It isn’t a matter of just wanting you to feel better.

This isn’t simply to give you a feel good pump up.

This isn’t a marshmallow. Which is a good thing. I mean, don’t get me wrong, there is nothing better that a well roasted marshmallow, stuck on a stick and set aflame over a campfire. There’s just something about black char and tree bark that make the molten gooeyness even more blissful.

But, a steady diet of marshmallows will make you sick. Too much sugar feeling like you wanna barf ill. Ick.

Some Christian teachers just want to keep tossing marshmallows at us. What we do not need is a steady diet of sweetness.

What we need is the truth.

Recognize this for the truth that it is and not as a marshmallow. I say this to comfort you not merely so you will feel better. I write this so you will know the truth of your situation and you can be equipped to help someone out go the same quagmire.

It doesn’t matter who you are.

It doesn’t matter what you have done.

It doesn’t matter where you have been or why.

You may have tried to out-prodigal the prodigal son.

You may have tried to out-smoke Cheech and Chong.

You may think that what you said or did in the past would make the devil himself blush and say, “Don’t think I would have done that!”

Here is the truth about your situation: you are not beyond saving. You are worth saving. You are loved more than you can imagine. You are still drawing breath, so God has given you time. With His help, you can turn away from your sin and find freedom and life and forgiveness in Jesus Christ.

Will it be easy? Probably not. Will it be worth it? You tell me. Salvation is hope eternal. Hope now, hope forever. The reward of following Christ far outshines the pleasures of any sin. You can know true, deep, lasting peace. You can walk away from all the guilt and shame and be renewed, reborn. “But you don’t know what I’ve done.” You’re right. But God knows. And He is love. He is mercy. Through the shed blood of Jesus is forgiveness of all sin. His grace is sufficient for you. His love is unending.

This isn’t a marshmallow. This is your reality. God loves you beyond comprehension. Jesus died for you.

You.

You are neither helpless or hopeless. You are not beyond His reach. Turn to The Lord, trust in Jesus, rest in a His love and seek His forgiveness and His will. He will never leave you.

Tonight I am just writing honestly, straight from the heart. Not that I haven’t been before (I certainly have), but this is more personal, more like an open letter to all of you.

I would like to think that I have it all together. I do not. I would like to think that you have it all together. You do not.

None of us do.

We are flawed, marred, scarred, weary, broken… We are a mess – individual and collectively. There is no sense in trying to hide it. Ignoring the mess doesn’t make it go away.

But, don’t lose heart. There is hope for all of us, for each of us. That hope is Jesus Christ. Now, I had to think twice at the phrasing of that sentence. It is one of those religious lines that has become so vague, so used, so repeated that it suffers from the contempt that familiarity brings. Yes, yes… Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so…

The emptiness of loveless legalistic religion does nobody any good. Rules and regs are important for setting moral lines and defining what is sinful. But all rules and no heart saves no one. In fact, you and I cannot perform well enough to save ourselves. We are sinful. We are self interested. We are a mess.

I am a mess.

You are a mess.

So… what saves us? The grace of God. The belief that Jesus died for our sins, because He loves us.

Yes, Jesus loves you. The Bible tells us so.

The reality of our situation is that we cannot earn anything from God, and we certainly do not deserve any blessing He places in our hands. But God is our Father, Abba. I’m not referring to the ultra popular ’70s pop band, but the Aramaic word Jesus used to refer to His Father.

To our Father.

It means “papa.” It is a childlike expression of trust in daddy. It is a term of tender endearment, a recognition that He loves us and cares for us in a very real way. We don’t have to understand it fully. We just have to accept it.

12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs–heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. – Romans 8:12-17 (ESV)

Only trusting in a God, believing in His love for us – despite circumstances and trials and troubles – can save us. We must have a childlike faith. No religious incantations, no amount of good deeds, no perfect church attendance will save anybody. Empty religion is just that: empty.

The only thing that matters is that we love God, and love others more than self. And love is active. You don’t just say it, you do it. It’s real. It’s reality. No legalism, for that only leads to judgment (which is ironic, given that we are commanded to “judge not”).

Don’t hide behind religion. Face reality. Be honest with yourself. I am a mess. So are you. We’re all in the same boat. Sin is the great moral leveler, because we all have it.

By the same token, don’t sit and just brood over your broken state. Focus on the solution: Jesus Christ. God’s Word proclaims reality, not our feelings or opinions. Have total faith in Abba, and find the freedom that knowing Christ brings.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? – Romans 8:31 (ESV)

Paul poses it as if it were a question: if God is for us – if He is on our side (or, more accurately, we on His), who could possibly stand up against us? Because to get to us, God’s children, you have to go through Him first!

This does not mean that, as Christians, we will never suffer pain or loss or sorrow or hardship ever again. We hurt just the same as non-believers. But remember this:

15 As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; 16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. 17 But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, 18 to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. 19 The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. – Psalm 103:15-19 (ESV)

We have a promise that extends far beyond this earthly life, with all it’s sin and sadness, terror and worry, troubles and trials and disease and famine and spite and hatred…

Whatever you are facing, it won’t last forever. God is with you always. He will either pull you out of your troubles or see you through them. Whatever you are facing, seek The Lord through it and learn what He wants you to learn, change what He wants you to change, and help others in the same situation do likewise.

There really is no question of whether God is for us. He is. So face tomorrow, face tonight, face your hardships and difficulties head on, resting in faith in God’s love and cars and strength and provision. Have faith and do not doubt. Love God. Love one another. Be bold in Christ.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. – Matthew 5:5 (ESV)

Meek rhymes with weak.  But that is where the comparisons between the two end.   For meekness, much like being poor in spirit, requires humility.  In fact, meekness is humbleness.

Being meek is not the same as being mousy or milquetoast.  The fact is that being truly humble requires great strength.  We humans are sinfully wired to think of ourselves first.  True humility enables us to measure ourselves honestly – no more, no less.  Humility shows us that we are who we are and where we are in life not because of ourselves, but by the grace and love of God.

Indeed, God gives us humility and gentleness to open our hearts to truly love others – which, after all, is what we are truly called to do.  When we focus solely on ourselves, worrying about passing muster or meeting some artificial standard or, on the opposite end of the spectrum, thinking we are “all that and a big ol’ bag of chips”, how can we possibly love another?

I love Matthew Henry’s take on Matthew 5:5:

The meek are happy. The meek are those who quietly submit to God; who can bear insult; are silent, or return a soft answer; who, in their patience, keep possession of their own souls, when they can scarcely keep possession of anything else. These meek ones are happy, even in this world. Meekness promotes wealth, comfort, and safety, even in this world.

As Jesus asked, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36, ESV)  None whatsoever.  Today’s earthly stuff is tomorrow’s kindling.  When Jesus talks about inheriting the world, He must be talking about what is important: love, true relationships, trust… the things an inflated ego steals from us.  Being meek is a key to living an honest, loving life in Christ to the fullest and, most importantly, being able to honestly reach others with the love of Jesus.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. – Matthew 5:4 (ESV)

There is no sorrow so deep as mourning. It is pain so deep that, in 1969, psychologist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross identified five basic stages that grieving people generally experience: denial / isolation, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Clearly, grief is a complex, difficult, agonizing process.

There are many things we can mourn: the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, the loss of a job, moving away from home… Anyone who has faced an unfaceable situation; wished the world would just leave them alone; dealt with anger at their pain or the people around them or even God; wanted to make a deal to get passed the pain; felt like your world was crumbling around you (and maybe even gave up the urge to care)… you know how painful it is to mourn. Sometimes it feels like grief might press the breath right out of you.

Whatever your sorrow, whatever your pain, whatever you are mourning or grieving, know this: you are blessed in Christ. It most likely doesn’t feel like it. Indeed, you may feel a God has abandoned you.

You are blessed because, while mourning and grief and all the junk that go along with them are part and parcel of living in this fallen, sinful world, your pain will not last forever. For those who trust in Jesus Christ, there is always hope. God will see you through.

Trust in The Lord, for He is good. Don’t trust your feelings. Don’t bank on your emotions. Don’t believe the temptation to think God has abandoned you, or is mad at you, or is out to get you, or doesn’t exist or is anything less than the loving Father He says He is.

Does it mean your pain will completely go away? That you’ll never experience loss of this magnitude again? Maybe. Maybe not. What you can rest in is the love of God. He will pull you out, or He will lead you through. Either way, you are blessed, for you will find great comfort in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He loves you. He will never leave you or abandon you. Even when you can’t sense His presence, He is there. Rest in that.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. – Matthew 5:3 (ESV)

” You can be happy! You can find your success! You deserve it because you are the best you that you can be, and you you you you etc…”

For those who truly seek joy in their lives, it will never be found peering deep into one’s navel. When we put our trust in self, in our own ability, we set ourselves up for failure and pain.

True happiness comes from spiritual poverty – knowing that we are nothing without God, that He is our sufficiency. When people are physically hungry, they seek food. When we are spiritually hungry, we seek The Lord. And a soul that hungers and thirsts for Christ will be satisfied.

Blessed are the truly humble, those who are not fooled by the cult of self and recognize their need for Jesus. We all need God, and it is only in Him – our Creator and Sustainer, our Lord and Savior, our Heavenly Father, Son and Holy Spirit – that we find true, eternal contentment. The stuff of this earth is chaff, kindling for the fire. Find your blessings and joy in the zone a Who loves you, Who watches over you, Who knew you before you were… well… you.

There is nothing impossible with God.

Nothing.

Nada.

Nichts.

Rien.

什麼.

שום דבר.

Niets.

Ekkert.

Niente.

ничего.

Ingenting.

nič.

Kahore.

아무것도.

Aon rud.

無.

Aliquid.

ບໍ່​ມີ​ຫຍັງ.

нічого.

Chochote.

ఏమీ.

Dim byd.

không có gì.

Lutho.

Gʼárnyşt.

hiçbir şey.

Pa gen anyen.

asgjë.

কিছুই.

ništa.

Intet.

walang anuman.

არაფერი.

कुछ भी नहीं.

tsis muaj dab tsi.

ei mitään.

Semmi.

ihe ọ bụla.

Apa-apa.

юу ч биш.

Nimic.

هیچ چیز.

Waxba.

کچھ بھی نہیں.

Did I miss anyone?

Nothing is impossible for God. That includes your situation. Whatever you are facing, you are where you are for a reason. God has a purpose for you now. Right now.

Not just in the future. Now.

Now.

Ahora.

сейчас.

Jetzt.

現在.

You get the picture…

Tonight, don’t worry. Don’t begrudge where you are in life. Don’t wish you were somewhere / sometime / somehow / someone else. Don’t dread tomorrow. Don’t fear tonight.

God is with you. Always. Even in the darkest times. Even when you hurt the most. Even when you cannot sense His presence. God us with you. He lives within you. Embrace Him. Trust Him. Pray. Find your joy in God. Count your blessings with gratitude to God. Rest in His peace. Be secure in His love.

Sleep well, dear friends.

I have a friend who was raised on a dairy farm. He knows what real milk is. And he will tell you that, the white liquid in the cardboard cartons and plastic jugs at the supermarket – even the variety labeled “whole milk” – isn’t really milk. It is a watered down, mass produced product that, to him, is closer to cloudy water than true, honest-to-goodness, straight from Elsie’s udder, milk.

I was not raised on a dairy farm. All I’ve ever known is store bought milk. (I once mistook buttermilk for 2%. I’ll never make that mistake again!). I couldn’t tell you what it’s like to grow up drinking the real thing. Only the same old, store bought stuff almost every American pours on his / her morning cereal.

Just like everyone else.

The milk we drink is homogenized. The natural tendency for milk is for the cream and liquid to separate. Homogenization takes these unique properties and blends them together as one. The cream no longer rises to the top.

Why is it that so many Christians expect believers do be subjected to a process of homogenization? True, we are not called to look like this world we currently live in. We are in this world, but not of it. Strangers in a strange land.

But that doesn’t mean we are called to all look the same, sound the same, act the same. My heart aches for those who feel marginalized and us accepted by the church because they don’t fit some imaginary social mold.

Jesus hung out with the outcasts, dined with the downcast. He wasn’t part of the religious elite (indeed He stood squarely against what they stood for: legalism, exclusivity, etc…). Jesus loved (loves) people for who they are, not what they have to bring to the table. We are called to be obedient, but obedience does not equal homogenous.

One of the great reflections of God is that we – His children – are each made in His image and yet each of us is created individually unique. Of the trillions of humans who exist, or ever have, or ever will, no two are, have been, or will ever be, exactly the same. Why do you think it is such a shock when you run into someone’s doppelgänger? “They were your splitting image! You could be twins!” We don’t expect it because we realize how different and individual every person is.

A true community is a group of people who come together with a common goal, a shared running thread that knits them together. For Christians that thread must be Christ. It must be love. It must be agape love! care and support! for one another. It goes beyond being merely social to something deeper – a shared goal to be God’s hands and feet, to reach out and never ever ever be exclusive or walled off. A community should be tightly knit, but not so knotted that new strings cannot be added.

Likewise, a community should be people who are individuals. It is okay to not fit “the norm”. Where is the freedom when one is expected to look and act and sound just like everyone else? We are not Stepford Christians. We are individuals, created by our Father God, saved by the blood of His Son Jesus, indwelled by the same Holy Spirit. We are all different parts of the same body, called to work together in our individual capacities as a whole. A car will never run if it is built from NLT carburetors. A body will not function if it is only muscles. Someone has to be the spleen.

Homogenization is fine for mass produced dairy products. We are not mass produced. We are not product. We are individuals who need a savior, who need Jesus. And, frankly, who need one another.

No wonder so many non-believers think church people are fake. Be yourself. Be who God, in a his far more infinite wisdom, created you to be. Be humble. Be vulnerable. Be loving and kind. And do not accept the critics who do not like your refusal to homogenize.

Pray. Go. Do. Follow Christ and please Him only.

The opportunities to lose the peace God gives us are many and frequent. So are the chances to grasp His peace and rest in it. Which are you choosing today?

The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. – 1 Timothy 1:5 (ESV)

In the days of the first church, there were wrong-headed teachings aplenty.  Many were rooted in knowing the law, and others taught that one must gain “special knowledge” from God to be saved.  (This growing heresy was called Gnosticism, and it was a problem for several hundred years.  However, an example of God using a bad situation for good: we have the canon of Scripture we have today in large part because of the church’s response to Gnosticism.)

People like tangible stuff.  We like to be able to see, feel, hear, taste… sense what is real.  That’s understandable.  We live in a fallen world.  We have to sort through a lot of dishonest junk to get to the truth.  We don’t just want to feel something is right.  We want to know.  We want things to be provable in order to trust the end result is as advertised.

That can make faith in God a challenge.  Faith and knowledge run on two totally different tracks.  They work together, to inspire, to inform, to solidify understanding.  But to truly know God requires far more than learning about Him.  It requires trust.

Trusting God can be tough.  When life’s challenges keep piling up, it’s easy to wonder where God is in all of this.  And no amount of “knowledge” will help anyone without faith.  Even just a little faith – as small as a mustard seed, Jesus said – will do wondrous things.

I am a strong proponent of Christian education.  But knowledge won’t save you.  The trick to knowing God is that there is no trick. You just have to trust Jesus, believe He is right and follow Him in faith.  He did all He did on this earth and gave up His life in a most profoundly painful and humiliating manner without one ounce of self aggrandizement.  How much more proof do you need?