Literature of 2011: The Top 10 Most Influential Books of My Life This Year

     Reading has retained a very special place in my life and heart since an early age. It is the window to both information and revelation, the door to unexplored fantasies, the key to applicable and critical knowledge, the canopy on which to bathe and refresh in poetry and song, and the escape staircase to exotic locales of fiction. It has also been a crucial key over the centuries and the undeniable catalyst for any soul desiring to excel in the noblest of endeavors - to grow spiritually, learn of Christ, and focus one's heart and mind on eternal things. I have, for my own enjoyment and future reminiscing, compiled a list of some of the most influential books in my life this year. Also, in the rare event that a handful of souls would stumble upon this and feel compelled, I would highly recommend any one of these books to you. Some are new, some are old, and some were re-reads for me.
     All of these books, however, still pale in comparison to "the Book." I have now read the Word of God many times over, but it still leaves me in awe. I can read new and powerful books, but return just momentarily to casually peruse the Bible and a passage of scripture will stab me in the heart with conviction, give startlingly specific direction, or the direct encouragement I need the most. It really is the only "living" book, written by flawed men, but truly penned and breathed upon by the Holy Ghost.
     I am also continually impressed by the Bible's systematic wisdom and principles that can be applied to every area of life. For example, in my list, I mention Dave Ramsey's books and it is truly a testament that in a day of broke financial sophisticates and money-hungry stock-brokers, the timeless and time-tested financial principles of the Bible have made Ramsey, his business, and his plan the most proven, the most popular, and the most successful in all of America. Same thing with health and diet. After years of tight-roping a balance between low-carb fad diets and the organic extremists that typically end up in vegetarianism and even veganism, I have found the biblical and scientifically-proven balance of Jordan Rubin's "Maker's Diet" to be a wonder for my health, not to mention the miraculous recoveries and healings that it has provided for thousands and thousands of people. Now his company "Garden of Life" is one of the number one product and whole food supplement providers to "Whole Foods" supermarkets all across the nation. And this goes, of course, for any facet of our lives. Countless scores of people have testified to the change in their lives by simply adding a daily helping of the "Proverbs" to their morning regimen. I believe with every fiber of my being that were the Word of God to be read, meditated on, and above all obeyed, this world would look drastically different.

"The Word of God well understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual perfection. And we must not select a few favorite passages to the exclusion of others. Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian." --AW. Tozer

     There are only two regrets I have in my reading studies this year. The first is my habit of speed-reading. I am fortunate to be blessed with good retention and I am glad to cover a lot of books in a short amount of time. This, however, has also left me with very little application at times. Our absorption level is only so deep. And revelation that is not turned into application can be simply wasted information. One of my New Year's resolutions this year is to spend more time on meditation and application through note-taking and planning, even if that means reading fewer books. If I applied a tenth as much as I read, I could be a spiritual giant and a much better person by now. I plan to do better.
     The second regret I have is not reading the Word more. Serious theological and biographical study has been a diligent part of the serious saints over the centuries, but they would also be the first to point out that nothing should replace the preeminence of the sacred Scriptures. I plan to bathe in and swim deeper in the living, abiding waters of the Word this year.

    But on to the purpose of this blog... without any further ado, here is my top ten list for the year:

1) "Relentless" by John Bevere
This book was just released a few weeks ago. However, I was fortunate enough this past summer to visit Messenger International in Colorado and at the end of the tour given to me by our curriculum representative, I was presented with a surprise gift of this advance copy. I was like a kid in a candy shop and read it about 3 or 4 times. It is chock full of unique insights, surpernatural stories, and raw faith-building content.

2) "Everlasting Man" by G.K. Chesterton
I was hooked on Chesterton ever since Orthodoxy. And early this year I finally got around to this classic. The wit is startling and the arguments are timeless. It should be read by everone - believer, seeker, and skeptic alike. This is the work that led former-atheist C.S. Lewis to a reasonable and saving faith.

3) "Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire" by Jim Cymbala
This was the first time I have read this powerhouse in about 5 years. We went through a small group curriculum by Cymbala and his simple, refreshing, and anointed approach whet my appetite to return to his material. I was not disappointed.

4) "Joy Unspeakable" by Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones
This is the classic work on the Holy Spirit recommended by both Paul Washer and David Ravenhill, and so I could ignore it no longer. I have been reading books on the Holy Spirit since 7th grade and this is the best treatment - expositorily and well-rounded - that I have ever come across. This is a treasure I will re-visit often.

5) "The Maker's Diet" by Jordan Rubin
In the introduction, Charles Stanley remarks that he had been praying for a year for a diet based on the Bible and proven by science, and now he has found it. I feel the same way and do not believe I will ever eat the same way again as the result of reading this book.

6) "The Cross and the Switchblade" by David Wilkerson
I hate to ruin the word by overuse, but this is another "classic" I felt I should re-visit this year. There are still Teen Challenges and ministries all over the world because of the simple obedience of this man. I still have not seen the movie or documentary based off this unbelievable but true story, but the books still fed my spirit like it did the first time I read it. It was especially dear to me because I went through this remarkable chronicle about the streets of New York only weeks before I actually had the priviledge to go do ministry in the streets of New York. This was also the year that Mr. Wilkerson went home to be with the Lord.

7) "Dave Ramsey" books
I know that's a kind of cop-out, but returning to all of his material is continuing to help correct and guide my course financially. At CATALYST he gave a free copy of his new book "EntreLeader" to everyone there (13,000 people...) and though it was a business book, I benefitted from it greatly. I also read "More than Enough" a few weeks ago, which is a great piece to aid in vision-casting and goal-setting.

8) "Blood Bought" by David Ravenhill
David Ravenhill is the son of Leonard Ravenhill - one of my heroes of the faith. I had the chance to meet David twice this year and at one of the conferences I picked up "Blood Bought." It is magisterial and thought-provoking, and a call to return from humanistic Christianity to a more God-centered gospel.

9) "Desiring God" by John Piper
Desiring God.org has become a favorite resouce of mine this past year and I finally read the book that started it all. It is a majestic and refreshing oasis that proposes "Christian Hedonism."

10) "Pivotal Praying" by Tim Elmore
This book was so surprisingly good that I just kept having to close it and remark to myself how good it really was. Very balanced, insightful, biblical, practical, supernatural... all in one. An excellent prayer guide.


     I have to say "End of Reason: A Response to the New Atheists" by Dr. Ravi Zacharias probably would have made the list if I hadn't already been close to completion by the time I read it. In this critique, he addresses the disrespectful and often inconsistent tactics of today's militant atheist pop-stars: the late Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, and namely Sam Harris. An excellent read.
     The other thing (I am now editing) I would add would be the long over-due release of Leonard Ravenhill's biography "In Light of Eternity" by Mack Tomlinson. To be honest, other than the Bible, this book probably impacted me the most this year, and I can't believe I just now am remembering to add it.

Runners up: "Not a fan" by Kyle Idleman, "Wierd" by Craig Groeschel, "Fresh Faith" by Jim Cymbala, "Vintage Jesus" by Mark Driscol, "A Disruptive Faith" by A.W. Tozer, "Think" by John Piper, "Breaking Intimidation" by John Bevere, "Father Fiction" by Donald Miller, and Vance Havner's book of essays.

Thanksgiving Thinking

   Well, it has been a while. I soon wish to do a 3-month recap, because the last few months have been rich with experiences and blessings. But for now, my parents have commenced their journey up to the bluegrass and before they arrive, I introduce to you my "Top 20 Things I'm Thankful for" list:

1) The grace, love, patience, wisdom, and goodness of God in my life. He is the reason to breathe and live. I cannot imagine any kind of passionate life without His peace, power, purpose, and Presence.
2) My parents. With each passing year, I realize that my "normal" upbringing - of two loving parents who don't constantly fight, who are unconditionally loving and yet corrective, who actually stay married, who don't have crazy issues, who raise up me "in the fear and admonition of the Lord," who support me in every adventure God sends me on - actually isn't so "normal" after all. I believe the emotional health and confidence I enjoy in life can be contributed to them.
3) For friends. I believe your life is enriched by the friendships you enjoy and cultivate and I have long acknowledged that God has for whatever reason blessed me with the greatest friends on earth.
4) For bridgeCHURCH. I hear people say on a weekly basis that they have searched all their life for a church like this, and even though I was privileged enough to help start it, I am well aware it is much bigger than us and that we are simply along for the ride. We have many faults and have much room for improvement, and granted I am biased, but to me it is the dream church. I love who we're becoming, what we're learning, the impact we're having, what God's Spirit is doing, and the kind of community that we are creating.
5) Coffee!! Oh let me count the ways...
6) Good food. I love food.
7) For all of my family. I have the greatest family and as I mentioned with my parents, it is something I grow more and more fond of and grateful for with each passing year, and bemoan the fact that I can't be around them more.
8) Good books. The person who said no one's life can be changed by a book is a fool. A book can do much damage or much good. It can enrich one's faith or shipwreck one's faith, and I am so thankful for the wealth of good books available to us today. From spiritual blessing to financial management to nutritional value to simply refreshing recreational fiction. Reading has been a daily part of my life since first grade and has shaped much of who I am.
9) Music. Oh, what kind of magic would be lost to life without music. From anointed worship to punk angst to relaxing melodies to uplifting rifts - anything and everything for every mood, purpose, and season. It is the soundtrack of our lives.
10) For the change of seasons. We often take this for granted. But God has given us varying scenes and colors and temperatures and atmospheres for our own emotional good, and so that we may more keenly appreciate the opposites and extremities.
11) For the many opportunities I have had for vacation and travel.
12) For living in a free country.
13) For my Pastor. He is a best friend, mentor, spiritual leader, and father figure.
14) For Greenville, SC. A rejuvenating place to always come back to with great friends and family and warmer weather.
15) For bridgeGROUPS.
16) For the many opportunities God has given me to operate out of my "sweet spot" - in leading, teaching,  preaching, writing, and drama.
17) Speaking spanish.
18) My health. You tend to take this for granted until it is in jeopardy. But I am so glad for every working limb and for energy and wholeness. I am also thankful for fitness and for a gym to work out in.
19) Having everything I need. I may not be rich compared to those who shop on Rodeo Drive in LA, but compared to the vast majority of the world, I am unworthily filthy, filthy rich. I have food, clothing, shelter, medical care, and many, many extras that I do not need. I am thankful.
20) A job. (Actually, two.) Though I am quite restless for the day that church work is all that I have to concern myself with, I am well aware that there are many people who would simply like to have a job at all.

Runners up: laughter, a good pair of jeans, God's creation, a nice massage, prophets and preachers, LOST and the Office...

What are you thankful for? I reminded bridgeGROUPS last night that it is a thankful spirit that drives out many invaders of the heart - greed, complaining, worry, etc. The Psalmist encourages us to "enter His gates with thanksgiving." Thank you God for the life You have given me and for each year, day, and moment.

True Grace

"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound..."

Ah, the grace of God. Such a popular subject in many churches today, especially emergent and seeker-friendly ones. But what is the grace of God? Have we lost its power?

A friend and I were talking the other day about the frustration of Christ-less Christians. Hypocrisy. Not just the kind of hypocrisy we grieve and work through in our own lives, for we all are a work in process if we are to be honest. But this modern culture of quasi-Christianity where millions would label themselves Christians by name, but in reality live no different than the unbeliever next door. They continue to live in the same bondage, baggage, and sin. Ironically, a statement you will hear often in these circles is, "Yeah, I'm not perfect, but thank God for His grace."

Several years ago, John Bevere's ministry conducted a survey of thousands of Christians as to the definition and benefit of grace. An overwhelming 98% responded that it was "unmerited favor" or "forgivness of sins." It was encouraging to hear the understanding that salvation is a gift that cannot be earned and that God lovingly bestows upon us what we could never earn. At the same time, however, it was disheartening to discover that only 2% of those surveyed responded with the most prominent and vital biblical definition of grace: the empowerment to live a godly life.

The writer of Hebews said, "Let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably (12:28)."

Paul said in Romans 6:14 that "... sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law but under grace."

In the book of Acts amid the supernatural outpouring of the Spirit and miraculous revival that was going on among the church, we read that "...with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all."

Though Jesus stripped himself of his divine rights, He still walked by the enabling of the Holy Spirit, in incredible power. How? The writer of Luke tells us in chapter two that "the Child (Jesus) grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him."

Grace, then, is powerful! So often it is only discussed in the context of a sentimental, fluffy, and sugary-sweet sermonette on the love of God. But as we study scripture, grace is not just a mere cover-up for our sins. It is the empowerment to live the life we never could in our own flesh.

I think true grace is perfectly illustrated in the story of Jesus with the woman at the well. When the harsh and judgmental religious leaders want to have her stoned, he exposes their hypocrisy, defends her and shows her mercy. "Who condemns you?" he asks when they all leave. When she replies "nobody," he follows up with those healing words of grace and mercy, "Neither do I condemn you." But notice He doesn't stop there. Neither does he add, "Okay, now that you've said a prayer, go on with life as normal." He doesn't say, "Alright, struggle on in your various sins and sexual addictions, but just thank God for His grace." He doesn't even say "Go and sin less." He flatly commanded, "Now go and sin no more." You see, true grace doesn't just forgive sin from our record; it eradicates the sinful nature from our lives. If we think we have encountered Christ, but continue to live no differently, we have some very real soul-searching to do, for Paul soberly warns us in Corinthians "not to receive the grace of God in vain," but instead to "let us purify ourselves from everything that makes body or soul unclean, and let us be completely holy (2 Corinthians 6:1, 7:1)."

The Gospel is such great news! Christ has come to show us grace not only so that we can be free from guilt, condemnation, and punishment, but free from sin to live the extroardinary, victorious, abundant life of freedom and power that He purchased for us with His blood. And we can access this grace by faith! May we not declare or live anything less.


* Additional resources for study: Galatians, Corinthians, "Extroardinary" (Bevere), & "Relentless" (Bevere) 

We Are Going Somewhere

We are going somewhere. But if we haven't stood up, pointed to a horizon, and started walking, that somewhere might be nowhere. And discipline along the way will be hard to find anywhere. Vision gives strength. Vision gives discipline. Vision is powerful.

Imagine two different types of road trips. The first road trip finds you on the way back from a strenuous work retreat on a 48-hour ride back to the same monotonous daily grind that you have known for the past twelve years. The second road trip is a forty-eight hour ride to Key West, Florida where you will be relaxing with your loved ones for two weeks. I imagine those two rides would be vastly different. I imagine the bumps and inconveniences on the first will be much more annoying and harder to bear. There will probably be less smiling, more frustrations, more indulging comfort meals, and less anticipation. The vacation route, however, will more likely find you more antsy yet more laid back and pleasant. You will be able to shrug off more inconveniences and perhaps even consider them to be adventures. You will be less likely to blow all of your money on the way, because you have some fun to save for. You will also be less likely to eat nine cheeseburgers on the way because afterall you will be standing shirtless on a hot beach in twenty-four hours, not to mention the lobster dinners that will soon take place.

There is power in vision, and when you pick a destination and begin to follow through, you begin to provide the needed discipline along the way. In Andy Stanley's book, "The Principle of the Path," he stated that "Direction, not intention = destination." Simple, but profound. Everyday, based on our small, but cumulative decisions, we are going somewhere - financially, physically, relationally, spiritually, etc. And when we seize a God-given vision or dream, point to that destination, and start to put one foot in front of the other, we begin to infuse our lives with the energy and discipline necessary to get there. After all, we are going somewhere.

A couple of months ago when I had a Sunday night off, I visited a mega-church in the area. Donald Miller, one of my favorite authors, was coming there again to speak. As always, he was very motivational, and he talked a lot about life goals. He actually read us his 5-year plan which was both ambiguous and inspiring. The ten of us that went were so motivated that we went to Panera afterwards to discuss some of our goals and the idea of even forming a club. Out of this, "Sunshine Scholars" was born... a loose group of dreamers that to be honest have met fairly infrequently so far due to busy schedules. But I actually ended up typing out my 2011-2012 code of what kind of person I wanted to be a year from now - physically, financially, relationally, spiritually, and emotionally. Then, I bought a fresh, college-ruled notebook which I labeled "Vision Plan" and turned each part of my code into categories where I broke my ideals down to actual goals and actions to achieve those goals. I started on August 1st. I haven't been perfect with it, and I have a long way to go, but I am getting better organized financially, I have set some new intentional spiritual disciplines in my life, and I have lost fifteen pounds. I'm going somewhere.

Just wanted to drop a line to encourage you and me that we're going somewhere. But we better know where that is. Ultimately, God is in control and we must seek Him, but "failing to plan is planning to fail," and we better get our God-given desires and dreams on paper and then start turning them into flesh. And this will give us strength. When you're not going somewhere specific, you will probably still serve the god of your stomach and indulge every lunch on whatever looks best. But not when you're going somewhere. See, now you see yourself a couple of months from now full of energy, lean with muscle, sleeping better, feeling better, and looking better. And this gives you strength to master your appetite and choose foods and activities that are going to best fuel your temple for your good and His glory. Afterall, you're going somewhere. When we're not going somewhere specific, you'll probably be prone to waste your money on whatever meal or retail purchase looks good at the time. But not when you're going somewhere. When you're going somewhere, each paycheck is an exciting time to master your money instead and divide up every penny where you need it to go - tithes, savings, investings, paying off debt, future purchases, etc. You have a destination in mind of no debt, no payments, and no stress - only giving, saving, investing, and wisely purchasing with cash. You're going somewhere. One of the facets, afterall, of maturity is delaying immediate pleasure for long-term gratification. And going somewhere helps us with this. If you're not going somewhere specific, it will be easy to let the prayer closet decay, the Word of God gather dust, and your church doors go ungraced. But not you. You want to pay the price that few do. You want to be diligent in a careful life of holiness, with time spent in prayer and fasting, cultivating inner strength and freedom, and for a life in which you can more consistently walk in a deep, abiding Presence of God. That's where you want to go. As a single person, it can be easy to become trapped in bad relationships or drift into compromise. But with a day on the horizon in which you can joyfully and pureheartedly give yourself whole to another person without more baggage and skeletons in your closet, why even play the game? You're going somewhere. In church, it can be easy to become frustrated with details and either step down or jump ship, but we are learning patience and sewing for the harvest, so we "must not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary (Galatians 6:9)." We are going somewhere.

The examples are endless. We must enjoy the day at hand, for we are not promised tomorrow. But we also better make sure "we happen to the future instead of the future happening to us." Let us continue to cast vision and then relentlessly pursue. Afterall, we're going somewhere.

Ocean of Memories

So I guess these last couple of months have pointed to the public failure of at least one of my New Year's Resolutions... I plan to commence my weekly blogging, soon, though, lest any of you out there have been needlessly and frantically panicking because I have not posted in a while. Remain calm.

Though this first post back in a while should probably be a life recap, I'm just going to post a poem. It was late the other night, I saw some old pictures, watched one too many Starting Line and Boys Like Girls music videos, and this overly nostalgic and hastily typed out poem came up from the mud (or my keyboard):

                                            


                                                          "Memory Ocean"

I'm at the edge of a sea with memories

they lay before me, strong and dizzying

it's only on nights like this that I let them swirl around me

I can taste but I can't touch, because they are wrapped in a mystery

a mystery they call time that we know is real but can't relive a moment still

On the crest of a wave, there she is and I see her face

For a season we lived in sand castles of grace

I wince with pain at the joy on my own face

As I watch me look at her eyes like they are Paul's own prize

Her hair is blowing and my fingers lay across her hand

Her toes in the sand and as I watch this paradise fade by the land,

my mind cannot understand

But I smile with tears because only happiness so real 

could cause an ache sublime and surreal

salty lips and sunburnt necks, dreaming beneath a starry deck

moments that broke the contract of time

and lasted longer than time aligned 

if only to remind from time to time that I'm alive, 

And I remember each breath that I would cherish

and she got to breathe hers next to mine, on earth 

but so divine, we swore forever, but the clock could not keep time

I remember foreign shores with homesick sores

The air smelled the same but I had room to go insane with a new day-to-day

my heart stuck in the baggage of straying hearts miles away

but laughter like medicine would heal each ache, I learned of life and friends and how to sip mate'

and mountains and sin and then God's grace, companionships that will always stay

if not in touch for weeks and days, tucked in the recess of sweet times that will never fade

Memories rise and swell in this ocean of waves

like mirages of true pictures in the desert at noon-day, an image you try

to keep before you, but you know will fade. Because tomorrow the sun will rise

and it will be a new day, and if I choose to relish it whether sun or rain, and take each moment, 

let it lie in my tongue, and memorize the taste, live forever inside every moment and give it 

my undivided gaze, then sweeter still will be the memories of the following days, until the 

moment they lay me in my grave and my spirit looks back and I can smile fondly on eternal days

Valentine's Day

"MY WIFE"
by John Piper

"God’s first thought, my adolescent dream,

slat-slashing dusty-barn beam

from and to the Sun;

my flesh, myself, my one,

my church in parable, in truth;

my Rachel, my Abigail, my Deborah, my Ruth,

the eyes, the wit, the bravery,

the sweat and loyalty,

my cornucopia, my cluster-laden vine, my tree

my cedar, my ecstasy;

fingers through my forearm on the way,

my pride, my pilgrim, my stay;

alive, alive with every sense,

my first, my last, my hoped-for audience;

knower, mirror, stayer,

elbow to elbow prayer;

my sons’ womb, their food, their milk,

their rock, and even now, their silk;

my feminine, my womanly, my softness,

sweet peace, this silver pillow’s tress;

my daughter’s world, her confidant,

life’s interpretation, direction for the yawning want;

fellow-heir, world’s heir, King’s seed,

co-inhabitant of thrones, compassion canopied;

better than jewels, better than gold,

ever-creating hands, from strands twelve-fold

a woven Gramma’s heart, Heaven-bent,

arch, curve, swell, living interface, sent;

my ransomed, my chosen, my bond,

my second pearl, beyond

the world and all it offers me;

my window, my sky, where I can see

in you my one sure Non-rejection,

anchored affection,

present, for me, without pursuit,

my earthly absolute."

     Today is a good and bittersweet day. I think of good memories, I tip my glass to those who celebrate sweet romance, I cherish God's love, and I wait patiently on the girl He will send me from above.

Happy V-Day,

Russ

A New Page of Life

"I'm letting it all sink in. Fresh paper and a nice expensive pen. The past cannot subtract a thing from what I might do for You."  - Therapy (Relient K)

     Top of the morning. I am currently interrupting the mega-posts for a simple update of my life. I wrote a couple weeks ago that monster posts were coming, so for the 1.3 of you who read this blog, you cannot say that you were not forewarned!
     In Donald Miller's latest book, "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years," he chronicles the story of two film producers who approach him with the idea of turning his hit memoir "Blue Like Jazz" into a movie. The story gets painfully humorous, however, when they awkwardly try to hint to him that they are going to have to edit his life a little bit because... well... his life is boring. The book is actually quite profound and moving, to be honest. Ok wow... just talking about Donald Miller and I'm already starting to write like him again... Anyways, he ends up attending a story-writing seminar and the whole book is about how he begins to think that possibly the same elements that go into making a memorable story can be applied to making a memorable life. And then he begins to not only write, but to actually tell stories with his life. He goes on a mission to find his father. He decides to get in shape and go on a mountain-climbing excursion. He asks out  a cute girl and as their relationship progresses, he even ends up proposing to her. He creates a program for fatherless children and teenagers, called "The Mentoring Project," which becomes funded and eventually endorsed on a national level by President Obama. In short, he takes the blank pages of his life, and begins to tell a better story.
     I am so excited about all that I feel God is doing in my life. But over the past few weeks and even months I've thought over taking the next step in the story God has given me. I have been humbled and thankful for the management job God has given me at the Buckle and the core leadership position He has entrusted to me at the Bridge, neither of which I deserve, and yet I have felt very frustrated over the past couple years. Number one, because I feel like I don't have a second to breathe. Part of this, I am sure, is due to my own lack of time management and discipline, but I have no real days off and with all the busyness of my schedule, sometimes I just feel like I'm running in circles. Which is number two - the fact that as I try to give one hundred and ten percent to the Buckle and the Bridge, I feel like I end up doing neither. And so after a couple of months of thinking and praying and petitioning for wisdom from a select few, I did something kind of crazy on Monday. I stepped down from management and full-time at the Buckle. Yes, I purposely just cut my salary in more than half and stripped myself of benefits and health insurance. Am I an idiot? Probably. Am I worried? Not hardly. Am I excited? Uncontrollably.
     As of March, I will be working a couple days a week at the Buckle, a couple days a week at the Bridge, and a couple days a week for my sister's marketing and cost-recovery business, a business that is doing extremely well and in which I can make my own hours. There are so many ideas and so forth that I am excited about that I can hardly sit still. But as I make room for a job that could actually make me a lot more money, as I free up my schedule to have some breathing time and gym time and friends and family time, and as I most importantly dive head-first into what I moved up here for in the first place, I can't help but feel the reassuring hand of God. And that fills me with hope and strength. No matter what happens, I love Him and trust Him.
     It just feels right to tell a new story. I feel His hope in my veins. And I can't wait.

The Day we see Him

    

     There are many days we look forward to in life. There are momentous days we dream of such as our wedding day, graduation, or the purchase of a house. And then there are the smaller days we mark on our calendars as upcoming events of expectation - parties, vacations, and holiday gatherings. Without a doubt much preoccupation is given to much trivia - stress and emotional charge about a football game, what outfit to wear to an office party, and the release of a new movie in the cinema.  To be honest, there are some events we hold our breath for that are absolutely meaningless. And yet, tragically, the one moment that matters the most is the event most of us give the least time and preparation for - the moment we stand before God.

     We are told in no uncertain terms that "it is appointed unto man once to die, and after that the judgment," and yet most of us live either as if we are the only generation immune from the Adamic curse of mortality, or as if this life is all there is. But one thing is for sure - one day we will see our Maker. We will give an account. And we will either be invited in to unspeakable glory or banished to unthinkable torment. That is the testimony and truth of Scripture. And yet, even as a born-again believer, I think the day I see Him will be the greatest day of mixed emotions that I have ever experienced.

     Without a doubt, that day will be a day of indescribable AWE. My whole life I have looked achingly upon sunset-painted mountaintops. I have trembled before the Grand Canyon. Laid on my back and lost myself beneath a shimmering quilt of stars. And yet to think these are all simply creations that declare the glory of the Creator. "The heavens cannot even contain Him," so it is scarcely imaginable that my eyes could. What will happen to me when I look upon Him for the first time? It strains my imagination to even dream of His splendor. His glory. I think of times I have nearly melted inside at the sight of a beautiful girl, and yet she is only broken clay made in the image of the Altogether Lovely. "No one can look on My Face and live" and even with a glorified body, one would think it unbearably taxing on our hearts to approach the throne, from which emanates lightnings and peals of thunder, a throne surrounded by myriads of angels forever enraptured by His majesty, and a throne encompassed by martyrs, prophets, apostles, tribes upon tribes, and twenty-four elders casting their crowns, and then to look up into that unapproachable light and gaze upon the Eternal King. All of this of course to take place in an eternal city with holy air and golden streets and creatures and colors and shapes that go beyond human comprehension. "No eye has seen, nor ear has heard, nor entered into the mind of man what God has prepared for those who love Him," wrote the Apostle Paul after his celestial visit, and to borrow the words from that semi-cheesy but beautiful Christian chorus, "I can only imagine…"

     That awesome day for the true child of God will definitely be a day of LOVE. I have read many stories of supposed after-death experiences and trips to eternity, some credible and some not so credible. And while I do my best to retain a healthy level of skepticism on such rampant reports, I have been strangely warmed by the depictions of the depths of love that they have insisted fill God's paradise. An atmosphere charged with holy, selfless Agape and expressions and countenances of kindness that have never been seen on earth. "God is love" is a fact clearly stated in scriptures, and though I have repeatedly been filled with the love of God, shed abroad by the Holy Spirit in my heart, on that day I will behold unhindered the very Essence of love. And in that moment, everything I've experienced will pale in comparison. I meditate on transcendent moments of bliss in God's Presence here on earth. I reminisce on rapturous scenes of romance that made time stand still. I grin joyously at the brotherly and sisterly kindness and companionship I have found on this planet. And I wince almost painfully at the undeserved and unconditional love that has been shown to me by my parents.  And yet all of those imperfect forms of love combined multiplicably will not scratch the surface of what will overwhelm my soul in the Presence of my Heavenly Father. Paul says that even the mysterious and undying love between a husband and wife is merely a representation of the love Christ has for us, His church. I can't wait to hear the fatherliness in His voice. To weep at the depths of His mercy and compassion. To feel alive in His fiery love. To be made whole by His gentle and reassuring smile. Mankind has many cheap and even distorted views of love to where the word has been all but completely lost on us. But I think on that day, that word will become pregnant with eternal significance.

     Unfortunately, I believe the day we see Him will also be a day surely marked with SHAME for most of us. In Corinthians, Paul referred to eternal judgments as one of the "elementary principles" along with baptism and the laying on of hands. And yet fearfully little thought is given to the sobering fact that we will stand before Him to answer for our life. Paul urges us to "work out our salvation with fear and trembling" and in another place said "knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men…" Most of the time in Scripture when the biblical writers referred to the day of the Lord they entitled it the "terrible" day of the Lord. Even as believers, though the penalty of our sin was dealt with on the Cross, we will stand before the Bema Seat of Christ and "give an account of the deeds done in the body, whether good or bad." And many of us will suffer loss. In the third chapter of 1st Corinthians we are told that "If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test each person's work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved - even only as one escaping through the flames." As John Bevere once put it, "what we do with the Cross will determine where we spend eternity, but the way we live our lives as believers will determine how we spend our eternity." "He who has been faithful over much…" Oh, the horror to think of my irresponsible tongue and to think I will give an account of every word spoken. To think back on every time I grieved the Spirit, everything I spent prodigally on myself, every time I wish I would have been more merciful, every sinful mistake, all my prayerlessness and shallowness and selfish living. All the people I could have reached for God. The fact that I stored up far more treasures on earth than in heaven. A.W. Tozer once lamented to Leonard Ravenhill that he thinks "we will barely get our feet into eternity before we bow our heads in shame and humiliation and say my God! All the riches there were in Christ and I've come to the Judgment Seat nearly a pauper." On that day we will realize how earth-bound some of us - especially in modern comfortable America - really were, and we will wish we would've cried out like that old revivalist, "God, stamp eternity on my eyeballs!" And to think that the quality of our work will be tested. That's right, not the quantity, but the quality. Not how religious or ambitious, but my motive for why I did it and how passionately did I do it. On that day, there will be no caring friend to pat me on the back and tell me how spiritual I am, no encouraging church member to reassure me how good a preacher I was. But Him with eyes aflame with fire will look straight through my soul and see me for what I am, with every secret thought and intention laid bare before the Righteous Judge with whom there is no shadow or variation of turning. He surely "shall wipe every tear from our eyes," but I don't think those tears will be from the residue of earthly pain, but rather the godly remorse of wasteful living that is now excruciatingly revealed.

     I know little of what that day will look like, but I do believe there will be strong mixed emotions. Along with awe, love, and shame will surely be joy and fear. "Joy unspeakable in the Holy Ghost" will be joy unimaginable in His Presence. Joy coupled with a surreal peace that we did not know existed. Peace as a result of no more devil, no more sin, no more death, and no more problems. And the tangible, supernatural peace that naturally flows from the River of Life, the very One who is the "Prince of Peace." And fear - not carnal or earthly fear, but surely in those first few moments at least there will be a holy and dreadful reverence at the unveiled revelation of His majesty and power and sovereignty. I cringe at the carnal familiarity with which some people talk about Jesus as if they are going to walk up to Him in heaven and pat Him on the back and say "thanks for dying for me, buddy." Paul said that "we no longer regard Jesus in the flesh" and we must remember that the same beloved John who leaned his head comfortably against the breast of Jesus fell on His face as though dead when he saw the glorious and resurrected Christ.

     Without a doubt, that will be a terrible day for every unregenerate soul and an awesome and surely emotional day for every true believer. We don't think much of eternity like our spiritual fathers did. But we should. I read recently of a faithful Christian that decided to take off six months from work and ministry. Why? He said he wanted to search his heart and prepare himself for the Judgment Seat while he still had time. Sounds pretty extreme, doesn't it? But eternity's a long time. This life is a vapor. In fact, in mathematical terms where anything divided by infinity equals zero, this life is almost literally nothing compared to the billions and billions of infinite ages we will spend in one of two places. May the true children of God be encouraged and filled with joy and strength as they meditate on their eternal home, their "city whose foundation and builder is God," where our great Lord "has gone to prepare a place," and where "the things of this world will grow strangely dim." I can only imagine what I will feel the day I see Him. I am so excited to think about it. But I am also soberly challenged to "make the crooked paths straight" and search and examine my heart and correct my life so that when He comes, as James says, I "shall not be ashamed at His appearing."

     

"Oh, those Olympians, how majestic they are - but only for a moment! From a young age, they train hours and hours everyday. All they ever do is train. Until the age of twenty-two and then they run a nine second race for a medal they hang up, and that's it! Can not we give equal for eternal things?"  - Paul Washer

"Peace is pouring over my soul. I see the lamb and the lion playing. I join in and I drink the music. Holiness is the air I'm breathing. And my faithful heroes break the bread and answer all of my questions. Not to mention what the streets are made of. My heart's held hostage by this love and these brilliant colors I have never seen. I join a billion people for a wedding feast. And I reach out and touch the face of the One who made me. All the love I feel and all the peace…" - Deep Enough to Dream (Chris Rice)

What the True Gospel IS NOT

     "Strange, is it not, that we dare without shame to alter, to modulate the words of Christ while speaking for Christ to the ones for whom He died?  Christ calls men to carry a cross; we call them to have fun in His name.  He calls them to forsake the world; we assure them that if they but accept Jesus the world is their oyster.  He calls them to suffer; we call them to enjoy all the bourgeois comforts modern civilization affords.  He calls them to self-abnegation and death; we call them to spread themselves like green bay trees or perchance even to become stars in a pitiful fifth-rate religious zodiac.  He calls them to holiness; we call them to a cheap and tawdry happiness that would have been rejected with scorn by the least of the Stoic philosophers."         - A.W. Tozer

     It is very popular nowadays to speak out against American Christianity, and for good reason. Some of the criticism is well-placed and some is not. Some of it is out of the right spirit and some is not. In this post I want to explore for a few moments one of if not the most tragic problem of American Christianity - the true Gospel not being preached, and thus not being lived.

    I have been told there are currently more missionaries to America than from it. That believers in other cultures look grievingly at our version of Christianity and are convinced we don't know what the true form looks like. That these believers would agree with one missionary who stated that "America is not gospel-hardened; she is gospel-ignorant." I don't know for certain whether those missionary stats are true, but I believe without a doubt that the heart of the problem is. I think we don't, as a whole, really know or preach the Gospel. And I believe the true Gospel is not preached for two main reasons. One is our lack of rightly dividing the Word of God and being good and faithful stewards of what it truly teaches.  The other is our view of God.

     One thought that kept resounding in my spirit repeatedly when I was at home Sunday night is this - we simply don't know the Word of God. Now that is a broad statement to be sure, but what I mean is that nearly all of our problems stem from the fact that many of us don't truly know the Word of God and what it says for our lives.  We are not feeding deeply and satisfactorily on it daily for our portion, nor are we diligently studying it. This is a concept I want to post on in detail at a later date. However, I simply wish to point out for now that of all the endless problems that arise from our neglect of knowing the Scriptures, one most tragic result is that we end up with very lopsided views in our theology by leaning on the Scriptures that we do know or that we like and thus choosing to remember over other ones. This leads to believing and preaching a distorted Gospel.

     Secondly, our view of God. A.W. Tozer rightly predicted that a person's view of God would determine the outcome of their spiritual life and the course of their entire existence. How high or how low, how kind or how angry, how holy or how carnal our view of Him will determine how we respond to Him and to others. And it will shape everything about our theology.

      I personally believe the American view of God is the lowest, most carnal, most comfortable view of God ever held in any generation. He is preached more as a "buddy" than the "Holy and Anointed One", as our "homeboy" instead of the "All-consuming fire" that is to be greatly feared, and as the trite companion or "pal" of anyone who would stoop to give Him the time of day instead of the faithful and loving "Friend" to all who would obey Him and keep His commands.  Without  a doubt we have lost the awe-inspiring, majestic, lofty view of God that used to leave our forefathers breathless before an Eternal King. And where the fear of the Lord and the vision of God is lost, corruption and deception will sink in. It wasn't until the holy prophet Isaiah caught a true glimpse of the glory of God that he simultaneously saw the depths of his own sin and need for God. Thus, as Ravenhill used to point out, when we lose sight of the holiness of God, we lose sight of the depravity of man. And this leads to a Gospel, the likes of which preached in America, that is humanistic to the core. Where, as David Platt points out, man is now the object, and not God.  Southern Baptist Missionary Paul Washer even goes so far as to state that the greatest hour of idolatry in America every week takes place on Sunday mornings, where most people worship a "God" that just doesn't exist. And while I find this view a bit extreme, it is hard to escape the conclusion that while a small remnant of a few determined souls dare, like Moses, to ascend the mountain touched with thunder and lightning to behold the One who dwells in unapproachable light, the great carnal majority who labels themselves to be Christians are far too content to remain at a safe distance at the foot of the mountain, eventually gathering gold with Aaron to form a more "manageable deity" (as Bevere once labeled it),  and call it Jehovah.  Out of this type of community emerges a weak, deceived, and seeker-sensitive culture.  And out of this culture emerges a watered-down Christianese-style message that I believe the Apostle Paul would have written off as "another gospel."

     It is because of these two reasons that I believe we have lost the power of the Gospel. Now I don't claim to be anywhere close to an expert on the Gospel. In fact, I feel like I'm just now starting to learn what it is for the first time. And I agree with Washer that it is the greatest mystery - that though our eschatology will be cleared up the moment Jesus returns, we will spend an eternity of eternities trying to comprehend the beauty and mystery of the Gospel - a mystery in which angels long to look.

     But I think this is so important. There is much trivia the church fusses and splits over these days, from the color of carpet to the detail of a doctrine that none of us will fully comprehend until eternity. But I also agree with Washer that when it comes to the Gospel, there are no truces to be sought out and no compromises between the two camps. Either we preach the Gospel correctly or we don't. Spurgeon once said that true conversion is "as real as a man ground into a mill and made new again." But if there is to be true supernatural regeneration by the Holy Spirit, it will rarely come except a true Gospel be anointedly preached. If there is anything we need to study and know and pray over, it is the core of the Gospel. I want to know it. I want to live it. I hope this post doesn't come off as uncharitable or judgmental, or simply another cursing of the darkness to stroke my ego. God knows if anyone is in need of mercy and enlightenment it is me. But we are warned in the epistles to "pay close attention to your doctrine." And if there is any doctrine we need focal attention on, it is the Cross and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That we were born in sin with the wrath of God upon us, destined for eternal destruction, but Christ took our physical and spiritual punishment, and had the cup of God's wrath poured out on Him that we may stand justified before a holy God, cleansed by royal blood. And not only that, but to be forgiven and set free and cleansed from the curse of sin. Given life. Brought from dark to light. Granted entrance into the Kingdom. Have the veil ripped that the awful separation from God's Presence might be breached so that we could have intimacy with our Maker again. It is the most glorious good news this world could ever hear.  And there is so much to it, we could talk for a century and not scratch the surface.

     The truth is, no one has it all figured out, but I believe a more honest and searching look into the Bible will leave us with some absolute certainties about what that the Gospel IS and IS NOT.

    The true Gospel is NOT a message of self-improvement; it is a message of self-denial. The true Gospel does NOT simply declare the joy and necessity of forgiveness at the foot of the Cross, but also declares the imperative of obedience to pick up a cross, and the necessity of death to self on that cross.  The true Gospel does NOT view sin as an unfortunate disease by which we all need help; it views sin as the heinous crime against the Sovereign and Almighty God by which we all stand wholly guilty and condemned before Him with only the coming wrath to look forward to, lest we throw ourselves upon the finished work of Christ and be changed from the inside out by Him.  The true Gospel does NOT urge people to merely repeat  a sinner's prayer like a flu shot by which they then have an nonrefundable ticket to heaven; it urges them as the Holy Spirit deals with their hearts to believe on Christ and wholly surrender to Him, the evidence of their salvation being the ongoing fruit of their life and growing in the Lord.  The true Gospel, while it joyfully exclaims all of the riches that we have in Christ, never puts the accent on the benefits and blessings, but instead emphasizes the glory of knowing God and experiencing Him. Thus the true Gospel will reproduce mature and steady disciples who serve God for who He is and not for what He can do for them. The true Gospel is NOT simply a soft, sugary-sweet, sentimental message of "you are loved" but also a fiery, tearful message by which prophets lovingly declare "you are lost." The true Gospel will never try to entice by only offering attractive messages to the masses in order to gain a seeker, but will always boldly declare in love the complete counsel and truth, even if they walk away on us like they did Jesus when He uttered such hard sayings. The true Gospel will always be most concerned with our holiness, not our happiness. The true Gospel does NOT merely coax people into accepting Jesus as Savior without also accepting Him as Lord and Master. The true Gospel is not a plea that someone allow Jesus to be a part of their life; it is an ultimatum to either reject the message or allow Jesus to consume and control their life. The true Gospel is not an offer of greater peace of mind so that one may enjoy the world; it is a transforming by the renewal of our mind to separate ourselves from the system of this world in order to embrace the greater and invisible world. The true Gospel does NOT offer a better life; it reveals that we are dead in sin and are living corpses who need to be made alive with Christ and completely born again - and when that really happens, we learn that "if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature." And we learn that that is more than poetry, but a mere declaration of the facts of what happens when a man or woman is truly converted by the Holy Ghost.

     The true Gospel - it is the power of God unto salvation. Let's learn it, believe it, live it, and preach it.

* - I want to acknowledge Tozer, Washer, Bevere, Ravenhill, and even Platt and Piper as much of my spiritual philosophy on this subject I owe to the influence of their teaching, along with the ultimate authority - the Bible. We are all largely shaped - for good or bad - by the influence we subject ourselves to and because of that, at times I don't know where some of my phrasing and thoughts ends and theirs begins - and so I offer apology if there is ever any subconscious plagiarism of any sort, I want them to have credit.

** - I repeat, though I speak passionately on the subject, I, of all people, am most in need of the grace and mercy and wisdom of God! And I want the humility and strength to live out His Word.

*** - I also want to say how humbled and honored I am to be a part of a Gospel-driven church and to have a godly, compassionate, and anointed Pastor from whom I can learn God's truth and watch his example.

Until the next monster post,

Russ