How Far You've Come

Did you see the commercial during the Super Bowl broadcast where there are two doctors standing at the side of a patients bed? A fly is buzzing around them and one Dr. picks up the shock paddles and zaps the fly. The fly falls onto the chest of the sleeping patient. As the Dr. leans over the man’s chest to look at the fly the wife and daughter enter the room to hear the Dr. (still holding the paddles) say, “Well, that killed him.” It’s commercial greatness!! But the perception of the wife and daughter was not reality.

The phrase “perception is reality” has popped up on more than one occasion in the last week. I think this idea is a truck load of rotten squid. Perception is perception. While we can perceive a thing accurately, our perception is just that. Perception means, to see (or understand) a thing from a certain point of view. We all see the world from our own perspective. But our point of view should not be held as "reality" simply because we see it that way. More to the point, we should not look at others and decide that, from our perception, they are lacking in some way.

When we look at another person on the journey toward Christ likeness, it is not our perception that matters. The scripture says, “Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” (Romans 14:4) Our responsibility is not to evaluate, but to encourage, to support; to bear the weakness that may be present. No, of course we should hold those close to us accountable for their actions provided the relationship permits that.

If we are being developed by the continuing work of the Holy Spirit in our lives then we must accept that same process in the lives of others. We are yielded and responsive on different levels in regard to this. Some of us are hard headed and some are hard hearted. Some are open and teachable and some are broken and pliable. Paul wrote, “…he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6) Just a few verses later he reinforced this idea saying, “…for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” (2:13)

I’ve come to love the music of “The Wallflowers”. While Jacob Dylan is not the poet that his father is, I think he is a better performer and does have meaningful things to say in his music. In a song called, “How Far You’ve Come”, the writer says this;

It's ok to believe that you're not good enough

God is not angry, not blind, deaf or dumb

He knows how far you've come

I think he is onto something. It’s to our Master that we stand or fall. And this is true of everyone else. On the journey toward Christ, reality is what matters. Jesus’ perception is the only reality. “God is not angry, not blind, deaf or dumb, He knows how far you've come.”

Michael Taylor

Note: The song "How Far You've Come" is from the Rebel Sweetheart album.

The Work of Decay

Last Sunday we did something that I had never done before. Our family and some friends visited a church in our community. No, of course we’ve visited other churches before, but not like this. We were told it was a congregation that was “racially diverse” with “energetic worship”. Their worship was certainly energetic and once we arrived, they were diverse.

It felt very strange. There were a lot of people looking at us and you could tell that they weren’t sure why this little band of white folks showed up. But the worship was great. The people of the church were sweet, warm and friendly. It was really a cool experience.

The guest preacher spoke from John 11, the raising of Lazarus from the dead. But he spoke from a perspective that I had never considered. So I want to share it with you because I really think there is some value in this. But I want to give credit where it is due. I don’t know his name but God does. So if this gives you a reason to be grateful, throw the props toward that brother.

When he spoke of the tomb he said that the stone was placed over the opening not to keep Lazarus in, but to keep some other things, (thieves, wild animals etc.,) out. And then he drew this analogy. He said that Jesus had tarried so that through the death of Lazarus the glory of God might be seen. “Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"” (John 11:40) Then he asked this question. Has God placed you in a tomb for some reason? Has he placed a stone over the opening to keep well meaning family and friends from coming to your rescue before he has finished doing the “work of decay” in you? He said, “There are some things in you that need to die. You keep wondering why you can’t seem to make any progress, but God is still trying to knock off some aspects of our character, (dead things) so that HIS glory can be revealed in you.”

That brother’s message really spoke to me, for I’ve been in that tomb for a while. I’ve wondered why I couldn’t seem to make any headway. I felt for a time that God had given up on me. But really, He placed a stone over the tomb and he has been doing the work of decay in my life for a good while.

Last week after my posting called “Is the Gospel Set Free”, my little
brother sent me a note that said, in essence, “The way you,ve always been is not in line with what you’re saying here. What gives?” I sent a note back saying, “Yeah, you’re right. I’ve been wrong - a lot. I think I’m finally seeing what God has been trying to work out of me for a good while now.“

So when you see someone change in a significant and better way, perhaps it’s God’s “work of decay”. I’m grateful for this work and I’m praying that he moves the stone soon.

Michael Taylor

Is The Gospel Set Free?

Some years ago, after he was released from prison, Jim Baker wrote a book titled, “I Was Wrong”. It was a BIG book. When I saw it in the store I commented to Rhonda, my wife, “He must have been wrong about a lot.” As I said, it was a BIG book.

My friend Eric asked me last week after "Don’t Back Down", “How can I objectively know whether I'm really "dedicated" to standing up for God and when I'm being "stubborn" with my misunderstanding of Him?”

The risk we run when we take a stand that is unyielding is that down the road we will see that we were wrong. Sometimes it is not our stand that is wrong as much as it is our hearts. What does my heart display while I am standing firm? If we display an attitude that contradicts the character of Jesus Christ we can be sure that, while our position may be right, our heart is not. Our Master is not well served by those whose spirit is controlled by their flesh. (see Luke 9:54-56)

Christians have been guilty of being right in a wrong way far too many times. I may know a thing is wrong in my inner man. But if my outer man, the flesh, is in control, then my actions and attitudes will be seen as fleshly not spiritual. If, on the other hand, my outer man is no longer the controlling part of my character, then my actions and attitudes will reflect the heart and character of my Master.

Galatians 2:20 says in part, “The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God.” To live by faith means, (in part) we will stand for what is godly and right, without apology or backing down. That same passage begins in the KJV “I am crucified with Christ”. Remember that those who do not know God will not be won by the brute force of our godly stand, but by receiving and accepting the Gospel within their spirits. If our flesh interferes with the righteousness that is within our hearts, then the Gospel is hindered.

When we are crucified with Christ and living by faith in him, our outer man will reflect the redeemed inner man that belongs to Christ and the Gospel within us will be set free.

Michael Taylor