Salt

Jesus said that his family was like salt. Salt in Jesus' day was a very important commodity. It was a food preservative, a spice and -- given the hot dry climate -- a key to proper hydration. The lack of salt could result in a bland diet, but also disease or possibly death.

So, what if salt lost all those properties that made it so valuable? It would become just another variety of dirt. Not worth anything.

What is salt in God's family? What is this quality that preserves and enlivens? Is it our morality? Is it our proclamation of the gospel? Is it manifestations of the Spirit? Is it miracles and healing? Is it love? Is it all of the above?

Looking at the church in the US -- loss of interest, loss of respect, local churches closing, young people going to college and never setting foot in a church again -- there seems to be a lack of saltiness.

Missiology and the Gospel

I remember reading in the early 80’s about the discovery of Christian documents in the Vietnam delta dated from the 8th century. Missionaries from the early church had spanned Asia from Jerusalem to the Mekong delta in that time.

I believe in the importance of missiology. Researchers and practitioners can work together to advance the gospels in ways that we can only imagine. But the information from above cause me to ask a question. How did the first Christians without all the advances – language training, Bible translation, computers, internet, anthropology and sociology – cross all of Asia? Maybe a little radical faith and love is more important than advances in knowledge?

God's Resources

God has allocated tremendous resources on our behalf. These resources enable us to live out the “divine nature.” We are – in our physical bodies – supposed to demonstrate God’s nature/personality to the world.

Since, the world is supposed to see God in us, we cannot sit still. We need to grow in Christ-likeness. We has chosen a faith that leads to salvation. We should now choose behavior that honors God. We should be good – not good that avoids the bad things only, but good that pursues good things: service, kindness and generosity. Then, we need to increase in knowledge, so we can agree with God. We should, in ourselves, live in agreement with God’s standards. We should continue pursuing with our actions and decisions a godly lifestyle in light of difficulties or troubles. It is in the fire that what an object is really made of comes to light. And that “material” really begins to shine. And we should demonstrate real love – love that is expressed within the family, and love that expressed outside the family. Consistent expression in these areas will, as the family of Jesus lives and functions together, generate fruit and disruption of the world system.

Called Vs. Commanded

God has given different gifts, different effects, different ministries, and different passions. But we all have one God, one Lord, one Spirit and one plan. We are all given the task of extending God’s glory over the whole earth, by making disciples from all peoples. The body of Christ is given the task of reaching the world. If you are a child of God, you are part of the body, and part of the mission.

We have unities combined with differences. The question practically is "how does that work out?" The question is not “Am I called to participate in reaching the world?” The question is “What is my part in reaching the world? How do I affect over there? And how do I keeping impacting over there?”

The Greatest Command

A man asked Jesus what was the greatest command. Jesus answered to love God and to love one’s neighbor. A large part of scripture goes on to illuminate and analyze love, neighbors and our behavior with others.

Real love is alien to this world. It cuts across our flesh, our desires and our pursuits. It takes us out of our routines. People love their routines more than they do other people. They feed their comforts, reinforce their view of the world and protect themselves from pain. I know this, because at the time I was thinking about this, someone challenged one of my routines, and, although it is something good, maybe there were reasons -- and listed a few -- that I should change this routine. Part of me (the selfish, want my way part) reacted quite strongly.

To really love people is to embrace otherworldly objectives and to deny what the self wants most. To love at any level is sacrifice; and the self flees sacrifice like the plague. The self rationalizes away, hides from and ignores the sacrifice of love. The self lies to itself.

There are things that provide a basis, a foundation, for love that need to be cultivated. I cannot love if I do not sleep. I cannot love if I do not eat. I cannot love if I do not strengthen my relationship with the Definition and Source of love – so I need my time of prayer and meditation. But all these things can be excuses not to love.

The challenge lies in cultivating the foundation, completing the life maintenance tasks and taking steps of love. God has created us to do all these things, and not to close ourselves to just one of them. The challenge lies in living with sensitivity to the Spirit, circumstances and people so we can act in the right sphere, at the right time.

What this will mean for my "routine" -- which involves part of how I conduct my prayer, reading, and meditation time with God -- I don't know. I would be less than honest if I said I liked the thought of changing. I would be less than honest if I did not examine the possibility of needing to change.

Breaking Walls, Building Bridges

There is a story about Jesus going to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A gentile woman comes and asks him to cast a demon out of her daughter. His response seems to reflect the common Jewish prejudice that God is more concerned for the Jews than other people. But we know from many places in the gospels that Jesus’ heart flowed far beyond the borders of Israel.

•    He caused a riot in the temple, because the Jews had turned the part of the temple where the gentiles were allowed to seek God into a flea market.

•    He told his disciples he needed to seek out others from different sheepfolds to make them one flock with one shepherd.

•    He commanded the apostles to go to all the world and make disciples from all peoples.

Jesus touched lepers and ate with tax collectors and prostitutes. Jesus was all about removing walls, and making bridges. And yet he seems to build a wall in front of this woman.

Because he continually opens his heart to everyone, I do not think he is closing his heart to her. Perhaps he is trying to reveal to her what resides in her heart.

I am not familiar with the particular ethnic group the woman was from, but there are numerous examples of strong ethnocentricity throughout the Mediterranean. The entire region was in Roman hands. To not bow and worship Caesar, who was considered a god, was regarded as treason. The Greeks had a highly developed culture – philosophy, drama, science, literature and politics . Everyone else was second class.

Did the woman regard Jesus as just another magician? Did she regard the Jews as a simple ignorant people, an so Jesus was one of the same? Yet she opened her heart to him, and demonstrated in her words and countenance, that she realized her need and Jesus was her only answer. So, she understands her heart and responds in faith and humility.

People Live from their Hearts

In physics, there is the center of balance, the center of mass. These centers are imaginary point that we can say if a force acts on this point, it acts on the entire mass. People have a center of personality that the Bible calls the heart. Jesus treated the heart with utmost seriousness.

There is a common belief that outside influences impact a human being and can corrupt him. Different foods, places and practices are all regarded as things they exert spiritual influences on a person and can bring blessing or corruption on him. The scripture says words are very powerful and can have a huge spiritual effect. But the effects of corruption or blessing do not come from these outside things.

Jesus says a person is defiled\blessed by what comes out of him. Defilement or blessing are products of what fills a person’s heart. It is as we live out what fills our hearts that we blessed or defiled.

Words are powerful. Scripture urges to watch our words. Words are in one perspective just vibrating air. Vibrating air has not power in the spiritual realm. But words also express a focus of the heart. That’s why they are powerful. It is the heart-focus that connects to the spirit. It is the heart-focus that gives power to spoken words. It the heart-focus that gives power to listened-to words.

There is a person of my acquaintance who is rather small and petite. No one in their right mind would ever refer to her as fat. But, when she was a teenager the boys in her neighborhood began to refer to her as fat.

(Now, as we all know, people go through tremendous changes when they hit their teens. One of the changes some boys seem to go through when they reach 13-14 is their brain turns off. And it doesn’t turn back on until they turn twenty-two. So, to a boy who wants to promote a positive relationship with a girl, it makes perfect sense to either insult her or to knock her over.)

The words were spoken to my acquaintance, and she received them. They were placed in her heart. Now, she has a self-perception problem.

Outside influences – friends, TV, news, important people, books – can have a profound impact, if we receive them into our hearts. That’s why we need to deal wisely with our hearts. We need to protect them. If my acquaintance had heard the word “fat” and responded in her heart “What are those boys talking about? My BMI is 15!! I’ll be really glad when they decide to turn their brains back on.” If she had “heard” the truth and received it, then the lie would have had no power over her.

But the defilement did not come from the boys speaking. Rather it came from the receiving the lie.

There are some outside influences that resonate with our hearts so much, they ought to be avoided at all costs. There are some influences that are almost impossible not to reach. Just as truth would have protected my friend’s heart in the first place, truth can counteract lies received in the heart. Counseling, teaching, meditation, prayer and sharing with one another can plant truth, and strengthen the heart.

Real Equipping

Jesus found himself surrounded by a crowd of people. He looked out into the crowd and realized it was characterized by a soul hunger. In a country and people chosen by God to be his dwelling place, given the Word, the covenants and continuous demonstrations of his reality, there was a failure of leadership to equip people in knowing God, in character development and in real ministry. The Sadducees were more concerned with the political situation, and their place in it. The Pharisees were more concerned with maintaining their spiritual “superiority.” No one was concerned about the common man. Spiritual abundance was for t he elites.

Except Jesus knew God’s heart for people. He invited all to become part of his family, to participate in his life, and to experience the adventure. So, his heart went out to them. And he focused on building into their lives, revealing God’s heart to them, and showing them how to share that life God intended them to live.

Kingdom Like the Earth - 3

The Kingdom of God is like “the earth produces by itself.” Since, the earth is a figure of the hearts or spirits of people, and fruit is produced from the “earth” without any intervention from the farmer, then all that is required to produce fruit is already present within the “earth.” What might be required to produce fruit: workers, finances, hospitality, love, faith, prayer, relationships, and a local understanding of culture and its connection to the gospel.

Kingdom Like the Earth - 2

The Kingdom of God is like “the earth produces by itself.” Jesus identified the earth as the hearts or lives of people. There is good earth for producing fruit; and there is bad earth for producing fruit. There is only so much a farmer can do. He can plant seeds. If the soil is good, it will produce fruit. If the soil is bad, it will produce nothing.

It is god’s desire for his family to plant seed and produce fruit. If we plant, and no fruit is produced, what then?

We can decide that the production of fruit is completely out of our hands. It is entirely in God’s control. So, if there is no fruit, God did not want it? Or his timing was off? If this is true, all we, as his family, can do is to continue to plant. And wait for God to act. This story is about the mystery surrounding fruitfulness.

Some people look at the story and conclude that the earth contain everything for fruit. All we need to do is plant the seed. But planting cannot be construed as a simple throwing of seed. Consider Jesus’ instructions to the seventy.
•    Go in teams.
•    Pray for workers.
•    Seek the man of peace.
•    Live among the people.
•    Heal the sick. (Or serve to meet needs.)
•    Proclaim the kingdom. (As Jesus was coming, this proclamation was in preparation for his appearance.)
•    Go to specific cities. (The ones he was going to.)

The planting that Jesus prescribed was not haphazard or unplanned. It was intentional with particular steps and aims.

Kingdom Like the Earth

The Kingdom of God is like “the earth produces by itself.” The Kingdom of God is first of all in the hands of God. We see churches developing techniques, campaigns, etc. that have tremendous success in impacting the world and drawing people into the Kingdom. Other churches see the success and copy what the first church did. (The first church may even market what they did as THE Kingdom builder. There may be a book and seminars.)

However, techniques, method and campaigns do not build the Kingdom. The Kingdom is built as truth and grace are applied to people’s hearts. And it is only God who is stronger than a person’s heart. (And he does not force someone to choose to follow him.) So, it is God who builds his Kingdom.

The Gospel

I was with two groups that brought out an amazing contrast in how the gospel is perceived.

The first group consisted of Jesus followers who were discussing their relationship with God. Someone asked how many chose to follow Jesus in the “normal” way – realization of one’s sin, God’s hate of sin, certain punishment without Jesus, God’s love that substitutes punishing us with punishing Jesus, receiving that love, inexpressible joy, total transformation, fireworks and brass bands. Out of the 12-14 people, only two were “saved” in the “normal” manner.

The second group consisted of people who were learning the message of Jesus for the first time. God’s message was presented in the “normal” way.

A quick survey of the first group revealed a variety of method and motivations for following Jesus:
•    An understanding of God’s nature and identity;
•    Realization that only God can meet certain needs;
•    Heart level longing for protection, companionship, purpose and meaning.
•    Repugnance for the dysfunction of life.

The first group concluded that God pursues people with grace and not a formula. I have concluded long ago that “unmerited favor” is an inadequate and incomplete definition for grace. Grace is God meeting you where you are and supplying you with whatever you need. God’s supply is favor and unmerited. But God supplies with wisdom, forgiveness, understanding, friends, food and water, mission and emotional support by his grace.

Are we short changing the gospel by providing an incomplete message?

Truth

God revealed the Truth about Jesus so we can find our way back to him. There will always be people who distort the Truth. They are deceived. They look to draw attention or authority to/for themselves. Honest people who search for the Truth are in danger of being deceived.

The only cure and prevention is truth. People need to know and understand Truth. People need to know how to handle it accurately. Not only will we be protected from going the wrong way, but we will be able to help guard others in the way also.

Transformed Life: Sowing

There is a general principal of life, of the spirit realm, and of relationships. As you sow, so shall you reap. The transformed life sows deeply into people sows deeply into the people who he connects to. He gives his heart. He sows loves, prayer, grace and service. He should reap a huge harvest.

There can be a tendency for discouragement. Someone gives long and strongly from the heart, and nothing happens. Like the farmer, the hardest work is the initial work when the is no result to be seen. Like the farmer, someone giving into a community needs to believe that the planting is not in vain. Fruit will come quickly enough, if faith is kept.

Transformed Life: Farmer

Farming is a very difficult job. First, the land must be prepared. Rocks and weeds removed. The ground made loose.; (Fortunately, the more the ground is worked, the easier is becomes it year.)

Then, seeds are planted. Consideration should be given what to plant. Each plant is different. Each are is different. Cucumbers are not planted the same way as corn. Oranges shouldn’t be planted in Minnesota. There are different requirements.

The seeds need moisture, fertilizer, light and heat. Weeds will continue to compete with the crops.

A tremendous amount of work is done before any results are seen. The famer must work in faith that what he does is effective.

It would not be fair if the farmer works hard to prepare, to plant and to bring the crop in, and someone else gets to choose how to dispose of it. The farmer puts his heart into his labors. He has a connection with the land. There is almost a love relationship.

The transformed life takes on new purposes. He joins with God’s purposes, so he seeks to plant God’s life into his “field” – his household, or his community. His loosens up the “field” with prayer. He waters it with love and service. He plants it with truth. He develops a love relationship with it.

The transformed life gives its heart to the people around him. As the give their heart, they will receive the fruit.

Transformed Life: Athlete

Athletes dedicate themselves for a chance to compete. They cannot guarantee success no mater how hard they work. Athletes working toward the Olympics work hard for long hours each day (for perhaps years) for a career that may last one race, a couple of jumps, one match or one game.

Many athletes search for something to give them a small advantage – a tenth of a second, a centimeter, or a few more grams. Success or failure can often be measured by these small amounts.

Sports authorities have long recognized that the desire for an edge can lead to unfair or detrimental practices. Steroids can give an unfair and unnatural advantage. They can also hurt the health of the athlete. So, rules are made that ban these practices; and penalties are given and enforced to stop them. Athletes is often banned from the sport they hope to receive glory from. Still, some cannot resist temptation. They seek their edge and hide their practices. There are too many stories about successful athletes, who are discovered and theglory they received turned to shame.

There are rules for the transformed life. The reward is influence over people, changed lives and transformed cities, countries and cultures. But the influence is earned by love, grace, service, truth and pure character. Some have tried to gain the influence by modern advertizing techniques, manipulation, guilt or glitz. These methods skirt the truth, love and honesty. It demonstrates less than godly character.

No one can match Jesus in any of these areas. But we can have authenticity in all these things. Using these other means will lead to less – less glory for the Father, less influence for the man, less effect for the Kingdom, and more denigration of God’s ways and purposes. And in the end, God will reveal his sorrow with ones who sought more for themselves than for him.

Transformed Life: Soldier

The perception of what it means to be a soldier of Christ usually involves large, expensive campaigns, assaults on people who resist the good news, and loud explosions of action designed to push back the tides of anti-Christ movement.

Jesus does give very powerful weapons of warfare. These weapons include love, prayer, transformed lives, unity, community and truth. (Truth is communicated verbally and in action; and it is encased by the other weapons.)

The weapons are different; the ways of waging warfare are different.

Transformed Life: Warfare

There are modern movies – “Saving Private Ryan”, “Platoon” – that paint a very graphic, real picture of the horrors of war. Regular people can get a taste of what soldiers lived through, and cannot speak of.

A soldier is called on to withstand pain and hardship to serve a cause greater than himself. And God has called on each of his children to serve as soldiers in his cause.

They cause Jesus-followers serve adds to God’s Kingdom, God’s family and God’s glory. People are filled with love, hope and purpose. God’s bride is filled with greater beauty.

It is a worthwhile cause deserving compete expressions of courage, devotion, concentration, intentionality and creativity. It is a cause that the vast majority of God’s family – myself included – fail to take up sufficiently. They do not have the vision and mind-set of the soldier.

Transformed Life: Reproduction

A transformed life ought to cause ripples in the environment. It should make a difference. One of the traits of life is reproduction. The ripples of the transformed life will be planted in human hearts. If the seed is received and nourished, it will germinate. And another person will begin the journey of the transformed life.

The transformed life is new. It requires new tools, new perspectives, new vision and new purposes. Much of the new life requires action. Much of it requires new understanding. And understanding must be given, so the new life can act efficiently, effectively and in the right direction.

Life begets life. A seed is planted and germinates. The life grows – and in its time, releases a new seed. The equipping of new life becomes a chain. It is passed to faithful ones who can act and equip other new life. It also becomes a matrix, multiplying new life. Equipping each new life is a vital concern to the Father. It ought to be a vital concern of each follower of Jesus. It ought to be a skill each one cultivates. The knowledge of what to do, how to do it, and how to pass it along, should be passed to each new life.

Transformed Life: Walk in Grace

When asked to define grace, most Christians answer “unmerited favor.” This isn’t wrong, but it does focus on the aspect of grace as purveyor of salvation. But a Jesus-follower’s entire life is supposed to be by grace.

I heard one definition as “God giving someone whatever it is they need to meet their needs at that given moment.” It is the giving-ness of God.

To live the transformed life, at some point, we will need to take action. Often, the action involved will be scary, difficult or unpleasant things. The transformed life – power for grace and love – does require that we walk through these things. We will need grace to take the first step. We will need grace to sustain us in strength and peace as we continue.

I am not speaking about an extreme form of persecution necessarily. That might be such a situation, though. We may need to surrender a personal liberty, because it is a hardship for someone else. We may need to speak to someone about an offense. We may need to take a step of service. We  may need to accept some deprivation to benefit someone else. In all these things, our nature will want to rebel, because of the pull of sin and the natural desire for personal peace. In all these things, to walk in love will require grace to strengthen the transformed life, now planted in our hearts.