Empty Temples

The downtown churches in some of our cities have the most amazing architecture you will ever see. As you stroll around downtown you will come upon church after church that will astound you. One day when I was running through one of these cities I decided to do my five miles by running from church to church. Many had really high steeples so all I had to do was watch the skyline for the tall structures. As I ran up to the buildings I would read the plaques on the sides or fronts of the buildings that gave me a little of the history…things like...what year it was built and who the architect was. 

I could just see a typical Sunday morning, many years ago, where literally thousands of people streamed into downtown to attend worship in these beautiful temples. The music and worshipful voices must have hung thick in the air. I could imagine how the people would pour out of the churches after services and flow out into the surrounding communities carrying the Light of the world.

These magnificent buildings had been built to glorify God…to be places where a city would join in worship…to be a light to the world around them…places of hope, encouragement, and healing.

But now many of these incredible structures stand empty on Sundays…many have only a handful of people that attend…some of the churches have been saved only for their historical value and stand empty...some shine no light at all…for others that light has been severely dimmed…some are no longer even churches...so many dark, empty, and powerless temples. The once thriving Sunday worship has become a mere whisper in the city. 

I looked around me and in just a few blocks in almost any direction and I could see poverty…literally miles and miles of hurting people. ...some desperate…many angry…many hopeless. The sounds I could hear were sirens and the buzz of a nearby freeway. The poverty level astounding...the crime rate appalling...I thought how incredibly sad that these magnificent temples were not filled with people who would pour out of them every week and make a difference in this city…filling it with the light of God’s love....bringing healing to this hurting community.

As I stood staring at one of the empty temples a scripture settled over me “They had a form of Godliness but lacked the power”.  I was sadden that these unbelievable buildings have a form of godliness but lack the power to change this city. And then...I had this overwhelming sense of God saying to me  "I do not live in temples made of stone....I live in you...you are my temple and you were built by a pretty good architect. Don’t allow yourself to become like these dark empty temples….don’t allow My temple to be ineffective…don’t let My light go dim in your life…don’t look godly but lack My power. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead…dwells in you. Go...make a difference."

New Things

I used to think 60 was a time for old men...
Now I'm finding its a place where new things can begin...
I can choose old... and then there is just...older
I can choose new...and live even bolder
I choose new...

Not by Performance

Jesus saves

Jesus saves me

Jesus has saved me

Jesus is saving me

Jesus will always be saving me

I am saved…

My Salvation is not based on my performance.  Its based on God's and He doesn't have any bad days!

God Responds to Men Like Me

"God is famous for responding to men like me...a man who seeks Him...He is decking me out in delight...He has completely surrounded me with His shield of favor..."Ps 5:12 (The Message).
 His pursuit of me has given me a passion to live powerfully...to be steady...to be faithful...to seize this gift...a life worth living.
This life...I fervently embraced.

Painting with God

I had been praying…talking to God about how I want things to go…but it seemed a lot was not going the way I thought it should go…I only wanted good things…things I was sure would please Him…I would set my mind on them…pray about them…but they would not go the way I thought they should…or even they way I thought God would want them to go…this kept occurring.


One morning, while praying, I realized…He is not saying “No”. Instead He has been trying to get me to see things from His perspective…to see that He has a much bigger plan…His plan to do things in a different way…in ways I had not considered…It had not seemed that I would get what I was looking for if I continued down His path.

And then I had this thought…It’s like I’ve been painting in a little room called “My life the way I see it.” But God had been inviting me into a much larger room…the one where He is painting…”My life the way He sees it.” It s a really big room… a room of brilliant colors and endless possibilities…and…a room where I don’t know how things will work out…He is asking me to paint with Him… to trust Him…to let Him work out the details.

So sometimes, I  still find myself painting away in a little room…a place where I have become preoccupied...again... with how I want things to go...trying really hard to get things just right…then I will hear His voice...often just a whisper above the noise of my life… “Don’t settle…Stop painting in these little rooms…they have such limitations…I am down the hall…painting a really big room…using broad bold strokes that extend beyond where you are able to see…Come…paint with Me.”

Off the Hook

I have a friend who exhibits many of the godly attributes that I would like to attain. One is the easy way he forgives. Once there was something between us that I had caused. I called him and ask for his forgiveness. He was so gentle with his words. There was no I forgive you "but" used or implied. His forgiveness was so instant that it already seemed past tense. I knew that he had allowed me to be totally "off the hook." On that day I realized that God's forgiveness is just like that. He gives it easily and it is so instant that it is always past tense! God never has to decide if He is going to forgive us. That was done over 2000 years ago on the cross where all my sins were crucified with Him. Our sins have been (past tense) forgiven.

Imagine if in all our relationships that forgiveness was so instant…so complete that the supposed wrongs were simply not allowed to exist. What if we carried no grudges, didn't allow ourselves to exist in regrets, believed there were no justifiable resentments and let everyone, including ourselves, “off the hook”…instantly. Seems improbable and even impossible.

Jesus was asked if we should forgive someone seven times. His reply was “No we should forgive them “seventy times seven”. Lets face it. Most of us struggle enough with forgiving the first time. The second time is really tough and that’s reserved for those we really really care about. I don’t think the third one occurs very often and according to Jesus, when it comes to totally letting people "off the hook", we have 487 more forgiveness-es to go!

Sometimes we carry the poisons of resentment and unforgiveness because we simply do not want to let the person who has offended us "off the hook". And these poisons weaken us. While trying in this vain attempt to punish the other person we limit joy and peace from being fully expressed in our lives.

Don't confuse forgiveness with responsible living. We forgive a thief but we don't allow them access to the cash register until they have shown that they are no longer a thief. We forgive an abuser but we don't allow ourselves or our families to be in situations or locations where bad things could happen. And at the same time, don't we shouldn't try to replace forgiveness with simply living responsibly while carrying loads of resentment in our heart. Forgiveness sets us free!

Forgive easily…no "buts"...remove the poison....forgive instantly... release your joy...allow someone to be “off the hook”.

Letting Yourself "Off the Hook"

I once wrote most of the note below to a friend..someone who doesn't think that highly of themselves and who I happen to think is amazing. I wanted to remind them that loving yourself is essential to being able to really love the people in our lives. As I was reading this today I thought about how many of us struggle with this same thing.

 

It seems that this world is a difficult place to "love yourself". To allow this kind of thinking you must work against a current of words and thoughts that want to take you in a completely different direction.

I was thinking about Jesus words "love your neighbor as yourself". I am learning that you cannot give what you do not posess and how loving yourself really does increase your capacity to love others.

Also, you know how you set yourself free when you let go of resentments that you have for others? I have found that the same is true when I let go of resentments for myself...for things I have done or choices I have made. I have learned that embracing my life...my entire life...owning it...being thankful for it...these things are essential steps toward learning to love me. The me God created.

When you let go of resentments that you have held against yourself you essentially have let yourself "off the hook" and in so doing you free yourself up to love, forgive, and accept yourself and those around you in a much greater capacity.

You are an amazing and lovable person...let yourself off the hook and open the door to a new realm of loving.