Magnum Opus

 

Upon entering the auditorium this weekend at Epic Church, we were greeted by an enormous blank painter’s canvas. During each of our three services, a different artist would create a colorful interpretation during the moment of worship. Building upon the other’s work, each brush stroke complimented the musical notes to form an intricate cacophony of artistic tribute to the ultimate Creator.

It was during this beautiful expression of veneration that I realized a serious problem in my relationship with Christ.

I had created God in my own image, instead of allowing Him to create me in His.

You may be familiar with the scientific idea of individuals being predominantly ‘left brain’ or ‘right brain’ oriented. According to this theory, those subject primarily to the left side of their brain tend to be more verbal, logical, and methodical. Being linear, this person will tend to place ideas and issues in a chronological order.

On the other hand, someone dominated by the right side of their cranium tends to be more imaginative and inventive. According to an article by Michael Pitek III, these creative types look “at the whole picture and quickly seeks to determine the spatial relationships of all the parts as they relate to the whole. This component of the brain is not concerned with things falling into patterns because of prescribed rules. On the contrary, the right brain seems to flourish dealing with complexity, ambiguity and paradox.”

The dilemma that I was confronted with on Sunday is that my view of God and the idea of obedience to Him fell almost entirely under the command of my left brained ideology. For all of my belief and bravado to the contrary, I had placed the Almighty, All encompassing God in a nice, convenient package that I could contain and control.

The Message paraphrase of Romans 11:33-36 says:

Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It’s way over our heads. We’ll never figure it out.

Is there anyone around who can explain God?  Anyone smart enough to tell Him what to do?  Anyone who has done Him such a huge favor that God has to ask his advice?

Everything comes from Him; Everything happens through Him; Everything ends up in Him. Always glory! Always praise!  Yes. Yes. Yes.

God is not governed by the left or right hemisphere of His mind. He is concurrently creative and calculating, rational and revelatory. When we believe we have His means and methods completely figured out, God will usually perform a complete one-eighty on us as a reminder that His ways and thoughts are higher than our own.

That gentle reminder on Sunday was simultaneously convicting and comforting. Not only is this incredible God that we serve infinitely beyond any box we would assign Him to, this truth reminds us that in whatever situation we face God’s unfathomable power, wisdom, and resources are creatively painting a beautiful masterpiece in and with our lives.

There is absolutely nothing going on in your life right now that has not been filtered through the Master Artist’s hands. Each victory and defeat, struggle and sacrifice are part of an incredible tapestry that God is using to make us into His own personal magnum opus.

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10

A Beautiful Death

The unthinkable has happened.

The Godfather has just been surpassed as my favorite, defining movie of all time.

Having watched the Frank Miller adaptation of 300 once again, it became apparent with each viewing that the unflinching, near suicidal courage of the brave Spartan warriors resonated within me far beyond just another two hour excursion from daily life.

For the unfamiliar, this epic tale centers on the Battle of Thermopylae which took place around 480 BC. Persian ruler Xerxes leads a force of millions, consolidates power by cutting a swath of destruction across the known world. Those nations who refuse to submit to the ‘god-king’ were annihilated.

Sparta, led by King Leonidas, refuses to bow their knee to this foreign invader. Spartans were known not only for their contributions to Greek civilization but for their warrior ethos. Young boys were taught to fight and survive from birth, with the bravest elite becoming soldiers worthy of defending their homeland.

In the face of overwhelming odds and without support from the political and religious culture of Sparta, Leonidas chooses three hundred troops to go out and face the Persian onslaught. They are joined eventually by the Arcadians, who had the bravery to join the Spartans in defense of Greece but who obviously have a different mindset in the ways of war.

Without spoiling the ending for those unfortunate few who haven’t seen the film, there are some incredible parallels to the Christian life that can be gleaned from this account.

The distinction between the Spartans and the Arcadians struck me the deepest. Both were in danger of attack and annihilation from a devastating invasion. They both came together to do what was required of them by duty.

However, where the Arcadians looked at the massive Persian juggernaut and saw certain death, Spartans looked at the battlefield and saw the chance for glory.  

Within the Body of Christ, we all are at different places on our journey of discipleship. During Jesus’ ministry on earth, He began with throngs of people who sought Him for the miracle sideshow. This Man not only taught with authority, but could heal their diseases, feed them when they were hungry, and drive out the demonic forces they seemed to fear the most.

Then Jesus threw down the gauntlet.

He went on, “It is necessary that the Son of Man proceed to an ordeal of suffering, be tried and found guilty by the religious leaders, high priests, and religion scholars, be killed, and on the third day be raised up alive.”

Then He told them what they could expect for themselves: “Anyone who intends to come with Me has to let Me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat—I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow Me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, My way, to finding yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? If any of you is embarrassed with Me and the way I’m leading you, know that the Son of Man will be far more embarrassed with you when He arrives in all His splendor in company with the Father and the holy angels. This isn’t, you realize, pie in the sky by and by. Some who have taken their stand right here are going to see it happen, see with their own eyes the kingdom of God.”  Luke 9:22-27, the Message

Other places in the Bible, such as Matthew 24:9-10, Luke 8:13, and 2 Thessalonians 2:3, clearly state that there are those who merely give lip service to Jesus Christ and those who give their lives to Him.

 There is the fan club, and then there are the foot soldiers. There are people who attend church, and then there is the church.

Jesus promised us that trials, suffering, persecution, and temptations would come to each of us. Many see the opposing forces bent on our destruction and claim that following Christ is a suicide mission.

It is.

Arcadians drink deep of the moment’s fear; their heads swimming with the noxious odor of cowardice and compromise.

Spartans laugh in the face of their mortal enemy and are grateful for the opportunity to courageously die for their leader and cause.

What is your profession?

Brothers, fathers, sons, we march. For honor’s sake, for duty’s sake, for glory’s sake, we march. Into hell’s mouth, we march.

 

Carry Me Down

 

What do Michael Jackson, Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, and Billy Mays all have in common?

No, there is not a cruel punch line coming.

All at some point in their lives were wealthy, successful in their fields, and known the world over.

Now, they have all passed away.

We have been inundated over the last month by even legitimate news organizations printing headlines of star’s untimely deaths with tabloid frenzy. While brave Iranians are risking their lives for potential democracy and other newsworthy stories are set on the back burner, we are subjected to these individuals being memorialized as demi-gods for their contribution to art and entertainment.

Many of us desire to achieve just a part of the ‘American dream’ that these exemplified. Have you stopped to think about how they were portrayed just a few months and years ago? From accusations of child molestation to drug use and bankruptcy, only a person with the darkest shade of rose colored glasses would be hard pressed to make excuses that the ‘glamorous’ life is true as advertised.

When any person dies, prominent or private, it does not matter how many accolades they earned during their lifetime. The awards and album sales are all there as a reminder to the living that our own time on earth is a transitory moment. These celebrities will be eulogized in the days to come but will not be here to take pleasure in them.

The Bible weighs in on the subject many times.

“They trust in their wealth and boast of great riches. Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death by paying a ransom to God.” Psalm 49:6-7

“Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow.” Psalm 144:4

“We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us.” Ecclesiastes 5:15 

“Everyone has to die once, then face the consequences.”  Hebrews 9:27

Is it a sin to be wealthy and successful? Absolutely not. All people, whether they were revered or reviled will one day stand before the throne of God Himself and give an account of their lives before entering eternity.

From the most legendary figures to the homeless vagrant on the street, the only thing that matters at that very moment is whether or not we have embraced Jesus Christ as our Forgiver and Leader.

1 Peter 3:18 states that “Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but He died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but He was raised to life in the Spirit.”

Romans 10:9-10 says “The word that saves is right here, as near as the tongue in your mouth, as close as the heart in your chest.

It’s the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God—”Jesus is my Master”—embracing, body and soul, God’s work of doing in us what He did in raising Jesus from the dead.

That’s it.

You’re not “doing” anything; you’re simply calling out to God, trusting Him to do it for you. That’s salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: “God has set everything right between Him and me!” The Message

The constant reminders of these celebrity deaths may have sparked a gnawing feeling within you. When you stand before God as we all eventually will, what will you have to say?

It isn’t how many platinum albums you sold or how many dollars your estate is worth.

It doesn’t even matter how good of a person you have been or charitable organizations you tirelessly gave to or worked for.

We can hope our futile earthly efforts were enough to impress God or realize even on our best days we are worthless and empty. Since our exertion is woefully ineffective, our only hope is for Someone that will exchange His virtue for our vice.

Jesus already has. The next step is up to you.

 

The F Word

There is a word in the english language that disturbs me more than any other. Whenever it is uttered my senses cringe. Many find it offensive and even inconceivable.

That word is forgiveness.

My entire life I have struggled with the issue of genuinely forgiving other people. I know what the Bible says. I can even verbalize the words out loud. But alongside the part of me that knows I am supposed to let go of offense there is this other guy that wants to kick the door in, laughing maniacally with both guns blazing until the guilty parties are annihilated.

 

It is one thing to say you forgive someone else. It is another thing entirely to actually do it.

Yesterday I was graciously given the opportunity to put this into practice.  I was at home and received an email that sent hot, piercing flames up the back of my neck making that little vein pop out of my forehead.

Did I mention that it upset me?

I turned off the computer, sat in my chair and silently fumed. I could feel the bitterness in the back of my throat. Rehearsing in my head were all the sharp jabs that would be thrown the next time we met.

Then God, as usual, intervened in my Machiavellian fantasies and got my attention.

I turned on the television and the word FORGIVE was emblazoned on the screen. Bishop Eddie Long, pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, gave a powerful message on how unforgiveness affects the believer. While many may disagree with him on certain doctrinal points, what he spoke on this issue was forcefully true.

In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus gives His disciples what everyone familiar with anything religious calls ‘the Lord’s Prayer’. We always tend to read over verse 12 in order to get the ‘good’ part, but there it is in all of it’s red lettered splendor:

“…and forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.”

I am asking God to forgive me as I forgive other people? I don’t do that so well. I want grace and mercy for myself and justice and revenge on those who have wronged me.

Bishop Long gave the illustration that when God forgives someone their sin against you, according to Psalm 103:12 He removes it as far as the east is from the west and literally remembers it no more. He then compared it to a crime scene investigation. Since God has forgiven them, it was  as if He wiped their prints off the evidence. If you are still in that place angrily demanding justice and vindication, the only one left at the scene of the crime is you. Your fingerprints are the only ones still remaining from holding on so tightly and refusing to let go.

Maybe that is why Jesus often used the analogy of an unforgiving debtor being thrown into prison. In passages such as Matthew 5:23-26, He warns us that harboring resentment and refusal to forgive is akin to being placed in a spiritual bondage that can only result in our hearts and minds being locked away from all the incredible things God wants for us.

God reminded me that when I forgive, it can’t be lip service. It has to be the real deal. When the message ended, I prayed and sincerely forgave that individual who had sent the email. Once expressed with sincerity something incredible happened.

That bitter taste left the back of my throat. The vein went back to normal.

And I was forgiven.

Act Like a Man

I have heard it said that in some cultures, you are not considered to have reached genuine manhood until you have seen The Godfather. While there are certainly elements of the Italian mafia that do not need to be emulated, there are lessons that we can take from Don Vito Corleone’s gentle art of ‘persuasion’.

In this scene, a washed up entertainer named Johnny Fontane complains to the Don that a studio is passing him over for a part in a movie. He buries his head in his hands and moans ‘What am I gonna do?’

“You can act like a man! What’s the matter with you?”

In studying the life of the great Israelite warrior, Joshua, we find him leading a people that were once enslaved in a foreign country being ‘given’ a land of their own. In our modern culture, when someone says they are giving us something we expect no effort on our part except to have that gift placed in our hands.

In Joshua 18:1-3, the ‘Promised Land’ was being divided up between the tribes. At this point seven of these tribes had not yet been allotted what they believed was their inheritance.

“Then Joshua asked them, ‘How long are you going to wait before taking possession of the remaining land the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you?’”

How often do we as believers in Jesus Christ sit and wait for God to give us the things we want or need? We sit with our head in our hands, bewildered that life isn’t working out the way we wanted. We seek Him for answers and get frustrated when a gift wrapped present with a brightly colored bow isn’t delivered effortlessly into our laps.

The Israelites had been ‘given’ a land of their own - to conquer and possess. This means they would have to take up their weapons, risk everything, and go to war in order to receive what God had given them.

2 Peter 1:3 tells us that ‘By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the One who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence.’

God is far more interested in developing what is inside of us than He is in throwing a birthday party. Whether we like it or not, we are at war.

War with sin. Our selfish desires. Spiritual forces determined to drag us from God’s best and the opportunities He provides.

“The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture.

We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.”
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 The Message

There is an illustration about a man that lived on the edge of a large mountain. Beside his home was an enormous boulder. God spoke to the man and said ‘go and move that boulder.’

Day after day the man pushed, pulled, and struggled with this massive object. It never moved an inch. Days turned into weeks, months, and years with no movement.

“What am I supposed to do, God? I can’t do this! It is too overwhelming!”

God then tells the man to go and look in the mirror. What he found was a body filled with muscular definition; the picture of physical strength and power.

God had given this man the opportunity to go to war with an immovable object not because he was interested in a boulder moving, but in developing him internally. It was not about the task, but through this man’s obedience he experienced what God truly wanted for him.

When you say you are hungry, God may give you a net instead of a fish. If you are thirsty, instead of a glass of water He may give you a shovel to dig a well. Joshua’s people wanted their land, and they were given swords and shields to go and take it.

Do you have land yet unconquered? What’s the matter with you? Be a man.

 

 

The Art of War for Dummies

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.
- Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Last August my wife and then four year old son were involved in a car accident. They were waiting behind another car that was turning left. The driver of a large pick up truck was not paying attention and rammed them from behind.

Our car was totalled, and they were taken to the hospital for a once over before being released to come home. That had to be one of the scariest days of my life.

I wasn’t alone. Since that day, I had noticed my son exhibiting an overwhelming fear of large trucks, especially the eighteen wheeler variety. For a while, when we would go down our sidewalk at home he would fearfully grab my leg as these oversized behemoths sped down our highway. When a large truck would blow their horn or loudly apply their brakes, he would jump and run into our laps.

One day a few weeks ago as we returned home, I had him in the backseat as we were turning into our driveway. A car that was lost turned into it first, and I waited for them to back out. I noticed a semi-truck in my rear view mirror bearing down on us blowing his horn. There was absolutely no need for him to do that except for sheer impatience.

My son went ballistic, begging me to get off the road. It was as close to what I have heard some refer to as post-traumatic stress. We came to a stop, and I was seething at the insolence of the truck driver as though he had any idea that my son had been through an already harrowing experience.

He was in tears as he got out of the car, and all I knew to do was place my hand on him and pray.

“Jesus, take this fear from my son and give him peace.”

This five year old went from near hysterics to a testosterone filled rage; wildly punching and kicking at the floor. With his eyes wide and fists flying, I asked him what he was doing.

“I’m mad at the devil and I’m beating him up!”

I turned him loose and watched as a once terrified little boy unleashed righteous indignation in the right direction.

 We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5

My initial reaction was to drop Walker off and follow the truck driver to give him a proper introduction to not scaring my son. But a five year old knew who the real enemy is. I began to think about how many battles we lose daily because we won’t face our true selves in the mirror and own up to our irrational ideas and fears; or we decide to point our fury at people instead of the deceiver of our souls.

My young son taught me a valuable lesson that day. Since then, he has no longer exhibited the wild eyed fear of large trucks on the highway. He went after his real foe and overcame him the only way he knew how. When we spend our time holding grudges, bitterness, and anger toward each other we waste valuable time and energy while our real enemy laughs at us from afar.

God enjoys a good fight. Take off the gloves and track down the real enemy. Give him the beating he deserves and walk in the freedom God intended.

I Quit

I left my full time job today.

Many of you are already making calls on my behalf to any number of psychiatric facilities. With the economy in a tailspin and people being laid off and let go left and right, what in the world was I thinking?

I still have a mortgage. Bills. A five year old that is eating his weight in groceries every day.

Along with a peace that surpasses all common sense and understanding.

Without going into great detail, the job that I left this morning had begun taking a deteriorating toll on me mentally and emotionally. I stayed the course simply because it was a steady paycheck. Having recently been hired as a ‘part-time’ student minister (as if there is such a thing), it became more clear that God was bringing me back full circle into something new and different.

Here’s my problem: I don’t like new and different. I like predictable. While often made fun of, I am rather proud of my extensive collection of solid black t shirts. I will take the same route to a destination every single time, even if there is a shorter way.

For the last couple of weeks it seemed every message I heard, every passage in the Bible I read, even just things in passing conversations began striking a chord inside me. It was time to move on. Without a clue to what was going to happen next.

That’s great, God, but are You going to tell Wells Fargo that when the house payment is due?

Hebrews 11:8 states that “It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going.” Another biblical giant, Moses, asked God for a sign that He really wanted him to lead the Hebrews out of slavery. God told Moses that the proof would be that “when you have brought the Israelites out of Egypt, you will return here to worship God at this very mountain.”

Going without knowing. The ’sign’ comes after none is needed. The absolute antithesis to my desire to be in the know and in control.

Here is what I do know:

God is in complete control, no matter what Wall Street, the news media, or the current political climate has to say.

He is not sitting enthroned in Heaven, wringing His hands, fearfully wondering what is going to become of me and my family.

According to Isaiah 49:16, He does have my name inscribed in the palms of His hands with a promise never to forget me. If the Creator of galaxies and stars cared enough to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for my sin and make a way for me to spend eternity with Him, I think He can handle the classified ads.

Many of you are in the same place that I am, either by your own or someone else’s choosing. It is not the end of the world. It may be God Himself setting you free to do the very thing He created you to do.

Choosing Up Sides

Whether in friendly competition or the fields of war, it is human nature for us to choose sides. Living in the southern United States, it is in our blood perhaps more than anywhere else in the country. Ever since some misguided rebels attempted to secede from the Union, we have fought over everything from local elections to college football on Saturday afternoons.

It is hard to imagine not picking sides and fighting for what we believe in. For many of us, every day is a struggle that requires us to strap on the gloves and go toe to toe with stressful circumstances that try to get the best of us.The side we choose in these trying times is ultimately our own.

In Joshua 5:13-15, the heroic Hebrew general had been given the daunting task of following a legend. After Moses’ death, all Joshua had to go on was a promise from God Himself that he would lead a nation of former slaves and wanderers into a land to call their own.

Before heading into a ferocious battle with the people of Jericho, this passage states that Joshua was confronted by a man facing him with a sword in his hand. That is the posture of conflict. Joshua was a hardened warrior and not a man to be trifled with.

Joshua asked this man if he were a friend or foe. “Whose side are you on?”

The reply: “Neither.” Come again?

Standing on the precipice of an epic battle, was it possible not to be on either side? The answer comes further when the man reveals that He is the commander of the Lord’s army.

The fearsome Joshua hit his knees is reverent fear and asked this heavenly Commander what He would have Joshua do. Then, another odd reply:

“Take off your sandals. For this is holy ground.”

Not to sharpen your swords and spears or review the terrain with the military brass, but to humble yourself and revere the moment before conquest as holy. Special. Awesome.

God was not on Joshua’s side, or Jericho’s. He is on His own side.

God’s plans and purposes are the center of Creation, not us. It was not up to Joshua to ask God to join Israel in battle, but for Israel to join God in His desire for the future. I cannot count the number of times I have figured my life out and asked God to bless my efforts, then sorted people and circumstances out based on whose side they appeared to be on. If it favored me, they are friend. Stand in my way, they were the enemy.

God doesn’t choose sides. We do. He stands in our way with the sword of His Word confronting us about our motives and desires. It is then our choice to lay down our self interest and pride in order to join Him in His cause.

In Isaiah 55:9 God reminds us that His ways and thoughts are higher than our own. We must not line each other up as friend or foe but see where we line up in God’s plans. The moment before battle yet to be waged under the Lord’s banner, not our own, is an incredibly awesome thing to be revered. It is in that moment that real, genuine victory comes.

Whose side are you on?

Taken

There was a time when I could go and enjoy a movie just for sheer entertainment value. For some reason, now I begin to think of how certain plots and scenes tie in to spiritual matters. These can come from what many consider odd sources (see the Gospel According to the Godfather).

The latest and perhaps most mind blowing example of this for me was the movie Taken. The second I saw the trailer I was hooked:

The story centers around a retired government operative named Bryan Mills, played by Liam Neeson. His teenage daughter, Kim, is pampered by her mother and wealthy step father but still has a soft spot for her dad. Kim persuades her mom and dad to allow her to travel to Paris under dubious circumstances with another teenage girl, only upon their arrival they are kidnapped by a gang of Eastern European human traffickers to be sold into sexual slavery.

Mills, who up until this point has been a relatively mild mannered father, unleashes a side of himself that exhausts every resource to find and rescue his beloved daughter. There is absolutely no barrier that stands in his way. Through many car chases, explosions, and unique interrogation techniques Mills ferociously cuts a swath of destruction until he finds Kim and brings her home.

I know how I feel as a father. Anyone who would even breathe threateningly at my children would… let’s just say the police would need a dustpan and a broom to clean up the mess. The Bible talks in Matthew 7:9-11 of an earthly father’s relationship to his children paling in comparison to God’s extravagant love for us. If I have these feelings for my kids, how does God respond to us?

A couple of things leapt out at me during the movie. Mills’ daughter lied to her dad in order to go on an overseas trip against his better judgment. Though it was a huge mess of her own making, her father turned into a fierce absolute force of nature that crushed everything in his path to return her safely home.

Sound familiar?

Romans 5:8 says that But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Mankind made a choice long ago to turn his back on God’s best and do things his own way. In spite of deserving the penalty for our own mistake God sent Jesus Christ through the annals of eternity to find us. He willingly laid down His rights and role in the comforts of heaven in order to wade through our misery and pain to find us and bring us home. He left no stone unturned; the very power of hell itself could not stop Him.

God the Father was – and is – relentless, undaunted, and frighteningly ruthless in His desire to rescue us. If you haven’t noticed, we as human beings have done a good job of making an enormous mess of our lives. Yet in spite of that we have a loving God Who will literally move heaven and earth to ensure our eternal security.

Do not stand between a Father and His child.

Just when I thought I was out…

…they pull me back in.

Many of you have requested that I start writing again. Though I need an eighth day of the week, I am humbled  and honored to get back in the swing of things. New name, new look, and soon – new posts.

Check out the older posts if you are new to the site, and feel free to let me know what you think.