Is God mad at you?
While not spoken out loud, I think I lot of people ask, “Is God mad at me?”
We often think that admittance into heaven will be based on a giant scale. On one side, all the good things we’ve done, and on the other side, all the bad things. Then, whichever way the scale tips, that’s where we’ll spend eternity. More good than bad, then God is happy with us, and we’ll make it into heaven. But, if the scale tips too much towards the bad, then God’s mad at us, and then, it’s hell.
That’s not how it works. Righteousness, or right standing with God, is not based on having more good things in our lives than bad. Actually, righteousness is based on being perfect before God, having never sinned or never messed up. There is a scale in heaven, and on one side is all of the good things we’ve done, and the other side is perfection, having never messed up. That’s what God expects out of us, perfection.
That doesn’t sound very encouraging, does it? “All have sinned and fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23). “There is none who does good, no, not one” (Romans 3:12).
But, there is hope.
Most people misunderstand God’s requirements for heaven. They think God’s attitude towards them is based solely on their performance. If I give more, help more, volunteer more, do more good than bad, then God will be pleased with me. Then, my prayers will be heard. That’s not how it works.
Under the Old Covenant, before Jesus came to earth, God’s attitude towards people was based on their performance. There were more than 600 laws to keep. Each and every law determined their standing before God. But when Jesus came to the earth and died on the cross for us, he fulfilled each and every one of those laws. He was perfect. He was the only person who lived a perfect life here on the earth.
Today, under the New Covenant, we have only one thing that we need to do to please God–to believe and trust in Jesus. In John 6, the disciples were curious. They asked, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” (v28). They wanted to know what was required of them. Jesus responded, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent” (v29).
That’s it. That’s the work that is required of us–to believe in Jesus. You see, he is our righteousness. All of his work can become our work through faith (through believing) in Jesus. Sin no longer matters. Sure, it has it’s consequences here on earth, but no consequences in heaven.
I’m going to make a bold statement here: Sin is not what sends people to hell. What sends people to hell is when they reject Jesus Christ. Sin has been dealt with. It’s done. It was nailed to the cross. When Jesus died on the cross, he said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). And, it was. Sin was finished. There was no more sin to be dealt with.
So how does that apply to us today? I’m a Christian, I believe in Jesus and I have put my faith in him. What does that mean to me, a believer?
First, it means that God is passionately in love with you. He is in a constant state of joy over you. He is never mad at you. He loves you. He’s passionate for you. He’s fighting for you with all of his power and strength. And, he’s wooing you. He’s calling you to him for relationship. He wants you to come to him confidently and boldly.
Today, we can do that. We can come boldly to God. Our sin is gone. Our righteousness shines in Christ. He is our new High Priest, our Mediator. He has made a way for us to come to God without sin. With God passionate for us and no sin to hinder us, it is up to us to come to God. “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it” (Hebrews 4:16).
What are you waiting on? God’s calling you by name. He’s ready to love on you passionately.
Checked out
This morning, I awoke to the voice of God. You must be thinking, How wonderful! Not really. It was more of a rebuke, a warning. Here’s what I heard: “Son, you’ve checked out.” And, I knew exactly what he was referring to.
You see, there’s this little area of my soul that I am still struggling to get ahold of. I say “little” because lots of Christians today wouldn’t even classify it as sin. Yet, the Lord, in his rebuke this morning reminded me, “it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it” (James 4:17). Ouch. But, he’s right. Have you ever noticed that he’s always right?
The words he used “checked out” have such deep meaning to me. I’m driven by destiny, by purpose. I get so excited living out my destiny and moving towards a goal and purpose. I love that kind of stuff. I would call myself a visionary. I can see what the future holds to those who are living out their calling.
So, the words this morning “checked out” were remarkably scary for me. I know that I am running this incredible race called “the human life”. And, it is a race. Paul often referred to this life of faith as a race:
- “Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win. All athletes practice strict self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I am not like a boxer who misses his punches. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).
I love this scripture! Just love it! I must run in such a way that I will win. And, I must run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. This is all very powerful to me. So, when I heard, “Son, you’ve checked out,” it hit me like a ton of bricks. I realized that this little dark area of my soul that I haven’t completely surrendered to God could easily disqualify me from the race. It’s true! I have checked out, and I need to get back in.
If I’m not running towards the goal with purpose in every step, then why run at all?
This morning, I declare this over my life, “I’m checking in. I’m ready to run. I will focus on the goal at hand, and I will surrender to the Lord this little dark area of my soul.”
I’m reminded of a story I read in John’s Edredge’s book, “Waking the Dead”. He writes:
- When Spillane (The Perfect Storm) treats injured seamen offshore, one of the first things he evaluates is their degree of consciousness. The higher the level, known as ‘alert and oriented times four,’ describes almost everyone in an everyday situation. They know who they are, where they are, what time it is, and what’s just happened. If someone suffers a blow to the head, the first thing they lose is recent events–’alert times three’–and the last thing they lose is their identity. A person who has lost all levels of consciousness, right down to their identity, is said to be ‘alert and oriented times zero.’ When John Spillane wakes up in the water, he is alert and oriented times zero. His understanding of the world is reduced to the fact that he exists, nothing more. Almost simultaneously, he understands that he is in excruciating pain. For a long time, that is all he knows.
John Spillane is a para-rescue jumper sent into the North Atlantic, into the worst storm of the twentieth century, the perfect storm, as the book and film called it, to rescue a fisherman lost at sea. When his helicopter goes down, he is forced to jump into pitch blackness from an unknown height, and when he hits the water, he’s going so fast it’s like hitting the pavement from eighty feet above. He is dazed and confused–just as we are when it comes to the story of our lives. It’s the perfect analogy. We have no idea who we really are, why we’re here, what’s supposed to happen to us, or why. Honestly, most days we are alert and oriented times zero.”
When I awoke, I was “alert and oriented times zero”. But, it’s time to start running the race again with purpose in every step. Today, I am “alert and oriented times four”. Today, I’m back in the race!
Mind war
When I take the time to dig deep into the areas of my life that are struggling, it always comes back to my thoughts, my mind. I am growing more convinced that our spiritual battle is waged in our minds.
If the enemy can convince you of something, and you believe it, then he’s got you. Belief is the tool God uses to release his power on the earth. And the devil knows that, so he also uses our belief in a counterfeit way to release his hellish power into our lives.
Jesus said, “Have faith in God. I assure you that you can say to this mountain, ‘May God lift you up and throw you into the sea,’ and your command will be obeyed. All that’s required is that you really believe and do not doubt in your heart. Listen to me! You can pray for anything, and if you believe, you will have it.” (Mark 11:22-24).
When Jesus said, “Have faith in God”, he was simply saying, “Believe.” He didn’t say go and do something. He said to believe. That starts in our mind.
The key to victory in any area of your life starts with your thoughts. What you think about leads to action. What you believe about yourself, about your situation, about others will come to pass. And, it’s not those one-time random thoughts that will come to pass—it’s those constant, pounding, never-ending thoughts that you focus on and believe that will come to pass.
- I’ll never beat this depression.
- I’ll always be a failure.
- My marriage won’t last.
- My grandpa died from cancer, so I’ll probably die from cancer.
“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7).
We’ve got to stop accepting these thoughts like they are our own! We must “take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). We must hunker down and wage this mental war as fiercely as it’s being waged against us by the devil.
To overcome any issue in your life, you must change the way you think and believe. This is what God commands us to do throughout scripture:
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is” (Romans 12:2).
We must let God change the way we think about things, then we’ll really know what his will is for our lives.
As I wrote and finished this post, I thought, It sure would be good to share a real-life, practical example of this in my own life.
So, here it goes. When I was a kid, I had these episodes of fear that were incredibly intense. Terrifying. They would often manifest themselves in panic attacks, agoraphobia and sheer terror. This went on for years. In college, I was officially diagnosed with “Chronic Anxiety and Panic Disorder”. At this time, I wasn’t really a Christian. I pretty much believed every thought that came into my mind.
In 1991, I became a Christian, but it wasn’t until years later that I learned this principal of faith and thoughts. I started a website ministry called Season of Peace for Christians battling anxiety and panic attacks.
Throughout this condition, I constantly battled negative thoughts. I will never get free from this. These kinds of things run in the family. There’s no hope for me. I guess I’ll just have to live with this. I’ll probably need medication the rest of my life.
Any of that sound familiar? But, in 2000, I experienced this mind change. God showed me that I can change things by changing the way I think about them. I don’t have to live like this. God whispered into my heart, “You can be free.” And, here’s the key: I believed him.
Shortly after that revelation, I started believing in freedom. I started to believe that I don’t have to live my life in fear, or fear of the fear. I don’t have to rely on medication the rest of my life, like my doctor said. I can believe God.
Today, it has been more than eight years since that revelation, and life is awesome! No more panic attacks. No more crippling anxiety. No more fear.
God spoke to my heart, and I believed him. The devil comes to steal, kill and destroy, but Jesus came that we might have life and life more abundantly (John 10:10).
Thank you, Lord, for my freedom in Christ.
Words of Peace
“Don’t be afraid. Just trust me.”
This morning, I’m sitting in favorite coffee shop getting ready for a video shoot. As I’m sitting here, sipping on my Hazlenut latte, I’m thinking through some of the personal struggles going on in my life right now. They’re a little discouraging.
Then, I come across these words of Jesus in Mark 5:36. So simple, but so powerful.
I just start weeping. I can trust Jesus. I don’t need to be afraid.
A Conceived Thought
The biggest battle we face as humans is this war of the mind. Thoughts lead to action. So if the enemy can direct our thoughts, then he’s won.
Think about it for a moment. Where does temptation start?
- Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death (James 1:14, 15).
It starts in our thoughts, our evil desires. And when “desire has conceived”, the result is sin. A conceived thought. Using pregnancy as the obvious analogy, our mind is like the egg, fertile and ready to receive the seed. But, what are these seeds?
Here’s what the Bible says in Luke 8:11, “The seed is the word of God.” We are to plant God’s word into our minds so that we are impregnated with seeds of life. If we let the enemy plant his seeds, then it will give birth to sin and sin brings for death.
(Remember the parable of the wheat and the tares? There were two seed sowers. “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.” Matthew 13:24, 25.)
I’ve really been thinking about this a lot lately. Are there any sins that are fully active in your life right now, habitual sins like lust, pride, lying, fornication, drinking, anger or something you know is not right?
I am becoming more and more convinced that even as a Christian, habitual sins will lead to death. Not a spiritual death, because your spirit is new in Christ. But, if you do not take steps to overcome your habitual sins, they will destroy your soul, which will in turn destroy your body. Sin has consequences.
When we start entertaining thoughts in our head, eventually the thought will take root in our mind. And, the conceived thought will continue to grow in our mind, maybe in a matter of minutes. Maybe years. But, once conceived, it’ll grow until it gives birth to action. Sin. Or, until you uproot that thought.
Is there hope? Can we overcome these “evil desires” and “conceived thoughts”? I think so. But, it takes discipline. Read this promise carefully. The key is here:
- For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled (2 Corinthians 10:3-6).
We must train and discipline our mind to “bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ”. We must learn to “cast down arguments” and everything that tries to position itself higher than Christ in our thoughts. If you don’t fight this, then “you are a slave to whatever we choose to obey” (Romans 6:16).
Financial Anxiety
When you think of money or finances, is your stomach in knots? Is the upcoming holiday season starting to stress you out? What about the current financial crisis? Are you living paycheck to paycheck? Are you constantly fretting layoffs or “restructuring”?
Finances can be a very anxious experience for many, even those who are well off. Managing money can be very stressful. Many couples that divorce in the US do so because of problems with money. It’s an incredibly serious issue in people’s lives.
Can you find peace in stressful financial situations? Can finances really become a place of peace and rest, or must they always be feared and anxiety-provoking?
When it comes to our financial economy, our country is in serious trouble. Consumer debt is at an all time high. Credit companies have made it so easy to “buy now and pay later”. For one small monthly fee, you can have whatever you want. How many of those “small monthly fees” do you have?
This credit-driven lifestyle has made it too easy to spend more than we make. I recently read a statistic on consumer spending in America. Through most of the 1900’s, people spent on average about 30% less than what they made. That means people were saving money. Today, the average American spends more than they earn. That means nothing is being saved. Nothing is put away for unforeseen circumstances.
I can see why financial anxiety is rampant these days. The loss of a job, an emergency house repair, the car breaks down, again–all can be terribly stressful when it comes finances.
So, is there hope? Can you be free from financial anxiety? I shout a hearty YES. You can be free. But, it may take time and serious discipline. It probably took you years to get where you are now. For many, it’ll take years to dig yourself out of the financial pit. But, here’s the beautiful thing–God is faithful and he cares for you, even your finances.
Today, my wife and I live in financial freedom. And it’s not because we have lots of money. On the contrary, we live very modestly. As a freelance producer, our finances ebb and flow depending on projects. Our financial freedom is a result of solid money management skills and the discipline to live by those skills.
We live on a budget, we no longer use credit cards, we only buy used cars, and at the end of each month, we have money left over. Amazingly, we don’t feel at all constricted by this lifestyle. Quite the opposite. This lifestyle has given us incredible freedom.
“But you don’t know where we are. We’ve maxed out our credit cards? My husband lost his job. These medical bills keep getting higher and higher. We can barely get by.”
Here’s the most important message I learned about finances: it’s not a matter of how much or how little you make; it’s a matter of your heart. Financial freedom starts in your heart. Listen to what Jesus said, “Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be” (Matthew 6:21).
Where is your treasure? A new car, a big house, a pair of jeans, your 401K? Or, is your treasure in your family, your peace, or God? You see, where you put your money is where your heart is. Your money always follows your heart. So, make sure your heart is right when it comes to finances.
When my wife and I first got married, we were in debt. I was into new cars, new stereo equipment, new things. So when I prayed for financial freedom, I expected God to deposit a big sum of money into my account. What he did, though, was deposit incredible financial wisdom into my heart. You see, financial freedom starts in your heart.
If you’re struggling with finances, I want to encourage you that you can be free from financial anxiety. God desires to help you, first with your heart and then with your finances. I have seen God move in amazing ways when it comes to finances, both in my life and in the lives of those we have counseled. There are great resources to help you in this journey towards financial freedom. Dave Ramsey and Crown Financial are two great resources to get started.
Prayer: Father, I need your help with finances. Financial anxiety is consuming me. I’ve made some bad money decisions in the past, and the financial consequences are overwhelming. First, change my heart. Then, give me a strategy to get my finances under control. Help me start down the road to financial freedom.
The Flood
It’s still a fascinating concept if you think about—God restricting his power on the earth and limiting it through us. What a sobering concept!
Psalm 78:41 says, “Yes, again and again they tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.” Wow, the Israelites tempted God and limited him. They limited God. How was that? Through their unbelief, they limited God.
I was talking to my son the other day about this concept of how God needs us, and how throughout the Bible, God would not do anything unless it was in cooperation with a person. Immediately, my son said, “Well, what about the Flood?”
Hmmm? Good question.
So, I re-read the Flood story, looking specifically for an instance where someone prayed for judgement or some sort of human interaction. Obviously, Noah was found righteous and instructed to build the boat, but did God consult Noah beforehand? Here’s what I found in Genesis:
- But Noah found favor with the LORD. This is the history of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless man living on earth at the time. He consistently followed God’s will and enjoyed a close relationship with him. (Genesis 6:8-9).
It doesn’t say specifically that Noah prayed and God responded with the Flood, but it does indicate some human interaction and possible intercession. It says that Noah “enjoyed a close relationship with [God]“. I think it’s very likely that God and Noah were talking about the current state of humanity throughout the earth, and God’s heart grieved that he ever created Man. But, Noah was there, by his side, talking with God.
Even at the Flood, I believe God consulted a human on what to do, and it was through that same man that God saved all of humanity.
When you think about it, if God had not limited himself years ago with the initial creation of Adam, he could have easily wiped out the earth and started over from scratch again. But, he couldn’t. His irrevocable laws and principles were in place already. He chose to limit himself through them.
What does God want to do through you?
God needs you
Wow, did you catch that title? God needs you.
Kind of a bold statement, wouldn’t you say? God—creator of the universe, totally self sufficient and all powerful—needs you.
How can that be? God doesn’t need anything. Agreed. But, I believe God has chosen to need us. He doesn’t need us to exist, but I believe he has chosen us to rule and reign over the earth.
Let’s start at the beginning.
Adam and Eve were on the earth, and God gave them a simple command, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Genesis 1:28).
They were given a simple command. Take control of the earth. They were in charge of their huge Home. But, something happened. Satan deceived them and that control was handed over to him. All of sudden, there was a new “ruler of this world” (John 12:31). Adam and Eve surrendered their control.
Prior to the Fall, God set laws and ordinances in place so that man would rule and reign over the earth. It was their job to “subdue the earth and have dominion.”
God purposely limited his power and involvement on the earth. In fact, God does nothing without the help of man. Nothing on earth can happen without man’s involvement. Think about some of the stories in the Bible:
-
David & Goliath: God could have easily stricken Goliath dead, but he didn’t. He chose a boy, David, to take him down (1 Samuel 17).
Mount Carmel: There were more than 900 evil “prophets”, and God wanted to demonstrate his power, but he required just one man to show his power through. Elijah prayed and God responded (1 Kings 18).
The Disciples: Why didn’t Jesus just broadcast his message to the world? He did, but through his 12 followers. It was their job to carry his message to the ends of the earth (Mark 16:15).
Way too many people are passive in their walk with God. Well, if God wants to do it, he’ll just do it. Wrong! God is waiting for you to pray, to believe, to “take dominion”. He has chosen to need us as his conduit into the earth. It’s our job, our responsibility to bring the Kingdom of God to the earth.
Be careful here. We don’t have the power to do supernatural things here on the earth. We only have natural power (strength, knowledge, movement, reason). But, if we surrender our “natural powers” to God through prayer and faith, then God will release his supernatural power through us into the earth.
Let me show you this in scripture using one of my favorite versus from Ephesians 3:20. Most Christians can quote it by memory: “God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.”
It doesn’t sound like God needs us, does it? Well, that’s because we never quote the whole scripture. There is one small phrase at the end of that verse that most people leave off: “…according to the power that works in us.” Those words “…according to” literally mean “limited through us”.
God can do wonderfully, exceedingly amazing things in the earth and in our lives, but they must be done through prayer and faith, and through our relationship with God in Christ Jesus.
What I believe
I wish I could tell you that I was a pillar of faith. But I’m not. I struggle with faith just as much as the next person. Let me give you some examples of what I believe and things I struggle believing.
Here are some things I believe:
- I believe God is passionately and madly in love with me.
- I believe that through Christ, I am righteous and holy.
- I believe that when I die, I’m headed straight to heaven.
- I believe heaven is going to be awesome and wonderful!
- I believe God is working around the clock to help me, strengthen me and encourage me.
- I believe God desires for us to be healed and whole–body, soul and mind.
- I believe that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives inside of us.
Those are some of the things that I really believe, undoubtedly. I have no doubts about them. They are just facts to me. I don’t question them. I don’t struggle with believing them. They are truth to me.
But then there are things that I just struggle to believe. I know in my head they are true, but in my heart, there are doubts, like:
- Can God really shape an election based on our prayers?
- I’ve been praying for someone’s salvation for years. Is it helping?
- I need healing. I believe in healing. But, why isn’t it happening yet?
- I want to change in some areas, but I’m finding it so hard.
- When finances are flowing, life is good. But when they start to ebb, so does my faith.
- I need to stop drinking coffee, but I love the stuff. I doubt at times that God can help me stop drinking coffee.
Isn’t that amazing!?! I can believe that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives inside of me, and at the same time, I doubt God can help me quit the coffee. That’s just messed up.
Satan knows that our faith is what activates the spiritual into the natural. He knows real faith makes a difference in our lives. Faith pleases God (Hebrews 11:6). God loves it when we believe, really believe. And Satan knows that. So, he’s number one target is our faith. His most powerful weapon is unbelief. If he can get us to doubt God, then he has won.
Think about it. Have you ever had any of these thoughts:
- I’ve tried praying for this issue in my life, but nothing has changed. I guess God just wants me to live this way.
- My mom died from cancer. My grandma died from cancer. I’m probably going to die from cancer.
- This is just the way I am. I can’t change.
- God is all powerful, and no matter what I pray for, he’ll do what he wants anyway.
- I keep messing up, over and over. I guess God doesn’t want to help me.
Who do you think is the source of these thoughts? Where do they come from? They are not from God. The enemy has a vast number of resources to get us thinking this way. And, it’s wrong. While these thoughts may look like humble, Christian thoughts, all of them are rooted in unbelief.
God is passionately pursing us and fights hard for our faith. That’s what we need to believe!
Faithless generation
This is another one of those amazing stories about faith, about believing:
- When they arrived at the foot of the mountain, a huge crowd was waiting for them. A man came and knelt before Jesus and said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, because he has seizures and suffers terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. So I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.”
Jesus replied, “You stubborn, faithless people! How long must I be with you until you believe? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” Then Jesus rebuked the demon in the boy, and it left him. From that moment the boy was well.
Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, “Why couldn’t we cast out that demon?” “You didn’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I assure you, even if you had faith as small as a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible” (Matthew 17:14-20).
I find this story amazing because here the disciples had been with Jesus for quite awhile now, and they had seen the miracles, the power, the results of faith in Jesus. At this point, they had seen bread and fish multiplied (Matthew 14:19), they had seen Jesus (and Peter) walk on the water (Matthew 14:25), and they had seen numerous miracles. Surely, you would think they could believe by now. Maybe it wasn’t the disciples lack of faith as much as it was the people’s lack of faith. Jesus did rebuke them, “You stubborn, faithless people.”
Yet, it was when he was long with the disciples that he said, “You didn’t have enough faith.” So, it was their lack of faith as well. They didn’t believe. If they had just a mustard seed of faith, “nothing would be impossible.”
What seems impossible to you right now? An upcoming reorg at work? A struggling marriage? Rebellious kids? A serious sickness? What seems impossible to you, right now? Listen carefully to the words of Jesus, “If you have enough faith, nothing is impossible. If you believe, it is possible.“
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