Being Jesus. Being Brad.

I want to tell you the story of a young man. Most of you will think this is made up to play on your emotions, but it's not. This is real life. This is the story of Brad...

When Brad was six years old his mother started pimping him out to grown men. At the age of twelve, he ran away to live on the streets and eventually became addicted to heroin. As Brad grew up fending for himself, he met a young woman who grew to love him. She was eventually able to help him get away from drugs and beat his addiction to this deadly drug. They fell in love and were soon married. Before long they had a beautiful baby girl and life was finally good. However, when their daughter was three months old, the family was in a car wreck and Brad's wife and new baby girl were killed. He was alone again. Alone with the screaming voices that taunted him as he developed schizophrenia.

Overwhelmed and overcome by grief, Brad found himself eventually living with a gay lover. But he was questioning everything. Then he met my cousin in a chat room. Though they never physically met, she tried to help him and told him of the never-ending love of Jesus Christ. How could a loving God let these things happen to him?, he wondered. Besides, the voices didn't like to hear about it, so the conversations were usually cut short. Yet he knew something....everything, was not right.
He wrote to her one night, "I am so dirty inside."

"Why  baby?"

"Because of Mommy's men."

Brad, the grown man, is still a hurt child inside.

Not long ago, he and his lover had an argument and the lover left Brad for several days, so he turned to the one thing that had taken his pain away before: Heroin. When the lover eventually came back, he told Brad that stuff was not allowed in his house and so he kick Brad out.

Brad has been missing for a week now.

As my cousin called me asking for prayer for Brad the other night, I was overwhelmed by the urge to pray, not only that he would come to know Christ and come home, but that someone, wherever Brad is, would be Jesus to him. We prayed that the Spirit would lead someone to him that could help him know what true love is, and that the truest love and the only cleansing, is in Jesus Christ. We prayed for Jesus to find Brad and love on him in his brokenness through the arms of one of His servants.

Then I started thinking. If I long for someone to be Jesus to Brad, am I willing to be Jesus to another "Brad"? Have I been Jesus to those around me who are hurt and suffering? Those who desperately need to experience a glimpse of the love of Jesus Christ in order to become more addicted to His love than he ever could be to any drug. To know again what it feel like to be clean.

It's easier to think of Brad's story if it's far away, but Brad lives in the plains of the United States of America. "Brad" is most likely in your town.

Will you please pray for Brad?

And will you be Jesus to "Brad"?

When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" But when He heard this, He said, "Those who are well don't need a doctor, but the sick do. Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Matthew 9:11-13

The Abundant Christian Life

Sometimes I feel like this is what a fruitful walk with God is like.

This is the life that produced a hundredfold crop. Matthew 13:23

This is the life I want.

Don't Do Something, Do Whatever

Why is it we always feel we need to do something before we do anything?

What do I mean?

In general we feel we need to have a better education to know more, age and much life experience to have wisdom, material wealth to give, confidence to lead, a big heart to love, status to make a difference, and on and on... So before we feel we can teach, advise, give, lead, love, or any other noble thing, we have to do something. Perhaps we think it's a higher degree or job with better pay. Do we even use the excuse that it's just not our spiritual gift or who we are, so that it will take much time to develop?

Why? Now, I know that we can not be perfect. But if we are told by Scripture to behave in a certain way, or we sense a leading from the Spirit to accomplish some task, why do we think we have to go about it in a worldly manner? Ask God who gives to all who ask Him. Not for our own desires, but for the glory of God. Luke 11:1-13, James 1:5

It is your choice whether or not you have the faith to carry it through, not the ability. But God can, and will, give both.

Rise And Shine Woodchuck Chuckers!

I love the movie Groundhog's Day.

Why? The reasons are as numerous as the cold, gray mornings Phil the weatherman is forced to endure.

Truly though, this movie is lighthearted and funny, but at the same time there are so many practical applications to be gleaned: Even from a Biblical perspective. The biggest one is how many chances Phil Conners, the main character, is given to get it right. We laugh at him thinking that we would have not had to learn the lesson in such a hard way, but think about it. How many times has God given you a redo on that same old sin you keep falling for? Perhaps we are all not so different.

Here's another point I love. No matter how bad Phil messes up, how mean or self-centered he was, he started with a clean slate every morning. Isn't that what we are given when our sins are forgiven by God? Aren't we washed clean by the sacrificial blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God when we ask His forgiveness? Often, even though forgiven, we have to deal with the consequences of our sins or of those around us. Phil had to live every morning with the actions of every day leading up to that fateful February 2nd, but it was his choice after that as to what he would do with it. How he would succumb or overcome.

We have the same choice. Do we wallow in our self pity for what was done when we were a slave to sin? Or do we look at today as the day to set things straight and live a vibrant life as a slave to Jesus Christ?

TODAY is the day you choose. For everyday can be Groundhog's day.

Coincidence or Connected?

It amazes me that when you are paying attention to your life and  it's lessons, all of the "coincidences" that pop up. 

In the past week there have been so many I've lost count. And I'm not talking about little, "Hey, that's kinda like this!" type things, but the, "You know such-n-such that I just told you about yesterday and haven't dealt with in three years? It showed up today!"   

Those kind.

I know I'm being rather vague, but they are so specific I need to be. 

Do I chalk them all up to coincidence? Or do I acknowledge the fact that my God, who is the Creator and Orchestrator of the universe and our lives, is speaking to me, testing me, and reminding me that He is here. And that He cares. Deeply enough to put this show of His power together for me to witness.

What has He been teaching you recently in this way? Sometimes there are a million different things, and other times He is silent. Perhaps those are the times we need to be reflecting on the ones He's already shown us. 

There is always something.

Are You This Happy?

This video has always reminded me of a lot of worship services I've experienced.

Take some time today to read Psalm 150 and 1 Corinthians 3:16

And then let's take some time to worship Him.