Grace: nothing but acceptance

Grace strikes us when we are in great pain and restlessness. It strikes us when we walk through the dark valley of a meaningless and empty life. … It strikes us when our disgust for our own being, our indifference, our weakness, our hostility, and our lack of direction and composure have become intolerable to us. It strikes us when, year after year, the longed-for perfection of life does not appear, when the old compulsions reign within us as they have for decades, when despair destroys all joy and courage. Sometimes at that moment a wave of light breaks into our darkness and it is as though a voice were saying: “You are accepted. You are accepted, accepted by that which is greater than you, and the name of which you do not know. Do not ask for the name now; perhaps you will find it later. Do not try to do anything now; perhaps later you will do much. Do not seek for anything; do not perform anything; do not intend anything. Simply accept the fact that you are accepted.” If that happens to us, we experience grace. After such an experience we may not be better than before and we may not believe more than before. But everything is transformed. In that moment, grace conquers sin, and reconciliation bridges the gulf of estrangement. And nothing is demanded of this experience, no religious or moral or intellectual presupposition, nothing but acceptance. Paul Tillich, Shaking the Foundations

Kindness Scales

Today I read this post by Seth Godin named Kindness Scales. 

My guess guess is that kind is not an adjective that would be used to describe me. Passionate, is often used but it’s usually code for Billy opens his mouth to wide and too often. So maybe that’s why this short post took my attention and kept calling me back to muse on it some more. So over to Seth:

It scales better than competitiveness, frustration, pettiness, regret, revenge, merit (whatever that means) or apathy.
Kindness ratchets up. It leads to more kindness. It can create trust and openness and truth and enthusiasm and patience and possibility.
Kindness, in one word, is a business model, an approach to strangers and a platform for growth.
It might take more effort than you were hoping it would, but it's worth it.

And it seems to be one of the items of clothing valued by God:

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,....kindness....,” - ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3:12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Work to do....

Unhitched

We kicked off a brand new series at MKCC this past Sunday, The N Commandments. Jesus told his followers NOT to do certain things which on the face of it for us seem almost impossible:

• Don't fear
• Don't worry
• Don't Sin
• Don't Doubt
• Don't Judge

I had the opportunity to launch the series and lay a foundation of how this may even be possible. Our obsession in the church for our list of rules is never going to help us but a loving & treasuring Jesus above everything else may well open the door.
Watch the rest of the message here:

N Commandments - Unhitched from MKCCpreaching on Vimeo.

Defective Leaders

Reflections on Mark Driscoll and the Church from Desiring God on Vimeo.

John Piper hits it out of the park with a truly Jesus view on the problems faced when Christian's and christian leaders fail. In this video he is answering a specific question retaliated to people walking away from church because of the failures of well know leaders Mark Driscoll from Mars Hill, Seattle.

• There is no church that I like everything about..including my own.
• It (Mark Driscoll) is not a unique situation, in history or in our day, Christians are failing, lay people and pastors everyday and bringing reproach on the gospel.
• Who has not let Jesus down.
• Historically God has been willing to use people to speak Gospel truth who have motives that are defective.
• Gos is unbelievably merciful to use you and I to speak Gospel truth with our defects.
• You have to have a category for gospel faithfulness in defective containers.
• Don't throw the baby of truth out with the bathwater of sin.
• To walk away from Jesus because Jesus representatives are failures is to make an absurd choice, Jesus is our only hope.
• Jesus is the one person in the universe who has no defects, he has no failures.
• As I look over history God must be the kind of general who looks over his army that willing accepts tactical defeats for strategic victories.
• The general is not out of control!
• If you walk away from the church you are walking away from church.
• To say that I love Jesus and not submit to his word is a lie. Jesus founded the church I didn't
• The choice of Jesus over the church implies a choice of your opinion over the Bible...because the Jesus of the Bible is the Jesus of the church.

Very wise words from Rev Piper!

Obedience

God the Father has his eye on each of you, and has determined by the work of the Spirit to keep you obedient through the sacrifice of Jesus. May everything good from God be yours! - 1 Peter 1:2 (Message)

For so long I lived like my continued salvation was determined by the extent of my efforts to be obedient to God's commands.

It felt like God had opened the door to a relationship that I had been looking for all my life but I couldn't maintain the level of obedience that was required to maintain my presence. I became a miserable follower of Jesus. Continually failing at being who I thought I should be.

Then one day I read that I had a partner in this struggle and this partner had ALREADY DETERMINED my obedience. This partner was God himself through the Holy Spirit.

Being brought up in a Pentecostal church, I'd heard much about the Holy Spirit. He had gifts of miraculous power, which pointed people to God. I know that he could give me the ability to speak in an unknown language but I had missed the fundamental point, the Holy Spirit was now my partner in my salvation and sanctification. The door had be cracked open and instead of holding on to the lintels by my fingernails the Holy Spirit took a firm grasp of my had and sat with me at the table. Now I strive still, but not through fear of expulsion, but through a deep love of being accepted as I am & the continual presence of a God who always wants my best.

And he has already DETERMINED MY OBEDIENCE not because of my ability or will power but through the SACRIFICE OF JESUS. Who am I to argue with Him?

Determined obedience looks very different when your obedience has been determined!

Overloaded fuses of love

This illustration from Martin Lloyd-Jones in his book Joy Unspeakable to describe the difference between common Christian living and what happens when the Holy Spirit "clothes" a person with power blew my mind!

"It is like a child walking along holding his father's hand. All is well. The child is happy. He feels secure. His father loves him. He believes that his father loves him but there is no unusual urge to talk about this or sing about it. It is true and it is pleasant."

"Then suddenly the father startles the child by reaching down and sweeping him up into his arms and hugging him tightly and kissing him on the neck and whispering, "I love you so much!" And then holding the stunned child back so that he can look into his face and saying with all his heart, "I am so glad you are mine." Then hugging him once more with unspeakable warmth and affection. Then he puts the child down and they continue their walk."

"A pleasant and happy walk with God is swept up into an unspeakable new level of joy and love and assurance and reality that leaves the Christian so utterly certain of the immediate reality of Jesus that he is overflowing in praise and more free and bold in witness than he ever imagined he could be."

"The child is simply stunned. He doesn't know whether to cry or shout or fall down or run, he is so happy. The fuses of love are so overloaded they almost blow out. The subconscious doubts—that he wasn't thinking about at the time, but that pop up every now and then—are gone! And in their place is utter and indestructible assurance, so that you know that you know that you know that God is real and that Jesus lives and that you are loved, and that to be saved is the greatest thing in the world."

"And as you walk on down the street you can scarcely contain yourself, and you want to cry out, "My father loves me! My father loves me! O, what a great father I have! What a father! What a father!"

A Debtor to mercy alone

A debtor to mercy alone,
of covenant mercy I sing;
Nor fear, with Thy righteousness on,
my person and off’ring to bring.
The terrors of law and of God
with me can have nothing to do;
My Saviour’s obedience and blood
hide all my transgressions from view.

The work which His goodness began,
the arm of His strength will complete;
His promise is Yea and Amen,
and never was forfeited yet.
Things future, nor things that are now,
nor all things below or above,
Can make Him His purpose forgo,
or sever my soul from His love.

My name from the palms of His hands
eternity will not erase;
Impressed on His heart it remains,
 in marks of indelible grace.
Yes, I to the end shall endure,
as sure as the earnest is giv’n;
More happy, but not more secure,
the glorified spirits in Heav’n.

- Au­gus­tus M. Top­la­dy 1771

Now that is a hymn full of truth that lifts my heart in love and sheer joy towards my God. Thank you Michael Tait for reminding me of it last night!

To the rescue

"People think the Bible is a book of heroes, showing you people you should copy. The Bible does have some heroes in it, but…most of the people in the Bible aren’t heroes at all. They make some big mistakes (sometimes on purpose). They get afraid and run away. At times they are downright mean."

"No, the Bible isn’t a book of rules, or a book of heroes. The Bible is most of all a story. It’s an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It’s a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne – everything – to rescue the one he loves."

Sally Lloyd-Jones’ - Jesus Storybook Bible.

Now that seems worth reading.

Blotted Out

Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be BLOTTED OUT, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord - Acts 3:19-20

Blotted out =
Obliterated
Destroyed
Erased
Wiped out
Annialated
Canceled
Eradicated
Expunged
Exterminated

We have a strange illusion that mere time cancels sin. But mere time does nothing either to the fact or to the guilt of a sin. --CS Lewis

We turn our backs on it and look to Jesus who is the only one that can break its power and know it has been immediately and eternally BLOTTED OUT!

Where are you?

But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” - Gen 3:9

Adam went into hiding from God because he was afraid. Hiding is something we have become very good at. It is often our first reaction.

We hide when hurt
We hide in shame, because we have been found out
We hide in grief
We hide in fear

At the very time we need help we choose to be alone and so often we leave people to be alone. Alone in their hurt, alone in the shame, alone in their grief, alone in their fear.

God goes looking, calling, Where are you?

Then he sent his Son looking for you, shouting "Where are you?". His exploration for you brings something Adam never experienced - grace. Something you did not deserve. It came as a complete surprise. Healing for hurt, honour for shame, joy for grief and assurance for fear.

But most of all that you never need know the crushing weight of loneliness because Jesus did it for you.

Today Jesus says to you Where are you?  Don't go hiding!

I shall be satisfied

When I shall see Thy glory face to face,
When in Thine arms Thou wilt Thy child embrace,
When Thou shalt open all Thy stores of grace,
I shall be satisfied.

When I shall gaze upon the face of Him
Who for me died, with eye no longer dim,
And praise Him with the everlasting hymn,
I shall be satisfied.

- Horatius Bonar

Grace so Glorious

Beneath the cross of Jesus Christ
No shadow remains for shame to hide
Redemption shone for all to see
Perfection bore our penalty
With a grace so glorious...

Immortal day the veil was torn
When mercy donned a crown of thorns
As law gave way to liberty
And freedom for humanity
With a grace so glorious.

Oh the glory of the Saviour's love
Surrounding our surrender
To know forever we are welcomed home

Crowned in glory to glory
Worthy is the Lord of all
The glory forever Holy is the Lord

Triumphant praises without end
All hailing the King of righteousness
And every eye beholds the One
Our hearts were undeserving of
With a grace so glorious

O wondrous day when I will see
The face of Him who ransomed me
I'll fall in worship at His feet
And rise to reign eternally
In a grace so glorious
In a grace so glorious

Grace is one-way love

Grace is love that seeks you out when you have nothing to give in return. Grace is love coming at you that has nothing to do with you. Grace is being loved when you are unlovable…. The cliché definition of grace is “unconditional love.” It is a true cliché, for it is a good description of the thing. Let’s go a little further, though. Grace is a love that has nothing to do with you, the beloved. It has everything and only to do with the lover. Grace is irrational in the sense that it has nothing to do with weights and measures. It has nothing to do with my intrinsic qualities or so-called “gifts”. It reflects a decision on the part of the giver, the one who loves, in relation to the receiver, the one who is loved, that negates any qualifications the receiver may personally hold…. Grace is one-way love. - Paul Zahl

(HT Pastor Tullian)

Final whisper.... GAIN!

The Calvinist by John Piper

See him nearing death,
Listen to his breath,
Through the ebbing pain,
Final whisper.... GAIN!


The Calvinist from Desiring God on Vimeo.

Click here if you can't see the video

To love is to be vulnerable

"Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.” - C S Lewis

Image via Church Mag

You don't know the cost...

"Alabaster Box"

The room grew still
As she made her way to Jesus
She stumbles through the tears that made her blind
She felt such pain
Some spoke in anger
Heard folks whisper
There's no place here for her kind
Still on she came
Through the shame that flushed her face
Until at last, she knelt before his feet
And though she spoke no words
Everything she said was heard
As she poured her love for the Master
From her box of alabaster

And I've come to pour
My praise on Him
Like oil from Mary's alabaster box
Don't be angry if I wash his feet with my tears
And I dry them with my hair
You weren't there the night He found me
You did not feel what I felt
When he wrapped his love all around me and
You don't know the cost of the oil
In my alabaster box

I can't forget the way life used to be
I was a prisoner to the sin that had me bound
And I spent my days
Poured my life without measure
Into a little treasure box
I'd thought I'd found
Until the day when Jesus came to me
And healed my soul
With the wonder of His touch
So now I'm giving back to Him
All the praise He's worthy of
I've been forgiven
And that's why
I love Him so much

And I've come to pour
My praise on Him
Like oil from Mary's alabaster box
Don't be angry if I wash his feet with my tears
And dry them with my hair
You weren't there the night Jesus found me
You did not feel what I felt
When He wrapped his loving arms around me and
You don't know the cost of the oil
Oh, you don't know the cost of my praise
You don't know the cost of the oil
In my alabaster box

Holding out for Grace

At the centre of all religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics - in physical laws - every action is met by an equal or an opposite one.

Its clear to me that Karma is at the very hear of the universe. I'm absolutely sure of it. And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that "As you reap, so you will sow"stuff.

Grace defies reason and logic. Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I've done a lot of stupid stuff... I'd be in trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge..... It doesn't excuse my mistakes, but I'm holding out for Grace.

I'm holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don't have to depend on my own religiosity.

Bono, U2 - 2005 interview with Michka Assayas

Scandal of Grace

Grace, what have you done?
Murdered for me on that cross
Accused in absence of wrong
My sin washed away in your blood

Too much to make sense of it all
I know that your love breaks my fall
The scandal of grace,
you died in my place
So my soul will live

Oh to be like you
(To) Give all I have just to know you
Jesus, there's no one besides you
Forever the hope in my heart

Death, where is your sting?
Your power is as dead as my sin
The cross has taught me to live
In mercy, my heart now to sing

The day and it's trouble shall come
I know that your strength is enough
The scandal of grace, you died in my place
So my soul will live

Oh to be like you
(To) Give all I have just to know you
Jesus, there's no one besides you
Forever the hope in my heart

And it's all because of you,
Jesus It's all because of you,
Jesus It's all because of your love
And my soul will live Chorus

Oh to be like you
(To) Give all I have just to know you
Jesus, there's no one besides you

Hillsong

Missing God

You live in terms of what you see and touch. I’m living on other terms. I told you that YOU WERE MISSING GOD IN ALL OF THIS. - John 8:23 (Message)

Maybe the most surprising thing about Jesus statement is not that fact that people miss God, but it is where and to whom he said it.

He didn't say it in a brothel or crack house he said it in the TEMPLE.

He didn't say it to the so called reprobates of society he said it to RELIGIOUS LEADERS of the day.

They spent their days reading God's Word, busy in service, surrounded by reminders of God but were missing God in it all.

Even when God turned up in their midst they MISSED him.

The proof is in the opening verses of this chapter where everything they thought about God meant that their job was to pronounce judgement on a woman who was caught in sin. They had become God's policemen rather than His guides to point people to his grace.

They missed God big time.

God help me not to miss God in all of this.

In all our music, teaching, campaigns, campuses, plants, conferences, podcasts, books, blogs, strategies, programmes and all, God don't let me miss you!

Trusting HIM to keep us

Andrew Murray - Abide in Me (Ch 3)

MORE than one admits that it is a sacred duty and a blessed privilege to abide in Christ, but shrinks back continually before the question: Is it possible, a life of unbroken fellowship with the Saviour?

Eminent Christians, to whom special opportunities of cultivating this grace have been granted, may attain to it; for the large majority of disciples, whose life, by a divine appointment, is so fully occupied with the affairs of this life, it can scarce be expected. The more they hear of this life, the deeper their sense of its glory and blessedness, and there is nothing they would not sacrifice to be made partakers of it. But they are too weak, too unfaithful--they never can attain to it.

Dear souls! how little they know that the abiding in Christ is just meant for the weak, and so beautifully suited to their feebleness. It is not the doing of some great thing, and does not demand that we first lead a very holy and devoted life. No, it is simply weakness entrusting itself to a Mighty One to be kept--the unfaithful one casting self on One who is altogether trustworthy and true.

Abiding in Him is not a work that we have to do as the condition for enjoying His salvation, but a consenting to let Him do all for us, and in us, and through us. It is a work He does for us--the fruit and the power of His redeeming love. Our part is simply to yield, to trust, and to wait for what He has engaged to perform.

Stop performing and let God perform