And Be There…With God

Exodus 24:12

What an invitation. “Come up to Me on the mountain and be there…” This is how Exodus 24:12 is written in the NKJV. The other English versions also have the, “Come up to Me part,” giving variations on the, “be there,” by saying things like “wait there,” or “stay there.” The point is that God wanted Moses with Him on the mountain and that sounds like one of the most awesome invitations ever given.

In Exodus 24 the people give affirmation, agreeing that, “All the words which the LORD has said we will do.” (Exodus 24:3) They repeat this vow after hearing the reading of the Book of the Covenant (verse 7) and Moses sprinkles the blood of the sacrifices on them in order to seal the covenant between them and the LORD. Shortly thereafter Moses, Aaron, Nabad and Abihu, along with seventy elders climb part of the way up Mount Sinai where they enjoy a big meal in the presence of God (verses 9-11).

It’s after this feast that God extends a special invitation to Moses as recorded in verse 12. What an honor it must have been to receive an invitation from God to come up and be there with Him: to receive the Ten Commandments and to learn how to teach them. This is something God did not have to do as He had already spoken to the people and given them the Ten Commandments (chapter 19). He could have very easily just left the stone tablets someplace at the bottom of the mountain with instructions on how to find them. It sounds as if God wanted Moses up on the mountain with Him and in the same way God wants each of us to be with Him today.

Jesus’ death and resurrection are invitations to us all, a sign that God wants us to be with Him. This is why the veil of the temple was torn (Matthew 27:51) and why we are to enter the Holiest by a new and living way (Hebrews 10:19-22). God, through Jesus Christ, is inviting us to come and be with Him. Will you, by faith, accept His invitation? 

Saved By One

It’s a well known Old Testament story. In Genesis 19 two angels show up at the gate of Sodom where they find Lot sitting there doing…well…the Bible doesn’t tell us but he is there. He immediately stands up and invites these angels to spend the night at his house. Eventually the angels agree to do so but their evening is interrupted when the men of Sodom surround the house looking for trouble. In the end, the Angels escape, dragging Lot and his family behind them, and God destroys the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Before this all happened, these same angels visited Abraham (Genesis 18). This time the LORD was with them and Abraham saw three men approaching. During their visit with Abraham, God tells him what He has in store for Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham intercedes on behalf of the cities, with God eventually promising that if He finds ten righteous people in Sodom He will spare the city. Imagine, had there been ten people who feared God, God would have spared the city. But there were not ten and Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed.

The Gospel tells us that salvation is available to all because of ONE righteous man. The Bible tells us that as God surveys the earth, He finds zero righteous people. In fact, all of our good deeds and good living are but filthy rags before the Lord (Isaiah 64:6). All have sinned (Romans 3:23) and none of us can pay the price needed to avoid the punishment we deserve because of our sin. Like the men of Sodom we all should face destruction and there are not ten righteous for whom God would spare us. But there is one: Jesus Christ whose death on the cross paid for all of our sins.

The presence of ten righteous people would have protected Sodom. Today, there is one righteous man through whom salvation is available. In Christ Jesus we are saved by One.

Who Do You Love More?

In the first 6 verses of Zechariah 7 God asks the people if their fasts were about Him or about them. He then describes what should have been the results of fasts and prayers and of lives lived in a way that is God centered. What should have happened if they were about God? They should have obeyed what God told them to do when they were still on their land and still blessed with all God had given them. In essence, God is saying here, “If you love Me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15)

Israel was blessed because God loved them. He asked them to return that love and described what this should look like. Jesus has given the gift of salvation because God loves us (John 3:16). All He asks is that we love Him in return. This means believing in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, which is how we get saved. It also means keeping His commandments which is the outflowing of a heart that loves the Lord.

So, who do you love more? How you live reveals the answer.

“Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests: ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me—for Me?

Zechariah 7:5

God Delights In Mercy, Even in the Old Testament

It’s a conversation I’ve had many times and it usually starts with the statement, “The God of the Old Testament seems so different from the God of the New Testament.” The person making this statement usually goes on to talk about how God seems so judgmental and harsh in the Old Testament and so forgiving in the New Testament. They point to times when people died for sinning against God, like in 2 Samuel 6:6-8 when Uzzah touched the ark and was immediately struck down. Even David was a little ticked off about that one. While it’s a little confusing to say that the God who forgives would do such a thing, the fact is that it is the same God. Therefore, we must reconcile these acts of judgment with the forgiveness that is found throughout the New Testament, lest we misunderstand the true nature of our God.

Who is a God like You,

Pardoning iniquity

And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?

He does not retain His anger forever,

Because He delights in mercy.

Micah 7:18 (NKJV)

Micah believed that the God of his time (in the Old Testament) was a God who forgave sins. Micah describes God as one who “delights in mercy.” Other translations use the words “Grace,” “steadfast love” and “loving-kindness,” Some even use both “mercy” and “loving-kindness” together. In Micah’s eyes the God of the Old Testament was more like what we think of about the God of the New Testament.

Keep in mind that Micah wrote this after prophesying of the judgment which was to fall upon Judah and Israel (Micah chapters 1-3), so the prophet was not overlooking the fact that God at times will unleash His anger upon those who sin against Him. But Micah also understood the fact that God is a just God and that the people of his nation had earned their sentence of death because of their iniquities. That being said, Micah trusted that God would have compassion and would cast their sins into the sea (verse 19).

Micah’s God was the God of the Old Testament. His God was also a God of mercy and compassion who loves His people and forgives them of their sins. This same Old Testament God gave His Son as a sacrifice for our sins because He loved the world (John 3:16) and while at times it may be difficult to accept, God has not changed. He is Lord in every book of the Bible. He was a God of mercy in the Old Testament and He is a God of mercy in the New Testament. And right now He wants to show you how much He loves and cares about you.

Abiding in God’s Love

As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

John 15:9-10

Christians often talk about how God loves all of us unconditionally. It really doesn’t matter if you believe in Him or not, God still loves you as demonstrated on the cross. As Jesus explained to His disciples,

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

John 15:13

Not only did Jesus lay down His life for His friends but He also did so for the ungodly and for all of us who have sinned against God:

For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

Romans 5:6

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

God’s unconditional love is a fact that should be embraced by every believer. Even in those difficult times when we struggle to believe in God’s love, the simple fact is that He does love us unconditionally. We need to remind ourselves that we are loved. We then need to remind others by loving them unconditionally just as God has loved us. This is the example we have in Christ as He describes in John 15:9.

We must also recognize the second part of that verse. Yes, God loves us unconditionally but we must learn to abide in His love. Jesus tells us that if we keep His commandments (if we live in recognition that He is our Lord) we will abide in His love. Does this mean that God’s love IS conditional? No. What Jesus is telling us is that we can move ourselves into a situation where we do not receive the love that God so generously pours out for us all.

Luke 15:11-32 The Parable of the Lost Son

In the parable of the Lost Son Jesus gives us an example of someone who stopped abiding in his father’s love. Jesus describes how the younger of two sons went to his father and asked to receive his part of the family’s wealth. Shortly after receiving what appears to be a generous sum, this son leaves his family and his life behind. Jesus describes how this son went off to a far country where he spent all of his money, most likely living the high life.

The New King James says that he wasted his possessions with prodigal living. The word “prodigal” is an adjective describing wasteful and reckless spending. Other versions of the Bible describe his lifestyle as “riotous” or “wild” or even “foolish.” Today we might say that he was careless or even dumb when it comes to money. Whatever word we use, the point is that he rejected what he had at home in order to do something stupid.

And then there was a famine during which he found himself struggling to find something to eat. It is at that point that he realizes that his father’s servants were eating better than he was. After seeing the truth, he comes to his senses and goes home.

So here’s the question of the day. While the son was off squandering his possessions, did the father stop loving his son? Based on the response we see as the son is walking up the road that leads to the house, I would say that the father never stopped loving his son. The father’s love was not based on the son doing the right thing. His love was not based on anything other than the fact that this was his son, whom he runs out and meets with an embrace. However, while the father continued to love the son, the son cut himself off from this love by the choices he made. I believe this is what Jesus is telling us in John 15:9-10. He loves us unconditionally (and without interruption) but we must choose to abide in His love.

If you are a Christian who has chosen not to abide in God’s love or if you are someone who has not even received God’s free gift of salvation, you are missing out. God loves you but if you choose not to abide in his love you will only find the emptiness that comes when the “fullness” of the life you have chosen runs out, leaving you with an emptiness that will never be filled apart from Jesus.

Yes, God’s love is unconditional and He loves you right now no matter what you have done or are doing. Do you want to abide in God’s love? Do you want to receive His love and to have that emptiness you feel from time to time filled with something that will last forever? Jesus calls you to repentance and instructs that in order to abide in His love you need to keep His commandments.

What Does It Mean to be A Servant of Jesus Christ?

In 1 Corinthians 4:1 the Apostle Paul says that he and his fellow workers should be seen as “...servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.” In fact, I believe all followers of Christ can be described as “servants,” which leads us to an important question. What does it mean to be a servant of Jesus Christ? Recently, while meditating on this question, my mind began to wander, (I admit it. Sometimes during my devotionals my mind wanders. Has that happened to you? Be honest!) and I found myself thinking about Alfred Pennyworth, better known simply as Alfred.

Alfred is, of course, Bruce Wayne’s (Batman’s) butler: a paid servant. Yet, in many ways Alfred is much more than just simply a servant. He is Bruce’s trusted confidant and advisor. He is also one of Bruce’s few and closest friends. Alfred is loyal, doing his best to help and support Bruce even while dealing with the trials that come with working for the Dark Knight. And as we watch (or read about) Alfred the audience embraces this humble servant as an important part of just about every Batman story.

Those who have received the gift of salvation have become servants of Jesus Christ. True, He says that He no longer calls His followers servants (John 15:15) but we cannot ignore this aspect of our relationship with Him, nor should we. Christians are called to be servants and like Alfred we have been entrusted with something very important: what Paul called the mysteries of God. We are invited into a close relationship with our Lord, one that is growing over time as we learn to see Him as He really is. We are to be loyal and to do our best to answer His call in support of the spreading of the Gospel. And like Alfred, we each are important to the story being crafted by our God. In fact, we are so important that Jesus died in order to make us a part of His story.

So what does it mean to be a servant of Jesus Christ? First and foremost it means I am saved by faith in Jesus Christ, having received the free gift of salvation offered by the grace of God. It then means that I try to live up to the high calling, responding as a good servant to the One who saved me. It means we are servants while at the same time enjoying our adoption as sons and daughters of the true and living God. Last, but certainly not least, being a servant of Jesus means I obey because He is Lord AND because I love Him.

Yes, But Wait

It has been a few months since I received my diabetes diagnosis. Since then I have heard the word “No!” more often than I expected. Quite often I’ve heard it from my family who gently and lovingly remind me that my diet must change. At times it has also come from my church family, all of whom have my best interest at heart. I’ve also heard myself saying it. For example, I’ve had to tell myself “No!” when I feel the urge to eat seven or ten cookies. The most disappointing “No!” came from my health insurance provider who declined a request for a constant glucose monitor. Among the long list of reasons was something about me not demonstrating an understanding of the need to take glucose readings. (Why else would I want a constant glucose monitor?) But there is One who has not said “No.” Instead, He said “Yes, but you have to wait.”

I received this in answer to my first response after receiving my diagnosis. Okay, maybe it was my second response. My first response was asking myself how I could be so stupid. (For the record diabetes has nothing to do with intelligence.) My second response was to ask God for healing. I even wrote about my healing in my post “All Things Work for the Good: Even Diabetes.” I was ready for a quick turn around, looking forward to that day when I could brag about being healed. But then I “heard” God’s answer. It was not anything audible but God found a way to make His answer clear. As I said in the first paragraph, that answer was, “Yes, but you have to wait.”

In the meantime God wants me to learn to trust in Him as He helps me live in victory over the diagnosis. That’s a little different than being completely healed. It’s a recognition that I am a diabetic but I am not a slave to my condition. God’s grace is sufficient and by His grace I have access to His wisdom when it comes to how I should live. By His grace I am still enjoying life, just with fewer calories. In Christ I’ve been empowered to move my A1C from a 14 to under 7 in less than a year.

I still believe God will heal me of diabetes, if not while I am on this earth than later during the eternal life which He has promised me. Until then, God’s grace is sufficient. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

What Do You Love More Than God?

I read the In Touch Devotional, written by Dr. Charles Stanley, just about every morning. It serves to help me focus on God and is a great way to start my day. In his December 23, 2021 devotional, Dr. Stanley (founder of In Touch Ministries) spoke of having an intimate relationship with God. And while it was not the main focus of the devotional, the lesson got me thinking about the things that I allow to come between me and God. I realized that I need to start asking myself a question whenever I am tempted. It is a simple question that brings with it a boat load of conviction. What do I love more than God?

You see, one of the things I am saying when I give into temptation is that I love the thing I am being tempted to do more than I love God. More accurately, I am saying that I love the way I feel when I do that thing or that I love my own wisdom more than I love God. My own actions speak louder than words (especially those words I claim to believe) and my sin speaks volumes. They say that there are areas of my life where I have not fully surrendered to God: Areas where God is not number 1.

Fortunately my salvation is not earned. It is a free gift given to me (and offered to you) by God, paid for on the cross when Jesus died. So, my actions do not earn a ticket to heaven nor can they cost me my future position in Heaven. My actions do, however, affect my current relationship with God, keeping me from fully enjoying my position as His child. I love God and there is nothing more valuable than my relationship with God. I’ll remember to remind myself of that when temptation comes.

What about you? What do you love more than God?

A Standing Appointment with God

I have a standing appointment each day with God. Actually it’s two appointments, during which the two of us meet in prayer and in Bible reading. He has never missed these appointments. I wish I could say the same but...well...nobody’s perfect...except for God. Don’t get me wrong, I try my best to pray without ceasing and to acknowledge Him in all my ways. But those two times each day are special, a few minutes where I can quiet my mind and my spirit, and focus on Him one on one. What a blessing it is to know that He will be there waiting to keep these very important appointments each day.

I didn’t always look forward to reading the Bible or spending time with God. Early in my walk I only had my devotionals because my friends in Campus Crusade said it was a good idea. I was trying to prove something to God (and to my friends) and over time I became exhausted by the burden of having devotionals for the wrong reasons. The Bible became, for a time, nothing more than words. It felt dry and meaningless. In fact, reading the Bible felt like I was doing something wrong. It was a case of doing the right thing for the wrong reasons.

Fortunately, the power of God’s written word is such that it can change a heart even when that heart is a bit self centered. In my case He used Psalm 1, and its description of a tree planted by the rivers of water, to ignite a big change in me.

The tree in Psalm 1 is alive and anything but dry. It is fruitful and productive. It was everything that was lacking in my own spiritual journey. I found myself asking God why I was so different from this tree. Why is it that the person whose life is like this tree gets to enjoy such a blessing? Fortunately the Psalm gives the answer. This person is blessed because they have chosen to meditate on the law instead of filling their mind with the thinking of this world. This is what we call a conditional blessing, one I believe is still available today to those who meditate on scripture.

But if that is the case, why were my devotional times so dry? Why was it that when I read the Bible I came away feeling like it was time wasted? I believe it was because, unlike the tree, I was trying to prove something instead of trying to receive something.

The tree does not try to prove itself to its creator. It stands in its soil and draws in the available nutrients and water. In the case of the Psalm 1 tree, having the nearby rivers made a big difference because the rivers would bring more for the tree to draw from. Those who meditate on the Law in the Psalmist’s day and the Bible in our day should be like this tree planted near the rivers.

And so I asked God to make me like this tree, knowing the promise made by Jesus when He said, “Ask and you shall receive.” I asked God why my devotional times were dry. I asked Him to make me like this tree and to plant me by these rivers. What was His response? He pointed me to John 15:1:

“I am the true vine…” (NKJV)

I was trying to prove myself to God but that’s not how it works. He is the true vine and I must draw from Him. My devotionals had to change from being about proving myself, becoming a time of drawing from the true vine. When I (with a lot of help from the Holy Spirit) made this change, my devotional times changed significantly.

Now I look forward to these standing appointments. They are no longer a burden and they are no longer about proving something. They are about receiving from God and about the blessing of being able to spend time in His presence. They are about being in the tent, talking with God. Now my devotionals and my time reading the Bible are about being alive.

I have a daily standing appointment with God and I thank God that He wants it to be that way.

Who Shall Stand In the Gap?

The list was very long. God spoke to Ezekiel, listing all of the wrongs committed by the people of Israel and their leaders. It quickly becomes clear that they were a nation that was in rebellion and God had decided to do something about it. But first, as He had so many times before, God would give them one more opportunity. He would search for that one man: the one who could stand in the gap before God. The LORD searched for that one person who, like Moses in the wilderness, was devoted to God and to the people and who was qualified to intercede on behalf of the nation. Finding none, God poured His anger out on the people (Ezekiel 22:30-31).

On both an individual and on a national level, I suspect our lists today are just as long as what was described to Ezekiel. If God were to look for one person to stand in the gap today, would he find such a person? Fortunately the answer is yes. In fact we benefit from having that Man standing before God, interceding on behalf of the believer right at this moment. Jesus of Nazareth, God’s only begotten Son, stands at the right hand of God. There He speaks on the behalf of all who believe in His name, talking us up in prayer before the One Who created all things (Romans 8:34).

Those who have received the gift of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ need not worry about what will happen when we stand before the Father. Jesus has already put in a good word for us. We need not worry about God’s wrath. That was poured out on Jesus on our behalf. Jesus died on the cross, paying for our salvation with His life and redeeming us unto the Father so that in Him we might have life. He is already standing in the gap on your behalf. Remember this as you seek in prayer.

Are Christians Innocent and What Happened on the Cross?

The cross: Christianity's most recognizable symbol. Believers look upon it and are reminded of the gift of salvation offered to all and received by those who believe. But the people of Rome likely saw something else. Back then crosses stood in public places for all to see and for passersby the cross made one single declaration. It was Rome's way of announcing that a person had been tried and found guilty as charged. But who is really guilty when it comes to the cross of Jesus Christ? To answer that question we must look at what really happened upon that cross.

To best understand what happened on the cross of Jesus Christ we need only look at what happened to Barabbas. Barabbas had been found guilty of taking part in a rebellion during which someone was murdered. He and his co-conspirators were being kept on Rome's version of death row when Pontus Pilate offered to turn loose one prisoner. Pilate offered the people a choice between releasing Barabbas or releasing Jesus. The people chose Barabbas. As a result, the guilty went free leaving the innocent to die in his place.

The Bible says that all have sinned (Romans 3:23). We are all guilty of violating our creator's moral standard. As a result we all have been sentenced but not all will receive the punishment we have earned. Our creator has made a choice. As a result you and I have the opportunity to go free. In our place we leave behind the innocent who served our sentence. Like Barabbas we can go free knowing that Jesus, the Son of God, suffered a punishment that was meant for us.

So what really happened at the cross? An innocent man, a man who never sinned, died and the guilty went free. Who was guilty? Who really deserves to be punished? Barnabbas was guilty. I am guilty. You are guilty. We all have been found guilty. And yes Christians were found guilty as charged. Fortunately our Judge chose to accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross as payment for our sins. By faith we can choose to agree with God that we are guilty and that because of what happened on that cross, our sins are fully forgiven and completely washed away.

It Was All Voluntary, Speaking of the Cross

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I try to have two quiet times per day, meditating on the Bible and spending time one on one with God. As we head into Easter, I am sharing my thoughts from a recent quiet time.

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.

Matthew 27:50

I find it interesting that Jesus “yielded up His spirit.” He didn’t simply die. His life was not taken from Him. He yielded. John 10:18 indicates that Jesus had the power to continue living. He likely could have endured the cross and survived, doing exactly what those who taunted Him asked. Instead He yielded. This shows both His power and His resolve. This also shows His love. I pray for the capacity to love like this.

Jesus is so powerful that the cross could not kill Him without Him yielding His own life.

I read this now and think about what kind of person He is. I also think about what kind of person I am. In Christ I’ve been empowered. What am I doing with that power? Jesus was determined to carry out His mission. Am I?

The Humiliation of Jesus Christ

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I suspect there is no place on earth where spitting on someone is an acceptable custom. In fact spitting on someone is a sure fire way to show that you don't respect a person and in many cases that person might respond with violence. So when the soldiers spit on Jesus they weren't doing so as an act of worship. They wanted to let the man know that they were in control and that they could do whatever they wanted. What they wanted was to bring this "King" down a few notches. Spitting was their way of humiliating One who just a few days earlier claimed to be the Son of God.

The Bible tells us that after Pontius Pilate delivered Jesus to be crucified, soldiers took Him into the Praetorium where an entire garrison gathered around Him (Matthew 27:26-27, Mark 15:15-16). The Praetorium served both as the home and judgment seat of a Roman governor, in this case Pilate who was serving as the prefect of Judea. In researching the Praetorium I found myself thinking about what this represented during Jesus' trial. God incarnate, the King of Kings and the LORD of all standing before Pilate in the man made Praetorium. The One who judges all standing before a man and judged under Roman law: His case heard in a building made by human hands. And although Jesus was found not guilty, He would be sentenced to death and taken prisoner by a garrison of Roman troops.

This garrison of troops was likely the one assigned to protect Pilate and the Praetorium. Based on information from several different sources a garrison would have been just under 500 soldiers, implying that the group that gathered around Jesus in the Praetorium was quite large. Unlike the five or ten soldiers often depicted in movies, hundreds of soldiers came to mock this man from Galilee as implied when scripture says the "whole” garrison gathered around Him.

The garrison stripped Him, according to Matthew 27:28. Reading this gave me flashbacks to highschool swimming class. I avoided having to change clothes during gym class by wearing my shorts under my pants. This didn't work when we had to take a semester of swimming. I had no choice but to drop trousers in a locker room full of teenage boys, all of whom trying to keep their eyes focused straight ahead into our assigned lockers. It was unnerving. The occasional taunt or practical joke might have built character but at the time were just downright painful. Jesus was stripped by and in front of a large group of soldiers. I can only think of one word: embarrassing. At least Adam and Eve got to wear fig leaves.

The soldiers then dressed Him in a scarlet robe. Their choice is interesting, as scarlet is also the color of blood and of the stain of our sin which Jesus bore on the cross (Isaiah 1:18). But the soldiers were not thinking of sin when they put the robe on Jesus nor did they care about the burden He would bear when they put upon his head a crown of thorns. His was not a scepter of power but a reed of shame placed in His right hand as they bowed and made fun. They mockingly called Him king. They then spat on Him and hit him in the head with His reed/scepter before once again stripping Him in front of them all.

Jesus made it clear that He could call 12 legions of angels to save Him from this path (Matthew 26:53-54). So why didn't He? Why endure such humiliation when in a snap He could have single handedly turned the tables on each and everyone of those soldiers? I'm not always comfortable with the answer to that question because it involves a love that is deeper than I can even begin to fathom: God's love for you and for me.

My studies of what it means to observe lent have led me to look at the meaning behind Ash Wednesday and Baptism. I also looked at fasting and Jesus’ time in the wilderness. Along with these aspects of the faith, it’s important to think about the abuse Jesu endured at the hands of the soldiers and how humiliating this situation had to have been. He endured being spat on as part of the path necessary for our salvation. It should have been you and me standing before those soldiers. Instead it was our Lord. Keep that in mind as you meditate and consider your relationship with our LORD.

A Meatball Sandwich, A Conversation and A Change of Heart

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We love our food here in Philly, which is why (according to apartmentguide.com) the city has about 422 pizza businesses. That's 26.6 pizza businesses per 100,000 people, placing us second among large cities according to Apartment Guide's list. And as BillyPenn.com points out, the number of pizza places could be much higher depending on how you calculate. Along with all those pizza businesses Philly has over 150 food trucks (according to roaminghunger.com) and a number of award winning restaurants. With plenty available at every price point, Philly is definitely a city that loves food.

From time to time, especially on Fridays, I find myself in front of one of the city's 150+ food trucks. Last week I chose the one on the corner just down the street from the day job, where I ordered a meatball sandwich with Parmesan cheese. As the owner of the truck prepared my sandwich, another customer commented on how good the sandwich looked. She said she didn't need to eat any more beef, having had her fill the night before, but seeing my sandwich changed her mind and her order.

If not for my sandwich the next customer would have stayed on course with whatever it was she had planned to order. I did nothing other than being there and paying for my meal. The sandwich spoke for itself without me interfering or making any changes. I believe the Gospel works in much the same way. God has given us a treasure that is attractive enough to change hearts and minds without our interference. We need only live it and be ready to teach it as the opportunity arises. People will be drawn to it simply because it is good. Such is the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

What's Between The Prayer and The Pearly Gates?

I accepted Christ back in the 1980's. After, I sought out other Christians and began my Christian walk. For whatever reason I was quickly sent out to share with nonbelievers, earning leadership positions both in church and in a Christian group on campus. I thought I was growing. Looking back I realize something was missing. I was well versed in how to become a Christian and on what would happen at the end of life but I was not sure about what was supposed to come in between.

So what is "the walk" in between our prayer to receive Christ and our arrival at the pearly gates? Early on I was taught to spend my time trying to live right and trying to share the Gospel. Both are supported by scripture which speaks of a new creation and of the Great Commission. But scripture also speaks of a very important promise given by Jesus in His explanation of why he came to earth.

"...I come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

Jesus speaking in John 10:10

Followers of Christ have received life and we have received it more abundantly. That sounds like something good, especially considering the context. Jesus spoke these words showing a contrast between himself and "the thief," who comes to steal and to kill. The thief comes to take something away from us, leaving behind a person who is empty, not having received abundant life. Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. So what is abundant life?

I'm not sure how I would've answered that question twenty or thirty years ago. Whatever I would have said likely would have sounded good, perhaps even biblical. But my actions and my emotions likely would have looked more like work than like life. Back then I was doing church, serving in every way possible even at the expense of my own health. I was trying to prove that I was a great Christian. This was not life. It was the path of self destruction, a path on which I had a lot of company.

I didn't want to admit it but that kind of walk is just another form of idolatry. It was a life that had a form of godliness on the outside but was lacking power on the inside. Instead of drawing from God I was pouring out from my own emptiness thinking that if I didn't do it, it might not get done. Yes the pats on the back I received from fellow Christians were nice but I was still longing for something else. I was still longing for abundant life.

"For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will."

John 5:21

There's no way around it. If Jesus is Who the Bible says He is, then life begins in Him. This life is more than just a beating heart and the ability to do things. Every person walking on earth has that no matter what they believe. So then what is it that Jesus promised in John 10:10?

"And this is Eternal Life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."

John 17:3

According to Jesus eternal life is a relationship. We tend to define it as living forever. That's just a side effect of a relationship with the everlasting Father. Likewise it follows that abundant life comes as a result of the same relationship in which Christ pours out and we receive. Our actions (our obedience) come in response to this relationship not as a way of earning the relationship. As such we are to live as God's children, not out of burden but simply because that's what we are. (John 1:12-13).

Here's where I have to confess that I do not fully know what abundant life looks like. I know Christ should be recognizable within those who have abundant life. How that plays out is perhaps too much to go into in a single blog post. I do know that abundant life is a gift given freely by Christ to those who believe. It is something we all can enjoy in between our prayer to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, and the day we reach our heavenly mansion. This abundance is much more than just acting like a Christian should. It is a life of fullness that is a result of walking daily with the creator of the universe.

I trust that as I focus on Him I will receive that gift of abundant life. Are you open to receiving from Christ? If Your a Christian how are you spending your time between your prayer to receive Christ and your arrival at the Pearly Gates?


(Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.)

My Identity In Christ

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The biggest hurdle on the path of my Christian walk was that of recognizing my identity, as most of who I was and how I perceived myself was the result of codependent living. In fact I identified more with codependency than I did with being black. It didn’t help that my friends from time to time called me an Oreo Cookie, leaving me questioning my own racial makeup, nor did it help that I equated value with the ability to meet the expectations of other people. Even after becoming a Christian codependency is what defined me. That, along with being an Oreo who often fell short of expectations, was the reason that I didn't really like...me. These made up my identity and none of them was worth writing home about.

One of the things we tell people when they come to Christ is that they are a new creation. We tell people they are different: different from who they once were and different from people of the world of which they are no longer a citizen. That all sounded good to me and I made sure to tell everyone about this new me. However my heart did not feel new. It felt like the same heart of stone, the one God promised to replace but I felt like I missed my appointment. I called myself a child of God but in reality I doubted this fact more often than not. Though I said I was a new creation I still struggled with insecurity and with the view that I was a failure with fake relationships and with no real racial identity.

I wish at this point I could say that things just clicked one day and I realized something different about myself. That’s not how it happened. Instead I struggled for years after receiving Christ and being baptized. I struggled with impostor syndrome even as I was elevated into church leadership. I struggled with doubts, believing the promised abundant life in Christ was only for others not for a person like me. I believed these things because while I am saved and living the gift of eternal life, the most important part (a growing relationship with God) was missing.

The Bible tells us that eternal life is about relationship with God (John 17:3). It is about a complete change in identity wherein we become children of the Most High and He becomes our Father. As a result of the cross we are free to come home to our Creator, whose will is for us to know His love. In Christ we are given a new identity which we claim by faith. It may take time to learn to live as one of His but know that He is doing a good work in you. Know that as a believer you are not an impostor. By faith know that your identity is God’s son or daughter.

Ash Wednesday and Repentance from Sin

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For many Christians Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent, a period of time lasting forty days (not counting Sundays) during which believers take part in traditions designed to help them grow closer to God. I must admit that I have never observed Lent beyond recognition of Jesus' death and resurrection. But this year my understanding of Lent was broadened during a conversation with a brother who expressed concern that those who have Easter without Lent may be missing an opportunity for growth. So I decided to explore the traditions of Lent while examining my own understanding of the events leading up to Easter and would like to share some of my thoughts in a series of posts.

As a believer who does not observe Lent let me start by saying this is neither an endorsement nor a criticism of the traditions associated with this time of year. This is only to satisfy my own curiosity about something I was not exposed to as a child, starting with a look at Ash Wednesday.

I don't remember seeing anyone with ashes on their heads prior to moving to the east coast. I'm sure there must have been people in the area who took part in Ash Wednesday services as a matter of faith, but I was not aware of the practice. And so it caught me off guard when, on my way to work a few years ago, I saw someone with what looked like a dirt smudge on their forehead. I'm glad I didn't say anything as I would have looked like a complete idiot.

Back then everyone on Philly's Broad Street Subway kept to themselves and I was more than willing to uphold that tradition. But then a second person with a smudge passed by me on their way out of the train. By the third forehead smudge I realized that this was not just a lack of available mirrors. That's when I took a closer look and realized I was seeing the cross smeared onto the forehead of a passersby. By the evening commute these crosses were more prevalent. It was at that point that I understood why the day is called Ash Wednesday.

Traditionally the ashes used on Ash Wednesday are from the burning of the palms from last year's Palm Sunday celebration. The ashes represent dust and are a reminder that we are made from the dust of the earth and will eventually return to that dust. The ashes also symbolize the believer’s grief over their sin, as the day starts a 46 day period of fasting and prayer called Lent. For the next few weeks leading up to Holy Thursday the faithful observe a period of penance during which they demonstrate their repentance from sin.

Lent is a reminder of the seriousness of sin. As believers we speak of being saved by grace but that grace was not free. God paid a price on the cross so that we might receive the gift of salvation. Our sins were poured out upon Jesus Christ who received our penalty that in exchange we might receive His righteousness. His death satisfied our debt and in His resurrection, we have life.

As it is a gift of grace, we easily receive by faith the salvation of God. As you enjoy this gift don't forget that we are called to repentance from sin. Remember the price paid so that you might live free from the bondage of sin. In  response, open your heart that God may do the work of moving you to a life of repentance. Remember His grace and how by faith you receive mercy instead of the reward that you truly deserve, an exchange made possible by His sacrifice.

God Shows Mercy From The Start

God warned Adam that in the day he ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he would die. In doing so God established ground rules which still apply today. As in the garden the punishment for disobedience (sin) is death. Is Adam's survival after eating a sign that God got it wrong? But we teach that God never makes mistakes. How is it that Adam ate and did not die? I believe two things happened during and after the fall: Adam suffered spiritual death and God was merciful.

Genesis 3:1-7

Adam did continue his physical existence after eating the forbidden fruit but from that point on it seems as if he was a very different person. I'm not a theologian but Adam's actions, as recorded in the Bible, give the impression that while physically alive something was very wrong spiritually.

For starters, his relationship with his wife changed. He suddenly felt the need for a barrier between himself and Eve. His desire to put on clothes shows he was no longer as comfortable around her as he was before. Perhaps he felt vulnerable. Perhaps he had grown insecure. Whatever the reason, his putting on clothes represented a change in his relationship with his wife. They no longer accepted each other as they had when God first created them. Now they needed to cover up.

How we love others is a sign of where we are spiritually. The change in how Adam and Eve saw each other is evidence that Adam's spirit had changed. I suspect he still loved Eve but his love was no longer the unconditional love of a living spirit. His fig leaves represent both a change in how he saw Eve and a change in his ability to live spiritually as God originally designed.

"...and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden."

Genesis 3:8

If you are hiding from God something is wrong spiritually. In this case not only did they hide in the trees but they also found a blind spot where the all knowing had to ask where they were. In college I was asked to explain why God asks this question. I gave an answer for which my opinion has not changed over the (many) years. We know that sin separates from God yet we say all are in His presence. This is what we see upon God's return to the garden, Adam was physically near but the spiritual connection he once had with the Father was no more. This is also what we see as Christ, under the weight of our sins, asks why His Father has forsaken Him (Matthew 27:46). I believe God knew where Adam was physically but Adam was lost to God spiritually. In fact if not for what God does next, Adam would be eternally lost.

After speaking with Adam and Eve God sacrifices animals. As with the law given to Israel an animal sacrifice was used to atone for sin. The lives of the animals were given in place of the lives owed by Adam and Eve because of their sin. This was acceptable in the eyes of God, foreshadowing what would happen on the cross many centuries later where One who was without sin gave His life in place of the lives we all owe.

Like Adam we all have sinned. By law our being found guilty comes with a sentence of death. With His death on the cross Jesus offered Himself as a substitute giving His life in place of ours. Because of His sinless nature His payment is sufficient to cover all our sins, a sacrifice which is acceptable in the eyes of the Father. Now God can forgive without violating the law of righteousness.

Even in the Old Testament we find God being merciful. By all rights He could have and should have poured out His anger because of Adam's sin. Instead He blotted out their sins with the blood of  animals. If not for this act of mercy and compassion Adam and Eve would have perished, being dead to God in their sins. Today’s believers can live knowing our sins are washed away in the blood of Jesus Christ who died for all of our sins. In this we see God’s mercy.