Sitting in the
Just like the old pair of pants that don't fit anymore, the old wineskin of my youth would not hold where God has taken me over this journey. I'm glad. I wouldn't go back to that person for anything.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Fat and Happy
Saturday, August 29, 2009
The Crux of the Matter
The resurrection brings life into the heart of the matter. I know this is nothing new, but as Paul says at the beginning of I Corinthians 15, he feels the need to 'remind' them of this important truth. Without the resurrection we are useless, the most pitied of all the people in the world.
It seems important to Paul to stress the bodily resurrection of Christ - as if a spiritual resurrection would not have been enough. I've been really thinking about this lately. Why is it so important that it was His body? Wouldn't a spiritual resurrection have accomplished the same purpose?
I think part of the reason is because 'in the beginning' God breathed life into lifeless matter. It was part of His original plan, and if there was only a spiritual resurrection, and we aren't raised bodily (in some way that I don't understand) then the Cross is only a partial victory.
When Christ is raised bodily, and we are raised with Him, life again is breathed into matter, the two worlds are intersected in a wonderful, victorious way. There is a true redemption of His creation. One that it is "groaning" for (Romans 8) and one that is fulfilling in every way, one that we can now be part of as we bring a 'resurrection mentality' into the matter that we interact with on a daily basis. Physical beings (and even places) can be redeemed, restored to the original intention.
It seems important to Paul to stress the bodily resurrection of Christ - as if a spiritual resurrection would not have been enough. I've been really thinking about this lately. Why is it so important that it was His body? Wouldn't a spiritual resurrection have accomplished the same purpose?
I think part of the reason is because 'in the beginning' God breathed life into lifeless matter. It was part of His original plan, and if there was only a spiritual resurrection, and we aren't raised bodily (in some way that I don't understand) then the Cross is only a partial victory.
When Christ is raised bodily, and we are raised with Him, life again is breathed into matter, the two worlds are intersected in a wonderful, victorious way. There is a true redemption of His creation. One that it is "groaning" for (Romans 8) and one that is fulfilling in every way, one that we can now be part of as we bring a 'resurrection mentality' into the matter that we interact with on a daily basis. Physical beings (and even places) can be redeemed, restored to the original intention.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Think Redemptively
Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount that we're not to hate or lust, that how we think of people, in the depths of our heart, is huge. I was struck by this last night - when we lust after someone, or dwell in bitterness and hate upon someone, we are living selfishly instead of redemptively.
That person you're lusting upon is a child of God and you're using them as an object of selfish desire, instead of praying for their life to be raised and redeemed. I don't know if this is making sense, but it made perfect sense to me last night and I was really moved by it. I had one of those 'moments' where God really spoke to the depths of my soul. He told me that these are His children, and if I truly am walking in His Spirit, I will see them the way He sees them - not as objects of personal desire, but as people who are hurting.
Here's what He told me: Any lust or hate simply adds to their hurt, even if they don't know it, because you are seeking your own gain upon that person instead of their redemption. You may think it's harmless to them because they're ignorant of it, but it's not. The fact that you're preying upon them mentally instead of praying upon them spiritually hurts them, because it removes you as a possible agent of change in their lives. You have, in a sense, become a predator instead of a healer, whether it's hating them, not forgiving them, judging them, or lusting after them.
(And, of course, there is the spiritual harm it does to your own relationship with God.)
Psalm 73:22 "I was senseless and ignorant, I was a brute beast before you."
When we dwell in the caves of hate and lust, we are living like an animal, feeding off the flesh of other people. (The pound of "flesh" we demand in our hate or the allure of the "flesh" we desire in our lust.) Either way, we are not living redemptively. He showed me that very clearly last night and I was changed and I prayed for people I know.
It may have been a momentary change, but these moments of change add up in the long run.
That person you're lusting upon is a child of God and you're using them as an object of selfish desire, instead of praying for their life to be raised and redeemed. I don't know if this is making sense, but it made perfect sense to me last night and I was really moved by it. I had one of those 'moments' where God really spoke to the depths of my soul. He told me that these are His children, and if I truly am walking in His Spirit, I will see them the way He sees them - not as objects of personal desire, but as people who are hurting.
Here's what He told me: Any lust or hate simply adds to their hurt, even if they don't know it, because you are seeking your own gain upon that person instead of their redemption. You may think it's harmless to them because they're ignorant of it, but it's not. The fact that you're preying upon them mentally instead of praying upon them spiritually hurts them, because it removes you as a possible agent of change in their lives. You have, in a sense, become a predator instead of a healer, whether it's hating them, not forgiving them, judging them, or lusting after them.
(And, of course, there is the spiritual harm it does to your own relationship with God.)
Psalm 73:22 "I was senseless and ignorant, I was a brute beast before you."
When we dwell in the caves of hate and lust, we are living like an animal, feeding off the flesh of other people. (The pound of "flesh" we demand in our hate or the allure of the "flesh" we desire in our lust.) Either way, we are not living redemptively. He showed me that very clearly last night and I was changed and I prayed for people I know.
It may have been a momentary change, but these moments of change add up in the long run.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Press On
Read I Samuel 16 !!!
David is out in the field, minding his p's and q'ewes, when suddenly he's brought in and anointed by the mighty prophet Samuel and told he's the king of Israel! Then, apparently, he's thrown back into the field. It must have been the most surreal experience imaginable. "Well, that was interesting!"
Then, probably a long time later (as David has become more well-known and has grown into a man) Saul undergoes serious depression. In the process they call for a harpist - and David is brought in. Thus the wheels are set in motion that will bring David's anointing and call into the place of fulfillment.
Many of you may have felt at some point that God placed a call, an anointing, on your life to do work for Him. But now you feel you're just out in the fields doing nothing but the mundane. Keep doing the mundane and offering it up to God - you never know which aspect of these daily routines God will use to pull you into a deeper place. David played the harp, and he played it well. This seemingly insignificant aspect of his life was used to draw him to the throne room.
This chapter is a great reminder that God anoints us, but uses us in His time. In the meantime we need to do whatever we are doing with all of our heart to the glory of God. Every little thing matters.
David is out in the field, minding his p's and q'ewes, when suddenly he's brought in and anointed by the mighty prophet Samuel and told he's the king of Israel! Then, apparently, he's thrown back into the field. It must have been the most surreal experience imaginable. "Well, that was interesting!"
Then, probably a long time later (as David has become more well-known and has grown into a man) Saul undergoes serious depression. In the process they call for a harpist - and David is brought in. Thus the wheels are set in motion that will bring David's anointing and call into the place of fulfillment.
Many of you may have felt at some point that God placed a call, an anointing, on your life to do work for Him. But now you feel you're just out in the fields doing nothing but the mundane. Keep doing the mundane and offering it up to God - you never know which aspect of these daily routines God will use to pull you into a deeper place. David played the harp, and he played it well. This seemingly insignificant aspect of his life was used to draw him to the throne room.
This chapter is a great reminder that God anoints us, but uses us in His time. In the meantime we need to do whatever we are doing with all of our heart to the glory of God. Every little thing matters.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
When Stewardship Becomes Excess
We’ve all seen it – the churches that turn the corner from maintaining a nice building to becoming a cathedral. When does it happen? As a pastor, I struggle with this. Resources need to be used, but when does it become excessive? I know that part of being a good steward of the things of God is to make sure buildings look nice, that they are accessible, that they show a loving concern for neighbors and visitors. But when does it turn the corner and become excessive and extravagant?
Our church is in the final stages of a remodeling project, one that I am fully on board with. We needed to make it more accessible to those who have trouble walking or are in wheelchairs. The full body needs to be able to gather together. Also, there were parts of the building that needed updating and there's nothing wrong with doing it right. I am convinced that those involved have the right motives in place. But during the entire process, I felt a wariness - watching closely to make sure we didn't begin to use money and energy to build our kingdom.
It makes me think of my own life - we need to keep a close eye on our pursuit of personal kingdom building under the guise of the will of the Lord. It's an easy deception to fall into, because we can justify almost any expenditure as a necessity when in reality it may be a luxury.
Our church is in the final stages of a remodeling project, one that I am fully on board with. We needed to make it more accessible to those who have trouble walking or are in wheelchairs. The full body needs to be able to gather together. Also, there were parts of the building that needed updating and there's nothing wrong with doing it right. I am convinced that those involved have the right motives in place. But during the entire process, I felt a wariness - watching closely to make sure we didn't begin to use money and energy to build our kingdom.
It makes me think of my own life - we need to keep a close eye on our pursuit of personal kingdom building under the guise of the will of the Lord. It's an easy deception to fall into, because we can justify almost any expenditure as a necessity when in reality it may be a luxury.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
The Loss of Now
I Samuel 15:27, 28 "As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. Samuel said to him, 'The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors - to one better than you.'"
There's a silly game I play once in a while when I'm out with my kids. They're still at a young age and we can do things like go to the park, the zoo, etc, and sometimes when I'm getting the sense that these years are flying by, I pretend that I was an old man and asked God to bring me back to this particular day, this particular moment. It probably seems foolish, I'm aware of that, but it has the surprising ability to bring me into that moment, to draw me into the NOW, and appreciate what I'm doing with them without the distracting thoughts that can cause these moments to pass without engagement.
Today was one of those days. There's nothing like a crisp, clear, 70 degree August day in Boston. I was watching my kids in a local park and my mind was elsewhere. So I played my little mind game and sat there enjoying the simplicity of them laughing on the swingset, as if it were an answer to an old man's prayers. God has an amazing ability to regift the present.
The loss of Now is a frightening thing. That's why Saul is so desperate in I Samuel 15. He loses now. He's done - as of that very moment. It's not a vague, disconnected future loss, the kind that seldom seems to affect or move us. The kingdom is pulled away from him - now.
So many people sacrifice the future because they can’t see it’s immediacy. Athletes and steroids. Rock stars and drugs. Young people and sex/drugs/alcohol - and tanning booths. We all do it, so I can understand Saul not being too upset when Samuel pronounces in chapter 13 that his future kingdom will be pulled from his family. But chapter 15 is an entirely different story - he's frantic. He pulls at the old prophet's robes, pleading with him for another chance. Why? Because of that one word that Samuel uses: TODAY. "Don't take today away from me!"
NOW is a wonderful gift from God. Don't go through today in a haze of a million un-doable and unknowable things. Sit with your kids and enjoy them. Empty out your resources to advance God's kingdom. Pour yourself into His Word and His work. Call, visit, write, forgive, move, give, help, lift, touch, embrace, feed, clean, clothe, love . . . . anything but nothing. If NOW is so precious that it will bring a king to tears, why are we wasting it?
There's a silly game I play once in a while when I'm out with my kids. They're still at a young age and we can do things like go to the park, the zoo, etc, and sometimes when I'm getting the sense that these years are flying by, I pretend that I was an old man and asked God to bring me back to this particular day, this particular moment. It probably seems foolish, I'm aware of that, but it has the surprising ability to bring me into that moment, to draw me into the NOW, and appreciate what I'm doing with them without the distracting thoughts that can cause these moments to pass without engagement.
Today was one of those days. There's nothing like a crisp, clear, 70 degree August day in Boston. I was watching my kids in a local park and my mind was elsewhere. So I played my little mind game and sat there enjoying the simplicity of them laughing on the swingset, as if it were an answer to an old man's prayers. God has an amazing ability to regift the present.
The loss of Now is a frightening thing. That's why Saul is so desperate in I Samuel 15. He loses now. He's done - as of that very moment. It's not a vague, disconnected future loss, the kind that seldom seems to affect or move us. The kingdom is pulled away from him - now.
So many people sacrifice the future because they can’t see it’s immediacy. Athletes and steroids. Rock stars and drugs. Young people and sex/drugs/alcohol - and tanning booths. We all do it, so I can understand Saul not being too upset when Samuel pronounces in chapter 13 that his future kingdom will be pulled from his family. But chapter 15 is an entirely different story - he's frantic. He pulls at the old prophet's robes, pleading with him for another chance. Why? Because of that one word that Samuel uses: TODAY. "Don't take today away from me!"
NOW is a wonderful gift from God. Don't go through today in a haze of a million un-doable and unknowable things. Sit with your kids and enjoy them. Empty out your resources to advance God's kingdom. Pour yourself into His Word and His work. Call, visit, write, forgive, move, give, help, lift, touch, embrace, feed, clean, clothe, love . . . . anything but nothing. If NOW is so precious that it will bring a king to tears, why are we wasting it?
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Why Not
"Come, let's go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few."
In I Samuel 14:6, Jonathan basically says, "Why not?" Why not move forward - we've been hiding in ditches and caves and in the thickets. God is the one who saves and brings victory, so why not be very simple and trust Him and move forward against the enemy?
It's a very strange thing that Christians sing and talk about victory, yet don't advance against the forces of darkness, fully expecting strongholds in our lives and the lives of others to crumble before the Lord. We plan, we study, we discuss - but we don't move. Is it a lack of faith? Cowardice? Laziness? Love of personal comfort?
All of the above. But read in this chapter as Jonathan casts all caution to the wind and says, "Today I will move forward. It's all in God's hands anyway." What happens when he does this is awesome, as a tidal wave of redemption follows - death is swallowed up in victory.
1) v7 His armor-bearer says: "Go ahead, I am with you heart and soul." When we move out in faith, those with us will move as well. It's like we're all looking at each other waiting for someone to make the first move. Be that one.
2) v21 "Those Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines and gone up with them to their camp went over to the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan." When we move out, weaker Christians who have caved back into the world and into their own darkness and addictions come crawling back out into the Light. We can bring back from captivity our fallen brothers - and there are many out there.
3) v22 "When all the Israelites who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were on the run, they joined in hot pursuit." When we move out, those who have been discouraged and are hiding in the churches will step out boldly as well.
One man. One man believing that God is real and powerful and present tense - one man stepping out in faith, can lead a charge that will embolden lost and discouraged brothers and sisters to step out of the enemy territory defeated and into enemy territory victorious. We are to be in enemy territory, but standing in love and victory, not on our knees in weakness and submission.
Sometimes faith is very simple. "Today I will crawl out of the rocks and move forward."
In I Samuel 14:6, Jonathan basically says, "Why not?" Why not move forward - we've been hiding in ditches and caves and in the thickets. God is the one who saves and brings victory, so why not be very simple and trust Him and move forward against the enemy?
It's a very strange thing that Christians sing and talk about victory, yet don't advance against the forces of darkness, fully expecting strongholds in our lives and the lives of others to crumble before the Lord. We plan, we study, we discuss - but we don't move. Is it a lack of faith? Cowardice? Laziness? Love of personal comfort?
All of the above. But read in this chapter as Jonathan casts all caution to the wind and says, "Today I will move forward. It's all in God's hands anyway." What happens when he does this is awesome, as a tidal wave of redemption follows - death is swallowed up in victory.
1) v7 His armor-bearer says: "Go ahead, I am with you heart and soul." When we move out in faith, those with us will move as well. It's like we're all looking at each other waiting for someone to make the first move. Be that one.
2) v21 "Those Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines and gone up with them to their camp went over to the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan." When we move out, weaker Christians who have caved back into the world and into their own darkness and addictions come crawling back out into the Light. We can bring back from captivity our fallen brothers - and there are many out there.
3) v22 "When all the Israelites who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were on the run, they joined in hot pursuit." When we move out, those who have been discouraged and are hiding in the churches will step out boldly as well.
One man. One man believing that God is real and powerful and present tense - one man stepping out in faith, can lead a charge that will embolden lost and discouraged brothers and sisters to step out of the enemy territory defeated and into enemy territory victorious. We are to be in enemy territory, but standing in love and victory, not on our knees in weakness and submission.
Sometimes faith is very simple. "Today I will crawl out of the rocks and move forward."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)