Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee

[Daily Herald]

A local artist says the only way he can truly express himself is by legally changing his name to “In God We Trust.”

Yes. First name, “In God.” Last name, “We Trust.”

School bus driver and amateur artist Steve Kreuscher of Zion will appear in a Lake County court June 13, hoping the judge will grant his request.

“I want this with all my heart,” says the 57-year-old father of four.

Kreuscher, a Christian who gave up on organized religion 20 years ago, said the new name would symbolize the story of his life.

“I’ve had to trust God through incredibly hard times,” he said.

Going through an “extremely painful” divorce, bouts of severe depression, money problems and a life-threatening home invasion, he believes God protected him through it all. He’s also worried atheists might finally be successful in having the phrase “In God We Trust” removed from U.S. currency.

“Those words are an endangered species,” Kreuscher said. “You might take it off the money, but you can’t take away my name.”

Read more here.

[From me]

Actually, I would love my name to be changed to Barnabas.  In the Bible a name change signified a life change or described the person’s actions.  Joseph’s name was changed to Barnabas because he was an “encourager.”  I can’t think of a better name to have?  

What name would you change yours to if possible?

God has really been teaching me a lot about Grace. I’ve posted before how I believe churches do a good job of offering “Grace” at the moment of conversion but a poor job afterwards. It is like a “bait and switch” tactic.

It is always interesting how God makes me learn from 1st hand experience. Sometimes I wish I could just read a book or go to a conference but it doesn’t work that way. Recently I have been forced into several situations that caused a crisis of belief for me in regards to Grace. Probably as far back as 6 months ago or less I would have reacted differently. But I’m learning that when I show the grace that God has given me to others it softens them up. At first they don’t know how to react because it wasn’t always my way.

I know that some well meaning Christians feel that “grace” is a license to sin. That can’t be further from the truth. What God’s grace does is offer us what is already ours. The moment we accept Jesus we are in the family. Family members have don’t have to earn privileges in their family, they receive them because of who they are in their family.

It is the same with God. He offers for us to join his family and when we do we have privileges not because we have performed but just because we are his children! So recently when I was faced with confronting some sinful behaviors I had to remind these people that they were not being true to who they were in Christ. When we are truly God’s we will act like it.

What was interesting when I and others who were in this with me approached it from this perspective, the walls came down and not only did the persons realize that they weren’t acting as if they were God’s the dialogue opened to talk about other areas! Cool!

I guess the saying is true: ”

Boy do I have a lot more to learn.

What do you think?

[Christian Post]

On Easter Sunday, Christians will proclaim the message at the heart of their faith — “He is risen” — and will affirm the hope that God will raise all the dead at the end of time. But this belief is deeply misunderstood, say scholars from varied faith traditions who have been trying to clear up the confusion in several recent books.

“We are troubled by the gap between the views on these things of the general public and the findings of contemporary scholarship,” said Kevin Madigan and Jon Levenson, authors of the upcoming book, “Resurrection, The Power of God for Christians and Jews.”

Debate about Christ’s Resurrection has focused on whether Jesus rose bodily from the dead after the Romans crucified him on Good Friday, or whether Resurrection was something abstract.

Read about it here.

[From me]

I believe in a actual resurrection.  The reasons are many. 1st, I wouldn’t follow a God who didn’t have power over death.  2nd, the disciples would not have gone to their death if they had really not seen Jesus.  The Muslims claim that Jesus was replaced by Judas on the cross but no credible scholars believe that.  Jesus was either a liar, crazy man or who He said He was.

I believe He is God.

Happy Easter.

I had the privilege of serving on staff at a dynamic church in Jacksonville, NC. Jacksonville is the home of Camp Lejeune. We met some extremely cool men and women who were sold out to God and our nation. I love the new Marine advertising campaign which says “We don’t take applications, only commitments.” That is so true of the men and women I’ve met who serve in all of the armed forces. They aren’t just there for a job, they are committed to serve.

I believe the church needs to adapt this slogan. My experience is that we have a lot of “safe Christians.” When is the last time you saw God do something that only he could do? How many times I have heard and seen people put God in a box? I’ve been guilty of this myself. How many times do we say no to ministry opportunities because we think it is impossible. Well last time I looked in Philippians 4:13 it says:

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

It doesn’t say I can do all things on my own. It doesn’t say we live on facts and figures. Too many times we say no to God before we ask what He wants! We are living a “SAFE CHRISTIANITY!”

I used to live like God could do everything and then I got complacent. But God has a way of shaking you up. It started last summer as my friend Mike Landrum and I began reaching out in our Samaria and started to see God move. Then I heard Craig Groeschel speak a dynamic message called “Practical Atheism” and I realized I was a practical atheist because I was talking about what God had in past tense and not what He was doing right then. I repented that day and decided I would no longer live that way.

Nothing about Jesus and God is safe. When he calls us he demands not just commitment but submission! Look at what Jesus said is involved in following Him:

Luke 9:23

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

The 1st Century Jew understood this meant 1 thing—DEATH! Taking a cross meant that a person was going to their execution. If Jesus were saying it today it would probably say, “take up your electric chair, lethal injection or firing squad.” Nothing about Jesus and living for Him is safe!

I get really bugged when followers of Jesus don’t even trust God. It bothers me when so called Christ followers don’t believe “God sized” stories or say it is just a coincidence! I don’t believe in coincidences! My God is bigger than me. If I understand everything then why would I need God? Then when someone lives a dangerous Christian life they get ridiculed for actually trusting God. I don’t get it.

In Matthew 14 Jesus was walking on the water while the disciples were in a storm.  All the disciples were scared to death but Peter asked Jesus to let him come to him on the water.  All the other disciples must have thought he was crazy.  But Peter is the only one who didn’t play it safe and got out of the boat.  Only Peter can say he walked on water!

I want to challenge you to get away from the safe, religious Christianity and get out of the boat and see God do amazing things in your life today!

What do you think?

[Christian Post]

Jesus Christ is the third most popular role model for children in Britain, according to adults surveyed in a new poll released Friday.

British adults were asked who they would want their children to look up to in a poll conducted by Opinium Research. Family members topped the list, followed by multi-millionaire entrepreneur and daredevil Richard Branson in second place, according to Reuters.

Jesus Christ came in third in the poll, being less popular among younger Britons than older citizens. Nearly double those over 55 years old chose Jesus as the best role model for children compared to those aged 18-34.

Read about it here.

[From me]

What does it say about society when relatives and a billionaire are greater role models for children than God almighty?

What do you think?