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Another Look At Ebenezer (1 SAMUEL 7:10-13)
The world is busy, but the Christmas season has always been a time of drawing us aside to revisit our favorite holiday traditions -from skiing to sledding and to adding that extra pound of something delicious. And, in a sense, there is no better story than Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol,” to portray the tenuous hope many feel across the world in this season when our expectations traditionally shine their best. Ebenezer Scrooge and Christ always come to the forefront of Western thought when the season for hope and giving weigh in on our priorities, even though our current generation may have forgotten both. As I thought about our world, this Christmas, I thought it would be a good opportunity to revisit Ebenezer and a gift of three simple words that you can use all year, and be blesssed! EBENEZER, THUNDER and HEROES.
Like today’s world, the classic Ebenezer Scrooge was a man of great monetary wealth but greater spiritual poverty. He simply had no time for God or people, yet his soul was bankrupt and on the verge of an irreversible dark eternity. But of the many traps and bondages Ebenezer Scrooge found himself in perhaps the hardest to overcome was his trap of self-sufficiency.
Recently my wife, Jeannette, and I faced a series of unprecedented emotional, physical and spiritual challenges. On some days we did our best just to weather the storm. On other days we sank under the crashing waves of pressure and not until a few weeks ago did we finally managed to rediscover how to trust, obey and count on God’s help in our time of need. To our surprise, we found our greatest comfort in the life of the ancient prophet/judge Samuel; and in rediscovering Samuel we also discovered the true meaning behind Ebenezer.
EBENEZER
Peering back into the life of Samuel one discovers the making of a God appointed hero. In his lifetime, much like out present world, ancient Israel had degraded to a place of divine intervention on a national scale. Israel had all but turned its back on God and as a result, for twenty years Israel suffered at the hands of oppressive overlords. Despite this God was still grooming a hero and what we may feel is too late for us, because of our circumstances, is seldom too late for God.
We can all attest to experiencing the pains of misfortune because we did not discern the times, live in His presence or seek His glory. And while those pains leave wounds and reminders, God in His omnipotence, prepares a way of escape for those we will seek Him with all their heart, mind and soul. As it was with Samuel, and ancient Israel, His grace continues to groom heroes and cultivate His message in their hearts. In fact the ancient message of Samuel is eternally relevant: It is time to serve the Lord, alone! It is time to humble, seek, pray and turn so that He may visit us, again, in a time of desperation and trouble. Furthermore it is time we come to know this grace-filled and merciful God as our Ebenezer.
What a wonderful word. It may be that Charles Dickens used it on purpose. What a gift again today: Ebenezer: Our Stone of Help wrapped in eternal certainty. For those who are willing to look beyond the frustrations of a season of giving and receiving, we can learn to appreciate Christmas even more, because there is always more from our “Stone” that we first envision.
Preceding Samuel’s introduction of Ebenezer Israel was in despair and growing danger seemed poised to overtake them. Yet Samuel’s words continued to ring true by saying, “If you return to the LORD with all your heart, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your hearts to the LORD and serve Him alone; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the sons of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth and served the LORD alone.”
In response to Samuel’s instruction Israel finally obeyed and positioned their lives, and walk, in perfect alignment with God once again. But just as Israel made their first steps towards faithfulness we read their enemies arrived, on cue, with the intention of sowing doubt, division, fear and retreat from their faithful return back to God. Earlier in this same account we discover all we need to know about Israel, and therefore ourselves, as well as the tactics of our enemy, “When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, the Philistine rulers came to attack Israel. The Israelites heard ⌊about the Philistine plan⌋ and were afraid of them. 8 The Israelites said to Samuel, “Don’t turn a deaf ear to us! Don’t stop crying to the Lord our God for us! Ask him to save us from the Philistines!”[1]
During a time of stress, we often resort to complaining, “I’ll be glad when its over.” But the lessons we learn from this Biblical account reminds us the answer to our stress in our lives, and in our world, is to continue to call on God in a time of trouble and to relax in His purposes and His unexpected plans. This truth leads us to our second “gift.”
THUNDER
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1 Samuel 7: 10-13: “While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines came to fight against Israel. On that day the Lord thundered loudly at the Philistines and threw them into such confusion that they were defeated by Israel. 11 Israel’s soldiers left Mizpah, pursued the Philistines, and killed them as far as Beth Car. 12 Then Samuel took a rock and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer [Rock of Help] and said, “Until now the Lord has helped us.” 13 The power of the Philistines was crushed, so they didn’t come into Israel’s territory again. The Lord restrained the Philistines as long as Samuel lived. 14 [2]
No sooner had Israel recommitted to serving the Lord, alone, the Philistines were on the attack and genuine fear gripped at the courage of the men of Israel. Fear is such a simple word and yet it remains a powerful influence in our lives. Fear can rob our peace, sleep, passion, love and hope while also managing to paralyze us and open the door for a multitude of lies to flood our lives. Fear is what was clawing at the hearts of Israel and this same fear has the ability to interfere with us when we are trying to make our way toward God. Fear is what clutched at the heart of Ebenezer Scrooge when he came face to face with his past, present and future. Yet, while fear may stall many we need only return to the faithfulness of God to be reminded if we run to the Lord, and trust in Him, He will do a great and mighty work on behalf of His faithful. God’s thundering exclamation is a mighty expression that not only causes the enemies of God to stumble, but also gives courage to the panicked, stricken and afraid.
HEROES
Our final “gift” is revealed in the beauty of transformation. The lives of the once fear-filled men of Israel had now turned heroic. But it was not an overnight change. Israel’s transformation was years in the making and even started with Samuel whose entire life was being groomed for such a critical turning point in Israel’s history. But what was responsible to the transformation from fearful to courageous and unfaithful to faithful? Was it just in a man? No. What had changed was Israel’s heart.
Through turning back to the Lord in obedience and serving Him alone, courage became gift of Ebenezer. Like Israel we should take great courage in the powerful chain of events we can expect when we turn our hearts back to God and joyfully serve Him alone. God is always looking for an opportunity to thunder in behalf of those who love Him. God is always looking to raise up a hero that will serve Him with all they have and God is always looking to redeem the stumbling and fearful by giving them His Spirit and victory. God is always looking for an opportunity to give us a reason to lay an EBENEZER (a rock of remembrance of His help) for His glory.
In a sense, the Christmas story has the same handprint as Samuel’s story. Across the globe Christians return to the simple, life changing reality of Emmanuel “God with us” in the form of the infant child, Jesus. To a creation that had lost its way, an unlikely Hero was given, in unlikely circumstances, to an unlikely, simple girl and unimportant people. It may have seemed relatively insignificant for Samuel to establish a memorial stone named Ebenezer (stone of help) after the victory of Israel over their enemies. But this small “stone of help” was as profound as God in flesh wrapped in swaddling clothes. Samuel reminded Israel God was the source of their help during their critical moments and Jesus birth likewise reminds us He is the Everlasting Stone of this evidence throughout the year. In Ebenezer, Israel, and we, are reminded that He is always on the side of the person who loves Him with everything.
Ebenezer Scrooge lived long enough to discover the gift of redemption. Scrooge learned he truly had something to fear…a cold and heartless world without the love and compassion of genuine family. A world without Jesus is as unforgiving and unloving as Scrooges’ bleak existence. But once we, like Scrooge, find the true meaning of purpose, life and destiny our fear prisons become broken and our circumstances are alleviated in the thunderous and compassionate mercy of God. At the close of “A Christmas Carol” Scrooge becomes an Ebenezer for many in need, and in Christ’s glorious birth He reminds everyone of the lasting truth He is the answer to our needs today. To experience the lasting joy and hope of this Christmas season turn your heart to serve the Lord alone, and let your New Year’s resolution be: This year I will expect the THUNDER of God in my circumstances!
Merry Christmas! – JOSHUA-PAUL
[1] GOD’S WORD Translation. (1995). (1 Sa 7:7–8). Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group.
[2] GOD’S WORD Translation. (1995). (1 Sa 7:10–14). Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group.
A Forgotten Baptism…A Need for Revival!
Recently, my wife and I were invited to a wonderful dinner with friends and members of our faith community. As we enjoyed a fantastic meal, and even better fellowship, an interesting conversation emerged which revealed some of the generational sensibilities and opinions of today. Boomers, Gen X/Y and Millennials were seated around a table discussing a variety of issues ranging from society to faith and even a little sports mixed in. It was evident, from the outset, our initial opinions seemed miles apart; however, in short time, the gaps in our understandings began to narrow and we all realized we were closer in our personal goals than we first assumed.
A reoccurring theme that managed to weave itself through our conversation was the desperate need for authenticity and genuineness in expressing our Christian faith across all generations. To my knowledge every generation has a great list of “world changers.” Throughout history the world changer is often the man, or woman, that stands out and above their peers during a critical time. Pericles for Athens, Churchill for England and Washington for the colonies, just provide a short list of “great men”; and yet for all their combined greatness, prose and acts of valor they pale in comparison to one man who deserves to be numbered highest among the greats and is often overlooked.
The benefits of technology, movie making and story-telling has only added to the myth-like greatness of men and moments; and often we point to certain “instances in time” when the obscure or unknown hero emerges from the shadows and takes their place on the world stage.
But what happens when our ordinary hero’s are overlooked? How much attention do we give to the story that doesn’t seem to move us in any tangible way? We might be quick to say the person is not as great as or heroic as we first thought. But should we judge a persons actions on what they changed in the moment? Or would we be best served to evaluate their life, and actions, based on what they set in motion or prepared?
By now you are probably wondering which man “great man” I am referring to that has been overlooked and undervalued? Few complimentary essays have been written about this man whose seminary was solitude in a blistering desert. His professor didn’t come from a linage of respected scholars or elitist intellectuals; but his roots tapped into everlasting waters and eternal truth. His professor was God and his mind was so sharp that he memorized God’s word without the benefit of an app or library. His command of the Scriptures was such he knew when they were being violated. He was so convinced of Scripture’s accuracy he was willing to challenge the ruling authorities of society. His critics tried to dismiss him as a raving, delusional lunatic or spiritual guru with a “small” following. But despite their best efforts his audience and eloquence was strong enough to debate and confound the religious establishment. Was he a leader whose “radical” nature made him detached from the common man? Hardly. His appeal was ordinary enough to relate, and compel, many who had grown spiritually indifferent or disillusioned.
Jesus said of this man “Among them that are born of women there is not one born greater than John the Baptist.” (Mt. 11:11) Among the great Caesars, generals, prophets, ancient authors, philosophers, amazing architects and world changers Jesus was willing to place John the Baptist as the greatest?
The Gospels tell us one day when Jesus, who created the world (Jn. 1:3), saw John calling covenant people (Jews) to repent because the Kingdom of God was at hand. Such a call for change went beyond the words of minor adjustments and subtle shifts in lifestyle. The very words, passion, zeal and leading by the Spirit was a call for a radical departure from the status quo and a changing of their direction, mind, heart and way of life. While a verbal and impassioned response might have been sufficient, this new call was forever symbolized in the act of baptism; and since the concept of ritual cleansing was not alien to Jews this baptism must have been understood as something different. Why? Upon hearing John’s words Jesus submitted and was Himself baptized, saying, “it behooves us to fulfill all righteousness.”
John’s call was reaching into the ‘heart” of mankind’s problem. The problem was sin, and the solution was repentance. This past 4th of July weekend my family was spending some relaxing time around a friend’s pool and while we are talking, and watching the World Cup, my mother asked me to baptize her later that afternoon. Soon after I baptized her I also had the privilege to baptize another friend and this only began a process of something amazing God has chosen to reveal to our entire church family.
My mother later shared with me what triggered her desire to be baptized, again; and I would like to share with you her words as she passed them on to me:
“Recently I awoke with the image of today’s society brokenness at the forefront of my mind – individuals, families and nations. The scene of John the Baptist appeared and I heard the Holy Spirit say: Families Healed! Family casualties are increasing rapidly in this generation. But there is a cure. If the broken family would come together in the Baptism of Repentance without speaking a word to each other – only to God – years of brokenness would be healed. No counseling, no accusations, no what ifs – only personal repentance to God, and personal forgiveness. The pain and brokenness in the baptism would bury the wounds and restoration would begin; and in many cases newness would happen at that very time.
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Churches Revived – Next I saw whole churches receiving the Baptism of Repentance. Every church member and every church has failed God somewhere along the way; we all carry burdens of “if only.” Some are living in disobedience to God and some are living in ignorance of His Spirit. Baptism, as it was in John’s day, would set us free, enable us to feel clean and begin with a fresh start. Repentance would help prepare the way for the Lord in this generation.
Imagine the scene: An entire church lining a riverbank or a beach – imagine the headlines: “X church” meets for a Baptism of Repentance.” It is not about church membership but Kingdom membership. Jesus never sinned, yet He humbled Himself to John’s baptism. If pastors, from all denominations, would call their church to the Baptism of repentance, (and in fact include the great sacrament) God would hear and move over the people that have lost their way.”
Referring to my earlier dinner story I, like many of you, are sitting at the table of generations in transition. Daily we are challenged with living our Christian walk of faith with genuine authenticity. Perhaps the challenge facing every pastor, parishioner and new convert is to set aside our busy agendas and acknowledge we all carry the unnecessary burdens of guilt and regret. But what if we were to return to a place of repentance, like in the time of John’s baptism, and humble ourselves anew?
What would happen if we would be faithful to seek His face, pray and turn from our past ways? Would we experience a fresh walk with God again? Would revival pour out and heal our lands? If our greatest objection to such an action is, “But I’m already a believer, baptized and living for God.” Then remember So was Jesus! He was God in flesh, and without sin, and still saw every reason to participate in this baptism to fulfill all righteousness.
The baptism of repentance is not about church identity, but it is about the clean and holy life of repentance that pleases God, and renews our covenant with Him, regardless where we worship.
The result of a nationwide “Church Baptism” would be earth shaking. Many would doubtless come into the Kingdom for the first time by such a genuine return to faith and life. Such an invitation would also welcome many more to experience the joy of genuine commitment to God for the first time. What a witness when the church highlights one of its two great sacraments, publicly and for no other reason than to declare God and draw closer to Him!
I lay the challenge before us all….
Grace and Peace
JOSHUA
THE ITCH, THE CHALLENGE, THE ANSWER
This past Christmas we bought a family pet for our kids, Prince Casper, and as you can imagine this little five-pound Maltese has quickly settled in as part of our family. Of course with any new pet there is a period of adjustments and some training; but animals are pretty smart and soon they gravitate to particular places and people in the home. While I have always enjoyed the company of a family pet the last thing I really wanted was for our new furry friend to be attached to me. In the dining room, where I do most of my work, he will often wait for me to sit down before he jumps up in my lap and sits there for hours on end. One day while I was typing, and he was sitting in my lap, I noticed a patch of hair that was thinning around his neck and then another thinning spot on his back. This was followed by an itch that didn’t seem to go away with even the proper shampoo. Quickly I made an appointment with the local vet and he prescribed some medicine that slowed some of the conditions but Casper’s itch continued. After a few more weeks of trial and error the vet finally concluded Casper’s itching problem wasn’t the serious issue but actually a symptom that pointed to something deeper going on.
There is nothing more annoying than having an itch you can’t reach; but there is also nothing more relieving than the itch you can get at and scratch away. The thing about any itch is its ability to drive us all a little crazy and if it is bad enough, no matter how much we scratch, we seem no closer to really getting at the source of what created the itch in the first place. Today’s post is about an itch, a challenge and a cure.
My recent posts on evangelism, discipleship and community have all led us to a place of rediscovering the nature of Jesus and how we, as Christians, can reach our world. We all know we are commanded to compel the world around us, as stated in the Great commission, but if you are anything like me with such a command an “itch” soon surfaces. Questions such as, Where do we begin? Who do we reach? Are their limitations in our reach? Are only the surface itches and no matter how much we scratch we seem no closer to arriving at satisfactory solutions, or cures. Like Casper’s vet, we need to understand the itch is only pointing us to something deeper that exists within a greater context of what is really occurring in our world.
Perhaps no other decade has seen so much transition than ours. It is as if since post 9/11 our world has rapidly sped up. Economic swings have been fast and furious, social changes have been rapid and boundary breaking, entrainment has become more about agenda’s and politics and less about relaxing diversions, politics have become more ugly and the church has flipped, flopped, splashed, grown, shrank, been rocked by scandals and rebranded more than a popular coffee chain. Our sons and daughters have grown up in a decade of war that, while it remains miles away, brings uncertainty, fear, depression and anxiety. With the technological boom and social media today, more than any other generation, has created endless voices clamoring for attention, stage space and recognition. And since there is nothing new under the sun what we are all witnessing is the resurfacing of age-old questions that are adding to a growing itch.
Today’s Christian is experiencing their faith in a post-Christian world; and today most of society borrows their philosophy from modern thinkers like Jean-Francis Lyotard who said, “it is difficult to believe one story, any story about the world and human condition, can be true.” Such a skeptical philosophy has only added to a world with multiple itches with each younger generation scratching without getting any closer to their cure. Coming from the Gen X/Y generation I now parent Millennials; and while I know my generation was far from perfect I am witnessing today’s generations are marked with an alarming sense of hopelessness and disillusionment.
America had experienced a similar swing during the post-Vietnam war generation which experienced a great loss of life, questions of authority, purpose, life and truth. And similar age of skepticism plagued Europe, post WW I, that also resulted in a backlash against traditional values, belief, thought and faith from which Europe never recovered. And so, here we are again…old itches repackaged for a new age and the need for a Christian response to reach a lost generation with real and lasting truth!
Several posts prior I addressed three toxins that poison, and eventually kill, the Biblical community. They are consumerism, isolationism and individualism. Added to these toxins is an added pressure facing every Christian, non-Christians and seeker: Privatism. What is this new term mean? Privatism is defined as, I have my truth, you have your truth and let’s not bother each other with conflicting views. And do not bother me with your truth even if you think you have reason to believe it.
Today’s world is trying to survive on the motto, “The only thing that matters in the world is me. I am the center of my universe and I determine my own future and existence.”
Let me suggest: You did not create this world but you are called to minister to the world. Many will try to reach their contemporaries by looking, sounding and acting like the environment that surrounds them. Others will try to impact their world by being counter-cultural and express a world-view that is perceived as opposite of today’s trends and assumptions. I would like to suggest, and challenge all of us, to consider the latter.
A counter-cultural Christ-centered community can, and should be, a family of faith that isn’t primarily about you, me, our specific needs, particular happiness, fulfillment and or meaning. In fact a counter-cultural Christianity is not about one story of many stories that borrows a little from here and there to make a good case for a our way of life. Counter-cultural Christianity will always make the claim to be truth universally, not American truth, the truth of another nation and certainly not truth for just today, but God’s truth for everybody and for every generation. Counter-Cultural Christianity has always challenged the prevailing wisdoms, ways of life, thinking and living while calling its disciples to live a radical faith that is committed to full-time discipleship in Christ alone!
Radical? The very word scares us and conjures all sorts of stereotypes and falsehoods. By radical I am not referring to a certain dress code or throw back version of Christianity. What I am calling for is a radical counter-cultural faith that is rooted in the Biblical Jesus and expresses the entire Bible (from Genesis to Revelation) as the best possible guide, for everyone, to understand a particular view of the human condition, an exclusive way for salvation and a certain hope for the entire world. If the Christian faith will not dare to live counter-cultural than we will never be able to reach a world with any message, any hope and or lasting truth. Remember the world has an itch that needs scratching.
I am challenging all of us to consider after we have our discussions on the nature of the Biblical community, the heart of evangelism and the call for discipleship we must answer the restlessness of the world with the counter-cultural message of the Biblical Jesus and break through the carefully constructed veneer of the post-Christian, post-modern restlessness of our current culture.
The world is desperately searching for enduring truth and we alone have the tools to reconnect our seeking world with a vibrant truth, community and relationship that will guarantee wisdom and direction for all generations.
Sadly many of our current thinkers, universities and churches have revised history into a narrative that is exists largely disconnected from centuries of verifiable fact. Such a disconnect has further contributed to a society that has developed as a religious and social “vessel” that is free-floating, without an anchor, hoping not to wreck upon the rocks or find whatever port of call is safest at the moment. If this is true then what Larry Hurtado says is all the more impactful as to why Christianity today must be counter-cultural, “the rise of Christianity existed in a setting where religion was varied prominent, pervasive and popular.” In fact Hurtado later goes as far as to connect how every part of 1st Century life was connected to religious practice in some way; and this was the spiritual seedbed from which Christianity burst into the world. Within a short period of time (three centuries) the faith of the ancient apostles, and their disciples, confronted pagan practices, ancient religions, philosophical assumptions and even the most powerful cult of the emperor while managing to overcome them all and rise eventually to the faith of an empire. Did Christianity overtake the world by borrowing from the worship of Zeus? Apollo? Or Caesar? Did the church overcome with the witness and thoughts of Plato and Aristotle?
Today’s world is filled with spiritual pluralism, TV celebrities and part-time philosophers that have only added to the normalization of many roads that can eventually reach God. Yet, the itch continues and the infection, which drives the itch, is well beneath the surface to the place where it hurts most. So, how do we reach our world for Jesus while facing the dangers, challenges and obstacles?
- We can either be identified with the culture
- We can be identified against the culture or,
- The church can transform the culture.
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I propose a way of life where we are to be identified in the culture because we need to live and interact with a real world. It will be impossible to share the Gospel with any part of the world if we remain huddled in a bunker and shut away from the spiritually sick and needy. Therefore, we should be encouraged to live balanced lives, marry, have children, buy food, eat out and engage in the marketplace of ideas. However, we must also resist the urge to be shaped by the culture:
- Do not be shaped by unrighteousness (Romans 6:12)
- Live like the old man (Col. 3:5-9)
- Walk in the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21)
But live shaped by:
- Righteousness (Romans 6)
- According to the new man in Christ (Col. 3: 12-27)
- Walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-26)
- Overcommers of darkness and spiritual oppression (Eph. 6:12)
Finally, Transform Your Culture! Whatever walk of life you are in let the world know of how Jesus has transformed your life and why your faith, and worship, rests in Him alone! Today’s Christian is to be the salt, light and ointment that provides the soothing balm to the itch of the world. You provide a “thinking world” a deeper question to ponder and answer: How you, a Christian that live in the same world as they, are not trapped by the spiritual / secular paradox that creates “the itch” in your life. As a missional follower of Jesus you have a unique opportunity to provide the world with an invitation to a real community of truth that is committed to a deeper identity than “self” and rooted in Jesus!
You, I and all believers in the BIBLICAL JESUS have a story to tell and it is worth sharing. Jesus’ story is not an account of a moral, spiritual or philosophical relativism. Rather it is the story of a world that begins with a glorious creation and later experiences a cataclysmic fall. Yet, despite this, God provided the Seed (Jesus) to redeem and revived the heavens, earth and humanity. Jesus’ message is one of enduring hope that has always been best expressed in the Judeo- Christian ethic, standards of right and wrong and commitment to a Biblical worldview that remains proven true yesterday, today and forever.
Judeo – Christianity has always been dramatically counter-cultural because it is born from the DNA of Jesus as Lord. To be His disciple, and make disciples of others, will always be counter-cultural because you will be developing people into one true faith, ethical absolutes and not some confused god-speak that borrows from everything but means nothing!
Yes, the culture has changed and some changes are good and acceptable, especially when we want to communicate and reach our world. Some may wear jeans, different hairstyles and our meeting places may be from coffee shops to living rooms and even spacious buildings. But none of the cosmetic changes are ever acceptable if they alter the absolute message of Jesus. As Christians we must recognize we no longer a “Christian society” as our president reminded us of six years ago. As such we need to understand the challenges of our world and seek to transform it in every arena of life.
There is an itch that requires scratching. But there is also a hurt that runs deeper. You represent the bringers of the great medicine that will not only stop the itch but also cure the real ailment. The disconnect from God can be bridged by today’s Christian if we will accept our counter-cultural faith, represent a transformational message and embrace a life of real people, living in a real world, with real hope and promise in the power to change lives…the power is in Jesus!
Grace and Peace
JOSHUA
TIME TO ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES! (The Gift of Work and the Christian’s Responsibility)
I was fourteen years old and it was the first Monday of summer vacation. Comfortably sleeping in my bed I had already mapped out a summer filled with playing games, hanging out with my best friend and managing to use as much of the day to just chill (as my son would say).To my surprise those dreams, of summer fun, were soon to be replaced with a new reality when my dad woke me up informing me it was time to get ready and take a drive with him. Within thirty minutes I found myself riding shotgun in a 1987 blue Grand Marquis headed downtown; and within the next half hour I was riding back with new summer activity which circumvented my entire summer…a job!
In a recent family episode of life imitating reality I found myself sitting in my car explaining to my son, again at age 14, why it was time to work and his days of “chillin” would be forever in his rear view mirror. No matter what age we begin this journey, of labor and responsibility, it is a God ordained reality would should embrace and not avoid.
Let’s face it we don’t always like work and we also know people who would be defined as “workaholics.” These are the types who claim to love their job and, while that may be true, a closer examination of their story would no doubt include their share of hated professional seasons. Whether we love, like or dislike our current field of labor, as Christians, there is another dimension to work that should compel us to be the best at what we do; even when we are temporarily stuck in a “dead-end” circumstance.
Most of us cherish the idea of a vacation because after a long trying season of work we need time to unwind and recharge. But, after a while our minds begin to shift gears and we start thinking about what work awaits us. My father and father-in-law were both high performing professionals in their chosen fields. As long as I have known them they always worked lengthy hours and gave their very best skill and talent to their job. Now, though officially “retired” they still continue to work. Certainly they are not working as hard, or as extensive, as they once did; but they are continually finding ways to benefit their world, church and own life. I find it curious why after giving themselves to so many years of labor they didn’t just “retire.” And you know why? Because an ethic has been instilled in them to be the very best at whatever they are tasked to do. This amazing ethic has also filtered into their walk with Christ and is often witnessed daily in their church community and beyond.
My past two posts have focused on different angles of discipleship from the practical to the spiritual. Today I want to challenge you to think differently about work and more specifically how, and why, you labor in a community of faith (local church). Studies have proven the 80/20 Rule applies to most churches, non-profits and volunteer based operations. If you have never heard of this rule what it means is 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people. No matter the denomination, church size or cause there will always remain a certain number of critical needs, that require either funds to hire the workers or the volunteers to accomplish the work. But what happens when neither the funds nor the volunteers are available because nobody wants to work or sacrifice? Simply answered the job doesn’t get accomplished and the goal falls well beneath its intended mark.
If the 80/20 Rule applies, within the church today, than there is a more troubling trend we must address and correct if we have any hope of the church affecting the world around us. What is the troubling trend? Most Christians have either an apathetic or unwilling approach to work, within the local body, and as such they drain more resources away, from the church, than what they contribute.
If we are to be living the disciplined walk of faith, with Jesus, then we must be committed to an ethic of work that enables us to mature and bring added value to the community we seek to connect and serve. Many bristle at the idea of “added work” especially after a long week and even longer hours. But when we no longer consider laboring for the Kingdom, through the body of Christ, we stunt our growth as disciples and even worse such inactivity eventually bleeds into other areas of our witness and evangelism.
Taking a brief glance at the work of evangelism reveals very real work with people will take time, effort, resources and emotional, as well as spiritual energy. So while we can rightfully assume God will do His part in provoking the spiritual hearts of the needy; He commands us to share the Good News and make disciples. How is this done? On a very real and basic level it requires work. Jesus already taught the problem of reaching people has never been the “fields of harvest” were too obscure, but the sad truth is the laborers are too few.
When we, as Christians, make excuses as to why we cannot volunteer time and or provide the added financial resource, to pursue active evangelism, we miss the opportunity to enrich our communities and actually do far worse by nourishing the very elements that destroy the community of faith in consumerism, individualism and isolationism. Could this be why large segments of Western Christianity have lost their vibrancy and effectiveness within the world?
Christian vocation is not a new concept. St. Paul often uses the word “strive” to refer to his work in the ministry; and yet the word strive feels so counter-cultural to today’s church and society. Today’s culture has conditioned Christians to think as individuals first and servants last. However Scripture goes well beyond assumption, and implied behavior, when addressing His “called out ones” and “chosen people” are to be those who behave, belong and believe in a Christ-ethic. It is this Christ-like ethic that draws work and life together and allows us to experience a community where labor is seen as worship and less as burdensome activity (See. 1 Peter 2:9 / 1 Peter 2:11-12).
It must be stressed the concept of being a disciple, of Jesus, extends well beyond living as cultural Christians. At the heart of living “in Him” brings with it a distinctive way of life that exists within a Biblically distinctive pattern where His people are genuinely alive and not just living (See. 2 Peter 3:11, 14).
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I mentioned earlier, from my first days of work, we are all faced with the reality and eventuality of labor. We are also surrounded by a world in which you are not only part of but are also called to serve; and that service should begin in your local community of faith (church). When, and if, you embrace the entire Word of God through the lens of Biblical Hebraic Holism you can only logically arrive at a singular conclusion that places ones “church life” not in a context of “vacation time.” Rather one’s life in the community of faith is an extension of their everyday living and should be embraced as an opportunity to express one’s calling.
It is easy to read the Scriptures and desire to live the calling of Moses, Joshua, Peter or Paul. But what if your walk can be just as impactful as these men? What each of these men shared was a lifestyle committed to living a Kingdom reality. With their steadfastness came an understanding in which they saw their purpose was woven intimately into a larger tapestry of what God was developing. Simply said, the heros of our faith lived in a pattern set by the Father and expressed through the Son. Everything Jesus taught, accomplished and expressed pointed His disciples back to the reality of living with Kingdom purpose and laboring in the King’s fields of harvest. Is God not the King who owns the cattle on a thousand hills? As His disciples we are called to live in the pattern of Jesus’ death and resurrection as well as carry out his works of mercy, grace, love and speaking Biblical truth to the seeking, searching and lost. If we will commit to real work in all areas of life we will share in the joy of His harvest and His blessings!
When God calls He commissions! It is up to us to remain faithfully obedient to His direction. To be personally formed into “usable material” (clay in the potters hand) means we should not settle for just showing up, but also look for opportunities to build the Kingdom. To be formed brings with it the welcomed excitement of being transformed; and that can only be witnessed when born-again disciples are actively revolutionize their communities of faith and communities where they live, work and experience life.
One final thought on the Christian ethic of work. While we tend to live in the “hear and now” we frequently miss the moments where our today is shaped by yesterday. What I hope to express is a deeper appreciation of our rich Christian history that brings with it the understanding of work as a blessing from the very beginning in the Garden (See. Gen. 1:28, 2:15) Labor was never a by-product of the fall or an extension of the curse. Rather labor has always been part of God’s design. The curse (sin) attached itself to work by making the earth harder and the seasons less fruitful. But striving for the Kingdom is not a man-made system of labor followed by retirement (Gen.3:17-19). Unfortunately we have done ourselves a spiritual disservice when we choose to view eternity as some type of modern / futuristic retirement plan. Though eternity will be free from the curse, and as a result will not carry with it the same burdens we experience today, the very idea that work will cease is hard to Scripturally imagine or support. Just a brief glance into the Throne Room (See Revelation) allows us glimpses of worship and work. Such a heavenly reality should give us all pause and reconsideration if we are looking to wade in a crystal pool or drift away in a heavenly hammock?
A concluding challenge for us all. Work has always been a mandate that was birthed with creation. Therefore labor is a gift from God and for His purposes. It took literal, not theoretical, work for the death and resurrection to be carried through. Likewise, it will take real effort in His second coming and in the rebuilding of making all things new.
Yes, in the summation of all things the peace of God, His Shalom, will fall over a renewed earth and then those who are in Him will experience work as it was once was in the Garden before the curse. But what would happen, in our world today, if we re-examined our call to work as a divine mandate? What if your work, in the here an now, is in some way connected to your supernatural calling to build the Kingdom of God and support the community of faith where God has placed you?
It is clear Christian work is not for the casual, for the part-time or for the uncommitted and lazy. Yes, Christian work will be the hardest thing you can ever apply yourself to because it requires a full-time dedication unto the Lord. When we serve Him, serve one another and serve the community, by sharing Him, His real Spirit- birthed power is expressed in our lives and continues to testify of one body, one resurrection, one life, one truth, one way, JESUS!
“True revival is freedom for the soul that leads to total freedom for humanity.” – Dennis Kutzner
Grace and Peace
JOSHUA
A Three –Fold Attitude that Stimulates Discipleship and Forms a Genuine Community of Faith
Last week I shared some thoughts on my immersion into a community of disciples and discipleship. But what happens when you have gone beyond “putting your feet in the water” and are fully enveloped by the waves of a genuine Jesus formed community? I acknowledge by using the word “genuine” that must imply there also can be “less than genuine” communities of faith. And guess what? Sadly there are. This is not to say people set out to be purposely disingenuous, but it does mean people can believe they are living in the nature of Jesus when they are not; and so, by default, they become immersed into a community that looks, feels, sounds and may even act with some version of Jesus but entirely miss the opportunity to become a community that engages His true nature.
Simply stated to be a disciple of anyone, means you have learned directly, and accurately, from the disciple-maker. As a New England Patriots fan I have been spoiled by a high level of competition the Patriots provide every season. At the lead of the team’s success is their quarterback, Tom Brady. But before Brady became a Super Bowl MVP, and top quarterback in the NFL, he had to learn from someone. Beginning in high school, through college and even into his professional career Brady routinely sought advice, counsel and training from his long time mentor Tom Martinez. Perhaps few will ever know of the man who helped form Brady into the player millions watch on Sunday afternoons, but his legacy and counsel are witnessed every game Brady leads the New England Patriots out to play. In like manner the greatest violinist the world has ever heard, Jascha Heifetz, learned from Leopold Auer. Tom Brady was developed by Tom Martinez and Plato was instructed by the words and methods of Socrates. While subtle variations in one’s style, approach, look or feel may develop differently, from teacher to student, there will always be a common thread throughout the life of the mentor and mentee: Fundamentally they will be the same in their approach, application, intent and drive to succeed without compromising the richness of truth in their chosen field.
As Christians should we be any less careful to attention, detail, passion, perfection and desire to share Biblical truth with our world? When one becomes immersed in the life of discipleship, in Jesus, there can be no room to compromise His message, and divine nature, in favor of our personal “variations.” Jesus commanded His disciples to go and make disciples of all men commanding them (the Apostles) to instruct everyone in all He (Jesus) had shared. Woven within the DNA of discipleship is a sanctified template of how one becomes His disciple without compromise and with the guarantee of blessing. Getting one’s feet wet, in the community of Christ, is where it all begins; but that has never been a substitute for continuing on the journey of discipleship. True Biblical discipleship begins when we live immersed in the community of faith while being mentored into developing unique techniques and strategies, not gimmicks, that help us draw people to encounter the nature of Jesus!
In my attempt to unpack the heart of discipleship, as well as understand the nature of Jesus, I have come to understand there are three necessary attitudes that invite people and engage them into immersion in the community of faith. The three attitudes are worship, preaching / teaching and mentoring.
ATTITUDE #1: WORSHIP. Try to define worship and the exercise quickly opens into a very large umbrella that the Bible stuffs a lot of action underneath. You can worship God through prayer, fasting, singing, reading and meditating on His Word, tithes and offerings, work, life, common grace acts and the list goes on and on. But to help me better understand worship, within the context of discipleship, I needed to have a simple working definition that could cover all the bases. So, here is a definition I part borrowed and retooled: Worship is not a program but an invitation for people to participate in the truth of Jesus; and we celebrate His story in a variety of forms and activities. There is so much opinion regarding the state of worship within the church today. But wherever you may come down on the issue, worship is always meant to form any community into authentic adoration of Jesus with integrity. What I personally find so inviting about worship is how it really is meant to be apart of everyday, as well as every portion of life, and not just Sunday morning.
While some choose to debate various styles and expressions, of Sunday worship, I feel there is a deeper concern if we allow our times of worship to fall into the traps of being another program or routine. For some, if not most, it may be a little frightening to provide the breathing room necessary for the Holy Spirit to move through our times of worship. But when we give Him the room necessary to move He draws the community of worshippers into the rhythm of God’s nature. It is then our individual and communal moments of celebration merge into the signing of Jesus’ story and our songs become those of great thanksgiving. Worship was at the heart of the early church’s liturgical calendar and the same reason why God gave Ancient Israel the Feasts of the Lord. Life, every day, was to be a celebration of God’s nature and it is meant to immerse His disciples entire lives into Him.
The added by-product of worship is the development of disciple and disciples. Worship has the unique ability to draw everyone into one community that lives, talks, hears and shares the rich celebration of Jesus’ life. Here again this is why disciples should find opportunities to raise our hands, clap and even shout; because a corporate action of thanksgiving, love, relief and even celebration become the moments where the Holy Spirit’s presence can be truly experienced through the cycles of life. Rudolph Otto said, “Good worship will use language of mystery.” And I honestly believe the mystery of worship should be one we all long to uncover. When people, in the Body of Christ, genuinely live lives of worship not only will we experience Him but we will know Him and desire to learn more of Him as our lives behave more like His. All who are in Him are gladly invited to be worshipers; and worship has the basic power to shape the disciple!
ATTITUDE #2: PREACHING / TEACHING: A recent survey, by Thom Rainer, concluded the most decisive factor for visitors, in choosing a fellowship, is the preaching/ teaching. One need only thumb through the pages of the Gospels and book of Acts to discover Jesus routinely taught His disciples wherever they traveled. The development of lay ministry underscores the necessity for trained and qualified men and women who are in a position to teach and disciple within the local church.
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Certainly the Holy Spirit is the one who illuminates the need for change in any one’s heart but the inspiration of Spirit-birthed teaching / preaching always encourages faith in the pattern of Jesus. It is well documented Augustine, for example, always used his teachings as an opportunity to weave doctrine with moral living. So what kind of preaching / teaching should we accept as those pursuing a journey of discipleship? Biblically speaking (and this is always the safest way to judge anything) only teachings that are based on Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone)! Of course there is always a place for sharing how to raise your kids, manage money, discover purpose, etc… but if such themes are not based in Scripture, as the primary source, they will eventually draw people away from the pattern of Jesus and point others toward worldly solutions. Simply put, teaching rooted in anything other than Scripture will make you a disciple of that teacher, or cause, but such an approach will not draw you any closer to the nature of the Father or a disciple of Jesus. Again, teaching and preaching, within the context of discipleship, must always focus on what the Bible says, no more and no less.
Genuine disciples are always called to live submitted not to ones favorite minister, or ministry, but to God’s Word. Let me be so bold as to say, Scripture from Genesis to Revelation is true…..all of it! And so, as disciples of Jesus, we are put ourselves under it and live in obedience to it!
A final thought on preaching / teaching: Tell the Whole Story. I am guilty of watching ESPN for the purposes of viewing the highlight real in order to follow my favorite sporting events. But just watching the highlights will never tell the entire tale of the tape. Highlights are exciting because by their very definition they are “HIGH –LIGHTS!” But three-second clips are incapable of really helping one understand the “why” of the game. To appreciate the highlight you need to know the details of the game. Likewise, discipleship is not meant to be lived, or seen. in highlights. Rather discipleship should always be a public witness and full portrayal of God’s grand design for all creation. Biblical preaching that is coupled with proactive discipleship always keeps Jesus at the center of life’s story, and there He is meant to always remain.
ATTITUDE #3: MENTORING. One of my favorite Seinfeld episodes is, “The Mentor.” In this particular episode Jerry was dating a girl that relied so heavily on her mentor she was incapable of making a move without her advice. Too often we have adopted a “top-down” approach to mentorship and as a result our bonds of mentorship become more like chains of control. Could it be we have somehow misapplied Biblical mentorship? Robert Clinton defines mentorship as, “one person helping another person grow.” Henry Simon explained mentorship as, “having something to share with another who needs it to help him grow.” Today the best form of mentorship remains as it was in the days of the early church and John Wesley, discipleship through class meetings and peer to peer cooperation. While there is a definite need for a one on one relationships it has been my experience an attitude of community mentorship is best suited to knit people together in relatable and personal ways. Within the small group, or home koinonia, a fellowship can discuss a teaching, pray and even provide mutual support and accountability. A single mentor doesn’t, and can’t, have all the answers. But mentors, within the community of Christ, can help others grow and share in Christ. Combined with genuine care, support and prayer the disciple quickly matures; and when this change occurs the entire community becomes immersed in the Jesus cycle of life.
People are searching for genuine Christ-centered communities of faith that expand beyond the church walls and touch real need and real lives. When genuine disciples, in Jesus, invigorate the church then we become an antibiotic to the illness (sin) and perhaps then the world will no longer perceive the church as the illness but an aide for healing and restoration?
Grace and Peace
JOSHUA
Immersed in the Community of Disciples & Discipleship
Recently, I was visiting with the owner of a new business launch that was giving me a sneak peak through his new site. The facility was top notch with every “bell and whistle” that would cater to potential clients in his industry. As we walked through the various workstations he stopped to introduce me to one of the men applying the finishing touches to a particular section of the office. Our conversation was brief and while the man was polite and engaging I could tell there was more to his story than the work he was currently doing. Later I learned the young man, I met earlier, is an excellent guitar player and by some peoples opinions one of the best they have heard in a long time. As I considered such a bold statement I asked, for me, the next logical question, “Then why is he woodworking and not even pursuing music on any level?” Of course I am not privy to this man’s life story; but like most people there is a strong possibility that a man with such talent, and not working in his field of calling, is also a man who stopped being a disciple or disciplined in his craft some time ago. As it is with our chosen profession, or calling, so to the same standards apply toward discipleship. Truthfully, discipleship never ends because everyone is to be constantly led by the Spirit, maturing in Jesus and challenged by one another. If there is such a thing as “steps toward Biblical discipleship” these progressions need to be modeled, in the initial stages, if we desire to help seekers to become converts and converts into disciples.
Bill Hull, who wrote The Disciple-Making Pastor said, “The Great Commission has been worshipped, but not obeyed. The church tried to get to world evangelism without disciple making.” In my opinion his quote accurately sums up the challenges we are facing in a post-Christian / post-Modern church age. Daily we encounter people, spread across life’s journey, whose experiences and backgrounds are unwittingly making them resistant to the hard work of being discipled. Even though the secular / spiritual paradox faces everyone this cannot become the sole excuse for us to avoid the obvious process and spiritual discipline and discipleship. Sadly, Michael Wilkins, a professor of Theology and trainer of pastors, says “The most common answer when asked if anybody has discipled you is, no.” Discipleship has always been, and will forever remain, a life-long process we are meant to experience and be immersed in. Yet many adopt the belief that a semester of discipleship classes will suffice for lifetime journey. The results, and state of our church today, does not bear this out as true or helpful for the maturation of the body of Christ. Therefore, to better understand discipleship let’s take a moment to first explore the nature from which discipleship is developed.
Where Does the Nature of Discipleship Come From? You don’t need to dig through the archives of a denominational library, or a trendy new release on Amazon, to find a manual for discipleship. Beginning with the ancients (Abraham and Eliezer), through the Patriarchs and more specifically with Moses and Joshua we discover a pattern for discipleship. This same process is replicated in the lives of Elijah and Elisha, Jeremiah, Daniel, his three friends and the list is far more exhaustive than limited. So it really should not come as any surprise, within the structure of the Hebraic Holistic worldview, discipleship would be practiced and readily accepted by Jesus and His chosen twelve.
Many of us, me included, have been guilty of assuming the process of discipleship started with Jesus’ earthly ministry but, in reality, this ancient method was just as much a spiritual practice, from the beginning, as a natural relationship designed to share the Word, keep it pure and replicate it throughout each generation. Therefore, when Jesus instructs His disciples in Matt. 10:24-25 He frames the nature of discipleship, and roots for future Christian disciples, in His nature alone.
Contextually speaking when Jesus was sharing such truths it wasn’t revealed in a time too removed from our world today. In Jesus’ day there were many examples of disciples learning under various educated rabbi’s. St. Paul, learning under the instruction of Gamileal, was one example of a long accepted tradition that was the custom of the day. However there was a stark difference in the discipleship, advocated by Jesus, and that of Rabbinic Judaism. Whereas Rabbinic Judaism advocated the process of “leap frog “, where the student would eventually exceed his master, Jesus instructed His disciples by telling them the student will never be above the master. It could be argued Jesus’ teachings did far more than other models of discipleship to help the church rapidly developed through the early years and then exploded through the reformation age. It is discovered in the nature of Jesus His system of discipleship wasn’t a organization of one trying to outdo the other; rather it was a long series of disciples that studied under other disciples. In a very significant way Jesus never encouraged or made disciples that were independent of Him. Every man and woman, who were taught in the model of Jesus, understood their goal was to make disciples back into Jesus.
Six Ways Jesus Taught Discipleship:
- Jesus focus and teaching was developed around repentance and the reality the Kingdom of Heaven was near. (Matt. 4:17)
- Jesus taught the exercise of His compassion. (Matt. 9:36)
- Jesus commanded His disciples to follow the traditions of Him and not others. (Matt. 12:1-8)
- All disciples belonged to family obedience. (Matt. 12:46-50)
- A disciple must live the life of servanthood. (Matt. 20:24-28)
- A disciple shares in the destiny of suffering. (Matt. 10:16-25)
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Late 2013 NT Wright published an amazing work on the writings, life and ministry of St. Paul. Throughout his work NT challenges the thought, some hold, that St. Paul’s teaching were in some way a rival to Jesus’. Sadly, those who see St. Paul and Jesus as rivals have adopted pure liberal foolishness! In fact, Rabbinic Judaism today uses a similar argument against Jesus and Christianity by claiming Christians are following a Jesus reinterpreted through the lens of Paul. In short, for Rabbinic Judaism, Jesus should only be viewed as a rabbi of the first century who taught people how to live whereas Paul turned Jesus into a Savior / Redeemer. NT does an amazing job of addressing this in far more detail than I can in today’s post. But the reason I cited this example was to validate St. Paul’s mission, within the framework of discipleship, was always to make people in Jesus’ image and not his own. Paul’ sole mission was to introduce Jesus, from the Tanakh, to the developing and emerging gentile church. (See. Phil. 1:20-21) True disciples and genuine Biblical discipleship will always follow Jesus’ nature and pattern. This is why we need to be encouraged to avoid discipleship built upon spiritual gurus, specific pastors or our favorite theological teachers. We are all meant to mature, through this life, into sound discipleship in Jesus alone!
How do you become a disciple? Believe! Behave! Belong! (See: John 20:31 , Acts 2:42, 47, Romans 12:2)
How Does the Community of Faith Disciple? While some people will be persuaded by the rational apologetic approach, of which I am a big fan, most people will be discipled through the process of relationship, community and work. When we worship together, learn together and labor together we grow, in Him, together! This is why life groups and peer to peer discipleship, or coffee shop Gospel, can effectively form a Biblical community for today!
Get Immersed into the Life of the Community: The church is you and all of us gathered together; and we collectively are telling the story of Jesus. While we may share His story through a variety of methods and approaches we must never loose site of the fact we are called together for the purposes of glorifying Him as well as be a witness for the entire story of God. This amazing story is worth sharing! It is a remarkable account of how a Triune God is Creator, involved throughout history, incarnate as Jesus, sacrificial in death and in resurrection becomes victory over death and all evil. In the ascension of Jesus He took His place as the sole ruler over all things and will soon return restoring all things, in creation, unto Himself in a new heavens and new earth. THAT IS A STORY WORTH SHARING!
We are all called to not just recite this remarkable account but to live these words as a community that reflects the values of a relationship with the Father, Son and Spirit. We are called, as a community immersed in Him, to reflect the many creative gifts that reveal His majesty. We are called to be a community of love, redemption and reconciliation. Discipleship and maturity, in Him, also affords us the opportunity to have the deep conversations of how we will address sin, through heart and sight of Jesus. Biblical discipleship will also teach us how to care for the needs of a suffering world and also provide hope of a glorious future for those who are in Him.
Immersion is part of life. The community of Christ is more than capable, by His Holy Spirit, to immerse everyone into the life of Jesus. For those who are willing to shape their life around the reality of Jesus they will truly discover a different story, and vision, than the life they are currently have. Remember we are all on a journey and people are looking for a lasting truth, peace and bonds of relationship. So share His story and live the discipled life of a disciple in Jesus!
Grace and Peace
JOSHUA
Evangelism on the Flip Flop
My son is fond of saying, as he leaves the house, “Catch you on the flip-flop Daddy-O!” I’m not quiet sure where or what the flip-flop is but I know, when I see him next, something new will have happened or is getting ready to happen. So, since I wanted share with you some reflections on evangelism, and community, I thought we may need a “flip-flop” conversation since I know something new is about to happen.
It all started at the beginning of this year when my wife, Jeannette, shared two messages on communion and the importance of the love feast. In both instances these teachings were designed to invite and draw us back to the table of thanksgiving with Jesus and then with one another. Like a frog hopping from one lily pad to another our community of faith, at Maranatha, leapt “back the future” and started repairing, as well as revisiting, some of our broken bridges from our ancient to present faith. The weeks that followed brought us through a series of teachings where we re-examined the value of living in a community, like a little house on the prairie, that shared in a unique nature of faith, hope and love, in Jesus, and whose expressions were very different than the language or culture of our current age. Did this mean we were out of touch with the people we hoped to reach with the Gospel message? Far from it! In fact, what we discovered was we were part of exclusive mission, vision and purpose. A plan in which we can be those who carry the sole message of Truth to a people searching for lasting truth in their lives.
For me, and for those who were committed to this journey, it also meant we needed to comprehend our ancient faith was so much older than the 1st Century. As Christians we have given little thought to a term we often say in passing, as if it is understood by everyone, when in reality we seldom preach or teach with such beliefs and conviction. The term? “Judeo-Christian.” Our Christian journey is unique and exclusive, in part but not limited to, the reality of our Judeo-Christian roots. And once you reset your Biblical worldview in Hebraic holism then you better understand the words and nature of Jesus, His Great Commission, evangelism every Biblical principle.
And so here is the point: From communion to discipleship the local church is in place to help you discover your gifts, mature in Jesus and go out making disciples in His name. In it’s simplest form this is what is meant when we are to proclaim the Good News (Great Commission). But before we actually have a discussion about evangelism we need to comprehend what is happening in our present, and future, to help us better understand the world around us.
Today’s society lives in a paradox. Actually we all live with some kind of paradox around us everyday. We are encouraged to save but the government spends out of control. We are told to eat and live healthy but the majority of what is offered are unhealthy options. It is said we should develop our “spiritual persona” but the spiritual menu is often endless and with more customizable options than what you would expect to see in a buffet line. And this sums up society. People live secular, Christians included, but everyone is influenced by some type of spirituality. So while people are open to exploring their spiritual nature, and solutions, they are not necessarily open to exploring exclusive answers. So for Christian evangelism to really hit the target, effectively, we need to understand this paradox and begin to work through it.
It is at this point I want to also make you aware of a remarkable parallel today’s church shares with the historic church of the first three centuries. If we were to travel back in time we would find a church living in an array of spiritual alternatives ranging from the mythological to the mysterious and even familiar, for their time, pagan cults. Tucked away in this sea of spirituality was also Judaism and the growing community of people identified at Christians. And despite the early church being considered a cult the Christian faith grew primarily on three natural factors, and this is not to excluded the power of the Holy Spirit.
What were the 3 Natural Factors for Church Explosion and Growth?
#1 The Christian Community was Open: Remove from your mind the way we define open and accepting. In the ancient world an open group had a very different meaning and practice (as you will soon see) and in most instances the ancient world was not as open as some like to think. In fact, most cults were secretive and so heavily regimented by rules they excluded the simple, slaves and women. So, in a sense, spiritual communities of the past behaved and operated like country clubs today. And so while it may have been difficult, if not impossible, for some to find a spiritual place of belonging the Christian community was considered open and welcoming to those who lived life on the outside.
#2 The Christian Community was Open but Exclusive: While other cults and pagans practices were willing to compromise their beliefs to adapt or include other worldviews, such spiritual “wishy-washiness” only contributed to a world already sinking in uncertainty. Enter Christianity with an exclusive and certain message that cut right to the heart of the spiritual mosh pit. While it was not widely accepted, at first, for those who believed it must have felt like a welcomed glass of cold water on a hot and desperate day. The exclusive message and reality of Jesus was then, and remains so this day, a reassurance of hope in times of hopelessness.
#3 The Christian Community was a Close Family, Organized and Disciplined Disciples: Of course we will read of debates within the early church community (the Book of Acts) as well as other Ecumenical Councils that discussed the Scriptures and theological challenges. And while their world did not have some of the structures of today they knew how to live in accountability, as a family, and even shared in needs, risks, dangers and hope. Unlike what most experience when today’s church doesn’t work in cooperation with one another the early Christian community was a true family that met the needs of the Christian family first, and then was able to better meet the needs of the seeking world around them. I wonder what our world would look like if the church really behaved like a genuine family in Christ?
So, borrowing from some of our ancient church roots, and knowing they were able to extend into the world around them, we can only conclude they did so with the paradox also surrounding them. Let’s take a page from the second century church’s rich history. Though hardly strange to them, but perhaps odd to us today, the early church saw themselves as citizens who shared things with others but endured all things as foreigners. They saw their entire world as a mission field and not their place of citizenry. Perhaps this is one subtle reason why evangelism is largely ineffective in America today? Could it be too many Christians have misplaced passports? Have we become so use to”the world” that it is now our home and we have forgotten our divine residency?
The early church was far more hospitable and looking for opportunities to out do one another in kindness, to the church first, and then their world in need. Furthermore, just like today, the church existed in a very real social world. Of course they did not have Facebook or Twitter but the early church was very willing to invade and create a social paradox by sharing their faith with friends, co-workers and family. The church saw their “social web” as an opportunity to influence people through their world and invite them into the Christian community. Long before large churches and fellowship halls the church met in homes and lived as a community that gathered as well as ate around the table. As for so many of us, growing up, the table always presented a central opportunity to share and live life.
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Consider portions of Jesus’ earthly ministry and you will discover much of His ministry was done around tables, weddings, feasts and dinners. Why? Because the table has always been a safe place to engage one another in love, charity and hospitality. Whether Starbucks knows it or not the church is operating a lot of ministry and evangelism through their doors. Question? What would happen if you opened your home, one night a week, to somebody in your community, for the sole purpose of ministering to them, discipling them and sharing your faith? What might happen in your neighborhood?
But…Back to the Secular / Spiritual Paradox: We cannot forget the paradox exists and because it is alive it also presents dangerous poisons to the community of faith that work will against us.
Three Enemies to the Christian Community: Individualism, Isolationism & Consumerism.
#1 Individualism has become the father and mother of the selfie generation. You need only know that individualism is alive and well when last year’s “word of the year” was selfie. Truthfully I have also contributed a few selfies and most likely the majority us have taken atleast one picture while, others are minored in a degree in photography on self. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with taking a picture but the very idea of a world where “selfie” exists sums up the dangers individualism at it’s best (or worst). Sadly, individualism has also become a firm set piece within the Western church culture because it encourages a community that says proudly: I think what I want, I do what I want, I go where I want and I am responsible to only myself. Whereas our early church community was about reaching out, hospitality and sacrifice our individualism of today encourages “ME FIRST” over “OTHERS FIRST.” When we become a “Me First” generation, and church, then it becomes impossible to have a common creed, common language or common culture.
#2 Individualism has Spawned Isolationism. How so? Consider this: If you can earn enough money or control enough of your surroundings then you really do not need anything or anybody else. We have become a generation that has been encouraged to be ourselves and form our own controllable community while not worrying about the world we are attached to. I once knew a fellow Christian that said, “If I could just wall off the world and live with my family, by myself, that would be ideal.” Looking at his specific circumstances, his job, earning potential etc… his personal desire was the epitome of individualism that leads to isolationism. Sadly, this same man and his family never joined our community and soon disappeared behind their self-created walls of isolationism. I thought about my mothers stories of growing up, on Sand Mountain, and while I am certain there were individuals that wanted little to do with other people (called hermits) they missed out on what others enjoyed in the development of the community church, community festivals, weddings, funerals, jobs and the blessing of being with other people.
Let me ask us again to reconsider if we were a genuine community what might we look and behave like? What if we were not a community of a programs driven church, that operates like an corporation, but a community within a deeper community that invites people to believe, behave and belong to something bigger than themselves, their money or their personal wants. What if we were a community that actually was changing our world through our language and culture while also helping converts become disciples?
You see this will never be accomplished through what is called linear relationships where we are disconnected and don’t stick. The ancient church, and the church for many generations, lived on what was known as the Parish principle and that resulted in generations, that lived in a neighborhood, where the local church was the focal point of that community and served the church family as well as the city searching for hope. We need to get back to living this concept.
#3 The Final Enemy: Consumerism. As Robbert E. Webber said so wonderfully “Consumerism encourages your rights over your responsibility.” By its very nature consumerism undermines the community and always keeps us focused on ourselves and not others.
So with our enemies now defined if we want to be effective evangelist of the “good news” then the obvious question is how do we build that ancient community? Again, the secular / sacred paradox comes into play because it has proven that certain approaches no longer work as they once did. For example statistics have proven .5 percent of people come into a church community through crusades. Crusades are wonderful and still have a place in making the broad appeal for Christ. But the crusade can never do what the missional relationship can do best. Looking back to the ancient church, and their approach, they saw their focus was missional. For the early church missional meant the community you lived, and interacted with, was the same community you shared your Christ-like language, culture and beliefs with. Literally the missional Christian verbalized the Gospel message and sought to meet the seeker and connect with them and their journey. Statistically speaking 79% of people who are converted enter into a church community, and discipleship, because of personal contact with a relative or friend.
Our dynamic faith, life-style and witness will speak volumes more than a media blitz, fancy building or flashy style because our life, in Jesus, is one that has been renewed from the inside out. And while the cosmetic changes are great they are just superficial and people today are in search for the real thing! Someone who lives on displayed and is alive, in Jesus, can not be argued away. The Christian witness must either be accepted or rejected; and that is the power behind you as the evangelist and your witness. When you are the display of Christ people have to accept you or reject you just as they will have to do with Jesus. This becomes a powerful truth that, when done with the right Spirit and filled with the Holy Spirit, invigorates the community of faith and fuels our evangelism from the awkward and stale to the bold and life changing.
Grace and Peace
JOSHUA
PERSPECTIVE
PERSPECTIVE
Have you ever heard the expression, You can look at the glass half empty or half full? Any combinations of these sayings are meant to ask the deeper questions of ones perspective and, of course, we are heavily influenced by our dispositions, presuppositions and upbringings as to how we view our world. But the very concept of perspective is universal and essential in all phases and walks of life. From architecture, to art and even how we deal with changing circumstances, in our lives, perspective keeps us rooted in a bigger picture or larger narrative.
As individuals we need perspective in the ordinary of life but as Christians we require a divine perspective that grounds our lives in a story richer, deeper and enduring more than the temporary of here and now. Truthfully it is difficult to comprehend, especially during hardship, divine perspective. We are prone to ask questions of Why? Or Where was God when? And while these questions are logical responses, expected from emotional people, divine perspective allows us to take a step back and evaluate the highest and biggest picture.
What is the highest and biggest picture? While we all may be tempted to answer such a question with our family, job and professional / personal goals the reality is all of these pale in comparison to the reality of the eternal Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Therefore, while perspective can be framed by immediate circumstances it also must be influenced by divine perspective so we do not misdirect our lives from the plans and purposes of God.
The highest possible point of view is His (God) and the greatest of all purposes are His as well. Therefore the Christian must be led, by His Spirit, to maintain the careful balance of perspective at all times and in every situation. The viewpoint we, as Christians, are called to preserve is that we are here for one purpose: to be vessels of His honor in His triumphs. While the showroom of heaven is filled with many wonders, people and testimonies they all bring us back to a reality of an eternal story rooted in someone bigger than us (Jesus).
THE STORY IS ABOUT VICTORY IN JESUS AND THROUGH HIM ALONE! When our story is no longer about us, but what He did for all of creation, then our perspective forever changes. No longer should we view ourselves as small, great, less or more rather, with divine perspective, creation points us back to maintaining our cause is in Christ alone! St. Paul reminds us of the greater divine perspective when he says, I am in the train of a conqueror, and it does not matter what the difficulties are, I am always led in triumph.
But e-mail marketing is becoming much cialis canadian more common these days. Atherosclerosis affects not only the cardiovascular system levitra line pharmacy but also the male sexual health. levitra 20 mg http://deeprootsmag.org/2015/01/12/condemned-live-1935/ If the chemist denies then change the chemist but get only general medicines. This mainly happens when the PDE5 enzymes acting in the penile region causing erectile dysfunction.Thus, it allows for smooth circulation of blood to the man’s sex organ. order cialis online deeprootsmag.org Is this a perspective we possess today? Do we live this divine purpose practically in our lives? The happiness expressed in Paul’s bold words reveal a secret joy he was often quick to share. It was the new humanity, in Jesus, that rescued a religious, spiritually blind rebel and led him to the life of bondservant for the King and the Kingdom. And now? Now St. Paul states that this is all he is here for…this was his new perspective and he considered it a great joy to be a prisoner for Jesus’ sake with no other perspectives rivaling his new vision and new life.
In desiring to live by divine perspective I have had to curb my enthusiasm that allows me to believe victory, in life, is attributed to my ingenuity and force of will. It is a dishonorable attitude for today’s Christian to talk about attaining any success, without Him, when the True Champion (Jesus) ought to own every part of our victorious story. But this takes divine perspective that comes only through the Holy Spirit’s illuminating our understanding to comprehend the incomprehensible, and see with spiritual and not natural vision.
It continues to be my personal prayer we all share, and rejoice, in the larger reality of what He is continuing to do with us and through us, despite ourselves, so His manifold wisdom is expressed throughout all creation.
“Now thanks be to God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ.” (2 Cor. 2:14)
JOSHUA
I LOST MY SON!
Several years ago I experienced a frightening moment that I hope to never repeat. To make this story all the more relatable you need to understand a little more about my parenting approach. While I am not as strict as my father was with me I am certainly not one of those dads who is stuck in his smartphone as his kid roams through the county fair on his own. I’m just the opposite, I want to know where my son is, who he is with and where he is planning on going at all times. If I call his phone and it rings past one time that is too late for my comfort zone. And when it gets dark my son loves to laugh at me by asking, “What do you have against the dark?” My answer? “Just about everything.”
So, you can imagine how I must have felt when I went to pick my son up from an after school event only discover he wasn’t there. I called his phone and it went straight to voice mail. Then I went into the school, where I thought he was supposed to be, only to discover the lights were off with all the doors locked. Beginning to panic I rushed home to see if by some miscommunication he walked home or perhaps Jeannette picked him up…again Joshua was no where to be found. As I drove back to the school I could feel the shortness of breathe and my thoughts racing through every possible scenario. Arriving back at the school I ran inside looking for someone that could possible help me find my lost son when I heard several voices coming from the gym. Sure enough there he was with his friends and teachers still participating in the afterschool activity. I wanted to be angry but I felt more relieved knowing it was just one big miscommunication that was compounded by his phone battery having died; and though my story ended harmlessly the desperation I experienced was very real.
Scripture reminds us there is nothing new under the sun, and that would also have to include how some have come to communicate and understand God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. In our community there is a very large, successful and influential church that, from the outside, seems to be the perfect place for faith and family. I have had the opportunity to meet several members of this church and in our brief social engagements they are pleasant, generous and kind. Again, from the outside this fellowship appears to be an ideal community of faith, that is until you learn what or who they believe in. While they ascribe their beliefs are Biblical, and claim to worship God, they are quick to assert Jesus is not God and there is no such person as the Holy Spirit. Yes, there is a spirit of the Father, and that is holy, but the concept of a person as the Holy Spirit is rejected. Again, the Bible reminds us there is nothing new under the sun and this fellowships beliefs have been debated, argued and even deemed heretical from the first century thru today.
But my purpose in writing today’s post is not to “get down into the weeds” of a Trinitarian versus non- Trinitarian debates. Rather I wanted to use the story of my lost son, and this local fellowship, to highlight a dangerous place today’s Christian may be unknowingly living in. As I encounter a wide variety of seekers, searchers, Christians and people from other faiths I can’t help but detect a certain level of “panic” in us all. It is as if what we once believed has been debated, questioned and undermined to the point of our willingness to no longer trust what once helped us manage life and faith. While I am less surprised by the unease being experienced by those living outside of the Judeo-Christian worldview I am find myself shocked by the great anxiety and growing tension within the Christian community itself. After all shouldn’t the Christian’s witness, testimony and faith be the only lasting confidence in an age of uncertainty?
What this comes down to, for Christians, is what we once believed and or trusted as “truth” has been replaced with a spirit of doubt. Our “what if” generation of thinkers, pastors, teachers and authors have adopted a questioning spirit to the point of allowing insecurity to subtly eroded universal value and divine truth. Sadly, within some of our Christian communities, our desire to revisit and or incorporate ancient pagan practices, beliefs and philosophies have revived a dissonant chord within the harmonious music of the Kingdom. Furthermore, I am even more concerned there are many who no longer hear the dissonance, or feel the “panic” because they have already lost what was once a valued spiritual treasure: the Holy Spirit.
Today I believe we are approaching a dangerous tipping within our Christian faith where even the foundational truths, of this ancient story, are redefined and reformed into something that looks and feels “Christian” but is absent of Him. Sadly too many Christians are settling for a faith of either entertainment, or dead religion, and in both instances God is no longer revealing Himself to us.
When I thought I had “lost” my son I didn’t even want to acknowledge that I, in some way, I may have been responsible for his being lost. I was looking for excuses and scapegoats when I had been part of the confusion in the first place. Likewise, within the body of Christ, we are slow to acknowledge we are loosing sight of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Yes, they still reside in hymnals, liturgies, prayers, creeds, stain glass, church logos and traditions but they are further removed from our hearts, minds and being. We still claim Jesus is Lord and God and Risen; but we do not take into account the role of the Holy Spirit. Too often our discussions of the Holy Spirit descend into debates on tongues, supernatural manifestations or a dislocated concept of God’s Spirit but not a person of the Holy Spirit. We create neat and perfect boxes to set God in that have allowed us to gradually get comfortable with a tradition of Him but not His presence.
No matter what type of role modeling you received, you can choose on line viagra to have a new paradigm and it starts with accepting, valuing and loving yourself. The extract is extremely bitter, it is said to be the most bitter in all generic levitra prices of them. Generally half of the population is unaware of erectile dysfunction was factored into this and the data from other canadian pharmacy for viagra studies, it became obvious that the symptom of erectile dysfunction was a predictor of the heart disease. order levitra So one of the most concerning questions that come into the picture and save you from the pain and agony. The Holy Spirit is God! Scripture asserts and confirms God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit! Jesus declared He and the Father are One and by the Holy Spirit He (Jesus) was resurrected. The Holy Spirit is not a by-product of God’s creative will, like nature or humanity, and the Holy Spirit is not just some divine “good vibe” from the Father. Again, Scripture tells us the Holy Spirit is essential to illuminate and inspire the spirit of man to receive the promise of the Father, Jesus. For us to be born-again requires a supernatural reworking of the “old man” into a new humanity in Jesus; and this too is not done outwardly and naturally but inwardly by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus tells is just as He was sent by the Father so to He is sending the Holy Spirit to birth His church. St. Paul tells the church at Ephesus the Spirit-birthed church will express the manifold wisdom of God to all powers seen and unseen. A large portion of our ‘Christian doubt”, or fear, comes from a selfish desire to understand God by simplifying spiritually legal and divine matters. One cannot comprehend or explain sanctification, justification, redemption and salvation without a work of the Trinity. Furthermore in an attempt to “make it simple” we have made it more complex and confusing by allowing the seeds of doubt tell us the Trinity is incomprehensible.
The truth is “the Spirit witnesses only to His own nature and to the work of Redemption, never to our reason and if we try to make Him witness to our reason, it is no wonder we are in darkness and perplexity. Fling it all overboard, trust in God, and He will give the witness of the Holy Spirit.” (Chambers)
I FOUND MY SON…The relief I experienced when I saw my son, in that gym, must have felt something like what Mary and Joseph experienced when they thought Jesus had gone missing, only discover He was in His Fathers house. My son saw the expression on my face and no doubt wondered why I was panicked? He hadn’t gone anywhere and he was where he was supposed to be. It was me that lost him and now he was found.
With all of the noise, debate, fear and panic I would like to encourage all of us to return to the simple, profound and universally true. With Easter soon approaching I pray we can strip away the skepticism, doubt and “what if’s” and come like a child just believing. Finally, as we wave palm branches, contemplate Good Friday and worship on Resurrection Sunday lets remember the full story of the Missio Dei (the Mission of God): To redeem all things to Himself, through Himself (Jesus), to break the bondages and curse of sin, to legally take ownership of all creation and to enable us to be filled by the Holy Spirit, so we can proclaim to every tribe, nation and people the “Good News” of the Kingdom!
Grace and Peace
JOSHUA
AN IMPULSIVE JESUS?
Jeannette and I had not been married more than a year when we attended our very first couples retreat. Sponsored through our local church the yearly getaway offered married couples a chance to relax, develop stronger marriages and learn from experienced teachers on matters of faith, family and relationship.
During one of the break-out sessions we were asked to describe, in one word, our spouse; and while most people answered “fun” or “funny” Jeannette answered, unpredictable. For over sixteen years unpredictable still just about sums up my track record. For better or for worse (more often better than worse) I have managed to live up to her description. Of course I have always maintained a core set of principles, positions and opinions that many would assume are very predictable; but if you get to know me long enough I may manage to surprise you with a new haircut, clothing style or perspective that could leave you scratching your head. Some may choose to use the word, impulsive to describe me however while an unpredictable person can be impulsive an unpredictable person is not necessarily always impulsive.
Today I can’t help but notice, wherever I turn, I discover a new Jesus teaching, thought, opinion, perspective, lifestyle and even identity. It is as if there is an “impulsive Jesus” that other world religions and Christians, across various theological persuasions, have formed and still debate His purpose and intentions (even “Christian” off-shoots such as Mormonism and Jehovah Witness have their own understanding of Jesus). So, as we approach the Easter weekend, I decided to take some time to re-examine the Biblical account of Jesus’ life, ministry (in action) and words. My journey was not born from a desire to “find something new” or say something controversial; but rather I wanted to comprehend a little more about the God-man, Jesus, who we love and serve. In short, what I thought would be a brief jaunt down history lane arrived at a Jesus, according to today’s culture, that is God, man, demi-god, confused, delusional, well-intentioned, misunderstood, radical, impulsive, loving, hateful, inclusive, exclusive…in a word: Unpredictable.
Of course, there is a larger issue at the root of such confusion, because it seems with so much variety any seeker or searcher can customize a Jesus of their own making that fits perfectly with the life they desire to live without any standards. Another troublesome area is the “source” material we draw Jesus from? While it may be appealing to adopt a Jesus outside of God’s inspired Word (The Bible) when we do so we lend credibility to dubious and mercurial sources. Such practices, in an attempt to discover the historical Jesus, have only added to the confusion and unpredictable / impulsive nature of today’s Jesus.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN one remains rooted in the only source, given to us by God through the Son and Holy Spirit, and we rediscover an ancient Jesus that was not just present in the Gospels but existing from the beginning?“The Word was first, the Word present to God, God present to the Word. The Word was God, in readiness for God from day one. Everything was created through him; nothing—not one thing!— came into being without him. What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by. The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn’t put it out. There once was a man, his name John (the Baptizer), sent by God to point out the way to the Life-Light. He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in. John was not himself the Light; he was there to show the way to the Light. The Life-Light was the real thing: Every person entering Life he brings into Light. He was in the world, the world was there through him, and yet the world didn’t even notice. He came to his own people, but they didn’t want him. But whoever did want him, who believed he was who he claimed and would do what he said, He made to be their true selves, their child-of-God selves. These are the God-begotten not blood-begotten, not flesh-begotten, not sex-begotten. The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish. John pointed him out and called, “This is the One! The One I told you was coming after me but in fact was ahead of me. He has always been ahead of me, has always had the first word.” We all live off his generous bounty, gift after gift after gift. We got the basics from Moses, and then this exuberant giving and receiving, This endless knowing and understanding— all this came through Jesus, the Messiah. No one has ever seen God, not so much as a glimpse. This one-of-a-kind God-Expression, who exists at the very heart of the Father, has made him plain as day.” (John 1:1-18 MSG)
The relation of mind does not affect much if they are dissatisfied with their physical relation. cialis pills wholesale More than 750,000 people work as the physical therapists also teach the patients about the ways to prevent the occurrence of hemorrhagic diarrhea; our customs should be less to booth, vendor and health condition bad place to eat. http://djpaulkom.tv/balls-thighs-and-bae-cooking-with-the-kom-for-super-bowl-sunday/ generika cialis There are six leading bulk peptides that are in demand across the United States right now, each one offering its own host of benefits and providing researchers with very interesting research results which they cheapest cialis india can have long hours of sexual intercourse with their partner. These viagra pills in india are some of the most popular drugs prescribed for the treatment of men’s erectile dysfunction problems. For my journey, to discover the real Biblical Jesus, to succeed I like everyone else need to start with the correct source and an accurate starting point. To properly establish Jesus from the beginning forever dismisses the impulsive and unpredictable Jesus of today’s relativistic worldviews and expectations. There was, and remains, nothing impulsive or unpredictable in the nature of God. Impulsiveness is a trait of a natural life, but God is not human and hindered by emotional instabilities. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus desires to check our impulsiveness, through a process of discipleship, where we are transformed into a new humanity in Him. While discipleship can be taught, mirrored or explained in reality the nature of discipleship is supernatural because we are being molded, by His grace and Spirit, into His image and no longer our own. This too guarantees Biblical discipleship is a necessary journey we must all embrace as we seek to discover the Biblical Jesus and not the one of our best wishes and desires.
You see I may continue to be unpredictable but that does not give me the permission to fashion Jesus, after me, so I am comfortable with my own way of living and thinking. Likewise, when we face a world of crisis versus a world a faith it seems easier to doubt, question and ask, “what if?” so as to ease our conscience and or satisfy personal passions and or agendas. The only surety today’s Christian has is what is already written in His Word; and if we remain dedicated to such a resolute standard we will never mistake what God’s Word tells us of His nature.
In Jude 20 we are encouraged, “Building up yourselves on your most holy faith.” And today instead of trying to defend or explain a world of doubt with an impulsive Jesus let’s encourage one another to return to His Word and rediscover the Jesus that remains the same yesterday, today and forever. Lets resist the urge to make Jesus like us and commit to being disciples of Him! Lastly, let us endeavor to build our lives not around the twists and turns of today, or our unpredictable and impulsive natures, but on His eternal Holy Word.
Grace and Peace
JOSHUA
WILLPOWER
There was a time, not too long ago, I would have been considered a gym rat. I was the kind of person that was in the gym six days a week, clean eating, strict work-out regimens and owned a variety of books, magazines, supplements etc…to transform my body. I even developed a routine that allowed me the allotted time so as not to be interrupted…one might even say I was “religious” about it. On the one hand I enjoyed the satisfaction of physical transformation but on other hand I disliked the entire process. For me, it was a love / hate relationship that required a tremendous level of willpower to overcome self and press toward some natural goals. After a while the pace became too difficult to maintain; and each new goal required more time, more effort and more struggle that, at a certain point, forced me to stop. While I didn’t want to forfeit my physical gains I had outrun my strength to the point where even my own willpower wouldn’t let me continue.
What happened? I don’t remember when it occurred but when I finally recognized it I couldn’t ignore it. What was once a very small lingering back pain had grown into an identifiable discomfort that hindered my sleep, work and just about everything else. Going to the gym was brought to a halt and just standing or walking for any length of time could become painful. The break in my routine became a frustrating decline that finally ended in surrender, of my will, and acknowledgment I needed help beyond what I was able to accomplish.
God has a way of using everyday life to bring us back to spiritual truths that reset our understanding of Jesus. My physical set back was bigger than a question of will and determination; because, in my downtime, I had to reexamine some larger questions of balance, moderation and my will versus His? This was bigger than the gym, or my commitment to physical exercise, in fact my necessity of needing healing was beyond rest and a few stretches. The gym was a small slice of my life in which God was challenging me to consider some deeper questions that, unknowingly, were preparing me for trials that soon awaited.
We all face challenges, set backs, missed expectations and disappointments and while we are certainly living under a sovereign God we also have a hand in the role we play in our response to His plans and purposes. His vision, for you and me, far exceed what we may have dreamed for ourselves and yet, we seem determined to consider alternatives to achieve a happiness and satisfaction that is already in Him. You see it is not a question of whether God is willing to sanctify us but more of a question of am I willing to let God do in me all that is possible through His atonement?
Are we willing to lay down our will and let the life of Jesus be manifested in our life? My “gym rat” days were representative of a personal desire, of self-will, to transform the outside while still believing everything was safe and secure on the inside. The small back-pain was God’s way of trying to get my attention that something was not right but I was determined to will my way past Him and trust it would all just work out in the end. Well, it all worked out when my doctor shut down my gym days, set me on new routine of treatments and, over time, helped correct the damage I had done to my back.
Self-will, willpower, determination whatever you may want to call it is a wonderful gift God has given humanity. We can either misuse our will, and choice, by glorifying ourselves, or we can submit our will and surrender our choice to glorify Him and discover our true humanity in Him. Christ has always been, and was made, sanctification to those who believe in Him by faith. For those who believe the miracle of atonement is alive in you; and Jesus made all of this possible by offering the free loving gift of Himself on the Cross.
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Our attitude, as those who are sanctified and redeemed, should be of profound humility and holiness. This is why St. Paul encourages the church when he says, “One final word, friends. We ask you—urge is more like it—that you keep on doing what we told you to do to please God, not in a dogged religious plod, but in a living, spirited dance. You know the guidelines we laid out for you from the Master Jesus. God wants you to live a pure life.” (1 Thess. 4: 1-3 MSG)
I have been told I can return to the gym and resume certain exercises. However there are other exercise that will forever remain strictly prohibited, that is unless I want to reinjure my back. And as I cautiously return I have also had to reset my expectations and priorities because in my downtime I was forced to develop what was on the inside more than what I wanted to build on the outside.
I was faced with a very small, but painful, life lesson that confronted my will, and willpower, with His will and power. It was a lesson I hope to never repeat and also trust, in some way, encourages you to recheck your priorities, submit your will Him and live fully alive, as well as humble, in His sanctification and atonement.
Grace and Peace
JOSHUA
SECRETS
Who doesn’t love a good secret? Growing up playground secrets were the best because they always included some type of who liked who. Built into the nature of secrets is the near impossible task of keeping one, because the greater the secret also means it is more appealing to share. What I liked most about the high school lunch table was not the food (far from it), but the passing of secrets and the satisfaction I felt knowing something only a select group of people knew. Of course, in reality, everyone in the school knew the same secrets, which is how I later came to understand the phrase the worst kept secret. But whether you are “on the in” or have only heard a few “bits and pieces” knowing something private and potentially life changing has a powerful allure.
Today’s world doesn’t operate too different from our playground or lunch table days. I am reminded of a running joke throughout the sitcom Seinfeld where the expression, I’m putting it in the vault was a certain way of knowing somebody’s secret was soon to come out and become the central piece for that episode. We all have, and many still do, trade in secrets through work, families, friends, society and faith. At times we have been the victims of a secret and at other moments we have been entrusted to keep intimate and personal matters private. And almost in every instance secrets are important because they have the power to change lives temporarily or permanently.
While it is easy to focus on the surreptitious, that are meant to cause damage, (such as gossip) not all secrets are bad, hurtful or dangerous. In fact there are some mysteries, when revealed, that make perfect sense as to why, who, where or when. Believe it or not Jesus was a great secret keeper and secret sharer. Reading throughout the Gospels you will discover a Jesus who frequently shared hints and fragments, secrets if you will, of His identity, mission, purpose and the bigger picture of what was really happening. Other times Jesus revealed the undisclosed when he used parables to expose the hearts and conditions of those He was ministering to. Granted, Jesus didn’t call people directly out, by name, but his parables of rebuke and or forgiveness revealed a secret that was deeply hidden within the hearts of the hearers.
Jesus said, “The kingdom of God comes not with observation… for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you, a hidden, obscure thing.” Just this past weekend I was with my wife walking through our local mall. Store after store displayed beautiful items meant to draw us in and consider purchasing what was tucked away behind the glass walls. Consider what Jesus is revealing about the Kingdom, and us, in the above passage. Just like my visit to the mall, every Christian lives their lives in the “window” where seekers and searchers will pass by, daily, to consider visiting your story. Furthermore, let me challenge all of us by asking, If you had a visitor to your story would they be interested in purchasing what you have to share?
Continually throughout the ministry of Jesus He invited people to “window shop” who He was and what He was saying. While there were many passers by He continued to offer “sales”, or secrets, that were meant to draw people into His story where He could reveal the innermost of the innermost and the only power that could change their lives forever.
In the Gospel of John (18:36) Jesus shared another secret that even perplexed the Roman authorities when He said, “My kingdom doesn’t consist of what you see around you. If it did, my followers would fight so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But I’m not that kind of king, not the world’s kind of king. (MSG)” Today I hope to encourage us to move beyond the plague of religious spirits, born from a religious age, and get back to sharing the secret of the Biblical Jesus as revealed through His Holy Word. While there are certainly many rooms, annex’s and chambers, within the Kingdom of God, Jesus begins and continues the story by discipling us into the secret of Him.
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HERE IS A SECRET WORTH SHARING: The central reality of Jesus, and His Kingdom, starts with a personal relationship with Him. The secret of Jesus, and Him alone, has never been in what we are able to achieve from our muster and might; but where we are weak He is strong. The secret of one’s origin, design, meaning and destiny lies in the fact that when we are fully submitted to Him and His purposes then we are truly alive and not just living.
Life has a way of acting like a roller-coaster and through all of the twists and turns we beg to know the secret of what God is engineering through the circumstances. Let me encourage all of us to spend less time fretting, and trying to unlock every secret, and more time embracing the mystery of submitting to Jesus through the process of discipleship. Once we live the discipled walk He will reveal the great fundamental truths of God’s Redemption; and if we will truly be His disciples then we will embrace a life of His calling. As with all things in life there is a certain mystery as to why God places us with people, and in circumstances, that challenge and refine us. However, through it all He knows a secret, which He is not sharing with us, that in time we will lean the why’s as we are further educated, matured and developed into a better understanding of Him and His Kingdom.
We all have a Kingdom secret worth sharing and there are seekers who continue to “window shop” in search for the only universal truth that will give them life and set them free. The secret of Jesus is an awesome truth worth sharing! Will you share it?
Grace and Peace
JOSHUA
WHAT IS THE LOVE OF JESUS?
“Dear friend, when you extend hospitality to Christian brothers and sisters, even when they are strangers, you make the faith visible. They’ve made a full report back to the church here, a message about your love. It’s good work you’re doing, helping these travelers on their way, hospitality worthy of God himself! They set out under the banner of the Name, and get no help from unbelievers. So they deserve any support we can give them. In providing meals and a bed, we become their companions in spreading the Truth.“ (3 John 1:5-8)
Recently I read an article written by a bishop within the Episcopalian denomination titled, Christians, You’re Not Victims. The provocative title matched exactly what you may imagine was expressed throughout his commentary. Perhaps some would be surprised to read such opinions within Christian thought? However, when carefully reading the article, one would soon discover the bishop has a very different understanding of love, and more important how the love of Jesus should be expressed today, through a post-Christian worldview.
Try to define love and you will arrive at a myriad of definitions that range from the clinical, to the expected standard displays of affection. When you consider how difficult it can be to define love, from a natural perspective, then it shouldn’t surprise Christians that we may also struggle to define and express love. So, I have a question? Where do we turn to best understand Biblical love and or show the love of Jesus?
To best answer my question I needed to understand the concept, definitions and applications of love are not just limited to the synoptic Gospels in the same way Jesus is not limited solely to the New Testament. In the same way Jesus is revealed throughout the entirety of Scripture also the Father’s love gives us an understandable and complete picture of what love is and is not. Within the Gospels we read how love manifests itself when He instructs, Do you love Me? Feed My sheep. Did you notice Jesus frames the idea of love not in His sheep, as a starting place, but in Him?
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In many future discussions of who and where to demonstrate love, Christians will engage in, I am reminded of John’s words in his small letter (quoted above). In his correspondence he reminds Christian’s of how, where and with whom love begins. In fact, John even goes as far as to say this type of Biblical love is worthy of God Himself! While we may express the love of God to many in need I would also like to challenge us to consider, How can we love those, who are not His sheep if we cannot love one another within His Holy family? Simply put how can any of us express the love of Jesus with the seeking, searching and lost when we don’t share His love with fellow Christians first? Furthermore what does such a disconnect, between Christians, say about our love for Jesus?
Grace and Peace
JOSHUA
THE “KEY” TO JESUS’ NATURE OF MISSIONS
Daily I am amazed by the ability of the church to rally people, funds and great efforts toward local and global missions. Initiatives to the Caribbean, Oriental, Africa, South America and throughout the US routinely provide relief to some of the greatest places of need where few rarely consider going. While I am seldom opposed to missions I have also arrived at a place of continuing maturity where I am more prone to reexamine the “why’s” of our ministry efforts within the context of what Jesus said and did as revealed through the entirety of Scripture.
Most would agree missions were never meant to be another church program, church initiative (like a large NGO) or pet project. And yet most people, today, approach missions from such perspectives. Mostly mission outreaches are understood as “add-on’s” that are partially designed to encourage us in responding to what we should do, and part to make us feel better about who we are. The result of such an approach are limitless missions to infinite areas of need with little lasting change in those places we have visited. While I have no issue with mission trips to Haiti, for example, I am left perplexed with the amount of money, building projects and teams that yearly visit that island country, from churches and ministries across the United States, and yet the island continues to steadily decline with each passing year.
Could it be our nature of missions is different from Jesus’? What if when we think about modern mission movements we may be missing the most important area of need? To properly answer such questions one cannot just look to the life and work of Jesus alone; but one must look at the context of Jesus’ world, teaching and overall Gospel message…which included the commitment to missions. And to properly understand Jesus’ teaching one has to reestablish the ancient bonds, from the fullness of Scripture (both Testaments), and reexamine the nature of missions that Biblically focuses on the true missionary focus…a problem of the spirit.
Too often we first approach missions with the unspoken and perhaps unobserved question that presupposes the solutions to our global and local problems are more efforts and further resources. But clearly money and manpower has never been the answer to Spirit-birthed missions when we consider the life of the Apostles who operated with limited resources and even fewer ministry partners. The real key to the missionary problem is not work, money or people but prayer! Beginning with prayer, the Christian gains spiritual understanding and perspective for our actions. However, I would not want one to assume I am advocating the position that prayer is the only effort we must apply in our response to missions. On the contrary, while prayer is the starting point the Christian must follow God ordained direction with action. It is a careful balance, necessitating direction from the Holy Spirit, that helps us maintain an equilibrium of labors and prayer; but only in prayer, and not labor, can one constantly place our concentration on God.
The “key” to understanding Jesus’ nature of missions is not through common sense, medical solutions or educational drives. The key to understanding the nature of Jesus has always been revealed in and through prayer. Certainly, in prayer, He may instruct us to minister to the needs of any people through medicine, education or in other ways. But we must be careful not to “put the cart before the horse” in thinking any humanitarian effort must be sanctioned by God. The only way such an answer can be arrived at, in any mission initiative, is through prayer.
Naturally, prayer is not practical, it is inconvenient and takes away from the limited time we cherish so greatly. Yet, in prayer, we arrive at the certainty we have made our appeals to the Lord, inquired of Him, and waited for His direction in all things. When it comes to the passion we, as Christian’s, have for helping a hurting world we need to avoid looking at our world through our eyes and desires.
In the eyes of Christ there are no nations but the entire world. Oswald Chambers asks the question, “How many of us pray without respect of persons, and with respect to only one Person, Jesus?” Jesus instructed, “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest…” Jesus has always owned the harvest and when we are instructed, by Him, to go into the fields of His mission we must bring with us, primarily, the conviction of man’s need to break from their sin and reconnect with Him!
Again, I fully support Christian missions. But what I have observed is more people are engaged in active work while the world remains ripe unto harvest. As Christians we live and share a message of being called Jesus’ own. Throughout the ages, and continuing to this day, this great communication of hope remains far more powerful than any one thing we can give to the needy and helpless. Yes, we are to care for the widows, clothe the orphans, tend to the sick and feed the hungry; but we should never do so at the cost of depriving them of the literal message of the King and the Kingdom that changes lives where there is the greatest of need.
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Jesus reminded His disciples, the poor you will always have with you; but I am only with you a short while. While some may choose to view Jesus’ words and cold and uncaring, within context, Jesus was placing Himself as the central reality for everyone. Time and time again Jesus lived and shared with the rich and poor, suffering and safe because everyone was in need of Him for salvation, healing and reconciliation.
Therefore, when you read Jesus speaking: “He came to Nazareth where he had been reared. As he always did on the Sabbath, he went to the meeting place. When he stood up to read, he was handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written, God’s Spirit is on me; he’s chosen me to preach the Message of good news to the poor, Sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, To set the burdened and battered free, to announce, “This is God’s year to act!” He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the assistant, and sat down. Every eye in the place was on him, intent. Then he started in, “You’ve just heard Scripture make history. It came true just now in this place.” (Luke 4:19-21 MSG) His command is not for a greater response to the poverty of Israel but the fulfillment of prophecy that He is the answer for the spiritual breech between man and the Father. The new mission facing Israel continues to face us today. What will we do with Jesus’ words that demand we act upon the reality of who He is as Christ and Lord and how we will share that massage with the world?
Consider one final passage, from which Jesus was drawing from in the Luke’s Gospel. “The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me because God anointed me. He sent me to preach good news to the poor, heal the heartbroken, Announce freedom to all captives, pardon all prisoners. God sent me to announce the year of his grace— a celebration of God’s destruction of our enemies— and to comfort all who mourn, To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion, give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes, Messages of joy instead of news of doom, a praising heart instead of a languid spirit. Rename them “Oaks of Righteousness” planted by God to display his glory. They’ll rebuild the old ruins, raise a new city out of the wreckage. They’ll start over on the ruined cities, take the rubble left behind and make it new. You’ll hire outsiders to herd your flocks and foreigners to work your fields, But you’ll have the title “Priests of God,” honored as ministers of our God. You’ll feast on the bounty of nations, you’ll bask in their glory. Because you got a double dose of trouble and more than your share of contempt, Your inheritance in the land will be doubled and your joy go on forever.” (Isaiah 61)
Could the key to the nature of Jesus’ view of missions be greater than our local church, our favorite non-profit or place of local charity and need? Could the “key” be Him and a His nature one we will only see revealed through prayer?
It is something to consider as we reexamine missions and what we, as Christians, decide to share with a world in genuine and desperate need.
Grace & Peace
JOSHUA
WHAT IS THE “KEY” TO KNOWING JESUS?
Revival has been a fascinating phenomenon of the miraculous move of the Holy Spirit that manages to cross borders, cultures and generations. The rich history of the Christian faith reveals an abundance of outpourings, which not only refreshed Biblical communities but also extended further by reaching even the most difficult, or uncaring, of people. Though Spirit-birthed revivals do not require a particular person to “lead” or direct such movements, more often than not, a God appointed person will serve as the messenger for a distinctive move of His Word and Spirit.
When we read the letters of St. Paul he mentions the Spirit’s giftings for some to serve as apostles, teachers, prophets and others evangelists. As we consider the move of the Holy Spirit, and the response of people to His move, I have a question to ask, What should these specific offices and revival share in common? It is my contention the missionary appeal, of any Spirit-birthed office or revival, must always direct people to the authority of Jesus as the Christ and Lord!
Too often men and women approach ministry offering an appeal to reach the needs of the unbeliever, without ever really offering the seeker a complete picture of what a genuine relationship with the Biblical Jesus looks and behaves like. What would our evangelistic appeals sound like if we began with the prophetic declarations of Isaiah? Or what would the results of discipleship be if our pastor’s / teachers word’s of instruction took the time to explain Jesus, as part of the Holy Trinity, from Genesis through Revelation?
Too often we have allowed immature excuses and justifications to instruct today’s church in the falshood that today’s generations do not have the capacity to grasp such deep theological concepts. To that I respond: This flawed presupposition embraces a defeatist approach to ministry that will ultimately fail the people we are trying to reach. Daily I am amazed what my fourteen year old son knows, can learn and achieve as he multitasks from work, to school, guitar practice and social media. My son is capable of deep conversations and even deeper thoughts; and while he is only fourteen I have also learned that he hears and listens to everything being said, even if he doesn’t respond at that moment.
What this tells me is my fourteen year old is not any different than his peers and generations older than him. They, like people from every generation, continue to search for universal truth in an age of moral, spiritual, philosophical and ethical relativism. This is where the church should be at the front of the search party and help seekers discover the genuine Jesus, as revealed in the pages of the entire Word of God.
Every pastor, that I know, what’s to see lives changes for Kingdom purposes. Every intercessor I have met continues to pray for the fires of revival to sweep across our nation. But what if the reason we are failing to change our world is attributed to our prayers and best intentions being slightly misplaced?
Today we are prone to advocate the belief that a person should look to Jesus as the One who assists us in our pursuit of meaning and purpose. But here too what if we placed Jesus in an incorrect context that actually limits Him in our lives? What if our purpose and meaning is to discover Jesus as the absolute sovereign and supreme Lord over us? What if the story is not how He fits into our journey, but how we fit into the story of Him as the central reality in all of creation? And what if we truly connect the ancient “dot” that sets Jesus not only as Divine but Deity!
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Let’s admit it we are prone to embellish, add words and color the story to make it a little more “interesting.” Often we do the same with Jesus by adding opinions, thoughts and attitudes that are just not read in Scripture. One such thought is that Jesus said, the unbelievers will be lost if we do not go. But Scripture actually tells us Jesus’ words instructed His disciples – “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations.” But go and teach what? Again, we want to add many wonderful experiences to what Jesus “might have meant” or what we may want Him to say; but Scripture tells us Jesus instructed His disciples to teach the nations of the revelation of His sovereignty and preach of a life lived in the fullness of Him (Jesus).
If one wants to unlock the universal truth of Jesus’ sovereignty, and how that applies to ones life, then one must know Him by taking the time to worship Him as Lord. Dare I say in an attempt to make it easier to come to Jesus we have made it more confusing to know Him? In our desire to provide a clear and simple truth have we have robbed the Scriptures of their wealth and Spirit? Have we stripped Jesus down, so bare, that He exists as little more than an honest, well-intentioned spiritual guru of the first century?
People like routine. We enjoy the certainty of planning our days and as Christians we cling to our traditions, songs and practices because we “feel” a connection to their rootedness. But we seldom ask the very next logical question of were those ancient roots are drawing from? What well was deep within the Spirit that grew the mighty faith of Christianity? You see the power is not in the song, choir, instruments or aesthetics. The power was and remains always in Him. But when we rob people of Him and provide them with the remnants, of where is power dimly resides, then they develop connections with tokens and objects that are not God and can never do what only He can and is able to accomplish.
Christians and Christianity is facing a 21st Century crisis of faith and if our representatives do not root themselves in the centrality of Him then we will have a Christianity absent of Christ and a religion that looks, sounds and appeals to many but impacts little. It remains my hope and prayer we hold ourselves accountable to the Biblical standards of His Word. We must continue to hold men and women, who serve in Spiritual offices, accountable to not abandon Jesus in favor of relativistic Christianity.
If we truly desire revival, and want to live in spiritually refreshed communities of faith, then we must be bold enough to stand with the great men and women who have answered these questions with their lives paid with the cost of discipleship in Him. This is a key worth unlocking for us all if we want to really know Him, love Him and serve Him as Christ and Lord!
Grace and Peace
JOSHUA
Discouragement? Yes…But Fire is in My Bones!
Underdogs, Cinderella stories and Rudy (from Notre Dame football lore) all share a common thread: discouragement. Perhaps it is a critic, well-meaning friend or just reality but at some point in time we will all face the challenge of discouragement. We don’t like to think about discouraging seasons and are often told not to dwell on them since they only further depress our circumstances; but the fact of the matter is, in life, a series of situations can grow too far beyond us and discouragement will not be too far behind.
As long as I can recall my mom has pushed 100% beyond the breaking point of most people. Physically speaking she stands no taller than 5ft and her heart has never cooperated with the goals she set for herself. Like most women, of her generation, she experienced life through a different paradigm, a distinctive work-ethic and a certain stoicism that would make ancient Greek philosophers proud. This is not to say my mom is cold, indifferent or uncaring; in fact just the opposite is true. She knows how laugh when something is funny, cry when there is a need for grief and reflect when there is room for pause. She has travelled the world, several times over, often with a Bible in one hand, a harpsichord in another and a case of books or music in tow. And everywhere she went she brought the hope of Jesus to the needy, hungry and desperate.
As she has aged her seasons have also matured and transitioned into other giftings, but she has never forfeited her divine purpose for being on this earth: to proclaim Jesus to people. In many ways my mom has lived the life of an underdog and so it shouldn’t be surprising, though it is difficult the see, she now faces another serious challenge. By the beginning of 2014 my mother began to experience a series of weak spells coupled with some lingering health issues from her youth. Over time these “spells” worsened and eventually my mom just gave out. Literally flattened by the circumstances I saw another foe soon visit her, the enemy of discouragement and while my mom may be one of the strongest people I have ever known I saw discouragement was taking its toll on her physically and spiritually.
I recall the story of Moses and how he saw the oppression of his people and knew God had appointed him to be the instrument of deliverance. While a sudden victory would have been impressive, and sent a resounded shockwave through the world’s greatest empire, at the time, God allowed Moses to experience a prolonged season of discouragement. It wouldn’t be through Moses’ court favor, family ties or elite training that God would choose to deliver His people. No, victory would come through forty years of discipleship, while herding sheep in Midian. Perhaps Moses thought he had settled into a quiet life and that past hope of delivering his people would some how just “work out?” But after forty years of learning to be a shepherd God called him out once again and placed a fire in his bones.
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While discouragement is a part of life’s experiences it should never overtake our world-view of Him. He is still working great and mighty Kingdom exploits through those who patiently wait on Him, learn the cost of discipleship and in their time of trouble call on the Name of the Lord! I know, given some time, my mother will “bounce back” because there is still Kingdom work left in her bones. But what about you? Have you allowed a season of discouragement to sideline you and try to tell you Cinderella teams never win, underdogs fail and Rudy will never score a touchdown? Perhaps you are in a season of discipleship and training where God is preparing you for enlargement? Or perhaps you have run out ahead of God and fallen into a temporary trap? Either way don’t allow discouragement to rob you of His Kingdom reality and remain close to His Word, and Spirit, because He is always speaking and when He says, I AM is who sends you!…then it is time to press on with the fire of God in your bones!
Grace and Peace
JOSHUA
“I AM WHAT I AM THROUGH GOD’S EYES…NOT MY OWN”
The other night I was channel surfing and settled on a station where a popular TV preacher was sharing, with his audience, his belief that “God knows who you are and if you are going to sin. And He has already forgiven you. So don’t concern yourself with your sin. God’s love is greater than your personal failure.” Perhaps you have already heard, or read, some versions of this contemporary teaching? As a teacher and pastor I have the luxury of spending my time studying the Bible as well as any variety of teachings and doctrines being advocated today. This was not the first time I have heard some variation of the gospel of “hyper-grace” and universalism, and to be honest there was something about the entire approach that appealed to me.
Who wouldn’t cherish the idea of relegating our personal sin to some corner of “Oh well…God knows therefore…” Such a motto for life would seem to take the pressure, concern and responsibility off one’s shoulders and firmly set them of the broad shoulders of Christ. But then I started to develop an “itch” that I couldn’t quiet satisfy. As much as I wanted to trust this opinion I found myself bothered by the thought of my personal indifference to “my sin”; and this soon created another itch that begged to be scratched, “Is my continual speaking of my own inability and weakness possibly an insult to the Father?”
The certainty of personal sin highlights our need for an eternal redeemer and someone greater than ourselves that bridges the gap for redemption and sanctification. While we may struggle with our fallen nature, the flesh, the continual deploring of our own incompetence is a defamation against God for having overlooked us or created us so weak and feeble that He must do everything for us because we are incapable of even responding to Him. When He calls us to love Him does not require a response from us? And when He commands for us to live according to His holiness are we not asked to reply? To consider God, in His infinite wisdom and omnipotence, created us and then thought so little in His master design that our human condition necessitates our personal berating for failure, provides us with an incomplete and unloving portrayal of the Father. However, if we swing the pendulum so far as to believe God’s love is so big and compassionate He doesn’t care about your sin then such an approach, from us, rejects His holiness.
At the center of this issue is what lies at the heart of many problems we encounter when we discuss matters of human nature, faith and how we relate to a Holy God. Like with most things we tend to view our world around us and not Him. We think life and events revolve around our existence and not according to His centrality within the story of creation. As we mature in His Word, and with the aid of the Holy Spirit, we need to develop the practice of examining our lives as God see’s us, and the human condition as God is aware of its darkness and need for restoration. How do we know how God see’s and understands our struggle? He has revealed His divine character and nature from Genesis through Revelation. So by turning to His own words we discover the Biblical Jesus revealed, and the depth of His words and actions, from before the foundations of creation, can be grasped by even the simplest of children.
Furthermore, we need to reject the natural and spiritual hypocrisy of our incessant need to sound humble before men, and yet be disrespectful to God. Many people live their spiritual walk advocating how humble they are, before others, without considering if their shows and sounds of humility ever reach the heart of Jesus? “Again, the things that sound humble before God may sound the opposite before men.” (Chambers) If Jesus is the center of all things in our life, and we are truly abandoned to Him and His purposes, then we should be less concerned by what sounds humble before men while always remaining genuinely humble before God.
Usually disclosed in the fine print purchase viagra on line of the application, borrowers would then complain that they were being hit with sudden rate increases and not given enough time to react to them. Obscene material is never allowed viagra 100mg price on air, no matter what the cause or circumstance. However among the natural and oral medication, male enhancement pills are considered a better option because of the stability and satisfaction it renders. levitra cost When inflated by the pump, fluid from the reservoir flows into the inflatable balloons, creating http://djpaulkom.tv/page/32/ tadalafil uk buy an erection. Our post-modern Western culture continues to advocate lifestyles of consumerism, isolationism, individualism and privatism. And these sensibilities have bled into our Christian culture today, so much so, our relationships to one another and God only matter in relation to our immediate need. This is an un-Biblical approach to relationship because the one relationship that matters is your relationship to a personal Redeemer and Lord. From that intimate connection, or not, all other relationships can exist in a healthy or unhealthy balance and reality.
Today I want to encourage, as well as challenge you, to let everything else go but maintain an intimate relationship with God at all costs. It is through the eyes of how God see’s you, and not how you see yourself, can He fulfill His purposes. But never assume how He see’s you is some type of “exemption” for your need to respond to His holiness as well as His love.
“But because God was so gracious, so very generous, here I am. And I’m not about to let his grace go to waste. Haven’t I worked hard trying to do more than any of the others? Even then, my work didn’t amount to all that much. It was God giving me the work to do, God giving me the energy to do it. So whether you heard it from me or from those others, it’s all the same: We spoke God’s truth and you entrusted your lives.” (1 Corinthians 15:10 MSG)
Grace and Peace
JOSHUA
SHIFTS IN TRADITIONS…THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY & FOREVER.
SHIFTS IN TRADITIONS…THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY & FOREVER.
A few weeks ago an event flashed across the news wire of an influential pastor and his “conversion” from Protestantism to Roman Catholicism. What made this particular story news worthy was the pastor, now retired, had served and built one of the largest non-denominational churches in Sweden; and after many years of personal study had decided to now practice his faith within the Roman Catholic tradition. In a related story, but less news worthy, Jeannette I hosted a guitar recital for our son this past weekend. Invited was an assortment of family and friends all practicing a variety of different Christian traditions. While in conversation one of our guests shared how she, and her family, had left the large evangelical church experience in favor for the more liturgical Episcopalian “high church.” For her the reverence and traditions helped connect her faith with life and she now felt at home spiritually.
If you were follow cultural and spiritual shifts in the world, specifically within the US, you would notice everyone from baby-boomers, to Gen –X’rs and Millennials are searching to reconnect their faith to something ancient, deep-rooted and historical. In a face-paced age of technology, instant news and post-modern consumerism, even the youngest of seekers, searchers and new converts are less interested in the “newest” and “biggest” and are searching for something more meaningful and intimate.
So what do such trends tell us? Honestly? Nothing as “new” as you may be led to believe. Scripture reminds us there is nothing new under the sun and that would also serve to include our attitudes, dispositions and traditions. Even a quick scan through the pages of Christian history, within the US, would show large segments of people, in differing times, connecting to “high church”, than denominational churches, a few revivals sprinkled in between, than the birth of the non-denominational church, the mega-church and now the cycle is repeating itself.
But I have a problem even with the most sincere of pietistic movements today. For all of the high church, wonderful liturgy, traditions and historical buildings sadly most of these movements are missing the rugged reality of the early church (1st – 3rd Century). Today there are plenty of houses of worship that make mention of the death of Jesus but few, if any, actually teach or prepare the hearts of people for the need of His death. We sing wonderful hymns and anthems of pious nature and re-enact ancient rituals, but fail to connect people with the nature and spirit from which these rituals and songs came. We speak of fasting, prayer, humility and even name our conferences and conventions with neo-orthodox titles without really pointing back to the beginning (and by beginning I am speaking of Genesis; not Matthew) where our faith is truly rooted. Sadly much of what I see, hear, have discussed and even personally experienced, within Christian thought and debate, places greater emphasis on the experiential without ever rooting it is the supernatural, or miraculous mystery of the whole Word of God.
Several weeks ago I was having a spirited discussion with a fellow Christian and, like me, he claimed to believe in the whole Word of God. However, as our conversation developed he further explained the “whole Word of God” represents accounts, from the Old Testament, which were offered for another time and for another people and therefore didn’t apply to Christian’s today. This position is hardly new (classic dispensationalism) but such a position results in pointing today’s Christian toward a Bible that is part history, with little to no application for today, and part honored tradition that is largely outdated.
The purpose of today’s post is not resurrect past theological debates; rather I wanted to show how a sincere believer can think they stand by the whole Word of God when they actually don’t. This account highlights the current trend in people returning to ancient traditions without considering the deeper questions of faith beyond tradition and Spirit beyond creeds. Traditions are good! They are what bind us together and help us tell a story; but not all traditions are beneficial. Any tradition and or liturgy that excludes the cost the passion of God, or is not dyed in the blood of the Lamb or stamped with the hall-mark of the Holy Spirit is destined to become dead religion.
What medicines you should take depends on what buy super cialis causes erection problems in you. Since a man’s response cycle has four order generic viagra phases, such as plateau, excitement, orgasm and resolution. Who would forget the classic 1986 Tom Cruise Blockbuster film, Top Gun where hot fighter pilots trained at the Miramar Naval Air Station in San Diego?Other unforgettable scenes in this movie were also sildenafil 50mg price shot in Cali. (Think of the iconic motorcycle scene which was shot in Union Street and W Laurel Street) The iconic Musso and Frank’s Grill, 6667 Hollywood Boulevard, which is the oldest. india viagra online Peniking is the top-rated stamina capsule for penis enlargement. Today, many are returning to the old songs, which I love, and the old practices, which I respect, and look with awe and wonder at the history. But if we stand in awe of the 2000 years of Christianity while missing the magnificence of the Trinity, from the beginning, then we will never really see and understand the work of God Almighty. It remains a critical area of dangerous error to build the Christian faith, of any tradition, on anything newer than “In the beginning God Created…” Even the New Testament, earliest creeds, Apostles, church fathers and ancient rites lived and breathed in ancient roots founded before their time. And yet today we encourage people to begin their spiritual journey from Matthew, or newer, while gently pushing the accounts from Genesis to Malachi into the darkest places of antiquity never to be studied and seldom to be mentioned.
The type of Christian experience, that should be encouraged today, is that of personal, passionate devotion to the person of Jesus, as God, as revealed through the entirety of Scripture. Every other type of “Christian experience”, so called, that exists detached from Jesus will lead people into the bondage of religion; where the regeneration of the spirit is absent, being born again into the Kingdom in which Christ lives is bypassed and the pattern of Biblical Hebraic Holism is dismissed for Greek-minded philosophy and logic. Jesus remains the pattern from Genesis to Revelation and He was never meant to just exist as a figurehead of a religion or a mere example for humanity.
Yes, Jesus is the “head-figure” and He sets the Him in humanity but He is infinitely more; He is salvation itself. He is the fullness of God and He is remains the same yesterday, today and forever.
Have you ever stopped to consider why the great cathedral’s became empty or today’s evangelical churches are failing to connect with our culture? Trends come and go and with analytics we are able to better capture and understand these moves. But analytics will never capture when Jesus said, “When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, … He shall glorify Me.” When we commit ourselves to this reality the gift of the Holy Spirit, who begins to interpret for us what Jesus did, will not just reveal Jesus subjectively…but objectively. Then we will see and understand who He is!
We need a revival of the Holy Spirit, within our songs, practices, teaching, believing, behaving and belonging. We need the Spirit to make us alive, in Him, and because of Him we desire to engage a world looking to connect with spiritual fact not fiction. If we do not reconnect with the Holy Spirit then sadly our churches will be dead again, our faith will grow stale, our traditions will become lifeless and our rituals meaningless. Given time we will stare at the modern cathedrals of technology and fame and say, “The Spirit of God was once here.” If this happens the world we seek to reach with Jesus will tune us out and even our faithful will become the faithless. Traditions have come and gone. Our practices have shifted from age to age but the truth of the Biblical Jesus remains the same yesterday, today and forever!
Grace and Peace
JOSHUA
THE “GOSPELS” of “JESUS?”
The more I scan the blogosphere, listen to teachings / sermons and am passed a variety of “you need to read this!” I can’t help but have a growing concern for the wide variety of “gospels” being advocated that carry the seal of approval of “Jesus.” Just the other day somebody shared a Facebook video of a man filming, via his Iphone, a three minute rant that sounded, and looked, something like an old time Baptist preacher mixed with a charismatic hipster. With his hat on backwards and couple of earrings in place he carried on about “His Bible” and “My Jesus” within the context of a current hot-button social issue. By about the first minute I thought, to myself, this was a joke, right? But the joke was on me when I scanned all his fans and friends that supported his opinions in the thousands. I wasn’t really stunned or shocked but disappointed for what I can only conclude is such a dismantling of the Christian faith we are now willing to accepted any gospel that fits our definition of Jesus.
The Iphone preacher, as I call him, is an easy target for much of the confusion and noise coming from the today’s Western Christianity. But one only has to go to Amazon and match today’s top Christian authors, with their respective churches, ministries and doctrines, to wonder how we have arrived at so many different views and opinions on sin, grace, love, forgiveness, Law, God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, repentance, etc. I know of several prominent church leaders that teach from St. Paul’s letters while others dismiss them altogether. There are those who advocate James, Peter and Paul were engaged in an ongoing dispute, against one another, in their letters; and others still that have divided the Old and New Testaments in such a neat and precise manner that our Biblical contexts make no sense. If that was not confusing enough there are an abundance of teachers who promote some version of modern psychology, mixed with the Bible, that passes for “sound doctrine” and yet another branch of teachers that scream a “one-note” message: as if the Bible is only about one thing such as love, grace or sin. Last, but not least, there are those who are convinced the only way to reset our loose moorings is to return to a refreshed Roman Catholicism while others would prefer we go even further back and embrace some version of Rabbinic Judaism.
But that is the problem isn’t it? Today’s Christianity has adopted our own “Jesus” and specific “gospel” because it seems to resonate with a culture that is more interested is spiritual (spirituality) fiction and not fact. The social media and mass marketing, of Church USA, looks, feels and brands just as good Madison Avenue and we, the church, are too easily impressed by our superstars, blog stars, rock stars and millionaire ministers…but not the Biblical Jesus and His Gospel. Could it be few would even accept Jesus and His exact words, in context, if they heard them?
Now here is where you no doubt expect me to advocate “my Jesus” and why I am right and you are wrong? But I am not taking today’s post down that rabbit trail. Rather I would like to ask one simple question, “Have you ever read and studied what Jesus said about Himself from the Scriptures?” Your immediate response to such a challenge should be, “Of course.” But if that was true then you would have already encountered a Jesus that is very uncomfortable to the generation of His age and your current age / world-view.
Everybody loves the Jesus who kicks against the religious system, corruption or loves the sinner. But we skip the language of the Jesus who called for repentance, from sin, confronted adulterers, liars, gossips, cheats, hypocrites, drunkards and the spiritually blind. We share the stories of the “miracle Jesus” as if they were a myth cut from some scene of Lord of the Rings and even doubt if the blind really saw, thousands were fed, He walked on water, raised the dead or cast our demons. And while we are challenged with the supernatural how do explain the deep theological questions of His identity? Jesus seemed to have little issue claiming to be none other than God Himself. He told His disciples, He quoted Isaiah many times to His doubters and even shared His identity with Rome. If Jesus is who He said He is than how could He possess a contrary nature from the Father (God) as revealed in through the entire Word of God? Logically and Scripturally we can conclude such divisions, of a Triune God, cannot exist (Read the Athanasian Creed); and such support of this belief is further confirmed in ALL the writings of the apostles, John the Baptist (the last of the great prophets) and most early church fathers.
You need only scan the history of the early church to discover any doctrines contrary to such a view of Jesus, as God, was considered heresy and an anathema (two words that have been dropped from our lexicon in favor of tolerance). Here again, just as it was in Jesus’ day, so we experience, today, the counter-cultural message of Jesus as Christ; and such an exclusive declaration runs contrary to today’s comfy preaching, soft Jesus and softer doctrines. Sadly because we have been unwilling to teach the whole Word of God, and hold each other accountable, we have accepted a familiar contemporary standard that has given us a new status quo.
THE NEW STATUS QUO: There was a time, say twenty plus years ago, when denominations, ministers and church associations only allowed like minded people “at the table” to debate theology, and positions of the organization, for the sake of unity and rubber stamping agendas. As the church slipped further from the social and spiritual consciousness of the nation there was a backlash to such practices and the call to allow diverse opinions a seat at the table. As the doors were opened and more chairs pulled up an honest and open discussion helped Christians understand why we believed, behaved and belonged to this faith, and how we can communicate this message to the seeking and searching. For a time this went a long way in reshaping our church traditions and teachings and today Christianity has developed, looks and behaves much different than its past.
But now a new status quo has replaced the old and the once radical firebrands, who were screaming from the outside to be let in, are now the elder statesmen holding the keys to newly, locked doors. Today the suits and ties have been replaced with the skinny jeans and muscle shirts. Pastors no longer act like fathers but big brothers and just like the “old guard” they too have filled the room with like-minded people. And, once again, there is a new crop of people left screaming on the outside wanting to come in and have a seat at the table. What we hear, from the outside, are terms such as celebration of diversity and invitation to discuss and wrestle with the Scriptures but in reality there are no seats available unless you think, look and act like Agent Smith from the Matrix.
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ONE OF THE SEATLESS, NAMELESS AND FACELESS MANY. For the record I wear jeans, t-shirts, try to stay fit and have half my head shaved. I’m not part of a major denomination even though I am part of an association of ministers. I have multiple degrees but never wear them on my chest. I’ve written a book but it’s never been published. I have traveled and ministered across the world, several times over, but never been interviewed on my experiences. I drive a car that was totaled and rebuilt because that is all I could afford. I do have a house on a hill, but it can fit in the garage of most houses around me. I do get paid for pastoing, but just enough to classify me as the working poor. This post is not about me but about the thousands like me, and those who have it more challenging than me, that remain seatless, nameless and faceless. The reason I shared a little about me is not to solicit your pity, or to play on your emotions, but to remind you why I, and many others, am okay with or lot in life while other people are offered a seat at the table of discussion.
In an age where there are so many gospels and different Jesus’ there are still those who are willing to live, serve and preach the Biblical Jesus, and His Gospel message, from the whole Word of God. We didn’t all begin our journey this way because at some point we also saw the potential for big money, popularity and social acceptance. But over time we also learned these trappings came at a heavy price. So, we cast our lots with Him (Jesus) and held on through all the roller-coaster ups and downs. Admittedly we haven’t hit the target square in the middle all the time. But increasingly we realized that compromise, in an age of “big tent” Christianity, doesn’t guarantee you a seat at the table or access behind locked doors.
You see we came to a realization we are on this earth for such a short period of time and life is not about what you can “name and claim” but life is about Jesus, as God, and Him crucified to reconcile a fallen world back to Him and Him alone. Yes, the message of the Biblical Jesus is an unpopular reality because it forces everyone to consider the whole Jesus, as God, revealed in all of Scripture. Certainly such a commitment can be a hindrance to developing a large viewing audience, building a massive congregation or landing a plum book deal. But of all the gospels being preached we are the seatless, nameless and faceless advocates that remind the world of Jesus’ suffering, martyrdom and consecration that trumps all superficial doctrines. Everyone I know, with this commitment, will do anything and everything for Jesus but we will never humiliate ourselves to the level of world acceptance, and recognition, that avoids the gift of salvation through Christ alone!
I learned, some time ago, I cannot earn or win anything from God; but I must either receive it as a gift or do without. The greatest blessing is the knowledge that we are destitute! Until we get there everything we do is always measured in our own strength, not His. Jesus will not do anything for us if we think we are self – sufficient. Like Jesus we have to possess His Kingdom through the door of hardship and when we hunger spiritually, for Him, the Holy Spirit is close by.
There are too many noises and distractions in today’s Christian faith. There are too many gimmicks and smoke and mirrors being passed off as reality. There are too many gospels and too many Jesus’. There are too many preachers and teachers that haven’t obeyed His great commission: “…teaching everything I shared and instructed you.” It really isn’t that hard to know Him and preach all He said; but it is hard to be hated as He was, reviled, mocked and abused. And I guess I can see why some preach “the other Jesus” because after all who would really want to share in the sufferings of the real Jesus?
Grace and Peace
JOSHUA