Rich Young Ruler

Matthew 19:24, "Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

Previously somewhere in these many post I have commented on this scripture, and how many things other than financial wealth can stand between us and our relationship to God. But today I wanted to use this same passage to show something else.

This passage is the tail end of an encounter a rich your ruler had with Jesus. For years I have argued that in that account Jesus' command to sell everything was not a salvation issue. I reasoned that when Jesus said, "If you wish to be COMPLETE, go and sell... and you will have TREASURE in heaven." The Rich Young Ruler came to Jesus with a loving heart, having earnestly sought God, having lived effectively the commandments. The command was there to show there is something more than just salvation.

But don't believe my interpretation only. In his book first published in 1726 called Christian Perfection, William Law makes the very same argument. In fact, he spends an entire chapter proving the point.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with who William Law is; his writings deeply influenced the Evangelical revival, particularly the ministry of John & Charles Wesley, and many lessor known revivalist.

So with some strong character behind my theological argument, that in so many ways bucks the mainstream, let me press on and rub a few more dogmatic doctrinal feathers.

Jesus says with Matthew 19:24, that it is "hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Where is the rich man trying to enter?

Those obstacles like financial riches, education, talent, that we depend on over our trust in God are all factors that, like the camel, must be taken off of us before we enter the kingdom of God. A kingdom that is not some far off, post death experience, but rather here and now. Money is easy to understand as being something reliable. But there are many things within our soul, our ego, that we rely on more than God. To enter the kingdom of God those must be stripped away.

Let me be very clear. This is not a salvation issue. This is a post salvation walk with God. We are saved by the blood. We are, an addition to salvation, given the right to enter the kingdom of God in this life. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on EARTH as it is in heaven, " Jesus said. He also said in Luke 17:21, "... For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst." Literally meaning inside of you.

Why would so many parables be about obtaining the kingdom of God now? What is obtained after selling everything is a pearl. But that pearl is not salvation. The pearl is entrance into the kingdom of God here and now.

How could Jesus tell the disciples some would not die until they see the kingdom of God? Because some would discover it. Some would enter into it while living.

Why does the kingdom of God belong to a child? Because they are not contaminated with wisdom, judgments, ego, talents, etc.

The kingdom of God is real, it is here, and it is now. It is in addition to salvation. It's entrance is through the cross to bearing down on our ego, stripping us of anything but trust in God.

But don't take my word for it. Try it for yourself. Ask God to show you His kingdom. 

Finally I want to close with what Law said about riches. "If therefore, the rich and great man can find out a course of pleasures, that support no wrong turn of mind; a luxury and indulgence, which do not gratify sensuality; delights, and entertainments, which indulge no vain or weak passions; if they can find out such self-enjoyments of their riches as show that they love God with all their strength, and their neighbors as themselves; if they can find out such instances of splendor and greatness, as gratify neither the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, nor the pride of life; religion has no command against such enjoyments."

It is not about the riches... it is about the heart that possesses them. That heart must be purified to enter the kingdom of God in this life. This pure heart and the entrance into the kingdom of God here and now is of such great value, that Jesus said it is worth selling everything to possess. It is worth getting rid of everything and anything standing in the way.

In Honor of Jim - Colluding with circumstances

Matthew 14:27,"But immediately Jesus spoke to them saying, "Take courage it is I; do not be afraid."

I have this faith coach I often mention in my post. His name is Jim Spivey, and our relationship at this point has evolved into as much friendship as anything. Oh when we are together it is teacher/student. But the vast majority of the time it is just a daily friendship. Yesterday, was a day that I very much needed that friendship. I needed Jim to be a reflection of Christ to me, and boy was he.

It is funny how God works. You may have an experience and learn some godly truth. Or you may learn some godly truth, thinking you will avoid the experience, and never the less the experience overtakes you. This is how it happened to me.

Jim says, "We collude with circumstances that force us to confront our false self and let it go."

Wow... that statement still gives me a headache, and I still wrestle with understanding it. But to explain it I would say that we uncounsously participate in, and find, circumstances and events that will inevitably makes us face the lies of our ego, only to let them go for the image of what God has made us to truly be. We will continue to collude uncounsciously until we become conscious of this fact. This is the truth I know... but it is also the truth that God was going to have me experience with full force yesterday.

Every morning Jim sends me a text around 5:30am. It is a snipit of his blog post that I read later in the day. Yesterday the text said, "'The winds sure are a blowin', while out on the water we be goin'!'" Here's to hearing the invitation and walking on the water." In that message was a restatement of what I am experiencing. God says to me that not only will He provide a house payment, but that He is going to pay my house off. And yet I for all practicle purposes do not have a job. God says to me that I am going to preach, but I do not have a pulpit. It all is God saying to me, this is your Peter moment. Get out of the boat and walk on water.

And yet, in the boat with me is my family and wife. My wife is paddling her ass off. Doing everything and beyond to be a support, to pay more than her share, to encourage another 10 applications for a job. She doesn't see that I am trying to get out of the boat and walk on water. She only sees that I need to get my butt paddling harder, and bailing water at the same time. She is absolutely frustrated, scared, and rightfully so. Our journey to Jesus started out together on the same boat. For me to get off the boat looks like an abandonment, but it really is the ultimate in calming of the seas. So do I embrace her feelings?

Oh heck no. I colluded with her fear to confront my false self. I began a whole reasoning that said, no I can't walk on water. This is too hard. I am going to fail. I am going to loose my wife if I keep going. I have to stop. My wife is going to make me fail. She is right. I must not be hearing God.... on and on and on all my thoughts took her very valid aprehension and twisted them into she does not love me. I twisted them into she does not appreciate what I am going through or my efforts. Why?

Because I am believing a lie that I am going to fail, that God is not telling the truth. I am believing a lie that I am unworthy and a failure. I am taking her very valid frustration, and allowing a lie to use it in collusion to attempt to validate the lie. I ignore the truth, and rather than fully give myself to my wife in love, I withdrawal, even confront her because I believe I am a failure. But I am not a failure. I am not the lie of my ego inflated soul. I am something much different.

Sad thing is I didn't get this until after venting my frustration in complete ugliness. But I had a choice. Continue in self pity, or walk in love. I could continue to believe the lie that I am a failure, or walk in the truth that I am a child of the Most High, and I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me. My false self had to be confronted. My wife had to express her anxiety for that to happen. I could choose to collude with the circumstances and continue in the lie, or recognize the lie in myself creating the tension, allow it to die, so that I could walk in love.


I choose love. I love my wife, and she is free to vent, without opposition, all her fears and apprehensions to me. That is why we are partnered together. And I will do better next time.

I will close with a text I just got from Jim. CS Lewis was referring to a Lion. A type and shadow of Jesus. He said, "(Jesus) is not safe to be around, but He's good."

The Perspective of Two Crowns

1 Peter 5:4, "And when the Chief Shepard appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory."

My daughter and I were having a conversation yesterday, and it so happened that I was able to use an illustration to make a point. I asked her, between a gold crown and a feathered chieftain headdress which is more valuable?

She responded with the gold crown because it had more intrinsic value?

So I asked if she were an Indian, which would have more value. To which she correctly replied the Indian headdress.

So our discussion led to the fact that value really is something that is socially and culturally determined. That gold and feather have equal value depending on cultural perspective.

And yet if we take a heavenly cultural perspective. If we view both from a kingdom of God perspective we find both equally valueless. The power they represent is meaningless next to the power and authority of Christ. The gold of the one crown is the equivalent of asphalt in heaven, and the streets are paved with it.

And this is what the lesson is about. What is the value system of the kingdom of God? Because if we have this value system, if we have this perspective, then we have more opportunity to encounter and be used by God.

The value system of God when looking at this world is that all is worthless. In fact the only thing of value is inside of man. Think about it. When sin entered the earth through Adam & Eve the earth, and all it contains is forever contaminated. It is not to be rebuilt. It is not to be restored. God's end plan for the earth is final death/destruction. This is the effect sin has on everything it touches. It must die. For our flesh God gave us Christ as an appropriation, as a sacrificial death in place of our flesh. Allowing us to be born new and clean and out of the punishment of death in Spirit only. Same goes for heaven. Heaven was contaminated by sin. Satan brought sin into heaven. Therefore heaven as it exists today must also die. This is why God revealed in Revelation that there will be a new heaven and a new earth. (Rev. 21:1)

Point is this... if you put value in ANYTHING external, any form of earthly wealth then you have invested in something that is worthless in terms of being a store for of real wealth. Gold today is over $1600 per ounce because mankind perceives it as a storage of wealth. But reality is obedience to God is the real storage of wealth. Obedience is what Christ was referring to in Matt. 6: 19-20 when He said, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;" We store up when we obey.

Buy gold if God tells you. Save money if God tells you. Do not give if God tells you, no. But do not have the perspective money of anything earthly is wealth. The wealth is in the obedience to the commands God gives you. God may say buy gold, sell gold, and then give to the poor. All to be obeyed, but don't miss the value and where the wealth is. The wealth is in the obedience. The reward of obedience is the true wealth, it is a crown in the kingdom of God. A Crown of righteousness, a crown of life, a crown of glory are given as wealth. These are the crowns we will cast at Jesus' feet. The crown will have nothing to do with earthly wealth and/of power.

In the end it is all perspective. Take a look at William Law's perspective in 1822. From Christian Perfection he says, "Our blessed Savior came into the world not to make any composition with it, or to divide things between heaven and earth, but to make war with every state of life, to put an end to the designs of flesh and blood, and to shows, that we must either leave this world to become sons of God, or, by enjoying it, take our portion amongst devils..."

I differ in that I believe God will allow our flesh some enjoyments because it is refreshing to the soul in the war, but always remember the perspective. Christ is at "war with every state of life." Guard your hearts that you have the right perspective, that you are fighting on the right side so that you may obtain the true wealth in obedience.

Collective Obedience

John 14:21, "He who has My commandments and keeps them (OBEYS) is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him."

There is a thought out there called collective salvation which I have not studied, and my title for this post is in no way intended to reflect any belief in collective salvation. That said, I believe this post is for everyone, and I pray that you make it all the way to the end.

I had lunch the other day with a minister friend of mine. Among the many things we talked about one of the subjects was opportunities for me to preach. I was actually laughing about it. It is just like God for me to have so many pastor friends, and none have invited me to their pulpits. To that my friend suggested that I volunteer to preach at Church Under the Bridge. He explained that they have a service everyday and are always looking for someone to preach. I am pursuing that in obedience, and we will see what comes of it.

But that is not the point. The point is I was honest with him, and now you, that even though I know preaching is part of what God has called me to, I still look at it as a source of income. After all, in the non-denominational circles there is always a love offering for the visiting preacher. I also confessed that this is a hindrance to the opportunity, because it represents not trusting God in all possibilities to provide while I go about obeying Him.

So it got me thinking... I thought of all the para-church ministries out there with ministers struggling to make ends meet and to provide for their families. For example jail chaplains are there voluntarily and always looking for outside support. Or even Church Under the Bridge. I don't believe they get more than a button or two passing the plate to the homeless. And yet these people groups are loved by God. They suffer in life, in part so that we can have opportunity to obey and love them in whatever capacity God is calling us to. Sometimes that may be financial support of the minister or ministry. Other times it might be time, prayer, whatever.

I then look at the affects of the blog. It represents my obedience, and a rather easy act of obedience at that. And yet I see time and time again how my obedience ripples out affecting others lives to the positive, and drawing people closer to Christ.

We are the body of Christ. Our obedience in effect is for our own good. It does not matter what label you put on your church community. It can be Catholic, Methodists, Non-denominational, any variation of Jesus Christ is the Son of God and Lord and Savior. When you are saved you are part of one body. If your left hand refuses to obey, or obeys slowly then the whole body suffers, including the left hand. And this is by God's design. When we partake of the juice/wine of communion we are not just acknowledging Jesus as atonement for our sins, but we are spiritually sharing the same blood as our part in the body of Christ. Likewise with the bread. It is Christ Body and in eating of it, we make a spiritual acknowledgment of our connection.

Does this mean that if I don't obey, then God is never able to act in that same way for the other person? Absolutely not, but if I do act, that ripple of blessing returns back to me all the faster. If we do act, we are doing so for ourselves, because we are part of the body. At some point when we as a body of Christ collective obey, then the blessing of God, the disclosure of Himself in experience, will occur more frequently. The entrance into the depths of the Kingdom of God will come for more, and we will all begin to see clearer. God will say clap... and the left and right hand of the Body of Christ will come together in harmony and speed.

A friend of mine is praying to hear God's voice more clearly. While at Sonic he felt compelled to tip the bell hop $100. He described to me his reluctance to do this. Not that he was worried about the money, but fearful of looking stupid. Upon handing the tip the bell hop was visibly moved. My friend asked if the $100 meant something. The Bell Hop replied, I am $100 short on rent and have been praying for a solution. I had just given up and asked to borrow it from my boss.

Do you see the ripple?

I am asking everyone that makes it to this point -- pray, and obey! If God is telling you to give anyone money, please write the check right now. 1 Timothy 6:17-18, "Instruct those who are rich in this present world... instruct them do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share." I am not the only one out there ministering the word of God believing He will provide. I am not the only part of the body of Christ that is financially hurting. Scripture time and time again has finances coming from the believers. In the context of the Body, this is only appropriate. Paul wrote in Philippians 4:17, "Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account." Give for yourself. Give to increase your account, knowing that any blessing to any part of the body is a blessing for the whole of which you are a part in Christ.

If He is telling you to pray... then pray. To call someone... call them. Someone on your heart to invite to lunch... then what are you waiting for. Invite them. Start the ripple.

Finally if you do obey, God promises to show you Himself in the aftermath of that obedience.

Robert

Matthew 25:45, "...Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me."

What an interesting day God had for me. I met a friend of mine for lunch. I would describe him as an itinerary preacher who by day makes a living in whatever business venture comes his way. I have no idea what the ultimate purpose of God arranging the meeting, but I think he will agree that it was is fact His plan. We talked for over an hour, and one thing that he said to me as I shared where I felt like God was bringing me to was this. He said, if I felt called to preach that I should preach to those who cannot afford to give an offering. He said that he could take me to a bridge where homeless gathered and would love to be preached to.

I didn't say anything, but I kind of chuckle because this blog is full of the very people he was speaking of. But I guess I didn't say anything because I really don't consider the ministry to the homeless, and downcast as "preaching." Ministering to the downcast is 2-way communication not a 1-way sermon. It is getting to know them where they are. But the whole point of going through this discussion is to get to my afternoon and Robert.

Robert is a 57 year old man who hangs out at the coffee shop/church where my men's group meets. I know his name because as soon as he knows yours he is there looking for a handout. I and many others have contributed to his survival. But today I saw him sitting in the corner reading. As I walked over the stench of body odor hit my nostrils. It was almost nauseating, but I sat close enough to engage him if the opportunity arose. Even at a place where he is a familiar fixture, he is often dismissed. Rightfully so I assume, but dismissed none the less. After all, how often can you meet someone that within the first 3 sentences is asking for money. But today, because of my lunch, I wanted to really engage him.

So Robert finished reading and tucked his book neatly into a quilted book cover/carrying case and I asked, What are you reading Robert?

He replied, "The H O L Y Bible." If you could have seen the toothless smile on his face as he proclaimed that. In fact he was not only reading the bible, but Job of all books. In an instant Robert jumped to his birthday, to art, and back again. All very eloquent conversation, but without any cohesion. So I asked. Robert about where he lives.

He explained that he was a "ward of the county." That he was a "habitual offender and a felonious public nuisance." I think he likes the title of felonious public nuisance because he repeated it several times giggling the whole time. He continued explaining that the county supplies him with a residence which is 2 bus rides and a train away from our current local. From there he jumped to families not being today what they once were. That no one in his family wanted him. That none would support or help him. I asked, why?

He said, I provide nothing of value.

Probing further I find out that Robert has spent years homeless and on the streets. But I pointed out that I know many people that love him. That support him, and who are his friends. I pointed out his watch that I know he got for his birthday.

Then I asked, what did you learn about reading Job? He said, that as bad as he has had it, he did not have it as bad as Job.

So I asked, does God love you?

His reply with a beaming smile... "Oh yes!"

I asked, How do you know He loves you?... 90 secs or more of silence... I could see the tears coming to his eyes and sense the shear appreciation he was experiencing. He was silent. I was silent. His expression was all I needed to know he feels the love of God. But finally he answered. He said, "He saved my life."

We continued our conversation when and I asked, "Robert, why has God put you here?"

His answer was, "To be an artist." Again, that trade mark toothless smile.

And I laugh. Robert's art use to hang all over the coffee shop. In fact, he even convinced them to sell it for him. One day he was begging money, and not having any to give I probed on what skills he had to "earn" some money.  He explained then that the artwork scattered about was his and for sale. I said, why don't you put some price tags on it so people know it's for sale and how much.  He immediately that day went and got some paper, and put $50 prices on all his art. I of course thought the price should be lower... more like $10, but Robert was having none of that. He stuck to his guns.

Today as he said he was an artist I looked around the room. All that artwork had been sold. He now has 2 new pieces up. So much for me pricing his art too low.

Which brings up another lesson - - Robert has been told all his life he was of no "value." And yet he values himself enough to not "give" his art away. $50 for what is often a pencil drawing on a plan piece of paper to me is excessive. And yet, God has given Robert value. A value Robert recognizes. A recognition that comes out in the pricing of his artwork.

Robert is a "simple" man, but God is using him. He has planted him in a community for people like me to come and practice my "preaching" and loving on.

If you are interested in supporting Robert as an artist, his works are $50 each. Additionally if you are wondering what his art looks like, then you have missed the point all together.

God's love will never cease to amaze me. That a simple man like Robert, cast aside by society because of value and a lack of mental faculties, and yet God has saved his life. God has brought him from the streets to a home. God has given him friends and support. God is not prejudiced by a smell or a mouth only half full of teeth. And what amazes me more is that Robert knows this. That he is conscious of God's love. Whoa to me. Whoa to those who are rich and who do not understand and experience the love of God like Robert has. Shame on us.

611 (iii)

Luke 16:10, "He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much..."

At this point, updating the 611 of my life is not really something I "want" to do, but purely an act of obedience.

It has been 2 full months since June 1st when I decided to completely surrender to God, and to trust Him as my Provider and my Provision. He continues to envelope me in His presence daily, to hug me with His arms of love, and to speak to me heart. His loving relationship to me is truly provision and all I need to exists.

As Provider I have seen Him continue to move, and to increase. In June there was $300 of miraculous provision. In July there was $2300 in miraculous provision. The running total continues to climb as my real job continues to suffer. The deficit on my arbitrary scale is down to -29. Still moving the wrong direction but again God's movement as Provider is trending upward.

Jim, my provision coach, sent me a text the other day after I told him about a $600 blessing. It said, "He who is faithful in very little things it faithful also in much." Funny as it may sound, that whole scripture changed meanings for me in the context of coming from him. I know Jim, and he was not saying to be faithful going forward. He was saying faithfulness was rewarded. I have always been taught that the faithful in the little things would be to spend the $600 appropriately. That I needed to be faithful with the money. But somehow that text was a statement that God had just paid me for my obedience in ministry. It was as if God was saying, your blog and the little act of obedience it represents has produced this. Said another way, it was the "things being added" to the seeking first the kingdom of God.

To explain this in yet another way for understanding. If Jesus is the vine and I am the branch, then this branch is budding. From budding, there will come a flowering, from the flower comes the fruit. The bud, flower, and fruit are God's riches in glory. The $300 in June and the $2400 in July are God supplying my needs according to His riches in glory.

Get it?

Living Water

John 7:38, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water."

I read this scripture and marvel at it's depth... literally. It describes our coming into relationship with Jesus, and understanding it is as if God has us a refreshing glass of living water. Then at some point we look at the same glass, and find it is really a pond of water. Looking again we see it is not a pond, but a river. Still yet with another look later in life this living water is an endless ocean too deep and too wide to fathom.

At the same time, this water being living is new and fresh everyday. It never stagnates, and as such it provides a fresh baptism daily. Christ living water is the daily baptism of self, the daily dying, the daily death, burial, and resurrection.

If that were not enough, this living water rubs against who we are in it. Over time our jagged edges become smooth. It softens us, it washes away dirt and filth. It gives life.

It is a fountain that is new everyday. Today's taste of living water is not the same as yesterday's, nor the same as tomorrows. It is the freshness that makes Christianity such joy.