I decided on the spur of the moment to take a trip to the beach this weekend. Generally, I'm not that spontaneous, but I had an incredible urge/longing to see the ocean and walk in the sand. (A special room rate at 70% off helped a lot, too!) Anyway, as I drove the almost six hours to Destin, Florida, I spent the time praying, meditating and talking to a friend on my cell phone (hands free of course)! By the time I arrived here, I just knew God had something very special in store for me...some face time with Jesus!
Yesterday morning, I was reading the Book of Ephesians (The Message translation) and it just came alive! One particular verse is still ringing in my heart: "Through Christians like yourselves gathered in churches, this extraordinary plan of God is becoming known and talked about even among the angels!"
So, what is it that gets the angels in heaven talking? Making the extraordinary plan of God known!
God's plan is that we as individuals understand that before He laid the foundations of the earth, He had us in mind and settled on us as the focus of His love; that because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross we can experience the utter extravagance of His love for us; and out of our own experience, reach out and help others to understand and respond to His love.
When we connect with God, experiencing His love for us, and then take it to the streets - the rulers and authorities in heavenly places take notice (i.e., the angels get to talking)!
Everywhere we go, there are people who cross our paths who don't know and/or have never experienced the extravagant love God has toward them. I don't know about you, but I feel compelled to share with them that God loves them, no matter what they've done, what they're doing, or what they will do. And just think, in so doing, we give the angels something to talk about!!!
Let's give them something to talk about every day!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
All By Myself...Not Really!
Recently, due to circumstances beyond my control, I became intimately familiar with the physical pain associated with the treatment of a fairly serious illness. In fact, for the past 8 1/2 months, I've experienced physical pain in my body, for one reason or another, on a fairly regular basis. I've also discovered that doctors have a pill for just about any kind of physical pain you might be experiencing! However, the one pain they don't have a pill for, and often times don't even recognize, is the pain associated with the emotional isolation and loneliness that sometimes accompany such difficult physical trials...
Although the pain of isolation and loneliness is just as real as the physical pain, it is often overlooked, not just by doctors, but by those closest to those who are hurting, as well. For one thing, emotional pain is just not as obvious as the physical scars from surgery or a cast from a broken bone; it's easier to camouflage emotional pain with a smile, some pleasantries about the weather, and because, more often than not, people see what they want to see.
Well, I was thinking about all this tonight while walking my dog and I was reminded that Jesus was intimately familiar with physical pain. For example, the merciless beating and scourging He suffered before being nailed to the cross. And of course there's the incomprehensible physical agony associated with being crucified. But, in the hours leading up to His crucifixion and, even during His crucifixion, we get a glimpse into the overwhelming loneliness and isolation the man Jesus experienced as He walked through arguably the most difficult hours of His earthly life.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus didn't hide his sorrow and loneliness from His disciples. In fact, he took His three best friends, Peter, James and John with Him and told them, "my soul is very sorrowful, even to death; stay with me, watch with me." (Mt. 26:38). But they fell asleep. They just couldn't comprehend the depth of the emotional pain Jesus was experiencing. Even when He fell on His face and begged His Heavenly Father to let this cup pass from Him, rather than comfort Him, His friends fell asleep again. (Mt. 26:39). But, perhaps the most gut wrenching example of Jesus' loneliness and complete isolation is when, while hanging on the cross in excruciating physical pain, He cried out to His Heavenly Father and saying, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mt. 27:46).
Jesus gets it. He was despised and rejected by people, a man of sorrows, and well acquainted with grief. (Isa 53:3). He not only gets "it," He gets you - He gets me. He understands what it feels like to be alone - to be forsaken. But, because He cried out, "My God, my God why have you forsaken me?" we don't have to. No matter how lonely or isolated we feel, we are never alone because He will never, never, never leave us or forsake us. (Heb. 13:5).
Tonight, as I walked my dog, I found comfort in knowing that Jesus understands not only my physical pain, but my loneliness as well. And my tears of sadness became tears of gratitude for the price He paid to call me His friend - He knows everything about me and He loves me completely. And here's the really good news: He understands your pain and your loneliness, too. No matter what you are going through; no matter who is or is not there with you through your darkest hour; He will never, never, never leave you. He was forsaken so that you will never be forsaken. May you find comfort and peace as you experience His loving Presence wherever you are, no matter what you are going through...
Although the pain of isolation and loneliness is just as real as the physical pain, it is often overlooked, not just by doctors, but by those closest to those who are hurting, as well. For one thing, emotional pain is just not as obvious as the physical scars from surgery or a cast from a broken bone; it's easier to camouflage emotional pain with a smile, some pleasantries about the weather, and because, more often than not, people see what they want to see.
Well, I was thinking about all this tonight while walking my dog and I was reminded that Jesus was intimately familiar with physical pain. For example, the merciless beating and scourging He suffered before being nailed to the cross. And of course there's the incomprehensible physical agony associated with being crucified. But, in the hours leading up to His crucifixion and, even during His crucifixion, we get a glimpse into the overwhelming loneliness and isolation the man Jesus experienced as He walked through arguably the most difficult hours of His earthly life.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus didn't hide his sorrow and loneliness from His disciples. In fact, he took His three best friends, Peter, James and John with Him and told them, "my soul is very sorrowful, even to death; stay with me, watch with me." (Mt. 26:38). But they fell asleep. They just couldn't comprehend the depth of the emotional pain Jesus was experiencing. Even when He fell on His face and begged His Heavenly Father to let this cup pass from Him, rather than comfort Him, His friends fell asleep again. (Mt. 26:39). But, perhaps the most gut wrenching example of Jesus' loneliness and complete isolation is when, while hanging on the cross in excruciating physical pain, He cried out to His Heavenly Father and saying, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mt. 27:46).
Jesus gets it. He was despised and rejected by people, a man of sorrows, and well acquainted with grief. (Isa 53:3). He not only gets "it," He gets you - He gets me. He understands what it feels like to be alone - to be forsaken. But, because He cried out, "My God, my God why have you forsaken me?" we don't have to. No matter how lonely or isolated we feel, we are never alone because He will never, never, never leave us or forsake us. (Heb. 13:5).
Tonight, as I walked my dog, I found comfort in knowing that Jesus understands not only my physical pain, but my loneliness as well. And my tears of sadness became tears of gratitude for the price He paid to call me His friend - He knows everything about me and He loves me completely. And here's the really good news: He understands your pain and your loneliness, too. No matter what you are going through; no matter who is or is not there with you through your darkest hour; He will never, never, never leave you. He was forsaken so that you will never be forsaken. May you find comfort and peace as you experience His loving Presence wherever you are, no matter what you are going through...
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Neal Horsley vs Elton John - Jesus Loves Them Both!
On tonight's local news in Atlanta, they featured a story about a man named Neal Horsley who is supposedly running for governor of Georgia. One of his campaign promises is to "restore God's law to its rightful place of authority in the state of Georgia." Evidently, Mr. Horsley believes that the first step in "restoring God's law" in Georgia is to stand outside Elton John's condo with a sign proclaiming that "Elton John Must Die." Why? Because Elton John recently stated in an interview with U.S. Magazine that he thought "Jesus was a compassionate, super-intelligent gay man who understood human problems." Apparently, Mr. Horsley takes exception to Elton John's characterization of Jesus Christ.
From my perspective, no matter what you think of Elton John's comments or Mr. Horsley's constitutional right to free speech (and that one is a very close call), to me it is incomprehensible that someone who allegedly desires to restore "God's law" to its rightful place would then advocate the death of another human being who was created in the very image of the God he (Mr. Horsley) purports to worship.
Perhaps, Mr. Horsley forgot - or maybe he was never taught - that the entirety of God's law is summed up in two commands: love God and love your neighbor as yourself. In fact, Jesus stated that the entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments. (Mt. 22:37-40). God's law is no longer about judgment. Jesus took the judgment for the entire world - you and me included - when He died on the cross. God's love for us is not based on what we did or even what we do. God's love for us is based on what Jesus did - nothing more and nothing less.
So, tonight It's my prayer that as Mr. Horsley spends the night in the Fulton County Jail, that someone, perhaps even Jesus Himself, will reveal to him how much he is loved -- and that this love is unconditional. One thing I am sure of, if Mr. Horsley personally experiences the extravagant and unconditional love of Jesus for him, his life will never be the same. In fact, I imagine the slogans on his signs will advocate love, and the words he speaks will bring life, not death. Amen - may it be so.
From my perspective, no matter what you think of Elton John's comments or Mr. Horsley's constitutional right to free speech (and that one is a very close call), to me it is incomprehensible that someone who allegedly desires to restore "God's law" to its rightful place would then advocate the death of another human being who was created in the very image of the God he (Mr. Horsley) purports to worship.
Perhaps, Mr. Horsley forgot - or maybe he was never taught - that the entirety of God's law is summed up in two commands: love God and love your neighbor as yourself. In fact, Jesus stated that the entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments. (Mt. 22:37-40). God's law is no longer about judgment. Jesus took the judgment for the entire world - you and me included - when He died on the cross. God's love for us is not based on what we did or even what we do. God's love for us is based on what Jesus did - nothing more and nothing less.
So, tonight It's my prayer that as Mr. Horsley spends the night in the Fulton County Jail, that someone, perhaps even Jesus Himself, will reveal to him how much he is loved -- and that this love is unconditional. One thing I am sure of, if Mr. Horsley personally experiences the extravagant and unconditional love of Jesus for him, his life will never be the same. In fact, I imagine the slogans on his signs will advocate love, and the words he speaks will bring life, not death. Amen - may it be so.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
On Being Conduits of Clarity . . .
Today, I was thinking about what it means to be "transparent." I hear that word often, but I never really thought about what it means. So, I decided to look it up!
When used as an adjective to describe something or someone, transparent means having the property of transmitting rays of light through its substance so that bodies situated beyond or behind can be distinctly seen. Simply put, transparent means light passes through with clarity.
When you look at the person of Jesus, He was very transparent. For example, in John 14:9, Jesus tells his disciples that, "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father." And when you look at Jesus' life on earth you see the heart of God the Father: He healed the sick, He raised the dead, He touched the untouchable, and He loved the unlovable. In other words, the light, life, and love of God -- the very heart of God the Father -- passed through the human Jesus with great clarity. And where there is clarity, distractions fade away and God's transforming light, life and love manifests powerfully (i.e., healings (physical and emotional), deliverance of all kinds, etc.).
Well, that's all well and good because we are talking about Jesus, but, what does all this mean for 'mere mortals' like you and me? Here's what really blows my mind: Whoever agrees that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides or lives in him and he abides or lives in God. (I John 4:15). Now, we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. (I Cor. 2:12). And, as He (Jesus) is, so also are we in this world. (I John 4:17).
Consequently, God not only lives in us, but we live in Him. And because we have God's Spirit living in us so we can know His thoughts and understand what He has freely given us. What's more, as Jesus is, so are we in this world!!! Remember, Jesus is presently sitting at the right hand of God the Father right now! So...we are capable of being just as transparent as Jesus -clear conduits or a natural passageways for transmitting the light, life and love of God the Father -- right here -- right now! There's no time like the present - so let's just go for it!
When used as an adjective to describe something or someone, transparent means having the property of transmitting rays of light through its substance so that bodies situated beyond or behind can be distinctly seen. Simply put, transparent means light passes through with clarity.
When you look at the person of Jesus, He was very transparent. For example, in John 14:9, Jesus tells his disciples that, "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father." And when you look at Jesus' life on earth you see the heart of God the Father: He healed the sick, He raised the dead, He touched the untouchable, and He loved the unlovable. In other words, the light, life, and love of God -- the very heart of God the Father -- passed through the human Jesus with great clarity. And where there is clarity, distractions fade away and God's transforming light, life and love manifests powerfully (i.e., healings (physical and emotional), deliverance of all kinds, etc.).
Well, that's all well and good because we are talking about Jesus, but, what does all this mean for 'mere mortals' like you and me? Here's what really blows my mind: Whoever agrees that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides or lives in him and he abides or lives in God. (I John 4:15). Now, we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. (I Cor. 2:12). And, as He (Jesus) is, so also are we in this world. (I John 4:17).
Consequently, God not only lives in us, but we live in Him. And because we have God's Spirit living in us so we can know His thoughts and understand what He has freely given us. What's more, as Jesus is, so are we in this world!!! Remember, Jesus is presently sitting at the right hand of God the Father right now! So...we are capable of being just as transparent as Jesus -clear conduits or a natural passageways for transmitting the light, life and love of God the Father -- right here -- right now! There's no time like the present - so let's just go for it!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Seeing His Eyes In Their Lives . . .
This is a re-post from my FB page, but a few peoplel really liked it!
Here's a thought that rocked my world the other day...I was reading Shane Claiborne's book, The Irresistible Revolution, and came across this idea: Jesus never talked to a prostitute, a murderer, an adulteress, or a thief because He did not see a prostitute, a murderer, an adulteress, or a thief. He just saw a child of God He was madly in love with.
More often than not I am so focused on the obvious condition or reputation of the person standing in front of me that I fail to see the One I love looking back at me... This is especially true if the person standing in front of me is someone who has hurt me or someone I just have a difficult time getting along with.
God please heal my heart so I can look into the eyes of those I don't even like and see You, the One I love . . .
Here's a thought that rocked my world the other day...I was reading Shane Claiborne's book, The Irresistible Revolution, and came across this idea: Jesus never talked to a prostitute, a murderer, an adulteress, or a thief because He did not see a prostitute, a murderer, an adulteress, or a thief. He just saw a child of God He was madly in love with.
More often than not I am so focused on the obvious condition or reputation of the person standing in front of me that I fail to see the One I love looking back at me... This is especially true if the person standing in front of me is someone who has hurt me or someone I just have a difficult time getting along with.
God please heal my heart so I can look into the eyes of those I don't even like and see You, the One I love . . .
Words, Definitions, etc.
I like words. In fact, I would go so far as to say I love words! The words we choose not only reveal what we are thinking, but much about who we are and how we see the world. So, I thought a lot about what to call this blog and came up with the idea of "Musings of an Ordinary Radical" because musings, as defined by James Atlas, are "an elegant tapestry of quotations, musings, aphorisms, and autobiographical reflections." I borrowed the phrase/idea "ordinary radical" idea from author, activist, and brother in Christ - Shane Claiborne.
The word "radical" literally means "root" - from the Latin word radix, which has to do with getting to the root of things. So what does it mean to be an "ordinary radical?" An ordinary radical is a person who wants to get at the root of what it means to love, and wants to get at the root of what has made such a mess of our world. (Shane Claiborne - The Irresistible Revolution - p. 20)
So, in essence, this blog will contain my musings about what I am learning it means to really love God and love people. I hope you will find this site thought provoking as well as entertaining.
The word "radical" literally means "root" - from the Latin word radix, which has to do with getting to the root of things. So what does it mean to be an "ordinary radical?" An ordinary radical is a person who wants to get at the root of what it means to love, and wants to get at the root of what has made such a mess of our world. (Shane Claiborne - The Irresistible Revolution - p. 20)
So, in essence, this blog will contain my musings about what I am learning it means to really love God and love people. I hope you will find this site thought provoking as well as entertaining.
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