God is......is not good enough

God is perfect. In fact He personifies perfection. God is Holy. In fact He personifies holiness. God is righteous. In fact he personifies righteousness. These attributes of God go on and on like love, mercy, justice, help, generosity, and even judgment. But what if it goes deeper than that? What if all of these things that we say and know that God is, are not simply his attributes or even his personality traits, but are actually his Identity. I don't mean that there is no God and the idea of God is merely the manifestation of these accolades and personality traits.

When we say that God is good, usually what we mean is that we have seen or experienced something or maybe even come to a certain realization from a bible study or conversation that would convince us of the fact that indeed, God behaves in a good way. The same can be said of all of the other affirming attributes.

But here's my question. What if saying that "God is......" is insufficient or only partly true. Most Christians would probably agree that since God is the Creator of all things, that He would be the fountain head of creation. Therefore, although "God is...." is a testimony to those attributes by which we relate to Him, would it also be correct to say and believe that not only does He display and live out those attributes but He truly IS those attributes. Not only is God good, but he is the Goodness in which He operates. Not only is God just, but He is in fact the Justice that He exerts. He is the Holiness. He is the love. He is the purity. They are not just what he does but rather are part of His identity since they flow from Him. God is not only full of grace but He IS the grace which He gives. And further, when he imputes His own righteousness to us through faith in Him, isn't that just another way He is Goving Himself to us? God doesn't just give salvation, He is the Salvation which He gives. 

Your thoughts?

Is the World Changing or is it Just me?

I’m changing. It’s not just so simple as a stand-up comedian would make it out to be poking fun at body parts or lamenting over lost youth. Although those familiar limericks do apply, my changes go much deeper than that. For instance, while on a recent trip to Orlando, Florida, two of my children and I drove up and down the Kirkman and International drive corridors looking for something fun to do. This area in Orlando is tourist trap central with all of the fun things you can possibly imaging for families. There are theme parks both large and small, video arcades by the dozen, indoor sky diving, air soft combat arenas and even indoor trampoline venues not to mention more places to shop than the Mall of America! So one by one we pass all of these family friendly pleasure palaces. My kids notice everything fun and want to “do” all of them. Most of which require much running around for hours with no rest in sight. Me? While driving and looking down the exact same roads, what do I see? Denny’s, Brazilian Steak houses, Black Angus steak restaurants, IHOP, All-you-can-eat pizzerias, Chinese food, Mexican food, Central American food! Everywhere I looked, I saw food, food and more food. Which begs the question, what in the world has happened to me? Maybe all the stand up comedians who taunt the not quite middle-aged are right.

 

Politically, I consider myself to be a conservative voter, both financially and socially. But lately, I have been seeing things a little differently. I’m not ready to jump ship by any means, but certain things are bugging me. I see the stock market making huge gains (which includes me because I have an IRA) but also see that it’s getting harder for people to get by on a small wage. I ask myself, would it really be so painful if dividends were down, but wages went up? I am also beginning to have intolerance for any political party who acts and votes and makes press releases condemning each other for doing what their constituents are paying them to do. As I get “older” and hopefully wiser, it is getting easier for me to see the tail wagging the dog. As soon as something big happens, I can almost immediately smell the stink of “spin” as it twists the real truth into whatever “truth” will gain the most money or votes. I read “The Animal Farm” by George Orwell in 1984 (kind of ironic, huh?). In that book I learned how politics can be slowly manipulated into a system that bends to the will of the craftiest who occupy the seats of authority.

 

There are many other ways that I am changing. These are just two. How have you changed recently? Write back and lets see.

Listen to Your Donkey!

Have you ever been in a hurry and got stuck in traffic any way? Have you ever stubbed your toe and didn’t know why? Have you ever had any really good plans, but for whatever reason, they just didn’t materialize? If ever any of these things (or things like it) has ever happened to you, maybe you should just listen to your donkey! After reading the story of the talking donkey and Balaam (her rider) I had the following thoughts that I share today.

 

We read where the donkey made three stops. Let’s look at each of those three stops.

 

Stop #1, the donkey went into a field. There was no pain here, just a simple diversion away from his plans. But she was in fact saving Balaam’s life. For Balaam, this was merely an inconvenience. Now, think about this, you are on your way out the door and the phone rings. You know if you answer it, you will miss out or at least be late for whatever it is that you are going to do…..but you answer it anyway, and you miss your appointment. This most likely is just an inconvenience, right?  This may be God’s way of causing you to miss something that could have happened to you that was waiting just around the corner. One time Jesus told Peter that Satan had asked to sift him like wheat but Jesus had prayed for him and he would be ok. If you are in Christ, you are in God’s hands and we never know when Satan is trying to sift us, but because of the intercession of Christ on our behalf, our Donkey may go into the field and thus avert disaster.

 

Stop #2, the donkey crushed his foot. Balaam ignored the first warning and this one was painful. Again, the donkey knew something that Balaam did not. For you and me, this may happen when your doctor tells you not to lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk….and you, knowing better than the doctor, lift a box or bag full of something heavier than a gallon of milk….and what Happens? (AAAAHH My Back!) It may not be your back, but each of us has a pain or two that prevents us from doing certain things or causes us to do other things at certain times. Paul had a “thorn in the flesh” for which he asked God three times to remove from his life. Three times God said, “No, my Grace is sufficient”. It was left there to keep Brother Paul humble. These aches and pains in our lives that prevent us from doing certain things or cause us to do other things, may well be for our benefit so that we may know that God’s Grace is sufficient. These keep us humble and dependent upon God.

 

Stop #3, the donkey laid down. Balaam ignored the first warning and was quickly back on the road. His second warning was painful but he still didn’t get it. Then came the third warning and his life came to a screeching halt! The Donkey laid down. Again the donkey and the stop was a means of grace for Balaam but rather than trust the donkey, he beat it with a rod.  Has your life ever come to a screeching Halt? One day the disciples were having Passover Supper with their mentor and teacher. The next day, they were watching him die on a criminals cross. Their lives had just come to a screeching halt. Why? It happened because three days later, they no longer knew Jesus as their teacher and leader, but as their risen Savior and Lord. Why does our life come to a screeching halt sometimes? Maybe it’s because in just a short while, God will prove himself to those who believe in Him all over again.

 

The circumstances of life sometimes inconvenience us, hurt us or even make life crash in all around us. We spend so much time beating our donkey for not doing what we want it to do, when we should be listening to it. What is life telling you right now? What is the Donkey in your life? Could it be that your latest inconvenience, hurt or tragic loss is actually saving your life? The key is to peace in any situation is to always trust in the fact that God has our best in mind, even if it huts for a while. Balaam eventually found out why his donkey was so stubborn. Three times the donkey saved his life. Someday, you will also know the “why” of what is going on right now. Trust God and listen to your donkey.

What Good is Death?

Everybody has lost somebody. Some have lost family and others have lost friends. Some have lost many of both. As a minister I occasionally hear the inevitable question, "why?" Perhaps you have asked that question or others upon losing a friend or loved one. "Why" is indeed the unanswerable question when it comes to this issue. Most likely we will never know why other than the obvious biological reasons, but that does not answer the question in our heart as it grieves for the one who has moved on.

Although "why" may never be answered to our satisfaction, I would like to propose that we look outside of our own pain and ask a new question, "what good is death?". I don't mean this question in an earthly way. Let's elevate our thoughts on this proposal. What purpose could a death serve to us and others? Could the death of a loved one serve a higher purpose? There is the physical aspect of transplants which is always good, but what about the spiritual? I believe it can.

Since I began in Ministry in 2005, I have noticed a phenomenon with this part of our lives. I have had the privilege of conducting the services of numerous departed. In those services, there are always the "saved" as well as the "unsaved". As part of the funeral service, most ministers, including myself, don't only tell of the fond memories of the departed. Most, along with the memories, give the gospel and an invitation to trust in Christ for salvation. I can think of two occasions where at the end of the message during the time of reflection or altar call, there were those who prayed and received eternal life because of the death of the loved one. I am sure this happens all the time. Perhaps you or somebody you know has been introduced to Jesus in this way.

Christ gave his life so that all who would dare to believe in him would be born again into that life which lasts forever. Perhaps, at least in part, the death of our friends and loved ones is a way of participating in the death of Christ in that their sacrifice is another opportunity for those who need to hear the Gospel and to be introduced to the Living Christ, who normally would not, now have the opportunity. If there is any comfort to be had concerning the death of loved ones, let it be that their passing was not in vain. There are those who need to hear the gospel and our loved ones final act was to provide that opportunity.

For all those who have lost loved ones, be at peace.

A Snare to Beware

(Read Judges 8:22-27)    

We love to tell our testimonies. I love to hear them from those who were on the Salvation Army's front line in years past when the Army culture was a lot different. Not necessarily better, but different. It is interesting to see the different ways in which God is moving compared to how He moved in the past. What is not good is when those who were there, stay there. Their testimony and plea is to always ..."go back, go back to when things were done right and we were a real Army!"

I believe there is a real danger in that kind of thinking. Of course every generation pines for the return of the glory days of their own prime, so there is nothing new about that. What concerns me is when Soldiers and Christians look only to the past for their victories and can't embrace the new ways in which people are touched by God.

 Now, remember the Scripture from the beginning (in Judges). So, Gideon took his accomplishments and made a true object of worship out of it. It was supposed to be a reminder of what God had done for them by giving them so many victories over the Midianites. Instead, all of the people went to Ophrah to worship the Ephod instead of God. The reminder of God's victories became a snare when they took their eyes off of God.

We as Salvationists love to look back at the grand old Army and it can become an idol to us. Some often wonder why God isn't moving like he used to. Might the answer be that we have begun to worship the Salvation Army instead of the God of the Salvation Army? Have we turned the old days of the Army into a golden ephod and it in turn has become a stumbling block to us?

May I suggest to you that the "old Army" only had the voice and the word of God to follow and only the future to look forward to and no Ephod to worship?

Dear friends, get rid of your ephods and idols. Look to God alone and listen for his leading. Embrace the ways that people are being reached today and then get involved. God has not changed, but our culture has. The victories will come. There's nothing wrong with celebrating the victories of the past. But when we look back and lament that it will never be that good again, we create a golden ephod and we shackle ourselves with the sin of nostalgia. Follow God's leading and look to the future and be amazed at what He has in store for the "Brave New Army"...and you.

What a blessing it is for me to be in the company of the Saints of God who appreciate the past, but who are active in the present and look forward to the future with anticipation and a willing spirit to do whatever it takes to see the lost won.

The First Identity Theft

Dear Friends,

     In 2003, 23.7 million Americans were victims of Identity theft. Some say that by now, that number may have doubled. Identity thieves are known for their craftiness and deceit. Those who do it face to face, first gain the confidence of their victims then steal what ever it is that they're after.
    Genesis 3 teaches the fall of all mankind. You remember, where Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit? In reading this story and recently preaching on it, it seems to me that they were the first victims of "identity theft". Our doctrines teach that our first parents (Adam and Eve) were created in a state of innocency. Because of their disobedience, they lost their purity and that very innocence. Though we accept that teaching as truth, let us not forget that they were deceived into disobeying God. Their Original identity (that of purity and innocence) was essentially stolen. This is identity theft.
     In order for a victim to recover from identity theft, help (the authorities) must come from the outside. You can try to track down the scoundrel, but even if you did, the authorities would still have to exact justice. Adam and Eve tried a number of things to regain their original identity but what fig leaves and hiding could not restore God could. He called to them not because He didn't know where they were, but so that they would have the opportunity to repent by responding to his voice.
     Thank goodness, that they did hear his voice and come back to Him. If they hadn't responded to Him and stayed hiding, I wonder what life would be like today.
     You and I were born with that same identity theft consequence. We were born in sin. We would love to be able to hide our way out of it or cover our lives with fig leaves. But just like Adam and Eve, no amount of hiding in the bushes of self-hate, addiction or covering up our faults with the fig leaves of good deeds and religion will restore that which we were born without. Our innocence, our true identity can only be restored by hearing God's voice as He calls us to come out of hiding and trust Him to be our means of restoration.
     What Satan, abuse, doubt, sin, self-hate and addiction has stolen, Jesus can and will restore to you. You can be reborn as innocent as Adam and Eve before their Identity was stolen. Jesus calls to you even now. Do you hear Him? He's all around you. Will you now get back your true identity in Him?

Missional Fruit

Dear Friends,

Continuing with the Missional mindset and goals, we have continued with the gradual addition of contemporary elements and outreaches in Asheville. The latest is a coffee ministry on our front porch. For the last four weeks, we simply set up a table and give away coffee and pastries. We have a brand new Soldier (Lorraine) and a long-time Adherant (Ed) who have taken this on as their personal ministry. There are several others who help out some, but it is their ministry. Ken Callahan once noted that the people who are the newest in the faith tend to be the ones who are most eager to invite friends and spread the Word. We generally have about ten passers by who partake of the coffee and snack. But since the beginning of the ministry, there has been one young man from the neighborhood who continues to come back and has been spending more and more time just drinking and chatting. Today, he helped take down the table and coffee and then helped to bring the supplies inside the building. Lorraine introduced him around and we all tried to make him feel welcome. Right now he goes to another type of Sunday morning activity.......right now. We would like to see him come fully into the Kingdom. Right now, we just want to love and accept him for who he is. On another note, my son has been bringing a friend to church for the last month. He wants to learn the cornet and become a Junior Soldier. But the good news is that today, after a simple and brief explanation of the Gospel, He accepted Christ as his Savior. He has had no formal or casual religious association until he began coming with us to the Corps. It never ceases to amaze me how easy it is for a child to accept the Grace of Christ when the soil of the heart is tilled for just a little while. Please pray for us as we continue to simply love the people of our Corps neighborhood and Asheville.