LOVESTRONG

“One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: that you, O God, are STRONG, and that you, O God, are LOVING.”  Psalms 62:11-12

Build these two things into the very fabric of who you are, the foundation of your faith, your relationship with God.

He is STRONG. 
He is LOVING.

If you keep these two things in perspective, you will never lose heart, you will never fade away.

Let’s break it down.

He is All Powerful and His purposes are Supreme. Nothing is outside the realm of possibility for Him. The Bible is littered with these truths.

“No plan of His can be thwarted!” Job 42:2

“He lifts His voice, the earth melts.” Psalm 46:6

“If it were His intention and He withdrew His spirit and breath, all mankind would perish together.” Job.34:14-15

He created the universe at a single word.

He flooded the earth to stand for holiness.

The plagues in Egypt were just a flex of His strength.

He can destroy a city, send fire from heaven, and control all weather in just one single act.

Nations are brought to their knees before him.

Entire armies are halted at his might.

No storm could slow him down.

No cross was too heavy to bear.

And No grave could hold him!

This is my God.

He is Strong and Mighty to Save.

Now if he was just STRONG and not LOVING...we would be afraid of Him. Living with our heads down, in fear of what might happen next.

If he was just LOVING and not STRONG... He would be nice to be around, nice to know, but He would simply be incapable of doing anything about our lives.

What is so magnificent about God, He is the perfect combination of them both. My God is both STRONG and LOVING!

“He does not treat us as our sins deserve.” Psalms 103:8-12

“This is love, not that we love God, but that he first loved us, and sent His son as an atoning sacrifice for us.” 1 John 4:9-10

“Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.” Romans 8:35-39

The mix of God being LOVING and STRONG, work together so beautiful. If these are the only two things you know about God, you’re set. He loves you enough to want a relationship with you, despite all the mistakes you’ve made and the sin you’ve committed. And He’s strong enough to deal with the sin in your life, setting you free to live for him!

“God demonstrates His own love for us in this...while we were still sinners Christ died.” Romans 5:8

Blind Man's Bluff

A man staggers towards a massive cliff. There’s no one else around, as you watch him stumble closer towards the edge. As you look closer you notice he’s blind. He has no idea the free fall that awaits him if he continues on the same route. Sudden and imminent death awaits him.

What is the most loving thing you could do for this man?

Offer him some food or fresh water? A warm blanket or jacket? Maybe an invitation to an upcoming worship night?

Or is the most loving thing you can do for that man...

TACKLE HIM!

It seems insane to make sure he is well fed as he falls to his death or comfortable in his new clothes as he goes over the edge.

If we truly want to show love to him, our first priority should be life or death.

God give us eyes to see people the way you do!

If only God could somehow tell us how he sees people.

“The god of this age (Satan) has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” – 2 Corinthians 4:4

Unbelievers are stone-blind to the truth of Jesus Christ. They do not recognise that living a life without Jesus is a route leading to death.

God has called us who believe to do something about it.

If you know Christ and he’s removed your blinders, then it is time to shed some light in the friends around you that don’t know Jesus and are still lost in darkness. Pray today that we could start to see people the way God does, and respond accordingly.

“You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—SHINE!” – Matthew 5:14

Black and White

I yelled at an old man. Not only did I yell at him, I pushed him over first, and then I yelled at him.

Not one of my proudest moments.

For as long as I can remember I’ve loved to compete. I grew up as the youngest in a family of 3 boys. My dad, brothers, and I, would often play a “rip-snortin” game of backgammon, cribbage, road hockey, basketball, or badminton. We all took it dead serious and the competition level was always 100%. Losing was not an option, win at all cost.

It’s crazy what sports can do to you. Competitiveness can consume you. Everything I’ve ever learnt about integrity goes out the window as soon as the ref blows the starting whistle, or you click your sticks together three times as you say, “N” “H” “L”.

A few years back I was playing soccer with Youth Church in the BC Christian Soccer League. Our team was undefeated in regular season play and we were heading into the playoffs. We were playing a team that had seniors, women, and children on their squad. This was a ‘must win’ game and it should have been a walk in the park.

Halfway through the game, we found ourselves down by a goal, and the intensity started to pick up. The ball hit my leg and went out of bounds, and I argued with the ref that I never touched the ball. Clearly I knew the ball hit me, but I pleaded my case admittedly. I justified in my mind that lying was ok, if it meant we had a better chance at winning. Besides it’s just a game, does God really care about a game? What happens on the field stays on the field, right? I can become a totally different person when I am on the field and justify it by making excuse after excuse.

And then it happened.

One of the lowest points in my life.

A tall, older gentlemen, most likely retired, was my check all game. Every time I touched the ball, he would tug on my shirt, and kick me in the shins. It was a battle all game. I got to my breaking point. When he came in for the next hard tackle, I dropped my shoulder and shoved him to the ground. I stood over him like a warrior over his conquered enemy, and yelled, “GET UP OLD MAN!!”

It wasn’t until after the game that I was able to process what had just happened.

What was I thinking?

Who was I out there?

Did all that really just happen?

I am a pastor, a Christian. I should know better.

How can I claim to love Jesus one moment, and then go act like an idiot out there the next?

It’s like I cared more about the score of the match, then I did about my convictions and my beliefs. Unlike the colors of the soccer ball, I was playing in the grey areas when I knew full well black from white. Yet, I was willing to justify it for the end result.

Mark 8:36 says, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”

Will my trophy impress Jesus, when my means of getting it disappointed him?

On my final day of judgement when Jesus asks me to give an account of my life, will I have time to run back to my fridge and take the magnet off of the score sheet to go show Him?

“Jesus, look! My team won the championship! Yes, I compromised my integrity to get it, but still... we won!”

Too bad soccer skills aren’t on the list of things that will get you into heaven.

We can lie, cheat, and steal, and gain everything we ever wanted on earth, but if we have to forfeit our integrity, our morals, our very soul, it’s just not worth it. It gets us nowhere. We are not bringing any of our earthly accomplishments with us to heaven.

I want people to know that I’m in love with Jesus by the way I act, whether I’m playing soccer or not.

I want to follow after Christ and be a man of integrity.

“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?  Is anything worth more than your soul?”  – Jesus

Cowboys and Indians

When I was a boy I would play Cowboys and Indians with my brother. I had a bow and arrow set and my brother a cowboy hat and a pistol. We were boys, so yes we kept score. I’m not sure why but it seemed to me that the cowboys always ended up winning. Maybe it had something to do with my brother being older, or maybe he cheated; nevertheless, I don’t remember doing too many victory war cries at the end of battle. I would argue that I wanted to be cowboys the next time so I could have a turn winning.

Were we just "boys being boys"? Why did I always feel cheated? What is it about our human nature where we feel like we always need to win, or at least even things out?

Luke 15 tells the story of the prodigal son. A son asks his father for his share of the inheritance, only to go and squander it. The son has nothing left and humbly goes back to his fathers house. When he returns, the father, overwhelmed with joy, embraces him and throws a party in his honor. The older brother, who remained faithful to the father, is angry with the way the father lavishes grace and forgiveness on his newly returned brother. He feels as though he's been cheated. He stayed loyal to the father. Where's the party in his honor? Isn't this kind of grace given in vain? What if the prodigal didn't learned his lesson, and runs off again? It appears that the father is giving allowance for sin, or at least sending the message to the prodigal that disobedience, abandonment, and selfishness is ok.

God’s heartbeat is revealed in the father.

We’re not playing Cowboys and Indians anymore!

It doesn’t matter who is winning.

It doesn’t matter who has sinned less.

We are all forgiven the same. Forgiven means forgiven.

“This son of mine was dead, now he’s alive again!”

Often times in our own lives we worry about giving grace too freely.

We think it might be confused with permission to sin.

...Jesus had no such concerns.

When Jesus offers grace, He forgives completely, keeping no record or wrong.

Micah 7:18-19

“Where is the god who can compare with you— 
   wiping the slate clean of guilt,
Turning a blind eye, a deaf ear, 
   to the past sins of your purged and precious people?
You don't nurse your anger and don't stay angry long, 
   for mercy is your specialty. That's what you love most.
And compassion is on its way to us. 
   You'll stamp out our wrongdoing.
You'll sink our sins 
   to the bottom of the ocean.”