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I’ve read a few books about prayer over the years, and my favorite quote is from a Bill Hybels book back in the 80’s or 90’s called “Too Busy Not To Pray.”  He says:

“Don’t pray hard.  Pray easy.

Prayer doesn’t do it.  God does it.” 

I was reminded of this as I was reading & praying through Jesus’ teaching about prayer in His ‘Sermon on the Mount’…Let’s pray like this:

“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the religious buildings where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! Pray like this:

“Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need,
and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.

I wasn’t always a professional spiritual guy.  I spent my first 4-years of college studying architecture and working part-time as an engineering draftsman.  I was pretty good at it, but came to understand that it wasn’t my calling…and subsequently went (kicking & screaming) into ministry…which is another story.

While I was studying Ephesians chapter 2 the other day, I did some study about the Greek word translated into English as “heavenly-realms.”  It’s the word “epouranios”, which is from “epi”-on, upon, against, fits, on the basis of….and “ouranos”-heaven.

I had the epiphany that the Kingdom of God is like when I was designing something and would use “onion-skin” to help with the design process.   We would make a base drawing, then use onion-skin – a very thin and transparent layer of vellum – to superimpose design options on top of the drawing to see how they would look.  For example, if I was designing a house floor plan, I could use onion-skins to explore various layout options for interior walls or exterior landscaping.  It has occurred to me that this is what it must be like for the Kingdom of God among us.  Although we cannot “see” the Kingdom, its realities are all-pervading and ever-present…like an imperceptible layer of higher-reality that superimposes and interacts with our daily lives, pasts, and futures.  This is an incredibly accurate analogy for how scripture views the “heavenly-realms.”  It’s not “over there” or “later”…it’s right now, among us.  It’s not limited to space & time like we are, it’s an additional layer superimposed upon space & time, interacting with it…us….me….you.

Kind of like when Jesus would say things like “he who has eyes to see, let him see.”  ….or in Luke 17:20-21 when He said, “Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, ‘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 within you.’”

So, the question is, which reality is more real?…and how do we live into that one?

The greatest obstacle between me and the life I seek is myself.  This morning I was reminded of this, and the remedy.

“Surrender don’t come natural to me. I’d rather fight You for something I don’t really want, than to take what You give that I need. And I’ve beat my head against so many walls…now I’m falling down, I’m falling on my knees. And this Salvation Army band is playing this hymn. And Your grace rings out so deep, it makes my resistance seem so thin. You have been King of my glory, won’t You be my Prince of Peace?” (From the song “Hold Me Jesus” by Rich Mullins)

     “The trouble is not with [God’s] law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 
     And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
     I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:14-25)

When God invites you to join Him in His work, He presents a God-sized assignment He wants to accomplish.  It will be obvious you can’t do it on your own.  If God doesn’t help, you will fail.  This is the crisis point at which many people decide not to follow what they sense God is leading them to do.  Then they wonder why they do not experience God’s presence, power, and activity the way some Christians do.

There are great lies among us, and inside us.  Insidious rumors that we desire desperately to believe.  One of the greatest of these deceptions is that indulging our desires for pleasure is the purpose of life.  This is one of the predominant falsehoods of the American dream…that the “pursuit of happiness” is the great goal.  Of course, pleasure does bring temporary gladness…and there’s nothing wrong with enjoying the delights of this amazing world.  But the lasting joy & peace that every human seeks always eludes us just beyond the corner of whatever pursuit we’re currently engrossed in…as long as we hold pleasure as an end unto itself.

Pleasure was never meant to be the source of our wholeness, but a by-product.  We were made to be deeper, with greater purpose, than what mere experiences could ever fabricate for us.

Reflect on the following words of scripture.  I challenge you to ponder them, measure them against your own experiences, meditate on the truths you find in them, and allow them to draw you closer to the Living Spirit of God today:

“For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love…So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions
When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.” (Galatians 5:13-25)

“I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1-2)

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21)

One could say that, in terms of the Spirit, the best defense is a good offense.

We have this way of thinking that our lives, and the generation we live in, are really unique.  Of course, no YOU has ever existed before, and the circumstances we live in are certainly unique in the sense that they haven’t happened before.  After all, we do live within this thing called “time.”  That being said, there are fundamental principles that drive our personal passions & pursuits (sorry for the alliteration), as well as the greater global dramas that drive people groups, nations, economies, etc.  That’s all just to say that, at the root, we’re not much different than people of the past because we have the same engine.  In a sense, our lessons were their lessons.  Today we all have all the knowledge of the whole world available on our phones, but there are things beyond knowledge that often elude us.

Amazing lyrics from one of my all-time favorites:

Powerball

Politicians
Partying
Pleasure
People

What do these have in common?  When we put too much faith in them, we end up disappointed & disillusioned.  We often tend to put our faith in the wrong things, don’t we?

Faith

…that things will get better if we just have faith.  That’s a real popular thought in our culture.  The problem is that, most often, it doesn’t have an object…a deep reservoir to pull from…a firm foundation to build upon…so we end up having faith in things that aren’t real.  Empty Faith.  Blind Faith.  I love optimism, but looking ahead to hopeful results based upon faulty or absent bedrock is not faith.

God defines faith for us:

• “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)
• “Whoever has faith in me will do what I have been doing.  He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12)
• “This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4)
• “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 2:17)

This kind of faith actually works!….as long as it’s a a verb, not a noun.

I do hope that things will work out well for me, those I love, and for my countrymen….but even more, I have faith in the Kingdom of God that Jesus inaugurated.  It’s a higher loyalty.  Here’s how the Apostle John described faith, in more detail:

“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” (1 John 5:1-5)

The original Greek root word used for “believe” and “faith” are the same.  It literally means to “put one’s trust in.”  It’s also the same word translated “trust” in the following passage….what are you putting your trust in today?

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:1-6)

Have you ever watched a post-game interview and seen a well-meaning Christian athlete give God the credit for his performance or his team’s victory?  I usually have a mixed reaction to that…part of me appreciates the person’s sincerity in wanting to share how much God means to him, but often the declaration is accompanied by a sense of self-centeredness and bad theology that leaves a bad taste in my mouth.  I don’t think I’m alone in this.  One the most MIS-quoted scriptures at times like this is “I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.”  This verse is cherished by multitudes of those of us who cling to Christ…but unless we read it in the context of what comes before and after, we lose its meaning entirely.

Here’s the whole section:

“I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:11-13)

This is an example of how easy it is to make scripture say what we want it to say.  In the end, our relationship with God is not about getting Him to side with our cause…but us getting our own hearts & motives lined-up with His.  I don’t think God cares about helping us become rich or driving nice cars or making our favorite teams win.  He cares about people…our characters, relationships with Him and others, and our willingness to be faithful to His Kingdom in the midst of our short lives in this world.

I’m not so self-inflated as to believe my words will make a difference to any sports heroes, but this was a truth that God impressed on my heart this morning as I was studying Philippians 3 & 4.  I want to allow Christ to transform my heart so entirely that His cause becomes mine, and that my identity & purpose can rise above whatever circumstances I find myself in so that I become part of His work in the world.  I hope this helps you in the same way.

CHRIST WAS THE EMBODIMENT OF LOVE FOR EVERY SINGLE PERSON HE MET

Every person you meet is a child of God.  Let that sink in.

I think that all of us who would call ourselves by the Name of Christ would do well to put aside the arguments and divisions among us in order to remember this unchanging fact.  It’s supposed to revolutionize the way we perceive others, and ourselves.

Every person you meet is a child of God.

No matter who they are, what they’ve done, or what kind of character faults you think they have. God’s loving pursuit surrounds them with passion & affection & purpose just as much as it does for you.  You are His hands and feet and mouth toward this end.  Indeed there will be judgment for every soul, but we need to stop believing & acting as if that’s supposed to happen in this life according to human initiative & discretion.  That part of God’s story hasn’t started yet, it still is yet to come.  Now is the time for following the ways of Jesus…He loved & served everyone He met…and pointed them to the Father.  Our motivation for sharing the message about Jesus, “The Gospel” (literally “good news”), must not be about about making converts…but making friends & family.  Our understanding of “Church” must be more about “who” than “what.”  Our part is to continue in the footsteps of Jesus and His early followers in whatever circumstances we find ourselves, and let God be God.

Once again, I’ll quote my wise dad:

“I did 8 groups for unchurched but curious people, 2008-2012, comprised mostly of agnostics with a sprinkling of atheists…”skeptics.”  In each group I asked what they thought of the church. Without exception each group agreed that “they (Christians in the church) talk too much and do too little, and much of what they have to say is mean-spirited.” In this media saturated, I-phone connected, emailed and noisy culture we live in, talk has never been cheaper. When we approach the day, our filters are in full gear and we actually hear very little of the noise that is directed at us. The institutional church is part of the noise. Hugh Halter and Matt Smay wrote a great book called “The Tangible Kingdom.” They say that the actions we do and the character of the fellowship we form are essential to getting a reasonable hearing from the people we wish to talk to…that the Kingdom of God is essentially tangible, not essentially verbal.“ (Taft Mitchell)

I think the reason that many skeptical people today think that Christians are hypocrites is because we’ve collectively allowed our focus & motivations to be shaped by carnal (aka man-made) desires & dreams…so we no longer look & smell like the Jesus of the Bible.  Our skeptical brothers & sisters have strong “B.S. filters,” and they can smell a phony from a mile away.  They look at us, then they look at the New Testament, and sing the old song “One of these things is not like the other.” Here’s Jesus’ advice to the backslidden Ephesian church in the first century A.D., which reminds me so much of American Christians today: “I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.” (Revelation 2:4-5).  

So, I challenge myself to remember who He is, what He valued, how He lived, and be dedicated to following Him in my own clumsy & imperfect way.  Will you join me in this? Here are some bread-crumbs back to the path of Jesus and His earliest followers:

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.  The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” (Galatians 5:13-26)

“As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” (Colossians 3:12-13)

“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:1-8)