Who Am I?

It is the cry of the human heart. I think at some point all of us are desperate to find out who we are. It is the search for identity. It is a search for what has been stolen from us.

We have been told lies about who we are and who we belong to. What have you been told in your life that made you doubt the goodness of God?

Moses heard what God had planned for him and he was filled with thoughts of inadequacy. It completely overwhelmed and paralyzed him. Maybe God is calling you and you feel so unworthy to measure up to the call you have in your heart.

The bad news: You are unworthy. We ALL are. The great news? God wants to use us anyway.

That is the an incredible truth and it tells you the most about who you really are. You are the chosen agent designed to reflect God's beautiful love and character.

He is Risen!

Not even death could contain the One who is the source of life. We have hope because Jesus walked out of his tomb.

Rejoice because Jesus won the battle we couldn't even fight. No one has ever found his body, and the followers who saw him alive swore to the truth of that statement until their executions.

He fought the battle, he paid the debt, he won the victory, and he did it for you. Don't ever forget about the resurrection, the most important event of human history.

He is risen!

Noon, Good Friday

Jesus was crucified at 9 AM. He has been on the cross for three hours. Religious leaders have mocked and taunted him, the crowds have jeered at him, and even the thieves on the crosses beside him have hurled insults in his direction. His face is a mask of blood, sweat, spit, and pain. Every breath is a struggle, every movement is agony. White hot jolts of pain sear through his entire body, and no position relieves the pain.

The greatest pain is still to come.

The sky begins to darken, and soon a bright day is turned into dusk. Creation is in agony, the Creator is being killed. The darkness creeps over the land as the Father turns from the Son and begins to pour out his wrath on the Chosen One.

For the first time, Jesus experiences separation from the Father. It is more than he can bear. Jesus has been silent most of this morning, only speaking forgiveness onto those nailing him to this cross, but the Father turning away sparks a cry from Jesus' broken heart.

"My God, my God.....why have you forsaken me?" The cry rips through creation and stabs right into the heart of the Father. The cup has been given to the Son, and he has shouldered the burden of sin, guilt and shame. The spotless lamb has been blemished.

I watch this with amazement. The God of all things is on a cross, yet I know nails do not keep gods fastened to trees.

As I look at his eyes, I wonder, "Jesus, what is keeping you there? Why do you stay?"

WHY??

God on Trial

Jesus has decided to go through with his mission. He has chosen to take on the cup of suffering. Soon after, a large group of armed men came through the garden. Judas was with them, and he greeted Jesus with a kiss on the cheek. This kiss signaled to the soldiers that Jesus was the one they were after.

Judas betrayed his Creator with a kiss. After that, the entire story erupts into chaos. Peter attacks one of the soldiers, slicing off his ear with a sword. Jesus scolds him and heals the ear. The men lead Jesus away, and the disciples run away. Jesus is alone to meet his fate.

Over the night, Jesus will endure multiple trials. These were highly illegal under Jewish law for many reasons, including the fact they were held at night. It was of no concern to the Jewish authority who wanted Jesus dead. Witnesses were brought in to condemn the only faultless person on the planet. They were fools, contradicting themselves and embarrassing the leaders who put them there. Jesus was off the hook! He was silent against his idiotic accusers, and had completely avoided any implication of wrongdoing.

Completely at a loss for what to do, the High Priest confronts Jesus directly. "Are you the Christ?" he said, "The Son of the Blessed One?" Jesus had been silent to this point, but he affirms the identity credited to him. Jesus said, "I am, and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." Jesus had just told the truth, and confirmed his identity, and the High Priest condemned him for blasphemy. By speaking, Jesus had sealed his fate, and a death sentence from the Jewish leaders was assured.

However, the Jewish leaders were not allowed to put someone to death without consulting the Roman authority, the real political rulers of the area. Jesus had another court date, but this one would have to wait for dawn.

Jesus was thrown into a cell to await his next appointment. On Friday morning, the Roman government would make its judgment on God.

Jesus had been awake since Thursday morning, he had been through severe emotional stress, and now he had been subject to the violence of the guards who mocked and beat him. It would have been enough to break most men.

How much more can one man take?

In the Garden

Jesus and the disciples arrived at the Garden late at night. Jesus wanted to talk to his Father, something he did regularly, usually by himself.

Tonight was different, he wanted his friends to be there with him during this difficult time. He asked them to stay awake with him and pray. Jesus went away by himself and began pouring his spirit out to God. The scriptures describe a man in such agony that his sweat actually looked like drops of blood. This is actually a real medical condition called hematidrosis, usually found in people who are undergoing extreme stress and psychological strain. Jesus certainly fit this description.

All of Jesus' life had led to this moment. Every miracle, every healing, every teaching, every prophecy...everything came down to this critical decision. Jesus knew his purpose. It was his mission to take all of the sins and ugliness of humanity on himself. He was to bear the burden. He was to take the punishment.

And he didn't want to do it.

Jesus pleaded with the Father to find another method of salvation. The unspoken answer: "There is no other way." Jesus relented to the will of his Father. Humility and trust paved the way to our freedom. The wrath of God would soon be on him, and God would look at us as sinless because of his punishment. As Isaiah said, we are healed because of his wounds.

The Father was waiting to pour out the cup of sin and suffering on his own Son. The final incarnation was waiting to take place. The final spotless lamb had been prepared for sacrifice.

Jesus was the lamb.

The Journey to the Garden

Jesus and His disciples leave the room where they celebrated Passover and they head to the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives just outside Jerusalem. As they traveled, they would have seen the incredible Temple. At night, its white stone would have shined brilliantly as it reflecting the light of dozens and dozens of burning torches. It would have been an incredible sight.

Jesus took advantage of these final moments to pour his soul out in front of his disciples, telling them everything they would need to know to complete their mission and teaching them what was truly important. All of these final teachings and prayers are found in John chapters 15-17. Jesus knew his time was coming, and these chapters reflect his heart.

He wanted his followers to be connected with him because he knew that they could not exist without him. He told them of his great love for them and gave them a simple commandment: Love one another. And he prayed. He prayed for the unity of his followers.

As Jesus prepared for his mission, his mind was on you.

The Journey Begins: The Last Supper

Jesus and his disciples are preparing to celebrate the traditional Jewish meal of Passover, the holiday the marks the rescuing of the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt.

This would have been a happy time, and certainly the mood in the room was festive. It is almost certain that no one but Jesus knew the significance of this moment, and he was about to let his followers know exactly how important this meeting was to him.

Jesus expresses how much he wanted to be with his disciples for this meal, and he tells them he will not eat of this meal again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God. He then takes bread, gives thanks, and begins instituting the Lord's Supper. Jesus tells the disciples the bread represents his body that was broken for them, and to eat it in remembrance of him. Jesus then takes a cup of wine and tells the disciples it represents the blood he will shed for their sins.

Jesus makes reference to his betrayer sitting in their midst, and the disciples miss out on the obvious sign that Judas is the one Jesus is referring to. Judas leaves quickly, and no one seems to notice his absence. The disciples then begin to argue among themselves regarding which one of them should be considered the greatest in the coming kingdom.

The very Creator of the universe is sitting in their midst, telling them he will not be with them much longer; yet the room seems strangely unaffected. The disciples, all too like us, seem oblivious to the world around them. Jesus tries to tell them of the difficulties that lie ahead, but they fail to understand what he means.

Peter tells Jesus he will be with him to the very end, saying "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death." Jesus simply replies that Peter will deny him three times this very evening, even before the rooster crows.

The world is about to be changed forever, and hardly anyone realizes it.

He Came For Me

For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many. Matthew 20:28 (NLT)

Jesus came for me. We can get so confused, but Jesus knew the purpose of his life. He states clearly he came to serve and not to be served; he also says he came to give his life as a ransom for many. That one word, many, gets us all into trouble sometimes. We easily believe that Jesus came for the world. We even say, “He came for you,” but do we believe this truth about ourselves?

Jesus came for me!

Go ahead and insert your name into that verse at the top of this page. Go ahead, I’ll wait! Here’s your example: For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for Zac Pittman. Now how does it feel to have your name there? It blows me away to think God cared about me so much that he would pay my debt for me, but he did! Because of that amazing truth, I can be freed from my past and all of my mistakes, errors, and shortcomings and be the person God wants me to be.

It is a life changing truth, and if your life has been changed by the incredible power of God, then you have the responsibility of sharing that story with those around you. This Sunday is one of the most overtly spiritual times on our calendar, and most people are simply one invite from attending church somewhere.

We want to help you! Today, Thursday, March 20th, Higher Calling is running a half page ad in the main section of the Indianapolis Star. This was made possible through your generous support. Go out today, find that ad, and use it to invite those you care about to our Easter service. Let everyone you know have the opportunity to hear the life changing message of God’s love for them.

The Path to Easter

Starting on Thursday evening, I am going to use this blog to document a timeline of the final hours of Jesus.

Maybe you have read the biblical account and wondered how it all fit together. I am going to piece together the accounts from the four Gospels and the most common views from biblical scholars to let you see what the Easter story is all about. I am going to write as if I went back in time and watched it happened; you will hear what happened if one person would have been following the action and documenting it for you.

It all starts on Thurday evening, and it ends on Easter Sunday. Feel free to stop by and take a look in progress, and definitely come back read the whole account.

Forgiveness, Part 2

Part of our struggle is forgiving those who have hurt us in the past. An entirely different journey involves forgiving ourselves. Have you ever heard the phrase, "You are your own worst critic?" I think that is more profound than we are willing to admit. The reality is that our inner monologues are full of our shortcomings. We beat ourselves up. We rehash our mistakes. How many of us allow our self-image to be defined by the most negative of our thoughts? I don't think these thoughts are the truest expression of who you are, and neither does God.

God does not hold you in contempt. Jesus tells us that he didn't come into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world. What right do you have to hold yourself in contempt? The Creator of the universe has made a way for us all to be forgiven, but we are unwilling to accept that forgiveness in our hearts. Part of our journey into wholeness is in the ability to forgive ourselves for our mistakes.

Do we make mistakes? Yes. Do we come up short in life? Of course. But God came to change all of that. The incredible truth is that God died so we could be different at our core. Paul says we are new creations in Jesus. Have you experienced this radical transformation? It is only found in Jesus, and He offers the gift freely. All we have to do is accept and believe.

Let yourself off the hook. God already has made the way for your forgiveness, and we all need to accept and embrace that love.

Life's Toughest Questions: Is Faith in God Nonsense?

Here is something else I cut from this Sunday, that I think a few of you may find interesting. In the Matthew 12 passage starting in verse 43, Jesus talks about an evil spirit leaving a man and then coming back with seven other wicked spirits and leaving the man worse than he was before. This is the battle we all fight, and in a real way, this is the journey of the human spirit. We are spiritually permeable and this spiritual reality is real even thought we cannot perceive it with our senses.

Here is the passage:
When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.

I left out this observation: I think this could be a biblical explanation of the view of reincarnation. There are people who have memories of past lives, and I believe they are real memories. The issue to me is who these memories belong to. I do not believe that people die and then come back as another creature, neither animal or human. You remain uniquely you in eternity and you live ONE life here on earth on this side of eternity.

How then do we explain memories of past lives? Well, it is not that these people have lived in a different time or place, but that these spirits have. These spirits carry with them the memory of history, of ancients and moderns.

We are spirit, this reality is inescapable. Could it be that our universe is more complex than we ever imagined? Is there more going on than we can see or sense?

Life's Toughest Questions: Is Faith in God Nonsense?

I had to cut so many things on Sunday to get everyone out of there on time, so I thought I could throw in some of the stuff I cut here on the blog.

I read a passage from Isaiah 6, where Isaiah has an encounter with God in His throne room. He sees angels flying everywhere and praising God. The entire temple is filled with smoke because of the glory of God. Isaiah thinks he is doomed. Instead, his lips are seared with a live coal and he is told his sins have been atoned for and he can experience God's goodness. God asks for a divine volunteer to speak for Him, and Isaiah says he will go for God. In verses 9-10, God tells Isaiah what to tell His people.

"Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving. Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."

This is God in one of His most ironic moments. He looks at humanity and sees many people who think they are alive but are merely existing, and they are blind and deaf to the reality of the spiritual all around them. God looks at them and says, "Fine, be blind! Hear but not understand! Have a calloused heart! Because the alternative would be to turn to me and be healed, but you don't realize it."

More to come.

When Religion Becomes Disturbing

This week in the series, Life's Toughest Questions, I will be addressing human sexuality and its effect on our relationship with God and with others. I am nervous about dealing with these issues because their is so much emotion wrapped up on both sides of the discussion. To me, the concept of sexual morality is far deeper than homosexuality, yet that is inevitably what is brought up during any conversation involving human sexuality.

One of the reasons there is so much emotion regarding this issue is because of the negative way the church has portrayed itself to the world as it speaks about this issue. For some reason, the dominant theme that people hear from the church is one of condemnation and sometimes hate. That is incredibly wrong coming from a community of faith. Take this story as an example.

Basically, an extreme group picketed Heath Ledger's memorial service because of his role on Brokeback Mountain. These are the same people who picket the funerals of returning soldiers holding signs that say, "You deserved it." Incredible callousness and honestly, evil. Regardless of your feelings about that movie, I hope that we all see that such activity only spreads a message of hate that is destructive to people. Click on that link, search for the church name on Google, then look at the web address. Is that the message that is intended to be sent to a broken world? This is what happens when people use religion as a weapon to hurt and destroy.

Does God hate people who disagree with him? I don't think so. 1 Peter says that God is patient with all of us because He doesn't want anyone to be lost. Ezekiel 18 tells us that God finds no pleasure in the punishment of even the worst people. Of course, the famous verse John 3:16 tells us that God's driving motivation in sending Jesus was his love for everyone. Everyone!

That tells me that we have an incredibly important responsibility as the church here on earth. We are to be ambassadors for God, sharing the good news about the love and compassion of God. If you are reading this, chances are good that I have no clue about your beliefs on sexual morality. I want you to know that I do have beliefs regarding what is pure sexual behavior, and I will share those on Sunday at Higher Calling and here as well. If you are a follower of Christ, know that truth and compassion CAN exist together. Being right does not mean you lose compassion, and being right is not the highest goal in faith. The highest goal, as always, is love. Without love, all of the knowledge, passion, intellect, and faith in the world is meaningless.

I feel fortunate to be a part of a community of faith that realizes you can believe in the truth and yet show compassion for everyone. I hope to see you on Sunday!

Fueling the Fire; Ignition

When we move past inspiration, individualism, innovation and then we begin to implement the vision that God has for our lives and our church, we move into a really cool zone. This is where God begins to act, unleashing his divine timing and power into our efforts.

God is described as a fire many times in the Scriptures. I love this image because God consumes just like a raging fire. Can you call to mind the forest wildfires that burn on the West Coast? We are the most advanced society in world history, but when these great fires rage, the best we can hope to do is to contain the damage.

You know what it really neat? Our God is a God that cannot be contained by any force. When he burns, nothing stops it. Do you know what really gets God involved in situations, what makes him burn? It has been and will always be the faithfulness of his people. When there are men and women that are following God and seeking to obey him, God moves in their midst and he ignites supernatural reactions that are uncontrollable.

There is no predicting it. There is no stopping it. The only thing you can do is hang on for the ride. Are you ready to trust God this year?

How to Bounce Back

If you are a Colts fan, you probably still have a bit of a bitter taste in your mouth this morning after the game last night. I have pretty much decided to watch anything but sports TV this week because I don't want to see a single highlight of the game. A bit extreme? Perhaps.

Toward the end of the day yesterday, I began thinking about how the Colts could respond to this loss next year. We still have a good team, and other teams like the Pats and Chargers are unlikely to get any better, and could actually get worse as their players continue to age. Basically, I was wondering how our team could bounce back.

That got me to wondering about how people can respond to life's most pressing challenges. Football, of course, is fairly unimportant compared to difficult situations and tragic circumstances that we all go through at different points in our lives....so how can we bounce back from the truly disappointing times?

Jeremiah was a prophet in the Bible who went through some difficult times. You can read the book named after him to get his story, and he is also credited with writing the book of Lamentations. He was a prophet during the time when Israel was invaded and destroyed by a foreign army; he saw his beloved city, Jerusalem, completely destroyed and he himself was carted away into exile in a foreign land. This was humiliating for the people of Israel, and Jeremiah spends the book of Lamentations complaining and weeping about the tragedy he had seen.

How did he ultimately respond? It is fascinating to hear his words in Lam. 3:22-23

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Did you catch that? Read the book of Lamentations to that point and you will see Jeremiah's point of view and hear the extent of his sorrow. Despite all of that, he still responds to God with praise and TRUST. He affirms the goodness and love of God, saying they are new every morning. Our God is a God of great faithfulness, and he is faithful to us even when no one is faithful to Him.

When we go through difficult situations, we know we can still trust God because he is full of love and compassion. If you choose to respond to tragedy or adversity in this way, you will be greatly benefited by it. So don't worry about the Colts, they will be fine! And if you are like me, remember, only about five weeks until spring training!