The Offense of Grace

The thing about grace that many have a problem with is its appearance of being carelessly and indiscriminately thrown around by our Heavenly Father as if there is no limit to it. It just isn’t right by human standards. After all, fair is fair. Give people an inch and they’ll take a mile. Go soft on those who have sinned and the next thing you know everybody is doing it. People make their beds and they should lie in it. They need to learn their lesson. You’ve got to think about the message you’re sending!

Jesus didn’t seem to worry about all that in His ministry. He just loved people and poured out grace, grace, and more grace on the most unlikely candidates. It galls the self righteous when their own sense of justice is violated, but Jesus never seemed to worry about what they thought. He seemed to show such little discernment in how and to whom He gave so much. Even His stories seem to communicate a message that sounds downright wrong to religious ears.

In the parable of the laborers found in Matthew 20, those who came in to work at the last hour received the same salary as those who had worked all day. Those with the admirable ethic of hard work and dependability had been out in the hot sun all day long. Then the slackers show up at the last hour and get the same pay? Come on now! What’s fair about that?

Then there is the prodigal son – a religious zealots worst nightmare. Here, this young boy in the youth group decides he wants to leave it all and move to Los Angeles. He asks His father to give him his inheritance (a subliminal insinuation that he has been thinking he’d be better off if his Dad was dead) and off he goes to the big city. His life soon becomes a blur of Jack Daniels, marijuana and strip clubs.

When all his money is gone and he wakes up in bed one morning and rolls over to see a skanky-looking crack whore (a King James Bible word) who he doesn’t even remember meeting, he is jolted back to reality. “I’m outta here,” he thinks to himself. “Even Dad’s minimum wage guys at home don’t have to live like this.”

So off he goes, hitchhiking home and all the way thinking of how he will grovel when he gets there, how he will promise to do better if Dad will only give him back his old room. “I’ll even sleep in the barn if you want me to,” he figures he’ll say.

You know how the story ends. The moment comes when this scraggly looking, nasty smelling, son comes stumbling up the long driveway. His Dad sees him and immediately tears out running at full throttle. He falls on his boy and, oblivious to the stench, starts laughing and crying, hugging and kissing him, all at the same time. The son is forgiven before he even asks.

The boy chokes up and tries to talk. This isn’t what he had expected. He gets out half a sentence when Dad interrupts and yells orders to fire up the grill, call our family and friends, see if JJT is available (Jerusalem Jazz Trio) and let’s get this party started! Hmm...that’s a strange story, Jesus. Don’t you think it might give the wrong message? “No,” our loving Savior would answer. “It gives the right message. The message is this: It doesn’t matter how pathetic you are, how low you have gone and how long you have been there, I love you and accept you.”

It isn’t about you and me. It never has been and never will be. It’s about Him and His ridiculous, irrational, excessive, loving grace. The self righteous crowd might as well shut up. Jesus is Jesus and He’s not going to change to fit their expectations. Thank God.

Are You A Member of Facebook?

I post updates on Facebook almost everyday about the things going on in my life and ministry. For instance, this week I posted pictures of our recent trip to London, England and Rome, Italy on my FB page.

I will always post my blogs here, but if you have any interest in the day-in-day-out details of my life and that of other people you may know on Facebook, you can go to www.facebook.com and register as a user. Then request me as a friend. I'm not one of those who posts every time I drink a glass of water or eat a meal, but I do post things there that aren't here on my blog. It's just another way to stay in touch with each other. You'll probably be surprised by how many people you discover you know on there. I've reconnected with friends I have had little or no contact with in thirty years.

History Really is His Story

Having just arrived home from our trip to England and Italy, I want today to be a relaxing day. I thought it might be good to see a movie this afternoon, so I checked to see what's playing at the theater near our home. I usually don't agree with the critics review of a movie, but often do trust the opinions of people who have seen the film, especially if many say the same thing.

As I was reading the review of one movie I wanted to check out, here was one person's review:

Not so great. Very little action and not much drama either. Great actors, good acting, but too little to work with. No suspense, no drama, no action, tired plot. Somewhat boring.

When I read that review, I thought about something I recently said when my friend, Paul Anderson-Walsh and I were on Premier Radio in England last week. The issue we were discussing is why God allows evil and pain and all the negative things in life that He could prevent if He wanted to do so.

I know I'll evoke the ire of some who consider "free will" to be the greatest thing they imagine God to have ever created, but I'm not comfortable with the free-will-card as the reason bad things exist in this world. I have another opinion on the matter.

I believe that God allows evil because it provides a great backdrop for revealing His love and grace. Have you ever noticed how that when a jeweler shows you a diamond, he lays in on a pitch-black backdrop. The reason for that is to cause the diamond's brilliance to shine all the more.

History truly is His-Story and I think that a film might be a good metaphor for life in this world. It has already been written and is "in the can" as far as the eternal perspective goes. God isn't waiting to see how the ending turns out. He has already written it and, in Reality, it's a done deal.

If we as human beings are like the guy who reviewed the movie I mentioned earlier and we don't like story lines that lack suspense and danger, why would we think that God would create a world like that? It would be boring, to say the least. The suspense and danger of this world only magnifies the wonder and glory of our God. In this story -- His Story -- a Savior wants somebody to save. A Healer wants somebody to heal. A Deliverer wants somebody to deliver. You get the point.

From the human perspective, it could look like it would be the sadistic work of a god who could hardly be considered as loving if this is true. You and I are the ones in distress who need a hero. There is an antagonist who fights against us, but remember, the end of the story has already been written and the Protagonist of History wins.

So, when things go badly for us in life, and they often do - let's remember that we serve a Sovereign God who has already worked it all out for good. You may be on a dark page in the story of your life right now. This planet appears to be playing out a dismal scene right now. Nevertheless, the Author and Finisher of it all is directing the unfolding of this small incident we call "time." When we finally do see it all from the vantage point of eternity, we will give Him a standing ovation for the exciting story He has written. Though it may not always make sense now, we will see the absolute beauty of it then. After all, it is and will forever be His-Story.

Second Day of Radical Sonship Conference

It's almost midnight here in London and we are ending what was a great day. The conference began this morning at ten and Paul and I each taught two sessions. Paul is an excellent communicator of God's grace and I enjoy speaking together with him every time we get the chance.

Tonight we were aboard the HMS President, an English warship commissioned by the Royal Navy in 1918 and used in World War I. Today it is moored on the River Thames and is used as a venue for meetings. We were aboard for a concert by Dave Bilbrough. I've commended Dave's ministry many times and have always enjoyed serving together with him, but tonight was absolutely an over-the-top experience.

Dave called the evening "Tales of A Troubadour." He weaved his own life story into the mix of songs he sang, many which he wrote and recorded. Some experiences defy description and this was one of them for me. The best word I could use do describe it is "transcendent." I shed more tears of joy and was more deeply touched tonight by Dave's ministry than I have experienced in a long, long time.

Dave will be in Atlanta in October to lead worship during our Grace Walk Leadership Summit and also in our "Living In Heaven's Embrace Conference" during the evenings of the same week. Go to www.gracewalk.org and click the links on the left side of the home page to register for the evening sessions. If you are a Grace Walk Group Leader, you may also register for the morning sessions. Trust me, you don't want to miss this.

Tomorrow morning is the last day of the conference. It has been a great experience to be here sharing our Father's love and grace with such a receptive crowd.

Conference in England

This evening was the first session of the Radical Sonship Conference here in London. I spoke from Ephesians 1 on the topic "The Preface and the Purpose of Life." Tomorrow, Paul and I will teach two sessions each and then close the conference on Sunday morning. Paul and I did one live nationwide radio program yesterday, then recorded eleven more. These are full, but enjoyable days.

Dave Bilbrough is leading worship this weekend. Dave is renowned as a Christian songwriter and singer here in England. We have worked together in previous meetings here and in the states. In fact, I have Dave and Pat (his wife) coming to Atlanta this fall for our Grace Walk International Leadership Summit and our "Living In Heaven's Embrace Conference." (Check gracewalk.org) for more information on those meetings. Dave's ministry touches me like few do. You can check out his ministry at http://www.davebilbrough.com/.

We went to St Catherines Dock for dinner tonight after the conference. We drove past the London Tower, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, etc. on the way back home. Though I've seen it all before, I never tire of downtown London.

Tomorrow will be another great day. It's 1:30 AM here now and we have an early start tomorrow but I'm energized by being with our friends, Paul and Haley, Dave and Pat and by the opportunity to share the wonderful message of our Father's love and grace again here in London.

Michael Jackson

Like many others, I've been asked to weigh in on the death of Michael Jackson. The strongest message that comes to me through all of this has to do with something he recently said. I believe the most poignant words about his life are his own words to a Jewish Rabbi who had recently spent time with Michael in preparation for a book he was going to write about the entertainer's life. (You can read the article at http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1245924935526&pagename=JPArticle%2FShowFull)

In an article in The Jerusalem Post yesterday, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach wrote the following words about Michael Jackson:

I will never forget what he said when we sat down to record 40 hours of conversations where he would finally reveal himself for a book I authored. He turned to me and said these haunting words: "I am going to say something I have never said before and this is the truth. I have no reason to lie to you and God knows I am telling the truth. I think all my success and fame, and I have wanted it, I have wanted it because I wanted to be loved. That's all. That's the real truth. I wanted people to love me, truly love me, because I never really felt loved. I said I know I have an ability. Maybe if I sharpened my craft, maybe people will love me more. I just wanted to be loved because I think it is very important to be loved and to tell people that you love them and to look in their eyes and say it."

With all the talk about the life he lived and the death he died, the above quote from Michael Jackson may be the most important admission of his life. What does that say to the rest of us? It reminds us of the opportunity we have to love people with the authentic love of Jesus Christ. Where Michael Jackson stood spiritually, I don't know. I do know that he was a man in search of love. There are many others like him among those who are famous, those who are infamous and those who fit neither category.

There's a line in the sand with religion on one side and Jesus Christ on the other. Religion harshly judges the people that Jesus loves. I want to spend the rest of my life being on the right side of the line, don't you? Who knows what difference you will make in somebody's life if you do.

Those "Holy" McVeys

My eleven year old granddaughter, Hannah, comes running to Melanie this past weekend:

Hannah: Grandmommy, Jeremy just choked me!
Melanie: He choked you?
Hannah: Yes, look at the red mark on my neck!
Melanie: Go tell Jeremy to come here.

Melanie: Jeremy, did you choke Hannah?
Jeremy: Shakes his head yes with a guilty expression on his face.
Melanie: Jeremy, you can't choke your sister.
Jeremy: I can't go to jail until I'm thirteen.
Melanie: Jeremy, nobody has said anything about going to jail. You don't choke your sister because you love her! Do you love Hannah?
Jeremy: Shakes his head yes again.
Melanie: Do you think there's anything you want to tell her?
Jeremy: I'm sorry.
Melanie: That's a good idea.
Jeremy goes into the other room and apologizes.

Yep, that's my daughter's children! Jeremy really is a sweet boy. No, really. I'll admit though that his train seriously jumped the track with that incident.

It's noteworthy that the first response that popped into his seven year old head was about the law and jail. The little legalist - takes after his dad's side of the family.

I'm kidding, of course, but the issue here is that it is the bent of the flesh to think in legalistic terms. Would it be wrong to do this or that? Would I be punished for doing it?

We miss the point altogether. It's not about right versus wrong or about punishment. The catalyst for our lives is to be love. When our lifestyle is grounded in our union with Triune Love, we live from that benchmark, not a set of rules that come with a corresponding set of rewards and punishment. We act lovingly because Love is our DNA. In Him we live (and love) and move and exist.

So, when your own behavior jumps track at times, don't look upward to an imaginary Judge of the Universe who stands ready to send you to jail. Look into the face of Pure Love and you'll find yourself wanting to behave well on the basis of His attitude and actions toward you.

O Brother...

I was watching O Brother, Where Art Thou? last night on TV. It's a story that is loosely based on Homer's Odyssey and is a movie I never get tired of seeing again and again.

The scene that struck me last night was when Everette, Pete and Delmar had just robbed a bank with Baby Face Nelson. After the escape, the three of them were sitting around a campfire when Delmar spoke:

"Well, that was some some fun though, wut'n it, George? Almost makes me wisht I hadn'ta been saved. Jacking up banks! I can see how a feller'ed derive a whole lotta pleasure and satisfaction out of it. Whoo, doggies!"

Delmar had been baptized in an earlier scene and was determined to walk the straight and narrow now, but he still couldn't help the attraction he found in finding "a whole lotta pleasure and satisfaction" in the wrong ways.

Many Christians have more in common with Delmar than they may want to admit. They believe that when a person becomes a Christian there are a lot of "Whoo-doggie!" experiences they have to say no to despite how enticing those potential experiences might be.

They miss the point altogether. The Law (religious rules) tells you the things you can't do, but along with the prohibition it throws gasoline on the flames of desire to do those very things. In fact, the Apostle Paul said that sinful passions are aroused by religious rules. (See Romans 7:5) Grace does just the opposite. It gives us the desire to live a godly lifestyle and also the power to do it. (See Titus 2:11-12)

If you find yourself at times almost almost "wishtin' you hadn'ta been saved" so you could enjoy the things other people seem to enjoy, I challenge you to "grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" and you'll find more "Whoo-Doggie" in life than you can imagine!

This Week's Sunday Preaching Is Now Online

Check out our home page at www.gracewalk.org. The title is "Better Things: Forgiveness of Sins"

Where God Ain't

He was just a little boy,
On a week's first day.
Wandering home from Bible school,
And dawdling on the way.

He scuffed his shoes into the grass;
He even found a caterpillar.
He found a fluffy milkweed pod,
And blew out all the 'filler.'

A bird's nest in a tree overhead,
So wisely placed up so high.
Was just another wonder,
That caught his eager eye.

A neighbor watched his zig zag course,
And hailed him from the lawn;
Asked him where he'd been that day
And what was going on.

'I've been to Bible School ,'
He said and turned a piece of sod.
He picked up a wiggly worm replying,
'I've learned a lot about God.'

'M'm very fine way,' the neighbor said,
'for a boy to spend his time.'
'If you'll tell me where God is,
I'll give you a brand new dime.'

Quick as a flash the answer came!
Nor were his accents faint.
'I'll give you a dollar, Mister,
If you can tell me where God ain't.'

(Thanks to Daniel Peterson for sending this to me.)