As I began to eat my burger, his eyes were locked directly on me and drool was streamed from his mouth as if it were a waterfall. I knew that he smelled meat and I knew that he knew that I knew that he smelled meat! A loud voice from across the fire yelled "hold it out in front of you and he will eat it right out of your hands." For a moment, I wondered which mental institution the man had escaped from, but as I looked into the eyes of this massive, drooling beast, I saw what looked like friendship... not a declaration of war. I realized that I was about to make a choice that was going to affect the rest of my life. "One hand vs. Two." I tore off a piece of meat and he arose swiftly to stand in front of me... and with the most gentle motion... grabbed it out of my hands. He wanted more. I tore off another piece and fed him. It literally felt as if Diesel was attempting to grab the meat with his tongue and the roof of his mouth so that I was sure to know that he meant me no harm. And when I was through feeding him... he returned to the ground... and the wiffle ball bat continued to beat against my leg.

It has been over a month now... and I have truly fallen in love with Diesel. I look forward to Sunday Night Bible studies when I get to watch Diesel display his mighty strength. I look forward to times when he loves, when he allows me to love, and when he sits at my feet begging me to trust Him. It reminds me of my relationship with God. Like most of you, I don't reflect on this relationship nearly as often as I should. And like most of you, when I do think about it, I am usually reminded of those intimate times when God comes near. When He loves and when He allows me to love. When a look into my eyes reflects the declaration of friendship... not of war. These are special times. But sometimes we need to be reminded of the cinder blocks and the logs. Sometimes we need to be reminded that this gentle loving God who cares for us is strong and mighty and valiant and HOLY... and quite simply GOD.

May we take the time to think on God. May we focus on His Grace but may we NOT forget to focus on His Mercy. May we love Him. May we allow Him to love us. May we see His strength and may that vision cause us to worship Him, submit to Him and respect Him. May we be a little afraid, a little less quick to resist. May we trust. May we trust as if our life is depending on it. Because quite frankly... it is.

Come and see what the Lord has done,
the amazing things he has done on the earth.
He stops wars everywhere on the earth.
He breaks all bows and spears
and burns up the chariots with fire.
God says, "Be still and know that I am God.
I will be praised in all the nations;
I will be praised throughout the earth."
The Lord All-Powerful is with us;
the God of Jacob is our defender.
        - Psalm 46:8-11

For those of you who know me well, I am a little OCD about public restrooms. I am the guy sitting in the Airport Restroom with his fingers in his ears while humming a song and shutting my eyes...pretending that I am somewhere else... ANYWHERE else. With that being said, the sight of a Family Restroom... a completely private facility with no noise, no people, no distractions, and no germs seemed like an amazing and extremely appealing idea. I walked up to the door and realized it was... unlocked. JACKPOT!!!!

I walked in to the Family Restroom... locked the door and spent several moments looking around. This was the first "earth friendly" restroom I had seen so I paid close attention to the "pull up to flush" or "pull down to flush" buttons. I enjoyed giving those a try. I checked a little email and I basically made Jerrod sit outside and wait while I experienced the bliss of my own private oasis in the midst of a crowded and loud IKEA store. I walked out the door with a big grin on my face. As I walked up to Jerrod, he was shaking his head with a large grin on his face as he told me the story of what he had just seen.

He informed me that after I left that a woman with four kids walked up and checked the Family Restroom door and found it to be locked. They waited and waited (I was checking email you know) and finally the woman's kids could not wait any longer. She sent her two younger sons into the Men's Restroom. One of them was crying because he did not want to go to the restroom alone. She assured him that he would be fine and that she would be waiting right outside. She then turned her attention to her two daughters. One of them was in diapers and needed to be changed. She asked the older daughter if she could hurry up in the restroom, return quickly so that the mother could go change the baby's diapers and then hopefully return before her two sons noticed she was not standing right outside the door as promised.

I believe the words Jerrod used were "Dude, you created a lot of chaos going into that Family Restroom." Although we were both laughing about the experience, I also realized that I had made this mother's trip to IKEA a nightmare. I also realized that I was given an extreme blessing.

Through Jerrod's eyes, I was able to see the actual consequences of my "me first" decision.

We rarely get to see this picture. The picture of the actual consequences of our actions. We don't get to hear the stories of those who were "put out" as we made sure we were "put in". I am convinced that if we could see the entire picture play out each and every time we choose "me first", that we might begin to understand God's call to serve and not be served, we might begin to lean toward loving our neighbors as our self,we might start seeking the Kingdom of God first,we might start dying to self daily, and we might begin giving more and worrying less about what we get in return. When we choose to put others first....something special happens....not only in their lives but in our lives as well. We begin to see the entire picture play out and we begin to not only understand the message of Christ, we begin to BECOME the message.  Somehow, I think that is what He intended all along.

May we truly seek to end our "me first" attitudes. May we begin to live the John 3:30 principle. More of Christ and less of me. May we attempt to see the consequences of all our actions, and may we allow the reality of what we see change who we are, how we live, and even where we go to the restroom.

How can I stand up before God
and show proper respect to the high God?
Should I bring an armload of offerings
topped off with yearling calves?
Would God be impressed with thousands of rams,
with buckets and barrels of olive oil?
Would he be moved if I sacrificed my firstborn child,
my precious baby, to cancel my sin?

But he's already made it plain how to live, what to do,
what God is looking for in men and women.
It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor,
be compassionate and loyal in your love,
And don't take yourself too seriously—
take God seriously.

Attention! God calls out to the city!
If you know what's good for you, you'll listen.
So listen, all of you!
This is serious business.
         Micah 6:6-9 (The Message)

Invisible people are a big part of growing up. Hopefully as children mature into teens and as teens mature into adults, the need for such imaginary trips or imaginary conversations become less and less. I am convinced however that as we enter adulthood, we begin to deal with a whole new type of invisible person. An invisible person that we rarely discuss, that we rarely choose to acknowledge, and that we quite frankly pretend simply isn't there.

That invisible person is the "invisible me."

Before you call my psychiatrist, let me attempt to explain. The "invisible me" is the person that lives within the reality gap that we have created for ourselves. This reality gap allows us to see people at their worst yet allows us to see ourselves at our best. This reality gap makes it easy for us to show people where they go wrong, but makes it extremely difficult to see where we go wrong. This gap gives us the belief that we are doing better than we actually are because our measurements are things that we have created to help us win. It's as if a baseball team shows up to a game and convinced themselves that they start the game with an imaginary seven run lead. When they lose the game 6-0... they are surprised to see their fans disappointed... because in their minds... they have won 7-6.

I know that this is an intense concept to grasp so early in the morning. But if we don't deal with the reality gap that we have created in our lives, we will never truly know the score (reference back to the baseball game) and we will never really see ourselves for who we truly are. We will never see the "invisible me", the true person that exists... the one the rest of the world has to live with day in and day out. We will live a life blaming others, pushing people away, making excuses, and ultimately ending up in a place where we don't want to be... alone. I don't know about you, but when I am 76 years old, I do not want to pull out the television tray and Atari game system again for my relationship needs. I want to be surrounded by people who know me and most importantly who love me. For that to happen... I must seek to find the "the invisible me."

May we not look upon ourselves more highly than we ought. May we learn the definition of humility and may we ask God for it to become a natural part of who we are. May we strive to see the best in others, not the worst. May we honestly, with God's help seek to find the real us...the "invisible me" that hides beyond all of our masks. May we invite God to join us in this venture... to search into those very dark places... and do what He does best... restore. May we not make excuses, may we not blame. May the goal of arguments, disagreements, and frustrating conversations end up in restoration thoughts and not battles over who is right and who is wrong. May we stop living life as the better version of ourselves. May we stop pretending all is well, and may we deal with all the realities of who we truly are... both good and bad. May we live life full of relationships, full of friends, and full of love. May we grow.

"The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful, a puzzle that no one can figure out. But I, God, search the heart and examine the mind. I get to the heart of the human. I get to the root of things. I treat them as they really are, not as they pretend to be."  
            Jeremiah 17:9-10

Dear Mr. Bell,

          I want to thank you for writing your book Love Wins.  After reading this book, I walk away with a better understanding of what Paul was warning about in 2 Timothy 4 when he stated that “a time will come when people will not endure sound doctrine; but instead will want to have their ears tickled. They will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn their ears away from the truth and will turn aside to myths.” While Love Wins is an interesting read, the foundations that you lay forth have weak biblical and weak doctrinal support thus diverting from the truth….tickling ears and turning aside to myths.

          I cannot say that I am surprised Mr. Bell.  It is difficult for us to think on the doctrine of hell.  I understand that. The reason is that God has placed a portion of his own love for people in our hearts, even his love for sinners who rebel against him.  As long as we are in this life, it should always cause us great distress and spiritual agony to think about eternal punishment.

          Here is the reality. The history of Christianity is surrounded by a blur of heresies seeking to evade the clear teachings of heaven, hell, and salvation. Origen claimed to have proof texts to support his vision of a universal reconciliation: the idea that you hold Mr. Bell….that hell functions as a purging and cleansing place…. that all passing through it will be set free. Richard Neuhaus (a Contemporary Catholic Intellectual) stated that the hope that hell would one day be empty.  Jehovah’s Witnesses and Orthodox Evangelical Christians have offered a view of hell where eventually all are consumed by fire and cease consciousness.

          Others pondered the billions of un-evangelized who would die without Christ and wonder whether they will have an opportunity to respond after death to the gospel.  Mr. Bell, you are correct in stating that other intellectuals and theologians think the way you do. However, these hopes that you share with others are still misplaced and unbiblical. 

          After reading your book, it seems that your teaching revolves primarily around four key topics:  a unilateral forgiveness,  a three tiered definition of heaven, the fact that the Bible contradicts itself on how one might be saved, and the question of whether hell is forever.

          Tonight, Mr. Bell, I would like begin to debate the ideas you have set forth by presenting truths grounded in Scripture.  Tonight, I’d like to specifically wrestle with your theory that hell isn’t forever. 

          Comedian Jim Carrey said “Maybe there is no actual place called hell.  Maybe hell is just having to listen to our grandparents breathe through their noses when they’re eating a sandwich.” While Jim was simply looking for a laugh in describing his view of hell….you on the other hand Mr. Bell I believe were looking to create a paradigm shift in the view of hell…. looking to establish a new idea or better yet, re-present an old idea packaged up as “the gift of love”.  I think the ultimate point you attempt to make is that a “god of love” would not sentence someone to eternal damnation.

          To simplify your view of hell, please allow me to take the liberty of using a verbiage that would stick in the minds of people listening here tonight…words that they could remember and could pass on to other people as a simple summary of your thoughts regarding the place called hell…..those ideas being three fold.  In summary…you see how as a time-out, as trials we go through here on earth, and as a trash heap.

First, “a time-out”….. . agreeing with Origen in the idea that hell is purgatorial in function and that all passing through it will be redeemed. In Luke 16, Jesus tells a parable that clearly explained the harshness, finality, and inability to repent in the place of Hades or hell.  

19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

   22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

   25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

   27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

   29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’

   30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

   31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

          Mr. Bell, you contend that the moral of this story isn’t the horrific nature of hell, the finality and inability of a repentant heart, the forever separation in which no man can cross-but rather the moral of this story is that this rich man was in hell and had not yet changed the condition of his heart.  You agree that no sin is allowable in a perfect place called heaven…but believe that in due time a man such as this will “learn his lesson in hell”…be purified…and cleansed.  You contend that the rich man’s request for Lazarus to bring him a drink of water was an attempt to show that in his heart, he still saw Lazarus as a lowly beggar and not that he was begging for one taste of water due to the torment. The man was “not yet ready” to be released from torture….cleansed and prepared for the his ultimate destination….the destination for that Christ provided for all as     He made ALL things new in the redemptive act of the Cross.  You present that in due time…hell will cure this man of His evil ways….that He in deed will repent…that He in time will call upon the name of the Lord…and that Hell will have only been for a moment….a season of purification….cleansing.  Love wins. Hell is nothing more than a “time-out” until you have realized and repented for the evil that is in your heart.

          Where you claim it is a “time out”, a temporary cleansing…I believe the Bible claims that is a “time that never ends….and eternal punishment.”  Jesus makes it clear in this account of the rich man and Lazarus that upon death, the sinner immediately finds himself in torment.  The unbelieving soul faces punishment. This experience of hell is frightful and un-imaginably horrific and is just the beginning of a final sentence to the lake of fire, a sentence that awaits the day of judgment at the resurrection of the unrighteous.

           Why must it be eternal Mr. Bell?  Because hell is God’s ultimate triumph over kingdoms of this world, the older order of the flesh.  The revolt of God is more than a sin against one’s neighbor.  It is a reproach to an infinitely worthy Creator, itself worthy of an infinitely worthy punishment. More significantly is the nature of the judgment itself.  The sinner in hell does not become morally neutral upon his sentence to hell.  We must not imagine the damned sinner displaying gospel repentance and longing for the presence of Christ. 

          The damned indeed are longing for an escape from punishment, but they are not new creations.  They do not, in hell, love the Lord their God with heart, mind, soul, and strength.  Instead, they are now handed over to the full display of their natures apart from grace natures that are satanic.   John 8:44 states 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Forever and ever, with no end in view either for the sin or the punishment thereof.

We like to believe in a mythical gray area where people live in between living a life for God or living a life for Satan.  Yet the Bible clearly states that while no man may serve two masters, we clearly  all serve one.  Hell is for those who chose to serve the wrong one.

          Attempts to navigate around this truth of hell as everlasting punishment are like going back in the Garden of Eden and desiring to substitute human wisdom and human justice over the authority of God.  Yes, hell is horrifying.  God deems it so.  Our response to such horror should not be denial, but in fervent evangelism of the nations. 

          It may help us to realize that if God were not to execute eternal punishment, then apparently his justice would not be satisfied and his glory would not be furthered in a way that he deems wise.  While we groan on this side that all men might be saved, we also recognize that all heaven cries with praise to God for the rightness of his judgment as they finally see the heinous nature of evil for what it really is. 

Rev. 19:1-3  1 After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting:

   “Hallelujah!
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
 2 for true and just are his judgments.
He has condemned the great prostitute
   who corrupted the earth by her adulteries.
He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”

 3 And again they shouted:

   “Hallelujah!
The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.”

Revelation 19:4-5 The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried:

   “Amen, Hallelujah!”

 5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying:

   “Praise our God,
   all you his servants,
you who fear him,
   both great and small!”

 Therefore, we cannot long for their salvation as we long for the redemption of all humanity.  We must believe that eternal punishment is true and just, yet we should also long that even those people who most severely persecute the church should come to faith in Christ and escape eternal condemnation.

 2 Corinthians 6:2 states

2 For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.

          As CS Lewis writes: In the long run, the answer to all those who object to the doctrine of hell itself is a question: What are you asking god to do?  To wipe out their past sins and at all costs to give them a fresh start, smoothing every difficulty and offering every miraculous help?  But He has done so, on Calvary.  To forgive them?  They will not be forgiven.  To leave them alone? Alas, I am afraid that is exactly what He does.

          Mr. Bell, you claim that many Christians worry more about the hell that awaits us rather than the hell we see everday in this world.  As you saw those children with missing legs and arms in another country, that is indeed a horrific image.  It indeed should cause more of us to want to help. I agree with you on that point. Our hearts should be broken by those who are broken.   However, the idea that these “trials” that we go through and these acts of aggression and horror on Earth are actually a part of the definition of hell…Mr. Bell…I can assure you that there is nothing on this Earth that can clearly define, become, or even allude to the unending punishment of hell.  Where you would define hell partially as “earthly trials”, I believe the Bible would clearly define hell not as “earthly trials” but as THE trial verdict.

           Revelation 20:11-15 states….11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. The final judgment focuses on the kingship of Christ.  Jesus pointed to this judgment throne as when he will distinguish between the sheep and the goats.  Matthew 25:31-46 states   31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 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. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

   34 “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. 35 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, 36 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.’

   37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

   40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

   41 “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. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 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.’

   44 “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?’

   45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

   46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

          The criteria for judgment include individual sins- all summoned as evidence for damnation…but the ultimate criterion for judgment is the sinner’s response to Jesus himself. 

          The final judgment results in the condemnation of sinners. As the New Hampshire Confession of Faith puts it, “Nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth except his own voluntary refusal to submit to the Lord Jesus Christ, which refusal will subject him to aggravated condemnation.  Revelation brings with it responsibility. The greater the revelation, the greater the responsibility.”  In hell, the whole person is handed over to the judgment of God.  Again, hell weighs heavily on the restored heart, as the Spirit prompts us to cry for those who will be lost.  Hell is also an outrage to the unregenerate sense of justice, since no person except through the conviction of the spirit deems himself worthy of condemnation. No one in jail every truly believes they are guilty.

          It will serve the purpose of displaying before all rational creatures the declarative glory of God in a formal, forensic act, which magnifies on the one hand His holiness and righteousness, and on the other hand, His grace and mercy. 

          Mr. Bell, the final thought on hell you offered is that the New Testament Scriptures have very little to say about it.  You claimed that Jesus used the image of the “trash heap” and the word of “hell” to show how serious he was…but these were only examples….to show the severity.  Not LITERAL descritions.  You say Jesus is talking about a “trash heap” outside the city as imagery.   I would argue that the New Testament speaks clearly to hell and that Jesus’ imagery of a trash heap is to show the true nature of hell…a true horrific destination.

“Hell is a place of indescribable torment.” John referred to it as a lake of fire in Rev. 20:14. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.  Jesus compared it to a Middle Eastern trash heap in Mark 9:42-50.   42 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea. 43 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. [44] [a] 45 And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. [46] [b] 47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48 where

   “‘the worms that eat them do not die,
   and the fire is not quenched.’[c]

   49 Everyone will be salted with fire.

   50 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”

          This is an important point Mr. Bell. God did not design this place of eschatological exile for human beings, but in the words of Jesus, “for the devil and his angels.” Because rebel humans choose the headship of Satan as their god and because they share his nature, they will join in their inheritance, unless they are hidden in Christ.  All human beings, however are invited and commanded to flee this wrath.  This understanding of hell is in sharp contrast to the Calvinistic view that sees God predestining human beings to hell prior the fall in order to display his wrath.  God sincerely invites all human beings to seek refuge from the wrath to come.  Mr. Bell, you seem to be asking the wrong question in doubting God’s intention.  The real question is not why some people should end up in hell.  That is not the question for skeptics of the faith.  The question for God’s reputation is not why some people go to hell, but rather why do the guilty seem to go unpunished?  From David to Solomon to the martyrs of Revelation, the cry of believers through the ages is a plea for God’s justice to be displayed, for the rebellion of the wicked to end. The doctrine of hell answers this question after the dust is settled from history. Though unbelievers tell themselves that God does not see their actions. .

 Psalm 94:1-7  1 The LORD is a God who avenges.
   O God who avenges, shine forth.
2 Rise up, Judge of the earth;
   pay back to the proud what they deserve.
3 How long, LORD, will the wicked,
   how long will the wicked be jubilant?

 4 They pour out arrogant words;
   all the evildoers are full of boasting.
5 They crush your people, LORD;
   they oppress your inheritance.
6 They slay the widow and the foreigner;
   they murder the fatherless.
7 They say, “The LORD does not see;
   the God of Jacob takes no notice.”

 Every idle word, thought, deed will be brought before the throne and judged by the criterion of God’s own righteousness.  Matthew 12:36-37. 36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” 

          Morever God has implanted knowledge of this coming judgment in the psyches of all humans Romans 2:15-16… 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) 16 This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

          We seek to deny this knowledge or suppress it with clever words…like love wins, but the reality is that hell, Mr. Bell is no time out, no earthly trial, and no trash heap.  It is time without end.  It is a true horrific place.  It is the trial verdict.  That is the truth. 

          The final question tonight is this…how should this truth of hell affect you and affect me. This is what hell should do for me.

It should satisfy my inward sense of a need for justice in this world.

It should enable me to forgive others freely.

It should provide a motive for right living.

It should provide a motive for evangelism.

So, there I stood... the $19.99 had drawn me in. The named-brand tag had risen an eyebrow and at least partially released my death grip on the wallet containing my debit card. But this tag... this gold and black diamond jewel placed front and center in the middle of this beautiful pink dress shirt... it was the tipping point. It was the VERY thing that moved me to release the card and purchase the shirt. What did this tag say that was so impressive? What possible claim could have moved me from just a man passing by to a becoming a man moved to purchase? The black and gold tag simply stated "non-wrinkle" "no-iron."

"Non-wrinkle" and "no-iron?" To a man that hates wrinkles. To a man that runs to the dryer as soon as it buzzes, in hopes to hang up the "still warm" shirts before the wrinkles set in. To a man that starches, presses, creases, and steams. You might as well have offered Superman anti-cryptonite medicine. I was sold at "hello."

So, you see, the irony is overwhelming as I am standing in the bathroom ironing my new pink dress shirt. As I am ironing the deep wrinkles out of my "non-wrinkle" and "no-iron" dress shirt. As I look into the trash can and see the receipt for $19.99, I realize that it wasn't truly a bargain...for I did not purchase what I truly longed for. As I look in the trash can and see the black and gold diamond shaped tag, I was disappointed. For the message of its promise was now drowned out by the reality of truth. The reality of wrinkles.

In the end... much louder than the price tag, much louder than the named brand tag, much louder than the promise to end my ironing whoas... in the end... the wrinkles themselves spoke loudest. In the end...the truth of "what is" spoke louder than "what was promised" or even "what was guaranteed." In the end...I just had a mediocre shirt with deep wrinkles that needed ironing. Nothing more... nothing less.

May we recognize the irony of a deeply wrinkled pink shirt. May we be more careful in what we guarantee, in what we promise, in what claims and statements we make about ourselves. May we truly understand that the reality of "what is". How the reality of what people SEE when they see us far outweighs the things that we want them to see, or that which we simply CLAIM to be true. May we reflect on our wrinkles and ask ourselves and more importantly ask God what people see when they see the real "me?" May we allow God to iron us out, to press, clean, steam, starch... and thoroughly examine us. May we then strive to let His tag of righteousness, forgiveness, grace... and truth be the reality of "what is" in our lives... not simply the reality of what "should be."

For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.  
       1 Timothy 4:10

I wonder what it is like…being one of the most powerful men in the modern world, but unable to help, simply powerless, against it’s ravaging affects.  What is going through his mind as the plane begins to descend, as he realizes that in mere minutes, he is going to be standing in the midst of hundreds, in the midst of thousands, in the midst of tens of thousands of children.  Children who are parentless, hopeless, and some even homeless.  Children from a country where AIDS has stolen their mothers, stolen their fathers and caused older brothers and older sisters to become the caretakers, hope givers, and sustainers. Children, who if born in our country, wouldn’t even be old enough to play on the playground without supervision… yet here they stand as the leaders of their family.

I see him thinking back to legislation he has passed, thinking on the aide and help that has been sent, thinking about the good reports he has heard from the field, re-visiting the positive media clips that have been shedding light on this horrible epidemic… I can picture the whispers in his mind saying… ”are we doing all we can?”  That moment of second guessing, of self doubt…  He gathers himself and realizes this issue is much greater than him.  He is the bringer of hope.  I can almost hear the whispered prayer… ”God help us.”  He will have to constantly focus… work so hard to keep those thoughts of desperation and despair scrambling around in his brain from ever making it to his facial expression.  His face must say… hope… and nothing less.

I can see him taking off his jacket and loosening his tie… thinking about it for a moment and then finally removing the tie and gently placing it into the beige Italian leather seat that is littered with seven mainstream newspapers from the morning.  He rolls up his sleeves and wipes perspiration off of his brow with a stark white handkerchief engraved with the initials GWB. You see this is the part of his job that has to be the hardest.  The speeches, the legislation, dealing with global wars and global economies… we cannot even comprehend those decisions… those pressures… but this one… hurting children… children with little or no hope… is something we can understand… maybe not comprehend… but at least muster up enough energy to know the high level of difficulty this task will entail.

“The plane has landed Mr. President.” 

I can picture him stepping off the plane into the makeshift runway that is hewn from mowed down grass and dirt so dry that it might as well be concrete.  The dignitaries line the way.  All bowing out of respect. I can see him bowing back… but out of the corner of his eye… I imagine he is looking down the line to the children.  As he approaches them… they cheer.  Though they have never seen him… though they don’t even know his name… they understand that this white shirted man with blue pants and black shoes is somebody quite different… somebody quite special.  Many have walked dozens of miles just to see his face.  They cheer him as if he is bringing gifts of grandeur… instead of a simple gesture of wellbeing and hope.  I imagine it all so clearly… yet this next part I do not have to imagine at all because I have heard Mr. President speak to this very moment several times. 

As he begins to walk away from the children… he looks for just a few words to speak to them that might clearly state the hope and prayer that he brings on behalf of his country.  He looks at them with a simple smile and states… God is good.  There is but a second of silence, and then all of a sudden, against the sound of engines humming, and the sound of people yelling “Mr. President… Over Here Sir”… he hears the most unusual, the most amazing sound coming back from the children… the sound of their reply… ALL THE TIME! 

As I step away from this story, I believe that this is one of those moments that will forever change a president. Can you imagine standing in the midst of hopeless children and attempting to minister by saying the phrase “God is good”… but instead, being ministered to as these children who have every right to be angry, every right to be hopeless, and every right to be bitter… yell back … “all the time!”  God is good…all the time!  This tells me two things.  Both are so important and true that I am not quite sure what order to present them. 

One being the reality that God is good all the time… even in the middle of an AIDS epidemic.  He is still all loving, all powerful, all caring.  They caught that.  It is we who mess THIS truth up by getting so sideways at the least little circumstance that doesn’t fall our way.  The next time it rains…God is good.  The next time it pours….all the time.  No matter what the storm may be.

The other… no less important than the first, is that someone told them, someone taught them, someone in the name of Jesus, came to these hopeless children and demonstrated love.  Who was it?  I don’t know.  How did they do it?  I don’t know.  But I know this… in their lives… somewhere… was planted a missionary.  A voice of truth and love.  Oh… I would have given anything to be the person who planted that seed.  I would have given anything to be the person who got to water that seed.  And I would have given anything to have been Mr. President on that day… to see the flowering of that hope.

May we remember that God is good.  But may we also remember that He is good all the time.  May we not be dismayed at the most discouraging of all circumstances but may we recognize…..

“With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” –Jesus speaking in Matthew 19:26

A crown of thorns to mock the Almighty. A gesture of disrespect, ignorance, and disgrace to the very Living God who brought the Earth into being. He who placed these funny little men with these evil little thoughts inside their mother's wombs. He who created them, made them limb by limb. Placed every hair upon their head. Knew every thought that they had ever had or ever will have. Yet they retreat to bended knee mocking Him... laughing and giggling like middle school girls at the idea of this Jewish carpenter being royalty. Their laughs echoing throughout all eternity. As history has now proven that the joke quite simply was not on the Man who stood amidst the crowd being mocked, spit upon, stripped and beaten. The joke would literally be... on these men.

As they place a crown of thorns upon His head..Jesus' head is now adorned with the very consequence of the original sin. Think back to the garden... as Adam and Eve sinned... the beauty of the rose was forever married to the sting of the thorn. And here this thorn sits in mockery. How ironic and sad that these funny little men with these evil little thoughts mocked the One who created the thorn as a punishment for sin by placing a thorned crown upon His head. This thorn that represented the very sins that lived within their heart. The very sins that later... He would willingly step up and literally die for. The joke was on them. For as they bowed in mockery to King Jesus... they never even for a second realized that they were not only bowing to the Creator of the Universe, they were not only bowing to the very God who breathed life into their own lungs... but they were bowing to the very God who would eventually ride the skies with majesty and power and establish Himself as judge... giver of life... not the short little life we live upon this planet... but the real life... the one that starts when this one ends. The one that lasts and lasts and lasts... and just as soon as you think it cannot go one moment longer... it has only just begun.

This same Jesus will be the one who decides who and where and why. Yet these funny little men with these evil little thoughts who bow at the foot of Jesus in mockery will find that this is quite ironic. For it will not be the last time they find themselves at the feet of this Man. For one day, they again will find themselves at the feet of Jesus and He will look at them and He, with a heart full of justice and love will ask... when did you call upon Me? When did you acknowledge me as King and as Lord? Not in jest, but in truth. And as they scamper and as they whimper like middle school girls at the idea of this Jewish carpenter being royalty... it will be in that moment that they will recognize. That very moment... that very mile-second... they will know that in the end the joke was truly on them.

But it's not a ha ha joke. Not a funny little tale with a curious little punch line. But the irony will remain in the fact that if they truly have no answer for the question that has been asked them... then this Man who stood silent as they mocked and as they laughed the first time... will most definitely not stand silent in this moment.

For in this moment... with all the power in all the world... with all the rights that belong to the One True Living God... He will in that moment speak... and in His speaking... He will sentence them to their final destination... a destination without life, without love and sadly without Him.

Where has all the laughing gone? Why did the room just go silent? Is it not funny anymore? This mockery of the King? This gentle God who stepped down only to show love and grace... but now stands firmly on the face of the entire WORLD proclaiming to all that He has come to take His children home. Many mocked this gentle Jesus. Many throughout the ages have bowed in mockery... have laughed at the thought of a simple Jewish Carpenter being King of it all... King of everything. And yet He still hopes and still loves... and still offers grace for all of these funny little men with these evil little thoughts to call upon Him in truth... to come to Him in love. And if they do call on Him in love... He in that very moment... in that very mile-second will save them.

I don't understand His patience. I don't understand His grace. I don't understand how He continues to love the unlovely, but I am so glad He does because I know in truth that I am one of the un-loveliest of them all and I know in that day... I want my bowing at the feet of Jesus to be the first of hundreds, the first of thousands, the first of hundreds of thousands of bows that I will offer throughout eternity. Oh Hail Great King!!!!! You are Worthy to be praised.

May we not take for granted King Jesus. May we recognize that He is love and that He is full of patience and that He is caring. But may we not for a second forget that He is righteous and He is truth and that there will come a day when grace fades and the time of truth will lie with every man. What did you do with King Jesus? Many will have no answer. May your answer be the answer of a child to a Father. May you do everything you can to take the truth... to share the love... with all those funny little men with all those evil little thoughts. God loves them... His patience and His grace is reaching throughout all of history to save them. Do everything within your power to not let the first time THEY bow... be the last.

The greatest part of the game is when an individual has several different bumper stickers on their car and we are able to discern a little bit more about who they truly are. When you see a lady driving a white mini-van with the bumper stickers "my kids make straight A's," "I love my church", and "God doesn't believe in atheists so they must not exist"....you can delve a little deeper into guessing her character. I would assume that this woman is a churchgoing believer who loves her family. Since she places a high value on grades and since her kids excel, I would assume that her home life is somewhat orderly and that she is active in making sure that the kids are keeping up scholastically. I would expect to see this van parked outside of a church building at least twice a month and wouldn't be surprised to see it there during mid-week activities as well. Her last bumper sticker lets me know that she probably has a little sarcasm but doesn't take herself too seriously. Probably a woman who is confident in her relationships..with God and family. Now...I never said my character analysis were accurate...I only said that this is a game that we enjoy playing.

The worst part of the game are people who have bumper stickers that do not make any sense or bumper stickers whose ideas seem to oppose one another. For instance...you can't have a bumper sticker that says "Go PETA" next to a bumper sticker that says "Beef: It's what's for dinner." That just doesn't make sense...but you'd be amazed at how many people send mixed messages with the things pasted on the back of their car. And the bumper stickers that don't make any sense at all...some random symbol or some acrostic that no one could possibly understand unless they were in some secret group that has a secret knock and a secret key....arghhhhh. WHY WOULD YOU PUT A BUMPER STICKER ON YOUR CAR THAT NO ONE UNDERSTANDS? WHAT MESSAGE IS THAT SUPPOSED TO SEND?

I don't mean to rant or go on and on about this...but it just seems frustrating that people are looking. They are looking for hope...something to believe in (Aerosmith song by the way)...truth...and we go throughout our day and throughout our lives sending mixed messages..or messages that no one understands. In one minute we say God is good but in the very next breath we blame him for something that doesn't go our way. In one minute we demand grace but in the very next we offer nothing less than justice that is swift. We speak words of kindness mixed with words of anger. We say that we are pro-God but we remain silent on the issues that defame everything that represents the greatness of our majestic King. We send messages that people don't understand. We talk Christian-ese instead of the one universal language of the world...love. We do this to protect ourselves, to hide ourselves, to become simply a bumper covered with stickers that says a lot but really nothing at all.

I challenge you to be easily read. When people read you...when people see the three to four things that you represent...not necessarily by what is written on your car, but more importantly by what is written on your heart...may they CLEARLY see God's love. May they walk away knowing that they have met a person not defined by circumstance or happenstance, but a person who puts their hope and trust into something pure, into something real. No matter what. May they see God and fear God because of the messages that you send. May you be intentional about this and may you inspire others with the hope that you profess so loudly. May you live out this love. May you represent him in such a way that the people behind you have no doubt what you are about or who you are about.......may they be able to say.....here is a person who simply knows love.

God, your God, will cut away the thick calluses on your heart and your children's hearts, freeing you to love God, your God, with your whole heart and soul and live, really live.              Deuteronomy 30:6

So bored in fact….that I have stared at the menu at least 5 times.  “What menu?” you ask.  The menu for one of the most amazing restaurants on the planet.  The menu that I will be ordering from at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday night in Orlando, Florida.  The waiter will not have to wait one second for me to ponder.  I plan on walking in the door, past the little lady at the counter who will attempt making me wait even though I have reservations.  I will walk straight to my table, grab the waiter by his collar (in a Christian sort of way) and state…..  “I would like an un-sweet tea please…for appetizer I will be eating Caramelized Crab & Shrimp Stuffed Mushrooms with roasted garlic and Parmesan cheese and for my entrée I will be having Caramelized Sea Scallops grilled and served with sun-dried tomato pearl pasta and roasted asparagus. Thank you.” (Note to self:  Do not get so excited that you leave wife in car.)

I will definitely not be bored during this meal….as you can tell.  There is something ironic about this though….because this restaurant that has me salivating five days before my meal is actually a restaurant built around HEALTHY food.  According to them, their menu is seasonally inspired with the fresh appeal of a farmer’s market.  Their desire is for their guests to enjoy the complete dining experience while still feeling good about themselves and their dining choices.  In fact, they make a promise that nothing on their menu is over 475 calories.  The result is great tasting food that just happens to be good for you.  Ironic….I am simply bored with eating healthy.  They are quite inspired by cooking healthy…….and because of THEIR excitement and investment…..I have become extremely excited about eating their healthy food.  

As I reflect on the irony of the situation…my excitement about eating healthy food…their healthy food…I realize that my boredom doesn’t lie in eating healthy food. My boredom lies in my lack of investment in preparing healthy food.  I am just  not invested enough, inspired enough, or intentional enough in preparing what I eat.  The restaurant’s desire to cook great food and to be excited about it changed everything.  Like most things in life…it’s not what I am getting out of it that is the problem….it’s what I am putting into it.  Ouch!!!!!

………………………………………………………………………

I can see it on their faces…..Christians, church folk, people who have simply become bored with their relationship with God.  Just like my attitude towards healthy food….they know it’s good for them, they do what’s good for them, but at the end of the day…they feel like they walk away bored because their heart simply wasn’t  in it.  That’s the point….their heart simply isn’t in it.  It’s not God who is boring.  It’s not the fruits of their faith. .  It’s not the radical nature of taking up the cross.  There is absolutely NOTHING boring about those things. The reason they are bored is the reason I was bored.  They aren’t putting anything into it…simply judging what they are getting out of it. They are not invested enough, inspired enough or intentional enough with their grace walk. They aren’t bored, they are simply boring. The desire to do what is right because God said so won’t lead us to the point of salivation.  The desire to do what’s right because it is what we are passionate about will.  

May we recognize the joy and passion that comes from doing what is right in the sight of God.  May we love Christ.  May we adore Him.  May we allow our passion for His mind and His ways to infiltrate our mind and our ways to the extent that it changes our attitude, our heart, and inevitably our actions..  May we stop blaming God for being boring and may we realize that we are the cause of our apathy…not Him. May we stop measuring output and may we start focusing on our input.  May we invest with joy in the Kingdom. May we become so invested, so inspired, so intentional and so fired up living the Christian life that we have to remind ourselves not to leave the wife in the car. 

How well God must like you— you don't hang out at Sin Saloon,
you don't slink along Dead-End Road, you don't go to Smart-Mouth College. 
Instead you thrill to God's Word, 
you chew on Scripture day and night. 
You're a tree replanted in Eden, 
bearing fresh fruit every month, 
Never dropping a leaf, 
always in blossom 
Psalm 1:1-3 (The Message Paraphrase)

Last week as preparations were being made for Thanksgiving, I wandered into the kitchen to do a little taste testing. I noticed that there were some sweet potatoes on the counter about to find their way into a wonderful casserole dish. I opened up a drawer.....withdrew a fork....inched myself over to the bowl of sweet potatoes that were awaiting their smashing, mixing and delicious additions and I inserted my fork into the bowl. There was steam rising from the bare potatoes...but I was willing to take a chance. I pulled out a tiny bite. It was quite hot...but I ate it any way and found myself making the "hot hot hot" noise as I let the potatoes dance around my mouth attempting to cool them off. I went for another taste. This time I blew on the potatoes long enough to get them to at least a bearable temperature for tasting. I began to chew and taste....and to be quite honest...

I was a little bit underwhelmed. I took another taste and it wasn't much better. They were bland and simply.....so so.

I had tasted plain sweet potatoes before, and never really given it much thought...but on this day....I kept tasting and kept thinking to myself....I am just not that in love with sweet potatoes. It wasn't that they tasted bad....it was just that BY THEMSELVES they didn't have much taste to me....at all. I reflected on the dishes I liked that had sweet potatoes in them.....the pie, the casserole, the squares....and such. What I came to realize is that my addiction wasn't to the sweet potatoes...rather it was to all of the amazing things that surrounded them. The nuts, the marshmallows, the brown sugar, the heavy cream, the butter......those were the things that I truly craved. Those were the things that got my taste buds dancing..and the main thing....the sweet potato......it was simply along for the ride.

I fear we often make the same mistake in our relationship with Jesus Christ. We claim that we have always loved Him but we live in such a way that seems that He might be simply along for the ride. We can easily spout off five, six, or even seven weekly or monthly routines that either center around Him or are somehow attached to His name......but when all is stripped away and it is purely us and Him....have we become a little underwhelmed.....a little bored with simply.....Christ alone? Have we gotten distracted by all the brown sugar, marshmallows, butter, and crème and have we simply lost focus of the pure love and relationship that is supposed to be the center of our life....the center of our world? Is He enough or might we at times find ourselves a little underwhelmed?

May we truly examine our hearts and truly question our pure love and addiction for Christ alone. May we ask God to stir our spirit and feed us with the truth in such a way that we will be overwhelmed with His love and with His presence. May we realize that there are some actual good things that are distracters....not just sin. May we evaluate and may we make needed changes in our life that elevate who He is and that eliminate or at least de-value things that have gotten wedged between the purity of our walk with Him. May we study Him, may we know Him, may we seek Him and may we find that we re-discover our love for Him as the true center of our life....the center of our world. May we cherish that truth and may we spend the rest of our life searching and growing to the place that the answer is "yes, yes, yes".....to the question ......Is Christ alone enough? May we taste and see that the Lord is good and may we seek to never be distracted and to never be underwhelmed again.

So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that's where the action is. See things from his perspective. Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. Colossians 3:1-4