God is a God of community. This is a deep mystery and I have never met one person who really understands it, but God, the One and only exists in Three Persons. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are God. They are not three parts of God and they are not three gods. They are God, the One and only. Now, I can’t explain that, but it is true and it leads us to understand some excessively cool things about God. For instance, God has, and always has had community and relationship because He is Three in One. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit have been loving each other for eternity before there was ever a sky or sea. They’ve always known what relationship and community are and they’ve always had each other. So why would Jesus say that He was laying down His life in order to prevent being alone? If He had decided not to die and pay for sins, He wouldn’t have had any of us, but the Father Son and Holy Spirit would have had each other, so He wouldn’t really have been alone, right? I love Jesus because heaven without you and me would have felt like being alone to Him. That’s how much He loves us.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
21. He Loves Your Love For Him
Every week my friend Tom and I go to the Anderson County jail to lead a Bible Study for some of the fellas in Unit 2. Every week we plead with guys out on the block to come join us as we sing, pray and try to figure out what it looks like to live a life with God in it. Lots of guys come, but there are also lots of guys who don’t. Sometimes the ones who come are ridiculed for being a part of Bible Study. Their ‘cellies’ think they are stupid or weak. In other words, they have to take a stand, and pay a price for loving Jesus. One time a woman anointed Jesus with some very expensive perfume as a way to show Him that she loved Him. Everyone who was there made fun of her and even Jesus’ disciples chewed her out for being wasteful. But Jesus didn’t. He defended her and said she had done a “beautiful thing” for Him. I love Jesus because He loves it when people love Him back. When it costs you to love Jesus, He knows. When you suffer for loving Him, He sees it and He likes what He sees.
Monday, October 18, 2010
20. He Cares About Sheep
My friend Tom used to have sheep. Now, you may have always thought sheep are cute and cuddly and sweet, but if so, you were wrong. Sheep are the worst. Tom’s sheep were loud, stinky, gross, stupid, stubborn and really mean. Their eyes are on the sides of their heads and their eyelids are always half-closed so that they look like they’re stoned all the time. They’re not fast, or strong. They can’t protect themselves. If there is one redeeming thing about them, it’s beyond me. Thing is, out of all of the animals in the world, Jesus compared us with sheep. And He’s right! We can be hopelessly headstrong and completely wrong about everything! We are self-obsessed rebels who are too often drunk on our own stupid opinions. We are colossal train wrecks and out of our minds half the time, and yet, Jesus loves us! I love Jesus because He is the Good Shepherd. He not only cares about, but longs for us. He not only puts up with us, He treasures us as His very own! He not only protects us, He laid down His life for us. If I have to be a sheep, at least I know I have a Shepherd like Him.
Monday, October 4, 2010
19. He Changed My Mind
What if a highly trained, angry mob of soldiers went on a mission to arrest a homeless, defenseless peasant who was just standing in the middle of the street and yet they came back empty-handed? What would you think? Surely it isn’t possible, right? Yet this scenario actually happened. Some religious leaders decided they wanted Jesus in their custody, so they sent temple guards to get Him, but they came back without Him. What happened? Did He slip away from their grasp? Did He fight them off? Did He pay them off? No. He just spoke. He simply talked and in so doing, changed their minds. I love Jesus because as those bewildered soldiers said, “No one ever spoke the way this man does.” I used to think that I have a right to all of my time. I used to think that the only reason people would disagree with me would be if they had not properly listened to my side of the issue. I used to think a whole host of things that I’ve changed my mind about. Why? Because Jesus spoke to me through His word and changed me. I’ve never been the same since.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
18. He Gives As Much As You Want
It happens every day. Something winds up being so much less satisfying than it promised to be. Whether it's 'the number one movie in America' or 'the best pizza in town,’ it’s easy to stop expecting very much from life. I mean, even when you think you’ve got it all, it’s not enough, is it? A couple of weeks ago I engineered the perfect day. I was lounging on the couch in the air conditioning watching college football surrounded by friends and way too many calories. It was a blast! And yet, it wasn’t enough. Nothing I do or buy or taste or try is ever enough to completely satisfy the deepest itch way down inside, except Him. I love Jesus because He actually can satisfy the human heart. In John chapter 6, when thousands of people sat hungry on a hillside with no money or food, Jesus miraculously multiplied a sack lunch and fed everyone there. John says they all ate as much as they wanted and then there were a dozen baskets full of leftovers! It was a picture of what He can do in the heart, and when you come to Him, He gives as much as you could ever want.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
17. He Took Death Lightly
Is there anything more tragic than the death of a child? My now seven-year-old niece Abby was in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for six months after she was born, and I can still remember visiting her in the hospital and having to steel my emotions against the onslaught of desperation and pain that so many mothers, fathers and nurses experienced every day over the sickness and too often death of precious little ones. One time Jesus followed the desperate dad of a sick little girl down crowded city streets only to find out that she had died before they arrived at the house. Jairus’ heart cracked, but Jesus didn’t flinch. He went into the house and actually asked everyone there why they were all wailing and crying. Now, this is a strange scene. I mean, did Jesus honestly not understand their tears? Was He that cold? No, it wasn’t lack of concern we see here, it was the thrill of victory. I love Jesus because He defeated death. He knew that because of His death and resurrection, He was going to unravel the pain and tragedy of dying and then triumph over all that sadness with unstoppable joy for anyone who trusts in Him.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
16. He Doesn't Make Me Impress Him
Have you ever met someone famous? If so, do you remember that almost unstoppable urge to do something or say something impressive to get them to like you? We think that if we are talking to someone important, we need to seem important too so that they’ll accept us or think we’re cool. Thing is, if we feel this way about people, how much more so for God Himself? If there’s anyone I need to impress, it would have to be Jesus, right? One woman thought so. She sought Jesus out because she had a problem she couldn’t solve and she thought that if she impressed Him enough, He’d do what she needed, so she called Him by His Kingly title, His Israeli birthright, “Lord, Son of David,” even though she was a foreigner. Jesus didn’t even respond to her. In fact, it wasn’t until she stopped trying to impress Him and just begged for mercy like a little dog begging for scraps from the table that He turned, smiled and did what she needed. I love Jesus because He doesn’t make me fake it or impress Him. He knows I’m desperate and needy and all He requires of me is to know my need of Him.
