One of the chapters in the "Lies" manuscript I'm working on right now

We've all been told at times that Christ wants to have first place in our lives. Although this is a statement that sounds true at first glance, closer examination will show it is actually a statement that can set you on a wrong course in your grace walk. Christ doesn’t want to be first place in your life. He wants you to recognize Him as all of your life.

If Jesus Christ wants the first place spot, what comes second? What about third place? What comes after that? The whole concept is absurd because it implies that our lives can be divided into compartments, with Jesus being one of those compartments.

To understand this point, think about your physical life for a moment. What would you think if I were to suggest that breathing should have first place in your life? What if somebody else said that having a heartbeat should be number one in your life? Maybe someone else could argue, “No, your circulatory system should come first, then breathing, then heart beating.”

It’s a ridiculous discussion because your body is a whole, unified entity. You can’t prioritize which is most important. Your physical health will give expression to every one of those actions in your body. They all work together as they express your normal state of health.

In the same way, our lives are indivisible when it comes to the effect of Christ’s presence within us. We can’t divide our lives into marriage, parenting, career, hobbies and so on. All of those areas make up our lifestyle as one unified life and Jesus is the source of our attitudes and actions in each of those areas.

Jesus Christ isn’t first place in your life. He is your life. He is the essence of who you are. Paul wrote in Colossians 3:4, “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.” He described life in Philippians 1:21 by saying, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

Note that Paul didn’t give Jesus a high place in his life. Paul realized that the very core of his existence was his union with Jesus Christ. He said it this way in Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself up for me.”

So, there it is. Paul said that he didn’t have a life apart from Jesus Christ. That’s true for you too. While it may sound admirable to say that we want Him to be number one in our lives, it misses the point of our union with Him altogether.
Christ wants to be the life of your family, the life of your career, the life of your hobbies, the life of your finances, etc. Do you see the point? He is your everything!

We do ourselves a disservice when we think that Jesus is a part of our lives, even if it is the number one part. He is the substance of everything that you are. He is our very essence.

You know you’re on the right track in your thoughts when you find yourself seeing your marriage relationship in a way that it is Christ living His life through you, expressing His love and life to your mate. Parenting becomes an expression of His life when we know that it is He who is loving and guiding our children through us. You have a right understanding of priorities when you know it’s Him who animates your activity at work.

When we know the truth, we stop thinking of Jesus holding first place in our lives and we begin thinking of Jesus being the source that animates every place in our lives. His isn’t number one. He’s the whole list!

Jesus In The Visual Arts

I’ve never considered myself to be particularly “artsy.” Melanie drug me to the Museum of Art in Atlanta to see Monet’s work. I went with her to the Rykes Museum when I spoke in Amsterdam. I saw paintings done by the Masters. I understand that they are masterpieces. I sincerely tried to get it, but I just didn’t get it.

I stood staring as if I knew what I was looking at, hoping that the beauty would emerge like one of those three dimensional pictures that become clear if you look at it long enough. But nothing happened. “The depth of conflict overpowers you,” one observer noted as we stood together staring at a painting. “I can hardly bear it,” I answered. But I didn’t get it.

Elvis on velvet or “Dogs Playing Poker” – I recognize a little talent there. But Surrealist paintings by Jean Arp? Or Expressionism by Max Beckmann? French Fauvisme by Matisse? I’m sorry. Speak Swahili and it will make more sense to me.

However, one day I read a book that had a tremendous spiritual impact on me. It was a book about art – a particular piece of art. The book is The Return Of The Prodigal Son, by Henri Nouwen. The whole book is a description of the insight given to Nouwen by the Divine Lover as they sat together at the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg while Nouwen visited Russia.

While he sat for hours looking at the masterpiece by Rembrandt, the Divine Lover started him on a long spiritual adventure. As he watched the changing light and shadow on the painting as the day progressed, the art became the voice of His heavenly Father showing Him that the painting was really about him.

The voice of the Divine Lover drew Nouwen’s attention first to the younger son. It was there that he learned about returning home and what it means to be a son. Then his attention was directed toward the elder brother who stood by with clasped hands and a closed heart. It was through his presence in the painting that Nouwen heard the Beloved Voice speak to him about the levels of rivalry and doubt in his own life. And, at last, he was drawn toward the father in Rembrandt’s painting. There he learned lessons about loving unconditionally and about how to receive those who have wandered far away from home.

Nouwen concluded his writing about what the Divine Lover said to him through Rembrandt:

"When four years ago, I went to Saint Petersburg to see Rembrandt’s "The Return of the Prodigal," I had little idea how much I would have to live what I then saw. I stand with awe at the place where Rembrandt brought me. He led me from the kneeling, disheveled young son to the standing, bent-
over old father, from the place of being blessed to the place of blessing. As I look at my own aging hands, I know that they have been given to me to stretch out toward all who suffer, to rest upon the shoulders of all who come, and to offer the blessing that emerges from the immensity of God’s love."

Throughout history, our loving Father has used artists to enable us to gaze into His own face more clearly. Michelangelo poured himself into his work for the glory of God. Other artists have created works for His glory alone.

In our own day, there are Christian artists whose work become showcases for the glory of God. Only eternity will reveal how the Divine Lover has reached out to tenderly touch lives through the paintings of these artistic oracles of His love. In their work is a subtle expression of the lovely face of Jesus.

Perhaps the beauty of art is a sneak preview of the beauty which awaits us in the honeymoon home our Divine Lover is preparing for us at this very moment. In our own day, we have Thomas Kinkaid, known as the Painter of Lights. He indeed does point us to The Light. I have stared into some of his paintings and wished that I could go there. I’ve felt like I’d like to step right into the picture, if possible.

C. S. Lewis describes this experience in The Weight of Glory. He wrote:

"We want something else which can hardly be put into words – to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to become part of it . . . . At present we are on the outside of the world, the wrong side of the door. We discern the freshness and purity of morning, but they do not make us fresh and pure. We cannot mingle with the splendors we see. But all the leaves of the New Testament are rustling with the rumor that it will not always be so. Some day, God willing, we shall get in."

Music, movies and art are three of the most common cultural icons that identify our contemporary culture. The Divine Lover longs to speak to you through these modern mediums in order to show His love to you. By understanding that He speaks through creativity, the Holy Spirit will be able to teach you how to hear His unassuming voice within the culture of your routine lifestyle. Practice the discipline of seeing the face of your Divine Lover in the midst of contemporary culture. He takes delight in surprising you with manifestations of His presence and love.

For My Grandchildren - Jeremy, Jonathan & Hannah

Jesus saw you playing in the snow and loved watching you have fun! :)

Want to watch a TV interview I recently did in Canada?

Steve McVey discusses the fact that God the Father didn't pour out anger on Jesus while He was on the cross. The Father was IN the Son, reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them. The cross was curative, not punative! Watch the program to hear the full details.

Click here:

Steve McVey on Encounter with Peter Youngren

Does The Holy Spirit Convict Unbelievers of Their Sins? No

How are we to pray for a friend or family member who doesn’t know Christ? If you follow the example of most believers’ prayers, you’ll pray that the Holy Spirit will convict them of their sins so that they’ll become open to the gospel. No one would object to the motivation behind that kind of prayer, which is the salvation of loved ones. But are we really praying according to what the Bible says the Holy Spirit will do when we approach it that way?

The answer is no. It is pointless to hope or pray that the Holy Spirit will convict an unbeliever of the things they are doing wrong. He’s not going to do that for one simple reason: Their sins are not the problem. You see, the specific sins — the detailed misbehavior — of a person who isn’t trusting in Jesus Christ is just indicative of a deeper problem.

The Holy Spirit isn’t going to convict unbelievers of their specific sins because that wouldn’t meet the deepest need they have. Their biggest problem isn’t their misbehavior. He’s going to convict them of the one thing that ultimately matters — their unbelief in Christ. That’s the core issue.

John 16:8 tells exactly what the Holy Spirit will do in regard to the conviction of the world. Jesus said, “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me” (John 16:8-9).

The word “convict” in this biblical context doesn’t mean that He finds them guilty, as we might normally think of when we use that word. The word in this context means “to convince” and that’s what God wants to do. God’s Spirit will convince an unbeliever of his unbelief and he will come to see the necessity of believing in Jesus Christ. In comparison to that, nothing else matters. Compared to unbelief, behavior is just incidental.

I’ll give you an example. When I was in high school, I worked in a nursing home. Part of my responsibility there was to take the bodies of men who had died and bathe and clean those corpses, to get them ready for the funeral director.
When I bathed them, shaved them, and dressed them, I would put their dead bodies in a geriatrics chair and tie them to the chair. There they would sit until the funeral home would come to pick them up and take them to the morgue. Without wanting to sound disrespectful, I can honestly say that, after I finished with them, most of those guys looked better than I’d seen them look in years. Everything looked right about them, but they had a big problem. They were dead.

That’s exactly the way it is with the life of an unbeliever. His sins, as serious as those things might be, are really symptoms. You might as well forget praying that the Holy Spirit will convict an unbeliever of his addiction to drugs, or her addiction to alcohol or promiscuity or anything like that. If a person doesn’t know Christ, he has one consuming need, and that is his unbelief.

Sometimes the most glaring characteristic of an unbeliever in our minds may be his misbehavior. We may see a person acting in a way that would be considered morally offensive to many and we cringe to see such behavior, but that isn’t the big thing to God. He knew how we would all behave when He gave Himself for our sins. His concern now is that we believe on Him and enter into the experience of knowing our sins are forgiven and living out of the fullness of His indwelling life.

So we may think, since a person’s bad behavior is the most urgent thing to us, that God’s Spirit sees them the same way and that His main concern is about how they are acting. That’s just not the case so we might as well not pray based on that faulty assumption. The idea that the Holy Spirit convicts an unbeliever of their sins is false. He will only convict an unbeliever of one thing, and that is his unbelief in Jesus Christ. He will show that person where he stands so that he can enter into the experience of knowing God through Jesus.

We all know people who haven’t trusted in Jesus Christ. When we pray for them, let’s not pray that they’ll be convicted about taking drugs or drunkenness or immorality or anything like that. Let’s pray that the Holy Spirit will convict them of their unbelief, because that is His ministry. When we pray for them in that way, we are appropriating a truth of the Bible that can make an eternal difference in somebody’s life.

(This article is taken from my working manuscript, 52 Lies Heard In Church Every Sunday. It will be released January, 2011)

Asking God For Forgiveness

It is no longer necessary for you to ask for forgiveness for your sins. In fact, it insults the finished work of Jesus on the cross when we do ask. It implies that the matter isn’t finished although Jesus clearly said that “it is finished.” Doesn’t the New Testament teach that we are to still ask for God’s forgiveness? This is where it becomes important to “rightly divide the word.”

When did the new covenant of grace begin in the Bible? Many would say it started at the beginning of Matthew, yet the covenant did not actually start until the death of Jesus. The covenant of grace was the last will and testament of Jesus Christ. The age of grace could not become operative until Jesus died. The writer of Hebrews said:

For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives (Hebrews 9:16-17).

Both Scripture and common knowledge demonstrate that a will does not become functional until the one who made it dies. Given that fact, which covenant was in operation during the whole lifetime of Jesus? Of course it was the covenant of law. Jesus lived under the Old Testament. (The words "testament and "covenant" mean the same thing.)

Remember that the purpose of law is to raise the awareness of sin among those who embrace it. (See Romans 5:20) Living under the covenant of law, the words of Jesus often reflected that covenant. Such is the case when he discussed the matter of forgiveness. In Matthew 6:12, when responding to his disciples’ inquiry about how to pray, concerning forgiveness he said, “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” He elaborates on forgiveness under the law system in verses 14-15 by saying, “For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive you your transgressions.” This was the law in action — if you want God to do something for you, then you must first do something to cause Him to act in your behalf. Under law, if there is even one person whom you have not forgiven, then you can’t be fully forgiven yourself. If you aren’t fully forgiven, you have no hope of heaven.

When asked about forgiveness, Jesus answered according to the law. Yet in His personal relationships, he always acted in grace. An example of His approach is illustrated by the woman in John 8 who was caught in the act of adultery. When the scribes and Pharisees pointed out that the law of Moses commanded that adulterers be stoned, Jesus didn’t dispute the law. He simply suggested that their application of the law include themselves. After His challenge that the sinless one among them cast the first stone, the crowd dispersed until no one was left except the woman who had been caught.

Having acknowledged the validity of the law at that moment, he went on to demonstrate gracious forgiveness toward the woman by asking, “‘Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you? And she answered, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go your way. From now on sin no more.’” This incident is so typical of the Lord Jesus during His earthly ministry. He utilized the law to raise the awareness of sin and then demonstrated grace by His own behavior.

Under the covenant of law, one was not totally forgiven but must receive ongoing forgiveness in order to remain in a guilt free state. Yet at the cross, God poured out all His forgiveness toward those who are His. We don’t need to ask anymore! Paul described total forgiveness in Colossians 2:13-14.

And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.


Because of His finished work at the cross you have been acquitted for the sins of a lifetime! If you believe that your sins are still being forgiven one at a time as you ask for forgiveness, a troubling question must be answered. What happens if you die with just one sin in your life which you haven’t thought to ask Him to forgive? The truth of Scripture is that before we were ever born, God saw our lives and identified every sin that we would commit. The “certificate of debt” is a list of the sins of our lifetime. Jesus carried those sins to the cross with Him and God canceled the debt. Every sin of our lifetime has been forgiven — past, present, and future! The empty tomb put a smile on the face of God which has never gone away.

Are you still living as if you were under the Old Testament by constantly asking for God’s forgiveness? Those days are over and finished! Rejoice in the truth that you are totally forgiven. The old covenant is forever gone. The writer of Hebrews said:

For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. For finding fault with them, He says, “Behold, days are coming, says the lord, When I will effect a new covenant, With the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; Not like the covenant which I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand To lead them out of the land of egypt; for they did not continue in my covenant, and I did not care for them, says the lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, After those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their minds, And I will write them upon their hearts. And I will be their God,
And they shall be my people. And they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen, and everyone his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ For all shall know me, From the least to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And I will remember their sins no more (Hebrews 8:7-12).

The day described in this passage is the day in which we live! When grace rules, we will see God as One who has forgiven us for every sin of our lifetime! The cross of Jesus was God’s final word about our sins. So let's stop acting like it wasn't by continuing to ask Him to do something He's already done - forgive us.

Abiding In Christ

When I wrote my first book, Grace Walk, in 1995 there were things I said then that I'd say differently today. Things I think I could have made clearer. The topic of abiding in Christ is one of those subjects.

I wrote a lot in the book about the importance of abiding in Christ. My jumping off place for that was the words of Jesus in John 15:4 where Jesus said, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me." The metaphor Jesus used was the vine and the branches, with the point being that our only role is to "hang out" with Him and depend on Him to be the One who produces whatever fruit comes through our lives.

Over the past 15 years, many people have asked me exactly how it is that we are to "abide in Christ. It's a good question that deserves an answer. The paradox in telling people to abide in Christ is that they may think there's something they need to do for that to happen. The reason it's a paradox is because the very idea of abiding in Christ moves us away from doing something to a place of rest, trusting that He's the One who does what needs to be done.

Simply put, to abide in Christ means one thing: To relax and trust His indwelling Life to motivate and mobilize our actions. It means to know that it's not up to us to make something happen. It means to trust Him and stop worrying about ourselves. In fact, it means to take our eyes off ourselves and just look at Him, knowing that there's nothing we have to do and that He will show us when to act and what to do when it's time to do it. It's a life of rest.

The irony of it all is that we really can't do anything but abide in Christ. After all, our very life is found in Him. So there's a sense in which we abide at every moment no matter what. To be told to "abide" simply means to recognize the reality of our union with Him and to give up any silly notions we may have that we have anything to contribute to this arrangement.

Fruit on the vine doesn't struggle to grow, to be tasty or anything else. It just hangs there and the nutrients from the earth come up through the vine into the branches and the fruit is the natural (actually, it's supernatural) result. That's how it is when we understand abiding in Jesus Christ.

Don't sweat it. Just take your hands off your own life. Off your circumstances and your challenges and your self effort and your attempt to navigate your present life and design your future. He has it all under control. So just relax and say, "thank you very much" and when you've done that, you are abiding in the active sense of the word.

Let's Party!

Our God loves a party. Contrary to the religious mindset that sometimes causes people to think that sobermindedness looks eerily like outright misery, faith and fun are not in opposition to one another. Even under the old covenant, God made provision for the people to celebrate.

And you shall eat in the presence of the Lord your God at the place where He chooses to establish His name, the tithe of all your grain,your new wine, your oil, and the first-born of your herd and your flock, in order that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always. And you may spend the money for whatever your heart desires, for oxen, or sheep, or wine, or strong drink, or whatever your heart desires; and there you shall eat in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household (Deuteronomy 14:23,26).

Contrary to the opinion of some, God loves fun! In eternity past the three Persons of the trinity all enjoyed intimacy with each other. It was a private party among the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - a great circle-dance of holy hilarity. There,before the foundation of time, God determined to host a universal party. It was to be a party in honor of His Son, Jesus. He would create man for the purpose of sharing His life with him, thus bringing him into the eternal party taking place in the heavenlies. The good news of the gospel is that you're included in that party. Christianity is nothing less than a party celebrating Jesus Christ.

The father of the prodigal said, “But we had to be merry and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live . . .” (Luke 15:32). When a dead person comes to life, that’s a reason to throw a party. The Bible teaches in Ephesians 2:1 that there was a time when “you were dead in your trespasses and sins”, but now we have been made alive by Jesus Christ. This is a reason to celebrate.

The activity of the early church revolved around what the Bible calls "fellowship." The Greek word is koinonia. Don't let that churchy sounding word intimdate you. Fellowship doesn't mean we try to put a righteous expression on our faces and talk about the Bible using King James English. It wouldn’t be inappropriate to use the word "party" as a contemporary paraphrase of the word.

Many contemporary parties celebrate life. A birthday party celebrates the years one has lived. Anniversary parties celebrate a couple’s life together. A graduation party celebrates the start of a new life for the graduate. Parties are focused on and full of life. Doesn’t that description describe New Testament Christianity? It’s essence is a celebration of divine life. You were dead, but in Christ Jesus have been made alive! It’s appropriate to “shout joyfully to the Lord” and to “serve the Lord with gladness” (Psalm 100:1-2). In other words, it’s time for the church to rise up and have a party! Where grace rules our lives, celebration is the order of the day.

The growth of the early church in Acts is inseparably linked to the fact that these early Christians continuously integrated celebration as a part of their daily lifestyle. They were consumed with a an explosive joy which could not be squelched. Their lifestyle was an ongoing celebration of Jesus.

Acts 2:46 says,And day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart.

The early church was obsessed with an uninhibited, exhilarating, enthusiasm about Jesus Christ. They were so excited about Him that on the day of Pentecost, when those outside the church saw them, they stood in absolute “amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others were mocking and saying, ‘They are full of sweet wine’” (Acts 2:12-13).

They were drunk alright, but not on wine. They were totally intoxicated with the life of Christ being expressed through them by the Holy Spirit. They were experiencing exactly what Paul meant when he said, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). These Christians partied “under the influence” of God’s Holy Spirit all of the time! They celebrated the life of Jesus in every thing they did. They laughed, they played, they loved, and they partied. Not a bad way to spend a lifetime.

Did You See Jesus At The Movies?

Some Christians renounce all movies as “from the devil.” "Hollywood" is snarled from the lips of some believers as if it leaves the taste of bile in their mouths. “Can anything good come out of Hollywood?” they ask. There is no question that, as is true with music, there are some abominable productions being made today. But are we to completely dismiss films as being an arena outside the realm where God can work and speak? Can and will our Father reveal Himself to us through this particular cultural icon? I believe that He will.

I admit that I’m a movie buff. My wife tells me that I can get a sermon out of any movie. I don’t watch movies looking for spiritual applications. I just see them. I have left many movies, having seen the face of my Father smiling at me between the scenes, whispering secrets between the actor’s lines. Maybe others in the theater didn’t see Him, but I know what I saw.

In the movie "Chocolate," I saw the power of authentic grace over religious legalism. "In Les Miserable," I became teary watching the effect that unconditional love and forgiveness can have on a person, as depicted by the life of Jean Valjean. In "The Legend Of Baggar" Vance, Will Smith’s character reminded me that I already have everything I need in Christ. All I need to do is find my “authentic swing” by trusting in what He has already given me by His life. The list of movies could continue. Many have been platforms through which I unexpectedly heard the voice and saw the face of God. I know Jesus goes to the movies. I’ve seen Him there.

As you watch contemporary films, open your mind to the fact that the movie might be a parable for you. Jesus used parables (basically fictional stories) to explain spiritual realities when He taught His disciples. He will do the same thing today as He teaches you more about His life, His grace and His love. This is seeing God through the creative gift He has given others.

It isn’t necessary to sit down to watch a movie, trying to find something “spiritual” in it. Just relax and enjoy the show. He will reveal Himself to you more and more as you learn to be open to divine whispers in the ordinary places of life.

Think about some of the movies you enjoyed. Great stories endure through the years because they speak to us a deep level. They involve those who need to be rescued in some way, antagonists who threaten to destroy the innocents, a hero with redemptive ability who comes to the rescue, and they usually end with a union of love that lasts happily every after. Have you seen these elements in the great films you have enjoyed? Look at these elements again and you'll see that they are the same matrix on which the gospel story stands.

Think about your favorite movies you have seen in your life. Think about the storyline of each film. What were the spiritual applications that could be made if you were to view the movies as parables? Consider the following questions as you recall each movie:

• Was there a message about love in the movie? If so, what was the message and how can it relate to my relationship to my Divine Lover?

• What was the conflict in the movie? As a parable, what can this movie say to me about the appropriate way to resolve conflict in my own life?

• What characteristics of God could I learn about from this movie? His sovereignty? His love? His patience? His goodness?

Films are certainly one way to recognize your Father's presence in everyday life. There are, of course, many other cultural elements through which you can see Him. Great novels can often reveal spiritual truth in a way more powerfully than non-fiction. Art has always been an iconic expression that has often shown us our Father's love. Poetry, dance, sculpture—or even the more common creative efforts such as sewing, cooking, woodworking … the list of ways God can be seen through creativity goes on and on. By understanding that He speaks through creativity, the Holy Spirit will be able to teach you how to hear His unassuming voice within the culture of your routine lifestyle.

Ancient believers said that we live in a "God-bathed world." They meant that God can be seen everywhere if we just look. Do you believe that?

(This article is an excerpt from my book, Journey Into Intimacy)

Jesus And Joe Cocker

God doesn't stand outside world culture, refusing to interact with it. To the contrary, He is very much involved in the details of culture and can use cultural elements to make Himself known to those who have eyes to see. Have you ever seen God revealing Himself to you in the nonreligious aspects of culture? Are there things you enjoy that nobody would call religious, but you know you have experienced an awareness of your Father through those things? What are a few of the nonreligious ways you have encountered God in your life?

Consider some of the more common cultural elements of our society as a medium through which the Lord can reveal himself to you. To suggest that God can speak to you through aspects of modern culture doesn't minimize the place of the Bible. God will never speak in a way that contracts His Word, but He certainly speaks in ways apart from the Bible.

God has often spoken to people through things directly created by Him. He can make Himself known through thunder (1 Samuel 7:10); through lightning (Isaiah 29:6); through fire (Exodus 13:21); through a bush (Exodus 3:2); through the skies and land (Psalm 19:1); even through a talking donkey (Numbers 22:28). The list could go on and on.

In addition to those things created directly by Him, He speaks to us through the creativity of others too. The word “creativity” finds its root in the word “create,” which means “to bring into existence something out of nothing.” The ability to create always finds its ultimate source in God, for He alone is the Creator of all things.

Created things (such as human beings) can’t create, unless they are endowed with creative ability. Like everything else vested in man from the beginning, our ability to create has been contaminated by sin, but the ability is, nonetheless, of divine origin. Any talent to create you or I have been given isn’t something that we can boast in. Our creative abilities are imperfect reflections of His perfect creativity. Our Father's creative ability can be seen through human creativity and in many of the things we create. Sometimes He shows up the most unexpected places, secretly smiling at those who have eyes to see Him through the elements of our culture.

Shortly after I was married, my parents and younger sister moved out of the country for five years because of my dad’s work responsibilities. I only saw them once during that five-year period. I was nineteen when they left and I deeply missed my family. I looked forward to seeing them more than words could express.

When the time drew near for their return to the states, my dad arrived a few days ahead of my mom and sister, unbeknownst to me. I had been out to lunch and as I pulled into the parking lot of the church where I was serving as pastor, I saw my dad sitting in his car. But because I wasn’t expecting to see him, I didn’t recognize him. In fact, I didn’t really pay him any attention. I casually glanced at him and parked my car.

When I began to walk toward the building, my dad spoke. “Hey there, young man,” he said. Instantly, I recognized his voice. I whirled around and ran toward him. It was one of the great thrills in my life and I’m sure that my dad enjoyed the pleasure of suddenly surprising me with his presence.

That’s how Jesus Christ acts toward you. In some ways, there are times when he wears the icons of our culture like a disguise. He hides Himself from the world – from those who don’t want to see Him—but at unexpected moments He suddenly pulls down the mask and gives those He loves a clear glimpse of His face. At those moments, those who love Him squeal with excitement, “Jesus, it’s you! I see you in that!” I have no doubt that when this happens, He laughs with delight.

Are you open to having the Holy Spirit expand your understanding of how to see your Father in the ordinary, everyday icons of life? You will be thrilled when He enables you to look beyond the superficial and see the supernatural. Jesus is waiting to surprise you with His presence. Open your eyes to see Him in the everyday icons of culture.

What are these cultural icons? They are the common expressions of human creativity seen in our society. As an example, let’s consider the medium of music. No medium on earth has the capacity to affect a person’s emotions like music. Music has been used throughout history to move people into action. It has motivated men to charge forward into battle. It has often been a prerequisite to making love. Music has caused some to sit in reflective silence and caused others to get up and dance. It has soothed fussy babies until they drifted off into a peaceful sleep. It has been used at weddings to celebrate a new life together and years later at funerals to grieve the end of that shared life. Music has been a comforting companion to prisoners and slaves. It has given expression to a celebration of victory. Certain music has even been proven to increase the amount of milk a cow gives! Music – it can make us laugh or cry. It can give us feelings of nostalgia, joy, hope, sadness and even anger. Its power is nothing short of miraculous.


Certain songs move me deeply, causing me to experience a sense of intimacy with my Father in awesome ways. I seldom hear or sing The Love of God, Great Is Thy Faithfulness, or A Mighty Fortress Is Our God without choking up. The great hymns of the faith can often teach us theology far better than any sermon and at the same time touch us in the deep places of our heart.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you can only hear your Father's voice within the context of religious music. Remember, He can make Himself known to you in unlimited ways. He isn’t about to surrender everything outside the church doors to the world. Music written apart from His life is pirated material and our God can reclaim it anytime He wants.

I was speaking on this subject at a conference one day when I asked the group, “Are you able to hear God speak to you if there is no religious tone to what you hear?” The audience waited for me to continue. “Close your eyes and listen to the song I’m about to play, “ I encouraged them. “Perhaps you have heard the song before, but this time, listen for the voice of the Divine Lover in it.”

Then, at a spiritual retreat, in a room filled with Christians, I played a recording of an old song by the famous classic rock singer, Joe Cocker. The words he passionately sang are, “You are so beautiful to me. You are so beautiful to me. Can’t you see? You’re everything I hoped for. You’re everything I need. You are so beautiful to me!”

As the song played, grown men and women began to cry. For the first time, many were hearing the voice of the Divine Lover from a source they had never thought to consider before now. For every person there, this song would never again be the same. God’s love had redeemed it and brought it into the kingdom as a gift for those who listened.

Does this concept seem uncomfortable to you? If so, consider this question: Why should Jesus Christ be restricted to only communicating to you in religious ways? He is Lord over all the earth and can use anything He chooses to express love to those who are His! One unmarried lady I know says that she listens to a radio station that plays nothing but romantic love songs and that she often hears the Lord sing to her through those songs. Who would tell her she is wrong?

I have experienced a sense of transcendent joy that couldn’t possibly find its origin in fallen man at times when I have heard certain non-religious music. I was enthralled as I watched a live performance of the musical The Phantom of the Opera. On another occasion, tears filled my eyes as I attended a concert by the great Italian singer, Andrae Boccelli, despite the fact that not one word was being sung in English. I could almost imagine Jesus saying, “Isn’t this great? Steve, I love seeing how you enjoy this concert. I can’t wait until you get Home. I have even better ones waiting for you here.”

Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not suggesting that every time we have a positive feeling, it’s God manifesting Himself to us. I recognize that our emotions can be manipulated by various influences. However, I also believe that Christians are sometimes guilty of dismissing the pervasive presence of Christ in this world by insisting that experiences that aren’t directly religious are non-spiritual or even evil.

Keep your eyes opened wide as you go through your day and you may be surprised where your Father shows up, just to tell you that He loves you.

(This article is an excerpt from my book Journey Into Intimacy. Click here for more information)

An Excerpt From Next Week's "Sunday Preaching"

From the sermon series called, "The Root & Fruit of Religion: How Having A Religious Mindset Hurts Us All." This is an "advance excerpt" of the next week's message:

The Scripture is filled with ambiguous statements that can be understood in very different ways, even in opposing ways by people who are equally committed to the integrity of Scripture and who are equally as committed to a high level of intellectual honesty when studying it. To blatantly judge somebody as being “wrong” or of not believing the “plain teaching of the Bible” just because their view is different from ours is to live from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. When were we appointed Judge of what is perfectly sound doctrine? We were never called to sit in judgment over others as to the rightness and wrongness of their interpretation of Scripture. It's okay to say we believe differently, but our own attitudes sometimes overshadow what we contend is our orthodoxy. We may differ in our understanding without condemning others who have come to a different viewpoint. There are certainly absolutes that can be known, but when we know somebody else seeks truth just as we do and that their view is the result of sincere study, we need to give wide berth to differing opinions, knowing that we all must hold onto our understandings in humility. At best, none of us can see more than just through a glass darkly.”

Do We Become Progressively Righteous?

The Bible teaches that we are righteous people but many of us struggle with that reality. There are also many common misunderstandings about this concept. Those who fail to understand that righteousness is received entirely as a gift (see Romans 5:17) often wrongly think that it can be achieved through various things we do.

If you think that you can become righteous by your own efforts, I remind you that self-effort produces only one kind of righteousness — self-righteousness. The righteousness which is of God comes by faith and it is a gift to us in the person of Jesus Christ. Self righteousness will prevent us from ever experiencing the grace walk.

The biggest misunderstanding about our righteousness is that it's a progressive growth into righteousness Some people believe that we become more and more righteous as we walk with the Lord. But, it’s not by what we do that we become righteous. The Scripture tells us in 1 Corinthians 1:30 that Jesus is your righteousness. “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, ‘Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.'" So, how righteous are you? Look at it this way: on a scale of 1 to 100, how righteous is Jesus Christ? One hundred.

Now, using that same scale, what was the level of righteousness possessed by the Apostle Paul? How about you? How righteous would you say you are? The answer is 100%. You are as righteous as Jesus Christ because Jesus Christ is our righteousness. We may not always act righteous, but that fact doesn’t change the reality of who we are. Don’t allow your feelings to dictate what you believe about this matter. Let what God has said have the final say about it. That is our ultimate authority, right?

Let me illustrate the point this way: Imagine if I found a ring at church and brought the ring in and showed it to everybody and asked whose it was, but no one claimed it. Someone might say, “You found the ring. No one has claimed it, so it’s yours to keep.” I look at the ring and it looks like about a one carat diamond. Immediately I think, “I wonder what that’s worth.”

So I take it to a friend and I ask him what he thinks the diamond is worth and he tells me it’s worth about six or seven thousand dollars. Then I take it to another friend and he says, “No, that’s not a real diamond. That is cubic zirconia. I think it is only worth about three hundred dollars.” I then take it to yet another friend who looks at it and says, “That came out of a toy machine. That’s just plastic. Why, that’s not worth more than about three dollars.”

At this point I have opinions that range from three dollars to seven thousand dollars. How do I know the value of the ring? I take the ring to an appraiser and he would set a value on it based on the price that someone was willing to pay for it. So if someone was willing to pay five thousand dollars for the ring, then the value of the ring is five thousand dollars. I could look at the ring and say, “This ring equals five thousand dollars.” The ring and the five thousand dollars have the same value.
When you and I came into the world, we were born with a big question mark over our heads. The question was, “What is my value? What am I worth?” Unless you know your identity in Christ, you are always asking one way or another, “What is my value? What am I worth?” We try to establish in our own minds what our value is based on what other people tell us (We will probably get varying appraisals, depending on whether we ask our mother or our employer).

But there is a way that you can know your value. Bring yourself before the expert. Come to God and say, “Can you tell me my value?” God will answer, “Yes, I can.” He will determine your value the same way the appraiser determines the value of the ring. It hinges on what price is someone willing to pay for you.

God could say, “You have been bought with a price. And I am the One who bought you. What I paid for you is Jesus.” Isn’t that response biblical? Then would it be accurate to say that to God, you are of equal value to Jesus. It almost sounds blasphemous, doesn’t it? But I want to assure you that your heavenly Father treasures you like He treasures His own Son because Christ is your life. You are now one with Him. You are 100% righteous because He is 100% righteous.

In fact, you will be no more righteous in heaven than you are right now. I’m not talking about your behavior. I’m talking about your nature. I’m talking about who you are. Righteousness by progression is a legalistic lie that implies you make your own way toward greater righteousness by doing the right things.

Living By Religious Rules

One glaring problem with trying to live by religious rules is deciding whose set of rules you intend to follow. The Baptists? The Pentecostals or Charismatics? The Methodists? Presbyterians? Catholics? Which denomination or group will you fall in line with in deciding what you're going to do and not do? There are many varying opinions in the modern church concerning what constitutes godly living. What is acceptable to one group of Christians is completely offensive to another. Again, if you are going to try to build your lifestyle around religious rules, whose rules are you going to follow? “I will live by what the Bible says,” one may smugly answer. However, it should be acknowledged that all who seek to live by legalistic standards claim the Bible as their source of authority.

I was speaking on the dangers of legalism in a church when someone approached me and said, “Steve, I want to give you something. This is what every new member receives at the church where I regularly attend. I think you’ll find it interesting.” I looked at the brochure she handed me and read the title: “Truth About Standards: Biblical Standards For Christians”. The contents of this brochure list fifty-one rules the Christian is to live by in order to “keep our banner of victory waving high.” Below are the last nine of the fifty-one standards this group believes are important to godly living:

43. Biblical reason not to participate in worldly amusements, such as ball games, rodeos, circuses, racetracks, bowling alleys, skating rinks, theaters, video game rooms, etc.
44. Biblical reason not to go dancing, mixed bathing, etc.
45. Biblical reason for men to cut their hair short.
46. Biblical reason for women not to cut their hair but to let it grow long.
47. Biblical reason not to dye your hair.
48. Biblical reason not to wear clothing that pertaineth to the opposite sex.
49. Biblical reason to wear decent, modest clothes with modest styles; moderate prices and colors; decent dress lengths, sleeve lengths, and neck lines.
50. Biblical reason not to wear jewelry.
51. Biblical reason not to wear makeup.

Most evangelical Christians would consider this kind of list to be absurd — the idea that God is against ball games and rodeos? That He cares what color a lady’s dress may be? It is important to realize that this list of religious rules isn’t absurd to those who embrace it. They list numerous verses to prove the validity of each of their points.

Having seen this particular group’s blueprint for living, I ask you this question: What is yours? “Oh,” one may say, “I would never build my life around such a foolish list of rules. I simply try to do what the Bible clearly says.” That is exactly what these people would say if questioned about their rules. The truth of the matter is that in the eyes of God, the legalism in our lives looks just as absurd to God as theirs for one simple reason. Our lifestyle is not to be built on rules! Life is not about finding and keeping the right set of rules. Our life exists in our union with Jesus Christ. Out of that, everything is to flow.

Jesus didn’t come to help us keep religious rules. He came to deliver us from that system altogether. The old man who was married to law was put to death with Him at the cross so that we have no relationship to it anymore. The law is alive, but the “old you” who was married to it is not. “You also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, that you might be joined to another, to him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for God” (Romans 7:4). Because of our co-crucifixion with Jesus Christ, we have absolutely no relationship to the law at all. None (See Romans 3:28; 6:14; 7:6; 8:3-4; 10:4; Galatians 3:21; 3:13,21; 5:18; 1 Timothy 1:9). Our commitment is to Christ alone.

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Check Out This Week's Sunday Preaching Broadcast

Part 2 in a series entitled, "The Root & Fruit of Religion: Discovering How Religious Mindsets Hurt Us All"

This week's topic is "Religion's Greatest Lies" Check it out at this link: www.gracewalk.org

In Memory of my Mother

My mother went to heaven in October, 2004. If she were with us today, this would be her 80th birthday. I find myself feeling bitter-sweet as I reminisce about her life today. I feel nostalgic and sad about her absence but feel a sweet comfort in thinking of her and the person she was.

It's interesting to note the things that remain foremost in our minds after a person has left this world. I remember my Mom's sincere love for Christ. She regularly assured me of the fact that our Father is in control and encouraged my faith toward him all my life.

I learned how to show affection from my Mom. I never grew too old that when I sat down beside her she would reach out to hold my hand. She hugged and patted those she loved. I remember as a small child that she sang songs to me, the first I remember being, "Catch a Falling Star" by Perry Como. She would reach out and pretend to be catching the star and then pretend to put it in my pocket. My mother was a whistler. I remember her whistling tunes as she cleaned house when I was a small child.

She was a Sunday School teacher when she was younger and able to attend church, something she couldn't do anymore as the years passed and her health continued to deteriorate. She taught the young married couples at church and loved it.

I remember her reading the Bible and praying when my Dad as in Viet-nam. She never learned to drive so it was quite a challenge for her to have him across the world while she was back home with two young children.

I think of the many discussions I had with her about grace. She struggled with what I teach because of the influence of her own church background during the time she grew up. I still have negative feelings toward that denomination because of what I saw it did to my mother's sense of confidence over the Father's unconditional acceptance of her, independent of what she had done or not done in life.

One of the funniest moments I remember happened shortly before she died. She said to me, "The lady who cleans my house was over this past week. She's having such a hard time." My mother then began to tell me about the lady's troubles and about what she (my mother) had told the house cleaner to encourage her.

"I told her what you wrote in your book about . . ." My mother proceeded to explain to me how she had shared unconditional acceptance and pure grace with the woman. Then she paused, looked at me and said, "And I don't even believe that stuff!" I started laughing.

"Then why did you tell her all that, Mom?" I asked.
"I don't know," she said as she laughed too.
"I'll tell you why you told her that, Mom," I said. "It's because you do believe it! In your heart you know it's true, but you just can't get your (church denominational background) head around it!"
"You think so?" she said.
"I know so!" I answered.

My Mom went to heaven with confidence that she was a Christian but with hopes that there wouldn't be answering to do about her shortcomings. I like to imagine what it must have been like when her Father embraced her and never mentioned anything about shortcomings in this life.

I miss my mother today, but live in the confident assurance that one day I'll again sit by her side and she will pat me on the leg, then hold my hand, and maybe even sing a Perry Como song to me.

What's The Big Deal About Sin?

What’s the big deal with sin? To be more precise, exactly what is it about our sins that would warrant the kind of attention that the church world gives to the subject? Some who don’t understand the message of grace think that those of us who teach it believe that sin doesn’t matter. Nothing could be further from the truth. I hate sin. I hate it when I see it in my own life and I hate it when I see it in the lives of those I love. The wages of sin is still death. That hasn’t changed. Sin has a withering effect on a person that will relentlessly and progressively strip one of the best things life has to offer and leave nothing but emptiness and meaninglessness in its place.

The question that needs to be readdressed in the modern church world is, “Why do we hate sin?” It’s my viewpoint that our reason for opposing sin is most often totally different than our God’s reason for being against it. The religious reason for hating sin looks so noble at first glance, but misses the point altogether.

What is the reason most Christians believe sin is to be hated? Because it is wrong. To many of us, the core issue of sin is a moral one. Sin is evil and thus should be avoided. In regard to sin, we judge others and ourselves on the basis of the moral implications of our behavior. The consequence is that we tend to view the whole mater in the judicial sense of innocence versus guilty.

I don’t believe our Father in heaven sees sins through the lens of morality. To Him, it’s not a judicial matter calling for a Judge. It’s an organic matter crying out for a Great Physician. God isn’t squeamish about sin because it nauseates Him to see it. He doesn’t recoil from sin the way Superman would avoid kryptonite. Our God has already conquered sin. He has vanquished it by the finished work of the cross. He isn’t intimidated by it in the least.

The idea that our God has a moral purity that causes Him to shy away from the sinfulness of humanity is wrong – dead wrong. Some have argued that God “can’t look upon sin,” but that view is the result of taking scripture out of context.

When Habakkuk the prophet saw the sins of his day, he cried out to God, “You are too holy to look upon evil!” (See Habakkuk 1:13) Then he immediately asked in the same verse, “So why do you?” God saw the sins of the people then. He sees the sins of people today. He doesn’t run and hide in the closet when sin is around. To the contrary, He runs toward those trapped in sin to deliver them from it!

The reason God hates sin isn’t because of what it does to Him because it does nothing to Him. The issue of sin revolves around what it does to us! Your Father isn’t angry when you sin. He loves you and wants to see you free from that kind of self-destructive behavior. He wants us to walk in victory over sin – not because He wants to be sure we live morally, but because He doesn’t want to see us hurt ourselves!

When we understand that this is our Father’s mind and heart toward those who sin, it will change the way we see others who sin too. It will stimulate compassion within us, not judgment against them. We will want to love them back to spiritual health and see them free from the downward spiral of self-destruction, as opposed to judging them on the basis of moral wrongdoing.

Is sin a big deal? Yes, it is, but not because there’s a Divine Scorekeeper who is agitated that we’ve stepped out of bounds. It’s a big deal because when we sin we hurt ourselves and the One who loves us more than we could ever imagine wants nothing less than complete health and peace for those He loves.

Mr. Vain Jangler

Here's another one I like. Thanks to Frank Houser for letting me post it.

Saint Russell

I've been on a hundred diets and lost ten thousand pounds. Once, during my Atkins Diet Dispensation, I discovered something that was so wonderful it almost brought tears to my eyes. It’s the Russell Stover Sugar-Free, Low Carb Chocolate Candies. I had deprived myself of chocolate for so long that I secretly feared that I may never know such carnal pleasures again. I envisioned myself as a cocoaeunuch from henceforth and it was a depressing thought.

Then Russell Stover came to me – in the depths of my dieter’s despair he came and lifted me up from the sweetless wasteland where I lived and set my feet on chocolate ground. May his name be blessed! Russell Stover delivered me from the prison house of chocolate deprivation.

Long had there been civil unrest in the depths of my being, as my dictatorial dieter’s will held me in slavery, while my yearning for chocolate had regularly chanted “We shall overcome.” Now at last my appetite cried out, “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, free at last!”

When I discovered this Russel Stover's Candy, I thought the millennial reign surely had begun. It felt like the earth had righted itself and all life made sense again. All was right with the world. The famine was over and chocolate had returned to its rightful place in our lives.

I bought low carb caramels, a low carb version of Butterfingers, low carb peanut butter cups, low carb chocolate covered peanuts, even a low carb version of M&Ms. It was a a dieter’s nirvana. With those first bites of chocolate, I savored the delicacy. Then for the next week, I ate the candy with no restraint – freely enjoying it with the same guiltless grace that I felt hadn’t been known since Adam and Eve walked naked in the garden and were not ashamed. After all, it was low carb!

I gorged on this cocoa-manna that seemed like it had surely been dropped from heaven. I felt that truly I was experiencing life the way it is meant to be enjoyed. I never varied from my low-carb routine at mealtime. But in between, Russell Stover and I became best friends.

When Monday rolled around and it was time to step on the scales for my self imposed weekly weigh-in, I stepped out of the shower and onto the scales with no fear at all. After all, I was on a low carb diet that had been working for me. But as I looked down at the number on the scales, I was shocked. Surely I was misreading what the digital number said. I stepped off the scales to give it a moment to reset, then stepped back on again. The number was the same. My heart sank. Anxiety suddenly flooded my emotions and it seemed as if the fat demons of the universe were taunting inside my head, “Gotcha! Sucker! You gained more weight this week than you had lost in the previous two weeks!”

“What happened?” Those words bounced around inside my fat head, indicting me again and again. “I ate low carbs this week!” I protested. Then it hit me. “The candy! Could it be the low-carb candy?” I quickly dressed and went immediately to the kitchen to read the nutrition panel on the bags again to make sure that my memory of the carb count was correct.

As I stood there in the kitchen, barely dressed and with my wet hair still sticking straight up on my head, I anxiously studied the nutrition information on the back of the candy bags. Then I saw it. The other column – the one that listed serving size and calories per serving. I was shocked.

Suddenly the scales made sense. I had indeed eaten low carb meals all week. But with this candy, I had eaten enough calories to feed a family of three for a week in some poverty stricken countries of the world. It was a lesson hard learned – low net carbs can still mean a lot of calories.

The whole thing boils down to what I call the “If This-Then That Principle” I thought that if I ate a low carb diet, I would still lose weight. Was I ever wrong. “If I do this, then that will happen.” I’ve learned that life in general often doesn’t work that way. Just because “this” is true doesn’t mean “that” is true. There are variables that keep the “If This-Then That Principle” from becoming a universal law. God is not a vending machine where you put something in to get something out. That is a legalistic mind set.

I used to think that if I read my Bible enough, I would become the person I wanted to be. If I would pray enough, I would feel spiritual. If I shared the gospel with unbelievers, my Father would be proud. On and on the list went. I don't think that way anymore. Now my actions are motivated because of His love for me and what that creates. I read the Bible because I want to, not because of duty. I pray because I find the desire in me instead of the demand I used to feel.

I'm free from the "if-then" trap and never been happier in my grace walk. As to my "weight walk," I still carry a 35 pound thorn in the flesh in my body, but I'm done with the if-then rule in that part of life too. Until the Father gives me some revelation,some deliverance, some impartation in that area, I'll just live by the verse that says, "He that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat" (Proverbs 28:25, King James Version). Okay, I'm kidding about that too, but I know it'll be grace that leads me onward there too. In the meantime, there shall be no grace toward "Job's friends" who tell me what I need to do to lose weight. "For the wages of condescending comments from thin people is being unfriended on FB" (Atkins 3:23).

Getting Our Minds Right

The fifth chapter of John tells the story of an afflicted man whom Jesus encountered. This particular man had been paralyzed for thirty-eight years. As he lay by the Pool of Bethesda, he watched other people see their dreams come true. Every now and then, an angel would come and stir the water in the pool. Immediately afterwards, the first one who got into the pool would be healed of whatever problem he had.

One day Jesus came to that pool and saw the man lying there. “ Do you want to get well?” Jesus asked him. “I can’t get into the water and nobody will help me,” the man answered. Jesus said to the man, “Get up, take your mattress and walk.” Immediately the man did what Christ said. He simply got up and walked away. (See John 5:1-9)

Before the paralyzed man was healed, he had to come face to face with a question that almost seems bizarre on the surface. “Do you want to get well?” Jesus asked him. “Do I want to get well?!?” the man might have asked. “What kind of question is that? Of course I want to get well!”

That’s not what he said. Instead he began to explain why being well was outside the realm of possibility for him. Somewhere along the way, his dream of ever walking again had died. Jesus, however, is in the business of resurrecting things that have died. With loving compassion, He simply said to the man, “Get up.” Inherent in His word was both the motivation and the ability for the man to finally do what his heart had yearned to do for years – to walk.

What dreams lie dormant inside your heart that were once alive and vibrant? It is important for you to realize that those dreams may be the voice of God’s will within you nudging you toward rising up and fulfilling His plan for your life. What would you do if Jesus said to you today, “Get up and do it”? How long have you watched other people’s dreams come true while you lay on the sidelines?

Abby FitzPatrick is one of my heroes. The thing you may find surprising is that she is only eleven years old. Abby has a rare disease called Mitochondrial Disease. Mitochondria are powerhouse of each cell and are responsible for converting substances from the foods we eat into energy for essential cell functions and the cell functions in turn run all of the organs and systems in our bodies. The process of converting food into that energy requires hundreds of chemical reactions, and every one of them has to run almost perfectly in order to have a continuous supply of energy. When one or more components of these chemical reactions don’t run perfectly, there is an energy crisis, and the cells can’t function normally. As a result, there is not enough cellular energy to run the essential systems in the body - such as the heart, liver, kidneys, digestive tract, muscle and brain. It is a serious disease, to say the least.

Abby is an amazing girl, animated by divine power. She is in the Beta Club. As her energy allows, she swims and runs and plays like all eleven-year-old girls. This year she was on the volleyball team at the local YMCA. She knows how serious her health problem is, but has decided to live every day to the fullest degree possible.

Sometimes when I’m dealing with the routine frustrations of life, I think about Abby. I wonder what kind of day she has had. I’m reminded of how she handles the hard days and I think to myself, “Life is too short to sit on the sidelines. If Abby can run the race with gusto, despite her challenges, I have no excuses.” So I shake off my petty attitude and determine to move ahead with faith and hope.

Are there any good excuses you have for not running the race with gusto? You’ve had some debilitating things happen in life? Okay, so what are you going to do now? You may think your situation is “sick,” but you have divine life pulsating through you. It’s who you are. Don’t let yourself get bogged down by your circumstances. They don’t define you. Your Creator has defined who you are and He says that you have been created as somebody who is filled with divine potential.

Maybe you’ve been set on the sideline, seemingly handicapped by life’s circumstances. Here’s the question you must answer: Do you want to be well? Some people don’t. To be well means they would have all their excuses taken away from them. They wouldn’t be able to blame their circumstances anymore. They could no longer say that other people were at fault.

To be well, they would have to assume full responsibility for rising up and stepping out in faith to do God’s will. It would be them and Jesus. They couldn’t play the role of a victim anymore. No more excuses. No more delays. Do you want to be well?

You can be well. God’s will is most definitely for you to know and believe this fact – It’s your turn! Your day has come! Jesus is speaking to you right now. Deep inside you something is stirring. It is a hope that all this might be true. Well, it is.
Your day has come because God is faithful to His promises. “Strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine with ten thousand beside!” wrote the hymn-writer. If you will believe in your Father’s goodness and in His desire to lead you into fulfilling His will, your life can change. Will you appropriate the ability to fulfill God’s will for your life because of what Jesus has done?

Maybe something inside you needs to change if your are going to “rise up and walk.” The longer you have laid on the sidelines and meditated on your own pitiful condition while others walked onward, the more necessary it is for you to change the way you think. You must reset your “internal thermostat” in order to believe and receive what your generous Father has in store for you. Sometimes you need to retrieve what you know to be true. Do you want to realize the wonderful potential that God has planned for you? He will enable you to get up and go.

(This article is an excerpt from my book, Walking in the Will of God)

Knowing Your Value

While teaching in the Grace Walk Conference yesterday, Grace Walk Canada's National Director told a great story that I'd like to pass along in this blog.

Mike said that he was speaking in church one day when a man in the congregation noticed that Mike didn't have a watch. (Wonder what made him notice that??:) Anyway, after the service the man came to him and in a stammering sort of way said, "The Lord told me to give you this watch." He took the watch off his own arm and handed it to Mike. After being assured by the man that he did indeed want him to have it, Mike accepted the watch and expressed a sincere, but casual thanks to the man.

Mike began to wear the watch all the time - when he was at home relaxing, when he was working outside in the garden, when he was doing hard and dirty work. It was his only watch and he wore it continually.

One day the battery on the watch died. Mike stopped by a Kiosk at the mall to have the battery changed. "You'll need to take this watch to the jewelry store to have the battery replaced," the man told him. So off to the jewelry store he went. As the jeweler was opening the back of the watch, Mike said, "I need a new band for the watch too. I'd like to buy a cheap band while I'm here."

The man looked up at him with a puzzled look on his face. "A cheap band?" the jeweler asked? "Yes," Mike said. Then he began to explain to the jeweler how a man at church had given him the watch. Mike said the jeweler acted odd and looked as if he knew there was something Mike didn't know. "Is it a good watch?" Mike asked him. "Oh, yeah," the jewler said. "Do you know what it's worth?" Mike asked. "This watch is worth at least twenty five hundred dollars." "Two thousand five hundred dollars!" Mike exclaimed in shock.

"I didn't know the value of what I had," he said, "but from that day onward I have taken great care of this watch - because now I know its value!"

When we don't know our value in Christ, it affects how we live. It causes us to think little about the negative effects that fleshly behavior has on us. We don't mind the dirt if we think we're not worth much anyway. But once we have come to understand the value our God has placed on us, we want to "take care" in the things we do because we now realize that we "have been bought with a price" and that we have great value.

The workmanship of an expensive watch is something to admire, but you "are His (God's) workmanship created in Christ Jesus!" So let's act like the valuable work of our Creator that we in fact are!

(Thanks for the story, Mike, and for reminding us of our value. I wish you could all know Michael Zenker. He is a gift from God to me, to Grace Walk Ministries, and to his country. Check out our Canadian ministry at www.gracewalkcanada.org)

What's It Mean to Walk After The Flesh?

“I don’t know what to do about a problem I’m having. I know the Bible teaches that my old man was crucified, but he keeps coming back to life!” That's what somebody told me once after I'd spoken on the topic of our cocrucifixion with Christ. I understood why he would make such a statement. He didn’t understand the difference between the power of indwelling sin and his old sin nature. He believed that his old man was still troubling him.

The old sin nature will never pose a problem for us because it is has been put to death by the cross. Failure in battle comes when we allow the power of indwelling sin to cause us to act out of our flesh. To function from our flesh is simply to act out of our own natural abilities instead of trusting Christ to give life to our actions.

Depending on our own natural abilities usually doesn’t look so bad if they are religious. I used to think that walking after the flesh referred to the man who stayed out drunk all night on Saturday then showed up at church on Sunday morning with bloodshot eyes. That was “flesh” as I understood it. If a man was having an affair, that was flesh. If somebody was embezzling money from his company, that was flesh. It’s true, all those things are an indication that somebody is living out our their self-life and not by the life of Christ. However, flesh doesn’t have to look like that.

Many sincere Christians are walking after the flesh for one simple reason — they are depending on themselves to try to live the Christian life instead of trusting Christ to be the Source of their behavior.

Author Charles Trumbull writes about being in Edinburgh, where he learned of a meeting in which the speaker was going to speak on the subject of “The Resources of the Christian Life.” He said,

I went eagerly to hear him. I expected him to give us a series of definite things that we could do to strengthen our Christian life; and I knew I needed them. But his opening words showed me my mistake, while they made my heart leap with a new joy. What he said was something like this: The only resources of the Christian life, my friends, are just — Jesus Christ.That was all, but that was enough. (From the book, Victory In Christ)

Western world Christians find that fact hard to believe. Our culture has programmed us throughout our whole lives to do our personal best, to excel by sheer effort and determination. Many have adapted that philosophy in their Christian walk, thinking that God is pleased by it. I have even heard it said that we are supposed to do the best we can, then God will take up the slack and do the rest. That is found nowhere in the Bible! Christians are not to live up to the best of our ability, then trust Him to do the rest. We are to trust Him to do it all! Our personal best will ruin us because we aren’t called to do our best, but to rely at every moment upon Jesus Christ as our Source of life. He is to be our personal Best. The whole purpose of Christ indwelling the believer is that we are now able to live out of His ability. Does this mean that our ability lies unutilized within us? Not at all. Our ability is to be energized by His life, thereby making it His ability.

Somebody once challenged me on my assertion that we are to depend upon Christ to do all that needs to be done and not ourselves. “Even Paul said that he labored and strived in the ministry,” he said.

“You are right,” I responded, “but look at the way that Paul put forth that effort. Colossians 1:29 says, ‘And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works in me.”

In no way am I advocating passivity in the Christian life. We do strive, labor, fight. We do actively participate in what the Holy Spirit is doing in the world around us, but we do it as we depend upon His power which works mightily in us. Concerning his own ministry, Paul said: “Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God. For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed” (Romans 15:17-18). Paul recognized that his ministry had actually been the result of Christ working through him. To live otherwise is to walk after the flesh.

So, walking after the flesh doesn't have to look disgusting. In fact, it's often applauded by the world of religion. The truth is, though, that we can't live the Christ life ourselves and to try is to insult the Holy Spirit who has come into us for that very reason.

Does God Intend For Us To Always Be Happy?

The contemporary religious world seems at times to have God confused with Santa Claus. To listen to some people, I'd come to the conclusion that their view is that our Heavenly Father always intends to give us exactly what we want, behave exactly like we expect Him to behave and arrange our circumstances exactly the way we want them to be. When these things don't happy so that we can be happy at every minute, they seem to think that the devil must be attacking us to steal away our happiness. The Scripture, however, teaches a different viewpoint. Happiness is not our birthright and has not been promised to us as a continual, uninterrupted way of life.

The truth is that “happiness” is not God’s primary concern for us. There have been many great Christians throughout church history, and even now, who are very unhappy people. There's certainly nothing wrong with wanting to be happy. In fact, that's the normal desire of every human being, but the fact is that God has something much better than happiness available for us.

What God wants for you to know is joy. Joy and happiness are not the same thing. The difference is this: The word "happy" comes from the old English root word, “hap,” which means, “chance.” “Happiness” comes from the word happenings. Happiness is directed to the things that happen in our lives. It's entirely circumstantial. Happiness is connected to external factors and variables in life. Many who have experienced the emotional state of unhappiness have been extremely spiritual, faithful believers. In other words, it’s possible to be both filled with faith and unhappy at the same time.

Joy on the other hand, is something very different. Joy comes from a deep abiding recognition of who Jesus is in us. It is a quality that is not dependent on circumstances. Joy is connected to a Person. Joy comes through our conscious awareness of unity with God, through the Holy Spirit revealing Jesus Christ to us — the Triune God pouring out His love on us, and sharing His quality of eternal Life.

None of us like having problems or enduring suffering. No one would choose those things in and of themselves, but it’s obvious that trouble is part of life on planet earth until the Lord launches His recreation of nature. But even in a world of trouble, joy is available to those who know and believe in Him. Happiness may elude us at times, but joy is a different matter. Look at these passages from Psalms:

You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever. Psalm 16:11

For You make him most blessed forever; You make him joyful with gladness in Your presence. Psalm 21:6

For our heart rejoices in Him, because we trust in His holy name. Psalm 33:21

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house; and You give them to drink of the river of Your delights. Psalm 36:7-8

When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches, for You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy. Psalm 6-7

And of course, the New Testament says the same. And notice that these passages say nothing about “happy” circumstances being the cause:

“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:11-12

“These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” John 15:11

Rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer. Romans 12:12

For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17

As sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing to possessing all things. 2 Corinthians 6:10

But the fruit of the Spirit is … joy. Galatians 5:22

Rejoice always; again I will say, rejoice! Philippians 4:4

Rejoice always. 1 Thessalonians 5:16

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials. James 1:2

And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory. 1 Peter 1:8

This long list of passages should demonstrate beyond doubt that joy is inseparable from the Christian life lived in its fullness, the grace walk. And along with joy invariably comes the result of gratitude or thanksgiving:

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Colossians 3:15-17

Happiness has to do with external things. Joy isn't grounded in the external but in the Eternal. It has to do with the realization of the internal life of Christ and the eternal reality that He is our very life!

God’s goal for you is not to see to it that you are always happy. I don’t think Paul was happy when he was in a prison. I don’t think Jesus was happy in the garden of Gethsemane. And yet Paul did say, “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am” (Philippians 4:11). Jesus did say to the Father, “not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:30). The Bible says that “for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:2). Even for the Lord Jesus Himself there was a difference between joy and happiness. Aren’t you thankful that He chose joy over happiness?

There is a difference between joy and happiness for us, too. You may not be in a happy circumstance right now in your life, and you may be praying for God to change your circumstances so that you’ll be happy. There is nothing wrong with asking God to change your circumstances. Perhaps He will. But I encourage you to realize that what Christ offers you is much better. It runs much deeper than the shallow emotion of happiness. What Jesus Christ offers you is joy that is found in Him.

Thanks To Calvary, I'm Not The Man I Used To Be

After posting that last horrific southern gospel song, I thought equal time for the opposing viewpoint was deserved! :) Seriously, I'm not wild about the whole Southern Gospel Music culture, but this one by Doug Oldham is a classic. When I was in my 20's I shed a river of tears of joy listening to him sing. All these years later, I still find myself moved by his tenderness and style. Here are a couple of great old songs about identity and freedom in Christ. It stirs up a nostalgic sentiment in my heart.