"Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. John 16:22
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Who Stole my Joy?
Ever have someone "steal" your joy? Ever have a situation steal your joy?
Could this really be true? Once we've seen the resurrected Christ, no one can steal our joy? Surely this can't mean that "no one will take your joy away," can it? If you're anything like me, people steal my joy all the time. And I've met the resurrected Christ. So what gives?
I'd like to suggest that no one actually steals my joy. I give it away. I choose to take my eyes of the amazing gospel that is taking me to where God wants me. And I choose instead to put those eyes on the bothersome or evil person that has "stolen" my joy. Instead of setting my mind, my heart, on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, I set my mind and heart on what I'm not getting that I want, or what I'm getting that I don't want. And away goes my joy.
James puts it another way: "Count it all joy," he writes, "when you face a variety of trials." Count them joy? Count stuff I don't like as joy? James goes on: "because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." Did you catch that? There is an eternal purpose that God is pursuing in my life with each trial I face. James tells me not to just see the trial, but to also see the eternal purpose that God is intending.
So no more giving my joy away. No more allowing trials to knock joy out of my hands. I've seen the resurrected Christ. And because God raised Him from the dead, I know that God's promises to me are just as sure as can be.
Father, it is so easy to get into pity parties over the trials that people and situations are to me. Help me see the work you're trying to do in my life through those trials. Help me see your faithfulness as a Father to grow me up. Let me shine joy, even in the worst of times. For your glory. For your reputation.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
The G.I.G.O. Video
In my last TG post, I gave you the lyrics our Keno Afield 2010 Team came up with for our VBS "theme song." Well, here in all their glory, is G.I.G.O. . . Enjoy. We did.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
G.I.G.O.
The following are lyrics to a song that the KenoAfield 2010 Team wrote to help teach kids the principles of their Purify to Glorify Vacation Bible School curriculum. I hope to post a video soon of us singing it. Garbage in, garbage out
What comes in is what goes out
Good stuff in, good stuff out
What's poured in soaks throughout
What comes in is what goes out
Good stuff in, good stuff out
What's poured in soaks throughout
Don't take the bad stuff, it's no good
Only the things God says you should
tune your thoughts to God on high
Guard your heart, we'll tell you why
Only the things God says you should
tune your thoughts to God on high
Guard your heart, we'll tell you why
Garbage in, garbage out
What comes in is what goes out
Good stuff in, good stuff out
What's poured in soaks throughout
What comes in is what goes out
Good stuff in, good stuff out
What's poured in soaks throughout
Guard your heart so you can see
What an awesome God our God can be
but If you don't you'll someday shout
"How sad I lived that life of doubt"
What an awesome God our God can be
but If you don't you'll someday shout
"How sad I lived that life of doubt"
Garbage in, garbage out
What comes in is what goes out
Good stuff in, good stuff out
What's poured in soaks throughout
What's poured in soaks throughout
What comes in is what goes out
Good stuff in, good stuff out
What's poured in soaks throughout
What's poured in soaks throughout
Father, you alone can see how our hearts and minds have been influenced by our intake over the course of our lives. Open our eyes to help us see the lies, half-truths, and folly that continues to hinder our lives, and continues to hurt those you've placed around us. Help us see the truth and wisdom that needs to supplant those false and foolish ideas, theories, beliefs, and opinions, that we may clean out our hearts and minds.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Can Teens be Trusted with Ministry?
Some in today's Church believe that teenagers cannot be trusted with God's work. They argue points like "Teens are too emotionally immature," or "Teens can't grasp the importance of Bible ministry," or even things like "Teens can't be fully committed to Christ," or "Teens will lead others astray." While there are certainly teens for whom each of those accusations might be true, there are two logical reasons why such arguments fail: First, do we assume that all adults in ministry are sufficiently mature to pass the standards against which these folks would measure teens? And if all teens should be prohibited from ministry because some are immature, then wouldn't all adults be prohibited by the same principle? Second, is it not grossly unfair to paint all teens with those brushes? Many students today have committed their lives to God and are struggling, just like you and me, to push that commitment into every area of their lives and ministries. God has blessed many churches and ministries with many such students, and these students are the foundation of the youth ministry they're growing. Beyond those logical questions, we must yet ask, "Is such ministry biblical?" Does scripture ever show God using youth to accomplish His will? I'd suggest that God has used, spoken through, or lead His people with young people. Samuel, David, Mark, maybe even Timothy, spoke for God, lead armies, or taught Christians along with their elder counterparts. God called the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel before they were born, and called them to their posts while they were quite young. Daniel was a young man when he was promoted to the highest advisor post in Babylon. Esther and Mary were used by God while quite young. It seems clear that achievement of age is not the sole requirement for ministry. The Bible rather insists on a set of character qualities needed for all ministers, no matter how many birthdays they've seen in their past. One such quality, the Fear of the Lord, is essential to success for any minister, young or old. Every minister must recognize that he must ultimately give an answer to God for the ways in which he serves. It matters not if he teaches truth or lies, has integrity or lacks it, serves others or manipulates them, or promotes unity or sows dissension, every leader, teacher, pastor, or overseer will give an account to a righteous, holy, all-seeing, all-knowing, peering-into-the-deepest-crevices-of-the-human-heart God. He will judge with perfect judgment. Every minister, youth or adult, must submit his service to Him. In addition to the Fear of God, there are many other qualities to visit in future posts. Father, give me eyes to see the true calling you have for me, then for everyone around me. Help me live according to a right and appropriate fear of You. Then help me help others live according to a right fear of You.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Grace? According to Performance?
A simple yet profound puzzle in scripture is this: Grace is a gift, not given for performance or merit. Yet only the humble can get it. The proud are instead resisted, seemingly not able to get it. So if grace is a gift, then how come one must be humble to get it? I imagine two sailboats. Grace is the wind, continually blowing across the lake toward it's destination. One boat has dropped her sails. The other has set hers, now billowed out by the wind. One boat moves quickly through the water in the direction offered by the wind. The other is blown grudgingly, sluggishly, barely moving. What if humility is nothing more than hoisting our sails into the advice, counsel, and will of God? What if pride is the refusal to do so? Doing the first will surely lead us where God's advice, counsel, and will intend us to go. Doing the other (refusing to do the first) will leave us stuck, floating where ever we dropped our sails, save for the sheer push of God's grace which cannot help but force us along, resisting our commitment to stay stuck. In a practical sense, each time I am presented with any situation or circumstance, I am given two choices from which to pick: 1. I can use this situation to live and serve God and His purposes, hoist my sail, follow His instructions for how to live in this circumstance and go where He intends me to go. 2. I can use this situation to do and accomplish less than above, and have God's grace push my stubborn self along anyway, but have little to no joy in the ride. How many of us excel at pulling down our sails regularly, hoisting them only in safe, predictable, or "let me not have to grow or change too much" situations? Father, you know my heart. You know my tendency to hoist and drop my sails according to my comfort, my fears, and my approval or disapproval of where you'd take me. Give me the courage, the faith in your goodness, and the confidence in your absolute love, so that I might leave those sails up and commit myself to always catch and live by your advice, counsel, and will. Always. Grant that I might to see my pride, my stubborn resistance to you and your advice, counsel, and will. Grant that I might willingly let it go. Help me be what you want me to be, do what you want me to do, and go where you want me to go.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Is it Just Easier? Is that Why We Do It?
Human beings, ourselves given to evil, often make one of four errors in dealing with the tempted and the erring. The first is to not deal at all with the struggler. The second is to deal with him while avoiding his struggle. The third is to deal untenderly with him. The fourth is to fetch someone else after him.
Of the rebuke that is love,
Of the blow that wounds to heal,
Of the warning that speaks hope,
we all have need to learn.
We cannot read the heart.
Neither can we know its struggle and pain.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
An Ephesian "Timeline?"
One of the most fascinating practices in Bible study is to take a topic, doctrine, person, or item, and follow its "trajectory" as time passes and as scripture mentions it over that passed time. One such study is to look at the Church at Ephesus, beginning with her planting and ending with Jesus' letter to her "angel" in Revelation. After familiarizing yourself with he biblical facts and factoids about the topic, you're then in a position to search the internet for extra-biblical background information.
What fascinates me about this Ephesian study is how the church at Ephesus managed to fare so well, compared to the other churches Jesus wrote to in the 7 letters of Revelation. To what, in all the prior biblical facts, could one attribute this success? Paul's two years? His letter? The ministry of Priscilla and Aquila? Timothy's oversight?
I don't believe one can find a definitive answer, but it sure does one good to think on the benefits of all the recorded ministry that God provided the Ephesian church. Have some fun, as it'll take at least a couple hours to read and note the passages and get some background info.
Here ya go!
Acts 18:19-21
Paul, Priscilla, and Aquila come to Ephesus and begin a ministry there. Paul stays a short time, then leaves Priscilla and Aquila to manage the work.
Acts 18:24-28
Apollos, a Jew, an Alexandrian, an eloquent, mighty-in-scriptures man, came to Ephesus; He was familiar with the gospel, but only up to the baptism of John. He began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the Ephesian brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
Acts 19:1 - 20:1
Paul returns to Ephesus, finds disciples, stays two years.
Acts 20:16-38
Paul makes his way to meet with the Ephesian Elders at Miletus to warn them of false teachers outside and inside their number, and to say goodbye.
1 Corinthians 15:32
Paul references his fight with "wild beasts" at Ephesus as evidence that he's not in this apostle business for pleasure or profit. 1 Corinthians 16:8
Paul writes "But I will remain in Ephesus until Pentecost" in the close of this letter.
Ephesians
(sorry, but for this study you'd have to read the whole letter,
looking for statements about them (the Ephesians),
and noting what they were taught, either previous to the letter, or in the letter).
1 Timothy
(sorry, but for this study you'd have to read the whole letter,
looking for statements about them (the Ephesians),
and noting what they were taught, either previous to the letter, or in the letter).
2 Timothy 1:16-18
An offhand reference to Onesiphorus who rendered service at Ephesus.
2 Timothy 4:12
Paul tells Timothy that he sent Tychicus to Ephesus.
Revelation 2:1-7
Jesus sends a letter "To the angel of the church in Ephesus," and writes:
"The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this: 'I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name's sake, and have not grown weary. 'But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 'Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place--unless you repent. 'Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.'"
Saturday, May 8, 2010
But, But, He Offended Me!
Is the following statement true or false?
If you love me, you will not offend me.
If there were a perfect lover, that is, one who loved perfectly, then we could test this question by seeing if he ever offended those he loved.
Hhmm, does such a lover exist anywhere?If you can think of someone, then test this hypothesis:
Someone who truly loves another will not offend him in any way, whether by speech, or by action.
Test it by looking at his beloveds to see if any were ever offended.(Oh, and if you subtly define your perfect lover as one who doesn't offend, then you mess up the experiment by creating a circular system.)
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
An Odd Challenge
Here's an odd challenge, if you dare:
Carefully check out the two verses below, and see if they aren't backwards when compared to the way many of us operate today:
"Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs" (Prov. 10:12 ).
So when someone wrongs you, and you cover his wrongs, that shows what?
But when someone wrongs you, and you stir others up against him, that shows what?
But when someone wrongs you, and you stir others up against him, that shows what?
"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault . . . (Jesus, in Mat 18:15 ).
So when someone wrongs you, and you talk to him about it, you're obeying who?
But when someone wrongs you, and you don't talk to him about it, you're disobeying who?
But when someone wrongs you, and you don't talk to him about it, you're disobeying who?
What I mean is this:
Do you talk directly to the person who sins against, disappoints, or otherwise fails you?
Do you talk about that persons sin, disappointing, failing to others?
Do you talk directly to the person who sins against, disappoints, or otherwise fails you?
Do you talk about that persons sin, disappointing, failing to others?
If you're like me, there is a great temptation to do precisely the opposite of what those verses say. I suspect that we don't talk directly to the one who sins, disappoints, or otherwise fails, is because we are afraid. Afraid of getting into an argument. Afraid of being confronted ourselves. Afraid of having to "remove the log from our own eye." Afraid of . . .?
Father, only you know the extent to which we've gone in stirring up dissension instead of love. Only you know how often we've handled our discontents with others in the backwards fashion. Help us to become people who handle rightly the things that we share with others, and the things we keep to ourselves. Help us promote love, even when we feel slighted.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Let Me See as You See
I'm sometimes asked, when I write about sacrificial living, obedience, or the "cost of discipleship," "where has grace gone?" The questioner usually equates God's grace with some sort of "reprieve" from God's calling His people to holiness, and usually equates things like surrender, obedience, faithful living, and the teaching of the clear instructions of scripture as some form of legalism or "faith AND works salvation."
And if all those things were given as a means to please God enough to be saved, then the grace-aholics would be absolutely correct: Shame on us for muddying the pure, amazing, and wonderful salvation that was wrought by Christ's beautiful work on His Cross. Shame on us for doubting the gospel and for mixing faith in Christ's finished work with our own pathetic obediences, services, and works in order to make us good enough to be saved.
But the New Testament call of faithfulness, obedience, and surrender is not a mixing of faith and works. It's a merging of faith and works into an amazing, indeed impossible pair. The N.T. call to obedience is clearly rooted in a salvation that had been received by faith. The "works" of obedience are to be the fruit of faith, not its precursor. There is no better passage to see this in than Romans 12. Next TG, I want to demonstrate from that chapter what I mean.
For now, I'd like to share a song that I learned back in the learning days of my youth as a believer. I don't hear it sung or played much today, but I still hear it playing in my heart, as a prayer that underlies much of what I do and much of what I write here on TG. I believe that the song points to a simple truth about obedience. We will obey when we see things as God sees them. The link below is a YouTube vid of someone singing the song. May you be blessed as you listen and read along.
YouTube vid: http://tiny.cc/LetMeSee
"Let me see this world, dear Lord, as though I were looking through your eyes,
A world of men who don't want you Lord, yet a world for which you died.
Let me kneel with you in the garden, blur my eyes with tears of agony.
"For if once I could see this world the way you see,
I just know I'd serve you more faithfully.
Let me see this world, dear Lord, through your eyes when men mocked your holy name,
When they beat you and spat upon you dear Lord.
Let me love them as you loved them, just the same.
Let me rise high above my petty problems, and grieve for men, hell bound eternally,
For if once I could see this world the way you see,
I just know I'd serve you more faithfully.
For if once I could see this world the way you see,
I just know I'd serve you more faithfully.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
One-Fifth. Two-Tenths. Zero-Point-Two.
Today, one-fifth of 2010 falls behind us. We've already consumed 73 days of the 365 allotted to us. Today, I'm pondering the following questions:
Have I accomplished 20 percent of what God placed in my life to accomplish this year?Have I grown 20 percent of what God intended to grow me this year?Have I read 20 percent of all God wants me to read this year?Have I served 20 percent of all the service God calls me to this year?Have I loved 20 percent of all the loving God positioned me to do this year?
Now we all know that life is full of variables and that most of those questions assume a steadiness, a consistency, that life doesn't provide. But the questions remain a good reminder that the days of my life are:
1. Gifts from God.2. Limited.3. Opportunities for being, doing, and promoting good.4. Opportunities for doing less than #3
Moses, after rehearsing the depressing reality of living life in the wake of man's fall and God's resulting wrath, requests from that God several interesting things:
So teach us to number our days,That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.Do return, O LORD;how long will it be?And be sorry for Your servants.O satisfy us in the morning with Your loving-kindness,That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.Make us glad according to the days You have afflicted us,And the years we have seen evil.Let Your work appear to Your servantsAnd Your majesty to their children.Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us;And confirm for us the work of our hands;Yes, confirm the work of our hands.
Psalm 90:12-17
I believe Moses' first request very wise. I've written earlier about redeeming time( http://tiny.cc/RedeemTime ), and it seems to me that the biggest battle I face is the battle to turn (redeem) time into good. Whether from good in me, good in my family, good in my church, or good in my world, I am easily sidetracked into selfish, shallow, and even sinful consumption of time. I need God's help to see what the time of my life is given for, and then more of His help dedicating myself to doing just that.
The remaining requests seem equally wise. Moses has earlier described the burden of God's wrath on the world of men, and here he seems to ask God to lift or circumvent the effects of that wrath. He asks for fresh revelation of who God is (return, loving-kindness, your work, your favor), a better "take" on life (satisfy us, sing for joy, glad), and that, rather than the frustration of working "by the sweat of your brow" and finding meaninglessness, he would see God bearing fruit in his labors.
Can any of us relate to Moses' prayer? Can we relate to the desire for wisdom regarding time and its use? I wrote earlier ( http://tiny.cc/QuicklyPasses ) that we exist in time like a waterwheel exists in a stream. Just like the water goes by, harvested for its energy or not, so time goes by, harvested for good or not. Do we look for, think about, and then do all the good that God has "prepared beforehand?" Or do we leave undone some, or many, good words and good works that God had intended and gifted us to do? Or, worse yet, do we actually do evil in those instances where good was intended by God, because of our ignorance of His will, or the shallowness of our wisdom?
Can we relate to Moses' desire for God to freshly reveal Himself? Do we serve, or have we served, a god who is actually a faded memory of the God who really is? Can we feel the lack of passionate love for God? Has our god become a theory, a worldview, or a set of talking points, instead of an almighty Person?
Can we relate to Moses' desire for God to better his life, to "satisfy us in the morning with your loving-kindness?" How many mornings go by where we simply set our sights on the shallow, empty satisfactions that the world offers. Do we really believe that and live like true satisfaction can only be found in God?
Can we relate to Moses' desire for God to favor us, and "confirm the work of our hands?" Most of us realize that someday the work of our hands will soon be passed through a fire? At that time, the work of our lives will be tried for its woodness, hayness, and strawness, or its goldness, silverness, and gemness (1 Cor 3:9ff)? Wouldn't it be good for God to show us ahead of time that our work either would pass through that final fire, or would burn up in it? And having seen ahead of time, we could make changes in our lives, our efforts, our goals, or our methods.
Father, I see the wisdom in Moses' prayer, but I lack the passion. Help me to want what you want out of my time in this life, in this world. Help me to see and do the good that you've placed around me to do. And help me to not miss the good, nor do evil in place of the good. Help me see my life with your eyes.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Slightly You Have Received, Slightly Give?
In yesterday's TG, ( http://tiny.cc/Lamb_Lesson ) I pictured the difference between a forced and voluntary sacrifice. I imagined voluntarily offering myself to God, as a response to God's mercy given me. Today, I wonder about my grasp of God's mercy.
Luke writes of an incident (7:36-50) where a woman came to Jesus while he dined in the home of Simon, a Pharisee. She wept over his feet, wiped them with her hair, poured perfume on them, and kissed them. When Simon saw this, he questioned (to himself) Jesus' "prophetness" since he obviously didn't know "what kind of woman he allowed to touch him this way." Jesus responded with a brief parable:
"A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. "When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both."
Jesus then asked Simon which debtor would love more in response to the forgiveness of their debts. When Simon answered that the one forgiven more would love more, Jesus continued his lesson, saying:
"You have judged correctly . . . Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. "You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. "You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume.
Jesus took the Pharisee down a few notches, didn't he? He did so point by point as He compared the Pharisee's treatment of Him against the woman's treatment. The woman's offering included expensive perfume, blatant public humbling of herself, and risk of malignment and worse from the piously religious. Simon's sacrifice included lunch, but with Simon criticizing Jesus to himself, and using the woman's worship as another opportunity to see himself as better than her (or at least her worse than him).
In so teaching, does Jesus reveal a variable in the formula we got from Romans 12:1? If we, by God's mercy, offer ourselves as living sacrifices, but "God's mercy" becomes a variable ("forgiven much" v. "forgiven little") wouldn't that make our living sacrifices variable as well? As in Simon's answer above, would those who have been given greater mercy offer more, and those given less mercy offer less?
Applied to Romans 12:1, the formula could look like this: "I urge you therefore, by the level of mercy you have been given, to offer yourself in like kind as a living sacrifice." Such variability can explain why some believers seem more sacrificial with their lives, while some believers seem less so. Have we known or seen some believers live like they see great mercy in that their great sinfulness has been forgiven by Christ's great work? They seem moved to respond as did the woman in Luke's story. On the other hand, have we not also seen others who live like they don't see such a great mercy in Christ's forgiveness?
I doubt that the work of Christ is variable. The Apostle John taught (1 John 2:2) that Jesus is the propitiation (the sacrifice that turns away wrath) "for the sins of the whole world." So why, in Luke's story, did two different people see themselves as so differently forgiven? I'm thinking that the variable lies in each individual's perception of his own need of forgiveness. Those who think that their load of sin isn't so bad might see themselves as forgiven, but not like those whose load of sin was nothing but an unforgivable wretched stench.
Father, we all know from the gospel that all of our sins have been paid for, and have thus been forgiven. And I thank you for such a forgiveness! But do I always see what an amazing or great forgiveness that has been? Do I, like the Pharisee, see myself as better than other sinners? Do I think that Jesus shouldn't deal with others while He should deal with me? Do I miss the fact that I too am like the woman and like the Pharisees of Jesus' day? Help me see the depth of my sinfulness so that I can see the height of your grace. Help me not compare my life and doctrine to those around me. Rather, help me compare my life to that of Your Son, and my doctrine to that as taught in your word, so that I can see my true failings. Help me know that my huge, impossible, unforgivable debt, has, in fact, been wiped clean by your gracious kindness. Help me, by that mercy, to stand with the body of me sacrifice living, holy and well-pleasing, and offer me to you.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Learning Lessons from a Lamb
Imagine, if you dare, a lamb being brought to the altar for sacrifice at the portable tent/tabernacle of ancient Israel. Cruel as it may seem to some, the sacrificial act soon renders the lamb lifeless. Before the sacrifice the lamb had possessed a mind, a will, and a demeanor that reflected both. Now, the lamb has neither mind, will, nor demeanor. With that picture in mind, listen now to what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Church:
"I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Romans 12:1
Imagine the lifeless lamb as you answer the following questions: What does the lamb now desire? What does the lamb now feel about his surroundings/circumstances? If a lamb could possess an "agenda," what would this lamb's agenda be? How much would this lamb want to be pleased? If you made it through my questions without giving me up for ridiculous for even asking such things about a dead lamb, then grant me one more question. What is the difference between a dead sacrifice (as the lamb above) and a living one (as in the quote above)?
I'm thinking that the difference between a dead and living sacrifice is the ongoing act of surrender. Obviously, a dead sacrifice surrenders nothing. His desires, feelings, and agenda now offer no competition. But the living sacrifice still has desires, feelings, and agendas. And they must be consciously surrendered. To clarify the picture of that living sacrifice, let me give you the direct "interlinear" translation, from the Greek, of the central phrase of the verse above:
"to stand with the body of you sacrifice living, holy one, well pleasing" which is your logical service."
Imagine again, this time it's you standing there, holding your fleshy body, with it's dreams, desires, hopes, aspirations, it's frustrations, worries, fears, and pains, it's goals, demands, and agendas. And there you stand, handing you over to God. Surrendering all that you are to Him, so that you can be all that He created you to be.
For that reason, this interlinear phrasing painted a beautiful (but difficult) picture for me.
Father, I have so much of me that competes with your will for me. I have so much of me that isn't ready, willing, and able to follow your Son. Help me daily to remember your great mercy, your amazing grace toward me. And help me every morning to stand with the body of me sacrifice and offer me to you. Help me surrender all the things that the lamb could not choose to surrender. Help me live the life You created me to live. Help me do the good You created me to do.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
You Want Me? To Share What?
In writing about evangelism, authors often take their readers to John 4 (Jesus chats with a Samaritan woman at Jacob's well). Here, they attempt to mine tips, hints, and clues to answer the centuries old question: How can one be a good witness for Christ? After all, what better model could we have than Christ himself? In His conversation with this woman, the authors show how Christ used riddles (as He often did), brought up her problem of sin (as He often did), told her that her religion was wrong (as He often did), invited her to trust Him (as He often did), and offered eternal life (as He often did). And in so doing, we learn that Christ was an effective, consistent, bold, and gentle evangelist for Himself.
Now, if you're tempted to think that I'm not digging very deeply into the model summarized above, you should know that I'm simply giving those authors a nod before I look at something else in the passage. They've done the work, they've written the books, commentary, and blogs, so you can find that model expanded all over the place. What I'd like to do is look more carefully, not at how Jesus was the evangelist, but at how the woman he talked with was the evangelist. Why? Just look at the results of her work:
From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all the things that I have done." So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. Many more believed because of His word; and they were saying to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world." John 4:39-42
This woman, by sharing what she took from the conversation with Jesus, somehow convinced "many of the Samaritans" to believe in Jesus (believe at least enough for them to beg Him to stay, and to give Him a good listen). And what exactly did she take away from the conversation with Jesus? We don't know all that she took away, but for some reason, John, the story teller, described her message as "He told me all the things that I have done." She didn't wow them with creation evangelism, or with cool effects and technology. She didn't wait to share till she "knew enough." She simply shared that some guy knew about her messed up life, her errant religion, and her very real thirst/expectation for a savior. And the results are in the passage above. Many believed in Him because of her.
What if you or I want to be serious about sharing our faith? What can we take away from this passage about a woman who, in a matter of an afternoon, became an on-fire evangelist for Jesus, and a successful one at that? How can we translate her experience into our experience? I'd like to suggest 2 principles for sharing our faith with watching world:
1. She shared to point people to Jesus. She wasn't out to be liked or respected. She was a pointer. It was about Him, not her.2. She shared Him in the context of her sinfulness. Rather than hide her sin from others, she made it an intrinsic part of her message about the One who would save her from that sin.
It seems today many of us believe that if we're nice enough, and friendly enough, then people will love us. Thus they'll come to love our Jesus. But that's not the model here.
It also seems today many of us believe that if we confess the sins of other Christians, we can gain agreement with those unhappy with the church. When they realize that we're "on their side" they'll come to our Jesus. But that's not the model here.
The model here is that the Samaritan woman became humble enough to admit that she had a messy life, that she needed a savior, and that she found One who saw her nastiness just as it was, yet still loved her and offered to save her.
Father, we want to bring others to You. We know that You're the only Savior who can truly save. Protect us from that nasty "holier than thou" mindset that comes from us judging others and from comparing ourselves with others. Help us compare ourselves with You, and help us see our broken-ness and our desperate need, even today, for a Savior like Your Son, Jesus. Help us show the same grace we've been given to those around us. Help us point to You and Your Son with the story of our lives. Help us show your saving power by letting them see how badly we need You, and how wonderfully You meet that need.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Kindness and Severity? What? God's Not Just Kind?
Do I trust the God who is? Or do I trust the God who I think is? Him, or my vain imagination of Him?
God has taken great pains to reveal Himself the way He really is. Do we see Him that way? Do we allow His revelation to infringe upon our beliefs? Can God change our minds when our minds have a false picture of Him?
God's "god-ness" leaks through the cracks in heaven and spills into our everyday lives. Do we see it? Do we get it? Do we see Him in it? The creation in all it's beauty, awe, immensity, and diversity boldly declares the power and nature of its Creator. Do we see it? Do we get it? Do we see Him in it? The scriptures in all their depth, complexity and profundity clearly declare His justice, mercy, holiness, and compassion. Do we see it? Do we get it? Do we see Him in them? Jesus faithfully lived Him. Do we see it? Do we get it? Do we see Him in Him?
If there is one problem that rises above the others, it is this ingrained ability I, we, have to keep the true God at bay while we serve the God of our imaginations. We imagine Him fighting our fights. We imagine Him punishing those who sin against us. We imagine Him defending our cause, whatever it may be. But we don't listen to what His fight is. We don't listen to what/who He will punish. We don't imitate His gracious forgiveness to those who sin against us.
God is a hen gathering her chicks. God is a consuming fire. He is both. At once. He is Love, Holiness, Justice, Freedom, and Mercy. All. At once.
Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. Romans 11:22
Father, you are awesome beyond our imaginations. We cannot fathom your wonders. Our highest thoughts of you are a shallow puddle compared to you. Give us glimpses of you the way you really are. Help us see you in the creation, in the scriptures, and in Jesus. Shatter our imaginations with yourself. And help us live as though we really know you, as though we know the real you.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Seek, find. Don't, don't.
In my last TG entry (http://hallockd.posterous.com/open-wide-to-us), I asked whether the folks in Corinth had drifted away after other (false?) teachers precisely because they had not embraced (or had withdrawn from?) the Apostle Paul. Had they come to dislike Paul because of his dogmatism, his personality, his theological depth, or his expectation that they grow far more that they were interested in growing? We cannot know. But the question above raises a choice that God places before every man: Seek, find. Don't, don't.
From Moses (Deut 4:29), to Solomon (1 Chron 28:9; Prov 8:17)), to Jeremiah (29:11-15), to Jesus (Matt 7:7ff), to the author of Hebrews (11:6), God has made us a simple, concise, and profit-laden promise. If we seek Him, we will find Him. Which leaves those who don't find Him caught in a bind: Since they don't find, have they not sought?
Paul put it most starkly in his letter to the Thessalonian believers who had been confused by others about how the "end times" would play out. In the quote below, he is explaining how "the lawless one" will come and lead many astray.
Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12
Paul states very clearly that folks are deceived because they (1) "did not receive the love of the truth," and (2) "did not believe the truth." He also seems to imply that their "pleasure in wickedness" kept them from submitting themselves to the truth.
And that's the rub of the issue. Awhile back I suggested in TG (http://hallockd.posterous.com/fudged-truth-again) that we cannot really know who is lying to us or not, whether we're talking politicians, theologians, or scientists. We are constantly fed information at home, at work, at school, and at church, that my be corrupted by underhanded means, but we don't ever know for sure.
Thus, it is important, essential, absolutely necessary, and (hmm, what other words can I put here to stress the need for diligence in study?) . . . Well let's just say that I, you, everyone needs to seek God and seek truth in His Word.
Father, you claim that wisdom cries out from the top of the street. But you also claim that folly does the same. We need you to help us sort out what we've come to believe. Help us ferret out the folly, the lies, the half-truths that we've bought into, thinking our sources were trustworthy. Help us "renew our minds" by letting your word challenge anything we already believe. Draw us to you and to your truth.
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