Wednesday Afternoon Ramblings

Well, I was almost suckered in. I was starting to have that niggling thought in the back of my mind that I need to 'seek God more'. You know, that guilty feeling that goes something like: "I should be DOING more! God feels so far away! I should be a good little Christling and spend more time reading the Bible and worshipping, so I can feel His presence!" Stop it. That is a lie from the pit.

The thought that you are distant from God is an illusion. The enemy would like nothing more than to get you chasing your spiritual tail, trying to achieve something you already possess. Seriously. He's devious like that. And unfortunately, it's not been too difficult to get most of us on that hamster wheel. 

The glorious truth is that Jesus will never leave you or forsake you. Ever. He is just as present in your life now as when you fell down at that conference and felt tingles and goosebumps and cried out in your spirit: "This is it! The presence of God is here!!" Yup, the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is sitting there reading this blog with you right now. RIGHT NOW. Very present. Very real. Very tangible. 

"But Erin, I don't feel it." Doesn't mean it isn't true. The truth is that you can access this fact by faith. We walk by faith and not by sight. We know that scripture says you are seated IN CHRIST. He said He will never leave you. You are a citizen of heaven. Here. Now. 

Once we climb onto that hamster wheel of trying to earn God's presence through prayer or worship or devotions or good deeds or ANYTHING, we have given up grace for the law. Am I anti-prayer, worship, devotions, good deeds, etc.? Of course not! I am opposed to religious works, and that is what all those 'good' things become as soon as you are operating out of duty instead of desire. And don't be decieved: the desperation you feel to be closer to God can come from the enemy. Any time there is the seed of insecurity or neediness in your thinking, it is not from God. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, etc.

You are a house of prayer, worship, devotion, good works. That's who you are now, not something you have to do. You are the 24/7 temple of God, and He loves dwelling there! Be aware that you are constantly in Him and with Him, and watch how it revolutionizes your walk. No more seeking. No more striving. Just resting in His love. Then your prayer, worship, devotion, etc. flows from that place- any time, any place. Amen. Now that's good news.

Is the Gospel You Are Preaching Good News?

We, as humans- especially believers, it seems- want to see justice. We want to see people get what’s coming to them. I believe that is the very reason that Christians today preach the gospel they preach. Let me tell you, more than half the time, the gospel I hear preached is NOT good news. It is based out of that very desire I mentioned. It is based out of liking that we’re on the in, and the ‘others’, the sinners are on the outside of God’s love. This is not the gospel that Jesus preached, or commanded His followers to preach.

In Luke 4, we see the story of when Jesus went to Nazareth and declared His mission to His ‘home church’. He stood up and read from Isaiah 61. Here’s what He said: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then He rolled up the scroll and stepped down. Seems pretty straight forward. I know as a believer you have probably read this passage many times and felt very encouraged by it. You may go to Isaiah and read it there, and feel even more encouraged. But there’s a problem with that. We get all excited about Isaiah, and we include the line of verse 2: ‘and the day of the vengeance of our God...’ It makes us feel righteous and like we are on the ‘right’ side. ‘See! The day of vengeance is coming, and I’m gonna be okay because I know Jesus!’ The problem is that Jesus didn’t include it in his declaration. He stopped at the year of the Lord’s favor. Why?

First of all, let’s remind ourselves that Jesus only spoke what He heard the Father saying- so the Father didn’t say it was part of Jesus’ mission. Did you know that in the Old Testament, the ‘day of the Lord’ is called ‘great and terrible’ or in other translations ‘great and dreadful’? In the New Testament, in the book of Acts, Peter calls it the ‘great and GLORIOUS day of the Lord’! Hm. What changed?

The covenant changed. Our mandate as believers has changed. When we go out proclaiming the good news, it should be that we are in the time of God’s FAVOR- we should be binding up the brokenhearted, freeing the captives, and comforting those who mourn, but we should not be telling people that there is a day of judgment to be feared, because Jesus didn’t. His message is LOVE, MERCY, and GRACE. Under the old covenant, it was a dreadful day that was coming, because who could overcome sin by the law? Who could stand in God’s presence on that day while a slave to Sin? Jesus came and set us free from Sin, so now the day is great and glorious! Something to look forward to! 

And being free from sin is only part of the good news, not the whole deal. We focus way to much on trying to convince ‘sinners’ that they sin, so that we can save them from hell. Better news is what Jesus went around preaching: the Kingdom of God is at hand! Or another way to say it, the Kingdom of God has come to earth! It is now among us, full of power and peace, just waiting for us to tap into it by His Spirit! If your message is not full of love, and hope, and peace, and mercy, and grace... is it really good news? And you may feel like pointing out people’s sin is good news, but remember the opening paragraph of this blog. Is it because it makes you feel better about yourself to know you are in, and they are out? Don’t get offended. I’m just wondering what our motives are when we preach a gospel full of judgment and vengeance.

A couple of final thoughts. The New Testament is full of Love. We are commanded to love. The law is summed up into two commandments: Love God, love people. (Mark 12:30-31) Paul said that he could be the greatest prophet, most charismatic believer- the one who would be manifesting and falling down under the power of God- but if he didn’t have love it was useless and fruitless. (see 1 Corinthians 13) The gospel you preach may be as true as it can be, but if you are preaching it out of a motivation other than love, please stop. People can tell when you are not motivated by love. I suggest you read through the New Testament starting at Acts, and read the gospel that was preached. It was rarely about pointing out people’s sins, but all about Jesus and how awesome He is!

A few years ago, I noticed that there was a strong mindset in the church of ‘us vs. them’. The saved vs. the lost; the believers vs. the unbelievers; the righteous vs. the sinner. It really bothered me. I don’t believe it is healthy, and I don’t believe it is how God views the world. So I asked Him how he sees ‘us and them’. He said: “Mine.” Our message to people first and foremost should be that God loves them with an everlasting love. He is for them, not against them. He is waiting with open arms to bind their broken heart, release them from the things that hold them captive, and to comfort them in their grief. This is not a ‘rose-colored glasses gospel’ that many Christians have attacked as causing believers to become disillusioned once times get tough in their walk. Jesus said we will face many trials, but to take heart, because He has overcome them all. It is truly  good news that God’s love is unconditional and for everyone. It is helping people wake up to the fact that they belong to Jesus and He is truly their friend. I hope this is coming across the way it burns in my heart, because the really effective gospel will be the one that represents the Way, the Truth, and the Life. None can come to the Father except through Jesus, but this is not an ‘us vs. them’, ‘in or out’ statement. It’s that we all need the Kingdom to bust into our lives, and He has made that possible through Christ.

We Live Under A New Covenant

It's important to remember as you read your Bible that what is written in the Old Testament was written under the OLD covenant. A lot of what Jesus taught before He went to the cross was also under the old covenant. In fact, most of what He taught before the cross was to make the law blaringly clear and to remind everyone just how unattainable perfection under the old covenant truly was. That's why he said things like cut off your hand or gouge out your eye if it offends (sins). That's why he said if you commit a sin in your thoughts, it's as though you've followed the thought through to completion- you have already sinned. The problem is that these things get taught as New covenant from pulpits in modern day churches. Of course no preacher will tell you (I hope) to cut your hand off or gouge out your eye, but they say it is metaphorical- that Jesus is telling us to continually war against our sinful selves. Jesus was a jew under the law when He came 2000 years ago. It was the cross that changed things. I'm not saying to throw out the teachings of Jesus in the gospels, but I am hoping to remind you that He was speaking to Jews who were under the law. 

We now live under a NEW covenant- a covenant of Grace. The apostle Paul teaches in his letters about GRACE. If you want to learn about the New Covenant, you should look to the teachings of Paul. Some people will get really uncomfortable with this and argue that the words of Jesus are more important in the New Testament. (Isn't that why they're in red?) But I would argue: aren't the words of Paul also the teachings of Jesus? Paul was chosen by Jesus and called on the road to Damascus to be Jesus' ambassador of the new covenant. So, couldn't you argue that the teachings of Paul are the teachings of Jesus? If you read the letters of Paul and hear his words in the book of Acts, you hear a message of Grace, and how awesome the new covenant really is. Don't confuse yourself on the grace issue by trying to apply Christ's pre-cross teachings to Paul's post-cross revelations. Galatians 2:20 tells us that we have been crucified with Christ. We were nailed to the cross along with Christ. Jesus was defeating sin on the cross, so being co-crucified means we are set free from sin. We are now free from the old covenant- the law. Period. There is nothing more we need to do to be free from our 'sinful nature' than to realize that we are already free in Christ, and that we are new creations in Him. New creations with the nature of Christ- set apart, redeemed, made the righteousness of God! Now that's good news!! It should be the end of striving to be better- no more metaphorical mutilations in the name of setting ourselves free from sin. If we were able to do it ourselves, there would have been no need for Christ's sacrifice. It is so wonderfully freeing to realize that the only thing required of me is to sink back into the glorious revelation that Jesus has done it all for me, and when he cried out on the cross "It is finished!", that He really meant it.

But I am getting away from what I really wanted to talk about in this post. The Old Testament. I feel a frustration sometimes over this issue. Some Christians read the OT- especially the prophets- with the paradigm that these words are for us. They pray the promises in the Prophets as though they are promises to us. It turns into sort of a mournful begging- imploring God to fulfill what He spoke through OT prophets 'for us.' I have really good news for you: unless the prophesies are about the return of Christ, they have been fulfilled! You are living in the glorious fullness of what the prophets cried out for! No more begging God to 'rend the heavens and come down' (Isaiah 64), because He's already done  it! Don't you think Jesus was the fulfillment of God coming down? (Unless, like I said, it will be fulfilled in His triumphant return) Don't pray for 'more of Jesus', because you're asking for something He can't do. He already gave you all of Himself and filled you with His Spirit. If you believe you have received Holy Spirit, how can you ask for 'more of Him'? You are full. You are in Christ (Ephesians 2:6), so how can you get closer? You can be more aware of His presence, but asking for more of Him is silly! The fullness of the gospel should be the end of striving for you. Just enjoy the finished work of the cross! It's the end of striving, the end of the law. Now your 'good works' become an overflow of joy in your union with Him, not an obligation to 'keep your salvation' or to make you more righteous. That's the mentality of the law- the thought that something you do makes you more acceptable to God. He takes you as you are- warts and all. You are His, and He's madly in love with you- just the way you are. And don't forget, Jesus said the scriptures (the Old Testament) all point to Him. Make sure that when you read the Old Testament, you are looking through the lens of Grace, not Law. It makes a huge difference, and you will begin to see fulfillment and the Love of God so much more abundantly! Instead of being a bunch of do's and don'ts, you will see the love story woven through the entire Bible. The gospel really is about Love. "For God so LOVED the world..." John 3:16. Just some random thoughts on this beautiful day. You don't have to agree with me, but give it some thought. Or to use an OT term: 

Selah. :o)

Just Be Yourself!

It’s been too long since I posted anything on here, so I thought I might post a summary of what I shared Sunday morning at Becoming Shiloh this year. (For those of you who don’t know me, Becoming Shiloh is a music festival I help organize every summer in the North Thompson Valley. www.becomingshiloh.com)

Identity:

The serpent was clever, more clever than any wild animal God had made. He spoke to the Woman: "Do I understand that God told you not to eat from any tree in the garden?"

The Woman said to the serpent, "Not at all. We can eat from the trees in the garden. It's only about the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, 'Don't eat from it; don't even touch it or you'll die.'"

The serpent told the Woman, "You won't die. God knows that the moment you eat from that tree, you'll see what's really going on. You'll be just like God, knowing everything, ranging all the way from good to evil."

When the Woman saw that the tree looked like good eating and realized what she would get out of it—she'd know everything!—she took and ate the fruit and then gave some to her husband, and he ate. -Genesis 3:1-6, The Message

The original attack in the garden was about identity- Eve’s identity and God’s identity. First: God’s- “Did God really say?” In other words, “Isn’t God a liar?” The enemy attacked God’s identity, and convinced Eve that God might not really be good, and might not be looking out for her best interests.

Second: Eve’s- “You’ll be just like God...” The enemy was attacking Eve’s identity by causing her to doubt what God had said about her. Eve is created in God’s image, and here the clever serpent convinces her that she’s not like God yet, but she could be if she ate the fruit.

It’s one of the main attacks the enemy brought against Jesus when he spent forty days in the wilderness. The attack was “If you are the Son of God.” Jesus had just been baptized and God had spoken: “This is my Son in whom I’m well pleased.” 

Don’t try to prove your identity. What if Jesus had given in? Trying to prove your identity causes you to act outside of your identity. God wants you to be you.

Every person on the face of the planet ever in history has been completely unique. You are the only one who can fulfill the destiny God has planned for you. Don’t compare yourself to others, even if they have similar gifts. Don’t try to be like them.

When God finished creating each thing, He said “It is good.”

God created you exactly how He wanted you- and you are GOOD.

This example works better in person, but I am about 5’5”, I have dark brown hair and brown eyes. I speak English. If I were standing in front of you, talking to you right now, would I have to prove this? Wouldn’t it be plainly obvious? You would just have to look at me and hear me speak to know that these things about me are true. We spend far too much time as Christians trying to ‘prove’ who we are. I believe it is an attack that the enemy still brings against us- asking us to prove ourselves- and it wastes valuable time and energy on something silly and unnecessary. Just be you, no matter what that looks like, or if it looks different from everyone else. God created you to be you.

Let your gifts flow naturally, even if it looks different from everyone else. 

People burn out and break down trying to fit into moulds.

And as a church, we try to make everything neat and tidy- we shy away from different ways of using gifts, and we try to make them fit our formula for ministry.

Be who you are. Don’t let other people dictate how you walk out your journey with the Lord.

Well, I think that’s enough to chew on for today, I’ll post the rest in the next couple of days. This is only about half of the message I shared at Shiloh. :o) Hope you enjoyed it.

A Message to My Fellow Forerunners

forerunner |ˈfôrˌrənər|

noun

a person or thing that precedes the coming or development of someone or something else : the icebox was a forerunner of today's refrigerator.

• a sign or warning of something to come : overcast mornings are the sure forerunners of steady rain.

• archaic an advance messenger.

Over the last ten years, many times I have received prophetic words from people about how I am a 'forerunner'. I was always excited, like: 'Woohoo!! Taking new ground!! Yay!!" Well, the reality has felt quite different. I have felt misunderstood, alone, abused, and confused many times. This year, I feel like I have entered into a new season as a forerunner, where I am focused forward, and not distracted by what is behind or even around me. I wanted to post this blog, to encourage all my fellow forerunners out there.

Here's some things I would like to remind you of, my fellow Christling:

1. Forerunners are often alone.

Don't be surprised by this, forerunners go out before- exactly as the name suggests. You may go into totally uncharted territory in the Kingdom that excites you, but terrifies others. This means you will have to explore on your own. (Unless you find another forerunner who has gone there or will go there with you.)

2. Don't be surprised if no one understands your message.

At first, when you start to talk about the things you have been discovering, many people will look at you as though you've grown a third eye or something. You might feel like a freak. This can be challenging if you are still struggling with needing acceptance and approval from fellow Christians. I encourage you to press on in what you know in your heart is truth. Remember, if you are a forerunner, then there aren't a lot of people with the same message in the world. If you look, you will find some, and as time goes on, others will start to follow you into the new territory you are exploring.

3. When you feel alone, God has not left you.

This is one of the hardest ones I have faced in my journey. It's easy to say "Who gives a rip what anyone says about this, I KNOW God is in it.", but what do you do when it suddenly feels like God isn't there? Logically we know He will never leave us, but what do we do when it feels like He's silent? All I can do is trust what He said. When I went through this last year- the darkest year of my Christian walk- all I could do was believe that He's still good, and that He doesn't lie. (Believe me, I went through a period of time where I couldn't even do that.) It's okay if you can't. Tell Him. He can handle it, and it might make you feel better. One thing I did, was e-mail myself letters of truth- encouragement and faith building scriptures. Keep reminding yourself that God has not left you, nor forsaken you. I love Psalm 77.

Psalm 77

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm.

1 

I cried out to God for help;
    I cried out to God to hear me.

2 

When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;
    at night I stretched out untiring hands,
    and I would not be comforted.

3 

I remembered you, God, and I groaned;
    I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.

4 

You kept my eyes from closing;
    I was too troubled to speak. 

5 

I thought about the former days,
    the years of long ago;

6 

I remembered my songs in the night.
    My heart meditated and my spirit asked:

7 

“Will the Lord reject forever?
    Will he never show his favor again?

8 

Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
    Has his promise failed for all time?

9 

Has God forgotten to be merciful?
    Has he in anger withheld his compassion? ”

10 

Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:
    the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand. 

11 

I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
    yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.

12 

I will consider all your works
    and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”

13 

Your ways, God, are holy.
    What god is as great as our God? 

14 

You are the God who performs miracles;
    you display your power among the peoples.

15 

With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,
    the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.

16 

The waters saw you, God,
    the waters saw you and writhed;
    the very depths were convulsed.

17 

The clouds poured down water,
    the heavens resounded with thunder;
    your arrows flashed back and forth.

18 

Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,
    your lightning lit up the world;
    the earth trembled and quaked. 

19 

Your path led through the sea,
    your way through the mighty waters,
    though your footprints were not seen.

20 

You led your people like a flock
    by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

I especially love verses seven through nine. After whining about how tough his life is, the writer finally seems to say, "Hey, snap out of it! Has God failed you??" Of course not, but sometimes we need to remind ourselves.

4. God has equipped you with everything you need to be the victor.

Sometimes when God launches you out, it feels like He's giving you a test He never told you to study for! Don't worry, God is fully able to accomplish what He wills through you. You don't have to drum up your own strength or wisdom or even faith. Just lean back into His arms and trust Him. You will get to watch how He works things out for you! I have seen this so many times! Where my impatience has caused a huge mess, but when I have remained patient, (even when He doesn't seem to answer and give direction), I have watched events miraculously unfold without any striving on my part.

5. Surround yourself with people who support you.

These people don't have to be journeying into the same territory you are, in fact they may not know you are a forerunner, but we all have people in our lives who love us and encourage us no matter what. We need those people. Rely on God first- He is the one who knows where you are going and how He's going to get you there, but we definitely need people to stand behind us and cheer us on. Watch out for people who seem to be supportive, but continually try to reign you in. Now remember, I'm speaking specifically to forerunners, not trying to incite rebellion!! Sometimes people close to us try to reign us in for good reason! I'm talking about when people quench what is burning in you because it is outside of their paradigm and makes them uncomfortable. 

Anyway, just a few thoughts. I'm sure I could write a book on this subject, but I just wanted to encourage you in these things today. Remember, God is Faithful and True. And a lot of fun! If you find yourself getting too serious or going to the dark place because you feel alone in the new territory, take a step back and do something fun!  Hang out with Jesus on the couch and watch a sitcom. He doesn't want your position as a forerunner to be a burden on you, He wants you to delight in the things He is revealing by His Spirit! Don't worry if you ever feel stuck, He'll show you the way out.

Feel free to post your thoughts and encouragements for fellow forerunners in the comments section. :o)

Remember, God knows where we're going. He'll show us the way!

The Triune Godhead- Blessed Trinity

God is not schizophrenic. 

Thought that might grab your attention! Hopefully all of you, my faithful readers, (all five of you... hee hee), agree with that statement. What you may not realize, is that somewhere along the way in your 'Christian walk', you have been taught exactly that. Not intentionally, I would hope, but well meaning believers teach us all kinds of crap (no offense) that is exactly opposite of what is true. They teach it logically and subtly, so that we don't even realize that our belief system is being penetrated by what is false. In fact they teach it, because somewhere along the line, someone else taught it to them.

The problem comes in when we ponder the trinity. God the Father, God the son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit. Logically we understand that they are all one. They are three-in-one. One God, three Persons. Okay, don't ponder too hard right now, or I might lose some of you. (And there aren't enough of you to lose!!) Like I said, we understand it- logically. But the problem is this: what we really believe about the Trinity comes out when we think about the individual persons.

Jesus. I LOVE Jesus. I have always loved Jesus. Jesus is my favorite! He is so kind, and generous, and loving, and merciful! I love to think about about Jesus, and spend time with Jesus, and tell people about Jesus and how much He loves them. Jesus is Lord!! What would Jesus do? Jesus is my homeboy! Jesus saves! Jesus forgives! Jesus loves you!

(HA HAAAA!!!! That paragraph was very fun to write. Seriously.)

Most Christians would automatically agree. The rest might not be Christians. (Jus' sayin'! ) Okay, so now let's think about the Father...

...

...

Hey, I wasn't writing a crazy stereotype paragraph about the Father! Are you crazy?? He might strike me down!

Well, some of you think that way. He's a father, but the really strict kind of father who will beat you with a stick if you step out of line. The 'one chance' God- you fall once, you're outta here! The kind of father who hates sinners. The kind of father who would abandon his son at the hour of his execution. The kind of father who would choose some to spend eternity with him, but not others. The kind of father who will send you to burn in hell- for eternity.

Ouch. It makes me really sad to think that people see my Father that way. Because it is a lie. All of it.

Let me tell you some things that Jesus said.

John 10:30- "The Father and I are one."

John 14:9-11- "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father... The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me..."

There's tons more, but those two verses get my point across. What is the point? The point is that Jesus and the Father are one. All the things you love about Jesus- his kindness, his mercy, his generosity, etc.- are things you can and should love about the Father. Like I said, God is not schizophrenic. He's not 'loving' when he's Jesus, yet 'vengeful' or 'angry' when he's the Father. They are ONE. Some scriptures show us that Jesus has a sense of humor. (That may shock some of you to hear. Read the book. It's in there.) That means the Father has a sense of humor. And Holy Spirit has a sense of humor. Shocking revelations, I know. Oh, Holy Spirit. Some of you are so afraid of grieving him, that you're afraid to engage with him! Guess what... if you could hang out with Jesus at a wedding in Cana, drinking the 'water turned into wine' with him, what makes you think Holy Spirit doesn't like to have fun? Or maybe you think that Jesus would have been better behaved if the Father had attended that wedding? He turned water into wine- for people who were already drunk. You may think I'm going too far, but the truth is, I'm trying to shock some sense into you! 

When Jesus healed the sick, so did the Father.

When Jesus hung out with tax collectors and sinners, so did the Father.

When Jesus sat and had a chat with the Samaritan-divorced-living-with-a-man-outside-of-marriage-reject-of-society-woman, so was the Father.

When Jesus was moved with compassion at the funeral of Lazarus and wept, so did the Father.

When Jesus told the disciples to drop the net on the other side of the boat, and they hauled in an enormous catch, the Father was right there cheering them on.

When Jesus said on the cross, "It is finished", so did the Father.

I could go on and on and on. Jesus is so awesome! And so is the Father! 

So, when you feel overwhelmed in your heart when you think about what Jesus sacrificed for you when he died on the cross, remember: the Father did those things, too.

Jesus is not standing in front of the throne begging the Father not to destroy us. The Father is consumed with love for us! All his thoughts about you are for your welfare and how he can prosper you. I think it's a happy time in the throne room. 

One more scripture... (Don't worry, it's a good one!)

John 17:20-24 (Jesus praying)- 'I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be one in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world."

Part of this prayer that gets overlooked, is how Jesus says plainly that the Father loves us the way he loves Jesus. How much do you think the Father loves Jesus? Think about that. How much do you think God the Father (who is love) loves his only begotten Son- who never sinned, and always obeyed the Father. Do you think he loves Jesus a lot? Well guess what... Jesus said that the Father loves you that much. And because they are one, it was the Father also declaring it to you. It was the Father saying, "I love you as I love Jesus!"  Another verse in this passage gives us a glimpse into how the Father loves us. If he loves us the same as he loves Jesus, then according to verse 24, he has loved us since the foundation of the world.

If Jesus is a man of Joy, don't you think the Father is happy? If Jesus is merciful, don't you think the Father is merciful? You get the point. (I hope.) In some ways, we have to stop comparing God and His Kingdom to earthly parallels. They can never truly compare to God, and they might lead us to some negative conclusions about God that simply aren't true. An earthly parallel will only work to a certain point. The best way to learn about God, is from him. He's better than you think!

Justice- Jesus Style!

Man's justice is all about retribution.

retribution |ˌretrəˈbyoō sh ən|: noun: punishment that is considered to be morally right and fully deserved 

If a crime has been committed, according to man's justice, a price must be paid. The common view of justice fulfilled on the cross, is that Jesus bore the penalty of sin, so that we could be free. At least, that's what I was taught. So to me, this seemed like the logical way to look at it- noble even- and making Jesus' sacrifice about bearing God's wrath that was toward us. But hang on- what if God's justice isn't retribution... 

What if God's justice is about restoration?

restoration |ˌrestəˈrā sh ən|: noun: 1 the action of returning something to a former owner, place, or condition

2 the return of a hereditary monarch to a throne, a head of state to government, or a regime to power.

Is God's justice about 'an eye for an eye', or restoring things to their former glory?

In man's version- retribution- there must be payback for wrongs committed. The victim(s) and/or their families must be compensated, or justice hasn't been served. The problem is, the crime that caused there to be a victim has still been committed, even if 'justice' has been served. Ask the victim(s) or their families if they would rather have the criminal pay for his crimes, or things restored to the way they were- as if the crime had never happened. Which would you choose?

I believe that God would choose to restore everyone involved to wholeness, forgiveness, and peace. I'm not saying we should overlook the crime and compromise what is right. I am saying that God is in the business of making all things new, and even better, that He is ABLE to make all things new!

Remember the version of justice on the cross I was taught? We love to tell each other this, because it seems like such an amazing act of justice- that God's son would take the penalty that was destined for us. That He would willingly take our place. The problem with this view is that Jesus' justice is not satisfied. Who pays the penalty for an innocent man being killed? 

So, maybe the cross wasn't about retribution. Maybe it was about restoration.

Does God tell us what His version of justice is? Let's look, shall we?

Isaiah 1:17: (God speaking) "Learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow."

Zechariah 7:9-10: Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.

(Sound like retribution or restoration??)

Matthew 5:38-42: (Jesus speaking) "You have heard it said. 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.

(And my FAVORITE)

Isaiah 30:18: Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you;

therefore he will rise up to show mercy to you.

For the Lord is a God of justice;

blessed are all those who wait for him.

Wow! I love that. It says that He is a God of justice, and in the two previous verses He has described what that justice looks like: being gracious to us, showing mercy to us! Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Sound like retribution to you? To me it sounds 100% like restoration.

The justice of God was satisfied on the cross because of God being gracious to us and showing us mercy. What good news!

The other thing I wanted to touch on, (and I think they go together like wine and more wine), (sorry, starting to enjoy God's presence through the blogging process!! hee hee!!), Is that LOVE is not just one of God's attributes. He's not merely 'loving'- God IS love.

If He is love, He can never be something contrary to that. If 'love' is merely one of His attributes, or an aspect of personality, (like moody), then He can be loving (or moody) depending on the day and what we have done. We could do something that would make Him not feel very loving toward us. But if God IS love, He will never treat us in a way that is not loving. He can't. All of His actions, thoughts, plans, etc. toward humanity throughout history have been based out of who He is- love. It may not seem like it on the surface of a Bible story, but if you look for the love in it, it's not usually buried too deep. He delights to reveal how loving He is and has been, and will always continue to be. Isn't THAT good news?!

 Time for a paradigm shift, people! God is not mad at us! He isn't loving us unless we step out of line. He is just loving us! No matter what!

Jesus came to restore all things to their former glory. I have something to tell you that may surprise you. You were not condemned to death because you sinned. Jesus was not bearing your punishment for sinning. He was conquering 'sin', and setting you free! When God looked at you before the cross, He saw you! He also saw that you were a slave to sin, and that because of this, you could only receive death- because that's what sin does. He wanted to set you free from sin, and bring you into His Kingdom of LIFE. That's what Jesus did on the cross. He conquered death and sin, and made you free. YOU. He sees you when He looks at you- not sin. They are two separate things. You are good. That's what He said when He created you, and it's still true! Hallelujah!

When we agree with Heaven- that Jesus gave us salvation from sin on the cross, we can begin to walk in the wholeness- the restoration- the justice of what that means. He overcame death so that we could live! He loves you so much! You were on His mind at creation, through all of history, as He was dying on the cross-because He was longing to be gracious to you and show mercy to you. You know- justice, God style.