Last week Bev and I drove past a church building. A sign boldly proclaimed "Jesus came to earth so you can go to heaven". I wonder if anyone at the church took the time to place that scripture against the words of scripture. I am sure that most Christians will be surprised to discover that the Bible never makes this kind of statement. I am not saying that the statement is false, however, there is not Biblical basis for this statement.
I am convinced that much of our understanding of the gospel is shaped, not by the scripture but by our tradition. I find it amazing that people who insist that they adhere to the Bible hold to so many beliefs that are extra Biblical. (However, beware if you challenge the validity of their beliefs! You will be attacked and ridiculed)
Perhaps this is no more evident than in the Christmas carols we hold dear. Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o'er the plain. Where in scripture do we find the angels singing at Jesus birth? It came upon a midnight clear... How do we know that the night of Jesus birth was cloudless? ...no crying He makes... Why should we assume that the baby Jesus did not cry?
The most dangerous aspect of our extra-biblical beliefs occurs when we present them as foundational biblical beliefs. It points to a deeper issue - an issue of creating our own doctrines and then cloaking them as biblical. I realize that it is easier to create doctrinal paradigms that fit our desires than it is to wrestle with the difficulty of the scriptures. Yet if we persist in holding to doctrines based not the scripture but on our tradition or our own ideas, we are in danger of creating a false gospel that causes us to miss the point entirely.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Friday, December 5, 2008
simeon's blessing
This Christmas season, there is a scripture that will probably not be used much in the myriad of Christmas sermons that are preached. It will probably not make it on the front of any Christmas cards. Neither is it likely that it will be the subject of songs that are sung.
They are the words of Simeon, an old prophet in Jerusalem at the time that Joseph and Mary took Jesus to the temple for His dedication ceremony. I quote:
Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."
What an interesting "blessing" - yes, a sword shall pierce your soul. What kind of blessing is that? A Child destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel - we are okay with a Child destined for the rising of many in Israel but we are less comfortable with the fact that a fall must precede the rising. A sign which will be spoken against - instead of unifying the nation, it sounds like the Child will be opposed and resisted. All this so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.
In all of this blessing we find only one "positive" word - that this Child will bring the "rising" of many in Israel. Yet even that rising is preceded by a fall. Because of the image of God which we bear, we instinctively know that the realm of God is one of righteousness, joy, and peace. We desire to rise above the mundane to a place of significance. However scripture is clear that the realm of God is accessed in proportion to the decrease of self.
The pattern of the Child Messiah opposes much of our humanistic image of entering the realm of God. I am convinced both from the words of scripture and experientially that the rise from the muck of this world into the realm of God only occurs after we fall to a place of helplessness. We inherently resist any kind of fall. I find it interesting how often the work of God causing people to fall is labeled as the work of the enemy. In our aspirations of glory and significance while opposing the "fall" work of God, we create an illusion of living in the realm of God. In a self-centered false paradigm, we violently oppose all that appears insignificant. We resist the hand of God that brings us to the place of nothing, stubbornly clinging to our self-created false realities.
Yet we must fall from our lofty self-inspired places of glory to a place of nothingness, to a place where we are completely helpless to help ourself. Our self-sufficiency runs very deeply in our psyche. We struggle with submission to the hand of God as He attacks what we have become, as He reveals the thoughts of our hearts.
The way we respond to His hand causing us to fall reveals a great deal about our inmost thoughts. If we resist Him, rebuking His work as that of the enemy, the depth of our ungodly selfishness is revealed. We are destined to a life of resisting Jesus (perhaps all the while deeply embracing religion) as long as we cling to self. On the other hand if we allow Him to bring us to the end of ourselves, we can also expect that He will also transform us into citizens of His kingdom. His promise is that as we trust Him through the valley of shadow of death, He will cause us to rise to new heights.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Convenient belief
We live in a world that operates a great deal on "smoke and mirrors". For instance, our banking institutions are discovering that one cannot ignore sound financial principles in business. A false economy was created by cheap and easily available credit. However the lenders should have known that loaning people money that had no ability to repay can not be a sustainable practice. However, instead of operating according to truth, they created an illusion of something in order to justify their continued behavior.
Unfortunately, I find the same kinds of wishful illusions in the church world as well. It never ceases to amaze me how people can declare that they believe in something deeply but when that "deeply held belief" becomes inconvenient, suddenly they no longer hold to that belief. I call it the phenomena of convenient belief.
Convenient belief is never centered on God. The foundation of convenient belief is self (or as I like to put it, the self-god). This kind of belief maybe defended vociferously at times. However the since basis for convenient belief is not built on truth as defined by God but on the preservation of self, it can change quickly. The self-god seeks to self-preserve, self-determine, and self-justify at all costs. Therefore nothing is as important as self.
However, the self-god also desires to hide behind a facade of godliness and goodness. Therefore the self-god will gravitate toward beliefs that benefit self while appearing God-centered. The intensity with which the self-god defends these convenient beliefs is directly tied to the amount of benefit received from defending them. If there is no longer any personal benefit from a particular belief, that belief is quickly discarded.
For instance, we frequently pride ourselves in the fact that we are full of grace toward people. We put ourselves forward as loving people unconditionally. However, when the time comes to put our reputation on the line in the restoration of those who have become lost, we quickly distance ourselves from those people.
On the other hand, belief centered on God, belief that arises from literally and practically following Jesus will always lead to the death of the self-god. While following Jesus transforms and adjusts our belief system, those changes and adjustments are not based on convenience. They occur as a natural part of the transformation that occurs as Christ is formed within us.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Apple pie and the goodness of God
This past week on a cold rainy fall day, I walked into the house. As soon as I approached the kitchen, I could smell that Bev had spent the afternoon engaging in one of her hobbies. The aroma of chicken roasting in the oven filled the room. Something about the aroma made my heart sing.
Several days later I came into the kitchen to the smell of freshly baked apple pie. We were visiting with friends later in the evening and Bev had baked a pie to share with them. When we left, Bev carried the pie to the car. She put her nose toward the pie and inhaled deeply and promptly proclaimed, “I smell the goodness of God!”.
This past weekend we were at our lakefront property in New York to close down the camper and take the docks out for the season. Sunday morning was rather brisk with temperatures in the high teens. Once the sun rose, I cooked breakfast outside and we ate around the fire. Coffee, homefries, bacon, eggs and toast mixed with the smell of wood smoke from the fire and oak leaves on the ground on a crisp morning to create another aroma moment. Everything about that moment pointed to the goodness of God.
The more “God-conscious” I become; the more aware I am of His goodness. The more aware I am of His goodness, the more “God-conscious” I become. I don’t think that God is “any more good” now than in the past. It’s just that I am more aware of it. Neither does the heightened sense of His goodness mean that life is easier than it used to be. I face perhaps more personal struggles than ever. However, the awareness of God’s goodness toward me helps me incredibly in the midst of those struggles.
Last spring, I watched a video for work at our Eastern Sales Meeting. It was done by Dewitt Jones, a photographer for National Geographic. The theme of the video was “Celebrate What’s Right with the World”. At one point he made a profound statement. He spoke of growing up with the philosophy of “I have to see it to believe it”. However, he admitted that philosophy limited him from seeing the potential that really exists. He spoke of a new reality that opened new potential. It was a philosophy of “we need to believe it to see it”.
And so it is with the goodness of God. If we don’t really believe that He is good, we will never see His goodness. We will be stuck in the humdrum of life, missing the aroma of His goodness in apple pies, in wood smoke on a crisp morning, and in the smell of freshly brewed coffee
Several days later I came into the kitchen to the smell of freshly baked apple pie. We were visiting with friends later in the evening and Bev had baked a pie to share with them. When we left, Bev carried the pie to the car. She put her nose toward the pie and inhaled deeply and promptly proclaimed, “I smell the goodness of God!”.
This past weekend we were at our lakefront property in New York to close down the camper and take the docks out for the season. Sunday morning was rather brisk with temperatures in the high teens. Once the sun rose, I cooked breakfast outside and we ate around the fire. Coffee, homefries, bacon, eggs and toast mixed with the smell of wood smoke from the fire and oak leaves on the ground on a crisp morning to create another aroma moment. Everything about that moment pointed to the goodness of God.
The more “God-conscious” I become; the more aware I am of His goodness. The more aware I am of His goodness, the more “God-conscious” I become. I don’t think that God is “any more good” now than in the past. It’s just that I am more aware of it. Neither does the heightened sense of His goodness mean that life is easier than it used to be. I face perhaps more personal struggles than ever. However, the awareness of God’s goodness toward me helps me incredibly in the midst of those struggles.
Last spring, I watched a video for work at our Eastern Sales Meeting. It was done by Dewitt Jones, a photographer for National Geographic. The theme of the video was “Celebrate What’s Right with the World”. At one point he made a profound statement. He spoke of growing up with the philosophy of “I have to see it to believe it”. However, he admitted that philosophy limited him from seeing the potential that really exists. He spoke of a new reality that opened new potential. It was a philosophy of “we need to believe it to see it”.
And so it is with the goodness of God. If we don’t really believe that He is good, we will never see His goodness. We will be stuck in the humdrum of life, missing the aroma of His goodness in apple pies, in wood smoke on a crisp morning, and in the smell of freshly brewed coffee
Friday, October 24, 2008
destabilization
As I learn from the life of Jesus and allow Him to impact me more fully, I have become aware of what I call the "ministry of destabilization". It seems as if everywhere Jesus went, He destabilized the established systems and thought processes. (i.e. - touching untouchables, overturning money tables, teaching with authority, healing on the Sabbath, redefining the family, challenging the paradigms of the religious.) Jesus spoke of the destabilizing effect of His life when He stated that He did not come to bring peace but a sword. I am convinced that true followers of Jesus will have the same effect today. We are a living prophetic example that brings destabilization to both people and institutions.
Every time God does a new thing, it is birthed in the midst of chaos. While this is true historically, it is also spoken of in the current/future sense in the book of Hebrews. (12:25-28)
See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven." Now this, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
If we are to participate with God in His work in the world, we must participate in His "shaking ministry" that destabilizes the established ways to reveal them for what they really are. If we are to walk with God, we must submit to His shaking in our own lives, a shaking that reveals much about the true nature of our motives and actions. I regularly hear Christians refuse to wrestle with the difficulty of God, choosing instead to live in the safety of their established view of God. We must allow God to shake us, to destabilize us in order to discover what cannot be shaken. We must also embrace the destabilization ministry that results as we pursue God practically. This frequently puts us at odds with our own need for validation from people as well as with the people being destabilized.
There is another ministry, a ministry contrary to the ministry of destabilization in which we engage. I call it the ministry of preservation. In the ministry of preservation, we attempt to preserve the status quo. I am convinced that a very large percentage of the church engages in the ministry of preservation. We put much effort into maintaining ministries within the church. Let an elder suggest that the time for having a children's church program is over and therefore it needs to be ended! Let a pastor suggest that God is sending the entire church out into the world to expand God's kingdom and therefore the church will no longer meet on Sunday morning. The very suggestion of these things will bring out the ministry of preservation in a hurry!
We cannot be involved in both the ministry of preservation and the ministry of destabilization/shaking. We embrace one and resist the other. We cannot be motivated by the need for things to run smoothly. Each of us must realize that the ministry of preservation is rooted deeply in us. Yet if we are to be involved with God today, we MUST embrace the shaking spoken of in Hebrews. In the shaking we find the things that are the eternal realities that come from the heart of God.
Every time God does a new thing, it is birthed in the midst of chaos. While this is true historically, it is also spoken of in the current/future sense in the book of Hebrews. (12:25-28)
See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven." Now this, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
If we are to participate with God in His work in the world, we must participate in His "shaking ministry" that destabilizes the established ways to reveal them for what they really are. If we are to walk with God, we must submit to His shaking in our own lives, a shaking that reveals much about the true nature of our motives and actions. I regularly hear Christians refuse to wrestle with the difficulty of God, choosing instead to live in the safety of their established view of God. We must allow God to shake us, to destabilize us in order to discover what cannot be shaken. We must also embrace the destabilization ministry that results as we pursue God practically. This frequently puts us at odds with our own need for validation from people as well as with the people being destabilized.
There is another ministry, a ministry contrary to the ministry of destabilization in which we engage. I call it the ministry of preservation. In the ministry of preservation, we attempt to preserve the status quo. I am convinced that a very large percentage of the church engages in the ministry of preservation. We put much effort into maintaining ministries within the church. Let an elder suggest that the time for having a children's church program is over and therefore it needs to be ended! Let a pastor suggest that God is sending the entire church out into the world to expand God's kingdom and therefore the church will no longer meet on Sunday morning. The very suggestion of these things will bring out the ministry of preservation in a hurry!
We cannot be involved in both the ministry of preservation and the ministry of destabilization/shaking. We embrace one and resist the other. We cannot be motivated by the need for things to run smoothly. Each of us must realize that the ministry of preservation is rooted deeply in us. Yet if we are to be involved with God today, we MUST embrace the shaking spoken of in Hebrews. In the shaking we find the things that are the eternal realities that come from the heart of God.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
The proliferation of stupidity
The writer of the Proverbs gives the following insight - The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. The word fear is not an unhealthy fear that immobilizes people but rather it implies a healthy respect.
If these words are true then the opposite is true as well. If there is no reverence/respect for God, if there is no acknowledgement of Him there is no wisdom and understanding. To put it more bluntly, if there is no God consciousness or God awareness there is much stupidity!
One of my observations has been that there seems to be a proliferation of stupidity recently. One of my clients faces financial disaster and makes decisions that create even more difficulty. He has no God-awareness. Instead of seeking God's wisdom for his situation, he makes decisions based on his self-centered desires. As a result, stupidity abounds.
The stupidity is not just limited to the world "out there". I find it in the church world as well. Christians say and do stupid things under the guise of godliness. However, they have no God-awareness. When crisis arises, they panic instead of watching for the hand of God. In the place of panic they say and do stupid things that only magnify the crisis.
If we choose the way of self over the way of God, we are doomed to stupidity.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
transformation of the mind
God’s ways and methods are incomprehensible to the natural mind. Perhaps the most difficult of all transformations is the transformation of the mind. Every inclination of the natural mind rebels against transformation.
The transformation from living from natural mind to being Christ-minded (I call it being God conscious) requires a great deal of submission to the ways of God. Walking in harmony with Him feels unnatural and dangerous to the natural mind. At the point of these feelings arising, we have a choice to make – will we subdue our feelings and trust that God knows what He is doing or will we take matters in our own hands in order to feel better?
When we decide to take matters in our own hands, we are choosing independence from God. To mask our desire for independence from God, we create a façade that looks godly. We sit in the place of God putting ourselves forth as God. In other words we live from the natural mind but call it God. In our own mind, our thought processes and actions are justified if we attach God to them.
During a gathering of church leaders, there was debate over how to handle a situation. One of the leaders spoke rather emphatically the following words. “We can do things Glen’s way and wait for God to move or we can take care of it ourselves.” These words came from the natural mind, a mind that was unwilling to wait on God. The inclination of the natural mind is to forge ahead in action since God seems to be absent at the time. Scripture repeatedly tells the stories of people who took matters into their own hands and acted independently of God. Every one of those stories ends in disaster.
For me, the greatest transformation of my mind occurred, not on some mountaintop, but in a several periods that I call my valleys of the shadow of death. Even though I had been a pastor and a church planter, yet my mind was still primarily operating in a state of self-consciousness. God began to invite me to walk and live in a different way, not according to my thought patterns but according to His paradigms. For a time, I felt like He was my enemy as He targeted my natural mindsets. He took aim at what I had become as I had followed the dictates of the natural mind. However, Each time I have walked through one of the valley periods, I have emerged transformed.
As you enter your own valley of the shadow of death, allow the transformation of your mind by living according to the invitation of God. Resist the urge to take matters into your own hands. As you find yourself in the depths of despair, resist the urge to give up on God. When you finally feel like you cannot go on, look up, breakthrough is near. The entire journey through the valley of the shadow of death will transform your mind.
The transformation from living from natural mind to being Christ-minded (I call it being God conscious) requires a great deal of submission to the ways of God. Walking in harmony with Him feels unnatural and dangerous to the natural mind. At the point of these feelings arising, we have a choice to make – will we subdue our feelings and trust that God knows what He is doing or will we take matters in our own hands in order to feel better?
When we decide to take matters in our own hands, we are choosing independence from God. To mask our desire for independence from God, we create a façade that looks godly. We sit in the place of God putting ourselves forth as God. In other words we live from the natural mind but call it God. In our own mind, our thought processes and actions are justified if we attach God to them.
During a gathering of church leaders, there was debate over how to handle a situation. One of the leaders spoke rather emphatically the following words. “We can do things Glen’s way and wait for God to move or we can take care of it ourselves.” These words came from the natural mind, a mind that was unwilling to wait on God. The inclination of the natural mind is to forge ahead in action since God seems to be absent at the time. Scripture repeatedly tells the stories of people who took matters into their own hands and acted independently of God. Every one of those stories ends in disaster.
For me, the greatest transformation of my mind occurred, not on some mountaintop, but in a several periods that I call my valleys of the shadow of death. Even though I had been a pastor and a church planter, yet my mind was still primarily operating in a state of self-consciousness. God began to invite me to walk and live in a different way, not according to my thought patterns but according to His paradigms. For a time, I felt like He was my enemy as He targeted my natural mindsets. He took aim at what I had become as I had followed the dictates of the natural mind. However, Each time I have walked through one of the valley periods, I have emerged transformed.
As you enter your own valley of the shadow of death, allow the transformation of your mind by living according to the invitation of God. Resist the urge to take matters into your own hands. As you find yourself in the depths of despair, resist the urge to give up on God. When you finally feel like you cannot go on, look up, breakthrough is near. The entire journey through the valley of the shadow of death will transform your mind.
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