We Are All Caught in the Act

From morguefile.com

The guardians of religion said to Jesus, “Teacher, this person was caught in the act of homosexuality.  In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such people. Now what do you say?”  

What? That’s not what the Bible says?

Oh I see. I copied those verses wrong. I apologize.

“Teacher, this person was caught in the act of lying”.

What? Still incorrect? I’ll try again.

“Teacher, this person was caught in the act of not keeping the Sabbath.”

*Sigh* Well, you go ahead then. Insert your own sin.

What is it for you? Stealing? Adultery? Murder? Coveting? Misusing the name of the Lord? Dishonoring your parents? Boiling a goat in its mother’s milk?

….But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.

That’s not plural. It’s singular.

He didn’t point his first finger at her.

He didn’t flash his middle finger at them.

He didn’t give a thumbs up to anyone.

Whichever finger it was, He wrote with it.

When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at them.”  Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

He didn’t stand and stare them down. 

He didn’t pose with his nose in the air.  

He wasn’t commenting on a social media thread.

He stooped, below the level of their self-righteousness.

It was not what they expected, but it was effective.

 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the person still standing there.  Jesus straightened up and asked, “Where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

 “No one, sir.”

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Jesus doesn’t condemn the adulterer.

Or the homosexual.

Or the liar, the cheat, the thief, or the disobedient.

And He doesn’t condemn the condemners.

God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:17…which is the verse after John 3:16...)

The only One who could condemn them -- who could condemn US -- doesn’t.

Why do we?

And what can we do instead?

Love because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19)

New Names, Making Movies, and Apples

Picked For You via freeimages.com

Your friend says to you, “I talked to God last night. He gave me a new name and I want you to call me that from now on.”

What would your reaction be? A blank stare? Nervous laughter? Check for a fever? Call their next of kin?

I can only imagine those were some of the reactions Abram’s and Sarai’s friends had when they told them God had given them new names (Genesis 17).  Abram “Exalted Father” became Abraham “Father of a Multitude” (in spite of the fact that he had one son. ONE). Sarai “Argumentative” became Sarah “Princess” (I like that. You can feel free to call me Princess any time).

I mean really, picture the conversation: “I’m sorry, we don’t answer to those names anymore. From now on we are Abraham and Sarah. Why? Because that’s what God calls us.”

In spite of the inevitable flak they knew they would receive (and surely did), Abraham and Sarah embraced these new names and the promises they contained. They called themselves, and each other, by these names. They spoke them. They walked them. They lived them. They owned them. And they were right. Within a year, Sarah gave birth to Isaac, the child of the promise.

God has given me several names over the years. Debbie of course, Wife, Mother, Dancer, Drummer…those were easy for me to own. A few others, Writer being one, have been more awkward to claim, but thanks to some amazing friends I’ve come to believe it. The latest new name, Filmmaker, is difficult for me to say with any measure of confidence.  

I mean, its’ easy to say I want to be a filmmaker. It’s difficult to say that I am one.

But, encouragement from friends and words like these help me believe:

An apple tree will produce apples because of what it is. When it is young, it will have no apples; but it still must say, “I am an apple tree.” Is it lying at those times? No. It would be lying to say anything different. (Steve and Wendy Backlund, Igniting Faith in 40 Days)

I know I am meant to make movies. I’m meant to write at least one. I’m meant to work on them, in whatever capacity that may be.

I am a filmmaker.

There. I said it. 

(Hmmmm. Better, but still a little shaky)

I am a filmmaker, even when I don’t feel like it, even when neither the world nor I can see evidence of it. It would be lying to say anything different, just as it would be lying for Abraham and Sarah.

So if your friend Debbie quietly tells you she is a filmmaker, don’t chuckle nervously or dial 911. Just hand her an apple. Then tell her your new name, and grab an apple for yourself.

Debbie All New, Not All New Debbie

Spring Crocus 1 by jtuhtan from freeimages.com

In my newsfeed today something was said about God making all things new. That reminded me of the phrase I’ve heard and shared before, “He is making all things new, not making all new things.” I’ve heard that from a few sources but always in reference to Revelation and the new heaven and new earth, to creation.

I got a new take on that today.  It also applies to us, to human beings, as His beloved creation. He makes US new.  

Just as He isn’t going to destroy the earth and start over, He isn’t going to destroy His people and start over.

He almost did once. In Numbers 14 God is so fed up with Israel’s whining and lack of faith, after all He has done for them and saved them from, that He tells Moses He will wipe them all out and start a brand new nation through Moses. Thankfully, Moses talks God out of it (did you know we can change God’s mind? How cool is that?).

That’s the only time I can recall Him saying He is going to do that. Everything else I can recall has to do with renewing, redeeming, restoring. There is always a remnant of some sort -- some section of the nation of Israel, some section of creation, some section of US -- that He reserves.

He doesn’t ever say, “Okay, that’s it. I am SO DONE with Debbie. She has gone too far and is too far gone for Me to help. She has sinned too much and too often. This time I. HAVE. HAD. ENOUGH. I give up. I’m throwing her away, destroying her, and starting over with a brand new Debbie.”  

Thank You, God!

What He does say is that He will never leave us, never forsake us (Joshua 1:5, Hebrews 13:5, Deut 31:6). He will be with us always, even to the end of the age (Matt 28:20).  David asks where he can flee from God’s presence and the answer is that he can’t (Psalm 139). His very name, Emmanuel, means WITH. God WITH us (Matt 1:23).

God said all of those things, made all of those promises, thousands of years ago and guess what? He’s still here with us.

Being as I screw up a lot and sin even more than a lot, I’m beyond grateful. 

The Prodigal Brothers: Judas and Peter

Judas and Peter were with Jesus from the beginning of His ministry. Both witnessed the same miracles and learned the same teaching. Both helped feed the five-thousand, watched Jesus calm the storm, and marveled at His countless healings.

Both betrayed Him, AFTER Jesus Himself told them they would.

Yet one is searing in hell and the other is seated in heaven.

How could that have happened?

Everyone believed that when Messiah came He would free Israel from the shackles of Roman rule. But three years later, when Jesus had yet to talk about even forming an army, many gave up on Him. Judas wasn’t one of them. 

Perhaps Judas thought that by handing Jesus over to His enemies it would force Jesus to go ahead and declare war on Rome. We don’t know, but one thing is certain—it didn’t go the way Judas thought it would. When he realized it he was overcome with sorrow.

Peter, on the other hand, declared his fierce loyalty to Jesus no matter what the status of His Kingdom, even to the point of death. But just a few hours after this bold statement, Peter denied even knowing Him at all.  When Peter realized what he had done, he too was overcome with sorrow.

Judas’ and Peter’s stories share similarities with the parable of The Prodigal Son (Luke 15). 

The older brother was angry with their father for not behaving in the way he thought he should. Jesus didn’t behave the way Judas thought He should.

The older brother betrayed his father as much as the younger did.  Didn’t the older brother know his father’s heart at all?  Surely both brothers knew their father loved them deeply and was a compassionate man.  Surely both had seen their father’s good, even extravagant, treatment of his servants.  Yet one believed in his father’s love and generosity while the other wouldn’t.

While Judas was sorrowful, we don’t know that he was repentant, although Jesus did forgive him. Perhaps Judas didn’t trust Jesus’ heart in the same way the older brother didn’t trust his father’s heart. 

Peter, like the younger son, repented and gave Jesus a chance to forgive him.  Perhaps Peter felt, as the younger son did, that even if Jesus didn’t reinstate him as an Apostle, at least he could still be a follower.

Is repentance what made all the difference between where Judas and Peter are today?  I don’t know.  What I do know is that even our worst betrayal doesn’t have to be the end of our story. There is forgiveness.

God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:17)

Lessons from the Red-Winged Blackbird

God and I have a special thing with red-winged blackbirds.  I love their bold markings and coloring, and I feel the slightest bit like a real bird watcher when I can point them out to my sons and other captive audience-type people.  I even downloaded an app so I could learn to recognize their calls, as well as the calls of other local birds.

God seems especially fond of speaking to me through them at Oil Belt Christian Camp’s Ladies’ Day weekends, where I am on the planning team.   One year, as I was driving to the camp to help with the prep, I was freaking out.  I was teaching a workshop and performing a skit and helping with decorations.  I’d spread myself a little thin.  As I turned down one of the country roads to reach the camp, there was a field of corn stubble on my left.  Perched on top of one of the corn stalks was a red-winged blackbird.  I drove very slowly down the road, and I watched as he flew a little way, landed on another stalk, waited for me to catch up, flew a bit more, landed on a stalk, waited for me again, all the way to the end of the field.  I felt like God was telling me He was there with me, that I should give my anxiety to Him and it would all work out fine (which it did).

A couple of years later I was heading up to camp, only this time I was feeling good about the skit and purposed to worship during the entire drive.  I saw one blackbird, then another, then two more.  I laughed and told God that now He was just showing off.  I spotted two more for a total of six red-winged blackbirds.  I was feeling loved on by God, and Ladies’ Day went very well that year. 

On the way home from that weekend I noticed a break in the clouds in the shape of a heart.  I remembered something John Eldredge had said about God loving on him by giving him hearts of all kinds—rocks, clouds, even animal poop.  I wanted to see the heart shape for as long as I could, so I would glance up and then quickly back to the mostly-deserted highway.  As the clouds were changing and the break disappearing, I looked back at the road in time to see a red-winged blackbird swoop down in front of my car!  OH NO!  I was just sure I hit him.  I felt TERRIBLE!  I had destroyed my special gift from God!  However, when I got home my car didn’t show any evidence that I had actually hit him.  I do hope God spared the bird from my distractedness.  

This year at Ladies’ Day my friend and fellow planner Mary rode to camp with me, and so instead of watching for blackbirds on the drive up, I gabbed with her.  I didn’t see any birds the whole work day or that evening.  The next day, I was the last gal on the planning team to leave the dorm.  As I approached the outside door I silently lamented that I hadn’t seen any red-winged blackbirds this time.  I had taken about three steps out of the door when it happened.  I didn’t see a red-winged blackbird, but I heard its call.  I smiled, praised God, and knew that the day was going to be wonderful.  God was at Ladies’ Day, working behind the scenes.

God has used these beautiful birds, and the simplicity of our encounters, to teach me some valuable truths.  The first year, He used the blackbird to show that He is always with me as well as ahead of me.  He is leading me, inviting me, and if I fall too far behind He will wait on me so we can continue together.

The next year He showed me that He is an extravagant God who loves to lavish gifts on His beloveds.  He also reminded me that, as Jesus healed each person in a different way, He speaks to each of His beloveds in a different way, intimately, to the farthest reaches of our hearts.  The way He speaks to John Eldredge is not the way He speaks to me, and it won’t be the way He speaks to you. 

This year He showed me that even though I may not see Him, I can and do hear Him.  This is opening all new doors for me, and is a process I am enjoying pursuing.  

I love that as our relationship continues to grow, I continue to experience Him in new ways. I can hardly wait until next year's Ladies' Day to discover all He has for me through the red-winged blackbird.  

It's ALL About Love

Fill in the blank of this famous song:

They will know we are Christians by our ____________.

A) WWJD Bracelets    B) Picket Signs    C) Politics    D) Love

I REALLY hope you know the correct answer is D) Love.  Unfortunately, many Christians show everything BUT love.

Why is this?  What happened to love, to OUR love?  How was it replaced with malice, envy, selfishness, pride, and self-righteousness?  Aren’t we, above all things, supposed to show God’s love to the world?  So why don’t we?   

Here’s what I’ve discovered:

Jesus replied, “‘LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘LOVE your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt 22:37-39)*   LOVE God.  Not obey, not serve, not worship, although those are important, but first and foremost we must LOVE God.

“A new command I give you: LOVE one another.  As I have loved you, so YOU MUST LOVE one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you LOVE ONE ANOTHER.” (John 13:34-35)  Jesus loves us and He loves them, therefore we must love.  Not scold, not judge, not disrespect, not shun, not diminish, not vilify.  Not even serve or tolerate or encourage, although those are important.  Love others.  Just do it.  Period.  It’s not a suggestion, not an option.  It’s a command.  

Paul goes so far as to say: “Do everything in love.^” (1 Cor 16:14)  Not some things, not convenient things, not important things, but EVERY thing.

We are designed to love, to give love and receive love, to love God, to love our fellow man.  We are motivated by love, changed by love, healed by love.  Yet we often don't live it.  

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that if we don’t love, if we are not consciously making an effort to speak in love, to think in love, to listen in love, to obey in love, to BE love--first, foremost and above all--then don’t even bother.  We will do more harm than good.  If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but DO NOT HAVE LOVE, I am ONLY A RESOUNDING GONG or a CLANGING CYMBAL.   If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but DO NOT HAVE LOVE I AM NOTHING.  If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but DO NOT HAVE LOVE, I GAIN NOTHING.” (1 Cor 13:1-3)  Without love, we are nothing.  Not even very little.  We are nothing without love.

What does love look like?  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.  (Matthew 25:35,36)  Love looks like kindness, caring, nurturing, providing.  It looks like and is sacrifice.  Food costs money.  Nurturing and caring cost vulnerability and compassion.  Providing costs convenience and comfort.  Love costs time and often pain. Is this what our lives, our DAILY lives, look like? 

Whom are we to love?  I tell you, LOVE YOUR ENEMIES and pray for those who persecute you. (Matt 5:44)  It’s easy to love those who love us.  We must love beyond the easy and expected to the difficult and unexpected.  We must love the unlovable.  Period.

Here’s the kicker:  Love is impossible.  It’s impossible because we cannot love enemies and persecutors on our own.  Oh, sure, we can mostly love our spouse and kids pretty well, maybe our families and our friends, but real love, perfect love, true love, is beyond our human capabilities.  Only God can fill our hearts with his love, and He longs to.  I WILL GIVE you a NEW HEART and put a new spirit in you; I WILL REMOVE from you your heart of stone and give you A HEART OF FLESH. (Ezekiel 36:26) 

How do we know if we are living God’s love?  Here’s the Gold Standard Checklist.  Insert your name in the blank:  __________ is patient.  __________ is kind.  _________ does not envy.  __________ does not boast.  __________ is not proud.  __________ does not dishonor others.  __________ is not self-seeking.  __________ is not easily angered.  __________ keeps no record of wrongs.  __________ does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.  __________ always protects.  __________ always trusts.  __________ always hopes.  __________ always perseveres.  __________ never fails.  (1 Corinthians 13:4-8) 

Ah.  I hear a few Ouches.  I felt some, too.  We all have areas needing improvement.  God can improve us, heal us, help us to love as He loves.  We must let Him. 

My friends, this is a call to arms—to open arms.  To tender hearts.  Now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language.   Don’t lie to each other…  Put on your new nature… you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you... Above all, CLOTHE YOURSELVES WITH LOVE, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. (Colossians 3:8-14)

Above all, love each other deeply, because LOVE COVERS OVER a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)  Love not only covers our sins, but theirs as well.  It is the most powerful force in the Universe. 

And if we love as God loves?  What then?  "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)  That sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?

So yes, they will know we are Christians by our love: Our love for the unlovable.  Our love for the sandpaper people we all are (anyone ever rub you the wrong way?).  Our love for the poor, the rich, the victim, the perpetrator, the politically-opposite, the hostile, the abused, the abuser, the friend, the enemy.  Not with our love but with HIS Love, which He will generously give if we but ASK, RECEIVE and then CHOOSE TO GIVE.

It’s a win-win all the way around.  LOVE, my friends.  LOVE.    

*All emphases mine

Come Be a Fool

In the world of literature, there is the character of the Fool.  Think of Uncle Billy from “It’s a Wonderful Life,” C3PO in “Star Wars,” Timon and Pumbaa in “The Lion King.”  These second-banana sidekicks tend to be the comic relief, the ones who cause the Heroic Central Characters to roll their eyes and shake their heads, tolerating their friend who is not “all there.”

Christians tend to look like Fools, at least to the world.  After all, we are the ones who believe in things the world believes aren’t really there, things like Heaven and Hell, angels and demons, a Spirit that lives in our hearts.  We are the ones who, like Paul, hear Jesus’ voice while the world hears only thunder.

 

We appear foolish to the world because we have faith: faith in the existence of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit; faith that God will work all things for our good (Romans 8:28);  that he has plans to help us and not to harm us, to give us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11); that he loves us so much that he sent his only begotten son, so that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). 

Faith, as Hebrews 11:1 says, is being…certain of what we do not see.

To the world, it looks foolish to believe in things we cannot see, but it looks downright crazy to believe that these things are MORE true, MORE real, than those we can see.  Yet that is exactly what God calls us to believe.  His ways are higher.  His love is real love.  His truth is THE truth.  We need to believe what He says over what we see, hear and feel.

This level of crazy, of faith, is what Jesus exemplified.  After all, when you start teaching about loving your enemies, treasure in Heaven and being born a second time, you’re going to see some eyes roll.  My friends, if the people of the world are not rolling their eyes at us, we are doing something wrong. 

How many eye rolls, and worse, do we think Noah got while he built the ark?   Can we imagine what the people of Jericho were shouting at the Israelites as they walked around the city?  How crazy did Gideon seem with his little band of 300 weaponless men going up against an army of 135,000 soldiers?  Even Jesus Himself was thought to be a lunatic by his own family.

But we have the Bible, and we know the rest of the story.  Noah, the Israelites, Gideon, and Jesus were not crazy.  They simply knew something no one else did.  Or rather, Someone no one else did.  They counted His promises to be truer than their circumstances, and God honored their faith. 

Literarily speaking, by the end of their stories, they had become the Heroic Central Character as well as the Fool. 

Perhaps one day, if we live out our crazy faith, our stories will show that we also are both the Hero and the Fool.