touchdown!

Tonight I enjoyed one of the perks of being a ref... standing only a few feet away in the same end zone my son entered when he scored his first official football touchdown.


Yeah... that's MY son!

But I did let the other ref blow the whistle - only because I didn't know whether to scream "YEAH!" or objectively call the score as official, :)

a comment I wanted to share

Recently I addressed the topic of having a friend who is gay in one of our church gatherings. I spent several months researching and preparing for it, especially since it is the controversial topic many established and emerging theologians are wrestling with.

Today on Andrew Marin's blog, I read a conversation taking place regarding how different denominations are making policies on this matter. Below is a comment I made and wanted to share here as well.

To be sure that fly by comments don't take place, I've turned off the comment portion of this post. And if you're reading this on Facebook or another feeder, I'd ask that you not reply to where it appears. Rather, if you wish to connect and have a real conversation about it, email me at tonymyles@hotmail.com

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This is simply not an emotional issue... it is a spiritual issue.

Jesus said to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. In the next breath - or perhaps the same - He said to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

So much of this issue and the "gay" topic is often through the emotional lens only... as if we are trying to reason out a theology based on loving God with our heart, and our heart alone.

Yet Jesus said love the Lord your God with all of your heart... and your soul, mind and strength.

To be fair, others argue the issue with their "heart" and "mind" as well - trying to understand the context of this culture and that culture, research genetics, and so on.

Yet Jesus said love the Lord your God with all of your mind... and your heart, soul, and strength.

Then there are the "strength" theologians - if they are theologians. The louder they can make their argument, the better... they think.

Yet Jesus said love the Lord your God with all of your strength... and your heart, soul, and mind.

What about the soul, though? Why does that often get the short end of the stick in this conversation?

The soul.

Maybe because it's the part that is the most supernatural, and since we think we're talking about trying to understand if someone who identifies themselves as gay is making a "natural" or an "unnatural" distinction... we forget to factor in the supernatural.

The soul... that piece of us that occasionally has an Isaiah 6 moment where we stand before a Holy God and cry out, "WOE IS ME! I AM RUINED! FOR I AM A MAN OF UNCLEAN LIPS, AND I LIVE AMONG A PEOPLE OF UNCLEAN LIPS, AND MY EYES HAVE SEEN THE KING, THE LORD ALMIGHTY!"

You know those moments?

How often do we enter those moments *before* we have a conversation on this topic?

Perhaps the problem is we feel so deeply on one side or the other that we forget the heart isn't the only way we need to approach this topic.

Or we think so well and have so much study underneath our belt that we have become builders of our own Babel... I mean, babble.

Maybe we are so strong vocally and have enough James Brown-esque back-up singers behind us saying, "YEAH!" and "YEAH!" and "YEAH!" that we think we're right, whatever we're saying.

I am not saying approaching God through our soul is ever at the expense of those three, but I am saying the other three are never at the expense of standing before a holy God, feeling small, and attempting to understand something so awesome and amazing as who He is and who we are because of who He is.

Never... never... the other way around.

Yes, feelers... I know that you feel so strongly about it that "God must have put it in you." Don't miss the point.

Yes, thinkers... I know that some Greeks and the Jews viewed the "soul" through a certain lens that is different than we do today... don't miss the point.

Yes, strengtheners... I know that there are "righteous things" to fight for and fight about. Don't miss the point.

May we never, though, create theology of of only these three (or blindly accept what our denominations have decided without the willingness to have a "lover's quarrel" about it).

May we instead always seek to *discover* theology... on this matter and others... which is only possible when we allow the soul to engage as it is designed.

Because if we do... I get the sense "loving our neighbor as we love ourselves" will be the very next breath... or perhaps the same.

a wonderful, difficult plan for your life

God loves you and has a difficult plan for your life.

Don't believe me? Listen in to some insights from the Apostle Paul through Philippians 1:29-30:

"For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it."

That doesn't sell very well, though, does it? Most of the time you hear the other side of the pitch, right? "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life."

That's because God does, in fact, love you and have a wonderful plan for your life. Jesus reveals this in John 10:10...

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10)

I bring all that up because so often it's easy to live on one side of the Bible instead of the other. The Scriptures are full of amazing truths that live in tension with each other while both being equally true... which may seem hard to wrap our brains around until we recognize the heart of the Father.

I remember when I took the training wheels off the bike of my oldest son's bike. We sort of worked up to it, but in that definitive moment it seemed as though I had a very "difficult" plan for his life. As he trusted me to run behind him and guide his forward momentum, though, he started to understand that my plan was actually a pretty "wonderful" one of freedom... even if it was a bit difficult.

Catch the picture?

It is the daily grind that God gives a person polish. There will be times that we taste of the difficult path, but that doesn't mean that it isn't based on a wonderful motivation with a heavenly future. Likewise, those wonderful moments we might enjoy serve to remind us of God's grace and are often best enjoyed after we've been on an authentic path to get there. It's odd, but even knowing that the journey on this side of heaven is difficult can increase our trust in Christ - for we get to see how He is persevering through the adventure with us.

Which, by the way, is a big reason why He created the Church.

You are not alone on your journey through life... so please make use of the gift we have in each other. Maybe you're inclined to keep the training wheels on, but God has a wonderful, difficult plan for your life that will help you enjoy the ride as He intended.

just writing this down for future reference

God just spoke...

I'm still trembling and speechless.

That's all I can even try to say.

Thank You, Father... I don't deserve such attention from You... but I cannot deny Your voice tonight.... and of course the answer is yes, even in light of my questions... but of course the answer is yes... always to You, may my answer be yes. Your timing is what it is, and I thank You for what it is. So somehow, I don't know how, but somehow help me to sleep now, resting in You and our relationship beyond words. Thank You, thank You, thank You.

Amen, come, Lord Jesus, come... finish the sentence You started tonight.

Protect and bind it all together, in Jesus Name...

come, Lord Jesus, come.

watered-down happiness

As much as I enjoy the friendships in my life, I am taking a stand that I want to invite you to take as well.

Stop wishing for your friends to be happy.

I know how that sounds, so hang with me.



There's a huge problem with having a friend whose greatest goal in life is to be happy, but it is an even bigger thing when you and I only propagate it.

Saying "Hey, who am I to judge? Just do whatever makes you happy!" - it's hypocritical... we don't mean it, even when we think we do.


This doesn't mean we don't want our friends to succeed or do well in life. This means that we often confuse what is larger than that. When our friends do something controversial, we often take the position that it's "none of our business" so we settle for clapping at half of the story instead of speaking into all of it.
This is a bit of a rehash of something I shared Sunday, but I think it bears repeating.

• Imagine that a parent walks in on a child playing with a knife, and they're giggling about it. Does a good parent let a child play with a knife if it makes them happy? Of course not.
  
  
• Or how about a husband/wife who finds out their wife/husband is having sex with someone else? The whole reason that cheating spouse did it is because it made them happy, right? Physically, at least... perhaps emotionally. There was probably a "very good reason why it happened," and it's probably all the other spouse's fault. According to the "whatever makes you happy" mentality, no one should care or say anything - including the non-cheating spouse - because it's all about happiness, and "they deserve it."
  
  
• What about that buddy who likes their favorite vice? And it's draining their time, or money, or body? But it makes them happy. So drink/smoke/eat/purchase/inject on.
  
  
• Or that neighbor who is all about their hobby or their toys at the expense of things that matter more. They keep shining it, and shining it, and shining it, and shining it... and yet the dirt keeps coming back because the dirt has never been permanently addressed.
  
  
• Or that friend who "needs" to be with someone, but they won't do it in a healthy way, so they keep bouncing around from person to person with a wake of brokenness.
  
  I read today that 40% of the babies being born into this world are from unwed homes. I'm not commenting on how or why that happened, because none of us know every situation out there. Sometimes it's because of rape, but more often it's because of moments of passion that made everyone feel happy. Certainly the solution isn't always for those two people to get married, but the solution is for that statistic to not even be happening.

Right about now is the point when your defenses may have gone up. We often believe such conversation is "judgmental" and reject any constructive words as such. It's the phrase we often hear in our culture because it's easier to dismiss and label such words than it is do a critical inventory. Why is it when someone around us makes a lifestyle choice that is controversial and potentially destructive - be it to them, others, or the concept of something pure - that instead we say, "Hey, whatever makes you happy!"

It's because we don't care about them.

Maybe we think we care, but we don't... we care more about not offending than we do helping our friends see something their blind to. Or we think, "They're already down, and I don't want to appear like I'm pushing them down either."

• If we did care, we'd tell them that their choice or their lifestyle is more destructive than they realize and will create ripples in their lives and others lives that are tremendously awkward.
  
  
• Or we'd say, "I know you feel like punching so-and-so in the face, and yeah... it will feel good and natural... but that doesn't mean what feels good and natural is right and productive."
  
  
• Or we'd challenge, "Quit being lazy. Your attitude is poisonous. You are tearing down the lives of people around you by simply slacking off."
  
  
• Or we'd draw a line and say, "I love you... we're friends. But I will not allow you to do this any longer because your desire for self-satisfaction keeps having negative fall-out."

Why shouldn't we tell people to do whatever makes them feel happy?

Because they may be wrong.

And you may need a stronger spine if you truly are their friend.

You don't have to be jerk about it, but if you are their friend, you do have to be "about it." I love how Jesus handled this with a woman who was caught in adultery and the accusers around her. He spoke hard words to the accusers, because they were people who knew better... and He spoke restorative words to the woman, because she had been kicked down... but He did add this very important tag - "Go and sin no more."

Why do we skip that part when we talk about grace?

Simply put, if you had a booger on your face, would you want someone to tell you? Think about it - do you want to surround yourself with "yes" people who only tell you what sounds good? Who will hear your sob stories and only pat you on the back? Or do you want people who will hear your sob stories and pat you on the back while at the same time telling you, "You know, this is a pattern. I want to help you see and do something about this."

So... how is your answer any different than the one your friends would give?

Don't wish for your friend's happiness... wish for your friends to experience goodness and wholeness and righteousness. You may have to step on some toes to help your friends do this, but isn't it better to step on their toes and anchor them down than letting them run off the cliff?

The pursuit of happiness is something Americans have built into their DNA. Look around at the economy, state of relationships, counselor/psychologist themes, divorce rate, and so on.

It's not a philosophy that is really working out for us.

Instead, let's try aim for joy and goodness - that comes from pursuing God over self; sacrifice versus selfishness; self-control versus "I just sort of can't help it"; responsibility versus explanation.

It may seem a bit old school, but sometimes that's just what we need to get back to what really matters. And when that happens, the enduring reality of joy outweighs the temporary stroke of happiness.

"What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met" (Jesus, from Matthew 6:31-33, MSG)

One last thought - imagine if Jesus Christ chose personal "happiness" over the joy that comes from following the Father's will... which includes a cross and a lot of beatings. That would have made a big difference for Him, not to mention withdrawing the gift of salvation for us.

Thankfully, even when his friend Peter tried to prevent it He resisted.  I think He might have even called Peter "Satan" for doing so, too.

Hmm....

your questions about the Question

Often I find myself in conversation with folks who have questions about God like I have over the years. They're good questions - and many times it has to do with a single issue... finding God and authentically connecting with Him.

Yet while these questions are often similar, they are especially unique on at least one level. Every one of us has a specific matter we'd like to take up with our Creator, and on any given day it may seem to change. Beneath it all, though, is a unique Question among the questions - a driving force that is more powerful than the thing we seem to come to the Lord with.

And that is where the real connection with God can happen.

In Mark 10, Jesus encounters a variety of people with a variety of "questions" - but see if you can tell what their main Question is.

Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them. Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?"

"What did Moses command you?" he replied.

They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away."

"It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law," Jesus replied. (Mark 10:1-5)

Here is a group of Pharisees - a dominant group of religious thinkers among the the First Century Jews. These guys were believed to be religious experts (in a nutshell) and they came to Jesus with a question that seemed to be about divorce. But was it really?

Again, this was a group of rule makers/enforcers who enjoyed feeling like they had God's company credit card. If they said something and agreed upon it, then it was "so" among the people. One historian named Josephus cited how the common Jewish people allowed this group authority over them, and the Pharisees seemed to enjoy that.

One issue that many men in this era dealt with - including the Pharisees - was the quick dismissal of their wives into a divorce. It's a long issue in itself, but the bottom line is that if they handed their wife a certificate of divorce then "that was that" - and many abused that option.

Along comes Jesus, telling them that marriage is a bigger deal than when you get tired of someone and to treat it as such is to instigate the potential for adultery.

Again, though - was this matter simply questions about divorce? Or was there a deeper Question?

Just the other day I was trying to get one of my sons to obey something I'd asked of him. He asked back, "What happens if I don't?" I had to hold back the laughter - I mean, how many times have you and I done this as adults with God?

If we truly want to "find Jesus," perhaps we need to first let go of our desire to keep living life on our terms.

People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them. (Mark 10:13-16)

Amazing, isn't it? In such pure form a group of parents burst forward trying to have Jesus touch their kids. In some small way they're hoping that such a simple action will make a difference in their children forever. Only this time it's Jesus' disciples who get in the way - and Christ gives them a wake-up call about it.

A few days ago the question came up in our van (again from one of my boys) how we know if the Bible is true. Later on that evening, another question was raised about why there are so many different types of people in the world. These are questions that have answers, but because many people feel unequipped to answer them we usually tell kids, "Because the Bible says so."

That's a fair shot at faith, but does that at times... I wonder... get in the way of kids coming to Jesus?

Sometimes other people's "questions" raise a "Question" in us that we aren't comfortable with, and rather than pursue it into the deep end we cast it aside and settle back into the wading pool.

As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'"

"Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."

Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. (Mark 10:17-22)

Yet again, someone comes to Jesus wanting to get an answer to a question... but the real Question is if all the good things he's done are what count. When he finds out that good deeds don't save you, the young man walks away sad. I've always wondered what became of him.

Because He doesn't set his agenda down to follow Jesus. He simply walks away.

So apparently he wasn't interested in finding eternal life... he just wanted to know if the way he'd been living his life on his own terms made the cut.

For God to be "God," He must be God.

That means that at the end of the day it is up to God to define who He is and how we have a relationship with Him. To insist upon your own way and hope it allows you to limbo under some bar of good deeds is to miss out on what it means to live a powerful life of trust.

The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is[e] to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier
for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?"

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."

Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!"

"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. 31But many who are first will be last, and the last first." (Mark 10:24-31)

The disciples are starting to get worried after the rich man leaves - they want to know if their sacrifices to follow Jesus matter. So they ask, "Who then can be saved?"

Have you ever wondered that? Maybe you're someone who puts a lot of time into helping others find God and you want to know if what you're doing matters.

It does. It so significantly does. And the reward from God will one day blow us away.

Someone today reminded me of how tempting it is to do nothing because we're afraid of our weaknesses and imperfections spoiling something of God. And yet He invites us anyway to pitch in, for if we don't the Church (and ultimately the world in need) will never know our strengths.

They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. "We are going up to Jerusalem," he said, "and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise."

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask." "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked.

They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory."

"You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?" (Mark 10:32-38)

Two brothers... gotta love this sibling dynamic. they're planning out the scope of their life and eternity here because they believe that one day Jesus will have everything set up and He'll need some muscle to run His kingdom. (Unfortunately for them, Jesus has a much different idea of being a King that involves serving like a peasant)

Their question seems to be about who gets to sit where, but it would seem as though their deeper Question is all about security and identity. I wonder how many of our questions track back to that...

for only the artist gets to give an identity to his painting, and only the chef gets to give a lasting name to his created meal, and only a Creator gets to tell all of creation who and what it really is... even if that very creation insists differently.

Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he
heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" 48Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." 50Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

"What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him.

The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see."

"Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. (Mark 10:46-52)

Finally, something clear. Jesus asks, "What do you want?" The blind man says, "I want to see."

And Jesus gives the man sight.

Hmm.

Perhaps today it can be that clear for you and I.

Perhaps today you and I will avoid all of the little questions and ask the big Question.

For if you do, perhaps you and I will find ourselves surprised with an Answer from Jesus.

Just don't confuse your questions with the Question.

Because what you think you want to know may actually be a distraction to what you really want to know.

So... Jesus stands before you and asks...

"What do you want?"

another humble tip of the hat

I love it when Jesus gets even more good press...

because He deserves it.


Here's another slice: CLICK HERE

More pics as well of our church and neighbors working together: CLICK HERE

an amazing God-sized yesterday

I could tell you how amazing yesterday was...

but I think it's easier to just link to THIS.

a day in the life of me: god on the move

I was driving today, heading back home from an appointment and sat at a stoplight for a few moments. In front of me was a small U-Haul, towing a Jeep.

"Bet they're moving," I said to myself.

"Yes, go help," came the response.

"Huh?" I said. "Who thought that in my head?"

"Go help."

Weird.

So I followed the U-Haul a bit, thinking this was highly odd. Nonetheless, within a mile of where I live the U-Haul turned off down a road, twisting into an apartment complex.

"Here goes the weirder part," I thought.

Just as a woman got out, I popped open my door and said, "Hi there!"

"Are you Pete?" she asked.

"Nope," I answered. "Um, I know this sounds weird but I saw that you were moving and didn't know if you needed any help. I pastor a church here in town and if you did I might be able to find some folks willing to serve you."

The look on her face was priceless. "Are you kidding? Praise God! I kept telling everyone that somehow God would take care of all the details of this. Did you say you pastor a church?"

"Yes."

"Is it non-denominational?"

Smiling... inside joke. "Yes."

"Wow! I was just on my way here praying to God that He would find me a church!"

I approached her. "Well here's my business card, just so you know this is all legit."

(Reading the card) "Hmm... 'Being the Church.' I like that! So do you do a lot of stuff in the community?"

"Yes... stuff like this."

I love serving a great big God on the move who cares about the details... wow.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:30-31)

how then shall we be saved?

Disclaimer #1: If you have a theological box that you find safety in, now may be the time to acknowledge it and see if its sides are big enough for the discussion we're about to have.

Disclaimer #2: Please pardon the way these words do no justice to what I’m about to try to say, but yet how amazing it is to follow a God who can be completely known while simultaneously remains incompletely understood. Jesus Christ offered His divinely-human hand to a group of people who had no idea where the journey would take them once they grabbed it.

That sounds familiar to me.

One of the ways I’ve seen this over the years is in the mystery that it is to reach out to God through Jesus Christ… a little context.

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (James 4:8)

Wow… a clear picture of the principle I want to explore for a few moments in this post… one that is about to get very foggy.

---------------------

Now…

the question I’d like to propose is: How do you get “saved?”

(I know this isn’t an original question nor are the thoughts that follow necessarily a complete, air-tight, slam-the-Bible-down-got-it-all-figured-out answer to the question, but nonetheless I am compelled to ask.)

How do you get “saved?”

Do you get saved through something you say in a certain way… like a “sinner’s prayer” where you ask God to forgive you?

Then Jesus turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." (Luke 7:44-48)

Interesting… especially since this woman who received forgiveness never asked for anything, nor did she say anything to Jesus... and then He just sort of told her... she was forgiven. Wow. My box just got bigger.

So… is it a matter of just believing, then?

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26)

Interesting… so salvation comes about just by believing?

Or do you need to say anything out loud?

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)

Interesting… so salvation comes about by believing AND saying something out loud?

Is that it? Or is there more?

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 7:21)

Interesting... so heaven will be full of surprises for those who think they're "in" - when actually they're not. Wait... I think I'm "in," so what does that mean?

Do I somehow have to clean myself up?

"As Jesus was speaking, one of the Pharisees invited him home for a meal. So he went in and took his place at the table. His host was amazed to see that he sat down to eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony required by Jewish custom. Then the Lord said to him, “You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and wickedness! Fools! Didn’t God make the inside as well as the outside? So clean the inside by giving gifts to the poor, and you will be clean all over." (Luke 11:37-41)

Interesting... so all I have to do to become spiritually clean is just give to the poor? Wait... is that right?

This is frustrating and straining my box. How DOES one get to see the Kingdom of God?

In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. (John 3:3-6)

Interesting… so we must experience a spiritual rebirth to enter God's kingdom… life change? Cool... got it. Air tight now, baby.

So it's all about deciding to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Thats how someone gets saved?

Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2 Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven." (Matthew 9:1)

Interesting… it was through the faith of a bunch of friends that someone was saved… while the man himself… did nothing but lay on a mat? [also see Mark 2, 1 Cor. 7:16]. Is salvation then linked to other people?

So can one person who is reintegrated back to the Triune God through Jesus Christ become a kind of conduit… maybe like a "royal priesthood" and a "holy nation"… through whom the work of Jesus in his/her life can be extended to others... whether they ask for it or not?

To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. (1 Corinthians 7:12-14)

Interesting… entire households of people can become holy through the life of one person who authentically lives it out?

Or… does that original believer need to say something out loud so that those other people will say something?

For, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" (Romans 10:13-15)

Interesting… so it does matter that we tell them about the Lord so that they can call on the name of the Lord. Back to words, eh? Cool. Got it down now. Phew. Glad that’s back in my box now. (Wait… darn… it’s not staying up like it used to)

While we’re on the topic of the Lord, how much of Him do we need to know (or have a theological answer for) before we can call on His name?

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. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." (Acts 9:1-6)

Interesting… so maybe salvation doesn’t come about by having all the answers but by asking the right questions.

On that topic, what about people who don’t have it all down pat and are kind of lost in an alternative belief system where they’re guessing their way through life and faith?

Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. (Acts 17:22-23)

Interesting… so even people who are reaching out in untrue ways can find buried way beneath the surface of their false beliefs something very true and real… if someone helps them find the healthy beneath the unhealthy… the "water within the antifreeze" that is worth drinking if it can be completely separated, so to speak. (Wow... that sounds too dangerous... maybe I should go live back in my box again)

What about those who won’t ever have someone come out their way? What if the missionary’s airplane runs out of gas… or he gets speared… or she gets sick and has to go home for a health care and leave the natives behind?

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. (Romans 1:20)

Interesting… so everyone has the opportunity to connect with God through His general revelation in all things.

Wait… everyone? So does it matter what you believe – a right way of thinking, so to speak - or is sincerity all that counts?

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. (1 John 4:1-3)

Interesting… so we do need to be on guard against things that smell like Jesus but really aren’t.

What does that look like? Does that show up even in the church?

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-- having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. (2 Timothy 3:1-7)

Interesting… so we need to be careful when we feel we have God down pat and are good note takers and AMEN’ers during the sermons… but never live the AMEN out in our lives?

Then… are we supposed to dive deeper into the truths of God… and where will that lead us when done in accompaniment with integrating those truths into our lives?

Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him. To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:30-32)

Interesting… so exploring a healthy understanding of God should lead to obedience and not arrogance, evidenced in the freedom we enjoy and extend and not in more boxes that we put around ourselves and others.

So... did we answer the question?

If so, what is it?

If not, how do we?

----------

Here’s the curveball…

these are not contradictions in the Bible.

There is a consistent thread in all of this that I hope you caught.

While the Bible shows us that there are many different ways people come to God, every way always is through His Trinitarian grace… often in the way that makes the most sense to that person, even if the next person to come along does it a little bit differently.

Even if the next person to come along does it a little bit differently.

Even if the next person to come along does it a little bit differently.

Which can mess with your theology a bit, especially if you’re quite comfortable with your theological understanding of who is “in” and who is “out.”

And who ultimately gets to decide all of that?

In every case, Jesus is the one who declares who is in and who is out. Kind of like He glances at the homemade rule books we're using and says, "Yeah... um... I actually have an ammendment to that based on the Bible... which may or may not fit with the cliff notes you wrote in the margin."

In the Scriptures, people stumble into the kingdom in all sorts of ways.

Is salvation a destination? Or more?

Is it mathematics - a + b = C? Or more?

Is it a journey understanding that looks different for everyone and can't be articulated at all? Or more?

And for that, is the issue of assurance more important to the person or the Christian who is looking to validate their ministry? Have you ever sat through a sermon where the pastor insisted people come forward because "Jesus called people publicly?" Have you ever sat through a sermon where a pastor insisted people should pray a prayer quietly in their seats because it was a "personal thing between that individual and God?"

Yes and yes... and for that matter, guilty and guilty.

That's the rub... Christ-followers are called to talk about this. So how do you proclaim a message that is larger than our letters, more infinite than our finite minds, and more fluid when we want it to be more solid?

Maybe we just "point people to Jesus?"

Maybe we just "give people a sound theology?"

Or maybe we just eliminate the word/concept "just" from our theological vocabulary.

Here's what we know:

• There is no other name than the name of Jesus Christ that we are given to find salvation under/through (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).
  
• God desires everyone to be saved and is not willing that anyone perish (1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet.3:9).
  
• God cares about justice and will judge people fairly - in ways beyond our understanding (1 Pet. 2:23).
  
• God reveals Himself (general revelation) to people everywhere through creation and their moral conscience so that they can respond to Him as best as they know how (Rom. 1:20, 2:6-15; Ps. 19:1-4).
  
• Those who have heard about Christ and deliberately reject Him (whether by rebellion or indifference) will experience their choice forever (unless they turn back to Jesus) through a realm of separation and indescribable emptiness through pain we call hell (2 Thes. 1:9; Matt. 25:46; Rev. 21:8).

Here's what we don't know:

• Who is "in" and who is "out."


• The "right way" to tell someone how to "get saved."


• Who is "in" and who is "out."
  
• If the "sinner's prayer" is biblical in how it's often presented as an "all you have to do is..." deal.
  
• Who is "in" and who is "out."

Jesus warns that some of the people you assume are in may be “out," and some of the people you assume are out may be “in.”

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."(Matthew 25:31-46)

Maybe we should stop trying to sit on the fence and do His job... maybe we should instead seek to invite people of all spiritual backgrounds to trust the direction and details of their lives to Jesus TODAY.

Maybe we should encourage people inside and outside the church community to dig deeper and reintegrate themselves further to the Triune God, living in conscious union with the Father through Christ as led by the Spirit.

Maybe this has to all begin in us first, growing and developing in our human experience in this world right now... being sure that heaven doesn't turn into a destination we all "fly away" to but rather a realm where things are the way they should be... a realm that can be revealed "on earth as it is in heaven."

Maybe salvation is not a formula or a mere affirmation of a "get out of hell free" card, but is instead a change of identity... a reestablishing of a new address... something that shouldn't create its own subculture but instead recreate the entire world.

Maybe Jesus loves me...

this I know for the Bible tells me so.

And Jesus said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3)

blog purpose

My buddy Len was asking over on his site about the purpose of a blog.

My answer:

The purpose of a blog is to allow the soul to grow a mustache.

It tickles our nose a bit and can annoy our wives from time to time, but really it's for the rest of the world to comment on.

a celebration of freedom

On the day of freedom we celebrated yesterday...

I took my youngest son for a walk in the woods.

You see, a few months ago this little guy asked God to be his King (kind of like his older brother did last year)

---

Me: Hey buddy, I want to talk with you about something.

Him: Okay. (raises stick in the air as we walk through the forest) "In the beginning! God created! The heavens and the earth! Genesis 1:1!"

Me: (wow - interesting sense of timing) That's right, buddy. Do you remember what He did after that?

Him: Yeah... He made people.

Me: Yeah... then what happened?

Him: Then the snake tried to trick them.

Me: Right. (wow) Did Adam and Eve listen to the snake?

Him: Yes... (pause) they made bad choices.

Me: That's right. That hurt God and broke the world.

Him: (looking around at the forest) But... well, we can fix the world.

Me: With God we can, you're right. Do you know why that's possible?

Him: What's "possible" mean?

Me: Sorry... "possible" means that Someone did something so something good can happen. Do you know who came to earth so God can be our King forever and we can be His knights?

Him: JESUS!!!

Me: That's right, buddy. And what did Jesus do for us?

Him: (pause)

Me: Do you remember what Jesus did for us?

Him: He died on a cross.

Me: But then He came back... and He made a way for us to be with Him forever.

Him: Yes, but we have to stop the snake.

Me: That's actually what I want to talk to you about, buddy.

(by now, we've made it to a clearing and I've put a blanket down - as well as the box and bag I've been carrying)

Me: Daniel, I have a special present for you... it's because you've chosen to be one of God's knights now.

Him: What is it?

Me: Well, what does a knight need?

Him: A sword!

Me: Why?

Him: To stop the dragon!

Me: That's right - and also to help the King and protect all the people the dragon might hurt.

Him: Yeah!

Me: That's why I have a special present for you... (taking a brand new Bible out of the bag I've had with me) it's your very own, new Bible... and it's kind of like a sword. We use it to stop the dragon, help the King, and protect all the people the dragon might hurt.

Him: This is my Bible? (taking it from me)

Me: It is.

Him: WOW!

Me: Now listen to me very carefully... this book tells us the Truth... there are no lies in this book, buddy. But... it will help you figure out what the lies are.

Him: Cool!!

Me: To help you remember this is like a sword, though, I have one other special present for you.

Him: What is it?

Me: (I open the box I had put down) Daniel, this... is your sword.

Him: For ME!?!?!

Me: Yes, buddy. It's a pretend sword to help you remember the Bible is your real sword.

Him: Wow!

Me: Now every knight does something special to tell the King and other people that he wants to serve Him. Do you want to serve the King?

Him: Yes!

Me: Then kneel... (he does, and I move the sword about his shoulders) I hereby declare and recognize that you are Sir Daniel, one of God's knights, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit... now rise... and take your sword.

Him: (grabbing his sword with my assistance) It's heavy.

Me: Remember that... swords need special care so they don't hurt us or others.

(around this time my wife and oldest son joined us, strategically planned so we could celebrate together... and we'd brought the other sword belonging to my oldest son)

Oldest: Hey! You have a sword now, too!

Youngest: Yeah!

Oldest: (to me) Can I have one like he has?

Me: Actually, everybody's sword is a little different because we all are made special by God in different ways. (By the way, that was my wife's idea - a good one, I might add) Why don't you boys kneel once more so we can affirm our oath together.

Both: Sure!

Together: "Serve the King... (boys echo) love all people... (boys echo) do what is good... (boys echo) in the name of the Father... (boys echo) and the Son... (boys echo) and the Holy Spirit... (boys echo)"

And then we went on an adventure together into the woods.

Maybe this is all a bit odd to you, and I'm sure there is some theological discussion we can have about how young/old someone needs to be before they can "really" mean a salvation prayer.

Which, by the way, isn't found anywhere in the Bible.

I think what God is concerned about is the direction of our hearts, and as best as I can tell these two little guys in all of the sincerity they can muster want God to be their King so they can serve Him as a knight would. On more than one occasion, their chilvary to care for the Kingdom and its people has caused me to question and deepen my own version.

Which is just fine by me.

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (Matthew 19:14, NIV)

Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6, AMP)

a redemptively offensive post about love

"I think that's just about the best shirt I've ever seen."

This was said to me today as my family and I spent a little bit of time in a mall. We were on the road today back to West Michigan (about a 6.5 hour trip from Northeast Ohio) and needed to stretch our legs a few times. One of our favorite malls in the area has a rockin' play place in the shape of a giant tree, so we definitely needed to stop, walk around, and get a smoothie.

Back to the t-shirt comment.

My wife and I had on today some shirts that I made up for a marriage weekend we did with our church a little over a week ago. Perhaps you're familiar with the statistic that around half of marriages in American end in divorce. Certain areas of the country differ on that issue... and to my deep sadness I found out this past week from another local pastor that the town we live in averages around a 75% divorce rate. That means that 3 out of 4 marriages in my new hometown get forgetful, lost, and broken.

That is simply unacceptable.

Which is one of the reasons I'm thankful we came up with the proactive concept a couple of months ago for a "Fresh Start" marriage weekend. We organized a fun, interactive date night on a Friday, and then a Saturday 9am-3pm deal together going through a Gary Chapman teaching series via DVD. The turnout was great and lots of cool stories were swapped and shared among those present. Overall, I think we may have all received what was intended for the weekend... a fresh start with God and each other.

Which brings me back to the t-shirts.

I didn't want us to just have a fun marriage event and then forget all that we uncovered. So I made up some "hokey" t-shirts for us to wear... "hokey" because that what some might say when they see them, but "hokey" (in quotes) because the idea isn't really hokey after all - it's rather redemptive, actually.

"I love my wife."
"I love my husband."

Yes - these are the shirts. Designed 'em myself... between this and my "don't call me veronica" design I think I'm on to something.

Isn't it funny how wearing a shirt like this could feel embarrassing in our culture? We fear comments like, "Nice shirt, Brad. What, did your wife make you wear that?" What an amazing opportunity in that moment to say, "Actually, no... I love my wife."

My wife and I have been able to wear ours at the same time a couple of times... and every time I'm in a crowd of people I catch them start to read the shirt with wide-eyed interest, as if this is the most foreign concept they've ever seen. Why is that?

If you're married, would you wear one?

Or maybe a better question is "If you're married, why wouldn't you wear one?"

And might the answer to either of those questions have something to say about the current divorce statistic and the future divorce statistic?

For the record, no marriage is perfect and shouldn't ever expect to be. A couple can be in a great season of life and then suddenly things go sour because of something that happens, be it within a conscious set of actions or something that uncontrollably happens (i.e. medical depression, a hard loss, etc.) We've been in both the upside and downside of life over the years, too, so I know the depths of darkness that some of us may have to labor through.

Yet with the great gift of love that Jesus has modeled and given to us, not to mention His very presence and power available to our lives, shouldn't marriages be a bit different than how they usually play out?

• In the world of retail, most shirts like this say things like "I'm a playa - U next" or "Voted most likely to cheat" - and my personal favorite, "If I drink too much feel free to take me home and have you way with me" (okay - maybe that last one isn't the actual text, but you've seen the shirts and know what they say). What if we decided such concepts wouldn't get our money, even if the phrase seemed initially funny?
  


• In public circles of conversation, we seem to drift toward phrases like, "The old ball and chain" or thoughts like, "She's impossible when she gets like that." What if we took seriously the idea that relationships are a bit more sacred than that?
  
  
• In private times of confession and construction, we often judge the other based on his/her imperfect actions while we want to be judged by our perfect intentions. Might there be an alternative way of seeing how the inner workings of a marriage might happen if we

By the way, I know I'm an absolute hypocrite in all of this in that I will never be completely in step with each of these goals.

But that's no excuse not to be fully committed to the dream, though, is it?

• I won't just "try" to do this... I will "train" to do this.
  
  
• I won't give up if I encounter an "impossible" roadblock... I remember that with God all things are possible - including whatever is needed to get through the roadblock - because when Jesus said "all things" were possible there wasn't an asterisk next to the word "all" that said, "except for marriages that struggle."
  
  
• I am fully-committed to my wife for the long haul, irregardless of her commitment to me. I will woo her and pursue her, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, forsaking all others - even if she never does the same.

Yes, I am making some bold statements because as a Christ-follower I need to follow Christ. That means whatever I see Him doing I need to invite Him to do in and through my life, too. If He has pursued us with a relentless love and redemptive passion to overcome every obstacle, then maybe I need to do that, too. I don't expect it to be easy, but I do expect it to be right.

Which maybe is why we got stared at a lot today for wearing some "hokey" shirts that ooze cheesy love all over the place about how I love my wife and am fully committed to her. Maybe it is a bit offensive to wear such a thing... that's fine by me. I'm tired of just playing the defense when it comes to marriage in our world. We need to be offensive, too... that's the best way for your team starts scoring points and inspires the other players to give it their best.

• One of the other women who stopped me today said, "I've been married for 40 years... I just love your shirt and want you to know marriage can be a really great thing even after 40 years."
  
  
• Last week a guy and his wife saw my wife at a restaurant wearing her shirt. He told his wife, "You should get one of those to wear."
  
  
• I also enjoyed the email someone in our church sent me just before the weekend:
  
  "I'm so glad that we are involved in a marriage refresher. Even though I'm divorced, I now realize the importance of marriage to God and have been praying intensely for the marriages in our church. Someone gave me a neat "word from God" about being single that I will share with others too. Still don't know where it came from except that God wanted me to have it!!!"

As a final disclaimer, maybe you read this and find yourself saying, "Amen!" Or perhaps you read this and are in the midst or wake of a broken marriage and this felt like salt on an open wound. In either case, I hope you don't just take this post as something to agree with or disagree with me on. My parents divorced during my teenage years and so I know a bit about what it means to watch something eclipse the dreams you once held on to... our best plans are often interrupted by the ripples of a fallen world and during those times it becomes hard to see past the wave about to crash over you.

Divorce hurts because it is the ripping of a union that has made two people one flesh - any kind of severing is going to cause blood to spill and parts of you to get lost. This is one reason why God is against it.

If anything, I hope this takes you back to the drawing board of the Scriptures and the pathway of marriage God designed... not to mention the joy and insight it is meant to offer us in our relationship with Him. Instead of just commenting on this, would you first spend that little extra time in the Bible (I even provided some clickable links for you below)? See if you find yourself agreeing or disagreeing with God on the matter... a God, who by the way, is good and fully-committed to you. That way if we do end up discussing any of this further via comments we've at least gathered around some perfect perspective on an imperfect topic:

• Genesis 1:26-29


• Genesis 2:18-25


• Genesis 3:14-19


• 1 Corinthians 7


• Ephesians 5:14-6:4


• Colossians 3:21


• 1 Peter 3:1-6

Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ's love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They're really doing themselves a favor—since they're already "one" in marriage. (Ephesians 5:25-28, MSG)

why i should go to bed right now

So I've been watching TBS tonight while I work, which is running (for some reason) back to back showings of "The Matrix: Reloaded." Without knowing why, I've been craving a bowl of oatmeal.

Yes... oatmeal.

I didn't understand it all during the first showing, but now that I'm into the second round of Keanu, I finally get it.

This is the "architect."

The "architect" reminds me of Colonel Sanders.

Colonel Sanders reminds me of his ads for finger-lickin' good chicken.

KFC ads in America remind me of how the brand is known in other places, say... Shanghai.

And as always, KFC ads from Shanghai remind me of Wilfred Brimley.

As we all know, Wilfed Brimley reminds everyone about oatmeal.

Which, reminds us of bacon.

Which, of course, leads us all back to Kevin Bacon.

god's will

What is God's will?

Hmm...

According to the events we remember this week, it would seem God had already made the first move in our direction to reveal that and is waiting for our response while continuing to pursue us.

"If you have ever given yourself to someone and had your heart broken, you know how God feels. If you have ever given yourself to someone and found yourself waiting for their response, exposed and vulnerable, left hanging in the balance, you know how God feels. If you have ever given yourself to someone and they responded, they reciprocated with love of their own, you know how God feels.

The cross is God's way of saying, 'I know what it's like.' The execution stake is the creator of the universe saying, 'I know how you feel.'

Our tendency in the midst of suffering is to turn on God. To get angry and bitter and shake our fist at the sky and say, 'God, you don't know what it's like! You don't understand! You have no idea what I'm going through. You don't have a clue how much this hurts.'

The cross is God's way of taking away all of our accusations, excuses, and arguments.

The cross is God taking on flesh and blood and saying, 'Me too.'"

-Rob Bell, Sex God

So perhaps God's will has something to do with simply leaning in to him and embracing the intimacy he offers. Although there are a lot of questions we have for Him, it's my experience that while He doesn't always answer them He does always offer us Himself. Since He's able to see us naked (despite the layers of emotions or baggage we hide behind), we have nothing to lose in hanging out with Him. The side benefit is that we just might see life as He does... in this way wisdom is less an answer He gives and more perspective that comes about as a result of the time spent together.

Less transactional and more relational, so to speak.

My wife and I were talking about it recently, using our marriage as a metaphor. A lot of couples believe doing all the right things will equal a healthy marriage. Others just figure it will come based on a natural chemistry they have and without all the formal effort. I think both are needed, from the benchmarks we use to keep things healthy (i.e. a regular date night) to the quality of transparent conversation we have when we talk with each other. Practically, we find ourselves able to order food for each other in restaurants, laugh at unspoken inside jokes, and finish each other's sentences.

Perhaps our relationship with God could be the same. Might that not be His will?

As we put some benchmarks out there (i.e. regular time in prayer, daily thinking on his truth, etc) we provide the framework and opportunity for some quality interaction with the Lord. Consequently, we get back to the "naked and unashamed" conversation we had back in the Garden of Eden and find ourselves able to know the kind of "tastes" Jesus enjoys, the concepts he finds "humorous," and the thoughts he thinks that we end up thinking on, too.

So maybe finding God's will is more like that... less about the "finding God's will" and more about "finding God." Pretty soon we're finishing his sentences - not the goal of the relationship, but certainly a nice benefit that keeps things fun and active.

And perhaps the conversation...

and the relationship...

start somewhere around the cross.