Job 9:32 - 35 "He is not a man like me that I might answer Him, that we might confront each other in court. If only there were someone to arbitrate between us, to lay his hand upon us both, someone to remove God's rod from me, so that His terror would frighten me no more. Then I would speak up without fear of Him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot."
I got a taste of the cost of real intercession this past week. When you take upon yourself someone else's burden, it wipes you out. Sitting in the home of a family devastated by the death of their daughter, I prayed to God to allow me to be one who could lift their arms for them. For as it stood with them at that point - they could not, and I felt the weight and I prayed in a way that I've rarely prayed before. And it was very heavy.
I believe that intercession is the highest call a Christian can have on this earth. The call to stand in the gap for the one who cannot stand on their own. To cry out for the one who has lost their voice. To carry the burden of the one who has fallen beneath the load. It's not enough to simply say "Get up!" to the person who can barely breathe. You have to breathe for them.
Romans 8:26 "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we out to pray for, but he Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."
I am amazed at what Christ did for me - interceding for me - breathing for me - when I was dead in my sins, unable to make even the slightest move towards Him. The heaviness He must have felt makes me love Him even more. It is our call now, as the movable Temples of God, to be this intercessor for those who have been knocked down.
It's hard work, that's why so many Christians follow the paths of their own choosing. When you intercede, you take on the burden of the other person, their pain and suffering, their groans of agony, and it can really wipe you out. But there is no other way.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Lord, The One You Love Is Sick
When Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that Lazarus was dying, their words were very telling: "Lord, the one You love is sick."
I can't get this out of my head right now. The world is sick. Creation is groaning. People are dying. Kids are killing themselves out of hopelessness. "Lord, the one you love is sick."
Remember, for God so LOVED the world, not hated it, that He gave His Son. Sickness is not a sign that He has withdrawn His love and favor, as the Pharisees of Jesus' day suggested and as the prosperity preachers of this day echo in their calls for money. It is a sign that our free-will decisions out of our flesh nature have engrossed this world and now the "rain" is falling on the just and the unjust. This sickness has spread like an infection into every aspect of our lives.
(If I sound angry/discouraged, it's because I had to do the funeral of a 15-year old former student this weekend. And I'm mad about that. Not at her. At me. And the church - for not being an agent of healing for these kids. We, the healed, know that these kids are sick.)
A huge aspect of the atonement is to bring healing. Using us. We are The Plan. We have to get our lives in obedience to His will and in surrender to the Spirit so that we can be a part of this healing process. We can no longer have our testimony be that of the prodigal son, forever falling and begging for restoration. We are called to be agents of healing - for others, and we can't do that if we are always the one on the doorstep crying for help. (Read Joshua 7:10 - 13)
It's time to break the cycle. The Cross is the cycle breaker. All sickness dies upon it. He is risen with healing in His wings.
Lord - the one You love is sick.
I can't get this out of my head right now. The world is sick. Creation is groaning. People are dying. Kids are killing themselves out of hopelessness. "Lord, the one you love is sick."
Remember, for God so LOVED the world, not hated it, that He gave His Son. Sickness is not a sign that He has withdrawn His love and favor, as the Pharisees of Jesus' day suggested and as the prosperity preachers of this day echo in their calls for money. It is a sign that our free-will decisions out of our flesh nature have engrossed this world and now the "rain" is falling on the just and the unjust. This sickness has spread like an infection into every aspect of our lives.
(If I sound angry/discouraged, it's because I had to do the funeral of a 15-year old former student this weekend. And I'm mad about that. Not at her. At me. And the church - for not being an agent of healing for these kids. We, the healed, know that these kids are sick.)
A huge aspect of the atonement is to bring healing. Using us. We are The Plan. We have to get our lives in obedience to His will and in surrender to the Spirit so that we can be a part of this healing process. We can no longer have our testimony be that of the prodigal son, forever falling and begging for restoration. We are called to be agents of healing - for others, and we can't do that if we are always the one on the doorstep crying for help. (Read Joshua 7:10 - 13)
It's time to break the cycle. The Cross is the cycle breaker. All sickness dies upon it. He is risen with healing in His wings.
Lord - the one You love is sick.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
The Person or the Preference
Last Sunday I faced a dilemma: my 4th grade son Luke was playing in the semi-finals of his travel basketball league. I love basketball. He and I spend hours working on drills in the driveway and he's a lot of fun to watch. Even at his age (I'm bragging) he works harder than most of the college teams I used to coach.
But . . . at the same time my 6th grade daughter was having a clarinet recital. Hmmmm.. . . . . . (picture me holding my hands up as if weighing the options).
You know what? I went to the recital. Not because I'm such a great dad. Not because of any great reason, except this: I love my daughter more than I love basketball. It's that simple. The person in my life is greater than my preferences.
I hope you love your brother more than you love a praise song. Or a hymn. Or style of music. Or the drums. Or not the drums. Or stained glass.
As I stated in the last post, we are never to sacrifice the truth for our brother. But preferences? They have to be cast aside so we can worship as one.
But . . . at the same time my 6th grade daughter was having a clarinet recital. Hmmmm.. . . . . . (picture me holding my hands up as if weighing the options).
You know what? I went to the recital. Not because I'm such a great dad. Not because of any great reason, except this: I love my daughter more than I love basketball. It's that simple. The person in my life is greater than my preferences.
I hope you love your brother more than you love a praise song. Or a hymn. Or style of music. Or the drums. Or not the drums. Or stained glass.
As I stated in the last post, we are never to sacrifice the truth for our brother. But preferences? They have to be cast aside so we can worship as one.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Tenets or Tenants
Who/what is more important in our Christian pursuit?
What good is truth if people are left in the wake? Are the tenants, the ones living in this faith, the reason for the truth in the first place? Or does the truth exist apart from the people.
This may seem like a foolish question, but to be honest, it's one that almost sank me in the early stages of my emerging faith. I found too many Christians clinging to their (particular) brand of truth as people's lives remained shattered around them. I didn't want to be a part of any movement that lived its truths out this way.
However, as I grew in my faith (and love for the people) I also realized that the truth cannot be compromised. The tenets matter, the truth always matters. And to some degree it is more important to maintain that truth over the feelings of people. If every whim (and even every hurt) was a cause for the adjustment of the truth, then it wouldn't be any good to anyone. The distinction in the notes (I Corinthians 14)is necessary, because it is this distinction that draws people to the Lord. And only He can bring the healing to the people that are hurting.
Sometimes it feels like the church is a dog chasing its tail.
What good is truth if people are left in the wake? Are the tenants, the ones living in this faith, the reason for the truth in the first place? Or does the truth exist apart from the people.
This may seem like a foolish question, but to be honest, it's one that almost sank me in the early stages of my emerging faith. I found too many Christians clinging to their (particular) brand of truth as people's lives remained shattered around them. I didn't want to be a part of any movement that lived its truths out this way.
However, as I grew in my faith (and love for the people) I also realized that the truth cannot be compromised. The tenets matter, the truth always matters. And to some degree it is more important to maintain that truth over the feelings of people. If every whim (and even every hurt) was a cause for the adjustment of the truth, then it wouldn't be any good to anyone. The distinction in the notes (I Corinthians 14)is necessary, because it is this distinction that draws people to the Lord. And only He can bring the healing to the people that are hurting.
Sometimes it feels like the church is a dog chasing its tail.
The Man Behind the Filter
So, does Obama really make fun of people with special needs when no one is around? Who is the man behind the 'filter'? (and yes, that's a pun on his smoking habit.) To be honest, I don't hold his comment against him or as a revelation of some hidden issue with the Special Olympics. I think it was what it was - an unwise joke at the expense of himself, something we've all done and paid the price for.
However, it does beg the question: Who are you when the 'filter' is off and you are left to your own thoughts? I really believe that this is a question we need to constantly be asking ourselves, because the Cross is a change from the core of our being, not a superficial covering. Where our mind travels when it's left to itself is a pretty good revelation of how deep that change is. If you drift, it doesn't mean that NO change has occurred, just that it's not to the depth that we would like.
Because the goal is eventually to not have a filter at all, but the mind of Christ.
However, it does beg the question: Who are you when the 'filter' is off and you are left to your own thoughts? I really believe that this is a question we need to constantly be asking ourselves, because the Cross is a change from the core of our being, not a superficial covering. Where our mind travels when it's left to itself is a pretty good revelation of how deep that change is. If you drift, it doesn't mean that NO change has occurred, just that it's not to the depth that we would like.
Because the goal is eventually to not have a filter at all, but the mind of Christ.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Really?
So I take my kids to the Dollar Tree this morning. I get bumped around by everyone scrambling for their dollar items. (They should call this the "I Dollar Tree" for the way these cheap man-made things are sought after !)
Anyway, everyone looks crazy. After I get pushed aside by an old lady while getting in line (she saved herself 20 seconds with that move - well worth it)- I looked up and asked God: "So, really . . . .this was THE PLAN?"
Once in awhile that thought crosses my mind. I see the angry mob and I wonder how this could be the part of some kind of divine plan. What God in their right mind would do that?
Not to get all Max Lucado on you, but then I looked down at my precious little children - with huge smiles on their faces as they held plastic bugs and Gummi-Bears, and my mind was re-focused to the heart of God. And maybe a little bit of love toward that lady who knocked me into Aisle 2.
Anyway, everyone looks crazy. After I get pushed aside by an old lady while getting in line (she saved herself 20 seconds with that move - well worth it)- I looked up and asked God: "So, really . . . .this was THE PLAN?"
Once in awhile that thought crosses my mind. I see the angry mob and I wonder how this could be the part of some kind of divine plan. What God in their right mind would do that?
Not to get all Max Lucado on you, but then I looked down at my precious little children - with huge smiles on their faces as they held plastic bugs and Gummi-Bears, and my mind was re-focused to the heart of God. And maybe a little bit of love toward that lady who knocked me into Aisle 2.
Friday, March 20, 2009
The Final Resting Place
For any cycle to stop, someone has to take the final blow, the last hit. In the story of Samson there is an endless cycle of lust and revenge. Samson gets mad at the Philistines. They demand to know the answer to the riddle. They mess with his wife. He gets made and leaves. Her father gives the bride away to someone else. Samson gets mad and burns the field. They get mad and try to kill him. And so on. The hits just keep on coming until everyone is destroyed.
Again - a cycle will never end until someone takes the last hit - or better yet, lets the last hit rest on them. There is only one thing that has fully accomplished this: The Cross.
The cross is the final resting place for revenge. That’s why it’s such a violent scene, because all of the violence of revenge comes to a screaming halt upon it. The ‘hits’ end there and the cycle is broken. Christ takes the final blow and does not retaliate. The last hit rests upon His broken and bloodied body. And by taking the final blow, He disarms Satan, who lives off violence and revenge.
This frees us and allows us to take the ‘hit’ from the brother and end the cycle of violence on earth. We do not have to return blow for blow. We can turn the other cheek and walk the second mile - and to make it even more amazing, we can do this with pure intentions: the redemption of our enemy.
I do not have to return the blow. I can become a resting place.
Again - a cycle will never end until someone takes the last hit - or better yet, lets the last hit rest on them. There is only one thing that has fully accomplished this: The Cross.
The cross is the final resting place for revenge. That’s why it’s such a violent scene, because all of the violence of revenge comes to a screaming halt upon it. The ‘hits’ end there and the cycle is broken. Christ takes the final blow and does not retaliate. The last hit rests upon His broken and bloodied body. And by taking the final blow, He disarms Satan, who lives off violence and revenge.
This frees us and allows us to take the ‘hit’ from the brother and end the cycle of violence on earth. We do not have to return blow for blow. We can turn the other cheek and walk the second mile - and to make it even more amazing, we can do this with pure intentions: the redemption of our enemy.
I do not have to return the blow. I can become a resting place.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Where Ignorance and Immersion Collide
Acts 17:28 "As some of your own poets have said . . .. "
The other day I was sitting in our living room, (reading the Bible, of course!) and I heard my 7-year old son Josh, who was watching a cartoon on the computer. I thought I heard a mild swear (from the cartoon, not Josh) and decided to listen a little closer. Then I heard a less-mild swear and I jumped up and said, "What are you watching? They're swearing on that show!" (It was one of those new Batman cartoons). He kept saying "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Dad"
I wasn't quite sure what he was saying he was sorry for, so I asked him.
His response: "I'm sorry that I don't know all the swears yet!"
I know what he meant, but it just sounded funny when he said it. But it started me thinking about our knowledge of the world and how deep we should go. The other day I was talking to a man from India who now ministers to the Muslims. I asked him what should be the first thing I should do if I wanted to witness to a Muslim, and he said, "Read the Koran." He told me that he gets resistance from other Christians when he tells them that, but he knows of no other way to truly dialogue with them.
I guess my question is: Do I want Josh to know all the swears? Do I want to know the lies of the Koran? And if neither of these occur, will either one of us be effective witnesses in this world?
It's not an easy question, because immersion is clearly not the answer, and neither is ignorance. As Acts 17 tells us, Paul quotes the poets of the Athenians when witnessing to them. He knows their culture, and uses it to lead them to an understanding of God.
I'm not making any bold statements here - I'm just asking out loud. How deep into the culture do I need to be to be an effective witness? Josh's point was right on: if he knew the swears, he'd have known he was in hostile territory. And hostile territory is where we are to be advancing the kingdom. And I really, really want to advance the kingdom of God. But I don't want my kids covered in filth.
Seriously - no answers here - I'm just asking for other's thoughts on this.
The other day I was sitting in our living room, (reading the Bible, of course!) and I heard my 7-year old son Josh, who was watching a cartoon on the computer. I thought I heard a mild swear (from the cartoon, not Josh) and decided to listen a little closer. Then I heard a less-mild swear and I jumped up and said, "What are you watching? They're swearing on that show!" (It was one of those new Batman cartoons). He kept saying "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Dad"
I wasn't quite sure what he was saying he was sorry for, so I asked him.
His response: "I'm sorry that I don't know all the swears yet!"
I know what he meant, but it just sounded funny when he said it. But it started me thinking about our knowledge of the world and how deep we should go. The other day I was talking to a man from India who now ministers to the Muslims. I asked him what should be the first thing I should do if I wanted to witness to a Muslim, and he said, "Read the Koran." He told me that he gets resistance from other Christians when he tells them that, but he knows of no other way to truly dialogue with them.
I guess my question is: Do I want Josh to know all the swears? Do I want to know the lies of the Koran? And if neither of these occur, will either one of us be effective witnesses in this world?
It's not an easy question, because immersion is clearly not the answer, and neither is ignorance. As Acts 17 tells us, Paul quotes the poets of the Athenians when witnessing to them. He knows their culture, and uses it to lead them to an understanding of God.
I'm not making any bold statements here - I'm just asking out loud. How deep into the culture do I need to be to be an effective witness? Josh's point was right on: if he knew the swears, he'd have known he was in hostile territory. And hostile territory is where we are to be advancing the kingdom. And I really, really want to advance the kingdom of God. But I don't want my kids covered in filth.
Seriously - no answers here - I'm just asking for other's thoughts on this.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Who Are You?
Acts 20:15 One day, the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?"
Are you even known in the spirit world?? When the seven sons of Sceva tried to enter into a spiritual battle, they were revealed as being 'unknowns,' then they had their butts kicked and were sent back home.
We are in a deep, dark spiritual battle, and we must engage to find any true victory in our life and in the lives of others. If we remain superficially engaged in our Bible Studies and Church Dinners, then we remain anonymous and powerless - unknowns.
And if we try to enter this battle ill-prepared, without the power of the Spirit upon us and through us, we will be knocked out in the first round.
Press deeper into prayer. Become known - to God and to the spirit world. And may the "fours" be with you (I John 4:4). "Greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world." It's time to end the dating and begin the "engagement."
Are you even known in the spirit world?? When the seven sons of Sceva tried to enter into a spiritual battle, they were revealed as being 'unknowns,' then they had their butts kicked and were sent back home.
We are in a deep, dark spiritual battle, and we must engage to find any true victory in our life and in the lives of others. If we remain superficially engaged in our Bible Studies and Church Dinners, then we remain anonymous and powerless - unknowns.
And if we try to enter this battle ill-prepared, without the power of the Spirit upon us and through us, we will be knocked out in the first round.
Press deeper into prayer. Become known - to God and to the spirit world. And may the "fours" be with you (I John 4:4). "Greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world." It's time to end the dating and begin the "engagement."
Monday, March 16, 2009
At the Feet of Judas
Judas has always fascinated me. The thought of being with Christ, of ministering with him, of being sent out with another disciple and seeing the miracles of lives changed because of Christ working through you - - - yet still turning away is an astounding testament to the power of the flesh. Here are just a few thoughts:
1. At the feet of Judas.
Jesus knelt down and washed the feet feet of Judas, knowing what he was thinking, planning - knowing the betrayal in his heart. What an amazing scene that must have been. Jesus at the foot of Judas. This makes me think of what real humility is, really bending your own will to that of the Father, and truly putting the dirt of others before yourself.
2. "What is that to us?"
When Judas tried to return the money to the religious leaders, they wouldn't let him. They didn't care about his remorse. His pain was nothing to them. "What is that to us?" is exactly right. Satan can prompt us all he wants. And he will. But ultimately we make the decision and it is our responsibility and on our head that all the consequences of these actions hang.
3. Hung too soon.
You would think that Judas would have been so touched by the fact that Jesus was there at his feet that he would have broken down on the spot. But when Satan gets a grip on you, it's hard to change course. What ultimately broke Judas is what breaks everyone - the specter of the cross. When he realized what his betrayal would actually cost - that it would lead to Christ hanging on the cross - he couldn't stand it. So he hung himself.
Well, not to be crass, but he should have hung around a little longer. If he'd only hung around for the resurrection then he would have experienced what Peter did: forgiveness, betrayal, power and a new purpose. His broken life would have been made new.
I am reminded that the cross was a vicious, brutal, utterly violent action that breaks me in two. But if I press through to the third day - something Judas was unable to do - then I am healed.
1. At the feet of Judas.
Jesus knelt down and washed the feet feet of Judas, knowing what he was thinking, planning - knowing the betrayal in his heart. What an amazing scene that must have been. Jesus at the foot of Judas. This makes me think of what real humility is, really bending your own will to that of the Father, and truly putting the dirt of others before yourself.
2. "What is that to us?"
When Judas tried to return the money to the religious leaders, they wouldn't let him. They didn't care about his remorse. His pain was nothing to them. "What is that to us?" is exactly right. Satan can prompt us all he wants. And he will. But ultimately we make the decision and it is our responsibility and on our head that all the consequences of these actions hang.
3. Hung too soon.
You would think that Judas would have been so touched by the fact that Jesus was there at his feet that he would have broken down on the spot. But when Satan gets a grip on you, it's hard to change course. What ultimately broke Judas is what breaks everyone - the specter of the cross. When he realized what his betrayal would actually cost - that it would lead to Christ hanging on the cross - he couldn't stand it. So he hung himself.
Well, not to be crass, but he should have hung around a little longer. If he'd only hung around for the resurrection then he would have experienced what Peter did: forgiveness, betrayal, power and a new purpose. His broken life would have been made new.
I am reminded that the cross was a vicious, brutal, utterly violent action that breaks me in two. But if I press through to the third day - something Judas was unable to do - then I am healed.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Energizing the Emptiness
I was teaching my physics class the concept of heat transfer (and all the cool stuff that goes along with it) and we started talking about the fact that 'cold' doesn't really exist, it's just the absence of heat - and it's the same with dark and light, etc. We then got off on evil being the absence of God, not a creation of God (you can do these things in a Christian school) and it led into a great discussion.
They wanted to know how an inanimate, intangible entity such as evil could have so much power, and we came to the conclusion that all of the evil things such as hatred and bitterness and lust and unforgiveness and war must have an outside source that brings energy into it, and that outside source is each one of us. We animate these lifeless things. We give life to hatred and pain.
James 1:15 says that "when desire has conceived it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death."
I think I understand this - just as Christ breathes new life into us when we are born again, we can breathe life into sin and death. They just sit there, but we "conceive and give birth to sin" when we engage in them.
This really makes me think . . . that my thoughts alone can bring evil to life. I must remain in Him and remember that I "have the mind of Christ." I must dwell on the things that are good and fair and pure and righteous. I can't let my mind bring energy to the darkness.
They wanted to know how an inanimate, intangible entity such as evil could have so much power, and we came to the conclusion that all of the evil things such as hatred and bitterness and lust and unforgiveness and war must have an outside source that brings energy into it, and that outside source is each one of us. We animate these lifeless things. We give life to hatred and pain.
James 1:15 says that "when desire has conceived it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death."
I think I understand this - just as Christ breathes new life into us when we are born again, we can breathe life into sin and death. They just sit there, but we "conceive and give birth to sin" when we engage in them.
This really makes me think . . . that my thoughts alone can bring evil to life. I must remain in Him and remember that I "have the mind of Christ." I must dwell on the things that are good and fair and pure and righteous. I can't let my mind bring energy to the darkness.
A Sorry Life
II Corinthians 7:10 "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorry brings death."
I noticed something this morning when I actually had a good prayer time with God: as you press into Him, as you give yourself the time to go deeper, you will hit a point when repentance pours out of you. True sorrow will start to well up from the depths of your soul. But to reach this point, you really do have to press hard past the petitions of the moment and into God. I wish that I could say that this was a common aspect of my prayer, but the truth is I rarely extend that deep into Him.
I've also noticed it with corporate prayer times. Most of our prayer meetings are the requests of the people and the church, which is understandable. But for those few times when the church actually spends significant time in prayer, I've noticed that a breaking occurs and prayers of repentance start pouring out.
I write this as a challenge today to give yourself the time to break past the usual prayers and allow His Spirit to bring you into a place of repentance. Because as II Corinthians 7:10 states, this is when salvation appears and regret, that great roadblock to advancing the kingdom, is knocked out of your life. We are not meant to live a 'sorry' life - and this sorrow only gets flushed out when you get deep into true repentance.
I noticed something this morning when I actually had a good prayer time with God: as you press into Him, as you give yourself the time to go deeper, you will hit a point when repentance pours out of you. True sorrow will start to well up from the depths of your soul. But to reach this point, you really do have to press hard past the petitions of the moment and into God. I wish that I could say that this was a common aspect of my prayer, but the truth is I rarely extend that deep into Him.
I've also noticed it with corporate prayer times. Most of our prayer meetings are the requests of the people and the church, which is understandable. But for those few times when the church actually spends significant time in prayer, I've noticed that a breaking occurs and prayers of repentance start pouring out.
I write this as a challenge today to give yourself the time to break past the usual prayers and allow His Spirit to bring you into a place of repentance. Because as II Corinthians 7:10 states, this is when salvation appears and regret, that great roadblock to advancing the kingdom, is knocked out of your life. We are not meant to live a 'sorry' life - and this sorrow only gets flushed out when you get deep into true repentance.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Hitting the Ground Hard - And Making a Well
Acts 1:8 "You will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth."
Acts 8:4,5 "Now those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there."
Okay, it's official -the news is bad and getting worse, and jobs are being lost at a rate we haven't seen in decades. People are finding themselves forced to make decisions that otherwise wouldn't even be in their thought process. Jobs, homes and even ministries have exploded and the next thing you know you're standing on new ground thinking, "How in the world did I get here?"
It happened in the early church. They had been told that they would be witnesses in Jerusalem and then they would spread out to Judea, Samaria and the rest of the world. But a funny thing happened on their way out of Jerusalem - they never went. As uncomfortable as it was becoming, it was better than either the unknown or the unliked (Samaria). So they stayed, even through persecution and jailings, because it was their comfort zone.
So God basically set off a bomb (the stoning of Stephen) that exploded them into places that they would not have gone into on their own. Philip finds himself standing in Samaria, probably wondering what he was doing there. And now He's doing it to our churches.
But here's the thing: They didn't waste time trying to figure out how it happened, they went right to work. They immediately hit whatever ground they found themselves on - and they hit it hard. They dug a spiritual well wherever they were. There was no complaining, no discontentment, just the spreading of the Word. Discontentment leads to grumbling which leads to inactivity, and we simply do not have time to be inactive. The world can't wait for us to come to grips with our circumstances.
Psalm 84 says that a true pilgrim will make each place that he sets his foot a "place of springs." that he will go from "strength to strength" not crisis to crisis.
If circumstances have forced you into a place you never would have gone to on your own, don't just stand there, dig a well, reach out your hand, proclaim the Word. This economic meltdown, whatever the cause, is like the persecution bomb that scattered the disciples in Acts 8. We are all being forced into places we never planned. It's okay to take some time to retrench, but not to retreat. Hit the ground, dig deep into Jesus, and make a well that heals the land.
Acts 8:4,5 "Now those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there."
Okay, it's official -the news is bad and getting worse, and jobs are being lost at a rate we haven't seen in decades. People are finding themselves forced to make decisions that otherwise wouldn't even be in their thought process. Jobs, homes and even ministries have exploded and the next thing you know you're standing on new ground thinking, "How in the world did I get here?"
It happened in the early church. They had been told that they would be witnesses in Jerusalem and then they would spread out to Judea, Samaria and the rest of the world. But a funny thing happened on their way out of Jerusalem - they never went. As uncomfortable as it was becoming, it was better than either the unknown or the unliked (Samaria). So they stayed, even through persecution and jailings, because it was their comfort zone.
So God basically set off a bomb (the stoning of Stephen) that exploded them into places that they would not have gone into on their own. Philip finds himself standing in Samaria, probably wondering what he was doing there. And now He's doing it to our churches.
But here's the thing: They didn't waste time trying to figure out how it happened, they went right to work. They immediately hit whatever ground they found themselves on - and they hit it hard. They dug a spiritual well wherever they were. There was no complaining, no discontentment, just the spreading of the Word. Discontentment leads to grumbling which leads to inactivity, and we simply do not have time to be inactive. The world can't wait for us to come to grips with our circumstances.
Psalm 84 says that a true pilgrim will make each place that he sets his foot a "place of springs." that he will go from "strength to strength" not crisis to crisis.
If circumstances have forced you into a place you never would have gone to on your own, don't just stand there, dig a well, reach out your hand, proclaim the Word. This economic meltdown, whatever the cause, is like the persecution bomb that scattered the disciples in Acts 8. We are all being forced into places we never planned. It's okay to take some time to retrench, but not to retreat. Hit the ground, dig deep into Jesus, and make a well that heals the land.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Of Lenses and Judges
Hebrews 11:32
I've been preaching through the book of Judges on Sunday evenings and I'm really struck by how gracious God is in His ultimate view of people. When I read the story of Gideon, I see a man who questions God at every turn, who wonders why he doesn't have victory when he has an idol to Baal in his own backyard, and who uses the victory over the Midianites to pursue a personal vendetta of vengeance, even humiliating fellow Israelites in the process by whipping them with thorns in the desert, just to avenge his brothers' deaths.
But then I read God's one word statement of how HE views Gideon and I am challenged to the core. God views him as a 'man of faith.' I don't see it! Why? Because I use a different lens than God does. We all do. We judge each other based on our superficial viewpoint and personal biases. God's lens is much purer and it is His ultimate judgment that matters.
We need to step back and quit making snap judgments on people based on what we see and where we're coming from. We also need to be very thankful that it is through God's merciful lens that He views us, not through the eyes of our brothers.
I've been preaching through the book of Judges on Sunday evenings and I'm really struck by how gracious God is in His ultimate view of people. When I read the story of Gideon, I see a man who questions God at every turn, who wonders why he doesn't have victory when he has an idol to Baal in his own backyard, and who uses the victory over the Midianites to pursue a personal vendetta of vengeance, even humiliating fellow Israelites in the process by whipping them with thorns in the desert, just to avenge his brothers' deaths.
But then I read God's one word statement of how HE views Gideon and I am challenged to the core. God views him as a 'man of faith.' I don't see it! Why? Because I use a different lens than God does. We all do. We judge each other based on our superficial viewpoint and personal biases. God's lens is much purer and it is His ultimate judgment that matters.
We need to step back and quit making snap judgments on people based on what we see and where we're coming from. We also need to be very thankful that it is through God's merciful lens that He views us, not through the eyes of our brothers.
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