“In those days Israel had no king. Each man did what he considered to be right.” (Judges 21:25)

The book of Judges is a jarring sequel to Joshua. In Joshua an obedient people conquer the land, as they trust God enough to follow Joshua’s leadership. By contrast, in Judges, an untrusting and disobedient people turn to idols. God disciplines them and delivers them again and again. The epitaph on the book of Judges exposes the root of the problem, “Each man did what he considered to be right” (21:25).

When Joshua died, God did not appoint a new national leader. Instead, God directed each tribe to conquer its allotted portion of the land. In the same way God had raised up Moses and Joshua, and as He would later raise up David (1 Samuel 16:13), God also raised up judges. The judges were different than today’s concept of judges. The Hebrew word “Judges” (Shophetim) means “bringer of justice.” The office of judge wasn’t new to Israel. Moses had ordered the people to appoint judges of every tribe during the years of wandering in Moab (Deuteronomy 19:17).

In seven distinct cycles of sin-discipline-repentance-deliverance, Judges demonstrates how Israel so quickly declined as it refused to learn to trust God. The judges were more local than national and their stories cover a period of about 350 years. From time to time God would appoint a judge to rescue His hurting people from corruption from within or oppression from without. The book was probably written by Samuel, a critical link between the period of the judges and the kings, after the ark was removed from Shiloh (18:31; 20:27; cf. 1 Samuel 4:3-11).

The theme of Judges is God’s faithfulness to His disobedient people demands discipline. In His patient love, God forgave His people every single time they repented. Israel repeatedly acted in foolishness, ingratitude, stubbornness, and rebellion. But God never stopped loving them and leading them. The lesson for God’s people of every generation is clear: God never stops loving His people, but count on it—sin always leads to suffering, and repentance always leads to deliverance.

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I used to be a “camping Christian.” Not a Christian who goes camping–I’m still one of those, but a Christian who divides the Christian community into “camps.”

You know what I mean, you may even use “camping” jargon:

• He’s not in our camp–meaning he doesn’t agree with your interpretation of Scripture, your theology, or your practice of the Christian life.
• They’re a part of that camp–meaning that they just don’t fit into your group.
• What camp are you in? This is a question that determines if someone is on your side.

120 Seconds

I’m too busy and I’m too tired of Christian “campers” to write anything substantive or maybe even profound, so I’m giving myself two minutes, 120 seconds, to say what is on my heart.

I was wrong when I insisted that those who disagreed with me or didn’t follow Christ in the same style I did were outside of my camp.

You’re wrong if you’re doing that now.

Can we disagree? Should we disagree?

Absolutely!

But should we divide into camps?

Absolutely not!

The next time you’re tempted to divide Christians between “us” and “them,” read Mark 9:38-50.

I’d say more, bit my time is up. So I’ll just close with Jesus’ words:

“For He who is not against us is on our side” (Mark 9:40).

There’s nothing like it:

A web of redemptive relationship sharing Jesus’ love in protective and nurturing ways.

Every Thanksgiving I get to spend time in Oregon But it always reminds me of what a wonderful church I get to be a part of. Here are thoughts from last year’s Thanksgiving that are still true for me today:

I just wrapped up five of the most authentic community days I’ve ever experienced. I’ve been speaking at the annual Thanksgiving at Cannon Beach Christian Conference Center in Cannon Beach, Oregon. But it was so much more than a conference for my Judy and me: it was intimate community.

About thirty of our faith community in SoCal–Church of the Open Door–traveled two days braving the rain and snow just to experience it with us. A few families from our past–choice families God has privileged us to disciple now living all over the United States also joined us. Some of our dearest friends in the extended family of God lead the ministries of Cannon Beach–Ecola Bible School and CBCC. Finally, my daughter Celia with her husband David and little Zachary, and my daughter Aimee with her three children, Jackson, Megan, and Camryn were with us.

We ate Thanksgiving together, centered our thoughts on Jesus and His Word, worshiped Him, laughed, cried, prayed, played games, talked about our lives, watched our children draw closer together, and simply experienced the joy of sharing our lives with Jesus and one another.

It’s Sunday evening and everyone–including my Judy–has returned to their “real life.” I’m prepping to teach at Ecola Bible School next week and work on my next book. But before I move on, I have to tell you three reasons why this type of community enriches your Christian life:

It’s a taste of heaven. Judy and I have been coming to Cannon Beach for twenty years now. As we anticipated some of our friends arriving, we kept saying, “I can’t wait until they get here and we can show them this place and introduce them to our Cannon Beach friends.” Judy remarked, “We’ll probably have these same thoughts when we’re in heaven and the Lord Jesus tells us someone we love is about to show up in that wonderful place.” Heaven is going to be all about relationship with the Lord Jesus and one another. Community brings some of that experience to earth.

It enhances worship. Sharing life so intensely for five days just causes worship to erupt from our redeemed heart. Staying up late with friends you’re catching up with, helping someone process their dreams and doubts, inviting others into the deep places of your soul, studying the Bible together, it releases the energy of the Spirit from our thankful hearts in ways those who try to live the Christian life alone will never know.

It accesses grace. Because community demands openness with God and His people, the hard work of speaking and receiving the truth in love gives the Holy Spirit opportunities to influence our lives and build the character of Christ in us hidden and self-protective Christians miss.

Community can be messy. Five days living so closely with one another meant we had to give a lot of grace to one another.

But it was worth it.

Those are my  three thoughts on community.

What are your thoughts? How has community enriched your Christian life?

“That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. ⁴ And these things we write to you that yourjoy may be full” (1 John 1:3-4).

In his Letters to Marc, Henri Nouwen says, “Success has isolated a lot of people and made them lonely. It seems sometimes as though meetings between people generally happen on the way to something or someone else.”

We live in a world where we’re all on our way to something else and someone else.

Just last month I asked Judy if there was any way I could love her better. She didn’t hesitate. “Yes, Eddie. You could put up that stupid iphone. Sometimes I feel that I’d get more of your attention if I were an app on your iphone”

Ouch!

It’s true, isn’t it? We’re hardly ever present with the one we’re with. We’re always on our way to someone else or something else.

The message to our hearts from early on is, “Nobody really has time for me. They’re all on their way to someone else or something else more important than me.”

“Stop interrupting me, can’t you see I’m on the phone…or watching the game…or on the computer? Go in your room and play, or put on a video. Just find something to do!”

Message to child? “I’m on my way to someone or something more important than you.

Those messages just keep on coming for the rest of our lives.

And then we meet Jesus.

Who is never in a hurry, never preoccupied, never impatient.

In fact, what He wants most of all is to spend time with us.

He gathers us in communities called churches.

And what do we do?

We turn church into the busiest place on earth where everyone is on their way to something or someone else…more important, more spiritual, more significant, more worthy of my time.

Just one more place where lonely people gather wondering, “Does anyone have an app for me?”

“Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well. You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had” (Philippians 2:3-5).

Question: Can you remember a time when you felt alone and isolated at church? What would you have wanted to say to your leaders?

Galatians 6:1-5

Galatians is the Magna Carta of Christian liberty. It’s a powerful little book. We’re studying it this year at Church of the Open Door. In Chapters 5 and 6 Paul applies the messages of justification and sanctification by faith.

In the first section of the epistle proper, 1:11-2:21, Paul defended his apostleship. In 3:1-4:31 the Apostle clarifies the implications of justification and sanctification by faith and why it’s true. His final section (5:1-6:10) demonstrates how this grace works in life. Grace works through liberty. Christ set us free to demonstrate His righteousness in ways that transcend any enslaving set of rules or moral codes (5:1-12). This liberty isn’t so that we can indulge the self-centered desires of our flesh as we did before we trusted in Christ. Using our freedom in that way will cause us to lose our inheritance in the coming kingdom (5:13-21). We’ve been set free to walk in the Spirit (5:16-18) so that we can display Christ’s righteousness through the fruit of the Spirit (5:22-26). But even this transformation isn’t about us; it’s about Christ and others. What we’ve really been set free to do is to love and serve others (6:1-10).

Those who walk in the Spirit glorify God in their liberty. Freedom from the Mosaic Law does not mean freedom from responsibility. Truly spiritual Christians will fulfill the “law of Christ” by gently restoring those within the community of faith who have lapsed into sin:

Here’s the link to the sermon, study notes, and discussion notes from my exposition of  Galatians 6:1-4:

Restoration by Grace Through Faith

Most of the time when I feel guilty, it’s because I am.

Sometimes, it’s only because of some screwed up experience from my past or some sicko moralistic twist on the Scriptures.

The prescription for both is a big dose of God’s grace.

If my guilt comes from the outside–false guilt that’s taught by works-based systems–grace delivers me from the lie. God is rescuing me from what is not true about me.

If my guilt comes from the inside–true guilt generated by the indwelling Spirit–it’s an expression of grace and love. God is rescuing me from what is true about me.

Now I know what you’re thinking. “How can I tell the difference?”

Live in community. Entrust yourself to the truth coming from those who are maturing in Christ. Trust grace to work through those who love you enough to tell you what is not true of you…and what is true.

This is a big reason for what the Bible calls fellowship.

My understanding of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in my life is that when I sin, He makes me miserable.

Not because God’s ticked off at me, but because He’s grieved.

Why is He grieved? Because God’s love always wants what is best for me. And sin never leads to anything good.

So it’s a gift of grace, this misery. It’s God’s tender mercies wooing me back into His love. All I need to do is get honest with Him, and rely on His power to move toward what He knows is good for me.

But it’s still misery.

I can only think of one way to make the misery worse…

…To try to take care of your sin by yourself.

There’s no more miserable creature on earth than a Christian with a secret life, trying to fix himself or herself without God and apart from other Christians.

You may think your hidden life is a secret, but God knows all about it.

Want to escape the misery?

Get honest with God and a few trusted Christian friends. If you take that step of trusting obedience, His love will flood out your lonely misery and you will know the joy of intimate friendship with Him and His redeemed community.

Question: Why do you feel most Christians avoid living in community?

Oh, guess that’s not “breaking news.”

Just the same old tired report that has discouraged and frustrated followers of Christ for centuries.

How do churches become irrelevant to what the Lord Jesus is doing in the world?

1) By forgetting their number one priority–to make disciples.

2) By telling people it’s works, not grace.

3) By listening to their own reports of their so-called relevance through the closed-circuit broadcasting of trendy evangelicalism.

4) By building pastor-centered fiefdoms rather than Christ-centered communities.

5) By overlooking the people Jesus cares about most–the poor, the hurting, the devastated, the hungry, and the powerless, to get to the people they care about most–the rich, the entitled, the influential, and the impressive.

Question: There’s five reasons. Can you think of more?