Don't just ride the bus. Look out the window. You might be on the wrong road!

Today I am going to go WAY out on a limb and it may send many of you running far away never to return. But before you do, I’d like to ask you to at least make it all the way to the end of this post and then ask yourself, “Did he say anything that wasn't biblical?” If you believe the words of the bible then you need to do some serious reflection. Ask yourself, “Can I pick and choose the parts I like and ignore or set aside those I don’t?” “Am I really a Christian or am I just going through the religious motions?” If you’re still doubtful regarding the validity of the Bible or are not a believer then stick around for a few more weeks and we’ll do our best to change that.

Jesus the fair skinned, blue-eyed guy with long flowing hair and a gentle voice walks the streets of Jerusalem repeating the words, “Peace, love, happiness, and prosperity”. He loves you and is your “friend”. He wants to show you a “better way to live”. He came to bring peace to the world and unite people of all religions and teach us tolerance. He wants to take your ten-dollar donation "seed" and multiply it into a thousand dollars so you can prosper. We’re all “children of God”.

Hogwash! Is that too strong? Maybe, we’ll see.

Comfortable people sit in an air-conditioned arena with posh stadium seats (complete with a holder for their grande, half-skim, caramel latte with extra whipped cream) to hear what their itching ears want to hear. Articulate, handsome, and charismatic preachers bask in the applause and the accolade of the people and their books sit atop the best-seller list for weeks at a time. They preach a “Jesus-lite”, watered down, palatable version of the gospel leaving out anything that might offend or cause people to walk out or cease to “dig deep” into their wallets during the offertory. Meanwhile tens of thousands of people who do "church" are still dead in their sins and don’t know it or care not to admit it. They are riding down the road to destruction and the “church” is driving the bus.

Let’s listen to the words of the real Jesus of Nazareth:

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword . . . Anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” Matthew 10:34-38

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ . . . There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.” Luke 13:24-28

“For God so loved the world that he gave one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life . . . whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3:16-18

Fire and Brimstone? No, just the rest of the story. The Gospel is "Good News" only because it is an answer for the bad news! So much to say and so little space! Here is the Gospel as clearly as I can put it forth. We are born with the seed of sin and are by nature, separated from God. (go back and read the “Veil” post). God is loving and compassionate but he is also holy and just. Justice demands a penalty and punishment for sin. The Bible says the penalty for sin is death and eternal separation from God in a place the prepared for Satan and his fallen angels – Hell. (sorry, his words not mine) God provided an answer for the sin problem and that was a substitute, someone to take our place, to take our punishment. God sent his Son Jesus (fully man and fully God, sinless, and willing to die for us). He was crucified, died, and buried. He rose from the dead on the third day, conquering death. When we gain or take a hold of that gift by faith in Jesus Christ then his righteousness is transferred to our account. We can’t do it by works or by “being good people”. When we trust Christ, God sees us as having no sin and therefore no condemnation. The Apostle John said “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children not born of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” David, did John mean that we aren’t all “Children of God”? Yes, that IS what he meant. He was saying we are all Gods creation but not all his children. We, by faith in Jesus are adopted into his family. We are “born again”. We have “eternal life”. We are made “new creations”. We therefore have “no condemnation”.

Faith is not a head-knowledge or intellectual assent like “Yeah, I believe that Jesus existed.”, but a reliance on him as your only hope. It is not gained by joining a church, signing a piece of paper, or walking forward for an altar call (although it could happen then for sure). It is not acquired by repeating a prayer. It is not the result of perfect church attendance or singing in the church choir or playing drums for the praise team. It is not acquired when your parents had you baptized as babies. It isn't the result of graduating from the seminary or buying a fish sticker for your minivan. It IS acquired by realizing your sinfulness and your need for a Savior. It IS acquired by repentance (the acknowledging of and turning away from sin). It is acquired by trusting in Jesus Christ as your substitute on the cross. Like I said last week, God is not interested in making you happy, comfortable, or rich. He is interested in your life! Not just the short one here on earth but more importantly, the eternal one after.

One last thing: Trusting in Christ is not a guarantee of a life of bliss here on earth and may, in some ways, bring some additional trials and persecution but it is LIFE itself and does guarantee an eternity of perfect peace with the God who made you. I share today not as one who is judging or self righteous but as one who knows his brokenness and his need. Hope you stick around until next week.

In Christ's Love, David

There's One Way Past the Veil - Jesus

Before I get to business I want to tell you that this message, this teaching is for you. Although I'm not sitting with you at a coffee shop, on a park bench, or at a youth group event, I am writing to YOU personally. God knows you by name even if, as I write tonight, I don't. So, as you read on, remember this post is written to you. . . I'd be glad to do coffee if you'd like, I'll buy!

I have said before that God is who he is and that not all religions point to the same God. Paul understood this when he entered the Areopagus (Mars Hill) in Athens, Greece nearly two thousand years ago. The Greeks had objects of worship to many gods in the Areopagus but Paul knew that there was only one God and it was (Yahweh) so when he saw an altar with the inscription "TO AN UNKNOWN GOD", he found a starting point to tell the Greeks about God the creator of heaven and earth; a God who had been unknown to them. Today I want to tell you about this same God and share why we here at the I-61 Project are so passionate about YOU knowing him. If you already know him then maybe today you'll be all the more amazed.

WARNING! This may sound a bit like a social studies lesson but stay with me and you'll be blessed (even you recent graduates - you know who I'm talking to)!

When the Israelites were wondering in the desert after leaving captivity in Egypt, they were commanded by God to build a tabernacle where he would dwell with them. The term that was used for this majestic presence of God was his "Shekinah" or his glory. I won't go into the details of the tabernacle but in the inner most part of it was the "Most Holy Place" or the "Holy of Holies". In this small room, which measured about fifteen feet by fifteen feet and fifteen feet tall, was the Ark of the Covenant (a gold covered box that held the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments, Aaron's staff, and a gold jar of manna). Don't worry if those mean nothing to you yet.

God's "Shekinah" glory resided in the Holy of Holies and was unapproachable by man. God was and is holy while man was and is sinful. Therefore, man could not come into the Holy of Holies or he would die. To keep this place separated from the people, God instructed them to place a large curtain (the "veil", which literally meant "a separator that divides") at the entrance to the room. Only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies once a year on the day of atonement (the day when he would come before God for the sins of the people - today called "Yom Kippur"). The high priest had to do meticulous preparations before he could enter. He had to wash himself, put on special clothes, and burn incense to let the smoke cover his eyes from a direct view of God. The people would tie a rope around him before he went into the Holy of Holies just in case he died. That way they could just pull him out! There was a small problem. This had to be done year after year after year. There was no permanent solution for the sin problem . . . yet!

So, you get the idea that God was absolutely pure and holy and was unapproachable by sinful men. The curtain or veil was the mechanical barrier that illustrated the spiritual barrier that existed between men and God. Now you may have a vision of God as the big guy in the sky or a wise old man with a white beard. Maybe he is just this vague spirit of love but the bible reveals that while he is indeed "love" he is also holy and just. The "just" part is the part that many people and many churches leave out. It's the part that judges sin and the part that demands a sacrifice to pay for sin. It's the reason that man's sin kept him from being in the presence of God. By the way, don't get hung up on the word "sin". It just means "to miss the mark". We've all missed the mark, so you and I are not alone (eg. pride, hate, lust, greed, selfishness, deceit).

So enter Jesus, the only Son of God. Not just a good man. Not just a prophet. Not just a wise teacher or moral leader. Jesus was called the Lamb of God. Why? Because he was the ultimate sacrifice for the sin of man. Only a perfect, unblemished, sinless God-man could pay the penalty (death) for mankind. Not over and over again every year but once and for all.

Here is the amazing part of the story. You have all likely heard the story of the death of Jesus on the cross at Calvary. You may have heard that just before he died he cried out "It is finished". And maybe you heard that "At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom." But let this sink in. The curtain of the temple of Jerusalem was sixty feet high, thirty feet wide, and was four inches thick. It was too tall for man to reach and too thick for man to tear. Friend, God tore the curtain from the top down when Jesus paid the price for your sin (and mine!). It was finished! The Holy of Holies was open and accessible. God was approachable.

No matter what you've done. No matter how far from God you've been. Jesus has made a way for you to come home. You can't come on your own though. God is still holy! You can only come through faith in Jesus. It's his sacrifice that opened the door and you can come by faith in him. I know that in this politically correct world of "all things lead to the same end" this message may not sit well with some but a wise and seasoned preacher once told me that my job was to "just deliver the mail". Well, I have dropped the mail in your box. I hope and pray that you will be blessed by it. I recommend you listen to Ivor's song "Come Home" if you can. You can find it on iTunes or Cd Baby (Ivor Thomas "Nowhere Else to Go").

One quick update: Our first audio podcast is on line at our main site "The I-61 Project". Go check it out when you get a chance.

Peace, David