It's in Di Gestion

So, Sunday March 26 2017, was a good one for me as a person. People kept coming up to me and commenting on the weight I have lost, and inquiring the "how?" Now before you start to wonder "how much weight have you lost?" The answer is; "I don't know." Because my goal in this isn't weight loss, instead it's energy gained. I desire to be an active and energized human being at any weight I occupy. So, I focused my attention not on what was leaving my body (lbs.) Instead I focused on my ingestion, or simply what I am adding to my body to make it run better. A great analogy is to go out to car and put brown sugar in the gas tank. If you do this you will spend thousands of dollars in repairs because your car cannot run on sugar. Matters of fact, it clogs up the fuel lines and does immense damage to your vehicle making it unable to run at all.  Our body behaves the same way, the ingestion of healthy food leads to a well running body, and the converse is also true the ingestion of unhealthy foods leads to fatigue, and stagnation. So I am being energized to action not by loss but by gain. I am ingesting things that improve my life and empower me to be active in the world.

Now let's look at this great scripture from the prophet Ezekiel 2:8-3:4 As for you, human one, listen to what I say to you. Don't become rebellious like that household of rebels. Open your mouth and eat what I give to you. Then I looked, and there in a hand stretched out me was a scroll. He spread it open in front of me, and it was filled with writing on both sides, songs of mourning, lamentation, and doom. Then he said to me: Human one, eat this and go, speak to the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth, and he fed me the scroll. He said to me: Human one, feed your belly and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you. So I ate it, and in my mouth became sweet as honey. Then he said to me: Human one, go! Go to the house of Israel and speak my words to them.


We see that God's word is fed to Ezekiel and fills his belly. I love that God's word is sweet as honey! Ezekiel is going to call Israel to repentance and conversion back to the living God of Israel. It's a mighty task and the only way Ezekiel will be able to accomplish it will be with the Word of God fueling him. Christians today have a noble, but large task in front of us as well. Declaring the goodness of God in a world that sees Him less good everyday. The idea of sin and conviction are becoming "outdated" according to a society that claims no absolute truths, and promotes individuality above all other needs. But, just as with Ezekiel we are called to be the voice of God to help people to turn from sins that lead to destruction, and back into the arms of a good, and loving Heavenly Father! The only way Christians can accomplish this task is to ingest the Word of God and allow it to call us to action by the guiding of God's Holy Spirit. Christians who try to live out their call without feeding on the work of Jesus who is the bread of life, and the also the teachings of the Bible become malnourished and burn out. Or, sadly their task losses it focus and it become social justice without God's mission. Without feeding on the word of God our tasks becomes about human efforts and lacks the power of God's Holy Spirit! The other conviction is gluttony with no action. Feeding on Jesus' teachings day, and night but not being moved to action. This leads to a Christian who knows what God commands but doesn't share this bread of life with anyone else. Anyone who eats too much bread without sharing, and refuses to move, becomes paralyzed by the weight of it. Their lives are all about truth but lacks action, or love toward people whom God loves. They too are waisting their Spirit given potential within God's mission. 

Instead today I am asking God to help me ingest His good Word. To soak in the Scriptures and bring my heart to life! To hear the Holy Spirit calling my name and showing me His goodness and love, and eating the bread of life to becoming energized and alive within my heart. Then from that fount of love pouring into me finding ways to show it off and to share it with a world that needs to know God is both love and truth. This week I am challenging myself and you to eat of God's word everyday! Don't let one day go by that you don't sit down and prayerfully search the scriptures! Trust me it's sweet as honey and filling as bread! Then find ways to share His love and grace with those around us! God's word is the bread of life and His table is open to all who come! Take and eat all you who are hungry, and drink all you who are thirsty, come and find life in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!

Ingest on Friends!

Richard

focusonthecross.org

Beast into a Beauty!

Just a quick warning if you haven't seen either the animated or new version of Beauty and the Beast this post might spoil the plot for you. Read on with caution.

"So then, if anyone is in Christ, that person is part of the new creation. The old things have gone away, and look! New things have arrived!" 2 Corinthians 5:17

So I admit it proudly I had the privilege of watching Disney's live action remake of Beauty and the Beast in Theaters.  It was my favorite Disney movie as a kid, and still is my all time #1. Tonight I was reflecting on why this is? What is it about this love story that connects so close to my heart? 

I find my answer in the Corinthians passage above. It's the beast that intrigues me. We meet him as a vile and terrorizing creature. There is no way anyone could love such a monstrosity, someone who is filled with pain, regret, and rage. In all ways the beast is meant to be seen as the unlovable monster. We take the beast at face value, he is ugly and easily dismissed as too far gone. I know if I am honest I have my "Beastly" moments. Times when my mouth is not encouraging. My attitude is not good. In those moments I feel like an unlovable creature a "Beast." 

But, the story shifts and Bell who is the beauty of the story begins to unlock a deeper truth about the beast. She begins to see the monster as something more and in doing so he indeed becomes something more. My favorite part of the film is not when the beast is made beautiful, that's too cliche. It's the moment I see the beast as a hero in the film before his physical appearance is altered. Nothing outwardly has changed at all in our monster. At first glance there are still horns, teeth, and overall I should see a beast. But I don't any longer. I see a person (Yes a large bear wolf hybrid person) but still something that can indeed be loved. 

I see this at what Christ does for me. Paul tells the church in Corinth that being loved by Christ changes us. When we are living into the power of Jesus Christ even though we don't have a magical outward transformation, inwardly we are created anew. When I accept the love of God into my life the old beastly parts melt away in some miraculous sense.The fears of being an unlovable creature no longer exists, and in its place is the knowledge that I am a child of the Most High and His love for me is unending. That's the beautiful thing about God's love it cannot help but overwhelm us, change us, move away our beastly lives. Following Christ is not beauty and the beast. No dear friends, that implies that nothing changes in us, and God merely loves the beast but leaves the monster in its brokenness. Gods love for us is more powerful than that! Accepting the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is the beast becoming beautiful. This Easter let's put down the beast of sin and destruction, because God is not interested in walking with the "Beast" in us, because Jesus has better news for you and I. Christ makes the "Beast" beautiful. Be beautiful Everyone! By Christ alone. Selah

Richard

focusonthecross.org

"Where are you?"

"During that day’s cool evening breeze, they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden; and the man and his wife hid themselves from the Lord God in the middle of the garden’s trees. The Lord God called to the man and said to him, 'Where are you?'” Genesis 3:8-9 CEB™

Lent is a time where we take a deep look into our own souls. The victory of eternal life is the payoff of Easter, but before we get there first we have to address sin. We see Adam and Eve the first two people after they have openly disobeyed God and now are living in a sinful state. They hear the footsteps of their Heavenly Daddy and assume the worst. They hide.

Let's be honest God knows where they are, and their hiding spots aren't that great, but the more interesting piece for me is the symbolism of the hiding. Before sin, Adam and Eve would walk with God in the cool of the evening. It was the equivalent of a nice family meal together. This would be the time they could laugh, and learn from God and God would display the beauty of creation for them. It was a Father and child relationship that brings tears to my eyes. Until, they sinned. Now the presence of God is terrifying, and sin has caused Adam and Eve to run into hiding believing that God is no longer good, loving, or would care for them. Maybe, as you read this you too are in a state of hiding. Have you ever said this phrase; "If I walk into the doors of a church, God will burn the building down." I know this is meant to be cute, and funny yet all I hear is; "Can God really love me, even though I know I'm not perfect." Sin is the master of deception and it causes us to believe that God cannot be good, nor loving toward us in this broken state. However, God is bigger than you and I tend to give Him credit for.

God doesn't wipe out our sinful beginning. God doesn't come as an accuser. Instead, God asked a simple and  painful question; "Where are you?" Think about the pain in God's heart as His creation now runs away from Him. Noting feels more wonderful than when a toddler comes walking up to me. Conversely, I feel like a monster whenever a little baby looks at me and runs away. How did God feel that moment He entered into the garden only to find that the people He had created were hiding from Him? God calls out, wanting them to come and be in His presence. God wants to love Adam, and Eve yet sin has convinced them that they are now unlovable. This moves us back into the question "Where are you?". It's not a question of location, but a question of relationship. God wants to love and care for Adam and Eve, we wants to walk with them again. But, there is a critical shift in the relationship. God is calling His beloved back into His presence to care for them, but they hide in shame from their Heavenly Creator. But finally  Adam and Eve sheepishly come out of hiding  and God goes to work. 

First, comes an honest inventory. Now sin is here and God is not shy to reveal the brokenness that it has caused. Life will now come with pain, relationships struggle to be balanced, and working will become a struggle. All things we know today about life. Yet, our story doesn't stop there. Even though we have revealed the curse of humanities sin, next God reveals what He will do with them. If I were God this is the point of the story where we start over. The painting can be fixed, and I would make dolphins in my image (they are adorable). Yet, that is not the heart of God, and He offers provision and life in midst of this new sinful state. God dressed the two in leather, a sacrifice in order to cover the humans. He sets them mindfully outside of the garden. This will be the heart of God forever. Painfully knowing that humans will suffer the pain of sin, yet if you listen you can hear God's voice calling out "Where are you?" "I will walk with you even in the middle of this brokenness, and I will provide a sacrifice in my perfect Son Jesus the Christ to cover your brokenness with my holiness, or wholeness." This God how calls out to us even the midst of sin is drastically different than what sin would have us believe. Instead of destruction, there comes provision, and salvation. Lent must deal with sin, and it must be dealt with in death. But, if we listen to easter we see that even though sin always ends in death, when we come to calling voice of God death becomes life. So, are you still scared to darken the doorway of a church, because God is calling to you. "Where are you?"Selah

Richard 

focusonthecross.org

Why?

For God so loved…John 3:16

I know, I know…yet another play on John 3:16. But, Lent is a season of reflection and contemplation of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross, murdered at the hands of Jews and Romans to atone for humanity’s shortcomings (sin).

I am approaching this Lent in a new and fresh way, being single again, and contemplating the idea and ideals of love, and, if you’d allow, me I’d like share.

What I have surmised thus far is that we can approach this season of suffering with apathy, or with a sense of overwhelming joy. The fulcrum on which this attitude tilts is John 3:16. Either this is a played out verse that has been placed on too many bumper stickers and T-shirts to affect us, or God really loves me, and you, and the world. I believe it is the latter. The heart of the divine creator turns warmly and powerfully to us. We see His unrelenting love being poured out in death for us. As Paul writes, “Even while we were yet sinners…He died...for me...for you…for us” (Romans 5:8). The love of God for his creation is crazy enough to take a bullet for us.

I am challenging you, as the reader of these words, to pause for a brief second and evaluate if this will be just another calendar Lent for you. You will give up some bad habit in hopes of self-improvement. You will say the “right” Christian phrases, and even darken the door to a faith community during this time. Or, will you, in your heart, with honesty and humility, realize someone died for you, someone jumped in front of a bullet for you? As Jesus lays there bleeding, will you ask yourself one question: “Why?”

Because…God so loved.

In Him,

Richard