"Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace." Psalm 37:37
I love watching people or is it "people watching"? Whatever... you know what I'm saying. Just yesterday I was having lunch (or a people watching session) with one of my favorite friends when he caught me looking everywhere but at him as he was sharing some of the great things going on in his life (because I handle multiple tasks on a daily basis, I did hear it all just in case you're reading this). I'd love to say the reason for my wandering eyes was that I was watching to see if a masked man was about to rob a bank so that I could be the knight in shining honor to the unsuspecting hostages and bring the victims to Christ with my heroism. But the real reason for my lack of eye contact was that I love to see how people live in their present environment. I love to study their mannerisms, their voices, the way a man treats a woman during a meal and the way people chew their food amongst other things. The irony of that discussion was that we were talking about what it would take for a disciple of Christ to put their foot into the mold that God willingly carves out for us as we walk through life. How could we come to the end of our own life (abandon self), our own dreams, our own ideals and our own aspirations in order to take our steps on the road of the life that God has planned for us? As I walked away from lunch with this "Man of God" I came to the conclusion that we are able to develop this walk in three ways, two of which involve "people watching". The first is by following/studying God's word, the second is by studying the life of Christ and the third is by emulating the lives of unapologetic followers of Christ in history as well as in the present. We come to realize that the way to a life of peace as mentioned in today's passage is by ending all fear and anxiety as those are not ways in which the "blameless and upright" live.
We all walk through life fearing things and I have personally had major fear issues. I spent a year and a half in fear as a prisoner to panic disorder with some agoraphobia and generalized anxiety disorder (to those reading this who have dealt with this or are dealing with it, I want to encourage you that this does not mean you don't love or trust God. He is stripping you of the areas that you are holding on to tightly. Be patient, it passes as we begin to fear it less. I also want to say, that you CAN be a follower of Christ and experience this. Be patient, it will go away.) During this time, my life was literally controlled by a fear inside of me that anything I did would lead to the end of my time on Earth or that I was going insane and would lose my wife and myself. It was a terrible time for me personally and was paralyzing in my personal growth as I was consumed with me (only now do I see the pruning (John 15) that God was doing by using this circumstance). During that period I had a difficult time watching others because all I could think about was how to get over this dreaded feeling of hopelessness. I was anxious about everything and with this anxiety came a true lack of peace, even in my walk with God. My wife, who should be Sainted for her support and unconditional love for me, taught me so much during that period. Somehow, while her husband was suffering and she was pregnant, she managed to maintain the peace of God that passes all understanding (Phil 4:7). I remember watching her wondering how she could have such a life of peace, even in the midst of not being able to do the things that she may have wanted to do. In hindsight, I see that the people who were supporting her during this time, namely some female mentors in the faith, played a major role in shaping her response to her circumstances as they were personally living lives of peace even in the midst of suffering and trial. Her answer to living a life of peace, was watching how others around her we're already doing it.
Today's scripture means so much to me personally because I know what it's like to live without completeness/peace. Though we may think we are doing what we were made to do, we never experience the peace of God that passes all understanding until our total contentment is found in His unfailing love and plan for us. As we read His word we learn to trust his perfect plan. As we follow the life of Christ, we see a man that "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross" (Phil. 2:6-8) Jesus was a man who found that eternal peace came from obeying and following His father even when he knew he would encounter trial and "death on a cross" in which he sweat blood at the thought. As I watch those around me who have helped shaped me in the faith, I see men (and women) who are anxious about nothing because they placed their trust in God and his timing for their death, their place on the economic ladder, and their willingness to be used by God even if it is out of their comfort zones.
I hope today's passage encourages you to look at the lives of Christ followers around you who you admire. I don't mean casual Christians, or people who say the right things. I mean watching the blameless and upright, who have found completeness (peace) in this life because they understand that they have amazing worth as bearers of the image of God. Because the Spirit is in them, they understand that they have no control over Earthly circumstances such as their time of death or IQ and manage to see this life as the mist it truly is. Peace is found in giving our entire life to Christ, letting Him lead us where he chooses, and being the Shepherd that he claims to be who will give us full life (John 10:10). We need to be reminded that we have a God who loves us, unconditionally, and is always willing to accept you coming home to Him. As 1 Timothy 6:6 says, "...godliness with contentment is great gain", and we can only come to that contentment, and that peace, by allowing the Spirit of God to shape us into the upright and blameless people God desires us to be.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Being put in my place today...
As you can tell, I truly love Jesus Christ. I desire the truth, and my hope each morning is to follow Christ with everything I have. I'm not great at it, but I try to die to myself daily (at his command), so that I may take up my cross and follow him. Lately, as you've read, I've been studying the history of the church (both the body of Christ and the local community) due to my own personal convictions about what the "church" has become. I won't get into that today because I feel as though my research is tossing me like the waves of the sea and I can't come to a conclusion about some specific issues that I'd like to share. However, in this process of my research I received a message I'd like to share with you.
The message came from a Catholic man in regards to attending the ideal church. He quickly reminded me that in my search for the perfect "church" I'm destined to never find it for two reasons. The first reason, is that this side of Heaven, there is nothing perfect (in terms of church). The second part was that the second I begin attending the "perfect" church or congregation, that church will no longer be "perfect" because I am now an attendee. There is nothing we do can make anything perfect without the gifts of faith and grace. Praise Jesus for loving us enough to give us the ability to accept both.
Talk about being humbled without a response, today was one of those days! I hope you all have a great weekend. Enjoy the life God has given you, be who He made you to be, and live to grow His Kingdom!
Much Love,
Ryan
The message came from a Catholic man in regards to attending the ideal church. He quickly reminded me that in my search for the perfect "church" I'm destined to never find it for two reasons. The first reason, is that this side of Heaven, there is nothing perfect (in terms of church). The second part was that the second I begin attending the "perfect" church or congregation, that church will no longer be "perfect" because I am now an attendee. There is nothing we do can make anything perfect without the gifts of faith and grace. Praise Jesus for loving us enough to give us the ability to accept both.
Talk about being humbled without a response, today was one of those days! I hope you all have a great weekend. Enjoy the life God has given you, be who He made you to be, and live to grow His Kingdom!
Much Love,
Ryan
Monday, October 12, 2009
"Beautiful Old Age"
A little while back I was turned on to the writings of a 19th Century Pastor from the Midwest named J.R Miller. His devotional, "Greener Pastures" is one of my daily readings and his book on Homemaking is currently on my wife's nightstand. One of his writings, entitled, "Beautiful Old Age" is a must read for both the young and old followers of Christ (though, it was intended for the young). Below is an excerpt from this gem of wisdom. I hope it encourages you to live a life for Jesus Christ. One in which you have abandoned the desires of yourself to be filled with the Spirit of God. I never get tired of reading this and when I begin to lose perspective, other than the Bible, this is one of the few places I turn. Enjoy...
..."We must live a useful life. Nothing good ever comes out of idleness or out of selfishness. The standing water stagnates and breeds decay and death. It is the running stream that keeps pure and sweet. The fruit of an idle life is never joy and peace. Years lived selfishly never become garden-spots in the field of memory. Happiness comes out of self-denial for the good of others. Sweet always are the memories of good deeds done and sacrifices made. Their incense, like heavenly perfume, comes floating up from the fields of toil and fills old age with holy fragrance. When one has lived to bless others, one has many grateful, loving friends whose affection proves a wondrous source of joy when the days of feebleness come. Bread cast upon the waters is found again after many days.
I see some people who do not seem to want to make friends. They are unsocial, unsympathetic, cold, distant, disobliging, selfish. Others, again, make no effort to retain their friends. They cast them away for the slightest cause. But they are robbing their later years of joys they cannot afford to lose. If we would walk in the warmth of friendship’s beams in the late evening-time, we must seek to make to ourselves loyal and faithful friends in the busy hours that come before. This we can do by a ministry of kindness and self-forgetfulness. This was part at least of what our Lord meant in that counsel which falls so strangely on our ears until we understand it: "Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness, that when you fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations."
Again, we must live a pure and holy life. Every one carries in himself the sources of his own happiness or wretchedness. Circumstances have really very little to do with our inner experiences. It matters little in the determination of one’s degree of enjoyment whether he live in a cottage or a palace. It is self, after all, that in largest measure gives the color to our skies and the tone to the music we hear. A happy heart sees rainbows and brilliance everywhere, even in darkest clouds, and hears sweet strains of song even amid the loudest wailings of the storm; and a sad heart, unhappy and discontented, sees spots in the sun, specks in the rarest fruits, and something with which to find fault in the most perfect of God’s works, and hears discords and jarring notes in the heavenliest music. So it comes about that this whole question must be settled from within. The fountains rise in the heart itself. The old man, like the snail, carries his house on his back. He may change neighbors or homes or scenes or companions, but he cannot get away from himself and his own past. Sinful years put thorns in the pillow on which the head of old age rests. Lives of passion and evil store away bitter fountains from which the old man has to drink.
Sin may seem pleasant to us now, but we must not forget how it will appear when we get past it and turn to look back upon it; especially must we keep in mind how it will seem from a dying pillow. Nothing brings such pure peace and quiet joy at the close as a well-lived past. We are every day laying up the food on which we must feed in the closing years. We are hanging up pictures about the walls of our hearts that we shall have to look at when we sit in the shadows. How important that we live pure and holy lives! Even forgiven sins will mar the peace of old age, for the ugly scars will remain.
Summing all up in one word, only Christ can make any life, young or old, truly beautiful or truly happy. Only He can cure the heart’s restless fever and give quietness and calmness. Only He can purify that sinful fountain within us, our corrupt nature, and make us holy. To have a peaceful and blessed ending to life, we must live it with Christ. Such a life grows brighter even to its close. Its last days are the sunniest and the sweetest. The more earth’s joys fail, the nearer and the more satisfying do the comforts become. The nests over which the wing of God droops, which in the bright summer days of prosperous strength lay hidden among the leaves, stand out uncovered in the days of decay and feebleness when winter has stripped the branches bare. And for such a life death has no terrors. The tokens of its approach are but "the land-birds lighting on the shrouds, telling the weary mariner that he is nearing the haven." The end is but the touching of the weather-beaten keel on the shore of glory!"
Find the whole work at: http://www.gracegems.org/Miller/beautiful_old_age.htm
..."We must live a useful life. Nothing good ever comes out of idleness or out of selfishness. The standing water stagnates and breeds decay and death. It is the running stream that keeps pure and sweet. The fruit of an idle life is never joy and peace. Years lived selfishly never become garden-spots in the field of memory. Happiness comes out of self-denial for the good of others. Sweet always are the memories of good deeds done and sacrifices made. Their incense, like heavenly perfume, comes floating up from the fields of toil and fills old age with holy fragrance. When one has lived to bless others, one has many grateful, loving friends whose affection proves a wondrous source of joy when the days of feebleness come. Bread cast upon the waters is found again after many days.
I see some people who do not seem to want to make friends. They are unsocial, unsympathetic, cold, distant, disobliging, selfish. Others, again, make no effort to retain their friends. They cast them away for the slightest cause. But they are robbing their later years of joys they cannot afford to lose. If we would walk in the warmth of friendship’s beams in the late evening-time, we must seek to make to ourselves loyal and faithful friends in the busy hours that come before. This we can do by a ministry of kindness and self-forgetfulness. This was part at least of what our Lord meant in that counsel which falls so strangely on our ears until we understand it: "Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness, that when you fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations."
Again, we must live a pure and holy life. Every one carries in himself the sources of his own happiness or wretchedness. Circumstances have really very little to do with our inner experiences. It matters little in the determination of one’s degree of enjoyment whether he live in a cottage or a palace. It is self, after all, that in largest measure gives the color to our skies and the tone to the music we hear. A happy heart sees rainbows and brilliance everywhere, even in darkest clouds, and hears sweet strains of song even amid the loudest wailings of the storm; and a sad heart, unhappy and discontented, sees spots in the sun, specks in the rarest fruits, and something with which to find fault in the most perfect of God’s works, and hears discords and jarring notes in the heavenliest music. So it comes about that this whole question must be settled from within. The fountains rise in the heart itself. The old man, like the snail, carries his house on his back. He may change neighbors or homes or scenes or companions, but he cannot get away from himself and his own past. Sinful years put thorns in the pillow on which the head of old age rests. Lives of passion and evil store away bitter fountains from which the old man has to drink.
Sin may seem pleasant to us now, but we must not forget how it will appear when we get past it and turn to look back upon it; especially must we keep in mind how it will seem from a dying pillow. Nothing brings such pure peace and quiet joy at the close as a well-lived past. We are every day laying up the food on which we must feed in the closing years. We are hanging up pictures about the walls of our hearts that we shall have to look at when we sit in the shadows. How important that we live pure and holy lives! Even forgiven sins will mar the peace of old age, for the ugly scars will remain.
Summing all up in one word, only Christ can make any life, young or old, truly beautiful or truly happy. Only He can cure the heart’s restless fever and give quietness and calmness. Only He can purify that sinful fountain within us, our corrupt nature, and make us holy. To have a peaceful and blessed ending to life, we must live it with Christ. Such a life grows brighter even to its close. Its last days are the sunniest and the sweetest. The more earth’s joys fail, the nearer and the more satisfying do the comforts become. The nests over which the wing of God droops, which in the bright summer days of prosperous strength lay hidden among the leaves, stand out uncovered in the days of decay and feebleness when winter has stripped the branches bare. And for such a life death has no terrors. The tokens of its approach are but "the land-birds lighting on the shrouds, telling the weary mariner that he is nearing the haven." The end is but the touching of the weather-beaten keel on the shore of glory!"
Find the whole work at: http://www.gracegems.org/Miller/beautiful_old_age.htm
Saturday, October 10, 2009
The Reformers fearing "Reform"
It was brought to my attention one day listening to sports talk radio (who doesn't need a break from this treadmill life we run on?) that when we speak of a "sports fan", the word "fan" is actually short for the word "fanatic". Personally, I have the privilege (or not) to know fanatics from every walk of life. In many cases, I have the opportunity to share life with them as I talk to friends who love the same sports teams I do or when I show up at a local "church" on Sunday. If you don't believe that fanatics are all around you then check your local news in which you'll have the opportunity to see the disastrous outcome of somebody strapping a bomb to himself and walking into a crowded area of innocent people so that they can receive "X" number of virgins in paradise. If you want to see a fanatic this weekend, turn on an NFL game this Sunday and watch some guy support his winless team by dressing up like a pirate or taking his shirt off in the freezing cold and barking like a dog. In the last day I've got to see fanatics by reading Facebook status updates and tweets supporting Barack Obama's most recent award as the recipient of the Nobel Peace prize even though he was only nominated nine days into office and has yet to accomplish any of his goals. (if you argue with this last one, I'd suggest you read the definition of "fanatic" in the next paragraph. Mind you, this is not a political site and it is only serving as an example).
The word fanatic defined is, "a person with an extreme and uncritical enthusiasm or zeal". In my own life, I refuse to call myself a fanatic of anything because of the word "uncritical" in the definition. This refusal includes how I envision my identity as a follower of Christ, and as I sit here tonight pondering bigger, more important things than the win-loss records of my favorite teams (all of which lost today in College Football giving this thinking session a bit more perspective) I have started digging into my own beliefs. Why do I believe them? Where did these beliefs come from? Am I following a belief because I've actually studied and prayed about it, or do I follow it because that is the cultural "norm" within American Christianity, and it's the way I've grown up? I have even begun to wonder if I read books because they make me cool or is it because I'm searching for truth? I've noticed over the past few months as I talk to close friends and family about their faith, even the ones who consider themselves to be part of the "reformers" in the church, I've noticed this "uncritical" attitude in their relationship with Jesus. The fact that we don't even know where are beliefs are coming from, and we in most cases refuse to dissect them help me to recognize that this attitude is due to one thing...FEAR!
We are a culture that loves comfort, security, and instant gratification. When it comes to our faith, which on paper is the most important thing in our lives as it develops our world view and should be transforming us from the inside out; we refuse to be uncritical because it interrupts those three aims mentioned above. Whether we realize it or not, we are a culture of Christ followers that is fearful that we may actually be wrong in the way we've been "doing Christianity". We are fearful that we may have to change our attitude, our friends, and our goals and aspirations. As you all know I typically write about dying to our self so that we may find life as we follow Christ, and tonight is no different. Below is an article I came across tonight by a man named Frank Viola who has been chasing after the truth of our faith. Through extensive research, prayer and sharpening by fellow lovers of Christ who believe that if "God said it, then that settles it", Frank has written two very important books called "Pagan Christianity?" and "Reimagining Church" (along with many others) that challenge our fear of reforming what we believe we have already reformed.
This article was taken from, http://beyondmissional.missionaltribe.org/2009/03/17/a-review-of-michael-spencers-the-coming-evangelical-collapse/. It was written by Frank as a response to a well known article circulating about the "coming evangelical collapse". I'd urge you to read it in its entirety, but below is an excerpt from that article. Frank is quoting a friend of his named Hal Miller. To give Hal's quote some context, Frank states right before it that current evangelicalism has, "rooted itself in modernity, it failed to fully grasp and teach God’s eternal purpose (Eph. 3:11), and it retained the Western individualistic bent that marks historic Protestantism."
To which Hal states,
"Christianity is culturally relevant when it offers a qualitatively different society. Jesus called it “the kingdom of God.” Paul saw its first outlines in the gathered disciples of Jesus, and so he called them ekklesia - we translate it “church”- a Greek word denoting citizens assembled to attend to their common project, their city.
The evangelicals missed this. Evangelicalism sought to transform people and so transform the world. They did not see that something might be missing from this vision, something their assumption of American individualism would hide from them. The true Christian vision is to transform people, transforming them into a people, and so transform the world. The evangelicals missed that middle term. They could not see the church as a foretaste of the new society; it was a club for the new individuals. The evangelicals simply dressed American individualism in Christian clothing. They ended up with new isolated individuals, but in the old society. Since their expression of Christianity did not take form as a new society, it quickly became culturally irrelevant, even though it was admirably culturally open.
To be culturally relevant, Christianity must offer an alternative. God has indeed chosen to deal with persons as individuals- in this the evangelicals were right. Yet they are not simply individuals; they become members of a social reality called ekklesia, which is the entering wedge of the new society of God’s making.
Too often, for example, we assume that evangelism involves the simple aggregation of more and more new individuals. If enough people are “born again,” the world’s problems will diminish. But the experience of the last twenty years- in which we had more and more people “born again” as well as more and more marital tragedies, more and more international tension, and more and more bondage to the demons of our age- seems a perfectly contrived counter-example to this theory.
The Christian calling requires being reconciled with God, to be sure. But it also requires being a new, reconciling society characterized by forgiveness, acceptance, and responsibility in a common task- a society qualitatively different from its culture, yet engaged with it. Little gatherings of Christians for worship and mutual help in being disciples become the seeds of God’s coming new society.
Such a new society will be culturally relevant because it springs from God’s movement among God’s people. The persons who make up this new society live their faith in the face of day-to-day problems that they share with the world around them. They face the same questions as unbelievers: finding joy and meaning in work, living at peace both personally and globally, raising responsible and compassionate children. And in facing those questions, Christian faith becomes relevant even for unbelievers.
Imagine a group of people gathering to help each other in the common task of seeing God’s kingdom incarnated in their work, in their families, in their towns, in their world, in their midst, and (rather than only) in their individual lives. This gathering is ekklesia. It will be relevant to its world because it lives the life of the kingdom in the world, not apart from it."
I couldn't have said it better which is why I shared this article with you tonight. As followers of Christ, me included, we must recognize that we have the ability to take on God's eternal perspective as we live today. The economy, the political outlook, the social injustice and the lack of peace are not things we can fix individually, but they can be affected collectively as the "ekklesia". We can't fully fix them this side of heaven, but we can improve them if the sum of the individual disciples of Christ acting as a body is greater than the individual parts. This means that your individual relationship with Christ is meant to be multiplied through true community and love for your fellow members.
Do not be scared to ask the important questions when it comes to your faith in Christ and how we are to follow him, experience him, love him and share him. Nobody has ever gotten in better shape by staring at the mirror every day hoping that they will see a difference without getting on the treadmill and lifting some weights (unfortunately I've learned this one first hand). Therefore, don't talk about wanting to "going deeper", challenge yourself, don't "start on Monday", ask God for His truth, study the words of Christ and our fellow brothers and sisters who followed Him in the flesh by reading God's word. Pray that the Spirit may transform you into an evangelistic tool that God will transform individually in order to grow and glorify God's "ekklesia". You are not a "member" of a building, but instead a part of God's living Kingdom and a team of fellow lovers of perfection if you have made Jesus Lord. Don't be scared, but study God's word for yourself, you may find out that you've been "doing the Christian thing" while you could have been following Christ.
To my fellow reforming friends, I am still with you in theology but the way I see it is that as much as I love Luther and Calvin, I love Jesus more and therefore, anywhere that those two disagree with Jesus, then I disagree with them. To my "emergent" friends, you got a lot of reading to do. Yes, Jesus saves, but we don't get to define him differently than the clarity in which he defined himself. You are right in assuming that we are "doing church" wrong in comparison to the early followers, but you're wrong in your Unitarian/Universalist approach to the grace of Christ. To all of you, Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and the only way to the Father is through Him. (John 14:6) Following Christ is not easy and grace is not cheap but the message is simple; like the story in which Paul and Silas said to the jailer after he heard them praising Jesus in jail and wanted to know how to share in their life by becoming saved, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household." (Acts 16:30-31)
The word fanatic defined is, "a person with an extreme and uncritical enthusiasm or zeal". In my own life, I refuse to call myself a fanatic of anything because of the word "uncritical" in the definition. This refusal includes how I envision my identity as a follower of Christ, and as I sit here tonight pondering bigger, more important things than the win-loss records of my favorite teams (all of which lost today in College Football giving this thinking session a bit more perspective) I have started digging into my own beliefs. Why do I believe them? Where did these beliefs come from? Am I following a belief because I've actually studied and prayed about it, or do I follow it because that is the cultural "norm" within American Christianity, and it's the way I've grown up? I have even begun to wonder if I read books because they make me cool or is it because I'm searching for truth? I've noticed over the past few months as I talk to close friends and family about their faith, even the ones who consider themselves to be part of the "reformers" in the church, I've noticed this "uncritical" attitude in their relationship with Jesus. The fact that we don't even know where are beliefs are coming from, and we in most cases refuse to dissect them help me to recognize that this attitude is due to one thing...FEAR!
We are a culture that loves comfort, security, and instant gratification. When it comes to our faith, which on paper is the most important thing in our lives as it develops our world view and should be transforming us from the inside out; we refuse to be uncritical because it interrupts those three aims mentioned above. Whether we realize it or not, we are a culture of Christ followers that is fearful that we may actually be wrong in the way we've been "doing Christianity". We are fearful that we may have to change our attitude, our friends, and our goals and aspirations. As you all know I typically write about dying to our self so that we may find life as we follow Christ, and tonight is no different. Below is an article I came across tonight by a man named Frank Viola who has been chasing after the truth of our faith. Through extensive research, prayer and sharpening by fellow lovers of Christ who believe that if "God said it, then that settles it", Frank has written two very important books called "Pagan Christianity?" and "Reimagining Church" (along with many others) that challenge our fear of reforming what we believe we have already reformed.
This article was taken from, http://beyondmissional.missionaltribe.org/2009/03/17/a-review-of-michael-spencers-the-coming-evangelical-collapse/. It was written by Frank as a response to a well known article circulating about the "coming evangelical collapse". I'd urge you to read it in its entirety, but below is an excerpt from that article. Frank is quoting a friend of his named Hal Miller. To give Hal's quote some context, Frank states right before it that current evangelicalism has, "rooted itself in modernity, it failed to fully grasp and teach God’s eternal purpose (Eph. 3:11), and it retained the Western individualistic bent that marks historic Protestantism."
To which Hal states,
"Christianity is culturally relevant when it offers a qualitatively different society. Jesus called it “the kingdom of God.” Paul saw its first outlines in the gathered disciples of Jesus, and so he called them ekklesia - we translate it “church”- a Greek word denoting citizens assembled to attend to their common project, their city.
The evangelicals missed this. Evangelicalism sought to transform people and so transform the world. They did not see that something might be missing from this vision, something their assumption of American individualism would hide from them. The true Christian vision is to transform people, transforming them into a people, and so transform the world. The evangelicals missed that middle term. They could not see the church as a foretaste of the new society; it was a club for the new individuals. The evangelicals simply dressed American individualism in Christian clothing. They ended up with new isolated individuals, but in the old society. Since their expression of Christianity did not take form as a new society, it quickly became culturally irrelevant, even though it was admirably culturally open.
To be culturally relevant, Christianity must offer an alternative. God has indeed chosen to deal with persons as individuals- in this the evangelicals were right. Yet they are not simply individuals; they become members of a social reality called ekklesia, which is the entering wedge of the new society of God’s making.
Too often, for example, we assume that evangelism involves the simple aggregation of more and more new individuals. If enough people are “born again,” the world’s problems will diminish. But the experience of the last twenty years- in which we had more and more people “born again” as well as more and more marital tragedies, more and more international tension, and more and more bondage to the demons of our age- seems a perfectly contrived counter-example to this theory.
The Christian calling requires being reconciled with God, to be sure. But it also requires being a new, reconciling society characterized by forgiveness, acceptance, and responsibility in a common task- a society qualitatively different from its culture, yet engaged with it. Little gatherings of Christians for worship and mutual help in being disciples become the seeds of God’s coming new society.
Such a new society will be culturally relevant because it springs from God’s movement among God’s people. The persons who make up this new society live their faith in the face of day-to-day problems that they share with the world around them. They face the same questions as unbelievers: finding joy and meaning in work, living at peace both personally and globally, raising responsible and compassionate children. And in facing those questions, Christian faith becomes relevant even for unbelievers.
Imagine a group of people gathering to help each other in the common task of seeing God’s kingdom incarnated in their work, in their families, in their towns, in their world, in their midst, and (rather than only) in their individual lives. This gathering is ekklesia. It will be relevant to its world because it lives the life of the kingdom in the world, not apart from it."
I couldn't have said it better which is why I shared this article with you tonight. As followers of Christ, me included, we must recognize that we have the ability to take on God's eternal perspective as we live today. The economy, the political outlook, the social injustice and the lack of peace are not things we can fix individually, but they can be affected collectively as the "ekklesia". We can't fully fix them this side of heaven, but we can improve them if the sum of the individual disciples of Christ acting as a body is greater than the individual parts. This means that your individual relationship with Christ is meant to be multiplied through true community and love for your fellow members.
Do not be scared to ask the important questions when it comes to your faith in Christ and how we are to follow him, experience him, love him and share him. Nobody has ever gotten in better shape by staring at the mirror every day hoping that they will see a difference without getting on the treadmill and lifting some weights (unfortunately I've learned this one first hand). Therefore, don't talk about wanting to "going deeper", challenge yourself, don't "start on Monday", ask God for His truth, study the words of Christ and our fellow brothers and sisters who followed Him in the flesh by reading God's word. Pray that the Spirit may transform you into an evangelistic tool that God will transform individually in order to grow and glorify God's "ekklesia". You are not a "member" of a building, but instead a part of God's living Kingdom and a team of fellow lovers of perfection if you have made Jesus Lord. Don't be scared, but study God's word for yourself, you may find out that you've been "doing the Christian thing" while you could have been following Christ.
To my fellow reforming friends, I am still with you in theology but the way I see it is that as much as I love Luther and Calvin, I love Jesus more and therefore, anywhere that those two disagree with Jesus, then I disagree with them. To my "emergent" friends, you got a lot of reading to do. Yes, Jesus saves, but we don't get to define him differently than the clarity in which he defined himself. You are right in assuming that we are "doing church" wrong in comparison to the early followers, but you're wrong in your Unitarian/Universalist approach to the grace of Christ. To all of you, Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and the only way to the Father is through Him. (John 14:6) Following Christ is not easy and grace is not cheap but the message is simple; like the story in which Paul and Silas said to the jailer after he heard them praising Jesus in jail and wanted to know how to share in their life by becoming saved, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household." (Acts 16:30-31)
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Trusting Truth- 40 Days of Psalm 37 (Day 36)
"But he passed away, and behold, he was no more; though I sought him, he could not be found." Psalm 37:36
We live in a culture consumed with what celebrities are doing on a day to day basis. Whether they are "hitting and running" in their Bentley's and Benz's, making fools out of themselves at award shows, or puffing themselves up through tabloids (even bad publicity is good publicity), we can't get enough celebrity gossip. We are so consumed with the world of celebrities that the news now lets us know what our favorite actors, actresses and socialites are eating, where they're partying and how they travel just as often as we hear the weather or traffic. The only thing we may hear more about than celebrities is the state of the current economy (which we've turned into a celebrity idol) and what our President (who is as big of a celebrity as it gets) is going to do to make sure his health care plan goes through. Even more nauseating is the thought that we honestly think other people care what we're doing via twitter or Facebook status updates as we rap off where we're eating, what weights we're lifting and how the purchase of a new toy is making our day. What does it say about our culture that we spend so much time thinking about ourselves and yet nobody can seem to "get it together" as depression and suicide runs rampant even for the "upper class" who according to the world's teaching are always happy because they have money, fame and notoriety (even if it's within smaller circles). Then, in order to like ourselves better, we do the humble thing and we make ourselves part of the most "cause" oriented generation in history. Of course, as we stand around talking about how we're going to change the world, the status of the human soul has grown darker and darker as it becomes more in love with the character it is making itself to be. As Leo Tolstoy once said, "Everybody thinks of changing humanity and nobody thinks of changing himself."
Today's passage of Scripture is a great reminder that no matter who you are, or how well you're known eventually you will be gone, and the people who once aimed to follow you, will no longer be able to find you. You see, we need to constantly be reminded that no matter how great we are in the present realm, unless we do something that can last for eternity, our life is "a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." (James 4:14) I don't know why we act as though we'll live forever, but clearly there's one thing that will certainly happen to everyone that has been born...we will die. I know we like to turn celebrities (this includes actors, actresses, musicians, sports figures, TV personalities and even Pastors and authors to us in Christian circles) into God type figures and our President into the Messiah, but one day, you can take this to the bank (the only thing you may have taken there in a while), every person on this Earth will cease to live and unless they've done something that builds up God's Kingdom eternally. This means that even they're greatest works on Earth will be forgotten at some point. So what can we do that will be seen forever? One of my favorite little poems out of the book "Don't Waste Your Life" by Jon Piper says it best, "Only one life twill soon be passed, Only what’s done for Christ will last."
When it came to living a life for eternity, Jesus of Nazareth was the expert. One day after making himself known to be the "Messiah" to his followers two of his disciples asked if they would sit with him in his glory (of course bringing them heavenly celebrity status) to which they were told that this life is not about getting what we can for us while we're here. Instead, Jesus stated "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." The way for us to do something for eternity is then twofold. The first thing is that we must not only accept Jesus for what He did, but also for who He is. Without recognizing that Jesus is God incarnate (see Colossians 1:15 and 2 Corinthians 4:4 as well as numerous other places), we are unable to grasp that the person we are following, though like us in the way he lived, is actually the "exact image" of the invisible God. Once we realize how bad the Creator of the Universe wants a relationship with us, and that the way to that relationship is by His grace through the death and resurrection of Christ, we can never get to the second part of making an impact that will last forever.
The second part to living a life that will echo into eternity is not by becoming a celebrity, puffing up ourselves by obtaining higher positions, a greater following or more money. It's not by dumping what we already have in terms of marriage in exchange for a more beautiful husband or wife and the perfect kids. The second part to living a life in which we will be "found" even after we're gone is to live a life of service. Like Jesus said, He came to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. Personally, I have to be reminded of this daily as I, like the rest of the world desire to be known for things other than being one of God's children by the death and resurrection of Christ. Therefore, by becoming a true follower of Christ through the acceptance and belief in who He truly is, and then letting His Spirit fill you so that you may take on the personality of Christ that aims to serve others, you will be making an eternal impact on humanity.
I don't know why it's so hard sometimes to take Jesus at His word and begin loving others they way we love ourselves. I'm guessing that the reason for our lack of action in this way is due to the fact that we haven't died to our own ideas, agendas, dreams and aspirations in exchange for God's perfect plan for us. As we are reminded in Scripture of how short our lives are, and that the only way to truly live is by believing in and following Jesus Christ, we must come to realize that a life lived to glorify ourselves is not only shallow but literally worthless. Today, like every day you can choose to do something to fix the temporary or you can let go of yourself enough to affect the eternal. The beauty of course in this decision is that you are given the free will to decide, just another way God shows His love for us.
We live in a culture consumed with what celebrities are doing on a day to day basis. Whether they are "hitting and running" in their Bentley's and Benz's, making fools out of themselves at award shows, or puffing themselves up through tabloids (even bad publicity is good publicity), we can't get enough celebrity gossip. We are so consumed with the world of celebrities that the news now lets us know what our favorite actors, actresses and socialites are eating, where they're partying and how they travel just as often as we hear the weather or traffic. The only thing we may hear more about than celebrities is the state of the current economy (which we've turned into a celebrity idol) and what our President (who is as big of a celebrity as it gets) is going to do to make sure his health care plan goes through. Even more nauseating is the thought that we honestly think other people care what we're doing via twitter or Facebook status updates as we rap off where we're eating, what weights we're lifting and how the purchase of a new toy is making our day. What does it say about our culture that we spend so much time thinking about ourselves and yet nobody can seem to "get it together" as depression and suicide runs rampant even for the "upper class" who according to the world's teaching are always happy because they have money, fame and notoriety (even if it's within smaller circles). Then, in order to like ourselves better, we do the humble thing and we make ourselves part of the most "cause" oriented generation in history. Of course, as we stand around talking about how we're going to change the world, the status of the human soul has grown darker and darker as it becomes more in love with the character it is making itself to be. As Leo Tolstoy once said, "Everybody thinks of changing humanity and nobody thinks of changing himself."
Today's passage of Scripture is a great reminder that no matter who you are, or how well you're known eventually you will be gone, and the people who once aimed to follow you, will no longer be able to find you. You see, we need to constantly be reminded that no matter how great we are in the present realm, unless we do something that can last for eternity, our life is "a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." (James 4:14) I don't know why we act as though we'll live forever, but clearly there's one thing that will certainly happen to everyone that has been born...we will die. I know we like to turn celebrities (this includes actors, actresses, musicians, sports figures, TV personalities and even Pastors and authors to us in Christian circles) into God type figures and our President into the Messiah, but one day, you can take this to the bank (the only thing you may have taken there in a while), every person on this Earth will cease to live and unless they've done something that builds up God's Kingdom eternally. This means that even they're greatest works on Earth will be forgotten at some point. So what can we do that will be seen forever? One of my favorite little poems out of the book "Don't Waste Your Life" by Jon Piper says it best, "Only one life twill soon be passed, Only what’s done for Christ will last."
When it came to living a life for eternity, Jesus of Nazareth was the expert. One day after making himself known to be the "Messiah" to his followers two of his disciples asked if they would sit with him in his glory (of course bringing them heavenly celebrity status) to which they were told that this life is not about getting what we can for us while we're here. Instead, Jesus stated "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." The way for us to do something for eternity is then twofold. The first thing is that we must not only accept Jesus for what He did, but also for who He is. Without recognizing that Jesus is God incarnate (see Colossians 1:15 and 2 Corinthians 4:4 as well as numerous other places), we are unable to grasp that the person we are following, though like us in the way he lived, is actually the "exact image" of the invisible God. Once we realize how bad the Creator of the Universe wants a relationship with us, and that the way to that relationship is by His grace through the death and resurrection of Christ, we can never get to the second part of making an impact that will last forever.
The second part to living a life that will echo into eternity is not by becoming a celebrity, puffing up ourselves by obtaining higher positions, a greater following or more money. It's not by dumping what we already have in terms of marriage in exchange for a more beautiful husband or wife and the perfect kids. The second part to living a life in which we will be "found" even after we're gone is to live a life of service. Like Jesus said, He came to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. Personally, I have to be reminded of this daily as I, like the rest of the world desire to be known for things other than being one of God's children by the death and resurrection of Christ. Therefore, by becoming a true follower of Christ through the acceptance and belief in who He truly is, and then letting His Spirit fill you so that you may take on the personality of Christ that aims to serve others, you will be making an eternal impact on humanity.
I don't know why it's so hard sometimes to take Jesus at His word and begin loving others they way we love ourselves. I'm guessing that the reason for our lack of action in this way is due to the fact that we haven't died to our own ideas, agendas, dreams and aspirations in exchange for God's perfect plan for us. As we are reminded in Scripture of how short our lives are, and that the only way to truly live is by believing in and following Jesus Christ, we must come to realize that a life lived to glorify ourselves is not only shallow but literally worthless. Today, like every day you can choose to do something to fix the temporary or you can let go of yourself enough to affect the eternal. The beauty of course in this decision is that you are given the free will to decide, just another way God shows His love for us.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Taking back the Church...
At the suggestion of a Pastor friend (another guy who is much smarter than me) I have begun reading a book called "Pagan Christianity?" by authors Frank Viola and George Barna (head of the "Barna Group" and contributor to books such as "Revolution" and "UnChristian"). I've only started the book last night and plan to make it the first book I review upon completion. From, what I've read so far, this book is quite possibly the most important book for our time in terms of church culture and is a must read for any person who is a follower of Christ. I say "must read" because as followers of Christ, we ought to truly want what He intends for us, and what He has for us as opposed to what has become cultural (whether Christian or American) or socially normal for people who consider themselves a "christian". We ought not be scared to learn more about why we believe what we believe and develop our own theology based upon God's word as opposed to a popular speaker, writer, etc.
Without giving it all away, Viola (a former Pastor and current Home Church advocate) breaks down the "church" today as defined by man and compares it to the "Way" or "The Church" (aka Body of Christ) in the New Testament. In just one day, I've learned (through numerous sources which he clearly identifies) that the idea of a "church" building is not from those who follow Christ but actually from the Constantine era in which the Roman Empire became "Catholic" and took on numerous forms of Pagan worship only changing the "Pagan players/god's" to Christ, The Trinity, Madonna and the Saints. I've also learned how Scripturally, though there were elders, there was never a paid staff, a clergy, laity or even a "lead Pastor" who oversaw the meetings and told the followers of Christ what they should or shouldn't do, deliver a message or lead "worship". In fact, there was no "Head" because according to Scripture, the "Head" was Christ and His temple, Scripturally, was HIM! Ultimately, the church was exactly what Paul said is was, "the body of Christ" and the "Bride of Christ".
When speaking about "church" today, we often picture a beautiful building or cathedral, both of which were taken from Pagan Culture (and are aesthetically beautiful both now and in the past I must admit), and though there is an importance and even a commend to continue meeting together, the church (body of believers) met wherever they could such as homes or other local buildings as opposed to building a place to worship. They did this because they believed it was important to not waste their money on a temple (which they already had in Christ wherever they were) when it could be used to help others who were starving or in need. The authors, in their humorous yet informative way made the comparison that if we are to call a building the "church", then Scripturally we ought to call our wife a condominium (Even funnier when you're an appraiser).
Anyway, the reason I bring this up earlier than the planned book review is because I came across a sad article of division in the church in Florida (might I add that in no way am I hoping to split up the church by suggesting we are doing it wrong, but in fact am hoping to bring us together following Christ as one body the way it was intended and originally practiced with Christ as the head/groom). The church (building) in Florida is called Coral Ridge Presbyterian and was Pastored by a man named Reverend D. James Kennedy who died in 2007 after many years of growing this "mega church". After his death, his job as teaching Pastor was taken over by a man named Tullian Tchividjian who is the grandson of Billy Graham. Long story short is that this new Pastor is not liked much by the congregation because according to the Associated Press "While he has shown no sign of theological differences with Kennedy, he has rejected politics as the most important force for change, and his sermons have not focused on divisive issues." So I need you to help me out here, "members" of this "church" are now leaving to form their own "church" after losing a September 20th vote to overthrow the current Pastor because he won't preach something other than Christ as the true eternal means to "change". Does this mean that they now are not in the body of Christ, and how do you leave the body to form another body? Were they ever in the body of Christ or just "members" of a different group of people who follow Jesus and culture, because that is what it seems like America does anyway? Might I also add that in Scripture, pastors never needed to be overthrown because our idea of pastor and the idea of "pastor" in the New Testament are totally different (I'll get more into that in the review).
Anyway, because I don't believe in coincidences, I had to note that God is clearly saying something in this book "Pagan Christianity?" and reiterated the importance of following Christ as the head of the church as opposed to a mere mortal man, who runs an institutional organization and has the ability to hire and fire as well as being able to decide how much Jesus should be taught. I urge you all to not believe that you need to be a "member" of a church who has a building in order to be a member of the church community as the former is not Scriptural. I also want to say that this is an opportunity to not create division by speaking against these little businesses (which I'm guilty of), but instead a chance to be the true body of Christ that helps these little businesses to see that we are doing what the followers of Christ did in the first century completely wrong. What I mean is that we are all a "Royal Priesthood", we are all the "bride of Christ", and we all can worship in the temple that is Christ anywhere because the temple he built in "three days" is a Spiritual one; Praise Jesus!
In defense of the present day worship style, even though being a "member" of a church building is not Scriptural, how are we supposed to know this unless we do the research ourselves? Also in defense of our pastors, they most likely don't realize that the way we "do church" is not scriptural either and that is why I urge you to pick this book up for yourself. By being informed about who we are meant to be in Jesus and how we are meant to function in the body of Christ you will be able to educate a friend, a pastor, a member of the "laity" or any person who desires to be Christ's bride as opposed to his Condo.
Without giving it all away, Viola (a former Pastor and current Home Church advocate) breaks down the "church" today as defined by man and compares it to the "Way" or "The Church" (aka Body of Christ) in the New Testament. In just one day, I've learned (through numerous sources which he clearly identifies) that the idea of a "church" building is not from those who follow Christ but actually from the Constantine era in which the Roman Empire became "Catholic" and took on numerous forms of Pagan worship only changing the "Pagan players/god's" to Christ, The Trinity, Madonna and the Saints. I've also learned how Scripturally, though there were elders, there was never a paid staff, a clergy, laity or even a "lead Pastor" who oversaw the meetings and told the followers of Christ what they should or shouldn't do, deliver a message or lead "worship". In fact, there was no "Head" because according to Scripture, the "Head" was Christ and His temple, Scripturally, was HIM! Ultimately, the church was exactly what Paul said is was, "the body of Christ" and the "Bride of Christ".
When speaking about "church" today, we often picture a beautiful building or cathedral, both of which were taken from Pagan Culture (and are aesthetically beautiful both now and in the past I must admit), and though there is an importance and even a commend to continue meeting together, the church (body of believers) met wherever they could such as homes or other local buildings as opposed to building a place to worship. They did this because they believed it was important to not waste their money on a temple (which they already had in Christ wherever they were) when it could be used to help others who were starving or in need. The authors, in their humorous yet informative way made the comparison that if we are to call a building the "church", then Scripturally we ought to call our wife a condominium (Even funnier when you're an appraiser).
Anyway, the reason I bring this up earlier than the planned book review is because I came across a sad article of division in the church in Florida (might I add that in no way am I hoping to split up the church by suggesting we are doing it wrong, but in fact am hoping to bring us together following Christ as one body the way it was intended and originally practiced with Christ as the head/groom). The church (building) in Florida is called Coral Ridge Presbyterian and was Pastored by a man named Reverend D. James Kennedy who died in 2007 after many years of growing this "mega church". After his death, his job as teaching Pastor was taken over by a man named Tullian Tchividjian who is the grandson of Billy Graham. Long story short is that this new Pastor is not liked much by the congregation because according to the Associated Press "While he has shown no sign of theological differences with Kennedy, he has rejected politics as the most important force for change, and his sermons have not focused on divisive issues." So I need you to help me out here, "members" of this "church" are now leaving to form their own "church" after losing a September 20th vote to overthrow the current Pastor because he won't preach something other than Christ as the true eternal means to "change". Does this mean that they now are not in the body of Christ, and how do you leave the body to form another body? Were they ever in the body of Christ or just "members" of a different group of people who follow Jesus and culture, because that is what it seems like America does anyway? Might I also add that in Scripture, pastors never needed to be overthrown because our idea of pastor and the idea of "pastor" in the New Testament are totally different (I'll get more into that in the review).
Anyway, because I don't believe in coincidences, I had to note that God is clearly saying something in this book "Pagan Christianity?" and reiterated the importance of following Christ as the head of the church as opposed to a mere mortal man, who runs an institutional organization and has the ability to hire and fire as well as being able to decide how much Jesus should be taught. I urge you all to not believe that you need to be a "member" of a church who has a building in order to be a member of the church community as the former is not Scriptural. I also want to say that this is an opportunity to not create division by speaking against these little businesses (which I'm guilty of), but instead a chance to be the true body of Christ that helps these little businesses to see that we are doing what the followers of Christ did in the first century completely wrong. What I mean is that we are all a "Royal Priesthood", we are all the "bride of Christ", and we all can worship in the temple that is Christ anywhere because the temple he built in "three days" is a Spiritual one; Praise Jesus!
In defense of the present day worship style, even though being a "member" of a church building is not Scriptural, how are we supposed to know this unless we do the research ourselves? Also in defense of our pastors, they most likely don't realize that the way we "do church" is not scriptural either and that is why I urge you to pick this book up for yourself. By being informed about who we are meant to be in Jesus and how we are meant to function in the body of Christ you will be able to educate a friend, a pastor, a member of the "laity" or any person who desires to be Christ's bride as opposed to his Condo.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Jesus on the Offensive
Every person I talk to that works vocationally for a church or ministry has frequently said something about their current fear or former fear of offending their congregation by their message. Whether it's by saying Jesus is the only way to a post modern culture, the uneasy task of calling out the sins of their listeners and the subsequent feelings of guilt that are sure to follow, or by demanding repentance to an audience that is there to be entertained, it seems like all teachers have over-thought the offensive nature of the Gospel of Christ. Instead of letting the Spirit speak through them, they have been speaking out of the worldly wisdom commonly used by marketing and strategic planning consultants as opposed to the eternal wisdom of the living God. (See 1 Corinthians 2 and 3). This does not mean that in speaking to believers and non-believers the Love of Christ does not radiate through us in our words or actions, especially if we're speaking and acting out of the Spirit.
I've spoken frequently about the fear based teaching we get on Sunday's or otherwise and I've personally offended numerous brothers in Christ who disagree with my stance on the lack of the Gospel being preached out of the pulpit. My view on this is in no way to be seen as a cheap attack on the church through a barely read blog. By no means do I hate the church, and to make this clear, I do believe it is an important aspect to developing community like we see in Scripture. However, like the churches in the book of Revelation, the lack of the Spirit in today's church is somehow both concerning and inspiring (quite a paradox). It is concerning because of the worldly wisdom being taught while inspiring to every follower of Christ who must see this as an opportunity to "bring the Spirit back" (there's a cover for you Justin Timberlake).
In my devotional time this morning I came across a fantastic quote by Oswald Chambers. To set the context of the quote, Chambers is speaking about Luke 9:57-62 in which three men tell Jesus that they will follow Him wherever He will go. Jesus, ("knowing what was in the heart of man"-John 2:25) chose not to praise these men for what they had to to say. Instead he responds by offending them in numerous ways asking them to completely abandon their whole life which included ditching the funeral of one man's parents and in another case just saying good bye to them. Their words were not enough, he wanted followers by both word and deed. He desired the men to come to the end of their finite perspective in exchange for an eternal one. Of course, this would make no sense to the Evangelist today who's goal appears to be getting a person to "pray the prayer", hand them a free bible and get them "plugged in" to a church who uses the bible (What?! How silly does our method sound when it's actually written out? But it's true.).
Chambers goes on to say,
We would have said, "I can’t imagine why He lost the opportunity of winning that man! (the one who says he'd follow Christ "wherever") Imagine being so cold to him and turning him away so discouraged!" Never apologize for your Lord. The words of the Lord hurt and offend until there is nothing left to be hurt or offended. Jesus Christ had no tenderness whatsoever toward anything that was ultimately going to ruin a person in his service to God.
"The words of the Lord hurt and offend until there is nothing left to be hurt or offended". Those words have convicted me all day and they should convict you too. Unfortunately for me I realized today that I'm easily offended, and I'm recognizing that if the Lord is offending me, then I haven't abandoned all of myself to the point that I no longer have any pride in my own life. If I'm being offended, then there is something in my life, some sin, some desire, some temporal pursuit that I have refused to let go of. If Jesus is offending me, then I have not taken on his perspective in that particular area of my life. If Jesus is offending me, I should take pride solely in the fact that I am his and he is pruning me so that I may be turned into the wine that others will smell and taste him as I'm being poured out on this world.
Of course, recognizing that Jesus' teaching is what offends as opposed to our own wisdom for a Sunday sermon, weekly bible study or morning Men's group is an important aspect of the discerning Christian teacher or disciple of Christ who aims to speak truth into the life of family,friends or those who don't know Christ as their Lord and Savior. Understanding our position and sphere of influence is an important gift, and packaging a message in your listeners language is not only important but crucial in helping them understand the word of God. But keep in mind, if the truth of God's word is being sacrificed, if you are afraid to offend people in hopes that you may be able to save them by your own rhetoric, I'd urge you to remember John 6:65 in which Jesus says"...no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."
It is God who does the enabling, it's not your crafty words or funny intro to your sermon and if you are speaking by the Spirit it's very possible that the words you say may offend somebody in a way that God is hoping for. If they do, don't feel bad, instead you should experience joy that Jesus has showed up and don't forget that as Chambers said, "Jesus Christ had no tenderness whatsoever toward anything that was ultimately going to ruin a person in his service to God." Don't get in the way of God pruning his chosen ones, don't quench the Spirit of God, instead be still and listen to what He says to you so that you may speak the truth in Love.
I've spoken frequently about the fear based teaching we get on Sunday's or otherwise and I've personally offended numerous brothers in Christ who disagree with my stance on the lack of the Gospel being preached out of the pulpit. My view on this is in no way to be seen as a cheap attack on the church through a barely read blog. By no means do I hate the church, and to make this clear, I do believe it is an important aspect to developing community like we see in Scripture. However, like the churches in the book of Revelation, the lack of the Spirit in today's church is somehow both concerning and inspiring (quite a paradox). It is concerning because of the worldly wisdom being taught while inspiring to every follower of Christ who must see this as an opportunity to "bring the Spirit back" (there's a cover for you Justin Timberlake).
In my devotional time this morning I came across a fantastic quote by Oswald Chambers. To set the context of the quote, Chambers is speaking about Luke 9:57-62 in which three men tell Jesus that they will follow Him wherever He will go. Jesus, ("knowing what was in the heart of man"-John 2:25) chose not to praise these men for what they had to to say. Instead he responds by offending them in numerous ways asking them to completely abandon their whole life which included ditching the funeral of one man's parents and in another case just saying good bye to them. Their words were not enough, he wanted followers by both word and deed. He desired the men to come to the end of their finite perspective in exchange for an eternal one. Of course, this would make no sense to the Evangelist today who's goal appears to be getting a person to "pray the prayer", hand them a free bible and get them "plugged in" to a church who uses the bible (What?! How silly does our method sound when it's actually written out? But it's true.).
Chambers goes on to say,
We would have said, "I can’t imagine why He lost the opportunity of winning that man! (the one who says he'd follow Christ "wherever") Imagine being so cold to him and turning him away so discouraged!" Never apologize for your Lord. The words of the Lord hurt and offend until there is nothing left to be hurt or offended. Jesus Christ had no tenderness whatsoever toward anything that was ultimately going to ruin a person in his service to God.
"The words of the Lord hurt and offend until there is nothing left to be hurt or offended". Those words have convicted me all day and they should convict you too. Unfortunately for me I realized today that I'm easily offended, and I'm recognizing that if the Lord is offending me, then I haven't abandoned all of myself to the point that I no longer have any pride in my own life. If I'm being offended, then there is something in my life, some sin, some desire, some temporal pursuit that I have refused to let go of. If Jesus is offending me, then I have not taken on his perspective in that particular area of my life. If Jesus is offending me, I should take pride solely in the fact that I am his and he is pruning me so that I may be turned into the wine that others will smell and taste him as I'm being poured out on this world.
Of course, recognizing that Jesus' teaching is what offends as opposed to our own wisdom for a Sunday sermon, weekly bible study or morning Men's group is an important aspect of the discerning Christian teacher or disciple of Christ who aims to speak truth into the life of family,friends or those who don't know Christ as their Lord and Savior. Understanding our position and sphere of influence is an important gift, and packaging a message in your listeners language is not only important but crucial in helping them understand the word of God. But keep in mind, if the truth of God's word is being sacrificed, if you are afraid to offend people in hopes that you may be able to save them by your own rhetoric, I'd urge you to remember John 6:65 in which Jesus says"...no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."
It is God who does the enabling, it's not your crafty words or funny intro to your sermon and if you are speaking by the Spirit it's very possible that the words you say may offend somebody in a way that God is hoping for. If they do, don't feel bad, instead you should experience joy that Jesus has showed up and don't forget that as Chambers said, "Jesus Christ had no tenderness whatsoever toward anything that was ultimately going to ruin a person in his service to God." Don't get in the way of God pruning his chosen ones, don't quench the Spirit of God, instead be still and listen to what He says to you so that you may speak the truth in Love.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Trusting Truth- 40 Days of Psalm 37 (Day 35)
"I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay (laurel) tree." Psalm 37:35
Does anybody every wonder why the term "nice guys finish last" seems like the one cliche that you can always count on to be true? No matter how well I run my business, no matter how often I do the right thing as a man of integrity, it just seems like I can't compete with the person who is willing to kill their pet hamster in order to make fifteen bucks. The state of the economy in the United States, especially the Real Estate market is one in which I just can't figure out. From "The Fed" (which is a private owned institution that somehow controls all of the money and interest rates for the United States), to the Mortgage Brokers who put borrowers in different loans than they claimed over the phone (thanks to some fancy language), to the Politicians who seem to make all the rules, it always seems like the guys who are screwing the "Average Joe", are the ones getting ahead. One of the worst things I've ever seen are these "Stimulus Bills" promoted by the U.S Government as the answer to all of the financial woes. How is it ever a good idea to tax the citizen in order to pay off the money that the Government itself is using to keep alive the very companies that put that same citizen in the financial mess they're currently in? I don't know about you, but I get tired of watching companies that should be out of business and all of their key players in jail (like Enron) appear to flourish on their Balance Sheets, increasing their worth on the stock market and increasing their power over the people who do
I don't want to go any further on the financial issues in our Country, though I'm grateful for them as we have the opportunity to see where our security lies; but I want us to consider how the present day person (or institution) in power, who is not being led by Jesus Christ (considered by God to then be "evil" or "wicked" in Scripture), fits the mold of the "wicked" in today's passage. It seems like once you are in power, it is tough to come down from that platform, especially when you've convinced people they're worthless without you. Like the "Bay tree" which stays green even in the winter (though the roots are shallow), the wicked of today and in David's time always had the appearance of being able to flourish by Earthly standards in any situation even though they are only an axe away from being chopped back down to the ground.
Today's message is a short one. The surface life of the person you are dealing with, working for, being led by, or who you may call a friend is totally irrelevant on the grand scale. God, and his people should be much more concerned with the Spirit and Soul of a person than the outward appearance of success and personal accolades. Just yesterday, I had the opportunity to hang out with one of my favorite people, a guy named Tyler (who humbles me by being five times more intelligent) that is headed to France as a Missionary. In our discussion, we were talking about who we really are; in essence, our essence. He made a great point about how our bodies, though being very real, and very much a part of who we are while on Earth, have no effect on who we are in light of eternity. His example to me was that even if he lost his arm, he'd still be Tyler and would be able to grow in character, in Faith, and in the ability to lose himself so that He may find God. He went on to explain how life has more to do with the growth of our Spirit, one that will truly flourish as we accept the Spirit of God to take over our lives when we accept Jesus Christ.
As I studied this piece of Scripture this morning the idea of the "bay tree", which like the wicked appears to flourish in any season immediately brought to mind a story about Jesus talking to the religious people in Matthew 23. The chapter starts off by pointing out that the "religious folks" (Pharisees) who appeared to have it all together on the surface, were truly wicked as according to Jesus they would, "tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them." (Matt. 23:4). He then states that "Everything they do is done for men to see" (23:5). Proving more that the person leading, even the most religious person on the surface, may truly be "wicked" in that they are more concerned with increasing their own position of power than with helping others see the truth of eternity. Next, Jesus made the point that these Pharisees were never willing to serve (as a true follower of Christ would be) and then he states "The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." (23:11-12). Towards the end of the chapter (v. 27-28) is where it gets really good when Jesus makes the statement that reminded me of the "bay tree", "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness."
For anyone reading this today who is a follower of Christ, this story is really meant to put all of us "religious people" in check as we get high on what we look like to others. Maybe we have taken advantage of being a person of faith, and spread ourselves out taking advantage of our influence, even though it has become more about us than Christ. Or maybe you, like me have aimed to be as what a good friend calls, "the best of the worst", lacking humility as we try to come off humble. Even we "religious ones" don't recognize that by trying to appear fine on the surface it can come at the expense of sacrificing the transparency and authenticity of who we are in Christ, making us no different than who God considers evil. This does not mean that we can't still be joyful when we are sad, but it does suggest that instead of always making sure we look like a Christian on the outside, it's the work done in our hearts that makes us walk in the ways of Jesus.
Today don't get so caught up with playing the part of "faithful" follower, or pastor, or small group leader on the outside in order to stay at the top of your own sphere of influence, that you resemble the whitewashed tombs or the bay tree, more than you resemble Jesus. Regardless of what is going on around you, no matter who is getting ahead, I urge you keep your eyes on the prize that is our Savior, understanding that at some point the wicked perish, the trees die and all that is left is who you really are; a Spirit (that Paul says will have a heavenly body) who will last for eternity.
Does anybody every wonder why the term "nice guys finish last" seems like the one cliche that you can always count on to be true? No matter how well I run my business, no matter how often I do the right thing as a man of integrity, it just seems like I can't compete with the person who is willing to kill their pet hamster in order to make fifteen bucks. The state of the economy in the United States, especially the Real Estate market is one in which I just can't figure out. From "The Fed" (which is a private owned institution that somehow controls all of the money and interest rates for the United States), to the Mortgage Brokers who put borrowers in different loans than they claimed over the phone (thanks to some fancy language), to the Politicians who seem to make all the rules, it always seems like the guys who are screwing the "Average Joe", are the ones getting ahead. One of the worst things I've ever seen are these "Stimulus Bills" promoted by the U.S Government as the answer to all of the financial woes. How is it ever a good idea to tax the citizen in order to pay off the money that the Government itself is using to keep alive the very companies that put that same citizen in the financial mess they're currently in? I don't know about you, but I get tired of watching companies that should be out of business and all of their key players in jail (like Enron) appear to flourish on their Balance Sheets, increasing their worth on the stock market and increasing their power over the people who do
I don't want to go any further on the financial issues in our Country, though I'm grateful for them as we have the opportunity to see where our security lies; but I want us to consider how the present day person (or institution) in power, who is not being led by Jesus Christ (considered by God to then be "evil" or "wicked" in Scripture), fits the mold of the "wicked" in today's passage. It seems like once you are in power, it is tough to come down from that platform, especially when you've convinced people they're worthless without you. Like the "Bay tree" which stays green even in the winter (though the roots are shallow), the wicked of today and in David's time always had the appearance of being able to flourish by Earthly standards in any situation even though they are only an axe away from being chopped back down to the ground.
Today's message is a short one. The surface life of the person you are dealing with, working for, being led by, or who you may call a friend is totally irrelevant on the grand scale. God, and his people should be much more concerned with the Spirit and Soul of a person than the outward appearance of success and personal accolades. Just yesterday, I had the opportunity to hang out with one of my favorite people, a guy named Tyler (who humbles me by being five times more intelligent) that is headed to France as a Missionary. In our discussion, we were talking about who we really are; in essence, our essence. He made a great point about how our bodies, though being very real, and very much a part of who we are while on Earth, have no effect on who we are in light of eternity. His example to me was that even if he lost his arm, he'd still be Tyler and would be able to grow in character, in Faith, and in the ability to lose himself so that He may find God. He went on to explain how life has more to do with the growth of our Spirit, one that will truly flourish as we accept the Spirit of God to take over our lives when we accept Jesus Christ.
As I studied this piece of Scripture this morning the idea of the "bay tree", which like the wicked appears to flourish in any season immediately brought to mind a story about Jesus talking to the religious people in Matthew 23. The chapter starts off by pointing out that the "religious folks" (Pharisees) who appeared to have it all together on the surface, were truly wicked as according to Jesus they would, "tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them." (Matt. 23:4). He then states that "Everything they do is done for men to see" (23:5). Proving more that the person leading, even the most religious person on the surface, may truly be "wicked" in that they are more concerned with increasing their own position of power than with helping others see the truth of eternity. Next, Jesus made the point that these Pharisees were never willing to serve (as a true follower of Christ would be) and then he states "The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." (23:11-12). Towards the end of the chapter (v. 27-28) is where it gets really good when Jesus makes the statement that reminded me of the "bay tree", "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness."
For anyone reading this today who is a follower of Christ, this story is really meant to put all of us "religious people" in check as we get high on what we look like to others. Maybe we have taken advantage of being a person of faith, and spread ourselves out taking advantage of our influence, even though it has become more about us than Christ. Or maybe you, like me have aimed to be as what a good friend calls, "the best of the worst", lacking humility as we try to come off humble. Even we "religious ones" don't recognize that by trying to appear fine on the surface it can come at the expense of sacrificing the transparency and authenticity of who we are in Christ, making us no different than who God considers evil. This does not mean that we can't still be joyful when we are sad, but it does suggest that instead of always making sure we look like a Christian on the outside, it's the work done in our hearts that makes us walk in the ways of Jesus.
Today don't get so caught up with playing the part of "faithful" follower, or pastor, or small group leader on the outside in order to stay at the top of your own sphere of influence, that you resemble the whitewashed tombs or the bay tree, more than you resemble Jesus. Regardless of what is going on around you, no matter who is getting ahead, I urge you keep your eyes on the prize that is our Savior, understanding that at some point the wicked perish, the trees die and all that is left is who you really are; a Spirit (that Paul says will have a heavenly body) who will last for eternity.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Trusting Truth- 40 Days of Psalm 37 (Day 34)
"Wait for the LORD and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off." Psalm 37:34
Living today seems harder than ever. Though I do not want to take on a "chronological snobbery" approach to this life, it seems like there has never been a harder time to live. Unemployment in America is higher than at any other time since the Great Depression, more people have lost their homes to foreclosure than at any other time in history (and more are coming next year), big business appears to own everything, the Government is running/ruining anything it can get its hands on (that's both parties), and we have people fighting over health care while we're at war in the Middle East and dealing with an Economic collapse in our own nation. All of this is happening while there is more money in circulation than at any other time in history. Shouldn't that make us happy and content? Strangely enough we are living in a time in which we are considered the "healthiest" generation with a longer life expectancy than any other people group in history (pre-flood) and yet clinical Depression has reached levels that never seemed imaginable. We know more about our Universe due to increased technology but we deny God's existence even though we can't explain any other way that the Universe could have come in to being. Moreover, we can communicate with people anywhere on the globe faster than you can say "Twitter" but we can't get on the phone with our own families or friends and forgive one another so that we may live in a graceful and peaceful environment in this short life that we have.
(Note: "chronological snobbery" is a term used by C.S Lewis to help people understand the timelessness of truth, beauty, etc. In our day we believe we are more advanced (and we are) because of new technology, more modes of transportation and a myriad of ways to communicate but when we take on a view that we are "better" than times past, and are only able to "get it" now because of some new Science or IPhone application, we are practicing "chronological snobbery".)
I struggle with the idea of being "in" in a culture that seems so upside down. The older I get, the more I watch how fast my daughter is growing up, I feel like I'm "out" instead of "in". (Now "out" means I'm gay, which I'm not, so maybe I should say "out of touch".) In a society where it is "cool" to dress like an outcast (because it's in), follow a specific political agenda because it's hip, or become "cause" oriented because you are so in touch with your compassionate side, it's hard for me to ignore the fact that being a "radical", or being "cool" today seems completely boring and "put on" when compared to Jesus of Nazareth; a guy who was so much more radical than anything this world has to offer that he didn't have to promote himself. When he had the opportunity to rule an Earthly Kingdom, his response was that His kingdom was "not of this world". When He could have had legions of Angels rescue Him from the cross, He decided against it because it would have ruined the possibility of Grace; the undeserved forgiveness offered to all of mankind for their past, current and future sins. Jesus was concerned about changing people from the inside out. His plan was to lead his followers on a "narrow road" yet when I look around at our culture, specifically Christians in our culture, we have taken on the "outside in" approach as that is what appears marketable to the masses.
In Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus states, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." I must say before I get rolling that I absolutely love the Church! I'm truly grateful to be part of the bride of Christ! But it pains my Spirit to see the crowds of consumers who show up on Sunday to be "fed", taking from God and not giving their life for Him (I'm guilty of this too at times). I'm talking about the people showing up on Sunday, thinking that if they "just do Church, and join a life group" then they've fulfilled their God quota, or that they've fit in to their culture as a Christian. Little do these people realize they have joined the "wide road" that leads to destruction as Jesus is not their everything but only one of their things. Sadly, the Pastors, scared to lose these cultural, consumer Christians who pay their bills rarely preach repentance for fear of losing their financial base and do not Shepherd these Sheep to greener pastures planted by God. They tell people to "come as they are", yet they send them home after letting them know Jesus loves them, and teaching them a second language called "Christianese" all while never asking people to truly be "born again" so that they may inherit the Kingdom that comes along with traveling on the "narrow road".
Doing the "churchy Christiany life" is harming people more than helping them as a majority of the people in our own faith, scared to fail by Earthly standards, think that they can love both God and the world equally (the wide road). As we show compassion, teach these "learners of Christ" (as opposed to followers) some great stuff about how to live, we never actually call them out of a life of Earthly living, which would actually lead them to find their security in Christ. In reality, if we think about it, what the Church is doing is leading people to Heaven "through the fire" as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3. It is my opinion Christians today are only learning to waste their life better, as they know who Christ is, but still walk on the road considered to wide to Jesus.
As I read today's passage in the Psalms, I love the very first line about keeping God's "way" so that we may inherit what He has for us as the others are "cut off". In a culture that tells us that the "world is our oyster" and then tells us that we can love both Jesus and a "comfy" life out of the other side of its mouth, we recognize the contradiction in the message. Either God is lying or culture/generation are lying. I'm going to tell you bluntly, it's your culture that's lying to you and it's effecting what it really means to follow Christ. It's effecting the Spirit's role on Sunday, it's effective the way we evangelize, it's effecting unity in the Church and it's effecting the way Jesus is "marketed" to the masses.
The reason I love that line about "keeping God's way" so much is that it is actually very similar to Jesus' teaching about the "narrow road". The word "way" is the focus and in Hebrew the word "way", is translated into the word "derek" which means "a course of life or mode of action". Jesus was never concerned about the masses. He never signed an endorsement deal to bring him followers by putting him on a billboard in which he was paid to promote the "Jesus Sandals". Jesus' concern was to save the brokenhearted and the downtrodden, the widows and the orphans while teaching them a new "way". He aimed to bring all those to Him who new first hand that if life was only about what happens here, then "life isn't fair". The early followers of Christ in Acts were known as "the way" and it's no coincidence that they carried that name. In Christ is a new life and the old is gone. Jesus was interested in saving anyone and everyone, but never if they planned on keeping their own life which is the reason he invited anyone to join His "way". If you disagree, look at what He told the "young rich ruler" in Mark 10.
My goal today is not to bash Sunday church or the people who share the same Faith as me. It's not to push myself up as somebody who "gets it". My goal today, through Psalm 37:34 is to remind us that God has a plan for those people who choose to walk on His narrow path, no matter how much pain, hardship or suffering we endure. It's through that plan of the narrow path that we are to inherit His perfect Kingdom. As you see others around basking in the success of "making it" while the world is falling apart, don't be jealous or discouraged as that reaction only indicates your immaturity in Christ and His eternal perspective. I also want to say that I think it's wonderful if you go to church on Sunday (as we do sometimes) but doing that is not enough. Doing a "life group" or a "bible study" is not enough. The only thing that is enough is finding Jesus to be your everything. Life is found in glorifying God and the joy that comes from accepting the gift of grace from Jesus Christ. Without Christ there is no life, and a life without His Spirit is one in which finding your security in Him seems not only silly but ignorant. You have a choice, and you are either in or you're out. Repent today, let God transform you from the inside out and start living a life of fullness and vision, a life in which our joy does not go up and down like the stock market, but is full because of what we have in Jesus.
Living today seems harder than ever. Though I do not want to take on a "chronological snobbery" approach to this life, it seems like there has never been a harder time to live. Unemployment in America is higher than at any other time since the Great Depression, more people have lost their homes to foreclosure than at any other time in history (and more are coming next year), big business appears to own everything, the Government is running/ruining anything it can get its hands on (that's both parties), and we have people fighting over health care while we're at war in the Middle East and dealing with an Economic collapse in our own nation. All of this is happening while there is more money in circulation than at any other time in history. Shouldn't that make us happy and content? Strangely enough we are living in a time in which we are considered the "healthiest" generation with a longer life expectancy than any other people group in history (pre-flood) and yet clinical Depression has reached levels that never seemed imaginable. We know more about our Universe due to increased technology but we deny God's existence even though we can't explain any other way that the Universe could have come in to being. Moreover, we can communicate with people anywhere on the globe faster than you can say "Twitter" but we can't get on the phone with our own families or friends and forgive one another so that we may live in a graceful and peaceful environment in this short life that we have.
(Note: "chronological snobbery" is a term used by C.S Lewis to help people understand the timelessness of truth, beauty, etc. In our day we believe we are more advanced (and we are) because of new technology, more modes of transportation and a myriad of ways to communicate but when we take on a view that we are "better" than times past, and are only able to "get it" now because of some new Science or IPhone application, we are practicing "chronological snobbery".)
I struggle with the idea of being "in" in a culture that seems so upside down. The older I get, the more I watch how fast my daughter is growing up, I feel like I'm "out" instead of "in". (Now "out" means I'm gay, which I'm not, so maybe I should say "out of touch".) In a society where it is "cool" to dress like an outcast (because it's in), follow a specific political agenda because it's hip, or become "cause" oriented because you are so in touch with your compassionate side, it's hard for me to ignore the fact that being a "radical", or being "cool" today seems completely boring and "put on" when compared to Jesus of Nazareth; a guy who was so much more radical than anything this world has to offer that he didn't have to promote himself. When he had the opportunity to rule an Earthly Kingdom, his response was that His kingdom was "not of this world". When He could have had legions of Angels rescue Him from the cross, He decided against it because it would have ruined the possibility of Grace; the undeserved forgiveness offered to all of mankind for their past, current and future sins. Jesus was concerned about changing people from the inside out. His plan was to lead his followers on a "narrow road" yet when I look around at our culture, specifically Christians in our culture, we have taken on the "outside in" approach as that is what appears marketable to the masses.
In Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus states, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." I must say before I get rolling that I absolutely love the Church! I'm truly grateful to be part of the bride of Christ! But it pains my Spirit to see the crowds of consumers who show up on Sunday to be "fed", taking from God and not giving their life for Him (I'm guilty of this too at times). I'm talking about the people showing up on Sunday, thinking that if they "just do Church, and join a life group" then they've fulfilled their God quota, or that they've fit in to their culture as a Christian. Little do these people realize they have joined the "wide road" that leads to destruction as Jesus is not their everything but only one of their things. Sadly, the Pastors, scared to lose these cultural, consumer Christians who pay their bills rarely preach repentance for fear of losing their financial base and do not Shepherd these Sheep to greener pastures planted by God. They tell people to "come as they are", yet they send them home after letting them know Jesus loves them, and teaching them a second language called "Christianese" all while never asking people to truly be "born again" so that they may inherit the Kingdom that comes along with traveling on the "narrow road".
Doing the "churchy Christiany life" is harming people more than helping them as a majority of the people in our own faith, scared to fail by Earthly standards, think that they can love both God and the world equally (the wide road). As we show compassion, teach these "learners of Christ" (as opposed to followers) some great stuff about how to live, we never actually call them out of a life of Earthly living, which would actually lead them to find their security in Christ. In reality, if we think about it, what the Church is doing is leading people to Heaven "through the fire" as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3. It is my opinion Christians today are only learning to waste their life better, as they know who Christ is, but still walk on the road considered to wide to Jesus.
As I read today's passage in the Psalms, I love the very first line about keeping God's "way" so that we may inherit what He has for us as the others are "cut off". In a culture that tells us that the "world is our oyster" and then tells us that we can love both Jesus and a "comfy" life out of the other side of its mouth, we recognize the contradiction in the message. Either God is lying or culture/generation are lying. I'm going to tell you bluntly, it's your culture that's lying to you and it's effecting what it really means to follow Christ. It's effecting the Spirit's role on Sunday, it's effective the way we evangelize, it's effecting unity in the Church and it's effecting the way Jesus is "marketed" to the masses.
The reason I love that line about "keeping God's way" so much is that it is actually very similar to Jesus' teaching about the "narrow road". The word "way" is the focus and in Hebrew the word "way", is translated into the word "derek" which means "a course of life or mode of action". Jesus was never concerned about the masses. He never signed an endorsement deal to bring him followers by putting him on a billboard in which he was paid to promote the "Jesus Sandals". Jesus' concern was to save the brokenhearted and the downtrodden, the widows and the orphans while teaching them a new "way". He aimed to bring all those to Him who new first hand that if life was only about what happens here, then "life isn't fair". The early followers of Christ in Acts were known as "the way" and it's no coincidence that they carried that name. In Christ is a new life and the old is gone. Jesus was interested in saving anyone and everyone, but never if they planned on keeping their own life which is the reason he invited anyone to join His "way". If you disagree, look at what He told the "young rich ruler" in Mark 10.
My goal today is not to bash Sunday church or the people who share the same Faith as me. It's not to push myself up as somebody who "gets it". My goal today, through Psalm 37:34 is to remind us that God has a plan for those people who choose to walk on His narrow path, no matter how much pain, hardship or suffering we endure. It's through that plan of the narrow path that we are to inherit His perfect Kingdom. As you see others around basking in the success of "making it" while the world is falling apart, don't be jealous or discouraged as that reaction only indicates your immaturity in Christ and His eternal perspective. I also want to say that I think it's wonderful if you go to church on Sunday (as we do sometimes) but doing that is not enough. Doing a "life group" or a "bible study" is not enough. The only thing that is enough is finding Jesus to be your everything. Life is found in glorifying God and the joy that comes from accepting the gift of grace from Jesus Christ. Without Christ there is no life, and a life without His Spirit is one in which finding your security in Him seems not only silly but ignorant. You have a choice, and you are either in or you're out. Repent today, let God transform you from the inside out and start living a life of fullness and vision, a life in which our joy does not go up and down like the stock market, but is full because of what we have in Jesus.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Trusting Truth- 40 Days of Psalm 37 (Day 33)
"The LORD will not abandon him to his power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial." Psalm 37:33
I don't know about you, but as a little kid I had a habit of breaking, losing, or ruining toys and "things" that weren't mine. I never did it on purpose, but it seemed like I would stop paying attention to what I was doing at just the perfect time in order to ruin or mess up something of worth. One instance has never left my head and the feelings in my gut of condemnation can be recalled any time I need a definition of that word. I was about eleven or twelve years old, playing in my parents garage on some weight machines (something else I also managed to mess up). I don't remember exactly what happened from the point that I got off the weight machines, but a few minutes later my stomach was churning as I was staring at a nice scratch in the back right door of my Dad's brand new "7 series" BMW. He had just gotten the car as a result of his first "big" year in business for himself and it was his new favorite toy. I remember pondering whether or not to "come clean" as I had a friend over and didn't want him to be sent home. I also remember considering the alternative of telling him that, "I didn't do it. Must have been hit by another car in a parking lot" until I realized that he'd park this car at the end of a parking lot so that this type of thing couldn't happen. No matter what, He was going to know I did it and I feared that this "sin" was about to lead to death as I went in and told Him. I walked up to him, wooden spoon in hand, pants down and told him to take it easy. Not really, but in hindsight that would have made the story better right? I actually went in, told him, saw his face turn red as he tried to hold in his frustration and gave me grace as he turned this difficult situation into a lesson about why I shouldn't be moving large things next to a car if I'm not strong enough. It also has given me the reputation as somebody who doesn't lie, something that has stuck with me the rest of my life.
As I read today's Scripture, recognizing that it is a response to verse 32 which reads "The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death" I can't help but think of how grateful I am to have a Father God who's on my side, who sees what I'm going through, even when it seems as though it may kill me. I also have God, who because of Christ, sees me as blameless and righteous as I let His Spirit live in me and make the decisions for me. In my story, though I sinned as a little boy (numerous times...still do) I am able to recognize that like my Dad's response, I will not be condemned when I come to trial. Though my circumstances may become tougher because of my own actions or the actions of those who don't like me, eternally, as Romans 8:1 states "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
Today's passage raises a few questions to myself as well as the potential readers. Are you feeling like God has abandoned you? Are you questioning whether or not God exists because of the people around you treating like you a mental midget for having such a medieval philosophy? Have you done something that you consider to be unforgivable because of the hurt that it has caused another person or do you feel worthless in this life? Do you believe you are unworthy of God's love, because of the person you are "in the flesh"? Let me briefly answer each one of these for you in the Spirit of today's Scripture and with the use of God's eternal word.
Psalm 37:33 starts off by saying, "God will not abandon Him to his power". "Him" is you! God will not abandon you no matter what you are going through. If you need some reassurance in this, I would encourage you to not only read the entire New Testament to see how well God knows you and your needs (as well as loves you and offers eternal life in Jesus Christ), but to take a couple of minutes after this blog today to read Psalm 139 in which David gives us a clear description of where God is and how well He knows you. Here's the link... http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%20139&version=ESV
The second question above was, "Are you questioning whether or not God exists because of the people around you...?" This answer is two part. The first part is that the people of this world (minus the Spirit of God in them) are wrong as 1 Corinthians 2:14 states, "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned." When we take other people's words for anything, without figuring them out for ourselves we are actually being immature, selfish and lazy. God doesn't always make sense to man, and therefore the only way to discern what God is doing (i.e allowing evil, death, etc...) is to get to know Him by accepting Christ. Keep in mind, that the idea in which God operates, and us following that plan SHOULD appear to be "folly" to those who don't share the same view of Christ. The second part of this answer lies in the "Spirit of God" line. Earlier in 1 Corinthians 2:12 Paul states, "Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual." If you are questioning God's existence and the realness of Christ because the smartest people you know don't follow this view, I'd suggest writing out who's "wisdom" you want to trust. The wisdom of the Spirit is eternal and true, while the "wisdom" of man only gives answers based on a finite perspective. Spiritual truth is real, and the way to interpret it is not by asking somebody who doesn't speak that "language". That's like asking a bumble bee to tutor you in Spanish. You would never do that, and having the things of God interpreted by MTV, the news, Wikipedia, Kanye West, a friend who doesn't know Christ or even the President of the United States is also a bad idea.
"Have you done something that you consider to be unforgivable...do you believe you are unworthy of God's love?" These can be the toughest for people, especially men who believe they must prove to God their "worth" in order to receive His love and pardon from sin. We constantly aim to prove ourselves to parents, family, friends, our boss, and our culture to show them our worth. But our worth is different to God. We have eternal worth, intrinsic value as the Christian Philosophers would say, because we are created in His likeness (see Genesis). Because of our worth, the Gospel was presented in which eternal life with the Creator could be guaranteed by the acceptance of grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Nothing we can do will separate us from the love of God which is why the constant prodding of Jesus to follow him, never leaves us alone. The inheritance of God's Kingdom comes with that faith and our perspective is changed from finite to eternal. Keep in mind that God has to love us, because we are made in His image (this includes both those who follow Christ and those who don't, which is why Christ is an option for all and not just a few). However, 1 John 3:1 in context, makes it clear that the family of God are those who accept Christ. It says, "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us, is because it does not know Him." If you choose to love God in Christ, you are in. If you choose to go about life alone, you can expect to never understand where the one true God is leading His people.
I hope you realize today that you are a child of God and it's up to you whether or not you continue to seek emancipation from Him, or if you accept His free gift of love and grace through Jesus Christ. When you accept Christ you are accepted into the true family of God. As a member of that family, God does not condemn and will not abandon you. Trust Him with your life today, understanding that His ways are not ours, and that's a much better option as we see daily what the best thinking of human beings has done to the world we live in.
I don't know about you, but as a little kid I had a habit of breaking, losing, or ruining toys and "things" that weren't mine. I never did it on purpose, but it seemed like I would stop paying attention to what I was doing at just the perfect time in order to ruin or mess up something of worth. One instance has never left my head and the feelings in my gut of condemnation can be recalled any time I need a definition of that word. I was about eleven or twelve years old, playing in my parents garage on some weight machines (something else I also managed to mess up). I don't remember exactly what happened from the point that I got off the weight machines, but a few minutes later my stomach was churning as I was staring at a nice scratch in the back right door of my Dad's brand new "7 series" BMW. He had just gotten the car as a result of his first "big" year in business for himself and it was his new favorite toy. I remember pondering whether or not to "come clean" as I had a friend over and didn't want him to be sent home. I also remember considering the alternative of telling him that, "I didn't do it. Must have been hit by another car in a parking lot" until I realized that he'd park this car at the end of a parking lot so that this type of thing couldn't happen. No matter what, He was going to know I did it and I feared that this "sin" was about to lead to death as I went in and told Him. I walked up to him, wooden spoon in hand, pants down and told him to take it easy. Not really, but in hindsight that would have made the story better right? I actually went in, told him, saw his face turn red as he tried to hold in his frustration and gave me grace as he turned this difficult situation into a lesson about why I shouldn't be moving large things next to a car if I'm not strong enough. It also has given me the reputation as somebody who doesn't lie, something that has stuck with me the rest of my life.
As I read today's Scripture, recognizing that it is a response to verse 32 which reads "The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death" I can't help but think of how grateful I am to have a Father God who's on my side, who sees what I'm going through, even when it seems as though it may kill me. I also have God, who because of Christ, sees me as blameless and righteous as I let His Spirit live in me and make the decisions for me. In my story, though I sinned as a little boy (numerous times...still do) I am able to recognize that like my Dad's response, I will not be condemned when I come to trial. Though my circumstances may become tougher because of my own actions or the actions of those who don't like me, eternally, as Romans 8:1 states "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
Today's passage raises a few questions to myself as well as the potential readers. Are you feeling like God has abandoned you? Are you questioning whether or not God exists because of the people around you treating like you a mental midget for having such a medieval philosophy? Have you done something that you consider to be unforgivable because of the hurt that it has caused another person or do you feel worthless in this life? Do you believe you are unworthy of God's love, because of the person you are "in the flesh"? Let me briefly answer each one of these for you in the Spirit of today's Scripture and with the use of God's eternal word.
Psalm 37:33 starts off by saying, "God will not abandon Him to his power". "Him" is you! God will not abandon you no matter what you are going through. If you need some reassurance in this, I would encourage you to not only read the entire New Testament to see how well God knows you and your needs (as well as loves you and offers eternal life in Jesus Christ), but to take a couple of minutes after this blog today to read Psalm 139 in which David gives us a clear description of where God is and how well He knows you. Here's the link... http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%20139&version=ESV
The second question above was, "Are you questioning whether or not God exists because of the people around you...?" This answer is two part. The first part is that the people of this world (minus the Spirit of God in them) are wrong as 1 Corinthians 2:14 states, "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned." When we take other people's words for anything, without figuring them out for ourselves we are actually being immature, selfish and lazy. God doesn't always make sense to man, and therefore the only way to discern what God is doing (i.e allowing evil, death, etc...) is to get to know Him by accepting Christ. Keep in mind, that the idea in which God operates, and us following that plan SHOULD appear to be "folly" to those who don't share the same view of Christ. The second part of this answer lies in the "Spirit of God" line. Earlier in 1 Corinthians 2:12 Paul states, "Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual." If you are questioning God's existence and the realness of Christ because the smartest people you know don't follow this view, I'd suggest writing out who's "wisdom" you want to trust. The wisdom of the Spirit is eternal and true, while the "wisdom" of man only gives answers based on a finite perspective. Spiritual truth is real, and the way to interpret it is not by asking somebody who doesn't speak that "language". That's like asking a bumble bee to tutor you in Spanish. You would never do that, and having the things of God interpreted by MTV, the news, Wikipedia, Kanye West, a friend who doesn't know Christ or even the President of the United States is also a bad idea.
"Have you done something that you consider to be unforgivable...do you believe you are unworthy of God's love?" These can be the toughest for people, especially men who believe they must prove to God their "worth" in order to receive His love and pardon from sin. We constantly aim to prove ourselves to parents, family, friends, our boss, and our culture to show them our worth. But our worth is different to God. We have eternal worth, intrinsic value as the Christian Philosophers would say, because we are created in His likeness (see Genesis). Because of our worth, the Gospel was presented in which eternal life with the Creator could be guaranteed by the acceptance of grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Nothing we can do will separate us from the love of God which is why the constant prodding of Jesus to follow him, never leaves us alone. The inheritance of God's Kingdom comes with that faith and our perspective is changed from finite to eternal. Keep in mind that God has to love us, because we are made in His image (this includes both those who follow Christ and those who don't, which is why Christ is an option for all and not just a few). However, 1 John 3:1 in context, makes it clear that the family of God are those who accept Christ. It says, "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us, is because it does not know Him." If you choose to love God in Christ, you are in. If you choose to go about life alone, you can expect to never understand where the one true God is leading His people.
I hope you realize today that you are a child of God and it's up to you whether or not you continue to seek emancipation from Him, or if you accept His free gift of love and grace through Jesus Christ. When you accept Christ you are accepted into the true family of God. As a member of that family, God does not condemn and will not abandon you. Trust Him with your life today, understanding that His ways are not ours, and that's a much better option as we see daily what the best thinking of human beings has done to the world we live in.
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