It's not just the words

“What is true?” the young man asked sincerely. He was caught up in explorations of doctrines of Christianity. Finding the plethora of opinions about such matters had confused him. He knew that good minds wrestled with these issues. Unable to reconcile the various conflicting systems he admitted, “When I read each position, it makes sense, but they cannot all be true at the same time, can they?”

I knew his dilemma! Time was when I would spend hours debating the place of sacraments in our faith, the free will of man and the rule of God, predestination, election, and the work of the Spirit in the Church.  When I recall the ongoing debates about the timeline of God’s acts at the End of the Age, arguing about whether the Rapture would be Pre- or Mid-Trib, I wince at the wasted expenditure of effort.

Jesus encountered the Jewish scholars of his time who were amazingly learned in the Scripture. Many of them could quote the entire Torah! They spent their lives dissecting the Text. Jesus told them that their efforts were not bringing them nearer to God because their perspective was wrong. “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life." (John 5:39-40, NLT) They thought that if they could get all the words to make sense, if they got their doctrine all sorted out, they would find assurance of peace with God. The Bible was given to humanity to reveal a Person! And, He was standing there in front of them, yet they could not see Him or believe in Him despite their scholarship.

Study of the Word is by no means a waste of time.  We need to love God’s revelation to us. Beware of ‘Bibloatry,’ worshipping the words instead of the Holy One that they reveal to us. Theology is important as are doctrinal statements. They give us a framework of understanding for our faith. Unless we come to the Word with humility and an invitation for the Spirit’s revelation, we risk becoming just like those men Jesus met, who studied and missed the point!

Then, too, we must wisely realize that not all doctrines carry the same weight in our practice of Christianity. The identity of Jesus, knowing that salvation comes us to through grace and is accepted as a gift of God by faith, the hope of eternal life because of the Resurrection of Jesus – these are things we need to anchor in the Scriptures.  Many other issues are secondary. Paul urges us to be charitable about things that are convictions but not at the heart of our hope. He says, in Romans 14, “each man must be fully convinced in his own mind.”

This is a word from the Word. Here we are reminded of the crux of the matter. "He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours . . . So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe.  . . .  to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength." (1 Corinthians 1:1-2, 20-25, NLT)

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I believe in God, the Father almighty,
      creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
      who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
      and born of the virgin Mary.

      He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
      was crucified, died, and was buried;
      he descended to hell.

      The third day he rose again from the dead.
      He ascended to heaven
      and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.

      From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
      the holy catholic* church,
      the communion of saints,
      the forgiveness of sins,
      the resurrection of the body,
      and the life everlasting. Amen.

(*that is, the true Christian church of all times and all places)

It's not about ME

So, do you know George Martin? He died, aged 90, yesterday in London. He is often referred to as the “5^th Beatle.” Sir George was a producer, a classically trained musician, whose skill and training helped to make the boys of Liverpool into an international sensation. He offered his expertise to shape their raw talent into a marketable sound and guided them for 8 years, from 1962 to 1970.  Billions of people know about the music of the Beatles. Only a few people, in comparison, know about the man behind the scenes.

Who contributed to helping you to become who and what you are today?  In whom are you investing yourself? They are worthy questions. Are you consumed with building your own reputation? Are you careful to get credit that you believe is due you in each situation?

Think about this wisdom from the Spirit. "Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself." (Philippians 2:3-5, The Message)

I look back over my 6 decades of life and realize that at key moments, God brought people my way who made a difference.  Some walked alongside of me for a few months, others have been friends for years. Some have been critics whose words stung, others have been encouragers who cheered me on. A few have mentored me, showing me how to live.  What a debt of gratitude I owe!

“Help others get ahead!” The whole idea of selflessness is a basic part of our Christian experience. That passage in the letter to the Philippian church bases the entire reason for our genuine love for others on the example of Jesus who "Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to." (Philippians 2:6, NLT)  

The Second Person of the Trinity became a humble man for my sake and yours.  He had nothing to gain, nothing to add to his resume, no profit motive. "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich." (2 Corinthians 8:9, NIV) He loved us and, seeing our need, entered into our experience to save us. Imagine how different our relationships would look if we stopped looking out for number one and loved like that?

Here is a word from the Word. Meditate on it. Ask the Spirit to make you aware of those with whom you will walk today and then, invest yourself! "One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." (Proverbs 11:24-25, NIV)

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We Will Stand  (Russ Taff sings an anthem of unity)

Sometimes it's hard for me to understandWhy we pull away from each other so easilyEven though we're all walking the same roadYet we build dividing wallsBetween our brothers and ourselves

 But  I don't care what label you may wearIf you believe in Jesus you belong with meThe bond we share is all I care to seeAnd we'll change the world foreverIf you will join with meJoin and sing sing 

You're my brother, you're my sisterso take me by the handTogether we will work until He comesThere's no foe that can defeat usWhen we're walking side by sideAs long as there is loveWe will stand

 The day will come when we will be as oneAnd with a mighty voiceTogether we will proclaim that JesusJesus is KingIt will echo through the earthIt will shake the nationsAnd the world will see see that

 You're my brother you're my sisterSo take me by the handTogether we will work until He comesThere's no foe that can defeat usWhen we're walking side by sideAs long as there is loveWe will stand

James Hollihan | Russ Taff | Tori Taff © 1983 Word Music, LLC (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.) CCLI License # 810055

Not a matter of talk

“You’re so real,” is something I hear often. Often it follows my saying something that the person never expects a pastor to say.  Being authentic is important to me. Eugene Peterson, tells the story of Charity’s visit with her Christian grandmother. The morning after she arrived, she crawled into bed, cuddled up, and said, “Grandmother, let’s not have any god-talk while you are here, OK? Let’s just keep it real.”  I’m with Charity on that!  God-talk that is inauthentic kills any hope of real relationship! Peterson observes, “She was onto the fact that life leaks out of what we say… teach and pray- especially when we are using the sterile life-less language that objectifies words like God, Jesus, prayer, believe – we are left with nothing but god-talk.” (The Pastor, a Memoir)

So what is God-talk?  It is that kind of religious words that refuse the gritty reality of real life. God-talk does not allow for fear, confusion, sorrow, or doubt. God-talk consists of endless Bible quotations and stories that the person has heard a preacher on the radio. God-talk robs our Lord of His majesty and mystery by reducing Him largely to mottos and slogans. Yes, those who speak it are often saying true things but in a way that is not engaged with their world. I stood at the bedside of a dying man yesterday. God-talk would have had me saying things like ‘It is the will of God,’ ‘Jesus never fails.’  True, enough.  But, the man did not need platitudes. He needed the Word lived with empathy, with caring, and a genuine prayer for his heart to be held safe, for Light to shine in his dark place.

Do you know that Jesus is just as much Lord of our broken, doubtful, insecure, neurotic, temptation filled days as He is of the days when we are living on the “hallelujah side” of life? When I hear somebody desperately trying to out-talk their circumstances with blustery words of faith – “I just know God has a real purpose in this and I’m so excited to see how it all works out” - while I know they are deeply depressed and wishing to run away; it breaks my heart. They might find the support they need and certainly will connect with the Holy Spirit’s comfort if they will confess the truth about life as they know it, their emotions, and Who God is.

Since Bev’s death I have lived with a whole lot of God-talk which I patiently endure.  Most people expect me to say things like “I know she is in Heaven,” or “I am a peace with it all.” So, when I admit that prayer is difficult, that I sometimes feel deep anger at God for allowing her to be taken from me so soon, I see surprised, if not shocked, responses. I believe that only when we are honest with ourselves and with the Lord can we really find His healing. Only when we are willing to face those things we think and feel do we open our lives to the transformative work of the Holy Spirit.

Jeremiah had a terrible assignment from God. He was commissioned to preach warnings of judgment to Judah in the years before her destruction by Assyria. God-talk was not his method. His message was uncompromising - “Death, murder, rape are going to befall you who ignore the living God!” His sermons rubbed sores onto the national conscience. Did he love his ministry?  He felt the pain of rejection and hatred and complained honestly to the Lord. "When I speak, the words burst out. “Violence and destruction!” I shout. So these messages from the Lord have made me a household joke." (Jeremiah 20:8, NLT)  At first glance his complaint seems shocking, a faithless statement of despair. But, this is really an amazing indication of the depth of intimacy he had with the Lord. His prayer was so much more than mere God-talk.

Christian, do you desire to know Him in that way?  Then, do not let yourself hide real emotions behind happy, sappy, pious “everything is wonderful” platitudes. We need to believe deeply in a Person who loves us all of the time. Our walk with Him will take us through the valley’s shadowy path and along the ridges of the peaks of glorious triumph. Job recounted his sorrows and then declared: "Still, I know that God lives—the One who gives me back my life— and eventually he’ll take his stand on earth. And I’ll see him—even though I get skinned alive!”  (Job 19:25-26, The Message) His declaration does not mask his pain and sorrow; it is wrung from him like sweet juice squeezed from a grape!

When someone begins to share their pain are you just ready to listen and slide a shoulder under the burden to help carry it; or are you quick to distance yourself, protecting yourself with a cliché - ‘just trust the Lord’ - as you pray a quick, insincere prayer?

In the Decalogue, the Lord forbade using His Name in vain. It applies to god-talk that is only lip deep, without heart or mind. Immerse yourself in worship. Make laughter and tears the language of your prayers. Confess His Glory with groans and shouts of joy. Push past the vanity of god-talk and get to know, really know, the One who is life.

Here’s word from the Word! It’s real. It’s blessed. Live it. "Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out." (Ephesians 6:13-18, The Message)

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I Stand In Awe

You are beautiful beyond description,Too marvelous for words,Too wonderful for comprehension,Like nothing ever seen or heard.Who can grasp Your infinite wisdom?Who can fathom the depth of Your love?You are beautiful beyond description,Majesty, enthroned above!

 And I stand I stand in awe of You,I stand I stand in awe of You,Holy God, to whom all praise is due,I stand in awe of You!

Mark Altrogge© 1987 Sovereign Grace Praise (Admin. by Sovereign Grace Ministries)
CCLI License # 810055

Not a private experience

As Sunday came to a close, I looked back across a day with my heart full of thankfulness. Since Bev’s death, Christ’s Body, the church, has been a source of invaluable strength.  I could not complete this journey without the love and sustaining prayers of my ‘brothers and sisters.’  I appreciate dinner invitations and the practical kindnesses, but the greater gift is the sense of ‘connection’ with people who let me lean on them. Some comment on my strength, wondering ‘how do you do it?’ as if I were some kind of superman because I continue to work and move forward.  The ‘how’ is not in my character or personality. It is the fellowship of the company of Christians into which I am called.

In John 15 we read this familiar invitation - "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned." (John 15:5-6, NIV)  That passage is usually read with a focus on our mystical connection to The Vine; on the spiritual life that we receive from Him through faith. But, there is a sub-text that we cannot ignore.  “You are the branches!”  The ‘you’ is plural, a reminder that Christians are not only alive in Christ, but connected to one another in a way that makes them alive and fruitful.

When Jesus’ followers received the Spirit and began to be formed into ‘the Church,’ they did not gather around organizations or buildings. Those things can help us in our mission, but we need to learn from them about what is of first priority.  Look at this amazing passage that describes their experience.  "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." (Acts 2, NIV) “The fellowship” is a translation of the text ‘koinonia.’  (coin-non-ee-ah), a Greek word about connection, relationship, participation, and shared experience.

Those first Christians would find our 21^st century ideas about knowing Jesus as our ‘personal’ Savior strange. They knew Jesus through His Body, through the connections with one another. In truth, so do we. There is no real private experience. We are, by the Spirit, called into the Body, and in knowing one another, sharing our gifts, our joy, our sorrow, our hopes, our fears, and our prayers – we know Him!

Are you connected to the Church?  If you think the best way to answer that is to point to your stellar record of attendance at Sunday worship, please re-consider.  Our worship together is surely a part of being in the Vine and in fellowship, but it is only part.  We also share daily life.  At least, we should, but many have no contact with the Body from Sunday to Sunday.  Let’s be intentional about making life together, about getting involved in the work of the Kingdom in a way that demands a second set of hands, that makes us love the prayers of the saints.

Our word from the Word is a call to connection.  Do you hear it? Will you listen and obey?  "You can easily enough see how this kind of thing works by looking no further than your own body. Your body has many parts—limbs, organs, cells—but no matter how many parts you can name, you’re still one body. It’s exactly the same with Christ." (1 Corinthians 12:12, The Message) "What we have is one body with many parts, each its proper size and in its proper place. No part is important on its own. Can you imagine Eye telling Hand, “Get lost; I don’t need you”? Or, Head telling Foot, “You’re fired; your job has been phased out”? As a matter of fact, in practice it works the other way—the “lower” the part, the more basic, and therefore necessary. You can live without an eye, for instance, but not without a stomach. When it’s a part of your own body you are concerned with, it makes no difference whether the part is visible or clothed, higher or lower. You give it dignity and honor just as it is, without comparisons." (1 Corinthians 12:20-23, The Message)

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Heavenly Father, we come before you to magnify and glorify your name. 
We, as the body of Christ, give you all the praise and honor you deserve. 
Help us all to unite and pray together as a congregation, 
for we know where two or more are gathered in your name, you are with us, Oh Lord.

Bless us, Oh Divine Father, to find unity with each other, 
to work together to deliver your word, Oh Lord, 
for we know man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. 

May we be a blessing to others, as we strive to be more like Jesus, 
Oh Loving Father; kind, caring, compassionate, loving, giving, forgiving and humble. 

Oh Lord, as we work together let us be the light that leads the world to you. 
God, teach us to be good role models to the people around us, 
so that when they see you and your love within us, 
they would want to know you more and more. 
God grant us the patience to work together, bring us all together as a family. 
Let us work together with understanding and compassion in our hearts. 
Let us not be rude or arrogant towards one another, as we light the way to your heavenly kingdom.

In Jesus’ most Holy and Precious name, AMEN!! (prayer copied)

Self's Conceit or 'Coram Deo'?

It’s Monday morning.  What kind of emotions are you experiencing as you prepare for this new week?  I look at my calendar and see a full schedule, meetings, responsibilities, preparation, and decisions to be made.  Will I see those moments as opportunities presented to me to do good things or as yet another thing to cross off the list?  I want us to remember this – the way we live out this week will result largely from our choice of attitude. If we allow ourselves to be hurried and see things only as a hassle, exhaustion will quickly come. If we take each day, each person, in the flow of life – engaging fully in that moment, we will discover a new kind of effectiveness.

God promises to renew our strength, to provide grace for every moment.  I do not know who said it first, but I believe that “Where God guides, He provides.”   The Lord asked Abraham to offer up his dearest son. The request was hard, unreasonable by every estimate, and could have broken the man. But, in his hour of trial, Abraham choose to trust God totally.  As he prepared to obey, God provided a ram in the thicket to replace his son on the altar. There on that mountain, the man worshipped “Yahweh Yireh” – “the Lord, My Provider!”

We cannot know what He has provided if we are full of ourselves, if we resent others for asking much of us, or if we complain when we feel the pressures of life. When the ancient Israelites left Egypt with nothing, God fed them and led them every day. They had all that they needed. But, remember their attitude?  They were full of complaints with only contempt for what God freely gave to them. Because they were not humble before Him to receive each day’s manna, they lost their sweet fellowship with their Heavenly Father.  And, that conceit of Self eventually concealed His power from them and they did not enter into the Promised Land. Lacking the boldness of a God-centered faith, they saw only the walled cities and inhabitants that became ‘giants’ in their twisted perspective.

We are pilgrims. This world is not a resting place. It is a battleground. The battle belongs to the Lord, we learn from the Scripture. Our resources are insufficient to overcome the world, the flesh, and the Devil. But, Jesus walks with us and assures us that “in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, NIV)  

On this Monday morning, I bow my head and my heart before the One who leads me from strength to strength. I will pray to be fully engaged in each moment, with each person, taking each day from Him with His promise of provision. Will you?  As we walk with Him, there is joy, there is peace, and the Kingdom is made visible on this earth.

The key is “Coram Deo.”   The Latin phrase means ‘in the Presence of God.’  To live “coram Deo” is to live out our days, ‘before His face’ under the guidance of the Spirit; becoming ‘living sacrifices’ for the glory of God.

Here’s a word from the Word. May the truth inspire us to be centered on Jesus, to live ‘coram Deo’ and to defeat Self’s conceit. "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." (2 Corinthians 4:7-9, NIV)  "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:16-18, NIV)

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A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,On earth is not his equal. 

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,And He must win the battle.

 And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,His kingdom is forever.

A Mighty Fortress- Martin Luther, Public Domain