Friday, December 14, 2018

Persecution

As you are reading this, the most populous country in the world is giving signals that it has begun a campaign of oppression, and repression, of philosophies, and religions, other than the one supported by the government.

Individuals, families, and churches are facing persecution, prison, and, possibly, death. This was the reaction of Rome in the days of Jesus. This has been the reaction of governments since that time.

How should God's family respond?

• Scripture says love your enemies.

We could respond with "an eye for an eye," but Jesus said to respond in a way that is the opposite. Governments persecute, and hurt. God's family should love, serve, and bless.

• You are the body of Christ.

God's family has many parts. All parts make up his family, no matter who, or how different. Disciples of Jesus in Asia are the right hand. Disciples in North America are the left hand. What happens to them does matter to us. Each of us needs to position our hearts with them.

We need to initiate an offensive of prayer. We should pray for: protection and provision, penetration of the Spirit into government officials, workers of the gospel, planting of seed, watering of the crop, and a reaping of the harvest.

• It backfired with Rome.

When persecution was the strategy of dealing with God's family for the Roman empire, when arrest, prison, and dying in the arena were tactics Rome used, it backfired. When God's family responded to persecution with peace, and joy, when God's family responded to persecution with love, and blessing, the responses proclaimed the gospel was true, and more powerful than the government, and its philosophy. People gave their allegiance to God in spite of the persecution. Satan's tools, which were intended to push people away from God, resulted in people being drawn to him.

We should pray for God's spirit to fill this boomerang effect.

Scripture says Satan will attack anyone who gives their allegiance to Jesus, and seeks to live a life of obedience.

Scripture also says we love, and honor Christ, if we live lifestyles of obedience. Almost like being attacked is an indicator of obedience, of love toward God. I sometimes wonder if God's family in the west is really being "persecuted" for acting like jerks.

God's family does need to stand for truth. the most important truth, the one we need to practice above all, is love. We cannot do the first, and forget the second. we need to promote the counter-cultural stands of God's kingdom, of which love is first.

And we need to remember our brothers and sisters, who are in need, who are suffering, by our love, definitely by our prayers, and maybe with our physical assets, or our physical labor.

Monday, December 10, 2018

Essential Good News

The last several years. I have become involved with a number of international students. The local university hosts several hundred students each year. Some come to get their under graduate degree. some come to get a graduate degree. Some are professors, who are taking advantage of a different set of resources for research.

Some of these don't connect with people of the host country. They only associate with others from their own country, language, and culture.

Other get involved with all sorts of social interaction. They get to know local people. They travel, engage in local culture, including holiday observances. (This year, I had a Thanksgiving dinner with 55 people. Only ten were American.)

And some get involved with genuine followers of Jesus. They might attend a church service. They might attend a Bible study. They might have some sort of spiritual discussion.

So, the question is this: How do you explain the gospel to someone, who has never read the Bible, never attending a Sunday service, has had no exposure to Jesus, but wonders what Christianity is all about?

Or another way to ask the question: What is the essential, most basic explanation of the gospel?

It seems to me there are two parts. The first part: believing that -- let's call it -- the Bible narrative is true.

God created the world perfect. He created people perfect. He designed the world, and the people, to be one, giant family, with himself as the ideal Father of everyone. He intended to be close to, talk to, encourage, and develop each person.

The first people grew to question God's goodness, and chose to act in a way that was apart form, and against, god. And the world broke. And people broke. And the relationship between God and man broke.

Death entered into the world, both spiritual and physical. All that was true, good, and beautiful was tied to man's connection to God. Remnants of these things remained, but they did not match what was.

But God did not give up his plan, and purpose, for the world, and mankind. He developed, and put into effect another plan to deal with the rebellion of the world, reconnect God and man, and rebuild his one, giant family.

The separation between God and men was infinite. The brokenness was total. Only someone infinite could become a bridge over the separation. Only someone all-wise, and all-powerful could put all the pieces together.

And because men were the rebels, and were broken, mankind needed to take responsibility before God.

And, as only God is infinite, all-wise, and all-powerful, only he could span the infinite separation. So, he merged the infinite with mankind, and became a man. Infinite to span the separation. A man to represent the entire, broken, rebellious race.

He chose suffering, and death, to satisfy god's justice. He chose resurrection to proclaim that the infinite separation had been bridged, death and brokenness had been healed, and he gave his eternal presence, so that a new family would be made, and a complete connection could be maintained.

The second part: to give allegiance to Father, Son and Spirit.

Allegiance is part choosing to move to a position of trust, dependence, and rest as God's child.

And it is part choosing surrender, and submission, to what God commands. God's child chooses to align him\her self with God's word, God's purposes, and God's relationship. It is loyalty of the highest order.

It involves submission, obedience, agreement, and alignment with God's word.

It is shown with the adoption of God's value, a pursuit of relationship with the Father, love and service to God's family, and all others.

Plus a realization that life, wholeness, and meaning all flow from the relationship that results from this allegiance. God's family, as expressions of love and service, seek the adoption into God's family of all those he chose to die for. Which include: friends, enemies, those in the other party, the other race, a different sexual orientation, different religions, and your every day, garden variety creep.

I sure people could come up with other ways of expressing this. Even some that have not been invented yet. There are different understandings of wrong, value, what gives meaning, and what a good life is.

In the west, people have a greater understanding of guilt, and justification. In the east, people tend to look at life through the lenses of shame, and honor. Perhaps, one reason God chose Israel, and put them where he did, was so he could give understanding of both concepts, and they could be included in his revelation.

Some people have a vivid picture of how evil they have lived. Some people (especially young children) may not recognize their imperfections as well.

Regardless of cultural understanding, or moral awareness, there is a Creator God, who designed the world to live in relationship to him. All meaning, value, and truth flow from him. All life is built to be connected, and to flow with him. And I need to recognize who he is, his position in the universe, and my relationship to him. I need to see that I may be moving with the current of his word, and purposes, or I may be moving against them. No matter which is true, I need to determine once for all (and to determine daily) to move into God's current, to move with the current, and choose to stay there. It is the first, and best, place to be.

Thursday, December 06, 2018

Performance or Identity

As I understand it, every religion in the world, past or present, bases the success, or worth, of the people following it, on their performance. The followers are successful by following a proscribed set of rules, or principles.

Every religion, but Christianity, that is. In Christianity, a follower's success, or worth, is based on what one, specific, other person did. Followers accept, receive, rely on, trust, and rest in the results of what that other person did. From one point of view, it does not matter what any person does, before or after, because it does not affect the person's success, or worth.

(1) Everything, ultimately, and completely, depends on what that one person did.

(2) There is nothing we could have done to achieve success. And if it depended on our effort to keep, or maintain, the success, or worth, achieved for us, we would have lost it on the first day.

We cannot now, nor in the future, of this life, act, speak, think, or feel, in a way that will achieve the goal, or keep the goal, of right standing with God.

This does not mean God does not care how we act, speak, think, or feel. Because he does.

As we have said in the past: God designed humanity to live a particular lifestyle. This lifestyle leads to right standing, his favor, and optimal living. God has also designed each person for a particular, unique niche in history. But the first people chose to move away form God, and that decision broke the world. The human ability to live in agreement with their design, and their unique niche, was broken.

So, how do we live? And how do we view ourselves?

On one hand, it does not matter how we live. We cannot live righteously. If we pursue following Jesus, we will be transformed. We may even grow to walk in some areas perfectly. But we will never be perfect.

Moreover, Jesus' work on the cross gives us our standing. We accept it. We rest in it. And, except in the possible case of rejecting Jesus, after we chose to give him our allegiance, our fate, and standing, are in his hands. And he is constant, and perfectly faithful.

On the other hand, it does matter how we live. God has chosen us to be his child, and part of his family. God has chosen to be with us, to listen to us, to speak to us, and to act for us. We represent him, and demonstrate who he is. All of the people, outside of God's family, learn who he is, and what he is like, by seeing how his family lives. And this "testimony" is more than just keeping the rules.

How we view ourselves in relationship to God is a more important question. Are we a servant? Or are we part of the family? Are we a pardoned wretch? Or are we a beloved son? Family is more important than the servants. A son is definitely more important than a wretch.

And what is most important is how God views us. Servant and wretch? Or family and son? Because God's view is the definition of reality. I am, your are, who God says we are. God's word is our identity.

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

New Life Stronger than The Law

God instituted the Law. By it, God declares what is right, and what is wrong. By it, God condemns those who do not follow the Law.

But, those, who give their allegiance to Jesus, are placed into Christ. The are linked to Jesus, so what he experiences, they receive the result.

Jesus died. The punishment for sin was satisfied in him. Those in Christ were justified.

Jesus died. Those in Christ were linked to his death. Those in Christ "died" also.

Scripture says that when a person dies, he is removed from the authority of the Law. Paul uses the example of marriage. If two people are married, they can't marry someone else. That would break the Law. But, on the death of one of the partners, the constraint of the Law is broken. They are free to marry again.

If we are linked to Christ, when he died, we "died." He is not constrained by the Law. We are not constrained by the Law.

Then, does that mean we can go, and sin all we want? God doesn't care?

God does care. We should not sin. But, ultimately, the controlling factor is not the Law. the controlling factor is a new life in Christ.

We give our allegiance to Jesus. God's presence resides in the core of our being. He re-creates a person's spiritual DNA. Desires change. Motives change. Values change. And words, and actions, change.

We do not immediately become perfect. So, the Law is still valuable for understanding the parameters involved in life. But the impetus, the drive, and the power comes from the Holy Spirit. The goal becomes: faith expressing itself in love. And love keeps the Law.

Monday, November 05, 2018

Live by Faith

I have met people, who have chosen to follow Jesus. They recognize their need for a savior, their inability to secure God's blessing by their own effort, and Jesus is the only solution. The give Jesus their allegiance. God receives them, places them into his family, and begins the process of restoration.

These people begin their lives with God by faith in Jesus, but the assume the must continue that life by living in an acceptable manner.

Don't misunderstand me. God want people to live in obedience. God wants people to live always expressing love. But we initially get right with God by faith in Jesus. And we will continue to be right with God by faith in Jesus.

Paul wrote to God's family in a particular region, and he asked them: you began by faith in Christ, why are you switching?

It is God's Spirit, who gives life. And it is new, and true, life that we are walking toward. So, it is only the Spirit, who can give progress. It is the process of spiritual DNA renewal that leads to real restoration of God's design. And it is only the Spirit, who can operate on our spiritual DNA.

God's goal is to change our spiritual DNA, so that we act "naturally" in obedience. He prefers it, when we choose obedience, rather than when we choose sin. But, he prefers, even more, when obedience becomes as natural, and normal, as breathing. And that requires a move of the Spirit.

When we gave our allegiance to Jesus, we invited God to rule our lives. Part of that is giving the spirit permission to reside, and act, in our lives.

When people get married, they invite another person to move into their life. They give that person permission to act in their lives. As time passes, they  can act, and give that person greater access to the core of our lives. Or we can block that person off. We can act in the same way in our relationship with God. We can open the door wider. Or we can squeeze the door down to a crack.

As I have said before, one of the main fuels of optimal living is our connection to God. To live truly, and fully, we need an open connection to god. We need the door to be wide open. To maximize love, joy, flow of the Spirit, and transformation, we need to maximize the connection to the God-head.

We have discussed these connections too. Christ-followers have devised methods that help them open up the connections: prayer, meditation, worship, and different approaches, and modes, to all of these.

Recently, I wrote about the effect of thankfulness in the inner person, and in our relationship with God. Thankfulness is another method used to open our connection with God. A focus on the negative, on misery, closes the connection. It strangles the flow of the Spirit. of love, of joy, toward our hearts. Thankfulness counteracts this negative focus. Thankfulness gives us a clear vision of God, and his attitudes and actions toward us. Thankfulness opens our spirits to receive from the Spirit.

We can use thankfulness as a weapon against misery, and the enemy. It is a component of prayer, and worship. We can cultivate being proactively thankful, and proactively open our spirits to connect fully with the God of love, who wants to share his love with us, always, and more fully.

Monday, October 29, 2018

Above All ...

In one of Paul's letters, he commends a particular church for its love. He writes that God has supernaturally taught this church how to love.

Right from the beginning of their introduction to Jesus, they began to be patient, to act with kindness, and to not regard anyone as lower, unequal, or with less value, or worth.

Another passage says that right before Jesus returns, people will love less. and less. There will be less patience. There will be less kindness. There will more regarding others as lower, unequal, and with less worth.

Sounds a lot like today.

Scripture says that when someone gives their allegiance to Jesus, God gives them a guarantee that they belong to his family, that they have established a new relationship with him, and all his promises of an inheritance, and new life, belong to them. That guarantee is the Holy spirit living, abiding, and staying in the core of their being.

Moreover, the Holy spirit begins to express himself in, and through, the life of his new child. Because sin, false ideas, and perspectives, block the Spirit's efforts, his expression is imperfect. Be he has begun the process of dismantling the barriers to expressing himself fully through his children.

The first, and foremost, expression of God's spirit is love. Therefore, it should be the first, and foremost, expression of his children. Francis Schaeffer wrote that love is the mark of the Christian.

More than a stand for a particular social issue, more than support for a particular political party, more than going to church, more that tithing, fasting, and reading the Bible, God's family should be known for their love. That doesn't mean the church doesn't tithe, fast, or read the Bible. That doesn't mean the church doesn't vote. That doesn't mean the church agrees with everything the government, society, or culture does.

It does mean that they way the church treats people, talks about people, and interacts with people, is fully infused with love.

It does mean that any solution, to any problem supported by the church, must be fully, and completely, motivated by love, and carried out with love.

The statement that should speak loudest to his family today is his command to love people, who are enemies of Jesus, and his people. Show patience, kindness, and service to those who hate Jesus, and the church, the most.

It is a radical lifestyle that no other religion, or philosophy, is called to. Many are called to peace. None are called to actively pursue the good of those who hate, and are against them.

Image passing out cold drinks at a white supremacist parade. Imagine cleaning graffiti off a mosque, or an abortion clinic. Imagine providing a home, and support, for pregnant teens, or drug addicts.

Will this turn their lives around? Will they choose to follow Jesus? Maybe. Maybe not. Jesus served, and died, for everyone, as an expression of God's love for everyone. He died for the Jews, who turned him over to Pilate. He died for the Roman soldiers, who beat, and crucified him. He died for the 9/11 suicide bombers. He died for everyone who got an abortion. He died for the Nazis. And if any of those chose to give him their allegiance, then they too would have new life, be given his Spirit, become part of his family, and his eternal presence.

And we, his children, are called to live, and love, like him.

Thursday, October 25, 2018

Giving Thanks

One of the principles that Christianity teaches is:  people work from the inside out.  What is formed on the inside produces what happens on the outside.

God condemned "wanting to kill someone" as equally evil as "actually killing someone." Accidents do happen, but deliberate choices only happen when the inner man makes a decision,  and an action is birthed into the world.

There are a lot of "theories" about how God designed the inner man. Many talk about it, as if the inner man is compartmentalized. People talk about a heart transformation.  They say things like: "I understood it with my mind, but it didn't reach my heart."

One Bible passage says transformation comes from changing the way you think. The original language says "renew your mind." Change your "knower."

My feeling is that all the components of the inner man are in one box, or they are all wired together instantaneous communication. Everything that happens in the inner man bounces off all the components at the same time. It is more of a unified structure, than compartmentalized.

I agree that people can know something, but not get it. People can know God loves them, Jesus died for them, and still not give their allegiance to Jesus.

But if the inner man generates the outer life, what we give our inner life to becomes very important.

Why are some people thoroughly miserable? Is it because they have way more problems than others? Or are they spending too much internal energy on their problems? Are they focused on what is bad in life?

If the inner generates the outer, then pursuing the wrongs, the mistakes, the accidents – all that is wrong in the world – can only generate negative effects.

In “A Thousand Gifts,” the writer highlights a terrible event in her family's life, and how “getting stuck” produced negativity towards God, life, and the future. But, a challenge to make a list of a thousand things she was thankful for, began to reverse the negativity.

The enemy, the world and sin are all active in the world. Their activity produces misery. One of the enemy's tactics is to produce as much misery as possible. Misery saps the energy from people's spirits, cuts across how God meant life to be lived, and robs God of glory he is due … because people do not see God as he really is, but through the lens of their misery.

But God is also active. He acts to restore his design in people, and the world. He act to renew love, and heal from sin, mistakes, and accidents. He acts to demonstrate himself in aspects of the world, large and small.

Thankfulness in big and small things is a recognition of the good, of God's war against misery, of God's war for grace and joy. If people get stuck on misery, they miss the opportunities to give thanks. That is, they miss when good happens.

We do need to be real, and honest, when bad stuff happens. But we need to be equally real, and honest, when the good stuff happens. One without the other gives the devil a victory.

Sometimes, good pours from the sky. Sometimes, good is buried so deep, we need to dig to find it. Maybe, we need to develop the habit of carrying a shovel with us every day. And, maybe, if we keep digging, we will uncover enough stuff to change the world … or, at least, how we interact with it.

As a result, I have begun my own list of a thousand gifts.

#1 – Saturday mornings, coffee and a bagel, my Bible, and the opportunity to see the world differently.

Tuesday, October 09, 2018

Community

God designed people to live in relationship. There should be a relationship with God himself; and there should be a relationship with other people.

There is a verse that says relationships should enhance the lives of people. Relationships are compared to sharpening a blade. A blade is no good, unless it is sharp. And I learned recently, that different blades, intended for different uses, need to be sharpened differently, at different angles. A blade used in the kitchen of a five star restaurant cannot be sharpened like an ax, used to chop wood. The blades must be treated differently.

So, it is not good to simply bang pieces of metal together. That will damage the blade, and an important tool will be lost. Someone using metal to correctly, and skillfully, apply friction will enhance the blade, and make the tool more valuable.

Friction becomes a valuable commodity.

Friction is usually considered negative interaction in a relationship. Disagreements, arguments, and other negative interactions, can have a positive effect, if those involved respond in that ways that agree with God’s design. Extending patience, and kindness, to those you disagree with, especially if they are not patient, and kind, in return, can have positive effects on everyone involved. Jesus says, “love your enemy.” Love positively affects the giver, and the receiver.

But in this case, friction encompasses all interaction. If love positively affects give, and receiver, in negative interactions, will it not have positive effects in positive interactions?

And God’s family needs to be the foremost example in giving loving, healing communication. Human beings need community. God’s family should show the world how it should be done.

Thursday, October 04, 2018

A Small Revolution

Scripture reveals there will be a time, when God will remove his people from the world. God's desire is (a) to deliver his people, and (b) to let the world know what it will be like without his "interference." And it won't be pretty!

And a lot of god's people are ready! They are weary of the sin, lack of love, the evil, the atrocities, and the trashing of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. "Come quickly!" is the motto, and heartfelt cry, of these people.

But, what is god's heart, right now?

To use Steve Sjogren's phrase: Many Christians want to get out of the world. Right now, God wants to get his people into the world.

God wants a Jesus-style revolution. Jesus did not overturn any governments, or get involved in politics, protests, or riots. But, he did buck the system. He did stand up for the weak, the outcasts, and the marginalized. He was a voice for change. And he did it by proclaiming the truth, and acting in love, service, and acceptance.

Jesus' purposes in the world:
  • To die for mankind's sin.
  • To proclaim the good news.
  • To make and train disciples.
  • To show the Father.
  • To model life as God intended.

 The church's purpose:
  • The same as Jesus' purpose, except for dying for mankind's sin.

And these are the church's purposes. Not the leaders. Not the professionals. Jesus's whole body participates in completing God's purposes.

A lot of Jesus' followers will start thinking about how they are unable to complete any of the above tasks. And I think we need to start adjusting our thinking.

The world is growing colder, and darker. The Bible says that people's love will grow cold. People will focus on themselves, and what makes their lives easier, fatter, and more comfortable.

But God's family is supposed to stand out … in a positive way, as light and salt. Maybe that means, the world is supposed to be a brighter place, because of God's family. Maybe that means they are supposed to counteract the bad taste people are experiencing currently.

If we are supposed to be "Jesus" in the world today, may we can do — at least, in a small way — what Jesus would do. Maybe we cannot multiply fish and loaves, but we can help feed someone who is hungry. We can pray — right now! — for healing for someone suffering. Maybe, we cannot stop our national representatives from trashing those in the other party, but we can be patient, and speak kindly to, and about, people we have differences with. Maybe, we cannot solve all the problems in the world, but we can carry one burden for someone … even if it is just a bag of groceries to the car.

What if everyone, who follows Jesus, began a revolution of love in Jesus' name? What if everyone, who follows Jesus, made a small demonstration of how people were designed to live, made a small demonstration of what our Father is like, whispered the good news, by completing one act of free, loving service each day? Ideally, it would be to a stranger. Ideally, there would be an opportunity to say, "This is a small taste of Jesus' love for you."

Monday, September 17, 2018

Paul's Priority

Paul was writing to this group of Christians, while he was in prison. The Jews seized Paul, while he was in Jerusalem. And roman soldiers "rescued" Paul,  thinking he was a wanted criminal. And when they found out who he was, they held him, and sent him to Rome.

And what was Paul's perspective concerning the fact that he was being unjustly held in prison? (He had not committed a crime. The Jews seized him simply because he believed in, and proclaimed, Jesus.)

Paul realized that the most fundamental issue with humanity was its separation from God. It is the re-connection of God and man that fixes what is broken in the world. So, people understanding the problem, the solution, and all the results from it, became his foremost focus.

So, rather than viewing prison as a loss of opportunity, because it is a loss of freedom, he views prison as access to a new audience he would not have otherwise. He was able to share God's message to all of the soldiers, who were in Caesar's guard, as well as all of the staff.

Moreover, many other believers have gotten motivated to proclaim God's message.

Some received a fresh revelation of what re-connection to God means for individuals, and the world. So, they became strongly motivated to communicate God's message to people, who did not know him.

And Paul heard about others, who were trying to gain increased status from sharing the gospel. Paul was not worried about this. He agreed these people did not have pure motives. It would be infinitely better to share from love of God, and love of people.

But the foremost fact is: God's love is getting communicated to people, who do not realize it, know it, or experience it. Now, people have the opportunity to move into relationship with the Father, and to live as God designed.

God wants his family as a whole, and as individuals to communicate his love for all people, and his message, which is the answer for a broken humanity. And there are multiple reasons why this doesn't happen.

There are methods of proclamation that can only be done after special training, or with great expense, and preparation, which cannot be copied by most people. Many, who have gotten the training, or paid the cost, has gotten discouraged, because too much work was required for too little results.

Many Jesus followers do not emphasize what Jesus emphasized. There are different groups, who stress different parts of what it means to follow Jesus. These parts have been given priority. I don't want to minimize people's different convictions, or areas that God has revealed to different parts of his family. God is restoring his image to his people. Each of these areas is important to that process. But we do need to remember Jesus' priorities.

Jesus said that love demonstrates who are his disciples. And he said that unity in his family demonstrates that God really, and truly, did send Jesus. it is these areas that God's family needs to major in. It is these areas that God's family needs to be well-know for. God has other standards we need to proclaim, other truths we need to affirm. But these are number one. We need to affirm number two, and number five, without forgetting number one.

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

New Life is Contagious

One day, Paul met face to face with Jesus. And it turned his world upside down, and inside out. Scriptures indicates, that shortly after this meeting, Paul went on a retreat.

Because Paul was a scholar, he need to get his head on straight about all that had happened. Jesus revealed God to him in a revolutionary way. The Jewish scholars poured through Scripture, seeking answers to God, his purposes, his intentions, and plans. They all thought they had God figured out. They had his system down pat. Then comes Jesus! How did they get it so wrong?

After this retreat, he understood better what God's purposes are. He understood Jesus, the Law, the cross, and grace. He understood faith, and obedience. And he understood the effect the gospel could have on Jew, gentile, and the world. And he recognizes his place as a gospel pioneer in God's plan.

So, when he shares the gospel in a gentile city, and they have a similar "light bulb" moment, he develops a special joy for this city. The people in this new church this community of Jesus followers recognized the eternal ripples the gospel would generate. They recognized the expanding, positive effects the gospel would cause in their lives, and families, and countries.

Profoundly impacted by it all, they began to share what they knew all-along their relational lines. They told friends, family, and neighbors about Jesus. This was not a city-wide, door-to-door campaign. This was: "Hey, Joe! How's work? How's the family? Have you heard about this Jesus guy?"

Paul recognized the symptoms of new life in them. He knew them, because he had the same "disease." So, Paul prayed for their progress in their relationship with the Father, their transformation, and the increasing effect of their lives on their communities. And Paul knew that the Father was not finished yet.

One reason, Jesus was born into the world, was to demonstrate, to model, how people should be living. God intended each person to live like Jesus lived. Each person should have a spontaneous flow of God's love to experience, and to share. And each person ought to share it freely, readily, and abundantly.

And yeah! none of us are there yet. But, we ought to be moving in that direction. And in today's atmosphere, it ought to be noticed … just like it was in the first century.

Tuesday, September 04, 2018

Slave of Christ

In several of his letters, Paul identifies himself as a slave of Christ. Slavery is not normally something one aspires to, or is proud of. At the time of Paul and Jesus, it is estimated that half of the population of the Roman empire were slaves. There is documentation of abuse of slaves. There is also documentation of maintaining skilled slaves. For example, one would have a physician as a slave, so one could charge for his services, and keep all the profits.

The Jews had slaves. But it was written in the law,  that the treatment of slaves should be handled differently than the rest of the world. A slave could not be "held" forever. They had to be freed after a set time.

There was a provision in the law, that if the slave chose, the slave could remain with his master for the rest of his life. The law said, that while living with his master, if the slave observes his master's conduct, and treatment, of his slaves, his family, property, and reasons that he is better, living as a slave with this master, he can choose to remain a slave.

The word "slave," that Paul users to describe himself, is usually translated into English as "bond servant," or "bond slave." The intention is to associate this term with the Jewish concept of "slave by choice."

And that is what Paul is identifying himself as. He recognizes who Jesus is, what Jesus gave him, and how he is viewed by God. He recognizes how he is treated, what Jesus did on his behalf, and what his heavenly Abba is ready, willing, and able to do on his behalf. So, he chose to be God's slave, because of the cross, and what it says of God's love for people.

God went over the top for people. He showed Paul his love, and his willingness to serve his people. So, Paul was willing to put himself into God's hands. He became God's slave, doing whatever God asked, because it would be the best for him, and the best for the world. And we are invited to do the same.

Monday, August 27, 2018

The Heart of Jesus

God intended his people to demonstrate what it means for someone to live in relationship with God. God intended it for Israel. God intended it for the church.

Israel turned a relationship into a system. They believed that, if they kept the system, they pleased God, and were accepted by God. We know that God revealed through Paul, that no one can keep any system, and please God. We know that Jesus came, and superseded the system.

Jesus began his public ministry, describing the person, who does please God. God did not favor the one who went through the system. Moreover, he continued to demonstrate who God favored the one who keeps the system, or the one who responds in faith and love.

One of God's commands to Israel: do not form binding relationships with people, who do not follow him. God created relationships to strengthen convictions, and lifestyles. Deeper relationships (like marriage) meant stronger effects on a person's convictions and practices.

Israel interpreted that as: have no relationship at all with people, who do not follow the God of Israel. Do not eat with gentiles. Do not enter a gentile's home.

So, what does Jesus do? He goes on a short-term mission trip. He takes his disciples to the region of Type and Sidon. This area is north of Galilee, outside of Israel, in current day Lebanon. And the disciples are freaking out. They are surrounded by people, who they have been taught all their lives, to have nothing to do with.

And, to make matters worse, a woman is following them around, begging Jesus to heal her daughter. And, after a few words, not only does Jesus heal her daughter, but he commends her faith. Jesus commended the faith of very few people. One was this woman. Another was a Roman Centurion. There were no Jews.

Then, he moves down to the Sea of Galilee, on the gentile side, and heals all the gentiles, who come to him. Then, after three days (doing what? healing? teaching?), he sends them on their way, after feeding them lunch. (Maybe 12,000 people with seven kaiser rolls, and a can of sardines.)

Jesus lived among men, as God intended all men to live. Jesus' lifestyle was an example, and a model for God's family to follow. He was kind to all people. He loved, served, and cared for all people. He put relationship with his Father, and with people, first.

Most of us belong to a "normal" church. Most churches function more as organizations, rather than families. Some system is bound up in organizations. The trick is for God's family to not let the system overwhelm the family. We need to live with love, kindness, and service first, and the system second.

Monday, August 13, 2018

Human Worth

I recently had a couple of days where I failed at a few things. In a couple of cases, I was asked to do something for someone, and I missed one step in the process. And that step turned out to be crucial to the process. In another case, I was asked to do something, and, then, I thought I was told to forget it. Of course, I was not told to forget it.

No one died. There world did not come to ant end. There was some inconvenience. But I was sad, felt like a failure, and felt like I had no worth. Looking back, I can see that I began to behave in a way that sought approval, and validation.

Then, one night, as I was getting ready for bed, I realized that down inside, I held a belief that I needed to do right (or, at least, not do wrong) to have worth.

Another common theme, across humanity, is a yearning for stuff that reinforces our worth. We look for events that say we matter, have worth, or feed our spirits. As followers of Jesus, we need to agree with the Bible, that, in themselves, there is no one who is worthy. Sin corrupts any worth intrinsic in human beings. Not Mother Theresa, nor Billy Graham, nor anyone else is worthy in themselves. And there is nothing anyone can do to gain, or earn, worth.

But, also, as followers of Jesus, we need to agree with the Bible, that human beings have immeasureable worth. Their worth does not come from what they do, rather it comes from who they are. People have worth, because they are created by God, for realtionship with God, and in his image.

And the perfect demonstration of a person's worth is the payment God made to reconnect with people, after sin brought about seperation. God was born into the world, in the person of Jesus, who proclaimed God's love, and died for mankind's sin, to satisfy god's justice, to redeem a family for himself, and to express that love. The worth of something is the price one pays for it. And Jesus paid the ultimate price for us all.

He did not pay the price for just righeous people. He did not pay the price for just good people. He paid the price for all people. Which means all people have immeasurable woth. Dictators, drug dealers, slave traders, rapists, and mass murderers all have immeasurable worth, because an immeasurable price was paid for them.

An immeasurable price was paid for all. But not all have reaped the benefits. One reaps when one decides to follow Jesus, when one gives him allegiance. So, those, without allegiance, have no relationship, do not begin to live as intended. But the price was paid, and God declares how he values them.

We will all continue to fail. We can never achieve worth by what we do. We can learn to live in God's valuation of us.

How does one live, who recognizes, and holds, the worth that God gives him?

Wednesday, August 08, 2018

Effective Prayer

One practice that I have had trouble being consistent with is prayer. 

At times, I have been very regular, and consistent. At times, prayer has been practically non-existent. Sometimes, God has seemed close. Sometimes, God has seemed far away. Sometimes, he has acted quickly, enthusiastically, and powerfully. Sometimes, it seems like God is saying "Are you kidding?"

And at times, when I have been consistent, it seems like the prayer gets mechanical, formal, and repetitious.

Some people look at prayer, as if it is a check-box to mark off. Or it is a magic spell to get God to give you some sort of advantage.

What if prayer is an expression of a person's relationship with God, and one of the means of partnering with God in affecting the spiritual climate of the places that person touches.

Seeking God to intervene becomes part of relationship. It becomes more like asking your dad for help with homework, or to play with you, or to get your kite out of a tree.

Sometimes, it seems like there are rules for effective prayer. And by rules, I don't mean there is formal structure and routine to follow. I mean a rule more like: "Look both ways before you cross the street." It is just something you do, you make it a rule, so you don't get hit.

But even rules require a little flexibility. I know of a Japanese college student who got hit by a car crossing the street. It wasn't that she didn't look. She followed her habitual pattern. But that pattern does not work in the US, because Japan, like the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, drive on the other side of the street. Look left, then right, doesn't work in Japan.

I am reading a book called "Moving Mountains" by John Eldredge. He is trying to describe (what I am calling) rules of effective prayer. There are two rules, that are introduced in this book, that I am hoping to implement to grow in relationship, and effectiveness.

The first rule is: get aligned. When we give our allegiance to Jesus, we can be said to be choosing to be getting our lives aligned with God. Please understand, I am not referring to this initial, fundamental alignment.

Every day, we get battered by the world: war, crime, discrimination, bad attitudes at work, and driving on a freeway. Life seems intent to blow us off course. Each blows distracts us, twists us away from a properly tuned relationship with God. We forget who he is. We forget who we are.

Getting aligned is simply getting God, our lives, the world, and everything that is going on, back into the correct focus, and perspective.

We can do this by spending time in worship. Worship is simply bringing to our attention the greatness of God. We remind ourselves of his character, and attributes. We remind ourselves of his works for us. We remind ourselves of how he views, and treats us.

We can also declare our alignment. This could sound a lot like giving him allegiance again. We confirm our desire to know him, to be transformed, and to live as he designed. We could confirm our desire, and intention, to think, speak, feel, and act in agreement with his intentions for our lives. We could confirm our desire to live as we were designed, as fully as possible.

The mis-aligning forces pull us away from agreement with God, with his word, and with his plans, and purposes. They put a strain on our relationship with our Father. It is agreement with God that powers prayer's effectiveness. So, alignment ought to be step one in gaining prayer effectiveness.

The second rules is: ask God what he wants me to pray for.

People discuss why God is not working in an area. There is sin. There is a timing issue. There are blocking issues. There are a number of layers, interlocking together.

Sometimes, situations are simple. Sometimes, they are very complicated, and confusing. They are like a gigantic log jam. blocking a river. Who do you suppose would know which log to push? Which way? How hard?

I know situations where I don't know what to do, what to say, or even how to pray. I would probably make things worse, if I did something. So, I ask the one who does know.

Get aligned. Ask the Expert.

Monday, July 23, 2018

Incarnatation

In the beginning of one of the biographies of Jesus, the writer uses the word "Word" to describe Jesus. "Word" in the original language means an expression of the inner being. It is an expression of thought, or reasoning. The Greek philosophers used this word to describe the order ingrained in the universe.

God is the force behind creation. He gave it form, order, and purpose. He designed it like an engineer, and an artist. And God's inner being became reality.

The "Word" shows us the nature, and essence, of the God-head. He shows us the likes, and dislikes of God. He shows us God's passions, motivations, values, loves, and hates.

And the Word is also God. The Word is eternal. The Word created all that exists.

The Word gave life. The Word shows us how to live in fellowship with the Father, and how to live as a human being was designed to live. The Word shows how people can return to fellowship with the Father, and how to return to living as God intended.

The Word lived with the Father in the spiritual realm, throughout eternity. There were witnesses, who said he would move into the physical realm. And when that happened, the world reject him. Even his people group, who expected him, and watched for his arrival, rejected him.

But anyone who saw, and listened to him, if the decided what he said was true, and accepted him, those people were granted pardon, justification, and restoration into God's kingdom, and family. They were given authority to renew fellowship with the Father. They were claimed as his child. They were appointed as ambassador, and priest. And each one is beloved, and welcome to the Father's presence at any time, any place, and in any situation.

Monday, July 16, 2018

Invoking the Kingdom (b)

God's family — who is also his army, his kingdom, his ambassadors, and his body — is charged with rooting out the presence of the enemy, and establishing God's kingdom in the world. The question becomes: what does this form of "combat" look like? How do we carry out our assignments?

Like a modern army, God's family has different people carrying out different assignments, and different functions. (Hence, the body analogy.) So, what one person's assignment looks like does not necessarily mean that another person's assignment looks the same. But there are areas where functions overlap.

One common area is proclaiming the gospel. Simply, God's army drives out the enemy's army by capturing the captives. One person — an enemy of God, a rebel, and a slave of sin — hears the gospel, and becomes convinced of its truth. He gives his allegiance to the Father. He is forgiven, and redeemed. He becomes a part of God's family. God begins the restoration process. One person begins to live as he was designed. And the world moves a little closer to following its design. God's kingdom has claimed a little more turf.

The actual communication of God's message is essential. It is like the rifle in an army. It is the most foundational weapon in the God's armory.

But it is not the only weapon. God has others. And these need to be used for the Gospel message to be effective.

Jesus prayed for the unity of those who believed in him. He prayed that his family would have the same unity that he and the Father had. Jesus said that the unity of God's people is a demonstration that God sent Jesus.

Unity is an expression of love; and love is a larger expression of God's nature. Jesus said that love demonstrates who are his true disciples.

Love moves in a direction that is contrary to the world. Love proclaims who God is. Yes, God will judge the world for its sin. But Scripture describes judgment as God's unusual, and extraordinary, work. Gould wold rather give love.

And since, God is love, and love is contrary to the ways of the world, love is a strong witness for God, and God's life. God's family does need to stand for what is righteous, and just. We often see Christians standing for what is just, or standing for what is loving. God is not one, or the other. God is both. And God calls his children to be both.

And, just as God designed, and created, the physical realm, he designed, and created, the spiritual realm. There are laws that govern how the physical operates. There are laws that govern how the spiritual operates. And there are ways the spiritual can invade the physical.

Prayer is probably the most common, perhaps the most important, way to connect the spiritual to the physical, enabling the spiritual to impact the physical. Which means that some of the spiritual laws affect how prayer functions. If you will, there are rules of prayer.

That makes prayer seem to operate mechanically, by formulas. Which is not true, because prayer is an expression of relationship. But, there are "rules" about how people people relate to each other. In Korea and Japan, there are specific ways of addressing older people. I "tease-insult" my brothers. (And they "tease-insult" me in return. Or initiate it.) So, I relate to my brothers in ways that would never be proper with strangers, or, even, certain friends. Husbands and wives have ways to address each other that build the relationship, and prevent fights. Sometimes, my wife will make a statement, and I will have information that makes her statement not quite accurate. If I value this relationship, I will need to introduce this information in a way that does not seem to insult her, or seem to inflate my own self-importance. Just as there are correct, and effective, ways to approach people, there are correct, and effective, ways to approach God. And there are ways that effectively connect to God, and allow him to impact the physical on our behalf.

Two of the simpler to understand "rules" are: repetition, and agreement. I have written recently about insistent prayer. Jesus encourages us to keep asking. God has perfect love, and perfect patience. His heart is for us, so he urges us to consistently bring issues to him, again and again.

And God works with issues, where a number of people agree about it, and pray together about it.

Another "rule" is abiding. Jesus urged his disciple to abide in him, as a requisite to bearing fruit.

Abiding is, in part, a yielding to Jesus. There is a one-time yielding, where we choose to follow Jesus, when we give him our allegiance. There is also a daily yielding. The one-time yielding affects our salvation, our inclusion into God's family, and our eternal destiny. Our daily yielding affects our ongoing fellowship with the Father … and, therefore, our prayer.

Because we are human, we are inconsistent. We drift. We are forgiven, but we are still affected by sin. So, we introduce "pollution" into our fellowship with the Father. The daily yielding clears out any pollution, re-aligns, and re-focuses, our connection, and creates a proper atmosphere for effective prayer. Worship, and confession of known sin, can be proper yielding activities.

Prayer is a vital part of establishing God's kingdom in the world. Prayer is as much a part of completing God's mission as proclaiming the gospel, and serving in love.