Love. Do You Get the Message?

I recently enjoyed sitting with a group of teens around a roaring campfire. We ate, we laughed, we talked, we laughed! We sang praise songs together and we worshipped together. I asked them a question. “How could you best show love someone you meet on the street, someone you don’t know?” Several  felt that hugging the person would be the best way to express love. Another thought that listening to them would be a good way to show love. Great answers, I thought.

God, the Father asked Himself the same question. How do I show love for people who don’t know Me? Worse than that, how do I show love for people who hate Me? How do I communicate the simple equality, that Me = Love, to them? How do I share with them a picture of what unselfish love really looks like?

In my Bible, I read many stories of God showing grace, mercy, love to a rebellious people who kept running away from Him. Over and over, He welcomed them back. Did more than that! He ran after them!

A couple of weeks ago, I viewed The Passion of The Christ, the 2004 film directed by Mel Gibson.  In a very  graphic and violent way, the film let me experience the last twelve hours of Jesus’ life. It was the best of films. It was the worst of films. It forced me to experience Jesus in a way  that I had never done before. Although the spoken language is either Latin, Aramaic, or Hebrew, even without the supplied subtitles, the message comes through loud and clear.

What message is that? Our Father God sent His Son, His only Son, to live, and then to die in the most vicious, violent and degrading way known to man. And this death was at the hands of the very ones for whom the message was intended!

This movie is not for the faint of heart. If you don’t want to be affected to your very core, don’t watch it.  Yet, I urge you to watch it and let the message wash over you, pierce you, trouble you, sadden you, anger you, amaze you.  And change you.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were  still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5 NIV.

Father, I am amazed at Your message of violent grace and love. How could you give that way? How could you love that way? Help me to love that way. Help me to look more like Your Son.

Father, You’ll Reject Me When?

How do you convince someone that you mean what you say? Repeat it? Say, “I mean it!” I learned a new literary term recently. Adynaton- an expression that refers to an impossibility. Here’s an example: When pigs fly! or Not in a month of Sundays! You can probably think of several others. We use them to help us express how unlikely it is that something will happen.

One student says to another, “I’m going to make an A on the next Algebra test!” “When pigs fly, his realistic friend replys”

A father says to his daughter,” I’ll love you always!” She replies,”Really dad, how long?” “Until he** freezes over,” he responds.

When I read the Bible, I see God using so many methods to convince us of His love. Through stories, in David’s Psalms, in the gift of His Son. He has left no stone unturned in His attempt.

Did you know that God even uses adynatons? Yes He does! Jeremiah was a prophet during a very bad time. Israel had fallen away from God and into captivity. Their country was in shambles. Try this adynaton on for size! This one’s a direct quote, something in God’s own words.

This is what the LORD says,

he who appoints the sun
to shine by day,
who decrees the moon and stars
to shine by night,
who stirs up the sea
so that its waves roar—
the LORD Almighty is his name:
“Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,”
declares the LORD,
“will the descendants of Israel ever cease
to be a nation before me.” Jeremiah 31 NIV

Will ocean waves fail? Will the moon and stars cease their shining? Will the sun turn dark? I don’t think any time soon, especially since God is in charge of each of them.

Well, our place in God’s eyes, and our place in His heart, is as constant as the world that He created!

If that’s not enough, God shared another one for Jeremiah to share with us-

This is what the LORD says:

“Only if the heavens above can be measured
and the foundations of the earth below be searched out
will I reject all the descendants of Israel
because of all they have done,”
declares the LORD. Jeremiah 31

I love that! Can I take a yardstick to the heavens, to a limitless universe? Can I know everything about the earth we live on, even down to its core? I don’t think so. In that case, God will never, NEVER, reject me, even considering all they mistakes I have made!

As unsettled as our world has become, as unpredictable as the tornadoes and weather disasters are, all of us search for constants in our lives, things we can count on, things that never change no matter what happens.

There is one constant, one thing only, that will never change. That one thing is our Heavenly Father’s love. It is not dependent on our behavior, on circumstance, on whim, on hormones, on politics. Count on it.

Triple Rejection Before Sunrise

“Weren’t you with the guy who’s on trial?” the girl questioned. Peter winced as he heard the words. He had tried his best to melt into the crowd, not wanting to be noticed, but unable to tear himself away from the courtroom drama unfolding as the night wore on.  “I have no idea what you’re talking about!” he answered defensively, fear making his voice just a little louder than he had intended.

Peter eased himself away from the group, attempting to be casual. Hoping to regain anonymity, he joined a circle of  court staff warming themselves by an open fire.  The firelight cast harsh highlights and shadows on his face as he turned around, trying to let the warmth from the flames soak in from all sides. Slowly, he became aware that someone was staring at him across the fire.

“Yeah, this guy definitely was with him. I recognize him!” Peter slowly turned, seeing the pointing finger directed at him. “&$#%@!, you’re crazy. I don’t know him from Adam!” Peter retorted, letting a little anger turn his voice harsh. Peter finally made an admission to himself. He was afraid. He was really afraid! Ever since the garden, seeing Jesus captured violently, he had been afraid. His one attempt to defend Jesus failed when he missed the attacker’s head and lopped off his ear instead. And then, to have Jesus miraculously re-attach the ear and tell him to put up his sword-  He was the Christ, wasn’t he? But he was going down! Peter lost all the will to resist and started thinking about survival. He had no desire to be captured and tried as a troublemaker like Jesus!

 He felt someone jab him in the shoulder. Turning, he saw a relative of the man he had attacked in the garden. “Deny it all you want, but you are definitely with that guy! Besides, your accent says you aren’t from around here!”

Peter stared dumbstruck as his heart pounded several heavy beats. This was it. He could almost feel the rope being tightened around his wrists, hear the tearing sound of his coat being ripped from his shoulders, feel the bite of the chunks of metal woven into the whiplash as it ripped into the muscle of his back. No, no, no! Not him, not here. Not tonight!

He inhaled through his nostrils. Opening his mouth, the most vile curses poured out. Everything he had heard from the rough fishermen on the docks in Galilee. He lost all reverence for God’s name, saying things that no Jew would ever utter, thoroughly denying that he had ever known Jesus.

And then he heard the sound, the unexpected, yet normal sound piercing the early morning air. The sound of a rooster crowing. Once, then silence, then once again.

Horrified, Peter instinctively looked behind him toward the courthouse hoping against hope that…. But there he stood.  Jesus, beaten, bruised and bloody. Jesus, the one who had heard him promise loyalty to the death just a few hours ago.  Jesus, the one who had predicted his failure.

Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!  John 13:38 NIV.

Peter could feel the guilt weighing heavily on his shoulders. He stood rooted to the ground, unable to move. Tears began to make their way down his face. He felt their saltiness on his lips. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from Jesus. What would he say? What would he do? Had Jesus heard his every word?

No words came from Jesus’ lips. No harsh expression showed on his face.  Peter stared. Sorrow filled Jesus’ eyes. Recognition that Peter had failed him just as He said he would. But there was something else in those eyes. Something that made Peter feel even more guilty. Something that could only come from God.

The tears were free-flowing now.  His body racked with sobs, Peter finally turned from Jesus and staggered toward the courtyard gate, trying to get away from those eyes.

Father, let me stand for You today. Let me be willing to be counted for You today. Let me joyfully be recognised as Yours today. And if I fall- no, and when I fall, look at me like Your Son looked at Peter. Amen.

Part 1 of a 3 part series followed by 153 Miracle Fish and Triple Commit After Breakfast.

Closer to Heaven

The world is full of striving people. People working to be worthy. Worthy of advancement in the workplace. Worthy of love by parents or spouse. Worthy of love be the God of the universe. Worthy of heaven. How much peace would flood our lives if we believed the truth, the truth that our Heavenly Father loves us just the way we are, that there is nothing we can do to make Him love us any more or any less than He does right now!

I believe that truth with all my heart! I also know that when most of us speak of that kind of love, we follow it with a “but”, a qualification of some kind. There is no “but”. There is an “and”, however.  Our Father loves us unconditionally, not based on our actions AND He knows that our lives will be filled with so much more joy when we learn to love like Him. Listen to the words of the song, You Lift Me Up, by Rachel Lampa: 

Climbing on a cloud
Dancing on a day dream
I don’t have a doubt
Just how good this life can be
You lift me upRunning in the rain
Singing in the sunshine
Telling all the world
Why I’m so in love with life
You lift me up
You lift me up
And I’m touching the blue sky
You lift me up
I’m on top of the world
I’m getting closer to heaven
In every little thing I love
You lift me up

Father,  You lift me up! Whenever I let you power me to love like You, I look more like You! Prompt me to let You do that more and more. Not to earn anything from You, but just for the sheer joy of pleasing You and reflecting You!

Where do the Nasties come from?

Do you ever get into the middle of your day and realize that you have had unkind words with more than one person? How about a grouchy comeback to your spouse? An impatient response to a plea from your daughter? Where do those things come from? They just seem to slip out of my mouth without conscious thought, like some kind of automated response. It’s like drinking fountain with the handle stuck on- spewing forth and out of control. I’ve counseled employee colleagues about this. I’ve counseled myself about this while on my long commute home. I hate it, but it seems so natural. Yuck! Blech! (Yes, that’s spelled b-l-e-<phlegm>)

Rachel Lampa figured it out in one of my favorite songs entitled, My Father’s Heart:

Let everything that breathes
Praise You
The earth, the sky, the sea
Praise You
Just as nature shows to us
Your blessing
Soon I find my heart
Confessing

My love is not my own
It all belongs to You
And after all You’ve done the least that I
Can do
Is live my life
In every part
Only to please my Father’s heart

Did you catch it? The secret is right in the middle. We can’t control all our nasties. Can’t help it. Nothing we can do about it. Until-Until we admit that what controls our interactions with others is love, a love that comes from only one Source, my Father’s heart. My only hope is to get as close to Him as I can, letting His love spill all over me and flow out to others. So, do you have those moments when you realize that your words and actions are totally out of control? Or am I the only one?

Father, I can’t treat others the way You want me to unless You fill me. I can’t speak words of kindness and caring unless You give them to me. If I do it right today, it’s only because my love is not my own, it all belongs to You!

Listen to the entire song if you wish-

Isaiah 63 Treasure part 6

Redeem.  What comes to mind when you hear that word? I asked my family abut that this last weekend. My dad reminded us of something that only the more seasoned of you might recall: Green Stamps! Wayhahayyy back when, in the time before cellular, even before faxes and pushbutton phones, certain stores would give out these stamps along with your purchase. They would get carefully saved by licking and sticking them in a book. When the book [or books] were full, they could be redeemed either through the mail or at a redemption center for cool stuff like a portable AM radio or a set of curlers. Wow!

Dictionary definitions for the word redeem include to buy, to buy back, to make up for.

Let’s try a different word. Ransom. What images come to mind? Our family could only think of negative and scary ones. Images involving kidnapping and slavery.  Images of losing precious loved ones.Ransom. In the 1990’s Mel Gibson movie by that title, he is a father driven to go to any length to get his kidnapped son back.  Ransom. Dictionary says the redemption of a prisoner, slave, or kidnapped person. It’s a noun. It’s a verb. Ransom. Redeem.

What I make is mine. What I create, I own. God created us. He lovingly designed us, breathed His life into us so that we could freely return His love. But, we freely chose to move away from Him, choosing a life of selfishness and following a sinister imposter who enslaved us.

 In his love and mercy he redeemed them;

When someone is kidnapped, stolen from the ones who loved them, a price, the ransom, is extorted from them. They are asked to pay for something that they originally owned! In the Old Testament, law allowed for a family member to redeem, or buy back, property that had been lost through debt in order to keep it in the family.

It wasn’t enough for God that we belonged to Him in the first place. When we strayed from Him, He loved us so much that He bought us back with a price so high, so horrible, so bloody, that it is hard to understand. The price was His Son. The price was willingly and freely paid with no guarantee of getting us back! The price was paid, knowing that some would actually choose to remain enslaved!

I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the LORD has done for us— yes, the many good things he has done for the house of Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses. He said, “Surely they are my people, sons who will not be false to me”; and so he became their Savior. In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. Isaiah 63:7-9 NIV

Oh Father, You loved us first. You loved us best. You love us still. Even when we don’t love you back! How can You do that! Am I that important to You?

Amazing love,
How can it be
That You, my King, should die for me?
-Chris Tomlin

Who’s in my shirt?

I have several thick, heavy, over-sized flannel shirts that I enjoy wearing in the winter. Sometimes I will plan to wear one, only to have it mysteriously disappear. Later, I will discover it wrapped around something- my youngest daughter!  I know that you can tell from previous blog posts that I share a special relationship with my daughters that is an important part of my life! The first time or two that she swiped my shirt, she would respond a little sheepishly when discovered.

Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son… “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.”But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless. Matthew 22

I told her once that I was happy to have her wear my shirts or jackets any time.  “Whoever is in my clothes belongs to me,” I said. She has an open invitation to wear them whenever she wishes, knowing that I will never rebuke her for doing so.  She belongs to me, and while I say it somewhat jokingly, my shirt covering her is a sign of that fact! Her behavior is irrelevant. Good day or bad, she still belongs to me. That can never change.

The king welcomed everyone in to the banquet, good and bad. He freely provided wedding garments so that all would be comfortable and feel that they belonged.  The garment was a visible sign of approval, of belonging. Jesus said that His kingdom is just like that!  He freely provides the beautiful garment of His righteousness to us. We don’t deserve it. Can’t earn it. Can’t beg, borrow or steal it. All we can do is to just accept it. I can see my daughter relaxing in my shirt, relishing the welcome warmth of it, reveling in the knowing that she belongs in it. I can relax in Jesus’ garment, comforted as it covers me completely, knowing that I belong in it, knowing that I belong to Him!

Moses intercedes……or did he really?

Last Wednesday I had planned a special meeting for our 8th grade  unit within our church’s christian scouting club. We had been working toward each one of them taking personal responsibility for making space in their day for TAG time, Time Alone with God. Teens are so busy these days that it is difficult to help them prioritize and focus. I decided that we would spend most of our meeting time helping them to choose a special place and time as well as choosing partners to voluntarily keep themselves accountable to each other. I planned a special video to help set the tone. While many of the kids were receptive and cooperative, there were several who were repeatedly disruptive and disrespectful. By the end of the night, I was very frustrated. I went home thinking that it was a waste of time and that I would never be able to connect with them in a way that would help them grow.

The next morning, during my long commute to work, I prayed and grumbled to God about the trouble I had the previous night. I asked God if there was something I was doing that was in the way. I was struggling with whether I could effectively continue this ministry. As I continued to drive, I felt God impressing me to review a story I heard at church the week before. One that had been told for a very different purpose then, but one that He wanted to use for me that morning:

Moses was on the top of Mt. Sinai, receiving the Ten Commandments from God’s own hand. God told him that the people of Israel were committing sin in the camp. He said to Moses,

“Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.” Exodus 32

Moses could have proudly accepted this great honor. Instead, he pled for mercy and went down to the camp, already hearing the sounds of the idol worship filling the camp below. When he reached the camp, he saw the people worshipping a golden calf they had made!  After confronting them with their great sin, he went back up the mountain to talk to God about it.

So Moses went back to the LORD and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold.  But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.”

This story seems to support the common view of the stern, judgmental God of the Old Testament. However, a few verses later, God says otherwise. No, God didn’t need Moses to plead for the lives of the people. God needed Moses to love his people like God loves them. Unconditionally, without strings, without limit, no matter what. God had even told Moses that He would make his descendants the chosen people! What an honor! Even so, Moses still persisted in interceding for the Israelites.

God’s message for me that morning on the road was this: Bob, Know me! Love like I love!  Those 21 teens are my chosen ones. Can you love them unconditionally, without strings, without limit, no matter what? I need to teach you how to love like Me. I need to teach you to love like My Son lived. Can you love them like that?

How humbling that was. We each have opportunities to love like Jesus every day. Can we let God grow us so that we can love regardless of the outcome? Love no matter what the response?

And yes, teens, I don’t mind a bit if you read this!

shared in the workplace 11/19/09