The last Rant series was about catching flies with honey. Showing a more excellent way so that people will run TO God instead of running FROM Him. But I thnk all too often we lose sight of the human element. This idea has been heavy on my heart for a while, and I'm sure it's shown up recently in my writing, but I want to kind of pinpoint on it if I can. Because there are a lot of "issues" out there. And I'm sure you've heard the correct way to deal with "issues." "Got an issue? Here's a tissue!" Just kidding. But for real. We get so worked up over issues that we forget that most of the time there are PEOPLE behind those issues. And as far as I'm concered there are only two important things in the universe: God and people. Love God and love people. Love God BY loving people. It's like we forget--when we get all up in arms about something--that there are hurting people involved. Because if there weren't, it really wouldn't be an issue, would it? And that's probably why most people don't really know where I stand most of the time. Because instead of TAKING a stand I'm usually too busy trying to make sure the people involved are ok. Compassion, right? That's why Jesus did everything He did: He was moved by compassion and motivated by love. In fact, it seems to me that the only "issue" Jesus spoke out against was... wait for it... religion! Look at Colossians 1:20, "And, having made peace through the blood of the cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven." Jesus made it simple. Man makes it complicated. Man puts up walls. Jesus built a bridge. He reconciled ALL THINGS to Himself. Not some things, not a few things, not most things. All things. He literally remade the world in His image. It was the Messianic rebirth of the world. The consuming fire consumed everything except itself, and left nothing BUT Himself. Nothing but love. That's what we do, and that's who we are. Because that's what HE does, and that's who HE is. And He lives in us. He lives in us, and through us, and as us. As He is, so are we in this world. Because of the cross. Because He made peace through His blood. Because He reconciled all things unto Himself. Because He gave us His Spirit--the love receptor--so that we might know and believe the love of Christ for us, and so that we might love each other with that same love. That's the New Commandment, right? And it's interesting to me that when Jesus was explaining the Old Covenant He said the greatest commandment was to love the Lord your God. But then He gave a New Commandment that says love each other. See the shift? And, again, loving each other IS loving God. But I think it's an important distinction. Because when we trample people (for any reason, but specifically "in service to God") we've missed the point. Missed the boat--or the Ark, as it were. Why do you think there's no condemnation in Christ? Because we're all different parts of His body. Condemning somebody else is really condemning yourself. Making someone else feel, or look, smaller doesn't make you look bigger. It makes you look like a bully. Jesus said, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:35). It's not about issues. It's about people. It's about... love!

"With me" is, in my humble opinion, one of the most important concepts in existence. And it all goes back to Genesis 2:18, "And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make an help meet for him." Think about it: Human beings do not function well on their own. We get lonely. We make bad decisions. "Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety" (Proverbs 11:14), right? What I'm trying to say is, we're better together. Jesus is altogether lovely. And that means that WE (Jesus, the body of Christ) are lovely altogether. And when we understand that we are all parts of the same body, that SHOULD eliminate a lot of the walls we build up. That SHOULD eliminate a lot of the condemnation we heap on each other--and ourselves--when we compare ourselves to each other. And when we understand that we are all DIFFERENT parts of the SAME body... then we can stop trying to change each other. What good would a body be with only hands and no feet? Or only ears and no mouths? (Although we do have TWO ears and ONE mouth for a reason.) What I'm trying to say (again) is that we are all special and unique little snow flakes. No, really, we are. There are things I can do that you can't. And there are things that you can do that I can't. And it's only when we work together that we can do everything. I heard a preacher say it like this once, "If God brought the people of Israel out of Egypt with just His arm... what do you think He could do with His whole body?" So instead of trying to make everybody fit into a religious mold that NOBODY fits into anyway, we need to let people be who they are. We need to show people a more excellent way, and that more excellent way is love. Loving people just the way they are. Right where they're at. Building bridges instead of walls. Inviting them to come with us, arms open wide like Jesus' on the cross, instead of commanding and demanding that they do things our way. Because even if our way is the "right way" you can't MAKE someone do something they don't want to do. It has to come from within. Luckily, that's where love is. So instead of trying to force something external on people, we can connect with people on a deeper level. Spirit to Spirit. Holy to holy. Deep calling out to deep. The Jesus in me connecting with the Jesus in you (whether you know He's in there or not) by the LOVE in me connecting to the LOVE in you! You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. That was the whole point of this Rant series. "Catching" people, or "saving souls," or however you want to say it... by being nice. By being merciful, and graceful. By showing love. Receiving and releasing the love our heavenly Father has filled us with. Representing God correctly by showing people love. God IS love. That's not just what He does... that's who He is. And that's what's attractive. That's what people want, and more importantly, what they need. And it's what we have. So it's what we can give. What we can share. It's the honey (of revelation) and the milk (of righteousness) that flows from the Promised Land of rest. It's telling people WHO THEY ARE instead of telling poeple what to do. And it's what the Gospel-- the good new of who we are in Christ, because of who Christ is in us--is all about!

Behavior modification doesn't work. And here's one of the main reasons why: If you're telling somebody they need to change, what you're really telling them is that they aren't good enough. And if you're telling someone they aren't good enough, you're heaping condemnation on them. And since we know there is no condemnation in Christ was must be talking about something else. Religion. Man-centered, performance-based religion. And I don't think there are a whole lot of people out there who like religion. Especially those who have been burned by it. People who are running FROM God instead of running TO God because the only thing they've ever seen is ball and chain that drags people down. But look at Jude 1:24, "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy." Religion drags you down. But Jesus keeps you from falling. There's a more excellent way. And His name is Jesus. His name is love. See, I really think it all comes down to presentation. Not WHAT you say, but HOW you say it. I remember having a long, in-depth conversation with a friend of mine who grew up in the church but fell away from it. And the whole time we were talking about love. I didn't say the word, "God," or "Jesus," once. And the whole time I was grinning because there I was talking about God and Jesus! Sometimes we make it so hard for people, and I don't know why. Like we set up this members only club that is almost impossible to break into. Especially when it seems like we're up on our high horse judging people. Nobody likes to be told what wrong with them. Trust me, they already know. We know the worst things about ourselves because we're front and center for them. We live them. (And if you're anything like me we relive them over and over again.) And nobody likes to be told what to do. Rebel without a cause, right? "Gimme a rule and I'll break it. Gimme a line and I'll cross it." That's human nature. Luckily, on this side of the cross, we're a new man. And we have a new nature. A LOVE nature! We don't have to tell people what's wrong with them. We can tell people what's right with them. We don't have to tell people what to do, we can tell people who they are! We can lead and guide them into all truth--that the Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into His hands--by SHOWING them the truth. By loving them. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Focusing on the negative will cause people to tune out and head for the hills. But if you give somebody some good news--you know, the Gospel--they'll keep coming back for more. If you give somebody what they need instead of telling them what they need... then you've brought change. It's so frustrating when people tell me what I need to do but won't lift a hand to help. Or when people tell me what the problem is without offering a solution. I know what the problem is! And if I could take care of it by myself... I would. So stop condemning me and start loving me! I truly believe that's the cry of our hearts. That's what we want most. What we NEED. And it's not something that can be earned. Not something we can get by changing our behavior. It's a gift that is freely given. From God to us. From us to each other. That's the more excellent way. That's how we can truly reach people!

I can't believe centuries of religion have been built on the idea that scaring people is a good idea. And, listen, I love Halloween. (Sorry if that offends you "religious folk" out there, but it's true.) I love dressing up and going trick and treating. Funny aside, I got pretty tall pretty quickly so now that I have Logan I actually CAN go trick or treating again. Free candy! But I digress. My point in here somewhere is about how scaring people is FUN but it's not the best way to "make them behave." One thing that I've leared from being a parent is: People do what they want to do. And I mean, I KNEW that, but when I all of a sudden became 100% responsible for another human life... the point really got driven home. I can tell Logan a million times not to run out into the road. I can tell him how dangerous it is, how cars might be coming and blah blah blah. But if it's what he wants to do... guess what? He's gonna run out into the road. UNLESS I give him something better to do. Because people will always take the best choice they see. So instead of trying to force him to do, or not do, what I want for him (even when it's clearly the best thing for him) what I've learned is that it has to come from HIM. True "change" can only come from the inside out. So instead of fighting about not running into the road, I give him better options. "Hold my hand and we'll go together." That sounds like the Holy Spirit leading and guiding us into all truth, doesn't it? Instead of this idea we have of God slapping down rules and regulations and zapping us with a lightning bolt if we step out of line. "Get right or get left." Give me a break. "Obey God or you're going to hell." Yeah... that's something I want to dedicate my life to. If the best we can hope for is staying out of trouble... I don't know. That's not very abundant. And look at Titus 2:13, "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." The blessed hope is the appearance of the Father and the Son. The RELATIONSHIP between Father and Son that we can now experience and enjoy because of the Holy Spirit leading us. Those who are led by the Spirit are the Son(s) of God! So this man-centered, performance based, fear driven religion has got to go. God is NOT mad at you! He's mad ABOUT you! He proved on the cross that He would rather die than be without you. And He swore that He would never leave you nor forsake you. So instead of trying to pressure people into "serving" God--which is strange anyway since Jesus said He came not to be served, but to serve us--we really ought to just show people how good we've got it. Give them a better option than the world and I guarantee you they'll take it. They'll stop running FROM God (running out into the road) and they'll start running TO God (taking His hand and walking said by side with Him)!

You catch more flies with honey. It's the goodness of God that leads men to repentance. It's showing people something different than what they've already got. If someone sees a "Christian" in exactly the same state they are in, complaining about exactly the same stuff, struggling in exactly the same way... why would they think "Christianity" makes any sort of difference? And I'm not saying "Christians" don't go through stuff too. Of course we do. Jesus said, "...In the world ye shall have tribulation..." (John 16:33). But then He finished that verse by saying, "...but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." I always say it like this: Instead of, "If the world gives you lemons make lemonade" stop taking what the world gives you! We're tapped into an entirely different economy. And abundant economy. An everlasting, eternal, never runs out and fills us to overflowing economy! The Kingdom economy. Jesus overcame the world. He established the Kingdom. And, guys, we don't just live IN the Kingdom... we ARE the Kingdom... because the King lives in us! So instead of just "doing the best we can with what we've got" (which is what the world does), we can be of good cheer. Because we have something better. Don't you know that winning the rat race just makes you king rat? Who wants that? But if we DO something different we can GET something different and others will SEE something different! And when they see something different, something more attractive, a more excellent way... that's when we can stop trying to trick and scare and cajole people into "serving God." That's when they'll start running TO Him instead of running FROM Him. Or running around like chickens with their heads cut off, trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. I think we all want something better. Even if we've settled. Even if we don't necessarily believe there IS something better. So if we SEE something better... the goodness of God WILL lead us to repentance. And remember, repentance is a change of mindset. Thinking about things differently because you can SEE something different. Because someone SHOWED you something different... by showing you love. By "catching" you with the honey of revelation and the milk of righteousness. Because instead of telling you how bad you are and how much you need to change--listen, we know all the bad stuff we've done because we're the ones who did it--but instead of telling people who they aren't... we can start to tell people who they ARE. Who they REALLY are. On the inside. The inner man. The hidden man of the heart. We can help people see that it's not bad and getting worse, but that it's all good in the hood (or, Kingdom)! And we can help people see that... by helping people! By giving them what we've got. Sharing the love that we are loved with. If you try to shove Jesus down somebody's throat they will choke on Him. Every. Single. Time. And if you try to act all "holier than thou" you'll end up turning people off and looking like a hypocrite. But if you're right there with somebody--because we all go through the same stuff--but you have a different reaction... that'll get somebody's attention. If you're of good cheer in the midst of tribulation... people are gonna want to know why. They're gonna want what you have. And then you can share it with them!

The other day I told Logan the age-old adage, "You catch more flies with honey than vinegar." And he looked at me like I was a lunatic and asked, "Why in the world would you want to CATCH flies???" Out of the mouth of babes, right? But the adage IS true. And I think that's where the "church world" has really kind of missed the boat. Because it seems all the church can figure out to do is try to scare people straight. More (completely) concerned with behavior modification than eternal life--which is knowing the Father and the One He sent. Living in the context of Sonship. Living IN Daddy's love, and living OUT Daddy's love. Receiving it and releasing it. Showing people that there IS something better out there. A more excellent way. I mean, it's like we really don't understand that it's the GOODNESS of God that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). It's literally the honey (revelation) and milk (righteousness) that catches us. It's the grace of God that grips us. Look at Jeremiah 31:3 in the NLT, "Long ago the LORD said to Israel: "I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself." And that was in the Old Testament! How much more so now that we have the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, leading and guiding us into all truth? How much more so now that we can know Him as a loving heavenly Father? But here's where I really want to focus for this Rant series: He has drawn us to Himself. With His unfailing love. Song of Solomon 1:4 says it like this, "Draw me, we will run after thee..." And the part I always liked about that verse is that after HE draws me, WE will run after thee. Because He didn't just draw us TO Himself. He drew us INTO Himself! And now it's HIM running in our feet! It's becoming what you behold. Seeing the glory of God in the mirror (with a face unveiled, or with the stone of the Law rolled away) and being changed into that same image FROM glory TO glory! See, He already drew us to Himself. That's a done deal. We start at glory. Because that's who we are. Even when it doesn't feel like it. We are the righteousness of God in Christ. All the time. Even when we make a mistake. Mistakes don't disqualify us. They give us something to learn from. And even though we are in Him (because He's in us), there is still an everlasting-life-long journey of discovery. Not "getting" to Him, but finding out what it means to already be there! Not becoming perfect, but understanding what it means that we ARE perfect! We ARE complete in Him, right? So how much more perfect could we be than to have the Perfect One living in us, and through us, and as us? So instead of telling people they aren't good enough... instead of heaping condemnation on them in the hopes that that will somehow force them to change, maybe we ought to try something different. Maybe instead of telling people what they should do we ought to tell people who they are. Give them some milk and honey. Righteousness and revelation. It flows in the Promised Land, right? And that's where we already are, right? You can't give what you don't have and you can only give what you do have. So since we know it, we ought to throw it. Since we have it, we ought to share it. Draw people to ourselves with love even as Daddy drew us (and, in a sense, continues to draw us) with love!

An experience beats an argument every times. You can try to convince someone of something, but unless you've truly been convinced of it yourself it is going to come off as fake and disingenious. "Why would I believe that when YOU don't even believe it?" And that's why we we speak of preaching the gospel--the good news--we speak of witnessing. Because a witness is someone who has been there, done that, and got the t-shirt. They can tell you all about it because they experienced it. And since we're talking about the gospel--again, the GOOD NEWS that Daddy loves us--that means we've experienced His love, and we're sharing that experience by loving others with the love that we are loved with! It's the idea behind Philippians 3:12, "...that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus." We witness His love for us--by letting Him love us... by letting the Holy Spirit lead and guide us into all truth--and then we share that love with others. We receive it and release it. Because that's when it's real. That's when the Word becomes flesh. More than just sentences in a book, but a living Word that lives in us! But since it comes FROM the heart we have to experience it WITH the heart. We have to see with our heart. Hear with our heart. Feel with our heart. We have to live from the inside out. Filling ourselves with what we've been filled with. Apprehending what we've been apprehended of. Letting the inner man... out. Letting the hidden man of the heart stop hiding. It's Christ in you the hope of glory, right? The hope of REVEALED glory. Because when we know and believe it (love) is in there... that's when it comes out naturally. Because it's too big to contain. Filled means "filled to overflowing." Witness means sharing what you've experienced. Not because you're trying to scare people straight. But because it's too good to keep to yourself! Because it's the best thing going. Because it's a more excellent way. And when people see what you've got--when they witness what you've witnessed--then they find out that they had it all along but just didn't know it. Like the characters in the Wizard of Oz. The journey isn't about getting something you don't have. It's about discovering what you do have. Discovering who you really are as Jesus reveals Himself to you, and in you, and through you, and as you! That's when your test becomes a testamony, right? That's when your mess becomes a message. That's when you really have something to say. And you know the old adage, "Preach the gospel at all times. And if you have to, use words." We are the witnesses, because we've seen and heard. And guess what: people are watching. Perhaps watching to see us fail. But also watching to see if what we've got is real. Because that's what THEY want; something real. Something THEY can experience, and share. So instead of trying to shove Jesus down people's throats, and watching them choke, what we ought to do is love the hell out of them. Open our arms the same way we witnessed Jesus's arms open on the cross. Invite people to share what we've got. And watch them start running TO God instead of running FROM Him. Wouldn't THAT be something to witness...?

It's hard to convince someone of something that you yourself aren't convinced of. That's why just regurgitating what you've been taught can come off a little flat. It may be true, but it won't necessarily grip anybody. It may be the Word, but it might not be the LIVING Word. Hebrews 4:2 says it like this, "For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." It didn't profit them because it wasn't mixed with faith. Faith is the substance of things hoped for. The evidence of things not seen. Faith is what you FEEL. Deep inside. What you EXPERIENCE with the eyes and ears of your heart. What you're a witness to. And then, once you KNOW what you know because it's REAL to you... that's when you have something to share. You can't give what you don't have. If you don't really believe what you're saying no one else will either. It's easy to spot a fake and a phony. But it's also easy to see something real. And that's what I think people are desperate for. People want something real. Something better than what they've known. A more excellent way. And we don't show them that when we try to shove Jesus down their throats. The only thing that happens when we try to shove Jesus down somebody's throat is that they choke on it. They run screaming from the hills. They run FROM God instead of running TO God. Because even though He is literally the best thing going, we make Him unattractive. We misrepresent Him. I had a little interaction on Facebook today about how strange it is that we still--on this side of the cross, filled with the Holy Spirit--let the Old Testament, which is man's perception of God, dictate to us about "what He's like." God is like Jesus. Period. And as He is, so are we in this world. He created us in His image in the beginning, and He conformed us to the image of His Son on the cross. By knowing (and believing) who we are--who Jesus is--we BE who we are. By sharing the good news of the Gospel--God is love, and He loves you--we are effective witnesses. And I don't mean saying those actual words. I mean... LOVING PEOPLE WITH THE LOVE WE ARE LOVED WITH! Sharing our experience with God. Which is an experience OF love, WITH love. An effective witness for Christ is not somebody who says, "You better believe or you're in big trouble." It's not "turn or burn." It's not, "Get right or get left." It's... I've got something to share. You're desperate for love? I'm overflowing with my Daddy's love. Come get you some. The Spirit and the bride say, "Come," Right? Not, "Come... or else." But, "Come and get it!" Open arms and open hearts to share what we experienced with our eyes and ears. Let me say it once again: It's all about love. That's what we witness when we have an experience with God. And that's HOW we witness when we share that experience with others!

I really think we miss out on a lot when we try to use Scripture to prove something to somebody. I think every time--EVERY TIME--we try to shove the Bible down somebody's throat... they choke on it. And I don't think that's what we're called to do. I think we're called to be witnesses. And you only be a witness to something you've experienced. Something you've seen. Something you've heard. Look at Romans 10:14, "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" The Scripture talks about knowing and believing because you can't believe in something you don't know. It's like praise and worship. We seem to want to use praise to "get" God to do something. PUSH, right? Pray Until Something Happens? But praise is a natural response to the goodness of God. We praise Him because He proved Himself worthy of praise. We trust Him because He proved Himself trustworthy. We have faith in Him because He proved Himself faithful. In the Old Testament He proved Himself over and over again with various miracles. Signs and wonders. And then on the cross He proved Himself once and for all. By first telling us the greatest expression of love a man can have--laying his life down for his friends--and then actually physically laying His life down for us. He gave us something to believe in by telling us, and showing us, the Truth. The truth of God's love. The truth of who God IS. That's what we were witnesses to. That's what 1 John is talking about when it speaks of the Word manifesting Himself to us. Something to see, and hear, and feel, and experience. And once we experience it, that's when we can share it. Again, that's what a witness does. He tells others what he experienced. He receives it and releases it. Look at John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:14, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us..." First there was the Word. But then the Word was made flesh. Not just words on a page, but a living Word dwelling among us. Not just an idea, but an action. Not just love, but charity. Love in action. So first the Word. Which is love. And then love dwelling among us. And then, through the cross, love dwelling IN us. So that we might know it and believe it. And believe me, the best way to let someone know God loves them... is by YOU loving them. Don't just tell them about God (love) SHOW them God. By showing them love. By sharing your experience. By witnessing God's love to you (receiving it) and then sharing it with others (releasing it). I always come back to the New Commandment: Love one another as Jesus loves you. Guys, that's all we're "supposed" to do. And that puts ALL of the emphasis on Him. Because if He only loves us a little bit, we're only "expected" to love a little bit. However much love you have (however much love you BELIEVE you have, or however much love you've received) just go with that. I know sometimes it's hard to love people, because we don't feel loved. But that's what the Holy Spirit is for. He leads and guides us into the truth of just how loved we are. HE fills us up to overflowing and His love comes out of us naturally. That's what being a witness is really all about!

It's almost like we take the human element out of it sometimes. Like we make the book more important than the author. And, again, I have nothing against the Bible. I love the Bible. I literally read it every day. But what good is the book if you don't KNOW the author? And I'm not talking about knowing ABOUT the author. I'm talking about 1 John 1:1-3, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." The Word... that we've heard and seen. The Word... that was manifested to us. Because, really, unless you've seen and heard something you can't BE a witness to you. You can recite something you've learned--head knowledge--or you can share an experience--heart knowledge. One is ok. The other one is REAL. Let me use Paul for an example. When he was Saul he sure knew a lot about the Bible--or the Torah, as I believe it was called--he was about as religious as you can get. He knew all about this distant, angry God who would smite people every chance He got. But it wasn't until Saul got knocked off his donkey--off his high horse, if I can say it that way--and was blinded by the light that he truly began to SEE. He had an experience. And all of the things he thought he knew ABOUT God were turned upside down when he started to get to KNOW God. "...Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" (Acts 9:4). And here Saul thought he was doing the Lord's work. He had a pretty good argument. Until he got an experience. Until he became a witness to something. Then he REALLY had a message. Then he could REALLY preach the gospel. He transformed from Saul to Paul. A new name. A new nature. Not because of anything he had learned. But because of what he saw and heard. It's the human element. Real people having real experiences. And I'm not talking about emotionalism. I'm not talking about those that "get saved" on a weekly basis every time the altar is open. I'm talking about God revealing Himself to you. On a personal level. To the point where you KNOW something. To the point where you're CHANGED (in a sense) into what we were all changed into 2,000 years ago. When the Word is MANIFESTED in your life--in YOU--that's when things get real. That's when the Bible comes alive. That's when the Word is made flesh! The Word is love, right? And every time we act in love... that's charity. Love in action. The engrafted Word mixed with faith causing us to rest--which is not inactivity, but Holy Spirit directed activity. Not arguing, but sharing our experience. Sharing what we've got. Letting the love inside us overflow out of us. Filling ourselves with the fulness of God's love by loving others with the same love that we are loved with! "Guys, I just saw something amazing. Let me tell you all about it." That's a faithful witness. And that's the only way TO witness. Have an experience, and then share it with those you come into contact with!