Today is about the truth, the truth in Christ, who is Ultimate Goodness.

We are known for and by our preferences. Our preferences and options which we hold dear, reveal us to all who know us. A preference is a greater liking for one idea, or it is our personal inclinations or desires which guide our choices reflecting subjective tastes or priorities. An option is a group of available choices or possibilities in a given situation which may or may not align with our preferences. Preferences are not dictated by options. Paul wrote in Philemon 1:8-9, “Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you.” He preferred to appeal to them by discussion, truth, and scripture rather than be a hardened rule-maker, walking around declaring commands and passing out penalties. He wanted them to come to righteous conclusions within themselves concerning being honest, being obedient to Christ, and telling the truth of who Jesus was and who they were in Christ. Did you get that? Not what we decide but what God has decided. His will far surpasses ours. It is wonderful to know you are a preference, but it’s another thing to then find out you were, actually, only an option. Kinda’ sad huh? Have you ever thought you were a preference only to find out you were merely an option?

If lying is a curse, and curses have no weight, then honesty is an honor, abides in glory, and glory has weight, as in, the weighty presence of the glory of God. We love and hate the truth, and yes, i realize, hate is a very intense word. We can’t hide from the truth, nor do we find it all too easy to tell sometimes. We say truth is serious, has heaviness and gravity, and is bottom-line important. Some consider it a burden to bear which causes pressure, yet the truth is always influential and necessary. Glory finds it’s feet in the truth. In our judicial proceedings, we are supposed to possess the weight of truth in all it’s ramifications while exercising the weight of authority, both being dispensed by the weight of the law. Our legal system has weight, authority has weight, and the truth has the ultimate weight.

If we want to possess the wisdom and authority to prosper the Kingdom of God in ministry, then making the truth an utmost action item on our list should be paramount. The truth is more than facts, more. it exposes the motivations behind the actions. As example, a man stole an apple, that’s a fact, but the truth is he had not eaten for three days and was so hungry he was compelled past his moral boundaries to take what was not his. As another example, a man was driving down the road when another vehicle approached and passed him at a high rate of speed, recklessly passing, causing him to swerve around. When he finally got closer to the other vehicle due to traffic, as he rolled his window down to angrily yell at the reckless driver, the reckless driver rolled down his window and said frantically, “My house is on fire.” That actually happened to a friend of mine. Ahhh, the truth was quite revealing, and grace was found for the other fellows circumstances.

On Sept19, 1692 in Salem Village during the witch trials, a man refused to be taken to court, and as a result, he was stripped of his clothes, a board was placed on his body and then heavy rocks were slowly laid on the board to crush the truth out of him in hopes of forcing him to admit what they wanted of him. It was like a metaphor in that the people believed the weight of truth, a rock, was going to crush a confession out of the man. It didn’t work, he didn’t confess anything but commitment to Christ, and he died, of course. Odd that no one confessed the truth they were wrong to do what they did. We can trace the idea of the weight of truth from Biblical truth to legal truth, and then the truth of individual conscience. But in the end, the truth, the whole truth in Christ, is like an anchor which keeps us grounded, even though the more honest and truthful we are about ourselves and the world around us, the more it all seems to contradict the truth as our society sees it.

Being honest and committed to telling the truth with all our heart gives us momentum in the Spirit, we have weight to accomplish and make a difference. Let’s not be mistaken, owning the truth about ourselves can be terribly not easy, but if we want to step into ministry, then we’ll need His authority.  And if we’re going to get authority from the Lord, we’ll have to let Him develop our character, and that requires honesty which may seem crushing to some, and liberating to others, all at the same time. We can’t hide from it, and we can’t hardly bear to own it, but own it we must.

How bad are we willing to be truthful with what the Lord has given us? In 2 Chronicles 18, Ahab and Jehoshaphat were going to go to war against Ramoth-gilead. Jehoshaphat, who wasn’t so sure about going to war, called for Ahab to bring out the prophets to hear what they had to say. The most prominent prophets of Ahab came and said, “Yes, go up! You’ll be fabulous!” Jehoshaphat still wasn’t so sure, so he asked if there was a man of God in the house. Ahab said he had one guy in prison but he never said anything nice about the King. In those days, to prophesy anything to the king other than what he wanted to hear was a good way to get killed, but this guy, Micaiah (me-kaw-yeh-hoo’), was dedicated to telling the truth as the Lord gave it to him. When asked if they should go to war, at first, he said, “Oh yes, go up, you’ll be great”, and Ahab commanded him to tell the truth. So, he did. He told Ahab he was going to die. Ahab was angered and said he’d deal with Micaiah when he got back. Micaiah said, “If i ever see you again, i’m no man of God”, wherewith, Ahab said to feed him on bread and water, and that’s the last we hear of the man of God. The prophet spoke the truth, even to the peril of his own life because devotion to God was more important than saving his own life. Micaiah had hi-fidelity, he was loyal to his source to the end.

Jesus is the truth and there are no lies in him. We dishonor ourselves and the gospel with the lies we tell ourselves. The Lord wants us to have planet changing authority, but it doesn’t come by unrealistic ideas of ourselves being more than God says we are. With each other, the Lord inspires us to build friendships with those who are willing to own a bridge between each other which can bear up under the weight of the truth. i’ll say again, false hope is far more cruel than the truth ever thought about being. Think about that.

Being honest, honors the Lord. Telling the truth is Christ like. Being responsible for our actions is part of telling the truth and being honorable. It takes real God-built character to live like that.

My paraphrase of John 16: 13, When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act with fidelity and truth are his delight.

Incidentally, fidelity means loyal to our source, Christ Jesus. Psalm 145:18, “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”

Here we are again, we ourselves, and you, in another semi-live broadcast of Outposts, brought to you from the beautiful, benevolent cascading banks of the Ockluhwahhah River.

In much of Christian tradition, it is true, there are a lot of deep things to consider, but i’ll be the first to say, i’m totally not a traditional person nor do i personally feel the need to follow tradition in order to know Jesus or to be right with God. Tradition in this case simply means, my interpretation, “This is what we always do.” In fact, Jesus had a something to say about the detriment of the “traditions of men” in Mark 7:7-8 ^“They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men. You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.”

Paul also had something to say about traditions in Colossians 2:8 “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”

!BUT! Not all tradition is wrong or would lead us to become divided. There is also something to be said for some things which we call tradition. One tradition in our faith is the Salutation and Benediction, and i thought it would be interesting to think on this fun-to-consider topic.

Salutations and benedictions, the words we use to open and close dialogue. How we begin and end is as important as how we do the in-between of all our interactions.

A salutation and benediction is an utterance of good wishes, the form of blessing pronounced by an officiating minister at the closing of divine services, or by friends at the arrival into fellowship or at the parting of ways. A salutation is the bestowing of blessing and greeting and a benediction is often employed as the blessing, extension of hope and conclusion. They are like bookends.

i have a habit, when parting company with friends, i typically say something like, “Be strong and courageous”, or, “Jesus knows your name and never let that out of your sight.” Those are a type of casual benediction. Until now i never realized how often i do this.

Think about it. Do you have similar little things you typically say when entering or leaving the company of friends? Do you extend to them, in words, some wishes of goodness, encouragement, or the pronunciation of a blessing of some sort? Or do you you, as a benediction just say, “Bye”, and leave as if you couldn’t wait to get away from there? Well, if we’re honest, there have been times most of us have just said just “Bye”, but as I hope you perceive, that’s not exactly what we’re talking about.

There are many salutations and benedictions in the Bible as examples of how to open or close a conversation or a meeting. Many are truly a little stiff sounding to me, maybe even too official, but they are examples we can adapt and tone down as needed. Here’s a benediction i’m sure we’ll all recognize taken from Psalm 121:7-8: “May the Lord preserve you from all evil: he shall preserve your soul.  The Lord will preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.”

As i just said, i realize that’s probably a bit, how should i call it? The word “stiff” comes to mind, not to mention it’s pretty religious sounding, but you get the idea. Most of us leaving our friends after a time of conversation and coffee probably would not say things in that order but maybe more subtly, like, “My friends, know it is GOD who guards you from every evil; He guards your very life, coming and going, just like He guards you now, and always. I’ll see you later.” Even that sounds a bit stiff and religious. i’d probably shorten it up while keeping the theme.

Other times, as we wave good bye, we might say, “Lord bless you”. That’s a type of casual benediction. Salutations are similar, like in Matthew 28:9, Jesus said, “all hail”, meaning something like, “Good morning!”. It’s an impersonal way of saying, “Be cheerful!” or “Good to see you!” i must admit that a few times i did try opening with the greeting, “All hail”, and people looked at me like i was crazy. i figured a simple “hello” was probably better next time.

Here is an interesting salutation which I found in Luke 1:26-29, “In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.  The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.”

The angel of the Lord opened his salutation by saying “Greetings” which in Greek it’s the same word Jesus used in Matthew 28:9 for “All hail” or maybe “Good day!” or “Hi there!” I had to chuckle at the part where Mary was “greatly troubled at his words and wondered, what in the world kind of greeting is that?!” The word there for “troubled” means “wholly disturbed”.  (chuckle) Evidently it was a greeting quite different than what she was used to in her culture, not to mention it was spoken to her by an angel, which i would think would shake anyone up. Either way it was the introduction to tidings of gladness and joy with a prophetic word to follow as you can read in the following verses if you’d like.

When meeting our relatives in Christ, or exiting from them, what are your salutations and benedictions? There’s a great deal to be said in how we enter and exit the room which can set the tone for the next meeting. How do you enter and exit when among friends?

i suppose we could say, “Exit, stage left” but that benediction is just a little comedic and too loose. Here’s another benediction from Romans 15:13, “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” Or more in today’s vernacular, “May the God of hope fill you up with joy and peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope!”

Do you think people would remember us differently if we took the time to express to them that kind of desire on their behalf when leaving? Notice how Paul starts his parting words with the word “may” or “moreover”, which is a way of expressing his desire of possibilities on behalf of those to whom he had written the letter. Paul points out that salutations and benedictions with his own hand were the way others would know it was really from him. In 2 Thessalonians 3:16-18 he gives his final greetings, which would be his salutation and benediction, “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand, which is the distinguishing mark in all my letters. This is how I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.” i suppose he wrote that because there were those who accused him of not being genuine.

Do you see it? It’s about how we treat people. It’s how we come in and go out of the congregation. I don’t mean we should make long salutations or benedictions necessarily; people would think we were a little too grandiose, or maybe just more self-absorbed and unbalanced than they already suspected. But consider yourself to be something of a statesman, well spoken, easily understood, someone who puts others at ease, and obviously has blessing and prosperity at heart for others. How we express ourselves to other people is part of expressing the gospel to the world. It’s not just “what” we say, but also “how” we say it. My wife advised me one time that, many times, our ability to be heard can turn simply on our tone of voice and facial expressions. We can say a hard thing softly with a gentle smile and be heard, just like we can say a soft thing with a hard tone of voice and angry demeanor, and not be heard, at all.

A salutation is a greeting. According to Webster’s 1828 dictionary, it’s an act of paying respect, and expressing kind wishes, and that is sincerity of heart type of kind wishes, not the fabrication of a facade. In his definition of salutation, Mr. Webster made it a point to write, “In all public and private addresses, use the forms of salutation, reverence and decency.”

God wants us to grow up and be mature believers, to walk circumspectly; meaning to take all things into consideration, watchful on all sides, and that includes manners, conduct, and conversation. Exodus 23:13 says “And in all that I have said to you, be circumspect”, with “circumspect” meaning to take all things into account. Let’s break down the idea of being “circumspect” a little more. In addition to “taking all things into account”, it is also acting with caution, thoughtfulness, and discretion. It involves carefully considering consequences, avoiding rash decisions, and weighing risks. To say we are acting circumspectly means we are cultivating understanding that leads to right action, and even promotes wisdom. That is a lot to take in, but it’s applicable none the less.

I realize the topic of salutations and benedictions seems like an odd topic maybe, but what I’m getting at is to encourage us all to be the statesman, the emissaries who God is bringing us to be, and that is an honor from God and a diligence on our part. Being a statesman of sorts doesn’t come over night, no one wakes up in the morning full of statesmanship. No. It comes from the Lord alone and is a learned thing.

A few years ago i realized God was calling me to a deeper understanding of people, who they are, what they’re about, their habits, their fears, hopes, and dreams. Honestly, i was uncomfortable with this but the Lord “made me to know” that if people made me uncomfortable then my discomfort started with myself, because after all, i was a people also. i didn’t have a “them” problem, i had a “me” problem. i felt He wanted me to be a better communicator and to have a deeper understanding of what i meant when i spoke, and how i communicated what He said. Slowly, i began to realize how often i did not look or sound like someone anyone would want to talk to.

So, i enrolled myself in a local Toastmasters club. In case your not familiar with Toastmasters, it is a learn-by-doing workshop in which participants hone their speaking and leadership skills in a no-pressure atmosphere. It was an excellent adventure in learning how to communicate in more than just words. Friends, personal presentation is also part of communicating. Not only have the words of the Lord to share, but present yourself as someone others would want to talk to.

All that to say, simply put, the Lord wants us to be better communicators, He wants us to learn to be well spoken, able to communicate not our heart, but His, with the words He uses and with the attitudes of His Heart. We, as the Body of Christ, need to learn to give away Christ in us with all His intents and purposes. i want people to catch what the Lord has, not what i have. If you have met me alone then nothing was gained, but if you’ve met Jesus, ahhh, now you’ve got something. No one ever got healed because of my name. No one ever was delivered because of who i am. So with all my heart, i want to communicate Jesus to a lost and dying world in the most effective way possible, which means i need to learn to speak more kindly, smile more often, and present myself as friendly. i want to confer blessing and encouragement on people who are drowning in a world of despair and hopelessness. Listen to me, in a world cloaked in despair where real and imaginary shadows suffocate hope, for many, each step feels like wading through tar, heavy and unrelenting. We can not fathom the war going on in the hearts of people around us, where dreams dissolve into a gray abyss, and laughter is no better than a distant echo. We need to know that without Jesus, hopelessness binds like chains, pulling people deeper into silence. Yet, within that darkness, is Jesus who, to many, starts as a faint spark in the thickening gloom and calls to whomsoever to rise, and breathe again.

i want to make sure i communicate e-x-a-c-t-l-y and o-n-l-y what is on the Lord’s heart, and to do that, one thing i must learn is to become more well spoken and to be a better communicator. And for all of us, we don’t want to be so easily misunderstood because we are poor communicators who didn’t take the time to learn to effectively give away what God has given us. My friends, neither should we be so mystical no one can relate to us.

In John 20:19, Jesus greeted the apostles. He didn’t just say, “Hi!”. He spoke a salutation that was more meaningful, short, and concise, an image of comfort. He said, “Peace be unto you.” My guess is when Jesus said “Peace to you” there was also peace imparted to them. Not only was it a greeting, but a declarative. In vs. 21 He repeated His salutation and declaration, “Peace unto you: as my Father has sent me, even so send I you.”

Learning the structure of scripture is just as valuable as the content. Everything, everything, everything in our Bible, from cover to cover is important because God never says or does anything for nothing, which is why salutations and benedictions are what i call, a fun-to-consider topic. There are no extra words, or surplus people, nor are there any irrelevant stories or themes.

My friends, that makes good sense. Think about it.

Salutations and benedictions are joyful, unifying calls to faith; words of assurance. The words salutation and benediction mean to say good, to voice goodness, the goodness of God which is based on Truth, not just facts, it is voicing the goodness of God based on The Principle Himself, God. Wade Tisdale wrote that “Goodness is the inevitable result of the certainty and righteousness of The Truth who is Christ, God, who is all good and there is no shadow in Him.”

i’m Social Porter and this has been Outposts. This production has been brought to you by Living In His Name Ministries, Louis Williams & Sons, Morris Kaplan, Kevin, Tommy, and Perry of the Mebane Freedom League, Area 22 Guitars, Ada Huntley of Justus Pharmacy, Joy way out in Crooked River Ranch, Sisters Coffee, and Trinity Bakers, the sweet spot on main street where there’s always something good in the oven.

Come let’s go together and become the well spoken statesmen God has called us to be. Let’s all be better communicators, not just for ourselves, but so our family, friends, and the world around us would better understand us when we open our mouths.

i must draw this evenings program to a close and i’ve chosen probably one of the most well known benedictions of all time to end with. It’s from Numbers 6:24-26 – “The Lord bless you, and keep you: The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you:  The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.” What a beautiful way to part company, wouldn’t you say?

                    2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, the new has come!”

The Mission church in Vacaville, Cal. made the following one of it’s tenants of faith in their publication “Decisions That Define Us” by David Crone. Point number four, “We have decided that having good programs is not enough, that change without transformation is intolerable, and that staying where we are is not an option.”

Many of us have left where we were and are headed to where we will be and that’s a God thing for us who are led by the Spirit. Change is good, very good. But have you been transformed, more than merely changed, not just in mind, but in composition or structure; changed in character or condition? Did we just change habits and direction, or are we allowing God to transform us into the likeness of His Son? That is not only “transformed”, past tense as a one time event or a one night stand, but “transforming”, as in an ongoing process with a future. Don’t conform, be transformed. To change is to be “fixed and complying”, but to be transformed requires a metamorphosis. Change and transformation, though similar, differ in scope and impact. Change is often reactive and incremental, whereas transformation is profound and is a fundamental shift in identity and purpose. i see it like this: change tweeks the surface, but transformation redefines our very core. We don’t get to be a new creation simply by complying with the rules so we can be fixed. To be a “new creation” requires an entire metamorphosis, the old you must die in order that the new you can emerge. Only God can do that.

Philippians 2:14-15, “Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world …”

Having a mind set that hates sin is good, but more importantly, do we love Jesus? Hating sin is good, loving Jesus is best. Being aware of the plans of hell is good, but being aware of what God is doing is best! There is a difference between “good” and “best”. Many of us are, daily, working to cease from our superficial murmuring and our outward sneering criticism of everyone and everything, along with under-our-breath-complaining and passive-aggressive finger pointing. Those are good things to cease practicing, VERY good in fact. But have we been transformed and are we being transformed due to the fingerprints of God on our body, mind, and heart? Transformed … meaning, not only do we outwardly do the right thing, but inwardly, the world’s teaching no longer grips us nor do they drive us like waves driven by the wind, starting in ripples when we are young but shortly the wisdom of the world like swells with momentum and distance. Who we used to be is dead by the power and blood of Jesus, and He has grown in us a heart for becoming and overcoming. Also, it is grace for us to keep in mind that the process of transformation, as seen in Romans 12:1 and 2 Corinthians 3:18, it takes time. Be kind to yourself in the mean time.

Re-education is not transformation. Reformation is not transformation. Rehabilitation is not transformation. Real, lasting transformation is strictly in the habitation of God alone.

One day i was whining about how few miracles of healing and wonders we see in this country, asking the Lord, in all sincerity, “What are we doing wrong Father, that these things are not happening?” i’d suppose more than a few of us have asked similar questions of God. But, are we actually doing something wrong, or is it more closely, simply not the season, yet? The Lord said to me, “Doing miracles, signs, and wonders is excellent. Ahhhh, but transforming the heart of man, now THAT is a wonder to behold!” A transformed life is an effective testimony to the power of God’s Word. Are you shining brightly, or are you subtly troubled, and clouded by complaints and contention?

Re-education, re-formation, rehabilitation are things of change, but change without transformation is not acceptable. i don’t want us to merely change, my heart is for us to be transformed, having not merely turned over a new leaf as causal as putting on a different shirt, but having begun a new life. It is not just a re-vamped order and method; it is a whole new order of God’s creative energy which we live out in Christ. We are not just re-imagining an old paradigm, but entering into something new that is transformational, not just being saved but living “in and as” the beauty, grace, and electrifying, over-the-top, presence of God.

In 2 Corinthians 5:17, “all things” means “all things“, and no part of “all” means anything other than “all“. “New” means not just changed, but transformed. See Romans 12:1-2.

Got transformation? Not just salvation, and by NO means belittling the importance of salvation, don’t mistake me, but not simply salvation and that’s all there is, but beauty, grace, life, and love. It’s not enough to just have “fire insurance” by gaining salvation. God’s intent is that we come into the full likeness of His son, Jesus. Got transformation?

          Even when we live under the pressing need for honesty, even at that, we are often compelled to keep some things secret. Sometimes, there comes a ripping in our soul as there grows the increasing inner conflict of self-disclosure versus keeping a secret in mortal fear we will be discovered. Lies and fear are weights, not wings. Secrets are necessary sometimes, after all, there are somethings which are, indeed, no one’s business but our own. Consider also that God has secrets, but He does promise us, in the end, all things will be revealed. Some secrets are necessary, but when keeping too many, they become a growing burden which eats away at all we are.

The Lord knows all of our lives and sees our tortured selves as we hide, and slide, and make alibis, while the rich, colorful world in our heart slowly, almost, imperceptibly, fades to bleak shades of grey scale, all from the burden of lies we tell ourselves and others.

We tell ourselves the truth that we are more than conquerors, but then we stretch it in our imagination to believing some of the wildest things you’ve ever heard. The Lord says He is with us, and all power in Heaven and earth is in Christ who is in our hearts. We figure His power is our power, so we go around rebuking trees, binding shadows, cursing weeds, commanding ourselves to walk on water, all the while our house is a mess, we need a bath, we’ve got bills to pay, our spouse and kids need our attention, and the lies we tell ourselves just bow us to the ground in broken expectations and sweeping disappointment. Eventually, all our self-deception and lying causes us so much pain, it eats up our mental real estate and costs us all our emotional capital until we’re so poor, not only do we struggle to pay our bills but we can’t even pay attention.

i think a lot of folks often feel stuck. We can’t seem to live, and it’s not time to die, i suppose it looks a lot like being constipated. Within ourselves we feel like a frail spirit , and we’re carrying our disappointments around, in backpacks, knowing they will never release us, not for one second. The lies we tell ourselves cry out and plead to be resolved, while binding us up in chains in the mean time. Only Jesus can set us free, but we do have to be willing to let the graveyard of old things give up it’s dead, letting the dead be dead.

i tried my hand at being a pastor for 2 ½ years. i struggled, and tried, crashed and burned every week where no one could see me. Oh man! Honestly, i don’t know what i thought, but i’m pretty sure i had a twisted idea of what it meant to be a pastor. i cried a lot. God transformed me, a lot. Every week i tried again, every week was extraordinary, every week i was glad and was also slammed with disappointment at the same time, and every week, long about Wednesday, i would get emails of complaints about how we didn’t do this, didn’t say that, shoulda’ sung this, prayed too long, not long enough, just murmuring and complaining. Oh man! Late one Sunday afternoon, sitting alone on the porch, i had a revelation, i had been lying to myself telling myself i could be that person, but the truth was, i did NOT have what it took to legitimately wear the title, it was simply not my gifting. That was the day i realized we can out run our sound thinking by assigning ourselves a title for which we have no particular gift. In fact, the weight of the lie that i WAS that person was such a burden, my feet got slower and slower, till i was, metaphorically, dragging my feet, barely able to stand. Interestingly, i watched other people who were also bent over from the weight of their own lies. People who told themselves they were prophets, but there was very little evidence of it. Oh they tried alright, gave it a valiant effort, but their words just fell to the ground to be swept up with the dust. Yet others told themselves they had no real gifts, all the while exhibiting beautiful teaching or serving gifts with extraordinary insight, but outright denying God’s gift in themselves.

We tell ourselves we know the Lord, yet many can’t tell of His attributes. We say we go to church because it’s the right thing to do, but we never question what it is we are so insistently attending? We vehemently tell people not to judge us, yet we have only a faint idea of what it is about ourselves we don’t want them to judge. We tell ourselves with frothing anger that so-and-so owes us an apology, but yet we won’t, ourselves, own our actions. And what’s worse, we may have apologized for our wrong actions but then we point out how the other person did such-n-such too. “You’re just as bad as me!” Our lies will bow us down so bad they’ll make our back crack under the weight of lies.

In the Bible, a lie is a curse, and to be cursed is to have no weight, as in no weight to change not one thing. Glory has weight, curses do not. Light has weight, darkness does not. With that observation, what is it about lies which is said to, “weigh on our conscience” so heavily? i believe the weight of lies is the burden or the violation of our conscience, the shame we bring to ourselves, and the dishonor of not being honest. When we are not honest, we simply are not honest and it wears us down. Like a file scrapes off chunks of wood, lies scrape off chunks of our conscience, until our lies don’t bother us much anymore. They tend to multiply, for it takes an additional lie to cover over the last lie, thus, the weight on our conscience of dishonor, brings more dishonor in our continuation to hide, and the shadows grow longer in our mind and heart. All the while, we grow further and further from the Lord, who loves us and merely bids us to come clean with Him.

We must elect to be honest. It doesn’t hurt much except our pride. Being honest is as healthy as eating good food, and drinking clean water. i believe there is glory which grows in our hearts when we are honest with God and ourselves. And if you do elect to throw off the weight of lies for a life style of being honest, prepare yourself for indirectly making others uncomfortable. They will squirm, often they will stop calling you, maybe avoid you at the store, or not respond to emails or texts. But you and i, we’re going to just keep on being diligent to get out from under the weight of the lies we’ve been told and believed for the sake of convenience, or maybe even because the lies sounded highly probable to our already saddened state of mind.

2 Kings12:15 tells about the workman who were so honest, the people didn’t have to call them to account because they were straight up about all they did. They didn’t lie about where the money went, they didn’t lie about the work they said they did — but didn’t, they didn’t lie using some future promise to make everything balance out, nor did they lie about when the work would be finished. They were honest, and God had it recorded in the Bible. Can you imagine, being so honest, the Lord wrote your name in the Bible for everyone, everywhere, to see forever?

The weight of lies will bow us to the ground, and only God can lift us up. Psalm 3:3 says the Lord is the glory and the lifter of our head, but friends, we’ve gotta be willing to abandon our disillusionments too.

A few years ago, in our home fellowship, a continuing topic of discussion for a while, was about the attributes of God, why we need them, and how they are a life-giving-imperative in the lives of all Christians everywhere, all day, all night, all the time. One man occasionally argued that we needed to spend our time only in intercession and prayer. He eventually just came straight out and asked, “Why are we spending our time talking about this?!”

i suppose he didn’t exactly see the value of knowing God’s qualities nor did he seem to have an interest in understanding the value of the Lord from another facet besides intercession and prayer. Either way, due to his comment, i was motivated to not only discover as many of God’s attributes as i could, but to also make a list of what was under God’s banner of intimacy, and what our King imparts to us if we’ll take the time to be involved with Him. Yes, that’s right, if we’ll take the time. The Lord shares Himself with us so that we can come into the likeness of the Son. According to Romans 8:29, those who believe in Christ, are predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ, and being conformed to that image means we take on His attributes. Incidentally, the word “conformed” means to be “pressed and squeezed into shape”, meaning coming into the likeness of the Son of God is not always moonbeams, merry-go-rounds, and candy canes.

One of the things God gives to us of Himself is, what i would call, modeling. God models for us how to act, when and how to have grace, what is His idea of kindness, courtesy, obedience, sacrifice, timing, integrity and privilege to name a few. Also, in the Bible is a host of other characters who model how we should NOT act, what we should NOT do, attitudes we should NOT have, and even some subtle discussions of detrimental intent which opposes righteousness.

i’m Social Porter and this is Outposts, a semi-live broadcast from the broad, gracious deck overlooking the late night cascading Ockluhwahhah River where the trees gently lean over the river’s edge, and every evening is pleasant.

God’s view of things is radically different than ours and that is gross understatement! Yes, He is that much better than us. Instead of using Christ as our model, i believe a large part of our country listens more to the bland and shallow “beautiful people”, or social media where the court of public opinion often decides life and death for people. We are taught what to love and hate based on someone else’s opinion, not our own. Can you believe there is a job position called, “Influencer”? The Oxford Dictionary calls an “influencer”, A person who has the ability to affect the purchasing decisions or behaviors of others due to their authority, knowledge, position, or relationship with their audience. i would never have believed that that would be a paying job position. More often than taking advice from God Himself and His written word, many seem to listen more to any and every celebrity who might appear on a television or radio talk show, with the word “listen” meaning more than simply to hear but to give themselves to and be persuaded by. Ahhh yea, the media seems to have become, what i call, the great discipler.

But, if we’ll listen to and follow after the Lord, being diligent to know Jesus and study the Bible, God has, indeed, extended us all sorts of models: roll models for example. The Lord gave Paul as a roll model. Paul says as much in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” Paul urges us to take note of those whose lives imitate Christ as is pointed out in Hebrews 6:12 “that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

Above that though, Jesus is the ultimate role model. He modeled how to surrender to being obedient to every word which proceeds from the mouth of God. He is THE model whom we should ultimately fashion ourselves and lives after: He is the self-emptying, humble, and obedient Christ of God. Jesus modeled right relationship with God all the way to the cross.

Most of us have parents whom our lives have been modeled after to one degree or another. How many of us have said, myself included, “i’ll never be like …” her or him. Regardless of our declaring who we won’t be like, whoever raised us has imprinted us with their life habits, thinking patterns, goodness and badness, for better or for worse, whether in soaring prosperity or grinding poverty. i think to not have any of our parents attributes is probably inescapable, short of God doing a mighty work in us.

Let me also add, that in following Jesus, getting to know Jesus, listening and being obedient to Jesus, using the life of Christ as our pattern for living, we slowly come into the likeness of the Son. And let me certify, The change that comes with following after the Lord can be radical. On a side note, there is a sequence of special note, repent, believe, and follow, with believe being an imperative verb, meaning “do it now”, not later, not with passivity, more than just telling about it. Do it, take action.. In Mark 1:15, Jesus said repent and believe, and then in Mark 1:16 He said follow.

Speaking for myself, i’ve even had people ask me if i am actually related to my brother or sister because they say i am nothing like them at all. At that, all i can say is God has made me different and my likeness is more of my Savior, and not after my biological family … and for me, i don’t know about you but i do know about me … i consider that miraculous and a wonderful thing.

In the entire New Testament, Jesus modeled unity for the Body of Christ. i heard a man say once, “Unity in Christ was the absolutely necessary evidence of the gospel at work. Redemption that does not redeem, that does not cause a Philemon to accept the runaway slave Onesimus back as a brother in Christ, is merely soft, ugly mush. Redemption that does not actively practice forgiveness, that does not crush “complaining against” and “arguing with” one another in the Christian community, mocks the word of the Lord.” Philippians 2:14-15 “Do all things without complaining and disputing, ¹⁵ that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,”

God extends to us a model of how we should behave ourselves. Jesus modeled the importance of forgiveness by forgiving us who believe; then He takes it further by saying in Matthew 6:14 “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” The Bible also extends to us models of how we should not act, like in Luke 20:20, there were those whom are shown to be of disrepute, where it says “they who pretended to be honest.” The exact word “disrepute” is used twice, Acts 19:27 and again in 1 Corinthians 4:10. Friends, i’ll tell you what, i am absolutely worn out on pretended honesty and the facade, or the deceptive, false appearance of genuine sincerity, where there is no genuineness to it. It’s called “two faced” or double mindedness as in James 1:8 and James 4:8, where our outward behavior doesn’t reflect our true self. Jesus modeled honesty and it wasn’t for nothing. If we want to live in a culture of honor, it would seem honesty is absolutely a main ingredient. Not only did Jesus model grace and honesty for us, He also was the perfect example of good boundaries. Good boundaries make for solid relationships, in fact a distinct lack of boundaries is usually what destroys friendships, and inspires criminal thinking. Hear this! God invented boundaries, they were His idea! He has boundaries as in He will do this and He won’t do that and He expects us to follow His lead.

In Luke 10, Jesus tells a story with six different character types. All are examples of people today as well as at that time in history.

Be honest. Which one are you, the victim in the ditch, the exploiting thieves, the priest and Levite who were concerned some of the victim’s bad ju-ju would get on them, the Samaritan who extended himself to help the victim, or the inn keeper who would help the man, but only for a fee? Which one are you? Can you be honest about that? Which one have you modeled your life after? In the overview of the entire parable, Jesus was also one of the characters, doing more than just helping, but literally giving His life for us. Be honest now … which one of those characters do you think your life is modeled after? After all, the entire idea is to come into the likeness of the Son considering that in the entire universe, Jesus is our only ally, and there’s not another.

One of the most significant models God has given us is the model of marriage. The story of God’s house is one of covenant, family, and God’s house from the beginning. This model starts at Genesis “in the beginning” and concludes in Revelation with “The grace of Christ be upon all God’s people, AMEN.”

God gave us the model of His being personal and relational in how we are to conduct ourselves with Him and each other. There is no indifference about Him. He gave us the 10 sayings, or the 10 commandments, not so much as rules, which we’ve turned them into, but more as to how we are to live in community. For those who get married or are thinking of marriage, Jesus layed out a theme in Mark10:6-12. He gave us a model of what not to do once we ARE married as shown in the decline of Solomon in 1Kings11:1-13. Jesus modeled loyalty, commitment, love, and devotion. And there is a difference between commitment and loyalty, one is an action, the other is a character trait. Think about this: commitment is an act of choosing to dedicate yourself to something, like a goal or relationship, while loyalty is a character trait with the earmarks of dedication and faithfulness to something or someone. God’s love and commitment are most amazingly revealed in the four gospels, in the stars, in all the earth, and from cover to cover in the Bible. God knows the end from the beginning and the character of the cross was worked in the heart of the Son from before the foundations of the world was laid, so from the beginning to the end God models for us marriage as seen in His actions towards us whom He loves.

The Lord gave men a model to draw from on how to treat their wives in Ephesians 5:25, in fact all of Ephesians 5:25-30 IS the model. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, and friends, that’s no small thing. Now, let me add the unspoken rest of the story. The wife ought not to take advantage and manipulate her husband while he’s busy laying down his life.

1 Timothy 3:2-3 gives men the model on how they should conduct themselves within the marriage and outside the household. Proverbs 12:4 models for women a vision of God’s intent on who she should be to her husband and where it all goes if she is a disgrace. And, of course, we can’t leave out the model woman of Proverbs 31. The story of Ruth is a wonderful story of how women should model themselves, in fact, the same word Boaz used of Ruth’s character, calling her “worthy” or “noble” in Ruth 3:11 is the same used in reference to the Proverbs 31:10 woman, naming her character as someone of great virtue, strength, and courage. Not rules to practice but someone to be. Take action. Be the person God has called you to be, and if you’re not sure what that is, be honest, honorable, and uphold the standards of God while you wait for Him to reveal to you the “what’s next” of your life.

James 1:27 gives us a model of how to act towards widows and orphans, and that we should help the helpless, the orphans and widows. The Lord is generous and we should be as He is, instead we often model ourselves after other people instead of the Lord who modeled a standard for us that we should act like Him. Ephesians 5:1 “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.” Jesus revealed to us how children should treat their parents in Luke 2:51-52, we see it outlined again in Ephesians 6:1, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” A poetic model of how to treat our parents is also seen in Proverbs 1:8-9, “My son, hear the instruction of your father, And do not forsake the law of your mother; Wear their counsel like flowers in your hair, like rings on your fingers.”

Oh my, do you see it all? And that’s just a few of the obvious ones. There are larger concepts of modeling if we also study the themes and narratives of Scripture. God has so amazingly laid out for us the models of how we should conduct ourselves in business, in marriage, in righteousness and holiness. The Lord God Almighty did not commission the book called the Bible to be written just so we could ignore His models for our conduct, character, and conversation.

Above the models of modesty spoken of in 1 Corinthians, or of wisdom in Proverbs and in Matthew, above Paul’s model of stewardship in Colossians, and above multitudes of scriptural models of persistence, diligence, righteous justice, mercy, creativity, faith, and fairness; above all those and hundreds of others which God has given us so we would know what to do and how to act, above all that, the Lord has called us to be models ourselves; models after Jesus. We are to be image AND reflection, meaning not only how we look, but also in how we act. Not that anyone can become Jesus, but we can certainly “set our eyes” on being like Him. Right here, let’s define the idea of “set your eyes upon Jesus”. It means to intentionally focus your attention and affection on Him alone, prioritizing your relationship with Him above all else. It involves trusting Him, aligning your priorities with His standards, and maintaining a Kingdom-minded perspective, especially during trials and temptations. Oh yes, most especially during trials and temptations when we are most vulnerable.  He calls us to become roll models for the world. Yes, you and me.

Matthew 5:14-16, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Letting your light shine before men doesn’t mean we go around slamming people with the gospel, it means, and hear this: it means to live a life which has a constant upward pointing to the sovereignty of God, it means possessing peace continually propagated by grace. God grace?

N.T. Wright wrote that, “the path to  God himself is seen in Jesus Christ! That of giving yourself away, of generous love which constantly refuses to take center stage.” You’d be surprised how far your work in the Kingdom will go if you’ll stop putting your name all over it.

God has also revealed to us other models, models of those we should NOT act like, like Balaam, Ahab, Jeroboam who made Israel to sin, or Korah, or Cain. It is very important that we know who NOT to model after, but i believe more importantly, we need to know who we SHOULD model after.

God gave to us His only Son, who was, in the flesh, the reflection of the Father in Heaven. Jesus said in John 14:9 “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” and John 8:19, “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”  In other words, if you’ve seen me, you’ve seen Him, and if you know me, you know Him.

Here’s a great question someone asked me once. Who are your heroes? i’ll tell you, i had to really ponder that one. Who have you modeled your life after? Do most of us even know? If we don’t, what can we do to help ourselves become all of what God has called us to be? An’ right there is a big Amen. Think about it.

John 13:14-15, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.” Washing feet is more than a towel, pan of water, and scooping the water across someone’s feet. That’s too small and falls far short of what the Lord intended. Go over and mow their lawn, bring your wife coffee in the morning, do the dishes, go clean someone’s house or weed their garden, be consistently kind and graceful to your parents. That kind of stuff is washing feet, that is modeling the character of the Lord. Tell others about the goodness of God instead of the badness of men. Condemnation never liberated anyone from immorality or depression.

The evening has come to a close. Thank you for taking a few moments in time and space to consider with me the possibilities of God’s infinity living in us.

i’m Social Porter and this has been Outposts, cool jazz and contemplative conversation, encouraging us all to look above the platform, over the top of the pulpit, beyond all men, way over beyond the blue and see God, who has modeled life as it should be to a lost and dying world.

This has been brought to you by Living In His Name Ministries, Lawnes and Hattie Gash, Kevin, Tommy, and Perry of the Mebane Freedom League, Azalee Dunbar, Ruben Kandja, Carlota Antonio Cossa in Mozambique, Kyle Walker, Area 22 Guitars, and Trinity Bakers, the sweet spot on main street where there’s always something good in the oven.

Jesus is our model and frame, the singing light who lived and died on our behalf. He gave Himself for us and asks us to give ourselves to Him, to model His heart and life, accomplishing the Heart of the Father that all those who believe in Christ, would come into the likeness of His dear Son, Jesus.

Be strong and courageous, pray for your neighbors, drive carefully, and step into the model of righteousness God has given you the power and authority to do. Be blessed my friends, be blessed.

Over many years of trying to think of “Who am i in the Kingdom of God and what do i do,” after personally interviewing many, many people, i’ve come to the conclusion that most of us really don’t know how to describe ourselves, nor do we know much about what we do.

It was mentioned in the last program that because most of us can’t quite place ourselves in a “church recognized and religiously sanctioned” function, somehow we think we are less, do you know what i mean? It bears saying again, just because you have a different calling doesn’t mean you have a lesser calling.

One day about 8 years ago, i was sitting with a friend, both being between appointments, eating our lunch and revelating a bit. He asked me, “Who do you think you are in the Kingdom of God?” Instantly, through my mind went a string of rebukes, commands to “don’t even go there!, “stop thinking these things!”, and a strong sense that if i answered in a positive manner i would be proud and arrogant, and you know, “pride goes before a fall“, watch out! Be careful! Just – Don’t! My heart was filled with such conflict i couldn’t hardly answer. He noticed my sputtering and halting so he encouraged me again, “Ok, all possibilities of pride and arrogance aside, ‘cause i know your heart, just put it out there come hell or high water. Who do you think you are in the Kingdom and what do you do?” Ugh! Man this was hard. i continued to sputter and pop and really avoid any sort of coherent reply. He asked, “Well, do you think you’re an apostle?” i nearly hissed at him that he would even suggest such an elevated position! i said in a beggarly voice while staring at the floor, “The Lord has used me to plant more than a few things which are still going, but no, i don’t think i’m that person.” In my head were visions of overly large heroes of the faith with a little bitty stick figure of myself standing next to them. Nope, i didn’t measure up. He asked, “Do you think you’re a prophet?” i sputtered and popped, terrified to answer, now turning my head completely away from him to stare out the window, but, again in a low, beggarly voice i said, “The Lord has given me a prophetic gift that works when i wish it wouldn’t and doesn’t work when i wish it would, but i, but … well, ‘er, ummm, you know…”, and my voice trailed off into silence. In my mind loomed other large heroes of the faith and an even smaller, itty bitty, three fingered, googley eyed stick figure of myself next to them. Nope, didn’t measure up again. This went on and on, we were obviously not getting anywhere because i didn’t see myself fitting any of the “church sanctioned” commonly accepted titles or recognized “Kingdom models” of identity. In my vision i only saw myself as an itty bitty, three fingered, googley eyed stick figure stick figure.

Then he said, mercifully, “Let’s turn it around then, who do you think you’re NOT?” Immediately, i had my hands on stacks of data i had gathered, and out of my mouth i heard myself say, “Oh, that’s easy, i know a lot about who i’m not.” BAM! In the brilliant NOW of the moment i said those words, the Lord posed me a very piercing question, He said, “How is it you know so much about what you don’t, and can’t, and won’t, and so little about what you do, and can, and will. How is it you know so little about who I say you are?”

i was so afraid of believing who God said i was. My worth was so desperately tied up in the approval and opinions of others, i was paralyzed and breathless that others might not agree with what i saw of myself and publicly embarrass me. i was afraid of failing to actually live up to someone’s expectation of who i presented myself to be. Get it? Not God’s expectations but other people’s expectations. i was afraid of appearing arrogant, and don’t you know there’s always going to be someone who feels it’s their calling to make sure you know how small you are. i was afraid that what i saw of myself was actually just a lie i’d told myself because i needed to be “somebody” really bad. i was afraid i didn’t fit the church-sanctioned role of what a spiritual gift was, making who i saw myself as, invalid, again. i was afraid i wouldn’t be squeaky clean enough, therefore i wouldn’t be seen as truly sanctified by the “powers of authority” in my church family. Afraid is the common word in all of that, therefore i did nothing and saw myself as nothing, doing nothing, and going nowhere, which was the safest place it seemed, yet somehow i still had a burning desire to be used of the Lord and to know Jesus. Can you say “cognitive dissonance”?