Blessed Hope!

 Several years ago, I received a note from a good friend..." my dad's cancer is progressing. His time here is probably down to days..."  When I read those words, I was transported back to the last time I was with his dad. I was saddened by this news, concerned for the grief this final act of life would introduce to my friend and his family...and not.

My friend's father did lose his life, but not once was he in danger of losing his hope: the certain promise that he, as a believer in Jesus Christ, would finally be transported into the presence of His Lord and Savior, there to enjoy life as HE designed it to be.

2021.

It's been the most difficult year I can recall in my time on the planet; torn by COVID, the contentious spirit of the age, mayhem in our cities, an economy ravaged by it all.  People paralyzed by fear, turning on each other in the ongoing pandemic debate, ruined by a microbe.

Life is hard, then we die.

Death is, of course, a very present reality for all of us--the daily COVID statistics trumpeted each evening through a thousand different news portals slaps us in the face with our inevitable end. COVID has made us all acutely aware of our mortality.  

Now what?

We will all lose our lives, but we need not lose our hope.

Praise God for the hope we have in Christ and the healing death brings for those who have embraced Christ through effective saving faith. 

For these, death need not be feared; it is a gracious provision that carries us back into a "face to face" real-time relationship with God. Without death, we would be eternal beings, like Lucifer and the legion of angels, which were cast out of heaven because of their rebellion...eternally separated from God, without hope of redemption.

Death became the modality that God uses to foil Satan's attempt to co-opt God's crowning creative act, humankind. So then, death is the definitive "check-mate" and demonstrates God's mastery; always steps ahead of evil and the chaos of sin. Genesis 3 describes the event that initiated Adam and Eve's rebellion to sin and its necessary result, death; it's also here that we learn that death is part of God's bigger plan for hope and the redemption of humankind.

The rest is history, 1 John 4.9,10...

"God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins." 

Love moved God to lavish upon humankind, generous grace. We know that death simply marks the first day of the rest of our lives, 2 Corinthians 4.16-18...

"Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly, we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen...."

Each Sunday, it's our privilege to gather with others in our community of faith and there, to go Vertical in our worship of God Almighty, the Creator, Sustainer of the universe; the Lover of humankind. 

His glory fills that place we gather in, and He inhabits the praise of His people. In those moments, I am frequently reminded of friends and family who have preceded me in death...and are in His literal presence even as we are gathered in that crowded room; no more heart failure, COPD, cancer, diabetes, stroke, dementia, arthritis, infirmity, organ failure--no disease, no broken hearts, no flaw, no pain, no suffering, no regret.

Joy unspeakable. 

Blessed h0pe.

We will rise, thanks be to God. Stand firm; no plan, no purpose will be left undone.

It's a GRACE day.
Liveitwell!

The fingerprints of God.

COVID lingers, Omicron is here.
Fear fouls the air we breathe.
Uncertainty is the new normal.

I AM BLESSED. Not because life hasn't taken anything away from me or disappointed me. Not because every dream I ever had for my life has played out in spades.

I'm blessed because the older I get, the more acutely aware I am that life is hard, harsh--unfair, and riddled with sorrow. Yet despite that, as I look back, I see God's fingerprints all across my 68 years.

I'm thankful for my family of origin. It was a perfectly normal not-perfect home, but we were loved with a sacrificial provision! I remember Hody's Drive-in, singing in the family station wagon, Christmas mornings, baseball card collections, my parents trusting me. Back yard barbecues. Working in the family business.  My home gave me my foundation, work ethic, and many of my core values and showed me what it means to be a responsible adult.

I'm thankful for my brother and sister, Brad and Tamara. I was the proud younger brother to Brad and the protective older brother to Tamara. I love them both and appreciate all we share and their part in making me, me.

I'm thankful for my Grandma Blankenship and my Aunt Carolyn, who stood in the gap for me, prayed for me, and lovingly intervened when I desperately needed an advocate...for my cousin Patty who is like a big sister to me.

I'm thankful for friends made a lifetime ago that have come back into my life through social media. The memories we share form a strong bond and a rich tapestry woven from the community we shared together growing up in a little town North-West of LA called Thousand Oaks. These people helped give me a good start.

I'm thankful for Mark, who showed me what effective faith consisted of and then mentored me in the early years of my walk with Jesus Messiah; introduced me to the girl who would become the woman I've shared my life with for 49 years (January 5) and challenged me to pursue a call into ministry--which extended into 30 years.

I have been blessed by friends in 4 different States; North Carolina, California, Illinois, and Indiana, over the past 49 years. People have loved us well at every stop; they mentored us as a "just married" college couple at Duke, befriended us as co-sojourners with growing families in our early years when I was a young Merchandising Exec, allowed us to lead them as their "clergy couple" over 18 plus years as a Lead Pastor at three stops--California, Illinois, and Indiana. Many of these folks remain in close contact with us.

I'm thankful for the years I spent a Duke University--an opportunity that wasn't even on the radar when I finally sat down to consider where I might pursue my college ambitions; yet when the time was right, God delivered me to that place with a paid-in-full promise courtesy of the good folks in the Duke Football office.

I'm thankful for my Talbot Seminary experience. The timing was all wrong but so right. This was such a formative time in my life. My brain finally unfolded--at age 28 and study became a discipline that shaped my life and my ministry.

I'm thankful for Laura, my wife.  She is my very best friend. She has worked alongside me, loved me, made our home a place of nurture for our children, supported us all in the pursuit of our dreams. She has stood by me through some deep water. I'm so grateful. She is an immensely talented woman with special gifts as a musician, business manager, Gardener Extraordinaire,  homemaker, and grandmother.

I'm thankful for Laura's parents, Gene and Janice. They loved us well and were generous with their lives, wisdom, and support. They left such a legacy of Godliness and service. They became the second set of parents to me--so critical because I lost my dad at age 17 and my mom at age 31. They stood in the gaps with me and for me.

I'm thankful for my kids, Erin and Joseph. They have become such good citizens, parents, and professionals. They are raising their kids with love, grace, and sacrifice. They are my friends; intelligent and stimulating, opinionated, and articulate. They have such passion for the ideas they believe in. Best of all, they love Jesus Messiah and endeavor to live in a manner that reflects His image to their worlds.

I'm thankful for Matthew and Miranda, my son and daughter-in-law. They are talented, compassionate people, love my kids well, and are wonderful parents. I prayed even before our children were born for that person they may eventually share their lives and dreams with. God did well. They are companions on the Way with our children and have established homes that honor Christ and serve Him.

I'm thankful for our six grandchildren, Braden, Kellen, Gabriella, Grayson, Chessa, who we lost before she took her first breath, and sweet little Gwendolyn, with whom I share a birthday. Grandchildren are everything right about life: pure joy, delight, potential. There isn't anything quite like the blessing grandkids introduce into our lives. These six make my heart explode with joy, pride, and thanksgiving.

Our firstborn grandson, Braden, marks his sixth Thanksgiving in the company of King Jesus. He lost his battle with cancer on June 28, 2016--passing into his Savior's loving arms. He lived it well. The legacy he left behind is a blessing--his courage, his story, touched the lives of thousands of people all across the nation. One of his last wishes was to "see the word of his testimony spread," and it has in a fashion only God could have orchestrated. He was diagnosed in February 2015, and it has been such a difficult journey, a journey God has made with us. We had seen such goodness and generosity from people, many of who were strangers before this disease brought us together. It's humbling. It's transformative. We will be together with Braden again, at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, because of our blessed hope--Jesus Messiah.

I'm thankful for our faithful family pets who have shared life with us and made our lives better in ways we could not have expected...Alphie 12 years, Blue 4 years, Max 13 years, Barley 15 years, Kate 15 years, Lily 12 years, Chance 9 years (and counting), and Jett, our youngster Black Lab at 16 months.

I'm thankful for 30 years invested in ministry, the good, the bad, and the heartbreak.

I'm thankful for 20 years with State Farm. A great opportunity to pursue another side of my gift mix. It's given us the security we never anticipated we would enjoy. It has been a wonderful platform from which to make hard lives easier--truly a marketplace ministry.

I'm thankful for good healers and good health.

So much to be thankful for, so little space and a memory dimmed by 68 years. That said..."Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise Him all creatures here below, praise Him above ye heavenly hosts, Praise Father Son and Holy Ghost."  

Breathe it in.  

No plan, no purpose will be left undone...

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and NOT to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be MANIFESTED in OUR mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but LIFE in YOU."

--2 Corinthians 4.7-10. ESV

We don't get to be here long.

Liveitwell!

Beautiful music.

 These are difficult days, yet not unlike the climate-of-culture in the first Century before the ascendance of the Gospel.

As the Scriptures predicted, culture has again devolved to a post-christian paganism where pre-born children are targets of infanticide, gender is a mythic construct, love is whatever we declare it to be and values are defined by those who wield the most persistent, cynical and compelling narrative.

Yet this remains: People on the Way have been given a mandate to declare this Truth, "For God so loved the world He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever would believe in Him would not perish, but have eternal life." John 3.16

It seems, too often, that some within the Faith Community would be content to simply shout it from the rooftops with conviction, yet absent compassion.

This loveless approach FEELS like these zealots are bent on brandishing the sword of truth to "cut others down to size" in the name of fidelity to the Gospel--the good news. According to these, to do otherwise amounts to a compromise of Truth, indeed it is to preach "another gospel." What tragic irony. This amounts to a christianized version of Jihad. 

One need not compromise the message to deliver it in a fashion that communicates truth, urgency, conviction, exclusivity in its truth claims--in a context of grace, love, mercy and civility. The Gospel is exclusive AND INCLUSIVE at the same time--God's Word is unique and powerful in this way.

He has called us to proclaim the Gospel in a context of suffering; to live our lives based on the Truth of God's Word--IN the world but not OF the world--that His Will might be done on Earth as it is in heaven. Peter touches on this in his First letter, 3.14-16...

"14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame." ESV

We NEVER compromise Truth. We NEVER accommodate culture. We NEVER embrace human wisdom as a lens through which we selectively apply God's Word. This praxis will certainly lead, has led, to suffering, persecution and aggressive steps to marginalize us and God's Message. That said, WE ALWAYS deliver that message with gentleness and respect born from our life-altering encounter with God's grace and mercy. 

When God's people, empowered by God's Spirit, in submission to God's Son, live transformed lives...it is breathtakingly beautiful and powerful at the same time. It produces a synergy, “beautiful music” that the Holy Spirit uses to impel people to effective faith...Confessing "Jesus is Lord and God raised Him from the dead." Romans 10.5-13

One life.  

Liveitwell.

Keep Your Eye on the Ball.

We are owned by the most delightful young Black Labrador Retriver on the Planet.  Really.

Jett is obsessed, wait for it, with playing ball with us--big surprise!  He would do it 24/7 if we could sustain our energy and focus. But his version of retrieving is unique in our experience.  Jett is Lab #3 for us dating back 26 years.  So we have some background.  He prefers two games--catch and scoccer penalty kick.  In the second game he dares us to get the ball past him.  He's quite good at it. I confess to having to deploy my opposable thumb to out maneuver him because I just cannot kick the ball past him--he's that good.  His secret?  He has figured out THE KEY is to ignore anything, I mean anything, but the ball.  He is a textbook illustration of an age-old coaching axiom; the cardinal rule of good hitting--baseball, golf, billiards, or retrieving games--is of course,"keep your eye on the ball." 

That said, my mission as a follower of Christ--to proclaim the truth about God, His love for humankind, His provision for our redemption--does not require me to fear a culture filled with souls who "are like sheep without a shepherd."  It does NOT require me to win the so-called "culture war."  

Jesus saw the crowds of distressed people and was "moved with compassion" all the way to the Cross where He crushed the power of sin, once-and-for-all.  

God's Word makes it clear who the enemy is..."For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places"  Ephesians 6.12

God's Word tells me what it is I must do to engage these evil adversaries and prevail; I must keep my eye on the ball...

"10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, 19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak."  Ephesians 6.10-24

Note that this passage does not instruct Christ-followers to revile the sinner, legislate a solution that protects my family, leave the Union, or disengage from "life in the world--not of the world."  This is not a political war, not a culture war--it is a Spiritual battle that calls for weapons fashioned by God for taking down, taking back, strongholds.  Our weapons?  See...truth, righteousness, the Gospel of Peace, faith, salvation, God's Word, intercessory prayer, wisdom from God to speak the truth in love with boldness behaving as an Ambassador/Doulos (bond-servant) for the King.

When we allow ourselves to be drawn into a "culture-war" mentality, we lose; people yet to trust Christ and experience spiritual re-birth lose.  We allow the "the rulers, the powers, the world forces of darkness, the spiritual forces of wickedness" to pick the time and place of the struggle; we lay the Armor of God aside--and we are impotent in the face of such evil. 

It's high time believers figure out "who and where" the enemy is and the rules-of-engagement; then take the fight to the enemy as per Paul's instruction in Ephesians 6.10-24.  Only then will we see the tide of evil begin to recede. 

We will not prevail in the long-term by building higher walls around the spiritual reservations we have fashioned our churches into,  by asking Focus of the Family to lobby our politicians, by finding conservative-too often shrill--politicians to write laws and pack the courts; cursing-the-darkness won't win hearts and change minds.

Choose God.  

Love people.  

Know who the enemy is and...

"10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil."  Ephesians 6.10   

Our battle is NOT against flesh and blood.  The stakes are infinity higher than a culture-war; eternity hangs in the balance for those yet to embrace Christ with effective faith.  

For the sake of the Kingdom, and especially those who have not yet secured a place in the Kingdom through effective faith in Christ, keep your eye on the ball.

One life.

LIVEITWELL!

Flesh It Out.

 The culture war continues to take America by storm. The stakes have never been higher. The temptation to double-down and engage in the debate, turn back the tide, is more compelling than ever. 

 Just say no.

As believers, we have been "gifted" to add value to the lives of people and make disciples. We are called to love people--the best and the worst--with a love that looks past how they live and sees WHOSE they are.

Whether or not they come to effective-faith in Christ is not my responsibility; this is the work of God. He uses me (it's not a head thing, it's a heart thing) when I selflessly serve people in a way that adds value to their lives; I reflect Christ, I flesh-out Christ--and they wonder, "Why, what's in this for you?"  

This testimony is powerful because the reality of Christ in me, has manifested itself in an "incarnational" way; they have seen Christ through me. That reflected image is intense and compelling. God uses this kind of "vision" to transform hearts, minds, and lives.  Resurrection Day isn't about power, it's about empowerment.

This needs to inform our outreach effort, the way we see people, the way we see their sin. When our attempts at outreach do not holistically address the felt-needs of people and work toward their spiritual need (it's not either/or, it's both/and), we diminish the Gospel; we erect substantial barriers to effective-faith for people without hope.

God's plan does not require His church to fix our culture. His plan does call us to engage in the work of seeing people's hearts transformed by the Power of the Gospel (Matthew 28.18-20; Romans 1.16-18). When hearts change, minds change. 

Paul, in his second letter to the church in Corinth makes very clear our role in a world that is hostile to the Gospel and Christ's church, 2 Corinthians 4.7-12...

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you."

This is especially relevant given the devolution of culture and character in our Nation today. God does not need us to defend Godly values. They stand on their own. What He desires from us is to love "the lost sheep, the lost coin" the Way He does. He isn't finished yet, Matthew 25.34-40 makes this point very clear...

"34 Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation 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 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to 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 And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’"

Believing friends, the Word is still becoming flesh--through us.  Micah 6.8 underscores what God wants from people of effective-faith...

"He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God."

Life is fast; do, love, walk. 

Flesh it out...
Liveitwell!

Not Wasted.

Too much talk about 20 years wasted. I have a view, but that is irrelevant. 

I want those who served and returned, the families of those who gave their last-full-measure, and those who bear the suffering of life-changing injuries to know this: what you did, what you gave, what you suffered made a difference in the lives of people. 

Yours is a legacy of selflessness.
Yours is a legacy of sacrifice.
Yours is a legacy of devotion.
Yours is a legacy of courage.  

You invested your lives... 
in a vision and mission to deliver hope to an oppressed people.
You invested your lives...
in a vision and mission to hold terror at bay.
You invested your lives...
in a vision and mission to give liberty a chance.
You invested your lives...
in a vision and mission to make hard lives easier. 

Mission accomplished. 

The incivility of politics, the dire consequences of failed leadership, the failure to apply the lessons of history WILL NEVER ROB YOU OF THE VALOR THAT YOU HAVE EARNED and SO RICHLY DESERVE. 

Thank you for your service. Yours is a noble chapter in the Book of intrepid souls who will forever be judged to be on the righteous side of history.  

“There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends.”
—John 15.13 NLT

One life...
Liveitwell!

The Door

June has come and gone, again. Fall is just weeks away.

Five years ago, on June 28, we lost our beloved grandson to a dragon called cancer.  Tomorrow, August 14, we will gather to remember Braden on what would have been his 20th birthday; he is a constant companion in my heart. 

He battled the disease and in the end, he lost his life, but he never lost his hope; the certain confidence that he, as a believer in Jesus Messiah, would finally be transported into the presence of His Lord and Savior, there to enjoy life as HE designed it to be. 

Life is hard, then we die. We will all lose our lives in one final breath, but we need not die without hope.

I am profoundly grateful for the hope, the certitude, we have in Jesus Messiah and the healing death brings for those who have embraced Him through effective, saving faith (Romans 10.8-11). 

For these, death is not something to be feared; it is a gracious provision that carries us back into a face-to-face real-time relationship with God.  It is a step through the door from this life into His very presence.

Without death, we become eternal beings, like Lucifer and the legion of angels which were cast out of heaven because of their rebellion, separated forever from God.  Without death we would be chained to a relationship of enmity with God; no reverse, no repair--no redemption.  NO hope.

So then, death became the modality that God uses to foil Satan's attempt to co-opt God's crowning creative act, humankind. It is the definitive check-mate, demonstrating God's mastery; always steps ahead of evil, and the chaos of sin. Genesis 3 describes the event that initiated the rebellion of Adam and Eve to sin and it's necessary consequence, physical death; it's also here that we learn that death is part of God's bigger plan for hope and the redemption of humankind.

The rest is history.  The Apostle pens this remarkable statement in 1 John 4.9,10...

"God showed how much he loved us

by sending his one and only Son 

into the world so that we might 

have eternal life through him. 

10 This is real love—not that we loved God, 

but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice 

to take away our sins."

Love is a four-letter word, spelled H-O-P-E; more importantly, death simply marks the first day of the rest of our lives, Paul reminds Christ-followers in 2 Corinthians 4.16-18...

"Therefore we do not lose heart. 

Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet 

inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 

17 For our light and momentary 

troubles are achieving for us an eternal 

glory that far outweighs them all. 

18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, 

but on what is unseen, 

since what is seen is temporary, 

but what is unseen is eternal."

We will rise. 

I'll never forget Braden's exclamation to us as we gathered in his room at the hospital the afternoon before he died. We'd just been told by his Doctor, very tenderly, that Braden would soon leave his body behind.  Braden's father, Matthew, sat down on the bed, looked into Braden's eyes, and asked him how he was doing, to which Braden smiled and said "Is that the worst-case scenario?  I'm leveling UP.  I am going to be fine dad.  I'm ready."  

He was.  

Are you?  

We don't get to be here long. 

What will you do with Jesus? 

Life is fast.

Liveitwell!

Contact me at goodneighbaier@yahoo.com if you'd like to know more or simply need to chat about "hope."

Note to my younger self.

Age 5, 1958

 Today, I write to my younger self, FOR my grands--Kellen, Gabriella, Grayson, and Gwendolyn.

I know you will all make choices about the way you live your lives, how you will invest your energy, and what kind of legacy you will eventually leave behind. I'm writing because I love you all and don't want to leave these words unsaid.

It's taken me a few years to figure this much out; were I able to send a note to my younger self, this is what I'd say... 

Know, Trust, and Serve God.
Follow Christ.
Be kind.

Act justly.

Be humble.

Lean into weakness, seek God's strength.
Think noble thoughts.
Read and reflect on history.
Be inclusive.
Love people.
Never mistake tolerance for love.
Be generous.

Invest your best in people.

Take care of your bodies.  Stay fit, alert, and cultivate mental acuity.
Teach yourself to say "I do not know."
Think God's thoughts after Him.
Be patient.
Stand up to be heard, sit down to be appreciated.
Cultivate quirky, life is more fun in the quirky lane.
Be a leader, willing to follow.
Invest in your family, you don't get do-overs.
Work hard to make other people successful.
Make mistakes. Learn from them, then celebrate them.
Wake up every day with a hunger to grow.
Be accountable.
Trust that loss isn't the end of life.
Believe that death isn't the end of eternity.  It's a portal, not a wall.
Be grateful.
Learn that God meets us in the stillness.
Embrace the things you fear. You may never master them, but then again, you might.

Finally, I pass on to you my life verse, Micah 6.8.  In it God provides us with an amazing guiding principle for our lives:  "With what shall I come to the Lord...He has told you, O man, what Is good; and what does the Lord require of you?  But to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God."   

Your choices will shape your character. 

Good character will empower you to be the kind of person God uses to make hard lives easier.

  

Making hard lives easier is a legacy that will transform your world, one needy--and often underserving, person at a time... 

This is the miraculous power of grace.

I love you all more than life, wish I could be there to see your lives play out to the "end of the race."  I'll be waiting for you at the finish line.

Do. Love. Walk.

One life to live.

Liveitwell!

Whisper their names.

Taps begin.
Time stands still; this I remember.
  Their laughter, their scent.
  First smile, first step, first word, first love.
  A Friday night; life was simple.
  The future, a certain dream.

Bulletproof, not.
Whisper their names.

Taps begin.

Time flashes back, tears flow freely.
Pride in lives well lived.
Grieving for lives given, invested, gone.
The loss, the pain; broken plans, broken hearts--shattered.
Whisper their names.

Taps begin.
Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Coast-Guardsmen, Airmen.
Duty, honor, country.
Last full measure, their devotion.
No greater love, their sacrifice.
In peace, now rest.
Whisper their names...and remember.

Liveitwell!

 

Many of my friends express concern about the fact that "God is being forced out of the public square." It's become a favorite pastime for People of Faith (yes I'm guilty)--lamenting the "sorry state" of the Nation.

What concerns ME?  

It's this: People of Faith have come to embrace the notion that the symbolic presence of God is the same thing as the authentic presence of God.   Here is a short list of "hot-buttons," not intended to be exhaustive--but illustrative.

• Do we want God in our schools--disciple your children to know and love Jesus. 
• Do we want our Nation to understand that marriage is a beautiful metaphor, designed by God, of a much bigger relationship--and for this reason it is a sacred estate? Love your wife selflessly and trust your husband implicitly.
• Do we want values to govern our economy, greed to be disdained--choose simplicity and invest our resources on behalf of the poor, widows, orphans; be seekers of justice for all the disenfranchised.  
• Are we befuddled by the seeming National obsession with abortion, perplexed by the disdain modern cultures have for human life, and high regard they show for endangered species?  Find your voice and speak up for the little Ones, consider... adoption, Foster parenting, Mentoring programs.

For too long, too many of us who profess to be followers of Jesus have routinely "phoned it in."

• We've been content to build private school sanctuaries, teaching Bible courses, that will attempt the master-work of discipling for our children.
• We've turned a blind eye to the failure rate of marriages in our churches.
• We've justified selfish ambition and the boastful pride of life as "what's ours is ours" and left justice to government inefficiency and the dehumanizing impact of its one-size fits all insanity.
• We've ceded the heavy lifting for protecting the lives of unborn-children, the quality of life for born-children to others "called" to missional living.

Consider this: God's plan has always been to "show-up" via the beautiful music being played through lives well-lived by those who are His devoted followers; the Scripture makes clear that no law can stand against such purposeful, selfless living, "...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." Galatians 5.22,23 NASB

Lives lived this way will produce a breathtaking symphony that authenticates our Mission as His Church--no longer engaged in managing the kingdom—small ''k” but compelled to build HIS Kingdom, big "K.”

WHEN we take seriously our empowerment, from God, to add value to the lives of people, to make hard lives easier, to model the transformational reality of the Gospel through the choices and investments we make with our lives and His resources, as we proclaim boldly the amazing grace of God, who offered up HIS Son for our sin; THEN they won't be able lock God out of the public square.

There is no law that can stand against this kind of authenticity.

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen."  Ephesians 3.20,21 NASB

I hear a symphony.

Through Christ, let it be.

Liveitwell!

Wrong War.

The "culture war" is the wrong campaign. It's a battle for minds; people of faith are called to battle for hearts. Bad hearts produce bad minds; surely, we aren't shocked by the fact that minds have become utterly corrupt.  

In this process, we see how people of faith have been seduced too. The culture war is self-serving. It's an attempt to preserve and re-create a world less hostile, less chaotic, less wrong-headed for OUR benefit. It's about preserving our values, protecting our children, maintaining equilibrium and economy so we can live out our god-informed vision of what our lives should be like. This is normal; it's also carnal...it's the way most humans think and act.

This is not the vision people of faith have been called to by God. We have been called to justice, to selfless living, to compassionate action, to loving the unreached citizens of this world as God does. When people of faith do that, people with no hope notice. They understand that this kind of concern is counter-intuitive. It's not the way normal people live; they want to know "why?"  

Peter's first letter to the church contains instruction for us "...but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect..."  1 PETER 3.15  ESV

We win the world one heart at a time gently, respectfully. It can't be done with legislation. We don't win them with constitutional amendments. The silver bullet isn't packing the courts with the "right kind of thinkers." It's done by living alongside people who aren't like children of the King, who don't share His values and act in ways that reflect how radically confused people without effective faith are.

When people of faith insert themselves into the culture in a transformative way, hearts begin to change. When hearts begin to change, minds begin to change. When hearts and minds begin to change, culture begins to change. When people with no hope begin to see faith, hope, and love in their neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, they pay attention! They realize they are thirsty, hungry, and without hope. They realize there's more, and they want to know where they can embrace it...one heart at a time.

For too many people of faith, living this way just isn't something we want to do. We're more comfortable on church properties that create space between the world without effective faith and our world of grace. We shield our children from the world without effective faith in ways that create fear and contempt in their hearts. We forget what life without grace is like, and we become entrenched in a battle for minds using the least effective means available to us--the wisdom and power of the world system. 

Little wonder we seem befuddled, put-off, by those Jesus described as "sheep without a shepherd." They aren't like us; they don't think or act like us. They are driven by different passions, by different values. Yet, they carry the same godly imprint on their souls that people of faith reflect...we are all created in His image. We are all loved with unconditional love. We all have access to the same unmerited overflow of His grace. We are all sinners in need of a Savior. 

These lost sheep, these lost souls, are not the enemy. They are victims in Satan's attempt to foil God's purpose in the redemption of all people. That purpose begins with a battle for hearts...and minds will follow. We win hearts when, in the power of the Spirit, we come alongside these "unlovely" people and their messy lives and seek to serve them in compassion, with sacrifice, through love. 

One heart.

One mind.

Gently.

Respectfully

Powerfully.  

Life is fast, love well.

Liveitwell!

What joy!

Water flows, silk across rock.
Resounding concert of joy.
Linger, listen.  Do.

It comes, it goes.
A course of life it forms.
Reflect, rejoice. Love.

Linger, listen
Reflect, rejoice. Walk.

New Every morning--His mercies.

Do Justice.
Love kindness.

Walk humbly with God.

Micah 6.8 

What joy...

Liveitwell!

SOON. VERY SOON.

V\This is the hardest part of the weather calendar in Northern Indiana.  The calendar says it's spring; reality says, "it's ugly."

Things are ready to go; mowers have been serviced, the hedge has been trimmed.  The irrigation system "safe" to be made functional again.  Bud's are on the trees and bushes...the evergreens aren't just green now; they are awake!  Robin's are busy being the "dirty birds" of the neighborhood.  Chance and Jett track fresh scent everywhere we go.  We are ready; where is spring?

It feels like Thanksgiving Day when I was a little boy.  Would our guests and extended family ever arrive...

"Mom, how soon will they be here?"  

"Pretty soon, BJ."  

"Mom, do you think they're still coming?" 

"BJ, they will all be here, just like last year." 

"But mom, we are ready; where is everyone?" 

"They are on the way."  

"Then, where are they?"  

"BJ, why don't you wait outside for them, 

greet them when they arrive."  

"I think they changed their mind, 

they aren't coming this year." 

That's the way our conversation advanced every year.  A little boy, anticipating a favorite event, thinking it would never happen, but it always did.

I'm ready, but spring just hasn't arrived...yet.  When it does come and the days slip quickly into summer...the memory of this misery becomes dim, almost dreamlike.  Every day a new color explodes someplace along my route to the office.  It's warm, balmy...with life-sustaining showers from time to time.

There are many "seasons" in our lives; they come, they go--some are better than others.  They make life exciting and always produce something my memory clings to, which delivers a lifetime of pleasure and expands my perspective.

Yes, spring hasn't arrived--and COVID remains, the world is more confused than ever, but summer's comin' and most importantly, by hope in Christ is immutable.

It will be OK sooner than later.  I can wait; in the interim, the memories from "seasons past," the good, the bad, the painful; and my confident expectation about neXt...sustain me.  It's a wonderful life.  

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
We don't get to be here long...
Liveitwell!

Flesh it out.

 The culture war continues to take America by storm. The stakes have never been higher. The temptation to double-down and engage in the debate, turn back the tide, is more compelling than ever. 

 Just say "no."

As believers, we have been "gifted" to add value to the lives of people and make disciples. We are called to love people--the best and the worst--with a love that looks past how they live and sees WHOSE they are.

Whether or not they come to effective-faith in Christ is not my responsibility; this is the work of God. He uses me (it's not a head thing, it's a heart thing) when I selflessly serve people in a way that adds value to their lives; I reflect Christ--no, I flesh-out Christ--and they wonder, "Why, what's in this for you?"  

This testimony is powerful because the reality of Christ in me, has manifested itself in an "incarnational" way; they have seen Christ through me. That reflected image is intense and compelling. God uses this kind of "vision" to transform hearts, minds, and lives.  Resurrection Day isn't about power, it's about empowerment.

This needs to inform our outreach effort, the way we see people, the way we see their sin. When our attempts at outreach do not holistically address the felt-needs of people and work toward their spiritual need (it's not either/or, it's both/and), we diminish the Gospel; we erect substantial barriers to effective-faith for people without hope.

God's plan does not require His church to fix our culture. His plan does call us to engage in the work of seeing people's hearts transformed by the Power of the Gospel (Matthew 28.18-20; Romans 1.16-18). When hearts change, minds change. 

Paul, in his second letter to the church in Corinth makes very clear our role in a world that is hostile to the Gospel and Christ's church, 2 Corinthians 4.7-12...

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you."

This is especially relevant given the devolution of culture and character in our Nation today. God does not need us to defend Godly values. They stand on their own. What He desires from us is to love "the lost sheep, the lost coin" the Way He does. He isn't finished yet, Matthew 25.34-40 makes this point very clear...

"34 Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation 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 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to 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 And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’"

Believing friends, the Word is still becoming flesh--through us.  Micah 6.8 underscores what God wants from people of effective-faith...

"He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?"

Life is fast; do, love, walk. 

Flesh it out...
Liveitwell!