the Gospel

Recently, I've spent a significant amount of time going through the book of Galatians. I find it very sobering and a constant reminder of what it means to live through the power of the Holy Spirit which enables us to live a life that is based on Christ's righteousness rather than our own. Paul was astonished and baffled at the Galatian believers who were being infiltrated by the Judaizers who were preaching a totally false pseudo-Gospel that required the Gentile believers to undergo circumcision and observe the law of Moses in order to obtain salvation. This is classic religion which requires man to observe or work for his righteousness in order to appease a holy God. This is also known as pride and usually results in a life of despair or misery because you are trying in your own strength to achieve the impossible. Religion says, if I obey God he will love me. The Gospel says, because God loves me I can obey. It's only because Jesus Christ chose to come down here to this fallen planet, take on the form of a human, live a perfect life, die the death on the cross that I should have died taking my place, shedding His blood to appease a Holy God that requires nothing less than righteousness, defeating death once and for all and making atonement for all my sin past, present, and future, who has thereby based on my belief through faith credited my account with His righteousness and given me the Holy Spirit as a guarantee that I will someday be fully glorified spending an eternity in His presence in which He is now seated at the right hand of the Father awaiting the proper time in which He will return for me and resurrect my body to spend an eternity in worship and adoration at His feet. You see, not only is salvation by grace alone through Jesus, but sanctification is by grace alone as well. I can do NOTHING to appease God even after I become a disciple of Jesus. It is based solely on the completed work of Christ being applied to my account. Jesus lived the perfect life I could not live. Jesus fulfilled the Law that I could not keep. Jesus paid the cost and penalty for the sin that I could not pay. Jesus conquored a death that I could not conquor. It's all about Jesus and when I stand before God one day the only reason I will be there wil be because of Jesus. That is my only answer. I have done nothing in my life to earn any favor with God whatsoever. It's simply based on the fact that when God views my life He views Christ's righteousness.

Can you see now why Paul was so astonished? He had given the Galatians the full Gospel and they had acknowledged it at one point in time, but were so shallow that they were once again turning to a works-based religion! We are GUILTY of this as well. Every time we do anything to try to earn favor with God or man we are reverting to a false Gospel. The Gospel is a lifestyle that must be constantly lived out of each and every day. That's why we have been given the Holy Spirit. To convict us of our underlying false motives so that we in turn can confess or acknowledg our sin, repent and turn away from our sin, and bask in the grace of God by living a life of obedience by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the true Gospel! Let's live it out each and every day!

dysfuncitional independence day family chaos

This has been one strange Independence Day! It all began last night. In the midst of trying to balance two jobs, I discovered well into the night that I was actually supposed to open at Starbucks at 4:45AM. Distraught, I rolled over went to sleep only to be rudely awakened by my alarm clock three and a half hours later. So I roll out of bed, throw on my clothes and I'm out the door. I arrive promptly at work only to discover that the person who was supposed to open with me is nowhere to be seen. I begin investigating, making calls, trying to see what in the world is going on to no avail. I only ended up with my district manager's phone number and after waiting for an hour I give him a call and left a voice mail message pleading my case and letting him know I would be on my home and basically going back to bed. My end is covered. I've done everything I can do.

Home. Good times. Slept in until 9:30 AM! I now drive to my primary job in South Charlotte at REI. It ends up that the 4th apparently is a popular day for wealthy families with lots of screaming babies to come shopping. (It's not that I dislike babies, or rich people, it just annoys me when they won't discipline their kids) So, in the midst of this very busy day at work a man asks me about a product, so I wonder on back to the warehouse and I'm fully in the back where it's "Employees Only" and I hear this lady just start ripping into me. Dumbfounded, I turn and she is livid--"I have been waiting a lot longer than the man you just helped. I just bought these three items and they're the wrong size. I can't believe that man. He knew I was here first and I've been waiting a lot longer than he has. I need, this, this, and this. And I need to exchange this.....blah, blah, blah..." What can a man do in this situation. What I really wanted to do was follow her back out onto the sales floor and bow down on my hands and knees and confirm in her eyes that she indeed was the center of the REI universe in which everything orbits and revolves and every one else is merely minions in her Kingdom which she apparently created for all other staff and customers to stop, take notice, and worship the queen. But, I bit my tongue off and swallowed it and said, "I'll be with you shortly" ;o)

So, what really saddened me was the fact that she had three very young, innocent children who witnessed the entire event unfold. What kind of example was she setting? How can a mother treat strangers in this manner and expect her kids to grow up and do otherwise. The state of parenting in this country is in flux. We as believers have been called by God to model in the home love and humility. There is next to no humility in parents today. They literally think that they're kids are angels and are not evil and can do no wrong and discipline has been re-labeled child abuse. I'm a firm believer that a majority of this falls back on the men. It is the man's God-given role to be a leader in the home. This includes loving God; loving his wife and caring and providing for her needs spiritually, emotionally, and physically; loving his kids enough to sit them down and explain to them because he loves them he wants to protect them there are consequences to your actions, but at the same time re-inforcing the bond and pouring into them the fact that his love is unconditional. God is the ultimate example of a loving Father.

Let's face it, I'm not "expert" on the topic of parenting considering I have no kids of my own, but I definitely have the desire some day to have a family and be a father. Days like today remind me how much of a challenge and responsibility this entails. So to all you Moms and Dads out there that are going the extra mile, I just want to say good job! If I could pat you on the back I would, but you definitely deserve more respect. It is my prayer some day to follow in the steps of those who have gone before me and modeled what it is to first and foremost love Jesus, love wife and family, love ministry, and live life to the fullest. So to my parents, thank you for not giving up on me and always loving me enough to let me have it from time to time growing up. It paid off in the end. To my close friends out there who have been blessed and privileged to have families and children, keep up the good work! You will some day have your reward as you take advantages of those moments, God-given, which will echo an eternity. Stay strong!