TYLER ZACH | INSPIRVIVAL

Billboard Hits and The Gospel: Part 1

2011-04-23T12:26:00.000-07:00

Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready) was number one on the US Billboard R&B chart for twelve consecutive weeks. The song was co-written by Alicia Keys and rapper Drake. Mariel Concepcion from Billboard magazine said of Keys: "the singer/pianist goes from entertaining puppy love to confessing deeper emotions… She finally builds up the courage to share a serious desire with her lover ... atop a building, thumping beat. For an artist who has built her career on songs about love, lust and heartache, Keys has never sounded quite as vulnerable and exposed as she does here." As we’ll see in a minute, the realistic sounding emotions that played a part in the track’s success could be attributed to the fact that Keys is singing to a real person.

The music video for Un-Thinkable was awarded Outstanding Music Video at the 42nd NAACP Awards. The concept is a noble one. It tackles the issues of interracial dating. Keys told Rap Up magazine before the video came out, "The [video] will highlight the past and present stigmas surrounding the subject." The gospel affirms the video’s concept of rejecting racism. Genesis 1:26-27 says that all human beings are created in the image and likeness of God. One of the bible’s central figures, Moses, was married to an Ethiopian woman (Num. 12:1-6). The parable of the Good Samaritan teaches that people of different ethnicities and cultures are to be considered our “neighbor.” And we are to love our neighbors as ourselves (James 2:8).

I appreciate that the music video intends to promote cultural unity and an awareness that racism still exists. But, only the gospel has the power to get our society over the wall of racism. We see the solution as we look at what God has done to remove the barriers between us and him and us and others. The Apostle Paul says in Romans 5 that we were once God’s enemies and that there was a separating wall between him and us. But, through the death of Jesus we were reconciled to God. There is now nothing that can separate us from his unconditional love (Rom. 8:38-39). In addition, Paul addresses in Ephesians 2 the relational tension between the Jews and Gentiles. For thousands of years these two groups had kept their distance. But, through the death of Jesus, the dividing wall of hostility was destroyed (Eph. 2:14). All who trust in Christ are adopted into one family and become brothers and sisters with the same Father God. The gospel offers hope for our broken relationship with God and broken relationships with others.

While the music video promotes unity, as we pull back the curtain, we see that the song itself was not originally written with this message in mind. MTV reports that in a BET.com interview Drake revealed that the song was written with his lover and Keys’ lover in mind. "[Un-thinkable] is [about Minaj], I'm not gonna lie," Drake said. "The concept came from a conversation that we had, or conversations we have. I wrote it based off two things: Number one, based off that, and then two, based off Alicia and Swizz [Beatz] and their situation, and it just seemed fitting. It was like the perfect concept." We see here that the song wasn’t written to combat racism but illustrate Drake’s desires for a girl as well as parallel Keys’ desires for her new crush. So far, this is a pretty normal as far as song writing goes.

Where the gospel would confront Keys is in the fact that she is longing for a married man. Another MTV.com article, which traced the history of their relationship, reported that in 2008 rumors spread that Swizz and Keys were forming a relationship while Swizz was married to a popular nightclub singer Mashonda. Later that year, Keys threw a surprise birthday party for Swizz after him and his wife had separated (but still weren’t divorced). In 2009, he confirmed his relationship with Keys (through the lyrics of a remixed song) while he was engaged in a messy divorce with his wife.

Keys sings in Un-Thinkable “I know you said to me ‘This is exactly how it should feel when it’s meant to be.’” The warning that Keys needs to hear is that love is much more than a feeling. Love is a choice that is binding and covenantal. Who is to say that Swizz in a few years won’t go on to say “this is exactly how it should feel when it’s meant to be” to another lover? Divorce plagues America but especially those in the movie and music industries.

The gospel confronts this shifting from one marriage to the next. It is sin and it dishonors God because a) it rejects his design for how we are to live and b) it distorts the picture of how we are to live in relationship to God. He has provided us all with the gift of marriage so that we can experience a strong, pleasurable, and secure love with another person that will withstand hard times and keep us safe from our disordered emotions. For those who are united with Christ, he goes further and gives the gift of the Holy Spirit to empower us with agape love.

Listen closely. I’m not writing about Alicia Keys to say that people like her is what is wrong with the world. Sin is the problem and everyone has it by nature. All of us are tempted break our covenant with God and one another. Thankfully, the good news is that Jesus died to forgive our constant straying from God and put us in a secure relationship with him forever. Each week, when we as Christians attend church, we practice covenant renewal, which includes asking God to forgive us for being “staying sheep” (Isa. 53:6) who continually break our marriage covenant with the One who will never break his commitment to us.

The Gospel and Success

2011-03-12T12:53:00.000-08:00

The Gospel confronts the way we pursue the praise and admiration of others through our accomplishments. Pastor Tim Keller explains the futility of such a pursuit: “Many people pursue success as a way to overcome the sense that they are somehow ‘outsiders.’ If they attain it, they believe, it will open the doors into the clubs, into the social sets, into relationships with the connected and influential. Finally, they think, they will be accepted by all the people who really matter. Success promises to do that, but in the end in cannot deliver.”

Both the irreligious and the religious are guilty of selfishly pursuing worthiness through our accomplishments. The irreligious use their success, which was made possible by the gifts given to them by God, not to bring him praise but themselves praise. And the religious do the same thing in a different way. They use their good deeds not to bring praise to God but rather to receive selfish praise from him and the Christian friends around them. The bad news is that in the end God will turn away those who either use their success to rob God of praise or use it to earn God’s praise. This includes even good religious people (Matt. 7:21-23), for “all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6) when we try to make ourselves worthy enough for God with them.

But, the good news is that when we admit our failures, God offers forgiveness (1 John 1:9). In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the son returns home and says, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” Then the father clothed him with his robe and threw a huge feast (Luke 15). This is an illustration of what happens when we admit our sinful failures to God and are covered by the success of Jesus. The greatest accomplishment we could ever receive was not earned by us, but was purchased through the blood, sweat, and tears of Jesus. Keller says, “...the salvation of the world came not through climbing the success ladder, but through surrender, service, sacrifice, and death.”

Jesus’ death on the cross is where our success begins. It was there that our failures were placed on him and his righteousness was imputed to us (2 Cor. 5:21). The power that success has over us is broken when we realize that we have been made worthy by Jesus and have nothing left to prove. When we have nothing left to prove, we can live sacrificial lives that look “unsuccessful” to the world around us and climb down the ladder to help those below us.

Heaven will not be filled with people who have the most impressive resumes. Rather, it will be filled with people who cast the crown of their successes at the feet of Jesus crying out "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power” (Rev. 4:11).

This content was taken from a gospel-centered bible study series that I'm working on called Gifts of God. To download the Success study and others go to: http://t-zach.com/giftsofgod/

Lady Gaga and the Gospel

2010-12-03T15:35:00.000-08:00

by Tyler Zach

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, or Lady Gaga, is a Grammy-winning singer who has sold more than 15 million albums and 40 million singles worldwide. She is a highly talented songwriter who writes almost all of her music and even writes for other singers as well.

Larry King describes her as a musical and social phenomenon. She was on the cover of TIME magazine earlier this year - which included the 100 Most Influential People In The World. Gaga is one of them because she is not just an average entertainer. She speaks at rallies, writes letters to her US senators, and recently wrote a repeal to fight against the abolishment of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell law.

The Fans

After Gaga went on tour recently, she said that her fans were “salivating at the mouth” and that they “behaved like monsters.” Thus, she now calls them her “little monsters.” She even got a “Little Monsters” tattoo on her microphone-holding arm this year.

Perhaps the reason for the intimate relationship with her fans is because they are the first group of people to approve of her. Gaga said on Larry King Live “Since my childhood in school, and for a very long time, I used to always feel like such a freak. I didn't have very many friends in school. I had a few close friends. And I -- I wasn't a popular girl. And got made fun of every day and couldn't really relate to anyone and didn't want do dress like anyone else and liked different things… And I felt like a freak, and I had nowhere to go.” Lady Gaga now has the friends she never had. Millions of them. One of her fans recently tweeted, “I love my life because my life is you, Lady Gaga.”

Gaga has become somewhat of a savior for the unpopular misfits of society. Later on in the interview with Larry King she says, “…And I guess, through the music and the performances we've done -- the clothing that I've worn, and as the fan base has begun to grow, I've sort of watched this massive group of misfits join together to liberate themselves. They love the music and they love what the House of Gaga is creating, because it has a sense of individuality, a sense of freedom, a sense of non-conform -- conformity. And I -- and I celebrate that.” She admits that her fans are “really, really, really troubled” and that “I still am fairly troubled.”

One of the unique things about Lady Gaga is that she aims not to monopolize her new fame, but to invite her misfit fans to be a part of that fame. The bio section of her web site includes “The Fame [music] is about how anyone can feel famous… But, it’s a sharable fame. I want to invite you all to the party. I want people to feel a part of this lifestyle.”

The Music and Performances

The overarching theme of Lady Gaga’s music and performances is tolerance and acceptance. Gaga told Larry King, “I’m more interested in helping my fans to love who they are and helping them to reject prejudice and reject those things that they're taught from society to not like themselves.” She called her latest tour, Monster Ball, a “celebration of shame,” a “rejection of insecurity” and “in essence an exorcism for my fans and for myself where we sort of put everything out on the table and reject it.” Fans are invited to come, lay all of their shame at the foot of the stage, reject it, and find acceptance through each other.

She particularly appeals to the insecurities felt by women and gays. The costumes Gaga wears on stage and on camera (many of which are not flattering) are “meant to be a rejection what people view about women.” Her new song “Alejandro” is a celebration of her love and appreciation for the gay community. Since the gay community has been heavily persecuted, the “House of Gaga” has been a refuge for this crowd. She has led the way for her fans to be open and honest about their insecurities. In a recent twitter post, Gaga said, “I'd wear any of my private attire for the world to see. But I would rather have an open flesh wound than ever wear a band aid in public.”

While Gaga’s “The Fame” CD focused on fame, the follow-up album “The Fame Monster” focused on the darker side of fame, as experienced by Gaga while traveling around the world in 2008-2009. She said, “While traveling the world for two years, I've encountered several monsters, each represented by a different song on the new record.”

Here are the monsters she encountered (all tracks on The Fame Monster):

1. Monster (Fear of Death Monster)
2. Bad Romance (Fear of Love Monster)
3. Don't Call My Name (Fear of Men Monster)
4. Speechless (Fear of Loneliness Monster)
5. New York (Fear of Heights Monster)
6. Bloody Mary (Fear of Alcohol Monster)
7. Take It Slow (Fear of Sex Monster)
8. Kiss & Run (Fear of Commitment Monster)

What has Lady Gaga done with these fears?

The Monster

Lady Gaga claims to be a very spiritual person. She admitted to Larry King, “I'm very religious. I was raised Catholic. I believe in Jesus. I believe in God. I'm very spiritual. I pray very much.” However, since every religion to her seems to be prejudiced against some other racial, religious, or social group she added, “I’m quite a religious woman that is very confused about religion.”

Where does Lady Gaga go then for spiritual clarity? Deepak Chopra - who began his career in the 1980’s publishing books self-help books on New Age spirituality. Chopra recently debated Pastor Mark Driscoll in a Nightline Face-Off: Does Satan exist? Chopra’s answer was no. Evil is just an illusion to him. That is why, when Lady Gaga came to him for help with her reoccurring morbid dreams, Chopra said “Don’t worry so much [about the dreams]. You’re just very creative.” Since Gaga was a little girl, she has had nightmares of an Anglo fish. Chopra said that in order to get rid of this childhood monster Gaga needed to put it in her show. She told Larry King in her interview that she took Chopra’s advice and created a gigantic Anglo fish for her to fight and kill right before the big finale. Will that be enough to get rid of her monster?

The Gospel

I appreciate Lady Gaga’s authenticity. She admits that she is troubled and that those who follow her are troubled. That is more than most Christians would like to admit about themselves. Also, her dream for the world is a noble one: “I dream and envision a future where we have a more peaceful religion or a more peaceful world, a more peaceful state of mind for the younger generation. And that's what I dream for.” In order to fulfill this dream Gaga has been using the tools of tolerance and acceptance. But, will these two things produce the kind of peace Gaga is longing for?

The idols of tolerance and acceptance may draw people in but it doesn’t a) provide the wisdom needed for what should and shouldn’t be tolerated, b) offer any spiritual resources for defeating our insecurities, and c) offer any resources for forgiving our enemies – which is part of the peace-making strategy. Gaga’s concerts may help people to feel accepted for a night, but what about when they go home? Will simply putting our insecurities on stage before the idols of tolerance and acceptance do any good?

Lady Gaga said herself that is confused and troubled. She is a sinner just like me. She has been guilty, as I have been, of tolerating sin, trying to save herself from her own fears and demons, and worshiping the approval of others. Her life and work has not been about glorifying God but about making herself famous and inviting her fans to share that glory with her. Is there still hope for her? Of course! As we look at the life of Nebuchadnezzar, we see that God is very merciful to the proud and famous when they repent. Not only can Gaga find forgiveness through the Gospel, but she can also find the resources needed to accomplish the goal of a more peaceful world.

The good news for Gaga and her fans can be found in Isaiah 9:6-7:

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.

Jesus has come. He is the Wonderful Counselor who shows us who God is and what he expects from us, which is better than the confusion of tolerance. He is the Prince of Peace for our troubled world. He has already, decisively, and triumphantly defeated Satan, sin, and death and reigns over all things. He is just and will punish everyone who has ever acted unjustly toward those who have been rejected in our society (including Gaga’s misfit fans).

The gospel is the answer to Lady Gaga’s fears:

· Death (Jesus has conquered death)

· Love (Jesus displayed how much he loved us by laying down his life)

· Men (Jesus died for his bride, the church, and commanded that all men protect, provide for, and lay down their lives for women)

· Loneliness (Jesus said that he will never leave or forsake us)

· Alcohol (Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit to control us instead of alcohol),

· Sex (Jesus has taken the fear out of sex by putting it within the boundaries of marriage)

· Commitment (Jesus has publically displayed his commitment to us on the cross so that we wouldn’t be afraid to commit ourselves to him)

When the fame is gone and the fans are too, Lady Gaga, Jesus’ love and approval won’t be. And in the new heavens and new earth, we will get invited not to a stage, but to the throne of God’s glory where we can enjoy him forever.

Gaining a Husband

2010-08-23T14:14:00.000-07:00

What do Christians gain from the work of Jesus on the cross? We cannot be exhaustive here, so I will focus this blog series on four overarching blessings that come from Jesus’ work of salvation. The four things we gain are a Father, Husband, Family, and Ministry. We will split each of these up into a different blog post. We will focus on Husband today.

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:25-27).

We, as the worldwide church, have Jesus as a husband. The Scriptures repeatedly say that we are the bride of Christ. Jesus, as our husband, performs the most sacrificial act that any husband could ever do when he “gave himself up.” As pastor Mark Driscoll often says, “He lived the life we should have lived and died the death we should have died.” Jesus loved his bride, the church, so much so that he took responsibility for our sin and paid the penalty for it.

Jesus not only died to pay the penalty for our sin, but to make us “holy and blameless” (Eph. 1:4). This is what is so beautiful about the storyline of Christianity. Jesus wants us as his bride but can’t have us because we aren’t worthy enough for him. So, he steps down from heaven, enters human history, takes responsibility for our sin on the cross, and purifies us so that we can be deserving of him.

Just as a husband and wife become one flesh, we become one flesh with Jesus through our union with him. To this point, Paul says, “For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church…” (Eph. 5:29-30). Jesus is our husband who chooses us, offers himself up for us, and takes care of us daily. He is strong and courageous in his sacrifice, yet also tenderly “nourishes and cherishes” us. In addition to his sacrifice and ongoing nourishment, he protects us by dressing us with the armor of God so that we are able to “stand against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:11). Jesus’ work on the cross disarmed Satan and at the same time armed us with the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of readiness, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:14-17).

Jesus is the perfect husband.

Gaining a Father

2010-08-18T12:26:00.000-07:00

What do Christians gain from the work of Jesus on the cross? We cannot be exhaustive here, so I will focus this blog series on four overarching blessings that come from Jesus’ work of salvation. The four things we gain are a Father, Husband, Family, and Ministry. We will split each of these up into a different blog post. We will focus on Father today.

Theologian J.I. Packer said that he thinks the main theological theme of the whole bible is adoption. Paul said that we were adopted as sons through Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:5). When we are adopted into the family of God we no longer have to go after things like approval, comfort, pleasure, power, status, or identity in any other created thing. We get a good Father who has blessed us “in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” (Eph. 1:3).

Therefore, we can resist idolatry - which is turning a good thing into a god thing. It is making something in our life more ultimate than God. Paul said, in his letter to the Galatian church, “Formerly, when you did not know God, you worshiped the things that by nature are not gods” (Gal. 4:8). Nothing that God has created in this world (spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, athletics, career, etc.) can fulfill us like God can. If we have the God of the Universe as our personal Father, we have available every spiritual blessing that we could ever need – in this life and the next.

As we all know, when earthly parents pass away, it is customary for them to leave an inheritance to their kids. Similarly, Paul says, “in Christ we have obtained an inheritance” (Eph. 1:11). This means that our heavenly Father will leave us with an inheritance that will never perish. This is an inheritance that we can’t lose once we’ve been sealed with the Holy Spirit “who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory” (Eph. 1:13).

Lastly, what is implicit about adoption is that we have a Father who will never leave or forsake us. In our culture, where many people don’t have a father due to abandonment, abuse, or divorce, we can be assured that we will always have a heavenly Father that is always there for us. We should be extremely thankful to Jesus for reconciling us to God the Father since we were once his enemies due to our sin (Rom. 5:10). Because of his work of redemption, we now have "full rights as sons [and daughters]" and have his Spirit within us crying out "Abba Father" (Gal. 4:4-6). Next week, we will look at what it means that we have gained a Husband.

The Gospel and Sex

2010-04-19T13:30:00.000-07:00

The Gospel confronts our views and practice of sex. If sex becomes our ultimate pursuit, then we will be severely disappointed. That is why those who are trusting in sex as life’s highest pleasure are often the most unhappy. When sex doesn’t come through for them, they have to have more, jumping from one relationship (or porn site) to the next.

Sex gets reduced to an appetite that we feed when we have urges. On the flip side, if sex is reduced to producing offspring, then we strip sex of its power to produce radical pleasure and oneness in the marriage bed. Both of these practices reduce sex to something far less than what it was intended to be.

The bible tells us very clearly that everyone who misuses the gift of sex will be judged. Those who engage in adultery, sex before marriage, pornography, rape, bestiality, voyeurism, incest, pedophilia, prostitution, and the like will not not inherit the Kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19-21). Included in this group are those who might not have acted out their sexual fantasies, but who have lusted in their heart (Matt. 5:27). Ephesians 5:3 reminds us that “...there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality.” Not even a hint.

But, listen very closely to the good news. Even though the way out of the Kingdom is sexual immorality, the way back in isn’t to clean up your sex life. In one of the most remarkable stories in all of the bible, the religious leaders drug a sexually immoral woman out in front of everyone to kill her as a punishment. Jesus stepped into the hostile situation, saved her from death, and told her that he didn’t condemn her (John 8). How did she get off the hook so easily? Because Jesus was on his way to die for her on the cross. Like the woman in the story, Jesus dies for us while we are in sexual sin, not after (Rom. 5:8).

Jesus was even bold enough to say that prostitutes who repent will enter the Kingdom of God before the hypocritical religious leaders (Matt. 21:28-32).

Even though sex is a great gift to the world, it is important to remember that Jesus lived a single life. This is something we shouldn’t overlook. As we look at the life of Jesus, we see that sex is not the highest end a person’s life. Sex is a signpost that points beyond itself. Psalm 16:11 says, “...in [God’s] presence there is fullness of joy; at [His] right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Through Jesus we can receive unceasing pleasure from God. And those who do experience this kind of pleasure will be freed from using sex in all the wrong ways.

Sex is a visible sign of two people becoming one flesh forever. It is a vulnerable, self-sacrificial act that communicates a heart of commitment to the other.

The cross is our visible sign that God sent Jesus to die for us so that we might be one with him forever. On the cross, Jesus became vulnerable and self-sacrificial to prove his commitment to his unfaithful bride, the church.

This content was taken from a gospel-centered bible study series that I'm working on called Gifts of God. To download the Sex study and others go to: http://t-zach.com/giftsofgod/

The Gospel Confronts The Way We Use Beauty

2010-03-30T08:25:00.000-07:00

The Gospel confronts the way we use beauty to get acceptance. We can spend hundreds of hours on a treadmill or in the tanning booth and spend thousands of dollars on beauty products and treatments and still have no guarantee that the world will accept us.

If you try to attract someone who cares more about your physical beauty, you’ll have to spend your whole life maintaining your body to hold onto them. If you try to win God with your inner beauty, you’ll have to spend your whole life morally outperforming everyone else to hold onto him - which doesn’t work anyway because the bible says that all of us are morally unclean despite our best efforts (Isa. 64:6).

Having a nice body may get you into a night club or fraternity party and having a nice moral record may get you into a certain spiritual community, but neither of these are enough to get you into the gates of heaven.

Tim Keller points out: “If we struggle to live up to others’ standard of beauty, how will we ever become beautiful enough for God’s standard?” In other words, in the end, is there any hope for us?

The answer lies in the person and work of Jesus.

Jesus had unimaginable beauty and acceptance in heaven, but he gave it all up when he came humbly as a plain man into a world that rejected him. Isaiah 53:2-3 says, “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men... like one from whom men hide their faces...” Jesus lost his beauty so that you could gain yours.

Ephesians 5:25-27 says, “...Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her... to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish...”

The good news is that the story line of the bible is not what people think - that the gospel is about following all the rules so that we can make ourselves look more beautiful. No, at the heart of the gospel, is Jesus coming down out of heaven to cleanse his bride (the church) so that we might stand acceptable and confident in his sight.

This free gift of beauty is offered to all who trust in The One who purchased it for us at great cost on the cross.

Only when you realize you’ve been cleansed of all your internal beauty flaws by God through the work of Jesus, and know that even your physical beauty will one day be renewed (Phil. 3:21), will you be free from using and pursuing beauty in all the wrong ways.

Deep down we all fear being physically and emotionally exposed for who we really are. Thankfully, we have a God who was stripped, mocked, and rejected in public for our imperfections (on the cross) so that we might be covered with his perfection and never experience shame again (Matt. 27, Ps. 22).

This content was taken from a gospel-centered bible study series that I'm working on called Gifts of God. To download the Beauty & Appearance study and others go to: http://t-zach.com/giftsofgod/

The Gospel Confronts Our Use of Alcohol

2010-02-25T14:40:00.000-08:00

I'm creating a series of bible studies for the college students I work with. Here is a sample from the first one on alcohol...

The Gospel confronts the way we use alcohol to get happiness. The more we drink to find comfort, the more uncomfortable our hangover is. The more we drink to get approval, the more we feel unapproved of in the morning after the regrets set in.

Only in Jesus will we get the happiness that we long for, without all the side effects. And only when we realize that all the things we are looking for in alcohol can be found in Jesus, will we be freed to enjoy alcohol the way God intended. We have all been guilty of slipping toward legalism or drunkenness at some point in our life. But here’s the good news.

Jesus lived the life we should have lived - a life without legalism and drunkenness. And instead of coming to condemn a world full of drunks and legalists, he died to save it (John 3:17).

Jesus is not a cosmic killjoy as many have thought. His very first miracle was turning over 100 gallons of water into wine at a wedding party. Pastor Tim Keller mentions that in the same way Jesus saved the wedding party from a disappointing end, he will also save you and the rest of the world from a disappointing end. Jesus died to keep the party going! His sad death has made it possible for us to have a happy, eternal life.

And one day very soon, Jesus promises that those of us who are his, who have been filled with his Spirit (Eph 5:18), will enjoy a drink together with him. The very night before Jesus died he said, “I tell you I will not drink again until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”

Isaiah also point us to the future Feast: "On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine... He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces...’" - Isaiah 25:6-9

The feast in heaven will be filled not with those who have made the gift of alcohol ultimate, but with those who have made Jesus ultimate and use alcohol as a way to heighten our fellowship with him.

This content was taken from a gospel-centered bible study series that I'm working on called Gifts of God. To download the Alcohol study and others go to: http://t-zach.com/giftsofgod/

Jesus is the Better Solomon

2010-01-28T08:56:00.000-08:00

As Christians, we get into trouble when we read Old Testament books out of context. Let’s take Proverbs for example.

Reading Proverbs alone might cause us to think that there is an evil path and a righteous path – and that what it means to be a Christian is to try hard to stay on the righteous path.

After Jesus’ crucifixion he cleared this up when he was walking with two of his disciples (still unrecognizable to them). Luke in his gospel reports, “beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures” (24:25-26).

Could it be that even Proverbs was about Jesus?

Wisdom is personified as Woman Wisdom or Lady Wisdom in the book of Proverbs. There have been many debates as to why wisdom here is a woman. One suggestion is that, since there are some strong ties between Proverbs and ancient Egyptian wisdom literature, that the author of Proverbs is using a well-known Egyptian goddess Maat (who has been viewed as an expression of Divine Wisdom) as a bridge to explain the wisdom of the biblical Israelite God. If that is the case, then it is a brilliant example of contextualizing truth to the surrounding culture. We know that the book of Proverbs wasn’t just read by the Israelites, for even the queen of a distant land came to hear Solomon’s wisdom (Luke 11:31). Paul also contextualized truth for the Greeks when he took the Greek wisdom term “Logos” and applied it to Jesus.

It would be wrong of us to think that as wise as Solomon was, that the Proverbs are pointing us to “be like him.” For even Solomon drifted from God, disobeyed him by taking on many foreign wives, and became an emotional wreck at the end of his life.

So, how are we to read Proverbs?

After Jesus was born, we learn that he had “wisdom beyond his years” (Luke 2:40). When he was twelve, the religious teachers watched with amazement “at his understanding and his answers” (Luke 2:47). When Jesus started his ministry those who knew him well said, “Where did he get all his wisdom…?” Jesus himself said in Luke 11:31, “…and now someone greater than Solomon is here.” Paul goes even further in 1 Cor. 1:30 to say, “God made Christ to be wisdom itself.”

Biblical scholar Tremper Longman says, “The ancient Israelite would read the metaphors of Woman Wisdom and Woman Folly as a choice between Yahweh and the false gods of the nations. This decision would have little relevance to modern readers… The gospel choice [in the NT for us] is a decision whether to follow Jesus. Thus, to understand the invitation of Woman Wisdom as the invitation of Christ to relationship with God makes the book contemporary Christian readers.”

Proverbs 2:3-5 says, “and if you call out for insight, and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver, and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.” Many years later, in Col. 2:3, Paul beautifully adds that in Christ “lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Reading Proverbs, with the NT in mind, we see Jesus as our wisdom. He died to free us from the foolishness that our sin brought us as well as the punishment that we deserve for our foolishness. He is the better Solomon.

Jesus is the Better Jonah

2009-10-15T08:20:00.000-07:00

The story of Jonah's sacrifice prepares us for a better Sacrifice.

Jonah, who was guilty, was drug and thrown off the ship and sacrificed so that everyone could be physically saved from the storm. Jesus, who was innocent, wasn't drug, but willingly went to the cross and was sacrificed so that we would be spiritually saved from the storm of God's wrath.

Jonah went down to the whale for three days and three nights while Jesus was placed in his tomb for three days and three nights. Just as Jonah was spit out of the whale after these three days Jesus was resurrected out of the tomb after three days.

Jonah then went unwillingly to his enemy nation to preach the good news, but God willingly sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost to ensure that every enemy nation would hear the good news.

Communicating With Angry Teens

2009-10-10T16:29:00.000-07:00

I don’t have a teenager yet (or any kids for that matter), but I do work with teens and am interested in how to connect with them better.

Here are some good nuggets that I learned from the book “Get Outta My Face: How To Reach Angry, Unmotivated Teens”.

Repent of your own sin before approaching others.
Teens can and must think about their choices in light of goals and consequences. Nearly 700 times Proverbs urges teens to think about their choices in light of positive and negative outcomes of their decisions.
Most angry teens are used to being interrogated, not listened to. Teens are asking: “Are you going to talk to me about what you want or what I want?” It’s interesting that Jesus asked people multiple times, “What do you want?”
Every person has good desires given by God. The problem is that we try to get good things in the wrong ways. Therefore, we affirm the underlying desires but challenge the path they are on to fulfill those desires.
Teens have underlying motives for disobeying authority. They don’t disobey “just because” they are teenagers. Getting to the heart motives (or heart idols) is necessary to change the behavior. Why are they talking on the phone 24/7? Do they want approval? Do they want intimacy? Do they want respect? Find the root problem.
You give them the choice rather than telling them what to believe or do. Giving someone the power and authority to decide something themselves lightens the resistance and forces them to choose good or bad for themselves. You can outline the consequences of either choice, but then you must put the ball in their court. This clarification often dramatically pits the teen against himself instead of against you.
The teachings of Jesus demonstrate the value of communicating in stages. “I still have many things to say to you, but you can’t bear them now” (1 John 16:12). God does not confront us with every area of sin and weakness in our lives in a single week. He works in stages, as we can bear it. Do we approach others with one small challenge at a time?
The worst thing that can happen to our teen is not contracting AIDS, or having some other permanently life-altering experience, as tragic as that would be. The worst thing would be losing his own soul. Are we focusing on moral issues primarily or helping them to treasure Christ?
Repeat what the say. Translating a teen’s feelings into your own words can show that you are tuned in (i.e. “So you are frustrated every time you try to talk to the teacher. She won’t take any time with you?”)
If you try to give advice before the relational bridge is secure, you will probably see the conversation collapse from the teen’s disinterest.
My favorite: Blame your teen for the good choices they are making to throw them off balance. We usually blame others when they do something wrong. But “blaming” others when they do something good can be very encouraging (i.e. Why did you do so well on that test? Why were you so respectful when my friends came over?). This will put a smile on their face.

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What Are Your Idols?

2009-10-01T18:25:00.000-07:00

“Beloved children, keep yourself from idols.” – 1 John 5:21

Tim Keller says, “An idol is anything which occupies God’s place – it is anything upon which you will base your life. It is what you look to for your sense of meaning, happiness, and validation. When something becomes your idol, you will give it your unquestioned loyalty. You will let it run your life, determine your choices, and govern the use of your money and time. You will give yourself to it effortlessly.”

What are your idols?

Scott Sauls, in his article “Building a Christ-Centered Message and Ministry Culture” lists and expounds upon some of David Powlison’s idolatry diagnostic questions:

1. What do people feel they cannot survive or function without? In other words, what do they feel they have to have in order to enjoy life, or to be acceptable as a person? What are the things that they are terrified of losing?

2. Where do people spend their time and money with the least amount of effort? We always, without exception, will give our time and resources effortlessly to the things that give our lives the most meaning.

3. What do people tend to think and talk about the most? Another way to frame this question is to ask, “Where do their thoughts go when they are driving alone in the car, when they first wake in the morning?” What does this say about where the utmost treasures of their hearts are residing?

4. Which biblical commands are people the most hesitant to obey? This is always going to be the most revealing questions about the nature of a person’s particular idols. Whenever we choose to disobey a command of God – any command of God – at that moment in time our hearts are treasuring something or someone more than Him.

5. When do people become most angry? What kinds of people, things, or circumstances irritate them the most, and what is it about these people, things, or circumstances that give them such power over their hearts? What, if it happened, would tempt them to become angry with God?

6. How would people fill in the blank? “I cannot be happy unless ____.” Whatever is on the other side of the “unless” is the idol.

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Joseph Foreshadowed Jesus

2009-09-20T19:09:00.000-07:00

All of the Old Testament gets us ready for Jesus. Here's some ways that Joseph's story gets us ready...

Joseph was betrayed by his own brothers. Jesus was betrayed by one of his own disciples.

Joseph was sentenced to die by his own brothers. Jesus was sentenced to die by his own Jewish “brothers”.

Joseph was used by God to prevent the death of thousands of lives from famine. Jesus was used by God to prevent the spiritual death of thousands of lives.

Joseph said to his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good - to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives,” In the same way, God used the harm done to Jesus on the cross for the purpose of saving many lives.

God delivered Joseph from death by bringing him out of the well. God delivered Jesus from death by bringing him out of the tomb.

God used Joseph's saving act to reconcile his brothers to him. God used Jesus' saving act to reconcile us to Him.

Didactic Wisdom Leads to Despair

2009-09-08T17:21:00.000-07:00

According to Charles Drew in his book “The Ancient Love Song” there are two types of wisdom: Didactic and Reflective.

Didactic wisdom fills the book of Proverbs especially. This type of wisdom promises blessing for righteous living and warns of judgement for disobedience. This type of wisdom teaches that if you do the things written in the bible then you will get a certain reward.

But, you are probably thinking to yourself that life isn't so simple. It may be generally true that those who live rightly live well. But you may know plenty of people (yourself perhaps?) that have done what you are supposed to (followed didactic wisdom) and are not living the good life.

The book of Proverbs and the Song of Solomon illustrate the benefits of following didactic wisdom. But, things start getting really confusing when we read the book of Job and Ecclesiastes. Suddenly, we see a guy named Job who is following didactic wisdom really well but gets all of his blessings for obedience taken away. What the heck?

The fine print of Job and Ecclesiastes reads: “If you follow didactic wisdom you may not receive the blessings promised.” When The Fall happened and sin entered into the world, didactic wisdom was fractured.

The problem with a lot of preaching today is that a lot of sermons leave out the fine print. The sermon becomes a list of things to do so that you can be blessed by God. But what if you do what you are supposed to do and aren't rewarded? What if you love your wife or husband and they verbally or physically abuse you? What will you do then? Most church members have no clue.

That is why God is usually the one who gets blamed. But we are the ones to blame.

We brought sin into the world and fractured God's system of obedience and blessing in the world we live in. However, there was One who did come into the world to redeem this fractured system. Job suffered even though he was perfect from a worldly standard. But Jesus, however, not only suffered but died even though he was perfect from a heavenly standard! Jesus suffered the consequences like one who disobeyed God in every way even though he didn't deserve it.

Jesus suffered to restore the blessings promised from didactic wisdom. In other words, because of the Resurrection, we don't have to live without hope that we will not get what we have been promised. Because of Jesus' work on the cross, if we follow God's wisdom, we will be rewarded. The rewards might not come right away or even in this lifetime. But the rewards will eventually come.

The second type of wisdom, reflective wisdom, is reflecting on Jesus and what he has done for us. Didactic wisdom leads to despair because we often times don't see the benefits when we do the things we are supposed to. But when we reflect on Jesus, it leads to hope because he promises to give us blessings that we deserve AND don't deserve... sometimes right now, but often much later on.

So let's not be quick to blame God when things aren't going well even when we are doing everything right. Instead, let's praise Jesus and thank him for securing eternal blessings that are drawing nearer day by day.

How Do You Deal With Your Guilt?

2009-08-22T15:37:00.000-07:00

People deal with their bad consciences in many ingenious ways (from Charles Drew's book “The Ancient Love Song”):

Practicing denial by keeping themselves busy working or entertaining themselves (cable TV and video movies can easily fill every leisure hour with nonreflective stimulation).
Balancing off the bad stuff with religious or philanthropic activity.
Purging (subconsciously) their guilt by vigorously condemning similar failures in other people.
Developing a philosophy or a psychology that denies the existence of true guilt.

How do you deal with your guilt?

No matter how you deal with your guilt, the good news is that Jesus (not having any guilt of his own) died to clear you of a guilty conscience. So now, if you are trusting in Him and His work on the cross for you, you no longer have to work ingeniously to suppress your guilt. You are free and can live without the weight of condemnation on your shoulders.

If you are a Christian and still doing any of the following (above), perhaps you need to reflect on how well you understand the gospel.

If you are walking around trying to rid yourself of guilt, chances are you struggle with pride - since you are not letting Jesus take the guilt from you.

Perhaps you have been holding onto your guilt out of a desire to fix, clean, and redeem yourself.

Tim Keller Talks To 4,000 Campus Crusade Staff

2009-07-24T17:11:00.000-07:00

Pastor Tim Keller, author of “The Reason for God” and “The Prodigal God”, addressed 4,000 Campus Crusade for Christ staff at the national staff conference in Ft. Collins, CO.

Here are a few highlights from his two talks:

Many people who pray the sinner's prayer don't understand imputed righteousness. They think that their “surrender” or their “giving their life to Christ” is what merits God's approval. We need to be very clear that when God saves us He imputes the righteousness of Christ to us - which is the only merit we have to stand before God.

Free justification is different than forgiveness. Forgiveness is being let go but justification is the allowance to come and partake. Jail analogy: Many Christians act like prisoners who have been set free from jail but then go out and try to get a job and make money to prove themselves – because they forget that Christ has justified them already. There is nothing left to prove.

Christian ministers who haven't had the gospel sink into their hearts fully will forget that they have been justified by Christ. Therefore, they will spend their entire lives trying to produce a successful ministry as a way to justify themselves before God and to the world. If the gospel reality that Jesus is our justification isn't grasped, our motivation for evangelism will always be tainted. We will continue to share our faith to enhance our reputation, not out of gratitude because our names are written in heaven (Luke 10).

The gospel is good news, not good advice. The gospel is about something that has already happened (Christ's death and resurrection which makes us right with God) not advice (this is what you need to do to get right with God). All other religions offer advice, not good news.

Evangelism is no longer an irritation to the culture, it is an offense to the culture. Just knowing how to share our faith isn't going to cut it. We are going to have to learn how to do apologetics for apologetics.

You won't be a good messenger if you are not a good neighbor. The message is what makes us good neighbors because its purifies our motives. We can love and serve our neighbors and cities no matter how undeserving they are because Jesus sacrificed himself for us, the undeserving.

Love Through The Pain of Plagues

2009-07-18T11:20:00.000-07:00

I never knew that most of the plagues that God sent to the Egyptians attacked a specific “god” that they were trusting in. Check this interesting insight out...

“The plagues were actually a “declaration of war” against the gods of Egypt (see 12:12). The Nile River was worshiped as a god since it was their source of life (Deut. 11:10–12), and when Moses turned it into blood, God showed His power over the river. The goddess Heqt was pictured as a frog, the Egyptian symbol of resurrection. The plague of frogs certainly turned the people against Heqt! The lice and flies brought defilement to the people—a terrible blow, for Egyptians could not worship their gods unless they were spotlessly clean. The murrain attacked the cattle which were sacred to the Egyptians; Hathor was the “cow-goddess” and Apis was the sacred bull. The gods and goddesses that controlled health and safety were attacked in the plagues of boils, hail, and locusts. The plague of darkness was the most serious, since Egypt worshiped the sun god, Ra, the chief of the gods. When the sun was blotted out for three days, it meant that Jehovah had conquered Ra. The final plague (the death of the firstborn) conquered Meskhemit the goddess of birth, and Hathor, her companion, both of whom were supposed to watch over the firstborn. All of these plagues made it clear that Jehovah was the true God!” - Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the Old Testament

I love how God has not ceased to send various plagues into our lives to tear us away from the “gods” that we cling onto for hope.

I love that God causes someone who is worshiping their work to lose their job to show them that they can't trust in that job to bring them the fulfillment they are looking for.

I love that God causes a student to get dumped by their girlfriend or boyfriend who they are worshiping to show them that they can't trust in that person to bring them ultimate satisfaction.

I love that God causes unexpected emergencies in our lives to pry us from worshiping money and to show us that we can't rely on our finances to bring us the ultimate comfort and peace we long for.

Have we been overlooking the plagues that God is putting in our lives? Have we been resisting His plagues not knowing that they are for our good?

God is always after our good.

But, to get us to that place of rest and fulfillment, He has to pry us away from the things that we are going to other than Him. And that process of separation (a.k.a sanctification) is a very painful one.

A Day on Campus: Sabastian and His Girlfriend Idol

2009-07-09T21:22:00.000-07:00

Ty Stevens, a UMKC junior, and I got to share our faith with five San Diego State University students a month ago on campus. The last conversation we had turned out to be the best.

When we asked Sabastian, an SDSU junior who was sitting in Starbucks, to describe his life in a few words he said: sad and lonely. He didn't go into the specifics right away but we eventually learned that his girlfriend of nine months had just broken up with him. Sabastian said that it was funny that we ran into him because he has been thinking about going to church for the first time in his life due to the hard situation he's in right now. Since he was ready and willing to hear the gospel, we took the opportunity to apply the gospel to his situation.

I shared Romans 1:25 with him which says that all of us have turned from worshiping the true God and have instead worshiped the things God's given us in creation. In Sabastian's case (and hey, I've been there too) the object of worship was his girlfriend.

Making a girlfriend a “god” creates problems.

First, by making his girlfriend a god he was putting unrealistic expectations on her that only God Himself can meet. This is part of the reason why his girlfriend broke up with him.

Second, since all his time and energy went toward making sacrifices for his girlfriend, he sacrificed all of his guy friends in the process. So now that Sabastian's “god” girlfriend has rejected him, he has no friends to help him through his loneliness – since pursuing his girlfriend isolated him from other relationships.

I reminded him that God is the only one who, if you seek Him and worship Him alone, will never fail you. Sabastian said that all of this made a lot of sense and that he wants to continue learning about the bible. He is going to join us for bible study next week.

We were really excited and thankful to God for connecting us with Sabastian today – who was so open, honest, and humble due to his circumstance. I think he is close to following Christ.

The conversation today reminded me that students seem to be the most receptive to the gospel when the “gods” they are pursuing fail them - when they realize that they need something else, something stronger, to both save them from their brokenness and fulfill their deepest longings.

The Beautiful Plan of Redemption

2009-06-29T09:59:00.000-07:00

These are some verses that I've been meditating on a lot lately. I've arranged them to help me think through telling the story of redemption to others.

God created us in His image and was in perfect relationship with us (Genesis 1-2).

We were deceived and turned our backs on God (Genesis 3).

Since then, no one has been righteous. Not even one. All of us fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:10, 23). We deserve to be eternally separated from God for all eternity (Romans 6:23).

Since all of us have turned from God and are unable to save ourselves, God planned a rescue operation that was only His doing (Jonah 2).

Jesus was the plan (John 3:16).

He went to the cross to give us His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).

We receive Jesus' righteousness as a gift (Ephesians 2:8-9) after we hear the gospel proclaimed to us (Ephesians 1:13) and the Holy Spirit convicts us (John 16:8) of the bad things we've done and the good things we've worshiped apart from God (Romans 1:25).

Some religious people reject God's rescue plan through Jesus and so they create other things to do to appear righteous before God (Romans 10:3). These people will not spend eternity with God (Matthew 7). These people experience worldly grief (a guilt that spurs them to make themselves holy by doing good things), not godly grief (a guilt that spurs us to call out and plead with Jesus to give us His holiness) (2 Corinthians 7:10).

For those who do not cling to their own righteousness, but plead for mercy, the Holy Spirit is sent to dwell in their hearts and renew them them day by day so that they can become the people that God intended them to be (Titus 3:4-6). The Holy Spirit produces in these people the same kind of loving affection for God the Father that Jesus had (Galatians 4:6).

These people become confrontational messengers and go on to spread the news (Acts 2:38) that Jesus is our only hope to get back into right relationship with the Father again (John 14:6).

One day Jesus will come back to completely put an end to Satan, sin, and death (Revelation 12:10).

When that happens, just like the beginning of the story, we will live in perfect relationship with God and dwell with Him forever (Revelation 21:3).

Quick Musing On Heaven

2009-06-11T08:51:00.000-07:00

I have heard over and over again from students back in Nebraska and here in San Diego that good people are going to heaven. The problem is that morally good people are some of the worst out there! We tend to view sin in terms of outward behavior rather than an inward reality. It's easier to spot sin in a guy getting drunk than a religious person's pride who judges that drunk.

This is the problem with our view of heaven.

If these type of “good” people are going to heaven, then heaven will not be heaven at all. Heaven will be filled with tons of morally good prideful people who do not worship God as their savior but worship themselves as being their own savior.

When someone comes up to me and says that most people are going to heaven (minus a few Hitler types) then I let them know that heaven won't look much different than the world we live in now.

What if heaven was a place where pride didn't exist? What if heaven was not place of boasting in self, but a place where Jesus was boasted in as being our savior?

That is the true heaven and most people don't want to go there. How can we know? Well, if people aren't willing to enter into gospel-centered communities here on earth – places they can come into, confess sin, and worship Jesus – why would they want to do that when they die?

God is a God of justice. He will let people have what they want.

If some people want a heaven where they deserve to be, filled with morally good people who think they deserve to be there as well, then God will let them have that. But, it will be hell since this place will be void of people who are humble and void of the presence of God.

If other people want a heaven where they don't deserve to be, and they trust in Jesus as their only hope to get there, God will grant them their request.

A Day On a Cali Campus: Tuan and Tolerance Idol

2009-06-01T07:43:00.001-07:00

In the last post I talked about encountering Edgar who has made family the end goal of his life. One of the other students I met, Tuan, has made tolerance his end goal.

Jon, a Virginia Tech student, and I listened to Tuan talk about how much he appreciated Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, and so on. He tolerates all religions.

Tolerance is the air that post-modern students breathe. It sounds so good on the outside, but is one of the most destructive ideas on the college campus right now. Tolerance is the idea we should accept the beliefs or worldviews of everyone. It's the belief that there are many roads to heaven as well as many ways to live.

I told Tuan that tolerance at first glance seems like the most ultimate form of love. But, when you put tolerance through a “real life grid” its weaknesses are exposed. For example, if a father or mother does not have a worldview for his kids to grow up in, the family will fall apart. If every idea that the kids acted on was tolerated by the parents, it would end up bringing chaos to everyone's life. True love is shown when the kids are restricted to listening to and following their parent's wisdom. The way which seems narrow to the kids is actually the best way.

To use another example, if a patient has cancer and is in need of chemo or radiation, why would he/she want the doctor to tell them that there are other people out there with other alternatives – such as “positive thinking”? Would that be a loving thing to say or do? Of course not.

Christianity is amazing. It is the only religion in the world in which God came to the earth Himself to clear up the confusion on truth. He said, “I am the way.” This leads us not to speculation, but to revelation.

Yes, Jesus' message is narrow (exclusive), but it is also good news since it offered for everyone (inclusive). When we worship Jesus and trust in Him as the only way to salvation, it makes life much less confusing.

When every answer is right, no answer can be right. That's what tolerance promotes - a false sense of love by accepting everything. But in the process, everyone stays blind because no one has knows anything for sure.

A Day On a Cali Campus: Edgar and His Family Idol

2009-05-24T08:46:00.000-07:00

Today I spent all day at UCSD sharing my faith with some top notch students from around the country.

UCSD is an interesting animal of a campus. They are incredibly smart. Their library is designed to be the “tree of knowledge”. There is even a long sidewalk shaped like a snake that stretches hundreds of feet next to the library. We heard today that this liberal University is allowing students to put student-made pornographic videos on the campus TV network for the whole campus to see.

The students are chasing after noble things. One of the students I met with today, Edgar, is a non-practicing Catholic who said that is greatest goal in life is to have a great family.

Having a wonderful family is a great thing, but if it is the end goal, life will be much less than what God intended it to be.

If you are like Edgar, you need to know that if family is your ultimate object of worship, comfort, and security then you are in danger. What if a member of your family dies? What if your spouse leaves you? What if your child doesn't become an “A” student or a star athlete?

If any of these things happen, it will result in depression or bitterness. Why? Because the thing (in this case family) that we make an idol or god, if fractured or destroyed, will leave us with nothing to fall back on. Hope, comfort, and security will be stripped away from us.

The good news is that Jesus confronts family idolatry and offers a better solution. He died on the cross so that we could have the opportunity to have Him be the supreme object of worship in our lives rather than family. And if we trust in Him, our families actually become better!

How?

If someone in your family passes away (and Jesus is supreme in your life), He offers to be your comfort and offers to give you hope that you will get to see your family member again. If your spouse leaves you (and Jesus is supreme in your life), He will remind you that He will never leave or forsake you. If your child doesn't meet your academic or athletic standards (and Jesus is the supreme in your life), you will be able to love your child unconditionally since Jesus loved you without any conditions even though You didn't meet his expectations.

Family is a good thing, but when made ultimate, becomes a very bad thing. Jesus is Edgar's only hope to have the family he desires.

The Curse of Technology

2009-05-06T15:03:00.001-07:00

Is technology a blessing for the world? Yes and no.

Yes, because technology allows us to fulfill the cultural mandate in Genesis which tells us to subdue and bring order the created world. We are to beautify and cultivate creation using our creative juices. Technology helps us to advance good in the world.

But is technology always good? No, because technology can bring a wedge between us and God. One of the first instances of this that we see in the bible is The Tower of Babel story (Genesis 11). The technology of bricks had been invented and so the people were eager to do something with this technology. The bible says that they “wanted to make a name for themselves” and so they started building the biggest, baddest, tallest building they could. They didn't use their technology to worship God, but they used it to try and become like God (which is how the serpent enticed Adam and Eve).

Technology increases our pride and decreases our dependence on God. It increases our ability to control ourselves and the world we live in.

Today, we really don't have a huge dependence on God. We can walk into our cool garage, get into an air conditioned car, drive to our air conditioned work and repeat the same steps on the way home. Because of technology we can be comfortable all day long without recognizing the scorching heat outside. Meanwhile, the farmers a few miles away are pleading with God to send rain! But even now days, we don't even have to depend on God to grow things. We can just engineer what we want. We are like God!

Technology can allow a sermon about Jesus to be spread to a million people but it can also allow a porn film to be spread to ten million people. The internet porn industry makes more money than professional basketball, football, and baseball combined.

I was reading a puritan prayer this morning and I am amazed at the amount of dependence this writer has toward God. He writes, “May the gales of they mercy blow me safely into harbor. Secure me by thy grace as I sail across this storm sea.” He sees himself as a ship with no engine (this was easier to picture for him because they had no engines at the time). He realized that all he could do was set his sail and depend on the wind of God's Spirit to guide him, protect him, and carry him along to the harbor of heaven.

I love technology more than most people. But I need to repent often of the way it insulates me from thinking about and depending on God.

Jesus Raised The Bar To Impossible

2009-04-23T08:33:00.000-07:00

The Sermon on the Mount almost blew the audience out of the... well, off the mount. It was profound and engaging, but probably the worst news some of the people had ever heard.

Sure, all the verses with “blessed” in them sounded pretty good. But when Jesus said (Matthew 5:20) “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” That's when the jaws dropped.

Modern translation: “Unless you become more holy than your favorite priest or pastor, there is no chance of you getting to heaven.”

And then Jesus decided to rub it in a little more (vs. 48) when he says, “Be perfect therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Jesus keeps raising the bar throughout the sermon: First, he tells us that we can be blessed by living a Kingdom-centered life (Our response: I can try hard to do that). Then, he tells us that we can be blessed if we become more holy than the holiest pastors in our lives (Our response: That seems impossible). Finally, he tells us we can be blessed if we are absolutely perfect like God Himself (Our response: That is impossible).

I know its good for us to raise the bar every now and then, but it seems like Jesus is taking the bar and beating us with it! What's going on?

Well, like all good mystery novels, Jesus inserts a clue earlier on the sermon. He says (vs. 17), “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” In other words, Jesus is saying that He didn't come to bring a new teaching or start something new – but to perfectly obey all the laws and to fulfill all the prophesies that had been around since the beginning.

Simply, Jesus was telling them: “I'm here to live the life that you should be living, but can't.” And we know that Jesus also went on to fulfill the prophesies by dying the death we should have died.

Jesus raised the bar to impossible, but instead of condemning us for not being able to jump over it, he was condemned (even though he was perfect) for our sake on the cross and therefore transfers his victory to us. In addition, he has given us the ability now to work towards the bar of perfection through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Hiding Behind Religion

2009-04-15T12:07:00.000-07:00

Many of us are deceived into thinking that we are saved by either a) our religious knowledge, b) our religious acts, or c) our religious tradition.

RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE

“You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” - John 5:39-40

Jesus drops a bomb on the seminary students of his day. These young shooting stars, who had memorized large chunks of the Hebrew bible, had no idea that the bible was all about the Father's plan of saving the world through Jesus, not a self-help morality book that gives us strategic plan for saving ourselves.

RELIGIOUS ACTS

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'” - Matthew 7:21-23

This one will make your head hurt a little. So, ummm... some people doing religious things will enter the Kingdom of God (vs. 21) but other people doing religious things (vs. 23) are called evildoers? How do we clear up that fog?

Jesus is always about the heart. He makes the case that two people can do the same act but for different reasons because they have different heart motivations. So, how can you change your heart and its motivations? Well, you can't.

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” Ezekiel 36:26-27

There are two kinds of people:

those who trust in their own heart and try to impress God with the religious acts that flow out of it
those who ask Jesus for a heart transplant

Because of Jesus and the work on the cross, we can have a new heart with new desires. In the end, it is Jesus' religious act that justifies us.

RELIGIOUS TRADITION

“But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them... do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.” - Matthew 3:7-9

These religious nut jobs bragged about finding their identity in father Abraham. It would be the equivalent of a Catholic today bragging about Jesus giving the keys to Peter (him being the first Pope of the Catholic church). Catholics, even non-practicing ones, find a strong sense of worth by belonging to “The Church”. But Protestants do the same thing in different ways. They will hide behind the banner of “evangelical” or “bible-believing”. Or, I've heard some college students say that they were raised in a Christian home. They hide behind their parents' faith.

No matter who we are, we can't take refuge in religious labels. Putting on a name tag (I'm Catholic, I'm a Seminary student, I was raised in a Christian Family, I go to a Bible-believing Church, etc.) may fool the people around you but it won't fool God.

One day everyones' heart will be scanned and the bar code will not lie. The litmus test: Were we finding our identity, security, and hope in Jesus or in our religious knowledge, acts, or tradition?