40 days: it is finished

"It is finished."

When Jesus' listeners heard this phrase from his final breath on the cross, they knew what it meant. In the common Greek language of the day, the phrase meant, “Paid in full.” It was commonly written on business documents or receipts during New Testament times to show that all the requirements of a debt had been met. The connection between this and what Jesus had accomplished would have been unmistakable - the Lord had paid the full price for their sins.

You also can know that your bill listing your sin debt has been stamped “Paid in full!”

Please, don’t reject this amazing gift through unbelief, apathy, or familiarity.

Soak in these beautiful words:

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:18-21)

40 day journey: the trade off

Today marks "Holy Wednesday" (or "Spy Wednesday"). This is not just some event that happened many years ago, but is an event that happens in our lives everyday. See if you can see yourself in this piece of the Story it's rooted in:

Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, "What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?"

So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over. (Matthew 26:14-15)

This moment preludes Judas' actual betrayal of Jesus, which in turn leads to many events that lead Jesus to the cross. There is intrigue, suspense, and an impending sense of disaster... for it all leads to a clash between the powers of good and evil - and it all happens through the betrayal of this one young man.

Again - this is more than a moment in the Bible or human history. This is the daily struggle each of us faces when we toss around whether we will follow Jesus or trade Him for something else.

Some believe Judas made the arrangement with the Pharisees to betray Jesus on purpose because he'd grown tired of following Him; others believe Judas was a true "patriot" to the cause and was trying to force Jesus into a situation where He could exert His power, thereby revealing Himself to the world; still others think that Judas was simply greedy.

No matter what the reason was, Judas chose not to do one one simple thing - follow Jesus "as is."

How often do we want to trade the real Christ for a different version? Whatever our motive may be, we seem to want the Jesus who nods and smiles when we do nice things, but who is somehow blind and whistles while looking away when we intentionally and selfishly break away from Him.

Do you know what your 30 pieces of silver are today?

• Something you want?
  
• Something you want to do?
  
• Something you don't want to do that you should do?

May you not settle for shiny coins that will ultimately become more costly than you imagine.

40 day journey: there really are no words

Here's a video illustrating a powerful story you may or may not heard before:



This story tracks back to a short story written by Dennis E Hensley called "To Sacrifice a Son: An Allegory." It is in every way an inspirational parable, attempting to remind us about God the Father's sacrifice of his son Jesus. The anguish of an earthly father having to choose between his one son and many other people can help us understand some of the emotion involved with the events of this week we are in.

Only this parable is incomplete, and if you forget this you will miss out on the true message of Easter weekend.

Jesus didn't die as the result of an accident. Though the Heavenly Father did give up his son to save mankind (the way the drawbridge keeper sacrifices his child to spare the lives of strangers), the choice was not forced upon Him by circumstance. The death of Jesus Christ was chosen... plain and simple, it was chosen for you and I. God exists inside and outside of time, and the latter allowed Him at the point of our creation to know we would corrupt the gift of freewill and turn it into rebellion. So the Son was always a part of the plan... not an accident.

Consider this - the weight of it all - and the gift of that kind of that love.

And doggone it... start giving that kind of love. Not just to people its convenient to give it to, but the ones whom it is the most difficult.

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)

40 day journey: a holy week buffet

How does your holy week/weekend look right now?

Many of us have much on the calendar. In our church, there is a Good Friday gathering we're doing with another church, a Saturday Easter Egg hunt, and a couple of powerful services on Resurrection Sunday. Maybe you are following a schedule like that, or maybe you also have family coming in or travel plans that take you elsewhere. Throw in work, school, extracurriculars, and so on... and you're probably busy.

Maybe so busy that you're missing out on the Story behind the story of your life.

Today I went with a couple of hungry high school guys to Golden Corral - a local buffet where you can load your plate with every meet, carb, vegetable, and dessert your lower intestine will allow. They consequently charge you a chunk of change, which is why most people cram in what they can... to feel like they made the most of what they spent.

As we were leaving, it hit me how easy it is to skip over tasting the food because you're so intentional about shoving it in. As we started talking about Easter weekend, the comparison became quite obvious.

Are you "tasting" the powerful realities that this week holds? Yesterday was "Palm Sunday" where we remember a time that Jesus was praised for who everyone wanted Him to be - but not necessarily for who He was and is. God is more than a "fix it" card in our pockets - He's God.

And this God became a man who willingly had his body shredded and was humiliated for a crime He didn't commit. He did this for our sins... the things you and I keep trying to excuse instead of turn away from.

So may you today choose to taste that gift. Not to make you live in guilt, but to uncover new freedom that is offered because of what He went through on your behalf.

Don't cram it all in this week... taste every bite.

"I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever." (John 6:58, NLT)

40 day journey: crazy - just crazy

How safe is your faith?

We often see in the Bible how God asks His people to do unusual things without knowing the outcome. I was considering how absurd it must have sounded for a couple of Jesus' disciples when the Lord threw this one by them:

After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it.' " (Luke 19:28-31)

That may roll off your eyes as you read it like this was a common thing. Picture it in our culture - your church is having a BBQ and the grill breaks down. So you go over to Wal-Mart and start wheeling one out of the store without paying for it. The manager stops you and asks you what you're doing. What do you say?

Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?"

They replied, "The Lord needs it." (Luke 11:32-34)

Some speculate that the owner of the colt was a follower of Jesus, too. That's a safe guess. Honestly, though, we don't know this.

In fact, God's track record is quite the opposite when it comes to such things. He told Moses to confront the leader of Egypt and ask that Pharaoh to release his slave work force... 'cuz God says so. Then there was the time that a boy named David told Goliath he was going down because God was on his side. Or a young man named Daniel who told the king he was in captivity under that God wasn't pleased with him and he would soon die.

Whether or not you know those stories, you do know other ones, don't you? Like when God nudges you about a certain area of your life that seems ridiculous to follow Him in. Maybe it has to do with the way you entertain yourself... or satisfy yourself... or protect yourself. Perhaps it's about the safety net you've erected to keep certain people out of your life that God doesn't want you to get out of your life.

Maybe it even has something do with how he's asked you to prepare for this next week.

On Sunday we will recognize Palm Sunday - the day when many people welcomed the Jesus they wanted instead of the Jesus He was.

Does that concept sound familiar at all to you?

They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!"

"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

(Luke 11:35-38)

40 day journey: absence makes the heart grow

This past Monday I didn't post a devotion for the 40 Day Journey many of us are taking together. I had one lined up, and then it occurred to me that part of this journey means each of us taking charge of it. In other words, while the community of God is intended to serve each other, it shouldn't ever replace your own relationship with God... don't wait for the devotion to spend time with Him.

I learned this the hard way when I was a new Christian and began to fall out of sync with my church. Soon I felt like I was falling out of sync with God... because sometimes when we think our commitment is God-sized it's often only church-sized. And even then, we may think we have a church-sized commitment but it's actually only cause-sized. And likewise, we may think we're committed to a cause but really we're only sticking around because our friends are there.

That's the pattern many of us either take part in or see happening as people come into a church community:

• Relationships - They want to know if they will find a connection with others "like them."
  
  If that happens, they move on to...
  
  
  
• Cause - They like what we're doing, so they join into it.
  
  If that happens, they move on to...
  
  
  
• Leadership - They like the pastor's teaching. Or connect with the Praise Band.
  
  If that happens, they move on to...
  
  
  
• Christ - They take stop dating the church and fall in love with the family of God with a "for better or for worse" commitment.
  

Most people don't realize they haven't committed themselves to Christ. Here's the reverse, though.

• If the commitment stops at a leader, when that leader leaves or makes them mad they will leave.
  
  
  
• If that commitment stops at a cause, when that cause matures into something new or is found to no longer be applicable/needed, they will leave.
  
  
  
• If that commitment is all about friends, but those friends leave the church then they will be motivated to do the same.
  
  
  
• If that commitment is all about Christ, they can be mad at a leader and decide to stay and work it out; they can enjoy today's cause because they're not glowing only about the past; they can find a way to influence their friends for the sake of Jesus and not the other way around.

So today I simply challenge you to not require me to challenge you.

In other words, pursue Christ.

He's the One I'm trying to get you to follow anyway.

Check this out:

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"

Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."(Matthew 16:21-23)

Two questions:

• What was Peter committed to in this passage?
  
• And do you see yourself in this passage at all?
• And which are you committed to - really?
• Relationships?
• The cause of the church?
• A certain leader?
• Christ?
  

40 day journey: my king remixed

Today I challenge your 40 day journey to the cross with a powerful, "spiritual ramble" shared by the late S.M. Lockridge. This video is a great visual that accompanies the spontaneous sermon he once gave.

May you remember that this journey you're on is with a God who has made Himself known, and yet whose size and identity transcends our ability to sum Him up.

40 day journey - four 'whatever' challenges that scare you

Today - whatever is on your heart to say to God, say it.

Break down the wall that keeps you from being honest with Him... come on, really... you're not fooling Him so try having an honest conversation full of all your fears, frustrations, hopes, dreams, and so on.


Today - whatever God would have you share with others, share it.

Break down the wall that prevents your life from bring literal Light into literal Darkness... because that is what is really going on.


Today - whatever your usual Christianity looks like, change it.

Break down the wall that says it all takes place "this way" and on "this part of the day/week/month/year."


Today - whatever prayer you need to pray for your tomorrow to become wildly more engaging than whatever autopilot you're banking on, pray it.

Break down the wall that demands someone else is supposed to spur on your faith... your relationship with God... your part in the grand mission for your life.

(Count all the "your" words in that sentence... notice a trend?)

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.(Colossians 3:17)

40 day journey: it's not always one or the other

Maybe you've heard or said this phrase - "I don't have a religion... I have a relationship with Jesus Christ."

First off, I'm on board with the heart of that statement.

However, Christianity is more than an internal relationship... more than "getting saved" or crossing one line of faith. It involves many lines of faith we cross... personal practice that flows out of the beautiful core of a supernatural relationship. Some would call this our religion - the positive way we interact with and respond to that Divine relationship on a human level. Many don't like the "religion" word because it is often references something cultural/traditional/habitual that seems more guilt-based than God-based.

Once anything becomes a religion alone, it becomes legalistic - "Here's what I do to check off the spiritual box in my life." or "Here's what I do to manipulate life and eternity as I want it."


If it becomes less about my interaction with God, though, it can become fatalistic - "God wanted it to happen and I could do nothing about it."


A friend of mine summed up the importance of the difference in this question:

Two people show up to church on a given Sunday morning. Both are members of this church in good standing. Both know people and are known by people. Both put money in the bucket as it goes by. Both sing the same songs and hear the same sermon. Both affirm the same doctrinal statement or creed.

One is a true saint, kind and generous, honest and hospitable, patient and peaceful, a true joy to be around.

The other is a real jerk, bitter and selfish, argumentative and pessimistic, gossipy and critical, a terror to be around.

Question: Do they both have the same faith?

They both claim to be Christians. They both attend and are members of a Christian church. They both affirm the contents of the Christian faith. But do they both have the same faith?

Honestly? The way I see it one follows the cause of the church…

the other follows the Christ of the church.

Same faith, but in different places.

"Religion versus Relationship."

And yet - ironcially - we can tell that through the way they practice their faith.

"Religion and Relationship."

Let's clear it up - on this side of heaven, we have both. Christianity is a relationship first - because God initiates the search. As such it is best to sum it up that way. But Christianity also involves human-sized practices that try to respond to a God-sized Lord. And so there is some religion in it, whether we like it or not.

Thankfully, balancing it all out is in God's hands... not ours.

But what is in ours is where we put the emphasis.

Where is yours today? And which of the two people in the aforementioned scenario would you say you're more like?

40 day journey: auditing your faith

It's tax season, which means many people right now are wondering if they will get money or have to give money to the government. Many try to do this on their own, using TurboTax or some other manual method to calculate the situation. Others take it to an expert and watch the clock, waiting for that phone call or email with the news.

This tax matter has always been a tricky season for us as a family. Maybe that's a bit too personal, but it is what it is. Most people don't know that the average pastor often is categoried differently in terms of employment. If we lose our job for some reason, there is no unemployment fund we can draw from because working for a religious, non-profit organization creates a sticky relationship with the government.

I remember my first "full-time" ministry role (note the quotes, because there's no such thing as a "part-time" ministry role that a person puts "part-time" effort into, but that's a tangent point). When I was sitting down with that church accountant for the great new adventure I was about to embark on, he shared how I wouldn't be a standard employee but rather an "independent contractor."

That sounded cool... like I'd be hanging out in the local underground with Hannibal, Face, Murock, and B.A. Baracus.

What it meant, though, was that I would have to keep track of my own financial details. The church set up an account for me to put extra money aside, which we did. Unfortunately it ended up not being enough and so that year my wife and I got slammed with a $2000 tax bill.

I know, I know... crazy, right? The real fun was that I was hired in half way through the year and so the next full year it was double that. $4000. I should have seen that coming, but I didn't.

Good times... good times.

Over the years we've learned to prepare for this season better by ensuring there is some healthy system in place between us and the church. Most of that is thanks to God providing a rather fantastic accountant who blesses us with her services each year, allowing us to get out of that hole and into a better groove.

I've been thinking about how this is true for us in other ways. Tax time is when you have to face your choices from the past year and figure out where you came ahead and where you fell short. Sometimes the conclusion is positive, and sometimes it's negative.

But it's also more than that - it requires an actual action step.

Like I said in the previous post, it's one thing to acknowledge God's ideas as good ideas. But practicing them is where the real audit happens. Just like you can't tell the IRS you won't follow through on what is expected, we can't ignore God by saying, "I know I'm supposed to be responsible for _______, but I'd rather _________."

At times they even go together. I love listening to Christian radio shows where someone calls in and asks, "If I get a refund back to I need to tithe on it?"

Sometimes I wonder if God laughs or cries at the questions we ask.

So... does God want you to _______? Well, if He asked you to do it, then do it.

And don't do it as a checkmark. If you see it's a pattern that is causing you to fall short with Him on a regular basis, begin to allow new patterns and structures into your life so that the situation can turn around.

Like tax season can make us aware of our spending habits, so can the Holy Spirit of God and His Word show us what is happening (or isn't happening) between us and God.

Don't run from that audit... it will lead you straight to the cross, which reminds you that Jesus Himself has stepped in to pay that debt on your behalf.

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. (Romans 3:19-20)

40 days: plain and simple forgiveness

Just a simple thought today... and it's about forgiveness.

(If there's a command in the Bible that is difficult to keep, certainly this is one of the hardest.)

This past week I witnessed someone give an incredible gift of grace to another. I wish I could go into the details, because it's rather amazing. To honor that exchange and those people, though, I have to leave it at that.

But what I can tell you is what I was again reminded of.

The bottom line regarding grace and forgiveness means I/you don't hold anything against someone that I/you feel we have the right to.

Which, given Jesus and all, should be easier for us than it often is.

Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble.

But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.

I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. (1 John 2:9-12)

You might say, "I don't hate _____, but I don't have to be friends with them."

Actually, yeah... you do.

You have no been given permission by God in any situation other than unrepentant sin to snub your nose against someone. By crossing the bridge of sin to reconcile with us, Jesus has asked to "follow Him" and do the same.

I know that runs against the grain of what society teaches, but that's just the point - a broken way of doing things only leads to more brokenness.

You will know this is truly working in your life when you think of that certain person and poison doesn't come up to the top of your neck as bile ready to spit out.

If you're still holding a grudge that you feel superior about...

you can let it go already...

or keep on drinking the poison.

It's time to bring yourself to into alignment with what you have received from God and the length He's asked you to cross to extend it to another.

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (Colossians 3:13)

40 days: pretend grace doesn't exist for a moment

Why is "Amazing Grace" such a popular song? For all the right reasons... it was written by a person who spoke of who he once was and now is through the grace of Jesus Christ.

I "once was lost" means a time when we lived in ignorance, rebellion, and foolishness.

"But now am found" reveals that a change has happened - we are a new creation!

We do a real good job in many church circles at pretending nothing wrong happens after that transformation. So how about taking a moment to recognize our continued ability to step backward? We sort of do that a lot more than we own up to, and when someone calls us on it we shout "GRACE! GRACE! GRACE!" (which seems to be the Christian-ese way of saying, "DON'T JUDGE ME! DON'T JUDGE ME! DON'T JUDGE ME!")

During this season of Lent, maybe it's time to stop a moment and admit that we do foul up more than we consciously recognize... that instead of acting on the principles of reconciliation Jesus commands of us, we hold grudges we shouldn't hold... how we spend too much time looking to see if anyone notices the shifty thing we're about to do... or the way that we can neglect acting out of greater interests than our own, settling for selfishly small lives instead.

Pretend that grace doesn't exist for a moment.

Which means you're stuck in that rebellion... and all its consequences... all the negative fall-out it brings on you and everyone around you.

And eternally - there is no pardon for your sin.

Notice I said to pretend only for a moment, because that's as long as we'll allow ourselves to. We don't like the thought of life without grace. We depend on it more than we realize to act foolishly, on purpose, assuming "God will forgive me again when I do this."

Stop playing that game.

Make today a time of confession. Seriously, do it out loud or on paper... own up to the stuff that you have recently done that is out of character with the heart of God. Don't pretend He doesn't know about it... He does. Confession isn't for Him to hear, but for you to take responsibility.

And as you do, think about Christ's suffering and sacrifice on your behalf. How He has richly poured Himself out for you and has offered you the chance to not be stuck in backward living.

Pretend for a moment that grace does exist in the way that it's intended to... not to excuse your sin but to transform your life... not to simply overlook your sin, but to save you.

That's the grace you have been invited to take part in.

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:1-6)

40 day journey: is there a difference?

A recent Newsweek magazine article begins with this headline, "A Christian by Any Other Name," exploring the shift that many people (including myself) have made regarding what we call ourselves... Christian (old school) vs Christ-follower (new school). The article states:

Christian definitions used not to matter so much. People used to be Methodists or Lutherans, Episcopalians or Baptists. Each denomination had its own culture, its own jokes. A Congregationalist friend once defined himself to me this way: "We're the ones who fold up the chairs after church to make room for the basketball court."

Outsiders could—and did—make assumptions about their neighbors' personal habits and politics based on denomination. The United Church of Christ was left-wing. The Southern Baptists leaned to the right. Methodists, Episcopalians and Lutherans fell somewhere in between.

Then, in the 1980s, as nondenominational churches became the fastest-growing segment of American Christianity, a number of Christians cast off their labels. But with this freedom came a challenge: what should this new generation call itself?

There is something great about a challenge like this - it causes us to concentrate on the core of who we are... versus the clothing.

But naked Christianity in a not-yet-restored world (one where God reveals reality instead of us guessing at it) scares many people. As best as we try to hold theological tensions in their appropriate tensions, as if standing over a line that runs down our middle, we tend to put a little more weight on one side of our stance versus the other... it's impossibly hard to perfectly straddle theology.

That's why words like "born again Christian" or "evangelicals" had a great run. That is, until the clothing seemingly became important again - even independent ideas like Emergent Village have tried to be inclusive but find the concept somewhat hard to implement - it looks like one side is picking on the other.

The thing I see in such "this category" versus "that category" is that both need some work (and both don't often realize it).

Which is why while I think "Christian" does have merit, I see "Christ-follower" as a more definitive swing at summing up authentic Christianity. It seems to be that every other label (including "Christian") is more noun-centered, whereas "Christ-follower" is more verb/action centered. Check this out:

Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. (Acts 11:25-26)

If you don't know geography, we have cultural Jews entering non-Jewish territory on purpose. In other words, the first time the word "Christian" is used is when a group of people were crossing bridges to pursue people on the other side... not create fences to feel "safe" and "right" in. Before that, Christians were known as followers of "the Way" - in other words, "Christ-followers."

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. (Acts 9:1-2)

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him. (Matthew 4:18-20)

Today, Jesus is asking the same thing of you and I - can we follow Him without knowing every detail of what that journey will entail? Can we truly be a "Christ-follower?" There is definitive promise in who we will become, and there is always His presence to guide us.

Maybe that's the secret - maybe we need to stop defining ourselves and letting Jesus do it for us. Maybe restoration is less about how we dress ourselves and more about Jesus changes us from the inside-out.

Something tells me there won't be any Ambercrombie and Fitch stores in heaven.

A gut check for you today as we are but four weeks away from celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

• Do you define your faith by who you don't want to be... or more by who Jesus has invited you to become?
• Re-read that invite Jesus makes to Simon-Peter and Andrew... if Jesus appeared in your life today in the midst of your activities, what would that look like? What would He say? And what would you leave behind to follow Him?
• Is your faith more of a noun... or more of a verb? It should be both, but which do you sense Jesus is your responsibility versus God's?
  

40 day journey: progress or regress?

I just got done reading a great article by a buddy of mine that spoke quite frankly about secret struggles many men deal with in the area of porn addiction. He writes:

If it's so common, why are so many Christians afraid to talk about it, especially in ministry? Maybe because our wives don't understand it. You need the Lord in every area of life, and you need other trusted men in your life. You cannot do it alone.

Maybe because we're too ashamed. Maybe because we're afraid of what others will think. Men, we must talk about it. It's a normal struggle. You're not weird.

It's a great point he makes, and it got me thinking about another conversation I had with someone today about this 40 Day Journey. We chatted about how "small victories" can actually be large victories... from the outside looking in it may seem like we "should" be doing more, but from the inside out we know what looks like 65% is actually 100%.

It's hard to measure whether our faith is growing - much like a kid has a hard time tracking their growth without those notches on a wall.

So what exactly are those notches when it comes to Christianity?

Some people think that we are saved because our works line up with Jesus... we ask "What would Jesus do?" and if we do that, then we "must" be on track.

Sounds good and it sells bracelets, but this is not true.

We are saved through faith in Jesus Christ, made possible by His grace that overflows with pure holiness.

But, as with any belief one holds, works... action... must follow as evidence of that faith.

Take for instance someone who can't wake themselves in the morning on their own... which is most of us. This is why you set your alarm clock at night because you have faith that tomorrow is coming and you want to wake up at a certain time.

Granted, you can set your alarm clock out of empty habit or guilted instruction, but if you don’t really believe tomorrow is coming and you don’t want to wake up at a certain time, it’s meaningless. You’re just doing it to do it.

On the other hand, if you have faith that tomorrow is coming and you want to wake up at a certain time, it is necessary to set your alarm clock. Without that work of setting your alarm clock, your faith is, in essence, dead. (James 2)

So perhaps the "notch" of how you're doing is less about faith or works and more about "faith and works." We can't shout "GRACE! GRACE!" nor can we shout "PROVE IT! PROVE IT!" - we actually shout nothing... we instead listen to Jesus shouting our names, and then we let our lives respond with full force.

That's the order. Don't mix it up... and don't forget either.

No other notches exist.

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. (James 2:26)

40 day journey: it's time to party

A man named Mike Yaconelli wrote a short essay called "IT'S TIME TO PARTY." Here are a few excerpts:

It doesn't take much to make most of us realize that we have become too serious, too tense, too stressful. The result is that we have forgotten how to live life. It seems like the older we get, the more difficult it is for us to enjoy living.

It reminds me of a description of life given by Rabbi Edward Cohn: "Life is tough. It takes up a lot of your time, all your weekends, and what do you get in the end of it?"

I think that the life cycle is all backward.

You should die first, get it out of the way. Then you live twenty years in an old-age home. You get kicked out when you're too young. You get a gold watch, you go to work. You work forty years until you're young enough to enjoy your retirement.

You go to college; you party until you're ready for high school; you go to grade school; you become a little kid; you play. You have no responsibilities. You become a little baby; you go back into the womb; you spend your last months floating; and you finish up as a gleam in somebody's eye.

It's hard to imagine we were a gleam in someone's eye once.

What happened to the gleam in our eye?

What happened to that joyful, crazy, spontaneous, fun-loving spirit we once had? The childlikeness in all of us gets snuffed out over the years... .

The sign that Jesus is in our hearts, the evidence of the truth of the gospel is... we still have a light on in our souls. We still have a gleam in our eye. We are alive, never boring, always playful, exhibiting in our everydayness the "spunk" of the spirit.

The light in our souls is not some pietistic somberness, it is the spontaneous, unpredictable love of life...

I believe it's time for the party to begin.

As you take part in the 40 Day Journey of Lent, are you finding that gleam in your eye?

(Note: This post was automatically scheduled... because I'm on vacation)

40 day journey: swift and tender

I found this quote the other day and have been chewing on it.

A mature Christian is not one who's informed about Jesus, but one whose life is transformed by Him to swift and tender responsiveness.

How does your life match up with that?

(Note: This post was automatically scheduled... because I'm on vacation)

40 day journey: a simple, powerful prayer

As part of the 40 Day Journey, here is a prayer I encourage you to pray today...

Almighty God,

who came to earth

and allowed Yourself to be tempted by Satan in the wilderness

come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations

and, as You know the weaknesses of each of us,

let each one find You mighty to save

mighty to save

mighty...

to save...

forever.

In the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord,

Amen.

(Note: This post was automatically scheduled... because I'm on vacation)

40 day journey: i'm truly sorry

A lot has happened in my life that I'm sorry for.

I'm not talking about my zipper jacket (that turned into a vest) during the Michael Jackson era... although I do have regrets about such things.

I mean genuine stuff... things and choices that I took part in that even to this day makes me feel sick over.

There are the times I've hurt people with words and actions... which created a need for at least twice as many words and actions to try and recover what I'd lost with that person. Or when I did something in a work environment that created mistrust among my co-workers and myself. Of course, the greatest hurts were the ones that happened with those close to me - whether I was the culprit or the victim.

It’s not always easy to say the words, “I’m sorry.” And yet it can be quite frustrating to feel like you're always apologizing and that apology isn't getting through.

According to author Gary Chapman, we all have “primary” languages of apology – the ways that we feel most comfortable with giving and receiving an apology.

1. Expressing Regret. This is the emotional component of an apology, the “I’m sorry.” This is admitting that you’ve hurt someone and that you are hurting because you’ve caused him or her pain.



2. Accepting Responsibility. This step is often overlooked in today’s culture, but it is a necessary one for a successful apology. Regardless of whether or not the hurt was intentional or unintentional, accepting responsibility means stating, “I was wrong. It was my fault.”



3. Making Restitution. This language takes the apology to another level by asking, “What can I do to make this wrong right?” It demonstrates a willingness to take action to bring healing to the relationship.



4. Repentance. This step acknowledges your sentiment that you don’t want the offense to happen again, and that you’ll take all necessary steps within your power to see that it does not reoccur. This requires both a plan and implementation of the plan to keep the offense from happening again.



5. Requesting Forgiveness. Asking for forgiveness, “Will you forgive me for what I’ve done to hurt you?” reflects the spiritual nature of our offense. The person you’ve hurt may choose not to forgive you. You can’t force forgiveness, but asking for it is the right thing to do. (See Matthew 5:23-24.) Whether the person chooses to forgive is his or her responsibility, not yours.

The good news is that God receives sincere apologies in any language. And yet as you continue on this 40 day Journey you may find yourself realizing there are people you need to apologize to as well. When my wife and I went through a study some years back called "The Bondage Breaker," I realized that I needed to ask for her forgiveness for things I did as a teenager that were still a part of my personality - things that didn't directly affect her but indirectly were a part of our relationship at the time because I'd let them be a part of me.

We've all been on the end of the "ask," and we've all been on the receiving end as well... waiting for someone we're convinced acted like a "jerk" to apologize to us. Sometimes we forget to give the grace we want to receive.

There's a classic "I blew it" moment in the life of King David that he initially tries to hide from. Once he's confronted with his sin, he decides to run the other direction - to literally go public with his sins. As a result, we have one of the most beautiful Psalms ever written on confession.

Dig in...

• Read Psalm 51, and chew on it a bit as you do.



• Take out a piece of paper and write a confession of your own to God... something in the vein of what you've just read.



• If you have the guts, share what you've written with someone close to you and ask them, to pray for you to walk in new grace as you let God take on the burden of that sin.

(Note: This post was automatically scheduled... because I'm on vacation)

40 day journey: the easy button

I heard recently that different people are giving up some "newer" vices for Lent this year - from Facebook and blogging to TXT messaging. This can seem easy to some who may lean toward giving up the usual fare of sacrificing sweets, caffeine, porn, sex, meat, swearing, and so on. But one man's ease is another man's struggle.

Recently I spoke with a buddy who is trying to cut out something that has been a part of his life for most of his life... this is something Lent has given him the excuse to get rid of permanently. Then there is another person I know who has decided to cut out certain foods for this period only... as a way to seasonally get more in touch with sacrificially living.

Neither is right or wrong - as long as you maintain that the point of Lent isn't to choose something to do because it's the thing to do. Likewise, your sacrifice shouldn't be abusrdly easy so you can check it off as a religious thing, or something absurdly hard so you can check it off as "proving" your love for God.

The goal is to make sure you understand this - there is no sacrifice you can make for God that will ever trump the sacrifice He made for you.

But your sacrifice can help you realize that.

And if it does, you are on track.

"He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:2)

40 day journey: weekend warrior

If you're on board with the 40 Day Journey, that makes today your third day. It also happens to fall on Friday, which is usually a day when we look back on the week we just came off an yearn for something "different" to happen on the weekend. Or as one scholarly poet from the 80's put it, "Everybody's workin' for the weekend."

Deep stuff, man... deep stuff.

In other words, many people will naturally want the next two days to feel different than the last two days. Since you may be trying on a new habit (or getting rid of an old one), you may feel the temptation to drift backward a bit more this weekend than you will in upcoming days and weeks. Recognize that potential, and build in some appropriate accountability.

Speaking of which, also recognize that Lent is not a time to whine about how hard it is for you to give up whatever it is you're giving up. If you give into that you will make it less about drawing closer to God and more about demonstrating you own will power (or lack thereof). If you're sharing what you're doing to inspire others or gain their accountability, go for it... but if it's purely for attention, own that motive and snip it out.

Embrace the benefit of this time... and here are two challenges for your weekend:

• Read Psalm 25 out loud, as if it was your own prayer to God. Pay special attention to verse 15 and confess to Him anything that particular line reminds you of.


• If you know you're going to be tempted to "cheat" on this journey, tell someone and ask them to ask you good questions that will keep you on track.