Today as I was driving around I heard someone talking about going against the flow.  As Christians we go against the flow of the world and that can be hard to do.  However, I started thinking (did you see the smoke ) about the implications of the call to “go against the flow”.  What are we really saying?

It occured to me that if God created the heavens and the earth He is the one who started the “flow”.    If we say we are going against the flow we are assuming that the world’s flow is correct and we are counter-cultural, different from the normal flow of things.  We in affect are ascribing to Satan authority he does not have.  Yes, he is the prince of darkness and present ruler of this age – but his “flow”, if you will, will not succeed.  His flow is actually counter-cultural to the culture of the kingdom of God which is being and will be established for all eternity. 

Jesus Christ ushered in a new age – new wine skin, new life, a new order- He ushered in the flow of His Father.  Christ’s way is the flow.  Life in Him and living for Him is the flow – that is the way it is supposed to be. 

Adam and Eve ushered in sin and a counter stream and current began to flow.  But that flow runs against THE FLOW.  It is the world that goes against the flow – God’s purposes, will, design, order, word.  Those who step out of the world’s current – we all used to walk or swim in that current- are brought into THE FLOW and begin swimming the way we were meant to swim.  The way were created to swim in harmony with God, others and His creation.

Christians are those who are with the flow – the flow of God’s redeeming work and story.  Yes, the way is narrow and few find it.   Yes, that flow may seem small in comparison to the “flow” of the world running counter to the flow of God, but that doesn’t mean the predominant flow is the right flow.  God has installed His annointed.  The nations rage and try to buck God’s flow but the One in heaven laughs and knows that one day all the counter flow of the world will come to a screaching halt as every knee will bow and every tounge confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.  Read Revelation – Satan and all his forces cannot prevent, stop or hinder the flow of God in His world. 

John said the Jesus- the light of the world- shines in the darkness and the darkness doesn’t understand it, can’t stop it, can’t overcome it.  It has been said that a small flame overcomes the darkness of the world.  Light is the flow that will overcome and overpower the flow of darkness.

This advent as we light our advent candles, let’s remind ourselves that it is not we who follow Jesus who are out of whack but those who do not that go against the flow.  They are the ones who are truly going against the flow.

I want to encourage you today to go with flow – how do you do that?  If you have not accepted Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for you sin and believed in Him as Savior and Lord -then you start there.  If you are a follower of Jesus – then you trust and obey for there’s no other way.  Join me in going with the flow.

This changes my mind set.  My mind has been renewed.  I am not swimming upstream.  I am swimming down stream.  I am swimming with the stream that God has set forth.  So often I think that I have to swim harder and muster up energy to swim against the stream.  Resting while going against the flow you go backwards.  Resting while going with the flow you continue to go with the flow. 

Looking at this way – it is no wonder why we get bombarded as Christians everyday.  The world never lets up.  The world constantly is swimming against us.  Why?  Because the enemy knows that if he lets up he’ll loose ground.  He’s attempting to take and influence every part of our lives – music, hobbies, sports, entertainemnt, arts, literature, marriages, families.  His flow seems pretty strong- but it is not.  Greater is He that is in us than He that is in this world.

Just ask the shepherds.

(Luke 17:11-19) Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him– and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”  (NIV)

 So, which of the lepers in the story are you? 

Take some time this holiday season to give thanks and give glory to God.

So often I hear well-meaning followers of Jesus say something to this effect, “Well, I’m just waiting for God to lead me in this?”  Often they are referring to something God has already “led” them in HIs Word.

You don’t have to wait to feel led to share your faith, go, make disciples, love one another, forgive one another, be salt and light to the world, care for the poor and the oppressed, deny yourself, bear with one another, being patient, grow in the grace and knowledge of God, considering it pure joy when you go through trials of many kinds, and a slew of other things.

It’s not a matter of being led.  It’s a matter of being called.  This is why Paul says, “Live (command/calling) in a manner worthy of your calling,” “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.”  As James says, “Stop reading about it and listening to sermons about.  Just do it.”

Much of the life Christ has for us is about obedience – not waiting to feel led.  What is before you today that God has already called you to do?  Don’t wait to feel led.  Simply obey.  Just do it.

Sight just comes so naturally to us.  Faith is often counter-intuitive.  Faith often stretches us and asks us to trust beyond what we see.  Sight would say Goliath beats David; the lions tear Daniel apart; the furnace consumes three teenagers; Christ is defeated on the cross and many more examples.

Faith asks us to loose our life so we can find it.  Faith says you have to die in order to live.  These things are counter-intuitive, i.e. they are counter to our understanding.  When we walk by sight we will often walk in fear.  Fear of something outside our expereince or our comfort zone.  Fear of something different. 

When we walk by faith, we- by the grace of God- can  set fear aside and walk.  Walk asking God to reveal Himself to us.  Walk looking through His Word.  Walk seeking His understanding and not ours.  Then respond in faith to what or where He calls us to go.

I admit this is difficult to do.  However, His divine power has given us everything we need to walk by faith.  Therefore, when we encounter something that challenges our understanding (our sight), we need to take it to God and see where He may be moving or calling.

You have to love divine appointments.  Conversations that God has you encounter that get your mind thinking and heart stirred.  More and more I’m learning the truth of Psalm 139 words, “All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.”

Talking with a brother in Christ today we were reflecting on the identity crisis that lies within the church.  We call ourselves Christians little Christs or followers of Christ.  He pointed out to me that only once are followers of Jesus refered to as Christians in Antioch (Acts 11:26).  That designation was given them by those outside the church.

We began to share that when we designate who we are (identity) as Christians it often becomes about religion/ritual/rules and not relationship.  At least 9 different times we are refered to by Christ or the writers of the New Testament as sons of God or children of God. 

So, how do we answer the question, “Who are you?”?  Perhaps we need to answer I’m a son/daughter of the Father.  I’m a child of God- that is what I am (1 John 3).  The it is about relationship.  When I answer, “I’m a Christian,”  I can reduce my relationship with Jesus to a list of do’s and dont’s or list of rituals that I have to follow.

IN AND THROUGH CHRIST JESUS WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD!  ISN’T THAT SIMPLY INCREDIBLE AND AMAZING!

I was blessed by this conversation today.  I am a son of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

The Invisible Line…

I love to follow baseball and especially at the close of September as pennant races heat up.  I enjoy the thrill of the playoffs and how every pitch has so much weight and meaning – one swing could change the whole game.  A few weeks ago the buzz was about Derek Jeter’s “performance” of being hit by the pitch.  Earlier in the month a pitcher had thrown a pitch at a batter because of something that happened earlier in the game.  Discussion and debate circled around these unwritten rules in baseball.  They are not written down anywhere but everyone supposedly knows them.

It is like that when it comes to the invisible line.  You know – that line that often keeps us from doing something courageous, risky, out of the ordinary or against the flow.  It’s that line that produces the thought that often keeps us from stepping out in faith and living lovingly and boldly for Jesus.  It’s not written anywhere but it’s there.

What line am I talking about?  You know and these words have probably already gone through your head, “What will other people say or think?” 

You feel led to raise your hands in worship but what-will-people-think?

You want to share with someone at school about Jesus but what-will-people-think?

You want to go over and approach your neighbor and invite them to church but what-will-people-think?

You want to go to a Bible study rather than a high school dance but what-will-people-think?

You’re in a group of people worshipping God and you feel the Spirit leading you to drop to your knees but what-will-people-think?

You want to tell others about Jesus but there’s so much junk from your past and what-will-people-think?

You’re with a group of friends and they are telling off-color jokes and you want to say something but what-will-people-think?

You want to take your walk and commitment to God more serious but what-will-people-think?

You want to go up for prayer following a service but what-will-people-think?

And the list could go on.  Until we cross that line we will not be fully committed to following Jesus.  In John 4 there is a woman who was most likely the talk of the town.  She, as Jesus points out, has had five husbands and the one she is living with now is either someone she is just living with or someone else’s husband.  She dealt daily with what people thought of her. 

This is why we find her coming to the well at 6th hour – the heat of the day.  No one else would be there and she would not have to deal with what people thought.  She wouldn’t have to face the stares and the hushed whispers.  She lived her life in fear of what people would think and say.  That is until she met Jesus!  As she encountered Jesus and realized who He was, everything changed.  She crossed that invisible line.  She no longer cared what people would say, what people would think or what people would do.  All that mattered is she met Jesus. 

If you look at the text it says:

(John 4:28-29) Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?”  (NIV)

Did you catch that?!  No more hiding out at the 6th hour.  No more avoiding people.  She went back to the town and started talking and sharing with the people about Jesus.  That’s all that mattered.  She even forgot her water jar!

It never crossed her mind, what the people would be saying or what they might be thinking.  She could have thought, “Nobody is going to believe me- not with my reputation.  I’ll just keep this to myself everyone will think I’m crazy.  They’ll say it’s just a phase.  They won’t believe it’s real.”   Perhaps they did, but they were overridden by Jesus and her encounter with Him.  She crossed that invisible line.

As a result, many Samaritans from that town came to believe in Jesus because her testimony!  So what is God putting before you that the invisible line is keeping you from doing, experiencing, or sharing?  When you meet Jesus nothing else matters.  He knows everything about you- even the stuff that others don’t- and still loves you.  In fact He knew all of that and died for you! 

Have you crossed that invisible line?  And who may run to Jesus because you crossed that invisible line?  Who may come to know and believe in Jesus because you crossed that line?  Could it be possible that through your testimony and crossing that line your Church was transformed or the whole town of Hamilton, Holland, or Overisel came to believe in Jesus!  I imagine this outcome never crossed the Samaritan woman’s mind – but when we meet Jesus all that matters is Him.

Ask God for the faith and courage you need to cross that line today.  If you met Him (meet Him), nothing and no-one else matters.  Think of what God could do through you.

It’s amazing how the details can distract us from the important things.  This question, “Are you going to be there?”  was asked by a future groom to his bride as we were going through the final details before the wedding rehearsal.  There were some last-minute details that didn’t happen the way they were planned leading to increased anxiety. 

This question kind of brought everything into perspective.  She said, “Yes.”  To which he said, “Good.  I’m going to be there too.  That’s all that matters.”  How true!  Suppose all the flowers were exactly as planned, the photographer was all lined up, the wedding party was all in place and nothing went wrong with the dresses or tuxes, all the wedding guests were in place.  All the details were covered, but the bride or the groom wasn’t there?  You have no wedding.

However, if the flowers and decorations don’t show up, the dresses and tux’s didn’t come in so the wedding party is in jeans, and even worse the bride’s dress is ripped beyond repair the day of the wedding, but the bride and groom are there – you still have a wedding.  The details just don’t matter.

And in reality, 30 years from now, are the color of the dresses, what kind of flowers or even the location going to keep you together?  Are the details that we got so worried about really gonna help you survive the ups and downs of marriage?  No. 

Worship is the same way.  Get all the details right and you could still not have worship.  Get all the details wrong and you could still have worship.  All that matters is if the bride (the church) and the groom (Jesus) are there.  Everything else is just details.

So, next time you gather yourself for worship – individually or corporately- are you going to be there?

Hard to believe summer is coming to an end.  We had the wonderful opportunity to once again spend some time at Cran-Hill Ranch.  When we returned many people commented, “You got a lot of sun on vacation.”  My skin must have changed a tint or two.  I had gotten tan.  That’s what happens if you spend time in the sun – you get tan-lines. 

I began wondering about how people could tell if I’ve been spending time in the Son?  What would be the recognizable “tan-lines” of being in God’s presence?  In Exodus Moses is coming down Mt. Sinai for the second time and the people are afraid of him.  He doesn’t notice but his face was radiant and glowing.  Not because he just had a cosmetic make over and had just cleansed his skin with a mud mask.  He had been in the presence of God- listening to Him, talking to Him, receiving instruction from Him, communicating with Him.  The people could tell he had been in God’s presence.

So, how will people tell/what will they notice/what will be the “tan-lines” when we’ve been with God?  I believe Scripture helps us here.  Several passages come to mind.  Galatians 5:22 tells us that the fruit (“tan-lines”) of the Spirit is love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Ephesians 4 and 5 talk about speaking truthfully, having wholesome speech, harmony in our family and work relationships and unity.  1 Peter and 1 John talk about living and walking in the light and purifying ourselves from sin.  Jesus told us that our love for Him would express itself in obedience.

So, for example, you goto church every week, read your Bible almost daily, and pray but are still impatient with co-workers and others in your life.  The effect of God’s presence isn’t manifesting itself in your life.  It would be like going to Florida for spring break and coming back with no tan at all.  You tell people, “I spent everyday on the beach.  The weather was spectacular.  It was sunny everyday.  It was wonderful.”   Maybe you stayed inside, maybe you wore long sleeves and a hat the whole time or maybe you wore SPF 50 sun block – but for whatever reason there are no tan lines to speak of.  People would have a hard time believing you spent any time in the sun at all.

Spending time in God’s presence ought to affect and effect us.  There ought to be visible signs to others that we have spent time with Him.  People should notice we are more patient with people or situations that used to frustrate us.  Our children should notice we have more self-control when someone cuts us off in traffic and we hold our tongue.  Friends should be able to hear encouraging words replace our sarcasm and remarks that tear others down.  A stranger will notice your kindness when you let them go in front of you at the grocery store.  Neighbors will notice your disappointment in the loss of a job but notice an unshakeable joy and confidence in your God.  A boss will begin to see you honor your breaks, start and end time and notice your faithfulness.

So, are the “tan-lines” of spending time with God evident in your and my life?  Something to consider when we see the tan-lines of spending time in the sun this summer.  Let’s think about the “tan-lines” that should be showing as we spend time with the  Son all through the year.

Blessed are they who set their attitudes and actions based upon their hopes and not their hurts.

Perhaps you are or are not familiar with story of Solomon who made a wise decision regarding a dispute between two mothers.  So, to make sure we’re all on the same page, here’s the cliff’s note version:

There are two prostitutes.  They live in the same house and share the same room.  One has a baby and three days later the other gives birth.  They both had sons.  One night one of the mothers rolls on top of her baby boy killing him.  She quietly gets up places her dead son next to the other mother and takes her child.  In the morning the mother who did not kill her child awakens to a lifeless body and in the morning light realizes the son is not hers.  The other woman is holding her son.  (Sounds like a soap opera to me.  Not that I ever watched them or anything.)

A dispute arises which eventually finds its way to King Solomon.  Both mothers are passionately claiming the living son is theirs.  Solomon asks for a sword and gives the order for the child to be cut in two an one half be given to one mother and the other half given to the other.  (Must have been no DNA testing back then.)  One of woman moved with compassion for her son instructs the king to give the boy to the other woman.  The other woman was content to let neither have him an told the king to cut the boy in two.

Solomon discovers the woman willing to sacrifice life with her child – nursing him, rasing him, watching him take his first steps…- is the mother of the boy and gives the child to her.

Wow! What a story?!  Great wisdom displayed by Solomon.  However, think about this story in relationship to our heavenly Father and worship.  Think of the two mothers named Contemporary and Traditional.  Think of how many times churches with both mothers present decide to cut the baby of worship and give half to one and half to the other. 

Is it any wonder our worship is lifeless and our churches in America are dying.  Where are the followers of Jesus who love the Father so much who are willing to say, “Please.  Please.  No.  Don’t cut the baby.  Let them have the baby.  Let the child live.”  But sadly more often than not we respond like the other mother, “Neither I nor you shall have him.  Cut him in two!”  

Perhaps its time we put the love of Jesus before our personal preferences and convictions.  Isn’t true worship and people giving glory to God more important than those things.  Afterall, the one mother was willing to let her child be raised by another and miss out on mothering her baby so that her son would live. 

Out of shear love for our Father what would we be willing to sacrifice so that worship would live?