God Is Not Angry With Me

For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. Colossians 1:19-20 NKJV

For all of my adult life, I lived with the burden of an angry God. A God that was going to squash me for all the things I had done wrong.

It was suffocating.

My idea of God was one of vengeance and fear. Oh He loved, but just not me. He was angry with me. I could show you my list of things He was angry with my about.

I lived my life waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Then I read Colossians 1:19-20.

I began to realize God was not angry anymore...at anyone. He had made peace with heaven and earth through His Son. His Son took my punishment for my sin so I could find forgiveness.

What a freeing realization.

God was not waiting to lower the boom on me.

He instead was inviting me to believe in His Son and when I did, we were good. All was forgotten. He was not angry with me at all. What He wants is for me to accept the gift of redemption.

So many of us believe the lie that we are not OK. That as believers our salvation is hanging by a thread. Blasphemy!

God has made peace for us through His Son. And anyone who is in His Son has nothing to worry about.

We are free to live...

Free to love...

Free to be free!

Relax. We are human.

Of course we are going to make mistakes.

Of course we are going to fail.

Of course we are going to sin.

God has not changed His mind. When we sin, fail, mess up, He still loves us with an unfailing love. That's what His peace brings.

Sure there is a judgement day. But today is the day for salvation. And someday when I stand before God, there won't be any record of my sin.

The debt is paid in full. No more condemnation.

I'm free to love Jesus and draw close to Him.

He doesn't remember my failings...why should I worry?

He is not angry with me... why should I fear?

RP

Water into Wine Revisited

So Jesus was in Cana at a wedding feast and the wine ran out.

His mom comes up to Him and asks for a little help.

Jesus reluctantly agrees and asks for the ceremonial jars to be filled with water.

The jars were filled with water, (about 150 gallons) and Jesus told the servants to dip some of the water out and take to the Master of Ceremonies.

No hocus-pocus alacazam. Just "Dip some out."

The MC was amazed at how good it was.

Now, let's not pass over this story too quickly. I've written about the generosity of Jesus using this story (the 600 plus bottles of wine) but now let's take a look at the sheer power of Jesus.

A water molecule is H2O. A simple molecule with two part hydrogen and one part oxygen. Jump on the internet and see if you can find the molecular structure of a wine molecule.

There really isn't a wine molecule because wine is made up of a whole bunch of different ingredients. Way more than two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen.

Jesus took one substance and completely altered it so that it became something totally different.

Wine is not a variation of water.

Wine is all together different from water.

That's not all.

This wine was not grape juice.

It was wine. Fermented wine.

Do you think the MC would have been impressed by really good grape juice? C'mon. Let's be truthful here. Jesus made wine. And it only adds to this incredible miracle.

Wine fermentation takes at least a month. And to 'cure' properly, several months. The really good stuff is aged for years before consumption.

According to the MC, this was really good stuff. So not only did Jesus completely alter the molecular structure of water, we messed with time itself. He completely bypassed the normal aging process and moved it forward months, maybe years.

This is profound power!

This is what Jesus offers us. A radically different life from what we are today.

When we say yes to Jesus, the old is gone and the new is come.

We have been radically altered.

We have moved from death to life.

It doesn't get more radical than that.

We must not then resist His power to make us into His creation. A life that is molded and made into something all together different from where we started.

He can do it. We just need the courage to trust Him.

And we can trust Him. He knows exactly what He's doing.

RP

I'm All In

Almost every night, I wake up in the middle of the night. It's the Lord, at least I hope it's the Lord, and we talk. Usually it's around 3:15-3:30am. I don't know why He wakes me at this time, but He does... so we talk.

A couple of nights ago I was awakened at 12:30am. I was like...12:30...really Jesus? It's 12:30! But it is Jesus, after all, so I said ok and we begin to talk.

Here's how way this conversation went.

I stayed under the covers and He began to reveal to me all the ways He has worked in my life over the last 35 years to bring me to where I am today. This took about an hour and a half. He was showing me this and showing me that. How what I thought were just circumstances was really Him leading. There were so many. I could see His hand all over my life. All those experiences...all those teaching moments, all the people He led me to.

It was so humbling. It's hard for me to even write about it without shedding tears. In fact, I can't.

I asked myself over and over again, "Why would Jesus have such involvement in my life? Wouldn't He just loving me be good enough?"

Then I think back to my youth...when I pledged to Jesus my life and said He could do with it anything He wanted. He has taken me up on it. And despite all of my stupid mistakes, sin, and dumb choices, He has been faithful.

I feel right now, I am at the threshold of something really important. Something He has been preparing me for throughout my entire life.

As I was pondering all these things Tuesday evening I realized something very painful. I still don't trust Jesus with everything.

Even though I can see His hand working even through the darkest hours of my life, I still don't trust Him completely. Even though I have been placed in a wonderful church by Jesus for this very hour, I still keep my options open. Even though He has replaced the years the locust have eaten, I still hold back.

It's utter foolishness on my part really. To hold something back from Jesus just isn't rational. I am the only one who loses. To hold back even a little bit is to deprive myself from seeing all He has for me. And not just for me, but my family and all I might influence because of His work through me.

I want to say...in writing...and with all my heart, I'm all in. From this day forward till I see you face to face, Jesus...I'm all in.

I need a tissue.

RP

A Christmas Message With a Twist

"The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Luke 2:11-12 NLT

I love the way Jesus comes into the world. It's so shows us who He is.

Unassuming.

Humble.

Wrapped in strips of cloth...just like the tomb. He left is earthly body the same way He entered.

I know me. If were king of all creation and had to descend like Jesus did, there would have been much pomp and fanfare in my birth. The whole world would know "I had arrived." But not Jesus.

What does that tell us about Himself? About God?

Jesus is the exact representation of God. Jesus said, "If you have seen me you have seen the Father!" and "I and the Father are one."

So what is Jesus telling us about Himself as He chose the manger over His throne?

Total humility. He completely stepped down from heaven and became exactly like the least of us in total surrender to the will of His Father...who is our Father by the way.

We see this over and over in the life of Jesus. This total humility and lack of pretense.

Standing in line, like everyone else, waiting to be baptized... Reclining at tables with friends... Hanging out with sinners and prostitutes...

The only time you ever see Jesus barging into a scene was at the Temple when the religious were making it difficult for people to get to God.

Think about the resurrection. Jesus had just risen from the dead. He had just crushed Satan's head and won the battle of all battles. And what does Jesus do? He just kinda sonders up the the two on the road to Emmaus and joins in on the conversation. They didn't even know it was Him until they saw His nail pierced hands as He served them bread.

I love it!

Jesus is so humble.

And He is still humble toward us.

He has no hoops to jump through to get to Him.

He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is just as approachable as that little baby wrapped in strips of cloth laying in a manger. The difference is He is now ascended to heaven. But not as a God who cannot be touched, but as a friend knocking on the door wanting to have dinner. Rev. 3:20

RP

A Special Invitation

“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends." Revelation 3:20 NLT

Oh, how I love this verse.

This invitation from Jesus.

Come. Dine. Sit down with me and be my friend.

There are few things in life I relish more than sitting down with a friend or friends and having a meal together. The conversation is so pleasant and the fellowship so real.

I remember as a child, my dad and mom had a constant stream of students over to our house...

for meals, popcorn, games, or just plain fellowship.

Oh, the fun we had.

The smell of popcorn and the sound of laughter would fill the air and Pepsi would flow like wine. (sorry, a little family joke there)

Those memories are priceless and the friends gathered eternal.

I sure had a great childhood.

But this verse is also so heartbreaking.

Jesus is standing at the door knocking.

Not loudly...

Not beating down door the door...

A gentle knock. Just loud enough we know He is there.

And the heartbreaker is this...Jesus was speaking to Christians.

He was writing this to a church. Laodicia.

Jesus.

Writing to a church.

To believers.

Asking to be let in.

Why does Jesus need to standing outside of His own church asking to come in? Even worse, why does He need to be knocking at the door of a believer? I'm afraid the answer is quite obvious. He's not already on the inside. He's waiting to be invited in.

All the stuff we have going on seems like Jesus...

Oh, the heartbreak.

He promises a great time.

Wonderful intimate fellowship.

And memories that will last all eternity.

But alas, ever the gentleman, He knocks.

And waits.

I think we kinda like Jesus out there... on the other side of the door. Maybe we're afraid of what He might say or ask. It's much safer to keep Him at a distance. After all, religion is easier than relationship. Religion is distant. Relationship is close and intimate. It requires trust and honesty. And exposure of the real me.

And Jesus knocks...

I would that all my days be spent in fellowship with Jesus as though we were friends dining at our favorite restaurant.

That is His invitation. I think I'll open the door.

RP

Jesus' Greatest Attribute

For some time now, I have been in pursuit of the real, authentic Jesus. The one I read about in the Bible.

I've tried to put my own notions aside and rediscover this incredible man.

I've compiled a list of some of my discoveries as I've tried to read the Bible a new way.

See, when you read an email, book, or newspaper, sometimes you miss the flavor of an incident or conversation. Without all the context, you can easily miss a grin, a playful jab, or a subtle undertone.

I've started listening to really great book by John Eldridge called Beautiful Outlaw. So far, as I listen, his book so captures the Jesus I have discovered myself when I remove the religious haze that so clouds the real Jesus.

Here are some of the characteristics of Jesus that make me love him so much;

Funny,

Fierce,

Playful,

Compassionate,

Understanding,

Unassuming,

Humble,

Imaginative,

Driven,

Intentional,

Cunning,

Patient,

Kind,

Wise,

Huggable,

Approachable,

Non-manipulative,

Creative,

Unintimidated,

Brave,

Powerful,

People Lover,

Passionate,

and most of all...very human.

But my favorite characteristic of Jesus; Knowable.

Jesus came to be one of us so he could know us and we could know him...intimately.

Not a Deity on some far away throne, but God with us.

Emmanuel. In every sense of the word.

Our church culture has put Jesus in a box called religion and has put him on such a high pedestal, no one can reach him.

That's not Jesus.

Jesus was and is totally approachable and knowable.

"We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. John 1:1-2

As we approach Christmas this year, embrace the humanity of Jesus. He walked, sweat, was dirty at times, smelly at times, got tired and hungry, shared laughter, pulled pranks, got angry (at the religious), cried, was moved... He felt every emotion as we do.

Yes, he is fully God, but he is also fully us.

RP

If Jesus Could Choose Me, Would He?

I remember in my formative years the trauma of picking teams. Somebody would be in charge of picking captains and the captains would gaze through the crowd of possible choices and carefully craft their team with one and only one ambition in mind. Win baby!

If you were one of the first picked, all was cool. If you were in the middle, you could at least find strength in the fact there were others worse than you. And as the crowd dwindled, the remaining choices were assessed on who would do the least harm.

First it was school, then on to Prime Time!

Church camp.

Tribe drafting at Sharon Bluff Bible Camp was the all important event on the first morning of the week and it was absolutely critical to one's self esteem... for years to come, I might add. Each of us, to this very day, remember with exacting clarity where we fell on judgement day.

I remember as a junior camper looking in awe as the 'big boys' were picked first. Wow! To be one of those lucky guys. I also remember the pain of being picked toward the bottom and the ache in my soul for the last one picked.

It was my senior year of camp. John McCrory had first selection. The boys and girls were lined and John had first choice. Who was going to be 'el numero uno'? Who was going to be considered the best choice to win the all important Sharon Bluff Camp tribe title? John made his choice. Randy Payne!

The crowd roared in excitement. And John etched his name in stone as my all time favorite tribe leader. (Actually John was that before the pick, he just iced it then.)

That was only time I can ever recall being chosen first.

For anything.

Now, I'm not a horrible athlete, but I'm certainly not elite. I was never great at Bible drills like Lyman, Tim or Becky, but I could hold my own. I guess John saw something in me that made him choose me first. It was a glorious moment, to be sure.

As I entered the work force, however, something was different. I discovered I could work circles around anyone around me and thus I found my way to earn big points.

Staying late.

Performing well.

Accepting responsibilities.

And that's the way it's been for me.

I work. And I work hard.

I have earned many accolades in my work.

But the problem is, I brought that 'work' into my relationship with Jesus.

I figured Jesus wouldn't choose me or want me on his team strictly on my own merit. I knew the real me and all my disgraceful acts. I needed an edge. Something that would get his attention so he would notice that I was worth the risk. Alas, I fell back on my old favorite and began working really hard for Jesus.

It's what I know. So it will work with him too, right? If I play guitar really well, or give to someone in need, or give way more than 10%, or say all the right words in church or...

It was a charade. The harder I worked, the more I felt I had to do.

It was so crippling.

It's what our enemy wants. He wants us consumed with doing for Jesus instead of being with Jesus. You know... that whole Martha thing.

But, this is not new. People for a long time have tried to find God through works. They even asked Jesus about it.

Then they asked him, What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this; to believe the one he has sent." John 6:28-29 NIV

Jesus made me uniquely and loves me uniquely. And his greatest desire for me is to be his friend. He delights in me for me. And no amount of good deeds has any effect on his love for me. What he requires is my faith. He does the rest.

"Draw close to God and God will draw close to you" James 4

RP