About 50 Shades of Grey - by Erik Cooper

I came across this post yesterday, and with all the hype about the movie version of the book opening this weekend, I thought his advice was right on.  I had to chuckle when I clicked on his Spotify playlist.

You can find this post originally here.

Her eyes widened then quickly shifted down at the table as she moved uncomfortably in her seat. I had asked one of those awkward dad questions.

“So have you and your friends heard about this new movie ‘Fifty Shades of Grey?'”

She paused, then sheepishly acknowledged.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going where you think I am with this dialog. Relax.”

Break Every Chain

We sang this song this morning in our worship service.  

The prophet Jeremiah discusses the day our chains of sin were broken.

"In all history there has never been such of time of terror.

It will be a time of trouble for my people of Israel.

Yet in the end they will be saved! For in that day," 

says the Lord of Heaven's Armies, 

"I will break the yoke from their necks

and snap their chains.

Foreigners will no longer be their masters.

For my people will serve the Lord their God 

and their king descended from David --

the king I will raise up for them.

~Jeremiah 30:7-9 (NLT)

The chains are broken.  They broke that day on the cross.  We no longer have to live in the bondage of sin.  However, there are people who still wear these chains.  They are broken, but they still hang on us.  They still weigh us down.  These chains represent the sinful behavior we may still cling to.  Even broken, these chains are still chains we need to get rid of.  

How do we get rid of the broken chains of sinful behavior that weigh us down?  It's simple.  

Repent in the name of Jesus.

Book Review - AHA - Awakening.Honesty.Action by Kyle Idleman

Ok, I admit it.  I am a huge fan of Kyle Idleman.  This would be my third post about a book he has written.  To see my thoughts about the other two, click on the titles: Gods at War and Not a Fan.

If you are familiar with his work, you would notice sound biblical teaching peppered with a great sense of humor.  This book is no different.  Make sure you read the footnotes, as some of these made me laugh out loud.*

The book follows the very familiar parable of the lost son found in Luke (Luke 15:11-32).  You may be familiar with the story, but to quickly recap, a man has two sons, one who worked hard, and one  who rebelled and traveled to a distant country with his future inheritance.  After hard times hit, the son had a sudden awakening, was brutally honest with himself, and took action to return home to amend his relationship with his father.

Kyle takes the passage, and breaks it apart in a very real way.  He describes our own acts of sin and rebellion as a trip to the "distant country."  He explores the concept of a sudden awakening moment - the moment you realize the consequences of your sins.  He then is very brutal in his honesty of these sins, discussing the difference between regret and repentance.

The awakening must lead to honesty.  Conviction must lead to confession.  This is the biggest difference between regret and repentance.  Many of us will have an awakening and regret that things have turned out the way they have, but we won't repent of our part in it. (Chapter 5)

He noticed that Christians find ourselves struggling to be honest with ourselves, let alone with others when it comes to the secrets sins we harbor.  He then goes one step further and says it's even worse for pastors.  He says we all need someone in our life with whom we can be brutally honest.  This person should be one you trust and who trusts you completely, one who is honest and who shares in your convictions, and above all, one who has freely received grace from Jesus and freely offers grace to others.

Is this someone you have in your life?

The third part of the book is the last piece of the puzzle: taking action.  Kyle challenges the excuses we all take when we fail to act, even after recognizing and confessing our sins.

I am currently reading this book for the second time, taking advantage of the study questions at the end of the book.  I highly recommend this book for small groups or leadership teams, or even just for personal study.

"Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." ~James 5:16 (NLT)

*It's the random stuff, like the usefulness of Jedi mind tricks that make me laugh out loud.

Crossing the Chasm

Who knew the same walk would yield yet another picture to write about?  Walking through a forest preserve, my friend captured a picture he titled, "Entanglement."  He told me the tree branches represented the vining trappings of what he considered the world (I called it sin).

Later he sent another picture called "Post Entanglement."  He said to me, "OK, I have overcome that problem, this addiction, but this is the world I still live in."  I told him sometimes, even the righteous still have problems and there sometimes is no explanation.  I told him even in the low times of calamity, God is still there with him.

Just this week, he sent this photo.  He said this represents the image of the bridge that crosses the chasm that is the world today.  He said he is pushing on.  He broke the bonds of entanglement, and he withstood the vast wasteland of post entanglement.

He said he did not do that alone.  God provided a bridge to cross the great divide.  He provided Jesus.  There is biblical truth to this statement.  The message in the gospels is that there is no path to heaven without Jesus.

Jesus told a parable about a rich man who found himself on the wrong side of a deep chasm, the place of the dead.  Across the void, the man saw a previous acquaintance in the place of Abraham, and he begged to cross the great divide.  Luke records this scripture, "And besides, there is a great chasm separating us.  No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there." ~Luke 16:26 (NLT).  Jesus told this parable to relate that after death, there are no more chances to cross over to heaven.  The choice to cross the chasm belongs solely to this life.  We need to accept Christ as our savior.  He alone is the bridge to our salvation.

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday.  Go to church and hear about how Christ defeated death and rose from death to break the power of sin.

"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love.  Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow - not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below - indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." ~Romans 8:38-39 (NLT)

The Scapegoat

The scapegoat that was sent away into the desert

Today, we remember the ultimate sacrifice Christ made for us.

But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the lord laid on him the sins of us all. (Isaiah 53:5, 6 NLT)

This past Wednesday, our church hosted a Messianic Jewish man who led us in a Seder Dinner.  During the dinner, each of the traditional symbols of atonement were explained.  During the Seder, he pointed out that before Christ, each person had to slaughter their own sacrificial lamb and spill the blood as atonement for our personal sins.  This was considered important, that the person feel the pain of the sacrificial animal that had to die to atone for the sins.  In this same manner, we need to understand that if it was not for our personal sins, Christ would not have had to die.  In this sense, we killed him.

Personal sacrifice was not enough in the Old Testament.  The priests also sacrificed a goat once a year to atone for the sins of the nation, laying on all the sins to a second goat, known as the scapegoat, which was driven out into the desert.

Let's explore the concept of a modern day scapegoat.  A scapegoat is the person that takes the blame for all the wrongdoings of an organization.  He is the "fall guy."   Every one else in the organization escapes the consequences of the action because this one guy accepted all the blame.  Usually that guy gets fired.

The last line of the Bible verse above, "Yet the Lord laid on Him the sins of us all." indicates that not only did Christ die for you and me, he also accepted the sins of the world.  He became both the sacrificial lamb and the scapegoat.

He paid, so we didn't have to.  Accept and believe.

Justifying our Sins

12 Years a Slave haunted me earlier this week when I watched it for the first time.  It was difficult to imagine people who could justify their behaviors of cruelty to others.  A free man, Solomon Northrup, was kidnapped and sold into slavery.  His "free papers" were taken, as well as his identity.  The kidnappers justified their action as financial need, as well as a belief that Solomon's race was inferior. 

He was sold first to "Master Ford," a benevolent slave owner, if there is such a thing.  He showed concern and kindness to his slaves, but some of the comments made by both he and his "Mistress" showed the underlying view that it was fine to own people.  They genuinely believed that people could be bought and sold, for the purposes of work.  He did not want to hear that Solomon was free and sold him to another owner.  

This is when the story becomes truly horrifying to watch.  "Master Epps" was shown to repeatedly rape and abuse his slaves, quoting Bible verses that showed his belief that all of his actions were condoned by God.  He never wavered that he was right in his actions.  They are property, after all.  The story continues to unfold until one outsider finds out the story of a free man who was kidnapped, and reported it.  Solomon was rescued because one man did not conform to the common worldview that it is fine to own other person, even though the law permitted it.  

How does a man become so warped in his belief system?  Consider this Bible verse: Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.  These desires give birth to sinful actions.  And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. ~James 1:15 (NLT) He probably started by first conforming to his society of people who believed people could be owned.  Then, slowly his thoughts became actions.  Each action he took did not have a negative consequence in his mind, and the next action became easier to take.  Eventually, he found it fine to rape and beat his slaves on a regular basis.  He was on the path to death.

Can we become warped in our thinking, condoning acts that are unthinkable?  YES! It has been proven that we can find ourselves down the path if we took baby steps along the way.  I have written about this before in The Corruption of a Leader.  

For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching.  They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.  They will reject the truth and chase after myths.  ~2Timothy 4:3-4 (NLT)

It's so important to stay grounded in the absolute truth of the Bible.  

Post Entanglement - What next?

My friend who contributed the tree branches picture in the post Entangled in Sin gave me another picture to think about.

He broke through the entangled branches of sin, only to find this scene of buried tanks of mystery.  What if you break through your addictions that kept you entangled in sin, only to find that the scene that awaits you is not what you pictured or dreamed about?

Life is hard.  Sometimes there really isn't any explanation for why some people will have a harder walk in this world than others.  Job is one such example that keeps popping up in my searches for good things to share with others.  It would seem that Job is the one we can identify with.  Job was blighted when Satan sought to test this man of God, and while he refused to curse God, he did wish to die.  If you remember the plight, Job lost everything, and then was cursed with painful illness, including horrible skin boils, "covered with maggots and scabs, skin breaking open, oozing with pus." ~Job 7:5 (NLT).

Men and women of God often find themselves in a calamity of life they cannot explain away by sin.  It could be the loss of a job, or divorce, or loss of a loved one, or even the loss of personal health, as in cancer.  The important thing to remember when we are facing these things, is that God never left your side.  It may seem that you are in a vast wasteland full of these barrels of buried waste, but even there, God is there too.

There is nothing you face that He didn't face too.  I hope you can feel assured that the One who went before us is the One who heals us.  In the end, He healed Job and blessed his second life more richly than the first half.  If you find yourself in a calamity of life, think about this life on earth as much like the first half of Job's life.  There will be a second half.  Just wait, God has a plan for you.  I like to think of my beautiful second half of life being my life with God in heaven.  These are the promises I place my hope in.  In the meantime, I pray for resilience and endurance.  I also pray heartily for my friends who walk each day in pain.

"I stay awake through the night, thinking about your promise." ~Psalm 119:148 (NLT)

Appearances

I created a fake magazine cover to illustrate just how easy it is to pretend life is good.  How many times do we look at the people around us and think to ourselves, "Boy, he/she has it all together."  Maybe it is the confidence that person exudes when he speaks, or maybe it is the outfits she carefully puts together.  It may be the car he drives, or the job she holds.  Whatever it may be, that person has something we want: the perfect life.

How far from the truth we are! We all are broken.  It does not matter if the person seems to have it all together, they are still inside, a very broken person.  "As the Scriptures say, "No one is righteous - not even one." ~Romans 3:10.  Even though the picture to the left is me, and it does appear that I am just fine, I am not.  I have many doubts, fears and insecurities.  I fear something new daily.  In fact, my dentist told me my teeth are damaged from my constant clenching of teeth during stress.  I just hide it well (I think, anyway).

I have been thinking about how much we judge people by their appearances.  As Christians, we know we are not supposed to do this, but often times, I find myself doing this.  We mostly hear about how we should honor the poor and humble, for they shall inherit the earth.  Many of us spend time ministering to this population.  I ask if we should start working on the people who have cleverly constructed facades; the ones who won't show others their pain.  How do we reach the inner person?

Sometimes, we don't.  Sometimes we just pray for others whenever God leads us to.  Listen closely to God's words whenever you meet someone new.  Pray for them.  If you find the opportunity to talk, really get down to the things that matter to that person.  This is the key to reaching them, and connecting them to the salvation message.

"For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard.  Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous.  He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins." ~Romans 3:23-24

The salvation message is for everyone.  

Entangled in Sin

Tree branches at Rock Springs Center, Decatur IL

This was a photo taken during a walk on the trails of a local wildlife preserve.  As I gazed into the complexity of the branches vining together, so much that I cannot see the origin of each branch, I find myself wondering how the individual trees became so ensnared by vines that mired together?  What caused this mess of entanglement?  A person walking upon this would find themselves stopped, unable to progress forward.

Sometimes I think sin creeps up on us slowly like the vines that grow on trees.  We start out healthy in our walk, earnest in our faith that God will take care of us, and keep us on the straight path.  But, like a snake, the sin creeps in.  It starts with a small decision to first speak an untruth, or to visit a pornographic website for the first time, or to have the first secret conversation with someone not your spouse, or to have your first drunken party with your friends.  You justify it every time.  This is how the vines of sin enter and begin to twine.  As your behavior progresses, justification becomes easier.  It is when you no longer accept your behavior as sinful and fail to repent, that the sin entangles you.  You are trapped and can no longer progress forward in your walk with Christ.

The vines in the picture would break apart easily if they die.  What would be a good way to break apart the vines of sin that entangle you?

Repent.  It is never too late to repent.  Accept the promise of God's grace.

"You were sorry and humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this city and its people.  You humbled yourself and tore your clothing in despair and wept before me in repentance.  And I have indeed heard you, says the the Lord." ~2Chronicles 34:27 (NLT)

Potholes in the Body of Christ

Newly formed pothole in Decatur, IL

Today, as I was out driving, I couldn't help but notice all the potholes in the pavement.  It was almost as if all the snow was covering up these deep faults in the road.  The picture above is just an example of one that is "new."  This made me wonder what is it that causes potholes to form in some places and some roads, but not others?  I did some research in Wikipedia (I know, I know, check my sources).  

A pothole is a type of failure in an asphalt pavement,^[1] caused by the presence of water in the underlying soil structure and the presence of traffic passing over the affected area. Introduction of water to the underlying soil structure first weakens the supporting soil. Traffic then fatigues and breaks the poorly supported asphalt surface in the affected area. Continued traffic action ejects both asphalt and the underlying soil material to create a hole in the pavement.

Potholes are caused by water leaching into the soil under the pavement, freezing, thawing, and traffic stressors.   All of these factors together cause an "eruption" that creates a hole.

This made me think about our Christian walk.  What does a pothole have to do with our walk, you ask? Ok, it's a stretch, but work with me here.  Imagine the road is the body of Christ, or even a person in the body of Christ.  A crack in the body would allow sin (the water) to enter and fester within. The freezing and thawing process represents gradual build-up of the stress that sin puts our body in.  The traffic is the ultimate stress event that makes our sin erupt and create holes in our walk.  When the sin erupts and bursts out, this breaks our Christian exterior.  We lose credibility when the holes erupt.

According to Eaton, et al., potholes may result from four main causes:^[2] 

1. Insufficient pavement thickness to support traffic during freeze/thaw periods without localized failures.
2. Insufficient drainage.
3. Failures at utility trenches and castings (manhole and drain casings).
4. Miscellaneous pavement defects and cracks left unmaintained and unsealed so as to admit moisture and compromise the structural integrity of the pavement.

What about the Christian potholes?  What causes some people in the body to have the eruption of sin in their lives, and others to stay "intact?"  I believe there are several causes:

1.  We have insufficient support from our Christian brothers and sisters to keep us accountable during the freeze and thaw process.  Don't just pretend to love others.  Really love them.  Hate what is wrong.  Hold tightly to what is good. ~Romans 12:9 (NLT)

2.  We fail to drain the sin by confessing and repenting.  Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.  The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. ~James 5:16 (NLT)

3.  We allow external forces to injure us, causing us to weaken at specific junctures.  By this I may be talking about childhood hurts, or past offenses by others that we have not sufficiently forgiven.  Unforgiveness causes cracks that allow sin to enter.  But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too. ~Mark 11:25 (NLT)

4.  We have failed to maintain our armor, leaving us vulnerable to the work of the devil.  Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil.  Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.  ~Ephesians 6:13 (NLT)

Sometimes, even the best of us fail and have an eruption of sin that causes a hole.  We have to stop, confess, and examine our hearts.  We need to do a 180-degree turn and repent.  God will restore us.

Addicted to Sin

I cannot wait to get to the theatre to see the new movie, The Hobbit.  I am excited that the writers brought back several familiar characters.  I am oddly fascinated with Gollum.  This is a wretched, pitiful, disgusting creature that is nasty to everyone.  What would be the draw in this character?

Gollum was once a river person named Smeagol.  While on a fishing outing with his relative, he encountered a ring, one that immediately ensnared his interest.  He refused to part with the ring, killing his relative.  His continued obsession of the ring warped his thinking patterns and contributed to his insanity.  Gollum both loved "his precious" and hated his addiction to it.  

The story of Gollum could be repeated in many of us.  So often, we unwittingly stumble upon some temptation, not realizing the chokehold that it could become for us.  Whatever it is, we love it.  For some of us, the temptation is money, for others, it is food or drink.  Some of us really have a love for mood altering drugs or alcohol.  Others fall into a trap of an extra marital affair.  No matter what it is, we love the sin, but we hate what it does to us.  Sin is deadly.  

Sin will kill us, as we continue to hold on to it.  Just look at the demise of Gollum.  He died clinging to his precious ring.  But there is a truth you should know.  Sin does not have to kill you like it did Gollum.  Jesus died to save you from the trap of sin.  He has redeemed you.  All you have to do is give your sin over to him and live in his sovereignty.  

"Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires.  Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin.  Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have a new life.  So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.  Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law.  Instead, you live under the freedom of God's grace." (Romans 6:12-14 NLT)

What is the Stuff You're Made Of?

The First Avenger

The Captain America story is one of my favorites.  Here is a synopsis in case you haven't seen it.  A scientist develops a formula that enhances all the qualities a person already has inside.  The formula will turn a good man into a great man, but it also turns a bad man into an evil man.  This scientist was forced to give the formula to a man already known as evil and somewhat mad.  The result was a villain known as the Red Skull.




The Red Skull terrorized the people of Europe in the dark days.  The scientist needed to find just the right man to defeat him.  The man who has intensive loyalty, goodness and bravery.

He found that man in 90 pound Steve Rogers.  Steve possessed a tremendous desire to protect others from bullies.  He could not stand the idea of others like him getting kicked around.  He would die to save others without hesitation.  The scientist administered the formula.  Steve transformed into a great superhero known as Captain America.

Captain America continues Steve's great traits of loyalty, bravery and goodness.  He uses his enhanced traits to save many men from the evil ones.  I find myself wondering if I was given the formula, what would be enhanced?  Would the formula enhance my good traits or my hidden bad traits?  Would I be good for the world or would I harm the world?

I have to admit to myself, my enhanced traits would not be pretty if I did not have the Spirit of God dwelling in me.  My sin nature is proud, selfish, willful and rebellious.  I am unable to love others in this sinful state.  God has transformed me into a person that can love (with his help).  I can be a person who gives humbly, but only with his help.  Bottom line, I can only be good in Christ.  No formula will do it, since my natural state is not good.

"Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." (John 13:35 NLT)
"This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.  There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends." (John 15:12-13 NLT)