God's Gonna Cut You Down?

Perhaps the greatest evidence of the power of God's Spirit to open the eyes of unbelievers to salvation in Christ is the way He does it, despite the conflicting message that comes out of many pulpits. The message of the angel to the shepherds in the field was one of "good news of great joy which shall be for all people."

How have we so diluted and polluted that message since that night the angelic choir sang, "Glory to God in the highest. Peace on earth and goodwill toward all men?" Good will toward all men. That is the message that sprang forth from eternity into time in that manger. In many instances today, the gospel is presented more as a threat than anything. "Turn or burn. You're gonna die, then fry." This is the message of many sincere Christians to the world around them.

Is there a place called hell where those who reject Christ go? Of course. But is that message the news we are called to share? Study the ministry of the Apostle Paul. What was the focus of his message -- hell? In 1 Corinthians 15, the Apostle Paul outlined the message he was given to share:

For I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried; and that he hath been raised on the third day according to the scriptures.

"But Jesus talked about hell a lot" some will argue. Yes, He did -- to whom was he talking most often when He discussed it? The religious crowd who thought their self righteousness somehow made them better than the unrighteous. Jesus blasted them with the truth that neither the self-righteous nor the unrighteous have a hope of heaven until they realize it's all about grace. Neither good nor bad behavior has anything to do with it.

The good news of the gospel is this: God loves us so much that He came into this world in the person of His Son in order to battle death and hell, and secure a permanent victory on our behalf. When Jesus declared, "It is finished," that is exactly what He meant.

"For God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not condemned; he who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (John 3:17-18).

The whole matter is not about behavior. It's about belief. The issue of behavior was dealt with by the finished work of the cross. Bad boys don't go to hell and good boys don't go to heaven. The key to the kingdom is simply believing that Jesus finished the task in dealing with the effect of sin. There is no bad news in the gospel. The world was already living under the oppressive weight of the bad news before Jesus came. His coming only brought good news to all men.

Our privilege now is to tell that good news to the world. No matter who you are or what you've done or how long you've done it, the penalty has been paid. You don't have to be punished by your sins anymore.

What was started in Adam is done because God has called the whole thing off. It's all grace now. We don't have to be scared by threats of hell anymore. Just believe what is true. Jesus came to rescue you and He never fails in any endeavor He attempts.

Check out this song, first recorded by Johnny Cash and sung here by "The Blind Boys of Alabama."




Go and tell that long time liar,
Go and tell that midnight rider,
Tell the rambler, the gambler, the back biter,
Tell 'em God's Almighty's gonna cut 'em down,

You can run on for a long time,
Run on for a long time,
Run on for a long time,
Let me tell you, God Almighty's gonna cut you down.

Strangely enough, I really do enjoy "The Blind Boys Of Alabama" and you must admit, this music is downright catchy! But, God help us to get the message right as we share the gospel with the world. The truth is that Jesus Christ was struck down by sin's penalty so that we never have to fear again that "God Almighty's gonna cut [us] down." Anybody who suffers the penalty of sin in hell is just too stubborn and stupid to turn down the best deal they'll ever be offered.

Kirk Franklin's Story of Grace

It is such a joy to see how God is using Kirk Franklin to spread the message of our identity in Christ. Kirk is a Grammy Award winning, platinum album selling musician who is preaching grace! The following is his testimony,from CCM Magazine. If you haven't bought his latest CD, Hero, get it -- you won't be disappointed. The song at the bottom of the following article is my favorite on his new album. Called "Imagine Me," it describes the wonder of seeing ourselves as we are - free in Christ, with all our guilt and sins gone!


The Revolution of a Broken Man
By Melissa Riddle
From CCM Magazine


What "God saw" must have been what pastor Tony Evans saw when he spotted Kirk Franklin sitting in his worship service. Kirk was a bit confused at what Evans saw or didn’t see. Every church he’d gone to in recent years had catered to him as a celebrity, providing special parking and VIP seating. But not this one. It was the first time, he says, that "I realized that I had gotten conditioned and comfortable with that. And I started seeing my pride and my flesh really doing acrobats."

And when the pastor finally shared with Franklin what he saw in him, the singer was amazed. "He said to me ‘I see a young man who, if his inside can catch up with his outside, he’d be a great man of God.’ He saw all of the spiritual acrobats I was doing but saw no depth."

God had drawn Franklin to Evans’ church, Oakland Bible Fellowship, just about the same time Kirk’s professional life began to unravel. "He said to me at the beginning of the friendship that ‘Every great man of God that God ever used, God broke them before He used them.’"

At Evans’ church, Franklin found solid, biblical teaching and discipleship that would guide every aspect of his life.

Since the age of 12, Franklin had struggled with pornography. He had been sexually active from a young age. And although he’d been raised in the church, he had never once been taught what the Bible has to say on the subject.

When he became a Christian at age 15, he went to his pastor seeking help. "The pastor said, ‘Ah, boy, you’re young. You’ll grow out of it.’ But I never grew out of it. I grew into it. When I was 17 I had a child out of wedlock.... After I got married, I told my wife. I sat her down one day, and I shared with her my struggle with pornography.

"For years I’d go to great pastors that I really look up to, even after I’d done an album, going to them crying letting them know that I had this problem. But all I’d get was some oil, somebody laying hands on me, trying to lay me out in the floor, and that’s not going to fix that problem."

But in the summer of 1999, when Evans gave Kirk a copy of Steve McVey’s book called Grace Walk (Harvest House), he finally began to learn what he should’ve been taught years ago. "God started really giving me victory in the area of pornography," he says.

For the first time, Franklin says, he began learning and reading and understanding who he is in Christ. "I began to be discipled, and my pastor started talking about how we have the mind of Christ and those [impure] thoughts are not my thoughts. I said ‘What?’ It was Greek to me, Tony Evans talking about how it’s not me, but Christ living in me. I had read that Scripture before, but I had never had anyone tell me that before, that I’m a dead man walking.

"Then when you listen to cats like Charles Stanley or David Jeremiah or Jack Hayford or Ann Graham Lotz, you become a sponge, and you think ‘Where in the world has this kind of preaching and teaching been?’ ...I’d been blessed to minister to God’s people but didn’t know true ministry myself. And I never would have known that on the mountain. God only shows you that in the valley."

After years of thinking he knew exactly where he was going, Kirk Franklin was given the tools, the grace by which to live. "I’ve learned to understand that it was all part of a bigger plan. The plan was God breaking me. I couldn’t have made it through this season if not for the discipleship, the teaching and the humbleness, what God has allowed me to go through."

Brand New Day

Although it was recorded in 2000, Kirk Franklin’s latest release, The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin (Gospo Centric), announces to the world the revolution he’s experienced in his life. A live recording, Rebirth is almost prophetic in that it came in the middle of his dark night. What it signals is a new season of ministry, worship and growth.

"Whether it’s the Dove Awards, touring and album sales, time in the studio or on tour buses," he says, "it’s easy to forget that this world is not my home; it’s so easy to want to set up camp and stay." Our success or failure is not measured by society’s standards, Franklin says. Our success is measured in how well we love, how well we serve others.

Toward that end, Kirk says, he’s determined to spend more time with his wife, Tammy, and their four children, ages 6 months to 13 years, who remind him of his true purpose in life.

He surrounds himself with mentors, people who can speak truth into his life. They know him and hold him accountable to the truth. "My wife’s father is an incredible man of God. So, he’s affected my life. And God has given me a couple of good friends who hold me accountable, and they make up so much of my joy."

Franklin also spends a lot of time reaching out to his niece, whose mother, his sister, has been in prison for the last 10 years. He considers being a strong example to her an important responsibility and a privilege.

This year, he will also be sponsoring a mentoring program at the high school he attended, making time to talk to youth about the realities of life and what he’s experienced.

"What I try to do more than anything is be very honest and very transparent, whether it’s about the pornography or girls or whatever… because I came from a very promiscuous lifestyle, just trying to find love the sex way. So I try to talk about those things and be open about the mistakes I’ve made.

"I feel like one of the greatest gifts God has given me through this season is to be able help people. And you only help people by showing them your battle scars."

When it all comes down, Kirk Franklin—who redefined and revolutionized gospel music for the world—has finally met His maker, the author of his life and the giver of his gift. He’s had a revolution, from the inside out. He will never see himself the same way again. He will never be the same again.

"This season of testing," he says, "has shown me a God that I never knew—just like Job says in that last chapter when God gave him everything he lost back and even more, Job, who had been a servant of God all his life, said, ‘Before this, my ears had only heard of You, but now my eyes have seen You.’"

Your Father's Heart (taken from Isaiah)

I recorded this audio last year and my son, David, added the video to it. I hope it encourages you in experiencing your Father's love for you.

Sayings I Heard In Church As A Child

I was recently looking through some old mementos my Dad left behind. Among them I came across a church bulletin reminding us to "pray for the boys in Viet Nam." Those in my age bracket well remember how that, every week at church, we were sure to pray for "the boys in Viet Nam." It caused me to start thinking about other expressions I heard then that aren't frequently heard in church anymore.

"Ya'll pray for us as we sing. We didn't get to practice much."
"Bless those who give and those who are not able to give."
"Every head bowed, every eye closed, no one looking around."
"Build a hedge of protection about 'em, Lord." (Usually the boys in Viet Nam)
"Give us (or them) traveling mercies."
"Bless the preacher as he preaches and hide him behind the cross."
"Bless this food and the hands that prepared it."

And my two personal favorites:
"You may not go to hell for smoking, but you'll sure smell like you've been there."

And finally . . . "They're out there in those bars on Saturday night drinking the devil's vomit!"

Ah, the good ole days :)

Grace Walk Experience - Part Five

This is the final installment of my week long interviews with Willard Thiessen on "It's A New Day." I am indebted to Willard & Betty Theissen and Bob & Audrey Meisner for making it possible for you to see these interviews. You can find out more about their ministry on their web site at www.newday.org.

Seeing Christ In Unredeemed Culture

I am becoming more and more rooted in the belief that the modern church has missed the mark in pointing the world to Christ. The focus within modern church-life is to get people to come to church so that they can hear about Jesus in our language and see Him through our lens. The fact is that most unbelievers simply aren’t attracted to church, a reality that creates a huge barrier to “showing them Jesus,” which I believe is the sincere desire of Christians. We invite them to church, but with all our enticing programs and slick presentations, we still aren’t making a dent on the growing population living in the most dangerous and volatile times this planet has ever seen.

“The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it; the world and all who live in it” says the Psalmist (24:1). That fact tells me that God can use anything and anybody at any time to express His love to mankind. Long have we known that God uses religious voices, but I think that the need of the hour is for us to see that He can also use non-religious voices to declare His truth.

The Bible says that God can speak through clouds, rocks, trees, donkeys, men, women, children, burning bushes, pillars of fire, – the list could go on and on. Here’s a question to reflect upon – can and does God speak through unredeemed culture today? I believe that He does.

Consider me an extremist if you want to, but I believe that even unbelievers can be (and are) used by God to express His love. I have seen His loving face and heard His gentle voice of affection in many non-religious aspects of modern culture.

It amazes me how many Messiah figures there are in movies. I believe the reason we love stories where the hero saves the day is because we know at a deep level that our Hero does exactly that. That’s why we rejoice when we see it onscreen.

I have heard the voice of the Divine Lover in so many things that I used to label “secular.” The whole idea that there are secular things in this world is a delusion. My God owns it all, controls it all, and uses it all for His glory. Even Satan himself can't take one inch of space or one millisecond of time unless my Sovereign Lord gives His permission.

Take music, for instance. I used to think that the Lord only spoke through religious songs, but I don’t believe that anymore. Can you think of non-religious songs that express the sentiment of your Father toward you? How about these:

I said I love you and that’s forever,
And this I promise from my heart.
I could not love you any better.
I love you just the way you are.

Or this one:
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.

One more:
Don't give up
It's just the weight of the world When you're heart's heavy
I, I will lift it for you
Don't give up
Because you want to be heard
If silence keeps you
I, I will break it for you
Everybody wants to be understood
Well I can hear you
Everybody wants to be loved
Don't give up
Because you are loved
Don't give up
It's just the hurt that you hide
When you're lost inside
I, I'll be there to find you
Don't give up
Because you want to burn bright
If darkness blinds you
I, I will shine to guide you
Everybody wants to be understood
Well I can hear you
Everybody wants to be loved
Don't give up.

The first song is from Billy Joel, the second from Joe Cocker and the last one is Josh Groban. I don’t know if these men are believers or not, but nobody would call these songs “religious.” What if – what if we began to see Jesus in the medium of our culture and point Him out to others within those mediums? What would happen if you told an unbelieving friend that you can’t hear the song “Don’t Give Up” without hearing Jesus sing it to you. Do you think that, from that day forward, the song would be a witness to them of His love every time they hear it? I do.

Let’s redeem the movies and music and allow our Father to use it to speak to us and to minister to others. I know it’s a stretch when we come to musicians that blaspheme Christ, but ironically, even any talent they may possess originates from our Father. A prostituted gift is no less a gift.

May God’s Spirit broaden our understanding to realize that Jesus isn’t locked up down at the church building between Sundays, waiting for us to bring people to His house and introduce them. No, our Savior is on the move. He’s on the radio, at the movies, in the theater, on TV, at the concerts and on the sports fields and courts.

He is there, right in front of us all, at every minute of every day. May God give His church “eyes to see and ears to hear” and may we point others to Him that they might hear Him in their language and see Him through their own “lens.”

Grace Walk Experience - Part Four

Running The Race

Our oldest daughter, Amy, recently ran a half marathon. She had been training for the event for almost a year. The big day came and Melanie and I were there at daybreak on a cold morning, to cheer her onward as she left the starting line.

As we waited for the start of the race, Amy expressed the kind of doubts and questions that any first timer in such an event would feel. Among her questions about about the ability of her body to run more than thirteen miles, it seemed to me that her greatest concern was about her final time in the race. "I bet I'll be one of the slowest people out there," she said. "This is my first time to do this, and I've learned that a lot of these people travel all over the United States to run in these races."

"Amy," I told her. "This isn't about how fast you run or where you rank in speed when everybody has finished the race. The goal here is to finish well. To complete the run is the victory here." While she seemed to intellectually agree with what I told her, I sensed that speed was still a big concern in her mind.

Finally the official announced that all runners should approach the starting line. The shot was fired, we cheered, and off she went. Hours later, when we met her at the finish line, she was beaming, though exhausted. As it turned out, her speed was better than the majority of the runners there. She was happy about that, but the truth is that it didn't matter to me at all.

Amy's half marathon run meant something altogether different to me.

1. It gave me great pleasure to see my daughter find such joy in something she loved doing so much. Watching her find such pleasure in the event brought me pleasure.

2. I was proud of how she had worked so hard for so long to train herself for the event. A person has to be very serious about it to run over thirteen miles. It took a real commitment for Amy to train for and complete her run.

3. Though her final time thrilled her, I was just happy that she finished well. I would have been saddened for her if she hadn't been able to finish the run because of an injury she could have sustained along the way. My sadness would have been for her sake, not mine. I would have been proud of her whether she ran or not.

4. Most of all, I enjoyed sharing the experience with her. After she crossed the finish line, her mother and husband and children and I all hugged and congratulated her.

I see similarities between Amy's run and the one I'm on in this world. Hebrews 12:1 says that we are to "run with endurance the race that is set before us." As with my relationship to my daughter, my heavenly Father finds pleasure in seeing me enjoy myself in the things that interests me. (I remember reading that Eric Lidell (Chariots of Fire) said, "I feel God's pleasure when I run.)

I know my Father is proud when I refuse to give in to my flesh and instead push onward toward the finish line with righteous resolve. There are many times in the rat-race of life that we are tempted to give up and give in. I think it makes our Father proud when we press on despite the temptation to quit.

I know my Father is interested in me finishing well, not how fast I run in comparison to others. The goal is to run the race with faithfulness, looking toward "the mark of the prize of our calling in Christ Jesus."

I know that one day, when I cross the finish line, my Father and family will be there to welcome me with open arms. What a time of celebration and excitement that will be! (Hebrews 12:1 says that there is a "cloud of witnesses" who spur us on in our race.)

I'm proud of Amy. I'd be proud regardless of how she ran the race. She's mine. That's why I'm proud. You can be assurred that's why your Father is proud of you too. The pressure is off for you to perform well. Just enjoy the run and know that your Father is proud of you, no matter what.

Grace Walk Experience - Part Three

An Encouraging Book

During the Christmas season, a friend gave me this book on heaven. With my Dad's death at the end of November fresh on my mind, the book came to me at a very helpful time.

The strength of the book is that Alcorn doesn't offer empty speculation about what he thinks heaven is like, but instead offers strong biblical evidence for his opinions. You may not agree with his interpretation of each verse he quotes and might think that some of his ideas about heaven are a little far-fetched and require a lot of imagination, but the book will definitely cause you to better see heaven as the "City of God" where we will laugh with those we love, enjoy recreation, entertainment, the arts, culture, work, and, of course, worship.

If you have thought of heaven as an eternal church service, (that sounds to me more like the other place), this book will encourage you. Like many otherwise good books and authors, Alcorn is weak when he writes about the righteousness of believers, but with a little "internal editing," I believe you'll really enjoy this book. I give it "four out of five stars."

Grace Walk Experience - Part Two

Grace Walk Experience - Part One

This video is the first of a five part series on "It's A New Day" in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Willard Thiessen is a friend who is excited about God's grace. I'll put up the other segments as I have the time to upload them to the Internet.

My Dad's Graduation

My Mom and
Dad








This past Thursday morning, our loving Father granted the desire my Dad has expressed and allowed him to step across the boundary from time into eternity as he slept in his bed. My Mom went home two years and six weeks ahead of him. As Dad approached the boundary between heaven and earth, he often told me that he sensed my mother's closeness in such a real way that he would sometime reach over in the dark to feel the bed and see if she was lying beside him.

I told him just last week, "Dad, very soon you are going to reach over and feel for Mom and you will find that she is really there. The Lord will have allowed you to die in your sleep, and when you open your eyes, you and Mom will join hands as you step across the boundary line." My Dad choked back emotion and answered, "I hope it happens that way. I can't think of a better way to go."

I believe that's what happened on Thursday morning when my Dad passed through the thin veil that separates the temporal realm from the eternal one. My recent blog about the movie "March of the Penguins" explains my viewpoint.

My Dad has now left what C.S. Lewis called “The Shadow-Lands” and moved into the direct light of his glory.

At the conclusion of The Last Battle, (by C.S. Lewis), Aslan (the Christ figure) reminds the Pevensie children that, despite the pain of this world – the Shadow -Lands – the holidays have begun. Your father and mother and all of you are – as you used to call it in the Shadow-Lands – dead. The term is over; the holidays have begun. The dream is ended; this is the morning.


All of their life in this world and all their adventures in (the land of) Narnia had only been the cover and the title page; now at last they were beginning Chapter One and the Great Story, which no one on earth has read, which goes on forever, in which every chapter is better than the one before.

John Owen, an English pastor/theologian who lived in the 1600's lay on his deathbed. A friend had written to ask about his health. Owen instructed his secretary to write to a friend, "I am still in the land of the living. " Stop," he suddenly said. "Change that and say, 'I am yet in the land of the dying, but I hope soon to be in the land of the living.'"

Today I find myself still in the land of the dying, but my Mom and Dad are in the land of the living... a land where "the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."

One day, I will join them and again we will laugh and love together. Until then, may God grant me the gift of living up to the legacy they leave behind by allowing me to finish well.

March of the Penguins

I watched this movie on the Hallmark channel a few nights ago and loved it. The film is a documentary which follows a flock of emperor penguins in the Antarctic for a year as they journey 70 miles in harsh winds and freezing cold temperatures by foot, going through the harshest conditions in the struggle to survive - all to find true "love" and to find a mate and reproduce.

There is a particularly poignant scene at the very end of the movie where, after a brutally hard winter, the baby penguins come to the ocean for the first time. Narrator, Morgan Freeman described it, saying:

It is now December and they are ready to leave the place where they were born. And although they have never known the ocean, nor touched it -- they, like their parents, are of the sea . . . and so . . . one day . . . they'll take the plunge . . . and go home for the first time.

When I heard those words, I backed up the Tivo and listened to that part three more times. I found my heart being stirred as I recognized my Father's voice in the experience of these penguins.

You and I come into a world where we often encounter harsh storms with cold winds. Like the emporor penguins, we seek out our mates, bear our children, and brave the storms of life for the sake of those we love.

Then December comes ...

One day we all will leave the place we were born. Though we have never known heaven, nor touched it, we, like our Father, are of heaven. We're all on a march through time. Along the way, there will be occasions of loss and grief, but we march onward, knowing at a level deeper than our human consciousness that one day we will take the plunge, reach our final destination . . . and for the first time . . . find ourselves at home.

Grace Walk International Leaders Training

I have just returned from Guadalajara, Mexico where 14 of us representing 6 countries met together to discuss strategy for reaching the world with the message of the grace walk. It was an exciting time together.

During our time together, we discussed the message, methodology and mission of Grace Walk Ministries around the world. The following videos are short testimonies of our team in Latin America. We have a great group of guys there working to spread the message of God's endless grace and unconditional love.

Grace Walk Mexico


Grace Walk Argentina


Grace Walk El Salvador


Pray for our Grace Walk team in Latin America as they spread the message of the grace walk.

Grace Walk Canada Launches

It was exciting to be in Canada on November 5 for the official launch of Grace Walk Canada. The photos here are of Mike Zenker as I prayed for him and presented him as our new National Director for Grace Walk Canada.

Five years ago Mike called me after reading Grace Walk. He shared with me how his life had been impacted and expressed a desire to meet in person. He traveled to the U.S. when I was speaking up north one weekend and it was there that our relationship began. In the years that followed, we have spent many hours discussing the message and ministry of Grace Walk. As I grew to know Mike better and better, it became clear that God was raising him up to lead our ministry in Canada.

Mike, Lori and their children live in Elmira, Onatario. You can find out more about them and our ministry there at www.gracewalkcanada.org. I am convinced that our Father is going to use Mike mightily to further the message of the grace walk across Canada. He has all of my materials available so that our friends in Canada can avoid the costs associated with ordering from the states. Mike is available to speak in your church as our Grace Walk Director for Canada. I encourage all Canadian Grace Walkers to get to know Mike!

Karen Carpenter and Perry Como

Here's a video that evokes strong feelings of nostalgia in me when I watch it. I suspect others in my age group might feel the same. I was completely hooked on The Carpenters when I was a teen and I never hear Perry Como that I don't think of Christmas as a child. (He always had a Christmas special on TV.) One of my earliest music memories is my mother singing his song, "Catch A Falling Star" to me as a very young child.

No profound spiritual truth here - just the early morning musings and nostalgic feelings of days gone by. Does this video affect you that way too?

Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas

I was watching Bono on Larry King this week and was impressed with a lot of what he said. Even if you're not a fan of his music, you've surely heard of him. Bono is the lead singer and occasional rhythm guitarist of the Irish rock band U2. In December 2005, he was named by TIME as a Person of the Year, along with Bill and Melinda Gates. He has won a boatload of grammys and even been nominated numerous times for the Nobel Peace Prize.

I find people like Bono interesting and believe they enrich the church. If you want to find fault with the man, it's not that hard. He is transparent - very tranparent. Some Christians have questioned the validity of his faith. While he couldn't be more different from the Christian world I grew up in, there's no doubt in my mind about the sincerity of his faith.

Yeah, I know there are those who will point out his foul language, but honestly, I get just as sick and tired of the language of hyper-churchy, mean-spirited, legalistic types. At least, Bono comes across as "real" to me, unlike some I've heard who speak KJV Elizabethan English with great skill.

Here's an excerpt from the book, Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas. I haven't read the book. I found this excerpt on the web.

Assayas: I think I am beginning to understand religion because I have started acting and thinking like a father. What do you make of that?

Bono: Yes, I think that's normal. It's a mind-blowing concept that the God who created the universe might be looking for company, a real relationship with people, but the thing that keeps me on my knees is the difference between Grace and Karma.

Assayas: I haven't heard you talk about that.

Bono: I really believe we've moved out of the realm of Karma into one of Grace.

Assayas: Well, that doesn't make it clearer for me.

Bono: You see, at the center of all religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics—in physical laws—every action is met by an equal or an opposite one. It's clear to me that Karma is at the very heart of the universe. I'm absolutely sure of it. And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that "as you reap, so you will sow" stuff. Grace defies reason and logic. Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I've done a lot of stupid stuff.

Assayas: I'd be interested to hear that.

Bono: That's between me and God. But I'd be in big trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge. I'd be in deep s---. It doesn't excuse my mistakes, but I'm holding out for Grace. I'm holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don't have to depend on my own religiosity.

Assayas: The Son of God who takes away the sins of the world. I wish I could believe in that.

Bono: But I love the idea of the Sacrificial Lamb. I love the idea that God says: Look, you cretins, there are certain results to the way we are, to selfishness, and there's a mortality as part of your very sinful nature, and, let's face it, you're not living a very good life, are you? There are consequences to actions. The point of the death of Christ is that Christ took on the sins of the world, so that what we put out did not come back to us, and that our sinful nature does not reap the obvious death. That's the point. It should keep us humbled… . It's not our own good works that get us through the gates of heaven.

Assayas: That's a great idea, no denying it. Such great hope is wonderful, even though it's close to lunacy, in my view. Christ has his rank among the world's great thinkers. But Son of God, isn't that farfetched?

Bono: No, it's not farfetched to me. Look, the secular response to the Christ story always goes like this: he was a great prophet, obviously a very interesting guy, had a lot to say along the lines of other great prophets, be they Elijah, Muhammad, Buddha, or Confucius. But actually Christ doesn't allow you that. He doesn't let you off that hook. Christ says: No. I'm not saying I'm a teacher, don't call me teacher. I'm not saying I'm a prophet. I'm saying: "I'm the Messiah." I'm saying: "I am God incarnate." And people say: No, no, please, just be a prophet. A prophet, we can take. You're a bit eccentric. We've had John the Baptist eating locusts and wild honey, we can handle that. But don't mention the "M" word! Because, you know, we're gonna have to crucify you. And he goes: No, no. I know you're expecting me to come back with an army, and set you free from these creeps, but actually I am the Messiah. At this point, everyone starts staring at their shoes, and says: Oh, my God, he's gonna keep saying this. So what you're left with is: either Christ was who He said He was—the Messiah—or a complete nutcase. I mean, we're talking nutcase on the level of Charles Manson. This man was like some of the people we've been talking about earlier. This man was strapping himself to a bomb, and had "King of the Jews" on his head, and, as they were putting him up on the Cross, was going: OK, martyrdom, here we go. Bring on the pain! I can take it. I'm not joking here. The idea that the entire course of civilization for over half of the globe could have its fate changed and turned upside-down by a nutcase, for me, that's farfetched …

Bono later says it all comes down to Jesus:

Bono: … When I look at the Cross of Christ, what I see up there is all my s--- and everybody else's. So I ask myself a question a lot of people have asked: Who is this man? And was He who He said He was, or was He just a religious nut? And there it is, and that's the question. And no one can talk you into it or out of it.

His observation on religion:

"Religion can be the enemy of God. It's often what happens when God, like Elvis, has left the building. [laughs] A list of instructions where there was once conviction; dogma where once people just did it; a congregation led by a man where once they were led by the Holy Spirit. Discipline replacing discipleship."

I know little about Bono, but what I have seen and know of him causes me to marvel again at the way our Father uses diffferent types who are different places in our journeys.

Ministry On Barbados

Melanie and I were on Barbados this week, where I spoke at Barbados Grace Fellowship. (The photo on the left was taken at our hotel.) It was the first time we have visited this beautiful island. The church is only a few years old and the people are excited about the message of grace. Their goal is to be a church that makes the truths our identity in Christ and walking in grace their foundation. The people of Barbados are friendly, warm people.

The congregation began with a few ladies who were excited about learning who they are in Christ. The group grew and finally officially established themselves as a congregation. They meet in a local school. This spoiled American was reminded of how much I value air conditioning since the building there didn't have it. If the old-timers from my childhood were right about sweating when you preach being a sign of "the anointing," it was Pentecost all over again for me.

I believe that this group of people will be a great witness of true grace on their island and may well be a gateway to impacting that part of the Caribbean with the message.

The Tipping Point

If you enjoy books that examine the sociological aspects of human nature, you may find The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell to be an interesting book. I finished it on my way back from California this week. The book explores the way that ideas can become contagious until they reach “epidemic level.” Gladwell discusses everything from the success of Paul Revere’s famous ride to the resurgent popularity of Hush Puppies shoes to the phenomenal success of the children’s TV program, Blues Clues.

The words "tipping point" comes from the world of epidemiology. It's the name given to that moment in an epidemic when a virus reaches critical mass. It's the boiling point. It's the moment on the graph when the line starts to shoot straight upwards.

Gladwell does a great job analyzing and explaining why certain ideas catch on to the point that they reach critical mass. It caused my mind to start whirring, thinking about how Gladwell’s observations might relate to sharing the message of the grace walk. Since I established Grace Walk Ministries in 1996, there has certainly been a steady increase of interest in the message and I’m thankful for that, but what I pray for is that there will be a sharp, spiked increase among people who are hungry to know the message so that whole denominations, mission agencies and para-church organizations are transformed.

The book isn’t what most would call a “Christian book,” but it is filled with great information that can help Christians. The author calls it “an intellectual adventure story, that draws from psychology, sociology and epidemiology and uses examples from the worlds of business and education and fashion and media.” This type book isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, but if you like books rich in helpful and interesting information, I recommend this one as a good read. After reading it, I find myself praying that the spread of the message of the grace walk will reach the tipping point and that the church of Jesus Christ will begin to live in our full inheritance.