Guard Your Heart: A Love Letter to the Church

My church small group has recently been studying the books of Thessalonians and Revelation; these books have a lot of prophecy about eschatology. What's that, you ask? It is what the bible has to say about what the world will be like before Jesus will return. Oh, the Bible has a lot to say about it. As we studied the scriptures, it started to become clearer that these prophecies are not so we can know specific dates or times. But rather, they are designed to prepare the church for the last days.

 So, this is my valentine love letter to the church:  As the days become darker, the church will need to shine brighter. However, this can only happen if we guard our hearts to remain pliable and soft like God's heart is for his people. This won't happen unless we, the church, are intentional to do so. First, with each other. And then with the rest of the world.

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." (Proverbs 4:23) 

At first glance you might think this verse is telling the believer to protect our heart from outside influences or place distance or barriers against things that will hurt your heart. Instead, this passage of scripture admonishes the believer to keep the Word of God tucked deeply in your heart and your gaze fixed on that same word made flesh, Jesus. It is less about keeping things out and more about protecting what is within; there is a big difference. You can only do this if you first read, study, and meditate on the Word. 

The same passage in proverbs alludes that guarding our heart will place a gate over our lips. Probably, equally as important in today's social media driven world. Luke 6:45 tells us that, "A good man brings good things out of the good stored in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of."  Proverbs 15:28 says the words of our mouth are an overflow of what's in your heart. In other words, if your feelings get hurt/ your heart gets knocked, what is inside is what is going to come pouring out.

So how do you 'guard' your heart? Protecting something makes me think of soldiers or armies. Soldiers who need to protect themselves wear body armor. So here is where I am going to suggest a new idea. The well- known scriptures in Ephesians about the armor of God are less about fighting a known enemy outside of oneself, but more about protecting what is deposited within oneself. (Read that last sentence again.)  If we want to be a church in the end times that continues to reflect the heart of God, we must remain soft, loving, and pliable as the world gets colder, harsher and darker. God did this when it came to our sin by sending His son, Jesus. As the world becomes darker, being a Christian can be exhausting. This leads to discouragement. Discouragement leads to bitterness. 

The bible even warns us that many 'Christians' will grow cold hearted because of it. Matthew 24:12, "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold." Not a few. Not many. MOST. Let that sink in. In what condition would you want Jesus to find you when He returns? Burned out, bitter and cold hearted? Or standing firm for the gospel? 

 But Jesus also tells us the way to counteract this.  Matthew 11:29, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me. For I am gentle, and lowly in heart. And you will find rest for your souls."

I like the message translation for this one. " Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

----->Right here I need to confess this is an ongoing work for me. I am an extrovert and highly sensitive. I carry emotional baggage from my childhood that makes me care a little too much for the approval of others. Even as I write this post, I am struggling with these things. And I make mistakes that I have to acknowledge, then seek the Lord's forgiveness and repent.  The enemy knows my strongholds; He knows what buttons to push. Therefore, every day, I have to place my hurts on the altar of faith and allow God's Word to do a transformative work in my own heart. Why daily?  In the book of James, we are told He doesn't desire sacrifice but instead mercy. This takes everyday type work; specifically, it requires daily preparation. And it also reminds me that I will never overcome my need for my Savior. 

So let us look at Ephesians 6 and the armor that daily we should put on before engaging with a lost world. 

1. Put on the full armor of God, so you can stand firm and defeat the enemy's schemes. To me this admonition is really saying you have to start each day taking off your fleshly nature and put on 'your new self' which is daily being renewed by the Holy Spirit. We cannot expect to successfully engage the world, defeat the schemes of the enemy and protect our own hearts, unless we fully walk in the Spirit. When we do, all the qualities of the Spirit will naturally cover us, just like the armor does for a soldier going into battle. Colossians puts it this way. "Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. " 

2. Belt of truth. A belt girds you up. It helps you move without tripping over yourself. As we get closer to Christ's return, the bible tells us there will be many false teachers. You can't recognize a lie, if you don't first know the truth. In John 8:44, Jesus tells us that Satan is the father of lies.  It is imperative as the church that we know the truth of the Word of God for ourselves. Podcasts and commentaries are great, but someone else's interpretation of scripture will never supersede the work of the Holy Spirit in your life.  Read your Bible. It has everything you need. 

3.Breastplate of Righteousness in Place (in front of your heart): If you really want to guard your heart from becoming bitter, cold, and jaded you have to first really understand where your own righteousness comes from. The truth is, we have none. It is the righteousness of Christ that is imputed to us by his death on the cross, that helps us stand at all. A holier than thou attitude with other people doesn't communicate God's love for them. Rather, when you really understand that none of us are worthy of grace, it is much easier to show it to others.  

4.Shoes for Readiness of Gospel of Peace: Shoes are important for navigating rocky terrain. Life can be hard. Bad things happen even to good people. Our shoes, which protect our tender soles or souls (intentional pun), are the truth of the Gospel. The Gospel is the source of hope, even when things get tough. The bible says we have to be ready, even in tough times to demonstrate this. 1st Peter 3:15: "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." 

5.Shield of Faith: this passage in Ephesians says the shield of faith is to extinguish the fiery arrows of the evil one. This is big. And I am going to suggest more so for women. Women always believe that people, especially other women, act with ulterior motives. We read into everything. And that is exactly what the enemy wants you to do. He wants you to assign motive to other people's behaviors, while simultaneously expecting them not to do the same to us. The enemy knows what will trigger you and your insecurities and he often will use other people to do it. The shield of faith extinguishes these jabs by quenching them with what God says about forgiveness, your worth, and His mercy. We choose to believe THE truth instead a fabricated truth and that makes it much easier not to take offense that wounds the heart.  

6. Helmet of Salvation: Be confident in your salvation in Christ because it gives you every necessary tool we need to operate in the Spirit; we put on the mind of Christ. :"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:3-8

7. Sword of the Spirit - And lastly church, remember the Sword of the Spirit, which is scripture, is a defensive weapon, not offensive. Don't use scripture as a weapon to hurt people. Speaking the truth when warranted in love is important. (Ephesians 4:15) But the transformative goal is to renew our own minds and hearts so that when the enemy speaks lies, we can counteract it with truth. Keeping your heart soft requires building a hedge around it with the Word. 

Guard your heart, for everything you do flows out of it. How do we do that? By staying gentle and soft hearted to cold hearted world. And how do we do that? We do that by staying very close to Jesus Christ through worship, prayer, and the Word...every day. 

"Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. (He's coming back soon.)   Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:23

Broken Bread and Broken Relationships

 There is a popular post about a tattoo that reads, "Judas Ate Too." The sentiment behind it is that even at the last supper, Jesus fed Judas. He washed his feet. He prayed with him. He fed him. And all the while knowing that He was about to be betrayed. The funny thing is that I've observed that people will betray you emotionally before they betray you physically. Judas had already betrayed Jesus emotionally. All you have to do is look at the scriptures. Matthew 26:6 Judas chastises the woman for anointing Jesus with expensive oil "because it could have been sold and a large sum given to the poor." He didn't care about the poor or what motivated the heart of Jesus. 

He cared about himself.  

But he was also about to betray him physically. Literally right after this scene he betrays Jesus by going to the Chief Priests in exchange for thirty pieces of silver. 

The interesting thing is that we don't always know when people have broken relationship with us emotionally. There is a  gap; it is the theoretical space between where the relationship has changed, but we don't recognize it yet until we experience and realize that physical separation has occurred.  It is an odd place of tension. It is in this gap that we make assumptions and judgements; we decide other's motivations. It is here, in the gap, where the enemy always enters into the equation. (John 13:27) 

Our church is walking through the Lords prayer and right when we get to the week on forgiveness, the message came like a flood serving to wash over my heart. You see this week I felt betrayed. And the Holy Spirit challenged me on how I would let it affect my behavior, which is really an overflow from my own heart.  

As I sat in church listening to the message on forgiveness and grace, the Lord took me back to one of my first lessons in betrayal. When I was nine years old, my father filed for sole child custody to take us away from my mother. He won. It was a defining moment in my life. On the day he came to get us, I tried to hug my mother. I felt so conflicted and in pain. Overwhelmed by her own pain and needing someone to blame, she literally pushed me away. I remember that moment vividly, even to this day some 40 years later. The pain I felt in that moment was guttural; it was deep and physical. My father responded by yelling at her "I hope you rot in hell." In that same moment I remember the absolute horror I felt at his response.  Why would he wish that on her? 

Sitting in church, God gently told me I reminded you of this for two reasons. First, to say that until I fully heal this moment for you, you will always struggle to extend forgiveness to others in this area. Abandonment and betrayal are painful for me and it is rooted here. Letting God tear up the roots, and plant something new is the only way to true growth and healing in Christ. 

Secondly, this illustrates the difference between costly and cheap grace. The type of grace God extended through Christ was costly. When we don't extend to others the same type of grace that God has given to us through the forgiveness of sin,  we cheapen it. Dieterich Bonhoffer said it this way, "Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ."  Its one of the most dangerous ways we as Christians diminish the message of the Gospel. And if we really want to pray like Christ taught us to, "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.", we need as a church and me, as a disciple, to understand this. When I allow my own pain to define my reaction to betrayal, I don't extend the type of grace that God extended to me. I am a sinner. I had a debt to God because of my sin that I could never pay. Have you ever had a debt you could never pay? It is crushing. "The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus." (Romans 6:23) So God sent his one and only Son to exchange my sin for His righteousness. When God did this the bible says He remembers my sin no more. Isaiah 43:25 "I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins." This doesn't mean God forgets. It means he doesn't rehearse it. Forgiveness assumes grace; it means you have to let it go. 

Why? Because people in a lost world depend upon it for their salvation. It isn't telling them how they wronged you that leads people to desiring forgiveness and reconciliation. It is grace; extending kindness when they certainly don't deserve it. " Romans 2:4 tells us it is God's kindness that leads to repentance. It is a harsh message, but by reminding me of a single instance in my childhood God told me that how I respond in the middle of rejection/abandonment or broken relationship could be the difference in someone's salvation. Literally whether they will 'rot in hell.' 

We all need daily provision to help us extend this type of grace. Maybe that's why the prayer says, "give us our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." Jesus is our daily bread; the daily reminder of what has been given to us by the Cross. That my friends is the whole purpose of taking Communion. His blood and broken body for the purpose of reconciliation to God.  It is only with His help that I can even try to model this. When I looked back at the scriptures, reading them again blew my mind. It says that Jesus didn't just eat with Judas. The exact moment before he betrayed him Jesus took communion with Him; he dipped the morsel in the cup and gave it to Him. The very next moment, Satan entered him. Let that sink in. Broken bread and broken relationships intermingled and Jesus wasn't deterred by any of it. Because God's kindness leads to our repentance and that is exactly what He was sent to do. 

The Symbolism of the Skull

 It's fall which means we are entering into the last part of the year, a time typically full of activities, festivity and often celebration. The stores become replete with decoration and ornamentation that beckons us like a continuous thread leading us from one holiday to the next. You know the season has arrived when the first decorations to appear are the symbols of Halloween. 

Pumpkins, bats, and the most common imagery...

the human skull. 

I recently learned that  the image of the skull as an object of decoration predated the modern holiday by many generations. It actually stems from a Monastic tradition; the first artists to ever use skull imagery were monks. If you think of images that you have seen of monks, they are often pictured sitting at a prayer desk, with a bible, a lit candle, and there on the desk is a human skull. But this isn't a cute plastic one from Michaels or a ceramic sugar skull from Etsy. These skulls were actually one of their peers who had already passed away. Once the body was embalmed/buried, they retrieved the skull. They put it on their prayer bench not to be goth or morbid, but instead to keep their mortality literally directly in front of them. It was an extremely tangible reminder to them that eventually I will  die, and therefore I don't want to waste my life on trivial things that don't really matter. It was not designed to be disturbed or psychotic (like most seasonal imagery), but rather to encourage an individual to live each day joyfully present in the life that has been given. 

Reflection upon on this, reminded me the Bible says the same thing in Psalm 90:12:

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. 

So what does that mean that we should "learn to number our days." and exactly what would that look like as we do this thing called life? First, as mentioned above in the monastic school of thought it means we would intentionally choose to address our priorities. How do I spend my time, what do I think about and how do I use my money/resources?  I don't think this means that God does not want me to enjoy my time here on Earth; not everyone is called to an austere life as a monk living in a monastery. But it does mean that we need to remember we have only have one life on Earth to live. There are no do-overs or second chances once we die.  Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us that "He has made everything beautiful in its time. (And yet) He has also set eternity in the heart of men." This scripture means that no matter how good it gets here on Earth, deep in our hearts we know that this life is not all that there is. There is a new life after this one; but it is definitely not here. Therefore the biggest priority we need to get right during this life is our relationship to God. In fact it's crucial.  As humans we will always choose to live to satisfy ourselves, and left to our own devices we will always choose wrongly. That is why we need a Savior, in Jesus Christ to help us find our way back to God. When Jesus enters the picture, our priorities change. That change occurs in our hearts; it a work from the inside out, not vice versa. It is not another means of self help; it is soul-help. With Christ at the center of your life, your priorities will start to look more like God's will for your life; that is a heart of wisdom. And only God is the source of that. 

The second part of learning to number your days means you understand the brevity of your life. The hard truth is our days are actually numbered. We hope that means living to a ripe old age, but the truth is, we don't know how long it is. Only God knows. Yet most of us don't live like that. Greg and I used to talk about our 5, 10, 15 year plan. That all changed a few years ago when God taught us that the only day to worry about is the one in front of you; life can change on a dime. Luke 12 tells the story of a rich man who said to himself, "You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink, and be merry." {This is the world's answer for YOLO}.  But God said to him, "You fool, This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what your have prepared for yourself." I had hope that the pandemic would teach all of us this. But unfortunately, I've realized for some folks it did not. A heart of wisdom asks God to show me how to use what you have given me today...whether that is my health, my body, my money or my time. And by doing that, I'm actually storing up real treasure (Matthew 6:19-21) for myself. I don't worry if my daily needs will be met; God promises that if I seek relationship and to walk daily with Him, all these things will be provided. I could tell you story after story of how God has provided for me exactly when I needed it. 

Lastly, teaching us to number our days means we understand the eternal significance of your life. What we do here actually matters, not just here, but for how we will spend eternity. If you choose to live your life without God here on Earth, why would a person then logically want to spend an eternity in heaven worshiping Him? God didn't create Hell to send people there; rather it is the logical destination for a person who has chosen to do his/her life without Him. Luke 16 tells the story of the Rich man and Lazarus. Lazarus, a beggar, died and went to heaven. The Rich Man died and went to hell, but looked up and could see the beggar across a great chasm. He asks if the beggar could just reach his finger and dip it in water to provide relief from his agony. He is told no "because there is a great chasm between them," and "no one can cross over". So instead he asks to send the beggar (like a ghost) to his family so that they will hear the message of eternity and not end up in the same place. He begs, "if someone from the dead goes to them they will repent." The answer was this: "If they don't listen to Moses and the Prophets, then they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead."   The irony of this story is that someone did rise from the dead to bridge that chasm, and his name is Jesus.  This story in scripture asks the question if someone who has already died can cause us to live differently now. For me, that answer is a resounding "Yes!". It is Jesus.  Going back to the monastic traditions, they had a saying that was placed on a sign near all their catacombs. It read as follows:

"Where you are now we were, and where we are now, you will be." 

What are you going to do with that? Oh, Lord, teach us to number our days so that we can gain a heart of wisdom! There are people that I am praying will come to Christ before it is too late. And for myself,   I can't help but see the image of the skull a little differently now. As a symbol that encourages the reflection of holding my mortality before myself. And maybe, just maybe, what follows is the wisdom to ask myself the questions that allow me to live life a little more intentionally. 

Craving Christmas? You're Not Alone.

 As we inch our way closer to the end of 2020, many of us are searching for joy. This year has definitely been one for the history books. The worldwide pandemic known as COVID19 dramatically affected most of what we had planned for the entire year. Significant life events, such as graduations, weddings, funerals, even births were all affected. Virus induced isolation from loved ones has taken a tangible toll on our mental (and for some physical) health. The wearing of masks even affects our abilities to relate with perfect strangers. The result: many Americans are craving connection, but most importantly, I think they are craving hope. 

Proverbs 13:12(MSG), puts it like this, "Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick, but a sudden good break can turn life around." Hope defined is the cherished desire or expectation that something good is going to happen or that life events will turn out for the best. 

So it is no surprise then as we bookend 2020, we find the majority of Americans craving Christmas.

Social media is flooded with images of people putting up their Christmas tree and decorations since the beginning of November (far earlier than years past). These are symbols for what our souls really crave which is hope. And I'm here to tell you, that you are not alone. There were others at Christmas who were craving for hope. And they knew exactly where to find it. It had been promised to them and they were given explicit directions on exactly where to find it. That sounds great, right?! A road map to hope? Let me explain. 

We need look no further than the original Christmas story. The individuals I am going to highlight are the Shepherds. Most of you know the account in Luke chapter 2.

 

"In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock at night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.  And so the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;  for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is [h]Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a [i]manger. "  

Just like us, these men were also looking for hope, but  it was not to be found in decorations. The source of their hope was 'wrapped' up in a person known in scripture as the Messiah. Messiah means "promised one", or the person who was to deliver the nation of Israel. The first thing you should also know is that these were not just any shepherds. These shepherds were in Bethlehem. This is significant for two reasons. First, it was foretold in the Bible hundreds of years prior that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Micah chapter 5 explicitly states, "But for you, Bethlehem Ephratah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will come forth for Me to  be ruler in Israel." Secondly, these shepherds in particular had a unique job. Bethlehem shepherds were responsible for raising the sheep that were to be sacrificed for the atonement of sins by the priests for the people at the temple in Jerusalem. Therefore, they had to be perfect, without blemish or defect. Their job was unique. Bethlehem sat on a hill and at the top of this hill was a lookout tower, called Migdal Eder. It was a place where the shepherds could get a vantage point to keep watch over their flocks. This tower also had another purpose. When it was time for young lambs to be born, the female sheep were brought into the base of the tower. The newly born infant lambs were then wrapped tightly in cloth and placed in a trough to keep them from thrashing around and potentially injuring themselves, getting stepped on or causing a defect. The strips of cloth were likely made from the priestly garments of the temple priests since these lambs ultimately served a holy purpose, the atonement of sin. 

So when the angels appeared to the shepherds and told them they would find the Christ in Bethlehem, wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger, they knew exactly where to go. Some translations actually say the wording wasn't "a manger" but instead, "the manger". The Lamb of God, who would be the one to take away all sin, would be found in the tower where all sacrificial lambs are born. He would be wrapped in priestly clothing. The source of expectant hope they were desperately craving would be found in a person, THE person of Jesus Christ. 

"Lets go straight to Bethlehem, then, and see this thing that has happened, that the Lord has made known to us."

What was true for them is still true for us. As you round out 2020, are you craving hope and joy? As we approach the end of the year, do you find that your soul is craving connection?  I want you to know, it is found in a relationship with the person named Jesus. The apostle Paul affirmed this in Timothy 1:1. "Jesus Christ, who is our hope."  God sent his one and only son, so that you __________ (insert name here) can find hope. John 3:16 puts it this way.

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him."

You are craving hope because your soul is wired that way. Stop and read that sentence again.

 It is wired for eternity. (Ecclesiastes 3:11) And when your eternity is secure, your perspective will change. It will change the way you view viruses, disappointments, elections and unfulfilled plans. You will be able to find hope, even in the middle of a pandemic. God wants that kind of life for you and for me. How can we know this? Because He gave us His Word (the Bible) as the 'roadmap'; it is embodied in the person of Jesus. God always keeps his promises, and one of them is "those who diligently seek me, will find me." (Proverbs 8:17) Let's make Christmas 2020 the year where we intentionally restored our Hope. 

Keto for Christians: What Builds Faith?

Recently I have been spending a lot of time pondering interpersonal relationships. They are complex, complicated, and sometimes messy. Always dependent on good communication between two parties, it is interesting how they can ebb and flow like tides or take dramatic turns entirely more like a river. Relationships with non-believers can be expected to be difficult at times to navigate. We are expected to share the Gospel with them, but not to be intimate with them. This can prove challenging. But relationships among believers are supposed to be different. We share a unity in Christ that is meant to supersede any individual differences. So what can cause these bonds to fall apart? The bible says it is spiritual immaturity. Let me explain.

I remember one of my pastors said once, "If you look around and see a lot of conflict in your personal life, that's a sure sign of spiritual immaturity." I didn't like it when he said that at all. At that time, my life and my relationships were full of conflict and his comment hit me straight between the eyes. At the time, I wasn't even sure what he fully meant; so I interpreted his comment to refer to emotional maturity. And to some degree that can also be true. But time has shown me the difference, and even greater, the importance of why growth in Christ that leads to our spiritual maturity should be our primary goal. Why? Because our maturity directly correlates with our ability to live out the Gospel.

What is spiritual maturity among believers? Essentially it is the daily process of looking more and more like Christ in your thoughts, words, and deeds. It begins the moment you accept Christ as your personal savior. Right away, one should realize that full maturity will never be possible this side of Heaven. But rather, maturing in Christ, is a lifelong journey (or race) for each believer and church body as we grow in our relationship to Christ through reading the bible and applying it to the circumstances in life we face. (Phil 3:14-15)   Paul puts it this way in Ephesians 4:

"So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. " In other words, a mature Christian, and subsequently, a mature church body, knows their calling in Christ, is allowed to express it, and only does that which builds up others for the sake of unity, to ultimately reflect the mind of Christ to a fallen world. In its purest most ideal form, this would embody John 13:35..."By this they will know you are my disciples, by the love you have for each other." John isn't talking about the world's kind of love that is fickle, outcome dependent, and selfish. He is talking about God's kind of love that is long suffering, patient, and humble.

So why is this important? Because when we lack maturity in Christ, certain sequelae naturally occur. The first is division or lack of unity. Paul talked about this to the church at Corinth. The letter he writes in 1st Corinthians was written because the church was divided and quarreling over which leader they wanted to follow. He asks them, "Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?" He goes on in chapter 3 to tell them that their quarrels reveal their immaturity in their faith. " I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ (immature).  I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? "

The second sequelae is an inability to withstand trials. Jesus told us this in the parable of the soils. "The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature." In other words, they are worldly and controlled by the flesh instead of the spirit. So when difficulties, fear, conflict, or challenges come along, they quickly fall away. 

I recently saw this quote and realized this is the prevailing message of the world and unfortunately for some Christians: "People don't understand that spirituality is duality. You can have beautiful energy and still curse like a sailor. You can read an enlightening book and still turn up. The internet has y'all thinking you have to be a certain way. Nah, just be yourself."

 

The truth is only the first sentence of this quote is correct. Spiritual growth does have duality; you must choose to gratify either the flesh OR the Spirit. It is not both/and. They are directly contrary to each other and lead to entirely different endpoints. Galatians  5:17, "For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so you are not to do whatever you want." Romans 8:6, "The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace." When you indulge the flesh, it leads to death, including the death of relationships. 

So how does a believer gain maturity? Unfortunately this is not something we can affect without God. Eugene Peterson said this, "Maturity cannot be hurried, programmed or tinkered with. There are no steroids available for growing up in Christ more quickly. Impatient shortcuts land us in the dead ends of immaturity."  I think this is important because we often think that increased knowledge leads to increased maturity. Maybe the more podcasts, bible studies or books I read will lead me to be a "better Christian." But Paul tells us "Knowledge puffs up, while love builds up." (1st Corin 8:1). This is particularly relevant because in this passage Paul is speaking to Christians about how to deal with someone who is less mature in the faith; it isn't with knowledge, it is with love. 

The bible tells us in James 1:4 and in Hebrews chapter 5 the only way to gain maturity in your faith is to read the word of God and actually put it into practice in your life, and particularly during trials when your faith is being tested. James 1: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." To build spiritual muscle, you have to exercise it and fuel it with the proper diet. In other words, trying to get out of conflict instead of seeing it through and trusting God, stunts your maturity. Maturity comes by knowing God's word and allowing it to work in your life. When we take short cuts, we don't get to witness God being faithful to His word. This is what matures your faith. The enemy knows this so he will always try to offer a worldly substitute to temporarily ease your discomfort.  Hebrews 5:14, "But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."  Daily reading of your bible, and the spiritually divined wisdom that is revealed to us by doing so, is what helps us gain the maturity we need to distinguish between what our flesh desires and what the Spirit of God desires in our lives.

Relationships are complicated, especially because we are all on different journeys as we are maturing in our faith. Maturing in Christ is a process that none of us will fully achieve until we see Him face to face. But if we err on the side of choosing love as it pertains to our relationships with others, the result is that we ourselves grow.  Paul put it this way : "Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. "

 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

This passage in 1st Corinthians begins with "Love is patient, love is kind." There is a difference between nice and kind. Niceness arises from selfish desires and masquerades as a virtue. Kindness puts the well being of the other individual first. Love is Kind.  The answer, brothers and sisters, is always choose love. 

 

Behold

Behold

When I finally stopped looking at just me

The divine moment where I started to see

A beauty who breathed in pursuit of my wayward heart

Because you created and knew mine intimately from the start (Psalm139)

You knew exactly what words to say

That would break through my every defense.

And yet you still chose me, despite all the dark places I tried to protect

You picked up my head and whispered my new name (Rev 2:17)

 Though your gaze I’d tried hard to deflect

Slowly you’ve taught me your Word

The beauty of which I can never unfold.

I see your hand in every page of that book

At first glance, as a mirror, I naively saw me in those words of old

But with time, your enduring patience and grace

It’s now You I longingly read to behold (Acts 4:12)

As my life passes by and I look back on my walk

I see your hand constantly at work

Though I don’t always understand, my trust has grown deep,

And I know you always make sense and recycle the hurt. (Romans 8:28)

God help me to fathom your heart

In your own words, so lowly, humble and deep (Matthew 11:29)

For without it I cannot begin show your kind of love

To a world, my world, who needs it right now from me

And help this be my ever-present goal

For all of the rest of my days

No matter what challenge sure lies ahead,

Press on and to finish the race.

For to live is Christ and to die is gain. (Phil 1:21)

I now know this life only dimly reveals

That beauty I will one day behold

As I breath my last breath, taking hold of yours

And see you face to face.

Earth Day 2020: The Earth Gets A Sabbath

I have to admit before this year, I really didn't give "Earth Day" too much thought. Sure, I love the beach, the outdoors and nature as much as anyone who lives along 30A. And I want to continue to enjoy all the beauty our Emerald Coast has to offer for generations to come. However, true introspection of how all of creation is intimately connected has taken on new meaning in the past few months. This year is very different. All would agree 2020 has seen unprecedented events world wide. Corona virus has changed our daily lives in ways that most of us have never experienced. What is interesting however is not only how this pandemic is affecting human behaviors, but also the effect that it has had globally on the environment. It isn't uncommon at all for natural disasters to affect human behavior. After Hurricane Michael, our entire community experienced significant ripple effects to the economy and livelihood. Lives were uprooted in a moment, and neighboring communities responded with compassion. The difference between what we are seeing with Corona virus and other natural disasters, is that all the changes we are making now are voluntary. Rather than humans changing their behavior because of nature, it has been reversed. Humans changing their behavior has directly impacted the Earth. And guess what? That is truly what Earth day is all about. Let me provide some specific examples.

 The nitrogen dioxide emissions and production of greenhouse gasses over China have dropped over 25% since the Corona virus pandemic began significantly reducing air pollution. This can also be seen in the smog over Los Angeles and all of Northern California. Historical data from the EPA suggests that this may be the longest stretch of clean air there since 1980. Beirut Lebanon, a city known for high levels of pollution, has also shown much clearer skies and improved air quality. Similarly, it is said that inhabitants in India can see Mt Everest and the peaks of the Himalayan mountains
which haven't been visible for thirty years due to pollution. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-09/himalayas-visible-india-pollution/12136856

 The same improved air quality has also been demonstrated in Italy. With decreased commuting and transportation, the canals of Venice are crystal clear again and fish are seen swimming there.  Residents there cannot remember a time when this was true. Although these are potentially temporary outcomes, they are significant, and should be noted. 
 https://nypost.com/2020/03/18/venice-canals-are-crystal-clear-after-coronavirus-lockdown-in-italy/

In India, the lack of human pollution and intrusion has allowed Olive Ridley Turtles to nest undisturbed. Last year in 2019, they did not come to this beach at all. But now in 2020, with the effect of Corona virus on human activities, over 70,000 turtles came en masse to lay their eggs.
 https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/coronavirus-lockdown-undisturbed-mass-nesting-of-olive-ridleys-at-odishas-rushikulya-rookery/article31166566.ece

Experts predict the same may be true here in the southern United states this year. The first Leatherback turtle has already nested here in Florida on Hutchinson Island which is the earliest nesting recorded in Florida to date. 
Out west in our National Parks, rangers report more visible wildlife than they can remember. Some estimate the visible bear population has quadrupled in Yosemite; without people, they are coming out of the shadows along with other wildlife enjoying the new freedom to roam.

Observing these phenomenon, how should we interpret what we see? The Earth and the pace of our lives are intricately connected. Our voluntary captivity in our homes during this time of social distancing has caused the pace of life to markedly slow down. Families are spending more quality time together. Churches and individuals have stretched themselves to think outside the traditional confines of four walls to help others. There is a genuine returning of people to the Lord worldwide and distractions have been removed to allow our faith to deepen and mature. In essence, the Earth has been given a Sabbath. Prioritizing rest is important; in fact God commanded it. Exodus 20:6, "Remember the Sabbath by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is Sabbath to the Lord your God."  Also read Leviticus chapter 25. Levitcus 25: sabbath year.  God also commanded that the land be allowed to have a sabbath rest every seven years.
 And truthfully, humans and the land are far more productive when allowed periods of rest. Farmers know this; you must allow your fields a fallow year to be more productive.  The bible assures us you will accomplish more in six days, with one day devoted to your family, others, and the Lord than you can accomplish in seven days working at full steam.  There was a time in the bible when the people of Israel for generations did not honor this command, among many others. In fact, 2nd Chronicles tells us they neglected the Sabbath for 490 years. In their disobedience to Him, the Lord allowed them to be taken to Babylon into captivity. So if you do the math, that is 70 years of missed Sabbaths owed to the land.

"(But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands. and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant)......Then the land will enjoy its sabbath years all the time that it lies desolate and you are in the country of your enemies; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths. All the time that it lies desolate, the land will have the rest it did not have during the sabbaths you lived in it." (Leviticus 26:34-35) 

Guess how many years Israel was in captivity? If you guessed seventy you guessed correctly. As the writer of 2nd Chronicles tells us, "the land finally enjoyed its Sabbath rest, lying desolate until the seventy years were fulfilled." (2nd Chron 36:21) The bill came due and the captivity wasn't lifted until it was paid in full. In the book by Pastor Robert Morris, "Take the Day Off", he makes the case that the people of Israel may have wrongly assumed God wasn't serious about all of this because they had gotten away with it for so long. Similarly, we make the same assumption about our lives and the Earth around us until the bill is due and demands to be paid.

 Let's be a people who chooses to take notice during our confinement what God is trying to teach us by drawing us closer to Himself and allowing the Earth to heal. And when life returns to a more "normal" pace, as we are allowed to come out of our voluntary captivity, I pray as a nation we choose to remember the value of obedience to the Lord and His Sabbath. The health of the Earth and our own lives are directly connected both physically and spiritually. Corona virus has revealed that to us. Happy Earth Day!