Actually Being Changed by Jesus

Last week I attended a conference in Dallas where a group called Gungor led worship. One of their songs entitled You Make Beautiful Things goes like this:

You Make Beautiful Things

All this pain
I wonder if I’ll ever find my way
I wonder if my life could really change at all
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found
Could a garden come up from this ground at all

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

You make me new, You are making me new
You make me new, You are making me new

As I thought about those powerful lyrics it hit me that there would be almost no way a hymn writer 40 years ago or more would ever write a song with those kind of words. They simply didn't think or speak in those terms. That's not right or wrong, but just the way it is.

But is the notion of pain and brokenness something new? Of course not! It may have looked different, but it was still there. This brings me to the issue I want to raise for us:

It seems to me, based on my experience at least, that often people in older generations experienced just as much pain, shame and brokenness. They simply stuffed it and hid it from others. They didn't want to "air their dirty laundry." Yet keeping all of that stuff tucked "in the closet" didn't make the problem go away and certainly didn't give them true spiritual victory.

On the other hand, I often see people in younger generations transparently wear their pain, shame and brokenness on their sleeves, talking about it to whomever will listen sometimes, including indiscriminant followers on Twitter and Facebook. In essence, they are very comfortable sharing their stuff, but they aren't necessarily interested in being made well, gaining spiritual victory over it. In fact, many of them can't see past the garbage at all and assume they are stuck.

To me both approaches are wrong and mutually destructive. One keeps you locked up and hidden away and the other keeps you stuck wallowing in the garbage. Neither brings true freedom in Christ or the spiritual victory Jesus promises us.

So what are we to do? How can we stop hiding on the one hand and stop wallowing on the other in order to actually be changed by Jesus?

A Christian Response to bin Laden's Death

You have to be living under a rock not to know that U.S. Special Forces raided a compound where Osama bin Laden was hiding out in Pakistan, killing him. Upon hearing the announcement, major celebrations erupted in various locations, especially in New York and Washington. I briefly watched some of the comments made by people in the crowd and their comments and reactions, as well as many other news reports, etc. They have caused me to reflect as a Christian about this issue.

As a Christian, do I believe that there are times when war is justified and useful for an ultimate good? Yes. In self defense or in order to take up the cause of a defenseless innocent person or persons there are times when violence is the only remaining option. Though it should be avoided at all costs, there are times when it simply cannot be avoided and in those times it is justified.

However, I must take very seriously the words of Jesus, not just when they are convenient to my patriotic or self-interested leanings, but especially when they are a challenge to them. In those times my true commitment to Jesus and His teachings are measured. Am I faithful to Him at all times or only when He seems to agree with me?

At any rate, here are Jesus' words:

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny" - Matthew 5:21-26

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven." - Matthew 5:43-44

I'm not sure I would call Bin Laden's death a murder. It was part of an ongoing war. However, as Christians we need to be careful about celebrating the death of anyone - even someone as evil as he was. I would be much more comfortable if we did what we felt we had to do to protect ourselves and other innocent persons from present and future harm and then stopped there without any fanfare or bragging.

In other words, as a Christian I don't think I should ever celebrate the death of another person even if his/her death was justified and necessary to hinder greater evil. There should always be a part of me that wishes there could be another way and hopes that next time there will be.

What do you think?

Two VERY Different People

Here is an interesting and insightful article I ran across today and I wanted to pass it on. Tell me what you think . . .

The Man Who Defeated Adolf Hitler

By Eric Metaxas

This week, billions of Christians around the world will celebrate Easter. But Wednesday was a special day too.

Wednesday -- April 20th -- was Hitler's birthday! Have you forgotten? The Fuehrer would have been 122 years young today! Aren't you celebrating? As I explain in my book "Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy," during Hitler's 12-year reign, people across Germany twisted themselves into veritable pretzels to praise the Fuhrer on his birthday! It was a day of national celebration.

How things change! Today Hitler's name is synonymous with evil. What a spectacular reversal of fortune.

Hitler's last birthday -- his 56th -- was already a harbinger of things to come. Ten days later he would commit suicide, so the mood in the bunker on his last "Geburtstag" was not exactly festive. He was a shattered man, hiding like a rat beneath the shattered city that was to have been the capital of his new Germany. His die-hard bunker-mates held a small celebration for him, but Herr Hitler had to be sedated before he could make an appearance. Can anyone dream up a more depressing birthday party? What's the German word for "bummer"?

Contrast Hitler's bleak ending with that of another German of that era, Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Bonhoeffer was a brilliant young pastor and a theologian, whose deep faith in God led him to get involved in the plot to kill Hitler. When Hitler learned of Bonhoeffer's involvement he flew into a typically violent rage. As one of his final acts of revenge -- just three weeks before he committed suicide -- Hitler condemned the young pastor to death. Bonhoeffer was hanged on April 9, 1945 at Flossenburg Concentration camp.

But by all accounts, Bonhoeffer went to his death with the peace of God, with no regrets. How can that be?

He was 39 years old, widely reckoned a theological genius. He had already written two of the classic books of the 20th century, "The Cost of Discipleship" and "Life Together." He was engaged to be married to a wonderful young woman. He had such a terrifically bright future! Bonhoeffer even had an opportunity to escape his fate.

In my book I tell the story of how he had fled to America, but then decided to return to Germany, to face the horrors that lay ahead with his people. Why did he return when he didn't have to? And why didn't he have any regrets for doing so, even after he knew he would pay the ultimate price? Just before he died, Bonhoeffer told a fellow prisoner, "This is the end. But for me, the beginning of life."

How is it that one man slunk to his death defeated and is today despised by the whole world, while another man went to his death with God's peace, and is today everywhere hailed as a hero, as one of the few Germans with the courage to see what was happening and to speak against it and act against it, even at the cost of his own life?

There's much to say by way of an answer, but since the Easter season is upon us, let's start there.

Bonhoeffer believed the Easter story. He actually believed the extraordinary story of God's coming to Earth and dying and then rising from the dead to defeat death forever. He believed that because this was true, he need never fear death. All he needed to worry about was doing the right thing and trusting God with the results. And that he did.

Because Bonhoeffer believed these things he had the courage to do what almost no one else around him could do. He stood up for the Jews of Europe and today he is celebrated and cherished, while Hitler, who condemned him to death and who only believed in himself, is reviled as a monster.

That day in the bunker 66 years ago today, as the drugged-up Fuehrer celebrated his last birthday, he was alive and Bonhoeffer had been dead for eleven days.

But on that day -- April 20, 1945 -- who was happy and who was at peace, Hitler or Bonhoeffer? For that matter, which of them is happy and at peace today? It's something chilling to think about, the contrast between these two Germans, between these two lives and these two deaths. But at this time of year especially, it's appropriate that perhaps we do think about it.

But at this time of year, when Passover and Easter are being celebrated it's especially appropriate that we do think about it. Do those of us who say we believe in God really believe it? Because if we do, it will affect how we behave today, this week, this month... If we believe in the word of God, as Bonhoeffer did, it will give us the courage do the right thing wherever we are. Like Bonhoeffer, we will do the right thing and trust God with the consequences. Faith and courage go together.

Bonhoeffer's faith gave him the courage to stand against the greatest evil of the 20th century. And today we celebrate him and revile the inhuman tyrant he stood against.

So this Easter season, dare to think about what you really believe. What you believe about your faith will affect how you behave today and how people regard you years from today. That's a fact.

Let the life of Bonhoeffer, lived in faith and without fear, be a source of encouragement to you, so that your life in turn may be a source of encouragement to others in years to come.

Eric Metaxas is the author of "Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy" (Thomas Nelson) and "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About God (But Were Afraid to Ask): THE JESUS EDITION" published by Regal Books. For more information, visit www.ericmetaxas.com.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/04/20/man-defeated-adolf-hitler/#ixzz1KBi6DL4Y

Losing "Friends"

I was reading something this morning from Craig Gross and Steven Luff who were talking about breaking free from sinful patterns that have defined and captured our lives, specifically in this case, pornography. However, it can apply to all kinds of sin - substance abuse, sexual sins, being a workaholic, pride, greed, envy, bitterness, etc. They said this:

As many men can attest, going sober can be an otherworldly experience. If you are going sober, you really may feel as if you are losing a friend (and in essence you are - you're losing the worst friend you ever had, a friend who lies to you, cheats on you, and steals from you). Ultimately it's like an abusive relationship where an individual systematically isolates you, twists the truth you once knew and understood, and keeps you under his control by telling you that the world you once knew doesn't understand you but that he does.

So what's it going to be like walking away from this "friend"? It's going to be scary, it's going to take a lot of courage, and most of all, it's going to take a lot of faith in God that all the promises he offers you in Scripture really do exist, even if you can't quite see them (as Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:7, "We live by faith, not by sight"). (Pure Eyes, pg. 146)

Now that is a friend we want to be rid of . . . Unfortunately, I have kept "friends" like that around far too long. Have you?

Why do we hold on so often to this "friend" who is destroying us and making us into people we don't want to be?

What prevents us from moving forward and trusting in God and His promises for us?

Remembering Miracles Still Happen!

Our church has joined over 700 of our sister churches across the nation for a 40 day period of fasting and prayer called Focus 40! Yesterday, one of our churches in Waco sent out a story about a miracle in their pastor's life. Here is what he wrote:

“My co-pastor, wife and a few others began fasting early to prepare the way for the rest of the Church for the Focus 40 Fast. I hadn't been feeling well and thought it had something to do with the fast. After several tests, including an ultrasound, I was diagnosed with liver cancer. They showed me the mass in my liver/prepared me for the worst.

Eight days later, as we started Focus 40, I had more tests, including an MRI. I had a great peace, but honestly, I didn't expect what would happen that day. The enlarged liver, tumor in the right quadrant, grade 4 cirrhosis, and highly elevated liver enzymes and protein levels were ALL gone!

Because of Agent Orange exposure during my tours in Vietnam, I had cirrhosis and an enlarged liver, diagnosed in 1982. Not only did Jesus heal me from the cancer, but also He gave me a brand new liver! I brought all of my lab work into the Church and showed the people, as Paul said, "so that you might believe." Every day during Focus 40 we are hearing reports of miracles!”

Do you believe that God has worked in Waco? I sure do!

Do you believe God can work in Pasadena and in your life in miraculous ways as well? I sure do!

Here is a question for all of us: Where are we praying and looking for God to do something miraculous in our lives? To paraphrase a line from Jesus, do we "have not because we ask not?"

Two Wonderful Alternatives

This past week I have spent an unusual amount of time with a family struggling through the ups and downs of a loving wife and mother who suffered a massive heart attack. The stress and weight of all the decisions they have had to consider and make have been massive.

Watching one of my friends suffer in such a way has been very hard to say the least. We have all fervently prayed for her healing and for a complete recovery and have watched as her body fights for life.

Reflecting on all that they have gone through, I am reminded of two scriptures from the apostle Paul:

"If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied." - 1 Corinthians 15:19

"Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him." - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14

As a Christian, there are two wonderful alternatives for my friend. Either she will recover and enjoy life with her family and friends and continue to live faithfully as God's child here on earth or she will be transformed and transported to God's side and the marvelous joy and peace of Heaven.

For those of us here on earth, we want the first choice. We don't want to see her go. We will grieve her loss and long for her continued presence, but we do not grieve as those who have no hope! We know that the second alternative will be even far better for her and, in the midst of our grief, we will hold onto that hope.

That is what makes it possible for us to move through these difficult times . . . knowing those we love have two wonderful alternatives.

A Gracious Observation

I just finished reading a book this morning called True Faced by Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol and John Lynch. It was a powerful book about how we can and should form our true identity in Christ. There is much I could say about the book, but I want to simply share one short line with you that stood out to me this morning:

"Grace is the face love wears, when it meets imperfection" (92).

What a powerful truth and wonderful picture of how God the Father sees all of us through Jesus!

What a wonderful image of the way the Spirit can help us to see ourselves!

What a great concept for how we can come to view each other with God's help!

How does this speak to you?