For The Hell of It!

How would you go about describing what the color blue looks like to a sightless person? Someone who has been blind from birth and has never seen light or the visible color spectrum would be unable to understand what blue was. If you were incredibly clever you might get a pan from the kitchen fill it with ice and water and then put the blind person's hand into the cold mixture. This might convey certain aspects of things that might be blue in color but it would not be the complete visual package. Bottom line, you still wont know what the color blue looks like.

We actually live in a universe where we can interpret four dimensions. Let's start by saying we exist as one point in infinite space. Now let's add another point to our universe and now we arrive at our first dimension which is "length". One more point added to the mix and suddenly we have our second dimension which is "width". Our last spacial dimension is "height" which gives us our X,Y and Z axis or our three dimensional universe. The last known dimension is "time". What really is time?

To have "time" in our universe we need to have matter and it needs to be set into motion. If objects are not moving then there is nothing to measure because you have to have time in order to travel distance. If we stood perfectly still somewhere in space and  nothing was in motion we would not feel the passage of time. Also without motion we would not have light waves or light particles so wondering what the color blue looked like would be a mute issue. It really would be a mute because we would not have sound waves either.

Now let's think back to being blind or sightless and wanting to discover the truth about the color blue. What story would you attempt to tell someone to describe the color blue? What props could you use to convey the color blue? Just think about this dilemma.How to pass information from one known dimension to another unknown dimension? This is what I  refer to as an extra-dimensional information transmission dilemma.

Do you believe in a literal place the bible calls Hades, Gehenna or Hell?  Jesus did and he spent allot of time warning us about the dangers of ending up there. Sounds like a real place to me. Although where it is and what it really is seems a little bit like describing the color blue to a sightless person. Some of the biblical descriptions of hell  include- A place where the worm never dies. The lake of fire. A lake burning with fire and brimstone. A place of wailing and gnashing of teeth. That last one bugs me a bit because I grind my teeth while sleeping.

Another couple of questions we need to ponder; Why did the new testament writers appear to have borrowed  the concept of Hades and Tartarus, two levels of punishment in Greek mythology, and imported them into their writings? We also have the concepts of Abraham's Bosom and Sheol to grapple with. In addition, in the book of Job, we find some clues to what early civilizations that were located in the fertile crescent might have believed about an after life.

We are given a word picture of an extra dimensional reality that we can not yet comprehend because I believe it literally does not exist in this universe. Before you grab that last sound bite, in an attempt to tie me to the burning  stake of heresy, consider this- Jesus was warning us of a situation so terrible, so wicked that the only reference point He had here on earth was the Jerusalem trash dump located in the valley of Hinnom (Gehenna). This place not only smelled bad, it was always burning with smoke and flame that continually filled  the sky. This horrible stench would probably drift into the city and remind people of the dump and all the discarded trash as the wind blew it into town. In older times child sacrifice to Molech also took place in this area outside the walls of Jerusalem. Just the casual mention of the name Gehenna in Jesus' day would have brought to mind some really wicked, horrible and detestable activities.

Do we have freewill to make choices during the day, week, month, year and through out our lives? Can you imagine for a second how much God respects you and loves you ?  He loves you so much He wont violate your freewill choices. Now suppose God designed "a way" for all humanity to exist with Him after death in another dimension. And what if you were foolish enough not to choose to be in God's presence? What word picture, from here on earth, would come close to describing such an awesome place? Think about the blind person's hand in the ice water in an attempt to describe the color blue. How would you describe a place void of God? A place lacking God's love, His light, His warmth and His fellowship. No wonder Jesus was warning us not to choose that place.

As part of the body or the bride of Christ we are not to divide over this issue. It actually is not a salvation issue. Our eternal destination is in eternity with God. We are to choose Jesus now, be like Jesus now, abide in Jesus now and hell will literally not exist for us in eternity. Show people around you, in your life how much you care for them. As you build relationships, the Holy Spirit, will give you not only an opportunity but the words to draw souls to Him. Let us not beat people over the head with hell but rather show them God's love for us. The gospel is well defined in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8. So we don't have to invent any clever devices or add anything to what God has already given to the whole world. Freedom from the curse of sin, death and all the baggage that we seem so thrilled to drag with us! God's Son Jesus, is "The Way" seek Him and you will find Him!

Sounding Brass and Clanging Cymbols

Sounding brass and clanging cymbals- what a chaotic sound mix that brings to my mind! It reminds me of many voices talking at once, no, actually screaming at once  in different languages at ultra high volume levels. It becomes a  myriad of random noise that  grinds, scrapes, and finally disrupts the natural beauty of my own inner peace and quiet. It's kind of  like extra long human finger nails being pulled or dragged across a blackboard. Do they still use blackboards?

In symphonic music,  there are times when it  is purposeful to write  chaos  into the musical score to achieve a certain  dramatic effect. The noise can create tension or a specific mood before a contrast of softer notes are carefully spilled out into the orchestration. This technique tends to keep me interested in the performance as I eagerly await a crescendo or interlude. Contrast through high notes and low notes coupled through counter point is both stimulating and interesting to the score. It can penetrate my mind, even to the depths of my soul. But how does chaos relate to the concept of love and of loving others? Paul penned those mighty words which are often  hurried over and just plain over used at  wedding ceremonies. Its kinda funny but when we glibly use these verses from 1 Corinthians chapter 13 we are actually becoming sounding brass and clanging cymbals.

Last week, in an act of desperation, I emailed a complete stranger, who happens to be a successful author, in an attempt to find my way out of the pit I have been living in for some time. Let me insist that my spiritual darkness was very dark indeed. If your interested as to the depth of the pit I found myself sprawled out in and have the time  you will need to start at the beginning of my blog in 2010 and read your way forward to today. I really didn't expect to get an answer from this man at all. I was broken, desperate and wondered if I was even repairable. I was at the end of my spiritual rope. The very next morning there was a reply in my inbox. It was like a faint 2 bulb LED flashlight had just been switched on. I could feel a sparkle of hope rise from my toes upward through my chest coming to rest in my heart. It was refreshing.

As I opened the email  there in black and white was my  reply and what turned out to be a possible way out of  my spiritual isolation . The words read " Dean, today would be a good day to call me..." and then a cell number. The last words of that email I will treasure forever..."Praying for you". I believe my heart leaped or skipped a beat or something. From the area code it looked like an east coast number so I waited till it was lunch time on the east coast and nervously made the call.

The voice on the other end of my connection had a kind and soft, warm and caring quality to it. I did not feel I was about to get the Spanish Inquisition but rather the voice seemed familiar and reassuring to me the way I would imagine Jesus to sound if He used an I Phone. A connection had been made as the voice listened to me and then assured me I was not alone in my predicament. Although on the day before that was the exact feeling that had overwhelmed me, a feeling that I was truly  alone. I thank God that this man had the time, no, that he took the time, trusted God to make a connection with a complete desperate stranger.

This is exactly what love looks like. Its not chaotic but rather it is perfect and will last forever in eternity. Love is a way of life. Its the way we choose to treat others around us. It's the fuel that powers our journey that we take every waking moment of our lives. Relationships take time and effort, they will cost you something in the here and now. Relationships can only happen when one or more people are present and engaged in each other or involved. Its the reason we were created in the first place. God desires a relationship with us. Remember the words of Jesus "When two or more are gathered together in my name, I am in your midst".

Hit the pause button a sec. I cant hardly believe what just happened. My telephone just rang as I was finishing writing those last few lines in the above paragraph. The voice on the other end  was from a woman I know from the last church I was a pastor at. She asked me if I had the time to meet with and council her and her boyfriend who were on the last leg of thier five and a half year relationship. Read the last line of the above paragraph again. How crazy is that? Just  look at the timing, completely unreal to me. God is so much bigger then I can imagine.  I tend to want to drop Him up into a gift wrapped box, and set on my organized, dusty  shelf. Why do I do that? God you are so good!

I said I would meet them tomorrow at a local Starbucks. What a perfect bow to tie on this blog today. God has spoken and made the point for me. It's all about Jesus, showing others Jesus and all the relationships that germanate and grow through  His unbelievable love and timing.

Christmas

It's almost Christmas time once again. What a wonderful season of colored lights, old friends and plenty of Christmas cheer to go around. You can feel the electricity in the air as all the decorations come back out of hibernation and take front seat once again in our homes. Home Depot is busy selling trees and other merchandise for stocking stuffers. Kids get a long awaited vacation from school and regular homework. And the best part of Christmas is we get to focus on the greatest gift of all... the birth of Jesus.

I know I have been hammering the over-organized church for the past couple of years so I promise to back off a bit in the coming new year. Actually I have been thinking of teaching through the New Testament  starting with the book of Matthew.  I'll be taking a chapter or two each week and exploring it with all of you in a down to earth what was really going on kind of way.. I know in my heart we, as the church of God, can do much better then we are doing right now. And with Christmas right around the corner now is the time for all of us to shine like the star that once shone over the new born King in Bethlehem. Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth to all men.

What are some simple ways to bless others while out Christmas shopping? Maybe do something spontaneous like buy a McDonald's meal for someone who looks like they need it. Just smile and gently ask them if they are hungry, if yes,  then just extend your hand with the bag of food attached to it. That's all there is to it. Or maybe buy an extra coat, sweater or blanket and just lay it at the feet of someone in need. Please don't give money to homeless people. Most times people living on the street have drug and alcohol problems, instead shop for them too!

We can spend plenty of money on ourselves but when we hear the Salvation Army's bell ringing and that bright red kettle clanging we all metamorphose into Scrooge himself. Don't be afraid to love people. People on the street don't have access to showers so they are dirty, over look that and instead look deep into their soul. Show them God's love by having a soft heart yourself. Jesus tried over and over again to teach us that relationships and loving others is what this journey we call life is all about. In fact these small treasures are the only thing we will take into our next existence.

Now for the practical stuff. Remember there is a spiritual battle going on out there in the hidden realm. Its a battle that has to be fought in our minds before we go out into the world. So as any good baseball or football coach would do before the big game I'm gonna give you all a pep talk. And as your spiritual adviser before you go out onto the highways and the byways and in and out of  retail stores we need to get in focus.Lets look at  our "Play Book" one last time..

• Pray: Always pray before leaving your house. Better yet take communion, use real wine if available.
• Driving: Remember everyone is on a mission right now and you are not part of their mission. Yield to all other drivers, take deep, long breaths and sing praise songs while driving.
• Parking: Try something different like taking a bus, train or trolley. If you must drive then why not consider car pooling with friends as it makes for a much better shopping experience. Keep in mind to always yield parking spaces to others and park in the far back of the lot at all times. We pay for the roads but we don't own them.
• Spending: Jesus is the true gift to the entire world and the reason we celebrate during Christmas so don't spend too much time and money on gifts. In fact December 25th it isn't even close to His real birth date. Have an amount of money  that you will  not go over. Remember just because things cost more doesn't mean they have a better value to loved ones. Don't get caught in that kind of guilt trap.
• Celebrations: Go to as many Christmas parties, plays and music events as possible. Fellowship with everyone you bump into. Be happy and tell people about yourself and your faith in God if the opportunity arises. Relationships start at "Hello, my name is____________) fill in the blank with your own name. Preach the gospel and use words when necessary.
• Down Time: Take some time for yourself. A bath, a good book, a movie, a long needed phone call to a family member and most of all make time to get alone with your Heavenly Father.
• Fruit Cake: DON'T EAT IT! Its been proven that all toxic waste ends up hidden in it. Its a huge conspiracy.
• Saint Nicholas: You know I get tired of Christians who are wet blankets. While its true most of our sacred holidays have a pagan origin, lets not throw the baby out with the bath water. Learn more about where the Santa Clause tradition came from. Read about Saint Nicholas and how he blessed poor children. People where given Sainthood because they did some incredible things for others. Now having said all that it is important to know what you believe and why. Its also OK to have fun as a Christian. Jesus loved to hang out with regular people off the streets. He loved to eat and drink with them. (Would someone from Horizon please tell Mike Macintosh that it was real wine in the cup that Jesus drank from and passed around on the night of the Last Passover!).

So in closing, May God's Spirit truly bless you and yours this Christmas. May your stockings be full of trinkets, your house full of family and friends and your heart always ready to reach out to someone, whoever, whenever God asks you to do so. May the warmth of our hearth fire, the smell of our Christmas meal and our prayers for you all find their way through this sinner's blog and settle in your hearts. God bless you all and may you have a very joyous and Merry Christmas as we all give thanks to the Father for the Christ child, Jesus our Emmanuel. Remembering God is always with us.

The Broken Church

What must it have been like to walk the streets of Samaria some two thousand plus  years ago about the time when Jesus was in the middle of His mission to  teach His disciples and the entire world how much God loved them. The dry, hot and  dusty roads must have been horrid to walk upon and ultimately  made a mess of their fine imported Italian marble floors that graced the villas  located on the upper end of town. Water must have been scarce too ergo the story of the woman at the well who everyday had to haul water from Jacobs well to her home. We take so much for granted these days as we complain if the hot water takes too long to reach us as we turn the handle to the faucet on.

There is so much information out there and talk today of how to build a successful,  perfect driven church. The basic plan always  starts with a core group of 12 people. Jesus started the very first gathering of believers we call the church universal in much the same way calling ordinary people from all walks of life to follow Him! Tax collectors, fishermen and politicians heard the Master's voice and started to follow Jesus.

But if Jesus were here on earth today I'm almost positive He would have been at the fore front of an emerging church movement like the one we saw emerge in Long Beach,CA. with Calvary Chapel in the latter part of the 1960's. Jesus would have done His best to not only model but also make people take a hard look at the way that they treat others and worshiped God. What many call the church today is really nothing more than groups of semi-spiritually motivated people collecting funds to keep their particular  corporate business style in the black with very little or no outreach what-so-ever.

Lets look back at  the Calvary Chapel movement of the late 1960's where God's Spirit was at  work spilling out new wine on a generation of drug laced children. A totally lost generation of kids. A gigantic spiritual battle was ragging on in the world with satanic forces  hard at work.misleading that entire lost generation.Without God's Divine intervention the world would have come to an end or would be in much worse shape. But God is long suffering and does not want any to perish and His work will be accomplished. As God's new wine was beginning to flow, God used a sweet, humble woman by the name of Kay Smith to not only see a need but do something about it. God put an urgent  burden on this woman's heart. It was a burden for a rejected generation of long haired hippies, who at this time were running around bare footed, tripping out and in desperate need of  a shower. God used this beautifully humble woman to soften the heart of her husband Chuck Smith and slowly a new church movement was beginning to be born.New wine.

Now, some forty years later, we see some negative effects of man's influence on this new wine that God so graciously gave to the world. As Men crave power and authority they begin to bit by bit change the image of God into their own image. Power corrupts I can see it everywhere in this satanic world today. Satan is alive and well in our churches today causing divisions and disputes among God's people. Remember what Jesus told us that we can serve only one Master. It seems many of us are asleep in the light. I believe that one of the single best characteristic of Jesus, one that draws me to Him, is His ultimate humility. Here in His presence we have the Creator of the world who was willing to humble Himself and become flesh and blood. He came to earth and dwelt among us. Then He modeled how we should live by putting other's needs before His own. Just once I would like to witness a pastor who starts his day off by parking  in the back, picking up trash as he walked to the sanctuary and  serve others the entire length of his work week. Taking his vacations in the mission field would be an added bonus.

So now I see we are on another spiritual precipice where God will once again send His Spirit back with new wine. We are starting to see this in what I like to describe as an emerging new church. This could take the shape of believers having a gathering on a beach or in a park. It might be a group meeting at a coffee house or in a movie theater. A home church will do nicely even a night club or school building. Its not the place but the people who make up the gathering. They should be committed to serving others and not in pursuit of fulfilling their own fleshy desires. The red text below is for all you Calvary Chapel folks who read your bibles.
  ( OK, now I don't mean any gathering that does not preach the true gospel  but a new emerging style of worship like we saw in the 1970's at Calvary Chapel. If a group or gathering of people are teaching something other than Jesus is God, second person of a Godhead, that Jesus died, was buried and rose back to life then they are not really part of the true church made up of people who love and worship God. Saved by grace and not clinging to the law or legalistic about how we become cleansed, yes its all about Jesus)

This movement is totally refreshing bringing back some ancient traditions that have been put aside or on the back burner in favor of more contemporary worship. The movement is attempting to  put God back on top while tearing down the shrines we have built to our own pseudo christian worship. With all the cameras, make-up and stage performances going on its sometimes hard to tell who or what we are worshiping. Rather, we need to be new skins ready to be filled with God's love while overflowing everywhere we walk. Intoxicating every human being in our path. Oh how glorious the Spirit of God is. However, it will be only a matter of time until this new movement takes its place with the Calvary Chapel movement that once was the vehicle God used to deliver His love . It always starts with humble people who are surrendered and ready to be used. Set apart is what being holy is all about. Its not our righteousness rather it was imparted to us from Jesus.

So whats the answer? Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Don't support a church financially if they are not pouring love back into their community. Let us start loving others, putting others first!  Jesus told us to be the salt and light of the world then its time for the salt to get out of the salt shaker and its time to  take the lamp shade off of the lamp stand. Remember in the book of Revelation, in the letters to the seven churches that Jesus was standing outside the church building knocking on the door. Let us not keep Jesus waiting outside in the cold. We were created for good works so lets all go out and do them!