²²And still the Christians in the churches in Judea didn’t know me personally. ²³All they knew was that people were saying, “The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!” ²⁴And they praised God because of me.

 - Galatians 1.22-24

I was once talking to someone who was having tremendous personal problems. I mentioned that he needed to make some pretty significant changes in the way he dealt with people. He understood that to be true, but he didn’t know if it could truly happen.

“After all,” he asked, “can a leapord change its spots?”

Of course the answer to that question is a resounding “NO!” And the truth is we have no more power to change ourselves than a leapord does. But what we too often discount is the power God to change us.

God changed Paul from persecutor to preacher. He changed Peter from coward to captain. He changed Gideon from wimp to warrior. He changed David from shepherd to soldier. He changed Rahab from harlot to hero.

If the Good News of Jesus can change all those people, it can change you too. And even more, it can change anyone–that means anyone.

That’s the power of His Good News.

I’m willing to bet that there is someone in your world right now that you think would be the very last to come to Christ. This person is so rude, so difficult, so anti-everything you believe in and love that it is next-to impossible for him or her to respond to the love and truth of Jesus Christ. It would take a miracle for him or her to make a change.

Here’s the good news: God is into miracles. God does the impossible all the time. He’s just waiting for someone to act out on the belief He’ll actually do something. He’s waiting for you to radically love that person who is so unlovable. He’s waiting for you to step out and step out and be a part of the miracle. The question isn’t whether God’s going to do something incredible: that’s a sure thing. The question is, are you going to be a part of it?

The older I get the more I realize there are things I just don’t know. At the same time experience has taught (is teaching) me that there are some things that are always true.

For instance, its pretty safe for me to say its a sure bet that you will face something today that is going to challenge you. It may be something small and short-termed, or it may be something big and you cannot see when it will ever be over. It might be something that, in the end, doesn’t matter that much (but is very annoying), or it could be something that is threatens your closest relationships, your job, or your very life.

It’s hard to have confidence in times like that. When it feels like everything in your world is falling apart, you need to know that there is something–anything–you can hold onto. Fortunately, God delivers that confidence:

1 Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot-
   yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.
2 And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him-
   the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
   the Spirit of counsel and might,
   the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
3 He will delight in obeying the Lord.
He will not judge by appearance
   nor make a decision based on hearsay.
4 He will give justice to the poor
   and make fair decisions for the exploited.
   The earth will shake at the force of his word,
   and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked.
5 He will wear righteousness like a belt
   and truth like an undergarment. – Isaiah 11:1-6

Isaiah wrote this passage to the nation of Judah in their very darkest hour. Conquering hordes from Assyria had taken over and destroyed every nation around Judah and was now marching on the gates of Jerusalem. In that moment, when hope was completely gone, Isaiah wanted everyone to know–God is still in control.

You might think no one can understand what you are going through. But Isaiah tells us that this “new Branch” has the Spirit of wisdom and undestanding–He knows the pain you feel, the situation you are in, what’s at risk.

But this “new Branch” is more than someone who knows what you are going through. He also knows what to do about it–that’s because He has the Spirit if counsel and might. Maybe, just maybe, if you seek out the counsel of the “new Branch” you might get some fresh insight, and receive some of the might (or power) to get past what you are going through.

In case you were wondering, that “new Branch” that Isaiah was talking about has a name: it’s Jesus of Nazareth.

The Lord has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does. – Isaiah 8:11

As I have been teaching through this series on the Kingdom of God, there has been one recurring theme: If we are going to live kingdom lives it means our thinking must be different than that of everyone else.

Politicians want us to vote one party or the other because–obviously–”our party stands for God and the other does not.”

Culture wants us to think that truth changes as time goes on; that since we are in a modern era, we need modern thinking and the old, out-dated wisdom no longer applies.

Christians want us to think that we are in an “us vs. them” world and that we should isolate ourselves. When someone offends us with their lifestyle they can “go to hell” for all we care. (A “Christian” I know just recently used that very phrase…and, sadly, he was serious about it.)

Then comes along Jesus and He says off the wall things like: “Love your enemies,” and “The first will be last and the last will be first,” and “Whoever wants to be greatest in the Kingdom of God must first become your slave.”

That does not compute.

Its only when we realize that “The Lord has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does,” that we truly begin living in in the kingdom.

So let’s stop thinking like politicians, the culture and Christians. Instead, let’s strive to have “the mind of Christ..”

Chad gets it:

I know that I was created for the abnormal. I know that I was not created for what society tells us to live. I know that I was created for something so much different that will look in this world’s eye, as fanatical.

Why is it we are so afraid of being different than what the world expects us to be? In the Bible, the Greek word we translate as “church” is “ek-klesia.” It literally means the “those who are called out.”

The problem is we want to be “Christian,” but we don’t really want to be different than our unbelieving neighbors. We want to love the same things they love, do the same things they do, drive the same cars, live in the same houses, pursue the same goals…you get the picture. But if we were truly “called out” wouldn’t there be differences between the way we live and the way non-Christ followers live? Wouldn’t we be making different choices and have different priorities?

Those differences do not come automatically. That’s why Paul told us:

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Paul knew we really wanted to be like everyone else. But he also knew that wasn’t good enough. Being like everyone else is normal. He knew we were created for the abnormal. You see, it’s abnormal to put God first. It’s abnormal to prioritize your day according to kingdom needs, to see things through a kingdom viewpoint, to operate each day under kingdom power. Sometimes it’s worse than abnormal. Sometimes, it’s downright weird.

But its in the abnormal that God does His work. Its abnormal for us to love like Christ. But when we do hearts are touched, and changed. Its abnormal for us to persevere when there seems like there is no hope. And yet when we do, God shows up. Its unexplainably abnormal for us to pledge a set percentage of our weekly, bi-weekly or monthly income to the church. Yet when we do God promises to bless us.

Are you ready to be abnormal? Are you ready to live life with kingdom thinking and kingdom action? Are you ready for abnormal?

If you are at all into techno-gadgets (which I am) you’ve no doubt been watching all the fervor over the new Apple iPhone. I have to admit, when it first came out I considered standing in line overnight to be one of the first to get one. It wasn’t because I needed a phone or an organizer–I have both. But look at the thing: it’s just dang cool.

But then I had to ask myself, “Is this a kingdom desire?” You see, when we wrap kingdom thinking around everything we do, it changes the way we make decisions. Could I have afforded the iPhone? You bet. It’s not only a matter whether or not I could buy one for cash instead of credit–I could have. But when we’re thinking kingdom thoughts, we ask ourselves other questions, like “How can I better invest this money into the kingdom?”

And I’m glad I didn’t get that iPhone right off the bat. It seems they realized it was completely over-priced. They just slashed $200 off the retail after just two months on the market. Any guesses on who isn’t happy about that move?

“I guess I paid an extra $200 for the privilege of waiting in line for a few hours,” said Tony Marengo of Themactutor.com and the former manager of the Apple store on Michigan Avenue.

Actually, what Tony and those with like-minds paid for was the privilege of being “the guy with the coolest gadget.” What’s the lesson here?

Coolness costs.

(Hat-tip Chris Bell)