Two Camps.

 The confessing church has aligned itself into two camps.  This division has created a wall that impacts Christ's church in a profoundly negative way.  The challenge Believers face is to embrace both the justice and eschatological mandates of the Gospel; it isn't either/or, it's both/and.

The irony is that the same end, compassion for people who Jesus described as “sheep without a shepherd,” drives both camps, yet we (all of us) proclaim a different gospel when we fail to apply the whole counsel of God to our mission.  

We have allowed this blindness to strip the church of its relevance on the one hand, and spiritual power on the other--leaving only a shell for those "asking, seeking, and knocking" to behold. 

The good news is that God isn't marginalized by our failure to embrace the whole Gospel. His love continues to find a way. If only we who have confessed Christ as Lord and Savior, and embraced effective faith could come together, then face the harsh reality that WE are the problem.  

Would that we might seek God's face, confess our sin, then healing would come.  That's the promise of 2 Chronicles 7.14... 

"...If MY people who are CALLED by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their (our) wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land." 

May His will be done on earth as it is in heaven; through Christ, let it be.

Liveitwell!

Dust to diamonds.

Given the presence of carbon--along with vast amounts of time, temperature (ranging between 1800 and 2400*F) and extreme pressure (650,000-850,000psi), the Earth will produce diamonds.  It's this remarkable process that makes diamonds a relatively rare and always valuable commodity.

It should surprise no one that God uses a similar process in bringing people with effective faith into a beautiful reflection of the image of our Saviour, The Lord Jesus Messiah.

Dust to Diamonds.

Paul describes this process for us in his second letter to the church at Corinth...

7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

11 Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies.12 So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.

13 But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.” 14 We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. 15 All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.

16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

--2 Corinthians 4.7-18 NLT

Pressed on every side, perplexed, hunted, knocked-down, NOT crushed, NOT despairing, NOT abandoned, NOT destroyed.  BUT suffering, sharing in the death of Jesus--for one glorious purpose: that the life of The Savior might be clearly seen in our bodies, IN us.

Dust to Diamonds.

God uses hard places to fashion us into a new version of ourselves, still us, but transformed in ways that manifest His presence, His grace, His mercy.  This is not what we will be, but we are sufficiently different in ways that produce confident expectation--hope.  Look at how Paul describes it to the church in Rome, where he compares our struggle with the cataclysmic impact sin has had on the Earth; thus, all creation waits...

18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. 24 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. 25 But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)

--Romans 8.18-25 NLT

Dust to diamonds.

What is responsible for this transformation and the hope it delivers?  Paul makes this clear to us at the beginning of the eighth chapter of his letter to the Roman church...

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

--Romans 8.1-4

Don`t miss it...for God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh (humankind) and for sin (He absorbed the penalty for sin on His own body in our place) He condemned sin in the flesh in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us.

Sin broke the planet.

God is in the process of restoring what He created.  The tipping point of the restoration is the passion, sacrifice, and resurrection of Jesus Messiah.  We have been redeemed and restored positionally, now we are waiting--suffering still, but knowing that "it is finished." 

In that suffering, as we lean into our weakness, our fragility, there, at that moment, the Manifest Presence of God shines brightly through us and our suffering; for us, for a watching world to behold in wonder.  His strength made manifest through our weakness.  Indeed, "the wound is where the light shines through."

Dust to Diamonds.

Suffering is NOT payback. 

Suffering is NOT God`s plan spinning out of control. 

Suffering IS the last dying gasp of sin--Check, NOT Check-Mate.

Suffering IS the process God has sovereignly allowed to transform our lives on this side of the veil, from...dust to diamonds.

We don't get to be here long.

Liveitwell!

Soon. Very soon.

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 is 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 tracks 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 19 remains, but summer's comin.'  It will be OK sooner than later.  I can wait; in the interim, the memories from "seasons past," the good, the bad, the painful...they sustain me.  It's a wonderful life.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.


Liveitwell!

Today.

Today...
Our nest is empty.
I cannot do things as before.
My face is lined, hair is gone.
Self-confidence gives way to doubt,
Strength gives way to weakness.

Today...
Independence is community.
Knowledge is wisdom.
Love is tenderness.
Time is a gift.

Today help stopped being a four-letter word.

Liveitwell!

Oh so Super!

America is unique.

It's amazing what people can do when given the freedom to succeed AND to fail. Our "Super Bowl" has become a metaphor.

Back in July, each team started at the same place, 0-0, as every other franchise in the NFL. Now, 106 young men, two teams remain standing; black, white, brown...not all born equally, privileged start and not. All shapes sizes...some more talented than others. All making the most of what they've been given, working hard, and sacrificing for a dream. Working together to create synergy. All competing on a level playing field, and yet, a few with a clear advantage over others, not all endowed equally--size, strength, speed. All paid, what the market will bear for their service--some much more than others.

That said, each strives to overcome, to elevate their game and maximize their opportunity, against all the odds. The underdog can prevail because "heart" can't be measured. Mistakes will be made, injuries will occur that force a change to the gameplan, and the unexpected, will be the norm. Bad calls? No doubt, someone is going to feel like it wasn't fair. Most will perform up to standard, a few will be disappointed--and not play well at all. The ball will be dropped, and it will take some bad bounces. But there won't be any do-overs. One performance will be judged most outstanding of all...and propel that player to a new level of achievement and notoriety.

At the end of the day, some will win, others will lose, and Monday morning? Each will crawl out of bed and begin again.   They will attempt to make the ascent to the top of their profession; each sore, tired, some beaten, all driven by conviction: it's a new day, it's a new opportunity, "I believe 'it' can happen, if I work hard, stay focused and apply myself."

This hope compels them to bear down, start over, and try again. They will take what they learned (the good, the bad, and the ugly), winners and losers, and use that as leverage to get better, and they will--because they see the future is filled with open doors.

I believe this is why this night, this event, is more celebrated, anticipated, and watched than any other on the calendar in America. It reflects our hopes and dreams, our core values as a nation, at so many levels. We watch these young men compete and we are reminded, dreams come true here; hard work pays here, the hope of success far outweighs the risk of failure. Bottom line: "It can happen, it does happen." If it doesn't? Failure isn't the end of the world, it's the beginning of a new cycle.

Everyone has to play by the rules, but the rules aren't designed to produce pre-determined outcomes. So, many compete; some win, some lose; some never win or lose, because they never try, that's ok too. America is a place where dreaming is a part of our culture, where we, as free people, set the bar, where people can "do better", and to no one's surprise, we do.

America, "we hold these truths..."

Liveitwell!

Run hard, finish well.

Off to another year in the fast lane of life. 

As we gain experience in navigation, we are dogged by real present danger, cynicism.

Life is hard.
Age diminishes us.
Disease ravages us.
Then, we die.

This is one choice.  There is another.

Life is hard
and softens our hearts.
Age diminishes us,
and equips us with wisdom.
Disease ravages us,
and empowers us to embrace hope.
Then we die and pass into eternity.

What happens to us in the course of a lifetime is simply a variation on the same theme. So, just what sets apart those not beaten, from those that are? It is what that "lifetime process" produces in us.

I've been reminded over the past several years, we are fragile, and our bodies will eventually fail--some sooner than others, but for all of us life ends in one final breath. The ability to see our sojourn as a prelude to "something more" is the key to empowering us to embrace all we experience in time, with wonder, while anticipating what we glimpse of eternity with hope.

Yes, I'm talking about faith. A specific "effective-faith" we are given instruction about in the Scriptures; the Second letter to the church in Corinth, written by the Apostle Paul (5.1-5):

"For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 3 For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. 4 While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. 5 God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee, he has given us his Holy Spirit."

I've invested time in some weary people...all filled with hope; fragile over-comers. Their lives a tapestry illustrating God's grace, love, presence, and power. 

Paul acknowledges this later in chapter 5 of 2 Corinthians 5.17-19, 21...

"17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them...21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ."

Thanks be to God.  Our blessed hope is Jesus Messiah. 

Life is fast.  I'm ready.

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.  

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 what they are 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.

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.  

This is especially relevant given the world we live in 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.

"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!

Why Jewish people?

Next Monday, January 27, the world will observe "International Holocaust Remembrance Day." Any time this subject comes up it often leads to a question most of us have heard or have ourselves asked: "Why does the world hate Jewish people?"

It is quite simple.

First, their story is a testament about God; as in, the God who created the universe and everything in it. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength." Deuteronomy 6.4,5 NKJV. 

Their history declares this about God: we can run but we cannot hide. He pursues us with a redemptive purpose, loves us with an unconditional love, rescues us with an amazing grace.

This of course does not fit the narrative humankind prefers. A narrative rife with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the boastful pride of life. A narrative characterized by hubris more than humility.

Second, they are a repudiation to those who, once victimized, choose to remain victims. 

Jewish people endured slavery in in Egypt for 400 years; they were crushed by Babylon, Persia and Rome. They were marginalized and reviled in the diaspora; enslaved again by the Russians, slaughtered by the Nazi's, only to be treated with disdain by ALL of Europe, finally to emerge triumphantly to bless the Nations; Science, Medicine, Technology, Literature, Law, the Arts, using Jewish intellect, talent and gifts. 

The crown jewel, of course, was the rebirth of ISRAEL--an event without precedent, and quite frankly, of gargantuan significance.  The subsequent ascendence of this tiny Mid-East Nation gives testimony to the mighty hand of God. 

Indeed, never again.

Chazak u'varuch--Be Strong and Have Courage. 

Liveitwell!


Link to WSJ "The Return of Anti-Semitism"
http://www.wsj.com/a…/the-return-of-anti-semitism-1422638910

Gratefully giving Thanks!

I have a few minutes to reflect with you about how grateful I am as we merge into the 2020 lane.  

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 in spite of that, as I look back I see God's fingerprints--His grace--all across my 66, closing in on 67, 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, my work ethic, 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 on my behalf when I desperately needed an advocate; for my cousin Patty who was like a big sister to me.

I'm thankful for friends, made a life-time 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. He then introduced me to the girl who would become the woman I've shared my life with for 47 years and challenged me to pursue a call into ministry--which extended into 26 years.

I have friends in 4 different States who have blessed us over the years; North Carolina, California, Illinois, and Indiana, over the past 47 years. People have loved us well at every stop.  They mentored us as a "just married" college couple at Duke.  They befriended us as co-sojourners with growing families in our early years when I was a young Merchandising Exec.  They 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--and a paid-in-full promise.

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

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 very deep water; I'm so grateful. She is an immensely talented woman with extraordinary gifts as a musician, homemaker, and grandmother.

I'm thankful for Laura's parents, Gene and Janice. They loved us well and were generous with their love, 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 for me.

I'm thankful for my kids, Erin and Joseph. They have become such good citizens, parents and 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, and sweet little Gwendolyn, who shares my birthday. Grandchildren are everything that's right about life. Pure joy, delight, potential. There isn't anything quite like the blessing grandkids introduce into our lives. These five, plus one we won't meet till we see her in eternity, make my heart explode with joy, pride, and thanksgiving.

Our firstborn grandson, Braden, marks his fourth New Year 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; the wound is where the light shines through.

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, Max 13 years, Barley 15 years, Kate 15 years leave us with warm memories. Lily 12 years, Chance 8 years have invested their lives faithfully as K9 buds, greeting us each new day and trekking to the office with me each morning to greet, meet and love anyone bold enough to open up and invite them to do what dogs do best.

I'm thankful for 26 years we invested in ministry, the good, the bad, and the heart-break.  Someone asked me several years ago, `...since you left the ministry, do you feel your years of preparation and service were wasted?` I confess on my worst days, it sometimes feels that way.  But I know better.  I am grateful...I get to use every gift, every skill, every mistake I made, and the lessons that followed in my interactions with people every day.  I didn't leave the ministry, not really, I simply engage in that life-time call in a different venue.

I'm thankful for my last 19 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 market-place ministry.

I'm thankful for common grace, good healers and good health.

So much to be thankful for, so little space and a memory dimmed by 66 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."  

The joy of the Lord is our strength, the earth is filled with His Glory; breathe it in and let it out.

Hope is the anthem of my soul.

Life is fast.

Liveitwell!

Seen, not heard.

"I can...

Be there for you when it can't get much harder,
Cover your head when life starts to rain,

Hold on tight when you feel like you're falling,
Bread crumb the path when you've lost your way,

Make you laugh when the whole world is crying,
Build you up when you're broken in shame.

But if all that we do is absent of Jesus,
then this so called love, is completely in vain.*"

Absence makes the heart grow harder.
Sometimes...
God's children should be seen and not heard.   

Followers of Jesus, let's walk the Walk in 2020.
Lovewell today.

Life is fast.
Liveitwell!

*MercyMe `This So-called Love`