and services that I love, they work well, and are a good value:

1. Clean Shower by Arm & Hammer. Kim and I have used this for many years and it REALLY works. The key is to start with a clean shower and take the 20 seconds to spray it immediately after each shower. I repeat: after each shower. If you don't skip, you will never scrub your shower again. Keeps our shower clean and bright.

2. La's Totally Awesome All Purpose Cleaner. You can usually find at Dollar General I think. Cheap but man, does it ever work. Be careful to dilute for some types of cleaning cause it will remove paint. I cannot think of any stain it can't remove.

3. Apple Computers. Don't want to get into a debate here, but since switching to Macs a few years back, I am 100 percent sold. It really is worth the extra cash to get a dependable, creative product that is an asset to your life rather than, like many P.C.s, a liability. www.apple.com

4. Keurig One Cup Coffee Maker. This is one product I enjoy immensely everyday. The coffee is about 40 cents a cup but, boy, is it perfect every time. And there are I think over 200 types and flavors. I can brew a dark blend and Kim a Hazelnut. Cheaper and better than Starbucks I think and no wasted cups. fresh every time Yum. http://www.keurig.com/

5. Priceline. Kim and I are spoiled in this area. We rarely stay at anything less than 3 star hotels. The key is we use Priceline bidding and rarely pay more that 45- 50 bucks. We've stayed in $150 a night rooms for $25. Why stay in a Days Inn for $60 when you can stay in the Hyatt Regency Suites for $40? But you have to bid and you have to know what you're doing. Email me and I'll send you tips for bidding. https://www.priceline.com

6. Netflix. Our family tries to limit our TV and movie time. Still, it's one of our favorite past times. With so much junk on regular tv we like to choose our entertainment. Even when watching a clean show on regular tv, an indecent commercial pops up. We watch Netflix instantly though our Xbox connected to our TV. And man there are sooooo many choices. From movies, documentaries to educational tv, Netflix instant is packed with entertainment and no commercials. You can watch all the old movies not available with Redbox. You can catch old TV shows like Sliders and Columbo and some new ones like Lie to Me and Lost. www.netflix.com

7. ClearPlay. We've had this dvd system for years. We don't like sex and foul lanquage in our entertiainment. Many movies would be good if you could filter the content. That's what this player does and it does it well. You can choose what to filter from vulgarity to dishonoring the flag. We still don't rent just anything but this player is helpful for the movies we do watch. www.clearplay.com

8. Sprint. Now I know everyone has a strong opinion about this topic. I will say It seems Sprint has the best selection of smart phones. Clearly has the lowest cost for talk/date packages and in my opinion, has the best service. I can think of serveral places where I am the only person with a signal. At my townhouse I think Sprint has the only strong signal. Either way, for a contracted service, it's pretty sweet. I've been very satisfied and i've have AT&T, TMobile and Verizon as well. IMHO Sprint is better. www.sprint.com

I would like to have had a top ten, but these are the products that stand out to me and that I am the most satisfied with. Of course there is one thing in this life that is both free and satisfying. That's a relationship with Jesus. Find out more at www.elevatelovecom So tell me, what is your favs list?

The Blame Game (to the tune of "The Name Game"

2010-08-20T12:13:00.000-04:00

Come on everybody!
I say now let's play a game
I betcha I can blame, using anybody's name
I first say the name, I treat um like they weren’t fair
And then I say the name again to my friends this time
and there isn't any name that I can't blame!
(Forgive me Shirley, I couldn't resist.)

A great teacher, Jack Frost often said “blame forsakes intimacy”. After all, who really wants to connect with someone who tends toward blaming others? By blame, I’m referring to the human tendency to place responsibility for life’s deficiencies on the people around us. Spouses blame each other, parents blame children, bosses blame employees and vice versa. Some say blaming is unavoidable but I disagree. It’s possible to eliminate a blaming attitude from our hearts. There are times when we have to assign responsibility for issues. Yet I believe the majority of times we use negative, critical, condescending types of blame.

The first recorded example of blame comes in the Garden after Adam and Eve sinned. Notice in Gen. 3 how quick Adam is to blame both God and Eve? Then Eve was next in the blame game. The first sin was eating the forbidden fruit, the next was blame.

Blaming others is a habit destroying the intimacy of our relationships. Suffice to say we should learn new methods of communication. We must minimize or eliminate blame in our relationships. Kim and I learned this early on. And wow! It eliminated 90 percent of our marital conflicts. Think of how much better your life can be if you learn to address and correct issues in ways that does not blame people around you.

Finally, the most important blame we should avoid is blaming God for things going wrong in our lives. I think Satan s BIGGEST tactic is to get us to doubt the love God has for us. He wants us to mistrust God and to wonder if He really has our best interest in mind. I heard a minster say those who believe in healing often times have a harder time when sick than people who do not believe in healing. They begin to question God‘s love for them. The unbelieving person usually takes a few pills and rolls with the punches till the illness is gone, rarely thinking about what it all means in the big picture.

It’s time we matured and did not make every trial, every storm, every negative issue in our lives about whether God loves us or not. When things go south it doesn’t mean God has abandoned you. When you get sick it doesn't mean He’s forsaken you. When you didn’t win the Publishers Clearing House it doesn't mean God wants poverty for you. Satan will use every opportunity to tempt you to doubt the love and goodness of God.

Let me Close by saying one of the greatest things that’s happened to me since getting a revelation of the Father’s deep love is negative occurrences in my life never have to be about God’s love for me. Don't misunderstand. I use every opportunity to learn from things in my life, good or bad. But it doesn’t have to be about whether He loves me or not or whether He wants me to prosper or not or whether He’s adding sorrow or not. Prov. 10:22 “The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.”

It much easier to defeat the enemy when you realize it's not about you and God. It’s about you and God fighting the powers of darkness trying to rob from your life. Settle this one issue in your heart and man, you are in for an awesome love ride with the greatest being in the universe. Bless!

A Pound Of Flesh

2010-07-08T11:55:00.000-04:00

JIn Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice”, Bassanio, desires to woo Portia but hasn’t the funds. He approaches Antonio, his friend to borrow the money. Antonio agrees to cover a loan if Bassanio find’s a lender. Bassanio approaches the moneylender Shylock and names Antonio as the loan’s guarantor. Shylock proposes a condition for the loan: if Antonio is unable to repay, he may take a pound of Antonio’s flesh. (To learn what happens you’ll have to read the book or rent the movie.)

The part I want to focus on is the “pound of flesh” part. How many of us, when slighted, desire to have our pound of flesh from the offender? I’ve realized over the years, not only is this a common relationship flaw in humans, it is very prevalent even among “loving” christians. I’ve also learned in prior years, I’ve been the chief of sinners. Let me give you an example of what I am referring to..

Mary calls Sally and asks to borrow a scarf. Sally agrees saying she’ll bring it to a Bible study that night. The two arrive and the Mary asks for the scarf:

Sally: “Im sorry, I laid it out but forgot to grab it.”
Mary: “I was really hoping to wear the scarf tomorrow.”
Sally: “I know. I’m sorry. I’ll bring it to church Sunday so you can wear it Monday.
Mary: “Oh well. I guess I’ll go to Walmart and buy a new one.”
Sally: “No don’t do that. I can run it over to you in the morning before you go to work?”
Mary: “No I won’t have time. I was really counting on it tonight. Why did’t you put in your car when I called about borrowing it.”
Sally: “I know Im sorry. Will you forgive me?”
Mary: “Sure, but next time try to keep your word.”
Sally: (Dumbfounded) “I am sorry but I do not think I broke my word. I simply forgot.”
Mary: “Well your lack of planning put me in a bind.”

Of course you get the picture. How many of us know people like Mary? Even more so, how many of us “are” Mary? Basically what Mary is saying is. “I need you to feel bad about this. I need you to suffer, I need my pound of flesh.” How often it is we punish those who slight us by using unforgiving words? Why can’t we have an easy yoke as Jesus does and simply let it go?

A parable in Matt 18 tells of a man who was forgiven an astronomical debt and yet afterward, sent someone to prison who owed him a much smaller amount. We’ve been forgiven of a much larger wrong than anyone could ever inflict upon us. We need to practice forgiveness, and not only on big things, but on everything. We can learn to go easy on people. We should give grace easily because we have obtained ultimate grace. A lot of what we call “tough love” isn’t love at all. Jesus’ kind of tough love isn’t tough on the other person. It’s tough on us.

So how do we make this practical? My friend Chris Cummings taught me this. Before you say something to someone, ask yourself: What is the real reason I’m about to say this? Will it truly benefit the listener or will it instill condemnation, shame and make them feel bad? Wanting people to feel bad for their mistakes is a form of ungodly control. Ask yourself: Should I simply let this go and extend grace? Why do I need them to feel bad about this?

I’ve learned the best way to express love is to use words that extend grace. Words like: “It’s ok, I forgive you, it’s no big deal. Please do not feel bad about this because I don’t.” And the key is when you use these words, really mean it. Now, if all this is difficult for you as it is for most people then I suggest two things: Go boldly, through prayer, into the Throne of Grace to obtain grace and mercy to extend to others. Secondly, the next time you are in this type of situation go ahead and extend grace even if you do feel it inside. Eventually you’ll learn to show unearned love to people and will no longer require to have your “pound of flesh”.

“Measuring Up”

2010-07-05T21:11:00.000-04:00

A few months ago I had an expert tell me, without any ill intent, that basically I didn’t have “what it takes” to accomplish the will of God in my life. What does that really mean, to have “what it takes”? It seems at times life is always about ‘measuring up”. Whether a man sucks his potbelly in when he walks into a room full of ladies or a woman cries when she can’t fit into an old pair of jeans, it all comes down to “not measuring up”. It seems we spend our whole lives trying to answer the nagging question: “Do we have what it takes?”

I’m in the process of planting a church in the Atlanta area. The expert’s words have been my biggest enemy. I’ve learned first hand these days that there really is such a thing as intense spiritual warfare. The enemy has been whispering those words to me for the last 6 weeks. I was thinking today about a successful pastor of 12 thousand that I met recently. As I thought about him and his success I began to feel that he was much “better” than me. I do not mean better at pastoring or even better at being a man, just better, more valuable, someone who unlike me, has “what it takes”. Then I thought of my success in life. I help create a successful public charity, grew a successful catering business and helped build a thriving ministry. Yet, as I meditated about it all, I realized down deep inside, that sometimes, I feel like a faker. A poser. Like someone who absolutely does not “measure up” and does not have “what it takes”.

In the past, I’ve sometimes thought there are three types of people. People who are weak inside and fail often in life and it shows to those around them. Then there’s the people like this pastor who I’ve imagined to be a stalwart of the faith, a man’s man who is organized and skilled to accomplish whatever he sets his mind to. A man who has “what it takes”.

Then there’s the people like me. Fakers. People who are destined to fail and yet somehow cheat fate. Remarkably, through much hard work, we appear more organized, more skilled and more accomplished than we really are. But today the Lord told me I have carried this particular error in my thinking for most of my life. The fact is all of us, apart from Christ, are destined for failure, destined to lose, destined to barely make it through this hard life we are thrust headlong into. I also felt the Lord say when we believe that anyone around us, whether friend or stranger, is somehow better or more valuable than we are, this is indeed believing a lie from hell. It has no truth in the economy of God’s existence. No one measures up, we all fall short. Not one of us really has “what it takes.”

I have come to peace with the fact that I do not have “what it takes” in myself and thankfully, I never will. But He does. I write this to encourage you to examine your heart to see if you have believed any part of this lie. The lie that others are intrinsically better than you, that you are inferior and that only by “faking it” you have achieved any measure of success. Lies, all lies.

I certainly do not have all the answers to why some people seem to be more successful in this life. I do know this: without Christ we will never truly measure up. And that with Him, we do not have to. What makes a thing of value or worth is what others are willing to pay for it. He paid all He had. Now we are the Pearl of a great price, the Treasure found in a field and He has sold all to have us. So what is the bottom line about succeeding in this life? I think it is this: Find out what God has called you to do. Then realize within yourself, you do not have what it takes. Also realize that it does not matter. It does not matter because He has “what it takes”. He possesses the ability to accomplish great things in and through you. Delight in your weakness and let God carry the load. After all it’s not your will to be done, but His. 2 Corinthians 4: 7 “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”