I want to see a Revolution...
Where losing money doesn’t mean losing ministry.
Where holiness has nothing to do with what you’ve done, but where you’ve been.
Where purity, not approval, is the main concern,
And radical faith is the only acceptable kind.
I want to see a Revolution...
Where your identity doesn’t come from your or your ancestors’ birthplace.
Where your leadership doesn’t live in the White House, but whose throne is Heaven and whose footstool is earth.
Where prayer is more important than education,
And opportunity is more important than tradition.
I want to see a Revolution...
Where “brother” or “sister” precedes “Mister” or “Misses.”
Where money works for you and not the other way around.
Where Spirit is more a stronger bond than blood,
And we can disagree yet still be able to hug before departing.
I want to see a Revolution...
Where the most notable element of your ministry is the fact that GOD IS AMONG YOU NOW and not that your pastor holds four graduate and post-graduate degrees.
Where offices are offices and gifts are gifts.
Where the time of day or location of meeting does not qualify your church as a church,
And there may be real wine used for communion.
I want to see a Revolution...
Where the church has no walls.
Where the people have no masks.
Where the world has no boundaries,
And your landlord is number one on your prayer list.
I want to see a Revolution...
Where the name of Jesus is more well known than the Top 5 pop artists.
Where love trumps law.
Where life cannot go on as before,
And death is nothing to dread or fear.
I want to see a Revolution...
Where a SSN or DL won’t tell me who you really are.
Where your bank account won’t tell me what you’re really worth.
Where a lady with a torch isn’t your symbol of liberty,
And we accept that guns can’t really solve any problems OR keep peace.
I want to see a Revolution...
Where we can accept that there is salvation outside the church, though not outside Christ.
Where the workplace is a mission field and not just a paycheck.
Where we cannot save face because we have no face to save,
And strangers can be talked to.
I want to see a Revolution...
Where you’d give up your freedom to keep my conscience safe.
Where borrowing a child can make their parents’ day.
Where scripture isn’t just for character development or daily wisdom,
And the MVP of your church staff is the Holy Spirit.
I want to see a Revolution...
Where you’d rather see 10 churches of twenty, than 1 church of two hundred.
Where it isn’t abnormal to pray with tears.
Where “holidays” don’t stop you from meeting together,
And that meeting may last all day long.
I want to see a Revolution...
Where you don’t need page numbers to find Philemon.
Where discipleship time precedes tennis practice.
Where children know their parents' testimonies,
And “pro-life” doesn’t just mean “anti-abortion.”
I want to see a revolution…
But maybe that’s just me…
Monday, July 26, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
Re: Christian Patriotism and Frozen Hot Chocolate
Philippians 3:20-21
20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. 21 He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.
Ephesians 2:11-22
11 Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. 12 In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. 13 But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.
14 For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. 15 He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. 16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.
17 He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. 18 Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.
19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. 20 Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. 21 We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. 22 Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.
Peter 2:9-12
9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
10 “Once you had no identity as a people;
now you are God’s people.
Once you received no mercy;
now you have received God’s mercy.”
11 Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. 12 Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.
--------------------------
To what extent are those of us claiming faith in Christ supposed to take these words? I’ve heard it many ways and in many ways, but I think as I know am rolling along in life and am currently experiencing what some have called the “real world” that a close look at my positions is in order. I see in scripture a plain and honest claim by God on me as His own. I see the words “citizenship” and “nation” used in reference to heaven and the universal Church. I see that government is not where my hope is to be put but rather a tool that God has instituted in order to maintain the lawless. In all of this I see the phrasing of Jesus, who said that His Kingdom was not of this world, in His “Sermon on the Mount” as one that uses fairly political language as if founding a standard for an organized body’s positions on morality, crime, social justice, and authority. Where does that leave us? I think it plainly leaves us in a place that stands distinct from geographical origins and loyalties. I think that it leaves us in a place that shows us that the man or woman born and raised in China who claims Jesus Christ as Lord is closer to my and more my brother/sister than the man or woman down the street who scoffs the name of Christ. I think it leaves me in a place where I cannot claim “the land of the free and home of the brave” as my truest home or greatest allegiance. You see, I believe in a Kingdom that was revealed with the incarnation of its King and that the true identity of that Kingdom as a national entity. I believe that I am more a citizen of heaven than of earth and that my patriotism is revealed on Easter Morning and not on “Independence Day.” I need to say that I have to a great extent revoked my so-called “independence” for a faith-filled dependence on a Father in Heaven who has called me to live as one belonging to a “Holy Nation” and “Royal Priesthood.” This Kingdom has no end, beginning, defeat, or civil division. It has no states of red or blue demographic, no physical boundaries, no national language, or dominant skin tone. Perhaps I’m wrestling with things out loud again and that may just get me in trouble. But perhaps I’m once more learning to take the Word of God at face value and recognizing that I also need to live it- no matter how unpatriotic that may seem. May we not forget that it was ultimately for “unpatriotism” and/or “treason” that our first brothers and sisters were persecuted for so long ago.
…………………………….
Matthew 5-7
John 18:36-37
Romans 13
20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. 21 He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.
Ephesians 2:11-22
11 Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. 12 In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. 13 But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.
14 For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. 15 He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. 16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.
17 He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. 18 Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.
19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. 20 Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. 21 We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. 22 Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.
Peter 2:9-12
9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
10 “Once you had no identity as a people;
now you are God’s people.
Once you received no mercy;
now you have received God’s mercy.”
11 Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. 12 Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.
--------------------------
To what extent are those of us claiming faith in Christ supposed to take these words? I’ve heard it many ways and in many ways, but I think as I know am rolling along in life and am currently experiencing what some have called the “real world” that a close look at my positions is in order. I see in scripture a plain and honest claim by God on me as His own. I see the words “citizenship” and “nation” used in reference to heaven and the universal Church. I see that government is not where my hope is to be put but rather a tool that God has instituted in order to maintain the lawless. In all of this I see the phrasing of Jesus, who said that His Kingdom was not of this world, in His “Sermon on the Mount” as one that uses fairly political language as if founding a standard for an organized body’s positions on morality, crime, social justice, and authority. Where does that leave us? I think it plainly leaves us in a place that stands distinct from geographical origins and loyalties. I think that it leaves us in a place that shows us that the man or woman born and raised in China who claims Jesus Christ as Lord is closer to my and more my brother/sister than the man or woman down the street who scoffs the name of Christ. I think it leaves me in a place where I cannot claim “the land of the free and home of the brave” as my truest home or greatest allegiance. You see, I believe in a Kingdom that was revealed with the incarnation of its King and that the true identity of that Kingdom as a national entity. I believe that I am more a citizen of heaven than of earth and that my patriotism is revealed on Easter Morning and not on “Independence Day.” I need to say that I have to a great extent revoked my so-called “independence” for a faith-filled dependence on a Father in Heaven who has called me to live as one belonging to a “Holy Nation” and “Royal Priesthood.” This Kingdom has no end, beginning, defeat, or civil division. It has no states of red or blue demographic, no physical boundaries, no national language, or dominant skin tone. Perhaps I’m wrestling with things out loud again and that may just get me in trouble. But perhaps I’m once more learning to take the Word of God at face value and recognizing that I also need to live it- no matter how unpatriotic that may seem. May we not forget that it was ultimately for “unpatriotism” and/or “treason” that our first brothers and sisters were persecuted for so long ago.
…………………………….
Matthew 5-7
John 18:36-37
Romans 13
Nations are Bigger than Churches
Introduction
Building on the theme of intimacy and relationships that has permeated my thoughts as of late I would now like to draw on the implications of such a thing as a Biblical Theology that allows the text to dictate the belief (rather than the ever so popular vice versa approach). We know that personability is required for intimacy and that personability is not necessarily a characteristic of ink and paper. Instead, what we have is a text that has been recorded with direct intention by an eternal being- this means that the Author is always accessible and, if willing, capable of explaining the meaning and intent behind the words. This means that the text becomes a medium, or catalyst, for building and knowing the Author, because He is alive and the text is infused with His breath. As people in search of intimacy with the Author approach His words, there must be an understanding in the forefront of their minds that accepts or at the very least acknowledges that God has a purpose and mission expressed throughout the text. I believe there certainly is a vision and telos in the Scripture. Not only so, but I believe that is it clearly expressed and explained.
The Old Testament: this is my Father’s world
In reading through the Old Testament, one cannot help but accept that the central figure is God. Now, God’s role and identity is primarily expressed in a relationship to people, initially Adam and his descendants, then Noah and his, and finally Abraham and his also. Abraham is responsible for the life of Isaac, and Isaac for the life of Jacob. Jacob bears twelve sons, who are the tribes of Israel. God is active and personal throughout this entire process of setting the stage for His initial people. His promise to Abraham is one of blessing and multiplication. His words indicate that Abraham’s line will significantly affect the rest of the world in a blessed way. We here see God’s initial endeavor to create for Himself a people. The phrase declared throughout the Old Testament is simply that “They will be my people and I will be their God .” We understand the explicit phrasing to mean exactly this: God desires a people to claim Him and that He may claim. That God is in any way concerned with any interaction with humanity immediately indicates that He is in fact relational. It means that He is relational as well as purposeful with His creation. He expresses His desire for relationship with His people in many ways.
In the Old Testament, we have God revealing Himself to His people in somewhat impersonal ways. For example, He sends other people to speak in His Name. This may be troubling to think that a God who desires relationship would remain veiled and unseen by those He desires to know Him. This is the characteristic of God simply referred to as humility. God would rather woo than ravish, as C.S. Lewis puts it . If God were to reveal Himself fully, no holds barred, it is then probable that there would be no such thing as a faith response to Him. There would be no choice in the matter. There would be no desire motivating the participation in the relationship. Is anyone satisfied with a relationship that has no personal motivation behind it, but is instead the only option given a particular circumstance? I do not believe this to be anthropomorphizing too greatly, for if God has declared what He has in desiring a people of His own, yet He has not simply declared Himself and reaped the undoubted harvest of believers, then there must be a conceivable reason why this would be less than perfect. Nevertheless, we do see that God does not always reveal His presence impersonally. An example of God simply stating His presence is in the cloud that led the Israelites from Egypt . This cloud was unmistakably the direct work of God, yet it was still a veiled revelation. In closing, the Old Testament is the foundation for God’s people. It is a formation of a physical, literal, geocentric nation that has been promised the ruler who will make them “the head, not the tail ” of the world.
The New Testament: the greatest trick ever
In the New Testament we now have a different dilemma. God is perfectly personal. In fact, He has become a human person! The movie The Prestige attempts to draw out the reason why people have been, for centuries, enthralled with magic and illusion. In it, one character makes the assertion that “The crowd will never look too closely at the act, because they don’t really want to know the truth. They want to be fooled.” This may be the case, but in the instance of one of the greatest masquerades of all time, the foils certainly did not wish to play along. The incarnation is indeed what I am referring to here, and the taking on of flesh and bone by God Himself is not only an act of humility but in some senses a slight of hand or hidden event. God Himself is walking in flesh, bound, to an extent, by space and time. He becomes ultimately relational, and this is, as our theology should assert, the way He always has presented Himself. He becomes as relationally functional as possible in becoming human. Nevertheless, the other members of His race are not pleased with His words or life. This is indicative of the many kinds of relationships that human beings are capable of participating in. In reality, animosity is a manifestation of a relationship. Enmity is as well. So too is friendship and romance. These are all expressions of interaction and relationship. The point is that God not only wants us to acknowledge His existence, as animosity or enmity do, but to praise His existence and celebrate it! God has created us to be in a right relationship with Him, and the incarnation makes evident each profound way that a human being can participate in a relationship with God.
The New Testament is the record of the significant events that set in motion the formation for the people of God as ones spiritual, literal, and Heaven-focused. These people are of all races of the world, thus fulfilling the promise to Abraham. In fact, that promise is remembered so clearly that emphasis is laid on the nations being ministered to immediately following the Spirit’s empowerment of the disciples . The promise to bless the nations through the seed of Abraham is fulfilled in Christ , and the nation of God is now being formed. The New Testament is not unlike a record of events occurring in America’s history from 1765-1800 as time of national formation and foundational importance. In the end this is the important thing- in Christ there is neither Jew nor Gentile, Slave nor Free, not even Male or Female . Christ is the Reconciliation of every form of animosity. There is no such thing as racial tension in the Kingdom of God because there is no such thing as earthly race in the Kingdom of God!
Now, it would be of the greatest benefit that I explain what I mean in referring to the incarnation as a “trick.” I do not mean such as if God were deceptive or intentionally malicious. However, as we look at the climax of the incarnation, that is the point of time that proves indubitably that this person who claimed divine rights and status was in fact mortal, we see that there was something beyond just His hope to be recognized as God in flesh. In proclaiming that Jesus should die, the people of that crowd were ultimately saying that they preferred a world where God did not walk around in flesh to a world where He did. The trick is this- that in killing the incarnate Son of God and ridding the world of His presence, they released the possibility for His presence to transcend space and time and yet still be immediately present! He who was once bound by space and time is no longer so, but His Spirit is freed to the entire world and there is no place He does not fill. That is the trick, that in His death, what they hated the most was multiplied, and that Spirit is still present.
The Holy Spirit as the mark of citizenship
That presence that was loosed on the world with the ascension of Christ at the end of the Gospels and the beginning of Acts is indeed the Holy Spirit. He is present in the world and not only that, but active . He actively reconciles people to Christ and expands the Kingdom of God here on earth . The Holy Spirit is the binding force of the nation of God . As God Himself is the nation’s founder, His Son is our King, and the Spirit is the unifying presence for us all we see that His original plans are indeed being fulfilled. The New Testament consistently asserts that those who are Christ are a new creation . This subsequently means that the former identities associated with their life are nullified. I am convinced that in Heaven, there will be no such thing as a German, a Greek, a Roman, a Russian, a Canadian, a Brazilian, a Jew, or an American, but instead there would be only former people of these former races. People who would much sooner claim their nation as something beyond the sky and more expansive than the ocean. The Holy Spirit is the citizen maker of our time, just as He has always been. He is the power behind the people of God and the leader of individuals to greater intimacy with Christ their King. It is by the presence of the Holy Spirit that we are presented the privilege of being the people of God. It is by the will of the Father, the obedience of the Son, and the power of the Spirit that this nation is a reality at all.
Conclusion: nations are bigger than churches
In the end, there comes a new understanding of the teleology of the Lord. We cannot move along in a simple-minded way of thinking that suggests that praying a prayer or entering a building is the hope and pleasure of God. Nations are bigger than churches, and in fact, the Universal Church itself is more a nation than it is comparable to any other earthly thing. Jesus asserted that the Kingdom of God has been forcefully advancing in this world from the time of John the Baptist . Paul declares that we are now citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household . Peter writes that we ought to consider ourselves strangers to this planet . The writer of Hebrews tells us that even our faith’s ancestors in the Old Testament, who had not seen what was promised to them, understood that they were not to claim this world as their home ! God’s desires are to claim a people and to be claimed in turn by them . If we are going to claim to own a Biblical Theology, then the text must dictate belief, and the text unanimously declares that God wants a nation to be His own just as He is their only God! May we all learn to live as citizens of a nation rather than just members of a church. May we all learn to claim our King in faith that He would also claim us. I am convinced of the theme of scripture. In light of the implications, I can only hope that as a citizen I might be an agent of reconciliation (thus expanding the nation) and a participant and agent of intimacy with the King (thus fulfilling His creative purposes and experiencing the joy of real life). This is my conclusion, that the text of Scripture speaks explicitly to the emphatic hope of God’s forming a people to call His own. His formation of that people includes their consciously and intentionally claiming Him as their God and thus trusting His leading and authority over their lives.
..............................................
Genesis 17:8, Exodus 6:7, Leviticus 26:12, Deuteronomy 7:6, Psalm 135:4, Jeremiah 24:7, Jeremiah 31:33, Ezekiel 11:20, Zechariah 8:8, Malachi 3:17
The Screwtape Letters, letter viii
Exodus 13:21-22
Deuteronomy 28:13
Philippians 2:8-10
Acts 1:8
Galatians 3:16
Galatians 3:28
Acts 2:23
2 Corinthians 5:17-20
Ephesians 4:3
2 Corinthians 5:17
Matthew 11:12
Ephesians 2:19
1 Peter 1:17
Hebrews 11:13
Titus 2:13-14
Building on the theme of intimacy and relationships that has permeated my thoughts as of late I would now like to draw on the implications of such a thing as a Biblical Theology that allows the text to dictate the belief (rather than the ever so popular vice versa approach). We know that personability is required for intimacy and that personability is not necessarily a characteristic of ink and paper. Instead, what we have is a text that has been recorded with direct intention by an eternal being- this means that the Author is always accessible and, if willing, capable of explaining the meaning and intent behind the words. This means that the text becomes a medium, or catalyst, for building and knowing the Author, because He is alive and the text is infused with His breath. As people in search of intimacy with the Author approach His words, there must be an understanding in the forefront of their minds that accepts or at the very least acknowledges that God has a purpose and mission expressed throughout the text. I believe there certainly is a vision and telos in the Scripture. Not only so, but I believe that is it clearly expressed and explained.
The Old Testament: this is my Father’s world
In reading through the Old Testament, one cannot help but accept that the central figure is God. Now, God’s role and identity is primarily expressed in a relationship to people, initially Adam and his descendants, then Noah and his, and finally Abraham and his also. Abraham is responsible for the life of Isaac, and Isaac for the life of Jacob. Jacob bears twelve sons, who are the tribes of Israel. God is active and personal throughout this entire process of setting the stage for His initial people. His promise to Abraham is one of blessing and multiplication. His words indicate that Abraham’s line will significantly affect the rest of the world in a blessed way. We here see God’s initial endeavor to create for Himself a people. The phrase declared throughout the Old Testament is simply that “They will be my people and I will be their God .” We understand the explicit phrasing to mean exactly this: God desires a people to claim Him and that He may claim. That God is in any way concerned with any interaction with humanity immediately indicates that He is in fact relational. It means that He is relational as well as purposeful with His creation. He expresses His desire for relationship with His people in many ways.
In the Old Testament, we have God revealing Himself to His people in somewhat impersonal ways. For example, He sends other people to speak in His Name. This may be troubling to think that a God who desires relationship would remain veiled and unseen by those He desires to know Him. This is the characteristic of God simply referred to as humility. God would rather woo than ravish, as C.S. Lewis puts it . If God were to reveal Himself fully, no holds barred, it is then probable that there would be no such thing as a faith response to Him. There would be no choice in the matter. There would be no desire motivating the participation in the relationship. Is anyone satisfied with a relationship that has no personal motivation behind it, but is instead the only option given a particular circumstance? I do not believe this to be anthropomorphizing too greatly, for if God has declared what He has in desiring a people of His own, yet He has not simply declared Himself and reaped the undoubted harvest of believers, then there must be a conceivable reason why this would be less than perfect. Nevertheless, we do see that God does not always reveal His presence impersonally. An example of God simply stating His presence is in the cloud that led the Israelites from Egypt . This cloud was unmistakably the direct work of God, yet it was still a veiled revelation. In closing, the Old Testament is the foundation for God’s people. It is a formation of a physical, literal, geocentric nation that has been promised the ruler who will make them “the head, not the tail ” of the world.
The New Testament: the greatest trick ever
In the New Testament we now have a different dilemma. God is perfectly personal. In fact, He has become a human person! The movie The Prestige attempts to draw out the reason why people have been, for centuries, enthralled with magic and illusion. In it, one character makes the assertion that “The crowd will never look too closely at the act, because they don’t really want to know the truth. They want to be fooled.” This may be the case, but in the instance of one of the greatest masquerades of all time, the foils certainly did not wish to play along. The incarnation is indeed what I am referring to here, and the taking on of flesh and bone by God Himself is not only an act of humility but in some senses a slight of hand or hidden event. God Himself is walking in flesh, bound, to an extent, by space and time. He becomes ultimately relational, and this is, as our theology should assert, the way He always has presented Himself. He becomes as relationally functional as possible in becoming human. Nevertheless, the other members of His race are not pleased with His words or life. This is indicative of the many kinds of relationships that human beings are capable of participating in. In reality, animosity is a manifestation of a relationship. Enmity is as well. So too is friendship and romance. These are all expressions of interaction and relationship. The point is that God not only wants us to acknowledge His existence, as animosity or enmity do, but to praise His existence and celebrate it! God has created us to be in a right relationship with Him, and the incarnation makes evident each profound way that a human being can participate in a relationship with God.
The New Testament is the record of the significant events that set in motion the formation for the people of God as ones spiritual, literal, and Heaven-focused. These people are of all races of the world, thus fulfilling the promise to Abraham. In fact, that promise is remembered so clearly that emphasis is laid on the nations being ministered to immediately following the Spirit’s empowerment of the disciples . The promise to bless the nations through the seed of Abraham is fulfilled in Christ , and the nation of God is now being formed. The New Testament is not unlike a record of events occurring in America’s history from 1765-1800 as time of national formation and foundational importance. In the end this is the important thing- in Christ there is neither Jew nor Gentile, Slave nor Free, not even Male or Female . Christ is the Reconciliation of every form of animosity. There is no such thing as racial tension in the Kingdom of God because there is no such thing as earthly race in the Kingdom of God!
Now, it would be of the greatest benefit that I explain what I mean in referring to the incarnation as a “trick.” I do not mean such as if God were deceptive or intentionally malicious. However, as we look at the climax of the incarnation, that is the point of time that proves indubitably that this person who claimed divine rights and status was in fact mortal, we see that there was something beyond just His hope to be recognized as God in flesh. In proclaiming that Jesus should die, the people of that crowd were ultimately saying that they preferred a world where God did not walk around in flesh to a world where He did. The trick is this- that in killing the incarnate Son of God and ridding the world of His presence, they released the possibility for His presence to transcend space and time and yet still be immediately present! He who was once bound by space and time is no longer so, but His Spirit is freed to the entire world and there is no place He does not fill. That is the trick, that in His death, what they hated the most was multiplied, and that Spirit is still present.
The Holy Spirit as the mark of citizenship
That presence that was loosed on the world with the ascension of Christ at the end of the Gospels and the beginning of Acts is indeed the Holy Spirit. He is present in the world and not only that, but active . He actively reconciles people to Christ and expands the Kingdom of God here on earth . The Holy Spirit is the binding force of the nation of God . As God Himself is the nation’s founder, His Son is our King, and the Spirit is the unifying presence for us all we see that His original plans are indeed being fulfilled. The New Testament consistently asserts that those who are Christ are a new creation . This subsequently means that the former identities associated with their life are nullified. I am convinced that in Heaven, there will be no such thing as a German, a Greek, a Roman, a Russian, a Canadian, a Brazilian, a Jew, or an American, but instead there would be only former people of these former races. People who would much sooner claim their nation as something beyond the sky and more expansive than the ocean. The Holy Spirit is the citizen maker of our time, just as He has always been. He is the power behind the people of God and the leader of individuals to greater intimacy with Christ their King. It is by the presence of the Holy Spirit that we are presented the privilege of being the people of God. It is by the will of the Father, the obedience of the Son, and the power of the Spirit that this nation is a reality at all.
Conclusion: nations are bigger than churches
In the end, there comes a new understanding of the teleology of the Lord. We cannot move along in a simple-minded way of thinking that suggests that praying a prayer or entering a building is the hope and pleasure of God. Nations are bigger than churches, and in fact, the Universal Church itself is more a nation than it is comparable to any other earthly thing. Jesus asserted that the Kingdom of God has been forcefully advancing in this world from the time of John the Baptist . Paul declares that we are now citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household . Peter writes that we ought to consider ourselves strangers to this planet . The writer of Hebrews tells us that even our faith’s ancestors in the Old Testament, who had not seen what was promised to them, understood that they were not to claim this world as their home ! God’s desires are to claim a people and to be claimed in turn by them . If we are going to claim to own a Biblical Theology, then the text must dictate belief, and the text unanimously declares that God wants a nation to be His own just as He is their only God! May we all learn to live as citizens of a nation rather than just members of a church. May we all learn to claim our King in faith that He would also claim us. I am convinced of the theme of scripture. In light of the implications, I can only hope that as a citizen I might be an agent of reconciliation (thus expanding the nation) and a participant and agent of intimacy with the King (thus fulfilling His creative purposes and experiencing the joy of real life). This is my conclusion, that the text of Scripture speaks explicitly to the emphatic hope of God’s forming a people to call His own. His formation of that people includes their consciously and intentionally claiming Him as their God and thus trusting His leading and authority over their lives.
..............................................
Genesis 17:8, Exodus 6:7, Leviticus 26:12, Deuteronomy 7:6, Psalm 135:4, Jeremiah 24:7, Jeremiah 31:33, Ezekiel 11:20, Zechariah 8:8, Malachi 3:17
The Screwtape Letters, letter viii
Exodus 13:21-22
Deuteronomy 28:13
Philippians 2:8-10
Acts 1:8
Galatians 3:16
Galatians 3:28
Acts 2:23
2 Corinthians 5:17-20
Ephesians 4:3
2 Corinthians 5:17
Matthew 11:12
Ephesians 2:19
1 Peter 1:17
Hebrews 11:13
Titus 2:13-14
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Forty Days of Gratitude: Day 13
Back on the wagon...
Been out of the blogging world for quite a bit now, but such a rest was worth it. The last month has been full of surprises and struggles both, blessings and disappointments. I've got to say that I'm incredibly thankful for the friends who we have here in Koloa. It's not everyday that you'd find a couple who have been married for only 7 months, are expecting a child in August, and who were transitioning into leadership of a church to take in another couple they believed God had called to their community and let them stay until God took them away- but we did with Matt and Jamie. Tonight is our last night in the Metzger home and partly that is relieving and yet partly that is sad. We've been blessed to get to know them over these last four weeks so much better than ever before and it is obvious that God has great plans for us all coming. Joy thrives in gratitude and I couldn't be more thankful for Matt and Jamie and the servant hearts God has called them to live with and enable.
Been out of the blogging world for quite a bit now, but such a rest was worth it. The last month has been full of surprises and struggles both, blessings and disappointments. I've got to say that I'm incredibly thankful for the friends who we have here in Koloa. It's not everyday that you'd find a couple who have been married for only 7 months, are expecting a child in August, and who were transitioning into leadership of a church to take in another couple they believed God had called to their community and let them stay until God took them away- but we did with Matt and Jamie. Tonight is our last night in the Metzger home and partly that is relieving and yet partly that is sad. We've been blessed to get to know them over these last four weeks so much better than ever before and it is obvious that God has great plans for us all coming. Joy thrives in gratitude and I couldn't be more thankful for Matt and Jamie and the servant hearts God has called them to live with and enable.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Forty Days of Gratitude: Day 7
I am thankful for my wife who goes on walks with me at midnight so we can catch up on the day. I'm also grateful for friends who help prepare specialized dinners that i dream up for the previously mentioned walking wife. Fresh Pineapple is good, but 8 cups of rice is too much for four people.
Forty Days of Gratitude: Day 6
I'm thankful for strong relationships that can be renewed and appreciated over 39 cent wings. I cannot say that every relationship I participate in picks up where it left off even after two months. I'm glad such things exist and exist by choice.
Forty Days of Gratitude: Day 5
I'm very thankful for genuine people. I got to see and hear some of the most authentic lyrics, thanks and gladness tonight at the farewell show for Here Comes Hope. The guys played and showed their hearts and I'm very thankful I was able to see it. I'm proud of them and am glad for their musical example of authenticity.
Forty Days of Gratitude: Day 4
I'm so thankful for cheap laughs. this day started out with so many frustrations, and yet a simple and genuine party at Rachel's house can make so many things seem less overwhelming. It is good to be together and enjoy each other. Catchphrase, Burgers, and class memories are worthy things to be grateful for.
Forty Days of Gratitude: Day 3
i have no idea what im thankful for today. i guess, well, im thankful that this atage of life is three days from over. it's about time.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Forty Days of Gratitude: Day 2
I am grateful for dreams.
Can you imagine if we weren't allowed to hope for anything beyond our current situation? I'm very grateful for the fact that we can make plans, be excited about them, and then be okay with their not coming to fruition as well... we are allowed to be unpredictable, dreaming, hoping, forward looking creatures. In the last two months Lyndee and I have had dreams of going to Seminary, working in a needy neighborhood and owning a house, now going to Hawaii to minister as our passions and hearts are wired. I'm glad just thinking in those terms is okay...
Can you imagine if we weren't allowed to hope for anything beyond our current situation? I'm very grateful for the fact that we can make plans, be excited about them, and then be okay with their not coming to fruition as well... we are allowed to be unpredictable, dreaming, hoping, forward looking creatures. In the last two months Lyndee and I have had dreams of going to Seminary, working in a needy neighborhood and owning a house, now going to Hawaii to minister as our passions and hearts are wired. I'm glad just thinking in those terms is okay...
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Forty Days of Gratitude: Day 1
I am very grateful for rest. Tonight we had Vespers, and it was such a good thing to simply SLOW DOWN and take a few breaths and thank God for being there constantly. I am very thankful for rest, and I am very thankful for restful ministry. I mean, come on- sing some songs and pray? Done. Stress about it? Not a chance.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Forty Days of Gratitude: the beginning
I'm going try something pretty intentional here. I'm going to blog for forty days and in each post present something from the day that warrants my gratitude. I'm going to try being very specific about it all, and basically just throw them out there for whoever you are to hear. I'm posting this for the sake of the intentionality in it, the "anonymous accountability" if you will. I'll start tomorrow, on April 21, 2010 and end on May 30, 2010 we'll see how it all went and hopefully a pattern and recognition of all the gracious things there are in my life will be instilled. Thanks for taking the time to read just a short intro.
We'll see how this goes :D
We'll see how this goes :D
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Re: Repetition of History
I think it’s time to spell something out.
We’ve come to a time in the formation of the church where we are repeating history, and it’s not a good thing.
Check out Acts 15:1-35
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2015:1-35&version=NLT
The Jerusalem council of the first century was convened for a simple purpose, to decide whether or not it was in accordance with the message of the gospel to make gentile converts uphold Jewish tradition in their new faith. The controversy had much to do with circumcision, Sabbath, synagogue attendance, and obeying the Torah and then forming Talmud. The decision? “No”- upholding the Jewish cultural law was not going to become contingent and equal with the gospel of new life in Jesus Christ. They decided that the Gentile believers were just as much included in the blessing of God’s presence by manifestation of the Holy Spirit as the Jewish and Samaritan believers before them. The decision made history- but we have neglected to act in accordance with their wisdom. Instead, we have taken on the pride of these early Jews and decided that if church isn’t done in accordance with our traditions and with our cultural preferences, then it isn’t being done correctly. Some have criticized Western Christianity in this way, claiming moral outrage at such arrogance. Anymore I think the criticism is legitimate.
Do we not realize that we are not called to be a “church” (that is, the connotative definition of an assembly of people professing the same cognitive beliefs) as much as we are reborn to be a nation (that is, a people who by their way of life and adherence to particular original truths find themselves unified though they do not necessarily share space and/or time)? Let me suggest something very simple here- nations are bigger than churches. Christ died to redeem and purify for Himself a people of His very own. They same desire that the Father has expressed since the beginning of His interaction with humanity on this fallen world. But no, instead we reserve the right to decide what people must believe and do in order to be acceptable in our sight rather than look for God’s blessing on their affirmation of His work and love through Christ. When will we repent of this arrogance and stop asking cultures unlike our own to conform to our cultural and linguistic preferences before we accept them as brothers and sisters in faith? The missions movement is a wonderful thing, missions work is a wonderful thing, but let us not mistake the medium for the message. Just because we have experienced the power and truth of the Good News in a particular medium (pulpits, buildings, books, radios, etc) does not mean the power and truth of the message is limited to that medium. When we look at the narrative of Acts, we see that there was a deciding factor that told the council what the reality was. The Holy Spirit had indeed been manifested among the gentiles. This indicated God’s Sovereign presence and blessing on their actions and affirmations, meaning that what the Jews wanted them to do in order to experience that blessing was irrelevant.
Let us follow in their footsteps and remove the yoke of cultural uniformity before we further nullify the true meaning of the Gospel as the good news for the world.
Someday there will be more written on this fragile screen regarding the formation of the people of God. For now I am mulling over this abuse and looking to affirm its correction and remedy.
Press on.
I think it’s time to spell something out.
We’ve come to a time in the formation of the church where we are repeating history, and it’s not a good thing.
Check out Acts 15:1-35
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2015:1-35&version=NLT
The Jerusalem council of the first century was convened for a simple purpose, to decide whether or not it was in accordance with the message of the gospel to make gentile converts uphold Jewish tradition in their new faith. The controversy had much to do with circumcision, Sabbath, synagogue attendance, and obeying the Torah and then forming Talmud. The decision? “No”- upholding the Jewish cultural law was not going to become contingent and equal with the gospel of new life in Jesus Christ. They decided that the Gentile believers were just as much included in the blessing of God’s presence by manifestation of the Holy Spirit as the Jewish and Samaritan believers before them. The decision made history- but we have neglected to act in accordance with their wisdom. Instead, we have taken on the pride of these early Jews and decided that if church isn’t done in accordance with our traditions and with our cultural preferences, then it isn’t being done correctly. Some have criticized Western Christianity in this way, claiming moral outrage at such arrogance. Anymore I think the criticism is legitimate.
Do we not realize that we are not called to be a “church” (that is, the connotative definition of an assembly of people professing the same cognitive beliefs) as much as we are reborn to be a nation (that is, a people who by their way of life and adherence to particular original truths find themselves unified though they do not necessarily share space and/or time)? Let me suggest something very simple here- nations are bigger than churches. Christ died to redeem and purify for Himself a people of His very own. They same desire that the Father has expressed since the beginning of His interaction with humanity on this fallen world. But no, instead we reserve the right to decide what people must believe and do in order to be acceptable in our sight rather than look for God’s blessing on their affirmation of His work and love through Christ. When will we repent of this arrogance and stop asking cultures unlike our own to conform to our cultural and linguistic preferences before we accept them as brothers and sisters in faith? The missions movement is a wonderful thing, missions work is a wonderful thing, but let us not mistake the medium for the message. Just because we have experienced the power and truth of the Good News in a particular medium (pulpits, buildings, books, radios, etc) does not mean the power and truth of the message is limited to that medium. When we look at the narrative of Acts, we see that there was a deciding factor that told the council what the reality was. The Holy Spirit had indeed been manifested among the gentiles. This indicated God’s Sovereign presence and blessing on their actions and affirmations, meaning that what the Jews wanted them to do in order to experience that blessing was irrelevant.
Let us follow in their footsteps and remove the yoke of cultural uniformity before we further nullify the true meaning of the Gospel as the good news for the world.
Someday there will be more written on this fragile screen regarding the formation of the people of God. For now I am mulling over this abuse and looking to affirm its correction and remedy.
Press on.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Re: Perspective and Interpretation
The Circumstances
You are in a dark room, lit only by one light that hangs over a table in the center. On this particular table there are bindings and straps- it is so vile in its depravity. You know these people you have lost your freedom to use it for their own foul and horrid purposes. You know you do not want to be here. You have been stripped, the decency of a single cloth is your only accommodation for these circumstances- you feel less than human. The room is cold and still you grow more and more terrified of who may be coming in for you and what they may do to you. The room, echoing your heart, feels dirty and full of risk. You found this place by accident, never intending your involvement with these people and their secluded organization to get so intense and out of hand. You have little rights with them, indeed, they tell you what your options are anymore and you either comply or face the consequences. What have I gotten myself into is all that you can think as you stare at the door and wait for their latest instructions. What will they have you do this time? Tell them more secrets? Tell them more things you swore you'd never tell anyone? Show them more vulnerability as if you deserve to be at their mercy? Try to resist and yet fail as time and time again before? Someone comes in, they're masked as usual, and you are hardly able to contain yourself and your anxiety. He brings with him others, all masked and dark. They tell you to stand and that they are in control of the situation- your time is up."Everything is going according to plan," they say to one another with pleasure. Fear grips you even still- what does that mean? You do not want to stand. Someone grabs your hand and pulls you up from your place, you cannot bear to resist anymore- they have proven themselves too strong in recent times. This table was meant for you, and you know they are going to injure you. This is going to hurt. They will harm you. How could they?! From the time you met them they said they only wanted to help you. From the first time you spoke to the masked one he said nothing of this. That table is yours. You climb your Golgotha and await your sentance, unwilling to attempt escape. It’s no use. They surround you and look you over. How will they perform their ritual this time? How long have they been practicing this dreadful routine? How many others have been where you are now- at their mercy? How did you come to this place? How did you give them so much power? The man stares at you from behind the mask and says, “Just relax,” but you know it's no use. Then he holds his sinister blade above your flesh and lowers it as you pray to escape into the relief of unconsciousness…
The Question
Where are you? There are many answers that could suffice, but I kind of want to see how this short little verbal presentation affects you. Where do you think you are? (and if we’ve had this conversation before, please don’t answer)
You are in a dark room, lit only by one light that hangs over a table in the center. On this particular table there are bindings and straps- it is so vile in its depravity. You know these people you have lost your freedom to use it for their own foul and horrid purposes. You know you do not want to be here. You have been stripped, the decency of a single cloth is your only accommodation for these circumstances- you feel less than human. The room is cold and still you grow more and more terrified of who may be coming in for you and what they may do to you. The room, echoing your heart, feels dirty and full of risk. You found this place by accident, never intending your involvement with these people and their secluded organization to get so intense and out of hand. You have little rights with them, indeed, they tell you what your options are anymore and you either comply or face the consequences. What have I gotten myself into is all that you can think as you stare at the door and wait for their latest instructions. What will they have you do this time? Tell them more secrets? Tell them more things you swore you'd never tell anyone? Show them more vulnerability as if you deserve to be at their mercy? Try to resist and yet fail as time and time again before? Someone comes in, they're masked as usual, and you are hardly able to contain yourself and your anxiety. He brings with him others, all masked and dark. They tell you to stand and that they are in control of the situation- your time is up."Everything is going according to plan," they say to one another with pleasure. Fear grips you even still- what does that mean? You do not want to stand. Someone grabs your hand and pulls you up from your place, you cannot bear to resist anymore- they have proven themselves too strong in recent times. This table was meant for you, and you know they are going to injure you. This is going to hurt. They will harm you. How could they?! From the time you met them they said they only wanted to help you. From the first time you spoke to the masked one he said nothing of this. That table is yours. You climb your Golgotha and await your sentance, unwilling to attempt escape. It’s no use. They surround you and look you over. How will they perform their ritual this time? How long have they been practicing this dreadful routine? How many others have been where you are now- at their mercy? How did you come to this place? How did you give them so much power? The man stares at you from behind the mask and says, “Just relax,” but you know it's no use. Then he holds his sinister blade above your flesh and lowers it as you pray to escape into the relief of unconsciousness…
The Question
Where are you? There are many answers that could suffice, but I kind of want to see how this short little verbal presentation affects you. Where do you think you are? (and if we’ve had this conversation before, please don’t answer)
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Re: Recent Tunes (v.II, "A New Law")
So... I've been listening to a couple of artists lately that have some pretty good things to say. The first is the ever folksy and ridiculously talented Mr. Marc Scibilia and the other is one known in some circles as "the most dangerous man in music," Mr. Derek Webb. I was privileged to see both of them at the Wealthy Theater in Grand Rapids, Michigan about a week ago and consequently, one of their albums has been playing near my ears since then. Fixity is Marc's only full length release thus far, but it certainly packs a punch. He lulls you onward with very fanciful piano progression all the while that he's sneaking a prophetic challenge and cry into your heart through the back door. Derek Webb has a different approach to say the least. Derek comes at you like a freight train, and as one good friend likes to reflect, "there are times he sings something and you just have to stop and ask 'did he just say that??'" The album of his we're referring to here is Mockingbird, and wow, it is beautiful and hardly a spin off of someone else's efforts. Derek's unique voice and questioning, forceful lyrics say something new each time I play a track. At any rate, both of these men have been on the side of truth this week and in very timely fashion reminding me of some of the beliefs my life holds that just don't find opportunity for expression in my daily surroundings (that being Bethel College and the Northern Indiana Bible belt). I think Derek was brilliant to name his last album "Stockholm Syndrome." Though where I am is not necessarily captivity, sometimes it is much easier to simply blend in or comply with your circumstances than to intentionally affirm what you know to be true. As C.S. Lewis put it (though I can't remember where)- the road to spiritual apathy is comfortable and full of only slight compromises, the kind we always have the intention to return to and fix when no one is looking. A professor of mine likes to say "You can't choose your beliefs," and I tend to agree, however, we can definitely choose what beliefs we protect and remember. At any rate, both of these guys have been influencing my thoughts and faith this past week and I wanted to share a bit of Derek's thoughts with you. Why? Well, because "you deserve it"... like a coke or something. (I think it'll be refreshing)
A New Law
By: Derek Webb
Album: Mockingbird
Don’t teach me about politics and government
Just tell me who to vote for
And don’t teach me about truth and beauty
No, just label my music
And don’t teach me how to live like a free man
No, just give me a new law
I don’t wanna know if the answers aren’t easy
So just bring it down from the mountain to me
I want a new law
I want a new law
Just give me that new law
And don’t teach me about moderation and liberty
I prefer a shot of grape juice
And don’t teach me about loving my enemies
And don’t teach me how to listen to the Spirit
No, just give me a new law
I don’t wanna know if the answers aren’t easy
So just bring it down from the mountain to me
I want a new law
I want a new law
Just give me that new law
‘Cause what’s the use in trading a law you can never keep
For one you can that cannot get you anything
So do not be afraid
Do not be afraid…
A New Law
By: Derek Webb
Album: Mockingbird
Don’t teach me about politics and government
Just tell me who to vote for
And don’t teach me about truth and beauty
No, just label my music
And don’t teach me how to live like a free man
No, just give me a new law
I don’t wanna know if the answers aren’t easy
So just bring it down from the mountain to me
I want a new law
I want a new law
Just give me that new law
And don’t teach me about moderation and liberty
I prefer a shot of grape juice
And don’t teach me about loving my enemies
And don’t teach me how to listen to the Spirit
No, just give me a new law
I don’t wanna know if the answers aren’t easy
So just bring it down from the mountain to me
I want a new law
I want a new law
Just give me that new law
‘Cause what’s the use in trading a law you can never keep
For one you can that cannot get you anything
So do not be afraid
Do not be afraid…
Re: Recent Tunes (v. I, "A King and A Kingdom")
So... I've been listening to a couple of artists lately that have some pretty good things to say. The first is the ever folksy and ridiculously talented Mr. Marc Scibilia and the other is one known in some circles as "the most dangerous man in music," Mr. Derek Webb. I was privileged to see both of them at the Wealthy Theater in Grand Rapids, Michigan about a week ago and consequently, one of their albums has been playing near my ears since then. Fixity is Marc's only full length release thus far, but it certainly packs a punch. He lulls you onward with very fanciful piano progression all the while that he's sneaking a prophetic challenge and cry into your heart through the back door. Derek Webb has a different approach to say the least. Derek comes at you like a freight train, and as one good friend likes to reflect, "there are times he sings something and you just have to stop and ask 'did he just say that??'" The album of his we're referring to here is Mockingbird, and wow, it is beautiful and hardly a spin off of someone else's efforts. Derek's unique voice and questioning, forceful lyrics say something new each time I play a track. At any rate, both of these men have been on the side of truth this week and in very timely fashion reminding me of some of the beliefs my life holds that just don't find opportunity for expression in my daily surroundings (that being Bethel College and the Northern Indiana Bible belt). I think Derek was brilliant to name his last album "Stockholm Syndrome." Though where I am is not necessarily captivity, sometimes it is much easier to simply blend in or comply with your circumstances than to intentionally affirm what you know to be true. As C.S. Lewis put it (though I can't remember where)- the road to spiritual apathy is comfortable and full of only slight compromises, the kind we always have the intention to return to and fix when no one is looking. A professor of mine likes to say "You can't choose your beliefs," and I tend to agree, however, we can definitely choose what beliefs we protect and remember. At any rate, both of these guys have been influencing my thoughts and faith this past week and I wanted to share a bit of Derek's thoughts with you. Why? Well, because "you deserve it"... like a coke or something. (I think it'll be refreshing)
A King and A Kingdom
By: Derek Webb
Album: Mockingbird
Who’s your brother, who’s your sister
You just walked past him, I think you missed her
As we’re all migrating to a place where our Father lives
‘Cause we married into a family of immigrants
So my first allegiance is not to a flag, a country or a man
My first allegiance is not to democracy or blood
It’s to a King and a Kingdom
There are two great lies that I’ve heard
"The day you eat of the fruit of that tree you will not surely die"
And that "Jesus Christ was a white, middle class Republican
And if you wanna be saved you have to learn to be like him"
But my first allegiance is not to a flag, a country or a man
My first allegiance is not to democracy or blood
It’s to a King and a Kingdom
And nothing unifies like a common enemy
And we’ve got one sure as hell
He may be living in your house
He may be raising up your kids
He may be sleeping with your wife
Oh he may not look like you think
A King and A Kingdom
By: Derek Webb
Album: Mockingbird
Who’s your brother, who’s your sister
You just walked past him, I think you missed her
As we’re all migrating to a place where our Father lives
‘Cause we married into a family of immigrants
So my first allegiance is not to a flag, a country or a man
My first allegiance is not to democracy or blood
It’s to a King and a Kingdom
There are two great lies that I’ve heard
"The day you eat of the fruit of that tree you will not surely die"
And that "Jesus Christ was a white, middle class Republican
And if you wanna be saved you have to learn to be like him"
But my first allegiance is not to a flag, a country or a man
My first allegiance is not to democracy or blood
It’s to a King and a Kingdom
And nothing unifies like a common enemy
And we’ve got one sure as hell
He may be living in your house
He may be raising up your kids
He may be sleeping with your wife
Oh he may not look like you think
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Re: Reconciliation
Forgive my tardiness for this post to this site. This is a former written work and again recently I'm seeing the same word tossed around and the same motivation behind it... so I felt like dusting it off for a minute and letting it fly again.
..............................................................................
[Original Posting September 28,2009]
So I this has been weighing me down for some time because more and more I see this word, "reconciliation" being thrown around and I get the feeling we're letting the world define it and give us our mission rather than letting Jesus declare it and send us with it.
Here goes...
Dear you,
Your passion for reconciliation is good, but you have missed the point. Our Lord did not come to reconcile the world to itself. He did not come to bring peace between the gentiles and Jews, create political stability for Palestine and Israel, harmony between sexual orientations, union to Republicans and Democrats, familiarity for races, neutrality to genders, equality for the rich and poor, or agreement between any other differing ideals! Our Lord Jesus Christ did NOT die on a cross so the world would have peace with itself as if all sin were now abolished (by Him, not through Him) and the enemy no longer has rights to create havoc. The ministry of reconciliation that Jesus came to demonstrate is NOT the reconciliation of the world to itself. Indeed it is entirely the opposite.
• Rom 5:10-11: For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
• Rom 11:15: For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?
• 2 Cor 5:18: All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation…
• 2 Cor 5:19: that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
• 2 Cor 5:20: Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
• Col 1:20-22: …and through Him God was pleased to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His Cross. And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, He has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, as as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before Him…
The concept and nature of this word does connote the idea of some restoration taking place or the exchange of some substance for something else and I think that the Theological implications are greater still. First, I think that the implication made is that a prerequisite for reconciliation is a fall. In order for something to be reconciled, a prior, somehow greater connection between the two things must have been lost. The implications are this, that we were at one time in right relation with God, but through our own choices, we broke the connection between us, offending God, and losing the original greatness of our bond. In order to regain that relationship, reconcile it, that is, payment, or an exchange of some kind must be made. Knowing that the result of sin (that is, the offense of God) is death, the only possible payment for sin (wages, that is) is death itself; therefore, restitution to God is made only in death. However, considering that all humanity has chosen this offense, and that it is impossible for that which is impure to purify itself, it is therefore impossible from humanity’s standpoint to reconcile itself to God. But if the pure were to die, fulfilling the just price of the offense, reconciliation might be had through the pure. That is what happened, the Pure, God himself, chose to reconcile us to Himself by paying the price Himself. The debt was not cancelled as if it never happened- it was paid in full by the indebted! The exchange of His life for each of ours is what defines the reconciliation of humanity back to right relationship with God. In this light reconciliation is in fact, payment, replacement, exchange, and substitution- all combined to identify the act of restoration carried out for debtors to God by God to God (not a redundancy, read it carefully).
The goal of Christ is the reconciliation of the world TO HIMSELF, all things come FROM THIS POINT FIRST, for it only THROUGH HIM that all things are made new. It is not the agreement of holiness and sin, it is the removal of sin to reveal what is holy! It is IN HIM that there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, etc.- why are we attempting to reconcile that which cannot be reconciled without the work of Christ taking place first? There can be no reconcilation of the Church and the world outside of Jesus, and even then it is no longer the world, but an expansion and addition to the Church! To have friendship with the world is to be the enemy of God- have we forgotten this? Neither the Jew and Greek nor the Church and the world will be or can be reconciled without FIRST being made new in Jesus, for it is at that point that national origins, political preferences, personal rights and ideals SUBMIT THEMSELVES TO HIS WILL and are thus CONFORMED to the likeness of the SAME IMAGE- Jesus Christ. It is when we seek conforming to the same standard that unity is created, but for the saved, the Church, our standard is Jesus Christ Alone, Who is our Head and Author, can we then submit to the standard of the world which we have been alienated from and estranged to?
I cannot help but let this go from here. As more and more throw this word around as if somehow it is our mission to reconcile others to others I will continue to cringe, for the reconciliation of Christ can only be done as we bring others to HIM and NOT to each other. Reconciliation is not about tolerance and false unity, the bringing together of light and darkness as if that were possible anyway. Rather, it is about being recreated in the same image as the ONLY Reconciler, Jesus Christ, Who has paid our debt by His death on a cursed piece of wood. It is about the rebirth of our life, the renewal of our relationships, the restoration of our purpose, and the reduction of what is not of Him. Let us press on in the ministry of reconciliation as it is intended, not by what the world would rather it be.
In Him,
Me
..............................................................................
[Original Posting September 28,2009]
So I this has been weighing me down for some time because more and more I see this word, "reconciliation" being thrown around and I get the feeling we're letting the world define it and give us our mission rather than letting Jesus declare it and send us with it.
Here goes...
Dear you,
Your passion for reconciliation is good, but you have missed the point. Our Lord did not come to reconcile the world to itself. He did not come to bring peace between the gentiles and Jews, create political stability for Palestine and Israel, harmony between sexual orientations, union to Republicans and Democrats, familiarity for races, neutrality to genders, equality for the rich and poor, or agreement between any other differing ideals! Our Lord Jesus Christ did NOT die on a cross so the world would have peace with itself as if all sin were now abolished (by Him, not through Him) and the enemy no longer has rights to create havoc. The ministry of reconciliation that Jesus came to demonstrate is NOT the reconciliation of the world to itself. Indeed it is entirely the opposite.
• Rom 5:10-11: For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
• Rom 11:15: For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?
• 2 Cor 5:18: All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation…
• 2 Cor 5:19: that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
• 2 Cor 5:20: Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
• Col 1:20-22: …and through Him God was pleased to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His Cross. And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, He has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, as as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before Him…
The concept and nature of this word does connote the idea of some restoration taking place or the exchange of some substance for something else and I think that the Theological implications are greater still. First, I think that the implication made is that a prerequisite for reconciliation is a fall. In order for something to be reconciled, a prior, somehow greater connection between the two things must have been lost. The implications are this, that we were at one time in right relation with God, but through our own choices, we broke the connection between us, offending God, and losing the original greatness of our bond. In order to regain that relationship, reconcile it, that is, payment, or an exchange of some kind must be made. Knowing that the result of sin (that is, the offense of God) is death, the only possible payment for sin (wages, that is) is death itself; therefore, restitution to God is made only in death. However, considering that all humanity has chosen this offense, and that it is impossible for that which is impure to purify itself, it is therefore impossible from humanity’s standpoint to reconcile itself to God. But if the pure were to die, fulfilling the just price of the offense, reconciliation might be had through the pure. That is what happened, the Pure, God himself, chose to reconcile us to Himself by paying the price Himself. The debt was not cancelled as if it never happened- it was paid in full by the indebted! The exchange of His life for each of ours is what defines the reconciliation of humanity back to right relationship with God. In this light reconciliation is in fact, payment, replacement, exchange, and substitution- all combined to identify the act of restoration carried out for debtors to God by God to God (not a redundancy, read it carefully).
The goal of Christ is the reconciliation of the world TO HIMSELF, all things come FROM THIS POINT FIRST, for it only THROUGH HIM that all things are made new. It is not the agreement of holiness and sin, it is the removal of sin to reveal what is holy! It is IN HIM that there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, etc.- why are we attempting to reconcile that which cannot be reconciled without the work of Christ taking place first? There can be no reconcilation of the Church and the world outside of Jesus, and even then it is no longer the world, but an expansion and addition to the Church! To have friendship with the world is to be the enemy of God- have we forgotten this? Neither the Jew and Greek nor the Church and the world will be or can be reconciled without FIRST being made new in Jesus, for it is at that point that national origins, political preferences, personal rights and ideals SUBMIT THEMSELVES TO HIS WILL and are thus CONFORMED to the likeness of the SAME IMAGE- Jesus Christ. It is when we seek conforming to the same standard that unity is created, but for the saved, the Church, our standard is Jesus Christ Alone, Who is our Head and Author, can we then submit to the standard of the world which we have been alienated from and estranged to?
I cannot help but let this go from here. As more and more throw this word around as if somehow it is our mission to reconcile others to others I will continue to cringe, for the reconciliation of Christ can only be done as we bring others to HIM and NOT to each other. Reconciliation is not about tolerance and false unity, the bringing together of light and darkness as if that were possible anyway. Rather, it is about being recreated in the same image as the ONLY Reconciler, Jesus Christ, Who has paid our debt by His death on a cursed piece of wood. It is about the rebirth of our life, the renewal of our relationships, the restoration of our purpose, and the reduction of what is not of Him. Let us press on in the ministry of reconciliation as it is intended, not by what the world would rather it be.
In Him,
Me
Friday, August 14, 2009
August 14, 2009: What of Dreams?
Dear you,
I do not know how to talk to you.
Such a notion as conversation seems so…
Small.
That is…
In light of the things I see,
And what I long to show you…
Such a vision cannot be presented with words.
Yet I see you…
And…
Well…
I don’t know what do with that sight either.
Suddenly wetness fills my eyes…
A salty substance I did not invite.
Each bead races down my face…
And falls.
In singularity declaring a hope…
A sighed prayer…
A reckless dream.
Yet on impact with the ground…
The end?
No.
The abundance.
They multiply.
This is how I feel when my dreams land
On His heart.
They explode…
And one suddenly becomes one thousand…
For you.
When I dream for you
It cannot be in terms of one…
For I dream dreams upon dreams...
Countless.
And yet…
Even if you actually found my face…
It wouldn’t help.
The dreams aren’t there…
Only a subtle trace remains.
That’s not what I want to share with you.
The dreams…
All of them…
Have landed in a heart…
And it is heavy.
For dreams can only be seen…
And you know what that means.
So I am still speechless.
Love,
Me
I do not know how to talk to you.
Such a notion as conversation seems so…
Small.
That is…
In light of the things I see,
And what I long to show you…
Such a vision cannot be presented with words.
Yet I see you…
And…
Well…
I don’t know what do with that sight either.
Suddenly wetness fills my eyes…
A salty substance I did not invite.
Each bead races down my face…
And falls.
In singularity declaring a hope…
A sighed prayer…
A reckless dream.
Yet on impact with the ground…
The end?
No.
The abundance.
They multiply.
This is how I feel when my dreams land
On His heart.
They explode…
And one suddenly becomes one thousand…
For you.
When I dream for you
It cannot be in terms of one…
For I dream dreams upon dreams...
Countless.
And yet…
Even if you actually found my face…
It wouldn’t help.
The dreams aren’t there…
Only a subtle trace remains.
That’s not what I want to share with you.
The dreams…
All of them…
Have landed in a heart…
And it is heavy.
For dreams can only be seen…
And you know what that means.
So I am still speechless.
Love,
Me
Thursday, July 30, 2009
July 30, 2009: Something Shallow
Dear you,
I’m sorry.
Those seem to be the only words that my heart allows at the moment…
I’m sorry.
I’m sorry you’ve been abused… broken… hurt… tricked… taken advantage of… mistreated… downplayed… pained… scarred… hated… lied to.
I’m so sorry. I don’t know what else to say…
Except… well.
I love you.
I love you, and the love that I have for you may as well be nothing when compared to the love I am learning to reflect. This reflection is dull… darkened… shallow... overshadowed by my own depravity, selfishness, and humanity, and yet the source, He who shows me pure and true love, has no darkness or dimness. His light is pure and unimaginably freeing. I want to love you that way. May He teach me more honestly and openly, for I see such pain and brokenness in your life. I want you to know this love. I want you to know this joy. I want you to know this FREEDOM. And yet the only words I can say are… I’m sorry. I don’t know why… but I wish I could undo it all. I want to take the pain and the lies away. I want you to know the truth and I want you to be free. I love you. I don’t know what else to do… I know you’re tired of hearing it, yet I feel the resolution to live it before you. Would you dare to see it? Or, will you hide behind closed eyes, tolerating the pain and the sorrow, hoping everyone just goes away?
Open them… please.
You close them and it undermines everything. Glory is ultimately something we must see, not just hear. Love must be known in action, not only speech. I know my words have reached your ears, yet I pray desperately it would reach your eyes, and through them, your heart. My heart is broken for you… even now I don’t know what to do but write in with the simple hope your heart will find a moment to read such things that are daringly expressed in the face of depravity. What is next for us? I don’t know. My love for you burns anew each day, as if the sun itself adds sets my heart ablaze each morning with its rising. Maybe someday I’ll learn the magic words needed to show you what I really mean. Maybe someday I’ll learn the secret of speaking directly to your heart. Maybe someday I’ll really know what you’re thinking and can then speak against the fears and the past pains that numb your ears to His words and close your eyes to His heart. Maybe someday… or maybe someday you’ll just want to know what it is that I see in you, and maybe on that day you’ll be just honest enough to look past me to see the One whom I represent, asking what it is that HE sees in you, calling your name with tears in His eyes, asking you to come home… maybe you’ll look around for the source of the reflection… you’ll learn that I’m nothing but an expression… and you’ll laugh as you realize what it is that you’ve been caught up in, indefinable though seems to be... you'll cry and I'll heave a great sigh of relief and joy and celebration... I'll marvel at what He has done and thank Him for the chance to be part of it for you. I'll look at you and pray you see what He sees. I'll cry in your healing... you'll laugh in His love... and the Kingdom will be ours. I can see it...
And yet in my vision is also the sight of what blocks your view, and for the sake of that sight I am sorry, and I am willing to help you tear down that wall, that you may hold the promises meant for your life, that you might know joy, hope, and peace, that you might run freely and with strength... because I love you, and I want you to know the Reason why.
Love,
Me
.........................................................................................
Micah 7:14-20
14 Shepherd your people with your staff,
the flock of your inheritance,
which lives by itself in a forest,
in fertile pasturelands.
Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead
as in days long ago.
15 "As in the days when you came out of Egypt,
I will show them my wonders."
16 Nations will see and be ashamed,
deprived of all their power.
They will lay their hands on their mouths
and their ears will become deaf.
17 They will lick dust like a snake,
like creatures that crawl on the ground.
They will come trembling out of their dens;
they will turn in fear to the LORD our God
and will be afraid of you.
18 Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy.
19 You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
20 You will be true to Jacob,
and show mercy to Abraham,
as you pledged on oath to our fathers
in days long ago.
I’m sorry.
Those seem to be the only words that my heart allows at the moment…
I’m sorry.
I’m sorry you’ve been abused… broken… hurt… tricked… taken advantage of… mistreated… downplayed… pained… scarred… hated… lied to.
I’m so sorry. I don’t know what else to say…
Except… well.
I love you.
I love you, and the love that I have for you may as well be nothing when compared to the love I am learning to reflect. This reflection is dull… darkened… shallow... overshadowed by my own depravity, selfishness, and humanity, and yet the source, He who shows me pure and true love, has no darkness or dimness. His light is pure and unimaginably freeing. I want to love you that way. May He teach me more honestly and openly, for I see such pain and brokenness in your life. I want you to know this love. I want you to know this joy. I want you to know this FREEDOM. And yet the only words I can say are… I’m sorry. I don’t know why… but I wish I could undo it all. I want to take the pain and the lies away. I want you to know the truth and I want you to be free. I love you. I don’t know what else to do… I know you’re tired of hearing it, yet I feel the resolution to live it before you. Would you dare to see it? Or, will you hide behind closed eyes, tolerating the pain and the sorrow, hoping everyone just goes away?
Open them… please.
You close them and it undermines everything. Glory is ultimately something we must see, not just hear. Love must be known in action, not only speech. I know my words have reached your ears, yet I pray desperately it would reach your eyes, and through them, your heart. My heart is broken for you… even now I don’t know what to do but write in with the simple hope your heart will find a moment to read such things that are daringly expressed in the face of depravity. What is next for us? I don’t know. My love for you burns anew each day, as if the sun itself adds sets my heart ablaze each morning with its rising. Maybe someday I’ll learn the magic words needed to show you what I really mean. Maybe someday I’ll learn the secret of speaking directly to your heart. Maybe someday I’ll really know what you’re thinking and can then speak against the fears and the past pains that numb your ears to His words and close your eyes to His heart. Maybe someday… or maybe someday you’ll just want to know what it is that I see in you, and maybe on that day you’ll be just honest enough to look past me to see the One whom I represent, asking what it is that HE sees in you, calling your name with tears in His eyes, asking you to come home… maybe you’ll look around for the source of the reflection… you’ll learn that I’m nothing but an expression… and you’ll laugh as you realize what it is that you’ve been caught up in, indefinable though seems to be... you'll cry and I'll heave a great sigh of relief and joy and celebration... I'll marvel at what He has done and thank Him for the chance to be part of it for you. I'll look at you and pray you see what He sees. I'll cry in your healing... you'll laugh in His love... and the Kingdom will be ours. I can see it...
And yet in my vision is also the sight of what blocks your view, and for the sake of that sight I am sorry, and I am willing to help you tear down that wall, that you may hold the promises meant for your life, that you might know joy, hope, and peace, that you might run freely and with strength... because I love you, and I want you to know the Reason why.
Love,
Me
.........................................................................................
Micah 7:14-20
14 Shepherd your people with your staff,
the flock of your inheritance,
which lives by itself in a forest,
in fertile pasturelands.
Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead
as in days long ago.
15 "As in the days when you came out of Egypt,
I will show them my wonders."
16 Nations will see and be ashamed,
deprived of all their power.
They will lay their hands on their mouths
and their ears will become deaf.
17 They will lick dust like a snake,
like creatures that crawl on the ground.
They will come trembling out of their dens;
they will turn in fear to the LORD our God
and will be afraid of you.
18 Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy.
19 You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
20 You will be true to Jacob,
and show mercy to Abraham,
as you pledged on oath to our fathers
in days long ago.
Monday, July 6, 2009
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