Let's Stay Open

I don’t know anyone who marries who doesn’t desire the best for their future together. This is especially true for the bride. She’s dreamed for years of her prince charming and now here she is committing her life to him in marriage. The groom’s thoughts may not go as deep, but he’s just as committed to a happily-ever-after life together. Unfortunately, statistics tell us that more than fifty percent of these dreams are dashed by divorce. What went wrong?

As complicated as the male-female relationship can be, it’s sometimes as simple as staying open to each other. Let me explain. When God created us, he created us as one person with three distinct parts - body, soul and spirit. To stay open to your mate is to give all of who you are to them. By God’s design, it begins with the spirit. It’s through our spirit that we connect with God, and it is also through our spirit that we discern a natural connection with someone or not.

As a relationship grows, a soul connection is developed. We often describe this as becoming soul mates. It’s here where a deeper connection is experienced. The soul can be described as the place where our mind, will and emotions reside. When our soul opens up to another person, they tap into the depths of who we are. A deep bond is experienced.

Although many people get this backwards, the body connection is to be the last of the three parts to connect. After someone has discerned spiritually that there is a natural connection, the soul opens up to welcome the other person in to see who we really are. It’s then that a commitment to marriage can be best determined and finally a physical connection experienced. This body connection is to be respected and reserved for the couple who has committed their spirit and soul to marriage. I know this sounds old-fashioned but God designed it that way for a reason. When a couple opens up fully to one another, they experience what the Bible describes as a oneness experience. They are connected in spirit, soul and body.

So what causes this to break? Well, it’s a lot of things but simply put, someone in the relationship begins to close down rather than stay open. Imagine your hand representing who you are. Your fingers, wiggling and moving freely, represent your spirit. The semicircular ridge where your fingers meet the palm of your hand represents your soul, and the palm of your hand is your body. When things are good, your fingers are wiggling and happy, the hand is wide open and ready to reach out to embrace the other hand.

When offenses enter into a relationship, the fingers start to close over the hand and things begin to shutdown. The longer this goes on, the hand actually becomes a fist and the fight is on. Let’s stay open and work toward experiencing the oneness God desires for us.

Learn more at www.newlifeonline.com or follow Steve Lingenfelter on Twitter, @stevOLL.

Life Without Hope

Can you imagine it? Can you imagine a life without hope? I don’t want to - it’s just too depressing. Recently, my wife and went to see the movie “The Fault in Our Stars.”

I thought it would be an inspiring story. It’s a story about a young girl who is battling cancer who meets a charming young man. He also battled cancer and they fall in love. This story had all the right elements to be an inspirational story, but it was missing one element - hope.

The first two-thirds of the movie were pretty good and you hoped the best for them. However, the last third of the movie was dark, gloomy and depressing. Don’t worry, if you haven’t seen the movie, I won’t ruin it by telling the end. I will say that it is a disappointing ending. I don’t say that because of a lack of reality in that I believe every story has a happy ending. I say that because this story lacked hope beyond the cancer.

The ultimate reason that you and I exist, as well as everything in the universe, is to show God’s glory. Without God’s glory, there would be nothing. Look around … everything created by God reflects his glory in some way. We see it everywhere, from the smallest form of life to the vast Milky Way. Sunsets, stars, storms and seasons all reveal God’s glory. All creation screams “Glory to God!”

The people depicted in this movie saw none of that. To miss the glory of God is to miss hope. Hope is less a feeling and more a confidence in what is. Faith in God is rooted in hope. Not a blind hope desiring something that will probably never really happen, but a hope built upon the confidence of solid faith.

Faith is described in the Bible this way: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

We have a hope established on the faith we have in God. There certainly is mystery in the midst of our hope and faith. There are things that we just don’t know. However, there is so much more that we do know that strengthens our faith and allows us to trust in the things we don’t understand because of what we do know and understand.

To have no hope is to be hopeless. To believe that this life is all there is and to miss the promise of an incredible life after this one makes this life something less than hope-filled. Life without hope is to miss the life God so desires for us.

Jesus said, “I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full.”

Placing our faith in Jesus Christ gives us incredible hope - in this life and the one to come. No one should ever face the trials of this life without the hope God offers.

Learn more at www.newlifeonline.com or follow Steve Lingenfelter on Twitter, @stevOLL.

The Problem With Christians

Let’s be honest. Christians aren’t perfect. Oh, I know some that sure like to pretend like they are. The truth is that those who pretend to be perfect are oftentimes the furthest from it, and that isn’t even the biggest problem.

The bigger problem is that many Christians have lost a sense of what Christianity is. By definition, a Christian is a person who has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Christianity - at its most basic level - is a collective group of people who have a personal relationship with Jesus.

Famous author J.I. Packer put it well when he said: “The essence of Christianity is neither beliefs nor behavior patterns. It is the reality of communion here and now with Christianity’s living founder, the Mediator, Jesus Christ.”

If Christianity is based on a relationship with Jesus, then it is a devotion to that person that makes our Christianity so real. The problem is that too many Christians have committed their Christianity to a belief system of doctrine, as though that is where Christianity stems from. Don’t misunderstand me; sound doctrine is important, but it must not be confused with what the essence of Christianity is - relationship with Jesus.

Today’s church has fallen prey to this mentality. Churches are defined and structured by their doctrinal beliefs. It’s only natural for this to happen. However, this is also the very thing that divides the church and the relational connectedness God so desires among Christians. The fact is, if you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ and call him your Lord, we are related. We may not share the same doctrinal views on everything, but it doesn’t change the fact that we are related through our devotion to Christ. How will we ever get along in heaven? It’s kind of funny to think about.

The root problem among Christians is our devotion to doctrine that divides the church rather than our devotion to Christ, which unites us. Can you imagine a united church and the power of that testimony to the world? This will never happen until we get a true sense of our Christianity.

A watching world so wants to see a true representation of Jesus. The Bible says that we are the body of Christ. We are his ambassadors. Central to our doctrinal beliefs should be a commitment to unifying the body of Christ.

Jesus prayed this prayer for us: “May they be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one. I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” Let’s fix this problem.

Learn more at www.newlifeonline.com or follow Steve Lingenfelter on Twitter, @stevOLL.

The Heart of the Bible

So, how would you answer this question: What is the heart of the Bible? Some may answer, “It’s about creation.” Others may say, “It’s the story of Israel.” Still, others will say, “It is about mankind’s fall from grace.”

While all of these are true and represent important parts of the Bible, the heart of the Bible is represented in God’s heart - Jesus, God’s only son. The entire Bible is about the story of God and his drive to save mankind through his son. The Bible has one theme. Jesus Christ is the theme, even in the Old Testament.

Let me encourage you to open your eyes and look for Jesus on every page of your Bible. If you do, you’ll find him there.

A simple way to read your Bible is to see it simply divided into Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament can be divided into two segments - Law and Prophets. The books written within the category of the Law establish the foundation for Jesus Christ. The books associated with the Prophets are about the expectation of Jesus Christ.

The New Testament can simply be divided into two segments, as well - the Gospels and Epistles. The Gospels tell of the manifestation of Jesus Christ, and the epistles speak of the interpretation of Jesus Christ.

Jesus himself said the scriptures testify about him (John 5:39). Keep in mind that as he said this, the New Testament scriptures had not even been written yet. He is referring to the Old Testament writings. Jesus also expounded in Luke 24:27 that all the writings of Moses and the prophets were concerning him.

To grasp the heart of the Bible and read it for how it was intended to be experienced, you need to open your eyes to see Jesus throughout it. The Bible comes alive when we discover the heart of it and stop reading it as just a book of sayings or words for how to live life. It’s deeper than that. The Bible could be described as an inspired album of divine snapshots of the Son of God. Once we discover this, all the other characters fade into the background and the central figure - Jesus - becomes more and more clear.

The Bible is a progressive story of God’s redemption related to mankind with Jesus Christ as the central figure. At first, we see just a glimpse and we notice the faint outline of Christ, and then, book by book, he emerges and becomes even clearer as the picture of God’s heart is revealed through Jesus Christ.

As we see in Adam one who chose to sin before there was sin; Jesus who knew no sin chose to become sin to free us from the punishment of sin thrust upon the world. Look, open your eyes, and discover the heart of the Bible. You’ll find Jesus from Genesis to Revelation. Your heart will be forever changed.

Learn more at www.newlifeonline.com or follow Steve Lingenfelter on Twitter, @stevOLL.

Just Let Go

It’s easier said than done, isn’t it? We hear it all the time: “Just let go.” There’s something comforting in holding on that makes it difficult to just let go. Sometimes holding on can get in the way of God trying to fix something in your life.

I remember hearing a story about a little girl who was given a plastic doll. She played with it day and night. Eventually, one of the arms broke off. She promptly went to her dad and asked him to fix it. The dad was glad to do it, but the little girl didn’t want to let go of the doll. She wanted to keep holding it. Well, that prevented the dad from fixing it.

It didn’t take long for the other arm to break off. The little girl again went to her dad, but she still wouldn’t let go of the doll. The dad so wanted to fix the doll for his daughter but because she wouldn’t let go, he was prevented from fixing it.

Eventually, both of the legs popped off, and by this time the little girl was getting desperate. Out of her desperation, she finally mustered up all the strength of her will and, letting go of the doll, she handed it over to her father. Within minutes, the dad had the doll reassembled and as good as new.

Does this sound familiar? Maybe it isn’t a doll that you are holding onto - it’s much more serious than that. Like the little girl, we have to learn to trust God, our Heavenly Father, to fix the things in our life. Instead of handing them over to God, we hold onto our problems and wonder why they just get worse. We refuse to let go and we hold on. We fret and worry and try solving them without the help of our Heavenly Father. We are a lot like the little girl. We often wait until things get so desperate before we finally turn to God and release everything into his care.

The Bible tells us to “just let go.” It says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” I know … it’s hard to trust these words and really hard to let go. However, to hold onto our problems and not trust God with them is to eliminate the very one (God) who has the power to fix things.

Now, to let go is not to be taken with an attitude of irresponsibility. We may have created the problem, and God may determine that the best way for us to learn is to endure the consequences of our actions. But even in that, God desires to walk with us through our troubles and give us the strength to persevere. What are you holding onto? Just let go.

Learn more at www.newlifeonline.com or follow Steve Lingenfelter on Twitter, @stevOLL.

Don't Be A "Do-It-Yourself"er

The story has been told about a do-it-yourselfer who went into a hardware store early one morning and asked for a saw. The salesman took a chainsaw from the shelf and commented that it was their newest model with the latest technology and guaranteed to cut 10 cords of wood in a single day. The customer was so delighted with the idea that it could cut so much wood in a single day that he bought it on the spot.

The next day the customer returned, looking somewhat exhausted, and said, “Something must be wrong with this saw. I worked as hard as I could and only managed to cut three cords of wood. I used to do four with my old-fashioned saw.”

Looking confused, the salesman said, “Here, let me try it out back on some wood we keep here.”

They went to the woodpile, the salesman pulled the cord, and as the motor went vvvrooommm, the customer leaped back and exclaimed, “What’s that noise?”

The customer who tried to cut wood without the power of the saw to help him is very much like the Christ-follower who attempts to live the Christian life without the daily empowerment of God’s Spirit. It’s clear to us how much better a powered chainsaw is over trying to do it by hand.

To do it by hand is to expect all the power to come from us. To employ the power of the chainsaw is to rely on the power of the saw to carry the heavy burden of cutting wood. Just as the woodcutter who doesn’t utilize the power of the saw finds himself exhausted by the experience, so the Christ-follower who doesn’t plug into the power source of God’s Spirit soon discovers that it’s just too hard.

The Christian life is not intended to be a do-it-yourself venture. When a person steps into a relationship with Christ, he/she is then indwelled by the Spirit of God. This is what it means to be spiritually born again. It’s the indwelling power of the Spirit that we are to tap into for our power source to live life. To ignore that is as foolish as the woodsman who neglects the power of the saw.

Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

Just as a branch is dependent upon the vine for life, we, too, are dependent upon the spiritual power that comes from our relationship with Christ. It is the work of the Spirit that serves as a conduit of Christ’s love toward us and offers the power to live the Christian life.

Don’t be a do-it-yourselfer. Tap into the power of God by staying connected to Christ and letting the Spirit of God become your source for life. The difference will be as obvious as vvvroommm!

Learn more at www.newlifeonline.com or follow Steve Lingenfelter on Twitter, @stevOLL.

Will We Be Angels?

It’s a common question. I often hear people ask if they will become an angel when they die. Let me just say it - the answer is no. Death is a relocation of a person from one place to another. The place changes, but the person remains the same.

The Bible says “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” The same person who becomes absent from the body becomes present with the Lord. The Bible tells us that we will be given a new body, that we will not be spirits without a body. Unlike our present body, we’ll be given a body built for eternity.

Angels are angels, and humans are humans. Angels are beings with their own distinct identities. They even have personal names, such as Michael or Gabriel. Under God’s direction, they serve humanity and the earth. In Heaven, human beings will govern angels (1 Corinthians 6:2-3).

Can you imagine what it is going to be like to meet angels that served us on earth? It will be fascinating. The Bible tells us that they are with us throughout our entire life. An invisible world of angels is present in the circumstances of our life. They have witnessed what we’ve experienced. They even intervene at times to save us from disaster. It will be quite an experience to one day in Heaven hear the angel’s perspective on our life circumstances. It makes me wonder if we’ll find ourselves laughing at the stories they tell.

For some who have had near death experiences or feared for their life and suddenly their circumstances changed, hearing angels describe what really happened in their invisible world will be amazing. Talking with angels or hearing these stories will have to wait until Heaven. There is no biblical evidence for trying to make contact with angels now, despite popular books that say otherwise. Our communication is directly to God. Our prayers are directed to God and not to angels.

Be aware that just as there is an invisible force of angels at work under God’s direction, there are also dark angels who “masquerade as servants of righteousness.” They bring us messages that appear to be from God but are not (2 Corinthians 11:15). Petitioning a connection with angels opens the door for this masquerade. Their desire is to mislead you and deceive you.

God’s angels work completely under the control and direction of God. The source of power on earth is gifted to us through God’s open door of prayer. Because of the sacrifice of Jesus, God’s Son, we have been given direct access to God the Father. We talk to God, and he directs his angels.

If you are disappointed in not becoming an angel one day, don’t be. We won’t be angels, but we’ll be with angels - and that will be far better.

Learn more at www.newlifeonline.com or follow Steve Lingenfelter on Twitter, @stevOLL.