My journey and God’s grace

Feel free to leave comments about grace in your own life.
Thank you for being part of my journey.

The Facebook Lie in Christianity

Social media can be a great way to communicate but be weary of the subtle lie that Facebook tells you.  When someone updates their status, you have to options in response.  You can either like it or you can comment on it.  My heart is grieved that this represents times in my life that I have treated the gospel the same way in that I either had to like what was written in God’s Holy Word or that I had to add my own spin or comment to it.

I recently watched Francis Chan describe the childhood game of follow the leader.  How foolish would it be in the game to see the leader jumping up and down and all the other players just standing there with their response being, “well, I am doing it in my heart.” It is no different than the response that many of us have had or currently have about sharing the grace news of the gospel, tithing, the way we treat our spouse, humility, serving others, and showing favoritism.

Today, Matt Chandler spoke at the Southern Baptist Convention Pastor’s Conference.  He drew comparisons of the church teaching how Christians should act instead of dealing with the deeper issue of the depraved heart.  The teaching that our behavior determines our standing with God results in moralism.  Sins like pornography, sex addiction, theft, human trafficking, gossip, slander, pride, adultery, control and manipulation are all just symptoms of the real issue, the heart.  Like the prayers of Nehemiah 9, Daniel 9, Psalm 18, Deuteronomy 36, 1 Samuel 2 we ALL are sinful.  Each prayer has confession of sin, admission that they rejected of the Word of God, and rebellion are the themes of how people responded to God.  Each prayer references God as abounding in love, hearing our cry of repentance, showing mercy, and making provision for us.

In another sermon, Matt Chandler was speaking on the true signs of being renewed and having a regenerated heart.  When we become more aware of and deal with our own sin instead of focusing on others sin, we are displaying signs of renewal.  It is much easier to harshly criticize or chastise others sin but the pain of the plow as AW Tozer describes it in his sermon on Hosea 10:12 (Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers righteousness on you.) is breaking up the fallow hardened ground in our own heart realizing that we live and stand beneath Holy God.

I don’t need to follow the story of Joran Van der Sloot to know about human depravity.  I don’t need to see photos of the crime scene from Charles Manson’s victims.  I don’t need to watch the news as they parade person after person and story after story of those who have violated the law or deceived others.  I can look at my life today to see the woeful sin of a depraved heart.

I have had pride, lust, and envy all exposed in my heart today.  This is evidence that I still have idols that are being torn down.  Proverbs 19:22 What a man desires is unfailing love. Most would be uncomfortable confronting or admitting these places in their heart but I choose to jump head first into the truth that God loves me because he made me and there is nothing I can do to earn it – Tal Prince.

I don’t have to have an opinion about everything.  In the past, I confused Christianity as “what I wanted” with the cross in the background as the endorsement for my selfish ego.  The truth is I am hidden in Christ according to Colossians 3:3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. God’s word speaks and I just have to do what it says as a Christ follower whether it is to show grace to those who don’t give grace, tithe, share the gospel, or live in humility.  What I think and feel doesn’t matter.  We exist for His namesake, for His glory, that the world would know him through our lives!  Over lunch, Kelly Stephenson said to me “if we cling to the cross, it will be evident where we place our hope because our lives will be grace stained.”

Being crushed

Isaiah 53:10 It was the Lord’s will to crush him.

I don’t think that I stop and truly ponder and treasure this verse.  Easter is coming up next week.  I see crosses placed outside churches along the road.  Not one looks rugged or has blood on it.  The crosses are all neat, very decorative, and placed just so.  That is not how Jesus suffered and died.

I love to watch college football and this time of year, college basketball.  My interest is always peaked when the score is close and a victor is made in the last drive or the last drawn up play.  It makes for great highlights.  People leave the stadium or venue hoarse from all the screaming and emotions.  In the end, it is just a game but somehow it resonates within  us.

Imagine with me, a preacher standing before his church on Sunday and bringing up a lamb to illustrate what happens next week.  People politely nod in acknowledgment of the symbol and some even give that holy grunt of affirmation.  The pastor then begins to kick the lamb with focus and intent.  The senses and the emotions of the people are now fully awake.  Any daydreams of what was for lunch, did I turn my phone off, or what time do the colts play has scurried out of their mind and they are trying to rationalize what they are seeing.  The pastor then brings out a large stick and hits the lamb.  People gasp.  The Lamb never makes a sound.  Blood has begun to run off the stage.  Mothers hide their children’s eyes in horror.  Men are paralyzed with what to do.  There is blood on the pastor’s shirt now.  This goes on for the entire sermon.  Almost forty-five minutes of agony and sorrow played out before their very eyes.  The lamb looks like road kill and is completely mutilated and red.   This would make the news.  PETA would sue the church and boycotts would be planned immediately. All this over a lamb (NOTE:  I in no way condone cruelty to animals but am trying to shock your senses and stir your heart.)

The soldiers strip Jesus and surround Him; It was the Lord’s will to crush Him.    They placed a hood over his head and struck him wanting Him to prophecy who hit him, It was the Lord’s will to crush Him.  Soldiers spit in His face; it was the Lord’s will to crush Him.  Soldiers took a staff and struck him on the head while the company jeered lusting for His blood, it was the Lord’s will to crush Him.  His flesh is torn from his ribs and back by metal and bone, it was the Lord’s will to crush Him.  He hung unrecognizable between two thieves; it was the Lord’s will to crush Him.  He cried out “My God, My God why have you forsaken me,” it was the Lord’s will to crush Him.  Sinless and without blemish, It was the Lord’s will to crush Him.

I begin to glimpse what my sin caused my Savior.  My heart is overwhelmed that he was crushed for my sin and the punishment that brought us peace was placed on Him.  Don’t sanitize the gospel and saving power of Jesus Christ.  The cross was grotesque.  The jeering and insatiable appetite of the soldiers was fierce.  The wood was soaked with the guilt offering blood of Jesus.  You will have to fight the images you see to bear the sorrow within your soul of that moment in time.  It’s not pretty.  His grace and love are beautiful.  Thank you Jesus that you alone paid the price for my broken and busted life so I could be brought into a right relationship with Almighty God.