"A bruised reed He will not break,
and a smoldering wick He will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory;"
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God."
"Blessed are those that mourn, for they shall be comforted."
Your words, not mine...
Help me believe.
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Posted with Blogsy
Monday, October 15, 2012
A Political Prayer...
God...
As political fires begin to blaze with the approaching election season, I pray that your purposes would be accomplished, not ours. I pray that your wisdom would prevail, not ours. I pray that your peace would help us transcend our tumultuous spirits.
I pray for our president, Barack Obama. I pray that you would enable him to wield the authority you've granted him in a way that honors you and the people you've appointed him to lead. I pray that he would have the courage to seek justice and the compassion to show mercy. I pray that he would have the wisdom to lead us through problems that are often more complex than we imagine them to be. I pray that by your spirit, you would make him equal to the tall task of leading a nation as diverse and, sadly, divisive as ours.
I pray for his wife and daughters. I pray that Mr. Obama would lead and shepherd his family well. I pray that he would be a Godly father to his daughters and a Godly husband to Michelle. I pray you would protect them from the vicious and unwarranted attacks that too often come with being so close to a leader.
I pray also for Governor Mitt Romney. As he seeks office, I pray that his campaign would be built on a desire not to simply take power, but rather to govern with wisdom, conviction, humility, and compassion. I pray that he would have the courage to defend convictions and that he would speak respectfully and graciously of those who do not hold the same. May he campaign with integrity and fairness, and should you in your sovereignty allow him to ascend to the Oval Office, I pray you would prepare him to be a leader who would glorify you and do right by his fellow man even when it is far easier not to.
I pray also for Governor Romney's family that they would not be drawn apart by the rigors of being in public office, but that they would draw together for strength and support. May they navigate this season of life strengthened and encouraged by your spirit.
Lastly, I pray for us, the American people. I pray that we would remember that no earthly authority has been allowed establishment outside of your sovereign will (Romans 13:1). I pray that our speech would be gracious and used only to build men up, not to tear them down (Eph. 4:29). Move us, God, to apply in our own lives the words of 1 Peter 2 when the writer exhorts his audience to "Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor." Most of all, I pray those of us who have given our lives over to you would hold fast to the truth that our first allegiance is not to an earthly kingdom, but to a heavenly one.
May your will be done, your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.
Amen.
As political fires begin to blaze with the approaching election season, I pray that your purposes would be accomplished, not ours. I pray that your wisdom would prevail, not ours. I pray that your peace would help us transcend our tumultuous spirits.
I pray for our president, Barack Obama. I pray that you would enable him to wield the authority you've granted him in a way that honors you and the people you've appointed him to lead. I pray that he would have the courage to seek justice and the compassion to show mercy. I pray that he would have the wisdom to lead us through problems that are often more complex than we imagine them to be. I pray that by your spirit, you would make him equal to the tall task of leading a nation as diverse and, sadly, divisive as ours.
I pray for his wife and daughters. I pray that Mr. Obama would lead and shepherd his family well. I pray that he would be a Godly father to his daughters and a Godly husband to Michelle. I pray you would protect them from the vicious and unwarranted attacks that too often come with being so close to a leader.
I pray also for Governor Mitt Romney. As he seeks office, I pray that his campaign would be built on a desire not to simply take power, but rather to govern with wisdom, conviction, humility, and compassion. I pray that he would have the courage to defend convictions and that he would speak respectfully and graciously of those who do not hold the same. May he campaign with integrity and fairness, and should you in your sovereignty allow him to ascend to the Oval Office, I pray you would prepare him to be a leader who would glorify you and do right by his fellow man even when it is far easier not to.
I pray also for Governor Romney's family that they would not be drawn apart by the rigors of being in public office, but that they would draw together for strength and support. May they navigate this season of life strengthened and encouraged by your spirit.
Lastly, I pray for us, the American people. I pray that we would remember that no earthly authority has been allowed establishment outside of your sovereign will (Romans 13:1). I pray that our speech would be gracious and used only to build men up, not to tear them down (Eph. 4:29). Move us, God, to apply in our own lives the words of 1 Peter 2 when the writer exhorts his audience to "Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor." Most of all, I pray those of us who have given our lives over to you would hold fast to the truth that our first allegiance is not to an earthly kingdom, but to a heavenly one.
May your will be done, your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.
Amen.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
A Different Kind of Pastoral Appreciation
A few days back, I was having a discussion with my class about the fact that though October is known by most as the month dedicated to Breast Cancer Awareness, it is also the month designated as Bullying and Domestic Violence Prevention Month. Little did I know that the list went on. October is also designated as:
Another designation October has, though, is as "Clergy Appreciation Month." I grew up in a church culture (of the Southern Baptist persuasion), so the fact that churches typically dedicate a month specifically to showing gratitude to and encouraging their ministerial staff members is something with which I'm fairly familiar. I have often seen church folks host special meals, arrange special church events, send special cards or letters of appreciation, or even give gifts to make known their admiration and appreciation for ministers who give their lives to the ministry of the gospel, often a daunting and lonely calling.
And to do such things is right. We are called, as followers of Christ, to build up the body by encouraging one another, spurring each other on toward good works as we are commanded by the writer of Hebrews. It is proper and good for Christians to show appreciation to those leaders God has put in place to shepherd His flock through any and all Godly means.
That said, I ran across a snippet of a sermon from Charles Haddon Spurgeon in which he may actually be laying out another, far more impactful way that a church can appreciate its pastors than by a gift card or a plaque or recognition.
Spurgeon tells the story of a man named Erskine, saying:
"There is a story told of Mr. Erskine having preached on one occasion before the communion, and a good woman, a child of God, heard him with such delight, and was so much fed and satisfied, that she left her own pastor, and went some miles on the next Lord's day to go and hear him again. That morning, he was dreadfully dry and barren, or at least she thought that he was. There was no food for her whatever; and being not a very wise woman, she went in to tell him so. She said, "Oh, Mr. Erskine, I heard you at the communion with such delight; you seemed to take me to the very gates of heaven, and I was fed with the finest of the wheat; so I have come this morning on purpose to hear you, and I confess that I have got nothing out of you!" So he said, "My good woman, what did you go for last Sabbath-day?" "I went to the communion; Sir." "Yes, you went to the communion; that was to have communion with the Lord?" "Yes," she said, "I did." "Well," said Mr. Erskine, "that is what you went for, and you got it; and the Lord blessed my word to you, and you had communion with Him. Now, what did you come here for this morning?" "I came to hear you, Sir." "And you have got what you came for, there is nothing in me."
Spurgeon goes on from this anecdote to implore his congregants as follows:
Think of this story when you are remembering the Lord's servants, and forgetting their Master Himself. I do believe that, as you are sitting here, you whose eyes have already been opened by the Spirit of God, if you will but say, "Cause every man to go out from me; shut to the door, I have entered into my closet even while in the pew; I am alone now, and I desire to see no man save Jesus only," you shall see Him, for He manifests Himself to His people all alone. Oh, that each one here would say, "There is nothing but Christ that I desire to see, there is nothing else I wish to remember, I would think only of my Lord Jesus; may He be pleased to reveal Himself to me!""
In some sense, I have been the "good woman" from this story. I have, on many occasions, put the burden of my spiritual fulfillment on the back of a human, rating his sermon and acting as if his oratorial prowess, his ability to deliver God's word with Billy-Graham-esque authority were the prime determinants of my Sunday communion with the Lord. In casual conversation, I've compared pastors to more well-known pulpit personas, pitting them against each other as if the guy with mega-church credibility and the super-smooth delivery is a measuring stick to use against my pastor, the guy with the smaller flock. And when I have left church feeling like God and I missed each other, I've too often blamed the pastor (all in the name of honest and fair critique). After all, it's his job to make sure God and I touch base, right? Wrong.
Such a burden is too much to put on any human. When congregations put that kind of expectation on a pastor, he is certainly doomed for inevitable, heart-crushing failure.
So how can this story be a lesson in properly appreciating our pastors? In another portion of the same sermon, Spurgeon says this:
"Perhaps the preacher is one whom you dearly love, and you expect much from him. Well then, forget him, expect nothing from him, but look away from him to your Lord. Or perhaps the preacher's voice has no particular charm for you, the man is not very bright in his utterances; well, forget him, and try to see his Master. Forget the preacher for good and for bad, for better and for worse, and get to the Lord Himself."
Perhaps we can most effectively show our deep and sincere gratitude to our church leaders by doing as Spurgeon suggests, by coming to church intentionally seeking Christ, determined to boldy approach God's throne of grace ourselves (Heb 4:16) rather than expecting our pastors to usher us there against our will. Perhaps we best encourage pastors by placing God-sized expectations on God, not them.
To be clear, there are clear and explicit spiritual expectations laid out for pastors in the apostle Paul's letters to Titus and Timothy, as well as the book of 1 Peter, but none of these qualifications give a congregation grounds to nit-pick a pastor or, worse yet, designate him as the determining factor in their personal relationship with Christ. Such an expectation will certainly prove an unbearable weight for any man.
It is my hope that this month as we raise needed money to fight breast cancer, handle car batteries safely, celebrate Filipino history, and remind ourselves that squirrels exist, we might also take the opportunity to truly show our pastors how much we love, care for, and appreciate them by freeing them to proclaim the good news of our God...not expecting them to be God.
- Auto Battery Safety Month
- Dwarfism Awareness Month
- Filipino History Month
- Black History Month (celebrated in the U.K.)
- Fair Trade Month
- National Squirrel Awareness Month (for real)
And to do such things is right. We are called, as followers of Christ, to build up the body by encouraging one another, spurring each other on toward good works as we are commanded by the writer of Hebrews. It is proper and good for Christians to show appreciation to those leaders God has put in place to shepherd His flock through any and all Godly means.
That said, I ran across a snippet of a sermon from Charles Haddon Spurgeon in which he may actually be laying out another, far more impactful way that a church can appreciate its pastors than by a gift card or a plaque or recognition.
Spurgeon tells the story of a man named Erskine, saying:
"There is a story told of Mr. Erskine having preached on one occasion before the communion, and a good woman, a child of God, heard him with such delight, and was so much fed and satisfied, that she left her own pastor, and went some miles on the next Lord's day to go and hear him again. That morning, he was dreadfully dry and barren, or at least she thought that he was. There was no food for her whatever; and being not a very wise woman, she went in to tell him so. She said, "Oh, Mr. Erskine, I heard you at the communion with such delight; you seemed to take me to the very gates of heaven, and I was fed with the finest of the wheat; so I have come this morning on purpose to hear you, and I confess that I have got nothing out of you!" So he said, "My good woman, what did you go for last Sabbath-day?" "I went to the communion; Sir." "Yes, you went to the communion; that was to have communion with the Lord?" "Yes," she said, "I did." "Well," said Mr. Erskine, "that is what you went for, and you got it; and the Lord blessed my word to you, and you had communion with Him. Now, what did you come here for this morning?" "I came to hear you, Sir." "And you have got what you came for, there is nothing in me."
Spurgeon goes on from this anecdote to implore his congregants as follows:
Think of this story when you are remembering the Lord's servants, and forgetting their Master Himself. I do believe that, as you are sitting here, you whose eyes have already been opened by the Spirit of God, if you will but say, "Cause every man to go out from me; shut to the door, I have entered into my closet even while in the pew; I am alone now, and I desire to see no man save Jesus only," you shall see Him, for He manifests Himself to His people all alone. Oh, that each one here would say, "There is nothing but Christ that I desire to see, there is nothing else I wish to remember, I would think only of my Lord Jesus; may He be pleased to reveal Himself to me!""
In some sense, I have been the "good woman" from this story. I have, on many occasions, put the burden of my spiritual fulfillment on the back of a human, rating his sermon and acting as if his oratorial prowess, his ability to deliver God's word with Billy-Graham-esque authority were the prime determinants of my Sunday communion with the Lord. In casual conversation, I've compared pastors to more well-known pulpit personas, pitting them against each other as if the guy with mega-church credibility and the super-smooth delivery is a measuring stick to use against my pastor, the guy with the smaller flock. And when I have left church feeling like God and I missed each other, I've too often blamed the pastor (all in the name of honest and fair critique). After all, it's his job to make sure God and I touch base, right? Wrong.
Such a burden is too much to put on any human. When congregations put that kind of expectation on a pastor, he is certainly doomed for inevitable, heart-crushing failure.
So how can this story be a lesson in properly appreciating our pastors? In another portion of the same sermon, Spurgeon says this:
"Perhaps the preacher is one whom you dearly love, and you expect much from him. Well then, forget him, expect nothing from him, but look away from him to your Lord. Or perhaps the preacher's voice has no particular charm for you, the man is not very bright in his utterances; well, forget him, and try to see his Master. Forget the preacher for good and for bad, for better and for worse, and get to the Lord Himself."
Perhaps we can most effectively show our deep and sincere gratitude to our church leaders by doing as Spurgeon suggests, by coming to church intentionally seeking Christ, determined to boldy approach God's throne of grace ourselves (Heb 4:16) rather than expecting our pastors to usher us there against our will. Perhaps we best encourage pastors by placing God-sized expectations on God, not them.
To be clear, there are clear and explicit spiritual expectations laid out for pastors in the apostle Paul's letters to Titus and Timothy, as well as the book of 1 Peter, but none of these qualifications give a congregation grounds to nit-pick a pastor or, worse yet, designate him as the determining factor in their personal relationship with Christ. Such an expectation will certainly prove an unbearable weight for any man.
It is my hope that this month as we raise needed money to fight breast cancer, handle car batteries safely, celebrate Filipino history, and remind ourselves that squirrels exist, we might also take the opportunity to truly show our pastors how much we love, care for, and appreciate them by freeing them to proclaim the good news of our God...not expecting them to be God.
The Heavens Declare...
"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork."
And I'm glad the heavens do...because there are mornings that my attitude sure doesn't.
There are a lot of mornings that I need the heavens to refresh me on who God is; He's glorious, powerful, creative...beautiful.
Thanks, God, for putting reminders like this in the sky.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Silence is Golden
Proverbs 17:28
"Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,
and discerning if they hold their tongues."
Maybe I'll keep my mouth shut today. Unlikely, but a guy can dream.
"Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,
and discerning if they hold their tongues."
Maybe I'll keep my mouth shut today. Unlikely, but a guy can dream.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Bird Bombs
It was a beautiful day yesterday to sit outside under the trees and have a nice, leisurely lunch behind the student union on the MSU campus. So, that's what my writing group and I did. We were conversing, laughing, sharing...and then Lauren noticed something on her binder. Looking up at me, she noted the same foreign substance trickling down the right side of my bald head. Immediately, everyone recognized what it was: a gravitationally-delivered gift from some fiendish bird in the tree above. Yes, I was pooped on.
After having a few more good laughs about it, we wisely moved one table over to one that had an umbrella to protect us from any subsequent bombings. Later, I spent a little time pondering what provoked this devilish creature of the air to do such a thing to me; I can only surmise that my winged nemesis felt life had cut him a raw deal somehow, so he had decided to pay that trespass forward. He also must have known that I was the forgiving type who had no interest in climbing a large tree to return the favor.
What stands out to me most about the incident is that I had no idea what had happened. Sure, I'd felt something hit my head, but at no point did I entertain the idea that I may have just served as nature's toilet. I simply assumed it was a drop of water...from the rain...that had happened like three days earlier...(what was I thinking?). Thankfully, I had a group of good friends to kindly and gently break the truth to me.
While not a perfect comparison, this got me thinking again about how important it is that we, as Christians, live in community with one another. Too often, we falsely assume the Christian life is to be lived alone; that the cross we bear is to be shouldered but not shared; that we can look out for ourselves; that we don't need to be open, honest, and vulnerable to other believers. The writer of Ecclesiastes speaks of this when he says "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him-a threefold cord is not quickly broken."
Solomon, the man who had wisdom beyond wisdom, here notes that we cannot afford to be lone rangers. On our own, we are set up for failure. I've seen this in my own life on numerous occasions. I'm prone to overlook dangerous pitfalls and cannot always see the sins that reside in the "blind spots" of my life. Worse yet, if I have the presence of mind to recognize the situation, on my own I have no one to walk with me through it. It ends up as if I were in quicksand with no one around to pull me out.
No person with any sense would willingly let their child wander alone in dangerous places, yet the world is a dangerous, tough place that so many Christains try to navigate in solitude. Pridefully, we attempt to go it alone, telling ourselves to "pull ourselves up by our bootstraps," all the while missing the truth that it is not weakness to admit that we need each other; it's wisdom.
The older I get, the more thankful I am that God has a)impressed upon me the necessity of community and b)provided wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ to do life with. Without them, I'd surely be the guy walking around with bird poop on his head.
After having a few more good laughs about it, we wisely moved one table over to one that had an umbrella to protect us from any subsequent bombings. Later, I spent a little time pondering what provoked this devilish creature of the air to do such a thing to me; I can only surmise that my winged nemesis felt life had cut him a raw deal somehow, so he had decided to pay that trespass forward. He also must have known that I was the forgiving type who had no interest in climbing a large tree to return the favor.
What stands out to me most about the incident is that I had no idea what had happened. Sure, I'd felt something hit my head, but at no point did I entertain the idea that I may have just served as nature's toilet. I simply assumed it was a drop of water...from the rain...that had happened like three days earlier...(what was I thinking?). Thankfully, I had a group of good friends to kindly and gently break the truth to me.
While not a perfect comparison, this got me thinking again about how important it is that we, as Christians, live in community with one another. Too often, we falsely assume the Christian life is to be lived alone; that the cross we bear is to be shouldered but not shared; that we can look out for ourselves; that we don't need to be open, honest, and vulnerable to other believers. The writer of Ecclesiastes speaks of this when he says "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him-a threefold cord is not quickly broken."
Solomon, the man who had wisdom beyond wisdom, here notes that we cannot afford to be lone rangers. On our own, we are set up for failure. I've seen this in my own life on numerous occasions. I'm prone to overlook dangerous pitfalls and cannot always see the sins that reside in the "blind spots" of my life. Worse yet, if I have the presence of mind to recognize the situation, on my own I have no one to walk with me through it. It ends up as if I were in quicksand with no one around to pull me out.
No person with any sense would willingly let their child wander alone in dangerous places, yet the world is a dangerous, tough place that so many Christains try to navigate in solitude. Pridefully, we attempt to go it alone, telling ourselves to "pull ourselves up by our bootstraps," all the while missing the truth that it is not weakness to admit that we need each other; it's wisdom.
The older I get, the more thankful I am that God has a)impressed upon me the necessity of community and b)provided wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ to do life with. Without them, I'd surely be the guy walking around with bird poop on his head.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Killing Zombies
Every week or so, I get together with a few young guys to have breakfast, talk life, pray, and examine God's word. Whenever we get together, we have a passage of the Bible that we all read beforehand and then discuss over a morning meal. Sometimes the discussion goes on for a while and gets pretty deep; sometimes the conversation is short and to the point. Regardless, it's awesome to watch God use any and all of our discussions to open our eyes to His truth. Today was no exception.
Today we attempted to tackle Romans 6 and 7. Admittedly, there's no way we can fully delve into two chapters like these in an hour over greasy (translated delicious) diner-style breakfast, but what little of Paul's letter to the Romans we did get to today hit me like a brick.
The main part we discussed comes from the beginning of Romans 6, which reads:
In this passage, Paul refutes the idea that because sin gives occasion to God's grace, we should sin all the more. After asking the question, "Should we just keep sinning so God will pour out more grace?" Paul emphatically answers, "OF COURSE NOT!" But, why not? Why, Paul, would I not continue to give into my sinful nature so I can receive more of God's grace? Paul's answer is incredibly complex, but incredibly simple at the same time. We don't sin because identifying with Christ means dying. Those who have given lordship of their lives to Christ are those who have allowed their old, sinful nature to be "crucified with Christ." So if the old self is dead, who are we now? As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5, "If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
This is the huge truth that struck me like a punch to the face today. Through the death of Christ, I am a new creation. The old Andy is effectively dead and I'm no longer enslaved to sin as he was; in fact, I'm dead to it. Why is this so important? This is important because I know who I used to be; I know how willfully sinful I used to be. There are times when I ask myself, "What right do I have to tell people about following Christ and living a life that's pleasing and honoring to God when I know my own track record of not doing so myself?" Paul knew this all too well.
Before Jesus called him, Paul was spending his time in what he thought was ultimate service to God...exterminating Christianity. Can you imagine what it was like when he rolled in proclaiming Jesus as the only path to salvation? Do you think anybody might have been like, "Bro, you spent years killing Jesus' posse and now you want to tell me about how I should trust in him? Right...."
So why did Paul have no hesitancy in proclaiming Christ? Why did he not cower under the weight of his murderous, anti-Jesus past? Because the old Paul (aka Saul) was no more.
For those of us who, because of our sinful past, wonder whether we have the "right" to proclaim the truth of Christ, what would Paul tell us? He'd likely tell us this: "You're right; the old you has no right to tell people how to live...good thing that old you is dead, crucified with Christ so that you no longer live, but Christ lives in you."
How comforting is that? Sure you were a drunkard/cheater/liar/adulterer/abuser/racist/jerk/idolater/pervert/thief/sower of discord/(insert label here); what of it? That old self and its sin-loving nature was nailed to the cross, and you've been raised to life in Christ, empowered to live a life that honors your Creator!
Awesome! But here's the catch; our old self has a zombie-like nature. Like the undead of Hollywood fame, while we're still physically living, our old nature will always have a habit of resurrecting itself and seeking to once again leave a trail of destruction in its wake. Therefore, the putting to death of our old self becomes not just a one-time event, but a daily discipline. Jesus assured as much when he said in Luke that whoever would follow him would have to "take up his cross daily." Crosses were used for one purpose in the ancient world: death. Thus, when Christ himself says, "Take up your cross daily," he's implying that from the day of our conversion to the day we're put six feet under, we're going to be about the business of killing the zombie of our former self.
It won't always be easy, and it won't always be pretty, but isn't it good to know that in Christ, you're not who you were ten years ago? two weeks ago? yesterday? ten minutes ago?
It sure is for me.
Keep killing that zombie,
A. Love
Today we attempted to tackle Romans 6 and 7. Admittedly, there's no way we can fully delve into two chapters like these in an hour over greasy (translated delicious) diner-style breakfast, but what little of Paul's letter to the Romans we did get to today hit me like a brick.
The main part we discussed comes from the beginning of Romans 6, which reads:
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.In this passage, Paul refutes the idea that because sin gives occasion to God's grace, we should sin all the more. After asking the question, "Should we just keep sinning so God will pour out more grace?" Paul emphatically answers, "OF COURSE NOT!" But, why not? Why, Paul, would I not continue to give into my sinful nature so I can receive more of God's grace? Paul's answer is incredibly complex, but incredibly simple at the same time. We don't sin because identifying with Christ means dying. Those who have given lordship of their lives to Christ are those who have allowed their old, sinful nature to be "crucified with Christ." So if the old self is dead, who are we now? As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5, "If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
This is the huge truth that struck me like a punch to the face today. Through the death of Christ, I am a new creation. The old Andy is effectively dead and I'm no longer enslaved to sin as he was; in fact, I'm dead to it. Why is this so important? This is important because I know who I used to be; I know how willfully sinful I used to be. There are times when I ask myself, "What right do I have to tell people about following Christ and living a life that's pleasing and honoring to God when I know my own track record of not doing so myself?" Paul knew this all too well.
Before Jesus called him, Paul was spending his time in what he thought was ultimate service to God...exterminating Christianity. Can you imagine what it was like when he rolled in proclaiming Jesus as the only path to salvation? Do you think anybody might have been like, "Bro, you spent years killing Jesus' posse and now you want to tell me about how I should trust in him? Right...."
So why did Paul have no hesitancy in proclaiming Christ? Why did he not cower under the weight of his murderous, anti-Jesus past? Because the old Paul (aka Saul) was no more.
For those of us who, because of our sinful past, wonder whether we have the "right" to proclaim the truth of Christ, what would Paul tell us? He'd likely tell us this: "You're right; the old you has no right to tell people how to live...good thing that old you is dead, crucified with Christ so that you no longer live, but Christ lives in you."
How comforting is that? Sure you were a drunkard/cheater/liar/adulterer/abuser/racist/jerk/idolater/pervert/thief/sower of discord/(insert label here); what of it? That old self and its sin-loving nature was nailed to the cross, and you've been raised to life in Christ, empowered to live a life that honors your Creator!
Awesome! But here's the catch; our old self has a zombie-like nature. Like the undead of Hollywood fame, while we're still physically living, our old nature will always have a habit of resurrecting itself and seeking to once again leave a trail of destruction in its wake. Therefore, the putting to death of our old self becomes not just a one-time event, but a daily discipline. Jesus assured as much when he said in Luke that whoever would follow him would have to "take up his cross daily." Crosses were used for one purpose in the ancient world: death. Thus, when Christ himself says, "Take up your cross daily," he's implying that from the day of our conversion to the day we're put six feet under, we're going to be about the business of killing the zombie of our former self.
It won't always be easy, and it won't always be pretty, but isn't it good to know that in Christ, you're not who you were ten years ago? two weeks ago? yesterday? ten minutes ago?
It sure is for me.
Keep killing that zombie,
A. Love
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Manly Men...
I hate "Two and a Half Men." I really hoped the whole Charlie Sheen thing would blow up enough to rid television of its presence, but it looks like I'm not going to be so lucky. Why do I have such a disdain for this show? I hate it because of the song that rolls during the credits. You likely know the tune. "Men, men, men, men, manly-men..." What drives me nuts is that at the end, this show attempts to reinforce the idea that what you have just seen is a portrayal of some sort of male ideal. Who better to define manliness for us than Charlie Sheen (in person or in character), right? Absurd.
I realize that this show is just one of many which are currently defining what manhood looks like. Some argue that the media is setting the agenda, some argue the media is simply giving us what we want. I know where I stand on that, but that's another discussion for another day. I'm not interested in a chicken/egg debate. What I am interested in, however, is acknowledging that the very idea of what it is to be a man has been perverted. Criminals, womanizers, abusers, thieves, bums, drunks, addicts, and playboys are celebrated by young men as idols who are not only worthy of adulation, but also emulation (Li'l Wayne, the Jersey Shore cast, Ron Jeremy, Hugh Hefner, Charlie Sheen, Jesse James, etc.). Progressively, I've become far more passionate about this topic. I suppose three truths have contributed to my lack of tolerance for those who flaunt this false image of what it means to be a man.
Misconception #1: When a real man is pushed, he must push back with greater force.
I cannot begin to express how pervasive this idea is among the young men I work with. I had a conversation with a young man earlier this year that typifies this thinking. The young man in question had basically been raised with only one male role model, his uncle. The only trait he ever told me he admired in his uncle was that he was "a cool dude with a sweet car." One day this kid was talking with other kids in my class about whose (butt) he was going to kick for keying his car. I intervened and asked him what good it would do to repay their aggression with aggression. All of the young men in my class looked at me like I had just claimed the world was flat and that I was Poseidon. While all of them acknowledged that the kid in question could end up facing jail time for his retaliation and that it wouldn't fix the paint job on his car to beat down the aggressors, they all readily agreed that the only course of action was to fight fire with greater fire. Here was my question: "What would be harder for you: to carry out your wrath or to forgive and move on?" The inevitable answer was that it would be nearly impossible to forgive and walk away. To this, I left them with, "Then why does it make him more of a man to take the easier route?"
Obviously, these young men are not seeing forgiveness practiced. If their role models consistently choose vengeance, then why would they have any reason to see forgiveness as the more desirable option? Instead of heeding the words of Proverbs 29:11, our young men are taught to instinctively react with fury against all trespasses. Much less are they taught to carry out Jesus' words in Matthew 5:39 or Matthew 5:44.
Misconception #2: A woman is a sexual object for a man's pleasure
Here's a tough one. Our culture has become so hyper-sexualized that shady, shady things have become the status quo. Bottom line, we are tossing our young men to the wolves because we "normalize" things that seem like such innocent, minute things which slowly allow lust to creep into their hearts at the cost of love. I know this is an unpopular stance, but I have a real problem with the "I (heart) Boobies" bracelets that have become common among high school (and middle school) boys. Of course, we hide the clever marketing ploy under a sincere concern for breast cancer awareness. FYI, if you think most young men are wearing it because they want to promote breast cancer awareness, come do my job for a few days and watch how they treat young women. Ask teenage boys about their vast knowledge of breast cancer statistics. Ask them if they've been personally affected and been forced to watch the devastation of this tragedy. The majority, you will quickly find, wear them simply because they do indeed love breasts...not women. (Sarcasm Forthcoming) That's what every girl wants, right? A man more concerned with the contents of her shirt than the contents of her heart. That's the kind of guy a father wants for his precious daughter, right? A man who, foremost, wants people to understand that what he truly loves in that wondrous, beautiful creation of God is her chest?!!! This is insanity!!!!! If a young man shows up to my house to date my daughter wearing one of those, I will quickly send him home so that I don't do anything to him which would force me to start a prison ministry from the inside. The WORST part is that some people will say I am making a big deal of just a silly little word. I've even had people tell me I clearly don't care for those affected by cancer despite the fact that my grandmother died of cancer and my dad has been twice affected. This is more than semantics. This is not about words...this is about young men's souls.
What do I want for my sons? I want them to view females in the context of Proverbs 31:30. I want them to love a woman so much that they take to heart the words of Ephesians 5:25. I do not want their future wives to be objects of lust, but rather objects of sacrificial service. What more could I hope for my daughter in marriage than that she find a man who had committed himself to loving her in the same manner which Christ loved us? With the advent of technology, instilling and defending this mindset is becoming an uphill battle. Today, men are bombarded with images and messages that years ago could only be received through shady, shady means. Many moms might be thinking, "Oh, that's not my son." Does he have a computer? An iPod with internet access? Friends who do? Trust me, that's your son. My advice? Engage him in this discussion proactively. If our young men are left alone in the world to discover what gives women worth, I guarantee you they will receive a polluted, deceptive message that will destroy them and their future relationships from the inside out.
So, what do we do about these lies? We attack them with truth. We go on the offensive, not the defensive. Too often our course is to shoot for "behavior prevention" rather than "truth revelation." As an example, I remember going through a "True Love Waits" study several times as a teenager. All I can recall from those studies are debates on "how far is too far," signing a pledge card promising to abstain until marriage, and a temporary spike in purity ring stocks. Seems like good intentions, but were people really thinking, "Whew, now we're good. In the moment of greatest temptation, those kiddos will feel the weight of that purity ring, remember that they signed a pledge card promising not to have sex, and draw the line clearly at involved kissing"?
Age or youthful ignorance could have erased my memory, but what I don't recall is anyone attacking the underlying idea that was the true root of the problem...idolatry; elevating sex to an object of worship rather than seeing it as a good and beautiful gift from an infinitely good Creator who prescribes a context in which that gift can be safe, rewarding, and honoring to each other and Him. Is that a tougher sell than, "PLEASE, DO NOT HAVE SEX!!!"? Yes it is. However, the difference is that one goes after the root while the other merely hacks at the limbs springing from a heart that has bought into deadly lies. When it comes to lies about the nature of manhood, we cannot afford to modify behaviors, but must use truth to combat the lies from which those behaviors grow .
How else do we attack these lies which falsely identify what it is to be manly? We need men who will live like THE man, Jesus Christ. Too many young men have no model to follow, but are left to figure it out on their own. How do we model this behavior? We forgive those who don't deserve it (Luke 23:34). We serve others in humility (John 13). We give ourselves up for others at all cost (John 15:13). We love our wives as Christ loved the church and "gave himself up for her."
Show me that kind of man, and I'll find him infinitely more impressive than a man who can dunk a basketball, fight any challenger, rule his wife with an iron fist, drink others under the table, have sex with any woman he wants, sell a million albums, or gain the whole world yet lose his soul in the process. In comparison with what Christ did, those things seem pretty easy...and I've never known a real man to take the easy way out.
Note: I promise lighter fare for next blog. Maybe something about alpacas...
I realize that this show is just one of many which are currently defining what manhood looks like. Some argue that the media is setting the agenda, some argue the media is simply giving us what we want. I know where I stand on that, but that's another discussion for another day. I'm not interested in a chicken/egg debate. What I am interested in, however, is acknowledging that the very idea of what it is to be a man has been perverted. Criminals, womanizers, abusers, thieves, bums, drunks, addicts, and playboys are celebrated by young men as idols who are not only worthy of adulation, but also emulation (Li'l Wayne, the Jersey Shore cast, Ron Jeremy, Hugh Hefner, Charlie Sheen, Jesse James, etc.). Progressively, I've become far more passionate about this topic. I suppose three truths have contributed to my lack of tolerance for those who flaunt this false image of what it means to be a man.
- Age has a tendency to reduce one's tolerance for lies.
- I am a father of two boys and thus take Ephesians 6:4 more seriously than I used to.
- I've worked around teenage boys all day for eight years now and see the misconceptions about manhood that plague our sons.
Misconception #1: When a real man is pushed, he must push back with greater force.
I cannot begin to express how pervasive this idea is among the young men I work with. I had a conversation with a young man earlier this year that typifies this thinking. The young man in question had basically been raised with only one male role model, his uncle. The only trait he ever told me he admired in his uncle was that he was "a cool dude with a sweet car." One day this kid was talking with other kids in my class about whose (butt) he was going to kick for keying his car. I intervened and asked him what good it would do to repay their aggression with aggression. All of the young men in my class looked at me like I had just claimed the world was flat and that I was Poseidon. While all of them acknowledged that the kid in question could end up facing jail time for his retaliation and that it wouldn't fix the paint job on his car to beat down the aggressors, they all readily agreed that the only course of action was to fight fire with greater fire. Here was my question: "What would be harder for you: to carry out your wrath or to forgive and move on?" The inevitable answer was that it would be nearly impossible to forgive and walk away. To this, I left them with, "Then why does it make him more of a man to take the easier route?"
Obviously, these young men are not seeing forgiveness practiced. If their role models consistently choose vengeance, then why would they have any reason to see forgiveness as the more desirable option? Instead of heeding the words of Proverbs 29:11, our young men are taught to instinctively react with fury against all trespasses. Much less are they taught to carry out Jesus' words in Matthew 5:39 or Matthew 5:44.
Misconception #2: A woman is a sexual object for a man's pleasure
Here's a tough one. Our culture has become so hyper-sexualized that shady, shady things have become the status quo. Bottom line, we are tossing our young men to the wolves because we "normalize" things that seem like such innocent, minute things which slowly allow lust to creep into their hearts at the cost of love. I know this is an unpopular stance, but I have a real problem with the "I (heart) Boobies" bracelets that have become common among high school (and middle school) boys. Of course, we hide the clever marketing ploy under a sincere concern for breast cancer awareness. FYI, if you think most young men are wearing it because they want to promote breast cancer awareness, come do my job for a few days and watch how they treat young women. Ask teenage boys about their vast knowledge of breast cancer statistics. Ask them if they've been personally affected and been forced to watch the devastation of this tragedy. The majority, you will quickly find, wear them simply because they do indeed love breasts...not women. (Sarcasm Forthcoming) That's what every girl wants, right? A man more concerned with the contents of her shirt than the contents of her heart. That's the kind of guy a father wants for his precious daughter, right? A man who, foremost, wants people to understand that what he truly loves in that wondrous, beautiful creation of God is her chest?!!! This is insanity!!!!! If a young man shows up to my house to date my daughter wearing one of those, I will quickly send him home so that I don't do anything to him which would force me to start a prison ministry from the inside. The WORST part is that some people will say I am making a big deal of just a silly little word. I've even had people tell me I clearly don't care for those affected by cancer despite the fact that my grandmother died of cancer and my dad has been twice affected. This is more than semantics. This is not about words...this is about young men's souls.
What do I want for my sons? I want them to view females in the context of Proverbs 31:30. I want them to love a woman so much that they take to heart the words of Ephesians 5:25. I do not want their future wives to be objects of lust, but rather objects of sacrificial service. What more could I hope for my daughter in marriage than that she find a man who had committed himself to loving her in the same manner which Christ loved us? With the advent of technology, instilling and defending this mindset is becoming an uphill battle. Today, men are bombarded with images and messages that years ago could only be received through shady, shady means. Many moms might be thinking, "Oh, that's not my son." Does he have a computer? An iPod with internet access? Friends who do? Trust me, that's your son. My advice? Engage him in this discussion proactively. If our young men are left alone in the world to discover what gives women worth, I guarantee you they will receive a polluted, deceptive message that will destroy them and their future relationships from the inside out.
So, what do we do about these lies? We attack them with truth. We go on the offensive, not the defensive. Too often our course is to shoot for "behavior prevention" rather than "truth revelation." As an example, I remember going through a "True Love Waits" study several times as a teenager. All I can recall from those studies are debates on "how far is too far," signing a pledge card promising to abstain until marriage, and a temporary spike in purity ring stocks. Seems like good intentions, but were people really thinking, "Whew, now we're good. In the moment of greatest temptation, those kiddos will feel the weight of that purity ring, remember that they signed a pledge card promising not to have sex, and draw the line clearly at involved kissing"?
Age or youthful ignorance could have erased my memory, but what I don't recall is anyone attacking the underlying idea that was the true root of the problem...idolatry; elevating sex to an object of worship rather than seeing it as a good and beautiful gift from an infinitely good Creator who prescribes a context in which that gift can be safe, rewarding, and honoring to each other and Him. Is that a tougher sell than, "PLEASE, DO NOT HAVE SEX!!!"? Yes it is. However, the difference is that one goes after the root while the other merely hacks at the limbs springing from a heart that has bought into deadly lies. When it comes to lies about the nature of manhood, we cannot afford to modify behaviors, but must use truth to combat the lies from which those behaviors grow .
How else do we attack these lies which falsely identify what it is to be manly? We need men who will live like THE man, Jesus Christ. Too many young men have no model to follow, but are left to figure it out on their own. How do we model this behavior? We forgive those who don't deserve it (Luke 23:34). We serve others in humility (John 13). We give ourselves up for others at all cost (John 15:13). We love our wives as Christ loved the church and "gave himself up for her."
Show me that kind of man, and I'll find him infinitely more impressive than a man who can dunk a basketball, fight any challenger, rule his wife with an iron fist, drink others under the table, have sex with any woman he wants, sell a million albums, or gain the whole world yet lose his soul in the process. In comparison with what Christ did, those things seem pretty easy...and I've never known a real man to take the easy way out.
Note: I promise lighter fare for next blog. Maybe something about alpacas...
Friday, April 29, 2011
The Real Deal...
Forgive my youthful idiocy, but Easter was not always my favorite holiday. As a youngster, Easter meant that I would suffer through some crazy kid-sized suit or perhaps corduroy pants with an elastic waistband (along with an extra church service that occurred at unholy hours of the morning). This was done solely for the reward of a basket of fake plastic grass and candy allegedly left behind my grandpa's chair by some rabbit-man creature as shown below (creepy, man...creepy).
As is the case with many others, I'm sure, it was not until later in life that I began to grasp what Easter is really about. Easter is such a powerful season, calling our minds back to remember the suffering Jesus faced in the last days of his earthly ministry and the victory that was accomplished by our Savior. I know for myself that it was particularly striking this year as I dug in and earnestly studied the four gospel accounts of Jesus' betrayal, death, and resurrection. However, when Easter passes, I feel like there's a subtle temptation to see Jesus' victory over death as a culmination to the story as if Jesus said, "I've risen, you're forgiven, I'm headed up north, so I'll see you all after the Revelation." In reality, His ascension is no ending. In truth, it's more accurately like a lit fuse burning down preceding the explosion of the kingdom he'd been telling his disciples about all along.
At the end of the gospels, we see Jesus restoring his disciples (who'd so recently been deserters), and getting them back about the work of His kingdom. He does not condemn his fair weather friends, but instead greets them warmly with the word "Peace" as Matthew records it. How powerful would that be to hear? No wonder that from then on, these men were willing, even glad, to suffer mockery, beatings, and death for their Lord. These disciples had run out on their leader at his darkest hour, seen the movement for which they'd dropped everything apparently "crushed," and were left hiding in fear that they might suffer the same fate as Jesus. Lo and behold, when their captain conquers death, there's no reminder of or condemnation for their failures because through his death, those failures had been paid for.
The book of Acts picks up where the gospels leave off and shows how this small "band of brothers" who'd stood at Jesus' side go on to turn the known world upside-down sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Recently I had a conversation with a friend about a certain passage early in the book of Acts which is particularly meaningful to me when I think about my role in taking the gospel of Christ to the world. In the fourth chapter, the religious leaders lock Peter and John up after the two heal a lame beggar. Despite imprisoning the two, word spreads and many believe in Jesus as a result. This prompts the leaders to bring Peter and John in for a little shakedown . They ask the two straight up, "By what power or what name did you do this?" Peter pretty much hits them back with, "You mean when we gave a lame man the power to walk? That would be by the power of the man you served up to die: Jesus Christ. Oh, and FYI, he conquered death and if you want salvation, you're gonna have to go through Him " (paraphrase).
Here's my favorite part. The next verse (4:13) reads as follows in the NIV.
"When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus."
This verse gives me tremendous hope. I've often struggled, as many Christians do, with the idea that I'm not as qualified or capable of sharing my faith as those whose Biblical knowledge exceeds mine due to more formal training. Maybe it's an inferiority complex I took on while going to a Baptist university and living in a house full of guys training to go into the ministry. However, this passage blows that notion out of the water. One does not need a seminary degree and a well-prepared defense of the doctrine of election to testify to man's need for Jesus Christ. I'm not decrying Biblical studies; the church needs leaders who have have been taught thoroughly and were prepared for church leadership through rigorous, disciplined study under great theological minds. Yet, one can't deny that this verse shows the religious "scholars" to be more than just a little dumbfounded as they listen to the passionate, powerful proclamation of Jesus as Messiah coming from two ordinary men whose area of expertise was catching fish, not preaching.
What was so amazing about their preaching? Was it their doctrinal knowledge? Was it their exegetical prowess? Did anyone in the crowd note their public speaking skills? Nope. The difference was that it was obvious these men had been with Jesus. These men spoke with power that did not testify to who they were, but rather to the miraculous power of the man they'd dropped their nets to follow. This is what I tend to forget. Training is important. All Christians should feel drawn to invest and grow in their knowledge of the Bible as well as to understand and hold to sound doctrine. But, those who preach Christ cannot roll on knowledge and training alone. Those things are like a car. Even the most amazing car, no matter how sleek it is or how much horsepower it has under the hood will not move without fuel. Peter and John were "unschooled" and "ordinary" and definitely did not have the "car" the religious leaders did. Based on training and education, the religious leaders were Aston-Martins...Peter and John were Ford Festivas. The key difference was that Peter and John had gas in the tanks. They had been with the Master and learned to love him for who He is. That type of relationship is what fuels a true disciple of the risen Lord.
One of my favorite testimonies in the Bible comes in the ninth chapter of John when Jesus heals a man blind from birth. After the man receives his sight, he ends up being brought before the Pharisees to do some explaining. After asking him what happened and receiving an unsatisfactory explanation, the Pharisees bring in the man's parents to verify that this guy was actually blind to begin with. Because they don't want to get in trouble, the parents verify he was born blind and then roll over on him by essentially saying, "If you want any more information, ask him, he's a big boy" (gee...thanks, mom & pop). This time the Pharisees question the man by accusing Jesus of being a sinner (for doing God's work on the Sabbath, mind you) and demanding he tell them how Jesus healed him.
I love this guy's response for its simplicity and honesty: "Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." This man had been left alone to beg his entire life with no one to teach or train him. He was an outcast left to waste away in his blindness. He didn't know much...but he knew who Jesus was because he had firsthand experience of His power. After that, the Pharisees ask again what happened and this man, someone with absolutely no spiritual stature in their eyes has the gall to say to them, "I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?" WHOA! Did he just try to evangelize the top dogs of the religious ladder? TOTALLY, and the story goes on. The Pharisees claim to be disciples of Moses and admit they don't know (and apparently have little interest) where this Jesus is from. To this our boy says, "Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." You might think the Pharisees, being schooled in religiosity would reply, "Good point, well said." Wrong. Incensed at the fact they'd just been taken to school by a dude they considered the dregs of society, the Pharisees throw him out.
This passage shows us once again that the true mark of a disciple is not an impressive resume. Diplomas and degrees do not convince people that we have experienced Christ's redemptive love and mercy. People can spot fakes, posers, and frauds a mile away. Conversely, when someone has been in the presence of Christ and he has become their treasure, the change is undeniable. That's when people know they've seen "the real deal."
May it be, God, that you open our eyes to see how mighty, majestic, and merciful you are. Allow us to know your Son in His fullness and to let Him be our greatest treasure that despite what we may not know, we would clearly know you.
At the end of the gospels, we see Jesus restoring his disciples (who'd so recently been deserters), and getting them back about the work of His kingdom. He does not condemn his fair weather friends, but instead greets them warmly with the word "Peace" as Matthew records it. How powerful would that be to hear? No wonder that from then on, these men were willing, even glad, to suffer mockery, beatings, and death for their Lord. These disciples had run out on their leader at his darkest hour, seen the movement for which they'd dropped everything apparently "crushed," and were left hiding in fear that they might suffer the same fate as Jesus. Lo and behold, when their captain conquers death, there's no reminder of or condemnation for their failures because through his death, those failures had been paid for.
The book of Acts picks up where the gospels leave off and shows how this small "band of brothers" who'd stood at Jesus' side go on to turn the known world upside-down sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Recently I had a conversation with a friend about a certain passage early in the book of Acts which is particularly meaningful to me when I think about my role in taking the gospel of Christ to the world. In the fourth chapter, the religious leaders lock Peter and John up after the two heal a lame beggar. Despite imprisoning the two, word spreads and many believe in Jesus as a result. This prompts the leaders to bring Peter and John in for a little shakedown . They ask the two straight up, "By what power or what name did you do this?" Peter pretty much hits them back with, "You mean when we gave a lame man the power to walk? That would be by the power of the man you served up to die: Jesus Christ. Oh, and FYI, he conquered death and if you want salvation, you're gonna have to go through Him " (paraphrase).
Here's my favorite part. The next verse (4:13) reads as follows in the NIV.
"When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus."
This verse gives me tremendous hope. I've often struggled, as many Christians do, with the idea that I'm not as qualified or capable of sharing my faith as those whose Biblical knowledge exceeds mine due to more formal training. Maybe it's an inferiority complex I took on while going to a Baptist university and living in a house full of guys training to go into the ministry. However, this passage blows that notion out of the water. One does not need a seminary degree and a well-prepared defense of the doctrine of election to testify to man's need for Jesus Christ. I'm not decrying Biblical studies; the church needs leaders who have have been taught thoroughly and were prepared for church leadership through rigorous, disciplined study under great theological minds. Yet, one can't deny that this verse shows the religious "scholars" to be more than just a little dumbfounded as they listen to the passionate, powerful proclamation of Jesus as Messiah coming from two ordinary men whose area of expertise was catching fish, not preaching.
What was so amazing about their preaching? Was it their doctrinal knowledge? Was it their exegetical prowess? Did anyone in the crowd note their public speaking skills? Nope. The difference was that it was obvious these men had been with Jesus. These men spoke with power that did not testify to who they were, but rather to the miraculous power of the man they'd dropped their nets to follow. This is what I tend to forget. Training is important. All Christians should feel drawn to invest and grow in their knowledge of the Bible as well as to understand and hold to sound doctrine. But, those who preach Christ cannot roll on knowledge and training alone. Those things are like a car. Even the most amazing car, no matter how sleek it is or how much horsepower it has under the hood will not move without fuel. Peter and John were "unschooled" and "ordinary" and definitely did not have the "car" the religious leaders did. Based on training and education, the religious leaders were Aston-Martins...Peter and John were Ford Festivas. The key difference was that Peter and John had gas in the tanks. They had been with the Master and learned to love him for who He is. That type of relationship is what fuels a true disciple of the risen Lord.
One of my favorite testimonies in the Bible comes in the ninth chapter of John when Jesus heals a man blind from birth. After the man receives his sight, he ends up being brought before the Pharisees to do some explaining. After asking him what happened and receiving an unsatisfactory explanation, the Pharisees bring in the man's parents to verify that this guy was actually blind to begin with. Because they don't want to get in trouble, the parents verify he was born blind and then roll over on him by essentially saying, "If you want any more information, ask him, he's a big boy" (gee...thanks, mom & pop). This time the Pharisees question the man by accusing Jesus of being a sinner (for doing God's work on the Sabbath, mind you) and demanding he tell them how Jesus healed him.
I love this guy's response for its simplicity and honesty: "Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." This man had been left alone to beg his entire life with no one to teach or train him. He was an outcast left to waste away in his blindness. He didn't know much...but he knew who Jesus was because he had firsthand experience of His power. After that, the Pharisees ask again what happened and this man, someone with absolutely no spiritual stature in their eyes has the gall to say to them, "I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?" WHOA! Did he just try to evangelize the top dogs of the religious ladder? TOTALLY, and the story goes on. The Pharisees claim to be disciples of Moses and admit they don't know (and apparently have little interest) where this Jesus is from. To this our boy says, "Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." You might think the Pharisees, being schooled in religiosity would reply, "Good point, well said." Wrong. Incensed at the fact they'd just been taken to school by a dude they considered the dregs of society, the Pharisees throw him out.
This passage shows us once again that the true mark of a disciple is not an impressive resume. Diplomas and degrees do not convince people that we have experienced Christ's redemptive love and mercy. People can spot fakes, posers, and frauds a mile away. Conversely, when someone has been in the presence of Christ and he has become their treasure, the change is undeniable. That's when people know they've seen "the real deal."
May it be, God, that you open our eyes to see how mighty, majestic, and merciful you are. Allow us to know your Son in His fullness and to let Him be our greatest treasure that despite what we may not know, we would clearly know you.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
John 6
So this morning I was supposed to share something at our church's monthly men's gathering. For the last week, I've prayed and considered what God would have me speak on and as I've done that, he's led me back to one of my favorite passages from the story of Christ as told in the gospel of John.
Chapter 6 starts off with one of the most familiar Sunday school stories of all-time: Jesus feeding the multitude. Very few people have not heard this story. Jesus is teaching, the people are hungry, Phillip is beside himself, right? Luckily, one person out of thousands thought, "I'm a human, I eat...packing a lunch might be a strong idea." Jesus takes this lunch, miraculously feeds the entire crowd, and has leftovers (shame they didn't have Tupperware). From there on, Jesus becomes a "rockstar" and people are following him like he's The Grateful Dead or something. They find out where he's going and strike out for Capernaum for the encore performance.
However, in Capernaum Jesus starts laying out exactly what the meaning of the feeding miracle was. He starts claiming to be the "meal" that would ultimately satisfy the people. As Jesus makes statements about being the "bread of life" and saying those following him must "eat of his flesh" and "drink of his blood," folks start wondering what Jesus had been drinking prior to this speech. As my friend D. Becker pointed out, these claims offended ideas of how a first century Jew could/could not worship God.
Ultimately, many of them simply said, "This is a difficult teaching. Who can accept it?" With that, they left, never to return. The "Jesus Show" they wanted so badly to be a part of had stopped meeting their immediate need for entertainment and a free lunch and had started demanding them to embrace/reject some huge realities of who Christ really was. Sadly, this was too much and the best option in their minds was to head out looking for a new show somewhere else.
Here's where the story really gets me. Jesus, just deserted by a crowd of people who he had come to save, turns in a moment of divine humanity and asks his inner circle, the Twelve, "What about you? Are you leaving, too?" (paraphrase). When I listen in my mind, I hear Jesus not asking this in a challenging way, but in a manner that shows he knows what it is to be rejected, even by those he was trying to save. Later we see a similar act of humanity when he feels the pain of his friends at Lazarus' death and weeps alongside them. In short, God in the flesh knows what it's like to be me. He was rejected, he shed tears in agony, he felt anger in the temple, he faced the impending reality of a physical death.
Some people have a tough time w/ Jesus' divinity. Was he really God as he claimed to be? I don't struggle with that. When he drops "before Abraham was, I AM," in John 8, I'm with him. I'd say it has been more of a struggle for me to accept his humanity. Passages like those above remind me of a truth expressed best by Pastor Matt Chandler when he said, "God knows it's scary to be me." That's the kind of God I want to serve. One who would humbly step down into the mess w/ his people and know their suffering, face every temptation they faced...and win.
However, there's more to the story...Peter and Judas.
Peter is an astounding person in my opinion. Peter is the gung-ho, "let's do this" type of guy who is ready to take on the world at the side of Jesus. The second Jesus asks them if they're also going to bolt, Peter's bold reply is essentially "Where else would we go? You are the Son of God and your words ARE life." Score one for Peter. However, for every "right answer" he gave Jesus, he also had some huge moments of egg on his face. When Jesus asked who the disciples believed he was, Peter was the first one raising his hand and affirming Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God. I like to picture Peter pumping his fist for nailing that one. Still, right after that Jesus taught that he must suffer many things at the hands of the religious leaders. Peter, not having any of it, argues w/ Jesus (note to self: do not argue w/ Jesus). Jesus replied by essentially calling Peter "Satan" and saying that Peter was on the side of men, not God. Wow. Peter would later go on to chop off a dude's ear (as if Jesus needed his protection) and then deny Jesus three times after promising not to.
Here's what's awesome; by the end of John, we get the story of Jesus gently restoring Peter and leaving him with the reminder to "feed his sheep." No condemnation, no "I told you you were going to deny me, bro." Instead, Jesus picked him up and got him back about the work of His kingdom. Result: Peter drops a sermon in Acts 2 after which about 3,000 folks repent and follow Christ. If there's hope for Peter (yes, the guy Jesus called "Satan"), I believe there is hope for all of us.
Still, there's a sad part to this story as well: Judas. After Peter assured Jesus that the inner circle were with him to the bitter end, Jesus noted that he chose them, but that there was a proverbial "wolf" in sheep's clothing among their number. Someone was not who they seemed to be. This person is Judas who, let us not forget, was chosen by Jesus to be part of the Twelve. Of all the people in history, Judas was one of the closest to Jesus during his time on Earth. However, despite the fact that he had a front row seat to Jesus' ministry, he missed the show. He saw Jesus heal, heard him teach, shared meals with him...and missed the whole point.
But, don't we do that, too? We may not sell Jesus out for thirty pieces of silver, but don't we sell him out for other things? Don't we sit in church somedays, sing the songs, take copious notes, drop a check in the plate...and never once encounter Jesus for who he is? I have. We end up like Judas and the crowds who are just taking part in the "Jesus Show", but missing the point.
There's plenty more to unpack from this one chapter, but these are the things that stick out most to me. I'm not some amazing biblical mind, so these are not home run theological points, probably bunts at best. Here's what I need to remember from this passage.
Chapter 6 starts off with one of the most familiar Sunday school stories of all-time: Jesus feeding the multitude. Very few people have not heard this story. Jesus is teaching, the people are hungry, Phillip is beside himself, right? Luckily, one person out of thousands thought, "I'm a human, I eat...packing a lunch might be a strong idea." Jesus takes this lunch, miraculously feeds the entire crowd, and has leftovers (shame they didn't have Tupperware). From there on, Jesus becomes a "rockstar" and people are following him like he's The Grateful Dead or something. They find out where he's going and strike out for Capernaum for the encore performance.
However, in Capernaum Jesus starts laying out exactly what the meaning of the feeding miracle was. He starts claiming to be the "meal" that would ultimately satisfy the people. As Jesus makes statements about being the "bread of life" and saying those following him must "eat of his flesh" and "drink of his blood," folks start wondering what Jesus had been drinking prior to this speech. As my friend D. Becker pointed out, these claims offended ideas of how a first century Jew could/could not worship God.
Ultimately, many of them simply said, "This is a difficult teaching. Who can accept it?" With that, they left, never to return. The "Jesus Show" they wanted so badly to be a part of had stopped meeting their immediate need for entertainment and a free lunch and had started demanding them to embrace/reject some huge realities of who Christ really was. Sadly, this was too much and the best option in their minds was to head out looking for a new show somewhere else.
Here's where the story really gets me. Jesus, just deserted by a crowd of people who he had come to save, turns in a moment of divine humanity and asks his inner circle, the Twelve, "What about you? Are you leaving, too?" (paraphrase). When I listen in my mind, I hear Jesus not asking this in a challenging way, but in a manner that shows he knows what it is to be rejected, even by those he was trying to save. Later we see a similar act of humanity when he feels the pain of his friends at Lazarus' death and weeps alongside them. In short, God in the flesh knows what it's like to be me. He was rejected, he shed tears in agony, he felt anger in the temple, he faced the impending reality of a physical death.
Some people have a tough time w/ Jesus' divinity. Was he really God as he claimed to be? I don't struggle with that. When he drops "before Abraham was, I AM," in John 8, I'm with him. I'd say it has been more of a struggle for me to accept his humanity. Passages like those above remind me of a truth expressed best by Pastor Matt Chandler when he said, "God knows it's scary to be me." That's the kind of God I want to serve. One who would humbly step down into the mess w/ his people and know their suffering, face every temptation they faced...and win.
However, there's more to the story...Peter and Judas.
Peter is an astounding person in my opinion. Peter is the gung-ho, "let's do this" type of guy who is ready to take on the world at the side of Jesus. The second Jesus asks them if they're also going to bolt, Peter's bold reply is essentially "Where else would we go? You are the Son of God and your words ARE life." Score one for Peter. However, for every "right answer" he gave Jesus, he also had some huge moments of egg on his face. When Jesus asked who the disciples believed he was, Peter was the first one raising his hand and affirming Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God. I like to picture Peter pumping his fist for nailing that one. Still, right after that Jesus taught that he must suffer many things at the hands of the religious leaders. Peter, not having any of it, argues w/ Jesus (note to self: do not argue w/ Jesus). Jesus replied by essentially calling Peter "Satan" and saying that Peter was on the side of men, not God. Wow. Peter would later go on to chop off a dude's ear (as if Jesus needed his protection) and then deny Jesus three times after promising not to.
Here's what's awesome; by the end of John, we get the story of Jesus gently restoring Peter and leaving him with the reminder to "feed his sheep." No condemnation, no "I told you you were going to deny me, bro." Instead, Jesus picked him up and got him back about the work of His kingdom. Result: Peter drops a sermon in Acts 2 after which about 3,000 folks repent and follow Christ. If there's hope for Peter (yes, the guy Jesus called "Satan"), I believe there is hope for all of us.
Still, there's a sad part to this story as well: Judas. After Peter assured Jesus that the inner circle were with him to the bitter end, Jesus noted that he chose them, but that there was a proverbial "wolf" in sheep's clothing among their number. Someone was not who they seemed to be. This person is Judas who, let us not forget, was chosen by Jesus to be part of the Twelve. Of all the people in history, Judas was one of the closest to Jesus during his time on Earth. However, despite the fact that he had a front row seat to Jesus' ministry, he missed the show. He saw Jesus heal, heard him teach, shared meals with him...and missed the whole point.
But, don't we do that, too? We may not sell Jesus out for thirty pieces of silver, but don't we sell him out for other things? Don't we sit in church somedays, sing the songs, take copious notes, drop a check in the plate...and never once encounter Jesus for who he is? I have. We end up like Judas and the crowds who are just taking part in the "Jesus Show", but missing the point.
There's plenty more to unpack from this one chapter, but these are the things that stick out most to me. I'm not some amazing biblical mind, so these are not home run theological points, probably bunts at best. Here's what I need to remember from this passage.
- We are not called to be groupies at the Jesus Show. We're called to know Him for who He is and to follow with what will often seem, in our American mindset, like reckless abandon.
- Our God knows what it is to be human and has conquered any fear or temptation we may face.
- Peter was no scholar and his failures are as well-documented as his successes...yet Christ used him in mighty ways. There is hope for the rest of us.
- It is entirely possible to live your life in church and eat/sleep/drink "Christian culture" and never know Christ for who he is (Matt. 7:22-23)
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Really. Really. Really!!!?
I can understand why businesses have a problem with their employees supporting the competition. That's business. It's about survival, protecting profit margins, espousing loyalty to a brand name. "You work at Barnes and Noble...we'd really appreciate it if you'd stop shopping at Borders. Never mind, they're bankrupt..problem solved." Right?
What doesn't make sense to me is when this idea works its way into the evangelical church. I'm not even talking about crossing denominational lines here, folks (which is another rant for another day). I'm talking about the unspoken idea that churches even of the same denomination, though none would fess up, are in competition with each other.
"I have someone from (insert name of other church) here who'd be willing to help out with our ministry here at (insert name of church in question). " Reply (paraphrase):"Sounds great, just make sure you don't put their name on anything identifying them as a leader." Serious, this conversation has happened. Anyone can see the huge problem, right? Wouldn't want anyone in "our" church to see us partnering with "that other church" in advancing the gospel of Christ. Can you imagine the chaos that might ensue? What if people started thinking we actually approve of that church and...dare I say it...have similar core beliefs? Could be reading too much into the conversation, but it sure seems indicative of a controlling idea.
Makes me sad. How is a mindset like this to accomplish evangelism and discipleship as prescribed and demonstrated by Christ? Instead, the competition idea seems to promote the thinking that the gospel must be advanced (under our banner) and must reach all peoples (so long as we can control it). Best I can tell, Christ called some ragamuffin bros to follow him, watch how he lived, then go and do likewise. Eventually, he turned them loose on the world and what happened? They actually went and did for others what he did for them and the gospel spread like wildfire (in much the same way it is in parts of Asia and Africa). No institutional control, no business meeting, no year-long planning sessions, and definitely no competition.
Churches, stop trying to control the gospel and let it live. Let it do its transforming work. Be a part of the Church universal rather than trying to pump your numbers and protect your borders. Your "camp" does not save people. Jesus Christ and his message of redemption for the broken and the destitute does.
Late night ranting and rambling over....reading back over it....semi-coherent thoughts.
What doesn't make sense to me is when this idea works its way into the evangelical church. I'm not even talking about crossing denominational lines here, folks (which is another rant for another day). I'm talking about the unspoken idea that churches even of the same denomination, though none would fess up, are in competition with each other.
"I have someone from (insert name of other church) here who'd be willing to help out with our ministry here at (insert name of church in question). " Reply (paraphrase):"Sounds great, just make sure you don't put their name on anything identifying them as a leader." Serious, this conversation has happened. Anyone can see the huge problem, right? Wouldn't want anyone in "our" church to see us partnering with "that other church" in advancing the gospel of Christ. Can you imagine the chaos that might ensue? What if people started thinking we actually approve of that church and...dare I say it...have similar core beliefs? Could be reading too much into the conversation, but it sure seems indicative of a controlling idea.
Makes me sad. How is a mindset like this to accomplish evangelism and discipleship as prescribed and demonstrated by Christ? Instead, the competition idea seems to promote the thinking that the gospel must be advanced (under our banner) and must reach all peoples (so long as we can control it). Best I can tell, Christ called some ragamuffin bros to follow him, watch how he lived, then go and do likewise. Eventually, he turned them loose on the world and what happened? They actually went and did for others what he did for them and the gospel spread like wildfire (in much the same way it is in parts of Asia and Africa). No institutional control, no business meeting, no year-long planning sessions, and definitely no competition.
Churches, stop trying to control the gospel and let it live. Let it do its transforming work. Be a part of the Church universal rather than trying to pump your numbers and protect your borders. Your "camp" does not save people. Jesus Christ and his message of redemption for the broken and the destitute does.
Late night ranting and rambling over....reading back over it....semi-coherent thoughts.
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