We have an issue. We've learned from Scripture that Christ will not abandon us to the grave and we have an eternal, perfect home. It’s called the Golden Secret in Psalm 16, and once we figure the secret out, many of us don’t want to tarry on this soil any longer. We have our ticket to eternal life and we’ve packed our bags. We’re ready, impatient, even, for our “real lives” to begin on the other side of the veil. When a new bride, I remember hearing my mother-in-law say something similar. “Your mom is depressed,” I told my husband, “She has a death wish.” But now I understand. I’m ready to go, too….

It was a relief, then, to see that Paul struggled with the same issues. It was his prayer that Christ be exalted in his body, whether by life or death. He prayed a prayer of relinquishment, but he definitely had a preference of where he wanted to be. Read on.

Philippians 1:20
I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose?”

(I love this point…he muses which way he would choose, if it were up to him? Death or life?)

Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two:
I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far….

(Here is where he reveals his heart….he’s torn, but if he has to give a Final Answer, he says, “Get me out of here, Lord!” He knows for a factual fact that it‘s better by far…there‘s not even a hesitation…he knows this for sure!)

…but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.


(Out of love for the body, he relinquishes yet again,. He knows that he has work to do on this side, work that was appointed for him to do before the beginning of time. This is true love, that he will wait and even stay his “vote” for the brethren.)

Convinced of this, I know I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.” Paul will remain and he will continue on. He won’t just see this world as Heaven’s Waiting Room. No! He’ll continue with “all of you” and once more, he’ll expect progress!

A dear saint in her 80’s is battling cancer, and it’s a war. She knows where she is going but has resisting packing her bags. Why? Because like Paul, she is concerned about those who are left behind. Therefore, she won’t hasten the day. (Fascinating to me, as I admit I think I would consider refusing all treatment and welcoming with joy and relief my blessed Final Reward). No, she fights on. This must be the Holy Spirit pressing her on, because her flesh and mind have got to be exhausted. (Mine are, at half her age.) I am in awe.

My prayer for today, then, is that I can be more mindful of God’s plan for my life, and His perfect timing. I’ll try to think less of the other side (where all my treasures are stored) and focus more on this world, where He clearly has me entrenched. I’ll do the work He’s ordained for me to do, and pray to see progress and joy in the faith in others around me…..including me!

And like Paul, I’ll occasionally indulge in a fantasy. Which would I pick if I had a vote?

Why, to be with Christ, of course. It’s better BY FAR.

Dedicated to Mark, Lisa, Adam...and all the saints who've gone ahead and show us the way.

Church isn’t everything.

Every person who craves more of the Lord has to find this out for themselves.
And that can be a rocky, sad, disappointing path.

Church is a lot. But it’s not everything.

We are called to our own personal, intimate, daily fellowship directly with the Lord.
We don’t need an intercessor, a High Priest, as in the olden days.
We can go directly to the Throne. We can talk and walk and be one with the Lord.
The curtain is ripped in two. Go right in.

I call this having the Red Phone.
We can pick it up any time and talk with Him.

We’re able to be as intimate with God, through Christ, as Adam and Eve were in the Garden, before the Fall.

Church is great.
It’s an expression of Christ.
His Body, even.

But it’s not everything.

Disappointed Christians writhe in pain as they find this out for themselves.
They are hurt by someone in the church.
Disgusted by politics in the church.
Saddened by apathy in the church.

So what do they do? Leave the church. Like hitchhikers looking for a ride to Glory, they hit the road, thumb out, looking for the perfect place.

Pssst, guys.
Hitchhiking is illegal.
If you’ve got someplace to go, you’re going to need to get there yourselves.

Christ is our High Priest.
Praise God, He’s right there!
YOU DON’T NEED TO TRAVEL.
He’s right next to you.
Talk to Him.

Why, then, do we long for an intermediary, or a team of intermediaries?
We are trained through tradition to believe that someone else is going to do it for us. Explain it to us.

It works like this. Church-goers become accustomed to someone else teaching us the Word.
(Thus we don‘t rely on the Holy Spirit, our teacher.)
We desire a person, preferably one who has been to seminary, who will listen to our struggles and comfort us.
(We forget that Christ told us that the Holy Spirit is our comforter and our counselor.)
We want a safe and soft place to fall, this side of eternity. And hopefully, a few meals if we’ve had a baby, or cards when we’ve been sick.
(Christ himself can feed us and speak words of comfort to us. Do you believe??

What if church is what is keeping us from Christ?
In many cases this is true. And our enemy, Satan, delights in that.

The prescription? An attitude adjustment. Church is great. But it’s not everything.

Here’s some of what church is. Church is:

A fellowship of like-minded people.
(Or minded people that we like…we are called to unity, not uniformity.)
A place for corporate worship, many voice to join in song.
(Praise the Lord, all the earth!)
A place to share our gifts with others, and benefit from others’ gifts to the Body.
(If your gift is teaching, teach…if it’s serving, serve!)

Here’s the deal. Christ told us to pray for our daily bread. That means that we pray to be fed every single day.

What’s the food? Christ himself. That’s right, the Bread of Life.

He said in John 6:35,
“I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”

He didn’t say, “He who comes to church will never go hungry.”

He said, “He who comes to ME will never go hungry.”

One of our problems has been that we’ve gotten comfortable with someone else feeding us bits of bread, little Christ-bites. Like baby birds being fed by a mother bird, we’ve even gotten accustomed to someone else chewing up the food and feeding us partially digested bits.

No more! Gather your own bread, your own Christ. Feast on Him, and Him alone. Don’t expect or even allow someone else to do that for you. If that’s disappointing, I’m sorry. And I am sorry, it’s a hard lesson to learn. But Oh! The glory of intimacy with Him! It’s worth it!

Go directly to Him.
Let Him feed you.
You will never go hungry.
You will never be thirsty.

And then, God willing, you’ll find a body of believers that encourages you in this world.

Church is not God.
Don’t expect it to be.


Thanks to Margaret, Suzanne, Steve and Jeanette for conversations this week that helped clarify all this.

The kids and I did a Bible study together this summer. It was a really cool time.
We started out studying the word "truth." What is the truth? What is a lie? What does it look like to be people of integrity?

These are all massive issues and we didn't figure it all out. Come to think of it, these issues might take a lifetime to figure out.

One of the conundrums was this. The Bible says, "Thy word is truth." But if you don't believe the Bible, is it still truth? Does the Bible depend on us to believe it, in order to make it true? I say no. It's truth whether we acknowlege it or not. But the kids need to figure that out for themselves.

They still like to pick the parts of the Bible that best favor them. It's just what they do when serving ice cream. They take the best parts. When they serve cookies & cream, they all go for the big chunks of cookies, leaving the plain parts on the side of the carton (for me.) Same with Moose Tracks. Like a diviner looking for water underground, they have an uncanny ability to dig through the carton, finding the Tracks of Moose. Again, leaving me with the slimy bits on the edge.

And with the Word of God. They certainly like the yummy bits. Like, "God loves me with an everlasting love." Well, DUH, of course He does! They have no problem believing that God died for their sins. He loves them! With an everlasting love!

But when it comes to the responsibility part, their part, then it gets dicey. Be obedient? Follow His commands? Die to my own desires and serve Him only? It's like the ice cream on the side. It's not the desirable treat. They want to eat what tastes best to them, with no burden, no sacrifice, no responsibility. But that can't happen. Life on this earth is much more than a bowl of ice cream....and the stakes are much, much higher.

I explained it to them this way. There are two teams. God's team, and Satan's team. Now, most people are not Satanists. There are very few acknowledged Satan worshippers on our planet. So, Satan is clever. He's okay with his team being called "The World." If there were team shirts, one would say, "God's Team." The Other would be called "World's Team." One day God's team will completely trounce the World's team. In the meanwhile, the game in on. Everyone has to be on one team or the other. We can't play for both sides.

This is why the James Scripture makes sense. "Anyone who chooses to be friends with the world becomes an enemy of God." (James 4:4).

We can't have it both ways. We can't play for God's team and for Satan's team. An example: The World tells us "if it feels good, do it." But just because something feels good doesn't mean it's honoring to God (or to ourselves, for that matter.) We can't just go along, even if most of the world is going along. The Scripture is crystal clear: If we choose to be friends with the world, then we become an enemy of God. Or as I say to my kids sometimes, when they make a bad choice: "You are batting for the wrong team."

We would all do well to recognize that there are two teams. In this current world, Satan is the ruler*. Yet according to Baylor University's 2005 study, almost 90% of people say they believe in God, but only 73% believe in Satan.

And that's just the way Satan likes it.

*1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 1 Corinthians 2:1-3