2011 January | Expect The Exceptional

Archive - January, 2011

Rob Me Of Me

January 27, 2011 in Meditations 61

As we wind down the guest post extravaganza (I really like saying that word) we end with my friend Michael Perkins. I honestly just love this guy. He is the real deal. Just an authentic and down to earth kind of guy. He is crazy talented and creative. He has a heart for the broken and has a unique way of relating and encouraging. He was kind enough to bless me with one of his unique hand written poems. This is one of my favorites of his. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out his blog Untitled and follow him on Twitter.

The Cat Who Descended From Heaven

January 26, 2011 in Meditations 80

Day two of the guest post extravaganza is upon you. Next up is my good friend Kristin. I had the good fortune of stumbling across her site when she made the coveted FIRST POST! on Stuff Christians Like. Of all days, it was a day of shameless blog self-promotion and since she made first post, naturally I clicked on her link. I read that post and instantly I was hooked. She’s smart, funny and hates (hated?) cats. We’re practically twins. I hope you enjoy her story!

Halfway between the front door and the car, drizzling rain working itself down into my hair and clothes, I froze. I heard it and so did the kids, coming from behind the front wheel of my SUV. I knew before that what had happened, when I saw four-year-old Mia’s eyes expand to approximately 15.8 times their normal size, her breath catch; from yards away, I could practically hear her pulse quicken. Aw crap, I thought, God had answered her prayer.

Let me back up. To understand, I have to rewind to that morning, 4 hours before we headed out to the store. I’m busy searching through piles of papers in the study, trying to locate that one form I use to grade all the time, but can never find when I need it. Mia has perched herself at the kids’ table, watching.

“Can I have a cat?”

“No.”

“But I want a cat.”

“I’m allergic to cats.”

“But I really want a cat.”

“I could die. Plus, we can’t afford it.”

“Please, pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease?”

“Mia, I’m really busy right now. Why don’t you just go pray, and ask God for a cat,” I shooed her off so I could keep ransacking the study. She skipped off to her room, I thought, to play. Apparently, she went to pray.

When I heard the cat, I shuddered. Why, of all prayers, did he have to answer this one? Why, of all people to chose upon whom to foist a feline, did he choose me? That’s it. God just didn’t understand. He had crossed the line. I did not want a cat.

I would have to get rid of the cat. I don’t like poop; I’m barely responsible enough to feed my own children, who can ask for food when they’re hungry, and, I can’t stress this enough, I’M DEATHLY ALLERGIC TO CATS. She was a skinny thing; I could probably just let her starve to death. No, then I would have to dispose of the carcass, and as much as I hate poop, I hate dead animals more. Also, if God sent it, maybe it was an immortal angel cat. If it’s a boy, I could call it MacLoud or Gabriel. Wait, no, no cats. Animal Shelter! Yes, I’ll call the animal shelter and have them pick her up.

Turns out, you can’t tell a four-year-old that their miracle has to go to the animal shelter. So, over a year later, the woman who could potentially be killed by kittens via anaphylactic shock, has a long-haired, large-eyed, Maine Coon mix named Scarlet, who sleeps in my bed, keeps me company when I’m alone, makes a great foot warmer and has never caused even a watery eye or ticklish throat.

“And he said, ‘Truly, I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of God.” Matthew 18:3

She taught me some invaluable lessons about prayer:

Youngsters are specific in their faith – they believe God for something tangible and detailed, and, God often rewards that faith with detailed, specific answers.
Kidlets expect God to answer – there’s never a question of IF with them, but WHEN. It’s sad that Mia’s faith is more mature than mine, because my faith is mired what I believe is possible, given what has, or has not, happened in the past. It’s bogged down in rationality. Hers is pure anticipation of the promise.
Little squirts return praise for the answer to their prayers. There is no one involved in Mia’s life that doesn’t know God gave her a cat.

Just the other day Mia asked for a dog. Again. I’m onto her, now, and am actively involved in bit of low-level spiritual warfare with my own child. May God have mercy on me.

Have you ever been surprised by answered prayer?

Be sure to check out her blog Messiah Mom and follow her on the Twitter. She’s new there so show her love.

Choosing To Change

January 25, 2011 in Identity 41

Welcome to the guest post extravaganza! First up is my good friend Mo. I can’t remember how I came across his site but the first time I did, I probably read 10 of his posts. I think I’m subscribed to the comment thread of every post since then. He is a storyteller with a unique blend of wit and the sly ability to sneak in powerful lessons. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

When I was growing up, I wanted to be a teacher. Of course, when you’re a kid, the only adults you know are teachers (other than your parents maybe, who don’t count because you’ve heard them swear). I was pretty gung ho about it until I was 15, when I got a job with a friend’s dad, who was an engineer. And just like that, my future identity changed from teacher to engineer.

Then, when I was about to graduate from college, I met a patent lawyer and saw that he drove a Corvette, so my future identity changed again. I was going to go to law school and become a patent lawyer! And buy a Corvette! And some driving gloves! I actually told people I was going to do it. Driving gloves. It was serious.

But, it never happened. I decided I didn’t want to deal with the LSAT, so I went to grad school instead. And over the next 10 years, my identities spanned graduate student, teacher, engineer, Christian, husband, and frequent snacker.

And one thing I learned through all that change was that most of those “identities” never really defined me at all. Whether I was chasing a particular career or a particular girl, I was still basically the same person: same fears, same strengths, same motivations, same insecurities. And that’s probably a good thing in the end. People who identify themselves only by their current situation — constantly changing their friends, their wardrobe, their opinions — are exhausting to be around.

Of course, there were exceptions; some changes really did change who I was, down to my core. Getting married was one – but not the biggest.

The biggest was deciding to follow Christ, which I did when I was 26. That was big for me because it represented a conscious change to the way I’d lived my life up to that point. A lot of things came into clearer focus: how to live, how to love, what to avoid, etc. In the midst of a lot of superficial change, that was one lasting and profound change.

The crazy thing is, I didn’t have to change my core identity when I became a Christian, or even a husband. I could have kept the same essential habits, patterns, and views; it could have been like any of the other many identity changes I experienced. In fact, I know folks — husbands and Christians alike – who live just this way. And you know what? They’re missing out. The sacrifice of marriage, and the commitment of a life for Christ, makes you stronger, wiser, and mighty.

And that’s the key – real core change is a choice. I chose to let Christ change who I really was. I chose to redefine myself around a shared life with my wife. I chose.

As you move forward through your life, what are you allowing to change you? Are you changing for Christ, or the world? Are you changing at all, or stubbornly stuck in a rut?

Me? I’ve got my driving gloves on. My ’02 Taurus isn’t exactly a Corvette, but gets me where I need to go. And in the meantime, Christ redefines me every day because I let him.

Now if only I could do something about the snacking…

What’s something that changed your core identity, other than your faith? Having that mole removed doesn’t count.

Don’t forget to check out Mo’s blog “The Blogging” and follow him on the Twitter.

I’m Leaving On A Jet Plane…

January 21, 2011 in Exceptional Living 44

That’s right folks (oh no, did I just say “folks”?) I’m hopping on a plane bright and shiny tomorrow morning. I’m headed off to Belo Horizonte, Brazil and contrary to popular belief, I am not going for Carnaval.

It’s been a crazy story and I haven’t even left yet! I almost didn’t even get to go because of a visa issue. You know when you get crazy opposition like this, God is getting ready to do something big! I’m so excited for this trip for a myriad of reasons. But first, let me tell you what happened with the visas.

Belo Horizonte, Brazil

The Visa Saga

About 3 weeks before our trip, we filled out our visa forms and sent them in to a 3rd party to process them for us. About a week later, they were returned to us because me and another one of the guys signed the form in the wrong place. Hey, it’s written in Portuguese for goodness sake!

Now we were within 15 days of our trip so we had to go directly to the Brazilian consulate (in Miami) to turn in our paperwork. So we re-did our paperwork, signing in the correct place this time. We collected all our necessary documents and payments and gave it to an administrator at the church to take down to Miami for us last Thursday.

Thursday afternoon she comes back with bad news. It turns out that we had to present the paperwork in person to get the visas processed. Great! So now, I have to take time off in the morning on Friday to drive down to Miami (about an hour away) and take care of this.

The three of us head down to Miami, along another one of the admins from the office who happens to be Brazilian, and her mom. You know, for solidarity.

We get there 15 minutes early and we are 9th in the line. The guy checking us all in runs down a list of documents that we need and we nod our heads in agreements because we have everything. So far so good.

Next he says that the visas will take 5 business days to process. Today doesn’t count and Monday (MLK Day) is a holiday so the earliest we could get our visas back is Monday, January 24th. Instantly we all freeze. Obviously that’s not going to work for us because we’re leaving on the 22nd.

We decide to just wait our turn and see what happens. They call out number 9 and my friend’s mom (the Brazilian) says, “Let me talk to her.” So she goes to the window on our behalf and speaks to the woman in Portuguese. Now I don’t speak the language but I understood that the first thing she said was “We have a problem”. She proceeds to explain the situation quickly and all we see is the lady shaking her head “no”.

For the next 5 minutes she continues to shake her head and looks sorry for not being able to help. I look up at my pastor and he says, “I don’t know what they are saying but that doesn’t look good.” Like I said, this goes on for about 5 minutes. Then all of a sudden something shifts.

Next thing you know, we see the lady pause, then she nods her head and motions for them to give her the paperwork.

I tap them on the shoulder and say “What did she say??” They just wave me off as they continue to go through the paperwork.

I look up to my pastor and he says, “Whoa, did you see that? Something just shifted!”

Next thing you know, they turn around and say “Let’s go!”

We walk out of there and the three of us say “What was she saying?”

They said that as they were explaining the situation, she said that there was absolutely nothing she could do for us. There was absolutely no way she could get us our visas early. She said that they had over 1,000 visas to process and as much as she would like to help, there was no way that she could do anything.

Then…she just changed her mind. As simple as that, she just decided to do it for us. Ca-rah-zy! And that was it. She said, come back Friday afternoon at 3pm to pick up your visas.

So we are picking up our visas today to leave for our trip tomorrow morning.

What We’re Doing

The purpose of our trip is three fold:

Refresh our missionaries – We’re going to visit a missionary couple that we support. We’re going to spend time with them, love on them and encourage them. They do ministry to children in the slums of Belo. These kids are basically abandoned and completely fend for themselves. They teach them to read, write, feed them and show them the love of Jesus. While I’m exited for this, I know it’s going to absolutely break my heart.
Ministry connections – We are going to meet with some other ministry leaders in the area and foster some relationships. This is kind of up in the air at the moment. Brazilian culture is really laid back so we haven’t locked down any real itinerary so we’ll just play it by ear. We may do some ministry in the churches or we may just spend some time going through the city.
Leaders conference – The last day we’re there, we will be going to a conference for local leaders. My pastor will be speaking in one of the sessions.

There are only 3 of us travelling: me, one other guy and our pastor. I’m excited to spend some focused time with my pastor and build our relationship. I’m excited to set foot in another country and get God’s heart for the people of Brazil. I’m excited just in general for the heart for the nations that God has given me in the past year.

So I ask that you keep me in prayer over the course of this next week. We’ll be visiting some pretty seedy areas and while I’m not scared at all, I always appreciate prayer covering.

You can be sure that I’ll be back next week with some fun stories and plenty of pictures. Additionally, look out for 3 FANTASTIC guest posts I have scheduled for next week. Show my friends love and leave nice comments. Because you know us bloggers love comments!

Until I return, be blessed friends!

Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is

January 20, 2011 in Exceptional Living 32

I heart money

One of the most perceptible ways that we show what we want or believe is where we spend our money. Casinos and bookies make a living off of this concept because most people want more money…quickly. We hear phrases like “Put your money where your mouth is” or “Put up or shut up”. This has challenged me to do something I’ve never done before.

I’ve been thinking a good deal on the principle of sowing and reaping. I feel like some people try to manipulate the system just to get what they want. I can’t be sure of this but while I’m 100% confident the principle works, I believe God delays the reaping part if it is sown in the wrong spirit (they are His rules, He can do whatever He wants right?). How long will you continue to sow when you aren’t receiving an immediate return? But I digress from my real point…

I have some crazy dreams in my heart. The kind of dreams that are completely unreasonable and out of my ability to attain in my own power. I’ve been planting some small seeds in that direction but it is the equivalent of saying that I want to make a Hollywood blockbuster film and investing in The Flip. Sure, you could say that’s a step in the right direction but I have a long way to go.

At the beginning of the year, God put it on my heart to put my money where my heart is. I’m not talking about tithing or anything like that (I’m going to assume you are tithing and not robbing God like a sweaty heathen…I kid, I kid.). I’m talking about sowing into dreams.

I believe something happens when you intentionally sow into something or someone. Not only are you a blessing and encouragement to others, but you bless and encourage yourself. It is a glorious transaction. Something is set in motion in the unseen realm, things are shifted and you receive favor.

I believe a lot of times we are challenged with our finances because that is where we get our sense of security. We have this orphan spirit in relation to the Lord and finances. We’re like the abandoned child that can’t trust that his father will provide so he hoards his resources. At least, that’s how it’s been in my life.

In an attempt to break that spirit and as an act of faith that I not only believe God can do it in my life but in the lives of others, I have committed to two things:

Sow Finances: Every month I will pray for God to put someone on my heart to bless financially. This will be someone whom I know personally and I know specific dreams in their heart. It doesn’t have to be anything spiritual. It could just be a dream to own their own business. I have already set aside a pre-determined amount that I will give them. Along with the money, I will personally encourage them to move forward with the dreams in their heart.
Sow Prayer: I will commit the month to praying for them. I will ask that God begins to give them strategy from heaven to execute their dreams. I will pray for motivation and discipline to follow through. It’s not enough to dream and then put it in God’s hands while you sit patiently on the couch. I will pray that they will partner with God to see this dream through to fulfillment.

It’s a small seed but I’m believing God will do something significant. This scripture comes to mind as I move forward:

“Zerubbabel started rebuilding this Temple and he will complete it. That will be your confirmation that God-of-the-Angel-Armies sent me to you. Does anyone dare despise this day of small beginnings? They’ll change their tune when they see Zerubbabel setting the last stone in place!” Zechariah 4:9-10

I already know that it won’t be easy. As soon as I decided to do this a few weeks ago, I got hit with a $600 bill for my car. This is right after I had just sent in a check for $2,000 for my trip to Brazil next week. Talk about stretching my faith!

But I have resolved to do this (I finally worked in my Word of the Year!). Now, I’m not being reckless and giving out of an empty piggy bank. That’s not faith, that’s silly. You have to get your house in order first. I have the money, it just isn’t what I was planning to use it for.

I’m okay with sacrificing some Starbucks trips, scaling back my “eating out” budget and any other little cut backs I can find. It is worth it to me. I believe that this small act of faith will bless others and encourage me in the process. I’m not sowing money and prayers because I’m expecting it back from those people, I’m doing it to build my faith. For me, it’s time to “Put up or shut up.”

Do you have any dreams in your heart? Are you on the couch or are you “putting up”?

On Information & Revelation (vlog)

January 19, 2011 in Meditations 23

Information & Revelation

Why Jesus Wept

January 18, 2011 in Identity 40

It is the shortest verse in the Bible. It is the one verse that everyone has memorized, but may not be able to cite. John 11:35: “Jesus wept”. But why did He weep? I’ll attempt to explain why and possibly fix a little bit of theology along the way.

To understand why Jesus wept, we have to look at two related stories. The first one is about Mary and Martha which you have no doubt heard countless times and in various ways. It is a powerful and poignant story. One that I’ll need to recount to set the context.

Mary & Martha

It’s the story of two sisters; one distracted from too much serving and the other sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening to His teaching (Luke 10:38-42). If you’ve been a Christian long enough, you have heard many sermons about these sisters. The story has really spoken to me over the years as I’ve struggled with the whole works-based mentality. I’ve had a tendency to be anxious and troubled about many things when I should choose the good thing.

I believe Mary knew that there were things to be done. However, she chose to be at the feet of Jesus. She understood what was more important. She wasn’t worried about impressing Jesus by making sure everything was perfect. She just wanted to hear His words. She wanted to be close to Him.

Martha gets a bad rap but I completely empathize with her plight. If she doesn’t get things done, who will? The problem I’ve had is leaning too far towards the “responsible” end. So much that I’ve missed out on fun and enjoyable things because I was “getting things done”.

I don’t think Mary was irresponsible in the sense that she didn’t think those other things needed to be done. She just understood the “good portion”. Sometimes you have to just let things be so you don’t miss out on the “one thing necessary”. I love how Jesus says that it will not be taken away from her.

Death of Lazarus

With this account of Mary & Martha at the forefront of your mind, let’s look at another passage. John 11 tells the miraculous story of when Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. This is where we find another encounter with Jesus and the two sisters. The results are much more dramatic.

At the beginning of the chapter Lazarus is ill and the sisters send for Jesus to come. The author makes a point of identifying Mary as the one “who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair”. I’ll get back to that.

Jesus tarries for two more days before coming to Bethany to see Lazarus. He tells the disciples that he is well aware that Lazarus is dead and that He is going to raise him from the dead. By the time Jesus arrives, Lazarus had been dead for four days.

Jesus encounters both sisters and while they say the same exact thing to Him, the replies are very different.

Martha’s Theology

While Jesus was about two miles away, Martha goes out to meet him while Mary stays at the house (interesting). Let’s look at the interaction. It is a bit long but you really have to see what happens here:

“Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” John 11:21-27

I don’t know about you but I read this in a very matter-of-fact tone. At first glance, it looks like Martha is saying all of the right things. Lazarus is dead but she professes that even still, anything that Jesus asks, God will give. She even gives some solid theology about the resurrection. I look at that and give her props! Good word, Martha!

But Jesus knows the heart. Look at what He asks her. He says “I am the resurrection…Do you believe this?” (emphasis mine) Again, her response is spot on. But why did Jesus ask her that in the midst of her mourning?

I believe He wanted to address her theology. Hers was a theology of the mind. She said all the right words but she didn’t know His heart. You can’t tell this by her words but Jesus knew Martha’s heart. She was the one that lost sight of the “one thing that is necessary”. I believe that one thing is intimacy with Jesus.

Mary had it, let’s look at her encounter with Jesus.

Mary’s Heart

Mary's Heart

Notice that in verse 28 Jesus calls for Mary. Again, interesting difference in how Martha went out to Jesus with her words.

Okay now check this out, Mary says the exact same thing that Martha says to Jesus. “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Jesus saw her weeping and “He was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled”. After He asks where they have laid Lazarus, we see the shortest verse in the Bible:

Jesus wept.

My heart is pumping hard in my chest just writing this. Jesus is overwhelmed with compassion in His heart. He weeps with Mary in her hour of despair. He loved Martha, Mary and Lazarus intensely. He knew the very thing He came for was to raise Lazarus from the dead. And still, He wept.

Mary’s response to Jesus wasn’t in an attempt to have the “right” answer. She believed that if Jesus was there, He would have healed Lazarus. Jesus didn’t need to correct her theology. Mary had the theology of intimacy. She knew His heart. I believe that is what moved Jesus to weep.

Identity & Access

Last week I talked about how John’s intimacy with Jesus was what gave him access to know what Jesus was doing before anyone else. I believe here Mary has access to Jesus’ heart.

Mary’s love wasn’t based on intellectual theology or book knowledge. It was more than just knowing the facts about why Jesus came and what kind of power He has. It was more than serving or works. Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His teaching but more than that, she anointed him with oil and wiped his feet with her hair. She moved His heart with her love.

Now I am all for loving Jesus with my mind. I spent years studying theology and I still love it to this day. But knowing facts and knowing the person of Jesus Christ are two very different things. It concerns me when information about Jesus is exalted about revelation of Jesus’ love for us.

Experience with Jesus is being sacrificed on the altar of intellect.

I am a firm believer that our identity is rooted in His love for us. Knowledge is great but it also puffs up while love builds up (1 Cor 8:1). If a relationship with Jesus is not rooted and grounded in love, it is just a clanging cymbal.

Jesus’ response to the sisters is telling. He responds to theology with even better theology. He responds to love with even deeper love.

He tells Martha that one thing is necessary. Will you choose the good portion?

The Dash Between The Dates

January 13, 2011 in Exceptional Living 54

What do you want on your tombstone?

I’ve been thinking about graveyards lately. A bit morbid, no? Well when you starting thinking about living a full life, you can’t help but think about the imminence of death. A friend mentioned this recently and I can’t get it out of my head. She was talking about the dash between the dates on our tombstone.

I keep getting this picture of my gravesite. There is a tombstone but it only has my birth year and a dash next to it. The second date isn’t yet written on it. The dash is just hanging out there…wide open, without an end.

I’ve been doing a lot of reflection on my life. I’ve been allowing myself to dream without contraint. I know who I am and I know my purpose so I ask myself, “What can I do to walk in it as a lifestyle?” All these things are driving this thought:

I want my dash between the dates to be a legacy.

My life is bigger than what I do today, tomorrow or even 20 years down the line. My life will be an inheritance to my children and the generation that comes after me. Everything I do in this life will be passed on to them. My ceiling will be their floor. So what am I leaving behind? What am I doing with the dash between the dates?

Although I’m not yet where I want to be, this thought process isn’t discouraging. On the contrary, it is hopeful. I’m not thinking about this on my deathbed. I don’t have one foot in the grave with a heart full of regret. I’m ALIVE.

I’m ready to happen to life. I’m ready to step out in faith to follow the dreams that God has put in my heart. I have the resolve to make it happen. I’m ready to establish a legacy. Are you?

What are you doing with the dash between the dates? Would you share one of your dreams in the comments?

On Grace, Forgiveness & Second Chances

January 12, 2011 in Meditations 41

Second chances are a hot topic right now. President Obama has been in the news for commending the owner of the Philadelphia Eagles for giving Michael Vick a second chance. Ted Williams, the homeless man with the golden voice, has been given a second chance at life by way of a video of him going viral on YouTube and him subsequently being offered a job by the Cleveland Cavaliers to do some announcing work.

But are grace, forgiveness and giving second chances all the same thing?

Oh How He Loves Me

January 11, 2011 in Identity 43

Most of us can relate to Peter. We know him as zealous, passionate, prideful and most notably…the one who denied Jesus. But can we relate to John? Peter’s identity was in how much he professed to love Jesus. John’s identity was in being the beloved of Jesus.

In the Gospel of John, he refers to himself five times as “the disciple whom Jesus loved:

“One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table close to Jesus” John 13:23

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” John 19:26

So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” John 20:2

That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. John 21:7

Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who had been reclining at table close to him and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” John 21:20

I’ll be honest. There was a time when I was a little offended at reading this Gospel. I thought “What audacity John had to refer to himself in that way!” I felt it was a prideful to make it look like he was Jesus’ favorite.

Get Behind Me Satan!

The problem with finding our identity in our love for God or what we do for Him is that inevitably, we will fall short. Jesus told us to “be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt 5:48). Even with all the striving in the world, you won’t reach that perfection through your effort. You have to find the source of power to live as Jesus required.

We love Peter’s zeal and his boldness but the source of it was misplaced. His zeal came from his own effort. Jesus gives him a number of rebukes (most notably Matt: 16:23) to teach him this lesson. Zeal and passion are great and I would argue, even necessary. But if it is rooted in the wrong place, you may one day receive a “get behind me Satan” rebuke from the Lord. I know I don’t ever want to hear that. Yikes!

The Power of His Love

I love how Kingdom principles are so counter-cultural and an absolute paradox to human thinking. Remember JFK’s famous quote about serving your country? I would say that Kingdom principles flip that whole quote on it’s head:

Say not how much you love Jesus, but how much He loves you.

I already see you ready to object! Isn’t that how we’re programmed? But before you do, answer me this: “Is there anything we can do for God apart from His power working in us?”

I believe John found the source of that power. He found that power in how Jesus loved him. I don’t think John believed that Jesus loved him more than the other apostles. John’s capacity to receive Jesus’ love was expanded. Once John allowed himself to receive His love, he began referring to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. That became his identity.

Intimacy With Jesus

I want to show you something from the first reference John makes. They are eating around the table, partaking of the last supper. John was reclining close to Jesus. Another translation says “reclining on Jesus’ bosom”. What an intimate gesture!

I picture that little boy that will not stay off his father’s lap. The one that does everything just to be close to daddy. Now I know we are talking about two grown men here, but take in this scene in your mind’s eye. John was leaning right up against Jesus as they ate. This is a seriously intimate friendship that he shared with Jesus.

Jesus had just finished saying that one of the disciples would betray him. Since John is in such an intimate place with the Lord, this is what happens:

“so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, ‘Lord, who is it?’” John 13:24-25

Jesus tells John but no one else. He must have whispered it into his ear since he was so close. You can deduct that he only told John because no one else knew that it was Judas. Otherwise, as soon as Judas dipped the bread after Jesus they would have said something.

When you are the beloved of Jesus, you have access.

John was so close to Jesus that he was able to ask Him this in secret. Jesus told John before anyone else found out. Peter didn’t have the same place of intimacy with the Lord at that moment so he had to ask John to ask Him.

How He Loves Us

If you listen to any kind of Christian music, the chances are pretty good that you’ve heard the song “How He Loves Us“. It was written by John Mark McMillan. Most have heard the David Crowder Band (edited) version. Some have heard Kim Walker’s version on the Jesus Culture album We Cry Out. Many have heard the version from John’s album “The Medicine.” None of these are my favorite.

The original version was from his album called The Song Inside The Sounds of Breaking Down. It is raw and has stripped down production. He chokes up at the end of the song and I love that it isn’t edited out. You hear the nakedness of his faith. It is exposed and without makeup. It is the sound of a man who realizes that he is loved.

You can listen to it here.

This song changed my life. I don’t think I can listen to it all the way through without weeping. There is so much healing in this song because it marks a shift in my life. The shift from striving to receiving. I went from trying to be something for God, to letting Him love me. I’ve found my identity not in how I love Him, but how He loves me.

There is power in His love. His love enables us to do everything He’s asked. Not only does it enable us to do it, but because we’re loved, it’s easy.

I pray that today He expands your capacity to receive His love.

Do you believe that He loves you the way John did or are you striving like Peter?

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