Naked Much? Probably More Than You Think

Have you ever gone streaking? My two year old in potty training does it all the time right now, it's innocent silliness...for another year at best.

In Mad City (Madison, WI) there were all sorts of public excuses to drop the formalities and go for a 5k underwear run or if I remember correctly the canoe race in your whitiest-tighties. And then your good ole fashioned streak like that guy over there. He's even casually making a call, probably checking his messages or calling his aunt who's in the hospital - normal stuff.

Let me do the classic leap to a semi-contextual spiritual point here and be the first to admit that spiritually speaking I'm a streaker.

That's right. I run around nearly every day with naught more than a pair of shoes or a belt with a sweet buckle shaped like a cross made out of fake diamonds.

To the Ephesian Church Paul laid out a pretty specific outfit for the disciple of Christ to put on daily.

'Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God s that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.' 

It's a bit awkward using myself as the main image of a spiritual streaker here with nothing more than a belt of truth on so why don't you go ahead and replace me with yourself and discern onward. Thank you.

Ever walk out of the house in the morning with nothing but a belt on? Nothing but the belt of truth draped on your hips.

Or the breastplate of righteousness...only. Like to spend time around this guy? Wearing righteousness like a bad Christmas sweater and without faith or truth to match.

What about the sandals of readiness. Sure they're beautifully ordained with the gospel of peace...but when not coupled with righteousness or a shield then I'm not sure what you're ready for.

The shield of faith is a culturally misunderstood and over politicized one. How many of us sprint out of the house in the morning with literally nothing more than a shield, even void of salvation itself, in hopes of defending Christianity from the arrows of the evil one in the culture wars? Yeah, it's like that.

Most of us are really just a bunch of naked babies running around with helmets on trying not to hurt ourselves. Let's call it what it is. We cried out to Jesus in 11th grade, strapped on our helmet, and went streaking. What do you think the likelihood is that you'll live as a dedicated and passionate disciple of Christ who makes healthy disciples if you're running around town naked alongside other naked 'brothers and sisters'?

Catch that?

A bunch of naked, immature believers who know little more than the flavor of forgiveness and freedom from sin without the belt, breastplate, sandals, shield, sword and prayer to suit up with on a daily basis. I'm sure that'll go well. Because naked people model incredible restraint and Christ-likeness around other naked people.

Some of us tend to just walk around with the Word of God as if just holding it without any other preparation or investment in the armor were necessary. A naked guy with a Bible. Not someone I want greeting my kids and I in the children's wing at a Sunday gathering with the body.

Are you naked?

Are you spiritually naked? Are you sprinting through your day with little more than a helmet and a shield while talking to grandma on the phone about kittens?

If you're a disciple of Christ then you're also an ambassador for His kingdom. Dress appropriately.

Read Ephesians 6:10-20

Called & Quiet?

There's a new/old tension in the Western Church lately regarding the form and quality of discipleship. A tension in philosophy where on the one hand every disciple is called and gifted to be engaged in incarnational mission while on the other appropriate Christian programming within the church is the focus and scope of discipleship.

Missional communities or small groups?

1x1 disciple making and multiplication or classroom Bible study?

Between Matthew 28:18-20 'Go and make disciples,' and 1 Thess. 4:11-12 'Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life.'

There is a real tension, a real division in thought and practice between a local body that sees every individual actually doing the work of ministry as one united body AND a local church whose overseers do the work and invite the body to come and see.

The problem is that Jesus' call to make disciples (Matt 28) is not a different call from Paul's later challenge to live quietly (1 Thess. 4). That while there might be tension built into these dueling passages there's unity of mission. Even where there is a difference of interpretation there is no less a call to fulfill both.

Go & Do: We're familiar with the charge of Christ to go and make disciples of all nations. And we're familiar with the subsequent disciple making movement in Acts. We may even be familiar with the reality that in the following three hundred years after Christ much of the Middle East and most of Europe had converted to Christianity. So the rhythm of personally proclaiming Christ and then personally teaching others to obey His commands = making disciples, may be radical to us but it's not new territory.

But this isn't separate from Paul's charge to aspire to a humble and quiet life. To work diligently with our hands and win over outsiders. What's the context? Is there a reason for this intentionally mild-mannered challenge in light of Jesus' radical call? Probably.

Stay & Be: The Thessalonians turned from their idols to Christ in such a way that they became a model to all of Macedonia and Achaia (1:7). Their faith had become known everywhere (1:8). Despite severe suffering they were infused by the Holy Spirit to endure and so imitate Jesus (1:6). They abandoned their temples, discarded their false teachings, dropped out of trades and unions devoted to false gods and were most likely denied access to many social functions. Culture felt the impact.

Paul thanks God for their 'work produced by faith' - 'labor prompted by love' - 'endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ' (1:2-3)

Even their brotherly love is so extravagant that Paul notes their understanding and lifestyle of love has been directly taught by God and felt all over the countryside (4:9). Paul even urges them to demonstrate it more and more (:10). It's as if the humble and quiet life he goes on to cherish is full of persecution, hard work both in the use of their spiritual gifts and their vocation, a genuine labor of love-lifestyle towards all brothers and sisters and an endurance through all things for the sake of Christ!

Apparently this joyful (5:16), prayerful (5:17), thankful (5:18), zealous (5:19), faithful (5:20), discerning (5:21), aware (5:22) quiet and humble lifestyle is exactly what Jesus meant when He prayed for future generations of disciples on mission (John 17) and then called His own disciples to go and make disciples until the whole world knows of His love.

So, where is this tension? It's not in the Biblical call to make disciples. It's not in a lifestyle that demonstrates His Truth wholly. Where is it?

The tension arises in two places (actually more but I'm writing here and this is all I want to cover):

1. General & Specific Fears
2. Misunderstanding of Gifts / Personality

Fear: We fear all sorts of things but typically we don't live this lifestyle because we're scared. I won't go into detail on this point, if you fear anything or anyone other than God and His divine power then submit and move forward.

Misunderstandings of gifts and personality: We generally agree that the spiritual gifts are given to serve the body and entice the non-believers to Gods grace - but personality is a messy and subjective discussion. That our personalities are given by God and shaped by our circumstances is an important piece of who we are and how the Lord calls us.

I wonder if it isn't within a deeper understanding of our personalities that our humble and quiet life is better discerned. Yes, our culture will shape how the Gospel is lived out and communicated, but so will our personalities. That two very different disciples both with the gift of teaching may very well utilize this gift in very different capacities - one on a stage and the other in a living room.

My wife and are both quite introverted and yet her form of quiet yet intentional living quite naturally looks different than mine and often we're tweaking and shaping and challenging and sacrificing what that means within our household and ministry.

Living quietly and working diligently will be different in different towns, homes and local churches - yet the work of making disciples will always be laborious, faithful and self-sacrificial work requiring perseverance and wrought with forms of persecution.

Who are you in Christ and who are you called to connect with intentionally yet humbly?

Word of Beard

To the saints who are faithful in Christ Jesus everywhere - you are loved on purpose.

Grace. Peace. (1:2)
Blessed. Every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. (1:3)
He chose us. Holy. Blameless. Love. (1:4)
Adoption. Good pleasure. (1:5)
Grace bestowed on us. (1:6)
Redemption. Forgiveness. Riches of his grace. (1:7)
Abound. All wisdom and insight. (1:8)
Making known. Good pleasure. Purposed. (1:9)
Bring together on earth and heaven. (1:10)
Chosen. Purpose. Works all things. (1:11)
Hoped. Praise of his glory. (1:12)
Gospel. Salvation. Sealed. Promised Holy Spirit. (1:13)
Inheritance. Redemption. (1:14)

In these 14 verses of Paul's letter to the Church surrounding Ephesus he overwhelms us with the overflow of the Lords character - He floods with His intentional and gracious love for us. Crazy!

Seriously. Just read through the list above describing what God, through the life of Christ, offers us.

Not only that but all with preemptive purpose and design. Catch that? It's actually been Gods will from before the beginning of time to pull us into His vision of eternity. Check this out:

Chose us before the foundation of the world. (1:4)
Predestined. Through Christ. Good pleasure of his will. (1:5)
Praise and glory of his grace. (1:6)
He caused to abound to us. (1:8)
Making known to us the mystery of his will. According to his good pleasure. Purposed in him. (1:9)
Fullness of times. Bring together in Christ. (1:10)
Chosen. Predestined. Purpose of the One. Works all things according to his will. (1:11)
Promised Holy Spirit. (1:13)

It's not chaos and condemnation that propels the Creator onward in purpose and mission. It isn't anger and distance and disillusion. No.

From eternity past the Father, the Son and the Spirit have found nothing but pleasure in fostering and securing redemption for us. Through the eternal plan and cost of the life of Christ and the seal of the Spirit we are drawn in as heirs, adopted into the family of God the Father with love according to what pleases Him in His Holiness and Perfection.

He chose us and invites us into the divine mystery of His will.

You and I are loved. Read Ephesians 1:1-14. Read it again. Read it once again. You have been loved. You are being loved on. You will be loved forever. Now tell me that isn't just exactly what your heart truly desires?

How Jesus' "Kingdom-Divided" Parable Challenges Disciples to be Holistically on-Mission

If you've read Mark 3:20-29 then you're familiar with this parable, if not confused by it a bit.

Jesus' opponents claimed that His power and work was evil at it's core. That Jesus Himself were being manipulated by a demon, Satan to be direct. Interesting thought I guess.

Jesus goes on to paint a picture of the consequences of division on every level, in every space...and reasonably speaking, if even a demon were divided against itself and its cohorts on every level then it's safe to safe that it would not be fruitful on any level.

Jesus doesn't end with this picture. He goes on to make two points:

1. He isn't possessed by evil, in fact, His strength over all evil, pain and suffering is a sign of One Stronger than Satan himself. The Son of God to speak candidly.
2. To claim the Holy One is actually rooted in evil and His divine work an overflow of evil...brings with it dangerous eternal consequences - separation from that very Holy God.

____________________________

But I'm not talking about either of those points directly. In fact, I want to go back the image of the divided kingdom and lean into it's ramifications in our own lives as followers of Christ.

Sure the parable is not intended to be dissected and sorted out for my own gain...so I won't claim this is what Jesus had intended this particular parable to communicate. I will, however, use it as a launchpad for evaluating our own lives.

If you've followed this blog for any length of time you heard me talk about 'Spaces: public, social, personal, intimate' and how each one of us lives within each of these spaces. In fact, a healthy disciple experiences each of these spaces regularly.

SO what about this parable? Let's break it down in reverse and simultaneously evaluate our own context:

'Jesus called them over and responded with an illustration...

'And if Satan is divided and fights against himself, how can he stand?' Have you ever wrestled with your purpose? Spiritual gifts and how to use them? How to lead your family? Your own value in particularly challenging seasons?

Have you ever felt a lack of peace about a particular area of life...or your current life as a whole for that matter? How easy is it to move forward, to gain traction, to be clear-minded and self-controlled in order to stand up against temptation, doubt, attack, sin? To live a divided life for any length of time guarantees destruction both slowly and eventually cataclysmically.

We know that a man who stands firm in Truth, in the Word, is one who stands the test of time. How incredibly important it is to be a man/woman at peace in transformation into Christlikeness, not without questions, but confident that we are guided by the Spirit and so personally engaged in being a disciple of Christ, while making disciples who will do the same.

If we're personally divided, how can we prosper with our families?

'Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart.' Catch that? Pretty self-explanatory right. A husband and wife who argue as if it the very sustenance of life will not hold up for long, in fact are already falling. A couple divided in purpose, mission, value and simple but profound love for one another and the Church cannot stand, at least not with an unshakable strength, a strength that will prosper the Kingdom.

Several years ago I recall changing how the small group leaders of my church were going to receive discussion content for their weekly gatherings. I can't forget responding to a phone call from one of our leaders. She had heard of the changes and in a state of panic pleaded with me not to change our methods. Her reasoning? This change was going to upset her husbands (one of our smallgroup leaders) calm and quiet relaxation space, their home. This change was so monumental (printing off their own handouts) that she was scared of her husbands response and it's impact on his 'serene' space, the family space.

Are you tip-toeing around one another? Are your kids the brunt of that frustration? Or are they the first fruits of your disciplmaking? If you're married are you leading your wife or encouraging your husband?

If you aren't engaged with Jesus personally you probably aren't as a family. If you aren't engaging Jesus together as a family then you're prone to feuding and open to be severely weathered by storms.

'A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse.' Let's be honest, if we aren't maturing in Christ individually. If we aren't on mission as a family. How on earth are we going to serve the Kingdom and expand the family of God here and now?

If we aren't growing in the intimate areas of our lives. If we're weak in the personal and social spaces. The largest space has not foundation, there are no building blocks for it to stand on.

A forgiven and healing heart, mind and ultimately soul is one that is ripe for maturing in Christ. A willing heart leads his/her family.They serve, sacrifice, proclaim Truth with grace and model it. A growing disciple reaches beyond themselves to pour into others - disciplemaking. A body of disciplemakers is a healthy, growing, expanding Kingdom - the very Kingdom Jesus invited us into and so handed us the keys to.

____________________________________

It's quite simple isn't it? A divided kingdom on any level falls apart and if not remedied in the intimate space will most assuredly over time wither and collapse.

Jesus is right of course. That even Satan divided amongst himself would not stand. How much more the body of Christ if we ignore His power of transformation in every aspect of our lives. Christ is the one who can defeat the strength of the evil one - let's let Him lead the way and so follow.

Power of Self...And My Two-Year-Old

I've had the unexpected privilege over the past several weeks of spending my days at home with my beautiful two year old daughter.  Incredible.

Cuddling, laughing, reading, playing, disciplining, overwhelming, exhausting, training, teaching, praying...there is no area of life off limits to her.  She is all consuming!  During this time I've witnessed her begin to thoroughly tap into her inner inability to share, restrain and simply exude kindness around every turn.  She's unlocked the power of self.

Interesting isn't it?  There are untold numbers of books published on unlocking our self-will, self-power, self-realization...and my two year old discovered it naturally and adapted quite quickly.  Yet, it's this very self-powerization that has simultaneously unlocked the ugly: whining, disobedience and all the belly-sliding-across-the-coffee-table-tantrums self-power affords.

To be honest I think she's been a bit selfish since the day she was born.  Needing food.  Needing changed.  Needing bathed.  Needing cuddled.  Needing clothed.  Needing loved. Needing, needing, needing!  And now a whole new area of needing has been unlocked:  her toys, her plug (pacifier), her snack, her space, her show, her story, her daddy, her mommy...

I love her.  If you have kids you understand that taking-part-in-creation-sort-of-love.

I'm not sure we need help discovering our inner will, unlocking our inner power, our hidden-strength.  It appears to be quite natural to want to reach out and grab what's 'mine.'

No, she's got that down.

It seems that my divine role is to steer that very realized power.  To shape and clarify for her the very purpose of her abilities, her awareness, her desires.  It's my role to train her to both harness self-control in order to enjoy her strengths, and realize that actual power is first of all external, it's a gift, it's the Spirit of the Living and Active God who endows, fills, realizes, powerizes.

That her very breath was from the start His.  That it's the Pneuma who sustains her heartbeat now.

Nah, she doesn't need anyone telling her how to unlock her inner-self...she's got that down and honestly it's naturally self-centered.  If you know a two year old you know what I mean, OR better yet if you know a 32 year old who continues to act on the power of the inner self without restraint you know just how absurd that inner compass really is.

Yet there's so much beauty as well right?  She's absolutely adorable, she growls like a monster, throws her hair back, laughs at random, draws us into her world and shares what brings her joy...so how does this parallel reality factor into that other ugly inner power?

I have an incomplete thought...

Self(ishness) tends to be about absorbing, about taking more and more from others for personal gain.

True Beauty on the other hand, while inherent in who she is as an image bearer of God, is an immediate display of all that is selfless.  I wonder if it works a bit like this; the beauty my little lady offers benefits me and those who witness it.  Her sweetness, laughter and intelligence cause me to delight in her and her Maker as I realize her blessing upon us.  Her beauty in all it's facets offer those around her something to delight in and thus fosters more beauty: laughter, smiles, joy.  While her selfish nature causes those around her to close up, step away, tune-out...

Scripture both teaches and demonstrates this personal, familial, social beauty in action through healthy 'one another' living.  A community that supports, cares for, prays for, equips, shares, disciplines = loves, those around them.  And this is all powered by the eternal/external Holy Spirit who when invited into our lives enters in and transforms.

Beauty is mysterious.  But it's a divine mystery sourced in the Creator.  Beauty offers something other, something more, something for us all, something to lean into.

Self is also mysterious.  It's also a divine mystery sourced in the Creator, yet tends to be realized on our strength, smarts and inner person hood.  It tends to either force people in or out.  It's divine mystery dissipates and is swallowed up by the mere physical, lustful and sensational.

Regardless the people group, social structure or belief system around the world it appears that at some point every group notes that the individuals self-power, selfishness, self-desires might actually do more harm than good and so ought to be suppressed.

On the other hand, every group, culture, people, system will acknowledge, invite into and celebrate the one who controls the self, offers more to life, invites others in to experience joy and beauty and simply share in all seems right.

Maybe it's true, that every good gift truly is from the Lord, an overflow of His being.  That beauty is all around us, in many forms and ultimately unites.  That true self-realization involves releasing what we think we know, what we desire in our guts, to the very God who gives desire, to the Spirit who fills to His fullness those who seek His reality.

An incomplete thought...not a treatise, not a defining document...a thought.  We know the sweetness of true beauty because we also know bitterness.  Others know a soured life because they've tasted that sweetness.  However you see it, there are very real, very sourced powers at work.

Oh, and if you're able, I'd recommend spending a couple months at home with your kids and witness a microcosm of Gods universe at work.

One in a Million

Paul was miraculously reconciled to God by Jesus post-resurrection. That isn't typical.

He was then specifically set-apart with Barnabas, by God, to do a specific work. Atypical as well.

He even received strange visions, one of a Macedonian man calling out to him for help. Standard? Not sure.

Many factors shaped Paul's journey: Gods specific ordination (Acts 13:2), need (Acts 27:3), time (Romans 13:11-12), location (Acts 17:1-2), finance (Philip. 4:14-16), vision (Acts 16:6-10), circumstance (2 Cor. 6:3-10), division (Acts 15:36-41), etc...

Yet the narratives above aren't prescriptive for all believers. Luke simply describes the role of Paul in the spreading of the church as appointed by God. We are all most definitely ambassadors of the Kingdom, yet each one of us is not appointed to live out a Pauline story.
 

So while Paul may have been called by God to a specific place here or there, think of the general mass of believers who are called to love and worship and serve out of their homes, in their neighborhoods, as mechanics and CEO's.

There are many spiritual Patriarchs of our faith...and many more bodies of believers:

1 Moses / millions of Israelites
1 David / millions of Jews
1 Peter / 3000 nameless converts heading home
1 Paul / thousands in church plants

Clearly He calls some to specific roles in time and space. Since you nor I know who will be appointed where and when:  pray, live open-eyed to His workings in your life, be active with your gifts, love your neighbor, wisely and humbly plan for the future, beware of reading the shapes of the clouds looking the right sign to move here or there.

God does have your days numbered. He is God omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient. He knows your every step. He also knows that you and I are imperfect. Don't focus on the missed opportunities and failures...focus on being like-Christ here and now.

You have a story. It will not be Paul's. What is it?

The Call & The Drive

We can learn a lot from the attitude of John the Baptist. So let me ask you, are you called or driven? Confident in Christ or confident in yourself?

There's a difference. Here are four characteristics of a called man/woman of God. They:

1. Understand Stewardship: The crowds, followers, disciples and attention...they were not his to keep.'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' John 1:15. What are you holding to that isn't actually yours to keep?
2. Know their identity: 'I am not the Christ' John 1:20. Know who you aren't, namely the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, and you will begin to understand who you are, created and sustained by God. Reflect on this reality, it will impact you beyond compare.
3. Know their Purpose: He knew his role in being the forerunner to the Messiah, 'I am the voice of the one calling in the desert, "Make straight the way for the Lord."' John 1:23. Is your purpose to make your name great...or is it to make His Name Great?
4. Understand Commitment: John knew he was called by God. He knew his role, he knew his purpose, he knew who Jesus was and held fast to his own beheading. 'He must become greater, I must become less.' John 3:30. What or whom are you committed to? If it's anything or anyone other than Christ first and foremost...reflect once again on your role as a steward, your identity, your purpose in life.

Knowing that we are called (to follow Christ) fosters joy. Within this joy we find peace in our position in Christ as forgiven and sent on mission. Are you living a called life as a disciple of Christ or a driven life as a disciple of ________?

Read Johns Gospel chapters 1-3. Adapted from Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald. 

Rubble & Renewal

The evil one hates growth. Maturing in Christ goes against everything he stands for, everything he rebelled against in the first place.

I was reading in Nehemiah and noticed an ongoing analogy. The men who opposed the rebuilding of the wall used language that, quite frankly, resembles the noise and ethos of Satan at work today. In particular they verbally mock and attack two key aspects of the rebuilding of the wall (in chapter 4):

1. Renewal: 'Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble - burned as they are?' :2
2. Maturity: 'But when [the opposition] heard that the repairs to Jerusalem's walls had gone ahead and the gaps were being closed, they were angry.' :7

Renewal is foundational to the Christian journey isn't it. The God who makes all things new (Revelation 21:5) is at work in and around us always. The whole idea behind the Christianese phrase 'born again' (which by the way we find in the interaction between Jesus & Nicodemus) is simply this, that through Christ's perfect work in divine reconciliation between God and man we are made new.

The baggage we carry, the brokenness in our hearts and souls, the misunderstanding of self-esteem and the depression that ravages, physical challenges and excruciating pains, the false ideas of self-gratification and fulfillment that never quite come to pass...this 'rubble' that makes up our lives, these pieces that have been burned and appear to be useless - they aren't. These aspects of our lives are the very elements God uses to reconcile us to Him and rebuild life on a new foundation. Satan hates to see his work undone.

Maturity. You know that fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5? Or the growth chart in 2 Peter 1? Or the qualities of the Overseer in the Pastoral Epistles? Or what about the profound profession of the thief on the cross next to Jesus on Skull hill (Luke 23:39-43)? Or in Acts 2 and 4 where the Church begins to care for one another in dramatic and powerful ways? Maturity in action.

Satan hates the maturing and fruitful believer. Think of Job and the Apostle Paul. These men were connected to God in different but deep ways and both were spiritually attacked in incredible ways.

The account in Nehemiah of the rebuilding of the walls and the detail of the opposition is a clear reminder that Satan is real and at work and even using the same techniques today as he did then. Satan isn't the focus though. If you'll notice above the focus is immediately taken from the evil one and placed on the awesome work of Jesus through the Gospel - the eternal, sinless, incarnate, crucified, resurrected, ascended and eternal Son of God.

He rebuilds our personal rubble for breakfast and closes the gaps in our broken lives for dinner. This is the grace of God at work in us and Satan cannot overcome Him.

Are you discouraged by opposition? Read Psalm 139. Read John 16.
Are you burned out, a pile of personal rubble? Come to Christ for starters, He alone rebuilds.
Are you being worked over right now? Are you growing in Christ painfully? Read Philippians.

Spend some time praying. Connect with God and Thank Him for His work eternally past, present and eternally future on your behalf.

Waves and other...Waves

So my son started body surfing this week in NC. We run into the water about 20 feet where the waves roll in sandy and foamy. He turns toward the beach and dives into the rolling water and drifts 10 feet or so, drinks a little salt water, rubs some sand in his eyes and then jumps up and runs back in to do it again.

So incredibly awesome to watch this fearless excitement take shape.

Being a tiny bit more experienced with body surfing I understand the power of the waves more than he does. I've experienced the crushing destruction the wind/water combo brings when it drives ones face into the sand. The rag-doll in a toddlers mouth soggy-tortured feeling when it doesn't go as planned.

I also understand the childlike joy in victoriously riding a primo wave. So on both counts, as I watch my son take to the water without fear of the power of the ocean yet full of the same joy in victory I can't help but experience that internal awesome cacophony of emotion fatherhood brings.

This is such a spiritual endeavor isn't it? Creating and training up. Encouraging and Admonishing. Walking alongside and then stepping back. Holding hands into the water and the then sending off to ride the waves.

I wonder - what is God equipping us for in this season of life? What wave am we soon to be sent off to ride?

Whatever the case, the Scriptures are filled with the story of a God who loves His creation. Exponentially more than I, loving my son as he ventures off on new experiences, is a God who glories in our joyful ventures in His creation with Him.

Ride the waves. Enjoy them. Understanding the power and fury and joy. And then enjoy all the more watching your children ride the same waves...it's exhilarating. I can't even imagine how much joy the Lord truly experiences in journeying with His people as we enjoy Him.

Awesome.

King and the Half-King

Tanacharison, the Half-King of the Six Nations during the formative years of George Washington's life, was quoted in Washington's journal from his early years in the military as saying something incredibly humble and yet provocative, even offensive to some:

'We live in a Country between, therefore the Land does not belong either to one or the other[English or French]; but the Great Being above allow'd it to be a place of Residence for us [Seneca Tribe].'

How awesome it is that a tribal leader and representative of so many people, nations that had lived in this particular land for hundreds of years prior, would claim no right to the land, but only that it's been a gift to his people, though 'God-willing' would remain one.

Now I'm sure there's a larger context to the statement and I assume his desire truly was to keep his land free from the effects of the Europeans, at least the negative effects. That said, it's a truly fantastic worldview. I immediately think of Paul's comments regarding the Believers state of being in this land:

'So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal...We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.' (2 Cor. 4:18, 5:8)

Paul does something often in his letters. He spends time noting how thankful he is that God is working _____, or that his audience is _____, or that the Spirit has been _____. So on the one hand we set our hope on the eternal land that God has set apart for His people, yet we remain thankful of our current blessings, which God allows and/or provides. Paul notes that our bodies are temporary and all the while he models a spirit of humble thankfulness.

We still live in a land in between. In between what was perfect in the Garden of Eden and what will be perfect when The Great Being (Jesus Christ) redeems His creation in full. Claim nothing, but humbly honor what has been given, most notably reconcilliation with the Creator through Christ.

Read 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 for a discussion on the temporary nature of the body and the real purpose of life. Read His Exellency George Washington by Joseph J. Ellis

Noah, James, Grace...and Me

I recently started reading through the Bible again - in fact I'm only in Genesis 9 but a few things have caught my attention, 6:8 in particular.

'But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.'
Short. Sweet. But what the...? Corruption so intense (:11-12) that even the acts of the animals had became a disappointment! How far creation had wandered from perfect design only several chapters and several hundred years earlier. This is the socio-spiritual climate Noah enters into - and yet he remained 'just', 'perfect' and even 'walked with God' (:9).

God dispensed grace on Noah. Noah's life fostered a grace-filled response from the Lord. And this when all of culture and creation were fostering judgement from the same God.

Sp now, where does a Christ follower go to dig into the application of such a thing as abundant grace here and now?

In just four verses James manages to squeeze in 10 imperatives for the Christian seeking to experience 'more grace.' Though we're imperfect, only through a deepening relationship with Christ and away from dependence on anything or anyone else (people, self, work, money, governments, desires), can we hope to experience this divine sanctifying grace of God.

Isn't it interesting as well that in order to experience God's abundant grace - something so fluid and forgiving, grace so freeing and comforting, a divine gift - that we MUST do certain things. These imperatives go against all our cultural instincts (to be free to live however we choose and still be accepted to receive this beautiful thing called grace from God). I'm not speaking of Gods grace for salvation which is free to all who repent from sin and have faith in Christ - but grace in sanctification, that which transforms us into Christ-likeness as a believer.

Now if we take into account that God is Holy and we aren't - that He created everything and is behind the perfect design of life - if we can comprehend that He alone defines truth and love and justice and mercy and grace...then we can begin to understand that we must interact with Him, through Christ, in specific ways in order for Him to interact with us. And He decides what these ways are.

What are these imperatives James lays out?

Submit: to whom? God. Great starting point.
Resist: whom? Satan and all that is evil, corrupt, anti-righteousness.
Draw near: to God - and this only after submission - a true longing for God.
Cleanse: your hands. Temple priests would ceremonially wash themselves for service as externally/physically holy (set apart for Gods work).
Purify: your hearts. This is an internal reconciliation with Gods truth and love. Thoughts, desires, motives, attitude...these are transformed in Christ-likeness.
Lament: experiencing misery at the realization of your sinful state and depravity away from God.
Mourn: an inner cry to the Lord with a broken heart for your sin.
Weep: an external display of lamenting and mourning. The overflow of a heart desiring reconciliation with God.
Let: all laughter and joy turn to gloom and sorrow. Those things that bring you pleasure, replace with mourning and weeping, know they aren't the source of or expression of this abundant grace. Only Christ is.

These 9 imperatives, these actions and positions of the heart - these are summed up in the 10th. Humility. Noah's life, to an incredibly high degree at this point (remember he was called 'just' and 'perfect') resembled this list in James. Of course Christ hadn't come in the flesh in Noah's time, but the same holy character that is expected in the Christian was expected in the saints of old.

Humility: the act of bringing oneself low in relation to Christ. Acknowledging his supremacy over all things as noted in Colossians 1:15-20. Professing his Lordship over not just the world...but you and I personally (Romans 10:9-10). Confessing the work of the cross in the face of your demons (read Romans 8).

Noah received a special grace in a difficult season. He didn't demand it, he simply lived a life that fostered that response/blessing from the Lord (though let's not idolize Noah...a year or so after the flood he too abuses this grace).

All of us experience a taste of Gods divine grace, life itself displays this. Disciples of Christ experience and understand the spiritual aspects of this grace through Christ. Maturing believers experience this all the more.

I'm processing these imperatives of a grace-filled life...and it's intense. I receive more than I will ever understand from Christ. Though I also tend to offer to others immeasurably less than I ought.

Real Time Benefits...in Christ

Peace. Grace. Hope. I sat down to process these truths from Romans 5 when for the umpteenth time my son called out from his bedroom. We have a rule that once teeth are brushed, stories told, prayer's said and light's turned then demands are disallowed. Once he's down it's my time to read, pack (we're moving) and relax. I want it. I need it.

After a stern word of clarification regarding the bedtime operation and tears from a sensitive little boy in the middle of transition, I realize that peace, grace and hope were not the overriding tones in my response. I don't know what's more frustrating, his neediness or my selfishness.

'Therefore since we have been justified through faith [in Christ]...'

Four things follow Paul's remark here regarding the justified - those who believe and trust in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. What a stinkin' awesome series of benefits we gain in Christ:

1) Peace with God. Christ's victory over sin and death came at the expense of Him taking the full weight of God's wrath reserved for sinners. He took it on our (my) behalf, covering us and cleansing us. The very same peace that Christ bought for us we're called to model here and now...even with my son well past his bedtime.

2) Stand in Grace. Our faith in this Christ brings about the wild opportunity to live in grace. That is, to live a life connected to the God of the Universe, outside of condemnation and within eternal glory. How convicting it is to receive this grace in the midst of my own graceless confrontation with my little boy.

3) Rejoice in Hope. Hope for what? My fulfilled dreams - The perfect job, family, retirement fund - Long life and health and comfort? No. Hope in God's glory. Glory that's in and about those who have faith in Him. His eternal glory within our now justified souls. While I may fail in any given moment with my son, I rejoice in the hope that my Lord has His hand upon my little dude.

4) Rejoice in Suffering. Why? Because it sanctifies the disciple of Christ. Because through suffering we see that 'God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.' The Spirit, through suffering and struggle, conforms us to the Christ's image. Thank God.

My selfishness is unacceptable. How frustrating it is to succumb to my own selfish desires, even at the end of a long day in a crazy season. Yes, my son should obey his parents, and yes, it's my job and my honor to train him up to do so...yet with grace and joy and appropriate discipline in His love.

My son's neediness for me is only a reflection of my own neediness for my Savior. I pray I remember this truth in the morning.

Peace to you. I pray you too stand in His grace. Always rejoice. Again, I will say it again...rejoice.

Read Romans 5:1-11 (4:1-6:23) for a deeper appreciation for our righteousness in Christ through justification.

The Malady Mill

According to Dictionary.com, 'malady' may be defined as an undesirable or desperate condition even socially and spiritually.

So I was listening to a song the other day entitled Grist for the Malady Mill. How appropriate a description for some seasons of life. I have experienced two incredibly different ends of the spiritual spectrum in the previous month, experiences that are yet currently spilling over into my heart and soul and mind and effectively shaping my attitude to varying degrees.

I have felt the unexplainable prompting of the Spirit to move in extreme ways causing me to move on from my ministry position, my home, community, friends/family etc. for a new version of everything in a new town with no immediate promise of reward.

I have also experienced, directly related to the move of the Spirit above, that sinking feeling of desperation in dramatic change and loss of all control and concrete plan. A sadness from leaving what I've come to love and a pride in wishing I had more to show for what has burdened my heart in this season.

From prison Paul challenged the Philippians through his immediately personal story. He claimed that 'I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.' This said in the midst of the Malady Mill. His imprisonment itself providing enough grist to cause even the best of us to lose heart. Yet this same grist carrying Paul into the Malady Mill was never void of his faith. A faith founded in Christ who alone gives strength in desperately challenging seasons lacking personal ability to overcome.

What Mill are you tossed about in? What have you come through or foresee in the future? What's your source of Strength in the midst?

Malady. I'm not sure I could put my finger on the social, mental, spiritual malady consuming much of my journey in this season, however, while I look around and see the inner workings of the Malady Mill about me, I also confidently and humbly see the Spirit at work amidst the grist. I am not despondent by any stretch of the imagination. And while I'm not kicking my heels together in excitement I am confident He is at work.

Even I can do anything through Him alone, who provides all I need for life and breath and reason.

Read Philippians - a an encouraging letter written from a prisoner on behalf of Christ. Listen to mewithoutYou's Grist for the Malady Mill.

Function Junction

The game is happening. Realistically the 'play' button never ceases to be in use. But the most important may be the 'function' key.

Each of us has malware within causing us to malfunction on some level. Addictions, poisonous relationships, sub-par family baggage, abuse, self-deception, disease, dysfunction...malware. And each virus perverts the perfect functionality we all have access to in and through Christ. He incarnated a new code, a new list of options.

Function. Change your settings, the script - something only the Holy Spirit can do: the Counselor, the Guide, the heart and mind Renewer. Once the Spirit begins that work in you...He never ceases.

The Spirit gives us the unction to find the malfunction junction in our lives...have you?

Read: Philippians 1:3-11, 2:1-13 / John 14:25-27, 16:5-11 / 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

Weirdly Normal...

Graffiti art at one time was simply vandalism. Then it became artistic vandalism. Then it turned into a form of artistic expression, only some of which was purely vandalism. Now it's a full blown artform where money is made and graffiti is commissioned worldwide...and in some cases still vandalism.
Most things that seem weird to us at first are simply another persons normal. Normal doesn't make something right and quite honestly some peoples definition of normal is pretty stinkin' weird. Weird doesn't make something wrong though it does warrant healthy questioning.

Jesus was weird.

Even today, the average church leader if witnessing it first hand here and now, would disagree with his methodology (blanket statement not supported with factual evidence). We would wonder at his miraculous works, question his passion and doubt his teachings. Even as we hold his Word in our hands and hearts I doubt we would legitimize his ministry.

However, my desire isn't tear down the modern church, I'm a part of it and wouldn't consider abandoning his bride. My desire is to see the same ethos of Jesus' ministry play out in our own. The same mindset he had while on earth carry us through our days. The same philosophy of ministry shape our own. The same practical elements he displayed in building the church be lived out here and now.

His Personal Style:
He personally stayed close to at least 3 men whom he trained and shared life with, almost all of life for several years. Close enough that at least one was willing to speak up against the Lord...only to be put back in his place!

He built a solid team of 12 with whom he trained and sent. These he spent only a little less time than the 3 above.

He interacted regularly with at least 70-120 other followers he would call disciples. And he taught regularly to crowds in the hundreds and thousands.

He even spent massive amounts of time during his public ministry healing, eating with and talking with the masses between Caphernaum and Jerusalem.

To Jesus this was normal ministry. To others only some of this was normal for a Rabbi. For others yet this was blasphemous living.

His New Normal:
As the rock-star of his day - the miraculous healer, fantastic teacher, homegrown prophet and 'possible' messiah - Jesus did not pull away from the crowds outside of his teaching to create space. He spent more time with them.

Jesus didn't spend all his time alone with his 3 closest friends/disciples. He spent much time with them and balanced it with the masses.

Jesus managed to raise up leaders, lead a small group of men passionately willing to follow him anywhere, and regularly share his life with the world around him...all the while mapping out and equipping his disciples for the greatest missional movement ever set in motion in the history of mankind.

And he even managed to spend quality time with the Father amid his sacrificial mission.

His weirdness created a new normal.

He was obedient to his authority. He was humble in action. He was confident in theology and mission. He was gracious in confusion. He was direct in opposition. He was firm in condemnation. He was solid in clarification. He was passionate about reconciliation. He was committed to salvation.

Can we as leaders of the church: pastors, evangelists, teachers, prophets, preachers, apostles, administrators...disciples - both lay and vocational - can we really create a better system for unfolding the kingdom here and now? While Jesus never said, 'only do church the way I have done it' - out of all the models he could have implemented during his short time with his people he chose intimate, life-sharing discipleship with a few and large community teachings with the many...and intertwined the two beautifully under his watchful eye.

Let's disciple a few for a season of time. Then repeat.

Let's enter into smaller Christian communities and do life together.

Let's meet the masses, meet their needs and be and share the word.

Let's gather and worship with great teaching regularly.

I'm not sure the church is truly using Jesus' life and ministry as the model for how we do life and ministry today. We've got some things down. Others, maybe the more important things, not so much. Let's rethink the weird and the normal in life, ministry and Scripture...and keep transforming until our disciples look like Jesus'.

Commit Myself?...that's right.

Commitment is this interesting ghost of a trait.

It's almost a dirty word in certain circles among my generation on down. It's a heavy idea. In fact that's all that it is for many of us...an idea, a notion, a thought of an ideal that doesn't need to exist.

What's interesting is how this non-committal mindset has entered the Church (though not new). And what's more it has spread throughout all generations, cultures, races, genders, traditions etc. Commitment as an 'idea' has infiltrated the Christian worldview.

Now if we're in Christ and His Spirit is in us and this Spirit is from the Father and the Father promises to continue working in us until the day of completion...and we're called to be like Him...then how did we end up with an 'idea' of commitment in place of actual commitment (which even Christ demonstrated most intently on the Cross Himself)?

'...confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.' 

Commitment is hard. It's messy. It's incredibly sacrificial. It's at the heart of the character of the Lord. It's tangible. It's a mixture of passion and perseverance. Joy and anguish. Sanctification and suffering. Glory and depression. Ultimately redeemed and completed reconciliation.

Commitment is this ghost of an idea for many of us.

But what if we actually committed to our families, marriages, vocations, kids, friends, communities, groups, time in the Word, worship, prayer, joyful living, truth, our purpose, the Lord...

Commitment would no longer be an intangible entity but an actual way of doing life...and doing life well. It would bring inner peace, productivity, spiritual growth, emotional wellness, physical health, discernment, healthier/muddier relationships, respect...if done in humility and with the Spirits guidance it brings Christlike transformation. Transformation is anything but easy yet it holds all the good stuff.

Sounds crazy but maybe we need to commit ourselves.

Read Philippians 1:1-11. In fact read through the whole book for a 'chained' commitment to Christ.

Quality Control

Quality. Every decent company, manufacturer, organization attempts to standardize the quality of it's product. They have the stickers to prove it. What role does it play in the Church. I mean, we're all imperfect and will be until sanctification is complete on the other side. So how do we gauge the 'fineness' or 'grade' of believer...and should we?

There are so many areas to track quality in as well right: faith, belief, knowledge, action, word, heart, compassion, love, fruit etc...

We've all met (and I've been) those men and women who call themselves followers of Christ but couldn't possibly be. Or those who are sold on social justice and clearly love people but never mention Christ or salvation or redemption. Or those who seem to have a real grasp on an authentic gospel lifestyle. How do we gauge quality?

John notes that others will know a true believer by their love (13:35). Jesus notes faith and obedience (8:31). A life lost and a cross carried according to Mark (8:34-38) - unfathomable ideas to those without the life of the Spirit in them. James notes faith and deeds (2:17)...and so on.

Love. It seems to be the common thread in the believers life. According to John God is love and according to Jesus if we really are disciples then He is in us and we are in Him...Love is in us and we are in Love. Love is the gauge or standard by which we define 'quality' of Christian.

This isn't to say we're able to rightly qualify a believers position in Christ. Only Christ knows the genuine state of His disciples. Though as fellow believers we're called to carry burdens, discipline, challenge, rebuke, correct, teach, train, account and judge (not eternally) the state of the body and in particular members when necessary.

This isn't a license to condemn I should mention.

I suppose overall we're all unworthy of the grace God offers. That said, we're not called to abuse His grace, quality of Christlikeness matters to Him most of all.

As Paul said...our attitude should be like Christs. Jesus is our standard and the Spirit is the quality control working through our hearts, the Word, and the Church.

Read Matthew 6:1-18 for a heart check on your actions and beliefs. Read Philippians 2:1-11 to check your attitude. Read the Gospel of John to breath in some fresh air.

Community: What the...

Are we as the Church challenging, expecting and equipping God's Spirit-filled people to live as cultural missionaries?

OR

Are God's empowered people expecting those without that power to enter the church on their own?

Think of it like this. It's terrifying to radically alter your worldview, culture, mindset, belief system, lifestyle...so why do we expect those outside the Church to do all these things in order to engage with the Word.

Are we expecting more faith and courage from people who haven't interacted with the Creator than we are from those who are indwelt by Him? Who is called to be intentional: those who have been reconciled or those who haven't? Who's called to be an ambassador?

What if we spent our time being Christian community, gathering as believers, mashed together with our locale. There's lots of room to define what that really means without giving up the Gospel - the catch is, if we simply say we're doing this and aren't either experiencing fruit or persecution...we probably really aren't doing it.
Dang.

Read and be: Matthew 28:18-20 - 2 Corinthians 5:11-21

Moving Day

It happens.

And there's nothing that can be done to stop it.

Change. It's such a natural part of life. I've spent my whole life changing, growing, learning, adapting, creating, causing, accepting...and yet as an adult, after many years of changes of all shapes and sizes and in all areas of life, change still surprises.

We're created to change. From the womb to the grave we change. We spend years in formal education in order to change. Through life's experiences we mature, we grow in understanding the deeper mysteries of life.

The Spirit of God regenerates us. The old self, or those parts of us that we're spiritually dead are brought to life, made new. Change happens. It's not always easy or good or enjoyable or ___________...never the less it happens and will continue to do so.

You know what they say - if you can't stop it, learn from it! How can you enjoy the change you're currently experiencing? An how can you grow from it? Pray for wisdom and clarity, seek out the the divine purpose behind all change.

The Static Bearer: Electrifyingly Connected

When did you lose that electrified connection between what you know to be true spiritually and what is physically being lived out in your life?

Like at one point after being made aware of your true human nature, and a transformed life in light of Christ's holiness, you desperately wanted to align yourself with His righteousness, His standard of living, His gracious love...no matter the personal cost.

'Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you,' Peter said to Jesus. All the other disciples said the same. I believe they genuinely meant this. (Matthew 26:35)

They were living alongside their Messiah. They had experiential knowledge of the Christ and became frustrated at the news that they would turn their back on their Teacher. They would never break away from Him and wanted to reassure Him of their zeal.

And yet soon enough they scatter - they deny - they run and hide - they disown - they become confused and depressed - they become the jokes of their neighbors...they lose that electrified connection that at one point in time was so strong and powerful and divine.

You've run. You've scattered. You've disconnected from the Divine that so powerfully redeemed you. Reconnect. Continue shedding the old and taking on the new:
Like in salvation - dying to self.
Like in baptism - along with Christ.
Like in sacrifice - loving others more than self.
Regeneration - from the old to the new.

Are you willing to live deeply, electrifyingly connected to Christ? His static-bearer.

Read Romans 6 - dead to sin, alive in Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5 - wisdom of God over mans. Jeremiah 17:7-8.