"Maundy" Thursday #DailyProverbs

People use the word faith a lot.

“Great Is Thy Faithfulness” is a song that so many find moving. We are not faithful by nature… and we weep when we raise our hands and sing “He’s Been Faithful.” We know that in our moments of fear, through pain and tears… there’s a God, who’s been faithful to us.

But we don’t really know the depth of “faith.” We have “faith” in some one, or some thing. We interchange “faith” with “trust.” We do things in “good faith.” We use “faith” like a deposit into savings, hoping our “faith” will garner returns in goods and services from God. We send in seed “faith” money. We gotta have “faith” according to a popular singer. All of those things are really misnomers of scriptural faith.

So, then, what IS faith? People MISquote this scripture constantly… it is not the EVIDENCE of things hoped for. It’s the opposite. Seeing it in front of you isn’t faith. Hebrews 11:1: “Faith is the SUBSTANCE of things hoped for; the EVIDENCE of things NOT seen.” Faith is believing against a crisis in hope. We keep on even when it seems all is over or lost. It is believing even when things are seemingly about to fail. Faith is KNOWING even when it’s illogical and you can’t prove it. That seems dangerous, and can be if you are following a wrong path or a person that has abused your trust and misled your faith. Or it can be one of the most powerful things on the planet, if you are correctly placing your faith in God and using your God-given brain and heart and instinct to follow right, instead of wrong.

People want GREAT faith. They think mustard seeds and mountains are the sum total effect that Jesus left with us. Not even. People tout from pulpits and matronly dinner tables that if WE only would believe ENOUGH, magic would happen and we’d walk around flinging rock cliffs into oceans. Well… maybe we would, but to what purpose? Just to prove faith, or to serve God better? Do you think faith is there to act as a spiritual ATM, giving you every wish and desire? Do you think faith is so you can get a better purse or nicer car? Do you think every person has the SAME faith? Well, Romans 12:3 says that EVERY person gets “THE measure” of faith. Some translations indicate it varies, but several translations indicate everyone gets the same measure to start with. And I think we as Christians DO get the SAME measure to start. What is that?

Belief.

Belief is where we start. Belief in Jesus, in salvation, in repentance, in grace, and in the gospel. What happens after is up to us. The level of powerful, overcoming living is up to YOU. Faith is like a muscle… Everyone starts with musculature and a certain level of ability. We develop those. Some atrophy and wither. Some are damaged they become cripple. Some are weak and are never used enough to be more than what they are, always depending on others to do the job. And some just never get used at all. Faith is like that…. the more you use and develop that faith, the stronger and more it can be used. What one person can lift is different when two are there. Faith is like that. What one person can accomplish in faith is different than what TWO people praying in faith can accomplish. Faith can grow when you are obedient in “little” steps of faith into a great and strong faith. When you trust God to bring you through a small trial and you are obedient in the smaller details… you can face the bigger and harder trials and your faith with carry you more easily.

Today is “Maundy” Thursday. Traditionally, it’s a great day for communion because it’s the day Jesus held the Last Supper with his disciples. He knew what lay ahead. He had his own measure of faith and he was “ready.” He gave instruction to his group, his friends, his family… his disciples on this day that he’d be betrayed. He’d be killed. He’d be the sacrifice for the world. And, yet… being the rabbi he was, he still took the time to impart a lesson: he gave instruction to let them know he’d live again. He instructed, through his casual teaching that they should have “faith.” Now, if someone told me over dinner they were dying and that I needn’t worry, they’d see me next week… I can admit that I’d scoff. I’d laugh at them or commit them or even doubt them. And to listen and believe Jesus took big faith – GREAT faith. But why? They’d seen so many miracles that they should have no problem with it, right? They lived with Jesus, traveled, witnessed, proselytized, and converted so many WITH Jesus and they had seen it ALL. They saw the resurrection of Lazarus. Their faith then, individually and collectively, should have given them no pause for what they were facing, right? But, even still… Thomas doubted, Peter denied, John was heartbroken, Mary moved on to France, Judas was misguided in thinking it’d be a slap on the wrist and that an earthly kingdom would follow. Everyone had their own level of faith at that point… worked and grown, and tended into what they could fathom Jesus was to them. They each had to carry their own faith, and make their own way after this event. This supper. This Maundy.

We all do the same thing today, don’t we? We believe as a last resort. We are preached to, prophesied over, and we read the scriptures and we “know” what’s facing us. Scripture foretells it, we see it in the devolution of society, we see it in historical cycles of hurt, and war, and human suffering. But we act like we are… numb… over… or shocked… by the things we know. But we still act like ANY solution will be better than faith or God. Don’t ask in prayer that God help you with a bill… no, go to a check cashing place that charges 150% interest and creates a domino effect on your finances. Don’t pray AND seek medical help. Ignore that and keep your illness and your pain to yourself… why would your Christian family uphold you? No. Pain shared is pain halved. We are TO BE THERE for one another, carrying burdens (real and emotional). We say that our faith is symbolic and that the time of living BY faith is over and that biblical things no longer apply. But, is it? We rationalize what we can’t prove, but that still happen. I’m a witness, in flesh, that miracles are still real. I have vacillated numerous times over my own healing. I have wondered if cleaner living and helped me heal. Or did God? Did I do something that created spontaneous cell growth and help? Or did I get healed by God? Did I dream it all? Did I really speak in a real tongue under anesthesia or is my Doctor crazy? Do I really believe that God put skin on and died for me? Or is this a collective trance meant to control the masses and create moral order? Is the evidentiary support of science a threat to my faith, or does it bolster my faith? When we talk about praying the cancer off of somebody, or a cold, or a back ache, or pain, or mental anguish, or emotional instability, or spiritual oppression… do we believe it? It’s easier to take a pill than to trust God for a need. That’s why rich people and privileged people and our society have SUCH a hard time with faith. Why do we need God? Why do we need angels or protection or even help? Do our lives have “room” for faith? Mind over matter makes the body heal… not prayer, right? Surely, no, not that. We preach that our collective socialization with one another IS the breaking of bread and that rote prayers ARE what God intended. It’s hard to fathom that we’d interrupt our scheduled lives if God said to pray for three days for a breakthrough. Would we skip work and do that? Would we file that under PTO or Sick time? We don’t want the inconvenience of obedience and trials that increase faith. We certainly don’t seem like we want GREATER faith or the responsibility that comes WITH great faith.

Today is “Maundy” Thursday.

Tomorrow is “Good” Friday.

Sunday is “Easter.”

Where is your faith? Do you believe? Are you having a last supper moment and wondering what will happen to you? Are you able to be in Communion with God? Do you believe that even though it’s dark, light is coming? Do you know that for the “lack of evidence” so many claim that there is someone that was the First Born to the resurrected? Our God isn’t a dead God that is worshipped in memoriam… our God is alive and still working. There’s no need for fear or sadness or even doubt. But are you at a place where you can accept that? Is your faith “tired?” Are you tired of trying and believing and seemingly failing? You can’t have great faith, until you are obedient and grow it. You have start somewhere and from that place it grows. But when you ignore those opportunities for faith, when you sideline and bench your faith, when you prove you don’t need faith… the result is atrophy. Your faith WILL wither. It WILL become small and hard and dried up. It will retreat into itself and become that much harder to access. Layers upon layers of justification, rationalization and even condemnation will cocoon and hide that seed of faith. Playing church, being a whited sepulcher, running from God, open rebellion, sin… it all covers and hides and assaults your measure of faith. It weakens and proves that YOU can MAKE it on your own. Watering down the truth of the gospel and preferring to have easy conversations and sermons that only focus on the prosperity of the gospel, and not the work it takes will harm your faith. It will make it that much harder to believe, to really be open to the fact that we are not all there is, that God really does LOVE everyone and anyone and that WHOSOEVER means YOU, too.

I want to repeat that: Have faith… let me encourage your faith… the faith that is hidden, scarred, abused, and scared… HAVE FAITH that there is a God that loves you and cares for you. That YOU are reachable, findable, and restorable. HAVE FAITH that regardless of what a human being told you in error, cruelty or because of being misled… GOD LOVES YOU. You are one of the “whoever” that God died for, resurrected for, and for whom is infinitely equal to any other human. God Loves YOU.

Happy Maundy Thursday. It may get darker tomorrow. But Sunday will come. It will happen. Light will come.

God's Wisdom Revealed

#DailyProverbs 16:1,2: "We may make our plans, but God has the last word. You may think everything you do is right, but the Lord judges your motives."

Do you trust God?

It's a simple question, but it packs a lot of impact and potentially scary prospects with you answer. Almost every person I know will say "Yes, of course" and they will hope to believe that. In fact, growing up in the rural south... we are bred and trained to trust the Lord and go to church and live our lives. And we spout that and talk it and then we live as though it's not true.

So, DO you trust God? Do you trust Him when He is telling you to be kind to someone and you think they don't deserve it? Do you trust God when he says to give the cash in your pocket to the stranger? And you think that bum deserves to be homeless and hungry due to bad choices? Do you trust God when He says to you in a service, "Get up and go hug that lady" and you resist because you don't want people to look or you are scared you'll be rebuffed and embarrassed?

Do you trust God when you disagree with Him? When you read a scripture that convicts you or causes you some weirdness? Ouch. I don't always agree and want what I feel like God has for me or tells me to do and go with. And it used to scare me to feel that way, like... somehow, I was backslidden or a bad Christian if I had a personal opinion. (Granted, I try to make sure that I eventually align correctly with God and that, to be honest, He changes MY mind vs. me changing HIS mind... and there is a whole perfect vs. permissive will thing that I try to avoid. Just because you stay saved and alive doesn't mean you are IN God's will and living your BEST and most-productive life. What if God tells you to move somewhere so you can be IN His will and be in a place to grow and heal, but you are lonely or miss family? Do you trust Him?

Do you trust God when you feel like the last idiot standing up for something? When so many of your conservative "christian" friends and loved ones think that returning evil for evil is the answer, do you stand firm and trust God's scriptural commands? When your family tells you that helping someone in need is "fishy" and that you need to be careful so they don't keep asking for help, is that what Christ taught? Or if someone needs help, but they are not in your church, or don't believe in your God, or don't agree with your politics... do you withhold help and food and rent to them? Do you think they can "hear" your pitch on being someone that follows Christ over the rumbling of their stomach and the fear of being evicted? Do you trust God to work that out and you know your proper place as a tool of His reconciliation and a vessel of His will? What's more important to you, that YOU understand every detail of God's plan, or that you are IN God's will and a usable and valuable vessel?

In his letter to Corinth, Paul talks of the Holy Ghost and the very spirit of God giving us wisdom and letting us trust the Lord. 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 is an AMAZING place to read some very real, but scary and supernatural promises.

6 - Wisdom for the spiritually mature

7 - God's hidden wisdom, chosen to give to us in plan hatched before creation

8 - Carnal kingdoms didn't know and couldn't know, or it would have gone differently

9 - Eyes have not seen, and ears have not heard what God's got for us and what's coming

10 - God reveals new truths and new things via the spirit which is constantly searching for us and ONLY the spirit can take us to God's hidden depths

11 - Only the soul in a person knows every hidden thing and truth inside of them ONLY you know all you think and hope and mean. You know your motives, your will, and your purpose. The same is true for God and the Holy Ghost... ONLY the Holy Ghost can know all of God and ONLY the Holy Ghost in YOU will give you access to the deep things of God

12- ONLY God's spirit can give us the things of God. Not the world, nor other things.

13 - Our spiritual language and tongues are the things that can teach in the spirit. Only those with the spirit, can teach spiritual things

14 - Those without the spirit cannot receive gifts of the spirit

15 - Those WITH the spirit can assess and judge the value of things, and remain judgeless of those around him

16 - Who can know the Lord? Who has the mind of Christ? Those with the spirit HAVE the mind of Christ

So, then... that's pretty heavy stuff... And I love every bit of it. Why? Because after exposing the futility of worldly thinking in 1 Corinthians 1, Paul introduces Christians to the higher realm of godly wisdom. Paul wrote with lots of things I disagree: I think he was kind of misogynistic, I think he was totally a spoiled brat, and I think lots of his work was ghost written... BUT... I DO trust God to protect the message to humankind and I trust God to protect the sacrifice of Jesus and the propagation of His church. But, with Paul... he had to WRITE this passage with some trust in God. He had to trust that Jesus was divine and that this kind of knowledge and understanding isn't available through human intelligence and reasoning; it comes strictly through divine revelation and the infilling of the very spirit of God. Only those indwelt by God's Spirit have "the mind of Christ" (v. 16) and access to "the things freely given" to them by God (v. 12).

Do YOU trust God? Do you NOT see that without this supernatural insight, no one can accurately know the Lord or His ways? Do your actions belie your doubt? Do your lips say one thing about you and your life says another? Many people say they believe in God yet may not have a correct understanding of Him because their perceptions are based on their own thoughts and ideas. To us, to the world, to human wisdom... it's easier to custom-design a god to fit our preferences than to make the REQUIRED adjustments that worshiping and following Christ require of us. Following Jesus isn't a prayer you read off of the back of a tract, nor is it just having your Holiness Standards and being comfortable, white, and Red. The ONE true God of Heaven, Earth, Israel and that so kindly extended salvation to us gentiles demands trust, faith... and ACTION that supports those beliefs.

Do you trust GOD to handle you? I know people that think God can't or won't forgive them. They don't think God can help them with drinking, or drugs, or even with their life and the way they choose to live or treat people. Do you trust God to be big enough to deal with all of your mess? Even long-time and mature believers need to guard against trying to fit God into their preconceived image of Him. It's always so funny to me how Baby Christians and those young in the Lord have SO much more faith in God to help them navigate their lives, until some well-meaning older Christian gets a hold of them and talks them out of living by faith, and instead teaches them to live by standards and by rote. The Bible is currently the ONLY reliable source of divine revelation, but the Holy Ghost can lead you and give you wisdom that your human brain can't hold and your natural brain can't contain in the fullness of His Word. We must be careful to consider the Scriptures as a WHOLE—it's critical that we don't just pick and choose the verses we want to believe. For example, by focusing only on passages that emphasize the Lord's loving-kindness while excluding those that speak of His holiness and justice, we misunderstand His true nature. God is holy, but God is ALSO compassionate. When we focus on how someone looks, rather than how they LIVE and how they LOVE, we miss the mark. When we only focus on "if you don't work, you don't eat" and ignore "if you have fed or given drink to the least of these, it was as unto me" then you are MISSING the point of God putting on skin and showing us a better way. Jesus showed us the way.

Do you trust God?

Who Are You, Christians? Discovering Our True Identity...

Do you know who you are?


If you do, then you are blessed. People rarely know where they come from, their heritage and have a good grasp on who they are to be. Ancestry.com makes a lot of money selling this dream to people that with a few clicks, you can "know" where you come from. You can "know" who your ancestors were and connect with other descendants in your family tree. But does that tell you what you want to know? Does that tell you the full story of you and your people?

Many Christians are experiencing an identity crisis. 

They know they’re "saved," but they don’t really know what to think about themselves. I say this, and I already know that three of you have stopped reading here. You roll your eyes. You think that this won't pertain to you. Some of my Apostolic friends are already nervous that this will be about standards. Maybe it will be about standards to you. If the BIGGEST trial you ever face is getting your personal control over how you present your body to God, then GOOD FOR YOU. If you skirt length or the color of your hair is truly what stresses you, then you need to get out more. There are real struggles in the world.... like folks getting shot and murdered in foreign lands for admitting they follow Jesus. Or even gunned down just walking the street in their own hometown. 1 in 6 Americans... think on that... ONE IN SIX AMERICANS are underfed or go hungry. So, maybe this will resonate with you about your personal modesty. Maybe living for God is hard for you on something as simple as looking and talking like a Christian. I hope, though, it doesn't. Maybe it won't. Maybe this will reach deeper to you. There are folks that fight every day to live drug free, alcohol free and to live a life that doesn't lead to death, prison, or shame. Surely living a Christ-like life in American  can't be your biggest obstacle? Not with all He's done for all of us. Maybe this will reach to the substance inside of you. Maybe the author of your salvation, and the measure of faith given to us all will rise up and read this for what it is intended... Or maybe some of my friends that subscribe to NO GOD will think this is stupid. Maybe this is about you. Or maybe my friends that think that just being a decent person will work and that we all end up at the same place with just different roads... maybe you think I'm talking to you. Maybe I am...

Maybe, for all of you, thinking that it's about you IS the very action makes this ALL about you. Let’s take a little test. Do you consider yourself a sinner saved by grace or a saint who occasionally sins? Huh? Let me repeat this. Do you consider yourself:

• A sinner, but you have been redeemed and saved by grace, or

• A saint, but you know you are not perfect and still need God's grace

Both statements are true, but here is the message: the first one dwells on your past identity, where the second focuses on Jesus' perception of you.

1 Corinthians 1:1-9: "From Paul, who was called by the will of God to be an Apostle of Christ Jesus,and from our brother Sosthenes - To the church of God which is in Corinth, to all who are called to be God's holy people, who belong to him in union with Christ Jesus, together with all people everywhere who worship our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours: May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. I always give thanks to my God for you because of the grace he has given you through Christ Jesus. For in union with Christ, you have become rich in all things, including all speech and all knowledge. The message about Christ has become so firmly established in you that you have not failed to receive a single blessing, as you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be faultless on the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is to be trusted, the God who called you to have fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord."

Now, I'll have to write this slowly, so I won't get caught up shouting and fail to finish today's #DailyProverb. But that passage is the opening greeting of his letter and it gets skipped over in MANY messages preached today. We get by on the major Apostolic teachings and forget that there are some DEEP promises in just a greeting. If you are a believer, God’s Word says that you are a saint (v. 2). If you are in union with Christ, then your speech and knowledge will be rich in the things of God. When you are so focused on Jesus, and you are FIRMLY established in Jesus, you will not fail to receive a single blessing or gift in the Spirit. You will be kept and maintained until the end, so that you can be found faultless. All of this, just from the "Hello" of a letter to a church that was founded at the crossroads of a multi-cultural, multi-national, and multi-religioned city. 

Remember from history and using context, that Corinth was a hot bed of activity in commerce, in power, a cross roads of trade and language and even religion. The temples there to various Gods were competing with and condemning these baby Christians for their "brutal" and "bloody" religion. And to them, in the infancy of Christianity... the crucifixion and the symbolic "blood" purification we required for the remission of sins was ghastly to the city. So, the fact that Christianity had a church established there was amazing, and the fact that it was a powerful and firmly planted church was because of God's grace to them. Paul knew this and called it out.

What about us? Does that sound familiar?

Huh, Michael? What am I even talking about? THIS is what I'm talking about: the world is exponentially becoming ingrained in commerce and travel. The world is small to us. We are bored. We are ALL within a few clicks of being at a crossroads. We all have access to anything that is multi-cultural, multi-national, and multi-religioned at a moment's notice. To live for Christ, and BY Christ's teachings is rare. People use the term "Christian" and the guise of "Christianity" to sell money-making conservatism. Being a white, conservative, Republican in a Red State doesn't automatically make you a good, God-fearin' Christian. Following the teachings of Christ will make you a good Christian. Fakers will wage war on the poor, and not on poverty. They will tell you that family is first, but break up homes with outdated laws, outdated prejudices and fight people. They will tell you that the money making as conservatives is to continue to trust the way that it's been working, but it's not been working. Corporate greed and corrupt human politics are fighting to keep people poor and putting money after money after money into corporate coffers through the guise of progress and consumerism. BEWARE of this and realize what Paul wrote is true. Be FIRMLY established in Christ. You focus on Jesus, what Jesus did, what Jesus said, and HOW Jesus lived... you help your neighbor, you feed the hungry, help the sick, worry and show care for widows and the elderly. Be kind to those others would shun. You bring people to church that others would ignore. Don't focus on giving them a makeover or having them as a "project." Focus on showing God's love. You can NEVER go wrong being kind to people, loving people, and helping people.

Why is this concept so foreign? Because too many of us still see ourselves as the same old sinner, who’s been forgiven and patched up and yet is basically unchanged inside. We stay so "grateful" for being brought out of sin, that we forget to GROW in Christ. We forget that we are NEW creatures and that we are to walk in the callings that GOD gives us. We still think the same. We don't shift and fight and contend and WORK at being good Christians. We just expect God to miraculously change our personalities into these bound, Stepford-like "sheeple" that don't think, don't express personality, don't use their God-given gifts and talents... God made EACH of us to be unique and to do exactly what we were created to do. Not everyone is famous, not everyone is known publicly, and not everyone will be given their due recognition. But EVERYONE has a job to do, a soul to win, a work to accomplish and a measure of faith given to them. Don't sell yourself short. When God can trust you with a little, He starts trusting you with more. If you can be faithful with a just a little... you can grow that.

Are you new? Do you know who you are? Did you The Lord says anyone in Christ “is a new creature; the old things passed away” (2 Cor. 5:17). That’s what being born again is all about. We are new. If you are not new, if you can't get over yourself, and your past, and your regrets and your mistrusts, and your failure... how do you expect others to see you differently? How can you expect others to trust you and work with you, when you won't trust yourself or work with yourself? If you can't manage yourself, how can you manage others? Be new. Be changed. YOU are the ONLY key to that. Trust God to help you and have the FAITH that when God does a work in you, He is THOROUGH. We can never go back to the way we were.

The solution to this identity crisis is to change the way we think about ourselves. If we don’t, we’ll rely on how we feel, and Satan will bombard us with reminders of our failures and sins. But we walk by faith, not feelings. The devil wants to keep us focused on being a sinner, because he knows that the recognition of our sainthood will lead us to live like saints. We’ll be motivated and empowered to obey God, and the Devil will lose his foothold in our lives. 

You missed that point, didn't you. The DEVIL will use LIES like, "I don't 'feel' saved. I don't feel like being kind. I am just 'made that way' and I can't help it when I 'lose my temper' or 'run my mouth.'" Then we just give in to whatever is near. We stop trying. We stop fighting for our own causes and actions and to be better. We stop being CONTENDERS. But, those are lies. Those are untrue things that YOU control. You are the ONLY person that can control you. If you don't want to smoke, then don't. If you don't want to drink, then don't. If you don't want to do drugs, THEN DON'T. You are personally accountable and culpable for your actions. 

Jesus didn’t come just to save you from hell; If your only goal in loving Jesus is to avoid hell, you have it all wrong. You'll probably go there anyway if that's your mindset. (Yes, I just said that.) Jesus wants to live His life through you. He wants to use you to show love and kindness to others. Your testimony, your kindness, the newness of YOU will draw others to Christ, and then more, and then more. Your success in the Lord will RIPPLE throughout the body of Christ. The Kingdom will grow, thrive and future generations will feel YOUR life and what you decide today. In Christ, you have a new identity which has replaced your old one. So, live like it.

Be new. Be a new creature. Live like a new creature. Walk, talk, work, shop, drink, eat, and laugh like a new creature. Show up at work like a new creature. Show up at your family functions like a new creature. Show up with your old friends and live like a new creature. Don't throw away people or shun them if they are not just like you. Don't give up on others that you once partied with and sinned with if they can't follow you on your new journey in Christ. They still love you, so you need to still love them. One of the biggest reasons that we don't have people wanting Christianity is because WE, as Christians, don't live it out in front of the world. The reason we don't live it is because we don't believe it. (!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can you believe I said that? Yes... you should. If you really believe something, your actions and your behavior will support that belief. If I 'believed' my house was on fire, my 'behavior' would be to get up and get out and get help. If I 'believed' my health was at risk, my 'behavior' would be to get to a doctor. WHY do we say we believe in Christ, but never follow the teachings he set forth?) But it's true! Why would ANYONE want to be a Christian when those that preach, teach and tout how great it is can't even live it or show it?

LIVE your life in front of your family, your friends, your colleagues. Show them. Be salt. Be light. If you will focus on who you are now, your actions will follow, and you’ll experience the enjoyment of a victorious Christian life.

I love y'all.

Cheers, #JustBeingMichael ツ

Unrest: Jesus, the Source of Peace

We have only just finished a holiday that we spent touting the things for which we are thankful. That's a good thing. We spend the next day trying to get deals on material goods, which... in and of itself is not a bad thing. Saving money is a good thing (if you were going to spend x amount anyway, and you want to save an additional amount. I have other thoughts if you were shopping for yourself or your home and getting prodded into spending money you don't have or didn't want to spend, other than because of a corporate holiday.)

But the country, with Thanksgiving and it's associated smudge on our nation, remains in a state of tension and unrest. With the turmoil of Black Friday (and the, no less than, three videos of people harming one another over things like a stuff toy, or in one case...foundation garments. Yes, pannies...), we are still experience unrest in places like Ferguson, St. Louis and places where people are really hurting. People are genuinely wondering if it will ever get better.

Jeremiah 6:13-15: "Everyone, great and small tries to make money dishonestly, even prophets and priests cheat the people. They act as if my people's wounds were only scratches. 'All is well,' they say, when all is NOT well. Were they ashamed because they did these disgusting things? No, they were not at all ashamed; they don't even know how to blush. And so they will fall as others have fallen; when I punish them, that will be the end of them. I, the Lord, have spoken."

Um... That sounds like our world today. Doesn't it? No? You don't think so? Let's see:
--Corporate greed and money being the biggest issue: Check.
--Everyone wanted a deal, an angle, or a hook up: Check.
--Even churches and the preachers being concerned about money and politics: Check.
--People minimizing hunger, poverty, and civil exhaustion from inequality: Check.
--People in power minimizing the damage to the population from greed: Check.
--People saying... it's all okay, even when it's not: Check.
--Lack of shame for misdeeds and sin and harming others: Check.

The scary part is what comes next. God is getting tired of it all. And when God says it will fall, and punishment will come... then it WILL. When God says that something will come to an end, it will. But... is that it? Is there nothing we can do? Is this dismal view the end? No.

Colossians 1:15-20: "Christ is the visible likeness of the invisible God. He is the firstborn Son, superior to all created beings. For through Him, God created everything in heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen things, including spiritual powers, lords, rulers, and authorities. God created the whole universe through Him and for Him. Christ existed before all things, and in union with Him all things have their proper place. He is the head of his body, the church; He is the source of the body's life. He is the firstborn Son, who was raised from death, in order that He alone might have the first place in ALL things. For it was by God's own decision that the Son has in Himself the full nature of God. Through the Son, then, God decided to bring the WHOLE universe back to Himself. God made peace through the Son's blood on the cross and so brought back to Himself ALL things, both on Earth and in Heaven." 

Jesus IS God. And through Jesus, we are able to be reconciled to Him by His sacrifice for us. Otherwise, there were laws... SO MANY laws to be kept. Detailed, complex laws. Before we knew Jesus, our lives were full of selfish, hedonistic, godless and wicked endeavors. I know, for me, that I had self-seeking ways. To quote "The Talented Mr. Ripley," 

"Well, whatever you do, however terrible, however hurtful, it all makes sense, doesn't it? In your head? You never meet anybody that thinks they're a bad person."

How true is that? We justify EVERY thing we do. We have stubborn, unrepentant hearts (Rom. 1:18; 2:5, 8). And yet, we long for peace. Pageants are filled with hopeful young women that answer: "World Peace" when asked for what they wish. And like our strife-filled world, we clamored for peace and tried to find it, but our efforts failed. Humanity has FAILED.

Yet.. when we come to Jesus, all of that changes. Can change. Will change. We have been rescued. We are out of the dominion of darkness. We are brought into the Kingdom of the Christ. (Col. 1:13). Every sin has been forgiven. Every sin in the past, the present, and the future has been/will be forgiven. Justice must be satisfied and divine justice and recompense was satisfied by the sacrifice of Jesus. We have become new creatures in Christ, washed clean by His blood (2 Cor 5:17). With the power of sin broken, we can live lives acceptable to God. We can be IN the world, and not OF the world. Non-Jews can be grafted into God's plan of salvation and receive and enjoy the benefits of adoption into the family of God. We can experience God IN us... God sent the Holy Ghost as a comforter and partner (Acts 2:38) in helping us be both powerful enough to live IN the world and give us the strength to be separate FROM the world. The spirit of God IN us is our personal guide in our daily life, helping each of us experience Christ’s peace (Rom. 8:6). We also can look forward to an eternity spent in heaven, where righteousness, tranquility, and joy abound (Rom. 14:17).

Our unity IN and WITH Jesus came at a great price—the sacrifice of His life. Christ gave His life for us so that we could be reconciled to God (Col. 1:20). Christian lives are to testify that Jesus is the source of our peace. God has done all this for us.

--Does your life communicate this message? This message and testimony to the power of what God can do in you?
--Don't give up on people yet; don't judge others or their pain just yet. 
--Be a minister of reconciliation. Be a peacemaker. Be a person that looks on civil unrest and disparate lives with mercy and compassion.
--Your life was much like any other person before Christ. Don't forget where God brought you from and look on others that NEED God with mercy. 
--Don't look on others in judgement, because some of US were just like that, or worse.

I love y'all. Be good to each other.

Cheers, 
#JustBeingMichael ツ

Great Is Thy Faithfulness: So Thankful

Great Is Thy Faithfulness: So Thankful...

#DailyProverbs 1 Chronicles 16:30-34: "...The earth is set firmly in place and cannot be moved. Be glad, earth and sky!
Tell the nations that the Lord is king. 
Roar, sea, and every creature in you; be glad, fields, and everything in you!
The trees in the woods will shout for joy when the Lord comes to rule the earth.
Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good; his love is eternal."

One year ago, I was in the middle of turmoil. I was gravely ill. I was heartbroken over the loss #MamawSue. I was confused by the dreams the Lord was giving me. I was in limbo. I was not in church, and yet, I was no longer in old habits of the world. Thanksgiving was hard... But it was all working towards a purpose. God's faithfulness and planning are immaculate...

July 15th was the day a sweet couple reached out to me... They really don't realize how much I was affected.
August 20 was the diagnosis that scared me. I was ready to quit. I was ready for death...
October 20 was the turning point where I tried, but only for those around me. I still didn't get it...
November 2 was a loss that rocked our family, and a mantle of prayer was given to me that I wasn't sure I was ready for...
December 21st was the miracle that changed my life forever. Drs. Payoosh & Patel still keep in touch...

As specific anniversaries pass of comfort, fear, loss... I'm left to wonder; without each step, who knows if I'd have had the same outcomes. Without each puzzle piece, who knows where I would be. God's faithfulness and detail is immeasurable. I write a lot in exhortation of others. I minister to others. But this was to me, for me, and about me. God was faithful to me. As the anniversary looms of God's divine intervention in my life, and the miracle that paved the way for the biggest miracle of my existence... here's what I know:

I'm alive. I'm healed. I'm forgiven. I'm saved. I'm restored.

I'm... thankful.

Seek Ye First

#DailyProverbs

Today, let's talk about "Seek Ye First..."

It’s been said that the reason America doesn’t experience the power and revival that the rest of the world feels is because we pray for revival, and they pray for unity. They pray to be united together in Christ, while we pray that God blesses us and gives us more. I don’t care for hearsay or click-bait. So I’ll clarify, when I write “it’s been said…” I mean that Bro. Baily told Pastor and Sis. Ballestero; I was privileged to hear it.

Unity brings about a lot of things. Unity in learning. Unity is purpose. Unity in our sacrifice. It gets God's attention. When Jesus started delegating authority to his followers, his disciples, he gave them rules. God gives us plenty of promises... but with every covenant, every promise comes a requirement, a rule, a guideline. God is an orderly God and we can work the plan and be blessed. He tells us in His Word what His expectations are. We don’t have to cry out, cut ourselves or beg God to speak to us, when we’ve got the living Word in us, and his scriptures in front of us. But he also expects us to follow the rules... and to follow Him.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Disciples (Luke 9:1-6; see also: Mt 10.5–15; Mk 6.7–13)

Jesus called the twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases. Then he sent them out to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick, after saying to them, “Take nothing with you for the journey: no stick, no beggar's bag, no food, no money, not even an extra shirt. Wherever you are welcomed, stay in the same house until you leave that town; wherever people don't welcome you, leave that town and shake the dust off your feet as a warning to them.”

The disciples left and travelled through all the villages, preaching the Good News and healing people everywhere.

That first verse says that He called them together.

Then He gave them power.

Then He gave them authority.

Then He SENT them... and He sent them with NOTHING but His power, authority, and commission.

We want God to call us. We want God to give us power. We want God to give us authority. We are not very keen on God sending us. We are even LESS keen on God telling us that we are to have the bare minimum. We need a lighting budget. We need cordless mics. We need earbud monitor systems. Anything less than state of the art is a slap in the face to us.

We tell God these days that we “can’t” do ministry unless we are assured that it’s comfortable, will fit in our schedule, and we are able to ensure that we are properly paid. People want to play in church on Sundays, but they don't want to practice during the week. They want to be in the big churches and have the nice systems... but they can't see themselves helping a small church that might be one person, acoustics, and doing it simply to ensure that God's name is glorified in worship. And most people want a check. I am not correcting Paul. I believe the workman is worthy of hire, but it’s about communal generosity, not wealth or prosperity. Do you think a man of God will be uber-wealthy? Do you think if he is, he’ll keep it, or spread it for the Kingdom? Do you think about the camel and needle? What did Jesus really mean when he sent his followers, his friends… the men that would be with him out into the world and into towns like this? With nothing? As nothing? As people that would need kindness, and alms from strangers to survive?

Would YOU do it, if that’s how God called you to ministry? Could you? What did Jesus really mean by that? Like, really mean... Is it possible He meant to leave everything behind? Live in a commune?

Oh… wait... He kind of said that, didn’t he? Matthew 8:22 is where Jesus told the rich young ruler, a teacher of the law, and an actual disciple to leave it all.

All of it?

Yes, all of it. He told the rich young ruler to come with him. And he meant right then!!! He told him to leave it all behind. He told the young man to walk with him daily, forsake his home, his business, his money, his servants his house, his family. Jesus told him to say goodbye to all of that and come prepare. Jesus knew that His immediate rise and fall were coming. He knew that the Gospel would be spread. He knew that eternity was in the balance. The ruler just thought of that day. What were his tasks THAT day? What were the things he needed to accomplish THAT day?

Do you get caught up at church?

Do you get fired up and mean well and want "more" of God? More power? More help? More blessings?

Do you feel the rush of a preacher’s message and tell God you’ll follow him, literally, anywhere?

Do you balk when God accepts your offer and asks you to commit to following Him and leaving your world behind? 

What about the passage in Luke to the one in Matthew? It’s nearly identical in the technicalities of what is offered as the story, but it offers a few more insights into Luke’s pragmatism and writing style. He focuses on the different phrasing used. Matthew captured the beauty and majesty of the whole “Son of Man” thing, but Luke cuts to the point: If you don’t follow God, and obey God, you are of no use to God. #Boom

The Would-be Followers of Jesus (Luke 9:57; see also, Mt 8.19–22)

As they went on their way, a man said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lie down and rest.”

He said to another man, “Follow me.” But that man said, “Sir, first let me go back and bury my father.” Jesus answered, “Let the dead bury their own dead. You go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.”

Someone else said, “I will follow you, sir; but first let me go and say goodbye to my family.” Jesus said to him, “Anyone who starts to plough and then keeps looking back is of no use to the Kingdom of God.”

Could you do that and leave everything for God? Would you?

What did Jesus mean when He said that anyone that ploughs looking back is useless?

What keeps calling you to back?

What has a call so strong that you won’t keep looking forward at the task God has for you?

What is so powerful, grand, or important that the straight and narrow row you should be ploughing will be crooked or stopped due to your inability to look forward?

Ask yourself those questions and answer them honestly. Answer them truthfully. Do you think you can follow God and let Him truly mold you and use you? Or will you offer all of the reasons that YOU are the special case that He should work with? Will you convince God that you deserve the mantle of leadership and prestige and want the power to proclaim the Gospel, but YOU deserve to be let out of the sacrifice and the path that God would have you walk.

Seek Ye First: God and Possessions (Matthew 6:24; see also Lk 16.13)

“No one can be a slave of two masters; he will hate one and love the other; he will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."

See, here is where the rubber meets the road for most people. Most conservative citizens in the Bible Belt consider themselves to be “Christian.” The matter is that they are conservative. They have values that are conservative. But their love of money is a problem and it’s one that will overshadow the rest of their testimony. You cannot love money and serve God. It’s POSSIBLE, but incredibly NEARLY NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN that a rich person will make good moral choices and make it to Heaven. Jesus just flat out said it: A rich person will work to make more money and hoard and keep money. They just don’t usually end up using it to make the lives of the downtrodden and poor and needy better, or even tolerable.

You can even sing the songs, wear the right clothes, look the part and be a teacher of the law, a ruler, or a disciple of Christ… but if you won’t drop YOUR plans, and YOUR life, and YOUR mindset, then you are missing the point. The Gospel has been spread. It’s been put out there. Those in charge of it have mutilated it. They’ve abused it. They’ve bastardized it for selfish gain… God can handle all of that. I’m not an apologist, nor am I ashamed of it. The cruelties done in the name of Christ were done by politics, greed, and for control. They were not done in LOVE. But, without love, we are clanging cymbals. We are useless. We are ineffective. Why? Because God is Love (1 John 4:8)  See, if you are not full of love of Christ, even for those not like you, then you don’t know God.

Seek Ye First: God and Possessions (Matthew 6:25-34 ; see also Luke 12:22–31)

“This is why I tell you not to be worried about the food and drink you need in order to stay alive, or about clothes for your body. After all, isn't life worth more than food? And isn't the body worth more than clothes? Look at the birds: they do not sow seeds, gather a harvest and put it in barns; yet your Father in heaven takes care of them! Aren't you worth much more than birds? Can any of you live a bit longer by worrying about it?

“And why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow: they do not work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that not even King Solomon with all his wealth had clothes as beautiful as one of these flowers. It is God who clothes the wild grass — grass that is here today and gone tomorrow, burnt up in the oven. Won't he be all the more sure to clothe you? How little faith you have!

“So do not start worrying: ‘Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes?’ (These are the things the pagans are always concerned about.) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things. So do not worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own. There is no need to add to the troubles each day brings."

What are you doing FOR God?

When God called you to follow Him, did you only agree on YOUR terms?

When God told you to share the Gospel, is it only in the situations of which YOU approve?

When God asks you to step out in faith and help, is your obedience only when YOU are comfortable? 

When God tells you to do something, is the schedule set only when YOU decide?

Don’t miss it. Don’t you dare miss what God has for you. I often wonder if the rich young ruler witnessed the crucifixion. If he told his children and grandchildren that he knew of Jesus and had a chance to go with Him. What did he think after that encounter when he left, saddened?

What about you? Do you leave saddened?

How many encounters have you had with God? How many times has God given you a chance and reached out to you? How many times has your heart been pricked with conviction and you feel the Holy Ghost urging you to talk to Jesus? How many times have you begged God to keep giving you chances, because you are "not ready." How many times have you told God that you need to take care of a few situations, just be patient while you correct and work on a few loose ends? That's not how it works with God. His love is infinite, not His patience. If you are consumed with worldly things, they will be the things that choke your relationship with God. They will be your demise. You will miss the point, and you will miss your chance.

I ask you again:

What has a call so strong that you won’t keep looking forward at the task God has for you?

What possession is worth communion and following Christ? You just "have" to have it.

What idol do you have that you have put above following Christ? You just "can't" give it up.

#SeekYeFirst

Cheers, 

#JustBeingMichael ツ

Open Letter - September 10th, 2014

Hello All –

Normally, I don’t like “open letters.” But, timeliness necessitates efficiency in this scenario. So, rather than message everyone privately, or rather than make it seem more dramatic than what it is... I'll just address it all at once, publicly, and let my "yay be yay" and my "nay be nay."

Several of my friends have either called, texted, or sent messages about my recent silence. Nothing is wrong, but I’ve been quiet lately on social media for several reasons:
--I’ve been inordinately busy with work. Really. I have a few jobs and I'm swamped.
--I’ve moved houses and I’ll be blunt: that is the most soul-sucking task of which I know. I wasn't ready.
--I am dealing with some spiritual/emotional issues and learning to just submit to God’s will – which is hard for me.
--I was just taking time to regroup and kind of get my own mind in order, and my own words in order. I don't like to make blanket announcements before I have crossed my "t's" and dotted my "i's." I don't like to be caught making an announcement before I've done my homework or signed my contracts. And I don’t like it when others make weird statuses about “I’m taking a break” or “I’m cutting my friends list” or even “There’s so much negativity.” Rather than be a hypocrite (because you have ALL seen me call those types out) I just took a break and handled my business(es).

But I am going to address this fully: I have gotten very, very positive feedback and lots of reinforcement about my life journey from last year to this year. And I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to my family and to my friends. Really. My mother and my sister have been invaluable. There are some sources of outreach and support I NEVER thought I'd get. And to be honest, there has been some reconciliation and outreach from old friends and even ministers that I NEVER thought I'd speak with again. My long term support system has been amazing to me. Friends really are the greatest treasures. I am MORE than blessed with people that love me. And I’m truly lucky enough to have new friends and support as well. Tampa Bay has become home. But...to be honest, there’s also been negative feedback. Some people think I am too “Jesus-y” and that I have just taken it TOO far. That’s okay, too. It’s okay for you to feel that way, and it’s okay for me to do it. You’d likely be just as vocal and write just as much about it if you’d been healed and if you’d been delivered and if you’d been given a new lease on life. However you need to feel and whatever you need to do is fine. Mute my feed. Feel free to unfriend me on this platform. Facebook to me is a tool to accomplish a means. It is by NO means my only source of reality or truth. And I don’t get offended by being unfriended or muted, or blocked. I’m kind of grown that way. It doesn’t mean we can’t sit down for a drink, or coffee, or I won’t hug your neck when I see you in person.

All of that being said, it’s the perfect segue for me to use this platform to publicly announce that I’ve surrendered to the call of the ministry, in whatever form that takes in my future. My close friends and even just those that read my writings know I’ve squandered quite a bit of time in my life. But this is a natural progression for me; and it is one I will not take lightly, or will I ever turn away from again. Luckily for me, God’s callings and gifts are without repentance. The anointing is still as strong and the way God works through me is better than ever. God and His love are infallible and unconditional.

Truly.

And, frankly, I’ve had candid conversations with mentors and with my pastor about my initial lack of enthusiasm for anything more than just “being back in church.” This is more than a “find something good to do with your hands…” or “hand to the plow” situation. I kind of begged God to get out of it (if I am being transparent in my own journey), but the resounding answer has been that God placed me where He wanted me, and I’m to work in the Harvest. It’s hard to decline such an invitation (er, command) after the year I’ve had with the digestive issues, cancer, and complete recovery for my health and spiritual issues. Complete recovery.

I’ve been privileged to find myself in a great church and am sitting under a wonderful pastor for this season in my life. I miss my family and I miss Jackson, but I’m also positioned well to secure my job, and my finances to the point to where I can be a minister, in whatever capacity I’m asked to serve. God wants us to bloom where we are planted and work where we are called. Currently, I am working in two ministries with music and teaching at my church and loving every, single minute. Whatever comes, and whatever has to happen in my life to accomplish these, I’ve been really, really blessed to be armed with the support team and resources in this time of my life and during these transitions.

Hope that clears some of it up. Nothing's wrong. I'm not being quiet on purpose. I won't quit giving all credit to God for the changes in my life. I won't quit talking about Jesus and I will continue even further in ministry and in working with whatever I'm asked to do. Can't get much better than that for a second chance. (or third, or fourth... or fifth... or maybe sixth or seventh...)

Much love and prayers to you all.

Cheers, #JustBeingMichael ツ

August 21, 2014 - Daily Proverbs - Abusing God's Patience

#DailyProverbs - Trigger: This is long. It was hard to right. It was hard to feel. It was hard to work through. There is strong language. It is hard to share and be that transparent. It was a struggle to click "post" for this. Read or don't read. I would almost prefer "don't."

Abusing God's Patience
Romans 2:1-5: "Do you, my friend, pass judgment on others? You have no excuse at all, whoever you are. For when you judge others and then do the same things which they do, you condemn yourself. 
...We know that God is right when he judges the people who do such things as these. 
But you, my friend, do those very things for which you pass judgment on others! Do you think you will escape God's judgment? 
...Or perhaps you despise his great kindness, tolerance, and patience. Surely you know that God is kind, because he is trying to lead you to repent. 
...But you have a hard and stubborn heart, and so you are making your own punishment even greater on the Day when God's anger and righteous judgments will be revealed."

Most people will look at the title of this blog, this status, today's devotional and think, "Michael is talking about someone else. He sure is going to give it to 'those' sinners." Eh, think what you like but the truth is that God is God. We are human. You should probably take care in how loftily you pass judgment on others, because your own judgment is imminent. I'm also talking to myself. Actually, I'm preaching to myself... and a little to you.

Let's take it to the vernacular. Let's break it down in layman's terms and on a level we can all appreciate... Have you ever ignored the press of conviction upon your heart? When you have that "pause" before you sin, what do you do? Do you dull the sensitivity and just keep going? Do you tell yourself you'll deal with it later and, perhaps, even believe your own lie? Do you just stuff it down, because "you gotta do whatever it takes to survive" and "no one can judge you because they don't live your life?" Are you telling yourself that? Do you believe that YOUR issues are okay because you know how hard you struggle? YOUR problems matter? But everyone else is just not "getting" it? Maybe you justified or rationalized your particular sin? Maybe you look at your shortcomings as a true failure in the face of an honest moment of trying, but lack that same level of grace or compassion when others fail? Because YOU meant well, but others do not in your mind? I mean, it's easy to judge those "gross f*gg*ts" that are clearly hell-bound, right? Your misunderstanding of a compulsion to love or be with someone may not make sense in your mind, but what about when you cheated on your wife? Was that a compulsion or you just "correcting" the fact that you were with the wrong person? Did God tell you to break those vows, divorce her and then marry again so that you would be better suited for His kingdom? Or, what if it's not a "sin unto death" or a sin of idolatry? Let's say it's a "lesser" sin, like your lack of compassion to those in need? Or the fact that you cheat on your tithes? Or that you are even just behind on your tithes? Those are perfectly acceptable, right? I mean, poor people deserve to be poor... right? They are lazy, dirty, and regardless of race are clearly ill-matched for education or upward mobility. 'Those' people should not get "hand outs." 

[*taps mic* Is this even on? Am I out in left field?]

Ouch. Michael, those sins are not even comparable. Well, think that all you want, but that's not scriptural. James 2:10 states that if you keep the law, but fail in ONE point, you are accountable for failing ALL laws. That scares me and yet, at the same time makes me so grateful for the grace and mercy of God. It scared me because Jesus clearly stated He didn't come to abolish the law, but to fulfill the law. But thankfully, he also stated that He'd make a way for us to be saved without keeping the points of every law in our debit column, making it impossible for us to successfully be saved. 

[Right? Can I get even one amen?]

Or even, let's say that you pay your bills before you tithe. I mean, you still tithe with what's left. Yet, you are a sinner. If you don't give God your FIRST FRUITS in Time, Treasure and Talent... you are robbing God of what is HIS and committing theft. If you don't give God your FIRST minutes of the day in prayer, you are robbing God of time with you. If you don't devote your talent, be it administrative, demonstrative, or worship... you are ROBBING God of something and are a thief. Don't you trust God enough to help you if you give to Him first? Or do you make sure you and yours get fed, full, and fat before you slip that leftover cash into a velvet bag on Sunday? It feels good to march up those aisles and pretend you are square with God financially - especially when everyone is looking, right? What about when you are tired and don't actively worship? It wasn't exactly a suggestion in the Bible. It was a commandment. Do you know you are supposed to worship and don't? Sin.

Or you can judge the girl you call a slut, but ignore that fact that you assassinated someone's character with your tongue. Do you even feel conviction anymore when you, as a white, well-to-do, politically conservative person commit eternal betrayal of someone's soul by turning them away from Christ with your haughty attitude. Do you justify lie you told that hungry homeless man because - let's face it - you DID have cash, but you just didn't want to stop or have to break a $5? I mean, those sins are fine, right? 

[Michael Kennedy! That's not a sin! Well, except for when Jesus himself said that those that ignored the needs of others will be cast into hell on judgment day. Matthew 25:41-46 is pretty explicit about it, actually.]

When you whisper to those "just like you" about how you don't understand "those not like you" and don't get all of this political and societal hullabaloo about "dead n*ggers hopped up on drugs," or what those "t*rd burglars need 'special rights' for?" Because you are going to just do one of those grand ole "blanket repentance prayers" every night? If you are scared and don't want to be bothered because someone is dirty or smells, a lie is fine then, right? Ignoring a hurting human in need is fine if they scare you? Or you don't have time? That's a justifiable thing with Jesus, right? Or maybe you're wrongdoing with the thought that if God were really upset, He'd put a stop to things by stopping you are telling you. You'd "feel" bad about it, right? Or when you have to lie at work, or you know your company is cooking the books, or you know your boss is asking you to compromise your beliefs... THOSE are all fine because God understands we have to survive in this world and pay the bills. God knows THOSE kinds of sins and THAT kind of compromise is okay in 2014. Pentecost is moving on and the particulars of the landmarks that USED to define what a Christian was - honesty, integrity, forthrightness, compassion - those are just feel good words. How we dress, how we vote, who we disapprove of... THAT is what marks us as "good" Christians now, right?

[Note, God tells you in His word. He doesn't have to make you "feel" bad for you to know something is good or bad to do. He doesn't have to "tell" you or "impress" you to help the less fortunate because HIS WORD tells you to do it. His WORD tells you what is right and what is wrong. His WORD tells you that YOUR job is to love God, and love others. God will save them, clean, them restore them, and heal them. YOU are to love them.]

Or, maybe you think that you are on God's Jury, here, on Earth. I humbly, but directly, submit the correction to you that ONLY GOD is the Author, Finisher, Creator, JURY, JUDGE, and thankfully, the DEFENSE in people's life. Psalm 50:21 to remind us that the silence of heaven does not mean approval. Remaining in sin is an abuse of the Lord's patience. So, yes... Sin is sin, and to continue in sin is to abuse the grace of God and the plan of salvation. It is an abuse to God's direct love, care and mercy that is extended to you to knowingly continue sin, and then repent before you get to church on Sunday. "I'll just have this moment of weakness here and there, God totally understands, right?" 

[No, not really.] 

But... consider this, Christians... when God seems slow to react, we might hope He's overlooking our transgressions--we'd like to continue in sin because the momentary pleasure is more appealing than obedience. But thankfully, Jesus, having walked this Earth, having full divinity within himself, knows our weaknesses, our innate carnality, and the state of our spiritual growth, and He therefore measures His response. Grace. Mercy. A way to repent... truly repent.. and TRULY be saved. Jesus, motivated by love and a desire to gently restore His joint-heirs to righteousness, refrains from doling out immediate punishment. Instead, He waits for the Holy Ghost's urgency to impact the believer's heart. The weight of "conviction" is actually an invitation to turn from wrongdoing and return to a true form of Godliness - not one of supposed holiness and one of hollow, haughty judgment of your fellow humans. Be aware that ONLY the blood of Christ and His MERCY are the reason you're alive and not burning in hell yourself. YOUR works are as rags, just like everyone else's.

As we learn and understand more about God and His ways, we are increasingly responsible to live righteously. To be separate and to be holy. Live holy. Walk in the beauty of holiness. But to be IN the world. We are to be IN the world and be the salt. Be the light. The Lord is not slow; He's patient. Do not abuse His patience with callous disregard for His statutes. Do not keep pushing conviction and repentance away. Do not keep assuming that "church" is what saves you. Jesus is what saves you. Going to a church house doesn't make you a good "Christian;" following the teachings of Christ is what makes you a good Christian.


Lessons Learned from a Sinner:
--Do not wait, I'm proof. I wasted 20 years of my life running from God. Granted, I was a fun and wonderful sinner. But I would have busted hell wide open. And while I love, love, love everyone and I don't regret the relationships I formed, but I do have regrets that there were tangible things I could have accomplished instead of being in bars and clubs.

--There IS a God out there. There is a God that is loving. There is a God that heals. I'm proof - living, real, true proof that God will heal you on an operating table in front of your surgeon. Don't ever let anything deter you from find and touching God for whatever you need.

--There IS a Savior - I'm proof. I'm living, real, true proof that there is a Jesus that will wake you up, tell you to turn around and make a way for you to repent, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. I don't have to know your particular story to tell you that you can have this. You can reach out and touch something that will change you.

--There ARE Christians that will love you and help you. Do not be discouraged by the news, by whatever "council" is going on or when someone tells you that God hates you. Do not think that southern white conservatives are the voice modern Christianity and that God doesn't care about social and racial struggles. God LOVES you and wants the best for you. God WANTS to restore you, through repentance, remission of sin, and wants to change and HELP you become a new creature. And do not believe for one moment that you have to first change to touch God; It is the touch of God that will change you.

I know this was long. I know this was a hard read and I know I get pretty emotional about God these days. I love you. This does come from a place of love and a "having been there and needing to repent" myself. I have to monitor myself. Repent and be holy in the sight of the Lord - for all of it. Walk in the humility true repentance and true agape love brings.

Liberty, Grace, and Freedom

A very timely and correct subtitle could be "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should."
An even more succinctly clarified title might be, "Man, I'm tired of being politically correct."

Pull up a chair and let's have some honest dialog. Peter was one kind of a disciple, and Paul was another. One was part of the original crew. One walked with Christ daily, sat at His feet, learned from Him directly, and heard the actual voice of God come from what has to be the single most polarizing human to have existed. That human, Jesus, and the polarization, being that he was also the first and only completely divine human that existed. Paul, on the other hand, didn't have all of that in his back pocket. He was Jewish. He was raised right. He had means. He worked on the wrong side of Christ. Wait... what? Yes. He did. He had means and he assisted the Romans, concerned for their longevity, in securing their interests. He did that by "innocently" persecuting Christians. You have to remember that Christians AND their surrounding local governments thought that Christ was raising a physical army and that He was bringing about a worldly revolution in government and in direct royal power and position. These people saw the God-Man walk, talk, preach, perform miracles, be incorrectly and illegally tried, judged, found guilty. They saw him whipped, further beaten, crucified, die, and be buried. Then they saw him walk into a room and confront them with his life. They were ready right then and there for a kingdom to be set up. They were ready right then and there for the balance of power to shift, and for Judaism to be fulfilled, bringing about centuries of promises from God. So, I mean... naturally, the local representatives to the big central powers were concerned. They'd be foolish NOT to be. And that's how we meet Paul. He works for Big Power, and he is concerned and persecuting this crazy, faith-filled "fringe" Jews.
--Fast forward, Paul is struck down on the road to Damascus.
--Fast forward, Paul is rebuked and shown a vision from God that allows him to preach to all of the humans, not just Jews.
--Fast forward, Paul sees a lot... and I mean, a lot, of miracles. He is in the thick of the action with this whole movement. And that means his faith is naturally bolstered. He has lots of faith, because he's seen countless miracles every day - INCLUDING those that give him complete freedom from Roman and Jewish superstitions, religions, and customs. He was free.
--Now, that is where we begin here today: 

1 Corinthians 8:9: "But take heed, lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that are weak." 

That ONE scripture nails it home, but you need to know the context. Paul is educating LEADERS and people that are already Christians on how to act, how to love, how to show Christ, and how to avoid silly and pointless conflict that arises out of ignorance and ego. The entire book is a great "How To" set of instructions to Corinth. (Assuming we believe this was truly Paul and not one of the pseudoepigriphal books that cause so much angst!) However, I digress... that's a hair I'll split with my scholar friends. For the purposes of this writing, focus on the lesson and the emotion behind it: Paul leads us to know several important things in Chapter 8:

--Idols are still rampant. That means, by following common sense that food, incense, and other things are still offered to those idols. (Some newer Christians still held Jewish law. They still had Roman idols. They had "believed" the good news of Christ, and they WANTED a revolution. But they hadn't "seen" anything. They were learning and growing, but they were not miraculously imbued with the experiences and faith of the disciples and the original crew. They still had their idols, and the beliefs and "comfort" of the ritual of those idols.)

--New Christians are still weak-minded and may still hold some superstitions (Gee... that's true today, too. People have to grow in the Lord, and in faith. I still have to grow. I still flinch if I see a black cat. Does that mean I practice witchcraft and really thing broken mirrors will haunt me? No. But there are decades of ingrained belief and practice in EVERY human. Don't exploit that, taunt that, or even worse, IGNORE that. Ignoring someone's lack of knowledge and ignoring them to flounder while you mature and follow God in ways that are too deep for them, can be just as damaging as watching your toddler try to follow you into the deep end when they can't swim.)

--We ONLY have to answer to God. (Nowhere does Paul say that because of the confusion that we are do hold our personal standards to those that need special attention. That's why they are called personal. He was herding cats here, and it's odd to say, I'm going to do this thing, like eating meat offered to idols, that some found so offensive that it turned them off from hearing further truths about God. He had the foresight to learn and to train other church leaders in this matter. You can be as "right" as you want to be, and you may even be truly correct. But... and hear me... if you turn everyone off around you, who is hearing your message? Who are you reaching? You have to actually reach folks to get the message of Christ crucified to them.)

--These things may not be Heaven or Hell issues to US as believers. I mean, those of us that have had the experience, the tangible, and the revelation of exactly who Jesus is... we have a lot of privilege in knowing exactly who that makes us. We have been given countless, unfathomable grace to be pulled "from the miry clay." But what about those baby Christians or even Christians that are just weak in faith and not on a solid ground of understanding WHO God is? They may not be mature in understand exactly what Jesus accomplished in dying, grace, mercy. There are those that think you can still earn grace - that mercy is a word that evokes weakness and sentimentality. There are those that may have lived their entire life in a dead relationship... know about God, but not knowing God, and never grasping the life application of a true "pick up your cross, and follow me" mentality. Be very careful... something you do may not be something that is Heaven or Hell for you, but it may be for those watching you to determine if your witness is something that they believe or if you serve a God in which they are interested. You may be the only representative or ambassador that God ever puts in their path.

--Don't flaunt your liberty, and your grace is not very graceful when it offends and hurts the spiritual well-being of another, weaker person. People that need Christ always say that they love the idea of Jesus, but not the people that are the loudest in claiming to be His followers. People that are the loudest cheerleaders of grace, are usually the ones that (forgive me for seeming to judge) look like they abuse grace. Grace is there for us, an endless fountain of forgiveness. We do have liberty, but that doesn't mean we throw that in the face of those that don't understand it.

That is where the lesson ended in Corinthians. Can you think of situations today, in your life that this might apply to? Are you a church leader? Are you a Christian witness? Do you claim to have knowledge of Christ and share that with others? Do you walk in love? Love bears all things, you see. Here are examples that I know have burdened my friends and myself. Review them and ask yourself how you would handle them. How would you best represent Christ to others?
--You go out with a group of mixed church and secular friends. Do you drink? Why or why not? Your secular friends will be drinking. Your Christian friends may or may not agree with drinking. What's your answer? Would it matter if they were new converts? Would it matter if they had been delivered from alcoholism before they came to Jesus? Would that change your actions?
--You have decided that cutting your hair is not a heaven or hell issue for you. Do you tell your pastor? Do you balk about church participation?
--You disagree with other's liberty. You know your relationship with Christ is strong. Do you bother yourself or argue with them over what you think they are doing wrong? I have stricter moral codes on how I deal with finances than many veteran UPC ministers I know. They have lots of wiggle room when it comes to money. Just not sleeve length. Now, don't misunderstand me. I THINK STANDARDS ARE IMPORTANT. I believe in holiness. I believe in modesty. But let me put it this way, I have been to churches where little old ladies and men will not raise their hands, will not dance, will not shout, will not get excited when you proclaim that God came down in flesh, died for them, and his blood will cleanse them. It will save the reprobate, heal the sick, and will cause miraculous changes of heart. But if you talk about clothes or hair, you can't keep them on a pew. That's backwards. I also believe if that is your ONLY claim to Christ, then you have missed the entire purpose of Jesus. Jesus wants your inside to be right, your mind renewed, and your spirit to be knit with His. He'll clean up the outside.

--You know that certain words hurt certain groups of people. You may not have any sympathy or love for them. God does. You may not agree with them. God can handle that. You know that words only have power if you give them power. Do you use those words anyway? They don't hurt you, they are not offensive to you, they don't affect you. They hurt someone you know. They affect someone you know. They turn away someone you know. Does that change your attitude or use of words?

At the end of the day, you are the only person you can be responsible for. You can only control your actions. But your actions, and your responsibility reach far. The ripples you create, and the people you reach, or conversely turn away can be a sobering thought. It is VITAL to understand grace and the liberty that God gives us by saving us. We can never earn it. We can't be good enough, we can't be holy enough, and we can't have enough standards to EARN salvation. That' is God's gift to us. And, technically, we could have liberty for anything... but we would also create huge rifts in church, in society, and ultimately, ourselves. Is it that hard to love enough to not say misogynistic words? They may not offend you, but what about those you offend? Do you use racial slurs? Is it because that's your heritage? It's not hate? It's just taking the power out of the word? But if it hurts someone and causes a situation where they no longer respect or believe your witness to Christ, what good have you done? What about words for gay people? What about words for transgender people? You may not be offended by saying "that's so gay." But it hurts someone to have something so vital to your core being equated with being stupid. Or even the huge ordeal right now over the word "tranny." What about the recent shootings? Which Pentecostal crossed his path numerous times and never heeded God's urging to say something, do something, or just be there for someone that needed it? Or which Christian had the chance to delve deeper about God with that person, clearly needing something, and used grace or liberty to go their own way?

You have liberty to say and do as you please, but the pain it may cause someone may also be the very thing that makes them never listen to you. The ego and your walk with Christ have to be very strong to take some of this in... it's not about YOU. You are already a Christian. You are already a witness. You are already a leader. Your liberty has been secured. Your soul has been pardoned and you have been delivered. But your liberty may be preventing others from enjoying that same experience. Be aware. It's so critical in this day and age. Love is never the wrong answer, even if you don't understand the question. Kindness is never the wrong choice.

Peace,
#JustBeingMichael ツ