I WANT TO FORGIVE!

"It is impossible but that offences will come..."  Encouraging words from our Savior!  ;-)  Actually, we can't blame Jesus for sharing with us the obvious truth that we all, at some time or another, will be offended.  If we are honest, we will probably also admit that, on occasion, we plant the offending seed.  Offences are fertilizer in our relationships.  Pungent and unattractive when first applied, but powerfully nourishing to the soil of our souls once plowed under.  Forgiveness is that plow.  It takes the odorous offence and buries it deep in our hearts, where it fuels the growth of mature love.  

So, how do we forgive?  The act itself is so simple - you just forgive.  But, it's not the act that is the problem, is it?  The real question is probably more like this:  How do I find it in myself to forgive?  I have found three pillars of thought that help tremendously when trying to forgive an offence.  

1. I forgive because I remember what it's like to be forgiven.  We are God's chosen family.  We have been earmarked for His love and friendship.  This compels us to wear His tenderness as a cloak of mercy, kindness, and humility.  We function in a gentle spirit, with patient strength that enables us to carry offences and not be trapped by them.  We are honored to lay them at the foot of the same Cross that consumed our wrongs.
2. I forgive because I recognize that people don't usually offend on purpose.  Jesus was enduring the final throes of torture and rejection.  He had been violated, abused, mocked, and defamed.  Now, He was hung out to die for all to see.  From this place, and between the labored breaths of crucifixion, He speaks the word of forgiveness, with only one meager justification:  the offenders have no idea just what they are really doing. How utterly humble!  Can we adopt just such a perspective?  That our offenders really don't understand what they are doing?  We can.  We must.  We will.
3. I forgive because I realize that I will probably need forgiveness again soon.  In the spirit, I owed God a debt so big, if He were to call it in, there was no possibility of raising the sum necessary to cover it.  So I cried out for mercy!  And He gave it.  The whole flippin' balance - wiped clean!  In my new found freedom I remembered the $10 relational debt owed me by my friend.  So, I beat him mercilessly until I felt like I had gotten about $10 and change (you know...accrued interest) out of him.  WHAT?!?  What a supernatural slap in the face to the One who is the very essence of love, mercy, grace...forgiveness.  We can't. We mustn't.  We won't. 

We must choose to view offence through the lens of God.  We must let our gratitude for the mercy shown to us override our appetite for the judgment of others.  We must remember that forgiveness is a renewable resource and that we are God's recycling center.  So...someone threw some rotting food in a heap in your heart.  Conflict can become compost.  Plow it under!  Turn that offence into fertilizer for a harvest of love.  This will be health and peace for us, grace and hope for others, and an absolute source of pleasure for Papa God.  Even if you don't think they deserve it, which is arguable, He has certainly earned it on their behalf.  Just forgive.

Forever panning for gold,

Chris Liotta

Lead Pastor
Rivergate Church
Chris@WeAreRivergate.com



© 2016 Chris Liotta

NEW WINE

Last nugget, we talked about "exchanging wineskins."  This time, let's talk about the wine.  Here's our text:

Luke 5:37-39

37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. 38 But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.[a] 39 And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better.’”

What is the "new wine" to which Jesus refers?  I recommend going back a few verses to get the context for yourself; but simply put, the "new wine" challenges our beliefs on how we are to worship God - and boy is that loaded!  Few topics incur more of the wrath of God's people than how we "do" our God stuff.  (And anyone who has ever endured a church split says a sad, "amen.")  New wine represents a new perspective on knowing and being known by God.  The new wine Jesus alluded to was the wine of grace.  The wine of mercy triumphing over judgment.  The wine of gifts over wages.  The wine of truth over law.  The Pharisees engaged in the practice of denial and separation.  They viewed their forms and practices as the vehicles of blessing and favor.  Fasting produced holiness.  "Coming out from among" proved devotion.  Jesus proposed something radically different.  Blessing and favor were to be front-loaded as gifts of a new life, celebrated with new wine.  Jesus traded piety for parties and changed men by drawing them near, rather than chastising them with distance.  It's the wine of receiving over achieving.  Resting and rising over striving and climbing.  What Jesus proposed took man's flesh right out of the mix.  It made no sense.  It was scary and unpredictable and uncontrollable...and just what the Vine-dresser wanted.  You see, effort can't compete with grace.  It isn't a fair fight.  He is so much better at giving than we are at earning.  It's not that the old wine is bad, mind you.  It's beautiful.  We popped its cork at births, toasted to it at weddings, and memorialized friends with it at their funerals.  It's beautiful.  It fermented within us and we grew, like skins, to match its swell.  But there's a new harvest coming.  The old wine can be honored among us, but it can never be reproduced.  All such efforts fail.  

Jesus essentially says, "Hey, I know you guys really love that old vintage.  That's cool.  Enjoy it while it lasts.  Buy a few cases, if you like.  Drink it with your dinner or save it for special occasions.  But, mark My words:  that wine will very soon run dry.  My Father is doing a new thing.  Actually, He is always doing something new.  And if you want to be where He is, doing what He is doing, drinking what He is serving, it will have to be a new grape.  Sure, it will seem a little watery and unrefined at first.  But give it time.  It too will reach its full potency and become the celebratory swig of this supernatural generation.  A harvest you will not want to miss!"  

Oh, Jesus, how I love You!  The older I get, the more I see my pharisee potential.  "Why do we need to change this?" And, "How can that be You?"  But Father, a new harvest comes with a new wine; and I say, with the rest of creation, "I'm thirsty...Bring it on!"  

Forever panning for gold,

Chris Liotta

Lead Pastor
Rivergate Church
Chris@WeAreRivergate.com



© 2016 Chris Liotta

THE WINESKIN EXCHANGE

Luke 5:37-39

37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. 38 But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.[a] 39 And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better.’”

New wine, new wine skins.  Old wine, old wine skins.  We see the obvious application for the Pharisees and Sadducees, but can we see ourselves as those resisting the fresh thing ("new wine") that God is releasing in the earth today?  I know that if I am honest with myself, I can sympathize.  Ouch.  Before we dive into the wine, though, we must have a handle on what the skin represents; and that is the focus of this nugget.  The skin being addressed here is for maturing, not drinking.  (Take a moment to let that settle in your head, because it makes a difference.)  We know this because of verse thirty-seven.  New wine won't burst a bib that only has enough wine in it for immediate consumption.  The physics supports this, as a small amount of wine in a single-serve skin is unlikely to swell enough to burst the vessel.  However, a skin being used to ferment wine would typically be large enough to hold a number of servings, so it must be able to stretch and expand with the fermentation process.  This assumption also makes contextual sense, as Jesus was speaking with Israel's leaders when He shared this illustration.  In other words, the real challenge with new wine is not in the sampling, but the storing.  It is the vintner who deals with the fermentation process, not the casual drinker.  Jesus is talking to those who would become part of His process, not just those who would partake of His product.  The Pharisees and Sadducees claimed to be brokers of the blessings of God.  They stood in the place of the Vintner, distributing the wine of God's will.  As the new harvest of grapes came in, however, they balked.  Jesus told them plainly, "The problem is not in the wine, but the skin.  If you want to be part of what God is doing today, you must be willing to step away from the skins He gave you yesterday."   There it is friends, the nugget: That which contained God's will for you yesterday is, by Jesus, declared unsuitable to contain God's will for you today.  The wine is not the problem.  It's the skin.  We must all make a conscious choice: be comfortable in our own skin, or trade it in for that which is compatible with what is coming.  We must not idolize the skins of God's move, for they only carry the wine, they don't create it.  They don't fabricate grapes, they ferment them.  I want to drink what God is serving today and tomorrow.  I want to carry what He wants to serve.  I like my old wine skin.  It made it possible for me to suckle His Spirit in previous seasons.  But I am in love with His will, not my ways.  I am trading in my skins.  Will you join me in some new wine?

Forever panning for gold,

Chris Liotta

Lead Pastor
Rivergate Church
Chris@WeAreRivergate.com



© 2016 Chris Liotta

REAL MEN

Joseph was a real man.  He was a good father and a good husband and, more than likely, a good carpenter.  It stands to reason that God would select just such a person for Jesus, but let's remember that Joseph was, in fact, just a man.  Like you and I, he faced a host of daily concerns.  His heart raced for his bride, broke at his family's pains, ached for more of God, braced for disappointment, thrilled in victories, and rumbled with the responsibilities common to us all.

Matthew 2 records the beginning of Joseph & Mary's life together, raising Jesus...the Son of God.  Yeah, no pressure there.  Of course, there are so many amazing nuggets - drama, thrills, intrigue; but, the nugget for today is simply the way that Joseph demonstrates real manhood.  In chapter 1, we saw Mary, risking the most, in this "give birth to God" deal.  When she says, "yes" to the Lord, she is immediately laying her life on the line.  Joseph will lose face, for sure, but Mary?  Death.  The community could actually line up and pelt her with rocks, until she dies.  But here in Chapter 2, we see a little shift.  Joseph now carries the brunt of life-and-death responsibility for the family.  It's Joseph who is awakened from a dream, told to escape Herod's wrath and head to Egypt.  Joseph must leave all that's familiar and strike out in search of safety and provision.  Then, it's Joseph who must obey the Lord again, when in a dream he is told to return to Israel.  It's Joseph who continues to rise to the challenge of moving his family all over the world at the word of the Lord.  Joseph hears the groans of his other children as they leave friends behind.  Joseph looks Mary in the face and convinces her that he has heard the Lord, that they will all arrive safely - that Jesus will be safe.   It matters not that Jesus is not his biological son.  In his heart, he says, "He is mine.  God gave Him to me."  Maybe his carpentry business is flourishing.  Maybe she has the house "just the way she wants it," but out they go, at Joseph's word.  Joseph leads.  He doesn't drag them into his own pursuits.  He leads them into their destiny.

Real men do this.  Good fathers and husbands do this.  They listen for the voice of Papa God and make the sacrifices, moves, and concessions necessary to enable those around them to step safely and securely into their destinies.  We're men.  We protect.  We provide.  We guide.  It's what we do.  We need no other confirmation than what the Spirit gives.  Inconvenience is never reason enough to resist the call.  Fear is not allowed to rule our decisions.  Our greatest joy is to see those we love step into their destiny.  Thank You, Lord, for making us real men.

Forever panning for gold,

Chris Liotta

Lead Pastor
Rivergate Church
Chris@WeAreRivergate.com



© 2016 Chris Liotta

INCUBATE & IDENTIFY

This blog is going to take an immediate, preambling rabbit trail.  I apologize for the extra length it creates, but I think it's worth it:

God is neither male nor female.  God is both male and female. Yeah, that's right, read it again.  God is so much more than a human gender assignment.  He made us in his image and then extracted us one from another, so that we, like He, could experience love.  He strategically chose certain of His attributes to "hide" within His male and female human models.  He then revealed Himself to humanity, primarily using male descriptors, not to slight His feminine side, but as part of a grander plan to (1) train us in recognizing different facets of our god-like tendencies, responsibilities, and authorities, and (2) set the stage for the meaning behind the "Bride of Christ."  When we come back together in marriage, we re-formalize a completed God-image, becoming "one flesh" in the way that God is "one God," though His nature includes plurality.  This is no threat to our value as single individuals; but neither is it insignificant to the unique display of His image that can only be found in matrimony.  Rabbit trail concluded.

That being said, Matthew, chapter 1 gives us the genealogy of Jesus and an abbreviated version of the nativity story.  You're probably familiar, but let's humanize afresh.  Mary is a young girl, probably about 15 years old.  She really loves God and behaves in a way that makes life easy for her parents, maybe even inspires other parents to use her example as they chide their own teens.   Joseph is an upstanding citizen, older than Mary, as was common, but probably not very old, as he must go away to prepare their home before the wedding.  BOOM!  Mary gets pregnant while Joe's away.  And she says it's "God's kid."  <seriously long pause>  The community buzzes with the gossip of it all.  Friends become scorners and this holy family is a laughing stock.  "Mom, dad?  So, you still want me to be like Mary?! LOL!"  Joseph assumes she is too ashamed to tell the truth.  He is going to opt for divorce, which was necessary in their culture, seeing as engagement carried the same power of commitment as marriage - just without the benefits.  Maybe she's a trollop, maybe it was rape.  No matter, she's ruined, Joseph's ruined, the whole family is a mess.  Then there's the divine disclaimer: angels say that everything is alright.  "It's a miracle!" they say.  The closes friends and family hear the testimony of the visions and think, "Yeah right, a miracle.  You guys are really reaching here."  And yet...it's true.  Believe it or not, like it or not, it's true.

And because of this, through all the turmoil and stress, Mary has peace.  She becomes the incubator for God in the flesh.  She is comforted by truth and manifests the nature of God as she, like He, is able to shut off all of the human foolishness and be the safe, healthy environment this innocent life needs.  She, like He, is not afraid.  She, like He, is a nurturer by nature, and a source of life and love, as she coos into and massages her belly.  Joseph has peace.  He becomes the identifier for God in the flesh.  He is comforted by truth and manifests the nature of God as he, like He, is able to put off all of the human foolishness and boldly speak the name of identity and authority over the boy.  He, like He, is not afraid.  He, like He, is authoritative by nature, and a source of strength and purpose, as he claims Jesus for his own and sets Him on the path of destiny right from the womb.  And we, like He, must serve to incubate and identify.  We must allow ourselves to be comforted by truth and recognize the privilege we have to manifest His image by being a safe place for those around us to feed and grow.  We must demonstrate the mother-ness of God, nurturing those around us in the midst of human foolishness.  We must demonstrate the father-ness of God, boldly laying claim to the young around us, who are so in need of identity and unsure of destiny.  And we must learn these things by watching one another, witnessing the image of God as it functions in and through those around us who share our spiritual birth.  We are His image in this world.  We have nothing to fear; and human foolishness is no match for the Divine Nature.

Forever panning for gold,

Chris Liotta

Lead Pastor
Rivergate Church
Chris@WeAreRivergate.com



© 2016 Chris Liotta

IMPURE SPOILS

PART 2 (of 2): Impure Spoils

Last time, we began a look at the building of the Wilderness Tabernacle.  Remember, it's a great study, with lots of hidden gems, far too many to handle in this blog; and it can be found in the Book of Exodus.  We drew out two particular nuggets to discuss:  

1. The relativity of the sacrifice. (Last post)
2. The impurity of the spoils. (This post)

Today, we turn our thoughts toward that second nugget - Impure Spoils.  Now, let me explain what I mean there, as it helps to understand where we are going with this.  Impure Spoils does not refer to an error of character or judgment made by the Israelites in taking the goods of Egypt with them when they left.  That was all part of God's plan and it is an awesome part of the story.  Neither am I suggesting that those items carried a particular spirit, like a supernatural poison working against God and His people during the exodus.  By impure spoils I simply mean that the items themselves were extracted from a culture that was tainted by the idolatry and arrogance of a very God-less people.  Israel was adorned in her deliverance by the very items that symbolized her bondage.

If you know me at all, then by now, you are already thinking, "Aaaah, there it is...Chris' nugget!" (Yeah, I know...the bold, italicized type doesn't hurt either.) And you are RIGHT!  So many of us struggle with the leftover parts of our "old life."  We may see a scar, remember a story, have a stray thought and wonder, "Will I ever be free?!"  The answer is an emphatic, "YES!"  You will be...and you are.  The "impure spoils" we carry with us are often the very same spiritual materials that the Father will melt down and re-purpose into forming our very own personal meeting place with Him.  They are fitted together to become our "wilderness tabernacle."  And it is beautiful!  Intricately detailed, perhaps quite large, and sometimes, heavy as "all get out."  But it is OURS!  Our taylor-made, customized worship center.  Complete with our own mercy seat, where His presence burns within us.  We must learn to harvest the spoils of our previous bondage and use those same memories and experiences to fashion and decorate the Master's Bedroom in our hearts.  Walking in freedom is more about forsaking the bondage of our past, than forgetting it.  We, like the Israelites can adorn God's tabernacle in our deliverance with the very symbols of our past bondage.  When we do, the enemy gets egg on his face, we are freed from orphan shame, and Papa God gets all the glory!

RELATIVE SACRIFICE

PART 1 (of 2): Relative Sacrifice

A study of the Wilderness Tabernacle is a fascinating journey.  The way in which the Lord drew His people together, rebuilt a common spiritual culture and revealed Himself as powerful and present, all make for exhilarating thought.  You'll need to read most of Exodus to get the full picture, but, during this year's read, there were two nuggets, in particular, that stood out to me...

The materials used to build the tent, the articles within it, and even the special garments worn by the priests, were all things donated by the Israelites.  To say this was "generous" doesn't do it justice.  So, let's nuggetize:

1. The relativity of the sacrifice. (This post)
2. The impurity of the spoils. (Our next post)

The Israelites had been enslaved for over 400 years.  It wasn't long after the death of Joseph that things got rough for them.  As they grew in size and strength, they became a threat.  They were were marginalized and defamed.  Starved and deprived.  Used, abused and refused.  Their lifestyle quickly degraded from the glory of Jacob to the gutter of the jilted.  This happened quickly and mercilessly and it lasted for a really, really  l-o-n-g  time. So long, in fact, that they developed soul habits of poverty, bitterness, mistrust and defeat.  So, when Moses comes along and delivers them in God's name, their whole world is rocked!  In a flash, their oppressors are cast down.  They are lavished with the spoils of 400+ years of back pay and they cross the Red Sea in style!  Now, imagine this dialogue just a handful of weeks later...

• GOD:  "Hey, why not build me a travelling tabernacle?" 

• JEWS:  "Okaaaay...what are You thinking?"

• GOD:  "Oh, well...super detailed, quite large in size, and heavy as all get out."

• JEWS:  (Their head talk:  "Isn't this what we were just doing for all those Pharoahs?") 

• GOD:  "I know what you're thinking."

• JEWS:  "Oops."

• GOD:  "I know what I'm asking.  And it's about to get even a little tougher...The spoils you collected will be needed for this project.  I am asking for you to sacrifice the gifts you were given when you left Egypt, so you can build for Me a tabernacle made with human hands...which I will someday tell you is an insufficient home for Me anyway."

• JEWS:  (insert sound of crickets here)  "Huh?"

• GOD:  "Do you trust Me?  Do you love Me?  Are you willing to give up the tangible spoils of 400 years of persecution to build a culture of generosity, intimacy and gratitude with Me?"

The context through which these amazing blessings had come - on the heels of a cultural, economic and self-esteem famine - classified the relative nature of this sacrifice as "through the roof!"  Of course, we know how they answered.  They gave.  And they gave.  And they GAVE.  They gave until it hurt.  Then they gave some more.  They gave past the hurt until it became a gloriously infectious affair.  Joy erupted from the midst of the sacrifice, which had become the very air around them, swirling with thanksgiving and celebration. They gave until they were begged to stop.  This giving transformed them. 

HERE'S THAT QUOTABLE:  The quality of the glory God receives, the intimacy with Him that we enjoy, and the transformation that we experience, are directly proportional to the relativity of our sacrifices. 

That doesn't just refer to financial or material gifts, though they are certainly included.  Even more significant, are the sacrifices we make of our will, our time, our affections.  The harder it is to part with these controls, the more powerful will be the results.  Some of us have emerged from our own version of "400 years of persecution."  We have earned these spoils and we don't want to part with them.  But God.  He is so very worthy.  And we trust Him.  And so we give.  And we give some more.  And we keep giving, until we, too, experience the euphoric joy of our sacrifice.  We give until He is glorified.  We give until we know Him more intimately than we could have imagined.  We give until we are transformed.  And in that place, we come to reflect our Father, completely, powerfully, beautifully.

JOY POWER

John cox does a great job of handling the topic of joy.  If you click the picture above, you'll see what I mean.  What I want to do in this nugget, though, is to break down James 1:2-4 a little bit.  It's quite famous, as you'll see in a minute, but that often means we sort of glance over the verses and miss out on extra nuances and meanings.  Here's the Word:

James 1:2-4 (KJV) 
²  My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;  ³  Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. ⁴  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 

The area I want to really zoom in on is this idea of "counting it all joy when you fall into various temptations."  Looking into the Greek words, we see that the root word for "count" in this verse is the word "ago."  It means "to bring, drive or induce."  The root meaning is extended and becomes a word for "leadership, command, consideration, government and judgment."  Now, for the sake of time, let's review just one more word: "temptations."  Here, the word means "a proving of that which is good through experience and adversity."  Are you starting to see how our view of a scripture can be limited by traditional interpretation?  It's so very important to study for ourselves.  Okay then, based on just these two word studies, we can tweak the language of this verse and find a very solid set of fresh insights.  Here is my Kingdom Paraphrase of verse 2:  "My brothers, those born again by the same Spirit, sharing a common identity in God's family, take leadership over your experiences, the good, the bad and the ugly.  Drive adversity like a herd of cattle straight into a whole new classification: JOY!  That's right, no matter what the experience is, you are the governor of your own perspectives; and every situation is to be embraced with absolute delight."  Wow!  If you've never looked at that verse in this way, you can see why such a study has so much value.  Take some time and study the words of verses three and four on your own.  See what you discover, and why joy is the best atmosphere for all of life's experiences.

Here's one of my favorite online study tools:

BibleHub

ASSUMPTION

Okay, okay...I know this is a bit edgy for some of you, but we know the old adage.  What happens when we assume?  More specifically, what happens when we rely on what we assume?  When assumptions become the ground beneath our social, spiritual or intellectual feet?  Yeah, now I've got you thinking.  ;-)  TIME TO DROP THE QUOTABLE NUGGET:  The assumptions crafted from our opinions are often the foundations supporting our deceptions.  Yeah, chew on that for a minute.

What we assume about one another often eats away at the truth beneath our feet.  We lose ground in faith and hope and love.  This so grieves Holy Spirit, Who ever lives to help us retain and reflect all that Jesus died to release.  When we make assumptions (affectionately referred to as "vain imaginations" in the Bible), we find ourselves isolated and elevated.  Not the precious "pulling away to pray" or the "lifting up of the Lord" - no, we are talking about a lonely arrogance that bars to door to manifesting the greatest facets of Christ's character, and keeps us from finishing the true work He left us here to do.  That's reconciliation, folks.  We will never reconcile with something or someone we can't respect; and most of our assumptions destroy the respect Papa God wants us to have for one another.  Our assumptions inspire us to believe lies about others and ourselves, which in turn keeps us from loving well.  And love is the essence of God and the calling card of the gospel.  Let's take some time to assess our assessments of others, shall we?  Let's commit to abandoning the assumptions that serve to eradicate the culture of heaven working through us.  And let's keep the donkeys on the farm.  ;-)