Sound Bite

Too many pastors are not leading worship, and too many worship leaders are not pastoring.

Naomi and Ruth: The Draw of Devotion

When you have about twenty minutes, read or re-read the short story of Ruth. For centuries, readers have been amazed by the devotion that Ruth, the young Moabite widow showed to Naomi, her Hebrew mother-in-law. And rightly so.

But I want to draw attention to Naomi’s own devotion. Though it is less explicit in the text, it is shown to be powerful and moving. And God uses it to draw an outsider in, a foreigner who would ultimately be part of the family line of the Messiah who would save his people from their sins.

Naomi’s devotion is to her God – Israel’s God – Yahweh. And she expresses her devotion to him in her relationships with her daughters-in-law in such a way that they are deeply impressed. When Naomi sets out to return to her homeland, these young women have been so won over to Naomi that they set out with her. The famine that brought Naomi with her husband to Moab was over. And now, ten years later, bereft of her own husband and two sons she heads home. The young widows still have potential in their homeland; they can remarry and start anew. But in their relatively brief time with Naomi they have been so drawn to her as to think of following her instead.

Names in this story’s beginning are illuminating. Elimelech, the name of Naomi’s husband, means “My God Is King.” He likely came from a pious Hebrew family that was well-established “old money” in the Bethlehem community. Hence, the excitement and recognition of the “whole town” when Naomi returns there (1:19). Naomi’s own name means “Pleasant.” She was apparently very much so, given the loyalty of her daughters-in-law. But she was clearly devoted herself to God.

She asks for Yahweh’s (the LORD’s) blessings on the young women for the kindness they have shown to her (v.8), even while acknowledging that from her perspective he has withdrawn those blessings from her (v.13). Clearly, even though Naomi sees the hand of God as sovereign over her own misfortune she does not see this as grounds to abandon her faith in him. Instead, she accepts her situation and asks for Yahweh’s blessings on them. Naomi is the one who introduces talk of gods in the conversation (v.15). But Ruth’s response shows that Naomi’s God has won her over (v.16). Both young women react with a strong respect and loyalty to Naomi, but Ruth goes further in expressing loyalty to Naomi’s God, taking Him as her own.

We don’t know how Orpah’s story works out, but we can learn some powerful lessons from Naomi, and see how blessing flows to Ruth because of Naomi’s faithful devotion. Let me flush them out and call us to apply them in our own contexts.

First, notice that Naomi’s devotion to God survives her down times. She doesn’t pretend things are okay. Her self-ascribed name-change from Pleasant to Bitter (v.20) seems more an acknowledgement of her sadness and downcast expression than a commentary on her social conduct. She looks like she’s been through it, but judging by Ruth and Orpah, she hasn’t been a bitter old woman to them.

Do we handle our own calamities as well? Do we accept God’s hand in these circumstances, still convinced of his love and goodness, and seeking his blessing on others? Or do we blame Him, becoming bitter and biting to everyone around us? Our response tells those outside the community of faith, those who have their own gods, what we think about our God. Our steadfast devotion to Him, especially in the worst times, may win them over. We may feel the bitter sting of suffering, but we cannot hope to win them if we treat them bitterly. Somehow, Naomi lived up to her real name, Pleasant, and we must do the same.

Second, we learn that Naomi’s devotion to God draws another into that same devotion. God works through Naomi’s relationship with Ruth to move Ruth beyond devotion to Naomi, and to Naomi’s God. We can see this in Ruth’s poetic declaration (vv.16-17). Ruth swears her oath to the LORD as a witness to her devotion to Naomi. The greater devotion will outlive the other.

We too may be God’s instruments to move others toward him. As we express our devotion to Christ in showing his love to others, some will be drawn to him through us. Again, the toughest times are often our greatest opportunity to show a devotion that is contagious.

Last, we see that not everyone comes around. Orpah returns to her people and her gods. So too will many in our relationships. But in this case, it was not because Naomi was a jerk to Orpah. The young woman simply chose her culture’s best attempts at fulfillment and life – at least as far as we are told. Many will do the same in our culture. But let it not be because we burned our bridges. Let their respect of us for our conduct remain intact. Perhaps at some point they will reconsider our Savior.

In summary, let us follow Naomi’s lead. Hold our devotion to Christ in such a way that we may win others over to Him. For those who return to their own gods, at least we will be faithful in showing Christ to them in pleasant kindness. But for some we may be a means by which the Spirit draws them into eternal life!

What Christmas Is All About

After watching the movie,The Man Who Invented Christmas, I was reminded that until relatively recently Christmas was a “minor holiday,” and that many, if not most, of the current trappings and expressions now attached to it were classical or modern inventions. Most Christians have long had a sense that red flags were accumulating on pace with the many traditions of Christmas. We are right to sense a danger, but I wonder if we perceive the different nuances in which it is expressed.

More than 50 years ago, Charles Schultz was apparently already feeling the need to offset the commercialism and secularization of Christmas, and so he did in a beloved animated television special most of us know well. In A Charlie Brown Christmas, one of his characters, Linus, reads a portion of Luke’s birth narrative in chapter two, and then declares, “That’s what Christmas is all about.”

That statement certainly plays today as too exclusive. Well into the next century, our culture would now require a pull-back to something like, “That’s what Christmas is essentially about,” or, “That’s what Christmas is traditionally about.” Or it should be qualified, “…for many Christians,” or, “…in the perspective of classic Christianity.”

I like Schultz’s choice of the Luke narrative over Matthew’s, because it does more than offset the commercialization of gift-giving (and competitive buying). In Luke – especially the portion read by Linus – there are no Magi, no gifts. Yes, there are Shepherds and angels, but they are not the focus. The focus is a proclamation, the birth of a Savior. Then there is worship. Linus stops there, but what follows is verification – real shepherds become witnesses of this real historical event – and the movement of worship from heavenly beings to earthly ones, as the shepherds glorify and praise God.

If Linus is right, and the birth of the Savior and the resulting glory of God is “what Christmas is all about,” (emphasis mine), then Scripture offers a corrective not only for the commercialization and secularization of Christmas. It also leaves no room for syncretization.

Christmas is not some highly evolved culture’s expression of goodwill that Christians would hijack. It is not some blending of ancient paganism, Nordic tradition, or the like with Judeo-Christian myth. Christmas is by definition the worship of God, centered around the joyful event of his incarnation. That is what it is ALL about.

That worship appropriately promotes the values of community and giving that even our secular culture also promotes. It may well find expression through symbols like trees and light and angels (though Luke doesn’t indicate they were the ones with wings). Santa Clause and fireplaces and magical toy distribution…those are much farther removed from worship of the Savior, but I’m not promoting legalism here, only caution. The point is to sift out what is inherent to Christmas from what is not, for what is not may well overtake and even replace what is.

Have your traditions and your fun. Maybe even light up your reindeer and plug in your inflatable snowmen. Compete with your ugly sweaters and white elephants. But let us be sure to bring it down at some point, like Linus, to what Christmas is all about. The world needs to understand clearly that we worship with joy the God who entered humanity to save it. We celebrate his humble birth because he is the Savior, and the Lord of all glory!

God, or Google Maps?

We trust our devices. I mean we REALLY trust our devices. Think about it. When you get in your vehicle to head somewhere new, what do you do? If you’re like most people I know, you put the address in your phone or other device and wait for it to tell you where to go.

Now, you might be like me, and want to quickly scan the whole route, but once you are driving you are simply executing one step at a time.

“Turn north on such-and-such street.” (The virtual person’s pronunciations are often pretty amusing).

“Continue for five miles.”

“Take the left two lanes to exit onto so-and-so highway.” (This is technically not a good idea, since your car should occupy only ONE of those lanes, but you understand and comply.)

“Make a U-turn at the light.” (Yeah, you missed the turn because of signal loss, and now you have to go back to where you should have turned. But you are STILL following the newly recalibrated orders, because you have no clue, and this device knows all.)

Why are we willing to blindly take directions from a collection of micro-circuits and solder connections controlled by a magical binary language that no one understood even at Pentecost?

Because our navigational device knows what we don’t. It has all the mapping information about every road and intersection, every on and off ramp between here and there. It even knows where calamity awaits, where a wreck is clogging a major artery and causing huge delays, and knows exactly how to re-route us to the most efficient path to our destination.

Until the announcement, “You have arrived at your destination,” comes. And this could NOT POSSIBLY be your destination. No, no, no, what happened? Did I punch in a typo? Was it “lane” and not “street” or “avenue”?

We figure out the problem. We correct the input, and…start blindly following directions once again. Why? Because it works. Eventually. Nearly always. Well, once we take out human error.

Amazing.

Not that we blindly follow directions from a simulated person speaking from a device. That’s not amazing, because it does indeed generally work, and it is commonplace nowadays.

What IS amazing is that a REAL person who is NEVER wrong is personally WITH US and speaks to us through a LIVING communication. This Person knows EVERYTHING about the current map, all the previous versions of the map, and every map that ever will be. More than just streets and on and off ramps, he knows every person, every thought, every motive and action. He knows perfectly how every potential and actual event will interact as we travel from here to there, how it will impact us in the near future and ultimately. He himself is both here and there – EVERY here and there. And he doesn’t offer the most efficient route, but rather always perfectly directs to the BEST route, always pointing us to what is GOOD and what is good for us. He knows the right destination, even when we had it wrong.

The amazing thing is that we won’t trust God like we trust Google Maps.

In life, we want more than a glance at the whole map. We want GUARANTEES that we will find security, comfort, and easy going at every turn. God knows about every wreck waiting to happen, every construction zone, even every pothole. But for some reason when the neighborhood doesn’t look right, we bail on God’s navigation and go back to winging it based on our own sense of direction.

You know why we trust Google Maps more? Because WE MADE IT.

Turns out the first command in God’s navigation is “Make a U-turn.”

And all God offers us after that is the same thing our device offers: the next step. Be comforted with his presence and obey his voice.

Will we trust God enough to follow his directions?

Psalm 119:97–104 (CSB) 

מ‎ Mem

⁹⁷ How I love your instruction! 

It is my meditation all day long. 

⁹⁸ Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, 

for they are always with me. 

⁹⁹ I have more insight than all my teachers 

because your decrees are my meditation. 

¹⁰⁰ I understand more than the elders 

because I obey your precepts. 

¹⁰¹ I have kept my feet from every evil path 

to follow your word. 

¹⁰² I have not turned from your judgments, 

for you yourself have instructed me. 

¹⁰³ How sweet your word is to my taste— 

sweeter than honey in my mouth. 

¹⁰⁴ I gain understanding from your precepts; 

therefore I hate every false way. 

Candlelight

So, here is a question you may actually hear asked in our home now:

“Honey, did you turn off the candles?”

And the response may be, “No, they turned off automatically a while ago.”

Yep. We have battery operated fake candles now. We already had a fireplace that turned on or off with a switch – in fact TWO options, electric and gas – and now we have expanded the pseudo-incendiary arsenal to smaller, more versatile units.

I have to say, they ARE pretty cool. And that is a double entendre that really got me thinking.

First, I mean that the ascetic effect is nice. The candles (or the fireplaces) make you feel good just by looking at them. I suppose some subconscious association with ACTUAL candles produces this effect. Add to that the fact that these candles even simulate flickering, especially as the light bounces off nearby objects in the dark. Ah! Such a cozy look!

But in the more literal sense of cool, these candles are more like fake news – looks like the real thing at a quick glance, or out of the corner of the eye, especially across a room, but up close the substance is not all there. They throw light, yes. But where is the heat? In this sense, one might argue the electric fireplace is almost a real fireplace (you know, except for the – well, fire). But the battery operated candle, not so much.

We know candles are about LIGHT (we even use "candle" as term for measuring light), but they are also about HEAT. Before electricity, houses were lit by candles and oil lamps. But did you know that an oil lamp could also heat a room? In cold winters back then, a family might huddle around an oil lamp to avoid freezing!

Now, a single candle wouldn’t be as effective as a lamp, but the principle is there. In a cold, dark world, a real flame is a source of light, and warmth, and to some extent, life. It can also be dangerous. An open flame burns up dry things like old dead sticks or old clothing.

Well, there are great spiritual analogies here. Jesus, the Son of God, is the Light that came into the world. Further, his coming, and his life, were a demonstration of perpetual and perfect love (warmth). More yet, for those who trust him, this Light is also Life. Jesus is salvation from a cold, dark, death. But this Light is also dangerous, for his judging fire burns up wood, hay, and stubble. It burns up old clothes – the things from a Christian’s old life that tend to still cling to him. For those who reject Jesus, this burning becomes eternal judgment.

And we Christians are children of the light.

But are we like Jesus, reflecting the true Light in all his properties (light, warmth, life)? Or are we like the battery-operated candles? Do we turn on our light at desired moments? Is it set on a timer to come on Sunday mornings around, say, 10am? Are we completely lacking warmth and life for those who come close? Are we running on short-lived batteries, or burning an endless supply of oil from Christ’s Spirit? Do we offer a feel-good light that is artificial and safe?

Matthew 5:14–16 (ESV) 

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

More Than Mere Messengers

We understand that the Word of God is itself living and active (Heb 4:12), and that it is life to us (Dt 32:47; Mt 4:4). We also understand that life-giving faith comes by hearing this word, and that the dead cannot come to life unless we who are alive in Christ proclaim this word (Rm 10:14-17). But I’m not sure we are always aware of how important is how we deliver the word.

I do not refer to technique or skill. We evangelicals have worked hard and long at crafting these things and training people in them, and these may be helpful to a point. And we are not wrong when we acknowledge that the power that brings salvation is not in the proclaimer but rather in the gospel being proclaimed (Rm 1:16). But we are the agents of proclamation, and it is important that we understand we are more than messengers. We are even more than heralds, though the NT clearly teaches we are that. But the fullest expression of how we deliver the gospel is that we are witnesses.

We know from Jesus himself that the biblical text alone does not bring life to those who reject the Word personified (Jn 5:39). But when Jesus proclaimed the word there were indeed many who believed and came to life, because he spoke with authority (Mt 7:28-9). When we carry this same gospel message we too speak with authority. But we do more than that.

We know from careful study of the NT word kerysso that we proclaim the word as a herald. As such we are called to not only deliver the King’s message but to do so with the proper tone and demeanor. We herald the gospel. But we do still more than that.

The height of our calling is beautifully pictured in Luke’s account of what happened on the road to Emmaus (Lk 24:13-35). Cleopas and another disciple were discussing Scripture about the Messiah. While it doesn’t start out looking like an evangelistic enterprise, when Jesus inserts himself into their discussion they essentially declare the gospel to him, notably including even their own amazement at the claims of their friends that they had seen the resurrected Lord (vv.19b-24). They quote Scripture and declare their hope, but they are deflated and impotent as heralds even in the presence of their Savior.

But something happens that completely changes their demeanor and their presentation. When Jesus breaks bread with them and they finally SEE him, something clicks. They are no longer mere messengers. They are no longer poor heralds, “slow to believe” their own message (v.25). They are witnesses! See how different is their testimony now! “Weren’t our hearts burning within us while he was talking with us on the road and explaining the Scriptures to us?” (v.32).

And so it is with us, whether in the pulpit, or in line at the DMV, at the coffee shop, or at our dinner table. We are called to do more than quote Scripture, and more even than to try to herald the good news with an appropriate amount of hutzpah. We are called to see Jesus, and to so delight in him that we can’t help but run to declare, “The Lord has truly been raised!”

Yes, the Lord will work through his Spirit and his Word to bring souls to life. But how much more fitting if we are first overflowing with his life before we carry the good news to others! We must walk with him, commune with him, and see him for who he is, and then we can be more than mere messengers – we can be witnesses!

Breathe on me, O Life of Heaven

Let your breezes blow afresh

Stir my soul back into motion

Come awake my lifelessness

Come awake my lifelessness!

Move me

Jesus, flow through me

Move me

Jesus, flow through me!

(lyric from the song Still Waters)

Own It?

Do you own a home, or are you renting? Own your car? Making payments? Leasing? Questions of ownership are becoming even more nuanced in our tech-driven, global society. Even the laws are changing. But even in the most idealistic sense of capitalism you might have experienced in the good old USA, how much do you really own? Want to find out? Stop paying your taxes on your house. Stop paying taxes and registration on your car.

We understand this now moves into the software/hardware arena. Good luck using that phone you own, if you don’t have updated software, and pay for a service provider. I don’t even own the processing app in which I am typing right now. I pay an annual fee, because the product I once bought and owned was made obsolete when support was discontinued, and it was replaced with a perpetual product.

These realities teach some pretty good theology. You are not your own. You never were, and never will be. The serpent’s lie to the original couple (Gn 3) was the illusion of autonomy: God can’t tell you not to eat that fruit. He told you you’ll die because he knows that if you do what you want with it, you’ll demonstrate that you can keep on deciding for yourself what is good or evil. In a sense, the lie was about ownership: You can do what you want with that fruit – it’s yours.

Satan apparently believed his own lie, or at least wanted Jesus to believe it. He told Jesus that all the kingdoms of this world were his (Satan’s) to do with whatever he wanted. He even offered to give them to Jesus to own in the same way (Mt 4:8-9; Lk 4:5-6): All this can be YOURS!  But Jesus understood something the first Adam didn’t. The very condition for "ownership" that would have qualified it for Jesus, also qualified it for Satan: worship. Satan said, “If, then, you will worship me, it will all be yours” (Lk 4:7). Jesus understood that is not ownership, but stewardship. The act of worship declares the one being worshiped as the owner, the ultimate authority. Jesus would not do this, because there is only one worthy of worship, and Satan is not that One. God alone deserves worship because of his de facto and rightful ownership. Satan acknowledged the limited terms of his ownership of worldly authority and glory: “for it has been delivered to me.” His ownership was limited and temporal. That is not ownership – it is stewardship. Satan is a lousy steward, because he is trying to act like an owner, twisting and abusing his reign in this world for his own evil desires.

Jesus, on the other hand, performs his stewardship perfectly. As the God-man, he is both steward and true owner. He is steward in his humanity, for because of his perfect obedience to the Father’s will in his humiliation as the Suffering Servant, he is now exalted as the Lord over the kingdom of this world forever (Rv 11:15). He is owner in his deity, as he is the Eternal Word of God, who spoke the world into existence, and is rightful Lord over all heaven and earth as Creator. The Second Adam did what the first did not, acted as steward in perfect agreement with the will of the owner.

So, back to us. Scripture reminds us that we are not owners, but stewards, for we ourselves are not only owing worship to our Creator, but we have been bought with a price, redeemed to him (1 Cor 6:19-20; 7:23). Freedom in the sense of absolute autonomy and ownership is an illusion. No, more than that – a lie. Freedom is reality when our will as a steward comes into agreement with the rightful owner. We are slaves to someone. Either we are slaves to sin (Jn 8:34; Rm 6:1-14), under the dominion of Satan and this world, which is death (Eph 2:1-2), or we are slaves of obedience, of righteousness, of God, which is life (Rm 6:15-23; Eph 2:4-10). The latter is true freedom that elevates the slave to a position of child and heir, and life forever in the presence of God (Jn 8:36).

The perspective of stewardship is crucial for the Christ-follower, for Satan’s lie takes more than one form. The non-Christian is a slave, to be sure. But freedom for the Christian is not ownership. If we think trusting Christ is our gateway to autonomy we have bought a nuanced version of the same old lie. It is capitalist, or American, or prosperity theology, or something else, but it is not biblical. You are not yours any more than your house and car are yours. And it is more than taxes you owe. It is worship. Our stewardship is contingent upon, and has as its aim, the will of our Creator, our Redeemer, and our Lord. When God judges mankind, those who were poor stewards in this life will no longer be stewards. They will be alone with nothing but torment (Mt 24; Lk 12:41-48). But those who worship the Giver of all good gifts through faithful stewardship will reign under him in His presence forever (Rv 20:6; 22:5).

Of course, we cannot be perfectly faithful stewards, and that is why Christ had to accomplish this for us. This is the gospel. Trusting His faithful stewardship is what gives us life and freedom to follow in obedience. When we turn back and start acting like owners, we have quit being worshipers, and quit being faithful stewards. So, let us confess our failures, and walk on as faithful stewards in Christ.

Rest

It only took 15 minutes of commercial drive-time talk radio to remind me that the world needs rest. Ads for “My Pillow,” “Sleep-number beds,” sleep apnea treatments, and the list goes on. I get it. I had some aches and pains getting seriously in the way of my rest last night. While it is amazing how we can muddle through with poor rest, not enough rest, and even some extended periods of little or no rest, the truth remains that we all need rest to thrive. Ultimately, without rest you die.

And God, in his wisdom, made us in this way so that we would understand our need for REAL rest. Eternal rest, spiritual rest. How important is it, that the all-powerful God, who doesn’t need rest (cf. Ps 121), established a day of rest, the Sabbath, at the end of his creative week? The writer of Hebrews points us to the ultimate rest we all need, a rest that only comes from the living God (3:12), and is only found in Christ (v.14), and only by those who trust in his obedience to the Father by following him (4:1-10).

Our problem is that we cannot perfectly obey like Christ, and so we are given the ironic challenge to “strive to enter that rest” (v.11). How can that work? Our striving is different because of Christ, and Hebrews eventually boils it down to faith. We no longer strive to acquire rest for ourselves, because we can’t – Israel’s failures to keep the Law showed us that. We humble ourselves and come to God’s throne seeking mercy and grace, and find it through Jesus, our perfect, eternal High Priest. He more than perfectly understands our human frailty, but unlike the earthly priests who could never fix that problem, Christ himself “became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him” (5:9).

By the way, since the clues indicate Hebrews was written to (Jewish) Christians, we are reminded that rest is not a need exclusively for the lost, one that is suddenly fully met upon conversion. Believers have an ongoing, daily need for rest.

Do you need rest today? Walk in faith, turning away from deliberate sin (10:26), and a heart hardened by rebellion (3:7,15, cf.4:7), drawing near with a true heart (10:22), humbly but confidently looking to Jesus, our Mediator (9:15), the founder and perfecter of our faith (12:2).

(Deep breath) Ahh!

Paying the Bill

It's been busy - a downsizing move, multiple garage sales, prepping our 20-year-old home for sale, and a trip to WA - but it's time to post again.

I heard this morning that a petition is circulating in protest of what some believe are unreasonably high rates from our local power company, KCPL (Kansas City Power and Light). I don't know whether the complaints are well-founded, but my ears perked up at the story because we have parodied the company brand (perfectly legal for non-profits to do) for our new children's midweek ministry, JCPL (Jesus Christ Power and Light). The claim in the petition reminds me of the foundational doctrine at the core of what we will be teaching our kids.

God created mankind for his own glory, and his good plan was for us to be in close fellowship with him, resembling him and representing him (the imago dei - the "image of God") as we rule this good planet he created and filled with life (Gn 1-2). But God's perfect holiness requires the same of those made in his image. Because of mankind's rebellion in Gn 3, we had a price on our heads. Like any restoration project has a cost, our reconciliation to God, a return to a righteous standing, also has a cost. And here was our problem: the amount due is way beyond what any of us could ever pay. It would be like getting a bill from KCPL for 20 trillion dollars - the current national debt - as an individual. In reality, it is worse, for the debt of our sin is beyond our calculation.

Who could possibly have the resources to take care of this debt? For an electric bill, only the full authority of KCPL - those who possessed all its identity and resources - could cover this debt. For sin, only God's full identity and resources could cover that debt. That is what Christ offers, since he is fully God, and possesses all resources as our Creator and the Founder of our salvation. And as such, he has canceled our debt at the cross, stamping "paid in full" on the heart of everyone who believes and follows him (Col 2:8-15).

So, before Jesus Christ is our Source for Power and Light, he is our divine bill-payer. And once the bill is paid - wow! If the debt for our sin was mind-blowing, the spiritual "juice" that hits our life circuits when Jesus turns on the lights is even greater (Rm 5:20)! Now that he paid the bill, Christ floods every one of his homes (every believer, cf. 2 Cor 6:16) with his infinite power and light (Acts 1:8, Mt 5:14-16).

I don't know enough to conclude whether this petition is well founded, whether KCPL's rates are too high. But I do understand that many people are bumbling around in the dark, frustrated and bruised. Unless someone comes around with a little light (namely, the Holy Spirit and us Christians), they can't even read their mail (namely, the Scriptures). Even when they do, many will prefer to blow off the bill, and Christ's payment, and just try to make the best of it. In effect, they sign the petition that says the cost of belief - submitting to the authority of Christ - is too high. How sad!

But these accounts are personal, and so are the choices. And we who are Christians are called to carry Christ's power and light to as many individuals as we can. We never know when we may get to watch the lights come on for a new follower of Christ!

John's View of Fellowship

In his opening to his first letter to the churches, the Apostle John writes:

What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have observed and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—² that life was revealed, and we have seen it and we testify and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us—³ what we have seen and heard we also declare to you, so that you may also have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. ⁴ We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

We church people have always talked a lot about fellowship. We like to hang out, bring (too much) food for a potluck, arrange activities or entertainment to enjoy together. Maybe we fellowship at our church facilities (we have a special room for it), or gather in a home, or even a restaurant or hip coffee shop. And this is appropriate, especially when our hang-outs are centered around gospel conversations and ministry.

But I think that understanding of fellowship is much smaller than John’s – and that of Jesus. John here (and the other apostles) declared the Eternal Son as the source for life. Why? So that OTHERS would by faith in the Son come into fellowship with God and his church. John states that bringing others into this fellowship is what brings joy to the church. And of course, the Son came to bring people into that fellowship. He not only made it possible, but he left those first believers with the mandate to CONTINUE to bring others into it (Mt 28:18-20).

Does your fellowship extend only to your favorite Christian friends? Is it mostly limited to Sundays, and maybe some potlucks? When do we ever move outside our walls – literal and figurative ones – and take joy in drawing new people into fellowship with God and his church? This is the mission with which Christ left us, to continually compel newcomers to the party (Mt 22:1-14, esp. v.9).

Until Christ returns, fellowship is as much about those not yet included as it is about us. Whom can you invite in today?

Promises and God's Goodness

Listening to Christian radio this morning, I heard back-to-back songs with God’s promises as the theme. The lyrics encouraged the listener to hold on to God’s promises, even - or especially - when they seem slow in coming. One line says, “Jesus is alive, so hold on tight; hold on to the promises.”

It occurred to me that one of the most common defeaters to faith, usually referred to as “the problem of evil in the world,” is actually one of the greatest invitations to Christian faith. The supposed problem is the existence of evil (meaning not only malicious personal activity but also just general calamity) in the world, in spite of the claim that God is both absolutely sovereign (powerful) and absolutely good. The Christian apologist knows that many people conclude that a perfectly good and sovereign God must not actually be at least one of those things since a lot of bad stuff happens in the world.

But let us turn that around. Since there is no doubt that evil exists and bad things happen, where can one turn for hope? Oneself? No. We all learn soon enough that we don’t have real power to hold off the chaos of life. Other people? No. We too learn that they are no more powerful nor trustworthy than ourselves. Even collective forces, like social movements or governments all will fail us. No surprise, since they are composed of humans. Many turn to impersonal spiritual forces of mysticism or the multiplicity of deities in other religions. But where is the hope in an impersonal everything or force? Evil still happens. Where is the logic in counting multiple beings as gods, when “god” by definition is the greatest conceivable being (and more, cf. Is 55:9; Job 38-41; Rm 11:33; Col 1:15-17)?

There is only one answer to the desperate need of every human - Jesus Christ. Paul, in Col 1 above establishes that Christ is God, the ultimate creative power who holds everything together. Evil and calamity exist only because God has decreed to allow free will and its consequences - for a time, and somehow for good purposes. There is no other hope but to trust in the all-powerful God, to trust in his goodness and his timing when our suffering seems undeserved. When he seems too passive, or too slow to act - this is when our trust has meaning. He has always proven trustworthy, and we do not have the information he does, no perspective to justify questioning his goodness (see Job’s story, and his response to God in ch.42).

And here’s the kicker. Jesus is not only the all-powerful, perfectly good and trustworthy God. He is also the Son of Man, who himself had to trust God in light of the worst evil of all. No one can teach Jesus a thing or two about abuse or injustice - he took the worst of both. No one has a one-upper story of betrayal on Jesus - he was betrayed by one of his closest, hand-picked friends. He was rejected by his people, his supposed friends, even his own family. No one has ever carried more suffering, or more shame - he carried the shame of ALL mankind’s sin’s, as well as the weight of the wrath of God himself. In all this, he made the simple choice for which he was born into humanity - he trusted God his Father, even to the point of the cross.

And now because of his perfect obedience he is exalted and victorious over all kinds of evil. And this is our hope. If we trust in him, identify with him in death and resurrected life (Rm 6:1-14; 8:1-30), we take on his indestructible life (Heb 7:16; 1 Pt 1:23-25). This is the true hope in the promise of a real future in the hands of the Almighty God.

Jesus is alive, so hold on tight. Hold on to the promises of God for those who love him and are called according to his purposes (Rm 5:8).

Wisdom Personified

Frank Sinatra used to sing an old song, asking for Luck to "be a lady tonight." But way before songwriter Frank Loesser personified luck as a lady, the OT book of Proverbs had introduced us to Lady Wisdom. In this wisdom collection from King Solomon, Lady Wisdom calls out to all: "listen to me" (1:33),  and "respond to my warning" (v.23). A loving father encourages his son that if he listens to wisdom, searches for it like a hidden treasure, he will "understand the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God" (2:1-5).

I am amazed this morning how evident here in the Proverbs are Christ and the gospel. Biblical theology allows us to make the step from wisdom personified as a lady to wisdom personified in Jesus, the Incarnate Son.

For those who "fear the Lord" (1:7) the response is repentance (1:23, "turn at my reproof" in the ESV). As a result, Wisdom pours out her spirit on the repentant, and teaches them. We in the church age understand this and a related prophecy by Joel were fulfilled by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:4). The Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of Wisdom that now fills and teaches the believer.

In OT Hebrew listening includes taking action, so the one who listens to wisdom is the one who responds rightly to it. This person "will live securely and be undisturbed by the dread of danger" (1:33). The Christian lives securely in Christ - what would we fear, we who are sheltered from the wrath of God (Rm 8:31-39)?

The Fall is present here, and its reiteration in every rebellious heart ever since: "Because they hated knowledge, didn't choose to fear the Lord, were not interested in my counsel, and rejected all my correction, they will eat the fruit of their way, and be glutted with their own schemes" (1:29-31). Lady Wisdom offers no "hopeful universalism" - there IS at some point an end to Wisdom's appeals: "Then they will call me, but I won't answer; they will search for me, but won't find me" (v.28).

But if the Fall is here, so is the rescue. The Lord who gives wisdom is himself a "shield for those who walk in integrity," who "guard[s] the path of justice and protect[s] the way of his faithful followers" (2:6-8). For those who "trust in the Lord with all [their] heart" and "in all [their] ways know him" he will "make [their] paths straight," bring "healing...and strengthening" (3:5-8). These are all ways we understand that Christ rescues and ultimately restores us through his own righteousness and eternal life.

Wisdom is a "tree of life" (v.18) that points to the Source of life in Christ for the believer. The Apostle John sums up the benefit of the wisdom that is personified in Christ: "And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life."

The Gospel in Job

I’ve always been intrigued with Job’s story in the Bible, and it is so pertinent for today. Job’s struggle epitomizes man’s struggle with the calamities of a fallen world. It’s one thing to make sense out of bad things happening to bad people, but many people stumble over the reality that bad stuff happens to innocent people.

Job’s friends don’t help much, for they – like Job – are trying to cram God into a closed system where everything goes the way we expect. Those who work hard and follow a godly ethic succeed, showered by nothing but blessings, right? And those who hate and cheat and serve only themselves are frustrated and cursed. But it often does not work that way.

In our most troubled times, we – like Job – tend to come face to face with the ultimate question of trust. Is God really good? Can I really trust him when nothing is going as it seems it should?

Job exposes the reality of our angst. And shows us that God honors our honesty before him. He did not rebuke Job for expressing his frustration or for questioning, but rather for his failure to acknowledge his ignorance (38:1-3). It is for this Job repents (42:1-6). Sooner or later we all recognize our powerlessness. But do we realize our ignorance? God doesn’t answer Job’s “why” questions. He only reminds him of his own absolute power and goodness. That is either enough, or it isn’t. Same for us. In spite of our questions, God is either worthy of our trust, or he isn’t. Only he has all the information. Will we trust him with the parts we cannot know?

And this is where the gospel comes in. When a person comes to realize the need to trust in God, there is still an insurmountable gap. Job lays it out perfectly in ch.9. “[God] destroys both the blameless and the wicked” (v.22). (This takes a human perspective on “blameless”). Of course, we understand none of us is truly blameless (Is 53:6; Rm 3:23). We cannot ignore our condemned state; God will not acquit us, and our attempts to clean ourselves up are futile (Job 9:27-31). Job hits the crux of the matter in vv.32-35: we need an Advocate, an Arbiter, a Mediator, someone who can reconcile us to God. This mediator must be qualified to stand between God and man, to “lay his hand on [both parties].” The NT reveals this Mediator to be Jesus.

Jesus Christ alone is perfectly qualified to stand between God and man, for he himself is fully perfect God and fully perfect man. He is the Person who turns blind, desperate hope into the personal trust placed in someone we can know. Even now, in the Church Age, we know Jesus intimately through his Spirit (Rm 8:9; 1 Cor 2:11-15).

Job squares his answer about trust in 13:15, “Even if he kills me, I will hope in him.” While Job’s ancient theology does not yet fully understand the Christ, he does realize that his mediation must come from God himself, for he says in 16:19, “Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and he who testifies for me is on high.” And in 19:25-6, he says, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God.”

The people around us inevitably come to these issues of powerlessness and trust. When we come across someone going through a rough patch like Job, when they sense their need, to what or whom will they reach? Church, we have the only answer for them. They need Jesus. Are we listening for the opportunity? As Peter challenges us in 1 Pt 3:15, will we be prepared to give them the answer of hope?

Doing Good

It's funny how such a famous and practical verse as Micah 6:8 gets completely ignored in our culture, and far too often in our own lives:

Micah 6:8 (ESV)

⁸   He has told you, O man, what is good; 

and what does the Lord require of you 

but to do justice, and to love kindness, 

and to walk humbly with your God?

Pretty simple. You want to do good? (Doing well is another matter.) God has shown us what good looks like. Carry out justice, love kindness (or "mercy" or "loyal love"), and walk humbly with God.

Injustice and abuse are not new. And they are rampant. What is our call? We can't control the systemic abuses of humanity, can we?

It is notable that "you" and "man" are collective singulars in this verse. The call is to mankind ("adam") as a whole. You and I do not act for all mankind - only as individual parts of it - but we do share some responsibility for the actions of our human community. We should be grieved when injustice, meanness, and pride permeate our society, and we should exercise any power God grants us to work against these evil activities.

But isn't it far easier to curse the system, and the frustrating inability to "move the needle" toward good, than it is to carry out justice, kindness, and humility on a PERSONAL level? Do we scream about the evils of our government, our courts, and our society and then personally mistreat our fellow man? Where is our justice, kindness, and humility when we stand opposite a poorly trained barista, a forgetful waiter, or a pre-occupied driver? Or our fellow church member? Or our spouse? Our child? Are we frustrated with an inability to move our own personal needle toward good?

If we acknowledge our shortcomings and remember the gospel, surely we will be better disposed to doing good. For we can only do justice because it was already carried out in Christ, we can only love kindness because it was first poured out on us through Christ, and we can only walk humbly with God through our union with Christ, our Lord. When we fail to do good, let's confess our sin and do good with our next opportunity.

By the way, Micah's call here is the prescribed offering we are to bring in order to worship God. Of all the possible offerings to qualify us for worship, the only acceptable one is v.8. And again, we only have this to offer through Christ. This agrees with Paul's call in Rm 12:1-2. We are to discern "what is good, acceptable and perfect," and then to sacrificially offer ourselves to act on it. That doesn't just prepare us for worship, Paul says it IS worship!

We must respond to this call to do good in gospel order. An old hymn may help us here. It is NOT, "It is well with my soul because I do good." It is rather, "Since it is well with my soul, I will do good." Christ only does good. We are in Christ, and so we should (and can) do good.

Will you?

When the Shoe Fits

I have been frustrated for several years by some trends in Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) and American pop Christian culture, and now I have put my finger on why. Timing. And discernment. It's not a matter of IF the shoe fits, but rather WHEN the shoe fits.

God has revealed to us everything we need to live godly lives and to honor him faithfully (2 Tm 3:16-17; 2 Pt 1:3). Any Christian would readily affirm that. But do we realize the importance of applying the right truth at the right time, of discerning the situation?

Christian radio stations are filled with songs telling the listener they are loved, they are beautiful, that God wants to prosper them. All true, but these are not always the right messages at the right time. I am aware that these messages are expressed by individuals, or small collaborative groups, who have been inspired to minster to the downcast and abused. Perfectly appropriate. For the downcast and abused.

But when a culture at large feasts on these themes, it throws gasoline on the fire of entitlement, ego, and the prosperity theology. These songs rightly should and do minister to individuals in desperate situations who need encouragement - for them they are much-needed salve in open wounds. But when they are also consumed by people who - especially compared to most other people in the world, and throughout history - are excessively prosperous, lacking no basic needs, and largely self-absorbed, the message transforms from medicine to recreational drug.

We act as though our big problem is that we have it so rough. Really? Is that our big problem?

I am afraid we have gravitated toward the types of messages given through the OT prophets to reassure the broken-down remnant of God's people, or those of the NT epistles meant to encourage the persecuted church of the 1st century. But we are more like the church of Laodicea : "[we] say, 'I'm rich; I have become wealthy and need nothing,' and [we] don't realize that [we] are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked'" (Rv 3:17). There are many individuals who truly do need positive, encouraging truth, but maybe as a culture we are the spoiled child who needs the message of rebuke and correction that leads to repentance.

The difficulty of the situation is that promoters are motivated to push content that is positive and uplifting because, frankly, that is what sells. But the impetus is on the consumer to discern whether and how to apply the messages to their own lives. Many do not. And since there is little balance - to include themes of confession of sin and repentance, of dependance upon God, of idolatry, of service  - the indiscriminate often become adherents to false gospels.

We are like evangelists who passionately deliver well-rehearsed speeches without ever asking one question of the hearer; like doctors who prescribe without doing any examination or acquiring a list of symptoms; like judges who make pronouncements without hearing any testimonies of the facts.

And here is the crux of the problem. Truth is to be spoken in love (Eph 4:15). That requires a conversation, a dialogue. We don't do enough of that anymore. We offer flip-flops to the ranch hand, high heels to the nurse, designer dress shoes to the courier - the shoes don't fit.

For the truly abused and downcast, by all means we must deliver the message of hope and life in Christ. But for those who think "abuse" is getting the wrong coffee from the barista, or a property tax increase on a half-million-dollar home, or a rate hike on a credit card - for those of us perhaps a different truth is more timely. Perhaps the shoe of contentment, or of stewardship, or of serving others. Perhaps we need to try the shoe of "redeeming the time."

For myself, somedays I really DO need to hear "you are loved, you have value, God wants to bless you." But most days I need different shoes, like "to whom much is given, much is required."

And for our culture AT LARGE, I am afraid we are often peddling the wrong shoes. I suppose this makes it that much more important that we, the church, and as individuals engage in real conversations with people, so we can draw from the whole counsel of God and offer people shoes that fit.

(By the way, shoes that fit perfectly can be uncomfortable until they are broken in.)

Truths from a Tracker

We changed insurance companies recently, and, naturally, we want to pay the cheapest rates possible. So, we enrolled in a 90-day evaluation where we installed devices in our vehicles to track our driving habits. Good habits = rate reduction (up to 30%!). Bad habits…well, we get 5% off just for participating.

A few weeks in, I have realized two truths about these devices, and they say a lot about our need for a personal Savior.

First, I can’t wait for the 90 days to be over so that if I feel like mashing my accelerator there will be no penalty (well, if I’m careful). This is the “law” of the device revealing my depravity (okay, that is an overstatement, but you get the drift). If I am prone to the dangerous – or in some cases illegal – habits of “lighting it up” or “power braking” or the like, then the device will reveal that activity, and that tendency. This is pretty much Paul’s point in Romans 7:7-25. God’s law was given to function like my truck’s tracking device – it tells it like it is, comparing my behaviors and exposing my desires in relation to a set standard.

God’s law is more demanding and more effective, though. If I have too many “hits” on my truck’s tracker, I will lose deductions on my insurance – but I will still have my insurance. But when I get one “hit” on God’s tracker, I am disqualified altogether: James 2:10 (ESV) “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.”

So, my first tracker truth is this: the law is only going to condemn me.

Well, to give myself some credit, I HAVE thus far managed to resist the temptation to drive recklessly. And I’m pretty confident I can make it through the 90 days without giving in to my impulses – I want that discount!

But that doesn’t mean we haven’t been flagged with any hits – we have. And this has shown me the other truth. Last we checked, we had 3 hits for hard braking. Well, okay those are all on ME – my wife hasn’t had ANY so far. But, I am being unjustly accused of recklessness! In all 3 cases my hard braking was because of traffic lights turning yellow just before I reached the intersection. I stand to be penalized for my efforts to OBEY the law, because the tracker simply records limited data. It only knows that I braked hard, but it does not understand the circumstances, nor can it make any judgment about whether my actions were justified. I would need a person for that. If our agent was in the car with me in those 3 events, he would be able to say, “Oh, don’t worry about that flag. I know you weren’t being reckless, but were actually doing the right thing.”

So, too, when it comes to my eternal destiny, I need something GREATER than a law that can only condemn. I need a Person who can save. Someone who has ALL the information, who is always in the car with me. Someone who is just, but also Someone who is gracious. The law does what it is supposed to, but I need something more. I need a Person.

And that is my second tracker truth: I need a Person to save me.

Of course, the analogy falls short here. For God’s righteousness does not allow him to explain away my hits – not even one “flag.” He knows what is right, and he knows everything, and it turns out that all of my failures in life are legitimately wrongdoing on my part. But in his perfect love and abounding grace, he has replaced my “data” with his own: the perfect record of his Son, Jesus Christ. I stand qualified. This is Paul’s point in Romans 8:1-11. Now, THAT’S insurance! We usually call it “eternal security.”

And if you understand I am looking forward to the end of this 90-day evaluation, imagine how great it will be when I come to the end of this life and see my Savior face-to-face! The law will help you realize who you really are, but make sure you have something greater, that you have a personal Savior.

Hosea, and the Believer's Union with Christ

Lest we undervalue the OT, and deprive ourselves of its riches for us as NT believers, let us notice a beautiful proclamation of the believer’s union with Christ in - of all places - the prophet, Hosea:

Hosea 6:1–2 (CSB)

6 Come, let us return to the Lord.

For he has torn us,

and he will heal us;

he has wounded us,

and he will bind up our wounds.

2 He will revive us after two days,

and on the third day he will raise us up

so we can live in his presence.

Here is an example of a clear reference to Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection. But the prophet calls the people to repentance, so they will receive healing and life from the LORD. This looks forward to the gospel proclamation that if we will repent and follow Christ, united with Him in his death, we are also united with Him in his resurrection (Rm 6:8; Col 3:3). What a privilege to understand this text from the NT perspective, and to realize our connection to those saints who looked forward to the finished work of Christ! We are all reconciled to God through our union with Him, raised up to live in His presence.

Diagnosis Worship

Ever feel like you should have gotten more out of a worship service?

While we certainly can’t reduce the impact of a worship service down to our subjective feelings, it is reasonable to expect that if something is wrong with worship we would sense it in our spirit. If we get that sense, it is natural to ask why. Is God just distant right now? Is something in the congregation quenching the Spirit? Is it me?

Today I was re-reading a quote from Ravi Zacharias in Lee Strobel’s book, The Case for Faith. Here’s what Zacharias said:

“The pattern in Exodus is threefold: God brought the people out of Egypt, he gave them the moral law, and then he gave them the tabernacle. In other words, redemption, righteousness, worship. You can never violate that sequence. Unless you are redeemed, you cannot be righteous. Unless you are redeemed and righteous, you cannot worship, ‘for who shall ascend unto the hill of the Lord,’ says the Bible, ‘but he who has clean hands and a pure heart?’” _[1]

Certainly, there are a lot of things that can cause a “worship letdown,” but Ravi gives us an important simple diagnostic tool.

I believe many in church gatherings get at best nothing more than a fleeting emotional high because they are, in fact, not redeemed. Certainly some realize it, but I fear many in our worship gatherings believe they are Christians but are not actually trusting in Christ alone for eternal life. They cannot worship in spirit and truth because they do not believe and possess the truth, nor the Spirit of Christ.

Others are truly born-again believers, but are approaching the holy presence of God filthy with sin. If we are carrying unconfessed sin we will not be able to draw near to God, and we will likely sense frustration. (We will also tend to easily list any number of things that are “wrong” with the worship service.)

But if we are truly redeemed, and if we are confessing our sins – the Apostle John would say “walking in the light” and “abiding in Christ” – then we will draw near and honor God with our worship. And more likely than not, we will find that time fulfilling and refreshing.

So, it seems wise to me that we ask this question before we head to the church gathering:

Am I ready to worship?

---

[1]Strobel, Lee; Strobel, Lee. The Case for Faith: A Journalist Investigates the Toughest Objections to Christianity (p. 157). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

Cretan, or Christian?

I recently read some posts where self-identified evangelicals were criticizing a well-known Christian pastor/author. Several seemed clearly to have not even examined the materials for which they criticized the man. They tore down this pastor for preaching against a divisive spirit, yet they didn’t bother to fully investigate this man’s published views on core doctrines. I know this because in more than one case they accused him of views directly opposite those he clearly stated.

It reminded me how important is the difference between testing someone’s doctrine, and being divisive. The Bible is our authority. If someone rejects the clear teaching of the Word of God, then the Word itself divides. This happened throughout Jesus’ ministry. But if we treat unclear or nonessential doctrines - or worse, simple matters of opinion - with the same passion and commitment as core doctrines, and if we recklessly attack others who disagree, we are being what Paul in Titus 3:10 calls a “divisive person.” In Titus’ context, we are acting like Cretans.

The person Paul instructs Titus to reject – if they refuse to heed warnings – is NOT just a person with biblical questions or disagreements about minor issues, nor one who reads the Bible with understanding and holds his leaders accountable. Quite the contrary, this divisive person is focused on “foolish debates, genealogies, quarrels, and disputes about the law” (v.9). Summarily, this person stirs people up about things that are “unprofitable and worthless.”

Here’s the catch: such a person likely sees these things as very important, but they, in fact, are not. It begs the question, “Do I spend a lot of time and energy arguing about stuff that is WAY less important than the gospel and its core doctrines?” We had better be careful to only let essential doctrines divide us, and in every other case humbly love one another in spite of our disagreements.

Which are you more likely to fight for: Musical styles or Biblical Inerrancy? American politics or the absolute sovereignty of God? Your "rights" or the church's mandate to evangelize the world and to minister to the needy?

The context of the letter shows the divisive person is rebellious, malicious, slanderous, angry, and contentious, and manipulates others to his worthless views. This is a stark contrast to the self-controlled, respectful, kind and loving attitude that Paul commends to the Christian. Which list describes you?

We had better take seriously Jesus' prayer for our unity, and all of the NT commands to submit to one another in love and kindness. We had also better take seriously the command to reject divisive people - and make sure we cannot be counted in their number.

Are you acting like a Cretan, or like a Christian?

"In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity." (Rupertus Meldenius)