In Mark Batterson’s new book Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity (WaterBrook Multnomah 2009) the reader is taken down into the catacombs of second century Christianity to examine “Christianity in its primal glory.”  Prime numbers are only divisible by themselves and the number one.  Mark notes that prime truths have a similar indivisible quality to them.  The Great Commandment, or as it could be called the Primal Commandment, is familiar to us all.  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all you mind and with all your strength.”   

But here in the Twenty-first Century, people tend to think of Christians in terms of what they are against, rather than what they are for.  We are so quick to criticize culture that “critical” may now override “compassion” as the word more closely associated with Christianity.  Could there be any correlation between this and the disturbing mass exodus of twenty-somethings from the church?  Some studies have shown 61 percent of the twenty-somethings who have grown up in church will stop going to church while still in their twenties.  While the common question is “what is wrong with this generation,” Mark Batterson suggests that the correct question is “what’s wrong with the church?” 

If there is anyone qualified to ask and answer this question, I believe it is this visionary pastor, speaker, and author.  You see, he pastors National Community Church, in our nation’s capital.  I had the opportunity to visit the Union Station location last year.  Seventy percent of this church’s congregation is comprised of twenty-somethings.  This demographic donut hole is sadly missing from most of our churches today.  However, it is this generation that will be essential to the next reformation wherein the church will move from merely recognizing its creeds to one which turns its creeds into deeds.

And while Mark acknowledges that there is much to criticize within today’s culture, in Primal he invites each Christian to first examine themselves.  Think of it getting the log out of your own eye, so you can see better to help your brother.  The primal problem is identified as the fact that “we’re  not great at the Great Commandment.  In too many instances, we’re not even good at it.”  He suggests that we must get back to the basics of our beliefs.

So, “the quest for the lost soul of Christianity begins with rediscovering what it means to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.”  Mark examines each of the four different aspects of the Great Commandment individually: heart, soul, mind, and strength.  He observes:

The heart of Christianity is primal compassion.

The soul of Christianity is primal wonder.

The mind of Christianity is primal curiosity.

The strength of Christianity is primal energy.

Let me entice you with some samplings from each section: On the heart – “It’s much easier to act like a Christian than to react like one.  Anyone can put on an act.  But your reactions reveal what is really in your heart.  And if you love God will all your heart, you won’t just act like it.  You’ll react like it.” p. 22 

On the soul – “One of the great mistakes we’ve made in modern Christianity is approaching God deductively as an object of knowledge instead of approaching Him inductively as the cause of wonder…God is more than factual.  He is wonderful.  The mind is educated with facts, but the soul is educated with beauty and mystery.  And the curriculum is creation.” p.53 

On the mind – “We need sanctified imaginations writing songs, making movies, drafting policies, and starting nonprofits.  We need fewer commentators and more innovators.  We need fewer critics and more creators.  We need fewer imitators and more dreamers.  In the immortal words of Michelangelo, criticize by creating.” p. 117

On strength – “I know God loves the sound of our voices when we sing songs of praise.  It’s music to His ears.  But you know what God loves even more?  God loves the smell of your sweat.  It stinks to high heaven, but it’s a sweet aroma.  Your sweat is sacred incense.  God loves it when we break a sweat serving His purposes.  Our energy turns into beautiful melodies, and it’s music in God’s ear.  It’s also the way we build sweat equity in His kingdom.” p. 134

At the conclusion of Primal, Mark observes that “compassion, wonder, curiosity, and energy are nouns,” and it’s our job to turn them into verbs. This is the Great Commandment of Christianity.  In the end, we will not be commended for well thought, well understood, or even well said, but rather “well done.”

It has been my privilege to see Mark Batterson grow as a writer.  With each new book he is able to more clearly convey challenging concepts which should be central to each Christian’s life.  I have now read all of his books, and my reaction is to always wonder how he’ll top it next time, but somehow each time he does.  With each new book I am compelled to step outside my comfort zone and go further down a path with God on a most amazing and rewarding journey of faith.  I highly endorse Primal for any Christian who wants to enter into the New Year focused on making the main thing the main thing. 

Primal is set for release on December 22, 2009.  For information on how to purchase the book online go to

http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781601421319

The author of Wild Goose Chase and In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Mark Batterson serves as lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C. One church with nine services in five locations, NCC is focused on reaching emerging generations and meets in movie theaters at metro stops throughout the D.C. area. Mark has two Masters degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago. He and his wife, Lora, live on Capitol Hill with their three children. www.markbatterson.com

Do you know the time?  This is a frequently asked question, as well it should be.  Timing is very important in our everyday lives.  And as a hiker dude, I can tell you that timing on a trail is important too.  If you take a turn on a side-trail too soon or too late you will get lost.  It will take you to places you never intended to go. One of the ways you can determine if a trail branching off from your main trail is the right one to take is from a timing perspective.  If the map says the trail you are supposed to take is after you cross the footbridge, don’t take one before you have come to the footbridge.  If the trail you are to take a turn on is 2 miles into the hike, don’t take the trail branching off after only ten minutes into the hike.  And if you haven’t come up on that turn 2 hours into your hike, you probably missed it and you’ll need to backtrack. 

Yes, you are to take a trail branching off the main trail, but it must be the right one.  And timing will help you tell if it is the right one.  There is a turn, and you are to take it, but being cognizant of the time will help you make the right turn. Too early and too late are both too bad.  Timing plays a big role in our orientation, and conversely, a lack of timing in our disorientation.  It is one of the great tragedies of life that so few realize that knowing the time to make a turn is at least equally important with knowing that you are to make a turn.

Solomon said, “And a wise man’s heart discerns both time and judgment, because for every matter there is a time and judgment.” (Ecclesiastes 8:5-6).  There are two important components to every endeavor – time and judgment.  Notice that time precedes the task.  But have you ever considered that most of our prayers seem to focus on the “what” and not the “when.”  We ask God about the task, but not the timing, forgetting that the right thing at the wrong time is still the wrong thing. 

We have schedules, appointments, and deadlines.  Yes, there most definitely is “a time for every purpose under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).  Just take a look at the familiar list located at Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.  But do not miss the introduction to Solomon’s thesis on timing.  “To everything there is a season.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).  There is a time and a season for everything.  I firmly believe that God created our four seasons to remind us that there are seasons in our lives.  Men tend to get very confused as they enter the last two seasons of their lives.  The transition from the “boys of summer” to the aging men of autumn is tough on a man’s psyche.  The weekend warriors discover new aches and pains.  It takes them longer to recover.  The time between warm-up and wear out becomes shorter and shorter.

And at the same time physical deterioration begins creeping into our lives, the mental and spiritual aspects of our lives have the potential for great growth.  “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).  A man who matures and recognizes the change in seasons in his life is not only fulfilled, but he adds great value to those around him.  But what happens when men act like boys?  We’ve all seen it.  Forty and fifty year old teenagers are easy to spot.  They have refused to put away childish things and the result is anything but beautiful.  They wreck their worlds by refusing to recognize the summer season has passed.  They continue to live selfish lives, oblivious the lessons learned by their season-conscious peers.  And in so doing, they miss tremendous opportunities.

Timing is a crucial aspect of recognizing and seizing opportunities.  The word “opportunity” comes from a Latin phrase ob portu, which referred to the moment in time when the tide would turn and allow ships to enter into ancient ports or harbors.  Before the flood tide, or high tide, the ancient ports or harbors were too shallow to enter.  If you missed the moment, you would have to wait for the next tide to come in. Shakespeare captured this notion in this familiar passage:

    There is a tide in the affairs of men,
    Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
    Omitted, all the voyage of their life
    Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
    On such a full sea are we now afloat;
    And we must take the current when it serves,
    Or lose our venture.

There is a proverb in Nepal which says, “Opportunity comes but does not linger.” What do you bet that one came from some sherpas who have taken advantage of, or perhaps missed, windows of opportunity regarding the weather as it relates to climbing Mt. Everest?  Recognizing and seizing an opportunity leads to success.  Missing an opportunity can lead to delay, and sometimes a totally different destiny. (To be continued)

 

Have you noticed that God seems to ask a lot of questions in Scripture?  But God does not ask these questions in order to obtain information from us.  There is no need for Him ask questions for that purpose. He is omniscient – all knowing – so He already knows not only the answer, but all answers.  So, why does God ask so many questions?  I believe God, who made man, Who wired him to be a problem solver, knows this is the best way to teach a man. 

If a man is asked a question, he thinks about the question, goes through the problem solving process, searches for an answer until he finds it, and then he then takes greater ownership of that answer.  He is far more likely to embrace it, hold on to it, and apply it to his life.  God has been teaching man through the asking of questions from the very beginning, and Jesus continued this teaching method during His lifetime on earth.

So, it should not surprise you that the very first question God asked in the Bible is one of our four orienting questions.  It is the question which addresses our place or location.  “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9) This is the question posed to Adam after he had eaten the forbidden fruit.  God knew where Adam and Eve were, but did they?   

“Where are you” is always a relational question.  In order to explain where someone or something is you must describe the place as it relates to a known point.  Remember, to “orient” is to define the position of something or someone, in relation to the east or other points of the compass.  So, “orient” primarily has to do with one’s location or relational position.  When I was trying to explain the location of my home in the small, rural town of Buchanan, Georgia to some people attending the Peacemakers’ Conference in Dallas, Texas recently, I said, “It is about 45 miles west of Atlanta, not far from I – 20 and just before you get to the Alabama line.”  This description gave a context from which the place I live could be better understood by others. 

In the physical realm you need to know where you are in relation to the sun’s rising.  In the spiritual realm you need to know where you are in relation to the Son’s rising.  Where are you in relation to God and His incarnate Son, Jesus Christ?  When God asked His orienting question of Adam, He wanted Adam to understand where he was in relation to his God.  As you read the passage of Scripture immediately preceding the orienting question you get the idea that Adam and Eve missed a daily appointment to walk with God in the garden.  They were not where they should have been.

“And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees in the garden” (Genesis 3:8).

Notice the progression of events.  Adam heard God’s voice in the garden.  He was afraid, and then he hid from God’s presence (Genesis 3:9). These are all new concepts being introduced to us for the first time in Scripture.  Man was first afraid after his first sin.  Fear always follows broken fellowship with our Father. Before The Fall, there was no fear, at least not the kind that led to man hiding.  And when we hide, we are placing something between ourselves and our God.  Man was not made to hide.  He was made for fellowship.  But so many men have broken fellowship and are hiding from God today.

There are two other questions which are closely related to, and implied in, the “Where are you” question.  They are: “How did you come to this place,” and “Where are you going from here?”  These are the questions which give context to your current location.  Without considering these “coming and going” questions you are likely to misunderstand the place you are presently.

Orient yourself as to this place.  Where are you?  Are you walking with God, or are you afraid and hiding?  How did you get to where you are?  Where are you going next?  Do you know?  These are things a man must know in his life’s journey; otherwise he will remain disoriented.  And disoriented men, when they finally come out from hiding, will wander and drift because they have lost the Way.

“’I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more [redundantly].’” That’s not what Jesus said! So why do so many of us live like it is what He said? Redundancy is repetition of an act needlessly. Why do we do things redundantly? We like doing what we have always done. We like doing it the way we’ve always done it. It’s comfortable, predictable, and we’ve gotten pretty good at it. It doesn’t require a lot of thinking, listening, or in-depth learning. We can do it from rote memory. It is almost automatic. Familiarly brings with it a sense of control and that one of the reasons (along with fear and the risk of disappointment) that we rarely dare to venture outside our comfort zones. Let’s face it, we like what we know.

What if Jesus had really promised redundant life instead? Would it have been a compelling vision? Would anyone have seen this as a change from what they were already doing? Doing the same thing, day, after day, after day, again, again, and again; it sounds pretty repetitious, pretty repetitious, pretty repetitious, doesn’t it? Redundancy is the same thing over, and over, and over. It is the same thing. It is the same thing. It is the same thing. It is maddening. We don’t have time for this. After all, life is short. And do you want to know something else about redundancy? It sounds boring. Not only does it sound boring, but it is!

Is boredom such a bad thing? “Soren Kierkegaard went so far as to say that ‘boredom is the root of all evil’ because it means we’re refusing to be who God made us to be. If you’re bored, one thing is for sure; you’re not following in the footsteps of Christ.” Mark Batterson, from In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day, p. 57 (Multnomah Publishers 2006). And can you be bored to death? I think so. It starts out feeling like you’re in a groove. Being in a groove is a good thing, right? But if you keep on keeping on in the same groove the next thing you know you’re in a rut. Continue in the rut long enough and it becomes a ditch. Stay in that ditch long enough, back and forth over the same ground and it will become your grave, long before its time for you to be in one. Only the dead need a grave, so stop digging your own.

I believe that many men today are suffering from what I call the Sisyphus Syndrome. Sisyphus Syndrome is characterized by a seemingly pointless routine which has turned life into an unending chore, lacking in reward or fulfillment. Sisyphus was a character in Greek mythology who was punished by being cursed to roll a huge boulder up a steep hill, only to watch it roll down again, and repeat this, again, again, and again throughout eternity. His curse was an activity that was unending and/or repetitive, pointless, and unrewarding. Sisyphus is the epitome of the redundant life. However, while Sisyphus’ task was a curse, most men today take on their tasks as a choice.

But the promise of Jesus was that He came in order for us to live, and life more abundantly, not redundantly. The word for “abundantly” used in John 10:10 means “superabundance, excessive, overflowing, surplus, over and above, more than enough, profuse, extraordinary, above the ordinary, more than sufficient.” So, does that describe your life, or does redundancy better describe your life? If redundancy reigns, what do you do about that? How does that change? It has been said many times that one of the definitions of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Could change be the key? Did Sisyphus need a new strategy?

After Jesus’ crucifixion, Peter took some of the disciples fishing. There, they reverted to their pre-Jesus way of life as fisherman. It was their groove/rut/ditch/grave. But all their efforts at fishing went unrewarded with no fish being caught. No doubt, they fished the way they had always done it before. At the end of the night, they were worn out and unsuccessful. However, Jesus came along on the shore with a strange command. “’Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some (John 21:6).’” Last year, while on a mission trip to Israel, I learned from a career naval officer that to obey this command was rather risky. Boats during this time in history always had the rudder on the right side of the boat. Accordingly, you just did not throw your net on the right side because if you did the net could drift back into the rudder and become tangled. That just was not the way you were to do it. But the obedience of the disciples to fish on the right side resulted in an abundant catch – a can’t get the net back in the boat, so many the net should have broken, 153 large fish catch (John 21:6-11).

Do not miss the allusion Jesus had made earlier to the fact that He would make them fishers of men (Matthew 4:19; Luke 5:10). Also, recall the fact that this was not the only time Jesus had instructed Peter, a professional fisherman, how to have an abundant catch by doing things differently. But the first time He told him to go into deeper water (Luke 5:4-9). Again, they had to be willing to do things differently. Do not miss the abundant life because you are religiously living the redundant life.

Let the redundant life go down into the groove/rut/ditch/grave it is so good at digging. Say a few kind words over “the way we’ve always done it.” Bring some flowers to the funeral if you like. But we must say goodbye to this old friend and bury the redundant life before we can ever begin to live the abundant life. Are you willing to get out of the rut, go “outside the box,” and fish on the right side of the boat? Your future depends on it. Stop being such a Sisyphus!

As a hiker, I recognize the importance of orientation.  In July of 2009, three hikers from the United States were in the mountains of Iraq, became disoriented, and apparently wandered into Iran.  Now they are now being held as prisoners.  Becoming disoriented does not always have such serious consequences, but orientation is a must if you go into the wilderness to hike.

The term “Orient” is derived from the Latin word oriens meaning “east.” It literally means “rising”, as in the direction of the rising sun.  Over time it came to be used to describe “far eastern” countries: Japan, China, and Korea.  Another definition is to define the position of something or someone, in relation to the east or other points of the compass.  So, “orient” primarily has to do with one’s location or relational position. 

So, what does it mean to be disoriented?  When someone is disoriented they are confused.  They don’t know where they are.  They have lost their bearings.  When someone is disoriented they will take paths they never really intended to take.  Those paths will lead to places they never intended to go.  I’m afraid that many men today are disoriented, especially from a spiritual perspective.  They are lost – drifting and wandering without any orientation.

Medical records, when evaluating someone’s mental state, will refer to a person as Oriented x 3 – (1) Who are you? (Person) (2) Where are you? (Place) (3) What time is it? (Time)  Sometimes they will add a 4^th item – Do you know what you are doing here? (Purpose)  If your spiritual state were to be evaluated, would you be oriented x 4?  Let’s examine each of these individually.

Person – “Who are you?”  This is the question asked of John the Baptist by the priests and Levites who had been sent from Jerusalem by the Jews (John 1:19-28).  I find it fascinating that in response to their question John the Baptist started out with who he was not.  “He confessed, and did not deny but confessed, ‘I am not the Christ.’  And they asked him, ‘What then, are you Elijah?’  He said, ‘I am not.’  Are you the Prophet?’ And he answered, No’” (John 1:20-21).  I think a big part of knowing who we are is first knowing who we are not. 

It is crucial that we recognize we are not God.   This may come as a shock to some of you, but you are not omniscient, omnipotent, or omnipresent.  John knew his limitations.  He said, “’I am not the Christ.’”  We are not the Christ (the anointed One), although as Christians, we are anointed to be the unique, one and only we were born to be.  Be yourself – not someone else.  You’ll never really be very good at being someone else anyway.

Knowing who you are not is important.  It is a good start at knowing who you are.  John the Baptist could have responded that he was the miracle child, born to Elizabeth and Zacharias, in their old age (Luke 1:5-25).  Zacharias was a priest himself.  The other priests and Levites might have been impressed with the miracle birth and his pedigree as a double-dosed decendent of the priestly line (Luke 1:5).  But it was not his father’s position of priest that defined the person of John the Baptist.  Rather, it was his father’s prophesy over him (Luke 1:67-79).  Let’s see what he had to say. “’And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins… (Luke 1:76-77).  And following this prophesy we are told, “And the child grew and became strong in the spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel” (Luke 1:80). 

Now, fast forward to the time he was quizzed about his identity by the priests and Levites.  After confirming that he was not Christ, Elijah, or “the prophet”, he said, “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the LORD, as the prophet Isaiah said (John 1:23).” How important was this prophesy?  It is mentioned in every single Gospel account to describe this person we know as John the Baptist. 

“Who are you” is an important question.  It is asked several other times in the New Testament (John 8:25; John 21:12; Acts 9:5 19:15; Romans 9:20).  So, do you know who you are?  Knowing who you are is the first phase of orientation.

(To be continued)

It has been nearly a decade since Bruce Wilkinson changed the way I thought about prayer.  Now, in his new book, You Were Born for This: 7 Keys to a Life of Predictable Miracles, he has changed the way I think about miracles. Most people have a very narrow view of what constitutes a miracle.  The dictionary defines a miracle as “an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs.”  We see that in the healing of the sick, the lame, and the blind.  But, do we miss the everyday miracles happening all around us?  

 When God uses an ordinary human being to deliver a blessing to another human being, is that not a miracle?  I’m not talking about just the doing of good deeds.  What I am speaking of are acts which seem to come “out of the blue” in answer to prayer.  As I read account after account of how God intervened in the lives of others through willing “delivery agents,” and how God got the glory for the provision, words of encouragement, or words of wisdom, I began to recognize more miracles are occurring today that I had previously thought.    

 Anyone can do a good deed, but some good works can only happen by a direct intervention from God. Around the world these acts are called miracles—not that even religious people expect to see one any time soon. But what would happen if millions of ordinary people walked out each morning expecting God to deliver a miracle through them to a person in need? You Were Born for This starts with the dramatic premise that everyone at all times is in need of a miracle, and that God is ready to meet those needs supernaturally through ordinary people who are willing to learn the “protocol of heaven.”

 In the straightforward, story-driven, highly motivating style for which he is known, Wilkinson describes how anyone can be a “Delivery Guy” from heaven in such universally significant arenas of life as finances, practical help, relationships, purpose, and spiritual growth.

 You Were Born for This will change how readers see their world, and what they expect God can do through them to meet real needs. They will master seven simple tools of service, and come to say with confidence, “I want to deliver a supernatural gift from God to someone in need today—and I expect to!”

Follow this link to hear what Bruce Wilkinson has to say about his newest book.  http://bit.ly/wGT7l

One of the world’s foremost Christian teachers, Bruce Wilkinson is best known as the author of the New York Times #1 bestseller The Prayer of Jabez. He is also the author of numerous other bestsellers, including A Life God Rewards, Secrets of the Vine, and The Dream Giver. Over the past three decades, Wilkinson has founded several global initiatives, including organizations that recruited and trained thousands of Americans to address hunger, AIDS, and poverty in Africa. Bruce and his wife, Darlene, have three children and six grandchildren. They live outside Atlanta.

David Kopp has collaborated with Bruce Wilkinson on over a dozen bestselling books, including The Prayer of Jabez. He is an editor and writer living in Colorado.

Mark Twain once said, “The cat, having sat upon a hot stove lid, will not sit upon a hot stove lid again.  But he won’t sit upon a cold stove lid either.” I’m afraid this is how most Christians view their hearts.  At some point they have tried living life from their hearts and “been burned.”  So they have accepted a heartless Gospel.  Now, they don’t trust their heart…at all, even after receiving a new heart from God. Yes, God will give us a new heart.  “’I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take your heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  I will put My spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them’” (Ezekiel 36:26-27). While it is not necessary, nor is it desirable, for cats to sit on stoves, but it is absolutely essential for us to live life from our hearts – our new, transformed hearts.

David, wrote, “Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).  Whoa, wait just a minute here!  Would a good and loving God give us the desires of a desperately wicked heart?  No, I don’t think so.  But when our delight is in God, He knows that our heart’s desire becomes His heart’s desire.  Paul said, “My heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved” (Romans 10:1).  This is a man who’s desire, before the receipt of his new heart, was to kill or imprison all the Christians. 

I’m not suggesting that our new hearts will never lead us to sin, but we will not enjoy it – at least, not for long.  It’s kind of like my computer’s spell check.  Our new heart has the Holy Spirit in it acting as a sin check.  I don’t swear off typing simply because I misspell words from time to time.  I correct my mistakes and continue on, learning in the process. Writers must write, and Christians must do “the will of God from the heart” (Ephesians 6:6).

Passionate people, those who dare to live life from their hearts, will make mistakes.  However, they also seem to be the people who have the greatest influence and accomplish the greatest feats in life.  They have the most courage and love the deepest.  Consider King David again.  As a young man, it was not logical for his to take on the giant, but he did.  Did that courage come from his head or his heart?  He was the ultimate warrior poet, who never lost a battle and penning the vast majority of the psalms.  The courage of a warrior and the passion of a poet are characteristics of a man with a lot of heart. But he also committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband murdered.  Those last two are the things which make us want to shy away from being a passionate person living life from our hearts.  However, consider how God viewed David, as a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22).  Even the most pious priests were never described by God in this manner.

Of course, Jesus weighed in on this heart issue.  During His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “’Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God’” (Matthew 5:8).  Later, in another passage, Jesus explains the parable of the sower, saying, “’But the [seeds] that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience’” (Luke 8:15).  It is possible to have a pure heart, and a noble and good heart.  Jesus said so.  Let’s see…what are our options here: desperately wicked heart, pure heart, noble and good heart?  Jesus wasn’t just teasing us here.  It is possible to have a pure heart, a noble and good heart here on earth, not just in the sweet by and by.  Not only is it possible; it is essential.

Of course you remember Jesus’ response to the greatest commandment query from a lawyer, don’t you?  “’You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and all your mind’” (Matthew 22:37).  John Eldredge once suggested that if you “amplify” this passage with the idea of the “’desperately wicked heart’” the resulting admonition reads, “’You shall love the LORD your God with all your [desperately wicked] heart, with all your soul, and all your mind.’” I just don’t believe that’s idea Jesus was trying to convey.

I’ve got a few observations about this (non-amplified) passage.  First, notice the order: heart, soul, and then mind. Could that be important?  And we are told to love God with “’all our heart.’”  Half-hearted love will not do. Then, consider the Greek word for “heart” used here is kardia.  Our English word “cardiac” is derived from kardia.  It is described as the center and seat of our spiritual lives – the fountain and seat of our thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, and endeavors.  We all know how important it is to think rightly.  But we need to consider how important it is for our spiritual lives to have passion, desire, appetite, affection, purpose, and willingness to engage in endeavors.  These all flow from the heart. Gospel means “good news.”  Can it be good news if our hearts are still desperately wicked?  If you deny your heart, or borrow Thomas Jefferson’s scissors to cut the heart out of the Gospels, is it possible to love at all? Or, is it is even possible to really live?

There is a powerful scene from the movie The Last of the Mohicans where the archetypical villain, an Indian named Magua, leads an ambush against his sworn enemy, the British.  Near the end of the scene he carries out his previously announced plan to cut the heart out of the British commander, Col. Edmund Munro.  He does this as the Colonel is still alive – lying wounded and trapped under his fallen horse.  But before he kills the Colonel, Magua tells him the rest of his plan to kill his two daughters, thereby ending his line of descendants.  It is a hard scene to watch, even though your view of the gory heart removal is blocked by the horse.  We all know what is happening as we see the Colonel’s leg twitch, and then stop.  Finally, Magua triumphantly raises the removed heart into the air with a war whoop.   We all know the Colonel is dead, because heartless men cannot live long.  

Our last view of Col. Munro shows him lying on the battlefield heartless, lifeless, and accordingly, powerless to do anything about his enemy’s plan to bring his line to an end.  And that, my friends, is what concerns me about the heartless Gospel being proclaimed from many pulpits today.  Heartless – lifeless – powerless, it is a predictable and very scary progression.

I don’t think it is widely known that Thomas Jefferson, the 3^rd President of the United States, once took his scissors to his King James Bible and cut all the miracles out of the New Testament Gospels.  He then did a cut and paste job on the remaining text and compiled a book he called The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth.  His friends called this 46 page document The Jefferson Bible. Having grown up in an era where to even write or highlight something in my Bible was unthinkable (now my Bibles have many highlights and notes), it is hard for me to imagine such an act being done in the early 1800’s without there being dire consequences.   How do you just cut parts out of the Bible?  I guess most people just mentally remove those portions of the Bible they have a hard time believing. 

Have you ever heard it said of someone, “Their heart’s just not in it?” This phrase is used to describe someone who is just going through the motions and who is lacking in passion for their undertaking.  Now, I want you to consider what you believe about Christianity and your heart.  What is the most common quote you hear about the heart from the Bible? I heard it again just the other day, “’The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?’” (Jeremiah 17:9).  This seems to be the proof text for the proposition that you cannot trust your heart, and as a result many good Christian people choose to live passionless lives, thinking this is what God wants from them. 

Consequently, it seems to me, many Christians have cut the heart out of the Gospels and have foolishly expected it to continue to live. I’m not exactly sure how long a person can continue to live after their heart stops beating, but I do know that after about 4-5 minutes they will experience brain damage.  So, what happens when you try to remove the heart from our spiritual lives?  

Let’s try a little experiment.  Guys, go to your wife and say, “Wicked heart, I love you!”  No, let’s scratch that one… Instead say, “Sweetheart, I love you with my all my mind.” Don’t think that one will work well either?  Well, let’s try, “Sweetheart, I love you with all my desperately wicked heart!”  If you don’t think that would work very well with you wife, try it with God.

Love comes from the heart.  The heart symbol is shorthand for the word “Love.”  Courage comes from the heart.  In fact, the very word “courage” comes from the Latin word cor, which means “heart.”  This is where we get our English word “coronary.”  To be discouraged is to be disheartened.   To encourage someone is to give heart to them.  And I submit that without heart you cannot experience joy.  Joy is just not something which springs from your head.  It flows from the heart.  And those people whose favorite scripture verse seems to be Jeremiah 17:9 are not people who I would describe as joyful.  Just try to live the Christian life from your head, without your heart being involved.  What you get is someone more concerned with keeping the rules than in living in right relationship with God.  Without the heart’s involvement love is lacking, along with courage and joy.  What you get, I submit, looks a lot like a Pharisee, being led by his head only.  I can’t recall a single scripture passage that described a Pharisee as loving, courageous, or joyful, can you?

The heart is essential to living in a right relationship with God.  So, let’s get right to the heart of this matter.  We are told, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).  “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23). And immediately following the oft quoted “desperately wicked heart’” passage comes the rest of God’s comments about the heart, which should give us context .  “’I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings’” (Jeremiah 17:10).  But aren’t all hearts “’desperately wicked?’”  Why would God need to search them individually if they were all the same? 

Is there hope for our hearts? Are there good hearts along with the bad hearts?  Consider what God has to say in his good fig and bad fig object lesson to the same prophet who was earlier warned of the desperately wicked heart.  “’Then, I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart’” (Jeremiah 24:7). Maybe, just maybe, our hearts can be good.

God spoke to Jeremiah frequently about the heart.  Later, He says, “’And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart’” (Jeremiah 29:13).   “’They will be my people, and I will be their God; then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them; and I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me’” (Jeremiah 32:38-40).

God elaborated further on this heart He was going to give His people with Ezekiel.  “’Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God’” (Ezekiel 11:19-20).  He continues this new heart and new spirit theme: “’Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit’” (Ezekiel 18:31). 

Ahhh, maybe that’s the key – “’a new heart and a new spirit.’” Maybe we need to rethink cutting the heart out of the Gospels. What do you think?

I want to encourage you (remember what that means) to put your heart into your Christian walk.  See if it doesn’t bring greater love, courage, and joy!

(To be continued)

A mountain is…

An obstacle to be avoided for the drifter;

Confusing for the wanderer;

Just too high for the settler;

An excuse for the coaster;

But it is a worthy challenge for the climber. 

To the climber the mountain is…

An adventure to be appreciated;  

An obstacle to overcome;

A fear to be conquered;

A passion to be pursued;

A pathway to his potential;

A plan of action put into action;

A focal point for all his effort, enthusiasm, and energy;

A simple process of sequential steps leading upward to a set goal;

A place to perspire, prevail over pain, persevere, and become a better person;

A gathering place for other climbers, who will encourage him, and who he can encourage as well;

A joyful journey, with inspiring scenery and unforgettable life experiences along the way; and

God’s invitation to see the world from a higher level.

So, how do you view the mountains in your life?

God made us each to be unique,

But t’ be like others most do seek.

When we shun originality,

We abort our true identity.

 

If you’re bored in all you do,

Perhaps you’re just not being you.

A great adventure God did make,

When first breath you did take.

 

You’re the only you there’s ever been,

So please be comfortable in your own skin.

If about destiny you’re conflicted,

Remember, “identity death” is self-inflicted.

 

Most would not think it suicide,

Tho behind a mask they choose to hide.

And when the real me others cannot see,

It murders who I was meant to be.

 

If your living life “un-real”

How does God about this feel?

Another into our role does He place,

When we do not show true face?

 

Life-long masquerade may seem a thrill,

But, the Bible says we’re not to kill,

So, when we morph to just fit in,

Does God consider this great sin?

 

Please, oh please, don’t copy others,

We’re all different – even brothers.

Discover strengths ‘n play to them,

This is what most pleases Him.

 

Don’t end life with this regret,

My best self the world never met.

The Potter’s wheel does always spin,

So they won’t miss who you might have been.

The crime of identity theft is a hot topic these days.  But have you considered the serious nature of identity death?   This mortal wound is always self-inflicted.  God will help you become who you were born to be, but you will always struggle in your effort to be someone else.