Tag: jesus

Seeing what God Sees in Others

Justin Hibbard

A friend of mine once told me about a time where God was teaching him to see people not merely as they appear but as God sees them.  One day, he was sitting at a table next to a young, attractive girl. Suddenly, his mind began to wander, and he began to entertain lustful thoughts about this young lady.  The Lord said to him, “Stop seeing her as an object of pleasure, and see her as I see her.”  It was easier to just keep daydreaming.

When the event was over, and she left the table, he noticed something horrifying.  This young woman had a horrendous limp, her back was hunched over, as though she had some crippling disease such as spina bifida.  Her entire body jolted with each step.  It was so severe that if we were to see her walking down the street, we wouldn’t notice her beautiful features.  We would only notice her deformity.  My friend admits that upon seeing this, he felt sick to his stomach.  The feelings of lust quickly turned to compassion.  “I’m so sorry,” he whispered to the Lord.  “Had I seen her from your eyes, I would have had compassion on her immediately.”

We have spent many weeks on this topic of intimacy with God.  We began by seeing God – meditating on the very person and presence of the Lord.  Then we turned our attention to how that relates to us.  We looked at deep theological principles such as the indwelling presence of God in our lives.  We talked about transforming our mind to not just perceive the physical world around us but the presence of I AM in the present moment.  Now, we take those principles and apply them to seeing what God sees in other people.

How often have we just looked right past people – at a stoplight, at work, at a cash register?  How often have we thought something ill of another person?  “I can’t stand that person because of ___.”  We can’t seem to get past our bias of the person, whether it’s their appearance, mannerisms, or tone.  Satan is a master at distraction.  He gets us to forget that people are image bearers of God and instead focus on that one little thing that annoys us.  Pretty soon, we have reduced a human being into that one tiny aspect.  Without even realizing it, that one little thought blows up into full bitterness… or on the other extreme – total lust.

Often times we struggle to see how God sees others because we have an improper or underdeveloped understanding of the way God sees us.  God’s love doesn’t depend on us being perfect, having perfect theology, having a beautiful appearance, or being free from quirkiness.  God loves me and you unconditionally.  When that becomes our life theology, we are better equipped to love others.

So, how do we see what God sees in others?  First, I think some of the same principles apply in regards to prayer and meditation.  We need to surrender our mind to the Lord.  “Jesus, show me where you are in this person’s life.  Show me how you see them.”  It may be helpful to bring certain verses to mind – “God so loved this person that He gave His one and only Son for them.”  One thing I like to do is to picture Jesus standing over them.  Instead of seeing that person as an object or an obstacle, I begin to see them as a fellow brother or sister.

When we allow our minds to see what God sees in others, we shouldn’t be surprised when He reveals something about that person to us.  So many times someone has come up to me and said, “Justin, I see the Lord doing this or that in your life.  I feel like He wants me to tell you this.”  So often they have been timely words of encouragement.

Today as you walk down the halls of your work, sit in traffic, spend time with your family, or if someone does something that rubs you the wrong way, stop for a minute and say, “God, show me how you see this person.  Show me just how much you love them.”  Watch how quickly your heart changes.  You’ll not only begin to see them as God sees them, you’ll begin to love them as yourself.

Eternally Present

Justin Hibbard

There’s a story about a couple who had been married quite sometime. One afternoon they were driving through the countryside in their antique Buick – the type that have those front bench seats. The wife, who was leaning against the passenger door, turned to her husband, who was driving, and said, “Dear, do you remember when we used to sit together on this front seat and cuddle as you drove?” He turned to her and responded, “In twenty years, I haven’t moved.”

Our relationship with God has its ebbs and flows. There are the mountain tops and the valleys. Sometimes we feel closer to God than at other times. This is the focus of today’s Reflection in continuation with our series on Intimacy with God.

In the previous Reflection, we talked about how we refer to God’s location. We often refer to Him living in eternity, as though eternity were somewhere outside of our time and space. Let me offer you a different idea. Eternity is eternally present.

When God introduced Himself to Moses at the burning bush, He referred to Himself as I AM. Perhaps this is an extraordinary insight into the realm of eternity. You and I base our existence and even talk about our experiences in the context of a timeline. “I did this, I went there, I used to do this.” The past tense is likely the most common verb form used in our language. We also employ the future tense quite a bit as well – “I will do this later” or “I want to do this.”

But what about the present tense? I would venture to say that we often don’t utilize it because it is merely a verbalization of our current action. In other words, we live the present tense rather than talk about it.

However, if you’re like me, you get distracted. I can scan the pages of a book, and before I know it, my mind is elsewhere – thinking about something I did or I’m going to do. Sometimes my mind and my body are totally disconnected. I have to stop myself and refocus. Often times I do this verbally. “Come on Justin! Get your head in the game. Focus!”

My good friend Dr. Bill Smith, whom many know from New Hope Chapel, teaches and counsels people on issues regarding leadership to addictive behavior to sleep deprivation. A recent article of his called “The Sleep Game” caught my attention:

The word “pretend” is made up of two words, “tend” which means “to take care of”, and “pre” which means “ahead of time.” Your system (or sub-conscious mind) has no ability to differentiate between fantasy and reality. Pretending is done with the conscious mind. The subconscious believes and follows the conscious mind. So, the problem with thinking, “I am going to sleep” is the subconscious will follow that instruction literally. Instead of sleeping the subconscious will keep you awake so you can be in the state of “going”.

While all of us can relate to at least a few nights of restlessness, it isn’t the sleep part that caught my attention (though I will be sure to apply his methods if I have trouble sleeping). What caught my attention is how this brain activity relates to prayer.

Like the wife in the old Buick, we often merely think about our relationship with God. How do we think about it? We often think of it in the past – the awesome experience we had with God; or we think about it in the future – at some point we’ll reconnect with Him (even if it’s later today). But as long as we think about Him this way, we will perceive God to be somewhere along our timeline or spatial scope and never in our present moment. He will always be “I was” or “I will be” but rarely or never I AM.

What ends up happening is a cycle. You think about God in terms of past or future time and space; therefore, you perceive God to be distant from you. If you perceive God to be spatially distant from you, then you feel as if you don’t have a present relationship with Him. If you don’t have a present relationship with Him, then you feel you are failing as a Christian. If you feel you are failing as a Christian, then you think about God in more distant terms. Gradually, our conscious mind pushes God further and further away, and our subconscious mind follows along.

You know how to break the cycle of feeling distant from God? Be present with Him. On Sunday, Bill did a tremendously powerful yet simple prayer exercise with us during communion. Together we said, “Father, I am here. Father, I am listening.” When I said those words, something inside my brain started firing. My conscience told my subconscious that I am here in the presence of God, and that I am listening. My subconscious showed me God and alerted me to His speaking. Suddenly, my heart was at peace. I was present with God.

Remember, if we ever feel distant from God, it is not because He has moved away. God is always present with us. We don’t need to invite God into our presence; we need to invite ourselves into His – “Father, I am here.”

Let me invite you to do this right now. I want you to pray, but as you pray verbalize it in the present, avoiding past or future tense verbs. It might go something like this. “Father, I am here. I am listening to you. I am being clothed in Christ. You are making me new. I see you. I am experiencing your glory, your peace, your joy…”

See the Unseen Realm

Justin Hibbard

An exodus out of Egypt, a dramatic crossing of the Red Sea, forty years of wandering, leading the people across the Jordan River into the Promised Land – finally Joshua’s wait was over. However, standing between him and a new life in Canaan was the walled city of Jericho.

One afternoon, the Lord paid Joshua a special visit. Dressed in uniform, He introduced Himself as Commander of the Lord’s Army, and He came with special instructions for victory. But before He revealed the strategy to Joshua, the Lord first asks Joshua to see something – “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands.”

Wait a second. Isn’t the Lord counting the chickens before they hatch? Isn’t this a bit of overconfidence? Does the Lord actually want or expect Joshua to see something that hasn’t come to fruition? Is that even something that Joshua can do? And if it is, how does one even do this?

What God is asking Joshua to see is victory. It’s as if he’s saying, “Don’t look at the obstacles – the walled city and the impending battle, look at the victory. It is not a victory that you will achieve by your own means. It is a victory I have already achieved. I’m giving the city to you.” It reminds me of an old hymn – “Faith is the victory that overcomes the world.”

In Hebrews 11 we read, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see… and without faith it is impossible to please God.”

Last week we talked about the power of our minds and how we can surrender to God by inviting Him into our senses, thoughts, and imaginations. We saw how powerful it can be to not only pray vocally but to picture ourselves in His presence. Let me suggest to you that when you do that, you are committing an act of faith.

Faith doesn’t merely mean that you have to say, “Ok God, I can’t possibly imagine this, but I’ll do it.” Nor does faith necessarily mean that you say “yes” to God without any planning. In Joshua’s case, God asks Joshua to participate in this vision with Him. “Joshua, see what I’m going to do. See that it’s already done. Now, here’s the plan. Here’s how we’re going to do it. Here’s how the temporal is going to line up with the eternal.” For Joshua, faith meant participating with God in eternity through vision, planning, and obedient execution.

In 2 Kings 6, we read of Elisha and his servant surrounded by the Arameans. When Elisha’s servant became afraid, Elisha said, “Don’t be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed that the servant’s eyes would be opened, and suddenly the servant saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha.

Hebrews 11:1 said that “faith is confidence.” If faith is confidence, then we are asked to be confident. How can we be confident? Well, we sure can’t be confident if we’re staring at the surrounding armies or the walled city. We can’t be confident when we’re staring at the giant monster of a problem. Peter looked at the wind and waves, and the realization of reality (that human beings are not buoyant) caused him to sink.

So if looking at reality caused Peter to sink, then what caused Peter to successfully take those few steps toward Jesus atop the water? He saw Jesus, and he heard Jesus invite him to get out of the boat and come to him.

Brothers and sisters, you can see now how vital it is to see and hear God. Our reality, what we perceive with our external senses is so incomplete. There is another realm – not just in heaven – but all around us. Faith means seeing and participating in that realm. Brother Lawrence called it “practicing the presence of God.” I call it “letting God show your brain what your eyes can’t see.” In time what happens is that we become like Elisha. Our eyes catch up to our brain. We see with the eyes of our heart. We see the realm of God, and in turn, we run with confidence.

Now you can see why the writer of Hebrews follows up a chapter about faith with these words from Hebrews 12:1-2. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”

I Saw the Lord

Justin Hibbard

In Isaiah 6, the prophet writes, “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord…”

Let’s stop for a moment and focus on the first words of this chapter where Isaiah says, “I saw the Lord.” Last week I mentioned how we often focus on the past (the problem) or the future (what the solution may look like) in our prayer life, before we let ourselves be consumed by the Person of God. In continuation of our series on Intimacy with the Lord, let’s see what we can expect from our prayer life when we begin by seeing the Lord.

“I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple,” Isaiah writes. What Isaiah saw in those moments, for however long, must have been a sensory overload, too powerful and breathtaking for his pen. He quickly begins describing the angels soaring around the Throne, covering their faces, talking to each other. What are they saying? They’re saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty the whole earth is full of his glory.”

The picture I get in my mind is like two buddies watching a sports game. They see an amazing play, and even though they both were there, they can’t stop talking about it. In a much more profound way, the magnificent holiness of God is so compelling that these angels can’t stop talking about It, even when they’re experiencing it.

Isaiah continues with the marvelous descriptions until he suddenly stops. “Woe is me!” he says, “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips.”

Have you ever been to a social gathering, where you felt like you were too insignificant and didn’t belong? I imagine that if I was ever invited to a White House social event, I wouldn’t stop thinking, “How is it that I get to be here with all of these important people?” And at the same time, I’d be paralyzed with the fear that I might accidentally open the wrong door and be tackled by a dozen Secret Service Agents.

Isaiah demonstrates an important truth. When we see God, we realize our depravity in the midst of such holiness. I remember one afternoon after a prayer time, my friend asked me, “What did God reveal to you?” My answer was, “I realize how messed up I am.” Many people can relate. Maybe you walk away from church like you just took a stroll down Guilt-Trip Lane. You’re bogged down with feeling so inadequate and unable to change. If that’s how you feel, then the really Good News is what happens next.

If we miss the next part of Isaiah’s vision, then we’ve missed the entire Gospel. While Isaiah entertains thoughts about how he doesn’t belong in the presence of God, one of the seraphim, with a hot coal from the altar in hand, flies over to him. With the coal, he touches Isaiah’s mouth and says, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

This is a breathtaking moment of identity. In the story of the prodigal son, the father restores his son with a robe, a ring, and a party. Here, God does it with a burning coal. The realization of our sin leads us to guilt and depression. But God’s desire is not for us to find our identity in our fallenness; He longs for us to find our identity in the atonement that He provides. Our sin enslaves us to a lifelessness, but God gives us the gift of true living – the atoned, redeemed, and resurrected life (Romans 6:23).

Isaiah’s soul is awakened. In fact, God asks, “Whom shall I send?” and guess who responds. Yes, it’s Isaiah – the very man who felt so unclean and unworthy just moments before. Once he sees who God says he is, he anxiously raises his hand and volunteers, “Here am I Lord, send me!” Isaiah is no longer a man cowering in the shadow of his depravity. No, he has seen something. He has seen the forgiveness of the Lord. His soul has been stirred. Now we know why Paul, a man who committed horrific persecution, could see the Lord, be transformed, and say, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

How did this transformation begin? It began with seeing the Lord.

We will continue learning not only what it means to enter the presence of God in our prayer life but also how to do it. In the meantime, let me encourage you to do this. As you pray today, close your eyes, and begin by verbalizing the angelic words found in Isaiah 6 – “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty the whole earth is full of his glory.” As you keep repeating those words, try to picture or sense yourself in Isaiah’s shoes, standing and worshipping before the magnificent Throne of God. You may have burning issues you long to bring to the Lord. First exalt Him, worship Him. Let this heavenly vision speak to your heart. In the process, you might find the answers you’re looking for, but chances are, you’re going to find so much more.

Why They Walk Away

Justin Hibbard2 Comments

The other day, a coworker shared with me how her daughter has walked away from the faith. This woman is not alone. Many people walk away from the faith, and it seems to happen especially during college years. Certainly the college experience – peer pressure, social liberalism, and the classroom evangelist – contributes to the epidemic of children leaving Christianity. But the problem is much deeper than college.

We the church are great at teaching people how to act like Christians, but so often we don’t show people how to have a relationship with God. We emphasize things like church attendance, ministry, service (which are all good), but we don’t always model intimacy with Jesus Himself.

Perhaps we struggle with modeling it because we ourselves don’t know how to do it. Or we think that a spiritual relationship comes naturally. We talk about the importance of prayer, but has anyone showed you how to pray and meditate? We say things like, “Listen to what God is telling you,” but when’s the last time you heard teaching or attended a workshop on “how to hear and discern the voice of God.”

It’s much easier to teach people how to act like a Believer than how to be intimate with Jesus. But we must remember that acting like a Believer is not the same as being a Believer. This is one main reason why people walk away from the faith.

When the stage disappears, and suddenly an individual finds themselves without those externals that defined their Christian experience – their church, friends, youth group, adult leaders, they don’t know how to act. The Christianity that they’ve practiced is public, but there is no private intimacy with Jesus Himself. Young people aren’t the only ones at risk. Adults, especially pastors, have walked away for the same reason.

This is nothing new. This was an epidemic that plagued God’s people throughout their history. The Lord said, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Isaiah 29:13). Then some 700 years later, Jesus echoed the same words when referring to the Jewish leaders (Matthew 15:8).

Christian, there is something you need, like you need water. There is something you crave deep within your soul. It is intimacy with the Lord Jesus. And until we taste it, we never know quite what it is. But when we taste it, we know it is everything we’ve ever wanted, and nothing can be its substitute ever again. It is as the poet writes in Psalm 42, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?”

Jesus is the constant. Our life experiences may change. We may end up at different places with different churches and different peers. But the Holy Spirit never leaves us. He is the one constant, and if we have a relationship with Him, then our faith will not falter when the seasons of life change. A prayer relationship with Him must be what defines your Christian life, or I dare say that your Christianity is not really alive.

This is the message that the Lord has been laying heavily on my heart. There’s a need in the church today. The need isn’t how to behave better or how to be more involved in the church. The need is to teach the church how to have intimacy with Jesus. Over the next few months, these Reflections will focus on just that. I’ll be giving biblical and practical instruction on prayer and intimacy with Jesus, and I pray that this will be helpful in your own life.

But today let me leave you with this thought: your prayer life is your lifeblood. It is your umbilical cord. Jesus demonstrates how essential prayer was to His existence. How often we read of Him leaving the crowds to get alone with His Father. If Jesus – God Himself – could not neglect communion with the Father, then certainly, neither can we.

The Parable of the Mars Rover

Justin Hibbard

A couple of weeks ago, much of the world tuned to the heavens to watch the highly anticipated landing of “Curiosity” – NASA’s newest Mars Rover. The descent onto the Red Planet marked the culmination of years of research and a 354 million mile journey.

You can understand the elation that erupted from the mission control room. Curiosity’s landing was one of the most technically complex. If anything went wrong, it could have turned a $2 billion robot into scrap metal.

And despite the research, the construction, the long journey from Earth to Mars, and the complex touchdown, the Mars mission has just begun.

On Sunday, I had the amazing privilege of baptizing three people. Our church celebrated, as these three publicly announced, through baptism, that they are a committed Disciple of Jesus. Sunday was a very special day for me personally. I, along with many, have prayed for each three of these individuals for many years (one of them being my daughter). Participating with them as they made this public profession was an absolute honor.

When someone makes this type of commitment to follow Jesus, we as fellow Believers might give a huge sigh of relief – “Phewww, at least they’re saved now.” But like the Mars Rover, the mission has just begun.

Jesus tells us in the Great Commission, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” Two things stand out to me about this passage.

First, Many people think about the Great Commission in terms of foreign mission and getting people saved. However, the emphasis in the Greek verb tense is not on the word “go,” and there’s nothing in here about “getting people saved.” The emphasis both from a contextual and grammatical standpoint is on the words “make disciples.” The tremendous opportunity which Jesus entrusts to us is to turn believers into disciples.

Secondly, He tells us to baptize them in the name of the Triune God. The word baptism means immersion. I think what Jesus is insinuating goes much further than baptism into water. He’s inviting us to immerse people into life with the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.

How do we do this? First, as parents and as fellow members of the Body of Christ, we need to see this person in their new identity. If they are Believer, then they are a child of God, just like us.

Secondly, we can treat them as such. To us they may be just a little child – the kid we watched grow up or our own son or daughter. However, now the Holy Spirit indwells within them. We should expect God to do big things through them, just as we expect Him to do within us.

Thirdly, we need to remind them often of their new identity. Now that they are a Believer, they have an enemy, and that enemy is going to try to take them out. Often Satan’s attacks come through accusations where he whispers, “See, you’re just the same old guy, trapped doing the same old stuff. You’re not really a Believer. Believers don’t act like that. You’re such a failure.” We can help people overcome this by reminding them of who they are in Christ. Have you ever thought of waking up in the morning and saying to your spouse or child, “Good morning child of God?” When we encourage and help people find their identity in God, we are bringing them to Jesus – immersing them in a life full of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Congratulations Brian, Peyton, and Annalía. I rejoiced seeing your landing. Now I’m so looking forward to the great mission and the journey ahead.

Where was God During the Colorado Massacre?

Justin Hibbard1 Comment

Whenever a horrific event like the Colorado movie massacre occurs, it seems like the talking heads are suddenly interested in focusing on God and His will. These events call into question our social theology of general agnosticism or ambivalence towards God, and without fail, the conversation turns deistic. “Where was God during this chaos? Maybe God has turned His back on our society. We’re on our own!” I’m always amazed at how someone could be so disinterested in God one moment and be so sure they’ve figured Him out the next.

Someone asked me the other day if I thought 9-11 and this massacre is evidence that God has rejected us and has turned His back on our society. I’ve been giving that question a lot of thought.

As I mentioned last week, I think Governor Mike Huckabee said it best on his Fox News program. “We don’t have a crime problem or a gun problem – or even a violence problem. What we have is a sin problem. And since we ordered God out of our schools and communities, the military and public conversations, you know, we really shouldn’t act so surprised when all hell breaks loose.” The bottom line is that people are either getting their identity from Jesus or a device of Satan. For some people that leads them to addictions. For others, it leads to acquiring material possessions. And for others, it turns into a power hunger to take away the dignity and life from others. It’s not just a problem; it’s a wide scale epidemic.

Romans 1:18 says, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness.” How is God’s wrath being revealed? Verses 24, 26, and 28, use the same phrase – “God gave them over.” God allowed them everything their hearts desired. We beg for free will. We just have no idea of its ramifications until God lets us have what our hearts crave.

Sometimes I think we treat God like a cosmic condom. We fool around with astounding filth, and when some real consequence to our behavior slips in like a STD, we blame God.

You can see the trick Satan is pulling. He’s lured us away to a very dark place with very dark consequences and then convinces us to get angry at God for something we should have known was bound to happen. C.S. Lewis said, “The doors of hell are locked on the inside.” I would add, “and everyone is angry and bitter at God for not dwelling with them there.”

I realize that many of the victims in this case were little children. Some were military heroes. Some were even believers. Unfortunately, that’s the reality of sin. Like we see in the story of Achan in Joshua 7, sometimes our sin and unrepentance hurts those around us as much if not more than ourselves.

So when I see just the type of junk people are turning to in order to get their identity and the danger they are putting others in, here’s my question, “How in the world is it that this type of horrific violence doesn’t happen more often?” We live in a society that discourages Christianity, that applauds other religions, that celebrates sin and violence. How is it that this stuff doesn’t happen every day?

It’s in that question that we discover where God is. 2 Thessalonians 2:17 says, “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.” Paul tells us exactly where God is. He is here. It is the Holy Spirit that restrains evil, but here’s the real frightening part, one day He will no longer restrain it. As bad as our current violence is, can you imagine what will happen when the Holy Spirit stops restraining it? When God truly gives us over to reap the consequences of our sinful desires, can you imagine the carnage?

Scripture is clear. In the midst of our Sodom, God is here. The stories about miracles and salvation are pouring in amidst the overwhelming grief of those whose lives were lost. I read the other day of one of the wounded – a 22 year-old Christian girl who was born with an inconsequential minor brain defect. Basically, she was born with a tiny channel in her brain that ran from front to back. No one would have ever known about it, except when the doctors were trying to save her life, by removing a shotgun pellet from her brain. Turns out one went up her nose, and traveled along that channel from front to back. Seems like God knew exactly what He was doing when He created her. He knew exactly where she would be on Friday, July 20th, and He knew exactly what size object was going to try to kill her. If that bullet moved a millimeter in any direction or if that channel was smaller or non-existent, we would have a 13th victim.

Yet despite these amazing stories, sadly, families of the twelve victims are weighed down with unbelievable grief. It’s not just the fruit of some psycho or some weapons, it is the fruit of Adam and Eve. It is the fruit of believing that man can live on our own, that we can make our own rules, that we can get our identity from someone other than God.

Why God didn’t intervene to prevent all twelve deaths? I don’t know. But what I do know is that these moments are reality checks for our world. There’s a great line in the parable of the Prodigal Son. Speaking of the lost boy, it says, “When he came to his senses…” If anything, this serves as a moment of spiritual awakening. It gets us to ask, “Where am I, and how did I get so far from home?” We really have three options. We can either say, “God, I hate you for leaving me here and not protecting me in this hell hole. It’s all your fault.” Or we can say, “Well, that was a frightening lesson; hope it never happens again,” and return to our current state. Or we can say, “Father, I’m done living my life my way. I need you. Please take me home.”

Many of you are home, and this message is preaching to the choir. However, this is a message we can share to those who are lost and wondering what to do with all of this tragedy and confusion. Today, like in the case of Abel, the human blood of innocent bystanders cries out from the ground. It pleads for us to turn to Jesus. It’s time to come home to a Heavenly Father who loves us and desires to protect us from our own human will.

The Colorado Massacre and a Hijacked Identity

Justin Hibbard

I’m not much of a superhero buff, but there is something about these Batman movies that resonates within me – the story of an ordinary boy (no kryptonite or spider venom to aid him), struggling to find his identity, who later builds really cool toys and takes justice in his own hands. How many times have you walked out of a movie like this with a bit of swagger? For a moment, even if it’s just a second, you’re overcome with this desire to be the Robin Hood, the William Wallace, the Gladiator, the Dark Knight. We crave being lost in a life where we find a heroic identity.

That quest for identity drives us, and sometimes it drives us to dark places. Sometimes we’re so twisted, that we perceive the villain to be the hero. Enter James Holmes – a twenty-three year old “aspiring scientist,” dyed orange Joker hair, wearing a mask, body armor, and strapped with an arsenal of weapons. In a matter of a few horrific moments, he was no longer just an intelligent, well-mannered, quiet boy from San Diego. He starred in his own reality show where a self-delusional perception of psychopathic heroism became everyone else’s nightmare.

And so the questions begin: “Less guns, more guns, more psychiatric evaluations in universities, tighter supervision of movie watching?” And on and on. I think former Governor Mike Huckabee said it best the other night on his Fox News program. “We don’t have a crime problem or a gun problem – or even a violence problem. What we have is a sin problem. And since we ordered God out of our schools and communities, the military and public conversations, you know, we really shouldn’t act so surprised when all hell breaks loose.”

That “sin problem” is a real pervasive epidemic in our society, and when we get down to it, it’s an identity problem. People are lost – they don’t know who they are or who they should be. Satan lures us, hijacks our identity, and tells us we can find it in all sorts of places – money, work, sex, material possessions, media, relationships, substances. As long as we’re getting some answers, we’ll continue drinking the roofie contaminated kool-aid.

Here’s the scary, sobering reality, for which I will not apologize: anyone who finds their identity in something other than Jesus is finding it in some device of Satan, and it will lead to some sort of destruction. And you know what, Satan’s manipulating and sadistic enough that he doesn’t even need for us to give him the credit. He’ll give us enough luxury so we don’t think we need God or make us nice people so we don’t think we need to be different. He’ll offer us something to take away the pain and then offer us more to take away the side-effects. He’ll bring devastation or destruction to get us to blame God; or he’ll destroy our self-worth so we don’t aspire to be like God; or, like in the case of James Holmes, he’ll twist the definition of heroism and give us enough delusion to pull the trigger. He’ll lure us to the darkest corner of hell and then get us to question the goodness or existence of God when we can’t find Him there. Satan is the prince of this world – the mastermind responsible for creating Hitlers and nice people. He lures you to find your identity in him, and it’s a matter of roulette as to what kind of person he will turn you into. The only thing that’s certain is that his one interest is destroying you and those around you; you are a mere means to that end. The other day we saw just what type of catastrophic end one man’s hijacked identity can bring.

The Good News is that there is an alternative. In John 10:10, Jesus says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” There are only two options – the Thief or the Liberator, horrific death or abundant life, Satan or Jesus. The beauty of the Gospel is that we are invited to “snap out of it” and find our identity in Jesus. We don’t have to let Satan play roulette with our lives; we don’t have to take him at his deceptive word. We can say, “Jesus, give me your identity. Jesus, tell me who I am. Jesus, let my life be yours. Jesus, I want to be defined by you.” It is when we are lost in Jesus’ life, that we find ours. Like the parable of the treasure in the field, when we discover God’s heart, we discover ours, and that is the beginning of eternal, abundant, and beautiful life.

Radiance: Live a Radiant Life

Justin Hibbard

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As we conclude our series on Radiance: A Practical Study on the 7 Churches of Revelation, I want to end with a conclusion that will help tie things together.  You know, I set out on this journey, asking God to open my mind and heart to understand what He wants from His church.  I expected God to speak through His Word, through prayer time, through studying, and through those of you who have joined on this quest with me.  I sort of came at this with a blank slate – no hidden agenda, no preconceived ideas.  I wanted to push aside any traditional ideas I held and take an honest assessment to see what God’s desire was.  So, what did I learn?

First, I didn’t come away with any revolutionary church models or program ideas.  What I came away with was a compelling call as an individual to live a life of radiance.  How can I expect the church in which I participate to be a radiant lampstand, if I myself am not reflecting the glory of God?  It’s amazing that so often we have expectations for the Body of Christ that we’re not even willing to live up to.  Jesus calls individuals first, and then He brings them together to form the Body of Christ.  The lampstand – the seven branch menorah – that we’re told represents the church – is a reminder that there are multiple lights that make up the candlestick.

In each letter, Jesus begins by introducing Himself in some way that reiterates John’s vision in Revelation 1 and speaks to a particular issue in the churches.  Jesus doesn’t end the letter with Himself; He begins with it.  In other words, it  should clue us in on the fact that Jesus is and should be the purpose of the church.  Often in a church’s life, there are talks about strategic plans, mission, vision.  Each church has its distinction whether its outreach, fellowship, worship, teaching, etc.  Those aspects are not bad in and of themselves, but sometimes we get so caught up on doing something because that’s what we do and that’s what we’re good at instead of asking, “God, what do you want from us?”  He may give us resources to nudge us in a different direction, and we may push them away because they don’t fit with our church culture.  Remember this is God’s Church – not mine, not yours.  We’re just humble servants invited to participate with the Lord in His Kingdom on earth.

Not only should Jesus be the purpose of the church, but He should be the purpose of our lives.  What is your purpose?  Is it to go to work, to provide for your family, to be an excellent spouse, or an excellent parent, or to live the American dream?  Those things aren’t bad at all.  But does your life center around the Lord, or do you try to fit the Lord around your plans for your life?  If you were to say to yourself, “My purpose to exist, to live out today, in what I do this week, this year, this lifetime is centered around the Lord Jesus,” what things might change?  Jesus desires to be the apple of our eye.  Just as He laid aside all of His desires of self-preservation, self-boasting, selfish gain for the redemption of your heart, so He desires that we live, and move, and exist in Him.

Throughout this study, we’ve seen some drastic differences in the churches.  We’ve seen churches that seemed to grasp their understanding that they were citizens of a different world and kingdom.  We’ve also seen the churches that appeared to have a desire to live out the pleasures of the Roman world.  Jesus tells us that we are citizens of Heaven – not just after we die but the moment we believe.  Because when we believe, we are adopted, sealed, and set apart from this world.  Let me ask a question, if you went around thinking every moment, “I am a child of the King of kings,” what might change?  Would your thoughts change, your desires, your plans, your problems, your purposes?  Paul tells us in Romans 12 to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.  In other words, when we realize we’re a child of God, it becomes much easier to live like one.

Something marvelous happens the moment we believe: we are infused with the Holy Spirit.  God Almighty dwells within us, transforming our lives to look more like Him.  When I read about Moses’ relationship with God, I get envious.  I want to have those glowing Sinai experiences.  You know what Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 3?  What Moses had paled in comparison to what we have – the indwelling of God Himself.  It means my life really can be radiant.  I may not see it, but others do.  Oh boy do they ever.  In a dark, desperate, lonely, sin-driven, selfish world, you better believe that someone infused and radiating the light of Christ will be as noticeable as a lighthouse at the edge of the ocean.  Like a florescent night light you hold up to a lamp to initiate its radiance, your walk with God will change your life.

So how does church fit into all of this?  Well, if my personal life is centered around the purpose of Jesus and I get together with others who have the same mindset, we will have unity in Christ.  If I’m radiating the glory of God, and I get together with others who are also radiating the glory of God, then we are going to collectively radiate the glory of God.  We may look different, have different mannerisms, have different gifts, but we will be driven by a passion for the purpose of Jesus.  What should we accomplish together as a Church?  God will let us know.  When we seek Him, He communes with us and gives us a heart that reflects His love, mission, and desire.  That is what it means to be a radiant person.  With God as our focus, our light source, together we can be a radiant church.