Being human is about being. Yesterday we looked at the beattitudes. The attitudes you be in. Today I want to focus on rest. Being still and knowing that HE is God. Knowing that we don't have to do everything. Which is good, because we can't. I can't do everything. I can do all things through God who strengthens me. Yes. But that doesn't mean I have to try to do everything. I keep referencing the time when the Holy Spirit stopped Paul from preaching in Asia. Or let me say it another way, "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not" (1 Corinthians 10:23). Just because we CAN do something doesn't mean we HAVE TO. Sometimes we can help more by helping less. Sometimes a situation doesn't necessarily need our opinion, or input. Sometimes we need to be still and let things play out instead of trying so hard to fix every single thing. Some things aren't for us to fix. Some things are for people to go through. Sometimes the best thing we can do is just be there. Like when your girl doesn't want you to FIX her promblems, but just to listen. Right? We think it's all about doing, doing, doing. If we're not doing something then we're doing nothing. Which seems like it makes sense, but really doesn't. Because we are not human doings. We are human beings. It's ok to be still. To "do" nothing. To rest and recharge. To find that inner peace that is Jesus. He said He IS our peace, right? And He is love. Love is our peace. Love is what allows--equips and empowers--us to be just be. To stop and smell the roses, as they say. To experience what's going on in a peaceful, restful way. Blessed are the peacemakers, right? They will be called (or identified as) the Son(s) of God. Well, you can't make peace unless you first have peace. That comes from inside. From knowing that Jesus has overcome the world. From knowing that we are who we're supposed to be. You don't always have to rush around trying to fit into a certain box. You don't have to work so hard to be someone you're not. You can just be who you are. Embrace who you are. And I'm not talking about "giving up" or anything like that. I'm talking about being the best YOU you can be. I'm talking about doing things heartily--to the best of your ability, and because it is in your heart to do it. You can operate from a place of rest. Let what's inside flow out of you. Guys, rest is not inactivity. It is Holy Spirit directed activity. Resting in God's love is loving people. That's HOW you rest in it. If you don't use it, you lose it. In a sense. Because if you want to experience love, or feel love... the best way to do that is to love. To give what you've got. To let it go and let it flow. Life isn't supposed to be one constant task after another. And, again, I'm not saying you should be lazy and never do anything. I'm saying that you don't ALWAYS have to be doing something. Sometimes the best thing to do... is just be. Shut it down. Experience this beautiful creation that we have been given dominion over. There's a song lyric that goes, "All I've really gotta do is live and die but I'm in a hurry and don't know why." We need to slow down sometimes. Stop trying to overdo it. Enjoy the ride... with the assurance that we WILL get to the destination.

In Matthew chapter 5 Jesus gives what is commonly known as the Sermon on the Mount. In this sermon He talks about what we call the beattitudes. I'll just drop a couple of them for reference here. Matthew 5:4-6, "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." And on the surface this kind of looks like the old "if-then" scenario that "religious folk" are so fond of. This kind of looks like the lie that the sepernt hissed into Eve's ear way back in the garden of Eden. "If you eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil... then you will be like God." If you mourn... then you shall be comforted. But let's really think about it for a minute. Mourning is a great example. You can't fake mourning. That's something you feel. That's something that comes from deep inside. You can't decide to mourn in order to get something out of it. That's not something you do on your own. That's a heart condition. That's having a soft heart. Empathy. Remember when Jesus was fixing to raise Lazarus from the dead? He knew what had happened. He knew what was going to happen. And yet, in the midst of it, we get my dad's favorite Bible verse (the only one he says he can remember). John 11:35, "Jesus wept." Why did Jesus weep? Because He loved Lazarus. Because His friend was dead. And even though He was about to fix that situation... He still felt it. He still experienced it. He had compassion. He mourned for the death of His friend. That's the heart of God. And He wept because the other people who loved Lazarus were sad. Romans 12:15 says, "Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep." Again, not in order to get something. But because your heart goes out to those people. If someone's happy... be happy with them. Share in their happiness. That bond. That connection. That relationship. In the same manner, if someone is weeping, you don't always have to try to cheer them up. Sometimes they just need someone to be there with them and share their experience. That's a blessed thing to do. More blessed to give than to receive, right? And when you do that... when you love someone... you feel love. When you mourn... you are comforted. You will BE comforted. Mourning is what you go through. Comforted is the state of your being. Sorrow may last for the night. But joy comes with the morning. (A different kind of morning, to be sure, but you get where I'm coming from.) It's not an "if-then." It's Jesus telling us what it means to be who we really are. Because what we do--in this case, mourning--flows from what we believe. The love that is inside comes out. And it comes out in many different ways. It comes out differently depending on the circumstance. Sometimes it comes out as meekness (which is NOT weakness, but is strength under control). Sometimes it comes out as mourning. Whatever the situation calls for... that's what love is. And that is our true innermost being. The hidden man of the heart that is revealed as we let God love us and love each other with that same love. As we receive and release the gift of love that we have been given. Being human is all about love!

What does it mean to be a human? Well, in a nutshell it means to be loved by God and to love other with that love. To receive and release that gift we've been given, and in that way enjoy it. Experience it. We always get so caught up on what we are doing. When, in truth, what we do flows from who we are. That's why behavior modification only ever works for a very short time. Scaring someone straight really only means teaching them to not get caught. But there is a more excellent way. Teaching people to do things because it is in their heart to do it. Doing things heartily--to the best of their ability, and because it's in their heart to do it. Letting love be one's guide. Love is what it's all about. Love is the whole point of the whole thing. "Why did you do that?" Love made me do it. When you are so full of God's love that it overflows out of you (naturally), that's when you are fully human. Fully... you. And I think that's the key: We are always trying to be someone we're not. We are always trying to conform to this world. To fit in. When we were made to stand out! Only you can be you. Only you can do the things that you can do in the way that you can do them. Only you can reach the people that you can reach, in the way that you can reach them. Which, by the way, is exactly how they need to be reached. I know I'm not for everybody. So I don't worry about it when people don't pick up what I'm laying down. But when I do have that connection with someone... I pour myself into them. I give them everything I've got. And I'm not saying I wouldn't do that for the other people. I can. And have And will. I'm simply saying, when it comes to love you don't have to force it. If you have to force it... maybe it's not for you. The Holy Spirit stopped Paul and them from preaching in certain places, right? Because that wasn't for them. I'm not for everybody, and not everything is for me. That's ok. I don't have to do things that aren't for me, or connect with people that aren't for me. I can still love them, but my efforts are better spent with the people and situations that ARE for me. If you want to change the world, go home and love your family. Right? That's where your influence is the greatest. That's where you can make the most difference. So while you're taking care of business, make sure you have your priorities straight. Being a human is not just about paying taxes until you die. It's about using the time you have to love the people you can. It's about knowing what you've got (the love of Christ) and giving what you've got. Receiving it and releasing it. Letting that love in and out with every breath you take and every move you make. Being a human is about being. Not doing. Because what you do flows from what (WHO, Jesus, love) you be. If you get your beliefs right, everything else falls into place. That's the Divine Order of things: Knowing and believing, and then it you know it... throw it. Knowing what you've got and giving what you've got. Knowing who you are (who you are in Christ, which is who Christ is in you) and being who you are. Letting what's inside come out by knowing and believing that it's in there, and knowing and believing that it's too good, and too big, and too important, and too powerful... to stay in!

As promised, I want to continue on my theme of what it means to be human. To BE human. Not to DO human. Because it almost feels like sometimes we are robots, or aliens, trying to pretend to act like humans. Like we're so interested in finding ways to fit in. To appear human. To conform. But, as we know, there are only two verses in the KJV that talk about conformity. Romans 12:2 says, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." And Romans 8:29 says, "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." Don't be conformed to the world. Stop trying to fit in when you were created to stand out. If you aren't you--specifically the YOU that God created YOU and only YOU to be--the world will be poorer for it. Only you can do what you were created to do. Because we were all created to love, right? Nobody can love like you can. Nobody can reach the people you can in the way that you can. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Uniquely positioned to reach certain people in certain ways. Specifically, like Mother Teresa said, "If you want to change the world, go home and love your family." There are people that only you can reach. And you can really only reach them by understanding that it's not about fitting in as much as it is about being who you are. Who you REALLY are. Which is who you are in Christ. Which is who Christ is in you. Understanding that we have been (past tense, done deal) conformed to His image. That doesn't need to happen. That happened 2,000 years ago on the cross. So we can stop trying to be someone we're not. We can stop trying to conform to this idea the world has of what we're "supposed" to be. The only thing you are supposed to be... is loved. And the only thing you are supposed to do... is love. Being human means being loved by God and loving Him back by loving people. That's it. That the whole deal. That's what it's all about. It's the simple. And, when you let God love you, it's that easy. All you have to do is receive and release His love. All you have to do is let Him love the hell out of you and love the hell out of the people you come into contact with. Let what's inside come out. Let the LOVE inside come out. By filling yourself to overflowing with what you've already been filled with. By abiding, or dwelling, or living in the love of God. The thing that defines the Father/Son relationship between God and man, and the reason it was so important for us to be conformed into the image of His Son, is love. "This is my BELOVED Son, in whom I am well pleased." Knowing that God is our heavenly Father and we are His beloved Son is what allows us to accept His love. Because it's not about what we do. It's about who we are. And who He is. It's about that relationship between Father and Son. It's about knowing who we are, and in that way BEING who we are. Because we are not human doings. We are human beings. And being human is being loved!

I want to end this Rant series with about half of a memory verse. Luke 4:1 says, "And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness." What I want today is the phrase, "being full of the Holy Ghost." I think I want to keep this theme going into the next Rant series. Because it was my intention to really just talk about what it means to BE a human. And I'm not sure I did it justice. So as we end this Rant series--and possibly move into the next one--I want to say this: Being a human means being full of the Holy Ghost. In order to truly experience this human, well, experience, means to understand who we are, where we are, and why we're here. Which, by the way, is why I wrote the Answer Trilogy (Identity Crisis, Six Steps to the Throne, and EPIC). Because if we're always chasing the carrot, but only ever getting the stick... eventually we're going to get frustrated and give up. If you're always trying to be someone you're not, you're never going to be at peace. Being a human is about BEING, not about doing. And I'm not saying you shouldn't do anything. Of course not. Rest is not inactivity. It is Holy Spirit directed activity. And when you are filled with the Holy Ghost you know what it (HE) is directing you to do. In a word: Love. Those who are led by the Spirit are called (identified as) the Son(s) of God. The God who IS love only ever directs you TO love. That's what you do when you're filled with the Holy Spirit. That's what you do when you know who you really are. Which is who you are in Christ. Which is who Christ is in you. Who LOVE is in you. If love is IN you... love will come out of you. Let me rephrase that: Love IS in you. Knowing and believing that it is in there is what allows it to come out. Naturally. Without you having to force it. Or "fake it 'til you make it." And let me say this: I don't believe acting like a mature adult is necessarily faking it. Being nice to people you don't get along with isn't fake. It's mature. When you're nice to their face and then trash them behind their backs, things like that, that's the problem. Being nice to everyone isn't fake. It's love. And that's what we were created to do. That's why God made us. He wanted to express Himself (His love) to us. And He wanted us to be able to express it back to Him by expressing it to each other. That's what it means to be. And that's what it means to be human. To receive and release the love of God. That's our sole purpose on this earth. And, yes, we also have to take care of business. Living is expensive. Bills don't stop, and all that. Jesus, being full of the Holy Ghost, was led by the Spirit. It's really that simple. So when you're at your job... love the people there with you. When you're at home... love the people there. Wherever you are, whatever you're doing... do it with love. Do it as unto the Lord. You love God, right? Prove it. By loving people. Whatsoever you do unto the least of them you do unto the King. So don't try to be someone you're not. Don't try to get something you think you haven't got. Be who you were created to be. By filling yourself to overflowing with what you've already been filled with. The Holy Spirit. The mercy, and grace, and forgiveness, and love of God!

We are human beings, not human doings. Which doesn't mean we don't do anything. Rest is not inactivity. It is Holy Spirit directed activity. And the only thing the Holy Spirit--the Spirit of truth that leads and guides us into all truth... the ultimate truth of the universe that says God is love and He loves you--ever directs us to do... is be who we are. Be loved, and love one another with that love. Let God love us and love Him back by loving each other. Receive and release His love. That's what this life is for. That's what this life is all about. That's why we were created. God--who IS love--wanted to express Himself. So He made us. In order to be able to express Himself to us. And in us. And through us. And as us. The lie that man swallowed said, "You have to do in order to be." That man-centered, performance-based religion that we seem to be so ready, willing, and able to get caught up in. Because we feel like if we're earning our keep we're doing right. When, in fact, God doesn't love us because of what we do. He loves us because of who we are. And who HE is. God is love. Period. That's not just what He does. That's who He is. In order for God to stop loving us He would have to stop being God. And even if He COULD do that... He wouldn't. Why would He? Paul writes about being separated from the love of God at length. And his conclusion is that nothing--NOTHING--can separate us from the love of God. Even when we run from Him... He's still there for us. He swore He would never leave us nor forsake us. As one preacher put it, "God's a stalker." He loves you, He loves you, He loves you and He can't stop loving you. Every night that's what I tell my son, "I love you and I can't stop loving you." Can't stop, won't stop. Don't want to stop. Wouldn't even if I could. Because that's what love is. Love never fails because love endures. It lasts forever. The Alpha and the Omega. The beginning and the end. And, really, everything in between. But that's what we miss out on when we're so concerned with being someone we're not in order to get something we think we haven't got. When we're jumping through hoops, or trying to cram ourselves into a box that we don't fit in (and aren't supposed to fit in) we miss out on what's truly available to us. We miss out on the gift we've been given when we're running around like chickens with their heads cut off trying to earn something. It's not about earning. It's about receiving and releasing. Letting what's inside come out by knowing and believing that it's in there. It's not about what you do. It's about what (WHO) you be. Who you really are. Which is who you are in Christ. Which is who Christ is in you. It's about being still and knowing that HE is God. Knowing that HE has it under control. Knowing that we are safe in our heavenly Father's arms. So that no matter what happens... the fire in us is always hotter than the fire we're in. What I'm trying to say is that we do not do in order to be. That way lays frustration and failure. There is a more excellent way. In which we do BECAUSE we be. We be who we are and then our actions flow from our beliefs. Letting what's inside come out. Not by doing... but by being!

Yesterday we looked at the first time the word "be" was used in the KJV. Which, if you believe in the law of first mention, also sets the tone for how it will be used going forward. And that was God saying, "Let there be light." Today we're going to look at the last time the word "be" was used in the KJV. It is Revelation 22:21, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen." And this one, to me, goes right along with the first one. Let there be light. Let there be grace. It's all about letting what is already true... be true. It's all about fighting that good fight of faith and laying hold of the gift we've been given. See, we think we're lacking something. And I think that comes from Genesis 1:2 (the verse before God said, "Let there be light"). "And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." It was dark. We needed the light. And we thought we needed to get it ourselves. We thought we needed to do something. To earn it. To do in order to be. That same lie that the serpent hissed in Eve's ear. When, in fact, even in the darkness God was there. He always has been and always will be with us. He swore He would never leave us nor forsake us. There is nothing that can seperate us from the love of Christ. Nothing. Not even ourselves. When Adam and Eve ate from the tree of death (and had the natural consequences of death coming from that) they hid from the presence of God. But God still didn't leave them. I heard one preacher say, "God's a stalker." It doesn't matter what you do... He still loves you. Like Forrest Gump and Jenny. God just keeps on loving us. Can't stop, won't stop. And it doesn't have anything to do with our actions. It's not about what we do. In fact, I believe that sometimes when we feel like we don't "deserve" His love the most--when we've really messed up, or when we're trying so hard but it feels like we just can't do anything right--that's when He loves us the most. That's when He presses in. Because that's when we need it the most. And what is love if it (HE) isn't there for us when we need it the most? I always talk about how there is a more excellent way than using God as a "break glass in case of emergency" deal. BUT I also always say... if you're having an emergency... break the glass! Our heavenly Father is there for us. All the time. No matter what. He wants us to run TO Him instead of running FROM Him. He wants us to trust Him instead of being afraid of Him. And that's where grace comes in. See how I wandered around long enough to get back to my original point? Grace (besides love) is probably the number one thing we need in order to live. Because it allows us to make those mistakes. To learn and grow. To grow in grace. To find out what it means to be who we really are. And to extend that grace to others. To let THEM be who THEY are without trying to control them. Without trying to make them fit in our box. To be, and to let other people be. It's not about jumping through boxes, or making other people jump through our boxes. It's about being who we are and letting other people be who they are. That takes grace. And that results in love!

You guys know I like the law of first mention. So here we go. The first time the word "be" is used in the KJV of the Bible is way back in Genesis 1:3, the third verse of the Bible. "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." I like the light. I have preached and Ranted about it a lot. I think it's important. Jesus said He is the light of the world (John 9:5), and He said WE are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). It's the same light. The light of love. The light of life. When God said, "Let there be light," He was interjecting HIMSELF into the situation. Into a world that was dark and void and without form. There was a God-shaped, love-shaped hole inside of us... and there was (and is) only one thing that can fill a God-shaped, love-shaped void. God. Love. That's what we needed. So that's what He gave us. And He didn't make us try to earn it. He just declared it. He just let it be, as the Beatles might say. (They also said all you need is love, so we're good there too.) I think that word "let" is almost as important as that word "be." Because what you allow is what will continue. What you magnify in your life is what will manifest in your life. What you feed is what will grow. We LET it be. We let OURSELVES be. That's important. You don't have to always try so hard. Now let me say this: Love is maximum effort. I'm not saying you should give up or stop trying. The only true failure is failing to try. I'm saying you DON'T have to try to be. And you certainly don't have to try to be someone you're not. In order to get something you think you haven't got. The point of this life is NOT running the rat race faster than the other rats. Winning the rat race makes you king rat, sure. But who wants to be king rat? Especially when you can be your heavenly Father's beloved Son in whom He is well pleased. You can be the light of the world by letting your light shine. By letting it shine on you, and in you, and through you, and as you. God said, "Let there be light." And there was light. And the light didn't try really hard. It just showed up and let what was inside come out. God didn't try really hard to produce light. Or to make light. He just let it be. He just let what was inside come out. We try so hard so much of the time to impress people (or to impress God). What's that old saying? We buy stuff we don't need, with money we don't have, in order to impress people who don't care (or matter). We run around like chickens with their heads cut off. We think if we ever stop to rest we're falling behind. When what God wants for us IS rest. He wants us to rest in His loving arms. To receive what He has for us. What, in fact, He has already given to us. He wants us to be happy. To be satisfied. To enjoy the gift of abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life that He has given to us. And in order to do that... we just have to be. Be still and know that HE is God. Be who we were created to be. Let what's inside--what's really inside, the love of God--come out by knowing and believing that is (HE... love) is in there. Just be loved and love. Receive it and release it. There's love all around us. Inside us. All we have to do is let it be, and it will be!

We are human beings, not human doings. That's what I want to focus on for the next few days. We think we need to rush around all day every day. We think if we're not doing something we're not being productive. And if we're not being productive... then we're wasting our lives. That's the common misconception. Look at Psalm 46:10, "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." A few things here. Number 1. Be still. You don't have to run around like a chicken with its head cut off in order to "serve God." Number 2. It is the being and the knowing that is important. And let me say this: If you be still, you can know that He is God. If you rest in His loving arms you can experience His fullness. If you're always trying to do things... you can miss out on what God has for you. And the third thing: When you are still, and you know that HE is God... that is when He is exalted. Not when you're trying to shove Jesus down people's throats, but when you are being still. And, let me say this, being still does not mean you aren't doing anything. It simply means you are doing things from a place of rest. And rest is not inactivity. Rest is Holy Spirit directed activity. Rest is letting Jesus live His abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life of Love in us, and through us, and as us. Rest is letting what is inside--what is REALLY inside... the love of Christ--flow out of you by knowing and believing it is in there. And I'm not talking about doing in order to be. I'm not talking about faking it until you're making it. We don't do in order to be. That is the lie that the serpent hissed into Eve's ear way back in the misty garden of Eden. "Eat from the right tree and you'll be like God." When, in truth, we were created in the image and likeness of God. We never had to do anything in order to be what we were created to be. The problem was that we didn't know who we were. And the best we could come up with was, "Yeah... that sepent seems to know what he's talking about. Do in order to be. That makes a lot of sense." It sounded good. It was easy to swallow. Not easy to DO, as we would suddenly and constantly find out. But it sounded good. That took a lot of undoing, unfortunately. And in fact, we're still trying to undo a lot of the damage done way back then. Fighting all these other battles instead of just fighting the good fight of faith. Trying to be someone we're not (by doing what we think we're "supposed" to) instead of just being who we are. That's the key to this whole life: Accepting, and embracing, and being who we are. Who we REALLY are. Which is who we are in Christ. Which is who Christ is in us. So just be. Rest--and I'm talking physical as well as Spiritual--is so important. You can wear yourself out trying to be a "good Christian." And that's a never-ending, unwinnable battle. If you bang your head against the wall, all you will get is a headache. You can't be someone you're not. Not for any real length of time, and not to any true degree. What you do flows from what you believe. Not the other way around. We don't do in order to be. We do BECAUSE we be. We let what's inside flow out. That's the divine order of things. That's how this life is supposed to work, and supposed to go. So stop doing so much and just be who you are. Who you really are. A human being, not a human doing.

I want to end this Rant series with a simple, but clear and powerful, message. Jude 1:2, "Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied." I kind of think that says it all. It comes in threes, right? Faith, hope, and love. Mercy, peace, and love. (Notice the key there? Love is always included.) And the most important part, to me, is "be multiplied." Almost the opposite of, "If you don't use it... you lose it." Because if you do use mercy--if you're merciful--if you do use peace--if you're peaceful--if you do use love--if you're loving--then by giving what you've got you multiply it. Like the loaves and fish, right? When you really need something--and when I say "YOU" I mean when you really need to share something, or give something away--you can't run out of it. You get more of it (in a sense) by giving it away. You experience it by using it. Love is giving. You can give without loving, but you can't love without giving. Having peace is important. More important when you can use your peace to make peace for others. When you can multiply it. I always try to talk about how things are bigger, better, more important, more real, when you share them. Like a movie. If you see an awesome movie by yourself... that's good stuff. But when you can see it with someone else who appreciates it, that's a horse of a whole different color. That's above and beyond. If you can be peaceful, on the inside, when you're by yourself, that's amazing. Inner peace. Knowing that the One who lives in us IS our peace. Amazing. So how much more so then, if you can spread that peace? If you can let what's inside come out and share it with those around you. If you can make your environment more peaceful. That's not just good for you, it's good for everybody. And, let me say this: Sometimes, no matter how peaceful you are, other people are going to hold on to... whatever it is they're holding onto. And to that I say this: Don't worry about it. I figured out a long time ago that I'm not for everybody. And that's ok. Don't lose your peace because someone else won't pick up what you're laying down. And don't try to force it down other people's throats either. They'll just choke on it. If you're trying to force someone to experience your peace... that's not peaceful. You'll lose your peace, and you surely won't magnify it or spread it around. So just be cool. Peace out. Focus on the peace of God in your life. Receive it and release it. Fill yourself to overflowing with what you've already been filled with. By knowing and believing. By letting the peace of God reign in your life. You can always be peaceful, no matter what. No matter what is going on around you. Because Jesus is our peace. And He has already overcome the world. He took care of everything that needs to be taken care of. We can have peace because He brought the sword. He did all the heavy lifting. Finished the work. Brought the moutains low and the valleys high. So that we could walk a straight and narrow way that leads to life. So that we could take what we've got and use it. Experience it. Enjoy it. By giving it away. By magnifying it!