Where are you right now?  What are you doing?  Is it something you enjoy?  Are you feeling alive as you live your life?  Are you compelled by something bigger than yourself?

What reasons exist behind the way you’re living your life right now?  Are you driven by a paycheck?  By a striving for ambition and accolades that perhaps always seem just out of reach?  While you may not love the line of work you’re in (most don’t), is your perspective drawn down by the weight of what you consider an undesirable role?  For most people, the answer is yes.  It is for that reason that we call can sing along with “Everybody’s working for the weekend!” when it comes on the radio, and we can’t help but crank the volume up just a bit.

We all want to be compelled by something greater than the hum-drum of daily life.  We all want there to be a supply of “fuel” in the tank of our spirit; something deeper, higher, and greater than what we see in the mirror.  In fact, when that sense of compulsion feigns, we are left with a bleakness, a hopelessness, and a weight within that we can’t seem to lift.

I’ve been working with teens in some capacity for nearly 20 years now.  And every so often I am reminded that few and far between are those that are taught and understand how to live a life that is not only compelled, but is itself compelling to others.

At the risk of stating the obvious, it is clear to me that the life that is uncompelled is the life that is self-centered and consumeristic.  It is the life that is constantly looking for what it can get from you, from me, from others, from any/all situations it is in, from the world, from life.  It’s constant cry is “feed me, I’m still hungry.”  And in this self-absorbed state, it lives day after day missing countless opportunities to look beyond itself for what can truly satisfy.

As time has marched on, we have become more and more a people who are self-catering.  We are hedonistic, pleasure-driven, and entitled to nothing less in our own estimation.  What this has done to today’s teens is to set the perfect climate for them to be down-cast, lost, purposeless, and desperate; all while perpetuating the guise of being happy, free, fun, and satisfied.  It’s as if the mirror tells them one thing, but the image just beyond the mirror tells them the opposite.  No wonder they’re conflicted, reeking of entitlement, confused, and searching for love, hope, and meaning wherever they can find it, no matter the cost.

But as someone who is not only a “youth pastor”, but a human being who follows Jesus and loves all teens everywhere, I find myself with a deep ache inside to communicate a way of life that will not be dismissive of the inner ills they feel, but instead will face them head-on in a confrontational way; a way that sees the futility of the self-absorbed life and chooses instead the self-denying life.

As much as I’d like to, there’s simply no way to speak about self-denial in a way that is comfortable or even non-controversial.  I’d suppose that some might read these words and think this or that about how naive I am, or simplistic, or just dead-wrong.  But this is the nature of the life Jesus invites us to: it’s gloriously uncomfortable.  And in it any human can find the deepest, most compelling life to live.

Last night, I volunteered at an event called “Bless Richmond”.  And as I type the word “event”, I whisper a prayer that it would not merely be an “event”, but an ignition point, an awakening, and a compelling call to thousands–no–tens of thousands of followers of Jesus (present and future) in the Richmond, VA area (or wherever you live) to move beyond living because of their ability to breathe to living because of uncontained passion for Jesus, the greatest self-denier, the justice-giver, the spotless lamb, the Savior of the world, the Son of God.

Philosophers will call us ignorant.

Educators will call us unenlightened.

Atheists will call us weak.

Cynics will call us idealistic.

Religious rule-followers will call us irreverant.

Historians will call us predictable.

The media will call us do-gooder weirdos.

And they’ll all be right.

But…

God calls us beloved.

God calls us His children.

God calls us ambassadors.

God calls us a royal priesthood.

God calls us agents of His grace.

God call us conduits of His love.

God calls us announcers of His redemptive hope.

There is no greater calling, there is no greater life, and there is nothing more compelling than that.

Last month, I spent 4 days with the people of New Life Baptist Church.  Its been a long time coming, but I wanted to–no–HAD to write about that time we shared together.  And even as I type these words, I pray that they’re moving through what God did among us as we sought/seek that oft-elusive thing we call “Revival”.  If you’d like to read what I wrote BEFORE those 4 days, click here.

What must be said before I get into what we shared together in God’s Word is this one singular fact:  the people of New Life Baptist Church simply want Jesus.  They want Him proclaimed, they want Him exalted, they want Him in charge.  And as simple as that sounds for me to say about a church, it is the most profound truth a collective body of believers can hold to.  Their fellowship was intoxicating, their love for people was infectious, and their embrace of me as their “revival speaker” was humbling to say the very least.  In a nutshell, I absolutely loved every moment I spent with them.

When I am invited to speak somewhere (anywhere), I don’t go to the plethora of messages I have on file that I’ve delivered in the past.  I don’t “recycle” messages like I know many wonderful speakers do.  I go right to God and ask, “What do You want said to these people of Yours?”  Over the months approaching this revival  series at New Life Church, I clearly sensed God’s leading as I leaned in to hear what His heart wanted conveyed to the people He so desperately loves.

For my own purposes of preparation, I broke things down into 4 headings:

1. “Reviving Revival”

In this message, we discussed what life ready for revival looks like.  Namely, we considered 3 things: C.P.R.

Contrite Heart: Contrite is a fancy word for “busted” and without being broken, we are of no use to God.  This flies in the face of the statement I’ve heard so many people say so many times, “I’ve got to get my act together before I come to church/God.”  No, you absolutely do not.  Jesus Himself said He didn’t come for those who are well (no one is), but for those who KNOW they’re sick/broken and need a doctor!

Prayerfulness:  The people of New Life Baptist spent months in prayer for revival before I ever got there.  I could have sang “Itsy Bitsy Spider” and played Tiddly Winks and they would have been blessed by God’s renewing and refreshing Spirit.  Because as was said about me before my arrival, “He’s not bringing revival in his suitcase.”  Revival is a result of earnestly seeking God, and that’s precisely what they did and are doing.

Readiness: Simply put, readiness for Jesus’ return and readiness for revival are one in the same!  If we’re so distracted by the world’s issues and cares, we simply cannot be on the ready for what God wants to do in us and through us!  The simple question was/is: “Are you really and truly ready for revival?”

2.  “Revival comes from a refocus on Jesus as the centerpiece of both human history and heaven’s army”

We looked at 2 different instances from Jesus’ earthly ministry: when he healed the demoniac at the Geresenes (Mark 5) and his first recorded miracle (John 2) of turning water into wine.  We came to see that while we might follow Jesus (as a disciple), are we believing who He really is?  We learned from John 2 that Jesus had disciples who didn’t yet believe that He was the Messiah!  How many of us are involved in churchy activities without truly turning our lives over to the One who stands as heaven’s Savior as well as humanity’s ransom?  Is He a great idea or is He your intimate, in-control “Lord”?

3. Revival comes from reigniting our passion for salvation.

We exposed the popular doctrine that there is no literal hell; why its popular and why its anti-Scriptural.

We considered the calling of Matthew (Levi) and just why Matthew was so quick to forfeit his tax-collecting, money-grubbing lifestyle and instead take up the sheer uncertainty of following a Rabbi named Jesus.  I challenged those listening that “If you want revival, you can’t stay here.”  And no matter where your “here” is, God wants to lead you on into what He has for you.  But as slothful, lazy, and (let’s face it) disobedient children, we often would rather sink into our spiritual recliners.  I shared an illustration from a conversation with my youngest daughter.  I was having lunch with her one recent Friday when she was telling me about art class she had just come from.  She was working on a painting of a lighthouse and told me, “Dad, my lighthouse isn’t like everybody else’s lighthouse.”  Intrigued, I asked “Well, what’s different about your lighthouse?”  She explained, “Well, MY lighthouse isn’t near the water like the others.  Mine is in the hills with grass all around because I think that looks prettier.”  Are we building churches and growing “Christians” that have chosen to live far from the dangers of the mission we’re called into?  Are we lighthouses that serve no purpose because we’re not near the water, where the light we shine warns the world of the dangers of sin and hell?  Too often we choose safety for us rather than salvation for the lost.

4. Revival comes when we reaffirm our God-given mission.

As we closed our 4 days together, I simply challenged them to identify themselves as one of three things: a lighthouse, a treehouse, or a warehouse.  As a lighthouse (as was mentioned the day before), we are willing to go to where the danger is, to where the help is needed, and shine the light of  God’s love in practical, tangible, visible ways so that those around us might “see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”  Some churches though would rather view themselves as a “treehouse”.  When I was young, my cousin had a great treehouse in his backyard and we’d love to climb up in there to play with a “Us only!” attitude.  Are we going to be a people who are safe and secluded from the world below, and have we adopted a “no girls allowed” mentality when it comes to who we reach out to, and who we don’t.  Is our church more of a “members only” social club?

And finally (and most ghastly), are we identified as a “warehouse”.  We’ve been “saved” and we reckon ourselves as good-to-go when it comes to our eternity, but until then we’re just marking time as if life after receiving Christ becomes some waiting room while we literally do nothing until His return.  If that’s the case for us, then Scripture is already clear about what the outcome will be.  I closed with one of my favorite parables, the Sheep and the Goats.  When in the end it was not what we believe that determines our eternity, but what we DID with what we believe.  In this, they as a church and as individuals are faced with a “fork in the road”.  Will they move toward being the lighthouse God has called them to, or circle back and enjoy the comfort of the tree house or the rigor mortis of the warehouse?

I was honored and humbled to be a part of those few days at New Life Baptist Church and pray that not only them, but you and I would continually strive for a steady sense of “revival” as we walk hand-in-hand with our Creator, Savior, Messiah, and Lord!

I wrote a blog post yesterday called “Moral Failure” (scroll down for that one) and while most of my posts have readership in the 10s, that post had readership in the 100s.  I was astounded to watch the “hits” on that blog post rise throughout the day.  Clearly, I hit a nerve.  And I wanted to follow it up with a somewhat related post today.  Go with me as we get there.

She may not know it, but my wife (before she was my wife) gave me one of my most valued possessions.  When we were in college, a folk musician by the name of Michael Kelly Blanchard came to a chapel service and sang.  (I wasn’t really into folk music, but I really enjoyed what I heard.)  That night, he held a concert for the student body.  I will never forget how mesmerized I was and still continue to be at the lyrics of his songs.  Some of them you may know, but perhaps didn’t know that he was the songwriter.  A popular tune in the Church is “Be Ye Glad”, made popular by an A Capella group called “Glad”.  The words though, were written by Michael Kelly Blanchard.

Last Saturday my wife and I were cleaning out our closet and I came across a box of cds.  Nostalgic as I am, I couldn’t resist sitting on the floor, opening up the box, and going through its contents.  I came across a cd called “Mercy In The Maze” by Michael Kelly Blanchard.  It was a cd my wife bought for me back in college when Blanchard visited our school.  Clearly, she saw how moved I was by his music and wanted me to have my own copy.  More on that in a moment.

Thousands of years ago, God spoke and created every thing you see.  The sky, the oceans, the forests, the mountains, the fish, the animals, the flowers, the grass, the deserts, the stars, the moon, the Sun, the galaxies.  Everything came into existence by the very will of God through the very spoken word of God.  He simply spoke and order came.  Perfect design flowing from the  mouth of the Perfect Creator.  What power is His, evidenced by what happened when He simply spoke.

But God didn’t speak humans into existence.  Genesis 2:7 tells us that God “formed a man from the dust of the ground”.  While God could have most certainly simply spoken man into existence just as He did the stars and fish, God wanted man to be a “hands-on” project.  Look down at your arms, your hands, your feet.  You are literally the work of God’s hands.  Psalm 139:13 finds the psalmist declaring, “You knit me together in my mother’s womb…”  God created you with His own hands.  Do you see how precious and priceless you must be to Him?

And after God formed man from the dust, Genesis 2:7 tells us that He then “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life…”  While scientifically it’s true that you’re breathing oxygen right now, can you embrace the truth that spiritually speaking you are breathing the breath of God?  You are alive right at this moment because of the breath on loan to you from God Himself.  Pause just a moment and contemplate that truth.

The book of Genesis, in the very next chapter no less, tells us that the serpent was the most crafty of any creatures the Lord God had made.  Let me tell you what one of the greatest and yet most effective lies the serpent speaks is: “You’re beyond grace.”  Everyday to as many people as he can, Satan whispers into their ear that they are beyond help, beyond forgiveness, beyond repair, beyond the reach of God’s love.  They’ve done too much, they’ve sinned too much, they’ve hurt too many people.  They’ve simply gone too far and nothing can bring them back to the redemptive embrace of their Creator.

How I desire for every person who is taking the time to read these words to understand and embrace this fact: No matter what you have done, no matter where you have been, no matter what you think of yourself, no matter how painful the pain is that you’ve caused or that you now feel; there is NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING that can keep you out of God’s reach.  I beg you to please reject the lie of the enemy as he seeks to pull you further and further into the darkness of your own shame.  Whatever you have done, the blood of Jesus Christ covers it.  You are still the object of God’s affection.  You are still the target of His love.  You are still breathing the very breath of God; the grace-filled breath of your loving Creator.  Please believe that.  Please embrace it.  Please accept it.  Please take that truth in to the deepest part of the darkest pain you have and allow it to be the salve, to be the balm that heals the hurts.  It is not merely words on a screen you’re reading–it is the most real reality there is.  It’s the truest truth that exists:  God loves you right where you are.

I want to introduce you to a song by Michael Kelly Blanchard.  The video that follows is dated, but the message being conveyed is as relevant and needed today as it ever has been.  And as you listen to this song, I invite you to place yourself in it.  Hear the words as they come from the singer and realize that this is God’s loving anthem over you.  If you have failed morally, if you have reckoned your situation as hopeless, if you have been convinced that you are beyond repair, beyond redemption, beyond God’s reach….listen to His message of grace today.  And breathe His grace in.

I’m a closet perfectionist.  And I’m coming out.

“Hi. My name is Jerry and I’m a perfectionist.”

I can hear you all saying “Hi, Jerry.” followed by light applause.  Thank you.

Let me be even more honest.  I sometimes let my striving for perfection stop me from making any forward progress at all.  The rationale goes something like this, “If I __(write)__ and it isn’t phenomenal, then I’m not going to be happy, people won’t like it, and the overall quality of __(the blog)__ is going to be negatively affected.

Case in point.  I just started a new weekly schedule whereby I actually have allotted time to contribute to my blog twice a week.  However, because I got an unexpected phone call as the allotted time was approaching, I was left with only a few minutes to write and thought “Nah, won’t write today.” The problem is (in true perfectionistic form), I didn’t want to muff up my new schedule on my very first day of implementation!  See the cycle?!?  But I digress.

So, I’m just going to write about what’s going on in my head right now.

Tonight is “Trunk or Treat” at my church.  We typically have well over 1,000 people from the community come through our parking lot, picking up treats and hopefully a healthy dose of God’s love and maybe even a “I should check them out” thought in their mind.  I’m excited about my costume.  It cost me exactly $1.  I bought an old used work shirt from a company called “Lake Electric” that has the name patch “Justin” on it.  Total blue collar look with jeans and work boots.  Who am I?  I’m Bieber in 20 years.  My wife and I are helping with registration at the event tonight.

I’ve got a lot going on in my whole effort to shift my time around in order to make sure I’m more focused on the important rather than the urgent.  Taking my cues from Mary instead of Martha.  If you don’t have any clue what I’m talking about, read this.

Well, speaking of important, I’ve got an errand to run.  Thanks for checking in on what may or may not be what I consider a completely “imperfect” blog post.

Ask anybody.  Forgiveness is a very popular concept.  We all know we need it.  The idea that whatever you did can be forgiven–well, who doesn’t want that?  The gospel song “Amazing Grace” is one that is widely known and loved by Christians and non-Christians alike.  Let’s face it, grace rocks.

We’re headed into a season of focusing on God’s grace in a concerted and intentional way at our church.  Its going to be a wonderful journey into new truths and poignant reminders of just where we stand before a holy God.

In a staff meeting the other day, our senior pastor was talking to us about what God says about grace, forgiveness, and mercy.  As he was speaking, my mind went back to my college Greek class and the word for “grace”.  It’s the Greek word “charis”.  Many Christians define grace as “unmerited favor”, and rightfully so.  But charis is so much more than a wink from God we didn’t earn.

I also made the instant connection (as our pastor was speaking) to the term “charismatic”.  Charismatic has become a descriptive term used to explain a style of worship in some churches; as in, “I really love that church! Their worship services are so energetic and charismatic.” Or “That church is too charismatic for my taste.”  How has a description to a style of worship  hi-jacked the word that I believe should describe every follower of Jesus?!?  I mean, if “charis” means grace, then doesn’t “charismatic” describe a gracious person?  And shouldn’t all those who name Jesus as Lord be examples of grace on a daily, hourly, minutely basis?

I grew up in a fairly traditional Baptist church.  (That’s an actual picture of it to the right.)  If you’ve been reading my blog for a while now, you probably already know that my Dad was the pastor of this small church in South Jersey.  And as much as I loved my church as a boy and teenager, I can tell you without flinching that we were most certainly NOT a “charismatic” church.  If you raised your hand, you probably had a question.  If you clapped, it was only after the duet of the elderly couple whose name I can’t remember; he played violin and she sang; both rather squeakily as I recall.  And if you found yourself on the floor, the only possible explanation is that you fell.  Nope, charismatic we were not.  We left the snake handling to the pros.

But when we can fully understand and appreciate that the word “charis” (grace) is translated as “that which affords joy” and “blessing, concession, gift, credit”, well…things change.  That last word “credit” strikes me more than any.  The concept of credit is taking/using what belongs to someone else with the intention of paying back in the future.  We in America know it well.  Very well.  Most Americans are drowning (many secretly) in thousands upon thousands of dollars in credit card debt.  But because of the true meaning of the word “charis”, we who love, receive, and follow Christ are in a position of first receiving what we most certainly have no claim to on our own, and then having no expectation on the part of our Creditor to pay that amount back.  Indeed, if I understand the gospel correctly, the bill of my sin credit has been paid in full by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.  A popular concept I’ve heard is that “Jesus dropped the charges” when in reality the truth is “Jesus paid the charges”!  Grace is the removal of the weight of my own sin from my soul and placed upon the shoulders of Jesus.  Instead of punishment, I get pardon.  Instead of condemnation, I get celebration.  Instead of hell, I get healed.

But the transaction of receiving grace from God is only fully complete when we become the conduit of His grace.  Certainly God loves you and forgives you, but only for the purpose of making you the kind of lover and forgiver that He is; not so that you can look into the mirror each morning and smile at someone who is forgiven and yet doesn’t forgive.  In fact, we’re warned in scripture that if you don’t forgive….wait for it….you can’t be forgiven.  How’s THAT for a loving nudge toward being a “charis-matic” person?

So, let’s not just use the term “charismatic” for that church down the road (you know the one), but let’s instead find the word useful to describe every grace-filled, fully-credited, freely-loving follower of Jesus.

If you want to read a cool experience I had 4 years ago, click here.  It’s all about grace, too.

I’m sitting at a booth in a well-known local cafe’, having just witnessed something that prompted me to write my thoughts down.  Hope you don’t mind.

I walked into the cafe’ and took my place in line to order, waiting patiently.  A few minutes after coming in, a young woman and her son (I’m guessing 3 years old) come in and take their place in line.  Without stopping, the young boy makes a bee-line to the front of the line where the pastries are displayed just-so behind a piece of glass, goes directly to the monstrously sized cinnamon buns, and begins to yell ever-so-loudly while pointing at the cinnamon buns:

“Unt Dat!”

“Unt Dat!”

“Unt Dat!”

“Unt Dat!”

“Unt Dat!”

“Unt DAT!”

“UNT DAT!”

“Unt DAT!”

“Ma!  Unt DAAAT!!!”

As humans, we “unt dat”, don’t we?  It’s a different “dat” for each of us.  Just as an example, lately I’ve been fixated on a new TV (which is preposterous because we don’t even have cable).  I’ll take any excuse to saunter through local big box stores and just stare crazily at the wall of flat screen wonderousness.  Sales people approach me, “Can I help you, sir?”  With a silence that clearly says, “Just leave me alone with my precious”, I don’t even bother to look their way.

And I suspect that if you’re honest–I mean with the honestly of a 3-year-old in a bakery–there’s a “dat” for you, too.  I suppose “dats” are harmless in and of themselves; the harm comes when we give too high a priority to those “dats”.  When we pay mental, emotional, and even financial wages to obtain our dat, to the detriment of other things and even ourselves.

Here’s the thing about that dat.  It’s only dat because you don’t have it.  Once you have it, it’s not “all dat” anymore.  I can nearly guarantee that if I had a 60″ flat screen TV in my family room, it would hold that awe-inspiring-wonder status for no more than a half an hour.  After that time, it’d be nothing more than my TV in the family room.  And my mind would have to conjur up the next “dat”.

So, I need to be careful what glass I run up to, press my face against, and yell “UNT DAT!”  Because that dat might become more than I bargained for, stealing away my joy from what really, truly matters.

Jesus once told his followers not to run after those “dats” that rust and decay.  Instead we need to keep our eyes on the dats that DON’T rust and decay; those things that CAN’T be stolen away from us no matter what.  He went on to say that we should “lay up treasures in heaven”.  The idea here is that we live our lives depositing into an eternal account that cannot and will not be hacked into, depleted, or suffer loss.  An account that is untouchable, permanent forever, and eternal.  And when you leave this world (and all the dats with it), you’ll receive from that account what you have stored up.

I’m a stickler for integrity.  Not that I’m perfect, I just have it as a goal.  “Why?”, you ask?  Well, for starters, God told me to be perfect because He’s perfect.  Actually, that’s the starter and the ender.  I know perfection is a lofty goal, but He’s a lofty God and He tends to say lofty things.  Before I get too far down a side road, let me get to why I’m writing this time.

If you’re a Christian (a follower of Jesus who thinks about Him, talks to Him, sings to Him, listens to Him everyday), do you REALLY know who you’re thinking about, talking to, singing to, and listening to?  Based on my life experience so far, I’m going to say that you don’t.  Don’t get upset.  Neither do I.

Theology is a silly idea if you think about it.  We get the word from the Greek word “Theos”, meaning “God” and “ology” meaning “the study of”.  The idea that we can “study God” is kind of ridiculous, isn’t it?  But I do think that we would be far more passionate, far more revolutionary, far more unashamed, and far more in love with Jesus if we really thought about who God is.  Call it theology if you want, but I’d rather use the term romance.  You didn’t choose to love God because the set of rules looked good.  You chose to love God because at some point, somewhere, somehow, He wooed you.  He called you.  He chased you.  He found you.  He bought you.  He saved you.

But our worship looks more like a visit to the oil lube joint more than a reflection of the romance that is held between ourselves and our Creator.  We get far more excited for football, bar-b-q, shopping, our favorite tv show than we do about who secured our eternity.

There’s a song we love to sing at the church I serve at called “I could sing of your love forever.”  Its not a new song per se (as if new is good, but that’s for another blog post); and its chorus has words that go something like this: “And when the world has seen the light, they will dance with joy like we’re dancing now.”  But here’s the problem: when we sing those words–out of a few hundred people in the room–not ONE person dances.  Nobody even shoots a hip out.  Not one head bob, not a sliding foot, no twist, no shuffle, no nothing.  So, here’s what I think we should do: we should stop singing it or start dancing it.

I know its just a line in a song, but its a glaring example of our lack of zeal for Who’s in the room, Who’s on our mind, and Who’s in our heart.  He’s the One who is also sustaining the galaxies by His mere thought, keeping the sun lit by His will, and Who has taken my place on a Roman cross.  But to us, its an oil change.  Oh, that we would recognize fully Who it is that receives our worship and more than that, how absurd it is that He actually allows us the unspeakable privilege of coming into His presence, calling Him Father, and communing with Him tenderly.  Oh that we would stop treating God like He’s “getting up in age”; like He’s a resident at a nursing home that we shouldn’t get too excited or loud around.  Oh, that the indignity of David would invade our staunch and stoic charade of worship and obliterate it with messy, joy-dripping, glory-shouting, I-know-whom-I-have-believed passion for the One who is in the room.  Let’s dance.