Unchained

Wildcats and hyenas will hunt together, demons will scream to demons, and creatures of the night will live among the ruins.

-- Isaiah 34:14

The fifth chapter of Mark’s gospel begins with the story of a man who faced some serious problems. Or perhaps a legion of problems is a more accurate description of his plight.

This tormented soul had been exiled from the community to live out his remaining days in a graveyard near Lake Galilee. The man was literally overcome by demons. And so total was his possession that he used supernatural strength to repeatedly break the chains and smash the leg irons that the townspeople had used to confine him.

“No one could control him,” Mark wrote. “Night and day he was in the graveyard or on the hills, yelling and cutting himself with stones.”

And that would have been the end of the man’s bizarre narrative. But then along came Jesus and His disciples from their voyage across the lake. Recognizing that Jesus was literally God in the flesh, the demons that possessed the man begged to postpone their own eternal fate and instead possess the vast herd of pigs that roamed the vicinity. Jesus agreed. And the demons immediately fled from their victim.

Fast-forward now to 21^st Century America. Does it seem like “demons” are only found in ancient fairytales? When a celebrity, sports star or even a neighbor faces the consequences of alcohol, drugs or some other destructive influence, count on their loved ones to observe that they struggled with their share of demons. Sometimes that’s a figure of speech. But literal demons really can torment people and do their best to make their victims’ lives a living hell.   

The fact is that everyone has their share of demons to one extent or another—even Christ-followers. And even though we’ve accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, asked Him for forgiveness and then received it, we still can slide back into all those bad habits and behaviors that we thought we had left far behind. And then slide back time and time again.

So what’s the problem? Doesn’t the Bible say that becoming a Christ-follower makes you a new creation?

It does. But our transformation is a work in progress on God’s timetable. Although it can happen immediately, shedding our personal demons often takes place bit by bit and day after day along that faith journey we hear so much about. Keep in mind that the journey’s pathway is narrow, twisting and full of unexpected hairpin turns. And it’s when we take our eyes off the Destination and listen to our demons that we wind up in the ditch.

Let’s finish by considering the life lesson of the Apostle Paul – the Christ-follower who wrote much of the New Testament. In his 2,000-year-old lament that sounds uncomfortably familiar to modern ears, Paul complains that he continues to do the very things he despises. Yet at the same time, he fails to do the things he knows he should accomplish.

If this great Apostle to the Gentiles had so many problems with sin and temptation, what hope can we have of breaking free from our own chains? Well…quite a bit! As Christ-followers, we don’t have to accept sin’s dominance in our lives. So it all comes down to our ultimate trust and dependence on a Power much greater than ourselves.

“What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?” asks Paul. “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Stormy Weather

Jesus said to his followers, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

-- Mark 4:40

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

It’s been about 2,000 years since Jesus’ first disciples heard these great words of truth and wisdom. And aren’t they just as relevant to modern-day Christ-followers? Turn on the TV and surf the Web, and just try to avoid the never-ending news stories about bankruptcies, foreclosures and unemployment. And let’s not forget earthquakes, tsunamis, and war in the Middle East.

The point is that there are storms everywhere. And there’s no escape – even after you’ve switched off the TV, folded the newspaper and logged off the computer. For some folks, a storm might be a job loss or bankruptcy. For others, it’s a chronic illness or the prospect of major surgery. Maybe your trouble involves family or relationship issues like a divorce or the loss of a loved one. But does God even care about our personal hurricanes and flash floods? After all, the waters are choppy and the skies are dark and threatening.

Under such gloomy circumstances, we need to remind ourselves that we worship a God who’s much greater than any natural disaster, economic difficulty or international dispute. Ours is a God who literally spoke the universe into creation, formed great mountain ranges with His hands and parted the seas with a breath. And with just a word, he calmed the choppy waters of Lake Galilee that had threatened to drown his small band of followers.

“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” asks the writer of Genesis, the first book of the Bible.

Let’s take God at His Word when He tells us that through life’s turmoil, He works for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose. We also need to remember that we’re not exempt from personal storms once we turn our lives over to Jesus and become Christ-followers. What does change is that we gain access to a Power Who helps us endure any difficulty -- great or small. Likewise, we also become beneficiaries of an eternal inheritance that will make our current troubles fade into oblivion. The storms that seem so great today will become laughably insignificant tomorrow.

Let’s consider one of the Old Testament’s most famous passages to help us put our troubles and concerns into much-needed perspective:

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

The storms of life in one form or another surround every one of us. The lightning flashes and the thunder rumbles. But we can rest assured that through our great God, blue skies await.

Celebrate!

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

-- John 14:6

This Sunday marks Velocity Christian Church’s 5th Anniversary as a community focused on helping folks in the Richmond, Virginia area accelerate their faith journey toward God. But what is it that Velocity – or really every Bible-believing church in the world – will celebrate this Sunday…and every Sunday to come?

It comes down to the radical notion that God loves His creation so much that He sent His only Son to personally pay for the mess we’ve all made of our lives and a once unspoiled creation. With this immense price now cleared from our individual accounts, every believer, through faith in Jesus Christ, is free to serve as His hands and feet throughout the community. Ultimately, it’s a universal body of believers sent to show the world that it’s nothing less than a Church on the Move.

So how’s the church done over the last 2,000 years? The story goes that a missionary once asked Mahatma Gandhi – the pacifist Hindu leader called the Father of India – why he so often quoted Jesus but refused to become His follower.

"Oh, I don't reject your Christ. I love your Christ,” replied Gandhi. “It's just that so many of you Christians are so unlike your Christ."

Yes, we Christ-followers find ourselves in a predicament. Relativism seems to rule America, and what’s obviously right and wrong is no longer considered so black and white. Popular culture brands those who believe in Jesus and His teachings as old-fashioned and intolerant. And those who dare to point out our nation’s retreat from God are called bigots and hate merchants.

The world really is upside down. For many celebrities, musicians and sports stars, breaking the law and going to jail is just a career move. But if a Christ-follower – real or in name only – slips up and does something wrong, the words hypocrite and judgmental quickly follow in the media.

It’s true: Christ-followers really do hold some narrow and politically incorrect beliefs. One is that Jesus is the one and only way to God. Ultimately, the world’s false philosophies and religions fall far short of God’s standards. It’s Good News that the world curses and can’t tolerate.

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil,” responds God, “who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.”

(Talk about having friends in high places!)

As we celebrate Velocity’s 5th Anniversary of being His hands and feet in Richmond, Jesus encourages us to be salt and light to a distorted world in need of guidance, truth and character.

A skeptical world is watching. May it be that Velocity celebrates our Good News through changed lives marked with love in action!

Join the Crew

Christ chose some of us to be apostles, prophets, missionaries, pastors,

 and teachers, so that his people would learn to serve

and his body would grow strong.

 
-- Ephesians 4:11-12

Are you one of the millions of people who vacationed on the high seas last year?

Whether you sailed to the Caribbean, Alaska, Bermuda or the Greek Isles, the voyage was probably as memorable as some of the ports of call. That's because modern cruise ships are literally 24-hour floating cities populated by thousands of fun-seeking passengers from all over the world. Rising several stories above the water, many large vessels entertain their guests with onboard movie theaters, gourmet restaurants, bustling nightclubs and full service gymnasiums. Some cruise ships even have basketball courts, rock climbing walls and miniature golf courses. And if you're looking for shopping bargains in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico, the duty-free store is on Deck 10. Then take the glass and chrome elevator five decks down for your haircut, massage and manicure.

Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas, one of the world's largest cruise ships, is over 1,100 feet long and serves more than 4,300 guests at full occupancy. Each day, its restaurants serve thousands of meals and its laundry cleans just as many towels, sheets and table linens. And behind it all are hundreds of talented, hardworking crewmembers - all dedicated to making their guests' vacations as fun and memorable as possible. A ship's crew includes an army of stewards, cooks, mechanics and even daycare attendants - and that's not to mention everyone assigned to navigating the ship. From captain to cabin boy, every crewmember has a critical role in helping their vessel sail effortlessly through both calm seas and choppy waters.

Like a full-service cruise ship, God’s church also needs dedicated people to help it operate efficiently and grow its international passenger list. That's because a church is much more than a group of people that meets on Sundays to listen to the pastor and sing along with the musicians. The Bible tells us that God has given each Christ-follower certain gifts, talents and resources for advancing His Kingdom on Earth. Some applications are obvious - like singers and musicians serving in the praise band. Others use their gifts in behind-the-scenes capacities - such as bookkeepers or office managers who help the church use its resources wisely. For every gift, talent and resource employed in the secular world, there's also an application for strengthening the body of believers known collectively as The Church. 

Jesus' earliest followers were a motley crew from many walks of life. Some were fishermen. One was a tax collector. And another might today be called a terrorist. Even the Apostle Paul moonlighted as a tentmaker. Centuries later, Christ continues to seek men and women from every background who are willing to represent Him and serve others through their many gifts, talents, and perspectives. It’s one help wanted ad where everyone is encouraged to apply. And experience isn’t necessary.

"Come, follow me," Jesus told the fishermen Peter and Andrew, "and I will make you fishers of men."

Are you ready to join His crew?

Let's Go

Then Jesus said to all the people: "If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross each day and follow me."

-- Luke 9:23

The June 6, 1944 landing on the French beaches of Normandy -- the bloody event best known as D-Day -- involved an estimated 2 million Allied soldiers, sailors and airmen, plus thousands of naval vessels and aircraft. About 17 billion pounds of supplies supported it. And if it weren't for a stubborn weatherman and a general who were willing to risk the outcome of World War II, the history-changing invasion of Europe might have turned out quite differently.

American, British and Canadian troops had trained for D-Day for months. And the German military knew they would come sooner or later. The question was where...and when. June 5 was the original date with destiny. But the weather was questionable and could make the English Channel treacherous for the thousands of vulnerable landing craft and support craft (and not to mention the troops). Dr. James Martin Stagg -- the Allies' lead weatherman -- advised General Dwight D. Eisenhower to postpone the massive invasion. However, Stagg added that the clouds would break on June 6. Several members of the meteorological team disagreed with this optimistic interpretation of the weather charts. But after weighing the situation for just 30 seconds, Eisenhower signaled his commitment with three simple words: OK, let's go.

Commitment is a virtue that God has sought in His people for centuries. Joshua, one of the great servant leaders of the Old Testament, displayed this trait when he challenged the tribes of Israel to choose who they would serve: the false gods of their ancestors or the only one True God. "But as for me and my household," declared Joshua, "we will serve the Lord."

Jesus also seeks this same level of total commitment from His modern-day followers. Rather than would-be believers who might help to build His kingdom if it's not too inconvenient for them, Christ demands an all-or-nothing relationship from those willing to give the little they have to eventually gain everything.

Does this sound unrealistic? Jesus' closest friends thought so. One day, a rich young man asked Christ what he had to do to gain eternal life. Knowing what was in the man's heart, Jesus reminded him about following God's commandments about theft, adultery, murder, lying, and honoring one's parents. When the man replied that he had kept these laws since childhood, the Savior told him that he lacked just one thing: the need to sell all his possessions.

Jesus knew that rather than loving God with all his heart, soul and mind (the first of the 10 Commandments), the rich man was actually committed to money. This would-be follower was crushed by Jesus' harsh revelation and soon turned away. And Jesus' apostles were just as amazed. "If this is the way it is," they asked, "who can ever be saved?"

Jesus' response was both direct and reassuring.

"What is impossible for man," He explained, "is possible with God."

The lesson here is that Jesus seeks undivided loyalty from His followers -- those special people who are willing to give and serve using the gifts, talents and resources entrusted from God. But to make this vital commitment, we must realize that it requires our total reliance on a Power much greater than ourselves.

The 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

The Emperor’s New Clothes is one of the most familiar and beloved short stories by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. We read 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 master weavers – arrived at the castle. And they assured the chic emperor 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 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 centuries earlier, 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.  

Home of the Brave

I've commanded you to be strong and brave. Don't ever be afraid or discouraged! I am the LORD your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go.

-- Joshua 1:9

Stephen Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage was once required reading in high school English classes from coast to coast. Set on the bloody battlefields of the Civil War, this 1895 masterpiece is so realistic that veterans often wrote to Crane asking him to identify his regiment. In fact, Crane was born six years after the war – the fourteenth child of a Presbyterian minister!

The Red Badge of Courage tells the story of Henry Fleming, a naïve youth who – against his mother’s wishes -- joins the Union Army to find his measure of excitement and glory. But Henry soon discovers the horrific realities of war when his regiment attacks the enemy from behind. Henry and several other soldiers run from the carnage and desert. Wounded and bleeding by a stiff blow from a rifle butt (delivered by another “lost” Yankee), Henry eventually makes it back to his regiment’s camp with the help of a fellow soldier. Remarkably, no one suspects the protagonist of desertion.

Henry’s baptism of fire quickly changes the innocent young man into a battle-wise soldier. He’s involved the next day in several frontline skirmishes with the Rebels. Afterwards, his colonel compliments the former coward for his bravery in combat. The transformation was both remarkable and complete. It was just hours before that Henry abandoned his comrades and ran for his life. Now, he held the line and encouraged them to fight even harder.

The Red Badge of Courage is not an overtly Christian novel. But as a “PK” (Pastor’s Kid) and former seminary student, it’s likely that Stephen Crane knew a thing or two about redemption and the Power that enables regular people to do impossible things. It’s also likely that most of us can identify with Crane’s character, Henry. We may not be facing a fierce enemy on some faraway battleground. But we do face a countless number of intimidating opponents – opponents that we have no hope of conquering on our own. Poverty, hunger, crime, and disease are a few obvious examples. Is it any surprise that Satan uses fear as his primary weapon against God’s saints? After all, fear is the opposite of faith. And it’s the devil who plants the seeds of doubt that cause us to ask ourselves, “What if…” It’s that tiny question that leads us to follow our natural tendencies toward inaction and procrastination. (Which is just what the enemy wants.)

The good news is that Christ-followers are called by their Creator to be strong and brave. We’re not alone on the battlefield. And we can be encouraged by the average people (like you and me) that God enables to do extraordinary things. David – the obscure shepherd boy – killed the fierce giant Goliath with a single, well-aimed stone from a slingshot. And that same shepherd boy eventually became the King of Israel and the one God called “a man after My own heart.” Likewise, the Apostle Peter literally dove into the deep end when he accepted Jesus’ call to walk on water. It was only after he began to doubt that Peter began to sink. But Jesus saved him when His follower called out in faith. This same follower – who would also deny Jesus multiple times – ultimately became a bold preacher of what the Book of Acts called The Way. Two books of the New Testament also bear his name. 

As Christ-followers, we can take heart: God doesn’t expect us to solve the world’s problems. Instead, it’s by seeking and using His power in faith that we can indeed make a world of difference. Even if it’s one person at a time.