Category: Uncategorized

Empty Handed

Sometimes I wonder where God is.

Why sometimes I can feel Him strongly, and other times I feel alone. Why sometimes when I read the Bible I’m filled with purpose and hope, and other times I’m distracted and anxious.

I’ve been feeling somewhat distant from God for a few days, while seeking Him. Can you relate to that? I’m reminded that our feelings are not “us,” they’re something that happen to us. And that there are psychological and spiritual forces at work in us that we’re mostly unaware of. I was also reminded of God’s amazing grace, the love that seeks to save and nurture souls like mine and yours that may not actually deserve it. The relentless passion He has to keep pursuing us even in spite of the inbred and learned methods we develop for resisting Him. Like my favorite old hymn,

“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that save a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found. Was blind, but now I see.”

Such a loving, caring, wise, wonderful Father!

Remember that God is always leading us into the future He envisions for us…even when we don’t feel like He is. As we submit ourselves daily to His preferred reality, aka “His Will,” we see His blessings unravel all around us. This is about trusting and obeying His word and His power…repeatedly releasing our grip on the worldly alternatives we have believed will give us worth and hope. The more we do this, the more our hands are free to hold-on to Him who CREATES worth and hope that supersedes this world, with a fierceness that is unimpeded by self-serving counterfeits. But don’t expect the world to applaud you.

When we allow ourselves to be tricked into believing lies, or mired-down in pits of remembered disobedience – either by our own self-flagellating shame or by direct attack from the accuser of our souls – we can find ourselves far away from the hope and peace and joy He promises. Not because He moved, but because we did. This is the place of intimacy where He meets us hand-in-hand.

The abundant life of Jesus is free, but it is not cheap….it costs every false desire and preference we have. But when we lay them all down and come to Him empty-handed, this is when we receive what we truly seek…what we truly need. You can trust Him!

1 Peter 4:19
“If you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.”

Luke 9: 23-24
“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.”

Mark 10:29-31
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

James 4:7-10
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

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Catalyzing The Priesthood of All Believers

Post author By catalystshawn
Post date February 19, 2019

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” (Isa. 43). “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3)

The Lord is always on the move…constanstly creating stories of deliverance and transformation among us! Sometimes I think we have it backwards. In our self-centered way of perceiving reality, we tend to believe that God exists to bring us the comfort, solace, and deep sense of peace that we all seek. In reality it is we, the creatures, who were fashioned by and for Him, the Creator, in order to address His desires and carry-out His plans. Ironically, it is when we give ourselves over to Him that we experience glimpses of the fulfilment & joy that otherwise elude our grasp. This dynamic can be really confusing to those of us who follow Him, because of the many promises of peace that are given in His Word; but we’re reminded also that this life is for fruitful labor rather than blissful reward. He is constantly at work, and incessantly urging us to join Him in it.

The Body of Christ, which all of His committed people are part of, is His continuing and active presence in the world today. In a culture that hijacks the message of blessing toward destinations of indulgence, we are those who are called to be perpetually giving ourselves away for His purposes… serving the beloved poor He is seeking to bless through us…sharing the message of hope with those who are searching for the truth. I’m convinced that one of the reasons we’re not seeing more Kingdom-Of-God stories of transformation in our day is because the rank & file Christians have forgotten who we are. We all want salvation for the next life, but it seems like only a few of us are willing to set ourselves apart to be fruitful for Him in this one. There is an artificial distinction between the religious and secular, or in philosophical terms the “sacred and profane.” Our system of understanding & practicing “church” is based on a model that would be foreign to Jesus and the early Christians.

The New Testament Church – the One we read about in the Bible, which is our model of faith and practice – was more like a loosely-affiliated web of friend-groups led by ordinary people than the highly centralized, professional organizations that superceded them. Today, many Christians in America believe that they need to show-up to a Sunday morning event for concert-quality music & professional motivational speaking in order to connect with God. This has created a massive ecclesiastic consumer industry that plagues the Church of Jesus with shackles of perceived powerlessness. My wife and I love our congregational church services, but we recognize that they’re supplemental to what’s primary.

As a “ministry insider,” I intimately understand the challenges of modern church staff who long for their people to understand & grasp the identities that the Father calls them into as His agents in the world. Most of the pastors I know are working & praying their tails off, trying to motivate their churches to actually BE the Church; finding themselves locked into robust, million-dollar programs that often perpetuate the consumeristic culture of “churchianity.” This is part of the reason why Catalyst exists.

We want to be servants of Jesus and His Church to be part of the solution, catalyzing every follower of Christ:

To meed the needs of the poor/needy in their own neighborhoods
To be ready to answer those who ask about his/her hope in Christ
To see his/her living room, coffee house, or break room, as primary places for fellowship
To take the church back into the world, as a multi-faceted expression of all His people

We’ve experienced all of these values in the first 12-years of Catalyst, and are eager to share what we’ve learned. Coming Soon: “Catalyst Network” will pass-along the principles we’ve learned to others, equipping them to continue the movement.

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The Great Reward

One of the greatest & most vital themes woven throughout the scriptures is the idea of God’s people experiencing intimate connection with Him. We say things like “Jesus is my best friend”…”The Holy Spirit is my guide”….”I have a personal relationship with God.” This is the common pursuit of all the Biblical heroes, still available to us today; and it’s also often misunderstood and hijacked to other destinations in daily life… or jettisoned altogether in favor of alternative relational arrangements, as if the Heavenly Father were some distant relative we’ve deemed to be “unsafe” or “toxic” to our own self-absorbed versions of happiness.

There are many examples of modern-day spiritual heroes who “walk with God,” while countless other nominals pass-by obliviously in pursuit of temporary worldly pleasures; wanting to “have their cake and eat it too” as the old saying goes. I see this everywhere, don’t you? This is what practically happens when we become more fixated on the blessings of God than on God Himself. What a tragic juxtaposition it is when the creatures lose touch with the Creator by clinging to the creation.

This is the dynamic that I see so often rising-up in my own heart, observe in the people around me, and see full-scale in the society in which I currently call home. It has its roots in pride, the original sin that claims that I may actually know what’s better for me than God Himself. Like petulant children who have (literally) been given the world by a Generous Father full of love; we tend to get lost in the gifts themselves, only sincerely seeking Him when we need our circumstances to change or to be rescued from misfortune. Yet His priorities are completely different, alien to our instincts. The purpose of our lives, especially in relation to our Heavenly Father, is INTIMACY with Him….everything else is byproduct.

This is how people of great faith can appear to be so peaceful and content in situations that seem impossibly harrowing. Faith is not the passive belief that God exists out there somewhere Whose purpose is to reward the world’s “good people” by making things go well for them in their short lives on earth. This is a weak & miserable counterfeit of true, Biblical faith; and it doesn’t actually work in the end because, well, there is no end. The world we live in now is a dress-rehearsal for what’s coming, and we’re being called to learn our parts and join hands with the Master in the Great Dance that is already breaking-out all around us.

Biblical faith is not “knowing about God” in order to make informed decisions about your life; it’s about KNOWING GOD” in every step of every day, acquiescing to his movements as He carries you along in the chapter. REAL FAITH is about trusting Him fully no matter what circumstances or consequences we encounter, being fully-persuaded that He is good, that He has us in the palm of His hand, and that He is working things out to complete us in ways we cannot control. What we CAN control is how close we allow ourselves to become with Him.

This is what is meant by the idea of having a “personal relationship with God.” Although this phrase doesn’t actually appear anywhere in the Bible, it’s the common theme that runs throughout salvation history from Adam all the way to the Conquering Christ. I’m cuddling-up with Him this morning with these things in mind; asking Him to strip-away all the lies in me that cause distance between us, and asking Him to replace them with truths from His lips. I’m encouraging myself with His Word, which is His love letter to all mankind in general and to me in particular. I pray that these words are meaningful to you as well. Seek Him today….

After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” (Genesis 15:1)

“’You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord… (Jeremiah 29:13)

“Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly SEEK HIM.” (Hebrews 11:6)

”All these people [of great faith] were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.” (Hebrews 11:13)

“…surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

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Unobstructed

“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” (Jesus Christ)

“With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.” (King David)

“Heis the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.” (The Apostle Paul)

”Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.” (The Apostle John)

These statements have some things in common, one of them is that they can be taken to sound outlandish, bold, and even arrogant…especially when one considers them from a standpoint that doesn’t share their confidence. As followers of Jesus, we are recipients of the same Spirit that raised Him from the dead; yet so often we cower to our fears and don’t feel or act very powerful. In one way or the other, this is the result of sin. What I mean is that sin, all forms of explicit disobedience and subconscious distrust, has a way of distancing us from the miraculous truths and transcendent experiences that are available to us as children of God. Not only are they available, they’re supposed to be normal!

I find that, when I’m not feeling powerful in my connection and empowerment with the Lord, there’s always sin involved. It may be a sinful attitude or behavior, unforgiveness of a wrong done to me, materialism and greed, inner ambition and pride, the list goes on. But the result always includes a sense of distance from my Master, dampered ability to hear the Spirit’s whispers, and loss of belief that He is guiding my steps and words with power and meaning. In my opinion, this is the primary cause of the “sleeping giant” phenomenon of the American Church. We don’t need better worship music or deeper sermons, we need more surrender and obedience!

But when I’m truly, fully, unobstructedly walking with the Lord; there’s nothing in me to make me stumble. That phrase from the Apostle John is from 1 John 2:

“Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.”

The subject here is loving others, but this principle carries over into all others. When we say NO to a sin in our lives, and thereby say YES to the Spirit’s promptings to sacrifice it in order to achieve closeness with Him, we open the door to those aspects of the Kingdom of God that are accessible to us in this life. This doesn’t have anything to do with salvation for the next life, it’s about being victorious while we’re still in this one. The feeling, vitality, and hope produced come with a sense of being unobstructed in our connection with our God….there’s nothing between us, no discord, no disagreement, no reservation. This kind of trust in an essential element in experiencing intimacy with Him. Intimacy is the foundation of right relationship with the Father. He already knows us completely, inside and out; and when we banish sin there is nothing in us to prevent us from knowing Him inside and out. I may be overstating the effects, but that’s the feeling and the joy that we experience in daily life when we allow God full-access into every nook and cranny of our lives!

It’s like running down a steep incline while trying to protect one’s knees. The momentum of gravity wants to pull you down the hill faster and faster, but to control your speed you resist its downward pull with every step. When I’m out of running shape, I have to go slowly down hills so I don’t injure my weak knees; but when I’ve been strengthened through prolonged training, I can run freely down hills without reservation. The exhilaration of that speed, that fresh wind in my face, is what it feels like to walk (run) in the Spirit!

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:1-3)

“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.” (Hebrews 12:11-12)

What are you waiting for?!

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Times Of Refreshing

I found a wonderful word picture this morning. I was reflecting on how this year’s project season is winding-down right now, and how much we’re all looking forward to resting from our labors, enjoying the fruit of blessed lives that has resulted, and refueling so that we’re ready for next year. I thought about the Biblical phrase “Times of Refreshing from the Lord”. I’ve heard this many times, and meditated on it as well. It conveys this idea that God is with us in our rest, restoring us back to strength during times of rejuvenation…but it’s a lot more than that.

The phrase is part of a long, run-on sentence from Acts 3:19-21. There are a lot of those in scripture, especially when looking at the original language…Greek in this case. I spent some time looking into it this morning, meditating on the words and their application to my life. I was surprised and encouraged by what I found, and wanted to pass along to you for your encouragement as well.

Here’s how the sentence looks in a few different English translations:

NIV – “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.”
NLT – “Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah. For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets.”
NAS – “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.”

Without getting too technical about translation theory, one can really get to the root of the meaning by looking at a direct word for word translation from the Greek. Sometimes, the perspective we get is very different than the packaged translations that wrap it all up for us in religious language. I loved this section of God’s word, here’s a literal translation in raw form:

“Change your thinking, therefore, and turn around for the wiping-out of your sins, so that may come opportunities of cooling-off in the breath from the face of the Lord and that He sends the one previously hand-picked to you Christ Jesus, whom it is necessary heaven indeed receives until times of restoration of all things of which spoke God by the mouth of set-apart ones from the age of His prophets.

I’ve underlined a few parts…let me elaborate a bit:

Opportunities – There are two different words translated as “time” in this sentence. This one refers to opportunities (qualitative), rather than time itself (quantitative).

Are you seeing opportunities where God is working? If not, that probably means you need to change your thinking and turn around from something. He’s already there, right behind you. What are you focusing on that’s preventing you from turning around?

Cooling-off in the breath from the face of the Lord – What a beautiful picture this is. Imagine a small child getting all over-stimulated and red in the face, being held face to face in her Father’s hands for a moment while He smiles with loving eyes and blows some fresh air gently onto her face to calm her down. Their eyes meet, she takes a deeper breath, and feels His pleasure ease into her…encouraging her, literally pouring courage back into her. Notice that He doesn’t offer to remove the stresses from our lives, only to be there with His cooling breath and His loving gaze.

What stresses in your life need the cooling breath of God?
Are you struggling with circumstances beyond your control, and You just need God’s courage?
Are you locked-up in some specific area of sin that’s causing you to get red in the face?
How can you change your thinking and turn around so you can engage with the Father’s face?

He sends the one previously hand-picked to you Christ Jesus – It’s not that God blows into our faces, cools us off, and sends us away to work harder next time. It’s that He sends the presence of Jesus into you, literally. This isn’t a silly, childish fantasy idea; it’s reality. This is what it means to “live by the Spirit”…the Spirit of Jesus fuses with ours, and we become like Him in this world: Spiritual beings walking temporarily in human form. The enemy’s temptations & lies, and our own failings, tend to blind us to this truth.

Have you forgotten who you are as a son or daughter of the King?
Are you experiencing the fullness of Christ in and through your life?

Heaven indeed receives – We have a messed-up, limited idea of heaven. There is, certainly a “heaven” that is spoken of in scripture that has not yet come…the one that is beyond this world, which we are waiting for. However, the heaven being talked about here has already started, it’s all around us, and it’s connecting to us constantly through the conduit of Jesus! As Jesus said to the Pharisees in Luke 17, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.” It’s more like a different dimension than a different location, and it’s here now. The word “indeed” is a conjunction that amplifies what is being said. It’s like saying “totally.” The word “receives” is not written in future, present, or past tense, but in a tense called “aorist,” which means infinitive…aka it keeps going and going, it never stops. Let that sink in…

Are you feeling connected with the Kingdom of Heaven all around you? Why or why not?
What can you do to increase your connection?
What can you release to increase your connection?

Times of restoration – Eventually, in God’s time, this world and it’s struggles will indeed be wrapped-up. Praise God! We do have this to look forward to, and the hope it produces gives us great hope as we wait patiently, endure hardships, and go about the Master’s work with Him inside of us.

Are you weary of the struggle? Do you need to turn-around for a fresh blowing of God’s breath to encourage you and keep you going?

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9) “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.” (Psalm 37:3-6)

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False Hope (Voting Day)

Today is voting day in America.

Whose America is it? Which side is going to win?

I cannot remember a time when the political divide, or the constituency it represented, has been this wide…each ideology absolutely disgusted with the other to the extent that families and friendships are splintered along party lines, venom is being spewed in multi-million-dollar campaign smears, and positions are being fortified against the enemies among us. It seems that we’re practically at war with each other…and there’s festering hatred on both sides. It’s embarrassing and demoralizing.

As a citizen of this country, who believes in the democratic process, I have cast my ballot. It represents my wishes, which will be added to the thousands of others from my area, millions from my state, and hundreds of millions from my countrymen from coast to coast. Whatever the results, I will keep on living my life as I did yesterday, with tremendous hope. I certainly have opinions and preferences, but my greatest hopes are not captivated by this maelstrom of vitriolic posturing and promising.

There is another Kingdom that I am a citizen of, whose allegiance I am delighted to be ultimately bound to. Whether my preferred candidates win or lose today, those Kingdom values are unchanged, and my hopes pursuant to that Kingdom are unaffected. There is a higher level of HOPE, which that Kingdom animates through its people, which covers-over any other lesser-hopes that this world contains. The foundation of TRUE HOPE does not provide a promise that things will work out in my life, or on earth, as I would like them to be; on the contrary, scripture is clear that as time advances the opposite will be true…but that His Kingdom of Heaven will continue to break-through in spite of it all in the lives of countless individuals.

A good look into the earthly life, teachings, and way of Jesus is like a glimpse through the prism of that other Kingdom. It’s certainly supposed to affect us here and now, and through us to elicit transformation to that Kingdom’s values; but we make a grave mistake when we hijack that calling and attempt to divert it to self-seeking socio/political destinations. That’s not what Jesus was interested in then, and His followers are not to be focused upon it now. When we do, it makes a mockery of the Gospel and the transcendent hope that it promises. It’s never been about “heavenizing” our own preferences or agendas for society, but about surrendering them in favor of our Creator’s Mission for the individuals and the world around each of us. Anything other than that is heretical trickery, and countless misguided Christians are falling for it!

You who call yourself by the name of Jesus, or endeavor in some way to follow Him; I appeal to you to rise above the hype and name-calling and fears of loss, and regain a sense of compass toward “true north!” Your political opponents are not your adversaries, there is only one adversary…and even if they were, how about we treat them with the level of respect that Jesus treated His enemies? As we aim to live as good citizens of our country, and make our own lives matter for good, let’s cling to the HOPE that will never be shaken…and avoid being carried-away by lesser, false hopes.

“Why, my soul, are you downcast?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God.

(Psalm 42:5)

“Dear friends, I warn you as ‘temporary residents and foreigners’ to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then, even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.For the Lord’s sake, respect all human authority—whether the king as head of state, or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right. It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Respect everyone, and love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God, and respect the king….For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ sufferedfor you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.” (1 Peter 2)

“My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

(Old Hymn: “The Solid Rock”)

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Goliath-Sized Love

Post author By catalystshawn
Post date September 3, 2018

A friend of mine shared a very intriguing and challenging thought with me about one of the most famous of Old Testament Bible stories. In the account of David & Goliath, young David slays the giant enemy of God and cuts his head off in the most mismatched duel you could possibly imagine. It was a miracle that injected hope into the nation of Israel and terror into the enemies of God. Her point was that, since on this side of the Cross of Jesus everything has changed in our posture with the fallen world, that we need to be clean of hatred of people in our pursuit against evil.

“Goliath was knit in his mother’s womb the same way I was. God knit him, right? Did Jesus not change the law and say ‘A NEW LAW I AM GIVING YOU, LOVE ONE ANOTHER?’ It CAN’T, NOT mean Goliath too.”

The idea stunned me, but she’s absolutely right…even though it challenges some deeply valued aspects of the Christian culture I grew up in. I remember learning the story of David & Goliath, and a bunch of other Old Testament stories about killing people who didn’t believe in my God, when I was a little kid in Sunday School. It seems like it was generally accepted that all those stories were important to teach little, impressionable kids so that they could learn how strong and almighty God was; while at the same time reminding them that we’re not actually supposed to resort to hatred & slander & violence in real life…because Jesus changed all that. So, why teach children those stories when their brains aren’t yet mature enough to be able to understand complex, abstract issues like how Jesus’ propitiating death, burial, and resurrection changed the nature of heaven & earth, and set the stage for a new era in God’s relationship with mankind? Anyway, I digress from this little pet peeve issue.

Now, I understand that the story of David & Goliath wasn’t about two people who didn’t like each other resolving their differences, but it was part of a war between nations. I get that, and I support the need for lethal defense against nations & individuals who want to cause harm to others. That aside, it’s a challenging thought to actually LOVE ONE’S ENEMIES, isn’t it? Not condoning or partnering with evil, not excusing or pardoning legitimate grievances that require consequences; but being motivated by love for the enemy rather than thirst for indignation. Like the Lord’s brother James says,

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.” (James 1:19-21)

It’s telling how, so often when Christians are threatened or mistreated, we resort so quickly to Old Testament (i.e. “Old Way”) values while giving lip-service to Jesus’ revolutionary commands. Jesus teaches us to turn the other cheek, love those who persecute us and mistreat us, and give more to those who wrongfully take from us. These values are meant to be counter-intuitive and challenging, given in Jesus’ signature style of exaggeration; but that doesn’t give license to throw away the lesson, as so often happens. Jesus’ own character and lifestyle are there for us to model and imitate. My perception is that we tend to follow Him in this regard until it becomes unjust, super uncomfortable, or when we encounter outright evil….and then we dispatch Jesus’ mansie-pansie answers and revert back to the strength and decisive control of the Old Testament God. And then after the dust clears, we wonder why we’re struggling inside with our own inner demons and attachments to false gods. This requires surrender of any right we believe we have to be anyone’s judge. Not that we are called to agree with evil as the Lord defines it, certainly not! But in our response to evil we must strive to be motivated and directed by love of the individual, leaving the judging to God.

I saw someone wearing a T-shirt a few weeks ago that said ”God Loves All The People You Hate.” That should be sobering.

I learned this hard-fought lesson years ago, and it has served me very well. If there is a person in your life that you think is misguided – or even evil – there are only two options for you…you’re either right or wrong. If you’re right, then God knows about it too, and it’s His responsibility to pursue & convict the person…not yours. You are not God’s instrument of judgement or wrath. Your role is to love the person as only God can through you, representing His truth through the filter of the same mercy and grace that forgives you for all your own B.S. On the other hand, if you’re wrong about the person’s evil, then God knows that too. And when the fingers point back to you, the Loving Father has a way of ferreting-out of us the blurring presuppositions and prejudices that cause us to see the specks in the eyes of others while not noticing the big log in our own vision.

These are some of my thoughts, now consider the following thoughts from the mind of God…..

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34)

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12)

”Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:17-21)

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48)

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16-17)

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Off The Rails

Post author By catalystshawn
Post date July 31, 2018

Locomotive trains are very powerful, can carry huge loads over immense distances, and travel with a tremendous amount of momentum…which means it takes a while to get them going and even longer to stop them. Everything goes smoothly as long as the machinery stays in good order, there’s plenty of fuel, and speed is controlled to keep the behemoths on the tracks. As long as things are going smoothly, they have an unrivaled capacity for transporting cargo and people, and can be operated to such precision that people used to set their clocks by them. When safety is violated, terrible things can happen.

“On December 18, 2017, Amtrak Cascades passenger train 501 derailed near DuPont, Washington, United States. It was the inaugural run on the Point Defiance Bypass, a new passenger rail route south of Tacoma, Washington. The bypass was intended to reduce congestion and separate passenger and freight traffic, and was designed for faster speeds and shorter travel times (saving ten minutes from Seattle to Portland) than the previous route used by Cascades. The lead locomotive and all twelve cars derailed while approaching a bridge over Interstate 5 (I-5). The trailing locomotive remained on the rails. A number of automobiles on southbound I-5 were crushed and three people on board the train died. The train derailed a short distance from where the new route merges with the previous route. Preliminary data from the data recorder showed that the train was traveling at 78 miles per hour (126 km/h), nearly 50 miles per hour (80 km/h) over the speed limit, when the incident happened.” (Wikipedia)

Our emotional & spiritual lives are like this. Have you ever crashed? Have you ever experienced the consequences of taking undue risks in circumstances that turned against you? Have you ever known you were moving too fast but were so overconfident that you ignored the warning signs that resulted in a crash?

As sons and daughters made in the image of Almighty God, we are incredibly powerful and capable; yet great care is required to keep us on the rails. Part of the trouble we experience in our generation is the fundamental polarizing arguments about what, exactly, constitutes “the rails.” Values, both internal and interactive, are the railroad ties, spikes, and the steel rails of our lives. There are a host of directions offered in this vast, diverse world we live in; and a seemingly endless number of exchange opportunities. Those of us who have committed to following Jesus’ straight-and-narrow path have believed that we can trust Him, no matter how alluring the alternatives, arduous the terrain, or distant the destination.

Part of staying-the-course is avoiding the constant temptations to change tracks…especially when we’re working hard to go up hills. There are always lots of opportunities during hard times to give-up and choose the easier paths. These temptations arise from our own desire for comfort, the misguided cheers of others, and from the enemy of our souls. The enemy’s desire is to “kill, steal, and destroy;” and he has a multitude of victims who have wandered far from The Way of Jesus. Temptations that get us most often come at times of weakness, capitalizing on lack of maintenance. The other dangers have to do with speed. In a culture where our worth is measured by accomplishments, activity, and possessions, we are prone to careening so quickly around the twists and turns of life that we risk crashing. The ever-increasing speed of “more” only leads to hardship unless it is governed-back into control by the Master. Have you ever gone off-the-rails? Have you ever wounded yourself or others so deeply that you wondered if God could possibly put you back together?

I have…and in those times I’ve found the heart of the Father, always ready to heal and repair and recommission; as if He was waiting there for me, knowing I was going to crash there in need of Him to set me back on track. Thankfully, we can never wander too far, or be wrecked to such an extent, that we cannot be put back together and placed back on the tracks that lead to Him. But make no mistake, there is one path that leads to Him, it’s the One that He prepared for thousands of years which culminated with the life, death, and resurrection of His Son Jesus of Nazareth. Following in His steps, along the path of values and commitments that He has laid out for us, is HIS PATH. This is the path that leads to life.

I needed this reminder today…to surrender my desires, dreams, and destinations to the Father; knowing that when I do, His way always leads to life. Entrust yourself to Him today.

”Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

“Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3)

“Go in through the narrow gate, because the gate to hell is wide and the road that leads to it is easy, and there are many who travel it. But the gate to life is narrow and the way that leads to it is hard, and there are few people who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

“What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (Matthew 16:26)

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Loving God v. Using God

I was talking with a good friend about how to discern “God opportunities.” We all face decisions every day where we need to judge between this choice or that, and those of us who want to follow the way of Jesus also need to know His thoughts on every matter. How do we tell the difference between opportunities that God brings to us, those that spring from our own desire, or those from the enemy that are meant to ensnare? This is a big question…so big, in fact, that it has a way of tripping us up and distracting our focus on what’s deeper.

“Understanding God’s Will” is the subject matter here, and the answer is woven all throughout the scriptures. But the nature of the answer isn’t what we’re often looking for, so we miss it. “God’s Will” is not primarily concerned with specific plans that He has for our lives, but for conforming our characters into the likeness of Jesus. He cares about our development as His children, as members of His family, and as His agents in the world….in that order. Our tendency, however, is to hijack His attention and divert it to the things we’re most interested in…which often have to do with stroking our egos, filling our wallets, and keeping us comfortable. These things have nothing to do with His Will.

The goal of following Jesus is not to become a better person, to be more successful, or to change the world; but, like Him, to experience INTIMACY in relationship with our Heavenly Father, and to partner with the Holy Spirit in a way that aligns with our specific IDENTITY in Him. When the pursuit of these priorities is woven into our daily rhythms, responsibilities and relationships; God’s Word is unleashed, His Will is made known, and His Power flows freely to fulfill it…everything else falls into place.

That probably doesn’t seem like a real answer to the original question, does it? It is, in fact, God’s answer.

When we leap-frog over intimacy and identity, and focus on trying to get God to fulfill agendas, things tend to fall apart. This is ultimately about trust. Do you trust God to do what needs to be done if you focus your attention ON Him, or do you carry the weight of the world on your own shoulders and ask God to make you stronger to do things FOR Him? These can represent two extremes, God has a part and we have a part…but the message throughout scripture is clear. Our primary posture, and indeed the whole goal, is relationship with Him…everything flows from this. Here are some scriptures to meditate on….

“Don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Matthew 6:31-33)

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7)

“I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:1-2)

“God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” (Romans 8:28-29)

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Believing

What we believe is of utmost importance, because belief shapes our trajectories and motivations and desires. We seem to have trouble understanding or valuing this when we misunderstand the nature of belief.

The word “believe” in the New Testament of the Bible is not passive agreement about things that happened a long time ago that are removed from our real lives. In fact, it’s the opposite. It’s translated from the Greek word “pisteuó” (pist-yoo’-o), which means to have faith in, trust in. The word TRUST is probably a much better translation, because it requires something of us.

I thought of this when I was reading John chapter 14 this morning, especially the part where Jesus says…

“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

There are some crazy-big claims in this verse! Doing greater works (aka miracles) than Jesus? Having Jesus grant our every request? And all we have to do is end every prayer with “In Jesus Name, Amen”….right? Obviously this isn’t what He meant…so what does He mean?

In the language Jesus used in this section, His “name” is figuratively the manifestation or revelation of His character, i.e. as distinguishing Him from all others. Thus “praying in the name of Christ” means to pray as directed (authorized) by Him, bringing revelation that flows out of being in His presence. “Praying in Jesus’ name” therefore is not a religious formula just to end prayers with – to get what we want; but a life-discipline of operating under the authority of our Master – to work toward what He wants. This is why the prayers of someone who invests in his/her relationship with Jesus every day is more potent than the prayers of another who only grasps at Jesus’ promises from afar in times of trouble. Not to say that God is not available to all of us, or that those closer to Him are more dearly loved; but truly, those who are more greatly connected to Him through active TRUST/FAITH/BELIEF have greater access to Him.

Biblical belief is not a passive nod to some unknown force beyond us, the the aggressive dedication to aligning our desires and priorities to the God who has revealed Himself!

The power of belief is not in the believer, but in the ONE who is believed.
Believe Him today.
Put your faith in Him today.
Trust in Him today.