Thankfulness!

Sunday afternoon, November 18, 2007
Earlier, when I was contemplating my message for today, thinking particularly about Thanksgiving, and specifically about the things for which I am most thankful, I found myself thinking of things like food, shelter, clothing, transportation, health, family, insurance, pensions—the things that make life easy and comfortable—and I am thankful for these things (very thankful!), don’t get me wrong; however, it didn’t take Him long to remind me that my “thinking” needed an oil change.
Once again, I do not want to be misunderstood and have you thinking that I am not grateful for EVERYTHING He provides for me that makes life comfortable and easy; the fact is I like “comfortable and easy” much more than I like the alternative . I have noticed, however, that He seems to be more interested in my knowing Him than He is in my living an easy and comfortable life, and I have also noticed that those who seem to know Him best are not among those who live easy and comfortable lives.
Now that I have had time to think about it, when I mention “easy and comfortable” I am really not thinking so much about enjoying things like sleeping between clean and warm sheets, or driving a nice car, or living in a nice house; instead, I am thinking more about being free from stress and worry and distraction and pain and frustration and disappointment—those things that seem to have the ability to make life anything but comfortable and easy.
Yes, I know that “good Christians” ought never experience stress or worry or pain or frustration or disappointment, even be distracted, which tells you what kind of Christian I am (according to the religious definition), which means (I suppose) that I just need to “get my life right with God” and, thus, end this perspective.
You might find this a bit strange, but my life is “right” with God (I am absolutely sure of this because Jesus did for me, what I could not do for myself), and I do have many of the things that most people believe will make their lives comfortable and easy—I am presently healthy, I live in a nice house, I drive a nice car (truck), I sleep between clean, warm sheets, I have insurance (life and medical), I have an incredible family, our pensions are in place, and I even have a house in the mountains of North Georgia—HOWEVER, I am NOT free from stress, worry, distraction, pain, frustration, or disappointment! The truth is this: over this past year these things have almost consumed my life.
Maybe you do not know this, so I will tell you: When these things consume your life it is not easy to enjoy the things that you thought would make your life comfortable and easy, which is probably why He brings them into our lives and causes them to consume us. He really is very interested in our knowing Him and finding ultimate fulfillment and pleasure in Him, and, I might add, He is relentless and reckless (at least in my opinion) in His determined pursuit.
It is not easy to write these words (it scares me to death, to tell you the truth), but here they are: At this Thanksgiving, I am most thankful for His determined and reckless pursuit of my knowing Him!
I find it interesting that Paul finally came to the place where he could say (with integrity) that it was his determined purpose to progressively become more intimately acquainted with Him (Philippians 3). All I know is this: He took Paul through some really tough times before these words became words of his heart—his passion (see 2 Corinthians 11:24-30).

Many Servants but Few Friends

Thursday morning, November 15, 2007
As I was finishing my second “read” of Malcolm Smith’s book, “The Power of the Blood Covenant” this line jumped off the page (284) at me: ‘He has many servants but few friends.” How true and how tragic, especially in light of the fact that He redeemed us, not to be His servants but to be His friends. This is what Jesus said: “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends” (John 15:15a).
In my opinion, it has been the teaching of most local churches that has robbed us of even being aware that Jesus desires our friendship; instead it has taught us that we are here to serve Him (as if He needs our service!), so as to help Him get everyone saved, even if in the nick of time. The real tragedy lies in the fact that we have been so naïve, as to believe it!
Now, don’t misunderstand me: it is quite the privilege to serve Him, BUT our service is not what He desires; He desires US—you and me! Take even a brief look at the
Song of Songs (Solomon) and I think you will find plenty of evidence to support this.
Folks, Jesus did not die because God need some helpers, people who could help Him accomplish what He could not accomplish on His own; instead, He died because God wanted intimate relationship with you and with me. Sadly, however, most believers spend their lives diligently attempting to be His servants—people who have no idea what He is doing (or so Jesus said in John 15:15).
Obviously, I cannot speak for you but I can tell you that I want to know what He is doing; I want to be in His inner circle of friends. Granted, this is not something I can achieve but it is something I can receive; HOWEVER, I can receive it only as I am willing to stop living as His servant and begin living as His friend.
Somehow, we need to begin to understand, to know, to really KNOW, that He is not interested in our being His slaves (servants), not at all; instead, He is interested in our being in intimate relationship with Him, so much so, that He has done everything, as in EVERYTHING, in order that we are free to spend our days (and nights) living in intimate relationship with Him. Please, please, cease striving and begin to enjoy intimacy with Jesus; after all, His desire is for you (or so the Song of Songs tells us!).
Did you get that? HIS DESIRE IS FOR YOU! Remember: He already has many servants, but He has few—very few—friends! Maybe, just maybe, you could take some time off from your diligent efforts to serve Him and, like Mary (Martha’s sister), spend some time just sitting at His feet, just being with Him, waiting and watching and listening. It really is OK for you to do; you might be nervous at first, but He has His very own way of making His friends feel right at Home!
Have a great day with Him, just being His friend!

Blessings,

Mac

What Good Thing Must I Do?

Monday, November 12, 2007
On one occasion, a rich, young man came to Jesus, asking Him a question that was certainly worthy of an accurate answer—”What good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” Obviously, he was thinking in much the same way as the religious of today think—”What good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” I love Jesus’ response to him: “. . . if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” Just for the record: this is the only accurate answer Jesus could have given to one so self-centered, as to believe that there was some good thing he could do that would enable him to obtain eternal life. Of course, His answer was “baited” and, as you might expect, the young, rich man took the bait, with his response: “Which ones?”
Which ones? Does this sound like the religious of today, or what? Most of those who call themselves Christians today truly believe that God grades on the curve, that 6 out of 10 really impresses God. The really sad thing about this young man is that he actually thought he was doing great, probably 10 out of 10; however, Jesus made it crystal clear that he hadn’t even made it past the first commandment—You shalt have no other god’s before Me! There is no telling just how often we think we are doing really well at keeping the Commandments, when in reality, we haven’t even made it past the first one? If God were to reveal to anyone of us the number of idols we worship, it would bring us to our knees in true humility.
Anyway, Jesus’ way of revealing this young man’s idol was quite powerful: “. . . go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in Heaven; and come, follow Me.” From what I can see, it didn’t take this young man long to recognize his idol and, tragically, he chose to reject Jesus in favor of his idol. Before you are too quick to judge this young, rich man, ask yourself this question: How would I respond to the same opportunity? Of course, your answer depends upon how much you value your idol, and, I might add, yours might be different from his. Of this I am certain: when He presents you with this opportunity, He will “hit the nail on the head” and you will be faced with. . .well, you will be faced with a decision of some magnitude.
You see, eternal life is a gift, not just any gift but God’s gift to His elect, and there is no good thing that you or I can do to obtain it, even if we sell all of our possessions and give every last penny of the proceeds to the poor. The truth is had this young man actually sold his possessions and given the money to the poor and returned to Jesus with a receipt from the Salvation Army, he would have come up short of obtaining eternal life. How do I know this? Easy! Had he done it, his possessions would not have been his idol.
I really hope you can see this: If Jesus should ask you to do anything to obtain eternal life, He would be purposely asking you to do something that you CANNOT do; otherwise, He would not be asking you to do it. Take heart! He does this in order to show us that our being blessed with the gift of eternal life is His doing, not ours—His indescribable gift!
I wonder what would have been Jesus’ response had this young man simply said, “Jesus, I really want this eternal life that You offer but, in spite of my efforts, I cannot keep the commandments; I have tried and tried but I always fail. Do you have any suggestions for me?
Better still: Maybe we just need to come to Jesus and be quiet and allow Him to do the talking.

It's About Time!

Thursday morning, November 8, 2007 (9:15AM),
As I begin writing this “perspective”, I am also waiting for the phone to ring; a Mrs. Bloodworth with the Social Security Administration was supposed to call me at 9:00 to assist me in scheduling the January arrival of my Social Security benefits. Since I have been waiting only 65 years and 10 months for these checks to begin arriving, one would think that waiting the past fifteen minutes would be a piece of cake, and it would be, if I didn’t have so many other things that I need to accomplish today. As you might imagine, however, I am choosing to give this call a place of very high priority (for some reason, I have this strange sense of urgency about having these monthly checks deposited into my checking account; it is as if I think the fund might run out of money before I begin receiving them!), so I will wait—probably not so patiently, but I will wait.

Saturday morning, November 10, 2007 (10:54 AM),
Well, I begin again after having been completely distracted for the past 48 hours; however, I did receive the aforementioned call at 9:30 on Thursday morning and, believe it or not, my first Social Security check is scheduled to be deposited into my account on January 16, 2008! Now, that is worth at least one HALLELUJAH!
Anyhoo, have you noticed how much time we spend waiting? Someone goes to the doctor to have a simple test done, and rather than immediately giving him the results (which they usually have), he is told it will be 10 days or 2 weeks before he hears back from the Doc. Or one goes to the grocery store and waits 15 minutes for the person in the front of the line at the checkout counter to fumble through her pocketbook, searching for the money to pay the cashier (Doesn’t everyone know that you have to pay at the cash register?). Or one is “running late” for an appointment, only to arrive at the railroad tracks and find that the slowest and longest train on the planet is barely moving past the cross arms, providing opportunity for a “patient” wait. Or a couple is expecting a baby on March 10th but it comes April 3rd! Or a couple is scheduled to meet another couple at a local restaurant at 7:00 but the wife is just stepping out of the shower at 6:45 and the restaurant is 25 minutes away. Or the Social Security representative is supposed to call at 9:00 but calls at 9:30, acting as if the time you spent waiting was of no value whatsoever. Or someone schedules a counseling appointment for 10:00 AM with Kevin but shows up at 10:20.
Someone once said this to me (out of their frustration with a subcontractor, who was late for a job): Time is money! In his case, this was surely true and, I might add, this is often the case; however, time is more than money, it is precious. Maybe you have forgotten but God has numbered your days: “Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Thy book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them” (Psalm 139:16).
Maybe, just maybe, we should be better stewards of our time; it is my guess that doing so is much more important than being stewards of our money (which is very important!). How much time are you wasting? How much of the time of others are you wasting by your own irresponsibility regarding your time?
“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven” and maybe it is TIME for you to become more responsible regarding the time that He has given to you.
Amen? Amen!

On Fear and Faith

Friday morning (just barely), October 26, 2007
Your responses to yesterday’s “perspective” let me know that fear is very much a part of the life of those of us who call ourselves His, but they also let me know that faith is also very much a part of our lives. Interestingly, out of all of the responses I received, I received only one that indicated otherwise—that if we really have faith, then we should have no fear.
As I was writing the previous paragraph, I received a call from one of God’s children, whose daughter-in-law just delivered a 2 pound, 4.5 ounce baby girl. As you might imagine, the past several days have been very difficult for this family, as the mother’s cervix was dilating very prematurely. To say that another way: this family has been fearfully trusting over the past several days. There is no doubt in my mind that they have had utmost confidence (faith) in God and in His ability to carry out His perfect plan for this family; however, there is also no doubt in my mind that they have experienced fear—the kind of fear that any human being would have, at the thought of losing a child and/or a grandchild. In my opinion, the Psalmist’s words, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in Him”, becomes very precious in such times!
Go ahead and try to tell these precious folks that if they had really been trusting God, they would have had no fear; well, on second thought, please do not be that foolish. The truth is they are continuing to fearfully trust because this baby is very premature and they want it to survive and to thrive. Yes, I know that some would say that if they really trusted God, they would simply want what He wants, even if that means that the baby will not survive but, somehow, that mindset simply does not fit with what I know about Jesus. His “not my will but Thine be done” cry does in fact declare that, in that Gethsemane experience, His will and God’s will were opposed to each other. Granted, He did (finally) make the “. . .but Thine (will) be done” statement, but that did not remove the anxiety and fear that He was experiencing. He was a genuine man, even with feelings, in case you have forgotten, and certainly a man of perfect faith.
I will be the first to tell you that I have absolutely no fear concerning my relationship with Jesus, my security as a believer, my righteousness, or my eternal life; to be sure, His perfect love for me does, indeed, continually cast out those fears. If, however, I am to be honest with you, then I must also be the first to tell you that I would be experiencing the very same fear that this family is experiencing, if I were in their “shoes” and in various ways, I have been on many occasions.
Even if I live to be 100, I will never forget the night before my son’s 17th birthday, when he was involved in a terrible auto accident. When I knelt beside him in the brush and rubble, the first words out of his mouth were these: “Daddy, I am about to die, aren’t I” and my response was this: “Not if I can help it!” The picture that is even more vivid in my mind is when I was standing beside his ER gurney, realizing that it was very possible that he was going to die, and with a huge lump in my throat, saying, “God I release Him to you, which is all I know to do.” Was I fearful? You can rest assured that I was not only fearful, I was “scared to death” BUT I was also trusting—FEARFULLY TRUSTING—my Father to allow my son to survive and to thrive. In the end, He did and I am very thankful; however, I know of many other similar situations, where He did not, and I can only tell you that those parents were fearfully trusting, as well.
Sometimes, God does not do what we want Him to do and knowing that fact precipitates fear—always—but it also always gives birth to faith—great faith!

Fear or Faith, or Fear & Faith?

Monday afternoon, October 22, 2007
Have you noticed that many of the people who claim to be living in faith are really living in fear? Have you noticed how susceptible many of those within the Body of Christ are to this deception? The truth is many believers are fully persuaded that faith and fear cannot coexist and, as a result, they are easy targets for the enemy’s deceptive techniques. Somehow, we must begin to realize that faith and fear do coexist and that they will continue to do so until we get Home—when faith becomes sight.
The pattern usually looks something like this: the believer has no problem trusting God for things like the sun rising in the morning, or the changing of the seasons, or the spring rains, even for justification, sanctification, and glorification; however, when it comes to trusting Him for things that might not be so certain, he has a very difficult time.
For example, I well-remember a group of ladies from a local home for drug and alcohol addicted women attending our church and being faced with receiving the Lord’s Supper. Their leader was very adamant that they could not participate because we use wine, as one of the elements, not grape juice. In his mind, for them to participate would mean that everyone of the alcoholics in the group would immediately begin craving alcohol and revert to their old ways of abusing it, thereby, completely defeating the purpose of the center. Yes, I understood his concern and, certainly, did not attempt to change his mind; however, I did wonder how he could so readily trust God for their justification, even their continued justification, but not trust Jesus’ words, when He said, “This is My blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for many for the remissions of sins”? If the wine of the Eucharist is, as Jesus indicated, His blood of the New Covenant, I seriously doubt that anyone need worry, as to its substance or it efficaciousness. I am willing to bet that no believer has ever turned back to abusing alcohol, as the result of drinking the wine of the Eucharist! As to non-believers: they aren’t supposed to be participating in the Eucharist anyway!
Yes, I know that some of you are thinking that he was just using common sense and protecting the ladies from their enemy (alcohol), and you would have done the same thing. And, yes, I know that some of you are thinking that I could have used some commons sense and offered them a different “table” and used Welch’s grape juice, instead of wine. All I have to say to that is this: Jesus could have done the same thing but He did not. I am absolutely confident that Jesus never even entertained the thought that the wine of the Eucharist—His Blood of the New Covenant—would somehow be looked upon as an abusive substance that should be avoided by alcoholics!
I could serve up many other examples for you to consider but let me, simply, say that oftentimes, when we say we are walking in faith, we are really walking in fear, and that fear robs us of some of the most incredible blessings of the Christian life. Furthermore, let me remind you that fear and faith do coexist in every situation of our lives, and, I might add, it is the fear that produces our desire for faith.
One last thing: it is fear, not faith, that causes us to attempt to manipulate things, so as to prevent what we fear from actually becoming reality. Just for the record: God is pretty much determined for the righteous to live by faith, even in the midst of fear.
Just thought I would remind us that He really is trustworthy, even when we are scared to death.

The Exact Truth!

Monday morning, October 15, 2007
Luke begins his “gospel” with this rather interesting introduction: “Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word have handed them down to us, it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you might know the exact truth about the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:1-4; emphasis added). I say this is rather interesting, not because Luke decided to write his own account of the good news of Jesus, but because of his reason for writing it—to reveal the exact truth about what had been taught.
From what I have been able to observe, it seems that few believers are really interested in knowing the exact truth concerning the gospel, as is evidenced by the fact that most seem to be completely satisfied with whatever pious pabulum they are fed by the teachers of their chosen denomination.
Folks, I have some breaking news: there is but ONE true gospel! Unfortunately, however, we seem to be more interested in protecting what our “chosen denomination” holds as truth, than we are in seeking to know the exact truth—the one true gospel! Admittedly, it is much easier to trust another to tell us what we are supposed to believe, than it is to be a serious student of God’s Word, one who refuses to settle for anything less than the exact truth; however, as John indicated in the first of his letters—there are many false prophets, who teach from the influence of the spirit of antichrist (see 1 John 4:1f). Obviously, then, if someone chooses to allow another to determine what he believes concerning the gospel, it is very important that he be able to test the spirits; otherwise, he is easily deceived, which, by the way, is one of the characteristics of laziness!
For John, the litmus test for determining the trustworthiness of a spirit is very simple: “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; and this is the spirit of the antichrist, . . .” (1 John 4:2-3a). Sadly, many have interpreted this to mean that the exact truth of the gospel is this: believe in Jesus. Obviously, we must believe in Jesus BUT what is it that we must believe, when we believe in Him? In verse 2, John gives us this bit of added insight, when he tells us that every spirit that confesses that Jesus has come in the flesh, is from God, BUT what does confessing that Jesus has come in the flesh involve? Surely, it involves more than the mere words—Jesus has come in the flesh! Just for the record: our confessing what we believe involves much more than a mere recitation of someone’s prepared “confession.”
Before I run out of space, let me tell you that the MO of the spirit of the antichrist is NOT what most think, as he is stupid but not dumb. His MO is to take error and make it look so much like truth, that it is taken for truth by the vulnerable, and I might add—he is well-aware of who the vulnerable are. For example, if you are struggling with some area of your life, with you back against the wall, he knows it, and he also knows that you will be quick to “buy” what he has to offer, even though it is error and far, far removed from the exact truth!
Do remember this: “You are from God, . . ., and have overcome them [the spirits of antichrist]; because greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world” (vs. 4). Be encouraged!!

Preaching with a Passion!

Friday morning, October 12, 2007
Because of the nature of this week, I have spent very little time listening, watching, and waiting in preparation for Sunday’s message; in other words, I have been distracted from my normal routine. Thankfully, I have learned that distractions are sometimes blessings, rather than a curses, and I think this is the case in my being so “distracted” this week. Now that I can take the time to reflect, it is clear to me that the events of this week did a much better job at keeping me focused upon Him, than following my normal routine could have ever done. Of course, the question I am presently raising is this: how is God using the events of this week to influence my understanding and my preaching of the text for Sunday’s message?
You will probably have to be a “preacher with a passion for preaching” to understand this but I will offer it: a true preacher preaches out of the overflow of his/her heart not out of the abundance of someone else’s heart. In other words, until the text become a part of the preacher’s life, the preacher ought not to preach from it. Unless the message comes from the overflow of the well-spring of life within the preacher (living waters), it comes from stagnant waters, waters that bring death, not life. As you might imagine, this mindset motivates the preacher to listen, watch, and wait, even in the midst of the most powerful of distractions; however, doing so requires that the distractions be seen as blessings, rather than curses, and that is no easy task!
Thankfully, He has His own way of “turning water into wine” and I am really thankful that I know that bit of truth; otherwise, I would be one frustrated preacher—especially in the present moment and with the present text! For the life of me, I cannot understand how the text for Sunday is related to the events of this week, at least in the moment; however, I am expecting Him to begin to show me, and by Sunday to pour from the abundance of my heart, His message for His people. I will now listen, watch, and wait!
Just for the record, here are the first two verses of Sunday’s text: “Beloved, do not put faith in every spirit, but prove (test) the spirits to discover whether they proceed from God; for many false prophets have gone forth into the world. By this you may know (perceive and recognize) the Spirit of God: every spirit which acknowledges and confesses [the fact] that Jesus Christ, the Messiah, [actually] has become man and has come in the flesh is of God—has God for its source” (1 John 4:1-2’; Amplified Bible). Yes, I could probably “preach” from these verses but mere preaching is not the goal; the goal is to preach from the overflow of my heart, and that means this: if He doesn’t come through with the message, we might as well sit and be quiet, until He does.
As you can see, your prayers will be greatly appreciated, especially in light of the fact that the effectual, fervent prayers of the righteous produce incredible fruit! Please remember that prayer is not about our efforts to talk God into doing what we want Him to do, but about our being motivated to desire His will over our own.
Enjoy Him today!

Columbus Day!

Monday evening, October 8, 2007
Today is Columbus Day in the good, old USA; the day we celebrate the fact that the world is round, not flat! Granted, I am guessing, but it is my guess that you spend lots of time considering how things would be, if Columbus’ sailing trip had proven the world flat, rather than round. If you will allow you mind to wander just a bit (which is easy for me!), you will soon realize why we celebrate this glorious fact—falling off the edge would be, well it would be bad!
One of the things that intrigues me about this holiday is this: there were many people in Columbus’ day (1451-1506) who sincerely (truly, unwaveringly, absolutely, positively, no doubt about it) believed that the world was flat, and they also believed, just as sincerely, truly, unwaveringly, absolutely, positively, no doubt about it that ole’ Chris was crazy, as in C-R-A-ZY, for even thinking about taking his sailing trip, aka voyage! Surely, or so they thought, the dingbat knew that, if he sailed far enough, he would simply fall off the end of the earth and that would be his end—demise, finish, final sailing trip!
Why does that intrigue me? It does because even though they sincerely, truly, unwaveringly, absolutely, positively, no doubt about it believed that the world was flat, they were incorrect, and in the face of that opposition, Columbus set sail, even continued sailing, when most of those who were traveling with him wanted to turn around and go home. Restated: Columbus not only was willing to risk being ridiculed for what he believed, but also and more importantly, he was willing to risk his life for what he believed and there is something about that that intrigues me. I might add that he was not only willing to risk his life, he actually took the risk!
As strange as it seems, many Muslims are not only willing to risk being ridiculed for what they believe, but also and more importantly, they are willing to risk their lives for what they believe. I might add that many of them are not only willing to risk their lives, they actually give their lives for what they believe. If you watch the news, you can actually witness it happening! Yes, they believe the world is “flat” and they really believe that it is—sincerely, truly, unwaveringly, absolutely, positively, no doubt about it—but like the folk of
Columbus day, they are incorrect, and that intrigues me.
Thankfully, our God has a people—a remnant, we are called—each of whom is on a voyage with Him, a voyage that most people of our day believe to be foolish and ridiculous. We have been called to sail the High Seas of Life with the strangest of missions—to love our enemies; to pray for those who despitefully use us; to give not only our coats, but also our shirts; to go not only one mile, but two; to forgive not only once, but as many times as necessary; to turn the other cheek; rather to be wronged, than to wrong another; never even to notice when another does it wrong; to lay down our lives for one another; to consider the other person as being more important than ourselves; and, I might add, having done all, to stand, and to stand regardless of the cost, even if it means literally giving our lives for what we believe—you know, like the Muslims do!
Could someone please tell me why most of us, who call ourselves Christians, people who, like Columbus, believe the truth, would “tuck tail and run” in the face of adversity, rather than stand up for what we say we believe? Yes, I know that Jesus died, so I would not have to die, but He did so for my justification, not for my witness to the world that I really do believe—sincerely, truly, unwaveringly, absolutely, positively, no doubt about it! He cannot do that for me; I must do it myself, if it gets done.

Let's Suppose--

A SUPPOSITION:

Let us suppose that you just learned that, regardless of what you do, you cannot sin. Yes, you can violate the laws of the state of Georgia, you can violate the laws of the US Government, you can even violate international law, but you cannot sin.

You can offend you mate, your neighbor, your boss, your friend, your child, your parent, but you cannot sin.

You can murder, steal, gossip, overeat, worship idols, commit adultery, smoke, chew, cuss, and spit, but you cannot sin!

It matters not what you do, you cannot sin!

And let us suppose that what you just learned is absolute truth.


QUESTIONS:

1. How will this just-learned truth affect the way you live your life? Be honest!
2. How will this just-learned truth affect the way you view God?
3. How will this just-learned truth affect the way you view Christianity?


A SECOND SUPPOSITION:

Let us suppose that regardless of your behavior, you will have a front row seat in Heaven—guaranteed! There is none of this, “I hope I make it to heaven” or “I hope just to have a back row seat in heaven”; instead, you are guaranteed a “front row” seat, really a seat on the platform, in heaven.

QUESTIONS:

1. How will this guarantee affect the way you live your life?
2. How will this guarantee affect the way you view God?
3. How will this guarantee affect the way you view Christianity?


A THIRD SUPPOSITION:

Let us also suppose that you also just learned that the reason you cannot sin, the reason you have an unconditional guarantee of a platform seat in heaven, is because Jesus took ownership of all of your sins, became guilty of them as if they were His own, was punished to the full extent of the Law’s requirement for them, took them eternally away, never to be remembered again. In other words, you just learned that Jesus took ownership of the debt you owed God, paid it in full, canceled it, and nailed it to the cross.

QUESTIONS:

1. How will this just-learned truth affect your taking ownership of the fact that you cannot sin?
2. How will this just-learned truth affect the way you view Jesus?
3. How will this just-learned truth affect the way you view the gift of life that He has bestowed upon you?


Well, I have some very good news for you, BREAKING NEWS, as the say on Fox: “No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin because he is born of God” (1 John 3:9; emphasis added); “We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him and the evil one does not touch him” (1 John 5:18; emphasis added).

Foolish Choices!

Friday morning, September 28, 2007
I can only assume that being the strong, committed believer that you are, you have been keeping an inventory of all the foolish choices you have made since you became a Christian; after all, not doing so would, indeed, be the foolish choice among foolish choices! After all, God is keeping not only an inventory, but a very accurate and graphic one, or so “they” say. Surely, you would not be so foolish as to fail to have your own, just in case you need to defend yourself on that great Day of Judgment.
What concerns me is this: even though we are faced with the sure and certain “day of judgment” (the one where all of our foolish choices will be exposed for everyone to see and to know) we continue not only to make foolish choices, but we make the same ones, over and over. Are we dumb or what? I am just hoping that both of us can somehow avoid that “day of judgment” especially in light of how often the same foolish choice will show up in our “Power Point” presentations. To be sure, avoiding it will be much easier than trying to defend or to justify our foolish choices, especially before God. By the way, have you noticed how some “Christians” seem to be more excited about experiencing this “Day of Judgment” than they are about seeing Jesus; I get the feeling they think their “Power Point” presentation will somehow impress God? Talk about foolish choices!
Seriously, I really believe that many “Christians” sincerely believe that after they present their “Power Point” presentation to God, both the onlookers and Jesus will be so impressed, that they will become the center of attraction. Of course, this is nothing new because being the center of attraction is their modus operandi. This is why the religious live and breathe!
Now, on to my point: the most foolish of all the possible foolish choices we might make is the choice to believe that “I am the center of attraction” in the gospel. Oh, I know that none of you would ever say that but may I say that your actions DO speak louder than your words AND what you do NOT say often says much about what you DO say!
For example, the belief system that says, “Christians will one day stand before God and be judged for all of their sinful actions”, places man at the center of the gospel and leaves Jesus standing somewhere on the outside in the shadows! How so? When a believer stands before God, He will stand before Him “in Christ”—completely and eternally forgiven, completely “debt” free—and from before the foundation of the world, judged to be as righteous as Jesus is righteous! How so? Isn’t it obvious? From before the foundation of the world, Jesus, bearing you sins in His body on the cross, was judged “GUILTY” of your sins, punished to the full extent of the Law’s requirement, took your sins away, and God promised never to remember them again!
It should be obvious but I will say it anyway: Jesus is the centerpiece of the gospel and that is not subject to change. If you have placed yourself upon this pedestal, prepare for a terrible fall! Oh, He will pick you up and set you free but you will regret having made such a foolish choice.
Just thought I would remind you that He is the I am—the One who was, is, and is to come!

Itty Bitty Darlin!!

Thursday morning, September 27, 2007
Just for the record, today is a very important day—Little Darlin’ (aka Annie Ladner) will give birth to her first child, a boy! At 2:30 PM, Seattle time, she will undergo a “C” section, as this son of hers is refusing to turn from his breach position and prepare for his grand entrance into his new surroundings. I have the feeling that he is merely letting everyone know that he is not going to be easily controlled (and thank God for that!), as I am certain that there are already several, who have planned his entire lifetime, even if it is 100 years.
He doesn’t yet know it, but his mother is one incredible woman; however, in my humble and accurate opinion, it won’t be long before he finds it out! Hopefully, someone has written a daily journal of Little Darlin’s life over the past several years, and I am praying that he will find it, as soon as he learns to read. This I guarantee: if he finds it and reads it, he will love her forever and hold her in very high esteem! What an incredible gift God has given to this “Itty Bitty Darlin!” I can hardly wait to see this picture develop (just hoping I can live at least 30 more healthy hears!!).
Interestingly, while this Itty Bitty Darlin has been “cooking” in his Mom’s womb, God has also been cooking up another blessing; He has given Annie a man—a real man—who, from everything she tells me, treats her like who she is—a saintly queen! He loves Jesus and he loves Annie and that is enough for me (although I am thankful that he has a degree in engineering and is also attending the Divinity school at Mars Hill). You can bet that he will be present and accounted for when this little boy arrives on the scene, and you can also bet that Annie is counting on it!
In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I will go ahead and tell you: the father of this baby is not the Mr. Wonderful that is presently in Annie’s life, but that does not frighten him, not at all! Yes, Little Darlin’ had a sexual relationship with someone and found herself pregnant, but still in love with Jesus, still God’s Little Darlin’, rejected by the religious, embraced by the elect, and still on her journey Home!
How many of you remember how folks talked about Mary, when she got pregnant with Jesus, having obviously had a sexual relationship before her marriage to Joseph (there is no telling the gossip, had they known it was with God!)? It was a scandal among the religious but in the eyes of God it was precisely His plan, not only for Mary but for you and for me! To use Steve Brown’s words: a scandalous freedom, indeed!
People still gossip about David’s sin with Bathsheba, completely ignoring the fact that he was a man after God’s own heart! How in the wide-world could God have ever appointed and anointed David to be King of Israel, especially in light of his track record (I carefully checked and he broke each of the Ten Commandments!)? Easy! He always chooses and uses sinners, not the self-righteous!
Yes, I am well-aware that Big Darlin ain’t Mary, and I am just as aware that Itty Bitty Darlin’ ain’t Jesus or David, but I am also very, very aware that this Mom and this child ain’t your run-of-the-mill mother and child. You can take this to the bank: God has some incredible plans for this Mom and her son (I don’t know his real name, just yet!) and I am really looking forward to seeing just what He has in mind!
Count of this: neither of them will ever be a hireling—not for sale or rent—as they belong to Him and Him alone—TROPHYS OF GOD’S GRACE!!
You watch, wait, and listen—

A New Office for an Old Fart!

Monday morning, September 24, 2007
For those of you who do not know, several months ago, I took on the task of closing in a screened porch at our house, one that overlooks the 16th green on Healy Point Golf Course. Actually, the view is quite nice but because of my allergies to pollen, we never used it; it just gathered dust, pollen, and junk. Then one day I got the ‘bright” to convert it into an office for me—a place where I can read, study, write, think, and et al.
Well, the idea was good but the task was huge, especially in light of the fact that I decided to do the work myself, which included framing, wiring, installing outside walls and inside walls, installing a door, installing seven windows, and painting! Factor in the fact that I am no longer a “spring chicken” and maybe you can appreciate what I mean by “huge” but do not feel sorry for me, as I really enjoyed it!
Anyway, I have finished everything but painting the outside walls, which I will get done, as soon as I finish moving my old office into the new one. Even the word “moving” gives me the, well, I don’t know what it gives me, but whatever it is it ain’t good! Now think for a minute: the fact that I am a preacher, a Bible teacher, and an eternal student should give you some insight into what is involved in this “moving” experience. You guessed it—BOOKS, BOOKS, AND MORE BOOKS! Thankfully, I have, periodically, gone through my books and removed those that were no longer of interest to me; otherwise, I would have needed to build a public library instead of an office. Even so, I have plenty left (and then some), many of which are already packed in boxes and ready to be removed. Rest assured, however, that my remaining library will be sufficiently stocked with those books that speak to my passion—knowing Him, who to know is eternal live.
Just for the record, I no longer read “how-to” books; if they were worth the paper they were written on, I would long-ago have “fixed” everything that was broken, everything from finances to marriages to, well you name it. If you still want to read them, maybe you should ramble through some of my boxes, as you will find plenty of them, not to mention that they are still being written. Interestingly, the ones that seem to be most popular are those that tell us “how to” live the Christian life. I guess we think if we can ever get that figured out, then everything else will work itself out and life will be fine. Unfortunately, there is one problem and these books do not address it (for obvious reasons): these books are attempting to tell us “how to” do something that we cannot do, namely, live the Christian life. In all of my years of reading, if my memory serves me correctly, I can recall only one author, who dared to state the truth: WE CANNOT LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE! The only person who ever modeled the Christian life was Jesus and He continues to be the only person to make such an accomplishment. The good news, however, is this: His life is your (my) life; consequently, He lives the life in us! Cease striving! (I love those words!) This is the secret (to living the Christian life): Christ in you, your hope of glory!
Back to my new office: I am really looking forward to the opportunities it will provide for me to read (mostly those who are seeking to know Him, rather than trying to figure out “how to” live the Christian life), writing what He shows me, sharing it with you, and continuing my watching, waiting, and listening. Beware! I will probably be reading some of those who think outside the typical, religious paradigm, so who knows what I might discover! Whatever it might be, I will share it with you and I trust that you will provide me with your insight and comments.
I just thought you would want to know—

Starbucks or Bud Light?

Friday morning, September 21, 2007
In yesterday’s perspective, I attempted to point out (among other things) how we feel the need to hide parts of our lives from one another when we are in “church”; yet, on the outside, we tend to be more open with one another. I also attempted to point out that the church has incorrectly taught us to believe that our hiding makes church “more holy”—removing the “sin” increases the “holiness” in the “temple.”
You probably are not one of them, but many people believe (strongly believe) that the church building is God’s house—the Temple of God—and, therefore, we should do whatever we can to keep it holy, even make it “more holy”.
For example, have you ever noticed the number of cigarette butts that are scattered outside the front door of most churches? There is a reason for this: smoking cigarettes is sinful, so keeping them on the outside of the church increases holiness. Yea, right! Now, I am all-for banning cigarette smoking in buildings, not because of my interest in increasing holiness, but because the smoke irritates my sinuses.
Why, I can remember when people came to church dressed in their “Sunday Best” and for two good, religious reasons (many still do!) : (1) they wanted to appear to one another as if everything was A-OK and (2) they wanted to look their best for Him, since they were visiting His house. You know, eliminate the worldly and, thereby, make church “more holy.”
To be honest, I know more Christians who drink beer (some of them, drink lots of it), than I know Christians who do not drink beer, but for some reason most all of them feel like they cannot drink beer while they are “in church”; after all, it is God’s house and the alcohol will somehow defile it—decrease it holiness. Now, I am not attempting to promote alcoholism, but I am attempting to promote truth! Interestingly, many local churches, in their effort to attract the masses, are now offering Starbucks coffee. I, actually, have a much better idea—offer draft Bud Light in frozen mugs—but this would attract the “wrong” masses, at least from their perspective!
The truth is this: the church building is NOT God’s Temple—YOUR BODY is His Temple and it IS holy and there is nothing you can do to increase or decrease it holiness [“Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)]! Why? Because He is Holy and, therefore, HE is the reason your body, His Temple, is holy. If you think for one minute that YOU can somehow defile (or destroy) His Holiness, you are deceived—BIG TIME DECEIVED!
I cannot understand how the church has drifted so far from Jesus and His modus operandi; after all, He was called a “glutton” and a “wine bibber” for obvious reasons. I am absolutely positive that there were NO cigarette butts on the ground in front of His church, and I am just as positive that He offered draft Bud Light in frozen mugs, well, maybe Cabernet Sauvignon in Riedel crystal, and He did so because He came for the “wrong” masses, at least from the church’s perspective. Why, He even went so far as to welcome the whores, liars, cheats, drunks, murderers, and thieves to sit on the front pews of His church—up close and personal—while the religious, hypocrites had to take the “seats” of the cigarette butts.
Let’s stop hiding and pretending; after all, He knows the truth about us and He loves us, even so!

Gut-wrenching, God-awful, and tooth-pulling!

Thursday morning, September 20, 2007
As most of you know, I am a pastor and not a novice; after all, 28 years does give one a bit of experience. As I look back over the years, I wonder how I have survived them, as I have “enjoyed” some gut-wrenching, God-awful, tooth-pulling experiences. Sometimes I think that “church” folk are the meanest folk on earth; to be sure, many of them act as if they are, whether they are or not (thank God for the remnant!).
What most of you do not know is that I am also a member of a country club; I love to play golf and I love to eat, both of which are well-accommodated at this club. I have noticed something about these folk, many of whom are also members of some local church, and it is this: they all pay dues, they get along well, treat each other with utmost respect, have fun, support each other, encourage each other, and never judge each other.
I must admit that I often wonder what happens to these people between the country club and the church; well, I should say that I used to wonder, but now I think I have a better understanding. You see, the country club is not religious, the church is, and therein is the problem; religion kills but relationship brings life.
There is something else that most of you do not know about me: I live adjacent to the 16th green on the golf course that is a part of the aforementioned country club. Oftentimes, when I am sitting on the deck, golfers are filing by, as if some major tournament is taking place and I am able to make some incredible observations. Have you ever watched the behavior of golfers? Other than the occasional “speaking in tongues” and the occasional “bet” and the occasional “cigar smoke” and the occasional “improper moving of the ball” and the not-so-occasional “cold beer consumption,” golf is a game of gentlemen. It is just incredible to watch and to play, especially if you are a pastor. It matters not whether I am playing or watching, I often wonder what in the wide-world happens to these men between the 18th hole and the church pew; well, as I said, I used to wonder, but now I have a better understanding, or at least I think I do. You see, religion has no place on the golf course; however, it is the theme-song of most churches.
Is it not ironic that when these very same men are in the church pew, they feel they have to hide their “speaking in tongues” and their “occasional bet” and their “occasional cigar smoke” and their “occasional improper moving of the ball” and their “not-so-occasional cold beer consumption”? You see, the church teaches that our not allowing these things somehow makes “church” more holy (or protects it holiness), like what my friend said about the Eucharist (we make it more holy by substituting grape juice for wine!). Can you imagine what it would be like to attend a church service where “speaking in tongues” and the “occasional bet” and the “occasional cigar smoke” and the “occasional improper moving of the ball” and the “not-so-occasional cold beer consumption” were not only allowed, but encouraged? Wow! That is a novel thought!
You probably cannot imagine it, but I will tell you this: if it were possible for behavior to somehow cause “Holy” to be “More Holy,” this would definitely get the job done. Why? It would not only eliminate the hypocrisy that religion produces (See Matthew 23!), it would also reduce (at least, reduce) the “gut-wrenching, God-awful, tooth-pulling experiences” that are so common not only to pastors, but also to lay people. Remember? Religion kills but relationships bring life!
You would have loved our home group last night, especially the absence of religion and the presence of relationships! Isn’t this what Christianity is about?

The Eucharist!

Tuesday morning, September 18, 2007
It seems that yesterday’s perspective stirred a bit of interest in the Eucharist (Holy Communion; the Lord’s Supper) and that is a good thing—a very good thing. It is my guess that it was my friend’s comment that did the stirring and that is also a good thing. It went something like this: The church attempts to make the supper more holy by substituting grape juice for wine!
You get the point, I feel sure: since drinking alcohol is sin, we make the supper “more holy” by removing the alcohol and using grape juice. Of course, since using alcohol would be detrimental to the alcoholics in the congregation, we make the Supper “more holy” by removing the alcohol and using grape juice.
How in the wide-world can we make anything “more holy”? There is no superlative for “holy”; it is either holy or it is unholy! Yes, I know that the Scriptures speak of the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place, but the truth is the Holy Place in comparison to the Most Holy Place was not holy at all! It had the “air” of holiness but it was NOT holy (the blood of bulls and goats CANNOT take sins away!). I will leave that for another perspective.
Of course, many churches have abandoned the Supper altogether and those who have not, celebrate it only very infrequently. In the end, very few Christians have any appreciation for it; in fact, many will not attend on the Sundays that the supper is celebrated because they feel unworthy to participate. Others, when they see that the Table has been set, silently wish they had not come and for the same reason. How sad! Jesus told us to celebrate this Supper often, and as often as we do to remember Him. What a privilege! Unfortunately, it is celebrated far-too-seldom by most believers and appreciated by an even smaller number!
My friend’s comment about our making the supper “more holy” by substituting grape juice for alcohol applies to so many areas of the Christian life. The Devil is an deceiver, indeed! Take worship for example: one group thinks we make it “more holy” by making it more emotional; whereas, another group thinks we make it “more holy” by keeping our emotions a bay. Some think we make worship “more holy” by substituting “praise choruses” for the hymns of the church; whereas, others think we make it “more holy” by refusing to sing praise choruses. The fact is the object of worship is not to make worship “more holy”; instead, God is the object of worship and He is so because He IS holy!
Many sincerely believe that there is a direct relationship between how well we obey the Ten Commandments and how “holy” we are; the better we are at keeping the commandments, the more holy we are! In other words, we make ourselves “more holy” by substituting our “obedience” for Jesus’ obedience and that is sad, especially in light of the fact that none of us are obedient (Well, close enough for all practical purposes but, as I said yesterday, this ain’t about hand grenades or horse shoes!).
Dear Christian friend, there is no substitution you can make that will improve your righteousness (holiness); all you can do is accept His righteousness as your own, which makes you as righteous as He is righteous and THAT is enough to get you Home before dark!
Just for the record: the heart and essence of the Supper is that through His shed blood and given body we have been made Holy—like Holy of Holies, holy! No need to try to improve of that by making substitutions! Hallelujah!

A More-Holy Version!

Monday afternoon, September 17, 2007
Yesterday, I received an email from Danny Payne, a friend of mine from Reynolds, that resounded with truth, the truth that I wish everyone could know. I am placing a portion of it here in my perspective for you to read, and I am doing so because I think there are things in it that will impact your life. Take your time and read it carefully:
“In most of the Protestant churches, we make the remembrance of the Last Supper a little ‘more holy’ than Jesus by substituting grape juice for the wine. I guess we think that Jesus didn't get it right the first time!! We are in the end our own worst enemy, in that we can't take the most awesome gift ever given, as just that, a gift. We insult the Father by trying to pay for it in some sort of way, only to frustrate ourselves. I once heard this joke: What is the difference between a statistician and a mathematician? If you place a scantily dressed, well endowed woman on one end of a football field, and you place both the statistician and mathematician on the opposite end and ask each the question, ‘How long will it take you to get to the other end of the football field, if you go ten yards, then half that distance, then half that distance, etc., etc.?’ The mathematician will tell you that you'll never get there; the statistician will tell you that you'll get close enough for all practical purposes!! I compare the legalist to the statistician, in that the legalist, I can only presume, thinks his focus on the law will get him close enough for all practical purposes. Fortunately, for me anyway, God will not grade me on the curve; I have Christ's awesome work to thank for that.”
What incredible insight! I know of very few (very few!) Protestant churches that give the Eucharist (The Lord’s Supper) a place of even minor importance (How often does your church celebrate the Eucharist?); consequently, most have no real clue to its significance. To be sure, virtually every Protestant church (yes, there are exceptions) uses grape juice instead of wine and the reason is obvious: in the minds of many Protestants, the use of alcohol is sinful; consequently, in a effort to make the celebration truly “holy” grape juice is used, rather than wine. Listen up: JESUS DID IT CORRECTLY THE FIRST TIME and He used honest-to-goodness wine, the kind that is fermented—the kind that contains alcohol! Oh, yes, I almost forgot: some do not use wine in the Eucharist because it might (probably will, or so they think!) cause the alcoholics in the congregation to begin drinking again! Bologna! Have you forgotten what Jesus said about the wine of the Eucharist? May I remind you? Thanks! “This IS My blood of the Covenant . . .” If you think using wine in the Eucharist is sinful OR if you think it will cause the alcoholics in the congregation to begin drinking again, then I assume you also think the wine of the Eucharist is a mere symbol, and if that is what you think, well, you are really missing-out on something incredibly wonderful.
This watered-down version of the Eucharist reminds me of the statistician in Danny’s “joke”—it is close enough for all practical purposes; however, may I remind you that Christianity ain’t about hand grenades or horse shoes—close enough is to miss the entire party!! The fact is you never will appreciate the Eucharist, UNLESS you stop trying to make things holy and submit to the One who is Holy!
If you don’t do anything else, DEMAND that your church begin celebrating the Eucharist every time the Word is proclaimed! I can only tell you that the Eucharist is more powerful than any sermon I have ever heard and I have heard a few powerful ones!
Just thought I would let you in on what He told Danny!

Acquiring Holiness

Thursday morning, September 13, 2007
Your response to my last two perspectives has, as I expected, run the full length of the field—from fear to faith. I have found it interesting that some, who normally respond, have not responded at all, which is fine with me but it does raise some questions, which for the moment, I will keep to myself.
Some of the responses reminded me of the frustration both Jesus and Paul must have felt, as they attempted to eradicate religion and replace it with relationship. Both Jesus and Paul pressed the religious very, very hard and on many occasions, only to be rejected, a rejection that continues even today.
It is sad to me to see so many Christians living, as if it is their job to somehow acquire holiness by living up to what they believe is the “standard of holiness.” They, inevitably, have their own “sin list” and they use it as the standard for holiness. Of course, their “list” always presents a standard for holiness that is much lower than God’s standard, which, as you know, is perfection. It is not, however, just “any old perfection”; instead, it is perfection, as He sees perfection, which is, obviously, very different than we see it. In our “sincere” attempts to be holy, to reach the standard, we do the most amazing thing—we lower His standard to one we can reach and call it holiness. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned against this but for some reason, most do not heed the warning.
This is a quote from that sermon: “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). We respond to this in the same way as the religious of Jesus’ day responded; we lower His standard to something reachable by saying, for example, I have never had sex with another man’s wife. Obviously, He knew we would do this, so He raised the standard even higher than the standard of the Ten Commandments. Listen to what He said: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; but I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28). Anyone want to make the boast that you reach this standard? I might add this: if sin came in categories, it would be obvious to me that the sin worse than committing adultery is the sin of being proud that you haven’t.
On the other hand, some of your responses reminded me of the incredible joy both Jesus and Paul (especially, Jesus) must have experienced when eyes were opened to see the incredible truth of the gospel. I can only imagine how they felt when they witnessed some of the religious abandoning the old way of religion and entering into that “Song of Songs”, intimate, relationship with Jesus—the kind of relational intimacy that says, “You are altogether beautiful, My darling and there is no blemish in you” (Song of Songs 4:7).
Look at what Paul had to say: “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:56; emphasis, added); “Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account” (Romans 4:8); “Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Or works? No, but by a law of faith” (Romans 3:27; emphasis, added).
In the end, my strong belief in the gospel has left me with this attitude toward Him: “ I am lovesick”; “My Beloved is mine and I am His”; “I must seek Him whom my soul loves”; “Many waters cannot quench love” (Song of Songs 2:5b, 16a; 3:2b; 8:7a). I am no longer trying to reach the standard; instead, I am resting in an incredible relationship of love!

I Get the Message!!

Thursday morning, September 13, 2007
Ok! OK!! OK!!! I get the message! Of all the responses I thought I might have received from my winning the lottery, the one I received most was the least expected—HOW MUCH DID YOU WIN? The truth is I would have told you but when the lottery people learned that I was a minister they suggested that I not reveal the amount because it oftentimes causes problems—jealousy, envy, judging and a host of others—so I was just trying to be obedient and follow their advice.
I have had the night to think it over, however, and in the thinking, I decided to be “disobedient” (who would have ever dreamed it!) and tell you how much I won, provided, however, that you never tell anyone. Ok? Thanks! I mean, if this gets out, all those religious bigots will be after me and I, simply, do not have time to deal with their envy and jealousy and judging. If they could just accept the One True Gospel, they would not have the time, nor the inclination, to be so involved in the business of others—judging, correcting, saving, gossiping, conforming, educating, distancing, et al—because they would be preoccupied with living the True Christian life!
Wait a minute; hold the phone; it just dawned upon me that Jesus had to deal with them every day, so I guess I would be in “good company” after all (not as busy, as I thought!); therefore, on second thought, forget about keeping it a secret—go ahead and tell whomever you choose! Who knows, someone might “get saved” by my having won the lottery and THAT would be a hoot; even better, someone might stumble upon the One True Gospel, as the result of my winning the lottery, and THAT would be a “double hoot”!
Are you ready? I am about to reveal the amount, so hold on to your seat. Are you sure you are ready? Before I tell you, you might want to think about the fact that should you tell others, in all probability the religious bigots among them will come after you as well, unless of course you tell them what a sorry excuse for a Christian I am, how disappointed you are in me, how I have compromised my witness, how hundreds and hundreds will end up in hell as a result, how I have disgraced the ministry, how I have disgraced the church, and how I need to confess, repent, and seek God’s forgiveness!
Should you be so bold as to do what one of my readers did with this story, namely, tell all his friends that this “perspective” was the clearest picture of the gospel he had ever read, you, like my reader, could expect to be, well, you could expect to be placed into the same “pigeon hole” as they have placed me, and THAT would be a hoot ‘de hoot! What an incredible honor it would be to have you in my “pigeon hole!”
The truth is I hate being “pigeon holed!” Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Lutheran—who cares, unless it is the pigeon hole labeled “Renegade”! For some reason, I love being a renegade, especially when it irritates the religious. I know I do not hate religion as much as Jesus hated it but I do think I am gaining ground on Him! I have the feeling that when He told His disciples to pick the grain on the Sabbath (because He hated religion), the religious reacted to Him in much the same way they will react to you, especially when they learn that my winning, motivated you to buy a lottery ticket, maybe even two!
Oh, I almost forgot—I won the grand sum of two hundred forty dollars ($240)! Ain’t that a hoot te doot!

His!

I Won the Lottery!

Wednesday morning, September 12, 2007
I WON THE LOTTERY! I am not kidding; I won the lottery! Well, it wasn’t that Mega Million lottery; however, I was somewhat richer when I left the store, than I was when I entered it. Admittedly, I took a huge chance (the odds were AGAINST me) but this time I won.
Now that you know this, I will give you time to deal with all the “religious” feelings you are having, as I tell you that I did refuse to accept the money; after all, I am a preacher and preachers would never accept ill-gotten gain. Even so, it was fun to win—to beat the odds!
If you believe that I refused to accept this money, I suppose I should also tell you that I never drink wine, hate good cigars, despise Scotch, shoot scratch golf, am an incredible dancer, obey the Law, read the Bible a 4 AM every day, and live a holy life. I mean, if you believe the first lie, you will probably believe the rest of them; in any case, it gives you something to think about (maybe, “I” give you something to think about!).
This is the truth: I love good wine, good cigars, good Scotch, play miserable golf, have no clue as to dancing, do not obey the Law (cannot!), do not read the Bible every day, much less at 4 AM every day, and I do not live a holy life (cannot!). Now don’t you go and start feeling sorry for me because I am fine—like really fine! There is absolutely no reason for you to try to convince me to stop enjoying wine, cigars, and Scotch because I will not give you that kind of power over me. There is certainly no need for you to chastise me for my not keeping the Law because I cannot; I have tried and tried but I always mess up (in case you have forgotten, Jesus knew I could not keep it, so He kept it for me!). As to dancing, well, my Mama messed up my mind about dancing by telling me (repeatedly and emphatically) that it is sin and you cannot change that. As to Bible reading, I promise that I have done my share of that, just not every day at 4 AM (not any day at 4 AM, that I can remember). I really wish I could live a holy life but, if I cannot obey the rules, I sure as hell cannot live a holy life. If you knew just how hard I have futilely tried to live “holy-ly” you would feel sorry for me but don’t! Jesus knew about my depravity and, thankfully, He loved me enough to perfectly and permanently deal with my sin problem, leaving me “seated at His right hand in the Holy of Holies” (the MOST holy of all places!), which, obviously, fixed my inability to live a holy life. By now you should be figuring out why I love Him and trust my destiny to Him!
If my memory serves me correctly (which I doubt), my purchase of a lottery ticket is called gambling, so we can assume that I gambled this morning (thankfully, I won!) and many of you will, therefore, be quick to label me a sinner; after all, it is “those” sorry sinners, who gamble. Feel free to do so because it really will not bother me—not any at all. I am fine—like really fine, and your “religious” opinion of my standing with God is not worth, well, it is not worth the time it took you to express it. By the way, where in the Bible is gambling listed as sin; I know where judgment is listed but what about gambling?
Anyway, I am already getting offers from some sincere Christians, as to how I can spend my money—on them.