Dispensing Grace

"Think but how vile a spectacle it were

To view thy present trespass in another

Men's faults do seldom themselves appear;

Their own transgressions practically they smother."

                                                                                                         ~ Wm. Shakespeare

In this blog, I speak much of God's grace and our need for it.
But have you ever thought about what a 'grace-filled' Christian might look like?

The first step in seeing what a Grace-filled, Grace Dispensing Christian is, would be learning that Christianity isn't rules.
Christianity is knowing you are a sinner and in need of mercy.
The second step is realizing that everybody you know is in the exact same situation.
Only then can we begin to look at the world and everyone in it with 'Grace-Tinted Lenses.'

Within the Body of Christ, more specifically the local church, I've seen many who could see the sin in other people; yet, not once could they ever see their own sin.
They have not yet learned the two steps to dispensing grace.

I often wonder when thinking of the above situation if it ever occurs to people that the local church is supposed to be the one place where everyone should be able to 'be honest' in all areas.
What I have seen is the opposite; a place where much Pharisaical actions take place and much phoniness occurs.
Many put on their best front and brave the crowds at the congregation; but this isn't grace, nor is it reality.

Grace is a light from heaven itself which penetrates through the cracks of life.
No cracks, no light; no light, no grace.

The local church ought to be a haven for people who feel terrible about themselves and what they've done in their lives with regards to sin.
But this feeling shouldn't come from other sinners; for, we should all feel this way sometimes.
We should feel this way in the church because we have come to the Body of Christ to be in the presence of Christ, His people, His Spirit and relearn His gift of grace.

In life, whatever we have done which makes us feel superior with regards to others is not grace and it never will be.
Have  you ever noticed who Jesus spent most of His time with?
It was in the company of sinners, prostitutes and tax collectors; people whom the world rejected and were told even God Himself would reject.
Yet, when God was on earth, instead of rejecting them - He welcomed them in grace and forgiveness.

If we are to seek to be the Church in our local areas Jesus Christ would have us to be, we too must welcome the same in love, grace and forgiveness.

To put it crudely, the Grace of God through our churches and our lives should be "on tap" as beer is in a saloon.
Sin seems to flow freely; why shouldn't grace as well?

In my studies on grace, I have learned that one of the greatest grace-dispensing organizations is Alcoholics Anonymous.
AA centers itself on two things: Radical Honesty and Radical Dependence on one another.
If you look back to the early church, these were the two things that every Christian depended on in themselves and one another.

But just as we have lost the power of the early Church, who evangelized the known world in 3 centuries; we have also lost the radical honesty and dependence on one another out of the simple fear of being hurt by those whom we call our 'brothers.'

One thing we tend to forget regularly is the fact that people who often seem to have it all together, don't. 
Just think of those who gathered around the Lord's Table on the night He was betrayed; every one of them was thought by the followers to 'have it all together.'
But in fact, their faith was faltering and weak, just as ours can be; when the time came, they fled from the Lord's presence and left Him alone to be taken away.

Maybe their failure that night always haunted them when trials came upon others and they failed in the early years of the church, the apostles would ooze forgiveness and grace.
For, in the end, they had each received God's grace in monumental proportions; as each one of us seeks to receive as well.
Given our failures and falters in the faith, what else can we offer of any value than grace?

Of grace, Scripture teaches us that God loves us because of who He is; not because of who we are or what we have done.
Dispensing grace through our lives is simply loving others as God has loved them.
In this, that which we have received we are to share; give away the grace you have been given and bless another with it for the glory of God.

Until Next Time, win one for the good guys.

We Need Grace

"O' momentary grace of mortal men, 

Which we more hunt for than the grace of God."

                                                                                              ~ Shakespeare, Richard III


"Grace" - the greatest word in the Christian's vocabulary.
"Grace" contains hints of rejoicing; celebrating over some undeserved gift. 
"Grace" should define the church for we are the emissaries and very Body of Christ.

Yet, grace and joy is not what comes to mind as the first images when we think of the modern church; and certainly it isn't what those outside the church think of us within the church either.

When the Church is thought of, if at all, it is thought of as a place of pushing an unreasonable morality on others, not of forgiving grace.

The Church has become a place where people go AFTER they have cleaned themselves up a little bit instead of before. 
This is totally reversed, just look at the people to whom Jesus ministered the most and you and I would find the people you and I should be reaching out the most.
It doesn't help that many focus on Hell so much that they have forgotten to celebrate our journey toward Heaven.

The Church of Jesus Christ is to be a haven of grace in a world of un-grace.
Grace is, above all other things, the very heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
How then is it that so many within the Church miss the heart of the Gospel in Grace?

You see, the one thing that the world cannot do to help people is offer grace.
The world or the Government can only supply things to supplement physical needs; nothing more.
I suspect there are more than a few who attend church for this very reason; their hunger for grace is so strong and they know that it cannot be found anywhere else.
They should not be turned away, regardless of sin; nor should they be turned away dissatisfied. 

Sadly, the message that many churches preach today of grace and the audience to whom they appeal would have never led to Jesus' crucifixion.
And that is a genuine disgrace to God's grace.

Grace demands nothing from us except that we await it with confidence; upon receipt, we accept it with gratitude - never forgetting from whence we came nor to whom we should be

Old-Style, Double Grace

thankful.

Grace is Christianity's best gift to the world.
Yet, I am saddened that many within the Body of Christ demonstrate the exact opposite.
For many within the Church who extol a 'ladder-like' approach to spirituality, speaking of the great accomplishments of grace, little is seen.

At times, there are some who may object to great sympathy given towards those who suffer, believing they have made the bed they now lie in.
Some man, 'deserve it for something....'  and God might be punishing them.
But this is not what I have found in Scripture nor in life's experiences itself.

What has been called 'Proverbs of Ashes' I have heard; they are similar to the 'encouragement' offered by Job's friends.

Yet, the most strengthening thing about Job's friends is the fact that God tells Job that his friends had not spoken for Him; meaning, they were undeniably wrong.
It is this Ungrace in faith that crushes rather than frees the faithful.

We may encounter this within the local church:
- A woman emotionally and spiritually beaten down because of being ostracized due to an abortion 15 years earlier.
- Another woman, mentally abused and ridiculed by her husband and family because of an adulterous relationship.
- A man who is pushed aside by a fellowship of other men because he abused prescription drugs.

And the list can continue into infinity, for the list is quite endless as to how we in the Body of Christ have abused our own grace from God by refusing to extend it to those who need it just as much or more than we do.

In the end, what people need is grace; not an explanation nor a threat of punishment. 
Grace and grace alone - it is the bright, shining light of God into a fallen world of dark souls.

Mark Twain once said that people were sometimes, '...good in the worst sense of the world.' Within the church, this is well-known.
People often mean well, but misfire; showing ungrace instead of grace.

As for me, I do struggle to  understand the pettiness of Christians today.

There's an old story of two Christians meeting and they begin to compare everything they believe, and they agree on nearly everything.
Bible - KJV Only
Pews or Chairs - Pews
Carpet - Red
Clear or Stained - Glass is stained
10:45 or 11:00 - 10:45 AM
- Could it be that two believers are actually like-minded???
Joy!

But then, when asked of the temperature in the sanctuary, one man is 70 degrees and the other is 68. The first pulls out a sword, thrusts it into the side of the other and shouts, 'Die heretic!'

The lesson is clear - too often the church demonstrates a lack of grace towards all others in the mode of moral superiority.
A moral superiority, which we do not have and have not earned.

Knights Templar

It has been my experience that many who do this within the local church feel guilt for something else; either that, or they've missed the entire message of Jesus Christ, or they simply don't care and are so insecure that they have to make others feel bad about themselves to feel good in their own heart.


Like people who live in a city that have grown accustom to smog filled air, society's normal has crept into the church and has created an atmosphere lacking in grace.

Ernest Hemingway first told the story of a Spanish father and son having a horrible disagreement and falling out.
The son ran away to Madrid, leaving his father's home.
As time passed, the father was very remorseful and decided to take out an ad in Madrid's newspaper, 'El Liberal,' which read:

"Paco, meet me at Hotel Montana, noon Tuesday.

All is Forgiven - Papa."

Paco being a common name in Spain during that era, when the father arrived, there were over 800 men waiting for their fathers to forgive them.

Desire or Addiction?

It is sad, but stories like the one Hemingway spoke of would not have to be repeated if only we could share in greater ways the grace which God has given us as members of the Body of Christ.

Yet, there are others for whom romantic love is the closest they will ever get to grace.
As such, they become addicted to the feeling of 'grace' in the form of worldly 'love.'

Have you ever wondered why some men and women go from one relationship to another, in succession, with relatively little time in between them all?

This is why, for romantic love conveys in a way what God's grace shouts from the Heavens and through the Cross - YOU ARE DESIRABLE AND LOVED!

Grace should always come first from God's people; yet, not always in our words, sometimes it comes in greater volumes in the form of people and actions.
But grace is not romantic love, and we should never confuse the two.

Yet, I will be the first to admit that Grace and Love are two things that can make the world tilt on its axis - but God's grace must be seen as always greater than man's love.

Our love is limited; God's grace knows no bounds.
Love sometimes comes with a price; Grace does not - that's why it is called grace.

Grace comes free of charge to people who do not deserve it.
And I am one of those who does not deserve it - and happy to be so, for I know the boundless love of God through His infinite grace.
And I hope that you can say the same in your life; if so, you and I sing the wonderful tune of grace only Christ can provide.

Until next time, win one for the good guys.

The Power of Restraint

"A Saint is one who exaggerates what the World neglects."

                                                                                                               ~ G. K. Chesterton


In 1990/91, I watched the first modern war fought on television.
After months of build-up, Desert Shield instantly became Desert Storm; the months of protecting our Saudi Arabian allies and economic interest were over. 
The Eagle and Bear joined together for the first since World War II and defeated yet another enemy to world and economic peace.
And the United States, rising from the shadow of pain and sorrow left behind by the Vietnam era politicians, rose to greater military heights than had been seen in generations.

During that time, I remember General Schwarzkopf  on television; then and now, I believe if we had American interests at stake during a war - that's the man I want leading the troops.

General Schwarzkopf

He was given the name 'Stormin' Norman,' due to the speed in which American tanks raced across the desert; in one day, his strategic maneuvering of troops and weaponry all but put the Iraqi Republican Guard on its knees.

I have been to that same base in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where General Schwarzkopf ran the war and led the United States and her allies to victory.
Still today, if I was in such an engagement, he is the man whom I would want leading me; he typified strength, confidence, honor and courage.
He is the man or type of man millions would serve with and willing die with, if necessary, because of what he is able to inspire within them.

And to some, He is the type of man which was envisioned in the Messiah; a strong, confident, hero leader. 
A man who never shows weakness, never is questioned and can thunder into a situation and win in elaborate form each and every time.

In short, the man I have described is a complete reversal of the Beatitudes recorded from the lips of the real Messiah in Matthew's Gospel.

Yet, modern Christians long for this type of leader rather than the personification of the Beatitudes in Jesus Christ.
As evidence, simply look in the media at who has become idolized; it is the strong, confident, beautiful and rich.
But what we often don't talk about is those whom are idolized are often a miserable group of people; neither happy nor fulfilled because while their lives are full, their hearts are empty.

We see the power of Jesus in the Beatitudes as well as His temptations in life; the strength the world longs for and desires is seen largely in His restraint.

While I was sick and recovering, I became a much more compassionate person.
Often, when alone in prayer and Scripture, I would wonder to myself why Jesus, since He did have the power to cure diseases and raise the dead; why didn't He do it more than seemingly allowing the fallen world to run its course?
I am living proof of what God can do; but I still wonder why He doesn't do it more often.

In Scripture, moving from the Beatitudes to Jesus' temptation by Satan, it tells us much about His power and His restraint.
I have no doubt that Jesus can solve the world's problems of natural disasters or mutating viruses; but would this solve our problems?
The answer is a resounding, 'No.'

Jesus' first act after baptism was to go into the desert to be tempted by Satan; the Greek language in the Scripture indicates that the Lord was internally thrust into this situation.
To those who believe temptations and trials do not befall believers, I would say that since Jesus encountered this as His first act, the Christian too will be confronted with evil during our lives.

Every Christian knows that Jesus was tempted in the desert; sometimes the Christian in modern times must also go through temptations in our own desert of the moment.

But if you go back further, the temptation of God's people goes beyond earth itself and has

Lucifer's Fall from Heaven

maintained a constant theme in spiritual history.
Long before the world was created, we are told of a rebellion in heaven; the sin of Lucifer was simply, 'to be like God.'
His pride and belief that he could overthrow God gained him followers but it also gained him expulsion from heaven and an eternity separated from God.

On the earth, in the Garden after the Creation of man and woman; he tempted Eve with the same temptation which caused him to fall.
The temptation was 'to be like God;' an appeal to pride and a shadow of doubt that God is eternally good towards those whom He loves.

But when Jesus was thrust into the wilderness, the temptation from Satan had changed because the players had changed.
To Adam and Eve, the temptation was 'to be like God;' for Jesus, the Son of God, the temptation was, 'Can you also actually be fully human?'

All the details we have from the Temptation in the Wilderness is from Jesus Himself through the Gospel writers.
But for some reason, Jesus found it important and necessary not to show us what he could do, but rather, what He would not do at an inappropriate time.
For some reason, Jesus Christ found it necessary to reveal His weakness for all ages.

Sometimes I have imagined this scene as two, age-hardened warriors having a wary respect for one another - like Muhammad Ali and George Foreman set to do battle within the squared circle.
Yet, I know nothing could be further from the truth.

What was really taking place was two, other-worldly warriors converging on planet Earth from the Cosmos to do battle in ways we still cannot fathom today.
We see one, Lucifer, who is confident and sly; knowing His opponent and the Word of God as well as anyone ever created.
The other participant, He is confident - but in a weakened state, for Scripture teaches us Jesus set aside His glory for tabernacle which is flesh and bone.

When it took place, the temptation was simple; just as simple as it was to Adam and Eve before Him and to every man who has fallen to temptation since.
It was an appeal, a temptation offering Jesus the chance to become the thundering Messiah that humanity believes it wants.

In modern terms, it was for Jesus to become our General Schwarzkopf in the spiritual realm.

What's interesting to me is not the fact that Jesus overcame this temptation, but rather the fact that few realize Jesus was tempted this way several times during His life.
And this tells me, we too will be tempted throughout our lives with good things being offered in a horribly wrong way.
But I digress.

You see, Jesus was tempted three times in similar ways.
The first time, He was tempted by Lucifer in the desert.
The second time, Jesus was tempted by Peter in this manner; and the third time, it was by the thief on the Cross while they were both dying.

Consequently, all three were saying the same thing to Jesus with different words and for different reasons:
'You don't have to suffer. If you are really the Christ, don't suffer. This can be done another way, a better way...a way that doesn't involve dying on a Cross.'

And it is here that we see the true strength of Christ; it is in His restraint.
This restraint can also be applied to other things in our lives which we wish would simply go away - like suffering, disease, wars, etc.

Generally, when a person is struggling in their life, they will always come back to the question, 'Why does God sit on His hands?'
We want God to act, to move on our behalf; yet, when He doesn't, we become discouraged and, at times, even angry.

For example, if God had just flicked Saddam Hussein or Adolph Hitler off the planet with His

finger, just think of how many lives would have been saved.
So, why didn't He do it and save us the pain and suffering?

You see, we want a God that we deem as being more active and more personal in the ways we want; not necessarily how He wants.
We also fail to remember that the more active God is, the less freedom we have.

And that - that is the whole point of pain, suffering, temptation and trials; it deals with how we will respond, act, and believe when we are pressed to the worst circumstances.

The miracles that Satan wanted, the signs the Pharisees demanded or even the proofs we yearn for in our lives; these are no serious obstacle to the Lord Jesus.
What is most amazing is His refusal to perform and overwhelm us.

But if Jesus did that - overwhelm through His performance of miracles - it would not achieve the response He desires from us. 
It didn't work with Moses and the Hebrews coming out of Egypt, and it won't work with modern Christians today.

God desires faith, trust, belief, compassion and a host of other characteristics Jesus displayed within Himself during His time on Earth.
He was the perfect image of who God really is; modeling the Beatitudes and fulfilling the Law simultaneously. 

Like within a Godly marriage, this can only be achieved, not by being forced with power, but by through the ultimate power of God in restraint - with the freedom in forgiveness and grace.

As He has given us these, may we extend them also to one another.

Until next time, win one for the good guys.