Mark 7:24-30 "And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden.
Jesus was a dangerous guy. He came wielding a sword of sorts. He talked about love and peace and how those things would split households and nations. Consider your respect demanded. Stories came from him about being born again. Remember, poor Nicodemus didn't have a context for that one. Jesus, the self-proclaimed Christ, hung out with the outcasts and beggars and hookers and tax collectors - all those folks we don't like to be seen with. Jesus made a name for himself. Next, he shows up at this house in the Hellenistic Gentile region wanting to hide. That's like Obama trying to hide in Canada, or Oprah in Texas. They would be found.
Obama and Oprah are famous. Of course that depends on who you talk to. Some might consider them infamous. Jesus was the same way. To those whom he healed, Jesus was famous. To the Pharisees and others who saw him ruining their lives, he was infamous. Either way, he couldn't hide. Some wanted him dead while others wanted to make him king. Still others just wanted an ear to listen to them, a hand to touch them, a heart to love them. He gave them all what they wanted and more, but for now, he wants to hide out and rest. If you read on, you find out why he couldn't make it happen.
He is dangerous and lovely and passionate and a downright mystery to us. Is that why we are trying to help him hide today? Look around at the churches in A -me-rica. Do they promote dying and carrying crosses and sacrifice? Not hardly. Every bookshelf in the Christian bookstore is crammed with self help, esteem boosting guru books. FYI, I know that God is the God of hope, but according to Romans 5, that hope comes through suffering. If we don't suffer, we don't need hope. Back to the hiding thing. We as a culture have covered Jesus in the cosmetic smorgasbord of romantic interest, buddy, daddy, and counselor. Yes, he's the wonderful counselor, and the Abba Father. He is also a king, a powerful lord, and the creator of the known and unknown universe. Where is our sense of wonder and fear and awe? We complain about unfair circumstances while he gives up his life for our screw ups! If life were fair, we'd all be dead right now. The fact is, no matter how much we try to hide and sidestep the truth about God, he cannot be hidden. Paul tells the Romans to look around because there is no excuse to deny Him. He's all around us, unhidden. He may be unseen, but he is not unknown.
When you feel like God's not around, remember this. Also remember that later in the passage, Jesus cast an unclean spirit from a Gentile girl right after he compared her to a dog. No matter how low we get, no matter how much we try to hide who God is under our excuses and justifications, he is faithful and just to forgive us. Even better, when we stop trying to hide him, people begin to see him in us as we change from glory to glory into his likeness. In that we fulfill our purpose.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Friday, December 26, 2008
Just a Test
I am testing a new feature on my blog. If you get this in your email and don't want to receive anymore, just drop me an email or a comment and let me know.
Justin
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It's a beautiful day,don't let it get away.
Justin
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It's a beautiful day,don't let it get away.
Living For: A Ramble
2 Corinthians 5:14-15 - 14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
I read somewhere once that it is easier to die for something than to live for it. Consider the life of the soldier. Carrying his gear, he marches across fields and awaits the moment when the rounds are whizzing around him and he must fight back. Despite training, I imagine there is still a sense of fear, of tension, that creeps in. Staying alive becomes difficult. Dying is easy. Fighting is the hard thing. Make a correlation to everyday life. The decisions that we make day to day affect our living and dying. Some are simple decisions such as whether or not to drive in the wrong lane on the freeway. Other decisions are more difficult, such as the decision to eat healthier and reject that appetite for sugar and fat. I want to apply this spiritually, though. Because of our rebellion against God, we deserve death (death is separation from God). We are born into that life, yet God made a way for us to avoid that separation. His son took that death for us. In a sick sort of irony, though, we are able to still accept that death. Accepting that death is easy. All it requires is following our earthly lusts. In America, we seem to reach for that death while still claiming to live for something. Usually, we claim to live for something in order to make ourselves feel better. In essence, we are only living for ourselves by dying.
Personally, I want to live for something greater than myself, and I want to do so by living. This is what Jesus meant when he told his disciples that all who discover their life will lose it, but all who lose it for his sake will surely find their life. This morning I read a reminder that life is not about us, but about God. So it is for Him that we should live. For Americans, this is difficult because we must give up so much. We just came out of the Christmas season, a season which is saturated in the selfish "gimme" attitude. I found myself wanting things, but not knowing what they were. This desiring has just become a part of who we are. In order to live for God, a lot of our own desires should be pushed aside.
Living for something requires choices, hard choices. Living for Christ requires very tough choices. Mostly, it requires putting everyone else before ourselves. As some have said: Jesus, Others, You = joy.
As I find myself in a time where I want to throw a hughe pity party, this concept of living for Christ becomes difficult. What makes it even more difficult is the fact that the change I seek is to be in a more full time ministry. I hear conflicting arguments. On the one hand, God wants us to be happy and joyful, so what he asks of us will not make us miserable. On the other hand, Jesus said that he did not come to bring peace, but a sword. Our following him won't be easy at all. We'll meet all kinds of fierce opposition (much worse than removing prayer from school). We will be arrested, stoned, tortured, ridiculed, etc. What Christ wants of us is to find joy in him, not in circumstances. The discussion I want to see happening is on this question: how do we find joy in Christ? How do we break free from circumstancial joy and rejoice even in our suffering? In other words, how do we live for Christ?
I read somewhere once that it is easier to die for something than to live for it. Consider the life of the soldier. Carrying his gear, he marches across fields and awaits the moment when the rounds are whizzing around him and he must fight back. Despite training, I imagine there is still a sense of fear, of tension, that creeps in. Staying alive becomes difficult. Dying is easy. Fighting is the hard thing. Make a correlation to everyday life. The decisions that we make day to day affect our living and dying. Some are simple decisions such as whether or not to drive in the wrong lane on the freeway. Other decisions are more difficult, such as the decision to eat healthier and reject that appetite for sugar and fat. I want to apply this spiritually, though. Because of our rebellion against God, we deserve death (death is separation from God). We are born into that life, yet God made a way for us to avoid that separation. His son took that death for us. In a sick sort of irony, though, we are able to still accept that death. Accepting that death is easy. All it requires is following our earthly lusts. In America, we seem to reach for that death while still claiming to live for something. Usually, we claim to live for something in order to make ourselves feel better. In essence, we are only living for ourselves by dying.
Personally, I want to live for something greater than myself, and I want to do so by living. This is what Jesus meant when he told his disciples that all who discover their life will lose it, but all who lose it for his sake will surely find their life. This morning I read a reminder that life is not about us, but about God. So it is for Him that we should live. For Americans, this is difficult because we must give up so much. We just came out of the Christmas season, a season which is saturated in the selfish "gimme" attitude. I found myself wanting things, but not knowing what they were. This desiring has just become a part of who we are. In order to live for God, a lot of our own desires should be pushed aside.
Living for something requires choices, hard choices. Living for Christ requires very tough choices. Mostly, it requires putting everyone else before ourselves. As some have said: Jesus, Others, You = joy.
As I find myself in a time where I want to throw a hughe pity party, this concept of living for Christ becomes difficult. What makes it even more difficult is the fact that the change I seek is to be in a more full time ministry. I hear conflicting arguments. On the one hand, God wants us to be happy and joyful, so what he asks of us will not make us miserable. On the other hand, Jesus said that he did not come to bring peace, but a sword. Our following him won't be easy at all. We'll meet all kinds of fierce opposition (much worse than removing prayer from school). We will be arrested, stoned, tortured, ridiculed, etc. What Christ wants of us is to find joy in him, not in circumstances. The discussion I want to see happening is on this question: how do we find joy in Christ? How do we break free from circumstancial joy and rejoice even in our suffering? In other words, how do we live for Christ?
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
A Blog Post
Recently, opportunities and encouragements to write have been thrown my way. I am pondering these things in my heart as it were. I am grabbing the opportunities as they come. I am writing now. Unlike my last posts, this one will be less a devotional thought, more a journal entry. Thoughts in pixels for stranger and friend alike to read. Time is spent peering back at my life. I began an artist. I still sketch and draw from time to time. Later, I discovered that music is deeply rooted within me. Preaching is a part of my repertoire as well as teaching. Singing came later, but still is something I am good at. I have been a graphic artist in my life. In each of these varied activities I could get more detailed. My brother and I were in a band together for a while, then we played and led worship in a church together. We each continued to play but separately. I've been a part of a team that won a silver Addy award in advertising, but have designed things such as Yellow Page ads, too. There are two churches in Amarillo, TX that bear my logo designs on their signs. I have preached for a homeless mission, a large Baptist church and a very small Baptist church. Writing devotionals for my friends was done for quite some time in there somewhere. Currently I teach junior high English and Literature and high school Journalism. Now the encouragement is there to write on a higher level. You might call it a professional (though unpaid) level.
This is merely a list. It isn't meant to be an arrogant rant of my accomplishments. I've really done nothing the world might call spectacular or successful with these things. I am good at all of them, though. So what does someone with so many options do, especially when they are horrible at making decisions? I believe that all of these things, these gifts and talents, will be redeemed. When and where are not for me to know; God is sovereign. Finally, though, I know where my heart is and were I am heading. I am God's. He is the one I want to serve. My heart is his for his children, be they teenagers or adults or little ones. I know I'll be in more of a ministry (read as pastor of some sort) role somewhere down my road. For now I must remain obedient. Pray that I do not lose heart.
This is merely a list. It isn't meant to be an arrogant rant of my accomplishments. I've really done nothing the world might call spectacular or successful with these things. I am good at all of them, though. So what does someone with so many options do, especially when they are horrible at making decisions? I believe that all of these things, these gifts and talents, will be redeemed. When and where are not for me to know; God is sovereign. Finally, though, I know where my heart is and were I am heading. I am God's. He is the one I want to serve. My heart is his for his children, be they teenagers or adults or little ones. I know I'll be in more of a ministry (read as pastor of some sort) role somewhere down my road. For now I must remain obedient. Pray that I do not lose heart.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Faith, repentance, diligence, endurance - these are some of the tools stored in the box of a conqueror. Tonight I taught on this subject to the group of teenagers I lead. Many of them face demons of a sort that I never thought of at that age. Before we jumped into Revelations we read from Hebrews 11. In the latter part of the chapter, descriptions are there of a people who were dressed in lowly clothing, tortured, stoned, and even sawn in two. It is this group of people who are called conquerors. This isn't our first image when we think of conquerors, I'd bet. Their faith, though, is commended and they are all a part of the great cloud of witnesses watching over us and cheering us on. It says that they conquered kingdoms.
These kids got it. They recognize the kingdoms that have been set up in their lives. There are kingdoms of money, fame, sex, anger, popularity, self-image, success, approval, drugs, television, porn, internet, sports, and the list goes on. All of this goes on daily. I see this every day in the classroom. Kingdoms rising and falling, but rarely do I see the victor turn out to be the oppressed student.
I pray that as adults we recognize the need for repentance. When the worn path of the easy way out, the lowered expectation, appears before us, we turn away and walk the narrow path. I hope that we see the necessity of faith. We can fight and try all day long, but in the end we fail if we do not trust in God. We need diligence in our following Christ. We are pressured in so many ways to take different roads, to try things we already know aren't of God. There is a certain stick-to-it-iveness that needs to exist. All of this relates to creating endurance: the ability to stay in for the long haul. This is no mile relay. This is more than even an Iditarod. This is life.
If we accept these things and teach them, our children will receive them. We look so often to messed up kids and blame them. It starts with us. If our children are to be saved, we must let Christ save us first. We must repent, trust Him, and remain in Him. Without Him we can do nothing.
These kids got it. They recognize the kingdoms that have been set up in their lives. There are kingdoms of money, fame, sex, anger, popularity, self-image, success, approval, drugs, television, porn, internet, sports, and the list goes on. All of this goes on daily. I see this every day in the classroom. Kingdoms rising and falling, but rarely do I see the victor turn out to be the oppressed student.
I pray that as adults we recognize the need for repentance. When the worn path of the easy way out, the lowered expectation, appears before us, we turn away and walk the narrow path. I hope that we see the necessity of faith. We can fight and try all day long, but in the end we fail if we do not trust in God. We need diligence in our following Christ. We are pressured in so many ways to take different roads, to try things we already know aren't of God. There is a certain stick-to-it-iveness that needs to exist. All of this relates to creating endurance: the ability to stay in for the long haul. This is no mile relay. This is more than even an Iditarod. This is life.
If we accept these things and teach them, our children will receive them. We look so often to messed up kids and blame them. It starts with us. If our children are to be saved, we must let Christ save us first. We must repent, trust Him, and remain in Him. Without Him we can do nothing.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
What we are more than
I'm still in chapter 2, but there is a feast of knowledge. I feel I'm only nibbling the outer crust. There is a recurring set of words here that has snagged my attention: "The one who conquers..." In each letter, there is a challenge. These challenges aren't tests, though. They are a matter of life and death in a sense. If the challenge is met successfully you are considered a conqueror, and conquerors are promised gifts. The Ephesian church is encouraged to repent and return to the things they did in the beginning, to return to their first love. Conquering comes through repentance. A sort of paradox: giving something up to win a victory. Smyrna is given other instructions, though. These brothers and sisters are instructed to "be faithful unto death." If they succeed, the gift given is a crown of life. Conquering is done through faith.
These lessons seem so easy, so simple, so childish. We've heard these lessons our entire lives if we've been in church. Repent and remain faithful. This is the life of a disciple of Christ. It is my belief that there is more here than this, though. I plan to continue digging and searching. So I will write more on this. My goal is to get back to this blogging, journaling, devotional thing. I miss it, and I need to endure at something more than my job. Pray for me, pray with me, and may we all have eyes to see and ears to hear.
These lessons seem so easy, so simple, so childish. We've heard these lessons our entire lives if we've been in church. Repent and remain faithful. This is the life of a disciple of Christ. It is my belief that there is more here than this, though. I plan to continue digging and searching. So I will write more on this. My goal is to get back to this blogging, journaling, devotional thing. I miss it, and I need to endure at something more than my job. Pray for me, pray with me, and may we all have eyes to see and ears to hear.
Monday, October 27, 2008
I am beginning a journey through the book of Revlelation. I am taking my sweet time, savoring the words and letting them seep into my spirit as much as I can. Being human, I will most likely fail some of the time, but that is neither here nor there at this moment. It is in chapter 2 that I began to wonder. This is the letter that is to be sent to the church in Ephesus. This church has quite a strong history. Patient endurance is a key characteristic for them. A small thing this is not. The ability to work and toil, discerning evil and turning away false teachers, is not easy. It is such a big deal that God repeats the endorsement again in verse 3. The but enters here. Despite the strength of their labors and works, despite their lake of growing weary, and despite their doing it all for His name's sake, they have lost the love they had at first.
This is where I began to wonder. What kind of people work so hard and seem to have it together, but have lost their initial love? I wonder if it is the fact that they have lowered their standards. I see this kind of attitude all around me. There is an appearance of religion and righteousness, but the standard seems based on something other than Jesus Christ. Being nice for the sake of ourselves is not Christlike. Praising louder and in a fashion befitting concerts isn't hitting the mark. The thing is, nothing we do hits the mark. That is what sin is: missing the mark. So, even though our heart may be in "the right place," we're aiming lower. I can be nice to those who are nice to me. I can love my enemy from a distance. I can give a tithe without an offering. The death we are called to becomes an unvied for object.
The thing they have lost is their love. Some translations say first love, others the love you had at first. Regardless, the high marks are lowered for the sake of looking good.
I see a lot of patriots, a lot of loyal alma maters, and a lot of charity-eers. They cheer for their teams, their country and their "lesser brethren." That is the easy part. Even I fall into this category of lame humanity. Personally, I want to see a change. I want to be different. My words should be salty and bright. My actions should resound with the glory of God. He wants to be my, our, first love. We find ways around it, though. I am sick of it myself.
God says that he will remove their lampstand if they do not repent. That means they lose their status as a church. They are no longer children of God, which means they never were. Funny how God can take a group of misguided humans and use them for His plans, and yet they remain aiming too low, and not only missing the mark, but missing the point and God in the process.
So this is my wondering. What are your thoughts? The letter has this line in it, a challenge to us: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. Let's do it.
This is where I began to wonder. What kind of people work so hard and seem to have it together, but have lost their initial love? I wonder if it is the fact that they have lowered their standards. I see this kind of attitude all around me. There is an appearance of religion and righteousness, but the standard seems based on something other than Jesus Christ. Being nice for the sake of ourselves is not Christlike. Praising louder and in a fashion befitting concerts isn't hitting the mark. The thing is, nothing we do hits the mark. That is what sin is: missing the mark. So, even though our heart may be in "the right place," we're aiming lower. I can be nice to those who are nice to me. I can love my enemy from a distance. I can give a tithe without an offering. The death we are called to becomes an unvied for object.
The thing they have lost is their love. Some translations say first love, others the love you had at first. Regardless, the high marks are lowered for the sake of looking good.
I see a lot of patriots, a lot of loyal alma maters, and a lot of charity-eers. They cheer for their teams, their country and their "lesser brethren." That is the easy part. Even I fall into this category of lame humanity. Personally, I want to see a change. I want to be different. My words should be salty and bright. My actions should resound with the glory of God. He wants to be my, our, first love. We find ways around it, though. I am sick of it myself.
God says that he will remove their lampstand if they do not repent. That means they lose their status as a church. They are no longer children of God, which means they never were. Funny how God can take a group of misguided humans and use them for His plans, and yet they remain aiming too low, and not only missing the mark, but missing the point and God in the process.
So this is my wondering. What are your thoughts? The letter has this line in it, a challenge to us: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. Let's do it.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
31 Flavors
John 12:35-36
So Jesus said to them, "For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light " These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them.
We all like to dabble a little bit. It's like going to an ice cream parlor. Most of them give small samples to let you try before you get the triple scoop waffle cone. If you're like me, you just want to try them all. A spoon full of rum raisin, butter pecan, a little bit of banana nut: they've all got something to give. The point of the sample is to find one you like, though. Sometimes the things we dabble in are not so sweet. We jump in and out of relationships, styles, celebrities, interests, and a plethora of other things. There is no indication that we know what we really want at all.Jesus knows this about us. He knew it about His followers as well. At this point in Jesus' life, He was a wanted man. Many wanted Him dead. Those who were following Him wanted to know if He was the Messiah they were waiting for: one who would put down Rome and establish a new kingdom. His response is in verses 35-36. Read it with our knowledge in there. "For a little while I am with you. Walk while I am here, so the darkness will not overtake you....While you have me, believe in me, so that you may become my sons."Jesus doesn't walk among us like He did then. But we do have Him with us as believers. The issue for us isn't that He's leaving, it is whether or not we believe that He is really with us. Our problems occur because we don't really believe and we don't really walk in the light. We are walking in darkness, so we don't know where we're going.The answer is this: when you pray, believe. When you read the Word, believe. When you study in a group, believe. When the preacher is teaching you, believe. We spend so much time dabbling in the darkness, yet the Light is there within us wanting to shine for us and show us the way to go. Do we believe and follow or do we keep trying new flavors until we find the one that suits us?
1. What areas of your life are you searching for stability and control in? (job, relationships, time with God)
2. Examine your actions. Do they reveal a firm knowledge of God, or do they reveal an inability to decide?
3. Spend a few minutes in prayer. Have your Bible there and just talk to God like He is sitting right there beside you (He is, you know). Take time to listen as well. Give Him time to answer.
So Jesus said to them, "For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light " These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them.
We all like to dabble a little bit. It's like going to an ice cream parlor. Most of them give small samples to let you try before you get the triple scoop waffle cone. If you're like me, you just want to try them all. A spoon full of rum raisin, butter pecan, a little bit of banana nut: they've all got something to give. The point of the sample is to find one you like, though. Sometimes the things we dabble in are not so sweet. We jump in and out of relationships, styles, celebrities, interests, and a plethora of other things. There is no indication that we know what we really want at all.Jesus knows this about us. He knew it about His followers as well. At this point in Jesus' life, He was a wanted man. Many wanted Him dead. Those who were following Him wanted to know if He was the Messiah they were waiting for: one who would put down Rome and establish a new kingdom. His response is in verses 35-36. Read it with our knowledge in there. "For a little while I am with you. Walk while I am here, so the darkness will not overtake you....While you have me, believe in me, so that you may become my sons."Jesus doesn't walk among us like He did then. But we do have Him with us as believers. The issue for us isn't that He's leaving, it is whether or not we believe that He is really with us. Our problems occur because we don't really believe and we don't really walk in the light. We are walking in darkness, so we don't know where we're going.The answer is this: when you pray, believe. When you read the Word, believe. When you study in a group, believe. When the preacher is teaching you, believe. We spend so much time dabbling in the darkness, yet the Light is there within us wanting to shine for us and show us the way to go. Do we believe and follow or do we keep trying new flavors until we find the one that suits us?
1. What areas of your life are you searching for stability and control in? (job, relationships, time with God)
2. Examine your actions. Do they reveal a firm knowledge of God, or do they reveal an inability to decide?
3. Spend a few minutes in prayer. Have your Bible there and just talk to God like He is sitting right there beside you (He is, you know). Take time to listen as well. Give Him time to answer.
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