Be present today

For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” (2 Corinthians 5:19-20)

Christ did the work of redemption, but he uses ordinary, everyday folks who have given their hearts to him to invite others to serve him, as well. We bring the message: "Come back to God" - he does the work of preparing the heart to hear and respond to the message. Sometimes I think we might believe pastors, preachers, and Bible teachers are responsible to deliver that message, but nothing could be further from the truth. WE are called - WE are made ambassadors of reconciliation - WE are instruments of his grace to a hurting world.

God makes the appeal, but do we 'seal the deal'? Nope! Even that is God's work - we just bring the message. Does the message have to be spoken? Not always - God can use our lives as a testimony of his grace and restorative power. If you have ever seen a life changed by the grace and power of God, you know just how powerful that example can be to someone who is challenged by life's hurts and hang-ups. If we allow God to 'speak through us' as living testimonies of his goodness, there is no end to what could be accomplished in his name!

We speak FOR Christ. We don't speak INSTEAD of Christ. The message we bring isn't our own, but the testimony of how God has changed our lives is ours. We can share what he has done, leaving the work of drawing others to him in his hands. We aren't the Holy Spirit - it is not our job to convict others of their sin. We simply proclaim truth in a loving manner, then let the Holy Spirit do the work of bringing a change of heart to the one who hears it. We don't have to be eloquent in our words to proclaim truth - much of God's truth is simple - he loves us, he desires relationship with us, and he has provided everything we need in order to enter into that relationship with him. We simply say "yes" to the invitation.

How will God use you as an ambassador today? Where will he use you? Will it be through a post on social media, or an in-person conversation at the checkout counter? What will you share through your actions today that may give others who are struggling with hurts, hang-ups, and habits that will give them hope of a different future? Your testimony is louder than your words, goes beyond your perceived 'limitations', and is the exact instrument God desires to use. Just sayin!

We need revival

T. S. Eliot asks, "Where is all the knowledge we lost with information?" God reminds us, "Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." (Proverbs 1:7) Knowing 'more' doesn't always make us any wiser in our choices, does it? In fact, a good many of our choices are simply made because others are making that choice. We are influenced by what we see, hear, and come to accept as truth. When knowledge turns us away from God's truth, we will make unwise choices. When knowledge is the result of embracing truth, we find our steps are more certain and our choices are actually narrowed quite a bit.

Information abounds, but knowledge that comes from a deep, intimate relationship with Jesus seems to be lacking in many cases. Our nation struggles because of the 'information overload' we receive each day, but there is little truth contained within that 'load'. Most of us hunger for truth - simply because we have come to hear so many untruths over the last few decades, with each passing year bringing more confusion and less 'foundational truth'. Maybe I am on a soapbox this morning, but I see information coming at us from all sides and yet we often choose to ignore what scripture plainly says regarding the issue at hand. 

What is the answer? This world needs a 'revival' of truth. Acts of aggression are all around us, some in full support of them, while others feel it is wrong. Bullying is a 'real thing' that doctors are taught to actually screen for in their exam of kids these days. Whole fields of study have emerged simply because society 'labels' individuals, aims threats at them, and gives others fuel for their own aggressive acts. Until we recognize the evil around us as just that - evil - we will never be able to curb the increasing tide of negative and harmful influence all around us. The world needs more than another 'great leader' - it needs more 'great servants'. 

The answer is for us to be examples - to not only hear the Word of God, but to become 'doers' of the Word. We must stand with those who cannot stand alone. We must bind up the wounds of those who have been affected by the aggression of others. We must be agents of peace and reconciliation. What does it mean to reconcile? It isn't that we bow to whatever is not desired - giving into it. It is that we 'win over' those who do not know Christ as their Lord and Savior by being good examples of his grace and love in an otherwise very negative and hostile world. Just sayin!

Which bridge do you take?

Yes, if you forgive others for the wrongs they do to you, then your Father in heaven will also forgive your wrongs.  But if you don’t forgive others, then your Father in heaven will not forgive the wrongs you do. (Matthew 6:14-15 ERV)

Thomas Fuller put it this way: "He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself; for every man has need to be forgiven." I don't know where you stand today as it comes to this forgiveness continuum, but let me assure you of this - none of us has "perfectly arrived" at this destination! There are ALWAYS going to be new opportunities to cross that bridge time and time again. As long as we are taking in breath, people will be annoying, inconsiderate, forgetful, hurtful, lacking empathy, etc. People will stand in need of forgiveness - plain and simple. Some will be part of our lives - others will merely cross our paths briefly. Regardless - all will need that infinite measure of grace and forgiveness from time to time.

I believe the hardest bridge to cross is not so much the bridge of forgiveness, but of forgetting - erasing from our memories the actions (or inactions) of another that made it necessary to cross the first bridge of forgiveness in the first place. There are times when we believe forgiving will also deal with the unpleasant memories that want to creep up from time to time, but this is rarely the case, for our memories are like steal traps that store away tons and tons of "useless" information! Yeah, those memories of being "wronged" are not always all that "useful" to us - in fact, they bring us more harm than good. We hold onto those "wrongs" in our memories a lot longer than we might imagine we do - for complete erasure of the wrong isn't fully accomplished until the bridge of forgiveness is joined with the bridge of reconciliation. 

Reconciliation is not always possible when someone is no longer in our lives, so it is important to "take action" when we can. We can make reconciliation in a number of different ways.  The Latin term from which we get our word "reconcile" actually means to "make good again, repair". In the most basic sense of the term, to reconcile means that we move heaven and earth to bring full restoration to what has been broken down by whatever tore us apart in the first place. Now, at first, most of us will say, "Yeah, but they need to meet us half-way." Yes, this is a common belief, but if you look at what scripture teaches, the one who realizes there is a "rift" created by some action should be the one beating a path to the other person's door. In fact, Jesus illustrated this by his very life on this earth, culminating in his death and resurrection. For that life brought reconciliation by making a pathway to us so we'd have a pathway to God's throne unhindered by our own sin!

The time to reconcile is now. The way to reconcile is through forgiveness - extending grace where it may be least sought and where it is greatly needed. The means to reconcile is the bridge of love - for God SO LOVED us that he gave and he gave and he gave and he keeps on giving. Maybe we don't know how to forget, but as we continue to love like God calls us to love, it will become less and less important to hold onto the things we once focused on as so important to remember. Just sayin!

Peace-maker or Peace-taker?

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. 

(James 3:17-18 NLT)

Are you a peace-maker, or a peace-taker? That may be a tough question to answer truthfully, but it can open the doors to some pretty significant growth in your life either way! To realize one is on the end of the spectrum where there is more strife stirred up when you are present than there is peace and agreement may come as a hard truth to swallow, but it can also create a sense of "urgency" in us to see that things change in us so we are no longer that way.

If you have ever been around someone who just shuts down the conversation and creativity of a group as soon as they begin to speak themselves, then you know how much this "peace-taking" practice affects everyone. It becomes common knowledge that it is that person's way or the highway - no one wants to go "up against" that person's opinion of the way something should be done simply because it drains them of a significant amount of precious energy to do so.

Peace-takers are more prevalent than we might first want to admit. The tendency of someone to continually challenge others, dominating the conversations with their ideas over those of the others, or to act as a resistor to everything that doesn't conform to one's own agenda is very disheartening to those who seek consensus in a group, or who want to try things a new way in order to improve something they each have to deal with in some manner. After a while, people stop interacting with the peace-takers simply because it is easier to "give in" than it is to challenge them.

What happens when the peace-takers outnumber or outweigh the opinions of the others in the group? The group is no longer challenged to perform at their best. There is a "shutting down" of the creativity which can frequently be capitalized upon when the group brainstorms an idea with all the energy that comes from "feeding off" of another's basic idea until you have developed something much more robust. In a home, one family member may domineer over others - making the home a very uncomfortable place when they are around. In a work environment, teams may become "stalled" or "lack momentum". In our communities, groups may align with the strategies of these domineering forces, while completely overlooking the needs and desires of those who lack their own "voice".

God's aim is for us to be peace-makers. This means we sometimes have to be challenged to consider the ideas of another over our own. It might also mean we have to confront the peace-takers we are dealing with in order to let them know we aren't going to tolerate that behavior in our group interactions any longer. While this may be uncomfortable for us, it is almost always the best means by which we can grow as a "team" in our homes, work or community environments. We have an obligation to bring peace wherever we are - it is what God's plan for us is as his kids. 

We are to be ministers of reconciliation - and that means we work toward peace. As difficult as this may be at times, the "peace" we are filled with as his kids will impact the "peace-takers" if we are continually planting and watering seeds of peace in every interaction we have with these individuals. Eventually they will either recognize they are wrong and work together to make things better within the group, or they will move on. Either way, those who continue to plant and water seeds of peace are doing exactly what God asks and that is a good place for us to be!  Just sayin!

Just call me "Ambassador"

It is central to our good news that God was in the Anointed making things right between Himself and the world. This means He does not hold their sins against them. But it also means He charges us to proclaim the message that heals and restores our broken relationships with God and each other. So we are now representatives of the Anointed One, the Liberating King; God has given us a charge to carry through our lives—urging all people on behalf of the Anointed to become reconciled to the Creator God. (2 Corinthians 5:19-20 VOICE)

Many of us watch the news each evening, or prior to going to bed, only to get discouraged by all the stuff we see and hear reported. Officers shot in the line of duty, car wrecks, mass shootings, downed planes, war efforts redoubled, natural disasters - the airwaves are full of these kinds of reports. Rarely do we receive the heartwarming reports of kids being kids, families reunited after years apart, or the like. Why? News isn't considered "news" most of the time unless it carries a negative report! Yet, the most important "news" to be shared is definitely not negative - in fact, it is shared in order to deal with the negative!

An ambassador is one who had been duly authorized to act on behalf of the official under which they were commissioned to perform the mission of the official. We are called ambassadors of Christ - commissioned to perform a specific mission he has designed for those he calls. We are called to urge others to be reconciled - not just in word only - but in every fiber of their being. This type of message is indeed "good news", for anything which brings and maintains the condition of being in right standing and reconciled to God and one another is definitely worth celebrating!

The good news also carries the important message of faith - our sins are no longer held against us because Jesus has dealt fully with them. When we invite him to be the one who governs our lives, we are coming under that authority or rule. When we come under the authority or rule of a particular official in our own community or country, we enjoy the benefits of that rule. The same is true in terms of our alignment with the authority of Christ in our lives. But...that alignment also means we are charged with a mission - to ensure that others hear the message of healing and restored relationship with God through Christ.

When a surgeon identifies there is a diseased or damaged part in the patient, what does he do? He seeks to remove it, right? After it is removed, the patient goes through a series of "restorative" periods. Some rest is necessary so the body will have the strength to heal. Good nutrition is essential to knit together the tissue and form a good bond at the site of the surgery. Consistent care of the surgical wound is critical in order to ward off anything which could contaminate, thereby slowing the process of healing's return. 

In much the same way, Christ sets out to not only remove what is damaged in our relationship with God, but he also ensures we can know his rest, so we have the strength to stand strong under his watchful care. He provides all that is need to nurture that restored condition and ensures that we come to a place of solid bond with him. In much the same way as a patient extols the skill of his surgeon, the child redeemed from their sin will shout the praises and share the good news of what Christ has done to bring about restoration within them! Being an ambassador of the message of hope which is found in Christ is not that hard - it just means we share our story of restoration and invite others to see theirs written as well! Just sayin!

A strangle-hold

Somewhere in time, the expression "end of my rope" came into use.  In a general sense, it means someone can't take anymore.  The origin of the saying might just shed a little bit of a different light on it, though.  It comes from the practice of hanging a condemned man.  The noose is placed around the neck, cinched a little to make sure it is snug, and then he falls through a trap door underneath his feet.  As he drops, he comes to an "abrupt end" to the rope!  In essence, he is jerked short - he doesn't have any more "give" in the rope to allow him to stand against the growing pressure of the rope around his neck.  Now, this indeed paints a picture of something not quite as casual as being at the point of just throwing up one's arms and walking away - it suggests the "pull" that makes one feel like they have run hard, but come up short of realizing the hoped for end.  There is just nowhere to go when you are at the end of the rope - you are left "hanging".  Sound familiar?  I think we all find ourselves at this point on occasion, but what we do when we "come up short" makes all the difference between the rope having a "strangle hold" and it being the point of realizing we need someone to set us free!

When someone gets to the end of his rope, I feel the desperation in my bones. When someone is duped into sin, an angry fire burns in my gut.  (2 Corinthians 11:29 MSG)

There is indeed a certain sense of desperation when someone comes to the place of being at the end of one's rope - the strangle hold is somewhat of a threat, is it not?  Desperation carries a hint of recklessness in its definition - for despair leads you to doing all kinds of things you wouldn't otherwise do. Desperate people need immediate intervention.  There isn't a whole lot of time to piddle around with this or that - the answer needs to come "NOW". If you have been around someone desperate - at the end of their rope - you know what I am describing here.  Their every movement is designed to "break free" from the strangle hold of what has brought them to this moment in time. To continue in their present state is just not acceptable - they need a way out and they need it now.  Conditions have become so intolerable, they just cannot go on as they are - something has to change.

I wonder if we are the kind of individuals who can experience the desperation of someone else's rope?  This is really what I think our writer was referring to in this passage - for it was not his rope he was speaking of, but that of another.  It causes HIM to feel the desperation in HIS bones - so identifying with the pain of another that it causes HIM to take action on behalf of the other person!  This is what Jesus wants of us - to care for those whose life has come to the point of a "strangle hold" - where there is no more "give" in the rope.  It is more than a passing awareness of their need, but a "co-mingling" of what you have at your disposal with what their present circumstances require.  Some need only some words of advice in order to see they have become bound by the rope and then they turn around, take a few steps back to give them the ability to slip away from that which binds them! Others need someone to help them break free of the rope because they don't even possess the ability to get loose even if they had some "slack".

To this, our writer adds this idea of being duped.  There are a whole lot of people who find themselves at the end of their rope simply because they have become deceived by something which appeared to be one way, but turned out to be something quite different than expected.  Either a lack of up-front questioning of intentions, or the unwitting carelessness of accepting something at face value has led them down a path they really wish they hadn't ever explored.  Now they stand at the end of the road, feeling totally duped and experiencing the shame of their sin.  Truth be told, I can honestly say, "Been there, done that" - even got the shirt and wore it out!  It doesn't take much to buy into some of the lies which lead us astray - a moment of weakness, a season of frustration, or even an ill-placed hope - all can open doors we would not have opened if we'd have known the end from the beginning.

Does the unwitting deception another has bought into cause a fire to burn in your gut?  It should!  That is YOUR brother or sister who has fallen, not just someone you have no connection to!  Those who have been brought into the family of God are ALL our brothers and sisters - therefore, their fall is something which should affect us deeply.  In essence, our writer is saying we should be so connected to each other that we are affected deeply whenever there is one who has fallen prey to sin's luring deception.  We should be affected enough to take action.  I don't know about you, but when there is a fire burning in my gut, I don't just sit by and take it silently!  I get us and try to do something about it! 

We all have potential to do a little "rope hanging" on occasion - what we do when another is at the end of their rope may just determine what happens to us when we are at the end of ours!  Just sayin!