Merry Christmas from the Fusion!

British soldiers were spending Christmas Eve 1914 on a French battlefield during World War I. After four months of fighting, over a million men had perished in the bloody conflict. The bodies of dead soldiers were scattered between the trenches of the opposing armies.

It was in the middle of a freezing battlefield in France, that a miracle occurred! British troops watched in amazement as candle-lit trees appeared above the German trenches.

“From the German parapet, a rich baritone voice had begun to sing a song I remember my German nurse singing to me ... the grave and tender voice rose out of the frozen mist. It was all so strange ... like being in another world,” a young British soldier wrote in his diary.

“Silent Night, Holy Night. All is calm. All is bright.”

When the German soldiers finished singing, the British decided to retaliate. Rather than retaliate with the roar of a cannon, the army chaps from England sang,

“The first noel, the angels did say, was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay ...”

When the boys from jolly old England finished, “Born is the King of Israel!”, the enemy began clapping and struck up a rousing rendition of “Oh Tannebaum!”

When the British troops began singing, “Oh Come All Ye Faithful!”, it was at that moment that the Germans immediately joined in. They were singing with the enemy.

This was a most extraordinary event taking place in the middle of a blood-drenched battlefield! Two opposing nations were singing the same Christmas Carol in the middle of a fierce war. It is recorded that enemy soldiers greeted each other in the no man’s land that just minutes before had been a killing zone. Soldiers wished one another a Merry Christmas and agreed not to fire their rifles on Christmas Day.

Thousands of soldiers celebrated the birth of the Prince of Peace among the bodies of their dead.

A solitary voice began to sing “Silent Night” in French ... he was joined by another voice singing in German ... and finally the words were in English.

Who do you need to make peace with this season? Have you been engaged in a fierce battle that has extracted the very life from your soul? Christmas is a moment in history when peace is abundantly possible because of the Baby who came to bring peace for all of the ages.

Excerpt taken from YouVersion.com's Christmas Bible reading plan Joy! To Your World

Need a Bible? Go to YouVersion.com and take your pick for FREE!

JOY: a lifestyle

It's Christmas time--the time when we celebrate Jesus' birth. There's an overall confusion about Jesus these days. Some think He was a Jew with a Mexican name. Some think He was a lot like Mr. Rogers (I ask you, who would crucify Mr.Rogers?!). Some think He gave us a bunch of ridiculous rules and unreasonable standards to load us full of guilt and shame.

The truth is, Jesus invaded our world to bring joy! Not a momentary feeling but a whole lifestyle of joy. And how was He going to do that? By bringing us the news of grace, the best news ever which is simply: quit trying! You don't have to DO anything but simply believe! 

Here's some quick theology to explain why: Jesus' death on the cross ended the old covenant and began a new one. The old covenant teaches all the things that you have to DO to be acceptable to God, like the 10 commandments. The NEW covenant teaches that Jesus already did it all! The old covenant requires us to examine our lives over and over to see where we've failed, but the new covenant turns our eyes away from ourselves and we instead focus on Jesus!  (Theology lesson over...throw yourself a party: you survived!)

Because of Jesus' sacrifice, we are no longer demanded to perform since it's not about what we can do or what we should do--it's about what Jesus has already done. It's not about trying harder--it's about simply believing that Jesus is who He said He is: the perfect sacrifice once and for all who fulfilled every requirement of the law on our behalf.  If we have to act a certain way for God to accept us, that would mean that Jesus' death on the cross wasn't enough, which isn't true. So we get to QUIT TRYING! We simply believe to become a Jesus-follower, and we simply believe to live the life of a Jesus-follower. We don't have to DO--just believe!  Your own efforts to live a "good" life just plain SUCK compared to depending on Jesus and Jesus alone for victory! This is the crazy-good news (gospel) that Jesus came to Earth to GIVE to us. The gospel of grace is what the apostle Paul calls the ONLY gospel! And truly understanding God's grace leads to relief & thankfulness which leads to a LIFESTYLE OF JOY!

So quit trying, let go of all the guilt and condemnation, stop working and wondering if you measure up! Jesus did it ALL for you! All you need to do is BELIEVE! 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Here's some scripture to start you off...there's way more...do your own research Galatians is a great place to start :)

Romans 11:6

But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.

Galatians 2:21 

I don't turn my back on God's gift of undeserved grace. If we can be acceptable to God by obeying the Law, it was useless for Christ to die.

Hebrews 10:11-12 

The priests do their work each day, and they keep on offering sacrifices that can never take away sins.  But Christ offered himself as a sacrifice that is good forever. Now he is sitting at God's right side,

Colossians 2:14 

God wiped out the charges that were against us for disobeying the Law of Moses. He took them away and nailed them to the cross.

Galatians 3:1-5

You stupid Galatians! I told you exactly how Jesus Christ was nailed to a cross. Has someone now put an evil spell on you? I want to know only one thing. How were you given God's Spirit? Was it by obeying the Law of Moses or by hearing about Christ and having faith in him? How can you be so stupid? Do you think that by yourself you can complete what God's Spirit started in you? Have you gone through all of this for nothing? Is it all really for nothing? God gives you his Spirit and works miracles in you. But does he do this because you obey the Law of Moses or because you have heard about Christ and have faith in him?

Galatians 1:6-9 

I am shocked that you have so quickly turned from God, who chose you with his gift of undeserved grace. You have believed another message, when there is really only one true message. But some people are causing you trouble and want to make you turn away from the good news about Christ. I pray that God will punish anyone who preaches anything different from our message to you! It doesn't matter if that person is one of us or an angel from heaven. I have said it before, and I will say it again. I hope God will punish anyone who preaches anything different from what you have already believed.

When You've Messed Up So Bad

Have you ever thought you've messed up so bad that you're not sure how you'll ever fix it? You watched your future go down the drain and your hope shrivels up and you experience a pain in your chest that is SO BIG that it just feels...numb. 

You're not sure how you got there, but it's not good. You know you've gotta get out of there, but how?

So you begin to try, but every attempt just puts you back down in that black hole. Faith becomes as elusive as luck, hope is reduced to wishing. The worst keeps happening over and over, the bottom dropping out again and again...so you begin to expect it. It's safe to expect the worst. then you're not disappointed.

But expecting the worst doesn't safeguard us from disappointment--it's the vehicle of disappointment! When we're cynical, everywhere we go we'll just see more to be skeptical about. Cynicism breeds cynicism! And here's the worst thing: it closes our eyes to all the good that's already around us! It deafens our hearts to the encouragement God is speaking to us on a daily basis. When we're not thankful until the BIG THING happens, then we're missing the WHOLE THING because it's the little details, the small everyday kind of miracles that make our lives so rich, not some destination, some moment when we've magically arrived! 

Live life to the fullest! Sometimes life is pain, but pain isn't always bad. Sometimes it's the pain of change as God is bringing something new to your life, rather than the pain of injury. Experience it all! Don't reason away the good God wants to give you--don't doubt it away--but believe for the impossible! Dream! Risk! Hope! Try it again! Look for the best from God and you'll be sure to find it! The Creator of the Universe promised you some good things in your lifetime--you can trust God when He makes a promise!

Joshua 23:14 AMP

...Know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one thing of them has failed. 

I HATE religion!

This Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for my FREEDOM! Thanks to everyone who's served in our armed forces, we can all be thankful for that! Americans love freedom! Freedom of the press, freedom to bear arms, freedom from religion...

It's actually freedom OF religion, but I'll go along with it. I hate religion, too!

People are amazed when I, a pastor, say that, but it's true! Religion sucks!

Religion doesn't care about people: it cares about rules. Religion doesn't care about your circumstances and your tough breaks: it cares that you broke the rules. Religion says "No" and then makes you feel like a jerk for asking. Religion finds out about your flaws and broadcasts them in front of the world. Religion is sure your innocent mistake is some deeper flaw that's infected your humanity and made you UNACCEPTABLE as a person, as a whole. And then Religion makes sure you forever know you messed up, you are a mess up, and maybe you're "forgiven"...but, really, Religion never forgets.

It's terrible that Jesus is mistaken to be Religion! Jesus doesn't operate in guilt and condemnation! He doesn't hold things over our heads! He's not into physically or mentally tormenting people or ruining our day for the fun of it! He's not al-Qaeda--just another example of American freedom: freedom of speech! 

In fact, when we mess up, all we have to do is tell God we're sorry. Period. We don't have to feel guilty to pay for our mess-ups--Jesus already paid the whole debt. With His blood. His blood is a big deal!

This is so cool: do you know why Jesus' blood is symbolized by wine? Because wine (not grape juice, water, or pop if you had a youth pastor like me) symbolizes intoxication in the Holy Spirit! In 355 AD, there was a huge church council that decided it would be bad to use anything BUT wine in communion because of the parallels between wine and Jesus' blood:

• drinking natural wine makes us feel happy=Jesus' divine mercy makes people feel amazingly free & happy
• drinking natural wine lifts our sadness=our past is lifted, forgiven, and we become brand-new when we say YES to Jesus

So Jesus' blood  gives us life, removes our sin, makes us complete, helps us overcome obstacles, makes our connection with God closer than our breath, gives us eternal life, cleans out our guilt, allows one-on-one with The God Of The Universe, redeems us, brings those who were far away from God near to Him, and it brings us peace and reconciliation to God! 

Jesus turned water into wine and the church has been trying to change it back, eversense! Just sayin'

I know Jesus has this image as a pale, frail, plastic-y kind of do-gooder who's hard to relate to. But that's just the 2000 year old urban legend-garbage that's only a shadow of the truth that was painted by men who never saw Him (remember: there were no photographers back then...now we know). The real Jesus can relate to us! Jesus knows how it feels to see the bigger picture when nobody around Him had a clue. Jesus had to work in the family business for a time even though He had different dreams. Jesus' friends never really got Him. Jesus knows how it feels to be a laughingstock and beat down by His enemies. Jesus knows how it feels to be publically declared a criminal. Jesus knows how it feels to be innocent yet charged with all kinds of wrongs. He rode a donkey at the height of His fame. His friends deserted Him when He needed them most. He often disappeared to go pray--maybe because the disciples were driving Him crazy... Jesus can relate to the insanity of living on this earth! You are not alone! Jesus gets you! More than you know...

Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people — free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free!He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need,letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ --Ephesians 1:7-10

Giving Up

A few summers ago, we rented a cabin in Southern Minnesota for a family vacation.  We're Minnesotans and that's what Minnesotans do: vacation in Minnesota! Do we do that because we love lakes and trees that much...or because of the time and expense it takes to get to a real vacation spot since we're so far away from anywhere remotely tropical or glamorous? Who knows. Let's just keep it at "we're Minnesotans". 

Anyway, as we drove we were surrounded by (you guessed it) lush groves of trees and sparkling lakes and ponds.  Beautiful scenery! However, as we got closer to what GPS was leading us to, the landscape turned into dead, abandoned farmland complete with decrepit houses and an eerie absence of life: no people driving cars, no animals scurrying away and no trees or plants! This void of everything was screaming DEAD! GO BACK! SAVE YOURSELVES!

We had never been there before, but it didn't look right! We checked and rechecked GPS thinking we'd made a mistake, but our dot of a minivan was still obediently following the happy little blue trail. The Google Maps Lady wasn't yelling at us, either (she can be SO BOSSY!). We were right on track...to the Bates Motel, apparently. We're talking desolation and despair!

Just about the time the pack of timberwolves would have been cued to break into our minivan and systematically hunt us down in the frozen tundra had this been a movie (sorry, couldn't resist) we turned a corner and saw that we were overlooking a valley in which was nestled our long-awaited vacation spot! Just moments before we were sure Google Maps was on crack, but now we were mouth agape staring at our destination! Just moments before we were ready to give up and turn around, back to civilization, but now we saw our campground! Which was not just any campground but a resort including a golf course, hiking trails, basketball court, swimming pool, and a trout stream running right through it, and our cabin that turned out to be a spacious lodge, all surrounded by limestone which, dear friends, KEEPS MOSQUITOES AWAY!  Even at dusk! Even in the bushes! (If you happen to be in the bushes at dusk...for some reason...?) Kinda crazy, right?! One minute we think we're completely lost and the next minute we're overlooking a gorgeous resort that was even better than we'd imagined. It's incredible what the turn of a corner can bring! 

When you've never been there before, it's hard to tell if you're getting close to your destination. When you're trying to fix a relationship, you usually have to weather some fights before there's unity. When you're trying to get your finances on track, it's usually because your bank account is dying a slow, painful death. When you're chasing a promising career, your friends and family may feel neglected before you realize you need to realign your life's balance. When you've been publicly humiliated by your child's behavior, you have to be a little more consistent with discipline at home before the world, too, can see the greatness in that kid. But if you've never been there before, it's hard to tell if you're on track to EVER get there!  If you've never observed the difficulties that are required to reach a breakthrough, you may not realize just how close you really are to that breakthrough! 

Your scenery may look like desolation and despair, but maybe it's because you're about to turn a corner!

It may take some strength, more than you thought you had, but don't give up! You may feel like you just can't take it, but don't quit! You don't know what's just ahead! You don't know what God's up to behind the scenes! You don't know everything that's being orchestrated to arrive right on time even better than you'd planned! Maybe it's taken more blood, sweat and tears than you had anticipated, but the end results will have you staring mouth agape at the amazing success your story has turned into!  

"Most people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure" is a great reminder from Napoleon Hill.  Maybe everything around you looks dead and abandoned. Maybe you're thinking of heading back to civilization. Maybe your friends and family have labeled you crazy to even keep trying, but sometimes you just have to figure that if you've gone this far, what's another hour, day, month or year... This is when you benefit from your vice: stubbornness! Dig in! Expect the best! Refuse to listen to reason: refuse to know the meaning of the word "quit". Think of your future self--the one who's overcame this obstacle--what advice would your future you give the present you? Do that and live without regrets!

Do you see what this means — all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running — and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. 2 Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed — that exhilarating finish in and with God — he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. 3 When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! 

Hebrews 12:1-3 The Message

As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. 11 We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul — not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, 12 thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us. Colossians 1:10-12 The Message

By Heidi Elznic :)
The Fusion

Creepy Eyes

When I was little, my grandparents had a painting in their spare bedroom that really creeped me out. It was an old fox hunter sitting in a chair, gun and walking cane in hand, anxious hunting dogs at his feet, and his eyes...his eyes were peering out at me with an eerie glare. The caption under the painting read "Wherever you are, I'll find you." And it was painted in such a way that wherever I was in that room, the old man's eyes seemed to be staring straight into my soul, glaring disapprovingly at me, waiting for me to mess up so he could come and get me! Creepy!

Before I knew Jesus, I thought He was the same way: hunting me down, glaring disapprovingly, waiting for me to mess up so He could come and get me!

Then, while I was still dealing drugs, using women, and making a mess of my life, I was introduced to God's loving eyes, the eyes of a protective, caring Father.  Eyes that watched over me and looked on me with love even before I knew who this Jesus was exactly. Psalms 121 says, "Shall I look to the mountains for help? No! My help is from Jehovah who made the mountains! And the heavens too! He will never let me stumble, slip, or fall. For he is always watching, never sleeping. Jehovah himself is caring for you! He is your defender. He protects you day and night. He keeps you from all evil and preserves your life. He keeps his eye upon you as you come and go and always guards you." 

We have a painting from a local artist that hangs on our wall at the Fusion entitled "Creation".  It's very colorful and abstract except for the large eye right in the middle of the canvas. We actively support creativity, so we proudly display this edgy, unconventional artwork. People's reaction to this painting is either sheer delight at such an unorthodox piece of art in a church or completely unnerved at this all-seeing-eye that's glaring disapprovingly, waiting for them to mess up so it could come and get them! 

Maybe you perceive God frowning on you...but maybe you perceive wrong. Because the God I know, the God who chose me while I was still covered in filth and dirt never condemned me for being filthy and dirty! In fact, He's always full of love! Even when I mess up. Even when I should know better. Even when I blow it.

Get to know the real God of the Bible. Not the one someone else told you about, that phantom who's "watching us...from a distance". No, get to know this real God who's as close as your breath and would gave everything to be even closer. 

God's eye is on you--because He loves you!

BAD is the new GOOD

Abandon the thought that only good situations produce good results! 

It just isn't true. God LOVES YOU so much that He turns the bad things in our lives into nail biting, dark horse, scream-and-shout VICTORIES!

For instance, if God ever put you in some crazy scenario where you'd have to do the unthinkable and, let's say, cut off your own arm, God would make it a win! God would give you the strength to do this horrible, unnatural act and His peace would fill your heart as you whacked away your very own limb. Then, God would create a curiosity and a wonder about your story and, kazaam!, you'd have a platform of influence that you'd never had before! Because of your story, people would draw up courage from deep within their own spirit and remind themselves, "Someone cut their own arm off...I, too, can get through this visit to the DMV". You would be on every news broadcast, in dozens of magazines, write bestselling books, make blockbuster movies, become a motivational speaker (who does NOT live in a van down by the river) and still enjoy your life, finding deep gratitude for the privilege of living each and every reclaimed day! You might even be on game shows, reality shows, maybe even guest star in a sitcom or two all because God turned your epitaph into the day you were resurrected for a new, improved life! God would make your life better without one arm than you could have ever imagined it to be with two!

Some of you are probably thinking "hey...I saw the movie, I heard about that guy on the news...of course it worked out". But Aron Ralston didn't know that. He hadn't watched 127 Hours. What is just an exaggerated expression of greed to us (I'd cut off my right arm for that car!) has been a crazy reality to him. And he not only survived his ghastly ordeal, but he THRIVED! He's labeled a hero and he says he even climbs better than he did before the accident as well as receiving all the benefits detailed above! The disaster that changed his life changed it for the better--he's got a clear perspective about what's important and even a well-paying career out of the deal!

If God ever presented you with a tough decision, the outcome would not kill you, it would set you free. We need to abandon the thought that only good situations produce good results! 

What sad circumstance is crippling your life? God's ready to regenerate your loss! He's kinda in the business of resurrection...He's sorta the creator of bringing the dead to life. You could say He invented resurrection. And if God was willing to do this for a man who made some "bad choices" about canyoneering alone that fateful day (his outcome makes "bad" look like the new "good"!) then none of us are exempt from a miraculous turn-around!

Sometimes the turn-around begins when we do the unthinkable...like cut our own arm off. Sometimes the answer looks crazy, but when you're stuck between a rock and a hard place, you have to try something that doesn't feel natural. You have to have faith! You have to believe that God has a turn-around that's gonna wreck your life--in the best way possible!

Through acts of faith, they toppled kingdoms, made justice work, took the promises for themselves...turned disadvantage to advantage, won battles...refused to give in and go free, preferring something better: resurrection. 

--Hebrews 11:33-35 from THE MESSAGE

Measuring Up

I have a lesbian friend. Let's call her Ellen. Ellen came out in recent years, but I knew her before she switched sides since we hung out in the same crowd. The same church crowd, I should say. Now one of our mutual church friends treats Ellen like she doesn't measure up. It would appear that Ellen's getting the cold shoulder due to her decision, but I don't think that's the case: I'm a pastor and I don't measure up to this particular "church friend".  I just think some people's special gift is the ability to find a reason that we don't measure up.

Funny thing is, I can think of a handful of religious people I'm not holy enough for.

Have you ever been around someone who made you feel like you didn't measure up? Maybe you didn't look cool enough, maybe you didn't have enough money, or maybe you also know a church friend who makes you feel like you aren't holy enough.

Funny thing is, there's a handful of religious people that Jesus wasn't holy enough for.

The Bible records an incident when Jesus was invited to dinner at a religious person's house. The town harlotte found out about Jesus' dinner plans and crashed the party, weeping at Jesus' feet and pouring perfume on Him. When the religious person who had invited Jesus saw this, he said to himself, "If this man was the prophet I thought he was, he would have known what kind of woman this is who is falling all over him." This is just one of the many times when Jesus didn't see eye-to-eye with the religious crowd of His day. It's a good read in Luke 7.

There's nothing new under the sun: religious people are still acting like they've got the inside scoop, the secret code to get to the bonus level and save the princess while the rest of us poor schmucks can't seem to get out of level 1 without getting hit by Bowser's fire balls (Super Mario Bro.s is RAD!).

Why do we look at our lives through the eyes of the most critical person we know? Why, for some of us, do we think that person is Jesus?

My friends, this isn't the truth! No! Jesus ate dinner with prostitutes and hung out with corrupt businessmen. He wasn't too good for anyone! He loved those thrown out by society and saved the verbal spankings for those who thought they were all that and a bag of chips! Jesus knows what it's like to be rejected and looked over. He knows how it feels to be abandoned and betrayed. He's experienced the pain of being misunderstood.  Jesus isn't scrutinizing you Joan Rivers-style like you're on Fashion Police (yes, I've watched Fashion Police--judge not!). He accepts you completely! He doesn't do the I'd-accept-you-if-only-you'd-quit-eating-your-boogers kind of acceptance...He accepts you UNCONDITIONALLY! (But for health reasons and self-dignity, it should probably stop.)

So there's this social rule that says leave religion and politics out of dinner conversations. I'd disagree. I'd say leave religion out of EVERY conversation! It does more harm than good!

Don't let anyone make you feel like you don't measure up. You may not "measure up" to some self-appointed "experts" (experts at what? Making others feel inferior?) but you measure up to the God of the Universe! And you didn't even have to do a thing for His approval! He loves you because you're YOU! He gave you life because He wanted you on this planet! He made you unlike anyone else, and put you right where you're at right now so you can impact your world in a very YOU way! God displays HIMSELF through you in such a unique way that's never been done before and will never be done again! You are His work of art!

God is the standard, and if He said you measure up then only a fool would disagree.  Maybe you know some fools, but don't YOU be that fool! Accept yourself, faults and all! In Jesus' eyes, you measure up!

Ps 139:14-24

14 I thank you, High God — you're breathtaking!

Body and soul, I am marvelously made!

I worship in adoration — what a creation! 

15 You know me inside and out,

you know every bone in my body;

You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,

how I was sculpted from nothing into something. 

16 Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;

all the stages of my life were spread out before you,

The days of my life all prepared

before I'd even lived one day. 

17 Your thoughts — how rare, how beautiful!

God, I'll never comprehend them! 

18 I couldn't even begin to count them — 

any more than I could count the sand of the sea.

Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you! 

19 And please, God, do away with wickedness for good!

And you murderers — out of here! —  

20 all the men and women who belittle you, God,

infatuated with cheap god-imitations. 

21 See how I hate those who hate you, God,

see how I loathe all this godless arrogance; 

22 I hate it with pure, unadulterated hatred.

Your enemies are my enemies! 

23 Investigate my life, O God,

find out everything about me;

Cross-examine and test me,

get a clear picture of what I'm about; 

24 See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong — 

then guide me on the road to eternal life. 

(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

Parenting Like A Jerk

I have a bad habit: I like to call my kids to me using my "angry voice" and watch them cautiously approach me with complete bewilderment on their faces since they're wondering "what did I do now?". As soon as I'm sure they're in complete suspense/agony, I happily tell them we're taking a drive to go get ice cream or some other spontaneous fun idea. For me, the surprise is even better because I get to watch their fear melt away as they realize I'm not mad, and even better, I'm giving them a gift!  As my kids have gotten older, they've become harder to trick since they're now up to speed with my sense of humor.

I'm a bit of a jerk...just for a minute until I reveal my true agenda ;)

Sometimes God gets the same bad rap: He's a bit of a jerk.  Sure, you get to go to Heaven...but here on Earth, you're in trouble! We can feel like God has a big paddle to smack us with as soon as we break some obscure Christian rule that only the church lady who plays the organ knows about.  Sometimes it seems that God is only happy with people who's lifestyle is a living monument to the 1900s: no fancy electronics, no stylish clothing, and no frivolous time-wasting entertainment!

As Americans, we may not recall everything in the Bible but we're crystal clear about all the DON'TS in there! Those don'ts are legendary; most of us are saddled with the vague internal fear that we're in deep do do for some don't we accidentally did. Take for instance the Garden of Eden--we probably all know how the serpent told Eve that God said DON'T eat the fruit. The serpent was familiar with the don'ts! But when we look in Genesis at what God actually said, we see that God told Adam to eat! Eat the fruit from any tree in the entire garden! But for your own safety, don't eat from this one tree. God roped off one tree in an entire garden full of fruit trees! God wasn't holding out, He was keeping Adam and Eve safe just like a parent would do: Kids, you can take a bubble bath but don't take the pills in the medicine cabinet...or Kids, you can eat anything in this pantry but don't eat the entire bag of dried apricots... Somehow we missed how God's always talking about what we CAN do with just a few warnings to keep us safe! There's a lot more that we CAN do than stuff that we CAN'T do! We feel the glare of the 10 commandments when God actually set us free from burdening rules and promised us exceedingly abundantly all that we could ask for or imagine, and loves us unconditionally! 

The serpent's the one who keeps reminding us of the fine-print. He's full of restrictions-may-apply and side-affects-may-cause-exploding-bowels kinda stuff. He's up on all the DON'TS! 

Sometimes I think we Christians sound more like the serpent: we're usually telling each other the DON'Ts!

But Jesus died a horrible,selfless, tortured death just to give us LIFE! Abundant life! Life to the fullest! A life we enjoy without the aide of Xanax! Jesus said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." John 10:10  Abundant life? That sounds like a party to me! That sounds like sleeping through the night and waking up energized for my day so I can work and play and rest and thank God for the abundant life He provided for me! Abundant life sounds like no good thing withheld from me, a life I'm proud of, a life without regrets. And that's what Jesus gave us!

There's a lot of don'ts out there, but they're not part of the abundant life God designed for us! God's not a jerk! He gave you a permission slip to forget all the religious rules that inflict guilt and shame. He's the rule-breaker! Go live the abundant life that Jesus paid such a high price for you to have! (and go get yourself some ice cream--you've been a good kid!)

My Life: The Perfect Forest Fire

What if you knew you were right in the midst of God's perfect plan? Would that shock you? "How can this be", you ask, "my (heart, bank account, ambition, or car) is broke! So how am I in the midst of God's perfect plan?!"

We think of God's perfect plan as a wonderful path lined with gumdrops, puppies and sunshine...we think of smooth sailing without a cloud in sight...we think of a freshly paved road without any bumps or potholes and ALL our friends and family are smiling and cheering us on because it's evident that THIS is God's perfect plan!

But God does perfect different than that: God's perfect plan can have numerous twists and turns...but it always ends perfect.

So how do we know that God works this way? Besides the numerous life stories recorded in the Bible that worked out this way, God also shows us His nature IN NATURE!  

Take a look at forest fires. God is the One who devised forest fires to keep forests healthy! But when we hear about a forest fire, it's a breaking news bulletin! It's a catastrophe! We need to put it out before this devastating fire robs us of a national treasure! But God uses these fires to clear out crowded forests so each and every tree gets enough water, sunlight, and space. The forest can now grow stronger and healthier than the pre-fire forest could have ever dreamed of being. Sorry, Smokey! Sometimes we can’t prevent forest fires!

Our lives can look like that forest fire. It's painful! It's harsh! Maybe it's personally devastating and will take years to fully recover from. We don't understand why God would do such a terrible thing!

Then the news crews show up: suddenly people are watching. They're observing right along with us. And this "haphazard" following is all part of God's plan: God gave us a platform in the midst of our tragedy and we have an underdog story to tell! We're the new poster child of the long shot, the dark horse, the chance in hell. And everybody watches as God helps us rebuild. But this time we rebuild with perspective and purpose. We now know the difference between the meaningful and the frivolous. We recognize substance, we no longer confuse it for hollow fillers. And we are FULLY AWAKE to the fact that we couldn't have made it one step away from that forest fire without Jesus, who lit a new fire within us. 

"Light yourself on fire and the world will come to watch you burn." God's perfect plan will not only bring us from point A to point B, but He'll also use our journey to impact everyone who came to watch. God's perfect plan will be a blessing to more than just ourselves. He'll use our journey as inspiration for a song, a story, a business idea, a book, or even compassion for our fellow man that we wouldn't have had without our trek.

In the end, the forest fire did what God designed it to do: it brought the forest/our lives past simply surviving to thriving!  Now isn't that perfect?! 

Stop Shoulding On Yourself!

Let's all say this together: "I WILL NEVER "SHOULD'' ON ANYONE AGAIN!"

A basic definition for those of you who are unfamiliar with "should-ing": Telling someone, "You SHOULD change! You SHOULD try harder! You SHOULD, you SHOULD, you SHOULD..." Well, you get the idea.

I refuse to be a preacher who "shoulds" all over people. There are already enough "shoulds" in the world. You don't need this at church, too. Grace extends to everyone...

And while you are at it: STOP SHOULDING ON YOURSELF! That is just not helpful!

When you read a verse like this:

Matthew 22: 37-41 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."

Don't say to yourself: "I should love God more and my neighbor more!" Don't should on yourself! You know you are not living up to this law. You don't even like your neighbor, let alone love him!

Instead, read the scriptures in light of His grace!

1 John 4:19 We love Him because He first loved us. (NKJV)

We will only love Him to the extent that we understand His love for us.  So instead of focusing on your lack of love, focus on His love for you! Focus on the good things He has done lately in your life...And once you grasp His love for you, you'll naturally love others as naturally as you love yourself.

Grace doesn't stop at the point of your salvation. By grace you are saved. But also by grace you live! Jesus came so all our shoulding could stop! What great grace for ourselves and everyone we know!

Excerpt taken from the book Grace On Tap by Eric Dykstra http://amzn.com/B00EYMRYDQ

Get wrecked! Go buy it today!

Grace on Tap week 1 "Born again, again"

One of the reasons I was drawn to do a series from the book Grace On Tap was how similar Eric Dykstra's story of finding Grace was to my own. (The other reason is my huge respect and admiration for Eric who is my mentor and friend!)  It was incredible how Eric put words to my experience I had this past Spring--I was "born again" again! God's grace transformed my already transformed life. I don't' know how He did it, but God made my life brand new AGAIN just by opening up my eyes to what He had already laid out so clearly in the Bible, but somehow I'd missed it.  I'd like to share that excerpt from the book. (And if you just can't get enough, there's the link at the bottom to buy the book on Amazon.) Enjoy!  --Nate

Many people believe there are two "works of grace" in a person's life. One, when they "get saved". Two, when they are "baptized" in the Spirit and they speak in tongues or get fresh revelation of who God is. I don't know if that is true or not, But is is true for me. 

I have been "born again" twice.

I asked Jesus into my life at the age of seventeen. I was in New York state at a Bible camp. I got down on my knees at a campfire and asked Jesus Christ to forgive my sins and lead my life. And He did! He moved into my life, forgave me of my past, and began to transform me. My friends began asking me why I was so different. I even went off to a Bible college to enter a life of full-time ministry. I was a changed man.

But then a strange thing happened: My well-intentioned teachers, pastors, and churches taught me (unintentionally) that after you come to Jesus for forgiveness, you must prove you really love Jesus by being obedient to Him!

Or, said another way:

We get righteousness at the cross, but we stay righteous by working for it.

So, I began to work really hard at obeying Jesus. I read my Bible every day. I memorized Scripture. I prayed. I served in my church. I witnessed to my friends. I worked hard at fighting temptation. I tried to be a "man of holiness". I started a church. I preached the gospel. I led people to Jesus. I tithed. I gave sacrificially. I...

Do you see all the I's in that paragraph? I was trying to achieve my own righteousness. I was going to be a sold-out Christian. Except it never worked, and I always felt like a failure. No matter how much I did, I felt like it was never enough. I never served enough, never gave enough, preached enough, loved enough, or prayed enough. I never felt righteous, no matter how hard I tried. And the more I went to church or read the Bible, the more I just felt like a failure, because I could never live up to the standard of perfection in the Bible.

That is, until Jesus met me with a second work of grace. One day while on a vacation from ministry, I stumbled across 2 Corinthians 5:21.

The more I read this verse and studied it's implications, the more it messed me up. The more it messed me up, the more I would cry and shake and tremble before God. I spent an entire month immersed in the study of this verse. At the end of one month, I was a totally different human being. I knew I measured up. I knew I wasn't a failure. I knew I was strong enough. Had faith enough. I was a totally different person. Jesus had met me; He had done a second work of grace in me. My church said I was different. My staff said I was different. My wife and kids said I was different.

The grace of God had hit me, and I was born again. Again.

Here is the verse that messed me up forever:

2 Corinthians 5:21  God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Read more in the book Grace On Tap by Eric Dykstra http://amzn.com/B00EYMRYDQ

A love that don't Quit!

My son was talking to me the other day about cartoons on and on and on, bla, bla, bla... He was very excited--I have to admit: I wasn't.  I tried my best to seem interested but I found myself losing focus, my mind wandering to my work--which he had interrupted me from--and then I was snapped back to reality when I realized my child's excitement had now changed to embarrassment...disappointment... and he was walking away because he realized I wasn't listening.

In fact, I can remember when I realized my parents did this to me. They tried very hard to mask their indifference at times, just as I occasionally have to try to mask mine, but there's a time in the day when the grown-ups are apparently too exhausted to fake it 'til you make it and the observant eye of a kid is no longer fooled.  I apologized to my son, he means the world to me! But I'm not perfect and I mess up sometimes!

Did your parents (no matter how well-meaning) ever do that to you? Or did your friends, your role-model, your coach...ever make you feel unimportant?  

Did God ever make you feel unimportant?

I know, I know: God loves me...but let's be honest, did you ever think: my life isn't turning out like I thought it would...God, don't you love me? My finances are struggling...God, don't you love me? Why isn't this decision working out...God, don't you love me?

Life happens...and sometimes we feel ignored, looked over, unimportant, but the truth is that God's love is UNCONDITIONAL! Most of us can't even fathom a love that's unconditional! When something bad happens, God's unconditional love promises He'll never leave! God's unconditional love ensures that He's going to use everything in this life, good or bad, to make us stronger!  God uses what was meant to harm us to catapult us further into the good plans he has for us.  It's like a bow and arrow: the arrow has to be drawn back before it flies forward! Maybe something happened in life to set you back, but God's unconditional love is using that to set you up for victory!

Our parents, friends, role-models all did their best, but they're not perfect. They didn't mean to, but sometimes they messed up. God isn't human, He's perfect, and He always loves you and He's always with you! He always works everything out for your good! He wants to heal every hurt, astronomical or ridiculously small, with His unconditional love!

"Just as I swore in the time of Noah that I would never again let a flood cover the earth, so now I swear that I will never again be angry and punish you.  For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain.  My covenant of blessing will never be broken,“ says the Lord , who has mercy on you. --Isaiah 54:9-10

Don't Judge others, Just because you sin differently!

Don't judge me! That statement, while playful and funny, gets me internally on edge when I stop and think about it.  As a Christian, I've been intimately involved with judgement and it's not good on the passing or receiving end! It's the least Christ-like part of my attempt at being Christ-like. I'm sure our highly opinionated viewpoints are the root of the saying "I'd be a Christian if it weren't for...Christians"!

My fellow Christians and I have turned a relationship with Jesus into a list of do's and don'ts. We accept and reject people depending on their adherence to these rules, and all the different groups of Christians have a different set of rules! However, the Bible has it's own rule about this: "judge not lest ye be judged" (that's right: I'm bustin out the King James!) but we don't call it judgement, we call its accountability. And this "accountability" runs rampant. Here's how it works: I get to tell anyone, anywhere, on any occasion that "you're doing it wrong".  Mmmm, warm fuzzies! But let's admit it: we usually don't even have the guts to say it, we just give anyone with a differing opinion the ole stink-eye (cuz that's what Jesus would do?).

I don't think that's accountability. Accountability comes from someone who believes in you and wants to see you succeed, someone who's actually qualified to speak direction and wisdom into your life, not someone who just wants to point out your flaws. What we Christians are doing is just plain judgement! And here's the kicker: it's quite often based on opinions! We usually can't even back up our "accountability" with scripture!  We criticize people just because they're not doing it our way!

God gave Christians the joy of telling the world what He's doing--instead we're busy telling each other what we should or shouldn't be doing!

Dear friends, if you've been harshly judged (or even worse, wrongly judged) please know this isn't how God works! On behalf of myself and my fellow Christians, I apologize! I apologize for misrepresenting the God of the Universe who so freely loves and adores you, even your flaws!  His acceptance never ended when you made certain decisions!  His willingness to help didn't stop just because you did something that raised eyebrows! He doesn't squash big thinking or shut down big dreams--God isn't jealous of your potential: He put it in you! God's judgement actually doesn't even happen until the end of your life, He designed your life to be a work in progress! God doesn't judge the outward He judges the heart! And unlike humans, God's judgement is perfect: He takes your circumstances, strengths, weaknesses, knowledge...everything...into consideration!  Not one of us can do that!  

Now shake off the critical voice that judgement installed inside your head. Let go of the critique of yourself and go back to seeing the potential God put in you. Forgive those who judged you since they have surely felt the sting of judgement as well. Resist the urge to judge them right back and instead see the favor that God has already given you and live your life expecting everything good God has planned for you! And remember: you are responsible for your own happiness...you are only responsible for you!

James 5:7-9 You see farmers do this all the time, waiting for their valuable crops to mature, patiently letting the rain do its slow but sure work. 8 Be patient like that. Stay steady and strong. The Master could arrive at any time. 9 Friends, don't complain about each other. A far greater complaint could be lodged against you, you know. The Judge is standing just around the corner. 

Expect more from GOD!

I spoke on signs & wonders this weekend.  They're a polarizing topic with no middle ground.  Some think that's what church should be about--others believe God phased that part of His job out.  You know, our society laughs at signs & wonders as if it's impossible to believe that God would have special powers.  Why would it be so ridiculous for God to do something we can't--isn't that what being God is about in the crudest sense: not being human?!  I mean, don't you think that the God of the universe would be able to rig up something pretty spectacular? Don't you think he could probably throw down some mind blowing stuff that's a little better than what Criss Angel or Penn & Teller are doing? Why do we think we should be able to figure Him out? If He's just like you and me then how'd we get here? How are there mountains and rainbows and a perfect positioning of the Earth's tilt to the Sun?  I can't do that!  And I have four kids but I'm mystified when it comes to actually making a human...after conception that is ;)

Another inaccurate belief about signs & wonders is that they're reserved for the spiritually elite, but from reading the Bible I'd say they're for anybody.  Take Moses and the parting of the Red Sea and all the other miracles God performed for the Israelites leaving Egypt: they weren't spiritual giants, without adult supervision they were off making a golden calf!  And when Jesus fed five thousand people with 5 loaves and 2 fish, most of them rejected him and his teachings two days later!

  

Signs & wonders can be done wrong: I've seen them elevated above Jesus...I've seen people run after them and neglect their neighbor in need...I've seen Christians run from conference to conference like junkies, abandoning family and responsibilities for that spiritual high.  These all left a bad taste in my mouth, but I'll never doubt that there's a place for signs & wonders.  God has mind-blowing power and He still uses it!  I've got my own amazing stories about how God came through for me with the supernatural and I would want the same for you, my friend!  I would never profess to tell you exactly how God works, so I won't try to tell you how He doesn't work, either.  Let's decide to be ok with a little mystery surrounding God.  Let's make peace with the unknown factors of how Jesus works. Let's not limit such an amazing Force that's on our side!  Maybe you don't believe in miracles, but I'll bet you wouldn't turn one down the next time you're in a pickle!