What is the Gospel?

By Dr. Harry Ironside (1876 - 1951)

"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures" (1st Corinthians 15:1-4).

It might seem almost a work of supererogation to answer a question like this. We hear the word, "Gospel" used so many times. People talk of this and of that as being "as true as the Gospel," and I often wonder what they really mean by it.

First I should like to indicate what it is not.

THE GOSPEL IS...
Not The Bible

In the first place, the Gospel is not the Bible. Often when I inquire, "What do you think the Gospel is?" people reply, "Why, it is the Bible, and the Bible is the Word of God." Undoubtedly the Bible is the Word of God, but there is a great deal in that Book that is not Gospel.

"The wicked shall be turned into Hell with all the nations that forget God." That is in the Bible, and it is terribly true; but it is not Gospel.

"It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." That is in the Bible, but it is not the Gospel.

Our English word, "gospel" just means the "good spell," and the word "spell," is the old Anglo-Saxon word for, "tidings", the good tidings, the good news. The original word translated. "Gospel," which we have taken over into the English with little alteration is the word, "evangel," and it has the same meaning, the good news. The Gospel is God's good news for sinners. The Bible contains the Gospel, but there is a great deal in the Bible which is not Gospel.

Not The Commandments

The Gospel is not just any message from God telling man how he should behave. "What is the Gospel?" I asked a man this question some time ago, and he answered, "Why I should say it is the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount, and I think if a man lives up to them he is all right." Well, I fancy he would be; but did you ever know anybody who lived up to them? The Sermon on the Mount demands a righteousness which no unregenerate man has been able to produce. The law is not the Gospel; it is the very antitheses of the Gospel. In fact, the law was given by God to show men their need of the Gospel .

"The law," says the Apostle Paul, speaking as a Jewish convert, "was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. But after that Christ is come we are no longer under the schoolmaster."

Not Repentance

The Gospel is not a call to repentance, or to amendment of our ways, to make restitution for past sins, or to promise to do better in the future. These things are proper in their place, but they do not constitute the Gospel; for the Gospel is not good advice to be obeyed, it is good news to be believed. Do not make the mistake then of thinking that the Gospel is a call to duty or a call to reformation, a call to better your condition, to behave yourself in a more perfect way than you have been doing in the past.

Not Giving Up The World

Nor is the Gospel a demand that you give up the world, that you give up your sins, that you break off bad habits, and try to cultivate good ones. You may do all these things, and yet never believe the Gospel and consequently never be saved at all.

THERE ARE SEVEN DESIGNATIONS OF THE GOSPEL in the New Testament, but over and above all these, let me draw your attention to the fact that when this blessed message is mentioned, it is invariably accompanied by the definite article. Over and over and over again in the New Testament we read of the Gospel. It is the Gospel not a Gospel. People tell us there are a great many different Gospels; but there is only ONE. When certain teachers came to the Galatians and tried to turn them away from the simplicity that was in Christ Jesus by teaching "another Gospel, "the apostle said that it was a different gospel, but not another; for there is none other than the Gospel. It is downright exclusive; it is God's revelation to sinful man.

Not Comparative Religion

The scholars of this world talk of the Science of Comparative Religions, and it is very popular now-a-days to say, "We cannot any longer go to heathen nations and preach to them as in the days gone by, because we are learning that their religions are just as good as ours, and the thing to do now is to share with them, to study the different religions, take the good out of them all, and in this way lead the world into a sense of brotherhood and unity."

So in our great universities and colleges men study this Science of Comparative Religions, and they compare all these different religious systems one with another. There is a Science of Comparative Religions, but the Gospel is not one of them. All the different religions in the world may well be studied comparatively, for at rock bottom they are all alike; they all set men at trying to earn his own salvation. They may be called by different names, and the things that men are called to do maybe different in each case, but they all set men trying to save their own souls and earn their way into the favor of God. In this they stand in vivid contrast with the Gospel, for the Gospel is that glorious message that tells us what God has done for us in order that guilty sinners maybe saved.

THE SEVEN DESIGNATIONS OF THIS GOSPEL are called...

1. The Gospel Of The Kingdom,

and when I use that term I am not thinking particularly of any dispensational application, but of this blessed truth that it is only through believing the Gospel that men are born into the Kingdom of God; We sing: "A ruler once came to Jesus by night, To ask Him the way of salvation and light; The Master made answer in words true and plain, 'ye must be born again.' " But neither Nicodemus , nor you, nor I, could ever bring this about ourselves. We had nothing to with our first birth, and can have nothing to do with our second birth. It must be the work of God, and it is wrought through the Gospel. That is why the Gospel is called the Gospel of the Kingdom, for, "Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God" (John 3:3,7). "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. . . And this is the word which by the Gospel is preached unto you" (1 Peter 1:23-25. Every where that Paul and his companion apostles went they preached the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, and they showed that the only way to get into that Kingdom was by a second birth, and that the only way whereby the second birth could be brought about was through believing the Gospel. It is the Gospel of the Kingdom. It also called

2. The Gospel Of God,

because God is the source of it, and it is altogether of Himself. No man ever thought of a Gospel like this. The very fact that all the religions of the world set man to try to work for his own salvation indicates the fact that no man would ever have dreamed of such a Gospel as that which is revealed in this Book. It came from the heart of God; it was God who "so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He first loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:9,10). And because it is the Gospel of God, God is very jealous of it. He wants it kept pure. He does not want it mixed with any of man's theories or laws; He does not want it mixed up with religious ordinances or anything of that kind. The Gospel is God's own pure message to sinful man. God grant that you and I may receive it as in very truth the Gospel of God. And then it is called

3. The Gospel Of His Son

Not merely because the Son went everywhere preaching the Gospel, but because He is the theme of it. "When it pleased God," says the apostle, "who called me by His grace, to reveal His Son in me that I might preach Him among the nations; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood" (Gal. 1:15,16). "We preach Christ crucified . . . the power of God, and the wisdom of God" (1 Cor. 1:23,24). No man preaches the Gospel who is not exalting the Lord Jesus. It is God's wonderful message about His Son. How often I have gone to meetings where they told me I would hear the Gospel, and instead of that I have heard some bewildered preacher talk to a bewildered audience about everything and anything, but the Lord Jesus Christ. The Gospel has to do with nothing else but Christ. It is the Gospel of God's Son. And so, linked with this it is called

4. The Gospel Of Christ

The Apostle Peter preaching on the day of Pentecost of the risen Savior, says, "God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." And He speaks of Him as the anointed One, exalted at God's right hand. The Gospel is the Gospel of the Risen Christ. There would be no Gospel for sinners if Christ had not been raised. So the apostle says, "If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins" (1 Cor. 15:17). A great New York preacher, great in his impertinence, at least, said some years ago, preaching a so-called Easter sermon, "The body of Jesus still sleeps in a Syrian tomb, but His soul goes marching on.: That is not the Gospel of Christ. We are not preaching the Gospel of a dead Christ, but of a living Christ who sits exalted at the Father's right hand, and is living to save all who put their trust in Him. That is why those of us who really know the Gospel never have any crucifixes around our churches or in our homes. The crucifix represents a dead Christ hanging languid on a cross of shame. But we are not pointing men to a dead Christ; we are preaching a living Christ. He lives exalted at God's right had, and He "saves to the uttermost all who come to God by Him." The Gospel is also called

5. The Gospel Of The Grace Of God,

because it leaves no room whatever for human merit. It just brushes away all man's pretension to any goodness, to any desert excepting judgment. It is the Gospel of grace, and grace is God's free unmerited favor to those who have merited the very opposite. It is as opposite to works as oil is to water." If by grace," says the Spirit of God, "then it is no more works. . . but if it be of works, then is it no more grace" (Rom.11:6). People say, :But you must have both." I have heard it put like this: there was a boatman and two theologians in a boat, and one was arguing that salvation was by faith and the other by works. The boatman listened, and then said, "Let me tell you how it looks to me. Suppose I call this oar Faith and this one Works. If I pull on this one, the boat goes around; if I pull on this other one, it goes around the other way, but if I pull on both oars, I get you across the river." I have heard many preachers use that illustration to prove that we are saved by faith and works. That might do if we were going to Heaven in a rowboat, but we are not. We are carried on the shoulders of the Shepherd, who came seeking lost sheep When He finds them He carries them home on His shoulders. But there are some other names used. It is called

6. The Gospel Of The Glory Of God

I love that name. It is the Gospel of the Glory of God because it comes from the place where our Lord Jesus has entered. The veil has been rent, and now the glory shines out; and whenever this Gospel is proclaimed, it tells of a way into the glory for sinful man, a way to come before the Mercy Seat purged from every stain. It is the Gospel of the Glory of God, because, until Christ had entered into the Glory, it could not be preached in its fullness, but, after the glory received Him, then the message went out to a lost world.

It is also called...

7. The Everlasting Gospel

because it will never be superseded by another. No other ever went before it, and no other shall ever come after it. One of the professors of the University of Chicago wrote a book a few years ago in which he tried to point out that some of these days Jesus would be superseded by a greater teacher; then He and the Gospel that He taught would have to give way to a message which would be more suited to the intelligence of the cultivated men of the later centuries. No, no, were it possible for this world to go on a million years, it would never need any other Gospel than this preached by the Apostle Paul and confirmed with signs following; the Gospel which, throughout the centuries has been saving guilty sinners.

THE GOSPEL DECLARED

What then is the content of this Gospel? We are told right here, "I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain." There is such a thing as merely believing with the intelligence and crediting some doctrine with the mind when the heart has not been reached. But wherever men believe this Gospel in real faith, they are saved through the message. What is it that brings this wonderful result? It is a simple story, and yet how rich, how full. "I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received." I think his heart must have been stirred as he wrote those words, for he went back in memory to nearly thirty years before, and thought of that day when hurrying down the Damascus turnpike, with his heart filled with hatred toward the Lord Jesus Christ and His people, he was thrown to the ground, and a light shone, and he heard a voice saying, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" And he cried, "Who art thou Lord?" And the voice said, "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest." And that day Saul learned the Gospel; he learned that He who died on the Cross had been raised from the dead, and that He was living in the Glory. At that moment his soul was saved, and Saul of Tarsus was changed to Paul the Apostle. And now he says, "I am going to tell you what I have received; it is a real thing with me, and I know it will work the same wonderful change in you. If you will believe it. "First of all, "That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures." Then, "that He was buried." Then, "that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures."

The Gospel was no new thing in God's mind. It had been predicted throughout the Old Testament times. Every time the coming Savior was mentioned, there was proclamation of the Gospel. It began in Eden when the Lord said, "The seed of the woman shall bruise thy head." It was typified in every sacrifice that was offered. It was portrayed in the wonderful Tabernacle, and later in the Temple. We have it in the proclamation of Isaiah, "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him: and with His stripes we are healed." It was preached by Jeremiah when he said, "This is His Name whereby He shall be called, the Lord our Righteousness" (Jer.23:6). It was declared by Zechariah when he exclaimed, "Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones: (Zech.13:7) All through those Old Testament dispensations, the Gospel was predicted, and when Jesus came, the Gospel came with Him. When He died, when He was buried, and when He rose again, the Gospel could be fully told out to a poor lost world. Observe, it says, "that Christ died for our sins." No man preaches the Gospel, no matter what nice things he may say about Jesus, if he leaves out His vicarious death on Calvary's cross.

CHRIST'S DEATH - NOT HIS LIFE

I was preaching in a church in Virginia, and a minister prayed, "Lord, grant Thy blessing as the Word is preached tonight. May it be the means of causing people to fall in love with the Christ-life, that they may begin to live the Christ-life." I felt like saying, "Brother, sit down; don't insult God like that;" but then I felt I had to be courteous, and I knew that my turn would come, when I could get up and give them the truth. The Gospel is not asking men to live the Christ-life. If your salvation depends upon your doing that, your are just as good as checked for Hell, for you never can live it in yourself. It is utterly impossible. But the very first message of the Gospel is the story of the vicarious atonement of Christ. He did not come to tell men how to live in order that they might save themselves; He did not come to save men by living His beautiful life. That, apart from His death, would never have saved one poor sinner. He came to die; He "was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death." Christ Jesus gave Himself a ransom for all. When He instituted the Lord's Supper He said, "Take, eat: this is My body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of Me. . . This cup is the new covenant in My Blood" (1 Cor. 11:24,25) There is no Gospel if the vicarious death of Jesus is left out, and there is no other way whereby you can be saved than through the death of the blessed spotless Son of God.

Someone says, "But I do not understand it." That is a terrible confession to make, for "If our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: (2 Cor. 4:3). If you do not see that there is no other way of salvation for you, save through the death of the Lord Jesus, then that just tells the sad story that you are among the lost. You are not merely in danger of being lost in the Day of Judgment; but you are lost now. But, thank God, "the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost," and seeking the lost He went to the cross. "None of the ransomed ever know How deep were the waters crossed; Nor how dark was the night that the Lord passed through, Ere He found the sheep that was lost."

THE NECESSITY OF DEATH

HE HAD TO DIE, to go down into the dark waters of death, that you might be saved. Can you think of any ingratitude more base than that of a man or woman who passes by the life offered by the Savior who died on the Cross for them? Jesus died for you, and can it be that you have never even trusted Him, never even come to Him and told Him you were a poor, lost, ruined, guilty sinner; but since He died for you, you would take Him as your Savior? HIS DEATH WAS REAL. He was buried three days in the tomb. He died, He was buried, and that was God's witness that it was not a merely pretended death, but He, the Lord of life, had to go down into death. He was held by the bars of death for those three days and nights, until God's appointed time had come. Then, "Death could not keep its prey, He tore the bars away." And so the third point of the Gospel is this, "He was raised again the third day according to the Scriptures. "That is the Gospel, and nothing can be added to that. Some people say, "Well, but must I repent?" Yes, you may well repent, but that is not the Gospel. "Must I not be baptized?" If you are a Christian, you ought to be baptized, but baptism is not the Gospel. Paul said, "Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel" (1 Cor. !:17) He did baptize people, but he did not consider that was the Gospel, and the Gospel was the great message that he was sent to carry to the world. This is all there is to it. "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and was buried, and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures."

THE GOSPEL ACCEPTED

Look at the result of believing the Gospel. Go back to verse two, "By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain." That is, if you believe the Gospel, you are saved; if you believe that Christ died for your sins, that He was buried, and that He rose again, God says you are saved. Do you believe it? No man ever believed that except by the Holy Ghost. It is the Spirit of God that overcomes the natural unbelief of the human heart and enables a man to put his trust in that message. And this is not mere intellectual credence, but it is that one comes to the place where he is ready to stake his whole eternity on the fact that Christ died, and was buried, and rose again. When Jesus said, "IT IS FINISHED" the work of salvation was completed. A dear saint was dying, and looking up he said, "It is finished; on that I can cast my eternity." Upon a life I did not live, Upon a death I did not die; Another's life, another's death, Is take my whole eternity." Can you say that, and say it in faith?

THE GOSPEL REJECTED

What about the man who does not believe the Gospel? The Lord Jesus said to His disciples, "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:15,16). He that believeth not shall be devoted to judgment, condemned, lost. So you see, God has shut us up to the Gospel. Have you believed it? Have you put your trust in it; is it the confidence of your soul? Or have you been trusting in something else? If you have been resting in anything short of the Christ who died, who was buried, who rose again, I plead with you, turn from every other fancied refuge, and flee to Christ today. Repent ye, and believe the Gospel.

"O, do not let the word depart, And close thine eyes against the light; Poor sinner, harden not thy heart, Be saved, O tonight."

[Dr. Harry Ironside (1876-1951), a godly Fundamentalist author and teacher for many years, served as pastor of Chicago's Moody Memorial Church from 1930-1948]

This Story has A Nice Ring To It

“Do you still make jewelry?”, I asked the woman behind the solid wall of glass.

I was at a silver and gold exchange business located in my neighborhood. I had brought in some old jewelry and silverware that had been in a drawer for some time with the intention of selling it.

My overall goal was, if any of it was worth anything, to get some cash or materials for me to use to make a ring to replace the one that I had recently lost.

The ring that I had lost wasn’t expensive or valuable. It was a very simple ring that I had modified and liked to wear. I had recently lost some weight and best I could figure the ring had fallen off and I didn’t even know it!

I found a design for a ring that I liked. It was a simple silver ring with a gold cross. I am an artist and have made jewelry in the past. But, because I don’t have access to the same tools that I would need to do a “lost-wax” ring, I had discussed with a jeweler friend of mine what he would charge me to make the ring.

His price was fair, but higher than I wanted to pay for a ring. So, I decided to sell some items so see what I could come up with for cash or precious metals to make the ring myself.

Most of what I brought in to sell wasn’t worth a whole lot. The two items that did have some value looked like costume jewelry and didn’t appear to be worth anything. It turned out that they were both made of white gold and were incrusted with diamond chips making them valuable.

After I filled out some paperwork, I was handed a check and was just about to leave the shop when I remembered the real reason that I had come to the store.

I also remembered that this woman had told me in the past that she had gone to college to study jewelry making. I thought that I would ask her if she still made jewelry and ask what she would charge to make a ring for me.

“No, I don’t”, she answered me. “I will occasionally do some modifications such as resizing, but nothing other than that. Why do you ask?”

I told her how I had lost my ring and that I wanted to replace it.

“What style were you looking to make?” she asked.

I told her about the simple silver ring with a gold cross that I had seen.

She said to me; “I have one that I might be willing to sell.”

She continued. “Mine is a simple ring with a cross on it. In fact, just this morning I was looking at the ring and thought to myself that I should maybe sell the ring since it is too big for my fingers…would you like me to email you a picture of it?”

I told her “yes”, gave her a business card, and went home.

Later that evening, I received an email from her along with some pictures of the ring we discussed. In the email she stated that she was on the fence about selling it, but because I asked about it, she said she would be willing to part with it.

The ring was simple and, it turns out, was made of silver and the cross was made of gold.

We exchanged a few more emails, including what was the price that she would sell it for, and agreed to meet the next day for a look at the ring to see it would fit me.

The next day, I went to her business, tried on the ring (it fit), and willingly paid her asking price. We both marveled at how the transaction took place.

And the amount of money that I received for the jewelry that I sold her was more than her price for the ring. In fact, I was able to purchase the ring and still give a tithe on the amount that I received in the sale of the jewelry.

It is the simple things, isn’t it, where God seems to shine the best! It is in the extra ordinary requests of my heart that only He knows, when He seems to be the closest.

It is when I need new clothing and someone gives me some for a gift.

It is when I need a hug and someone comes up and gives me one without me asking.

It is when I am desirous of something like chocolate, or steak, or tickets to watch the Minnesota Wild play and someone gives them to me without me asking.

It is when I long to preach and someone calls me up and asks me if I am available.

No, I didn’t need the ring; I have others that I can wear.

But I DID need to be reminded that He does know that I am here…

And for me to know that He hears the desires of my heart.

See, I told you that this story has a nice ring to it.

Blessed be the Lord,
Who daily loads us with benefits,
The God of our salvation! Selah (Psalm 68:19)

Gimme A Break

I saw someone’s post about their dad on his birthday. It said something to the effect of: ‘I could never ask or dream up a better dad. You are an incredible dad…’

At first glance, I wish that I could say that this was true for my life; perhaps I wouldn’t have had some of the quirks that I do.

But that wasn’t my story. My story is that I had a dad (and mom) who in spite his (and her) best efforts left fingerprints all over my life like a person attempting to clean a crystal chandelier.

My life has been seasons of struggle, depression, woundedness, isolation, and loneliness. I’m messy.

If you get too close my walls sometimes come up in an attempt to hold you at bay. Over the years I have struggled with control, anger, humor, sarcasm and other forms of self-protection.

While working at a treatment center, my staff walked me through a twelve-step program for people who grew up without hugs. I think that they were in cahoots with Cathy’s family who LOVE to hug!

But, as I have grown older and had children of my own, I’ve come to not only appreciate what my parents went through to raise me; but I also came to honor and respect them.

Simply put, they did the best they could and as my mom said one time; “You boys married outside your league so I would say that you have it pretty good!” And she was right.

So, as the song says and as all parents’ hearts cry out; “Gimme a break, gimme a break…”

The two of them sacrificed so much of their time, emotions, sleep, finances, and physical health to provide for all of us children over our lifetimes. 

As my children now have children of their own, I’ve come to realize that my parents did more than their best. Parenting is hard work and it is a marathon for that we all need a break.

In spite of my parents’ flaws, weakness, and inabilities, they did a really good job raising us ten children who at times made their job hard and showed them no respect.

I look back and realize that in many areas, I had been provided for better than many who come from "perfect" homes had. My dad worked hard so that we were NEVER in debt. Sometimes this meant working on his days off to pick up extra money as he sacrificed to provide for his family; always thinking of other people above himself.

The house was kept spotless, both inside and out. The lawn was lush and green and was cut meticulously three times a week. We had fruit trees and gorgeous flower gardens.

My mom did her part by staying home and dealing with ten children; especially with us four boys who were all just over one year a part and frequently gave her reasons to be mad at us.

There was always enough food for everyone. And we didn’t just eat, we ate very well! My mom was thrifty and would look for deals so that we could eat steak and roasts like kings several nights of the week.

She made homemade meals cooked over several hours that were NEVER thrown together last minute. She also made sure that EVERY year at the start of school we were dressed in the latest fashion. She also did laundry every day so that we always looked our best.

In spite of their own struggles and the obstacles that have come their way, they never quit on their own marriage, leaving a legacy of hope that marriages can be renewed and don't have to end in divorce. They passed on their wisdom and prayed Cathy and I through turbulent times in our marriage. 

My parents, as I look back, went WAY above and beyond in everything they did, all the time. And the best thing that my parents did was give their lives to Jesus and then prayed us children into the kingdom!

I couldn't do what I do to prepare couples for marriage if not for the godly influence of my parents in my life.

I wouldn't even be a minister, let alone be right with God if not for their prayers!

Everyone they meet is blessed by them, because they both love helping people. I, and so many people who have met them, am so blessed by my mom and dad.

No, I didn’t grow up with this man’s dad or mom; I grew up with mine and I wouldn't want to change places with him because they made me who I am today. I wouldn’t be half the person I am today without them in my life. 

As I write this, I can honestly say that I had it pretty good; no, actually I had it really good! I love them both and I am SO PROUD to call them my dad and mom. They both did an incredible job as parents and I am so blessed by the Lord be connected to them!

So, on behalf of all parents far and wide, gimme a break, gimme a break. And as my dad, who loves chocolate would add; “Break me off a piece of that Kit Kat Bar!”

I Made This For You

Cathy was sitting on the front porch at our family cabin drinking a cup of coffee as she took in the beauty outside. She loves this place and is very grateful for it.

The cabin was built by her father (and other family members including myself) thirty years ago as a gift; which has deeper meaning and memories for us now that he has gone to be with the Lord over twelve years ago.

The cabin was made for vacations, retreats, and other forms of respite. Some have spent their honeymoons there. It has served me well for many sermons and times of meditations.

I am very happy to see our children taking their families to it and enjoying it the way it was intended... laughter and life and memories filling the air.

Cathy shared with me, as she came back inside to the kitchen table where I was sitting, just how grateful she is as she can even now see her father saying to her; "I made this for you!" many years past when we first cleared some trees on the property and poured the footings.

"I made this for you as a place for you and your family as a place for rest, relaxation, restoration, and community..."

"I made this for you far beyond some gifts that are made for you."

And then she shared with me how she saw beyond the physical structure of the porch and realized that her father had made the cabin to be a place to sit and ponder the place where he had chosen to build it. He wanted her to enjoy what he had seen and treasured about the lake and land.

 

It was more than just the cabin that he wanted her to enjoy....there was a world beyond the cabin; which really was a shelter for when this place had changed and the elements were cold or hot or windy or snowy or rainy...

And then she thought of the Lord who had literally created all that her dad had seen...

And she heard Father saying to her (deep in her spirit) "I made this for YOU!"

And she was filled with gratefulness for her dad to have built the cabin, to create a space for her to sit and ponder this place that meant so much to him. A place designed and created by a God who reveals Himself as "Father" who had made all of this for her.

“Thou are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” (Revelations 4:11 KJV)

Justification Jiu Jitsu

The story of the Good Samaritan is a well know story; even by those who don't claim to be Christians or to have ever read the Bible.

The story is beloved because of the way a hero arrives on the scene to step up to the plate and rescues the man who is in trouble. We want to give him a medal and put him on a pedestal for all to see.

We also love it because it challenges us in how we live. In other words, there is a point to the story. The background: 

“One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25)

Basically they were trying to trip Jesus up. They really didn't care what He was teaching. They wanted Him to go away or at least to stop others from following Him.

"Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?” The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!” (Luke 10:26-27)

Did you catch what happened? Jesus, instead of taking the bait to be tripped up, turns the table by asking the man; "What does the Law say?"

The man answers Jesus correctly; which neutralizes things for a bit, until the man realizes that he has been put under the microscope. Jesus said that if this is the correct thing to do, then the man is supposed to walk it out.

And it is uncomfortable. And he wants relief. So he tosses the ball back to Jesus.  

"The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29)

Did you catch that? The man wanted to justify himself.

The man didn't want to change. 

The man didn’t want Jesus to put the focus on him.

The man didn’t want the questions to be about him.

The man was OK with loving God; it was his fellow man that he had some issues with.

This man jujitsued the conversation and tried to justify not loving everyone by asking; "Oh yeah...who's my neighbor?" The implication is that there is no way that we have to love EVERYONE in the whole world.

He really wanted to justify NOT changing; after all, God couldn't be expecting him to love EVERYONE!

The Greek word for 'justify' is dikaioō (pronounced: dik-ah-yo'-o). It means: to render (that is, show or regard as) just or innocent: - free, justify (-ier), be righteous.

So Jesus answers the heart issues behind the man's stance and tells the Story of the Good Samaritan (see below).

You may be pondering why I am re-telling this story. Or why I am writing in a way that is different than how I normally write: Usually, I start off by writing about an event that took place and then transition into a spiritual application. Often I will include a scripture to support my observations. 

Today, you see, my heart is torn...No, not physically, but broken, mangled, ripped, fractured, rent, etc.

I went to Walgreens to pick up some items. While standing in line, I noticed a strange, repugnant, vile, disgusting odor that was in the air.

I looked around and noticed an old man who was coming up the line behind me. He was bent over, disheveled, and holding a large bag of of BBQ flavored chips.

As the cashier was ringing me up, not only did he come closer, but his repulsive smells did as well.

For those who know me well, "smell" is one of the five senses that is very strong for me.

On a side note: I think that I have sent many of the kids of air freshener salesmen through college with all of the products that I have purchased over the years!

As the cashier was handing me my receipt, the man was now two feet away. I had to hold my breath in order to not puke. This is no exaggeration or attempt to be funny. It really was that bad.

I noticed that on the side of his neck was some sort of cancerous tumor that was grotesque beyond anything I had seen before. 

I grabbed my items, stepped outside, and exhaled before I took a long, deep breath of fresh air in.

I got in my car and left Walgreens to continue with my errands; but my heart remained behind as I thought about this man and the story of the Good Samaritan.

I knew that I was called to do something; or was I?

And if so, then what?

My thoughts filled my mind as I arrived and subsequently walked through Menards as I continued with my trip.

Hundreds of ideas raced through my mind including buying him some food, or was I called to take him somewhere to eat or take him to a local shelter....

I couldn't wrap my head around having him sit in our car. After all, I had just fumigated the "old-man" smells out of our vehicles...

Still, his posture was in my head as it crept towards my heart eighteen inches away. I say posture because I didn't get a look at his face.

I wanted to justify that (perhaps) he was in this condition because of poor choices and decisions. This could be consequences...I felt a part of my body that was injured in the past hurt....wait, why are we talking about my consequences?

I left Menards without purchasing anything and decided to drive back to Walgreens. Perhaps I would see him still there. I wasn't hesitant to buy him food or give him money; clearly he needed both.

But what did he NEED? For that answer, I would need to go back and ask him. Face to face.

I looked in my minds-eye and couldn't see his face; I realized that I hadn't looked him in the eyes. I made my way back to Walgreens to search for him.

Even if I could jujitsu my way out of this pondering, I couldn't shake this man who had come across my path.

Yes, this man could be in his condition due to poor choices, but still, he was and is my neighbor.

He was not only a fellow human traveling through this world as life hurls at us; sometimes for good and sometimes with challenges...

He was also, and more importantly, made in the image and likeness of the One who also created me. In other words, he, if I would have looked at his face, would have looked like God. 

Jesus said when "you refuse to help the least of these My brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help Me." (Matthew 25:45) 

The thought had arrived the eighteen inches from my head to my heart around the same time that I arrived back at Walgreens.

I drove around the lot and block looking for him. He was nowhere to be found. I had missed my opportunity by my justification jujitsu.

THE STORY OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN

"Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’ “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”” (Luke 10:30-37)

Go With The Flow

For the past fifteen years or so I have worn my hair cut short. In fact, I usually scheduled a haircut every month 'whether I needed it or not' because my hair grows very quickly and is thick and part of the haircut is to thin it out.

When I conversed with my stylist about wanting my hair a bit longer, she said that it was pretty simple; all that I would have to do is stop scheduling appointments with her.

I say all that to state that I grew out my flow this past winter for hockey season. Not a big deal and yet the response (myopically speaking) was 'bigger' than I had expected. What I lacked in skills that are diminishing, I made up in my flow.

Flow is the slang word for the hair of hockey players. Typically it is long and flows easily out of hockey helmets. Usually, it is un-kept and greasy...or at least heavily gelled. 

Although my hair curls when it is long, in years past, I have permed the back in true mullet fashion to get the party in the back; all the while keeping the business on top.

I scheduled my haircuts for every six weeks because I had to at least keep it groomed since I still met with people in ministry....and oftentimes wore a hat. 

Generally, I received loving compliments from a variety of people who had never seen me when (in the past) I had longer hair, and they encouraged me to keep it long.

Several of my teammates encouraged me to keep it long as they lived vicariously through me; since most of them had installed a marble top on their heads a very long time ago. 

I would occasionally be stopped by complete strangers who told me that they liked my hair longer. Several neighbors called me over and expressed their love of my longer hair. Even as I write this at a coffee shop, a friend who is a pastor said that he wishes he had my hair. I told him that when I get it cut I will drop it off at his house.

I was really shocked when the elderly women at church would tell me to keep it long. 

I say "generally" I received compliments because I did get some razzing; including being called affectionate names such as hippie. I was asked what year it was because someone thought that it was the seventies. One person, when he saw my flow, asked if I road my motorcycle; offering to give me a bowl-cut.

A friend who played his career in the NHL asked me if I was going through a mid-life-crisis. I responded "I hope not, or else that means that I would live to at least one hundred and twenty years old!"

Little did I know that by not cutting my hair would I generate such opinions. I was simply going with the flow.

It reminded me of when I came to the Lord and I received some comments about what I wore as well as the length of my hair. After I cut my hair, a leader at church thought he was giving me a "compliment" when he said to me; "Now you look like a real Christian..." as he quoted 1Corinthians 11:14 where Paul tells us "Isn’t it obvious that it’s disgraceful for a man to have long hair?"

This scripture 'messed' me up a bit for a few years as I swallowed the Kool-Aid and believed the lie (although it wasn't intentionally said) that having long hair on a man was shameful. 

This affected my need for performance in how I dressed and kept myself, believing (subconsciously) that somehow my grooming was connected with my holiness.

Even this past year I was so aware of my hair being out of place when the wind would blow and mess it up; rendering me unpresentable.

Little did I know (at the time) that it was simply this leader's opinion. He, in no way, was trying to lead me astray. He was simply trying express his opinion in an attempt to disciple me.

And he had omitted to read the whole scripture in which Paul adds;

"If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God." (1 Corinthians 11:16)

Paul is the same one who said a couple of chapters earlier in the same letter to the Corinthians that he "become all things to all men that I might by all means save some." (See Corinthians 9:19-23)

What am I saying? Whether or not you like hair that is long or short, keep your opinions to yourself. This includes trends in society for men or women to shave or not shave their faces, armpits, or other areas of their bodies. It's simply your opinion.

Your words may be heaping shame on men or women who choose to grow or not grow hair; to shave it or not shave it. None of this means that you are a follower of Jesus Christ. It is (and always has been and always will be) grace and grace alone.

Your words may have more of an influence than you might think. Your words may come alongside someone's performance mentality and lead them away from the grace of God Who wishes that none should perish, but all would have eternal life.

After all; "He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." (John 3:16 AND 17)

As for me, as my hockey season comes to an end, I will contemplate when or if I get it cut. For now, I will simply go with the flow.