For a lot of years, I’ve been very involved with people up close and far away, individually and in small to large groups. Always I am impressed by how different we are, how varied we are. And always I am impressed that love is the single, same ingredient all of us crave. It’s such a magnificent beauty when we find love; even better when we find it together. When love is not found, we either shrink and withdraw into ourselves, or puff up and perform, disguising dissatisfaction. We don’t do well because we’ve become twisted.

In all of my involvement, I am reminded of why Jesus came amongst us—to give what we did not have; Life. God’s life Himself. For you, for me. That was and is the gift of God. The invitation is love. Love is why people ran to Jesus, and love was why they stayed with Him as long as they could. He knew the cure was life. Jesus said, famously in John 10:10: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” He knew the evidence of our need was and is, even today, love undiscovered. Love found is why I know life—life from and with God. The two always go together because both are from the original source.

I am thankful that people, withdrawing or performing, see and hear the beckoning call of love, God’s love, in the oftentimes craziness of our days. Many have responded to the call of love, and have found their particular twist—shrink away, draw away, or perform—leaving them as they receive and experience the life of God. I am thankful in the whole mess, because I know this is where Jesus is—offering love and giving life to you and me. There’s nothing better, nothing more meaningful than that.

See you later.

The worst climate change I know of is the terrible increase in the heat of anger in our relationships, near and far. It’s fueled by the most flammable material there is—self-righteous judgment. It’s nothing new, but there’s so much more combustible information coming at us than ever before, so forming an educated opinion with an angry, clenched fist seems reasonable.

I’m reminded of a favorite incident in the book of Luke. Hot-head brothers, James and John, were traveling with the Messiah, and after a snub by some of the ungrateful locals, the brothers thought they knew what ought to happen to those ingrates.

Luke 9:51-56 As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; 53 but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. 54 When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” 55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them, 56 and they went to another village.

Two things stand out to me: First, the disciples were free to be the way they were, sloppy and stupid, around Jesus. This says so much about their relationship…with God! They were themselves around Him—Shall we have a barbecue, Lord?—unafraid of any consequence. That’s fantastic—and rare, even today.

Second, it also indicates that people were used to thinking that they had to do everything right, OR ELSE. The Pharisees had long taught this, and James and John must have thought something like, “These people are doing it all wrong. They’re not treating you the way you deserve, Lord. How about we smoke ‘em?” But Jesus came not to condemn (or smoke) but to save. It framed and filled everything He thought and did for people. It still does.

You, too, can be yourself around Jesus. You have no worries with Him. None. You don’t have to put on a show. He is perfect with you—exactly what you need, exactly what you most deeply want. He is always about helping you, not hindering. It just takes a while to figure that out. That means you can relax if you’ve recently asked Him to smoke somebody who was a little out of line.

See you later.

How do you think you would impress God with an offering? Paul tells us what matters:

Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

So if you were to offer yourself to God, what do you think would please Him? In other words, how would you worship Him? It’s likely the opposite of any other offering you make.

Think of how regularly you offer yourself; it goes on all the time. For example, there’s the morning offering of yourself to your housemates—“How do I get along with my family, roommates and pets—plants even? How shall I posture myself so those relationships work? How do I avoid being an idiot?” There’s the offering of yourself at work—“What shall I wear? How shall I interact in person or online? How do I avoid being an idiot?” There’s the offering of public speaking or of writing and offering personal opinions to scads of people in person and online—“How do I avoid sounding or writing like an uneducated idiot?” Yeah, there’s a theme, isn’t there? Idiot avoidance.

But the offering that most pleases God is the one in which I don’t try to make anything of myself or change anything about myself. No posturing. No dressing up. No practicing my speech.

The offering that most pleases God is the one that stops me from denigrating myself, scolding myself, shaming myself, or praising myself with God. Why is that? Although I want to own my idiot moments (“I’m sorry about that!”), it’s the offering that chooses faith in what He thinks of me anyway—no matter what—because that’s worshiping and exalting Him and what He’s done for me. And valuing it over everything else. In other words, “I offer myself to you, Lord—the me you know all about. Here I am. You did crucify the old me, the former idiot, and made me new and raised me up; holy, righteous, and fully agreeable with you. I’m the son of your making, and I’m in Christ. So I’ll sacrifice anything else I might think, and choose what you know is true. Thank you that you’re right!” (See Galatians 2:20.)

I’m living by faith and worshiping truly, and God loves it. That’s how I worship God “in view of His mercy…” He loves it. And this former idiot does too.

See you later.

It’s so easy to become a temporary idiot.

Let me explain. We have a lot of temporary truths, temporary likes and dislikes, and temporary loves, all discerned and distilled from a temporary world. It’s understandable. It’s right there in front of us. But if we accept these temporaries as most real and most important, we’ll grow dark about the grace and power of eternal life—the life of God in us right now. That truth. As a result, we’ll get lost to ourselves. We’ll forget who we are. We’re saved and born again, but the life of Christ in us seems absent. Think of it: Christ in you (Colossians 1:27), but you’re unaware. You’re struggling with a temporary addiction to the visible and temporary, and have gone blind and unfeeling to the invisible and eternal.

Fortunately, the way forward is not difficult for the temporary idiot. It’d better be easy because we’re temporary idiots—“Don’t expect much from me!”

So think about this. The change God made at your new birth made you as not-of-this-world as Jesus was (John 17:14-16). Do you believe that? It’s surprising. It’s the gospel. You actually are a new creation, not an old one—right now (2 Corinthians 5:17) tells you. And you actually are united with Christ at this very moment (1 Corinthians 6:17). You actually are in Him—never separated, always secure and heaven ready because you’re “seated in heavenly places” already (Ephesians 2:6). You live by faith in these truths of the gospel, which cannot be seen or found in the temporary world. While invisible, these truths are most real and eternal (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). This is why you talk with Jesus and look to the New Testament to find the eternal truth which makes evident the eternal life of God in you.

And the temporary idiot disappears, as the eternal son or daughter of God emerges—filled with the Spirt of life. You know who you are again.

2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen (Why is that?), since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (Italics mine.)

What is seen makes temporary idiots, while the the truth found in the unseen brings forth the eternal son or daughter of God.

See you later.

I’ve felt unusually burdened lately, so much so that I’ve been secretly afraid that someone might push me over the edge by sharing just one more burden. Okay, that’s not normal, so what’s wrong with me?

And I accidentally bumped into this verse this morning, which initially caused me to want to remove it from my Bible:

Galatians 6:2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

So I need to carry more burdens, and then I’ll be doing right? Is that more Christian? What? Wait. That can’t be right. What’s my starting point before this verse? Well, if the cross and resurrection worked, not just for the world, but for me, then “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

The good news is that I am not a burden bearer, but Christ in me is. He’s not asking me to be what He is. Instead, He’s asking me to live by faith that He’s perfect with little, insignificant me whenever it comes to doing something perfect with the burdens of those near me. That means my attention goes first to Him, who lives in me. That’s always good! He is perfect, so I don’t try to be that. And through the day, here’s how that goes, here’s what I think, here’s how that sounds from me:

“Jesus, am I as incapable as it seems? I’m my biggest burden! What do you think?” And then I look for words and thoughts that appear in my mind that are way better than my own. “You’re not my biggest loser, Ralph. Together, we’re all that’s needed.” And there He is, taking the burden I had wrongly assumed.

Or it might go like this: “Lord, people are so deceived about what’s really going on! They’re addicted to the wrong news, so they’re clueless. And I’m hopeless. What do you think?” And then we have a chat that takes me off the ledge, reduces me to the bit player I am, and restores the glory of Him who lives in me. Mr. Capable lives in me! “I’m not asking you to care as the world cares, Ralph; they’re crazy, but you’re not. We’re not. So let’s pray about my people in Nigeria today…”

Or it might sound like this: “Holy Spirit, my daughter is beleaguered just now. She’s overwhelmed—blah, blah, blah. Are you doing anything with her?” Frankly, this is one of my most common starting points of prayer for people in general. And I don’t “dress myself up with a good attitude” because I’m burdened! He reminds me that He lives in her and is perfectly caring for her. And then a specific item or two appears in my mind that I can pray for or do something about. It’s one or two burdens for me with the Spirit, each in the context and confidence of Christ in my daughter.

All of this gets at Christ in me. We’re together, and knowing Him is the best burden-bearing relief there is. It’s perfect, and that’s the plan. Smiles all around—His and mine.

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

See you later.

There’s this little verse in 2 Corinthians 8 that I’m just loving today. The Christians of Macedonia were under intense pressure (a “severe trial”), yet the apostle Paul writes that the combination of “extreme poverty” and “overflowing joy” welled up in “rich generosity.” Who on earth would put those two things together and expect much of anything but a pitiful potluck? The cool thing is that even if somebody had been pressuring or manipulating them toward “rich generosity,” they were kept free of that by doing something unexpected. And here’s the verse—verse 5:

“And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us” (2 Corinthians 8:5). Hallelujah!

Think of that. If Jesus had left the planet years earlier via the Divine exit strategy of the resurrection, yet “They gave themselves first of all to the Lord,…” then how did they do that? Jesus wasn’t there, serving coffee or an aperitif. Jesus didn’t suddenly show up or fall afresh on them. Jesus was IN them, and they counted upon His ability to get His will done through them. They believed the gospel and were attracted to Christ, who had made them His beautiful mobile homes. How great is that?

Giving themselves “first of all to the Lord” became the pattern for bringing to “completion this act of grace” (2 Corinthians 8:6), which began with God—and where was He? In them—and welled up and out of His people. How great is that? They were knowing God, and that’s the grand prize; knowing Him. I think it’s the same pattern today for us. And it’s not just about giving—it’s for everything.

So tune in to the One who lives in you—you’re together now, and He keeps you free from outside pressures to do good works with Him. That’s the pattern, and that’s the way of God’s grace in you.

If God is a good leader, how is He doing with you?

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him” (2 Corinthians 2:14).

Here’s a starting point question: How often is God leading you? How regularly and in what condition is He bringing you forward? If your response is something like, “Um, whenever I pay attention to Him and do what He says,” then you probably ought to rethink that. Why?

God knows that He’s leading you at all times triumphantly. You may ask, “How can that be when I do lousy things, and things around me look so lousy?” Here’s how: God thinks of where you are, in Christ, and where He is, in you, in terms of leading you. He’s not so much ahead of you, hoping you’ll follow. That’s worldly thinking, not Christian. You’re always together, never separate. You don’t have to ask Him to make you “a good follower”, because He’s already got you in Him. You’ll never be in God’s rearview mirror! He’s not relying upon your ability, He’s working to get your attention—in other words, your faith—that you’re together in everything. Everything. You might as well get used to that and enjoy it.

You’re growing in believing that God’s leadership with you is perfect and triumphal, but you don’t make His leadership happen by your perfect following. You’re in Him and He’s in you. That’s your every day, every moment starting point.

Romans 8:15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”

There’s a big plague of hopelessness going around. Have you felt it? And did you know that the word, “hopeless,” when referring to Christians, never occurs in the New Testament? How can that be?

Hopelessness occurs when the future you have is camouflaged by the present you see. Think about what you’ve been seeing lately. Isn’t it stuffed full of the trials and turmoil of this world? Even the briefest glance at people involved in ugly riots and the authorities commissioned to restore order forces you into a judgmental view. “Who’s to blame? Who will fix this? Someone make it stop!” It’s so hopeless.

Here’s the thing. The god of this world is a pro at inciting an evil that springs from the hearts of those who are spiritually dead, and therefore without hope and without life in this world—the life of Jesus. (See Ephesians 2:11-13) He is “the God of hope.” And He doesn’t have just a dose of it, He is the original source. Once you receive Him, He works and attracts you to know Him. Why? Because you will trust Him and set your mind upon Him as the result. What will happen then? He will fill you with what He is!

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Your future—even tomorrow—is with Him, who lives in you. No matter what goes on around you—as ugly as that may be—your life and hope lives within you. Jesus told us this before He left so we would remember it after He left.

John 16:33 I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

No matter what you see, your future is with Him, and He is your hope.

See you later.

Around here, summer is breaking out all over the place. It’s often hot, kids are rampaging all around, and goals for the summer months have changed from winter and spring. We do different things when the seasons change, and experience seasonal pressures and seasonal ways by which to judge how we do.

So I’m offering a reminder of something that does not change like the seasons, something that’s already established no matter what. It’s in a few verses that Paul intends should support the importance of the faith you now have—the faith that changed everything for you and became the way for every day.

Romans 16:25 Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, 26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that is faith – 27 to the only wise God be glory for ever through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Did you catch that? Because of the new covenant and the grace of God given to us, the “obedience” that’s most valuable is that you believe. In other words, believing God IS obedience. It was Jesus’ obedience that secured everything for you for always, and it’s your believing it that is your obedience. He did the acting, you did the believing. Jesus became your representative, and by believing in Him and what He did, you are put into Christ where everything is secured and provided for always!

Will the obedience of faith lead you to do things? Of course. It’s your new normal life. There’s still that aspect or result of Christ’s obedience and your belief. But remember the starting point that Jesus gave you: He did everything needed, so you can believe and rest in what happens because you’re in Him and He’s in you. That’s it, no matter the season.

See you later.

Does your imagination ever run off and go wild? Mine does. And it’s not always easy to grab it and bring it back home. “Are you kidding me? Get back over here and behave yourself.”

Fortunately, I’ve found that my imagination—that part of my mind that explores for me what could have been or could be—is often a fertile place for faith and encouragement when I offer it to the Spirit and what Jesus did with me. The exercise of offering my imagination to God engages and involves me with Him in a way that He uses to refresh and strengthen me. I’ll give you an example from yesterday.

I began thinking of Jesus bringing me close and hugging me as He went through His crucifixion and burial. I could see it, and in my imagination, He said, “I’ve got you, Ralph.” And after a bit, He said, “Wake up now.” In that same embrace, we rose together in His resurrection into a new life, established and revealed in heaven, where I was alive for the first time. “There now; we’re all done with that,” He said. “Look around you, because there’s so much to know and enjoy in this life with me that will dramatically affect you and your days. And we’ll always be together.”

You may know how very scriptural that is. In the truth found in the spiritual and eternal realm (2 Corinthians 4:18), I was brought into Christ, and crucified and buried with Him. It happened. The former me died. (See Romans 6:3-9) Further, I was raised with Him into heaven and new life, where every blessing is mine. (See Ephesians 2:1-7) It’s true. The new me was born, and lives at this very moment—in heaven and on earth. While I navigate this world, I’m humbled and thrilled to know that I have a unique and purposeful way of involvement with it. So I’m living by faith, thanks in part to my imagination.

How’s yours? See you later.