stairway to heaven?

I grew up listening to all kinds of rock music.  


My older brother Michael loved it...and when you share a room with your older brother who is stronger than you, you listen to what he likes:)






"Stairway to heaven" by the British Rock Band Led Zeppelin is considered my many as one of the best rock n roll songs of all time. 

• Released in 1971 (10 years before I was born).
• The most requested song to be played on the radio in the 1970s.
• By the year 2000 the song had been broadcast over the US radio waves over 3 million times.
• The song's sheet music is #1 in sales, selling over 15,000 copies annually.
• Today, when I googled a youtube recording of the song there were 48,656,953 views....41 years after it's release! 

Clearly this song struck a chord in the hearts of many people. Isn't it interesting though, that most songs like this are filled with more questions than answers?


People are so desperately looking for a spiritual experience as they get lost in the music, but often find themselves more depressed than when they first hit "play."


Even the band's lead vocalist Robert Plant once said, "I'd break out in hives if I had to sing ("Stairway to Heaven") in every show. I wrote those lyrics and found that song to be of some importance and consequence in 1971, but 17 years later, I don't know. It's just not for me." 


My intention with this post is not to slam this song or any other form of art.  The ability to create and appreciate art is an amazing gift given to us by God Himself. 


My thought here is on the simple fact that art, beauty, music, and anything that catches your heart but does not lead you to the source of all beauty, creation, and wonderment (Jesus), will in the end leave you depressed, jaded, cynical and self absorbed. 


Take a look at a few words penned by a guy named John about 2,000 years before Led Zeppelin was inspired to write their classic piece...


Jesus is quoted here talking to a new friend named Nathaniel about His true identity. 
“I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth." John 1:51

There is only one true stairway to heaven.  

I'm just so glad Jesus came down here to show all of us the way!

embracing my echo.

Today it is easy to become focused on finding and maximizing your "platform."  


Platform, is the level of influence a person gains through their integrity, reputation, career, relationships, products, social media, twitter followers, etc.  


Going hand in hand with the desire to establish your platform is the call to "find your voice."  Your voice is the message you have that can add to the global "conversation."  


Maximizing your platform, finding your voice, and adding to the conversation are all buzz phrases in our culture.  Each of these have their place and should be utilized by Kingdom influencers.  After all, John the Baptist's life and ministry was summed up as being was known for being "a voice." 


Yet, the interesting thing we see in the life of Jesus is His whole life was focused not on building His platform, finding His Voice, or adding to the conversation.  


Jesus leveraged His whole life around His Father's voice. 


 Jesus lived His life to embrace His echo.
“My message is not my own; it comes from God who sent me." John 7:16 NLT 


I'm not suggesting losing your creativity or just parroting someone else's passions, but if it worked for Jesus it is definitely worth investigating.  


Embrace your echo..say what the Father is saying and you will definitely have a voice worth adding to the global conversation.


*echo image created by echo hub a division of RT Creative Group.  See echo hub.com for more info.

integrity invites scrutiny.

Erwin McManus' words came to mind as I read a portion of the Old Testament recently, “The world doesn’t need more great leaders, it needs more great people who lead.”

The life of Samuel is provoking on so many different levels.  He maintained his integrity even being around men with serious deficiencies in this area like a priest named Eli and a King named Saul.  

Samuel almost single handedly had to lead Israel during a dark time spiritually and yet he was able to finish strong. (I Samuel 12:1-5)

To be able to stand up at the end of his life and invite scrutiny from the very people he spent the past few decades leading is an amazing statement to his character and integrity. 

The responses of his followers found in I Samuel 12:4 are incredibly helpful for any parent or person serving in leadership. 

#1 “You have not defrauded us.”

For this group of people to never have felt misled or falsely guided by Samuel is an amazing statement.  Samuel never made empty promises and never led the people down a path leading to a dead end.  He never led them for his own benefit.

#2 “You have not oppressed us.”

It’s been said that absolute power corrupts absolutely.   

Abraham Lincoln once said, “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.”  Samuel never abused his spiritual leadership.  He never developed the poor practice of resorting to fear, control or manipulation even when the people of Israel would not respond to the Word of God!

#3 “You have not taken anything from any man’s hand.” 

Samuel never stole or accepted a bride to sway his influence.  A person that cannot be bought, no matter what the price is what our world is looking for. With our current crisis of credibility happening all around us, a look at the life of Samuel is incredibly refreshing. William Shakespeare could have easily used the prophet Samuel for the poster child of his famous quote, “Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.” 

Radical Focus

This week we wrapped up our Radical Series talking about what it means not to just consider yourself religious, moral, or even a Christian, but what it looks like to live the lifestyle of a Christ-follower. We looked at some pretty provoking ideas and the book we read through by David Platt was no easy read for sure.


Throughout the series we challenged one another to make practical plans to go along with our radical convictions. We encouraged each other to be involved in multiplying community, sacrificially giving our money for God's global purposes, serving in another context, reading through the entire Word of God, and praying for the entire world.


As a pastor, many times it is difficult to challenge your people (or yourself for that fact) at such a level because you know that many people already hook up the daily "kicking machine" and feel swallowed by guilt and self condemnation thinking they don't measure up. This is why it is imperative that each of us keeps coming back to the love of God.


The ONLY reason we even love Him or anyone else is because He first loved us.


The ONLY way that we can let this series be more than a "motivated moment" or a "convicting chapter" that easily fades away, is to remember that anything sustainably fruitful in our lives must be grace saturated and love motivated.


I've heard it said, "Successful people do daily what unsuccessful people do occasionally." In many ways that is so true. In this series context, the only way we can live radically is to have a regular radical focus; a focus on the incomparable love of God and the ever-empowering Gospel!


The answer to growing stronger and more radical in our Christianity is not found in fixing all of our weaknesses. We must not make "them" our focus but rather Him!


"Focusing on what we ought to do for God creates only frustration and exhaustion. Focusing on what Jesus has done for us produces abundant fruit. Resting in what Jesus has done for us releases the revolutionary power of the gospel." J.D. Greear


May you today embrace a radical focus that will naturally feed a radical lifestyle for the Son of God.


- This blog was written by Josh Finley as part of the Radical Series. Pastor Josh is the Lead Pastor at Elim Gospel Church.

Radical Reverence

Many moons ago when people used to actually go to the video store to rent DVDs, I walked into a place to grab a movie and the guy behind the counter had a shirt on that said, "Jesus is my homeboy."



Jesus is a lot of things to us (Elder brother, High Priest, Lord, Savior, Friend that sticks closer than a brother, Judge, etc.) but I don't think one of them is "homeboy."


This week as I was reading through my Bible, I came across the story of when David longed to return the Ark of God back to Jerusalem after it had been taken by Israel's enemies the Philistines. No one had moved the Ark in quite some time and apparently the guys in charge of transporting it had become a little too familiar with this sacred box that housed the very presence of Almighty God. (2 Samuel 6)


All of this led up to a young guy named Uzzah loosing his life as he reached out to stabilize the Ark as it was about to fall off the cart being pulled along a bumpy road by some oxen. Uzzah apparently became too familiar with the sacred presence of God.


Protocol was broken and people started dying...wow! (Ex. 25:12-15, Num. 4:15)


We see examples like this all throughout the Scriptures (Aaron's sons, Eli's boys, Samuel's kids, Ananias & Saphira to name a few). David learned something that day and did things differently the next time he attempted to bring the Ark back. Every six steps, priests would sacrifice oxen and fattened calves; every six steps on trek that was over six miles long from Obed-Edom to Jerusalem!!!


Today, we have access to the presence of God on a regular basis because of the blood that is so much more precious than that of bulls and sheep. The blood of Jesus was poured out to give us access into the very presence of God...we should never take this privilege lightly.


David shows us a beautiful thing as the Ark is finally being brought back into Jerusalem: reverential love is not religious, stuffy, rigid, timid, or reserved. He danced his pants off (literally) in the presence of God with joy, thanksgiving, AND reverential love. He was intimate with God, while maintaining a position and perspective of honor. Moses made it quite clear that it's the FEAR of God that keeps us from sinning (Ex. 20) and Jesus teaches us that if we LOVE Him, we will automatically keep His commands (John 15).


It is the love of God and the Fear of God that keep me on the narrow, radical path called discipleship. Walking in Reverential love is the goal.

Make it personal...


• In what ways have you grown flippant or too familiar with the Presence of God?
• Which side of the narrow path to you more easily lean towards; the love of God or the fear of God?


- This blog was written by Pastor Joshua Finley for the Radical Series. Pastor Josh is the Lead Pastor at Elim Gospel Church.