Displaying the Father

"Displaying the Father" by Tom Crandall.  Reposted from Jesus Culture website:

 Fear flooded his heart as he stood before me trembling. Alex had only been coming to our youth group for about six months prior to this incident, but he sure he had done the inexcusable this time. Earlier that evening, he decided to sneak past our security guards to "borrow" the fire extinguisher and head out for a good time. His chosen target- our neighbor's house. Their house was decorated with Christmas ornament, but there was no snow on the ground- until Alex showed up.

After getting caught covering the yard with Christmas glee, Alex found himself with one of our leaders awaiting my arrival. It was at this point that fear flooded his heart over the possibility of an unknown outcome. He had seen this before but was unprepared for what punishment would look like here. To him, punishment was learned in the foster care system. He was sure he would be sent away because that is what happened all the times before. Alex's perspective was radically changed when we began our conversation.

When I approached him, I could overhear conversation about the need to clean up his mess. This scared boy saw me and immediately looked down. "Learn anything Alex?" I asked. "Yah" he replied. At this point, I continued the conversation about cleaning up the mess and then hugged him. Looking up at me confused, I continued, "I love you and am proud of your for taking responsibility to clean up your mess." At this, his countenance changed. He expected to be punished, banished even, but that is not what he received. He picked up his head and smiled. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

This is one of many encounters of this nature with Alex. Every time, the response was the same: love. Students like Alex is why I do what I do and why I love it.

Alex needed to see what the love of the Father felt like for him, over and over again. But in reality, all of us need that.  And as we receive it from God and each other in community is the way we will give it away to a generation.

The biggest need in society today is fatherhood, and the number one thing Jesus came to reveal was the Father.

Here are 5 things the Father wants us to really know.

1. He loves us unconditionally.
That means exactly what it says.  There is nothing we can do to earn his love. Condemnation, shame and fear are not from God. They are not "tools" he uses to make us more holy or like him. Punishment never made anyone more like God. Love comes from God. God is love.  We cannot exhaust God's love, ever, God cannot deny him self. It's who he is. He is always with us, for us, and cheering us on. When we do well, he loves, when we fall, he loves.  As a father I would never shame my kids into to getting their lives right. Loving conviction always calls out destiny and deals with the problem so we can fulfill our purpose and be his son or daughter. Love never fails!

2. He is a jealous Father.
As a Father my greatest passion is to see my kids grow in relationship with the Lord, flourish in life and joyfully live out their purpose. I am jealous for their hearts and minds to be immersed in grace and truth. Anything that comes against that I come against for their good. I stand against anything that would seek to pollute my kid’s innocence or steal from them. At times there is loving correction or discipline to help them learn and grow through every situation. My wife and I have said no to all other people by giving one yes to each other.  By saying yes to God, as the highest place of love in our hearts all other loves get put in their place.

3. He establishes us in our identity.
In order to understand and live out our purpose we have to understand who we are in a Kingdom. Kingdom means the Kings domain. In Christ we have been born into a Kingdom. John 1:12 says, "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."
God is our Father, Jesus is the first Son risen from the dead and because of him and the finished work of the cross we are now Sons and Daughters of the King. That makes you and I royalty in the Kingdom of God and we now relate to Him is as sons and daughters. This is the context on which the Father deals with us on a daily basis. We are Sons and Daughters!

4. He has massive purpose for our lives.
Jeremiah 29:11 say For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Psalm 37:4"Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart." God has created each of us with a unique purpose in mind. There is a reason why you see the world like you do, and why you love what you love and hate what you hate. The Father is weaving our lives together like a fine tapestry and he uses everything in our lives, nothing gets wasted. It's amazing what The Lord has used in my past to fulfill purpose!

5. He empowers us!
The grace of God is best described as unmerited favor upon a believer showing it through the life. Grace empowers! Grace doesn't just take us out of the negative but puts us way into the positive. You are a child of God! Our lives are marked with favor beyond what we can work for or ever earn.
Receiving empowering grace happens through relationship. Get alone with the Father today and let him love you and empower your heart as his Son or Daughter to shine as a diamond in a dark world.

Get the Soil Good!

May is a month of miracles!  Believe it.  God is moving and doing things.  This summer is going be full of the supernatural!  I can't wait.

I encourage you to get ready before the blessings come...so that way you'll be able to steward what the Lord pours out.  Go read my blog entitled "How's Your Soil?" for a more in-depth look at what I'm talking about.  Here's the gist:  you can control how your heart is, and how you receive what God gives you.  If your heart (the soil) isn't ready to fully receive and nurture what is deposited, then it probably won't grow to full fruition.  Therefore, GET YOUR SOIL READY NOW!!!

If you are ready with good soil, then trials/persecutions/trouble/heat won't steal the word that has been deposited into your heart; nor will they steal your joy!  Instead, your faith will rise up and God will move to honor His word.  It's the truth.  Let's all get ourselves ready.

Father God, reveal to us the things we need to change and get rid of.  Help us by the power of the Holy Spirit to be able to put away those things that need to go, and get rid of the things that separate us from You.  You are better than anything and Your love is more valuable to us than anything else.  We love You and praise You, and we thank You for loving us in spite of our sin.  Thank You for sending Your One and Only Son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place for our transgressions.  And thank You for new life in You through Your Son.  In Jesus Christ of Nazareth's Mighty and Magnificent and Holy Name, Amen!!!

If you don't know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, ask Him into your heart today.  Here is a prayer you can pray to God, and give the meaning to it as you pray it.  God will hear you, and you will be forgiven of your sins:

God in Heaven, in Jesus Christ's Name, I pray to You.  I confess I'm a sinner in need of a Savior.  I ask you to forgive me for all of my sins.  I am truly sorry for my sins and turn away from them and walk towards You; I will seek after You now.  Jesus, I ask You to please come into my heart and be the lord of my life.  I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  I confess Jesus Christ as my personal Savior.  I believe that He died for me and took my sins upon Himself.  I believe that He was buried and then came back to life--He conquered death!  Therefore, I have eternal life through Him!  Thank you for saving me, Jesus.  I love You, and thank You for loving me.  In Jesus Christ's Name, Amen.

You just made the best decision you've ever made!  You are literally a new creation!  Now go and let this prayer be the first step in your new life.  Find a Bible and start reading it.  Find a Bible-believing church and start going.  Pray to God everyday and ask Him to come into your heart more and more.  I'm so glad to now call you a brother, or a sister :)  May God bless you as you start your journey towards knowing Him more.

Love in Christ,

Adam

How's Your Soil?

Easter is a glorious day—people come in mass to churches, and more importantly, many commit their lives to Jesus Christ.  Halelujah!!  What happens after that is what I’m talking about today.

In Matthew 13:3-9, Jesus is telling a parable about a farmer scattering seed.  The seed in this parable is the message of the Kingdom of God, and the various kinds of soil are the hearts of the people who hear the message preached:

“Then He told them many things in parables, saying:  “A farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil.  It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.  Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.  He who has ears, let him hear.”

Jesus then explains exactly what his parable means later in the same chapter (verses 18-23):

“Listen to what the parable of the sower means:  When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.  This is the seed sown along the path.  The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.  But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time.  When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.  The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.  But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it.  He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

You want to be the one that has the seed fall on good soil…you don’t want to be any of the other ones :)  This alone is a great thought for the day.  If nothing else, go back and read the above verses and make sure your heart is one that is full of good soil so that any seeds already planted, and those seeds still to be planted in the future, will be nourished to grow to maturity and not die out.  If you recently received Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, and/or got a fresh word from God, then MAKE SURE that the seed just sown is like the one that falls on good soil.  Examine your heart and pray for growth and perseverance.  Continuously ask the Lord to help you and pray for more faith.  He will do it, I promise.  Amen!!!

*     *     *     *     *

If you want to trek a little deeper, then let’s continue.  Let’s look specifically at one part of this parable Jesus spoke.  Here is Matthew 13:5-6 again:

“Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil.  It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.”

Think for a minute about a seed being planted and the role that the sun plays in the process of it growing.  The sun comes to nourish the seed, does it not?  The sun’s rays are critical in the process of the plant growing to become fully mature.  But its nourishing rays also bring heat.

“…But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched…”

So here we have something interesting.  That which was designed to bring forth more life caused death.  That’s tragic.  But where does the fault lie?

“…and they withered because they had no root.”

The sun itself is not to blame for the scorching and withering of the budding plant; it is the fault of the soil!  The soil was shallow and, thus, the plant had no root.  Here is how Jesus stated it in the verses you read above:

“The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.  But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time.  When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.”  (verses 20-21)

It seems to me a parallel is made between “the sun” in Verse 6 and “trouble or persecution” in Verse 21.  If I am right in making this parallel, then it follows that trouble or persecution can play the same role as the sun—intended to bring forth more life, but can ultimately bring forth death.  The result, life or death, is determined by the soil on which it falls.  WOW!

So we should not blame the sun, nor trouble, nor persecution for us losing hold of what the Lord has planted in us by His Holy Spirit.  The sun will shine, trouble will happen, and persecution will come.  We have to accept this.  And we have to be aware that what is in us cannot become fully-grown without enduring the heat which accompanies the life-giving, nourishing rays.  We cannot control when the sun shines or when the troubles come, but we can control this:  making sure our hearts are ready to receive and nurture that which is planted in us. 

Oh Lord, by Your grace, tender our hearts and increase our faith to receive what You have to give.  Strengthen us by Your love, show us Your goodness, and continually grant us Your mercy.  In Jesus Christ’s Holy and Mighty Name, we pray these things to You, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  The Only True God, The God of Israel.  Amen!!!!!

Do Something Different

If you want something to be different then you’ve got to do something different.

Most people have heard that one definition of insanity is to do the same things over and over again while expecting different results. We kind of chuckle when someone brings this to our attention, but rarely let the reality of the statement set in. Maybe we make one minor change in regards to the specific situation we are in at the moment, but the overarching truth of the revelation never really sets in.

Let me say it to you clearer: I know why you have the same patterns repeat in your life—it’s because you keep doing the same things. I know why you are getting frustrated with the same results everyone else has had—because you are doing it basically the same.

If you want things to be different then you’ve got to do something different.

If you are looking for a spouse and you keep ending up with the wrong person, then you’ve got to change something. Maybe you look in different places, maybe you don’t start out the relationship the same as all your other failed ones, maybe you work on yourself first (Oh! What a revolutionary idea!).

If you want your relationship with your parents/kids to be different, then change something in the way you relate to them. Maybe you honor them, maybe you listen before speaking, maybe you put your foot down when being walked over, maybe you change the way your parents did things with you—if it isn’t working then it might need changing.

The story is the same for whatever situation…your career, the way you handle finances, personal addictions, how you spend your time, how you treat your body, how you interact with people, etc.

More to the point of this blog, the same holds true for those of us in the Body of Christ. If we want our relationship with Christ to be stronger than it has been, then we’ve got to change something. If we want to reach the lost better than we are, then we’ve got to change something. If we want our small groups and worship teams and youth ministries to be more effective, then we’ve got to do something different. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the heart behind things changes, or the intentions, or the core values…what this DOES mean is that our approach has to differ if we want to see different results. This could mean the structure, the time, how it is presented, the prep work, who is involved, who is not involved, what is done, what is not done, the accountability, the follow-up, the marketing, the resources, expectation levels, focus levels, management style, focusing on the 'why’ instead of the 'what’ or the 'how', defining what success actually is, how honor is shown, refining details, becoming more transparent, sharing responsibility, being more mindful of who is representing your platform, etc.

We cannot assume that just because our vision is big and our heart is pure that things will turn out dandy. There are countless numbers of believers that have made those assumptions only to see the results fall short of what they envisioned. WE HAVE GOT TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT IF WE WANT THINGS TO BE DIFFERENT!!!

I’m praying for whoever reads this message to get honest with yourself and get some people around you who will be honest with you and push you towards whatever is in your heart to do. If God has put it there, then it is good, but a lot of times these things in your heart need some refining…sometimes you need help in the planning, or of how to get from Point A to Point Z. Pray a lot, ask the Holy Spirit for help, get great people around you, and plan to do something different. Do it!!! Amen.

Still Pursuing

The Word keeps amazing me and fascinating me. I see something new like I'm seeing it for the first time so very often. If you love literature, then you can appreciate how you can thumb through the pages of the Bible and find whatever theme you're looking for: romance, war, redemption, drama, suspense, action, poetry, etc. Well today I was drawn into one of the many accounts of the greatest love story ever told.

The heading over Hosea, chapter 11, in my NIV Study Bible reads, "God's Love for Israel". The chapter starts out recounting how the Lord deeply loved, nurtured, and called out to Israel since the nation was young. But the people of Israel seem determined to run from Him. Although their actions deserved much punishment, the Lord responds with mercy in verse 8: "How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel?...My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused." In Chapter 2, we see similar language: "Therefore I am going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her...In that day," declares the Lord, "you will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer call me 'my master.'"

This language speaks of a father, of a lover, who can't help but follow the longings of his heart. Even though His beloved has turned their back on Him time and again, the Lord STILL pursues; He is STILL ready for his people to turn and embrace Him.

That's the love that your Creator has for you. A love so crazy that He doesn't care how long you have run from him, or how hard you've run in the other direction; He is waiting with open arms and eyes of adoration. His heart longs for you.

When you consider all that we've done to put distance between ourselves and God it is incredible that He still wants us, and is so close. Just like the people of Israel we read about in Hosea, we have prostituted ourselves and forgotten where the goodness of life comes from. We have chosen to embrace things other than the One we have been sworn to. But His love looks past our infidelity; He sees us as who He made us to be, not as who we've made ourselves out to be.

Turn and see how close He still is. See the grace in His eyes and find your identity in the name He gives you. His love never fails, and there is nothing you can do to earn it--just let His mind-blowing love envelop you and forever change the cadence of your heartbeat. Amen.

God's Will and You

The call of God is general and it is specific. God’s will on earth is to grow His Church—that every person on earth come to know Him as He is; i.e. to know Him as their creator, their master, their lover, their God. He wants everyone to experience Him and have relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. He wants His will on earth done as it is in Heaven. He does not want to see people sick, depressed, lonely, hurt, suffering from disease, broken, broke, unloved, defenseless, ridiculed, enslaved, abused, hated, ignored, burned, left for dead, disregarded, or lied to.

You are part of the bride of Christ. To be a bride means only to love Him, and to let him love you. Fully.

When you are asking to find your specific purpose, your specific role, it only makes sense to me that you seek to love Him first, that you seek to find His heart more. When that love relationship gets all kinds of messy then things will be birthed in your spirit. Then, those things won’t just be cool things that give you something to get excited about for a while; they will be things that already are drenched in the purposes and heart of God. THOSE are the things that turn out to do mighty Kingdom things.

Don’t necessarily look for things that everybody else is doing, things that are big, and looking at the way to do them the biggest and best. People don’t necessarily have to notice you…especially at first. If the goal is to be noticed, especially at first, then your heart probably isn’t in the right place. Don’t be the guy in the worship band that misses the worship b/c of the band. Don’t be the prayer warrior that only goes to major events but neglects the prayer closet. You’ve gotta lay the ground work in your heart correctly if you want to be part of something that is God-big, and sustainable.

Your specific purpose will tie to the big overall purpose: to grow His Church on earth. If you keep that in the forefront of your mind and heart, then the Lord will sooner or later show you your more specific role in the Body. The Body is His Bride. Let us love Him.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.