Crazy Love: Chapters 9 & 10

Today, I took the kids to a local church library that also has a bookstore. I decided to buy a copy of Forgotten God while I was there. It's the next book Francis Chan wrote after he published Crazy Love. I've been anxious to start it, so today I finished reading the last 2 chapters of Crazy Love. And so, this will be my final Crazy Love blog post.

Chapter 9 is titled "Who Really Lives that Way?". The title refers to the type of life Mr. Chan has described throughout the book --- one characterized by a recognition of the mighty, powerful, overwhelming, mind-blowing love of God; and one that in turn wants to let that flow out onto the world around them in what might be looked at as a "crazy" way. I lovedddd this chapter. It included story after story of people who've done something that, to them, didn't seem radical or crazy, it just made sense, but it created a huge ripple effect and touched so many people. I love personal testimonies & biographies of people like this! I could've read a hundred more pages of these sweet stories, but alas it was only 1 chapter long. Loved it! I was inspired by a few of the stories & have got some ideas cooking in my little head...ways I can live a little of the Crazy Love life we're all called to!

Chapter 10 is called "The Crux of the Matter". This chapter was basically just a summary of the book, with little new information, just a pointed reminder to some of the high points throughout.

So....what did I think about this book?

If I were to rate Crazy Love, I'd give it 9 out of 10 stars. And it only lacks that final star because, as powerful as it was, there were a few places in the book where it didn't pack quite as much punch as the rest of the book. Certainly, though, everyone is ministered to differently, so the parts that didn't kick my tail probably did kick someone else's.

I would definitely recommend the book to anyone who is ready to step out of their comfort zone & seek His face in a fresh new way. It surely kicks the booty of most American churchgoers. I can tell you with 100% certainty that there are Christians who will not want to read this book because they're just not ready for the impact it COULD HAVE on their lives.

Are you one of those Christians? Or are you ready to be challenged, inspired & impacted in a way that you can't walk away from without DOING SOMETHING?

Crazy Love: Chapter 8

Another great chapter. This one was titled Profile of the Obsessed. Right off the bat, Mr. Chan defines obsessed. That is, to have the mind excessively preoccupied with a single thought or topic. The Bible says to be consumed with Christ & faithfully live out His words. So hmm....it sounds to me like we (Christians) are all called to be obsessed with God.

Chan goes through one item at a time, explaining traits of a person who is obsessed with God. He says a person who is obsessed with God is: a lover, a risk taker, a friend of all, a crazy one, humble, a server & a giver, a sojourner, one who is engrossed, an unguarded one, a rooted person, a dedicated person & finally, one who is sacrificial. He makes one emphasized statement about each of these traits. Those statements & my thoughts are below.

Lovers:
Obsessed people love those who hate them & who can never love them back.
How often do we really do this? Do we take the time to go out of our way to do something loving for someone who either will never know we did it or will never be able to pay us back?

Risk Takers:
People who are obsessed with Jesus aren't consumed with their personal safety and comfort above all else. Obsessed people care more about God's kingdom coming to this earth than their own lives being shielded from pain or distress.
Ouch. I don't like pain & distress. Do I worry more about avoiding discomfort (physical, emotional or mental) than whether or not I'm reaching someone for Him?

Friends of all:
People who are obsessed with Jesus live lives that connect them with the poor in some way or another. Obsessed people believe that Jesus talked about money and the poor so often because it was really important to Him.
Another ouch. Do I really SEEK OUT people who have less than me so that I can find a way to bless them?

Crazy Ones:
Obsessed people are more concerned with obeying God than doing what is expected or fulfilling the status quo. A person who is obsessed with Jesus will do things that don't always make sense in terms of earthly success or wealth.
Well at least I can check this ONE off the list. Larry & I have been known to do things that seemed a little crazy if you went by earthly standards....but I hate to even point that out considering the very next trait on this list!

The Humble:
A person who is obsessed with Jesus knows that the sin of pride is always a battle. Obsessed people know that you can never be humble enough, so they seek to make themselves less & make Christ known more.
Can I just say...go back & re-read the first sentence of this trait's description. So true. It's alwaysssssss a battle for me. Just about the time I think I've got it all figured out & want to show someone how far I've come, I realize that....uh oh...it's all about me again.

Servers:
People who are obsessed with Jesus don't consider service a burden. They take joy in loving God by loving people.
I do love serving....ya know, if I'm serving people that I feel 'deserve it'. You know, ones who, by no bad choices of their own, ended up in a bad situation.

Wait...Jesus surely reached out to people who made bad choices, too. So does that mean He expects me to do the same? (another ouch)

Givers:
People who are obsessed with God are known as givers, not takers. Obsessed people genuinely believe that others matter as much as they do and they are particularly aware of the poor around the world.
Again....I don't see myself SEEKING OUT someone I can give things/time/money to. I wonder how I'm seen by others...as a giver or a taker?

Sojourners:
A person who is obsessed thinks about Heaven frequently. Obsessed people orient their lives around eternity; they are not fixed only on what is here in front of them.
A fabulous story comes to mind on this one.

Several years ago during a MOPS meeting, a speaker talked about orienting her children's focus on eternity. She told us how she'd made each one of her kids a Bible book mark from a hotel room key. She presented it to them in this way:

"Ok, kids...I'm giving you this hotel key book mark because we're about to take on a family project. The Holiday Inn has given us access to one room where we're going to go in & remodel & redecorate. We're going to put in a giant plasma screen TV and a side by side fridge. We'll install a grill on the balcony & buy fancy sheets and bedding for the beds. We're going to find some nice curtains & hang them in the room, too. Oh, and we'll take out the little table & chairs and go shopping for a marble-topped table and some recliners. We're going to gut the bathroom & re-do it too." By this time, her kids were all giving her weird looks, wondering WHY on earth they'd want to do all this. When they asked WHY she'd want to redecorate a room that wasn't their home, that they'd only stay in maybe once a year? Why not spend the money on something else?

With that, she said "see....this earth is NOT our home. We should not be investing all our time, money & energy into things that won't follow us to Heaven. Just like we would just be passing through the hotel room, we're only passing through this world. Heaven is our home!"

The engrossed:
A person who is obsessed is characterized by committed, settled, passionate love for God, above & before every other thing and every other being.
Beautiful....I want to be fully engrossed.

Unguarded ones:
People who are obsessed are raw with God; they do not attempt to mask the ugliness of their sins or their failures. Obsessed people don't put on a show for God; He is their safe place where they can be at peace.
I pray that I am unguarded. Why do we try to "fancy up" our words when we're praying? We don't have to sound fancy to God. He already knows our hearts!

The Rooted:
People who are obsessed with God have an intimate relationship with Him. They are nourished by His word throughout the day because they know that 40 minutes on Sunday is not enough to sustain them for the whole week, especially when they will encounter so many distractions & alternative messages.
amen!

The Dedicated:
People who are obsessed with Jesus are more concerned about his/her character than comfort. Obsessed people know that true joy doesn't come from circumstances or environment but is a gift that must be chosen & cultivated, a gift that ultimately comes from God.
I once heard it said that "God is more concerned with making you HOLY than making you HAPPY".

Sacrificers:
A person who is obsessed with Christ knows that the best thing he can do is be faithful to his Savior in every aspect of life. An obsessed person knows there can never be intimacy if he is always trying to pay back God or work hard enough to be worthy. He revels in his role as a child & friend of God.
Lord, let me bring a sacrifice of worship to you every day....it's the only thing I can offer you. Father, inhabit my praises & be near me every minute of every hour of every day. I love you.

Crazy Love: Chapter 7

Oh wow.

This book has been good all the way through, but tonight's chapter? Whoa. Very challenging. It's about giving. Not just your usual 10% tithe, but truly giving. Mr. Chan, and the Scripture throughout the chapter, was very convicting.

Right off the bat, the author asks this question: "Do you want to see God more than you desire security?" I think most Christians will answer yes to this, because we want to sound really holy. But really think about it. Security. That is one of those words that includes so many things. Safety, being taken care of, being guarded. Financial security, emotional security, mental security, spiritual security....the list goes on. Do we really stop & think about whether we want to see God more than we want a roof over our heads? Do we want to see Him more than we want our children to be kept safe? I know. That's a tough one.

Mr. Chan points to the story of Noah building the ark. He says that having faith often means doing something that others see as crazy.

A little story, first. I have to giggle about this statement because several years ago, Larry felt called to go to New York City to go to one of the Tuesday night prayer meetings at the Brooklyn Tabernacle. It made no sense to him, but when he came into the kitchen to ask me about whether he should go or not, his words were "Does God ever talk to you?" (yes). "Has he ever asked you to do something that sounds crazy?" My response was "Like build an ark?" ha ha! More about that trip by email if you'd like to hear about it.

Seriously, though, Mr. Chan pins the tail on the donkey when he points out that "something is wrong when our lives make sense to unbelievers". Ouch. Do you fit in at work? Do you stand around & talk about the same things with your friends at the water cooler? Do you fit right into the conversations in the bleachers at the Friday night football game?

I loved this next statement. "We have to do things that cost us on earth but will be more than worth it in eternity." Beautiful. Are you doing anything like that today?

Mr. Chan suggests that "true love requires sacrifice". I can think of no greater example of this than Christ's death on the Cross. If His depiction of LOVE for us is an example of how we should live, then I have to agree with Mr. Chan's statement. He goes on to discuss giving. Not just of money, but of our time & resources. He talks about how silly it would've been for the disciples to take the giant meal Jesus created from the 5 loaves & 2 fishes and keep it for themselves when there were so many hungry people around them. If they had sat down to eat & continually said thank you to Jesus for THEIR meal, it would be ludicrous. It's the same way with the excess & abundance in our lives today. Most of us have farrrrrr more than we could ever need, but rather than giving away our excess, we sit on a mountain of luxury & raise our hands to God to thank Him. Sure, saying THANK YOU is nice & I'm sure He appreciates our gratefulness, but really....isn't there a better way to show love to all of those around us who are in need?

In Luke 9, Jesus sent out His disciples with nothing. He told them not to take a staff, a meal, an extra tunic....nothing. Why is that? He wanted them to reach a point where they could ONLY rely on Him and allow Him to supply everything they needed. Do any of us live that way these days? Do we EVER leave home without packing the kids' diaper bag or our purse and our gas-guzzling SUV with every possible item we might need while we're out? Think bigger....how many of us sell our houses & move to the mission field to live on whatever God supplies from month to month? Would you even be willing if He asked you to do that? Is God calling all of us to do that? No. But He does want us to live, day to day, in a way that shows we trust in Him to supply all we need. I loved this quote.... "God wants us to trust Him with abandon. He wants to show us how He works & cares for us. He wants to be our refuge." Are you letting Him show you how He cares for you? Are you taking refuge in Him?

"Life is comfortable when you separate yourself from people who are different from you." Ouchy-wa-wa. To be honest, I don't know too many people who are vastly different from me. Living in northeast Texas, I live in a bit of a racial, ethnic, cultural, religious bubble. There aren't too many non-white, non-Christian people around me. Yes, there are SOME, but the vast majority of people here are very much like me. It takes reaching my hands out, getting my shoes dirty, getting to know people, seeking out people who are different to feel a sense of discomfort. I've been on the mission field in various places over the years and those places were very hard emotionally, but so very powerful. The impact that those people & places had on my soul were completely life-changing. But when I'm at home in my cozy 3BR/2BA, looking out the windows at my suburban neighborhood full of mostly white Christians, it's easy to forget that I need to be a little uncomfortable from time to time.

"God doesn't call us to be comfortable, He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn't come through." SO very true. Been there, done that....over & over. It's HARD. But the intimacy (with God) & beauty in the end are so worth the struggles & pain & heartache.

Isaiah 58 says: "....If you do away with the pointing finger & malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always, He will satisfy your needs." We're all given different gifts. Maybe you can 'spend yourself' with money but it doesn't have to be money. Use your gifts to give yourself to meet the needs of others.

Like Matthew 25 says "...whatever you do for the least of these, you've done for me." What is it that you've given or done for the least of these lately?

While Larry & I give our tithe regularly and we gladly prepare & give meals to anyone who needs it (friends, family, church members after a birth/death/surgery/etc) & we serve at our church.....the truth is, we don't suit up & go to work on a regular basis for "the least of these". We need to be doing it, though. I'm praying tonight for God to show us a place where we can reach out & serve the 'least of these' soon.

I have so many thoughts churning in my head right now, but I'm going to close & give you time to absorb it all yourself.

And on a totally ironic sidenote:
I have no idea if Mr. Chan actually meant to have this particular play on words or not. Maybe he did. If you know anything about the prosperity gospel, it claims that you can be wealthy & rich & blessed RIGHT NOW by giving to God. The whole "Jesus is a slot machine" sort of theology that claims you can give "seed faith" money & God will dump a load of cash in your bank account by the end of the week. The kind of thing you'd see in a televangelist sort of show. Now, don't get me wrong. I absolutely DO believe that God blesses us (sometimes financially) for trusting in Him...and that is spoken to in this chapter... but the whole idea of talking people into coming to the altar & writing a $20,000 check in expectation of God's cash-filled miracle is BOLOGNA! Anyway, all that to say there is a particular TV preacher who teaches some of this sort of thing & he's got a book out called Your Best Life Now. I have to wonder if Mr. Chan meant the chapter title a bit tongue in cheek or if it even crossed his mind. The chapter is titled "Your Best Life...Later".

Crazy Love: Chapter 6

Earlier tonight, a girlfriend who is going through a rough time emailed me asking, "Is there really such a thing as unconditional love?". All I could tell her was YES. But the only unconditional love that exists is through God. No earthly man or woman, girl or boy can ever fully meet all our needs. Only God can. That is the only unconditional love any of us can ever know this side of eternity. While many of us are lucky enough to have a fabulous spouse or beautiful children who we feel like we love unconditionally...or who love us unconditionally...they still can't meet our every need.

And so...I found it fitting that when I opened the book tonight, I read the title to this chapter "When You're in Love". Don't ya love God's timing? I will be honest, as I read tonight, I was distracted thinking about my friend's current struggle & much of what I read was read through the eyes of that struggle. I'm not going to respond to the highpoints I'm posting below because I fear I'd give details of her situation and that's not for me to share. Instead, I will email her this post and pray that she (& all of you reading this) will glean from the wisdom in these passages from the book.

*Grandma Clara would kneel by her bed every morning & spend hours in the presence of the Lord, praying. Later in the day, just a glimpse of that corner of her bed would bring tears to her eyes in anticipation of sharing time with God there the following morning. Grandma Clara acted toward God the way we do when we're deeply in love with someone.....When you're truly in love, you go to great lengths to spend time with that person.

*If you could go to Heaven with all the friends you have on earth, no sickness, all the luxuries you desire, all the physical pleasures & no human conflict, yet without Christ, would you be satisfied?

*When we love Him, we're FREE. No burdensome list of conditions or rules to follow.

*Lukewarm living & proclaiming the name of God simultaneously is disgusting to God.

*When loving Him becomes an obligation, one of many things we have to do, we end up focusing even more on ourselves. No wonder so few people want to hear from us about what we ourselves feel is a boring, guilt-ridden chore!

*Jesus didn't only die to save us from @#!*% ; He also died to save us from our bondage to sin. John 10:10 says "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." He wasn't talking about the future. He meant NOW, in this lifetime.

*I need God to help me love God. And if I need His help to love Him, a perfect being, I definitely need His help to love other fault-filled humans.

*As we focus on loving Christ, loving others becomes more natural.

*John 16:33 "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world." Life isn't perfect when you follow Christ wholeheartedly; you will have trouble, Jesus says -- it's pretty much guaranteed. BUT He has overcome the world.

*There is nothing better than giving up everything and stepping into a passionate love relationship with God, the God of the universe who made galaxies, leaves, laughter and me & you.

*It sounds trite to say that our troubles on earth are 'light & momentary'. Yet God tells us we're getting the better end of the deal, that we really will be rewarded in a manner that far outweighs our current frustrations and hardships. (Luke 6:22-23)

*God is the only true Giver, and He needs nothing from us. But still He wants us. He gave us life so that we might seek & know Him.

*If you merely pretend that you enjoy God or love Him, He knows. You can't fool Him. Instead tell Him that He isn't the most important thing in your life and that you're sorry for that. Tell Him that you've been lukewarm, that you've chosen ______ over Him. Tell Him that you want Him to change you, that you long to genuinely enjoy Him.

You can be real with Him.

Crazy Love: Chapter 5

The more I read this book, the more I want to shake the hand of Francis Chan. I've been reading it one chapter a time, giving myself time to really soak in & stew over what each chapter is about for a few days before going on to the next chapter. I love that there are things I've felt & believed for years that someone has finally put into words for me. There are things in the book that make me want to stand up & cheer....other things that bite a little.....other parts that make me want to shove the book in someone's face & say "See???". (Hello pride, my name is Liz.)

Ironically, a friend of mine is reading another book that she's been talking about on her blog the last few days. It's called "Radical". When I first read that title, it does me the same way it does you. Being called 'radical' always makes us Christians cringe doesn't it? Radical has been given such a bad rap in our society. Radicals do crazy things, they live weird, they act freaky. Right?

Or do they?

As a teen, I was on fire for Jesus. I see my daughter leaning more that direction every day & I am excited to see that 'charge Hell with a water gun' sort of enthusiasm grow. Most Christians have had a time when they were super "on fire". During that time, we were probably all considered to be pretty 'radical', but we didn't care! How is it that somewhere along the way we decide being 'on fire' is weird & we need to tone it down, darn it!?

As I read today's chapter in Crazy Love, I couldn't help but hear echos of what my friend's been posting about the "Radical" book on her blog. There are lots of similarities with that book & this chapter. Today's chapter is called 'serving leftovers to a holy God'. Here are a few of the especially powerful parts I enjoyed & a few comments from me.

*Revelation 3 talks about how God will spit out those who are lukewarm. Mr. Chan points out that there is no gentle interpretation of the words 'spit out' in the original Greek. It actually refers to wretching, gagging, choking & vomitting.

Ouch. Go back & read my post on last chapter's Profile of a Lukewarm person.

*Jesus's call to committment is clear: He wants all or nothing. The thought of a person calling themself a Christian without being a devoted follower of Christ is absurd.

*Let's face it. We're willing to make changes in our lives only if we think it affects our salvation. Can I divorce my wife & still go to Heaven? Do I have to be baptized to be saved? Am I a Christian if I'm having sex with my girlfriend? If I commit suicide will I still go to Heaven? If I'm ashamed to talk about Christ, will he really deny that He ever knew me? These questions demonstrate that we're more concered about going to Heaven than loving the King.

How many times have I heard new believers & young people ask these very questions? How often do we lean nearer to these sorts of questions every day? Can I watch this one TV show & still be a Christian? Will He still love me if I get high this one time? Aren't we all limit-pushers?

*Which is more messed up -- that we have so much compared to everyone else or that we don't think of ourselves as rich? That on any given day we call ourselves 'broke' & 'poor'? We are neither of those, we are filthy rich!

For a family who lives paycheck to paycheck, this one is a statistic that is always hard for me to grasp. I absolutely know that I'm richer than some people, but to think that we actually have more than the MAJORITY of the world is a little astounding.

*Does God get a scrap or two because we feel guilty giving Him nothing? A mumbled 3 minute prayer at the end of the day when we're half asleep, 2 crumpled up dollar bills thrown into the church's fund for the poor.... *God is holy. In Heaven exists a Being who decides whether or not I take another breath. This holy God deserves excellence, the very best I have.

I thought those two (above) fit together nicely. Which one do I give Him daily? Which do you give Him?

*Our greatest fear as individuals & as the church should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things that don't really matter. --Tim Kizziar

amennnnnnnnnnnn

*Following Christ isn't something that can be done halfheartedly or on the side. It is not a label we can display when it is useful. It must be central to everything we do and are.

Love this!!

*Most of our thoughts are centered on the money we want to make, the school we want to attend, the body we aspire to have....but the fact is that NOTHING should concern us more than our relationship with God.

Father, help me to instill this in my children every single day.

*If given a choice between our 'stuff' and God, most of us hope we'd choose God. But we need to realize that how we spend our time, what our money goes toward & where we invest our energy is equivalent to choosing or rejecting God.

Where are the bandaids? That one stings a little.

Crazy Love: Chapter 4

The title of this chapter was Profile of the Lukewarm. Right off the bat I read that & thought "Whew...this chapter won't be so bad. I'm not lukewarm, after all." Don't ya love how God is sitting back giggling when we say things like that?

At the start of the chapter, the author tells the story of the three seeds tossed on different kinds of ground & challenges us to consider which type we are. He explains "When the seed is flung out on the path, it is heard but it's quickly stolen away. When the seed is tossed onto the rocks, no roots take hold; there is an appearance of depth & growth because of the soil on the rocks, but it is only surface level. When the seed is spread among the thorns, it is received but soon suffocated by life's worries, riches & pleasures. But when the seed is sown in good soil, it grows, takes root and produces fruit."

The next sentence is where it hurts. Mr. Chan says "Do not assume you are good soil." Ouch. He goes on to say that most American churchgoers are the soil that chokes out the seed because of thorns. He asks "Are you satisfied being 'godly enough' to get into Heaven or to look good to others by comparison?" Or can you honestly say that you've been transformed & changed by Christ? Mr. Chan asks the readers to consider a profile of lukewarm Christianity & see if it fits them.

I won't expound greatly on each of the items on the "Lukewarm" list, but I will share the list with you. As I read through the list, I found myself mentally checking off the things I thought I had a good handle on & wincing at ones that hit a little too close to home. Take a gander at this list and see how you measure up. Are you on fire for God or feeling pretty lukewarm tonight? I marked in red the ones that really hit me hard or struck me as being particularly well-worded & thought provoking.

*Lukewarm Christians attend church fairly regularly. It is what is expected of them, what they believe "good Christians" do, so they go.
*Lukewarm Christians give money to charity & to the church so long as it doesn't impinge on their standard of living. If they have a little extra and it is easy and safe to give, they do so. After all, God loves a cheerful giver, right?
*Lukewarm Christians tend to choose what is popular over what is right when they are in conflict. They desire to fit in both at church and outside of church; they care more about what people think of their actions (like church attendance & giving) than what God thinks of their hearts and lives.
*Lukewarm Christians don't really want to be saved from their sins; they want to be saved from the penalty of their sin.....lukewarm people don't really believe that this new life Jesus offers is better than the old sinful one.
*Lukewarm Christians are moved by stories about people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act. They assume such action is for "extreme" Christians, not average ones. Lukewarm people call "radical" what Jesus expected of all His followers.
*Lukewarm Christians rarely share their faith with their neighbors, coworkers or friends. They do not want to be rejected nor do they want to make people uncomfortable by talking about private issues like religion.
*Lukewarm people gauge their morality or 'goodness' by comparing themselves to the secular world. They feel satisfied that while they aren't as hard-core as so-and-so, they are nowhere near as horrible as the guy down the street.
*Lukewarm people say they love Jesus and He is a part of their lives. But only a part. They give Him a section of their time, their money, their thoughts, but He isn't allowed to control their lives.
*Lukewarm people love God, but they do not love Him with all their hearts, soul & strength. They would be quick to assure you that they try to love God that much, but that sort of total devotion isn't really possible for the average person; it's only for pastors and missionaries and radicals.
*Lukewarm people love others but do not seek to love others as much as they love themselves. Their love of others is typically focused on those who love them in return, like family, friends & other people they know and connect with. There is little love leftover for those who cannot love them back, much less for those who intentionally slight them, whose kids are better athletes than theirs, or with whom conversations are awkward or uncomfortable. Their love is highly conditional and very selective, and generally comes with strings attached.
*Lukewarm people will serve God and others, but there are limits to how far they will go or how much time, money & energy they are willing to give.
*Lukewarm people think about life on earth much more than eternity in Heaven. Daily life is mostly focused on today's to-do list, this week's schedule, and next month's vacation. Rarely, if ever, do they intently consider the life to come. Regarding this, CS Lewis writes "If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this one."
*Lukewarm people are thankful for their comforts & luxuries and rarely consider trying to give as much as possible to the poor. They are quick to point out "Jesus never said money is the root of all evil, only that the LOVE of money is." Untold numbers of lukewarm people feel "called" to minister to the rich; very few feel "called" to minister to the poor.
*Lukewarm people do whatever is necessary to keep themselves from feeling too guilty. They want to do the bare minimum to be "good enough" without it requiring too much of them.
*Lukewarm people are continually concerned with playing it safe; they are slaves to the god of control. This focus on safe living keeps them from sacrificing and risking for God.
*Lukewarm people feel secure because they attend church, made a profession of faith at age twelve, were baptized, come from a Christian family, vote Republican, or live in America. Just as the prophets in the Old Testament warned Israel that they were not safe just because they lived in the land of Israel, so we are not safe just because we wear the label Christian or because we persist in calling this a Christian nation.
*Lukewarm people do not live by faith; their lives are structured so that they never have to. They don't have to trust God if something unexpected happens -- they have their savings account. They don't need God to help them -- they have their retirement plan in place. They don't genuinely seek out what life God would have them live -- they have life figured & mapped out. They don't depend on God on a daily basis -- their refrigerators are full and, for the most part, they are healthy. The truth is, their lives wouldn't look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God.
*Lukewarm people probably drink & swear less than average, but besides that, they really aren't very different from your typical unbeliever. They equate their partially sanitized lives with holiness, but they couldn't be more wrong.

One of his closing statements WOW'd me. I think it will you, too!

Lukewarm & uncommitted faith is completely useless. It can't even benefit manure. (Luke 14:34-35)

Crazy Love: Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of the book was not quite as overly powerful to me as the first two chapters, but I will admit I am tired tonight, so it's quite possible that I missed some of the power because of that. I think I'll go back & re-read the chapter tomorrow when I'm more awake and see what I missed. I really wanted to read it tonight, though, so here's what I got from my half-asleep stupor.

The chapter is titled 'Crazy Love', like the title of the book. The focus of the chapter was to express God's crazy, extravagant, overwhelming love for us. But like things go when trying to describe God, it's nearly impossible to really put into words (or to comprehend!) the love of God for us. The author describes the way his heart swells when his children run out into the driveway to greet him when he drives home from work, how they call out his name & smile and chase after his car until he steps out & they can reach him to hug him. He describes God's love for us as something similar to that. Only it is He who is driving in from work & it is us that He so deeply desires to have a relationship with, one where we want to run after Him & squeal His name and wrap our arms around Him at first sight. He notes Matthew 7:11 which says "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!"

Mr. Chan talks about having a daily quiet time (Bible reading, prayer). He talks about being taught to do this as a child, but having always done it into adult hood only sporadically & mostly out of guilt that he "should be doing that", but out of a desire to do it. That describes me to a "T". As a kid, I know that we always discussed it in Sunday School and at church camp, there was always a built-in quiet 15-20 minutes where the whole camp was supposed to get on their bed & spend some time reading & praying. I remember always laying there, staring at my open Bible while my mind wandered into game time or a million other fun things that were coming up in the day. I had no idea WHAT to read or how to have a quiet time. It just didn't come naturally, so as I got older & had no one watching me or expecting me to do it, I just stopped. It wasn't until I was married & becoming a mother that I began to desire & hunger for a time with God every day. I don't doubt my faith in all those in between years, but I know that having a quiet time just wasn't something on my radar for a long time & I survived on whatever I got at church on Sunday morning all week. Several years ago, I remember going to a ladies' retreat & sitting there during the praise & worship time with tears running down my cheeks. I was overwhelmed with grief that I wasn't spending THAT KIND OF TIME with my Savior every day. I wanted to be that intimate with Him all the time, but it just didn't seem to work. Like Paul describes in Romans 7, I desperately wanted to do what I knew was right (spending that time with God daily) but my flesh made it so difficult. It was so much easier to sleep late or veg in front of the computer or read a novel or watch TV (or anything else!) than to sit down & read my Bible. And yet, over and over, for several years, I'd come before Him in a moment of worship & beg forgiveness all over again..."I'm still not doing it God. What is wrong with me??". Again & again I would commit to Him that I'd sit down & do it, you know...starting tomorrow.

It wasn't until a couple years ago that I really got into a habit of working it into my daily schedule and focusing on it. I decided to start at Genesis 1:1 and read through the Bible one chapter at a time. I know it's not chronologically accurate that way, but in my typical OCD fashion, it was the only way to do it. It wasn't long before I was in the habit of having my quiet time and really missed it when I didn't do it. When a day rolls around that I don't read my Bible & pray, I long for it. I ache for the days to get back in gear so that I can fit it into my schedule again! And that's exciting to me!

But what's more fun is realizing that God is on the other end of that excitement, standing in His 'driveway', watching me run toward Him squealing His name....and He's smiling, holding His arms open for me, too!

Crazy Love: Chapter 2

Wow.

I just finished chapter 2 and like the first chapter, I really wanted to rush ahead & keep reading, but I'm forcing myself to stop & really let this chapter soak in before I plug ahead.

Chapter 2 is titled "You might not finish this chapter". At first, I thought he was saying that there would be information that might offend or throw people off the course of reading the book, but in fact, the author spends the chapter reminding us, the readers, of the brevity of life. This is something I've discovered & focused on more and more over the course of the past few years throughout personal tragedies & the losses in my friends' lives, but have never seen it put into words quite like Mr. Chan does.

His description of it goes something like this. (paraphrased) Our lives are like a scene in a movie. If our 2/5 of a second in the movie is a shot of the back of our head as we walk down the street, how arrogant would we be to rent out the entire theater & invite everyone we know to come watch this movie ABOUT US? The movie's not about us, but we all live like it is. He goes on to say it like this. In 50 to 70 years, give or take, we'll be dead. Everyone we know will be dead. No one will care what kind of car we drove or what house we lived in or what schools we attended. All that will matter is where we stand with God at that point. He challenges the readers to think about it & ask themselves...are you ready?

He tells the stories of several people whose lives were over in an instant, at times when no one saw it coming, lives cut short early in the game. We ALL know someone whose life ended that way. A child, a friend who was a young mom, a successful businessman running his own company. Every one of us has felt that loss of a sudden & untimely death. And the truth is, that could be any of us. A car wreck, a freak accident, a flash flood, a sudden disease. We really don't know. Are you ready?

Mr. Chan's take on stress & worry made my heart flutter. I love the way he describes our "justifying" stress. See, the Bible tells us "Rejoice in the Lord always & again I say REJOICE". It doesn't end with "....unless you've got a really stressful situation in your life". We can't somehow decide that our stressful situation justifies ignoring God's command to rejoice always. Do we really believe that our job/family/illness stress is somehow large enough that we have the right to disobey God's words telling us to rejoice in all things?

His definitions of stress & worry tickled me, too!

Worry implies that we don't quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough or loving enough to take care of what's happening in our lives. Stress says that things we are involved in are important enough to merit our impatience, lack of grace with others and our tight grip of control.
These 2 behaviors communicate that it's okay to not trust God because the stuff in my life is somehow exceptional. Both worry & stress reek of arrogance. In the context of God's strength, our problems are small indeed.

Wow. I don't see myself as a worrier, but man....even I, queen of positivity (at least at my house), felt a stab in my heart on that one. Ouch.

This chapter conveyed over & over that we need to get over ourselves. It's not about us anyway! It's over in a heartbeat. We all KNOW that, but do we really LIVE that? Do you believe it enough to change the way you live?

Crazy Love: chapter 1

About 2 years ago (I think?), Larry got wind of a new book on the market by a pastor named Francis Chan. The guy was, at that time, just hitting the mainstream Christian view & he was taking people by storm with his book titled Crazy Love. Larry got the book & read it and was left unimpressed. Soon after he sold the book on half.com or bookmooch or something. Never the less, I've heard a thousand people rave about this book since that time & have wondered if I'd feel the same way my husband did. I haven't pursued reading it until about a month ago when I finally decided to buy a copy & see what I thought. I got a Barnes & Noble gift card from one of my students at the end of the school year, so I went on the site & found a cheap used copy & made my purchase. It came in the mail last week and while I wanted to start it, I was eyeball-deep in a book by Karen Kingsbury, so I decided to wait til I finished that one to start it. I mentioned it tonight on Facebook and got a lot of comments about it, so I thought I'd write up a little book review.

After laying in the bathtub with some bubbles & reading chapter 1, I was tempted to lay there & get pruned up & read several more chapters, but decided I needed to go to bed & sleep instead. I really wanted to keep reading, though. Not because of the book's words, but because of the things the words said to me...the marvel & awe I was feeling for the God of the universe...the sense of worship & humility the author's words brought me to. Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying the book, but just like I enjoy the lyrics & tunes of the praise & worship songs at church, I am left in wonder & awe of the God I'm singing TO and that's what worship's all about.

I don't want to give away the whole book, so I'm just going to post some of my favorite parts along the way as I read the book. I hope you will be inspired & left longing for your first Love as you read along with me.

*"Men are never duly touched & impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God." -RC Sproul

*His perfect holiness, by definition, assures us that our words can't contain Him. Isn't it a comfort to worship a God we can't exaggerate?

*Not being able to fully understand God is frustrating, but it is ridiculous for us to think that we have the right to limit God to something we are capable of understanding. What a stunted, insignificant God that would be!

*It is sobering to realize that this is the same God who is holy & eternal, the Maker of the billions of galaxies and thousands of tree species in the rainforest. This is the God who takes the time to know all the details about each of us. He does not have to know us so well, but He chooses to.

*God is the only Being who is good, and the standards are set by Him. Because God hates sin, He has to punish those guilty of sin. Maybe that's not an appealing standard. But to put it bluntly when you get your own universe, you can set the standards. When we disagree, let's not assume it's His reasoning that needs correction.

Much of the rest of the chapter reminded me of this beautiful worship song that we sang at our old church. I love those Scripture-filled worship songs that make you want to fall on your face before God.