Naked Truth

Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

-- Acts 4:18

First published in 1837, The Emperor’s New Clothes is a beloved short story by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. He wrote that there was once an emperor whose life revolved around fashion. This ruler even had a stylish outfit for every hour of the day. So it happened that two swindlers — claiming to be master weavers — arrived at his castle. And they assured the chic royal that they could tailor a unique suit of clothes for him from the magnificent cloth they would weave. 

The emperor agreed to the frauds’ terms and gave them an extravagant down payment to begin their work. Eager to learn about his outfit’s status, the emperor sent his prime

minister to inspect the tailors’ progress. Much to the prime minister’s surprise, he found only empty looms. But he was afraid to reveal his ignorance when the conmen asked for his thoughts about the imaginary fabric’s vivid colors and pattern. The prime minister replied that he was very impressed with their craftsmanship. And then he complied with the tailors’ new demands for more money and gold thread to complete their work.

“Is not the cloth magnificent?" asked two high government officials when the emperor came to view the progress for himself. "See here, the splendid pattern, the glorious colors," they proclaimed. Each pointed to the empty looms. And each thought that the others could see the material. "What can this mean?" said the Emperor to himself. "Am I so stupid? Am I not fit to be Emperor? This is disastrous," he thought. But aloud he said, "Oh, the cloth is perfectly wonderful. It has a splendid pattern and such charming colors."

And he nodded his approval, smiled appreciatively and stared at the empty looms.

The day soon came for the emperor’s grand procession – the celebrated occasion when His Majesty would reveal his new suit of clothes. As he walked by, the emperor’s subjects could only gasp at the spectacle. Silence enveloped the room. But no one dared to proclaim the remarkable sight before their eyes. Finally, a little boy pointed at the emperor and stated the obvious. 

“Look!” said the youth. “The emperor has nothing on.”

Although written more than a century ago, Hans Christian Andersen’s tale says much about our modern society. The story’s well-intentioned characters followed the popular (politically correct) path and told the emperor what he wanted to hear. But it took a naïve child to reveal the naked truth. 

It’s a lesson for every Christ-follower. For too long, many in the church have turned a blind eye as society accepts the world’s deceptive, if-it-feels-good, do-it message. Watch almost any television show or movie these days and you’ll see destructive behaviors and lifestyles that God expressly condemns. Adultery and other illicit relationships, for example, are no longer considered scandalous. And if Christ-followers refuse to compromise their biblical principles and dare to speak out, they’re likely to be scolded as being intolerant, bigoted and narrow-minded.

Of course, God’s Word reveals no change regarding illicit behaviors and the destruction they render. But just as our ancestors did long ago, too many today are willing to turn their heads and accept the “anything goes” activities of others … including those of some in the church. “If no one says anything,” they reason, “maybe everything will be OK. We don’t want to offend anyone.” 

As Christ-followers, compromising God’s truth for bankrupt worldly philosophies is never an option. It’s when we’re convicted to convey His true Message in both words and deeds – regardless of its unpopularity or consequences – that we take another step toward making a real difference in the world.  

Sound Barrier

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."

– Mark 10:27

It was the final frontier of fixed-wing aviation: the sound barrier.

Just a few decades after the Wright brothers had made their historic heavier-than-air flights from the sand dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, aviation had evolved from flimsy fabric-and-wood biplanes to sleek — and deadly — jet-propelled fighters. The fastest aircraft of World War II would eventually reach speeds exceeding 500 mph. But then the laws of aerodynamics stepped in. There was some invisible force that prevented airplanes from exceeding 761 mph — the speed called Mach 1 (the speed of sound through air). This force could tear the wings off aircraft, which led some to believe it was an unbreakable natural law.

Chuck Yeager saw it differently. On October 14, 1947, the veteran test pilot and World War II ace broke the sound barrier in a tiny rocket-propelled aircraft about five seconds

after its launch from the belly of a B-29 bomber. Then, only five years later, he set another fixed wing speed record by reaching 1,650 mph: more than twice the speed of sound. A once seemingly insurmountable barrier was breached through technology, skill and a good measure of bravery.

 As Christ-followers, we face our own barriers as we try to live out each day by God's standards. But instead of exceeding Mach 1, we often crash and burn by following our natural tendencies to do what's wrong ("sin"). And rather than following Jesus' example of loving our neighbors, helping the disadvantaged and honoring God, we're often tempted to go back to the old "Me First" lifestyle. It's a real struggle: the selfish stuff we know we shouldn't do versus the ultimately world-changing things we can and should do. And as with any struggle, we eventually get tired. That's when we fail to cross that invisible barrier.

That's also when we need energy to get us over the top. Something like a shot of espresso or a can or two of Red Bull. But something much more powerful, lasting and dependable.

In the New Testament's book of Romans, the apostle Paul wrote that he saw this exhausting struggle as internal warfare pitting Good against Evil. Through his own energy and efforts, he knew that he'd certainly lose the battle. But Paul had a dynamic weapon that assured his ultimate victory. And it's something that's available to you and me right now.

It’s called the Holy Spirit: that personal Force that all Christ-followers receive when they ask Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. The Holy Spirit is God's power residing in every Believer. It's what enables us to do or say the things we never could before, overcome seemingly insurmountable odds and generally do the impossible. In fact, the Bible says it's the same power that raised Jesus from the dead after his crucifixion.

If you're a Christ-follower, ask the Holy Spirit for a breakthrough. Be alert to his teachings and leadings. And understand that they could come from just about anywhere. It might be a Scripture passage that reveals itself to you with new meaning. Or maybe it's a spiritual truth emerging from a discussion in your Bible study. The Holy Spirit can also speak through a conversation you have with a friend or stranger, or even out of an odd circumstance in the workplace. You just never know.

Wherever and whenever he appears, the key is to keep your eyes, ears and heart open. Then trust God to help you cross the barrier.

Name-dropping

 “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.”

 – Matthew 10:40

We’ve all done it once or twice ... or perhaps a lot more.

It’s name-dropping — suggesting that we have a relationship with a movie star, politician, sports star or some other celebrity. We do it at parties, and sometimes it even works at job interviews because it can create a connection. And while name-dropping can also be annoying, it’s sometimes OK to brag a bit about a relationship with the right person. In the Bible, it’s actually encouraged. Let’s consider this passage from the Gospel of Matthew:

While he was still talking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers happened to be standing outside wanting to speak to him. Somebody said to him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are outside wanting to speak to you.” But Jesus replied to the one who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?”; then with a gesture of his hand towards his disciples he went on, “There are my mother and brothers! For whoever does the will of my Heavenly Father is brother and sister and mother to me.”

The point is that Christianity is a faith that embraces relationship

over religion. Specifically, there’s a parent/child relationship between us and God. And it’s a bond that’s only made possible through Jesus’ death on the cross — a punishment we all rightly deserve for our lifetimes stained by personal failures and shortcomings (also known as “sin”). But since we’re connected with the right person (Jesus), he’s already paid the price to save us from a certain death and eternal punishment in hell. What's more, Christ has us covered so well that we’re literally heirs to his Father’s Kingdom.

That’s the primary relationship we enjoy as Christ-followers. But God also wants us to make relationships with others so they too can begin traveling the same faith-journey. That means introducing them to Jesus, sharing his story and relating how his death on the cross means a whole new life here on earth — and later in eternity. When these soon-to-be believers come to those inevitable rough patches in life, they’ll always know The One to call.

How do we get the ball rolling? 

One of the best ways is to begin praying to God for people by name. They can be our family members, co-workers, neighbors, political leaders, the unsaved — and particularly our enemies. Jesus set our example here when he sent 12 of his followers to the nearby Jewish communities to spread the Good News (the Gospel):

“Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel,” he told them. “As you go, proclaim this message:‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.”

Here was a time Jesus instructed his followers to actually be the answer to someone’s fervent prayers in the midst of difficulties and pain — and use their connection with him to do the seemingly impossible. As the saying goes, it’s not always what you know that counts in life. It’s who you know that makes all the difference.

Out of the Sand Trap

 Happy is the person whose sins are forgiven, whose wrongs are pardoned.

– Psalm 32:1

There are few do-overs in the game of life. But sometimes there are in the game of golf. For example, if a golfer slices their shot into the woods or a deep sand trap, they might ask their opponent for a mulligan — a chance to try again.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could get a mulligan every time we fail in life? Like for the times we speak rudely to a family member or cut off another motorist in traffic. Or

when we gossip about someone at church or “forget” to report some income on our tax forms. Better still, how about a do-over for that night (25 years ago) when we shoplifted on a dare from a friend? Big or small, our failures can weigh heavy in our hearts. We can’t stop thinking about them and about what could have been. 

If we could just erase those ugly moments in time and start over with a clean slate. The truth is that we can all use a few mulligans.

The Apostle Peter understood these feelings. Although he was one of Jesus’ earliest followers, witnessed his Master’s miracles and even walked on water (until his faith ran out), this bold individual known as The Rock failed the test more than once. For example, we can read in Matthew 26 about Peter’s declaration to stand by Jesus — and even die, if necessary — no matter what. But only hours after the Savior’s betrayal and arrest, Peter denied even knowing him. And not just once, but three times!

That’s pretty sobering stuff. But the good news is that God understands our human limitations. What’s more, we can find his solution to this universal problem throughout the Bible.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness,” we read in 1 John. And this passage from Proverbs delivers additional reassurance: “He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”

That message on a popular bumper sticker sums it up: Christians aren’t perfect, they’re just forgiven. It’s when we desperately need a mulligan to erase our failures — whether we’re on or off the golf course — that we can always count on God’s undeserved kindness. We just need to confess our shortfalls to Jesus in faith. The result is a clean scorecard: a complete and total do-over.

“How far has the Lord taken our sins from us?” the Psalmist asks. “Farther than the distance from east to west!”

Picture This

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.

Ephesians 2: 8-9

What is GRACE?

For one thing, it’s a “churchy” word that’s hard to describe. You have to experience grace before you can really understand the concept. And even more confusing is that grace is both a thing and a process.

Receiving an unexpected, luxurious gift is one way to picture grace. It comes straight out of the blue, and we did nothing to deserve such a priceless expression of love. What’s more, we know that we could never afford it ourselves.

But grace is also an ongoing transformation. It’s something that changes us from the inside out starting the day we ask Christ to live through us until the day we meet

him in person. Grace invites us to turn our lives over to Jesus. And as we begin our faith-journey as Christ-followers, it teaches us to become more like him and see the world through his eyes. It’s an evolving, full-bodied change of heart, mind and spirit.

Here’s one more picture of what grace is all about: Envision a block of fine marble that’s sculpted into a museum-quality masterpiece. With each tap of the chisel from the Artist’s expert hands, a work of beauty and craftsmanship emerges. It often takes much longer than anyone expects. But the results are both awesome and lasting.

These examples of grace paint a picture of a God whose love is relentless. Even before the foundation of the world, he decided to pay the exorbitant price for our countless failures in life. That payment was made through the death of his own son (Jesus) on the cross. What’s more, it’s only by grace that we have the faith to accept him as our Savior. We were once in prison awaiting the punishment we so rightly deserve, but God’s loving grace set us free.

Do you get the picture? We see that grace is both a thing and a transformation. It’s also a work in progress. But most of all, it’s God’s extraordinary gift of love to anyone who’s willing to accept it.