Scars

Scars. Everyone has them. At some point in our lives we have done something that has been traumatic enough to our skin that it heals over and forms a scar.

Scars are a reminder of what we have been through and what we have endured. I have a scar on my knee from a landscaping wire holding up a freshly planted tree. During a game of hide and seek, I slid behind the tree and right into the wire. Slicing my knee open, I bled everywhere and had to have friends take me up to my parents to get the wound mended. After a few weeks I no longer had an open wound but a scar.

You can create a tall tale based on someone’s visible scars. You see the scars on their face or arm and you create this

elaborate story of what must have taken place to lead to such disfigurement. It may or may not be close to the truth and you may or may not ever find out what the real story is, but the 100% truth is that everyone has scars.

When we picture Jesus, many times we jump to the typical image of a bearded man with long hair standing in a white robe.

Sometimes, we may even picture the wounds or scars he acquired during the crucifixion on his hands, feet and side. This image may come from the

famous painting of Thomas inserting his fingers into the side of Jesus. Whatever you picture Jesus looking like, a few things are certain. First certainty is that none of us really know what Jesus looked like (nor does it really matter). Secondly, Jesus was beaten, broken, killed and raised back to life 3 days after his death to save us from condemnation.

Matthew 27: 26 says “Then he (Pilate) released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged and handed him over to be crucified.”

Further on in chapter 27 verse 30 it says “They (Roman soldiers) spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.” The whipping and beating Jesus endured before being crucified was more than enough to crush some men. Jesus made it through the flogging to be crucified on the cross. 3 days after his death, Jesus was resurrected.

John 20 shows us the scene of Mary Magdalene, a devout follower of Jesus, going to the tomb where Jesus was buried. She comes to find the tomb is empty. She doesn’t know this yet, but Jesus was resurrected. Jesus comes up to her and says “Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir if you have carried him away tell me where you have put him and I will get him.” Jesus said to her “Mary” She turned to him and cried out in Aramaic “Rabboni!” Which means teacher.

Aside from the fact that this is such a beautiful moment and a touching moment to say the least, I have found it so interesting that someone who intimately knew Jesus, did not recognize him at first. It could be said that she would have never expected it to be Jesus as she was under the impression he was dead and had been carried off somewhere else…but it’s still intriguing.

Jesus was all God but also all man. He was real flesh that was really beaten and broken and killed. Jesus was also raised from the dead. His physical body was made alive again and he was brought back from death. This truth, combined with the knowledge of his beating he endured has made me wonder; did Mary not recognize Jesus because he was un-recognizable?

The Bible doesn’t address this specifically so this is really speculation, but it could absolutely be the case. In John chapter 20 we see the resurrected Jesus encouraging Thomas to put his fingers in his hands and side to feel the holes where he was pierced. Jesus didn’t appear before his believers after the resurrection as some translucent ghost figure back from the dead to whisper creepy ghostly words of encouragement. Jesus was flesh and blood, killed and brought back to life. The scars Thomas felt were real and were existent because the same body that was crucified was alive and standing in front of him.

If this is the case, imagine how the rest of his body must have looked. Hit repeatedly in the head he could have easily had one of his eyes swollen shut. Cheeks puffed up and bruised; knots and bumps still evident on his brow. Picture his back and arms and side, still bearing the bones underneath. It’s easy to think his closest friends may have not recognized him at first.

Now, 2000 years later, imagine Jesus sitting at the right hand of God. Alive and well, wounds healed over but still there; scarred and raised from the skin. A daily reminder of the sacrifice he made for you and me. Imagine the day when we get to stand before him and the sweet embrace that will take place. He can look at you and say, “I know the pain you have endured.” As he slides his hand up his forehead, pushing back the hair to show the individual scars where the thorns punctured his scalp. He places your hand over his heart to feel the raised scars where the whips stretched over his shoulder into his chest and ripped the flesh from his body.

Scars tell a tale. Scars are a reminder of what we have been through and what we have endured. In Jesus’ case, they aren’t just a reminder for him, but a bridge for us. Something to show us that he knows the physical and emotional struggles we face every day. They are a way for us to relate to him and him to relate to us. He has been here on the earth, completely 100% flesh. He has felt pain; he has felt sadness and anger. But the most important part of this is that the wounds heal. The day that we get to meet with him and see his scars and embrace the man who died for us, is the day that we can move past our own physical and emotional scars; move past the hurt and the things of this world.

As I said, this is all just an illustration. I have no Biblical support to back up this picture I’ve painted. But I’d like to picture Jesus sitting back as he waits for the day we get to be with him, running his hand over each scar and saying, “I know the painyou’re enduring. These wounds were for you.I love you. I can’t wait to be with you."

Stop! Hands up! Surrender!

As my feet halted; legs frozen like tears in winter, I heard those words...

"Stop! Hands up! Surrender!"

I slowly twisted my head around in hopes to get a glimpse of the person who had screamed the words that made my heart jump, my hands cramp and my deep breathing lungs turn silent. I thought to myself,

'If I'm quiet, they won't hear me.'

As the sweat dripped through my already blurry vision, all I could make out was a dark authoritative figure behind a bright flashing light shining in my direction. My fingers slowly curled into a fist while I calmly turned myself back in my original direction; acting as if I was ready to give up. The soft sound of footsteps started behind me, my unknown pursuant starting his ascension.

'One...two...' I counted in my head...'THREE!!!'

I screamed as stored energy turned kinetic and I bolted. My feet had never moved so quickly! In seconds I was already yards away from certain doom. I could feel my heart beating faster and faster almost beating a soundtrack to my footsteps. As I was making my escape, I started to think,

‘Why is he not chasing me? Does he finally realize that there is no use continuing the chase?’

He seemed to be miles away now when I heard the voice, even louder than the first time

"Stop! PLEASE! Surrender!"

These words didn't sound like the words of the figure out to get me... they had a tone of desperation, a sense of sadness. He sounded to almost be sobbing. Catching my curiosity, I turned to look back as I ran for freedom. Before my chin could even touch my shoulder, my foot hooked the root of a tree and I was headed down in flames. My arms stretched out, fingers open and palms ready to eat the road; I prepared for impact. All my 5 senses turned off, the noise of the world stopped, everything was dead silent and seemed to flow in slow motion...then...I hit...But it didn't hurt, I laid there for a minute to regain my composure. As I unlocked my tightly clenched eyes, I looked to my palms and realized they were un-harmed. I checked my knees and shirt, brushing both off with speed and dis-belief. As I started to look up I realized I had been caught by the figure chasing me. But I wasn't caught like captured, or red handed. I had been caught and protected from the fall. He spoke again and said,

“Please surrender, I want so badly to stop chasing you. I want so badly to be with you.”

It's then that I realized the one who had been pursuing me was not after me to punish or hurt me. He was trying to help me. He was the man who died for me years before. The one who longed to be with me, and to share life with me...and this whole time I had been running out of guilt...out of shame and out of FEAR! As I sobbed in his arms, let my guard down and dropped my masculine mask. He again spoke and said,

“This is what it means to surrender..."

Faith

I want a faith that bleeds
that opens up and scars

I want a faith that chokes
that coughs and struggles for air

I want a faith that bruises
that swells and hurts to touch

I want a faith that's abused
I want a faith that takes a beating
I want a faith that is tangible and real
I want a faith that's used and broken but never dies and never quits
I want a faith that will collapse to it's knees with fatigue and pain just to slowly stand back up to its feet, look it's challenger in the face and say in a Kris Kristofferson tone... "Is that the best you can do?"

All Points Bulletin!!!

CALLING ALL CARS! CALLING ALL CARS! WE HAVE AN APB FOR A CAUCASIAN MALE, WHITE HAIR, LONG WHITE BEARD, WEARING A WHITE ROBE AND SANDALS. RESPONDS TO THE NAME FATHER, ABBA OR GOD.

To many people (especially White America) this can be a picture perfect explanation of who they know God to be.

I recently started reading The Shack; this exact issue has been the cause of controversy among some Christians and confusion among some non-Christians. In the novel, God presents himself to the protagonist Mack as a large black woman named Elousia or as Mack uncomfortably refers to her, "Papa". Some Christians have a very hard time with this interpretation because they know God only as they have known him for most of their lives; a larger than life, grandpa/wizard figure with the power to judge and to create.

At the same time, some non-Christians are being led in strange directions taking this story for 100% fact and gaining an in-correct view that God is what you want it to be, and that's based on what you want to perceive God as and God could in fact be a female.

I want to preface the rest of this writing with this...I fully believe that scripture is correct and God is in our best understanding of the word, a man. This is not a misogynistic view I developed in childhood, this is me supporting scripture that from the very start refers to God as "He". However, I don't disagree with the author portraying God as a large black woman who loves to bake and talk.

I believe that as followers of Christ, we need to be careful not to lead someone who doesn't know Jesus down an odd and confusing path of an ambiguous God. I feel that certain people should refrain or be very careful before reading a book like this because I think that anyone Christian or non could take this text and look into it a number of different ways. I also, however, feel that as followers of Christ, we can't limit God or put him in a box.

In the story, God presents himself as a large black woman to a man who had an abusive father growing up. Macks character struggles with the idea of a father being loving or supportive. His dad was an alcoholic and an abuser and his only experience with a Dad figure is negative. God presents himself to Mack as a large black woman to help Mack let down his guard; to enter into a relationship with him on a level that Mack can deal with and open up to.

When God appeared to Moses as a burning bush, do we as Christians jump to offense to say, "God is not a bush!"? No. We know that God is not foliage. God chose to present himself to Moses in a way that would get his attention and break through to reach Moses and demonstrate his power. I feel that God has presented himself to me through financial stress. This doesn't mean that God is a financial burden, it means that through this stress, God reveals himself to me. God continually breaks down the walls that we build to keep him out. He penetrates through the garbage that surrounds our hearts and our lives that keeps us from him. For me, I was having more faith in financial security than God. He needed to break me down and through financial stress, I've been reminded of his love and his faithfulness to me.

When God became flesh and came to earth as Jesus Christ he did so not just to act as the ultimate sacrifice for sin, he did so not just to fulfill the law, but he did so to meet people in their situation where they were at. He could have come to the earth as anything but he did so as a man to relate to people and to be tangible and real. He became a real figure that common people could understand and be with.

In a sense, God could be your neighbor. I'm not implying that your neighbor is God, but what I mean is God could be anyone you encounter. Matthew 25:40 says...

"Jesus will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

God could be the widow whose lawn you mowed, God could be the Latino guy down the street who you helped tow his car. God could be the orphaned child whom you paid to get immunizations.

God cannot be limited nor can we expect to harness even a fraction of what he is capable of or what he does daily to dip into our lives and give us an opportunity to trust him, to love him, and to serve him.

I have yet to finish The Shack so I can't give my full and honest opinion yet. However, I can say that recently God as presented himself to me as a novel; a fictional story that has reminded me that his love for us is beyond measure and understanding and his desire for a relationship with us is truly what our faith in him is all about. No gimmicks, no super religious law, just an honest to goodness reciprocated relationship from a parent to a child.

Hope For All

I commonly post blogs either during or after reading a really good book. This blog is no different.

I just finished the book "Red Letters: Living a Faith That Bleeds" by Tom Davis and although it wasn't exactly what I expected, it was a really great read.

In the book, Tom challenges readers to live out the "red letters" in the New Testament. The red letters are the words Jesus spoke that have been hi-lighted in red throughout the 4 gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) His point is to take Jesus seriously and literally when it comes to a call to care for others; He wants to see people get socially active as Jesus instructs. Tom's main point of focus in the book was Africa.

Africa is a continent of lush terrain, beautiful deserts and amazing wildlife. Africa is rich in culture and history, however, Africa is at risk of losing everything. Due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic (which has actually been labeled as a Pandemic; an even larger and more severe problem than an epidemic) Africa is losing a war to an enemy we can help fight. Not only are we called to help as people, but as Christians, followers of Christ, we should be even more eager and more willing to help as we have been instructed by our King.

Matthew 25:35-40: "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Jesus tells us in this passage that he is the poor and the needy. When we serve our fellow man, we serve Jesus. Many of us would quickly drop whatever we are doing for an opportunity to physically serve Jesus (wash his feet, give him a drink, etc.) but it can be difficult to find the motivation to do something for someone we feel we don't know that lives half way across the globe.

I don't think that we are called to sell everything we own and give all our money to those in need, but I do feel that we have the ability to do something. Lots of people give and lots of people help in different ways. Not all of us are called to give to the situation in Africa, not all of us are called to physically serve over seas. But we are called as Christians to take care of those and fight for those who don't have the ability to fight for themselves.

This fight doesn't have to involve packing up and flying to Africa tonight (but as Tom Davis said, if that's what God calls you to then go for it!) It doesn't even have to mean a financial donation; it could simply mean starting with prayer. It might mean that next time you go to buy an iPod or Starbucks gift card, you purchase a (RED) sponsored product which sends a portion of the money spent towards HIV/AIDS relief. The main point here is not to do something outside your capability, but to simply do something. It's time to get off the sidelines and play.

I know salvation is not based on works or actions, but in the end, I still don't want to have to account for the loss of human life because I was selfish or greedy with my time and money.

This blog isn't intended to be some "Peace and Love, save the planet" type of soap box declaration. But I just wanted to take some time to share where I'm at what I've been reading. Ultimately it's got to be a decision from within to get active and help in some way. I'm currently not even sure in what manner my family or myself will get involved; I'm currently waiting and praying to see what that looks like, but, if you decide you have some interest and want to look into what can be done, I've listed some sites where you can start to get active.

http://www.fivefor50.com/

http://www.joinred.com/Home.aspx

http://one.org/us/

A Call To Arms

we
we are
we are in the golden age of deceit
we are the future... we are the past and we are the present
we are the here and now
we are the children born into a generation driven by lust, greed and hatered
we are the sons and daughters of "i want it now"ism and instant gratification
we are guiltless, shamelss, tired and blameless
however...
we are not alone
we are in this together
we are the hands that can tear down this black city
we are the foundation on which the new kingdom will be built
we are the children of rescue, salvage and truth
we are the dawn of a new day
we can stand and fight; we are stronger
we are patiently waiting, loving not hating
we are the revolution
we are...I am...
you

Where I'm At...

After probably over a year of really pursuing law enforcement and even longer than that wanting to be a part of law enforcement, I've come to a place where I'm not really sure if that's where God wants me.

I've wanted to be a police officer partly for the experience (it always seemed fascinating), partly for the pay (not having a college degree it seems like a decent way to make over $40k a year), partly for the freedom (working three 12's and having between 3 to 4 days off a week seems awesome), and also to accomplish my goals (Tonya staying home, buying a house, etc)

But the more I listen to God and the more I really think about my motives. I feel like they might be really selfish. I'm not saying that I will never pursue law enforcement or that I am never going to be called to that area. But I feel like God doesn't want me there right now.

I realized that if I get into a career that pays me $50k a year, allows me to buy a home and keep Tonya from working, that I will at that point no longer be listening to what God wants for my life. I will be in the job that I will have deemed as my final place. The job I will stay and retire from. If in the middle of all that God called me to plant a church or give up the job and pursue ministry, I can honestly say it would be a slim chance that I would want to give all that up to follow his will.

I'm starting to feel that maybe the reason I'm in a job that I'm not sure where I'm headed or the reason that I have spent the majority of my adult life wondering "where do I fit in" is because God has not placed me where I need to be yet. He has me in a position that is extremely easy to give up so that I will not only be constantly listening for where he wants to put me, but be ready when the time comes to make the move to where I need to be.

I don't know where I am going to be next month and maybe God does want me in Boulder County, but for now, I feel like he is telling me to wait on him, teaching me to be faithful even when income is down and showing me that I can be more satisfied serving him than serving my worldly desires and goals.

A true man is not someone who can provide for his family 100% all the time without testing, or buy them a house, or own the newest vehicle. A true man is someone who can patiently wait on the Lord and be ready to act at a moments notice when he is called.