Grace

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (II Thessalonians 1:2 ESV)

Grace

The relationship that God gives uniquely to His people is that of Grace.

God’s Grace does not mean, as we often seem to believe, ignoring offense, disobedience, and rebellion.

God in His Grace is not simply being nice.

Grace is much bigger than that.  God, in His Holiness, does not tolerate evil and sin.  God, in His Love, desires creation to be restored, and relationship with His people reformed.

He COULD have just shrugged His shoulders and said, “Oh well… I suppose I’ll just ignore the dark sin that Adam brought into creation.”  But then He would not have been honest or true to His nature.

He COULD have decided to destroy everything broken by the sin Adam brought into creation, and start over.  But then He would be acting against the Love He has for creation, and particularly His people.

He COULD have magically transformed everyone into Perfect People, and gone about His heavenly business.  But then He would be changing His people so much that we would no longer be what He loved in the first place.

Instead, He chose Grace.  He chose to punish and destroy all sin by punishing Christ Jesus instead of us.  He chose to attribute Christ Jesus’ perfection as His people’s.  He made a swap.  He made an exchange.  And thus kept both sides of Himself true… hating sin, and loving His people.

It is Grace because He does it for us, instead of us doing it ourselves.

And Grace seems unnatural to the world, because it is.  Grace seems too easy because it is.  Grace seems unlike anything that occurs naturally in this world, in society and culture, and in our hearts… because it is.

Grace turns the world upside down.

Stirring

Upside Down

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, (Hebrews 10:24 ESV)

Stirring

My grandfather used to say, after my grandmother complained to a waitress, that we catch more flies with sugar than with vinegar.  I am not certain why anyone would actually want to catch flies, but there we have it.

My grandfather knew this verse.  If we wish to persuade, ask, cajole, or convince someone to take some action, kindness and gentleness are often more successful than yelling or whining.

The author of Hebrews is commenting on more than successfully getting our way, though.  He is noting that Christians have in our arsenal, and in fact, at the core of our persuasions, something that can turn the world upside down.

We stir each other to love and good works in a very different way.  The Holy Spirit stirs us to love and good works not through guilt, like most religions do, but by unity.  Christ stirs us to love and good works not through fear, but by example.  The Father stirs us to love and good works not through threats, but by promises. 

When we stir each other to love and good works through the world’s methods we forget who we are.

Instead, we can turn the world upside down by following the example of the Holy Spirit, the Son, and the Father.

Warnings

Upside Down

…yet you did not return to Me,” declares the Lord. (Amos 4:9 ESV)

Warnings

Most of us do not like being warned.  When my mechanic warns me that that noisy rattly clank is going to need fixing, I do not smile.  When the meteorologist indicates that bad weather is on the way, I scowl.  When symptoms indicate to me that health troubles are rising, I am not happy.

Even more so when a warning regards something that is actually my responsibility.  If I am speeding on the interstate, and I see a state trooper up ahead, I do not like it.  When my poor diet is the cause of my health problems, I do not like it.  When I do not adequately prepare for a presentation, and the audience begins to look bored, I do not like it.

One way that the gospel turns the world upside down is that it includes a true warning.

Our society defines sin differently than God does.  Humans tend to think that a decision, action, or thought is okay as long as it does not actually hurt someone.  But God defines sin as anything we do that is in opposition to Him. 

And when the gospel warns us that we are sinning, we do not like it.

But along with the warning, the gospel brings the solution.  If sinning is turning away from God, even for a moment… the solution is returning to Him. 

The warnings found in scripture, in the words of His people, and through the Spirit are not given to produce guilt, fear, or despair.  God’s warnings are given to produce hope, excitement, and salvation. 

Sometimes we do not know how to take that… it is so different.

But take it with faith, hope, and love.

That turns the world upside down.

Wisdom

Upside Down

Do you think the elderly have a corner on wisdom, that you have to grow old before you understand life? (Job 12:11-12 The Message)

Finding Wisdom

The world thinks that wisdom comes from experience, age, or brains. 

But it does not.

Wisdom comes only from following God (Job 28:28).  In fact, true wisdom is not ‘applied human knowledge,’ but rather is knowing God, and following Him.  Everything else is foolishness.

Children can be wise, the uneducated can be wise, annoying neighbors can be wise, you can be wise, and I can be wise.

Wisdom is believing that God has the only workable plans, and we therefor choose to follow it.

The world does not like that idea.  Because it means that humans need help.  It means that humans don’t earn wisdom.  It means that humans cannot turn inwardly to find wisdom.

But when we find wisdom that way, it is fantastic!

Because God is wise… and His wisdom makes all the difference in the world.

Champion

But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another in battle at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. (II Kings 14:11 ESV)

Champion

I had a bully in elementary school.  We all probably did.  And we were all probably told the same thing by parents, teachers, older siblings, or advisors.

Stand up to the bully.  It does not help to have someone else confront that bully.  Do it yourself.

And I grew up thinking I had to fight my own battles.

It did not often work out well for me.

But Christians have someone to fight the battles FOR us.  The real battles.  Not the trivial things that we spend too much time fighting.

Christ fought for us, Christ fights for us, and Christ will fight for us.

The world does not understand that.  He fights for us because He alone can… He alone will… and He alone must.

We have a Champion.  And that turns the world upside down.

Hope

Upside Down

Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope. (Psalm 119:49 ESV)

Hope

We learn to be pessimists.  Bad things happen.  People hurt.  Many folk have more fears than Space-X has satellites. 

The things we see on the news, the things we read online, the things we talk about at the coffee shop all teach us to expect troubles.  If not today, then tomorrow.  If not tomorrow then next week.

And such low expectations often make logical sense. 

But God’s People are odd.  We have hope.

Not because our logic is different.  Not because we observe different events.  Not because we do not notice the same things that bring fears.

But because God gives His people hope. 

Whether it comes through reading His Word… or whether it comes through the ‘peace that passes understanding’ (Philippians 4:7 ESV), we have hope.

Sometimes the hopeless might not like that.  Sometimes it might confuse them.  Sometimes they might mock or deride those who hope. 

Because Who we hope in turns the world upside down.

Forgiveness

Upside Down

And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34 ESV)

Forgiveness

The more advanced human society becomes, the less willing we seem to be to freely forgive.  Atonement becomes confused with Punishment.  Revenge and getting even become confused with justice.  Restoration becomes confused with winning.

But Christ shows us something different.  He forgives us not because we have proven our repentance, but because He pays our penalty.  He forgives us not because we are sorry enough, but because He loves enough.  He forgives us not because we know the depth of our terrible sin, but because He DOES know the depth of our terrible sin.

Christ alone forgives forgivingly.

And that turns the world of revenge, punishment, and getting even upside down.

We who follow Jesus can display an astonishing gospel when we do the same thing.

Forgive first, not after.  Forgive eagerly, not grudgingly.  Forgive unabashedly, nor reservedly.

Forgive like Jesus, and turn your world upside down.

Death

Upside Down

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”    “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (I Corinthians 15:54-57 ESV)

Death

A friend in elementary school was the first of our class to have a metal lunch box.  The rest of us looked on jealously while, unlike with our paper sacks, HIS sandwiches were not squashed.  HIS potato chips were not crunched.  HIS cookies were not mushed.

We wanted what he had.  And it was easy enough to get.  We begged our parents.  And soon, I sported a lunch box shaped like a barn… red base, with a black top.

When Christ died on our behalf, He defanged death.  When He rose again, He defeated it utterly.  When He ascended into heaven, He changed death from a terrible end, to the entrance Gate of eternal life for those who believe.

All culture without Christ is based on avoiding or worshiping death.

Christ turned that upside down!

Religion

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8,9 ESV)

Religion

Humans have developed many religions.  Once society (and individuals) reject the truth of the One True Living God, ideas develop to fill the gap.  Lots of humans, lots of religions.

Normally, such religions attempt to explain the unknown.  Such religions attempt to give peace of mind.  Such religions attempt, even, to draw near to the divine.

When Christ came, in fulfilment of all of God’s intentions and promises, He was not making a religion like those.  He came as the One True God Himself, providing actual understanding, actual peace, and the only way to draw near to God.

All of this was upside down to what was common.

But particularly, Christ showed that the only way for anyone to draw near to God was for God to come near to us.

We draw near to God not by our efforts, but by God’s grace.  And that was so very different. It requires humility rather than human achievement.  It requires trust rather than human wisdom.  It requires Christ, not our own heroes.

Grace turns the religious world upside down.

TANSTAAFL

Upside Down

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 ESV)

Economist and Science Fiction author Larry Niven attempted to coin a new acronym: TANSTAAFL.  There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch.

And from our experience, his acronym, however unknown, is correct.  Nothing is free.  Everything has a price. 

All the religions of the world work form this presupposition.  If salvation is to be received, it takes obedience, dedication, a particular form of worship, sacrifice, offerings, penance, or SOMEthing.

But salvation, real salvation, the only salvation is free.  Because Jesus Christ paid for it.  It costs His people nothing, because Jesus Christ paid for it.  God’s people do not owe anything because Jesus Christ paid for it. 

When God presented His salvific plan to the world through the life, death, and life again of His Son, it turned the world upside down.  THIS was different!  THIS was unexpected.  THIS went against mankind’s instinct.  THIS surprised.

Salvation surprisingly is free.  Let that turn your world upside down.

Upside Down

“These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also…” (Acts 17:6 ESV)

Upside Down

A sure way to make my grandchildren laugh while on a video call is to slowly turn the camera 180 degrees.  That makes me wonder if upside down is a funny thing.

But it is not, at least not in the book of Acts.

Rather, upside down means completely different.  From the foundation of ideas and principles up to the application of those ideas by our fingertips, Christ, through the Gospel, changes everything.

When the Gospel seems to be the same as the world, we aren’t understanding the gospel.  When the Gospel does not change our hearts, our thoughts, and our actions, we aren’t understanding the gospel.  When the Gospel does not make us as different as Christ Himself is, we aren’t understanding the gospel.

Upside down is not funny… it is substantively, obviously, completely different.

Different

And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also…” (Acts 17:6 ESV)

Different

Poor Jason (and some of the brothers).  Whatever they had done in other communities had been so upsetting that they had been followed to Thessalonica.  And now they were in trouble.  The were gospel-preachers.  So maybe they expected this kind of trouble.

But I have often considered what the angry Jews meant by “turned the world upside down.”  I am afraid it does not sound much like the church and the church’s message today. 

How much upside down turning are we doing?

Or do we try to fit in, as much as we can?

Or do we try to make the message of Jesus palatable, compatible, and comparable to the rest of the world?

Or do we try to be popular instead of accurate?  Mankind-acceptable instead of God-pleasing? Easy going instead of heaven bound?

For the next while, we will try to understand what about the message of God in Christ was so surprising that it turned the world upside down!

We should probably hold onto our hats….

LAUGHING at Danger

But you, O Lord, laugh at them; you hold all the nations in derision. (Psalm 59:8 ESV)

Laughing at Danger

God laughs at His enemies, not merely so that we can join Him in laughter… but so that we do not have to fear, worry, or distress.

But we need to follow three steps.

First, we need to acknowledge that His enemies are powerful.  They are laughable to God, but not to us.  They are dangerous.  And while Christ Himself is victorious over them, without HIS victory we would perish.  His enemies are sin itself (and all sins’ effects), rebellious worldviews, and Satan. God laughs at them because God knows that Christ wins.  But for us to join God in laughter at His enemies, we first must understand the power of them.

Second, we need to realize that Christ ALONE defeats God’s enemies. We are not even third string on His team.  He alone is the team.  God laughs at His enemies because God knows that no other warrior is needed.  Christ is that powerful.  Which is a good and necessary thing.  Because we don’t bring anything but faith in HIM to the battle.

Third, we get to embrace Christ as the victor on our behalf.  It is personal.  He fights for Himself, for all His Kingdom, for the groaning creation, and for YOU. 

God laughs so we don’t have to worry, to fear, to worry, and to remain in distress.  But in the end, so we CAN laugh with Him. 

Motivation

Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. (Ephesians 5:4 ESV)

Motivation

Alfred Noble knew that nitroglycerin was terribly dangerous.  Mining and construction accidents were common.  And so, he experimented and developed a safer way to blow things up that he called dynamite.

But it wasn’t long before that well-intentioned invention was being used for bombs and other weaponry.

Dynamite was useful, helpful, and safe.  But it also was used for harm, hatred, and warfare.

Laughter, too, is useful, helpful, safe, and good.   But it can also be used to hurt, express hatred, deride, and be immature.

Just like our words, laughter can heal or hurt.  Just like most actions, laughter can heal or hurt.  Just like our daily activities, laughter can heal or hurt.  Just like our relationships, laughter can heal or hurt.

Laugh, but laugh well.

Shout for Joy

…the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy. (Psalm 65:13 ESV)

Shout for Joy

Shouting for joy is not exactly laughter, but it is close enough, yes? This verse describes meadows and valleys actually shouting for joy… or laughing.

This is not an uncommon picture.  The hymn, “This Is My Father’s World” mentions all nature singing.  Other Biblical verses mention creation responding to God with song and joyful shout.  Psalm 96:12, for instance: let the field exult, and everything in it!    Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy!

The reasons that such inanimate things can display joy is not because of some New Age Spiritism.  But rather, because God’s real presence even causes things, objects, fields, and flowers to laugh! In some way, those things know their creator, and respond to His presence with unabashed enthusiasm.

We, on the other hand, are often cynics.  When God gives us reason to rejoice, we are skeptical.  Was it really Him?  Will the good continue? Is it as good as it seems?

The fields and trees believe it.  We can, too!

Jesus points out the connection when some nay-sayers demanded He silence crowds that seemed over-enthusiastic in response to the presence of the Messiah.  He said that if the people stopped crying out, the very stones would have the same response. (Luke 19:40)

Sing like a field! Laugh like a tree!  Rejoice like creation! 

Bursting Out

A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed. (Proverbs 15:13 ESV)

Bursting Out

I once played Mr. Spock in a very amateur elementary school drama based on the television show Star Trek.  I still remember how difficult it was not to smile when playing the emotion-restrained alien.  He was my favorite!

I was just so happy to be portraying Mr. Spock, that the ends of my mouth kept creeping up.  My eyes twinkled. My voice was cheery, and on the edge of laughter.

I was just so happy, content, and excited that I could not help it. 

When I remember Grace, Christ’s cross, God’s mercies, and God’s love, the same thing happens.  Yes, life is hard and we want to grieve.  Yes, we see darkness in the corner, and out of the corner, and we want to frown.  Yes, we know our pain, and the pain of others, and we want to weep.

And all of those responses are legitimate, understandable, and real.

But on TOP of them… we can have hearts that burst with laughter.  We get to believe God’s goodness is more forceful than evil.  We who know Christ… His love, His power, His plans, His end-plans… we get to smile.  Sometimes just a bit.  Sometimes unwillingly.  Sometimes shyly.

I portrayed a poor Mr. Spock because I was too happy.  Christians portray a poor Eeyore because God is with us.

Just Laughter

Just Laughter

Today’s laughter is not directly FROM the Bible… they are more accurately jokes about Biblical things.  (Don’t worry… this won’t be a repeated.  Maybe…)

Question: Who was the greatest financier in the Bible?

Answer: Noah -- he was floating his stock while everyone else was in liquidation.

Question: Who was the greatest female financier in the Bible?

Answer: Pharaoh's daughter -- she went down to the bank of the Nile and drew out a little profit. Oops. That should read "prophet".

Question: What kind of man was Boaz before he got married?

Answer: Ruth-less.

Question: What kind of motor vehicles are in the Bible?

Answers:

-          Yahweh drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden in a Fury (an automobile produced by Plymouth from 1955 to 1989).

-          Israel's Triumph (a British automobile produced from 1921 to 1984) could be heard after the death of Goliath (2 Samuel 17:52, New Living Translation).

-          Acts 2:12 says Jesus' followers "were all in one Accord," a car produced by Honda.

-          God may favor Dodge pickup trucks since the Israelites were warned not to follow Moses up on the mountain "until the Ram's horn sounds a long blast." -- Exodus 19:13

-          2 Corinthians 4:8 describes a group traveling in a classic Volkswagen Bug: "We are hard pressed on every side."

Ok… I’ll stop.

A Joke

And He said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (Mark 4:9 ESV)

A Joke

Jesus told a parable about a farmer who planted grain in various locations.  This grain produced crops in some places, and not in others.  The type of soil (from rocky to fertile) had different results. 

But Jesus made a pun at the end of the parable.  We see it (and ignore it) in English.  The farmer is planting grain, which is harvested as a large number of kernels, or ‘ears.’  Jesus then puns about receiving God’s Words in OUR ‘ears.’ 

Surprisingly, In Aramaic, the language Jesus was speaking, the same pun occurs.  “Ozen” is both the fruit of grain, and our hearing organ.

I admit it is not GREATLY profound.

But I smile realizing that Jesus used puns.

He likes to laugh.

And therefore He likes us to laugh.

Fairy Tales

Thus says the Lord: In this place of which you say, ‘It is a waste without man or beast,’ in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man or inhabitant or beast, there shall be heard again  the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing, as they bring thank offerings to the house of the Lord: (Jeremiah 33:11  ESV)

Fairy Tales

Modern fairy tales have happy endings.  But when folk first told those tales, the endings were not happy at all.  Grandma did not make it out of the Big Bad Wolf’s tummy.  Hansel and Gretal fought a cannibal.  And Cinderella is a story of revenge, with terrible merciless punishment, and Cindy being worse to her stepsisters than they were to her.

But readers and listeners need happy endings.  And so the stories changed.  The Grimm brothers would hardly recognize them today.

But God plans a happy ending for His people.  Jeremiah preached to people who had forgotten God, and therefore lost hope.  But Jeremiah does not just say, “hang in there… remember these things are in cycles.”  Jeremiah does not just say, “let’s choose a better King, THEN the economy will improve!”  Jeremiah does not just say, “some day, your Prince will come…”

Jeremiah promises a happy ending.  Because of God’s power, plans, and love.  HE will bring peace.  HE will bring prosperity.  HE will bring mercy. HE will bring a restoration of God’s people to Himself.

And He promises here, that in the end, God’s people will again have mirth.  Which is laughter… the right kind.

The end of our story is laughter. 

And while that end of course refers to eternity in heaven… it also gives us hope for today.

Christ has come.  And in the Church, there can be people, not empty pews.  Christ has come.  And in the Church, there can be thankful singing, not dirges. Christ has come.  And in the Church, there can be laughter… like at a fun wedding. 

When we focus on Christ, our happy ending has already begun. It’s better than a fairy tale.

Righteousness

Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart! (Psalm 32:11 ESV)

Righteousness

A few days ago, I backed up a trailer overfilled with miscellaneous junk, and it did not go very well.  I just could not get the angle right.  I felt unskilled and embarrassed.  But recently, the same task went surprisingly well.  It might have actually looked like I knew what I was doing.

I felt glad… and on the edge of laughing.

This Psalm connects gladness and joy, and perhaps the resulting laughter, with righteousness.  If this righteousness was the result of my actions, abilities, and skill, I would not laugh very often.  But the Psalmist is not instructing us to have a joyful celebration due to our Spiritual trailer-backing.

Because the source of Christians’ righteousness is Christ Himself.

Righteous-caused laughter is not the result of what we DO… but who we are becoming in Christ.  It is HIS righteousness that enables our righteousness.  It is HIS righteousness that gives us gladness resulting from it.  It is HIS righteousness that gives us joy resulting from it.

When we obey, it results in gladness, joy, and laughter because we see Christ Jesus in our lives!

When we are able to be righteous, it results in gladness, joy, and laughter because we see Christ Jesus in our lives!

When we do right, because Christ IS right in us, it results in gladness, joy, and laughter because we see Christ Jesus in our lives!

When we know who we ARE, gladness and joy result.

In that light, there are so many reasons to laugh!