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I have been a music lover for as long as I can remember. There were many nights in my pre-teen and adolescent years when I would drift off to sleep with the transistor radio next to my ear listening to top 40 music such as The Beatles, The Byrds, Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, Johnny Cash, etc. As much as I’ve always loved music, you would think I would have become a musician of some kind or least a vocalist. Singing in the church youth choir was the closest I ever got.

I’ve always loved singers and musicians who wrote and performed their own music – poets and storytellers especially. Their music moves beyond the ears and touches the soul. Recently, I began to pull up some music I used to listen to over 25 years ago. One in particular was a songwriter/singer named Bob Bennett who became popular in the Contemporary Christian music genre during the early Eighties. His music always touched a deep place in me that few others could. On my way to work one morning I pulled up one of my all-time favorite Bob Bennett songs. After I pulled into my parking space and turned off the car, I had to sit there for a couple of minutes to compose myself. I completely lost it while listening to “Man of the Tombs.” Here are the lyrics:

Man of the tombs.

He lives in a place where no one goes

And he tears at himself

And lives with a pain that no one knows.

He counts himself dead among the living.

He knows no mercy and no forgiving.

Deep in the night he’s driven to cry out loud

Can you hear him cry out loud?

 

Man of the tombs

Possessed by an unseen enemy.

He breaks every chain and mistakes his freedom for being free

Shame and shamelessness equally there

Like the random toss of a coin in the air.

 

Man of the tombs he’s driven to cry out loud

Underneath this thing that I’ve become

A fading memory of flesh and blood.

I curse the womb, I bless the grave

I’ve lost my heart,

I cannot be saved.

Like those who fear me, I’m afraid.

Like those I’ve hurt, I can feel pain.

Naked now before my sin

And these stones that cut against my skin.

Some try to touch me but no one can

For man of the tombs I am.

 

Down at the shoreline

Two sets of footprints meet.

One voice is screaming

The other voice begins to speak.

In only a moment and only a word

The evil departs like a thundering herd.

Man of the tombs he hears this cry out loud

“Underneath this thing that you’ve become

I see a man of flesh and blood

I give you life beyond the grave

I heal your heart I come to save

No need to fear, be not afraid

This man of sorrows knows your pain.

I come to take away your sin and bear its marks upon My skin.

When no one can touch you, still I can

For Son of God I am.”

 

Dressed now and seated

Clean in spirit healthy of mind.

Man of the tombs, he begs to follow,

But must stay behind.

He’ll return to his family with stories to tell

Of mercy and madness,

Of heaven and hell.

Man of the tombs

Soon he will cry out loud

“Underneath this thing that I once was

Now I’m a man of flesh and blood!

I have a life beyond the grave

I found my heart I can now be saved!

No need to fear, I am not afraid

This Man of sorrows took my pain.

He comes to take away our sin

And bear its marks upon His skin.

 

I’m telling you this story because

Man of the tombs I was.

 

You can find this story in Luke 8:26-36.

In the past few years we have seen and heard news of heinous acts of mass murder committed by men who have been described as “monsters”, “sickos”, and “cowards.” I can remember a time in my life, not too many years ago, when upon hearing of acts like these, I called for the damnation and destruction of men such as these.

Something has changed in me. I no longer feel hatred and rage toward men such as the Las Vegas shooter and the Sutherland Springs, Tx. killer. I’ve been arrested by the words of Jesus, “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven…”

When I heard about the church shooting last Sunday, I was overcome with sadness and immediately prayed for the families and the survivors. That was easy.

Then I prayed for the family of the man who shot them all. That wasn’t as easy, but as I chose to, I felt myself being enabled by the grace of God.

These last few days I’ve been overwhelmed with the sense that we, the Body of Christ, can prevent these sort of thing from happening in the future. No, this has nothing to do with the “let’s all carry guns to church” movement going on. Please. We can prevent these things from happening by doing it the Jesus way. What if these shooters had encountered Jesus through one of us just as the “man of the tombs” did?

 

May you be arrested by the words of Jesus.

 

Kevin

The local news coverage on television was non-stop 24/7 for at least five or six days. The live images displayed on the screen were almost beyond belief as we watched the flood waters rise to levels not seen in our area in several hundred years. The effects of Hurricane Harvey took a devastating toll as hundreds and probably thousands of homes filled up with water causing multitudes to lose all that they owned, even human life itself.

It is not uncommon for a disaster of this magnitude to be given so much airtime. Remember 9-11? The difference was the constant display of the community’s response to this disaster. From first-responders (police, fireman, paramedics, coast guard, etc.) to ordinary citizens and neighbors putting their own boats in the water, it was a rescue effort unlike anything I have seen. It was a shining example of how good overcomes evil. Hurricanes are evil. No, they are not sent by God to punish people. My father is not like that! But the purpose of this article is not to discuss the origin of storms.

As I watched this event transpire, this thought came to me – we are all first-responders. Then, I heard these words in my spirit – “What is your first response to evil?” As I pondered the question I thought of Jesus’ response when the disciples reported to Him that the Samaritan village they had gone into to prepare for His arrival had rejected Him. James and John said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them as Elijah did?” Jesus rebuked them, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.”

We humans have been designed to respond. We respond to touch, pain, words, injustice, love and hate. If you are like me, you can think of certain situations where you responded to a word, an action, or an accusation in a way that you’ve later regretted because it only made the situation worse or caused pain to someone. We are faced with situations daily that generate responses from us, be they good or bad. In a culture where the news media, social media, and the entertainment industry all vie for our attention in an effort to draw some sort of response from us, it would be most beneficial to us and those around us if we could train ourselves to respond correctly.

Good has been under assault from evil since the beginning of mankind’s existence on this earth. God, whose ways are higher than our ways, has shown us the way to overcome evil. He has shown us how through The Way, His Son, Jesus Christ. We cannot overcome evil with evil. It can only be overcome with good. Apostle Paul gives us this admonishment in Romans 12:17-21 –

Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.

The reference to coals of fire is a quote from Proverbs 25:22. In the Bible Knowledge Commentary on Proverbs it says this:

“Sometimes a person’s fire went out and he needed to borrow some live coals to restart his fire. Giving a person coals to carry home ‘on his head’ was a neighborly, kind act; it made friends, not enemies.”

It makes absolutely no sense to my natural mind to give something beneficial to my enemy, but I’ve been given the mind of Christ, the same Christ who told us,  “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:43-45) Why does he tell us to do these things? So that we may be sons of our Father.

Every time we respond to evil in the opposite spirit, we are participating in something redemptive. I can think of so many instances in everyday life, whether they were in the workplace, the neighborhood, the interstate highway, and even in church, where I chose to respond in the opposite spirit. Whether it was responding calmly to someone who was agitated, or choosing to speak a word of blessing in the face of accusation, each time I did, the chaos was quelled. I can also recall times where I didn’t respond in the spirit of Christ and lived to regret them.

Jesus showed us what this lifestyle of redemptive response looks like through His life, but even more so in His death. For it was in the face of the greatest demonstration of hate the world has ever seen that he uttered these well known yet mysterious words from the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  It was the ultimate act of self-giving love. It was good overcoming evil. A revolution began that day. It is not a revolution of force, war, violence, revenge, or the strength and cunning of men. It is a revolution of laying down one’s life for others. From the cross, The son of God asks us the question, “Sons, what will your response be to evil? We represent the Father best when we love in the face of hate, give in the face of destruction, and offer hope in the midst of despair.

In closing, I would like to leave you with a daily prayer that has had a huge impact on me since the beginning of the year:

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy,

O’ Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

To be understood as to understand;

To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.

 

On August 21^st, there will be a total eclipse of the Sun over the United States for the first time since June 8, 1918. Let me make a prediction – social media is going to be flooded with warnings of impending doom, judgment on America, and end-times speculation that will make your head spin. I’ve already seen one that predicted a series of calamities (brought by God) beginning right after the eclipse.

A couple of years ago, there were four ‘blood moons” between April 15, 2014 and September 28, 2015. There was mass hysteria as gullible multitudes of religious folk braced themselves for the “end of the world.” One prominent Christian minister said, “The coming four blood moons points to a world-shaking event that will happen between April 2014 and October 2015.” It is August 8, 2017.

There has never been a shortage of predictions concerning calamity, judgment and end-times prophecy. Anybody remember Y2K?

In early 1988 there was a book published entitled “88 Reasons Why Jesus is Coming Back In 1988.” In 1989 the same author published his next book – “89 Reasons Why Jesus Is Coming Back In 1989.” People bought that one too.

I remember as a teenager, reading Hal Lindsey’s “The Late Great Planet Earth.” I was convinced that I and every other Christian would be “raptured” off  the planet before I turned 30. That way of thinking subconsciously affected my decision-making for many years.

My eschatology has changed drastically in the past 10 years, but the purpose of this blog article is not to try to prove to you that my eschatology is right. However, I am going to make a prediction of my own. On August 22^nd you and I will wake up after the eclipse and the kingdom of God will be advancing and increasing on this earth stronger than ever. How do I know this? Because these words are true-

“Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this.” – Isaiah 9:7

God did not create this nation for destruction and he certainly didn’t create this world for destruction either. Jesus came to make all things new. ALL things! Keep that in mind the next time you hear a prediction of doom and gloom.

And don’t forget to enjoy the eclipse!

 

Kevin

If there is one truth above all others that has changed my life, it is this – God is good. A few years ago, I was teaching a class at a prison. Several times, I made the remark, “God is good.” The guys would then say, “all the time!” That wasn’t the first time I had heard that saying spoken out. I had heard it in church gatherings too. Many times. It has always bothered me. Not that there is anything wrong with that statement. It is true. God is good all the time. What bothers me is the fact that “all the time” ever had to be added on to it in the first place. I’m not completely sure why it was added, but I suspect it was due to a belief that God wasn’t good all the time. Sometimes He could be good and sometimes he could be mad, depending on what kind of mood He was in that day.

But I have a greater suspicion that it was meant to correct a misunderstanding of the very nature of God. When I say, “God is good”, I’m saying that is who He is.

Can you imagine how it would sound if I was introduced to a crowd and this happened? “Ladies and gentlemen, this is Kevin.” The crowd responds, “all the time!” That would be absurd. Of course I’m Kevin all the time!

There is no aspect of God’s nature that has been more misrepresented than that of His goodness. For example, He has been accused of putting diseases on people, causing automobile accidents, sending deadly storms, earthquakes, and the list goes on. If you or I, as parents, were to do anything like that to one of our children, we would be arrested for child abuse!

We need look no further than Jesus Christ to see what the goodness of God looks like. Jesus was the exact representation of the Father (Heb.1:3) and we know what he did with sickness and storms.

“Whatever you think you know about God that you can’t find in the person of Jesus you have reason to question. Jesus Christ is the fullest and most precise revelation of the Father and His nature that could ever be made known.”

Bill Johnson

It is quite telling that Jesus healed everyone who came to Him for that purpose, yet we create whole doctrines of belief (or unbelief) over the fact that someone didn’t get healed when we prayed for them. Why aren’t all those who are sick healed when we pray for them? I don’t know. Why are innocent children killed? I don’t know.  Why do bad things happen to good people? I don’t know.

This I do know – The Lord is good and his mercy endures forever. That will be the thought I choose to think when I’m faced with adversity. I will agree with David when he said, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”  I choose to remember this – No matter what happens, He is good.

When I realize that I can walk into any situation where there is seemingly the absence of good and bring good in, change happens. In order for this to be a reality, we need to constantly be aware of His goodness to us. How can we maintain this awareness?

By remembering.

Memories are powerful. Painful memories can drive us into depression and hopelessness, distorting our view of God’s goodness. Memories of the faithfulness of God and the times He has saved, healed and delivered give us hope. We transmit that hope to others by declaring those testimonies, thus releasing the possibility for it to happen again.

The One who is good lives in me. I have the privilege and responsibility to release that goodness wherever I go. I challenge you to keep a journal of the good things God has done for you and talk about them. And then be ready to be put in places where those good things are needed. Someone needs to encounter this good God we boast about.

Remember the good.

Be the good.

He is good.

 

Kevin

Imagine that you have never been to EYC and someone says to you, “Come go with us to youth camp.” What would your expectation be? A bunch of energetic teenagers with a few young folks in their twenties and thirties sprinkled in to maintain some sense of order and give a little guidance to the kids? Days filled with organized activities and a little free time to go swimming, play volleyball, or just hanging out with friends? A short little chapel service in the evening with a couple of songs and a cool speaker with an impressive multi-media presentation?

You might be surprised or in shock at what you would actually witness at EYC (Experience Youth Camp). One thing that might look unusual would be the wide range in age of the EYC staff. Our oldest staff member, Joanne Godfrey, is 85 years old. Our youngest staff member this year was 20. We have staff members in their twenties, thirties, forties, fifties, sixties, seventies, and eighties, all of whom pay their own fee, take a week out of their busy lives, some even using vacation time that they have built up at their places of employment.

I am 58 years old. I have been a part of this camp since 2000. In that time span I have missed only three. I am addicted. There are many things I love about EYC – the relationships we’ve built through the years, the new ones formed each year, family, worship that is indescribable, but the most beautiful thing is watching teenagers encounter the living God. Youth from all kinds of neighborhoods, from dysfunctional families, and even good church kids who might otherwise never get to be in a setting like this where 400 people are going hard after God in worship.

This year was different. Every year is different and unique, but this year’s camp was a major turning point. Many teenagers were saved. Over 70 received the baptism in the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues for the first time. There were so many physical healings, I lost count. This healing didn’t happen by kids getting in a prayer line and having hands laid on them. They did it! They were activated by putting into practice what they had been taught through the week by our camp speaker, Jessika Tate. Kids asking Holy Spirit how He wanted to heal and then obeying, no matter how strange the method may have seemed. After all, Jesus did some out-of-the-ordinary things too (The last time I checked, we were supposed to be following Him, right?).

On the Sunday morning after camp, there were several kids who testified of deep emotional healing too. Two in particular stood out. A young teenage boy, whose mother had birthed a stillborn child recently, shared how his heart had been healed by forgiving God (even though God was not responsible for it). He had blamed God. A girl, whose mother had died from cancer four years ago, told how she had never been able to mourn or cry over the loss of her mother. God touched her heart and she was able to cry for the first time.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Matt. 5:4

I wept as I listened to them. These two, along with hundreds others, will never be the same.

We have a team of intercessors who come to our camp every year. While the rest of us adult staff members have various assignments, these ladies have one – prayer. On Wednesday night during the evening service, they were asked to come on stage. They each prayed over the campers and the Joanne Godfrey, our oldest intercessor, released a mantle of intercession to them. Many of the students took it. From that night on, these ladies were rock stars. Some campers were even asking them to sign their t-shirts. Amazing! Incredible! I’ve run out of words.

So now you know why this 58 year-old man still goes to youth camp.

With love for this generation,

Kevin

In my experience, when talking with others about the Sermon on the Mount, certain questions always seem to come up, such as, “Do you think Jesus  really expects us to live that way? We’re only human, you know. All that ‘turning the other cheek’ and ‘love your enemies’ stuff sounds good, but I live in the real world.” It’s true, we live in a real world, but there’s a world that is just as real as this terra firma that we walk on. It is called the kingdom of heaven. It is the place Jesus speaks from and he has invited us into it with him right now.

The question then, is not “how can I make Jesus’ message fit into my world?” But rather, “how can I begin to see from his perspective?” I’d like to share with you three things that have helped me to begin to see from the kingdom perspective:

1. Repentance. It is more than just being sorry for your sin. It involves the process of changing the way you think. When Jesus came on the scene and said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:23), in essence he was saying, “your old way of thinking and doing things must be replaced with God’s ways.”

About two-and-a-half years ago, I reached a point where I knew I needed to make a drastic change in the way I was thinking. Some ways of thinking that had entrenched in my brain were actually toxic thoughts that were contrary to the kingdom of heaven. I learned a process by which I could begin eliminating those thoughts and replacing them with good ones. If you would like to learn more about how this process works, you can read my blog post “It’s All in Your Head” from February 11, 2016, where I explain it in more detail. True transformation only comes when our minds are truly renewed. (Rom.12:2)

2. Study the life of Jesus. Not just his birth and death, which is what we tend to place most of our emphasis. We must look at everything, his teaching, his miracles, his compassion, and his way of doing things that was so contrary to the religious establishment of the day. Realizing that so much of my thinking was in opposition to the Jesus way, I began to immerse myself in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. So much of what I had read most of my life came alive to me in a new way. All the time I’m reading it, I’m hearing his call to “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven of heaven is at hand.”
3. Re-learn prayer. This may well be one of the most neglected practices of the modern church. It was for me. It’s not that I never prayed. I prayed, but I was very undisciplined in prayer. I’ve had what you would call a regular morning “devotion” time for well over 30 years, but it was relegated mainly to a little reading from Psalms or Proverbs and sometimes a devotional book. There’s nothing wrong with these things. They’re all good, have their place, and can be life-giving. I was looking for something more robust, prayer that had more substance than my puny prayers. I have a prayer liturgy that I go through every morning now. It consists of some prayers from the Psalms, the New Testament, and some prayers that were composed by some of the early church. It has brought a richness into my prayer life that words fail to describe. The most important thing I’ve learned is this: Prayer is ultimately not about us getting all we ask form God, but more about us becoming conformed to the image of his Son. Prayer forms us.

Jesus was a man of prayer. There are multiple references to the Son of God going somewhere by himself to pray. If it’s good for Jesus, it’s good for me.

 

 I challenge you to take these things to heart if your desire is to be like Jesus. All of creation is eagerly waiting for the true sons of God to come forth and live like sons.

It’s the Jesus way.

 

Kevin

As time goes by, I have grown less and less fond of formulaic Christianity. There have been more books published in Christendom than I can count that give us some kind of formula on how to live a better life, or books that have “figured God out” as if He is some kind of mathematical equation to be solved. Don’t misunderstand me, some of them are good and offer helpful advice, and in fact I would be contradicting my own works, because I’ve offered some of that advice myself. However, when It’s all said and done, I’ve pretty much narrowed my belief down to this:

Jesus is the way.

The way I see it, the best way that I can live a life that is pleasing to God and fulfilling the deepest desire of my heart is to look at Jesus and imitate him. The more I look at him, the more I want to be like him.

Before Christians were ever called Christians, they were referred to as “the Way.” In fact, you can find it seven times in the book of Acts, but only once were they called Christians, and never once was their religion referred to as Christianity. There must have been good reason for them to be known that way. Pastor and author Brian Zahnd says this:

“The common life of following Jesus together was called the Way, not because it was the way to heaven (the afterlife was never the emphasis), but because they had come to believe that in his death and resurrection Jesus had inaugurated a new way of life. Because the lifestyle of the Way was such a radical departure from the way of the Roman Empire, it is no surprise that people viewed the Way with great suspicion and often maligned it as a dangerous cult.”

The world is suffering from a distorted image of God and so is much of the church. It is our responsibility to show them what he is really like. God did exactly that when he took on the form of a man and came to earth. If you want to know what that looks like in a practical sense, the Sermon on the Mount is a great place to start. Jesus came preaching the kingdom of heaven and was kind enough to show us what it looks like. Being Christ-like is completely countercultural to the world.

When we realize that Jesus didn’t come primarily to show us the way to heaven, but the way of heaven, our focus shifts from looking to a “someday in the sweet by and by, I’m going there” to “I’m going to partner with Jesus to bring the reality of heaven wherever I go right now.” Freedom and joy beyond comparison comes when we begin to walk this out.

In my blog next week, I’ll share with you some practical ways that I have have begun doing this in my own life.

With heaven,

Kevin

Everybody likes a guy who fights back, right? I grew up watching the likes of John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, and Marshall Matt Dillon. These were men who played characters that never backed down from the bad guys. I always knew that before the movie ended, the villains would get what was coming to them – a good whoopin’ or a bullet to the head.

I remember vividly the first time I watched Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ.” In the scene where Jesus is being scourged by the Roman soldiers, tears welled up in my eyes, as well as in those of my family members who sat by me in that theatre, as the cat o’ nine tails ripped the flesh from Jesus. I sat amazed at such love on display by our God. Yet, there was a part of me that felt such incredible anger that men could be so cruel to one so innocent. I wanted God to strike those men down with a lightning bolt right there. But I knew that wasn’t in the script. This script had been written long before it was played out in Jerusalem that day.

It goes without saying that nobody illustrated the Sermon on the Mount better than the Teacher himself.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

Have you ever heard the phrase “meek as a mouse?” When that phrase is used the assumption is made that “meek” would mean “small and weak.” However, that is not the meaning of meekness. The literal meaning of the word is gentleness of spirit. Another way to describe it would be “power under control.” The hours leading up to Jesus’ betrayal, arrest, and crucifixion saw the greatest display of meekness the world has ever seen. When Jesus was being arrested, Peter cut off the ear of one of the high priest’s servants. I would have applauded that move. What does the Son of God do? He heals the servant’s ear!

Jesus’ desire to follow through with the will of his Father was greater than any idea of fighting back. He had all the power of heaven at his disposal, yet chose not to use it. One word and a multitude of angels would have been on the scene. I’m sure you get the picture. This is meekness.

How does this apply to you and me? It seems like a tall order when we see Jesus giving us the ultimate example. It’s really very simple. Not easy by any means, but it is simple.

Paul said this in Galatians 2:20 –

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

One morning as I was in prayer, I had a vision of Jesus hanging on the cross. I was standing on the ground below. Suddenly, I found myself being literally sucked up into Christ as he hung there suffering. Then, with his arms outstretched, he uttered the famous words, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  Then I heard the Holy Spirit say to me, “This is the posture you will assume when you realize that you died with me.”

Let this sink in – Jesus, God in flesh, all powerful, able to destroy all of his accusers with merely a word, his arms spread wide open as he embraces the fallen world, forgiving them all. All of them. Everyone.

That is meekness.

Let’s not forget his promise to the meek – they inherit the earth.

The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s;

But the earth He has given to the children of men. (Psalm 115:16)

We won’t claim our inheritance by any other way than the Jesus way. It sounds so backwards in a world where the meek seem to get run over in the rat race, but it’s not backward. It’s forward. In a world where men conquer one another by force, Jesus conquers by love, and we get to do it with him, through meekness.

The inheritance is waiting for us.

Kevin

           

“You better stop that crying or I’ll give you something to cry about!” I remember hearing that when I was a child as I awaited the next blow from the belt. I wanted to blurt out, “I will, if you’ll stop hitting me!” I knew better than to utter those words for fear of prolonging it, so I would do my best to suck those sobs back in and hold it the best I knew how. Out of ignorance, I may have done the same thing to my boys when they were young, although I can’t remember. At least I hope I didn’t.

When I think about it, it is so absurd to tell someone not to cry while you inflict more pain. By the way, this is not a blog on how to raise your children. I would, however, like us to consider something: Crying is a natural response to pain, sorrow, loss, and mourning.

In Biblical times it was a common practice, for folks who could afford it, to hire professional mourners to show up at a funeral to cry and wail. Most funerals I have been to needed no extra mourners to show up. In the second beatitude, Jesus says something that sounds like an oxymoron:

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

I have mourned and I’ve been with others who were mourning, but there was nothing in the moment that seemed to indicate that we were happy about it. In fact, sometimes the grieving process can take weeks, months, and years. Hopefully not years!

In looking at this beatitude, I have read some commentaries that suggest Jesus is talking about taking comfort in the fact that one day we’ll be in heaven where there will be no more sorrow and He’ll wipe away all our tears. That will be a great day and we can take solace in that hope, but there is also a genuine comfort to be experienced right now.

When Jesus was telling his disciples that he was going to have to leave them, he said this:

“I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you.” (John 14:18)

He wasn’t talking about his personal return to earth. He was talking about the One who would come after he left – Holy Spirit.

“These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” (John 15:25-26)

This “Helper” is also called, the “Comforter.”

This doesn’t make suffering loss any easier, but it does give us hope in the midst of mourning.

When we are mourning loss, whether it be the death of someone dear to us, or the loss of something else, we can be so buried underneath it all that we can’t even sense the presence of God anymore. That is when Holy Spirit comes to us in the form of a person. A human person. Not someone with good advice or a clever Christian cliche’ such as, “Everything happens for a reason.”

On the morning of April 21, 1969, when my father died, a relative sat down beside me and said to me, “You know, Kevin, now that your daddy is gone, you’re going to have to be the man of the house.”

I was only ten years old. Words that I had heard as a boy ran through my mind – big boys don’t cry. What a lie!

Although I’m sure he meant well, his words were not what I needed in that moment. Instead of crying, which I probably needed to do, I tensed up in anger and held it all in until the funeral where I finally was able to cry and let it out.

What I needed most was just a hug and a kiss on the forehead, which I did get from aunts and grandmothers. Thank God for women!

I know this, we will all experience loss at times in our lives. When it happens, the Comforter will be there in a hug, a kind word, a prayer, and possibly a few meals.

And when it’s your time to mourn, go ahead and cry.

And then be comforted.

 

Kevin

I am becoming more convinced than ever of this: Jesus Christ, and his radical Sermon on the Mount would not be received in most western evangelical churches today. Don’t misunderstand me, there are many sermons and teachings today that are based on and steeped in truths taken from this wonderful message, but they are easily mishandled if we overlook the first powerful truth stated here:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

The word “blessed” means simply to “be happy.” Jesus is making an announcement. He’s saying, “I’ve got some good news for you! If you’re poor in spirit, you can be happy, because the kingdom of heaven is yours! Let’s face it, in most of our minds we would never equate being poor in spirit with being happy. Those two words just don’t seem to go together.

It would have made much more sense to me if he had said, “Blessed are those who are having a good day and have everything going their way.” Instead, he’s saying “Blessed are those who seem to be helpless, powerless, and utterly unable to figure it all out.”

In a culture where powerful people are given a place of prominence and even worshiped in some cases, the poor in spirit are rarely celebrated. But only the poor enter the kingdom. Only those who fully recognize their need for God get the kingdom. The misfits, the destitute, the orphans, and those who haven’t figured out how to box God up in a nice little neat and presentable package. The Apostle Paul understood this also:

“You’ll remember, friends, that when I first came to you to let you in on God’s master stroke, I didn’t try to impress you with polished speeches and the latest philosophy. I deliberately kept it plain and simple: first Jesus and who he is; then Jesus and what he did – Jesus crucified.

I was unsure of how to go about this, and felt totally inadequate – I was scared to death, if you want to know the truth of it – and so nothing I said could have impressed you or anyone else. But the message came through anyway. God’s spirit and God’s power did it, which made it clear that your life of faith is a response to God’s power, not some mental or emotional footwork by me or anyone else.” (1 Cor. 2:1-5 The Message)

 

I remember being in Belize a couple of months ago, praying for people with hopeless physical ailments night after night, and realizing that all my biblical knowledge and understanding was inadequate and reduced to the simplest of prayers – “Jesus heal him.” I could give a demonstration of my power, or I could stand aside and let him demonstrate his. He did, and many people were healed and set free.

I don’t know exactly how all that works and I like it that way. I don’t have it all figured out and that leaves room for me to learn. That gives me unlimited access to the kingdom of heaven. Being poor in spirit is not something we lose when we enter the kingdom. It’s a state of being that we stay in so that we continue to experience that kingdom, thus causing others to be drawn into this kingdom.

We only come into the kingdom one way – poor. Do you want to be Christ-like? To be Christ-like is to be filled with Christ. To be filled with Christ is to be emptied of all self-sufficiency. I love the way the Message puts it:

“You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.”

 Perhaps the best policy would be to just not have your own rope. Have the Vine instead. Stay connected to the Vine instead. There is life in the Vine. There is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. That, my friend, is the kingdom of God.

I’ve tried living in the kingdom of “me.” Every now and then I take a trip back to that place and I’m reminded just how dull and boring that life can be. I like his kingdom better. If we overlook this first beatitude, then we’ll be left standing at the door, looking in at this vast kingdom, and missing the fullness of life he so longs for us to have.

Poor and happy,

Kevin