It's me, mike hillebrecht

Autism. Dyslexia. Scoliosis. Cancer. Diabetes. Alzheimer’s and dementia. Congestive heart failure. Rheumatoid Arthritis. William’s syndrome. Paralysis.

This is a partial list of medical conditions that have affected my family and close friends over the past few years. Each of these conditions have long-term issues that are or have been addressed since their diagnosis. I offer this list to you for a singular purpose: I know from personal experience what I’m about to say.

Furthermore, having just come back from a week-long camp designed for families with child who have special needs, I witnessed the up-close and personal lives of families caught in a vicious cycle little are willing to expose.

A century ago, this list of conditions would in many parts of the world have been considered the examples of a person, or family, who is cursed by God or is oppressed by demonic powers. Even today, this type of thinking is prevalent in many churches across the globe, and yes, even right in your own community. This thinking cuts across all denominational lines so don’t consider for a moment that your tribe doesn’t have to study what I’m discussing. For this is a topic that no one wants to address, so I’m going to speak out.

The church practices bigotry.

In my journey through the nature and realm of grace I came to understand one of its basic tenets is that it applies equally for all, period. Now if you’re a “word of faith” person that sounds right, but you’re still working your faith to see the healing come that Jesus purchased for you with the stripes on his back. Don’t tell me I’m off here because I’ve been down that road, and have a whole wardrobe closet full of the ragged T-shirts it got me. The big boys, names I’ll not mention because you know who they are, worked me and my family up into a frenzy of confessing healing scriptures, reading the word, speaking those-things-that don’t-exist-as-though-they-do until it became quite evident that I, or we did not have the right kind of faith that even a mustard seed could rely upon.

Every charismatic church believes in the gifts of the Spirt to heal the sick. They practically foam at the mouth to lay hands on you, anoint you with oil and pray for healing to envelope you; cast out the spirit of infirmity; discern the generational curses that keeps you bound up; and of course, bind the strongman, satan and his demons, while loosing the healing anointing of the blood of Jesus. They are concerned about your well-being…only to the point of placing another notch on their promotional video about the wonders of God moving in their congregation.

You see the church, all the people, not just the leadership, don’t like you to stick around in their midst if you can’t display the healing power their doctrine is based upon. Sure they believe that healing stuff in their heads but…if you’re going to belong to their group, you’ve got to play by the rules. You must stay at the back of the sanctuary because you make too much noise coming in or going out, or you block the aisles when people are called to come down for prayer. You have to also give others the opportunity to be prayed for, after all, you’re not the only one with an illness or infirmity. After all that story about blind Bartimaeus is just that, a story.

How is this possible? It’s the nature of people both in and out of groups of people in all types of social environments. It’s that curse mentality which no one seems to want to shake off. We hate differences, be it ethnicity or gender-roles, besides being healthy is big business today. If you’re not fit, take a pill or two or three, and get back in the game, dude. If you can’t cut it, we’ll cut you. Tribalism at its finest moment.

Sick people are different. Everyone knows that we need to keep them apart from us because we don’t want what they’ve got. That logic works good for a virus but it doesn’t stop there when you’re dealing with handicapped or infirmed people. Marginalize them. They’ll get the picture and finally leave us to our “healing doctrine.”

The greater works of Jesus.

Jesus never healed all the people. The man, at the gate beautiful, is someone who spent his entire life at the temple as a cripple depending on the handouts of others to provide for him. In his social milieu he was cursed of God. Jesus had to pass by him to go into the temple at least three times a year for thirty-three years. Yet not once did Jesus heal him. That man was restored by Peter and John after the ascension of Jesus. This, we are told, is what a greater work looks like. Hence, it is also the pattern of how every church thinks they are to function – instantaneous, miracle power. Unfortunately, it’s not truly the greater work, or for that matter, even the good works prepared for you before the foundations of the world.

It’s easy to lay hands on someone or pray for them. No results, next. The greater work is staying with them for however long it takes for you both to see the healing. Yes, you may never see it. This is what makes it a greater work. It challenges our propensity to seek speed and convenience over relationship. Have you ever considered that sometimes it is just a miracle to be in a relationship with someone?
The church is called to be the body of Christ. Regrettably, in most cases it is merely a depository of selfish individuals vying for spiritual superiority and recognition through self-help, Tony-Robbin-laden, one-liner preaching. Leadership is not equipping the saints to deal with real issues in a body when their only method is to pray and confess by rote the lifeless words spoken 100 years ago from the last healing revival. Honestly, when I’ve spent the last 36 hours dealing with vomit, phlegm, and diarrhea your quaint, antiquated, little prayer isn’t worth the toilet paper I’ve expended in my toils.

Jesus said, “…as you’ve done for the least of these you’ve done unto me.” Every person with a long-term illness is “the least of these” in the eyes of the church. Rather than embracing them and their families, the church puts up with, or even marginalize them out of the very body they are a part of.

In that great chapter of faith of Hebrews 11 there is an often overlooked passage at the end which describes all the people who never saw the end of their faith. I think The Message version captures the summation of this chapter the best:

God had a better plan for us: that their faith and our faith would come together to make one completed whole, their lives of faith not complete apart from ours. (Heb 11:40)

Notice how there is a joining of faiths which makes everyone whole. We are not independent individuals as much as we are dependent interviduals, a term coined by Rene Girard to explain how each of us is hard-wired to express the non-conscience desires of others. Another way of understanding this concept is to realize that I am who I am only in relationship to you, and vice-a-versa. I am nothing without someone to relate to. I hope you just caught what I said.

When a church marginalizes the infirmed, they have made them to be nothing because they have no one to relate with. The church thereby has claimed,” Jesus, I will have no part of you.” Now that might seem harsh but let the record speak for itself. How many infirmed people do you know right now? How active are you in their life? How often do you see them outside of a normal church service?

I don’t know if you realize it yet but life is a 24/7 experience. I do know for certain that the church hasn’t figured that out yet. Church is not life, right? It’s an hour on Sunday and maybe one on Wednesday, and then free time. To an infirmed person those two hours a week are actually six agonizing hours of ramping up and winding down just to hear a cotton candied message of hope. This is why so many will not come to the one place they need to be and the church accommodates them accordingly. It just is too painful on so many levels – the church has become just as isolated as the infirmed.

So what are the practicalities once prayer has been made, anointing has been administered and still no evidence that Jesus is in the house? If you’re a disciple, you better start serving. I trust that you can determine that each person is unique in how you serve them. Don’t think for a moment that what I’m able to say is all that can be done. This is where you learn how to develop a relationship with people by asking them what they need. But understand this too, they often don’t know what they need simply because they have been so focused on dealing with their illness. Just keep in mind 24/7, what do you do?

Now I know that some of you fine people out there go to great lengths to make meals for these poor folks, however, have you ever considered that no one seems to stays behind to do the dishes, mop the floor, clean the kitchen, stock the paper towels or do a load of laundry, including drying, folding and putting them away? Many of you will never know the pleasure of being able to vomit into a clean toilet and then rest your head against the coolness of a clean pedestal all night long simply because someone cared enough.

If you’re aiding a family who has a child who is ill, you have no idea how much gratitude you will receive if your help simply allows the parents to take a shower or bath. The laundry thing also gets big points here. Even mowing the lawn is appreciated. Also, bring over a movie and just sit around together to enjoy it. The infirmed don’t have ready access to the latest forms of entertainment, so bring it to them and share the experience. Learn to relate! Texting and emails will not cut it. But by all means don’t feel compelled to be chatty. You’re there to lend a hand and hold one, dry a tear and shed a few, be encouraging in the face of their greatest discouragement.

Right now some of you are getting anxious about how you’re going to do all of these things and the stuff that your life entails. Relax. You’re not required to do all this for everyone, just some one. There is always some church who want to be able to walk into a hospital and clear it out with a healing move of the Spirit. Why not be sensible for a moment and just offer to help those being discharged until they’re back on their feet, and try to do it without even mentioning the name of Jesus.

For those of you who know my story, realize that this message is not a plea for me. My family began our journey down this road in 1994 and we’ve learned a few things along the way. Through thick sleepless nights and thin nurse-less days we’ve muddled along praying diligently for the miracle which would resolve all the issues which seemed to crash down upon us like waves in the ocean. Our faith was challenged, stretched and punched beyond all recognition, even to the brink of shame and disgrace, but it’s never been about our faith anyway. That was a hard lesson to learn but now so vital to our peace. Along the way, a handful of good disciples did the very things you’ve just read. Of the hundreds of people in all the churches we’ve frequented, a handful knew the challenges we faced and chose to walk with us all the way to the end. We lost a few to their own battle along the way, but together we walked through theirs and ours. It’s what you do with those who have become closer than a brother or sister.

24/7 applies to all, equally, just like grace does. What is the least you can do to be like Jesus to the least of these? Get out of the box you’ve put yourself in and be who is inside of you. Maybe then you’ll look like a church-body rather than a spiritual social drama queen.

Have you ever witnessed, or actually created, the following scenario? Two young children from different families are thrust into the awkward social situation of playing together while the adults go and talk among themselves. One of the kids decides to make the bold move of giving a toy to the other as a gesture of kindness which is gratefully accepted and playtime begins. Some considerable time passes and the adults determine that they need to return to their proper daily routine; so they begin the process of attending to coats, and other outer wear, while straightening things up. In this moment of rectification, an adult takes the toy from the small child claiming in soothing parental tones that it belongs to the other child. Suddenly, all hell breaks loose! Screaming, wailing, gnashing of teeth kind-of-hell.

I’ve been to a number of church services that operate every weekend just like this. People come together for an awkward social gathering to enjoy the gift of Christ and then some “adult” gets up and takes the gift away screaming about the wailing and gnashing of teeth that awaits those who refuse to accept the gift of Christ! It was already there and everyone was enjoying it until an adult felt it was time to get back into the routine and rectify the matter. Nothing quite like traditions…

But is Christ really a gift if you have to give it back? You probably never thought of that did you? The gift that keeps on giving as long as you return it. Sure, I know that some of you are scratching various body parts trying to figure out what I’m talking about and it’s disappointing for reasons that I’m about to explain.

The present day “grace movement” has missed a very crucial point in its depiction of the grace gift given by the Father. It comes from understanding the history behind the Greek term charis which has been translated as “grace” in the scriptures. There are a number of facets that charis covers which I’ve discussed in a number of prior postings, however, the primary attribute it displays is reciprocity – giving and giving back in return.

Consider the last grace message you heard; a message that went somewhat like this:

“Christ died for you. He took all your sins and was crucified on the cross so that you could live.”

Fairly common, right? But what is missing? If it’s going to true to the principle of grace in its fullest it will sound more like this:

“Christ died for you. He took all your sins and was crucified on the cross so that you could live. He died as you so that you would live as Him.”

The Father’s gift of His Son rectified the condition of mankind and produced a whole new creation in the resurrection of His Son. Everyone has been included in this new creation event – this is our Genesis. This newness of life is not ours though, it only comes through Christ. You may think that you’re not bound to the law anymore, which is true, however, you have become a slave to love.

Back in the days when there was chivalry found in going into battle to defend country against an enemy, certain men would actually take the place of others upon the field of battle. This was not a light matter for either man because they both understood the responsibility each faced. The one going into battle understood, that even as he faced possible death, he represented the other man on the frontline and everyone would associate his actions with the man he was replacing. The man who would stay behind would be bound to live the rest of his life as a memorial to the man who went into battle knowing that he only lived because someone gave his life for his. This was their grace gift to each other – honor for honor. Friends, family members and associates of the man who went to war paid close attention to the man who stayed behind so that they could remind him of the manner in which to live his life so that it exemplified the character of the one who had gone.

Today, very few are able to make the connection with Christ at this level of honor simply because they believe that he died so that they could be free to live a glorious, spirit-filled, drunken, slosh-fest with no concerns in this life about how they appear to others in their graceful stupor. Your life is not your own, it is a memorial to the one who gave his life for yours. You are expected to give the gift back without wailing and bawling about your freedom being infringed upon. You live in the liberty of grace so grow up into it. The whole world is watching.

Have you ever thought there has to be more than this? Are you unsettled with the sheer lack of a self-ordained objectives to accomplish simply because it is all “finished?” Are you still trying to delineate where your efforts and his faith meet? Believe it or not, these thoughts mean you’re resting in grace.

I know, it sure doesn’t feel like rest, but it truly is. You’re at that spot where everything you’ve thought you knew about this grace or faith thing hits the reality of Jesus. This is where the finished work declared 2,000 years catches up with you, and after surveying the terrain of a life now before you, you’re stupefied as to what your next move is. This is rest.

Now I’m certain that some – no most – will object to me claiming this as rest. They’ll claim that rest is what happens as a reward to work, a respite between intense personal effort and the next accomplishment. That might be a good explanation of what you’ve always known to be rest but how does that stack up to the reality that everything is…well…finished? Jesus declared it and gave up the ghost to defend it. Now what? Ah, there’s the rub.

The writer of the book of Hebrews claims that the children of Israel failed to enter the rest of the Lord because they lacked faith in the promise that was given them. This same writer then claims that the people of God, through Jesus, have the ability to enter into the same rest through his faith. So you’re resting, right? What? What about your faith? It doesn’t matter. Yes, I’m serious.

Consider that Israel, by their lack of faith, couldn’t enter into the rest of God. Do you seriously think that God would risk the entire population of the planet upon their own faith, once again, just so that they could miss entering His rest? You enter His rest through the faith of Jesus, not yours no matter how much you’ve exercised it. But don’t think that your faith isn’t worth something because it is, just not here. What Jesus did was done for you and me long before we ever believed. Any belief we have about it can’t reverse it or even add to it. Hence, it is finished. Now rest.

At this point some of you might have fallen into the trap of thinking how rest now means you don’t have to do anything – ever again. All the works have been accomplished for you so why not just sit or kick back and marinate in the presence of Jesus. If it was good for Brother Lawrence then is should work for you too, right? In my best Apostle Paul impression, “You foolish Christian, who has bewitched you?”

Before you were saved, I’m certain that you came across certain people who were…how do I put this so you’ll relate? They were lazy, good-for-nothing, free-loading bums. Yup, that is the term I think most of have used to define the behavior of those who seem to be on a perpetual holiday from life. Well, guess what? Now, after salvation, the term hasn’t lost its meaning simply because you can claim to be a child of grace. If you’re offended by my statement, good, because it means you’ve taken the bait in the trap. The last thing the world needs is an apostle of rest who won’t even go out and preach through their actions rather than their words. Seems like an oxymoron doesn’t it? (No, I didn’t just call you a moron.)

Understand this: Jesus is the personification of grace. He lives in you. He clearly stated that you would do greater works than him. He also said that His Father continues to work even to this day. So where is the rest in all of this? In the fact that you do not have to work to be approved, found in right standing, and concerned about if your last, or present, sin will be forgiven. Your rest from these works, the rest this whole message is about, has already been guaranteed by Jesus. This is the finished work of the cross. Now rest – for the greater works of grace await you.

If the Kingdom of God is anything – and it is everything – it is relationship.
Paul Luchsinger 1955-2015

It has been a hard year. My good friend Paul left this world for a greater glory a year ago. His passing was on the heels of my mother moving on three weeks prior. In both of their absences this week I’ve been pondering this quote so often spoken by Paul to me and honestly to anyone who ever came into contact with Paul. I’ve looked over the progression of events that have transpired this past year and I am amazed at the relationships that have developed, matured and/or withered.

I have been on a quest for the Kingdom of God being fully manifested in my life, as I’m sure many others have too. The one thing that I have taken note of is how our relationships with others cultivate the kingdom that is within us. Honestly, I don’t really need to be awed by the revelation you have of God if it doesn’t strengthen our ability to be united as friends, equals on the same journey. There is a lot of preaching and teaching going on in the church today but how much of it is building strong healthy relationships? If there are people leaving your congregation then I’d say that you’re teaching the wrong thing.

If you’re a “zippity-do-dah” preacher who can’t stand the sights or sounds of personal turmoil, your feel-good message is not going to build relationships. Yes, the sun will come up tomorrow, but for many that simply means more of the same crap they’ve had to deal with the day before. Yes, Jesus does love them, but that is not going to pull any weight with the demands a dying family member instills. Yes, there is a day of greater glory for all of us, but mister, you need to lower your vision to those about you, those who look to you for guidance in the day-to-day glory of the here and now and step out of your comfort zone of rarified platitudes and deal with the mess of living. If your message is all about the blessings of God, then don’t forget the blessings spoken over the poor, the hungry, and those who mourn aren’t for a latter day but for now.

Looking at the past year, turmoil is the hallmark of my strongest relationships today. Those of us who couldn’t deal with it had someone they could come to and walk with them in it. There wasn’t any finger pointing or brow beating just acceptance and love. As we walked out the daily messes and misses our commitment to the relationship grew and the influence of the inner kingdom became more apparent. Mourning and weeping will always lead to hugging and laughing if relationships are vital.

I guess the whole reason for writing this is to affirm that two important people who I miss greatly are still projecting an influence in the inner kingdom and that is what relationships are truly about. Just how will you favorably impact the life of another when you’re not there?

Today is Super Bowl Sunday for Christians! Yup, it’s Easter. The day when the multitudes of people, believers and pseudo-believers alike will assemble in pretty new clothes and frilly new hats to celebrate…just what are we celebrating? The risen Lord?

Why don’t we just for this one time be honest with ourselves? Historically, two days ago the ultimate display of human pride was displayed when they/we murdered God on a cross. No, I’m not going to sanitize this for you. Humanity, believing they/we knew what was right, determined through malicious intent and devious means arrested, detained, judged, flogged to the point of death and then ceremoniously hung the Son of God upon the most demented torture device ever conceived simply to keep order in the city at a time of heightened unrest.

Three days later an empty tomb awakens a city which spreads panic throughout the governing body and the people who witnessed the prior mockery. This is the day, today, which we celebrate. Sure we’ll shout praises to a risen Lord, sing anthems to His greatness yet not truly understand the real meaning of today. We won’t relive the panic of suddenly finding out that an innocent victim who they/we put to death is now alive to confess their/our guilt. No, we won’t cry out to God to forgive us in our complicity in the travesty of justice. We’ll say a few amens and rush off to the ham banquet which awaits us.

Why do we truly need to celebrate this day? Forgiveness and mercy. At no time did God respond like us. He could have, and should have, cleaned our clock for what happened. But He didn’t. Having mercy, He forgave just as His Son asked. Certainly Jesus could have rubbed everyone’s nose in the dung of their hypocrisy, but he didn’t. He responded as usual with compassion and love.

Today is not a celebration of a risen King as much as commemoration that we didn’t truly get what we deserve from that King. However, who we did get, had us along. Go enjoy your ham.

What is a three sentence comment that distills the spirit of 2015 across all the media, including Facebook?

“I’m right and you’re wrong!”

“You can’t really see that your explanation is so full of holes that it even embarrasses swiss cheese? No, I’m right and you are positively lost and wrong. You will just have to live in the knowledge of my mind being more superior to yours.”

Am I right or am I right?

I’ve been involved in quite a bit of study recently and came across something that might address this issue in a way many might want to consider. In the New Testament writings there is a Greek word which the translators/interpreters have claimed to be either “righteous” or “justified.” There are obvious variants of these two words such as “righteousness” and “justification,” but these words all trickle down from the well spring of one Greek word employed by all the writers. (I could give you the word, but unless you read Greek, what difference does it make?)

Each of these two translated words, in our era, are attached or associated with a particular viewpoint which when the Greek was penned was not intended in its use. Righteous, for example, is a term that specifies a correct position according to a moral or written code of behaviors. Justified, conversely, is a term which comes from the legal field establishing innocence from accusations made from violating laws and commandments. In each of these descriptions for these words there is a “human” distinction or factor involved. What if these two “right” words are wrong?

There is an old proverb that states, “When faced with deciding between two choices, always pick the third.” Consider the use of a third word, little employed, yet vast implications follow its meaning throughout the New Testament text. That word and its variants are: rectify; rectified; and rectification. The definition means to correct a matter, bring it to a correct conclusion; to realign to a predetermined course.

Notice how the use of this word assumes that an agenda or plan was already in force before someone comes to make the correction. Notice that the corrective matter never involves those who are in the process but comes from outside of it. Note too, that once the correction is made, the process continues along as intended or predetermined.

What if we have been looking at this whole salvation matter and its results completely sideways? What if there is no possible way that we ever have been righteous according to a moral or written code of behaviors defined by the religious establishment? What if, similarly, we have never been justified, or declared innocent, through a series of laws and commandments enacted by humanity to keep peace in the community?

However, we have all been rectified by the work of the Father in Jesus Christ. We had no part in it simply because we were in the process or their creation. Their work came from outside of where we were headed and it corrected all of us to their predetermined plan. Notice that not one person missed out on this correction by not doing something right or justly. All were rectified in Christ by the cross.

If you want to understand the depth of grace, look at it from being rectified for a change. The air is much clearer here and no one can argue about their position being right, before or after the fact.

Imagine that you’ve spent your entire life, every waking and breathing moment to do one thing to its ultimate perfection. Then that day, the day you didn’t know when it would occur, finally arrives; the precise moment when all the forces in the universe aligned, this was the day, this is your calling.

After the events of that day have come and gone, your purpose fulfilled, your destiny accomplished, what do you do? Do you retire from life, or find another line of work? Maybe you lay low and watch the unfolding events occur around you. Or maybe you continue to be you and manage to piss off the people you’ve always pissed off. That’s what John did and upon state-imposed reflection, determined that maybe he didn’t complete his destiny. How can that be?

“Change your freaking minds because the kingdom of God is at hand!” (my paraphrase)

This was the sound of the voice of one crying in the wilderness preparing the way of the Lord according to the prophet Isaiah. John was there, slamming the noggins of the people trying to get them to think straight and fly right because the day was coming when all that they were living for would suddenly change and then…

The religious folks, Pharisees and Sadducees all came to investigate the claims of John. He saw right through them and their tactics. “Are you the Christ, the Messiah?“ they would anxiously ask. We read this and interpret it to mean that these holy and noble men of the cloth were eager to meet the one foretold of in the scriptures. What a farce!

These boys were out to keep secure their position with the occupying Roman forces. They were acting as the point guard for an invasion into the territory from any foreign kingdom. The Messiah of scripture was a deliverer, someone who would wrestle control from the present forces inhabiting the land and return Israel back into a land governed under a king from the line of David.

This would not sit well the religious order of the day who pretty much had final say on how things should run in the country. You see while Rome occupied the land, they permitted the priests to practice their rituals; all of which had the power of the people behind them. Restrict the rituals, incite the people; permit the rituals, pacify the people.

John knew this very well. His tirade at these interlopers wasn’t just a show for the common people. His destiny would not be hindered by those intent on preserving their kingdom over the kingdom of God. So he swatted at their accusations like they were flies hovering over dung; which is probably a more apt description of how he felt about them.

Then the day and the person of the day arrives and John is uncertain about what to do. It’s his cousin who must instruct him about what John has prepared his whole life for. And then after he baptizes Jesus, John begins his journey. You see up to this point all he was doing was fulfilling his destiny. Now his journey into believing in his destiny was at hand. If he did his part correctly as foretold in scripture, then everything else…

We’re not really told how long it was from the time John began his journey until we find him in prison because he could keep his mouth shut around certain people. But some time had definitely passed because there were stories being told throughout the land about things happening, crazy, miraculous things being done by his cousin, Jesus. John, in his inner most thoughts, begins to doubt his very own destiny simply because the stories don’t align with the scriptures he knew.

It’s been a year since I wrote about the adventures of our family at Camp Attitude. This year we took the plunge and took the entire first week of camp to attend. We spent the year planning the logistics on our side while allowing Holy Spirit to preparing our hearts for the journey.

For those you who aren’t familiar with Camp Attitude it is a week-long camp designed to cater to the needs of families with children who have special needs. I’ve written about a few of the experiences our family has endured in this area in my book Your Life is a Freaking Mess. Finding a facility who’s mission is solely designed for special needs people is very rare particularly when the cost to the attendees is free while the entire volunteer staff pays to help.

Jesus said, “…as you’ve done to the least of these you have done also to me.” Society views special needs people, children and adults, as less than the least. Social functions rather than being inclusive are exclusives; education rather than being all encompassing is circumvented to core skills training; even the very manner we herd these special people to the farthest corner of the auditorium while the preacher regales us about how God loves all the little people of the world is indicative of our shallow feelings towards all those not “like” us.

At Camp Attitude inclusiveness in the true normal. Parents welcome other parents who deal with issues similar to their own and experience the comradeship in a life journey few travel. Campers, the invited children, of all ages welcome old friends from past years. These friends encompass the volunteer staff who may have been their buddy, or the cooking staff dedicated to delivering three outstanding meals and snacks each day, or the grounds crew who keeps the facility running smoothly. Each friend contributes their “Christocentric” nature which permeates the entire facility.

Everyday at camp is a celebration of firsts for each camper present. It might be the first time they’ve eaten within a large group of people where their shrill of excitement wasn’t stifled and disdained by those around them. It might be the first time that the camper has had someone spend an entire day with them doing whatever they wanted to do, not what they were told to do. It might be the first time that they’ve ever been in a large body of water with others who are just like them. It might be the first time that dancing with someone wasn’t the means of keeping them away from something more than allowing them to express who they are. Lastly, for those returning it might just be the first time since last year that they have been shown appreciation for being themselves.

Far too many Christians talk about doing the greater works of Christ without really knowing what those works entail. Sure, there is the allure of the ministry of healing, signs and wonders. But when the reality of a life of a special needs person crosses that path of ministry and these people leave no different then how they came, this is where the greater work of Christ truly begins. This is where the camp excels.

At Camp Attitude there are no prayer lines or fire tunnels, no healing evangelists, no anointing oil ceremonies. There is simply the laying on of hands. Hands of love helping a camper into their chair; hands dedicated to embracing a friend when they’ve accomplished a task; hands willing to push a swing for hours if that is what the camper wants; hands that rejoice, hands that support, hands that caress, and hands that appreciate the dirty work of caring when all others have lost the incentive to care.

Jesus said that people shall know that we are his disciples because we love one another. Camp Attitude demonstrates this point day in and day out and it is impacting lives in the process. People who come onto the facility are transformed by the love demonstrated to them as well as to the campers and their families. Skeptics at the beginning of the week are impassioned promoters at the end not because of some hyped up sales pitch but simply by the joy of seeing the genuine loving support of other people.

Camp Attitude is a shining example of those who live by the Grace Rule: Give abundantly unto others what they have no way of doing for themselves. I would urge all of you to support their work in some manner. I say this simply because I know what an impact they have had on the life of my daughter this past week. However, I also know of the impact that it has created in the lives of multiple families who had lost hope and now are renewed.

If you or organization is interested in knowing more about Camp Attitude, becoming a volunteer or a buddy, you can find them at http://www.campattitude.com for more information.

I live in a part of the country where there is a yearly, county regulated, testosterone-induced ritual known as hunting season. I recognize that there are many out there who abhor this archaic practice of slaughtering harmless animals of all kinds, but until you get out in the elements where your only means of survival is not found in a big gulp and cheesy nachos but through the sensible murder of an animal destined to the fire and a spit, you should not make a fuss. Just go back under your comfy covers and continue reading.

I have a friend who is an excellent hunter. I use the term “excellent” not because he is a great marksman, but because he is a great bowman. That’s correct, he hunts the way of the natives with a bow and arrow. He has often told me of the pleasure and thrill he gets stalking an animal through the brush trying to get close so that you can take aim with your bow. He says that in order for kill to be successful with a bow and arrow you must be at least 30 feet from the beast. Consider that this is the length of most people’s driveway. And you must remain concealed none the less!

There are times when he says that he will wait in a stand or shelter for the animal du jour to walk past him so that he can take his shot. These times he says are the most boring because you must wait for the catch of the day to come your way so often you have to be prepared not to fall asleep.

I once asked him show me how to shoot an arrow from his bow. He was a little leery of such a task but obliged. Handing me his compound bow he attempted to show me how to properly hold it, load the arrow, draw it back and let it fly towards a target we had set up several yards in front of us. This was an adventure to me while it was a test in patience to him as I repeatedly apologized for my inadequate skill set which kept producing shots that first only went a couple of feet in front of me but eventually just peppered ground on both sides of the target. In a moment of frustration he even grabbed the bow from my hands and deftly spun about, registered an arrow at the string, pulled it back and let it fly in the span of two seconds and hit the target dead on. The smirk that quickly crossed his face just as rapidly turned to a frown realizing what he had done.

I patted him on the shoulder and simply said, “Don’t worry; I’m the one who has fallen short of your glory today.” We laughed and went off to enjoy the experience over drinks and chips. So is life in the realm of the Kingdom.

Romans 3:22-24 KJVR
(22) Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
(23) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
(24) Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

This is common passage used to evoke condemnation upon those who do not know better by those who should know better yet don’t. I want you to look at verse 23 for a moment, particularly that notorious word translated “sinned.” What the original writers of the New Testament knew about this word is not at all what we’ve been led to believe today. So for a moment, let’s assume that you are illiterate can’t even read (except what I’m going to put before you) and I’m charged with correctly presenting this passage to you so that you’ll be able to comprehend it. How would I offer this to you?

(22) The right-standing that Jesus has with God is for all of us that believe because there is no difference in us.
(23) for we have all shot our arrows at the target before us and kept missing the target we were aiming for which is the glory of God;
(24) we have been freely recognized as marksman by the price of the precise target Jesus Christ hit for us all.

There are days when I can’t properly balance my checkbook or I put too many scoops of coffee in the pot or forget to put the drier sheets in the dryer. There are other days that forget to say hello to a friend or co-worker, don’t help someone place a heavy load in their car at the store or don’t give my last amount of change to someone who asks. These times are called “missing the mark,” in Greek, or sin in King James. Notice that these are not egregious faults in my character before God, like snorting when you laugh or picking your nose in church.

Every occurrence of the word “sin” in the New Testament is making reference to the poor marksmanship we all have in hitting a target God placed before us. Sure we try harder, practice longer, strive greater to hit something we can see but we’ll never be able to touch. We just fail to realize that when we’ve fired the last of our arrows, Jesus goes to where they are stuck in the ground, picks them up, registers them in the string and fires everyone precisely into the target as us. It does not matter how wide we were, how short or far we missed, Jesus makes it up for us every single time.

If there was an Olympic sporting event that would be fun to watch it would be the tandem archery event. In this contest teams of two would compete against each other to see who could make the most perfect scores. One member of the team would stand with his bow and arrows and be donned with a mask that prevented them from see where the target was at. The other member of the team would stand many yards away in front of the first and shout out to their partner to provide a direction of where to shoot.

Once the first member shoots, it would be the task of the second to retrieve the arrow wherever it fell and shoot it at the target wherever it is at. What would make this such an exciting event is that multiple teams would compete at once! What would make it even more thrilling is having Jesus as the second member of each team! Everyone wins in the end, just as it has always been through his grace.

Not again!

How many times have you cried out in frustration that exact same phrase? It often means that whatever is happening presently has occurred at least once before. Yet in frustration, it simple means that the darn thing keeps happening over and over again!

So let me ask you another question. Are you born again? There is that pesky little word again. No, that’s not what I mean to say. It should read …there is that pesky little word, again, again. Yes, that is perfect. So have you been born several times in the past? That’s not the right way to ask that question, you say. But isn’t that what “again” means, to occur or repeat multiple times over a span of time? What? Am I confused? Just how do you think Nicodemus felt when Jesus told him the same thing? Let’s go look at it.

John 3:1-3 KJVR
(1) There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
(2) The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
(3) Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

So here is this clandestine meeting of a religious leader and Jesus. Most people think this is conducted at night to avoid any suspicious overtones between Jesus and the temple elite. Actually, our good buddy Nicodemus meets Jesus at night for one reason: He’s been working all day.

Now Nick makes a perfectly plain introduction which clearly validates the work that Jesus is doing and how the religious folks feel about it. My paraphrase, “You’re one cool dude, ‘cause only someone from God can do what you’re doing.” You see there is no bitterness or animosity being displayed here between these two. Because of this, Jesus freely opens up and delivers the pinnacle to so many doctrines. He makes the same claim as the question that I asked at the beginning, yet, attaches the kingdom of God to it. Nick is as confused as you thought I was.

John 3:4 KJVR
Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?

Well there is something afoot here that clearly doesn’t add up, because good ole Nick responds just like anyone else would to such a statement using that pesky little word “again.” I submit that Nicodemus, a Pharisee and ruler of the Jews does not know his Greek very well. No, that can’t be right, they didn’t speak in Greek; they wrote in Greek. So what gives? Sit back because you’re about to see something not many will delve into.

The word “again” found in John 3:3 and John 3:7 can be found listed in Strong’s concordance under number 509 as the Greek word anothen. This word is used 13 times in the New Testament. Only in these two passages and also in Galatians 4:9 is it transcribed as “again.” Do you understand what this means? Less than 25% of its usage in the text means “again” while over 75% of its true meaning is lost in this one crucial dialogue. Why is this important? Entire denominations of the present day church are devoted, dedicated, and committed to the “born again” agenda. Yet, if they are neglecting the fullest interpretation of the cornerstone to their creed, well, how can they claim to be teaching the full counsel of the gospel? So what does Strong’s list for this word? Here is the full meaning including the root word definitions.

G509 ἄνωθεν
anōthen an’-o-then
From G507; from above; by analogy from the first; by implication anew: – from above, again, from the beginning (very first), the top.

G507 ἄνω
anō an’-o
Adverb from G473; upward or on the top: – above, brim, high, up.

G473 ἀντί
Anti an-tee’
A primary particle; opposite, that is, instead or because of (rarely in addition to): – for, in the room of. Often used in composition to denote contrast, requital, substitution, correspondence, etc.

Consider that this entire dialogue being conducted by Jesus is actually a narrative of the person known as Jesus and Nick is just there to confound those who will not search out the truth. Jesus is not claiming that people are to have multiple births if they are to see the kingdom of God. Let’s factor in that Nicodemus has already stated that if anyone does the kind of miracles that Jesus does then God must be with him. Nick obviously recognizes that there is something different about Jesus that makes him stand out from every other man. This is where Jesus now takes the opportunity to divulge his true nature to someone who appears willing to hear. Here is my paraphrase of just the words spoken by Jesus using the full meaning of this Greek word previously known as “again.”

John 3:3, 5-7 KJVR
(3) Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man (like me) be born from above, from the beginning, the very first, as a substitution or contrast, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
(5) Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man (like me) be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
(6) That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
(7) Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born from above, from the beginning, the very first, as a substitution or contrast.

In these few verses Jesus clearly outlines who he is. Notice in verse 5 Jesus declares that only a man born of water and Spirit can enter the kingdom of God. Jesus is the only man born of Spirit and his birth by water came when he came up out of the Jordan and the Father announced that Jesus was his son. Tie this with his first claim that to see the kingdom of God a man has to be from above, from the beginning, the very first, as a substitution or contrast. Jesus is the only one who fills both of these criteria.

So let me ask the question that began this whole matter. Are you born from above, from the beginning, the very first, as a substitution or contrast? There is only one who holds that title and it is in Him that we live and move. He is the only one born again. The rest of us are just born to live as he lived, as a son in the family of God.