That’s true.  Unhealthy relationships are relationships that suck the life out of us.  They put us in places where we feel depleted, as if we are less than ourselves–or at least less than we think we should be.  It may be that our potential is being stripped from us, that we are constantly bogged down in “drama” that exhausts us, or it may be that our resources are being stolen from us by those in our relational circle who are mismanaging their lives–leaving us constantly resource-challenged–as they ride their own roller coaster up and down the twists and turns of a turbulent life.

However, there is another kind of death that is not deadly in the same sense as what I’ve described above.  There is death that leads to life.

What do I mean?

We may protest when those around us complain that we are sucking the life out of them or that we are wasting our lives and it’s killing them to watch us drive ourselves into the ditch time after time.  We might say to them, “I’m just being myself.  Don’t rain on my parade and force your values or opinions on me,” because we say (to ourselves) that we are fine, life is okay and, if people would just leave us alone then we’d do okay.

There are different ways we lie to ourselves.  It’s amazing how creative we can be when it comes to deceiving ourselves.

The truth is that we all have bad habits that are harming us and those around us.  THOSE need to be put to death, no matter how familiar they are to us or how used we’ve gotten to them.

Christianity teaches that we must die to ourselves in order that we can live to Christ, who is the center of the Christian faith (hence the name!).

Paul says in Romans that the dynamic is embodied in baptism, where he writes that we are baptized with Christ into a death like His in order that we might be raised to new life in a resurrection like His. 

The formula goes like this: death of self = new life in Christ.

The self that needs to be put to death, executed, nailed to a cross, is the self-focused part of ourselves (which is all of us because of the very nature of sin) that is constantly getting us into trouble and wrecking the effectiveness of our relationship–both with others and with God.

This is a good death.

The death that sucks the life out of us comes from unhealthy relationships.

The death that we experience through going deep in faith with Christ yields life, the eternal kind of life, the God-in-us kind of life, the new life of the resurrection, the “I am in God” kind of life, the abundant life, the everlasting life.  Get it?

Not all deaths are the same.

Some deaths lead to life.  That’s what being a Christian is all about.

Other deaths lead to, well, death.  Don’t opt for this one.

Ditch unhealthy relationships or choose to be healthy (with healthy boundaries) in your relationships.

A healthy relational constellation would include a relationship with Jesus Christ–which leads to healthy relationships all around.  Good deal.

But there is another, perhaps even more pernicious, barrier to hearing God’s voice–and that is having unhealthy relationships.

Unhealthy relationships are ones that seem to suck the life out of us.

In fact, Jesus described the features of these kinds of relationships when he talked about “the thief,” Satan, the very one who wants to strip the life out of us, away from us, and lead us into ways of death.

Here’s what Jesus said, both about the Thief and about Himself: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”–John 10:10 (NIV) 

Quite the contrast isn’t it? 

When you feel like something essential about yourself has been stolen from you; when you feel like something important about who you are has died or been killed; when you feel like the things about you and about which you care most deeply have been destroyed–then you know the thief has been at work.

And the Thief loves to work through unhealthy relationships.  In fact, unhealthy relationships are a result of the Thief’s work.

That’s not to say that people are “possessed” by the Devil. 

But it is to say that the Devil, Satan, is at work in this world and in our lives causing destruction and stripping us of much of what God has for us. 

Just giving credit where credit is due.  Just saying.

Unhealthy relationships come in many “sizes” and settings. 

There may be a person, of some persons, at work, in the neighborhood, in your church, in your family, or it may be your most “significant other” who is creating an unhealthy relationship.

It might be you.

Or your unhealthy relationship might be the product of an addictive pattern you possess.  We can have unhealthy relationships with “things,” you know.  The Bible calls such a relationship idolatry.  The modern word is “addiction.”

But Scripture says, Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”–1 Cor. 15:33 (NIV) 

If something or someone is sucking the life out of you and keeping you off track and away from a wonderful relationship with the One who made you, then you are going to have a difficult time hearing God’s voice.

Why?  Because you’re going to be so consumed by the unhealthy relationship that you won’t have any space or time or energy in your life for, well, LIFE.

The financial needs of this part of October’s mission trip include air fares and other expenses for Dr. Schneider and Lanita Bauer, glasses (a total of $415, which includes 48 boxes of 50 glasses each; each box has a specific prescription for either men, women or children) and a few other miscellaneous expenses.

Along with the above, we are trying to raise at least $3,000 for the education wing that is attached to the church.  This will enable the children’s ministry of the church in Hato Mayor to expand (right now the older children meet outdoors on Sunday mornings) and also allow for several meetings to take place at once during the week.  The next step in the project is putting up the ceiling, which will be a flat concrete roof that will also serve as the floor for a projected second story.

Horizon will receive this offering this coming Sunday, October 16.  We’ll then report how much was received the following Sunday, October 23, just a few days before the group from Horizon will head to the DR.

It’s amazing how much a little money goes in the DR!  $3,000 would be enough to get that roof/ceiling/second floor up.  The next steps would then include a concrete floor, windows, a front door, secure iron for the windows and door, and painting.

Imagine the boost of hope that would flood that small church in the DR if we are able to present them with this gift!  Imagine how much they would be encouraged to continue their witness and work. 

We would be building up another local church whose mission is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Only God can release these resources for this purpose.

But imagine what a work God can do in us and through us—and how much we would be encouraged ourselves as followers of Jesus Christ by participating as fully as we can.

Only God …

–Jim Morse

Everyone knows about stress.  Stress visits us at work, in many of our relationships, in our home life and just in general.

After all, the world is out of control and many of us don’t feel safe “out there.”  We never know when we might meet with calamity and/or misfortune.  We don’t know when the IRS is going to come knocking on our door.  We don’t know when the kids are going to have something happen in their lives.  We don’t know when Congress or the President is going to do something that we don’t agree with. 

And then there’s the news–whether you get your news on the internet, television or radio, it’s enough to drive even the most stable person crazy.  Who are these people?  Both the ones who report the news, but especially those in the news.

There’s terrorism, accidents and hurricanes.  There are fires, murders and all kinds of mayhem.  There’s scandal, politics and sports.

Just a second.  I need to pause and take a few cleansing breaths.  I’m feeling stressed just writing out that short list of some of the things that appear in our news pipelines.

I’m better now.  Thanks for waiting.  Appreciate it.

Back to stress, however.  The problem with stress is that it takes us out of “our game.”  We are not our best selves when we are stressed. 

Stress distorts us.  Stress has its way with us and makes us feel out of control.  Stress leaks into every area of our lives and makes a mess of things.

Stress shortens our tempers and shortens our lives.  Not things we want to be true about us.

AND stress causes us to hunker down in such a way that we are not aware of all that is going on around us.

And that includes God and His speaking to us.

So …  if you are stressed, then you’re probably having a hard time connecting with God.

You’re experiencing a real barrier between yourself and the One who can give you the peace and joy that you are craving and longing for.

Take your stress-pulse and see where you are.  Do what you can to get your pulse in the healthy range and get your spiritual blood pressure under control.

Then connect–with God and ask Him to speak into your life.  Ask Him to show you how you can reduce your stress.

Know God, know peace. 

No God, no peace.

positioning is about being able to listen in the first place.  We must position our ears, our hearts and our minds.

We position our ears by reducing and eliminating the distractions that call for our attention but don’t help us hear God at all.  Distractions come in many forms, both large and small.  Do a quick analysis of what occupies your time and you’ll see what I mean.

We position our hearts by simply wanting to hear God’s voice.  We won’t listen if we really don’t want to hear what God is going to say to us.  For instance, if I am on a trajectory that I know is not helpful to me and is not God’s will for me, then I probably won’t tune in to hear God’s voice.  My heart will be elsewhere.

We position our minds by letting them be transformed by the Holy Spirit, rather than being conformed to this world, as it says in Romans 12:2.  The quickest way to have our mind transformed is through Scripture, which includes simple reading of the Bible, studying Scripture and meditating on passages from the Bible.  It also includes spending time with others trying to both understand the Bible and to also listen to how the Bible is impacting others’ lives.

But even if we get in position, there might be barriers that prevent us from hearing God’s voice, or at least mute it so we can’t hear God clearly.

One barrier is anger.  We are told in the Bible to not let the sun go down on our anger (Eph. 4:26-27). 

Anger is a God-given emotion.  We all get angry.  Anger is an emotion of self-preservation; in other words, something has happened where we feel demeaned, diminished or devalued in such a way that we feel like something is REALLY at stake for us.  Of course, we can get angry for the wrong reasons, but that’s not what I’m talking about here. 

The problem with lingering anger is that it finds a home in us and keeps us self-focused, which then prevents us from effectively interacting with both God and others. 

Keeping a grudge effectively shuts down relationships and lets profound disease and dis-ease creep in, creating a barrier to effective and healthy communication and simple relating.

It’s not bad or evil to get angry.  Our anger might scare us because of past explosions or the like, but anger is a sign that I have taken a “hit” deep within who I am, my essence, my soul.  Don’t ignore your anger.

But treat your anger like a symptom, rather than the problem.  The problem is deeper and your anger points to it, much like when you hit your thumb with a hammer.  The problem isn’t the pain; the problem is that your thumb has been wounded.

When you feel anger your soul has been wounded.

But don’t let your anger become a barrier to hearing God’s voice by becoming so “loud” in your life that God can’t get a gentle whisper in edgewise.

It was decided by that group to keep our discussions on Sunday mornings, rather than trying to also fit in a weeknight discussion.  However, that could change with additional feedback.  If a weeknight is the best time for you to meet and discuss the book, please let me know.  The accumulation of even a few such preferences would quickly result in some weeknight conversations.

But feedback is what this post is about.

Both prior to and since last Sunday morning’s conversation I had heard from people who had either begun reading Love Wins or who had read the book all the way through.

The comments ranged from, “… Just finished reading the first chapter and all I can say is, ‘Wow!’” to “I’m not sure where Rob Bell is going, but if he’s going where I think he’s going, then I’ve got some serious problems with him,” to “How can he say that?!”

As you can see, responses to the book are strong, no matter how far someone has read.

I’ll try to keep you updated here as the discussions proceed, but my best advice at this point is this: First, read all of the book before you draw conclusions (always good advice!).  Second, make sure you do your best to understand the points Bell is making before you press your own prior understandings onto what he has written in Love Wins (again, good advice).

We are dealing with weighty topics here–heaven, hell, Jesus Christ, salvation and the nature of God.  Such topics will not allow themselves to be easily reduced to slogans or other kinds of short, commercial-like statements.  The nuances and depth of these subjects require both patience and hard work, something our feeling-oriented, sound-bite driven society finds to be tedious and boring.

Fight the impulse to rush to judgment or a hasty conclusion.  Allow yourself to be both informed and challenged by the book and the discussion about it.  And, even more importantly perhaps, be willing to let your own thoughts and conclusions to be brought to the light of day through your active participation in the conversation.  It is sometimes only when we try to explain our thoughts out loud that we find out what we are really thinking.  And then we can see revealed what we might believe. 

And beliefs matter.  Beliefs matter a lot.

Be patient with yourself.  Be patient with the book.  Be patient with the conversation.

–Jim Morse

So why the celebration?

First, Rob Bell is a celebrity pastor.  He is the founding pastor of the 10,000+ Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Second, he is a best-selling author of other books and the creator of the NOOMA video series.

Rob Bell is a bright, shining star in the American evangelical galaxy.  He is known.  And, up to this point, he was a darling of the evangelical Christian crowd.  Love Wins has, perhaps, changed some of that.

Why the concern?

Cutting to the chase, Bell is accused in many circles of promoting universalism, which says that everyone goes to heaven.  No matter what.  Bell is accused of saying that God’s love has the final say and that a loving God would never send someone to hell for not professing Jesus in this lifetime. 

That’s saying that you don’t have to be a Christian in order to go to heaven.  Or, to turn the coin over, if you are not a Christian then you don’t have to worry; hell is not in your future anyway.

The subtitle of Love Wins is this: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived.

And people are upset because, if Bell is indeed promoting universalism, even if it’s Christian universalism (which means that, somehow, it all happens through Jesus Christ), then he is going to lead people astray and could be assisting in populating the neighborhoods of hell and keeping people out of heaven.

Actually, there is a lot at stake here.

So why read Love Wins?

Aren’t you going to be lead astray if you read the book? 

If that is the case, then whoever is saying that isn’t giving you much credit for being able to think for yourself.  They would be insulting you.

Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (NIV)

In other words, Christians need to have active minds that are well-informed about what it means to follow Jesus.  We need to be sharp so we can tell what is of God and what is not.

Which, to my mind, means we should read, discuss and understand both what orthodox Christianity is AND the other views, opinions and ideas that are floating out there around us.  We need to know what’s right in order to discern what’s wrong.  But we also need to know what’s wrong so we can pursue what is right.  In other words, knowing how ideas differ makes a difference.  We are to have discerning minds, well-exercised and fit for the task.

How important is Love Wins?

Important enough to have elicited a number of thoughtful responses (along with an abundance of less-than-thoughtful responses) from noted heavy-hitters in the evangelical realm.

For instance, I just finished reading a book by Francis Chan (who wrote Crazy Love, a book we discussed last year) and Preston Sprinkle (a New Testament Ph.D.) called Erasing Hell: What God Said About Eternity, and the Things We’ve Made Up.

Chan and Sprinkle wrote this book as a response to Rob Bell’s Love Wins.  Apparently, they read his book, thought about it, and decided to weigh in.  Good for them.  It’s a good book.  I’ve read it.  But, like Bell’s book, there are some gaps and they bang the drums they want to be heard.

Mark Galli, the Sr. Managing Editor for Christianity Today (a must-read magazine for evangelical Christians), also read Love Wins.  And he wrote a response called, God Wins: Heaven, Hell, and Why the Good News Is Better Than Love Wins.

I’m in the process of reading God Wins.  But the fact remains that Mark Galli, a heavy-hitter, felt the need to respond to what Rob Bell wrote.  In order to do so he had to read the book.  And, apparently, he is not in any danger of either losing his Christian faith or becoming a universalist.  In other words, he read Love Wins and he’s okay. 

On the back cover of God Wins it says, “Love Wins has sparked a national discussion about the ultimate fate of human beings that has gotten people asking a lot of questions. … Mark maintains that “love wins” isn’t deep or rich enough–and that there is even better news for humanity.  God wins.  This book explores the biblical concept of what “God wins” means, and compare and contrasts that idea with the issues raised in Love Wins.”

Michael E. Wittmer, a Ph.D. who teaches systematic and historical  theology at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary (right in Rob Bell’s backyard, almost literally!), also wrote a response.  It’s called, Christ Alone: An Evangelical Response to Rob Bell’s Love Wins.  He read Love Wins, too.

Seems like a lot of people have read Love Wins and have taken it seriously.  Serious enough to warrant a response.

On the back of Wittmer’s book it says, “In this highly readable and wonderfully engaging response to Rob Bell’s New York Times best seller Love Wins, Michael Wittmer examines Bell’s claims about ‘heaven, hell, and the fate of every person who ever lived’ in the light of the Bible and historic Christian doctrine.  Wittmer writes in the introduction, ‘I respect Rob Bell.  He wrote Love Wins to start a dialogue about the most important issues of our faith, and this book is my attempt as an evangelical to join that conversation.”

And we are going to have a conversation about these important issues–heaven, hell and the destiny of every person–at Horizon, using Love Wins as our springboard.

And it looks like we’re not the only ones.

Our conversation begins on Sunday, October 2, after the morning service.

Bring some snacks but rest assured there will be plenty of theological “meat and potatoes.”

The importance of listening for God’s voice, the very voice of Jesus communicated to us via the Holy Spirit, can be easily underestimated.  We can be lulled into thinking that it doesn’t matter if we try to take it to the next level or up a notch in our own walk with Christ.  But it does.

Here’s something I gleaned from After You Believe, by N. T. Wright, a Brit who is a first-rate New Testament scholar and a heavy hitter when it comes to what it means to be a Christian:

One recent writer speaks of “cascading grace”: when God does something in one person’s life and through his or her work, other people see it and think, “Do you suppose that could happen here?” and a spark turns into a flame–often a flame of a subtly different color.  Imitation need not be slavish.  Let by the Spirit, it can be a means toward something quite new. (pp. 269-270)

Can you imagine a conflagration (think of a contagious fire) of Kingdom activity that results from the spark the Holy Spirit lights in you?

Just because you listen for the beep of your watch, then listen for God, and then take that next step, climb that next hill, burst through that next barrier, turn in a new direction, take on a new challenge …

Grace upon grace upon grace–showering the earth with the glory of God.

Just because of the Spirit’s activity in one person–you!

Cascading grace.

A cataract, a series of waterfalls, of grace.

It’s source from the throne of God in heaven.  Flowing through us.  Catching others in its current.  Resulting in new cascades of grace. 

It’s a Kingdom-thing.

Jesus said,  ”The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.”–Matthew 13:31-32 (NIV)  

See?  Looks like cascading grace, doesn’t it?

Elsewhere, Jesus said that faith that was as small as a mustard seed could do amazing and great things.

I believe him.

So why keep our walk private, when it could be both personal and as large as the Kingdom of God?

Sometimes I hear it and sometimes I don’t.  (My wife makes the same claim when it comes to hearing what she says to me!)  At least I’m consistent!

I hear my watch beep when there isn’t much else going on around me that would keep me from either hearing the beep or paying attention to it.

The beep reminds me to listen for God’s voice and then to respond obediently.  Both are difficult but important activities for every Christian.  Doing so enables those who seek to follow Christ to be more “in tune” with what God is doing both in the world and in their lives.  Let’s hope so, anyway.  (I’ll speak for myself!)

But why would someone do this?  I believe there are beliefs, held even by Christians, that would make people NOT want to listen for God’s voice, to say nothing about responding obediently to what they heard.

For instance, and this is basic, what if someone doesn’t believe that God is good?

I think that believing God is good is basic to … believing in God.  Believing God is good is, to my mind, even more basic that believing God loves us. 

Why?  Because in this world we have such a messed-up understanding of what love is that we can’t even begin to understand or appreciate what it means to be loved by God.  Along with that, many people have been ruined by those who have claimed to love them.  Frankly, if that’s what love is then count me out!

Here’s what Jesus said, when confronted by someone who wanted to learn how to follow God: 

As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
    [18] “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good–except God alone.  [Mark 10:17-18 (NIV)]

Jesus answered that God is good.  That works for me.

If I believe that God is good, even though He might lead me into painful places, then I’ll go, trusting in God’s goodness.

But if I don’t believe God is good, then I’m probably not even going to listen for His voice, to say nothing about responding obediently.  Why would I listen to Someone who isn’t good? 

If you are wearing a beeping watch, then do a little gut check and ask yourself what you believe, most basically, about God.  Do you believe God is good?  Do you believe God is only good, never bad?  Do you believe that God is only going to lead you into goodness, both for yourself, others, and for the world around you?

If you answer, “Yes,” to those questions, then keep listening for the beep.

If you answered, “No,” to any of those questions, then get serious in both prayer and in thinking about what you do believe.  Ask yourself if your beliefs are healthy–for you and for others.  Ask yourself and the Lord is you are believing accurately about who God is as He’s revealed Himself in His Son, Jesus Christ.

And while you’re doing all of that–consider believing with everything you have and are that God is good.

You might find yourself looking forward to the next beep. 

Just sayin’.

About a week ago, he told me he was thinking about applying for another active duty billet (job/posting).  It is in Djibouti, “On the horn of Africa,” he said.

I nodded while on the phone, indicating my understanding of both where the Horn of Africa was and also where Djibouti is located.  He didn’t see my understanding nod.

Good thing.  Because I didn’t know where either one is located. 

I had heard of the Horn of Africa and I had heard of the African nation of Djibouti, but I couldn’t locate either one on a map.

So therefore it was a supportive nod.  You have to give one of those once in a while.  It seemed like the right thing to do at the time.

This past Sunday in church I said the Fender Stratocaster guitar I was playing was a gift from Dana.  The same Dana.  And I told the folks at Horizon that he might be deployed to Djibouti sometime in the next year or so.

That prompted the following exchange of texts between me and someone from Horizon.  I include it here because it’s funny.  No other reason.  It’s just funny.  (And thanks to the person who sent it.  You know who you are!)

Out of nowhere, I received:  “Jabooty is located at the bottom-most portion of your back.  It’s Jabooty.”

To which I replied:  “All this time …!”

And received in return: “Yup.  It’s not a secret location.”

Sometimes the help you get is more than enough.

By the way, I looked up both the Horn of Africa and Djibouti and now know where they are located. 

Neither one is anywhere near the bottom-most portion of my back.

That location is called Jabooty.  Just sayin’.

“How does this relate to the 60/60 Experiment?” you’re thinking.

Here’s how: If you check out the Tuesday post at 10:23 a.m. on Horizon Minstries’ Facebook page, you’ll see a comment by Tori Prendergast that fits right in.