Promised Land

God freed the Israelites from Egyptian slavery but they asked to go back when things got tough. It's a scary thing when slavery becomes more familiar than freedom. We decline the Lord's dinner invitation by the lake for the predictability of three rations per day.

Sometimes we choose the predictability of slavery only because it's all we know. Sadly, the routine of life in prison becomes a comfort to us. Fear becomes normal. Depression. Lust. Addiction. Anger. Opinions of people. All these things can start to become normal and routine. 

But deliverance only comes after leaving the false comforts of slavery. We must get fed up - at some point we must wake up to the truth of our calling - the truth of who we are - the truth of who we were created to be - the truth of how much we are loved. At some point our desire for freedom must overshadow the false comforts of slavery - even when the road to freedom seems a little unpredictable. If we don't trust that God is able to part the Red Sea we will never arrive in the Promised Land.

Uniquely

Each of my children are made in my image yet they have unique needs and personalities. One is prone to fear and negativity. One is prone to unkind words and distractions. The other is very sensitive and prone to poor nutrition. Likewise, each of them have unique talents and giftings.
Because of their unique needs and different personalities I parent them each differently. One requires a firm voice and learns best through the stories I tell. One requires lots of hugs and encouragement. The other requires a gentle voice and buckets of creativity.

Sometimes one of my children will become jealous when they notice the different ways I parent their siblings. They will see me giving more hugs to one, a gift to another and yet an encouragement to the other and wonder why they do not receive those same things in equal proportion. At times they will lose sight of the special, unique relationship we share and instead compare themselves with how I interact with the others.

During those moments I need to remind them who they are and the special, unique ways in which they are different from the others. I remind them of the ways in which they are wired, what sets them apart from the others and why I love them uniquely.

But unless they come to me with their concerns I can't deal with it. They need to tell me how they are feeling and why they are feeling that way so I can remind them who they are and get them back on track. Unless they come to me they tend to become bitter - hard - and lose sight of my incredible love for them.

As children of God we each possess amazing, unique differences which serve to highlight the brilliant, colorful mind of an infinite Creator.

But comparison robs us of our identity. We begin to focus on and celebrate certain giftings over the others. We see the other ways in which our Father is parenting His other children and we become jealous. Distracted. Insecure. We forget about the special moments we have shared with our Father, the words He has spoken to us and why He loves us so much.

Sometimes we can go days, weeks, months, years without bringing these concerns to our Father. We get caught in cycles of distractions, jealousy, insecurity - all without ever letting Him know how we are feeling so He can alleviate our concerns, so He can tell us who we are and get us back on track.
He's always there though. He meets us in that place. Blessed are the brokenhearted. Blessed are the meek. Something powerful happens when we open up to our Father. A divine transfer takes place.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God."

May we learn to rest in the the unique ways in which our Father has wired us. May we learn to cherish the unique rhythms of grace He breathes into each of us. May we rest and trust in the many ways He loves each of us uniquely.

All Things New

God's not calling us to do what He says. He's calling us to be who He says. He doesn't offer us a new set of behaviors, He offers us a new nature. He doesn't offer us new branches, He offers us new roots. He doesn't offer us more will power, He offers us new hearts.

He doesn't loligag around with rehab, support groups or the occasional feel-good Sunday sermon. If that was the case Jesus could have stayed in heaven. He kills us and starts over. We have been crucified with Christ (Gal. 2:20) and born again (John 3) into a living hope (1 Peter 1:3) as a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). 

There is no short cut. There is no starter package. Your old self is not a fixer-upper, it's a tear down.
You want to live? Then die. You want to save your life? Lose it. Take up your cross. Sink into the baptismal waters as a slave and rise up as a son.

Intimacy

God offered direct relationship - intimacy - with the people on Mount Sinai, but they refused and instead Moses descended the mountain with a heavy list of commands.

Rules and commands are never needed when there is intimacy. Intimacy, a true inner knowing of someone, eliminates the need for externals - eliminates all the distrust of legal contracts and commands. Good marriages don't need a list of do's and don'ts, they are based on mutual love. A formal marriage contract is unneeded, irrelevant. It's of the heart, not the pen. I don't know any couples who need to hang marriage contracts on the wall of their home as a reminder of what they are supposed to do as husband and wife. Likewise, divorce papers - externals - are never drafted until after love - intimacy - is lost.

Today, 3500 years later, people still debate the validity of Old Covenant law - ancient externals - in light of Jesus Christ breathing His Spirit - present day internals - into our hearts. The answer is simple.

Have you accepted God's offer of intimacy, or not? If not, you will always feel condemned by the externals. If yes, then get out from under the slavery of those heavy stone tablets and descend the mountain as a son.

"But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir." - Gal. 4:4-7

According to the Bible?

I often hear Christians say we need to live our lives according to the Bible. Although they have good intentions I believe it's actually really confusing, and at times damaging, to non-believers and those unfamiliar with the Bible. See, a lot of people have tried reading the Bible, starting at Genesis 1, and they typically make it to Leviticus before throwing up their arms in frustration. Therefore when we say "according to the Bible" they think we're talking about laws, commands, incest, killing, plagues and animal sacrifices.

We as Christians need to do a much better job explaining what the Bible is.

The Bible isn't a book, it's a collection of 66 interconnected books written over a period of 1500 years. Inside you will find historical narrative, poetry, songs, love letters, wise sayings, prophecy, apocalyptic literature, letters to specific churches, letters to specific people, etc. These books are NOT arranged in chronological order.

When we say "according to the Bible" or "Biblical values" which book are we referring to? Which story? Which proverb? Most importantly, which covenant?

All of the Bible is *for* us. But not all of it was written *to* us.

We can't just say "the Bible". Much of the content - and even the covenants themselves - contradict each other. No wonder the world is confused! If the church is the light of the world we better start shining some truth.

The Bible is the historical record of God's covenant journey with mankind. Throughout history God has chosen to interact with humanity through the ratification of five major covenants (promises). There were different types of covenants in the ancient world. Sometimes God's promises were conditional upon the people living up to their side of the bargain (much like a marriage covenant today), and sometimes God's promises were completely unconditional. Sometimes they were for specific people, sometimes they were for all people. The way God started that initial journey with Abraham is much different than the journey we are on today.

The confusion (and subsequent damage) comes when we read the Bible as a "flat" book - as if every word and every covenant is equally valid - rather than as a collection of covenants, each with its own supporting documents. Much confusion also comes when we put validity on the older, outdated covenants.

There is only one valid covenant today. It's the one Jesus made with His Father. It's called the New Covenant and it's really good news for us because it's completely unconditional. We're not even involved, it's between Jesus and the Father. The only question is if you want to be born into their family. That's why it's good news - the covenant itself is not dependent on us keeping up our side of the bargain. Let that sink into your soul for a moment. Sit back and put your feet up. Take a deep breath.

Seriously. It's not about what you do, it's about what He did. God's no longer interested in your sin, He's interested in YOU.

This New Covenant fulfilled every preceding covenant before it. God's prior covenants with Noah, Abraham, Moses and David are all fulfilled. Complete. Outdated. The New Covenant trumps them all.

We are now running God 2.0 and there will be no further releases, this version is amazing. Unshakable. Unbreakable. Unchangeable. Plump full of features and benefits.
While reading about older covenants may be helpful in that they help us more fully understand the reality of what we now have under the New Covenant, in no way are we to apply "obsolete" (Heb. 8:13) stipulations to the freedom we now have in Christ. For further reading, see the entire book of Galatians.

Of course, read your Bible - all of it. Again and again. It's like an onion. You keep peeling the onion and one layer of meaning leads to another layer of meaning. It's amazing. God will meet you between the pages. The old interprets the new. Just remember where you are in the story, and most importantly, that you're running God 2.0. The old drivers and software are no longer compatible.
"But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises." - Heb. 8:6

Slavery

God freed the Israelites from Egyptian slavery but they asked to go back when things got tough. It's a scary thing when slavery becomes more familiar than freedom. We decline the Lord's dinner invitation by the lake for the predictability of three rations per day.

Sometimes we choose the predictability of slavery only because it's all we know. Sadly, the routine of life in prison becomes a comfort to us. Fear becomes normal. Depression. Lust. Addiction. Anger. Opinions of people. All these things can start to become normal and routine. 

But deliverance only comes after leaving the false comforts of slavery. We must get fed up - at some point we must wake up to the truth of our calling - the truth of who we are - the truth of who we were created to be - the truth of how much we are loved. At some point our desire for freedom must overshadow the false comforts of slavery - even when the road to freedom seems a little unpredictable. If we don't trust that God is able to part the Red Sea we will never arrive in the Promised Land.

D A D D Y, W A T C H !

Anyone who has kids understands the challenge of staying attentive to what they are saying and doing. We get so caught up in the hustle & bustle of all the household tasks we need to do such as washing dishes, laundry, floors, counter tops and those kinds of things that we sometimes fail to slow down and take it all in.

Yesterday my boys were playing Legos and doing what boys do - making sound effects, having an interstellar space ship race throughout the house, etc. At one point they stopped because they discovered something "cool" about how one of the spaceships can shoot the Lego bullets. I was washing the dishes after dinner and I was in the zone as I often am when trying to get stuff done. My boys were yelling, "Daddy watch! Daddy watch!" over and over again. 

Now, when I am "in the zone" it's often difficult for me to snap out of it. I was so focused on finishing - cleaning that last dish - that I didn't even notice my boys were desperately trying to show me something - something they seemed to be very proud of.

When I finally snapped out of it they proceeded to show me how their Lego spaceship can shoot bullets from a hidden location on the bottom. I pretended to be impressed but that wasn't good enough - they really wanted me to understand how incredibly cool this was. They wanted me to see how it worked, what button to press, the distance it shot - everything. As they showed me they would stare at my face until they could tell I was sufficiently impressed - until they were satisfied that I understood how amazingly cool this was. After displaying an appropriate amount of shock and awe, they ran off and continued playing.

I have been thinking about this a lot since then.

This wasn't really about Legos, this was about our relationship. A shared experience. See, I had helped them put that spaceship together. When they got stuck I would provide them with direction, find the right pieces, etc. All of us had been together as it was built. They wanted - they needed - to share their joy with me, the one who had helped them put it all together.

I think our Father also likes to share in those experiences with us. I think He likes to share in the excitement with us. He loves to see us discover new things about how He put it all together.

May we always include Him, not only in our discoveries but also when we're stuck - when we need help finding that next piece. May we seek Him like my boys did - loud and persistent. May we stare at His face until we know we have His full attention. May we always call out for Him and say, "Daddy, watch!"

New Roots New Fruit

Imagine you are an apple tree but no one likes apples. Everyone, including God Himself, only likes oranges. In fact, God Himself is made of orange juice. You try and try to grow oranges on your branches - you come close a couple times by growing orange-colored apples, but inside they are still just apples.

Then one day God offers to chop you down and replant you as an orange tree. You ask instead if He can just cause your branches to grow oranges but He says that's not possible because of your roots. He says it's not the branches that determine the fruit, it's the roots. The only way is to be chopped down, uprooted, and replanted with a new seed.

Getting chopped down and replanted seems scary. All you know is the apple orchard, you're not sure what to do.

As an apple tree would you:

1. Pretend oranges don't exist
2. Continue trying to grow oranges on your apple tree
3. Allow God to replant you as an orange tree

Body of Christ

I often hear Christians say, especially during election season, that God is in control. We are encouraged to vote through the lens of our Biblical worldview but then we're reminded that no matter what happens "God is in control."

As a standalone statement I don't believe that is helpful.

Throughout Scripture we see that God's control and manipulation of situations was dependent upon the cooperation of people. Noah had to build a boat. Abraham had to move to a different country. Moses had to face Pharaoh. David had to kill Goliath. Even God Himself, when we couldn't save ourselves, had to enter into our physical realm in Christ to do so. It is the reason the incarnation was necessary. 

"The heavens are the LORD'S heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of men."
- Psalm 115:16

The Church is the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27). That is, His physical presence on Earth. WE are now the incarnation of Christ (God) on Earth. WE are now the Spirit of God wrapped in flesh. His hands, His feet, His arms, His legs.

If His hands are not helping, God's hands are tied. If His feet are not moving, God's feet are bound.

God is only "in control" to the degree His sons & daughters are stepping into their identity as the Body of Christ on Earth. Is the Body moving? Is the Body working in unity? Is the Body advancing the Kingdom? If yes, then God's control is manifesting on Earth. If the Body is paralyzed by fear, division, the evening news, distractions or elections, then no, God's control is not manifesting on Earth and He remains imprisoned inside unbelieving believers.

"Christ in YOU is the hope of glory." - Col. 1:27

"YOU are the light of the world." - Matt. 5:14

"YOU are Christ's ambassadors." - 2 Cor. 5:20

"I confer upon YOU a Kingdom." - Luke 22:29

"All creation waits in eager expectation for the CHILDREN OF GOD to be revealed." - Rom. 8:19

Cannot Be Shaken

The Israelites wanted a king so they chose Saul according to his outward appearance. But the Lord had a different plan - the shepherd boy David because of his heart. So, the Lord anointed David as king yet David had to wait over 20 years to begin his rule. TWENTY years. During this time Saul's *obsolete* rule continued (and caused David quite a bit of grief). David and the people looked forward with anticipation to the *last days* of Saul's reign, for he was a terrible king - a king chosen by the people, not by the Lord.

This was a shadow of things to come.

About 1000 years later, Jesus Christ, from the line of David, was anointed King after His crucifixion, resurrection and ascension to the right hand of the Father, where He sits on the eternal throne of David (2 Sam. 7:12-16). At that time, the Old Covenant law of Moses was rendered obsolete (Heb. 8:13), yet it continued day after day for another 40 years. FORTY years (and caused the Christians quite a bit of grief). Day after day bulls and goats continued to be sacrificed, in spite of the fact the perfect once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus had already been offered. This 40 year period was the period during which the entire New Testament was written. The writers of the New Testament looked forward with anticipation to the *last days* of the obsolete Mosaic covenant, for it was a terrible covenant - a covenant chosen by the people, not by the Lord (Deut. 5:27). It was a covenant concerning outward appearances, rather than heart. The prayers of the first Christians were finally answered in AD 70, with the destruction of Jerusalem and the entire Temple sacrificial system, including the Levitical priesthood and genealogical records which ensured the temple sacrificial system could never legitimately rise again.

While the Lord Jesus may have wonderful future events planned for us, the "last days" which the New Testament speaks of are behind us.

It was the period from 30AD to 70AD, when the New Testament was written, right before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD. It was exactly 40 years, which happened to be considered one Jewish generation. 

Interestingly, in Matthew chapter 24 Jesus prophesied all of this would happen. In fact, He said, "This generation will not pass away until all these things have been fulfilled." The generation He was talking about was THAT generation - those living at 30AD when He spoke those words to them. Essentially He was saying to the people living in 30AD, "some of you standing here will see all this happen before you die."

And they did - in 70AD.

Do not fear. Jesus is on the throne, the New Covenant is an eternal covenant and "we live in a Kingdom that cannot be shaken."

"By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear." - Hebrews 8:13 (written in 65AD)

One in Spirit

A lot of people today look at the Spirit of God the way we used to look at the old scuba diving tanks. They had two tanks on the back, and they had to get the mixture perfect between the two, but they always had two tanks. Most people still look at that interaction the same way today. 'Well, here I am, and there is the Holy Spirit. I am over here, and the Holy Spirit is over there.' They think of it just like the two tanks on the scuba divers.

Then they figured out, 'We could mix these two gases and get a perfect mixture so that nobody would have to mess with the mixture. It would be perfect, and we could just put them together in one tank.' Now, when you see the scuba divers, instead of having two tanks, they have one tank because the mixture is perfect, and they don’t have to mess with it. Why is it that in the church they still talk about the Spirit of God as being separate from us?

"But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit." - 1 Cor. 6:17

We're Winning

Today for every baby born into the world, four people are spiritually born again. In spite of all the tragedy the media tells us about, the Kingdom of God is steadily advancing. Thirty three percent of the world's population is now ruled by this King who arrived in a manger like a little mustard seed and is now seated on the throne as the Tree of Life. He waits patiently until His Body the Church makes His remaining enemies a "footstool for His feet." He waits until His will is done "on Earth as it is in Heaven."

Helper

All of the Bible was written 'for' us, but not all of the Bible is written 'to' us.

What we call the Bible is a collection of 66 books written over a period of 1500 years. It was organized into its present form during the Council of Carthage in AD 397. The Bible has many other names such as the Scriptures, the Good Book, the Holy Canon and the Word of God. It can be described a historical record of God's covenantal dealings with mankind through the ratification of five major covenants between God and 1) Noah, 2) Abraham, 3) Moses, 4) David and 5) Jesus.

Much confusion results when we take verses out of their historical context and apply them to ourselves in the present day. For example, what we know as "the Law" (10 commandments + hundreds of other rules) was given to Moses and was something God employed as a part of His covenant specifically with Moses and the covenant people who at that time was only the Israelites.

God employed these rules because He hadn't yet filled them with His Holy Spirit (Greek "paraclete" = Helper). Because God hadn't yet filled His people with Himself, they needed what Scripture calls a "tutor" - much in the same way our children need rules until they "come of age" and can start making wise choices on their own. The Bible also says that the Law was only a "shadow of things to come" (Col. 2:17; Heb. 10:1) and not the reality of what we now have - the "Helper" who now lives inside of us as a result of the Father's new covenant with His Son Jesus.

While reading about older covenants may be helpful in that they help us more fully understand the reality of what we now have under the New Covenant, in no way are we apply those "obsolete" (Heb. 8:13) rules to the freedom we now have in Christ. For further reading, see the entire book of Galatians.

This is what the apostle Paul means when he exhorts us to "live by the Spirit" and not under the Law. For the Christian, to use rules is equivalent to putting training wheels back on our bicycle or like a mother telling her 40 year old son not to run out onto a freeway.

To the degree we feel the need to keep making & enforcing rules is the exact degree to which we are not trusting what Jesus has done for us - or the Spirit He has given us.

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." - Galatians 5:1

Our Ways

Under the old covenant God's ways were higher than our ways (Isa. 55:9) but then He came and made His dwelling among us (John 1:14) in order to make our humanity compatible with His divinity (Phil. 2:7) after which He got so excited He jumped right inside of us (Rom. 8:11).

Now God's ways are our ways.

Gospel

God is Love (1John 4:8) and Love is patient, kind, not easily angered & keeps no record of wrongs (1Cor. 13:4-5) because God the Son [Jesus Christ] put on flesh and died for the sins of the whole world (1John 2:2) reconciling us to Himself (Rom. 5:10; 2Cor. 5:19) through the new blood covenant [binding unbreakable contract] of eternal forgiveness which He made with the Father (Matt. 26:28) whereby He is no longer counting our sins against us (2Cor. 5:19) because He broke down the wall of separation (Eph. 2:14) between us and God so therefore there is now nothing in all the universe that can separate us from His love (Rom. 8:39).

Now that we stand blameless before Him (Col. 1:22) with no reason to hide (Gen. 3:8-9) He offers us a new resurrected and victorious life (Eph. 2:5; Rom. 5:10) today (2Cor. 6:2) through the giving of a new heart (Ezek. 36:26) which is His Spirit (Ezek. 11:19; John 20:22) breathing into us new identities as sons and daughters of the living God (1John 3:1; Hosea 1:10) by which we cry out, "Abba [Daddy] Father" (Rom. 8:15) with power and authority (Luke 10:19) as His royal priests (1Pet. 2:9), ambassadors and ministers of reconciliation (2Cor. 5:18) as though God was making His appeal to the world through us (2Cor. 5:20) who possess full ownership and inheritance (Eph. 1:14) in our Father's Kingdom [domain of the King] (Luke 22:29) along with the keys to the doors of this Kingdom (Matt. 16:19) which is characterized by righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17).

Now strong in the Lord and in the power of His might (Eph. 6:10) we put on the full armor of God (Eph. 6:11) and pick up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Eph. 6:17) in order to drive out the remaining vestiges of darkness by enforcing the victory of our King (Col. 2:15), for it was for this very purpose that the Son of God was made manifest – to destroy the works of the devil (1John 3:8) by making him a footstool for His feet (Acts 2:35) via His Bride the Church (2Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:24) until the body of Christ is built up and reaches unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and becomes mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:12-13), for He will not be unequally yoked with her (2Cor. 6:14) upon His return from the right hand of the Father (Psalm 110:1) where He waits until His will is done on earth as it is in Heaven (Matt. 6:10).

He Just Wants You Back

Anyone who has lost track of their child, even for a few seconds, knows what it feels like to have waves of panic well up from within the deepest parts of their soul. At that point it doesn't matter what your child did to get lost - it doesn't matter - you just want your child back and you will do ANYTHING to find them. You will lose all composure and YELL and SCREAM for them. You will run around the block, you will approach complete strangers and ask for help - you will do anything. You just want them back in your presence. You just want to make sure they are safe. No one knows them like you do.

When you finally find them you run to them with open arms - you throw your arms around them and squeeze them tight saying, "Where did you go! Why did you leave me!" Nothing is stronger than the parent-child bond.

God is like that too.

You are God's child. He loves you so much. It really doesn't matter where you ran off to or what you have been doing. Seriously. It doesn't matter.

He just wants you back.

Did you know He will hug and kiss you before you even say sorry?

"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him." - Jesus describing His Father in Luke 15:20

God is no longer interested in your sin.

He is interested in YOU.

Do Not Fear

Jesus didn't say you will recognize false teachers by you or your pastor's interpretation of the Bible. He said you will recognize them by their fruit. What is being produced on the tree of their teaching? Fear? Worry? Panic? Confusion? Guilt? Shame? Passivity? Insecurity? Criticism? Division? Take a step back so you can see. You need not have a Bible degree to recognize false teaching. Just look at the fruit of their lives and the lives of their followers. Even children can do this. Jesus made it easy.
Jesus' #1 commands to us were "do not fear" and "do not worry". Therefore if anyone's teaching causes you to fear or worry, consider it false.

Nature & Nurture

Children are like sponges. They literally soak up all we give them - good or bad. Their memory is amazing. They imitate, they illustrate and they reflect back to us everything we are to them as their parents. Much can be learned about me by spending some time with my kids (scary!). And, likewise, much can be learned about my kids by spending some time with me.

My kids are made in my image and likeness. Not only do they look like me, but they are literally "like" me. My DNA is in every cell of their body and is flowing through their veins. I guess you could say the blueprint for their life is to be "like" me. Their destiny as my children - all they need to "grow up into me" - is contained within them. It is in their very nature to be like me. They are predestined to be conformed to my image.

But, unless they "like" me they will never be like me.

If they don't want to be like me - if they don't enjoy me - if for some reason they feel I have betrayed them or hurt them or done something to violate their trust - they will do one of two things. They will either run away and never talk to me again or they will run away and only come back during the holidays. Our relationship may be cordial from that point forward, but never of the heart. They will literally buck against the very DNA inside them. They will act contrary to their nature because of their perceived nurture, all because they no longer trust in my character, in my goodness. Their nature and my nurture must be aligned, reconciled.

Our relationship with God is like that too. Our family relationships are a shadow of something much deeper - something much more real.

If for some reason we have come to believe that God has somehow hurt us or abandoned us or "taken" a loved one or betrayed our trust in any way, then a lie has taken root in our heart. This lie starts to grow and creates a wedge between us and God. We no longer trust Him. We no longer trust in His goodness. We are no longer sure about His nature - no longer sure about His "good will" toward us. We take a step back. Our nature and His perceived nurture are no longer aligned in our hearts and minds.

I'm convinced this is Satan's #1 goal. He "kills, steals and destroys" and then tells us it was our Father who did it. We see these lies wrapped cleverly in sheep's clothing - in statements such as "God works in mysterious ways" or "God needed them in Heaven" or "God is controlling everything" or "God gives and takes away".

Do you see it?

It's interesting to me that Jesus actually referred to Satan as a father. He called him the "father of lies."

Don't confuse the father of lies with the Father of Lights! Align your nature with His good nurture. You can trust Him. Seriously, you can. He really does love you no matter what. Go be a sponge and imitate, illustrate and reflect your Father of grace. He is watching, with a smile on His face.

"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." - James 1:17

Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Anyone who has children knows about the power of redirection. We have all seen it - one of our kids will be throwing a tantrum or in a funk of some sort and we try to "redirect" them by changing the subject or giving them something else to look at. Essentially we try to change what they are focusing on. It works pretty well - I've been able to develop my redirecting skills quite a bit over the past few years.

A few days ago we were driving in the car and the kids were all fighting and bickering with one another. I could have just told them to cut it out and stop, but I knew those commands would just cause them to focus on their fighting even more. I've seen it a million times, especially with my youngest who is 3. The minute I show her a line which shouldn't be crossed, she focuses on the line and wants to cross it. So, I pointed out a farm we were driving by, which had cows in a field. I said, "Look at all the cows! Do you think those are the milk kind of cows?" It worked. The subject quickly changed from fighting to farms.

"But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of evil desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power." - Rom. 7:8

Like a moth to a flame, laws and commands cause children to focus on the commands themselves and it "arouses all kinds of evil desires within them".

We as adults like to think we are more mature than that, but we're not. A speed limit of 55 makes me want to go 65. A speed limit of 65 makes me want to go 80. Having a "limit" on my speed makes me think about how much I can get away with rather than the reason for the law in the first place - safety.
God knows this, which is why He removed the old covenant laws and "redirected" us to something else entirely - our righteousness in Christ. Jesus doesn't remove our ability to sin, He removes our fascination with it. He changes our focus because He knows we walk toward that which we are focused on. A powerful truth about the Christian life is that we literally become what we focus on. "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he" (Prov. 23:7). That's why it's so important to focus on our new righteous identity and freedom in Christ versus our old identity and slavery to law.

"For where there is no law there is no transgression." - Rom. 4:15

Religion is dangerous because it often gets confused regarding this. Because there is a fear of new believers continuing in sin, religion keeps all or portions of the law in order to "protect" people from sinning. Essentially religion doesn't trust the Holy Spirit to do His job, so religion tries to do it for Him. It's kind of like over-protective parents letting their teenagers go out alone for the first time. It's sometimes hard to "let go and let God..."

But we must. We must empower and trust our children [and fellow believers] to make good decisions. When they see that we trust them and that they have been empowered to make wise decisions, they typically do. Even when they stumble, they feel empowered to change and keep moving forward rather than getting stuck in a cycle of shame and guilt.

Invoking old covenant law, or any rules for that matter, in order to "protect" our brothers & sisters essentially denies what Jesus did for us - and the Spirit He has given us. It keeps people in a cycle of sin because they continue to focus on it. Like moths continuing to go back to the flame, they remain hypnotized by the allure of sin.

May we learn to "let go and let God" when it comes to our desires to change people. May we learn to simply scatter the seeds of love and truth while trusting God to prepare the soil and make it grow. May we say, "Look! there is something else outside I want you to see."

Antichrist?

We in the 21st century Church often look back on the first century church as if it was "the good ole days". We read about the early church in the books of Acts and the letters of Paul and assume it was this loving, problem-free community of believers who "had everything in common, selling property and possessions to give to anyone who had need" (Acts 2:44-45). We imagine them huddled around a fire together holding hands and singing "Kum Ba Yah."

But the early church was wrought with challenges, some of the most notable being the dangerous sects and cults which developed. One of these cults in particular, the "Gnostics", began teaching that Jesus didn't actually come to earth in bodily form, but only as a spirit, or ghost. The reasoning behind this was that they believed everything physical that we can see with our eyes is evil (such as the human body), and everything invisible that we cannot see is good (such as the human spirit & soul). Therefore, they thought Jesus couldn't have actually had a real body because that would have made Him evil, and He certainly wasn't evil.

This teaching was particularly dangerous because if Jesus didn't have a real human body, He couldn't have actually spilled His blood on the cross, and it's only by His shed blood that we are forgiven, for "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Heb. 9:22). As crazy as this teaching sounds, it was a major deception in the early church and led many people astray.

Those in the cult of gnosticism were known as being "antichrist" because they were "against" Christ or "ANTI" Jesus coming in the flesh.

The disciple John was very close with Jesus. In his gospel, John referred to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. John was also the disciple who laid his head upon Jesus' chest at the last supper, and the disciple who stood at the foot of the cross while Jesus was being crucified, watching his blood being spilled out. Before His death Jesus even told John to watch over his mother Mary. It's safe to say that John was probably closer to Jesus than anyone. And, John definitely knew that Jesus had a physical body. He laid his head on Jesus' chest for crying out loud.

So, John addressed this heresy head on. John wrote four books in the New Testament: the gospel of John along with three letters. In the first two of his letters, we read about this false teaching called "antichrist." These short two letters are the only places in the Bible which refer to "antichrist."

"For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist." - 2 John 1:7

"This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world." - 1 John 4:2-3 [Note that "antichrist" was already in the world in the first century]

"Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.." - 1 John 2:18 [Also note that according to John, the "last hour" was in the first century]

"Who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denies the Father and the Son." - 1 John 2:22

The above verses from the letters of John are the ONLY places the word "antichrist" is used in the Bible and each time he is addressing the false teaching of gnosticism. Interestingly, the word "antichrist" is nowhere in the book of Revelation.

"Antichrist" is nothing more than the first century cult of gnosticism along with those to taught it. In spite of what we might read in the fictional book series "Left Behind", Hollywood movies and many well-intentioned pastors today, gnosticism (antichrist) is 2000 years behind us.

What a tangled web we have weaved since then. Because we have distanced ourselves so far from the historical context, we have made the first century cult of antichrist about a future Satan-inspired one world ruler. It's not exactly what John had in mind.

There is often a big difference between popular Christianity and historical Christianity. We need not fear a future world leader named "antichrist". When Jesus said He now has all authority in heaven and on earth, He meant it.

"That which was from the beginning, which we have HEARD, which we have SEEN with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have TOUCHED—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life." - 1 John 1:1

Will You Marry Me?

In the ancient world when two kings from distant lands came together and wanted to form a covenant, such as a covenant of peace or a covenant of trade, they would write the terms of the covenant on two copies of stone tablets, which were essentially their "rules of engagement". Each side of the tablets would contain writing. So, for example, tablet #1 would have rules 1-5 written on the front, and rules 6-10 written on the back. Then, an identical copy of this was made on another tablet.

Each king would take their copy of the covenant and place it in a wooden box, which was referred to as an "ark". This was their "Ark of the Covenant".

Now, each king would typically have their own god who they worshiped. So, king #1 would take his ark back to the temple of his god, and king #2 would take his ark back to the temple of his god. So, there was a copy of the covenant in each of their temples. The idea was that their respective gods would punish them if they violated the rules of the covenant. King #1 would essentially say, "If I violate any of the rules of our covenant, my god will punish me", and King #2 would do the same.

In the case of the ancient Israelites, the Lord first offered them a direct relationship with no rules, asking them to be "a kingdom of priests" (Ex. 19:6). This was God's "Plan A". However, because they were afraid of direct relationship they asked for a rule-based covenant like the Egyptians and all the other pagan people around them (Deut. 5:27), after all, they had just spent 400 years in Egyptian slavery and it was all they knew. Because of their fear they asked to be servants instead of children - they asked for religion instead of relationship. "We don't want to be that close to you. Just tell us what to do." This was the "Plan B" chosen by the people.

This put the Lord in a very uncomfortable position.

Now, because Love must honor the human will, He was forced to be both their covenant partner AND the God who would punish them if they broke any of the covenant rules. So, God wrote two copies of His ten commandments, which were the terms of the covenant. Because the Lord doesn't have a "god" over Him, both copies were given to the people and placed in their Ark of the Covenant and then into the Jewish temple. These were easy commandments which could be summarized as "love the Lord with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself". It was the bare minimum, God made it easy, for He did not want to be forced to punish them. Nevertheless, by the time Moses descended the mountain the people were already worshiping a false god.

As their covenant partner, the Lord was very grieved. As their God, He was forced to punish them as their God. This roller coaster of blessing and punishment continued for about 1500 years. It was terrible. Both God and the people looked forward to the day when they might get the opportunity to get back to "Plan A" - when they could be a "kingdom of priests" with direct relationship with the Lord.

There was only one way back to Plan A.

See, covenants are only in force as long as both parties are alive. "For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it" (Heb. 9:16). So, for this rule based covenant of death to be abolished, one of the covenant partners had to die - similar to what we see in a marriage covenant today, "Till death do us part". It was either going to be the people or God. So, God had a choice to make. Who was going to die?

God took on flesh and became a human being in order to die and put an end to the old covenant and establish a new covenant of life. Jesus said, "I came that they might have LIFE." We often say that Jesus died for our sins which is true in a sense, but what He really died for was what sin was doing to us. "The wages of sin is death." Sin was killing us. It's not about punishment, it's about restoration. God doesn't punish the record of our wrongdoing, He cancels it (Col. 2:14).

Jesus didn't die to appease the "wrath" of an angry Father, He died to appease the "wrath" of sin. Jesus died to "set us free from the law of sin and death" (Rom. 8:2). He died to abolish the old covenant and create a new one.

Back to "Plan A".

God's no longer interested in you not keeping the rules, because that covenant is abolished. God died, the covenant ended. It is now completely "obsolete" (Heb. 8:13). We are now free to re-marry Him all over again, under far better terms. Marriage only has one law. LOVE. "Love each other as I have loved you" (John 15:12).

And someone is proposing right now.

The New Covenant is a unique covenant, in that it is between God and God (the Father and Jesus). We have nothing to do with it. Thankfully, it's not based on our performance. We can "rest" in the finished work of Jesus Christ - our new groom.

The only question remaining is, Will you marry into the family or not? If you do, everything that is His is yours, and everything that is yours is His.

"Will you marry me"? is the question He is asking the world.

What is your answer?

Cross Over the Jordan

The LORD led the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery, through the Red Sea and into the freedom of His presence and provision. For 40 years they wandered aimlessly through the desert learning to trust His guidance as they followed the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. The cloud shaded them from the daytime heat, the fire warmed them during the nighttime cold. "Manna" appeared on the ground every morning - bread crumbs from heaven to satisfy their hunger. Water flowed from rocks for their thirst. Throughout the 40 years their "clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on their feet" (Deut. 29:5). They were cared for just as we care for our children today with shelter, food, drink, clothing and the security of our presence. This was their "childhood". The people looked forward to inheriting what was promised to them - the Promised Land - which was a land which was exceedingly beautiful - "a land flowing with milk and honey". After the 40 years they were told to pass over the waters of the Jordan River and enter the land.

When they did, they experienced a complete shift and change.

Adolescence.

Instead of passively living in the LORD's mercy and grace and being sustained by Him with food and provisions, they now had to partner with Him in all that they did. They had to actually *occupy* and *take* the land, which required action on their part. They had to cross over the Jordan and shed one way of thinking (passive slaves) for another (proactive sons) because the wilderness paradigm no longer applied. They were "growing up into Him". They were to change their thinking [repent=rethink] by taking hold of their promised possession by *occupying* and *taking* their rightful inheritance, driving out the squatters - the trespassers - the enemy - by force.

This was a shadow of things to come.

Just as the Israelites were delivered from slavery by following the LORD through the Red Sea, we are first delivered by following Him through the waters of baptism. This is what it means to be "born of water."

"Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit." - Jesus

But Jesus said we also must be "born of the Spirit". This is the second body of water to cross - the Jordan River - for the Jordan is what transforms slaves into sons. From "takers" into "makers". The Jordan is what separates wilderness wandering from the Kingdom of God. From renters to owners. This is what it means to be "born of the Spirit". Following the Spirit of God away from the perceived safety and security of today's wilderness toward the hope and future of tomorrow's promise. Toward a land "flowing with milk and honey". Toward your own personal Promised Land. First, through the still waters of the sea. Then, through the rushing waters of the river.

Are you a child of God who feels as if you are wandering aimlessly in the wilderness? Do you love the Lord yet feel like there must be more than water and manna? You may need to cross over the Jordan. Ask God to lead you through the second baptism in rivers of living water. Cross over the Jordan and into your inheritance. Be filled with the "Spirit of sonship". You may need to risk the manna of today in order to receive the honey of tomorrow. New wine requires new wineskins.

May we grow up into Him in all that we are. May we leave the bread crumbs of our childhood for the steak of tomorrow. May we be born of water *and* the Spirit.

"The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." - Romans 8:15

Fruit

No person or denomination has perfect theology. Not me, not you, not anyone. Ironically, the quicker we let go of the illusion of knowledge the quicker we stumble into the Truth. There were two trees in the Garden - Knowledge and LIFE. One caused death, one brought life. One does stuff. One is stuff.

Human beings have this insatiable desire to side with those who believe the same way they do - the same way their parents did - their grandparents did, etc. It starts as cliques in grade school and ends with what we call religion. Our desire to feel included and "right" far outweighs an honest, childlike curiosity for the Truth. The real Truth. Even if the bridge to the other side is a little shakey. Even if we have to go alone. Regardless of the implications. Like orphans searching their whole lives for their birth parents, regardless of what they might find out about them. Faith is the essence of things hoped for.

I have talked with many people - Lutherans, Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterians, Charismatics, Baptists - who are simply showing up on Sunday mornings because their parents did, and their parents did, etc. They believe in God, they're pretty sure He's Jesus and they are simply "doing" the only thing they know to do.

Go to church.

But it needs to be a Lutheran church. A Catholic church. A Methodist church. Because I would never betray the dead faith of my grandparents. That is, if it works out schedule-wise. For sure on Christmas and Easter though.

Theology is important but Jesus didn't say we will recognize good doctrine by how it aligns with our statement of faith, He said we will recognize it by its fruit. That is, it's result. Is the teaching causing real life change and pointing people to the King of kings? If so, eat and be filled. If no one in your church pew is dramatically changing for the better, throw it out and leave.

Seriously. If you're not excited about God you haven't been properly introduced.

We must not judge. We must not be offended. Look at the fruit. A person could have been transformed from a drug-addicted prostitute into a missionary in Africa. If their doctrine seems a little "off" to us, we need to take a good look at our own. Take God out of your denominational box. He was never there anyway.

You cannot cage a Lion like this.

B E H O L D

Have you ever wondered why there are so many Christian denominations? Can’t God write an easier to understand book? If the Bible is the authoritative, inerrant and inspired Word of God how on earth do we all arrive at so many interpretations? What’s worse is that the people within each denomination each believe they have the “correct” interpretation, so we all separate ourselves from the others in order to not let any “false” doctrine creep in. We each believe we have it all figured out (or at least we believe our pastor does and we really “like” him) so we box ourselves into a building and label it “Lutheran” or “Catholic” or “Baptist” or “Methodist”. Or, if we don’t want our particular label to hinder any newcomers we will get ‘seeker friendly’ and swap out our “Baptist Church” sign with a “Community Church” sign while holding to the same doctrinal exclusivity. 

But if we really believe we built our tree-fort on the correct branch, what are we so afraid of? Do we really need to agree on everything in order to get along? If two people who confess Jesus Christ as Lord disagree on the meaning of God’s sovereignty is it really time to build a separate building? What happened to us? What happened to “Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged” (1 Cor. 13:4-5)? Somewhere along the line we started believing that salvation is about correct doctrine rather than being reconciled and restored to the God of love. Somewhere along the line we started worshiping the “Father, Son & Holy Bible" (my interpretation, of course) instead of worshipping the “Father, Son & Holy Spirit.”

There’s a peculiar story in the book of Genesis about Jacob working for his deceitful father-in-law, Laban. Jacob had worked for Laban for many years and had been cheated by him over and over again. Jacob wanted to get away from him and start his own family somewhere else, so he made a deal with Laban for a portion of the flocks to be given to him for his many years of work. This would allow him to leave and start a new life with something of his own. They agreed that Jacob would take all the spotted and speckled sheep and goats as his wages. Laban agreed to the terms, knowing that spotted and speckled lambs were considered flawed. This is when the story gets really weird:

“Then Jacob took some fresh branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees and peeled off strips of bark, making white streaks on them. Then he placed these peeled branches in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, for that was where they mated. And when they mated in front of the white-streaked branches, they gave birth to young that were streaked, speckled, and spotted.” – Genesis 30:37-39

As the animals came to drink, they would see spotted, speckled and streaked branches at their watering holes, which also happened to be their breeding ground. As they came to the water, drank and bred, they did so while looking upon the spotted branches. The result was that they reproduced spotted and speckled offspring. And it was all because of what they saw when they came to the water.

We read that the Word of God is referred to as “water” in the Bible (see Eph. 5:25-27; Heb. 10:22). Not only that, but the Word of God is also referred to as a “mirror” (see James 1:23).  What’s even more interesting is that way back in the book of Exodus the Israelites were commanded to make the washbasin for the Temple out of “bronze mirrors donated by the women who served at the entrance of the Tabernacle” (Ex. 38:8). The Word of God cleanses us in much the same way as the washbasin made of mirrors cleansed the Old Testament priests before they went into the presence of the Lord. They were to examine themselves in the mirror and then cleanse themselves of what they "brought along".

So, we see that the Word of God is like cleansing water which reflects and reproduces what we bring to it. When we come to the watering trough of God’s Word, we will reproduce what we see. Not only that, but whatever our heart is set on when we come to the Bible is what we see in the Bible. 

As in water face reflects face, So the heart of man reflects man. – Proverbs 27:19

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. – Proverbs 4:23

The Bible will reproduce whatever is in our hearts when we come to it. Are we coming to the watering trough with too much "baggage" - with our minds made up about a particular doctrine or way of thinking? If so, the Bible will reflect it back to us and reproduce more of what we see. This will do nothing more than convince us to continue justifying our own “interpretation” – to draw even deeper lines of separation between us and others. This is the “knowledge which puffs up instead of builds up” (1 Cor. 8:1).

Or, are we coming to the watering trough with a humble, open and hungry heart? If so, we are a soft piece of clay in the hands of the Potter – a blank canvas for the Holy Spirit to splash with revelatory color and a kind of “knowing” which isn’t about doctrine, but about a Person. Love Himself.

So, getting back to this issue of all the denominations. I believe the story about the spotted & speckled sheep teaches us that we should concern ourselves less with bringing interpretive methods and doctrines to the Bible and concern ourselves more with the attitude of our hearts when we come to the Bible – the watering trough made of mirrors. What we bring to the Bible determines much of what we see in the Bible – good or bad. The Word of God is a “mirror” which is “living and active” (Heb. 4:12). Jesus never told us to “be right” about the Bible (which is a book). He told us to become the Word of God (who is a Person). What we "know" often keeps us from who we need to know.

May we set aside all the labels we have for each other and come to the pure water of the Word. May we set down what we think we "know" and come to the watering trough with humble and hungry hearts. Like little children may we bend our knees, open our hearts and be filled with the love and revelation of the Word Himself, Jesus Christ.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” – Matthew 5:8

He Just Wants You Back

Anyone who has lost track of their child, even for a few seconds, knows what it feels like to have waves of panic well up from within the deepest parts of their soul. At that point it doesn't matter what your child did to get lost - it doesn't matter - you just want your child back and you will do ANYTHING to find them. You will lose all composure and YELL and SCREAM for them. You will run around the block, you will approach complete strangers and ask for help - you will do anything. You just want them back in your presence. You just want to make sure they are safe. No one knows them like you do.

When you finally find them you run to them with open arms - you throw your arms around them and squeeze them tight saying, "Where did you go! Why did you leave me!" Nothing is stronger than the parent-child bond.

God is like that too.

You are God's child. He loves you so much. It really doesn't matter where you ran off to or what you have been doing. Seriously. It doesn't matter.

He just wants you back.

Did you know He will hug and kiss you before you even say sorry?

"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him." - Jesus describing His Father in Luke 15:20

God is no longer interested in your sin.

He is interested in YOU.

Our Father's Children

As a father nothing, and I mean nothing, is more annoying than listening to my kids fight and bicker with each other. It literally drives me insane. Anyone else feel this way?

But why? Why does this make me so crazy? As parents we often find ourselves saying and doing crazy things as a result of our kids fighting. The other day I just stood there yelling unintelligible words [I think it was the word STOP mixed with the word NOW = SOW!!] as my 7 year old boys were talking down to my 2 year old daughter. The argument was essentially a battle of 7 year old logic versus 2 year old logic, which as a parent would actually be funny if it wasn't so annoying and accompanied by the hell-raising whining noises coming from their mouths. My boys had their Pokemon cards in neat little stacks, and my two year old daughter felt the need to swat them down. Cue the hell-raising whining noises followed by yelling and pushing with a sobbing 2 year old as a cherry on top, unable to figure out why her brothers don't like card swatting.

I got to thinking about that yesterday and came up with some ideas about why it makes me so crazy...

I believe it bugs me so much because they are my children and there is no easy way out of the situation. It requires me to get involved and problem-solve. It makes me feel like a failure as their father. I don't want to have to get involved. I want them to just know how to get along based on the lessons I provided them in the past. After all they are my children, not my slaves - I shouldn't need to command them around. I feel like I shouldn't need to give them rules to live by - they should just know by now, shouldn't they?

Maybe not. They are just kids after all. I guess that's what parenting is all about - showing them the right way and praying that it will eventually make sense to them - that eventually by the time they leave the confines of my protection that my desires for their good - for their best lives - will finally become their desires.

"The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father." - Galatians 4:2

As parents we make the rules because without them our "heirs" will die. They just don't get it - as my wife Susie keeps reminding me their little minds don't yet have the capacity to understand right and wrong - the knowledge of good and evil. They must be told. It must be demonstrated for them.

Repeatedly.

That's why it bugs me so much. I want them to get it. Like, now.

Don't get me wrong, my kids are growing up far too quickly - before my very eyes. But sometimes I want them to learn faster. I want them to remain children but operate with my will & desires so they stop fighting with each other and start helping each other. Sometimes I wish I could just impart my will & desires - my Spirit - within them so they would "get it" yet still remain my little children, intimate with me, under my roof, under my care – yet with my spirit of wisdom so they walk alongside me as sons instead of behind me like slaves.

"And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father." For the Helper, the Holy Spirit. He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to." - Galatians 4:7; John 14:26

I think all our fighting and bickering frustrated God too. I think it frustrated Him to the point of death. It frustrated Him for the same reason it frustrates us. After all, we are made in His likeness. Relational. Loving. Nurturing - with all the joy and frustrations that go along with it. He will never leave us or forsake us, but we sure grieve Him from time to time.

We all pay a steep price for our children - for them to "get it". Thousands of hours requiring truckloads of patience. Buckets of blood, sweat and tears are the prerequisite for even a chance at success.

  
The joy of parenting is watching as our kids finally start to get it. It warms our heart like beaming rays of sunshine as they willingly cling to the essence – the spirit – of what we taught them.

  

Without. Being. Told.

I watch on as my 7 year old son encourages my two year old daughter as she colors her picture, or as my two sons give up their favorite things for the sake of the other. As they get older and older my rules and commands will begin to fall off their souls like training wheels off a bike. Not because they aren’t good rules, but because they have accepted and trusted in my wisdom which has taught them how to ride the bike.

That’s my child.

When they come of age they will leave my rules behind completely and be free - relying instead on the deposit of wisdom I’ve placed within them rather than the confines of my rules - rules which I hate having to enforce. 

God is like that too. 

Rules are not needed where His Spirit exists. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Cor. 3:17). We still may fall down from time to time, and those times may serve as reminders about why the rules once existed. But rather than try to put training wheels on a mountain bike, we must get back up and keep riding the bike in freedom, not only because our Father told us to, but because we simply like being with Him where He is - in complete freedom.

God doesn't want slaves & servants, He wants sons & daughters. He wants to share all that He is and all that He has with those who seek His own heart - with those who take ownership and responsibility in His estate.

Without. Being. Told.

"I no longer call you servants, because a servant doesn't know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends." - Jesus