If you are an Atlanta Braves fan then last night had to be just absolutely special. In a season of tremendous accomplishments there have been individual and team records set and still more to come. But seeing Ronald Acuna reach uncharted heights, holding that historic base he stole for number 70 to go along with 40 plus home runs, then score the winning run - it was an incredible sight! 

Yet, some people complained about the way he celebrated.

For those not sports fans I am certain there have been historic nights for you such as the birth of a child, the healing of someone from cancer, a 60th wedding anniversary, or losing 50 pounds. All are relevant and meaningful in the moment and also moments we can look back on and celebrate again.

Yet some would criticize us who had not experienced the same emotions.

Mark chapter 14 gives an account of a most historical event that we often overlook. Jesus was at the house of "Simon the Leper".  First of all this was Jesus, going to a house where some dysfunction had happened, because Simon had to have been cured from leprosy, perhaps by Jesus in order to have "normal" folks over. While there a woman poured expensive perfume all over him to the dismay to some of those present.

Jesus answer was classic. This was a once in a lifetime event, he was about to die and this woman recognized his significance as the Messiah. Others looked at the cost not the historical moment. In fact this was a turning point for Judas who then made a bargain to turn Jesus in because he did not think he was the one.

Watching Acuna over these last few years, this is humble dude with once in a lifetime skills to play baseball. The way he celebrates with his teammates is a joy to watch for me. We may never see someone come along and break his records. Others of you may feel the same, some not.

Jesus is obviously much more than a ball player, but it is because we understand the historical significance of his God given gifts and redemptive powers that we are able to celebrate his moments on earth. 

Sometimes it takes a leper and an unknown woman to recognize that!

Every now and then I will venture into the world of Reels to hear a sermon clip, a scene from the series Chosen, an Elevation worship song, or watch the amazing Dancing Chickens and laugh 'til it hurts.

Spiritual comfort for sure, but Oh My are those Dancing Chickens a sight to behold! Odd looking and unique with their mixed colors, wild looking manes and ability to somehow keep up with the beat of the Macarena or some other bouncy song these chickens make me laugh continuously. And they remind me that joy and laughter is what breaks the monotony of responsibility and the seriousness of life.

Joy is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and is manifested in having joy in the Lord and in our relationship with him but also in the other humans he created as well as the things he gave us to use on earth. One of them is our sense of humor which can be tweaked by the inspiration of others or dancing chickens.

And I can laugh when I think that those unique, funny looking birds moving in unison to the beat remind me of one of our typical recovery meetings filled with a room of many colors, ages and birds of many different feathers who are all trying their best to move in unison toward a better life.

We are certainly not a bunch of Dancing Chickens but we are a crazy bunch who have gone astray, and truth be told, I love every one of us and I am sure God does because these are his lost sheep. The angels celebrate with a party when one comes home.

Let us all have one beautiful, joyful dance together all the way to heaven!

I was asked to write a blog about this and for one of the few times the words did not flow easily. Finding our true home should be easy, but for some of us it is a moving target. Many reasons for this but the truth is that if we are not anchored in a place we can call home then doing life is chaotic at best.

There is a song that has these words: This world is not my home, I'm just passing through, if heavens not my home then Lord what will I do. The angels beckon me to heavens open door, no I won't feel at home in this world anymore. What do we make of that?

We certainly need to be grounded here on earth, but we make a big mistake if we are too grounded in what the world has to offer us.  Are we more concerned about status, movie stars, sports heroes, finances and acceptance or more about our own fathers, mothers, faith and being immersed in God's Spirit?

Family should of course be home wherever that is, but many of us come from dysfunctional families or they have abandoned us because we have burned all our bridges with them. My mother never gave up on me despite my continued failures at life, and by doing so she made me feel part of our home, but also taught me about how God feels about you and I.

He never gives up on us. When we make him our home base by accepting him into our lives then we come to know him as the rock we can stand on, the calmer of every storm we are in, the warrior who always fights for us and the maker of miracles in all aspects of life. He goes after the lost sheep and has a party when we come home, no he never gives up on us and he has reserved a place for us in heaven if we want to call it home.

When we feel lost, far away from home and unsettled in life it may be time to connect or re-connect with home base. It's Him, and in Him there is heaven, and there is a stable, wonderful home we will occupy for eternity. 

As a matter of fact, if His Spirit is in us we are home!

Last night Robert spoke at Xcelerate about having a different spirit as it was related about Daniel in Chapter 6.  Here's what it says about him in verse 3:

Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.

Robert's main point was what is our spirit all about? What do others see in us when they look at us? And, is our spirit holding us back from becoming what God really wants us to be? In truth, we are in control of that spirit, there is everything inside of us to be successful, but if we are not, what is stopping us from getting there?

Maybe we project entitlement, possibly selfish pride, or a lack of confidence in our abilities. Could be we have screwed up so many times that we are stuck in, as he described it, second gear and afraid of success. Or, others are so bent on destroying us that we rely on what they see in us rather than what is actually there.  We lack the confidence to move out of gear to the next one.

Maybe if we consult the ultimate authority, God himself, we would see that there are many verses in scripture that talk about his confidence in us and our ability to approach him with confidence. It is a two way street built on a relationship with him, like Daniel's, that even helped him survive a lion's den which symbolizes to us what fire we may be in now that can be overcome with a faith forged in that fire.

Once we walk through the maize of a confused spirit we come out the other side as a polished, loving, confident, compassionate spirit that reflects the image of the God who made us. In fact use this illustration as to who you can be:

Made in the US of A - the Unbelievable Salvation of the Almighty. That's who we are, that's who he intended us to be and that's the spirit that changes the world for the better. A different exceptional spirit!

Let's get out of gear and go live it!!

 

You may be reading this thinking he just misspelled rehab, but no, this is about a member of the faith hall of fame, Rahab the prostitute. While many may wonder how a harlot is enshrined in Hebrews Chapter 11 with folks such as Moses, Abraham and other legends, she herself should tell us something about God.

At the Statue of Liberty these words are a powerful welcome to those coming to America, Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teaming shore. They could very well be the words of the Lord as he opens his arms to us to join him on a journey to freedom. Or maybe the title to a Clint Eastwood movie would fit here,  The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. 

There is such a misconception in the world of Christianity as to who is called to serve as an example to others.  Yes, it is certainly exemplary to be good, and we don't want to lift up the bad behavior as a model, or consider those blessed to be pretty to be better than those considered ugly, but the fact is that is what drives our thinking as to what a good Christian should be.

But Rahab, or the woman caught in adultery, or the five time married woman at the well who exemplify badness turned out to be superstars in the Bible as an example to others such as you and I. God is really excited about goodness, the ability of those with life long pursuit of righteousness, but he is also just as excited about lost sheep and prodigal sons who come home.

What that means to you and I is that no matter how far out we have been, no matter how ashamed of what we have done,  no matter how many people have scorned us or put us down, Jesus opened the door for us to find a seat at his table. As crazy as that sounds, we may also have a seat next to Rahab who is part of God's rehab.

And then we will really know the truth, that truth that has set us free!