Charisa Stories

Author: Dave Burchett

  • How Maggie Taught an Old Dog the Importance of Sit and Stay

    (Another story of Maggie’s doggie discipleship from Stay: Lessons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace)

    Maggie is a Labrador puppy mixed with some other mystery DNA. She is a bouncing, wiggling, sixty-pound bundle of unrestrained energy. Whenever she sees a new person, she cannot stop herself from jumping. Oddly enough, some people do not enjoy sixty-pound creatures hurdling pell-mell into their personal space. Weird. So we either need to fix this bad behavior or become hermits.

    Today we enrolled Maggie in puppy training classes. One of the first things the instructor, Tony, said was both apparent and profound. 

    “First of all, you have to teach her to sit and stay. When she is sitting, she can’t jump and misbehave.”

    Thank you, Captain Obvious. Wait a minute. Is this another lesson for me in my discipleship-by-dog journey? Maggie needed to learn to sit to avoid committing doggie offenses. I need to sit too, in a spiritual sense. The truth is, when I abide(the biblical version of “sitting”) in Christ, I am empowered to resist sin.

    But how can I abide? What does that even mean?

    The first time I heard the word abide used was in a lesson taken from the Gospel of John in the King James Version, the Bible I read growing up. 

    Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

    John 15:4-5, kjv

    I knoweth not about thee, but verily I was confused. When I looked up the definition of abide later, it helped clarify what it meant. Abide: 1) to accept something or someone unpleasant; 2) living somewhere; 3) to remain or continue. That was it—to remain or continue—or in Maggie’s terms, “to stay.” Other Bible translations have captured that nuance of abiding or “staying” in Jesus. 

    Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 

    John 15:4-5

    Jesus’ message to His followers is to simply remain constantly aware of who we are and where our strength and dependence must be found. It’s tempting and easy to make it all about us instead of Jesus; Satan will always seek to engage us in bad and/or good things if either one takes our eyes off Jesus. If I am wholly absorbed in spiritual things apart from Christ, things I do more to impress others and hope those wonderful deeds will ensure my salvation, I am engaging in good, but not life-changing endeavors. 

    We are branches that need to be connected to the Vine. We are not to be independent vines but dependent branches of the life-giving Vine.

    I think that we misunderstand the phrase “apart from me you can do nothing.” Of course I can do something and often even significant things apart from Jesus. I can have success, make money, and maybe achieve fame. But there is one significant thing that we absolutely cannot do apart from Christ: produce fruit that pleases God. The branch cannot produce fruit when it is disconnected from the vine. 

    Jesus is the true Vine, and if I am joined to Him I will produce fruit. He doesn’t say I might produce fruit. He doesn’t say I could produce fruit if the circumstances are right. Or that I will occasionally bear fruit. Jesus says that if I remain in Him I will produce much fruit. If I don’t remain in Him, I become barren and worthless to Him and His Kingdom.

    How do we produce the fruit that Jesus is describing? By not allowing our relationship with Christ to be broken, for us—the branches—not to be severed from the Vine. Our connection to Jesus is not a one-time or yearly or monthly or weekly or daily synchronization. It is not like the intermittent syncs I perform with phone to update information. It is a continuous awareness of our connection to Christ. That connection allows the fruit of the Spirit to grow abundantly in us and become a part of who we are. The apostle Paul describes exactly what kind of fruit that is.

    The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 

    Galatians 5:22-23 

    By remaining in an unbroken connection with Christ, we begin to take on His character and produce that kind of fruit. But it can only happen if we “stay” constantly in that relationship.

    It didn’t take long for Maggie’s dog trainer to pinpoint another clue to her behavior. “Maggie is not being belligerent. She has learned to fend for herself. Maggie views you as a caretaker and not a leader. She needs to see you as the leader that she can follow.” 

    It made perfect sense. Maggie accepted our gifts of food and a comfortable bed but, in her mind, she was still in charge. Joni and I wrongly assumed that Maggie was being manipulative when all she was really communicating was, “Somebody needs to be in charge, and since you’re not stepping up as a leader, I guess it’s my job.” Over the weeks, when we consistently took on the role of leader and loved her, she willingly submitted.

    That lesson has hit a little too close to home for me. I have accepted with varying degrees of gratitude God’s gifts of forgiveness, grace, and salvation. But too often I’m guilty of wanting to fend for myself and be the leader. “Thank You, Lord, for everything, but I prefer to be in charge.” 

    The gospel says I need to get over me and get with Him. I need to constantly remind myself of the radical and reckless joyride that the gospel of grace makes possible. Author Dane Ortlund says it well. 

    It’s time to enjoy grace anew—not the decaffeinated grace that pats us on the hand, ignores our deepest rebellions and doesn’t change us, but the high-octane grace that takes our conscience by the scruff of the neck and breathes new life into us with a pardon so scandalous that we cannot help but be changed. It’s time to blow aside the hazy cloud of condemnation that hangs over us throughout the day with the strong wind of gospel grace. You “are not under law but under grace” (Rom. 6:14). Jesus is real; grace is defiant; life is short; risk is good. For many of us the time has come to abandon once and for all our play-it-safe, toe-dabbling Christianity and dive in. It’s time, as [Robert Farrar] Capon put it, to get drunk on grace—200-proof, defiant grace.

    In chapter 8, I talked about the importance of shaking off the sin that slows us down and trips us up. Even though it sounds like a daunting and even impossible task, the author of Hebrews sums up how to do that in one powerful sentence: “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith” (12:2).

    That is it. There is no other way to consistently live that life apart from keeping our eyes on Jesus. It was a principle that the apostle Peter illustrated clearly for us in this familiar story. 

    The boat was far out to sea when the wind came up against them and they were battered by the waves. At about four o’clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them walking on the water. They were scared out of their wits. “A ghost!” they said, crying out in terror.

    But Jesus was quick to comfort them. “Courage, it’s me. Don’t be afraid.” 

    I love how the impetuous faith of Peter (and me) is captured in the next verses.

    Peter, suddenly bold, said, “Master, if it’s really you, call me to come to you on the water.”

    He said, “Come ahead.”

    Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus. 

    It was going great for the “suddenly bold” Peter when he kept his eyes on Jesus and walked in faith. And then . . .

    But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, “Master, save me!”

    Jesus didn’t hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand. Then he said, “Faint-heart, what got into you?” 

    Matthew 14:24-31, The Message

    The same is true for me. When I keep my eyes on Jesus, I have the strength to be bold and the ability to produce fruit that is pleasing to God. When Maggie cannot settle down, I tell her to sit so she can focus on calming down and doing the right thing. When she stays and regroups, things go well for her. When my thought life and actions cannot settle down, I need the Holy Spirit to firmly but lovingly tell me to sit . . . stay . . . abide.

    Only then do I realize that I have turned my eyes away from Jesus. When I stay, I can focus on His peace, love, forgiveness, and grace, and have the ability to resist sin.

    If I am anxious, fearful, have doubts, or am sad, I need to sit, stay, and abide, looking at the One who initiates and perfects my faith. 

    The apostle Paul spent a little over two years teaching and discipling the new believers in Ephesus before he continued on his missionary journey. It didn’t take long for the once-zealous converts to revert to their old habits of immorality, lying, stealing, and gossiping. In other words, things were a mess in the Ephesian church. Paul, who had witnessed the believers’ initial spiritual fervor, got wind of what had happened and wrote a letter to the church’s leaders to address this sad turn of events. 

    His letter is nothing like the one I would have zipped off to Ephesus if I had been in Paul’s sandals. My letter would have started, “What is wrong with you people? Don’t you know how embarrassing this is, especially since I sacrificed so much for you?” But Paul doesn’t do that; in fact, he never mentioned how badly they had botched things until halfway through the letter. Rather, he begins by reminding these errant followers who they are, praying these heartfelt words for them. 

    Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.  I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

    I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 

    Ephesians 1:15-20

    You get through storms and trials by remembering who you are. Paul wonderfully reminded the Ephesians that they had been adopted, redeemed, and sealed. And then he prayed for them again. 

    When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

    Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

    Ephesians 3:14-21

    I would imagine the church leaders opened Paul’s letter with fear, trembling, and shame. They expected to be excoriated but they were lavished with grace instead. They had failed, but Paul reminded them of the Person who had not failed. Only after first affirming His love did Paul begin to address their sin. 

    What a difference between that approach and what too many of us experience. We tend to address the sin first. Stop that! Quit! Do better! And by the way, Jesus loves you. Or worse, He will love you when you do better. Paul took the grace exit instead. Remember who you are! You are saints! Beloved! Adopted! Redeemed! Those same truths are ours to claim as we 

    Sit. 

    Stay.

    Abide.

    Eyes on Jesus.

    When we quit fighting to get better and do those four simple things, something amazing happens. We get better. 

    Following Jesus is far from effortless; it requires work. But I would suggest that our real assignment is to focus on Him and recognize how much that impacts our lives. To get our eyes off ourselves truly is hard work, a sacrifice. 

    My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 

    Galatians 2:20, emphasis added

    When I forget those truths and I am tempted to sin, I will simply remember what I tell Maggie when she is out of line. When she is jumping up and playfully lunging at us, I have to speak truth into her life. She is a big girl who needs to learn what her boundaries are. She needs to settle down or a playful moment will turn into a time-out. So I calmly but firmly speak to her.

    Sit.

    Stay.

    Maggie is learning that she is rewarded when she sits and stays. She will get to play, have treats, or receive the affection that she was hoping to receive. 

    She is teaching this old dog that I need continual refresher courses too.

  • Lessons from Maggie: The Joy of Submitting to a Gentle Leader

    (To honor my sweet girl Maggie’s memory I am posting a chapter from Stay: Lessons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace. I hope you enjoy my canine mentorship!)

    Chapter 19 – Gently Leading


    Today Maggie took me out for a drag. I would prefer that her idea of a walk would more closely resemble mine, so we have some work to do. I either need to find a way to train her not to pull me around the neighborhood or rescue ten more Labs just like her and enter the Iditarod dog sled race. I don’t particularly care for freezing to death, so I think I will work on training Maggie to walk instead of pull.

    Maggie has definitely made progress learning her commands, but I knew that she needed some extra help on the walking front. A tip from our trainer led us to a device called the Gentle Leader. He demonstrated how it works and we were sold. It’s a harness that fits over the dog’s head and snout but it isn’t as restrictive as a muzzle can be; Maggie is free to sniff, drink, and explore without restriction. After getting fitted at the store, we went home and gave our new device a try. It was, in a word, amazing.

    Maggie made a couple of attempts to take control, but with a small tug I let her know that I was the leader and she complied without a struggle. I had learned that many dogs instinctively pull on a traditional leash or shoulder harness. Maggie had great instincts on that front. With the new harness I can easily and gently redirect her. It was like someone snuck in the house and swapped a new dog for Maggie.

    I reflected on the remarkable difference later that day. Before I found this solution, Maggie fought for control, a force I struggled to contain. With the Gentle Leader she quickly submitted to me being the leader of our little pack. She was more relaxed, happier, and a lot more fun to be with on our daily journey.

    Of course, there was a lesson in this for me, too. God’s sense of timing of these little lessons can be amusing or irritating to me. This time it was irritating. I had been in a period of fighting for control in my own journey with Jesus. Sure, I wanted to walk with Him. Yet in my heart I reserved the right to pull, divert, and take control when I felt insecure that God was really in control and questioning if He understood what I was going through. That admission looks worse in print than it sounded in my mind.

    Jesus talks about how we limit our ability to have peace when we don’t allow Him to provide us with strength. He didn’t mention a harness, but a yoke, and that His yoke is “easy.”

    Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

    Matthew 11:28-30

    We don’t have to ride the roller coaster of life more than a couple of times to know that this journey is not “easy.” I thought about losses I have suffered in my life and some of the struggles that I am dealing with today. I was puzzled. What did Jesus mean by that statement, “My yoke is easy”? Clearly, the burdens of life are heavy. There is nothing easy about heartache, pain, and loss.

    I reread Jesus’ inviting words: “Come to me.” No one needs to go through life’s difficulties alone, but the truth is that Jesus will not force Himself on you. You have permission to come to Jesus whenever you are ready.

    In Jesus’ day, oxen were harnessed together with a wooden yoke, a beam that fit over the animals’ shoulders to keep them moving together in one direction. The oxen shared the effort to accomplish the task. That idea fit quite well into my performance-driven faith. Of course Jesus is with me, but I decided that I had to pull my weight. The only problem with my view was that it was unbiblical and even dangerous.

    In this passage Jesus is not speaking of physical burdens. The truth is that Jesus was talking about the yoke of the Torah, the yoke of the law of Moses, which his Jewish listeners would have known well. The Old Testament yoke represented submission to authority. The Jews knew that the law was impossible to keep, but they kept trying. Jesus was offering them His yoke of grace. Compared to the impossible standards of the Pharisees and the law, His way was easy. Agreed.

    Jesus makes another important offer. “Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart.”

    For years, I strained to pull my weight by dogged (pardon the pun) effort, while Jesus quietly offered a better way. I don’t have to figure this out to be loved by Jesus. I just need to be available.

    “Let me teach you.”

    I wore myself out trying to do more to please Him, even as He whispered, “I am humble and gentle at heart. Your trust and faith pleases Me, not your joyless self-efforts to be better.”

    Members of that agrarian culture of Jesus’ time would have known that you train a young ox by pairing it with an experienced ox. The mature ox would carry the bulk of the burden as the younger one walked by its side and learned. Author Jim Botts relayed the strategy of a wise farmer.

    Well you see, it’s like this. That older ox is the best ox that I have ever had; he knows his way around the field. The reason I put the younger one with him is so the older, more knowledgeable ox could teach him how to plow. If I never put them together the younger one would never learn. By himself the younger ox would pull himself to death, but together he learns to cooperate with and rest in the strength of the older ox.

    That is a beautiful image. Jesus walking alongside me, but carrying the bulk of the burden (if not all of it) as I learn from Him. I don’t need to strain myself in an attempt to shoulder everything on my own; Jesus wants me to be willing to gently submit to His strength and not rely solely on mine. He is extending an offer to those who are exhausted, emotionally drained, and buckling under what life brings. Pain and loss are a given in this life, but it is comforting to know that I can find rest for my weary soul, even as I grieve and doubt and waver. When I am exhausted, I can take time and seek respite in Him.

    Too many faith communities have gotten this wrong. Pastor Tullian Tchividjian summarizes the struggle powerfully. “Jesus didn’t say, ‘Come to me all who are weary and I will give you a to-do list to keep me loving you.’ He said ‘I will give you rest.’”Jesus never intended for us to carry around long to-do lists. As we struggle mightily to try to earn what we already have, He must look upon us sorrowfully, knowing how much He can help.

    “My yoke is easy.” Yokes were custom fitted to each individual ox. If the fit was incorrect, the yoke would rub and hurt the ox making the animal reluctant to keep going. If the yoke was perfectly fitted, it was easy for the ox to endure. A master carpenter would find the right ratio of strength and weight, whittling the yoke down to do its job, which meant the ox was able to work longer without tiring. The same is true for all of you, Jesus says. I will “fit” each one of you perfectly with the yoke that you can bear and no more.

    When I finally stopped trying to do all the work in order to feel accepted by Christ, no longer restrained by the harness of legalism and relaxed in the “gentle leading” of grace, I was free to be fully alive in Christ.

    Jesus wants you to don His yoke. Trust Him. Have faith. He has done the heavy lifting already. Rest in Him.  Learn how to be humble and gentle in spirit. Quit trying so dadgum (that may not be in the Greek) hard and serve out of grateful love. Jesus tells us when we believe those truths, our burdens are light. The walk with Him is easy and natural.

    I think of that as I watch Maggie romp excitedly around the house after seeing me get my walking shoes and headset. She is eager and joyful on our morning walks now that she knows I am going to lead.

    She can relax and take in everything around her because she realizes that she doesn’t need to be in control. Point taken. Thanks girl.

  • I Believe My Eternal Walk Off Celebration Will Be Awesome!

    Author Jon Gordon recently posted a quote from Josh Noem that is going viral.

    “I collect images of walk-off home run hitters rounding third because they are an image of heaven.”

    This image was posted with the quote.

    That post brought to mind a story I shared in Stay: Lessons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace. I recounted a walk-off home run and how that might resemble my eternal heading home. Here is the excerpt from my book.


    It was a sports director’s dream moment. The Rangers had a few “walk-off” wins last season, scoring the winning run in the last at bat at home. When a game is over, both teams walk off the field but with very different body languages.

    In this particular game against the Los Angeles Angels, we were all tied up in the bottom of the ninth with two outs on the board. Rangers’ catcher Geovany Soto was at the plate. I was with my crew in a portable television studio built into a truck trailer. The TV truck features dozens of monitors filled with camera shots, graphics, and replay sources. I orchestrate the broadcast from my seat in front of a huge bank of camera monitors, communicating by headset to camera operators what to do next. I select a shot from the monitors in front of me, and the technical director pushes a button that puts it “on the air,” instantaneously sending it into your home. When the action is fast and furious, it all seems chaotic, but each person has his or her assignment and it all comes together in a frenzied symphony of teamwork.

    I scan the monitors, focusing on Soto’s intense concentration. The Angels’ closer is trying to send a tie game into extra innings. The Ranger players are hanging on the dugout rail, hoping that Soto will come through. The count goes full. Two outs. And then it happens. The ball is driven deep to left field. The Ranger players start to jump up and down as the ball heads toward the stands, then leaves the park. Pandemonium ensues inside the park, and my production crew explodes in excitement too. But we have a job to do to bring the images home to our fans.

    Ranger players Elvis Andrus and Adrian Beltre and others leap the rail and sprint toward home plate to greet the hero of the moment. Soto rounds third, flips his helmet in the air with joy, and sprints toward a throng of teammates encircling home plate. They are smiling and waiting anxiously for Soto to get “home” so they can celebrate. As he nears home plate, Soto makes a gigantic leap and disappears into the dogpile of teammates. What a picture. That is the drama of sports. Even the apostle Paul used sports as an analogy for spiritual things.

    “ I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings. Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.”
    1 Corinthians 9:23-25

    I reflected on that passage and the thrilling finish of that Rangers-Angels game. As electrifying as it was, that victory is nothing compared to holding the eternal prize that will not fade away when I finish this earthly race. I began to imagine my heavenly homecoming and how it might resemble that “walk-off” moment. I saw myself rounding third and heading toward all of the loved ones who had gone ahead, the joy of their faces compelling me to run faster. I jumped into a dogpile of dear friends and family who had shared my journey. When I finally emerged from the ecstatic group, I saw Jesus. He hugged me warmly. I was safe at home.

  • Can Thanksgiving Day Still Be A Special Holiday?

    May I suggest a simple path to enjoy this Holiday season? Turn off the news and concentrate on what you have to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. I think you might be surprised at how many good things you take for granted everyday. I love the concept of Thanksgiving. The idea that we collectively take a day to concentrate on the abundant blessings we have in this country. I pray we can expand the concept past Thursday.

    Thanksgiving Song by Mary Chapin Carpenter captures the intimacy of this wonderful holiday.

    Grateful for each hand we hold
    Gathered round this table.
    From far and near we travel home,
    Blessed that we are able.

    I have so much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving. I am grateful for another year with my wonderful wife Joni. I am grateful for three wonderful sons, three amazing daughter-in-laws, and seven heart stealing grandchildren. I am blessed that our family is able to be together this Thanksgiving. I am grateful for good friends. I am grateful for a wonderful church community. I am grateful to be an American.

    Grateful for this sheltered place
    With light in every window,
    Saying “welcome, welcome, share this feast
    Come in away from sorrow.”

    Every year brings sorrow. Friends and family have suffered illness this year. Some have gone through deep trials. Some have passed away. Sorrow is a part of this journey. But there is something healing about counting blessings and feeling gratitude. Taking that time provides a sheltered place from sorrow. For me the light in the window of my soul is my trust in a God that is faithful, loving and trustworthy in both blessings and in sorrow.

    Grateful for what’s understood,
    And all that is forgiven;

    Jesus is the light that said welcome when I felt anything but welcome. He invited me to the feast that I did not deserve to attend because of His grace. Jesus said I was forgiven. How can I be anything but grateful if I understand the magnitude of that undeserved love?

    We try so hard to be good,
    To lead a life worth living.

    I might add a little personal clarification to Carpenter’s lyric. I understand the desire to live a life of significance. I get trying to be good. I believe we have a reason for being here. But my experience with the grace of the Lord Jesus has taught me that it is not trying so hard to lead a life worth living that brings peace and joy. It is following Jesus each day. It is allowing God to love me and asking Him to help me give away that love to others. It is trusting God to provide opportunities to serve. It is believing that God is faithful even through sorrow. It is trusting that what God says about me is true. I am so grateful for grace. So very grateful.

    Paul’s words to the Colossian Church make a fitting devotional thought for this holiday.

    “Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

    Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” (Colossians 3:12-17, NLT)

    Focus on Jesus and your amazing gift of grace. I hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving.

  • Is Hypocrite The Most Damaging Word For the Church?

    Hypocrite. There is no more damaging name to lay on a church goer than the dreaded title of hypocrite. Sometimes it is used unfairly. Often it is a smokescreen used by folks who want an excuse not to examine faith in their own lives. You have heard the line I’m sure.

    “I used to go to church but it is full of hypocrites.” 

    The temptation is always to remind them there is room for one more hypocrite in the building. The more mature response as followers of Christ is to examine that charge seriously in our own lives. The word hypocrite comes from a Greek word that means actor. How appropriate. People are watching. And we too often give Oscar caliber performances on Sunday morning. They see that on Sunday you’re a saint and on Monday you ain’t. And that does damage. It is time to look in the spiritual mirror and drop the masquerades. If we are following Jesus it will make a difference in our lives. I am not talking perfection or even close to it. But there should be ongoing changes and growth in your journey with Christ. Look up synonyms for hypocrite and you will find words like fraud, phony, deceiver, fake, impostor, pretender, and sham. Not pretty words. But if you think those are rough how about the words of Jesus on this topic?

    I found sixteen times that Jesus used the word hypocrite in the New International Version of the Bible. Jesus did not pull any punches in his disgust for the “religious” types who were Sabbath saints only. We tend to read the words of Jesus that are directed at the Pharisees almost like we watch the boss chew out a co-worker. “Whew,” we exclaim, “I’m sure glad that is them and not me.” But the warnings of Jesus to the phony Pharisees are also directed at me…and you. 

    “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 
     “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” 
     “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”  

    I am learning that God is not impressed by my showy words or works. He is glorified when I take care of the hurting and helpless without calling attention to myself. He blesses me when I give without expecting return. God does not want my eloquence in prayer, He wants my heart in prayer. He honors me when I serve without expectation. 

    But there is more. This passage knocks me to my knees.

    “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.  “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” 

    That is what scares me so much. I can clean up the outside real purty. But God knows what lies beneath. It is scary and painful and ugly to allow the Holy Spirit to start cleaning out the dirt, the dead bones, and everything unclean. But we will never experience God the way He desires to relate to us unless we are willing to do just that. Frankly I don’t see the point of being a Sunday Christian. If this is real we need to pursue it seven days a week. The hardest truth I have had to admit as a husband, father, follower of Jesus is that I make time for those things that are a priority to me. There can be short time diversions for work or circumstance. But over the weeks and months where I invest my time reveals my heart. That is a hard truth. 

    Elbert Hubbard once said that “many a man’s reputation would not know his character if they met on the street”. It is so easy to present a cleaned up, whitewashed persona to others. 

    Recently I ran a scan on my computer to detect any damaging effects of spyware and viruses. I would suggest that all of us get in the habit of running a “Scripture Scan” to see if the hypocrite virus has infected our heart drive. The reality is that we need to run that scan every single day. Satan is even more malicious and sneaky than the internet hackers. But the damage that the hypocrisy virus wreaks is eternal. 

    I have to confess that today’s scan found some problems in the heart drive. I think I was able to delete and quaranteen the threat for today. But only by daily scanning my heart with the grace of Jesus, the truth of God’s Word, and the illumination of the Holy Spirit can I hope to contain the hypocrisy virus. Have you run a scan recently?

  • I Really Need To Adopt This Calendar Lesson From Jesus


    Nowhere in Scripture will I find this command.

    “Be busy, and know that I am God.”

    My busyness does not please God. My faith pleases Him. And I can’t have faith and trust in someone I am too busy to know well. Day in and day out, I need to heed this truth:

    “Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

    I have a remarkable role model named Jesus for how to balance busyness and priorities. Jesus never allowed the tyranny of the urgent to supersede the ultimately more important reward of relationships. He didn’t feel the need to drive Himself to exhaustion to teach and preach.

    “Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house.” Matthew 13:36

    It is instructive that Jesus withdrew from the crowd (and the obligation I likely would have felt) to spend time with His disciples. The most important thing for Jesus was to prepare His disciples and not to “friend” several hundred people on an ancient FaceScroll. Clearly, it was valuable for Jesus to be teaching the crowds. But His relationship to His ministry “family” superseded the public gathering priority.

    Jesus gave another example of schedule priorities:

    “Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home. After telling everyone goodbye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray.” Mark 6:45-46

    Jesus understood that He must say no to people who really wanted His attention in order to spend time doing what mattered most. This passage follows Jesus’ miraculous feeding of five thousand people. If I had performed such a feat, I would have hung around for hours to soak up the praise and accolades, sign a few autographs, and take some selfies. But Jesus knew what He needed in that moment. Time with His Father.

    I need to know when to say no. Busyness does not define my worth. Being a schedule martyr does not make me more righteous. Over-scheduling keeps me from spending time with the One who gives His righteousness to me.

    Why does that happen time and time again to followers of Jesus? My personal belief is that one of the biggest and most damaging mistakes that the church makes with new believers is not teaching clearly and continually what happens when you put your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. It seems that we too often get young Christians immediately into studies and activities, suggesting that change can happen only when you are trying hard and concentrating on the spiritual disciplines.

    That was my struggle for forty years before I realized a simple truth. Dramatic change took place the moment I made that faith commitment to follow Jesus. Scripture tells me that when I decided to become a follower of Christ, the following things happened immediately:

    ·      I was given a new identity.

    ·      I became a new creation.

    ·      I received the gift of the righteousness of Christ.

    I struggle with that concept because I am not always righteous in my behavior. That may well be the biggest understatement of my writing career. Here is the amazing theology of the gospel: God sees me as righteous and worthy because of my relationship with Jesus. Nothing I have done or ever will do could earn that righteousness. It is a gift of grace because of the finished work of Jesus on the cross.

    I was changed completely when I put my trust in Christ as my only hope for salvation. I did not have to struggle with futile performance to change. I was changed that day. But it  took me forty years to know Him better, never realizing I had been carrying around the key to that kind of relationship since day one.

    Now I see a different picture. I see Jesus standing at my side and explaining that I am completely changed. I see Him telling me that my sins are forgiven and I can quit relitigating past mistakes. I see Him explaining to me that all of those things that used to be true about me are no longer true. I see Him repeating that, because I tend to nod my head without really absorbing it.

    He reminds me gently that I don’t have to grit my teeth and try harder to win favor and please Him. I hear Him remind me that power over sin is looking to Him for my strength and not trying to fight it with my busyness and resolve.

    I see Jesus looking deeply into my eyes and tenderly expressing (again) that it is my trust in God that pleases Him. No other works are required. My faith is what pleases Him according to God’s Word. Nothing else.

    I have a hard time putting my full weight on those truths. But I have learned that we can disabuse ourselves today of the notion that busyness is somehow related to godliness. Allow yourself time to spend with the most important people in your life. Schedule time with Jesus. Don’t allow guilt to monopolize your calendar. Carve out time for friends, family, and yourself.

    If Jesus could leave disappointed throngs behind for what was important, we should withdraw for recharging and time with God too. Be still, and know that God loves you and desires you. Your actions will naturally emerge from that loving relationship with Him.

    Reminder to myself.


    I don’t have to earn that love. It is already mine. Forever.

  • Sharing A Bipartisan Devotional with Guaranteed Good News

    I am offering these humble ramblings before the 2024 Election Day. I care deeply about my country. I have deep convictions about many political issues. I have friends and family on both sides of the aisle desperately wanting victory. I have friends and family suffering anxiety that the world will collapse if their side loses. I used to suffer that anxiety and desperate desire to win. Something has completely changed in my heart. May I share 5 reasons why I have experienced that change of heart?

    1. God is Sovereign

    Our Western culture demands answers. We feel the need and even the right to understand why something happens. Is God totally sovereign or do I have free will? Logic says one or the other must be true. God says both are true. We can’t fathom that so we pick a side. As I have slowly grown in my faith I have come to fully embrace the many attributes of God and that His plan is perfect and will ultimately prevail. Paul writes an interesting and challenging statement to the people living in a deeply political state in Rome.

    “Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.” (Romans 13:1, NLT)

    What? This leader I struggle to accept was placed there by God? When you read through the Old Testament history of leaders you see how this happens. God desired to lead His people through His chosen leaders. The people’s sinful desire to control things instead demanded kings. So that disobedient cry was granted and you read that the results were usually bad. When His people recognized their need for God and turned to Him the results changed to good. Are we repeating this sad cycle? What I believe is that God’s plan will happen. How we get there is yet to be determined. The story of Joseph and the his hateful brothers shows how an all-powerful God can control all things to change the outcome of disobedience.

    20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. (Genesis 50:20, NLT)

    God will control all the pieces to make it turn out for good. To paraphrase the old Gospel song I peeked at the back of the book and I am confident it will end in glorious victory.

    2. My Hope is in Jesus

    I can’t explain why bad things happen. Sometimes it is sin. Sometimes it is simply life. I have learned in my years of following Jesus that He does not let suffering go in vain. I have seen over and over how God redeems sadness and tragedy. He does bring beauty out of ashes. When I cannot see how any good can come out of a trial I trust my Abba Father in faith. Believe me I don’t always “feel” that but I can move forward in faith. God has never let me down. And I believe He never will.

    Peter talked about the inevitability of suffering in this life.

    “Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.” (1 Peter 4, NLT)

    We think we can fix things with the right tools. Only Jesus can heal the suffering we all will endure at some point in our journey. Jesus meets you there and not just in theory. He suffered. He agonized with God the Father. He knows the human condition. He has already been where you are. Peter did not end his writing on suffering with the buzz kill of Chapter 4. He wrapped it in a bow of incredible hope in the next chapter.

    “In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, He will restore, support, and strengthen you, and He will place you on a firm foundation.” (1 Peter 5, NLT)

    My hope is in Jesus to place me on a firm foundation no matter what the world looks like around me.

    3. No Matter What Happens in the Future Jesus Will Be With Me

    I remind myself daily that God loves me as His child. He sent His Son to die on a Cross while bearing my sins past, present, and future. Jesus rose from the grave and conquered death. I believe that.

    I try to view every negative event through that lens of hope. God holds the future. My life for Him is worth the living no matter what trials I will endure. Jesus was pretty clear that our journey with Him would be challenging.

    “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation…”

    Jesus didn’t say we might have some problems now and then. He honestly said you will have trials and tribulation. Why are we so surprised when that happens?  The enemy definitely tries to distract us from the rest of His promise.

     “But take heart; I have overcome the world.”  (John 16:33, NLT)

    Read the words of Jesus carefully. I have overcome the world. It will be okay. At times the journey will be rough, but I believe with all of my heart that my faith in Him will lead me through the dark valleys.

    4. My Eternal Home is Guaranteed

    Trust God and trust who He says you are because of the finished work of Jesus. Believe you are forgiven of all sins past, present, and future. Wholly accept that you are a brand new creation and live in grateful freedom. Drink in the inexhaustible grace of God every day. Allow God to love you as His beloved and then pay that love forward for His glory. Look through the lens of grace and you will find sacred moments in every single day. Recognize that everything about your walk with Jesus is a gift of grace. It is all about the finished work of Jesus on the Cross. At the moment you believe that Jesus is the way to salvation you are gifted with the most incredible gift. Eternal life.

    24 “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. (John 5:24, NLT)

    That incredible gift of grace helps me navigate the negativity of this world.

    5. I Know I Will Be Okay Because of God’s Redeeming Grace and Love

    I faced a crossroads many years ago. Would I follow Jesus or go my own way? My way was not going particularly well. While I was still dirty and clothed in filthy garments of sin, I was forgiven, accepted, justified, and wrapped in the robe of righteousness. I was no longer condemned. Satan would have me forget that the robe of righteousness is wrapped lovingly around me. The author of lies attempts to remind me (constantly) that I still wear dirty clothing. He suggests that I don’t deserve to wear the robe until I clean myself up. That is the power of His gift of grace . The robe of righteousness is never earned. It is a gift of grace. Even on my worst day the Father wraps me up in this precious garment because of His Son, Jesus.

    How differently I would live if I remembered that truth every day. I am a saint. I am wrapped in the robe of righteousness. I am a new creature who is forgiven, accepted, and cloaked in this incomprehensible gift of grace. Even in my failure Jesus loves me anyway and just as much. No matter what happens I will be okay. His grace is sufficient. Right Paul?

    9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. (2 Corinthians 12:9, NLT)

    Paul begged three times to have his difficulty removed. What he really need was the grace and love of God. I feel confident His grace will be sufficient in the days ahead.

    I am focusing on those truths this week and for the rest of my journey.