January 2015 Book Release / A Family on Mission Action Journal

A Family on Mission Action Journal  /  Coming January 2015

Check out my first forthcoming Action Journal dedicated to fostering intentional family life in Christ together. Get active on purpose and regularly at that! Next Year (January 2015) order a copy for your family - and one for each of the families in your Missional Community. Get active together one day at a time.

Live UP / Live IN / Live OUT  This rhythm of life as a family dedicated to growing in Christ personally and together AND engaging Jesus' call to make disciples who make disciples is a wild adventure. On our journey to engage our neighbors and network with the Gospel together as a family we need a little encouragement from time to time.

Journey together through UP - IN - OUT adventures, journal about the events, the people involved, the work of the Spirit and the fruit you'll be praying about for future relationship and mission.

Being missional as a disciple of Christ is most rewarding when it's the overflow of our Deuteronomy 6:4-9 family life rhythm. It's most fruitful when it leads to discipling relationships both inside and outside the home.

Are you enjoying the call of Christ right here in your home?

A Family on Mission Action Journal / The Next Absolutely Unprofessional Publication coming January 2015.

How Was Your Christmas?

I've been asking this question the past couple of days as I run into people I haven't seen in a bit. I don't even know what I mean by it if I'm honest.

Family dynamics.
Party schedule.
Gift reception.
Financial peace.
Experience the spirit of the season.
Overeating.
General enjoyment of the kids, wife and time together.

Deep in my gut I'm also wondering how the person is engaging Jesus in this season. How celebrating the incarnational birth of Immanuel has impacted their heart, soul, mind and body here and now.

It's the other side of the pre-Christmas question: Are you ready for Christmas? It depends, what are talking about?

If you had asked me that in regards to gifts? Yes.
In regards to scheduling? Yes.
In regards to enjoying the family? Yes.
In regards to decorations? Yes.
In regards to peace and low stress? Yes.
In regards to worshiping Jesus?

Yes.

Paul challenged the body of believers to examine their own hearts and minds before engaging in the bread and the cup. Catch that? Before a Christ-follower is to eat a hunk of bread and take a shot of wine we're challenged to spiritually engage Jesus on His terms (1 Cor 11:27-31).

A celebration festival in honor of Christ's birth isn't found in Scripture - but the amount of space dedicated to recalling His coming gives weight to such a worthy party. Communion honors His death and resurrection and our place in Him. Christmas honors His birth and His place over us.

So, were you ready for Christmas? How did your Christmas go?

Did you examine your heart and it's focus on Him and overflow of His love in this season?
Did you examine your mind and your understanding and awareness of His Messianic Nature as the God-man?
Did you examine your body, your actions and engage in a divine level of self-control and service in loving your family, friends and neighbors?
Did you examine your soul and it's intermingling with the Spirit of the Living God in and about you?

How was your Christmas? Whether it was good or not may not have to depend on your family dysfunction, gifts or lack thereof, favorite foods, smells, church services and feelings. This isn't a new concept but maybe the Christians Christmas experience ought to depend on how we honored Christ this season? If Isaiah the Prophet can find hope and peace in a coming Messiah he didn't know, how much more can the disciple of Jesus enjoy His birth in all we do know.

How was your Christmas attitude?

Read Philippians 2:1-13 and engage this God this Christmas 

John's Story: 5:1-15

Do you want to get well?

Text / 

5:7 The Mans Response

Ever been asked an incredibly simple but overtly personal question? That's how I see the question above. Jesus asks this ill man if he would like to be healthy, whole. How would you respond?

'No one helps me into the pool and others cut in front of me when I do try to get in and that angel from heaven doesn't show up very often...'

I'm not even sure these are excuses. There's no reason to give an excuse here. Maybe if Jesus asked, 'Why aren't you well yet?' then maybe these would be worthwhile but not here. Yes or No? After 38 years of being ill do you want to be well?

Possible Explanations for the Mans Response:

1. R.C. Sproul sees Jesus question as a possible warning to the man, "Jesus' question likely was intended to warn him that being healed would bring radical life changes. There would be no more handouts, no more assistance. Instead, he would have to be productive. He would have to function in a society."
2. Towns notes, "When one waits a long time for a miracle or answer to prayer, discouragement grows, and with it unblief begins to develop." Maybe he was simply beginning to doubt that healing was even an option.
3. I wonder if the man simply wasn't prepared for an actual opportunity to be healed. His condition was very real, his desire to be healed abounding, but his lack of awareness of Rabbi Jesus and quite possibly never having truly witnessed a miracle may have left him with his guard down.
4. What if he was still engaged in whatever sin put him in that position? If this is the case then there's no way to give Jesus a straight answer. His heart and mind were not free of guilt.

Excuses Image taken from Towns pg#49

5:8-9 'Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.'

Whatever the case, Jesus knew of the mans condition and had sovereignly planned a healing. Some translations say Jesus 'learned' of the mans condition. Others stress more directly that Jesus 'knew'. John often demonstrates Jesus' ability to divinely know information (1:47-49).

Jesus knew the condition.

Jesus knew the man.

Jesus knew his heart.

Jesus knew his reaction to healing.

Jesus knew the Jewish leaders response.

Jesus knew the intended purpose of not only this healing, but his coming offer of eternal healing for all.

In Genesis 1 we see God speaking creation into existence. The same power and production Christ used in creation (Colossians 1) He uses here. The Words of God are full of power, they're living and active (Heb. 4)

After the healing Jesus disappears. The man can't or doesn't find Him and so he has no idea who it was that healed him. I wonder if he cares? He seems to just go on about his day. Maybe he's overwhelmed. Maybe Jesus simply left too quickly. Maybe he's excited to run off and hug his family and friends.

Regardless, Jesus finds him later on and leaves him with a serious warning, "See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you."

Again, the mans response is strange. He knows the Jews are upset with him about breaking their law (not The Law, as they have attached way too much to the original Text in Exodus 20:8-11) but he goes to them and makes sure they know who actually commanded him to walk (break the law). Why? He was just healed, not only do the Jewish leaders miss the miracle, but the man himself is yet shifting the focus and 'blame' away from himself and onto this Rabbi.

Also, did you notice the 'again' (:14)? So prior to the 38 years of infirmity this man was healthy and active and productive. Something about his choices, his co-mission of a particular sin or lifestyle of sinning set him on his back for 38 years.

Which leads me to a pretty important question.

Is suffering a response to sin? That is, is a believers suffering always directly related to sin, either conscious committal of a sin or the omission of a precept? Or worse a sin one isn't even aware of in their life? Is suffering always the result of sin?

I was in a service one Sunday visiting a local church when this concept repeatedly came up. The speaker hammered the notion that God only blesses, he does not cause suffering. If anyone in the audience were experiencing suffering then sin is at the root and they are distant from the Lord.

Terrifyingly unbiblical. Imagine how many people churchgoers live under the invisible hammer of God without experience the Truth about suffering.

Scripture teaches that suffering is a part of the human condition. Yes it exists because of sin but in Gods economy it is:

• the consequence of sin (natural and intentional) (John 5:1-15)
• The consequences of a broken world (Luke 13:1-9)
• the means to challenge and grow the believer (Heb. 12:6)
• the response of the world towards believers, persecution (John 15:20)
• the byproduct of the divine meeting the flesh, sanctification occurring in imperfect bodies

Paul said that "it has been granted to you (Philippians, and you and I) on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him," (Phil 1:29-30). The original audience were experiencing many of the same struggles Paul had and he was encouraging them to carry on well, that God the Father knew and intended belief and suffering to go hand in hand for our benefit and His Glory.

Many, many, many believers today are experiencing the very same struggles Paul had. Many others are experiencing different forms of pain, struggle, suffering, conflict, persecution etc.

Side Notes /

Feast of the Jews: Which one? John doesn't say but Passover, The Feast of Tabernacles and The Feast of Dedication are options. Most leave out the Passover as John tends to specify this feast as it plays an important role in Jesus' interaction with the Jews and His temple.

Pool of Bethesda 'house of mercy': near the Sheep Gate on the North side of Jerusalem. Thoughts on this pool:

• animals were cleansed here prior to being sacrificed at the temple
• healing waters: minerals giving the pool a reddish hue and believed to have healing attributes
• healing waters: angel stirs the water providing divine healing to few (not in the earliest manuscripts)
• natural spring within that would turn the waters and gave the impression of angelic healing
• archaeologists have noted later Roman attachments to this pool regarding health and healing as well

Personalize /

How do you respond to suffering? Do you hold unbiblical concepts of suffering?

In your suffering do you discern what is the result of your sin, persecution, others sin, challenge, natural brokenness in the body, character discipline, faith stretching, etc?

How do you respond to answered prayer or miracle in your life? Do you respond with gratefullness and joy? Do these cause you to worship and glorify God, boasting in Him all the more? OR do you wonder why God didn't respond differently? Do you lack contentment in His work and response no matter how great? Is God's work in you ever good enough for you honor Him?

The sick man experienced physical healing and yet seemed to miss out on the spiritual healing Jesus was truly offering. How many Christ followers are missing out on true healing of the heart and mind and focusing too much on the physical healing of the body and surroundings?

I challenge you to point out 3 things today that you are thankful for. 3 things that God has worked in and about you that you must simply and humbly honor Him in response.

John, Elmer Towns #48-49.

MacArthur Study Bible #1586-1587.

John, RC Sproul ebook, #1085.

John's Story 4

Places of worship and water are wildly important aspects of faith. In fact, nearly every system of faith puts emphasis on the location of a god, its residence or place of worship and interaction in the tangible world such as temples, altars, universities, labs, volcanoes and mountains.

As well water is a symbol of either life or death - running water such as rivers or natural springs signify health, purity, spiritual interaction with man (libations, baptism etc.), while stagnant pools of water are both physically dangerous and spiritually symbolic of death.

Text / John 4:1-30 Living Water

At the end of her conversation with Jesus the Samaritan woman left her water jar behind as she went to share the Living Water with her community. This is a great ending to a strange interaction. I wonder how man of us leave behind our old buckets after meeting the Creator.

So what do we take away from this idea of Living Water? Teacher Gary DeLashmutt notes 4 points:

1. Living Water is Essential for spiritual life: this Living Water is symbolic of Gods Holy Spirit indwelling our own bodies to know Him.
2. Living Water is Available in Abundance:
• phrear :11 - physical, man-made well or shaft
• pege :14 - fountain or well, associated with spiritual depths
3. Jesus is the Source of Living Water: He alone has authority to dispense the Holy Spirit.
4. Living Water is a Gift: whoever asks receives, not earned but given.

Later on in chapter 7 we see Jesus calling out to the masses at the closing of the Feast of Tabernacles, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink."

So thousands of people are crowded around the ritualistic procession of the Priests carrying a pitcher of water from the Pool of Siloam back to the altar as an offering to the Lord. Tradition. Physical symbolism. Familiarity. Holy Ritualism. And Jesus calling it an absolute waste of time. Jesus claiming that only HE can offer such forgiving and living water.

Jesus, a Jewish Rabbi, alone, speaking with a woman, a Samaritan woman, a woman living a lifestyle against Gods design - this is an interaction between God and man that now, through Christ, happens to each one of us. God directly and graciously personally connecting with us in our sin with a desire to pull our hearts and minds back to Him and away from our relationships with people and things that will never bring Living Water.

Text / John 4:19-26 Place of Worship

Location, location, location! It's just as important in the Spiritual world as it is in the physical. However, Jesus blows our understanding of this out of the water.

Historical Background on Mt. Gerazim: After the Assyrians took over the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722bce they brought in various cultures and religions to populate the area. In the 4th century bce, Manasseh, the high priest in Jerusalem, was challenged to divorce his foreign wife or be expelled. Sanballat the Samaritan leader and father of Nikaso, Manasseh's wife, promised the high priest his own temple of the lord, land and power if he would only remain with Nikaso. Manasseh agreed.

Side Note: Both Manasseh and the Samaritan woman Jesus interacted with were placing higher regard on physical fulfillment in their intimate relationships than on their Lord and Creators desire, design and Glory. Somethings in the human condition don't change right? How often do you put sex, money, longings, desires, personal fulfillment and self-esteem before the call of Jesus?

By the time Jesus arrived to meet the woman at the well the temple on Mt. Gerazim had been destroyed by the Jews over 100 years before. The rift between the Jews and Samaritans went pretty deep I would say.

Jesus wasn't worried about rifts. Jesus wasn't interested in temples.

"A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth...God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and truth." 4:23-24

spirit - pneuma: principle life-giving source, contrasted with the body, symbolic of the heart: the seat of emotion and affection, more than physical action or rite.

truth - aletheia: reality, fact, actual state of affairs - symbolic of the opposite of darkness, evil, partial knowledge in the shadows.

Jesus is beginning to proclaim the drastic change in mans understanding of worship. We naturally desire an object, a location, a ritual, a rite of passage or worthy activity...And here Jesus is proclaiming that the only worthy act of worship is to believe with our hearts, in the depth of a renewed spirit by The Spirit and in actual, knowable truth, specifically Truth about this Living Water in Himself, the Savior and Reconcillor to God the Father!

What does this mean?

You and I no longer have to wait to worship God on a mountain or in a temple or around the mouth of a volcano tossing cows and wild boars into in order to appease his anger.

Nope. We worship God through worshipping Christ and just where you are in spirit and in truth. In genuine heart adoration and knowledge of the truth in our minds.

Challenge /

Have you taken a sip of this Living Water? Have your, like Nicodemus in chapter 3, been born again? This isn't a catch phrase form hippy Jesus movements. This isn't cultish ritualism. This is actual and honest engagement with the God of the Universe on His terms and for your sake.

What personal, traditional, religious, mental, physical, emotional, spiritual temples do you need to tear down in order to actually, intimately, spiritually connect with God? What Truths in Scripture do you need to unpack and build life upon in order to worship Jesus as He has designed?

Come to Him with a pleading heart in the manner of the Official who sought Jesus' presence for his sons healing (4:43-54) but come with the knowledge that Jesus can heal even apart from His physical presence. He is active here and now in ways we cannot yet see.

Gary DeLashmutt 2012 John Series @ Xenos.org

Mt Gerazim notes from Archaeological Study Bible

Comments on the role of water from The Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion

Just Think: Eisenhower Matrix

Apparently President Eisenhower once said, "The most urgent decisions are rarely the most important ones." And so I'm assuming the below tool mystically sprang up in accordance with his quote.

In an ongoing series (with the theme music being 'Right Now' by Van Halen) I'll be posting tools for decision-making, brainstorming, organizing, re-imagining, en-visioning etc. Basically tools useful for creatively and strategically living life on mission. Most of these are transferable to different areas of life, for example:

• organizing and casting vision for our Missional Communities
• creatively and joyfully planing our family calendar
• casting vision for our organizations and business'

The Eisenhower Matrix from The Decision Book

So let's start with the Eisenhower Matrix and I'll state now that while I've seen this elsewhere I have directly taken this from The Decision Book: 50 Models for Strategic Thinking.

Resting on the axis of Important / Urgent we have 4 quadrants:
1. Not Important / Not Urgent
2. Important / Not Urgent
3. Urgent / Not Important
4. Urgent / Important

I recently spent time charting out my rhythm of life for this holiday season. Everything from Christmas shopping to study for John's Story and discussion to Home Projects. In fact, each of the four quadrants I then divided into four more quadrants and started really clarifying what was the MOST Urgent / Important of those on the list etc.

The night I charted this stuff out and presented it to my wife I immediately felt confident to dive into the most pertinent (great word) project, one that was both Urgent & Important (a Christmas project my son is working on), while leaving on the desk a personal project that is Important (to me) though not Urgent whatsoever.

Personally speaking, there's something about flexibility that MUST be a part of my daily rhythm when it comes to deadlines, and being a good steward of my time and energy authors that flexible rhythm all the more and fosters Christlike character growth (Matthew 25:20-21, Colossians 3:23)

I'm interested to see if this one becomes a habit or a one-season-offering to the God of management...

The Decision Book: 50 Models for Strategic Thinking by Mikael Krogerus & Roman Tschappeler

John's Story Light & Belief

My kids and I were grilling the other night as the sun was dropping and the moon was on the rise. We watched the sun descend in what looked like an awesome fiery mess on the horizon and then almost immediately the moon appeared to help us finish grilling dinner.

"It's so cool that even when it's dark all around us we can still see what we're supposed to be doing," Elias observed (Captain Obvious maybe, but he's six so on the age scale I'd say pretty astute).

To which my daughter so relevantly replied, "I can twirl and touch my nose." Clearly gifted in her own right.

My son noted the physical analogy of a brilliant spiritual Truth repeated in John by John the Baptist, John the Author, and Jesus himself. Light shines in the world, in all of the world all the time, it's simply a matter of realizing it.

Text / John 3:16-21
This is the verdict; Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their actions were evil. Through this Light, Who is the Word and was and is with God and known to us as Jesus, In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. This Light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood It and cannot overcome It. John 1:1-5, 3:19

God didn't send this Light into the world to condemn it, it (we) was already condemned, no God sent this Light to save the world and those who do understand this Truth and Believe will experience from here onward eternal life. Those that ignore the Light, that run from it or never dare peer at the light remain under the wrath of God set in place by mans original rejection of Him. John 1:1-5, 10-13, 3:14-18

Verdict =

• So the Light of Christ and the Belief of man in Christ unite in the disciple to eternally experience Life.
• And the Darkness of the evil one and the unbelief of man rejecting Christ unite in the student of the world to eternally experience destruction.

These are such vivid pictures of salvation and separation and Jesus is so forthright in discussing and explaining them they are worth investigating as tangibly and spiritually as possible. We created an axis with these 4 concepts as the key points attempting to see with more distinction the nature of light / dark, belief / unbelief.

Unpack /
Light / Belief Quad: The Disciple of Christ, heart and mind transformation. This person not only believes that Jesus is Lord but has also submitted him/herself to His Divine Light in in true repentance and genuine salvation from sin and death. They are walking in the Light as imperfect students being renewed, looking to the cross, modelling Christlikeness. (3:19-21 / 1:4-5)

Darkness / Belief Quad: The Seeker, Unbeliever, a spiritually muddy area at times. James 2 tells us that even demons believe Jesus is Lord...yet they clearly run from His Light. This person might believe that Jesus was a great Rabbi, a wise teacher, a prophet even, they might even believe Jesus is Truth and Life - but this person hasn't submitted to His Lordship, His Way of salvation. This person seeks after their own desires first and foremost and so remains in darkness...aware of the Light. (3:15-18, 36a / 1:12 / 6:29)

Darkness / Unbelief Quad: This is the Disciple of the World, no belief and intentional darkness. Sins of co-mission and omission take shape. This person is aware of Christ, they have heard the Gospel and they have denied it. In response they remain in the dark, both their own sin and the general brokenness of the world. Jesus isn't condemning them for their unbelief, original sin has done that, but He does let them remain in the dark if they don't want His Light. (3:14-15, 20 / 1:5)

Light / Unbelief Quad: Everyone starts here and many finish here. To the Romans (chapter 1) Paul makes note that Truth is apparent in nature, that all creation proclaims Him and His Light reveals Truth in it's raw divine form...but men and women reject it as The Truth. Here natural sin develops and blinds us in unbelief. We see the Light but can't put a name to this Light unless the Spirit moves first. This person also remains under the wrath of God which is the effect of mans rejection of Truth and Love and the consequences of separation from Him. (3:36b / 3:18 / 1:10-11)

John's Story 3

In John 3 Jesus very briefly compares His coming crucifixion and the salvation He brings with a weird little story from the Book of Numbers in the Torah.

A familiar story to His audience. A story that I think both demonstrates the Prophetic nature of Scripture as it relates to Jesus, but also the Historical / Cultural ways God connected early on with His people.

Text / John 3:1-21

The 4 R's

Read Numbers 21:4-9

1. The people Reject the Lord and Moses
2. God's WRathful response
3. Peoples Repentance
4. God's Reconciliation & salvation

If you've read Jesus' interaction with Nicodemus the Pharisee, and even more so the first few chapters of John, then you'll note the analogy here:

1. The world has Rejected God (Genesis 3) and doesn't recognize Jesus as His Son and Savior (John 1:10-14)
2. The original sin of Adam and Eve has heaped condemnation (WRath) on all men everywhere in all generations (John 3:36)
3. Through Repentence of our sinful nature against the Lord (John 3:14-17)
4. Jesus offers salvation (through looking to the cross)  and thus Reconciliation with God the Father

The Bronze Snake is a symbol of Salvation, a Type of Christ (strange, I know, snakes tend hold such anti-Christ symbology in the Word so be careful not to read into an analogy more than is intended). Jesus is saying to Nico that He (Jesus) is like the snake and anyone who looks to Him as the Savior will be rescued in the same way the Hebrews were from their clear and present demise (venomous snakes)!

Think about how tangible of an analogy this really is. Jesus is saying that just as the snakes were a very real, tangible and immediately deadly threat...and just as the Bronze Snake was a very real, tangible and immediately salvific cure...so our state of condemnation is very true and real and immediate and so Jesus' Messianic cure, salvation, is real, tangible, immediate and eternal.

Incredible.

Key Points /

Nicodemus: Pharisee, wealthy, good standing among his peers, known in the community and obviously well-educated in the Scriptures and thus the Law.

Nico is fishing here. In His opening statement he's seeking clarification from Jesus about His status, His role, His intention - and so begins a three tiered conversation:

Q1 "We know God is with you Teacher" / "Nico, you'd have to be 'born again' to know who I really am.

Q2 "How can I be born twice? My mom wouldn't like that..." / "Nico, you know that God's kingdom is Spirit first and foremost, it's like the wind going where it pleases. You know that a man must be cleansed with water in renewal and purity, just as his fleshly birth was an innocent introduction to the fleshly world. (Read R.C. Sproul, John, Chapter 6 'Rebirth' - great discussion on the various meanings)

Q3 "How?" / "Seriously? You got nothing here? Alright, let's get to the point: God deeply loves His creation (all people) and has sent ME, the Christ, to be like the Bronze Snake...you're a teacher of Israel, you get it now right? I didn't come to condemn anyone, everyone is already separated from God and that is your real issue, sickness, eternal position. I did, however, come to save and whoever comes into my Light and believes the Truth will see plainly the salvation before them and through Me."

So Hozier, I'm sorry man but your song 'Take me to church' just doesn't cut it - Jesus didn't bring poison to be spouted each week but instead the only possible cure. Really catchy tune though! (not sure the lyrics make sense, one too many contradictions to be a sound argument for a life's philosophy...)

Read 3:31-36  John the Baptist continues His Testimony of Jesus

Two quick notes on this chunk:

• "He must become greater; I must become less." Is there really any other model statement that could define a healthy mindset when it comes to knowing and loving Jesus?
• :36 Here John totally qualifies Jesus' earlier statements about belief, salvation, eternal life, rejection, Son/Father equality, sin/wrath. Not that Jesus needs man's testimony - but if any man did qualify Jesus' nature...this is worth taking note of!

Questions /

1. What are you fishing for when you engage the Bible? Or when you engage Jesus? Like Nicodemus, what truths do you see and where do they point? Better yet, Whom do these truths point to?
2. Are you born again? This isn't some outdated religious question. This is the basic question of Jesus for anyone truly and deeply questioning reality: Spiritual reality / Physical Reality in Truth. Have you engaged Jesus directly on His terms?
3. What do you think about your natural state of condemnation? Not very politically correct is it. Not socially or culturally flattering or acceptable right? Even the most conservative, level headed, play it safe, good neighbor, employee, student, parent, homeowner, ticket-less driver person in the world is condemned outside of Jesus' Reconciliation as defined by Him.
4. How might you respond to the teaching in this chapter?