YOUR IDEA OF GOD

I'm getting ready to head to Orlando, FL and attend the Exponential Conference (it's about church planting and reproducing churches). I know, maybe not your cup of tea. However, in preparing for the conference I ran across this quote:

"What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. The history of mankind will probably show that no people have ever risen above its religion, and man's spiritual history will positively demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God. Worship is pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God. For this reason the gravest question before the Church is always God Himself, and the most portentous fact about any man is not what he at a given time may say or do, but what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like. We tend by a secret law of the soul to move toward our mental image of God. This is true not only of the individual Christian, but of the company of Christians that composes the Church. Always the most revealing thing about the Church is her idea of God." - A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy (New York: HarperCollins, 1961)

Great quote. What do you think? And in a few words or sentences, would you share your idea of God.

Journeying Together,

Jeff

IT'S OPEN!

Christianity is a statement about openness.

At the beginning of His earthly ministry Jesus was baptized by John and the Bible records that the heavens opened and God the Father spoke, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Immediately, Jesus began to preach the good news to everyone out in the open. You see, Christianity, every aspect of it, speaks of transparency. Jesus was crucified for our sins out in the open. The Bible records in Matthew’s gospel that when Jesus died on the cross that the veil of the Temple was torn in two, indicating the way for man to approach God was now open. The Great Commission was given and was to be completed in the open. When the early church was born in that upper room the disciples began to preach out in the open. So, Christianity is a statement about openness. There are no secrets, no hidden agendas. The resurrection of Jesus demonstrates that so vividly.

Luke 24:13-53 is one of those passages that speak to my heart almost like no other. It is about openness, and it is one of the most tender and dramatic passages in the Bible. In this story, Jesus appears to two disciples who did not recognize Him because their eyes were closed, and then in the middle of the story their eyes were opened. How did that happen? How do we, even as believers get our eyes open to Jesus?

When We Start Talking About Him

That’s obvious when we begin reading this passage: “And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them” (v. 13-15—NAS). They were talking about Jesus. Here is a truth you should not miss: Our eyes will begin to be open to Jesus when our conversations are about the Him. It’s so true—Jesus walks into your life when you faithfully make Him and His work a part of your conversations. Start today!

When We See Him In The Scriptures

While they were talking to Him and explaining what had happened with the crucifixion and the report of the empty tomb, “Jesus said to them, ‘You are such foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. Wasn’t it clearly predicted by the prophets that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his time of glory?’ Then Jesus quoted passages from the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining what all the Scriptures said about himself” (v. 25-27—NLT).

If you were to ask me to choose anytime to be present in Bible history, it would be this one. I believe the greatest sermon ever preached was preached by Jesus on this day to these two disciples. Jesus gave insight to these two men concerning how He and the Scriptures fit together that perhaps was never given—and never will be until we are in heaven. I would definitely choose this moment. I believe He began with Moses and said, “In…:

• Genesis-- I Am the Ram at Abraham’s altar
  
• Exodus— I Am the Passover Lamb


• Leviticus— I Am the High Priest


• Numbers— I Am the Cloud by Day and the Pillar of Fire by night


• Deuteronomy— I Am the City of Our Refuge


• Joshua— I Am the Scarlet Thread out Rahab’s window


• Judges— I Am the Lawgiver


• Ruth— I Am the Kinsman Redeemer


• 1st and 2nd Samuel— I Am the Trusted Prophet


• Kings and Chronicles— I Am the Reigning King


• Ezra— I Am the Faithful Scribe


• Nehemiah— I Am the Rebuilder of everything that is broken


• Esther— I Am Mordecai’s courage


• Job— I Am the Timeless Redeemer


• Psalms— I Am the Song of the Ages


• Proverbs— I Am the Truth


• Ecclesiastes— I Am the Great Preacher


• Song of Solomon— I Am the Beautiful Bridegroom


• Isaiah— I Am the Suffering Servant


• Jeremiah and Lamentations— I Am the Weeping Prophet


• Ezekiel— I Am the Call from Sin


• Daniel— I Am the Fourth Man in the midst of the fiery furnace


• Hosea— I Am the Lover who is Forever Faithful


• Joel— I Am the Spirit’s Power


• Amos— I Am the Arms that Carry You


• Obadiah— I Am the Savior


• Jonah— I Am the Great Missionary


• Micah— I Am the Promise of Peace


• Nahum— I Am the Avenger


• Habakkuk— I Am the Watchman praying for revival


• Zephaniah— I Am the Lord Mighty to Save


• Zechariah— I Am the Fountain


• Malachi— I Am the Son of Righteousness with healing in His wings
  

For us today, Jesus would say, “In..:

• Matthew— I Am the Christ, the Son of the Living God


• Mark— I Am the Miracle Worker


• Luke— I Am the Son of Man


• John— I Am the Son of God


• Acts— I Am the Fire from Heaven


• Romans— I Am the Grace of God


• 1st Corinthians and 2nd Corinthians — I Am the Power of Love


• Galatians— I Am Freedom from the curse of sin


• Ephesians— I Am the Glorious Treasure


• Philippians— I Am the Peace of God that passes all understanding


• Colossians— I Am the Fullness of the Godhead


• 1st and 2nd Thessalonians— I Am the Coming King


• 1st and 2nd Timothy— I Am the Mediator between God and man


• Titus— I Am the Blessed Hope


• Philemon— I Am the Friend that sticks closer than a brother


• Hebrews— I Am the Author and Finisher of our Faith


• James— I Am the One who Heals


• 1st and 2nd Peter— I Am the Shepherd


• 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John— I Am the Assurance of Salvation


• Jude— I Am the Lord coming for His Bride


• Revelation— I Am the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Friends, every verse, chapter, and book, speak of Jesus Christ. You can get your eyes open to Him, if you’ll open up the Scripture and begin to read thoughtfully through it. Jesus will leap out of every page.

I pray you have a blessed Easter.

You are loved—and you are FREE!

Jeff

IS FORGIVENESS RELEVANT?

My friend, Jim Palmer, is the author of one of my favorite books of all time, Divine Nobodies. I've mentioned him on REAL LIFE several times. He's currently doing a series on his BLOG entitled, "What Does This Mean To You?" He and I had a conversation about Forgiveness a few weeks ago and he offered it up in his current series. The comments you read from those who visit his blog are quite unique--I mean, there are a great number of people reading and commenting there who are not typical churchgoers.

Anyway, in the original post he asks, "Is forgiveness relevant?" and later in the thread of comments about what forgiveness means to us, Jim himself comments and asks, "do we need 'forgiveness' for God’s sake? does God require it? is the cycle of screw up, ask forgiveness from God, feel better…screw up, ask forgiveness from God, feel better…repeat…repeat…something God expects/needs?" Below is my response (for the most part) that I posted there:

I’m old enough to remember when the movie “Love Story” came out. I have to admit that as a 13 year old I thought Ali McGraw was HOT. Anyway, the tag line of the movie was/is, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” Great line, great thought, great sentiment–totally UNTRUE! Wherever there is love–at least in the human experience–you will be saying, “I’m sorry.” Why? Because there is no possible way that two people can love each other without at the same time, in some way, hurting each other. It just happens. And so for the return to intimacy there must be the seeking of forgiveness, and the granting of it.

However, when it comes to our relationship with God, the times when we fail, seek forgiveness, “feel better” (as Jim stated), and then start the process all over again it can feel like being a child and hearing my dad call me by my first, middle, and last names! You just knew from that tone and those names that you had blown it! And you feared the confrontation. I think that’s where many people are.

Jim and I sat in Nashville at Panera Bread last summer and he made the comment, “Look around. Everyone in this building is looking for love in some way or another.” I agreed, still do. But I think that everyone there, or you name a place where people may be, they are also seeking some measure of forgiveness. It may not be the absolution of sin, but there is something deep within (conscience maybe?) that wants someone to say, “It’s okay. You are forgiven. It’s alright. You’ll do better.” But to get to that point is frightening.

For me, the very familiar story of the Prodigal Son told by Jesus rang a bell of freedom for me several years ago. Here was a son that in that culture could not have been presented in a worse fashion. He asked for his inheritance, took it all and left, spent it all in a relatively short period of time, and finally took a job feeding hogs. To Jesus’ audience, this boy had certainly gone too far. Like many of us, he suddenly comes to his senses and turns back toward his father and home. When the father sees him, he runs out to meet him, puts a robe on his back and a ring on his finger, and throws a party for this son who “was dead and now alive, lost and now found.”

Trying to not sound preacher-like, I found from Jesus’ story several things about God (the father in the parable):

• His love (forgiveness) has no limit.
  
• His love (forgiveness) is patient.


• He is eager to express his love (forgivness).


• His focus is on me.


• He receives me back with great joy.

What does all that have to do with “Love Story”? Just this–if I’ve done something to hurt my wife, it is not a hindrance to the fact she is still my wife. But if I’m blinded to the fact that real intimacy is fractured with her because of my actions and do not seek forgiveness, then both of us are left with hurting hearts on different levels. From the spiritual side, if you are God’s, your sin is no longer a hindrance to his relationship with you. It is a hindrance only as long as you allow the guilt that accompanies sin to blind you to the fact that God is eager to reestablish intimacy with you. And as we keep seeking it, he keeps giving it. And when we begin to realize how much better intimacy is with him than being at odds with him, well, the more we are willing to do to maintain it.

So, how is forgiveness relevant? There is no intimacy anywhere without it. That’s this nobody’s opinion.

What do you think? Look forward to hearing from you.

Journeying Together!

Jeff