Who is with you?

This past week you were asked what was next. We found a clue at the cross, just moments before Jesus breathed His last breath, as described in Luke 23:44-46. The veil was torn. We learned that, prior to the coming of Christ, only the High Priest was allowed to be in the presence of God on one day during the year; on the Day of Atonement. God’s dwelling place was the inner most room of the temple and was referred to as the Holiest of Holies and the entrance was a massive curtain or veil. If anyone entered the room they would die. If the High Priest had not properly followed the self preparations he would be struck dead. (Leviticus 16).  

Just prior to Christ’s death the veil in the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom thus removing the barrier which separated us, a sinful people, from a Holy God. It is an invitation to us to enter into a relationship with God through His son Jesus Christ.

Wondering what a relationship with Christ looked like we again, took our lead from the man himself.

In Luke 9:23 Christ said to His disciples “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” 

We discussed what it was like for any of us to seek a boyfriend or a girlfriend and the lengths that we would go. Making time, having conversation, studying them and learning all we could. Then using that information to please them. We need to take the same approach with Christ. We can engage Him through prayer and we can learn about Him through studying His word daily. You were encouraged to spend time in prayer each morning and to also read the scriptures with the goal to build that relationship. How you doing on that challenge?

To go deeper this week I feel we need to talk about going even further in our personal relationships. If we back up in Luke chapter 9 we see that it opens with Jesus sending out the disciples to heal the sick and proclaim the kingdom of God. 

Luke 9:1-2 NIV  1When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

And in the beginning of the 10^th chapter of Luke Jesus sends out 72 others in pairs of two:

Luke 10:1 NIV - After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.

Jesus sent them out two by two.

Companions with a shared mission he sent them, together.

Not alone. Not commando. Together. 

Jesus had his own circle of friends right? There were 12 of them and we refer to them as the disciples. Did you know that he had an inner circle? He had a core of three with whom He was closest; Peter, John and James. (see Luke 8:51-52 and Mark 9:2-3). 

We all need close friends to help us get through this life, to help keep us on the narrow road. It is much too hard a journey that we should try and do it by ourselves. Even Jesus had his core so we should be no different.  

When I talk about having close friends I am not talking about your family or your spouse. I am talking about a same sex friend. Someone who you can be real with, someone whom you can trust, and someone you have to hold you accountable. This person needs to be able to call you on your stuff and also be able to allow you to call them on their stuff. That is what Proverbs 27:17 is talking about.

Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

This friend, this companion that I am describing is someone who is willing to get to know you, all of you, and is willing to just shoot you straight. This friend must also be willing to let themselves become known and also willing to listen when you shoot them straight. 

What does that take?

It starts with being real with each other, there has to be honesty, so you have to develop trust. Stop posing. You must contain some wisdom, the ability to forgive, and most importantly a shared mission or goal. If you don’t share something in common the friendship won’t last. 

Nervous yet?   

That kind of relationship takes time to develop and also requires an investment on our part. It is nothing you can just flippantly do and not just anyone can fill this roll. We need a same sex friend in our life like this. No doubt in my mind that this should be one of the most important relationships you develop (next to a relationship with Christ of course). 

Yes, if you’re married or considering marriage that relationship is also important and very valuable. It is an institution established by God and I am not trying to minimize it at all. The net result of what I am suggesting though would enhance your marriage and make it stronger. Maybe even teach you how to be a better friend inside your marriage. Your spouse can’t be your only outlet for all that goes on in your life. They can be and should be a big part of it but they can’t be all you have. Neither should you be all they have. Men, you can’t get masculinity from your wife and women you can’t get femininity from your husband. You need close personal friends for this and without them you over task your spouse seeking that which they cannot provide.    

 

In this day and age these kinds of friendships are not a sought after goal in life. Do you think, in today’s world, we put a lot effort into having solid friendships? The world puts a lot of value on being in a relationship with the opposite sex first and for most. That is the goal right? Get a girl, find a guy, fall in love, get married and kick out a couple kids……white picket fence and all? We have friends before all that happens but when we enter a serious relationship with the opposite sex don’t the friends seem to fall by the wayside? Especially if they are single?

Consider these comments on friendship by C.S Lewis:

To the Ancients, Friendship seemed the happiest and most fully human of all loves; the crown of life and the school of virtue. The modern world, in comparison, ignores it. We admit of course that besides a wife and family a man needs a few "friends". But the very tone of the admission, and the sort of acquaintanceships which those who make it would describe as "friendships", show clearly that what they are talking about has very little to do with that Philia which Aristotle classified among the virtues or that Amicitia on which Cicero wrote a book. It is something quite marginal, not a main course in life’s banquet; a diversion; something that fills up the chinks of one's time. How has this come about? The first and most obvious answer is that few value it because few experience it. C.S. Lewis. The Four Loves (1960)

Are his comments any less true today? I think not. I mean really…how many of your relationships can you say sharpen you as iron sharpens iron? Do you have that level of accountability in your circles? I know I didn’t.

I do now but it wasn’t always that way. I have two very close brothers in Christ with whom I owe a great deal. I would not be half the man I am today if they did not have an influence in my life and I theirs. These men are my companions, my iron, and we do have a shared mission. We are Christ followers, single parents, and recognize that we wake up every day in the midst of war. I consider them my closest friends and I love them unconditionally. We fight, we disagree, but we also are open to the others opinions. Sometimes we come to agreements and sometimes we just know what we disagree on and leave it to God to straighten us out. We talk almost daily of not several times during the day. We have shared some of our lowest lows and have celebrated some if our highest highs. We do it together. They are my brotherhood, my fellow warriors, and are a part of what I like to call Christ’s Platoon. We are always looking for more men to join us. 

I share these things with you not to say “hey look at me” but to share humbly, that these kinds of friendships are not only possible but essential. 

As we take our next steps towards a deeper relationship with Christ we should also take a few friends on the journey as well. We will need them. They will only enhance and compliment the experience. We need our own platoon.  

 Jesus had them shouldn’t you?

Daily Bread

Matthew 6:11 Give us today our daily bread.

What does that mean to you? 

Have you been thinking about it?

Don’t be coming to church on Sunday just to forget what he said by Monday. You’re better off skipping and juts going to play golf or to the mall. Stop wasting your time.   

Your faith should be changing you. You should be growing and you should be challenged by the message you hear at church. So let me ask you again and this time don’t just gloss it over. 

Matthew 6:11 Give us today our dally bread.  

For me it was clear. This is talking about Jesus. He is the bread of life (John 6:35). 

But check it out. Tonight, today it takes in a different meaning to me. 

Wait. Content. Available. 

Patient. Diligence.

All these things are things that I must do today. I can’t do them tomorrow. Nope. They must be done tomorrow because they are all present tense. They are happening right now. The first three words have been written on a piece of paper that is hanging on my bathroom wall since there has been snow on the ground. Maybe even since last year. 

Wait. Content. Available. 

I’ve been lonely. I’ve been hurting. I’ve been BORED with my life. I’ve been asking God for guidance. I’ve been asking God for something to do that is new. I am so tired of doing what I have been doing for the past 25 years. Get me in the game coach!

 

If you have been reading Deep in the Week for long you know I am a word guy so let us take a look at the definitions of these words. 

Wait - 1: to stay in place, in expectation of OR to remain stationary in readiness or expectation.

Content - pleased and satisfied: not needing more

Available - present or ready for immediate use

So, when I asked God (let’s just say 6 months ago) what I should be doing, He told me that I needed to stay where I was at but be expecting something to happen. I was to stay but be pleased and satisfied with where He had me and I should not need anything more. In that time I needed to also be present and ready to be used at a moment’s notice.

Sounds pretty exciting huh? 

Not to me. I was not that happy to hear that I had to wait. Nope. I was like a kid in the back seat of a very long car ride down to Indy. If you have ever made that drive you know what I mean. If you haven’t let me just say that there is only one thing to really look during the three hour drive. Corn. Not so much fun.  

“Geesh really, when are we gonna get there? Are we there yet? Can we stop I have to go to the bathroom. Are we there yet? I am hungry.”

So I just kept doing what I was doing. Kind of like that hamster on the treadmill and I find myself 6 months later on the same wheel. However, I am better off than I was 6 months ago. A lot has happened in 6 months but I laughed today as I contemplated those 3 words. That is still where I am at. Things are different in my life but I find I am still waiting, I am very content, and I am available to whatever comes my way. As I was laughing though, two more words popped into my head. 

Patient. Diligence. 

I was like huh? God? Really? What do they mean? More words? I am still working on the 3 you gave me 6 months ago!

Again, I heard the words. Patient. Diligence. So I looked them up too.

Patient - bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint

 -----whoa that was me the past 6 months. Well, I bore the pains and trials……not sure how much of it was without complaint……does grumbling to another count????

Diligence - persevering application

Ok, so now I get a bit funny with my words. That definition didn’t really get me there……..persevering……what does that mean? 

Persevering - to persist in a state, enterprise, or undertaking in spite of counter influences, opposition, or discouragement

OK, this is starting to make sense to me. He just leads me to where I need to be. I have to do some work. He just doesn’t give it to me. I have to work as hard as He makes the caterpillar work. He doesn’t open the cocoon for it; the caterpillar has to work for it. It has to build up its strength. 

I must have to build up my strength too; build up my knowledge. I have to be smart as I do not live in just a physical world. There are two worlds at work here. Yes. That is right. 

Wake up Neo. The Matirx has you. 

So, God is adding to my list of things that He wants me to do.

To recap, six months ago I decorated my bathroom with 3 words. Today God added 2 more. 

Wait. Content. Available. Patient. Diligence. 

I need to stay where I am at with an expectation that something will happen. While I am waiting I should be pleased and satisfied with where I am at and I will not need anything more. I will also be present and ready to be used at a moment’s notice while bearing pains and trials without grumbling or complaining. I am also to remain in this undertaking in spite of the counter influences, opposition or discouragement I will face. 

Whew……sounds rough to me and when I put it together I need to be honest with everyone. I wept. At work. For a moment. I wept. 

 Please understand why and don’t miss this point. I didn’t cry because I thought it would be too difficult to do, it will be hard but I can do it. I didn’t cry because it seems so cryptic and unclear. I don’t have details but really I don’t need them. If I had them I would take control. 

 I wept when I realized that one day the Christ will return and I will be able to stand in front of Him and give an account of my life. I won’t need to be fearful anymore because in that moment, after I have waited, contently, being available to help others, while I worked through my own suffering with perseverance I will be able to tell him that I got it done! I can say “Hey, that was the hardest thing I have ever done, but I did it Lord. I did what you asked of me!”

AND

I can finally hear those words that avoided me for so many years of my life. I am proud of you. 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

Then I will hug him and probably cry on his shoulder………I love that man. To be able to actually see him, hug him and touch him will be truly amazing after I have finished such a long and tedious race. It is a reward that brings such relief I weep just thinking about it!

So for me. Give us today our daily bread is a prayer to God to let me be satisfied with today and today alone. 

Let me wait and be content with waiting. While I wait if something comes along and I can do it I will joyfully. If I have to endure some suffering I will gladly endure the storm and I will TRY not to complain too much. It is about today because I don’t know if I have tomorrow. 

I am recognizing that people are being brought into my life for a purpose. Either for me to help them or them to help me (which isn’t always a pleasant experience mind you). I never know how long these people will be in my life but I am learning to enjoy every opportunity that I can with them by listening and by asking questions. You can make a world of difference in someone’s life if you take just a few minutes and care for them. When you talk to someone remember what you learned and bring it up next time you see them. It shows them they have value to you. 

Show them love. Show them Christ. Even if your heart is broken. It can still move people.

Peace.     

Not a Fan: Week 2 Slavery and Lordship

Welcome to Deep in The Week - Week 2 of the Not a Fan Series 

Lying in my bed, I feel the damp night air rolling through the window, falling off the headboard and splashing onto my shoulders. In response, I breathe in the fresh moist air letting it seep down into my lungs. For it is not the night air I envision filling me in this moment, it is the very breathe of God. I've prayed for God to remove this everlasting desire to fill my lungs with something other than the night air. For years I was wrong, it is not the nicotine or the THC that will free me from this nightmare of brokenness. I am powerless over my addictions.

No.

It is His LOVE for me that frees me. His ever present and faithful LOVE. (see Psalm139, click here)

Despite the strength that these addictions used to have over me, they are but now no more powerful than that “wimpy kid on the beach”. For now, I know the truth about who I am and I shall kick sand in the face of those old addictions. As I breathe deep in His Glory and I begin move on down the shore. It is the very breathe of God that gives me strength to stand in the midst of these addictions and do something that I, for 10 years, have failed to do on my own. While I can still feel the weakness of the flesh as it comes under attack I do marvel at how far my spirit has come. Just four short years ago, it was the flesh who had the advantage and who was always intimidating the spirit with fear and lies.

But no more.

Nope. Things are not like they used to be.  

Not since I gave it all to Jesus. My life, my mind, my soul. All of it .

Ha! Since then it has been one crazy ride for sure. Life with Christ has not been very boring, there aren’t any harps and or clouds for me, thanks. He is constantly challenging me and working out the kinks in me. I have faced an entire lifetime of struggle in half of the life I have lived. That's what living in sin will do to ya. However, He takes those experiences and does something with them. He teaches me how to use them for strength, for confidence, and for His Glory. See, these sins, these mistakes, these stains of my life, that have broken me, these stains in my life that have shattered my life into pieces........well, they are now, the center piece of a beautiful mosaic. Something I am now not afraid to share with another. These things, in the Hands of the Christ are being used to take those broken pieces and reassemble them into something more beautiful than before.

Whoa. That is just awesome. I shudder at the thought. Thank you Jesus!

What was meant to harm me and those around me, those in my circle, is now becoming a tool that will be used to save someone else. My story. MY STORY!!!!!

What? Me? Nah, I'm not special. I'm just like you. That is the key thing here. Don't miss the point of this. 

You have a story too! God can and will use your story too!

For all have fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). ALL. You. Me. Yes, even the Jones’ next door. ALL OF US.

The question is though….Do you want to share your story? 

No? It’s too bad? It’s too embarrassing?

Look------------------------------------------------------>

What about the longing you feel? That longing for freedom that always seems just out of reach.

It is real. It is possible. You can come back from what you have done. You are not your behavior. 

No one, in the family of God will mock you. We all have a story that is unique to who we are. We are all embarrassed as to what we have done. 

Look at the guy who wrote 13 of the 27 books in the New Testament. He wrote ½ of the new testament! Do you know what he did before coming to Christ?

He was a murderer. Not just a murder mind you. He targeted people who believed in Jesus. He murdered Christ followers! His name was Paul and God overlooked all of that and put on this man the responsibility to get the story of Jesus out to all the nations. So tell me. Who have you killed? How bad can it be? Do you seriously thing that God can't use you?

There is a huge release of knowing that all the junk from the past can actually be of some good. It is so hard to put into words. The freedom of knowing that you don’t have to live like that anymore is incredible. Does that interest you? You have a story worth sharing. 

You have value. You have purpose.

How would it make you feel to know that it doesn't ways have to feel like this? Are you hurting? Maybe your angry? Maybe you have been both for so long that your just kinda numb? Numb like I just got back from the dentist and he gave me Novocain numb.  Except it is your heart that is numb, not your face.

Do you want to feel joy again? It is a sweet release! Man there is no better high than to realize that you don't have to live like that ever again! You can be free. Right here. Right now. You can be free.

All you have to do is believe.  Check out these verses.

John 1:12-13 NIV

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

Acts 16:30-31 NIV

He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

Romans 10:9-11

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.

To claim your freedom, to be set free all you must do is profess your belief in Jesus. Just confess that yes, you have fallen short of the mark and that you need help. Confess your belief that Jesus came in the flesh, was crucified for your sins, buried and then raised again. If that is what you believe then you are ready to pray to God. There are no 'magic words' to become a Christian.  Remember -- praying is simply talking to God, not just saying words.  Also know that simply saying these words does not save you either. It is through true believing that you are saved. As we are learning in our current study believing is the first step. Following comes next.

To accept Jesus Christ as your Savior say this simple prayer to Him:

Lord Jesus, 

I am a sinner. But I believe that you died upon the cross for me. That you shed your precious blood, for the forgiveness of my sin. And I believe that on the third day you rose into heaven to

prepare a place for me. I accept you now as my Savior, my Lord, my God, my friend. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus, and set me free from my sin. And, because you are my Savior, Jesus, I “shall not die, but have everlasting  life”.

Thank you Jesus!

 If you just prayed that prayer, I want to be the first to welcome YOU to the family! You are now a son or daughter of Christ and YOU now have an extended family who loves you for who you are! If you prayed that prayer let us know so we can support you in your next steps. Click here to contact us

God loves you. He is so patient and affirming in that love too. You no longer have to be bound by the sin that entangled you once before. Like me, you can now stand against those forces, those addictions, those things in your life that have held you back.

The first step is believing the next step is being a follower: here is a recap of week two in the “Not a Fan” series in case you missed it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3ZqKcTBc1U

Read Jesus’ words in Luke 9:23-25 

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?

We have to move now. We have to die. We all know that believing in Christ means that when we die we will go to Heaven but I need you to know now. It is time to die now.  

Paul says this in Ephesians 2:1-5 NIV

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

Notice how Paul is referring to us. It is all in past tense. We, 1) were dead 2) used to live 3) lived among them 4) we were deserving wrath and again 5) were dead. When you accepted Christ into your life you did gain eternal life, it is nothing that you had to earn. Salvation is a gift from God. It is free. All we have to do is accept it. The problem is that we have forces working against us who want us to not claim our new life in our newly found freedom. You must work in your faith and in your salvation daily. Christ says we have to take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23 NIV). This isn’t a one and done decision folks. Here are a few words from James.

James 1:22 NIV - Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

 

James 2:26 NIV - As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.  

Whoever you were before Christ, how you viewed the world, how you lived in the world should now be changing as you accept Christ more and more into your life. The old ways should be replaced by the new ways. We were once slaves to sins (and death and destruction) but now, through our own choice, we have become salves to Christ (life and healing). This is a good trade.

But here is the thing, your path, your journey, will progress only as far as you let it. Jesus wants you to follow him but He won’t make you do it. Jesus wants to change you from the inside out but He wants you to be involved and do the heavy lifting. 

In week two Kyle talked about two Greek words, Greek being one of the original languages which the Bible was written. Those two words are:

kurios: lord, master

Original Word: κύριος, ου, ὁ
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: kurios
Phonetic Spelling: (koo'-ree-os)
Short Definition: lord, Lord, master, sir
Definition: lord, master, sir; the Lord.

doulos: a slave

Original Word: δοῦλος, ου, ὁ
Part of Speech: Adjective; Noun, Feminine; Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: doulos
Phonetic Spelling: (doo'-los)
Short Definition: a male slave
Definition: (a) (as adj.) enslaved, (b) (as noun) a (male) slave.

Jesus wants us to be all in. He wants us to give up everything we used to believe in and be a committed follower of Him. There are examples of those who didn’t decide to follow. We have talked about them in previous occasions. What I think is important here is this:

You cannot refer to Jesus as Lord without inferring that you are His Slave. In the our bible’s when it talks about  Lords and Servants they are translating them from the two words above. Kurios and Duolos.

It is just like a child. When a little boy or little girl calls out to her Father she/he is then also making claim that they are the child of that person. This is the same when we call Jesus Lord. 

The only question……do you really live that in your life? Are you willing to start now? When you submit to my master, your burden will light, your wounds will be healed, and you will then be offered into a family as His son or daughter. My master loves you. He wants to heal you and make you whole again.

Are there things in your past that you simply have not given up on that you should have? For me it was smoking. I struggle with it. Yes, at times I do fail. However, with Christ’s guidance I will one day be free from that addiction. Nevertheless, I had to invite Him into that area in order to gain healing. He had to be invited. What areas in your life are you keeping Him out of? 

Let my Father be your Father and together we will call Him Abba!