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Why do you go back to the same coffee shop time after time? Why do you find yourself ending up at the same two or three places for lunch during the week? Why do you prefer that one particular home improvement store or outdoor store?

Usually, it’s about service. The staff is helpful and friendly when you need it and stay out of your way when you don’t. The store stocks the brands and items you are likely to want. The prices are fair. Bottom line: you go back to where you get good results.

So, why do we continually pray to God? Why do we tell everyone that we are depending on Jesus for our salvation? Why do we hold out this constant hope for His return? Aren’t we just wishing? Aren’t we just living on blind, groundless faith?

No. We pray and hope and believe because He has a proven track record. We’ve seen the results time and again. God delivers. Jesus delivers.

“I love the LORD, because He has heard
My voice and my supplications.
Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.” Psalm 116:1-2

He has responded in the past. He has heard me before. I call on Him because I know He will come through for me. I continue to depend on God because He acts in my life, answers my prayer, hears my cries, and causes growth. Ours is not an empty faith. It is a confident faith based on a solid record.

We get very good results from God.

I’m disappointed and saddened. Earlier in my life, I would have been angry and felt that it was justified, but now, it just makes me sad to see so many people spiritually stunted. I had a realization this last Sunday that, as our church grows, the group of those who serve seems to be about the same or maybe even smaller. As one of those servants, I used to get angry when I realized what a small percentage we represented. Now, with some more perspective, I am sad because so many of those folks have stalled our or have sold themselves short. They aren’t experiencing everything Jesus meant for them.

I read James 1 with a deeper recognition. I never really understood the man in the mirror reference before. I think I’m getting it now:

“But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.” James 1:22-24

James is pointing out that if you hear the Word and believe it, the effect is living it out. If you don’t display that kind of life, then it’s as if you have forgotten who you are. This has been mistaken as a works-based salvation, but it’s not that at all. James is describing the natural effect of following Christ.

I like the phrase he uses: “forgets what kind of man he was.” Imagine looking in the mirror, turning around, and having no recollection of what you just saw. It’s silly both in that you just saw it and that you have a pretty good idea of what you look like anyway. What kind of man are you?

How can you claim to hear the Word and then act as if you never heard it? How can you, on a regular basis, go to church, worship, take notes, throw a few bucks in the basket, bolt early to beat traffic, and consider yourself a hearer of the Word? Don’t be a consumer Christian! The Body of Christ is one of mutual support and service as we follow Christ together. This is not free food and entertainment on Sunday mornings! Church is not something you observe and attend, it is a community of which you are a part and in which you participate.

Don’t forget what kind of man you are.

Do the Word because you’ve heard the Word.

It happens time and again. I’m embarrassed with each occurrence, but I fall into the same trap repeatedly. I continually set low expectations for God. I imagine that my problems are too petty. I rationalize that, in the big scheme of things, my current issue doesn’t matter. Sometimes, I convince myself that my prayers are unanswered because I haven’t earned it, yet. And, occasionally, I actually come to the conclusion that something is too big and I decide, “That’ll never happen.”

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” Romans 8:31-32

I can almost see Paul waving his arms madly at me. “What are you thinking, kid? How can you think He’s not big enough? How can you think He won’t give you everything you need? How can you think He doesn’t care?”

It’s clear that my God is bigger than I can comprehend because my brain can only deal with limited entities. My disappointment turns to joy, though, as I realize that this bigger-than-I-can-conceive God loves me and is actively leading me to the best life possible.

God rocks!

Last weekend, we joined with some folks from our house church to go serve someone in need. A small army of us did yard work and roof cleaning for a lady going through chemotherapy. A few days later, I was talking to one of the guys who helped and we joked that we wanted to drive by in a few weeks to see if the weeds had grown back.

It occurred to me that the sacrifice we made raised our interest in whether our work lasted. I realized that when I give half and hour of my time or twenty bucks, I don’t think much about it afterwards. But, when I get up early on a Saturday and give four hours of my weekend, now I’m interested. I wanted to know more about this lady and her situation. I wanted to see what else we could help with. Days later, I found myself thinking about how she could care for her yard now and whether we’d have to make a return trip.

I’m beginning to see an overlap with sacrifice and investment. When you sacrifice time, money, and emotion to help others, you’ve made an investment in their lives. If the investment is big enough, you’ll be interested in seeing if it grows.

“who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.” 1 Peter 2:24

God made a huge sacrifice for us and thereby made an investment in us. He cares about where we go and what we do and how we act and where our life will lead us. He is interested.

We need to follow that model and sacrifice for each other. You’ll find your interest level rising and your desire to help even more folks grow. Make an investment, a big one. Make a sacrifice. Make it profound.

I’ve played enough video games in my life to start to see some common game mechanics used repeatedly. One that gets used all the time is the concept of multiple, shifting barriers or paths. They are often layered or staggered in a way that it would be impossible to make it through without careful timing. When you wait long enough, though, the gaps or the path pieces all line up and you have a brief moment to make it through.

The rule all gamers learn with this mechanic is to be patient. There’s no use rushing or trying to get ahead of the barriers. Just wait until the right moment. But, when that moment arrives, you have to take advantage of it full on and without a second thought.

I’ve had moments in my life where the path ahead seems to be a series of obstructions and barriers. Then, as I’m toiling away, I finally see the pattern and I see all of the pieces moving. With a little foresight, I can see the openings beginning to align. I can see the window ahead opening. Those times when I’m completely dependent on God, I make the dash. The times I’m not, I pause to second-guess and miss the window.

“Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the LORD!” Psalm 27:14

Wait for God to provide the right moment.

“And Peter answered Him and said, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.’
So He said, ‘Come.’ And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.” Matthew 14:28-29

Ask for guidance and when He says it’s time to go, get out of the boat and go. If Peter had hesitated, his moment would have passed. He would never have another opportunity to experience a miracle like that again.

It’s okay to size up the situation. It’s good to pray for guidance. But, when that moment comes and the gaps in all of the walls line up, make a break for it at full speed and without hesitation.

You may never have another chance like it.

A previous employer of mine would field a co-ed softball team every year. The goal was not to be terribly competitive, but to simply have fun and build camaraderie. The result, of course, was that they played in a very low-level league to match the skill and ability of the staff that played. That particular league used the alphabet to rate the various levels. A was the most highly skilled and they had leagues that went down to O or P. Our team played at about N.

Maybe my point of view is skewed, but the twelfth level of a city league full of folks who don’t get much exercise seems to be a very small pond. Being the king of that pond isn’t really saying much. If you think you’re that good, move up to the next level.

Paul’s letters to Timothy have always challenged me this way. What’s the value of declaring myself the smartest or most spiritual in the room when there are only ten other people there. Once I’ve met that challenge, it’s time for the next level.

So, I challenge you, men, to the next level. If you feel you’ve found a groove with this walking-with-Jesus thing, don’t get comfortable. There’s always more you can do. Don’t ever decide you’re done just because you seem to be doing better than the folks around you.

Paul writes out some high standards for elders and deacons. I became a deacon at my church not long ago and, to be honest, the requirements made me catch my breath a bit. The bar is raised:

“Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. But let those also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. Likewise their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. Let deacons be the husband of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 3:8-13

Whether you have the opportunity to be a deacon or not, I challenge you all to hold yourself to this standard. Even if you think you have yourself on the right track, now it’s time to serve your wife and kids and get your entire household on the right track.

Don’t be a big fish in a little pond. Move on to the bigger pond. Keep growing. You may not be the biggest around, but you’ll get closer to the Big Kahuna!

I had a rather lengthy discussion with a friend the other day about what Christian charity looks like. We disagreed on whether certain forms of assistance to the poor, the orphan, and the widow satisfied Jesus’ command to give. Paul emphasizes it again here:

“But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:6-7

So, the question we discussed was in regards to social welfare programs run by the various government agencies. Is paying your taxes and supporting the existence of these programs an act of Christian charity? And, by corollary, am I being un-Christian if I advocate the shrinking or removal of these programs?

His point was that we should have a heart for the poor and hungry and support any possible method than can help them. My point was that charity by taxation is not charity, but a rearranging of resources. It may do good for the recipient, but I can hardly claim I was being generous and thoughtful about my taxes. I don’t get to decide how much or to whom the money goes.

I also think it’s a trap for immature believers to feel like they can check that off of their spiritual list if they think someone else is taking care of it. As Paul said above, our charity needs to be what we purpose in our heart and happily given by choice.

“And Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ And they marveled at Him.” Mark 12:17

Jesus was making the point that we have an obligation to obey the law of the land and pay taxes. However, that’s like having to buy food and pay rent. It’s the price of living where you live. Our service to God is above and beyond. My job as a Christian starts after I get that stuff out of the way. Still, the nugget of his point is good. Don’t undermine good works just out of personal prejudice or political ideology.

Let us be careful not to delegate our personal tasks as followers of Jesus and take a personal interest in advancing His kingdom.

As I spend more time digging into the Word, I learn more nuance and depth, but I get fewer and fewer dramatic revelations about the meaning of the text. They may be rare, but they do still happen. Driving home last night, I was listening to a teaching that snapped my head around. It really made me think differently about forgiveness.

The verse in question is this:

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

At first glance, this reads as John teaching us that God will always forgive your sins if you ask. But, that overlooks the idea of justice.

John calls God faithful and just. He’s pointing out that when Christians appeal to God for justice in regards to forgiveness, they are claiming that the debt has already been paid and it would be unjust for God to punish them for it. We aren’t begging God to forgive us and depending on His mercy with each new episode. We’re claiming what we know to be true that our debt has already been paid.

Read the verse carefully. It does not direct us to ask for mercy or forgiveness. It directs us to confess our sin and then we can just KNOW that we are forgiven precisely because God is just and will not ask us to pay for a bill that’s already been paid by Jesus.

This gives better light to a rut that some get stuck in when they ask for mercy and forgiveness, but still feel guilty. God does not have to decide to grant you forgiveness. If you are a follower of Him, it’s already there when you confess.

This is a powerful hope and confidence we can have. Revel in it!

Human nature and conventional wisdom tells us that there’s no such thing as a free lunch. In other words, you can’t get something for nothing. When applied to our relationship to God, it’s easy to think that there’s some kind of quid pro quo that has to happen. I have to do something for God so He’ll do something for me. It’s an easy mistake to make.

I appreciate that the pastors at my church constantly remind me that this is precisely why Christianity is unique. It is the only faith that does NOT teach salvation by works. You don’t have to jump through these hoops or memorize swaths of text or perform certain ceremonies to be saved. Salvation is a gift. We only have to accept it.

Where everyone gets confused is that Christians still want to do good works and follow God’s Law. It’s the motivation that is different. We don’t do it to be saved. We do it because we’ve been saved.

“Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1

Remember that fear is not cowering terror. It is simply holding God in awe and respect. We choose to work on becoming more like Jesus because we respect God, not because we think that’s how we get to Heaven.

The salvation is a free gift. The effort is an act of worship.

“So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.” Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.” The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip.” Genesis 32:24-31

I shake my head every time I read this passage. Scholars differ on what happens in this scene because, up to this point, the story is very straightforward. Then, the Holy Ninja shows up. Jacob is in a bit of a quandary about what was going to happen. He is returning home to try to unite with his brother with whom he has a history of the normal sin stuff of lying, cheating, and stealing. Esau, the brother, was in no good mood when they parted company and Jacob has no idea how he will be received. He has sent out emissaries with gifts and sent his loved ones to safety in case Esau will not forgive and forget. Jacob is all alone in camp pondering his fate when, out of the night, some guy shows up and wants to wrestle.

I’ve been there. Have you? Back against the wall, sweating, chewing the nails, pondering past sins and wondering if God is going to show up. Then, one more thing pops up! “Who the heck are you and what did I ever do to you?” Scholars disagree about who the stranger was. Was it God, Jesus, or an angel? It really doesn’t matter as Jacob had to step up and wrestle. They go at it all night and the stranger finally dislocates Jacob’s hip. But, Jacob won’t let go until he gets this guy’s blessing. Here again, it doesn’t matter who the stranger is. The lesson is the same. No matter how bad it gets, don’t let go and don’t give up. Cling to God. Jump me, God. Pound me, God. Smack me, God. It doesn’t matter. I ain’t letting go of you. I may never get it right, but I will keep in the fight and get your blessing.

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