Read this:
"If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours." -John 15:18-20 (ESV)
Now hear this: the world is not your friend. The people of the world, who go after the things of the world, will always be in contention with the things of God. If you ever find that the things you pursue find an easy reception in the world at large, rest assured that those things are not of God.
I titled this post "Politics and the Believer," not because I have a sweeping answer to a slew of concerns, convictions, and questions that many of us hold when it comes to politics, but because I have one simple answer: the world is not your friend.
I can imagine the thoughts of Republicans reading this post. They are thinking, We Republicans are obviously on the right path, because look at how much resistance we're meeting in the world. God must be on our side. Surely this is politics that God can get behind.
And I can imagine the thoughts of Democrats reading this post. They are thinking, Come on, God can't be on the side of the Republicans! This only proves that Republicans aren't true believers. God wants the things we're after: peace, help for the poor and downtrodden. I don't think God isn't for us! Of course He's for us!
I can imagine the libertarians thinking, I'm not either one of those fools; I know God is a libertarian. Next.
Hear this: God is not a Republican. He is not a Democrat. He is not libertarian, or a hippie, or an originalist. He's not even American. He has no nationality, no political bent, and no motivation outside of love. He is perfect, and because He is perfect He is not political.
I have heard it said that man is a political animal, and I agree with that. God is not a political animal; man is. We are. Jesus wasn't a political animal, which is what cost him a lot of love at the end of his ministry. When he failed to rise up and save the Jewish state, many turned their back on him. What a loony, they said. King of the Jews - yeah right. Son of God? He can't even save himself from the cross!
Remember that at your next political rally: Jesus was murdered enthusiastically because he couldn't produce politically.
Of course, he died because that was the Father's plan, but still, people turned on him. People are fickle, and fickle political animals do not bear disappointment well. Some of us go to church together, and might at times be tempted to go for each others' throats when our politics don't jive. That is sad, and it's true. It's sad because we should be in harmony since we're all believers. And it's sad because, truth be told, politics isn't worth a warm cup of spit.
In these verses from John, Jesus is telling us this: you're not going to fit in. I didn't fit in; you think you're better than me? And he's telling us this not to let us down, but to encourage us. I chose you, he says. I chose you because I want you to be like me, and that's why you won't fit in. So don't go trying to fit in, because you're not like them. Don't pretend to be like them, it won't work. Be like me and learn to deal with being unpopular.
I do like what Jesus says there at the end of verse 20: "If they kept my word, they will also keep yours." I did not know what to make of this. It's a strange turn of phrase, and it didn't make much sense at first. My Bible tells me there is a connection or reference back to John 8:51, and so I read that. In John 8:51, Jesus is telling the religious Jews that their father is not Abraham, but Satan. I'll bet that went over well. And in the course of this argument Jesus says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death." Okay, I can see where he's going with this, but I'm still confused about why, if anyone keeps his word (which keeps them from death), they will also keep mine. So I followed another reference back to Ezekiel 3:7.
"But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me: because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart."
So this is what Jesus is saying at the end of verse 20. He is saying that, if they will listen to me, they will listen to you. But if they won't listen to me, they're certainly not going to listen to you. Think about it: God, Yahweh, the God who moved as a pillar of cloud during the day and as a pillar of fire at night guiding the Israelites to the promised land, who delivered them from their enemies with incredible plagues, who worked among them in incredibly personal ways, who called them His own people; if they wouldn't listen to God, why would they listen to us? If people will reject the words and teachings of Jesus, reject the urging of his Holy Spirit, we are not going to convince them by voting. We will never legislate the Kingdom of God into existence. If Israel could not be a Godly nation, America doesn't stand a chance.
Which brings me roundly back to the title concept, Politics and the Believer. I don't have an answer for you if what you're asking is whether you should care about politics. I can almost sense the counter-arguments being birthed into words: But we have to do something; we have moral obligations; we're still in the world even if we're not of it, and we've got to be involved; if Christian's pull out of the system, it will all go to hell. If any one of these arguments comes into your mind, let me just remind you of this: you are no better than Jesus, and they didn't listen to him. By all means continue to care, but remember that the world is going to hate you, and this a good thing. It means you're chosen, and it means you have more important things to do.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Monday, October 22, 2012
The Platform
The only church I can remember attending that did not have a stage was held every Sunday morning in a coffee shop which was closed on Sundays. I worked at this coffee shop Monday through Saturday, and worshipped there on Sunday mornings. There were probably 20-25 of us; several played instruments, this being Denton, home to the University of North Texas, a public university famous for its jazz program. Also there were always several words given. We could usually count on a word from one or more of the "leaders" of this group, two or three men of wisdom and Godliness, but in general anyone was welcome to give a word, which reinforced the sense that the church was us, and we (not the building) were the church.
It may be coincidental since this church had no stage, but this church also had no platform, and by that I mean that there was no agenda to follow; we were following only God because we loved Him. I think because we were desperate for Him, we didn't think to do anything but pursue Him. However, many (if not most) churches have stages; not all of them have platforms, but again many (if not most) do. Think of the platform, the agenda, as whatever the church is pursuing that is not strictly God. It could be perfect music, or a robust ministry to the poor, or a slew of wonderful programs for every age group in the body. It could be the gifts of the spirit, or the scripture, or friendships within the congregation. The platform of any given church is whatever receives the focus that should be given to God, or whatever is pursued without the direction of the Lord.
It may be coincidental that the stage tends to lend credence or support to the platform. It may not really mean anything that the words "stage" and "platform" refer to the same thing. But it is that very fact, that these two words are synonyms, that has planted the seed of this essay in my brain. I believe that the stage contributes to the platform, or at least allows the platform to remain in the same building as the Holy Spirit. I believe that one of the more difficult and important things we can do if our church has a platform is to go after God in spite of the platform. We will never be able to fully pursue the Lord because of the platform, if we remember that the platform is that which receives more attention than God Himself.
Before we examine the stage's role in our platforms more fully, let's talk about what the Platform is a little bit more. While programs, and good music, and nice facilities, and the gifts of the Spirit, and good teaching are all worthy pursuits for a church, if any of these become things we pursue without God's accompaniment, the become an agenda. They become something we do because we've always done it, or because we're comfortable with these things, or because we've invested in them. If what we're doing on any given day as a church body is not done because we're pursuing God and listening to His direction, than we probably have an agenda and we're probably doing church from our platform.
I tend to conflate the stage in a church with the platform in a church because we, as people of flesh, are swayed by things like stages. The stage is elevated above the larger audience; in fact, the presence of the stage creates the dynamic of audience and presenter. Whether the presenter is a band, a single musician, or a preacher or prophet, the dynamic is the same. The stage dweller stands above the audience and presents his material. The audience receives it. The one on stage is active, those in the audience are passive. This is not always the case, but this is the general dynamic a stage achieves. The problem with this dynamic is that the tendency to give into it becomes habitual, and the next thing you know the only people bringing anything to church are the ones on the stage. Everyone else is just taking.
That's not how church is meant to be. A good example of what church should be like is described by Paul in his letter to the church in Corinth. In chapter 14, Paul describes how to do church in an orderly way, and he especially addresses the gifts of tongues and of prophecy. While he is instructing the church members of how to go about their church in an orderly way, the expectation behind his instruction is that everyone will be involved. In fact, because everyone is involved, Paul feels the need to help them maintain order among the many contributors. He tells them that not everyone can speak in tongues; there should be interpreters. But aside from tongues, he is encouraging everyone to be involved, and to bring something, "a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation." Says Paul, "For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged..." He expects that everyone will contribute something to the body when the body gets together. He expects that we will all come to church to bring something, not just to receive.
When our church has a platform, the number of those bringing something shrinks, and the number simply receiving grows. When our church has a platform - regardless of whether there is a stage - we can't easily veer off of our schedule for the Holy Spirit. When we have an agenda, there is little room for God to move freely. We don't leave room in our programs for awkward moments. Our agendas are not sympathetic to the unpredictability of the Holy Spirit.
But we need the awkward moments to usher in the Holy Spirit, because what is an awkward moment but the moment when we've lost control. I've said it before, but holy order is not the same thing as fleshly order. Fleshly order creates holy chaos, in the sense that when we impose our agenda on the proceedings, we mess up our opportunity to walk in step with the Lord and be a part of what He wants to do. Holy order does not require chaos here on earth, but it requires a disruption of our agendas. It requires chaos in the sense that, once we cede control of the proceedings to the movement of the Holy Spirit, we will find spiritual or holy order, but we won't necessarily be able to stick to the schedule as outlined in the church program.
This is important, and we're talking about more than just doing church the right way. This is not about doing church. I won't even get out of bed anymore just to play church. If I'm going to make the effort to gather with other believers, I want to go after God. I want to move with the Holy Spirit, to go where He says go, to say what He says say, to pray what He says pray. If we can't allow the awkward moment to descend and wait it out as we stir up the Holy Spirit, we are going to miss out on all that makes coming together worthwhile. We'll miss out on the gifts of the spirit, we'll miss out on the deep worship, we'll miss out on His voice. We'll be just wasting time playing church.
I don't want a platform and I don't need a platform, because God has a platform that can't be beat, and it is this: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. We do not need an agenda to go after God; rather, the opposite is necessary: we need to drop our agendas and pursue God when we come together.
It may be coincidental since this church had no stage, but this church also had no platform, and by that I mean that there was no agenda to follow; we were following only God because we loved Him. I think because we were desperate for Him, we didn't think to do anything but pursue Him. However, many (if not most) churches have stages; not all of them have platforms, but again many (if not most) do. Think of the platform, the agenda, as whatever the church is pursuing that is not strictly God. It could be perfect music, or a robust ministry to the poor, or a slew of wonderful programs for every age group in the body. It could be the gifts of the spirit, or the scripture, or friendships within the congregation. The platform of any given church is whatever receives the focus that should be given to God, or whatever is pursued without the direction of the Lord.
It may be coincidental that the stage tends to lend credence or support to the platform. It may not really mean anything that the words "stage" and "platform" refer to the same thing. But it is that very fact, that these two words are synonyms, that has planted the seed of this essay in my brain. I believe that the stage contributes to the platform, or at least allows the platform to remain in the same building as the Holy Spirit. I believe that one of the more difficult and important things we can do if our church has a platform is to go after God in spite of the platform. We will never be able to fully pursue the Lord because of the platform, if we remember that the platform is that which receives more attention than God Himself.
Before we examine the stage's role in our platforms more fully, let's talk about what the Platform is a little bit more. While programs, and good music, and nice facilities, and the gifts of the Spirit, and good teaching are all worthy pursuits for a church, if any of these become things we pursue without God's accompaniment, the become an agenda. They become something we do because we've always done it, or because we're comfortable with these things, or because we've invested in them. If what we're doing on any given day as a church body is not done because we're pursuing God and listening to His direction, than we probably have an agenda and we're probably doing church from our platform.
I tend to conflate the stage in a church with the platform in a church because we, as people of flesh, are swayed by things like stages. The stage is elevated above the larger audience; in fact, the presence of the stage creates the dynamic of audience and presenter. Whether the presenter is a band, a single musician, or a preacher or prophet, the dynamic is the same. The stage dweller stands above the audience and presents his material. The audience receives it. The one on stage is active, those in the audience are passive. This is not always the case, but this is the general dynamic a stage achieves. The problem with this dynamic is that the tendency to give into it becomes habitual, and the next thing you know the only people bringing anything to church are the ones on the stage. Everyone else is just taking.
That's not how church is meant to be. A good example of what church should be like is described by Paul in his letter to the church in Corinth. In chapter 14, Paul describes how to do church in an orderly way, and he especially addresses the gifts of tongues and of prophecy. While he is instructing the church members of how to go about their church in an orderly way, the expectation behind his instruction is that everyone will be involved. In fact, because everyone is involved, Paul feels the need to help them maintain order among the many contributors. He tells them that not everyone can speak in tongues; there should be interpreters. But aside from tongues, he is encouraging everyone to be involved, and to bring something, "a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation." Says Paul, "For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged..." He expects that everyone will contribute something to the body when the body gets together. He expects that we will all come to church to bring something, not just to receive.
When our church has a platform, the number of those bringing something shrinks, and the number simply receiving grows. When our church has a platform - regardless of whether there is a stage - we can't easily veer off of our schedule for the Holy Spirit. When we have an agenda, there is little room for God to move freely. We don't leave room in our programs for awkward moments. Our agendas are not sympathetic to the unpredictability of the Holy Spirit.
But we need the awkward moments to usher in the Holy Spirit, because what is an awkward moment but the moment when we've lost control. I've said it before, but holy order is not the same thing as fleshly order. Fleshly order creates holy chaos, in the sense that when we impose our agenda on the proceedings, we mess up our opportunity to walk in step with the Lord and be a part of what He wants to do. Holy order does not require chaos here on earth, but it requires a disruption of our agendas. It requires chaos in the sense that, once we cede control of the proceedings to the movement of the Holy Spirit, we will find spiritual or holy order, but we won't necessarily be able to stick to the schedule as outlined in the church program.
This is important, and we're talking about more than just doing church the right way. This is not about doing church. I won't even get out of bed anymore just to play church. If I'm going to make the effort to gather with other believers, I want to go after God. I want to move with the Holy Spirit, to go where He says go, to say what He says say, to pray what He says pray. If we can't allow the awkward moment to descend and wait it out as we stir up the Holy Spirit, we are going to miss out on all that makes coming together worthwhile. We'll miss out on the gifts of the spirit, we'll miss out on the deep worship, we'll miss out on His voice. We'll be just wasting time playing church.
I don't want a platform and I don't need a platform, because God has a platform that can't be beat, and it is this: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. We do not need an agenda to go after God; rather, the opposite is necessary: we need to drop our agendas and pursue God when we come together.
The Blood, The Gospel
In the days that Jesus walked the earth preaching, the folks listening did not have the New Testament. They had the Pentateuch (Genesis through Deuteronomy), the words of the prophets, David's and Samuel's writings (Psalms, Proverbs, etc.). The Old Testament, essentially. When Jesus was walking and preaching, they were witnessing the New Testament as we think of it, and so they were witnessing The Gospel, the good tidings of God. I doubt that anyone sitting on a hillside listening to Jesus preach thought the event would wind up in a written book, much less The Bible. The Jews and Gentiles listening to Jesus didn't have The Bible, or even A Bible. They probably didn't have books at home. The point is that there wasn't a consolidated religious book of the words of God like The Bible that we know and love.
The Gospel, in the sense of the definitions of the Gospel, is the good tidings of God, especially of the coming and teaching of His Messiah. For our part we know that Jesus was the culmination of these good tidings, and also that what he taught were the good tidings; or more appropriately, The Good Tidings. The Gospel is what we talk about when we try to sum up the big important thing that was and is Jesus and his ministry. The Gospel is the prophecy of his coming, the expectation of his coming, the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and both the salvation and grace and power of what he did. Much like my friend Sam who loves to talk about the blood of Jesus, I've become a lover of The Blood because the blood of Jesus is the Gospel.
Jesus says in Luke that "this cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood." The new covenant - the promise of grace in salvation, of adoption as a child of God - is in his blood, in The Blood. Paul says in Ephesians, "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace," and then this: "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." All these things The Blood does and can do. It heals, it makes new, it seals us as heirs of the Living God in Christ Jesus. This is the Gospel, the good tidings spoken of by the prophets, admitted to by Jesus, and sealed in his death and Resurrection. The Blood is the Gospel.
So let us talk about what is not the Gospel. Religion is not the Gospel; church is not the Gospel. Doing-it-right is not the Gospel. A quiet time is not the Gospel; neither is a bible study, or an accountability partner, or church camp, or a thousand hours of sermons. And check this out, prepare to be shocked: the Bible is not the Gospel, either.
I say this without trepidation, but with the assumption that many will reel at this statement. I don't think that I'm wrong to assume many will reel, because a few years ago I would have reeled, too. I mean, come on, we refer to the first four books of the New Testament as "the Gospels." Of course the Bible is the Gospel. How could it not be the Gospel? It's the Word of God!
Well, I will contend that, if you don't agree with me that the Blood is The Gospel, than you will not be able to concede my point that the Bible is not The Gospel. Because in my view The Blood is everything. If salvation is in The Blood; if grace is in The Blood; if our covenant with God is in The Blood; if all of these things, which are the good tidings to which all of Creation has looked since The Fall, are not The Gospel, than we don't have a very powerful Gospel. If the only Gospel we have is the Bible, than the Gospel cannot fulfil it's two requirements: that is is free, and it's for everyone.
Let me just reiterate that last statement: The Gospel, The Blood, is free and it's for everyone. These are the characteristics of The Gospel. Look at what is repeated throughout the New Testament: Jesus died for everyone, and all you have to do to be saved is accept and believe. The Blood is for everyone, and it is free.
The Bible, on the other hand, is not available to everyone, and it isn't free. There are barriers to accessing the Bible; there are no barriers to accessing The Blood. Some folks will live their entire lives without reading either the New or Old Testaments, but they will surely have the chance to accept or deny The Blood. As Paul says in Romans 3:23-24:
Do not make the mistake of elevating anything above The Blood of Jesus, even the Bible. Know that the Bible is not the fullness of the words of God, because He has not quit speaking to us. He speaks daily, and He longs to speak to everyone, if only we will listen. I say this not to bring down the Bible, but to elevate The Blood, and to remind us of what saves. And I say all of this in the hope that we will elevate The Blood above everything else, because The Blood is everything. The Bible does not save, church does not save, good works don't save, love doesn't save. We have been called to all of these things, but it doesn't change the fact that The Blood alone saves.
The Gospel, in the sense of the definitions of the Gospel, is the good tidings of God, especially of the coming and teaching of His Messiah. For our part we know that Jesus was the culmination of these good tidings, and also that what he taught were the good tidings; or more appropriately, The Good Tidings. The Gospel is what we talk about when we try to sum up the big important thing that was and is Jesus and his ministry. The Gospel is the prophecy of his coming, the expectation of his coming, the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and both the salvation and grace and power of what he did. Much like my friend Sam who loves to talk about the blood of Jesus, I've become a lover of The Blood because the blood of Jesus is the Gospel.
Jesus says in Luke that "this cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood." The new covenant - the promise of grace in salvation, of adoption as a child of God - is in his blood, in The Blood. Paul says in Ephesians, "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace," and then this: "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." All these things The Blood does and can do. It heals, it makes new, it seals us as heirs of the Living God in Christ Jesus. This is the Gospel, the good tidings spoken of by the prophets, admitted to by Jesus, and sealed in his death and Resurrection. The Blood is the Gospel.
So let us talk about what is not the Gospel. Religion is not the Gospel; church is not the Gospel. Doing-it-right is not the Gospel. A quiet time is not the Gospel; neither is a bible study, or an accountability partner, or church camp, or a thousand hours of sermons. And check this out, prepare to be shocked: the Bible is not the Gospel, either.
I say this without trepidation, but with the assumption that many will reel at this statement. I don't think that I'm wrong to assume many will reel, because a few years ago I would have reeled, too. I mean, come on, we refer to the first four books of the New Testament as "the Gospels." Of course the Bible is the Gospel. How could it not be the Gospel? It's the Word of God!
Well, I will contend that, if you don't agree with me that the Blood is The Gospel, than you will not be able to concede my point that the Bible is not The Gospel. Because in my view The Blood is everything. If salvation is in The Blood; if grace is in The Blood; if our covenant with God is in The Blood; if all of these things, which are the good tidings to which all of Creation has looked since The Fall, are not The Gospel, than we don't have a very powerful Gospel. If the only Gospel we have is the Bible, than the Gospel cannot fulfil it's two requirements: that is is free, and it's for everyone.
Let me just reiterate that last statement: The Gospel, The Blood, is free and it's for everyone. These are the characteristics of The Gospel. Look at what is repeated throughout the New Testament: Jesus died for everyone, and all you have to do to be saved is accept and believe. The Blood is for everyone, and it is free.
The Bible, on the other hand, is not available to everyone, and it isn't free. There are barriers to accessing the Bible; there are no barriers to accessing The Blood. Some folks will live their entire lives without reading either the New or Old Testaments, but they will surely have the chance to accept or deny The Blood. As Paul says in Romans 3:23-24:
[F]or all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.All have sinned, but all can receive the gift of The Blood. This is The Gospel, and we see that it's free and it's for everyone. The Blood of Jesus is the good tidings we should carry to everyone, and not just to the lost. The Blood doesn't cease to be powerful after we believe and are saved. Why else would Jesus have told his disciples to repeat the ceremony of the Last Supper? He told them, "Do this in remembrance of me," because he knew they were bound to forget what The Blood cost him and cost the Father. He must have known the temptation would spring up to replace The Blood with religion and knowledge. We don't cease to need The Blood once we're saved by it because The Blood is everything. It's The Blood that washes us white as snow. It's The Blood that allows us to enter the Throne Room as children of the Father. And it's The Blood that is always there to purify us if we will only go back to it.
Do not make the mistake of elevating anything above The Blood of Jesus, even the Bible. Know that the Bible is not the fullness of the words of God, because He has not quit speaking to us. He speaks daily, and He longs to speak to everyone, if only we will listen. I say this not to bring down the Bible, but to elevate The Blood, and to remind us of what saves. And I say all of this in the hope that we will elevate The Blood above everything else, because The Blood is everything. The Bible does not save, church does not save, good works don't save, love doesn't save. We have been called to all of these things, but it doesn't change the fact that The Blood alone saves.
Monday, October 15, 2012
How Jesus Heals
Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your disability." And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God.
But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, "There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day."
Then the Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?"
As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.
(Luke 13:10-17, ESV)
Three things:
1. Jesus heals immediately, and almost always with his hands
2. Illness is Satan's work ("whom Satan bound for eighteen years...")
3. The healed know from where healing comes (the woman "glorified God.")
But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, "There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day."
Then the Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?"
As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.
(Luke 13:10-17, ESV)
Three things:
1. Jesus heals immediately, and almost always with his hands
2. Illness is Satan's work ("whom Satan bound for eighteen years...")
3. The healed know from where healing comes (the woman "glorified God.")
Friday, October 12, 2012
What We Thought
We thought that He just wanted us to be nice, and then Jesus said, "I have come not to bring peace, but a sword."
We thought He just wanted us to get along, then Jesus said, "I have come to turn a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."
We thought He just wanted us to be good, then Jesus told us the parable of the shrewd manager, who was commended.
We thought the dishonest manager was despicable, but Jesus tells us he is shrewd. Jesus said, "the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their generation than the sons of light." What in the world does he mean by this? When I read it I hear Jesus saying that your not going to change the world if you try to just get by on good behavior. The sons of this world, the ones who do not walk in the Truth of the Living God, know better how to deal with their own generation, and so the generation will be lost. The sons of light aren't shrewd enough to make a difference.
What's wrong with the sons of light? Why aren't they shrewd? Jesus is not saying you have to sink to their level to be shrewd or to win your generation. I know that the knee-jerk response of many would be to assume I am advocating that kind of approach. For my part, I don't want to be a "Christian" version of whatever the world is doing. What I've seen in my life is that this just doesn't work. We now have entire industries built around "Christian" versions of whatever the world is peddling: Christian music, Christian self-help books, Christian radio or TV stations, Christian movies. The implication with this alternative universe is that if you're a Christian you should pursue those things with the "Christian" label; or that they are inherintly valuable because they're "Christian". I don't have the time I would need to ridicule this approach, so I'll move on to my point, which is this: the sons of light need to stop trying to get by just on good behavior, just on being "Christian".
Notice that the master in this parable, who in the beginning fires the manager, ultimately commends him for his efforts, even though those efforts are injurious to the master. What? Is the master an idiot? We know that he is not ignorant of what the manager is doing, because Jesus tells us the master commends the manager for his shrewdness in these dishonest dealings. And yet, fully aware of how his (former) manager is losing him money, he commends the man rather than having him thrown in jail. Commends him for his shrewdness; not for his dishonesty, for his shrewdness.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines shrewd as a) marked by clever discerning awareness and hardheaded, and b) given to wily and artful ways or dealing. There is no doubt that the manager in this parable is shrewd, and given these definitions of shrewdness, it's easy to see why Jesus would want us to be shrewd as well. Wasn't Jesus himself quite clever in dealing with his generation? Look at the ways he pokes and prods the religious leaders of the day. Look at how he consistently undermines the Jewish rules and laws while somehow always talking his way out of popular backlash. Even in this very parable he pokes his finger in the eyes of the Pharisees. Luke 16:14 says, "The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him." Jesus had pissed them off by saying they couldn't serve both money and God, which is exactly what they thought they could do. Somehow - shrewdly, no doubt - Jesus uses this parable both to praise shrewd dealing and to criticize greediness.
Jesus had a way of getting under the skin of the religious folks. He still has a way of doing this, in fact. Somehow he managed to earn the hatred of the religious leaders while charming the general populace. Somehow he managed to be clever and perfect, to upset the established order and yet not sin. Jesus was as shrewd as they come, and yet never did anything wrong, and so I have to conclude that this shrewdness he describes in the parable of the dishonest manager is in harmony with the character of God. Isn't that something, to think that cleverness is the very nature of God? Why not? Think about it.
We thought He just wanted us to get along, then Jesus said, "I have come to turn a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."
We thought He just wanted us to be good, then Jesus told us the parable of the shrewd manager, who was commended.
We thought the dishonest manager was despicable, but Jesus tells us he is shrewd. Jesus said, "the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their generation than the sons of light." What in the world does he mean by this? When I read it I hear Jesus saying that your not going to change the world if you try to just get by on good behavior. The sons of this world, the ones who do not walk in the Truth of the Living God, know better how to deal with their own generation, and so the generation will be lost. The sons of light aren't shrewd enough to make a difference.
What's wrong with the sons of light? Why aren't they shrewd? Jesus is not saying you have to sink to their level to be shrewd or to win your generation. I know that the knee-jerk response of many would be to assume I am advocating that kind of approach. For my part, I don't want to be a "Christian" version of whatever the world is doing. What I've seen in my life is that this just doesn't work. We now have entire industries built around "Christian" versions of whatever the world is peddling: Christian music, Christian self-help books, Christian radio or TV stations, Christian movies. The implication with this alternative universe is that if you're a Christian you should pursue those things with the "Christian" label; or that they are inherintly valuable because they're "Christian". I don't have the time I would need to ridicule this approach, so I'll move on to my point, which is this: the sons of light need to stop trying to get by just on good behavior, just on being "Christian".
Notice that the master in this parable, who in the beginning fires the manager, ultimately commends him for his efforts, even though those efforts are injurious to the master. What? Is the master an idiot? We know that he is not ignorant of what the manager is doing, because Jesus tells us the master commends the manager for his shrewdness in these dishonest dealings. And yet, fully aware of how his (former) manager is losing him money, he commends the man rather than having him thrown in jail. Commends him for his shrewdness; not for his dishonesty, for his shrewdness.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines shrewd as a) marked by clever discerning awareness and hardheaded, and b) given to wily and artful ways or dealing. There is no doubt that the manager in this parable is shrewd, and given these definitions of shrewdness, it's easy to see why Jesus would want us to be shrewd as well. Wasn't Jesus himself quite clever in dealing with his generation? Look at the ways he pokes and prods the religious leaders of the day. Look at how he consistently undermines the Jewish rules and laws while somehow always talking his way out of popular backlash. Even in this very parable he pokes his finger in the eyes of the Pharisees. Luke 16:14 says, "The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him." Jesus had pissed them off by saying they couldn't serve both money and God, which is exactly what they thought they could do. Somehow - shrewdly, no doubt - Jesus uses this parable both to praise shrewd dealing and to criticize greediness.
Jesus had a way of getting under the skin of the religious folks. He still has a way of doing this, in fact. Somehow he managed to earn the hatred of the religious leaders while charming the general populace. Somehow he managed to be clever and perfect, to upset the established order and yet not sin. Jesus was as shrewd as they come, and yet never did anything wrong, and so I have to conclude that this shrewdness he describes in the parable of the dishonest manager is in harmony with the character of God. Isn't that something, to think that cleverness is the very nature of God? Why not? Think about it.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
This Romance
The word woo has been going around in the circle of Believers I run with, and I find it to be a well used and useful word. We talk a lot about the Lord wooing us into a relationship with him. This is a fine word to use for how the lord pursues us, because the primary definition of woo is similar to court, as in pursuing for marriage. If Jesus is the bridegroom and we (the Church) are his bride, than it is fitting that he woos us, because he is after our hearts and affection. He is after our love.
Two of the words used in the scriptures that are translated as "know" are yada, which is Hebrew, and ginosko, which is Greek. Both words mean knowing by perceiving and express understanding, and both are also used as Jewish idioms for sexual knowledge. I'm sure this is not accidental. An example of this usage is when Jesus says, "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent" (John 17:3, ESV). Without knowing the meaing of the word being translated here as "know," this passage could simply be interpreted as a call to salvation. Without a suspicion that what Jesus really wants is a personal romance with each one of us, we would look at this and conclude that Jesus is just reiterating how we can be saved.
Jesus is wooing us here, did you see it? He is promising us something great big right here in this simple passage, and he's not promising that we'll one day experience it after we're dead and gone from planet Earth, he is telling us we can have it now. This is eternal life, he says, to know God in an intimate way, the way that a husband and wife know one another.
I think we flinch a little at the thought of knowing God as is implied here. We have such distorted concepts of sexual love that we would never go so far as to imply sexual love with God. There are a slew of issues we would run into if we implied this kind of relationship with God, and yet here it is in the Bible. John must have meant to use the Greek ginosko in this passage, he must have meant to imply what the Jewish Christians of the day would have understood. I think it's important that we start to consider romance with God. He is wooing us, courting us; he wants to know us deeply and intimately, not sexually as we might imagine, but as deep as that. He wants to be a lover to each one of us.
God is passionate about us. Our Lord is so passionate about us that He created us, knowing full well what would happen to humanity, and knowing full well what it would cost Him to rescue us finally from our sins. He is passionate about us. You will never find a lover who loves with the fervor and depth of God. The Father doesn't date. He doesn't do crushes. He doesn't do infatuation. He is a passionate lover of each one of us and He wants to woo us into His heart, into that deep relationship with him where all the good things are waiting: power, peace, healing, love, rest. Dont' believe for a second that the Lord isn't in love with you, or that He is angry like a spurned lover. His love is beyond petty anger, and His wrath was already poured out in full on Jesus. He is as patient as he is passionate, and that is why He goes through the trouble of wooing us.
This romance with God is everything you could ever want if you'll only go after it. God is love. Because He is love, He loves like no other. He loves with perfect love, and just know that you will never be romanced like you will in the arms of the Father. He is wooing us, but just as if He were an earthly lover, we will never know how He's wooing us if we ignore Him. Or if we put up walls between Him and us. Or if we're so busy we can't spare the attention to recognize his courting for what it is. The beauty of His wooing is that He doesn't stop; even as we spurn His advances, He never stops, because He loves us and wants us.
Two of the words used in the scriptures that are translated as "know" are yada, which is Hebrew, and ginosko, which is Greek. Both words mean knowing by perceiving and express understanding, and both are also used as Jewish idioms for sexual knowledge. I'm sure this is not accidental. An example of this usage is when Jesus says, "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent" (John 17:3, ESV). Without knowing the meaing of the word being translated here as "know," this passage could simply be interpreted as a call to salvation. Without a suspicion that what Jesus really wants is a personal romance with each one of us, we would look at this and conclude that Jesus is just reiterating how we can be saved.
Jesus is wooing us here, did you see it? He is promising us something great big right here in this simple passage, and he's not promising that we'll one day experience it after we're dead and gone from planet Earth, he is telling us we can have it now. This is eternal life, he says, to know God in an intimate way, the way that a husband and wife know one another.
I think we flinch a little at the thought of knowing God as is implied here. We have such distorted concepts of sexual love that we would never go so far as to imply sexual love with God. There are a slew of issues we would run into if we implied this kind of relationship with God, and yet here it is in the Bible. John must have meant to use the Greek ginosko in this passage, he must have meant to imply what the Jewish Christians of the day would have understood. I think it's important that we start to consider romance with God. He is wooing us, courting us; he wants to know us deeply and intimately, not sexually as we might imagine, but as deep as that. He wants to be a lover to each one of us.
God is passionate about us. Our Lord is so passionate about us that He created us, knowing full well what would happen to humanity, and knowing full well what it would cost Him to rescue us finally from our sins. He is passionate about us. You will never find a lover who loves with the fervor and depth of God. The Father doesn't date. He doesn't do crushes. He doesn't do infatuation. He is a passionate lover of each one of us and He wants to woo us into His heart, into that deep relationship with him where all the good things are waiting: power, peace, healing, love, rest. Dont' believe for a second that the Lord isn't in love with you, or that He is angry like a spurned lover. His love is beyond petty anger, and His wrath was already poured out in full on Jesus. He is as patient as he is passionate, and that is why He goes through the trouble of wooing us.
This romance with God is everything you could ever want if you'll only go after it. God is love. Because He is love, He loves like no other. He loves with perfect love, and just know that you will never be romanced like you will in the arms of the Father. He is wooing us, but just as if He were an earthly lover, we will never know how He's wooing us if we ignore Him. Or if we put up walls between Him and us. Or if we're so busy we can't spare the attention to recognize his courting for what it is. The beauty of His wooing is that He doesn't stop; even as we spurn His advances, He never stops, because He loves us and wants us.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Faith Contemplated
If you've ever been obedient to some specific direction from God, you've probably reached a point after that obedient moment where you wondered when you'd get the payoff. I think this is the obvious expectation when we do what God tells us. In my own life, when God told me to move to my present home of Amarillo, Texas from Anchorage, Alaska, I expected there was a reason or reasons behind the directive. Maybe a particular job, a certain house, a specific friend. Some big Work I could do that would teach me something, or lead to more Works or a definitive future. Purpose, essentially. My expectations reflected my lack of direction, but really I'm just like all of you in that I figured I'd get some distinct payoff for being obedient.
It took faith to move here, so I have that feather in my cap. And I've garnered some proper perspective in the four years since that directive from God, and I'm a little more clearsighted about it all. My expectations have been dashed a few times; in the end I had to scrap my expectations. But I've still got the faith.
It's difficult to extricate our faith from our expectations. Even though we know God is good, when what we expect doesn't come about after we're obedient, our faith can wane. Why is that? You can know all about what God is - faithful, good, love, gracious, giving - and still it's hard to get past unrealized expectations. It's discouraging to see people of faith foundering instead of succeeding, or getting rich, or healing the world. Faith in God seems like it should be arithmetical: the sum of your faith adds up to big accomplishments. Doesn't the scripture say that God gives abundantly? The images of faith in the scripture are usually those of fecundity and wealth, rich pastures and full rivers, sheep on a thousand hillsides. We expect payoff for our obedience because that's what the Bible tells us.
The questions we have to ask ourselves about faith in God are these: would it be worth it if He never gave us anything else? Would faith in God be worthwhile if our dreams weren't realized? If our expectations from here to death were consistently dashed? If the only payoff you get for faith in the Lord is salvation, is that going to be enough for you?
Before you blanch at that last questions, aghast and offended that I could even ask, really think about it. Nobody wants a life of suffering. Worse possibly than that is a life of mediocrity; nobody wants that either. So it's not a silly question to ask if salvation is enough, because, assuming you receive salvation early or in the middle of life, you've got a lot of suffering you can do before you pass on to paradise. At some point in life I think we all ask ourselves if it's worth it to us. Sometimes we contemplate the question directly. Other times indirectly; we just stop living like it's worth it, answering the question with our complacence. It's a good question to ask, though. I think the Lord asks it of us, often more than once. Who of us has answered that question in the positive the first time it's asked?
It's a tough question, and a friend of mine posed it to himself without realizing it. He posed it to me without realizing it, too, but neither of us answered it in the course of that conversation. For his part, he's waiting for the payoff. For my part, I've answered the question before and even today would still answer yes. My life is pretty good right now, so my answer may come easily, but I think I will always have a "yes" on my lips. I've tasted and seen that the Lord is good, and that makes a difference. And I've discovered something about what Jesus did, discovered that thing that each of us has to find out on our own: that he did it for me. That he loves me uniquely. That he died for my sake, at the same time he died for everyone everywhere. And that it was enough. The Blood of Jesus is enough.
I'm not done contemplating faith, either in this forum or in my own heart. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen" (Hebrews 11:1, NKJV). If at some point I can't see the substance or evidence of faith in my own life, I'll have to ask myself that Big Question again about whether it's worth it. The true answer is that of course it's worth it, but that's not always our honest answer, and God's not upset by our honest answers. He prefers honest answers. And in case the honest answer on your lips is "No," let me just encourage you by saying that it is worth it. Hear me say that and sit with it and then get on with life, but let this Truth go with you: it is worth it. Have faith in that.
It took faith to move here, so I have that feather in my cap. And I've garnered some proper perspective in the four years since that directive from God, and I'm a little more clearsighted about it all. My expectations have been dashed a few times; in the end I had to scrap my expectations. But I've still got the faith.
It's difficult to extricate our faith from our expectations. Even though we know God is good, when what we expect doesn't come about after we're obedient, our faith can wane. Why is that? You can know all about what God is - faithful, good, love, gracious, giving - and still it's hard to get past unrealized expectations. It's discouraging to see people of faith foundering instead of succeeding, or getting rich, or healing the world. Faith in God seems like it should be arithmetical: the sum of your faith adds up to big accomplishments. Doesn't the scripture say that God gives abundantly? The images of faith in the scripture are usually those of fecundity and wealth, rich pastures and full rivers, sheep on a thousand hillsides. We expect payoff for our obedience because that's what the Bible tells us.
The questions we have to ask ourselves about faith in God are these: would it be worth it if He never gave us anything else? Would faith in God be worthwhile if our dreams weren't realized? If our expectations from here to death were consistently dashed? If the only payoff you get for faith in the Lord is salvation, is that going to be enough for you?
Before you blanch at that last questions, aghast and offended that I could even ask, really think about it. Nobody wants a life of suffering. Worse possibly than that is a life of mediocrity; nobody wants that either. So it's not a silly question to ask if salvation is enough, because, assuming you receive salvation early or in the middle of life, you've got a lot of suffering you can do before you pass on to paradise. At some point in life I think we all ask ourselves if it's worth it to us. Sometimes we contemplate the question directly. Other times indirectly; we just stop living like it's worth it, answering the question with our complacence. It's a good question to ask, though. I think the Lord asks it of us, often more than once. Who of us has answered that question in the positive the first time it's asked?
It's a tough question, and a friend of mine posed it to himself without realizing it. He posed it to me without realizing it, too, but neither of us answered it in the course of that conversation. For his part, he's waiting for the payoff. For my part, I've answered the question before and even today would still answer yes. My life is pretty good right now, so my answer may come easily, but I think I will always have a "yes" on my lips. I've tasted and seen that the Lord is good, and that makes a difference. And I've discovered something about what Jesus did, discovered that thing that each of us has to find out on our own: that he did it for me. That he loves me uniquely. That he died for my sake, at the same time he died for everyone everywhere. And that it was enough. The Blood of Jesus is enough.
I'm not done contemplating faith, either in this forum or in my own heart. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen" (Hebrews 11:1, NKJV). If at some point I can't see the substance or evidence of faith in my own life, I'll have to ask myself that Big Question again about whether it's worth it. The true answer is that of course it's worth it, but that's not always our honest answer, and God's not upset by our honest answers. He prefers honest answers. And in case the honest answer on your lips is "No," let me just encourage you by saying that it is worth it. Hear me say that and sit with it and then get on with life, but let this Truth go with you: it is worth it. Have faith in that.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Chasing Peace
The peace of God is like the Gospel of Jesus Christ: it's free, and it's for everyone. Even though peace is free, we still have a hard time receiving it. Most of the time we sidestep peace to go searching for peace, only to get frustrated in the process. Imagine if you were hungry, and someone offered you a meal, but you told them, "I don't have time to eat that, I've got to go find some food." That's how it is with peace most of the time. The Lord shows up at our front door with a steaming, delicious plate of peace, and we leave out the back door to go hunting.
What makes peace difficult to receive is that we don't have a hand in bringing it about. Ask anybody what the proudest moment of their life is, and I doubt that they will tell you it was a time when someone did something for them. Our proudest moments are usually the times we did something brave, or accomplished something difficult. This is entirely human, the satisfaction of our flesh. And then God comes along and says, I have everything you need, and it's free. We hear that and our flesh recoils. We hear that and, no matter how true or wonderful it is, if we can't put our hands on it to make it happen, we hesitate. So this is the quintessential problem we face as people when it comes to the spiritual life: we always want to put our hands on it. We have the hardest time letting God just do things without our fingerprints on them. We want to put our hands on it.
This is why we spend so much time chasing peace. I myself chased peace for several years. Discontented with my job, or my home, or my location at any given time, I was always looking to the next job, or the next house, or the next town for satisfaction. I was constantly wondering what God was doing. I do this a lot, and most of us do. We try to figure out why God has us here in this particular spot, and what it's leading to. We want God to have reasons for what He's told us to do, and if we can't put a finger on why He told us to do something, we get frustrated. God tells us to be obedient, but He doesn't tell us we're going to understand. He says essentially this: Do what I tell you, trust me, and you'll be great.
That is hard, because it doesn't allow us to put our hands on things. When the Lord told me to move to Amarillo, Texas after my time in the army was up, I did it. And we spent our first two years here searching for reasons; chasing peace. And the reality is, I may never have a solid, singular reason for why God told me to come here. Then again, I may find a thousand reasons why I'm here. In the end it doesn't matter; I was obedient, and in our relationships with God, obedience is everything. Obedience is not easy, but being obedient puts us in a position to receive what God wants to give us.
Jesus says in John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you." Jesus gives us his peace, which is pretty special. This is the peace that comes straight from the Father. This is the peace that sustained Jesus as he walked the earth for 33 years knowing just what awaited him at the end of his life. This is the peace that kept him in the Garden of Gethsemane praying while Judas led Roman soldiers up the path. This is the peace that sustained him on the cross, knowing what was coming. This is the promise of Jesus, that we can have his peace, and it is a gift. We don't have to do a single thing for it, other than receive it.
I suspect that one of the most important things we have to do in our spiritual walks is learn to receive. Certainly this is the case when it comes to peace. We spend a lot of time chasing peace, as though it were something elusive, when the truth is Jesus gives it to us. The Holy Spirit is his repository of peace, and the very Spirit of Jesus resides in our skin and bones, in our blood and in our lungs and nerves and sinew. Jesus resides in those of us who have asked him to do so, and that means peace is always at hand. All we have to do is receive it.
What makes peace difficult to receive is that we don't have a hand in bringing it about. Ask anybody what the proudest moment of their life is, and I doubt that they will tell you it was a time when someone did something for them. Our proudest moments are usually the times we did something brave, or accomplished something difficult. This is entirely human, the satisfaction of our flesh. And then God comes along and says, I have everything you need, and it's free. We hear that and our flesh recoils. We hear that and, no matter how true or wonderful it is, if we can't put our hands on it to make it happen, we hesitate. So this is the quintessential problem we face as people when it comes to the spiritual life: we always want to put our hands on it. We have the hardest time letting God just do things without our fingerprints on them. We want to put our hands on it.
This is why we spend so much time chasing peace. I myself chased peace for several years. Discontented with my job, or my home, or my location at any given time, I was always looking to the next job, or the next house, or the next town for satisfaction. I was constantly wondering what God was doing. I do this a lot, and most of us do. We try to figure out why God has us here in this particular spot, and what it's leading to. We want God to have reasons for what He's told us to do, and if we can't put a finger on why He told us to do something, we get frustrated. God tells us to be obedient, but He doesn't tell us we're going to understand. He says essentially this: Do what I tell you, trust me, and you'll be great.
That is hard, because it doesn't allow us to put our hands on things. When the Lord told me to move to Amarillo, Texas after my time in the army was up, I did it. And we spent our first two years here searching for reasons; chasing peace. And the reality is, I may never have a solid, singular reason for why God told me to come here. Then again, I may find a thousand reasons why I'm here. In the end it doesn't matter; I was obedient, and in our relationships with God, obedience is everything. Obedience is not easy, but being obedient puts us in a position to receive what God wants to give us.
Jesus says in John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you." Jesus gives us his peace, which is pretty special. This is the peace that comes straight from the Father. This is the peace that sustained Jesus as he walked the earth for 33 years knowing just what awaited him at the end of his life. This is the peace that kept him in the Garden of Gethsemane praying while Judas led Roman soldiers up the path. This is the peace that sustained him on the cross, knowing what was coming. This is the promise of Jesus, that we can have his peace, and it is a gift. We don't have to do a single thing for it, other than receive it.
I suspect that one of the most important things we have to do in our spiritual walks is learn to receive. Certainly this is the case when it comes to peace. We spend a lot of time chasing peace, as though it were something elusive, when the truth is Jesus gives it to us. The Holy Spirit is his repository of peace, and the very Spirit of Jesus resides in our skin and bones, in our blood and in our lungs and nerves and sinew. Jesus resides in those of us who have asked him to do so, and that means peace is always at hand. All we have to do is receive it.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Where the Power Lies
If you want to read one of the funnier exchanges between Jesus and his disciples, read John 14. Here is a little taste.
"Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going."
Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."
Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us."
Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves."
The funniest part of this exchange is when Thomas say, "We don't know where you're going. How can we know the way?" And Jesus replies with what must have been a confusing answer. Thomas, I think, was asking for directions, and Jesus answers, "I am the way." Isn't that just like the Lord? We ask for directions and He gives us Deep Truth. We ask for a practical, workable solution we can put our hands on, and He answers with, "Get to know me." Our God is impractical. That is something I have learned to love about God, that He is never practical. He hasn't called us to be practical; He has called us to be powerful.
Jesus says something astounding in this passage, and it is this: "The words that I say I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works." Jesus is telling Phillip where the Power lies. The power lies in the Father, and even Jesus is not above this. Jesus, who up to this point has done some amazing works - healing, teaching, multiplying food, turning water to wine - only did what he did because he submitted to the will of the Father. Jesus did what God said and he walked in incredible power.
I want to remind us of something Jesus says in this same passage. He says, "Whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father." Jesus is not only reminding us that the Power lies with the Father, but that he is the way to the Father, and there is more Power to come once Jesus rejoins the Father in heaven. If you're like me, this concept seems insensible. It would seem more sensible that there would be greater works on earth while Jesus was here, not after he left. That's certainly what the disciples thought. Their biggest worry was this talk from Jesus about his leaving. Peter does just about everything he can to keep Jesus on earth; even goes so far as to deny he knows his savior. Remember this: you can't make Jesus do what you want him to do, or be what you want him to be. He does what the Father says, period.
This is where the Power lies: in the Father's words. What God says has power behind it because God is truth and God is love. He is not a man that He should lie. Did you know that there is life in the words of God? That the very words He speaks contain life for us? There is gigantic power in God's words, and here's the big bonus: He speaks to his children. Our God is not a silent god, He speaks and His words are powerful. I cannot overstate this, so I'll say it again: the Power lies in the words of the Father. Want to see some power in your life? Ask the Lord what He says and speak it out over someone; or over yourself. And see what happens.
The answer to why we can do greater works than Jesus is, of course, the Holy Spirit. The Father speaks to us through His Holy Spirit, which resides in those of us who believe. Jesus tells us we will do greater works than him because he left to go to the Father. Not in spite of the fact that he left, but because of it. He knew when he was telling the disciples this that the Holy Spirit would come. The Helper was on the way. But you can't blame Thomas or Phillip, or even Peter. They didn't know the Holy Spirit was coming, and that the Power would come with Him. But boy oh boy did the Spirit come. And boy oh boy does the Spirit show up powerfully when we listen to the voice of the Father.
In my little body of believers in my little space on this planet we are trying to go after the heart of God and walk in the power of His Spirit. It's an odd thing that catches us off guard a lot. There are lots of awkward moments; sometimes we miss what He's saying, or we interpret it needlessly, or we chicken out on saying it. Sometimes we hit the nail(s) on the head(s) and it's powerful and we walk away glowing. But we're trying and I think He is pleased, because we're listening. We want to hear His words and see His power, not for the sake of the Power, but yes for the sake of the Power. Like Jesus said, "Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves." We want to do the works of God so that we're reminded not only that Jesus in in the Father and vice versa, but because this also means that we are in the Father and the Father is in us. Because there is Power in knowing that.
"Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going."
Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."
Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us."
Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves."
The funniest part of this exchange is when Thomas say, "We don't know where you're going. How can we know the way?" And Jesus replies with what must have been a confusing answer. Thomas, I think, was asking for directions, and Jesus answers, "I am the way." Isn't that just like the Lord? We ask for directions and He gives us Deep Truth. We ask for a practical, workable solution we can put our hands on, and He answers with, "Get to know me." Our God is impractical. That is something I have learned to love about God, that He is never practical. He hasn't called us to be practical; He has called us to be powerful.
Jesus says something astounding in this passage, and it is this: "The words that I say I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works." Jesus is telling Phillip where the Power lies. The power lies in the Father, and even Jesus is not above this. Jesus, who up to this point has done some amazing works - healing, teaching, multiplying food, turning water to wine - only did what he did because he submitted to the will of the Father. Jesus did what God said and he walked in incredible power.
I want to remind us of something Jesus says in this same passage. He says, "Whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father." Jesus is not only reminding us that the Power lies with the Father, but that he is the way to the Father, and there is more Power to come once Jesus rejoins the Father in heaven. If you're like me, this concept seems insensible. It would seem more sensible that there would be greater works on earth while Jesus was here, not after he left. That's certainly what the disciples thought. Their biggest worry was this talk from Jesus about his leaving. Peter does just about everything he can to keep Jesus on earth; even goes so far as to deny he knows his savior. Remember this: you can't make Jesus do what you want him to do, or be what you want him to be. He does what the Father says, period.
This is where the Power lies: in the Father's words. What God says has power behind it because God is truth and God is love. He is not a man that He should lie. Did you know that there is life in the words of God? That the very words He speaks contain life for us? There is gigantic power in God's words, and here's the big bonus: He speaks to his children. Our God is not a silent god, He speaks and His words are powerful. I cannot overstate this, so I'll say it again: the Power lies in the words of the Father. Want to see some power in your life? Ask the Lord what He says and speak it out over someone; or over yourself. And see what happens.
The answer to why we can do greater works than Jesus is, of course, the Holy Spirit. The Father speaks to us through His Holy Spirit, which resides in those of us who believe. Jesus tells us we will do greater works than him because he left to go to the Father. Not in spite of the fact that he left, but because of it. He knew when he was telling the disciples this that the Holy Spirit would come. The Helper was on the way. But you can't blame Thomas or Phillip, or even Peter. They didn't know the Holy Spirit was coming, and that the Power would come with Him. But boy oh boy did the Spirit come. And boy oh boy does the Spirit show up powerfully when we listen to the voice of the Father.
In my little body of believers in my little space on this planet we are trying to go after the heart of God and walk in the power of His Spirit. It's an odd thing that catches us off guard a lot. There are lots of awkward moments; sometimes we miss what He's saying, or we interpret it needlessly, or we chicken out on saying it. Sometimes we hit the nail(s) on the head(s) and it's powerful and we walk away glowing. But we're trying and I think He is pleased, because we're listening. We want to hear His words and see His power, not for the sake of the Power, but yes for the sake of the Power. Like Jesus said, "Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves." We want to do the works of God so that we're reminded not only that Jesus in in the Father and vice versa, but because this also means that we are in the Father and the Father is in us. Because there is Power in knowing that.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
This is Love
We need to be reminded how much the Father loves us. He loves us so much he sent his son, The Son, to die for our salvation. To die so that we can know the Father. Know him as sons and daughters, know him intimately as friends, know him as a wife knows a husband. Jesus is what the Father sees when he looks at those of us who are redeemed by the Blood, and so he sees a perfected creature. Remember this: God looks at us through the lens of Jesus Christ; he never takes a peek around Jesus to see us, he always looks through His son. And so we know that when God the Father looks at us he sees that we are pure and lovely, forgiven, white as snow.
He loves us this much: that while we were still sinners, while we were despicable to His nature and contrary to His righteousness, He sent Jesus to rescue us. And Jesus took what we are owed on himself for everyone everywhere. Jesus took the curse of absence from the True and Living God for us, so that we would never have to be absent from Him. It's hard to understand, but this is what Jesus did: he experienced the worst there is to experience so that we can have the best that there is to have.
This is love: that a man would lay down his life for his friends. The Bible tells us that there is no greater love than this. Jesus laid down his life for his friends, those who do what he commands. Being a friend of Jesus is no joke. It's not a catchphrase, it's not a pleasant idea, it's not a cheesy slogan for Christian Culture. Jesus laid down his life for his friends. The meaning and purpose of life lies in being a friend of Jesus.
This is love: that our Maker formed our inward parts, knitted us together in our mothers' wombs. God is not a tinkerer or merely a producer of things. These words "form" and "knit" imply a good deal of skill and concentration. They imply thoughtfulness and craftsmanship. God did not take us lightly when he made us. He loves us so much He made us as individual, unique, lovely people, each one created for a distinct life. Lives of purpose. God made us so that He could call us Friend and show us how to live. No father ever loved his child like the Father loves His Children.
Love is the pure heart of God. The scripture does not say that God is like; or that God is a crush; or that God is lust, or an obsession, or an affinity. The scripture tells us that God is love. That's deep. If God is love, we'd better take a look at everything else in our lives we've called love and see if His fingerprints are on it. Or better yet, ask Him. Get up next to Him on the sofa and let Him put His arm around your shoulders and find out what love is like. Once you've spent time in the Lord's heart, you come away with an understanding of love that you can't have without Him.
We need to be reminded of how much God love us, and sometimes the only one who's going to remind us is ourselves. Put some scripture in your heart and remind yourself from time to time who you are and how much the Father loves you. Oh, how He loves.
He loves us this much: that while we were still sinners, while we were despicable to His nature and contrary to His righteousness, He sent Jesus to rescue us. And Jesus took what we are owed on himself for everyone everywhere. Jesus took the curse of absence from the True and Living God for us, so that we would never have to be absent from Him. It's hard to understand, but this is what Jesus did: he experienced the worst there is to experience so that we can have the best that there is to have.
This is love: that a man would lay down his life for his friends. The Bible tells us that there is no greater love than this. Jesus laid down his life for his friends, those who do what he commands. Being a friend of Jesus is no joke. It's not a catchphrase, it's not a pleasant idea, it's not a cheesy slogan for Christian Culture. Jesus laid down his life for his friends. The meaning and purpose of life lies in being a friend of Jesus.
This is love: that our Maker formed our inward parts, knitted us together in our mothers' wombs. God is not a tinkerer or merely a producer of things. These words "form" and "knit" imply a good deal of skill and concentration. They imply thoughtfulness and craftsmanship. God did not take us lightly when he made us. He loves us so much He made us as individual, unique, lovely people, each one created for a distinct life. Lives of purpose. God made us so that He could call us Friend and show us how to live. No father ever loved his child like the Father loves His Children.
Love is the pure heart of God. The scripture does not say that God is like; or that God is a crush; or that God is lust, or an obsession, or an affinity. The scripture tells us that God is love. That's deep. If God is love, we'd better take a look at everything else in our lives we've called love and see if His fingerprints are on it. Or better yet, ask Him. Get up next to Him on the sofa and let Him put His arm around your shoulders and find out what love is like. Once you've spent time in the Lord's heart, you come away with an understanding of love that you can't have without Him.
We need to be reminded of how much God love us, and sometimes the only one who's going to remind us is ourselves. Put some scripture in your heart and remind yourself from time to time who you are and how much the Father loves you. Oh, how He loves.
Monday, October 1, 2012
How I Need Thee
Yesterday at church (Messiah's House, check out www.messiahshouse.org), a guest speaker/preacher gave a word about needing God. It was a good word, he was enthusiastic and obviously passionate about the Lord. If anything his message was confirmation for me from God that I'm on the right track, that this thing that He is doing is really happening and He's doing it in many places at once. It's the same thing He's always been doing, but now we're getting on board. We're hungry and thirsty and we're coming in droves to the River of Life and holding out our hands for the Daily Bread.
I want to highlight one point he made and the scripture with which he made it. In Luke 27-32, Jesus calls Levi the Tax Collector, and Levi invites him over to a grand feast at his house with other Tax Collectors, and the Pharisees see this and they ask:
"Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"
And Jesus says, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." This is powerful in many ways, but the most significant is this: Jesus came for the sinners (and he still does). He did not come for the righteous (and he still doesn't). The odd thing about this statement is the implication that the Pharisees, those religious and pompous fools, were righteous. Of course they were righteous; in their own eyes, at least. And this is the key distinction, that they presumed to have it all together and so did not see their need for Jesus. And then there is Levi and his Tax Collector friends. They are despised, lowly sinners. Culturally they are the scum of the earth. And Jesus reclines at the table with them and calls them Friend. Why? Because they are not well and they know it. They know that they need Jesus; they know that they need repentance.
If we don't know that we need Jesus, we are screwed. If we don't hunger and thirst after his righteousness, we will not get into his heart and find the healing, the joy, the peace and victory and freedom that resides in the heart of God. But we have to need him to get there.
Here is the full text of the hymn "I Need Thee Every Hour" by Annie S. Hawks, written in 1872. It is aged, but still packs some serious heat.
I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.
Refrain:
I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.
I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their pow’r when Thou art nigh.
I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide, or life is vain.
I need Thee every hour; teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises in me fulfill.
I need Thee every hour, most Holy One;
Oh, make me Thine indeed, Thou blessed Son.
I want to highlight one point he made and the scripture with which he made it. In Luke 27-32, Jesus calls Levi the Tax Collector, and Levi invites him over to a grand feast at his house with other Tax Collectors, and the Pharisees see this and they ask:
"Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"
And Jesus says, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." This is powerful in many ways, but the most significant is this: Jesus came for the sinners (and he still does). He did not come for the righteous (and he still doesn't). The odd thing about this statement is the implication that the Pharisees, those religious and pompous fools, were righteous. Of course they were righteous; in their own eyes, at least. And this is the key distinction, that they presumed to have it all together and so did not see their need for Jesus. And then there is Levi and his Tax Collector friends. They are despised, lowly sinners. Culturally they are the scum of the earth. And Jesus reclines at the table with them and calls them Friend. Why? Because they are not well and they know it. They know that they need Jesus; they know that they need repentance.
If we don't know that we need Jesus, we are screwed. If we don't hunger and thirst after his righteousness, we will not get into his heart and find the healing, the joy, the peace and victory and freedom that resides in the heart of God. But we have to need him to get there.
Here is the full text of the hymn "I Need Thee Every Hour" by Annie S. Hawks, written in 1872. It is aged, but still packs some serious heat.
I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.
Refrain:
I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.
I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their pow’r when Thou art nigh.
I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide, or life is vain.
I need Thee every hour; teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises in me fulfill.
I need Thee every hour, most Holy One;
Oh, make me Thine indeed, Thou blessed Son.
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