God – spreading the fame

Awe

August 14, 2025December 13, 2025Posted in attributes of God, mini theologies for missionaries, missions, theologyTagged awe, awesome, Christianity, fanning the flame, God, immanence, Jesus, passion for God, sultan, theology of awe, Transcendence1 Comment

WHY FAN INTO FLAME A PASSION FOR GOD

When I walked into the sultan’s courtyard it was my first time visiting someone who would be considered a king. We were welcomed by his assistant who led us to a waiting area where we’d get to meet his excellence. Before we stepped up towards the veranda of the sultan’s palace, we removed our shoes. As we entered the room where the sultan sat, we bowed our heads and continually faced his direction. Even though we were in rural and dusty Chad, Africa there was a regality and reverence to the occasion that I will never forget.

It is way too easy to forget that I am consistently in the presence of royalty. God is King. The King’s Spirit resides in His people. My body is more than a sultan’s palace, it is a holy temple. Wherever I go, He goes too. When I think about what drew me to the nations, it was a sense of wanting to spread the fame of God’s name to places and people where He was not yet named or worshiped.

Human’s are hardwired for awe. We can awe people, money, power, and stuff. You can have it all and miss awe. We can become awe forgetful, awe discouraged, awe empty, awe seduced, awe kidnapped, awe numb, and awe weary.

God is truly the most awesome. To awe is to have a passion for God. A passion for God is not merely a fleeting emotion; it’s a deep-seated, all-consuming devotion that permeates every aspect of a believer’s life. It’s an active, vibrant love for God that expresses itself in various ways. It is a Soli Deo lifestyle that seeks to live unto God alone.

In essence, a passion for God is the heartbeat of a living faith. It’s a spiritual fire that needs tending and spreading, and the benefits of doing so are immeasurable, for your own good, for the good of others, and most importantly, for the glory of God.

Fanning a passion for God into flame is not about striving to earn His love or perform for Him. It’s about experiencing the fullness of life He offers and being an instrument in His hands who passes that awe down to the generation that follows.

BIBLICAL REFLECTION OF AWE

Pioneer mission work is inherently challenging, often characterized by isolation, resistance, and a constant need for resilience. In such demanding contexts, a deep-seated awe of God is not merely a pleasant sentiment but a foundational necessity. It provides perspective, fuels endurance, and empowers effective ministry. This brief theology explores the biblical concept of awe and its practical implications for those pioneering God’s kingdom.

Awe defined: Biblical awe (aka: “fear of the Lord”) isn’t a cowering dread, but a profound reverence, wonder, and respect for God’s infinite majesty, power, holiness, and love. It’s a recognition of God’s utter transcendence and immanence, His absolute otherness, and His intimate presence. This awe transforms the way we understand of ourselves, the world, and the mission. (Psalm 33:8; 66:5; 89:7; Hebrews 12:28)

God’s Transcendence: Awe grasps the vastness of God’s being, His uncreated nature, His eternality, and His sovereign control over all things. This understanding humbles us, reminding us that our plans and efforts are ultimately dependent on Him. For the pioneer, this means trusting God’s overarching plan even when immediate results are unseen or obstacles seem insurmountable. (Psalm 33:8-9; Isaiah 40:12-17; Job 37:22-24; Revelation 15:3-4)

God’s Immanence: While transcendent, God is also intimately involved in His creation and the lives of His people. Awe acknowledges His presence, His unwavering faithfulness, and His active working in and through us. This encourages the pioneer, assuring them that they are never truly alone and that God is at work even in the most barren of lands. (Isaiah 57:15; Acts 17:27-28; Matthew 1:23)

God’s Holiness and Righteousness: Awe recognizes God’s absolute purity and perfection. This prompts repentance, confession, and a desire to live lives that honor Him. For the pioneer, this means a commitment to personal integrity and ethical conduct, understanding that their lives are a testimony. (Leviticus 10:3; 1 Samuel 2:2; Psalm 99:3-5)

God’s Love and Mercy: Perhaps the most profound aspect of biblical awe is the wonder at God’s boundless love and mercy, especially as revealed in the cross of Christ. This love, extended to undeserving humanity, evokes deep gratitude and motivates compassionate service. For the pioneer, this fuels a self-giving love for the unreached, mirroring God’s own heart. (Psalm 103:8-14; John 3:16; Romans 5:8)

Cultivating a deep, abiding awe of God is not an optional extra. It aligns our hearts with God’s, empowers us to overcome adversity, and transforms us into vibrant witnesses of His awesome reality to the unreached peoples of the nations.

What other Scriptures or biblical aspects come to mind when you consider an awe for God? Take a few moments to look up 1-2 of these verses and journal what the Lord highlights for you.

“Awe means that you will look at everything in your life through the lens of God’s Existence and Glory, and you will surrender all your life to His purpose.” — Paul Tripp, Awe

THE IMPORTANCE OF AWE

Nothing but awe of God will sustain someone on the field. If it is not awe of God, then the heart will gravitate towards substitute awes. When awe of self or something else supplants awe of God, God ceases to be King and He is reduced to being your servant. When the mission doesn’t produce vertical awe of God, something is amiss. When an awe of God fuels the pioneer in the mission field several outcomes emerge:

Humility and Dependence: Awe reminds me of my smallness and God’s greatness, fostering a spirit of complete dependence on Him for wisdom, strength, and guidance. This counters self-reliance and burnout.

Courage and Boldness: When God is seen in His awesomeness, fear of humans diminishes. The pioneer, filled with awe for God, can face persecution, opposition, and daunting challenges with supernatural courage. They will even pray for boldness (Acts 4:23-31).

Resilience and Endurance: Awe provides a deep well of motivation that sustains through hardship and discouragement. Knowing the awesome God is with them, pioneers can persevere even when the fruit is slow in coming.

Worship and Joy: Awe naturally leads to worship, even in difficult circumstances. This worship fuels joy, which is a source of strength and a vital witness to others (Matthew 9:8).

Effective Witness: A life lived in awe of God is a contagious and compelling testimony. One’s awe and connections with God can be more effective than words alone.

Spiritual Discernment: Awe cultivates a sensitivity to God’s presence and leading, enabling pioneers to discern His will and walk in obedience amid complex cultural and spiritual landscapes.

PRAYER ACTION

Consider the Scriptures you cling to above. Consider your awe of God. Write a prayer for the kind of person you want to be who fans into flame a passion of God in yourself and others.

BUILDING A PRACTICAL MINI-THEOLOGY OF AWE

Take some time to prayerfully draft your practical mini-theology of “awe” by responding to these questions:

What is awe and/or a passion for God? Why is this needed to go to hard places?

example: God is… We are the kind of people who… It is most like us/me to… We/I will… We/I hold to…

What does it look like to live a Soli Deo lifestyle? How does this kind of lifestyle relate to surrender?

Why not just fan your flame for God, but start mini fires wherever you go? What does it look like to fan into flame a passion for God?

Once you finish share your responses with your mentor. Ask for feedback. Adjust your draft as needed.

Additional Resources for Going Deeper:
Awe, Paul David Tripp
The Pursuit of God, A.W. Tozer
The Heart of Pioneers, Steve Richardson

Making Sense of Temptation

January 23, 2025Posted in counseling, sinTagged Bible, faith, God, Jesus, Jesus tempted in the wilderness, matthew 4, Matthew 4 chart, satan tempts Jesus, temptation, temptation chart, temptation infographic, temptation of christLeave a comment

Temptation is common to all people. We can make sense of most temptation by looking at home Satan tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden and Jesus in the wilderness.

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Submit to One Another

January 13, 2025January 13, 2025Posted in church, Ephesians, heart issues, marriage, relationshipsTagged align, Bible, Bob Paisley, Bob Shankly, Christianity, complimentarianism, egalitarianism, Ephesians 5:21, faith, filled with the Spirit, God, handel's messiah, how Jesus submitted, hupotasso, interest of others, Jesus, jesus submitted, mufasa, mutual submission, out of reverence for Christ, phobos, submission, submit, submit to one another, to put under, yieldLeave a comment

Each of the “one another” is challenging, even controversial. Consider how you respond when someone is encouraging, loving, bearing, forgiving, serving, or greeting someone else that you don’t like. None is more challenging and controversial than the one we will look at today.

Last month, I listened to the London Symphony at St. Paul’s Cathedral playing Handel’s Messiah. It was on YouTube, but wow, still. Just listen to the Overture. What instruments did you hear? Can you pick out any one instrument? With 106 musicians it isn’t easy. The beauty of a symphony is that each musician doesn’t showboat their individual talents; instead, they showcase their collective talent. Like today’s text, they are submitting to one another.

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Ephesians 5:21) I don’t need to take a poll to know that this is NOT your life verse, even one of your favorites, probably not in your Top 100. It’s certainly not a coffee cup verse.

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. This word—submit—gets people riled up. It has been the brunt of church controversy and filled biblical commentary. The word can carry negative baggage. How many of you right now have a tinge of discomfort? Like when someone says the word Mufasa? At the least, you likely wonder where I will take this text today.

The word submit combines two Greek words hupotasso, which literally means to put under. It’s used around 40 times in the Bible and carries a metaphor of a battalion voluntarily serving under a commanding officer. The heart of submission aims to make someone else’s thing a way bigger thing than my thing. In other words, to submit is the spiritual discipline of letting go of my addiction to have my own way, knowing if I continue to act that way, then it’ll kill me and destroy my connection with others near me. It’s the practice of putting death to self and living out the prayer “not my will but Yours.” To submit, I am willing to give up my seat (of comfort, power, prestige) for someone else without expecting more.

Let’s be honest, it’s a struggle to submit to anyone, let alone, one another. It doesn’t come naturally, especially coming from individualistic cultures. I submit to no one. I am born with a Wild West mentality. At the root of it, I buck against submission because I think I know those around me…and I know me. I see someone who is flawed and selfish. Who wants to submit to that?

It’s important to consider how the phrase “submit to one another” sits within its context. It is preceded by and connected to a list of qualities of one who is ”filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18b-21). Notice the worship-filled language? Then it flows into three examples that show what Spirit-filled submission to one another looks like in real life:

Marriage (5:22-33): Wives submit to husband. Husbands submit to Christ. Spouses try to outdo one another in a submission competition—“No, you first!” even when it’s inconvenient and my partner wants me close. Pointer: Jesus is the Groom and we are His Bride.
Family (6:1-4): Children submit to parents. Parents submit to the needs of their kids even if it’s the middle of the night and it’s the fifth time my child needs me. Pointer: God is our Father and we are all His kids.
Workplace (6:5-9): Employees speak well of their leader. Leaders care for those they lead. Pointer: God is our boss and He sits atop the org chart of the cosmos.

Submission in marriage tends to take the spotlight, v.21 gets glanced over, and the emphasis becomes out of balance. What happens is an overemphasis on v.21 and under-emphasis on v.22, or the opposite, an under-emphasis on v.21 and overemphasis on v.22. Now, before you throw stones, I am simply presenting the issue and will leave you to wrestle with it. What I find peculiar, is that the issue is usually presented as an either/or interpretation. Either we submit under an yielded mutuality or we submit under an aligned authority. It is easy to see how those who emphasize harmony push for egalitarianism and those who emphasize order push for complimentarianism. Oh, boy, there’s so much to say there! I will give my three brief observations.

First, I will propose that the interpretation might not be either/or but both/and. Could mutuality and authority co-exist together and not be a cop-out interpretation? When one takes the Meaning of “submit” + Meaning of “one another” + Examples in the Text = Yes, it appears to be both/and!

Second, I have observed how fear pushes both interpretations. Fear pushes egalitarians to defend injustice, demand freedoms, and protect abuses, while fear pushes complimentarians to retain authority, demand rights, and guard weaknesses. These are noble acts when balanced with the character of Christ, but undoubtedly they get pushed to extremes. When submission becomes destructive or fear-based, then it violates the royal law of love.

Third, the Pattern of Paul in Ephesians 5 encourages each member of the church to say No to self-indulgence, self-service, self-centeredness, and self-aggrandizement and to say Yes to self-sacrifice (like Jesus). In other words, we have a growing 🩶-centered commitment to submit to one another. Rather than saying “I’ve got it all together,” I’m becoming more prone to saying “We are better together”. Let’s turn back to our text for today.

Submit to one another = We humbly yield & align to the interests of those around us.

The heart of submission is humility. This is seen all over the Scripture (cf. Micah 6:8; 1 Cor. 4:7, Gal. 5:13-14, Phil. 2:3-5, 1 Peter 5:5b). In 1 Peter 5:5 both submission and humility are contrasted with pride, which is a theme also seen in James 4:6, “God resists (antitassō, to put away or against) the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Relationships flourish when clothed with humility rather than hierarchy. Submission is ultimately a posture of the heart. When I cease to submit, when I wait for others to serve me first, and when I feel superior to others, it says more about my heart. My heart is misaligned to the heart of God towards others.

Truth is, your church (team) is likely full of people that you wouldn’t go on vacation with, but you find a way to make it work—putting up with one another, putting yourself under one another—for the greater good. If you took this matter of humbling yourself towards one another seriously, what might it look like in your marriage, family, workplace, team, and church?

What we see throughout the Bible is that humility is not for the other person first, but it is for you. So important is humility that Jesus modeled it. Let’s see how Jesus submitted (humbly yielded and aligned)

his Father: he surrendered his plans and words, for greater glory.
his parents: he was dependent from birth through adolescence.
his disciples: he leaned on them and many of them weren’t even believers yet!
his creation: he took on a human body and he felt hunger, thirst, tiredness, and pain.
his govt authorities (law of the land): he rendered to Caesar what was Caesars.
his religious leaders: who didn’t “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with their God.”
your need, he took your cup of wrath (sin), he humbled (lowered) himself to death.

We expect humility from Jesus, but what about me? As I gave ‘mutual submission’ some thought, what came to mind was my relationship with Blue. I am Blue’s appointed leader. I also lead a media project, and with that, I am under Blue’s authority as he serves as leader of the team with the media project. It’s not complicated. We just have to determine who is wearing what hat. On top of that, Blue and I are brothers in Christ. Almost every Wednesday, I meet with Blue and a band of warriors to pray and submit to one another through accountability. In that space, these men have the authority to speak into my life.

Another example of mutual humility was when Bob Shankly retired from Liverpool Football Club in 1974 with a showcase of 10 trophies. He handed the reigns of the team to a reluctant Bob Paisley. Shankly wrote a letter to Paisley and left it on his desk. It read, “Bob Shankly says Bob Paisley is the best manager in the game.” Paisley took the letter, added two commas, and sent it back to Shankly. It read, “Bob Shankly, says Bob Paisley, is the best manager in the game.” Paisley built on Shankly’s success and added 20 trophies (x2 Shankly). In his biography, The Quiet Genius, it was said that Paisley was a shy and thankful fellow who gave others confidence. His genius was being an ordinary man who fostered an extraordinary team.

Out of reverence for Christ = We rally together around the Greatness of Jesus.

Greatness is not achieved through power or prestige. Greatness is not won by force of arms or superior intellect. Greatness is not showing that I got it all together. Greatness comes through humble reverence. It comes when we rally together around the Greatness of Jesus.

Jesus turns upside-down the way the world measures greatness. Remember the mom who begged Jesus to give her two boys the best seats in heaven? When other disciples caught wind of it they were miffed, but they also wanted their shot at the special seats too. So Jesus got them together to settle things down. He said, “You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around, and how quickly a little power goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant…That is what I have done. I came to serve, not be served. I came to give my life as a ransom for many.” (Mt. 20 cf. Phil. 2:7-11; Col. 1:15-18)

Herein is my power and motive to submit—I revere Christ (phobos, awe-inspired love). When I submit to Jesus first, from that flows a heart willing to submit to others. Submission to others is not based on worth—whether they earned it or deserved it, but solely on seeing Jesus is worthy and everyone that he created is made in His image. How does a reverence for Christ make a difference in your relationships? Your family? Your workplace? In your community? Among members of your church? What might it look like for you to submit? To one another? To a Chadian brother or sister? To the Chadian govt? I’m just putting it out there.

One of the most irony-filled stories in Scripture about submission is in the garden of Gethsemane (John 18). There we see Judas submitted to the will of the enemy. He turned Jesus over to the authorities. When the authorities arrived (who themselves submitted to religious leaders), they asked Jesus to identify himself. Jesus stepped forward and said, “I AM He.” At that moment, the guards fell on their faces in fear and submission. Peter decided submitting was for him, so instead he got out his sword and cut off the guard’s ear. In the end, Jesus silently yielded himself both to local authority and divine authority (“not my will but Yours be done.”) Thank God, for our sake, Jesus submitted to Father!

How often have you regretted yielding to your own way? My guess is a lot. How often have you regretted submitting to the Lord? Maybe never. What do you need to yield to the Lord today?

The distinguishing feature of a Spirit-filled follower is their growing reverence for Jesus’ greatness AND humbleness towards others around them. The temptation of power is greatest when intimacy is feared. When I bow my knee to Jesus, I can also bend to the interests of others. This isn’t self-deprecation. Rather, like Jesus, it’s self-sacrifice.

Imagine you’re a violinist and a conductor approaches you and says, “I want you to play in the first chair.” It would be self-deprecating to respond by saying, “No way! I don’t play. I’m no good at all,” when everyone knows that you’re an able and gifted musician. On the other hand, it would be self-sacrificing to respond by saying, “Absolutely, I can play! And I will play my best. I will make this orchestra and everyone around me better.”

I remember hearing Handel’s Messiah being played in an open city square by a university orchestra. I didn’t know about it beforehand, but the concert was free of charge. It was the harmony and authority of the music that drew me to want to stop and listen.

So it is with us. Think about it. You and I are members of a world-renowned orchestra. Each of you has a part to play. You didn’t come to the stage with your own gifts but supernaturally given to you. Being Spirit-filled, it is like you to humbly yield and align to the interests of those around you. With Jesus as your conductor, you rally together around His Greatness to make him shine. When you do it testifies to the mysterious way He brings such a motley crew together.

Lord, You are Great. There is not like You. Help us to rally around Your greatness. We need Your help. Please help us put off our pride and rebellion and put on humility. Teach us to live in submission—by putting ourselves under You and seeking to put the interest of others above our own. Make us servant-leaders like You. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Go Toward the Mess

July 7, 2024Posted in Ephesians, grace, missionsTagged 1917, Bible, but God, discipleship is messy, Ephesians, Ephesians 2:1-10, faith, george verwer, go toward the mess, God, grace, hope of the gospel, Jesus, Jesus stepped into the mess, mess we make, messes, messiology, messy Christianity, world of a messLeave a comment

When we returned to North Africa a few years ago, we returned to a mess. We weren’t unknowing—we were very much knowing the mess. We learned a few weeks prior that a main believer we discipled had fallen into sin and disappeared. In the wake of his fall, the groups of disciples and house churches imploded or disbanded—disappointed and disillusioned. It was tempting to cancel our flight and stay home, but we pressed on to reunite with our team on the ground.

On that flight back, I watched the film 1917. I might not recommend it if you want something lighthearted. At the least, it was adapted for the airline. It was a grueling film about WWI. The film followed the true story of a British soldier named Sgt. Reid who was preparing his battalion for battle and how he dealt with day-to-day difficulties of life in the trenches, triaging terrible injuries, and enduring exhaustion from limited resources. At one point, the film became too much that I paused it. The still frame was of a bombed-out church building. Although the church was in ruins it was still recognizable. It was a power image for me.

Our team was looking to us for leadership in the aftermath on the spiritual battlefield. We came back to a church in rubble and ashes. Our first team meeting back was a puddle of tears. We grieved—what seemed like—3 years of ministry gone in a moment. We wrestled with the anger of an MBB who walked away from the Lord and inflicted damage to a fledgling flock. We questioned whether we had it in us to endure more of the same. It felt like an insurmountable mess. (And you came to be encouraged, eh!?)

Our mission is to move/go towards the mess embodying God’s grace, proclaiming the mysterious gospel, and building up the Body.

We are in a World of a Mess. All arenas of life and every aspect of society are messy. Work. Politics. Marriage. Parenting. Life. Everything humans touch becomes messy.

Even the church is touched by human messes. You shouldn’t be surprised. Some people see the church and observe what you are like and say, “I don’t want any part of that.” Those who say this need to adjust their thinking to the real world that we live in. The church is made up of sinners—saved by grace, yes—but still sinners. How can one ever think you can have a church and not have a mess? That is ridiculous, unrealistic, and a destructive expectation. The church has messes. If your church isn’t messy then you’re probably new to the church or not well connected. The church is a mess hall—a place to gather, get fed, and get ready for battle.

This leads me to Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. To give a little history, Ephesus was a church planted by the missionary and famous preacher Apollos (Acts 18:24). Later Paul stopped through Turkey on his second missionary journey to visit this fledgling church plant of about 12 people. He stayed on for 3 months. In that 3-month visit he saw a dramatic encounter with the seven sons of Sceva and a mob scene (Acts 19:8ff). He extended his stay to 3 years. So 3 years Paul was in Ephesus, forming and fortifying the church. At one point, Luke described the church in Ephesus as a place where, “the word of the Lord grew and prevailed mightily” (Acts 19:20). That sums up the church’s beginning. Ephesus was a poster church..for a little while.

George Verwer the long-time director of Operation Mobilization said,

“Where two or three are are gathered in Jesus name. Sooner or later there will be a mess.”(Messiology)

And there was a mess in Ephesus. So much so that Timothy was sent to Ephesus—not to a cushy pastoral position, rather to do clean-up duty. We don’t know the exact nature of what went wrong in Ephesus as nothing is spelled out exactly. Paul’s two letters to Timothy give us glimpses of what happened. The church was on the brink of a breakdown. Timothy was called upon to deal with certain persons and behaviors that invaded the church.

Pause for a second. Any messes in your life right now? If you’re at all like me, this probably doesn’t require a lot of mulling over.

We Know How to Make a Mess (Ephesians 2:1-3)

Kids do not need to be taught how to make a mess. That comes naturally. Humans do not need to be taught how to make a mess. Look at what Ephesians says about the mess we were in (2:1-3): v.1) We were dead and disobedient. Living in sin like the rest of the world, v.2) We were fathered by the enemy and his spirit directed our hearts, and v.3) Our desires were unhinged. This describes a hopeless condition (sick/dead). We were stuck (in a snare) in our mess and there was nothing we would do about it. Now don’t equate the word sin with simply a mess, mistake, or oops, but it is cosmic treason (spiritual bankruptcy). 2:12-13, 17 “you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated … and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world,”

What we have seen when evangelizing Muslims in North Africa that they can see that they are sinners, but they don’t see that their sin is that big of a deal. They believe humans are born innocent and pure, their prophets are perfect and sinless, and can’t see how their sin affects others or get passed on. They minimize sin and rank it (i.e. piety, lying, arguing, domestic violence). It isn’t that different in other places with other people around the world—and it may sound like our modern world. We can’t expect unbelievers to believe any differently.

Now when we have seen Muslims come to faith in Christ they bring a lot of baggage into their new faith. They have a lot of spiritual hangovers from their old faith of trying to live holy (i.e. prayer/fasting forms, renouncing vows, relating to wife/kids, redeeming shame). The discipleship journey is messy and takes time, patience, and persistence to help them walk the right path. We can wrongly expect a new follower in Jesus to get overnight what has taken us years to know and grow into. And for some of us, we are still growing into years later.

Thankfully the story doesn’t end with verse 3. There is an amazing turn of events. ”But God…” All the best parts of the Bible come after BUT GOD. What John Stott calls the greatest two syllables ever spoken in the English language. BUT GOD. God comes to the rescue. God delivers. God gives us what we need to get unstuck. What God has given us: life (2:4-9). This new life give to us is—1) a God-initiated life (vs. 4-5), 2) a God-resurrected life (vs. 6-7), and 3) a God-gifted life (vs.8-9). It was a life undeserved. The word that is repeated over and over again in these verses that helps us to understand is grace.

We Must Grasp onto Grace that is Greater than Our Sin (2:4-9)

Grace isn’t an exclusively Christian concept. At the time Paul was writing his letter to the followers of Jesus who lived in the city of Ephesus, the idea of χάρις (grace) was well established. All the way back to folks like Aristotle and Plato, you see the term grace used to describe something that is given, absolutely freely, with no expectation of return. Everyone understood grace to be about a generous gift, something you received for no reason, and something you couldn’t pay back—even if you wanted to. So that was the scroll on which Paul sketched the Christian concept of grace.

You were dead in sin, but God gave you life because you couldn’t. That’s grace. You didn’t earn it, you can’t return it, and you can’t undo it. That’s grace. In Christ, God has seated you in His system of grace. The remedy for your mess is grace.

When you read the Gospels we see Jesus stepping into your mess (our world). He was grace on display. From his birth to his death on the cross he oozed grace to bring you peace. When you consider this you cannot help but sing: Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace. Freely bestowed on all who believe! All who are longing to see His face, Will you this moment His grace receive? Grace that will pardon and cleanse within; Grace that is greater than all our sin!

God is at work in the mess. God in his patience, grace, and passion brings men and women to himself often doing great things amid a mess. Yet in the mess is not where one is to remain …

God Moves us to Go toward the Mess (2:10)

Grace is transforming. It changes you. It’s contagious. It moves your church. It has to be shared and spread. God has designed grace to be walked out (2:10). 1) You are a display of God’s workmanship. 2) God has prepared in advance. 3) God moves you to go towards the mess by embodying grace, proclaiming the gospel, and building up the Body.

Workmanship comes from the Greek word poema, which we get our word poem (handiwork, masterpiece, artistry, creativity, performed). Grace is an extension of God’s beauty and his beautiful plan. Grace in you is God’s artistry that he has designed from eternity past that you walk in it today. Walk is the action of going. God’s grace leads to action. Movement. Toward.

3 ways we extend (walk out) grace to others.

How can I show God’s grace to my family, friends, co-workers, or even strangers? 1) Extend forgiveness. First, we can forgive because we have been forgiven. “In [Christ] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.” (Ephesians 1:7) God is not a furrowed browed Father who says, “What’s wrong with you? Why can’t you get it right?” God is a tender Father who says, “I love you. You are forgiven. Get up and go at it again. I will help you!” Every day we experience God’s grace because every day we make messes. No mess is too much for God. And only God can forgive me, cleanse me, and redeem me from my mess.

Second, I can extend that forgiveness to others, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (4:32) Messes must not separate us, but bring us together. Grace takes away judgment and leads to compassion. Grace creates a bond over our brokenness and the beauty that God makes of us.

2) Extend encouragement. Grace is constructive not destructive. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Ephesians 4:29) And this is echoes other one another’s in the letter, “bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2) “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32) “addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,” (Ephesians 5:19) “Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21) Waiting to encourage others until their life is cleaned up and less messy is like waiting to go to the ER when they’ve stop bleeding. God doesn’t love some future version of others. He loves in the mess.

Grace gets dirty. Sarah moved Sarah to step towards a boy chained up next door, suffering, and needing deliverance. For years he had been hurting himself and tormented by demons. Sarah asked to pray over him in Jesus’ name. With permission from the head of the household, she prayed over the boy and witnessed his healing and freedom.

3) Extend the hope of the gospel. Paul described his role as a “stewardship of God’s grace… that was given to me for you,” (3:2) which means you and I carry a responsibility (moreover privilege) to give out grace as freely as we have been given grace. In the Bible, stewards were the trusted managers of a household, palace, or large estate. Royal stewards were second only to the king and often had control over the king’s treasury, his palace, and some military assets. They were also representatives of the king, carrying out his work on his behalf until he returned. That’s you! Paul continues, “To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things.” (3:8-9) Whether you speak, love, or serve, you are to extend hope of nothing less than greatest news in the world. You are the King’s messenger.

Sarah was able to see a breakthrough in our crusty neighborhood. She began by reading Bible stories to a group of children at a Quranic School who couldn’t afford a teacher. She met with women and children to study and memorize the Scripture. She was able to pray over a young boy who was demonized. She was able to nurture orphan children from a mother who came to faith but died. We were able to see the formation and influence of a media project ministry that touched souls around the city and country with the good news. We were able to see the launch of two new teams in Chad among the unreached. We were able to experience a new dependence upon the Lord that we would not have but through the messes, we stepped back into.

Read any mission biography and you will see men and women going towards messes. David Brainerd served a few years among the native Americans and died of TB at 29, BUT GOD used Brainerd’s diary to stir a new wave of missionaries to the unreached. William Carey lost his life’s work of Bible translations in a tragic fire, BUT GOD caused the Bengali church to grow and spread. David Svea led one boy to Christ in the Congo before he lost his pregnant wife to malaria. He left his newborn daughter and the mission field never to return. He became a drunk, BUT GOD used that one boy to lead 600 others to Christ in his village and spread the gospel to hundreds of thousands of others. We have seen carnage in Chad due to marriage conflict, team implosions, unforeseen illnesses, and more. Our own family was on the cusp of being a statistic due to burnout, depression, and identity battles. BUT GOD is building His church in Chad! What is your BUT GOD story?

Three questions to ask yourself:

1) Am I going toward the messes within me? Are you allowing God’s grace to touch all areas of your soul and life? Has the gospel taken root in you?

2) Am I going toward the messes close to me? Are you seeing the messes in your community (or church) and stepping toward them rather than away from them? Are you bringing the gospel to those around you?

3) Am I going towards the messes into new places/nations? Am I asking the question, “Where next, God?” Or even, “Who next, God?”

Go towards the mess in you, others, and the world. Watch God’s grace shine!

War on Truth & Testing the Spirits

July 1, 2024July 1, 2024Posted in spiritual warfare, truthTagged 1 John 4, 1 John 4:1-6, accuse and decieve, antichrist, Bible, daily messages, demons, false teachers, false teaching, God, Holy Spirit, how to guard your heart, hypostatic union, Jesus, lies people believe, litmus tests to truth, screwape letters, spirit, testing the spirits, truth, war on trustLeave a comment

There is a war. It is ever-going and never-ceasing. You are in the middle of it. Often your mind and heart are at the epicenter. And the war is about the Truth.

My family and I live in North Africa. We have lived there for 12 years. Our first 7 years we lived off-grid in a village bringing the good news to the least reached. For the last 5 years, we have been in an urban setting leading teams among the unreached and discipling believers in Jesus from a Muslim background. We have learned a lot about loving people in their messes. We have learned to embrace that discipleship and community are mostly walking with one another in the mess—mainly the messes we make ourselves and/or together. Believers who come out of a Muslim background have a lot of spiritual (lies, false prophet), relational (transactional, social pressures), cultural, and emotional (shame/honor) baggage.

Let me tell you a story about Bishara. I met Bishara after he was miraculously freed from the hands of his father and brothers who tried to kill him for following Jesus. He was traumatized and reeling from persecution. Bishara showed a deep love for Jesus, a hunger for God’s Word, and a passion to share his new life with others. It was exciting to see. It was a joy to disciple him through the Old Testament along with a group of men all from different unreached tribes. Outside the room, many of these men might be enemies and rivals, but because of Jesus, there was a bond. Bishara struggled to love his brothers. He had a competitive spirit and he often tried to one-up others. We didn’t catch this at first. He also had a hidden life of lies that took a while to uncover. It came out that Bishara used funds for charity for personal gain, he was womanizing and got a girl pregnant, when confronted he denied and didn’t take responsibility, and when disciplined rather than being repentant he threw some of his brothers under the bus. He ended up leading some astray because of his dual lifestyle. It was so messy and heartbreaking.

In this context of 1 John 4, John writes to the church which was experiencing some messes too. At the time, the church had grown and expanded around the known world. Some teachers had claimed to have the corner on truth. John cautioned the church encouraging them to discern truth from lies. This is so helpful for all of us because no matter where in the world we live we need to discern what is truth from within us (in our minds; in our church) and outside of us (in our world/culture/society). We are bombarded with thousands of messages each day.

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” —1 John 4:1-6

First things:

We are commanded to test the spirits (beings) and test what we are taught/hear.
Not every “truth claim” comes from God. There are false spiritual sources (teacher/demon).
John gives litmus tests to discern truth and lies.

Three Litmus Tests to Discern the Truth (Jesus>Spirit>Word)

There are two uses of the term ‘litmus test’. The first is scientific and it is used to determine if a liquid is acidic or alkaline. The second is used linguistically to prove or indicate truth. I will use it in the later.

Jesus Test

v.2 confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.

In John’s day, some teachers said that Jesus didn’t show up in the flesh. They said that he was God but that he didn’t put on human skin. Sounds super-spiritual. Today people flip the narrative. They believe that Jesus came in the flesh, but that he wasn’t God. They will say that was just a good teacher, one of the prophets, or a moral man. Muslims say that Jesus didn’t die but was taken. So people take either extreme—they over-humanize him or over-deify him.

We believe in the doctrine of the hypostatic union, which is the truth that Jesus was both 100% man and 100% God at the same time (hypostasis—same—inseparable natures). He is perfectly and fully human and divine. There is no mixture or dilution of either nature. In other words, we believe that Jesus was God (always was God; John 8:58) before he became man, and when he became man he became fully human (John 1:14), — False teachers disguise themselves (2 Cor.11:13-15) and their message is a false gospel that is powerless to save.

Questions to consider: What has been added/removed about/to Jesus? What impact does Jesus have on our life/walk? What does their life produce? In what ways do our lives mirror Jesus in word/action?

Spirit Test

v.4, he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

In the world, there are many voices. Each voice claims to be true, but not all can be true. Not all truth claims have the same source. In the Garden of Eden, there was One voice. That voice walked among men and related to men. Then came another voice that questioned the One voice—to distract, deceive, disillusion, distort, cloud out, and twist the Truth. Consider the many voices you hear each day (i.e. podcasts, blogs, YouTube, TikTok). Each day you will see 100 text messages, hear 1,000 audio messages, and filter 10,000 advertisements. What are the chances that some of those messages will not be true?

You have an enemy (“he who is in the world”) and he has many helpers. He goes by the name deceiver and accuser, tempter, and father of lies. These are his names and descriptors. He is against (anti-)Christ and his spirit is already in the world. Demons don’t get enough press in the church. Instead, we hide them in a box in the attic because we don’t know what to do with it, and we are at risk of ignoring the excluded middle.

In C.S. Lewis’ famous Screwtape Letters which depicts a conversation between two demons named Tempter and Wormwood there is a statement on one of the ways they try to deceive, “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.”

Remember that “He who is in you is greater.” You who have the Holy Spirit are indwelled. He is known as the Helper, Comforter, Guide, and Truth. Your heart is the garden. You can hear the One voice each day, everywhere you go, he goes with you. Yet you and I face the temptation with so many voices (outward and inward) to draw you away from the Truth and snooker your attention to anything other than Jesus.

Questions to consider: Who’s voice is feeding this wisdom? What does the Spirit within me say? What is the substance of the wisdom?

Word Test

v.6 Whoever knows God listens to us.

Who is “us” in this verse? It is John and he references the other eyewitnesses to Jesus. John challenges us to measure all words against their words—the words written in the Word of God. You will know counterfeits by studying the truth. Any banker will tell you that to spot a fake you must first know the genuine article.

Questions to consider: How does it weigh against the Word? What is the source of the claim? Do my/others’ words mimic the words of the Prophets, eyewitnesses, and Jesus? Who do the teachers submit their lives to?

Approach and Posture to Testing

There are a few ways we can respond when testing the messages we hear. We can attack, be active, or avoid. We can attack as heretic hunters and consider ourselves the sole guardians of truth. This approach might seem appropriate, but it might not be from a posture of love for your brothers. We can be passive followers of the Person of Jesus and avoid interacting with false messages. This approach might be the easy way out, but it also might not be from a posture of love for your brothers. What are the common ways you see others around you approach and respond? What way do you want to approach and respond?

“Truth matters. It matters not just in our relationships, in what we say to others, but inside each of us. We lie to ourselves every day, multiple times a day, when we tell ourselves things that are inaccurate, distorted, untrue, irrational, mistaken, and most important, unbiblical. The lies we tell ourselves cost us dearly. They cost us good relationships with others, a sense of meaning and purpose, emotional health, well-lived lives, confidence that we have worth, and an intimate relationship with the God of the universe, who created us in His image.” — The Lies We Believe, Chris Thurman

Three Arenas the enemy uses to deceive and accuse: And a sampling of sayings.

1) Ourselves (identity/performance)
— I am useless/worthless. I am what I do. I am who I am. (or the opposite)
— I am enough (I have what it takes). I can do it all. I am in control. I am awesome.

2) Our World (life/culture/society/media)
—People are good. Life should be easy and fair. You can have it all. You deserve the best.
—Everything is awesome! We can take on the philosophy of the Lego Movie, “You are the most important, most talented, most interesting, and most extraordinary person in the universe—you are “The Special”

3) Our Relationships (God/others)
—Trust no one. Do it yourself, if you want it done right. Stay yourself (never change). You will fail me. No one cares. I need no one. I am not lovable/forgivable.
—God isn’t…good/kind (or anything that calls question to His character).

Which of these arenas do you feel the heat of the enemy?

Consider Jesus—the True One—who also faced accusations and attacks.
—He loved God, people hated him. (the same will happen to those who teach the truth)
—He sought to please God, but people were not pleased with him.
—He said hard words and truths, but people rejected him and made it hard for him

What I learned from Bishara’s story? I was able to look into the mirror—it could be me (it caused me to guard my heart). It was sad and that was okay because so was the Holy Spirit. I will focus future discipleship on the fruit (maturity) and seek heart-level change. Discipleship is messy.

Remember you are at war. Your mind and heart are the battlefield. The war is about Truth. Test the Truth by the life of Jesus, His Spirit, and the Word of God. Approach the way you respond from a posture of love. Look to Jesus as a way to guard yourself from the accusations and deceptions of the enemy. We are stronger together!

Lessons Learned from my fourth year of Marriage

May 2, 2013Posted in marriageTagged fourth year of marriage, God, lessons learned from years of marriage, marriage, new2 Comments

Make time for Jesus. This is the first priority. Sarah is my second.

My wife likes the little things. She does a dynamite job caring for our home, even though at this moment our home is in transition. Managing a home is a lot of work filled with many little tasks and no pay. By doing the dishes, changing the laundry, or vacuuming for Sarah can be a huge help to Sarah.

Ask the hard questions. I can read Sarah. She wears her feelings freely on her face. As her husband, I want to go deeper than asking, “How are you doing?” or “What’s up?” That usually goes nowhere. She likes when I asks her questions. She wants to answer.

Listen well. Asking questions is good, but like most dudes I have a natural tendency to listen in order to fix, but often Sarah isn’t looking for a quick fix. She wants me to listen. That in itself is helpful.

We are more alike than we are different. Sarah is not from Venus and I am not from Mars. We are earthlings, moreover, we are children of God made in His image. In God’s eyes, Sarah is a princess and her value is priceless.

We are distinctly different thinkers. Sarah is a verbal processor, while I am a ponderer. The beauty of marriage is discovering how these compliment rather than conflict.

Encourage friendships. Sarah has great friends. When Sarah comes back from a cup of coffee or prayer gathering with the ladies she is re-juiced. It is worth carving out the time to kick Sarah out of the house so she can spend time with her companions.

Snuggle. Sarah likes it when I sit next to her. I mean butted up next to her. Touch is a big thing to her. As a couple, it is good to be intimate often. Touch her heart before you touch her body.

Expect to be sanctified. My sin is so obvious to Sarah. Living with another person, especially a spouse exposes how self-centered I am. God uses Sarah to chisel at my core and I am becoming more selfless. It hurts, but it’s good.

Pray for wisdom. I cannot be the man Sarah needs me to be alone. I need God.

See entries from years past:
1st anniversary
2nd anniversary
3rd anniversary

the gift that keeps on giving

December 24, 2012December 24, 2012Posted in christmasTagged beautiful reflections, christmas, gift, God, moment god, new, presence of god, the gift that keeps on givingLeave a comment

These are some beautiful reflections by my wife Sarah on Christmas.

I can only imagine that both Mary and Joseph were exhausted. For the last 5-9 months as people learned of her pregnancy, Mary had lost friends. Even her family frowned. “Really? You didn’t do anything wrong but you’re pregnant? An angel you say? Ok Mary, well, let’s not talk about it.”

If you’ve never had close friends turn their back on you, then you probably don’t know what Mary felt like. And this wasn’t one friend, this was like maybe ALL but one or two. Mary and Joseph were alone. Who was going to cook for her after the baby was born? Who was going to be there to be excited about how cute he was?

Eight days later, there was one person who would be excited. He had read the ancient writings and he knew that God had promised to come to earth in Bethlehem. This was the One. The One who would pay.

In that moment, God began to pay for the wrongs that we do every day. It wasn’t about being “good.” Nothing that was simply “good enough” could stand in the presence of God. He is GLORY itself. Nothing with even one little spot can be allowed there, because there is ONLY goodness there. Otherwise, we could still hurt each other in God’s presence. No, he can’t let it be like that. It WILL be perfect. Perfect peace.

In that one moment, a sheltered life inside of the womb was born into a dirty room with animals, into the hands of people who had hurt and stolen and even killed with those hands. A baby. A baby who could only cry for milk. Why would God come like that? He chose it. He chose to be normal. Except for one thing: He would pay.

But Mary and Joseph believed. They believed that God had a holy perfect place which was the only thing that made sense in a world filled with disappointment and apathy. They were not born only to suffer with age and die. No, they were born to see the perfect face of God, but they could not get there with “good enough” actions. Someone must remove every last action that was not done out of love and thankfulness to God. How could you erase the past? It was too big to pay for.

But, maybe you HAVE had someone turn their back on you. The first time it is simply excruciating. The one and only person you love with all your heart. On that last day of Jesus’ physical life, the first day began to make sense. On that last day, the Father that had looked down with love on his Son, turned his back on him and the Son’s heart literally broke with blood and water mingling. Why would the Father do that?

Until that moment, as God in the flesh, Jesus was perfect and without even one action of selfishness. But, in that moment, His destiny was realized – to take all the sins of the world and their punishment onto Himself. God then turned his back and poured out His wrath and death into the body and heart of Jesus. Jesus paid for you. Every action that is not pure, was put on Jesus. It wasn’t a symbol or a legend. He died. And he didn’t deserve to. We deserve it. And we will face a physical death, but after that . . .

God wants once again to be with us. Emmanuel. His life. His gift.

man is responsible to God

September 23, 2010January 6, 2012Posted in attributes of God, creation, GodTagged bff, Creator, God, grandpa, holy, judge, responsibility, santa, what is God like2 Comments

There are many different views about what God is like. He can be depicted as a nice old man upstairs or an ogre under the toll bridge. We often make God what we want Him to be like rather than who He really is. The God of the Bible is often different than the popular persona of Him. The way we—including many Christians—like to picture God is not the way God. What is God like to you? Here are some common views of God voiced by people today:

God is like a Grandpa. The grandpa-God is popular, forgiving, and a generous giver. Whenever we do something wrong he smiles and says, “It’s okay, I understand, don’t worry, I love you. Here’s some ice cream.” He is positive and reluctant to punish—sometimes forgetful. Grandpa God loves to spoil and send home his grandchildren satisfied.

God is like Santa Claus. Some think God is like a Cosmic Easter Bunny, Mr. Rogers, or jolly old St. Nick. “He sees you when your sleeping, He knows when your awake, He knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake.” He likes to give lots of gifts; blessings to all good kids and coal to the bad kids. All we have to do is ask and He will give us whatever we desire, like a genie in a bottle. The problem with the Santa Claus God is that the older we get the harder it is to believe that He is real.

God is like my Buddy. Some think God is like a casual friend. We go together like milk and cookies or macaroni and cheese. We text and Facebook each other often, but it is nothing more than casual and fun conversation. We like to call on Him when we need a friend because he is non-judgmental and low-maintenance. He will look out for us, but doesn’t interfere with our personal business.

God is like an Unfair Judge. Some think God is commonly known as the overbearing, always anger judge. He wears a long flowing judicial robe and carries a gavel waiting to inflict punishment and pain on sinners. He keeps a list of our tardies and demerits. This God is overly involved in our daily lives and world events. He is angry at sin and rightfully punishes the unfaithful. Feeling guilty?

Is God like some of these characteristics? God is loving, forgiving, and blessing. He is a friend. He is just and angry at sin. God is very different—compared to you and than most popular concepts of Him. As we read through the Bible we see that God is not like us. We have already discussed that I believe the Bible is absolutely true, which includes what that Bible says about God. He is set apart. He is in a class of His own. He is not untouchable or unattainable; rather He is distinct in His divine attributes. Here is what the Bible says God is like and humanity’s responsibility to Him:

Man is responsible to God because He is an indefatigable Creator

In the first verse of the first book of the Bible it declares, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” [Genesis 1:1] Everything exists [i.e. mountains, mammals, microorganisms, Milky Way] because God is—including you and me [cf. Genesis 1:26-27]. God spoke and it was. The Bible says that the creation itself sings of it Creator, “The heavens declare Your glory” [Psalm 19:1; cf. Romans 1:19-20].

God is a beautiful Creator. As the Creator of the universe and everything He does not get tired, “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary.” [Isaiah 40:28] It is true God rested the seventh day of creation not because He was tired, but as a model for His creation who is not omnipotent. As Creator, there is not a job God cannot handle, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for you.” [Jeremiah 32:17]. The affairs of seven billion people on this planet are not outside His job description either.

Now there are some people that argue, “So what if God made all that is and me? That doesn’t mean He is intimately involved in the affairs of His creation nor govern over it? Even if He is governing, He is not doing a very good job!” This is easily debunked when we look at the remainder of the Scripture that follows Genesis 1. From Genesis 2 through Revelation 22—even now—God is intimately involved in the lives of His people. God is alive and at work. Since He is my Creator and Originator, He owns me and expects me to obey.

Man is responsible to God because He is infinitely Holy

Not only is God a Creator—He is infinitely holy. In other words, God cannot sin. It is not that He doesn’t know the nature of sin; rather His holy character prevents Him from sinning. When getting a glimpse of God, Isaiah see angelic beings praising God saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” [6:3] God is holy, which means He is sinless. When Isaiah saw God for who He was [holy], he also saw himself for who he was [unholy].

Since God is sinless He cannot be prejudiced [Acts 10:34-35]. He cannot break a promise [Psalm 89:34]. Therefore, He does not know of a sin He cannot not forgive nor think of a better plan of salvation than His own [Exodus 34:6-7]. God is who He says He is—perfect and infinitely holy. Since God is holy, He expects holiness from His creation. There is no sin in His heaven. Those whose sin is not covered by the blood of Christ will not be in heaven either.

God is not a garbage man throwing out our sinful trash without a cost and delivering to the local dump never to be recovered again. Our sin does have a severe cost: death [Romans 3:23]. Sin must be judged. Yet in God’s grace He sent Jesus Christ to pay the ransom for my sin and He stands as my advocate before the throne. When I commit my life to Christ His blood declares me, “Not guilty!” He loves righteousness and justice.

In Summary, what is God like? He is not like us. He is Creator and Holy. He is perfect and without sin. Since God is my holy Creator I am responsible to Him. He owns me. I report to Him. He is the standard by which I live by and will be judged. If you want to know about what God is like look at Jesus [Read the accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John]. Is this your God? Do you know Him?

God Is

June 8, 2010January 6, 2012Posted in attributes of God, God, worshipTagged attributes of God, authority, glory, God, God is, Green Bay Packers, holiness, holy, Isaiah 6, majestic, majesty, omnipotent, reverence, why worship matters, worship4 Comments

Part 1 of 3 Why Worship Matters

We live in a culture [as others before us] willing to worship anyone and anything. We will pack arena’s to sing our favorite songs from our favorite band. We will be first in line at the movie theatre to see the next biggest summer blockbuster. We will pack sports stadiums and worship teams and players with loud cheers and waving our banners. Last December Sarah and I went to our first fridged Packer game at Lambeau Field. There was some worship going on that day! Later we thought, as great as the game was, “Heaven is going to be awesome!”

We are about all worship. It is not easy to define real worship in a culture that readily worships anyone or anything. Worship is about what we live for [who we are]. Every day, all day, everywhere you go, you worship. It’s what you do. It’s who you are. You can’t stop it or live without it. Worship is a way of life. It is a whole-life response to God’s greatness and glory. You are a worshipper before you are a father, mother, sister, brother, boss, employee or student. Worship is simply about value. Worship is our response to what we value most.

Why does worship matter? Why must worship matter to me? Why is it so important? Worship matters because GOD IS and His character demands my worship [Isaiah 6:1-3].

God is alive.

Isaiah says, “I saw the Lord.” Uzziah is dead, but God still lives. “From everlasting to everlasting, You are God” [Psalm 90:2]. God has no beginning or end. He does not depend anything or anyone to exist. God was alive when this universe banged into existence. He was alive when the Buddha and Muhammad walked the earth. He was alive when JFK was shot. He was alive when a tsunami sweep away Indonesia, and earthquakes rocked Haiti and Chile. He will be alive ten trillion ages from now when all the puny people in power are long forgotten. But not God, He always has been and always will be alive.

God is authoritative.

“I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne.” He is the Supreme Court, the Legislature, and the Chief Executive. Heaven is not coming apart at the seams. He holds it together. He sits on a throne. He rules with peace and control. He has authority over our lives even though we may never acknowledge Him.

God is omnipotent.

“I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up.” God’s throne is higher than every other throne signifies God’s superior power to exercise His authority. No opposing authority can nullify the decrees of God. What He purposes, He accomplishes. “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose” [Isaiah 46:10].

God is majestic.

“I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, and the train his robe filled the temple.” You have seen pictures of brides whose dresses are gathered around them covering the steps and the platform. What would the meaning be if the train filled the aisles and covered the seats and the stage, woven all of one piece? That God’s robe fills the entire heavenly temple means that he is a God of incomparable splendor and honor. His creative fullness spills over in excessive beauty. God loves to wow us.

God is revered.

“Above him stood the seraphim; each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.” No one knows what these strange six-winged creatures are [not some chubby winged angel babies], and they never appear again in the Bible. When one of them speaks, the foundations of the temple shake [v.4]. These are magnificent creature that most of us would be wowed by, but God wows them.

God is holy.

“And one called to another, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts!” God is in a class by Himself. When asked for His name in Exodus 3:14, He said, “I am who I am.” What is God’s holiness? [Hebrew Qadesh, Greek Hagios, separate/different] 1 Samuel 2:2, “There is none holy like the Lord, there is none besides You.” Isaiah 40:25, “To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One.” Hosea 11:9, “I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst.” And repeated throughout the Scripture is the theme: “YHWH alone is God” [Ex.22:20; 34:14; 20:5].

God is incomparable, unfathomable. It determines all that He is and does and His ways are not determined by anyone. His holiness is what He is as God, which no one else is or ever will be. Getting a glimpse of God’s holiness will rock your world to the core. There is no way to scale mountain and heights of God’s holiness [not even in this message or our lifetime]. “The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him” [Habakkuk 2:20].

God is glorious.

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory.” The glory of God is the seen of God’s holiness. God’s holiness has gone public in His glory. When God shows himself to be holy, what we see is glory. In Leviticus 10:3 God says, “I will show Myself holy among those who are near Me, and before all the people I will be glorified.”

Worship matters because GOD IS. His character demands my worship.

this is not a playground, it’s a battlefield

September 3, 2009September 3, 2009Posted in spiritual warfareTagged army, battlefield, God, spiritual warfare, war2 Comments

My brother Colin and I use to pretend to play war. We would play for hours on the land by the lake in the summers. We would set up army men and throw rocks at each other. I would usually win because I was 10 years older than him, but he would get mad, throw a hit and kick all mine over. Yeah, I would let him win.

Now these battles were just for fun. Life at times can be a battle too. When the warfare hits home it is not so fun.

1. Our battle is against the ENEMY OF GOD. Eph.6:12 “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Our enemy is slick, stealth, sly and so powerful. This is why the Bible often calls life a battle, fight, or a war.

2. In this battle we have the STRENGTH OF GOD. Eph.6:10 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” Like God would often say to Joshua, “Be strong and courageous…the battle belongs to the LORD” The power that created the universe is the power He gives you to fight against sin, temptation and the world.

3. In this battle we wear the ARMOR OF GOD. Eph.6:13 “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” God has issued you the armor when you enlisted in the Lord’s army. It is your responsibility to wield the God-given weapons of warfare.

4. In this battle we boast in the GLORY OF GOD Gal.6:14 “May it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We do not fight alone. Our champion is Christ. He is our Divine Warrior!! Armies would often have chants for their champions, not a “hip-hip-hooray!” or “I don’t know what you been told, but our champion is really bold.” But more like, “He will rock you, sock you, and knock you out!!” [or something like that!?]. When we cheer on our champion we boast in His glory. Jesus always wins.

ARE YOU READY TO TAKE THE ON HEAT? ARE YOU READY TO FUEL YOUR FLAME FOR GOD? ARE YOU READY TO FOLLOW GOD “INSIDE THE FIRE”?

back in the US of A

August 21, 2009Posted in missionsTagged God, need, needs, poverty, provider, sustainerLeave a comment

We are back! Wow, what a journey!! I am sad that it is over, but looking forward to taking the lessons learned and applying them back home. The trip has put a greater fire within my inward parts to head back to the land of great need. Here are some of the lessons I have learned while in the Congo:

People everywhere have needs. The people of the Congo have needs and so do those in the USA, Canada, and uttermost parts of the world. The job is daunting and daring. In reality, it is a job no man can do alone, but only a force of people motivated by compassion for the needy, impoverish, and broken.

I can only do so much alone. We were able to meet over a hundred different people while in the Congo. Mostly pastors, youth leaders and youth. They have many questions and various needs. I can only give so much. I can count on my hands and toes the numbers of individuals who approached us for food, clothing and money. I make more in a day than they do in a year, yet I was unable to fulfill the needs of everyone. Am I required to. No. However, as the old proverb states, “to whom much is given much is required.”

Need is a strong word. A need is something I cannot live without (ie. food, water, and shelter). We think we need lots of things. When truthfully we want a lot and need little. It is hard to be convinced you need little. It is equally as hard to convince other who have little that you (who have much) cannot fulfill their needs.

God is the only one able to fill the void. I cannot throw money or resources at physical or spiritual poverty. If I do I will spoil rotten a growing baby (for more on this click here). Only God change change a life. I can make ones life better for a time, but God can make it better for eternity.

I need more of God. I think of Jesus countless encounters with wealthy and poor, needy and satisfied throughout the Scriptures. His motto to all peoples is, “I must increase and you must decrease,” “follow Me,” “bear your cross,” and “in your weakness I will be made strong.” In other words may there me less of me and more of God. The greatest need I have is not more spiritual books, money for a new roof or garments to keep me warm, but a wholly relationship with my Creator and Sustainer. I need the Great Provider, God.

Check out our travel photos.

a consuming fire

August 1, 2009March 2, 2010Posted in attributes of God, GodTagged fear, God, holiness2 Comments

I remember as a young whipper-snapper that a group of us went to Green Bay to see the Packers practice. As a little boy this was a big deal, a real cheeseheads dream. You could see the big stars practice. The players would ride in on their bikes, high five the kids, stop for autographs. I got to meet actual players. I still haven’t washed my right hand!? Thousands of people would flock around the practice field just to get a glimpse of their favorite football player. We are all excited to get a glimpse into the lives of the rich and famous, get a sneak peak at the summers hot new blockbuster, and more.

I wonder what would your response be to getting a glimpse of God?

1. Fear God’s Holiness (Hebrews 12:18-21)

Modern people are not accustomed to fearing God. Fearing God is something primitive people do—along with bowing down to the sun and sacrificing virgins to volcanoes.

Even Christian people are not used to fearing God. You might say, “That sounds way too Old Testament. What about the love and grace of God? After all, John says: “Perfect love casts out fear.” Fear is for the spiritually immature, right?”

There’s a tendency for modern folk to think in terms of God offering man a contract—agreement between equals. “You’re ok, I’m ok. Every thing is ok.” NOT!! Ancients did not make that mistake. The 10 Commands were like terms of a treaty—the kind made between the conqueror and the conquered. No complaining or bargaining. Accept the terms unconditionally.

SHOULD WE FEAR THE LORD?

Let’s look at what the Bible says:

“The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov.1:7; 5:21; 8:13; 9:10).
“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecc.12:13)
“Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the LORD of hosts, Him you shall regard as holy. Let him be your fear, and let Him be your dread” (Isa. 8:12-13)

You say, “That’s all from the OT!” What about Phil.2:1? “work out your salvation with fear and trembling”

The meaning of fearing God comes into clearer focus if we can imagine what it would be like to actually see God. This hasn’t happened too many times, but it is awesome to have an unfiltered experience with the living God! Isaiah said, “woe is me. I am a man of unclean lips,” (6:1-5) and when John saw the awesomeness of Christ and fell at His feet as a dead man (Rev.1:9-18).

When I was a kid I randomly bumped into things. My mom finally realized after multiple bruising that I needed glasses. I where glasses to see and protect me from potential danger. Fearing the Lord protects me from destruction. Sin makes me dumb. Following God is so smart.

The Bible clearly commands us to fear the Lord. It is a mixture of terror and awe, not just reverence and respect. Fear of the Lord is an appropriate response to the practical awareness of who I am before God. John Piper says, “To fear God is to view God as so powerful and awesome that I would not dare run from Him, but to Him.”

When I was in high school I took a ski-trip with my step-dad out West. We skied a lot. I have one memory that sticks out in my mind. On our last day we went to Copper Mountain (12,300ft.) We decided to take a trip to the summit. The ski lift got us close, but we still had about a half-mile climb to get to the peak. I thought I was going to die. When we got to the summit it was an amazing experience (“This is the sanctuary of God”). You could see for miles, the air was brisk, and God’s glory was awesome. I remember crying out to God. Then it dawned on me we had to go down this mountain. The only way down was to jump about a 20-foot cliff to the powdery slope. I had the feeling of terror mixed with wonder was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. This must have been something like the Israelites’ experience with the living God–terror mixed with wonder. It was something God did not want Israel to forget.

Who is your God? Is He feared? One day you will appear before this God. Every person who has ever lived will appear before Him. You think you will tell Him how you’ve been a good boy or girl; or give Him a piece of your mind for how your live went on earth. No, you will approach Him in fear and trembling. You will be there, we will all be there. This is the God we will meet. The story doesn’t end there. Ready for some good news? There is this holy God “but…”

2. Gratitude for God’s Grace (12:22-24)

The amazing grace showered on you when you come to the God:

to Mount Zion—we may come to a literal mountain in Jerusalem that represented the heavenly Zion
to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem—but we come to the dwelling of God.
to innumerable angels in festal gathering—we come backed by a 10,000 x 10,0000=100,000,000 (minimum) member choir of angels in their party clothes.
and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven—the believers, church (ecclesia), any firstborns here today? All receive a special rank and privilege. We will be “enrolled in the Book of Life (Rev.3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15) If you are not enrolled you are not there!
and to God, the judge of all—God is there.
to the spirits of the righteous made perfect—we will be like Christ! All that things that bug me about you, and you about me will not be there!!
and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant—HE IS THE CENTERPIECE OF HEAVEN. We come to see the One and Only, the Supreme, who gave us the New Covenant. We come to our Savior and Redeemer.
and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel—we come through the Atoning blood of Christ through which we have forgiveness of sins. Christ’s sacrifice was better than Abel’s (cf. Gen.4:10). Though Abel’s sacrifice (and ours) is acceptable to God because of faith—it has no atoning power (it represented judgment and vengeance). Jesus’ is (Col.1:20).

Whoohoo! That will be the day!! Are you grateful for the work of Christ? Do you know the God of Mount Zion? (1 Jn. “These things were written that you might know you have eternal life through Jesus Christ”) Do you know that you know that you know Him. Forgiveness and repentance in Christ!

How should I respond to this holiness and grace of God?

3. Worship by Total Submission (12:25-29)

My Response (v.25): I will do what He says. When He says jump, “I will say how high?”

My Response (vs.26-29): I will worship. I give my best to God, I give my first to God, I reserve the most to God. I honor Him, respect Him, awe Him. I do not walk through life casually, placing a checkmark on my fridge that I went to church today. I totally submit to Him and worship for our God is a consuming fire.

Getting a glimpse of God means…
I fear God’s holiness: Do you fear God? Does it show up in your actions?
I have gratitude for God’s grace: Are you thankful for His mercy?
I worship by total submission: Do you worship Him as a living sacrifice?

real questions: prove it?

September 11, 2008January 6, 2012Posted in God, Jesus, questionsTagged God, I AM, if you're God provei it, is God real, is Jesus God, Jesus, Jesus is God, prove it, tricks3 Comments

Ned Anzers: God if you are real…why don’t you prove it?

If you were to draw a picture of God what would He look like? No one really knows what God looks like. Billions of people down through history have tried to paint God in the shape of an animal, as fire or water, in the stars or sun, as distant gods, inner gods, peaceful gods or fearful gods. Some even say there is no God. Almost everybody has a different view of God from each other. Wouldn’t it be nice if God decided to reveal Himself once and for all? Imagine what it would be like to see God, talk to Him, touch Him, sit down and eat with Him.

Jesus says something very amazing.

“Any one that has seen Me has seen the Father.” (John 14:1-14) Many thousands of people saw, touched, talked and ate with Jesus. They kept record of it so that people would know that God does exist. As we read the Bible people tell us over and over again, “God does exist. We know because we met Him.”

Couldn’t these people make this stuff up? Jesus never claimed to be God, did He? In fact…

Jesus claims to be God more than once.

Jesus claimed to be equal with God got people mad (John 10:30-33). He also puts Himself on equal terms with God:

John 8:56-58 (Ex.3:13-14) “I AM.”—Jesus claims God’s name as His own.
John 8:12; 9:5 “I am the Light of the world.”
John 6:35, 48 “I am the Bread of Life.”
John 15:1 “I am the True Vine.”
John 10:10-11 (Ezek.34:11,14) “I am the Good Shepherd.”
John 11:25 “I am the Resurrection and the Life.”
John 14:6 “I am the Way, the True, and the Life.”

These are stunning words from Jesus, but they are also dangerous words. It would be like going into Ross Aid Stadium and saying I am a Badger fan.

Anyone can claim to be God, can’t they? Yes. Muhammad Ali said, “I have wrestled with an alligator! I tussled with a whale! I handcuffed lightning, threw thunder in jail! Only last week, I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick. I’m so mean, I make medicine sick! I am the greatest!” Ali knew that if you are going to talk this way that you better back it up or else you will be the laughing stock of the world.

Jesus did what He said.

He controlled the weather (Luke 8:24 “stopped a storm”, handcuffed lighting and threw thunder in jail)

Impressive, but that couldn’t it have been a coincidence? Sure. Yet everyone around Jesus agreed that He did amazing things. He feed 5000 people with a boys school lunch box, He walked on water, He cured sickness, paralysis, blindness, deafness, and brought the dead to life. When Jesus walked the earth, it was as if He owned the place. Well, He did create it (John 1:1-4).

Couldn’t He have tricked people into thinking He was who He was? What Jesus did were not tricks. There was no David Copperfield or CGI. Jesus enemies could not expose Him as a fraud. Jesus did not use His power for wealth, status, or fame. In fact, Jesus was prophesied about hundreds and thousands of years before He was born (where He was born, how He would die, etc.). He fulfilled every prophecy.

Jesus did what He did to prove that God exists.

When Jesus walked the earth that He proved God is real.

listen and obey even on a rainy day

August 22, 2008September 9, 2008Posted in Bible, God, opinionTagged God, God's Word, listen, obey, rainy dayLeave a comment

I love rainy days. Why not jump in a puddle when you are already wet? Didn’t your mom tell you not to jump in puddles as a kid?

The majority desires to be told what to do; yet only a minority has no desire to actually do what they are told. It is a peculiar contradiction that leaves many floating without a purpose on a sea of self-devistation. Many have said, “I have committed my life to Jesus my Savior, but what do I do now?”

The answer is simple. It is simple, but not necessarily easy. You see simple rarely equals easy. That is why many have such a disparagement for simplicity. So, what do I do now? Listen and obey. Listen and obey what? God’s Word; hear and do what God says. This answer almost always produces a volatile response. It robs me of excuses. It breaks down my defenses. It leaves me completely vulnerable.

James 1:22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.

Dueteronomy 13:18 if you will listen to the voice of the LORD your God, keeping all His commandments which I am commanding you today, and doing what is right in the sight of the LORD your God.

Listen and obey, that’s it? Some ask for a formula or creative checklists take the heart out of the equation. We crave a formula. We want our 10 steps to spiritual success, 5 easy steps to an “on fire” relationship with God, 3 “P’s” for purity, and a quirky acronym for GOSPEL. I’d buy that because I desire a nice, safe, cute Christianity that is non-offensive and void of power. Rather just give me something measurable, something that I can get my hands around and then store on a shelf for a rainy day. Not! A rainy day theology means that I want my faith on stand by, just in case there is an emergency.

Sad to say, it doesn’t work that way. Following Jesus is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Listening and obeying is risky. It leaves room for human error: Is it really God speaking to me? How do I know it is God not the spicy Indian food I ate the other day? This is the point: I can communicate with Him and ask questions, and He answers through the Bible. Hear, His voice is right at our finger tips in His written Word. Just listen and obey. Rarely is it all that complicated. We argue. We contemplate. We ask three friends if they think it was really God’s voice and the moment passes. We don’t obey. And we miss out on the divine.

Listening and obeying must be done. I cannot rely on someone to listen to God for me. It doesn’t work. In a world where everything is prepackaged, Christianity doesn’t seem to work. It is too difficult. Many are far too busy to do something so silly as listen. You cannot purchase God’s plan for your life at your local Christian bookstore. They don’t have it. He doesn’t come prepackaged. God knows the outcome of our obedience: Obedience changes the world, and disobedience perpetuates the ho-hum (Micah 6).

real questions: 3 in 1?

August 20, 2008April 9, 2012Posted in God, questions, theology, TrinityTagged 3 in 1, God, trinityLeave a comment

Ned Anzers: The idea of the Trinity seems farfetched. How can three persons be one God?

Though the word “Trinity” is not found anywhere in the Bible, the theology behind it is seen throughout. The Trinity does not follow logic, but we must understand that theology is not always logical. In mathematics 1+1+1=3, but in the Theology Proper 1+1+1=1. John Wesley once said, “Tell me how it is that in this room there are three candles but one light, and I will explain to you the Trinity.”

I believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. (Duet.6:4). The Trinity is the doctrine that God is one essence in three co-eternal, co-equal persons (Mt. 3:13-17; Mt.28:19-20; Gen.1:1, 1:26; Jn.1:1, 20:28; Acts 5:3-4; 2 Cor.13:14).

The Bible clearly states that God is One (Ex.20:2-3; Duet.6:4; 1 Cor.8:4). I do not believe in Tri-theism (three separate Gods), but only one God. However, it is correct to say that there are three members of the Godhead. First, God the Father is God (Eph.1:3; 1 Cor.8:6). Second, God the Son is God (John 1:1-14; John 8:58; John 20:30-31; Phil.2:6-8). Third, God the Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-5; 1 Cor.3:16). The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are united together as One as is seen in the Great Commission (Mt.28:19-20) and the baptism of Jesus (Mt.3:13-17).

In conclusion, God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God, and there is one God. Broken down, this amounts to three propositions: God is three persons. Each person is fully God. There is one God. In addition, it’s helpful to elaborate on the fact that when we say, “God is three persons,” we mean that he is not just one person, and that the persons of the Trinity are not to be confused. So we can also say: The Father is God. The Son is God. The Holy Spirit is God. The Father is not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not the Father. The Holy Spirit is not the Son, and the Son is not the Holy Spirit. The Son is not the Father, and the Father is not the Son.

Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, 226

Justin Taylor, Trinity 101. http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/869_trinity_101/

The diagram is adapted from Answering Islam: The Crescent in Light of the Cross by Norman L. Geisler and Abdul Saleeb

real questions: God?

August 5, 2008January 6, 2012Posted in faith, God, opinion, questionsTagged belief, bleieve in God, colossians 2, faith, God, Judges 3, Psalm 27, question, real, testimony, Why I believe in God2 Comments

We as human beings have questions. Big questions. Significant questions. Questions about life, God, and the future. As a pastor, I often get questions from people inside and outside our church. These questions are real and expect real answers. I will begin a series of blog-entries that show some of these questions and seek to provide them with biblical answers.

Ned Anzers: I think that the largest reason I believe in God is because I was taught to. If I were born in an Islamic, Jewish, or atheistic family I think it is safe to say I would be what I was taught. Surely this is not what God wants my faith in him to be founded. In the past I have asked myself why I believe in God and have found ‘answers’ but after deliberating on them I no longer feel they hold any weight. My question is this: Why do you believe in God?

This is a very good question. Can I ask you a question in return?

How is your belief in God different than your relationship with God?

To answer your question, I will give you both a short and a long answer.

Why do I believe in God? In short, I choose to believe in God. That’s my snapshot answer. If it is not satisfying I will try to give you a clearer panoramic picture of why I choose God. Actually, it is more like He chose me…

The long story:

I grew up in a home that believed and taught about God. We were Catholic (by title and church attendance). My priest baptized me as a baby, yet I don’t remember a thing because I wasn’t even old enough to eat smashed carrots. I went to Catholic mass every week because my grandparents took (and sometimes dragged) me there. I went to Catholic Sunday School (called Catechism), and had my first communion. We called ourselves Christians, but I had no understanding what that meant. I believed in God too.

As I grew older church became less satisfying. God was still real, but less desirable. There was this disconnect between God and me. God was like some cosmic grandfather that I never talked to or understood. He was like some story my family told me, but almost like He was an ancestral fairytale. Little did I know this was a very small and insignificant view of a very big God.

I was a troubled kid. I had an appetite for attention. I didn’t “feel” like I received it at home, so I was sort of a class clown around school. I was well liked by my peers. I was a friend to all kinds of people. I truly treasured the attention I received from my peers. When the attention would wear off, I would do something wild and crazy to get attention. It would draw a crowd and satisfy my tastes buds for a bit, but more often I would get into trouble.

My quest for attention led me to friends that were bad influences and not law abiding. I found myself doing things I never intended or desired to do just to be around people that I thought cared. These friends introduced and diverted my attention to girls, pornography and vandalism. Note: I was still involved in church and considered a rather good kid. Overall, inside and out, I was left feeling empty, lost, confused, full of questions, needing hope, and handicapped by my guilt. I was to the point of thinking suicidal thoughts. God seemed even more distant.

My parents took me to see a local psychologist. This ended up being a waste of money. The school enrolled me in special classes. The only thing this meant was getting picked up early for school by the short-bus. I was both embarrassed and frustrated with my life.

In junior high, my mom and step-dad moved. I lived further away from my dad, which really broke my heart. Life seemed like it couldn’t get any worse.

We started going to a different kind of church because my mom and step-dad were dissatisfied with the churches of their youth. I did what most kids do: went to church because I had to. There was something about this Wausau Bible Church that was different than St. Al’s. First, most everybody had a Bible. Second, most everybody was friendly. Third, most everybody talked about God or with God as if He was a close companion. This all seemed very strange to me. On the other hand, I was quite curious. We continued to go. We bought Bibles, even though I could not understand it. I got plugged into the youth group and learned new things about God that I never knew before.

I remember clearly some of the lessons from my junior high boys Sunday School class. Here are 3 that I challenged my thinking and ripened my heart:

Judges 3:1-15

Not only a weird story about a fat king, but a lesson on Idolatry. The people are testing God. God is ready to hear their cries and deliver, but there is a need for a deeper deliverance than they desire. They desire deliverance from their situation, when God desires they to have a spiritual Deliverer. This passage gave me a radical view of Gods purposes. I need Him. I need a Deliverer. I have idols in my life that have taken His place.

Psalm 27

This song of David is a BIG picture view of life, not just reactive living. David is incredibly honest with God. He is living in a world of trouble [enemies, rejection, fear, etc]. Yet among all the trouble he is God centeredness [v.4, 14]. That is incredibly weird. I had to ask myself the question: when trouble comes where does my heart go? Not to God, but my attention in stuff or silliness that did not satisfy.

Colossians 2:1-15

This passage hit me square between the eyes and stuck my heart with the present active benefits of God here and now. It showed me how a life without God is foolishness [vs.1-5]. I am victimized by my own foolishness. It showed me the power I have over sin in Christ [v.9]. The indwelling presence of God is given to do what He has called me to do. It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me…and gave Himself for me. It shows me the freedom of having a relationship with Christ [v.13-14]. I do not have to hide, live in shame, worry about exposure, because Christ forgives all my sin, weakness and guilt. No more fatalism.

I was left with God, I thought “I really didn’t know Him,” but ached in my heart to have a relationship with Him. I did not treasure Him, but knew only He could satisfy my loneliness and desire for attention. Instead of seeking His attention, I sought to put my attention on Him. It was then I fully understood I needed a Redeemer/Deliverer/Savior. I was lost, but now He found me. Thus, in July 1992, I humbled my view of self and my view of God. No longer did I believe in Him, but I began a relationship with Him.

Well, that’s the long version of His Story with me. Like you, I wonder what if I was born into a Hindu, Muslim, or Jewish family. Would I believe the Truth? Would God in His grace rescue me from a bogus view of God? Then I wonder, why did He choose me? All I can answer is, “Alleluia!!” I thank God that He did! I pray that I would be used to help others see God is real and that He desires a relationship with them.

I would encourage you to take ownership of your belief in God [Acts 16:31]. Take your parents teaching on God and make it your own.

BIBLICAL REFLECTION OF AWE

THE IMPORTANCE OF AWE

PRAYER ACTION

BUILDING A PRACTICAL MINI-THEOLOGY OF AWE

Share this:

Share this:

Submit to one another = We humbly yield & align to the interests of those around us.

Out of reverence for Christ = We rally together around the Greatness of Jesus.

Share this:

We Know How to Make a Mess (Ephesians 2:1-3)

We Must Grasp onto Grace that is Greater than Our Sin (2:4-9)

God Moves us to Go toward the Mess (2:10)

3 ways we extend (walk out) grace to others.

Share this:

Three Litmus Tests to Discern the Truth (Jesus>Spirit>Word)

Approach and Posture to Testing

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Man is responsible to God because He is an indefatigable Creator

Man is responsible to God because He is infinitely Holy

Share this:

God is alive.

God is authoritative.

God is omnipotent.

God is majestic.

God is revered.

God is holy.

God is glorious.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Jesus says something very amazing.

Jesus claims to be God more than once.

Jesus did what He said.

When Jesus walked the earth that He proved God is real.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Judges 3:1-15

Psalm 27

Colossians 2:1-15

Share this: