Tag: Jesus

The Gospel According to Snow

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We are fallen
Exodus 4:6
The LORD furthermore said to him, “Now put your hand into your bosom.” So he put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow.

Job 9:29-35
“I am accounted wicked, Why then should I toil in vain ? “If I should wash myself with snow And cleanse my hands with lye, Yet You would plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes would abhor me. “For He is not a man as I am that I may answer Him, That we may go to court together. “There is no umpire between us, Who may lay his hand upon us both. “Let Him remove His rod from me, And let not dread of Him terrify me. “Then I would speak and not fear Him; But I am not like that in myself.

God’s provision
Job 37:6
“For to the snow He says, ‘Fall on the earth,’ And to the downpour and the rain , ‘Be strong.’

Job 24:19
“Drought and heat consume the snow waters, So does Sheol those who have sinned.

Psalm 51:7
Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean ; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Psalm 147:16
He gives snow like wool ; He scatters the frost like ashes.

Psalm 148:8
Fire and hail, snow and clouds ; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word

We need to respond
Proverbs 25:13
Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest Is a faithful messenger to those who send him, For he refreshes the soul of his masters.

Proverbs 31:21
She is not afraid of the snow for her household, For all her household are clothed with scarlet.

Isaiah 1:18
[“Let Us Reason”] “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow ; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.

Isaiah 55:10-11
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater ;So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth ; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

Snow is the look of the Savior
Daniel 7:9
[The Ancient of Days Reigns] “I kept looking Until thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took His seat ; His vesture was like white snow And the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, Its wheels were a burning fire.

Matthew 28:3
And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.

Revelation 1:14
His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow ; and His eyes were like a flame of fire.

~Scripture taken from The New American Standard

Christmas Wars: Humility strikes not

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Christmas Wars started with Christmas. Seriously, it won’t go away. I’m often perplexed at the media and cultural storm that now boils up around this time of year. So, here are my two cents. Really, it’s one concept: Humility.

God could have, but didn’t…
Jesus came as a humble baby to a blue-collar family, and was laid down in a feeding trough. He could have descended from the clouds in a massive coronation ceremony. He could have burned the Earth and started over with a few chosen, like he did in times past with the flood. He didn’t. Jesus chose a humble entrance, not an in your face approach. Humble family, humble town, humbled form by taking on human flesh, humble birthing place.

X marks the spot…
Christ is central to Xmas. Christ in Greek is spelled “xristos.” X was used and developed by Christians (Xtrians?). Often times, as in the underground church, such usage of abbreviations are important. Even the symbol of the fish came as a result of initials. If anything, Xmas tells me that Xtrians need to get Xtreme with our humility. Also, it should remind us to pray for those who cannot publicly celebrate the miracle of the virgin birth.

Happy Holidays
Greet people in a way meaningful to you and others and true to yourself. That’s humility. If you have a friend who is Jewish, greet appropriately. If you don’t know, be true to yourself. Humility and respect cannot be achieved by Happy Holidays, or demanding one say Merry Christmas. It can only be achieved by showing respect and deference to others or a respectful celebration to one’s beliefs. Saying Merry Christmas only works if you’re passionate about the humility it stands for and express it as such. Attitude counts.

The bottom line:
Christmas is a statement of humility, service and giving. If that is our focus, there can be no removal of Christ from Christmas. In fact, there is more nobility and appreciation for it. God chose humility and mercy to deal with us. He came as a servant, not as a tyrant. Humility strikes not. It foreshadows the greatest act of humility. Jesus took on God’s justice that we deserved. Humility takes the hit for the benefit of what’s most important. Jesus chose humility during Christmas. We should too.

Why I stayed in church

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I’ve constantly dealt with the question of why 20’s and early 30’s were leaving the church. I never asked why I didn’t leave. Here is a first attempt at answering the question. It revolves around one key thing: God.

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” ~Philippians 1:6

Religion is a crutch
True. We do not need a crutch, we need a savior. We don’t need help or an aid, we need something that will radically change us. The biggest thing to me about the church is the Gospel. The central message of the Gospel is death to life; sin to righteousness. This isn’t found by a right of passage or a self-help crutch. It is founded on Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection.

Christians are just hypocrites
True. We’re also liars, thieves, fornicators, cheats, gossips, gluttons, drunkards, murderers, slanders, etc. Funny thing is, as I look across the human experience, I see the same thing. The church isn’t made of perfect people, and if it were, we’d at least be liars according to 1 John. Church is family. We’re not perfect, but being perfect is not the point. Again, it comes down to the central message of the Gospel. Church is filled with redeemed people not perfect people.

Church doesn’t meet my needs
True. Here is the paradox of church: If everyone comes to church focused on meeting everyone’s needs, everyone’s needs gets met. Church is not about what you can get, it is about what you can give to others. Why would someone join something that is not about them is a bit crazy. This goes back to the central message of the Gospel: Jesus gave Himself on our behalf. His focus was on our needs and the Father’s will, not Himself.

The Gospel
I did not quit because I believe Jesus died and rose again. Believing this means being a part of a community of people who also hold that belief and seek to proclaim the message of death to life. The Gospel is central. Church is not about what I get, but as Jesus modeled, church is about what I give. The hardest principle to get is realizing the church is not about me, it’s about Him.

The Church
I embrace the church because it is Jesus’ most prized possession. In pursuing Christ and helping others, ultimately our own needs get met. In getting the focus off ourselves we gain depth and a spirituality that can only come from the grace of the Cross. In church we realize the greatest need of all mankind and the only solution. We’re messed up, and knowing that fully, Jesus still reached out to us.

The bottom line:
I did not quit church because Jesus did not quit on me, those in the church, or those who still have not heard the Gospel. The church isn’t perfect and neither am I, and that’s ok. Christ is the one who makes us complete and perfect. The problems of church become less and when I pursue God and help others more.

Name it & claim it!

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The Sunday sermon talked about the cows of bashan from Amos 4. (Ok, you can insert corn fed, I mean lame jokes here: The sermon was moo-ving, A1 sermon, nothing like milk of the Word, etc.) I suppose there is just no way to discuss that passage elegantly as the cows referred to women. The juxtaposition of brokenness to hiding it was striking.

Pondering the sermon
Those who hammer holiness in their sermons need to take a serious look at key women in the Bible. It’s messy. Then, take a look at key men in the Bible. It’s even more messy. The problem with depravity is the constant thought that we don’t measure up; that we are lacking. This leads us to a choice: to listen to the fool or the wise. To listen to fallen voices of depravity or the grace of the Gospel. Pastor Jon did a good job pointing to these two choices: truth or error.

Name it & claim it
There is truth to the name it and claim it phrase. It’s not centered on our wants, but grace. 1 John 1:9 is a name it and claim it principle. If we confess our sin (name it) He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins AND cleanse us from all unrighteousness (claim it). Name it and claim it should be about grace, not possessions. When we embrace our brokenness God offers not just forgiveness, He cleans us up!

The Bottom Line:
We have a choice. What will we pursue? Truth or error? Grace or tyranny of our fallenness? If being perfect consumes us, we will never get dirty. Serving and helping people is messy. We want to hide our depravity, but Jesus bring it into the light. We view it as a stain, Jesus views it as dirt to be washed away. His scars prove that. We view it as hopeless, Jesus forged the Gospel in hope. Name your sin, claim its forgiveness, and as a bonus Jesus makes you clean. The Gospel is a powerful thing.

God not so angry in the OT: The Law

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Jesus summed up the Torah in two statements: Love God, Love people… I took the time to read Leviticus and Deuteronomy back to back… The theme? Love God, Love people.

Thinking on Jesus fulfilling the law
One aspect of Jesus fulfilling the law the law we often miss is Love God, Love people. Seriously. Jesus made it his mission to point people to God the Father, not himself. Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice so we might, through him, have a relationship with God and better relationships with each other. Love God, Love people. The law is more that the 600+ commands. It boils down to the big 2….

Write your own law
Write or think through your own law… What are the non-negotiables? What are the annoyances? What are the paths of reconciliation? What are the deal-breakers? How do you show and actively help the dis-advantaged? How do you show hospitality? While we may gawk and the huge 600+ some odd commands, the number doesn’t seem so huge when you start adding up your own decrees. Now that you have your own law written down, who does it serve: you or others?

Absolute perfection and absolute holiness
The law points to the necessity of Christ and the reality of what God being holy means. For example: I have an eye defect at birth. Based on this one defect, if I were a Levite, I would not be permitted to sacrifice. My youngest son has eczema, he would not be able to sacrifice either. God did not want any imperfection in His presence. With that in view, how significant is Jesus touching and healing the lame, blind, lepers, and prostitutes? Jesus fulfilled the absolutes and provided for the imperfects like you and I!

The bottom line:
I think we misunderstand God in the Old Testament. In looking at the 600+ commands, it made provision for the disadvantage, for mistakes, and for evil. It deals much with human conflict and depravity. Perhaps it is not so much that God is vindictive as it is people are depraved and do not want to repent. Take a look at your own “law.” Who does it serve, yourself, or focus on others? God rooted the Law in His nature  and the service of others. Love God, Love people.

The Bible in a paragraph…

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The Bible is a story about God revealing Himself to man through His relationship with Israel. This magnificent story of propositional truth gives us multiple perspectives from multiple authors in multiple points in history, all detailing the greatness of our God. The good book tells us about God, how to live, and how to have an intimate and personal relationship with God. Jesus’ death burial and resurrection is the way to that relationship. It is a deeply personal story, craving devotion, faithfulness and worship, for He is enough. The unfolding of God’s relationship of Israel spans both testaments, each essential to the other and equally authoritative. The church, a humble and secondary character, will one day enjoy the full blessings of God as both Jews and Gentiles receive mercy. The Bible is essential if we are to know Him, our true God and Lord. And in the end….God wins!

Methods and Content and Needs (oh, my!)

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There is a tension between methods, content, and needs. With tensions we often pit one against each other, or take the “both/and” approach. This pours into another tendency; using nebulous terms such as balance, equilibrium or compromise. Everyone defines balance differently. We love to prioritize, especially if we’re analytical types, or just make bigger messes, if we’re mystical ministry as art types. How do we navigate these big three things?

The big three defined
What do I mean by methods and content and needs? Here are some definitions with examples of how they look when taken to an extreme:

Methods: What we do.
On steroids? Over emphasis on the non-biblical.. aka maximizing leadership, synergistic program developments, the latest greatest book based on statistical analysis.

Content: Who we are, theology.
On steroids? Over emphasis on the biblical… aka comatose preachy preaching, Word studies from languages we don’t speak, dead orthodoxy.

Needs: Where people around us are at.
On Steroids? Over emphasis on doing… aka the social Gospel, building self-help groupies, incredible families enterprises, political action.

What we need is balance right? In a word, no. Equilibrium? Not so much. Both/and? Sigh. These concepts often get people thinking in terms of 50/50 or compromise. I believe God cares about all three.

Think organic
The body is an incredible organic analogy. No one thinks to prioritize the heart, lungs or brain. Without each of these things you’re quite dead, and perhaps this is why many ministries are dying. We think in terms of health. We seek to sharpen our minds, and build a strong cardiovascular system. These are both keys to a long healthy life.

How the disciples succeeded
In Acts 6 the church was not healthy in an area. Hellenistic widows were being overlooked (need). The old program was not working and a new one was needed (methods). The Apostles recognized that focusing their energy on that problem would take away from what was essential, God’s Word and prayer (content). These things could have been in tension, but they weren’t. Rather the situation called for radical change, an opportunity to live out the Gospel and repentance, and a chance to reaffirm who we are. The church moved forward and God’s power was unleashed.

Where the disciples learned success
WWJD? Luke tells another story. 5,000 men were hungry and in need of food (need). The disciples thought the best idea was to send them away: there wasn’t enough food or enough money to feed everyone (program). Jesus was not about to stop what was essential, His teaching (content). Did  the disciples pass this test? No. But, they learned and God’s power was evident. (When we lack in an area, God will provide.)

The lesson
The disciples learned from failure that ministry is about health. Methods, content, and needs must have an intentional active focus. They did not sacrifice one area to bolster another. They brought up the weaker area through the power of God, while continuing the other essential areas. They changed when needed, tackled opportunities when they arrived, and kept their message front and center.

The bottom line
Think organically. The overall health of your ministry is related to the health of the three areas discussed. Ask: How is your health?

Methods:
Are in you a rut or open to radical change?
How well are you leading?
What steps of change or improvement have you taken lately?

Content:
How well do you know and understand God?
Are you still a student to the Bible & Theology?
What was the last theological topic you’ve studied lately?

Needs:
Do you know where your people are at?
When was the last time you studied your community to see how you can best serve?
How has your ministry demonstrated compassion?

Good Friday?

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The name Good Friday seems weird to me. It does not quite fit. As I reflect on the death of Jesus, I wish I could rename it. Good Friday does not capture the full essence of the day.

The Good is not good

That Jesus had to suffer the absolute greatest injustice of all doesn’t fit the word good. Jesus did no wrong. He was the epitome of holiness, both perfect and set apart for God’s Will. It is marked by the rejection of a promised one who would usher in a new era of peace, prosperity, and worship. The rejection, used for the benefit of many, is still a rejection and not good. On top of this, the day is marked by death, an unnatural state that exists because of sin. Again, not good. That a father had to turn his back on a son who did nothing but obey and honor his father’s will is at the heart of sadness. None of this is good.

I know, the adage is that we call it good because Jesus died and paid the penalty for our sin. I’m sorry, but that doesn’t cut it for me.

The Good is an infinite understatement

Any sporting event we watch where a person does the impossible, we don’t say “It was a good game.” Good does not capture the incredible essence of what was done. Jesus demonstrated the impossible. He demonstrated perfect humility. He demonstrated the very essence of sacrifice both in a religious sense and love. Jesus, in utter agony, lead a person to heaven, took care of his mother, friends and enemies, and honored the Father who turned His back. On top of all this, Jesus did not abolish the sin of the present, or the past, but all eternity! He started the countdown to making sin only a somber historical concept and not a current struggle. To merely call this good seems shameful.

We need a new name

What Jesus did is the epitome of the commonly used word Epic. What Jesus did was perfect Sacrifice. What Jesus did was THE mark of Grace. What Jesus did was the greatest act of Reconciliation. We for sure need a new name.

If you could rename “Good Friday,” what would you call it?