Jesus says: Walk this Way...

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.  For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it."  ~ (Matthew 7:13-14; NASB)

So often we are guilty of selling Christianity as an experience:  Get saved; Get filled with the Spirit;  Get delivered;  Experience joy;  Experience freedom;  Experience breakthrough;  Enjoy Church; Go to heaven when you die...

And while Christianity is certainly inclusive of all these things, in its essence, Christianity is none of these things.

Rather, Jesus taught us in the Sermon on the Mount that Christianity is all about living your life out in light of the fact that the long anticipated kingdom of God that the Hebrew prophets spoke about had finally come, and in His preaching He called for all men everywhere to live their lives in light of what God is now doing.

When the fullness of time had come, God interrupted the history of this world, and inaugurated His kingdom in the midst of a world occupied by Rome.  Men like Caesar could no longer claim to rule this world and be in charge of it all.  The Messiah has come and taken His seat on the throne of David, and reigns over the world as King of kings, and Lord of lords, to whom all must ultimately bow and swear allegiance.

And if we believe this proclamation that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that His kingdom has truly been established in the midst of this world, none of us can remain the same.  We must all change.

Believing such cannot but produce within us a deep and inward transformation, wherein we awaken to the fact that this world is now ruled by Jesus Christ, and not the Caesars.  Nor is it a world ruled by "we the people," who are so busy asserting their rights via the democractic process.   

Jesus Christ is Lord, not Caesar, nor are the People.  Jesus Christ alone is Lord! 

Imagine living in a world where we believe that.

This belief produces within us a new birth, wherein we experience a rewiring of all of our hearts and minds, and get the joy of entering the world afresh, armed with a radical new perspective.  And this transformation produces within us a new way of living that departs from the way we used to live our lives.

Old timers call this concept "repentance."  

For now we live our lives in light of the fact that Jesus Christ is Lord, and He has established a new kingdom over this world.

And if we believe Jesus Christ to be in charge of everything, such must produce within us a new way of life where we live out our days in light of Him being Lord.  Such must be totally different than living in a world where a hundred other men and forms of government claim to be king, and our allegiances were ultimately towards them.

Now we are invited to live a new way of life, and with a new allegiance soaked into our hearts.  It's a way of life that is not in keeping with anything that came before Jesus (including Moses).

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying men don't need to get saved, filled with the Spirit, or any such thing.  I believe in all these great truths.

But the "true experience" of Christianity isn't to be found in all these crisis moments and other cathartic experiences.  And we fall woefully short in our Gospel proclamation by making men think that these things are the end-all and be-all of Christianity.

No wonder folks think all that Jesus has for them to do is to get saved and go to heaven when they die as a result of us preaching such garbage.  No wonder they believe they can live any damned way that they want, yet still claim they are eternally secure and are going to heaven one day.  They believe that because all we sell to them is a one-time experience.

Such teaching is dramatically at odds with the teachings of Jesus.

Jesus had no desire to assure men of their "personal salvation" simply because they made a confession, said a prayer, got baptized, or any other such thing.  Jesus came to turn this entire world upside down, and you with it.

To hell with such thinking and teaching that says otherwise.

Rather, Jesus taught us that if we want to experience His salvation and all that God has for us, it is to be found in the day-to-day living out of your life in light of the fact that you believe that He is Lord, and that you are part of His kingdom that He setup, and that you are going to live your out of this reality, instead of what you used to think was real.

And if you believe that, your life can never be the same.  And if you believe that, you can experience salvation, love, joy, freedom, breakthroughs, and true abundant living, overflowing with the Spirit of God.

Running Your Mouth

For those of you who don't know me very well, one thing you should know about me is that I have this awful tendency to speak without thinking.

Perhaps you can identify?

It's like my mouth is connected to this strange stream of consciousness in which thoughts exit my mouth before they are processed in my brain, and I don't hear what I am thinking until I actually hear myself thinking it out loud in a room full of people.

Sometimes this is a good thing.  I can be somewhat funny, so such a thing will get often make other people laugh, and it helps for making conversation.  Or, should I be speaking in public or giving a presentation, I seldom suffer from awkward pauses, nor do I find myself without words.

Sometimes this is a bad thing.  Sometimes I find myself caught up in the heat of the moment, and say something rash, harsh, unloving, unkind, and unfiltered.  Sometimes I don't know when or how to stop, and I'll find myself ripping somebody a new one.

I don't think I'm alone in such an experience.  Regardless of how fluid your tongue is, controlling what rolls off it is something we all seem to suffer from, no matter how smart or important we are.  Just look at the people that appear on Jerry Springer, and compare them to political leaders appearing on the evening news.  There isn't much difference.  The inability we have to control our mouths runs deep.

This problem doesn't cease once we become Christians either.

Churches and Facebook pages alike are often torn to shreds by otherwise good appearing church people.  We find it necessary to speak up first, to take a hard stand for the truth, and to lambaste everybody that doesn't understand every nuanced iota of Scripture or political theory in the exact same way we do.  At a moments notice, we stand prepared to wrestle every last person to the ground, as we scornfully dismiss them as haters, the unsaved, or even regard them as wolves in sheep's clothing.

And we will do it all in the mighty name of Jesus of course.

Don't get me wrong, I among the guilty in this arena.  Sometimes I fear the terrible things I've said over the years will echo throughout the world for a lot longer than the wonderful things I've said.  And deep down inside, I think we all fear that because we know it is true.  We could say a thousand wonderful things, only to find that it is the one terrible thing we said that ends up becoming the very thing that others remember about us forever.  The legacy we leave will be paved by our own words.

Jesus taught us that we will stand in judgment for every idle word that we've ever spoken.  "By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."  That thought alone should shut us up for the next few years.  We should speak more cautiously and carefully.  Our words should be refined, calculated, and precise.  Instead of being the first idiot in the room to spout off our idea whenever we get the chance, we should do as the apostle James taught, and be "quick to listen and slow to speak."  

The fact that we are so quick to fill the silence of a room with the noise of our speaking shows that the weight of eternity hasn't quite set into our hearts yet.  Instead of fearing the silence, we should embrace it.  For in quietness and rest we will find our salvation.

We speak as if we are atheists.  We speak without any sense that God in heaven is keeping track of every idle word we say.  Therefore, if we are to give an account for every idle word we say, then when we speak, we should make sure every word counts for something.  And if we take on such an attitude, I believe we will discover that we never needed to say half the amount of words that we use on any given day.

I am reminded of a time when I was in Bible college.  There was an old Coptic priest who was attending our classes.  He seldom said very much, even in the midst of some pretty intense debates.  Yet the few times he ever decided to interject his opinion on a topic, he would gently raise his hand, and softly speak his peace.  And when he spoke, silence would always fall over the room, and everybody would lean forward to hear what this man had to say. Everybody would always give him their uttermost attention.

I was not that guy.  I spoke so much that one of my friends made a small sign that said "Shut Up Jimmy!"  Anytime they thought I was running my mouth far too long, they would simply flash their sign.  I said so much, but in the process, I ended up saying very little. I should've picked up on the wisdom of that priest.  He accomplished more with his few words than I did with my many.

There is no wisdom in running your mouth.  Sometimes the wisest thing you can say is nothing.

No Guns in Church!

Smith and Wesson may soon be joining your local church.

Locally in Charlotte, NC, the local NBC news affiliate has covered a story in which the pastor of New Outreach Christian Center, has announced their decision carry a firearm in church as a result of the deadly church shooting that recently happened in Charleston, SC.

Pastor Brenda Stevenson said from the pulpit:

"We need protection... I want them to know 'Have no fear. God is here,' but we got two more members. Smith, and Wesson."

As a patriotic American who supports the Second Amendment right to bear arms, there is a part of me that wants to say "Amen!"  But, I am troubled by such a feeling, as I know it conflicts with the Holy Spirit, who tells me that pastor Brenda Stevenson and what she is thinking is wrong.

It's wrong because it's fundamentally out of step with the teachings of Jesus.  Such a thought might be fully American, but it is not exactly Christian.

Jesus taught us not to be afraid, for He is with us.  Jesus taught us that those who live by the sword will die by the sword.   Jesus taught us that instead of taking up our right to bear arms, we need to take up our cross.  Jesus taught us that though we die, we will yet live again.

As a people who believe that Jesus Christ was crucified, buried, and rose again, I simply don't see how in good conscience we can even think about arming ourselves for the purpose of self-defense.

The idea of being shot to death is a terrifying one.  It actually happens, and we see it play out in the news every day.  But as a people who believe that death doesn't have the final answer, and that though we die, Jesus Christ will come again and raise us back to life one day, we should accept the real possibility that somebody might actually violently kill us one day.  And, instead of seeking to preserve our lives, we need to be a people who are always ready to give our lives.  Even if that means falling prey to a world full of madmen.

The late Art Katz used to frequently say, "You are far too American" in his preaching. And in instances such as these, I cannot help but think time and time again how right he was.

We would rather be American than Christian.  And the idea of packing heat in a church service betrays everything I know about being a Christian and shows where our heart and our thinking really is.  It is fundamentally wrong, and grounded in the thinking that rules this world.

But sadly, many of us can't see it, because our values more align with the stars and stripes than it does the cross of Jesus Christ.  And in the process, we lose the opportunity to be a powerful prophetic voice to our generation, and be like those saints who gave their lives in the church shooting in Charleston, SC.

Let us refuse to take up arms.  Let us be willing to give our lives as a people who believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, knowing that as He lives, so too shall we one day.

What Ten Million Shovels can teach us about Money

Let me ask you a simple question:  If I gave you ten million shovels, would that fundamentally change your life?

Probably not.

Indeed, if I offered to give you ten million shovels, you would probably decline the offer.  Even though you know that over time, you could probably sell most of those shovels and make a handsome profit, you probably wouldn't jump at the chance to start a business with the sole purpose of selling shovels.  Indeed, you would probably look at a warehouse full of shovels and just kinda shrug it off, and move on with your life. You wouldn't want the bother. You'd let the next guy in line have them.

Let me ask you another question:  If I gave you ten million dollars, would that fundamentally change your life?

"Absolutely!" you say.

It has been commonly taught over the years that money is a neutral thing. It's completely amoral. It's neither good nor bad in and of itself.  Dave Ramsey and a lot of pastors teach this.  Money is a mere tool, and could be likened to a shovel.  With a shovel, you could plant a beautiful garden.  Or, if you are a mobster, you can use a shovel to bury the body of somebody like Jimmy Hoffa.  Either way, the shovel is neither good nor bad, it's what you do with it that matters.

Right???

Yet I can't help but wonder, if money is so neutral as people usually say it is, then why is it that money has the ability to fundamentally change our lives in a way that shovels never can?

Ten million dollars has the power to change your life in the way ten million shovels never could.... unless you are Jimmy Hoffa.

Indeed, money changes people.

And if money can change people, then I think it is a bit dangerous for us to ever call money a neutral thing, and liken it unto a mere tool.  Indeed, I worry that those who say money is a neutral thing have already come under its spell, and aren't properly prepared for the responsibility of handling it.

People marry for money.  People divorce over money.  People fight for money.  People work hard for money.  People kill for money.  People risk their lives for money.  People worry about money.  People lose their souls over money.

If money's involvement in my life has the ability to possibly damn my soul, then maybe money isn't so neutral after all.  Maybe it is more than a mere tool.  

Loving Your Enemies: But What About Islamic Terrorists?

I've lived in the "Bible belt" for almost 30 years. I've been saved for almost 15 of those years. I've been to Bible college and Seminary. I've literally listened to several thousand sermons in my lifetime. All the churches and schools I've been involved with have been conservative, Evangelical, and "Bible believing" churches.

Yet to date, I can confidently say I've never heard a single sermon dedicated to the topic of "loving my enemy."

That's not to say somebody hasn't mentioned it in passing at some point. Indeed, I briefly have heard it talked about. And that's not to say there aren't preachers out there in America that don't preach on the topic. Indeed, there are, as a simple Google search will reveal it to be so.

But I've never heard such a message preached in any church I've been a part of, and my guess is you probably haven't either.

Therefore, I worry that one of the central ethical teachings of Jesus recorded in the Gospels, has not only been largely overlooked, but has been almost entirely forgotten.

So far as I've heard and studied, any brief mention of loving our enemies is generally reduced to a command that only advises us on how to deal with interpersonal drama.  It deals with things you might see on "Dr Phil" or the "Jerry Springer Show."  That is, we see Jesus as teaching us to do nothing more than find ways to get along with people we don't like at work, and how to deal with family members whom we wish were grafted into somebody else's family tree.

As I get older, I've become increasingly aware of what a dangerous world we actually live in, and the fact that there are people out there who actually want to do mortal harm to me, my family, and this nation.

Yet, as I read my Bible, I find myself confronted with this teaching of Jesus where He commands me to love my enemies, and I start to think He might have something more in mind than how to deal with personality conflicts and otherwise rude people.

When I crawl into my time machine and find myself transported back into the times of Jesus, as I hear Him preaching to the multitudes in His famous "Sermon on the Mount," I can't help but be arrested by the fact that Jesus's teaching to love my enemies had a much greater application than I  regularly appreciate as a middle-class white-boy who grew up in America.

As I listen to Jesus preaching on a hill side in Judea, I look around and see a lot of Jewish people who have lived under the brutally oppressive Roman Empire.

I see a people whose hearts are broken,  angry, and confused.  They don't understand why God has allowed a foreign and pagan army to occupy and govern a land that He had promised them.   They are forced to pay heavy taxes, are forced into servitude, and live under a police state.  Justice is administered coldly, swiftly, and decisively (which is to say, not really at all).  They are a people who want to rebel, they want to fight back, and they want to get out from under the boot of Rome.  But Rome frequently squashes all hope of that ever happening, and regularly tortures and kills anybody who dares to fight back, and try to gain freedom.

History tells how the Romans dealt with Jewish rebellions in their day.  For example, one day they reportedly crucified 3,000 people, and set them up on the highway as an object lesson.  The lesson was simple: Don't even think about messing with us.

This happened during the time of Jesus.  He may have personally seen this event as a small boy.  If He didn't see it, He would've definitely heard about it.

Yet for all the brutality the Jews suffered at Roman hands, Jesus taught that they should not hate their enemy.  Instead, Jesus taught the Jews of His day that if they wanted to be a people who were rightly related to God, that they would have to love their enemies.

That is, they would have to love the Romans.

Jesus taught the Jews of His day to love the very enemies who not only crucified 3,000 Jews, but would one day crucify Him.

Jesus taught the Jews of His day to love they very enemies who would one day conduct a military siege against Jerusalem.  According to the ancient Jewish historian Josephus, more than 1 million people were killed in the fall of Jerusalem, and almost 100,000 people were enslaved.

Love those people, Jesus said.

The application would have been loud and clear.

The Jews would have understood Jesus's sermon as teaching them to love people who were truly their enemies, and not simply people they had a hard time getting along with.  They would've understood Jesus to be teaching them to love people who could actually physically and mortally harm them and their families.

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:43-48; NASB)

...Fast forward 2,000 years to the present.

Outside of some co-workers and some family members that you consider your enemies, can you think of anybody that threatens you in the way the Romans threatened the ancient Jewish people?  Do we have any enemies who actually threaten to physically harm and kill us and our loved ones?

If Jesus were to preach a sermon at your church this Sunday, and taught you to love your enemies, do you think He might make a PowerPoint slide that listed Islamic terrorists as one of the people we ought to love?

If Jesus appeared on Fox News and was interviewed by Sean Hannity, how do you think Hannity would respond if Jesus said He thinks the solution to the crisis in the Middle East was for us to bomb ISIS with something resembling "care packages" instead of something a little more explosive.

If Jesus were to advise President Obama on the Middle East crisis, do you think He would tell the president to love his enemies and pray for their well being?  Or do you think He would quote the famous country music star Toby Keith, and tell the president to "put a boot in their ass."

In our heart of hearts, if we were really honest with ourselves, I think most of us know what Jesus would say on these matters if He were given the platform to speak today.

The problem is, as so often is the case, we simply find the straight forward teachings of Jesus too hard to accept.  I believe we simply don't have the capacity in our hearts to accept such truth.  The problem therein is not the words of Jesus being too hard to accept, so much as it is the hardness of our hearts to accept them.

So we largely ignore such teachings.  We pass over them very quickly in our reading of the Bible and in our teaching in the church.  We don't want to dwell on such things.

For we ultimately know that there is a lot of risk involved in loving our enemies.  Loving our enemies means we let something of our guard down.  Lowering our guard makes us vulnerable.  We don't want to be vulnerable as a general rule of thumb, let alone vulnerable before our enemies, who have an interest in putting us and those we love to death.

Our fear is what ultimately keeps us from loving our enemies.

But love, true love, the kind of love that can only come from God, can grant us the supernatural transformation we all need in our hearts, to give us the capacity to genuinely love our enemies.  It is the kind of love that Jesus had in Him, and is the kind of love that ultimately drove Him to the cross to die on our behalf.

And if Jesus can cause us to love even the men that want to put us to death, then just imagine what He can do to the hearts of those who want to kill us.

He did this once to a man named Saul of Tarsus, who was involved in killing the first Christian martyr.  Today, we all better know this man by the name of Paul, the apostle.  He started dozens, if not hundreds of churches.  And in the process, he wrote most of the New Testament.