Yesterday was my birthday. 34 years old now. It was the first birthday I have ever spent away from home. I didn't realize that until this morning, but it remains true. Growing up, having a birthday in Mid-August meant my birthday was the last thing that would happen before school started back up. Even when I moved away from home for that first run at college, we celebrated my 18th birthday the day before I moved into my dorm. My birthday was always a day surrounded by family and friends. As a kid, it meant mom making me whatever I wanted for dinner... usually manicotti, whatever kind of cake I wanted... cheesecake or black forest cake were always in the running, and a day doing whatever I desired. As time went by, those things changed, as life often does. This was my 8th birthday without mom, 12th birthday since Z and I got married, 9th birthday as a dad, 16th birthday since that day before college started... the first time.
This year, it was a birthday in a different city, in a different state, in a different time zone... birthday wishes from friends and family come from 3000 miles away. And yet, it was the most with family feel I have had in many years. Its funny quickly God creates family. In a home that we've lived in for a month now, in a city that has only been home for 7 months, with people we had never met before January, we had a birthday dinner with 7 new family members. We sat together, we talked, we watched baseball, we ate food, we did what family does.
Shortly before we left on this journey, I was studying in the book of Acts, and I wrote about sacrifice. The idea behind it being that when we read scripture, and we read biographies of missionaries, or martyrs, we often come to a common theme, the idea that when we sacrifice all we know and all we are for the cause of Christ, then we find that we truly have sacrificed nothing at all. (You can find that post here) As I sat in my living room Saturday evening, I didn't feel the distance between me and my family, I didn't feel the strife of selling our home. I didn't feel the sting of leaving behind the path we though we had laid before us. I didn't feel loss. I felt love, and comfort, and home.
That is the power of the gospel for believers. We so often stop with the gospel at salvation and leave it there, mistakenly thinking that it only the power of God unto salvation. Or, more correctly, we mistakenly believe that salvation has to do with a single, momentary flash of light bringing the sinner from death to life. Salvation is an every-present, growing reality in the life of those who have been, are being, and will be saved, and thus the gospel is not simply the power to begin this process, it is the power and life-blood that courses through the beating heart of the now-living Christian. The gospel does not lose power or benefit after one professes belief, rather that is only beginning of it's power! The power of the life-giving word of God is desperately needed among the church, in the midst of the believers. The gospel has the power to bring you to new places, to meet new people, and to LOVE them... you cannot love them without it, you're not that strong, that good, or that powerful. Without the power of the gospel, my home wouldn't be full of people I didn't know before the calendar flipped this year. Without the power of the gospel, they wouldn't be my family.
Monday, August 20, 2018
Wednesday, August 8, 2018
Imperishable seed
I often find that I pay much more attention to Paul than I do other authors of the New Testament. Obviously, by sheer volume, Paul pretty well dominates the NT landscape. His gifts of writing and crafting sound reason build a strong frame onto the foundation of Christ for our faith. The last couple of mornings, however, I turned to Peter.
Among the many reasons I love the Bible, and believe it to be the living Word of God, is that, though the words themselves remain the same, their impact and the way they pierce the heart change throughout our lives. The meaning of the text is always there, the original, bedrock purpose for which the authors put pen to paper, but in certain times, on certain days, the light shifts in our eyes. The analogy of scripture being like a multi-faceted diamond holds true. The reality and substance of this gem does not change, rather, if you were to place a diamond to be held up in an open field, as the sun rises, crosses, and sets across the sky, the reflection and brilliance of the diamond with shift to show its beauty in new ways. This is what happens as we read scripture throughout our lives, revisiting familiar words, but with ever-changing circumstances... differing angles and balance of light and darkness that flash through the words and the pages with new brilliance that we would not see if it were not for the circumstances of our momentary sight. This is what it was for me today, visiting 1Peter 1.
As I was saying, I am particularly fond of the Pauline descriptions and arguments of faith. They bolster me and throw ballast in the depths of my soul. But this morning, Peter's reminder to his readers of what the Christian life is, and how salvation looks, was a searing reminder of the importance of joy, the reality of suffering, and the hope that lies only in the imperishable seed of Christ:
He starts, reminding his hearer that all that Peter is about to share of the blessed hope of salvation has come from the great mercy of the resurrecting God of Jesus. We are born again, by the power of this resurrection, to a living hope. (v. 3) But just what is this living hope? Peter states it another way, for the sake of clarification in verse 4, calling it an inheritance. He tells us of an imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, an inheritance that is being kept for us in Heaven. But lest we think that this inheritance is for any who claim to be of this "rebirth", Peter cuts off the though with a qualifier. Who is the inheritance being kept for? In verse 5, it is those who by God's power are being kept, being guarded through faith, awaiting the revelation of their salvation in the last time. So, who has access to the rebirth, the living hope, the inheritance? Those whom God is guarding, through faith, as they await their salvation. This sounds an awful lot like Matthew 24:13 where, after laying out the coming trials and tribulations that will be faced by those who bear His name, Jesus tells his disciples, "But the one who endures to the end will be saved." Peter is reminding us here that it is not mere words spoken, or even deeds done that measure a man's salvation. Man is not born again simply because he says he is. We do not gain the unfading, imperishable inheritance of God simply by claiming it as our own. Rather, this inheritance belongs to those whom God has caused to be born again (v. 3 again).
Okay Peter, but how can we know if we are being guarded by faith, born again of Christ's resurrection? How can I know if my salvation is ready to revealed in the last times? Peter says, "In this you rejoice." (v. 6) The Christian does not scoff at or cry foul at the though that his salvation can not truly be revealed until the end comes. The Christian lays all trust at the foot of the cross, saying that our only hope of salvation is through the blood of Christ and the propitiation for our sin is found only in his death. We grasp the sovereign will of God, through the resurrection of Jesus, and say not that we are born again, but that we trust that the only way to become born again to this living hope is by grace through faith. We do not claim, only, a salvation that has been accomplished in us, but also a salvation to be revealed in us. We, to use Peter's words, rejoice in the faithful guarding of our salvation. We rejoice through whatever means by which our God has chosen to reveal our salvation. This is the process of sanctification, the revealing of our salvation. Peter tells us that our rejoicing continues, even through momentary trials. Though we may be grieved by these afflictions, and troubled by these tests of faith, we rejoice in the knowledge that it is by these wounds, by this weakening of our flesh, that our faith is made stronger, more pure, refined by the fire (v. 7). And Peter tells us that if we are indeed born again, and if we can lay any claim on the promised inheritance, then we come into and through these trials with praise, singing the glory and honor of Jesus Christ. Though we no longer see him physically on this earth, though we might have struggled to see him active in grace through our trials in this momentary pain, the Christian believes in him and rejoices with an inexpressible joy, and glows with the glory of Christ. By this, Peter says, we obtain the outcome of our faith, the salvation of our souls. (vv. 8-9)
That's great Peter, but how, practically, do we do this? I'm willing to buy in and believe that what you're saying is true. I mean, you did walk, literally, with Jesus, there is probably no one who has lived that can say with more authority what Jesus taught his disciples. So, I guess I should just take your word that this is true, right?
I think this is what really stuck the chord with me this morning, Peter could have just made this claim on the veracity of his own testimony and life. He could've, and I think we would still take it as the authoritative word that it is. But Peter doesn't do that. He goes further, in providing a more sure footing in the historical texts that his hearers knew, Peter drives a stake, a firm foothold of faith, into the whole of redemptive history:
"Concerning this salvation..." (v. 10)
Peter shows that the prophets, those who first wrote to us about the grace and mercy by which we would be saved, these prophets have been revealed to be not writing to just themselves, for themselves, by themselves, they were not serving only the prophets of God through their preaching, teaching, writing... they were serving us, the Christians to come, through those who have announced and preached the good news to us by the Holy Spirit sent from Heaven. (vv. 11-12) Peter is saying, "Don't take my word for it, for this is the truth of the prophets. This salvation is the salvation that has been spoken to you from Abraham down through all those who have faithfully heard and preached the good news of God." Peter could've staked the claim of true regeneration, and true adoption, true inheritance on his own authority, but instead, he turned back to the source of his authority, the living Word of God, revealing to his hearers truths that "angels long to look" into.
Peter, that sounds good, but as a 1st Century Jewish man, I'm not sure I quite grasp this salvation you speak of...
In verse 13, Peter prepares the recipients of his letter to receive a concise, cutting, piercing reality that Jesus Christ is the only source of living hope, not an addition to their faith, but the culmination of the faith of their fathers. These people have been waiting centuries for the inheritance of their fathers, and Peter is about to unload on them that that inheritance is through the risen Messiah: "Preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (v. 13)
Hold on to your hats, folks:
"As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who has called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'" (vv. 14-15)
-- You want the inheritance that was promised to our fathers? It is found only in God, and to be with God, you must be holy. Not good, not even faithful... holy. Not just pretty holy... holy in ALL your conduct.
"And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot." (vv. 17-19)
-- If you want to go to him with only the holiness which you can muster through your deeds, you must approach with fear. It has been revealed to you, that the ways that your fathers approached God has now been made futile. You neither need to, nor can you, approach your Father in the ways that you had inherited from tradition. Rather than the perishable sacrifice, you can approach through the precious blood of Jesus.
"He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God." (vv. 20-21)
-- This Jesus is Eternal God, made manifest here in our midst, as the promised Messiah. For the sake of those, such as yourselves, who claim a belief in God. This Jesus was raised from death, shown in the fullness of glory, so that your faith and hope are truly in God. Jesus is the way of salvation.
"Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God, for 'All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.'" (vv. 22-25a)
-- The hearers of this letter had a desire to claim a salvation from Christ, they simply were not going about it correctly. Peter, having relaid the foundational truths of their new faith, and the exclusivity of Christ as the only path to the holiness that is required to be in the presence of a holy God, finishes with the greatest commandment: since you have been saved, born again, love one another.
"And this is the good news that was preached to you." (v. 25b)
-- Tying it back together, Peter launched into this sermonette as an explanation of how his hearers can be born again to a living hope and the promised inheritance of God's people. Peter's answer was to live the life that had been preached to them. Peter reminds them that this is the life that has been preached, the good news of the fulfillment of the Old Covenant, and the foundation of the new, built upon the blood of Christ. It is not to be mingled back with the old traditions, but set apart, called out of the old, and made new. Peter tells us that because of this, we can trust the abiding, imperishable Word, that if God has caused us to be born again, then we will be guarded through faith, desiring to rejoice, even in the trials, shouting praise and glory of the only begotten of the Father. Our faith is not dependent on that which can been seen, but on the knowledge of the truth of that which is unseen. And yet, it rests on the revelation that has been given throughout the entirety of human history, recorded by the prophets and preached to God's people.
So, what does the Christian life look like?
According to Peter, it looks like obedience to the truth that has been revealed, loving one another in grace, persevering in the trials, praising God and rejoicing with inexpressible joy throughout our lives. It looks radically different from anything that is not the Christian life, drawing daily sustenance from the imperishable seed.
Among the many reasons I love the Bible, and believe it to be the living Word of God, is that, though the words themselves remain the same, their impact and the way they pierce the heart change throughout our lives. The meaning of the text is always there, the original, bedrock purpose for which the authors put pen to paper, but in certain times, on certain days, the light shifts in our eyes. The analogy of scripture being like a multi-faceted diamond holds true. The reality and substance of this gem does not change, rather, if you were to place a diamond to be held up in an open field, as the sun rises, crosses, and sets across the sky, the reflection and brilliance of the diamond with shift to show its beauty in new ways. This is what happens as we read scripture throughout our lives, revisiting familiar words, but with ever-changing circumstances... differing angles and balance of light and darkness that flash through the words and the pages with new brilliance that we would not see if it were not for the circumstances of our momentary sight. This is what it was for me today, visiting 1Peter 1.
As I was saying, I am particularly fond of the Pauline descriptions and arguments of faith. They bolster me and throw ballast in the depths of my soul. But this morning, Peter's reminder to his readers of what the Christian life is, and how salvation looks, was a searing reminder of the importance of joy, the reality of suffering, and the hope that lies only in the imperishable seed of Christ:
He starts, reminding his hearer that all that Peter is about to share of the blessed hope of salvation has come from the great mercy of the resurrecting God of Jesus. We are born again, by the power of this resurrection, to a living hope. (v. 3) But just what is this living hope? Peter states it another way, for the sake of clarification in verse 4, calling it an inheritance. He tells us of an imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, an inheritance that is being kept for us in Heaven. But lest we think that this inheritance is for any who claim to be of this "rebirth", Peter cuts off the though with a qualifier. Who is the inheritance being kept for? In verse 5, it is those who by God's power are being kept, being guarded through faith, awaiting the revelation of their salvation in the last time. So, who has access to the rebirth, the living hope, the inheritance? Those whom God is guarding, through faith, as they await their salvation. This sounds an awful lot like Matthew 24:13 where, after laying out the coming trials and tribulations that will be faced by those who bear His name, Jesus tells his disciples, "But the one who endures to the end will be saved." Peter is reminding us here that it is not mere words spoken, or even deeds done that measure a man's salvation. Man is not born again simply because he says he is. We do not gain the unfading, imperishable inheritance of God simply by claiming it as our own. Rather, this inheritance belongs to those whom God has caused to be born again (v. 3 again).
Okay Peter, but how can we know if we are being guarded by faith, born again of Christ's resurrection? How can I know if my salvation is ready to revealed in the last times? Peter says, "In this you rejoice." (v. 6) The Christian does not scoff at or cry foul at the though that his salvation can not truly be revealed until the end comes. The Christian lays all trust at the foot of the cross, saying that our only hope of salvation is through the blood of Christ and the propitiation for our sin is found only in his death. We grasp the sovereign will of God, through the resurrection of Jesus, and say not that we are born again, but that we trust that the only way to become born again to this living hope is by grace through faith. We do not claim, only, a salvation that has been accomplished in us, but also a salvation to be revealed in us. We, to use Peter's words, rejoice in the faithful guarding of our salvation. We rejoice through whatever means by which our God has chosen to reveal our salvation. This is the process of sanctification, the revealing of our salvation. Peter tells us that our rejoicing continues, even through momentary trials. Though we may be grieved by these afflictions, and troubled by these tests of faith, we rejoice in the knowledge that it is by these wounds, by this weakening of our flesh, that our faith is made stronger, more pure, refined by the fire (v. 7). And Peter tells us that if we are indeed born again, and if we can lay any claim on the promised inheritance, then we come into and through these trials with praise, singing the glory and honor of Jesus Christ. Though we no longer see him physically on this earth, though we might have struggled to see him active in grace through our trials in this momentary pain, the Christian believes in him and rejoices with an inexpressible joy, and glows with the glory of Christ. By this, Peter says, we obtain the outcome of our faith, the salvation of our souls. (vv. 8-9)
That's great Peter, but how, practically, do we do this? I'm willing to buy in and believe that what you're saying is true. I mean, you did walk, literally, with Jesus, there is probably no one who has lived that can say with more authority what Jesus taught his disciples. So, I guess I should just take your word that this is true, right?
I think this is what really stuck the chord with me this morning, Peter could have just made this claim on the veracity of his own testimony and life. He could've, and I think we would still take it as the authoritative word that it is. But Peter doesn't do that. He goes further, in providing a more sure footing in the historical texts that his hearers knew, Peter drives a stake, a firm foothold of faith, into the whole of redemptive history:
"Concerning this salvation..." (v. 10)
Peter shows that the prophets, those who first wrote to us about the grace and mercy by which we would be saved, these prophets have been revealed to be not writing to just themselves, for themselves, by themselves, they were not serving only the prophets of God through their preaching, teaching, writing... they were serving us, the Christians to come, through those who have announced and preached the good news to us by the Holy Spirit sent from Heaven. (vv. 11-12) Peter is saying, "Don't take my word for it, for this is the truth of the prophets. This salvation is the salvation that has been spoken to you from Abraham down through all those who have faithfully heard and preached the good news of God." Peter could've staked the claim of true regeneration, and true adoption, true inheritance on his own authority, but instead, he turned back to the source of his authority, the living Word of God, revealing to his hearers truths that "angels long to look" into.
Peter, that sounds good, but as a 1st Century Jewish man, I'm not sure I quite grasp this salvation you speak of...
In verse 13, Peter prepares the recipients of his letter to receive a concise, cutting, piercing reality that Jesus Christ is the only source of living hope, not an addition to their faith, but the culmination of the faith of their fathers. These people have been waiting centuries for the inheritance of their fathers, and Peter is about to unload on them that that inheritance is through the risen Messiah: "Preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (v. 13)
Hold on to your hats, folks:
"As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who has called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'" (vv. 14-15)
-- You want the inheritance that was promised to our fathers? It is found only in God, and to be with God, you must be holy. Not good, not even faithful... holy. Not just pretty holy... holy in ALL your conduct.
"And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot." (vv. 17-19)
-- If you want to go to him with only the holiness which you can muster through your deeds, you must approach with fear. It has been revealed to you, that the ways that your fathers approached God has now been made futile. You neither need to, nor can you, approach your Father in the ways that you had inherited from tradition. Rather than the perishable sacrifice, you can approach through the precious blood of Jesus.
"He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God." (vv. 20-21)
-- This Jesus is Eternal God, made manifest here in our midst, as the promised Messiah. For the sake of those, such as yourselves, who claim a belief in God. This Jesus was raised from death, shown in the fullness of glory, so that your faith and hope are truly in God. Jesus is the way of salvation.
"Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God, for 'All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.'" (vv. 22-25a)
-- The hearers of this letter had a desire to claim a salvation from Christ, they simply were not going about it correctly. Peter, having relaid the foundational truths of their new faith, and the exclusivity of Christ as the only path to the holiness that is required to be in the presence of a holy God, finishes with the greatest commandment: since you have been saved, born again, love one another.
"And this is the good news that was preached to you." (v. 25b)
-- Tying it back together, Peter launched into this sermonette as an explanation of how his hearers can be born again to a living hope and the promised inheritance of God's people. Peter's answer was to live the life that had been preached to them. Peter reminds them that this is the life that has been preached, the good news of the fulfillment of the Old Covenant, and the foundation of the new, built upon the blood of Christ. It is not to be mingled back with the old traditions, but set apart, called out of the old, and made new. Peter tells us that because of this, we can trust the abiding, imperishable Word, that if God has caused us to be born again, then we will be guarded through faith, desiring to rejoice, even in the trials, shouting praise and glory of the only begotten of the Father. Our faith is not dependent on that which can been seen, but on the knowledge of the truth of that which is unseen. And yet, it rests on the revelation that has been given throughout the entirety of human history, recorded by the prophets and preached to God's people.
So, what does the Christian life look like?
According to Peter, it looks like obedience to the truth that has been revealed, loving one another in grace, persevering in the trials, praising God and rejoicing with inexpressible joy throughout our lives. It looks radically different from anything that is not the Christian life, drawing daily sustenance from the imperishable seed.
Wednesday, August 1, 2018
because of me
"And they glorified God because of me."
This is the statement by the Apostle Paul at the end of Chapter 1 of the book of Galatians. It stood out to me this morning as I was studying. I think there is a very real struggle in the life of the Christian that we desire that through the life we live, others (namely other Christians) would glorify God because of us. We struggle because this seems counter-intuitive to the life we feel called to... we are to be humble bondservants of the Lord, not a self-seeking, self-aggrandizing braggart. But, in Paul's words here, it would appear that there is a sense in which we can indeed live out our faith in a way that causes others to glorify God because of us. There is a way to satisfy this that is not only not sinful, but is worthy of the glory. These were not new-convert Gentiles, or uninformed "nobodies" who were glorifying God because of Paul, it is the churches of Judea of whom Paul speaks in Galatians 1:24.
Paul spends this first chapter reasserting to the Galatian churches who he is, and in what way he has been established as an Apostle of the truth. He feels he must repair a foundation within this church that has begun to falter in his absence, stating his astonishment that there are those among this church who are deserting the true gospel for a twisted entanglement of truth and lie. Paul is setting the stage for a treatise on the establishment of faith in the life of a believer, the wellspring of grace that erupts in the heart of the true convert, and the practical walking in the spirit that must be sought by those who lay claim to the adoption as sons and heirs of the promise. And, as he often does, he is starting by establishing himself as an example of the life to be lived by the Christian... he is calling this church to live a life so saturated by the gospel that the true Church would glorify God because of the life of these saints.
I think what Paul lays out here is one of the clearest representations of Jesus' parable of the treasure hidden in the field from Matthew 13:44 ("The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys the field.") Paul lays out the short version of his life, and conversion in such a way that seems to parallel this parable. After recapping his persecution of the early church and establishing himself as a enemy of the faith, reminding the Galatians of who he was as he set forth to Damascus (a man walking through a field), Paul says, "But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me..." (a treasure hidden in a field, found, or rather revealed to, the man)..."I did not immediately consult with anyone, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were Apostles before me,"... (and covered up the treasure.)... "but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem..."
Not a lot is written or known within scripture about the time Paul spent in Arabia, and the timeline of when he began teaching in Damascus, and when he went to Arabia, or when the three years before Jerusalem is not clearly delineated. But we do have words speaking to Paul's strengthening, and deepening in understanding. In his vision to Ananias, when Jesus told the believer to go and pray over Paul, Jesus tells Ananias to go to Paul because he is "the instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name." (Acts 9:15b-16). From this, it would seem possible that in his time after his conversion, in Damascus, and in Arabia, that Paul received further teaching and visions from Christ himself. Paul alludes to much as he tells the churches that he did not receive his gospel from flesh and blood but by the Spirit. Having seen the glory of Christ revealed, and being taught by the Spirit, it is easy to see how Paul, as the man walking in a field, found a revealed treasure, covered it up as not to reveal what he had found too quickly, then in his joy of coming to see the glory of the revelation, and under the teaching of Christ, understanding the cost of the field, sold all that he had to obtain the treasure. Jesus told Ananias that he would show Paul the cost of his calling, Paul, tasting of the beauty and glory of truth, sells all that he has... his citizenship, his upbringing, his education, his standing as a Pharisee, his reputation among men, the health of his physical body, the satisfaction of the flesh, material desires... he bets it all on the treasure of the field being worth it.
Paul took the truth and the beauty of the Gospel that had be revealed to him, and he poured himself out fully on the behalf of those to whom he was sent that they might see and savor the Christ who was worth everything. To drive home the validity of the visions and teachings by the Spirit that Paul claimed to have had, he did not seek out the established Apostles in Jerusalem, spending 3 years teaching and proclaiming. Even then he only sought out Peter, meeting James along the way, spending 15 days, before heading back to Syria and Cilicia. Paul makes the point here that in all of this, he did not visit or make himself known to the churches of Judea, relating to us only that it became known to him, that those churches had become aware that "He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy." (Gal 1:23). The zeal with which he once sought to end the teachings he saw as a threat to what he had then understood as truth had now been turned and levied into the revealed treasure of the field. The veracity with which Paul taught throughout the region, even in this early period of his Christian life became quickly recognized as something different, special, and set apart even from that of the Apostles. Not as a different faith, but as a faith that was not reserved to the biologic heirs of Abraham, but as a faith that was to be spread to the true heirs of faith, the adopted sons of the promise.
And Paul holds up this story, this redemptive Magnum Opus, to show and remind the Galatian churches (and the Church throughout the ages) that the power that brought him from death into life, the light the blinded him to the point of giving him true sight, that the blood by which he had been washed, that a life which sells all that it has so that it can lay hold of the treasure, is not done to the praise of himself, or the praises of men, but to the glory of God. Because when the churches of Judea heard that the enemy of their faith had miraculously began to preach the faith, once for all delivered to the saints, they did praise the redeemed sinner, but they glorified God for the work that had been done.
And thus, Paul starts into a practical outlaying of how we are brought into faith, how we grow in that faith, and what the end of that faith promises. Having reestablished for these believers the foundation on which their salvation rests, Paul seeks to steady the trembling house. He reminds them that the true gospel, the gospel he preached to them was not received by man, and in reminding them of where and how he received the true gospel of Christ, he points not to himself, but through himself to the Glory of God alone.
So, how do we live a life that allows us to say, "And they glorified God, because of me."?
We stand and say, "The only thing that's good in me, is Jesus". We lay ourselves open, and in the right time and place, we show the treasure we found in the field. We live a life that says that that treasure was worth everything I owned. We proclaim the revealed truth, nothing more, nothing less.
This is the statement by the Apostle Paul at the end of Chapter 1 of the book of Galatians. It stood out to me this morning as I was studying. I think there is a very real struggle in the life of the Christian that we desire that through the life we live, others (namely other Christians) would glorify God because of us. We struggle because this seems counter-intuitive to the life we feel called to... we are to be humble bondservants of the Lord, not a self-seeking, self-aggrandizing braggart. But, in Paul's words here, it would appear that there is a sense in which we can indeed live out our faith in a way that causes others to glorify God because of us. There is a way to satisfy this that is not only not sinful, but is worthy of the glory. These were not new-convert Gentiles, or uninformed "nobodies" who were glorifying God because of Paul, it is the churches of Judea of whom Paul speaks in Galatians 1:24.
Paul spends this first chapter reasserting to the Galatian churches who he is, and in what way he has been established as an Apostle of the truth. He feels he must repair a foundation within this church that has begun to falter in his absence, stating his astonishment that there are those among this church who are deserting the true gospel for a twisted entanglement of truth and lie. Paul is setting the stage for a treatise on the establishment of faith in the life of a believer, the wellspring of grace that erupts in the heart of the true convert, and the practical walking in the spirit that must be sought by those who lay claim to the adoption as sons and heirs of the promise. And, as he often does, he is starting by establishing himself as an example of the life to be lived by the Christian... he is calling this church to live a life so saturated by the gospel that the true Church would glorify God because of the life of these saints.
I think what Paul lays out here is one of the clearest representations of Jesus' parable of the treasure hidden in the field from Matthew 13:44 ("The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys the field.") Paul lays out the short version of his life, and conversion in such a way that seems to parallel this parable. After recapping his persecution of the early church and establishing himself as a enemy of the faith, reminding the Galatians of who he was as he set forth to Damascus (a man walking through a field), Paul says, "But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me..." (a treasure hidden in a field, found, or rather revealed to, the man)..."I did not immediately consult with anyone, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were Apostles before me,"... (and covered up the treasure.)... "but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem..."
Not a lot is written or known within scripture about the time Paul spent in Arabia, and the timeline of when he began teaching in Damascus, and when he went to Arabia, or when the three years before Jerusalem is not clearly delineated. But we do have words speaking to Paul's strengthening, and deepening in understanding. In his vision to Ananias, when Jesus told the believer to go and pray over Paul, Jesus tells Ananias to go to Paul because he is "the instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name." (Acts 9:15b-16). From this, it would seem possible that in his time after his conversion, in Damascus, and in Arabia, that Paul received further teaching and visions from Christ himself. Paul alludes to much as he tells the churches that he did not receive his gospel from flesh and blood but by the Spirit. Having seen the glory of Christ revealed, and being taught by the Spirit, it is easy to see how Paul, as the man walking in a field, found a revealed treasure, covered it up as not to reveal what he had found too quickly, then in his joy of coming to see the glory of the revelation, and under the teaching of Christ, understanding the cost of the field, sold all that he had to obtain the treasure. Jesus told Ananias that he would show Paul the cost of his calling, Paul, tasting of the beauty and glory of truth, sells all that he has... his citizenship, his upbringing, his education, his standing as a Pharisee, his reputation among men, the health of his physical body, the satisfaction of the flesh, material desires... he bets it all on the treasure of the field being worth it.
Paul took the truth and the beauty of the Gospel that had be revealed to him, and he poured himself out fully on the behalf of those to whom he was sent that they might see and savor the Christ who was worth everything. To drive home the validity of the visions and teachings by the Spirit that Paul claimed to have had, he did not seek out the established Apostles in Jerusalem, spending 3 years teaching and proclaiming. Even then he only sought out Peter, meeting James along the way, spending 15 days, before heading back to Syria and Cilicia. Paul makes the point here that in all of this, he did not visit or make himself known to the churches of Judea, relating to us only that it became known to him, that those churches had become aware that "He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy." (Gal 1:23). The zeal with which he once sought to end the teachings he saw as a threat to what he had then understood as truth had now been turned and levied into the revealed treasure of the field. The veracity with which Paul taught throughout the region, even in this early period of his Christian life became quickly recognized as something different, special, and set apart even from that of the Apostles. Not as a different faith, but as a faith that was not reserved to the biologic heirs of Abraham, but as a faith that was to be spread to the true heirs of faith, the adopted sons of the promise.
And Paul holds up this story, this redemptive Magnum Opus, to show and remind the Galatian churches (and the Church throughout the ages) that the power that brought him from death into life, the light the blinded him to the point of giving him true sight, that the blood by which he had been washed, that a life which sells all that it has so that it can lay hold of the treasure, is not done to the praise of himself, or the praises of men, but to the glory of God. Because when the churches of Judea heard that the enemy of their faith had miraculously began to preach the faith, once for all delivered to the saints, they did praise the redeemed sinner, but they glorified God for the work that had been done.
And thus, Paul starts into a practical outlaying of how we are brought into faith, how we grow in that faith, and what the end of that faith promises. Having reestablished for these believers the foundation on which their salvation rests, Paul seeks to steady the trembling house. He reminds them that the true gospel, the gospel he preached to them was not received by man, and in reminding them of where and how he received the true gospel of Christ, he points not to himself, but through himself to the Glory of God alone.
So, how do we live a life that allows us to say, "And they glorified God, because of me."?
We stand and say, "The only thing that's good in me, is Jesus". We lay ourselves open, and in the right time and place, we show the treasure we found in the field. We live a life that says that that treasure was worth everything I owned. We proclaim the revealed truth, nothing more, nothing less.
Thursday, June 14, 2018
1-year ago
1-year ago today, I flew into Sea-Tac for a 2-day stay and an interview. I was so relieved that my waiting was close to over, and my family and I would soon be moving to Seattle...
I met Stuart Bell for breakfast, we shared testimonies together, we walked the market, we prayed throughout the downtown.
I felt I had come home.
But then that job didn’t happen. And neither did any other. For nearly another 7 months...
Those were hard months. It became a burden when people told me they were praying for us, or asked us when we’d be going... we became homesick for a place that we’d never lived in. We knew no one in this city, yet we missed them dearly. We began to feel like Paul in his letter to the Romans:
For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you- that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith." - Romans 1:9-17
Brothers and Sisters... I can’t tell you that I understand better now why we were prevented from coming to Seattle sooner. I can’t tell you anecdotally the mystery of God having us wait. I can’t tell you with any true certainty what the purpose behind some of the hardest 7 months of my life was... I have some ideas, and I can see how God used that time...
What I can tell you is that God told us to go to Seattle.
Thursday, April 26, 2018
Joy and Pleasure in the body of Christ
Weekly, a group of us gathers at a local coffee house and we read scripture together and discuss it. This week was my turn to lead in the discussion. I thought I would share here some of the thoughts and observations I had in studying the text, as well as some of the insights offered through our discussion.
Col 3:1-17
Context:
As we have been seeing throughout this letter, Paul is writing to the believers, in the church at Colassae. A relatively new gathering, of relatively young Christians. Paul, having never met this church, is writing a letter exhorting their faith, holding up the preeminence of Christ, warning against false teachings from spiritual mystics, Judiazers, and others who would add to the addition of anything to the salvation they have in Christ. In particular in chapter 2, Paul issues an admonition against (specifically) the practice of asceticism, self-mutilation, and other ritualistic cleansings in an attempt to make oneself holy. It is a warning against trying to undo the destruction of our spirit by our sin through our own physical ability and worldly powers. Paul rails against teachings that seem to promote that the life of following Christ is to be a road without joy, pleasure, and satisfaction. Leading to the unspoken question Paul is addressing in Chapter 3.
"If in the path of the Christian life, we are not to indulge the desires of the flesh to our own satisfaction, yet we are likewise not to abandon all joy and pleasure, how in the world is the Christian supposed to live?"
So, how does a Christian not seek the pleasures of the flesh, and yet pursue the "fullness of joy" and "pleasure forevermore" we find in Psalm 16?
Observation/Meaning:
One important observation of this text is right at the beginning, Paul qualifies every instruction he is going to give as pertaining only to those who have been raised with Christ. Therefore this is not instruction for those outside the church. The antidote to lostness is not found in these verses... this is instruction on how to live as one who has died, whose life is hid with Christ, to be raised as he was raised, to those who have died to the elemental spirits of this world.
If, then, this describes us, then these words from Paul are to be instructive for how the Christian can deny the false teachings of our world, and rather seek our greatest joy in God, as well as how we are to pursue that holiness without which none will see the Father.
In verses 5-10 Paul lays out a list of deprivations, sins in which we all have once lived. Afflictions common to all, creating an atmosphere whereby there is universal guilt among the congregation. Wrath was due on all those receiving Paul's words. Therefore, none within the family can hold shame or guilt over another member of the family. In the same way that none can boast in the grace through faith by which they were saved, neither are we to utilize shame and guilt to create a hierarchy of righteousness within the church. We do not chastise our brothers, questioning their salvation, heaping shame on them when they struggle. I see this in how Paul speaks against lying about who they now are in Christ. If we affirm that a brother has put on the new self, and we affirm that we likewise have put on this new self, then we recognize and encourage each other when we struggle. We speak truth to one another through the process of being renewed, as we are being made into the image of our Creator. This is among the essence of sanctification.
In verse 11 we get a free reminder from Paul that as new creations we are not to judge or be judged by traditional, ritualistic measures, but by Christ and the process by which he has, is, and will be cleansing us.
From 12-17: "Sure, that's great Paul, but seriously, how?"
"Put on then, as God's chosen ones..."
- Compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness... above all else, love.
-Love binds all things together, creating harmony
- Let peace rule your hearts
- Be thankful
- Let the Word dwell in you, teaching each other.
- Admonish one another in all wisdom
- Sing together
- Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.
So, that instruction, if the context of instruction given to the church, not to individuals, we start to see things in concert. "By this will all men know you are my followers, if you love one another." Love is what binds us together as a church, using the many individual members, and the unique notes each of our lives produces, love brings them together to create a harmony. You cannot harmonize alone. The call is to teach one another from the Word, to admonish one another in wisdom, to sing together... to live in community with one another seeking to do all things in the name of Christ.
Application:
So then, how do we put to death the deeds of the flesh, without the Christian life becoming a life devoid of pleasure, joy, and satisfaction?
It is not through:
- Ritualistic, masochistic efforts to mortify our flesh
- Open shaming of those whom we see as "lesser" Christians because they struggle with different sins than we do.
- Going it alone, seeking to try harder, to be better, to sin less, and appear holy
Rather, it is through the realization that Christ has defeated sin in my own heart, that it is no longer I, but He who lives in me, to will and to work to His good pleasure. To realize that Christ has done this same miraculous work in the lives of the others in the church as well. To then realize that it is Christ who called you out of your collective bondage, beginning in each of you a good work that He will bring to completion, and the ministry of the church is a means by which He will accomplish this work. He accomplished this work through individual sanctification, done in a corporate setting, giving us the responsibility of "acting the miracle" of our sanctification, through keeping our eyes on the things above... doing this together through:
- Loving one another, with kindness, patience, and compassion
- Reading the Word together, filling each other's minds, and admonishing one another with the wisdom and truth found within.
- We sing together. We raise our voices together in corporate acknowledgement of the beauty and glory of Jesus Christ.
In this, we can find joy, pleasure, and satisfaction in the Christian life. Through the submission of all we do as individuals to the worship of Him by whom was everything made that has been made. We, as a church, must refuse to allow joy and pleasure to be removed from a life following Christ.
Col 3:1-17
Context:
As we have been seeing throughout this letter, Paul is writing to the believers, in the church at Colassae. A relatively new gathering, of relatively young Christians. Paul, having never met this church, is writing a letter exhorting their faith, holding up the preeminence of Christ, warning against false teachings from spiritual mystics, Judiazers, and others who would add to the addition of anything to the salvation they have in Christ. In particular in chapter 2, Paul issues an admonition against (specifically) the practice of asceticism, self-mutilation, and other ritualistic cleansings in an attempt to make oneself holy. It is a warning against trying to undo the destruction of our spirit by our sin through our own physical ability and worldly powers. Paul rails against teachings that seem to promote that the life of following Christ is to be a road without joy, pleasure, and satisfaction. Leading to the unspoken question Paul is addressing in Chapter 3.
"If in the path of the Christian life, we are not to indulge the desires of the flesh to our own satisfaction, yet we are likewise not to abandon all joy and pleasure, how in the world is the Christian supposed to live?"
So, how does a Christian not seek the pleasures of the flesh, and yet pursue the "fullness of joy" and "pleasure forevermore" we find in Psalm 16?
Observation/Meaning:
One important observation of this text is right at the beginning, Paul qualifies every instruction he is going to give as pertaining only to those who have been raised with Christ. Therefore this is not instruction for those outside the church. The antidote to lostness is not found in these verses... this is instruction on how to live as one who has died, whose life is hid with Christ, to be raised as he was raised, to those who have died to the elemental spirits of this world.
If, then, this describes us, then these words from Paul are to be instructive for how the Christian can deny the false teachings of our world, and rather seek our greatest joy in God, as well as how we are to pursue that holiness without which none will see the Father.
In verses 5-10 Paul lays out a list of deprivations, sins in which we all have once lived. Afflictions common to all, creating an atmosphere whereby there is universal guilt among the congregation. Wrath was due on all those receiving Paul's words. Therefore, none within the family can hold shame or guilt over another member of the family. In the same way that none can boast in the grace through faith by which they were saved, neither are we to utilize shame and guilt to create a hierarchy of righteousness within the church. We do not chastise our brothers, questioning their salvation, heaping shame on them when they struggle. I see this in how Paul speaks against lying about who they now are in Christ. If we affirm that a brother has put on the new self, and we affirm that we likewise have put on this new self, then we recognize and encourage each other when we struggle. We speak truth to one another through the process of being renewed, as we are being made into the image of our Creator. This is among the essence of sanctification.
In verse 11 we get a free reminder from Paul that as new creations we are not to judge or be judged by traditional, ritualistic measures, but by Christ and the process by which he has, is, and will be cleansing us.
From 12-17: "Sure, that's great Paul, but seriously, how?"
"Put on then, as God's chosen ones..."
- Compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness... above all else, love.
-Love binds all things together, creating harmony
- Let peace rule your hearts
- Be thankful
- Let the Word dwell in you, teaching each other.
- Admonish one another in all wisdom
- Sing together
- Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.
So, that instruction, if the context of instruction given to the church, not to individuals, we start to see things in concert. "By this will all men know you are my followers, if you love one another." Love is what binds us together as a church, using the many individual members, and the unique notes each of our lives produces, love brings them together to create a harmony. You cannot harmonize alone. The call is to teach one another from the Word, to admonish one another in wisdom, to sing together... to live in community with one another seeking to do all things in the name of Christ.
Application:
So then, how do we put to death the deeds of the flesh, without the Christian life becoming a life devoid of pleasure, joy, and satisfaction?
It is not through:
- Ritualistic, masochistic efforts to mortify our flesh
- Open shaming of those whom we see as "lesser" Christians because they struggle with different sins than we do.
- Going it alone, seeking to try harder, to be better, to sin less, and appear holy
Rather, it is through the realization that Christ has defeated sin in my own heart, that it is no longer I, but He who lives in me, to will and to work to His good pleasure. To realize that Christ has done this same miraculous work in the lives of the others in the church as well. To then realize that it is Christ who called you out of your collective bondage, beginning in each of you a good work that He will bring to completion, and the ministry of the church is a means by which He will accomplish this work. He accomplished this work through individual sanctification, done in a corporate setting, giving us the responsibility of "acting the miracle" of our sanctification, through keeping our eyes on the things above... doing this together through:
- Loving one another, with kindness, patience, and compassion
- Reading the Word together, filling each other's minds, and admonishing one another with the wisdom and truth found within.
- We sing together. We raise our voices together in corporate acknowledgement of the beauty and glory of Jesus Christ.
In this, we can find joy, pleasure, and satisfaction in the Christian life. Through the submission of all we do as individuals to the worship of Him by whom was everything made that has been made. We, as a church, must refuse to allow joy and pleasure to be removed from a life following Christ.
Monday, March 26, 2018
Childish understanding
We're trying to get back into the swing of "normal" since our move. Its been difficult, but there are glimmers of normalcy amongst the crazy. One area that is still far away from normal, is our church... though I should say our local gathering of like-minded people with a common vision to covenant together and become a church. But, in the name of brevity, our church.
To try to start feeling some sense of that normal church experience again, we have slowly been transitioning our kids back to their normal Sunday morning tasks. We are staunch believers and supporters of kids (once they have the ability to sit relatively calmly) being a part of the corporate gathering of the church. We want them to be with us to sing worship, to pray, and to hear the Word preached. To this end, our kids have previously been instructed on focused listening during church, with the intention of being able to discuss what was taught. We let them engage by allowing them to draw/color pictures pertaining to the sermon, and other such tasks. Now that they have gotten a little older, we decided that this Sunday, they would be tasked with answering 2 questions, with words instead of pictures:
What words from the songs, scriptures, prayers, or sermon are new to you, or you don't know what they mean?
What was something new you learned today, or a question you have about today?
Here is the point of my writing this today, to those who disagree with children being present in the corporate services of the church, or who think it is unfair to immerse children in teaching that is so far above their understanding, this simple exercise led directly to the following conversations over dinner last night:
Lydia, who is soon to be 8 years old, and has been sitting in "big church" for 4-5 years at this point, wrote down three words that she didn't understand as well as she wanted to: Mortal, Chronological, and a third one that we couldn't decide what it actually said. These words led us to a discussion on the temporal nature of our flesh, and the infinite nature of God. It led to the image-bearing immortal part of each individual. We talked about what it means in Romans 6:12 (she remembered the scripture reference that caused her to write down the word), what Paul meant about letting sin reign in our mortal body. It was a good conversation. Our look into Chronology, which netted a more practical discussion about the way the Bible is organized, and different ways we can go about studying God's Word, and the benefits of that.
Ben, who just turned 6 and has been sitting with us for 3 years now, wrote down no words. I teased him by asking what transubstantiation meant (a word used in the service). He of course didn't know, and actually didn't recall the word being used. But, even that allowed us the chance to talk about really cool words that he didn't get to learn about because he was struggling to pay attention.
But even cooler than any of that, when asked about new things that they both learned:
Lydia, a discerning Berean in her little body, picked up on something the pastor had said about Jesus' baptism, and how Jesus looked up into Heaven and saw the sky open up and view the Spirit. She was concerned because none of her experience with that story ever mentioned Jesus looking up. She was concerned about the validity of what she was being taught because it rang a different bell in her mind. We went through the New Testament accounts of Jesus' baptism, and she is right, none of the accounts actually say that Jesus looked up to see the Heavens open... simply that the heavens were open to Him. I explained that our pastor looked at those passages, and knowing that Jesus was here on Earth, and the Heavens are somewhere else (up from where Jesus was), that when they were opened to Him, he likely would have had to look up to see them. Ben had questions about this process too, questions of how God could open the heavens, what if God poked a hole in heaven so Jesus could see in, but then God accidentally fell into the hole? Such questions are, of course, silly to our adult minds... but it was a real concern for Ben, and allowed for deeper discussion of God's sovereignty.
Ben, for his part, picked up on hearing that none of Jesus' bones were broken. He wanted to know if that was really true. What a wonderful conversation about Old Testament prophecies, and Jesus' fulfillment of those prophecies. We talked about the likely search for Jesus' body by the Romans following the resurrection, and how no body was found without broken legs. We were able to relate that Jesus' body was never broken outside of the plan and will of God. In fact, the first reference we really see to Jesus being broken is at the institution of the Lord's Supper, when Jesus Himself broke the bread, declaring it to be as his body, broken for us. No one breaks the Son of God, but the Son of God who Himself breaks it. No one takes His life, only the Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep.
Don't sell your kids short on what they will pick up from a normal Sunday morning in the church. Don't shy away from allowing them to engage with God in a way that is challenging to their little brains. They won't understand everything, but they don't need to... God has ordained that He makes Himself visible and known to His children through the preaching of the Word. He will reveal Himself to our kids as they are prepared to receive Him, and it is very, very good.
To try to start feeling some sense of that normal church experience again, we have slowly been transitioning our kids back to their normal Sunday morning tasks. We are staunch believers and supporters of kids (once they have the ability to sit relatively calmly) being a part of the corporate gathering of the church. We want them to be with us to sing worship, to pray, and to hear the Word preached. To this end, our kids have previously been instructed on focused listening during church, with the intention of being able to discuss what was taught. We let them engage by allowing them to draw/color pictures pertaining to the sermon, and other such tasks. Now that they have gotten a little older, we decided that this Sunday, they would be tasked with answering 2 questions, with words instead of pictures:
What words from the songs, scriptures, prayers, or sermon are new to you, or you don't know what they mean?
What was something new you learned today, or a question you have about today?
Here is the point of my writing this today, to those who disagree with children being present in the corporate services of the church, or who think it is unfair to immerse children in teaching that is so far above their understanding, this simple exercise led directly to the following conversations over dinner last night:
Lydia, who is soon to be 8 years old, and has been sitting in "big church" for 4-5 years at this point, wrote down three words that she didn't understand as well as she wanted to: Mortal, Chronological, and a third one that we couldn't decide what it actually said. These words led us to a discussion on the temporal nature of our flesh, and the infinite nature of God. It led to the image-bearing immortal part of each individual. We talked about what it means in Romans 6:12 (she remembered the scripture reference that caused her to write down the word), what Paul meant about letting sin reign in our mortal body. It was a good conversation. Our look into Chronology, which netted a more practical discussion about the way the Bible is organized, and different ways we can go about studying God's Word, and the benefits of that.
Ben, who just turned 6 and has been sitting with us for 3 years now, wrote down no words. I teased him by asking what transubstantiation meant (a word used in the service). He of course didn't know, and actually didn't recall the word being used. But, even that allowed us the chance to talk about really cool words that he didn't get to learn about because he was struggling to pay attention.
But even cooler than any of that, when asked about new things that they both learned:
Lydia, a discerning Berean in her little body, picked up on something the pastor had said about Jesus' baptism, and how Jesus looked up into Heaven and saw the sky open up and view the Spirit. She was concerned because none of her experience with that story ever mentioned Jesus looking up. She was concerned about the validity of what she was being taught because it rang a different bell in her mind. We went through the New Testament accounts of Jesus' baptism, and she is right, none of the accounts actually say that Jesus looked up to see the Heavens open... simply that the heavens were open to Him. I explained that our pastor looked at those passages, and knowing that Jesus was here on Earth, and the Heavens are somewhere else (up from where Jesus was), that when they were opened to Him, he likely would have had to look up to see them. Ben had questions about this process too, questions of how God could open the heavens, what if God poked a hole in heaven so Jesus could see in, but then God accidentally fell into the hole? Such questions are, of course, silly to our adult minds... but it was a real concern for Ben, and allowed for deeper discussion of God's sovereignty.
Ben, for his part, picked up on hearing that none of Jesus' bones were broken. He wanted to know if that was really true. What a wonderful conversation about Old Testament prophecies, and Jesus' fulfillment of those prophecies. We talked about the likely search for Jesus' body by the Romans following the resurrection, and how no body was found without broken legs. We were able to relate that Jesus' body was never broken outside of the plan and will of God. In fact, the first reference we really see to Jesus being broken is at the institution of the Lord's Supper, when Jesus Himself broke the bread, declaring it to be as his body, broken for us. No one breaks the Son of God, but the Son of God who Himself breaks it. No one takes His life, only the Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep.
Don't sell your kids short on what they will pick up from a normal Sunday morning in the church. Don't shy away from allowing them to engage with God in a way that is challenging to their little brains. They won't understand everything, but they don't need to... God has ordained that He makes Himself visible and known to His children through the preaching of the Word. He will reveal Himself to our kids as they are prepared to receive Him, and it is very, very good.
Monday, March 12, 2018
Planted by the Stream
When I find myself needing encouragement, I like to read the Psalms. When things in the faith start to feel a little too brainy, and my heart is lacking, the writings of the Psalmists provide reality. They screw up, they doubt, they fear, they ask the same questions I find myself asking... they're real life. Tonight, we were talking about struggling. I know that I am feeling some dryness in my faith right now. The culture we've been transplanted into manages to suck life out of you pretty quick, turns me into a cynic even faster.
I'm not feeling useful, not feeling that whatever God's purpose for bringing my family out here is being touched. Momentary blips to the contrary wither and blow away quickly, leaving behind an uneasy, underlying disquiet... I've known deep discontent, and it's insidious assault, suffocating joy. I have neither the time, nor the desire to trod that path. We have the utter resolve that there is no denying that God brought us here, and that His purpose for doing so serves both the purpose of His everlasting glory, and our everlasting joy. So, with that battle raging in my heart tonight, I return to Psalm 1, seeking joy in the Word, comfort in the presence of my King, and rest for my soul.
"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish."
Not feeling fruitful? Feeling dry, weak, short on delight? What is the answer?
The Word! The man who is like a tree, planted by streams of water... water which yields fruit in its season, with leafs that do not wither, that is the man I desire to be tonight. He is the man who delights in the law of the Lord, who loves the Word of God. He gives his mind to the business of knowing the law. He is the man whose roots grow deep in the streams of living water, he is imbibed by this water, this word, this Jesus. He is a man who seeks after Jesus's promise that "whoever drinks of the water that I give him will never be thirsty again. The water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:14-15)
The Psalmist knew that the Word of God was the well-spring of living water, and only by rooting oneself in the fertile soil of the stream can a man hope to prosper, to bear fruit. And God desires for us to know that as well.
I'm not feeling useful, not feeling that whatever God's purpose for bringing my family out here is being touched. Momentary blips to the contrary wither and blow away quickly, leaving behind an uneasy, underlying disquiet... I've known deep discontent, and it's insidious assault, suffocating joy. I have neither the time, nor the desire to trod that path. We have the utter resolve that there is no denying that God brought us here, and that His purpose for doing so serves both the purpose of His everlasting glory, and our everlasting joy. So, with that battle raging in my heart tonight, I return to Psalm 1, seeking joy in the Word, comfort in the presence of my King, and rest for my soul.
"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish."
Not feeling fruitful? Feeling dry, weak, short on delight? What is the answer?
The Word! The man who is like a tree, planted by streams of water... water which yields fruit in its season, with leafs that do not wither, that is the man I desire to be tonight. He is the man who delights in the law of the Lord, who loves the Word of God. He gives his mind to the business of knowing the law. He is the man whose roots grow deep in the streams of living water, he is imbibed by this water, this word, this Jesus. He is a man who seeks after Jesus's promise that "whoever drinks of the water that I give him will never be thirsty again. The water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:14-15)
The Psalmist knew that the Word of God was the well-spring of living water, and only by rooting oneself in the fertile soil of the stream can a man hope to prosper, to bear fruit. And God desires for us to know that as well.
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
2 months in
Two months ago today was the first morning we woke up as a family in Seattle. Two months (and a couple days) since last seeing our friends, celebrating and ringing in the New Year. What was strange at the time was that we had a sense that we weren't leaving home, but rather going home. We couldn't explain it outside of a heart shift, a working of the Spirit within us, shaking the dirt off our roots, preparing us for this new adventure. We were far from certain of what things would look like as we headed out for our 4-day voyage, what "home" would be.
So, two months in, two months of a new job, two months of a new city, two months of apartment life, two months of gathering with our new family. Two months of prayerfully seeking God's will for a gathering of people, seeking to covenant together to become a church. Two months of singing hymns A Capella, two months of meeting in a conference room on the 33rd floor... two months of eternally significant, small moments.
I am not one who is eager to love other people. I do not naturally find enjoyment in being with others. It is Spirit-wrought fruit in my life, evidence of the power of God at work to conform me into the image of Christ that I desire to put to death that fleshly want of solitude. It is by His grace alone that I find myself craving time with this gathering, craving corporate prayer, and by extension wanting to be among the darkness of our city. That last part ebbs and flows with greater regularity than the tides, but it is real. I want to be present among the debauched throngs of men that can be found throughout the streets. I want to hold up the precious jewel of the Gospel before them, allowing the light of the glory of God to shine through it's many facets, striking the hearts of men. I want to witness the resurrecting power call dead men to life. I desire to be an instrument, like Ezekiel, through whom God can breathe life into dry bones.
I want to not allow the stress and demands of my job to be used by Satan to pull me away from the purpose to which God brought my family to this city. I want to stand firm in the practices of daily Bible study and prayer, even though my eyes and brain are often tired. I want to invest into my fellow believers, time, prayers, fellowship.
Lord, help me to love. Help me to love my wife as Christ loves His church. Help me to love my kids and raise them up in You. Help me to love my brothers and sisters, to bear their burdens, and lessen their loads. Help me to love the least of these, your children, for by this will all men know that I am yours, that I would love them. Lord, help me trust your plan. Help me keep your mission, and your purpose as the priority of my life. Allow me the privilege of vulnerability and transparency that others may know my heart and my needs, that I would seek their support, help, and prayers. Lord, help me seek satisfaction in You, glorify yourself in my satisfaction. Lord, cause me to lie down and rest in your green pastures. Lord, I readily acknowledge your word that unless I abide in you, and you abide in me, I am only a fruitless branch, that I can do nothing apart from you. I cannot love as you command, I cannot bear other's burdens, I can not cherish my wife, or raise my kids, I cannot trust, rest, rejoice, not even breathe apart from you. To abide without you is to have myself cast off and thrown to the fire. But Lord, you also promise that if I abide in you, and your words abide in me, that whatever I ask will be done for me. You, Lord, are glorified in the asking of your children for your mercies, for by asking we will bear fruit, and thus prove to be your disciples. This promise is made for the joy of your people, to the full. Lord, I seek and ask for that fullness of joy that is found in your presence, and at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. --Amen
So, two months in, two months of a new job, two months of a new city, two months of apartment life, two months of gathering with our new family. Two months of prayerfully seeking God's will for a gathering of people, seeking to covenant together to become a church. Two months of singing hymns A Capella, two months of meeting in a conference room on the 33rd floor... two months of eternally significant, small moments.
I am not one who is eager to love other people. I do not naturally find enjoyment in being with others. It is Spirit-wrought fruit in my life, evidence of the power of God at work to conform me into the image of Christ that I desire to put to death that fleshly want of solitude. It is by His grace alone that I find myself craving time with this gathering, craving corporate prayer, and by extension wanting to be among the darkness of our city. That last part ebbs and flows with greater regularity than the tides, but it is real. I want to be present among the debauched throngs of men that can be found throughout the streets. I want to hold up the precious jewel of the Gospel before them, allowing the light of the glory of God to shine through it's many facets, striking the hearts of men. I want to witness the resurrecting power call dead men to life. I desire to be an instrument, like Ezekiel, through whom God can breathe life into dry bones.
I want to not allow the stress and demands of my job to be used by Satan to pull me away from the purpose to which God brought my family to this city. I want to stand firm in the practices of daily Bible study and prayer, even though my eyes and brain are often tired. I want to invest into my fellow believers, time, prayers, fellowship.
Lord, help me to love. Help me to love my wife as Christ loves His church. Help me to love my kids and raise them up in You. Help me to love my brothers and sisters, to bear their burdens, and lessen their loads. Help me to love the least of these, your children, for by this will all men know that I am yours, that I would love them. Lord, help me trust your plan. Help me keep your mission, and your purpose as the priority of my life. Allow me the privilege of vulnerability and transparency that others may know my heart and my needs, that I would seek their support, help, and prayers. Lord, help me seek satisfaction in You, glorify yourself in my satisfaction. Lord, cause me to lie down and rest in your green pastures. Lord, I readily acknowledge your word that unless I abide in you, and you abide in me, I am only a fruitless branch, that I can do nothing apart from you. I cannot love as you command, I cannot bear other's burdens, I can not cherish my wife, or raise my kids, I cannot trust, rest, rejoice, not even breathe apart from you. To abide without you is to have myself cast off and thrown to the fire. But Lord, you also promise that if I abide in you, and your words abide in me, that whatever I ask will be done for me. You, Lord, are glorified in the asking of your children for your mercies, for by asking we will bear fruit, and thus prove to be your disciples. This promise is made for the joy of your people, to the full. Lord, I seek and ask for that fullness of joy that is found in your presence, and at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. --Amen
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