October 2009

How do I operate like that?

I am believing God for a breakthrough in our youth ministry. I feel like we are nearing the edge of something big. It is a great feeling! But I want more. Last Wednesday night our youth worship service was filled with Godward energy and rejoicing. I think even a bit of passion. It was so cool!  But while that felt good it only left me hungering for more in the guts of my spirit.  It has left me wrestling with John 3:30 and 31. Here is my paraphrase:

He must increase (the imperative of God’s nature and glory-ever increasing), but I must decrease. He operates on a heavenly scale. If you are so attached to earthly things you will operate on an earthly scale because that is how your earthly attachment limits your abilities and capacity to do. He is God that does. What God speaks into creation is ever greater than. Remember when He does; He operates and creates on a supernatural scale that redefines better than.
 
Two things from this passage have just jumped upright in my spirit.
 
1.    John the Baptist was a priest in the order His father. At the center of his existence was total service to God.   Yet he found that in this role he “must” decrease. This is contrary to what most of us want in the flesh. God is a God of increase because it is His nature.   I think we pursue increase in flesh because it is our fallen nature revealing that we are created to exist in the image/ likeness of our maker.  At the same time it also reveals our stubbornness and yes even our wickedness. The imperative of my nature when I am truly in a relationship and whole hearted obedience to Christ must be an all consuming selflessness. I have a ways to go but I must go there.
 
2.    God what does my life look like minus earthly attachments that are not pleasing to you? How do I get there in a way that satisfies You? I want to operate on a scale that is all yours and none of mine. I want my identity to be totally defined in You.
 
I am crucified with Christ, therefore I no longer live.  The life that I now live in the flesh we live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 
Galatians 2:20

IN love or IN religion?

I can no longer be content to have “religious moments” or “Sunday morning Christianity” and still expect the dynamic nature of Christ to be expressed through my life.  The test is before you and me. The utility of our faith is demonstrated in how we live out our life. We must yield to God completely. We must let the authenticity and genuineness of our relationship with God overflow into the physical manifestation of every relationship we have, whether they are just casual and passing acquaintances, your best friend, or any other type of relationship that falls in the spectrum of person-to-person interaction. We must understand that we are in relationship with people that we may never physically interact with. The living Gospel of Christ is communicated to the living through a living relationship with Jesus. We must focus on communicating the hope of Christ through relationships because this is how God did and does it. If God uses relationships as His method of communication, it must be the best medium. 
 
By no means should we focus on our relationship with non-believers before we concern ourselves with the sharing the Gospel with them.  Rather, the sincere compelling of the blood of Jesus should be communicated with every part of our interpersonal interaction.  It is about reaching someone, even if it is only one with the Gospel.  Because of His mercy on us we are obligated to communicate the blessing of a right relationship with God that He desires to share with all mankind. When we get a good deal on items for our home or wardrobe we talk about it like it is the best thing since sliced bread. Why don’t we talk about Jesus like this? The most effective Gospel communication begins with treasuring our relationship with Jesus like it is the best thing happening in our lives. Yes we need to love people-but I think we also need a little Jesus pride. When we are in love-we don’t care who knows it!

Picture on the Wall

Last night I was looking at picture that some dear friends had given me.  It was a smaller version of a print they had in the entry way of their home (Which I would frequent while in college because they also fed me-go good food!).  I would often stop and gaze at this picture creating different story lines for the scene it depicted of a field harvester walking down a road at dusk with is sickle over one shoulder.  Now it just so happens that I was upside down at the time of my most recent viewing with my middle daughter flailing across my body in an attempt to "wrestle with daddy."  We were having a great time when the picture caught my eye.  As in times past it sucked me in again.  This time my daughter went with me.  There we are looking at the picture-catching our breath from laughter when she asked me, "Where is that man going daddy?"  Isn't it amazing how a picture can tell a story with out words or sounds? 

When it comes to spirituality, it seems our culture has an eager tendency to stereotype as a means of establishing some boundaries and security while at the same time declaring that, "we are all the same." Our society, our global community is becoming visually intubated at constant mind blowing rate. Because of the resulting cultures' social norms  the message we preach as truth is being engaged from a distance. The “truth” in which Christ-Followers ought to be living is being engaged and tested by the observing minds of teenagers, adults and the collective mind of the culture. The usefulness of even bothering to pay attention to Christ or Christianity is increasingly measured in a language that can speak into their minds without traditional “intentional listening” and be written on hearts without words. Pictures speak without writing or sound.  As the culture observes Christ-followers...what kind of answer do they see in us when they ask the question, "Where are they going?"  Are we really that different?

Epic Epoch

I just love the way that pop culture portrays Christians. I gladly enjoy guns and clinging to my bible. While I am not totally sure what guns have to be with being a Christian I can assure you…I like things that go “BOOM!” Seriously now-being a Christ-Follower is more about cognitively ingesting and spiritual and practically digesting the bible than mere clingage. One of Postmodern Christianity’s greatest challenges in effecting the culture in which we live is a constant test of sincerity and authenticity.  What is the depth of our faith?  Are we engaged spiritually and growing some good biblical mental roots? Do we really understand and seek understanding of faith in Christ and how following Him should define each of us as individuals?  Do we daily possess that kind of confidence? 

We Christ-Followers have been trying to reach a culture we are following, ever straining to catch-up and wondering why the culture isn’t paying attention to a movement that is behind them. The truth is we should be leading and formulating culture.  This would take what to the secular mind is revolutionary Christ-following.  In this scenario, we are launching out to the edge of where God is leading.  This type of living is about generating a "hungry believing" that spurs us into an epic epoch of "doing and being" through a biblical relationship with Christ. And to those of you are excessively particular about writing-yes I did use two similar sounding words in the same sentence. I just feel the definitions are all together fitting.