Religion or Relationship?

Roughly 98% of the people in the world believe in God. While most people believe in God many struggle with the question: Which religion is right? The answer is none of them. In order to accurately understand this statement we must define religion.

Religion is simply manmade rules, standards, traditions, and rituals.

What bearing do any of these have on our relationship with God (Yes, Relationship)?

No matter what “religion” you subscribe to they all have a few common beliefs. God is real, he created the universe and everything in it, there is a right and wrong, and there are blessings and curses to be experienced, and there is an eternity in the balance for each person.

While some religions have described God as being somewhat disconnected from humanity and it’s plight, Jesus taught a very different view.

Jesus taught that God cares for people and that He created people for a purpose, that purpose was not servitude out of religious duty, it was not to make church goers, it was not to make slaves, it was to make children. Jesus taught that God made people to be his children, His objects of deep love and affection, and that He (God) desires a relationship with His creation.

Jesus taught that the greatest commandment of all was to “love God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength” (Mark 12:30 NIV). The point of this is two fold… 1) Love is the issue! We’re to have a loving relationship with God and this relationship isn’t just a religious hobby, it’s our life. We live for it with our entire being. 2) This relationship is then the motivating factor in all our life decisions. This gives us guidance in how to live.

Like any relationship, because we love and care about the person and what they think it alters our behavior and way of life so we can live in harmony with them and experience the relationship at it’s best. This is how it works with God.

Does this mean all religion is bad? Not at all!

It is written, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27 NIV)

So, religion, as previously defined, that encourages addressing causes of social justice and personal purity/morality is seen as good and acceptable. Religion then is nothing more than a tool to help people in their relationship with God and their pursuit of being the person God made them to be.

So, which religion is “right”? The answer is none of them. If you follow the teachings of Jesus He taught relationship with God through His (Jesus’) sacrificial work and this relationships was the motivating factor for spirituality and morality. Everything else is just tools.

What do you do with tools? Use them when they work. Put them in the box when they don’t. If they’re broke throw them away. Common sense!

Religion isn't especially bad or wrong or right, it's just a tool. Devotion to religion isn't bad, or wrong, or right it just can't supercede or take the place of your relationship/commitment to God.

When Religion helps you live out the truths of God's word, grow in your relationship with God, and become the person God made you to be then use it, but when it becomes God in your life, or becomes dead lifeless rituals, or becomes as authoritative as the Bible in your life then it's time to reevaluate and perhaps move on to a different tool.

SPIN

Right now in our American News Culture we have a phenomenon, which has been going on for millennia, but has recently been given a name… Spin.

Spin is where you can take any given situation and turn it in such a way as to serve your particular agenda, for good or bad. And so you have republicans against democrats, conservatives against liberals each spinning what one another says and does, each spinning current local, national, and world events to serve their agenda.

So, the question… Who is right?

How do we figure it out?

Here’s what we need to understand… there always has been and always will be a spin on things, because spin is simply perspective.

There is a spin for every people group, social, economic, religious, political, you name it.

Everyone has some kind of foundation they are building off of when it come to perspective. Whether is upbringing and parental influence, peer pressure, education, personal life experiences the point is we have these factors that helped us develop perspectives about things and those factors cause us to each perceive situations and topics differently than others.

So, what do we do?

Choose!

We must choose our foundation from which we will interpret life. Or better said, we must pick what shade of glasses we want to look at life through. This in turn will cause us to interpret life and all it’s issues with a certain spin.

For some of us we will have experiences that will cause the shade of our glasses to change slightly or severely and thus we will have a new spin on life.

My input… Start with the beginning… go back to the Creator and his operation manual, history of engagement, record of intent (The Bible) whatever you want to call it. Cooperate with God instead of resisting.

You can choose to try some other way and have a different spin on life, but my experience and my understanding of God’s word have shown all other ways to be far short of God’s best for each of our lives.

Just understand… having a change of internal beliefs means nothing if we don’t apply it. If it doesn’t change our life is it really real?

To many people decide, “Okay, I’ll believe in Jesus and go to church”, but then find it to still be empty, miserable, and really no easier or enjoyable than what they had… it’s because they’ve simply embraced Jesus as a religion… a hobbie… an addition to their pre-existing lifestyle, rather than as a whole new way of life. They’re still trying to hold on to the old and the new at the same time, and this won’t work, it’ll just leave you hurt, confused, and miserable, just as if you were trying to go North and South at the same time… can’t do it.

Living by faith

FAITH – Faith means to trust, be certain, rest in, or put confidence in. It also means to be committed to that trust or confidence.

While Faith is definitely a part of believing God’s promises to experience a supernatural work of God, it’s also meant to be the lifestyle of every Christ follower.

Because of this, I want to share a few quick insights on the subject of faith in general. For a detailed study on the subject of faith you can refer to the document library and download the study titled “ABSOLUTE FAITH”.

Click here: Absolute Faith.doc

What is Faith? Hebrews 11:1, 6 1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

How important is Faith and When do we use it?
Romans 5:1-3 1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;

Faith is how we access God’s favor/promises.
2Corinthians 5:7 We live by faith, not by sight.

Faith isn’t something we’re to do sometimes, it’s something we’re to do all the time. We’re to LIVE by it.

Romans 1:16-17 16I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

From beginning to end all that we receive from God is by faith.

Isaiah 7:9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah's son. If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.' "

A lack of faith affects every area of our life. If we’re unstable in our faith we will be unstable in the other areas of our lives.

Matthew 9:29 Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you"

The key issue here, according to Jesus, is not the power of God, not the will of God, but the people’s trust/faith in God and His promise.

Romans 14:23 But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

Anything that is done without confidence/certainty/faith is Sin. If I’m not confident/certain that what I’m about to say or do pleases/glorifies God then I should not do it, otherwise I’m sinning.

Matthew 13:58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

Here we see that a lack of faith is a reason that many miracles don’t take place.

Where does it come from and How do we grow in it? Romans 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. (NASB)

Hearing is present active indicative, meaning hear and keep on hearing. It’s an ever present activity.

But, WHAT we hear is just as important as hearing. Most of us fill our ears with the opinions of philosophers, preachers, teachers, doctors, movie stars, etc., but that is all commentary.

The only real question is… what does God’s Word say? It’s not just hearing, but WHAT we hear, because WHAT we hear is what we will believe over time the more we hear it. So, we need to fill our ears with the Word of God.

Is there something we can’t use it for? We cannot exercise faith over the will of another person.

How do we exercise/apply it? James 2:14-19, 24, 26 14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
24 You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

Faith always has corresponding action. It’s more than a belief.

Hebrews 6:12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.


Faith requires the fuel of patience/perseverance, or the analogy of a person standing, one leg is Faith the other is patience… Patience brings strength and stability to faith.

1Corinthians 16:13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.

Courage and resoluteness of spirit is a part of applying faith… you can’t be a coward or pushover. Understand we must be on Guard because our faith will be tested and challenged.

Romans 3:31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

True faith lives morally right before God.

Galatians 3:1-5, 10-12, 19-25 1You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? 3Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? 4Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing? 5Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard? 10All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." 11Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith." 12The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them." 19What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator. 21Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. 22But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
23Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. 24So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. 25Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.

This life in the Spirit is a life of faith, not rigid adherence to a written code of right and wrong, but instead living out the same morally right life from our heart, because we want to not because we have to. The author of the written code now lives in our heart. By study of the written word, by prayer and learning to follow the leading of the Spirit we enter into a new kind of life.

Now the blessings, promises, and favor of God are ours not because we deserve it according to the law, but because we trust his promise regarding the work of Jesus and its affect in our life.

Colossians 2:6-23 6So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. 9For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 11In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
13When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
16Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. 19He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
20Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21"Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? 22These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

Living by the Spirit is not going to look the same for everyone… By faith some will celebrate certain Holidays while others don’t; By faith some will eat and drink certain foods that others will abstain from (Vs 16). Some will engage in activities that for others are not appropriate.

The principles of “Do not… taste, touch, etc” are rules for a fallen world. We are no longer fallen, but restored and now are not governed by the law, but by the personal guidance of the Holy Spirit.

The Word of God shows us the non-negotiables of right and wrong (lying, adultery, murder, stealing, etc.), but it also makes it clear that there are many areas that are left between the Disciple and Jesus.

Romans 14:1-23 1Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
9For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. 10You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. 11It is written:
" 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord,
'every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will confess to God.' " 12So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

13Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. 14As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. 15If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. 16Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. 17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.
19Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.
22So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

It is clear there are disputable matters in life and we are left to conscience, not law to guide us in those matters. When the Bible is not clear on a matter, or at least not clear to us maybe due to a lack of knowledge or understanding, we are to be led by the spirit/heart/conscience keeping a teachable and pursuant attitude toward Christ and his truth and maintaining a humble merciful non-judgmental attitude toward others.

If our attitude is right and we continue to diligently pursue Jesus we will, in time, find greater understanding on these matters, answer some questions, and find even more questions.

It is clear that there is great freedom in Christ, but it also teaches that with that great freedom comes great responsibility; Responsibility to care for a brother with weaker faith. The key word is distressed (Vs15), not critical. There will always be critical people that nitpick your life, but it’s the ones that are genuinely distressed that we are to be concerned about.

1Corinthians 10:23-33 (NASB) 23All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify.
24Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor.
25Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions for conscience' sake;
26FOR THE EARTH IS THE LORD'S, AND ALL IT CONTAINS.
27If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, eat anything that is set before you without asking questions for conscience' sake.
28But if anyone says to you, "This is meat sacrificed to idols," do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience' sake;
29I mean not your own conscience, but the other man's; for why is my freedom judged by another's conscience?
30If I partake with thankfulness, why am I slandered concerning that for which I give thanks?
31Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
32Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God;
33just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved.

Here we see that all the earth belongs to the Lord and we have many freedoms in Christ, but we are to be careful about operating in those freedoms thinking of those around us. [Vs. 23, 25-27]

We see two standards to guide us: 1) Do all things for the glory of God with thanksgiving [Vs. 30-31] and 2) Don’t do something to cause someone to stumble [Vs. 32-33], but don’t worry about offending someone unless they approach you and say something to you out of concern of conscience [Vs. 27-29].

The key issue is: am I confident (do I have faith) that what I’m about to think, say, or do honors, pleases, and glorifies the Lord? Causing distress or guilty conscience in a person by our activity is not walking in love and is not honoring to God. We must find the balance of freedom and responsibility, not allowing one to spoil the other.

The Jesus Standard Part 1

Recently I’ve had several conversations where people charged me with asking the question, “How close can I get to the world”. Nothing could be further from the truth. My heart passion, and the constant question I challenge people with is: “How close can I get to Jesus?” But, I do not understand why so many feel the need to impose man-made standards or rules on the lives of others when even Jesus didn’t demand these things.

The basis of this accusation is that I do not tell people they should abstain from alcohol, movies (or just R rated… there goes my Passion of the Christ DVD), tobacco products, or secular music (or that I’ll use a music video performed by a non-Christian artist in the church).

I’m going to respond to this argument in two parts. Part 1 is concerning the argument that we shouldn’t use music, video’s, movies, etc from a non-Christian source in the church to minister and Part 2 is going to address the argument that we should tell people to not drink, not smoke, not watch R-rated movies, etc.

Part 1: Argument: You shouldn’t dishonor God’s House, or God, by using music, videos, etc that come from a non-Christian source. It is irreverent and opening the door for the devil and could lead someone to listen to other material from this non-Christian source and it would in turn lead them astray.

These people feel the church is a sacred space, God’s House, and that we should reverence it. To bring anything into that place that is not “Christian” in its source is dishonoring and irreverent and also opens the door for demons to come in and cause trouble. Some will even distinguish between sin committed in that building from sin committed in other places and deem the former as worse because it has taken place in “God’s house”, while the latter has only taken place in my house.

Answer: First, We’ve all been “in Church” and heard a speaker quote someone… a president, religious leader, politician, artist, poet, etc. Were all these people being quoted Christians? Did the person being quoted have other quotes that were not Christian in nature? Did the person being quoted have lifestyles that contradicted Christlike Character? The answers are obvious.

As I understand it, Jesus said the Greatest Commandment of all was to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul, and with all your strength”. So, the standard of behavior is not determined by WHERE you are, but rather WHO you are… are you a lover of God or aren’t you.

The Bible tells us that God is truth. Therefore, no matter who says it (Christian or Non-Christian), no matter what the source, ALL truth is God’s truth. So, whether I’m quoting a non-Christian, using a music video or movie clip, the bottom line is: if it is truth, it belongs to God.

The concern that someone may pick up this non-Christian CD or Video or book and entertain it is valid, but does it mean we don’t capitalize on the familiar ground? Do we not redeem the truth contained in these sources and use them for Jesus?

We see the Apostle Paul doing this on several occasions… One example is where Paul is speaking to a group in Athens and he quotes an Athenian poet (this was not a Christian poet, the phrase “your own” refers to one from their group): Acts 17:28 As some of your own (Athenian) poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'

Paul is sighting a Non-Christian Poets poetry and declaring this statement is true. This has several implications. 1) Paul was familiar with non-Christian entertainment, 2)Paul viewed this truth as redeemable (usable for God’s glory), and 3)Paul exercised little to no concern that some of them may look at the rest of the poets poems or the poets lifestyle and get a mixed message because other poems may be vulgar, or contridict the Christian faith, and his lifestyle was most likely completely off base. Note that Paul didn’t go into an explination about how “not all this poets stuff is good, but in this part he got it right. Stay away from the other poems.” Or, “You need to know this poet’s life is completely wrong, so don’t let this little piece of truth make you think this poet is completely right.” No, instead we find him doing it again in the book of Titus.

Titus 1:12-13 Even one of their own prophets has said, "Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons." 13This testimony is true.

Once again Paul is using a non-Christian source to confirm his message, and this source is a religious one that might lead someone away from Christianity to that other religion.

Did Paul defile/desecrate scripture or dishonor God by using quotes from non-Christian sources? Was he being irreverent? By quoting these non-Christian sources did he make the scriptures polluted, impure, and no longer authoritative and reliable?

Paul was being smart, capitalizing on the little truth they knew and using it to help them better understand the Kingdom of God.

Paul recognized that all truth is God’s truth, no matter what source it comes from and he didn’t seem concerned that in using this source it may lead people to entertain the other poems or prophesies of these non-Christian sources.

Was Paul wrong or in sin? No! Paul learned from Jesus! From his learning Paul said, I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 1Corinthians 9:22

Interestingly, one translation in 1 Corinthians 9 refers to Paul finding familiar ground to connect with the people, without breaking the law of Christ.

How did Paul draw the line? The issue was: did it violate his conscience or the law of Christ?

Paul began to have his worldview changed by the work of Jesus Christ.

Remember, Paul was trained as a Pharisee (the strictest sect of the Jewish faith) and was full of the knowledge of the Law. He knew all the “Do’s” and “Do not’s”. His experience with Jesus helped him to find balance and to see life and following God in a whole new light.

It’s NOT an “anything goes” teaching by any means. There are rights and wrongs that are absolute, but there are a lot of things that are left between a person and the Lord. We call these things “disputable matters” based on Romans 14 and call the personal standards that you embrace a “personal conviction”. Whether to eat meat or not, drink alcohol or not, watch a certain movie or not, listen to a certain band or not, celebrate a certain holiday or not, all of these things are not issues of right or wrong, but rather personal conviction.

There are most definitely movies and songs to avoid, ones that are blatantly wrong to entertain. The ones that are vulgar and anti-God, but if a vulgar band puts out a good song do we not capitalize on the common ground and use that to communicate the Good News of Jesus? Do we not take the opportunity to connect Jesus and his truth to that song in the minds of the people so that every time they hear it they are reminded of Jesus and His truth? I think most people are smart enough to discern that the rest of the vulgar songs don’t represent Christianity.

Some would say don’t use it and they would use scripture to support their position. Others would say absolutely use it and they would use scripture to support their position. The bottom line then is the direction the leaders of a particular church family feel that God has called them to do ministry. This is their philosophy of ministry and something that does vary from one church to the next.

We as believers need to know that God has called us to a particular church family and then learn what He wants us to learn from that experience, but we shouldn’t try to argue and create division over these debatable issues.

1Corinthians 1:10 Now, dear brothers and sisters, I appeal to you by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ to stop arguing among yourselves. Let there be real harmony so there won’t be divisions in the church. I plead with you to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.

We’re not to be spending our time arguing and being divided. We’re to be in harmony (maybe all playing a different note, but not saying ours is the only note and not clashing with all the other notes being played). We’re to be of one mind, thought, and purpose.

So, what about the fact that so many are joining churches only to find they don’t fully agree. Well it’s like this… If the ship is rowing in a direction you don’t want to go, you have to ask yourself a couple questions: 1) am I on the wrong ship? Or 2) does God have me here to learn something new? If the first, then go somewhere else, it would be sin to create the division over your personal preference or convictions and constantly make waves because you disagree with the leadership. If the second, humble your self, ask questions, learn, and serve. Work with, not against, the leadership and vision, and don’t be a source of contention.

Now I quickly want to address the issue of sacrilege or defiling the house of God statement. So…

Second, The Bible is very clear that as far as a temple building or any kind of building being the “house of God”, it’s just not true.

In the New Testament Steven made this argument:
Acts 7:48-50 48"However, the Most High does not live in houses made by men. As the prophet says: 49" 'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be?
50Has not my hand made all these things?'

And again the Apostle Paul stated:
Acts 17:24 The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.

Even Solomon who built the first building for the Lord said:
2Chronicles 6:18-21 18 "But will God really dwell on earth with men? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! 19 Yet give attention to your servant's prayer and his plea for mercy, O LORD my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence. 20 May your eyes be open toward this temple day and night, this place of which you said you would put your Name there. May you hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. 21 Hear the supplications of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive.

Even at the time frame when God said, “Build me a temple” they recognized it wasn’t the House of God. In that day it WAS sacred space, but that changed when God established the new covenant through Jesus Christ. Remember, the curtain to the Holy of Holies was torn in two? Now everyone has access to God Almighty! Now there is no one place that is sacred over another. The earth is the Lords and all that is in it! (Psalm 24:1)

In fact the real sacred space in the world is not a building, but a body… You! According to 1Corinthians 3:16-17 16Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? 17If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple.

Church is not a WHAT or a WHERE, but rather a WHO. You are the church! You are the temple of the living God! And it is not what is being done or where, but rather by who that makes it sacred; Going fishing, going to a football game, eating dinner, going swimming, watching a movie, you name it! It’s all sacred not because of what is being done, but because of who is doing it.

If a Christian sings a secular song and uses it for Jesus then they’ve taken what was meant for evil and are using it for good. They are redeeming it. They are making it sacred. Not the whole CD or the band, but that song!

You can’t redeem sin, but you can redeem the tools of sin; people, cars, tv’s, computers, movies, music, holidays, etc.

So, there needs to be a shift in our thinking. I refer you back to a previous blog of mine called “Sacred Vs Secular”. If we don’t shift the thinking we’re all in a lot of trouble because I don’t know of any Holy Toilet Paper or such companies.

The fact is, there is a sacred (with and for God) and a secular (without or against God), but it has nothing to do with a building or piece of decoration. Remember Michelangelo’s painting in the Sistine Chapel? It had a naked man in it!

Today many people hold church services in High School Auditoriums or Gyms or Movie Theaters. Are they wrong for using a Movie Theater to have church services? Don’t they know that there are bad movies played there? Is that place defiled and unusable or are they seeing an opportunity to redeem that space and use it for God and His glory?

What is the Jesus Standard? How do we be more like Jesus? Read Part 2.

BALANCE

We hear it everyday. Live whole heartedly for Jesus! Be passionate for Christ! In fact it is written, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” Romans 12:11

But we’re also told that Jesus came to give us life to the full, and that we’re to enjoy life, and that following the teachings of Jesus is “easy and light” compared to the teachings of other religious leaders.

So, why are so many Christians worn out, burned out, miserable people with no joy or fulfillment? Why do so many feel so wasted and wanting to quit?

One word… BALANCE. This of course is an over simplification.

The truth is there is a balance to it all, but I must say something before I talk about the balancing aspect of the Christian life… most “Christians” are not following Christ, and this is reason #1 why they are all of the above descriptives.

I do not say this lightly, nor do I say it condemningly. The truth is most American Christians have bought into something Jesus didn’t come to offer… Religion. The truth is most American Christians approach living for Jesus (True Biblical Christianity) for something far less and harder to live (a religion).

See, God never intended for us to add a new set of believes and new set of religious and moral behaviors to our pre-existing way of life. He always intended for our life to be completely changed.

It’s this religious approach (adding a few religious and moral behaviors to a pre-existing lifestyle) that has ruined so many of us. We honestly can’t figure out how to do all Jesus told us to do and still keep up the other lifestyle too. It wears us out and kills us. We think, “Jesus lied when he said his yoke (teachings) is easy and his burden is light.” But, we’re wrong.

Jesus’ teachings are easy to live out when it’s your lifestyle, not just a religious addition to your present lifestyle.

So, this is reason #1 why so many people feel so badly about their experience with Christianity.

But, reason #2 is imbalance, though this is less experienced than #1, but it does happen.

People get so focused on serving Jesus, being passionate about the mission, studying God’s word, winning people to Jesus, serving people, and so on that they miss Jesus’ M.O. (Method of Operation).

Jesus did say he lived to do the Fathers will solely, but we also know that while Jesus and many other Bible characters took following God seriously they also enjoyed life.

Part of this was learning to find joy no matter where you are and what you’re facing… Paul talks about this in 1Timothy 6. So, it’s a mindset/attitude.

But, there is also the reality that everything they did was done in the context of community (sharing life together).

We see much of their work for the Kingdom of God being done as a group, so there is a sense of community among the workers. We see much of the miracles of Jesus taking place as he was going about his business from one day to the next. It’s interesting, but it’s not the norm that Jesus sought out the sick… they sought him out while he was in their town.

It was in the midst of an open-air seminar that Jesus turned around and performed the miracle of feeding the multitudes. It was in route on a business trip that Jesus calmed a storm and healed a woman with an issue of blood. Peter was hungry, waiting on lunch, and talking with God when he had a vision and was told to go witness to the non-Jew Cornelius. Paul was in a shipwreck on his way to trial when he survived a snake bite and then healed many island people. David was simply bringing some supplies to his brothers, who were at war, when he ended up killing Goliath. Moses was simply shepherding his sheep, just like normal, when he encountered the burning bush. And on and on it goes.

The balance we have to find is one where this supernatural spirituality is lived out in everyday life. We are human beings and meant to rest and laugh and so on.

So, two things… 1) Stop living a Christian religion where God is simply an addition to your already busy and hectic lifestyle (usually contradictory too) and 2) Start renewing our mind with God’s truth and begin to see and live things from his perspective.

The Best Part

As a person who claims to be a follower of Jesus I have to regularly evaluate my life with Jesus, as it is written to “Test yourselves to see if you are STILL in the faith.”

I have to ask the tough question of, “Am I living up to the commitment I made to Jesus?” I have to honestly evaluate whether I’m the real deal, or just a hypocrite.

Jesus said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness…”

Do I seek Jesus and his way above all other things, or do I put OTHER things FIRST?

Jesus said, “If you love me you’ll obey my commands.”

I say I love Jesus, but do I really? What am I saying and proving by my actions daily? Am I showing love toward God?

Jesus said, "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”

Is there anyone or anything that I love (prioritize/pursue/live for) more than Jesus? Do I take the time to “take up my cross”, in other words consider my life and the things in it that need to change, and then make those changes no matter how painful? Do I make the time, do I put forth the energy and effort, do I make the sacrifice to grow in my faith and be more like Jesus?

Jesus said, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

Am I passionate and zealous in living for Jesus or am I half-hearted about it? Do I diligently pursue God and his plan for my life? When I obey Jesus and follow him, am I doing it because I really want to or because I have to (it’s my religious obligation)? Am I really living FOR Jesus, or do I still live for myself?

God said, “Out of all your gifts you shall present every offering due to the LORD, from all the best of them, the sacred part from them.”

Is God getting my best or my leftovers? Is he number one in my life, the one I truly live for, or is he just a hobby? Am I taking the BEST of ALL God has given me, and giving it to Him (The best of my time, money, talents, energy, etc.)?

These are questions that no one can answer for me, except me, and they must be answered.

For too long people have been able to just attend church and live life any way they want, but at some point we have to say, “Enough is enough!”

When will we really care enough to be the real deal and to make following Jesus (which we claim to be) THE priority in our life, so much so that we will make the commitment and sacrifice to personally grow, becoming more like Jesus every day, and reaching out to those who don’t know him with the love and truth of Jesus?

The fairness of the gospel

As I’ve spent much time witnessing to non-Christians I’m constantly questioned on the fairness of God in requiring people to go through Jesus alone to be saved instead of alternate means. Why not just being a good person will get you into heaven? Why not just any religion will do?

If you entertain these questions seriously other questions must inevitably be asked. Like: How good is good enough? Where would you draw the line?

It wouldn’t be fair for God as the creator of all mankind to have made some able and good enough to do it on their own while others fail (some in little ways and some in major ways).

And, in regard to various religions: How do we deal with the exclusiveness of some of the religions? In other words, All religions claim to be right, but many of the religions claim to be true and the ONLY way.

For example: Islam claims to be the only way. Christianity claims to be the only way. Hinduism claims that all ways are right. Buddhism believes the state of perfection is ultimately the state of nothingness and in the big picture there is no right or wrong, no God or man, it’s all one, it’s all nothing, but something (this particular religion is a contradiction in itself). It is clear that while all these religions claim to be right and true, they cannot all be right and true. Whether it is due to exclusive language claiming to be the only way, or whether it’s beliefs that contradict other religions and spiritual reason, the bottom line is THEY CANNOT ALL BE RIGHT.

We all have different personalities and abilities. We all have different desires and dreams. While to one being rich is a sign of being blessed, to another it is a sign of selfishness and sin. So, we can clearly see that man is not the one who should be in the position of defining the standards of right and wrong or deciding for themselves or others what’s the best way to heaven.

So, back to the question… HOW CAN GOD BE FAIR IN REQUIRING THE ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN TO BE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST?

The fairness is this:
Rather than basing a mans eternity on his own standard or the standard of others God established the standard, so it would be fair to all and show with absolute clarity and accuracy the standard of right and wrong.

This Perfect Standard is found in the Old Testament and is known as The Law.

God showed the world what is good and evil, right and wrong, according to HIS standard, which by the way is the standard of heaven. Therefore, in fairness God established the code and, in fairness, no one measured up. No one could make it to God on his or her own merit. No one is perfect or good enough by God’s standard.

Thus God implemented a second phase of his plan for imperfect people to access a perfect world/existence; by the perfect man and sacrifice, Jesus Christ.

It’s perfectly fair for God to say, no one measures up and therefore all need a savior.

It’s perfectly fair to put all of humanity in the same boat of imperfection and need. And, it’s perfectly fair to make the issue of right standing with God an issue of faith in the work of God in the flesh (Jesus Christ) as opposed to one mans moral goodness over another.

Faith is something we can all do, being good enough (if it were possible) would only be for a select few who were educated and influenced to make sound moral judgment over personal wants and desires.

The fairness of God is that he equally loves and values every person and has made the way to heaven equally easy by simply choosing to put our faith/trust in the work He (God) did on our behalf through Jesus Christ. By simply choosing to make Jesus the ruler of our life and do our best to follow his way from this day forward, which, by the way, Jesus summed up the spirit of the law (not the letter) by defining it as simply loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving your neighbor as yourself.

So, as Jesus becomes the ruler of our life and we start to follow the Jesus way of life it is simply a life lived in love toward God and people.

How much fairer could it be? Trust God instead of earning it and from that point on do things his way (loving God and loving people) as best you can, always striving to get better. It just doesn’t get any easier or better or fairer than this!

Sacred or Secular

Among churched folk (and those who were once unchurched, but have spent enough time around churched folk) there is a tendency to separate the sacred from the secular. In other words to look at a thing, experience, activity, or whatever and judge it (right or wrong, for better or for worse) by some inward standard whether it is holy or evil, right or wrong, good or bad, God or the devil.

The problem, and thus the error, we often fall into is our standards are flawed by three major blinders 1) Our prejudices, 2) Our preferences, and 3) Our limitedness (falability). There is a fourth, our Pride, but that is a whole other subject of which all 3 of these fall into.

So, let point some things out and then give some real life examples.

1. God made everything! The days, nights, stars, animals, people, and every detail of these things. Though these and many other things of God's creation are abused by misuse, idolatry, perversion, and so on does not negate the good, necessity, and God-ordained purpose & practice of these things.

2. God did also declare a standard of right and wrong, of how these creations were meant to operate, function, and be used, and he declares in the book of Isaiah, "Woe to the ones who call right wrong and wrong right!"

Example: Sex! Does God decalre a standard of what is right or wrong concerning the function/experience of sex? Yes! Is there misuse, abuse, and perversion of this God designed function/experience? Yes! Does the misuse, abuse, and perversion negate, invalidate, or make it wrong or evil? No!

You see, the misuse, abuse, and perversion is wrong, and perhaps you could say evil, but the proper use/application of this God created function/experience is not only good or great, it's beautiful, right, holy, and of God (a blessing from him and is blessed by him).

Here is the problem. We tend to focus in on surface issues and judge the whole. We'll focus in on a specific abuse of sexuality say, homosexuality, or child molestation, or premarital sex, or adultery and turn around and have a negative view/attitude toward all sex. We act as though sex is wrong and have a huge distaste for the subject. In some areas we even question how a person could be a Christian and practice such foul behavior.

You can apply this to so many broad subjects such as Alcohol, Sex, Entertainment, Holidays, Music, Technology, and so on.

But here is where I want to see transformation.

Instead of looking at the negative and finding the worst in something, instead of giving the devil and sin glory by preaching how bad something is or how disgusting and wrong something is, let's focus on the God side.

For example: Halloween. Here is a holiday that has been perverted by many people throughout the years, yet it started out as a "Christian Religion" holiday and has more roots in Christianity than the Christmas and Easter holidays.

Many Christains view Halloween as the "Devils day" and as a bad thing. It certainly can be argued that it has been perverted and come to that, but in all truth, whose day is it really? Who made October 31? God did! Do you think he made it for the devils glory? Do you think we as Christains should declare that day as the "devils day" or declare it as "God's Day"?

Sacred or Secular... as a Christian is there suppossed to be a difference in our life? Is there suppossed to be certain things in our life that are sacred (Godly, holy, right, and good) and other things in our life that are secular (ungodly, impure, wrong, and bad/evil)? The answer is simple. No!

See, sacred is who you are not what you do. And because it's WHO you are it changes WHAT you do into being sacred. As a Christ follower you want to do everything in word and deed for the Glory of Jesus (Colossians 3:17) . In other words, live a sacred lifestyle so that everything you do is sacred (pleasing to the Lord).

Sex now becomes a sacred experience because you're approaching it from God's perspective and according to God's Standard. The same is true for eating, speaking, music, food, holidays, you name it.

Am I saying that you're turning evil things into good or calling good evil? Like saying that something God calls wrong (gluttony) is now right and okay? Not at all! What I'm saying is that we are now going to approach and handle that area of our life according to God's Standard and enjoy the sacred side of food & eating without the abuse, misuse, and perversion (which is what gluttony is).

You can't take something that is blatently wrong by Gods standard and call it right (such as premarital sex), but you can stop and look at the original God intended purpose and function of that thing (sex within marriage between a man and a woman)and rejoice in and practice it properly. In doing this you are not only communicating the gospel, but you are demonstrating the life God want us to experience, and you are reclaiming/redeeming what rightfully belongs to God and his kingdom, but was stolen by the devil. Sex, music, food, drink, language, technology, holidays, you name it, none of it belongs to the devil! It all belongs to God and should be used and experienced to his Glory and Pleasure.

Most of our "Sacred Vs. Secular" arguments are shallow and based on prejudices, preferences, and ignorance (limited understanding on the matter). Like Rock Music Vs. Classical style. We argue one style is sacred and the other secular (one holy and the other unholy), but God created music, period! All music belongs to him. Yes, there is abuse, misuse, and perversion of music out there, in all styles, but it doesn't mean we just condemn all music made in that style, and we certainly should not condemn it just because it's not a style to our liking.

God made everything and the things that God inspired man to "create" were moments that man was imitating our Heavenly Father, but when we took God's creation or the God-inspired creations of man and perverted, abused, and misused them, that is what made them secular, before that they were all sacred.

See, the same lightbulb used in the church building, the same electrical outlet in the church building, the same toilet paper in the church building they are all the same ones used in the strip club. Is the church using secular lightbulbs, electrical outlets, and toilet paper? Or do they order special holy & blessed bulbs, outlets, and toilet paper? Or is the strip club using sacred bulbs, outlets, and toilet paper? No! The sacred or secular is all in the proper or improper application.

My grandma used to say two sayings, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water." and "Don't throw out the whole bushel, just because of a few bad apples."

How long will we quickly judge and condemn a God-created activity/experience, labeling it secular, and loose out on the sacred robbing ourselves of the life God intended us to experience?

How many ways, in how many areas, have we cut ourselves short by a false relgious standard created out of a mans ignorance, prejudice, or preference instead of Gods Word?

When will we say, "enough is enough, I'm not going to allow the devil to steal from me all God created and has for me!"? Whether he steals it through literal perversion, misuse, or abuse, or whether he steals by way of a distorted false religious standard based out of mans ignorance, prejudice, and preference.

Is your life sacred or secular? Is it full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? Is it in line with the truth of Gods Word? Are you approaching life narrowmindedly with relgious (but unbiblical) standards and perspectives of holiness, righteousness, and spirituality?

Jesus said, I came to give you life and life to the full! It is written that all things have been made pure through the blood of Jesus and that we are to do everything to the glory of God!

I think many of us will be surprised to find out that God doesn't carry our perspective, preference, or prejudice toward a good many things in our world.

Let's get back to His Word and do things his way!