Tag Archives: Christianity

The Discipline Of Looking For Life In Others

Paul Luckett | Brainflurry.com - The Discipline Of Looking For Life In Others

It’s easy to focus on what’s wrong or where I believe a person is falling short and completely overlook the areas where they’re growing and making an effort.

To ignore or deny where a person is trying is discouraging and destructive.

I realize how I’ve been guilty of this and I repent.

Very often, we kill the grape vine we’re given because we’re looking for an apple tree (and it might not even be the season for whatever we’re looking for).

I must learn to work patiently with the Holy Spirit within His appointed seasons, to sow what I want (Matthew 7:12, Luke 6:31) and faithfully attend to what I get, to nurture and cultivate what is rather than railing against what isn’t.

God has placed me in a garden. I have been entrusted with many fields. The goal is that there would be life in those fields and to help them be fruitful.

I must remember that the goal is not to get what I want, but to seek what God wants -fruit: to be co-laborers with God in conforming each person, all the fields He’s given me the great privilege of working with Him in, to the glorious image of Christ.

So, a good question to ask in my frustration about what I’m not seeing is, where else are they trying, where else are they budding, what is needful for Christ to be further formed in them?

Then I can turn that budding seed toward the Son, nurture it, and lean into what God is doing -in them and me.

“[Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.” –1 Corinthians 13:7-8

#perfectourlove

How God’s Love Is Different

Paul Luckett | Brainflurry.com - How God's Love Is Different

One of many ways the love of God is different:

God’s love is not transactional, it’s relational.

When I love you with God’s love, I love you, not on the basis of what you do or even who you are, or not even because of my relationship to you, but I love you based on my relationship to God.

The beginning of love is not the appreciation of some virtue in the subject.

Love is like light. There is no virtue in the darkness that activates light. Light shines simply because that’s what light does.

The beginning of love is God. Loves does what love is. Said another way, Love does who God is.

The question is, do I have Him [love], or perhaps better said, does love [God] have me?

If so, love is just going to do what it do and there should be nothing the subject can do to stop that.

The principal thing then, is to know Love, to have Him and Him have me.

Abide.

Only then am I in a position to love.

“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.”
-John 15:9

#perfectourlove

Bad Love

Paul Luckett | Brainflurry.com - Bad Love

Hardly anything is more destructive than a bad definition of love.

We do more harm to each other in the name of what we think is love than we do with hate.

At least with outright hate, it’s clear who the enemy is so you can avoid them or defend yourself.

But, I find that most of the harm that people suffer, and the most devastating came at the hands of people we thought were for us and who were actually well meaning (to the extent of their ability), sincerely thinking they were loving when they were doing the opposite.

Examples:
A guy who claims he loves a girl but is defiling her.

A parent who thinks they’re loving a child but is actually teaching them to hate themselves.

A person who think they’re helping the disadvantaged but is only further setting them back.

Me doing something that feels good or seems good that makes me worse off.

Etc.

But, Jesus came so we’d have an accurate definition, to teach us Love that “does no harm”.

If you want to know how to truly love: yourself, your spouse, your child, your family, your friends, your neighbor, God, look to Christ.

“But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”
Matthew 6:23

#perfectourlove

Stop Being A Church Member And Start Being A Disciple

Paul Luckett | Brainflurry.com - Stop Being A Church Member And Start Being A Disciple

Imagine a firefighter that has to bring a burning house to the fire station before anything that can be done.

Or, an EMT that doesn’t do anything in the field but has to bring an injured or dying patient to the hospital before anything can be done.

There would be a lot of homes destroyed and a lot of people crippled or dying for lack of life-saving care.

Sounds familiar?

The industrial church teaches us to bring people to “church”, that when you encounter them to refer them elsewhere (to a pastor, a service, a class, a program) -to send them somewhere else.

That’s what the disciples said to Jesus in Mark 6:36,

“Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.”

But, what was Jesus’ reply in Mark 6:37?

“But He answered and said to them, ‘You give them something to eat.'”

We are called to be disciples of Christ, not merely members of a club.

Disciple, μαθητής, means “learner, pupil, student”.

What are we learning?

We are being taught by God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) The Way of the Kingdom of God and to do what our Master, Jesus, does (love: preach the good news, heal and set people free -Luke 4:18).

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”
-John 14:12

We should be disciples, learning to do that work, making the Father known through the revelation and ministry of His Son and making disciples –not recruiting people to an organization.

Our Lord has given each of us, every one of us, all of us work to do and gifts to do them. And the greatest gift of all is the Lord Himself, resident in each of us through the Holy Spirit.

Without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5) and I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).

We have the bread of life. If you don’t, get it.

Don’t send them away.

Our Lord commands,
‘You give them something to eat.’

The industrial church has lulled you to sleep.

Repent!

Stop being a “church” member and start being a disciple.

I love you.

#industrialchurch #discipleship

What Shall We Do

Paul Luckett | Brainflurry.com - What Shall We Do?

Prostrate. Repentance. Praise.

These are proper responses to God.

I thank God for my dear sister Stephanie Atkins Arnett who regularly challenges me with her bias toward love in action. She asked a question that reminded me of the believers’ response to the pouring out of the Holy Spirit during Pentecost in Acts 2:37,

“Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?'”

In a previous post, I admonished us as a church, declaring that we have a problem.

The problem is we don’t love each other.

Sister Stephanie replied,

“You cited a challenge of our community…
Several have accepted the premise…
My question to you… what are actionable steps we can take, in addition to prayer?”

Thank you, dear sister, for that question and challenge!

This is what I believe God has put in my heart:

First, we need to become and operate as disciples NOT as members of an organization. Each of us, every one of us, should be functioning and expressing the life of Christ everywhere, every day and not just at club sanctioned activities.

Then, my answer [to the question] would first be the answer of the first century church, to come together at every opportunity (Acts 2:46), and labor intentionally to remove everything that separates us (Ephesians 4:1-5).

The idea is simple: by the grace of God, love each other the way Christ loves us, which flows out of the way He loves the Father, and then invite others into that love.

I have a vision of various fellowships across our community being held by disciples (not as a club recruitment function but as a sharing the love of Christ function) in their homes and businesses every day where we share the love of Christ and learn how to grow it (different people hosting at different places on different days. I personally want to attend one every day). Praise God that this is already happening to some degree.

We should then look around our fellowships and ask, “Is this representative of the makeup of my community, and moreover is this representative of the Kingdom of God?” If it is not, repent and strive to correct that. As Christ left heaven to get us, we should leave our comfort zones to get them (those that are lost or missing).

We should then connect those fellowships, using that network to identify and address needs and seize opportunities to grow the family of God.

Let’s start by dropping any such fellowships (not as a club recruitment function but as a sharing the love of Christ function) that we’re aware of in the comments.

If you’d like some training on this, let me know and we’ll make that happen.

Thanks again dear sister for the call to arms and action!

I love you.

Why I Hate This Cross

Paul Luckett | Brainflurry.com - Why I Hate The Starkville Cross Of Christ
Photo Courtesy Of Columbus Dispatch

Someone asked me privately why “I hate this thing” referring to the Starkville Cross of Christ as I mentioned in a previous post.

The ultimate point of that post was not the cross but how those of us in Christ can, by His grace, push past even very strongly held positions to fight toward each other in love.

Notwithstanding, I think it would be helpful to the cause of “fighting toward each other in love” to understand why I disdain this monument.

Despite a lot of responses to the post focusing on it, for me, it is not about the money or what it could have been better spent toward. That’s tertiary, at best.

But as I have written previously, I find the giant cross problematic, “not because of what it is but because of what it was erected in the absence of”.

The absence I’m referring to is love, basically.

Everything else is derivative.

It’s unfortunate that this cross was erected during one of the most divisive times in history, meanwhile:

there is no concerted effort by the Christian community here to address the schisms in the church. Sunday remains the most segregated day of the week.

there is no concerted effort by the church to address schisms in our community. We remain very divided.

and, there are a host of community challenges we, as the church, are well equipped and well resourced to address, yet no concerted effort.

We seem happy with the level of suffering around us, but erect a giant cross to symbolize Christ’s love.

Sigh.

Love is the primary thing.

And, that is what I find absent.

Building shelters, providing food banks, or erecting giant crosses will all be ultimately unprofitable without love.

As the Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13, I can do all sorts of amazing and even extreme things like selling everything I have to feed the poor or even giving my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

Christ’s love is supernatural because it’s God’s love.

That love will transform our community and us.

That love will engender the response appropriate to meet the specific need of each individual and branches properly to connect them all (to God).

It’s only something that those of us who are called by Christ can do.

Tactics ain’t gonna get it.

At the very most basic application, I can tell you that no one I love is going without anything if I can help it.

The problem is we don’t love each other.

Is there truly a God?

I believe there is.

Prove it.

Love miracuously.

The Prescription For Discouragement

Paul Luckett | Brainflurry.com - The Prescription For Discouragement

Notes from my time in the Word this morning:

Psalm 42 reveals that the prescription for discouragement is praise.

But, it requires remembering.

“O my God, my soul is cast down within me,
Therefore I will remember…”
-Psalm 42:6

It is essential to chronicle the true good you’ve enjoyed.

If I don’t celebrate the good, I am more susceptible to discouragement, readily deceived into believing that I’ve never had any.

And above all, it is essential to recognize Who is responsible for that good.

From there, true praise emerges as our hearts are lifted to where He is, and not long after our circumstances.

“Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.”
-Psalm 42:11

I Came Anyway

Paul Luckett | Brainflurry.com - I Came Anyway

I hate this thing.

I’ve shared about it before, so I won’t rehash it here. But, suffice it to say it’s ominous and does not convey love to me -not because of what it is but because of what it was erected in the absence of.

Nevertheless, this is the point and the most important takeaway:

I came anyway.

Despite my revulsion, I came to this monument because there were people I love who were meeting there, people who do not share my view on this issue and people who truly love God.

Nothing separates us from the love of Christ. Therefore, I refuse to let any thing, including my hurt, suspicions or preferences, separate me from those He loves.

If you’ve got one toe on Jesus, I’m trying to meet you there. And, if you don’t, I’m trying to get you there.

Christ has given us the power to prevail against the very gates of Hell.

Very often we have to fight through those gates to get to each other.

We must fight toward each other, like Christ fought for us.

Go. Make war.

Love.

Versus: Cheap Vs Deep

Paul Luckett | Brainflurry.com - Cheap VS Deep

There are cheap laughs:

crude jokes or stupid videos that illicit a laugh reaction only for me to shortly return to my gloom.

Then there are deep laughs:

experiences or memories rooted in relationship that swell within me into a smile or laughter. It causes me to live [it] again, to ponder people, revisit places and abide in that joy.

Likewise, there are cheap experiences:

things we do that bring us immediate satisfaction but a satisfaction that ends as soon as the activity is over (and often result in a worst state than before we engaged in the activity).

Then there are deep experiences:

things we do that cause us to love, learn, and grow. Things that yield results that will remain with us for the rest of our lives.

When it comes to God, we often want to just “feel”, to have a momentary “spiritual” high (which are often counterfeit –not real) to carry us for a week or so while we busy ourselves with worthless things that do not satisfy and actually cause us more harm [cheap experiences].

Where God wants us to “know” Him –an abiding and an awareness that results in a confidence which only comes from obedience to Him [deep experiences].

“And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!'”
-Galatians 4:6

The deep experience is to know God (awareness, obeying, abiding) which is very different and much harder than just feeling (encouraged, excited, inspired).

There is nothing wrong with emotions. Emotions are God given and often result from an experience with Him. But God is a Spirit and therefore we primarily experience Him, not emotionally but, spiritually. This is about order, seeking to experience God spiritually and enjoying whatever emotions result, instead of the other way around. The order, what I seek first, largely determines whether my experience is cheap or deep.

The deep experiences are sometimes hard and uncomfortable but they result in life.

In everything you do and in how you do it, prefer those things that don’t often come naturally and are usually harder but that result in us being with God more.

Don’t go cheap, with fleeting pleasures that are ultimately unsatisfying and unprofitable.

Seek the heart of God through prayer and His Word, and seek to be with God through obedience to what Christ reveals –the One who gives us life and causes us to love learn and grow.

Make the extra effort to be with God.

It’s harder, but it satisfies and will be so worth in the future.

Go deep.

This Is Going To Hurt

Paul Luckett | Brainflurry.com - This Is Going To Hurt

I’m going to be real.

I have oriented my life around avoiding pain.

It’s evident even in the little things.

I cling to the sheets of my bed a little longer waiting for the chill of the morning to subside.

But there is nothing that hinders growth more than avoiding pain.

When I look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, He was literally in paradise.

But, unlike me with my bed covers, He didn’t think paradise was anything to hold on to (Philippians 2:5-8).

Rather, He considered the will of His Father to be greater.

“He became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross,” Philippians 2:8 says.

Doing that demonstrates a love that’s greater than His comfort.

It also demonstrates an unwavering trust of His Father.

I imagine Jesus, my Elder Brother, loving the Father and knowing His will to be perfect, steps forward without flinching, completely willing to take on the challenge.

God the Father asks, “Who will go for us?”

Jesus, God the Son, says, “I’ll go.”

As He goes, I can imagine Him thinking,
“This is going to hurt, but this is going to be good.”

I repent.

I aspire be like Him, to love God more than my comfort, to trust His plan, to go –to cast aside comfort and take on the day, fully embracing the challenges, pain and suffering before me to grow, and to be made like Christ, fit to rule.

I go. I attack the day out of love for my Father, trusting and executing His plan, thinking,

“This is going to hurt, but this is going to be good.”