He said what?

I love running into one of those verses in the Bible that just sound so crazy. Those are the ones that stick to memory banks for decades because it's so out of the box, so unexpected but so mysteriously deep. Usually they're simple and short. They come with a visual you won't stop seeing.

This week Disney give me a whole new picture for one of these verses. Hopefully I'm not giving any spoiler alerts to The Lion King by telling you about Simba looking into the water for an answer the wise old monkey wanted to reveal to him. In that moment, I thought of the man who looks at his reflection and doesn't remember what it looks like. Here's the verse:

"Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like." James 1:23‭-‬24 NIV

This crazy-sounding guy wasted no time forgetting what he saw. The Bible says he immediately forgot. What an odd thing for someone to do. It seems especially odd to someone like me sitting here in American culture where everyone seems so obsessed with how they look to the point that they can't stop posting it on social media, to whatever measures of posting it the way they want to be seen. We've got people imprisoned in comparison traps over their looks because of social media.

Simba doesn't turn out that way though. Neither should any Christian. When you read the entire chapter of James 1, you see the dilemma a Christian faces. They hear the Word but knowing and doing become two different things. The doing takes a lot of initiative and practice. To truly see the reflection of yourself as one within the identity of your Holy Father, God in Heaven, takes a serious moment of openness in heart in mind and allowance of a gentle nudge from the Holy Spirit. Simba's best friend was trying to remind him of his identity, telling him all the things he heard and loved to hear before. But only a persistent monkey could catch up with him and push the lion cub to take a second look at his reflection in the water.

That circle of life would have been at a standstill if Simba walked away immediately forgetting his calling and his purpose. But the monkey stirred the waters and made him look again. The Spirit is stirring us all within to take a second look, move beyond what's comfortable and step into the reality of who and whose you are.

Let's go back to where James started in his teaching before he told us about this man with serious short term memory issues.

"Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." James 1:4‭-‬5‭

Certainly for Simba a mature life was not going to happen while frolicking in a safe environment oblivious to the destruction happening in his homeland, singing worry free jingles, eating junk food and making fart jokes with his new friends.

God calls us to much more. Are you ready to really see it? Ask and you'll receive. Be ready to find joy in the trial. Watch how God grows you through it over and over again. That's the unforgettable Christian journey that fuels my every step and gives me stuff to blog about!

Content with obscurity

Sometimes I read a verse in the Bible and find the wording so clever, especially the message version.

Today's top word in Word-obscurity.

Colossians 3:4 says to be content with obscurity, like Christ.

First I was like who's calling Jesus obscure? That's interesting. Then I was like oh wait they're asking me to be obscure and be happy about it.

Can you imagine if they changed the 80s sitcom Cheers theme song to "You wanna go where nobody knows your name?" If you're familiar with the song, you'll know that this does not sell the TV show at all because it is set in a bar where everyone is happy because everyone there knows their name.

This was my first Google answer to what obscurity means:

One meaning of obscurity is nobody knowing who you are, and another definition is something that is hard to understand because it's too complex or unclear. Obscurity is the opposite of fame, and living in obscurity means that nobody knows your name. (Vocabulary.com)

So Jesus is an enigma? Sounds about right because this is why I'm such a Bible study junkie. I love unravelling this mystery. We will never get the answers but we'll always be pointed in the right direction.

The direction Colossians 3 tells us to take involves us becoming new in Christ and by walking in this way we become almost invisible to the outside world. That's hard to swallow in a world where many of us want to be understood. However, when it comes down to it, all that matters is that you're following these directions and you could walk in the confidence that God understands and that's all you need on this narrow road. 

Only God knows and there are plenty of Christian songs about that to help you feel content about this mystery. Here's one by King and Country called "God only knows," https://youtu.be/Q5cPQg3oq-o.

I could continue down this rabbit trail but I'll end this blog right here with the verse that started it all and you can let it take you on a journey God designed for you.

"Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you’ll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ." Colossians 3:3‭-‬4 MSG https://bible.com/bible/97/col.3.3-4.MSG

Hopefully my obscurity has helped me with this blog because maybe nobody will recognize, once again, I've allowed a long gap between postings but it has come to my attention lately I need to get back on it. It doesn't matter if they know my name, I just hope whoever finds it learns His name. 

Praying all receive His revelation. There are so many pieces of this mystery called life that can make sense in God's perspective if we allow it. Plug in to the Word and a community that will support you in your desire to learn more of Him and you'll discover more of you in the process. It's an amazing trip! The Holy Spirit has the best GPS.

Smiles, laughter, love

Mom’s Eulogy

Smiles, laughter and love…but the greatest of these is love.

This could be my mother’s revised version of the famous faith, hope and love Bible verse. Every condolence card we received contained these words to describe her.

Faith. The smile on her face radiating from within. Faith shows the reality of what we hope for. The Bible says faith is believing without seeing. It is the evidence and assurance of things we cannot see. Mom’s smile was greater than any outward sign of ALS during her last six years with us. She beamed whenever she recognized someone who entered the room or crossed her path. Her hugs were so tight when we’d come home to visit. Her light was always so inspiring, especially to those who knew the physical challenges she endured. She met each day with a positive greeting.

Hope. The heartiness of her laugh. Come what may, mom was still going to have a prank to play. Life was never that serious to miss making life so much fun. No doubt you got the emails, the written notes on her board and the text messages. But as silly as it may have gotten sometimes, she instilled a hope of endurance. One time she wrote “you need a sense of humor otherwise you’ll go nuts.” We also saw mom’s hope in her heart-felt prayers, genuine thoughtfulness and constant care for us. She led us to believing all things were possible.

Love. Love was the greatest force in mom’s life. Her deep devotion to family kept us all strongly united. It is the reason some of you here have known mom for decades and you came today to remember her. Mom’s love was more infectious than any disease could ever be. Without question, the true picture of love as God wanted for us was painted before my eyes anytime I would see mom and dad together. These two were truly joined as one –they did life together daily for more than 50 years. There just is no greater love than that except God Himself who is love.

We are here today to thank God for blessing our lives with a wife, a sister, a mother, a grandmother, an aunt, a godmother, a dear friend and a sweet neighbor in Marie Cuttita. This should make us smile, triggering the memories of the times she made us all laugh. But most of all we have had a taste of Heaven by personally experiencing her love for us. That is an eternal flame we’ll find comfort in until we see her again.

Smiles, laughter and love.

So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians Chapter 13 verse 13.

Thank you for coming to God’s house today in honor of my mother.

50 Shades of Grace

Bondage is gone. I admit it was good. The temporary pleasure of letting another take control, letting my mind lose itself and doing what felt good. Now my arms are no longer pinned down. I no longer worry about possessions that were never really mine any way. Bills are paid. No man has my full attention. My thinking is free. Truth is none of us are black or white. Everyone is a shade of grey. We fight the battle daily to go with flesh or Spirit. Do what feels good at the moment or suffer the wait to see what’ll happen? Ignore the opportunity to do something good for someone in crazed hurriedness of today’s world or stop and meditate on Word ready to receive the sweet whispered instruction on how to bring one more smile to the globe? Both sides of the equation require submission but who is the master you chose? You can only have one. The world only focuses only on the bondage in this popular book made movie. However, the real challenge is there inside the original text; the movie is just a sexy commercial. In the pages of 50 Shades of Grey, Anna’s mind is exposed much more than her body. So many of us have been there. We let the overwhelming temporary high take us to places we may regret later. We think we are making the choices but really we are being driven by attractive things outside ourselves. And we may even have scars to show it. I admit it was more than annoying to read the main character’s self-pity, her self-doubt, her questions demanding approval from a stranger and her lack of confidence. However, if I were to be honest, I’d see it was so annoying because I hated that part of myself anytime it tried to manifest in my mind. I’m so grateful to God for the day He showed me the road I was walking with him had a crossroad. I could go fully down that off-beat path and lose myself to a seductive world of what pleased me. It would have taken me to lots of places I may have enjoyed but it would have been lots of places. Roaming from one to another would have been the only way I could keep the high of that lifestyle fresh. Or I could do what I did, return back to the split where God was left while I thought I was having the “time of my life.” I’ll never forget asking him what he was doing there and He showed me how He was piecing together the parts of my broken heart. Without any focus on those pieces I was able to run free, untethered from my one true love, Jesus. Sure, His road forward is narrow and challenging. It calls me to do things I never thought I could do. It asks me to stand out against the grain of everything that brushes against it. But the line must be drawn. A bright light lies ahead and I’m better for staying within His boundaries that I have to believe lead to an unknown glorious future. “If my goal was popularity, I wouldn’t bother being Christ’s slave. Know this—I am most emphatic here, friends—this great Message I delivered to you is not mere human optimism. I didn’t receive it through the traditions, and I wasn’t taught it in some school. I got it straight from God, received the Message directly from Jesus Christ.” Galatians 1:12 MSG Jesus isn’t shy about the contract He wants me to sign. He even said it would be a bondage. He said I’d be yoked to him. My hands would be surrendered in worship and I wouldn’t be able to touch him. I’d have to believe He was there, in control, had my best interest and allow myself to be bound to His Heavenly union of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I marvel at being wrapped up in that triune knot of wonder. This is my place and I kneel at it gracefully. I await what Jesus has for me. After all, He bore the stripping, the whips, the flogging, the pressing crown of thorns, the judgment of sin, the name calling, the false accusations, the piercing nails and suffocating breath. I have to believe whatever pain I think I’m going through is actually already overcome. I’m no longer a slave to sin. I am a Child of God, exposed and vulnerable only to His Spirit. His Grace and Mercy have set me apart and within the only unity I was called and designed for.

Shame be gone

I never had someone read the Bible to me and my instant thought was wanting  to smack them...until now. 

The YouVersion Bible app's reader makes "aha, aha" in Psalm 70 sound as annoying as it is in real life. Everyone knows who the people are that say that. They are the pompous commentators who have nothing better to do than watch the actions of others but never take as much time in the mirror. 

They make the bully on the Simpsons who repeats "ha ha" seem bearable. 

(In case you haven't heard him, here's a link. 

http://youtu.be/lAUNlO6-rlk)

The Message version calls them "gossips off clucking their tongues." The New Living Translation said "aha! we got him now." Rob Lacey called them "the cocky ones who push me to the edge" in Word on the Street.

Notice the Psalm 70 prayer; no matter what version, the Psalmist is begging God to quickly come and rescue them.

These are clearly not people we want to be around for a long time. Even the Psalmist only gives them five verses of attention. For me personally, a second is long enough.

But what if we have to be in an environment with these cackling fools? What if they're in our daily life in someway? What if we actually begin to sound like them? What if we are them? 

God help us hold our toungues! Somehow we have to learn how to respond to them and not react to their overbearing ways with a smack down. Nor should we even entertain their obnoxiousness.

Clearly, the only way is to handle this is to turn it over to God. It's what the Psalmist did. He knew he was not the one to be shamed by his false accusers. What they were doing was very shameful. Don't play the shame game. 

Let God take the revenge. As you probably know, if you ever tried to speak back, the cackling only gets louder and longer. If you ever tried to defend a person or yourself in the situation, then you may have witnessed the finger-pointing increase. They have no interest in hearing you but God always does

Lord, I pray help me be a light to the world where annoying people are inevitable. Let your voice be louder than their cackle. Let truth replace the gossip. Let people be set free from the bonds of shame. The Word declares the cross will not go in vain, the humble will be exalted and the hecklers of both will face their judgment. In your name, Amen

Shedding worry weight

A wise man said what we care for, we carry and that is the weight of worry. Worry, in his definition, is a false sense of responsibility.

I was stuck in that awful position again where my teenage son did not return home after school.

However I went on to my appointment with Hope. On my way back, the sunlight and rainbow provided me the reminder that God's promise remains true.

But when I got home all I had was the pictures of His beauty to hold onto. I didn't have a son to hug.

With hope, I begin to prepare my son's favorite meal. I believed he would be home when it was set on the table.

At the precise moment my son's radiant smile should have come through the door, my phone rang. It was from an unlikely caller who gave me reassurance in a way the caller never did before.

Confident in renewed hope, I went on a quick errand. I also knew there was a possibility I could sneak up on the location where my son could be. But God didn't let me do it my way.

As God would have it, with no effort of my own, my son was automatically placed in my path. He thought he would get a ride home but I had to continue the discipline. Although my joy could have made me succumb to his rebellion, I told him to continue his walk home.

Guilt wanted to feed worry. Thoughts wanted to overcome me with the idea of if I was a good parent by the quick decision I made. But God helped me focus on the positive news that my son was not in any danger as worry could have me believe. My sweet boy was healthy and alive.

I didn't want to look at the clock while I was home again. Instead the still small voice reminded me the wise man quoted above, my pastor, preached on worrying and I hadn't had the chance to listen to it. The sermon was as long as my son's walk home.

Right on time, my son walked in the door as if nothing was wrong. I dropped to the floor and thanked Jesus. I kept my eyes on God. The sermon was wrapping up on my iPhone. Pastor Steve asked us to place our hands on our hearts and say this prayer:

Father, you are a great father and you care for me. If you care for the birds who you didn't die for, then you care for me, whom you did die for.

Help me today to not be shut down by my thoughts but to let me realize that my faith is for greater things then what I realize. I know you are in my tomorrow.

It's automatic. It's appointed.

So Father, when I fall behind and try to worry; Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit enable me to keep up with peace that passes all understanding.

Let the Lord speak to your heart today. Give it to him. It needs a response that's beyond your ability so why do you carry it?

Daily, I carry more and more, especially in parenting. Daily I am passionately seeking protection, provision and productivity for my family. These things can only come from God worry free and stress less. 

That's it! I'm going on a diet and I'm shedding my worry weight. I'm leaving all that disgusting blob of fat on the altar (much like the slaughtered animals they put on the altar in the Old Testament days. Gross!)

Cast it. It is His.

Everything that concerns us, you will perfect, my Father. I know it.

You didn't bring us this far to leave us hanging now. As a church, as a family, as individuals and as a corporate body May your heart be seen, may your heart be known. May we see the glory of you in the morning and know it's there, in Jesus name. 

Like what was preached from Exodus, the fog was lifted and I saw the provision of the daily bread God promised. He is with me and he will provide. 

I feel lighter already!

(Editor's note: The sermon was by Destiny Worship Ctr., Destin, FL and can be found online at http://www.destinyworshipcenter.com/summer-on-mount-sermon-series/)

Let's talk about sex

We know casual sex feels good at the moment and everyone is doing it but it's not working somehow. It complicates our life and one temporal moment lasts a lifetime. Why?

"There’s more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. As written in Scripture, “The two become one.” Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever—the kind of sex that can never “become one.” There is a sense in which sexual sins are different from all others. In sexual sin we violate the sacredness of our own bodies, these bodies that were made for God-given and God-modeled love, for “becoming one” with another. Or didn’t you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body." (1 Corinthians 6:16-20 MSG)

I can't claim credit for the important reminder of what sex is. Andy Stanley said it best how our world has twisted what sex is. (Twisted Lesson Number 4 http://northpoint.org/messages/twisted/category-of-one/)

Now how to teach the teen who sees the fun everyone is having and wants to engage in the activity that's so inviting by a world who is shoving it in his face...

If he only knew how the one RSVP yes has implications that will last a life time. I know because I can honestly look back at my own life. 

Let's be real with this generation! We know it's not just physical. Let's be real with ourselves! Read between the lines of what you see and hear and teach the next generation to do the same.