Something New
Look, I am making everything new! Revelation 21:5
I love and anticipate the day of this verse. I am overwhelmed with excitement over the prospect of a life where death is a distant memory, where tears are outdated and pain has ceased to grip my body, mind and soul. I am excited abut this new world that God has for us, this new place of life that Christ said he was going to prepare for us (John 14:2). This promise of a new life reminds me that there is something worth looking forward to while I am in the midst of difficult circumstances. But of all these things, the one thing God wants to change most is me.
When I think of "the new" my mind conjures up visions of Heaven’s Shining ones come to give me understanding, peace and to reveal secrets. And while this may indeed be the case in the future, until that day comes, the Lord is preparing me for Heaven life with a few simple basics to learn. God says that I should have the faith of a child (Mark 10:15). He says that being obedient is proof that I belong (1 John 2:5) and that love is (or should be) my primary identification (John 13:35). I think the reality is that I cannot step into God's new life without first having been made new by the work of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
A time is coming when I will be changed in the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). Maybe in the future I will be so new and different that I can finally reconcile with my enemies. Maybe I'll be so different that I will fully trust God even when I am disappointed. Maybe my departure from fear will be so radical that I will always make mention of Christ and what he has done for me.
And maybe… these are the things that God wants for me, but not in the future. He wants me to act in these things right now.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Friday, January 24, 2014
Cutting out Christ
Cutting out Christ
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only son. John 3:18 NIV
I read that President Thomas Jefferson's Bible has been published. What makes his Bible special is the way it has been edited. In a letter to John Adams, Jefferson said that he edited his Bible to do away with the "nonsense" of the miracles of Christ and the errors of the gospel writers. In editing out the supernatural, Jefferson sought to whittle Christ down to a "great teacher" or an “instructor of morality”. Who is Jesus Christ to you?
The funny thing (but it really isn't that humorous) is that Jefferson literally used a blade to cut out all of the things about Christ that he actually needed. Jefferson was on a quest for Christ's morality when he should have been on a quest for Christ himself. And don’t we face the same dilemma in our own time? Do we think of Jesus as merely another Dalai Lama, Buddha or Hare Krishna or is he something else? Some would say that the teaching of Christ is certainly on par with other religious leaders. And if you agree with that statement, then you really haven't read any of the teachings of Christ. How can Christ be on par with other teachers when he said things like, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). "Destroy [this] temple (speaking of his body) and I will raise it in three days.” (John 2:19) And sure enough, Jesus backs up his boasts by not only coming back from the dead, but bringing others with him (Matthew 27:51-53) and letting roughly 500 people see him alive (I Corinthians 15:6). Statements and actions like these demand that we examine Christ with a bit more interest than morality. The statements and actions of Jesus demand that we take notice of his spiritual power and his deity, not only his morality.
The moment we deem one word of scripture to be false, then all of it can be counterfeit. Scripture has to be taken in its entirety or not at all. You can't cut out the pieces you don't like and save the ones that you do. Likewise, Christ can’t be edited; we have to take him in his entirety. One should ask, what are the consequences of ignoring Christ’s true and complete identity? Is it safe to cut out the real Christ?
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only son. John 3:18 NIV
I read that President Thomas Jefferson's Bible has been published. What makes his Bible special is the way it has been edited. In a letter to John Adams, Jefferson said that he edited his Bible to do away with the "nonsense" of the miracles of Christ and the errors of the gospel writers. In editing out the supernatural, Jefferson sought to whittle Christ down to a "great teacher" or an “instructor of morality”. Who is Jesus Christ to you?
The funny thing (but it really isn't that humorous) is that Jefferson literally used a blade to cut out all of the things about Christ that he actually needed. Jefferson was on a quest for Christ's morality when he should have been on a quest for Christ himself. And don’t we face the same dilemma in our own time? Do we think of Jesus as merely another Dalai Lama, Buddha or Hare Krishna or is he something else? Some would say that the teaching of Christ is certainly on par with other religious leaders. And if you agree with that statement, then you really haven't read any of the teachings of Christ. How can Christ be on par with other teachers when he said things like, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). "Destroy [this] temple (speaking of his body) and I will raise it in three days.” (John 2:19) And sure enough, Jesus backs up his boasts by not only coming back from the dead, but bringing others with him (Matthew 27:51-53) and letting roughly 500 people see him alive (I Corinthians 15:6). Statements and actions like these demand that we examine Christ with a bit more interest than morality. The statements and actions of Jesus demand that we take notice of his spiritual power and his deity, not only his morality.
The moment we deem one word of scripture to be false, then all of it can be counterfeit. Scripture has to be taken in its entirety or not at all. You can't cut out the pieces you don't like and save the ones that you do. Likewise, Christ can’t be edited; we have to take him in his entirety. One should ask, what are the consequences of ignoring Christ’s true and complete identity? Is it safe to cut out the real Christ?
Friday, January 17, 2014
The Forgotten Command
The Forgotten Command
"Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." Luke 23:34 NIV
Of all the hard sayings in scripture, forgiveness seems to me still the most peculiar prospect. You see, I am happy to give up my coat. I'll gladly walk an extra mile. Given the right circumstances, I might even turn the other cheek. I suspect that my willingness to carry out these acts, though they are hard to do, hinge on the fact that they carry their own sense of glory. People applaud an individual that can face evil and walk a "higher path". But for some reason, forgiveness does not work that way. I think we chide forgiveness because it works against our human sensibilities. Forgiveness has an implied sense of weakness, of letting someone take advantage of you. Forgiveness implies that justice has not been upheld.
The idea of forgiveness is not a human notion. It is something that comes from God. God awakens us to it by first, making us recipients of it. God enables us to do it and He uses it to set us free. But wouldn’t it be truly ironic if the very people that are recipients of so much forgiveness were stingy on giving it out? It would be bizarre to have received so much and pay out so little. After having received so much from God you would think that love and forgiveness would be our primary and most distinguishing marks?
The scripture says that if you forgive others, God will forgive you. But if you slack off of forgiving others, God will not forgive you. (Matthew 6:14-15). We are told to forgive each other in the same way that Christ has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32). And my mind is running to the words of John 14:15, "If you love me, you will obey me."
The more I think about these words I am drawn to the conclusion that it may be better to reconcile and to fully forgive, than to try and rely so heavily on grace as an excuse for a stubborn heart.
"Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." Luke 23:34 NIV
Of all the hard sayings in scripture, forgiveness seems to me still the most peculiar prospect. You see, I am happy to give up my coat. I'll gladly walk an extra mile. Given the right circumstances, I might even turn the other cheek. I suspect that my willingness to carry out these acts, though they are hard to do, hinge on the fact that they carry their own sense of glory. People applaud an individual that can face evil and walk a "higher path". But for some reason, forgiveness does not work that way. I think we chide forgiveness because it works against our human sensibilities. Forgiveness has an implied sense of weakness, of letting someone take advantage of you. Forgiveness implies that justice has not been upheld.
The idea of forgiveness is not a human notion. It is something that comes from God. God awakens us to it by first, making us recipients of it. God enables us to do it and He uses it to set us free. But wouldn’t it be truly ironic if the very people that are recipients of so much forgiveness were stingy on giving it out? It would be bizarre to have received so much and pay out so little. After having received so much from God you would think that love and forgiveness would be our primary and most distinguishing marks?
The scripture says that if you forgive others, God will forgive you. But if you slack off of forgiving others, God will not forgive you. (Matthew 6:14-15). We are told to forgive each other in the same way that Christ has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32). And my mind is running to the words of John 14:15, "If you love me, you will obey me."
The more I think about these words I am drawn to the conclusion that it may be better to reconcile and to fully forgive, than to try and rely so heavily on grace as an excuse for a stubborn heart.
Friday, January 10, 2014
The Irony of Godly Safety
The Irony of Godly Safety
My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. John 17:15 NIV
Here is a bit of irony, my white friend (Rev. Bob Lewis) gave me (a black person) several books on Black History... I recall a story from one of those books that gave me some startling new information about the fight for civil rights and something some called "The Children's Crusade". In the year of 1963 Bull Conner of the Birmingham Police Department, turned high pressure water hoses (and dogs) on a group of high school students and demonstrators. The school students turned their backs and huddled into groups while bracing themselves against bearby buildings. But what these pictures and films do not reveal is that the older students were not only enduring the pain for protest, but they were protecting small children that were marching with them. It is a terrible thing to endure the battery of high pressured water hoses. But it is a far worse thing to allow children to endure the same torture.
I guess some evil needs to be endured for a greater and more profound purpose. And this is the rather ironic prayer of Jesus, that we are not taken out of a world filled with evil, but that we are protected from the Evil One. It seems to me that if a person is doing the work of God, that person should be protected (or exempt) from evil. But that is not, and never has been the case. We are told to expect more trouble than normal (1 Peter 4:12). But we are also told by scripture that we should not fear, for Christ lives in us, and he has overcome the world (1John 4:4 and John 16:33). There is no evil in this world that can consume a soul that has been entrusted to Christ.
When we face the troubles and terrors of this world, we do so as good soldiers of Christ (2 Timothy 2:3). We endure because there is a larger purpose at work that God is controlling. It seems a strange irony to be with Christ and yet endure so much hardship in this life. But we are taking the beatings and troubles for a greater and more profound purpose. We need not worry about the loss in this life, because the ultimate evil, which is the devil, has no hold on what belongs to Christ!
My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. John 17:15 NIV
Here is a bit of irony, my white friend (Rev. Bob Lewis) gave me (a black person) several books on Black History... I recall a story from one of those books that gave me some startling new information about the fight for civil rights and something some called "The Children's Crusade". In the year of 1963 Bull Conner of the Birmingham Police Department, turned high pressure water hoses (and dogs) on a group of high school students and demonstrators. The school students turned their backs and huddled into groups while bracing themselves against bearby buildings. But what these pictures and films do not reveal is that the older students were not only enduring the pain for protest, but they were protecting small children that were marching with them. It is a terrible thing to endure the battery of high pressured water hoses. But it is a far worse thing to allow children to endure the same torture.
I guess some evil needs to be endured for a greater and more profound purpose. And this is the rather ironic prayer of Jesus, that we are not taken out of a world filled with evil, but that we are protected from the Evil One. It seems to me that if a person is doing the work of God, that person should be protected (or exempt) from evil. But that is not, and never has been the case. We are told to expect more trouble than normal (1 Peter 4:12). But we are also told by scripture that we should not fear, for Christ lives in us, and he has overcome the world (1John 4:4 and John 16:33). There is no evil in this world that can consume a soul that has been entrusted to Christ.
When we face the troubles and terrors of this world, we do so as good soldiers of Christ (2 Timothy 2:3). We endure because there is a larger purpose at work that God is controlling. It seems a strange irony to be with Christ and yet endure so much hardship in this life. But we are taking the beatings and troubles for a greater and more profound purpose. We need not worry about the loss in this life, because the ultimate evil, which is the devil, has no hold on what belongs to Christ!
Friday, January 3, 2014
From the same mold
From the same mold
"I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world." John 17:6 & 18 NIV
In these verses, Jesus is praying for his disciples. And as a bonus we get a glimpse into the commission of Christ. Jesus said that he has made God known to the ones God has hand-picked. And likewise, Jesus sends his people into the world to make revelation of himself to others that were picked by God. Later in 1 Peter 4 the author refers to the followers of Jesus as Christians. Or, a direct translation of Christian is "Little Christ."
The followers of Christ garnered the title "Little Christian" because they were so much like Christ in attitude and purpose that to be around one of them may have been much like being in front of Jesus himself. Calling someone a Christian was just like saying that they were made up of the same properties as Christ.
For some reason, good deeds, cheap grace and relaxed morality have become the ear-marks of what it means to be a “Little Christ.” But I think we need to go back to the scripture and see if our definition of "Christian" matches the true person of Christ. When I take a brief look at just a few verses I see that Jesus redeems (John 3:16-18), reveals (John 17:6) and reigns (Revelation 22:13). If we are Little Christs' we take part in all three things. We are redeemed by his blood, we take part in his mission to reveal God to the world and if we hold on to God until the very end, we will reign with him (2 Timothy 2:12).
It may be a presumptuous thing to even suggest that we, in our fallen state, could be compared to Christ. But, isn't that the point? Aren't we supposed to look like Christ? Aren't we supposed to look like we came from the same mold?
"I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world." John 17:6 & 18 NIV
In these verses, Jesus is praying for his disciples. And as a bonus we get a glimpse into the commission of Christ. Jesus said that he has made God known to the ones God has hand-picked. And likewise, Jesus sends his people into the world to make revelation of himself to others that were picked by God. Later in 1 Peter 4 the author refers to the followers of Jesus as Christians. Or, a direct translation of Christian is "Little Christ."
The followers of Christ garnered the title "Little Christian" because they were so much like Christ in attitude and purpose that to be around one of them may have been much like being in front of Jesus himself. Calling someone a Christian was just like saying that they were made up of the same properties as Christ.
For some reason, good deeds, cheap grace and relaxed morality have become the ear-marks of what it means to be a “Little Christ.” But I think we need to go back to the scripture and see if our definition of "Christian" matches the true person of Christ. When I take a brief look at just a few verses I see that Jesus redeems (John 3:16-18), reveals (John 17:6) and reigns (Revelation 22:13). If we are Little Christs' we take part in all three things. We are redeemed by his blood, we take part in his mission to reveal God to the world and if we hold on to God until the very end, we will reign with him (2 Timothy 2:12).
It may be a presumptuous thing to even suggest that we, in our fallen state, could be compared to Christ. But, isn't that the point? Aren't we supposed to look like Christ? Aren't we supposed to look like we came from the same mold?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)