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Tyndale Publishing is offering some fun and FREE giveaways to anyone who pre-orders Waking Up Slowly before March 1st.

Exclusive gifts include:

·         Extended 3-chapter sampler that you can start reading NOW! 

·         5-Day Waking Up Slowly devotional to kick-start your journey to finding gratitude in everyday experiences.

·         Phone “wallpapers” as a fun reminder that our biggest blessings can sometimes come in small packages.

·         Discussion Questions to get you thinking and/or to share at your next book group.

Just email your receipt to WakingUpSlowlyBook@gmail.com to get your FREE goodies! If you have already pre-ordered your copy you get free goodies too. Just send in the screenshot or picture of your order receipt and they will be headed your way!

Identity theft is a big problem. It is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States and recent stats suggest that 13 million cases occurred in the past year. The rise of identity theft has produced a number of companies that protect you from criminals that might steal your good name and credit rating. A few years ago one of my card numbers was compromised and some low life was merrily buying electronic gear on my tab in Malaysia. Fortunately that was fairly easily resolved since I could prove that I was safely hunkered down in scenic Garland, Texas when the purchases were made.

But it occurred to me that another identity theft occurs in the lives of Christians all the time and there is very little uproar about it. I pondered if I could start a company to protect followers of Jesus from this serious and sometimes tragic crime. The crime is Christian identity theft. Any follower of Jesus has the potential to fall victim. The target of this scam is the truth found in the Second Letter to the Church at Corinth.

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! (2^nd Corinthians, 5:17)

Because of Christ you have a new identity. You are righteous because of Him and not because of trying to do more right “stuff”. You are a saint and there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. It is a liberating and joyous message. But there is a problem. Satan hates that message of hope and change. And so he goes about trying to “steal’ our identity in Christ. I am afraid we make it all too easy because we find it difficult to really trust that we are changed. When we fail the old tapes are instantly cued and start playing loudly.

You will never change.
You always do that.
I can’t believe you did that again.
What is wrong with you?
You would not be having these problems if you were (pick one or more):

1. Reading God’s Word more faithfully
2. Praying more fervently
3. Loving and serving others more consistently
4. Telling others about Jesus
5. Giving more to the church

All of those things on that list are good and valuable. But that list is not what makes you righteous. You are righteous because of Christ. Period. When you trust that and believe that you have a new identity then the list above becomes a grateful desire and not a begrudging obligation to try and be better. All of the guilt and shame and sin that used to define you is no longer true. That old life is gone. You are a new creation. New life has begun. All of those accusations that Satan (and others who are quite happy to help) hurl your way are no longer true about you.

My life was changed nearly 40 years ago when I decided to trust Jesus as my Lord and Savior. It has just been in the past two years that I have begun to fully understand who I am in Christ and that I live my life daily in grace. I have often quoted from the book Truefaced. This statement rocked my world.

If you are a Christian, God is not interested in changing you. That has already happened. You were changed when you trusted Christ. You were imputed with His righteousness. Your very spiritual DNA was rewritten and you became a new person. So the change happened right away. God is now interested in maturing you into what is already true about you.

That has been my journey for the past several years. When the accuser starts I simply remind myself that those things are no longer true about me. I have a new identity. I focus on what is true about me.

Protect your identity in Christ with even more fervor than you protect your financial identity. Remind yourself daily who you are. That you are a new person. A saint. Righteous because of Christ. A new life has begun. Live it joyfully and without condemnation. That is your identity. Guard it zealously.

My new book is releasing on March 7th! Looking forward to sharing it with you! Check it out here.

I think a lot about the church. When you write a book called “When Bad Christians Happen to Good People” you tend to hear from angry and wounded churchgoers. I have received hundreds of emails and blog posts from hurting believers. If a modest selling author and blogger like me gets that many responses then you can extrapolate that this is a big problem for the American church.

I began the book mentioned above with this paragraph.

“I am a hypocrite. I can be arrogant and selfish. I have been known to stretch, conceal, or slightly message the truth. I am sometimes inconsiderate and insecure. I struggle with lust and impure thoughts. My ego often rages out of control, and I battle foolish pride. I can be lazy and foolhardy with my time. I get angry, petty, and ill-tempered. I am sarcastic and cynical. I am a Christian.”

I can make the claim in the final sentence only because of Christ. A song by one of my favorite artists, Andrew Peterson, reminds me of the mystery of grace. Peterson beautifully illustrates that I am like every sinner who ever lived or will live. Peterson’s lyrics hit home and remind me that I am saved by grace alone. I was a sinner in need of a Savior. Andrew Peterson’s lyrics describe it well.

I am the woman at the well, I am the harlot
I am the scattered seed that fell along the path
I am the son who ran away
I am the bitter son who stayed

I am the angry men who came to stone the lover
I am the woman there ashamed before the crowd
I am the leper who gave thanks
I am the nine who never came

Paul tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. I used to feel superior to those who violated my denomination’s “Top 10 list of things not to do if you are a real Christian”. But I came to realize that having less repulsive sins on my resume than someone else only mattered to me and my miserable band of legalists. I still fell short.

As my journey continued I was wounded by the church and I got angry at God when fallible people (just like me) did not follow His Word or “act like Christians”. Yet I often did the same thing that offended me when others did it. And that is why Peterson’s question resonates in my heart.

My God, my God
Why hast thou accepted me?

Indeed. I had nothing to offer that God needed. I was falling far, far, far short of the glory of God. But what He did is pure grace and Andrew Peterson says it well.

You took my sin and wrapped me in
Your robe and your ring
My God, my God
Why hast thou accepted me?

It’s a mystery of mercy
And the song I sing.

I love that imagery. He took my sin and wrapped me in robes of undeserved righteousness.

I am still prone to react when I hear stories of harsh shepherds and mean-spirited churchgoers. But more and more I realize that I am more than capable of being that harsh shepherd or mean Christian apart from trust and dependence on Jesus.

Paul wrote these words in a letter to his spiritual son Titus.

Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. But—”When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.” This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. (Titus 3 – NLT)

Why hast God accepted me? Because of Jesus and not for anything I have done or could do. Today I have a heart of worship as I meditate on this mystery of mercy and grace.

I am digitally ducking as I post this week’s musing. This is the kind of the title that brings the spiritual hall monitors out of the internet woodwork. But it is true. God used the insightful lyrics of Harry Chapin to get my attention about my selfishness. Chapin was a genius in poetically describing how we try to find happiness in the wrong places and with self-centered priorities. The first song to meddle in my life was W*O*L*D. I was an aspiring radio “personality” at a small station in Southern Ohio dreaming of being a big city star someday. The lyrics describe a conversation with the wife he left behind to pursue his dreams. He recounts how he moved from market to market trying to find happiness. Now he realizes what he has sacrificed and hopes to reconcile with his family. Chapin writes a powerful truth about running from the problems in our life.

Sometimes I get this crazy dream
That I just take off in my car
But you can travel on ten thousand miles and still stay where you are.

The darkness and sadness in our hearts is not healed by relocation, new jobs or new possessions. In my experience that only comes from the healing forgiveness of Christ. I looked around and saw that there was a lot of truth in these lyrics. I honestly began to rethink my career path because of this song. I got into the sports business and television production. I married the beautiful Joni, we settled in Southern California and we started a family. I had not traveled ten thousand miles but unfortunately I had stayed right where I was in the pursuit of success and affirmation. Enter another Harry Chapin song.

To this day I still feel regret when I hear “The Cats in the Cradle”. The lyrics make me think of missed moments as I had pursued my career. I thought of too many times when Joni had to go it alone as I traveled the country doing my television thing. After many years I recognized that she was at a breaking point in our relationship. I remember my eyes tearing up as I listened to these lyrics that were likely foretelling my future.

My child arrived just the other day
He came to the world in the usual way
But there were planes to catch, and bills to pay
He learned to walk while I was away
And he was talking ‘fore I knew it, and as he grew
He’d say, “I’m gonna be like you, dad
You know I’m gonna be like you.”

And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man in the moon
“When you coming home, dad?” “I don’t know when
But we’ll get together then
You know we’ll have a good time then.”

It broke my heart to recognize that too often that was me and I began to change. By the grace of God my relationships with my wife and boys were redeemed. Joni and I have celebrated four decades together and I am enjoying my wonderful sons and who they have become. I am grateful that God got my attention. To be sure my recognition of the need to change was more than a couple of Harry Chapin songs. But the Holy Spirit pierced my heart with the insightful lyrics of this amazing artist.

Now I am a grandfather who has learned his lesson. I try to never be too busy for those sweet souls. Recently I was at the Perot Museum with grandson Ethan. I watched as he experienced the activities of a children’s play area. I looked around at the parents. I am not exaggerating when I report that 90% of them were staring at phones. Some glanced up occasionally to check on their child. Some did not even do that. I watched as children looked at their distracted parents and tried to get their affirmation. And this song came back to me again.

I prayed that these parents would have an epiphany before it was too late. The most haunting lyric in Chapin’s song is when the dad tries to get his grown up son to come and visit. He tells his dad that he is too busy but they will get together soon. This stanza devastated me years ago.

And as I hung up the phone, it occurred to me
He’d grown up just like me
My boy was just like me

I learned a hard lesson before it was too late. Jesus talked a lot about priorities. In a familiar passage in Luke Jesus talks about not worrying so much about the things of the world but to store up your treasures in Heaven. I like the fresh take in The Message on a well known verse.

It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being. (Luke 12:34)

If the place you most want to be is not with your Lord and your loved ones you might want to rethink your priorities. It is never too late in God’s amazing grace.

My new book, Waking Up Slowly, addresses how we can be more connected to God, ourselves and one another. Release date is March 7th and is available for pre-order now!