You Don't Fix Faith

If you've been reading these posts, one thing you know about me is that I am a huge movie/tv fan.  Mainly for the stories and characters and what they can teach us.  One of my all time favorite shows is Firefly, which was canceled after the first season, but managed to get enough fan support that a feature length movie was made out of it.

That never happens.

At least had not happened before that.  A show that the network canceled, after poor promotion, horrible time slot, and was aired out of sequence and not even all the episodes saw the air.  So with a track record like that, why on earth would a major studio shell out millions to make a movie?

Faith.

Someone had faith in the writer, the actors, all the crew, and the fans.  (The writer/director is a certain Joss Whedon, who now is becoming a household name instead of just a geekdom known name, thanks to the success of the Avengers.)

If you're wondering what in the world this has to do with being a follower of Christ...I'm getting there.  One of the best scenes from the show involves a young girl named River who was tested on by the government, but was already beyond genius intelligence.  She is very logical and scientific.  Kind of like Spock, but with no filter.  She was kinda crazy.  The other character in the scene is a man named Book.  He is a "shepherd," in the world of this story he's a missionary of sorts.  A man of faith.

The scene plays out when Book walks into the dinning room and begins speaking to River.  He isn't looking at her so he doesn't see her leaning over a book at the table.

Book: What are we up to, sweetheart?

River Tam: Fixing your Bible.

Book: I, um...[alarmed]  What?

River Tam: Bible's broken. Contradictions, false logistics - doesn't make sense.
[she's marked up the bible, crossed out passages and torn out pages]

Book: No, no. You-you-you can't...

(next portion skipped for time...feel free to read it all or watch the episode: Jaynestown.)

Book: River, you don't fix the Bible.

River: It's broken. It doesn't make sense.

Book: It's not about making sense. It's about believing in something, and letting that belief be real enough to change your life. It's about faith. You don't fix faith, River. It fixes you.

This isn't about River tearing up a Bible.  I was shocked a bit when I saw it the first time.  But the way the rest of that conversation play out just took my breath away.  Now, I believe without a doubt that the Bible is the Word of God and is true.

What really gets me is how Book responds.  Instead of getting all angry he remains calm, and deals with grace, wisdom and discernment.   "You don't fix faith, it fixes you."

Jesus sent his disciples out to make more disciples.  Not to debate with people until they convert.  Faith isn't an argument to win.  We can share it, show it, live it.  When was the last time you won someone over to the love of Jesus by arguing Creation vs. Evolution?  I know I haven't.

Faith isn't just a program to install.  It's not about 'knowing,' or having empirical evidence.  That's why it is called faith.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Hebrews 11 is commonly called the "Faith Chapter."  It describes stories and people who were known for their faith.  Able.  Enoch.  Noah.  Abraham.  Isaac.  Jacob.  Joseph.  Moses.  Rahab.  The writer of Hebrews lists more that they don't have the time to describe.

They also write this:  By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.  It is by faith we understand this.  By faith we understand the sacrifice that Jesus made, and who he is.

It's faith that allows us to believe in Jesus.  Faith is what fixes us.  You have to let it in.  As you let it transform you, let Him transform you, you'll be able to share that with others.  And seeing your faith, can learn what faith is, and eventually have faith themselves.

You can't fix faith.  It doesn't need fixed.  Read those stories mentioned in Hebrews 11.  Learn about what faith fixed in them, and how it can fix you...and let it.

grace, peace + hope
-Jesse

Fill 'er Up

In John 10, Jesus compares himself to the gate of a sheep pen, and to the shepherd.  He says that he is the only way to truly enter the pen and that the sheep will only follow their true shepherd.  In the middle of these comparisons he mentions that all others who came into the pen before him (not as sheep) were thieves and robbers.

He says the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.  They didn't come into the pen through the gate (through Jesus.)  They are there to do harm.  Jesus says, "But I come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly...(or to the full.)

Um...yes please!

I'd like some life to the full.

Especially if Jesus is the one giving it.  He didn't come to take life away from us.  To tie us down with laborious rules and dogmas.

He makes many comparisons of who he is.  The Bread of Life, Fountain of Living Water, The Shepherd, The Gate, The Way, The Truth, The Life.  The Light of the World.  The Vine.


He is the bread that feeds us.

The water that quenches us.

The shepherd who cares for us.

The gate that protects us.

The way that guides us.

The truth that frees us.

The life that fills us.

The light that reveals us.

The vine that sustains us.


Yes.  I'll have some of that.  All of that.  He must increase, we must decrease.  Let Jesus fill your life, so that you may live abundantly...fully.  Because if He feeds us...we can feed others.  If he cares for us...we can care for others.  I think you can follow that train.

Let him do those things in you, so you don't have to worry about those things for yourself.  You can give it to others.  It is what he wants from us.  Love him with everything.  Love our neighbors.  Give out what he has filled you with.


grace, peace + hope
-Jesse

Just to Better Understand the Sound of a Whisper

In the movie "A Knight's Tale," the hero, William, is introduced to a crowd by his herald, Geoffry Chaucer.  The herald is trying to buy time while William struggles to fix his armor and arrive on time.  He launches a long flowery speech highlighting the fictitious trials of his master.  One of them was,

"In Greece he spent a year in silence just to better understand the sound of a whisper."

While the story in the movie, and the movie itself are fiction...there is something to grasp there.

This story keeps going through my mind.  I'll paraphrase, but you can find it in 1 Kings 18-19.

In Israel, King Ahab and his charming wife Jezebel have just had the prophets of God slaughtered.  All of them (except a few a guy named Obadiah saved in some caves.)

Elijah, a prophet of God, has just challenged the prophets of Baal and Asherah to a throw down.  That story makes me chuckle cause I kinda see Elijah like Gandalf in "The Lord of the Rings" movies.  He's this snarky old curmudgeon.  He taunts the other prophets that they aren't chanting loud enough, or that their god is on vacation, or sleeping.  (The goal was who ever got their god to light their sacrifice on fire was the real God.)

Elijah just rubs salt in the wounds.  Not only has he been talking smack all day, he has his alter and offering doused in water.  Three times.  Then he prays to God, and God responds by lighting the offering on fire and, the stones, and the ground and the trench full of the water run off.

Then he has the prophets caught and put to death.  The king runs home to his lovely wife and tells her how Elijah showed up her prophets and had them all killed.  She sends a messenger to Elijah with this message,

"May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them."

Pretty harsh words.  And for some reason, Elijah is shaking in his sandals.  He runs away.  Out into the desert.  An angel shows up and sends him to Mount Horeb.  The place Moses encountered God as the burning bush.  Where the ten commandments were given.  A holy mountain.  He gets there and spends the night in a cave.

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.

And after the fire came a gentle whisper.  When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Elijah "understood the sound of a whisper."  He knew that it meant God was approaching.  He listened, and responded.  And God told him what to do next.

Have you heard God whispering lately?  It is easy to drown him out with the all distractions and escapes we have at our every command.  Don't wait for God to speak to you with, "the writing on the wall."  Cause that communique was a final judgment.  Do not wait for the big signs.

Spend some time in silence to better understand the sound of God speaking to you.   And He has lots to say to us.


grace, peace + hope
-Jesse

No More

One of my favorite stories about Jesus is the one where those meddlesome scribes and Pharisees bring him the woman caught in adultery.  Found in John 8:1-11.

Jesus is in Jerusalem, teaching in different places.  Everyone is going to listen to him.  The Pharisees and their ilk were upset with this.  Right before this story takes place, they had sent guards to bring him in.  The guards were so blown away by what Jesus said that they couldn't do it.  It almost feels like a, "These aren't the droids you're looking for," type moment.

Then one of their own a guy named Nicodemus points out that their custom is to hear out people before judging them.  The others start insulting him by saying, "Are you from Galilee too?!"  I kinda get the feeling that Nazareth and the Galilean area was kinda like the "Jersey Shore" of Israel in the day.  I mean even Nathanael (one of the disciples) says, "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?"

But I'm getting of topic.  Sticking to form, the Pharisees try to trip Jesus up in some theological-legalistic trap.  While Jesus is teaching in the temple they bring a woman "caught" in adultery before him.  I'm not an expert in the law, but the fact that they bring her into the temple like that seems kinda fishy...but I digress.

They flaunt the Law at Jesus.  "Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women (those caught in adultery.) So what do you say?"  I can almost hear them being sarcastic with that last bit.  You've got to love what Jesus does next.  He bends down and starts writing in the ground.  When he seemingly didn't hear them, they just keep barking about it.  Eventually he stands up and say, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her."  And he goes back to his writing in the ground.

The movie The Passion of the Christ portrays this very simply and with out the dialogue.  At this point of the story it shows the Pharisees dropping stones and walking away.  In the extreme foreground you see Jesus' sandaled foot as his thumb traces across the ground in slo-mo.  Then we see the woman's trembling hand reach out toward him.  It's very moving and powerful.

John's gospel wraps it up like this.  After Jesus goes back to writing in the sand the second time, the Pharisees all begin to leave, starting with the older ones.  Soon "Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him."  I don't know why, but I like that she is standing.  I get the feeling she might have been a little proud or haughty, and was not weeping and trembling on the ground.  But that is just me.  Jesus says to her, "Woman, where are they?  Has no one condemned you?"  She replies, "No one, Lord."  See right there, she knew something was different about him.  If she didn't when she came in, she did then.  The Pharisees called him "teacher," she calls him "Lord."

The best part of this story happens now.  I kind of get the feeling that she is still standing looking at Jesus, who is still writing on the ground.  He says to her, making eye contact for the first time, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."

Sin no more.

Not, "When you sin ask for forgiveness," or "Try your best, when you mess up come and see me."  No he says; go and sin no more.  I don't condemn you.  Go.  Stop it.

It is an incredible gift.  It is the same gift he gave to each and every single one of us.  We just have to choose to accept it.  And get this, it's not a gift that he take back from us anytime we sin after that.  It's not a game.  For most of my life I played that game.  It wasn't until recently that I realized I was playing by myself.  Jesus wasn't passing my forgiveness back and forth like a game of catch.

Go, and from now on don't sin anymore.  Stop it.  He took away the sins of the world.  So let them be taken away.  Stop grabbing them again and again.

Just go, and from now on sin no more.  He believes in us.  He believes in you!

Sin.  No.  More.

grace, peace + hope
-Jesse

He Leads Me

Recently, during a devotional time, someone read through Psalm 23 and asked us to grasp hold of one thought.  Take a moment and read through it on your own.  (From the NASB version.)

The LORD is my shepherd,
         I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and loving kindness will follow me all the days of my life,And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

There is a lot to grab hold of there.  It is one of those scriptures that we memorize early on and easy to dismiss as childish.  At least I have.  Maybe not intentionally.  But I also keep forgetting that "the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these (children.)"  Matthew 19:14

But that is a post for another day.  In Psalm 23 there is much depth and simplicity.  The thought that grabbed me this time was, "He leads me..."

Jesus does lead me.  He leads all of us.  My problem is, I try to lead myself a lot of times.  Stuff has to make sense.  I have to have a plan.  Data to be quantified and discussed and goals to achieve.  I've been doing this for the better part of 15+ years.

And most of "my plans" have done anything but get me where I want to be.  If anything I've gotten in my own way more often than not, and have all but stonewalled myself from getting to where I believe God wants me to be.

I've seen this first hand with sheep.  On my first trip to Africa I witnessed the sheep of the orphanage (and I mean literal sheep here) get out of their enclosure many times.  And almost every time I charged off to try and guide them back.  Now this comparison would work better if I had been their actual shepherd and they trusted me...but my goal was to get them back to safety.

Somewhere in their brains I think that is what they wanted, but they just kind of "go."  The one in front sets the pace, and the rest just follow.  But they were not doing what I wanted them to do.  They took a much longer, winding, pointless path to get back to their pen.  It would be 30-40 minutes before I got them back to their pen.  And of course they would charge into it like that was their goal all along.

And I'm the sheep.  Jesus is there guiding me where to go, but I'm wandering around...checking out this stick.  Investigating that shrub.  Running from the plastic bag that surely wants to attack me.

If I would just get out of my way, and listen to Jesus...I could end up where he wants me, how and when he wants me there.

So today, be encouraged to let Jesus lead you.  He has a better vantage point, and knows the land much better than we do.  Trust him.

It will not be danger free.  As the Psalm says, he will prepare a table in the presence of your enemies, and take you through the valley of the shadow of death...fear no evil, for he is with you.

I'm reminded of that bumper sticker, "God is my Co-Pilot."  While it's clever and funny for a car, it's the wrong concept to apply to living life.

Follow him.  Let Jesus lead you, and you will get to where he wants you to go.  And along the way, you'll realize that is exactly where you want to be.



grace, peace + hope
-Jesse

Rest Easy

In 1994 I was introduced to the "alternative-rock" of the band Audio Adrenaline.  A group of musicians that got together at Kentucky Christian University.  It was a life altering introduction for me, but that is not the story I'm here to tell today.

I had a copy of the cassette of their album "Don't Censor Me," (yes I said cassette,) and I played it constantly.  There was one song in particular that resonated with me.  It was not one of the loud, distorted, rock anthems.  It was one of the most mellow songs on the album, Rest Easy.

It was the first song I intentionally tried to remember the lyrics to.  I remember lying on the ramp of my brothers work trailer at lunch replaying the words over and over in my head.  The verses are from the perspective of a man who feels he has struggled his whole life. 

"One more mile 'til I lay rest
I have put myself through this rigid test
But the mile has never ended no distance has been gained
I do not see greatness I wanted to obtain

He is not complaining, but he's tired.  The choruses are from the view of God or Jesus.

"Rest easy
Have no fear
I love you perfectly
Love drives out fear
I'll take your burden
You take my grace
Rest easy
In my embrace"

This past week a friend posted this on facebook:

fear can't love

It immediately made me think of this song.  Especially, "love drives out fear."  I knew is was a scripture reference, but could not remember it so I looked it up.

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

1 John 4:18

Read the whole chapter.  Better yet the whole letter.

Something struck me though.  Love drives out fear.  Fear has to do with punishment.  Love drives out punishment.  The previous verses echo John 15 where Jesus implores the disciples to remain in him. 

"God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.."

What?!  Did you see that?  If we live our lives in love we are living our lives in God.  Remain in him, and he will remain in us...and we will be like him.  Because of love!

It's easy to point and say, "You're doing it wrong.  You should do it this way or that way."  Especially as a "Christian."  We all have our opinions on how to do things and what is right and wrong.  It's easy to point out perceived flaws in others.  I know I have.

"I am such a sinner I fear my evil ways
I fear my imperfection I fear my final days
I just want to take control and snap this rusty chain
Drop my heavy burden it seems to be in vain"

The key words for me there are, fear and I.  I want to take control  I want to snap the chains of sin.  I fear...I fear...I fear...

But perfect love drives out fear.

 The song wraps up with the man realizing that he cannot do the things he longs to do because he is trying to carry the burden.  He is trying to carry a weight that has already been carried.

The burden of sin has been delivered!

We have no need to pick it up.  Ever!  Jesus already did it.  It is done.  Do you try to deliver a letter that has already been received?  So we don't need to with this.  We do not need to fear punishment when we accept and return God's love!

We might have other things to do that are heavy, but sin has been dealt with.  Period.  When things get heavy, we need lean on out love for God and each other.  When those times come, the body comes together and lifts as one.  Many hands make light work and all of that.  When we love each other, out of our love for God, we can rest easy.

Read over the chorus one more time, and really think of Jesus saying it to you...

Rest easy
Have no fear
I love you perfectly
And perfect love drives out fear
I'll take your burden
You take my grace
Rest easy
In my embrace...

grace, peace + hope

-Jesse