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Have you ever had a revelation that struck you so intensely it truly qualified as a life-changing a-ha moment? You know. The kind that makes you want to give yourself a thump upside the head because it was there all along but you somehow missed it.

I felt that way a few days ago. I was reading the account of John the Baptist's testimony about his first encounter with Jesus in the first chapter of the Book of John. The first few verses are quite commonly used in sermons, bible studies, and the like. By them we know that Jesus Himself is the Word (expressed will) of God. But it was when I got to verses 35 - 37 that something clicked which had never clicked before. In John 1:35-37, it is noted that there were two of John the Baptist's disciples present when He pointed Jesus out as He was passing by. When John acknowledged who Jesus was, those disciples took what He said as truth (applying the Word to their lives), then proved that they believed it by immediately taking off to follow Jesus, even without knowing much else. That's applying your life to the Word. Actually abandoning your former plans, dreams, and thoughts to attach yourself to all that Jesus embodies as the Son of God. It posed the question in my mind, "Is it enough to just apply the Word to my life, or was it God's original intent that I apply my life to the Word?"

What's the difference? Well, as I see it, it's really more about WHO we stand for than WHAT we stand for. In America alone there has been a steep decline in the number of people who would actually call themselves "practicing" Christians. The term "christian" itself seems to have moved far from the lifestyle of the people it was originally coined for. It used to mean "Christ-like" because of the 1st century believers who were known for living like they adhered to a higher authority than their counterparts. Now it's not a lifestyle, it's merely a religion; one of many. But that's what happens when you lose site of your WHO because you're so focused on the WHAT.

The WHAT of Christianity is the same dilemma the Jews faced when Jesus arrived in the flesh. They were so blinded by the Law that they totally missed the spirit of the Law which would have made recognizing WHO Jesus was so simple. The same goes for us today. Sometimes I think we get so bound up trying to cross all the "t's" and dot all the "i's" of a set of rules and traditions that when they prove to be too much for us, we inadvertently throw ourselves into a vicious cycle of compromise and condemnation over and over again. At the end of the day, it's really always been about building relationship with our Lord - the One who purchased us back from slavery to our base, sinful nature. You know how it is. The longer you hang out with somebody, the more of their habits you tend to pick up. You don't have to try to do that. It just happens. The old folks used to say "show me who you run with, and I'll show you who you are." Running for Jesus made for a catchy church song back in the day, but it's actually running WITH Jesus that makes such a powerful change in your life that it causes others who don't know Him to want to know Him.

I'll end with this: It could very well be that the main reason why the Church's significance as a powerful positive influence to this world is all but indiscernible is because, no matter what we profess, we look, act, and think just like them. We are too tied to an idea and totally disconnected from the source of true vision. But I challenge you today to go beyond just reading the Bible to actually "doing" Jesus. It's good to start there, but it's better to go beyond that. Get to know Him. Not the Church, not the traditions and the protocols. Him! And just as it happened when Jesus walked the earth Himself, we'll surely experience a revolution that changes the world.

Pride Begins With "I"

Have you ever tuned into the conversations you have with other people? Even the ones you have with yourself? And no, I'm not talking about 'hearing voices'. It's intriguing to me how many times we use the words "I", "Me", or "My" and go blissfully unaware of the lurking undertones of selfishness and pride.

I used to think that pride was as big as a boulder and, therefore, easy to detect. But I've come to learn that it's usually like a thin, translucent line stretched between two trees that trips you up as you walk along the path. If you get a little too distracted you'll never see it coming.

I won't kid you. I've gotten caught up in the thrill of success when a plan goes off without a hitch and I (even secretly) prompt others to see the role I played in making it happen. I've occasionally judged others under my breath with a sigh and disdainful shake of my head, thinking to myself, "I can't believe she..." I could go on and on with the I thinks, I feels and I knows, but you get my drift.

As I pondered this ugly habit and why it so easily creeps up on most of us, I was struck with the unmistakable kinship pride has with fear. Ultimately, when our automatic self-preservation kicks in, it s fear that usually flips the switch. Fear that we won't be recognized or respected. Fear that we'll lose something or someone. Fear that we won't get something we strongly desire or think that we need. Fear that we won't be found worthy of love and acceptance. Sometimes what we think we're missing is right there all along, but fear keeps us blind to it.

Don't be fooled! It's a trick. Satan fell for it eons ago when he started hungering for what he didn't even need. He was the greatest of all the angels in heaven; skillfully outfitted with unique qualities that were unparalleled. Yet, he created the biggest lie in his own magnificent mind, and it not only consumed him and a third of the angelic host, but it has sealed their doom. (See Isaiah 14:12-15).

I've asked the Holy Spirit to remind me that I, the creature, am not, and will never be or need to be, as great as the Creator. Humility is my friend and an effective gauge of my trust in the Lord. So I leave you with this: whenever your accomplishments or your personal ambitions begin to exalt the screenplay of your life to blockbuster status, remember... the sequel is a always a real downer.

Don't You Dare Lose Your Distinction!

I'm a south paw, and proud of it, too! But I never really think anything about it until someone else takes notice of it.

That's exactly what happened to me recently when I was sitting in the takeout section of a local restaurant waiting on my order. I was writing something down and the lady who waited on me noticed that I was left-handed and commented on it.

She told me an interesting story about how her husband was almost violently conformed into using his right hand when he was a young boy in school. Apparently, his teachers (who obviously subscribed to some unwarranted fear about the meaning of being left-handed) would smack him on his left hand whenever he tried to use it to write in order to make him use his right hand.

Now, I've heard some strange stories when it comes to people and their pet peeves about left-handedness, but this one was especially disturbing. Why would someone go to such lengths to rob someone of their distinction? After doing a little research, I found out that historically, being left-handed was often associated with being "evil" or "clumsy." So, in order to deter any negative tendencies, people who believed this ideology thought that they were doing the right thing by trying to make the left-hander conform "for their own good."

Granted, south paws are in the minority when it comes to hand preference, but it has often been proven that this distinction has served them (and others) very well. Many of the greatest people who ever lived were left-handed (i.e. Benjamin Franklin, Babe Ruth, even Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama).

Consider the story of Ehud, a left-handed man from the tribe of Benjamin whose story is documented in chapter 3 of the Book of Judges. It was typical in those days for a man to strap his sword or knife on his left side for use with his right hand. So it was easy to beware if the man in question was going to attack because he would be expected to reach toward his left side. However, God saw fit to use this man, Ehud, to get close enough to his enemy to destroy him because he would never be suspected as a threat - his knife was strapped to his right side. How clever!

So the next time someone feels so threatened by whatever God has chosen to make you distinctive that they try to make you conform to "the right way," don't be intimidated. Don't allow their fears to become your problem. It's your distinctiveness that God intends to use. Don't you dare lose it!