Values

When we value something, it does not give that something it's intrinsic worth. "One man's junk is another man's treasure," goes the proverb. I remember some characters in the old Superman comics of the 1960's called the Bazarros. On the planet Bazarro, everyone dressed like Superman except the super heros, who dressed like Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. The citizens of the planet valued garbage over gold, and so they traded all their gold for Earth's garbage.  Who's to say what is valuable and what is not? Me? You? The wealthiest man in the world? No. Only one can give an accurate appraisal of any given thing. God. God says what is of value and what is rubbish. Paul the apostle declared, "What things were gain to me I counted loss for Christ. Yes, without a doubt, I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as so much manure, that I may win Christ." God had opened Paul's eyes to what was of true worth. And the value He puts on the shed blood of Christ is the forgiveness of all sin. The value God puts on you is the blood of Christ.

The Vulnerable

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight, but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.    
( Hebrews 4:13)

Someone once said, “What is most personal is most general.” Meaning that if I write about my most private feelings, thoughts, experiences and faults, people will recognize these things in themselves. For instance, here are some lyrics from one of my songs:

Oh the chocolate gimme trouble.

Yes the chocolate gimme trouble.

I’ll knock a devil through the wall

And dance on the rubble,

But the chocolate gimme trouble.

Every chocolate addict in the country feels that chorus. Many a sad love song tops the charts because many a sad heart has been broken. If I were to share my deepest anguish, those who share that pain could relate to what I say.

Though hyper-vulnerability is enticing, I find it easy to resist that temptation. I don’t care to expose myself to criticism and judgment. It is not useful to strip down and climb the public pyre to the burning stake of shame. There is a universe of difference between the wise courage of love and the foolish masochism of self-hatred.

In private counseling or sharing with my friends, when someone needs to know that they are not alone in this struggle, I do confess my weaknesses. There have been times, though, when those I have shared with were disillusioned with me. That’s OK. Illusions need to be dissed. They serve no good purpose.

Christ, being the first and last truth, disabuses us of our precious misbeliefs. He often leads us to reject the gods we create in our own minds. As He reveals His true Nature to us, we face our false notions about Him; by his grace, we reject the christ we create for the Christ who creates us. We die to our selves when we come alive to His truth.

As for exposure of the most personal, He hung naked on a tree, covered with all that shames us. It is impossible to overestimate such love.

Don't Go To Church

Of course I like football. Fuuuuhbaawh! But my day is not ruined if my Seahawks lose. I don't go through withdraw symptoms if I miss a game or two. What makes watching the game so much fun is the time I spend with my son. Sunday after church we go over to his house for an afternoon of high fiving and shouting at the TV.

This last Sunday I was scheduled to fill in as preacher for a local congregation at the same time the “Elliot bay Birds” were playing The Detroit Lions. I acted like a pouty little boy. “Aw Mom. I don't wanna go to church.” It felt like an obligation; a duty; a chore. My wife drove as I mumbled over my sermon notes. When we arrived, I dragged myself up the entry stairs, through the church doors and into the foyer where some happy music met me. I walked to the back of the sanctuary to listen and watch. There in the front of the church were four of my favorite people. Kris sawed away on the fiddle, Gordon and Tom strummed guitars and Elsie rattled the ivories. My heart perked up. It was so good to see them. In my whiney attitude I had forgotten one very important point. This wasn’t just some dry ritualistic event. These were my friends. I loved these people and this was gonna be fun. I danced across the back of the room to their 6/8 time. It was one of my favorite hymns.

 Some through the waters,

Some through the flood,


Some through the fire,

But all through the blood;

Some through great sorrow,

But God gives a song,

In the night season and all the daylong.

What a wonderful time I had singing, worshiping and sharing the Word of God’s love with my friends.

Here’s what I learned. Next time you don’t want to attend Sunday (or Saturday, or whatever day) services, don’t go to “Church”. Instead, go meet your friends at the church building. Enjoy a morning with those rare and precious people who love you and share your love for Christ. The Quakers have the right idea. They call their gathering “The Society of Friends.” If you don’t have friends at church, go make some. If you do, you’ll never have to drag yourself to “church” again.

Oh yeah…the Seahawks lost…but I won.

The Good Thing That Is In You

If we are to walk in His virtue it is essential to understand and acknowledge that the virtue is present in us in Christ. We must believe it is there if we are ever to use it. Acknowledging what God has done in us is key to so much of our faith. Acknowledging the King’s mercy, the wicked servant would forgive a fellow debtor. (Matthew 18) Acknowledging God’s mercy, suggests Peter, keeps God’s virtue flowing in us. “But he that lacks these things … has forgotten that he was washed from his old sins.” (2 Peter 1:9)

Acknowledging God’s love, Paul tells us, instills a “peace that surpasses understanding that guards our hearts and minds.” (Philippians 4:7P

Acknowledging God in our ways, Solomon says, keeps us on the right path. (Proverbs 3:6)  In this letter to Philemon, Paul refers to acknowledging our gifts in Christ Jesus. He told his friend that he was praying: “That the communication of your faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.” (Philemon 6)

Forgiveness is a communication of our faith. It will take effect as we recognize it in the indwelling Christ. We forgive by first confessing that in Christ Jesus, we have forgiveness. It is there because He is there. No one bothers to look in the fridge if they think its empty, but if they know there is pie in there, the door utility light turns on. We open to forgiveness as we acknowledge the love that is in us in Christ.

As we take stock of what He is in us, let us also consider what we are in Him. 

All You Need...

I’m thinking of the lyrics of two popular songs from the sixties. “What the world needs now is love, sweet love.” And one by the Beatles: “All You Need Is Love.” Sounds good. I suggest there’s a problem with it, though. Love that is all we need is the unattainable ideal. At least the love necessary to heal America is beyond human capacity. Just because a virtue is absolutely beautiful does not mean it is absolutely achievable.

Love is the law. It is the foundation of the Law of Moses. “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The human race dabbles in this commandment, but one need not look far to see our failure to implement it satisfactorily. “By the Law comes knowledge of sin”(Romans 3:20). It let’s us know how sinful we are-how unloving we are. Sure, all we need is love…but where do we get what we need. God is love. By faith in Jesus Christ, that Love comes to live in our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

The church of Jesus Christ is the temple of this Love on earth. America needs now what resides in the community that confesses Jesus as Lord. To many people, that sounds like bad news. For sure they see some love flowing from us, but everyone senses that it should be more than it appears. Where there is a babbling brook there should be a raging river.

So what’s blocking the flow? Unforgiveness–specifically, unforgiveness between members of the body of Christ. It stagnates the love that needs to cascade over the spiritual desert of America. Resentments great and small, offences deep and petty choke the flow. The scriptures instruct us to forbear one another. Forbearance is living in the attitude of forgiveness. It is to exhibit the character of God who is always “Ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy” (Psalm 86:5).

I believe the main reason the church lacks in forgiveness is ignorance. We’d all like to forgive, but we just don’t know how. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). If Christ is in you, (and by faith He is) then you have the love. Knowing how to forgive is to know how to use that love. It is understanding how to get out of God’s way and let Him do what He does best: love and forgive. When the Christians of America get hold of this, there will be a great revival.

I have written a book about this. It is titled, “How Shall We Then Forgive.” Read this book. You will be delighted to find that not only can you forgive but you will experience joy and peace in doing so. You are made for this. You will even come to enjoy it.

The National Treasure

We who trust in Jesus Christ to save us are His Church. All our denominations and doctrinal divisions do not change the facts in God’s view. We are one in Him even if we are divided in our ideology. Jesus Christ is above our little theologies; He is God.

Perhaps the worst of our heresies is the one that says “Our denomination is the only true church.” Some go so far as to pronounce damnation on others whom Christ has washed from sin by His own blood. It is shameful.

For the last few years my wife and I have been visiting Sunday gatherings of many denominations. We felt lead of God to go and see His church in all its colors. Our conclusion? God’s people are beautiful. They love their God with all their heart. We sensed the presence of the Spirit in every house. There is a treasure buried in each congregation, and the treasure is Christ. Paul said, “This treasure we have in earthen vessels (clay jars, terracotta pots.)” The vessels are humble and flawed but the contents are holy and priceless.

If we would feed the hungry, assist the poor, heal the sick, house the homeless and wield the influence of God’s love over our nation, we would first acknowledge the wealth that dwells in every believing heart. The God who is Love inhabits each of us.

Because Christ Himself dwells in the hearts of His people, they are the presence of His Grace in America. This has been my argument in these articles. To those who reject Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, this may seem like an arrogant position, but to those who welcome Him into their lives (as eternal life) it is the inexplicable mercy of God on miserable sinners. We will not surrender the gift of His salvation just because it is politically incorrect. God does not keep His finger in the bowl of public opinion to test its temperature.

Though doctrine is very important, Jesus is not a doctrine. He is Lord of all. He is the Love in us, through us and between us. I suspect that we hold fast to our ideas so we can avoid holding fast to our Savior. Belief systems are predictable, neat, tidy and under our control. No man controls Christ, and no man can predict what Christ will do. With our theology we build seemingly safe and secure foundations for living our lives. Jesus Christ is the only foundation, the only security and the only life. Far from safe, He likes to take us walking on troubled waters that make us hold tight to Him. Living by points “A”, “B”, and “C” is easier than living by the Alpha and the Ωmega. The wildness he calls us to is Love: His Love. It will heal our nation.

Here is a lyric from one of my songs that I think applies to our subject:

We're as different as each other.

We're the same as everyday.

We are as one as the only.

We are more than we can say.

We are every one a treasure

Hidden in the clay

And if we can't see it,

We might throw it all away.

Hold on To your brother.

To your sister, hold on.

Hold on to one another.

Don't let the wind come and blow it away,

Don't let the wind come and blow it all away.

She may not say what you wanna hear

Or hold the things that you hold dear;

A different set of values;

He does some things that gall you.

But she's a blood bought Child,

A lamb of the Lamb.

He's too tame.

She's too wild.

But he's you.

She's family.

Didn't He leave us with a clear commandment?

“Love one another,” I think He was adamant,

He tried to tell us, He tried to sell us

That the world would all know Who we follow by our Love.

I used to carry my bible

Like I was carrying a gun.

Never thought I would be libel

For any damage I had done.

I was up on the Christian talk,

I memorized the Word,

But I didn't love my brother.

I hadn't really heard a thing…

The Christ Party

As we saw in the last article, the freedom that America is so proud of is generated by the life of Christ in His people. The weaker the pulse of that life, the more in jeopardy is that freedom.

That life is not the exclusive interest of the individual Christian. It is the fullness of “Him who fills all in all.” It is Christ standing “full stature in the community of Faith.” We are the body of Jesus Christ, and for that Body to function it needs to be united. We’ve all seen the results of diseases that interrupt messages from the brain to the limbs. Many of us have volunteered to raise funds for research to fight this tragedy, and yet this is a picture of the Christian community.

We do not move the way Christ would have us move. As it is, He does a lot through His people, but because of dysfunction in cooperation, our in-house conflicts keep us from producing all the fruit we should be producing. We are disconnected, out of joint and therefore ineffective. It is a deficiency in love. There is a “we-they” mindset where there should be an “us” outlook.

Let’s talk about one wall between us that can be torn down if we want it down. George Washington used much of his farewell address warning America about dangers of the “party spirit” (and that don’t mean boogie down time) saying, “the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.” We see now that he was right. Our nation could not resist the lure of partisanship. It is totally understandable. The drive for power corrupts wisdom. This is a nation of the world and not of heaven. Love it as I do, I must acknowledge that my country is not the Kingdom of God. It is not a kingdom at all, but a democratic republic. Christ’s realm is a kingdom and He is the King.  It is a kingdom dwelling in the heart of a worldwide community that – from the heart – calls Jesus “Lord.” God recognizes those hearts even if we don’t.  “Nevertheless the foundation of God stands sure, having this seal, The Lord knows them that are his. And, Let every one that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” (2 Timothy 2:19) The iniquity we need to depart from in the body of Christ is what Washington called “the spirit of party” Though the world grovels in this slop, it has no place in the assembly of the saved.    The Apostle Paul called this “party spirit” a work of the flesh. It is translated as “, divisions, party spirit, factions, sects and heresies.(Galations 5:20)  We will look at our own doctrinal divisions later, but the issue here is our political divisions. Christians displaying animosity to one another over the politics of this world is intolerable to God. The spirit of the world disrupts our fellowship of love.

I know a woman who was debating politics via email with a fellow believer. Her points were well thought out and well articulated. After making her points she said,  “I have NEVER been political until the past year when I have learned so much about what this candidate actually stands for (and against).  I just can't stay quiet.  I don't want this to cause a rift between us.  You are my sister in Christ and I love you.”

The fellow believer, not at all a skilled debater, responded to the arguments and added “you said, ‘You are my sister in Christ and I love you.” REALLY ? As for now I am praying about our friendship. A friend would never have said what you said.”

In the words of St. James, “My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”

I was asked by some close acquaintances about my voting intentions. I should have kept it to myself. Apparently they were not ready to deal with knowing that we walked down different political aisles. They just stopped associating with me. I wasn’t hurt, because I know that nothing can break our ties in Christ. But I miss them. Now I am much more careful about such things. Still, it is like walking through a minefield. Satan has planted bombs throughout the church. Watch your step; one false move can blast a relationship to kingdom come.

I would think that someone called to work in politics would also be graced with the capacity to love and befriend those of opposing views. One must compartmentalize the political from the personal.  Ideas may be held but people can be hugged. If the grasp on my political ideology severs the bond with those I love, I need to reassess my priorities.

While our religious issues are another story, we do not have to break ourselves up over the cares of this world. “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment…. Is Christ divided ?” In this election season, let us beware of dividing the Body of Christ with the cleaver of politics.

Here is a starting point: “But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.”  With politics Satan tells us that we “shall be as God knowing good and evil.” It seems to be more and more about knowing who is good and who is evil. It takes our eyes off of Him we love. Before you discuss a political opinion ask yourself, “Will this further the cause of Christ? Will it draw us closer in Christ? Does it glorify our God?” If we base our relationships on a simple devotion to Jesus, we begin the healing of this broken body.