worthy

I just finished reading "Clara's War: One Girl's Story of Survival" by Holocaust survivor Clara Kramer. It was amazing, sad, horrifying, and encouraging all at the same time. I LEARNED so much that I had never heard about regarding the war and the Holocaust.

The saddest aspect of it all was that as a 14/15 year-old, the most precious thing she had in life was her dear and beloved sister, who, after fearfully running out of their hiding place, a "bunker" that was dug under the house of a Polish peasant, was captured by the Nazis and murdered ruthlessly. One of the quotes that stood out most to me from the book was this, which she penned in her diary after they learned the story of how her sister was killed:

"And now, we had to go on without her, our lucky charm. We were still alive, whether we wanted to be or not. I now knew there was no such thing as a broken heart. It will go on beating to taunt you and mock you and tell you that even in grief it is indestructible and full of love."

I just think that is such an amazing testimony about how, no matter how much life hurts, no matter how much pain and discouragement we suffer, and no matter the brutality we see around us, our hearts were made to love, and love they will.

Another quote that brought tears to my eyes and a rush to my heart was this one, which she wrote as she recalled the joy she felt that the polish Catholics, who hid her family and others (18 total) for two years while endangering their own lives to do so virtually every day, were abdicated of treason charges:

"When I think of the one thing that we had, and the others didn't, it was the Becks. Everything I have learned about love, honour, and courage, I learned from them. After all that they did for us in the bunker, I know that nothing in life is impossible. When I left that bunker over 60 years ago, I felt that my life was no longer mine alone. I knew I would have to lead a life worthy of having been saved."

Read that last line again. Isn't that us? Haven't we been rescued from the worst Holocaust of all, Hell itself? Haven't we also been saved by Someone who risked everything and endured unimaginable pain so that we wouldn't have to? Should we not also feel the compulsion to lead a life worthy of having been saved? This is not my life alone; not yours alone either. The breath we breathe, the moves we make belong not only to us, but to the One who paid our price.

He alone is worthy, and as a follower of Christ, this life is not fully worthy of living if not lived in light of His Salvation and Grace.

I hate religion

"We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another." -Jonathan Swift (17th Century politician, author, and chaplain)

Satan has a new ally: Religion. Well, maybe not new. Religious people have been sabotaging the Kingdom of God for centuries, some so stealthily successful that they have been able to deceive even the most devout of believers.

I have a new Enemy: Religion.

I hate it. It is trickery at its finest, rules at their most hypocritical, and hatred at its height.

Wait, before you cry "heresy" let me explain: there is a wide chasm between religion and Restoration. One is a laundry list of rules, prerequisites for membership, and dont's, the other is the freedom to live faithfully by God's Grace through Jesus's sacrifice. Religion is the worship of worship. Restoration is the worship of God Himself. Religion is pride in putting others down. Restoration is humility in the presence of the Almighty's holiness.

"Keep a sharp eye out for those who take bits and pieces of the teaching that you learned and then use them to make trouble. Give these people a wide berth. They have no intention of living for our Master Christ. They're only in this for what they can get out of it, and aren't above using pious sweet talk to dupe unsuspecting innocents." - Romans 16:17-18 (MSG)

"Warn them before God against pious nitpicking, which chips away at the faith. It just wears everyone out. Concentrate on doing your best for God, work you won't be shamed of, laying out the truth plain and simple. Stay clear of pious talk that is only talk. Words are not mere words, you know. If they're not backed by a godly life, they accumulate as poison in the soul." -2 Timothy 2:14b-17a(MSG)

We as Christ-followers need to heed Paul's warnings in these timeless letters. Religion no longer defines worshipful surrender to the one true God, as perhaps it once did. Say the word to anyone on the street, and you'll most likely get a bad reaction. Why? Well, for a lot of reasons, none of them having to do with any fault or lack on God's part. Because of the devil's schemes, religion has become pious poison, empty talk, nitpicking cynicism, and sly abuse of the unsuspecting.

When someone makes an assumption about me and says, "Oh, you're religious, then," I must answer with a bold NO, to dispel all evil conclusions they might jump to before they take the heedless leap. I follow Christ. I believe in His saving Grace. Because of the glorious love He poured out for me, I choose to live my life as His willing, grateful servant, doing the good He created me for and avoiding the evil with which His enemy tries to tempt me. I must almost forcefully lay down that distinction so as not to lose my witness with the potential new follower.

Let us not fall into the trap of religion - it is an empty shell of true Restoration - real Relationship with the God who saves, the Creator who loves, The Jesus who IS. I challenge you to live your life in sanctified rebellion against anything less.

Near

This one hit me hard this morning, as James always does. It's like he wants to leave you so black and blue after reading his letter that you have no choice but to be more like Christ. Bold. Blunt. In-your-face. Stepping-on-your-toes. Yep, that's James. I think if I would have lived in his time I would have had difficulty approaching him for fear of getting socked in the jaw with truth proceeding from the mouth of the man who had Jesus Christ for an older brother. Yeah, try to picture that life. There are still so many questions I have about his letter (most of them start with "Did you seriously mean it when you said . . ." or "How can you say . . . when another scripture says . . ."). But it's the infallible Word of Truth, breathed and inspired by the Almighty, so I'm not so much questioning it today as I am reeling from its punches. Does the Bible ever do that to you? Sucker punch you when you least expect it? Leave you on your knees, silently begging for more, but nearly afraid to ask?

Ready? Try this one:

"So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Come close to God and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up in honor."

Okay, lets explore some background before we step up to the line. Who is James addressing here? (hint: it's not the lost) The church of Jewish people he was leading - in Jerusalem and abroad. And, I'd like to argue, all believers everywhere in all generations. He's talking to us.

Did you see the sweet little nugget packed within his fist as he swung at me? I did this time I read it, and it definitely hit me differently today.

"Come close to God and God will come close to you."

Now, usually when I read or quote that part, it is conveniently absent of its violent neighbors. It's such a sweet, comforting idea. Like hot cocoa or warm apple pie. So why in the world would James have put it smack dab in the middle of these teeth-breaking blows: "Humble yourselves"? "Wash your hands, you sinners"? "purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided"? "Let there be sorrow and deep grief"? "gloom instead of joy"? Is it just me, or is this a little out of place? What in heaven's name does one have to do with the others?

EVERYTHING!

If we want to draw near to God and have Him in turn draw near to us, coming before Him bloodied and bruised by our own repentance is THE key. And let me define repentance, just in case it's simply a cliche that has lost its meaning by over-use. Repentance is "a repenting or being penitent; feeling of sorrow, etc., esp. for wrongdoing; compunction; contrition; remorse" (yourDictionary.com). Yeah. Repentance hurts. It's supposed to. It doubles us over and drops us to our knees. It brings stinging tears to our eyes and most importantly, it brings an intrinsic, passionate, needy desire to CHANGE. To turn from what hit you and walk away from the sin. Not to book a return trip. Ever.

So, yes, we can come near to God and He will come near to us. Of course. He wants us to come near to Him. Always. He never refuses us, IF. If what? If we are humble. If we realize we are nothing without Him. If we acknowledge that we have no righteousness of our own, but only that which is endued to us from His precious and beautiful Son. If we realize the wretched state of our sinfulness without His grace. It is not only imperative THAT we come close to Him, but HOW we come close to Him.

And that is James' purpose in slugging us repeatedly and painfully. Because God can't come near our sin. It has to be covered in His Son's precious blood and washed away - as far as east is from west and deeper than the ocean floor. That's what happens to our sin when we confess in repentance. We can be continually humbled by the realization that He loves us that much. And once we are bloodied by our humility, there's nothing that can keep us from His warm, cozy, comforting embrace. Not a single thing.

Were you caught in the jaw mid swing as James was aiming at me? I'd say sorry, but maybe I'm not.