Let Go of the Baggage – “Things that hold you back.”

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)

When we as a family prepare to go on a vacation there are usually two types of people in our family. Type One – the under-packer who just wants to be out the door and in the van in fifteen minutes or less and worry about what we didn’t bring with us later. Type Two – The over-packer who wants to bring everything from our home along with us on the trip and takes twice as long to get ready to leave. Also this type two person (who will not be named but I’m married to her) has to clean the house as if we were receiving an inspection from a military grade house inspector with white gloves and all.

If you haven’t guessed yet, I’m the type one person who at times sits impatiently in the van honking the horn as the type-two person (again unnamed but I’m married to her) finishes cleaning the house until it shines and is sparkling clean.

Truth be told, I am glad that my wife takes great care in our preparations and in the long run, as much as I hate to admit it, She is right.

There’s another kind of baggage in life though

Sin can weigh us down.

Make no mistake about it, the old life (before Christ) leads to death. When we come to Jesus and we accept His gift of salvation we are made into new creations by His blood. The old has gone and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17)…but at times we still feel as if we have to keep lugging that baggage around with us. It weighs us down, causes us difficulty and trouble and yet we still habitually burden ourselves with this unnecessary baggage.

What is this baggage?

1) It is the remnants of the old creation –

When Christ saved us, He did so completely yet we find it very difficult to let go of old habits and old sinful ways of living. The Holy Spirit prompts us to unclinch our white knuckled fists which are tightly holding onto these things that we needn’t any more to grasp. In times of trial and stress, these old remnants also rear their ugly heads to cause us strife and further temptation as well. When we lose our focus on the forward prize of Holiness, which is the image of Christ alive in us, we face the old self again. When this happens a flood of the old tendencies pours in and once again we find ourselves taking two or three steps backwards in our progress of Holiness. This baggage has been there all along festering and molding in a cold dark corner of our hearts and we’ve been reluctant, even rebellious in our lack of spiritual attempts to deal with it, so, instead we ignore it. The Holy Spirit knows that this baggage does not belong in our new creation. He is spurring us, even painfully at times, to let go of it. Why do we still clutch it ever so tightly? What good can ever come from its hold on us? This baggage stands blatantly in our path of real, tangible Spiritual growth and yet we allow it to stunt us.

Prayer – Dear Lord, allow me to see this baggage in my life today. Show me that which still blocks my steps to full surrender. Reveal to me the places that I have yet to let go of. I do not want these burdens of the old creation to hinder my forward progress of reflecting You. -Amen.

2) The Baggage can also be our guilt, shame and self-worth.

The old life also has a way of convincing us that we are not good enough to be like Christ. It will try and convince us that we will never be good enough or smart enough to receive such a reward from God. This has nothing to do with pride, in fact just the opposite. When Christ redeems us, the wretched sinner, He does so completely. When we commit our hearts to Him, He washes us clean. This doesn’t mean that we won’t face temptation again or that we can not fall, but it does mean that His blood sacrifice can and will cover up our sinful old creations and wash them away. Our part, within this free will, however, is that we must confront our old harmful choices that we have made. This is the consequences of sin, we have to face it. Sometimes in facing it we find ourselves so wrecked by it that we begin to doubt if Christ could truly love us because we have done so much wrong. This remnant of the old baggage clings to us and tries to convince us of the lie that we are not worth His time and that, perhaps, we were never salvageable through His gift of salvation. Don’t buy the life. This isn’t about pride, but it’s about truth. You matter to God! He loves YOU! He wants to remind you that you are His precious child and that you are a son or daughter of the Most High! Don’t cling to this old baggage, which is a lie. Let go of it, and embrace this truth of His saving grace – You are His and He would do it all over again if you had been the only human alive! When you let go of this old baggage and recognize how much it has weighed you down you will begin to see how free you will feel.

Let go, and find this burden lifted from you!

Prayer – Dear Lord, remind me again of how much you love me. Remind me when I struggle with my identity in You that I am worthy because of Your love. Help to me see myself as You see me, and as I do help me to let go of my grip on this baggage of self-worth. Thank you for your love and for your hand upon my life, lift me up out of this pit of self-degradation and give me a passion to serve and love you with ever fiber of my being. -Amen.

Get On With It!

Letting go of the baggage that hinder us is only the first step, now we have to press on. Jesus is our living example, and this world still needs His example lived out in Holy Christ-following people. Shine so that others might see Him. Live as the Holy Spirit leads you to live. Get up and get on with this new creation…oh and leave your baggage behind!

Got any rivers you think are uncrossable?

Got any mountains you can’t tunnel through?

God specializes in things thought impossible

And He can do what no other power can do.

March 20, 2014 1

Either Put Up or Shut Up! I’m All in or nothing at all!

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31

The Jewish leaders struggled over 613 individual moral statutes or commands by which they were to live and conduct themselves. Sometimes they debated among themselves as to which of these moral statutes were vital and which of them were less vital. They didn’t want to make the mistake of placing some statues above more important one and vice-versa. Yet this struggle brought itself right before Jesus. One of the teachers ventured to ask Him this question, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” (Mark 12:28).

Jesus laid it all out for those who would hear Him; “The most important one,” Jesus answered, “is this: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength,’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31)

Now, dear fellow Christ-follower, it is either time for us to put up or shut up. I don’t mean to be crass here or offend you, but I cannot stress how vital it is for us to love the Lord with every fiber of our being. Jesus placed this as the #1 priority in the lives of those asking and still today it ought to be #1 in our lives as well.

Let me illustrate:

Our homes are powered by electricity (well most of them are anyway). If we were to bring in a brand new television to watch we first must take it out of the box and connect it to a power source. Without the power source all of our favorite shows and possibilities are impossible. We need to plug that television into the power in order for anything to happen, without it nothing works and nothing ever will.

Without first loving God with our EVERYTHING nothing else will work. Without first loving God with ALL of our heart, soul, mind and strength we are powerless. It is either all or nothing. God doesn’t want a partial kind of love. He isn’t some on again off again God, either get on board with Him and love Him completely or don’t at all.

Secondly, don’t try and fake out God…He’s not buying the act. Others might see how good we look dressed up for Church and how we act in front of other Christians but if this isn’t consisted behind the scenes God knows. This is a tough pill to swallow. I’m not here to say that I have this all figured out either, because I too struggle at times with a divided heart. Not intentionally mind you, but at times I catch myself and find that I have to once again realign my relationship and priorities with God.

How is your heart today? Do you find that at times you have a divided heart when it comes to your relationship with the Lord? Perhaps it’s time for a heart realignment so that you can once again get plugged back into the true sources of power and life.

Scriptures readings:

Isaiah 29:13, Psalm 86:11, Mark 12:28-34

March 19, 2014 1

Easter Tomb Project & Lesson

You have all probably seen this project already on Pintrest, and I’m in no way claiming that it’s mine…because it’s not, but I would like to incorporate a teachable lesson to accompany it. Please find the elements of this project accompanied by scripture passages below free for you to use if you so choose to do so. This teachable craft can be used for youth programs, women’s ministries, senior adult ministry or even at home with your family.

Elements & Scripture Discussion:

1. The Potting Saucer –

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth – Genesis 1:1

the saucer for this Easter craft represents (at least to me) the world in which we live. God created it and we live in a location and placed that was formed by His hands. We are blessed to live in such a world and should take care of this world as best we can. Genesis 2:5 – “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” God still wants us to take care of this world that He has entrusted us with.

2. The Potting Soil –

The potting soil represents you, me and all of creation.

“Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7

God created this world for us and He desires to have fellowship with us. He longs for us to love Him in return and so in this Easter story we recognize that we too play a part in the crucifixion and the resurrection. Jesus came to die for us because we really and truly matter to Him. He created us and this Easter story is about our salvation through Christ Jesus.

3. The Gardening Rocks

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” -Romans 3:23

“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned” -Romans 5:12

The gardening rocks represent sin in this world. It weighs us down and keeps us bound in our slavery to it. We cannot save ourselves from its weight, nor can we do enough good works to receive eternal life. We need help. We are all fallen, each one of us and because of this Jesus came to set us free and to remove the weight of sin from our lives.

4. The Three Crosses

With younger children you might want to tie these for the kids before hand.

“And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death–even death on a cross!” -Philippians 2:8

The Cross of Jesus is suffering and death. But it was suffering and death for a purpose. Jesus died so that the sins of every person on earth could be forgiven and also that we could be restored in our fellowship with God. Without the cross and Jesus’ suffering we are still hopelessly lost. We must look to the cross and Christ on the cross for our source of salvation.

The bindings of the cross pieces represent (to me) the lashings that Jesus received prior to his crucifixion. It should also represent for us the truth that we (sinful man) put Him there. We bound Him to that cross, but He willingly went in place of us.

A.W. Tozer: “The old cross is a symbol of death. God salvages the individual by liquidating him and then raising him again in newness of life. God offers life, but not an improved old life. The life He offers is life out of death. It always stands at the far side of the cross.“

5. The Tomb and the Large Rock

“…an empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!” -Bill Gaither

“They found the stone rolled away from the tomb” Luke 24:2

Both the tomb and the large stone (it could be white to represent life or another color) represent Christ’s resurrection. I’m sure it’s obvious to us all, but it also represents the fact that sin & death could not hold the Son of God! We can find peace, assurance and hope in this empty tomb!

“At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid.” John 19:41

“Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” “3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) 10 Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.” John 20:1-10

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,” John 11:25

“For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” 1 Thessalonians 4:14

6) The Grass seed or sprouts (Plant the grass seed before you place the rocks)

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” -John 10:10

The grass seed will grow during the Easter season which will serve to remind us of the eternal life/ new life that Christ brings to us.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:3

Each of these verses talks about the new life that only Jesus Christ offers to us. New life is a free gift to us all if we accept it and believe in Christ and His love for us.

As we watch this “new life” grow during the season of Easter, may it continue to serve as a remind of God’s love for us and of our deep desire to grow in our faith. We shouldn’t stop learning about this relationship. We have also been given the help of the Holy Spirit to guide us and instruct us in this new life! “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14:26 The Holy Spirit will show us areas of our lives that we need to still surrender to God and He will continue to work within us, helping us along the way.

This new life isn’t only about getting into heaven, it is also about living that eternal life right here on earth so that others might see Christ through us. When we embrace this new life, we become Christ’s representatives (Light) into the world (which is still lost in darkness). Be God’s light to others as you bloom and grow!

***Disclaimer: Again I didn’t invent this craft, I simply adapted it and provided a simple yet effective method for teaching this amazing story of love that God has for all of us! I am sure you can tweak this and make it your own in order to fit the demographic you wish to do this teaching craft with. This lesson play is free to use as you see fit! To God be the Glory!****

March 19, 2014 0

A Word from Samuel Logan Brengle

“First Things First”
(An excerpt from “Take time to be Holy” edited by Bob Hostetler p. 41)

“What shall have primacy with us? What shall have our last thoughts when falling asleep and our first thoughts on waking?

Many thinks make so subtle, so reasonable an appeal as to usurp first place:
1) Our work. Is it not to build God’s Kingdom on earth, to rescue men and women from sin? Yes, it is all that. But it must not have first place.

2) Our position. “Searching for honor is not honorable” (Proverbs 25:27). Those who overlook such truths, while they may attain the desire of their heart, miss the glory that God gives.

3) Our family. This may become a deadly snare. “Whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37), said Jesus.

4) Our education. The better informed and wiser we are, provided we are dedicated wholly to God, the more effectually we can glorify Him. But woe to those who put this first.

What, then, shall be first? That must be first, the loss of which is the loss of all. To lose God is the sum of all loss. If we lose Him, we lose all. If we lose all and still have Him, we shall in Him again find all.”

Let me just add this:
I have often found that one of these other things had suddenly taken God’s place as the #1 priority in my life! How true Samuel Logan Brengle’s words are still for us today! Is God truly on the throne in your life today? If not, perhaps it’s time to do some digging and soul searching so that each of us can get back to serving Him in all that we do and say!

March 18, 2014 0

A Blessing and Bane (A poem)

this slurping, soupy arrangement
stays my amused satisfaction.
cars skidding and skirting
orbiting each other
a cacophony of incompetent
unorganized Ice Skaters.
It spills out, splashes down
drowning sashes of sorrow
in the middle of my selfish parade…
after all this circus act
cut from blistering fingers
ripe with sweat and hardened calloused hands
this stampede of interruptance
has caused ME to suppress my de-testment of
these frosted inconvenient deposits underfoot.
I will trample them
trump their self worth into the soles of my
black leather shoes…
Howling madly at their existence
here on the eve of smiling spring
on the prowl
like a careful cat at the door

I store my response,
predator ready,
fist clenched and half raised
yet frozen in traction
taking aim to wandering eyes
peering back at me.
my son, snow suited and
prepared
joyfully standing at the ready
for me to take him out into it
and catch a glimpse of
my childhood again.

March 18, 2014 0

My Feelings About Fred Phelps Sr. – Pastor of Westboro Baptist Church

“Whenever you are confronted with an opponent. Conquer him with love.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

Pastor Fred Phelps Sr. is dying. Over the course of many years now the Westboro Baptist church has been at the forefront of many controversial public protests. You might remember them for their many anti-gay signs and their now infamous quotes like “Thank God for dead soldiers” and “Thank God for 9/11”! (Link: http://nypost.com/2014/03/16/westboro-baptist-pastor-in-hospice-care/)

I’m not here to slam Pastor Fred. He’s already taken a lot of heat and his “church” has even been labeled a hate group. I will say however that I seriously doubt Jesus would have ever stepped foot in the doors of a church like this…okay maybe He would have to confront them perhaps…I digress. But I’m not here to judge them on their merits or lack there of. I’m not even here to condemn this pastor.

I wonder what it would be like to go to the hospice facility that Pastor Fred is now located at and hold signs not of hate and condemnation, but signs of love and concern? I’m not saying we should do this but it certainly would be interesting to see the response. Another thought that came to mind when hearing about his impending death – every person should face death with human decency and dignity including Pastor Phelps.

At the end of the day if we stoop to the level of outrage and hate like these protests conducted by the Westboro baptist church, we in essence are no better. I’m not implying that we’re better than they are, don’t get me wrong, I’m just suggesting that instead of celebrating his soon to be passing, let’s pray for Pastor Fred and others like him in our world.

This world is already too full of hate, too full of extremist fundamentals (and to be fair on the other side of things extreme leftist liberals as well)…this world is already too full of condemnation as well. We don’t need to fall into these ranks as well. Jesus once said; “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.“

2 reasons to love our enemies and pray for them:

1) It frees us of hate

This section is hard for me. I personally want to retaliate when someone wrongs me, I want to inflict the same kind of pain on any person who dares do me wrong…but I shouldn’t because it only empties bitterness into my heart. They say you become what you think about most often, and if I allow this thought of hurting my enemies and vengeance inside me then I am no better a person than they are. When we open our hearts, as Jesus suggested, to love we catch a glimpse of the divine original purpose for all of humanity. If I love that person, if I love Pastor Fred despite his actions, I free myself of a kind of hate that destroys hearts and lives.

Does this mean that justice isn’t pursued or sought out? Of course not, but remember that God is the judge and ultimately every person will have to stand before Him, so be careful that we have sorted out our own hearts and motives for wanting such justice on others.

When we are freed from hatred, we can learn to love more…and this leads to being like Christ in our pursuit and His workings of Holiness.

2) It opens up opportunities for our enemy to find salvation

What takes place when we extend grace to those who have spurned us and done us wrong? One it really messes with their heads (not our purpose of course) but two, it hopefully causes them to want to change! Obviously not every one of our enemies will change because we loved them, I don’t want to sell you a pipe dream here, but God can and still does perform miracles does He not? Enemies still need salvation too, and perhaps someone to show them what real authentic love looks like.

I want to pray for Pastor Fred Phelps Sr, and for His church. I know that hate is our natural response to others who show hate, but if we’re to be like Christ, no matter how hard it may be for us, we ought to show love as our response. Shining dark into dark will only make things darker, but if we shine the light of Christ into that absence of light, lives can be redeemed and drastically changed!

Pastor Fred, I pray for the remaining hours of life that you have here on earth. You have a Father in heaven who loves you and wants you to love Him back in return. May His grace, peace and especially love find its place in your heart. To the members of the Westboro Baptist church I say, love opens doors that hate never will. Repent, seek grace and forgiveness and know that other Christ-followers are praying for you with the love of Christ. We also pray that you will once again see what God is truly saying to you and that you seek to bring peace and grace into the doors of your church.

-Sincerely in Christ.

“The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because generally they are the same people.”
― G.K. Chesterton

March 18, 2014 1

A Soldier’s Soul-check

A solider is never alone in the fight. When they enter into combat they trust their partner and team to cover their flank while pursuing the enemy. If one soldier is wounded, others come to their aid and they are still never alone.

In the Lord’s Army it should also be the same…yet sometimes it’s not.

It could be because of pride and for the fear of looking weak. Other times it could be because of trust issues or other kinds of troublesome elements in the relationship. These excuses ought not prevent us from standing together on the fields of spiritual combat. We wage a very real war with very serious eternal consequences, often times we may lose sight of how dire a toll this war can have on its fighting forces. Yet while we continue to fight this spiritual war, with the Holy Spirit as our guide, we must also find those moments of soul-repair and spiritual check-up. By this I mean we cannot fight forever, and we all need 3 crucial elements in order to continue on.

3 Elements: Friends, Lends & Mends

Friends:

“Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart”
― Eleanor Roosevelt

Perhaps what we need isn’t only surfaced friendship with a “how ya doin’?” but more of a deeper kind. A kind that asks the hard questions of us. The kind of friendship that demands more of our time and commands us to consider our points of view while realigning us with God himself. Godly friendships are more than placating our conversations and our concerns, but should have a way of challenging our preconceptions and our value systems. Sometimes these Godly friendships are also called Accountability partners, but in a long and winding road of life this long-term mentor/mentee relationship can lead to a deeper friendship. We need Godly friends like these in our lives. Some may come and go while others may walk with us for years to come, each will leave a mark on us if we are vulnerable enough to let them. A good solider in God’s army needs other fighting friends within whom they can confide and find solace in. Do you have friendships like this?

2) Lends

The second thing a good Soldier in God’s army needs to do is lend support to other fighters out there. If you have made a commitment to Christ to proclaim His name to a lost world then you’ve made a long term commitment. This isn’t some short term mission trip or a weekend warrior drill, this is for life. Does that scare you? Consider what Christ has done for us…and what does He ask of us in return? He calls us to stand up, speak up and fight on. So what about other fighters out there? Don’t they require encouragement and accountability too? YES! A part of our calling as a Solider is to step up, step out and lend a hand to others. These fellow soldiers may just require a listening ear, others might require some solace and rest on your behalf while others might benefit from your guiding hand as a more “seasoned” solider of the Cross. You are also vital to their survival. Make no mistake about it! You a matter to their well-being and their success. So step up and know that your contributions to others can make a drastic difference in their continuance in this fight!

3) Mends

This is a play on words of sorts, because this last point is two-fold:

a) Make A-mends:

sometimes while in the fight we may inadvertently burn bridges that we need to re-cross. In the heat of the battle we might face off against other well-meaning soldiers and have to separate ourselves from them. Does that mean we should never speak again or never come face to face with that person again? Absolutely not! What it does mean is that we will find differences of opinions. Sometimes we will be in the right while other times we will be in the wrong. Yet we shouldn’t hold grudges against fellow children of God. Sometimes we can find ways to make amends and re-pave that bridge. Other times we might not necessarily ever see eye to eye with a fellow Christian, yet we can find our commonalities and get back out there into the thick of the fight! There are bigger, more important battles to wage for the Kingdom than wasting time on the needless bickering and disharmony amongst fellow soldiers. When we can make amends when then can face the second portion of this “Soldier’s Soul-check” –

b) Mend.

Our hearts can become so compartmentalized when we face disharmony and issues with other believers. When we seek peace within the body of Christ we also find a salve for our wounded souls as well. Mending one mends the other and in so doing we become healthier and better equipped to face the real enemy of this world.

Getting to the point:

Every soldier needs a break from the fight. Every battle worn fighter needs a friend, a comrade a support system. Every Christ-follower who wages war, through the power of the Holy Spirit, needs harmony within armor and body of Christ! How’s your soul doing today? Is it in need of a tune up? Are you desperately in need of an accountability partner or friend to confide in? Can you contribute and breath encouragement into other weary soldiers? Are there charred remains of bridges that you need to repair before you can move on? Don’t wait to make things better. Don’t wait until you’re all alone in battle fit for an army. God desires us to stand strong side by side, encouraging each other and healing the hearts of the wounded.

How’s your soul?

March 17, 2014 2

Why I stopped listening to “Christian” Music

I probably just offended a few Christians out there, sorry that was not my intent, let me get to the point. I have a problem with certain types of music that has become exclusive. By this I mean Christianity isn’t a show in which we sell tickets and make money. U2 once wrote in one of their songs, “Then they put Jesus in show business, now it’s hard to get in the door.” (If God will Send His Angels, 1997) Is it hard for outsiders to hear the gospel of Jesus in some of the “Religious” music today?

I like what Jon Foreman, singer/song writer of ‘Switchfoot’ said when asked if their band was a “Christian” band; “…There is a schism between the sacred and the secular in all of our modern minds. The view that a pastor is more ‘Christian’ than a girls volleyball coach is flawed and heretical. The stance that a worship leader is more spiritual than a janitor is condescending and flawed. These different callings and purposes further demonstrate God’s sovereignty. Many songs are worthy of being written. Switchfoot will write some, Keith Green, Bach, and perhaps yourself have written others. Some of these songs are about redemption, others about the sunrise, others about nothing in particular: written for the simple joy of music. None of these songs has been born again, and to that end there is no such thing as Christian music. No. Christ didn’t come and die for my songs, he came for me. Yes. My songs are a part of my life. But judging from scripture I can only conclude that our God is much more interested in how I treat the poor and the broken and the hungry than the personal pronouns I use when I sing. I am a believer...” (http://ctkblog.com/2013/12/05/why-switchfoot-wont-sing-christian-songs/)

“Christian” music shouldn’t be a label that bands slap on themselves to sell records, it should be a lifestyle no matter if they fill stadiums or play in churches. I think there’s a misnomer that if you don’t make it big on a secular label one can just “crossover” and produce mediocre tunes and still be successful…I honestly don’t think that mentality is truly an effective source of genuine evangelism.

1. Get out of the bubble:

I applaud musicians who see the world around them as Jon does. There shouldn’t be a schism in our society that differentiates and divides. I recognize the need to be “set apart” as Christians, but does that mean that we should also be separated and exclusive in our music too? Understandably there are certain forms of music that are foul in language and sexual in nature that we should avoid. This isn’t about worship music on Sunday mornings either, this is about how we perceive the world around us and breaking down the walls of an “Us against Them” mentality.

We can’t build walls around the Christian church, if anything Jesus came to tear down those walls. Sometimes I get frustrated with the “Christian bubble” affect that Christian music has on people. You know the old phrase “don’t become so heavenly minded that you’re of no earthly good”? This is exactly what happens, in my opinion, when all that we live and breathe is the Christian radio station in our cars. This is what happens when our worldview becomes so small that it just includes the four walls of our church and our homes. God has a bigger outlook on His people than just for the purpose of insulating themselves in the bubble of the “Christian world”.

If we are to be His mouthpiece in the world we have to be willing to step out of our little bubbles and stop looking at “non-Christians” as “Them”…we’re all people who have been created by a mighty God and He loves people and He longs for a restored relationship with ALL people! His desire is that all will hear of His amazing love.

2. Don’t Disguise Jesus:

I am not saying we shouldn’t proclaim His name either. We shouldn’t have to dress up Christ in a disguise in order to fool people into listening to “Christian” music either, and I don’t think that Bands like Switchfoot do this. Jesus doesn’t need a disguise in order to fit into the lives of any who are lost in this world. Jesus wasn’t bothered by the social norms and constraints of the Ancient Jewish customs and neither would He be in our day and age. God doesn’t get stuck in our socially accepted roles and rules, He is above them and He sees how things should be not how things are right now. Jesus doesn’t need a disguise and will work through the hearts of those who are genuine and real. He will work In the hearts of those who have a real passion to reach the lost, the poor, the hurting. We can’t box God in and say that He doesn’t love “those” people because He is still seeking and willing to save anyone who needs Him.

3. Dear Musicians, Lay off the cheesy lyrical cliches of “Christianese”

I am trying not to offend anyone, but there are some annoying Christian lyrics out there being played on the radio today. For example, “If you don’t know what to say, just say “Jesus”…” Are you kidding me? Is that the best we can do? How is that reaching out to those who have never heard the truths and love of God? Sorry, my critical side is showing and I’m sure I will receive some feedback on this, but any genre of music should make the attempt to produce quality music and not settle for the (churchy) old, tired cliches. From an outsider’s perspective it just comes across as cheesy and who wants to listen to something thrown together that doesn’t even come close to the level of quality listeners come to expect in modern music?

Don’t compromise the message, but also don’t settle for mediocrity either. In all things we ought to strive for excellence and keep the passion to reach a dying world at the forefront of our mission. Christ came for the whosoever not the “whatever”. He still longs for His people to actively engage in relevant evangelism so that the truth of His Word can penetrate hurting hearts, but we can’t rely on tired old cliche’s that no one understands to deliver that message.

In a nutshell:

I listen to all kinds of music. I enjoy many, many genres, and I don’t want to place myself in an unbreakable Christian bubble as I look out into the “outside” world. We all are called to step out and be available to show His love to anyone we can reach. We can’t compartmentalize our Church life from our social life…It’s all life and there is a real mission to fulfill in it. This is more than just music, this is the great commission and we can not afford to waste our time living in an exclusive world while millions die without seeing the real, tangible Christ in our walks of faith and in the words we say and live out loud.

To quote again one of my favorite bands – U2 “There is no them, there’s only Us” (Invisible, 2013)

-Just a thought.

***Disclaimer: It’s not that I don’t listen to “music with a message” or Christian music, it’s that I long for a deeper more impacting quality of music in the Christ-following realm that is played on radios. I love the Lord with all my heart and I want to serve Him the best that I can, but I also don’t want to cheapen that relationship by settling for a poor quality of music. Long story short, I’m a music snob…sorry about that!***

March 13, 2014 15

He Lifted Me! (Word Art)

Psalm 40:1-17 (NIV)
¹I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.
²He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
³He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.
⁴Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.
⁵Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.
⁶Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.
⁷Then I said, “Here I am, I have come– it is written about me in the scroll.
⁸I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”
⁹I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, as you know, O LORD.
¹⁰I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and salvation. I do not conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly.
¹¹Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD; may your love and your truth always protect me.
¹²For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me.
¹³Be pleased, O LORD, to save me; O LORD, come quickly to help me.
¹⁴May all who seek to take my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.
¹⁵May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!” be appalled at their own shame.
¹⁶But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, “The LORD be exalted!”
¹⁷Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay.

March 12, 2014 0

Dear Lord, this heart…

2 Timothy 1:6-14 (NIV)
⁶For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
⁷For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
⁸So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God,
⁹who has saved us and called us to a holy life–not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,
¹⁰but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
¹¹And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher.
¹²That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.
¹³What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.
¹⁴Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you–guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.