Resist the Tyranny of the Unchangeable3/25/2020 Irish writer, Frank O’Connor, told the story of two boys standing beside a tall orchard wall launching a small, felt, round object up in the air like a Frisbee. If you had been there to see them, it would have looked strange—even foolish. With the enthusiasm of a college graduate, one of the boys hurls his hat and you arrive just in time to see it leave the hand of its owner and travel high—up and over an imposing and significant wall. You might have wanted to call out and say, “Why did you do that? Now you are going to have to climb over and get it!” To which, the boys would reply with sly and knowing grins, “Exactly. That’s the whole idea.” I appreciate this story because it teaches us to not only dream big dreams but actually to dare to do the impossible. Often, our thoughts on focused on small matters, which not only depletes us of our energy and diverts our attention, but it keeps us from achieving great things for the Kingdom of God. We worry over money, careers, current events, and even sports. Our worry may seem justifiable from a worldly perspective, but not according to the directives in Holy Scripture. Worrying robs us of our power to move mountains and is a sin against God. Jesus instructs us not to worry “about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear” (Matt. 6:25) because our “heavenly Father knows that you need all these things” (v. 32). Our job is to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” and the result will be that the small matters will be taken care of by our Father (v. 33). God wants our trust as an expression of our faith (Heb. 11:6), but there is another reason that He tells us not to worry: it robs us of our daily grace. Each day we are apportioned an amount of grace (James 4:6) and that grace is to be combined with our faith to be used for great things. Worry diverts our energy from the great to the mundane. What does it mean to seek God’s kingdom as Jesus commands? First, it is the recognition that Jesus is King and we are to do what He tells us to do through His Word and His Spirit. Jesus tells us to do what He did while He was here on earth. “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12). What an awesome responsibility and privilege to join in the redemptive work of Christ and do even greater things that He did while here on earth. What did he do on earth? According to Acts 10:38 (NLT): “And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” The Spirit came upon Jesus to do GOOD for others. When we worry then, we are using our spiritual energies on the futile and mundane. We are unable to change circumstances through worry and we are unable to be used to do the good work that God has planned for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). Often our energies are exhausted on mundane matters because we do not see them as such. The dictionary defines mundane as “of this earthly world rather than a heavenly or spiritual one.” Jesus tells us that this world will pass away. Therefore, we should be investing our energies in the eternal matters of His kingdom (Matthew 6:19). Kingdom focus puts this world in perspective. We lose perspective when we lose our focus. Sometimes we allow ourselves to be distracted by the small things because it affords us a convenient excuse to ignore the larger matters. We actually welcome distraction and worry because we get the appearance of doing something while actually doing nothing. Here is an example: “I can’t serve right now because I have so many issues going on in my life. I just can’t do it.” This excuse is used so many times that I just do not even pay it mind because here is the truth: In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). There is always going to be problems, but we have been given the strength to overcome them so that we can continue to work for the King rather than demanding the King work for us. Distraction leads to inaction or misdirected energies. We try to manipulate small matters because it seems to impossible actually to do something BIG. One commentator summarized Pope Francis’ message during a United States trip: “resist the tyranny of the unchangeable.” We should never believe that positive change is not possible. Jesus tells us “What is impossible with man is possible with God” (Luke 18:27). God wants to do the impossible through YOU—are you willing to toss your cap over the wall?
0 Comments
The question that I continually face is “Am I willing to lay down my life so that others may live?” This is a terribly haunting and troubling question. What does it really mean to lay down one’s life? Is it just a matter of giving up a heartbeat for another, or is it also allowing one’s heart to break, so that others may live? I tend to think it is to be willing for both to happen, not only for our friends, but also for our enemies. The death of Jesus represents both concepts in regards to laying down one’s life. “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). In 2013, God sent me two treks to begin to show me what this means. He sent me to Kenya to look into the eyes of the orphaned, and He sent me to our streets to look through the eyes of the homeless. Through these experiences, He broke my heart. He showed me how apart from His grace, that I too am spiritually orphaned and homeless. He then called me to give more of my life “so that others may live.” Recently, I was led to the story of Esther, who was a Jewish queen of the Persian King Ahasuerus. She was out of place, and living between two different worlds—of the Jews and the Persians. Her uncle, Mordecai, informed Esther of a decree that would exterminate the Jews. Esther was reluctant to speak because of her fear of the King, but Mordecai replied to her: “Do not think to yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (4:13-14). I believe I was led to this passage because I am frequently concerned about things, and yet, I do not speak up. I am concerned that we as a corporate “Church” are shutting the “door of the kingdom of heaven in people's faces” (Matthew 23:13). The church is quick to recite John 3:16, but neglects to understand the amazing teaching found in the next verse: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” This verse is further illuminated in John 12:32, when Jesus says: “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” Notice that the message of God’s son is not condemnation, but acceptance for everyone! The Church, which bears the name of Christ, must share in dispensing the amazing grace and unconditional love that He demonstrated in His life, teachings, and death. The love of Jesus is incarnational and we are called to model it! Incarnational love means that we model the spirit of Christ as found in Philippians 2:1-11, and engage in the ministry described in Luke 4:18-19: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Jesus did wait for people to come to Him, but He came to us! He came not to condemn, but to love and to show us the Father. He came to heal us and to sanctify us! Jesus tells us:"Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." Jesus came to tear down “the dividing wall of hostility” (Eph. 2:14), and to “reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven” (Col. 1:20). And, Paul exhorts us to be Christ’s ambassadors as we continue in the similar ministry of reconciliation! (2 Cor. 5:20). God Invites Our Questions3/23/2020 “Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?” –Job 11:7 Many of us enjoy a good mystery novel, television show, or movie because we enjoy the suspense and intrigue this genre has to offer. It is my guess that most of us revel in trying to figure it all out to see if in the end our suspicions prove correct. Our enjoyment of a mystery is predicated upon the conclusion of the mystery—we want to know what happened! We want an end to the mystery that will help us make sense of the story’s journey. Sometimes, if you are like me, we will seek to know the conclusion before we reach it because we just cannot take the suspense of not knowing. Our human nature is not comfortable with mystery and ambiguity. We are addicted to reasoning and to understand the: who, what, where, when, why, and how of situations and circumstances. Job was a man who lost so much and asked many questions. His friends and wife were of no comfort. His wife told him, "Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!" (2:9). His friends sought to rationalize through blame because there had to be something that Job had done to be on the receiving end of so much pain. Finally, Job gets an audience with God, and we think, “Now, Job will get some answers.” But Job does not get answers from God, rather he gets questions posed by the Almighty in Chapters 38-41: “Why do you confuse the issue? Why do you talk without knowing what you’re talking about? Pull yourself together, Job! Up on your feet! Stand tall! I have some questions for you, and I want some straight answers” (38:2-3 Message). God uses the questions to allow Job to reach this conclusion: “I’m convinced: You can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset your plans. You asked, ‘Who is this muddying the water, ignorantly confusing the issue, second-guessing my purposes?’ I admit it. I was the one. I babbled on about things far beyond me, made small talk about wonders way over my head. You told me, ‘Listen, and let me do the talking. Let me ask the questions. You give the answers.’ I admit I once lived by rumors of you; now I have it all firsthand—from my own eyes and ears! I’m sorry—forgive me. I’ll never do that again, I promise! I’ll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor.” (42:1-6 Message) Job does not get answers to his questions, but a revelation of truth! Humankind’s first sin was to rebel against God and eat of the knowledge of the tree of good and evil. The serpent tricked us when he said: “You won’t die. God knows that the moment you eat from that tree, you’ll see what’s really going on. You’ll be just like God, knowing everything, ranging all the way from good to evil” (Genesis 3:4-5). The serpent exposed a divine curiosity within us that when coupled with pride could have disastrous consequences. Since the garden, we have attempted to use reason to put God into the box that fits comfortably within the limits of our rationality. As much as we may try, God refuses to be placed in a box and refuses to allow us to remain comfortable with what we think we know about Him. In Isaiah 29:14, God declares through the prophet: “Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.” Our curiosity is a divine spark within us, but only when handled properly. God frustrates us by opposing our pride so that we can be in the best place to have a revelation of the truth. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10). God wants us to seek wisdom and knowledge in Him and through Him, but we must remember that He does not work for us rather we work for Him! In Isaiah 1:18 (ESV) He invites us to reason together—with Him! But we must exercise humility recognizing that truth in Isaiah 55:8-9: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Curiosity combined with pride lead to destruction; whereas, curiosity and humility lead to revelation. We must seek truth when we seek Christ (John 14:6). But we must let Jesus, be Jesus! We will receive revelation—that is the truth for us and for this time—when we seek God with all of our hearts and minds in love and through faith. We must be prepared for unanswered questions and respond in faith (trust and obedience in action). Keep asking questions, challenging assumptions, and the status quo, and allow yourself to be open to a fresh awakening of God’s movement around us. We may not know all the answers, but we know that in the end—LOVE WINS! The Storm Does Not Have the Last Word3/21/2020 22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. 25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” –Matthew 14:22-33 There are two characteristics that should not be part of the Christian life: anger and despair. And yet, many of us as followers of Jesus are consistently plagued by these two emotional states. Despair is prevalent in our society today, and it is especially prevalent also within God's chosen people, which should not be. There are many problems facing us that make cause the feelings of anger and despair. As a community, we are facing unprecedented times. We're facing financial difficulties. We're facing spiritual difficulties. We're facing physical health issues. We're facing family issues. We're dealing with all kinds of issues. We all have problems. We're all messed up. A Christian is not one that has it all together. A Christian recognizes their brokenness and the healing and fullness of Jesus. Thank God that He loves us just the way that we are, but He's not going to leave us that way. God is always at work within our lives even when we don't see it (John 5:17). We know that the Father loves us, that He has a good and perfect plan for each and every one of us (Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:28). The reason we get a downcast soul is because we get our eyes off of Jesus and we look to the problems and troubles of our lives. In Psalm 43:5 we read the Psalmist reminding himself, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” The Psalmist is recognizing his brokenness, but also reminding Himself of the promises of God. Sometimes we need to give ourselves time to have a pity party, but then we need to move on. When we are meditating on our problems, rather than His promises, then our problems start to overtake our faith. We start looking at our checkbook over and over and saying “Lord, how am I going to pay the bills?” We look at how big the giant is or how big our storms and this begins to overwhelm us. We become overwhelmed because we don’t necessarily have the emotional and spiritual depth the be able to recognize what the real problem is: lack of perspective (Psalm 46:5). When we face despair, we need to turn our direction toward Jesus; rather than continuing to focus on our problems. Hebrew 6:19 tells us, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” You know why we need an anchor? We need an anchor because the storm is going to toss us about. We do not need an anchor for calm water; we need it for the rough water. Jesus tells us: “"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John16:33). The storms are going come, but Jesus is always in the boat or He's on His way to the boat. Jesus always knows what's happening in the storms of our life and He promises that the storm does not have the last word! Why Does God Allow the Storms3/20/2020 God allows the storms in our life not to destroy us but to grow us! Unfortunately, it is only through adversity that we truly are able to mature in our lives. There are some people that can hear the truth and apply it, but they are few and far between. The rest of us listen to the truth and then we do it our way. Then we say, "What happened?” We have all been in this situation at one time or another in our lives. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” –James 1:2-4 A parent that shelters their child from the problems of this life has done the child a disservice by not equipping them to overcome the challenges of the world. As a society, we now reward children for only trying, without concern for effort or outcome. We have created a trophy generation of people characterized by self-entitlement. The self-entitlement mentality believes that somehow someone is always going to be there to take care of the problems, even when they are a result of our own poor choices. As a professor, I hear the self-entitlement mentality often when students demand an “A” grade because “they tried really hard.” I remind the students that grades are measures of the final product, not the perceived or real effort put forth by the student. A lower grade is not given because I seek to be punitive, but because I want them to learn the lesson of their mistakes so that the next time they will deserve an “A.” Whether stated explicitly or implicitly, the message is clear that we want all the glory, without the effort. God is the best parent and teacher and He wants to not simply have the appearance of maturity and completeness—He wants it to be a reality! The only way to grow us in our faith is by allowing adversity in our lives. The storms in nature cause the roots of the plants to go deeper and the same holds true for us spiritually. The storms in our lives will not remain, but the lessons learned can be of eternal value. “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” -2 Corinthians 4:17 Getting Our Lives Together10/26/2019 They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. Isaiah 61:3 One of my friends from college frequently says to people, “Get your life together!” This line has stayed with me since my undergraduate years at Eastern University, and I frequently find myself thinking the same thing as I interact with people of various walks of life. In a society of so much dysfunction it is logical to assume that people need to get their lives together, but many times they just do not know how to change things. They know something needs to change, but they do not know “what” and they do not know “how.” What is more disturbing to me is the number of “Christians” that are in this same predicament. In this letter to you, I hope to address this serious predicament that we find ourselves in as the Church. We need to understand the characteristics that should define a follower of Jesus Christ. A follower of Jesus Christ should progressively become more like Jesus and do the things that Jesus did during His three-year ministry (John 14:12; Galatians 2:20). In Acts 10:38, we are given a good summation of Jesus’ life and ministry, “And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him” (NLT). Jesus’ life was characterized by the anointing of the Holy Spirit, which basically means He was saturated with the Holy Spirit, and the result was POWER to DO GOOD. The Bible tells us that the very Holy Spirit that saturated Jesus will saturate our lives if we will make the decision to WALK IN THE SPIRIT and not gratify our carnal desires (Galatians 5:16). The Spirit has been given to every follower of Jesus, but it is up to us to operate our lives in the Spirit. If we operate our lives in the spirit, the result will be lives characterized by power & sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7), love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Is your life progressively becoming more and more characterized by these attributes of the Spirit? The Spirit-filled life is the birthright of every child of God; however, very few exercise their kingdom rights in this world. In Genesis 25:29-34, we read the story of Esau who sold his birthright to his brother Jacob for stew because he was hungry. The birthright during Biblical times belonged to the firstborn and allowed for him to receive the chief portion of the inheritance, as well as hold the position of spiritual leadership in the family. Esau sold the prized birthright for a bowl of stew, and we could look at him and think how foolish he was, but are we that much different from him? The awesome promises in the Bible are for us and we have been given the birthright of children of God, but we sell it for the cheap and temporary things of this world which do not have the ability to truly satisfy our deepest needs. Are you ready to take back your birthright and live as a child of the King? Getting our lives together is actually easier then it appears. In Luke 15:11-32, Jesus tells us of the Prodigal Son who tells his father to give him his share of the inheritance (v. 12), and then he leaves the father and proceeds to squander his riches in “wild living” (v. 13). However, the son does not immediately go back to the father. Instead he spends some time living with the pigs (v. 15). We are given a dramatic picture of the prodigal’s fall from being a son of a wealthy man to a peasant eating the slop of pigs. The story changes in verse 17 when we are told that the son “came to his senses” and decides to go back to his father and tell His father “make me like one of your hired servants” (v. 19). When he returns to the father, he is embraced and reestablished as a son. He still lost his inheritance in wild living, but he is restored as a son. What do we learn from this story about getting our lives together? First, we must “come to our senses” and realize that what needs to change is “ME.” We need to stop going to the Father and demanding “give me,” and instead ask Him to “make me.” God wants to make us like Jesus! This is what the Apostle Paul writes about how God changes us and what the result is: God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. (Ephesians 3:20 Message) Are you willing to let God make you into a new creation and to change your life? We must stop excusing our behavior by the dysfunction around us or even within us, for in the midst of all these things we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:37). God has given us the spirit of self-control, and we must set our minds on the things above (Colossians 3:2) and keep our eyes focused on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2) believing that all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). We must seek first our relationship with God and the things of God (Matthew 6:33), and then He will progressively change us through His spirit abiding in us (John 15:5). Are you ready to come to your senses and get your life together? Then get up and go to our loving Father and say, “Make me” and He will change you into an “oak of righteousness” displaying His splendor (Isaiah 61:3). God Invites Our Questions9/8/2018 “Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?” –Job 11:7 Many of us enjoy a good mystery novel, television show, or movie because we enjoy the suspense and intrigue this genre has to offer. It is my guess that most of us revel in trying to figure it all out to see if in the end our suspicions prove correct. Our enjoyment of a mystery is predicated upon the conclusion of the mystery—we want to know what happened! We want an end to the mystery that will help us make sense of the story’s journey. Sometimes, if you are like me, we will seek to know the conclusion before we reach it because we just cannot take the suspense of not knowing. Our human nature is not comfortable with mystery and ambiguity. We are addicted to reasoning and to understand the: who, what, where, when, why, and how of situations and circumstances. Job was a man who lost so much and asked many questions. His friends and wife were of no comfort. His wife told him, "Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!" (2:9). His friends sought to rationalize through blame because there had to be something that Job had done to be on the receiving end of so much pain. Finally, Job gets an audience with God, and we think, “Now, Job will get some answers.” But Job does not get answers from God, rather he gets questions posed by the Almighty in Chapters 38-41: “Why do you confuse the issue? Why do you talk without knowing what you’re talking about? Pull yourself together, Job! Up on your feet! Stand tall! I have some questions for you, and I want some straight answers” (38:2-3 Message). God uses the questions to allow Job to reach this conclusion: “I’m convinced: You can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset your plans. You asked, ‘Who is this muddying the water, ignorantly confusing the issue, second-guessing my purposes?’ I admit it. I was the one. I babbled on about things far beyond me, made small talk about wonders way over my head. You told me, ‘Listen, and let me do the talking. Let me ask the questions. You give the answers.’ I admit I once lived by rumors of you; now I have it all firsthand—from my own eyes and ears! I’m sorry—forgive me. I’ll never do that again, I promise! I’ll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor.” (42:1-6 Message) Job does not get answers to his questions, but a revelation of truth! Humankind’s first sin was to rebel against God and eat of the knowledge of the tree of good and evil. The serpent tricked us when he said: “You won’t die. God knows that the moment you eat from that tree, you’ll see what’s really going on. You’ll be just like God, knowing everything, ranging all the way from good to evil” (Genesis 3:4-5). The serpent exposed a divine curiosity within us that when coupled with pride could have disastrous consequences. Since the garden, we have attempted to use reason to put God into the box that fits comfortably within the limits of our rationality. As much as we may try, God refuses to be placed in a box and refuses to allow us to remain comfortable with what we think we know about Him. In Isaiah 29:14, God declares through the prophet: “Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.” Our curiosity is a divine spark within us, but only when handled properly. God frustrates us by opposing our pride so that we can be in the best place to have a revelation of the truth. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10). God wants us to seek wisdom and knowledge in Him and through Him, but we must remember that He does not work for us rather we work for Him! In Isaiah 1:18 (ESV) He invites us to reason together—with Him! But we must exercise humility recognizing that truth in Isaiah 55:8-9: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Curiosity and pride lead to destruction; whereas, curiosity and humility lead to revelation. We must seek truth when we seek Christ (John 14:6). But we must let Jesus, be Jesus! We will receive revelation—that is the truth for us and for this time—when we seek God with all of our hearts and minds in love and through faith. We must be prepared for unanswered questions and respond in faith (trust and obedience in action). Keep asking questions, challenging assumptions, and the status quo, and allow yourself to be open to a fresh awakening of God’s movement around us. We may not know all the answers, but we know that in the end—LOVE WINS! Dealing with Hurtful "Christians"6/15/2018 For most of my life, I have always been “controversial” in my opinions, beliefs, and advocacy. But, I have a confession…I don’t like being controversial. My preference would be to live the “simple life” in quiet and out of the public eye. One of the main reasons is that people scare me, not because I have social anxiety, but the behaviors and words of people are many times more harmful, then they are comforting. Just this morning I awoke to a Facebook comment that told me: “May God have mercy on your soul” (Basically telling me that I am going to Hell). This message was from a “Christian” sister who insists that she does not need help interpreting the Bible, she just needs to read it and believe it. The irony is that both Jesus, the Son of God, and the Apostle Paul state that sacrificial love is the key (Matthew 22:40) and fulfillment to the law (Romans 13:10). And so the condemnation that I received for the purpose of defending the faith, actually ran counter to the core message of the Bible: LOVE. My response to her was, “Thank you for the prayers! May God bless you.” This individual was not the first, and (sigh) she will not be the last. I wish it was so easy to dismiss the criticism and judgments of others, but the truth is—IT HURTS! We all desire to be loved and accepted, and people always come up short on the love and acceptance end. So, do I retreat? Nope. Why? Dietrich Bonhoeffer said it best: “Jesus Christ lived in the midst of his enemies. At the end all his disciples deserted him. On the Cross he was utterly alone, surrounded by evildoers and mockers. For this cause he had come, to bring peace to the enemies of God. So the Christian, too, belongs not in the seclusion of a cloistered life but in the thick of foes. There is his commission, his work. 'The kingdom is to be in the midst of your enemies. And he who will not suffer this does not want to be of the Kingdom of Christ; he wants to be among friends, to sit among roses and lilies, not with the bad people but the devout people. O you blasphemers and betrayers of Christ! If Christ had done what you are doing who would ever have been spared' (Luther).” From Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community The enemies of Jesus were the religious…but He sacrificially loved them and loves us—to the very end. If we are followers of Jesus, then we must follow His example of sacrificial love, even for our enemies. We must also practice self-love because we are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves (Mark 12:30-31). How do we practice self-love? We practice is by basking in the Father’s unconditional love for us! When I am condemned, shunned, criticized, mocked or scorned, I choose to remember that I am never alone and I am loved beyond comprehension. Meditating on these verses help: “31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”[j] 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k]neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8) “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6) “Who are you to condemn someone else's servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord's help, they will stand and receive his approval.” (Romans 14:4) Psalm 91- Read Here I also turn on some good music that feeds my soul. I really appreciate Matt Maher’s “Your Love Defends Me.” The important thing is to remember that we are not defined by the opinion of others, but only by the Father. The Father loves us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3) and that we are the apple of His eye (Zechariah 2:8). Always remember, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18). Trust that God’s love is big enough for you and your enemies. As a final note, allow me to address those who like to shun others in the name of Jesus, the Bible, or your religion: STOP. Jesus, the Word made flesh, says these are the GREATEST commandments: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40) Jesus adds to these commandments: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34). There is no scholarly debate on these verses! Further there are no debates on the following that expound upon the themes of love, grace, and redemption in the community:
We can disagree on interpretations of scripture, but we must remember to Major on the Major and Minor on the Minor. As the old saying reminds us: “In Essentials Unity, In Non-Essentials Liberty, In All Things Charity.” Love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10; Galatians 5:14). THE WORD made FLESH in JESUS said: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). And, when the Pharisees attempted to get Jesus to condemn the woman caught in the act of adultery, He said: “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her”… Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (John 8:1-11). When we stand before the judgment seat of God, I do not think He will ask us “Why did you love too many people?” or “Why did you let so many people in My Church?” Rather, the words of Jesus may echo in the time of judgment when we may hear: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to… Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.” (Matthew 23:13, 23-24) God doesn’t want us to pull from His garden of souls, He just wants us to water them with love (Matthew 13:24-30). Right Answers to Wrong Questions6/13/2018 My life has been interesting and filled with diversity, to say the least. I grew up between two religious traditions: Judaism and Christianity. My parents were divorced very early in my life, and I now have four parents with four very different families. My career fields in the past decade have spanned: higher education, nonprofit, government service, political campaigning, business, and one day as a substitute teacher (that is a whole other story). I have walked with senators, slept with the homeless, cried with the mourning, and rejoiced with the happy. I have failed more than I have succeeded. It is through this multi-faceted lens that I approach my faith, the scriptures, and our world. The purpose of this article is to give you a glimpse into my views on faith and society. Frequently, I am asked a question similar to this: "Do you believe that _____ is a sin?" One can fill in the blank with all sorts of vices, but all too frequently the blank is filled with the vice of others, rather than the plank in our own eyes (Matthew 7:5). The question is seldom asked without a prejudice associated with it, whereby we seek to justify our actions (Luke 10:29). We all have a lens through which we approach the world, but we all do not acknowledge it; therefore, we cannot challenge it. The Apostle Paul states that we "see through a glass darkly" (1 Corinthians 13:12). We must understand that we are in the dark before we ever attempt to find the light. In so many places in society, we have been told: "There are no stupid questions." As an academic who has lectured in front of countless students over the past decade, I can say with certainty that there are stupid questions. More specifically, there are wrong questions for which we might have the right answers. In supervising doctoral students in writing their dissertations, I spend a great deal of time challenging their research questions. One may find it interesting that the hardest part for many doctoral students is not writing the dissertation document, but in formulating good research questions. The questions are more important than the answers, which is a difficult concept for many because we want the right answer, not more questions. We want to get an "A" in a course because we got the right answers, not because we left the class with more questions than answers. We are not comfortable with ambiguity and mystery, and yet these are essential elements to faith. Wrong questions emerge from opinions, bias, and ignorance. Jesus frequently dealt with wrong questions and He frustrated the one who asked the question by not giving an answer to their question but instead reframing both the question and the answer. Take a look at the Gospels and you can see why the religious leaders hated Him so much. He disputed their established answers by challenging their questions. He demonstrated that God was more interested in challenging the process than He was with the outcome (Hebrews 5:8; 12:2). After all, Jesus knows the outcome because He is author and finisher of our faith (12:2). Wrong questions emerge from opinions, bias, and ignorance. Jesus frequently dealt with wrong questions and He frustrated the one who asked the question by not giving an answer to their question but instead reframing both the question and the answer. Take a look at the Gospels and you can see why the religious leaders hated Him so much. He disputed their established answers by challenging their questions. He demonstrated that God was more interested in challenging the process than He was with the outcome (Hebrews 5:8; 12:2). After all, Jesus knows the outcome because He is author and finisher of our faith (12:2). As a student, frequently I would find myself frustrated with instructors who said that we should not worry about the grade, but focus on the learning. My frustration was rooted in the fact that in this life grades matter! And, if grades did not matter, then why give me a grade at all? The pursuit of a good grade caused both good and bad actions: I studied, and I cheated. After all, I needed a good grade. The focus on the outcome proved detrimental to my learning process. The biblical law is focused on outcome to demonstrate that we cannot earn a good grade in God’s kingdom. The purpose of the law is described in Romans 5:20: "God's law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God's wonderful grace became more abundant." Jesus takes away the grade, not by dismissing it, but by fulfilling it (Matthew 5:17). “He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14). Jesus passed the test, and now we don't have to worry about the wrong questions, but we can focus on the right answer! Jesus is the right answer! God replaces our performance-shamed based worth, with a grace-based value! Having received my doctorate in 2013 has freed me from having to take tests and answering the questions that some outside authority has imposed upon me to answer. It has been so freeing because it has provided me with the time to challenge my questions. However, as noted above, I am still frequented with the questions of others, which is a challenge, opportunity, privilege, and burden. People desire the right answers because they are uncomfortable with questions. I understand this desire, and it is found in the pages of scripture. Take for example Exodus 3:13-14: "Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” I can imagine that this was not a fulfilling answer to Moses. The reason that the answer was not fulfilling is that it was a bad question rooted in bad motives—Moses was trying to get out of doing what God wanted Him to do because He was scared. Our motives are the biases that frame our questions. God challenges our motives. Our love for God, neighbors, and enemies should be the motive that fuels our questions (Matthew 22:40) because LOVE is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10). Jesus forewarns: “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold" (Matthew 24:12). This passage is a warning to the CHURCH, not the world. The word for love in the Greek used here is AGAPE. According to Gotquestions.org: "The essence of agape love is goodwill, benevolence, and willful delight in the object of love. Unlike our English word love, agape is not used in the New Testament to refer to romantic or sexual love. Nor does it refer to close friendship or brotherly love, for which the Greek word philia is used. Agape love involves faithfulness, commitment, and an act of the will. It is distinguished from the other types of love by its lofty moral nature and strong character. Agape love is beautifully described in 1 Corinthians 13.” Agape love comes from God and belongs to the children of God, but Jesus tells us that it will grow cold in the latter days. As our love grows cold, so our questions emerge not from a sincere desire to learn but to win by justifying ourselves and attempting to earn a grade in Heaven that we could never earn. The more I study, the more I am reminded of how much I do not know or could comprehend. As we study His Word (2 Timothy 2:15), we should come to appreciate the incredible beauty of Grace, the foolishness of humankind, and the wisdom of God. I think it is time to put simple questions and arguments aside: "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me” (1 Corinthians 13:11). Trust that God is more than capable of handling the arguments of our day. In the meantime, individually and collectively we should “continue to work out [our own] salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). And we must remember this one, unalterable truth: “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst” (1 Timothy 1:15). Drop the stones and run to the cross! It was two years ago today, June 12, 2016, that our nation witnessed a mass-killing at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida with 49 people killed and 53 others wounded. I was sickened by this news, but I also felt disheartened by the apathy and indifference of the majority of the American Christian church. (Note: Part of what is written in this blog was from writings of mine during that time period.) “People are suffering, and God’s people need to be there with them, loving them, and standing in the gap for them,” I thought. Wherever people are suffering, God’s people are called to stand by their side—in prayer and sacrificial loving actions. After the Orlando shooting in the Pulse nightclub, there were statements found in newspaper articles and op-eds that referred to the nightclub as a form of “church” for the LGBT community. It was a form of 'church' because it offered this community a respite and safe harbor to be themselves. One particularly meaningful quote was by a gay man who regularly went to Pulse: “While a lot of people turn to churches, LGBT communities are often forced to use nightclubs as our safe haven, and Pulse was mine. Although I had built armor to defend myself from the hatred that was spewed to me when I came out (including some from my own mother), the reality was that I still hated myself because of my identity as a gay man. It didn’t help that I had grown up in a church that had conditioned me to hate myself for loving other men.” These sentiments are reflected in countless stories, and they cause me grief over my silence and lament for the Church that I love. The Church is supposed to be the place for everyone to hear the Good News, but sadly, it has turned many away because the love of most has grown cold. Unfortunately, I have encountered, witnessed, and experienced similar stories. One statement I heard from a gay man, who has a great heart and loves God, was: “I would go to church, but I am not welcomed there.” While I found this disturbing, I also have to say that it is true. As I continued my reflection of this tragedy in my time with God, I have felt a burning in my heart to speak up for the LGBTQ community and to challenge the assumptions, interpretations, and prejudices that have polluted our message. For a while, I attempted to remain silent, preferring the status quo “peace” then to thrust myself into the fray. After all, I have personally witnessed the “bible slamming” that happens when someone speaks up from within the Christian community. However, the Pulse nightclub tragedy was a turning point in my life. How could I remain silent? The Anglican Bishop Desmond Tutu wrote, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.” As I continued to pray in the aftermath of the Pulse nightclub tragedy, I was led to the story of Esther, who was a Jewish queen of the Persian king Ahasuerus. She was out of place and living between two different worlds—of the Jews and the Persians. Her uncle Mordecai informed Esther of a decree that would exterminate the Jews. Esther was reluctant to speak because of her fear of the King, but Mordecai replied to her: “Do not think to yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (4:13-14). I believe I was led to this passage because it was time for me to speak ”for such a time as this.” If I did not speak, then I am complicit in shutting the “door of the kingdom of heaven in people's faces” (Matthew 23:13). The church is quick to recite John 3:16, but neglects to understand the fantastic teaching found in the next verse: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” This verse is further illuminated in John 12:32 when Jesus says: “And I when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” Notice that the message of God’s son is not condemnation, but acceptance for everyone! The Church, which bears the name of Christ, must share in dispensing the incredible grace and unconditional love that He demonstrated in His life, teachings, and death. In our acceptance of everyone, including the LGBTQI community, we must work together to strive toward holiness. We must remember that holiness is not made possible by works, but by faith alone (Romans 3:28-30). Paul states in Ephesians 2:8, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Our faith calls us to accept His grace, which then unleashes the creative and regeneration works of the Holy Spirit in making us a new creation in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17). If Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), then should we not trust Him, not only for ourselves but also for others, to finish that which He has started (Philippians 1:6)? If we ere, let us always do so in being too loving and too gracious. I have never read a story in the Bible where anyone was condemned by God for loving or sharing too much. Since that terrible day on June 12, 2016, I have come to trust more and more in God's amazing grace, not just for me, but for everyone! I have come to understand that there are many more questions then answers on this side of eternity. But, I am comforted in knowing that God is big enough to handle them all and His love is strong enough to calm us in the midst of the unknown. As the old song goes, "My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus’ name." We must remember these wise words: “In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, love.” AuthorDr. Rob Weinstein is the Founding/Senior Pastor of Bethany Grace Community Church in Bridgeton, NJ. He is also a Professor of Business Studies/Academic Director/Chair of Human Resource Management Studies. He is the Founder of the M25 Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to ending homelessness and food insecurity in Cumberland County, NJ. Archives
January 2023
Categories
All
|
In addition, my thoughts and opinions change from time to time I consider this a necessary consequence of having an open mind.
This weblog is intended to provide a semi-permanent point in time snapshot and manifestation of the various thoughts running around my brain, and as such any thoughts and opinions expressed within out-of-date posts may not the same, nor even similar, to those I may hold today.
Feel free to challenge me, disagree with me, or tell me I’m completely nuts in the comments section of each blog entry, but I reserve the right to delete any comment for any reason whatsoever (abusive, profane, rude, or anonymous comments) – so keep it polite, please.
This blog disclaimer is subject to change at anytime without notifications.