REAL...

Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?     -- 1 Corinthians 5:6


Authenticity is vital to our life of faith. Deception, and especially self-deception kills life in Christ.

Our church once spent three months working through what would come to be known as The Twelve Words - our core values.

One of my soapbox topics is that of TRUTH. And in a culture that values relativism and seems to fly upside down both morally and logically (in my opinion), truth is often lost. Without doubt truth is an undervalued commodity. That said, when we worked through our Twelve Words, truth was not our first (word).

Jesus said the truth sets us free (John 8:32). However, many that heard him speak on hill sides, beaches and synagogues walked away un-free. They heard the words, saw the miracles, and yet they remained shackled in doubt, regret, sin and hopelessness. Or worse, many walked away with a false sense of justification, thinking they didn't need the forgiving grace this would-be Messiah was peddling. (Enter self-deception.)

The first of our Twelve Words was AUTHENTICITY. When we are authentic, we are both open to truth and opened by truth. (Think about that statement, and yes, there is a bit of chicken and egg...) We must approach truth with a right attitude to allow it to do it's work in us. At the same time, truth exposes our attitudes.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing... 

and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.     -- Hebrews 4:12

The Christian life both requires and produces authenticity. And inherent in authenticity is an attitude of humility. Paul warned the Corinthian believers that a little deception, a little inauthenticity, a little sin left unchecked will spread.

Christ said the kingdom of God belongs to the childlike. And it is with the authenticity - the openness and humility - of children, that we will find our strength in him.

God, create in me an authentic heart...

For now...
D

GIFT...

I couldn't decide which of two thoughts to go with from this morning's reading. So you decide...

What do you have that you did not receive? If then, you received it, why do you boast...?
-- 1 Corinthians 4:7

Everything is a gift. What we have... who we have in our lives... and for that matter, our very lives... all gifts.

We must always be mindful that: We brought nothing into the world and we cannot take anything out of the world; (1 Timothy 6:7).

We can choose to be thankful. We can choose to be miserly, selfish and miserable.

Grace is undeserved. And I am glad. The nature of grace negates my need to perform; to be good enough, do enough, be special enough. Grace flows from the goodness of a giving God, who is the Father of light, and in whom, there is no shifting shadow (James 1:17).

God is pure in nature and in his love for us. There is no shadow, no dark-side motive.  (I won't pretend to fully understand the ugliness that also exists in this world, and that discussion is for another time. I do know that grace overcomes ugliness, and in the midst of each difficulty, grace is working.)

So what is our response to grace? We simply receive with a thankful spirit. We do not boast. Why? Because we have absolutely nothing to brag or be conceited about. My next heartbeat is given by God's grace. I have no power to effect one more heartbeat or breath. ALL is a gift.

Receive... and share...


(Well - after writing for a bit, I'm going with that. So just one thought on the other.)

For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk, but in power.
-- 1 Corinthians 4:20

It's Election Season. There is plenty of talk about what this one or that one is going to DO if elected. And most of it is just that... talk. Let's not be like that with our lives. Let's not be like that with the gift of life given us in Christ. Today, don't talk Christian... BE CHRISTIAN.


God, my very breath is a gift. Help me live a thankful life...

For now...
D

FOUNDATIONS

For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
-- 1 Corinthians 3:11


Often, that which is unseen is most important.

What lies below the water line makes all the difference in keeping a massive ship upright, under power, and able to steer away from trouble and toward safe port.

Likewise, the tallest skyscraper's glory is completely dependent on what lies below grade. It is in what lies beneath that the building finds it's strength to stand.

You and I are much the same. Our lives are built on a foundation. And the foundations of people's lives vary in depth, strength, capability and dependability

There is one foundation that is completely reliable, and upon which we can build a life. Financial foundations can crumble. Health foundations can falter. Foundations of career, social standing, physical beauty, reputation, etc. are inherently cracked.

All of these, and more, are great finishes, trims, and decorations. They are important, but not most important. The secret to successful and purposeful living lies below the water line. It is beneath grade. (And, sorry for the mixed metaphors - let's stick with buildings and foundations).

Jesus told a story about two different men, two different houses, and one storm. One man built his house on sand. The other, on a rock. My guess is that as time passed - and weeds grew - the houses were indistinguishable. Then came the storm. One house fell. One house stood. The difference between the two was not in color or style. The distinction was in what could not be seen. One had a strong foundation. One did not.

Two things about storms in life: 1) They will come. They are inevitable. As surely as the tornado sirens blow to usher in an Oklahoma spring, the tempest will come. 2) Storms reveal foundations.

So the question: What is your foundation? What is it that you are building the house of your life - of all your are - upon? There is one foundation that is completely reliable, and upon which we can build a life. The old hymn put it this way:

On Christ the solid rock I stand, 

all other ground is sinking sand...

God, you are my rock and my foundation...

For now...

D

THE SUBSTANCE OF OUR FAITH...

...that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.        
-- 1 Corinthians 2:6

Spiritual gurus abound. They can be seen on television and heard on radio. Their writings adorn the shelves of Barnes and Noble, and their sayings are constantly memed on Facebook (I may have just invented a verb).

For the most part this is good and positive. But with all this access it is convenient for us to listen to the voices... and forget to listen to God's voice.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers about this. Ultimately, he says that our faith is not based on the wisdom of men and women - the voices out there. These voices can encourage and teach. They can inform and inspire. But these voices cannot - and must not - become substitute to the voice of God.

Frankly, it is very easy to become spiritually sedentary. Couch-potato Christianity sits idly waiting on crumbs of wisdom to be podcast, memed, etc. (And yes, I am overstating to make a point). Instead, you and I must be about the disciplines of spending personal time in prayer, meditation, worship, listening and reading scripture. This is how we primarily hear the God's voice.

Our favorite guru's faith is not our faith. It can add to, increase and aid our faith. But it is not our faith. For that matter, our parents' faith, pastor's faith, whoever's faith is not our faith. Our faith is based on the reality of a personal God who gave his son for each of us. Our faith is based on the truth of scripture that comes alive in us through the work of the Holy Spirit. Our faith is as personal as our God is personal.

God, help me to hear your voice... in, and sometimes in spite of, all the voices speaking around me...

For now...
D

LESSONS FROM MAX

Smiling Max

Less than a week ago, my children and I said goodbye to the sweetest soul. Max was our nine year old Golden Retriever.

Max was a constant for my kids and for me. He was always there. Always loving. Always accepting. Always more pleased with us than we were with ourselves.

And he was my buddy. I like to say Max and I were both old puppies. Though his snout turned white and he sighed when getting up or lying down, he was a puppy in spirit. He loved to explore. He was ever ready for new adventure, for new places and new people. 

I've wondered since we said goodbye to Max if he might have been a guardian angel with blondish-red fur (that shed everywhere!). I'd like to think so. 

We lost a friend. And watching my children hurt so badly was difficult to say the least. But my purpose here - or at least in the posts to follow - is not to mourn. Nor is it to memorialize the loss of my buddy who was with me through some pretty difficult times. Instead, I want to reflect on some lessons I learned from Max.

So what follows in posts to come will be Lessons from Max. Each post will center on one theme or lesson.

We'll get started soon.

Miss you buddy!

For now...

D  

Called

Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle...
-- 1 Corinthians 1:1

Paul was called by God to do what he did, to be who he was. He was knocked off the back of a donkey, faced a blinding light and heard a mysterious voice from the sky. His calling was literal. And it was dramatic to say the least.

From its inception, Paul's calling defined his life. His calling empowered and emboldened him. Paul's life was anything but easy, and it was his calling that kept him on track, that pushed him onward, that helped him to endure.

It's Saturday morning and I'm headed to the gym, so I'll get to the point:

 You and I are no less called. 

It may not be to preach to philosophers on a Grecian hill, or to write chapters of the Bible. But we are called. 

God has uniquely gifted each one of us for his specific purposes and plan. We are called. Often we are the last to see it. It may be that those around you are impacted by your graciousness or giving; maybe it is your kind acts of service or the way you apply truth in difficult situations (for example). You may be changing lives without even knowing it.

That is the nature of living out a calling. It is a part of who we are. It is the way God has wired us and empowered us in redemption. Our calling flows when we trust and rely on God.

I have overused this quote, but it rings true:

You are who you are because of the Master Artist 

who put you together. -- Malcom Smith

Toward the end of his life Paul wrote to his friend:

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, 

I have kept the faith. -- 2 Timothy 4:7

That is calling. That is living life on purpose (and with purpose). And that is my desire. 

God, you have called me and as Isaiah responded so do I... "Here I am, send me."

For now...

D

HE STILL MOVES STONES!

"Who will roll away the stone for us?"
-- Mark 16:3

Three women walk to a grave. In it lay one they loved. More than that, in that tomb had been laid to rest their expectations, their hopes, their faith, their lives.

"Who will roll away the stone for us?" they ask. "How will we get inside to mourn our loss; to grieve. How will we properly say goodbye to every dream we had for the future?" They were prepared to anoint the dead. They were not prepared for...

They hated that stone. It stood in the way. It signified finality. It stood for death. It was a symbol of separation. But in just a few moments it would signify something completely different.

You know the story. The stone had been rolled away. In the original language the emphasis is the stone had been ingloriously tossed aside. Our immediate reaction might be, good, at least we can get inside to mourn our loss; to reminisce what could have been. 

But when stones are tossed aside, things change... radically. Instead of a dead Messiah - an empty slab. Oh, except for an angel hanging out.

(My version of the conversation)
Angel: "Why are you looking for Life in dead places?"
Women: "..." (speechless)
Angel: "He is not here, he is risen!"
Women: "..." (still nothing - would you?)
Angel: "I tossed the stone so you could see... Life wins, death lost.
Women: "uh..."
Angel: "Ok now - go tell..."

The stone was moved - not for Jesus - but for the women; not so Jesus could come out, but so the women could see in!
-- Max Lucado, He Still Moves Stones

As Lucado says, the stone wasn't rolled away to allow Christ to exit the tomb. The stone was tossed for our benefit.

Stones are nothing to a living God. 

And stones - no matter what form or size - 

still have no power to separate. 

The God who spoke through limbs on fire, who parted seas and stopped rivers, who walked on waves and calmed the storms... HE STILL MOVES STONES!


God, no stone of my making or another is big enough to stand in the way of your life in me...

For now...
D