"Holiness" - an Invitation

I grew up with an aversion to "holiness." Not the true concept but the term and its implications I hated. Even after graduating college and serving in China, I realized I kind of dreaded the word "holiness" because it seemed constricting, stripping, unpleasant, and well...I equated it with monks who sold everything, gave up all their passions, habits, and luxuries to go live in a sun-baked clay house where you can't talk but only chant. I saw it as this list that was always preached to me of things I needed to do better at or more things I needed to give up. It was draining, exhausting, condemning, and I never seemed to be getting anywhere because every preacher just kept telling me to do it more.

Looking back now, I can see it was because I had no reason to do it. I know God says "be holy as I am holy." But why? That's a command of how to do, not why. To what end were we moving towards, what was the ultimate goal of our holiness. I've picked up the saying that "Vision gives pain a purpose." When you've got the vision in front of you, the dream made tangible just beyond your fingertips, then you'll run harder, jump hurdles, stay up late at night, forgo coffees or movies to save money, forget meals, wake up early, blow past physical understandings to chase down that thing, to make it real and in your hands. 

I can't say I have a great vision now, but I do understand it a bit more. "Holiness" means "to be set apart." The issue is that in most of our culture were insecure with who we are so we just want to blend in and not be the good that sticks out. Because our insecurity we either don't want to be the odd one, or we go so far that we've made ourselves to be the odd one so we have a distinguished place and position in the group. Either way, once God tells you who you are you feel hand crafted for a specific purpose and you're ok to be different like different flavored and types of drinks. One person is pink lemonade when another is Dr. Pepper and another is raspberry flavored water and another is Jai Alai IPA.  Or consider each person a different member of an American football team: one a guard, another the quarterback, another a wide receiver, and another a linebacker. Each one is made differently and has a different flavor that they bring to the table.

Ok, so where does Holiness fit in?

Holiness is the invitation to not be like every other pink lemonade, IPA, linebacker or quarterback. Holiness is the invitation to be set apart, to stand out and taste incredible to perform at a higher level. No one likes getting in shape, but if they can see what they'll look like in the future, then it's time for the weight room. Holiness is the process of refining who you are so the greatest you comes out, is on display, and lives most radiantly. 

Lets take my brother for example. My brother wanted to get in shape, lose some weight, and build some muscle. It started with running some, then adding lifting in, then cutting out soda and some sweets. Then he created a fitness plan, started taking protein, looked up different workout programs, cut out fast food, and began drinking at least 80oz of water. It continued on to the point where Isaac now eats 5 meals a day, has most of them laid out so he knows exactly how many calories to eat at which part of the day, what workouts to do for how many weeks before switching, how to alternate, when to lift, run, sprint, do stations and to rest. He's 

Holiness means "to be set apart" is similar to an invitation to change the world. No one who did what everyone else did ever changed the world, they had to be set apart and do things differently. He's sculpted himself down from 27% body fat to 9%. He has more energy, more life, more stamina, and an overall better quality of health. This is the result of Holiness, of being set apart. He rarely its fast food and often takes his own meals so he can continue to eat healthy. When at a social event he will be careful as to what to drink, eat, how late to be out, how much sleep he needs, etc. He doesn't do what everyone else is doing because then he'd look and feel like they do. He sets himself apart so that he can live fully and achieve the vision before him.

My vision is to change the world. No one who ever changed the world did what everyone else was doing. They were "set apart" to be different and make a difference.  For me this means I can't read my bible like everyone else does, or watch tv like everyone else does, or eat and treat my body like everyone else does, I can't have poor or unhealthy relationships like everyone else does. Because I'm choosing to change the world and I'm choosing holiness, to be set apart. I still watch tv, read my bible, have relationships, eat and work out, but its all with the filter and vision of how will I change the world, how will I make an impact here.

Now, ill gladly choose holiness. Ill gladly choose being set apart- not fitting in in every circumstance because I see the vision of the man I want to become and the world I want to see. So I'll give up social norms in the culture, business, or church to pursue God in a way that He can make history through me. I would invite you to do the same. Let Him tell you who you are, then enjoy the process of being crafted into the top version of that person possible. 

But Will He Find Faith?

Promises. Justice. Fulfillment. The Kingdom.

Each of these things are ours, but often we haven't found the end of it yet. Promises God's made in scripture or in our own relationship with Him about our future. Justice to the nations and in our own life. Fulfillment of desires and passions inside of us. The Kingdom of God being made tangible and fulfilled on earth.

To each of these we haven't found the end. The completion is still beyond today. So we're waiting until tomorrow. What does it look like to wait? What do we do to wait? What's our part?

Most of us know the story of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8) (and perhaps sigh or get that gut-wrenching turn in your stomach when you think about it).  The story reads that there's a judge that doesn't fear God or care about people (great choice of occupations for this guy), and there's a widow who keeps coming asking for justice. The judge clearly states I don't fear God or care about you, but because you're so persistent and keep bothering me, I'll give it to you. Jesus then stops the story and ties it into the lesson saying "if this guy will give you justice, how much more do you think my Father will give to those who are persistent."

Ah, yes. And so we've learned the lesson that God is a good judge, and He will surely answer your prayers if you're persistent. So keep asking and "bothering" God with your requests and justice until you have your answer.

But wait...why does he add that last sentence in after He's made His obvious point. v8 "Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth." Um... what? Jesus, you missed the point you were just making. Now you're just adding in random stuff... or are you making a bigger point than the title my Bible gave me?

What if the point Jesus is making here isn't to stay persistent and bothering God, but what if it's believing God to fulfill His plans and promises and continuing to bring those before Him saying, "Hey, I still remember this. I'm still counting you in for this. I'm still waiting for this. You said this, remember?"

I know it almost sounds dumb to "remind" God of something, but in the OT we see Abraham (Gen 15:1-7), Moses (Deut 9), and David (Ps 74) all remind God of things He said or did. They took the promises, the character, the will of God and put it in front of God and said, "Hey, remember this?! I haven't forgotten. I'm still expecting this to happen. I'm still waiting and planning on this... anytime now would be good." And I believe that is the type of "faith" the Son of Man is looking for when He comes back. I'm not sure He's looking for people who are hanging on/buckling down/white knuckling it trying to get through and move beyond to the after life. Here in Luke, Jesus is inviting us to continue to take justice, promises, these unfulfilled things back before God and say, "Ok, so you said this. I haven't forgotten. I'm still planning and waiting for it. My family aren't all believers yet. My eyesight isn't fully healed yet. My wife is still MIA. The tuition for school hasn't made it into my account yet. Cancer is still killing people. Women are still being sex trafficked. I haven't forgotten. You remember this promises, these issues we're working on. I'm still here, still waiting, still planning for them to come through. I'm doing my part down here, but I'm reminding you of your promises." 

It's this kind of faith that God is looking for. Faith that doesn't survive but faith that knows the very heart and character of God as to stand firm waiting for justice and promises to come through despite the situation. I'm still counting You good for it and waiting for it.

So my charge to you would be to sit and remember promises, justice issues, or unfulfilled things in your life and put them before God. Take 5-10 min just to remind God and yourself of these things and pray them more into being. God's looking for partnerships not handouts.

(Footnote: People may argue that the passage refers to justice and not promises of God.  Numbers 23:19 "God isn't a man that he would lie, or a human being that he would change his mind. Has he ever spoken and not done it, or promised and not fulfilled it.?" God keeping His promises is justice. It would be unjust of Him to not keep His promise.

The Weight of A Soul

You may have remembered the Holiday Feast from last year a how I learned about the Absurdity of Christmas. This year, I went into the Holiday Feast expecting it to be, honestly, one more thing I'd enjoy doing but then cross it off my list of activities done and move onto the next. (You know how it is when you're life becomes a list of things to get done rather than a life to live. - I'm working on switching that, but that's where I am right now at times.) So I wasn't expecting much.

Last year more than 1,200 people poured into the Civic Center. The tables were full, the extra tables we pulled out were full. It was to the point that we were sticking chairs in rows in corners for people to sit and eat there. It was beautiful to get to serve so many, but chaotic in the process. I loved how we became the Church and didn't just have a service. 

Background to the event:
Bethel Church has a year long lease on the Civic Center in town for first year students. They still have events and bands come in throughout the year, but we also have the ability to do huge things in there. For example, we have a Holiday Feast. There's a reason we call it a feast and not a meal. We go all out. It's not styrofoam plates and an assembly line (though we do that on Sunday mornings), we have nice dining wear, family style portions, a table host who decorates and brings gifts, a waiter/waitress, live music, dramas, skits, choirs, hosts, and all out. It's awesome. A photo with Santa, drawn pictures, prayer, goody-bags for kids, greeters with hot chocolate/coffee. 

This year, instead of trying to feed 1,200 people, they decided to cap it at 800 and do it up really nice. Let's do quality not quantity. Which means potentially people being turned away (with a go away bag), but everyone there getting even greater treats. If we're loving people like Jesus does, we've got to do it up right and treat them like the Princes and Princesses He sees them as.

What's the issue? Here's the view the night before. Keep in mind, we're in Northern California that almost had a skiff of snow last year.

I'm not sure they have snowplows or salt trucks here. I mean, you'd think they would but who remembers the last time they got 4-6 inches dumped on them? Why is this an issue though?

How are you going to get the people to the Civic to enjoy the meal and be treated like Kings and Queens?

As the time came and people filed in, the upper deck was left empty and tables were combined. There may have been 500 people there (I'm a bad estimator and I haven't seen numbers yet, but I know WAY under 800.) 

I was a waiter this year and we had plenty of us. Rather than each of us having a table, we all kind of just tag teamed because we were a bit overstaffed. As the program went on and we went through and everyone was finishing up eating. I began to dialogue with God about what was going on. One of my friends, Bethany, was in charge of setting up and running the whole show and had been planning it heavily for 4 months or so. I knew the work that went into it and was a little frustrated about God's end of bringing the people in.

God, what happened? All this effort and work and why are there so few people here. There's so many more who could have came.

You asked me to send the people who were supposed to be here.

Yeah, but there's still so many more tables. There's so much going to waste.

If all this was for one person, I would...

Yeah, yeah. I know you would have still done it. (with accepting tone.) But...

It's because you don't understand the weight of a soul.

Wha...

You wanted to know what the weight of a soul was. Well, look. This is the weight of a soul. This is how much I value you it and desire it. You don't realize how much I spend and am willing to spend over each soul. I would have prepared for a thousand, spent all the money on it, went all out, had hundreds of people spending day and night on this day to make sure it's right, go all out and over the top. Because I have THAT much value for one soul. You know I gave you my son, Jesus, right? You still don't understand the full weight of Him coming and dying. He's way more weight and worth than a dinner, but I'm not going there now. Look at all the effort, time, and money put into this. THAT'S MY WEIGHT OF A SOUL.

After a response like that, you don't really have much to say but, "Dang. Yeah, you were definitely right about that one. Thanks for correcting me. Keep teaching me cause I'm all ears." And He did. He just kept showing me what it was worth for one soul. 

There were dancers and  live music throughout, the drama came and razzled people, Chris O (one of the big evangelists at Bethel) came and just shared the gospel and how to join in the family. After that Chris Gore (the guy who leads the healing ministry at Bethel) came up and briefly shared what all Jesus died for on the cross is both sin and sickness and we then prayed for people afterwards. I have no doubt that many were saved and many were healed, but it was here in the midst of all this effort and all this to-do of so many months of hard work for so many people, God showed me THIS is the weight I have for one soul. (and I know it's actually not, He's paid a lot more, but He was kind enough to let my mind just be blown with this fact for now.)

Amen.