One Last Plea

Try this:

1. Buy a cheap Bible. (I bought two of the same so as to clearly illustrate the difference.)

2. In it, tear out everything that is God using one or a few of His people to address the rest (Pentateuch, prophets, histories, gospels, epistles) as opposed to those "outside," and see how much of that Bible is left. I did. I went page by page and only left in what is God addressing "outsiders" and this is what's left:

It's worth noting that, not only is most of the Bible gone, but also (1) even a lot of what remains is God simply stating the judgment that is to come for the other nations ("an oracle concerning..." or "judgment on..." and (2) I left Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon in because they could be argued to be universal. So yeah, not much "reaching out to the lost" in there at all.

3. So what's the point?

The vast majority of Scripture is God teaching, reminding, admonishing, and even warning His people how to live so the world can see His ways in action.

Very little has to do with how to be outward focused. Sit with this for as long as it takes to understand that if your "faith" and/or church is built/focuses on outward, quantifiable forms of "productivity" (e.g., evangelism, church growth), something is wrong! (Extra credit: watch this video that delves more deeply into this particular focus.)

4. Keep this Bible as an ever-present reminder of what God actually wants us to focus on (Psalm 89:14a, Matthew 22:36-40, Matthew 7:12). Yes we are to "make disciples," but as has been pointed out for a long time now, "as we go," i.e., living as lights, not as recruiters, behavior police, or judges! And certainly not from within our little out-of-touch bubbles with nothing to offer but "thoughts and prayers!

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God's plan for His people has always been the same. In the Old Testament, He put the Israelites in the "crossroads" of their day so that all nations could be exposed to what it's like to truly live and walk with Him, and the church is supposed to be the light in the darkness now. This plan, however, is predicated on His people actually loving Him and each other truly, as He defines love. We obviously need all the help we can get with this, hence the dominant focus of God's word.

And if we're being totally honest, we in the "American Church" have failed miserably at this. Nowadays, the world isn't persecuting the church for its hardline stance against sin; so-called Christians are seen as part of the problem, for reasons ranging from ignoring, avoiding, and even denying others' suffering and pain to outright support and celebration of evil!  And we will have to answer for it. What else could Jesus be trying to warn us about in Matthew 7:21-23?

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’"

For my first two or so years as a follower of Jesus, I wholeheartedly believed that this applied to "others" (i.e., those outside my church). Ever since the day I realized that this applies to EVERYONE I have considered this the scariest (as in sobering in a terrifying way) passage in the entire Bible!

Notice that Jesus does not contradict them; He does not say, "No you did not do those things." Instead, Jesus is straight up warning us that we can check all of our religion's/church's boxes and still go to Hell!

And in warning us, He (1) literally contrasts God's actual will with our little boxes(!) and (2) boils it all down so simply to not truly knowing us.

It is also worth highlighting that He is not talking to atheists, agnostics, or folks of other religions, because those folks won't be talking about having done things in Jesus' name. This is for so-called Christians, and He doesn't say "few" or even "some," He says "many." This is huge!

We read parables like Luke 18:9-14 and, almost subconsciously, see ourselves as the chest-beating sinner. What if we're wrong? Is that the point of the parable?? Are we really making every effort (Luke 13:24, 2 Peter 1:5, 2 Peter 1:10, etc.) or do we think we're somehow exempt from such warnings and admonitions?

Yet there is (of course) hope.

But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”
- James 4:6

We must choose love and humility and dig deep if we are to truly fight for our hearts (Proverbs 4:23), our lampstands (Revelation 2:5), and both our and our hearers' souls (1 Timothy 4:16).

The Conclusion Of The Matter

Ecclesiastes has been my favorite book of the Bible for a very long time; it is surreal to look back now and recognize how I've lived it. I have tested, tried, and even indulged in many things and approaches over the course of my walk with God, and I feel like I'm coming full circle.

From the Israelites in Canaan to the New Testament church, God's plan has always been for His people to be a community that actually gets love right so the rest of the world can see and join. We are not called to be a recruitment-centric, behavior-policing army; we are called to just be like Him. He couldn't have made this clearer (Matthew 22:34-40)!  Asking, "Who is my neighbor?" or saying, "I will love them if/but they ___" means I've already failed. Cities on hills and lamps on stands don't chase or harass people, they just are. People can see them and choose them as better than where they currently are or what they currently have. This is God's plan for the church, and we have failed. Today's "Christians" either straight-up pair politics with their religion or hide behind "no politics" as a way to do nothing. Both are wrong.

From Genesis to Revelation the vast majority of Scripture is God using one or a few of His people to try to get through to the rest (see the breakdown here). Most of the time they don't listen. Not much has changed and apparently never will (Matthew 7:21-23).

So in conclusion, turns out it's actually pretty simple:

• Whatever the problem, some will choose to be part of the solution, many will not (Proverbs 12:1).
• When the rubber meets the road, very few will truly choose humility and love (Matthew 7:13-14).
• The only way I can ever be part of a group where I agree with everything is if I'm part of a group where everyone thinks like me. This will almost never happen; if it does it will be brief; and, it really is not best. Participating in groups where people think differently from me is needed, healthy, and how I get to practice being like Him (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).
• This is who we are and will always be until the end, and I am not here to fix the world but to be a little light in the darkness, loving my neighbors and my enemies, pointing to the only real solution, which is offered to all (2 Timothy 3:1-5; Matthew 5:14-16; Matthew 5:43-48; 1 Timothy 2:3-4).
• What people do with this is God's purview, not mine (1 Corinthians 15:37-38).
• I have failed hard and often to be like Jesus, but I can never give up and never stop growing (Romans 12:21; Philippians 3:12; 2 Peter 1:8-11).

Jesus came full of grace and truth (John 1:14), but we humans will never be full of either. And while I fully embrace the need for and value of truth, I find myself agreeing more and more with this movie clip when it comes to us being certain we always know what the truth is. I am beginning to see why all of us so desperately need all the grace and mercy we can get (Luke 23:34), and all I want at this point is to be an instrument of this, leaving truth to God and only ever striving to be an instrument of truth as He sees fit (2 Timothy 2:15)!

Lord, I can be such a mess,
but I am a dearly loved mess!
Thank you for...well...being perfect!
Thank you for loving me, no matter what.
Please help me to want what you want;
please help me to be a light.

My Take On Us

Introduction

It seems to me that we can all be divided into two overarching groups and we each live out of one of two overarching, and competing, value systems. And I believe everything that happens -- everything -- can be understood and explained if we understand this perspective.

The Two Groups: Smart and Dumb

It's important to note that "smart" and "dumb" can (and should) be broken down into subcategories:

Knowledgeable: The lowest form of smart. This is simply knowing facts, like the fact that 1+1=2.

Intelligent: The ability to figure things out using knowledge and intuition.

Wise: The ability to put it all together and make the best choices possible in each situation. The highest form of smart.

Ignorant: Not an insult, it is simply (and literally) the lack of knowledge. We are all ignorant of so many things because no one knows everything. Easily "cured" by knowledge, the least harmful form of dumb.

Dumb: The inability to process concepts, ideas, and truth on a higher (or deeper) level.

Stupid: Willful ignorance (Proverbs 12:1). This is the worst, most harmful, and even dangerous form of dumb.

The Two Value Systems: Self- and Community-Centered

Self-centered: At the end of the day, you are what matters most (or only). You tell yourself that others (e.g., family) matter, but it's pretty obvious to everyone else that you are the center of your universe. At pretty much any cost.

Community-centered: While not necessarily -- and definitely not always -- putting self last, you understand the value and power of truly working together and usually choose accordingly.

Breaking It Down

So at the most basic level, everyone falls somewhere within this chart:

Broken down further:

*It is not wise to be self-centered.

And for easy reference:

Some Ways This Plays Out

• People in quadrant 1 rarely seek power; people in quadrants 2 and 4 often do.
• It ranges from extremely difficult to impossible to help people in quadrants 3 and 4 see that they are (a la Dunning-Kruger and the like).
• People in quadrants 3 and (especially) 4 are easy for people in quadrant 2 to manipulate.
• People in quadrant 1 are likely to choose humility; quadrant 2 and 4 people are not.
• Those who are/could be part of the problem far outnumber those who are/could be part of the solution.

So What Do We Do?

As a lifelong Trekkie, I would LOVE to believe (and did for a very long time) that we have a future ahead where we all finally come together as one; I know now, however, from Scripture, that this is never going to happen (2 Timothy 3: 1-5).   Of course, if we all followed Jesus, all the world's problems would absolutely be solved; but again, this will never happen (Matthew 7:13-14). So, for me, I resolve to walk with God, trusting that He will guide me through His Spirit as I strive to be a light in my own life and trust Him with the rest. It seems to me that this is the best -- and frankly, only truly good -- way to live.

Faith vs Expectation

I was recently in a discussion that started with the person leading it asking, "how is your faith these days?" My immediate thought was, "faith in what?" See, I have zero doubts that God can do anything He wants; my uncertainty is with regard to what I can or should expect that He will do.

We tend to think of "faith" as being confident in how God works in our lives. I now believe that God is immeasurably less concerned with our day-to-day earthly existence than we are. Don't get me wrong: He absolutely loves us, wants what's best for us, and actively works for the good of those who truly love Him (Rom 8:28). But what does this actually mean or look like? Does it really matter where we work, where we live, whom we marry (or if we marry!), etc.?

Anyone who has walked with God for a few decades will tell you that life has not turned out the way they expected. Why is this? I think it's because we're conditioned to expect "happily ever after" -- especially if we're walking with God. Sadly, this just isn't reality.

When I look back on my life thus far, I can see many times things didn't go the way I wanted them to; I can also see how God worked through many of them for my good...but not all of them. So what's the deal?

I think the problem is that we tend to think OT style: physical provision, protection, and blessings. After all, we ask God to heal us or loved ones, provide good jobs, and on and on and on. We ask God to fix things and to give us good things, and we use snippets like Jeremiah 29:11 and Matthew 7:11 -- often taken way out of context -- to justify doing so.

Digging deeper, however, we see that NT style is primarily focused on spiritual provision, protection, and blessings. After all, how many times have we asked God for good things and not received them? How many times has He not healed, or fixed, or...?

And, it's very hard to appreciate the big-picture, long-term spiritual promises in the face of earthly, physical, in-your-face trials and suffering...especially when prayers seem to continue to go "unanswered."

But God rarely just doesn't answer. He does at times, for specific reasons (our sin, His testing/pruning, etc.), but that's not the norm. Sometimes he simply says "no." Sometimes "not yet." And we rarely have any idea why!

So where does this leave us? Just exactly what or how are we supposed to pray? What are we supposed to expect?

The "Lord's Prayer" has absolutely been sufficiently analyzed, so I'm not going to try to do that here. I will pull out one piece, though: "Lord, thy will be done...." But, God's will is done. Always. Sometimes it's His caused will, and sometimes it's His allowed will, but nothing ever happens outside his sovereignty. So why bother asking even for that, it it's gonna happen anyway?

At this point, I'm starting to think that what I should really be praying for is to trust God enough to be able and willing to simply surrender to whatever happens. And to trust someone, you have to truly know them. And we know God through is Word and through remembrance (looking back on our lives for and at the times we can see His presence and action). Scripture is filled with God telling His people to remember and recount what He has done for them (and of course, exhortation to love and live by His word).

I'm reminded at this point of my favorite Taoist story (not that I know many lol): The Chinese Farmer (or "The Maybe Story" and other names). I REALLY want to be like this farmer!!

And maybe (see what I did there? 😊), as we continue to fight the good fight (1 Tim 6:12, James 1:2-4), draw near to God (James 4:8), and set our minds and hearts on things above (Col 3:1-2), we begin to correct our understanding of what we are supposed to expect, and how we relate to God. In turn, we begin more and more to see it -- even if only after the fact. And the joy and peace that are ours only in Christ (Php 4:4, Php 4:7, Gal 5:22) become more and more part of who we are.

And then, Heaven. :)

Love Conquers All: The Real Jesus

If you do not consider yourself a Christian, how do you view Christians these days? Do you see Christians as

• loving? or hateful?
• compassionate? or bigots?
• humble? or hypocrites?

It is natural -- and right (Matthew 7:16-18) -- to judge someone by their deeds, and it is equally natural to judge an entity by its self-proclaimed representatives. Did you know, though, that Jesus taught that many who claim to be His followers actually are not?

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" - Matthew 7:21-23 For modern day readers, this passage is literally Jesus warning us that we can check all of our particular church's boxes and still go to Hell! How does this happen? The word translated as "knew" in this passage comes from the Hebrew word, yada. It basically means to know at a deep level, typically with regard to relationships. Jesus is saying here that we can do all the things but if we don't truly know Him and His true heart, and let Him truly know us -- evidenced by how we live! -- we are lost. And what does it mean to truly know and be known by Jesus? How does it show?

**Love** Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” - Matthew 22:34-40

I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet 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 2:2-5

Here in Revelation, Jesus is once again making it clear that checking all the boxes (vs 2-3) means nothing if we do not love! We don't know for sure if He was referring to their love for Him, their fellow humans, or some combination; but, we do know that love is so key that He is about to take away their lampstand over it (i.e., render them a Spirit-less (lost) church)!

And here's the kicker: we must love as He loves!

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

 - John 13:34-35

In fact,

Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. - 1 John 4:20

“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

And again:

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. - Luke 6:27-36

[Sidenote: the commands about turning the other cheek and giving our shirt also have specific meaning in the culture of that day and not what we tend to assume. Worth looking into.]

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). He has the only real answers. Following Him is not always easy, but it is always worth it.

Our world is hurting, some would say now more than ever. I obviously don't have all the answers, but I do know where to find them. If you would like to see Him for who He truly is and not how He is often misrepresented, to find the true hope and powerful love He offers, and learn what that actually looks like...ask Him. If you mean it, He will respond (Matthew 7:7-8, Deuteronomy 4:29)!

(And if you live in San Diego, you are welcome to come join my friends and me in exploring all of this together. 😊)

Post-Election Stress Disorder

People have asked me how I'm doing after the election. I frankly couldn't even begin to process things for a good three days. Thanks to things others have shared, and my handy-dandy little brainstorming/mind mapping tool, I'm starting to.

Honestly, I was pretty gutted. I felt like this election showed me that over half this "great" nation is at best dumb and at worst racist, misogynistic, greedy, selfish, and dangerous. And for the ones who call themselves Christians, add to that hypocritical.

I don't know this gentleman, but he pretty much covers what I was feeling (language warning).

As did my cousin:

I don't like thinking and feeling this way, but I also hate having to face the reality that over half the people in this country would apparently rather see me, my son, and my daughter lose our rights or even lives than have to pay a little more for eggs. I have been on "red alert" since 2020 and I am runnin'-on-empty exhausted, especially in the Redneckville area of San Diego where we currently live!

BUT! I am a Christian. I should absolutely not be surprised by the lost-ness all around me. I should have expected it. And by God, I will strive to remain apolitical, love my enemies, and pray for those who persecute me the best I can.

No, sadly, my real problem has been the church. More specifically, my real problem is how many thousands of church-goers call themselves Christians, are supposed to represent Christ to the world, and yet embody so much of what is opposite of God's heart and will!

To be blunt, we should not claim to be Christian if:

• We focus on a small fraction of God's word and will to the neglect of all the rest of it.
• We honestly couldn't care less about widows, orphans, and all the other oppressed and marginalized people in the world (i.e., DO absolutely nothing about it, other than maybe write a check periodically).
• Nationalism is part of our identity.
• Politics and politicians are primary driving factors in our decisions and life.
• Being right is more important to us than being humble or loving.

The Bible is actually ridiculously clear about these things.

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"

 - Matthew 7:21-23

For modern day readers, this passage is literally Jesus warning us that we can check all of our particular church's little boxes and still go to Hell! How does this happen?

The word translated as "knew" in this passage comes from the Hebrew word, yada. It basically means to know at a deep level, primarily with regard to relationships. Jesus is saying here that we can do all the things but if we don't truly know Him and His true heart -- evidenced by how we live! -- we are lost. There is no "agreeing to disagree" about these things!

And what does it mean to truly know Jesus?

Love.

L.O.V.E.

LUUUUUVAH!

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

 - Matthew 22:34-40

Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.

 - 1 John 4:20, emphasis added

We cannot claim to love our neighbors if we choose what Trump blatantly and proudly represents. Period. We cannot claim to love our brothers and sisters if we stubbornly continue to refuse to listen to them.

[Side note: I am not saying that the "other side" is any holier. I've been avoiding details the best I can, but it seems like a whole lot of the folks involved in Diddy's downright evil nightmares are from the "Left," some very famously so.]

So what's the bottom line?

I think for me it boils down to two questions.

Q1: Can you love Jesus and "love" Trump?

A1: No. You cannot be a "fan" of someone who blatantly represents what he represents and love Jesus.

(Personally, I don't believe you can be devoted to anything earthly and be a follower of Jesus, but that's a different topic.)

Q2: Can you love Jesus and have voted for him in 2024?

A2: This one's hard for me, but I honestly think the answer is, Possibly.

 - I need to spend some time with this one. So, as usual, if you need me, I'll be

Will You Cross The Line?

Imagine a scenario in which four people were set up to play a game of Monopoly for the first time in their lives. They sat in chairs numbered 1 through 4. What they didn't know is that the game had been rigged. The person in the first chair began the game with all their money taken and distributed among the other three players. That means that the people in chairs 2, 3, and 4 would each start with $2000, rather than the normal starting amount of $1500. All players were then told that there would be one significant rule change: each time a player passed Go, they would receive the standard $200 only if they had a net worth of more than $1800. With that in place the game began.

How do you think the game would go? Chances are good that the person in chair #1 would struggle. Not only would they not have any money to purchase property or pay bills, they would find it incredibly difficult to amass enough wealth to start receiving the benefits of passing Go. If the same scenario were replayed 100 times, there would likely be 2 or 3 times where a person in chair #1 broke through the stacked deck and managed to do well, but most times that would not be the case.

Now imagine that in the middle of the game, each player was replaced by a new player who would sit in their chair and take over for them. The new players would know the rule about passing Go, but would be unaware that the starting money was taken from the player in chair #1. What would be the reaction? If you took over for chair #2 on four or five separate occasions, what would you think? Wouldn't you start to wonder what was wrong with the people who sat in chair #1? Why are they always so bad at this? Why were they so frustrated? You might even point out to the poor soul and chair #1 that you were all playing by the same rules, so they just need to work little harder or get better at the game. And while from one perspective, all the players are playing by the same rules, they really are not, are they?

This is an excerpt from the book, Crossing The Line: Culture, Race, and Kingdom, by Michael Burns. The title alludes to crossing the line between two opposing sides, as depicted here. (I personally suspect the actual cross of Christ may be word played a little as well.) It is written to educate and to facilitate true dialogue about race and culture and their very real impact on life, especially in the church.

Please read it.

Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.

 - 1 John 4:20

Will you Cross the line?